Breeze Systems Press Release 20/09/04

BreezeBrowser v2.10 adds raw conversion for Canon EOS-1D Mark II, PowerShot Pro1 and S60 for US $49.95

20 September 2004: Breeze Systems today announced BreezeBrowser v2.10, latest release of its raw conversion, browsing and web page generation software. This release allows Canon EOS-1D Mark II, PowerShot Pro1 and S60 owners to use BreezeBrowser for raw conversion.
The ability to view, rename and copy Raw+JPEG images is also extended to Canon EOS 1D Mark II, Canon EOS 20D, Nikon D70 and Nikon D2H users in this release.

BreezeBrowser v2.10 supports high quality conversion of raw files from the following Canon EOS cameras: 1D Mark II, 1Ds, 1D, 10D, 300D/Digital Rebel, D60 and D30 and the following Canon Powershot cameras: G5, G3, G2, G1, Pro1, Pro90IS, S60, S50, S45, S40 and S30.

BreezeBrowser is Windows based software developed and sold by Breeze Systems Ltd. Other products include Downloader Pro, DSLR Remote Pro and PSRemote. Breeze Systems’ customers include Getty Images, Reuters and many world class photographers. BreezeBrowser is available from www.breezesys.com for US $49.94 or US $64.90 bundled with Downloader Pro v1.4. The price includes one year’s free upgrades from the date of purchase.

Breeze Systems Limited is based in Hampshire, UK and has been providing innovative IT solutions since 1994. Many thousands of customers worldwide rely on BreezeBrowser.

http://www.breezesys.com/BreezeBrowser/index.htm

Casio UK Press Release 20/09/04

17th September 2004 - 23rd March 2005, National Portrait Gallery

Exhibition of 21 of Britain’s most influential designers, photographed by Steve Speller.

CASIO today announced its support of A Blueprint For Life, a portrait exhibition of 21 of Britain’s most influential designers, photographed by Steve Speller.

CASIO chose to sponsor the exhibition, which is a collaboration between Blueprint magazine and the National Portrait Gallery, because the exhibition’s theme perfectly reflects CASIO’s commitment to innovation and its history as leaders in innovation and cutting edge design.

A Blueprint For Life, displays the photographs of the designers but also looks at the roles and significance of these designers as individuals. The decision on which designers were included was purely based on products and buildings that have changed the way people look at design, going against the current trend for celebrity design. Some of the people photographed are well known but others are not.

Roger Ayers, Head of Strategic Planning, CASIO said: “A Blueprint for Life is a celebration of the quality of designers Britain has produced. CASIO has always been at the forefront of innovation and has created designs that have become iconic. Being associated with an exhibition like this demonstrates CASIO?s commitment to the very best in design.”

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release 20/09/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. DEMONSTRATES REVOLUTIONARY WI-FI TECHNOLOGY FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS

Fast Wi-Fi Photo Transmission at 1/10th of a second for a 4 Megapixel Image

Hollywood, FL September 20, 2004—Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably priced digital cameras, announced today that it will demonstrate its clever new wireless image transfer technology for digital cameras called WIT (Wireless Image Transfer) at Photokina next week in Cologne, Germany. 

Concord will showcase the new WIT technology through a standalone prototype, a pocket-sized 2” x 2” WIT-enabled Wi-Fi device which plugs into a camera’s USB port allowing photos to be transmitted wirelessly over the Internet from Concord digital cameras, as well as other cameras utilizing mass storage technology.  WIT technology transmits using the 802.11b standard for compatibility with all Wi-Fi hot spots and base stations, as well as using the 802.11g standard to take advantage of the latest and fastest Wi-Fi transmission technology.  It is about 1500 times faster than traditional GSM (GPRS) networks today, and will be 20 times faster than mobile 3G networks.  WIT enables users to transmit a high quality 4 Megapixel image at 1/10th of a second, and video clips at up to 54MB per second.  WIT transmits images by e-mail or FTP with the help of a WI-FI access point or Hotspot. 

“As Wi-Fi explodes globally, we believe this type of wireless imaging technology has great potential for standalone camera accessories, as well as, being integrated into digital cameras,” said Jeff Mandell, VP Worldwide Marketing. 

Kingston Technology Press Release 20/09/04

CompactFlash Product Line Expands to Provide Faster, Higher Capacity Media Storage for Advanced Amateur and Professional Photographers.

Fountain Valley, CA—(September 20, 2004), Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s leading independent memory manufacturer, today announced the immediate availability of 2-GB and 4-GB CompactFlash Elite Pro cards featuring the latest in high-density Flash components to optimize performance and storage capabilities.

