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The new digital camera beat continued today as Sony debuted a new addition to its T line of Cyber-shot pocket cams, the 10 megapixel DSC-T500.

What distinguishes this Sony model from other recent offerings by the consumer electronics firm is its support of high-definition video. Surprisingly, this is the first Cyber-shot model to do do.

The T500, which has a 2.3-inch CCD image sensor, will shoot 1280 x 720 HD video using the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 codec popularized by Apple at its iTunes store. According to Sony, the new cybercam, with its four gigabytes of internal memory can hold 10 minutes of 30-frames-per-second high-def moving pictures. Based on that number, the camera should be able to store about 40 minutes of vid on a 16GB Memory Stick card.

“Our research revealed that people like to shoot video with their point-and-shoot cameras, but were very dissatisfied with the video quality and the resulting large files,” Sony Director of Digital Camera Marketing Phil Lubell said in a statement. “Our new T500 fulfills this customer need for a digital camera that delivers high-quality movies in a small form factor.”

The pocketcam also supports direct connection to an HD TV--with an optional cable, of course--so videos and slideshows created in the camera can get the big screen treatment.

Speaking of big screens, the T500 has an expansive, wide aspect 3.5-inch touch-panel LCD with a resolution of 230,000 dots.

While video is clearly the highlight of this new T model, Sony didn't forget about the camera's still imaging capabilities. In fact, it even married the two mediums by incorporating a dual capture mode that will grab three still images at the press of a button while the camera is shooting video.

Other features include

• A Zeiss 5x optical zoom (33-165 equivalent) with an aperture range of F/3.5-10;
• Optical SteadyShot image stabilization;
• Top ISO of 3200, and a low of ISO 80; and
• Face detection for up to eight visages.

The T500 is expected to reach retail next month and sell for about $400.

Canon barely had time to bask in the buzz created by the release of its new 50D digital SLR before rival Nikon stole the spotlight today with the release of its own breakthrough product, the 12.3 megapixel D90.

What's the breakthrough? In a simple word: video. Yes, with this successor to the company's yeoman D80 model, Nikon is staking its claim as the first camera maker to bring video capability to the DSLR platform. And it's not just run-of-the-mill 640 x 480 video either, but 1280 x 720 HD video at Hollywood quality 24 frames per second. What's more, it has an HDMI interface for displaying what you capture with the camera on a high-definition TV.

In a rare lapse into understatement for a marketing executive, Nikon General Manager for Marketing Ed Fasano observed in a statement announcing the release of the D90, "This marriage of outstanding still image performance and HD movie clip capacity represents the dawn of a new age for DSLR cameras."

Video isn't the only ploy Nikon's using to tantalize point-and-shoot shutterbugs with deep pockets to make the leap to the DSLR world. The D90, which has an APS-C-sized CMOS image processor, has a set of advanced scene modes that can be swiftly deployed from the unit's mode dial.

Other point-and-pop amenities packed into the DSC include face recognition, slideshow creation and nearly a dozen in-camera editing features, such as trim, color balance, straighten and quick retouch.

In addition, the camera supports framing and shooting images directly from its expansive three-inch LCD, which has a high resolution of 920,000 dots and broad viewing angle of 170 degrees.

There's plenty of features, too, for imagegrabbers who disdain the P&S approach to photography.

There are shutter speeds spanning 30 seconds to 1/4000 second, as well as a "Bulb" mode, and continuous shooting at 4.5 fps at highest JPEG resolution.

There's light sensitivity settings stretching from ISO 200 to 3200, as well an expanded high setting of 6400 and a low of 100.

There's support for vibration reduction technology built-in to the lenses for the camera, which Nikon boasts will permit handheld shots at three shutter speeds lower than would ordinarily be possible.

There's exposure compensation and automatic exposure bracketing.

And there's 3D Color Matrix Metering which evaluates a scene based on a 30,000 scene database in the camera to determine the correct exposure values for a shot.

