Fuji Unveils Mini-Digicam: Eyeplate Mega Measures 8mm, Costs $109

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,111522,tk,dn071003X,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article...n071003X,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"A credit-card-size, 1.3-megapixel camera offering print-quality images is being released in Japan this month by Fuji Axia, a division of Fuji Photo Film. Fuji's Eyeplate Mega, measuring 8 millimeters in thickness, is based on the Ultra-Pocket reference camera design developed by Smal Camera Technologies. It is priced at $109 and is expected to become commercially available later in the U.S. and Europe, says Romney Williams, executive director of business development with Smal. The company expects cameras based on the Ultra-Pocket reference design will become available in the U.S. through Fuji and other distributors later this year, he adds."<br /><br />8mm thick? Wow. 8O The Casio Exilim is the thinnest camera I've seen to date, but this takes the cake. I have hopes that this means we'll see a high-quality camera in our Pocket PCs someday as they continue to get smaller and smaller.

[Timothy Rapson]

I am definitely getting one of these to duct tape to the back of a new Axim.

No, really I could almost buy this whole camera and carry it with a HP 1910 or future Axim X3 and still be smaller than a Clie NZ90 or Hitachi photo-phonePC.

But, so far it looks like I'll be getting a Minolta DiMage X3 and some PPC or another.

[TawnerX]

Sony also just announced a similar camera.

http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/news_3400.html

[mmidgley]

Jason D. wrote:
> The Casio Exilim is the thinnest camera I've seen to date, but this takes the cake.

but there's a big difference between 1.3 mp and 3.x mp. i'm not saying this is a bad product, or that this type of thing wouldn't be sweet to have--i'm just saying that you can't really compare it with cameras like that casio or my pentax optio s, as though its an equivalent device that's so much smaller until they have equivalent CCDs and optical zooms, etc.

m. (now at 50+ posts!)

[jmarkevich]

Sony also just announced a similar camera.

http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/news_3400.html

Actually, that says that it's NOT a Sony. That's the same camera.

It also says it's smaller than a MD (MiniDisk) (another Sony jab :D )

[TawnerX]

ooopss, okay. I just guessing the content from the title. :oops:

[bmhome1]

My Casio Exilim S3 takes incredible quality 3.3megapixel photos, lightning fast with zero shutter lag (no auto focusing delay) and displays them on a huge 2 inch LCD. Its the size of a credit card and is all of 10mm thick. The earlier S2 model was the same size two years ago. Where's the news in being 2mm (1/16 inch) thinner?

[suhit]

My Casio Exilim S3 takes incredible quality 3.3megapixel photos, lightning fast with zero shutter lag (no auto focusing delay) and displays them on a huge 2 inch LCD. Its the size of a credit card and is all of 10mm thick. The earlier S2 model was the same size two years ago. Where's the news in being 2mm (1/16 inch) thinner?

I would agree with you right away, except I think it is the price that is eye-popping 8O. Though I do wonder about the quality of the photographs.

Suhit

[bmhome1]

Compusa already sells several brands of low-end, thin, credit card size digital cameras under $100. The Fuji press release attempts to imply that their offering is unique, yet in a camera category already filled with wide selections. The only real news is the extremely long battery life, if true.

[kuyars]

Hmm, I'm not a camera buff at all, but one thing to note is that this Fuji Axia uses a CMOS sensor, and not a CCD one. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't CCD sensors universally better than CMOS in terms of the the quality of pics that they produce?

[davidm]

I thought Logitech also released a similar camera last year.

At the time I was looking, I ended up with the Casio E2. The late is a great camera, and very durable. But in the end, the only great camera is the one you have with you when you want it!

Cheers

Dave

[bmhome1]

CMOS sensors were historically inferior to CCD's but the reverse is now happening with high-end (Canon 11MP, Kodak 14MP, etc) pro digital switching to new generation CMOS designs. CMOS still requires very sophisticated software processing for those uses. CCD generally is still superior for consumer models at this stage of evolution. Maybe the Fuji's will be a breakthrough.

[beq]

^ You beat me to it @ CMOS :)

[GadgetDave]

CMOS sensors were historically inferior to CCD's but the reverse is now happening with high-end (Canon 11MP, Kodak 14MP, etc) pro digital switching to new generation CMOS designs. CMOS still requires very sophisticated software processing for those uses. CCD generally is still superior for consumer models at this stage of evolution. Maybe the Fuji's will be a breakthrough.

And Pop Photo a couple of months ago said that very Kodak 14MP CMOS provided better images than film (at ISO 100, as I recall - but wow! :jawdrop: ) - first time they'd said that about digital.

