The Danish website Akamera.dk have reviewed the stylish 5 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 digital camera, which should be available in your local photography shop now.

Website: Akamera.dk - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 Review

Pro Photographer Conversion to Digital Photography Creates New Opportunities, According to New InfoTrends Report

NORWELL, Mass Feb. 26, 2004—InfoTrends Research Group’s latest study of pro photographers shows that 79% of professional photographers are already using a digital camera. Of those that do not yet use a digital camera, nearly half plan to purchase a digital camera in 2004.

Complete immersion in digital photography occurs over time for pro photographers, because going digital requires a substantial investment in digital imaging equipment. While many pro photographers are using digital cameras, many are still in an early stage of a transition to digital photography.

“Our survey results show that most pro photographers have started using digital cameras, and that the longer they use digital, the more they integrate digital photography into their businesses/studios,” says Michelle Slaughter, Director of Digital Photography Trends at InfoTrends Research Group. “We see a significant amount of business opportunity in this segment of the market, not only for manufacturers of digital cameras, but also for those that offer printing solutions, storage solutions, and services for marketing photos via the Internet and managing photo assets. We expect 2004 to be a strong year for sales of professional digital photographic equipment.”

InfoTrends’ new survey report entitled 2004 Professional Photographer Survey is available immediately. It is based on a survey of 1,000 professional photographers in the United States. This 25-page study is accompanied by 73 pages of data tabulations. The report provides a detailed look at pro photographers’ usage of digital cameras, their equipment purchasing decisions, and their use of digital printing, photo archiving, image software tools, and more. Non-user preferences are also examined.

Phase One Press Release 27/02/04

Capture One version 3.1.2 for Mac OS X and Windows plus C1 DSLR version 1.2.3 for Mac OS X and C1 DSLR version 1.3.1 for Windows are now released.

This is a maintenance release and therefore it does not add new camera support or new features to the applications.

News and additions in Capture One v. 3.1.2 and C1 DSLR PRO/SE v. 1.2.3 for Mac OS X:
- Fixes a number of problems with the IPTC editor.
- Improved stability when processing a batch of files.
- Process history menu is now properly updated.
- When switching to custom crop, the aspect ratio is now properly unlocked.
- Totally black images are no longer rejected as genuine raw files.
- All existing Canon Film curves are reset to the state of the C1 DSLR version 1.2.1 in order to restore backwards compatibility.
- “Film Curve high contrast” added for all supported Canon cameras (same as Film Standard in the 1.2.2 release).
- C1 can now be used to view Canon 1D/1Ds files processed using Adobe raw converter.
- Workaround implemented: Canon 1D and 1Ds TIFs can now be opened and saved with Photoshop 7 without becoming invalid.
- All Color sync profiles are now available to users without administrator privileges

Supported Cameras C1 PRO/SE v. 1.2.3:
Canon EOS 1D, -1Ds, -D30, -D60, -10D, and -300D.

Supported Cameras Capture One v. 3.1.2:
Phase One H 5, H 10, H 101, H 20, H 25, and LightPhase.
Canon EOS 1D, -1Ds, -D30, -D60, -10D, and -300D.

News and additions in Capture One v. 3.1.2 and C1 DSLR PRO/SE/LE/Rebel v.1.3.1 for Windows:
- Support for rotating images continuously 90?.
- Tagged previews are now always on top (when group switch is on).
- The order of the previews when sorting by date has been swapped.
- Automatic web update implemented (can be accessed from the ?Help? menu).
- Viewing of special jpg files enabled (e.g. from SONY Cybershot).
- Fixes a problem that caused C1 to unexpectedly quit while using the crop tool.
- All existing Canon Film curves are reset to the state of the C1 DSLR version 1.2 in order to restore backwards compatibility.
- “Film Curve high contrast” added for all supported Canon cameras (same as Film Standard in the 1.3 release).
- Problem with sorting Canon 1D/1Ds images fixed.
- ICC profile ‘Canon EOS-10D Generic.icm’ reset to the state of the C1 DSLR
version 1.2.
- The description field in the Color Editor is now applied correctly to the ICC profile
file.
- Support for Portrait coupling with C1 PRO.

Supported Cameras C1 Pro/SE:
Canon EOS 1D, -1Ds, -D30, -D60, -10D, and -300D
Nikon D1X and D100

Supported Cameras C1 LE:
Canon EOS D30, -D60, -10D, and -300D
Nikon D100

Supported Cameras C1 Rebel:
Canon EOS 300D

Availability:
Capture One v. 3.1.2 for Mac OS X and Windows will ship with all Phase One camera backs and are available in the download section of www.phaseone.com C1 DSLR for Mac OS X and Windows are available in the Phase One e-shop at: www.phaseone.com/eshop/

3 of my favourite photos from the Council Tax protest. That’s the end of this series, unless you want to take a look at the full album by clicking the link below.

View more Council Tax Protest photos

Does what it says on the tin - a series of portraits that I think benefit from having no direct eye-contact. All taken with the long end of a 70-200mm Canon zoom.

