Look, we fully understand that only a handful of you were willing to force your kid to pay for their own education while you spent that eight grand in savings on the D3x, but for those hardcore enough to do just that, here’s your venting post. This beast of a DSLR has been rumored, teased and taunted for what seems like ages, and now that the 24.5 megapixel shooter is finally making its way out on armored UPS trucks, we’re anxious to see what early adopters are loving / disappointed in. For starters, was it worth the price? If not, why? What could Nikon have tweaked to justify the sticker (if anything)? Get vocal in comments below!

How would you change Nikon’s D3x DSLR? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some Canon die-hards have already managed to coax their DSLRs to record video via live-view, and it looks like Nikon aficionados are now able to do the same, albeit not quite as easily just yet. That’s because the mod requires both access to Nikon’s SDK for the D700 and the necessary skills to actually do something with it, in this case capturing video from the live-view feed via USB. The good news is that the modder responsible for the hack, Olivier Giroux, is planning to “productize” the software and make it publicly available, but until then, you’ll have to make do with the sample video after the break which, while not quite 480p, still looks pretty decent, all things considered.

[Via MAKE:Blog]

Continue reading Nikon D700 gets tweaked to shoot video via live-view

Nikon D700 gets tweaked to shoot video via live-view originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You may have heard about that absolutely giant (1,474 megapixel) photo taken of the Inauguration using a Canon G10 and a GigaPan Imager. Well, today the company’s launched the GigaPan Epic for commercial sale. It works with most point-and-shoots, and composes a single photograph from many (the inaugural photo was 220) shots. A robotic mount attached to the camera automates the process of taking all of those images, so you don’t need to worry about missing any of the details. The GigaPan Epic is available now for $379, and a GigaPan Epic 100 for larger point-and-shoot models is expected “soon.” Full PR after the break.

[Via Photography Blog]

Continue reading GigaPan Epic imager released, your party photos will never be the same

GigaPan Epic imager released, your party photos will never be the same originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sure, Lady Liberty and a bald eagle are great symbols of American freedom, but they’re also perfect covers for keeping tabs on your friends. Ajoka’s cigarette lighter video camera discreetly records 640 x 480 QVGA in AVI format at 30 frames per second and supports microSD up to 8GB. It’s got a lithium ion battery for 6 hours of filming and is charged via USB. Best of all, it’s still a working lighter — perfect for cheering up your favorite band’s love ballads and simultaneously bootlegging the performance. Your local spy shop can order these wholesale for $150 apiece.

Cigarette lighter camera shows there’s nothing more patriotic than espionage originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We can’t say with any level of certainty why Toshiba chose to announce its new Camileo after CES and before CeBIT, but whatever the reason, we’re sure it’s a good one. Introduced today over in Germany are three new camcorders, all of which boast simple controls for the technologically challenged and easy uploading to YouTube. The whole lot captures in gorgeous 1080p, and they all feature a handy HDMI output for showing off clips as soon as you snag them. The higher-end Camileo P30 arrives with 128MB of internal storage, an SD card slot, a 3-inch LCD monitor and a 5x optical zoom; the H20 steps down to a 2.5-inch display, while the S10 remains mostly mysterious. As for the bits that matter most, the S10 and P30 will be available early next month for €149 ($197) / €199 ($263), respectively, while the H20 can be snapped up now for €249 ($329).

