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Photoxels have published an interesting interview with Sally Smith-Clemens, who is Olympus America’s spokesperson.
“The digital camera market is crowded with many players and models, and consumers have a hard time comparing and distinguishing between the many models. What do you want the consumer to think of when they think “OLYMPUS”?
SSC: Superior optical quality from an optical company who has been around since the early 1900’s. Products that are designed to do more by addressing the needs/applications of the end user such as: all weather digital cameras that can withstand moisture; built in dust reduction systems in dSLR’s to help reduce the problems of dust on the image sensor when changing lenses; ease of use by way of direct connection of cameras to printers; and easy selection modes on the individual cameras that will allow end users to effortlessly take photos in a variety of situations like candle light or fireworks.”
Photoxels have published an interesting interview with Sally Smith-Clemens, who is Olympus America’s spokesperson. “The digital camera market is crowded with many players and models, and consumers have a hard time comparing and distinguishing between the many models. What do you want the consumer to think of when they think…
DIWA member LetsGoDigital has published the first online review of the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 Zoom, a 5 megapixel compact digital camera with a large 2.5inch LCD screen and 3 optical zoom.
“At this moment we have come to the conclusion that the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 is recommendable. Unless the final production model differs a lot from the pre-production model we’ve got here, but that seems not very likely to me. The Fujifilm Z1, with the built-in 5th generation Super CCD HR technique and the application of the Real Photo technology distinguishes this new Fujifilm sibling from the other competitors. The trend of designer cameras didn’t escape Fujifilm’s attention, and introducing the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 made it obvious that Fujifilm understands how lifestyle products should distinguish themselves from traditional digital camera models, and I would like to add, Fujifilm didn’t miss the actual fact of what a digital camera is about: photography and quality.”
LetsGoDigital - Fujifilm FinePix Z1 Zoom Review
DIWA member LetsGoDigital has published the first online review of the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 Zoom, a 5 megapixel compact digital camera with a large 2.5inch LCD screen and 3 optical zoom. “At this moment we have come to the conclusion that the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 is recommendable. Unless the final…
DCResource have posted their review of the new 5 megapixel Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom digital camera (called the C-55 Sports Zoom in the rest of the world).
” The Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom is a good camera with a silly name. When I think of what a “sport zoom”, I think of something stylish and responsive. The C-5500 is clunky and sluggish at most tasks. But it does have a bang for the buck—remember that this thing costs just over $300. The C-5500SZ is a fairly bulky camera made mostly of plastic. It feels sturdy, though, especially considering its price. There are a few design annoyances, such as a pop-up flash that takes up valuable finger space and a flimsy plastic door over the xD memory card slot. The C-5500 has an AF-assist lamp and it focuses well in low light. Speaking of which, low light visibility on the larger-than-average 2.0” LCD display is good as well. “
DCResource - Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom Review
DCResource have posted their review of the new 5 megapixel Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom digital camera (called the C-55 Sports Zoom in the rest of the world). ” The Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom is a good camera with a silly name. When I think of what a “sport zoom”, I…
The Czech website Digineff have reviewed the 5 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LZ2, which features a 6x optical zoom lens and an Optical Image Stabilizer to combat camera shake.
Website: Digineff - Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LZ2 Review
The Czech website Digineff have reviewed the 5 megapixel Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LZ2, which features a 6x optical zoom lens and an Optical Image Stabilizer to combat camera shake. Website: Digineff - Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LZ2 Review Check the Latest Prices for the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LZ2 Write a Review of the Panasonic…
Macworld have posted their review of the new 8 megapixel Olympus E-300 / Evolt DSLR.
“Color tone and quality are both very good, though Olympus seems to have tuned the camera to produce slightly oversaturated images. (Many people have reported that the oversaturation is more pronounced when shooting in the Adobe RGB color space than it is in the sRGB color space.) However, the Evolt offers a number of options for adjusting contrast and color, and provides a far greater range of contrast and color settings than any of its competitors. If you really want to get good results from this camera, you’ll be better-served by shooting raw images and processing them yourself.”
Website: Macworld - Olympus E-300 / Evolt Review
Website: Read my Olympus E-300 / Evolt Review
Macworld have posted their review of the new 8 megapixel Olympus E-300 / Evolt DSLR. “Color tone and quality are both very good, though Olympus seems to have tuned the camera to produce slightly oversaturated images. (Many people have reported that the oversaturation is more pronounced when shooting in the…
Ken Rockwell has reviewed the Nikon D50, a new affordable 6.1 megapixel digital SLR.
