ViewSonic's Pro8200 projector offers full 1080p resolution, dual HDMI 1.3 inputs, and 2,000 lumens of brightness for $999.

View Sonic has been competing fiercely in flat screen TVs for some years now, but the company hasn’t quite forgotten other components of the home theater market: the company today announced its new Pro8200 HD projector, offering 2,000 lumens of brightness, a 7-segment color wheel, and dual HDMI inputs for a suggested retail price of $999. View Sonic hopes the Pro8200 appeals to both do-it-yourselfer home theater fans as well as professional installers and folks looking for an HD projection solution in halls and other facilities.

“It is of paramount importance that we offer our customers an assortment of quality display solutions with extensive flexibility to meet a range of projection needs,” said View Sonic projector product manager Roger Chien, in a statement. “Our Pro8200 is no exception, in that it is ideal for both home entertainment viewing purposes such as HDTV, movies and gaming, as well as for commercial A/V installers.”

The Pro8200 supports full 1,920 by 1,080-pixel (1080p) high-definition resolution via two HDMI 1.3 inputs (and those support HDCP content protection). The Pro8200 offers 2,000 lumens of brightness, and while ViewSonic isn’t consistent about the 8200Pro’s contrast ratio (some specs say 3,000:1 while other specs and press materials claim 4,000:1), the unit can handle 70 percent of the NTSC color space. The Pro8200 also packs composite and S-Video inputs, a USB port for firmware updates, two 10 watt speakers (and 3.5mm and RCA audio output for pushing audio to a bigger speaker setup), along with RS-232 for use with automation systems. The Pro8200 can handle projected sizes of 30 to 300 inches—that’s a display over 7 feet across—and throw distances from 3 to 32.8 feet, plus the the system sports a 5-segment color wheel (RGBWY) with BrilliantColor technology, and Pixelworks PW820 video processing to image quality. ViewSonic says users can expect about 4,000 hours of lamp life, and that can extend to 6,000 using an Eco mode (which also lets the unit run a bit more quietly).

ViewSonic says the Pro8200 is available now for a suggested price of $999.

Canon Recognized for Product Quality and Customer Service

Canon has had a good year, chock full of awards and commendations for not only the products they make, but for the way the company operates.

They received a PCMag.com award for Service and Reliability, distinctions from Time, American Photo, Computer Shopper, DigitalTrends and even an Outstanding Achievement Award from Buyer's Laboratory.

"Canon prides itself on bringing to market a wide array of reliable and practical imaging solutions that not only improve the end-user's experience, but also remain on the forefront of cutting-edge technologies," says the company's Bunji Yano. "These awards and distinctions reaffirm Canon's position as an innovative industry leader."

in addition to the more general awards listed above, Canon has earned distinctions for their individual products, such as the PIXMA MG8120 printer and SELPHY CP790 compact photo printer. 

LensPen Releases the SensorKlear Loupe Kit

You've been there. You go out for a day of shooting, confident that you've captured some of your best work. You get home and bam - there was a fleck of dust right on the camera's sensor, ruining your shots. 

Normally that would mean sending the camera out for cleaning, leading to a long wait until you can resume shooting. With the SensorKlear Loupe kit you can do it yourself.

The Loupe attaches just like a lens would. Four LEDs within the Loupe help to pinpoint and reveal dust, which can then be blown away by the Hurricane blower. If dust is sticker, you can use the SensorKlear II pen to remove it.

New World's Largest Photo is 80 Gigapixels of London

The new world record holder for the largest panoramic photo was taken by a group called 360 Cities that dwarfs at the 75 gigapixel photo of Budapest, scoffs at the 45 gigapixel picture of Dubai and laughs at the now minuscule 26 gigapixel panorama of Paris.

At 80 gigapixels, this panorama of London is now the biggest in the world, and it's got an impressive view to boot. Unlike previous record holders, the London picture goes 360 degrees around, so you can check out different parts of the city.

To add to the fun of the exploration, 360 Cities is giving away a few prizes for those that complete a treasure hunt, finding different things in the pictures.