[hamishmacdonald]

I bought the Logitech camera based on the SMAL technology, and ended up returning it. It took awful pictures. The light sensitivity was poor (everything was dark, or else so bright it looked like I'd taken pictures in heaven), and the shots were all fuzzy-looking.

I've since forked over the extra money for the Exilm, and I'm glad. It's been on a couple of trips with me, and not only is it just as portable, it consistently takes excellent pictures. Any flaws have to do with my lack of skill as a photographer.

Don't get suckered. In this case, cheap is cheap - only not cheap enough. You can get a £20 keychain camera that takes pictures just as well as the SMIL kind if that's what you're after. If you want something usable, save up for the Exilm.

[GoldKey]

I've got the Logitech also, and it is borderline false advertising. While it says 1.3 MP, in the fine print, it says "Interpolated from VGA (640x480) resolution". The pictures are slightly better than the SiPix I had previously, but the download software works much better and the built in battery lasts longer. SiPix uses a AA, but if you leave it in the camera, it is dead in a week. If you remove the battery, you lose your pics. If I don't use the camera, there is very little power loss.

I carry this camera more for emergency use (when I really need a picture of something, but don't have my Canon S30).

I almost returned it when I say the picture quality, but I got mine from Gateway through a deal I found on FatWallet, and only paid $29. For that price, it was OK.

[droppedd]

AFAIK the only decent ultracompact digital camera under $200 is the Sony DSC-U20 (now the DSC-U30). That takes 2MP photos and is about half the height of a normal camera, and volume-wise is even smaller than the Minolta Dimage; however, it certainly is thicker than a credit card.

Every other cheap mini digicam that i've looked at i have heard AWFUL things about (particularly the Logictech and Creative CardCams), and I'm not going to spend over $200 on a compact camera that i really mostly have with for snapshots. This Fuji sounds like it may be the thing for me, if it takes halfway decent shots (since Dell, after a month of hemming and hawing, decided they were out of stock on the DSC-U20 and cancelled my order from early June as of yesterday :evil:)

[shindullin]

I would wait until the reviews of the camera's picture quality come out before buying. It sounds like they are using inferior capture hardware and therefore is a dubious buy...

[etalianstallion]

didn't logitech also come out with some credit card sized digicam? never did hear too much about it.

also, I think the Pentax Optio S is even thinner than the Casio Exilim. same lens.

[GoldKey]

That is the one I was talking about in my posts above.

http://www.logitech.com/lang/images/0/156.gif


Logitech Pocket Digital (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?page=products/details&CRID=4&CONTENTID=5038&countryid=19&languageid=1)

The feature that I really like about it is the way it slides closed to protect the lens. That was my biggest beef with the SiPix, since the lens was easily scratched.

[bmhome1]

The Casio S3 is the current thinnest, credit card size, quality digital camera (the Z3 and Optio are twice as thick for zoom lens feature). It is something to see in person and actually try using, its a techno achivement because it is not only miniscule, but also functions wonderfully. The pictures can be amazingly good. Full review (with downloadable full file images) at Steves-digicams.com. Large RadioShack's have them on display. Its a great companion to my 3955 (pop in the SD card and view large screen) and far better than any of the CF/SD camera PPC add-ons.

[droppedd]

bah. a 3MP pocket cam is way too expensive these days, and the Logitech pocket cam is .3 megapixels (1 MP interpolated, which is BS) and supposedly takes horrendous photos.

The Minolta Dimage is starting to get into my price range now, and that's pretty small with an optical zoom... hmm... but i ain't gonna drop no $300 on a camera that I'm just buying to carry around and take snapshots. I already have a pretty decent real digital camera with optical zoom at 2 MP, and it's plenty; it's just inconvenient to bring when i'm just out with my friends.

Seriously considering the FlyCam SD or CF with a flash, though... they look kinda nice.

[GoldKey]

bah. a 3MP pocket cam is way too expensive these days, and the Logitech pocket cam is .3 megapixels (1 MP interpolated, which is BS) and supposedly takes horrendous photos.

While definitely not 1.3 MP, the pictures from the Logitech are servicable. Here is a shot I had to take for a fallen tree for a resident in our neighborhood.

http://www.nettally.com/gohlke/temp/1.jpg

I always carry this camera. It is for those times I need a picture of something and am not carrying my S30. As a companion camera, these work out great. The problem is that too many people compare them to their $400 cameras with which they cant compete. They make up for their quality in their spontenaity.