PCMagazine have helped you to choose a digital camera; one of your next decisions may be to decide what kind of computer monitor you should view your images on. Photo.net steps into the breach with another of those handy guides:

“Psychological studies indicate that humans respond to brightness more than anything else when looking at images. Contrast, the ratio of white to black tends to come in second. Though notably for photography this can arguably be just as important in that exposure of an image is best shown on a display capable of high contrast. The importance of contrast is generally determined by your background lighting. In a bright consumer electronic store there is a *lot* of background lighting so that the background lighting of the display is unimportant in comparison to the background light in the television/monitor. In your living room, contrast will generally be important (unless the sun is shining on the display). Thus, if you want to see the darkest levels in your photos, you want a high-contrast display.”

Website: Photo.net - What Display Should I Buy?

Histogram “Hell” is Digital Outback Photo ‘s plea to the photography industry to make histograms on digital cameras more useable, citing the Canon 1D Mark II as a prime example:

“For some years we preach and teach that you should watch your histogram with your digital camera. But unfortunately the camera vendors don’t make our life that easy. We consider the Canon 1D Mark II as a great camera but its histogram display is far from what we need.

If you want to learn critical control of highlights in you exposure then we recommend that you try to photograph a white Egret at a normal sunny day (we made these shots at Point Lobos). We call this situation “Exposure Hell” and our loved histograms are not that helpful”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Histogram “Hell”

Eastman Kodak Company Press Release 17/09/04

Kodak Teams with IBM to Develop New Image Sensors for Consumer Digital Cameras and Camera Phones

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 16, 2004—Innovative Kodak Imaging Technology Integrated with IBM’s Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Process.

Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: EK) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) will collaborate on the development and manufacture of image sensors to power mass-market consumer products, such as digital still cameras and camera phones.

The multi-year agreement will leverage Kodak’s broad portfolio of image sensor technology and IBM’s leading-edge complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing expertise to allow Kodak to commercialize a new family of CMOS image sensor (CIS) devices, another milestone in the company’s effort to accelerate the growth of its digital businesses. This powerful combination - merging the strengths of two of the world’s leading technology companies - will allow Kodak to supply image sensors that offer higher performance, improved image quality and more innovative features than current CIS devices. IBM will expand its value-added foundry offerings to include the design and high-volume production of image sensors for rapidly growing digital consumer imaging applications.

Lexar Media Press Release 16/09/04

Lexar Announces Professional Series Memory Cards With Encryption Technology to Provide a Highly Secure Digital Media Solution

FREMONT, Calif.—(Business Wire)—Sept. 16, 2004 Nikon Includes Security Feature in Nikon D2X Digital Camera

Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq:LEXR), a leading marketer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media and accessories, today revealed plans to incorporate encryption technology into its Professional CompactFlash(TM) and, in conjunction with technology-compatible digital cameras, will provide users with a secure digital media solution. Professional photographers and other security conscious users worldwide will have added confidence knowing that access to stored images and information is protected by a high-end encryption code technology.

Central to this unique security solution is an easy-to-use software tool for establishing security settings on the memory card and corresponding digital camera. Digital content stored on the memory card can only be accessed via the digital camera(s) with the corresponding encryption key or via a PC with a valid username and password. This unique security system utilizing the memory card and the camera offers a secure digital imaging solution.

“This is an excellent solution for keeping stored images and information secure,” said John Omvik, Director of Professional Product Marketing. “Professional photographers working with highly secure or classified content can confidently take pictures knowing that they are protected from unauthorized access. This is appealing to those in industries such as insurance, law enforcement, medicine, security and government, as well as many others who want their valuable and confidential data protected well beyond what is offered today.”

Nikon UK Press Release 16/09/04

Nikon is pleased to announce the introduction of the TC-E3PF, an advanced new 3x telephoto converter born of unique Nikon technology for use with the new 8-megapixel Coolpix 8400. Smaller and lighter, the TC-E3PF illustrates how Nikon is taking existing lenses and redesigning them for “go anywhere” convenience.

In conventional telephoto converters, a lens with a pronounced convex shape is used to refract the light received through the first element to a greater degree. This results in the desired reproduction ratio, however chromatic aberration can occur. In the event that a convex ED lens is used, such chromatic aberration is corrected; however the refractive limitations of such a lens make it difficult to reduce overall dimensions.

SanDisk Press Release 15/09/04

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 15, 2004—
New Price Points for Shoot & Store Line Aimed at Accelerating the Adoption of “Consumable” Usage Model for Flash Cards as Permanent “Digital Negatives” 

Delivering on its previously announced strategy to grow the consumable market for flash memory cards, SanDisk(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK) has introduced new, lower prices for its Shoot & Store(TM) line of flash storage cards that are sold in supermarkets, drug stores and other mass-merchant outlets.

