Primera Technology, Inc. Press Release 03/08/04

Primera Introduces Home & Office CD/DVD Printer for $140 USD

PLYMOUTH, Minn.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug. 3, 2004—Primera Technology, Inc., the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of CD/DVD disc duplication and printing equipment, today announced its Signature Z1 CD/DVD Printer. Signature Z1 is a compact and affordable desktop printer that prints directly onto CD-Rs and DVD+/-Rs with tough, waterproof thermal transfer ink.

Up to four separate areas of the disc can be printed with Signature Z1. The unique, patent-pending mechanism prints each of four quadrants by spinning the disc and then applying ink in each area. This distinguishes Signature Z1 from other inexpensive thermal transfer disc printers that can print only a single line at a time on discs.

Steves Digicams have posted a review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1, a rangefinder-like digital camera which is exactly the same as the Leica Digilux 2 in terms of camera design.

“Image quality is excellent. The AF system and lens combine to produce images that are sharp from edge to edge. Exposure metering is accurate and consistent, producing well-exposed, well-balanced images. There is a bit of noise present at ISO 100, and it’s quite noticeable at ISO 400. I was happy with finished JPG’s using the standard settings for sharpness, contrast and saturation; settings of Low and High are available to suit your taste for those in-camera processing parameters.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1 Review

Steves Digicams have just reviewed the 5 megapixel Kodak Easyshare LS753, which was first announced back in January.

“I was pleased with the image quality in 5.0MP BEST mode. Our outdoor shots were sharp, well-exposed and nicely saturated. In fact all the pictures that I took had good saturation and white balance. Outdoor pictures show lots of sky detail even when the foreground takes up the majority of the frame and there was very little noise present in low contrast areas. Indoors it produced similar results. Our indoor flash pictures were well exposed and the “Auto” white balance setting had no problems keeping the color temperature correct. However, I did notice that when using the camera in a dimly lit room, it had some problems focusing on a subject.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Kodak Easyshare LS753 Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the Kodak Easyshare DX7440, a 4-megapixel digital camera with a 4x (33 - 132 mm equivalent) optical zoom lens. The camera is available now for a suggested retail price of US$349.

“The overall image quality in 4.0MP Best mode was great. When shooting outdoors, it produced well exposed photos, and the color balance and saturation was very nice. As with most of the Kodak’s I have seen this year (2004), the sky detail was beautiful. I noticed very little noise in high contrast (open blue sky) areas as well as low contrast (shadow) areas.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Kodak Easyshare DX7440 Review

Rollei Press Release 02/08/04

Compact and Powerful

Rollei Prego dp5300 combines 5.2 megapixels and a 3x zoom lens with voice and video recording

Large-size prints of outstanding quality are no problem with a Prego dp5300. After all, it boasts an impressive 5.25 million pixels for resolution to boot. The compact and powerful digital camera with a 3x zoom lens and 4x digital zoom comes in an attractive metal housing. An integral video and voice-recording mode promises a lot of fun with your own short movie clips.  As of end of August 2004, the Prego dp5300 will be available for 329 Euros (including VAT).

A 1.5-inch LCD TFT color monitor and an optical real-image zoom finder make framing a cinch. And if your subjects are further away, a the 3x zoom lens plus a 2x digital zoom will bring them up close. The focal-length range of the 7.2-21.6mm f/2.8-4.7 zoom lens is equivalent to 35-105 mm in 35mm photography. Focusing is controlled automatically within a range of 0.8 m to infinity. A macrofocusing mode lets you shoot close-ups between 30 and 80 cm.
The flash, white balance and exposure compensation are controlled automatically for easy candid shooting. Moreover, there is a self-timer with a delay of 2 s or 10 s.

Rollei Press Release 02/08/04

The Slim-Down Digicam / Compact and Powerful

The extremely slim new Prego dp4200 digital camera by Rollei is the ideal “camera for all occasions” - with technical features to boot!

Actually, it’s hard to believe how much “contents” you can squeeze into such a tiny package!  Rollei are now introducing a powerful, but ultra-compact 4.2-megapixel digital camera in an especially flat metal body, complete with 3x optical and 3.6x digital zooms plus video and voice-recording options. The Prego dp4200 will be available for 299 Euros (incl. VAT) from end of August 2004.

