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Pentax has announced plans to start production of 2 and 3 megapixel modules for the cameraphone market. In a brief report on NE Asia Online, this move is part of a wider strategy to boost non-camera based revenue - “Noncamera operations are expected to account for 75% of operating profit for fiscal 2006 if the three-year business plan goes ahead as projected, the officials added.
Website: NE Asia Online - Pentax to Make Camera Phone Parts to Expand Profit Base
Pentax has announced plans to start production of 2 and 3 megapixel modules for the cameraphone market. In a brief report on NE Asia Online, this move is part of a wider strategy to boost non-camera based revenue - “Noncamera operations are expected to account for 75% of operating profit…
In an interview with Reuters yesterday, Nikon has said that it intends to increase production of the D70 DSLR to above 90,000 units by September/October 2004, compared to 70,000 when the camera was launched in March. At the same time Nikon also announced that it has “no plans to stop producing film SLRs, but that it may next year start considering pulling out of the film compact camera business due to a sharp plunge in demand.” Sales of compact film cameras have slipped to 50,000 units worldwide in the current business year to March, compared with 1.3 million in 2002.
Website: Yahoo.com - Nikon Boosts Digital Cameras, Eyes Exit from Film
In an interview with Reuters yesterday, Nikon has said that it intends to increase production of the D70 DSLR to above 90,000 units by September/October 2004, compared to 70,000 when the camera was launched in March. At the same time Nikon also announced that it has “no plans to stop…
A new version of Qimage has just been released.
Qimage v2004.300 (06/15/04):
New Features:
Freehand by page: Take full control of the placement of images on any page at any time by just clicking and dragging your prints on the page. Unlike old versions which required switching the entire document to “Freehand” placement mode, v2004.300 allows freehand placement on a page-by-page basis, allowing you to fine tune individual pages while leaving the rest of the document in an auto-placement mode such as center, optimal, etc. Simply use the automatic placement method of your choice and click/drag at will. A small “F” button at the upper/right corner of the page shows you which pages are in freehand placement mode and allows you to control freehand/automatic placement for that page with just a click of the mouse. Be sure to check the “Listing of Major Functions”, “Freehand” section of the help for more info.
Print rotation: Take full control over the orientation of your prints by highlighting prints and clicking the “Rotate Left” or “Rotate Right” buttons which replace the old portrait/landscape buttons. You can even right click and select a rotation with respect to the thumbnail (original image), such as selecting a print and rotating to 180 degrees (thumbnail upside down). Manual rotations “stick” until you change them or set the rotation back to “automatic”. Prints that have been manually rotated show with a small rotation symbol at the upper right corner of the print on the preview page. Check the “Listing of Major Functions”, “Print Rotation” section of the help for more info.
Click/drag on the preview page: You can now click and drag to move/size images directly on the small preview page on the main window. The full page editor is still available for high precision adjustments, placement at specific locations, and print cropping should you need it.
New nudge feature: Go to the full page editor and highlight a print. Hold the Ctrl key while pressing the left/right/up/down arrows on the keyboard to nudge the current print up against the next logical edge on the page: either the edge of another print or the edge of the page. This allows quick and easy alignment to other prints or the edge of the page.
Fixes:
Some minor bugs from v2004.211 were fixed along the way, most of which were cosmetic or related to certain window areas not updating or showing the latest information/status. The most significant issue was a fix where the page editor was not utilizing the monitor profile when “All Images” or “HQ Preview” was selected.
Website: Qimage
A new version of Qimage has just been released. Qimage v2004.300 (06/15/04): New Features: Freehand by page: Take full control of the placement of images on any page at any time by just clicking and dragging your prints on the page. Unlike old versions which required switching the entire document…
Steves Digicams have reviewed the new HP Photosmart R707, a stylish 5 megapixel digital camera.
“Overall the image quality in 5MP *** mode was great for a camera in this class. Outdoors, the camera does very well, and its 3x optical zoom lens produces sharp results through out its range. The majority of our test shots were well exposed, and colors were nicely saturated, although I did notice an average amount of noise in High/Low contrast areas. I found the Adaptive Lighting feature to be useful when shooting either indoors or outdoors, the camera increases the gamma of the image to better enhance the detail of objects in low contrast (shadow) areas, but the image quality does suffer a little, if you’re not going to print anything larger than an 8x10” you should be fine. I was also happy with our indoor samples, images were properly exposed and skin tones appeared very natural.”
