Imaging Resource have published the first review on the web of the 7 megapixel Canon PowerShot S70.

“The S70’s exposure system handled my test lighting well, accurately exposing most shots, and generally requiring about the average amount of exposure compensation on those shots that typically require it. Its default tone curve was a little contrasty, but the low contrast option did a good job of preserving highlight detail under the deliberately difficult lighting of my “Sunlit” Portrait test, although the exposure I had to use to accomplish this left the midtones and Marti’s skin tones rather dark. Overall though, a good exposure system with good contrast control.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Canon PowerShot S70 Review

DPReview have posted 21 photos taken with a pre-production version of the new Konica Minolta Dynax 7D DSLR:

“As promised we have today been out shooting with our pre-production Maxxum 7D and have put together a samples gallery of twenty one images including daylight low ISO and indoor high ISO shots. So far the results are impressive, especially low noise at high sensitivities and the very capable Anti-Shake system which allowed us to shoot as slow as 1/2 or 1/4 sec without a tripod (slower speeds do also seem possible but we can’t be 100% confident without proper testing). Otherwise the images have good tonal balance, color response and a conservative approach to image sharpening (perhaps considered soft in appearance).”

Website: DPReview - Konica Minolta Dynax 7D Sample Images

Short Courses have just published a new 130 page guide to the Canon EOS 20D DSLR. The printed version costs $24.95, or you can get an e-book version for $19.95.

“A Short Courses digital photography book for people who own the Canon EOS 20D digital camera and want to get better pictures. This beautifully written and illustrated guide, drawing on the much more comprehensive information on the ShortCourses Web site, pulls together answers to the questions you might have about using the 20D.”

Website: ShortCourses - Canon EOS 20D Photography

HP UK Press Release 05/10/04

HP Introduces Two Top of the Range New Photosmart All-in-Ones for Best-in-Class Printing

HP Photosmart 2710 and HP Photosmart 2610 All-in-Ones offer a stylish answer to print, fax, scan and copy demands

LONDON, 5 October, 2004. HP today announced the launch of two new All-in-Ones, the HP Photosmart 2710 and HP Photosmart 2610. Designed for creative home or home office users, these two All-in-Ones offer a range of high quality print, flatbed fax, scan and copy functions in a compact and sophisticated device.

Both new models offer users integrated home networking with easy set up, enabling fast, multi-user printing, scanning and sharing of photos. The HP Photosmart 2610 and HP Photosmart 2710 All-in-Ones connect to the network using the quick, reliable, built-in 802.3 Ethernet. Additionally, the HP Photosmart 2710 All-in-One connects simply by using the embedded wireless (802.11g) LAN technology for secure, wireless sharing.

The HP Photosmart 2710 and HP Photosmart 2610 enable users to preview, select, edit and print their photos directly from a digital camera without having to connect to a computer. This can be achieved by using the built-in memory card slot or by connecting a PictBridge-enabled digital camera to the All-in-One via the front USB port. By using the memory card slots on these All-in-Ones, users can preview images on the 8.8 cm colour LCD screen on the HP PSC 2710 or the 6.4cm colour LCD screen on the HP Photosmart 2610, and crop, zoom, edit or rotate photos.

HP UK Press Release 05/10/04

Stylish, Fast, Top of the Range, Networkable Home Printer ? No Catch (Not Even Wires)

HP launches new, high quality wireless printing for personal and business use with the HP Deskjet 6840

LONDON, UK, 5 October, 2004. HP today announced the launch of a networkable printer with breakthrough print speeds for the home and small business user. Developed to meet the productivity demands of households containing multiple computers for both business and personal use, the HP Deskjet 6840 offers users a simple solution for quality printing without wires.

Connection to the computer network is straightforward and requires little to no configuration, ensuring that set-up and use are simplified for all users. Users can share the printer among up to five users either within a wired environment through the built-in Ethernet port or by choosing the embedded wireless (802.11g) technology for complete freedom from wires.

High performance is key for home workers and small businesses and the HP Deskjet 6840 delivers 30 ppm printing in laser quality black and 20 ppm in colour. Additionally, a 150 sheet capacity printer tray for few paper changes saves time and money. The option to add a second tray increases capacity to 400 sheets. Two-sided printing enhances productivity further still, while a paper sensor automatically adjusts settings to best suit the paper loaded.

