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The Consumer Electronics Show is all about cool gadgets, cutting-edge technology, and eye-catching design. But there's another C word that defines many of the photographic debutantes at CES 2008. Some of these new models come from names you know well, like Kodak and Samsung, and some come from companies like Xias, whose names make you say, "Who?" But they all have one thing in common: They're cheap. They'll almost all hit the market at less than $200 -- and that's retail price, not street. So whether you're looking for a cool item to put in some kid's Easter basket or you're just in need of a cheap camera, check out the rundown:
DXG-566V HD Camcorder. 5 megapixels, and DXG swears that's a real CMOS sensor resolution, not interpolated. 3-inch LCD. Captures 1280x720, 30fps video in H.264 format. It can interpolate the 5-megapixel photos it shoots up to 8-megapixels. There's no optical zoom and the flash is an LED, but hey, it's only 149 bucks. dxgusa.com
Kodak EasyShare M1033. 10 megapixels. 3X zoom lens. 3-inch LCD. Kodak says it's "packed with features" and captures high-definition video. The company has also announced the EasyShare M763, M863, and M893 IS, but there isn't much information on them at this point. All we know is that they're going to be cheap. They'll all be priced between $129.95 and 199.95 when they hit the streets in the first half of 2008. kodak.com
Samsung S760. 7.2 megapixels. 38-105mm 3x zoom lens (35mm equivalent, of course). This one has a lot of features for a cheap camera. There are a slew of scene modes; face detection; redeye correction; a bunch of color effects; and adjustable brightness, contrast, and saturation. The S760 also has a built-in help function and a Self Portrait mode that will prevent you from taking blurry shots of your forehead and the tree behind you. It shoots VGA video at 30fps, too. Naturally, it takes AAs. $169. Available in January 2008. samsungcamera.com
Samsung S860. Just like the S760, but with 8.1 megapixels and not as cheap. $179 in January. samsungcamera.com
Xias DCS-860. 8 megapixels. 3x zoom lens. 2.5-inch LCD. Features include 13 shooting modes, face detection, digital image stabilization, and MPEG-4 video capture. And now what you really want to know: It's pronounced "ki-as." $179.99. Available now in metallic graphite and later in 2008 in white, blue, and pink.
Xias DCS-1260. 12 megapixels. 3x zoom lens. 3-inch LCD. This one has 21 shooting modes, face detection, and custom white balance. Its many flash modes include slow-sync and redeye reduction. It can capture AVI or MPEG-4 video, but with a 30-second audio limit, because you get what you pay for. This camera runs on a lithium ion battery. Fancy! Ok, so it costs $249.99. But it's a 12-megapixel camera, so that's still pretty cheap. Available in Spring 2008.
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