We’re only just into December 2003, but already the manufacturers are gearing up for 2004. Hi-Touch have revealed plans to show 2 new dye-sub printers at next year’s Focus on Imaging show, held at the NEC in Birmingham at the end of February. The 730PL and the 730PS both allow you to create prints up to 6x8 inches in size. You can read the full story at DP-Now).

The Spanish website Nuevafotografia have published a review of the Sony DSC-V1 compact digital camera, which features 5 megapixel resolution, 4x optical zoom, flexible exposure control and an infrared laser hologram.

Website: Nuevafotografia - Sony DSC-V1 Review

The Tokyo-based Camera and Imaging Products Association has issued a report stating that shipments of digital cameras from the various Japanese manufacturers has increased to 5.18 million units, from 2.8 million a year earlier. Sales have increased 54 percent to 132 billion yen ($1.2 billion), from 85.8 billion yen. North America and Europe were the biggest growth areas (found via BytePhoto).

Sony Canada Press Release 01/12/03(found via A Digital Eye)

Sony unveils Cyber-shot DSC-F828, world’s first 8-megapixel digital camera
Advanced lens, colour filter and processor realize new levels of image quality and camera responsiveness

The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 camera is available in mid-December through authorized Sony resellers across Canada or at www.sonystyle.ca and has a suggested list price of $1,499.

TORONTO, Dec. 1 /CNW/ - Sony of Canada Ltd., Canada’s leading electronic and computer products solutions provider for consumers and business, today unveiled the Cyber-shot DSC-F828 digital camera, the world’s first 8-megapixel offering and the most powerful addition to the Company’s popular line of F-Series cameras.

With its lens-centric design, the Cyber-shot DSC-F828 is encased in a black, magnesium alloy body, and is the first to incorporate Sony’s recently announced four-colour filter CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology and Real Imaging Processor(TM).

Along with the Carl Zeiss(R) T(*) optics, these components are integral in capturing colour accuracy closest to what the human eye can see and setting a new benchmark in camera performance.

“With our heritage in component design, Sony is uniquely qualified to realize this new standard in image quality,” said Hiro Futsukaichi, Senior Marketing Manager, Digital Imaging Products, Consumer Audio Video/Information Technology Group, Sony of Canada Ltd. “Specifically designed to handle the unique rigors of advanced digital still photography, the new Cyber-shot F828 camera embodies what we envision as a premier imaging experience.”

To complete that experience, the new camera offers extensive manual controls, giving advanced photographers a broader range of mechanisms to determine focus, exposure and recording modes.

The popular online photo magazine 28mm.org has returned with its 11th issue. The work of 10 different photographers is featured this month.

On Display:
- Home grown portraits, by Katie Cooke
- Munich Airport, by Alexandra Emde
- Abandoned Industrial, by Matthew Hollett
- So Cal…So Cool, by Phillip Massey
- Walls, Windows, and Doors, by Davin Risk & Gayla Sanders
- In the Spotlight, by Rannie Turingan
- Westside Connection, by Dominic Turner
- Steam, by Khoi Uong
- Through The Looking Glass, by Tracey Yeoh

Cover Photo:
by C Gary Moyer

Lecia Press Release 01/12/03

New: LEICA VARIO-ELMARIT-R 1:2.8-4.5/28-90 mm ASPH.

The new LEICA VARIO-ELMARIT-R 1:2.8-4.5/28-90 mm ASPH is a high-speed universal lens with extended variable range for the Leica reflex system. With a focal length range of more than three times, it can be used throughout the telephoto and wide angle ranges. The variable focal length setting means that the lens can be adapted for the most diverse of subjects and realise a wide variety of photographic ideas. The lens is also ready to use very quickly, as in many cases ? with rapidly changing subjects for example ? a change of lens can be avoided. The LEICA VARIO-ELMARIT-R 1: 2.8-4.5/28-90 mm ASPH covers the four most common fixed focal lengths with no loss of quality. In conjunction with a Leica R reflex camera, it provides a compact Leica R system which, thanks to its high speed, is ideal for most subjects and situations.