Sony’s Handycam® NEX-VG10E adds AF support with A-mount lenses

Free firmware upgrade for interchangeable lens Full HD camcorder

Handycam® NEX-VG10E owners can now enjoy autofocus operation when using their camcorder with a wide range of optional A-mount interchangeable lenses.

Available now for download, a free firmware upgrade adds autofocus support with 14 A-mount SAM and SSM lens models. AF compatibility of the NEX-VG10E with A-mount lenses requires the optional LA-EA1 Mount Adaptor, plus a separate firmware upgrade for the LA-EA1.

The upgrade lets videographers enjoy smooth, accurate AF operation with the family of A-mount optics that includes telephotos, primes and zooms by Sony and Carl Zeiss.

Brand new Tilt Shift Filter, enhanced support for Canon DSLR and HDV cameras and easier export to iMovie round out Boinx's new iStopMotion 2.5 release

Brand new Tilt Shift Filter, enhanced support for Canon DSLR and HDV cameras and easier export to iMovie round out Boinx's new iStopMotion 2.5 release

Puchheim, Germany - November 18, 2010 - Boinx Software, a multi-award winning developer of cool software for the Mac platform, today announced the availability of iStopMotion 2.5, the company's popular stop motion animation application. Headlining the new update is the innovative combination of a brand new Tilt Shift Filter with stop motion animation and time-lapse recording. A popular effect among photographers aiming to capture a "miniature-scale model" effect, Tilt Shift is perfect for stop motion animation's small movements and individually photographed frames. This unique pairing of Tilt Shift with stop motion and time-lapse recording software allows animators to expand creative expression, manipulating the depth of field of their images so that life-sized locations or subjects appear miniature in size. "By adding the new Tilt Shift effect to stop motion and time-lapse movies, an animator's creative expression can take a giant leap forward," comments Oliver Breidenbach, CEO, Boinx Software.

A camera that can shoot around corners has been developed by US scientists.

A camera that can shoot around corners has been developed by US scientists.

The prototype uses an ultra-short high-intensity burst of laser light to illuminate a scene.

The device constructs a basic image of its surroundings - including objects hidden around the corner - by collecting the tiny amounts of light that bounce around the scene.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology team believe it has uses in search and rescue and robot vision.

"It's like having x-ray vision without the x-rays," said Professor Ramesh Raskar, head of the Camera Culture group at the MIT Media Lab and one of the team behind the system.

"But we're going around the problem rather than going through it."

Professor Shree Nayar of Columbia University, an expert in light scattering and computer vision, was very complimentary about the work and said it was a new and "very interesting research direction".

"What is not entirely clear is what complexities of invisible scenes are computable at this point," he told BBC News.

"They have not yet shown recovery of an entire [real-world] scene, for instance."

Flash trick

Professor Raskar said that when he started research on the camera three years ago, senior people told him it was "impossible".

However, working with several students, the idea is becoming a reality.

The heart of the room-sized camera is a femtosecond laser, a high-intensity light source which can fire ultra-short bursts of laser light that last just one quadrillionth of a second (that's 0.000000000000001 seconds).

The light sources are more commonly used by chemists to image reactions at the atomic or molecular scale.

For the femtosecond transient imaging system, as the camera is known, the laser is used to fire a pulse of light onto a scene.

The light particles scatter and reflect off all surfaces including the walls and the floor.

Introducing Nikon Cameras

Professional film photographers have long appreciated the power and precision of Nikon cameras, and the company is carrying that tradition into the digital photography arena. According to a Techno Systems Research study from 2007, Nikon cameras ranked sixth in the world in digital camera units manufactured with an 8.4% market share (11.03 million units).

Nikon's History

Nikon was founded in 1917 in Tokyo, Japan, but it was officially known as Nippon Kogaku K.K. upon its founding. Nikon began marketing camera lenses as Nikkor lenses in 1932, and the company began focusing on camera production and other optical products after World War II. The name Nikon first appeared on film cameras from the company in 1948. Nikon's first camera was the Nikon I, and the company officially changed its name to Nikon Corp. in 1988.

