Buy the Nikon D700 and save! True, it's anything but a penny-pincher's camera; the 12.1-megapixel pro SLR's body alone costs JPY324,300, or JPY405,500 with AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor ED 24-120mm F3.5-5.6G (IF) lens. But buy either of those by November 30, and you get JPY30,000 cash back.
D700 (Japanese):
http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products/camera/slr/digital/d700/
Cashback program (Japanese):
http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/event/campaign/d700_cashback/

Name: Exemode YASHICA EZF924
Category: digital camera
Price: JPY9980
Release date in Japan: Early November, 2008

Want a camera with an impressive pixel count - say, almost 10 million? Want to spend less than JPY10,000 for it? The  EZF924 from Tokyo-based Exemode, recent reviver of the YSHICA brand in Japan, may fit the bill.

The 85-gram YASHICA's CMOS sensor yields 9.12 million (3488x2616) pixels. On back is a 2.4-inch TFT display. Other specs, while not necessarily bad for a camera, do match up with a low price tag: ISO goes from 100 to a middling (if perfectly serviceable) 800. The 43mm, F3.25 lens is fixed-focus (though a macro mode lets you shoot as close as 20cm). Internal memory is only 16MB, not enough for two shots at highest resolution; make sure to get an SD/SDHC card (up to 8GB) for real shooting. There's no optical zoom, just 8x digital (i.e., no real zoom at all). There is video capability, though just 640x480 AVI (Motion JPEG) at 15-20 frames per second. (That's good enough for YouTube, and the camera includes software for uploading video to YouTube.)

The EZF924 follows on the heels of the EZ824 introduced earlier in October. That model has only 8 megapixels, for JPY14,800, and weighs 40g more than the new model - but it also sports 3x optical zoom, the feature that the EZF924 drops to lower its price and weight so drastically.

Okay, so the EZF924 isn't packed with features. But sounds fine as a small, hi-res cam that you can buy with a single bill. (Before tax. And memory card.)

More info (Japanese):
http://www.yashica.jp/pro/f924.html

Name: Nikon Media Port UP300x
Category: portable AV player
Price: JPY69,800
Release date in Japan: Mid December, 2008

Sorry for the odd article title, but this one's not easy to describe. Out of nowhere, staid Nikon suddenly announces a "multimedia playback headset device" dubbed the Media Port UP, or UP for short. (Pronounce that as individual letters, not as "up". As always, there's English-language imagery behind the name: Nikon offers a half-dozen derivations, including "universal port", "ubiquitous player", and "U (your) pleasure".)

In Nikon's words, "This innovative product, which incorporates display, headphones, mobile A/V player, Wi-Fi capability, high-capacity memory, and power source in a single compact unit is the first of its type. The UP allows users to easily enjoy high-quality images, videos, and music anywhere."

In short, the UP takes the media player out of your hands and puts it all on your head. It's a set of full-ear padded headphones with a tiny arm-mounted video screen that sits in front of one eye, like something from a sci-fi flick. Nikon says that despite the tiny 0.44-inch, 640x480-pixel size, the 16-million color backlit LCD display offers the experience of viewing a 50-inch screen at a 3-meter distance. (Viewed with one eye only, that is, an experience that sounds decidedly odd.) Nikon is serious about the hands-free aspect, too: an internal motion sensor lets you control volume and other features with head movements alone.

Media is transfered via USB and stored on internal 8GB flash memory; 802.11b/g WiFi allows downloads of new media, with Nikon promising a content download service ("UPLINK") and video sharing site ("UPLAB") in the near future. (There's even a web browser available in that eyepiece; no word yet on how you'd actually use it.) Formats handled include WMV9, MPEG-1, and MPEG-2 movies, and MP3, AAC, and WMA9 audio files. An AV input jack lets you enjoy media played back from other devices.

It's certainly interesting, but is it useful? The internal memory holds less than 3 hours of MPEG-2 video, so you could take along, say, a single "Lord of the Rings" installment on a flight - but be prepared to swap AA batteries after only 2 hours. And will you actually enjoy watching video in one-eyed, military heads-up-display style?

Maybe, if you're a male aged 25-35; that's the target Nikon is gunning for. To help Nikon reach its sales goal of 3 million units by 2013, head to http://www.upstore.jp/ and get UP. (Japan only, for now.) If you're short JPY10,000, there's the cheaper UP300 model: only 4GB memory, no motion sensor controls, and no AV jack.

