Nikon Europe Press Release

Award-winning communication tool for professional photographers celebrates 10th anniversary

Amsterdam, 18 July 2005. Nikon toasts the enduring success and appeal of its award-winning NikonPro magazine, 10 years old this month and still going strong.

With ever-improving technology at their disposal, European photographers are today faced with steep learning curves and accelerating product turnover. Consequently, they need a guiding hand and constant reassurance that they are backing the right brand and products. NikonPro provides for this by showcasing the best images from some of the world’s leading photographers taken with the latest Nikon equipment. The aim of NikonPro is to demonstrate Nikon in action and to highlight its potential, supplying information and advice to users which goes into the heart of the image, to the very essence of photography.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Press Release

Digital Camera Shipments to Set New Record in 2005, According to InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Report

(Weymouth, MA) July, 14 2005… The North American digital camera market hit another high point in terms of unit shipments for 2004, growing 27% over 2003 to reach 22.2 million cameras shipped. The market is expected to grow once again to reach 26 million cameras in 2005, but at a slower pace of 16%. The market will peak in 2006 when it reaches just under 28 million cameras, and will begin to decline thereafter.

After recently announcing a fall in profits, Sanyo seem to be getting back on track by cutting its digicam production costs, mainly by producing 90% of its output in overseas countires like Indonesia, China, South Korea and Vietnam. Interestingly Sanyo also aim to sell 300,000 of their Xacti C cameras in 2005/06, approximately 30% of the global market for combination video/still cameras.

“We are aiming to cut (production) costs by 30 percent with models coming out this fall compared with those launched in spring last year,” Kubo said. “We have to cut costs by that much to keep up with price falls in the market.”

Kubo said he would like to raise sales of Sanyo’s own branded cameras to 10 percent of its total in the future. The “Xacti C” series is the best way to achieve this target because it leverages the company’s strong video technology, he said.”

Website: Reuters - Sanyo cuts digital camera costs

FotoInside Press Release

Cambridge, UK 29 June 2005. INTEL Corp. threatens a British online photo service regarding the term “inside”. Intel Europe’s representative, the law firm “Howrey Simon Arnold & White” states in a letter to “FotoInside Ltd” the word “INSIDE” format … was coined by our client in 1991 when it began using the INTEL INSIDE mark” and requests from FotoInside to change its name.

Nikon Corporation Press Release

Nikon Imaging (China) Sales Co., Ltd. Established to Enhance Sales and Service in Fast-growing Chinese Market

Nikon Corporation (President: Teruo Shimamura) is pleased to announce the establishment of Nikon Imaging (China) Sales Co., Ltd., a wholly owned sales and service subsidiary. This new company has been launched to fully develop our imaging business in China, including digital cameras, and commenced operations in June 2005.

In response to China’s remarkable economic growth and long-term market potential, companies from throughout the world are making aggressive inroads. To date, Nikon has focussed its business development in China on the manufacture of products, at bases such as Nikon Imaging (China) Co., Ltd., but conducted Chinese marketing and sales activities through a subsidiary, Nikon Hong Kong Ltd. Nikon has also established authorized repair shops in China to provide after-sales service and technical assistance.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Press Release

(Weymouth, MA) June 22, 2005…According to a groundbreaking new report from InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, the U.S. digital photo printing market could easily be in decline by 2010 unless vendors and market conditions change course.  The study examines significant changes that will occur, such as a continued decline in film prints, a shift to printing digital photos outside the home, and the growth of camera phones as a photo source.

This may come as a surprise to those that have witnessed such astounding growth in digital photography. Recent InfoTrends/CAP Ventures forecasts show that U.S. consumer digital camera penetration will reach 55% and shipments of around 25 million in 2005, growing to 81% and about 21 million units shipped in 2010.  Camera phone penetration will grow from 31% and just over 36 million units shipped to 86% and nearly 80 million units shipped over the same period.  But the growth in unit placements may not offset print volume decline.

Adobe Press Release

Adobe Systems Reports Record Revenue in Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2005

Adobe Creative Suite 2 Launch and Continued Adobe Acrobat Momentum Drive 21 Percent Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth

SAN JOSE, Calif. — June 16, 2005 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today reported strong financial results for its second quarter ended June 3, 2005.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2005, Adobe achieved record revenue of $496.0 million, compared to $410.1 million reported for the second quarter of fiscal 2004, and $472.9 million reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2005.  On a year-over-year basis, this represents 21 percent revenue growth.  Adobe’s second quarter revenue target range was $475 to $495 million.