The D90 is scheduled to reach retailers this month with a body-only price of $999.95 and a kit price with 18-105mm zoom lens at $1299.95.

While new product announcements have been raining from camera makers like a monsoon downpour, nothing so far has matched Canon's debut today of its much-anticipated 15.1 megapixel EOS 50D digital SLR.

The DSC is interesting not only because of its many improvements over its predecessor, the 40D--which, by the way, Canon will continue to sell and support--but because the 50D, which has an APS-C sized CMOS sensor, is squarely making a bid to attract point-and-shoot power users into the higher-priced SLR fold. It's doing that by building what it's calling "Creative Full Auto" features into the new camera.

Accessible from the snapper's mode dial, the feature allows advanced shutterbugs to remain in auto mode while making adjustments for a shot and to do so without getting swamped by photo speak.

"In this mode," Canon explained in a statement, "the camera menu on the back screen spells out options in common language for average photo enthusiasts, allowing them to 'blur the background' or 'lighten or darken the image.'"

The company went on to observe, "These easy-to-comprehend image options will help amateur photographers improve the shots they are capable of taking, while helping them learn new techniques."

Another play for the point-and-pop crowd is the welcome improvements in the camera's Live View mode over its progenitor. Through its three-inch, 920,000 dot LCD, the 50D supports three Live View modes--a Quick Mode AF that uses phase-detection to focus a shot; a Live Mode AF that uses the camera's CMOS sensor for contrast detection autofocusing; and a Face Detection Live Mode that can focus on up to 35 faces in a shot.

The camera also features an "Auto Lighting Optimizer" which analyzes the brightness of subjects in a photo and corrects it to accomodate the situation. Moreover, the feature can be used not only during a shot, but after it's taken via editing in the camera.

Another nice feature in the unit is peripheral illumination correction, which is built into the new DIGIC 4 processor at the core of the bytecam. With PIC, brightness is automatically made more uniform across the field of an image improving its tonal quality.

Like the 40D, this new EOS model supports 14-bit analog to digital conversion, and from Canon's professional SLR line, it's inheriting the AF Microadjustment feature for more precise control of focusing.

Light sensitivity for the 50D ranges from ISO 100-3200, but it also has high speed settings that support 6400 and 12,800.

Other features of the unit include top sequential shooting speed of 6.3 frames per second; four levels of noise reduction; and three RAW settings--RAW (15.1MP), sRAW1 (7.1MP) and sRAW2 (3.8MP).

The 50D is scheduled to reach retailers in October. Body-only price will be $1399 and kit price with 28-135mm lens will be $1599.

There's nothing like an approaching photo show to crowd the ways with new camera launches as evidenced in recent days by Casio, Ricoh, Fujifilm, Sony and Nikon. Not to be outdone by its rivals, Olympus this week trumpeted three new bytecams of its own. Although the snappers will be initially released in Europe next month, they'll no doubt cross the pond before Santa makes his annual trek from the North Pole.

Headlining the new Olympus models is the µ1060. Models with the µ designation--which looks to some of us like a garbage character in a corrupted data stream--usually end up as Stylus models when they reach Uncle Sam's shores. The 10-megapixel ultra-compact DSC has three-inch LCD and 7x optical zoom (37-260mm equivalent). Powered by Olympus's state-of-the-art TruePic III image processor, the unit supports both xD and microSD card storage. However, if you want to use its in-camera panorama feature, you'll have to use an xD card with it. Other features include sequential shooting at up to nine frame per second, face detection for up to 16 mugs, VGA video and automatic scene detection for five common scenarios. Offered in Starry Silver, Midnight Black or Cyan Green, when the µ1060 arrives on UK shelves next month, it's expected to sell for £259 (US$481).

In addition to the 1060, Olympus pulled the wraps off two new pocket shooters in its FE line.

