General Electric (GE) has marked its entry into the European market with seven new digital compact cameras – all featuring ?blink detection? – and hinted at a ?bridge? model to follow.
The ?second generation? cameras are made and distributed by General Imaging, under licence from GE.
GE?s first generation models were announced last year but were only available in the United States.
Speaking at this morning?s launch at the Oxo Tower in central London Gary Banks, General Imaging?s commercial director for Europe, said: ?Our digital cameras represent an extension of GE?s 128-year heritage of leadership in technology and innovation.?
He added: ?Our aim is for GE to be one of the top digital camera brands within five years.?
General Imaging Europe?s managing director Yasuhisa Nishida hinted that the firm would be developing a new bridge camera – for European launch this autumn – and did not rule out future entry into the digital SLR market.
Yasuhisa Nishida brings much photographic experience to the firm, telling us that he spent 38 years at Fujifilm.
All the new GE models feature three-shot in-camera panorama stitching, smile and blink detection and image stabilisation.
Using blink detection, the camera warns the user if a subject has blinked in the captured shot, while smile detection is designed to fire the shutter when someone smiles.
Billed as a top-of-the-range model the 10-million-pixel E1050 boasts a 3in ?touchscreen? and is touted as the first model with the ability to attach directly to a TV, for HDMI [High Definition] playback, without the need for a docking cradle.
Features also include a 5x optical zoom.
The E1050 is expected to cost around £200 and be available by the beginning of April.
GE also plans to launch a GPS version of this model later in the spring. The E1050G will allow photographers to tag their images so they can locate where the image has been shot.
Expected in UK shops in the next few months the range includes the 12MP E1235 (around £200); the G2 (around £120) which includes MPEG4 movie recording; and the entry-level 8MP A835, 7MP A735 and the ?superslim? 8MP A840s (A-series cameras cost £60-70); the 10MP E1035 (around £180).
All are powered by rechargeable lithium batteries apart from the A835 which accepts AA batteries.
The GE cameras are designed in Tokyo, Japan and manufactured in China.
Photo (above) From left to right: General Imaging Europe?s managing director Yasuhisa Nishida, pictured alongside Gary Banks, commercial director for Europe, and Gary Sutton, UK Country Manager for General Imaging Europe at this morning’s press launch in central London
Picture credit: Damien Demolder
