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The Consumer Electronics show opened its doors today, and while its main focus is not necessarily photography, there were plenty of new consumer-oriented cameras and related products to see. Let’s take a look at today’s offerings.

A big day for Canon

Canon unveiled its 2011 lineup of compact cameras and camcorders. Here’s a round-up:

Canon Announces Quartet of Compact Cameras

Canon today announced four digital cameras for the point-and-shoot market, expanding its popular PowerShot A-series and introducing 720p HD video into the line, as well as Smart Auto, Subject Detection, and Creative Filters. Special effects include Monochrome, Toy Camera, Super Vivid, Fish-Eye, Poster, Miniature effects, and more. These are all low cost cameras, ranging in price from $90 to $180. All feature Live View Control, which displays user-friendly guidance on the monitor to help beginners get better pictures.

Key features: Canon PowerShot A3300

720p HD video
16MP CCD sensor
5x optical zoom (28-140mm equivalent)
3-inch LCD
Optical image stabilization
Five colors—grey, red, blue, silver and pink
Pricing/availability: $180, late February

Key features: Canon PowerShot A2200

720p HD Video
14MP sensor
4x optical zoom (28-112mm equivalent)
2.7-inch LCD
Black, blue, silver, red
Pricing/availability: $140, early March

Key features: Canon PowerShot A1200

720p HD video
Optical viewfinder
12MP CCD sensor
4x optical zoom (28-112mm equivalent)
2.7-inch LCD
AA battery power
Black or Silver
Pricing/availability: $110, early March

Key features: Canon PowerShot A800

720p HD video
10MP CCD sensor
3.3x optical zoom (37-112mm equivalent)
2.5-inch LCD
AA battery powered
19 smart auto scene modes
Pricing/availability: $90, mid-February

Canon XA10 Pro Camcorder is Unveiled

Canon has just added a new camera to its professional camcorder portfolio, the XA10. Capable of shooting 1080p and up to 60 frames per second videos, the camera features Dolby digital sound via its built-in stereo mic, a 10x HD zoom lens (35mm equivalent 30.4-304mm), a 1/3-inch sensor, optical stabilization, manual and three flavors of autofocus, 64GB of internal flash memory and two SDXC memory card slots. There’s a 3.5-inch, 922k dot touch-panel LCD monitor, and an XLR terminal for additional connectivity. The Canon XA10 will be available in March for around $2,000. Read the Canon press release for details.

Canon overhauls Vixia consumer camcorder lineup

Canon today announced an overhaul of its consumer-level lineup of camcorders. The latest generation of Vixia camcorders feature a new 1/3-inch native 1920×1080 sensor, a claimed 25% improvement in low-light sensitivity and a 280% improvement in dynamic range, according to Canon. Each camera features dual SDXC-compatible card slots, a high-quality zooming microphone, close focusing capabilities, “cinema-look” filters for old-time movie looks, Story Creator, which helps you storyboard a video shoot, and touch-controlled creative filters.

Key features: Canon Vixia HF G10

Flagship consumer camcorder
8-blade lens aperture for improved Bokeh
3.5-inch, 922k touch-panel LCD
Custom Key and Dial
Selectable zoom speed
Face-only AF
Cinema-look filters
Tele-Macro
Touch & Track
Smart Auto
Relay Recording
32GB internal flash memory
Manual color temp adjustment
Remote control terminal
Manual shutter, aperture control
Native 24p recording
Available in March for $1,500

Key features: Canon HF-S30

1/ 2.6-inch, 8.59MP HD CMOS sensor
32GB internal memory
3.5-inch, 922k touch-panel LCD
10x HD Video Lens
Color bars
Selectable Zebra patterns
Remote control terminal
Native 24p recording
Custom key and dial
Available in March for $1,100

Vixia HF-M series
Canon announced a trio of compact, lightweight Flash Memory camcorders—the Vixia HF M41, M40 and M400. All record 1080p HD video and feature a Canon 10x video lens, a new CMOS sensor, 3-inch touch-panel LC monitor, Cinema-look filters, Story Creator and Touch Decoration, plus Touch & Track technology. The main differences are the amount of internal memory. Pricing ranges from $800 down to $650. All three camcorders will be available in March.

Read Canon’s press release for more details about their consumer camcorders.

Fujifilm Overhauls its Camera Lineup

Fujifilm announced a complete overhaul of its lineup of consumer-level cameras. While the much-anticipated, pro-oriented X-100 wasn’t on the list, plenty of fascinating cameras were:

FinePix HS20EXR Bridge Camera

Fujifilm today announced the HS20EXR, the company’s latest “bridge” EVF camera, featuring a 30x manual zoom with a 24-720mm 35mm equivalent zoom range, an new 16MP CMOS sensor, and a number of cool features. If you’re a speed deamon, the HS20EXR can shoot up to 8fps at full resolution for 8 frames or high-speed movies at 320fps. 360-degree panoramas, full 1080p HD movies, and RAW format images are among its key features of interest to enthusiasts. Other features include claimed low noise at high ISO in High ISO & Low Noise Priority mode, Dynamic Range Priority, which combines two exposures, a variety of action shooting speeds, multi-bracketing, face recognition, and more. The Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR will be available in March for $500. Read the Fujifilm press release for details.

