On the face of things the Fujifilm FinePix F11 doesn’t have a lot to recommend it. With a 6 megapixel sensor, 3x zoom and 2.5 inch LCD screen, the Fujifilm F11 is similar on paper to hundreds of other compact digital cameras. Looks can be deceiving, however, and the F11 is actually one of the best creative and pocketable digicams that you can currently buy, thanks mainly to its amazing sensor. Read the full review to discover if the Fujifilm FinePix F11 could be the pocket camera for you…

Website: Fujifilm FinePix F11 Review

Pentax USA Press Release

PENTAX Offers Popular Waterproof Camera in Red and Blue for Valentine’s Day Giving

GOLDEN, Colo.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 2, 2006—The popular line of PENTAX waterproof digital cameras is now available in red and blue as well as traditional silver just in time for Valentine’s Day giving. The WP series compact digital cameras offers high resolution for shooting performance in a variety of conditions and features 6.0 effective megapixels packed in a slim body that captures images up to five feet underwater and offers a JIS Class 5 dustproof rating. Perfect for extreme indoor or outdoor adventure, the OptioWPi offers high resolution images with a quick start-up, a 3X zoom lens and an ultra-fast 9-point Autofocus to keep subjects sharp.

Phase One Press Release

Phase One A/S, Copenhagen, (Thursday, February 02, 2006): Phase One, the world leader in digital imaging solutions, increases production capacity of its new P-series digital camera backs in response to high demand. Orders for both the P 30 and P 45 have exceeded Phase One’s initial projections. The new backs only became available in December and already over 1000 have been shipped. Increasing production will fulfill all existing order commitments by the end of April. It will also ensure the market is well supplied for future expected demand.

Epson UK Press Release

HALL 2 STAND 2J12

5th – 9th February 2006 - Supported by a number of guest artists, the Epson stand will be showcasing the latest, on-demand, “scan-to-print” and Giclée printing techniques through the award-winning range of LFP products at the Spring Fair show, all of which are ideal for self-publishing artists and galleries wanting to reproduce limited and open editions of fine art prints.

myPhotopipe.com Press Release

Digital Cameras Altering Print Processing Business Models; myPhotopipe.com Today Launches New Line of Panoramic Prints for Digital Photographers

Atlanta, GA and Louisville, KY (PRWEB) February 2, 2006—The proliferation of digital cameras has impacted the photography industry in more ways than one. Camera owners are now demanding more print options for their images favoring larger sizes and exotics over the older, one-size-fits-all model pioneered decades ago by the local camera stores and mass market retailers. In response, myPhotopipe, a national online web site that turns digital images into photographic prints, today launched a new line of panoramic prints under its Gallery Series line of photographic prints and its Giclee line of fine art prints. The panoramas are available nationally via the company’s online service located at www.myphotopipe.com. The new products will start at two-feet and progress up to 8-feet wide. A photographer may choose a vertical or horizontal format.

Fotolia Press Release

Fotolia Celebrates the Artist: All Images Uploaded and Accepted in February Will Receive Money

NEW YORK, February 2, 2005 - Fotolia (http://www.fotolia.com), the global online social marketplace for digital stock images is kicking off February with an aggressive rewards promotion for all images that are uploaded and accepted by Fotolia. More than any other stock photo site, Fotolia is continuously working to offer artist-focused benefits, in an ongoing effort to attract new talent and expand its already extensive database of images. Starting on February 1st and ending on February 28th, each image that is accepted by the Fotolia Editing Team will receive US$0.20 for that image. There is no maximum amount of images that can be uploaded. All revenue earned by Fotolia images will be deposited into the members account and can be cashed out using PayPal(C). Members can cash out their accounts at anytime in the minimum of US$2.

Magix Press Release

The Software of Choice for Hobbyist Filmmakers for Perfect Video Editing

February 2, 2006, Miami, FL – MAGIX, the market leader for photo, video, and audio software1, announced today the release of MAGIX Movie Edit Pro 11, easy-to-use home video editing software for up and coming filmmakers and hobbyists alike. Be it HD support for crystal clear movies or fast and fun-packed editing with a few clicks: Movie Edit Pro 11 brings a complete film studio onto the PC. MAGIX Movie Edit Pro 11 will be available March 30th, 2006 for Windows through major retailers for $59.99 MSRP.

