Imaging Resource have reviewed the Casio EX-Z1000 compact digicam, which offers 10 megapixels, 2.8 inch LCD screen, IS0 3200 and an interesting new Zoom Continuous Shutter mode.

“It was easy to make friends with the Casio EX-Z1000. Auto mode with its 16:9 aspect ratio made composing shots fun. The quick startup and shutdown made it convenient to use, never worrying about missing a shot because it would take too long to turn on the camera. The Casio EX-Z1000’s 3x zoom was a disappointment, if only because we’ve been playing with longer zooms lately. But the digital zoom does compensate for that, relying on the 10 megapixel sensor to deliver enough resolution without degrading image quality.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Casio EX-Z1000 Review

Website: Read our Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 Review

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This week’s Gary’s Parries topics are:

1. Face Detection For All Colors
2. Inadequate Canon G3/SD30 White Balance?
3. The Perfect Non-SLR

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.

The Fujifilm F20 is a cheaper version of the popular 6 megapixel, 3x zoom F30 compact digital camera. Offering a reduced maximum ISO speed of 2000, no manual exposure controls and a shorter battery life of 300 shots, is the Fujifilm F20 still worth considering? Read our latest review to find out.

Website: Fujifilm Finepix F20 Review

Sony Europe Press Release

Sony doubles MICRO VAULT™ storage capacity - A huge 8GB available in MICRO VAULT ‘Midi’ line-up from October 2006

Oct 18, 2006 - Sony Recording Media & Energy (RME) division today announced the 8GB MICRO VAULT ‘Midi’, doubling the maximum capacity available in its line-up of USB flash storage devices. With 8GB native storage capacity the new MICRO VAULT is capable of holding over 2,000 MP3 songs or high definition images, or more than 20 hours of MPEG4 video footage1. In addition, the pre-installed Virtual Expander2 compression software allows you to store up to 3 times3 more data. MICRO VAULT Midi models now incorporate an innovative retractable USB connector port. Gone are the days of losing the protective cap. Simply extend the connector and you’re ready to plug and play. The LED indicator, signalling the ongoing read/write operation, is built into the semi-transparent slide button.

Adobe have just released Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Beta 4.1. Photoshop Lightroom beta 4.1 was posted on 19/10/2006 in order to resolve some issues with the original beta 4 build. The following bugs were fixed:

  * There was an issue where a user could not edit a metadata field after editing it for another picture which has been fixed.
  * The preview cache was using wrong relative path.
  * There were a couple fixes in the database update feature, fixing a few situations where the database would not update properly.  Also, upgraded libraries would not always allow images to be moved between shoots.

Adobe Press Release

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Oct. 19, 2006 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced it has acquired Serious Magic Inc.™, maker of video software and communications tools for creative professional, business, consumer, and education markets. With Serious Magic solutions such as DV Rack extending direct-to-disk recording and monitoring into the field and Visual Communicator and Vlog It™ delivering the power of video communication to general business users and casual bloggers, the acquisition strengthens Adobe’s leadership position in video software—for both video professionals and consumers. “The huge momentum behind Flash® Video, which is powering everything from online TV shows to YouTube and MySpace, is turbo-charging Adobe’s video business,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “The purchase of Serious Magic accelerates our vision to make, not just video but all dynamic media, an even more ubiquitous communications vehicle, whether you’re delivering content for the broadcast market, over the web or on mobile devices.”

Eclipse Solar Gear Press Release

ROUND ROCK, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Keeping the batteries charged and ready to go is an obsession for many personal electronics users. What happens when you are outside in a remote area? Designed to be durable products with a convenient, alternative charging solution, the Eclipse Solar Gear bags are ideal for the outdoors-oriented or mobile professional. Eclipse Solar Gear is proud to announce a number of new products, accessories, and options for the holiday season. The new ‘Nova’ Solar Camera Bag is ideal for the avid outdoor photographer using a digital SLR camera. The versatile camera bag is feature rich and includes adjustable dividers, and foam inserts to customize the bag to your needs. It also includes an integrated solar panel providing power to trickle charge your AA batteries or camera batteries while spending time at your favorite outdoor events and locations.

Breeze Systems Press Release

New in DSLR Remote Pro v1.3: Canon EOS 400D/Digital Rebel XTi and Multiple Camera Support

20th October, 2006: Breeze Systems today released DSLR Remote Pro v1.3. Photographers can now use Breeze Systems highly regarded software to control the new Canon EOS 400D/Digital Rebel XTi as well as the 30D, 5D, 350D/Digital Rebel XT, 1D series cameras and most other EOS Digital SLR cameras. DSLR Remote Pro v1.3 adds support for tethered shooting with the new Canon EOS 400D/Digital Rebel XTi, enhances automatic exposure bracketing and multiple cameras to be controlled from a single PC.

Transcend Press Release

Your digital world keeps expanding and you are running out of memory space? Transcend, with its new high-capacity USB 2.0 JetFlash 2A, allows you to store up to 16GB of data to take always with you! The JetFlash(tm) 2A 16GB is a sleek, hi-speed USB 2.0 Flash Drive designed to fit in your busy lifestyle. In today’s office environment, people have the need to transfer and share e-work between several different computers. The 16GB JetFlash 2A combines large capacity, performance, and style in a device that slips into your pocket and can help you manage your active work life. The JetFlash 2A conveniently plugs into the USB port on any desktop or notebook computer, so you can easily transfer, store, and share your work.

O’Reilly Press Release

Sebastopol, CA—Who doesn’t crave higher megapixels, interchangeable lenses, and larger, noise-free sensors? With huge price drops in digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, folks in record numbers are rushing to buy these tricked-out devices. Yet many owners of pro-quality digital SLRs find it daunting to acquire the technical know-how necessary to get the most out of their new gear and software. What they need is an up-to-the-minute reference guide written in clear, easy-to-understand language. And with the just released “Digital Photography Expert Techniques” (O’Reilly, $44.99 US, $58.99 CA)—now fully updated by award-winning photographer Ken Milburn—there’s a one-stop resource available.

