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The UK website Photo-i, run by Vincent Oliver, has just completed its interactive review of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer.
“The R800 is for the creative photographer who wants the highest quality pigment ink printer currently available. I hope Epson don’t leave it too long before they introduce a larger format printer using the new UltraChrome inks and Gloss Optimizer. Wouldn’t it be nice if the delay on the 4000 printer was due to a re-design to incorporate the new inks. All we need now is the announcement of the Epson Stylus Pro 2300 - just wishful thinking.”
The R800 printer, which uses UltraChrome pigment inks, will cost $399 and will ship in February 2004. Cartridges will cost ?11.90 each and ?6.35 for the Gloss Optimizer cartridge (inc. VAT).
Website: Photo-i - Epson Stylus Photo R800 Interactive Review
The UK website Photo-i, run by Vincent Oliver, has just completed its interactive review of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer. “The R800 is for the creative photographer who wants the highest quality pigment ink printer currently available. I hope Epson don’t leave it too long before they…
Fujifilm FinePix S7000 Zoom: Possible power adjustment required for cameras manufactured prior to 15 December 2003
Fujifilm today announced that a number of early FinePix S7000 Zoom digital cameras may experience battery power depletion when used with some CompactFlash(tm) memory cards.
Fujifilm has already made the required internal modifications to cameras manufactured after 15 December 2003, and is no longer supplying affected units. However, the company advises that a limited number of cameras produced prior to this date were released to the UK market and may encounter this problem.
The nature of the fault is as follows:
Where certain CompactFlash(tm) cards are used within particular S7000s (see below), the batteries may exhaust fully in approximately 18 hours, whether or not the camera is in use.
This fault does not occur when the S7000 is used with either an xD-Picture Card(tm) or a Microdrive(tm), nor does it occur in any other Fujifilm products that offer a CompactFlash(tm) storage facility, such as the FinePix S2 Pro, S602, S602 Pro or M603 Zoom.
Cameras with serial numbers above 34L60001 (inclusive) were produced after 15 December 2003 and therefore will definitely not experience this battery drain problem.
In the short term, the problem can be avoided by unloading then re-loading the batteries just after the camera is switched off. The camera’s power supply will then perform normally.
Fujifilm is offering a priority replacement of the part / camera on affected units. Naturally, this service is free and prioritised, and the camera will be picked up and returned by Fujifilm. Customers can telephone 01234 245383 or email [email protected] to arrange collection of the camera.
In addition, Fujifilm will be pleased to carry out an assessment on any cameras purchased outside the UK, providing that the user is resident in the UK.
Explanation of power supply depletion
Some CompactFlash(tm) cards incorporate a large capacity condenser in the card. When the camera is switched off, the camera automatically discharges the condenser, but cannot fully discharge the large capacity condenser. The remaining charge in the card automatically switches on the internal electric circuit in the camera. Therefore, even if the camera is switched off, the battery is drained of power.
Adrian Clarke, Director of Consumer Products, Fujifilm UK, commented, “Fujifilm would like to apologise to anyone affected by this problem, but would like to assure customers that the issue has been resolved quickly. We would like to thank our customers for their continued support of our products, and should there be any cause for concern regarding the FinePix S7000 Zoom, we would encourage them to call the number quoted for more information.”
Fujifilm FinePix S7000 Zoom: Possible power adjustment required for cameras manufactured prior to 15 December 2003 Fujifilm today announced that a number of early FinePix S7000 Zoom digital cameras may experience battery power depletion when used with some CompactFlash(tm) memory cards. Fujifilm has already made the required internal modifications to…
Last week’s issue of the UK magazine Amateur Photographer, which costs ?1.99 from your local newsagents in the UK, contained a review of the Nikon Coolscan V ED film scanner. The Coolscan V ED has a true optical resolution of 4,000 dpi and 14-bit A/D input conversion. It scored 91% and this is how the reviewer, Damien Demolder, summed it up:
“This really is a very good film scanner with both speed and accuracy on its side. I am not sure why we cannot scan more than one slide at a time, but if you can live with that you will be very pleased with this machine. Its scanning accuracy acknowledges the qualities of your camera lens, the performance of your exposure system and the finite characteristics of your favourite film. It can return what you feed it with nothing added and very little taken away - and that is how film scanners should behave.”
