The technology website G4techTV have published a brief and enthusiastic review of the 6 megapixel Nikon D70 DSLR.

“While it’s a pricey piece (the body alone costs $999), the D70 is considered the “Holy Grail” in many a photography circle as it deftly combines optical precision, quality and flexibility of a fully manual film camera with the efficiency and convenience of a digital recording device.  Add to the mix the D70’s compatibility with virtually all conventional and “for digital” Nikon lenses (known by the brand Nikkor using a Nikon F mount) and you’ve got a nest of Nikon faithful ready to drop some cash in the name of digital.”

Website: G4techTV - Nikon D70 Review

HP UK Press Release 06/10/04

HP sets new levels of excellence with new imaging and printing introductions

BRACKNELL, UK, 6 October, 2004.  HP today announced the launch and upgrade of more than 15 new imaging and printing systems, solutions, and accessories as part of its ongoing Smart Office initiative designed to help SMEs get more reliable business results from their technology investments.  In addition, many of the imaging and printing products released, such as workgroup printers and print servers, are also ideal for enterprise environments.

New and enhanced products range from colour laser and inkjet printers, and monochrome laser printers (see separate release), to networking and mobile printing accessories, all of which help address the imaging and printing needs of businesses of all sizes.  The new lineup offers customers HP?s fastest colour and mono laser print speeds to-date; the industry?s first gigabit print server; added advanced security features for transferring data across a network; and, easy-to-use connectivity options including mobile wireless printing that enable simple walk-up printing when on the go.

“No company understands and meets the needs of small and mid-size businesses better than HP, and we?re committed to continued leadership in this important and growing market,” said Peter Urey, IPG Category Manager, HP UK. “Customers know that when they choose HP, they get a relationship, not just a transaction. By developing products and services for the unique needs of small and mid-size customers, HP delivers a superior ownership experience, so customers spend less time worrying about technology and more time focused on their business.”

HP UK Press Release 06/10/04

Continued investment in mono technology means that customers get smaller, faster and more efficient machines

BRACKNELL, UK, 6 October, 2004.  HP today introduced its largest-ever refresh of monochrome printers its new range of mono printers. These new products continue to increase in speeds and shrink in size whilst lowering the total cost of ownership of printers. 

The increase in performance of the new range, which is suitable for the home, SME and enterprise markets, is the result of significant investment from HP into mono printing from both a hardware and supplies perspective and sets new benchmarks for mono printing products.

Included in today’s launch are six new monochrome printing platforms that consist of 27 new individual products.  From a broader industry perspective, the refresh of the monochrome product line also means that 50% of the entire printing industry?s monochrome inventory is being replaced with new products from HP. 

“There has been talk in the industry around the fact that mono printing is a declining market with reductions in colour price points resulting in customers moving away from mono. This is simply not the case, and the latest market figures back this up,” said Laura Seymour, Personal Laser Category Manager, HP UK.  “We are continuing to invest in new mono technologies and are driving the market forward so that people can discover new uses for their mono devices like printing at home - this is still an exciting market to be in.”

A few days ago Canon released Firmware version 1.0.4 for the EOS 20D DSLR. Yesterday the firmware was pulled from their BeBit website, with only the words “Firmware update service is not available temporarily” left to show that the firmware was ever there. It seems that some people have installed the new firmware and experienced problems (like the camera not actually working) - let me know if you were one of them.

Website: Canon EOS 20D Firmware Update

Slovenian photography site Slo-Foto.net have today reviewed the new 7 megapixel Canon PowerShot G6.

Website: Slo-Foto.net - Canon PowerShot G6 Review

Steves Digicams have posted a review of the very new HP Photosmart 8450 printer (only announced by HP UK yesterday).

“The Photosmart 8450’s photo print quality is nothing short of excellent and rivals the output of the best photo inkjet printers that we’ve used. It isn’t as fast as the Canon “i” and the new 2004 “iP” series printers, but it is faster than previous HP photo printer models that we reviewed last year.”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP Photosmart 8450 Printer Review

The Spanish website quesabesde.com have today posted their review of the new 4 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3.

Website: quesabesde.com - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the Canon PowerShot S60, a 5 megapixel digital camera with a wide-angle 28mm-100mm lens and a new thin body.

Website: Index Digicam - Canon PowerShot S60 Review

Imaging Resource have just reviewed the new HP Photosmart R707, a stylish 5 megapixel digital camera.

“High barrel distortion at wide angle. “Purple fringing” at wide angle, severe coma at telephoto. Geometric distortion on the R707 is a good bit higher than average at the wide-angle end, where I measured approximately 1.17 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end fared a little better, as I measured approximately 0.2 percent barrel distortion. While chromatic aberration seems low, the wide angle images show a fair bit of what looks to be “purple fringing”, a bright purple fringe around dark objects against bright backgrounds. At telephoto focal lengths, severe coma blurs the corners of the image badly, extending a fair ways into the image area. Overall, its lens appears to be one of the weaker elements of the R707’s design.”

