The Carnival in Santa Cruz featured several extragantly decorated, motorized floats that each carried an equally extravagant Carnival Queen. I think that there was a Queen for each neighbourhood in the city, with one being voted as the overall winner. These photos were all taken at the Opening Parade.

Luminous Landscape have published the second in a 3-part review of the Leica Digilux 2, written by contributor Sean Reid and photographer Ben Lifson.

“As I see it, an exceptional camera needs to be successful both in terms of its design (it’s usefulness to the photographer as a tool) and it’s image quality.  As I discussed in Part I of this review,  Leica’s analog controls for shutter speed, aperture, focus and focal length are among its greatest strengths.  Together they make the camera fluid and quick to work with.  The very large and bright 2.5” LCD screen also adds to the functionality and usefulness of the camera, as does the very effective metering and live histogram display.  For the most part, the camera allows one to work without delay or distraction.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Leica Digilux 2 Review - Part 2

The Czech website Digineff has published a short review of the FujiFilm FinePix F610, a 6-megapixel digital camera that was first announced back in November 2003.

Website: Digineff - FujiFilm FinePix F610 Review

Website: Read my review of the Fujifilm FinePix F610

Canon’s “EOS Digital Rebel/EOS Kiss/EOS 300D” digital SLR has sold so well that Canon have recently raised production by 25%, according to a report on Yahoo! News via Reuters:

“Ando said Canon had completed plans to boost monthly production capacity of the “EOS Kiss” by about 25 percent to 100,000 cameras in the first quarter of this year. Half of that capacity is housed in a Taiwan plant and the other half in Japan.

Canon sold 600,000 digital SLRs in 2003, capturing 70 percent of the rapidly growing market and leaving Nikon Corp (7731.T), which did not have a camera anywhere near the “EOS Kiss” model’s price range, in second place with 30 percent.”

Even more interestingly, Canon spokesman Tadaaki Ando, deputy group executive in charge of digital SLRs, strongly hinted that an even cheaper DSLR will be released in about a year’s time:

“Canon’s Ando said a lower-priced digital SLR could be about one year away.

“If it’s not this autumn, then that would probably mean next spring,” Ando said, noting the release would then be one-and-a-half years after the original “EOS Kiss.” “Development times are so much faster than they were in the film age.”

Website: Yahoo! News - “Canon Raises Output of Fast-Selling Kiss Digicam”

Sigma Press Release 16/03/04

Fully automatic flash photography and easy-to -use operation.

ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-500 DG ST

New Electronic Flash EF-500 DG ST is designed to work with both AF 35mm SLR and Digital SLR Pentax cameras It has a maximum guide number of 50 at 105mm focal length (ISO 100/m) / 165/ft (ISO100/ft). Projection angle of the flashlight is set automatically to match the lens’ focal length ranging from 28mm wide-angle to 105mm medium-telephoto. It incorporates a wide panel that expands the angle of illumination down to 17mm focal length. It enables full automatic flash photography by TTL automatic flash exposure control it is compatible with P-TTL flash photography of *ist D cameras. For bounce flash it can be tilted 90degree upwards and 7degree downward for close-ups. Also, it can be swiveled 180degree to the left and 90degree to the right. In addition manual flash can be set to full and 1/16 output levels in 2 steps.

Covering focal length of the flashlight can be seen on the LED panel and the flash ready signal can be seen in the viewfinder. EF-500 DG ST incorporates auto power off system.

Sigma Press Release 16/03/04

Advanced flash photography for digital and 35mm SLR Pentax Cameras(2004.3.16)

ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-500 DG SUPER

New Electronic Flash EF-500 DG SUPER is designed to work with both AF 35mm SLR and Digital SLR Pentax cameras. It has a maximum guide number of 50/m at the 105mm focal length setting (ISO 100) / 165/ft (ISO100). The projection angle of the flashlight is set automatically to match the lens? focal length ranging from 28mm wide-angle to 105mm medium-telephoto. It also incorporates a wide panel that covers angle of view down to 17mm focal length. It enables full automatic flash photography by TTL automatic flash exposure control and it is compatible with P-TTL flash photography of *ist D cameras. For bounce flash it can be tilted 90degree upwards and 7degree downward for close-ups. Also it can be swiveled 180degree to the left and 90? to the right. It incorporates “modeling flash” mode to provide proper light distribution to check the shadow of the subject. The multi pulse flash features enable reduced power setting from 1/4 to 1/64 in 4 steps and the pulse frequency of the flash can be set from 1Hz to 100Hz. EF-500 DG SUPER incorporates wireless TTL flash photography, slave flash photography, and FP flash photography (synchronized with high shutter speed). In addition, manual flash also can be set at 8 output power levels. The covering focal length of the flashlight can be seen on the LCD panel, and flash ready signal can be seen in the viewfinder. The EF-500 DG SUPER also incorporates auto power off system.

Sigma Press Release 16/03/04

High-performance Telephoto Zoom Lens, designed for “Four Thirds System (4/3 System)” Digital SLR Camera System standard.(2004.3.16)

55-200mm F4-5.6 DC

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 55-200mm F4-5.6 DC for the Four Thirds Digital SLR Camera System.

This compact telephoto zoom lens was exclusively designed for use with digital SLR cameras. The image circle was designed to match the size of the image sensors of digital SLR cameras that also allows compact body and lightweight. This remarkably compact high performance zoom lens is ideally suited to a wide range of subjects and lens has a minimum focusing distance of 110cm (43.3in.) and maximum magnification of 1:4.

* If Olympus E-1 digital cameras is used, the angle of view will be equal to 110-400mm focal length.

Sigma Press Release 16/03/04

Compact-Lightweight zoom lens for the “Four Thirds System (4/3 System)” Digital SLR Camera System standard.(2004.3.16)

18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC for the Four Thirds Digital SLR Camera System. This zoom lens was exclusively designed to suit the characteristics of digital SLR cameras. The image circle was designed to match the size of the image sensors of digital SLR cameras, and this produced a compact and lightweight lens. The use of aspherical lenses provides correction for various aberrations throughout the entire zoom range and produce high level of optical performance. 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC lens has a minimum focusing distance of 25cm (9.8in.) at all focal lengths and is capable of macro photography with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.5.

* If Olympus E-1 digital cameras is used, the angle of view will be equal to 36-100mm focal length.

Sigma Press Release 16/03/04

Exclusively Designed for use with digital SLR cameras and has 6.9 times high magnification zoom ratio(2004.3.16)

18-125mm F3.5-5.6 DC

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 18-125mm F3.5-5.6 DC.

This zoom lens was exclusively designed for use with digital Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras and has 6.9 times high magnification zoom ratio. Image circle is designed to match the size of the image sensor of digital SLR cameras.

A Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and two pieces of aspherical glass elements produce high level of optical performance through the entire zoom range and also this has resulted in a compact, lightweight lens.

The Danish website Akamera.dk have today published their review of the HP Photosmart 935, a 5 megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom lens.

Website: Akamera.dk - HP Photosmart 935 Review

The Danish website Digitalmagasinet.dk have posted their review of the compact Nikon Coolpix 3700 digital camera.

The Coolpix 3700 has a very different design from previous Coolpix models, with a brushed aluminium body that’s both slim and lightweight. The 3.2 megapixel 3700 features a 3x optical zoom that is equivalent to 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Digitalmagasinet.dk have provided a brief summary for everyone who can’t read Danish:

“We really liked the Image quality (low noise and excellent exposure), the advanced video facilities, and found the camera to be very user friendly.”

Website: Digitalmagasinet.dk - Nikon Coolpix 3700 Review

After a couple of month’s away, the monthly photography magazine 28MM has returned with 8 new galleries.

On display in the March issue of 28MM:

- City reflections, by Filipe Bianchi
- To Market - To Market, by Jen Boxer
- Abandoned well house, by Ron Cillizza
- Downtown Laundromat, by Gary Moyer
- Radio Tower Array, by Justin Ouellette
- ARKHEE, by Eolo Perfido
- Coloring Between the Lines, by Dan Schwartz
- Pipeline, by Sean Slavin

Cover Photo: Shane Lavalette

Website: http://www.28mm.org

Serif (Europe) Ltd Press Release 15/03/04

SERIF LAUNCHES ‘MEDIAPLUS 2’

New version of media file management software with greatly enhanced features for improved flexibility and control.

