By Andrew Liszewski

I know we’ve all got digital cameras on our cellphones, tablets and even laptops, but there’s still a certain appeal to having a tiny no-frills version tucked away in a pocket somewhere. And the SQ30m scores high points with both of those criteria. In fact it’s so compact and lacking in frills to the point of foregoing a color LCD or even an optical viewfinder for framing. It’s quite literally a point and shoot affair, probably leading to some pleasant surprises when the photos are developed/copied to your PC via its built-in mini USB port on the bottom.

The camera has a resolution of just 1200×1280 which is small by today’s standards, but since they’ll be all crapped up when uploaded to Facebook anyways, who really cares? You also have your choice of 4 different color modes, a slider that can switch between a macro and landscape mode (I’m assuming it physically swaps lenses) and even the option to shoot low frame-rate videos mimicking an 8mm film camera. But whether or not the novelty justifies its ~$75 (¥5,985) price tag is up to you.

[ SQ30m Pocket Digital Camera ] VIA [ Apartment Therapy Unplggd ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m not under any delusions here, the reason this sling-type camera bag caught my attention was for the simple fact that Blackstone Bags refers to it as their ‘Urban Quiver’ design. And as a result I had images of myself swinging through trees downtown, whipping out my camera to snap photos of the rich and give them to the poor, in a misguided attempt to bring myself some Robin Hood-esque notoriety. But it turns out the Urban Quiver has some nice features, particularly for those who’ve chosen a life less suburb.

Most notably, the 21-inch long bag has a big flap on top that opens to reveal its entire contents which makes packing away and keeping track of what gear you’ve got stashed a lot easier than with an endless collection of pockets. But when worn that top flap is actually pressed against your back, meaning it’s next to impossible for someone in a crowd to open and abscond with your gear. A large buckle in the middle of the strap allows you to easily remove and clip-on the bag, and there’s a couple of thin accessory pockets on there too allowing you to store phones or other devices you need to access more frequently. At $125 it’s admittedly expensive, but they are designed and manufactured in Portland, if buying locally made products is important to you.

[ Urban Quiver Camera Bag ] VIA [ Apartment Therapy Uplggd ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Your Flickr feed might be chock full of retro-looking snapshots, but I’m afraid you just don’t look the part when you’re out there taking photos with your high-tech looking iPhone 4. So the makers of the Hipstamatic iPhone app have created an official HipstaCase that makes your iPhone look a little more like a retro film camera.

But it’s not just about looks. The case is semi-functional too since it features a hidden slot on the front allowing you to attach an included tripod adapter. There’s even a set of holes on either side of the bottom allowing you to use an included lanyard and keep your phone dangling from your wrist, ready to snap a hipstery photo at a moment’s notice. Available May 5 for $39.95.

[ Hipstamatic HipstaCase ] VIA [ Pocket-lint ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Flipbac Innovations first crossed our radar screen a few years ago with their adjustable angle viewfinder that gave cameras without a flip-out LCD display similar functionality. And now they’re back with a new product designed to make P&S cameras with an overly smooth finish easier to handle.

The grips are made of silicone and adhere to the front of the camera via a special 3M adhesive that allows them to be removed and reused without leaving any residue behind. They make using most P&S cameras with a single hand a little easier, and are available directly from the company for just $9.99 in 3 unique shapes. Cheap, functional and reusable, exactly what we like to see in an accessory.

[ Flipbac Camera Grips ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Sure, there are hi-speed video cameras on the market that can run circles around the TS3Cine when it comes to frame rate, but as an all-in-one portable package you’re going to find its form factor hard to beat. It boasts a massive 7-inch LCD display and the ability to capture video at up to 500fps at its maximum resolution of 1280×1024. Take that down to 720P and you can up the framerate to 720, and at its lowest resolution you can squeeze in as many as 20,000fps, though they don’t actually mention what res that is.

