Duracell Press Release

BETHEL, Conn., Oct. 10—Duracell today announced two new Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery chargers that deliver greater convenience along with industry-leading safety technology. With over 152 million Americans carrying personal entertainment devices(1), the new products are designed to meet power and lifestyle demands stemming from the constant use of high-drain devices like digital cameras and iPods. Designed for tech-savvy consumers, the new Duracell Power Gauge Charger features a dynamic LED indicator that displays the charge status for each battery, so consumers can easily tell when each charge will be complete, ensuring top-performance with every use. The Power Gauge Charger charges up to four AA or AAA NiMH batteries, and for added flexibility, has a USB port for quick, convenient charging of compatible, USB(2)-enabled devices with built-in rechargeable batteries like iPods, MP3 players and digital cameras. This two-in-one feature makes charging a wider range of devices even easier, eliminating the need to power-up personal computers or use wall adapters for USB-enabled devices. In addition, the Power Gauge Charger contains state-of-the-art safety technology for superior protection against over-heating or over-charging.

Wacom Press Release

9 October 2006 - Wacom, the leading manufacturer of pen tablets and interactive pen displays, and Video2Brain, a leading production company of video trainings, today announce the release of Video2Brain’s training DVD ’Real-Life Photoshop Workflows‘. The content of the DVD has been developed in close co-operation between Video2Brain and Wacom. It provides professional photographers and digital imaging enthusiasts with an insight into the creative process, offering tips to improve the digital workflow using Adobe Photoshop and the Intuos3 pen tablet along with tutorials about retouching and image manipulation.

Transcend Press Release

Transcend Information, Inc., a world leader in flash memory cards, is very proud to announce its 8GB high-capacity SDHC. The SD card is the most popular flash memory standard in the world now, and the SDHC (SD High-Capacity) is the new generation of SD cards (Version 2.0). Formatted in FAT32, SDHC cards reach a maximum capacity of 32GB and can fulfill the high-capacity demand of the new SDHC devices such as Casio Exilim Z1000/Z600/S600 cameras, Panasonic DMC-L1 camera, and HP printer A/B. Now you can enjoy a high-quality digital life and store all of your MP3 music files, high-resolution pictures, and video clips in your SDHC card.

Metz Press Release

Metz announce the worlds first USB TTL Flashgun - 58-AF-1. The new Metz 58 AF-1 has a maximum guide number of 58 and boasts a number of new features, the most revolutionary of which is the inclusion of a USB port for future upgrading as Camera flash technology changes and new models are released. The new 58 AF-1 also includes Metz unique second reflector which can now be used in Full TTL mode with varying output to ¼ power in order to add a fill light to your subject when “bouncing” the main flash head.  The main head of the flashgun also has both tilt and swivel facilities with a reflector card and wide angle diffuser giving unparalleled control together with a zoom head range of 24-105mm. Suggested retail price £309.99.

Intro 2020 Press Release

CBL Professional White Balance Lenses are a new concept for professional accurate colour control. CBL White Balance Lenses are a new range of 3 double sided hand held discs which facilitate the accurate measurement of neutral colour balance by reflecting the light falling onto your subject into your lens in order to take a white balance reading. This system differs from many available products in that it is allowing you to take an “Incident” reading from the light source itself to calculate colour balance, giving highly accurate results in all situations, even where the subject has a particular dominant colour. The product materials are also waterproof and the colour characteristics will not change over time giving consistent and accurate results. Suggested retail prices are £119, £159 and £199 respectively.

Lensbabies Press Release

Lensbabies Launches Lensbaby 3G - 3rd Generation Selective Focus SLR Lens Locks in Bent Position, Allows Precision Focusing

Cologne, Germany; Photokina Hall 5.2, Booth D028 (September 26, 2006) – Today Lensbabies, LLC launched its 3rd generation selective focus Single Lens-Reflex (SLR) lens, Lensbaby 3G, introducing new features that dramatically expand the Lensbaby product family’s capabilities. The Lensbaby 3G SLR lens allows photographers to lock the Lensbaby in a desired bent position simply by pressing a button. Then, using a traditional barrel focus mechanism, photographers can do fine focusing and precisely place the sweet spot of sharp focus before pressing the shutter release.  The Original Lensbaby lens and the Lensbaby 2.0 lens require the photographer to manually hold the Lensbaby in a bent position while pressing the shutter release. Lensbaby selective focus SLR camera lenses take photos with one area in sharp focus, with that ‘sweet spot’ surrounded by graduated blur. Photographers can move the sweet spot of sharp focus anywhere in the photo by bending the flexible lens tubing.

Photokina Update: We now have some product photos live from Photokina 2006 - just click the link below to view them.

