Epson 750Z with CF
pcworld.com
Epson Offers Megapixel
Zoom Digital Camera
PhotoPC 750Z ups the ante with high resolution
and high price.
by James A. Martin, special to PC World
November 10, 1998, 2:50 a.m. PT
Epson America announced on Monday it is adding a
high-end digital camera--with a matching high-end
price--to its PhotoPC line.
The Epson PhotoPC 750Z promises a top resolution of
1600 by 1200 pixels and 6X zoom lens for an $800
street price. The camera works with PCs and Macs
and is expected to ship in February.
The PhotoPC 750Z has the same optical resolution of
1280 by 960 pixels as Epson's older PhotoPC 700;
both cameras use a 1.25-megapixel CCD sensor. But
the newer camera is Epson's first to use its HyPict
image interpolation technology. HyPict lets you print
8-by-10-inch color images with 1600- by-1200 pixel per
inch resolution, or 1.92 million pixels, without
sacrificing image quality, Epson claims.
Typically, interpolation--a method of adding visual
information to an image via software--can degrade
image quality whenever an interpolated photo is
enlarged. HyPict is superior to other image
enhancement methods, according to Epson, because
the interpolation occurs inside the camera, before
JPEG compression.
Other interpolation schemes often require the original
image to be compressed as a JPEG first, then
transferred to the PC and enhanced. Some of the
original information is discarded during JPEG
compression; the partial image data is then used to
create the interpolated image. HyPict produces better
enhanced images because all the original information is
used, according to Epson.
Consumers should note, however, that some digital
cameras in the PhotoPC 750Z's price range can
capture similar high-end images without interpolation.
Eastman Kodak's DC260, for instance, has a
maximum optical resolution of 1536 by 1024 pixels, or
nearly 1.6 million pixels and is available for as low as
$718 (from BuyComp.com).
The PhotoPC 750Z is the first Epson digital camera
with an optical zoom and Quick Shot, a feature that
promises the ability to snap pictures within three
seconds of each other, even at 1280-by-960 ppi
resolution. The camera comes with 4MB of internal
memory, upgradable to 12MB with an 8MB
CompactFlash card. Other features include the ability
to print directly to Epson Stylus printers, video out, a
software bundle including Sierra Imaging's Image
Expert, and panorama stitching.
Epson recently slashed prices on its other PhotoPC
cameras. The PhotoPC 700 is now $600, while the
PhotoPC 550, with a 640 by 480 ppi resolution, retails
for $199. |
