Fujifilm has today announced replacements for the A330 and A340 Zoom with the four and five megapixel FinePix A345 Zoom and FinePix A350 Zoom. The cameras are identical in almost everyway except for image sizes, resolution and digital zoom; they boast a 1.7-inch LCD and a 3x optical zoom (35 - 105 mm). The entry-level pair store images on an xD-Picture Card and are powered by two AA-type batteries. They will be available in the UK in March.

Fujifilm has today announced a camera that is designed to last longer than you do during a day's shooting with the 6.3 megapixel FinePix F10. With the supplied NP-120 lithium ion battery, the F10 is supposed to allow you to take 500 shots. The F10 has no viewfinder but does have an impressive 2.5-inch LCD as well as a high sensitivity of ISO 1600. It also boasts 3:2 image format option, VGA movie capture at 30 fps and PictBridge compatibility. It will be available worldwide around April at a price yet to be set.

Fujifilm has today announced the 5.1 million pixel FinePix Z1, their first camera to use folded optical lens technology first used by Pentax and Konica Minolta. The super slim aluminum-cased Z1 is powered up by a sliding lens cover that is the size of the camera. It also boasts a 2.5-inch LCD with toughened glass, ISO up to 800 and VGA-quality movies. The FinePix Z1 will be available worldwide in June.

Panasonic has today announced the new Lumix DMC-LS1 digital camera which features an optically stabilized three times optical zoom lens and four megapixel CCD. This camera is a follow-up to the budget-priced DMC-LC70, the biggest change being the introduction of Panasonic's OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), a first for a low- priced compact digital camera. Other improvements include a new version of Panasonic's Venus image processing engine, a 2.0-inch transmissive and reflective LCD monitor and 14 MB of built-in memory.

Panasonic has today added two new cameras to its 12x zoom compact FZ line, the silver-bodied four megapixel DMC-FZ4 and the black-bodied five megapixel DMC-FZ5. Other improvements include a subtly redesigned body, a new version of Panasonic's Venus image processing engine and a larger 1.8-inch LCD monitor (FZ5 only).

panasonic's big gun looks really cool.

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