BenQ Again Claims Slimmest 8 MP Camera

BenQ is again laying claim to the "world's slimmest 8 megapixel camera" title with its T850, packed with consumer-friendly point-and-shoot features.

Taiwan’s BenQ is again laying claim to having the world’s slimmest 8 megapixel camera—it previously claimed its DSC X800 was the slimmest in the category—this time with its T850 point-and-shoot camera. The T8650 sports a 3× optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD display, ISO sensitivity down to 1600 (more for shake-free and movie modes, USB 2.0 connectivity, and SD/SDHC storage, along with consumer-friendly snapshot features like smile-capture, face-tracking, and image stabilization.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the T850 is its touch-screen interface: users can tap and drag their fingers on the display to carry out many common camera actions, including selection, slide shows, image browsing, and focusing. The T850 also uses a supposedly-unique “Swipe” gesture for viewing both photos and video. Users can also use the touchscreen capability to scribble notes and captions on their images, as well as ad drawings and callout balloons. The T850 also sports 30 preset scene modes, and a “12 Burst” feature that takes 12 images in 1 second so users can be sure to get their action shots.

BenQ says the T850 will be available in China, Asia, and Europe in May; no word on a North American release, although BenQ claims to be planning “worldwide” availability. The T850 will be available in red and black.