HP UK Press Release 05/10/04

The HP Officejet 7410 and 7310 All-in-Ones offer uncompromising speed, quality and reliability for the home or small office

London, October 5, 2004. HP today announced the latest products in its high speed All-in-One printer, fax, flatbed scanner and copier range, the HP Officejet 7410 and HP Officejet 7310. The HP Officejet 7410 and Officejet 7310 All-in-Ones are complete printing and imaging solutions, ideal for the busy full-time or part time office professional. Both models offer easy-to-use printing, faxing, scanning and copying in one device that increases productivity and readily fits into available office space.

Features available on both products include up to 4800 x 1200 optimised dpi colour when printing from a computer and 1200-input dpi. HP Photoret IV precision technology with 6-ink colour printing and copying is optional, enabling users to produce true-to-life colour photos and documents . Powerful, fast, black and colour faxing is standard on both new models with or without a PC, at 33.6 kbps.

The HP Officejet 7410 and Officejet 7310 All-in-One printer, fax, scanner and copiers provide professional photo quality colour and laser quality black text printing, plus superior faxing, copying and scanning with time saving features. Both models include superior paper handling and direct photo printing features, as well as built in wired or wireless networking for up to five users.

Kodak Press Release 05/10/04

Kodak Announces Changes in European Manufacturing As Part of Broader Plan to Accelerate Digital Imaging Strategy; Plants in U.K. and France to be affected

Eastman Kodak Company today announced changes at manufacturing sites in England and France, reflecting the increasing popularity of digital photography among consumers and customers.

The actions are part of Kodak’s three-year program, announced in January; to reduce worldwide employment by 12-15,000 and to reduce total facilities square footage by one-third. These actions are part of Kodak’s broader strategy to accelerate growth in its digital businesses and to manage smartly the declining demand for some of the company’s traditional products and services.

“Such actions are essential for Kodak to reinforce its leading position in digital imaging products and services, while sustaining and extending its worldwide leadership in traditional photographic products,” said Etienne Bourgeois, Chairman, Eastman Kodak S.A., and Regional Operations Manager, Europe, Africa and Middle Eastern Region.

DCResource have published a review of the new Panasonic DMC-FZ20 digital camera, which has a 12x optical zoom lens from Leica.

“If there was ever a poster child for “big cameras”, the DMC-FZ20 is it. It’s as large as a digital SLR which means that it won’t be spending any time in your pocket. It’s built of metal and plastic and it feels pretty solid for the most part. It’s got a large grip for your right hand and the massive lens barrel has plenty of room for your left. Most of the controls are well positioned, though I would’ve preferred to have the zoom controller a bit closer to the edge of the camera.”

Website: DCResource - Panasonic DMC-FZ20 Review

Pixory Press Release 05/10/04

Pixory now has full international language support.

With the 3.11 release, Pixory fully supports all languages/scripts in all areas of the application, including: file names, album names, captions, narrative, etc. All langugaes covered by the Unicode 3.0 specification are handled automatically by Pixory, and you can even mix different languages on the same page! The list of supported languages includes, among many others: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Hindi, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Bengali, Greek, Gujarati, Hmong, Thai, Punjabi, Urdu, Tagalog, Tibetan, Ukranian, and Vietnamese.

Pixory is the easiest and most powerful way to share photos online - it is freeware that will turn your own PC and broadband internet connection into a personal photo album server.

http://www.pixory.com

DigiCamReview.co.uk have just posted a review of the new 4 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3.

“The main feature of this camera is the 12x Optical zoom - the camera has a built in 4x Digital zoom which can be switched on and off - the digital zoom basically takes a smaller area of the photo and enlarges it using software to blur the image so that it does not look pixellated. Generally it’s best to avoid using digital zoom as it degrades the quality of the image. If you need to crop an area of your image, or enlarge an area, you can get better results using an image manipulation program on your computer. I’ve included examples below simply to show what these features do - and whilst the digital zoom looks acceptable at the size shown (the last photo), if you printed the images out or viewed the full size versions in the gallery you would easily notice the negative effect digital zoom has on image quality.”

Website: DigiCamReview.co.uk - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3

Bob Atkins has published an interesting translation of an interview with one of the Canon directors, Mr. Iwashita, with Bob’s personal viewpoint interweaved into the interview text. It doens’t contain very good news if you are one of the people that wish Canon would release a digital version of their popular EOS 3 film SLR:

“It seems that Canon are currently happy with the 3 tier system of DSLRs, the consumer level Digital Rebel, the “prosumer” level EOS 20D and the pro level EOS 1D mark II and 1Ds mark II. There are no current plans to introduce a digital version of the EOS 3. The current 3 tiers don’t really compete with each other and sales are good. There’s no reason to add a 4th level between the 20D and 1D models.”

