DPReview have reviewed the new Olympus SP-550 UZ. This is the first digital camera to offer an 18x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 28-504mm.

“Olympus decided it had to come back with a bang, and that the marketing men looked at the existing market leaders and decreed that the SP-550UZ had to be bigger and better in every respect - even if doing so required more than a little smoke and mirrors. And so we got a camera with the highest sensitivity (albeit at massively reduced resolution), the highest frame rate (erm, albeit at reduced resolution) and, of course, the biggest zoom range (albeit one that struggles to focus at the long end).”

Website: DPReview - Olympus SP-550 UZ Review

Website: Read our Olympus SP-550 UZ Review

Olympus have released a firmware update, v1.1, for the SP-550 UZ.

Changes in v1.1:
Improved exposure accuracy when shooting in Manual Mode with the ISO set between 800 and 1600.

Website: Olympus SP-550 UZ v1.1 Firmware Update

Olympus have released a firmware update, v1.2, for the 7 megapixel, 10x optical zoom SP-510 UZ camera.

Changes in v1.2:
- The compression ratio for SQ1 High resolution (2304 x 1708) has been corrected.
- When opening images in OLYMPUS Master 1.42, the focal length will be displayed in 35mm equivalent.

Website: Olympus SP-510 UZ v1.2 Firmware Update

DCResource have reviewed the 7.1 megapixel Canon PowerShot A550, which has a 2 inch LCD screen, and 4x zoom lens.

“The Canon PowerShot A550 is a very good entry-level digital camera, and one that I can recommend easily. I’m going to do something a little unusual, though: I’m going to recommend that you pay $30 more for its big brother, the PowerShot A560. Why? For the speed and improved photo quality of the DIGIC III processor, a larger/sharper LCD, longer movie record times, and a tool that ends the annoying redeye problem that has plagued the A-series cameras for some time.”

Website: DCResource - Canon PowerShot A550 Review

Megapixel.net have reviewed the new Olympus SP-550 UZ. This is the first digital camera to offer an 18x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 28-504mm.

“We can only hope that with its excellent image quality and convincing optical performance, the SP-550 UZ is also a herald of a new class of bridge cameras that will place a strong emphasis on image quality and overall capabilities, and which will, in turn, offer many people with an alternative to bulkier digital SLR cameras.”

Website: Megapixel.net - Olympus SP-550 UZ Review

Website: Read our Olympus SP-550 UZ Review

After weeks of covering the PMA show and writing about the latest and greatest cameras and kit, I thought it would be good to get back to what we’re all really interested in - taking photos. This week’s Saturday Shout is your chance to shamelessly promote your own photography by leaving a link to your website or online gallery in the Comments section. Just so long as you also write a paragraph or two about your particular photographic interests. Think of it as a caring, sharing group hug where we all get to look at some nice photos, whilst learning a little bit about each other (but not too much!). Ahhhhh. Bless.

Lowepro Primus AW backpack celebrates the company’s 40th anniversary and is made primarily from recycled materials. Each bag contains enough recycled material to equate to 22.6 soda bottles. The Lowepro Primus AW backpack will be available in summer 2007 for a retail price of $279.99. 10% of all sales will be donated to Polar Bears International.

The Lowepro Vertex series is capable of carrying 1-2 pro digital SLRs, a large 35mm or medium format system, a number of lenses, a tripod or monopod, a flash and digital accessories. The Vertex line also conforms to a variety of body types with an adjustable harness system and comes in 3 different sizes, 100 AW, 200 AW and 300 AW. The Lowepro Vertex bags will be available in March 2007 and will be available for a retail price of $189.99, $249.99 and $289.99 respectivley.

Artimi Wireless USB connectivity for next-generation digital cameras was showcased at this month’s PMA show. Wireless USB allows you to quickly and automatically download digital photos at speeds up to 480Mbps using WiMedia-based ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. “Next-generation digital cameras with this technology will allow consumers to quickly download and share all their photos in just seconds, without draining the battery or having to carry extra cables.” commented Colin Macnab, CEO of Artimi.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 is the Japanese consumer electronics giant’s first ever DSLR camera. The distinctive, rangefinder style Panasonic L1 is based on the Four Thirds standard and offers an optical image stabilisation system and Leica kit lens. Costing well over £1,000 / $1,800, the L1 is certainly not cheap, so what can it offer to tempt you?

