Dphoto.us have just reviewed ImageAlign, a software tool that can correct both camera tilt and lens curvature distortions in a single pass. In just a few seconds ImageAlign can restore all the natural perspective to any scanned or digital image! The result is just what the human eye perceives, uncontaminated by the camera angle or focal length.

“ImageAlign is a digital chiropractor for your images. Fisheye shooters and wide angle photographers will find this product a “must have”. It is quick to process, easy to operate, renders quality output and is relatively inexpensive for what it does. When opened in Photoshop, you are presented with a console that displays your original image and a set of sliders that control barrel correction, pincushion correction, rotation, vertical perspective, horizontal perspective, vertical skew, horizontal skew and rescaling. There are also provisions for zooming, before and after, grid enabling and a button for a larger preview. All adjustments are rendered in real time with no requirement for lens specific modules. This is a very nifty product with a simple and effective interface.”

Website: Dphoto.us - ImageAlign Review

Website: ImageAlign

CNET have just reviewed the new 3.2 megapixel Canon PowerShot A75.

“If you want to smoke the competition by going from 0 to 11 frames in less than 6 seconds, you’ll be delighted by the high-speed burst mode of this replacement for the popular PowerShot A70. Canon kept all the good stuff intact, including the 3X optical zoom, the versatile manual and automatic controls, and the above-average image quality, while providing a larger LCD, improved autofocus, significant ergonomic improvements, and handy scene presets for the most common shooting situations.”

Website: CNET - Canon PowerShot A75 Review

PictureCode Press Release 15/07/04

July 15, 2004—Noise Ninja 2.0 released for Mac OS X and Windows

Austin, Texas (June 15, 2004)—Noise Ninja 2.0, the latest generation of PictureCode’s popular Noise Ninja image noise removal software, was officially released today. Notably, the new version is available for both Macintosh OS X and Windows platforms.

With the release of Noise Ninja 2.0, the Macintosh community can, for the first time, utilize state-of-the-art noise reduction in an efficient, native application. This allows a large number of professional photographers and news organizations to fill a significant gap in the digital workflow. Moreover, Noise Ninja 2.0 has been optimized to exploit high-performance capabilities of the PowerPC architecture.

Windows users will enjoy a range of improvements over Noise Ninja 1. The list of enhancements includes a threefold improvement in filtering speed, simplified automatic profiling, multiprocessor support, and numerous user interface refinements.

Vicman Software Press Release 15/07/04

As everyone knows, JPEG (.jpg) image compression doesn’t save all the information in an image. It compresses images so consume only a small amount of disk space (e.g. compared with .bmp), but also damages them with a “blotchy look” and “JPEG artifacts”. Most graphics editors have JPEG as a default format. And almost all digital photo cameras save images in JPEG format.

Jpeg Enhancer is a simple and extremely powerful program that lets you restore the images damaged by low-quality JPEG compression.

It uses a unique technique that allows even novices easily, quickly and effectively to remove the so-called “JPEG artifacts” and the “blotchy look” from their images.

Shortcut Press Release 15/07/04

ARNHEM, Jul 15, 2004—Shortcut just put the finishing touch to a new version of their software product PhotoClean. Many improvements and additions are included with the new release.

Shortcut PhotoClean is an extensive tool specialized in photo repair and improvement. Any photo made with a digital camera has room for improvement. PhotoClean enables you to quickly and effectively remove shadows, noise, JPEG artifacts, red-eyes, and dead pixels, correct colors and exposure, repair skin, sharpen, and a lot more. Even photos from mobile phones (with built-in camera functionality) can be upgraded into very acceptable printouts with ease. Don’t let the low price mislead you, PhotoClean competes among the highest quality standards and is superbly fit for professionals.

The new version includes a completely redesigned interface and eight new reparation filters, while several existing filters have been improved. The update is - as always - free for registered users on both Macintosh and Windows platforms.

PhotoClean can be downloaded at http://www.trulyphotomagic.com/downloads/

Cerebrosoft Press Release 15/07/04

Cerebrosoft has released B*Gallery v. 2.2, a Windows, Linux, and Macintosh OS X application that makes it easy to create HTML image galleries that can be updated, extended, and shared. Unlike most thumbnail programs that create simple, static clickable galleries, B*Gallery makes it simple to add, update, customize, and connect image pages into meaningful online catalogs, sales presentations, reference works, and home photo albums.

B*Gallery is easy enough for beginners to use. It’s simple to organize thousands of photographs from digital cameras. You can create web pages and share your images with friends and family, without having to learn to program the web.

