Photoxels have today published their review of the Canon EOS 300D digital SLR camera.

“The EOS Digital Rebel simply bests the best of the prosumer digital cameras with its excellent resolution, virtually noise-free images at high ISOs, low-light capability, virtually no shutter lag for fast response times, excellent AF, easy to use dedicated buttons for less reliance on the MENU, and an attractive and affordable price point.

It should appeal to serious amateur photographers who are willing to put forth the effort to learn and master its capabilities, as well as to advanced amateur photographers who appreciate its excellent image quality and fast response times.”

Website: Photoxels - Canon EOS 300D Review

The software company FixerLabs has announced a new product called TrueBlur, which is designed to give a better blur effect than Photoshop’s Gaussian blur filter. Interestingly TrueBlur uses EXIF information (where present) to generate an accurate model of the lens optics.

TrueBlur is available in both PC and Mac OS X versions and is designed to be used with Adobe’s Photoshop and Elements. It costs $27 and there is a free trial version available to download.

Website: TrueBlur

A new version of Qimage, a popular image viewing/printing software program, has recently been released. Version 2004 is the first major upgrade this year and now offers the ability to crop each individual print without the need to crop images, highlights the most compatible print size(s) when thumbnails are selected, and has higher quality thumbnails. Click the link below to see the full list of new features.

Website: Qimage 2004 Feature List

Digital Outback Photo have posted their first impressions of the Nikon D2H DSLR in the form of a diary; check back regularly to read what Uwe and Bettina think of Nikon’s new DSLR.

“The D2H is designed for speed and as such the resolution is limited to 4MP. But even the D1H served journalists well at 2.7 MP. So the 4MP is matching the Canon 1D and will be enough for most journalistic work. There will be always a tradeoff between speed and resolution (but we still expect Canon come out with a follow up to their 1D as next year are the Olympic games).”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Nikon D2H First Impressions

Version 3 of Neat Image, a digital filter designed to reduce visible noise in digital photographic images, has just been released. It’s a free upgrade for all registered owners of a previous version.

The new features and improvements in Neat Image v3.0 are:
- Improved noise reduction engine with increased processing speed
- Neat Image now works 2.5 times faster on a standard PC and even faster on HyperThreading or multiprocessor systems!
- Profile Matcher
.. to automatically select a device noise profile most suitable to process the input image
- Variant Selector
.. for easier optimization of filter settings
- Photoshop CS compatibility
- Improved graphic user interface (available on Windows XP)
- Several other improvements and bug fixes
Please see the history of changes for more details

Website: Neat Image

A Digital Eye has posted the second part of their 2003 Holiday Shopping Guide, which is basically their recommended digital cameras for a particular price bracket. This time they recommend digital cameras in the “$400-$500 compact point & shoot style digital camera” category.

“Overall, if we were offered a choice of cameras for free, one being a 3 megapixel camera on the one hand, and one being a 4 or 5 megapixel camera on the other, we would take the higher resolution camera almost every time, especially if its between the same manufacturers two models. We think noise issues for family photo needs are a minimal issue, as most prints and/or Web resized images simply will not show the noise that theoretically can be seen when an image is looked at full size or enlarged in a program such as Photoshop by a highly critical eye. In addition, it is possible that some 4 megapixel cameras you may consider below will actually have less noise then really cheap alternative 3 megapixel cameras that are out there to also consider.”

Website: A Digital Eye - Holiday Shopping Guide Part 2

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston lusts after the latest DSLR from Nikon:

“The reason I like the idea of the D2H (I haven’t laid eyes on one yet) is that it seems to have all the qualities I like in all kinds of cameras - foremost among which are superb responsiveness and a big, bright, clear viewfinder. Shutter lag is supposedly a mere 38ms, which is fantastic even for a film camera, with a total mirror blackout of 80ms. This thing must be sharp as a razor. As Homer would say, wooo-hooo! “

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: Camera Envy: the Nikon D2H

Sanyo have announced a new addition to their range of dye-sublimation printers. The DVP-P1 printer applies a coating over the ink layer to give prints outstanding resistance to light and moisture and a print life of 100 years. The DVP-P1 prints out a true borderless 6x4 inch photo in about 40 seconds. The DVP-P1’s easy-to-use controls are set in the front panel, along with a large 2.5” x 1.8” LCD - you don’t need a computer to use it.

Website: Sanyo- DVP-P1 Digital Photo Printer

German website Photoworld.de have posted their review of the Pentax Optio 33WR, a compact 3-megapixel camera with a 2.8x optical zoom and a weather resistant case.

