This week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston is very subtly titled “Moving Pictures”...

“I’ve always believed - on very little actual evidence - that watching black-and-white movies can help black-and-white photographers get better. New on DVD recently is the famous “Schindler’s List,” which, although perhaps a qualified success as a film (only Spielberg could come so close to ruining a movie full of death and genocide with a saccharine ending), is indisputably a tour-de-force of superlative monochrome cinematography. Never mind the red cloak; Janusz Kaminski’s camerawork is of an extraordinary standard, always very good and, quite frequently, flat-out great. A movie to rent if you’re trying to learn how to see, or see better, in black-and-white.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: Moving Pictures

Digital Outback Photo have added some photos of cactus plants to their diary review of the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.

“The 8700 is capable of producing very nice photos once you get more used to it. If you shoot raw you just have to be patient to wait for the camera to write the files (the 8700 may be faster with other cards than my 1GB Microdrive).”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Nikon Coolpix 8700 Diary

A forum user over on the Thailand website Photohobby.net has posted a useful comparison of the 5 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A1 and the new 8-megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 digital camera (found via digicamera.net).

“I have a chance to play around with the A2 for couple days. Having both A1/A2 at the same time make me decide to write a short review emphasizing how the two are different. I hope that the information I?ve put here will be beneficial for whom who is seeking for what to buy. As well as the A1 owner like mine will have a chance to see whether or not the new A2 is worth upgrading?”

Website: Photohobby.net - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 vs A1 Comparison

The Danish website Akamera.dk have just published their review of the Sony Cybershot DSC U40, a stylish 2-megapixel digicam available in four colors (silver, black, dark blue and red), which costs around $200.

Website: Akamera.dk - Sony Cybershot DSC U40 Review

PENTAX to Distribute Camera Control Software for *ist D on the Internet

PENTAX Corporation is proud to announce that it will distribute the PENTAX REMOTE Assistant* camera control software to users of the PENTAX *ist D digital SLR camera via the Internet. The software can be downloaded free of charge from the PENTAX Web site (http://www.digital.pentax.co.jp) beginning on March 18, 2004, for Windows users and after mid April for Macintosh users.

The PENTAX REMOTE Assistant is designed to expand the capabilities of the PENTAX *ist D when the camera is connected via USB cable to a personal computer with the software installed. Advanced functions and user-friendly features that the software offers to *ist D users include:

Remote shutter release and interval shooting from the computer. (The interval shooting function is available only in combination with a computer.)

Direct uploading and filing of captured images onto the computer’s hard disk drive, without having to store them on the camera’s memory card.

Setting and adjustment of basic and auxiliary functions, including user-selectable custom functions, on the computer.

* This software is equivalent in English only.

After a brief spell of being offline this morning due to exceeding my bandwidth limit for March (it’s only the 14th!), PhotographyBLOG is now back up and running :-)

The latest issue of the monthly online photo magazine, Vivid Light Photography, has just been published. Highlights this month include a couple of articles that look back at PMA 2004 Article 1, Article 2, and a look forward to the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7 Digital.

Website: Vivid Light Photography - Issue #34

Steves Digicams has posted a First Look at the new 8-megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 digital camera.

“The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 inherits the excellent image quality and performance of the DiMAGE A1 and takes it to the next level with a high-quality 8-megapixel CCD and a Super Fine Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) with VGA resolution. The features continue with a fast, new 3D autofocusing system (1.5x faster than DiMAGE A1) with 3D Predicative Focus Control and Movement tracking, a sharp f/2.8 7x optical zoom lens with manual zoom and focus rings, Anti-shake function for still images and VGA quality movies, CxProcess II Image Processing technology, UHS Continuous Advance rate of 7 frames per second, high-speed USB 2.0 support and compatibility with portable and studio flash systems.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 First Look

According to a story over on Rob Galbraith’s site, the Nikon D70 is due to start shipping in the USA on March 18th. Apparently the D70 is already back-ordered, so unless you’ve already pre-ordered you may have to wait a while…

Website: Rob Galbraith - Nikon D70 Shipping Date

Olympus UK Press Release 12/03/04

An opportunity not to be missed!

Trade in your current camera for Olympus E-System accessories

Between the 15 March and 30 April 2004, customers who purchase the Olympus E-1 Kit (which includes E-1 body and ZUIKO Digital 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 lens) are invited to trade in any make or model of SLR equipment or digital camera (in full working order)*. They may then choose between one of four high spec accessories or ?200 cash back. In addition, these customers will receive a free one year membership to the Olympus E-Club.

The accessories to choose from are:

- FL-50 external flash system
- ZUIKO Digital ED 50mm f2.0 macro lens
- CAMEDIA P-440 photo printer
- 2GB 40X Lexar Pro series CompactFlash card

Sara Cubitt, Head of Marketing Communications of Olympus UK comments, “This opportunity emphasises our commitment to professional photographers by encouraging them to explore the creative potential of the E-System”.

