So how do you differentiate your flagship phone from your rivals?If you are Samsung you go for a larger screen size and stack it out with software goodies. If you are Sony you make it waterproof and ensure that the build quality is outstanding.

And as for Nokia, well the maker seems to be focusing on producing the best camera phones ever. To be fair the Finnish maker has always lead the pack with its snappers. They were among the first to really push for serious mega pixels on mobiles while at the same time experimenting with high-end Carl Zeis lenses

Last year they launched the intriguing 808 PureView. This was slightly bizarre handset that featured an astonishing camera which could take 41 mega pixel images and sported Carl Zeiss-branded optics in a mobile that way was thinner and lighter than it had any right to be.

The only problem was that it ran Nokia's rather outdated Symbian operating system which rendered it rather second rate as a general smartphone.

Well judging by the amount of leaks the company is having another crack at re-inventing the camera phone. It has lined up a model, which is known by the moniker of Elvis but is likely to land as with a more sensible name, that pairs the best camera ever on a smartphone with the Windows Mobile OS used on its recent Lumia mobiles. For now we can call it the EOS PureView.

There has been a deluge of leaks of the product in the last few days, which the clever money says will launch in July or August, and they show a phone with a huge bulge on the back which is there to accomodate the rather serious lens that a high end camera phone requires.

As for the rumours about the handset, well it is expected to sport at least a 41 mega pixel camera and a powerful Xenon flash. The really smart bit is that it takes two copies of each image you take - a 35-megapixel shot and 5-megapixel shot so you have one for storing and one for instant uploading - genius idea!

Also on board is likely to be the Nokia Pro Camera app which has a range of effects and tools such as an 11x zoom, anti-shake, manual focus, face detection and a self timer.

The pics and rumours are here and here.

So you fancy taking images and recording video on the slopes - or whatever scary outdoor pursuit that takes your fancy - but you don't want to spend cash on an action cam when you have a perfectly good compact camera at home. What do you do?

Well a cool little accessory that is marketed in the UK by Proporta might just be what you are looking for.

The Camera Demon is a fuss-free way of attaching your camera to your helmet using a standard 1/4-inch thread (which makes it compatible with almost any snapper) so that you can capture that all footage. It doesn't look like much - it basically consists of a chunk of plastic with rubber washer and metal screw thread set on a 3M adhesive pad.

However I can vouch for the fact that it not only works but works really well.

Attaching the Demon to your helmet first involves ensuring that the helmet is dust free by giving it a quick clean. Then you attach the adhesive 3M pad to the helmet. And boy is it sticky! Once it is in place it is going nowhere.

You then place the thread mount with your camera on to the bracket and secure it by tightening it. This is the slightly tricky bit, but once in place it too is rock solid.

Then it is a matter of pressing record on your camera and off you go.

To test the demon we took it round a Go Kart track in Hertfordshire (see vid below) and in spite of the speeds and the bumps it worked brilliantly in enabling the camera to capture some high octane footage.

There are a few limitations. For example you could place a digital SLR on the bracket, but it isn't really advisable. It is also quite fiddly to move around once in place, in fact to remove the adhesive pad you need to blast it with a hair dryer.

Ultimately though this is £25 accessory and if you have a compact at that you want to take with you next time you hit the slopes or shoot off on your mountain bike then this represents excellent value for money.

More info here.

The Breffo Adventure Camera Kit, which was unveiled at CES 2013 back in January is about to go on sale. The £20 tool is aimed at photographers who need to find a secure yet flexible grip that will keep their camera in place while they snap away action images.

The maker says that the kit will pretty much secure a camera to anything including bike handlebars, helmets, skateboards and more.

The kit features an octopod- which has eight legs - and sports a 1/4 inch threaded screw which the maker claims can accommodate virtually every camera, camcorder and action cam.

You can find out more here.

Despite the fact some pretty cool cameras were unveiled at CES last week, we're really reluctant to spend money on a new one when our smartphones and Instagram do the trick - if you're after blurry, amateur snaps that is. However, we've fallen in love with this camera concept featured on Yanko Design today based on Kanketsu, the idea of ultimate simplicity.