Fuji Adds three Superzoom cameras

Fujifilm has added three new long-range zoom cameras to its FinePix line today. The S2950, S3200, and S4000 are all 14MP cameras and offer 18, 24 and 30x zoom ranges, respectively. All models feature 3-inch LCDs, although the resolution is higher (460K) in the S4000. Other shared features include: panorama mode with in-camera stitching, 720p HD video at 30fps, Smile and Blink detection, Tracking AF, i-Flash intelligent flash control, full manual exposure and focus control, instant zoom and zoom bracketing, and tagging for social networking web sites. The S3200 and S4000 also offer Face Recognition and Image Searching. The cameras will be introduced from January through March at $230 (S2950), $250 (S3200) and $280 (S4000). For details, read the Fujifilm press release.

Finepix F500EXR and F550EXR 15X zoom snapshot cams

Fujifilm joins the Magapixel madness with the introduction of two new F-series long-zoom compact cameras, the FinePix F500EXR and F550EXR that feature a new 16MP CMOS sensor. Both offer impressive burst rates, up to 12fps and 11fps, respectively, as well as high-speed movie capture at 320fps at full resolution. Multi-frame technology combines multiple images to “smooth” noise—a potentially useful tool in low light and high ISO shooting. The F500EXR and F550EXR will be available in March for $330 and $350. For details, read the Fujifilm press release.

Fujifilm XP30 and XP20 Rugged cams

The ruggedized Fujifilm FinePix XP20 and XP30 boast a 14-MegaPixel CCD sensor, a 2.7” anti-reflective, high-contrast LCD and a FUJINON 5x wide angle refractive optical zoom lens with a reinforced hardened glass lens barrier. Both cameras offer what Fujifilm calls “Four-Way Protection” – waterproof up to 5M, shockproof up to 1.5M, freezeproof up to -10°C and dustproof – and the FinePix XP30 is Fujifilm’s first rugged digital camera with GPS Geo-tagging functionality. Other features include 720p HD video, AF tracking, dual mechanical/high ISO image stabilization, a “blog mode” and more. The XP20 will be available in March for $200 and the XP30 will launch in February for $240. For details, read the Fujifilm press release.

New snappy cams

Fujifilm has also trotted out several first-time snapshooter cameras, the JX300, JX350, T200 and T250, all of which feature 14MP sensors (except the JX350, which sports a 16MP sensor) and offer impressive features for basic cameras that cost under $200. All of them shoot 720p HD video and offer such consumer-friendly features as smile-blink detection, easy uploading to Facebook and YouTube, Scene recognition, face detection and auto red-eye removal. Get details here and here.

Fuji announces stylish Finepix Z90, JX cameras

The Fujifilm FinePix Z90 is the sixth generation model in the ever-popular stylish Z-series. The Z90 is fun at your fingertips featuring a large 3” high resolution resistive touch screen LCD, a dual direction GUI, 14-MegaPixel CCD sensor, a FUJINON 5x wide angle refractive optical zoom lens for added range and flexibility, and countless other features. Look for the chic Z90 later this month for around $170. Details on Fuji’s press release.

Eye-Fi Announces Direct Mode

Eye-Fi, a company known for its series of Wi-Fi enabled SD memory cards, announced Direct Mode, which lets users wirelessly connect their Eye-Fi-loaded digital cameras to their smart phone or tablet. Images can be transferred to the smartphone for editing, or uploading and sharing. Direct Mode will be a free upgrade to all Eye-Fi X2 cards later this year.

PocketWizard MiniTT1 for Nikon

PocketWizard Introduces MiniTT1™ and FlexTT5™ Radios for Nikon Cameras
PocketWizard announced today that its MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver for the Nikon DSLR camera system is expected in the U.S. this month. (Canon-compatible versions are available now.) In addition, the company is putting the finishing touches on the ControlTL™ system for Nikon, said to combine TTL exposure automation with the PocketWizard’s ControlTL™ system, featuring the MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver. These new i-TTL capable radio slaves make taking off-camera flash as effortless as slide-in, turn-on and shoot.

