jthurber’s weblog has posted a quick and dirty review of Canon’s new EOS Viewer Utility, which is their replacement for the pretty terrible File Viewer Utility (FVU). jthurber is pleasantly surprised by how good the new software actually is at converting your RAW files, when compared with Capture One and Adobe Photoshop CS RAW (found via alexking.org):

“Personally I’m planning to get C1 (the workflow piece is really slick), but that purchase will come sometime after a 1D Mark II (priorities ya’ know). For the present I’m planning to use EOS Viewer for most of RAW conversions. I’m as surprised by this as anyone, as the original File Viewer Utility was pretty bad! “

Website: jthurber’s weblog - Quick test of Canon’s new EOS View Utility

Samsung has introduced a new 3 megapixel cameraphone, complete with optical zoom lens and flash, into the South Korean market. The SPH-2300 will sell for 800,000 won ($687) (found via Reiter’s Camera Phone Report.

Website: The Chosen Ilbo - Samsung SPH-2300

The 32nd 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 19th July. The Poll will then be closed and the overall winner announced.

Vote now for your favourite image from the Photo Of The Week 5th-11th July 2004 contest

The voting for the 31st Photo of the Week contest has now finished.

The winner of the contest is “Clingmans Dome” by ericablu. Congratulations!

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

The 33rd 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.

Vincent Oliver over at Photo-i has just completed his joint interactive review of the 7-colour Canon i990 and 8-colour Canon i9950 printers.

“When I started this review I wasn’t over convinced by the ChromaPlus inks, after all it was only two extra colours. The i990 with the extra red didn’t do much for me at all, although it was as good as any of the other printers (i965 & i950) in Canon’s range. The i9950 proved itself by producing excellent colour pictures time after time. Looking at the prints under daylight, the i9950 has shown itself to be one of the finest dye based colour printers currently available. Now if Canon can produce an A4 version of this, then I am sure they will give other manufacturers some very stiff competition.”

Website: Photo-i - Canon i990 / i9950 Printer Interactive Review

Photoxels have published their review of the 4-megapixel Olympus C-770 Ultra Zoom digital camera.

“I like the sleeker body and the construction feels very solid. The Olympus Camedia C-770 Ultra Zoom is a wonderful package in a relatively compact body, and makes a very attractive proposition for beginner and serious amateur photographers alike. It’s easy to use in Program AE mode, and there is enough flexibility to allow the beginner to later progress to more serious photography, if desired. If you’re looking for an ultra zoom digital camera, be sure to include the Olympus Camedia C-770 Ultra Zoom in your short list.”

Website: Photoxels - Olympus C-770 Ultra Zoom Review

Josh Waller has just reviewed the HP Photosmart 735 digital camera, which has 3.2 megapixels and up to 15x zoom - 3x optical and 5x digital - from a Pentax precision lens for clear, crisp photo prints.

“I think this camera is okay, it’s got a good lens, and can take good photos, but the screen updates / general slowness and awkward controls of the camera let it down. The movie mode is fairly good, especially as it has sound. For the price it is okay, but when given the choice between this and a similar specification Fuji / Pentax / Olympus / Nikon / Canon, I would definitely go for one of the other brands. With so much competition in this spec/price range I find it hard to recommend this camera, not necessarily because this camera is bad, but simply because other cameras are better.”

Website: Josh Waller - HP Photosmart 735 Review

Xerox Press Release 09/07/04

‘Team Xerox’ Celebrates Olympic Sponsorship With Six-Story Banner In Athens, Greece

Mosaic combines more than 27,000 employee photos to honor the Games

ATHENS, July 09, 2004 —In support of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and to help bring the global spirit of “Team Xerox” to Greece, Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) has created a massive six-story banner out of the individual portraits of more than 27,000 Xerox employees from more than 60 countries around the world.

Unveiled yesterday, the banner’s overall image depicts the message “Welcome Home” in both English and Greek, celebrating the return of the Olympic Games to its historical birthplace. The banner covers nearly three sides of Xerox’s office building in central Athens and will remain in place throughout the fall.

“The Olympic Games symbolize the teamwork and pride that unite people across the globe,” said Diane McGarry, Xerox chief marketing officer. “The employee mosaic captures the message of unity that is the cornerstone of the Olympic spirit, key to our success at Xerox and core to the experience we deliver to our customers.”

