Silkypix Developer Studio from Shortcut Software is a RAW conversion software application that offers a real alternative to the mainstream contenders. Silkypix is specifically aimed at enthusiast photographers and professional users, offering a professional colour management engine, ICC profiles, and control over white balancing, contrast, sharpness, saturation, lens correction, image perspective and trimming (cropping), outputting and printing. Silkypix Developer Studio costs $149.00 and is available for Windows and MAC. Jon Canfield discovered if Silkypix Developer Studio can compete with the likes of Adobe Camera RAW, Lightroom and Aperture.

Website: Silkypix Developer Studio Review

Capture NX2 is a more powerful and easier to use updated version of Nikon’s image-editing software. Nikon Capture NX2 now offers Selection Control Point, enabling users to apply enhancements such as Unsharp Mask and D-Lighting to a specific area. The Auto Retouch Brush mouse strokes to clear away specks caused by dust on the sensor. Capture NX2 is compatible with both Windows Vista and XP and Macintosh OS X and will be available from 20th June 2008 for €199. Owners of previous versions of Capture NX can upgrade to Capture NX2 for €119.

Kodak are set to raise the prices of their digital cameras and printers by up to 20%, according to The Guardian newspaper. Blaming soaring raw material costs, Chief Exec Antonio Perez claimed that the rest of the industry would follow suit sooner rather than later. Kodk are blaming the rising costs of aluminium, silver, oil and transport, commenting that “manufacturers had held off raising consumer product prices for some time but raw material costs were now so high that these had become inevitable”.

Website: The Guardian - Kodak warns of 20% increase in camera and printer prices

Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 2 delivers the equivalent of a 2-day course in one project-based book covering all of Aperture’s new features. It takes readers step-by-step through the basics of image management and Aperture’s editing, retouching, proofing, publishing, and archiving features. Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 2 is now available for $49.49.

Pinnacle Studio 12 is a new version of the market-leading consumer video editing software. Version 12 includes Pinnacle Montage, an innovative tool that makes high-end compositing and animation effects accessible to consumers. More titles, DVD menus and templates have been added to Pinnacle Studio 12, as well as new professional audio and video controls and a complete HD workflow with Blu-ray authoring. The Pinnacle Studio 12 family includes Pinnacle Studio, Pinnacle Studio Plus and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate with full HD support. Prices are US$49.99, $99.99 and $129.99, respectively.

Samsung is launching a multi-million pound advertising campaign this week including a heavyweight TV campaign. The new campaign – with an investment of £3million - focuses on on Samsung’s new NV24HD camera and launches with a 30 second spot on 9th June, and runs across ITV (London, Midwest, North, South East and Scotland), Channel 4, FIVE, Sky and a host of other stations. “This campaign shows how we give consumers exciting and innovative technology that helps them to capture their world,” says Robert King, Director of Samsung Cameras. “The new Samsung NV24HD offers cutting-edge functions and outstanding picture quality to satisfy users of all abilities.”

Website: Samsung NV TV Ad

Nikon UK has extended its spring cashback offer on the Nikon D60, with up to £90 / €120 off until June 30th 2008. Current cashback offers on the D80 kits and D40 kits still apply and are also valid until 30th June 2008. All claims must arrive by 31st July 2008 to be eligible.

DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association) has given a DIWA Innovation Award to the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 camera. The EX-F1 is capable of ultra-high speed shooting of 60 frames per second for 6 megapixel still images. Kai Thon, DIWA’s test manager, says: “Casio initiated the digital amateur photo age about a decade ago with its legendary QV-10. Since then, digital cameras have gradually become faster, even amateur models are nowadays capable of shooting several frames per second. With the EX-F1, Casio more than tenfold the top speed of the currently fastest competitor. That’s truly innovative!”

Olympus UK are offering a free FL-50R wireless flash worth £450 with any purchase of an E-3 DSLR camera. All you need to do is buy an E-3 between 1 June and 31 August 2008 and register it online by 11 October 2008. The Olympus E-3 is now available from around £1100 body only.

Reader’s Digest readers have voted Canon the most trusted camera brand in Europe for 2008. Research was conducted locally in 16 European countries with over 23,000 questionnaires. The UK online survey took place from November to December last year. What do you think - do you agree with the Reader’s Digest readers?

