Professional photographer Bjorn Rorslett has just published his in-depth review of the Nikon D2H DSLR.

“Nikon D2H has, pixel by pixel, the best image quality of any Nikon DSLR so far available to the public. Do not let the pixel count mislead you into thinking “small in numbers, small in quality”, because the exact opposite is true. From the D2H emerges digital images with a clarity you should see to believe, provided you manage to get the exposure correct. The camera itself exposes virtually perfect when the lighting is flat or the contrast range within the frame is moderate, so under these conditions absolutely no user intervention with regards to the exposure settings is necessary. However, you do need to be a little more careful under high-contrast situations or when flash is used, because most shots then will benefit from a judicious additional increase in the exposure. Anything from +0.3 to +1 EV can be appropriate.”

Website: Bjorn Rorslett - Nikon D2H Review

A-Digital-Eye and DCResource have both just received a production version of the Sony DSC-F828, and rather than leaving us to wait until they have completed their full review, they have posted a number of sample shots. A few comments about the camera’s performance have also been published by A-Digital-Eye:

“We will say that the F828 does appear from all the shots we have now gone through to do a very impressive job with noise levels, including some very good sky shots with low noise all things considered. We did see some Purple fringing or Chromatic Aberrations in a few shots, but at this point it would be too early to say if the levels are anything unusual. We have many shots where there is no issue except the usual ones such as trying to get the perfect exposure or framing it just right.”

Website: A-Digital-Eye - Sony DSC F-828 Images

Website: DCResource - Sony DSC F-828 Images

The last sh1ft.org project for 2003 will be A Day In The Life .. New Years Eve ‘03.

Starting 12 Noon - December 31st 2003 and going straight through to 12 Noon - January 1 2004, take a photograph an hour to document how you spend the last hours of 2003 and the first hours of 2004.

For more details, please visit sh1ft.org/adayinthelife.

Epson Press Release 16/12/03

LONG BEACH, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Dec. 16, 2003—

Epson Adding Unique Online Component to Successful Traveling National School Program

Advanced amateur photographers and photo enthusiasts across the country will soon have two new programs in which they can learn from the pros how to use the latest digital technology to create the highest quality prints. Based on the success of last year’s program, Epson is offering the Epson Print Academy 2004 traveling school, as well as adding the Online Experience, a new web-based course to provide even more educational opportunities.

Print Academy 2004 will travel to 30 cities on weekends beginning Jan. 31 for half-day sessions, with multiple programs offered in several cities. The program will feature all new content from last year’s program, enabling participants to learn more creative solutions from master photographers and printmakers, watch live demonstrations of the latest digital imaging equipment and learn valuable tips and techniques they can use right away to improve their photography and printmaking.

Version 3.3. of Pixory has just been released. This software program allows you to store your photos on your own PC but to access, compose into albums, and share them anywhere on the internet. It’s your personal online photo sharing service, running on your computer using your broadband internet connection. Pixory is a client and a server, a lightweight web application for browsing photo collections on your hardrive; an album server to your friends and family or anyone on the internet. It simplifies accessing and organizing photo collections on your home network. Pixory is free for non-commercial use.

Website: http://www.pixory.org

Brilliant Labs Press Release 16/12/03

December 16, 2003 03:05 PM London Timezone

BrilliantPhoto Brings Order to Digital Photo Collections; New Full-featured Photo Manager Takes a Fresh Approach to Organizing Large Collections of Digital Photos

MT. PLEASANT, S.C.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Dec. 16, 2003—Brilliant Labs today announced the release of BrilliantPhoto, a new software tool for managing, sharing and editing digital photographs. Developed by Jim Lamb, former director of product development for Intuit Inc. and architect for Symantec Corporation’s Consumer Products Division, BrilliantPhoto is a feature-rich product that simplifies importing, organizing, editing, and sharing digital photos.
Lamb designed the software to meet his own needs as a digital photography buff who has taken thousands of digital photos of his two young children. “As we took more and more pictures with the digital camera, it became increasingly difficult to manage our photo collection. I designed BrilliantPhoto to organize my photos automatically, let me add descriptive information quickly, and make it easier to share photos by e-mail.”

