PhotoTools from onOne Software is a new Photoshop plug-in that utilizes the power of Photoshop Actions to provide a wide range effects, corrections and production automation. PhotoTools allows users to preview effects individually or combined/stacked together in a layer-like configuration. Available in two versions, PhotoTools ($159.95) and PhotoTools Professional Edition ($259.95), both can be downloaded on on November 15th 2007.

The Sony A700 DSLR camera is here. We now have the full press release and specifications for the A700. The Sony A700 will be available in a choice of different lens kits from mid-October 2007. Body only is $1400 / £999, with an 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for $1500 / £1099, and with a 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for $1900 £1349.   

All prices are inclusive of VAT. Here are the headline specs for the new Sony A700:

12.24 megapixel CMOS sensor
BIONZ image processor
11 point autofocus system
ISO 6400
5fps (for 17 shots in RAW mode)
1/8000th shutter speed
3 inch LCD screen (with 921,000 pixels)
Optional battery grip
Wireless Flash support
Both MemoryStick and CompactFlash cards supported

Sony Japan have published 3 sample images from the A700, all available as full-sized JPGs (and all taken at ISO 100 unfortunately).

Website: Sony Japan - Sony A700 Sample Images

The Digital Photographer’s Notebook is a pro’s guide to Adobe Photoshop CS3, Lightroom, and Bridge by Kevin Ames. Photoshop User columnist Ames shares his own image-making process from start to finish while illuminating many key issues relevant to today’s professionals. Available now, The Digital Photographer’s Notebook costs $39.99.

e-Photografija have reviewed the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera, which features a built-in image stabiliser in the camera body. The E510 also has a new image processing engine that offers excellent noise performance and 3fps with a seven image RAW buffer in burst mode.

“Personally, I don’t think that the Olympus E-510 is quite as user friendly as the Olympus E-410. That’s no bad thing, though - if you want the most user friendliness, get the Olympus E-410. If you want to experiment a bit, go for the Olympus E-510. This makes the Olympus E-510 the perfect camera for those who bothered to learn what the buttons do, know a bit about photography and generally want to get a great picture straight out of the camera. If you’re a demanding hobbyist who’s looking for a light, yet capable camera to take with you on trips and treks and whatnot, this is the camera for you. “

Website: e-Photografija - Olympus E-510 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-510 Review

Luminous Landscape 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.

“My time with the 40D was short, but I found that shooting about a thousand frames over a long weekend was all I needed to be able to draw some preliminary conclusions. These are, in brief, that the image quality of the 40D is excellent, continuing the industry-leading results that Canon has offered for the past 5-6 years. I didn’t see any breakthrough in low noise at the highest ISOs, but as with the EOS 5D ISO 400 is essentially noiseless and can be used as an everyday speed. Noise doesn’t really become an issue until ISO 1600 and even then isn’t that objectionable.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Canon EOS 40D Review

DCResource have reviewed the Canon SD850 IS (also known as the IXUS 950 IS), an 8 megapixel digital camera with 4x zoom, image stabilized lens equivalent to 35-140mm.

“I’ve long been a fan of Canon’s Digital ELPHs, and the PowerShot SD850 IS illustrates why. It stylish, ultra-compact, and well built. It has a gorgeous 2.5” LCD display and an optical viewfinder, a combination you won’t find on most cameras in this class. It offers a few manual controls, just the right amount of scene modes, and not too many gimmicks. It’s not the perfect camera, but as ultra-compact cameras go, it’s certainly one of the best.”

Website: DCResource - Canon SD850 IS Review

Website: Read our Canon Digital IXUS 950 IS Review

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix L12, a 7.1 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens (35-105mm), Vibration Reduction to combat camera shake, Face-priority AF, D-Lighting and Red-Eye Fix, and a 2.5 inch LCD monitor.

“The virtue of this well-balanced compact camera is its simplicity. You could hand this to anyone, and they’d be able to take pictures. They’d know just how to hold it, and which button to press to get a picture. The big LCD would give them the picture. Slide the Mode switch and they could take movies. And show them the Scene mode for a Voice Memo and they’d be able to record their thoughts, too.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Nikon Coolpix L12 Review

CNET have reviewed the HP R847 camera which offers a 3 inch auto bright LCD display with 170 degrees viewing angle and 8 megapixel sensor.

“Unfortunately, the R847’s photos disappoint just as much as its performance impresses. Unacceptable levels of noise appear even at ISO 100. If you dare hit ISO 800 or ISO 1600, grain utterly consumes any and all detail in your shot. The R847’s predecessor could only reach ISO 400, and now we know why: photos taken at higher sensitivity levels look horrible.”

Website: CNET - HP R847 Review

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 is the ideal digital photography software for aspiring photographers. New features include Express Lab mode which enables users to view and edit dozens of photos, new graphite workspace and HDR Photo Merge. “Our focus for this release of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo was to make it even easier and faster for both new and experienced users to create stunning digital photos,” said Petter Nordwall, director, Corel international product management. Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 is available now for £79 / €89.

The Epson PictureMate Dash and PictureMate Zoom are new 4”x6” compact photo printers that offer up to 200 year print life. Both PictureMate Dash and PictureMate Zoom produce borderless 4”x6” prints in as fast as 37 seconds. Both models feature a large built-in premium photo viewer with a 3.6” total viewing area. PictureMate Zoom additionally features a built-in CD burner. PictureMate Dash and PictureMate Zoom are now shipping and will be available for $99.99 and $199.99 respectively.