The Nikon Coolscan V ED costs around ?550 and is available in shops now.
Website: Amateur Photographer
Last week’s issue of the UK magazine Amateur Photographer, which costs ?1.99 from your local newsagents in the UK, contained a review of the Nikon Coolscan V ED film scanner. The Coolscan V ED has a true optical resolution of 4,000 dpi and 14-bit A/D input conversion. It scored 91%…
Last week’s issue of the UK magazine Amateur Photographer, which costs ?1.99 from your local newsagents in the UK, contained a review of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer. The R800 scored 91% and this is what the reviewer, Damien Demolder, had to say about it:
“I am pleased with the detail this machine can produce, the way it puts down the tonal changes as smoothly as I recorded them, and that if there is grain in my film scans I can see it in the prints. In short, I like this printer very much. I am almost prepared to forgive it the time that it takes to print muy pictures to A4, but perhaps that would be going a step too far. I recommedn this printer as it is now, but if it could double or quadruple its speed I would tell you that you must go out and buy one. The finish is great, the colour is great, the detail is all there, plus it is easy to use and the prints seem to be durable. What more could you ask for - apart from A3?”
The R800 printer, which uses UltraChrome pigment inks, will cost $399/?299 and will ship in February 2004.
Website: Amateur Photographer
Last week’s issue of the UK magazine Amateur Photographer, which costs ?1.99 from your local newsagents in the UK, contained a review of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer. The R800 scored 91% and this is what the reviewer, Damien Demolder, had to say about it: “I am…
The winner of the 8th PhotographyBLOG Photo of the Week contest is ilach with the entry “Glimpse of Tao…”. 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 9th 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.
The winner of the 8th PhotographyBLOG Photo of the Week contest is ilach with the entry “Glimpse of Tao…”. 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…
LetsGoDigital have reviewed the 4 megapixel EasyShare DX6490 digital camera, a digital camera which features a 10x optical zoom lens (38-380mm focal length). The Kodak EasyShare DX6490 has a suggested retail price of ?399.99.
“When we take a look at the total EasyShare concept, camera, docking station and printer station, we may say that it is a thoroughly thought through and effective concept. The EasyShare CX6490 is a camera that performs great within the concept and puts down the base for a new generation of high quality digital cameras. The camera has put the bar higher and aims at the advanced user.”
LetsGoDigital have reviewed the 4 megapixel EasyShare DX6490 digital camera, a digital camera which features a 10x optical zoom lens (38-380mm focal length). The Kodak EasyShare DX6490 has a suggested retail price of ?399.99. “When we take a look at the total EasyShare concept, camera, docking station and printer station…
Well, the New Year has got off to a great start (not!) as my PC is experiencing more problems. After last week’s failure to boot up Windows, which was rectified by copying the system files from a floppy disk via DOS, my PC now seems to have some kind of mechanical failure. It starts to boot up into Windows, but then there’s a high-pitched noise, the hard drive stops spinning and the system shuts itself down. It has loaded Windows successfully a couple of times, but not for long. I’m guessing that the hard drive has some sort of physical damage and needs replacing, but as always there’s some data that I need to retrieve.
I’m writing this on a really, really old laptop, which is no fun at all I can tell you. If you’ve emailed me in the last couple of days, please bear with me as I try to get everything working again…
Well, the New Year has got off to a great start (not!) as my PC is experiencing more problems. After last week’s failure to boot up Windows, which was rectified by copying the system files from a floppy disk via DOS, my PC now seems to have some kind of…
Mike Johnston’s Sunday Morning Photographer column discusses the thorny issue of photography and getting paid to do it.
“So here’s the upshot. I’m gonna keep writing “The Sunday Morning Photographer,” but only as long as I get to write about what I want to and say whatever I please. I’m being selfish, yes, but also practical. If I have to write on assignment every week, I’m afraid I’d lose interest. I’m not always right, and I’m not always interesting, and I’m not always writing about the things the majority of people want to read about, if we were to take a poll. But I find the freedom and the independence to be priceless. If everybody pays a few cents, then I can get compensated a little and also continue being a free agent. Sounds like it should work, don’t you think?”
