MP3 Camera Turns Digital Pictures into 'Talkies'
Tue Feb 19, 1:11 PM ET
Jay Lyman,
Touting the popularity in Europe and Asia of its wallet-size MP3 player-digital camera combo, Fuji announced the FinePix 30i camera will soon be available in the United States.
Capable of recording and playing back MP3 music and audio, the camera features digital picture annotation that allows users to speak into a built-in microphone and attach 30-second audio notes to digital photos.
Fuji spokesperson Andrew LaGuardia told NewsFactor the camera, priced at US$400, is much cheaper than the previous version of the MP3 camera –- the FinePix 40i, which retailed for about $700. LaGuardia said other improvements include a new imaging chip and an interactive remote control that displays track number and other information on a 1.8-inch, back-lit LCD display.
Photo Essay
The FinePix 30i offers consumers a powerful CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor, with 2.1 million total pixels, for vibrant, color prints of up to 8 inches by 10 inches. The camera can store 20 fine images, 39 normal images and as many as 75 basic images on its bundled 16MB SmartMedia card, according to Fuji.
The camera, which features a five-mode flash, also can double as an MP3 player -– capable of downloading, recording and playing 20 minutes of music. An optional 128MB memory card can hold as much as 160 minutes of music and 272 minutes of digital audio, while the 16MB card, which is included, holds as much as 33 minutes of audio.
Functions Beyond Film
The FinePix 30i is also capable of recording short bursts of AVI (audio/video interleave, a Windows file format) video with sound -– capturing 20-second audio/video clips with 320 by 240 resolution at 10 frames per second.
The camera includes a remote control capable of scrolling through pictures, as well as controlling MP3 playback, volume, camera shutter and digital zoom. It also can stand in as a PC cam for videoconferencing, connecting to PCs via USB, Fuji says.
"This is probably one of the most multifunction digital devices out there," Fuji's LaGuardia said.
Small Package
The FinePix 30i measures 3.3 inches wide by 2.9 inches high by 1.2 inches deep, and weighs less than 6 ounces.
Scheduled to be available for sale in the U.S. in April, the camera retail package comes with two rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, charger, 16MB SmartMedia card, shoulder strap, USB cable, headphones and remote control.
Also included are Apple QuickTime 5.0, VideoImpression, RealJukebox, 2 Plus for Windows and MacMP3 for Macintosh (news - web sites), according to Fuji.
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