You can now save up to $139 on three new bundled software packages which include Vertus Fluid Mask 3 and DxO Optics Pro or DxO FilmPack. “Using the unmatched masking capabilities of the new Fluid Mask 3 and the unique image enhancements or effects available with DxO Labs’ products such as DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack, image editing will not only be fast and accurate, but more brilliant and inventive.” said James Carr-Jones, president & CEO of Vertus. Fluid Mask 3 with DxO Optics Pro Elite costs $399 / £289, with DxO Optics Pro Standard $299 / £209, and with DxO FilmPack $229 / £179. This limited time discounted offer will only be available from September 3 - October 17, 2007.

Bibble 4.9.8e includes full support for the new Canon 40D DSLR, including sRaw and tethered shooting. Bibble is one of the first third-party RAW software companies to provide support for the 40D. This is a free update for existing licensees of Bibble 4.

The Digital Railroad Research Network is online image research request tool that instantly connects photographers and agencies with buyers. “...we are giving our member’s the unique opportunity to scan their valuable analogue image archives on-demand for buyers’ needs and publishing trends,” said Evan Nisselson, Digital Railroad founder and CEO. Research Network is an online interactive image research platform accessible only to Digitalrailroad.net members.

Fujifilm is providing details of local E6 processing laboratories in the UK where photographers can process their film. In view of the resurgence in use of reversal film, Fujifilm has given extended support to its network of laboratories which include E6 processing among their services. Photographers can email or telephone Fujifilm to find their nearest E6 laboratory.

ScanDigital is a new online service that digitizes your photographs and slides. Simply send in your prints and slides with the UPS label provided by ScanDigital (for free), and ScanDigital creates an online gallery and sends a CD with the digitized and restored images within a few days. “Most people have hundreds of photos stored in boxes where no one can enjoy them,” said Mike Mothner, co-founder of ScanDigital. “With ScanDigital now they can.  We believe there is strong demand for this kind of service that provides the highest levels of quality, security and convenience.”

Delkin have added three new digital photography products to their line of AA battery products. The new products are Extended Power 2900mAh Rechargeable AA battery cells, a new AA/AAA International Quick Charger, and Ready-to-Use Rechargeable AA battery cells. The Extended Power AA batteries as well as the Ready to Use AA batteries can be purchased in packages of four and are priced at $16.99 and $17.99 respectively. The AA/AAA International Quick Charger comes packaged with four of the Extended Power AA batteries and is priced at $44.99.

Digital Outback Photo have started a diary review of the Canon EOS 40D digital SLR camera, which offers a 10.1 megapixel sensor, 6.5 fps continuous shooting and 3 inch LCD screen.

“Same comment as for the Canon 1D Mark III: Histogram shows now all 3 channels and the luminance histogram at the same time. So far so good. Unfortunately it is hard to see whether the data clip because the background of the histogram is dark gray and the rest on the LCD is black. It would be much easier to check the histogram if there would be a clear visible line around the histogram area.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Canon EOS 40D Review

CNET have reviewed the new Canon SD870 IS camera, which offers 8 megapixels and a 3.8x, 28mm wide zoom.

“The PowerShot SD870 IS yields very high-quality images with accurate colors and tons of detail, and which are very clean at lower ISOs. The automatic white balance does a very good job of neutralizing colors in different kinds of lighting, but with incandescent lighting, its images have a very slight warm cast. Some people prefer this, since it gives a natural look, as incandescent lighting does give off a warm glow. However, if you prefer a more neutral look in these situations, the tungsten preset does a great job of serving up neutral images”

Website: CNET - Canon SD870 IS Review

Website: Read our Canon SD870 IS Review

Megapixel.net have reviewed the Kodak Z885 digital cameras, which boasts a 5x optical zoom lens (36-180mm) and 8.1 megapixel resolution.

“In view of its manufacturer’s suggested retail price, the Kodak EasyShare Z885 is a camera that is destined to be at the top of anyone’s short list when considering the purchase of a camera with a longer than average zoom and a high resolution. While its monitor offers a comparatively low resolution, that drawback is quickly forgotten when the first photos captured with the camera are viewed. The colour rendition the camera yields is excellent and, as long as they are noise-free, images remain detailed after the compression process.”

Website: Megapixel.net - Kodak Z885 Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix S50c camera, which offers offer 7.2 megapixels, a 3x zoom lens (38-114mm), Vibration Reduction, Face-priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and D-Lighting, plus a 3 inch wide-angle LCD monitor and Wi-Fi connectivity.

“Image quality was average at best, with image noise visible on shots even at the minimum of 100 ISO, and visible compression artefacts in pictures even at the maximum quality setting. While exposure was generally accurate, colour reproduction was a bit under-saturated and generally lacked contrast. The overall level of detail was also quite low for a 7MP camera, but while the lens wasn’t the sharpest Nikkor glass I’ve ever seen, it was at least consistent, providing reasonable sharpness from edge to edge, albeit with a lot of barrel distortion at the wide-angle end.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Nikon Coolpix S50c Review