X-Rite Press Release

-Calibration standard ensures precision, accuracy, and repeatability of results-

Grandville, MI—June 16, 2005— X-Rite (NASDAQ: XRIT) today announced that it has achieved ISO 17025 Accreditation for its Grandville headquarters in the United States and GMBH operations in Germany. Achieving ISO 17025 Accreditation validates X-Rite’s competence of calibration, ensuring customers consistent and repeatable production yields, optimized results, and compatibility with other products. According to its research, X-Rite is the first and only color management company with this accreditation.

Amicus Press Release

Amicus on Job Cuts at Kodak, Harrow

LONDON, June 7/PRNewswire/—It’s just been announced that 180 jobs are going at Kodak in Harrow. 130 of these jobs are being offshored to Mexico. This news follows the loss of 250 at Harrow in October last year and the closure of the Kodak plant in North Nottinghamshire with the loss of 350 jobs which is happening next week.

Amicus officer, Joe McGowan, said:
“This is more devastating news for Kodak staff at Harrow who are facing the loss of almost 500 jobs in less than a year. We want an urgent meeting with Kodak and reassurance that the Harrow plant has a future.”

Source: Amicus

The finance website Bloomberg are reporting that Olympus, which announced their first ever annual loss a month ago, are planning to cut the cost of producing digital cameras by over 30%. This is in addition to 4,000 job losses (saving about 3 billion yen), mainly in China.

“Olympus expects its imaging division to post an operating profit of 2 billion yen in the second half of this year, following a 13 billion yen operating loss in the six months ending Sept. 30. Olympus was overtaken last year by Eastman Kodak Co. as the third- biggest seller of digital cameras in a market led by Canon Inc. and Sony Corp. It had an 11.2 percent global market share, according to IDC.

“We need to maintain at least a 10 percent share to secure gains,’’ said Kikukawa, adding that the company will continue to buy about 60 percent of its digital cameras from other companies.”

Website: Bloomberg.com - Olympus to Cut Digital Camera Costs to Recover Profit

Canon launches another season of mini documentaries – ‘The Shot’

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce four stunning new additions to the award-winning ‘The Shot’ mini documentary series. Featuring more of the world’s finest photographers, ‘The Shot’ continues to present the photographer as an expert in their field with each photographer explaining how they captured a certain image or series of images and their story behind it. ‘The Shot’ will air between mid May until the end of June on several Pan-European networks and is in association with the Canon EOS 350D digital SLR camera.

Leica Press Release

The Extraordinary General Meeting of Leica Camera AG on May 31, 2005 has approved the capital measures proposed by the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board, in each case with a vast majority of more than 90%. As announced in essential outline in the electronic Federal Gazette (elektronischer Bundesanzeiger) of April 20, 2005, the measures consist of a simplified capital reduction, an increase of the share capital against contributions in cash and a creation of authorised capital. At the General Meeting, Dr. Josef Spichtig, Chairman of the Board of Management of Leica Camera AG since April 18, 2005, described these measures as being “indispensable for the existence of the Company”. He rated the consent given by the shareholders as “a declaration for the preservation of the Company and a positive attitude to its perspectives in the future”. The Company now plans to issue 13.5 million new shares at a price of € 1.70 per share. The new shares will initially be offered to the existing shareholders of the Company.

Pentax have announced 300 job cuts in an effort to compensate for losses in its digital imaging division, according to DigitalCameraInfo.

“After reviewing its fiscal year 2004 sales performance, PENTAX Corporation decided that, due to drastic and unforeseeable changes in our management environment, we could not achieve its initial financial objectives, even if all measures and options available were applied. Therefore, we have decided to make these revisions. Our basic management policy for the execution of this management plan, however, remains unchenged, with the slogan of “Growth and Expansion”. In our business activities, we will continue to pursue the reinforcement and expansion of our life care and optical component businesses. At the same time, we will take all measures needed to make our imaging systems business profitable as quickly as possible.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Pentax Cutting Workforce By 300

Agfa-Gevaert Press Release

Mortsel/Belgium, May 27, 2005 – 9:00 a.m. CET - Agfa-Gevaert announced today that it was informed of the insolvency filing by AgfaPhoto GmbH. Agfa-Gevaert is fully prepared to co-operate with the insolvency receiver once appointed and all parties concerned.