Elinchrom Press Release

Quality Lighting That Won’t Break the Bank - Elinchrom introduces its new entry-level, light-duty D-Lite studio flash kits

Ramsey, NJ – Proper lighting is by far one of the most crucial elements of photography. When it comes to shooting indoors, the ability to accurately control light intensity, direction or color can make or break a photo. Furthermore, a photographer’s ability to manipulate shadows and highlights can bring an image to life. This level of control has typically been out of reach for amateurs and enthusiasts with tight budgets, as reliable lighting technology has come at a hefty price—until now. Elinchrom, a leading manufacturer of professional lighting solutions is pleased to introduce its affordable D-Lite studio flash kits, specifically designed to meet the needs of entry-level shooters. The kits will include two D?Lite heads, two Softboxes, two light stands and bags, with estimated street pricing of under $900 for the 200W D-Lite 2 and under $1,100 for the 400W D-Lite 4.

SanDisk Press Release

COLOGNE, GERMANY, Sep. 26, 2006 – SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today introduced a 4-gigabyte (GB)[3] SanDisk Ultra® II SD High Capacity (SDHC™) card to meet the growing demand for higher capacity storage. The new cards can store more than 2,000 high-resolution pictures or up to 8 hours of MPEG 4 video[4]. The announcement was made at the Photokina trade show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Hall 6, Stand D78/E79. The SanDisk Ultra II SDHC card features write speeds of 9 megabytes (MB) per second and read speeds of 10MB/sec.[5] The cards are targeted at digital photography enthusiasts with 5 mega-pixel or higher resolution digital cameras or videographers with camcorders that require significantly faster flash storage cards. The SanDisk MicroMate™ USB 2.0 reader, which normally retails for $19.99, will be bundled with the 4GB SanDisk Ultra II SDHC card at no extra charge. SDHC cards require an SDHC-compatible reader to transfer images from card to computer, and the MicroMate readers work with both SDHC and SD cards.

Kodak UK Press Release

LONDON, and COLOGNE, Germany, September 25 – As digital cameras increase in feature and functionality, consumers need more powerful batteries to ensure maximum performance when taking pictures.  To support this need, Kodak today introduced a series of new batteries and chargers that increase the number of pictures consumers can take between battery charges and changes, and improving the picture-taking experience overall.  Kodak’s new batteries and chargers provide long life, fast flash, and long storage life, which combine to give consumers an outstanding picture-taking experience. “Consumers always want to be ready to capture that important life event through pictures, whether it’s a child’s first step, a high school graduation or a wedding,” said Joel Proegler, general manager one-time use camera and battery business, Eastman Kodak Company.  “With the new KODAK batteries and chargers, consumers can rest assured that they will have the power they need to take the best picture, wherever and whenever they want.”

Think Tank Photos Press Release

For photographers, having to check their gear before boarding an airline exposes them to one of their greatest fears: the theft of their equipment and possibly their livelihood. Think Tank Photos (www.thinktankphoto.com) newest additions to their air travel line the Airport Check In briefcase and the Airport Antidote Airport Acceleration, and Glass Taxi backpacks allow photographers to carry their bodies, lenses, and accessories onto planes with different carry on requirements and legally store them in overhead bins or under the seat. Being able to travel through airports with the least amount of hassle is of utmost importance to photographers. When combined with Think Tank Photos breakthrough large backpack, the Airport Addicted, and revolutionary roller, the Airport Security, these new bags provide photographers with a complete menu of options for complying with airline requirements for bag size and weight, as well as the maximum number of bags allowed they can carry onto the plane.

Gepe Press Release

At Photokina 2006 in Cologne (Germany), Gepe Produkte AG presents a new part of its product range: the Gepe Card Safe Store. It is the ideal tool to archive digital memory cards. At a first glance, the Card Safe Store looks like a DVD cover. Inside it consists of a foam rubber insert where memory cards can be safely kept in specific compartments. Gepe’s EasyGrab™ ensures easy and quick removal of cards. The new Card Safe Store is available in two versions: the black version features an index sheet on the outside and flaps on the inside where index prints or other paper can be kept. The second version is transparent without index sheet or flaps. As it is transparent, users can see which cards are stored even if the Store is closed. At Photokina, Gepe will introduce the Card Safe Stores for Compact Flash cards and SD cards. The CF store can hold up to 6 cards, in the SD store you can archive up to 9 cards.

Smartparts Press Release

Englewood, NJ (September 22, 2006) – Smartparts, Inc. (www.smartpartsproducts.com), one of the pioneers of the quickly growing Digital Picture Frame product category, announces an affordable easy-to-use Digital Picture Frame with a 5.6-inch LCD display that clearly showcases standard (JPEG) images and movie (.avi) files. Featuring three interchangeable 8” x 7” frames including a genuine walnut wood frame, automatic variable-speed slide show capability, infrared (IR) remote control for easy and interactive use, USB cable and AC adapter, this 8” x 7” digital picture frame is compatible with all memory cards including SecureDigital (SD), SmartMedia (SM), Memory Stick (MS), MultiMediaCard (MMC), CompactFlash (CF) and xD Picture Cards. It can easily be displayed on a desk or countertop.

Photokina Show have just reviewed the new SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash card and Firewire reader.