“The D50 is 90% of the D70 and D70s for a lower price. I have the blow-by-blow list further down. Otherwise the D50 is pretty much the same as a D70s and thus it’s a great camera. The D50 would be an ideal backup since it even takes the same battery and is smaller and lighter than the D100 or D70 or D70, however it uses SD instead of CF cards. The missing 10% is nothing my mom or many people would miss, but personally I use those features so I’m sticking with the D70/D70s. Thus for photographers as a prime camera get the D70 or D70s, but as a spare or a camera for friends who just want great photos get the D50.”
Website: Ken Rockwell - Nikon D50 Review
Ken Rockwell has reviewed the Nikon D50, a new affordable 6.1 megapixel digital SLR. “The D50 is 90% of the D70 and D70s for a lower price. I have the blow-by-blow list further down. Otherwise the D50 is pretty much the same as a D70s and thus it’s a great…
The Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 is the replacement for the popular DiMAGE Z3 digital camera and is currently Konica Minolta’s highest-specced ultra-zoom digital camera. The Konica Minolta Z5 offers a 5 megapixel CCD sensor and a 12x zoom lens that is equivalent to 35–420mm on a 35mm camera. To help ensure that your photos don’t suffer from camera-shake, the Konica Minolta Z5 features a unique CCD-shift anti-shake mechanism, which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. In addition, the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 offers a full range of semi-automatic and manual exposure modes, futuristic body design, 2 inch LCD screen, rapid autofocus, advanced movie mode and a macro function that that lets you focus as close as 1cm from your subject. Currently available for less than £300 / $500, is the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 the ultimate ultra-zoom camera? Carry on reading my review to discover the answer.
Website: Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Review
The Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 is the replacement for the popular DiMAGE Z3 digital camera and is currently Konica Minolta’s highest-specced ultra-zoom digital camera. The Konica Minolta Z5 offers a 5 megapixel CCD sensor and a 12x zoom lens that is equivalent to 35–420mm on a 35mm camera. To help…
ProFotoSoftware Press Release
23rd April 2005 - London UK - For Immediate Release
ProFotoSoftware have today issued V1.71 of their Canon EOS Raw conversion software, PFS Image Darkroom (Windows 98 or better).
This version offers enhanced Shadow and Highlight recovery options during the Raw Conversion process, providing good results from images that would otherwise be discarded.
Unlike some other solutions, this improved feature is simple to use and does not present a confusing array of options. Instead, it concentrates on performing this task quickly and effectively. Performing the same task manually in an image editor is both time consuming and less satisfying.
ProFotoSoftware Press Release 23rd April 2005 - London UK - For Immediate Release ProFotoSoftware have today issued V1.71 of their Canon EOS Raw conversion software, PFS Image Darkroom (Windows 98 or better). This version offers enhanced Shadow and Highlight recovery options during the Raw Conversion process, providing good results from…
A few days ago I reported that Nikon were encrypting the white balance data in Nikon D2x RAW files, as discovered by Thomas Knoll (author of Adobe Camera RAW) and other RAW software companies. Now Nikon have responded to the wave of online discussion by issuing the following statement:
NIKON ADVISORY - April 22, 2005
The Nikon D2X professional Digital Single Lens Reflex camera has received widely positive acclaim for its overall performance and image processing quality. Recently, speculative statements which appear to be based on misunderstandings and misinformation about the D2X camera’s “encryption” of certain white balance data have propagated on the internet.
The purpose of this advisory is to clarify this matter with facts and explanations.
The Nikon D2X is capable of producing high quality images that can be saved in a variety of file formats, including the proprietary Nikon Electronic Format (NEF), standard TIFF and several levels of standard JPEG compressed files.
The NEF, a Nikon proprietary raw file design, was introduced with the Nikon D1 Camera and Nikon’s original Capture software. The combination of Nikon camera, in-camera image processing, NEF file format and in-computer image processing with original Nikon Capture software was developed as a system that faithfully saved image files that represent the camera settings made manually or automatically by the photographer at the time a picture was taken.
A few days ago I reported that Nikon were encrypting the white balance data in Nikon D2x RAW files, as discovered by Thomas Knoll (author of Adobe Camera RAW) and other RAW software companies. Now Nikon have responded to the wave of online discussion by issuing the following statement: NIKON…
Digitalreview.ca have posted sample images taken with the new Nikon D70s DSLR camera that was announced on Wednesday.
“The general image quality from the Nikon D70s seems very similar to that delivered by the Nikon D70 (very good), which is what we expected given the two cameras share the same hardware technology. Looking at the Nikon D70s image samples taken at higher ISO settings, we feel that the D70s does offer a slight improvement in noise suppression compared to the Nikon D70, a camera that is already a very good performer at higher ISO settings. Looks like Nikon has tweaked some of the image processing in this area.”
