In the depths of my memory I seem to remember there was a camera cum projector way way back. We’re talking circa 1959 and the camera was the Wittnauer Cine-Twin, an 8mm movie camera/projector made by a Mr Oxberry, creator of the motion picture animation stand and optical printer. Betcha didn’t know that!

Now Nikon have revisited the idea and made the first compact digital camera to feature a built-in projector.

Why? All digicams have AV outputs to show your still and movie picture efforts on a TV screen; so why not make the jump and have the camera itself throw a picture on the nearest white wall?

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj Features

First, the camera.

Taking 12.1 megapixel pictures with a 5x 5-25mm zoom lens (35 SLR equivalent of 28-140mm) the S1000pj has …

My life revolves around children. Mostly photographing them and, when necessary, I feed mine. So of course I would be the only writer here at DPS to attempt to review the new Vtech KidiZoom Pro. But even the most serious of photographers comes against a pretty big problem when their six year old decides that they want to take pictures too andwhyyyy (that’s the whining) can’t they use your 5D to take pictures of their toys?

Before Christmas I spent absolutely ages online looking for something I thought would be suitable for my six year old boy. Even the ‘shock proof’ ones looked laughable when I imagined them at the mercy of my kids.

The Vtech Kidizoom Pro is a nearly indestructible little whiz of a camera. Features include:

• 1.8 ” screen
• 256mb built-in memory (expandable with SD card)
• 2mpx photos
• 320×240 videos
• MP3 player
• Photo editor to add frames, stamps, distortions, kaleidoscope effects and animations
• Workshop mode to add voice overs to your photos
• 5 games and puzzles
• Double viewfinder for both of their eyes
• Shockproof
• Great grips on the side to make it easy for little hands to handle
• Built-in flash

Many DSLRs can perform not only the capture of large, high quality still images in the ultimate RAW format but some models can now also record Full High Definition video with 1920×1080 resolution.

For me, the asking price of the Canon EOS 7D and an appropriate lens is ‘reasonable’. Reasonable? At $2699 (note: this author is an Aussie so this is AUD$) for the body? Add the stabilised f3.5-5.6/18-135mm IS lens and you reach a figure of $3699 (AUD$). Still reasonable IMHO.

Canon EOS 7D Features

The 7D offers the ambitious photographer a host of operating features in a non-intimidatory package.

The CMOS sensor has 18.0 megapixels and can capture a maximum image of 5184×3456 pixels; in print-speak, sufficient to make a 44x29cm print at 300 dpi.

The sensor’s dimensions are 22.3×14.9mm so the 18-135mm lens would measure up, in 35 SLR terms, as having a focal length range of 28.8-216mm, using a factor of 1.6x.

Still image file formats are 14-bit RAW, JPEG and of course simultaneous RAW+JPEG. Full High Def video at 1920×1080 res is recorded in MPEG4 at 25fps or, at 1280×720 res, 50fps.

The ISO runs to 6400 with an expansion notch up to ISO 12,800! Couple this with a shutter speed range of Bulb, 30 seconds to 1/8000 second; X-sync for flash is 1/250 second.

ISO 100 f8 1/30 second. Top quality.

At ISO 1600 noise is beginning to give problems but this setting is still useable, in my opinion.

ISO 6400 and looking pretty nasty. Use if there is no other avenue.

One of the most popular lenses in our recent popular DSLR lens list was the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8L IS lens.

Today Canon have released an updated version of this very popular lens – a Mark II version.

With a really versatile focal length range it is no wonder that these 70-200mm lenses always feature in our top lenses lists. This updated lens comes with improved optical performance after a redesigned innards that now has a fluorite element and 5 UD elements to help with correcting chromatic aberration and faster focusing system.

The new lens has a smaller minimum focal distance of 1.2 meters (as opposed to 1.4 meters in the last version) and there are a couple of external changes including wider focusing ring. It’s also a little stronger and weighs 20 grams more than the previous model.

I’m not sure I’ll be ordering one to update my current 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Mark I – but if I was in the market for the best I’d be certainly drooling over this new lens!

No price has been announced yet for this lens but it shouldn’t be far off as it is expected in stores in April.

Ricoh has a unique way of snaring attention: like the delicate lilac hue of the CX2’s top panel, neatly capping the two-tone grey body. Pick it up and you immediately know which is the camera’s upper level, with power button, mode dial and zoom lever clearly seen.

The style continues: the rear has the usual four way rocker plus a vertical row of four buttons (menu, function, trash, display) and a replay button. There’s no optical viewfinder but the 7.6cm LCD screen provides a bright and ultra sharp look at the scene.

Ricoh CX2 Features

The CX2 has a 9.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, able to capture a maximum image size of 3456×2592 pixels, leading to a final print size of 29x22cm at 300 dpi. Movies? Just there, with support for 640×480 and 320×240 pixel clips — surely a …