Effective August 30 in the U.S. market, the 50-photo* (32-megabyte) card, priced previously at $14.99, now has a suggested retail price of $9.99. The price of a 100-photo* (64MB) Shoot & Store card has been reduced from $24.99 to $14.99. These price changes are being applied throughout the Shoot & Store product lineup, which consists of CompactFlash(R), SD(TM), Memory Stick PRO(TM) and, in the next 30 days, xD-Picture Card(TM) (in 32MB capacity).

Shoot & Store, introduced in February, is aimed at consumers who want the convenience of leaving their flash cards with professional photo finishers or who don’t want to download images to a computer or a disk. In the U.S. alone, this line of affordable cards is currently sold in more than 10,000 stores.

Delkin Devices Press Release 14/09/04

DELKIN’S PORTABLE BURNAWAY COMBINES A CD BURNER, CARD READER & DVD PLAYER IN ONE DEVICE

Poway CA, September 13, 2004 Delkin Devices Inc., maker of premium quality eFilm memory cards and other innovative digital photography products, is now shipping the BurnAway portable combo media player. The BurnAway is a versatile mobile CD burner that combines a number of today’s most popular digital electronic devices in one unit. The BurnAway features a Slim Type DVD/CD-R/RW Drive, and works as a memory card reader, a digital slideshow player that shows photographs on TV and a DVD/MP3/CD player. The unit operates independently of a computer and can be a lifesaver for traveling photographers looking for a quick and easy way to burn the contents of their memory card to a CD-R. Two built-in memory card slots support CompactFlash (I&II), Microdrives, SD, MMC, SmartMedia, Memory Stick and MS PRO. The BurnAway also supports XD cards with an adapter (not included). New high-resolution cameras need additional memory to accommodate larger file sizes, making the BurnAway a perfect solution for quickly clearing memory cards on the go so you can keep shooting. Connecting the BurnAway to a computer via High-Speed USB 2.0 also enables it to function as a card reader and external DVD/CD-R/RW Drive. You can share photos with family and friends in seconds by directly connecting the BurnAway to any television (NTSC or PAL), and display a slideshow of your images directly from either your memory card or CD-R. The unit’s remote control (included) allows you to customize your slideshow presentation with zoom, rotate and interval features. The BurnAway also functions as a DVD-ROM drive, which easily connects to a TV or stereo so you can watch DVDs or listen to MP3s and audio CDs.

Nikon Press Release 13/09/04

New Protocol “PTP/IP” for Image Data Transfer from a Digital Camera via wireless LAN—Nikon’s joint development with FotoNation, to be supported by Microsoft Corporation

Tokyo - Nikon Corporation (COO: Teruo Shimamura) is pleased to announce the implementation of PTP/IP (Picture Transfer Protocol over Internet Protocol) - developed by FotoNation Inc. - as a new computer interface for more convenient image data transfer from digital cameras. Based on the current ubiquitous PTP technology (ISO 15740), which up until now has been limited to the USB transmission, it enables communication between a digital camera and a PC via wireless LAN.

By implementing PTP/IP in coming products, Nikon is pioneering the way in wireless digital camera connectivity. Nikon is collaborating with FotoNation and Microsoft Corporation on commercialization and enhancement of this technology, whose further refinements for professional use will be released soon. The technology will be also applied to products for general consumers in the near future.

Last week it was Lexar cards that were on special offer; this week it’s the turn of SanDisk cards to be heavily discounted. Noel from the Leaves Rustle weblog has let me know about several tempting deals on Amazon and Buy.com, which you can see by following the link below. A SanDisk 512MB Ultra II card can now be yours for just $67.34 on Amazon…

Website: Leaves Rustle - SanDisk CompactFlash Discounts

Coming soon to your local camera store - the pocketable Acme 1 gigapixel camera with 50x optical zoom, yours for only $99. Well, not all of that is actually true, only the 1 gigapixel part. The European Space Agency is building a 1 gigapixel digital camera for its Gaia space telescope, due to launch in 2010. The camera is made up of over 200 9-megapixel CCDs (found via Digital Photography Blog).

“The size of each CCD presents some unique manufacturing challenges. Even in the purest silicon, defects can occur. Typically, with the CCDs that are used in our digital cameras on Earth, perhaps 20 or more are manufactured from the same silicon wafer and one or two rejects are tolerable.

However, the Gaia CCDs are so large that only two will fit onto each silicon wafer. So the chance of a defect occurring in a Gaia CCD is considerable.”

