PMA 2006: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 is announced today. 5 megapixels, 10x Leica optical zoom lens, 2.5 inch LCD, available in April.

Panasonic UK Press Release

Another world first from Panasonic: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 - the world’s smallest 10x optical zoom digital still camera

Panasonic Lumix cameras go from strength to strength with technological advancements designed to offer the ultimate in picture performance and user convenience.  Building on its digital still camera achievements, Panasonic presents you with the world’s smallest 10x optical zoom digital still camera, made possible by the world’s first integrated retractable lens system with folded optics technology. The lens part of the super-compact Panasonic TZ1 features the integration of a retractable lens system with folded optics technology, realized by the inclusion of a prism.  Incorporating three aspherical lenses, the crystallization of Panasonic optics technology, results in an amazingly powerful 10x optical zoom LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens contained within a slim and stylish body.  The zoom ratio can be extended up to 12.5x in 3 megapixel resolution mode with minimal deterioration thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom. Furthermore, in combination with the 4x digital zoom, a zoom factor of up to 50x can be achieved.

PMA 2006: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 is announced today. 6 megapixels, 28mm wide-angle Leica optical zoom lens, 2.5 inch LCD, available in March.

Panasonic UK Press Release

Panasonic’s launches the Lumix DMC-FX01 - the world’s smallest camera[1] with 28mm wide angle lens[2]

The world renowned Panasonic Lumix range offers sophistication in technology and style, evidence of which lies in the new 6.0 megapixel Panasonic FX01. The latest addition to the award winning FX series boasts a whole host of features including a 28mm wide angle LEICA DC lens with 3.6x optical zoom, all encompassed within a beautifully slim and compact design - thanks to the incorporation of an Extra High Refractive Index Lens. This new lens allows photographers to easily capture a large group of people, or expansive architectural structures and landscapes with dynamic width and rich perspective.  The lens part of the DMC-FX01 comprises of seven elements in six groups, incorporating four aspherical lenses to generate high optical performance.  The zoom ratio can be extended up to 5x in 3megapixel resolution mode with minimal deterioration thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom. By using the central part of the CCD, this powerful zooming function allows you to easily capture and magnify distant subjects.

Panasonic Press Release

New Home Photo Printers Ideal Companion for LUMIX digital cameras

February 2006 Panasonic is pleased to introduce two, new, easy-to-use home photo printers, the Panasonic KX-PX1 and Panasonic KX-PX10: Superb for printing images captured by your LUMIX* digital camera in clear and beautiful detail. As household penetration of digital cameras continues to increase on a global scale, consumer demand for an easy-to-use home printing solution is also starting to rise. In response to these market trends, Panasonic has developed two new compact-sized, easy-to-use home photo printers, the KX-PX1 and KX-PX10, both of which are equipped with Panasonic original image processing technology and a faster print engine** for high speed, high quality prints. Now, images captured by LUMIX digital cameras can be processed and reproduced to achieve prints of a quality that rivals that of traditional analogue photos. Furthermore, thanks to a new over-coating process performed by these two new printers, your prints can now keep their quality for up to 100 years***

Panasonic Press Release

The World’s Smallest, Lightest LCD Projector with a Built-in SD Card Slot

Panasonic is introducing the world’s smallest, lightest LCD projector with a builtin SD memory card slot. Called the Panasonic PT-P1SD, the new projector gives users a new way to enjoy pictures taken with a digital still camera that uses SD Memory Cards. Simply slip an SD card into the slot, and the Panasonic PT-P1SD projects clear, bright, beautiful images onto a huge screen. The Panasonic PT-P1SD is also exceptionally small and lightweight and easy to use.

PMA 2006: The Sony DSC W50 and Sony DSC W30 are announced today. 6 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lenses, 2.5 inch LCD for the W50, 2 inch for the W30, W50 available in early March for about $250, and the W30 this month for about $230.

