With the release of a broad selection of cool new digital cameras, camcorders, and camera phones, August is turning out to be a treat for digital photography fans. Sony and Panasonic have unveiled digital still cameras; Canon has a couple of DVD camcorders; and LG Electronics has announced a compact mobile phone with a 5-megapixel camera.

The pace at which new products are coming out is testimony to the vibrant competition in the marketplace, and that's good news for consumers because it's having an impact prices. Consider this: Sony's top-of-the-line digital still camera in 2001, the fixed-lens DSC-F707, cost more at the time than a digital single-lens reflex camera from Canon or Nikon does today.

This competition is leading to consolidation and alliances in the market, such as the partnership announced in July between Sony and Konica Minolta, which said they will work together to produce digital SLR cameras. The first jointly developed products are expected in about a year. They will use Konica Minolta's Maxxum/Dynax lens mount system and anti-shake technology, and some of Sony's image sensor, image processing, and battery technologies. When those products appear, look for competition to step up another level.

Sharp Dolce Cell Phone

Writing and reading e-mail with a cell phone is common on trains in Japan, but the crowded rush-hour conditions mean it's relatively easy for people around you to read your e-mail, too. To protect their privacy, users have resorted to stick-on filters that make it difficult to see the screen from an angle. A new phone from Sharp is the first to have such a feature built in.

The phone uses a new LCD panel developed by Sharp that can be switched to make it difficult to see from any angle other than in front. Sharp hopes the screen will find other uses too, such as in cash dispensers at banks. The Dolce is a 3G model for NTT DoCoMo's network and comes with all that's standard in cell phones today. It costs about $268 and is currently available in Japan only.

Canon Network Camera

With Canon's latest network camera, aimed at security and industrial applications, you can have an online monitoring system set up in seconds. The VB-C50FSi network camera draws its power from its Ethernet connection, so users need only plug it into the network. Power over Ethernet requires a compatible hub and sends power down the networking cable, so separate power cords aren't required.

The camera has a built-in server and can send VGA-quality (640 by 480 pixels) images at 30 frames per second. It also has a 19X optical zoom.

Canon will begin sales in Japan in late August. The camera will cost $1410. The company has not yet announced international sales plans.

LG Dica Phone

With the Dica phone, LG Electronics has managed to cram a 5-megapixel camera and CDMA phone into a very compact case.

The phone's body is divided into two parts; one half can be swiveled through 180 degrees so that the 2-inch TFT LCD faces the photographer for self-portraits. The phone isn't that much different in size from Sony's new DSC-T5 digital camera (see below) but has no optical zoom. Other features include an MP3 player, VGA-quality movie mode, and photo flash.

The Dica will be available in South Korea through all three major cellular carriers at a price yet to be announced. There are no plans to sell it overseas.

Sony DSC-T5 Digital Still Camera

Sony is adding a new model to its T-series line of thin digital still cameras. The DSC-T5 has several features in common with its siblings, including 5.1-megapixel resolution, a 3X optical zoom lens, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, 32MB of internal memory, and a slot for Memory Stick media.

So what's new? Its battery life is better--it will last for 240 shots, according to Sony. It is thicker than the top-of-the-range T-series camera, the DSC-T7, but it is also cheaper. The camera will go on sale in the U.S. in September priced about $350. It's expected to hit other markets at around the same time or soon after.

Pantech Smart Phone

South Korean cell-phone maker Pantech has developed a Windows Mobile-based handset.

The PH-S8000T is based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition and runs on Intel's XScale Bulverde processor. Its features include a 1.3-megapixel camera and an MP3 music player. It measures 3.6 by 1.9 by 1 inches and weighs 5 ounces.

The cell phone went on sale in late July in South Korea under Pantech's Curitel brand name through SK Telecom. It costs about $434 to $482, Pantech said. There's no word on international sales.

Canon DVD Digital Video Camera

Canon will enter the DVD camcorder market in September with two models, the DC10 and the more expensive DC20. There's about a $100 price difference between the two models. What do users get for the extra money?

The main difference comes in the resolution of the image sensor. The DC10 has a 1.3-megapixel CCD while the DC20 has a 2.2-megapixel CCD. (Note that while this affects still images, it won't affect video recordings.) Both camcorders have a 10X optical zoom, take still pictures, and can record to an 8-centimeter DVD or a MiniSD memory card. Each measures 1.9 by 3.4 by 4.8 inches and weighs 16.4 ounces with battery pack, DVD, and memory card.

Both camcorders will be in shops in Europe in late October; the DC20 will be priced around $1000 and the DC10, $900. The company hasn't announced pricing and availability for the U.S.

Panasonic Lumix Digital Still Cameras

Panasonic, formally known as Matsushita Electric Industrial, launched several new models in its Lumix digital camera range that are notable for their unique features.

The DMC-FZ30 has a 12X optical zoom, which is considerably more powerful than most other cameras, while the DMC-LX1 has a 16:9 aspect ratio image sensor for better-quality wide-screen images. Both cameras have 8-megapixel image sensors. They'll be on sale in late August in Japan and soon after in international markets. The DMC-LX1 will cost about $560 in Japan and $600 in the U.S., and the DMC-FZ30 will cost around $670 in Japan and $700 in the U.S.

R&D Corner: NEC Organic Radical Battery

Researchers at NEC have developed a new type of rechargeable battery based on organic compounds and say it could be useful in a wide range of IT-related applications.

The battery is based on a similar cell structure as the common lithium ion battery but with one significant difference: Instead of using poisonous ingredients like lithium and cobalt, the battery uses an organic compound called PTMA. This makes it both environmentally friendly and also makes possible some key performance features, including the capability to deliver a large current over a short time. NEC tested the battery in a PC and found that it can deliver enough power to keep the system running for about 20 seconds. Should the power fail, the battery would let the PC back up data and shut down properly.

The batteries are cheap to produce, so they could become common in PCs when they are sold commercially, which could be several years from now.

Martyn Williams is Tokyo bureau chief for the IDG News Service, a consortium of IDG publications.