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Fuji Announces the FinePix A850

Digital Cameras, Gadgets, Tech News 0 comments

If you're already having trouble zeroing-in on an entry-level point-and-shoot digital camera, here's one more to add to your indecision.

Fujifilm has announced the launch of their new entry-level FinePix A850 digital camera, with availability to be declared sometime in July this year.

The newest entrant to Fuji's A Series digital cameras will be placed between the A820 and the A900 (model number-wise) cameras that are already available in India. Meanwhile, Fuji's top model in the A Series, the A920 isn't listed on the company's India page.

The FinePix A850 features a Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens, an 8 mega pixels CCD sensor, and ISO 800 sensitivity at full resolution. The digital camera also features a 2.5-inches LCD monitor, 24Mb internal memory, power source 2x AA-size alkaline (included), 2x AA-size Ni-MH (optional), and AC Power Adapter AC-3V (optional).

The reason for featuring a 3x optical zoom lens is difficult to comprehend when the existing A820 comes with a 4x optical zoom lens, along with the A900 that also comes with a 4x optical zoom.

From the information released by the company, the only significant addition in the A850 seems to be the increased internal memory space, which again doesn't count for much when you have cheap memory cards available everywhere. But yes, this camera looks much better than other cameras in Fuji's A Series.

The A850 employs Image Intelligence processing, which is claimed to produce sharp images. Along with that, the camera features Image Stabilization, which was only found in high-end models till sometime ago.

The camera also has a movie mode, 30fps (frames per second) with mono-aural sound, and 14 selectable scene positions.

Fuji is one brand that has been overshadowed by the likes of Canon and Nikon in India. Blame it on weak promotion, the company claims. But owners of Fuji cameras tend to vouch for the brand in terms of price to performance ratio.

We couldn't get in touch with Fuji India's Sales Manager Harmeet at their Head Office in Gurgaon for the product's pricing and availability in India. Nevertheless, the company has announced that the FinePix A850 will be available through retailers this July onwards.

Olympus µ820 Digital Camera Review

Digital Cameras, Gadgets, Interesting Stuff, Multimedia 0 comments

Here is a camera that knows when to capture smiles. The Olympus µ820 will help you record smiling faces of your loved ones with its unique Smile Shot Scene feature.

The Smile Shot Scene mode can trigger the shutter button when a smile on a human face is detected. During testing, the mode takes just a couple of seconds to scan the frame of your face and snaps right after you show your teeth. While a smile has to be wide and curvy for the Olympus µ820 to recognize, with a little teeth bared, it quickly reacts.

The special feature also seems to work better when the subject is closer or zoomed up close. Otherwise, the camera might take a bit more time to find the face in its frame.

Another cool part about this feature is that it works for shots with multiple subjects in it, though it does trigger the shutter when only one of the people in the frame smiles.

Apart from the Smile Shot Scene feature, there are many other cool features aboard the Olympus µ820. With any µ series, you can expect each model to perform in rugged conditions with its weatherproof body. The same goes for the Olympus µ820, which works well come rain or shine.

The Olympus µ820 design is further enhanced by the eight-megapixel charge-coupled device and Olympus lens that comes with 5X optical zoom, as opposed to 3X which is considered a standard offering by cameras in this class.

To access menu items and review your digital files, the Olympus µ820 comes with a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal liquid crystal display.

As far as form factor goes, the camera is easy to grip. And with buttons grouped to one side, you can even operate it single-handedly.

With the Image Stabilisation mode and Shadow Adjustment technology, getting sharp, rich pictures is easy with the Olympus µ820. Shadow Adjustment technology is great for photographing dark backgrounds while another technology, BrightCapture, enhances the images taken under low-light conditions by adjusting the sensitivity level. Try taking photos outside at night under a full moon with no flash, you will get a good sense of how well the camera reproduces the different hues of shadowed and dimmed areas.

Also, the TruePic III image processing engine enhances photo realism and at the same time makes the camera work faster even when capturing photos as big as 3,264 by 2,488 pixels. Indeed, you can record shots one after another swiftly, or make use of the Sequence Shot mode which snaps at seven frames per second (fps).

For still shot recordings, there are many Scene mode options to choose from. Just a little bit of time is needed to get familiar with what each setting can produce. Otherwise, items such as ISO setting, white balance and focusing system can be set according to your preference.

A mode that will be useful for close-up shots is Super Macro, which lets you point the lens as close as three centimetres towards the subject. And there are post-capture features which allow simple editing.

You can also shoot video clips and get output of 640 by 480 pixels at 30fps. At such a high setting, you will find little jarring as you play back the files on the computer monitor or TV set.

The supplied software is a standard offering that will help you download, edit and organise your photos and videos easily. Interface cables are supplied as well, so the only extras you might want to ask from the vendor should you buy the model is a big-capacity xD-Picture Card to match the camera’s eight-megapixel capability.