Website: Imaging Resource - HP Photosmart R707 Review

The Slovenian website eFotoGrafija have published a great interview (in English) with Mr. Takaya Iwasaki, who is the Canon representative for Central East and North East Europe, Sub-Sahara Africa and Middle East. Essential reading if you’re at all interested in the Canon product line.

“Jernej: Are you planing to introduce some high end EF-S lenses in the near future?

TAKAYA: Definitely. We are always planing 5 year spans so within the next 5 years we will develop high and mid end or even some completely unique EF-S lenses. But those are based on requests of professional photographers, however at the same time DSLRS are getting more popular with non professionals, therefore we have to develop lenses for both markets. It is not a question of timing, but as a leader of professional photography industry we are always thinking of high end products and new technology.”

Website: eFotoGrafija - Interview with Mr. Takaya Iwasaki

ePhotoZine have published one of the first reviews of the Epson PictureMate inkjet printer.

“I printed off 20 family snaps of varying levels of contrast and from different cameras, ranging from point & shoot to digital SLR loaded on a CompactFlash card. It delivered a good set of photos. Colours are good sharpness is good and contrast is good. Blacks look rich highlights sparkle and generally the results are impressive and live up to Epson’s claims of “bright colours”. The only thing I don’t like is the slight etch effect seen if you angle the print in the light.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Epson PictureMate Review

Although they’re very different cameras aimed at very different sections of the market, Digital Outback Photo have decided to compare the image quality of the Canon EOS 20D digital SLR and its more expensive brother, the 1D Mark II. Find out which camera won the shootout by clicking the following link…

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Comparing 20D vs. 1D Mark II Images

PictureCode Software have released a public beta version of their Noise Ninja plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, which works with PhotoShop 6, 7, CS, and Elements on Windows, and PhotoShop CS on Mac OS X 10.3. “PictureCode’s Noise Ninja software solves the image noise problem using new, patent-pending technology. Not only does it do an impressive job of removing noise - often yielding up to a two-stop improvement in effective image quality - it does so quickly and easily.”

Website: PictureCode - Noise Ninja Plug-In Beta Version

DCResource have today posted their usual extensive review of the 6 megapixel Fuji FinePix E550.

“As long as you stick with the 6 Megapixel resolution, the Fuji FinePix E550 is a good choice for those who want a very responsive camera with good photo quality and manual controls. The resolution issue is an important one, as the E550 uses the unique SuperCCD HR sensor. While it can produce images with 12 million pixels, you’ll get the best results by shooting at the 6M mode, or even better, by downsizing from the 12M/Fine mode. A RAW mode is available, but the quality wasn’t noticeably better than 12M/Fine (in fact, it may be worse) and the post-processing is time consuming (especially with the lousy RAW converter that’s included). At the 6M size, images are colorful and sharp, though purple fringing levels are above average. The E550 also has an excellent movie mode, with unlimited recording at 640 x 480, 30 frames/second.”

Website: DCResource - Fuji FinePix E550 Review

CNET have just reviewed the new 4 megapixel Kodak Easyshare CX7430 digital camera

“With 4-megapixel cameras that cost less than $300 becoming more common, the Kodak EasyShare CX7430’s standout features are an intuitive control layout, a quick-trigger response, and a design that makes shooting and changing settings fast and easy. Snapshooters on a budget will appreciate the EasyShare CX7430’s value but should note that rechargeable batteries and a memory card cost extra. Photo enthusiasts looking for manual controls will probably want to spend a little more for a camera with the features they need.”

Website: CNET - Kodak Easyshare CX7430 Review

CNET have just reviewed the 3 megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50 digital camera.

“With top-notch picture quality for its class, excellent close-up features, a burst mode that can grab five shots in two seconds, and versatile shooting options that include a power-saving economy setting and a superfriendly Simple mode, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50 will appeal to snapshooters who want quality and convenience in a compact package. Unfortunately, significant shutter lag, middle-of-the-pack performance, and a lack of manual controls will send some snapshot photographers looking elsewhere.”

Website: CNET - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC50 Review

The Norwegian website Akam.no have today reviewed the recently announced HP Photosmart 8150 printer.

Website: Akam.no - HP Photosmart 8150 Review

The October 2004 Competition is now open for entries. This is a monthly photography competition with a specific theme and prizes for the top 3 photos. The winning entries will be decided by a panel of judges. You just have to submit one photograph to the Competition Gallery that best interprets October’s theme, which is “Travel”.

Please make sure that you read the Monthly Competition Rules before submitting your entry. Note that you are only allowed to enter 1 photograph. The competition is worldwide and open to everyone.

You can now start submitting entries to the October Competition here:
October 2004 Competition

The September 2004 PhotographyBLOG Competition has now closed. The theme for September was “Sunrise and Sunset” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery.

The 1st / 2nd / 3rd place winners will be announced on Wednesday 13th September, and the prizes will be sent out shortly after :-)

The voting for the 43rd Photo of the Week contest has now finished.

The winner is “All That Buzz” by etfon911.

Congratulations to the winner!

You can view all of the entries that were submitted in this gallery.