Tenba Roadie II Photo/Laptop Case now airline carry-on compatible

Tenba has upgraded its line of durable and weather-resistant Roadie II Photo/Laptop Cases. Roadie rolling cases allow photographers to take their equipment off their neck, shoulders and back, and put it all on wheels. These airline carry-on compatible cases, available in three sizes, are built to withstand serious professional use, with rugged, weather-proof coated ballistic nylon exteriors, genuine YKK zippers, heavy-duty, smooth and silent-rolling ball bearing wheels, industrial/military-grade webbing and massive reinforcement in all stress and load-bearing areas.

Countries that move fast, the study suggests, could have the competitive advantage. Who could take the lead: MENA countries, especially ones located on the Arabian Peninsula, as well as others like Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel could be. These countries are no strangers to the notion of solar power, and Green Prophet has covered countless articles touting solar energy in the Middle East.

One of the region’s leading solar energy development countries, Israel, has even been asked by the UN to increase its development of solar energy. Despite being an instrumental innovator through companies such as BrightSource or Solel, Israel’s own use of solar power at home more closely resembles that of a developing nation.

The Khaleej Times article pointed out that countries in the MENA region have the “greatest potential for solar regeneration” supplying 45% of the world’s energy sources possible through renewable energy. Renewable energy sources of interest in this region include Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City as well as its hosting of the World Renewable Energy Agency headquarters . Known as IRENA, this center could fuel development in the whole region.

A big problem, however, is under-funding of renewable energy projects, due to a big abundance of oil and other fossil fuels, says Beirut based Ibrahim El Hussenei, a partner in the London based energy project development company, Booz & Company whose representatives were present at the COP 15 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

The Solar Boiler collects energy from the sun and converts it into hot water.

Domestic hot water is the second-highest energy cost in the typical household. In fact, for some homes it can be the highest energy expenditure. Solar water heating can now reduce your domestic water heating costs by as much as 65%.

The Thermo Dynamics’ Solar Boiler is today’s state-of-the-art solar water-heating appliance. Designed to pre-heat the domestic water that is supplied to your conventional water heater, it can result in remarkable savings. It’s easy to install and maintenance free. The installation package contains all the necessary hardware and complete instructions. As a homeowner, you can install it yourself or have your local Thermo Dynamics dealer do it for you.

All parts of the system are built to demanding specifications, employing the latest solar technology for maximum performance. The Solar Boiler is manufactured from readily-available components, ensuring lower costs and reliability. The solar collectors are constructed of aluminum, copper, and tempered glass. The assembly incorporates the MICRO-FLO® absorber, a continuous tube with only two connections for effortless installation.

One on the 100 meters long black shiny “Yong Lu” in the foot extension, which consists of nearly ten thousand pieces paved amorphous silicon thin film solar plate, becoming the nation’s largest rooftop solar power station. In June 2010, 150 megawatt amorphous silicon thin-film solar cell project will be in Beijing Pinggu all the green energy industry base built for Beijing to provide 220 million degrees per year of green electricity, equivalent to a 30-million people in the city’s one-year electricity and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions of 150,000 tons, to achieve the world’s lowest production costs – an average of less than 1 U.S. dollars per watt.

A year ago, the green energy industry base in Beijing is just a concept, large-scale solar power plants have not even drawn sketches. Today, the first phase of a planned area of 133 hectares to the green industry base in Beijing where they stand, the nation’s largest amorphous silicon thin film solar production line is already running, a total investment of more than 4 billion yuan of biomass power generation, semiconductor Industrial Park, Green can be high-end Equipment R & D manufacturing projects, ultrafiltration membrane modules, membrane bio-reactor and a number of major green project settled Pinggu.

Beijing Green Energy Industrial Base – mafang Industrial Development Zone Management Committee, director of weeks Takemitsu wrote: Pinggu is the capital of the ecological conservation development zones, one of its functional orientation is clean manufacturing center. “The traditional view is that high returns inevitably accompanied by high energy consumption, like the Dell LATITUDE D800 laptop battery. This energy efficiency between the ‘game’, in Pinggu directly reflects the high energy consumption, high pollution and low value-added projects, regardless of effectiveness, all ‘PASS’. “

Residential solar energy may be a hot topic nowadays with the global recession, increasing issues for world warming and the looming threat to the protection of world oil supplies. Many folks are seeking a solution to cut back their monthly energy bill and to scale back their dependence on fossil fuels. One place people have turned for solutions is solar technologies.

The use of residential solar energy provides the measurable edges of reducing or even eliminating your monthly energy bill and reducing or eliminating your use of electricity generated by fossil fuel burning power plants. There are a few alternative benefits that are less measurable but equally important like pride of ownership.

Residential solar energy covers many completely different varieties of solar systems. The most common types are on and off grid solar cells that produce electricity for your home, hot water systems and hot air systems. The most economical at utilizing the sun’s energy are the recent water and hot air systems as they need the fewest range of energy conversions.

