They’re saying that the on-board camera will have a “triple sensor array” and its ability to take awesome pictures will be a big “selling point” for the device. This is in line with what Vic Gundotra of Google said last month, indicating that the company is “committed to making Nexus phones insanely great cameras.” I’m not sure if I would go so far as to say “insanely,” but smartphone camera tech is definitely evolving and getting a heck of a lot better, easily competing with some decent point and shoots on the market.

Let’s not forget that Google and Nikon are no strangers to one another. The Nikon Coolpix S800c is an Android-based camera and while it ran an older version of Android and it had its quirks, it represented a unique crossover point for the two companies. It brought smartphone tech into a camera and the Nexus 5 could go in exactly the opposite direction. The “three sensor” tech could put each of the sensor layers on top of one another, each with a smaller megapixel count, thus creating better color rendering and low light performance. This is potentially similar to HTC’s UltraPixel technology.

The rest of the rumored specs for the Nexus 5 fall in line with what we’ve heard. It’ll reportedly get a 5-inch 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, 8/16GB storage, and a massive 3140mAh battery.

[Source]

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It seems that all the camera manufacturers are considering the implementation of smartphone operating systems in their pocket shooters, and Polaroid is no exception. The latest rumor has a new 18MP camera coming down the pipes that will be powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. And it’s doing the interchangeable lens thing.

This isn’t Polaroid’s first foray into this arena. You might remember the Polaroid SC1630 from earlier this year, but the leaked Polaroid IM1836 is supposed to take it to a new level. Rather than simply competing against point-and-shoots, it’ll tackle the likes of the Sony NEX series, the micro four-thirds format from Panasonic and Olympus, and other compact interchangeable lens systems.

The rumored specs include an 18.1-megapixel sensor, 3.5-inch touchscreen, Android 4.0, pop-up flash, Wi-Fi, HDMI, and a microSD slot. Some people say that it bears a striking resemblance to the Nikon 1 J2, so we might assume that it uses the same CX image sensor (13.2 x 8.8mm). That’s been one of the knocks against the Nikon 1 series in that its image sensor is far smaller than micro four-thirds (17.3 x 13mm) and even smaller than the APS-C sensor used on the Sony NEX series.

Even so, simply going with a mirrorless interchangeable lens format will give the Polaroid Android camera a leg up against other Android cameras like the Samsung Galaxy Camera and the Nikon S800c. Soon, in-camera editing, cellular connectivity, and social sharing will become the norm rather than unique selling points.

[Source]

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Do you want a consumer-friendly point and shoot digital camera with an extra long optical zoom lens? You’re in luck, because the Fujifilm SL300 is on sale for about half price on Amazon. It’s not quite an SLR, but it’s probably a lot easier to use and way more compact for the amount of zoom that you get.

As far as the features go, the Fujifilm SL300 boasts a 14 megapixel CCD sensor to go along with its Fujinon 30x optical zoom lens. This starts out at a wide angle of 24mm, zooming all the way in to give you a 720mm equivalent. The powered zoom has a 45-step zoom control, giving you a pretty good level of precision and accuracy too.

Other features include the 2cm super macro mode, 3.0-inch LCD, 720p HD video recording, and a TTL hot shoe. You can use this hot shoe for an external flash with teh built-in flash isn’t good enough for hte situation. There are also several scene modes, face detection, motion panorama, tracking auto focus, and built-in social networking.

You can find the Fujifilm SL300 on Amazon.com for $149.95, which is $130 (46%) off the regular price of $279.95. And yes, you get free super saver shipping too.

The post Daily Deal: $130 off Fujifilm SL300 14MP Digital Camera with 30x Optical Zoom appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

There is just something classic and beautiful about the retro-inspired Fuji X100. And it’s even better when you can grab this fantastic camera for an impressive $300 off the regular price.

Remember, the Fujifilm X100 comes as a limited edition kit with each package coming with a special message card indicating that you have one of only 10,000 units produced. The kit itself includes the 12.3MP APC-C CMOS EXR Fujifilm X100 digital camera itself, as well as a genuine leather case, a lens hood, an adapter ring and a protective filter. This is not an interchangeable lens camera, so you are stuck with the fixed 23mm Fujinon lens with a widest aperture of F/2.0. The built-in ND filter can be turned on or off, giving you an equivalent f-stop reduction of three.

In addition to the retro-inspired styling, one of the other unique features is the hybrid viewfinder. This gives you a “bright frame” optical viewfinder, which would be closer to the classic cameras of old (and current DSLRs), but there’s also the electronic viewfinder system. And yes, it can shoot 720p HD movies too.

Pick up the Fujifilm X100 for $1,399.95 on Amazon.com, including free super saver shipping.

The post Daily Deal: $300 Off Fujifilm X100 12.3 MP APS-C Digital Camera Kit appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Are you in the market for a compact interchangeable lens camera? You’re in luck, because the hot Samsung NX1000 has just hit the shelves and it’s actually priced quite reasonably for what you get. Not surprisingly, this camera is compatible with the full family of Samsung NX lenses, giving a fair bit of versatility.

Behind that is the 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, capable of full 1080p HD stereo movie recording. There’s also a 3.0-inch VGA (921k dot) LCD on the back and Samsung’s Smart Auto 2.0 shooting functionality. The ISO range goes up to 12800 with shutter speeds up to 1/4000 sec. You can also use the Wi-Fi along with the Remote Viewfinder app to use your Galaxy smartphone or tablet to take pics from up to 30 feet away. Smart Filters, Selective Color, and full manual control round out the package.

While the MSRP on the Samsung NX1000 has been set at $699.99, you can find it on Amazon for $649, including the 20-50mm kit lens.