The 8MP FE-370 has a 5x optical zoom (36-180mm equivalent) and 2.7-inch LCD with a resolution of 230,000 dots. To take the shake out of shooting, the camera has dual image stablization. Like the 1060, it has intelligent scene recognition, face detection, VGA video capture and xD and microSD card support. As a bonus, though, it also has smile detection. Appearing next month at European retailers in silver, black or pink the 370 is expected to sell for £179.99 (US$334).

The FE-360 has a smaller LCD than the 370--2.5 inches, 154,000 dots--and 3x zoom (36-108mm equivalent). It also has face detection, digital image stablization and VGA video support. Offered in silver, black, blue and pink, the model is expected to sell for £129.99 (US$241).

Casio peeled the covers from three new digital camera models today--all with the company's new Exilim Engine 3.0 image processor.

"The image processing speed and power of Casio's new engine make possible entirely new functions that deliver fantastic photos of people's faces, night scenes and other subjects that have challenged photographers for years," the company said in a statement.

The new Exilim Zoom EX-Z300 packs 10.1 megapixels on a 1/2.3-inch square pixel CCD sensor. It has a 4x optical zoom (28-112mm equivalent) with an aperture range of F/2.6-5.8 and three-inch LCD with a resolution of 230,400 dots. Light sensitivity ranges from a super low ISO 64 to ISO 3200.

The Exilim Zoom EX-Z250 supports 9.1MP on a slightly smaller 1/2.5-inch square pixel CCD sensor. The aperture range, F/2.6-5.9, of its 4x optical zoom varies slightly from the Z300, although its LCD size and light sensitivity ranges are the same.

Both cameras support a new "Makeup" function which will automatically smooth skin and soften facial shadows caused by sunlight. The process can be applied at one of 12 levels.

They also have function for shooting handheld night scenes and for improving the dynamic range of scenes with high contrast lighting conditions.

Both cameras can shoot high-definition video in iPod compatible H.264. Maximum resolution for video shot with the Z300 is 1280 x 720; for the Z250, 848 x 480. In addition, both have a special YouTube capture mode.

Also introduced today was the Exilim Zoom EX-Z85. The 9.1MP snapper has a 1/2.5-inch square pixel CCD sensor and a 3x optical zoom (38-114mm equivalent) with an aperture range of F/3.1-5.9. Its LCD is 2.6-inches wide with a resolution of 114,960 dots, and it supports light sensitivity settings from ISO 64-1600.

The Z85 also supports H.264 video at 848 x 480 and touts among its features blur detection technology that will delay taking a picture until the camera stops shaking or a subject stops moving and face recognition technology that can detect the presence of up to 10 faces.

The new Casio models are expected to be available in October, the Z300 at $299.99; the Z250 at $249.99; and the Z85 at $179.99.

Just six months after releasing its muscular R8 advanced point-and-shoot digital camera, Ricoh has supplanted that model with a new one, the R10.

Among the debut camera's features is an electronic level to combat unintentional “herticals.”

"The new electronic level is convenient for keeping the camera level when shooting landscapes, buildings and other scenes where tilting of the subject is a concern," Ricoh explained in a statement. "The level indicators showing on the LCD display makes it possible to confirm that the image is level while shooting."

The R10 also features a 10 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor and three-inch LCD with an HVGA resolution of 460,000 dots. According to Ricoh, the display has a wide viewing angle and high contrast for easy viewing outdoors.

The camera sports a 7.1x optical zoom (28-200mm equivalent) in a body that's 22.6mm (.88 inches) at its thinnest point. What's more, at full telephoto, the camera can take macro shots as close as 9.8 inches to a subject. In addition, the unit has a step zoom function which allows it to rapidly jump to seven focal lengths-- the 35mm equivalent of 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, 135mm and 200mm.

Other highlights of the camera include an image flag function for quickly accessing selected images in the unit, flash intensity control from -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3 increments, CCD-shift image stabilization, color bracketing, white balance compensation and face detection which automatically identifies faces in a scene and optimizes focus, exposure and white balance for them.

