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NEW YORK - seeking to draw an early spotlight before the klieg lights of PMA blind observers, Adesso, Casio, Canon and Konica-Minolta, introduced several new 2005 models, principally courting the entry and mid-level consumer.
Adesso announced its first slate of Umaxbranded digital still and video cameras, aimed at the sub-$400 end of the market. The accessories manufacturer agreed to distribute, service and support Umax branded cameras last July. The first fruits of that agreement ship this month in two lines. The AstraCam family will target more novice users while the PowerCam product line will offer more advanced features.
The 3-megapixel AstraCam DV350 offers still and MPEG-4 video capture and MP3 playback. It features a fixed focal length with a 4x digital zoom, a 1.6-inch LCD screen, built-in speakers and microphone. It can record VGA video at 15 frames per second (fps) or 320 by 240 resolution video at 30 fps. The unit accepts SD/MMC cards up to 512MB, is Pict-Bridge-enabled and will retail for a suggested $179.99.
The 3.!-megapixel AstraPix 680, for a suggested $159.99, is also PictBridge-enabled and features a 2-inch LCD, voice and VGA video recording, 16MB of internal memory and an SD/MMC card slot for memory up to 512MB.
The 2-megapixel AstraPix 620, for a suggested $149.99,...