The CES has named the Olympus E-Pen 1 DSLR camera a 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree. The E-Pen 1 is the first Micro Four Thirds system camera from Olympus.

A panel of independent designers, engineers, and members of the media select the award winners. The E-Pen 1 and the other award winners will be on display during 2010 International CES, Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas.

The E-Pen 1 is available for purchase now, at a price of about $800-$900 with a starter lens. (Compare Prices) Olympus recently announced the successor to the E-Pen 1, called the E-Pen 2, which will be available in December.

Photo courtesy Olympus

If you're interested in underwater photography, take a few minutes to check out a new Web site from Fujifilm, called the FinePix Lagoon.

Much of the site's information is geared toward FinePix cameras and toward photographers who already own Fujifilm photography equipment, but you'll also find some tips for shooting underwater photos. Most of the tips at the site are aimed at those new to underwater photography.

For additional tips on underwater photography equipment, take a look at my Best Underwater Cameras and Accessories article.

Screen shot courtesy Fujifilm

Panasonic's Lumix FP8 point and shoot camera might not match up with other cameras in the sub-$300 price range in terms of LCD size (2.7 inches), but it excels in a couple of other key areas.

My Panasonic FP8 review shows a stylish looking camera with excellent response times and image quality. In fact, few point and shoot models can match the FP8's strong response times.

A slightly lower starting price (Compare Prices) than the FP8's $299 MSRP would be nice, but the FP8 is still a strong enough beginner camera to make my list of the best digital cameras under $300.

Photo courtesy Panasonic

Those looking for a mid-range DSLR camera heading into the holiday season will want to consider an interesting candidate from Canon that's now available in stores: The EOS 7D.

This Canon model has an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor sporting the latest technologies, including a 19-point autofocus system, high-end ISO settings (100 to 6,400) for low-light photography, full HD video capture at up to 30 frames per second, and a built-in dual-axis electronic level.

The EOS 7D starts at about $1,700 for the body only. (Compare Prices) Several accessories are available for the EOS 7D, too, including a wireless file transmitter (the WFT-E5A for about $700), which allows for remote photography, controlled over a laptop or smart phone. (Compare Prices)

Photo courtesy Canon