Digital Media Thoughts have spent a week with the new Canon EOS 20D DSLR and published their thoughts as a review.

“One of the most important features of a camera is how comfortable it feels in your hand. This one felt pretty good to me. The magnesium alloy body, which should be familiar to 10D shooters, had a much denser balanced feel than the plastic body of the 300D. The rubber curved grip fit my hand nicely. At 1.5 pounds, the camera is a near perfect balance between a weighty feel without being overly heavy.”

Website: Digital Media Thoughts - A Week with the Canon 20D

Canon UK Press Release 27/09/04

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, will release over 90 new consumer products in 2004, averaging the release of one new consumer product every four days.  Of these, nineteen are digital cameras. The announcement coincides with the start of Photokina, the bi-annual European imaging and photography exhibition hosted in Cologne, Germany from September 28.

Canon holds the number one market position within Europe for Digital Still Cameras, Digital SLRs and Analogue cameras1. These figures reflect Canon?s ongoing investment commitment to focused Research & Development and the commercialisation of new technologies. Consistent with previous years, Canon last year invested approximately 8.2% of total global revenue ? just under 2 billion EUR -in R&D.  Canon was also second in terms of receiving US patents in 2003, with nearly 2,000 registered2.

“We are the only company in the world to manufacture our own lenses, our own digital imaging sensors and our own digital image processors,? said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe, commenting on Canon?s strong showing at Photokina this year. ?Our commitment, expertise and technological advantages translate into superbly built products of outstanding reliability and quality - the key reasons behind our number one position in Europe with digital cameras.”

Extensis Inc. Press Release 27/09/04

Free filter powered by Bibble Labs enables professional photographers to read Raw data from image files of leading digital SLR cameras.

Photokina, Cologne, Germany - September 27, 2004 - Extensis Inc. today announced an update to its Pro Photo Raw Image Filter for Portfolio 7. The updated filter will be a free upgrade for registered owners of Extensis’ digital asset management (DAM) solution for organizing digital photos, illustrations, page layouts and presentations.

With the Pro Photo Raw Image Filter, Portfolio generates high-quality thumbnails and previews from the unprocessed raw image files created by professional digital cameras from Nikon, Olympus, Kodak, Canon, Fuji, Konica-Minolta, Pentax and Imacon. With the Pro Photo Raw Image Filter, Portfolio 7 can extract EXIF metadata and IPTC from the Raw files, create thumbnails for displaying the images in catalogs, and generate high-resolution JPEG previews on the fly for detailed viewing, printing, slideshows and QuickTime movies.

“There have been rapid developments in the digital camera industry since we released our first Raw camera support for Portfolio last year,” said Dan Harlacher, Extensis Portfolio product manager. “With this update, professional photographers now have the Raw camera support they demand for keeping pace with the new camera developments without losing the ability to preview, keyword, organize and sort thousands of images within Portfolio without getting bogged down in a lengthy conversion process.”

FujiFilm UK Press Release 27/09/04

Fujifilm Printpix CX-550: versatile photo lab technology for home or professional use

Fujifilm reveals new prosumer digital photo printer

Fujifilm has announced the commercial launch of the Printpix CX-550 digital photo printer: a high-speed, versatile machine that builds on the success of Fujifilm’s Printpix CX-400.  Incorporating technology used in photo lab shops, the Printpix CX-550 is designed for photography professionals, enthusiasts and home users.

Multiple applications for the Printpix CX-550 include:

* Home use: printing of 6x4” or wallet-sized pictures for home enjoyment or for sharing digital photos with family or friends
* Commercial use: the CX-550 is approved for printing ID and passport photos, as well as being ideal for small businesses where space is at a premium and a standard minilab would be too large
* Professional use: professional photographers can use the CX-550 as a versatile proofing system in a studio or on location.

The Printpix CX-550 continues where its predecessor left off, but with some notable developments.  Fujifilm has increased the size of the built-in LCD screen from 1.8” to 2.5”, making operating, editing and image viewing even easier.

Press Release 27/09/04

Leading Digital Camera Manufacturers Announce IMAGELINK Print System to Simplify At-Home Picture Printing

New Specification Enables One-Touch Printing from Printer Docks; Supported by Forthcoming Cameras from Kodak, Konica Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Ricoh and Sanyo

COLOGNE, Germany, September 27 - A group of the world’s largest consumer digital photography companies today unveiled the IMAGELINK print system, a new specification designed to simplify at-home picture printing. Millions of consumer digital cameras from Eastman Kodak Company, Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc., Nikon Corporation, Olympus Corporation, Pentax Corporation, Ricoh Co., Ltd. and Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. will provide effortless, one-touch picture printing from snapshot printers that incorporate the IMAGELINK print system, including new KODAK EASYSHARE printer docks.

