ePhotoZine have published a review of the Nikon D50, a new affordable 6.1 megapixel digital SLR.

“I found it a little difficult to get used to the smaller size and weight of the D50, but found the controls well laid out. The size and weight of the camera can be seen as both a positive and a negative point, depending on the user. Both viewfinder and rear LCD display are clear and bright. The kit lens supplied was the 18-55mm and gave good results. I was impressed by the quality of the camera; I expected a lot less for an entry level DSLR. My only real problem was the silver finish, which I found to mark easily. In longer usage it would start to wear and look tatty.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Nikon D50 Review

Website: Read my Nikon D50 Review

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The Konica Minolta Dynax 5D is a new entry-level 6 megapixel digital SLR that is currently one of the most compact DSLRs currently available. Highlights of the Konica Minolta Dynax 5D include a large 2.5 inch LCD screen, unique CCD-shift anti-shake mechanism that enables you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than normal and a 9 point auto-focus system. Interchangeability with all Konica Minolta lenses and a range of different picture modes for beginners and experienced photographers alike complete the specification. Perhaps more importantly, all of this is available for an RRP of £599/799 body only or £649/$899 with the 18-70mm kit lens. This drastically undercuts the older and (slightly) higher-spec Konica Minolta Dynax 5D camera and puts the 5D into direct competition with the likes of the Nikon D50, Pentax *ist DL and Canon Rebel XT/350D. So is the Konica Minolta Dynax 5D a better buy than its more expensive, older sibling, and also the other brands that are battling to dominate this rapidly growing sector of the market? Carry on reading to find out.

Website: Konica Minolta Dynax 5D Review

BenVista Press Release

ARNHEM - October 21, 2005 - BenVista today announced to have achieved an agreement of cooperation with Shortcut. In doing so, BenVista takes over responsibility of the Shortcut photo software range, consisting of PhotoZoom Professional, PhotoMagic and PhotoArtist. As of today, these products will be further developed, supported, and sold on-line by BenVista. Shortcut will exclusively focus on retail sales, and continue to publish these products under the Shortcut brand through retail channels.

Together with the software range, also its development and support teams have become part of BenVista. Applying their knowledge and experience, both teams are taking part in fulfilling BenVista’s main focus: developing and improving software.

Phase One Press Release

Phase One A/S, PhotoPlus East, New York, US (October 20, 2005): Phase One®, the world leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce the world launch of the new P 30 digital back.

Since the announcement of complete openness into the Phase One 18 months’ product roadmap in July this year, photographers have been aware of and waiting for the upcoming launch of three new backs from Phase One — the P 30, the P 45, and the P 21. The P 30 is the first one to see the light of day and it will be launched at the PhotoPlus East show in New York.

Phase One will be represented at the show by their two US partners; Digital Transitions (booth #360) and Calumet Photographic (booth #626), both working out of New York premises. Both partners
will be presenting and demoing the P 30 back to visitors at the show.

The new P 30 camera back contains a 31MP sensor, provides virtually Moiré free shooting — and is therefore aimed at the world’s leading fashion photographers who require sharp, noise-free images with natural colors at all times.

Phase One Press Release

Phase One A/S, Photo Plus East, New York, US (October 20, 2005): Phase One®, the world leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce a brand new Color Moiré Suppression tool with the latest version of Capture One 3.7.2 PRO and DB (Mac only). The technology behind this tool is patented by Phase One.

With the new Moiré tool, photographers can effectively suppress and remove color Moiré in images from the range of Phase One digital backs listed here:
• H25 and H 20
• All existing and new P-backs

Phase One Press Release

Phase One® improves efficiency and storage for professional photographers

Phase Ones 3S technology and P-series digital camera backs now provide the fastest and most secure solution for professional photographers

Phase One®, the world leader in digital imaging solutions is constantly improving their Pseries digital backs to satisfy professional digital photographers’ desire for faster captures and a more efficient workflow.

Phase One today announces that its P-series digital camera backs, including the new P 45, P30 and P 21 products, are now bundled with the award winning professional SanDisk Extreme III Compact Flash storage cards and accommodating USB readers. Phase One is the only photographic hardware manufacturer in the world that can use the full bandwidth of SanDisk Extreme III cards.