Thanks to Ricky Nichols for letting me know about the story.

Website: Universe Today - How About a Gigapixel Digital Camera?

Wacom Technology Corporation Press Release 08/09/04

Wacom Announces New Intuos3 Professional Pen Tablets, First with Built-in ExpressKeys and Zoom/Scroll Touch Strips

Other Key Features Include New Industrial Design, Redesigned Grip Pen, Improved Mouse, Doubled Resolution of 5080 Lines per Inch, and a New Software Bundle

VANCOUVER, WA., Sep. 8, 2004—Wacom Technology Corporation today introduced its new Intuos3 professional pen tablets offering an array of meaningful improvements that provide higher levels of productivity for digital photographers, designers, and artists.

Intuos3 tablets incorporate ExpressKeys and Touch Strips. An on-board set of customizable ExpressKeys default to keyboard modifiers Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and Spacebar and are completely customizable. In addition, new finger-sensitive Touch Strips allow users to zoom or scroll with their non-dominant hand while working with a Wacom battery-free pen or mouse with their dominant hand.

Sigma Press Release 10/09/04

Multifunctional Macro Flash designed to work with new Digital SLR cameras. (2004.9.10)

ELECTRONIC FLASH MACRO EM-140 DG

- Ideal for Close-up photography, especially medical and scientific applications.
- Fully dedicated with the latest TTL auto exposure systems.
- Flash tubes can be switched on or off for creative flash control
- Wireless Flash Control
- High Speed Synchro Flash
- Guide Number of 14 w/ISO100

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the new ELECTRONIC FLASH MACRO EM-140 DG.
ELECTRONIC FLASH MACRO EM-140 DG is designed to work with both AF 35mm film and Digital SLR cameras of all-popular manufactures.

PhotographyBLOG visitor chrys has contacted me to let me know about some great offers on Lexar compact flash cards:

“I found the following Lexar rebates for compactflash cards and thought I’d pass it along. Offer is good 01-30th September, and valid only in the USA (sorry!)

I priced out a 1Gb card for less than $100 (same thing cost me $300 when they first came out!)

Compactflash high speed 40x - up to $30 rebate
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/FrameWork/Rebates_Promos/093004_Lexar40X.pdf
or
http://www.adorama.com/pdfs/rebates/40xH_093004.pdf

Compactflash pro 80x - up to $50 rebate
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/FrameWork/Rebates_Promos/093004_Lexar80X.pdf
or
http://www.adorama.com/pdfs/rebates/80x_093004.pdf

Once you submit a claim, you can track it via this site: http://www.rebate-zone.com/LexarMedia

If you’ve heard about any similar great offers, then please email me and I’ll help spread the word :-)

Creo Inc. Press Release 07/09/04

Vancouver, BC, Canada - (September 7, 2004) - Creo Inc. (NASDAQ: CREO; TSX: CRE) announces the latest generation of portable and studio digital camera backs - the Leaf Aptus. This new product line has the portability and ease-of-use of consumer products, combined with the robustness, resolution and powerful workflow required by professional photographers. The Leaf Aptus product line includes the Leaf Aptus 22 and Leaf Aptus 17 digital camera backs with resolutions of 22 and 17 megapixels respectively.

HAIFA, Israel and NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/—Thanks to mathematics, the quality of underwater photographs is about to get dramatically better. The first-of-its-kind method for radically improving underwater shots combines a mathematical formula or algorithm with a filter normally used for land photography. The findings by researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology were presented at the IEEE* Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition in Washington, DC in June.

“This is a brand new solution to solving the problem of underwater image degradation,” notes lead researcher Professor Yoav Schechner of the Technion Faculty of Electrical Engineering.

“Underwater photos tend to be degraded and lacking in clear details because of the ‘veiling’ effect of ambient light,” explains Schechner. “From above the water’s surface, ambient light scatters into the line of sight—an effect commonly known as ‘backscatter.’ This causes poor visibility in even the clearest water.” He adds that the veiling effect increases with distance, making many details undetectable.

Epson Press Release 03/09/04

EPSON - Beyond Photo
photokina 2004, September 28 - October 3

Put EPSON’s latest innovations to the test
Booth No. J/050, Consumer Hall 3.1

August 2004 - At photokina 2004, visitors seeking to experience the future of digital imaging either in business or the home, should ensure the EPSON stand is at the top of their list.

As well as demonstrating its comprehensive range of digital imaging products for the home and the office, EPSON is launching the EPSON P-2000 Photo Viewer, a portable media player that stores, organises and plays back digital photos, movies and music. It is also launching the EPSON L500, a combined digital camera and image viewer.

