Samsung has this week announced two new digital cameras in their entry level S line. The S760 is a 7.2 megapixel camera, and the S860 has 8.1 megapixels, but they’re identical otherwise. Both have 3x optical zooms with a 35mm equivalent zoom length of 38-105mm, Digital Image Stabilization mode, and Face Detection auto focus/auto exposure.

Both cameras are powered by AA batteries. A Self Portrait mode uses the face detection system and won’t let you take a shot until a face is centered in the frame.

Both Samsung cameras will be available in January 2008 with the S760 available at an MSRP of $169 and the S860 at $179.

Info by camera-news.com

The Canon PowerShot A720 IS ($249) is an update to the PowerShot A710, one of my favorite cameras from 2006. The A720 isn't a huge leap over its predecessor, though some of the new features are appreciated. Here are the most notable new features:

• 8.0 effective Megapixel CCD (versus 7.1 MP on the A710)
• DIGIC III image processor (the A710 had DIGIC II)
• Expanded ISO range of 80 - 1600 (versus 100 - 800)
• Face detection AF/AE
• Longer movie recording times
• Improved battery life

Everything else is about the same, and that's fine, as the A710 was already an excellent camera. That means that the A720 has a 6X optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, a 2.5" LCD display, full manual controls, conversion lens support, and much more.