Nikon D5000 with swivel LCD and HD video

Nikon announced a long-awaited update to its entry digital SLRs with the D5000. Now consumers can compose shots from off-angle. It is provided by a swivel LCD. Video mode is also upgraded. Photographers can record 720p video with sound that can be previewed over HDMI output.

And it is not all. Nikon has boosted the sensor resolution to 12.3 megapixels and extended the light sensitivity. Now it coincides with ISO 3,200 in normal shooting and with ISO 6,400 in an extended mode. Number of auto focusing points has been reached up to 11. The camera developers added a 3D tracking for moving subjects and allowed bracketing. Also automatic sensor dust removal was added.

Making quality photos is now simpler. D5000 has scene recognition and presets for monochrome or other shooting modes. Active D-Lighting helps restore details to shadows as well as reduce the likelihood of blown-out highlights.

Nikon D5000 will be in markets in May. The price will be near 850 USD with an 18-55 mm VR lens kit.

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Lighter Spy Gadget with Miniature Camera

If you were planning to join the espionage department in your country and were looking at ways to impress those men in black suits, you could get yourself the Ajoka’s Cigarette Lighter spy cam. The ciggy lighter is a miniature spy camera in disguise and can record videos in AVI format at an amazing 30 frames per second, considering its size. The gadget also supports 8GB microSD.

The lithium ion battery makes sure your spy gadget runs continuously for 6 hours, though it can be charged the moment you see a USB plug. However, your enemies might wonder why you are hell bent upon charging your cigarette lighter. Well, if your negotiation and tricking skills are not good enough, you shouldn’t be planning to join the espionage department in the first place. If you have a number of spies with you, you could order these cigarette lighters wholesale for $150 per piece.

The Ajoka Cigarette lighter comes with American Dad caricatures, so make sure which country you are from, lest you be taken to be an enemy of your own country. If you wanted a little more variety among the spy gadgets you could buy, do check out the Barack Obama Belt Buckle or the list of Cool Spy Gadgets. I am sure you would not be disappointed.

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Panasonic outs lightest HD camcorders

Panasonic is back in the limelight yet again with the release of a couple of High Definition camcorders which are touted to be the lightest in the world. While we don’t doubt the authenticity of that claim, these days such titles are often traded among rival manufacturers in a matter of weeks or months, due to constant advancement in technology. Well, the two HD camcorders in question are the HDC-SD10 and the HDC-TM10, where the former will rely on the SDHC/SD memory card format as the recording media of choice, while the latter takes on a more versatile Twin Memory format, saving your recorded memories onto its 8GB internal flash memory or using an SDHC/SD memory card as well. Either model will tip the scales at a mere 0.5lbs, although the relatively small body is able to pack in 16x optical zoom capability and advanced features to produce beautiful 1920 x 1080 Full-HD videos.

The 16x optical zoom found in the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 will be supported by the Advanced O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) function, one of the main tools in helping both camcorders achieve clear zooming while minimizing hand-shakes and jitters that often accompany lesser models. Panasonic’s Advanced O.I.S. is sensitive enough to detect and correct hand-shake of around 4,000 times per second, and allows the high-powered optical zoom to produce clear, stable zoom shots. In addition, the Active mode also extends the hand-shake correction range to allow the shooting of clear, crisp images while walking or moving.

Other features found on staple Panasonic camcorders include the iA (Intelligent Auto) function that is able to choose the most suitable scene mode for those who have no idea how to use this, thanks to its chip that is able to pick out the right shooting conditions, in addition to Face Detection for easy portrait shooting, Intelligent Contrast Control for proper contrast in videos and AF/AE Tracking (Auto Focus/Auto Exposure Tracking) that helps you track a moving subject automatically. The Panasonic HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 will retail for $549.95 and $599.95, respectively.

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