Capture One V3.7 release candidate has been released and is available for download. Capture One V3.7 RC1 can convert RAW files from the Nikon D2X and the Canon EOS 350D/Digital Rebel XT digital SLRs. Please note that there is no official support for the 3.7RC until the final release of V3.7 in May.

Phase One is pleased to announce the release of Capture One 3.7 Release Candidate. The purpose of 3.7RC is to allow existing users to test-drive Capture One 3.7 before it is officially released in May, 2005. Capture One 3.7 will be free of charge for existing users. Existing Capture One users who decide to run the 3.7RC can provide feedback through the feedback menu in the application or through the special 3.7RC section at our user forum. No tech support will be available for the 3.7RC. Tech support is available for official releases. The official release until May is Capture One 3.6/3.6.1.

Website: Download Capture One V3.7 RC1

Bloomberg report that Kodak have overtaken Olympus in terms of digital camera sales, with Canon in first position, Sony second and Kodak now third.

“Canon Inc. edged past Sony to take the top global share with 17.1 percent, helped by sales of its digital single-lens reflex cameras, IDC said. Sony dropped to 16.7 percent. SLR cameras see images directly through the camera lens and are favored by professionals and advanced users. Rochester, New York- based Kodak, which last year surged past Sony Corp. as the top seller in the U.S., had an 11.8 percent global market share. Olympus had a 2004 market share of 11.2 percent. Nikon Corp. pulled ahead of Fuji Photo Film Co. for fifth place with 9.3 percent to 9.1 percent for Fuji.”

Website: Bloomberg - Kodak Rises to Third in Global Digital-Camera Sales

Olympus Japan have released two new coloured versions of their 5Gb m:robe MR-100 digital music player. At the moment the pastel pink and pastel blue versions of the Olympus m:robe MR-100 are only available in Japan.

Website: Olympus Japan - Olympus m:robe MR-100

DIWA member and Norwegian website digIT have posted their review of the 6 megapixel Fuji FinePix E550.

Website: digIT - Fuji FinePix E550 Review

Website: Read my Fujifilm Finepix E550 Review

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Trusted Reviews have just reviewed the Lexmark P315 portable photo printer.

“This is a novel little printer, designed for a specific task and dealing with it pretty well. The lack of a PC connection looks more like a cost-saving exercise than a bold marketing leap, but does keep the device well under £100. The photo print quality still isn’t up to Canon, Epson or HP, but for typical home use, it’s good enough not to cause furrowed brows.”

Website: Trusted Reviews - Lexmark P315 Printer Review

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PSFK Release

When Piers Fawkes and Simon King saw the amazing collection of photos under the ‘whatsinyourbag’ tag on Flickr recently they were inspired to try to repeat the phenomenon around the concept of their blog, PSFK. PSFK is a collaborative trend spotting blog and Piers and Simon decided to launch the PSFK Cool Hunt on Flickr - a competition with judges & prizes where folk upload their images of ‘cool’. Each month there’s a theme - April’s is ‘mycooljeans’.

Although, just run for fun, over 100 photobloggers joined the PSFK Cool Hunt Group within the first 2 weeks and now Australian Bag manufacturer Crumpler want to give their funky camera bags as prizes for May.

PSFK Cool Hunt On Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/psfkcoolhunt/
Details: http://www.psfk.com/2005/04/psfk_cool_hunt_.html
PSFK: www.psfk.com

plasq Press Release

Easy to Use, Powerful Photo Layout Software

South Carolina, USA and Melbourne, Australia (April 12, 2005) - plasq today announced the immediate availability of Comic Life 1.0 for Mac OS X.

Comic Life is a powerful and intuitive digital photo tool for Mac OS X.  From the makers of Still Life, as well as the talent pool of http://plasq.com

, comes a fun application to expand what you can do with your digital photos.

Features include powerful Page and Panel layouts, (including styles for a real comic-strip look), streamlined image selection, cropping and placement, authentic speech balloons, captions and special effects text.

emeness Press Release

April 14th 2005 -  emeness, commercial print firm and sister company of the digital print service company clickonprint.com, announces a new online digital printing service called totalPIX.  The Hackney-based group will offer digitally printed products, such as photobooks or calendars, that can be designed by the consumer via an easy to use interface, customised with personal photos, and ordered via a secure Internet commerce site.  The fulfilment is facilitated by an e-business application that is exclusively licensed for use with the KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 digital production colour press.

emeness is the first UK printer to offer this unique service.  totalPIX is an Internet-based service that will enable anyone to design and order a variety of personalised products, such as photobooks (weddings, new baby, holidays, etc.), school yearbooks, certificates or postcards.  Favourite photos can be used to create a custom calendar or poster.