After organizing photos into albums, and combining albums into categories, you can drag and drop images across your entire collection. You can add captions to photos, and descriptions to album pages. It’s simple to create multiple categories, and to move pictures among categories. B*Gallery can automatically generate HTML for selected photo albums or for the entire gallery. The built-in FTP program lets you upload your images and HTML to your web site.

Reindeer Graphics Press Release 15/07/04

Version 3.0 of Optipix adds several exciting new tools to our comprehensive package for professional digital photographers. Interactive Interpolation is the most sophisticated tool now available for enlarging digital images, allowing you to adjust how your interpolation is performed in an interactive preview. Optipix’s new Refocus tool is a powerful blur remover suitable for correcting focus problems and blurring due to processing. Optipix 3.0 also adds JPEG Cleaner, a one-step tool for removing the unsightly artefacts from JPEG images, Grain Maker, and many improvements to the plug-ins from earlier versions, including support for Photoshop’s Lab Color.

The new website Dynamic Artwork is writing and releasing an article about digital black and white photography, with a new installment published on a weekly basis with each part covering one of the options out there. After the series is done, it will be a one-stop source for BW Conversion techniques.

“It used to be (and still is for many) that a person would choose a BW film and perhaps a color filter to achieve a desired look. Digital cameras can only capture color images however, making filter and film choices no longer important. Instead of choosing the esthetic feel of the image long before pressing the shutter button, it is done so after the fact in post production software.

As with many things done on the computer, there are many options to go about doing something. That is what this tutorial series is here for. It will not only teach you the many techniques out there, but it will also will act as a catalogue for the many methods of BW conversion there are to choose from.”

Website: Dynamic Artwork - Digital Black and White

After my own review yesterday of the the Olympus Camedia C-310Zoom (also known as the D-540 Zoom), Imaging Resource have also take a look at this new budget-priced 3.2 megapixel digital camera. It looks like Dave agrees with me that this is a fine camera for the photography beginner.

“With a list price of $199, and “street” prices generally under $170, the D-540 offers really excellent value for the money. With a 3.3 megapixel CCD and 3x optical zoom lens, it captures sharp, good-looking photos with good color, has an excellent macro mode, does surprisingly well under low-light conditions, and even handles household incandescent lighting well if not perfectly. Equally important for entry-level users, the D-540 Zoom’s user interface is straightforward and easy to navigate, and its five Scene modes make it easy to bring back good-looking pictures from what might otherwise be challenging shooting conditions.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus Camedia D-540 Zoom Review

Website: Read my Olympus Camedia C-310Zoom Review

Hardware Central have published an interesting test of the PictBridge printing standard, testing a printer and two digicams, which include the 4 megapixel Kodak EasyShare DX6490 digital camera (pictured).

“Digital photography is all about convenience: saving you the chore of going to the camera store or drugstore to buy film, letting you see your shots and delete bad ones instantaneously. Unfortunately, getting physical prints is still the least convenient part of the process. When you’ve just snapped a great picture at a family gathering or business awards dinner, people are going to ask you for a print—never mind that you don’t have your PC and printer handy.

There’s a new one-word answer to this problem: PictBridge, the growing industry standard that lets different brands of digital cameras and dedicated photo printers work together.”

Website: Hardware Central - Quick Prints: Two 4-Megapixel Cameras and a 4-by-6 Printer

The Slovenian website eFotoGrafija have published a joint review of the Olympus C-770 / C-765 / C-760 Ultra Zoom digital cameras.

Website: eFotoGrafija - Olympus C-770 Ultra Zoom Review

SanDisk Corporation Press Release 14/07/04

SanDisk Announces Record Revenues and Operating Income; Year-over-Year Increase in Revenues of 85% and Operating Income of 136%

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—July 14, 2004—SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), the world’s largest supplier of flash storage card products, today announced results for the second quarter ended June 27, 2004. Second quarter total revenues increased 85% to $433 million compared to the second quarter of 2003 and increased 12% from the first quarter of 2004. Second quarter net income was $71 million, compared to $41 million and $64 million for the second quarter of 2003 and the first quarter of 2004, respectively. Earnings per share were $0.38 per diluted share compared with $0.26 per diluted share in the same quarter of 2003 and $0.34 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2004.

dotPhoto, Inc. Press Release 14/07/04

DOTPHOTO INTRODUCES MUSEUM-QUALITY POSTER PRINTS & WALL COVERINGS

West Trenton, NJ - July 14, 2004 - dotPhoto, Inc. www.dotphoto.com, a leading award-winning photo-sharing and digital photography web site, announced today the ability for consumers to print poster-sized prints and wall coverings online from digital and scanned photos. Available now at www.dotphoto.com (after joining with a free membership), everyone can create beautiful posters of their photographic artwork for gifts or personal use. Landscapes, sporting events, animals, nature, and friends and family can be turned into museum quality print sized from 12” x 18” mini-posters up to 24” x 36” wall coverings with special introductory prices from $9.99 to $17.99 until July 31, 2004.