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the HP Photosmart 475 compact photo printer, which can store up to a thousand photos internally on an internal hard drive, eliminating the need to store images on a PC or camera.

“HP integrated their Real Life Technology into the printer, it automatically detects and removes most instances of red-eye in people photographs. With today’s tiny cameras and the flash being positioned way too close to the lens, red-eye is a major problem. Well, problem solved!  And most indoor flash pictures have your friends or family members nicely illuminated but the rest of the room is often very dark. HP’s Adaptive Lighting can help brighten up the backgrounds and make pictures look more detailed.”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP Photosmart 475 Review

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DIWA member Steves Digicams have published their review of the new HP Photosmart 385 compact photo printer.

“The print quality is excellent and the equal of those made conventionally at your local camera store. The new hp95, hp97 and hp100 print cartridges feature Vivera Inks to resist fading and keep prints looking sharp and colorful for up to 82 years (according to testing by Wilhelm Research.) Borderless prints can be made on HP 4x6” (true size) photo paper or the older HP 4x6” glossy photo paper that has a 1/2-inch tear-off tab on the trailing end. The per-print cost can be as low as $0.24 when you purchase the HP Custom 95 Series Photo Value Pack which includes 200 sheets of 4x6” paper and a HP95 color cartridge.”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP Photosmart 385 Review

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Imaging Resource have reviewed the new Casio EX-Z750 Exilim Zoom, which has a 7.2 megapixel CCD sensor, large 2.5-inch LCD screen and offers a battery life of 325 shots.

“The Casio Exilim EX-Z750 is one of the latest offerings from a company with a long history of innovation in the digital camera field. They promise the “Unexpected Extra” in their products, and the Casio EX-Z750 lives up to that billing, with 31 special shooting modes (including modes to capture and straightening images of white boards, business cards or other documents—perfect for business or school note-taking). Compact, well-constructed, and stylish, the Casio Exilim EX-Z750 is a great “bring along” camera for casual outings, business, or vacation trips.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Casio EX-Z750 Exilim Zoom Review

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DIWA member and Polish website Fotopolis have reviewed the new A3+ printer from the HP, the Photosmart 8750, which was announced at PMA in February.

Website: Fotopolis - HP Photosmart 8750 Review

Website: Read my HP Photosmart 8750 Review

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Czech website and DIWA member FotoAparat have published their review of the 8 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1.

Website: FotoAparat - Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1 Review

Website: Read my Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1 Review

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It seems that the new professional level Canon EF 24-105mm F/4L IS lens has run into problems, resulting in it being withdrawn from sale in Japan. DIWA member Digit.no has more details and a sample shot showing the unwanted flare effects that occur in certain situations. Meanwhile, a thread over on Fred Miranda’s forums contains more examples/discussion of the problem.

Website: Digit.no

Website: Fred Miranda

Light Crafts Press Release

New Photo Editing and Image Processing Software Now Available from Light Crafts; LightZone is the Most Significant Advance in Digital Photo Editing in More Than a Decade

PALO ALTO, Calif. & NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Oct. 20, 2005—Light Crafts, Inc. today announced availability of LightZone, a breakthrough photo editing software tool designed especially for professional and avid photographers. LightZone provides a complete photo editing tool that significantly reduces the time photographers spend after a shoot producing high quality photographs. LightZone offers photographers an advanced RAW editing experience that is easy to use while delivering a fast workflow that produces professional results.

Designed and built from the ground up for professionals, LightZone is available as a free 30-day trial at www.lightcrafts.com. LightZone is immediately available for Macintosh users and in November for Windows users.

LightZone is being demonstrated at PhotoPlus Expo in booth 1174, October 20-22, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, in New York, NY.

Cameratown is covering PhotoPlusExpo 2005 with a dedicated section for expo news, product releases, booth numbers, and photographs from the show floor. Visit their PhotoPlusExpo 2005 coverage today.

Website: Cameratown

BIOS have reviewed the Lexmark P450, a 4x6 inch photo printer with a unique feature, a built-in CD burner.