Further information on the LEICA VARIO-ELMARIT-R 1:2.8-4.5/28-90 mm ASPH. are available at:
http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/rsystem/objektive/zoom/index_e.html

DIWA Press Release 01/12/03

NEW IMAGING INDUSTRY ORGANISATION LAUNCHES MULTI-LINGUAL AWARDS WEB SITE

The Digital Imaging Websites Association (DIWA), a new independent international industry organisation formed to identify excellence in imaging products, has formally opened its Web site at www.diwa-awards.com. The site will announce awards made by DIWA and link visitors to the Web site publications of DIWA members and their reviews of products that have earned DIWA awards.

Over time, the DIWA site’s interactive database will establish itself as a central point of reference for high quality and high value information to help members of the public determine their most appropriate purchasing choices. Details on products tested and rated by DIWA members will be freely available to site visitors.

DIWA is an international organisation comprising member Web site publications from many different countries. The cosmopolitan nature of DIWA is reflected in the design of its new Web site, which accommodate the languages of all its members in terms of navigation and specific language sections.

As an industry organisation, DIWA’s Web site will also become a focus of attention from manufacturers and resellers from all over the world.

Leica have today announced a new addition to their range of digital cameras in the form of the Digilux 2, dubbed by Leica as the ?analog? digital camera.

The new LEICA DIGILUX 2 camera combines the best of two worlds.
In the new LEICA DIGILUX 2, modern digital technology and the proven concepts of traditional analog photography are joined in a harmonious combination: Decisive photographic parameters such as sharpness, aperture, focal length and shutter speeds can be controlled like those on a classic single-lens-reflex camera by means of setting rings on the lens and a shutter speed dial.

To ensure the best pictorial results, the lens, the sensor and the electronics are optimally tailored to one another. The 2/3-inch CCD sensor is very large for its resolution of 5 million pixels. This combination of a high-performance lens and a large surface per picture element produces an extraordinary pictorial quality.

The LEICA DIGILUX 2 at a glance

- Fast 7 ? 22.5 mm LEICA DC VARIO SUMMICRON f/2 ? f/2.4 ASPH. zoom lens (equivalent to a 28 - 90 mm zoom lens on a 35 mm camera)
- 2/3” CCD sensor with 5.0 million pixels
- Analog photography feeling conveyed by manual setting possibilities directly at the lens
- Its traditional clear design readily identifies it as a typical Leica
- Transfer-reflexive 2,5? display with a resolution of 211,000 pixels and outstanding brilliance
- Electronic viewfinder with 235,000 pixels that covers 100% of the picture being taken
- Extra large picture storage card with 64 MB
- Interval timing and control via the PC
- Connections: USB 2.0 (High Speed); DC IN; AV output with option of PAL or NTSC; Remote release cable
- Extremely robust and long-lived because of the use of high-grade materials and precision fabrication

The theme for the December Competition has been decided. As the days are now so short here in the UK (it gets dark at 4pm!), the new theme is simply “Night”. Submit your best photograph that you think inteprets the theme, whether it be an urban cityscape or a moonlight landscape. If you’ve never attempted any night photography before, then grab your tripod, torch and a friend and get out in the dark!

This is a monthly photography competition with a specific theme and prizes for the top 3 photos. The winning entries will be decided by a panel of judges. You just have to submit one photograph to the Competition Gallery that best interprets December’s theme, which is “Night”.

Please make sure that you read the Monthly Competition Rules before submitting your entry. The competition is worldwide and open to everyone.

You can now start submitting entries to the December Compeitition here:
December Competition

The first ever PhotographyBLOG Competition has now closed. The theme for November was “Autumn Colour” - you can view all of the 43 entries in this gallery.

The 1st / 2nd / 3rd place winners will be announced on Saturday 6th December, and the prizes will be sent out shortly after :-)

The winner of the 4th PhotographyBLOG Photo of the Week contest is cramer with the entry “Abstract Reflection2”. 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 5th 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. Just make sure that you submit your photos to the current Photo of the Week Gallery.

Last week’s winning entry, “The Day Ends” by smslavin, has been viewed 616 times, so if you want to gain some exposure and publicise your photography, then winning the Photo of the Week contest is a good start :-)

Photo.net have published their review of one of the more popular consumer digicams, the 4-megapixel Canon PowerShot A80, which sells for around $399.

