Photobird.com Press Release 21/07/04

Beautiful photos by vacationers, mothers, hobbyists, photographers, updated every hour

San Francisco, CA - July 21, 2004 - Photobird.com, the easy way to share your photos around the world, today announced the immediate availability of the Photobird Photo of the Hour.  The Photobird Photo of the Hour is the perfect opportunity for vacationers, mothers, hobbyists, photographers, and everyone with a digital camera to share their best photos.  The Photobird Photo of the Hour is shown on the Photobird.com home page giving everyone who visits Photobird.com the ability to see some of the absolute best digital photos.  A free trial to Photobird.com and more information about the Photobird Photo of the Hour announced today are available at www.photobird.com

“So many beautiful photos are taken by digital camera users that we wanted to provide an easy way for customers to show off their best photos to everyone around the world, not just friends and family.  To achieve that goal, the Photobird Photo of the Hour is very clearly
shown on the Photobird.com home page for everyone to see,” said Ed Krimen, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Photobird.com.  “Some websites pick a different photo every week or every day.  We show a different photo every hour because there are so many amazing photos to share.  Best of all, submitting photos for Photo of the Hour is done by simply clicking a checkbox.”

How2Share Technologies Inc. Press Release 20/07/04

PiXPO image sharing software enables instant photo sharing, chatting and now adds free web-hosting of shared images

New version offers instant photo sharing with no uploading, no resizing and no waiting

Victoria, British Columbia - July 20, 2004 How2Share Technologies Inc. announced today the release of the PiXPO 1.5.  PiXPO combines photo album management, secure photo sharing, and instant messaging to enable fast photo sharing without delays.  With PiXPO 1.5 users can now send web hosted invites by e-mail to their to their friends, family and business contacts inviting them to view their sample albums online, or to chat and share their entire photo collections instantly over PiXPO’s private network.

Unlike other photo sharing methods, PiXPO enables people to share photos instantly without selecting, resizing, or uploading images.  With PiXPO users can browse, preview and download pictures directly from another PiXPO users’ computer, thus making the sharing of pictures, photos and graphic files easier, faster and more secure.  Built on How2Share?s hybrid technology PiXPO 1.5 combines the best features of Web and peer-to-peer software sharing models to make it even easier for both the picture publisher and the viewer to instantly share and chat about their digital photos.

Canon UK Press Release 20/07/04

Canon announces special edition Digital IXUS i with Furla designer camera case

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce two special editions of its Digital IXUS i. In a special promotion celebrating the fashionable nature and chic design of Canon’s digital cameras, the limited edition packages include a Digital IXUS i with an exclusively designed Furla camera case, available from Harrods and Photo Optix.

The ultimate accessory
Italian fashion house, Furla, is famous worldwide for its luxury leather goods and the Furla brand is synonymous with quality and elegance. Furla has designed the sophisticated black leather camera case especially for the Digital IXUS i. The stylish, high quality case will protect the camera, while also complementing its design.

Canon’s Digital IXUS cameras are already recognized as design icons of the early 21st century ? especially the small, sleek Digital IXUS i, which is available in four fashion colours:  Platinum Silver, Piano Black, Classic Bronze and Pearl White.

The Digital IXUS i with Furla case package is available in the following combinations:
? Platinum Silver Digital IXUS i with Furla case - £279 RRP inc VAT.
? Piano Black Digital IXUS i with Furla case - £279 RRP inc VAT.
(Digital IXUS i camera only - £249 RRP inc VAT)

SanDisk Press Release 20/07/04

SanDisk Extreme Flash Memory Cards Taken to ‘Extremes’ in Expeditions to the Sahara Desert and North Pole

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—July 20, 2004—Rugged Cards Capture Dramatic Images in Oppressive Heat and Sub-Zero Cold  

From the searing heat of the Sahara Desert to the piercing cold of the North Pole, two recent American expeditions have demonstrated that SanDisk’s Extreme(TM) line of digital photographic flash memory cards can withstand brutal temperatures to safeguard precious images, even when humans are pushed to the limits of physical endurance.

Designed for harsh weather and rapid-fire shooting, SanDisk Extreme cards, with their rugged construction and fast write and read speeds, have become the flash memory cards of choice for many outdoor photographers and adventurers. They have been tested to operate in climates that range from a low of -13 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 degrees Centigrade) to a high of +185 degrees Fahrenheit (+85 degrees Centigrade). But in the past two months, they have been subjected to some truly “extreme” environments.

