Brave Orange Press Release

Brave Orange Photo Shaman 1.2.2 is released.

Helsinki, Finland (March 19, 2005) - Photo Shaman is a handy imaging software utility for creating stylized thumbnail images for image galleries and photo albums. The main difference of Photo Shaman from other thumbnailing software is an ability to create unique thumbnail styles. If you are bored with standard rectangular thumbnails or want to breathe more life into your photos, then here is what you can do: you can add magnificent 3D picture frame to your images with various shapes. You can add bevel effect of different shapes to your thumbs. You also can add a mask together with bevel and frame. The program allows you to create your own style and save it for later use or pick an existing style from a great collection of stock styles.

Thanks to Sanj for letting me know.

TrendWatch Graphic Arts Press Release

TWGA DIGITAL IMAGING REPORT EXAMINES THE MARKET(S) FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS AND SCANNERS IN THE GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY

NEW YORK - March 30, 2005—TrendWatch Graphic Arts today released its special report titled “A Decade of DI: The TrendWatch Graphic Arts Perspective on the Changing Market for Digital Imaging Equipment.” The report provides a complete view of both the historical and current markets for digital cameras and scanners in the graphic arts, as well as the forces driving and impeding the market for both types of devices. The graphic arts markets that TWGA looks at comprise printers, prepress firms, graphic design and production firms, publishers, and Internet design and development companies.

The report draws on both the extensive TWGA historical databases and current market survey reports to provide a complete picture of planned investment in digital imaging hardware. The report also provides detailed breakdowns of which price ranges of each type of device are preferred by each market. Other trending data provides both an historical and contemporary context for investment in digital imaging hardware.

The Spanish website Quesabesde have published their review of the 5 megapixel, 10x zoom Kodak EasyShare Z740 digital camera.

Website: Quesabesde - Kodak EasyShare Z740 Review

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DigitalCameraInfo have just posted their review of the new 5 megapixel Konica Minolta Z5 digital camera.

“Konica Minolta updated its Z3 with one more megapixel and a larger LCD screen and released it as the DiMAGE Z5. Nevertheless, they’ll be available for about the same price, retailing for $499. The 5-megapixel Z5 has a modified SLR-shape with a large right-hand grip on one side and a large 12x optical zoom lens on the other side. The camera’s Anti-Shake image stabilization system complements one of the best movie modes available in a digital camera. With VGA and QVGA modes available at 15 and 30 frames per second, the Z5 provides users with adequate resolution for good movie clips. The simultaneous audio recording, optical zoom function, and night movie mode are all icing on the cake. The Z5’s continuous shooting mode is a bit disappointing, but the lower resolution progressive mode is quite fast at 10 frames per second. This model isn’t the easiest digital camera to use, but certainly does not require a mechanical engineering degree either. With full manual functions and automatic settings to boot, the Konica Minolta Z5 will attract a wide audience looking for versatility in shooting still and video images.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Review

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

Website: DigIT - Canon EOS 350D Review

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Trusted Reviews have published their revied of the Kodak EasyShare Z700, a 4 megapixel digital camera with 5x optical zoom lens (found via DigiCamReview).

“It is, to be honest, not the prettiest camera in the world. It has a blocky, no-nonsense shape with a minimum of moving parts. However, it’s well built, with a tough aluminium case and an automatic sliding cover over the lens, which in turn is deeply recessed into the body when not in use. Rather than the pop-up flash commonly found on cameras of this type, the Z700 has a fixed unit mounted in a moulded housing over the lens, next to the viewfinder window. The design is what has come to be known as ‘SLR–style’, which also means it has a large handgrip with a comfortable sculpted rubberized grip pad. Despite its chunky appearance the camera does feel comfortable to hold, and is well balanced and not too heavy.”

Website: Trusted Reviews - Kodak EasyShare Z700 Preview

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Casio have released a firmware update, v1.01, for the new Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505, which features a 5X optical zoom, an imaging CCD with 5.0 megapixels, Casio’s “EXILIM engine”, and a large 2-inch TFT color rotating screen.

Improvements Provided by This Update:
V1.00-V1.01
• Increases USB communication speed.
• Adds autumn leaves scene to snapshot BEST SHOT scenes.
• Provides support for SD memory cards greater than 1GB.