A mere 125 grams is what the Prego dp4200 weighs. And its dream measurements are 88.5 x 54.5 x 24 mm. In other words, it will hitch a hike in just about any pocket. And it will show off its versatility in just about any situation. As a mini video camera or dictation machine, for example. The Prego dp4200 will record video clips with 320 x 240 pixels and 15 frames per second in MPEG1 format (AVI). For brief voice commentaries, there are 30 seconds. A built-in microphone and loudspeaker make it all possible.

HP Press Release 02/08/04

Get to Grips with the Dynamic New HP Photosmart R507 Digital Camera

Convenience, user enjoyment and streamlined geometric styling plus a host of advanced features make this digital camera the choice for effortless and successful digital photography.

BOEBLINGEN, Germany, 2 August, 2004 - HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) today announced a dynamic new digital camera. The HP Photosmart R507 is the newest addition to HP’s R-series range, which deliver high-functioning technical advancements, ease of use, real convenience and smooth modern design.

The HP Photosmart R507 boasts a bead-blasted aluminium front and a slim and compact design to easily fit into a pocket. A sculpted grip and intuitive controls also ensure that even quickly taken photos provide great results. The digital camera’s 4.1 MP allows crisp photos with superb enlargements up to 20 x 25 cm. With a 21 x total zoom (3x optical Pentax lens, 7x digital zoom), the HP Photosmart R507 digital camera offers manual controls to put the user firmly in charge of their digital photography.

Featuring the landmark HP Real Life technologies, this camera helps produce successful digital photography results for everyone, regardless of their level of experience. These technologies allow you to get pictures which accurately reproduce what you see to produce flawless photographs every time. These include HP’s patented Adaptive Lighting which automatically brightens selected areas of high contrast photos to reveal details normally lost in the shadows, giving more true-to-life shots. HP’s In-Camera Red-Eye Removal Mode, an industry first, corrects red-eye in photos directly from the camera, to eliminate glaring red-eye from photos of family or friends.

HP Press Release 02/08/04

HP Introduces a New, User-Friendly and Compact Digital Camera from the Sleek M-series Range

Sculpted design and clear, easy-to-use controls make the HP Photosmart M307 a natural choice for effortless digital photography.

BOEBLINGEN, Germany, 2 August 2004. HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ ) today announced the launch of the new HP Photosmart M307 digital camera. Offering high-functioning features and superb ease-of-use at excellent value, this digital camera provides a successful digital photography experience for all users.

The HP Photosmart M307 features an impressive 3.2 MP resolution allowing for superb-quality prints up to A4 size (20 x 25 cm), with a 15x total zoom (3x optical and 5x digital). Its large 4.6 cm colour LCD screen has a high 130 pixel resolution and can be easily viewed even in outdoor conditions, allowing users to quickly and conveniently judge results and select favourite shots The fast-shot mode ensures that no photo opportunities go to waste, with a rapid shutter lag for capturing all the action. This stylish and sculpted digital camera also allows streaming video clips with audio to really enhance users’ digital photography, along with the ability to add audio annotation to still photos.

With a sleek exterior and intuitive easy-to-use features, the HP Photosmart M307 ensures clear digital photographs to be proud of, from casual snaps to special occasions. HP Instant Share, included with the HP Photosmart M307 offers users an enjoyable and convenient way to share digital photography. This technology allows photographers to preset the destination of individual images to either email or print directly, as soon as the camera is connected to a PC or printer. HP Instant Share makes it easier than ever before to share digital images straight from the camera.

The 35th 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 9th August. The Poll will then be closed and the overall winner announced.

Vote now for your favourite image from the Photo Of The Week 26th July - 1st August 2004 contest

The 36th 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.

The voting for the 34th Photo of the Week contest has now finished.

The winner of the contest (for the second week running!) is “Bellambi Point” by tootsie. Congratulations!

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

Casio Press Release 02/08/04

CASIO Develops World’s First Transparent Ceramic Lens Using Murata’s LUMICERA *1

August 02, 2004, TOKYO, JAPAN - Using proprietary optical technology, CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD. has developed the world’s first lens using transparent ceramics. This breakthrough will make it possible to create zoom lenses for cameras with greatly reduced profiles.