PictoColor Press Release

iCorrect OneClick Automatic Digital Photo Color Correction Plug-in - New plug-in offers Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro Users Fast, Easy, Accurate Color Correction with Just One Click

Burnsville, MN, October 19, 2006 - - PictoColor Corporation announces the release of iCorrect OneClick, the latest addition to its award-winning family of digital photo color correction plug-ins. The new point-and-click color correction tool is PictoColor’s fastest, easiest, and most automatic color correction plug-in to date.  Based on PictoColor’s professional-level color technology, iCorrect OneClick is ideal for photo enthusiasts who want to take the guesswork out of making the color right. By simply clicking on an area in the image that should be neutral (black or white or gray), users can instantly correct the white balance, fix the exposure, and improve the saturation.

Photographer Carl Weaver has just started a new website, Talking Business with the Pros, which is a forum to talk about the business side of photography. Each week Carl interviews a professional photographer about the business side of their craft and takes viewer questions and comments. Six photographers have been interviewed on the site so far, which are presented as Quicktime videos.

Website: Talking Business with the Pros

Sanyo Epson Press Release

TOKYO, Japan, October 18, 2006 - Sanyo Epson Imaging Devices Corporation (“Sanyo Epson”) has announced the development of a 2.2-inch amorphous silicon TFT liquid-crystal display (LCD) that is just 1.1 mm thick, making it ideal for use in mobile phones and other portable devices. The fusion of telecommunications and broadcasting through digitization and the seamless integration of cable and mobile communication in the network society have raised expectations for the next generation of mobile devices and for the improved convenience that these devices will bring. Moreover, consumers are increasingly demanding that small and medium-sized LCDs for mobile devices should have high resolution and be slim and energy efficient. To meet these demands, Sanyo Epson has developed products and technologies based on the concept of supplying clear, user-friendly displays that can be used anytime, anywhere.

DIWA member website e-fotografija have a very interesting review with Charles- André Wamberque, Assistant Manager of Nikon Europe’s Product Planning and R&D Department. Well worth a read!

“Pentax is nice but it’s not really a big threat. It’s not like the war between Canon and Nikon which has been going on forever. Our market share has improved in Europe and the US.
We’re battling the megapixel wars now. Last year Canon was introducing 8mp cameras while we were still at 6mp. This year we’re balanced at 10mp. It may sound stupid but consumers are still asking for more megapixels. But the body will always be very important and our D80 is very good. We’re getting many orders for it already. “

Website: e-fotografija - Nikon interview

CNET have the first review of the wide-angle, 5x zoom Olympus FE-200 digital camera, a 6 megapixel model with a 28-140mm lens.

“While Olympus positions the FE-200 as the flagship of its FE-series, it performs dismally; worse, even, than the disappointing FE-170. We had to wait 4 seconds between turning the camera on and taking our first shot; then, the camera paused an excruciating 7.3 seconds between subsequent shots, regardless of whether the flash was turned on or off. Shutter lag was a just-tolerable 1 second in bright light, increasing to 1.3 seconds in dim light. While we can manage with a sluggish shutter, the time lag in between shots renders the camera almost useless.”

Website: CNET - Olympus FE-200 Review

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CNET have the first online review of the slim 6 megapixel Olympus FE-190 camera.

“The FE-190 automatically sets its sensitivity from ISO 64 to ISO 1,000. Unfortunately, you can’t change ISO manually, and since the ISO isn’t recorded in the EXIF data, there’s no way of knowing what ISO setting the camera is using. It features a digital image stabilization mode to help reduce blur, but it still isn’t very good for low-light shooting, especially if you can’t use the flash. Unfortunately, tripod use is extremely awkward, with the camera’s plastic tripod mount on the very far left edge of the body’s bottom.”

Website: CNET - Olympus FE-190 Review

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DIWA member and Norwegian website Digit.no have reviewed the new 10.2 megapixel Sony A100 DSLR camera.

Website: Digit.no - Sony A100 Review

Website: Read our Sony A100 Review

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PCMagazine have just reviewed the new Canon PowerShot A630 digital camera.

“n my daylight test shots, I noticed some noise, and more was evident in my flash image. Both shots had excellent color, were quite sharp, and displayed very little fringing. I saw a bit more of this fringing in my real-world shot of tree branches against the bright sky, but it wasn’t terrible. In my flash test shot, the coverage was pretty good and evenly illuminated. There was good detail in the highlights, but it was just a tad underexposed. Because of the nicely designed physical controls, however, you can adjust the level of the flash quickly and easily.”

Website: PCMagazine - Canon PowerShot A630 Review

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ThinkCamera have just reviewed the new 8 megapixel Canon EOS 30D DSLR.

“I’ve said this before - I’m a little disappointed this camera exists. The upgrades from the 20D are minor at best and it would have been great if Canon could have released firmware patches to bring the 20D close to the performance of the 30D. As it is I didn’t find anything important that the 30D had that the 20D lacked apart from pot metering. Screen is a little bigger and nicer to look at but really it’s an evolutionary change. That’s not to say the 30D is bad - the 20D is a very nice camera but some people hoped for more when a model got replaced.”

Website: ThinkCamera - Canon EOS 30D Review

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Andy Rouse Press Release

Wiltshire, October 19 2006: UK professional wildlife photographer Andy Rouse has just won two awards in the highly prestigious 2006 Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. This is the 5th time in 10 years that Andy Rouse has been highly placed in the competition with two previous category winners and last years unforgettable surfing penguin image. The images are shown below.