Photo.net have an interesting head-to-head comparison of the pro-level Canon EF 300/4L USM lens and the consumer Canon EF 75-300/4-5.6 IS USM lens.

“Despite lots of negative comments on the Canon 75-300 lenses, I think many of them may stem from users who simply don’t know how to use a 300mm lens. This could be because the 75-300 lenses are seen as “starter” lenses for beginners, and so tend to be bought and used by less experienced photographers. They may be shooting handheld at shutter speeds too low for sharp images, they may be shooting moving subjects or they may not be optimizing their images with a good image editor. I don’t know. I do know that the EF 75-300/4-5.6 IS USM is a decent lens. It’s not as good as a 300/4L, it’s not as sharp and it focuses significantly slower, but when used properly and with the help of a little digital magic, it’s a lens capable of yielding pretty sharp images. This especially appplies when shooting digital if, when at 300mm, you stop down a stop, optimize the image in PhotoShop and don’t try to make huge prints.”

Photo.net - Canon EF 300/4L USM vs. EF 75-300/4-5.6 IS USM Lens Review

Photoxels 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 Camedia C-5500 Zoom is a full-featured digital camera with excellent image quality, very low noise and fast operation with no practical shutter lag. It is all put together in a camera that is both comfortable to hold and operate. It is extremely easy to take good pictures with the Olympus C-5500 and, after one month’s constant use, the overall feeling is that this is a camera that delivers for beginner and serious amateur photographers. It is put together well and pretty intuitive to use, despite Olympus’ traditional reliance on the menu.”

Photoxels - Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom Review

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Luminous Landscape have published a review of the 5-megapixel Olympus E-1 DSLR.

”...the E-1 is the quietest DSLR I’ve ever used, on par with a rangefinder such as the Leica M7.  The sound is of a lower pitch and longer duration than the Leica but it is equally discreet.  Does this quality matter?  It depends on what kind of work one does.  It can matter during an exchange of vows at a wedding ceremony, a quiet cello passage at a concert, a trial testimony in a courtroom, a monologue in a play, a series of portraits made at a quiet table during a conversation…the possible scenarios go on and on.  The only digital cameras available that are quieter than this one are the small-sensor cameras such as the Leica Digilux 2.  Those cameras are nearly silent but come with their own bundles of advantages and disadvantages.  If one needs a sensor larger than 2/3” and interchangeable lenses, the E-1 is the quietest digital camera on the market.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Olympus E-1 Review

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Imaging Resource have published their review of the new 12 megapixel Nikon D2X digital SLR.

“In the case of the Nikon D2X, the 13x19 capacity of the i9900 didn’t begin to tax its image quality. With judicious post-capture sharpening and scaling, its images will look good at almost any output size, assuming a reasonable viewing distance. At 13x19, you can get right up on the print and squint as much as you want, and you just won’t see any artifacts or lost detail. Scaled larger, images from the D2X “hold together” exceptionally well, with no visible artifacts as you continue to stretch them. Very impressive.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Nikon D2X Review

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DIWA member and Polish website Fotopolis have posted their review of the 7.2 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200 digital camera.

Website: Fotopolis - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200 Review

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DIWA member and Turkish website DigiNorm have published their review of the new 8 megapixel Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT DSLR.

Website: DigiNorm - Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT Review

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DigitalCameraInfo have just published their review of the Canon Digital IXUS 700 digital camera (also known as the Canon PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH).

“Canon’s Digital ELPH series aims for style and appeal, so the SD500’s slim profile and attractive silver finish follow suit. The camera is rectangular with a slight curve on the left side (when viewing from the front). This model does depart from the series’ sharp, flat lines with its “Perpetual Curve Design” apparent on the side with the right-hand grip. The surfaces remain fairly flat, as the camera is designed more for portability than shooting comfort. The SD500 is built for slipping in a pocket and taking a few shots at a party – not for two-hour photo shoots on the sideline of a basketball court. Canon engineers developed the curve design to make the camera more comfortable to hold; however, it’s still not sufficient for extended periods of photography. Canon didn’t sacrifice style; the brushed steel color with shiny highlights and attractive design is quite a sexy piece of machinery.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Canon Digital IXUS 700 Review

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creativepro have published a review of the new 8 megapixel Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT DSLR.

