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Nikon Unveils a Camera With Built-In Projector
All the gadget blogs are covering Nikon's new S1000pj digital camera with integrated projector. Reader Sabre Runner recommends Engadget's writeup, which goes like this: "The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj has gone from crazy rumor to seemingly-real to whoa-here's-the-press-release in record time — the compact cam with the integrated projector was just officially announced, along with the three other cams we saw leaked earlier today. Leaked specs for the S1000pj were dead-on: a 12.1 megapixel sensor with ISO 6400 sensitivity mounted behind a 5x wide-angle zoom lens with five-way VR stabilization, and that LED-powered projector that'll put up a 40-inch image for slideshows complete with music, effects, and transitions. We're a little less excited about the $430 list price this thing will carry when it hits in September, but on the whole it's a pretty terrific idea and we're completely intrigued — looks like we'll be saving our pennies this month."
Specs here.
A demo video (at the bottom).
This camera seems targeted at those who store all their pics in the memory card.
It's obvious from how the photographer holds the camera with an unsteady hand and the projection is perfectly still, for example. Who, but Nikon, knows how far the product is from reality?
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These tags may be the least useful yet, in terms of their original use for searching the archives.
# cat
Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.
with the 1000PJ and then it would be much more interesting.
I was really interested in the PJ after viewing the S70 video above it but lost that interest when I saw that the PJ lacks the innovative S70 features
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
And you thought laser pointers were annoying at the $1 movie theater! Wait'll this technology becomes commonplace.
The hell with projection. One great feature is the Smile Timer. The press release enlightens us:
I'm British (a limey, a whingeing pom), so that's something that never happens. This Smile Timer technology should spread to areas where cameras really matter: I'd like to break into some ATMs.
Projectors take a lot of power, so you will not be able to use this feature for a long time. In the spec sheet they claim projector life of one approximately hour which will probably translate to 30 min max in real world use and on a full charge. But since you need to take pictures with the camera before projecting them you will probably end up with no more than 10 min of real use before your batteries are dead.
Some electronic devices do not translate very well into wirelessness. Projectors are a prime example.
Gimmicky What can I say more?
From what I see on Global Sourcing LED based projector technology is getting cheaper and more common. Cameras, especially Digital SLRs (which this isn't) normally have space for larger battery packs than other handheld devices. So this seem like a natural fit.
I call dibs on the first one so I can be the first person to project the first rickroll using them.
I doubt it'll be supported straight out of the box, but when someone hacks this thing to allow the camera and projector to work at the same time, I expect to start seeing all kind of creative shots.
The use is when you take a bunch of pictures and videos at the baby shower in the morning then bring them over to grandmas house who could not make it.
Instead of being greeted with a blank stare when you ask "where's your laptop so I can show you the pictures", you just beam them onto the wall.
Grandma is happy she can see the pictures / video right away, and you get back into the will.
As for "how far the product is from reality" that can be anything from "available now" to "let's drum up interest and see if it's worth paying R&D for this idea".
It's old news in the technology industry, too -- iirc IBM announced the OS/360 system one full year before the first example was shipped (and in response to a new CDC 6000 series computer that had just hit the market). This tradition goes back to when the first priest had to market the first pharaoh. Get over it.
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
I doubt it'll be supported straight out of the box, but when someone hacks this thing to allow the camera and projector to work at the same time, I expect to start seeing all kind of creative shots.
Augmented reality will be even more fun when you can directly augment the actual reality. B-)
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
From the specs:
An additional feature enables users to 'airbrush' someone's face using the Skin Softening function to reduce the appearance of blemishes.
Nikon's Smart Portrait System with Skin Softening
Face-priority AF helps produce more satisfying portraits by adjusting focus and exposure for as many as 12 faces in the framed shot. Skin Softening function detects and analyses a framed subject's skin, and then adjusts smoothness to produce enhanced results. Smile Timer automatically releases the shutter when the subject smiles, while its Blink Proof function shoots two sequential frames, then saves the one in which the subject's eyes are widest open. Blink Warning presents an alert when it suspects that someone in the shot has blinked. In-Camera Red-Eye Fix automatically corrects any perceived red-eye effect before saving the image to memory.
