New digital cameras add to zoom and toughen up

Miami Florida Real Estate Is Picture Perfect !

Most point-and-shoot cameras have a midsize LCD preview screen and short zoom lens that brings you slightly closer to the action. That’s about to change. This year, the hottest compact cameras will have much larger zooms and preview screens and will be able to withstand abuse and shoot in low-light situations with better quality. They’ll cost more, but at an average of $350 to $450, you’ll pay a lot less than for an entry-level digital SLR, which starts at around $700.

The photo industry, hoping to reverse two years of declining sales, met here this week for the Photo Marketing Association convention, where new cameras for the spring get introduced.

Here’s a peek at what to look for:

• Samsung’s $449 TL500 has a much wider lens opening than normally found on compacts. The f/1.8 lens opening means that this camera can capture better images at sporting events and school plays, for instance, without having to use a flash. Most digital cameras have a slower, f/3.5 lens.

• Olympus’ new cameras have a built-in manual. The entire manual is stored in memory and can be accessed through the menu.

• Big zooms in small bodies are very popular. Nikon’s $350 Coolpix P100 has a 26x zoom; Fuji’s $249 FinePix S2550HD has an 18x zoom, and Sony’s new $250 Cyber-shot H55 has a smaller 10x zoom in a tinier body. The more powerful zoom is good for both a wider view (think group shots) and getting closer to the action. These cameras also have 720p high-definition video recording. (The cameras will all be out in March.)

• Many cameras have a feature called “face detection” that instructs the camera to expose and focus correctly for faces. Fuji’s new $299 FinePix F80EXR, out in April, adds a “pet-detection” feature along with a 10x zoom.

• Olympus pioneered the rugged compact category with its tough line of waterproof, shockproof and freeze-proof cameras. Now there are rugged compacts from Panasonic, Canon and Casio. Sony calls its new Cyber-shot TX5 the world’s “smallest and thinnest” tough-cam. “What we brought to the category was slimness and design,” says Kelly Davis, director of Sony’s digital camera division. “Normally the waterproof category is chunkier and a little more rugged looking.”

Olympus is fine-tuning its tough-cams. The new $399 Stylus Tough-8010 and $299 Stylus Tough-6020 have added high-def 720p video recording.

“So if you happen to fall or slip while you’re rock climbing, and plummeting down to the water below, you can film the whole thing in high-def on the way down, and continue to film as you go into the deep,” says Sally Smith Clemens, an Olympus product manager.

The next dimension

And if big zooms and cameras you can sit on don’t do the trick, how about a camera that taps into Hollywood’s latest craze: the third dimension? Jim Calverley, a Fuji product manager, thinks 3D could get consumers interested in adding another camera to their arsenal. “In the world of consumer electronics, new things sell,” he says. “People want to have the latest and greatest.”

Fuji’s $599 FinePix Real 3D W1 camera will begin showing up in stores in the spring, but it’s been available online since late 2009. The camera has two lenses and two image sensors. While you don’t need special glasses to view the pictures, you also don’t get the same dramatic 3D look of the movies. It’s more of a subtle look akin to the stereo viewers of yesteryear. For more enhanced 3D, Fuji sells a $500 digital viewer, with an 8-inch LCD, to view pictures. Viewed with 3D glasses, the images are more traditionally third-dimensional.

Chris Chute, an analyst at researcher IDC, doesn’t see camera sales improving. There are just too many homes with cameras. IDC projects industry revenue of $6.6 billion this year, down from $7.1 billion in 2009. But he does think the new features will get buyers to part with some cash.

“People are tired of being told they can’t have fun,” he says. “We’ll see a lot more people on vacation and going to social events. Cameras haven’t gone away at all. There’s a camera for everyone.”

Reports show economy mending. Miami Florida Real Estate 800-819-5466

Miami Florida - Economic indicators keep saying what investors have known for months: Things are getting better.

The latest government report to reinforce a more positive view of the economy’s health was the Federal Reserve’s “beige book,” released Wednesday, which indicated many parts of the nation are seeing economic stability. Earlier in the day, President Obama told spectators at a town hall meeting in Raleigh, N.C., “We may be seeing the beginning of the end of the recession.”

And the July update of the USA TODAY/IHS Global Insight Economic Outlook Index predicts the economy will grow October through December, the first increase since September 2008.

“The evidence (of recovery) is building every day,” says Jim Paulsen of Wells Capital Management. “It’s settling and gives people more faith in what they’ve seen” from stock and bond markets.

The reports echo what stock prices have been predicting since March. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index has soared 44 percent from its March 9 low, despite falling 0.5 percent Wednesday.

While the latest pieces of economic data provide some comfort, they by no means signal a return to the boom times. Economic experts say they still are on the watch for information about:

• Clues on when a meaningful recovery is firmly underway. The beige book indicated the economy is still far from robust, because five of the Fed’s 12 regions – Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, Atlanta and Dallas – were “subdued” or “weak” and Minneapolis was faltering.