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 Review

The Casio EX-Z11 has surfaced on Casio’s German website without so much as a fanfare or even a press release. The new Z11 model appears to be a special model for the German store Media Markt. This is a new 7 megapixel model with the usual assortment of Casio technologies - Antishake DSP and Best Shot modes included. More details on the new Casio Z11 to come, if we receive any…

Website: Casio Germany - EX-Z11

Also new and officially un-announced today is the Casio EX-Z65, as featured on Casio’s German and Spanish websites. The new Z65 model is a 6 megapixel updated version of the Z60, with a slightly larger LCD screeen, which may or may not have a worldwide release. More details on the new Casio Z65 to come, if we receive any…

Website: Casio Germany - EX-Z65

Visitors to the 2007 Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) convention and trade show can signup for a three-month PhotoShelter Standard (35GB) account for only $9.99, a saving of $80. PhotoShelter is a leading online archive and marketplace for professional photographers. The exclusive WPPI offer will be available from March 24-29th and can be purchased via Samy’s Camera at booth 1216.

Luminous Landscape have published Part 2 of a 3-part guide to assessing your technical and aesthetic level as a photographer.

“I think a lot of photographers have a split personality – on the one hand we are extremely proud of the images we create and can be overly confident of their value. At the same time, many of us have that nagging doubt about our abilities and are convinced we are going to wake up one of these days to the realization we are ‘crap’ photographers who should find another hobby – say beer bottle cap collecting. Unfortunately what this dichotomy translates into is that we seem to bounce from one view to the other.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Taking Your Photography To The Next Level

Casio have released firmware updates for the EX-Z700 and EX-70 digital cameras which adds support for SDHC memory cards with capacities of 8GB or greater.

Website: Casio Firmware Updates

DIWA, a world-wide organisation of collaborating websites, today announces a DIWA Gold Award to the Nikon D40 digital single-lens-reflex (DSLR) camera for its high overall performance at a very competitive price. Kai Thon, DIWA’s test manager says: “The DSLR camera market is booming and new models are introduced at rapid pace. DIWA members are pleased to confirm that the Nikon D40 is far more than just another DSLR. Built on Nikon’s long experience and indisputable reputation for quality, filled with the most important goodies from more advanced Nikon models, with priority on performance rather than marketing tricks and gimmicks, the D40 is currently as close to the perfect DSLR you can get for a reasonable sum of money”.

First announced in August 2006, the Nokia N95 has now started shipping. The N95 offers in-built GPS, 5 megapixel camera, DVD-like quality video capture, Wi-Fi connectivity and a unique two-way slide concept and music player. “The Nokia N95 is set to become the flagship device of a generation and transform the face of mobile technology,” said Andrew Connell, head of multimedia, Nokia UK.  “With its groundbreaking features set, the Nokia N95 takes mobile communication to a new level, meaning users need only one device in their pocket.” The estimated retail price of the Nokia N95 will be around £599 in the UK. The N95 will be released in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2007.

The Getty Images iView Submission Utility is available as a free plug-in for iView MediaPro for signed photographers to Getty Images Creative image collections. Designed to cut preparation time for stock photo submissions, the utility automates two key processes, image validation and submission packaging. “Our close relationship with iView in developing this submission utility demonstrates our commitment to helping photographers streamline their overall workflow and deliver images to us with less hassle,” said Paul Banwell, Director of Photographers and Filmmaker Relations at Getty Images.

A panel of digital imaging editors have selected the winners of the prestigious DIMA Innovative Digital Product Awards. DIMA Innovative Digital Product Awards recognize products or services utilizing new technologies and /or applications that make the product either distinct or the first of its kind. The winners include the HP Designjet Z Photo Printer Series, Lensbaby 3G, Olympus SP-550 UZ and Think Tank Photo rotation360 backpack.

Lastolite HiLite backgrounds provide a portable and illuminated solution for photography on location and in restrictive spaces. The HiLite is free standing and can be rotated and used on its short or long edge. The Lastolite HiLite background comes in two sizes, 1.5m x 2.15m (5’ x 7’) and 1.8m x 2.15m (6’ x 7’), for £229.99 and £279.99 respectively.