Finally! Just what we need in a consumer model camera.
Nobody will look anything like themselves ever again.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
How soon before someone puts up a seemingly perfect use of this camera for pr0n!
I cannot even remember when I bought my first digital camera, (early 2001?) but I paid MORE than $430 for it. It's a Sony, with 3.2 megapixels. No audio, and very low-res "movies". Devours AA batteries. 1" built-in LCD screen. It still takes great pix, so I'm still using it.
We've come a long way. A similar camera nowadays is built into a cheap cell phone!
Willie...
Anyone complaining about the projector quality should stop and think for a moment...
It's a VIDEO PROJECTOR....on a COMPACT CAMERA....and it's the FIRST ONE...a cool moment in gadget history. Video projectors use to be three tube CRTs and weighed at least 40 pounds for a portable. You had to spend an hour waiting for it to warm up and performing tube alignment, keystone, etc. (been there, done that in 'the olden days' of multimedia presentation)
Yep, it's going to be very low power. Projectors are battery hungry. Yep it's going to be low resolution at first (640X480) but it's way better than nothing! That instant-review might be very useful, even at low resolution.
Yep, the badly produced PR video is faked. (why not just have the guy set it down on the table first?) but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt that it works, since it will be sold as a consumer product fairly shortly. They can make the projector image stabilization feature come later. :)
So I can project a picture on the wall...
Can I then (simultaneously) take a picture of the projection?
And can I then project the picture of the projection of a picture?
And can I then take a picture of the projection of the picture of the projection of a picture?
My brain hurts.
I like it how the projected image comes out of the lens you ordinarily take pictures with. This makes this camera a great practical joke: get everyone to pose for a photo, have them say "cheese" and when they do so, blind them with the projector.
I just photographed a small jazz combo playing at a local art gallery. Given the number of people passing my camera around to have a look at the pictures, it would have been extremely handy to have this device there.
And FYI, if memory serves, it has image stabilization and a small stand for when it's being used as a projector.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Put it in an iphone, maybe then I'll buy it.
Their may be a grammatical error, misspeling, or evn a typo in this post.
Since each pixel is not a true "Color" pixel but can only see intensity it really only sees 3MP of true RGB color.
Only 1/4 of the pixels see red, 1/4 see blue and 1/2 see green.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayer_filter
It may drain the battery but uhh...
:)
You could just plug it in for your long slideshows
It sure would be nice if they prolong the value of their hardware by opening the firmaments to allow further integration and extendability. I bought one of those earlier Sony Mavica cameras, you know the ones with the integrated 3.5" 1.44MB floppy-disk drive, and I sure would appreciate some unique hardware allowing me to make more use of it as I would please. Better would be this tool simply integrated or cross-bred with one of those nice Car GPS units with Cardbus and integrated USB2, so it can have the PDA function and allow me to triangulate to it to discover who stole the thing.
So long as this isn't a cell phone or anything with that high-frequency crud like wifi or bluetooth, because God help us if it becomes another cancer-causing device. High-frequency radio-propogation technology makes my ear turn red and swell just from using it for 5 minutes in every hour.
Perhaps in the future, they'd allow for composite/component/VGA/DVI/HDMI/etc. inputs? It'd be a great, compact solution for those who also carry around laptops and wish to do an on-the-spot video or presentation.
I know there are dedicated nano-projectors coming out soon, but this would be a boon for the all-in-one lovers.
This is quite an incredible advance if you ask me. For the average user, this is a piece of technology that they would be able to use and enjoy very easily.
AA-CHAN http://aa-chan.net/
Yeah, all fine and good, but what's it's battery life?
And does it use cheap NiMH AA cells, or some propitiatory battery that costs tens of dollars to buy a spare?
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Whoever tagged this "youremyonlyhope" is a genius!
I resolve right now to buy a video camera with a built in hologram projector, just in case I'm kidnapped by the Empire.
So, will this be yet another in a long, illustrious line of great products that Nikon refuses to make 64-bit drivers for?
Until they get their act together and pull their heads out of the sand with regard to 64-bit support, I will continue to recommend that people stay far away from Nikon.
(angry Nikon owner)