Foveon Press Release

Foveon Sensor Debuts in New Cameras from Sigma Corporation of Japan

Cologne, Germany, September 26, 2006—Foveon announced today the release of its 14.1 megapixel X3 DSLR image sensor, the highest resolution X3 sensor available and the latest product from Foveon. In addition to providing image quality suitable for professional photographers, the new X3 sensor incorporates design and process enhancements which improve performance at long exposures and high ISO speeds, and also provides a 40% increase in pixel count compared to the previous X3 DSLR sensor. Foveon’s proprietary X3 technology is the only image sensor technology that stacks red, green and blue pixels vertically, increasing the information density of the recorded image while simultaneously eliminating the color sampling artifacts found with other image sensors. The new X3 sensor packs 14.1 million pixels, each 7.8µm in size, into a 3-dimensional array of 2652 x 1768 x 3 pixels with an active image area measuring 20.69 x 13.79 mm. The sensor can be read out at speeds up to 5 frames per second.

SanDisk Press Release

COLOGNE, GERMANY, Sep. 26, 2006 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced the 12- and 16-gigabyte (GB)[1] SanDisk Extreme® III CompactFlash® cards to its award-winning Extreme III performance line, making these the highest capacity cards in the world. The new high-performance, large-capacity cards are ideal for professional photographers who shoot RAW or high-resolution JPG files and need the performance, reliability and capacity to capture these large files. The new SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash cards can also be used with the Grass Valley™ Infinity Series Digital Media Camcorder, the first camcorder introduced in the broadcast industry that uses non-proprietary, removable, solid-state flash memory cards as recording and playback media. The new cards will have minimum write and read speeds of 20 megabytes per second (MB/sec.) [2] and will ship to photo retailers by the end of the year. The announcement was made at the Photokina trade show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Hall 6, Stand D78/E79.

X-Rite Press Release

Köln, Germany – PHOTOKINA, Stand D038 – C031 in Hall 4.1 – September 26, 2006 – X-Rite, Incorporated (NASDAQ: XRIT)(SWX:XRI), a global leader in color measurement, today unveiled its new integrated portfolio of solutions, combined from former GretagMacbeth and X-Rite solutions, for the digital photography market. The creation of this portfolio was one of the first priorities for the company’s new Imaging and Media group. The new portfolio enables X-Rite to offer customers best-in-class solutions built on leading edge technology, delivering improved measurement consistency for accurate color communication throughout the creative workflow and the digital supply chain. In addition, by better leveraging its substantial investment in research and development, the company can accelerate innovation so it can continue to deliver solutions that break new ground in terms of functionality, ease-of-use, and price/performance.

HP and X-Rite Press Release

Grandville, Michigan USA, September 26, 2006 – HP and X-Rite (NASDAQ: XRIT)(SWX:XRI) today announced a strategic partnership that aims at seamlessly integrating the worlds of inkjet printing and color management, delivering the first color managed inkjet solution with true plug and play color accuracy and consistency. By incorporating an embedded spectrophotometer based on the X-Rite Eye-One technology and controlled from an intuitive HP Color Center, the new HP Designjet Z Photo Series printers delivers creative professionals breakthrough color accuracy, consistency and superb ease of use, revolutionizing end-to-end color printing solutions.

Kingston Technology Press Release

Kingston Introduces Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) 4GB Card - Announces SDHC Compatibility for its 15-In-1 Hi-Speed Reader

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 26, 2006 – Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it will begin producing the new Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) Class 2 card and enhance the function of its existing 15-in-1 Reader to support the growing storage demands of high performance digital still cameras, digital video cameras and other high resolution image recording devices. The new SDHC memory cards are available now in 4GB* capacities with a retail price of $199.00 USD through Kingston’s global network of resellers. “Although identical in size to today’s standard SD card, SDHC cards can handle the tremendous levels of data that today’s digital cameras and MP3 players are capable of delivering,” said Keyla Velazquez, product manager Digital Media / Flash Memory, Kingston Technology Company. “SDHC cards are a perfect match for today’s digital SDHC compatible devices that support MPEG-4 and high quality video compression commonly found in consumer HD and DVD videos, super VCD, box top DVRs and digital television.”