Concord Camera Corp Press Release 15/12/03

HOLLYWOOD, Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Dec. 15, 2003—Automatic Film Advance, Red-Eye Reduction, Superior Lens, 800 Speed Film for Extended Flash up to 14 Feet - for Only $7.99

Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENS) today announced its first One-Time-Use camera with motorized film advance and Red Eye Reduction, the Polaroid SL100. The Polaroid SL100 incorporates features normally found in more expensive re-loadable film cameras while maintaining the convenience and ease of use of One-Time-Use cameras for just $7.99.

Always Ready to Shoot
After each picture, the Polaroid SL100 automatically advances the film to the next frame, so it is always ready to shoot the next photo without delay. The camera boasts a superior 27mm f/8, 2-element lens for sharp quality pictures every time and is equipped with a simple but sophisticated one touch flash system. Before the flash fires, the red eye reduction LED will illuminate helping to reduce the reflection that causes the irritating red eye effect. The Polaroid SL100 is preloaded with high quality 800 speed film, providing an extended flash range of up to 14 feet to capture more vibrant pictures and is ideal for night time shooting.

The slim design of this camera makes it perfect for travel or spur of the moment picture taking. “Many motorized cameras tend to be bulky,” stated Giovanni Zangrande, Director of Marketing of Concord. “One-Time-Use cameras are often used for travel purposes and our goal was to provide a slim, motorized, One-Time-Use camera suitable for travel.”

“Consumer research indicates that One-Time-Use cameras are considered the easiest to use and the most convenient camera format,” said Urs Stampfli, Senior VP & Director of Global Sales & Marketing of Concord. “Our philosophy is to make technology affordable, and one result is the Polaroid SL100. This camera provides a unique combination of features and sets a new standard for One-Time-Use cameras.”

The Polaroid SL100 Motorized One-Time-Use camera is now available at Wal-Mart and BrandsMart at a suggested retail price of $7.99.

Inside the Fuji Finepix F700 Zoom is an innovation that makes it stand out from the crowd, on paper at least. It’s the first camera to feature Fuji’s new 4th Generation SuperCCD SR. This new sensor technology enables the user to capture highlight and shadow detail missed by conventional digital cameras. So does the F700 Zoom actually produce images that live up to the hype? Find out in my review.

Website: Fuji Finepix F700 Zoom Review

Steves Digicams is the second website today to post their review of the 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.

“Combining a 3.2-megapixel imager and a 3x Nikkor optical zoom lens into its stylish and durable all-metal body, Nikon has positioned the CoolPix 3700 as a worthy competitor in the miniature consumer digicam market. Its automatic exposure mode will produce good results for the point-n-shoot beginner, while the 15 Scene modes offer preprogrammed convenience for taking exposures of differing subjects or under demanding lighting conditions. Manual mode offers the intermediate user control of White Balance, Image Sharpening, and AF area, while providing for continuous shooting and Best Shot Selection; the user has no direct control of aperture, shutter speed, or ISO.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Nikon Coolpix 3700 Review

DCResource have published their review of the 6 megapixel Pentax *ist D digital SLR.

“Despite it’s dumb name, the Pentax *ist D is a high quality digital SLR camera. It offers excellent (but very soft) photo quality, top-notch performance (though its burst mode isn’t as good as other D-SLRs), full manual controls, and nearly infinite expandability. Noise levels are extremely low, even at ISO 1600.”

Website: DCResource - Pentax *ist D Review

CNET have reviewed the HP Photosmart 635, an entry level digicam that has a 2.1 megapixel total resolution and up to 12x total zoom - 3x optical and 4x digital.

“Looking for cheap and decent snapshots? HP’s 2-megapixel Photosmart 635 isn’t the greatest performer, but its decent zoom lens, its sensible design, and its reasonable picture quality add up to good bang per buck.”

Website: CNET - HP Photosmart 635 Review

The Norwegian website Akamera.no have just posted their review of the 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.

