ORGANISMuseum is the first online realtime 3D Virtual Art Gallery. It currently features extraordinary images of reportage by Ami Vitale, one of the greatest modern reporters. To visit the gallery you need to install the 3D Life Player plugin.

PMA 2007: Have you ever wanted to ask your favourite photography manufacturer a specific question? Well, now you can! I’m in Las Vegas getting ready for the PMA photography show, which starts tomorrow with Sneak Peek, a whirlwind tour around the best of what the show has to offer, followed by Digital Focus in the evening, and then the show proper begins in earnest on Thursday. So you’ll have to be quick if you want your question asked. I’ll select the best ones and ask them on your behalf - you get some straight answers (hopefully), I get some interesting interview questions, everyone’s a winner! Just post your question in the Comments section, and please limit your enthusiasm to no more than 2 questions each.

Update: I’ve now answered as many questions as possible. I’m not at PMA now, so please don’t ask any more!

PMA 2007: Sony have issued a press release about the new prototype Alpha DSLRs that were on show at PMA last week. “We need to further solidify our position in the digital SLR market. To do that, we must cater to varying degrees of customer requirements, and we are working on the second wave of products in order to expand the world of ‘?’,” said Toru Katsumoto, head of Sony’s AMC division responsible for digital SLR products. “Specifically, we are developing two new camera bodies targeted at higher market segments compared with the ‘?100’,” he added. You can see pictures from the show here.

PMA 2007: The Sony G1 is a 6 megapixel camera with a 3.5 inch LCD screen with 921,000 pixels, 2Gb of built-in memory, 3x zoom lens, optical image stabilisation and peer-to-peer wireless connectivity. On-board intelligence can iidentify pictures on the Sony G1 by colour, subject matter or the presence of human faces. Twilight mode that makes it easy to capture beautiful, blur-free shots at dusk without the need for a tripod or flash. The Sony G1 will be available from April 2007.

PMA 2007: 8 new General Electric digital cameras and a compact photo printer were announced at PMA last week. The new products will be distributd by General Imaging, a new, privately held company that serves as the exclusive worldwide licensee for the GE line of digital cameras and printers. Prices are not yet finalised, but are expected to range from $149 to $399. Cameras will begin reaching North American shelves in May, with European and Asian distribution to take place later this year.

GE X1 - Optical image stabilization, 12x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD screen, 8 megapixels.
GE G1 - 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD screen, 7 megapixels.
GE E1240 - 4x optical zoom and 12 megapixels.
GE E1040 - 4x optical zoom and 10 megapixels.
GE E1030 - 3x optical zoom and 10 megapixels.
GE E850 - 28mm wide-angle lens, 5x optical zoom and 8 megapixels.
GE A830 - 3x optical zoom and 8 megapixels.
GE A730 - 3x optical zoom and 7 megapixels of resolution.

GE P1 Printer - 4” x 6” photo printer, 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution, three-color ink, 75-second print time (normal mode) or 105-second print time (photo mode), USB 2.0 and PictBridge ports, 2.5-inch LCD monitor, 25-sheet loading tray.

PMA 2007: The Leica C-Lux 2 is an ultra-compact digital camera with a black metal body, wide-angle 28mm zoom lens, 2.5 inch LCD screen and 7.2 megapixel CCD sensor. Based on the Panasonic DMC-FX30, the Leica C-Lux 2 adds an exclusive tan leather case and carry loop. Price and availability to be confirmed.

PMA 2007: Panasonic will launch the Digital Photo Academy, a series of workshops across the USA for all digital camera owners. The Panasonic Digital Photo Academy will offer three levels of courses taught by a local professional photographer. Panasonic will also launch www.DigitalPhotoAcademy.com in late-April.

PMA 2007: muveeNow 2.0 is a new entry-level software program aimed at point-and-shoot digital camera owners. It allows users to quickly create and share videos and moving photo shows that are cut to music in 3 easy steps. muveeNow 2.0 will retail at $49.95 and be available in 13 languages from mid-March at www.muvee.com.

PMA 2007: The Quik Pod, the world’s first handheld extendable tripod, allows you to attach a camera and properly frame photos and videos without the help of strangers. It even has a built in self-positioning mirror to help frame each shot! The Quik Pod can be purchased in the USA or ordered online.