For the professional and advanced amateur photographers there is also the opportunity to see the new EPSON F-3200, dedicated film scanner.

Belkin Press Release 02/09/04

New Mobile Accessories from Belkin; Hi-Speed USB 2.0 15-in-1 Media Reader & Writer, TuneDok for iPod mini, and OmniDock-L

COMPTON, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 2, 2004—Belkin today announces new mobile computing and digital music accessories. The Hi-Speed USB 2.0 15-in-1 Media Reader & Writer works with 15 media cards including xD Picture Card, allowing you to drag and drop files, images, and music to your computer from your PDA or handheld, MP3 player, digital camera, or other device. The OmniDock-L(TM) for Handheld Devices holds your handheld device in your car’s cup holder so you can view your data in the vehicle. And, the TuneDok for iPod(R) mini mobile digital devices allows you to listen to the music from your iPod mini while keeping it secured in your car’s cup holder. All three devices are currently shipping in North America.

Hi-Speed USB 2.0 15-in-1 Media Reader & Writer (F5U249)—MSRP $39.95
The Media Reader & Writer lets you transfer files from one media card to another, or transfer files from all four media cards simultaneously at transfer speeds of up to 480Mbps. It features four dedicated slots to accommodate all popular types of media including: xD Picture Card, CompactFlash(R) I, CompactFlash II, SmartMedia(TM), Secure Digital, Mini Secure Digital (Mini SD), MultiMediaCard, RSMMC(b), IBM(R) Microdrive(TM), Memory Stick(R), Memory Stick Duo(TM)(b), Memory Stick Pro(TM), Memory Stick Pro Duo(TM)(a), Memory Stick MagicGate(TM)(a), and Memory Stick MagicGate Duo(TM).

Addonics Technologies Press Release 02/09/04

Addonics 4-Slot UDD Reads/Writes to 4 PCMCIA Hard Drives, 4 ATA Flash or 4 of any type of Flash Media with USB 2.0 or SATA Connection

SAN JOSE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 2, 2004—Addonics Technologies has combined 4 full size PCMCIA slots into a mini, stylish and high performance 4-slot external reader/writer that allows users to simultaneously transfer data between any combination of the PCMCIA hard drive, ATA Flash or flash media supported. Instead of having many card readers, graphics professionals and digital media enthusiasts can now have all their readers and PC Card hard drives consolidated in one small device with its new Addonics 4-Slot UDD.

The 4-Slot UDD adds further versatility to common flash reader/writers because it uses four independent USB connections. Users can simultaneously read/write or transfer data to as many as four PC Card hard drives or four ATA Flash, or any combination of four flash media. The transfer rate for each slot is at full USB 2.0 speeds or the latest Serial ATA (SATA) for a maximum data transfer up to 150Mbytes/sec. Users can select either a USB 2.0 or Serial ATA interface cable for the 4-slot UDD.

Alphamosaic Press Release 02/09/04

A new chip for a new generation of handheld devices

Cambridge September 2004:  Having scored a world-first with VideoCore, Alphamosaic has launched VC02, the world’s most advanced Mobile Multimedia Processor. It can display video on 3.5” colour LCDs and capture 8 Megapixel images, making it ideal for watching TV, making videos or taking studio-quality photos on handheld products such as mobile phones. The power-efficiency of VC02 will allow many hours of continuous operation on a single battery charge, a unique feature for such a high-performance multimedia chip.

HP made more than 30 new product announcements yesterday in one single press release. Here’s a brief summary of the interesting products from a photography point of view:

Digital Cameras
- HP Photosmart R607 Digital Camera
- HP Photosmart M407 Digital Camera
- HP Photosmart M307 Digital Camera
- HP Photosmart M-series dock

Photo Printers
- HP Photosmart 8450 Photosmart Printer
- HP Photosmart 8150 Photosmart Printer
- HP Photosmart 7450 Photosmart Printer
- HP Photosmart 375 Compact Photo Printer
- HP Photosmart 325

Deskjet Printers
- HP Deskjet 6840 Color Inkjet Printer
- HP Deskjet 6540 Color Inkjet Printer
- HP Deskjet 5740 Color Inkjet Printer
- HP Deskjet 3845 Color Inkjet Printer

All-in-One Printers
- HP Photosmart 2710
- HP Photosmart 2610
- HP PSC 2355

Flatbed Scanners
- HP Scanjet 4070

Printer Supplies
- HP inkjet print cartridges with HP Vivera Ink
- HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, High Gloss

Each product has a fact sheet (in PDF format) at the following webpage:

Website: HP Press Kit - Digital Photography