Effective November 2, 2004, Agfa-Gevaert sold its consumer imaging business to a group of investors in a management buy out/in. Since then the consumer imaging business has been operated through a group of companies under the name of AgfaPhoto. The AgfaPhoto group is a private group of companies owned by management, NannO Beteiligungsholding and a small number of financial investors.

HP UK Press Release

HP Launches Initiative with Adobe and Apple for creative professionals at Adobe Live 2005

LONDON, May 27, 2005 - HP today announced a joint initiative together with Adobe and Apple to facilitate and improve the printing experience for photographers and creative professionals. The announcement was made at Adobe Live 2005 at the Business Design Centre in London.

The three companies have implemented new technologies that enable the coordination between applications, operating systems and printer drivers to facilitate the configuration of colour management for printing. When Mac OS X v10.4 ‘Tiger’ customers use Adobe PhotoShop 9 Suite2 with supported HP printers and new HP v3.x drivers with ICC profiles, colour management options that would produce incorrect results cannot be selected.  Screen to output matching is optimised and customers save time and expense by producing the prints they want as opposed to the typical trial and error process.

Back in September 2004 I reported that the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority were considering banning photography on the New York subway. Well, it seems that common sense has prevailed, as several news websites report that the controversial ban has been dropped.

“Police officials have concluded that the ban is not necessary to keep the city’s transportation systems safe…The NYPD says that officers will continue to investigate any suspicious activity.”

Website: ABC News

Website: NY1 News

Adobe UK Press Release

To celebrate the launch of its new Creative Suite 2, Adobe will be holding a series of seminar sessions in June 2005. The new CS2 software includes a number of enhancements and additions which will be fully explored in the sessions.

The seminars are aimed at creative professionals wanting to achieve improved results across print, web and mobile publishing. Each session will explore Adobe Illustrator CS2, InDesign CS2, Photoshop CS2, GoLive CS2, Acrobat 7.0 Professional and Version Cue CS2. The seminars will also focus on the new Adobe Bridge visual file browser as well as Adobe Stock Photos, the new way to search and buy stock imagery.

Epson UK Press Release

Epson® wins four prestigious industry awards for their superior imaging products in this year’s TIPA Awards

The Technical Imaging Press Association (TIPA) has awarded Epson four awards in their annual review of the best products in the photo market.

May 2005 - Epson has swept the board at the TIPA Awards, winning in four categories: Best Prestige Camera, Best Flatbed Scanner, Best A3 Photo Printer and Best Image Storage Back-Up.

TIPA currently has 31 member magazines across Europe, making it by far the largest and most influential photo and imaging press association in Europe. Widely regarded as experts, the editors of the magazines meet once a year to judge the best photographic products available on the market today.

Minox Press Release

The company MINOX GmbH, based in Wetzlar, has broken free from its co-partner, Leica Camera AG, and has made itself fully independent. General manager Thorsten Kortemeier already took over the traditional brand when he acquired 51 percent of the MINOX partnership capital in 2001 – at that time 49 percent were left in the possession of Leica.

Small and adaptable, defying the difficult market environment – this company concept launched four years ago worked. Boasting a high level of flexibility the new MINOX GmbH has been able to systematically expand its activities and also the profits. Primarily known as manufacturer of the famous miniature camera MINOX now focuses on new product lines and special forms of marketing. These small and ingenious MINOX products are in strong demand, also as high quality rewards and advertising gifts. The top seller is the sport optics sector – this is where sales have actually doubled over the previous four years. And just recently, MINOX was presented the German Design Award for its successful binocular development.

Thorsten Kortemeier comments: “It was the right decision to focus on new sales channels and lucrative niche markets. More innovative products will be launched this year securing the ongoing growth of MINOX GmbH.”

Canon UK Press Release

Stylish Canon Digital IXUS 40 opens window into footballers’ lives

‘The Other Side of Football’ – beyond the beautiful game

Over 100 elite European footballers and football personalities including Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Francesco Totti and Andriy Shevchenko show us ‘the other side of football’ with images taken on a Canon Digital IXUS 40

LONDON, May 17, 2005 – More than 100 of Europe’s leading footballers, referees, sports commentators and pundits welcomed a stylish Canon Digital IXUS 40 into their lives to produce a collection of highly personal images, which offer true insight into what drives and inspires them, their lifestyle and interests beyond the ‘beautiful game’.