Nikon introduced the idea of the 35mm SLR (single-lens reflex) camera in 1959 with the release of the Nikon F. The Nikon F featured a series of interchangeable parts.

Nikon began making digital camcorders in 1961, initially marketing the Nikkorex 8. Nikon's first digital still cameras were the E2 and the E2S in 1995, and they were jointly marketed with Fuji Photo Film.

Nikon has several group companies in the United States and North America, led by Nikon Americas Inc. in Melville, N.Y.

Today's Nikon Offerings

Nikon offers digital cameras for both SLR (single-lens reflex) and point-and-shoot market. Digital SLR models will appeal more to intermediate and advanced photographers.

·         SLR. Nikon's current digital SLR cameras all fit in the D series of cameras. You can find D series digital SLR cameras from Nikon ranging in price from about $500-$8,000.

·         Consumer. The famous Coolpix line of consumer-level Nikon digital cameras ranges from the most basic models to cameras that will work for intermediate photographers. Nikon's Coolpix cameras often feature extremely thin camera bodies and bright colors. The Performance series of Coolpix cameras offer high-end resolution and large optical zoom lenses, ranging from $200-$500. In the Coolpix Style series, you'll find thin models that are available in many colors. Some Style series cameras, which range in price from about $150-$400, offer high-end resolutions.

·         Related products. Nikon still sells some film cameras, although the company announced in 2006 that it would stop making most of its film camera brands and focus on digital cameras. Nikon also manufacturers film scanners and image-editing computer software. Through the Nikon USA Web site, you can find authorized dealers for Nikon digital camera accessories, including camera straps, cables, AC adapters, external flashes, interchangeable lenses, lens filters, batteries, docking kits, and wireless accessories, among many other items.

Introducing Pentax Cameras

Despite its 2008 merger with Hoya Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, Pentax remains one of the world's leading digital camera manufacturers. Pentax cameras long have been among the leaders in both film and digital SLR models and high-end lenses. Pentax also manufactures some point and shoot models, led by the Optio line of cameras. According to a Techno Systems Research report, Panasonic ranked 11th worldwide in number of units manufactured in 2007 with about 3.15 million cameras. Pentax's market share was 2.4%.

Pentax's History

Pentax was founded in a suburb of Tokyo in 1919, called Asahi Kogaku Goshi Kausha. Two decades later, the company became Ashai Optical, and it manufactured cameras and lenses in the years before World War II. During the war, Ashai manufactured optical instruments for the Japanese war effort.

After World War II, the company was disbanded for a few years, before returning in 1948, when it began manufacturing binoculars, lenses, and cameras again. In 1952, Asahi released the Asahiflex camera, which was the first 35mm SLR camera created by a Japanese manufacturer.

Honeywell began importing Asahi photographic products in the 1950s, calling the products "Honeywell Pentax." Eventually, the Pentax brand name appeared on all of the company's products worldwide. The entire Asahi company was renamed Pentax in 2002. Pentax and Samsung began working together on digital SLR cameras and related products in 2005.

Hoya is a company that manufactures photographic filters, lasers, contact lenses, and art objects. Hoya was founded in 1941, beginning as an optical glass producer and as a manufacturer of crystal products. When the two companies merged, Pentax retained its brand name. Pentax Imaging is the American photography division of the company, and it remains headquartered in Golden, Colo.

Today's Pentax and Optio Offerings

Pentax has always been well known for its film cameras. For example, the Pentax K1000 is one of the world's best known film cameras, as it was manufactured from the mid-1970s until about 2000. Today, Pentax offers a mixture of DSLR and compact, beginner models.

·         DSLR models. Pentax manufactures digital SLR cameras with the "K" designation. K model Pentax cameras offer interchangeable lenses and plenty of resolution. Look for K model cameras to cost between $700 and $1,500 for the camera body only.

·         Waterproof models. Optio "W" models provide waterproof camera bodies, along with dust proof and weather proof technologies. W models carry about 10.0 megapixels of resolution and they cost $250-$300.

·         Ultra thin models. The Pentax Optio "P" model cameras are the company's ultra-compact units, measuring a little more than 0.75 inches in thickness. Look for P model cameras to cost about $150-$200.

