Olympus Europe have unveiled a limited edition version of the Olympus Mju 1020 compact camera. 5,000 limited edition white Mju 1020s will be available, each one with three uniquely-styled skins by internationally-acclaimed artist Matei Apostolescu. “The opportunity to design these camera skins was an interesting prospect for me. With photography being an exciting art form in its own right and a major component of today’s digital art, I was fascinated by the idea of designing pieces where the ‘canvas’ would ultimately be an instrument that can be used to create art itself”, explains Apostolescu. The Olympus Mju 1020 is a 10 megapixel camera with a 7x optical zoom. The new Limited Edition Olympus Mju 1020 is available now.

Think Tank Photo have introduced three new rolling bags which provide more protection and security for transporting heavy and expensive photography gear. The Airport Airstream is a new, small roller complies with international air travel guidelines and accommodates up to a 400mm lens and multiple DSLRs and lenses. Airport Security V2.0 and Airport International V2.0 are new versions with new and enhanced security features. “With all of these rollers we’ve listened to photographer fears and designed in strong, customizable features that allow them to use this rolling camera bag not only as a means of transporting equipment from one site to the next, but for storing it securely during the shoot,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo’s founder and lead designer.

The Think Tank Photo Skin Collection is a new series of thin, flexible bags designed to fit on Think Tank Photo belts or regular belts. Their ability to be compressed when empty frees up valuable space in your cases, especially when in transit. “The Skin series was designed in direct response to feedback from professional photographers who have to lug their gear into the field,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo co-founder and lead designer. “For some of them, having bags that compress to preserve room and yet still allow quick access is more important than padding. With the Skin series they have the same ‘Lock or Rotate’ functionality as our breakthrough modular systems but without the extra protective padding.” The 5-piece Skin Set includes the Skin 50, Skin 75 Pop Down, Skin Double Wide, Skin Strobe, and the Skin Chimp.

Hahnemuhle will announce four new 60” wide papers at the WPPI 2008 show. Photo Rag Ultra Smooth, Photo Rag Baryta, Daguerre Canvas and Monet Canvas will all be available in the 60” size. Hahnemuhle will be selling sample rolls of the two new Canvas products at the WPPI show for $5 each. “We are pleased to present these new products to the digital printing community,” said Martin Kerver, President of Hahnemuhle USA. “We understand the complex and ever- expanding needs of our customers and are committed to meeting the quality standards that have made us the preferred choice for fine art printing.”

Ricoh have released the fourth firmware update, v1.18, for the Ricoh GX100 digital camera.

1. Modified the following phenomenon.
With the M mode (manual exposure mode), even if you press the Fn button (to set closer to the appropriate exposure automatically), it will not set closer to the appropriate exposure with the following conditions;
• Fn button assignment : AE lock
• ISO sensitivity setting : AUTO-HI
• Shutter speed to be an appropriate exposure : 1/30 or slower
2. Improved the flash control in a dark place.
3. Make a change to a JPEG file that created with a RAW format file to add black borders to the top and bottom of the JPEG image, in case that you set the [RAW/JPEG setting] to [N640], and the [Pic Quality/Size] setting to [RAW 3:2] at the same time.

Website: Ricoh GX100 1.18 Firmware Update

The Spyder3Elite is the top-of-the-range product in Datacolor’s new line-up of display calibration devices. You need to calibrate your monitor to ensure that the colours you see on your screen are the colours seen on someone else’s screen, or on the paper when you print. The Spyder3 Elite uses a 7 colour detector engine and a larger light aperture to improve performance and colour accuracy over both the previous Spyder2 and competing brands. It also features an Ambient Light Control which will automatically measure the light in a room at regular intervals. Jon Canfield recalibrates his entire studio to find out if the Spyder3Elite delivers on its promises…

Website: Spyder3Elite Review

Following recent speculation about a possible full-frame camera, Leica UK have issued a statement re-iterating their commitment to the M8 rangefinder. “There has been much recent speculation concerning the M8, but we can confirm that the current design remains our most important product for 2008/9. As ownership increases, users seem to really appreciate that it is a faithful reproduction of a true classic M, but in digital form.” commented David Bell, Managing Director, Leica Camera Ltd., UK. Leica UK are now offering £500 cash back on the purchase of a Leica M8 and a selected lens. The scheme runs until the end of May 2008 in authorised dealers only and also incorporates the Leica MP and M7 film cameras. Bell also promised new shutter and rear display cover options would be available later in the year.

Giotto’s has teamed up with photographer Charlie Waite and Light & Land to offer the chance to win a trip to the Lake District. Giotto’s is looking for the best image taken with the aid of a tripod. The lucky winner of this competition will win a place on the Lake District tour, which takes place from 23-25th September 2008.

Metropolis: Capturing Modern Liverpool features over 60 photos of Liverpool taken between the 1930s and 1970s. Held at the National Conservation Centre from 21 March to 10 August 2008, the evocative photographs give a remarkable insight into landmark buildings, cutting edge developments, great events and city life. Curator of photographic archives Anne Gleave said: ‘Stewart Bale Ltd created a legacy of major importance, combining outstanding craftsmanship with a unique record of Liverpool’s changing face during a significant period of social and industrial change and development.”

The Sekonic Prodigi Colour C-500 & C-500R is the world’s first colour meters designed for digital and film colour control.

