Simplicity can be costly

For a camera priced at $1,000, there is a lot missing from the Sigma DP-1. For starters, it is not a single-lens-reflex camera. Indeed, the DP-1's optical viewfinder is an optional $150 accessory. Nor does its lens zoom.

But the DP-1, due out next month, is an attempt by a company best known as a lens maker to create a compact camera that can produce high-quality images. To that end, it uses a 14-megapixel Foveon image sensor that is as large as the sensors found in most digital SLRs. Larger sensors create less digital "noise" in low-light photos and generally sharper pictures.

Tom Sobey, the marketing manager for Sigma Corporation of America, said some people were comparing the DP-1 to the Leica M8, another digital camera that is not an SLR. Given that the price of the Leica camera body and one lens starts at about $7,500, the DP-1 seems like a bargain, even after accounting for the fact that Leica throws-in a high-quality, built-in optical viewfinder.

Want to crush the hegemony of the established mobile phone world order? Take a look at Zzzphone.

This cell phone is fully customizable, allowing you to add or remove features and accessories and, interestingly enough, change the logo on the back to almost anything you desire. Want to get rid of the camera? Pay $11 less. Want to improve the processor? Add $95. Want Skype Internet calling or GPS? Add $36 and $119, respectively.

The company takes orders, then manufactures the handsets at a factory in China. The phone comes with a 30-day guarantee for the faint of heart. The entire operation seems to be on the up and up, but it might be best to avoid the "Pre-install MP3 Music" and "Pre-install MP4 Movies" options, which might not be legal in China or anywhere else.

NEW YORK TIMES