Mike Johnston’s Sunday Morning Photographer column discusses the thorny issue of photography and getting paid to do it. “So here’s the upshot. I’m gonna keep writing “The Sunday Morning Photographer,” but only as long as I get to write about what I want to and say whatever I please. I’m…
Steves Digicams have published their review of the Epson R300M photo printer, which offers convenient and innovative features such as printing directly onto the surface of ink jet printable CDs and DVDs, and being able to print photos with or without a computer. The EPSON Stylus Photo R300M includes a 2.5” color preview monitor for viewing and selecting images before printing them.
“The bottom line - this is a good printer for day-to-day printing tasks as well as producing excellent photo-quality prints. The R300M can function as a photo printer and a high-speed, multi-format card reader when connected to the USB 2.0 port on the host computer. It’s affordable with an MSRP of only $229, just remember that the cost of special papers and ink cartridges can often add up to more than the price of the printer. We are pleased to see that Epson is now using the separate ink cartridges in their lower priced printers. Speedwise the R300M isn’t as fast as competing Canon photo printers, they are still the fastest inkjet printers we’ve tested yet.”
Steves Digicams have published their review of the Epson R300M photo printer, which offers convenient and innovative features such as printing directly onto the surface of ink jet printable CDs and DVDs, and being able to print photos with or without a computer. The EPSON Stylus Photo R300M includes a…
DPReview have posted an extensive 21 page review of the 8-megapixel Sony Cybershot DSC-F828 digital compact camera.
“Where the F828 starts to disappoint is image quality, many observers had concerns about the very small pixel pitch of the camera’s eight million pixel sensor knowing that it would most likely lead to noisier images but what we weren’t prepared for were chromatic aberrations. This came as a surprise especially considering the F828’s lens carries not only the Carl Zeiss name but also the ‘T*’ notation indicating the use of special lens coatings. So in reality the F828’s biggest issue becomes chromatic aberrations, with noise a second place.”
Website: DPReview - Sony DSC-F828 Review
DPReview have posted an extensive 21 page review of the 8-megapixel Sony Cybershot DSC-F828 digital compact camera. “Where the F828 starts to disappoint is image quality, many observers had concerns about the very small pixel pitch of the camera’s eight million pixel sensor knowing that it would most likely lead…
The Danish website Akamera.dk have published their review of one of the more popular consumer digicams, the 4-megapixel Canon PowerShot A80, which sells for around $399.
The Danish website Akamera.dk have published their review of one of the more popular consumer digicams, the 4-megapixel Canon PowerShot A80, which sells for around $399. Website: Akamera.dk - Canon Powershot A80 Review
The winners of the December 2003 PhotographyBLOG Competition have now been decided. The theme for December was “Night” - you can view all of the 42 entries in this gallery.
The panel of 4 judges thought long and hard before deciding on the three winners:
1st Place
“Potsdamer Platz Berlin ” by tamos
View this entry
Judges Comments:
“Great example of a traffic light trails shot combined with an interesting angle and building in the background.”
“Very vibrant and colourful night photo that sums up the city very well.”
Prize: 1 copy of Digital Photography Captured Volume 1, kindly donated by KnowledgeTrek.
http://www.knowledgetrek.com
2nd Place
“Night” by P-F
View this entry
Judges Comments:
“A wonderfully dynamic image that has a sense of humor. The vibrating green neon shape is a sci-fi counterpoint to the incongruous Hooters sign.”
“It’s the sense of movement that made this image stand out from the other entries.”
Prize: 1 copy of Picasa, kindly donated by Picasa Inc.
http://www.picasa.net
3rd Place
“The Cancer” by shanelavalette
View this entry
Judges Comments:
“Who knows what is going on in this photo?! Has a very ominous air about it. Great title and description too.”
“The power of this image lies more in what you can’t see than what you can.”
Prize: 1 copy of Photos on CD and DVD 2.0 Deluxe, kindly donated by FastTrak Software.
http://www.fasttrak.com
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who took part. The judges commented on the high standard of entries, saying that it was difficult to choose just 3 photos from the 42 that were submitted.
The winners of the December 2003 PhotographyBLOG Competition have now been decided. The theme for December was “Night” - you can view all of the 42 entries in this gallery. The panel of 4 judges thought long and hard before deciding on the three winners: 1st Place “Potsdamer Platz Berlin…
Imaging Resource have confirmed the rumours by publishing a news story that more than hints at a number of 8 megapixel digital cameras being released in the next 6 months, hot on the heels of the Sony DSC-F828.
