Leica Camera AG has unveiled the latest addition to its digital compact camera offerings and presents the Leica X Vario. Made in Leica Camera’s headquarters in Germany, the X Vario features a high-performance 16.5-megapixel (effective 16.1), APS-C format, CMOS image sensor, a zoom lens covering a range of focal lengths from 28 to 70 mm (35 mm equivalent) and Full-HD video recording capability. With several design and handling characteristics of the storied M-System, the ‘Made in Germany’ Leica X Vario offers great versatility and creative freedom.

The X Vario’s high performance image sensor is unusually large for a camera in its class. Combined with the Leica Vario Elmar 18-46 mm f/3.5-6.4 ASPH, it sets completely new standards for imaging quality in the compact segment with outstanding exposures in all situations. The Leica X Vario is the world’s first compact camera to combine a large, APS-C format, CMOS image sensor with a zoom lens.

Read more: Highly anticipated Leica X Vario unveiled

Zebronics has launched their latest Digital Photo Frame ‘Artifice 3’ that lets consumers bring their precious memories to vivid life, with innovative features including video playback function.

The Artifice 3 digital photo frame sports a resolution of 800x480 pixels in a vibrant 7-inch LCD screen, and reads media files off a variety of convenient and easily accessible memory devices including USB flash disk and SD/MMC cards. While the screen display ratio is 16:9, the frame preserves the original format of the photos, ensuring that they are not stretched or cropped. Viewers can enjoy their photographs as a slideshow and also zoom in on a particular part for detail. The picture rotation feature helps seamless slideshow while including those photographs shot in portrait mode. The slide shows can be made more interesting and alive with multiple display modes and transitions.  The Artifice 3 can also play music (mp3, wav, wma formats), so one can add appropriate background music to those slideshows. The user interface is intuitive and easy-to-use.

Read more: Zebronics Unveils Digital Photo Frame ‘Artifice 3’

FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) and Panasonic Corporation (President: Kazuhiro Tsuga) have developed organic CMOS image sensor technology that uses an organic photoelectric conversion layer with a photoelectric conversion property at the light receiving section of an image sensor to achieve performance beyond that of conventional image sensors**. Applying this technology to the image sensors of digital cameras and other imaging devices expands its dynamic range*** and enhances sensitivity*4 further to prevent highlight clipping in bright scenes and capture a dark subject with vivid colors and rich textures.

The industry has put into continuous efforts to explore image sensor technologies for increasing their number of pixels. This has dramatically improved sensor resolutions, but, in order to further boost image quality, it is necessary to expand the dynamic range, enhance sensitivity and prevent cross-talk or color mixing between pixels. Panasonic took advantage of its semiconductor device technology to boost image quality for its high-performance image sensors. Fujifilm, on the other hand, has developed highly-reliable organic photoelectric conversion layer with high absorption coefficient to be used on a sensor's light receiving section instead of silicon photodiode*5 in its effort to build a new image sensor technology.

Read more: Fujifilm and Panasonic jointly develop an organic CMOS image sensor technology

Pentax has announced the fun and highly capable Q7 compact system camera.Available for order in 120 eye-catching color combinations through PENTAX’s Color To Order™ system, the Q7 gives creative control to the consumer with a complete system of interchangeable lenses, filters, viewfinders, and fun smart effects and digital filters enable truly limitless creativity.

Setting a new standard in the imaging industry, the Q7 incorporates a growing trend among consumer products: customization. With an expertly architected supply chain management system designed around Color To Order, consumers are empowered to integrate individual style, personality and taste into their camera sparking the creative process even as their order is placed. Joining the already successful Q10, the Q7 features an upgraded 1/1.7 inch, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, high sensitivity shooting up to ISO 12800 and enhanced Q ENGINE with faster response time during start-up and shooting time, the creativity continues as beautiful, sharp images are captured.

Read more: Pentax announces Q7 compact system camera