Sony Press Release

SONY’S NEW CYBER-SHOT W-SERIES CAMERAS BRING ADDED PERFORMANCE AND EYE-CATCHING DESIGN

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 13, 2006 — Sony has re-engineered its W-series of top-performing Cyber-shot® digital still cameras to embody the virtues of a traditional camera style and satisfy modern tastes for sleek, compact design. In addition to sporting eye-level viewfinders in the fashion of traditional cameras, the new Sony DSC-W50 and Sony DSC-W30 models have large LCD screens and are significantly more compact than previous W-series models. Both new cameras offer six-megapixel image resolution for high-quality prints, high-light sensitivity for fast-action shooting and more natural-looking pictures in low-light conditions, precision Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lenses, and MPEG1 movie recording. Available in silver, the Sony DSC-W50 model features a 2.5-inch, easy-to-view LCD screen wrapped in a metal-alloy body with sophisticated etching and details. The Sony DSC-W30 model also comes in silver with a two-inch LCD.

Fujifilm UK Press Release

The Fujifilm FinePix F650 Zoom: slim, but fully-loaded - A neat compact camera boasting six megapixels, a 5x optical zoom and super-size 3-inch LCD screen

Fujifilm today announced the launch of the FinePix F650 Zoom – an ultra-smart compact merging strength and elegance to form a neat and enviable package. The latest addition to Fujifilm’s well-established ‘F’ series, the Fujifilm F650 Zoom delivers six megapixels, handy for those keen to enlarge images.  What’s more, this stylish and functional camera is the first Fujifilm compact to contain a 5x optical zoom lens, ensuring its owners are never far from the action. The Fujifilm F650 Zoom is a sociable, picture-taking companion, thanks to its super-size 3-inch LCD screen – ideal for viewing menu options and sharing images with friends on the spot.  What’s more, there’s added capacity for storing precious pictures, as this all-rounder comes equipped with built-in internal memory.

PMA 2006: The Fujifilm FinePix F30 Zoom is announced today. ISO 3200, 6 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lens, 2.5 inch LCD.

Fujifilm UK Press Release

Fujifilm FinePix F30 Zoom: a low light landmark - Fujifilm’s revolutionary Fujifilm F30 compact works in the light conditions that other cameras hate

After almost a decade of obsession with pixel counts, Fujifilm is proud to announce the launch of the Fujifilm FinePix F30 Zoom, a camera which confirms a new stage in the evolution of digital camera technology.  Breaking away from the tired and irrelevant practice of pixel counting, the FinePix F30 Zoom is the world’s first digital compact camera to deliver ISO 3200 sensitivity at full resolution. Fujifilm has identified sensitivity as one of the major photographic benchmarks for the digital age, and this camera makes it possible to capture images of unrivalled quality, even in very dark conditions.

Building on the success of the award-winning FinePix F10 Zoom, the Fujifilm FinePix F30 Zoom pulls away from the pack with a sensitivity setting that is eight times as effective in low light as a conventional compact with ISO 400.  The product of many years of accumulated expertise in sensor technology, this is the closest that any digital compact camera has come to approximating the remarkable sensitivity of the human eye. In practical terms, it is a breakthrough in delivering crisp images, even at night-time, or with fast-moving subjects.

PMA 2006: The Fujfilm FinePix A600 Zoom is announced today. Super CCD sensor, 6.3 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lens, 2.4 inch LCD.

Fujifilm UK Press Release

The Fujfilm FinePix A600 Zoom: entry level moves up a level - The Fujfilm A600 Zoom, elegant, simple, but highly competent.