Designer Forrest Radford dreamt up the teeny tiny gadget when he was given a brief to come up with a camera for Muji. Realising that Muji doesn't already have many - OK any - tech products, he decided to go for something simple, beautiful and functional instead of packed full of the latest features.

He created this cute, buttonless device called Ka-mu-ra (oh LOLZ), which has touch interfaces on each surface allowing you to make basic gestures with your fingertips. An accelerometer built into the gadget controls the surface you're controlling at any one time, so it doesn't get confused and carry out more than one task.

It's also a pretty capable camera in its own right, with an 8MP camera, LCD flash, Lithium batter and 4GB built-in flash memory.

Unfortunately the Ka-mu-ra is just a concept for now, but we'd be first in line at Muji if it ever gets snapped up by the Japanese retail giant.

[Via Yanko Design]

There are so many different cameras on the market at the moment that all kinda look the same, sound the same and on paper have the same features, so instead of wading through pages and pages of reviews, just shop based on who you're buying for and narrow your options right down.

We've collected together some of our favourite cameras available to buy online or direct from UK high street stores, for those that like to stay on top of trends, social media addicts and complete beginners as well as a few more, so have a browse through and let us know in the comments below if there's any you'd add or other categories you'd like us to include.

If you've seen Prometheus you'll know that the movie is full of crazy sci-fi tech, but according to an article over on New Scientist today it might not all be that far fetched. Wait, don't get too carried away, although we'd love to bring you news of a Michael Fassbender robot or a crazy cryogenic dream pod thing, it's the little red cameras that get thrown up into the air and fly around that might soon be a reality, which are still admittedly pretty damn cool.

Boston-based startup Bounce Imaging has collected together a number of cameras, electronic sensors and LEDs protected by a rubber shell into the size of a tennis ball, which could be used to help soldiers and firefighters scope out a new environment for threats before they go charging in.

The futuristic gadget contains six different cameras and when it's thrown into the air each takes two photos per second, sending a full 360° image back to a computer or smartphone. The infrared LEDs also work to build a better understanding of any scene too, even if there's no light. Unfortunately the device is set to bounce through different environments at the moment, not fly like the gizmos in Prometheus. Shame.

According to the Founder of Bounce Imaging, Francisco Aguilar, the idea for the device came after the Haiti earthquake in 2010 when emergency services needed to get an idea of potential risk factors in different environments. However, we can totally see it being useful next time we embark on a crazy mission across space and need a better understanding of alien terrain.

The device is currently still a prototype, but Aguilar hopes it'll be tested by SWAT teams in the US as soon as January.

[Via New Scientist Image via Gizmodo]

This morning camera company Nikon revealed its long-rumoured Android-powered device, the Nikon Coolpix S800c, which also comes with Wi-Fi connectivity. You know what this means guys, APPS, apps on your phone, apps on your laptop, apps on your iPad and now apps on your camera too.

As the shiny new compact camera houses Wi-Fi connectivity, you'll be able to download all of the usual Android photography apps, including... Drum roll please... Instagram. You'll also be able to upload your snaps directly to your social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as photo hosting sites, like Flickr.

Even games and productivity apps that you're used to accessing on your mobile can be used on the camera, as well as full-blown web browsers. There's no phone call option though, and no 3G, so don't go throwing your mobile away just yet.

A Nikon spokesperson said:

"Designed for the always connected individual, the S800c delivers the high picture quality and superior performance expected from a Nikon camera coupled with communication functions and app-based versatility of a smartphone or tablet."

The Coolpix S800c features a 16MP backside illuminated CMOS sensor, and a 10x Nikkor zoom lens (25-250mm). A three-shot burst mode is paired with 1080p video recording (and direct YouTube upload abilities) while 18 scene and filter modes mean you might not even have to grab Instagram anyway.

