CES 2008: Snapshot Transitions

For the past few years, I’ve slipped a Kyocera Finecam SL300R in my pocket to capture (and share) visual memories of the various conferences I attend. I’ve loved its small size and weight, and its 3 Mpixel resolution is more than sufficient for web publishing purposes. But for print reproduction, its pixel count sometimes comes up short. Its built-in flash is pretty wimpy. Its video performance is….dated. And it drains (proprietary form factor) batteries faster than an over-enthusiastic vampire.

This morning, in response to yet another prematurely drained power pack, I sight-unseen ordered its heir apparent. 7.2 Mpixel resolution. Slightly thicker than its predecessor, admittedly, but in exchange it takes standard AAs (hallelujah!). Same SD card slot, in this case enhanced with SDHC support. A less wimpy flash. A bigger LCD. 848×480 pixel, 30 fps motion JPEG video capture. And, believe it or not, built-in optical image stabilization. All for $99.99, with free shipping and no sales tax for a CA guy like me…admittedly, I suspect, on closeout, since PMA’s in a few weeks. But still. Wow. Panasonic’s booth troops reassured me post-purchase that I got a great deal, although they didn’t have a demo unit available so I still haven’t yet seen one with my own eyes.

I’ll report back with my hands-on impressions once my new toy’s in-hand. For now, content yourself with my mid-March 2007 feature article and its online addendums, which discuss the technology trends that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS75 poster child exemplifies.