Every year in London, various buildings open their doors to the public, so that we, the great unwashed, can have a good nose around places like the Lloyds Building in the heart of the financial district. Most of the photos that you see of this famous landmark are night shots of the illuminated exterior, so these interior shots are perhaps a little more unusual. Although the throngs of photographers that were also there probably took identical shots to me! As an interesting aside, it seems that digital photography doesn’t always have a quick turnaround, as these photos were taken last year. Or maybe it’s me that doesn’t have a quick turnaround…

You can click on each image to view a larger / better quality version over on my personal website, markgoldstein.co.uk

Editorial Comment: I don’t usually comment too much on official press releases, but this one from BenQ made me chuckle. Their new E40 digital camera is aimed at “fun, fearless females”, surely something of a niche market - I’m not sure if you’re entitled to buy the camera if you don’t fall into that category. A little more seriously (but not much), BenQ have allegedly made their new digicam more female-friendly by adding the ability to “scrawl on photos” (their words, not mine), add built-in photo frames to your images, and ermmm, that’s it, apart from the stylish red case. Now far be it for me to give BenQ advice on marketing, but surely what a female digital photographer wants is exactly the same as any photographer, regardless of their sex - a 20 megapixel compact digital with image quality that matches DSLRs? :-)

BenQ Press Release 19/07/04

Sweet ‘n Stylish - BenQ’s E40 Digital Camera with a female touch

Europe, 19th of July, 2004 - BenQ announces the release of the BenQ DC E40 digital camera. Targeted at females, the E40 features an intuitive touch screen with photo framing and “scrawling” options and equipped with a 4 mega-pixel high sensitivity image sensor.

The E40 features BenQ’s first and innovative touch screen design that allows photo personalization. Offering users more than just photo playback, the E40’s touch screen allows users to choose from various built-in photo frames (also available to download at BenQ.com, E40 specifications link). Furthermore, you can also make creative “scrawling” directly on photos.

Last week Google bought the image management software Picasa. This week Google have announced that Picasa is now available as a free download (it previously cost $29.99). If you’re unsure if this product is right for you, then take a look at my review.

Website: Read my Picasa Review

Website: Picasa

Sigma Corporation Press Release 20/07/04

EX series, large aperture zoom lens designed specifically for use with digital SLR cameras.

F2.8 large aperture standard zoom lens designed specially for use with digital SLR cameras.
The characteristics of digital SLR cameras were taken into consideration when designing the lens power layout. The new advanced lens design corrects various aberrations. This lens provides the utmost correction against lateral chromatic aberration which is a serious problem for digital SLR cameras.

This lens is specially coated to get the best color balance whilst cutting down flare and ghost caused by reflections from the digital image sensor and lens. It has excellent correction for vignetting and superior peripheral brightness is ensured.

Nikon USA have today released a new firmware update for their pro DSLR, the Nikon D2H. Version 2.0 has no less than 20 improvements and fixes, so it’s definitely worth installing!

Website: Nikon USA - D2H Firmware Update

I don’t often feature non-Windows or Mac based products here on PhotographyBLOG. Indeed, I think NewsForge’s review of the image management software imgSeek is the first ever Linux product that has appeared on this website. imgSeek has a rather unique feature to help you find your photos:

“When imgSeek added your pictures to its collection, it extracted the metadata tags and cached thumbnails for easy viewing, but it also calculated the wavelet transform of the image, which is sort of a hash of the visual information in the picture. And that gives imgSeek the unique ability to search through files based on their appearance.

For instance, you can select any image in the browser, right-click on it, and from the context menu choose “Query for similar images.” This query will return every image in your collection with a similar wavelet transform, to an adjustable threshold level.”

Website: NewsForge - imgSeek Review

HP has launched its first ever digital camera in China, choosing the top-of-the-range 5 megapixel PhotoSmart R707 as the inaugural product. According to the brief report on Forbes.com, this is only the beginning for HP, who are aiming to “drive a digital revolution into the home’ in China”.

Website: Forbes.com - HP launches first digital camera in China

DP-Now have posted a First Look at the Samsung Digimax U-CA 3, a 3 megapixel digital camera aimed at the young photographer or the budding photo enthusiast.

“Although the Samsung U-CA 3 is a plastic-bodied camera, the mouldings are of a very high quality and appear to be more resistant to wear and tear than many other cameras in this class. Complementing its cool and trendy ambience, the body is finished in a sparkling metallic paint job. A really cool pouch case is supplied to protect your U-CA 3 anyway.”

Website: DP-Now - Samsung Digimax U-CA 3 First Look

Josh Waller has just reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Pentax Optio 30, which is a simple digital camera aimed at photography beginners.

“Great image quality, thanks to the excellent Pentax lens - the camera produces good colours both inside and outside. Good sharpness, saturation, and low noise as well! The camera has an EXCELLENT macro mode - which I wasn’t expecting, as it doesn’t seem to be especially marketed by Pentax.”

