Backlit CMOS in New Canon SD4000

The backlit CMOS sensor craze is dipping into more consumer-friendly markets. The Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS was announced with a 10-megapixel sensor and an f/2.0 lens that make up Canon’s “High Sensitivity System.” The SD4000 will be available at the end of this month for $349.
 

Sony Flaunts Big Sensors, Little Bodies on New NEX Cameras

Sony announced its entry into the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera market with the unveiling of the alpha NEX-5 and NEX-3. The new digital cameras share a 14.6-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor that Sony flaunts is much larger than its Four Thirds standard competitors. The camera bodies themselves, however, are marketed as miniscule with the NEX-3 being called “the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera.”

Ricoh Announces 28-300mm Lens for GXR

Ricoh expanded its GXR system camera offerings with today’s announcement of the Ricoh P10 Lens Module. The P10 comprises a 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens and a backlit 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor populated with 10 megapixels; it is the third module announced for the GXR system.

Olympus Improves AF on Pen Series

Olympus announced a firmware update that will quicken the auto focus speed of its Digital Pen series of interchangeable lens cameras. The new update also ensures that the E-P1, E-P2, and E-PL1 are compatible with newer Micro Four Thirds lenses.

Adobe Releases CS5

Adobe released its latest version of Photoshop today with a host of new, innovative tools. New additions to Photoshop CS5 include the much-buzzed-about Content Aware Fill tool that was introduced two weeks ago as a “sneak peek” on YouTube. CS5 will retail for $699 or as an upgrade for current owners for $149. CS5 Extended, which includes 3-D tools for video, web, medical, manufacturing, and engineering industries, will retail for $999 or as an upgrade for $349.

Leaf Intros 56MP Digital Back

Leaf introduced a new digital back today with the announcement of the Leaf Aptus-II 10R. The new back has a 56-megapixel image sensor with the same specs as the Aptus-II 10; the only difference between the two versions is that the newer model has an internal mechanism that rotates the sensor’s orientation so as to keep the camera’s position fixed.

Eye-Fi Expands X2 Lineup

Eye-Fi announced two new SDHC-sized memory cards with faster read/write speeds and an “endless memory mode,” and the same 802.11n wireless networking available on previous Eye-Fi cards. The Eye-Fi Connect X2 has 4GB and will sell for $49. The Explore X2 comes with 8GB and a lifetime geo-tagging feature for $99.

Panasonic Adds Two Interchangeable Lens System Cameras

Panasonic announced two new G-series interchangeable lens system cameras, the G2 and G10. Both have the same 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor that was included on the original G1. The G2 adds touch-screen capability to its 3-inch free-angle LCD, making it the first system camera to include the trendy feature. The G10 claims its fame as the “world’s lightest” system camera with a viewfinder.

Sigma Updates to DP2s and DP1x

Sigma updated two of its large-sensor compact digital cameras with the announcement of the DP2s and DP1x. The new cameras make several improvements upon their predecessors, including faster autofocus. They will be available this spring.