CES 2009: Photo, Video Gear + Gadgets
The world's largest consumer technology trade show, CES International, kicked off in Las Vegas this week. We are not officially covering CES, considering that most it is not a photography or video show per se, however, since we are all gadget geeks at heart, I figured that everyone would appreciate the hearing about some of the tech goodies at CES.
So, here are a few of the press releases that have crossed our desks that we think would interest the underwater community. At the bottom of the page you’ll find links to a few other websites who are indeed covering the entire show. Our friends at Cameratown.com have tallied the photo & video releases at 20 new digital cameras and 42 new camcorders. Good thing we don’t have THAT much choice underwater, it’s getting hard to keep up!
LiquidImage MaskCam (Part 2)
We reported on the Liquid Image mask cam during last CES, but now they have actually stepped it up a notch. Not necessarily a product for the average underwater photographer, but I can see myself donning one of these to shoot video from my head as I shoot stills from my hands. Three new models were released for CES 2009, all of which shoot 5MP stills, and one dedicated video model (although the VideoMask 310 is limited to only 33 feet). The Pro HD350 mask is depth rated to 330 feet, while the Scuba Series 320 is rated to 150, both can shoot 720p video and can take up to a 32GB microSD/SDHC card. I think commercial divers might find these useful, assuming the mask itself is of proper quality. We will get a sample and review it at some point in the future. All of the masks have mounts for lights, as if we didn’t look odd enough underwater without lights emerging from the sides of our heads.
Sony CyberShot G3
The new CyberShot G3 is the world’s first camera with wi-fi + a built in browser. So if you just can’t wait to upload your video clips to YouTube or photos to Flickr or PhotoBucket, you can login right from the LCD screen on your CyberShot G3 and upload your heart out.
Olympus Mju Tough 6000
Not a self contained underwater camera by any stretch, the Olympus Mju Tough 6000 can be submerged 10 feet and can withstand drops, bangs and frigid cold weather. So this may just be one of the best companion topside snapshot cameras for your next dive adventure.
New 17” MacBook Pro
Announced at Mac World, which coincides with CES, Apple announced the new 17” MAcBook Pro. It will be the world’s thinnest 17” laptop and weighs only 6.6 pounds. The new model has the same LED backlit display with a 1920x1200 resolution, 700:1 contrast ratio, and 60% greater color gamut. Although the default monitor is the glossy version that is a little tricky for photographers, for $50 you can upgrade to an anti-glare option. The built in battery has a run of about 8 hours.
New Canon VIXIA HD Video Cameras
Surely a couple of the new Canon VIXIA HD flash memory Canon camcorders will make it underwater later this year. The HF S100 and HF S10 seem to cater to the budget-minded pros and high end amateurs while the HF200 and HF20 have fewer new features but are still a step up from their previous line.
Complete CES Coverage From:
