The Digital Journalist has published an article by sports photographer David Drapkin which offers a brief insight into the handling of the Canon EOS1-D Mark II DSLR:

“I couldn’t have been happier with the results. The new maximum frames per second(FPS) rate is 8.5fps. And because they nearly doubled the amount of full res JPEGs that you can get in a burst, It seems like the camera is faster than my old film based EOS1V. And while I personally would never need 40 full res jpegs, level 8 or 20 raw or full res maximum frames in a burst, I sleep better at night knowing that they are there.”

Website: The Digital Journalist - Using the Canon EOS1-D Mark II at the Super Bowl

Photo.net have published a technique-based article simply called “Backgrounds”, which discusses how to make sure that the background in a photograph complements the main subject, rather than detracting from it. Reading this makes a very pleasant change from reading about yet another new digital camera!

“The first step to improving the backgrounds in our photos is to be conscious of the background’s importance to our photos. We must know that the right backgrounds can make our shots stand out. This often means simply paying attention to what is behind out subjects during our photography sessions.

Unfortunately, the complete solution is not nearly as simple. The normal goal is to keep the subject as the center of interest in a picture (not to be confused with the center of a picture). Your eye should be drawn to the subject in the final image, and the background must not be distracting from the subject. Shots must be setup to take advantage of a clean or pleasing background.”

Website: Photo.net - Backgrounds

The Norwegian digital photography website Akamera.no has just reviewed the Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom digital camera, which offers a 4 megapixel CCD and a massive 10x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 38 - 380mm on a traditional 35mm camera).

Website: Akamera.no - Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom Review

ColorVision Inc. Press Release 10/02/04

ColorVision’s Affordable Pricing Brings State of the Art Color Management Products toward a Mass-Market Standard; Showcased at PMA Las Vegas - Booth Q100

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.—(Business Wire)—Feb. 10, 2004 ColorVision Inc., a Datacolor company announces up to 30% reductions and better on the award winning, state-of-the-art color management systems for photography, design, desktop and pre-press professionals.
The critically acclaimed ColorVision(R) SpyderPRO(TM), a precise calibration system for LCD and CRT monitors and the newly upgraded PrintFIX(TM), an integrated hardware/ software solution that delivers accurate inkjet printer profiles, have received enthusiastic endorsements from industry and user experts alike.

The introduction of the SpyderPRO+PrintFIX(TM) bundle, a $578 retail value offered at $449 meets the industry demand for an affordable integrated hardware/ software solution from monitor calibration to printer profiling.

ColorVision Press Release 10/02/04

ColorVision Unveils The Affordable New SpectroPRO Suite For Professional’s Who Can’t Leave Digital Imaging To Chance

LAS VEGAS, NV- February 12- Today at the PHOTO MARKETING ASSOCIATION (PMA) Trade Show (Booth #Q100) COLORVISION Inc., a Datacolor company announced the new SpectroPRO Suite, a total solution for professionals who depend on accurate monitor calibration and printer profiling. SpectroPRO Suite has all the tools for high-level color control; monitor calibration, outstanding Spectro-built printer profiles and sophisticated profile editing, all for $999.

The SpectroPRO Suite package is compatible with most popular image editing tools and printers, putting control of the digital darkroom in the hands of the creator. The bundle includes:

- SpectroPRO Spectrocolorimeter, which conveniently measures a range of calibration targets (in the ProfilerPRO component) including new color targets specially opti mized for reading with the ColorMouse and PatchReader software.
- The new PatchReader software utility for reading color targets and reducing patch-reading errors with an easy to use color-coded reading interface which makes patch reading a snap with the Spectrocolorimeter, no matter how many times you need to return to it. You can even save partially read targets for later completion!
- ProfilerPRO (3.0) printer profile building software, with more accurate matching of saturated vector colors, especially helpful for graphic designers. ProfilerPRO used with the ColorMouse Spectrocolorimeter builds high-quality printer profiles right inside Adobe Photoshop.
- DoctorPRO software (included in ProfilerPRO) which edits your profiles using the full Adobe Photoshop toolset for color manipulation.
- The award-winning USB SpyderPRO colorimeter with the advanced features of OptiCAL software for use on both LCD and CRT displays.

Fujifilm Press Release 10/02/04

FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES BOLD ADDITION TO POPULAR Q1 LINE

Q1 Zoom offers unique design, 2x zoom for stylish picture-taking anytime

PMA, LAS VEGAS February 10, 2004 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today unveiled a bold new addition to its popular Q1 camera line. The fashionable, fun Q1 Zoom camera features a 2x zoom lens (22-44mm) and is offered in two color combinations: silver with black or silver with blue. In addition, the Q1 Zoom offers fully automatic features such as auto focus, auto flash and auto winding, while using APS film.

“The Q1’s fun design and varied color palette have captured the imagination of our consumers, allowing them to express themselves both through photography and fashion,” said Margaret Toub, Film Camera Product Manager, Photo Imaging Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. “Now, the Q1 Zoom offers consumers even greater photo-taking options while maintaining the same eye-catching design, in attractive new color palettes.”

Fujifilm Press Release 10/02/04

FUJIFILM REVEALS THREE POWERFUL NEW 35MM CAMERAS

Proprietary drop-in loading for picture-taking on the go combine with Fujifilm’s renowned color quality to create best-possible images

PMA, LAS VEGAS, February 10, 2004 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today announced three exciting new 35mm cameras. The new Zoom Date 60W features a wide-angle zoom lens, while the new Zoom Date 120V and Zoom Date 135V offer new drop-in film loading for an even easier picture-taking experience.

“We’re pleased to make picture-taking even easier with our new drop-in loading technology in the Zoom Date 120V and Zoom Date135V,” said Margaret Toub, Product Manager, Photo Imaging Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. “In addition, the Zoom Date 60W features a wide-angle lens, demonstrating Fujifilm’s commitment to best-quality photography at all levels.”

The Czech website Digineff is one of the first to post a selection of sample images taken with the hot-off-the-press Canon Powershot Pro1. There are 8 full-sized images for you to take a look at and see if the 8 megapixel sensor delivers the goods.

Website: Digineff - Canon Powershot Pro1 Sample Images

Several members of the Minolta forum over at DPReview have received a very interesting email from Konica Minolta, which more than hints that they will finally be releasing a digital SLR camera:

“Dear Minolta User,

Thank you for your interest in a Minolta Dynax Digital SLR. You have previously contacted us in regards to this product class. As we did not have a product to inform you of at that time we have registered your details, in preparation to contact you when we did.

Now that time has arrived…”

Apparently the announcement will be made on 11th February 21:00 CEST. As Las Vegas is eight hours behind the UK this translates as 12th February 05:00 here.

Website: DPReview - Interesting Email from Minolta

Fujifilm Press Release 10/02/04

Fujifilm Introduces ColourKit Profiler Suite 4.0 for Comprehensive Color Management

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Feb. 10, 2004 ColourKit Profiler Suite 4.0 color profiling suite is now available for a free demo

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc., a pioneering leader in digital imaging products and services, today introduces ColourKit Profiler Suite v4.0 color profiling software. Continuing Fujifilm’s tradition of providing true color excellence, ColourKit’s full-featured host of color management applications allows photographers, graphic artists, and creative professionals to accurately display digital images on a monitor and precisely translate them when printed.

Fujifilm’s imaging products and services have long been the top choice of professional photographers and ColourKit Profiler Suite v4.0 follows in this tradition. The new color management software allows users to make, edit and process color profiles, delivering quality and consistency to the professional. As the final image is incredibly accurate, ColourKit cuts costs by reducing waste and increases overall workflow efficiencies by saving professionals’ time.

Uniden America Corporation Press Release 10/02/04

Uniden Showcases the Latest in Digital Camera Innovation At PMA 2004; Uniden to Feature Polaroid Digital Camera with Foveon X3 Technology

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Feb. 10, 2004 Uniden America Corporation will exhibit the latest Polaroid digital camera products at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) Annual Convention and Trade Show, February 12-15, 2004, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in booth #C110.
Uniden has an exclusive agreement with World Wide Licenses Limited (WWL) to distribute the Polaroid line of digital cameras to retailers in the United States. At PMA, Uniden will debut the Polaroid x530 Digital Camera, the world’s first point-and-shoot digital camera to incorporate the revolutionary, high-fidelity Foveon X3 4.5 million pixel direct image sensor. This new image sensor technology allows the Polaroid x530 to produce brilliantly sharp 8 x 10 images with warm tones and rich colors - the basis for making extraordinary digital prints. In addition to capturing still images, the Polaroid x530 captures high-resolution TV-quality VGA video clips at 30 frames per second. It is scheduled to ship to retailers in June 2004 with a suggested retail price of $399.

“We are excited to launch our distributor partnership with WWL and to feature the best digital cameras offered in the industry,” said Uniden America President Al Silverberg. “The Polaroid x530 is the first of its kind and represents the beginning of an exciting new class of digital cameras.”

Note: This is the UK/European version of the i9900 printer that was reported yesterday.

Canon UK Press Release 09/02/04

Canon’s Bubble Jet i9950
8-colour A3 photo printing arrives

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the world’s first 8-colour A3 photo printer - the Bubble Jet i9950. With 4800x2400 dpi and permanent 2pl droplet size, Canon’s new flagship A3 Bubble Jet introduces new ChromaPLUS technology to expand further Canon’s already broad colour gamut. New red and green inks have been added to deliver more vibrant, lifelike results. A full borderless A3 photo prints in just 65 seconds, making this the fastest printer in its class. The new look i9950 supports the vendor-independent PictBridge standard as well as Canon?s Bubble Jet Direct, with a port at the front of the printer for direct USB connection and printing with any compatible digital camera or camcorder, without the need for a PC.

The world’s longest and highest nozzle-density print head has 6,144 nozzles, capable of ejecting a staggering 122 million 2pl droplets per second. This gets more ink on the page in less time and with greater accuracy for grain-free prints with unsurpassed clarity, contrast, colour range and smoothness of tone.

?Canon is committed to delivering printers that deliver life-like photos at high speed,” explains Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland. “In a field where Canon already has significant advantage, the i9950 takes yet another leap forward to provide peerless A3 photographic quality at unrivalled speed.”

The Bubble Jet i9950 will be available from May 2004 for around ?549 inc VAT.

Professional fine-art photographer Alain Briot has had a new article published on the Luminous Landscape Website, discussing a recent trip to Paris with the Canon EOS 300D DLSR camera.

“In December 2003 and January 2004 I spent two weeks photographing in Paris. I took along with me my trusty Linhof Master Teknica 4x5, my Fuji 645zi medium format, and my just-acquired Canon 300D “digital rebel” camera. Yes, a digital camera, and an entry-model at that! Let’s see how these 3 different cameras performed, or interfaced, in a large-city environment.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - A Rebel in Paris

Dow Jones News Service via NewsEdge Corporation : FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)—Germany’s Leica Camera AG (LCA.XE) will begin development of a digital camera for the company’s key “M” series lenses, a person close to the company said Friday.

The company will use proceeds from the sale of EUR15 million in convertible bonds to finance the project, the person, who declined to be identified, said.

The “M” rangefinder camera is one of Leica’s flagship cameras, and its introduction in the 1950s helped make Leica a household name in both professional and amateur-enthusiast photography.

Leica has said in the past that “M” lenses weren’t suited for digital sensors, as the lenses - originally designed for film - cause image distortions on the border of a digital sensor. A new type of “microlens” digital sensor will solve this problem, the person close to Leica said.

Canon USA Press Release 09/02/04

CANON UNVEILS INDUSTRY’S FASTEST 24-INCH WIDE-FORMAT PIGMENT INKJET PRINTER

imagePROGRAF W6200; Unparalleled Speed Plus Image Quality, Archival Printing and Graphic RIP Drive New Wide Format Category

LAS VEGAS (PMA, BOOTH # E11), Feb. 9, 2004 - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ) today is showcasing the industry?s fastest 24-inch pigment ink printer, designed to offer breakthrough wide format output speeds combined with superior image and archival quality. The introduction of the imagePROGRAF W6200 greatly expands the company’s wide format product portfolio and establishes a new market category for the imaging technology leader.

Using Canon’s singular bi-directional head, MicroFine Droplet Technology and pigment ink solution, Canon’s imagePROGRAF W6200 is able to rapidly produce highly detailed, brilliant, photo-quality archival prints and proofs up to 24 inches wide. The printer ? producing A1-sized prints in less than five minutes in standard (600 x 1200 dpi) mode ? comes equipped with the company’s own graphic PS-level 3 compatible raster image processor (RIP) software and retails at less than $3500.

Canon USA Press Release 09/02/04

CANON’S NEW i80 MOBILE PRINTER SUPPORTS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY AND IMPROVED PHOTO QUALITY

LAS VEGAS (PMA, BOOTH # E11), Feb. 9, 2004 - Canon’s new i80 mobile printer enhances the quality and flexibility of portable printing. The world’s most advanced mobile printer features a newly designed print head, optional Bluetooth Unit* and an optional Automobile Power Unit. The i80 mobile printer will be available in mid-February for a suggested list price of $249.99**.

“Our new i80 mobile printer expands beyond the traditional road warrior applications into environments like professional photographers on assignment, educators traveling from one classroom to another, college students with limited dorm space, real estate agents, pilots, military personnel, insurance agents and many others,” 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 i80 mobile printer allows all of them to print much needed documents and photographs on the fly.”

“The successor to our enormously popular i70 portable printer, the i80 model expands the flexibility and capabilities available to the end-user,” added Hashimoto. “The enhanced wireless printing capabilities allow many Windows users to print all types of data from their computers or print photos, schedules and address book lists from select PDAs, laptops or cell phones ? without wires.”