“While the lighter weight is good news, the XT’s smaller size is more of a liability. To make the camera narrower, Canon squished the hand grip closer to the lens barrel, leaving little space for the fingers of your right hand. Any handling of the camera—picking it up, changing lenses, passing it from hand to hand—feels more difficult, less comfortable, and less secure than with the older, larger Rebel, because it’s harder to get your fingers wrapped around the grip. If you regularly shoot in climates cold enough to warrant gloves, take your gloves to the camera store and try shooting with camera before buying.”

Website: creativepro - Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT Review

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Sigma UK Press Release

Sigma Announce Price of the New 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC

First deliveries of the eagerly anticipated Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC lens have arrived in the UK with a competitive suggested retail price of £329.99.

The 18-200mm will be available in Canon, Sigma, Nikon D and Pentax auto focus fitting. Delivery date of the Four Thirds fitting will be advised.

This high zoom ratio lens incorporates Two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements and two hybrid aspherical lenses. This enables the lens to be housed in a compact and lightweight construction of 70mm diameter, and 78.1mm in length, and weighing just 405g. The lens also incorporates a zoom lock switch, internal focusing and a precision machine tooled metal back-mount.

COKIN Z-PRO Filter Holder is announced today. Retailing for £39.99 in the UK, the COKIN Z-PRO Filter Holder fits lenses up to 96mm filter diameter and eliminates vignetting over 20mm focal lengths. The COKIN Z-PRO Filter Holder is also fully reversible, which means that a filter can fit in the adaptor ring’s slot and reduce vignetting on wide-angle lenses. The COKIN Z-PRO Filter Holder is available now.

COKIN Press Release

After many years of R&D and following the success of its X-PRO Series System, COKIN is proud to introduce its new Z-PRO Filter Holder (100mm width).

Applications are FILM & DIGITAL, D-SLRs, Video & Broadcast cameras
The new Z-PRO Filter-Holder is designed to fit both FILM and DIGITAL technologies in particular D-SLRs and VIDEO/ BROADCAST cameras, either semi-professional or professional models (among them the new HD format).

Totally Modular
It is modular, it can be easily dismantled and set-up to be able to accept filters of 1.6mm thickness (which most photographers use), and 4.0mm     thickness (often used in the Broadcast segment in popular dimensions such as 100x100mm (4”x4”) and 100x150mm (4”x6”)).

Hasselblad have just announced price reductions in the UK on all 3 of its camera systems, including the H1 and XPan, with reductions on cameras, lenses, film holders and accessories alike.

Hasselblad Newsletter

Great news for Hasselblad customers… Prices across all 3 systems have been reduced. Due to a re-balancing of Hasselblad pricing around the world, we are pleased to announce dramatic price reductions on Hasselblad equipment in the UK

The classic Hasselblad V System, the most extensive medium format system on the market, is epitomised by the 503CW. This versatile, mechanical camera is now available as a kit at a recommended retail price of just £2145 plus VAT - a massive 31% reduction from the previous price of £3130 plus VAT for the body, lens and magazine! The 503CW will now be less expensive than the 501CM, which was previously our lowest priced 6x6 camera, but which has now been discontinued.

Combined with a film back or used with the Hasselblad V96C digital back the V System remains a force to be reckoned with!

Konica Minolta UK Press Release

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging (UK) Limited announce internal restructure

Following a wide reaching internal review encompassing all operations, Konica Minolta Photo Imaging (UK) Limited announces managerial, structural and operational changes.

Managing Director, Mr Akihiko Nezu returns to Japan to take a new role within Konica Minolta. Toshihiro Matsumoto will replace him; previously President of Konica Minolta Photo Imaging France. He will take over from Akihiko Nezu from May 2005.

As part of a drive to improve logistics and cost effectiveness the warehousing sited within Milton Keynes of the legacy Minolta camera business will close. All camera distribution will be transferred to the Konica Minolta warehousing facility in Feltham, Middlesex. This will result in enforced redundancies within the Milton Keynes operation. The Konica Minolta Service Division that also operates from this location will not be affected by this change.