I’ve just updated my Online Print Services Review. PhotographyBLOG visitor Dan Bachmann has recently tested some more UK digital labs and has kindly allowed me to publish his findings. Dan says “Thanks for your great UK digi lab comparison. I’ve done some research myself and added Digi-Lab/Club35, Ofoto and Snappy Snaps. I’ve found what you said to mostly be accurate, but I have to add that I have been very impressed with Ofoto (though I have yet to try Peak).”

Online Print Services Review - Dan Bachmann’s Update: July 2004

Online Print Services Review - Introduction

As a reminder, in this 8 part Review, I’ve taken a look at some online print services that operate in the United Kingdom and let you know what I think about the service and print quality that I received from each one.

Yesterday’s big announcement by Canon - the launch of a brand new printer range, PIXMA - was as much about form as about function. The emphasis was definitely on how the products looked, rather than how they performed (although Canon certainly haven’t neglected this aspect). From the launch party at Pierre Cardin’s designer home in Cannes, to the press photos of printers intergrated into a 21st-century home, PIXMA is a concerted attempt to get away from the “office-product” tag that printers traditionally have, and move towards being a lifestyle accessory that matches the rest of your household furniture.

But do consumers care? Or at least will enough consumers care enough for Canon’s strategy to be a winner? What do you think - is this the direction that Canon should be taking?

DP-Now has published a great analysis of yesterday’s new printer launch by Canon, including full details of pricing compared to Canon’s main competitors.

“We came away from Cannes feeling buoyed by the highly professional launch marketing machine and by genuine admiration for the technology and design that PIXMA embodies. But now we have seen Canon’s initial pricing we’re not sure if the formula is quite right for the kind of market success that various senior Canon managers so passionately pledged to achieve ? to be number one, no less. We’ll just have to wait and see?”

Website: DP-Now - Style drives Canon’s new PIXMA ink-jet printer and multi-function branding

DP-Now editor Ian Burley is obviously a busy man, as he’s also found time in his busy schedule to spend a week on the sunny island of Kos in Greece attending a Hewlett-Packard event (not that I’m jealous or anything!). Find out how Ian was one of the winners in a competition judged by Douglas Kirkland, the California-based celebrity and fashion photographer. And Ian dares to call this “work”!

Website: DP-Now - dpnow editor lands photo contest prize

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Canon takes aim at the home photo printing market

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, has today announced their strategic push to capture the rapidly accelerating demand for personal photo printers with the release of the futuristically styled PIXMA range.

Canon celebrated the launch by throwing an exclusive party at Pierre Cardin’s private mansion in Cannes. After taking photos with her EOS 300D camera, Helena Christensen showed off the range by demonstrating the simplicity of creating photo prints, which were then signed and given to guests.

With digital camera growth at an all time high, home photo printing is set to enjoy strong growth with the convergence of market factors such as increased photo quality, lower prices, greater connectivity and ease of use empowering consumers to print directly from their digital cameras.

With futuristic styling, ‘plug and print’ photolab quality printing, Canon has high expectations for the 8 new PIXMA products. Five of the eight products support the new PictBridge standard, which means the majority of all current digital cameras can plug straight into them for direct photo printing without a PC. When loaded with special Canon photo paper, the results can be superior to photolab quality prints.

The print heads of all PIXMA printers produce 2 picolitre ink droplets, about 2 million times smaller than an average rain drop. The secret is in Canon’s FINE technology, which uses a silicon chip manufacturing process to produce its print heads, for unrivalled tolerance and precision.

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today launches the PIXMA sub-brand with the release of eight personal photo printers and multifunctionals. PIXMA represents the first time a manufacturer has released 2 picolitre or better droplets across a range.

Each of the eight devices features:

- Futuristic minimalist design: incorporating clean lines, super-gloss finishes and 2-way paper paths that allow book-shelf storage and operation
- Photo printing: at high-speed and with photolab quality or better
- 2 picolitre ink droplets, with 4800 dpi resolution and image FINE technology

“The new PIXMA range is expected to drive the already rapidly accelerating demand for personal photo printers,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “PIXMA is the meeting of form and function; a combination of designer styling, speed, and photolab quality results. Canon hopes PIXMA will do for printing what Digital IXUS did for photography, where consumers chose cutting edge design matched with top performance.”
Direct photo printing from digital cameras without the need for a PC is available from five of the eight devices, which support the vendor independent PictBridge standard.

