Hermes is launching an attractive pair of binoculars wrapped in saddle leather. The binoculars also include a leather carrying strap. Presumably, the binoculars will also come with an attractive leather carrying case. The retail price for the binoculars is expected to be around $2,500. The technology behind the stylish Hermes binoculars was made by Leica, German manufacturers of high-end cameras, lenses and photography equipment. The binoculars are not yet listed for sale on Hermes' website.
Celebrity photographer Davis Factor talked to Maggie Rodriguez about the mistakes people make when they are posing for pictures. He also shares some tips for how to pose for photos. Dave Factor says some of the mistakes include poor posture, not making eye contact and not being aware of the camera. Some of Davis Factor's tips include putting your hand on your hip and being confident. On smiling he says less is best and that you need to practice in front of the mirror and with your friends. Take a look:
Flir Systems introduced its first handheld thermal night vision camera targeted at consumers at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The infrared camera is targeted at hikers, campers and sportsman. Flir says the Scout will cost under $3,000 and will be available in the second quarter of this year. Take a look:
Amazon.com is offering $50 instant savings on Select Sony Cyber-shot cameras. The $50 savings is being offered on the Cyber-shot DSC-TX1, DSC-WX1, and DSC-HX1. You can find the cameras on sale here. The offer will run until December 26, 2009.
You can find more last minute holiday deals here on shoppersshop.com.
Photojojo is selling You-Vision Video Glasses for $149. The glasses have a camera built into the bridge that records full motion video. The camera can be activated with the touch of a button. This way you want miss any event or incident you want to record. Photojojo says, "the two seconds it takes to pull out your beloved cameraphone is two seconds too late." The glasses have 2GB memory built in to record 5 hours of video. It also records audio. Files can be transfered to your PC or Mac via USB.
The New York Times Q & A columnist J.D. Biersdorfer and personal tech editor Sam Grobart explains geotagging photos. Some of the newest cameras and smartphones, such as the iPhone, put GPS stamps on photos that indicate exactly where the photograph was taken. Take a look:
First-time parents Brendan and Molly Parnell of Atlanta, Georgia came up with the ShutterBuddy as a way to get and hold a baby's attention for a photograph. The Parnells says ShutterBuddy uses the science of infant vision development and pattern recognition to capture and hold a baby's attention. The device, which is designed with a black-and-white checkered pattern outlined in bright red, fits like a cone around a camera lens. Babies are enticed to look directly at the geometric pattern and right into the camera lens.
"We were making silly faces, jumping up and down and doing the many things that parents do to get babies to look at the camera. But our five-week-old daughter, Audrey, refused to cooperate," said Brendan Parnell. "We were desperate. The small window between Audrey's sleeping and eating time was closing, which she was making very clear. And the voice of my mother-in-law pressuring me to send her the perfect holiday photo of her granddaughter was ringing in my head. After an 'ah ha' moment, I quickly created a bold geometric drawing and taped it to the camera. It absolutely captivated Audrey, allowed us to get a perfect photo, and was the start of ShutterBuddy."
Hermes has partnered with Leica, a German camera manufacturer, for the Leica M7 Edition Hermes camera. The $14,000 camera comes in orange or green "Veau Swift" leather. Wiredsays these are for collectors and shouldn't be removed from the box.
Make no mistake — these are collector’s cameras, and should never be removed from the box. As such they are labeled with a serial number between one and two hundred.
The Leica M7 Edition Hermes camera will be available next month. Leica's M8 white edition is also an attractive camera.
Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan created a politically charged portfolio for W featuring supermodel Linda Evangelista. Cettlan says Evangelista is "a still actress." he says, "At the end, she was so tuned-in that all she needed were a couple of words and she knew what we wanted." You can see the photos shot by PierPaolo Ferrari here and you can watch a behind-the-scenes video below. Take a look:
The Liquid Image High Definition Scuba Series HD Camera/Video Mask model 320 has passed FCC and began shipping in the US and internationally this fall. The HD320 allows recreational scuba divers to capture underwater photos and High Definition digital video hands free. The HD video is 720P (1280 x 720) and records at a rate up to 30 frames per second with audio. The camera mode features a 5 MP (2560 x 1920) still image. To take a photo or a video, the diver lines up the crosshair marks on the mask with the object, and then presses the capture button. LED lights inside the viewing area indicate the mode. The camera is depth certified to 115 feet / 35 meters. Images and video can be downloaded using USB or with a Micro SD/SDHC card. Examples of some videos shot with the Scuba camera can be seen here here.
Liquid Image's HD320 camera mask retails for $299.99 and is sold at DWest Marine, Comp USA, Tiger Direct, Circuit City and a variety of scuba stores and online retailers, including Dive Cam Central.
