Thursday, September 30, 2010

Pentax has unveiled two new compact cameras with 720p HD movie recording capability. The 14-megapixel Pentax Optio LS1000 and Optio LS1100 feature an unusually boxy design, 3-inch LCD screens, 4x zoom lenses starting at a focal length of 27.5mm (in 35mm terms), Auto Picture mode and face detection with Smile Capture. Both cameras are listed on the Pentax UK website, but so far we have only been able to spot a few minor cosmetic differences between the two models. The price is £79.99.

Click to continue...

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

You can win one of three Nikon Coolpix L22 cameras and a Kingston 4GB SDHC memory card by participating in Kingston Digital’s autumn photo competition. The theme is simply “autumn” and is open to individual interpretation. The competition, which is open to residents of the European Union aged 12 and above, closes 15th November 2010.

Website: Kingston Autumn Competition

Click to continue...

The 2010 FotoWeek DC festival will be held from 5-13 November across the District of Columbia and throughout the metropolitan area. The 2010 line-up includes innovative, high-calibre, and inclusive exhibitions and lectures that provide a high-visibility platform for professional and amateur photographers alike. Highlights include a night gallery, portfolio reviews, lectures, seminars and more. The FotoWeek DC Awards Ceremony and Launch Party will set the festival in motion on Friday, November 5th, awarding over $23,000 in cash prizes to the competition winners.

Click to continue...

Nevercenter has just released a new app called Infinicam for iOS devices. Like Nevercenter’s earlier app CameraBag, Infinicam applies high quality effects to photos, but instead of having a set number of pre-­defined camera styles, Infinicam offers an endless variety by generating new and unique randomised camera styles that combine a wide array of photographic effects borrowed from analogue cameras and film emulsions. Once a favourite “camera style” is found, it can be easily saved and named for instant access later. Infinicam is available now for $1.99 USD in the App Store.

Website: Infinicam

Click to continue...

Kingston has released its CompactFlash Ultimate 600x memory cards. Available in 16GB and 32GB capacities, the Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 600x cards support UDMA mode 6 and offer read and write speeds of up to 90MB/sec. Backed by a lifetime warrenty, the cards are priced at £170.85 (32GB) and £97.55 (16GB). For added peace of mind, the price of theCF Ultimate 600x cards include free downloadable data recovery software from MediaRECOVER.

Click to continue...

JP Distribution, the exclusive UK distributor for Westcott, has announced a new range of collapsible umbrellas. The 43“ umbrellas fold down to just 14.5“ enabling them to fit easily into almost any bag or backpack. Available in three different styles – optical white satin (£19), soft silver (£19) and optical white satin with a removable black cover (£22), this umbrella range can be used as shoot through diffusers, or to bounce a light source. Intertested readers should contact Johnsons Photopia for their nearest dealer on 01782 753304.

Click to continue...

A revised edition of Doug Harman’s Digital Photography Handbook will hit the shops in early November. Part one looks at cameras, lenses and other hardware accessories and explains the technology behind them. Part two explores the art of photography itself, from composing a shot to considerations such as depth of field, focus or exposure. Part three moves into the digital darkroom to show readers the solutions to common problems, while a series of masterclasses focuses on professional image manipulation techniques and artistic effects, breaking them down into step-by-step stages for readers to follow. The 254-page book is priced at £6.99.

Click to continue...

Lastolite has announced a new range of light modifiers and other accessories. These include the TriGrip Difflector, the world’s first dual purpose reflector panel which can be used as both a diffuser and a soft silver bounce reflector, the Strobo, a compact and simple to use, creative light modifying system which fits directly onto a battery operated flash, the Micro Apollo MkII, an ultra portable, collapsible softbox with two layers of diffusion, the Umbrella TriFold, an ultra compact shoot-through umbrella which packs down to just 8 inches long, as well as several new additions to the Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe range. Further product information and exact availability dates will be released in the coming weeks, the manufacturer says.

Click to continue...

Nero has introduced two new high definition solutions: Nero Multimedia Suite 10 Platinum HD and Nero Video Premium HD. Nero Multimedia Suite 10 Platinum HD (£79.99) builds upon the robust, 3-in-1 multimedia management tools introduced earlier this year in Nero Multimedia Suite 10, which focused on video editing, burning and backup. The Platinum HD version introduces BD-Live 2.0 Blu-ray playback capabilities and new tools - including the Move It plug-in for easy media transfer and the Nero Creative Collection Pack 1 with new Picture-in-Picture effects - to help create, edit, burn, backup and share HD content. Nero Video Premium HD (£59.99) blends the powerful video editing capabilities of Nero Vision Xtra with myriad creative effects and Blu-ray playback to simplify the task of advanced video editing. Both products will be available starting on 14th October.

Click to continue...

Enlight Photo has announced the Frio, a cold shoe with a unique dual lock system. The Frio lets any hot shoe accessory (most flash units, some microphones, LED light panels etc.) be mounted to any support with a 1/4″-20 standard stud, including various tripods, monopods, light stands and clamps. Featuring Enlight Photo’s ‘Slip-n-Click’ technology, the dual lock system of the Frio gives photographers the assurance that their gear is safe during every photo shoot, on location and in the studio alike. The Frio will officially be launched in October. Pricing to be confirmed.

Click to continue...