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July, 2004: Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today unveils a bold new look for its new PIXMA range, with the launch of two 4800 x 1200 dpi personal photo/document printers. With 2 picolitre droplet performance from FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology print heads, both printers are capable of producing glossy borderless photo prints direct from contemporary digital still and digital video cameras.

The PIXMA iP4000 and PIXMA iP3000 both feature convention-defying designs to match their 2 picolitre photolab quality and respected 25 ppm / 22 ppm performance. Radical designs reflect Canon’s recognition of the increasing preference amongst customers for products that excel in both aesthetics and functionality. A lustrous high quality grey finish completes sleek, clean lines of the integrated shells, giving the printers a futuristic look.

“PIXMA represents a clear departure from conventional desk top devices,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “With their cleverly integrated functionality and their superb, striking designs, these two printers can be placed anywhere in the living or working environment and fit right in.”

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July, 2004: Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today announces two 4800 x 1200 dpi personal photo/document printers to open its new PIXMA range - the 20 ppm PIXMA iP2000 and 18 ppm PIXMA iP1500. The printers offer remarkable 2 picolitre photolab print quality at entry level price points from Canon?s unique FINE (Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) print head technology.

The 4 ink iP1500 and iP2000 represent new levels of price performance, with print quality that was until recently only available in dedicated 6 ink photo printers.

“With these new PIXMA printers, Canon confirms a commitment to bringing consumers true photo performance, consistent reliability and superb design across the entire range,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “The introduction of 2 picolitre photolab quality at this price point brings a new level of performance to range-opening printers that will change consumers? expectations of personal photo printing standards.”

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today unveils two range-leading PIXMA ‘all-in-one’ devices: the PIXMA MP750 and PIXMA MP780 Multifunctionals. Featuring a stylish, futuristic new design, the devices unify every required home?office product feature and more, into a single unit:

- 25 ppm mono / 17 ppm colour document printer
- Photo printer - 4800 x 1200 dpi, 2 picolitre ink droplets, PictBridge compatible
- Colour Copier - 22 cpm Mono / 17 cpm Colour, 35 page Automatic Document Feeder
- Flat bed scanner - Full colour, 2400 x 4800 dpi optical resolution, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface
- 2 way paper feeding - Sheet feeder and cassette
- CD-R/DVD printer
- Fax (MP780) - Super G3, full colour, 250 page memory
- Large backlit LCD with icon display for easy of use
- Camera Direct Printing

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July, 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today unveils a radical new design concept for its range-opening multi-function devices, the PIXMA MP110 and PIXMA MP130. With a gleaming white finish and clean lines, the compact, integrated units represent a daring departure from the look of traditional print devices to combine scanner, copier and a photolab printer into a single unit.

- 18 ppm mono / 13 ppm colour document printer
- Photo printer - 4800 x 1200 dpi, 2 picolitre ink droplet size, FINE (Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering technology)
- Colour Copier
- Flat bed scanner - Full colour, 1200 x 2400 dpi optical, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface
- Card Direct Printing with Photo Index sheet (MP130 only)

“We studied the success of our Digital IXUS cameras, which is based on the combination of technical mastery with purity of design,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “Although technical superiority is a critical side of the equation, people also want their products to reflect a contemporary and desirable look and feel.”

Imaging Resource have reviewed the brand new Sony DSC-P93, a 5-megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom.

“Better than average noise levels, but somewhat heavy-handed noise-suppression. Like most of the current crop of 4-and 5-megapixel consumer-level cameras, the DSC-P93 shows some image noise even at its minimum ISO of 100. As the ISO is increased though, the noise doesn’t seem to increase as rapidly as in some competing models. That said, the cost of this is somewhat heavy-handed noise-suppression processing, which tends to flatten-out detail in areas of subtle contrast. So, good marks to the P93 for low image noise, but some points deducted for the subject detail lost in the process.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Sony DSC-P93 Review

Imaging Resource have reviewed the brand new Sony DSC-P73, a 4-megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom.

“The 4-megapixel, 3x-zoom DSC-P73 is a fairly impressive upgrade to last year’s P72 model, including a higher-resolution CCD, and greatly expanded features, all for a lower introductory price than the P72 carried. The DSC-P73 is thus a strong competitor in the hot “midrange” digicam market, offering good image quality, an excellent range of capability, an attractive, compact case style, and very good ease of use, all at an affordable price. It provides more manual exposure control than do many midrange camera models, yet is easy to use in full-auto mode, and its six preprogrammed scene modes help with tricky subjects.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Sony DSC-P73 Review