Kingston Technology Press Release

- Featuring Increased Write Speed of 133x and a New 8-GB Card for Higher Capacity -

[Photokina, 26 September 2006]  Kingston Technology, the world’s leading independent memory manufacturer, today announced the upgrading its “Ultimate” line of CompactFlash memory cards by preloading the cards with Ontrack’s EasyRecovery Professional software version 6.1.  Aimed at professional and advanced amateur photographers, the new software provides data recovery capabilities for lost digital photographs.  In addition, Kingston Technology will increase the sustained write speed from 100x to 133x on its 2-GB and 4-GB CompactFlash Ultimate cards and will add a new 8-GB capacity card with a write speed of 133x to the line. EasyRecovery Professional version 6.1 is the latest data recovery software from Ontrack.  Designed to retrieve photographs that have been corrupted or accidentally deleted, the software provides a complete, easy-to-use interface to recover photographs, providing photographers with added peace of mind and greater image protection.

Pretec Press Release

COLOGNE, Germany—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Pretec, world record holder of the highest capacity flash memory cards of CF card (12GB), USB Flash Drive (16GB), and SD card (8GB), has now released 16GB CF card, the first and highest capacity CF card in the world today at Photokina (Booth Hall 6, A069). The demand for higher capacity and better performing flash cards has been increasing in our daily lives with introduction of ever higher resolution digital cameras and the emergence of new multimedia appliances and industrial applications. Over the last 10 years CompactFlash has seen a 4,000 times increase in capacity from the first announcement of Pretec 4MB CF card (http://www.compactflash.org/pr/960220a.htm) to today’s 16GB. Pretec has consistently demonstrated the highest capacity and fastest speed CompactFlash in the world such as 3GB (Nov. 2002, Las Vegas, Comdex), 6GB (March 2003, Hanover, CeBIT), 12GB (March 2004, Hanover, CeBIT) and 16GB (Sept. 2006, Photokina).

I/OMagic Press Release

IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—I/OMagic Corporation (OTCBB:IOMG), a leading provider of data storage products, announced today that it has expanded its mobile storage line-up with the availability of a GigaBank™ Ultra 120, a portable hard disk drive with a push-button back-up operation. The 2.5” 120GB(a) portable hard drive disk is perfect for the “on the go” lifestyle. The GigaBank Ultra 120 is small enough to take anywhere conveniently and will hold any data — from essential business files to photos and music. “The GigaBank Ultra 120 is ideal for high speed digital storage with maximum versatility and portability,” said Tony Shahbaz, president and Chief Executive Officer of I/OMagic Corporation. “With 120GB of storage capacity and ultra high-speed data transfer the GigaBank Ultra 120 is the ideal choice for users who want large storage capacity together with a stylish ‘look.’”

Kodak UK Press Release

LONDON, and COLOGNE, Germany, September 25 – Eastman Kodak Company is extending its partnership with Leica Camera AG to provide image sensors for the newly announced LEICA M8.  The new KODAK KAF-10500 image sensor was developed specifically for use with the M8, and marks Kodak’s second collaboration with Leica, building on the success of Kodak’s interaction with Leica on the LEICA DIGITAL-MODULE-R. The first digital camera to use the Leica viewfinder system, the LEICA M8 extends the Leica M series into the digital world.  By working closely with Leica, Kodak designed and optimised the new image sensor to meet the demanding needs of Leica photographers. With a resolution of over 10 million pixels, the KAF-10500 continues Kodak’s legacy of offering high performance imaging devices that leverage Kodak’s Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) technology for low noise, high sensitivity, and wide dynamic range.  Utilising a 6.8µm pixel architecture, the sensor uses an optimised microlens configuration to maximise centre to corner uniformity for improved image quality, particularly important for the broad incident light angles associated with M series lenses.  The sensor also includes anti-blooming protection to prevent against image corruption during high light level conditions.

Epson P-3000 Multimedia Storage Viewer - Transform the way you look at photos and movies

Store, manage and share your photos and movies with this sleek, powerful, compact multimedia viewer. It’s perfect for sharing memories with friends, or as a portable, professional photo assistant. Experience the benefits of digital photography with the Epson P-3000. This powerful, compact device brings new flexibility and performance to digital photography. Watch movies in various formats, store and view photos through the the new crystal clear 4” Photo Fine Ultra LCD. There’s a 40GB internal memory for image storage and back-up, long battery life for true portability and built-in CF and SD memory card slots. You can even listen to music on its built-in audio player.

XS Drive Press Release

XS Drive Ltd who pionnered the portable storage concept in 2002 with the Xs-Drive1, presents at Photokina 2006 the XS Drive Centre which is the latest Multimedia backup solution for photographers. Needs for higher photo storage capacity is dramatic with performance increases of digital photography technologies. The XS-Drive Centre VP6250 is the right answer for those who needs to backup sleek of images on the go via their memory cards, thanks to his high capacity 2.5” hard disc drive range from 40 to 120 GB. Using the control buttons, you can copy images from your memory card and navigate through the names of files stored on your XS Drive Centre, view videos, play music files or simply check and organize your backed up files on the Hard Disk. You may also access the content of the insert memory card.