There's also built-in GPS for geotagging photos, a 3.5-inch OLED preview screen, and WPS for for a fast secure push button connectivity.

The device will be available from the 27th September in both black and white, costing £379.99.

[Via Tech Digest]

If online rumours are anything to go by today, then Nikon may be preparing to launch its first Android-powered digital camera. According to camera blog Nikon Rumours, the Nikon Coolpix S800 could well be running Google's mobile operating system when its released later this year.

The blog suggests that a recent filling at the Indonesian Communication agency reveals the Coolpix S800 model number with the camera's software rumoured to be Android 2.3, an older but well-worn version of Google's OS.

The inclusion of Android would make the Coolpix S800 a truly "smart" camera, capable of downloading pretty much any app from Google's Play Store once it achieves accreditation from Google, along with the ability to tap into social networks like Facebook and Twitter directly through built-in GPS and Wi-Fi functionality.

This means that photo editing fans and obsessed Instagram users will be able to get even better results for their retro-filtered snaps, thanks to Nikon's superior image sensor tech and the rumoured inclusion of a 25-250mm lens.

Android-powered cameras have been rumoured for quite some time now, with the main reason for their slow showing on the camera market being potential warranty issues. It'll be difficult to protect users from potential malware when connected to the sometimes-dubious wares of the Google Play Store, an issue not faced by other cameras.

[Via Tech Digest]

Following on from the launch of its new and improved TG-320 TOUGH camera last week, Olympus has unveiled two more rugged, durable and recently re-styled devices that have more of a high-end price tag, the TG-620 and the TG-820.

The Olympus TG-620 is one tough cookie, it's waterproof to a depth of 5m, shockproof to a height of 1.5m, and freezeproof to a temperature of -10°c, so like its little brother the TG-320 it's ideal for holidays, extreme sports and those who are prone to clumsiness. It's got a sliding double lock mechanism to keep your battery, card slot and ports safe, as well as a lens barrier too for added protection. It's packing a 5x wide optical zoom, autofocus and 12-MP backlit CMOS Sensor too.

The Olympus TG-820 goes one step further than the TG-620, as it's waterproof to a depth of 10m, shockproof to a height of 2m and it's also crushproof too. We're not sure why it'd need to be crushproof unless you're some kind of spy, but we suppose it's always nice to know your gadgets are unbreakable.

Both the TG-620 and TG-820 aren't just tough, they deliver SLR quality images with the help of IHS technology and their HDR Backlight Adjustment lets you take the perfect shot.

They have a range of cool extra features too, like magic filters, image stabilisation, beauty make-up mode, face detection and panorama mode.

We're not convinced the added specs of the TG-820 would justify the extra pennies unless you plan on hurling yourself off cliffs for a week, but wow does it look good...

The Olympus TG-620 will be available mid-February for £229.99 and comes in pink, blue, green, black and white.

The Olympus TG-820 will be a little bit pricier at £269.99 and comes in blue, red, silver and black.

Olympus is set to launch a new super tough camera this month, which is shockproof, waterproof AND freezeproof, making it ideal for holidays, extreme sports lovers and of course, clumsy people.

The TG-320 is waterproof up to 3 metres, freezeproof down to -10°C and shockproof to a height of 1.5 metres, so we won't be throwing it out of a plane anytime soon, but it's pretty much guaranteed to withstand a lot of bumps and falls. It's so tough because it's got a double seal protecting the inner casing and a double lock mechanism too, which ensures none of the components get damaged if it happens to fall in any water.

However, it's not just tough, it can take 720p HD movies and still photos in 14MP quality and can handle wide-angle group shots and lots of zooming. It's Eye-Fi car compatible as well, meaning you can automatically upload photos wirelessly to a computer or website. There are some cool extras too, like 3D underwater shooting mode, a selection of filters, Beauty Mode (to smooth away imperfections) and face detection.

At £139.99 it won't be the cheapest camera on the market, but it's good value for the specs it's packing and just how durable it is.