Website: Digitalreview.ca - Nikon D70s Digital SLR Sample Images
Digitalreview.ca have posted sample images taken with the new Nikon D70s DSLR camera that was announced on Wednesday. “The general image quality from the Nikon D70s seems very similar to that delivered by the Nikon D70 (very good), which is what we expected given the two cameras share the same…
Epson have released 3 new ICC profiles for the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 printer. Glossy Paper, Matte Paper and Fine Art Paper are all updated.
Epson have released 3 new ICC profiles for the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 printer. Glossy Paper, Matte Paper and Fine Art Paper are all updated. Website: Epson Stylus Photo R1800 ICC Profiles
DigiCamReview have just posted their review of the new 5 megapixel Konica Minolta Z5 digital camera.
“Image quality is good, the images have very good colour, saturation, contrast and good detail with very low purple fringing - however there is high noise, and images are a bit soft. The camera did a good job focusing. There is a good range of image sizes and a very good choice of compression options. The super macro mode is very good. Auto white balance and metering seemed to be quite good. Red-eye was controlled well. The movie mode is very good as the camera lets you use the optical zoom and has a night mode - the resolution and framerate is also very good at 640x480 / 30fps with sound.”
Website: DigiCamReview - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Review
DigiCamReview have just posted their review of the new 5 megapixel Konica Minolta Z5 digital camera. “Image quality is good, the images have very good colour, saturation, contrast and good detail with very low purple fringing - however there is high noise, and images are a bit soft. The camera…
Kodak recorded a loss of $142 million, or 50 cents a share, in the January-March period, blaming a $3 billion splashout on expanding its business in photography, medical imaging and commercial printing.
“Sales of digital products and services in all its businesses rose 23 percent to $1.32 billion, helped by a sharp rise in sales of cameras, kiosks and thermal printers. But revenues on the analog side dropped 18 percent to $1.51 billion, 2 percentage points steeper than predicted. In the digital photography and motion-film unit, sales fell 9 percent to $1.8 billion while operating profits plunged to $4 million from $25 million. Sales of consumer film to dealers sank 29 percent, hurt especially by temporary reductions in inventory among retailers in China.”
Website: Yahoo! News - Kodak Posts Loss During Digital Transition
Kodak recorded a loss of $142 million, or 50 cents a share, in the January-March period, blaming a $3 billion splashout on expanding its business in photography, medical imaging and commercial printing. “Sales of digital products and services in all its businesses rose 23 percent to $1.32 billion, helped by…
Canon UK Press Release
Canon launches two new fully automatic compact cameras – Sure Shot 115u II Date and Sure Shot 90u II Date
Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, continues its commitment towards a complete range of cameras for all consumers with the release of two compact 35mm cameras – the Sure Shot 115u II Date and Sure Shot 90u II Date. The compact and lightweight Sure Shot 115u II Date and Sure Shot 90u II Date feature high quality Canon lenses with 3x and 2.4x zooms, respectively. With 3 point AiAF, five picture modes to choose from and other fully automatic features, these easy to use cameras ensure users will find it simple to take brilliant shots.
Canon UK Press Release Canon launches two new fully automatic compact cameras – Sure Shot 115u II Date and Sure Shot 90u II Date Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, continues its commitment towards a complete range of cameras for all consumers with the release of two compact 35mm…
Research and Markets Press Release
DUBLIN, Ireland, April 22 /PRNewswire/—Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c16197 ) has announced the addition of 4 x 6 Shoot-Out: Are Camera-Phones Ready To Make Consumer Prints? to their offering.
Camera-phones are on the verge of delivering the snapshot capabilities that people currently expect from single-use film cameras and entry-level digital cameras. The recent release of two-megapixel camera-phones by all three Japanese wireless carriers raises the question: Why buy a digital camera?
The purpose of this 40-page study, including 119 figures, charts, and tables, was to determine if currently available camera-phones are capable of delivering acceptable consumer prints and to assess how the images produced measure up to those produced by the most popular standalone consumer cameras.
Research and Markets Press Release DUBLIN, Ireland, April 22 /PRNewswire/—Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c16197 ) has announced the addition of 4 x 6 Shoot-Out: Are Camera-Phones Ready To Make Consumer Prints? to their offering. Camera-phones are on the verge of delivering the snapshot capabilities that people currently expect from single-use film…
Canon PowerShot S2 IS is announced today. The Canon PowerShot S2 IS is a 5 megapixel digital camera with a 12x optical zoom equivalent to 36–432mm on a 35mm camera. The Canon S2 IS uses the same DIGIC II processor found in Canon’s DLSR cameras and also incorporates optical Image Stabiliser technology. The S2 IS can shoot continually and uninterrupted at 2.4 fps until the memory card becomes full. The Canon PowerShot S2 IS will be available from early June 2005 for £469 RRP / €689 RRP.