As technological advancements produce more sophisticated digital devices, demand for higher-performing CompactFlash is continuing to grow. “Expanding our Elite Pro line to include the 2-GB and 4-GB CompactFlash Elite Pro cards is essential to support imaging professionals with the best digital storage for their high-end cameras and devices,” said Mike Kuppinger, digital media product manager, Kingston.

The new 2-GB and 4-GB CompactFlash Elite Pro cards provide a low-price-per-megabyte solution of reliable, high-speed media. With ultra-fast transfer rates, users will enjoy more efficient workflow than ever before. The 2-GB cards work in virtually any digital device. The new 2-GB CF cards work in just about any digital device but advancements in technology may prevent some cameras, MP3 players, PDAs or other digital devices from fully utilizing the 4-GB CF cards.

The 42nd Photo of the Week contest is now closed.

I have choosen what I think are the best photographs in my opinion. Now it’s your turn to vote for the overall winner of the contest. A Public Poll has been setup on the PhotographyBLOG Forums and you have 7 days during which you can vote for your favourite photo from the ones that I have chosen. Voting will end on Monday 27th September. The Poll will then be closed and the overall winner announced.

Vote now for your favourite image from the Photo Of The Week 13th-19th September 2004 contest

The 43rd Photo of the Week contest is now open. This is a weekly photography contest with no set theme and you can enter as many photos as you like.

Click here to read the Photo of the Week Rules.

The voting for the 41st Photo of the Week contest has now finished.

The winner is “Leaving Home” by Andy Kim.

Congratulations to the winner!

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

Brought you to by husband and wife team Heather Powazek Champ and Derek Powazek, JPG Magazine looks like a promising excursion into the world of print. The theme for the 1st issue is ORIGIN, the submission due date is 4 October 2004, and the publish date is November 2004.

“JPG Magazine is for people who love imagemaking without attitude. It’s about the kind of photography you get when you love the moment more than the camera. It’s for photographers who, like us, have found themselves online, sharing their work, and would like to see that work in print.

JPG Magazine will be published 6 times a year, every other month. Issues will be published as full color, perfect bound books, as high quality as possible.”

Website: JPG Magazine

DIWA Press Release 20/09/04

Olympus siblings, Camedia C-8080 WZ and C-5060 WZ, win DIWA Gold and Silver awards as proof of excellence

20. September, 2004: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), a world-wide organisation of collaborating websites, today announces two awards to Olympus for their remarkable wide zoom digital compact cameras, Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom and C-5060 Wide Zoom.

Both cameras passed the rigorous DIWA test procedure with excellent results. The 8 Megapixel Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom scored well above the limit for a DIWA Gold Award, thanks to its fast 5x zoom lens with 28-140 mm. (35 mm film equivalent) zoom range, outstanding overall image quality, flexible handling and good value for money. Similar qualities were noted for the 5 Megapixel Camedia C-5060 Wide Zoom and its 27-110 mm. (35 mm film equivalent) 4x wide zoom lens. The average score from a number of DIWA testing experts rated this fine Olympus camera as a worthy winner of a DIWA Silver Award.

Kai Thon, DIWA’s test manager, says: “Our testing methodology filters out the poor, the good and the excellent digital cameras in a cruel way. Only the best survive, and Olympus cameras are among the few that frequently pass our tests with dignity. Perfect harmony between construction, features, performance and price for its targeted audience may very well be the secret behind Olympus’ success, in particular for these two awarded models”.

If you’re interested in buying the new Canon EOS 20D DSLR, but want to know exactly what you are getting for your money before you place an order, then you will be happy to know that Canon Canada have made the EOS 20D manuals available for download.

Website: Canon Canada - Canon EOS 20D User Manuals

PhotoFocus bills itself as “the online magazine for serious photographers”. Despite having been online for 3 years and publishing 195 articles, I’ve never actually visited this site! (found via digicamera.net). There are no less than 12 new articles this month:

- David Middleton’s Photofocus Column
- Print To An Epson 2200 With Photoshop And Windows
- Big Folio Is An Inexpensive Way To Build A Web Site
- Choosing An Aperture
- Learning How To Be A Storyteller
- Guest Columnist Nate Nerdly Tells Us Why He Fixes Everything In Photoshop
- Noise Reduction
- Adobe’s Raw Plug In
- Tool Presets In Photoshop
- Flash On The Go
- Ten Tips For Photographing People
- Sigma’s New 300-800 Zoom

Website: PhotoFocus Magazine

Rob Galbraith has published a brief article about the new Nikon D2X digital SLR and the CMOS sensor that is uses - apparently Sony are responsible for producing the sensor. The original source article by the Japanese-language web site Nikkei Electronics Online also states that Nikon plans to manufacture 8000 D2X cameras per month.

