droolicious : cameras

ModoPocket Portable Tripod Is Perfect For Budding Photographers

Chris Ford — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

I saw some great cameras that would be great first cameras for older kids at CES (including one that prints photos right out of the camera), and I even found a great starter camera bag. And the ModoPocket mini-tripod is a great little accessory for that first camera too.

The MondoPocket (from tripod experts Manfrotto) is a small table-top tripod that folds up underneath the camera. It's about the same size as a business card, and raises the camera off of a table, ground or almost any other surface. The other cool thing it has is a mount for another tripod underneath, so you can keep it attached to your camera full time - even when you want to attach your camera to a bigger tripod.

If your kid is interested in photography, this would be a great way to get them to start thinking about their camera as something that can do things besides just taking snapshots.

The MondoPocket 797 is available now for around $30. Check it out at Manfrotto.com.

CES 2009: Casio EX-FC100 - The Coolest Point And Shoot Camera At The Show

Chris Ford — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Earlier today I told you about a pretty amazing camcorder, but what about a pretty amazing digital camera? It's not a crazy DSLR or anything fancy, but the Casio EX-FC100 is one of the coolest pocket point-and-shoot camera I've seen.

The EX-FC100 is pretty much like any other normal to high-end point and shoot digital camera (9 megapixels, 5x optical zoom, CMOS sensors and anti-shake technology) with one big exception. It will shoot a high speed burst of thirty frames per second.

Huh? What that means is, you'll be able to shoot some super slow-mo action for some amazing effects. Think bird photography, or your kid's soccer game - anything where there is going to be a lot of movement and you want to get a great shot. At a 30 fps burst, more than likely you're going to get a good shot. The image quality in the burst is only at four megapixels, but to me it's worth giving up the megapixels for such a cool effect. And how big of a print are you going to make anyway?

Other notes: the representative from Casio told me that it's ISO sensitivity is good up to about 800, which seems a bit high for me but I was (obviously) unable to test it. Also, it doesn't shoot time lapse which is a good thing for me, because if it did I'd have a hard time not buying one myself.

The Casio EX-FC100 will retail for $399 and will be available at the end of March 2009.

CES 2009: GameLeash and CamLeash For Kid's Handheld Electronics

Chris Ford — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The GameLeash / CamLeash is exactly what it says it is. A simple idea to be sure, but after having shopped for a camera wrist strap recently, it wasn't as easy to find something I liked. And if you're buying your child a new camera or handheld video game player, getting them a wrist strap that's more secure than what comes with the device is a pretty good idea.

They are both identical (just different packaging) and made of velcro and neoprene.

A single leash costs $9.99 and a four pack (bundled for Nintendo Wiimotes really) will set you back $29.99. Available now from Leashtec.com.

CES 2009: Kata Camera Backpack Small Enough For Kids Gear

Chris Ford — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:00:00 GMT

So I've been telling you about beginner cameras options for your kids, but what about a good bag to put it in? And not just the camera, but what about all the other electronic gadgets (hand held video games, cell phones etc.) they've got? The Kata DR461 backpack will keep all of their stuff safe, but is sized small enough that even younger kids will be able to manage without a problem.

More info after the jump.

The DR-461 is a serious camera bag if you want it to be. But at 11 inches long by 12 inches high by 6.5 inches wide, it almost looks like a big lunch bag. And a small camera backpack for adults is just the right size for kids. And my guess is that if you get them a serious camera bag to go with their brand new "adult" camera, they might give the new camera you just dropped $150 on for them some more respect.

That is, of course, a theory.

The Kata DR-461 retails for around $60 and is available now. Check it out at Kata-Bags.com.

CES 2009: Canon Powershot A1000 Digital Camera

Chris Ford — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:00:00 GMT

The last camera today in the "what do I get for my little budding photographer" series is the Canon AS1000. It's slightly pricier than the others, but trust me. Not many people have ever been disappointed buying a Canon digital camera.

The Powershot A1000 is as "idiot proof" (my term, not theirs) as Canon makes a camera. It's a 10 megapixel camera that runs on AA batteries, so your kid won't ever have to keep track of charging it or keeping it charged. It's also got a nice flash on/flash off setting, which lets you make that decision and the camera will do the rest.

It retails for around $199. Check it out at Canon.com.

CES 2009: Casio Exlim EX-S5 Digital Camera

Chris Ford — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

The next up in line for real cameras (read: no toys) that might be appropriate for young children is the Casio EX-S5. The EX-S5 is part of the Casio Elxim camera line, and it seems to be made (marketed?) for the YouTube generation.

There isn't really much to say about the EX-S5 really. It's a basic 10 megapixel digital camera that does exactly what you'd expect all digital cameras to do. The one interesting thing is that it has a dedicated video button, with the ability to take 16:9 video that 's ready to be uploaded to YouTube. It's the kind of feature an "adult" might not care so much about, but for someone younger it seems like a pretty cool feature.