“Lexmark’s P450 is the first-ever inkjet photo printer with a built-in CD burner. The innovative P450 makes it easy to print 6x4-inch images directly from a memory card, Bluetooth-enable handheld device, digital camera (PictBridge), CD-ROM, or computer. You can even burn images from a memory card directly to a CD-R without your computer, a neat feature for less technical users who don’t want to get involved with the complexities and cost of CD authoring. The downside is that the P450’s print quality is disappointing, it’s slow, and you’re paying a premium price for the built-in CD recorder. There are better and cheaper alternatives if you’re not bothered about being able to burn images to a disc without your computer.”

Website: BIOS - Lexmark P450 Review

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DPNow have just reviewed the book “Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio” from O’Reilly.

“Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio is aimed squarely at people who are at home with Adobe Photoshop. You don’t need the very latest version to make use of the book; most of its examples and tutorials will work with Photoshop 7.0 or even earlier releases. Honiball doesn’t assume you are a Photoshop or print press expert, either and carefully explains key concepts along the way. Besides covering topics that help you to make photos look better from a basic point of view, Honiball also covers areas involving the integration of subjects with different backgrounds and creating natural looking lighting effects. To achieve composite results, masking and extraction are covered in detail. There is also plenty of information concerning the use of Photoshop with CMYK images and how to optimise these for print press reproduction, including sections on newsprint and packaging materials.”

Website: DPNow - Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio Review

Hungarian website Index Digicam have reviewed the Canon PowerShot A620, which features a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 2 inch LCD screen and 4x optical zoom lens equivalent to 35–140 mm focal length.

Website: Index Digicam - Canon PowerShot A620 Review

Website: Read my Canon Powershot A620 Review

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A month after it was first announced by Epson Japan, the new P-4000 portable storage device has now been introduced by Epson America.

Epson USA Press Release

The Epson® P-4000 Multimedia Storage Viewer Offers 80GB Hard Drive for Storing, Sharing and Viewing Thousands of Photos

Latest Multimedia Storage Viewer from Epson Provides High Capacity Hard Drive and Beautiful 3.8’’ LCD with Epson Photo Fine™ Technology for Brilliant Color and Incredible Detail

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/—Epson is introducing its newest product in the Multimedia Storage Viewer category, the Epson P-4000. Epson is continuing to develop products that meet the changing needs of today’s digital photographer. The Epson P-4000 Multimedia Storage Viewer has many of the same features and strengths of the popular Epson P-2000, but now offers double the hard drive capacity with 80GB* for storing and sharing an even larger number of photos along with video and music files.

The Epson P-4000 is the perfect portable companion to any digital camera with its built-in card slots, high storage capacity and Epson’s exclusive and highly-regarded large 3.8” LCD with Epson Photo Fine technology for the ultimate in color, detail and clarity.

Kodak Press Release

Kodak Announces Highest Resolution Image Sensors for Professional Photography

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Oct. 20—Eastman Kodak Company has once again set the quality standard for digital imaging with new high-resolution image sensors that allow commercial, studio, and other professional photographers to capture digital images with the most life-like detail possible. These new products strengthen Kodak’s position as a leading image sensor supplier to a wide variety of markets, and reinforce strategic product and partnership announcements made earlier this year that target mass-market consumer applications.

Already the world’s leading supplier of image sensors for medium-format professional photography, Kodak is expanding its product line with the introduction of the world’s highest-resolution sensors for professional photography. The KODAK KAF-39000 Image Sensor, featuring 39 million pixels, and the KODAK KAF-31600 Image Sensor, with 31.6 million pixels, offer professional camera and camera back manufacturers resolution and image detail that was once unimaginable for digital cameras, allowing photographers to experience a new level of image quality for portrait, wedding, landscape, fashion, studio, and commercial photography. These new CCD image sensors have already been selected for use by Phase One A/S for use in their upcoming P45 and P30 digital camera backs.

DxO Labs Press Release

A gallery of images by professional photographers and rising stars from around the world linked by a passion for photographic excellence.
DxO Optics Pro image enhancement software is an indispensable part of their workflow.

Paris, France October 20, 2005 – DxO Labs today announced its new photography gallery, DxO Image Masters, showcasing the work of professional photographers and rising stars from around the world who integrate DxO Optics Pro into their workflow.

“DxO Image Masters is a dynamic venue in which to experience the results—and advantages—of DxO Optics Pro digital image enhancement software,” said Luc Marin, Vice President of the Photography Business at DxO Labs.