“The dreaded “blue fringing”, which is seen on just about all cameras and is probably due to a combination of factors including sensor blooming, seems well controlled. Under adverse conditions (dark lines on a white, overexposed, background) you can see evidence of “blue fringing”, but it didn’t seem excessive. It’s frequently not noticeable in normal shots, but in “torture tests” it can be seen.

Though it’s not fair, here’s a comparison of a 4MP image from the A80 and a 6.3 MP image from the EOS 10D using a 28-135 IS lens. These are crops from 400% blowups from the center of each image so you can see the individual pixels. There is surprisingly little difference!”

Website: Photo.net - Canon Powershot A80 Review

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the tiny Canon Digital IXUS i (also known as the PowerShot SD10 in some countries). The SD10 has a street price of $349 in the USA and ?299 in the UK.

Website: Index Digicam - Canon PowerShot SD10 Review

A Digital Eye are currently testing a production version of the recently announced Sigma SD10 digital SLR. They have published quite a lot of sample images prior to their full review:

“Perhaps some of the most Colorful shots, showing off the great capabilities of the Sigma SD10 are posted here, including several very nice shots from Disneyland taken Sunday November 30, 2003 using the 28 - 70 mm Sigma Zoom lens, and powered by 4 AA 15 minute chargeable batteries from Rayovac, which yielded over 200 pictures, nearly 1.5 GB of X3 RAW files in 3 hours!!!”

Website: A Digital Eye - Sigma SD10 Sample Images

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston talks about books, being called a Nikon bigot, the Pentax *ist D and the latest issue of Black and White Photography magazine.

“Second, not to complain about being taken seriously, but I think a few readers are taking me too seriously. I’m not an expert on everything (actually I doubt I’m an expert on anything, because I tend to get interested in so many things). The only reason I do this is because I think it’s fun. So, no, I?m not a Nikon-only bigot, no, Nikon didn’t pay me to write my column last week, and no, it’s not all one big anti-Canon conspiracy. It’s just, uh, how I was feeling at the time.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: Books, Nikon Bigots, and B&WP

Digital Outback Photo have reviewed yet another product that offers a way to sharpen your images. Noel Carboni’s Fractal Sharpening actions uses a version of Genuine Fractals to achieve the sharpening effect:

“If you own Genuine Fractals we would urge you to get Noels actions. For some it even might be reason enough to buy Genuine Fractals.

Noel writes on his page “I’ve designed a great set of sharpening actions that do something different: They actually sharpen images!”. We find that this is not just marketing.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Fractal Sharpening Review

Digital Outback Photo have started a report on the Olympus E-1 digital SLR in the form of a regularly updated diary.

“As a camera we just love the E-1. The viewfinder is bright and easy to use. The autofocus works for us although it is not as sophisticated as the systems from Canon and Nikon. But no problem for us. We even like the electronic controlled manual focus feature as the mechanical manual focus for some lenses is not always fun to use (often not that precise). The shutter and mirror slap is soft and very silent.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Olympus E-1 Experience Report

The danish website Akamera.dk have reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P72, a $349, 3-megapixel digital compact camera.

Website: Akamera.dk - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P72 Review

A Digital Eye have posted a First Look at of a pre-production version of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1, which is due to be released in January 2004.

“The Sony T1 is a tiny 5 megapixel Camera with a sliding cover that protects the lens while not in use. The camera is very thin, it has a fairly flat body that is rectangular in shape, making it very compact. The sliding lens cover is somewhat rounded and does stick out about 1/8 of an inch, however it opens very easily once you know what to do.”

Website: A Digital Eye - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 First Look

DPReview have published their usual exhaustive review of the Olympus E-1 digital SLR camera.

“Olympus are clearly aiming the E-1 at the professional market, this in my opinion is a hard sell. From a marketing and positioning point of view I feel that the E-1 is stuck between a rock and a hard place. It doesn’t really offer the continuous shooting or AF speed required for professional sports photography. At the other end of the spectrum it doesn’t offer the resolution expected by professional studio photographers, ignoring the ‘megapixel race’ I feel that it falls short of delivering the full potential of a five megapixel sensor with a vertical resolution of 1920 photosites.”

Website: DPReview - Olympus E-1 Review