Website: Akamera.no - Nikon Coolpix 3700 Review

Lexar Media, Inc. Press Release 15/12/03

Companies? Latest Technologies to Produce the World?s Highest Capacity and Fastest Removable Memory Solutions

FREMONT, CA, December 15, 2003—Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of high-performance digital media and accessories, today announced that the company has begun sampling Samsung Electronics? first 8Gb NAND flash memory device. The new high-density chips, combined with Lexar Media?s next-generation controller technology, will enable Lexar Media to increase the performance and storage capacity of its award winning memory cards and USB flash drives.

?Photographers consistently demonstrate an insatiable appetite for fast, high-capacity digital storage and our close relationship with Samsung allows us to be the first to deliver it,? said Eric Stang, chairman, president and CEO, Lexar Media. ?Our collaboration with Samsung allows us to maximize the capabilities of their flash memory through advanced features programmed into our controller.?

?Our 8Gbit quad-die NAND flash using single level cell (SLC) technology offers a superior, reliable high performance storage solution over substantially slower multi level cell (MLC) solutions,? said Jon Kang, Senior Vice President of Samsung Electronics? memory product planning and application engineering team. ?Our SLC technology is not only low cost but also performs ideally for high-end, high performance applications such as digital still and video cameras allowing consumers to take consecutive pictures more quickly and enabling continuous recording of high quality video.?

Lexar Media?s next generation technology will produce faster write speeds in high-density memory through more efficient operation. Historically, Lexar Media’s proprietary and patented controller has allowed many sectors of flash memory to be programmed without any erase cycles, and erases blocks in the background when the system is idle for faster performance. Included in the new architecture are pipelining and streaming technology to enable smooth transfer of data without interruption, which further increases the speed at which data is written and read.

About Lexar Media, Inc.
Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR) is a leading designer, marketer and licensor of award-winning removable flash-based digital storage media, card readers and ATA controller solutions for the digital photography, consumer electronics, industrial and communications markets. Lexar Media brands digital memory cards in the industry’s most popular formats including CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard and SD. As a digital storage innovator, Lexar Media was the first to develop and advance proprietary read-write speed standards for its USB-enabled CompactFlash cards and holds over 60 controller and system patents. Licensees of Lexar Media’s technology include Olympus, SanDisk, Samsung Electronics and Sony. Headquartered in Fremont, California, Lexar Media also has offices in London and Tokyo. Lexar Media is a member of the Russell 2000 Index. For more information, please call 1-800-789-9418 or visit www.lexarmedia.com.

DataRescue Press Release 15/12/03

PhotoRescue 2.0 for Mac OS X and Windows Released

New versions of popular digital image recovery software

Liege, Belgium (15/12/2003) - DataRescue sa/nv, the developer of the innovative and popular digital photo recovery software, today announced the release of PhotoRescue 2.0.

The new versions, available on both the Mac and PC platform, build on PhotoRescue’s widely acclaimed “what you see is what you get” digital image recovery engine to deliver a faster, more efficient solution for digital photographers.

Version 2.0 recovers more images, from bigger storage devices, up to ten times faster than its predecessor whose recovery engine already outperformed the competition in each and every data-recovery test run by Personal Computer Magazine (Issue 5, May 2003).

These astounding recovery rates are obtained through a proprietary data-recovery engine that dynamically switches between up to twelve data-recovery algorithms to
apply a case-by-case optimised recovery strategy. True “What You See is What You Get” performance is achieved by on-the-fly rendering of picture thumbnails; the only technique that accurately reflects the content of a damaged media.

“I was able to recover 97% of the photos that were on the card and all critical photos using your software.  It was extraordinary how well PhotoRescue works and how quickly. It really saved a lot of memories we’d not have had without the product’s effectiveness.” said Douglas Brown from California.

PhotoRescue 2.0 is available today in a simplified Wizard version, and a more advanced Expert version for the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, including the latest Panther release. Both versions, available in most languages, can be freely evaluated and are available for download at www.datarescue.com/photorescue/download.htm.

DataRescue has also upgraded its reseller offering by including both its PC Expert and Mac OS X Expert version in a single package priced at $39.