Website: Josh Waller - Pentax Optio 30 Review

Kodak Press Release 19/07/04

Rochester, N.Y., July 19—“Kodak is a very important member of the Olympic Family. It takes a very active role in helping us stage the world’s greatest event. And through its various marketing efforts, Kodak helps us share the Olympic spirit with the world.”

—Jacques Rogge, President International Olympic Committee

When the first Modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896, Kodak, then just 16 years old, was there.  More than a century later, the Olympic Games remain the pinnacle of athletic endeavor - and Kodak, a long-standing Olympic Sponsor, will again be there, this time providing security badges for all participants, digital medical imaging equipment in the athlete?s clinic, and support for the more than 1,000 professional photographers who will capture the drama of the world?s most photographed competition using both film and digital technologies. Indeed, Kodak will digitize all images -including film - for rapid dissemination around the world.

Launched at the start of May 2004, the Ricoh Caplio GX is the new flagship model in the Ricoh digital camera range. The Ricoh Caplio GX has gained a lot of attention because of its unique combination of a 5-megapixel CCD sensor, wide-angle 28mm lens, having the world’s fastest shutter response and start-up times, and an affordable price-tag of ?279.99. Previous Ricoh cameras that I’ve reviewed have offered great handling, but have been rather let down by the image-quality. So has the Caplio GX rectified this crucial problem? Read on to find out.

Website: Ricoh Caplio GX Review

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release 19/07/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. WINS COMPUTER TIMES “EDITOR’S CHOICE” AWARD

Concord Eye-Q 4060AF is first Digital Camera to Win Computer Times Award since August 2002

Hollywood, FL, July 19, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENS), a global leader in high-quality, popular-priced digital cameras, today announced that it won the Computer Times “Editor?s Choice” Award for the Concord Eye-Q 4060AF (see full article at http://computertimes.com/jun04edchoiceConcordEyeQ4060AF.htm).

The Concord Eye-Q 4060AF digital camera is the first digital camera to win the coveted Computer Times Editor’s Choice award since August 2002.  According to Computer Times, the Concord Eye-Q 4060AF not only impressed their toughest reviewing editor, but it also “includes an impressive list of high-end features for a very affordable price - a key feature in winning this award. Our hats off to everyone involved in its design and marketing. A job well done,” said Angie Kibiloski, Computer Times.

Kibiloski continues, “This camera has been a treat to use, and I would absolutely recommend it. I have tried many other digital cameras in the past, and have not been terribly impressed. Actually, I quickly become very frustrated with their limitations.  However, the Concord Eye Q 4060AF has met all of my expectations, and exceeded a few as well. Way to go Concord!”

The Concord Eye-Q 4060AF is a 4 megapixel digital camera that fits everyone’s budget with a retail price of only $179.99.  It features a high-resolution 4 megapixel sensor, easy-to-use controls, a 6x digital zoom, preset and automatic settings, a 1.5-inch TFT color LCD screen, auto focus for easy shooting at any range, 16MB of internal memory, AVI video clips, and a macro mode for close up photography.  The camera uses SD/MMC cards, one of the most popular and easy to find storage cards in the market. 
 

As well as news of the new Apple iPod (you know you want one!), Gizmodo are also reporting today that LG Electronics are launching a new 3.24 megapixel cameraphone, which will in turn be released by both SK Telecom (the LG-SD350) and KTF (the LG-KP2500). The new phone actually uses a mechanical shutter instead of a software technique to improve image quality, and it also has a clamshell design. You may be very interested if a) you live in the Far East and b) you answered “Definitely!” to the latest PhotographyBLOG Poll…

Website: Gizmodo - LG’s New 3.24-Megapixel Clamshell Cameraphones

The business website Boston.com have published a review of the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.

“Unfortunately, as cameras move up the ladder in sophistication, the dials, knobs, and appurtenances proliferate. If you’re afflicted with button phobia, you may want to avoid the 8700. On top of the unit are the shutter, mode, voice recording, function, and LCD illumination buttons, as well as power and command dials and a small monochrome LCD, or control panel.”

Thanks to Sanj for the link.

Website: Boston.com - Nikon Coolpix 8700 Review

A brand new PhotographyBLOG Poll has started today - you can find it in the left-hand column of this page, underneath the Navigation links.

This month’s question is: “Will cameraphones be the new digital cameras of the future?”.

The 33rd 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 26th July. The Poll will then be closed and the overall winner announced.

Vote now for your favourite image from the Photo Of The Week 12th-18th July 2004 contest