New Scientistreports that a company named Vicon is developing a camera that attempts to record your entire life. The ViconRevue camera is worn around the neck and takes pictures every 30 seconds to create a "lifelog" for the wearer.
Worn on a cord around the neck, the camera takes pictures automatically as often as once every 30 seconds. It also uses an accelerometer and light sensors to snap an image when a person enters a new environment, and an infrared sensor to take one when it detects the body heat of a person in front of the wearer. It can fit 30,000 images onto its 1-gigabyte memory.
The ViconRevue was originally developed as the SenseCam by Microsoft Research Cambridge, UK, for researchers studying Alzheimer's and other dementias. Studies showed that reviewing the events of the day using SenseCam photos could help some people improve long-term recall.
There was a film starring Robin Williams called The Final Cut that portrayed some negative consequences of recording absolutely every aspect of one's life. The technology in The Final Cut was far more advanced that Vicon's camera (it involved implanted memory chips) but it seems to fit the path that "lifelog" recording cameras are heading down. The rights and privacy of individuals that get caught in Vicon's camera will need to be considered. However, it is an interesting development and it could certainly help people with recollection.
The Impossible Project reports success with its goal of relaunching the Polaroid instant camera. The Impossible Project will launch a limited edition of Polaroid branded Instant Films in the middle of 2010. The Impossible Project will also launch its own film materials under its own brand early next year.
As we have created quite some buzz about Analog Instant Photography over the past 12 months, the Polaroid licensee - The Summit Global Group - now can't resist any longer and announced at a press conference on October 13th in Hongkong that they will re-launch some of the most famous Polaroid Instant Cameras.
Therefore they are commissioning The Impossible Project to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid branded Instant Films in the middle of 2010.
The Impossible Project is proud and excited that its ambitions and all the relentless work that has already been invested are now becoming the foundation for Polaroid's comeback as a producer of Instant Cameras.
Large-scale production and worldwide sale of The Impossible Project's new integral film materials under its own brand will already start in the beginning of 2010 - with a brand new and astonishing black and white Instant Film and the first colour films to follow in the course of the year.
Earlier this year, the Impossible Project, a group of former Polaroid employees and experts, leased the former Polaroid production plant in Enschede (NL), acquired Polaroid's machinery.
AppleInsider reports that Apple is expected to announce new iPod nano and iPod touch devices that contain cameras at its September 9th media event. IPods with cameras is interesting but it is not news about the exciting tablet-sized device from Apple everyone is waiting for and everyone knows Apple is secretly working on.
Apple, as it has for the past four years, is expected to use the gathering to introduce new versions of its iPod nano and iPod touch digital music players, both of which should serve as dual-purpose point-and-shoot cameras for the first time. AppleInsider also has it on authority that cameras are just one piece to this year's iPod story.
Also likely is an introduction of iTunes 9, which has widely been rumored in recent weeks to make its debut with a handful of social networking features -- a first of sorts for Apple. Unexpected is anything having to do with the much anticipated Newton Web tablet, which isn't expected to surface in any form until the first calendar quarter of 2010.
It would be nice to hear something unexpected about the tablet in September. There have been numerous reports and rumors about it. Apple would be wise to say something about. It might motivate people who are interested in it to make plans to buy it.
A company named Quirky has launched a line of cute tripods called DigiDudes. DigiDudes are portable camera tripods with retractable and bendable legs. You screw off the DigiDudes head to mount your camera. There are five different DigiDudes: Pinky Scorsese, Snot Buster, 1iChomp, BoltBot, and G-bling-Money-Son. The DigiDudes are currently available for pre-sale for $19.99 each.
Sony has a product out called the Party Shot that will take pictures for you at parties. Wired says the little robot uses facial recognition technology to find people that are smiling and take their pictures. Party Shot only works with the Cybershots TX1 and WX1 cameras.
Once it has locked on to its target, a deadly laser shoots out and, wait, no. Once on target it waits until it sees a big grin before tripping the shutter. It only works with the Cybershots TX1 and WX1, two otherwise humdrum but capable cameras announced yesterday by Sony.
This is a rather nice idea. Usually, party photos suck. They are blurred, the flash turns everybody into a chalk-faced ghost and everyone feels like they need to fix a rictus gash of teeth across their squint-eyed faces. This little gizmo would sit quietly on a table and, forgotten by the guests, silently pick out shots like some kind of robotic Cartier Bresson sniper.
If the device works well the little robots could be useful at tables at large gatherings like reunions and weddings. CNET says Party Shot can work for up to 10 hours and retails for $149.99. PC World thinks the automatic party photo taker may ruin the fun.
New Scientist 
AppleInsider 
A company named Quirky has launched a line of cute tripods called 
