The Panasonic DMC-L10 is a new 10.1 megapixel DSLR camera with a unique 2.5 inch free angle LCD screen complete with full time live view. The successor to the L1, the Panasonic L10 is a Four Thirds System camera that’s available either body only or in a kit with the new Leica 14-50mm f/3.8-5.6 lens. Other standout features offered by the Panasonic DMC-L10 include Face Detection (up to 15 human faces can be detected simultaneously), Intelligent ISO Control, nine film modes which replicate analog film styles, and the Supersonic Wave Filter system to remove dust from the sensor. The Panasonic L10 will be available from October 2007.

I’m attending the Panasonic press conference at the IFA show in Berlin, Germany right now. Plus I’ve been given the unique opportunity to use the DMC-L10 on a shooting tour later today, so expect some exclusive product shots and a hands-on report to follow.

Update 1 - The L10 uses a newly developed Panasonic sensor, not the Olympus E-410 sensor that has been mistakenly reported elsewhere (source: Panasonic spokesperson, IFA press conference).

Update 2 - The UK price of the Panasonic L10 with the Leica 14-50mm kit lens has now been confirmed as £899.99. The US price is $1300.

The winners of the Nikon Photo Contest International 2006-2007 have just been announced, chosen from more than 47,000 photographs. The theme for the 31st contest was “At the heart of the image”. A total of 53 prize winners were selected from 16,000 participants from 135 countries. The contest is held since 1969 and currently staged once every other year.

Nikon Transfer and Nikon ViewNX are now available to download for free from the Nikon UK website. Nikon Transfer is a download utility which allows images to be simultaneously downloaded to two locations. Nikon ViewNX is a file browser which ensures quick access to images for instant viewing. To access the new software downloads, you must have an account with the European support centre and have registered a valid digital product.

ePhotoZine have reviewed the 8 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FX33 digital camera, which offers a 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC lens (28-100mm), 2.5 inch monitor, optical image stabiliser, face detection and Intelligent Auto mode.

“The FX33 nails its colours to the mast early on. This is a camera for those who want the best results with the least effort. This means that there’s a standard program mode, with exposure compensation and ISO control available, a choice of Scene modes, and the Intelligent Auto function that does everything for you bar wiping noses and picking up litter. In fact the FX33 shares many similar traits to the higher-resolution FX100 such as the 28mm wide angle lens and the way the mode dial sits half under the top plate. Where it stops is that the FX100 is rather more sexily designed, though this isn’t an ugly camera to look at itself.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Panasonic DMC-FX33 Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the HP Photosmart R837 digital camera, which can remove blemishes from faces, such as a spot, mole or scar, and includes pet-eye fix, which removes the glowing effect caused by pets’ eyes.

“The R837’s image quality was OK for an 8-megapixel model. Our outdoor samples had very vivid colors and had very good exposures, however, there a bit noisy. The indoor test shots turned out to have good exposure and the flash was more than adequate from 8 feet away. HP claims that the flash range for this model is 13.5 feet, which is average for a camera is this class and will perform well when trying to illuminate a small to medium sized room. Again, there was a little more noise than we would have liked to see, and the flash might be a little too strong at times, causing skin tones to be a little washed out if you are too close to your subject”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP Photosmart R837 Review

Website: Read our HP Photosmart R837 Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the HP M437, an entry-level 5 megapixel compact digital camera with 3x optical zoom lens and 2 inch LCD screen.

“This is a well designed camera, with few, but very easy to use controls that are well placed on the body. The menu system is simple to use and doesn’t offer a lot of options, perfect for the novice user that is not looking for complicated manual controls. The 2-inch screen was a pleasure to use, self adjusts (gains up) well in marginal lighting.”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP M437 Review

ACDSee Pro 2 features next-generation workflow management and RAW processing functionality. The upgrade was developed with input from more than 2,500 photographers worldwide. “The ability to work directly with our customers has allowed us to develop a product release that will bring unprecedented efficiency to the photographic community, freeing them to focus on what they do best—producing quality images.” said Mark Franklin, executive vice president of ACD Systems. ACDSee Pro 2 is available now for $129.99. Current ACDSee customers are eligible for a 30-percent customer discount.

FotoNation’s Red-Eye and FaceTracker imaging technologies are built-in to more than one out of every two digital cameras. 21 out of 48 new compact digital camera models introduced in the first half of 2007 used the FaceTracker face detection system, which can track up to 10 human faces in an image. FotoNation Red-Eye instantly finds and corrects red-eye artifacts in digital images with no software required. FotoNation holds more than 180 pending and granted patents worldwide related to embedded imaging technology.

The Lacie Golden Disk is a new external hard drive designed by famed industrial designer Ora-Ïto. The Golden Disk features a unique jewel style while the outside finish actually contains a small percentage of real gold. “The Golden drive encompasses all that is glamour while having the guts to perform flawlessly with glowing performance,” said Lise Manteau, LaCie Desktop Solutions Product Manager. Thankfully the Lacie Golden Disk isn’t as expensive as its name suggests, with prices starting at $189, available late October.

LaCie has introduced its 2big family of professional RAID hard drives, comprised of the 2big Dual, 2big Triple and the 2big Network. With capacities from from 1 to 2 terabytes, the LaCie 2big family features a new natural cooling, heat sink metal design with a thermoregulated progressive smart fan.  “We listened to industry demand and created a product that is not only stylish, but allows for massive capacity, high speed and security on demand.  The two hot-swappable bays requires no configuration and assure that information will always be there when needed.” said Marie Renouard, LaCie Product Manager. The LaCie 2big Network and Triple are expected to ship in September followed by the 2big Dual in October, with prices starting at $399.