“As always at this time of year, we’re under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) with essentially all the major digicam manufacturers. We know a lot of what’s coming over roughly the next 6 months, but can’t breathe a word of it to anyone.
Well, almost. While we can’t say anything about any individual manufacturer’s plans, it certainly doesn’t violate anything that we’ve signed to observe that 2004 is going to be the year of the 8 megapixel prosumer digicam.”
Website: Imaging Resource - NDA report: The 8 megapixels are coming!
Imaging Resource have confirmed the rumours by publishing a news story that more than hints at a number of 8 megapixel digital cameras being released in the next 6 months, hot on the heels of the Sony DSC-F828. “As always at this time of year, we’re under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)…
ePhotoZine have reviewed the Reflecta DigitDia 3600 film scanner, which is capable of scanning 100 mounted slides at once!
“For a scanner costing over ?500, the DigitDia 3600 produces scan quality slightly below what we’d expect. Weak points include unsatisfactory dynamic range, slight image noise and lack of sharpness. The most noticeable of these points is the scanner’s inability to finely capture the darkest parts of a slide and at the other end of the dynamic range we also found some highlight details being blown out.”
ePhotoZine have reviewed the Reflecta DigitDia 3600 film scanner, which is capable of scanning 100 mounted slides at once! “For a scanner costing over ?500, the DigitDia 3600 produces scan quality slightly below what we’d expect. Weak points include unsatisfactory dynamic range, slight image noise and lack of sharpness. The…
It’s official - Adobe Photoshop CS automatically prevents you from making copies of world currencies. Adobe have added technology to it’s market-leading image-editing application that generates a warning message when someone tries to make digital copies of some currencies. Many users are now wondering what else is built into Photoshop CS that Adobe haven’t made public…
“Adobe Systems Inc. acknowledged on Friday it quietly added technology to the world’s best-known graphics software at the request of government regulators and international bankers to prevent consumers from making copies of the world’s major currencies.
The technology was designed recently by the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group, a consortium of 27 central banks in the United States, England, Japan, Canada and across the European Union, where there already is a formal proposal to require all software companies to include similar anti-counterfeit technology.”
Website: Miami Herald - Adobe Helped Gov’t Fight Counterfeiting
It’s official - Adobe Photoshop CS automatically prevents you from making copies of world currencies. Adobe have added technology to it’s market-leading image-editing application that generates a warning message when someone tries to make digital copies of some currencies. Many users are now wondering what else is built into Photoshop…
A-Digital-Eye have been providing some excellent coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, over the last couple of days, including 3 reports with photos of photography-related products. It’s one thing reading all the press releases, but it’s also good to see the products “in the flesh”. Click the links below to actually see what has been announced at CES 2004.
Website: A-Digital-Eye
Website: A-Digital-Eye - CES Photo Gallery 1
Website: A-Digital-Eye - CES Photo Gallery 2
Website: A-Digital-Eye - CES Photo Gallery 3
A-Digital-Eye have been providing some excellent coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, over the last couple of days, including 3 reports with photos of photography-related products. It’s one thing reading all the press releases, but it’s also good to see the products “in the flesh”. Click…
Some more shots from the winter garden shoot…
Some more shots from the winter garden shoot… View more Winter photos
One of the Lowest Priced 4 Megapixel Optical Zoom Digital Cameras on the Market
Featuring AVI Video at 30 Frames per Second for Mini-Movies
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—(CES BOOTH: SOUTH HALL 3-4, FLASH FORWARD# FF-1A)—Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq: LENS - News), a leader in high-quality low-priced digital cameras, today announced at CES shipment of their new 4 Megapixel 3x optical zoom point & shoot digital camera, the Concord Eye-Q 4360z. With a suggested retail price of $199, the Concord Eye-Q 4360z delivers exceptional price/performance.
Targeted at cost-conscious consumers who want a high quality, high resolution digital camera at a low-cost, the Concord Eye-Q 4360z features a 4 Megapixel CCD sensor, advanced optics, a 3x optical zoom and 6x digital zoom (18x total zoom), exposure control and 30 frames per second AVI video.
First time digital photographers will find taking great shots simple with the built-in automatic features, while more advanced users will find that the user-friendly interface allows easy and intuitive access to more sophisticated photographic controls, such as exposure and white balance control.