·         Beginner models. Pentax's "E" model digital cameras are aimed at beginners, carrying about 10.0 megapixels of resolution and several easy-to-use features. You'll find E model cameras for about $100-$150.

·         Related products. Pentax Imaging offers many types of camera accessories, including high-end lenses for SLR models. The company also makes many different types of external flash units, battery chargers, remote controls for cameras, focusing screens, and hot shoe adapters. Other divisions of Pentax offer binoculars, spotting scopes, surveying instruments, laser levels, prism units, and high-tech health-care systems.

Introducing Fujifilm Cameras

Fujifilm may have started as a manufacturer of photographic film, but the company's decision to branch into many areas of business -- including a transition to a digital camera manufacturer in the past several years -- has been a succesful one. In 2007, Fujifilm cameras ranked eighth worldwide in number of digital cameras manufactured, with about 8.3 million units, according to a Techno Systems Research report. Fujifilm cameras, sometimes shortened to Fuji cameras, held a market share of about 6.3%.

Fujifilm offers several digital cameras under the Finepix brand name, including point and shoot models and digital SLR models.

Fujifilm's History

Founded in 1934 as Fuji Photo Film Co., the company filled a desire from the Japanese government for a domestic photography film manufacturing industry. Fuji Photo quickly expanded, opening several factories and establishing subsidiary companies.

By 1965, the company established an American subsidiary in Valhalla, N.Y., called Fuji Photo Film USA. European branches soon followed. Some subsidiaries began using the Fujifilm name in the mid-1990s as the company began transitioning its business offerings away from heavy reliance on photographic film, and the entire company officially became Fujifilm in 2006.

During its company's history, Fujifilm has offered photographic film, motion picture film, x-ray film, color reversal film (slides), microfilm, color negatives, 8mm motion picture film, and videotape. Beyond film, the company also has offered computer storage tape, computer floppy disks, offset printing plates, digital x-ray imaging, and medical imaging systems.

Fujifilm made its first digital still camera in 1988, the DS-1P, and it was the world's first digital camera with removable media. The company also created the first one-time-use recyclable film camera, the QuickSnap, in 1986.

Today's Fujifilm and Finepix Offerings

Most of Fujifilm's cameras are aimed at beginning photographers, but the company also offers some digital SLR-type cameras aimed at intermediate photographers and some full SLR cameras aimed at professionals.

·         A and J series. Cameras in the Finepix A and Finepix J families typically offer basic features in an ultra compact camera body, measuring less than 1 inch in thickness. However, you will find a few models in this family that have larger-than-average optical zoom lenses or even some wide angle capabilities. The A and J models usually cost $100-$200.

·         F models. Fujifilm's Finepix F models all carry at least 12 megapixels of resolution, while also offering ultra compact camera bodies. The F200EXR includes an advanced  CCD imagesensor technology, called Super CCD EXR. Look for F series models to cost about $250-$400.

·         S models. Fujifilm aims its S models of Finepix cameras at intermediate photographers. S model cameras are DSLR-like cameras, carrying the look and feel of a DSLR model without interchangeable lenses and high-end prices. All Finepix S cameras carry at least 12X optical zoom lenses. Most S models cost between $400 and $1,000.

·         Z models. Color and style are the key components to the Z models of digital cameras from Fujifilm. Pink, silver, green, red, black, blue, purple, and orange Z models all are available. Z series Finepix models aren't quite as feature-rich as some Finepix units, with 10 megapixels or less of resolution. You'll find Z cameras in the $125-$200 price range.

·         Pro models. True DSLR models are available from Fujifilm with its Pro models. Some models even can shoot in the infrared or ultraviolet ranges. Such models will cost a few thousand dollars.

·         Related products. Fujifilm continues to make film for traditional film cameras, as well as one-time-use film cameras. The company also manufactures photo-finishing products, microfilm, graphic arts, motion picture film, and consumer digital and VHS video storage options. Fujifilm is involved in the sale and manufacturing of medical systems, computer storage options, specialty chemicals, and optics products. Digital camera accessories and other items are available through the Fujifilm USA Web site.