FotoNation Press Release

September 22, 2006, Galway, Ireland – FotoNation, (www.fotonation.com), a world-leading imaging and connectivity solutions company for the digital photography industry, announced today that its patented in-camera red-eye detection and correction technology has surpassed an installed base of over 50 million digital cameras.  FotoNation red-eye reduction technology is shipping in digital cameras from the industry’s leading brands, including Kodak, Nikon, Pentax, Sanyo and Samsung among others. “164 million digital cameras with 4 megapixels or more have shipped since 2004,” said Ron Glaz, Program Director for IDC’s Digital Capture Devices and Photofinishing Research. Based on this finding, the FotoNation red-eye reduction technology is commanding over 30% of this market segment.

The Seitz 6x17 Digital is a 160 megapixel (yes, 160!) digital panorama camera. The price for the Seitz 6x17 Digital panorama camera with its Seitz D3 scan back (mobile version) is 45,500 Swiss Francs (28,900 Euro) and for the studio version 42,300 Swiss Francs (26,900 Euro). Peanuts…

Seitz Press Release

Seitz 6x17 Digital – 160 Million Pixels In One Second – The Digital Revolution in 6x17 Panoramic Photography

Swiss company Seitz Phototechnik AG expands the current boundaries in digital photography. With the new Seitz D3 scan technology it is possible to create a digital 6x17 image with impressive resolution (160 million pixels) in one second. The new Seitz 6x17 digital camera with its D3 digital back is equipped with the first high-speed scanning sensor developed specifically for photography. Over the last years Seitz has worked closely with specialists of DALSA Corporation from sensor design to prototyping and production. In this way, it has been possible to tailor the capabilities of the new sensor to the exact needs of the photographer: very high speed, increased sensitivity and very high image quality as required for photography applications. The new camera system is fully mobile and easy to operate thanks to a handheld device with a graphical touch-screen. For data transfer and communication the latest computer technologies are used. World-class lenses by Schneider, Rodenstock or other large-format brands can be used with the new camera and can be used interchangeably with the new camera. The Seitz D3 sensor cassette can also be fitted to other cameras, such as our new Roundshot D3 360° Panorama camera, which makes the investment in the Seitz D3 technology truly rewarding.

The price for the 470 megapixel Roundshot D3 panorama camera with its Seitz D3 scan back (mobile version) is 46,900 Swiss Francs (29,800 Euro) and for the studio version 43,700 Swiss Francs (28,800 Euro).

Seitz Press Release

Roundshot D3 – 470 Million Pixels In 2 Seconds – The Digital Revolution In 360° Panorama Photography

Swiss company Seitz Phototechnik AG expands the current boundaries in digital photography. With the new Seitz D3 scan technology it is possible to create a digital 360° panorama of impressive resolution in only 2 seconds and with very high image quality. The new rotating Roundshot D3 digital camera with its D3 digital back is equipped with the first high-speed scanning sensor developed specifically for photography. Over the last years Seitz has worked closely with specialists of DALSA Corporation from sensor design to prototyping and production. In this way, Seitz has been able to tailor the capabilities of the new sensor the exact needs of the photographer: very high speed, increased sensitivity and very high image quality as required for photography applications. The new camera system is fully mobile and easy to operate thanks to a handheld device with a graphical touch-screen. For data transfer and communication the latest computer technologies are used. World-class medium or large format lenses of Schneider, Rodenstock, Hasselblad, Pentax 67 or other brands can be used interchangeably with the new camera. The Seitz D3 sensor cassette can also be fitted to other cameras, such as the new Seitz 6x17 Digital panorama camera, which makes the investment in the Seitz D3 technology truly rewarding.

Carl Zeiss Sports Optics / DxO Labs Press Release

Wetzlar, Germany, and Paris, France - September 20, 2006 – Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, the world famous manufacturer of binoculars, spotting scopes and riflescopes, and DxO Labs, the leading supplier of image processing technologies, today announce that the first digital camera developed by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics will be powered by DxO Labs’ breakthrough Image Signal Processing (ISP) technology. As a result, the ZEISS Camera Eyepiece DC 4 for spotting scopes will feature unrivalled image quality, including vivid colors, perfect contrast, along with sharp and noiseless detail. Extending the Carl Zeiss Sports Optics acclaimed spotting scopes product range, the Eyepiece DC 4 will ship in late 2006. “We want to provide the best possible imaging device for the users of our spotting scopes. Our target is unmatched imaging properties and ease of operation. Therefore, DxO Labs’ outstanding imaging technology perfectly supports the performance of our outstanding optics and the camera unit,” explains Dr. Manfred Klingel, managing director of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics.

