CNET have reviewed the new Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4U, which packs the first high-resolution 4-megapixel CCD of the EXILIM lineup into a stylish and thin card size body. The EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4U retails for $399.99 and is available now.

“In general, we liked the EX-Z4U’s photos; they were relatively sharp, with good exposure and pleasantly saturated colors. Manual white balance worked very well, but the automatic setting oversaturated skies and made pictures extremely cool outdoors and really warm indoors.”

Website: CNET - Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4U Review

Ahead Software Press Release 31/03/04

Ahead Software?s Nero Enchances DVD+R Double Layer (DL) Recording With New Technology ? Nero LayerMagic? And Nero SmoothPlay?

KARLSBAD, Germany—March 31, 2004—Ahead Software, leaders in digital media technology, announced today the technology behind the world’s first all-in-one DVD+R Double Layer (DL) software suite, Nero 6. The two essential technologies that will help smoothly usher in Double Layer DVD recording are Nero LayerMagic(TM), to speed up the DL burning process, and Nero SmoothPlay(TM), to provide seamless DL playback. The Nero applications in this enhanced version of its OEM digital media suite will fully support DVD+R DL drives, allowing 8.5GB DVD writing, authoring, backup and recoding for the first time ever.

Blu-ray Disc Press Release 29/03/04

Blu-ray Disc To Deliver Five Times Disc Capacity of DVD Discs With Comparable Costs Per Disc

Superior picture quality and copy protection system with comparable per disc cost meets Hollywood?s top criteria for next industry standard

LOS ANGELES - March 29, 2004 - Blu-ray Disc (BD) - the next generation of optical discs for
storing high-definition movies, photos and other digital content - will have by far the highest
capacity of any optical disc storage format ever developed for consumers with disc-making costs that are comparable to those for DVDs when manufactured at mass volumes, according to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.(Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics and Sony Corporation.

The per-disc production cost of Blu-ray Discs will be comparable to current per-disc costs for DVD discs, said the three companies. Even with its five times larger capacity, a single layer disc of Blu-ray (BD-ROM) is expected to cost no more than a current DVD when manufactured at mass volumes.

Blu-ray Disc is supported by The Blu-ray Disc Founders, a group of 13 industry giants
in the consumer electronics, personal computer, and media manufacturing sectors and is
the first to address the key components necessary to establish the format as a standard including high quality, robustness, security, flexibility and compatibility all at a per-disc cost comparable to current DVDs.

Canon USA Press Release 31/03/04

Canon’s New Compact Photo Printers CP-220 and CP-330 Add Ease-of-Use, Flexibility and Style to Direct Photo Printing
 
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—March 31, 2004—New Print Size, Enhanced Features and Sleek Design Bolster User-Friendly Compact Printers  

Whether announcing a “new arrival” or capturing family fun at a weekend barbecue, Canon’s new Compact Photo Printers CP-220 and CP-330 allow consumers to print pictures quickly, easily and directly from a digital camera, virtually anywhere. Canon’s small and stylish CP photo printers now print high-quality color prints in three different paper sizes from a computer via USB or by direct camera-to-printer connection. These sizes include 4” x 8” for personalized greeting cards or invitations; 4” x 6” postcard size or credit-card size pictures.

“We launched our next generation of compact card photo printers so that people can print their photos whenever and wherever they want,” said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc, a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). “The new and enhanced features in our Compact Photo Printer series make photo printing a more simple and enjoyable experience for everyone, and will likely encourage consumers to print more often.”

After a slight delay caused by the arrival of a new PC (!), here’s the second part of my Tenerife Auditorium photographs.

Imaging Resource have posted their review of the Pentax Optio 33WR, a compact 3-megapixel camera with a 2.8x optical zoom and a weather resistant case.

“Able to withstand an accidental dunk in the pool or an impromptu rain shower, the Pentax Optio 33WR is a new addition to the Optio line, and has a water resistant rating equivalent to JIS Class 5 and 7. What this spec-speak means is that, although the camera is not intended for underwater use, it can survive being splashed, dropped into shallow water (but quickly retrieved), and washed lightly in a sink. Best of all, it means you don’t have to worry about ruining the camera if you get stuck in the rain.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Pentax Optio 33WR Review

Imaging Resource have published their review of the Pentax *ist D DSLR, which has been on the market for quite a while now.

“In a d-SLR field that’s becoming increasingly crowded, the Pentax *ist D holds its own quite nicely. With “street” prices hovering around $1250 as of this writing in late March, 2004, it faces some very stiff competition from the less-expensive Canon Digital Rebel and the newly announced Nikon D70, but for anyone owning a complement of Pentax K-mount lenses, the *ist D is a camera that offers pretty much anything you might want from a d-SLR.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Pentax *ist D Review

Digital Outback Photo have started an experience report on the new 8 megapixel professional DSLR from Canon, the EOS 1D Mark II.

“We did not get a a review camera yet but had the chance last week to use a Mark II for one hour in Alviso. We will share our first findings. Otherwise wait for our diary once we will get a sample for two weeks.

Of course the 1D MArk II feels very familiar to us as we use a 1Ds all the time.

We will discuss three topics:

Softness?
RGB Histogram
ISO”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Canon EOS 1D Mark II Experience Report

DCResource have posted a full review of the Fujifilm Finepix S20 Pro digital camera, which sits at the top of the FinePix range.

“The Fuji FinePix S20 Pro’s conclusion is much like the one I wrote for the F700. The S20 is a very capable camera whose main disadvantage is its price: this camera is priced way too high at $999. As with the F700, the camera does its best at the 3 Megapixel resolution—at the 6M setting things are just too noisy. Dynamic range is slightly better than your typical camera, but don’t expect “night and day” differences between the two. At the 3M setting, images are colorful and sharp, though do expect above average purple fringing and a little noise as well.”