[Source]

The post Samsung NX1000 Smart Wi-Fi Camera Goes On Sale appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Yes, the camera on the current iPhone is certainly top-notch, but there’s only so much you can do with a cameraphone. There is now word that a standalone point-and-shoot digital camera is being developed in Cupertino. For instance, the increasingly slimming iPhone and iPad are necessarily limited in their photography abilities, because you simply can’t place a long zoom lens on there. With a standalone digital camera, you can.

If you’ve read the biography of Steve Jobs that Walter Isaacson wrote, then you may remember when Jobs said he wanted to reinvent television, textbooks and photography. Apple is arguably doing textbooks already with the Textbooks initiative in iBooks and we’ve been hearing rumors of an Apple HDTV already. That leaves photography. The “New iPad Buyers’ Guide” by iLounge features a two-page spread on this topic of an Apple P&S.

Given Apple’s propensity for high performance in a simplified package, the camera can’t possibly be a DSLR. I imagine the Apple iCamera, iShot, iCapture, i___ would do away with most of the manual controls too, leaving you with an auto mode that’d take care of things like ISO, aperture, shutter speed, EV, and so on. Just like how Mac OS X, iOS, and even the click wheel changed the way we use the respective devices, we just have to wonder how Apple would change the way that we take pictures.

[Source]

The post Is Apple Developing A Point-and-Shoot Camera? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The KickStarter project is seeking $7,500 in 45 days and its premise is relatively simple: it is an affordable camera dolly. The little cart has a spot for the regular tripod mount for whatever DSLR or camera you wish to use, and then there are four wheels. These four wheels can be left in the standard position for smooth tracking shots, but they can also be set at angles for dynamic rotational arc shots.

What’s cool is that each axle is threaded with holes that can act as mounting points for additional accessories, like audio receivers or lighting equipment. If you pick up the optional rail kit ($20), the dolly can travel on that for even smoother action on the soft urethane wheels. The whole thing is made of anodized aircraft grade aluminum and weighs just 1 pound 7 ounces.

The early backer special has come and gone, but if you pledge $70 or more, you’ll get one Revolve camera dolly when it becomes available with free shipping to US customers. Pledge more money and get some extra accessories

[Source]

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There are already a great variety of multitools out there to choose from. And we love Gerber. But, apart from allowing you to unscrew something or pull a thorn out of your thumb, the Gerber Tripod Multitool has got the rest beat; acting as a tripod for your smartphone or compact digital camera. The product, which we saw last year, is now finally shipping.

The mini tripod for your smartphone or digicam holds a maximum weight of 340 grams.  It comes with two legs which fold out in the front, and its base will act as the third leg. You will find a standard-size screw mount on the top. You can also play with wire cutters, a bottle opener (everybody’s favorite), a fine edge blade, screwdrivers, but not all at once of course.

So for $59.99, taking that group shot of you and your fellow travellers in the middle of nowhere won’t certainly be a big challenge for you, and all the other tools will make survival that much easier. But if photography is never going to be a hobby for you, you can stick to a Swiss Army knife.

Gerber Tripod Multitool components:

• Tripod functionality
• Standard 1/4-20 Camera Mount Screw
• Suction Cell phone attachment
• Fine edge blade
• Serrated blade
• Micro flat, square cross, and medium flat screwdrivers
• Bottle opener
• Needlenose pliers
• Wire cutters

The post Gerber’s Multitool Tripod Knife Ships for $60 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The amateur shutterbug in us all have at one point or another wished we had one of those big zoom lens DSLRs to capture a nice eagle in the distance, a bit beyond the abilities of our point-and-shoot cameras don’t ya think?

Those days will be a thing of the past with Nikons launch of their Coolpix P series; including a Nikon Coolpix P-510 and Coolpix P-310.  The P-510, with its unprecedented super zoom (42x optical), doesn’t compromise image quality at all. Its Nikkor glass lens is capable of capturing action from a wide 24mm to an amazing 1000mm focal range and the 16.1 MP CMOS sensor will ensure nothing is lost in transit from the lens to the memory stick.

But zoom is the real selling feature of this model. The P510 replaces the P500 which has a zoom of 36X while the nearest competition in the segment, Canon’s Powershot SX40 HS comes with a 35x zoom. The P510 can also capture 1080 videos and its purpose-built supercharged image stabilizing system practically reduces blur to a minimum even with the zoom pushed to its limits.

The P310 on the other hand comes alive in the night. It tackles demanding low- light conditions with ease with a 16.1-megapixel backside Illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor and a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture lens.

Both the cameras are set to be out in the market by the middle of February with the P310 likely to cost around $350 USD while the P510 will come with a price tag of $430 USD.

The post Nikon Coolpix P510 Sports (42x) 1000mm Zoom appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

I think we all knew that Kodak had fallen on tough times these last few years, but we always had this hope in the back of our minds that the once iconic brand would be able to bounce back. Apparently not. Things are so bad that Kodak is reportedly getting ready to file for bankruptcy.

The news comes by way of a report from the Wall Street Journal, saying that Kodak’s future is “looking less promising by the day.” Word on the street is that Kodak could file for chapter 11 bankruptcy “in the coming weeks.” I guess the switch of focus (no pun intended) from film cameras to cheap photo printers didn’t quite pan out; Kodak’s company value has dropped 95 percent since 2001.

Given the current economic climate, Kodak apparently only has one way out: to sell off a bunch of its 1000+ digital imaging patents from its 100+ year history. These patents could be very valuable, estimated at between $2 billion and $3 billion, but Kodak has been looking to offload these for months already. In the last 12 quarters, Kodak has posted a loss in nine of them.

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