“Consumers will be surprised to see the professional posters they can make out of their own photos, and our professional and newspaper photographers will be happy that they can sell posters in addition to the gifts and framed prints that they already sell through dotPhoto,” said Glenn Paul, President & Co-founder, dotPhoto, Inc.

Hamrick Software Press Release 15/07/04

Phoenix, AZ July 14, 2004—Hamrick Software, a leading developer of scanning software for consumers and professionals, has released VueScan 8.0.9, of its award-winning program that enables users to easily produce better looking digital images from color snapshots, negatives, slides and documents.

The update includes added support for a number of scanners including several PIE-based scanners, and for specific models of Epson, Kodak, and Nikon scanners. This update also makes VueScan easier to use by incorporating an automatic photo-cropping feature that lets a user place a photo anywhere on the scan bed. Additional improvements include new support for Canon EOS and Nikon D raw files, improved support for Minolta and Epson multi-function printers, while improving performance on both Windows and Mac OS X.

The 18th PhotographyBLOG Portfolio has been submitted by Paul Teixeira.

“This selection of portraits and other people pictures spans a period of 28 years and a variety of techniques; from 35mm film to digital captures. Most of these pictures were taken on assignment for magazines or newspapers, which defined the way I photographed the people portrayed. The pictures were either used to illustrate an interview/article or had to speak for itself on an editorial page.”

“In the mid 1980’s I started to work as a photojournalist in The Netherlands, Europe. After a couple of years I decided that written journalism would be nice for a change. That career move resulted in a consecutive 11 years of writing stories as a journalist, managing other journalists as editor in chief and getting new magazines in the stores as a publisher. About 1.5 years ago I decided to go back to my roots: photojournalism. Albeit not on a full time basis. Thanks to the digital era, I’ve rediscovered the joys of photography. I was never a big fan of dwelling in the dark room developing films and printing pictures. Nowadays I carry the Canon EOS 1D and Canon EOS 1D Mark II and no films. I’m loving it!”

Website: http://www.pbase.com/paul_teixeira

Website: Portfolios: Paul Teixeira

The Olympus Camedia C-310Zoom is a new budget-priced 3.2 megapixel digital camera that aims to be extremely easy-to-use for first-time buyers. Stand-out features include 5 scene modes so that you can easily capture images in a wide variety of locations and conditions, and the Super Macro mode, which lets you shoot from just 2cms away from your subject. The Olympus Camedia C-310Zoom currently costs just ?114.99/$179.94, so have Olympus cut any corners to get the camera down to this price-point? Find out by reading the rest of my review.

Website: Olympus Camedia C-310Zoom Review

Photographic magazine have posted their review of the new 8 megapixel professional DSLR from Canon, the EOS 1D Mark II.

“One of the great joys of working for a photo magazine is getting to use all the latest and greatest gear. One of the great sorrows is having to return it when we’re through testing it. Never has having to return a piece of equipment been more painful than with the new Canon EOS-1d Mark II. This digital SLR that can shoot 8.2-megapixel images at 8.5 per second - up to 40 in a row if you wish - is truly a joy to use.”

Website: Photographic - Canon EOS 1D Mark II Review

Photographic magazine have just published their review online of the 5 megapixel Leica Digilux 2.

“One reason that the Digilux 2 is so easy to use is its classic, “analog-style” control layout. There’s an aperture ring on the manual-zoom lens, an EV-compensation button on the back of the camera, and a shutter speed dial and a metering mode selection switch on the top deck. As a result, it’s rarely necessary to cycle through menus on the LCD panel once you’ve completed the initial setup to conform to your particular style of shooting. In short, while the Digilux 2 features the latest digital technology, it closely resembles a classic analog professional camera in operation.”

Website: Photographic - Leica Digilux 2 Review

Canon have posted a new firmware version for the Canon Powershot S1 IS digital camera, which offers 10x image stablised zoom, 3 megapixels and high-quality 640 x 480 video at 30 frames/second with sound.

Version 1.0.1.0 includes these changes:

- Specification changes for the way images are displayed in Continuous AF Mode.

- Improvements for the overexposure phenomenon that occurred during daytime synchronized shooting.

You can download the firmware from the following website.

Website: Canon PowerShot S1 IS Firmware

The Spanish website quesabesde.com have just reviewed the new 5 megapixel Sony DSC-P100 digital camera.

Website: quesabesde.com - Sony DSC-P100 Review