US bag manufacturer Think Tank Photo are offering a free trip to the Photokina photography show in September. If you are a photographer, you are eligible to enter Think Tank Photo’s drawing for free round-trip airfare, hotel, spending money, and exhibition passes to photokina, the world’s leading photo and imaging trade fair. Join over 160,000 visitors from 156 countries in exploring 1,600 exhibitors of cutting edge imaging products from almost 50 countries. And, you get to hang around Cologne with the gang from Think Tank Photo (what could be better!). Go to www.thinktankphoto.com/photokina to enter.

Photo Recovery Software v3.0 from Stellar Phoenix recovers digital photos from all external storage devices. Images lost due to accidental deletion or formatting of the media can be recovered using Photo Recovery Software v3.0, which supports a wide variety of RAW file formats as well as Jpeg, Tiff, BMP, GIF and PNG files. Photo Recovery Software 3 is available now for MAC and Windows and costs $39 / €31 + VAT.

Photoshop CS3 Accelerated can help you navigate Photoshop, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. With easy-to-follow exercises, Photoshop CS3 Accelerated gives you a visual walk-through of meaningful hands-on functions and design projects. Full color, crisp screenshots on every page give readers a clear picture of what’s possible, and the CD included with the book contains all of the source files needed to complete the exercises. Photoshop CS3 Accelerated costs $24.99 USD, £14.99 GBP and is available now.

The Official Photodex Guide to ProShow is a new comprehensive guide to creating slide shows using ProShow software. The book covers the basics of design, the fundamentals of ProShow production techniques, and advanced tools to achieve professional results. Written by James Karney, The Official Photodex Guide to ProShow contains over 300 pages, a bonus CD and a helpful index. The Official Photodex Guide to ProShow costs $34.95 and is available now.

Bogen is running a free, introductory lighting webinar titled “How to Overcome 5 Common Problems When Shooting Outdoors.” This introductory online course on the basics of lighting will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT on June 6, 2008. Participants will have the ability to ask questions and interact one-on-one with each speaker, and can also be selected to win one of three prizes, totaling over $400.

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Olympus FE-340, a new entry-level digital compact camera offering 8 megapixels and a 4x zoom lens (28-112mm).

“The Olympus FE-340 may be very cheap, but it lacks a number of features that would be considered standard on most other cameras, such as continuous shooting, colour adjustment and image stabilisation. The build quality is good, and the LCD monitor is outstanding, but the styling is awkward and ungainly and the handling could be better. Low-light performance is below average, but the camera is redeemed somewhat by good image quality. Still, there are much better and more capable cameras available for not much more money.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Olympus FE-340 Review

The 16 lucky winners of our fantastic May 2008 Newsletter contest have been randomly selected from the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter subscriber list.

Carol Macvicar wins a Big Yophoto Photobook

S A, Robert Neish, Mark Brincat, Philip Jon, Helena Watson, Debbie Carpenter, Gaye McBroom, Maurizio Sindoni, Richard Pullan, Nancy Messier, Girard Ceferino Dulay, Andjelko Vrbanic, Robert Longford, Tomasz Majewski and David Brown each win a copy of Blubox 4

The winners of the May 2008 PhotographyBLOG Competition have been selected. The theme for May was “Birds” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Tail wind by desertpea

Prize: 1 copy of Powerretouche Full Pro Pack
Kindly donated by Powerretouche.
http://powerretouche.com

Today we bring you the World’s first online review of the Samsung NV24HD, a new digital compact camera that certainly has a lot to offer. Samsung’s first High Definition (HD) camera can record 720p resolution video at 30fps and can connect to a HDTV via HDMI. The 10 megapixel NV24HD has an ultra-wide, 24-86.5mm lens and an innovative 2.5” OLED screen. Priced at £249 / $350, can the Samsung NV24HD replace your current digital still and video cameras? Gavin Stoker took a closer look…

Website: Samsung NV24HD Review

The new Epson Stylus Pro 9900 and Stylus Pro 7900 large-format printers feature a brand new 10 colour, UltraChrome HDR (High Dynamic Range) pigment ink system. The Epson 9900 (44 inch) and Epson 7900 (24 inch) printers incorporate orange and green ink cartrdiges to considerably expand the colour gamut. Matte black is also included on-board and can be auto-switched with photo black. Also on offer is an optional integrated spectrophotometer with mounting device using the latest X-rite technology, putting the Epson 9900 and 7900 in direct competition with HP’s Z-series printers. The Epson Stylus Pro 7900 and Stylus Pro 9900 will be available in Australia from late spring and the UK in November, prices to be announced.