Name: Nikon D90
Category: digital still and movie SLR camera
Price: About JPY120,000 (body only)
Release date in Japan: September 9, 2008

It's the norm now that digital still cameras include some sort of video recording feature, and video cameras offer still-shot capability. Nikon's adding a new twist to the combination, with what it calls "the world's first digital SLR movie function that delivers genuinely cinematic results".

The D90 is the latest in Nikon's popular D line of digital SLRs, featuring 12.3-megapixel still shots. Its movie function records video at resolutions of 320 x 216, 640 x 424, or HD720p (1,280 x 720) in motion JPEG format, at 24 frames per second. (Sorry, no higher-resolution HD1080 video.)

What makes that exciting is not just the combination of a great still cam and decent HD video cam in one unit, but the ability to use Nikon's array of interchangeable lenses for video shooting. Fish-eye, wide-angle, telephoto... you'll swap lenses like a Hollywood movie-maker, something you can't do with general consumer video cams.

Aiding the moviemaker is a large DX-format 23.6 x 15.8mm CMOS sensor ("far larger than that in typical camcorders", says Nikon) with a sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 3200. A microphone and built-in speakers handle audio recording and playback. (There's speculation that the D90 will function as an audio player if you load it with MP3s, though Nikon itself doesn't say this.)

Still, this may not be your tool for feature films. When shooting video, you lose both autofocus and the viewfinder (use the LCD panel on back instead, via Live View previews). You can't go beyond 24 fps, which is fast enough for many but not all shooting purposes. Some pros are also wondering about the maximum video scene length before sensor overheating (hastened by Live View) becomes a problem.

In addition to that Live View preview in the 3-inch LCD display, other functions include Nikon Vibration Reduction (when used with compatible lenses), Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus module with 11-point AF system, face recognition, built-in flash, Image Sensor Cleaning, 0.15-second quick start-up time, and comprehensive image editing tools. Body weight 620g.

More info: http://nikon.com/about/news/2008/0827_d90_01.htm (English)

Name: CASIO EXILIM EX-Z300 and EX-Z250
Category: digital still camera
Price: About JPY40,000 (EX-Z300), JPY35,000 (EX-Z250)
Release date in Japan: August 29, 2008

Every week there's a new twist in what face-recognition software offers to do for us. This time it's the "Make-up Function" in the new CASIO EXILIM EX-series "kondeji" (compact digital cams).

Cameras that automatically detect and flatter faces with ideal focus and exposure are old news already, as is smile-recognition that snaps grins only. The EXILIM models further add the ability to analyze and smooth out variations in skin tone, hiding flaws from winkles to moles to harsh sunlight shadows. You choose the degree of "make-up" to apply, from among 12 levels of processing. It's like Photoshop fakery without the hassle!

Another trick of the EXILIMs' face-recognition engine is the ability to register the mugs of family and friends. Take a group shot, and the EXILIM will place priority on showing those favored faces in the best light.

Want one more trick? All right: Say you want a "two-shot" of you and your date, but there's no stranger around to bother with the request. So you resort to one of those self-portraits with the camera at arm's length, right? But it's hard to hold the cam still, and your spotty aim can leave out half a face. Here the EXILIM will play the role of the missing stranger, waiting for both faces to come solidly into view and then firing automatically. Hai, po-zu!

Other "do all the work for you" features include heavy digital processing to best expose both subject and backgrounds in those difficult night shots and backlit shots; automatic selection of ideal shooting mode; vibration reduction coupled with automatic ISO selection; and automatic focus adjustment for moving subjects. The EXILIM even knows when you're using a tripod, and adjusts its automatic settings accordingly.

Other specs: 10 megapixels (EX-Z300) / 9 megapixels (EX-Z250); 4x optical zoom (28-112mm); 3.0-inch display; H.264 video (1280x720); 38MB internal memory; SD/SDHC and MultiMedia memory card slot.

More info: http://dc.casio.jp/product/exilim/ex_z300/ (Japanese)
http://dc.casio.jp/product/exilim/ex_z250/ (Japanese)

Optics maker TAMRON says it's developed an interchangeable lens for digital SLR cameras that sets the record for zoom: 15x, ranging from 18mm to 270mm. That's ultra-wide-angle to powerful telephoto capability, in one lens. The "AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII VC LD Aspherical [IF] MACRO (Model B003)" (possibly a record-holder for product name length) is 101mm long, weighs 550g, and incorporates auto-focus and "VC (Vibration Compensation)" image stabilization. Alas, TAMRON hasn't announced a release date or price yet.
http://www.tamron.co.jp/news/release_2008/0730.html (Japanese)

Name: Hanwha UDCM301
Category: scuba gear / underwater camera
Price: JPY12,800
Release date in Japan: August 8, 2008

Why do divers get this cool head-mounted camera, while we land people have to hold our cams the regular way? Hmm, I suppose it's because divers are already wearing head gear, and we normally aren't. Plus, our hands are usually available for things like photography, while they need their hands free for stuff like swimming and fending off sharks and making that funny I'm-out-of-air sign.

So we'll let the divers have this one. What exactly is it? A spiffy-looking, silicone and tempered-glass scuba mask with a 3-megapixel camera built into the brow, waterproof at depths up to 5 meters. In addition to 2048x1536 JPEG snaps (minimum shooting distance: 50cm), the camera will record 640x480 MotionJPEG video at 15fps. Those image specs won't impress National Geographic, but sound fine for casual scuba shooting.