The Casio EX-S5 will retail for around $179 and will be available in the US in March of 2009.

CES 2009: Panasonic Lumix LS80

Chris Ford — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:30:00 GMT

On the first day of CES I looked at a lot of cameras, with an eye towards what would be the perfect camera for the nine-year-old kid. The kind of camera that isn't a toy, but at the same time isn't too expensive and wouldn't be too confusing to operate. The first in line for these candidates is the Panasonic Lumix LS80.

The LS80 retails for around $129 and is 8.1 megapixel, with a 2.5 inch LCD on the back and a 3X optical zoom. The cool feature of this camera is that it has optical image stabilization, which a lot of other cameras in this type and price range don't have. What that means basically is that the camera should be extra steady for shaky hands, which should result in less blurry images. Even though it's a very basic camera, it's a cool feature I think for a budding photographer.

The LS80 has been available for about six months, and you can check it out at Panasonic.com.

MovieStick: Small as a Pack of Gum, Big Enough to Film a Class Play

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:04:00 GMT

Swann, which is better known for its security systems, has announced an ultra-compact digital camera that makes even the wee Flip Mino seem bloated. Just a tad larger than a pack of gum, the 1-ounce MovieStick ($119; coming soon) captures up to 2.5 hours of video on a 2GB microSD card (not included) and charges via a USB port located on its bottom.

Your kids'll fight over who gets to play with it first (unless you're made of money, we hope the answer is "Mom and Dad"), but you can also expect some salivating from the parents standing alongside you at the next school function.

Hello Kitty Exlim Digital Camera From Casio

Chris Ford — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:01:00 GMT

It seems like Japan always has the cool new stuff. The Hello Kitty Exlim camera from Casio is pink, 8.1 mega pixels and would be perfect for the Hello Kitty fan in all of our daughters. But did I mention that it's available in Japan? More info after the jump.

The camera has 8.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom and will record movies - all pretty standard stuff for digital cameras these days. In fact, it's kind of on the low end for digital point and shoot cameras. And it isn't even on the Casio USA web site, but they do feature it on the Casio Japan web site. If you speak Japanese, check it out here.

One enterprising web site is selling the camera to US customers, but it will set you back $598.60, plus shipping. A comparable Exlim camera from Casio (and it's even pink) with slightly better specs (4x optical zoom and a bigger LCD screen) has a MSRP of $199.99 according to the Casio USA web site, so you can see the premium you'll be paying for Hello Kitty.

My advice? Find someone who's making a trip to Tokyo sometime soon and have them pick one up for you.

Hello Kitty Digital Camera, $598.60 from GeekStuff4U.com

Gorillapod Go-Go

Chris Ford — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:48:00 GMT

Imagine you're on an airplane, or a car trip, or any public place where you want the kids quiet, occupied and sitting down. Bringing the portable DVD player might not be feasible, but with all the iPhone's, iPods, cell phones and other small portable video devices out there, having something handy they can watch isn't out of the question. The real question is, how do you get more than one kid to watch it without them fighting over it. I present to you, the Gorillapod Go-Go.

The Gorillapod has been a handy portable table-top tripod for some years now, but manufacturer Joby has made it even better. The Go-Go comes with (in addition to the standard tripod screw mount) adhesive clips and a suction cup mount. The adhesive clips (there are two) would be for things that you would frequently attach to the Gorillapod, but the suction cup mount will attach to most anything with a flat, smooth surface. Which is (as it turns out) is perfect for an iPod, cell phone, GPS or anything else you can think of.

The website says they are "Coming in April 2008" and there isn't a price, but the regular Gorillapod retails for around $21.95. Check it out at Joby.com.

Capture Holiday Memories on the Fly with Flip One-Touch Camcorders

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 18:05:00 GMT

If you're looking for a no-fuss way to capture family memories this holiday season, Flip Video's Ultra Series Camcorder ($179.99, or $149.99 for the 30-minute model) will make you the envy of everyone within viewfinder range. Small enough to fit in your palm, it's just about the handiest (no pun intended) digital-camcorder line going, with one-touch recording and 2GB of built-in memory -- enough for around 60 minutes of high-quality video -- making it even easier to use.

It doesn't look half bad, either, with a variety of color choices, from pink/white to sleek black, designed to match both gender and style preferences. The camera's built-in software lets you upload videos to AOL or YouTube, and it plugs into your TV (via a cable) and your PC (via the ultra-cool USB arm, pictured below) for instant sharing.

Perhaps the best feature, though, is the size: It's compact enough to keep tucked away in your purse/murse at all times, which means no more forgetting to pack the camcorder the next time you're rushing out the door to holiday dinner, kids' soccer games, school assemblies or any other occasion you'll regret not having filmed later.