Tech.Wapline

Just over a month ago, we got word that Pentax could be readying a pair of new DSLRs, and now it seems that we’ve been blessed with a plethora of shots of the K200D. ‘Course, we suppose they could be doctored, but we just don’t believe someone would spend that much time working up Pentax fakes, ya know? Regardless, feel free to hit the read link and check out what’s probably the outfit’s next shooter — or some mighty fine ’shops, worst case scenario.

Samsung just loosed a pair of low-end digital cameras for your newbie’n consumption. The $169, 7.2 megapixel S760 and $179, 8.1 megapixel S860 both feature a 3x optical zoom Samsung SHD lens, digital image stabilization, face detection, a 30fps VGA video recording mode in AVI (MJPEG) format, and the ability to motor off a pair of AA batteries in an photographic emergency. A special effects “E” button gives PC-less control over red-eye and basic image manipulation — it does not, however, give you a sense of lime-green lollipop euphoria. Look for them on shelves in January.

Apart from format support and blatant KIRFage, there’s usually not much to distinguish one Chinese “MP4″ player from another, so Newman’s L1200 PMP is quite the standout with its 12 megapixel camera. Mounted cell-style on the edge of the device alongside a flash, the cam swivels 180 degrees to take regular shots or 30fps video of your smiling face. Other features include a 3-inch QVGA touchscreen, SD expansion, non-specific AVI video support, and a variety of shooting modes and setting for that cam. Not much else is known, but at just $132, it’s worth a splurge if you ever see it outside of China.

Those looking to drop as much coin as they can on HDV gear have always turned to Sony, and the company is back for more with two new high-end 1080p HDV cameras, the $10,500 HVR-S270U (pictured) and the $6,850 HVR-Z7U. Both models feature interchangeable Carl Zeiss lenses, Sony’s 1/3-inch ClearVid CMOS sensor that offers 1.5 lux sensitivity, 24p and 30p modes, and support for recording directly to CompactFlash or an optional hard-disk recording attachment.

The miniDV-only HVR-Z7U features HDMI output, while the HVR-270U bumps up to HD- or SD-SDI output and can also take full-size DVCAM tapes. Sony also released $5,540 HVR-M35U HDV deck that accepts both miniDV and full-size tapes, and features a 2.7-inch preview LCD.

All this gear is expected to hit in February — just in time for that IMAX happy slapping documentary you’ve been planning. Pictures of the HVR-Z7U and the HVR-M35U after the break.

We’ve come to expect flaws in gizmos these days, particularly in first generation products, but judging by CamcorderInfo’s review of Hitachi’s “world’s first Blu-ray camcorder,” this thing should be sent straight back to R&D. Truth be told, it’s not that often that we see a review this harsh, but we understand the need to be particularly critical when pondering a $1,600 purchase. Nevertheless, the DZ-BD7HA was essentially thrashed from top to bottom save for its stylish design and satisfactory outdoor shooting performance.. Testing revealed abysmal results when it was used in even the brightest of low-light situations, and the lackluster manual controls, omitted optical image stabilization (it opts for electronic IS) and a dreadful auto response system pretty much eliminated any shot at redemption. Honestly, repeatedly hearing about its “terrible image quality” throughout the review would be enough to scare away most, but if you just can’t believe things are that bad, hit the read link and judge for yourself.