With the IMAGELINK print system, people will be able to place their digital cameras directly on printer docks, and then press a single button to make snapshot-sized (4x6-inch or 3.5 x 5-inch) pictures in as little as 60 seconds. The first cameras and printer docks supporting the IMAGELINK specification - all of which will incorporate a new, small 26-pin connector - are expected to be available worldwide beginning in Q1 2005.

Michael Reichmann over at Luminous Landscape has an article about the new Digital Negative format that Adobe unveiled at Photokina earlier today.

“Not such a silly question if you think about it. Almost every raw file format from every camera maker is proprietary, and some are even intentionally encrypted. Many have been reverse engineered, but some haven’t, and in many cases there are still hidden features which no one outside of the manufacturer understands. Without software that can read your raw image files, do you really own them in a meaningful way? How comfortable are you with this?”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Adobe Digital Negative Converter

Luminous Landscape have published a field test report on the new 8 megapixel Canon EOS 20D DSLR.

“I found the higher resolution of the 20D over the 10D to offer a very worthwhile increase in the amount of cropping that’s possible while still permitting adequate print sizes. Some photographers are cynical about ever-increasing pixel count, and it’s true that for many for whom an A4 (8X10”) print is considered “big”, higher pixel count may well be regarded as redundant. But for those that want A3 prints, as well as those who find that they need to crop a shot because they couldn’t get close enough, 8 Megapixel files will be most welcome.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Canon EOS 20D Field Test

Olympus Press Release 27/09/04

Compact and lightweight Olympus FL-36 flash is designed for performance and portability

Latest Electronic Flash Rounds Out “Designed For Digital” Product Offerings and Provides Impressive and Cost-Effective Performance

Melville, New York, September 27, 2004 - Olympus America Inc. today introduced the FL-36 Electronic Flash, an external flash unit that joins the existing members of the Olympus electronic flash family. Designed specifically for use with digital cameras, the FL-36 rounds out the comprehensive lineup of “designed for digital” accessories for the E-System Digital SLR cameras and other prosumer models from Olympus. The FL-36 flash offers the robust and full-featured functionality of the larger FL-50 combined with cost effectiveness.

“The FL-36 provides photographers with an additional option from the existing suite of electronic flashes Olympus offers for our E-System Digital SLR cameras and prosumer models like the C-8080 Wide Zoom and C-5060,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager, Olympus America. “As a result of its completely digital framework, the FL-36 achieves a higher level of exposure accuracy than flash units designed for film based cameras.”

Olympus Press Release 27/09/04

Life through a lens

Three new ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses see the big, the small and the wide picture

Cologne, 27 September 2004. There is more to life than seeing the big picture. Sometimes it’s all in the detail. Capturing life’s memorable moments on film means having the right lens for every occasion. Enter the new range of ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses from Olympus.

Explicitly designed for digital photography and adhering to the TIPA Award winning FourThirds Standard, the latest additions to the Olympus E-System broaden the optical spectrum

The ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 7-14mm f4.0 provides ultra-wide-angle performance for professional applications
 
The ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-45mm f3.5-5.6 covers the wide-angle to mid-telephoto range, whilst the ZUIKO DIGITAL 40-150mm f3.5-4.5 is ideal for mid- to telephoto requirements. Both are especially designed to provide more affordable lens options for the new Olympus E-300 body but are also compatible with the entire Olympus E-System

In addition to these three new lenses, Olympus has boosted the specifications of the soon-to-be-released ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150mm f2.0, by fitting a faster AF driving unit.

Olympus UK Press Release 27/09/04

The power to create perfect photos

Introducing the Olympus E-300 Digital SLR

Olympus has a well founded reputation for revolutionising the design and construction of cameras.  By challenging the accepted methods and form of camera production great strides have been made in developing the next generation of products for photographers.  Olympus has done this most recently with the introduction of the E-system, Digital SLR products that are based on the revolutionary FourThirds technology.  The Olympus E-1 was the first product in this series.  Now we have the next step in Digital SLR evolution with the introduction of the Olympus E-300.

This 21st century development of Digital SLR products by Olympus mirrors the advances that were made with the Olympus OM-1 and OM-10 in the 1970s.  These 35mm SLR cameras transformed picture taking by providing cameras that packed startling performance into a light, compact and affordable body that was loved by millions.  And now we are set to see another favourite with the launch of the compact and newly designed Olympus E-300 Digital SLR.