Canon USA Press Release 09/02/04

CANON’S NEW SURE SHOT 150u CAMERA PUTS MORE FUN, FEATURES AND AFFORDABILITY IN COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY-TO-USE POINT & SHOOT

New Pocket-Sized 35MM Point & Shoot Camera for Price Point Savvy, Quality-Conscious Consumers

LAS VEGAS (PMA, BOOTH # E11), Feb. 9, 2004 - Shooting primo pictures with the new Canon Sure Shot 150u camera is the absolute soul of simplicity. Whether capturing for posterity baby?s first haircut or any of a thousand other meaningful milestones, the Sure Shot 150u camera ensures that Moms and Dads, doting Grandparents and any other member of the extended family can focus on snapping a phenomenal photo without worrying about the picture taking process. Indeed, its outwardly simple design is literally a cover for inner workings so smart that the Sure Shot 150u camera captures brilliant images with little more than a click of the shutter button.

With its sleek lines, uncluttered instrumentation, smooth 3.9x, 38-150 mm optical zoom lens and a light and durable aluminum case packed with a flock of features, this newest entrant into the line of Sure Shot u-series lens shutter cameras arrives in stores this April with an estimated selling price under $150.

Canon USA Press Release 09/02/04

CANON’S NEW EOS ELAN 7N/7NE 35MM SLR CAMERAS SAVE THE BEST AND IMPROVE THE REST

LAS VEGAS (PMA, BOOTH # E11), Feb. 9, 2004 - Canon launched its new flagship advanced amateur 35mm SLR system - the EOS ELAN 7N and EOS ELAN 7NE 35mm SLR cameras. Designed to be the fastest, most responsive, innovative and intuitive cameras in their class, the new EOS ELAN 7N and EOS ELAN 7NE cameras replace the popular EOS ELAN 7 and 7E models (the ELAN 7NE model retaining the ELAN 7E?s popular Eye Controlled Focus option) and feature an autofocus system that is the fastest in its class, according to a Canon Inc. survey.

“With an ever present eye on technological advancements and our standard attention to detail, Canon has ensured that the EOS ELAN line of 35mm SLR cameras remain ‘state-of-the-science’ for discerning photo enthusiasts,” stated 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 advancements and upgrades that we have built in to the new EOS ELAN 7N and EOS ELAN 7NE models improve the cameras’ high quality output, facilitate the photo experience for our users, and enhance the cameras’ already enviable reputation in the photographic community.”

Epson USA Press Release 09/02/04

PICTUREMATE BY EPSON ELIMINATES THE BARRIERS TO DIGITAL PHOTO PRINTING

First and Only Personal Photo Lab Enables Consumers to Produce Photos with Quality, Durability and Cost Benefits of Traditional Photo Lab Prints in the Convenience of Home

LONG BEACH, Calif., February 9, 2004 - Addressing all of the barriers that digital camera owners have had with printing their photos, Epson today introduces PictureMate, the first and only personal photo lab that allows digital camera owners to easily print brilliant, long-lasting lab-quality 4” x 6” photos at home at a cost that is comparable to some of the most affordable lab print prices.

This breakthrough is made possible by Epson’s exclusive archival print technology for photos that are indistinguishable from traditional lab prints and last even longer.

With an estimated 33 million households owning digital cameras at the close of 2003, more people are taking digital photos to preserve their memories. According to the Photo Marketing Association International (PMA) Digital Imaging Survey, the majority of these owners would like to print more photos at home but feel the prints they are making don’t look as good as lab prints. The survey also indicates that owners believe 4” x 6” printing at home is difficult, too time-consuming, and cost-prohibitive.

Mike Strock has emailed me with an intriguing link which to me kind of explains why Kodak is in decline. They are introducing a self-service kiosk in the USA which will process your film in just 5 minutes, and then allow you to select the pictures that you want to keep. All well and good so far, until you get to this part of the story:

“Costs are expected to be around $4 for film developing and a CD, plus 29 cents per print. Consumers get the CD in lieu of the traditional negatives.”

They keep the negatives! And give you a CD instead! Taking away the negatives from a film photographer is sacrilege. There’s no mention of how big the scans will be, but I bet they fit neatly onto a 650Mb CD…

So maybe the service is aimed at occasional camera users who don’t understand or care about their negatives. That doesn’t seem to be the case either:

“Says Grant Pill, CVS’ photo manager: “If you give consumers the ability to take control of the process, they’ll be happy.”“

Will those customers be happy? Wouldn’t they rather drop off their film as they’ve always done and pick up their 24 or 36 prints later? Will they really bother to pick and choose?

Kodak’s new kiosk seems to be a confusing mix of old and new, as this very traditional company tries to embrace the digital world. Expect to see one in store near you soon…

Website: USA Today - Kodak self-serve kiosk to develop film in under 5 minutes