North American pricing and availability for the R10 were not disclosed by the company but it's expected that the camera was sell for about $400 when it reaches retailers shelves on this side of the Pacific.

Fujifilm pulled the wraps off a handful of new digital shooters today, including a model with a 15x optical zoom and support for HD video.

The new S2000HD packs 10 megapixels on a 1/2.3-inch sensor and is armed with a 15x, F/3.5-5.4 zoom that's the equivalent of 35mm glass with a magnification range of 27.6-414mm. What's more, the DSC can shoot HD video at 1280 x 720 pixels. Other features include a 2.7-inch LCD with a resolution of 230,000 dots; 55 megabytes of internal memory, as well as support for storage on SD or SDHC memory cards; and an electronic viewfinder, It also supports light sensitivity settings from ISO 100-6400, but photos snapped at ISO 3200 are limited to 5MP and ISO 6400 images to 3MP.

The S2000HD is expected to reach retailers next month and sell for $299.99.

Fuji also rolled out today a 12MP pocket shooter, the F60fd.

Nikon wasn't the only camera maker introducing new products yesterday. Sony pulled the wraps off two new additions to its "T" series of slim point-and-shoot digital cameras.

Its new 10 megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T77 reached new heights of thinness for Sony with a thickness of less than 5/8 inches. The unit has a 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor and a 4x optical zoom. It has a spacious three-inch LCD display with a resolution of 230,000 pixels. Its 15MB of internal memory can be supplemented with Sony media cards.

The other 10 MP P&S snapper announced by the Japanese company, the T700, is a touchscreen camera that, with its 4GB of internal memory, can double as a portable media player for photos and video. It has an enormous 3.5-inch LCD with an impressive resolution of 921,000 pixels. Like its T77 cousin, the T700 has a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor and 4x optical zoom. And unlike Sony's previous mega internal memory model, this one accepts Memory Stick cards.

Both cameras support an arsenal of Sony DSC technology--optical image stabilization; face, blink and smile recognition; dynamic range fixing; and light sensitivity settings up to ISO 3200.

Moreover, the T700 has a bundle of features designed to exploit its beefy internal memory and Xtra Fine high-resolution display. For example, the camera contains an internal database application that can search through images by event, date, smile or face.

Both cameras will be released late next month. The T77 is expected to sell for about $300 and the T700 for about $400.

Nikon rolled out six new Coolpix cameras today, led by the P6000 ($499.95), which contains features found in DSLRs and supports a RAW format that can be edited in Windows Vista.

The new compact digital camera crams 13.5 megapixels on a 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor and has a 4x wide-angle zoom (28-112mm equivalent) with an aperture range of F/2.7-5.9.

Image processing in the DSC is performed by Nikon's state-of-the-art EXPEED technology.

Not only does the snapper have a 2.7-inch LCD with a resolution of 230,000 dots, but it also has an optical viewfinder--a premium item for cameras in this category.

To thwart the ruinous effects of camera shake on photos, the unit has optical image stabilization and will automatically adjust light sensitivity up to ISO 6400.

Like DSLR cameras, the bytecam has a mode dial that supports Program, Aperture, Shutter and Manual exposure modes.

Along with support for JPG files and TV quality 640 x 480 video, the unit supports a new RAW mode (NRW) compatible with Windows Vista.

While WiFi connectivity is all the rage in this category space, Nikon has taken a different tack with the P6000. It allows you to connect the camera to an Ethernet connection and upload your photos to the company's online photo sharing site called Picturetown, where Nikon users get 2GB of free storage space.

Another nice feature of the camera is its GPS capability. It will automatically geo-tag your photos.

The camera also supports a number of features that have become standard fare for this type of shooter--in-camera red-eye fix, face priority autofocusing and dynamic range fixing.