Eat, shoot and print

Christmas is a time of giving and feasting. But almost as much as those two Yuletide activities, Christmas is also a time of shooting — pictures, that is. And with the proliferation of digital cameras comes the need to print them. But while digital image printing services are becoming more common and often offer good service, nothing beats being able to print your shots anytime in the comfort of your home. Here then are some noteworthy new digital cameras and photo printers that should take your holiday shutterbug stints to the next level.

Epson PictureMate 100

The Epson PictureMate 100 is heaven-sent for family events, reunions and other rare get-togethers. This compact printer is relatively lightweight at 5kg while its carrying handle makes it easy to lug around. All you have to do is connect your PictBridge-compatible digicams (or USB-direct print), and you’ve got yourself an instant photo machine. This Epson wonder also prints from a memory card and from a cellphone through the optional Bluetooth adapter.

A 1.5-inch color LCD lets you preview the images and adjust the color, frames, and borders. Feeling nostalgic? Use the black and white or sepia option. Bring (and print) your memories anywhere. Battery not included (but is optional).

Canon SELPHY CP510

With the Canon’s SELPHY CP510, you can print your own digital photos and make sure they look like and last as long as film-based prints. How? After the CP510 prints your photos, it lays down a protective glossy coating, giving them a similar look and feel to traditional lab prints. A powerful print engine and fast paper transport work together to deliver borderless postcard prints in just 60 seconds, or even less with some Canon cameras. Just connect your digicam, camcorder or PC and you’re set to go. The compact CP510 also offers an optional rechargeable battery pack to make it the perfect mobile photo-printing solution.

The CP510 puts an end to tangled or missing leads and connectors. Its handy retractable USB cable is always ready. The CP510 supports PictBridge and Canon Direct Print, so you can print directly from compatible devices without the need for a PC.

Nikon Coolpix P1

Nikon’s 8-MP Coolpix P1 (like the 5-MP P2) is the world’s first built-in Wi-Fi-enabled digicam allowing users to immediately transmit images wirelessly (within a 100-foot range) directly to a computer or to any PictBridge-enabled printer equipped with the optional Nikon Wireless Printer Adapter. The Coolpix P1 sports a high-quality 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor Glass lens with a focal range equivalent to that of a 36-126mm lens in 35mm format and features a 2.5" LCD. For greater control and creativity, it features Aperture-Priority Auto mode with 10-step manual control in 1/3EV increments and 11 of the camera’s 16 Scene Modes are Advanced Scene Modes for even greater creative control. The camera measures a compact 3.6" x 2.4" x 1.5" and weighs only six ounces.

The P1 features Nikon’s innovative Face-Priority AF that ensures faces remain in focus when shooting portraits by automatically sensing the presence of a human face within the frame and setting accurate focus accordingly. The In-Camera Red-Eye Fix technology automatically detects and corrects red eyes in an image while the D-Lighting function automatically compensates for insufficient flash or excessive backlighting. To ensure a crisp, clear image before leaving the scene, Blur Warning will alert the user that a shot has been compromised.

The Coolpix P1 can also record high-quality VGA resolution movies at a rate of up to 30 fps with a choice of seven movie modes with sound.

Pentax Optio60

The Pentax Optio60 lets digital photography greenhorns take excellent 6-MP snapshots in a flash. The idiot-proof "Simple mode" makes this camera truly user-friendly. Set your camera to this mode and it will automatically select optimal focus and exposure settings for your environment. Aside from that, the Optio60 also features a 3x optical and 4x digital zoom, manual exposure setting, as well as aperture and shutter priority modes to allow the user to continue learning and improving their photography skills.

It has a 2" LCD plus an optical and actual-image zoom viewfinder with automatic diopter adjustment so you can view your shots easily. The Optio60 also doubles as a webcam to broadcast live video links to distant family and friends.

HP Photosmart 335

With the HP Photosmart 335, you won’t have to wait till you get home to print those snapshots. Weighing a mere 1kg, this revolutionary photo printer was built to be taken to the party or the beach or just about anywhere! Satisfying your instant print cravings, the Photosmart 355 is PictBridge-compatible and accepts most digital cards – meaning no notebook PC needs to be lugged around to be able to print. Crowd around the HP printer’s integrated color display and review and enhance images before you print them. With the HP Photosmart 355 the party never stops.

Canon Digital IXUS 750

The Digital IXUS 750 marries head-turning style with Canon’s renowned engineering. Its finely crafted body houses precision optics and cutting-edge features that deliver brilliant results. A high 7.1-megapixel resolution enables photo-quality prints with sharp definition up to A3+ size while a precision lens with 3x optical zoom ensures perfect framing and superb clarity whether taking close-ups or zoom shots.

The PictBridge-compatible IXUS 750’s advanced DIGIC II processor allows fast, responsive performance and superior image processing. iSAPS technology analyzes each scene to optimize key camera settings even before a shot is taken. A generous 2.5" LCD provides improved visibility for sharing playback with friends and family. The screen even boasts a QuickBright feature that increases visibility in bright outdoor conditions. Night Display, on the other hand, improves viewing in low light for easy after-dark photography. The IXUS 750 allows 15 shooting modes as well as extra-long (up to 1GB) 30fps VGA-quality movie clips with audio.

Kodak EasyShare V550

Kodak’s new EasyShare V550 is the picture-perfect companion to your late night-outs The V550 captures those clubbing moments with 5-MP resolution, a pro-level Schneider-Kreuznach 3x optical zoom lens and nifty video-capture features. Nineteen scene modes such as beach, snow, sunset and party help you get creative with the least effort.

The V550 can take videos that can be turned into stop-action still pictures perfect for printing and sharing. The V550 can record longer, high-quality videos with sound (up to 80 continuous minutes) while using less memory storage. Its metal body, paired with luminescent blue indicator lights, beg to be shown off. A brilliant 2.5" high-resolution (230,000 pixels) screen is viewable from almost any angle (170 degrees) and can be used to preview a shot – as can the optical viewfinder – before sharing the snapped picture with friends.

Samsung SPP-2040

Samsung’s SPP-2040 features an updated driver with new color tables for more accurate picture reproduction. Printing is instantaneous when you use the smallest size of 180 x 136 x 61 millimeters, and there’s an option for wireless or PC-less printing and editing of images by simply connecting your camcorder, cameraphone, PDA or digital camera into it. Format variation and color features also allow you to choose from the different print sizes and 11 color effects of mono, sepia, antique, vivid, red, green, blue, warmer, cooler, less blue, and less yellow.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N1

Proving to the world that SLRs are not the only way to get high-quality, high-resolution images, Sony gives the world the compact Cyber-shot DSC-N1 in all its 8.1-megapixel glory.

The DSC-N1 sports a drop-dead gorgeous aluminum body that is graceful to hold and lovely to behold. A huge 3" touch-screen LCD lets you view your photos and access the menu via stylus while guaranteeing double takes and dropped jaws from people around you. Through this display you can also access the Paint function, which lets the user trace shapes and add text to the pictures. The shots can then be viewed in a slideshow after storing them in the 26MB onboard memory that can be expanded via Memory Stick Duo and MS Duo Pro cards.