The Leica M8 digital rangefinder camera is announced today. The Leica M8 has a 10 megapixel sensor, focal factor of 1.33x and an ISO range of 160-2500. The LEICA M8 can be used with virtually all lenses in the Leica M range produced since 1954. The LEICA M8 will be available end of November 2006.

Leica Press Release

Leica Camera AG, Solms is exhibiting the new LEICA M8 at photokina in Cologne (26th September to 1st October 2006).  The Leica M8 is the first digital camera to use the Leica viewfinder system.  All the key characteristics of the analog Leica reporter’s camera such as the compact design, the exceptional picture quality in conjunction with the Leica M lenses and the unique picture composition using the Leica viewfinder have been seamlessly carried over into the digital world. This professional-standard digital camera “Made in Germany” uses an image sensor specially developed for the requirements of the Leica M system.  Almost all Leica M system lenses made since 1954 are also suitable for digital photography, thanks to their high performance level.  The combination of lenses, sensor and high-performance picture editing generates outstanding picture quality with a resolution of 10.3 million pixels.

Leaf Press Release

Leaf launches fastest digital camera back series at Photokina

Herzlia, Israel (September 15, 2006) – Leaf is launching its series of the world’s fastest digital camera backs at Photokina 2006, the industry’s largest trade show, in Cologne, Germany. The new Leaf Aptus S-Series will include three new digital camera backs: Leaf Aptus 75S, Leaf Aptus 65S, and Leaf Aptus 54S—all with recordbreaking speed rates and unlimited burst depths. Introducing the Leaf Aptus S-Series: What makes it fast The Leaf Aptus S-Series camera backs can deliver shooting speeds from 0.8 seconds per frame—or as many as 75 frames per minute—with unlimited burst depths.

Creative Press Release

Creative Introduces the ZEN Vision W - Widescreen Portable Video, Photo and MP3 Player - Portable Entertainment Center Plays Up to 240 Hours of Video Including Movies and TV From Amazon Unbox, Tens of Thousands of Digital Photos or 15,000 Songs

MILPITAS, Calif., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Creative (NASDAQ:CREAF) , a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today announced the ZEN Vision W portable video, photo and MP3 player. Designed for a compelling movie-watching experience, the widescreen Creative ZEN Vision W features a high-resolution, 4.3-inch, 16:9 format, color TFT display. The ZEN Vision W supports Amazon Unbox, which offers thousands of television shows, movies and other video content from more than 30 studios and networks. New releases from major studios, including 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros., and TV shows from A&E, MTV, Fox, PBS and many more networks can be easily downloaded and transferred to the ZEN Vision W. Users can even download television episodes of the original Star Trek, an Amazon Unbox exclusive. Each DVD-quality Amazon Unbox video download for the PC also includes a specially formatted high-quality version for portable players such as the ZEN Vision W.

Minox Press Release

Versatile performance with many special talents - these are qualities held by the MINOX DMP 4 as a digital media player / recorder and mobile data depot. This wee movie star is already a strong performer in the recording and playback of MPEG4 films and music. Amateur photographers will particularly appreciate the tool as handy and powerful image tank with which they can store and view data contents of SD memory cards! Smaller than a customary compact camera the Minox DMP 4 has enormous capacities, thanks to a superb, high-speed memory embedded in the heart of the elegant housing, which serves as a data depot. The Minox DMP 4’s 2 gigabyte capacity alone, can easily provide an evening full of film viewing.

MediaStreet Press Release

Sleek Compact Design with Large 7 inch TFT Screen Records / Plays Nearly All Formats of Audio, Video and Still Photography

Deer Park, NY – September 13, 2006 – MediaStreet Inc., a leading independent manufacturer of archival-quality inks with matched inkjet media and other innovative digital solutions for the photographic, arts and consumer electronics industries, is introducing a new personal media player (PMP). The eMotion Audio/Video Jukebox plays virtually all available audio/video formats and records movies and other video content directly onto its built-in 40GB hard drive from any TV, DVD or RCA jack-in. MediaStreet’s new eMotion Audio/Video Jukebox provides brilliant picture quality with its 7 inch TFT LCD 16:9 format screen, and crisp audio sound through its built-in Dolby Digital speaker system.  Via a built-in SD card slot, consumers can view their photographs or personal videos by simply inserting the card into the slot.  The unit’s sleek streamlined exterior provides an elegant appearance, while the overall layout of the player places control buttons exactly where users would expect them to be.