Fujifilm today announces the launch of the FinePix A600 Zoom, the next step forwards for Fujifilm’s highly successful ‘A’ series entry-level cameras. The FinePix A600 Zoom, designed in an attractive two-tone metallic finish, incorporates many features normally only found in higher end models. With an impressive 6.3 million pixels, featuring Fujifilm’s proprietary Super CCD, along with an extra-large 2.4-inch LCD monitor, the Fujfilm A600 Zoom is a delight for all those new to digital photography. Available for the first time in an entry-level ‘A’ series FinePix camera, the sophisticated Super CCD sensor means that image quality is the best possible standard, allowing the Fujfilm FinePix A600 Zoom to take shots that look more realistic, and more traditionally photographic. Skin tones look like skin, colours are more vibrant, and intricate landscapes appear sharper and more detailed.

The 12 member websites of the DIWA Awards organisation have re-evaluated all DIWA Gold Award winners from 2005 and selected the best of the best. Nikon D50 was considered to be ”Best Digital System Camera”, Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ30 as the ”Best Advanced Digital Camera”, and Fujifilm FinePix F10 won the title of ”Best Digital Amateur Camera” in 2005.

Amsterdam, 13. February, 2006: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), a world-wide organisation of collaborating websites, today has the pleasure of announcing the winners of the annual DIWA Platinum Award for 2005. DIWA members from Europe and America continuously test and review digital imaging products for their readers. For digital cameras, more than 200 details must be checked, tested and evaluated. Then, each review is carefully monitored and compared by DIWA to ensure error-free, reliable and comprehensive test results.

Top ranked products will receive DIWA Awards in the value of gold, silver or bronze, based on summarized average scores. At the end of each year, one of the gold winners from each of the three digital camera categories is selected by the members as the best of the best, honoured by a ”DIWA Platinum Award”.

This week’s Gary’s Parries topics are:

1. CMOS Image Sensors Explained
2. How To Include Yourself In Your Own Photos
3. Fashion Model Seeks Fun-Loving Digital Camera With Long Zoom

Introducing Gary’s Parries. Everything you’ve always wanted to know about digital cameras but were afraid to ask. No question is too difficult, or too easy. As a Principal Software Engineer, and a former Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems, as well as a recording studio owner/operator, and now, a digital camera enthusiast, GARY has more digital camera knowledge in his entire brain than most people would have in their little finger. And, in the unlikely event GARY does 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, means “cleverly evasive answers”. So let your imaginations go wild. Email all of your nagging questions to: [email protected], and then, En Garde!

The best question of the week will receive a small prize from the PhotographyBLOG goody bag, so send your questions now. If you would like your name, location, email address, and/or website included in the column with your question, please expressly give your permission in the email, along with the information you would like included. No private information will be included without your consent.

Here are this week’s questions and answers.

With the PMA show and the inevitable deluge of shiny new products just a couple of weeks away, it seems fitting to, well, step back and reflect for a moment on exactly why we’re all so interested. So in this week’s Saturday Shout, I want you all to pause, gaze down at your navel and contemplate how, why, when and where you first became interested in the great world of Photography. My own personal story is one of jealousy and rage (I’ll save that for a rainy day…) - what made you pick up a camera for the very first time? Shout out now...

Here are the stand-out news stories from the last 7 days:

New Cameras
Samsung Pro815 Wins DIWA Gold Award

New Accessories
Samsung 1 GB MMC Micro Memory Card
StorVision PSC-100 Portable Storage Device
Digital Foci Picture Porter Elite
Sony 8GB Microvault Pro
Sony Memory Stick Micro

New Software
SoftColor Photo Sledgehammer
iView MediaPro v3.0.2

Other Headlines
New Pentax DSLRs at Photokina 2006
Getty Images Buy iStockphoto for $50 Million
Highest Ever Digicam Sales in Canada
Pentax Increases DSLR Camera Lens Output
Comparing APS-C and Fullframe Sensors

Ricoh have released a new firmware version, 1.09, for the Ricoh GR Digital, an 8 megapixel compact digicam based on the GR Series of 35mm compact film cameras.