SanDisk Press Release

SanDisk Receives CES Innovations Design Award for Its Gruvi Rolling Stones Music Card; Flurry of New Honors for SanDisk Products Also Includes SanDisk Ultra(R) II SD Plus Card That Can Be Inserted into USB Ports

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 2, 2006—SanDisk(R) Corporation’s (NASDAQ:SNDK) innovative Gruvi(TM) music flash memory card, bearing the latest album of the Rolling Stones, has scored a prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Award from the recently-concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The honor capped a series of year-ending and New Year’s accolades for SanDisk products. The Gruvi music card, made possible through a unique secure content distribution technology called TrustedFlash(TM), consists of the Stone’s “A Bigger Bang” release from EMI Music, digital photos of the band and dozens of tracks from four back catalog albums that can be purchased through e-commerce transactions. The Gruvi card, which resides on a tiny SanDisk microSD(TM) card—about the size of a fingernail—was released in stores just prior to the holidays.

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9, which offers a 3x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar optical zoom lens, 6 megapixels, an optical image stabilizer, highest ISO speed of 640 and a 2.5 inch LCD screen.

“Sony cameras offer excellent features and performance, good build quality and great picture quality. Sony currently offers no fewer than nine distinct lines of cameras, spanning an incredible range of features, price, and performance. In their “Compact” line, they’ve now added a new six-megapixel model that builds on the success of the preceding T-models, and adds a new Steady Shot mode to counter camera shake. With a 3x optical zoom lens, compact design, and very generous 2.5-inch LCD screen, the new Sony DSC-T9 is about the thickness of a ladies’ compact and very pocket friendly. Automatic exposure control offers point-and-shoot ease, with a handful of scene modes for more difficult shooting situations.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9 Review

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DIWA member and Slovenian website e-fotografija have just reviewed the new 10.2 megapixel Nikon D200 digital SLR camera.

Website: e-fotografija - Nikon D200 Review

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Digital Outback Photo have reviewed Alien Skin Exposure, an all-new plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and other compatible programs which claims to bring look and feel of film to digital photography.

“Alien Skin Software just released a plugin package called Exposure. This is a plugin to edit your images and simulate a wide variety of films. To get it out of the way, this package costs $199 and this is not really cheap. But we have also to realize that plugins like this cost a lot of work to design, implement and test. The best way is to download the demo and check it out yourself.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Alien Skin Exposure Review

CNET have reviewed the Olympus E-500, an 8 megapixel DSLR with a 2.5 inch LCD screen in a body with a classic penta-prism design.

“A well-designed compact 8-megapixel digital SLR camera, the Olympus Evolt E-500 offers a notably broad set of features for its class, including Olympus’s signature dust-reduction system. Every time you turn on the E-500, its supersonic wave filter vibrates 35,000 times per second to shimmy dust off the CCD. With more fine-tuning tools than you might expect for the price, not to mention compatibility with Olympus’s sharp Zuiko Digital lenses, this affordable model offers an appealing alternative to competitors such as the Nikon D50, the Canon EOS Rebel XT, and the Pentax *ist DL.”

Website: CNET - Olympus E-500 Review

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The 5 megapixel BenQ P500 digital camera has been quietly introduced on the BenQ Europe website.

Powered vision - professional shots
Experience the power behind the P Series with 5x optical zoom. Focus through the Pentax lens at objects far away and view shots on the high resolution supersize LCD screen.

A brand new experience with 5x Power Zoom
Keep your holidays or other events memories in best memory. Thanks to the 5x optical zoom, combined with a stunning 5 megapixel CCD you will always achieve professional results. Get sharper pictures and an excellent color presentation due to the SMC (super multi coating) lens technology.

