Casio’s new action cam detaches from its own touchscreen viewfinder

If you haven’t quite got on the action cam bandwagon, or you’re looking for a viewfinder bigger than a postage stamp, perhaps Casio’s EXILIM “freestyle” camera will do the job. Coming in orange, camo green and white options, it’s made of two different parts — the lens and a separate screen that can be used both attached and detached. In a sign of the times, there’s also a foldable docking option that makes it ideal for selfies. If you fold the lens back onto the display, then you have something closer to a typical camera — albeit one with a tiny screen. The camera will, naturally, arrive with a plethora of straps, clips and tripod accessories to ensure it attaches to everything adventurous in your life and both parts are water- and dustproof (IPX6).

The camera itself has an f2.8 lens and contrast-based auto-focus, with intelligent and multifocus modes which should help ensure it captures what you want it to. The Exilim EX-FR10 will snap photos at 14-megapixels and video at 1080p resolution, and Casio says the battery should last around 75 minutes for continuous movie recording. If you’re mostly shooting stills, then expect it to last much much longer – once detached, the two-inch LCD touchscreen controller will extend the camera’s view up to 5 meters. It will degrade after that, but Casio tells us that you’ll still be able to capture with the shutter button up to 10 meters away. Both devices can be charged through the micro-USB port, while storage is microSD card-based — like most action cams.

Once you’ve captured your adventures /water-fights, the images and video can be delivered through the aforementioned USB connection, as well as Bluetooth and WiFi. We got to play with one, and the device has a nice rough finish that ensured that it was easy to grip — you can also tell by the styling and color choices that it’s cut from the same cloth as Casio’s G-Shock. The hinge is also hardy — it maintains the angle you set it at when you bend it into place. The biggest concern here (despite the presence of waterproof smartphones), is the price: in Japan it’s set to land at 50,000 yen. It might well look hardier and cooler than a GoPro, and once you factor in a wireless viewer for the Hero3+, the price is close, but you’re going to have to pay a little more for Casio’s action cam — it translates to roughly $480.

Filed under: Cameras, Wearables

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Leica’s latest rangefinder camera is both speedier and stealthier

Digital rangefinder cameras may look like retro fashion items, but they’re genuinely handy for pros — they’re good for moments when you need quality without carrying a big, conspicuous DSLR. To that end, Leica has just launched the M-P, a new addition to the M series that’s more about serious work than style. You’re still getting a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor in a relatively small body, but the buffer memory has doubled to a hefty 2GB; the camera should almost always keep up with your rapid-fire photography. There’s also a new selection lever that shows you framing for common focal lengths in the viewfinder, and an anti-reflective coating on the scratch-resistant sapphire LCD will help you review your snaps in bright sunlight.

The M-P may also be notable for what’s not there — Leica’s signature red dot branding. Much like the film-based MP from 2003, the M-P goes logo-free to avoid drawing attention and spoiling the moment. It won’t be the talk of the town as a result, but you also won’t disrupt a “natural” street scene. Just be ready to pay a premium for Leica’s faster, subtler shooter. You can pre-order the M-P today, but it will cost you a whopping $7,950 — around $1,000 more than the regular M’s current asking price, let alone full-size DSLRs like the Nikon D4S.

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: DPReview

Source: Leica (1), (2)

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The 2015 Corvette has a video recording of everything the valet did in your car

The human body undergoes some weird physical changes when it hands the keys to a shiny new car to someone else; the pulse quickens, the throat dries out and the palms get unnaturally clammy. If that shiny new car happens to be a Corvette, though, the human body may be able to worry a little less – Chevy kitted the 2015 model out with a Valet Mode to help you lock down your ride when you’re not the one driving it. Once you key in your code and fire up Valet Mode (introduced in 2014), the system springs into action: the glovebox and the storage bin in the center console automatically lock themselves and the infotainment system gets disabled completely. There’s something new this year though: using the Performance Data Recorder tech, a built-in camera films where the car goes (complete with vehicle data like speed and engine RPM) while a microphone records what’s going on inside the cabin. Sure, using the feature may speak to an intense distrust of your fellow man (if you’ve seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), but really now — what have those randoms done to earn your trust in the first place?

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: Chevrolet

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Lomography gives its DIY 35mm camera a flash upgrade

Last summer, Lomography debuted its offering that allows photogs to build their own 35mm SLR. Now, the retro-minded snapshooting outfit is lending the Konstruktor more film-shooting skills with flash kits. Thanks to a $20 accessory package, the latest version of the DIY camera can be paired with a Lomography flash should the need arise — if you’ve already splurged for proper lighting add-on. Those who’ve yet to take the leap can nab a bundle that includes the disassembled Konstruktor F, requisite accessory kit and a choice of flash for $103-$111 (depending on said selection). Not only can you put together the camera you’ll use for to capture that next road trip, but you can ensure those images will be well lit, too.

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Source: Lomography

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Polaroid’s cute Cube camera lets you record video just about anywhere

You can stick action cameras in many places, but they’re still not that portable; you probably won’t (or can’t) shove one in your pocket in case you want to document an adventure. You can certainly try that with Polaroid’s new Cube camera, though. While its building block-like design is a little bit cutesy, it also lets you record 1080p wide-angle videos seemingly anywhere — a built-in magnet lets the Cube cling to any metal surface, and even the mounting kits are tiny enough to come along on many trips. The cam depends on microSD cards for storage and only lasts for 90 minutes of video on a charge, but that still means that it can handle a quick mountain bike expedition or a few laps around the racetrack. Just be patient if you like the notion of cuboid movie capture. Photojojo is taking pre-orders for the $100 Cube today, but it won’t ship until late September.

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Source: Photojojo

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Disney tech auto-edits your raw footage into watchable video

More and more people are starting to record their daily lives, whether by traditional video cams or first-person live-loggers attached to glasses, headsets, necklaces or even handbags. Since a group of people (say, at a party) are bound to capture videos of the same event from multiple points of view, Disney Research has developed a method to easily splice together footage taken by different cams. Disney’s algorithm chooses the most interesting aspect of a single event based on how many cameras are focused on it, then it chops the videos and chooses parts with best quality, lighting or angle for the final cut.

Since Disney Research touts it as an easy way to create watchable video clips, the system’s also capable of following basic cinematographic guidelines without human input, such as avoiding jump shots between cameras. In fact, the team believes it could aid even experienced editors in processing hours upon hours of raw footage. The whole process still takes several hours, but not as long as the average time (20 hours) it usually takes to make a few minutes of edited video.

Wondering about the quality of video clips the algorithm can produce? Disney Research member Ariel Shamir says, “The resulting videos might not have the same narrative or technical complexity that a human editor could achieve, but they capture the essential action and, in our experiments, were often similar in spirit to those produced by professionals.” Disney’s researchers plan to present the technology at SIGGRAPH 2014 in Canada on August 10th to 14th, but you can also watch the video below to get an idea of how it works.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: Disney Research

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Fujin is a vacuum cleaner for your DSLR

There you are, happily reviewing photos from your recent getaway to Maui, when you notice your pics have been adorned with a smattering of little black dots; your DSLR’s got some grit on its sensor. Rather than whipping out the compressed air and Q-tip, however, you could dredge you camera’s internals using an interesting little gizmo from the Japanese company IPP. It’s called the Fujin, which literally means “blowing sand,” and it works just like a vacuum cleaner. Screw this bad boy on your Canon shooter in place of the lens and it’ll suck the dirt and dust right up — according to the manufacturer, at least. Don’t give up on your sensor cleaning solution just yet though, this $34 accessory isn’t available in the US.

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: SlashGear

Source: IPP

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