Main Features
• Four built in sensors that measure colour temperature
• Wireless triggering feature compatible with the PocketWizard® (only in C-500R)
• Digital and Film compatible
• Illuminance measurement
• Measured and indicated values
• Preset white balance/colour compensation function
• Memory function
• User friendly design

YouSendIt Express allows users to seamlessly send files and folders directly from their desktop. Available for both the PC and the Apple Mac platforms, YouSendIt Express offers file expiration control, password protection, and a built-in zipping feature. “YouSendIt Express expands the current range of solutions available to users and is just one example of enabling workflow integration for all businesses and creative environments,” said YouSendIt founder and CTO, Ranjith Kumaran.

JP Distribution has announced the arrival of a line of new HiLite Bottletop covers to enhance the ever popular HiLite range. Simply slip the elasticated bottletop cover over the HiLite background to produce an instant change of colour. They also come complete with a train. The new HiLite Bottletop covers are available in Black, Grey, Chromakey Blue and Chromakey Green, with prices starting at £54.99.

TrustedReviews have reviewed the new Canon ES20 compact photo printer.

“This is a very neat and functional standalone photo printer, where you don’t need to carry a separate pack of paper, but you will need the optional battery pack and charger if you intend to use it away from the mains. Prints may need some brightness adjustment, but overall its ease-of-use and convenience outweigh this.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Canon ES20 Review

The Casio EX-Z9 is a new 8.1 megapixel digital camera with a 3x zoom lens, 2.6-inch wide LCD and 23 scene modes. “Whether you are taking snap shots of your family at the park or your friends at a concert, this high-quality digital camera is sure to satisfy all of your photographic wants and needs,” said Bill Heuer, Vice President of Casio’s Digital Imaging Division. “Casio’s innovative YouTube Capture Mode allows videos to be recorded and uploaded directly to YouTube in as few as 3 steps, making the EX-Z9 perfect for online video enthusiasts.” Available in March, the Casio EX-Z9 will be offered in pink, black, silver and orange for $159.99.

Yesterday Jon Canfield looked at the future of inkjet printers. Today he’s looking into his crystal ball again to find out what the future holds for inkjet papers…

There may not have been many new printer announcements at PMA 2008, but that certainly didn’t affect the paper vendors from going all out with new releases.  And, it’s clear that old is in as many of the surfaces shown mimic those of traditional darkroom days. If you’re a lover of fiber based papers, this is a great year for you with plenty of new options to explore.

The two main trends are to a fiber pearl surface, and baryta papers. If you’re not familiar with the term baryta, it’s a paper that contains barium sulphate in the coating to enhance gloss and give a higher dmax with crisp image definition. It seems to be all the rage these days, and one of the major advantages is the ability to use photo black pigment inks. Stay tuned for future reports where you’ll be able to read more about these papers in actual use.

Jon Canfield takes a look back at PMA 2008 to see into the future of inkjet printers…

PMA 2008 is not going to go down in history as the year of the new printer. Unlike past years where every major company had multiple new product announcements, this year was relatively quite on the inkjet front. That does point to a maturing category, and one where the existing quality bar is already very high. Indeed, you could take any of the top three (Canon, Epson, HP) and have lab quality or better prints today at a very reasonable cost.

That doesn’t mean new product development is dead by any means, and that’s a good thing for us as users. It does mean the breakneck speed of even two years ago is probably over. And, if you’re a gear junky like I am, it also means that we can focus on getting great prints rather than what’s new and better that’s just around the corner.

The Epson Stylus Pro 7880 is a new 24 inch, large-format printer featuring improved UltraChrome K3 ink with Vivid Magenta technology. Shared by all 3 new models in the x880 series, this technology promises a wider colour gamut and unrivalled image quality from an 8-colour inkset. In addition the Epson 7880 offers a new Ethernet interface as standard and an improved printhead with Epson’s Super Halftone Technology, which enhances the image detail that may be lost in low resolution images. With a price tag of £2395 / $2995 for the 24” Stylus Pro 7880, only serious photographers need apply. Jon Canfield finds out if the Epson Stylus Pro 7880 meets their needs…

Website: Epson Stylus Pro 7880 Review

Aptina, a newly-formed division of Micron, has announced a 9 megapixel CMOS sensor for compact digital cameras. The new sensor has a 1/2.3-inch optical format, 1.75-micron pixel architecture, can capture up to 15 frames per second, and shoot high-definition video of 720p at 30 fps. “We have received the first production orders for our 9 MP and are effectively penetrating the Japanese name-brand camera market, which has long been the leader in producing quality digital cameras and has largely focused on CCD as the image capture technology of choice,” said Bob Gove, President of Aptina.

The Olympus E-420 is a compact new entry-level 10 megapixel DSLR camera. One of the world’s smallest and lightest D-SLRs, the E420 offers Live View, 2.7 inch LCD screen, 3.5fps continuous shooting, Supersonic Wave Filter to prvent dust, and no less than 28 shooting modes. A retro-styled camera case that attaches to the base of the camera is also being introduced. Made entirely of leather, it will be available in a choice of white, brown or black. The Olympus E-420 will be available from late April 2008 at £339.99 / $499 body only or £379.99 / $599 for the standard 14-42mm lens kit.

The Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL 25mm 1:2.8 is a tiny new Four Thirds lens equivalent to a focal length of 50mm. Measuring 23.5mm long and weighing in at a tiny 95g, the combination of Olympus’ 25mm lens and the new E-420 DSLR camera is a a meagre 76.5mm, the most compact camera body and lens combination available. The ZUIKO DIGITAL 25mm 1:2.8 lens will be available from April 2008 at a recommended price of £189.99.