Duracell Press Release

Duracell Introduces PowerPix Digital Camera Battery; Advanced Battery Technology Addresses Growing Demand from Digital Camera Users

BETHEL, Conn.—Feb. 1, 2006—Duracell today announced the introduction of PowerPix, a disposable digital camera battery that delivers up to twice as many pictures as an ordinary alkaline battery. Powered by advanced NiOx(TM) technology, this new battery is specifically formulated to meet the needs of today’s digital camera users. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), digital cameras are one of the fastest- growing portable digital devices in the United States. In fact, approximately 52 million households were projected to own a digital camera by the end of 2005 as estimated by the Photo Marketing Association (PMA). Nearly 70 percent of these high-drain devices use AA-sized batteries, fueling demand for more powerful digital camera batteries in this size.

GeoSpatial Experts Press Release

GeoSpatial Experts Announces Pentax-Garmin Product Bundle, Plans Demo at ESRI Federal Conference

THORNTON, COLO., 31 January 2006 – GeoSpatial Experts today unveiled a new GPS photo mapping product bundle that includes a Pentax digital camera, Garmin handheld GPS receiver and the GeoSpatial Experts GPS-Photo Link software. GeoSpatial Experts will be demonstrating all three products January 31-February 2 at the ESRI Federal Users Conference in Washington, D.C. The Pentax-Garmin package is the third GPS-Photo Link mapping product bundle offered by GeoSpatial Experts, the one-stop shop for photographic mapping needs. Due to relatively low cost of the camera and GPS receiver, GeoSpatial Experts views this as the perfect hardware/software combination for first-time photo mapping users.

NikonNet Press Release

NikonNet and ‘Legends Behind the Lens’ Honor David Alan Harvey This February

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/— David Alan Harvey really knows how to tell a good story - through photography, that is.  Not only can he compose a story through his pictures, but he also has the ability to photograph his subjects without them ever being affected by his presence.  This February, NikonNet will pay tribute to David Alan Harvey and his work in its inspiringmonthly showcase, “Legends Behind the Lens.”

Luminous Landscape has a great article today about converting a DSLR to shoot in infrared.

“But now there’s a solution, and all it requires is one of the popular DSLRs from Fuji, Nikon or Canon, and US $450. This plus shipping costs and a few days with your camera away from home will return you a modified camera that shoots in the Infrared with no reduction in its usual functionality. Except, of course, that it no longer can shoot normal colour images in visible light, and can’t be changed back again if you decide that IR shooting isn’t for you. Oh yes – and it voids your manufacturer’s warranty. Since I had a Canon 20D that had been sitting on the sidelines for some months, when I heard that there was a company that did conversions to Infrared, I decided that now was the time to see what the fun was all about.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - DSLR Infrared

Bryan Carnathan over at The-Digital-Picture has added a new section to his Canon lens reviews, showing lens vignetting on a full-frame body (Canon 1Ds Mark II) and allowing comparisons with other lenses in each of the 3 currently available views. Bryan’s database has 35 lenses and 1500 sample images in it., and he will be adding many more lenses to the database over the next few weeks.

Website: The-Digital-Picture - Full Frame Lens Vignetting

Pro photographer and Nikon user Thom Hogan has published his predictions about digital SLR cameras for 2006. Yes, I know it’s February already, but at least you can see if some of them have already come true!

“But 2006 is the year of new entrants. Sony (piggybacking off KonicaMinolta), Panasonic (ditto with Olympus), and Samsung (ditto with Pentax) are all greedily eyeing the DSLR market growth and plan to introduce new DSLRs. I expect to see a few of those at PMA in February, with more showing up at Photokina in the fall. But let me just say up front: it’s going to be brutal.”

Brutal is certainly right, as Konica Minolta have already withdrawn from the battle.

Website: Thom Hogan - 2006 DSLR Predictions

TrustedReviews have published their review of the 8 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8800.

“This is a camera I’ve been waiting to get my hands on for quite a while. Announced over a year ago, it’s still the Big Daddy of the Nikon CoolPix range. When I say big, what I actually mean is enormous. Nearly 15cm from front to back when powered up and weighing in at 680g including the battery, the 8800 is one seriously massive camera. It must be with a sense of humour that Nikon’s corporate website lists it under ‘Digital Compact Cameras’.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Nikon Coolpix 8800 Review

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