Serif (Europe) Ltd - the UK’s leading independent desktop publishing, design and graphics software developer - today announced the launch of MediaPlus 2, the latest version of their media file management program.

MediaPlus 2 (Price ?59.99) is Serif’s superb one-stop solution for the organisation and handling of media files. The intuitive customisable interface makes it easy for everyone to create thumbnail albums from files located anywhere on the PC. Plus, a bevy of powerful new features have been introduced to further enhance the flexibility of this indispensable program, without compromise on price.

The winner of the 15th PhotographyBLOG Photo of the Week contest is cramer with the entry “Foggy morning on the Susquehanna”. There are no prizes as such for this contest, but the winning photo is displayed on the PhotographyBLOG homepage for a week, and the winner can display the Photo of the Week logo on their website if they wish.

The 16th Photo of the Week contest is now open. This is a weekly photography challenge where you decide who the winner is by voting for your favourite photos. It’s an open contest with no set theme and you can enter as many photos as you like.

NOTE: Thanks to some improvements in the Gallery software that I use, the first photo displayed in the Competition/Photo of the Week galleries is the winner of that particular contest. It is always displayed first so that you know which image won.

Also, if a photo that you upload to the PhotographyBLOG Gallery contains EXIF data, it is now displayed, as in this image. This improvement has been retrospectively applied to all 2,267 photos currently in the Gallery.

Here are a few more shots from the picturesque town of La Orotava in Tenerife.

ByteSector have posted what may be the first ever review of the 4-megapixel, 10x zoom Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2.

“Conventionally, the user can swap between the internal and external viewfinders. That isn’t new but how it is done is! If you switch to the internal viewfinder “the thing you look at with one eye” the external viewfinder has some mechanical element that folds a screen over it. So the external viewfinder doesn’t simply turn off, it is covered up by a mechanism. A cool design enhancement; it shows you exactly that which is shown on the external viewfinder into the internal one, same colours, contrasts and hues. It’s like a reflective mirror inside.”

Website: ByteSector - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the X’S-Drive Pro VP300, which is a portable image storage device, 9-in-1 flash memory card reader/writer, MP3 player and USB 2.0 hard drive device.

“The VP-300 can use most any (9.5mm height) 2.5-inch IDE laptop hard disk drive. I upgraded a laptop a while back and had a 20GB IBM Travelstar hard drive sitting around doing nothing, it’s now in my VP-300. Laptop hard drives are plentiful and cheap these days, just pick the capacity you want and install it in the VP-300.”

Website: Steves Digicams - X’S-Drive Pro VP300 Review

The Slovenian website e-Fotografija has just reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Pentax Optio 30, which is a simple digital camera aimed at photography beginners.

Website: e-Fotografija - Pentax Optio 30 Review

Microtek International, Inc. Press Release 11/03/04

Microtek International Takes Aggressive Measures

Corrects misinformation about new business relationship with Umax System GmbH

Hsinchu, Taiwan (March 11, 2004) - Microtek International, Inc. is quickly and decisively responding to a false and misleading news report recently posted on Macworld.co.uk that Umax is acquiring Microtek.  Microtek emphatically denies this report, and Umax System GmbH (USG) has provided to Macworld.co.uk additional, factual information about its newly formed business relationship with Microtek.  Macworld online in the United Kingdom has subsequently corrected its news report in its March 10, 2004 issue. 

The facts are that Microtek International, Inc. entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with USG in Europe.  This distribution agreement is specific and limited, applying to Europe only and to specific high-end scanners in Microtek?s ArtixScan and ScanMaker product lines. USG will discontinue its distribution of the PowerLook scanners in Europe as part of this agreement.  Microtek will continue to market and sell its other products including digital cameras.

We only had a few hours to look around the small hillside town of La Orotava in the North of Tenerife, but luckily the weather was gloriously sunny and the town was something of a photographer’s paradise. My favourite photo of the day was not taken in La Orotava, however, but in the much, much more touristy city of Peurto de la Cruz, just a short bus journey away. The last photo of 4 tourists unknowingly resting under a Holy Cross is one of my favourites of the entire trip.