A study by the University of Utah has concluded that widescreen monitors can save up to 76 days in production per year. Moving from a single 18-inch monitor to 24-inch widescreen display reduced the time it took to complete a task from 8 hours to 5-1/2 hours. “The study revealed that large widescreen or dual-monitor configurations are recommended for use in any situation where multiple documents of information are an ordinary part of work,” said Dr. James A. Anderson, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and a Professor of Communication at the University of Utah. A summary of the University of Utah study and a Productivity Calculator can be found at http://www.necdisplay.com/gowide

The Ape Case PRO2000 is a new carrying case from Norazza which can hold 2 camera bodies, lenses, 17 inch laptop and flashguns. Featuring a signature yellow interior, the bag is designed to allow the user to easily find accessories. “We designed this bag with both the professional and amateur photographer in mind, and we added features that allow maximum protection for photography equipment.  The ACPRO2000 offers digital photographers peace of mind that their cameras and accessories are safe, secure and easily accessible.” said Tom Sperazza, President of Norazza. The Ape Case PRO2000 can be purchased at Walmart.com for $139.99.

The Photograph: Composition & Color Design explains the elements that are essential to achieving the highest level of visual design in photographs. This book is geared toward the serious intermediate and advanced photographer who strives to create outstanding images. Author Harald Mante explores the principles of line, shape, point, color, contrast, composition, and design in great depth, illustrated with more than 600 images from Mante’s own portfolio. The Photograph: Composition & Color Design is available now and costs $49.95 USD / £30.99 GBP.

Animoto lets users easily create personalized, professional-quality music videos from their own photos and music. Animoto uses high-end motion design and music-analyzing technology to automatically produce dynamic videos. You can also now export your full-length Animoto videos directly to YouTube. “Animoto’s relationship with YouTube is particularly exciting since the integration will finally make uploading video content to YouTube accessible to people who only have digital photos but still want to contribute professional-looking video content to the YouTube community,” said Brad Jefferson, CEO and Co-founder of Animoto.

The new Peli Soft bag range have padded inserts and are made from water resistant nylon ensuring that your equipment is always protected. The Peli Soft Bag range includes rolling and backpack cases, tripod and light stand cases, and bags to protect DSLR’s, lenses and accessories. All Peli Soft Bags include a 5 year limited warranty, with pricing starting at £24.99.

CITY Magazine has launched its second annual “One City, Many Destinations” travel photography contest. Amateur and professional photographers from around the world are invited to submit images that capture the essence of a city or other travel destination. First prize is appearing on the cover of CITY’s Fall ’08 Travel issue, on sale September 30, 2008. The grand-prize winner will also receive a prize package that will include an all-inclusive, week-long trip for two to Austria.

The second edition of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine has just been released. Each issue contains informative and educational tutorials for amateur photographers. “We’ve raised the bar with this issue, and have included not only articles relating to techniques, but also some thought provoking articles for digital photographers of all disciplines. We are also introducing a photo-contest this month, which (based on last month’s traffic) we are expecting hundreds, if not thousands, of submissions.” says editor and publisher, Dave Seeram. PhotographyBB Online Magazine is available for free download now.

ILFOSOL 3 is a new developer for black and white film photography. The new developer is particularly suited for use with medium and slow speed films, ensuring a fine grain and optimal sharpness at full film speed. “At a time when many leading manufacturers of photo-imaging products are pulling out of the black and white market, we remain as staunchly committed to it as ever. The introduction of ILFOSOL 3 should serve as proof - and reassurance - of this.” said HARMAN technology Marketing Director, Howard Hopwood. ILFOSOL 3 costs around £7.00 (inc VAT) per 500ml bottle.

A new world-wide photography contest aims to highlight the role of the potato as a source of food, employment and income in developing countries. The International Year of the Potato Contest is being held in conjunction with the UN’s International Year of the Potato (IYP) in 2008. The contest invites photographers to capture the spirit of the International Year in images that illustrate potato cultivation, processing, trade, marketing, consumption and utilization. Cash prizes totalling US$11000 as well as Nikon cameras are on offer.

Pro-Imaging, an international organisation representing professional photographers from over 30 countries, has published a list of so-called “rights grabbing” photography competitions. Chief suspects include the British Council, which is promoting the Creative Cities competition, the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, and Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition, amongst others. This is the start of a long term campaign by Pro-Imaging to persuade competition promoters and sponsors to adopt practices which respect all the rights of all creators.

In his first article for PhotographyBLOG, Zoltan Arva-Toth takes the bold step of proposing an entirely new auto-focus mode for digital cameras…

Update 1: As this has created a lot of interest, we’ll be contacting the camera manufacturers soon to ask for their input.
Update 2: Kodak, Carl Zeiss, Olympus and DxO Labs have now provided their feedback - see the end of the article.