Website: DCResource - Fujifilm Finepix S20 Pro Review

Website: Read my Review of the Fuji FinePix S20 Pro

The Czech website Digineff has posted a short review of Focus Magic 3, a software program that corrects both out-of-focus blur and motion blur in photographs.

Website: Digineff - Focus Magic 3.0 Review

Website: Focus Magic

The Norwegian website Akamera.no has tested the Canon 17-40mm f/4 L zoom lens, which sells for around ?600 in the UK, against the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens and 3 Canon prime lenses. The article is worth looking at even if you can’t speak Norwegian, as there are a lot of comparitive sample images.

Website: Akamera.no - Canon Zoom Lens Test

Extensis, Inc. Press Release 31/03/04

Extensis Portfolio Server Sets the Bar for Instant Installation, Ease of Use and Affordability with Digital Asset Management Solutions

Enhanced collaboration and automated workflow features make organizing, finding and distributing digital assets across multiple workgroups easy and affordable.

Northampton, UK - March 31, 2004 - Extensis, Inc. today announced the upcoming release of Portfolio 7 Server, a leading digital asset management (DAM) solution that enables workgroups - from those in small-to-medium sized organizations to multiple workgroups in global 2000 companies - to organize, retrieve, repurpose, and distribute digital files quickly. Portfolio Server also provides controlled access to assets across departmental workgroups, opening the communication channel between distributed team members and partner networks, making asset management and collaboration easier and more efficient than ever before. 

“We’re hearing from customers that most DAM solutions are far too pricey and far too complex for what they need,” said Kevin Hurst, vice president of Marketing at Extensis.  “Organizations are realizing valuable benefits with Portfolio Server because it delivers exactly what customers are searching for: ‘must have’ DAM functionally at a fraction of the price of other solutions.”

Luminous Parrot Technologies Press Release 29/03/04

Dream in Pictures Delivers a Fast, Easy Way to Have Fun With Digital Photos and Videos - Powerful Suite of Tools and Activities Include 3-D Gallery

SEATTLE, March 29—Luminous Parrot Technologies, a leading developer of photo and video software, today announced the general availability of Dream in Pictures. This downloadable software for the PC provides a powerful suite of imaging tools and exciting new ways to use digital images that empower people with the ability to share and enjoy their photos right way. Dream in Pictures combines a unique and intuitive interface, the most popular image management and editing capabilities as well as enjoyment features such as a creative slideshow builder, an interactive 3-D gallery, a fun mosaic maker, a challenging picture puzzle game and a screensaver capability. The new software is a fun, easy alternative to the current array of photo-handling software packages available.

People can try a free, 14-day trial of Dream in Pictures by visiting the Luminous Parrot Technologies Web site ( http://www.luminousparrot.com ). Regularly priced at $49.95, Dream in Pictures is now available at a special introductory price of $29.95.

A new feature has been added to the PhotographyBLOG Gallery. You can now create your own custom albums to store your photos in - simply click the Album Admin link to create and edit your albums. This feature was actually in the Gallery at one stage, but was inadvertently switched off during the recent upgrade :-)

Visit the Gallery

Photo.net contributor Mike Spinak has posted a guide to various techniques for obtaining maximum sharpness in your photographs. And no, buying the most expensive lens on the market is not one of the techniques…

“The primary sharpness-limiting factor for most photographers is inadequate technique, not inadequate optics. Someone who knows and practices excellent technique can usually easily get sharper results out of a cheap zoom lens than the results achieved by somebody who uses an optically superior (and vastly more expensive) prime lens with poor technique.”

Website: Photo.net - Obtaining Maximum Sharpness

Steves Digicams have posted a full review of the Fujifilm Finepix S20 Pro digital camera, which sits at the top of the FinePix range.

“The bottom line for most digital camera buyers today is image quality and price. The FinePix S20 Pro in my opinion does not deliver the level of image quality that we expect from a “top of the line” digicam. Other than its 6M mode it does not offer any choices in image quality other than basic, this is a standard feature on every other manufacturer’s cameras.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Fujifilm Finepix S20 Pro Review

Website: Read my Review of the Fuji FinePix S20 Pro

Steves Digicams have just reviewed the new 8-megapixel Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom digital camera.

“The C-8080 also performed well outdoors. Images were consistently well-exposed and richly- saturated. The range of the zoom lens provides plenty of flexibility in shot composition, with the wide-angle 28mm focal length providing extra field of view for landscapes and the 140mm telephoto focal length bringing your distant subjects closer. The LCD viewfinder has a brightness adjustment, allowing it to be used even on bright days, but it has no anti-glare coating to prevent the reflection of direct sunlight; you’ll prefer to use the EVF on the brightest days.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom Review

Website: Read my review of the Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom

Luminous Landscape have posted a full review of the new 8 megapixel professional DSLR from Canon, the EOS 1D Mark II.

“There isn’t much to add by way of summary. The Canon 1D Mark II offers the photojournalist, wildlife and sports photographer possibly the finest shooting tool yet seen. Image quality is excellent, shooting speed is as fast as we’ve ever had, and ruggedness of construction and quality of materials is a given.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Canon EOS 1D Mark II Review

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have just reviewed 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.

Website: Index Digicam - Canon PowerShot S1 IS Review

Imaging Resource have posted a gallery of sample images taken with the new 8 megapixel professional DSLR from Canon, the EOS 1D Mark II, ahead of their full review.

“The results look very nice: Great color, low image noise, very good tonality. All the images had the characteristic Canon softness to them, (I think) the result of very conservative in-camera sharpening. My uncertainty about the sharpness is because the only lens I have to shoot with the 1DMII currently is a 16-35mm zoom.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Canon EOS 1D Mark II Sample Images