Website: Bob Atkins - Canon’s Digital Plans

NikonNet Press Release 01/10/04

NikonNet and ‘Legends Behind the Lens’ Honor the Work of Veteran Photographer Jim Richardson

MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/—Call him a photographer for the common man. To award-winning photojournalist Jim Richardson, there is something exciting about small-town America. While many photographers revel in the adrenaline of capturing wars or shooting sports scenes, Richardson’s drive comes from discovering what everyday people do to fill their everyday lives.

This October, NikonNet’s inspiring monthly, “Legends Behind the Lens,” honors the work of esteemed photographer Jim Richardson.  For three decades, Richardson, whose work appears regularly in National Geographic, has combined an uncanny ability to capture beautiful images out of what are often-ignored subjects.  As a freelance photographer and contributing editor for National Geographic Traveler, Richardson has also published several critically acclaimed books.

“NikonNet is pleased to honor the images and extraordinary career of Jim Richardson in this October’s ‘Legends Behind the Lens,’” said Tracy Mack-Jackson, senior manager of Internet Development and Programs at Nikon Inc. “His career is a great example of a photographer who is well-prepared, curious and creative, which allow him to produce captivating images that capture the full range of human emotion.”

DCViews have just reviewed the new slimline 5 megapixel Casio EXILIM Card EX-Z50 digital camera.

“The Exilim series already comprises a number of stylish and extremely compact cameras and it will come as no surprise that the Casio Z50 is no exception in this respect. With a weight of 121g (4.2 oz) it is light and small enough to carry around in your trouser pocket all day without people making funny remarks like “Is that an Exilim Zoom Z50 in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?” The all-metal, magnesium-alloy body has a stylish brushed finish that gives the camera a real quality feel. All controls give the impression that they are built to last and are comfortable to use. “

Website: DCViews - Casio EXILIM Card EX-Z50

ACD Systems Press Release 04/10/04

ACD Systems Announces Fastest Version of Flagship Photo Management Software with the Launch of ACDSee 7

VICTORIA, British Columbia - October 4, 2004 - ACD Systems International Inc. (TSX: ASA), makers of ACDSee photo management software and Canvas technical illustration software, announced today the release of ACDSee 7, the newest version of its flagship photo management software for photography enthusiasts, professionals and corporate users.  Renowned for its speed, ACDSee is used the world over as the leading choice for image viewing and management. New features in ACDSee 7 include a Device Synchronization function, a Context Sensitive Toolbar, advanced search capabilities, RAW format support, MPV and HighMAT support and an Image Comparison tool. ACDSee 7 is available as a standalone product or as part of the ACDSee 7 PowerPack suite.

ACDSee 7 allows users to control their camera’s memory card storage space with a device synchronization function that quickly and efficiently automates the downloading process of images and media.  Through an easy-to-use wizard, users can select which folders their images should automatically be saved to, as well as determine the amount of space that should always be available on a specific memory card.

Plug-in to ACDSee?s Powerful New Performance Tools - ACDSee photoPro and ACDSee Share

VICTORIA, British Columbia - October 4, 2004 - ACD Systems International Inc. (TSX: ASA), makers of ACDSee photo management software and Canvas technical illustration software, today announced the release of ACDSee photoPro, which adds support for color management and RAW formats, and ACDSee Share, for peer-to-peer photo sharing. Based on the core ACDSee photo management technology, both products work as plug-ins that enhance ACDSee?s functionality.

ACDSee photoPro includes 16-bit per channel color support for preserving RAW images at their highest resolution. Users can safely maintain the color integrity of RAW images when converting them into TIFFs or JPEG 2000 formats for use in ACDSee or other image editing software programs. ACDSee photoPro also offers ICM 2.0 color management support that allows users to accurately select monitor and printer color profiles.

ACDSee Share enables users to turn their personal computers into web servers and publish their photos, music and videos in web pages without relying on third party service providers. ACDSee Share?s browser display can be customized with personal banners or corporate logos.
The program also allows users to control who has access to images and the length of time that images are displayed.

ByteSector have published their review of the HP Photosmart 945 digital camera, which features a 5.3-megapixel total resolution and 56x total zoom (8x optical zoom). The HP Photosmart 945 digital camera is available now and has an estimated U.S. retail price of $549.