Ever since CASIO’s EXILIM ultra-slim, credit-card-sized digital camera went on sale, the entire digital camera market has undergone a huge change. Compact digital cameras offering mobility in a small package have become mainstream, while there has been a major push in technological development to find better methods of creating smaller, thinner cameras.

CASIO is continuing to take the lead in this field by creating the world’s first transparent ceramic lens using LUMICERA , a transparent ceramic developed by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

The Danish website Digital Magasinet have reviewed 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.

Website: Digital Magasinet - HP 945 Review

The Czech website Digineff have today reviewed the 6 megapixel Kodak Easyshare DX7630.

Website: Digineff - Kodak Easyshare DX7630 Review

ShootSmarter.com have published a comparative review of several devices that modify the output from a flashgun, including the Sto-Fen Omnibounce and the LumiQuest #54-23, from a digital camera point of view:

“Gone are the days where you pull your flash out of your camera bag and point it directly at your subject and fire away. With digital capture your old straight ahead strobe setup will create spectral highlights that your digital camera chip cannot handle. By that I mean your highlights will be blown out and be completely void of detail. This is not what the bride ordered when she hired you the professional photographer or what she saw in her sister?s album when you were still shooting film. A light modifier will soften the quality of your strobe and produce a flatter, more even lighting that will now fit your digital camera?s short dynamic exposure range.”

Website: ShootSmarter.com - Digital Light Modifiers for On-Camera Flash

The Norwegian website Akamera.no have just reviewed the Canon Bubble Jet i865 printer.

Website: Akamera.no - Canon Bubble Jet i865 Review

An article today on the BBC website, drawing on research by the UK magazine Digital Camera Shopper, reports that CompactFlash, Secure Digital, xD, Memory Stick and Smartmedia cards all happily survived a range of tests designed to destroy them:

“Holiday-makers capturing precious memories on digital cameras need not worry about losing their snaps.

The memory cards in most cameras are virtually indestructible, found Digital Camera Shopper magazine.

Five memory card formats survived being boiled, trampled, washed and dunked in coffee or cola.”

Website: BBC news - Digital memories survive extremes

The second article in the “Tech Corner” monthly column, by Mike Chaney, over on Steves Digicams is a great look at the potentially thorny subject of colour management:

“It seems that the longer you stick with a particular hobby or profession, the more complicated things get. In digital photography, once you get past that initial thrill of being able to view, edit, and print your own photos, you start to become aware of subtleties like the fact that certain colors on your monitor don’t match what is printed. You do some research and it seems that there is something called “color management” or “ICC profiles” that can fix your problem, but the whole concept seems almost like snake oil, or worse… some foreign language only spoken by rocket scientists.”

Website: Steves Digicams - “Over the Gamut and Through the Woods “

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnstontakes a tongue-in-cheek look at the many different types of 35mm lenses and their uses.

“Macros/micros:

Flowers, bugs, eyeballs, eyelashes, small products, tchotchkes. Dew-covered spider webs, frost patterns on windowpanes. Great hobby lenses, as macro photographers are among the only happy photo enthusiasts. Also much utilized by photography buffs who like to test lenses.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: USES AND APPLICATIONS OF 35mm LENSES’

Today at 12 midday BST (British Summer Time), 3 names were randomly selected from the list of PhotographyBLOG Newsletter subscribers. The following email addresses have all won a great prize!

artblack at adelphia.net is the winner of a copy of ColorPlus!

Kindly donated by ColorVision Europe.
http://www.colorvision.ch/english/index.htm

joe at startins.freeserve.co.uk is the winner of a Lensbaby!

Kindly donated by Lensbabies.
http://www.lensbabies.com/

mat at honan.net is the winner of a copy of Ulead PhotoImpact XL!

Kindly donated by Ulead Systems.
http://www.ulead.co.uk

If you haven’t won anything, then don’t worry, as a brand new contest for August will be starting very shortly!

To have any chance of winning, you must subscribe to the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter.

Every Saturday of each week you will receive a Newsletter containing the lastest digital and film photography stories from the United Kingdom and around the world. It also contains the latest news from the PhotographyBLOG website. You can choose to have the Newsletter delivered to you as either a HTML or text version.

If you are already a subscriber, you do not have to do anything to enter this competition. Your name will automatically be entered in the prize draw.

If you are not currently a subscriber, then what are you waiting for?!! Enter your email address to subscribe now.