The Olympus TOUGH TG-320 is available in blue or red from the middle of February and will be priced at £139.99.

A range of new, colourful and shiny cameras from Sony are reportedly heading our way in March. Part of the brand's CyberShot offering, the WX70 and WX50 models are slim, pocketable cameras and friendly for beginners who are a little intimidated by getting into photography.

Both models share many measures, they measure 92.2 x 52.0 x 19.1mm and have a 16.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor. Sony's Bionz processor is onboard with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens and a 5x optical zoom is backed by a 10x digital Clear Image Zoom, with ISO up to 12800.

HD video can be shot with both cameras in AVCHD 1920 x 1080 / 50i format and MP4 formats are also an option.

The battery will last 120 minutes of continuous still shooting with the LCD on, while Sony's Optical SteadyShot Active Mode keeps your shots clear for even the shakiest of hands.

The only important difference between both models comes with their screen specifications. The WX70 comes complete with a 3-inch Xtra Fine LCD touchscreen, with a 921k dot resolution, while the WX50 has a non-touch 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD screen, with a 460k dot resolution.

We don't have any pricing details quite yet, but we do know that the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50 will be available in silver, black, pink, gold and blue and the WX70 is said to come in less colours (just black, silver and white). However, an image attached to the press release also shows the camera in pink and purple shades too, so we *think* these colours may only be set for other territories outside of Europe.

[Via Tech Digest]

There are so many different cameras on the market at the moment that it can be hard to find one which is compact, affordable, easy-to-use and produces great results too, after all if you're just getting into photography you don't want to drag around a huge device and loads of kit from the start if you're not sure what to do with it.

So if you're buying for a wannabe photographer this year then let us introduce you to three of our favourite cameras the Olympus PEN E-PM1, the Fujifilm 600 and the Samsung MV800.

British teenagers know their Apples
But not the ones you eat! A survey has found that 13- to 18-year-olds don't really know how much staple food items like eggs and a loaf of bread cost, but are bang on when it comes to knowing the cost of Apple gadgets. 80% of those survey knew the exact price of the iPhone4 in 8GB and 16GB writes theguardian.

Britain's cheapest tablets revealed
When it comes to tablets you usually get what you pay for but if you like many others can't justify spending £399 on an Apple iPad you'll be happy to learn there are good devices out there that won't cost you half a month's rent (if you live in London!). ShinyShiny's editor Becca has done the legwork for you and collected five tablets that are available NOW for under £100. Check out the complete list here.

iPhone 5 to be released on 15 October?
From an Orange to an Apple, it could be that the iPhone 5 is to be revealed in about a month's time after Stéphane Richard, CEO of Orange's parent company France Telecom, let it slip that October might be it. Cue Apple's iPhone 5 PRs looking for ways to put a gagging order out.

Microsoft shows off Windows 8
Like a proud parent, Microsoft has been showing off the latest build of their Windows 8 operating system this week. If you weren't one of the lucky developers who got a glimpse of the OS's new tricks and features fret not, TechDigest can give you some insight on how to try Windows 8 before its official launch date. Or alternatively visit The Telegraph for some pretty images.

Pentax launches Optio RZ18 18x compact ultra-zoom camera
We love cameras here at ShinyShiny, so are understandably excited each time a new one hits the shelves. This week Pentax has launched a digital camera boasting an 18x optical zoom that fits in your pocket! It is available in black, pearl and orange and will be in-store from mid-October just shy of £200. Click here to find out more about the features.

Google brings voice command to British phones
Here's one for the lazy; British mobile phone users can now speak instructions to their phones with a little help from Google. The search giant has launched 'Voice Commands' that will allow you and I to dictate entire messages or issue instructions such as 'Navigate to' so that phones can show driving directions and behave like satnavs, writes The Telegraph. We only wonder how quickly the novelty will wear off and be taken over by annoyance of people wandering around shouting commands to their phones...

