Digital Camera News: Underwater Housing Under $30, New Features at Shutterfly

Underwater Digital Camera Housing Under $30

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA., July 21, 2005 -- DXG USA, one of the fastest growing digital camera manufacturers in the United States, has announced the DXG-308 underwater enclosure is now available for sale separately for the first time. The waterproof enclosure allows owners of the popular DXG-308 digital camera to use their existing cameras underwater to a depth of 15 feet. The enclosure is available for $29.99 through the DXG website at www.dxgusa.com/shop.

The hard plastic housing offers a compact, watertight design for easy handling and access to camera functions. The enclosure floats in water and its design allows the camera to be inserted or removed in just seconds. It is ideal for pool parties, water parks, trips to the beach, snorkeling, fishing, snow boarding, ATV riding and other outdoor activities that occur in wet or dusty environments.

" DXG has sold over 200,000 DXG-308 digital cameras over the past year, so the availability of this low-priced weatherproof housing will allow a large group of outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy digital photography in environments once considered too extreme," said Jeff Hansen, Director of Marketing for DXG USA. "While there are other underwater housings available on the market, most models designed for digital cameras cost five to six times as much as the DXG version."

Everyone wants to capture digital memories of their day at the beach, reeling the big fish into the boat, or riding their ATVs across the sand dunes. The problem is dirt, grit, sand and water can ruin most digital cameras in a single trip. This accessory solves that problem and does so at a very reasonable price.

The DXG-308U was previously sold with the camera and enclosure together. This marks the first time the housing has been available for purchase without the camera.

DXG-308U Underwater Housing Specifications

Enclosure Type Designed exclusively for the DXG-308 Digital Camera

Material Plastic Housing, Non-Corrosive Stainless Steel Hardware

Waterproofing Double Seal Gasket and Safety Quick Closing Latch Buckle

Maximum Depth 15 feet (5 meters); Meets IPX8 Waterproof Standard. Floats

Control Buttons Shutter Release, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Flash Select, LCD Display Wake

Wrist Strap Included; Heavy-duty. (Max 26 lbs. hanging force)

Dimensions 5.1" (W) x 3.5" (H) x 2.4" (D)

Weight Approx. 6.3 oz. (without camera). Floats

Price $29.99 (available only at www.dxgusa.com/shop)

Shutterfly Announces New Features

Shutterfly has rolled out some new features to enhance the user experience.  Including a customizable viewing experience, a "film strip", ability to mark pictures and and new search functionality.

From the press release:
Customizable "small, medium or large" picture views give Shutterfly members the option to visually scan through all photos (within an album) at one time or see 12 larger thumbnail photos per album page.

While viewing the details of a single picture, the persistent "film strip" (located beneath the main image) makes it possible for members to browse through all photos within an album using the scroll bar. When judging similar shots, this feature makes it faster for customers to easily view large images, quickly jump in and out of them and choose the best one.

"Favorites" feature allows customers to mark their most treasured images with a star, making it a snap to gather perfect shots for projects, such as Photo Books and Calendars, with the new one-click "View All Favorites" button.

"Find" tool helps members search for pictures efficiently and get results in seconds. Options include:

* Search by text (e.g. captions on images, image title, descriptions, original filename of image and more)
* Search by favorites
* Search by date range (e.g. date taken, date uploaded)
* Search by images ordered on prints (all sizes)
* Search by images ordered on enlargements (5 7 and larger)
* Search by images ordered on books (Snapbooks, Photo Books)
* Search by images ordered on Calendars
* Search by images ordered on Photo Gifts (Mugs, T-Shirts, Mouse Pads etc.)
* Search by images ordered on any product
* Search using one, two, three or all of the above