Fujifilm were the other big camera name at Focus. They were showing the S5700 / S700 camera that was announced last week (although not the A900 or A820). It was next to the older S5600 model and was noticeably smaller and lighter, yet still retaining a 10x zoom lens and with a much larger LCD screen. The other highlights were the F40d and Z5 (first announced at CES in early January). Fujifilm were also keen to point out that a growing number of models had the new dual xD / SD memory card slot, citing demand from repeat buyers with a vested interest in SD cards as the principal reason. Finally, the new S5 Pro DSLR has already crept onto the store shelves, with retailer Jacobs offering it for a show special of £999 body only.

HP and Epson were both at Focus 2007, although neither had any brand new products on show. HP were heavily pushing their large-format Z series printer range (which we’ve enthusiastically reviewed), whilst Epson were concentrating on the Stylus 1400 and 3800 models.

There were a couple of notable monitor manufacturers at Focus on Imaging 2007. First up were NEC, displaying their brand new 26 inch NEC 2690WXi wide-angle display aimed at the general consumer (although at £868, still not cheap), plus their much more expensive professional range of SpectraView models. It was also the first time at the show for EIZO and their extensive range of ColorEdge monitors. I’ll be getting hold of some to review in the coming months.

hueyPRO is a new addition to Pantone’s huey family of display calibration products. The new device is aimed at photographers and creative professionals who want to improve color clarity and consistency across multiple CRT, laptop and LCD displays. Like its sibling huey, hueyPRO delivers professional results without requiring expertise in color management. hueyPRO will be available in April 2007 for $129 US. In the UK, the hueyPRO will cost £85 / €129 ex. VAT, and will be distributed by Colour Confidence.

Nik Sharpener Pro 2.0 and Capture One PRO are being offered together at $499 for new users, representing a saving of $329. In addition, existing customers of both companies can benefit from this special offer. Nik Sharpener Pro 2.0 customers get Capture One PRO at a 25% discount, whilst Capture One PRO customers get Nik Sharpener Pro 2.0 at a 25% discount.

InfoSafe On-The-Go Drive Enclosures are brushed aluminum cases that turn any compatible 2.5” hard drive into a portable storage unit. The InfoSafe On-The-Go Drive Enclosures offer photographers 480 Mbps data transfer rate and USB 2.0 connectivity. Two models are available supporting IDE drives (IDECASE25OTG) or SATA drives (SATCASE25OTG). MSRP for the units are $62.99 for the IDE model and $69.99 for the SATA version.

iView Multimedia has released a free update, v3.1.3, to iView MediaPro. This latest release, iView MediaPro 3.1.3 delivers Windows Vista compatibility as well as added support for the Nikon D80 and other minor fixes.

Imaging Resource have a preview of the new Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera.

“As it was, going out to shoot our usual Gallery shots left me feeling a little frustrated. The 1D Mark III is far more sophisticated than any of my snapshots of inanimate objects could convey, and my limited time wouldn’t allow me to get truly creative and explore the vast possibilities with a camera of this caliber. But the Galleries aren’t intended to show any artistic ability; they’re taken to give you a sample shot of something textured and colorful with the camera in the daylight. Let’s just say I was wishing I had a week in the Sierras, four days with models in a studio, three days with the same models on a beach, 36 hours photographing bears in Alaska, and a weekend at the racetrack. Just me and the Mark III.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Canon EOS-1D Mark III Preview

This week’s Gary’s Parries topics are:

1. Anti-Shake DSP Beats Traditional OIS (In Theory)
2. Time To Trade The SLR In For A Bridge

Introducing this week’s Gary’s Parries column. Everything you always wanted to know about digital cameras, but were afraid to ask. No question too difficult, or too easy. As a Senior Principal Software Engineer, and a former Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems, as well as a recording studio owner/operator, inventor, and now, a digital camera enthusiast, GARY has more digital camera knowledge in his entire brain than most people have in their little finger. In the unlikely event that GARY would not know the answer to your question, he will answer it anyway, true to the spirit of the word “Parries”, a fencing term which, in this context, implies “cleverly evasive answers”. So let your imagination run wild. Email all your nagging digital camera questions to: [email protected] , and then, En Garde!

You may also attach to your email an ORIGINAL PHOTO of your choosing. A preview of the photo will be displayed with your question, and a full-sized version will be just a click away. No personal information will be published with your question unless you specifically include it in the text or attached photo of your email, which may be further edited for grammar, content, or other reasons.

I attended the Canon Spring Launch press event at The Bridge, SE1 in central London earlier today and tried out the new EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera, plus the 16-35mm lens, 580 EX II flashgun, Powershot and IXUS cameras, and PIXMA printers. Hearing the EOS-1D Mark III rattling away at 10 frames per second for over 10 seconds was quite something! This new DSLR is 16% lighter than its predecessor, has a self-cleaning sensor based on the EOS 400D, and uses a 3rd generation CMOS sensor and two DIGIC III processors. Apparently the shutter is 50% more durable than the previous model - Canon have tested it to no less than 300,000 cycles. And the camera’s 19 auto-focus sensors and 26 focus assist points offer a 1 stop improvement in low-light. Canon demoed a EOS-1D Mark III saving files to a compact flash card, SD card and external hard drive all at the same time! Price will be £3049.99 in the UK and $3999 US. Click on the link below to see exclusive shots of all the new products that have been announced today (well, not quite all of them, I didn’t spend too much time with the new fax machines). Leave a comment if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them…

Camera phones become more like traditional still cameras every day, as FotoNation introduces the world’s first red-eye technology for cameras phones. This new technology will feature on the will be available on the Nokia N73, N80 and N93 series of camera phones. “FotoNation’s Red Eye detection and reduction technology has become the defacto standard for embedded implementations of red-eye correction in today’s digital cameras,” said Eran Steinberg, CEO of FotoNation.  “We have optimized the implementation of our red-eye technology over many different DSC platforms. Our most recent port to mobile camera platforms is the logical next step.”