The Photodex ProShow Workshop Seminar Tour covers the most important features in ProShow Gold and ProShow Producer. The next Seminar takes place this weekend on September 15, 2007 in Chicago. Course attendees receive hands-on instruction, training materials and a Training DVD. Registration for a full-day workshop is $250.00.

CNET have reviewed the Canon G9, a 12.1 megapixel update of the G7 compact camera, with a 6x zoom lens, 3 inch LCD screen and the return of RAW mode.

“And though we all welcome back raw-format support, I was a bit put out by the raw+JPEG implementation. The camera doesn’t store a separate JPEG on the card: it gets extracted from the raw file during the download process using Canon’s image downloader utility. So it’s not really raw+JPEG shooting, and it’s close to useless.”

Website: CNET - Canon G9 Review

Website: Read our Canon Powershot G9 Review

CameraLabs have reviewed the Canon EOS 40D digital SLR camera, which offers a 10.1 megapixel sensor, 6.5 fps continuous shooting and 3 inch LCD screen.

“Canon had to come back fighting with the EOS 40D, and it’s certainly delivered the goods. The new DSLR may resemble its predecessor from the outside, but features worthy upgrades in almost every department. The key specifications of resolution, continuous shooting, autofocus, weatherproofing, screen and viewfinder have all been improved, and there’s now also the addition of Live View, anti-dust features and full remote control using your PC. In short the EOS 40D handles like a dream, feeling tough, very responsive, and confident to handle just about any situation.”

Website: CameraLabs - Canon EOS 40D Review

Website: Read our Canon EOS 40D Review

DIWA member LetsGoDigital have reviewed the Casio EX-V7, the world’s slimmest digital camera with a 7X optical zoom lens (equivalent to 38-266mm on a 35mm film camera).

“As a digital compact camera the Casio Exilim V7 was quite enjoyable. It has an excellent body, good autofocus; it is pleasant to operate and has a very clear layout. The LCD screen is great; it is one of the best currently available. The menu structure is also high-level. I would like to see that more often. It is incredibly intuitive and very legible. Yes, the Casio EX-V7 is one of the most pleasant compact cameras that I know.”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Casio EX-V7 Review

Website: Read our Casio EX-V7 Review

ePhotoZine have reviewed the Olympus mju 790 SW, a new shockproof, waterproof digital camera.

“The main two features of the 790 SW are the shock proofing which uses shock absorbing technology to withstand dropping from up to 1.5m. This is a typical arm height, so using it everyday the camera is safe from the most buttery of fingers. The 790 SW is also waterproof to depths of 3m, so don’t expect to go exploring the Mariana trench just yet but this is a marked improvement on the trademark weatherproofing that the Mju is famous for. This feature also ties in nicely with the Underwater options on the Scene selection as the description has also been amended to include the waterproof feature.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Olympus mju 790 SW Review

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd, the first in its range of ‘Z’ series cameras to feature hardware-based Face Detection technology.

“Quibbles aside, I had fun shooting with the Fuji Z5fd. It was easy to bring along and quick to get in on the action. The pictures I brought home were very good, although they do exhibit the same ultracompact detail I always find a little disappointing. But I also found myself taking shots with the Fuji Z5fd’s special features, which are indeed practical and unique.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the weatherproof Olympus mju 780 compact digital camera, which features a 7.1 megapixel sensor, metal body in silver or black, and 5x optical zoom with mechanical image stabiliser.

“The image stabilisation system, which is I believe of the moving-sensor type, is reasonably effective, but is not the best I’ve ever seen by any means. I was still spotting camera shake on about fifty percent of shots at 1/30th of a second. In other aspects of image quality however the camera performed very well. It uses a 1/2.3-in sensor, which is slightly larger than most 7MP compacts, although not as large as the 1/1.8-in sensor in the FE-250, and while it did produce slight image noise even at the lowest setting of ISO 80, it didn’t really become a problem until ISO 400.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Olympus mju 780 Review

The Canon iPF9000S and iPF8000S 60- and 44-inch large format printers offer a 40 percent increase in speed. The new S-series printers can render an A0-sized print (32.5” x 40.6”) in 4.9 minutes in Standard Mode on glossy photo paper.Both the Canon iPF9000S and Canon iPF8000S feature a high-capacity 80 GB hard drive so printers can queue more print jobs. Available in October 2007, the Canon iPF9000S and Canon iPF8000S will cost $14,995 and $5,995 respectively.

Royal Photographic Society member Brian Griffin has made 165 portraits of the workers and managers involved in the construction of Britain’s first high speed railway. The construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from St Pancras in London has taken nine years to construct, with 8,000 people working over 50 million hours to build it. Griffin’s portraits are being featured in an exhibition at the station, and in a book published on 18 September.

Last week Getty Images announced a new $49 “web use” license for images from all of its collections. This week several leading trade associations representing over 12,000 professional photographers have asked Getty to remove all Rights Managed imagery from the new license. In a letter to Getty, they contend that “Offering your very best imagery at heavily discounted prices may well increase volume, but it also risks undermining Getty’s core licensing business-as well as the businesses of the independent contributing photographers who create and own the majority of imagery in your RM collections.”