More info (English):
http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2008/1007_up300_01.htm

Name: GAUDI GHV-DV24SD
Category: digital video/still camera
Price: About JPY12,800
Release date in Japan: Early October, 2008

Tokyo-based GREEN HOUSE introduces the GHV-DV24SD, a new videocam entry in its GAUDI (Green house AUDIovisual) line of AV products. Its sales proposition: acceptable video at a dirt-cheap price, about JPY12,800.

The earlier GAUDI GHV-DV17SDS somehow hit an even lower price, JPY9800. Pretty amazing for a video camera that on the surface looks a lot like a one-hand, vertically-oriented compact camera from a big-name maker. But that cam's generous-sized display panel swung out to reveal a tiny 1.7-inch screen on the other side (smaller than many mobile phone screens), its internal memory was only 16MB, its zoom was 4x digital, and its 30fps video capture maxed out at VGA resolution (640x480) - not too impressive.

For JPY19,800, you could move up to the horizontally-oriented GHV-DV30SDS, which brought 32MB memory, 16x digital zoom, and a nice 3-inch display, but not much else - still the same VGA video.

The new GHV-DV24SD takes the middle ground between the two earlier entries: the 4x digital zoom of the one, the 32MB internal memory of the other, and a display that splits the difference at 2.4 inches. Its raison d'etre is improved video: D1 resolution (720×480), the standard for regular DVD video. The addition of image stabilization further improves video quality.

That's still a far cry from the glorious HD video now the norm in camcorders. The 32MB of memory, shared with the camcorder OS, is next to useless for video; all of the GAUDI camcorders are made to use SD memory cards (up to 2GB) for actual shooting. Further, the cam's digital zoom isn't "real" (optical) zoom. Its focus is fixed (with a single switch for closer macro shooting). Yet not all the basic amenities are missing: there's a microphone/speaker and a voice recording mode, headphone jack, AV input/output, a flash, MP3 playback, and 5-megapixel still snapshots.

Okay, so the tech specs aren't exciting, but this one's all about price. At only JPY12,800 and 136 grams, do you want to be without a camcorder in your walkabout bag?

More info (Japanese): http://www.green-house.co.jp/products/gaudi/digitalvideocamera/dv24sds/i...

Name: Pentax K-m
Category: digital SLR camera
Price: About JPY60,000 (body only)
Release date in Japan: Late October, 2008

Hoya Corporation's Pentax Imaging Systems Division adds to the growing range of lighter, simpler digital SLR (DSLR) cameras coming out of Japan, with the entry-class K-m. Less expensive than the maker's existing K20D and K200D models, the K-m puts an "m" in its name to denote "mini", "micro", and - says Pentax - "mama".

The 10-megapixel camera has the tech features you'd expect from a DSLR in 2008: Shake Reduction (special lenses not required), a dust removal system for the large (23.5x15.7mm) CCD image sensor, a big 2.7-inch LCD panel, RAW and JPEG formatting, and "digital filters" to apply special effects to photos. Features aimed specifically at DSLR newcomers include newly-simplified controls,  Auto Picture selection of shooting mode (with a new ability to automatically select Night Scene Portrait mode), and use of 4 regular AA batteries. There's a 5-point Auto Focus system and automatic ISO setting (100 to 3200) as well. Storage is SD/SDHC memory card.

All in all, it's a good basic package, with nothing outstanding: no radical move to a digital viewfinder, no "live view" preview, no swivel mount on the LCD display, and so on. The biggest attraction is not tech, but size: with a chassis redesigned to shed bulk, the K-m body is only 525 grams (over 100g less than the K200D) and only 122.5 mm wide. Pentax says that's the smallest width in any DSLR, beating even the Panasonic LUMIX and its compact Micro Four Thirds build.

Pentax is introducing two new lightweight, plastic-mount lenses to go with the K-m: the 200-g DA L 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL and the 235-g telephoto DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED. A K-m kit with the former lens will run about JPY70,000; with both lenses, JPY80,000.