Energy conversion in residential solar energy is a crucial topic that relates to the general efficiency of your system. A solar panel system takes energy from photons in sunlight and converts it to electricity, then that electricity is converted into lighting in a very light-weight bulb, heat in your furnace or hot water in your solar air heater. At each step of this method energy is lost within the inefficiencies of the conversion process.

Currently residential solar energy with respect to hot water systems only has one energy conversion and thence a much higher potency than electrical systems. In a very solar hot water system the sun’s light is converted on to heat energy within the water and also the water is then used for cooking, cleaning, taking showers and heating your home. For this reason solar hot water systems are comparatively economical, straightforward and effective.

Hot air residential solar energy is the same as the hot water systems. The warmth from the sun is captured and transferred to the air circulating inside of the system with a solar to air heat exchanger. The warm air at the outlet of the heat exchanger is then circulated in your home for heating purposes.

Fidelis Energy Inc. (Beverly Hills, CA) (Pink Sheets: FDEI) reports a $25 million agreement with Esar Solar Power Pvt. Ltd. (ESP), a Jaipur-based company, to develop and construct the first of several solar energy projects located in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer, India. The region is destined to become the world’s biggest solar power house as it basks in an average of 330 days of sunshine per year and receives up to 6.2KW per hour of solar energy per square meter everyday, which is the highest in the world.

Within the scope of this project, which firmly establishes Fidelis in the international arena of solar power developers, Fidelis Energy will design and construct a multi-megawatt solar power system that will supply and support the community’s energy grid system to meet a consistently increasing demand.

“India represents the first of many untapped solar power markets that Fidelis plans to enter in 2010 and 2011,” said James Poole, CEO of Fidelis Energy Inc. “While international projects pose special challenges for solar energy producers, such as identifying proper high voltage lines and the ownership of the property prior to system installation,” added Poole, “our unique ability and expertise to overcome such challenges makes Fidelis Energy the natural choice for clients with challenging power needs.”

Recognizing the role that solar power will play in the global search for cleaner and more abundant energy sources, Fidelis Energy has built the infrastructure necessary to support this type of international expansion to facilitate the development of large-scale projects at an accelerated pace to support global power needs.

Fidelis Energy will provide the technology, engineering and construction services needed to create the PV Project. ESP has signed a 10-year power purchase and sale agreement with the state’s government-owned power distribution company.

“We recognize that the continued use of fossil fuels negatively impacts both the economy and the environment,” said Esar Solar Power Chairman Jagdish Singh. “As such, ESP is determined to meet a portion of India’s energy requirements by developing several large solar photovoltaic cell projects (PV Projects), which will generate electricity from sunlight. Fidelis has shown that it has the ability and innovative construction techniques to execute this contract, and we look forward to this project beginning in May of 2010,” added Singh. “It is the goal of both parties to complete the construction of the five megawatt (5MW) PV Project and start its operations before October of 2010.”

In a world first, an international research team based in Melbourne, Australia, has developed a way to boost the output of the next generation of solar cells by creating a more efficient dye that makes dye-sensitive solar cells (DSSC) perform better than previous versions.

Scientists at Monash have collaborated with colleagues from the universities of Wollongong (Australia) and Ulm (Germany) to produce tandem dye-sensitized solar cells with a three-fold increase in energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported tandem dye-sensitized solar cells.

Lead researcher Dr Udo Bach, from Monash, was hopeful the breakthrough would increase the energy generation performance of the cells and make them a viable and competitive alternative to traditional silicon solar cells.

The more efficient type of dye the scientists have created makes the operation of inverse dye-sensitized solar cells much more efficient.

The researchers say that when they combined two types of dye-sensitized solar cell – one inverse and the other classic – into a simple stack, it was the first time they were able to produce a tandem solar cell that exceeded the efficiency of its individual components.

“The tandem approach – stacking many solar cells together – has been successfully used in conventional photovoltaic devices to maximize energy generation, but there have been obstacles in doing this with dye-sensitized cells because there has not been a method for creating an inverse system that would allow dye molecules to efficiently pass on positive charges to a semiconductor when illuminated with light,” Dr Bach said.

“Inverse dye-sensitized solar cells are the key to producing dye-sensitized tandem solar cells, but the challenge has been to find a way to make them perform more effectively. By creating a way of making inverse dye-sensitized solar cells operate very efficiently we have opened the way for dye-sensitized tandem solar cells to become a commercial reality.”

Disappointingly, in the past DSSC have performed below that of silicon solar cells even after many years of research. DSSC have great potential because of their relative inexpensive and easy methods of fabrication.

Dr Bach’s findings, detailed in a paper published in Nature Materials, are said to be an important milestone in the ongoing development of viable and efficient solar cell technology.

“While this new tandem technology is still in its early infancy, it represents an important first step towards the development of the next generation of solar cells that can be produced at low cost and with energy efficient production methods,” he said.

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