Its rechargeable battery pack is good for about 3 hours of use, though I assume that requires you to be stingy with that monstrous LCD display, and storage is handled VIA an SD card slot and a built-in SSD, available in 128 or 256GB capacities. Footage can be stored as sequential BMP, TIFF, DNG or JPG files, as well as AVIs, and the TS3Cine includes USB 2.0 and gigabit ethernet connections for dumping your clips to a PC. As for the price, a dream-shattering $29,900 for the 128GB SSD version, an extra $2,000 for the 256GB SSD, and there’s even a $5,000 ‘Turbo Mode’ which increases the frame rate even further. Sigh…

[ Fastec TS3Cine ] VIA [ Wide Open Camera ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Whenever someone with a new DSLR asks what’s the first lens they should buy to complement their kit lens, the answer is usually a 50mm prime- ƒ1.4 if you’ve got the money, and ƒ1.8 if you don’t. They’re sharp, fast and as a result produce some fantastic shallow depth of field shots. However, if you’re the owner of one of Nikon’s entry-level DSLRs, like say the D40, the company’s standard 50mm prime will work just fine, except for the autofocus. The lens lacks its own AF motor, and to keep their entry-level cameras at entry-level prices, they’re also lacking the necessary hardware to take over AF duties. So you always have to focus manually.

For years now Nikon users have been hoping for a newer version of the company’s 50mm lens, and last week it looks like their dreams have almost come true. Nikon had posted a page showcasing a new AF-S 50mm ƒ1.8G lens that has since been taken down. But Nikon Rumors managed to save a screenshot detailing the lens in all its glory. It’s listed as an FX format lens but will work on both FX and DX bodies making it compatible with every DSLR in Nikon’s lineup. As for pricing, we’ll know that once Nikon decides to make this all officially official, but optimistically we’d like to see if fall somewhere in the $150 price range.

[ Nikon Rumors - Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G website now removed from Nikon Imaging ] VIA [ Photography Bay ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Postcards have always been the souvenir of choice for travelers who don’t trust their own photography skills. But they tend to feel overly manufactured and unnatural. So I really like this idea of sending up-and-coming artists around oft-visited cities, in this case Athens, Greece (even though the label on the camera in the product shot clearly says Paris) armed with nothing more than a disposable camera and their talents.

Once all 27 photos have been snapped the cameras are left undeveloped and put up for sale, allowing tourists, or even those wanting photos of a city they’ve never visited, to have the chance to pick up a truly original souvenir. And since there’s no setlist as to what the photographers should shoot, the photos on every camera are different making them each a unique piece of art in their own right. $45 for the ‘Athens’ version of the camera, available from UptoyouToronto.

[ Camera From Athens ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

By Meg Lynch

Since purchasing my first DLSR two years ago, I’ve been on the hunt for my perfect camera bag. There’s a plethora of sleek, black options available that seem to focus on cramming more compartments and pockets in than their competitors, but not so many that cater to photographers looking for a feminine touch. In fact I was losing hope with my hunt until I came across the line of camera bags from a company called Jo Totes. I recently had the chance to spend some time with their Rose camera bag, and I really think I’ve found the perfect solution if you’re as worried about protecting your gear as you are with how it looks. More photos and more of my thoughts after the jump.

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There’s not a lot of things (besides ill-planned flights) that can get me out of bed early enough to be somewhere at 9:30 in the morning, but the retro charms of FujiFilm’s upcoming X100 digital camera were certainly enough today.

Announced back in September of last year, the X100 is scheduled to be available sometime in the very near future (its original March release date has been pushed back as a result of the terrible tragedy in Japan) but we got a chance to play with a few sample models with production-ready firmware and it’s left us feeling a little disenchanted with the heavy DSLRs and less-than capable point and shoots we usually haul around. While it’s not the perfect replacement for all of your photographic needs, the X100′s design, capabilities and let’s be honest here, all-around good looks, have us wanting to spend as much quality time with it as we can. More of our impressions after the jump.

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