Sigma APO 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM lens is announced. The Sigma APO 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM lens is optimized for digital SLR cameras and has a constant aperture of f/5.6 throughtout its focal length. When the Sigma APO 300-800mm lens is used with the 1.4x EX or 2x EX Apo Tele Converters (optional), it becomes a 420-1120mm F8 MF lens or a 600-1600mm F11 MF lens respectively. The Sigma APO 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM lens costs £4999.99 and is available now.

From 300mm telephoto to 800mm ultra-telephoto this new lens provides a constant fast maximum aperture and is optimized for digital SLR cameras.

l New multi layer coating minimizes flare and ghost.
l Two Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) glass elements produce excellent image quality.
l The Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) provides quiet, high-speed and precise auto-focusing and full time manual focus override.
l Accepts both 1.4X and 2X APO EX Tele-Converters (produces an ultra-telephoto zoom lens of 1600mm!)

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new APO 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM lens.

This digitally optimized lens covers the ultra-telephoto range up to 800mm and has a fast maximum aperture. Its new lens coating reduces flare and ghost, which is a common problem with digital cameras. It incorporates two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements for effective compensation of chromatic aberrations and also ensure sharp, quality images.

Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM lens is announced. The 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM is an ultra-telephoto lens that has been optimized for digital SLR cameras. By adding a teleconvertor, the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM lens can be used as a 700ｍm Ｆ6.3 MF ultra-telephoto lens with a 1.4X EX teleconverter, or as a 1000mm F9 MF ultra-telephoto lens with a 2X teleconverter. The Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX DG HSM lens costs £2999.99 and is available now.

Sigma UK Press Release

Fast maximum aperture telephoto lens optimized for digital SLR cameras.

l Most effective coating for minimizing flare and ghost.
l Two Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) glass elements produce excellent image quality.
l Accepts both 1.4X and 2X APO EX Tele-Converters. The lens can be used as a 700mm MF or a 1000mm MF ultra-telephoto lens. 

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 500 F4.5 APO EX DG HSM lens.

This ultra-telephoto lens has a fast maximum aperture, and also features a new super multi-layer coating, which optimizes the characteristics of digital SLR cameras.

Kodak EASYSHARE Picture Viewer is introduced. The Kodak EASYSHARE Picture Viewer has a 2.5-inch high-resolution display screen and stores up to 150 digital pictures. The Kodak Picture Viewer also has a SD/MMC memory card slot, is Pictbridge compatible and is compatible with any a KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock Series 3 device. The Kodak EASYSHARE Picture Viewer will be available in May for £99.99 RRP.

Kodak UK Press Release

Showcase and Share Digital Pictures “On the Go” with New KODAK EASYSHARE Picture Viewer

Credit Card-Sized Device Brings Favourite Memories to Life in the Palm of Your Hand

LONDON, 18 April — Eastman Kodak Company is making digital picture sharing more convenient, personal and portable by introducing its new EASYSHARE Picture Viewer, a pocket-sized “digital photo album” that fits in the palm of your hand.  Whether showing off recent vacation pictures, priceless memories or snapshots from life’s everyday moments, the Picture Viewer (£99.99 RRP; available beginning in May 2005) is designed for people who love to share favourite pictures on the go.

Adobe Press Release

Combined Company to Deliver Industry-Defining Technology Platform for Rich, Interactive Content

SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 18, 2005 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Macromedia (Nasdaq: MACR) in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion.

The combination of Adobe and Macromedia will provide customers a more powerful set of solutions for creating, managing and delivering compelling content and experiences across multiple operating systems, devices and media. Together, the two companies will meet a wider set of customer needs and have a significantly greater opportunity to grow into new markets, particularly in the mobile and enterprise segments.

“Customers are calling for integrated software solutions that enable them to create, manage and deliver a wide range of compelling content and applications - from documents and images to audio and video,” said Bruce Chizen, chief executive officer of Adobe. “By combining our powerful development, authoring and collaboration software - along with the complementary functionality of PDF and Flash - Adobe has the opportunity to bring this vision to life with an industry-defining technology platform.”

Wacom Graphire Bluetooth pen tablet is announced. The Wacom Graphire Bluetooth is a 6” x 8” wireless pen tablet. The Wacom Graphire Bluetooth can be used up to 30 feet away from your computer and is priced at $249.99.