Based on the TIPA Award-winning FourThirds Standard, The Olympus E-300 comes in a kit featuring a new 14?45mm ZUIKO DIGITAL zoom. The impressive features of the kit include:

- Lighter, smaller and more powerful lenses
- A Supersonic Wave Filter to ensure dust does not interfere with image quality
- Nearly telecentric optics construction draws maximum performance from the camera?s Full Frame Transfer CCD
- The TruePic TURBO image processor boosts picture quality and processing speed
- The Olympus E-300 kit includes a 14?45mm ZUIKO DIGITAL zoom

Olympus UK Press Release 27/09/04

Good looks, great performance

The Olympus AZ-2 ZOOM with 2.5 inch LCD

The four million pixel AZ-2 ZOOM is a triumph of minimalist design.  At just 20.1mm wide the camera boasts the latest in slim line technology, resulting in great performance and a crystal clear, 2.5-inch sunshine LCD to present the results.  Even when in use, the camera retains its compact style and dimensions - its 2.8x zoom lens operates from within the camera body.

The Olympus AZ-2 ZOOM is planned for release in November 2004, priced £299.99 inc VAT.  Features include:

- Four million pixels
- A 2.5 inch sunshine LCD to present high contrast images - even when the sun is at its brightest
- A 2.8x zoom which operates within the camera body
- TruePic TURBO image processor
- Camera shake correction function for movie shooting

Olympus UK Press Release 27/09/04

A winning combination of price and performance

The Olympus C-470 ZOOM

The Olympus C-470 Zoom sets a new standard for digital cameras. An impressive list of high quality features including four million-pixels, 3x optical zoom and the unique Olympus 1.8” anti-glare LCD screen are combined for the first time with an unbeatable competitive price. Features include:

- 4.0 million pixels
- 3x optical zoom (equiv. to 35-105mm on a 35mm camera) f3.1-5.2
- 1.8 inch sunshine LCD (134,000 pixels)
- 8 scene programmes (e.g. Portrait, Night Scene and Indoor)
- Movie recording function with sound
- PictBridge support
- TruePic TURBO image processor
- Ergonomically designed body

Supplied with:
- 16MB xD-Picture Card
- New rechargeable battery (LI-12B, 1230mAh) and charger
- Olympus Master 1.0 software

The C-470 ZOOM is planned for release in October 2004, priced £219.99 inc. VAT. 

Olympus Press Release 27/09/04

Olympus one gigabyte xD-Picture card captures thousands of images on postage-stamp-sized flash memory card

“Miniature Powerhouse” Significantly Increases Storage Capacity of Digital Data for Greater Ease of Use

Melville, New York, September 27, 2004 - Olympus America Inc. today announced the development of a One Gigabyte xD-Picture Card. As one of the world’s smallest storage media for digital cameras and digital voice recorders, the xD-Picture Card is now capable of holding an entire gigabyte of digital images, data, audio and video. As a result, this ultra-compact card allows photographers to capture a greater number of photographic scenes and subjects, and at higher resolution settings, before the card is full and images must be downloaded or the card changed.

“Olympus not only concentrates on building digital cameras that deliver the highest level of image quality combined with the sleekest designs on the market today, but we also constantly look to integrate the most cutting edge technologies,” said Chip Pryor, Memory Products Business Manager, Olympus America Inc. “The One Gigabyte xD-Picture Card is a prime example of our ongoing commitment to raise the bar and contribute to the advancement of the digital camera industry by creating a better digital experience for all consumers.”

Press Release 27/09/04

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc. Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. and Eastman Kodak Company, Form Picture Archiving and Sharing Standard (PASS) Group

Defines Picture and Video Storage Parameters to Optimize Future Consumer Use; Input Sought on Version 1.0 Specification

COLOGNE, Germany, September 27 - Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Inc. Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., and Eastman Kodak Company, today announced an agreement to jointly develop a set of open storage standards for the consumer imaging and electronics industries, aimed at the preservation of digital photos and motion images on CDs, DVDs or other media. As information storage technologies advance, the Picture Archiving and Sharing Standard (PASS) group?s intention is to enable digital file compatibility with future playback devices, preserving the satisfying ?photo experience? that consumers have enjoyed for decades.

The group intends that the new standard will:
- Define the requirements of digital media authoring/archival, playback, and print enablement for a new generation of products and services;
- Provide interoperability for pictures, motion images, audio and related content among such future systems;
- And utilize and unify multiple existing standards, to better meet the consumers desire to easily store, organize, print and share for generations to come.

About.com have just reviewed another contender for the noise-removal software throne, Noiseware Professional.