Home phones are losing out to mobile phones
A new study by TalkTalk has found that using the landline has been overtaken by mobiles, but that users still prefer voice calls to social networking. While those aged 25-34 have the most frequent contact with friends and family online, with 40% of the overall population saying the mobile phone was their communication tool of choice.

ASUS U46 laptop sports world's thinnest screen
There's always talk about fashion models being too thin, but can gadgets be too thin? At just 5.5mm thick, the 14-inch screen panel can tilt over the keys at different angles to widen the viewing angle. The notebook has a Sandy Bridge Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. Too techie for you? Yes, I snoozed off when I started talking about processors and RAMs... What would be its competitor in Supersized vs. Superskinny: The Tech Special?

HTC brings out Sensation XE
Looks like HTC is churning out handsets faster than we can type... well handsets. Sensation XE is scheduled to hit shops later this September and boasts a 8MP camera and a front-facing camera for video calls. And to add to the splendour comes with a pair of lush Beats Audio in-ear earphones for listening to those tunes.

Another HTC - this time the leaked images of HTC Rhyme or the HTC Bliss
Aimed at female gadget geeks the Rhyme handset will arrive in a shade of silver and as the name suggests has changed to be a little bit less patronising. The launch event is planned for 20th September so expect more on this next week.

Should mobile phones be banned on public transport?
We've all been there. It doesn't matter what time of day it is or where you are, there is always someone around ready to annoy his or her fellow London commuters with mobile phone. Many of these will be inconsiderate people playing their favourite (non-)music on the speaker - what ever happened to investing in a good pair of headphones? - but then there are those who decide to answer a phone call on the bus, overground and sometimes tube only to continue to talk LOUDLY until you or they get off. If just the mere thought of this makes the anger build up inside, know that you're not alone. A recent study found that more than 22% of commuters would welcome an outright ban on mobile phones on public transport. If this is the right way forward we don't know, but let's get the discussion going.

We wrote about Samsung's MV800 compact camera the other day highlighting its very cool flip out screen. This enables your photo's subjects are able to quickly fix their hair in the front-facing screen before each shot, while you can then flip it back into a more traditional position for scrolling through menus and adding after-effects.

Expect to see the MV800 in shops later this month, priced around the £250 mark.

Along with its new mobile phone and tablet offerings, Samsung has just unveiled the new MV800 Multiview camera at IFA 2011 in Berlin.

The MV800 has been designed to capture the perfect image. I know what you're thinking, EVERY camera wants you to capture the perfect image, right?

But, the MV800 is tailored to make sure you get shots from all kinds of angles with its unique 3 inch flip out display, a good quality image with 16.1 megapixels, detailed close ups with its 5x optical zoom and wide angle shots with its 26mm lens.

Its USP is the flip-out screen, which is apparently a first for a compact camera, but there are plenty of other features to shout about including advanced touchscreen in the screen and a range of panorama settings.

Samsung also seems to be ticking all of the boxes when it comes to photo editing, with a funny face setting (which doesn't really seem necessary), as well as a range of filters and a comprehensive photo editor.

There's also interestingly a Beauty Shot feature which promises to blur out imperfections on your face, which I'm pretty undecided about at the moment...

There's no official word about when the MV800 will be available, but Tech Radar has guessed it'll be around mid-September at retail at around £249.

The Snakescope from ThumbsUp is a camera with a light on the end of a bendy stick. And that is exactly as much fun as it sounds ie - LOTS of fun.

It's powered by USB and shows up the footage from its camera on your computer screen. You can record it, take pictures or just watch it live on-screen as you poke Snakescope into a hole somewhere.

Yes - it does look like those endoscope cameras that doctors in science programmes stick into the orifices of people with intestine problems. But though it says it is "perfect for peering into those hard to reach places" it is NOT for internal use. We certainly didn't put it in our mouths and look at our molar.

Practical things you can use it for include:
- examining car engines
- blocked drains
- putting it in the garden pond

They also suggest using it to periscope around walls, or over walls. Though we're not responsible for any social issues that arise from you doing that.

