Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Starting tomorrow, Leica will donate €0.50 to the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) for every new follower of Leica’s Twitter account. The charity project for the benefit of international cancer research is part of an initiative that was launched by Leica enthusiast photographers who met on the independent International Leica User Forum. At the cornerstone of the project is the Leica User Forum Charity Book 2010, which is available through online publishing company, Blurb. A significant donation from the participating photographers, as well as € 6 from the € 95 price of the book, will benefit the AICR. Leica itself has decided to join in after seeing that more than €9,000 has been raised this way. In addition to the 50 euro cents for every new follower on Twitter, Leica will donate an additional €1,000 to the AICR upon reaching 10,000 followers by 9 July 2010.

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Monday, June 28, 2010

SanDisk is now shipping in volume its 1GB SanDisk SD “write once read many” (WORM) cards to Japan’s police force. Using the SanDisk SD WORM card, law enforcement officers can create unalterable, permanent photographic records that serve as resources during investigations or as potential evidence during trials. Officers simply insert the card into an SD WORM-compatible digital camera and begin capturing images. Later, they can transfer the images to a computer while maintaining unchangeable originals on the WORM card - ensuring that the justice system has access to evidence of indisputable accuracy. The SanDisk SD WORM card is available worldwide in a 1GB capacity, with pricing dependent upon the quantity ordered.

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PhotoReflect, a photography storefront hosting and e-commerce site, is now providing new and improved tools to increase sales for the professional photographer. These include digital download packages, creation tools, auto-orienting photo gifts and a multi-dimensional representation of gallery canvas. These tools let photographers “configure their product offerings in ways necessary to meet the unique needs of their individual business,” the company claims.

Website: PhotoReflect

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Boingo’s “Hotspots and Snapshots” digital photo contest could land you a new Wi-Fi enabled Samsung digital camera. There are four categories including Travel, Happingess, Technology and Boingo Hotspots - and each category winner will receive a Samsung ST5500 / CL80 digital camera. The competition is open to amateur photographers all over the world. You have until 22 July to submit your work.

Website: Boingo Blog

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A UK-wide survey, whose findings have been unveiled today, asserts that the rise of camera phones poses no real threat to traditional photography. The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Polylooks, Deutsche Telekom’s online photo agency, found that only about a fifth of Britons believe their camera phone is sufficient for their photographic needs. Nearly one in three (28%) respondents owned an SLR camera, with ownership higher among more senior age groups. Polylooks’ survey also found that men (17%) were almost twice as willing as women (9%) to spend more than £400 on a camera. Nearly a tenth of all respondents entertained the thought of going pro at some point, and exactly 10% considered submitting their images to microstock sites. “The British passion for photography remains as strong as ever,” said Norbert Weber, head of Polylooks. “While many of us now have a decent camera as part of our mobile phone, our study shows that not only do most British consumers prefer to use a high-quality camera for personal photography, but that a comparatively large amount would like the option to make money from their images.”

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Sigma has updated its Photo Pro image processing software to version 4.1 (1044) for Mac and 4.1.1.0 for Windows. The new versions fix bugs and add full support for the Sigma SD15 digital SLR camera. The Windows version also provides 64-bit support. Owners of Sigma cameras can download the update for free.

Website: Sigma Photo Pro

A software update is now available for ColorChecker Passport. Version 1.0.2 includes a bug fix for using Passport software with Lightroom 3 when using “Export with Preset” allowing the dialogue box to appear for naming the profile being created. The update also provides improved colour extraction for better profile accuracy and improved patch detection, which eliminates errors in cases where the luminance of light-coloured patches meets or exceeds the luminance of the white patch. The update is free for all ColorChecker Passport users- all you need to do is launch the ColorChecker Passport software on a computer with an active Internet connection, and a dialogue box will appear asking you to authorise the download (see picture above).

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The 29th edition of the free PhotographyBB Online Magazine is available for download. The edition features a tutorial on how to create dramatic landscape photos. Additionally, readers will learn about the differences between small flash units and studio strobes, along with the practical applications of each option. This release also examines the relationship between sensor sizes vs megapixels in digital cameras, and how both of these factors combined affect overall image quality. In its Photography Around the World series, the magazine takes its readers to the island of Oahu to show them the filming locations from the TV series, LOST.

Website: PhotographyBB

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Friday, June 25, 2010

Panasonic’s new TV ad was shot using the camera it advertises. Set in Valencia and centred on two world-class parkour practicioners, the spectacular TV spot highlights the versatlity of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 as a video camera. The filming technique employed enabled one of the parkour traceurs to flip off a wall over the other, holding not only the G2 to film his action but also a bespoke camera rig attached to the G2. In addition to the advert itself, Panasonic has released a behind-the-scenes video revealing how the ad was shot.

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Olympus’ SuperSonic Wave Filter (SSWF) anti-dust technology has won an award in Japan’s National Invention Awards 2010. This technology is found in all of Olympus’ interchangeable-lens digital cameras, including their Micro Four Thirds models and DSLRs alike. Given that the SSWF was already implemented in the Olympus E-1 of 2003 (pictured), the timing of the award is somewhat surprising. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held at Hotel Okura, Tokyo, on July 30.

Website: Olympus press release (in Japanese)