Wacom Press Release

First Wacom Wireless Pen Tablet for Photo Enthusiasts

The New Graphire Bluetooth, With Wacom’s Patented Cordless, Battery-Free Pen Technology, Provides up to 30 Feet of Wireless Freedom

VANCOUVER, Wash., April 15 /PRNewswire/—Wacom(R) Technology today announced the newest member of its Graphire(R) pen tablet family and the first Wacom pen tablet to incorporate Bluetooth(R) wireless technology. The new model, named Graphire Bluetooth, is expected to be warmly embraced by photo enthusiasts who seek the control and comfort of Wacom’s patented cordless, battery-free pen and the freedom of a wireless device. Mobile office workers, educators and aspiring digital artists will also appreciate the new device and the ability to work where and when they want. Available immediately, Graphire Bluetooth offers a 6” x 8” active area and is priced at $249.99.

The 50th PhotographyBLOG Portfolio has been submitted by Krystof Krizstrong.

“I am graduating this year in the Birmingham Institute Of Art And Design in Visual Communication, Photography. I am working now on the project which turns together two cities Prague and London on an unusual link. I am sending you the images from another project which was called The Rust. The topic was about the time, about the imagination, about the abstraction, about the hidden images which are for the first view invisible, but they are real. There are the colours, the past, the future and heavy metal…”

Website: Portfolios: Krystof Kriz

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

“It’s not without reason that the IXUS/Elph range has proved so popular; the combination of size, design and materials, performance and decent image quality is a compelling one. The SD500 is no exception; it’s fast, easy to use and capable of producing first-class results in the right situations - and it has all the hallmarks of a design classic. But it’s not a camera without problems. Some, such as the rather erratic behavior of the AiAF ‘intelligent’ focus system, can be easily overcome (switch to center focus), others, such as the SD500’s tendency to miss fine low-contrast detail, will only really cause you a problem if you’re printing at sizes over about 8x10 inches.”

Website: DPReview - Canon Digital IXUS 700 Review

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Pentax have posted a new firmware version for the 6 megapixel Pentax *ist DS DSLR.

Changes to V1.02
Correspond to the SD memory card greater than 1GB, also Version 1.02 include the additional function which was released at Version 1.01.

Detailed of Version 1.01
At the long time exposure situation such as astronomical photography, green noise might be generated partially on the image when the noise reduction is turned on. This phenomenon only occurs rarely under special shooting condition such as starry sky, and will never occur at the general situation that we are assuming. The version 1.01 will minimize this phenomenon as much as possible for the customer who use *istDS for this purpose.

Website: Pentax *ist DS Review v1.02 Firmware

Check the Latest Prices for the Pentax *ist DS

Write a Review of the Pentax *ist DS

CNET have just reviewed the 5 megapixel Sony DSC-F88 digital camera.

“Sony’s latest jack-of-all-trades is a master of more than one. While its easy operation and versatile automated and manual exposure controls will please both beginners and more advanced photographers, the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-F88 boasts very good macro capabilities and a robust burst mode perfect for action photography. Only a few spotty performance figures such as atrocious shutter lag under low-contrast lighting and a middle-of-the-road feature set limit this well-rounded 5-megapixel shooter.”

Website: CNET - Sony DSC-F88 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Sony DSC-F88

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Nikon D50 and D70s digital SLR cameras are to be officially launched on April 20th. In a brief statement on the Nikon website, Nikon apologise for the “unofficial release” of details about the D50 and D70s and name the release date as April 20th. Interestingly the Nikon D50 and D70s are still not referred to by name, just as “our new digital SLR cameras”.

Nikon Press Release

About Information of New Digital Camera Products

We would like to apologize for the unofficial release of news about our new products that has recently appeared on the Internet. News of our new digital SLR cameras is currently being prepared ahead of the official worldwide release on April 20. Our aim is develop and offer new products that fulfill your expectations. We look forward to your continuing patronage and appreciate your support for Nikon products.

UPDATE: The Italian website Dphoto have just published what they claim are the official product shot and specifications of the new Nikon D50.

http://www.dphoto.it/content/view/235/180/

Red Paw Media Press Release

Red Paw Media are pleased to announce the general release of their latest product, BleachBypass.

BleachBypass is a Photoshop-compatible plug-in designed to digitally simulate the traditional film “bleach bypass” technique.

The bleach bypass, or “skip bleach” technique involves the partial or complete skipping of the bleaching stage during the processing of a colour film. This prevents the silver from being removed from the negative, and the result is a contrasty image with muted colours. The technique is often used extensively in motion pictures, such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Three Kings”.  It also gives a very pleasing, “film-like” quality to images, much like older, fast print film was used.

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