I have to admit that until recently I didn’t really get the idea of geo-tagging. It sounded too much like some kind of way for a marine biologist to track migrating dolphins. Yawn. Then I discovered that geo-tagging was actually something much more fun.

Geo-tagging, I learned, means that when I take a picture, the GPS data of my current location is stored in the image file on my camera. But how can I put this data to use and share it with friends?

This weekend I decided I was sick and tired of being ill-informed in the art of geo-tagging so I went out with our review unit Nokia N82 with two goals: learn how to geo-tag, and figure out a way to show our readers how to do the same.

I wish I could begin this guide with a host of cameras that you can purchase and go geo-tagging with, but the fact is there aren’t any cameras with built-in GPS or AGPS right now (but you can splurge for a camera accessory like the Sony GPS-CS1).

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Sanyo’s newest camcorder, the Xacti CG9, shoots MPEG-4 video and 9.1-megapixel stills, and it has 5X optical zoom and face recognition for up to 12 faces. Users can also take still photos without pausing video recording.

As far as specs go, it’s pretty standard, but the $279 price tag, YouTube-friendliness, high photo resolution, and featherweight 7-ounce frame should all appeal to the spring break crowd. The CG9, which takes on Sanyo’s now-classic trigger shape, comes in black and silver. Expect it to ship in April.

Panasonic unveiled its first touchscreen camera today, the Lumix DMC-FX500 ($399), whose hybrid interface includes a joystick and a screen that responds to both finger and stylus input. Although I can’t wait until capacitive touch makes its way into digicams, I’m glad that Panasonic decided to throw in a joystick (the new Kodak EasyShare V1073, by comparison, has just four dedicated buttons lining its touchscreen). At least Panasonic seems to understand that—until now, at least—touchscreen cameras haven’t all been as convenient as they’re cracked up to be. Read the rest of this entry »

Stealing a page from Sony’s lineup, Pentax endowed its newest point-and-shoot, the Optio V20 ($279) with smile detection. It did Sony one better, too, and threw in blink detection. The 8-megapixel camera also has 5X optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD screen, face detection, and Auto-Macro mode for quick close-ups.

Like Sony’s technology, Pentax’s smile detection automatically releases the shutter when it detects happy subjects. Blink detection has nothing to do with shutter release, but rather alerts you to blinkage after you’ve taken a shot. This seems a bit unnecessary, given that you already have a large 3-inch LCD on which to play back images. Having blink detection just means you don’t have to select playback mode before yelling, “Do over!”

Sony’s been busy lately. Just two months into the new year, the company has already launched ten digicams, including two DSLRs. This morning, it added two high-end cameras to its lineup, the 13.6-megapixel DSC-W300 ($349) and the 15x DSC-H50 ($399), both of which will start shipping in May.

Although we tend to hammer home the idea that a high resolution and ginormous zoom factor aren’t the be-all and end-all of camera specs, we can’t help but feel impressed.

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At the PMA conference in Las Vegas today, SanDisk announced two new Ultra II SHDC cards that push the envelope on SDHC storage.

The new SDHC cards, which are designed for digital cameras and camcorders, are now available in 16GB and 32GB flavors. Capacities weren’t the only aspect that changed, however, as the cards now offer an increased 15MB/sec read and write speed as opposed to the earlier 10MB/sec and 9MB/sec. I’m still drooling as I dream of the day when these powerhouse memory cards come to cell phones.

The 32GB card can store over 8,000 high-res pictures or 40-hours of video (set to a 640 x 480 resolution at 15 fps). It’s a perfect option for those who want to snap thousands of pictures of Eli Manning’s Super Bowl win over the Patriots this weekend. Both cards also come packaged with a USB 2.0 card-reader.

The 16GB card will be available in March for $179, while the 32GB flavor will be available slightly later in April. The 8GB SDHC Plus cards will be available for $99.

Just three weeks after launching the alpha DSLR-A200, the follow up to its first-ever DSLR, the alpha DSLR-A100, Sony introduced two models for more advanced users: the alpha DSLR-A300 ($799, April) and the alpha DSLR-A350 ($899, March).

The big news here is that these cameras are the first in Sony’s DSLR line to include Live View shooting, which allows users to frame photos on the LCD. For all you casual photogs curious about upgrading to a DSLR, this isn’t a standard feature, as it is on point-and-shoots. Read the rest of this entry »

It wasn’t long ago that we gave the Eye-Fi wireless SD card a mobile innovation award. We loved the ability to wirelessly upload photos from our camera to our computer, or the internet, instead of with a USB cable. Today Nikon made it even easier when it announced its Nokia D60 Digital SLR with the “Eye-Fi Connected” program.

The new Nikon D60 keeps the memory card slot powered on so that there isn’t any interference during the Eye-Fi wireless transfers, but the technology is in the Eye-Fi card.  Photographers can then upload their pictures to Nikon’s “my Picturetown” online community to share their photos with family and friends.

The software, which will be available this spring, will let users directly upload their pictures to 20 supported social networking sites and blogs, including Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, and Windows Live. MySpace users were left on the curb with this one.

With prices ranging from $149 to $799, Fujifilm’s seven new cameras, announced today, target every user type, from novices to Generation Z to prosumers. Entry-level users get good resolution for the money along with rechargeable batteries, while the higher-end models offer new features like Dual Blog Mode, Successive Movie Mode, and face detection galore (a feature we’ve been seeing a lot of lately).

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As with its camcorder lineup, announced at CES earlier this month, Sony’s eight new digicams offer a stable of new features appealing to almost every price point.

The line includes eight cameras, including two-entry level models and an ultra zoom. The higher-end models boast new features like Smile Shutter Mode and intelligent scene recognition, while the budgets now have face detection and rechargeable batteries.

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