Steves Digicams have reviewed the new HP Photosmart R707, a stylish 5 megapixel digital camera. “Overall the image quality in 5MP *** mode was great for a camera in this class. Outdoors, the camera does very well, and its 3x optical zoom lens produces sharp results through out its range…
The Crutchfield Advisor website have just reviewed the Fuji FinePix F700. Fuji claims the the F700 sensor improves image quality by widening the dynamic range, rather than just increasing the number of pixels. This should mean more detail in the shadow and highlight areas of an image than Fuji cameras have previously captured.
“At first glance, the FinePix F700 looks like a sleek and slender, very solidly built point-and-shoot camera. Even if you?ve just fallen off the digital camera turnip truck, you can figure out how to operate the basics of the F700 in a matter of seconds. Just turn it on and make sure the dial is set to “auto” - you can use the F700 as a true point-and-shoot camera. And getting your images from the camera to your computer is as simple as connecting the two via the included USB cable and clicking a button.”
The Crutchfield Advisor website have just reviewed the Fuji FinePix F700. Fuji claims the the F700 sensor improves image quality by widening the dynamic range, rather than just increasing the number of pixels. This should mean more detail in the shadow and highlight areas of an image than Fuji cameras…
The Czech website Digineff have just posted a short review of the Sanyo Xacti VPC-C1, a new hybrid digital still/video camera that certainly looks very stylish.
Website: Digineff - Sanyo Xacti VPC-C1 Review
The Czech website Digineff have just posted a short review of the Sanyo Xacti VPC-C1, a new hybrid digital still/video camera that certainly looks very stylish. Website: Digineff - Sanyo Xacti VPC-C1 Review
The Spanish website quesabesde.com have posted their review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1, a rangefinder-like digital camera which is exactly the same as the more expensive Leica Digilux 2 in terms of camera design.
The Spanish website quesabesde.com have posted their review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1, a rangefinder-like digital camera which is exactly the same as the more expensive Leica Digilux 2 in terms of camera design. Website: quesabesde.com - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1 Review
ByteSector have just reviewed the 8-megapixel Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom digital camera.
“The image quality is just excellent; the C-8080 is not as good as the PowerShot Pro1 in quality but it is better then the DiMage A2. The colour results are very natural and there are no distortions or odd hues. There is very little noise found and a noise reduction option is also available in the menu. For me this camera produces an overall balanced image; everything is just perfect, not overdone or underdone but natural. “
ByteSector have just reviewed the 8-megapixel Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom digital camera. “The image quality is just excellent; the C-8080 is not as good as the PowerShot Pro1 in quality but it is better then the DiMage A2. The colour results are very natural and there are no distortions or…
The next 25 people who subscribe to the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter will automatically win
15 digital prints, kindly donated by MyPIXmania.
In addition, 15 people from the current subscriber list will be randomly selected to also win 15 digital prints.
UPDATE: All 40 prizes have now been won, as of 08.30am BST 16th June - you will receive an email today if you have won.
“MyPIXmania is a website specialised in online photo processing. In just a few clicks, you have the possibility of transfering your images before ordering your photos on professional photography paper, which would then be delivered to your home by mail. MyPIXmania has developed a service adapted to your needs:
- unlimited storage space for photos with no time limit
- the high speed transfer of photo thanks to the Pixuploader software making it possible to send several images at once.”