“Processing of images was fast, taking under 20s on my now rather old computer for a 6Mp jpeg image. The quality of the results using the default filters - default, landscape, night scene, portrait - was generally impressive, and similar to those achieved by the best of the other software available, Noise Ninja and Neat Image (see Related Resources.) It would be hard to pick a winner out of these three programs in terms of results. “

Website: About.com - Noiseware Professional Review

Concord Press Release 27/09/04

Cologne, Germany, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, today announced at Photokina the Concord 6340z - a high-performance 6 Megapixel/3X optical zoom digital camera for only $299. The first 6 Megapixel digital camera offered by Concord, the 6340z features an all- metal housing, 3X optical zoom/4X digital zoom (for total 12x zoom), MPEG-4 high-quality movies with sound, manual and automatic controls, 16MB internal memory, and a SD card slot.

“With the introduction of the 6340z, Concord Camera is once again first to market with an affordably priced, 6 Megapixel point & shoot digital camera,” said Connie Chan, Senior Marketing Manager. The Concord 6340z offers a unique combination of manual and automatic options for both the advanced and beginner photographers, including auto focus, continuous shooting at 5 frames per shot, dual mode self-timer, and more. Everyone, from first-time digital camera users to pros, will love the Concord 6340z.

The Norwegian website DigIT have just reviewed the 5 megapixel Samsung Digimax V50.

Website: DigIT- Samsung Digimax V50 Review

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. ANNOUNCES NEW FAMILY OF POPULAR PRICED 5 AND 4 MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERAS

5340z Boasts Large 2-inch Color LCD for Easy Viewing & Offers Great Value and Impressive Features for only $249

Cologne, Germany, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (?Concord?) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, announced today at Photokina their new family of low-cost, full- featured 5 and 4 Megapixel digital cameras with 3X optical zoom - the Concord 5340z and Concord 4340z. The products are targeted at cost-conscious consumers who want high quality, high resolution digital cameras and a comprehensive feature-set that gives users flexibility, greater ease-of-use, and quality results at an affordable price.

Concord 5340z
Housed in a stylish metal accented body and equipped with a 5.1 Megapixel CCD sensor and precision 3x optical zoom, the Concord 5340z produces high resolution pictures with sharp details and superb printing quality. Large sized images can also be taken through in-camera interpolation up to 8 Megapixels, and the camera?s powerful macro mode enables close-up shots as close as 10cm/3.9?. Its large 2-inch TFT color LCD makes framing and sharing photos easier and more fun than ever. The Concord 5340z also takes high quality MPEG-4 movies with sound at QVGA resolution up to 30 fps. The camera offers 16 MB of internal memory and a SD card slot for unlimited photo-taking and is priced at $249.99.

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release 27/09/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. BREAKS $100 PRICE BARRIER WITH NEW FASHIONABLE 3 MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERAS AT $99

Great looking products in fashionable colors - both optical and digital zoom versions

Cologne, Germany - September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, unveiled today at Photokina a new line-up of trendy low-priced 3 Megapixel digital cameras, the Concord 3346z and 3043. With the introduction of these two new models, Concord Camera is leading the way to attract new digital camera buyers who favor stylish, easy to use 3 Megapixel cameras at ultra affordable prices.

Concord 3043 - Ultra Slim Metal Body, In Fashionable Colors
Priced at $99.99, the Concord 3043 is perfect for fashion-conscious consumers of any age seeking a portable, easy-to-use and stylish digital camera. With a less than 1” slim metal housing (20mm), the 3 Megapixel/4X digital zoom digital camera makes a fashion-statement in 3 of the most-popular color choices: red, blue, and silver. The camera is full- featured with 16MB internal memory and a SD card slot, a 1.8” color TFT LCD, and movie mode at VGA resolution up to 15 frames per second with sound. The webcam functionality will be especially popular on campus and with home Internet users. The camera features a 3 Megapixel CMOS sensor, but larger 4 Megapixel sized images can also be produced through in-camera interpolation.

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release 27/09/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. INTRODUCES “JUST FOR FUN” DIGITAL CAMERA LINE PRICED UNDER $50

Retailers can tap into the market of first time digital camera buyers who want to experiment
with digital picture taking without spending hundreds of dollars

Cologne, Germany, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (?Concord?) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, today announced at Photokina that it is extending its position in the under $50 camera market with a “Just for Fun” line of entry- level VGA and 1 Megapixel digital cameras.

The Concord Eye-Q 642 VGA and Concord 1500 1.3 Megapixel digital cameras are perfect inexpensive entry- level cameras for college students, web surfers, and even grandparents. “The ‘Just for Fun’ line of digital cameras allows retailers to tap into the large market of consumers seeking to cost-effectively experiment with digital cameras before committing to spending hundreds of dollars,” said Connie Chan, Senior Marketing Manager.