Leica have extended their 6-Bit Coding Promotion until June 30, 2007. Purchase any new M lens from an authorized USA/Canadian Leica dealer between October 1st, 2006 and June 30, 2007, and you will receive 2 free vouchers - worth $125 each - entitling you to upgrade your existing Leica M lenses by adding the 6-bit code.

DCResource have reviewed the Sony W55 camera, which offers 7.2 megapixels, Real Imaging Processor, ISO 1000 and a 3x optical zoom lens.

“While not a giant leap over its predecessor, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 is still a capable, ultra-compact camera that I can recommend to just about everyone. It offers a stylish design, great performance, good photo quality, and a low price. If you shoot in mixed or unusual lighting, or take a lot of long exposures I wouldn’t recommend it, but for everyone else it’s worth a look.”

Website: DCResource - Sony W55 Review

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

“Image detail and colour rendition are very good with blues and reds especially strong as this is obviously what most consumers would prefer nowadays. Should you find them a bit over the top however, they are easily adjusted to your personal preferences in the camera menu, just like sharpness, contrast and hue.”

Website: DCViews - Nikon D40 Review

Website: Read our Nikon D40 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

PMA 2007: The Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera is the latest addition to the EOS-1D series, offering 10.1 megapixels and 10fps shooting for up to 110 JPEG or 30 RAW images. The Canon 1D Mark III has not one but two DIGIC III processors, 14-bit image processing, 3.0 inch LCD with Live View mode (eat your heart out Olympus!), ISO 6400, 19 point auto-focusing and the EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The new Canon EOS-1D Mark III will cost £3049.99 in the UK, and I hear that it will cost $3999 in the US and be available in April.

Canon Japan has some Canon EOS-1D Mark III sample photos available to download.

PMA 2007: Canon have announced several new accessories that have been optimised for the new EOS-1D Mark III DSLR. These are the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, Canon Speedlite 580EX II flashgun, Canon WFT-E2 Wireless File Transmitter and Canon OSK-E3 Original Data Security Kit. The optics on the EF 16 35mm f/2.8L II USM have been redesigned to deliver higher contrast levels and improved resolving power. Availability TBC on all products listed below.

- EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens is priced at £1319.99 RRP inc.VAT
- Speedlite 580EX II flashgun is £399.99 RRP inc.VAT
- Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2 is £649.99 RRP inc.VAT
- Original Data Security Kit OSK-E3 is £599.99 RRP inc.VAT.

PMA 2007: The Canon IXUS 75 and Canon IXUS 70 are two new additions to the Digital IXUS range of compact digicams (they are called the SD750 and SD1000 respectively in the USA). The Canon IXUS 75 has a metallic finish and 3 inch LCD screen, whilst the Canon IXUS 70 is Canon’ slimmest optical zoom camera. Both new models have 3x optical zooms (35-105mm), Red-Eye Correction in playback and Face Detection AF/AE/FE and Noise Reduction Technology. The Canon Digital IXUS 75 will be available from mid March 2007 priced at £269.00 / €399.00, whilst the Canon Digital IXUS 70 will cost £249.00 / €369.00 RRP.

PMA 2007: The Canon A570 IS and Canon A560 compact digital cameras both offer a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom lens, Face Detection Technology and Red-Eye Correction. The Canon A570 IS model adds an Optical Image Stabilizer to combat camera shake and full manual control. The Canon A570 IS will be available from mid March 2007 for £249.00 / €369.00, whilst the Canon A560 will cost £209.00 / €309.00 and be available in early March.

PMA 2007: The Canon TX1 digital camera features a 10x optical zoom lens (39mm-390mm) with Optical Image Stabilization, 115,000-pixel Vari-Angle LCD screen and 7.1 megapixel sensor. A 30 fps High Definition (HD) 720p widescreen (16:9) movie mode and recording CD quality Stereo Sound in 44 KHz are also offered. The Canon TX1 will cost $499.99 and will only be available in the USA.

Canon is celebrating 20 years of the EOS system. Standing for Electro Optical System, EOS began with the EOS 650 back in 1987 (what a decade!). To help celebrate, Canon UK has launched 21 new promotional DSLR kits (13 new photo kits and eight new lens kits). Examples of the photo kits include the EOS 400D IS Double Zoom Kit, which contains the EF-S 17-85mm IS U lens and the EF 70-300mm IS U lens; the EOS 30D Macro + Ring Flash Kit, which contains the EF 100mm Macro lens and the MR-14EX Ring Flash; and the EOS 5D Photo + Speedlite Kit, containing the EF 50mm 1.4 lens and the 220EX Speedlite.