“The SanDisk Extreme IV memory card has immediate benefits for professional digital SLR photographers working with digital equipment like the Hasselblad H2D or high resolution digital SLR cameras like the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II 16 Megapixel DSLR camera. When we conducted our tests with cameras like the Canon EOS 1D Mark II N and Nikon D200 we had to admit that these fairly new cameras were not able to get the most out of the Extreme IV memory card. The bottleneck is the digital SLR camera that doesn’t (yet) support the fast Ultra DMA and this is a limitation.”

Website: Photokina Show - SanDisk Extreme IV Review

Lensbabies Press Release

Lensbabies is happy to announce today the launch of new Lensbaby branded accessory lenses, a Lensbaby Wide Angle/Macro Conversion Lens and a Lensbaby Wide Angle/Telephoto Lens kit. Most notable about the new wide angle accessory lens is that it is optimized for use with the Lensbaby - no other wide angle accessory on the market preserves the size of the sweet spot of focus the way the Lensbaby wide angle lens does. When a photographer uses an industry standard wide angle conversion lens with a Lensbaby it shrinks the size of the Sweet Spot.  The shrinking Sweet Spot makes it harder to shoot wide open at f/2.0 or f/2.8, because the Sweet Spot reduces to quite a small percentage of the photo.  Our new Lensbaby wide angle conversion lenses solve the problem of the shrinking Sweet Spot.

Moab Press Release

photokina 2006/Cologne, 26/09/2006 – Moab, a manufacturer of quality fine art and photograhic papers and accessories for the digital print market, today announces the new Chinle Digital Book. The ideal complement to its family of high quality inkjet papers, Moab’s Chinle Digital Book makes it possible to present ‘Fine-Art’ prints without the need for transparent wallets. This allows users to appreciate the detail and smoothness of the picture rendering possible with a high quality paper. Elegantly bound in genuine black leather, the Moab Chinle Digital Book is a professional solution for presenting high quality customised portfolios, photography albums and digital scrapbooking.

Hama Press Release

On the occasion of Photokina, Hama announces CompactFlash and Secure Digital cards, with respectively 1, 2 and 4 GB capacity, characterised by extreme speeds at a factor of 150 (1 x = 150 kB/sec.). Extremely quick – most people would think of motorsport, where presently the exemplary career of a German driver nears its end. In terms of photography, however, we are referring to memory cards with rapid write and read speeds. This is where the accessories pro Hama is on the verge of a tremendous breakthrough with its new Tech Line.

Hama Press Release

The Traveldrive 1000 & 1 will be introduced at this year’s Photokina and it’s ready for anything. Compatible with all common memory cards, the USB 2.0 card reader also comes with a docking station that connects the card reader to your computer. Thanks to three integrated ports, the docking station is used as a USB 2.0 hub and provides three additional connection options within reaching distance. The docking station ensures the quick mobility of the Traveldrive – without having to fumble around with annoying cables.

Pexagon Technologies Press Release

Guilford, CT   September 2006 ——-  PixiFun…Cool, fun stuff to do with your digital images. Pexagon Technologies has just lowered the price, and is offering FREE shipping, on all of their popular print kits when purchased online. The kits, available for purchase online at www.pixifun.com, are now only $4.99 each with FREE shipping included. To make the promotion even more appealing, Pexagon is offering a Buy 4, Get 1 FREE special, just in time for the holiday gift making and giving season. The print-at-home kits include software which guides the user through a very simple process of importing digital photos into a template and adding text or graphics to create personalized items such as Photo Key Rings or a miniature Photo Sticker Album.

PNY Technologies Press Release

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 13, 2006—PNY Technologies(R), Inc. today announced the availability of its latest MaxFile(TM) Attache(R), a USB 2.0 micro hard drive with 12GB of storage space. The extra-small drive includes a Migo(TM) backup and synchronization software download, so users can sync everything from their e-mail, documents, favorites and settings wherever they go. “MaxFile Attache provides an ideal solution for users looking for a well-rounded combination of cost-effective, high-capacity, compact, portable storage,” said Dean Delserro, senior marketing manager, flash, for PNY Technologies. “Only slightly larger than a traditional USB flash drive, MaxFile’s small form factor is ideal for anyone that needs to safely carry loads of important information with them. MaxFile Attache is a perfect choice for the user that requires more storage at a lower cost per megabyte than is traditionally available on a USB Flash drive, and still wants to be able to carry it in their pocket, purse, briefcase or backpack.”

SanDisk Press Release

SanDisk Introduces 4GB miniSDHC Flash Card for Mobile Phones; Industry’s Highest Capacity Card For Cellphones Will Enable High-Resolution Photography, Digital Video, Music, Games and Data Storage

LOS ANGELES—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 12, 2006—SanDisk(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced a 4-gigabyte (GB)(1) miniSD High Capacity (SDHC(TM)) flash card at the CTIA Wireless Show, where the company is exhibiting in Booth #1147. The 4GB SanDisk miniSDHC card will be able to provide the fast speed and large capacity required to support increasingly popular but storage-intensive applications such as digital imaging, music and video record/playback functions as well as mobile television and videogames. The 4GB capacity can store more than 2,000 high-resolution pictures, more than 1,000 digital songs or up to 8 hours of MPEG 4 video.(2)