View more Council Tax Protest photos

Steves Digicams has announced that its “Most Important Camera of 2003 Award” has gone to the Canon EOS 300D DSLR:

“There were many excellent cameras produced and sold during 2003 but in terms of the one that had the greatest impact on the market we feel the Digital Rebel was clearly the standout camera.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Most Important Camera of 2003 Award

The UK website Photo-i, run by Vincent Oliver, has conducted a very personal test of the waterproof qualities of prints made with the new Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer. Vincent took a print into the bath with him! There’s even a picture to prove it…

“The print was left to soak in the bath with yours truly for 20 minutes. There wasn’t any ink run, smudging or surface scratches. As a bonus the Glossy paper dried without any wrinkles - also works with Premium Semigloss paper. I didn’t try the watercolor paper.”

The R800 printer costs around ?399 and is available now. Cartridges cost ?11.90 each and ?6.35 for the Gloss Optimizer cartridge (inc. VAT).

Website: Photo-i - Epson Stylus Photo R800 Waterproof Test

This week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column from Mike Johnston is rather off-puttingly called “Parameters of Lens Specification and the Properties of Lenses”, but it’s actually a lot more interesting than the title first suggests:

“I’ve been known to have a pretty jaded and cynical and sometimes even (heavens!) sarcastic view of “lens tests.” I feel for the most part that they’re relatively useless. It’s not just that lens tests are sops to insecurity, although they are that. It’s not that most of them are silly, or misleading, or wrong, either, although they are often that, too. It’s that, often, they’re just not helpful at all.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer - Parameters of Lens Specification and the Properties of Lenses

Luminous Landscape have posted an optical analysis of the 8-megapixel Sony DSC-F828 using the new optical testing system DxO Analyzer.

“One of the chief criticisms that has been aimed at the Sony F828 is with regard to chromatic aberrations. When I first prepared the graphs above I was therefore surprised to see how low the CA numbers were. They seemed unusually low. Then I looked at the data for other focal lengths.

The chart above and the table below help us to understand why some people sometimes see it and some people sometimes don’t.

This camera system - the sensor and lens combined - clearly displays considerable CA at wide angle settings, and lower but still quite high CA values at the longest focal lengths. But at mid-focal lengths chromatic aberration because very low, almost negligible.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Sony DSC-F828 Optical Analysis

Unfortunately I was forced to miss this year’s Focus on Imaging show, held at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, due to my 10 day trip to Tenerife. DP-Now editor Ian Burley did manage to attend the show, however, and his report of who was showing what is now online.

Website: DP-Now - Focus on Imaging 2004 Report

A-Digital-Eye have published a gallery of 12 photos taken with the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera. All of them are available to look at as full-sized unedited originals.

Website: A-Digital-Eye - Nikon Coolpix 8700 Gallery

In an attenpt to catch up with all of the latest reviews that have been posted on various websites during the last week, here in no particular order is a handy list…

Steves Digicams
Olympus D-565 Zoom
Gateway DC-T50

Popular Photography Magazine
Nikon D2H
HP Photosmart 7960 Printer

Photoxels
Kodak Easyshare DX6490

Photoworld.de (German)
Canon PowerShot A80

Photographic Magazine
Minolta DiMAGE A1
Pentax *ist D

Index Digicam (Hungarian)
Panasonic SV-AS10
Nikon Coolpix 3700

ePhotoZine
Apacer Disc Steno CP-200

e-Fotografija (Slovenian)
Olympus Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom
Canon PowerShot s1
Fujifilm S7000

DPReview
Canon EOS 300D

Digital Photography Now
Olympus Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom

Digital Outback Photo
Nikon Coolpix 8700

Digital Camera Resource
Canon PowerShot S410 / S500 Digital ELPH

Digit
Olympus Camedia C-5060 Wide Zoom

CNET
Sony Cyber Shot DSC-W1

Casio UK Press Release

CASIO Announces New EXILIM ZOOM Digital Cameras with Long Battery Life

Thin, Stylish Models with 3x Optical Zoom and up to 2.5x Longer Battery Life

February 25th 2004, London, UK - CASIO ELECTRONICS Co. Ltd. today announced the 4.0 megapixel EX-Z40 and the 3.2 megapixel EX-Z30. The two new models, part of the EXILIM ZOOM range of digital cameras, benefit from extra long battery life and 3x optical zoom.

The new EXILIM ZOOM models incorporate the ‘EXILIM Engine’, a newly developed compact image processing module with a 3 layer Stack MCM 1, that achieves high picture quality and quick response using a 1.8V low-power system. This makes the cameras? compact dimensions possible and at the same time have a battery life 2.5 times that of previous models 2, it also enables users a to capture stunning 360 photos a single battery charge 3. Thanks to the EX-Z30 and EX-Z40’s unrivalled processing speed, streamed movie clips with sound can also be captured, compared with previous models limit of 30 or 60 second clips. Budding movie makers can now capture memorable events and the only limitation is the capacity of their memory card.

Fujifilm UK Press Release 25/02/04

25 February 2004 Fujifilm today launches the FinePix A120, a camera designed to automate the complex areas of digital photography, whilst still producing high Fujifilm picture quality. With a shape unlike any camera that has gone before, the neat and innovative design makes it stand out from the crowd.