Our Thoughts
The camera resolution on the Snakescope is surprisingly great (640x450 VGA)- though you need to hold the head quite still, which can be difficult. The light works very well and it's tough enough to poke it around.

The USB connection means that you don't need batteries and the footage just pops up on the screen: nice and simple with no bits to lose.

The downside of course is that you can only be at furthest 2m away from a computer - the length of the USB cable. The bendy neck is then 60cm long, fully extended.

It comes with a installation CD - unfortunately in mini-CD format - a format we don't like. However, it's pretty straightforward to set-up. Oh and you can take stills, which is nice.

Conclusion:
If you need to poke a bendy camera into stuff, this Snake Scope is a nice choice.
While it is more expensive than other models out there - the image quality plus the waterproofing

NB: Only works with PC, not Mac.

The Snakescope from ThumbsUp is £39.99 from Find-Me-A-Gift

Packing a lot of pro-level features in a slim body, the Canon Legria HF G10 is top of Canon's amateur range. And at around £1200, it would stretch the budgets of even the keenest amateur cinematographer. However it is a really solid piece of kit and has a few pleasant surprises...

LOOK AND FEEL

Design - stylish and slim, with the body being the same thickness as the lens, it looks a bit like an eye on the end of a tube. I like it for that.

Plasticy - it is of course made out of plastic. But arguably it feels a little too plasticy for £1200 pounds worth of high-end camera.

USABILITY

Buttons - my camera expert friend suggested that some of the button-arrangement was counter intuitive. There certainly are a lot of them - this packs manual controls as well as a lot of automatic software, but I was fine with them.

Manual options - switch to auto and you don't need these - but there are a lot of options for playing around with: zoom, optical zoom, focus.

Touchscreen - nice and clear and big. Seemed to be resistive rather than capacitive so it wasn't always the most responsive, but that was only a minor quibble.

FEATURES

Audio - this really stands out. There's a nice microphone packed into the camera and the sound recording quality is really good. An external mic port would let you do professional grade sound if you wanted.

Focus, zoom & light sensitivity - excellent auto-focus adjusted in milliseconds and the the CMOS sensor was good at picking up decent images in low light. The optical zoom worked a treat, though with that much movement it can look a little rubbish filming a zoom in like that.

Images - the wide lens (30.4mm wide-angle lens) means the frame of vision is nice and big it shoots stills too, which can be handy. It's HD quality film of course and it really picks up everything down to individual hairs on a close-up shot. The on-board stabilisation makes a big difference in keeping tremors from the handheld down.

Flip-out touch-screen viewfinder - the 3.5-inch screen makes for great visual experience and means the device is fun to watch stuff back on. And top marks for being able to flip it round so that the person in front of the lens can also see the viewing screen.

Viewfinder - nice to have a camera which actually lets you hold the thing up to your eye. This viewfinder pulls out from the body of the camera and lets you manage the filming by sight. Though I found the camera a little fiddly to operate from this position.

Memory - a built-in memory of 32gb is significant and really useful. You can just pick this up and it works. Otherwise there are two SD card ports, which could take the memory up to wherever you want it.

Connectivity - with a mini-HDMI port, two mini-USB ports, a headphone jack, it has most of what you need. The camera comes with a bunch of wires as well. And even a remote control for remote operation of the camera.

Artistic filters - Choose from 8 different filter effects from misty Nostalgic to dramatic black and white. A nice Hipstamatic touch for those of us addicted to those photo-filter iPhone apps. Real cinematographers may scoff, but I found this fun and quite gratifying. It's nice to see the results immediately on the viewing screen too.

Playback options - the watching options are easy to navigate and the whole thing was pretty fun - shows Canon learning from the iPhone again, with very pleasant on-device viewing.

GOOD FOR
Video Bloggers
- would be excellent quality for web video. Also light and compact with no need for external mics or SD cards so you could just grab the camera and pick up great off-the-cuff moments very quickly. Features like the reversible viewing screen - letting the person being filmed see what's getting recorded are ideal for one person pieces to camera.
It's also very easy to see what you are shooting and review it quickly afterwards: useful if you don't intend to spend ages in the editing suite.