Capturing AVI video at 30 frames per second, the Concord Eye-Q 4360z stands far above other digital cameras on the market that offer just 15-16 frames per second. At 30 frames per second, mini-movies will look more real and exciting. Video length is determined by the capacity of the SD card and can then be replayed on your TV for the whole family to see with the included video out cable.
To save consumers the expense of buying batteries, the Concord Eye-Q 4360z includes two rechargeable NiMH AA batteries, a four battery charger and a power meter which continuously displays battery-life on the 1.5” TFT LCD screen indicating when to change batteries.
One of the Lowest Priced 4 Megapixel Optical Zoom Digital Cameras on the Market Featuring AVI Video at 30 Frames per Second for Mini-Movies LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—(CES BOOTH: SOUTH HALL 3-4, FLASH FORWARD# FF-1A)—Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq: LENS - News), a leader in high-quality low-priced digital cameras…
SanDisk Corporation Press Release 08/01/04
SanDisk Leads In Capacity By Designing And Manufacturing Memory Card Format Pioneered By Sony and SanDisk
January 2004 (Newstream)—SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today introduced a 2 gigabyte (GB) SanDisk Memory Stick? PRO?, the highest capacity available in this card format. SanDisk also introduced the first Memory Stick PRO Duo cards that it has designed and manufactured. The new cards were introduced at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Booth #23062, South Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.
Sony and SanDisk jointly pioneered Memory Stick PRO to meet the growing consumer need for high performance and high capacity flash cards for a wide variety of digital devices including digital cameras, camcorders and PDAs. These new cards are manufactured by and include advanced technology from SanDisk to assure optimal performance and large capacities at very competitive prices. SanDisk meets or exceeds all Memory Stick PRO specifications and performs extensive testing to guarantee compatibility.
“SanDisk has dramatically extended its commitment to the Memory Stick flash card format by upping our investment in design, manufacturing, technology and the channel to rapidly grow the market,” said Nelson Chan, senior vice president and general manager of SanDisk’s retail business unit. “The company has leveraged its expertise to deliver new Memory Stick PRO and PRO Duo cards at competitive prices in line with other industry-standard card formats such as the SD card. Through this renewed focus on the Memory Stick card format, we intend to deliver the best overall price/performance and value to our customers.”
SanDisk Corporation Press Release 08/01/04 SanDisk Leads In Capacity By Designing And Manufacturing Memory Card Format Pioneered By Sony and SanDisk January 2004 (Newstream)—SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today introduced a 2 gigabyte (GB) SanDisk Memory Stick? PRO?, the highest capacity available in this card format. SanDisk also introduced the first…
SanDisk Corporation Press Release 08/01/04
Growing Need for Portable Storage to Transfer Digital Images, Music, Video and Data Fuels Demand for Larger Capacities; Two New Capacities Expand Cruzer Mini Line
January 2004 (Newstream)—SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced a 512 megabyte (MB) and 1-gigabyte (GB) version of the CruzerTM Mini, an embedded USB 2.0 hi-speed “key chain” flash drive. With the 1GB Cruzer Mini, consumers can transport up to 30 hours of digitally compressed music, more than 5 hours of MPEG-4 compressed video or more than 1000 high-resolution digital images.
The 512 and 1GB Cruzer Mini drives are part of SanDisk’s most popular family of USB drives including the new Cruzer Titanium, an incredibly rugged and stylish flash drive with a titanium-coated flash drive case, and the new Cruzer Micro, an extremely small form factor that is approximately half the size of Cruzer Mini and expandable with an available MP3 Companion accessory. SanDisk introduced its family of Cruzer flash drives in a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Booth #23062, South Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.
“USB flash drives are now a ‘must-have’ item as consumers use them to transport and easily access personal computer data files, image files or video and audio between home, office, school and other locations,” said Eric Bone, retail product marketing manager at SanDisk. “With up to 1GB of storage capacity, USB 2.0 accessibility and a sleek design, the Cruzer Mini is the ideal personal storage device for work, school and personal use.”
SanDisk Corporation Press Release 08/01/04 Growing Need for Portable Storage to Transfer Digital Images, Music, Video and Data Fuels Demand for Larger Capacities; Two New Capacities Expand Cruzer Mini Line January 2004 (Newstream)—SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced a 512 megabyte (MB) and 1-gigabyte (GB) version of the CruzerTM Mini, an…