“There may be a bottom, but where’s the bounce?” says Doug Roberts of Channel Capital Research. “There’s still a significant level of weakness in the economy.”

• Signs of health in the commercial real estate market. The beige book sounded concerns about the demand for office buildings, retail space and manufacturing facilities, says John Canally of LPL Financial. The fact commercial real estate remains soft could be a sign that employment, too, will be weak until early 2010, he says.

• Evidence of the federal stimulus kicking in. Much of the future hinges on how stimulus spending steers the economy, Roberts says, which won’t be known until next year. Some additional clues, though, will be released this week with reports on jobless claims today and GDP on Friday.

“There’s a lot of information that supports the idea we’ve turned a corner,” Paulsen says. “But there’s still a lot of doubt.”

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Related Group and Starwood Join Forces To Create New Property In Bal Harbour 800-819-5466

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Starwood and The Related Group Form a Joint Venture
to Develop a New Build St. Regis Resort & Residences
on the Existing Site of the Sheraton Bal Harbour. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) and The Related Group of Florida announce that they have signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture to develop a new build St. Regis Resort & Residences in South Florida's most exclusive enclave, Bal Harbour. The St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour, to be built on the existing site of the Sheraton Bal Harbour, will be located on the white, pristine sands of the Atlantic Ocean directly across the street from the legendary Bal Harbour Shops. The renowned Lucien Lagrange Architects has been selected for the project. The proposed transaction is subject to the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements and other approvals and customary closing conditions.
"Related's innovative development expertise in project conceptualization, mixed-use development, and sales and marketing of upscale residential projects in the South Florida market is a perfect complement to Starwood's ultra-luxury brand, loyal customer base and its existing untapped real estate holdings," said Steven Heyer, CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "We expect that this relationship will allow us to maximize the unrealized potential of our land assets while enhancing the strength of Starwood's presence in this affluent market."

"We see a huge potential in developing the St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour as a preeminent address for first-class luxury living in Miami," said Jorge M. Perez, chairman, The Related Group of Florida. "The powerful combination of the St. Regis brand, the distinguished reputation of Lucien Lagrange Architects', and Related's integrated development approach will make the St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour a spectacular new addition to the seaside Bal Harbour village."

Only a select few of the world's luxury hotels merit the St. Regis name, offering unprecedented excellence in standards of hospitality and elegance. The St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour will feature an array of sumptuous amenities, including the brand's signature butler service, renowned concierge service, a world-class spa and a signature restaurant.

The Bal Harbour Shops, ranked "the number one shopping center in the U.S." by Women's Wear Daily and home to 100 flagship stores including Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. The Bal Harbour Shops also offer their patrons services such as valet parking, personal shoppers, as well as an array of first-rate fine dining options.

The Sheraton Bal Harbour will plan promotional activities throughout the year prior to its anticipated closing in June 2006 to celebrate the hotel's 50 year fabled history. "We anticipate that thousands of guests who have stayed with us over these past 50 years will want to come back and stay with us one last time," said the Resort's Managing Director, Hans B. Altenhoff. "This will be an exciting year for our property; not only will we commemorate our 50th anniversary but we will also provide our guest the opportunity to own their dream home on the beach they have enjoyed all these years." The Sheraton Bal Harbour's 50 year anniversary celebration which kicks off this spring, will incorporate promotions with the luxury brand emporiums located at the Bal Harbour Shops via an exclusive "Passport to Bal Harbour" offering available only at www.sheraton.com.

The Related Group of Florida has 25 years of residential development and construction experience of condominiums and urban mixed-use properties, primarily in Florida. Some of Related's landmark projects in South Florida include the Icon, Murano, Murano Grande, Portofino Towers and Oceans I, II and III. The company works closely with its New York affiliate to acquire commercial and residential real estate throughout the US. Related's marketing partnership with RCRS (Related Cervera Realty Services) will offer years of selling expertise in the luxury South Florida real estate market.

Lucien Lagrange Architects has roots in both the innovative architectural legacy of Chicago and the classic design heritage of Mr. Lagrange's native France. The dichotomy results in a firm that is uniquely creative yet sensitive to a timeless aesthetic. In a relatively short time, Lagrange has made a significant mark on the Chicago skyline. Its projects - new buildings and comprehensive renovations - are prominent both in the Loop and on the Near North Side. One of the latest is the new 67-story Park Tower hotel and luxury condominium development on North Michigan Avenue.

Local architect, Sieger Suarez, has been selected as the architect of record and has long been unrivaled as South Florida's leading architectural firm specializing in luxury residential high-rise design. Taft Bradshaw, the original landscape designer for the Village of Bal Harbour and the Bal Harbour Shops, has been chosen as the landscape architect.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations.

For more information regarding the above property, please call Dean or Bonnie Isenberg at 305-936-2489 / 800-819-5466 or visit us on-line at A-Realtor.Com



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