Website: Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 Firmware

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Toshiba Press Release

Toshiba’s new Lithium-Ion battery recharges in only one minute

New battery offers unsurpassed recharge performance and high energy density

TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation today announced a breakthrough in lithium-ion batteries that makes long recharge times a thing of the past. The company’s new battery can recharge 80% of a battery’s energy capacity in only one minute, approximately 60 times faster than the typical lithium-ion batteries in wide use today, and combines this fast recharge time with performance-boosting improvements in energy density.

The new battery fuses Toshiba’s latest advances in nano-material technology for the electric devices sector with cumulative know-how in manufacturing lithium-ion battery cells. A breakthrough technology applied to the negative electrode uses new nano-particles to prevent organic liquid electrolytes from reducing during battery recharging. The nano-particles quickly absorb and store vast amount of lithium ions, without causing any deterioration in the electrode.

DPNow have just reviewed the Lexmark P315 portable photo printer.

“Lexmark has priced the P315 very competitively – there is no other mini printer with a colour LCD screen that can match its price. With careful selection of consumables, buying bulk packs of paper and using the No.35 cartridge instead of the No.33 one, you can achieve very good per-print costs. Print quality is adequate rather than stunning, though to all but the most discerning it’s quite acceptable for every day use. Lexmark can certainly improve the user interface of the P315 to make better use of the excellent 2.5 inch screen and speed up the process of finding and printing images, but in its existing form it’s still reasonably usable.”

Website: DPNow - Lexmark P315 Printer Review

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Glass Lantern Press Release

Glass Lantern, LLC releases Pixfer v1.0 for Microsoft Windows XP

Washington, DC, 29 March, 2005: Glass Lantern, LLC announces the release of Pixfer for Microsoft Windows XP. This application allows digital photographers to rapidly transfer, rename, and verify images from up to three storage cards simultaneously. Professional features such as hard drive checking (S.M.A.R.T) before each transfer and copying images to two independent locations for instant backup help to ensure that images are not lost due to hardware failure. For event photographers, flexible renaming based on EXIF data keeps things organized even with multiple photographers transferring images at the same time. Storage cards can be cleared as images are transferred, as well as safely ejected when each
transfer completes. RAW formats from a wide variety of cameras are supported, including maker-specific data such as subsecond time information in Nikon DSLR files. Status is provided for each individual transfer, including a time estimate for when each transfer will complete.

Adobe Press Release

Adobe Photographers Directory to Connect Pro Photographers With Creative CommunityNew Directory Within Adobe Software Provides Creative Professionals with Ready Access to Freelance and Independent Photographers

SAN JOSE, Calif. — March 29, 2005 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced its plans to launch the Adobe Photographers Directory, a listing of professional photographers accessible directly from within Adobe’s creative professional products. The Adobe Photographers Directory will be initially available in North America and over time will be extended to include photographers from other markets.

Adobe will be working closely with the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) to populate the new directory. As charter members of the directory, ASMP also launched a Web site today detailing how photographers can sign up to participate at www.asmp.org/adobe . In addition, Adobe will work with the Advertising Photographers of America (APA) and other associations to ensure the Adobe Photographers Directory is a comprehensive professional photography resource.

Adobe Press Release

Adobe Photographers Directory to Connect Pro Photographers With Creative CommunityNew Directory Within Adobe Software Provides Creative Professionals with Ready Access to Freelance and Independent Photographers

SAN JOSE, Calif. — March 29, 2005 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced its plans to launch the Adobe Photographers Directory, a listing of professional photographers accessible directly from within Adobe’s creative professional products. The Adobe Photographers Directory will be initially available in North America and over time will be extended to include photographers from other markets.

Adobe will be working closely with the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) to populate the new directory. As charter members of the directory, ASMP also launched a Web site today detailing how photographers can sign up to participate at www.asmp.org/adobe . In addition, Adobe will work with the Advertising Photographers of America (APA) and other associations to ensure the Adobe Photographers Directory is a comprehensive professional photography resource.