The Olympus E-System has been designed to meet the demands of professional photographers and currently offers the most innovative digital SLR system on the market. The system boasts excellent image quality and flexibility, plus lenses which are much smaller and lighter than those created for analogue systems.

Further information can be found on the Olympus E-System website: www.olympus-pro.com/uk from Monday 15th March.

* NB The offer does not include 35mm compact cameras or single use cameras.

PhotographyBLOG visitor Emil is the proud owner of the new Canon Powershot Pro 1 digital camera, and he has kindly sent me 2 sample images and a noise comparison between the Pro 1 and his old Canon G3. The images below have been resized in Photoshop - simply click on them to open the full-sized image in a new browser window. The first sample was taken with ISO set to Auto, the second was set to ISO 50.

Nature Photographers Online Magazine has recently published an interesting article by Mark Hobson, who urges you to focus on a specific subject in order to stand out from the photography crowd.

“So, let me repeat myself. All great photographers do the same. Avedon, Penn, Bresson, Adams, Witkin, Meyerowitz, et al - they find (or create) a niche and then they hammer at it over and over again. They create a focused body of related work of a particular subject over an extended period of time, and, from that vision-defining body of work, emerges the ?greatest hits? for which they are well known.”

Website: Nature Photographers Online Magazine - Just Do It

Michael Reichmann’s recent review of the Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom digital camera provoked a lot of negative feedback on various discussion forums. In his latest essay, Michael looks at what is important when it comes to evaluating a new camera.

“In the end both image quality and a camera’s operational quality are equally important. No camera is perfect, and few are perfectly bad. For some photographers who don’t have a lot of experience with a wide range of equipment, and of working under difficult conditions, where seemingly small operational features can make the difference between getting the shot or not, my complaints may seem like so much unfair griping.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - The Case of the Nit Picking Pixel Peepers

Steves Digicams have published their full review of the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.

“ISO settings of 50, 100, 200 and 400 are available, but you’ll prefer to use the low-end of that range. The noise at ISO 400 is unacceptable even at fast shutter speeds. The noise at ISO 200 is noticeable, and at ISO 100 it’s detectable.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Nikon Coolpix 8700 Review

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review today of the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.

Website: Index Digicam - Nikon Coolpix 8700 Review

CNET have reviewed the Fuji FinePix S7000, which is the successor to the popular FinePix S602 model. The S7000 uses Fuji’s 4th Generation Super CCD HR with 6.3 Million Effective Pixels output and 12.3 million recorded pixels. It costs around $799.99 and is available now.

“Fujifilm’s FinePix S7000 combines prosumer features with a 6-megapixel Super CCD HR sensor and an impressive 6X zoom lens. The camera won’t fit in your pocket or win any beauty contests, and it lacks a few of the most advanced image-quality controls. But enthusiasts will like the S7000’s versatility and very good photos.”

Website: CNET - Fuji FinePix S7000 Review

Website: Read my review of the Fuji FinePix S7000

ByteSector have posted a review of the Olympus CAMEDIA C-5060 Wide Zoom camera, an updated version of the popular Olympus CAMEDIA C-5050 model, with a wider-angle lens that is equivalent to a 27-110mm lens on a 35mm camera.

“Truly amazing! The C-5060 takes the sharpest and most detailed pictures I have ever seen. The sharp quality is backed up by the 5.1 megapixel resolution this camera handles and an integrated technology known as TruePic? from Olympus . Combined together, these two features throw out an amazing picture. The highest resolution supported on this camera is 3264x2448. Also, there is a new file format supported in the C-5060 known as RAW (.ORF). When taking pictures under this format I noticed the outcome to be very sharp and very detailed compared to the TIFF and JPEG format settings.”

Website: ByteSector - Olympus C-5060 Wide Zoom Review

Buy-n-Shoot.com have just published their review of the Leica Digilux 2.

“It’s the little things, like the way the lens cap has material inside the rim to slide onto the lens smoothly every time, or the extra lens hood with its own lens cap that make this camera complete. The packaging the camera arrives in is not cheap either - with a metallic silver finish and a very well laid out foam insert holding each of the cameras accessories, as well as the camera, manuals and cds required for digital imaging.”

Website: Buy-n-Shoot.com - Leica Digilux 2 Review

The OptioS30 - The ultra-compact digital with performance that?s a class above.

A compact digital camera that places the key emphasis on cost performance, PENTAX announces the OptioS30. Easy to handle for stress-free shooting, it makes it easy to enjoy quality digital photography anywhere, at any time. With a truly user-friendly design, it makes shooting in diverse situations a breeze. And with an attractive, hairline-textured aluminium exterior, it’s also strikingly stylish.

The OptioS30 is surprisingly capable too. It features an array of easy-to-operate functions that assist in making sure the end results live up to expectations, is empowered with 3.2 effective megapixels, and also features a lens offering 3X optical zooming versatility that can be combined with 2.6X digital zoom for total 8X (approx.) zooming freedom.