“Wow! Picture results are fantastic, colour results are not as rich as Canon’s but HP has still done a great job at delivering bright and well contrasted images. The downside is that to get the best results out of this camera you have to use HP’s digital flash feature and this results in noisier images. Don’t get me wrong, the feature is fantastic, it brings out the brighter areas in a dark image such as overcasts and shadows, but the result is an overly noisy picture (in low light shots), for outdoor shots its perfect. Next to the colours, the images are incredibly sharp and detailed (when using Digital Flash); they are well defined.”

Website: ByteSector - HP Photosmart 945 Review

Microtek Press Release 04/10/04

Microtek ScanMaker i900 Wins Hot1 Award from Professional Photographer Magazine

NEW YORK - (Business Wire) - Oct. 4, 2004 Microtek(R) today announced the ScanMaker(R) i900 among the select group of 2004 Hot1 Award winners from Professional Photographer Magazine. This is the second consecutive year that Microtek has garnered the award, with the ArtixScan 120tf multiformat film scanner achieving this honor in 2003.

The ScanMaker i900 is a 3200-dpi, Dual Media flatbed scanner offering a host of exclusive technologies, including Microtek’s PictuRescue(TM) system with DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology and ColoRescue(TM). DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology reconstructs surface-damaged photos by eliminating rips and scratches, while the ColoRescue automatic color recovery system renews faded colors in both prints and film to their original vibrant tones. With PictuRescue, what normally takes hours of painstaking work now takes only minutes.

Tamron Co., Ltd. Press Release 01/10/04

TAMRON ANNOUNCES THE DISCONTINUATION OF BRONICA SLR CAMERAS

SALES DECLINE IN THE DIGITAL AGE FUELS THE DISCONTINUATION OF BRONICA MEDIUM FORMAT SLR PRODUCTS

Commack, New York, October 1, 2004 - Mr. Morio Ono, president of Tamron Co., Ltd., Ohmiya, Japan and Mr. Takashi Inoue, president of Tamron USA, Inc. announced the worldwide discontinuation of Bronica SLR cameras and accessories as of October 31, 2004. The Bronica RF645 Medium Format Rangefinder will continue to be distributed globally and Tamron USA, Inc. will offer the current rebates on that product line through 6/30/05.

“Since the advent of digital photography, medium format sales have declined at a rapid pace. Imports today are just a fraction of what they were even two years ago,” stated Inoue. “For Bronica, that slip has been faster since our core customer base, portrait and wedding photographers, has adapted well to digital SLR equipment.”

“These photographers are now providing customers with a quality and cost-efficient product that has virtually eliminated their need for the higher quality results that medium format film or digital backs can provide,” added Stacie Errera, Chief Marketing Officer. “While some customers are faithful to the format, the current sales volume and devastating purchasing forecasts cannot sustain the production of Bronica SLR products.”

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October 4, 2004 - The Plugin Site (www.thepluginsite.com) is proud to announce the PhotoWiz Contest 2004, which is running from October 1 to December 31, 2004. This contest is dedicated to all creatively minded photographers. It offers them the possibility to present the best samples of their work to the public and win a lot of exciting prizes. Everyone is invited to submit his or her photos to this contest.

Time Schedule
The PhotoWiz Contest is conducted in three steps. Every month there will be a new topic for which people can post their photos. In October 2004 participants are allowed to send in their “Best Photo”, in November 2004 we will be looking for the “Best Photo Composition” and in December 2004 the “Best Photo Correction” will be reward. At the end of each month a jury will select the best contributions.

The Prizes
A total of 66 prizes worth more than $6400 are offered to the winners. The 16 best images of each of the three contest topics will receive a prize. Additionally the 16 best participants across all contest topics will get an extra prize. The three best participants will even get a PhotoWiz Gold, Silver and Bronze certificate. Additionally the two images that receive the least points from the jury will get a consolation prize.

Kodak Press Release

September 2004 - Kodak Express outlets across the UK are offering their customers the chance to win a state-of-the-art KODAK EASYSHARE LS743 Digital Camera and Printer Dock and to support UNICEF into the bargain.

Kodak has supported UNICEF for the past 4 years as parts of its worldwide Corporate Contributions programme, raising over $850,000 to-date. This year, through the One Million Smiles campaign, the company is aiming to reach over the $1 Million mark. To support the fund-raising effort, all people have to do is complete the entry form available in-store at Kodak Express outlets and post it to the prize draw address. No purchase is necessary and Kodak will donate $1 to UNICEF for every entry form received. Closing date for entries is 25th October 2004.