Website: Photoworld.de- Pentax Optio 33WR Review

Steves Digicams have posted their review of the Panasonic DMC-FZ10 Lumix ultrazoom digital camera.

“The most prominent feature of the FZ10 is its 12x Leica Vario Elmarit zoom lens, with a focal length coverage of 35-420mm in 35mm equivalence. That’s a lot of lens by anyone’s standards especially when the vast majority of other digicams only have 3x zooms. Anyone who has used a digicam with a long focal length zoom knows that these lenses really add to the overall “fun factor” of using a camera.”

Steves Digicams - Panasonic DMC-FZ10 Lumix Review

Imaging Resource has posted a review of the Olympus CAMEDIA C-5060 Wide Zoom camera, an updated version of the popular Olympus CAMEDIA C-5050 model, with a wider-angle lens that is equivalent to a 27-110mm lens on a 35mm camera.

“Optical distortion on the C-5060 was a little higher than average at the wide-angle end, where I measured approximately 1.0 percent barrel distortion. (Average is 0.8 percent barrel distortion, which is still too high, IMHO.) The telephoto end fared much better though, as I couldn’t find even one pixel of pincushion or barrel distortion. Chromatic aberration was fairly low, showing only a few pixels of relatively faint coloration on either side of the res target lines. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.) The 5060’s lens also holds sharpness across the full frame better than most, with relatively little of the softening in the corners that I’ve come to expect from prosumer-grade digicam lenses. All in all, the 5060’s lens appears to be of higher than average quality.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus C-5060 Wide Zoom Review

DCResource have posted a review of the Panasonic DMC-FZ10 Lumix ultrazoom digital camera.

“The FZ10 has great photo quality, it’s fun to use, and both its movie and burst modes are better than average. The large 2” LCD is a nice touch. Speaking of large, the FZ10 is a big camera—the biggest ultra zoom model out there. While some may disagree, I see the FZ10 as a “serious” camera, rather than a “take anywhere” camera.”

DCResource - Panasonic DMC-FZ10 Lumix Review

Thanks to Ed Weiner for emailing me this news which will affect all US-based photographers…

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Thanks to the efforts of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) and the cooperation and understanding of the Transportation Security Administration, working photographers and other members of the traveling public may now take on board an additional piece of carry-on baggage containing photographic equipment.  This means that you are allowed to carry on two bags - when at least one is photographic equipment - along with a personal item. This accommodation will make it easier to travel for working photographers with sensitive and valuable equipment.  Document Checkers are being informed at this time of the change in Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations.  The TSA has said to go ahead at this time and take advantage of the new policy.

Be advised that some Document Checkers may not be aware of the change in policy and this will require your speaking to the airline’s customer service personnel.  Also, the additional bag must conform to the carry-on regulations for size and weight.  There will still be occasions when there simply is no space available on board for additional carry-on and this will require checking a bag.

ASMP Information:
For almost sixty years, the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) has been the premier trade association for promoting and protecting the interests of working publication photographers. Membership in ASMP continues to be recognized worldwide as a commitment to professionalism, quality, good ethics, and as a sign of proven experience. Founded in 1944 by a handful of the world’s leading photojournalists, ASMP has grown to over 5000 members in 40 chapters in the United States and in many foreign countries. ASMP is built on the cornerstones of education, information, and advocacy. ASMP members are drawn from every photographic specialty - advertising, annual reports, corporate/industrial, architecture, underwater, editorial, fashion, medical, sports, special effects, and more - but are held together by their common problems and concerns. ASMP calls upon the wealth of information available from within its experienced membership and from industry leaders to develop solutions that work. ASMP has the determination and clout to make its voice heard. ASMP is photographers helping photographers through community, culture, commerce, and publications.

Eugene Mopsik
Executive Director, ASMP
November 21, 2003

US department of Homeland Security

“Pentax UK Press Release 21/11/03”

Let Pentax Help You ‘Go Digital’ This Christmas

Introducing the Optio 33LF - the Compact Digital Camera with All-round Potential

To help capture those precious moments this Christmas, Pentax is delighted to announce the release of the Optio 33LF.  Combining functionality, versatility and ease-of-use, the Optio 33LF is ideally suited to those eager to discover how easy it is to take, share and enjoy digital photography. 

With 3.2 effective megapixels and advanced Pentax technologies, the Optio 33LF achieves high-level clarity and natural colours.  What’s more, a 3X optical zoom gives you the freedom to frame subjects with great flexibility. It also offers the exceptional advantage of a handy swivelling LCD monitor - an innovation enabling entirely new shooting possibilities through accurate composition from above or below eye level and even round corners!