[Via Stuff]

Toshiba readies three 1080p Camileo camcorders for Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Usually, we’d just brush something such as this off and carry on about our day, but there are just too many stars aligning to ignore this one. Given that Olympus pledged its allegiance to Micro Four Thirds early on — not to mention that we’ve already seen proof of prototypes — we’re really, really tempted to believe the latest rumors from Russia. As the story goes, Olympus is gearing up to launch a pair of MFT cameras, likely named the M-1 and M-100. Both units are apt to be about the size of a bulky point-and-shoot, with the former boasting a 3.2-inch LCD monitor and HD video capture. Oh, and did we mention that PMA is just over a month away? Sounds like a perfect spot to launch this duo into the mainstream.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Two Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras rumored for soonish release originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kodak’s just announced they’re rolling out a new entry-level point and shoot for your photography-loving self, friend or next door neighbor. The EasyShare C180’s going to have a 10.2 megapixel sensor and a 3X optical zoom lens, a 2.4-inch display. The little camera will be available in silver, blue, red and pink sometime this August, and it’s going to cost you about $120. Eh, thanks, but we’ll probably just wait for the Lego cam.

[Via Lets Go Digital]

Kodak Easyshare C180 bursts onto the scene, no one seems overly excited originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ah, the sweet smell of PMA. While the camera-filled trade show is still over a month away, Panasonic’s not wasting any time in outing its new LUMIX lineup — which we already saw with Euro model names earlier today. Up first is the ZS-series, which contains the 10.1 megapixel DMC-ZS3 ($399.95) and DMC-ZS1 ($299.95), both of which boast a 25mm ultra-wide angle lens and a 12x optical zoom. The ZS3 is marked as the planet’s first digicam to feature HD video recording in AVCHD Lite (a subset of AVCHD restricted to 720p, yuck), and the twin CPU Venus Engine HD provides the power to handle it. Next is the DMC-FX580 ($399.95), a compact 12.1 megapixel shooter with a 5x optical zoom and a swank touchscreen on the rear. For the argonauts in attendance, there’s the DMC-TS1 ($399.95), a rough and rugged 12.1 megapixeler with AVCHD Lite capturing abilities (guess it’s numero dos?), a 4.6x optical zoom and a waterproof / shockproof chassis. Every last one will be available in April, and you can fill your mind with more knowledge on each in the read links below.

Back in 2006 we were charmed by the classic looks and new-school tech offered by Leica’s M8, and then again last year by its successor, the M8.2. Now the company has another update to woo us, confirmation of last year’s rumor of an even more visually arresting version, the M8.2 Safari Special Edition. Its olive drab exterior makes it look like something you’d find slung around the neck of the Ernie Pyle’s German WWII counterpart, an included waterproof bag means you can safely take this along for your next jungle adventure, and its 28mm f/2.8 ASPH lens should work well for capturing whatever you find out there — big or small. Only 500 of these are set to be made, one of which can be yours for a typically excessive Leica price of $10,000.

[Via Impress]

Leica’s Safari Special Edition M8.2 wears olive drab, is anything but originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We’re not sure what’s going in France at the moment but a bevy of new 12 megapixel Panasonic cameras have broken loose with or without corporate approval. Let’s start with the rugged €399 DMC-FT1 (pictured). It features a 12 megapixel (1/2.33-inches) with a 28-128mm optically stabilized 4.6x zoom Leica lens and a 2.7-inch LCD. It’ll survive drops of up to 1.5 meters, water to a depth of 3 meters, while surviving storage in the dustiest of apartments. It’ll even shoot 720p video in “AVCHD Lite” format… whatever that is. Next up are the €429 DMC-TZ7 and its £329 DMC-TZ6 little buddy. The TZ7 couples a 12x optically stabilized zoom (25-300mm) with the ability to shoot 720p HD video in that same AVCHD Lite format and reviewable on a biggie (but relatively common) 3-inch LCD.

Also outed is the €299 FX550 with 5x zoom, 720p video capture, and a 3-inch touchscreen buzzing along with haptic feedback. It’ll even handle aperture and shutter priority modes in addition to manual exposure for those who wish to push their amateur credentials to the edge. The €299 DMC-FX40 dials things back with a skinnier chassis and smaller 2.5-inch LCD while ditching the manual stuff. Check ‘em all in the gallery.

[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]

Panasonic’s DMC-FT1, TZ7, TZ6, FX550, and FX40 cameras outed by French authority originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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