The next 25 people who subscribe to the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter will automatically win 15 digital prints, kindly donated by MyPIXmania. In addition, 15 people from the current subscriber list will be randomly selected to also win 15 digital prints. UPDATE: All 40 prizes have now been won, as of 08.30am…
With Father’s Day just around the corner, About.com have published a brief guide to the Top 5 Digital Cameras for Dads, including the budget Kodak EasyShare CX6200 (pictured). OK, so it’s a pretty spurious link, but it will only take a couple of minutes to read. Honest. And your Dad will love you forever if you buy him the most expensive recommended camera - the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 at only $999…
With Father’s Day just around the corner, About.com have published a brief guide to the Top 5 Digital Cameras for Dads, including the budget Kodak EasyShare CX6200 (pictured). OK, so it’s a pretty spurious link, but it will only take a couple of minutes to read. Honest. And your Dad…
More cameraphone news as 4 New York Times staff photographers try out the Sanyo PM-8200 and report back on whether they liked it or not. Concerns about the image quality and the issue of privacy were raised - “When I’m taking pictures I want to be seen as a photographer and not be sneaking pictures”. But the overall impression of this 640x480 pixel phone was quite positive - “I didn’t expect good quality, but when I printed the pictures it was better than I expected.”
Website: Reiter’s Camera Phone Report - New York Times staff photographers play with Sanyo camera phones
More cameraphone news as 4 New York Times staff photographers try out the Sanyo PM-8200 and report back on whether they liked it or not. Concerns about the image quality and the issue of privacy were raised - “When I’m taking pictures I want to be seen as a photographer…
BBC News are running a story about another device that allows you to automatically record your day-to-day lives. Well, actually you probably won’t be able to record your life, as the SenseCam is a prototype that will never make it into production. But it will help patients at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, UK, where researchers hope that it will help patients with memory loss and improve their quality of life. For the techies amongst you, the Sensecam can store 2,000 images on a 128MB memory card and has a 132-degree ultrawide lens.
BBC News are running a story about another device that allows you to automatically record your day-to-day lives. Well, actually you probably won’t be able to record your life, as the SenseCam is a prototype that will never make it into production. But it will help patients at Addenbrookes Hospital…
Fuji are currently running a Flash-based teaser on their Finepix.com website for a new camera called the Fuji FinePix Square Mini. Billed as the successor to the Finepix 401, 410 and 420 digicams, more details are due in 2 days time on the 17th June, so stay tuned…
Website: Finepix.com
Fuji are currently running a Flash-based teaser on their Finepix.com website for a new camera called the Fuji FinePix Square Mini. Billed as the successor to the Finepix 401, 410 and 420 digicams, more details are due in 2 days time on the 17th June, so stay tuned… Website: Finepix.com
Adobe Press Release 14/06/04
Popular Digital Photography Software Makes it Easy for Consumers to Organize and Share Their Digital Memories
SAN JOSE, Calif. - June 14, 2004 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that more than five million consumers worldwide are using Photoshop Album 2.0 Starter Edition software, just six months after launch. With Photoshop Album Starter Edition software, consumers can easily share their digital memories with loved ones via e-mail, printing at home or through one of Adobe’s online service partners; fix common photography problems such as red-eye; and organize them for quick retrieval and viewing. Starter Edition software is a free version of the award-winning Photoshop Album 2.0, offering essential functions found in the Windows based, digital camera companion software for consumers.
Adobe Press Release 14/06/04 Popular Digital Photography Software Makes it Easy for Consumers to Organize and Share Their Digital Memories SAN JOSE, Calif. - June 14, 2004 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that more than five million consumers worldwide are using Photoshop Album 2.0 Starter Edition software, just…
Nikon USA have released a new update for their Nikon Scan software. Version 4.0.2 adds the following features/changes:
- Improved detection of the image frame area when using the SA-21 strip-film or SA-30 roll-film adapters. Applies to SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED, COOLSCAN V ED, SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED or COOLSCAN IV ED.
- A problem which could cause the computer to freeze when inserting or removing a film holder from the SUPER COOLSCAN 9000 ED, has been corrected.
Website: Nikon Scan 4.0.2 Updater - Windows
Website: Nikon Scan 4.0.2 Updater - Macintosh
Nikon USA have released a new update for their Nikon Scan software. Version 4.0.2 adds the following features/changes: - Improved detection of the image frame area when using the SA-21 strip-film or SA-30 roll-film adapters. Applies to SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED, COOLSCAN V ED, SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED or COOLSCAN…
Michael Reichmann has published a great article on his Luminous Landscape website which weighs up the pros and cons of digital SLRs and compact digital cameras. Essential reading if you are trying to decide between the two types of camera.