It is no secret to anyone with a basic knowledge of photography that most modern cameras offer two main focusing modes, manual focus (MF) and autofocus (AF). Autofocus may come in several flavours, including AF-S (called one-shot AF by Canon) for stationary subjects, AF-C (AI Servo) for moving ones – especially useful if your subject is moving toward or away from you – and an intelligent AF-A (AI Focus) mode, which detects if the subject is in motion or not, and acts accordingly.

The new Canon Digital IXUS 970 IS is a 10 megapixel camera which features a 5x optical zoom lens and enhanced optical Image Stabilizer. The Digital IXUS 970 IS (called the Powershot SD890 IS in the USA) also features Motion Detection to help reduce blur, and Face Detection with Face Select & Track and White Balance adjustment. “With its 5x zoom, the Digital IXUS 970 IS brings a new level of performance to Canon’s leading design brand,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. “Once again Canon is using its optical expertise to deliver powerful compact cameras in effortless style.” The Canon Powershot SD890 IS will cost $399.99. The Canon Digital IXUS 970 IS is available from early April 2008, priced at £299.00 / €449.00 RRP inc. VAT.

The new Canon Digital IXUS 90 IS and Digital IXUS 85 IS are 10 megapixel cameras with 3x zoom lenses. Both models feature Canon’s lens-shift type optical Image Stabilizer, enhanced auto focus performance for low-light shooting and to help reduce blur. The syling of the two models is different - the Digital IXUS 90 IS (called the PowerShot SD790 IS in the USA) is solid and chiselled, whilst the Digital IXUS 85 IS (called the PowerShot SD770 IS in the USA) apparently “reflects a glimmering, understated elegance”. “The design versatility of Digital IXUS is clearly demonstrated by these two new models,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. “These are cameras that enable users to express their individuality, both in the model they choose, and the images they make.” The Canon PowerShot SD790 IS will cost $349.99 and the SD770 IS $299.99. The Canon Digital IXUS 90 IS is available from late March priced at £259.00 / €379.00 RRP inc. VAT. The Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS is available from late March priced at £239.00 / €349.00 RRP inc. VAT.

The Leica M8 digital rangefinder camera is now available in limited edition exclusive sets with two high-performance lenses. The M8 has been twinned with either the LEICA SUMMICRON-M f/2/28 mm ASPH lens, or the LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-M f/2/75 mm ASPH lens. Both of these limited edition sets are available until 30th June 2008 - contact your Leica system dealer for further details.

CyberLink PowerProducer 5 is a new disc authoring software application which supports the creation of Blu-ray Discs and DVDs featuring video content recorded in the AVCHD format. PowerProducer 5 is available in two versions. PowerProducer 5 Ultra lets users create high-quality professional-looking discs on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs. PowerProducer 5 (DVD) supports the creation of customized menu designs for DVDs and VCDs. CyberLink PowerProducer 5 Ultra costs USD 79.95/Euro 74,99, and CyberLink PowerProducer 5 (DVD) USD 49.95/Euro 44,99.

Photo-enhancing software LightZone 3.5 now includes an extensive video learning center, additional camera compatibility and revised pricing of up to $50 off. “Our goal with LightZone is to show the digital public that there is an approachable way to enhance all their photos without lengthy books, manuals and luck.  Transforming your photos is a very visual experience, so we have employed a visual approach with our new video learning center,” said Fabio Riccardi, chief executive officer, Light Crafts. LightZone 3.5 is available for download now. The full version is now priced at $199.95, and the Basic version is $129.95.

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Nikon S510, the world’s smallest digital camera with optical vibration reduction.

“With one of those classic compact camera designs married to a very well organized menu system, it’s easy to make friends with the Coolpix S510. While test images were soft and exhibited some highlight flaring, they also showed very little chromatic aberration. And our gallery shots, sharp if not the sharpest we’ve seen, had natural color and control of highlight detail. It’s a fun take-anywhere camera that requires almost no thought to enjoy, but you should think twice if you expect to enlarge your images bigger than 8x10.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Nikon S510 Review

Panasonic have released a firmware update, version 2.0, for the LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm f/1.4 lens which enables contrast auto-focus when used with the DMC-L10 DSLR camera. Note that the firmware of of the DMC-L10 should also be upgraded to the new firmware version 1.2.

Website: Leica 25mm Lens Firmware Update 2.0

The GE E1235 is a new 12 megapixel digital camera with a 2.7 inch LCD screen, 3x zoom and ISO 3200 sensitivity. Other standout features include blink detection, smile detection, in-camera panorama stitching, face detection and image stabilization. Available in either deep red or silver, the E1235 will be available from March 14 through multichannel retailer HSN at the special introductory price of $199.95.

The Digital Photography Companion by pro photographer and popular teacher Derrick Story is a new portable guidebook to digital photography. Perfectly sized to fit in a camera bag, The Digital Photography Companion provides examples of how to capture great shots of people, places, landscapes, and more. The Digital Photography Companion is available now for $24.99 USD / £15.50 GBP.