PMA 2007: ExpressDigital Darkroom 8.8 includes connected pro services, enhanced template making elements, and new retouch tools. Darkroom Version 8.8 is expected to ship at the end of March 2007.

Harman Photo FB Mp Warmtone Paper is the second product in the company’s professional inkjet media range. Warmtone products are generally manufactured for a black and white market, enhancing the tonal qualities of an image. “The HARMAN PHOTO FB Mp WARMTONE paper will still be suitable for colour images, and we have noticed in our testing that it is particularly effective in enriching skin tones on colour portrait images.” commented Howard Hopwood of Harman Photo. The Harman Photo FB Mp Warmtone paper is due for launch in May this year.

ciSyndicate is a solution for social networking sites that lets Citizen Image harvest user-generated content and stream it into their content syndication portal. Once users opt-in their original photographic or video content, Citizen Image professionally represents it to news and creative services organizations globally.  PixPulse and Photagious are the first two photo sharing social network sites to adopt the ciSyndicate platform.

At least in the United Kingdom anyway. In a recent report members of Which? voted for Panasonic as the most reliable camera maker, with 99% overall reliability. “We are delighted with the results of the Which? report, and are proud to produce reliable, award winning Lumix models that extend photographic opportunities.” commented Mark Robinson of Panasonic UK. 7,579 camera owners took part in the survey. To all Panasonic owners out there, past and present - do you agree with these results? Are Panasonic cameras the most reliable around?

The new Creative Live! Cam Optia AF webcam offers auto focus technology, a true 2.0 megapixel sensor, precision glass lens and dual microphones. The CMOS sensor allows video content to be captured in very high resolutions up to 1600x1200, whilst Smart Face Tracking keeps the speaker in the centre of the video. The Live! Cam Optia AF will be available in early April for around £80.

PMA 2007: Vivitar have launched 5 new digital cameras - the X625, 7388s, 6385u, 6200W and DVR530. The 6 megapixel Vivitar 6200W is waterproof to 10 meters, features a 4x digital zoom, 2 inch LCD display, SD card support, and a rubber-armored exterior. Price and availability of all the new models to be confirmed.

The Sony Ericsson Camera Phone Kit IPK-100 includes a Cyber-shot branded protective case for your phone and a micro tripod. The Camera Phone Kit IPK-100 will be available globally from Q2 2007, price to be announced.

Just Resize My Photos 1.1.0 increases the number of editing features available when processing large number of digital images. Just Resize My Photos resizes your photos in bulk and allows you to add a text watermark, border, drop shadow or rotation. A trial version of Just Resize My Photos is immediately available for download. The purchase price for one user licence is $19.99.

CameraLabs have published their review of the new Nikon D40 entry level DSLR camera.

“The Nikon D40 is arguably one of the most sensible DSLRs released so far. Nikon’s sensibly targeted first-time DSLR owners with an affordable and easy to use product, and sensibly fitted it with a 6 Megapixel sensor which is more than sufficient for the vast majority of consumers. Anyone who’s into digital cameras understands Nikon’s choice of sensor, and it’s refreshing to find a company step back from the unnecessary upward spiralling of Megapixels.”

Website: CameraLabs - Nikon D40 Review

Website: Read our Nikon D40 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

DigiCamReview have tested the Olympus mju 770 SW digital camera, which can survive falls from up to 1.5m, is waterproof to 10m depths, as well as being freezeproof to -10 degrees Celsius.

“Image quality was generally good, with good colour, contrast, and detail, although images were slightly soft, and some flash photos indoors had less saturation than I would have liked to see (this can be increased by using some of the scene modes, or by moving closer to the subject). Images had generally low noise, at most ISO settings upto ISO200. Some images were slightly soft straight from the camera and could benefit from sharpening. Purple fringing was quite low.”

Website: DigiCamReview - Olympus mju 770 SW Review

I’ve been featured as a guest blogger on Xerox’s “In The Balance Blog” website - check out my article Vapourware Steals the Show.

“So how come the stars of the show, the products that got everyone excited, weren’t even real? In an industry where future plans can be just as important as what’s released now, several savvy manufacturers have taken to displaying early mockups of their future big money earners.”

Website: Xerox - In the Balance