About DataRescue:
DataRescue Inc is a privately owned company located in Liege, Belgium.
Its flagship product, the IDA Pro Disassembler was a PC Magazine Award for Technical Excellence finalist in 2001 and is used by governmental agencies and major IT security developers worldwide.

The winner of the 6th PhotographyBLOG Photo of the Week contest is Digital-Alchemy with the entry “Fun in the studio with my puppy!”. 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 7th 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 Slovenian website e-fotografija have posted a number of images taken with a full-production version of the highly-anticipated Sony DSC-F828 digital camera, showing the different ISO ratings that the camera offers (64, 100, 200, 400 and 800). Essential viewing if you’re even vaguely interested in this camera.

Website: e-fotografija - Sony DSC-F828 ISO Samples

Website: Slovenian Translator

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the HP Photosmart 7660 printer, which features six-ink color printing or up to 4800-optimized dots-per-inch. Users can easily download and print photos from a digital camera via the printer?s memory card slots or front USB port ? no computer required. Additionally, users can produce borderless prints, up to 8.5 x 11-inches, on HP?s new Premium Plus Photo papers.

Website: Index Digicam - HP Photosmart 7660 Review

Olympus Press Release 15/12/03

More illumination versatility for the Olympus E-System

The comprehensive Olympus Macro Flash System

Hamburg, 11 December 2003 ? With its professional macro flash system, Olympus opens up further creative and business areas to users of the Olympus E-System. Meeting the highest requirements for quality and flexibility, it comprises a ring flash unit, twin flash unit, adapter rings and flash controller. Ideal for advertising and still life photography plus macro work where precise, shadow-free lighting is required, these flash accessories allow every detail of the subject to be captured. Dedicated to the Olympus E-System, the professional digital SLR system based on the TIPA Award winning FourThirds Standard, this macro flash system will be available from February 2004.

A variety of macro flash units and accessories are being launched:
- Ring Flash Unit FS-RF11
- Ring Flash Set FS-SRF11
- Twin Flash Unit TF-22
- Twin Flash Set STF-22
- Flash Adapter Ring FS-FR1
- Macro Flash Controller FS-FC1

Nikon DSLR user Thom Hogan has posted a few thoughts about the recently-announced Nikon D70, which is due to ship in early 2004. Nikon decided to tell us next to nothing about the new DSLR, so Thom has had a go at filling in the gaps (found via digicamera.net).

Website: Thom Hogan - Nikon D70 Speculations

Photobird.com Press Release 15/12/03

INTRODUCING PHOTOBIRD.COM
The easy way to share your photos with friends and family around the world

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. - December 15, 2003 - Photobird.com today announced the immediate availability of its new easy-to-use, professionally-designed website that enables digital camera users to easily share their digital photos.  Photobird.com enables digital camera users to easily create online photo albums, using an intuitive, attractive web-based interface.  For a free trial, visit www.photobird.com.

“Digital camera users want an easy and attractive way to share their photos on the web.  Photobird.com was designed specifically for digital camera users to easily create beautifully designed online photo albums, so they can share their photos, and be proud of their photo collections,” said Ed Krimen, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Photobird.com.  “Websites are too difficult to build for most people, and most sites are not designed well, making them difficult or unattractive to use.  Photobird.com makes it very easy to share your photos in professionally designed online photo albums.”

Photobird.com is faster, easier, and more convenient than e-mailing your photos to friends and family.  When you want to share your photos on Photobird.com, you only need to send your personal Photobird.com link—which is much simpler than sending megabytes of data each time you want to send photos to someone.  Your friends and family can then select which photos they want to see, instead of waiting for them all to download.  Plus, Photobird.com automatically creates smaller, web-ready versions of your photos when you add them to your album, so your photos can be viewed quicker.  Your original photo is still available too.

With its attractive, user-friendly web interface, Photobird.com offers a variety of unique features that will interest everyone who takes digital photos.  “It’s very easy and simple to send my photo links to people by using the Send to a Friend button,” said Carol Caruso, a professional photographer in Paris, France.  “I like the picture upload process too, very clean and simple.”