More info (Japanese):
http://www.pentax.jp/japan/imaging/digital/slr/k-m/feature.html

Name: Kenwood Media Keg MG-E504
Category: portable audio player
Price: About JPY15,000
Release date in Japan: September, 2008

Among the catalog of non-iPod audio players (a.k.a. Audio Players You've Never Heard Of) lies the Media Keg series from Tokyo-based audio specialists Kenwood Corporation. The Media Keg stable houses a handful of flash memory-based and hard drive-based models; its newest entry, the MG-E504, competes with the iPod nano in form and price. Let's jump right to a direct comparison:

Although a tad pricier at JPY17,800, the iPod offers 8GB of flash memory (vs the MG-E504's 4GB), a 2-inch screen (vs 1.5-inch), video playback (vs none), better interface and controls (including click wheel and accelerometer), and a body that's a skosh smaller and lighter than the MG-E504's. (Most users would count iTunes media management software as a plus as well, though it has its detractors.)

The MG-E504, on the other hand, allows additional memory via a micro SD slot, so you can match or surpass the iPod's storage; a 16GB card would take up to an impressive 20GB. The gadget also claims 54-hour audio playback time (vs the Pod's 24 hours). A quick-charge ability promises to supply 3.5 hours of playback on a 10-minute recharge.

MG-E504-supported audio formats are MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV, vs MP3, AAC, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV for the iPod. Comparisons of overall sound quality, including quality of the supplied headphones, is a debate we'll have to leave to the audiophiles. Neither device includes radio.

So there's the breakdown: if you value the expandable memory, the longer battery life, and WMA file playback, and can overlook the smaller screen, clunky mobile phone-like interface, and lack of video, the Media Keg MG-E504 is an iPod nano alternative that'll save you a couple thousand yen to boot. (Also available from October: the MG-E502 with 2GB internal memory, for JPY13,000. Either model comes in white, black, or pink.)

More info (Japanese):
http://www.kenwood.co.jp/j/products/home_audio/personal/mg_e504_502/

Name: Panasonic LUMIX G1 (DMC-G1)
Category: digital SLR camera
Price: About JPY80,000 (body only)
Release date in Japan: October 31, 2008

Recent digital SLR (DSLR) cameras have offered both the traditional, mirror-based viewfinder and the option of "live view" shot composition via the back-panel display. The photographic partnership of Panasonic and Olympus is stepping up as the first manufacturer to do away with the old-style viewfinder, going all-electronic for both the large LCD display and the viewfinder in the new LUMIX G1.

Why is that a good thing? It's all about size: that internal mirror structure adds a lot of bulk to an SLR. By losing the main mirror that bounces light up to the viewfinder structure, the G1 is able to reduce the distance between lens mount and image sensor from 40mm to 20mm, as well as lose the smaller mirrors and prisms in the viewfinder structure. In the end, the LUMIX G1 shaves lots of bulk from the SLR format - at 385 grams, it's about half the weight of the earlier LUMIX DMC-L10.

The new electronic full-time Live View Finder shows a full-time, 60 frames-per-second preview with a 1.44-megapixel equivalent resolution. You can zoom in on detail, a useful feature when using manual focus. A built-in eye sensor takes note when you're peeking into the viewfinder and turns off the back-panel LCD display to conserve power.

In another departure from earlier DSLRs, the LUMIX G1 makes use of a new standard for its sensor and lenses, the Micro Four Thirds System. In a nutshell: Olympus and Kodak created the Four Thirds System specifically for DSLRs, featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio (the same as TVs/monitors and most compact digital cams, and different from the 3:2 ratio used for film cameras and older DSLRs). One advantage of the standard: lenses designed for the Four Thirds System are fairly compact. With the LUMIX G1, Panasonic and Olympus introduce the Micro Four Thirds variant, designed for mirror-less focal distances, electronic viewfinders, and even more compact lenses with a smaller mount. (Compatibility with Four Thirds lenses requires an adapter.)

Other features include 12.1-megapixel image sensor, a wide variety of Auto Focus modes, IA (Intelligent Auto) mode (a combination of Intelligent Scene Selection, AF Tracking, Face Detection, Intelligent ISO Control, and Intelligent Exposure), MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), digital red-eye correction, 3-inch free-angle LCD display, HDMI output, and Olympus's highly-regarded Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system.

In the end, the LUMIX G1 is for photogs who want the power and versatility of a DSLR, without the bulk, weight, and complexity. In fact, Panasonic de-emphasizes the SLR lineage in its marketing, going for "the world's smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens camera" instead in its marketing. In a final un-SLR-like touch, the camera body comes in red and blue, in addition to the traditional black.

More info (Japanese):
http://panasonic.jp/dc/g1/