Nikon Coolpix S800c Is An Android-Powered, WiFi-Equipped Compact Camera

Nikon taps Google for a seriously smart camera

The concept of shoehorning WiFi and phone-like features isn't new, but Nikon is clearly taking the concept seriously, pushing a full version of Google's Android Gingerbread operating system into the Coolpix S800c. It's certainly not the first connected camera, but it is a bit refreshing in a time when buggy, proprietary connectivity systems are the norm.

From the back, the camera is a lot like a phone. It uses a big 3.5-inch touchscreen OLED display that can be used to watch video, surf the web, and pretty much anything else you can do on a typical Android device. It prefers to be connected via the integrated WiFi, but if there's no open network around, it can send images and videos wirelessly to a compatible tablet or smartphone so they can be uploaded using the data network. It's a bit like the WU-1a wifi adapter that was announced in concert with the D3200 DSLR. It even has built-in GPS like a smartphone.

Samsung's Cool/Weird Android-Running Galaxy Camera Will Cost $500

The goofy Samsung Galaxy Camera--a point-and-shoot with a 4.8-inch touchscreen and a full version of Android--came out of nowhere and actually impressed us. The interface is fast and efficient for changing settings, the screen is great, and the camera has some pretty decent optics to book (21x optical zoom lens, 16MP CMOS sensor). And we just got an email from AT&T telling us the camera will cost $499.99, either with or without a 4G data plan. Yoooouch. That's even more than the $450 Canon S110, the reigning champ of advanced compacts. We'll

Samsung Galaxy Camera Front and Back Samsung

 

have a full review soon so you can see if it's worth it.
  
source: http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2012-11/samsungs-coolweird-android-running-galaxy-camera-will-cost-500

Canon EOS 60Da For Astrophotography

Canon's new DSLR has been tweaked to help it capture all the beautiful stuff out there in space

Like the EOS 20Da that came before it, Canon's EOS 60Da shares many of its features with its non-astronomical sibling. They have made a few tweaks, however, to facilitate taking photos of the heavens.

The 60Da has a modified infrared filter as well as a sensor that has been adjusted to reduce noise over long exposures while increasing its sensitivity to hydrogen alpha (sometimes known as H-alpha). There's plenty of H-alpha floating around in space even though our eyes -- and most traditional digital camera sensors can't see it. It usually plays a pretty pivotal role in those awesome images of the sun we've been seeing lately that depict the wild solar storms and flares. The 60Da's APS-C sensor is roughly three times more sensitive to H-alpha with some help from the modified infrared filter. The final result is a 20-percent increase in transmittance of the hydrogen alpha line.

Sony NEX-5R Interchangeable-lens Compact Has Hybrid AF, Built-In WiFi, Apps

A new sensor and a wireless connection for Sony's popular ILC

The pre-Photokina new camera blitz continues today with Sony's new NEX-5R interchangeable-lens compact. The name might not sound like much of an upgrade, but there are some substantial differences from its predecessor, the NEX-5N.

The biggest new change from a photographic standpoint is the 16.1-megapixel sensor. It maintains the APS-C size, but they have now added 99 phase-detection AF sensors, giving it the ability to use both phase detection and contrast AF, similar to the Nikon 1-series and the Canon EOS-M and Rebel T4i cameras. Set to Speed Priority Continuous mode, it's capable of maintaining AF tracking up to 10 FPS, which continues Sony's emphasis on sheer shooting speed.