Tech.Wapline

We’ve already played around some with Panasonic’s DMC-L10, but the folks over at PhotographyBlog have given the consumer-oriented cam a thorough going-over, and it looks like Panny’s second attempt at a DSLR is a solid effort that’s both elevated and hampered by the inclusion of a high-end Leica lens.

That lens, a Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm unit with optical image stabilizer, enables the L10’s 10.1 megapixel sensor to capture solid images with very little distortion, but increases the overall cost of the camera to $1300 — well into prosumer territory. That number doesn’t jive with the beginner-oriented design of the camera, sadly — and although the flip-out rotating LCD, Live View, and face detection features seem like they’d be useful on any DSLR, PB doesn’t think the DMC-L10 has the jones to compete with Canon EOS 40D, Nikon D200, or Sony A700. For the beginner with cash, however, it looks like the L10 is a solid option — now let’s see how Panny brings the price down the next time around.

Yeah, sure it’s no Canon or Nikon, but those heavy hitters aren’t offering you a 10 megapixel point-and-shoot for under $200, and DXG’s new DXG-110 can even boast a brand name Panasonic CCD in its drab gray housing.

With an MSRP of $170, you can almost predict all of this model’s specs without reading the press release, so the 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, ISO 800, and 32MB of internal storage should come as no surprise. Also supported is VGA video at 30fps, perhaps the highest-end feature you’ll find here. Some might suggest that spending a few more bucks for a few less megapixels would be a better move, but we’ll simply tell you that the 110 –with its bundled Mr. Photo 3 software and AA batteries — is available immediately.

Merely months after cranking out the P5000, Nikon apparently felt the need to up the ante rather hastily with the Coolpix P5100.

Unfortunately, it seems that this unit is yet another shining example of why stuffing a 12-megapixel sensor into a compact camera isn’t exactly the greatest of ideas. Granted, the image quality here was noticeably better than that produced by the Fujifilm FinePix F50fd, but performance was sorely lacking when using any ISO greater than 400. Despite that shortcoming, reviewers were quite enthralled by the on board controls and overall ergonomics, and it was also noted that most shots could be brought “under control” with a bit of tinkering. Overall, the crew went ahead and awarded the shooter four out of five stars, suggesting that its reasonable pricetag was much to thank. If you’ve been eying this one from a distance, you owe it to yourself to check out the full review before pulling the trigger or just blowing it off.

The ViewArt 1000 is probably the portable device with the highest number of features I have encountered, if you don’t believe me take a look at what it can do:

* video camera
* digital camera
* webcam for computers
* radio as in FM tuner
* e-book reader
* MP3 player
* audio recorder
* video player with TV output
* digital video recorder (DVR) w/TV line-in

As you can see this 9-in-1 “player” can do it all in style, on the digital camera specs it features 2-megapixels and supports a big resolution of 2304×1728. Other important details include 8 hours and half of battery life when recording video, a 2GB SD card + internal 512MB of memory, and much more.

Priced at $265.

BenQ introduces the BenQ DC X725 digital compact camera with 3x optical zoom, smc Pentax (Super Multi-Coating) lens, 1/2.5 inch CCD image sensor and a bright 2.5 inch LCD display. BenQ DC X725 now available in four colors - red, black, pearl and silver. BenQ DC-X725 camera inherits an identical design as the X720, featuring an elegant, waif-thin stainless-steel body at a mere 12.5mm.

BenQ DC X725 features:
• Stainless steel body
• 3x optical zoom
• 2.5-inch LCD monitor
• Super Shake Free system
• Up to 4000 ISO
• 29 in-built scenes
• Secure Digital and SDHC support
• 12MB internal memory