Main features:
Innovative swiveling LCD monitor and optical viewfinder
The 1.6-inch LCD monitor moves through 180 degrees horizontally and 270 degrees vertically for enhanced compositional versatility. It not only makes self-portraits extremely easy, but also allows for versatile shooting from the waist or above your head to create images that would normally be out of reach or awkward to achieve.

Easy operation
The Optio 33LF offers various shooting modes such as Landscape, Portrait and Snow & Surf, to easily cope with different photographic situations.

With a handy virtual mode dial, shooting mode selection is so simple. Just select the easy-to-understand icon most closely related to your choice of subject, compose, and shoot!

3.2 effective megapixels
Not only is the Optio 33LF simple and stylish, it also offers the imaging power of 3.2 effective megapixels.  Such resolution allows for a satisfying level of clarity and detail to be achieved and gives great quality prints.

A powerful 3X optical zoom lens and Macro mode
The Optio33LF features a 3X optical zoom lens (equivalent to a 38-114mm lens in 35mm format).  The optical zooming capability can also be combined with 2.7X digital zoom for a total zooming capacity of 8.1X.

The Optio 33LF is part of the award winning Pentax Optio range and is available in stores from 1st December and retails for ?229.99.

LetsGoDigital have posted a First Impressions report of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1, which is due to be released in January 2004. LetsGoDigital got their hands on a pre-production version of the camera, resulting in this 6 page report with lots of product shots.

“The operation of the DSC-T1 is simple. The large screen contributes to the convenience. The settings and functions are shown well-organised and clear and staring at a small symbol belongs to the past. The expression “Golden Moment” refers to the moment one sees the captured image for the first time. On a digital camera it is usually the screen that shows the image. It may be obvious that experiencing the golden moment via a 2.5-inch high resolution screen has a lot more impact than via a small 1.5-inch screen!”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 First Impressions

Sony have made the manual for the 8 megapixel DSC-F828 digital camera available for download on their website. If you’re interested in what could be a ground-breaking camera and want to see exactly what it will be capable of, download the 160 page guide now.

Website: Sony DSC-F828 Manual

In other Sony DSC-F828 news, apparently the list price has dropped by $200 in the USA! Imaging Resource are reporting that the list price is now $999.95, with some retailers selling for as low as $919. No doubt that the Canon EOS 300D is to blame :-)

Website: Sony DSC-F828 Price Drop

The Slovenian digital photography website e-fotografija is the latest website to publish an extensive review of the Olympus E-1 DSLR.

Website: e-fotografija - Olympus E-1 Review

Website: Slovenian Translator

The curiously named Stick Software have just announced PhotoReviewer 1.1, a software program for the Mac that allows you to quickly and easily review your digital photos.

“In our experience, there is no tool really well-suited to taking a large collection of images, reviewing them, and culling the bad ones and keeping the good ones. The photo review and processing apps supplied by Apple, such as iPhoto and Preview, are too slow and hog too much memory. Other apps tend to be overpriced, poorly designed, or cluttered.

We decided, in the course of reviewing a few thousand photos for a website we were designing, that a better tool needed to be written. And so here it is.”

Website: PhotoReviewer 1.1

Perttu Luukkanen has published his review of the Epson Perfection 3170 scanner, which according to Epson is “the scanner for experienced users and photo enthusiasts”. Find out if Perttu agrees.

“There are few scanners that promise what the Epson 3170 does. An outsanding 3200 dpi resolution, 48 bit color, prints, slides, negatives, both 35 mm and medium format and for all this, it’s dirt cheap. Street price for the 3170 hovers around $200 in the US, although it’s more likely be around ?270 (~$300) here in Finland. It comes bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 which is worth something itself, especially if you don’t have a post-processing software.

Before I bought the scanner I tried to look for a decent review on the Net and I could find none. That may well be the reason you’re reading this. I felt I had to put something available, since I know there are a lot of people out there wondering whether this scanner is really good enough for scanning film, especially at this price.”

Website: Epson Perfection 3170 Scanner Review

CNET have published their review of the 4 megapixel Pentax Optio S4 digital camera, an ultracompact model which is small enough to fit inside an empty Altoids tin.

“Essentially a clone of its predecessor, the Pentax Optio S, the 4-megapixel Optio S4 ultracompact sports a retractable 35mm-to-105mm (the 35mm-film equivalent), 3X optical zoom lens and offers interesting, beyond-the-basics options that won’t scare away beginners. While it won’t win any awards for shooting speed or image quality, the S4 gives snapshooters plenty of features in a chic, portable package.”

Website: CNET - Pentax Optio S4 Review