Nice extras include regular or rechargeable AAA batteries as the power supply, so you don't need to worry about charging proprietary batteries, and a mini USB 1.1 port, so you don't need to remember to take a memory card reader on that beach vacation. There's a built-in 16MB memory, plus a slot for MicroSD cards up to 2GB, which should hold well over an hour of video (though topped-off rechargeable batteries will last through only about 30 minutes of video).

How do you use the camera? At the top of the mask is a control for mode switching and a shutter release, so you will need to keep a hand free to shoot. Crosshairs printed on the lenses act as viewfinders for aiming your forehead. Behind the camera is a small LCD panel showing battery status, shot counter, and shooting mode, plus LED lights indicating current shooting activity; it's all visible with a glance upward.

The UDCM301 is a limited model available only online, says seller Hanwha Japan, so move fast if you want to try what looks to be a really convenient gadget for underwater photography.  

More info: http://www.hanwha-japan.com/products/udcm301/ (Japanese)
Purchase: https://item.rakuten.co.jp/hanwha/10000048/

Name: Nikon COOLPIX S60
Category: digital still camera
Price: About JPY40,000
Release date in Japan: September, 2008

It's all about touch these days, from the iPhone and its imitators to new desktop computers boasting touch-panel screens. And now you'll be swiping and poking at the back of your kondeji (compact digital camera), if Nikon has its way.

The COOLPIX S60 is a 145-g flat rectangle of a camera with a 3.5-inch "real wide angle" LCD touch screen on its back that takes over for nearly all controls. (On/off and shutter release remain physical buttons.) As you'd expect, icons appearing on the panel let you access set-up options, photo and movie playback, shooting options like zoom and flash, and so on.

What's more interesting is touch-based interaction not with the camera but with the scene. Just touch your subject on the screen, and the camera will set its exposure and focus on that subject. It's an operation that many users will find far easier than the traditional way of handling off-center subjects with automatic cameras (center on sobject, half-press and hold shutter release, re-frame shot, press shutter release). Another feature: once the built-in face-recognition has a face targeted, a press on the panel's "Portrait One-touch Zoom" icon will zoom in to an optimal full-face portrait size.  

iPhone-like photo playback tricks include photo orientation that rotates with camera orientation, "swiping" to view successive photos, and touch-based closeups (though from a demo video this appears to use one-finger taps, not two-finger "pinching"). There's a new shtick too: you can use the included stylus to draw or write on your photos in multiple colors.

Other specs: 10 megapixels, 5x optical zoom, ISO up to 3200, smile-detection timer, HDMI connector for playback to HiVision TV.

More info: http://www.nikon-coolpix.com/j/s60.html (Japanese)

Name: PENTAX Optio M60
Category: still compact digital camera
Price: About JPY20,000
Release date in Japan: August 22, 2008

Just about any modern camera, whether pocket-sized or big SLR, offers user-selectable shooting modes for easy one-step adjustment of numerous settings: Portrait to highlight skin tones, Sports to prioritize fast shutter speed, and so on. Some cameras strive to take even that decision-making out of users' hands, automatically selecting shooting mode for the user. Optics maker HOYA, holder of the PENTAX brand, claims that its new Optio M60 goes farther down that road than any other cam, with an unrivaled eight shooting modes that the camera will automatically select from each time you shoot.

The "Auto Picture" modes are Standard, Lanscape, Portrait, Night, Night Portrait, Flowers, and Sports. Just point and shoot, and let Optio analyze whether you're shooting a face, a mountain, a rose, an athlete, and so on, and choose the best mode for you. Assuming the feature works well, it does sound useful for quick-draw shooting, shaving off those few seconds typically required to twist a dial from that little flower symbol to that little running guy symbol. In addition, automatic macro shooting prevents the common problem of shooters forgetting to switch back to normal focus after close-up shots.

The same computing power that analyzes scenery is put to use in heavy-duty facial recognition, of course: the Optio will detect and set ideal focus and exposure for as many as 32(!) faces at once, and when dealing with few faces, can perform its mug analysis in as little as 0.03 seconds. On top of that is "Smile Capture", to hold back the shot until the subject smiles, and "Blinking Detection", to warn you when your smiling subject blinked mid-shot.

Other specs: 10-megapixel CCD sensor, 5x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD display, "Digital SR" shake reduction, automatic ISO up to 6400, 36MB built-in memory plus SD/SDHC memory card slot, and 80 cheesy digital frame effects for post-shot editing. Silver, Light Pink, or Blue. 130-g with battery.

More info: http://www.pentax.jp/japan/imaging/digital/compact/optio-m60/feature.htm... (Japanese)

Matsushita is claiming a "world's first" for its new LUMIX DMC-FX150: the highest pixel count - 14.7 million - in a "kondeji" ("compact digtal") camera. That's a pixel count unmatched even by a lot of digital SLR cameras. Specs include 28mm lens, 3.6x optical zoom, and 2.7-inch display. Choose from Blade Silver, Mirage Gold, or Esprit Black - colors designed to appeal to the male demographic, says the company. About JPY47,000, from August 22.
http://panasonic.jp/dc/fx150/ (Japanese)