“I believe that even serious fine-art photographers and working pros will now find several digicams worth considering - something that I might not have said 12-18 months ago. And fortunately as time passes this is likely to become increasingly true. Certainly for a broad range of amateurs and enthusiasts the better digicams may indeed be all the camera that’s needed.”
Michael Reichmann has published a great article on his Luminous Landscape website which weighs up the pros and cons of digital SLRs and compact digital cameras. Essential reading if you are trying to decide between the two types of camera. “I believe that even serious fine-art photographers and working pros…
Nikon USA have released a new firmware version for the Coolpix 5400 digital camera. Version 1.4 adds the following features/changes:
- A RAW option has been added to the Image Quality menu. With this option selected RAW data from the CCD is saved in Nikon Electronic Image Format (NEF file) without processing or compression preserving the highest level of detail.
- Corrections have been made to some English and French menu text
Nikon USA have released a new firmware version for the Coolpix 5400 digital camera. Version 1.4 adds the following features/changes: - A RAW option has been added to the Image Quality menu. With this option selected RAW data from the CCD is saved in Nikon Electronic Image Format (NEF file)…
ASMP Press Release 14/06/04
(Philadelphia) The American Society of Media Photographers Foundation today unveiled plans for a revitalized grant funding program for photographic education and announced the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors
The new grant program is designed to get maximum leverage from the foundation’s assets by making a number of smaller awards to assist with educational programs for working professionals and students around the country. “We are a small foundation so we aren’t in a position to offer huge grants, ” Board President Dan Lamont explained, “but we believe we can really help put worthy programs over the top in their fundraising.”
The grants will be awarded twice each year. The number of grants and specific amounts given will depend on available funds and the needs and merits of applicant programs. The application deadlines for 2004 are June 31st and October 31st. Application information and forms are available online at www.asmp.org/foundation
ASMP Press Release 14/06/04 (Philadelphia) The American Society of Media Photographers Foundation today unveiled plans for a revitalized grant funding program for photographic education and announced the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors The new grant program is designed to get maximum leverage from the foundation’s…
Olympus Press Release 14/06/04
New specifications for the latest lens to join the Olympus E-System
ZUIKO DIGITAL ED150mm F2.0
Hamburg, 14 June 2004 - The latest addition to the range of interchangeable lenses for the Olympus E-System, the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED150mm F2.0 (35mm camera equivalent: 300mm), will be available late October 2004. However, the extra wait will be worth it. The optical system has already received a coveted award from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). It confers awards to products and technologies of special distinction across a number of areas in the field of photography. The jury declared the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED150mm F2.0 the best high-end lens and praised it for allowing tele photography with a size of aperture not possible with systems based on the 35mm standard. Originally planned for release in summer 2004, the new Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL lens will now be available in late October 2004.
Specifications as of June 2004
Working distance - 1.4m ~ infinity
Max. image magnification - 0.13x
Minimum field size - 102 x 136mm
Dimensions (max. diameter x length) - 100 x 150mm
Weight - 1,550g (with tripod mount)
Olympus Press Release 14/06/04 New specifications for the latest lens to join the Olympus E-System ZUIKO DIGITAL ED150mm F2.0 Hamburg, 14 June 2004 - The latest addition to the range of interchangeable lenses for the Olympus E-System, the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED150mm F2.0 (35mm camera equivalent: 300mm), will be available late…
DPReview have today posted their review of the new 8 megapixel professional DSLR from Canon, the EOS 1D Mark II.
“I could go through the list of improvements, such as the vastly improved LCD monitor and up to 10x magnification in playback mode but it’s more interesting to take just one example. Canon pointed out to me that they had changed the design of the media compartment release lever, it now has a raised midsection making it more of a ‘U’ shape. Why was this done? To make it easier to open the media compartment when wearing gloves. Small details matter.”
Thanks to Joe Bunker for letting me know about the review :-)
DPReview have today posted their review of the new 8 megapixel professional DSLR from Canon, the EOS 1D Mark II. “I could go through the list of improvements, such as the vastly improved LCD monitor and up to 10x magnification in playback mode but it’s more interesting to take just…