The Fujifilm FinePix F810 is a stylishly designed compact digital camera that uses a refined version of Fujifilm’s Super CCD HR sensor. The HR sensor on the Fujifilm FinePix F810 supposedly allows you to make larger prints than conventional CCD sensors, as well as reproducing colour more accurately and improving the camera’s ability in low-light situations. Fujifilm have added another defining feature to the FinePix F810 in the shape of a widescreen (16:9) feature that allows images and movies to be easily viewed on a widescreen television. On paper at least the Fujifilm FinePix F810 is no run-of-the-mill digital camera, but can it live up to its full potential? Carry on reading to find out.

Website: Fujifilm Finepix F810 Review

ProFotoSoftware Press Release

29th March 2005 London, UK

ProFotoSoftware have today released a new version of PFS Image Darkroom, their Canon RAW Image Processor for Windows, with integration with Neat Image for advanced Image Noise reduction.

Neat Image is one of the best Noise Reduction programs available, and integration with it offers the highest quality noise reduction without affecting the smooth workflow offered by PFS Image Darkroom.

The integration retains all of the Neat Image features such as Camera Profiles and Noise Reduction Presets, which can be set on a global or image by image basis.

HP are sueing 2 companies, who specialize in selling refilled ink cartridges, for violating patents and false advertising.

“On Friday, HP sued InkCycle in U.S. District Court for the western district of Wisconsin, alleging that the company’s ink violates three HP patents. And on Monday, HP sued RhinoTek in U.S. District Court for the northern district of California, accusing RhinoTek of false advertising by using packaging that indicates its refilled HP printer cartridges are new.”

Website: HP sues firms that refill ink cartridges

Luminous Landscape have cast their critical eye over DxO Optics Pro and DxO Raw Engine, a RAW convertor that automatically removes distortion, chromatic aberrations, vignetting and lens softness from your RAW images.

“f you’ve read this far you undoubtedly know that I see Optics Pro with Raw Engine as being problematic. If it was being judged just as a raw converter it would be given a failing grade. But, as I pointed out in my original review last year, Optics Pro does a truly excellent job of analyzing and correcting a range of optical defects in digital camera and lenses systems. While there are other programs available that do some of what Optics Pro does, none do it as well overall and as automatically.But, the price that one pays for this is a very awkward workflow, and for those with more than a few lenses, a goodly financial cost. Whether these are factors that mitigate either for or against this program when it comes to your individual needs, is something that you’ll have to decide for yourself.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - DxO Optics Pro and DxO Raw Engine Review

Imaging Resource have just posted their review of the new 5 megapixel Konica Minolta Z5 digital camera.

“The Konica Minolta Z-series of long zoom digital cameras have consistently led the market in features and value in the long-zoom category. While the market has become more crowded, Konica Minolta has maintained their place, and the DiMAGE Z5’s only real competitors currently are Panasonic’s FZ5 and FZ20 models. (They being the only long-zoom cameras equipped with anti-shake technology anywhere near the Konica Minolta Z5’s price point.) The Z5 handles well, its anti-shake greatly extends the utility of its long zoom lens, and it’s just plain fun to use. (Surely a critical factor in any camera purchase decision.) It produces good-looking prints up to about 11x14 in size, and you can extract a fair bit more detail from its images if you’re willing to shoot with the in-camera sharpening set to “low” and then do some unsharp masking in Adobe Photoshop.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Review

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SpotPhoto have just posted their review of the 6 megapixel Pentax *ist DS DSLR.

“Let’s sum up. Pentax *ist DS is in no way better than the competition. It does not have any special features or is really above others in certain respect. But body that handles well, good menu system and good picture quality mean that this is an overall good contender in entry-level DSLR market. The only minus in my opinion was slow autofocus. As Michael Johnson wrote in his review of the same camera, it’s the K1000 of digital SLR. If you have Pentax lenses, get it.”

Website: SpotPhoto - Pentax *ist DS Review

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DIWA member and Czech website FotoAparat have published a double review of the 4 megapixel Canon PowerShot A520 and A510 digital cameras.

Website: FotoAparat - Canon PowerShot A520 / A510 Review

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DIWA member and Slovenian website e-fotografija have just reviewed the 8 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8400.

Website: e-fotografija - Nikon Coolpix 8400 Review

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