- Revised the exposure level when in use the recommended external flashes. (EF-500 DG SUPER/EF-500 DG ST from SIGMA)

Website: Ricoh GR Digital v1.09 Firmware Update (Windows)

Website: Ricoh GR Digital v1.09 Firmware Update (MAC)

Ricoh have released a new firmware update, v1.29, for the Ricoh Caplio R3, a 5 megapixel compact camera with a 7x optical zoom lens equivalent to 28-200mm and vibration correction of the CCD.

- Improved stability at turning on the camera.

Website: Ricoh Caplio R3 v1.29 Firmware Update (Windows)

Website: Ricoh Caplio R3 v1.29 Firmware Update (Mac)

The January 2006 Giveaway has now ended - here are the 4 lucky winners who each win a prize kindly donated by ACDSee Systems:

Ben Lings has won a copy of the brand new ACDSee Pro (worth $129.99).

Eric Smith, Gregory Cherin and Julian Tomlinson have all won a copy of ACDSee 8 (worth $49.99).

All prizes kindly donated by ACDSee Systems.
http://www.acdsystems.com/

A brand new contest for February will be starting very soon!

Here are the sample photos from my upcoming review of the new 6 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ5, a couple of days before the full review is online. The Panasonic LZ5 is a fairly compact digital camera with a long 6x optical zoom lens equivalent to 37mm to 222mm on a 35mm film camera, optical image stabilzer and and a 2.5 inch LCD screen. I’ve also included the sample movie. Enjoy…

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ5 Photos

Both Nikon Europe and Nikon USA have issued an FAQ about the banding issue that has affected the new 10.2 megapixel Nikon D200 digital SLR camera. Here’s a quote from Nikon USA:

“Nikon has discovered that a limited number of early-production D200 cameras may, in specific and uncommon shooting conditions, record images that can present an excessive pattern of fine pitch lines throughout (long banding). If you experience this, Nikon will, without charge, evaluate your camera to determine if adjustment to the camera’s image output level is required. Adjustment, if required, will optimize the camera’s image output level, thereby reducing visible banding to a minimal level.”

Website: Nikon USA - What is banding? FAQ

Website: Nikon Europe - Lines occuring in D200 images

In an interview with the British Journal of Photography, Pentax UK have revealed that they intend to unveil a number of new DSLR cameras at Photokina in September, along with some new lenses and the much-awaited Pentax 645D medium format camera.

“Asked whether the new DSLRs would be a new range, or additions to the current ist range, Dickins answered: ‘They will be a mixture of both.’ And will that include a professional model? ‘From BJP readers’ point of view, they will regard it as a high-end amateur camera. However, that’s not to say it won’t be able to stand up to the rigours of everyday use that a professional would put it through.’”

Website: BJP - Pentax on the bounce back

Latest Prices / User Reviews

iStockphoto Press Release

iStockphoto Joins Getty Images as Explosive Growth Continues; Expansion into Social Media Opens New Markets for Industry Leader

CALGARY, Alberta—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 9, 2006 iStockphoto, the world’s leading stock photography community, today announced that it has been acquired by Getty Images, Inc. (NYSE:GYI), the world’s leading creator and distributor of visual content. The acquisition underscores the growing importance of social media and places Getty Images at the forefront of the explosive growth of the imagery industry’s value segment. “We took a look at where we wanted to go and found Getty Images singularly capable of helping us get there,” said Bruce Livingstone, iStockphoto founder, CEO and president. “This new relationship will greatly extend the reach of our contributors, exposing their work to untapped global markets. By joining Getty Images, we see tremendous room for growth and a chance to bring even more photographers and image buyers together. It’s a very exciting time.”

Fotolog Press Release

Founded in 2002 as way for a small group of friends to share photos, Fotolog now has more than 2 million members in 200 countries. To meet the increased demand, Fotolog implemented a major hardware upgrade and code overhaul over the past few months that has greatly enhanced the Fotolog experience. If you haven’t visited Fotolog in a while, the first thing you’ll notice is speed – the site is now averaging less than 2.5 seconds for page delivery and 230,000 photo uploads daily (vs. 180,000 in November).