Quality home video
- that remote control is just made for those set up cutting the birthday cake shots. It's very immediate and easy to use. Also the mini HDMI means you could plug it into a TV and play which would be great for watching family moments immediately.

CONCLUSION
Sexy and fun with enough oo-factor to justify the price tag. However, only those with a big commitment to video will splash out this much on one device.

Features:
Canon HD Video Lens
Canon HD CMOS Pro sensor 160% more light than a normal CMOS sensor
Professional audio
AVCHD video to 32GB memory; 2x SDXC slots
Full manual control
8.8cm Touch-screen LCD
Instant AF; Face Detection
Dynamic Optical Image Stabiliser
Creative Cinematic Features
HD-SD conversion

More on the LEGRIA HF G10 on the Canon product page

£1157 from LambdaTek

Sounds like a wacky idea but there could be something in this concept camera by Seattle design company Artefact.

With 5 and 8 megapixel cameras arriving in smartphones it's hard for camera-makers to carve themselves a niche particularly in the low and mid-range reaches of the camera market. Sure professionals will always want to shell out for the top products.. but the guts of the market are getting eaten out by mobile phones.

That's why Artefact have brainstormed a phone camera with a smart touch screen interface, apps and wifi connectivity but also the power of a great camera. See the cute video of it above. Click the lens off and it looks just like a large iPhone.

Making the camera

Thinking about it - it just makes loads of sense. The lack of internet and photo editing software is, after all, why I always use my iPhone for pictures these days...

Concept Camera: The WVIL from Artefact on Vimeo.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

If you want a high-specced digital camera that comes in a compact, glossy package, then this Z900 EXR from Fuji's FinePix range could be the one for you.

At £219 it's pricey though, so you'd have to be committed to the idea of a digital camera
Out this May, the Z900EXR sports effortless good looks, feature-packed specification and brilliant picture-taking performance, retailing for £219.

Specs and pictures below:

- brand new 16 mega-pixel EXR-CMOS sensor
- 5x wide-angle zoom lens
- 3.5 inch LCD touch-screen
- auto mode letting the camera auto adjust to your surroundings, or three manual - modes: high resolution; Dynamic Range for contrasting light situations, or Signal to Noise for low-light conditions.
- available in four high-shine colours including Gloss Red, Hot Pink, Royal Blue and Brilliant Black.

Camera-makers FlipCam have made a brave foray into the world of apps, by releasing an iPhone app that will let you share your Flip content to your friends' smartphones.

It's a brave move - in many ways, iPhones are rivals to Flips because they also pack medium quality digital cameras. But this could help Flip get a toe-hold in the market and lets face it - people are probably more likely to watch videos on iPhone/Android than to take them. It's a big video consumption device.

The new Flip apps will let you share video to anyone you like with an iPhone, iPad or an Android phone. A groups function will let you share with particular people. For example your mum will be able to watch the video you shot on your Flip cam on her iPhone without having to go via Facebook or Youtube.

It's a cut-throat market for digital cameras with phones soaking up much of the traditional market for cheap-end digital cameras. So this is interesting way to differentiate their device.

According to research by camera companies, most videos and photos are still only watched or looked at on the device they were taken on, but, as we move to a more cloud based internet, we'll expect our content to come with us whatever device we're looking at it on. Flip are keeping ahead of the curve here.

Flip gave out some more information on their app:

Features for Mobile Apps:
x Available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Android - with or without owning a Flip video camera
x Share up to five mobile videos and/or photos at once to Facebook, YouTube or Twitter - or send directly to friends and family
x Post a comment, share, or "favourite" a video with the click of a button
x Built-in filters let users quickly navigate and organise their video library
· Compatible with iPhone 3G or higher, iPod touch 2nd generation or higher, iPad

More on the new apps on Flipshare.com
+ on iTunes
+ on Android Market