With a 3.1 million pixel effective resolution and movie recording capabilities, the FinePix A120 offers great functionality yet remains easy to use. Pleasant to hold and operate, with its rounded, compact shape, the FinePix A120 offers straightforward controls and menu options, ensuring this camera makes life easy for the intrepid photographer looking to make the leap to digital photography.

Picasa, Inc. Press Release 23/02/04

For Second Consecutive Year Picasa’s Hello Chosen by Industry Experts as an Influence
on the Future of Digital Imaging

Pasadena, CA—February 23, 2004—Picasa, Inc.(tm), the leading developer of software which enables photographers to effortlessly organize, manage and share digital photos, has been awarded the prestigious 2004 “DIMA Innovative Digital Product Award” for the second consecutive year. This year the award went to Picasa’s Hello, an instant photo sharing application that enables users to share images securely over a peer-to-peer network and chat about them in real time. Last year the honor went to the company’s flagship photo organizing software, Picasa

LAS VEGAS, Feb.—Eastman Kodak Company introduced the new PROSHOTS Basics Software that simplifies the image-ordering process for photographers and professional labs.

The software, free to photographers and available as a download at http://www.kodak.com/proshots/basicsinfo, allows photographers to more easily select and organize images, proof and complete prints, and submit orders over the Internet or by CD to their lab,. It also connects photographers to Pro Labs and makes the image-ordering process easier.

“Customers told us they needed an easy-to-use solution that simplified the image-ordering process and supports the Mac platform we incorporated that feedback into our KODAK PROSHOTS Basics Software,” said John Blake, World Wide General Manager Pro Output Division Eastman Kodak Company. “It improves capture to output workflows so that professional photographers and Pro Labs can take on additional business and expand their client base. Additionally, because it is Macintosh compatible, KODAK PROSHOTS Basics expands Kodak’s reach to the estimated one third of Professional Photographers who are MAC users. Increasing the market potential by 50% for KODAK PROSHOTS also drives incremental printing volumes which is great news for KODAK PROSHOTS Participating Labs.”

“The Power Mac G5, Apple’s beautiful Cinema Displays and Mac OS X with its breakthrough in innovation, ease of use and reliability are a perfect fit for photographers and professional labs,” said Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “With the new KODAK PROSHOTS Basic Software, labs and photographers can now benefit from an easy and simplified workflow while taking advantage of the superfast Power Mac G5.”

Matsushita Electric (Panasonic) Develops the Industry Smallest Pixel Sized Image Sensors for Mobile Phone Use

Tokyo, Japan, Feb 13, 2004 16:23 (JST) - (JCN Newswire) - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known for its Panasonic brand of consumer electronics and digital communication products, today announced the development of the next-generation image sensor “v(nu)MAICOVICON” which is the smallest in the industry suitable for mobile phone use to achieve both high picture quality and low power consumption. Compared to the conventional image sensors, the new product has advantages such as less power consumption than the CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensors, and higher quality image production compared to CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors. Mass production of the
v(nu)MAICOVICON sensors will start this month.

Gateway Press Release 26/02/04

PR Newswire via NewsEdge Corporation: Five-Megapixel Model Beats Out Industry’s Established Leaders

POWAY, Calif., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Continuing its successful advance into digital consumer electronics, Gateway today announced that its DC-T50 5.25 megapixel digital camera was named 2004’s “Best Consumer Digital Camera” at the annual Best Magazine Awards.

The Best Magazine Awards were presented at the DigitalFocus(tm) 2004 event in Las Vegas prior to the Photo Marketing Association 2004 trade show. According to Best Magazine, the awards honor companies for their outstanding digital imaging products. The Gateway DC-T50 beat out such long-time industry heavyweights as Olympus, Kodak, Minolta, Fujifilm, HP and Pentax, who were all named finalists in the Consumer Digital Camera category.

The sun has finally showed it’s face here on the so-called “friendly island” of Tenerife and I’ve spent most of today on the streets of Santa Cruz, capturing the local landmarks, snapping old doorways and scaring the local prostitutes (ask me another time). Yesterday the rain held off long enough for the Carnaval to take place, and tomorrow I’ll be visiting the historic town of La Laguna. I?ll be updating the site again soon, so until then, adios.

From an amateur photographer’s point of view, the Council Tax protest was a great event to attend. It was a relatively small and certainly non-violent affair, so you could wander freely without any threat to your personal safety. There were also no out-of-bounds areas; usually you need some kind of press pass to get to the best vantage points, but at this protest I was able to rub shoulders with the newspaper guys with their digital SLRs and laptops, who were busy sending their photos back to base almost as soon as they had taken them. I was even able to wander around between the guest speakers and the onlooking crowd, allowing great close-up candids, especially when they started boo-ing the long winded and tedious Scottish speaker :-) Best of all, everyone was more than happy to have their photograph taken - some people had travelled a long way and seemed determined to enjoy the occasion.

View more Council Tax Protest photos