Website: Rob Galbraith

The latest issue of the monthly online photo magazine, Vivid Light Photography, has just been published. Should Photography be Illegal? is the lead article:

“There is a delicate balance to be struck between diligence and harassment. Law enforcement would be horribly irresponsible if they didn’t take notice of photographers and videographers around potential terrorist targets. If an attack occurs and it was found that terrorists had scouted the location unmolested there would be an outcry at law enforcement’s lack of diligence. Given the current, real threat from terrorists an officer approaching you and asking a few questions or asking for ID is not harassment - provided they are professional and courteous in their approach.”

Website: Vivid Light Photography - Issue #38

PCMagazine have posted a very favourable review of the 6 megapixel Casio EXILIM PRO EX-P600 digital camera.

“The Casio Exilim EX-P600’s solid image quality, versatile lens, great LCD, pleasing design, and impressive menus outweigh such negatives as mediocre recycle time and slightly dark exposures; this pocketable winner is the best 6-megapixel point-and-shoot camera to come through our labs so far.”

Website: PCMagazine - Casio EXILIM PRO EX-P600 Review

From the sublime (Salgado) to the ridiculous; the Japanese company Tomy have released a digital camera for dogs. Yes, that’s right, dogs. If you’ve ever wondered what your best canine friend gets up to when you aren’t looking, then this will be the perfect gift. Expect a budgie-sized camera featuring a mobile phone CCD sensor soon…

Thanks to Marcos Katz for sending me one of the most amusing links that I’ve received in a while!

Website: Tomy Japan - Wonderful Shot 3.5

Website: Engadget - The Wonderful Shot: TOMY?s digital camera for dogs

I bought the Guardian newspaper on Saturday and immediately noticed two things a) the price had gone up again (grumble, grumble), and b) there was a feature on the very famous photographer, Sebastiao Salgado. It turns out that Salgado has started a new project, simply called Genesis, in which he is seeking out places that are still as pristine as they were in primeval times, places that provide hope. The results of this project will be published in the Guardian’s Weekend magazine over the next eight years. There’s an interview with Salgado and 13 photos from the project on the Guardian Unlimited website.

“Yes, we may already have destroyed 50% of the planet, but Salgado wants to show us what we have left, and what we stand to lose if we don’t take care. “In the end, the only heritage we have is our planet, and I have decided to go to the most pristine places on the planet and photograph them in the most honest way I know, with my point of view, and of course it is in black and white, because it is the only thing I know how to do. I want to see if I can put a kind of virginity in these pictures, if you can say that, and to show 100% respect to nature and the animals.”

Website: Guardian Unlimited - Salgado

PCMagazine have helped you to choose a digital camera; one of your next decisions may be to decide what kind of computer monitor you should view your images on. Photo.net steps into the breach with another of those handy guides:

“Psychological studies indicate that humans respond to brightness more than anything else when looking at images. Contrast, the ratio of white to black tends to come in second. Though notably for photography this can arguably be just as important in that exposure of an image is best shown on a display capable of high contrast. The importance of contrast is generally determined by your background lighting. In a bright consumer electronic store there is a *lot* of background lighting so that the background lighting of the display is unimportant in comparison to the background light in the television/monitor. In your living room, contrast will generally be important (unless the sun is shining on the display). Thus, if you want to see the darkest levels in your photos, you want a high-contrast display.”

Website: Photo.net - What Display Should I Buy?

Steves Digicams are first off the blocks with their review of the 6 megapixel Fuji FinePix E550.

“The E550 is equipped with a FUJINON 4x optical zoom lens with a range of 32.5mm to 130mm in 35mm equivalence. The lens’ 4x range is more versatile than its 3x competitors, providing more field of view at wide angle and greater magnification at telephoto. The lens produced sharp results throughout its range, even at the corners. There was noticeable barrel distortion at full wide angle, but no pincushioning at full telephoto; some chromatic aberration (purple fringing) was present throughout the zoom range in high contrast areas, typical for a camera in this class.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Fuji FinePix E550 Review

The Spanish website quesabesde.com have just reviewed the new HP Photosmart R707, a stylish 5 megapixel digital camera.

Website: quesabesde.com - HP Photosmart R707 Review

Luminous Landscape and photographer Glenn E. Mitchell have teamed up to bring you a easy-to-follow guide to adding a diffuse glow to your images.

“Giving your images a diffuse glow with Photoshop is a combination of blurs, layer blend modes, and blending techniques. Rather than blurring the entire image, we instead add a halo to a desired range of tones. We can add richness and shape the tones in an image in this way without sacrificing a lot of image details.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Giving Your Photos A Glow