Canon UK Press Release
PowerShot S2 IS: Canon’s new monster zoom compact
Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the 12x optical zoom, 5.0 Megapixel PowerShot S2 IS. An exceptional blend of versatility with power, this worthy successor to the PowerShot S1 IS features optical Image Stabiliser technology, outstanding optics and 30 fps digital video camera quality extended video recording of up to 60 minutes¨ with stereo sound.
Powered by the same DIGIC II processor found in Canon’s pro-series D-SLR cameras, the S2 IS features super-responsive 2.4 fps shooting*, start up times and auto focus speeds almost twice as quick as that of its predecessor, 18 shooting modes and shutter speeds to 1/3200 of a second. The processor even makes it possible to capture a maximum resolution digital still whilst shooting video. As well as giving camera performance a real boost, DIGIC II also improves colour rendition and white balance accuracy, and speeds up playback review and scrolling. A USB 2.0 Hi-speed interface is provided for super quick image and video transfers.
Canon PowerShot S2 IS is announced today. The Canon PowerShot S2 IS is a 5 megapixel digital camera with a 12x optical zoom equivalent to 36–432mm on a 35mm camera. The Canon S2 IS uses the same DIGIC II processor found in Canon’s DLSR cameras and also incorporates optical Image…
Forbes.com has an interesting overview of the perennial problem of backing up your digital photos, including using microfilm (!) which will apparently have a 500 year shelf life. Thanks to Dave Trayers for letting me know about the article.
“But sometimes even 100 years isn’t good enough. Rosenthaler, the Swiss researcher, says he’s currently looking at ways of using microfilm, the old standby of archivists and librarians everywhere, to preserve digital files. Rather than preserving the image itself, Rosenthaler’s proposal is to preserve the individual bits from the image file as a series of light and dark dots indicating the ones and zeros of the file. If properly stored, microfilm could preserve the information for 500 years or so, he says. The method could also be used to preserve music or even video information for centuries in such a way that basic technology like a microscope could be used to assemble the dots into usable data.”
Forbes.com has an interesting overview of the perennial problem of backing up your digital photos, including using microfilm (!) which will apparently have a 500 year shelf life. Thanks to Dave Trayers for letting me know about the article. “But sometimes even 100 years isn’t good enough. Rosenthaler, the Swiss…
auspiciousdragon.net have published their review of the 22-megapixel Phase One P25 medium format digital back.
“Anybody currrently using medium format gear must be aware that film is dying. And whilst rumours of its death are much exaggerated and it will go on for some time in mass use and for longer in niche use, there are many photographers who are considering if and when to switch to digital. For some genres digital is already de rigueur and there is a mass of information about the pros and cons of different hardware and different workflows. This article aims to fill one of the gaps in this information universe. Can digital do the business in the fine art and landscape field?”
auspiciousdragon.net have published their review of the 22-megapixel Phase One P25 medium format digital back. “Anybody currrently using medium format gear must be aware that film is dying. And whilst rumours of its death are much exaggerated and it will go on for some time in mass use and for…
BIOS have just published their review of Roxio Easy Media Creator 7, a digital media software package.
“Thanks to Sonic Solutions acquisition of Roxio’s software division in December 2004, the latest version of Roxio’s digital media suite combines technologies from both companies, including new music, data backup, and DVD playback capabilities. The modest audio editor has also been improved and there are now wizards that make it easy to record LPs and tapes, and to convert DivX movies to DVD. The majority of the suite’s components remain virtually unchanged in this latest release, but the merger of applications and technology makes Easy Media Creator 7.5 the most complete recording and management suite available today, making it exceptional value for those who want to create, manage, share and preserve their personal digital content.”
BIOS have just published their review of Roxio Easy Media Creator 7, a digital media software package. “Thanks to Sonic Solutions acquisition of Roxio’s software division in December 2004, the latest version of Roxio’s digital media suite combines technologies from both companies, including new music, data backup, and DVD playback…
Epson UK Press Release
New Firmware for the Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer
The Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer allows users to store and preview digital photos, movies and music. The 3.8 inch Photo Fine display provides outstanding definition for unsurpassed picture quality.
April 2005 - A firmware upgrade is now available for the Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer. New features include; increased image handling; compatibility with a larger range of digital SLR cameras and the addition of histograms. Existing P-2000 customers can download the new firmware (version 02.02), free of charge from the Epson website. Go to www.epson.co.uk, click on digital photography products and follow the support link from the product information page.
Website: Read my Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer Review
Epson UK Press Release New Firmware for the Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer The Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer allows users to store and preview digital photos, movies and music. The 3.8 inch Photo Fine display provides outstanding definition for unsurpassed picture quality. April 2005 - A firmware upgrade is…