Today, Canon USA announced pricing and availability for the U.S. it looks like the company's only selling a kit version, with the EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens, for $699.99, and it's slated to ship next month.

(June 9) Say what you will about the rumor mill, it frequently comes through. In this case, except for the small detail of when it would be available, rumors about the Canon EOS Rebel XS turned out to be true. However, instead of waiting until Photokina to announce it, Canon debuted the new entry-level dSLR today.

The new Rebel, which replaces the XTi as the baby of its dSLR line, retains the 10-megapixel CMOS and 2.5-inch LCD, while moving up to the body of the more recent XSi. However, it also uses the newer Digic III processing chip--albeit with 12-bit processing rather than the XSi's 14-bit--so we expect to see some differences in photo quality, especially at higher ISO sensitivities, compared with the XTi. And the XS will ship with the image stabilized version of the EF-S 18-55mm lens; the XTi currently ships with the non-IS lens. The camera also adds Live View mode and, according to Canon, will have improved battery life. » Read the rest of the entry..

Besides kimchi and tear-jerking dramas, Koreans are exporting creatively hacked cameras. While on vacation, Taeyoon Choi had a flash of brilliance when he saw that his shots looked no different from those taken by other tourists. With some tinkering, he fitted a point-and-shoot into Charlie, his "Magical Image Digesting Duck." » Read the rest of the entry..

For those who don't need the indestructibility or built-in vertical grip of a traditional pro dSLR like the Nikon D3 or Canon EOS-1D Mark III--and that's quite a chunk of the pro market--smaller, lighter, and cheaper full-frame models like the Canon EOS 5D are the real workhorses.

Plus, their (relatively) lower prices put full-frame shooting in the hands of deep-pocketed amateur photographers. Until now, that's a party at which Nikon never got to dance. But with Monday's announcement of the full-frame D700, Nikon's a wallflower no more.

The D700 looks to be a bit of a cross between the full-frame (FX format) D3 and the DX-format D300. It has the same 12.1-megapixel Expeed CMOS sensor as the D3, with its concomitantly wide ISO sensitivity range. » Read the rest of the entry..

The PistolCam a device designed to fit onto regular pistols or even small rifles. When removed from the holster, the camera automatically starts to record video clips (with audio) at 30 frames per second for a maximum of 60 minutes. It can also capture 3.2-megapixel still images. » Read the rest of the entry..