The people who brought you the 28 Things photography project back in July have launched a new project idea. Connect 8 asks you to choose 1 idea/theme for your starting photograph, then from your chosen starting idea/theme, take 8 connecting photographs. There are 30 different themes to choose from, along with the rules, some tips and an example project.

Website: Connect 8

Canon USA has posted details of an updated version of the popular i950 photo printer. The i960 is virtually identical to its predecessor, but now supports the PictBridge standard and is curiously listed, at $199, as $50 cheaper than the i950. Otherwise it looks to be an identical, although somewhat heavier, printer. There is no official word yet about the i960 from Canon, although the Canon USA website does say that it will ship in October.

Website: Canon USA - Printers

Here are 6 more Notting Hill Children photographs to help brighten up your Sunday morning. Although one or two of the children didn’t seem to be entering fully into the spirit of the event…

Notting Hill Carnival Children #7	Notting Hill Carnival Children #8	Notting Hill Carnival Children #9
Notting Hill Carnival Children #10	Notting Hill Carnival Children #11	Notting Hill Carnival Children #12

The UK digital photography website, DP-Now.com, have announced a new photography competition in conjunction with Olympus UK. There is ?8,000 worth of prizes up for grabs; 12 monthly prizes of ?500 to spend on Olympus products, and a ?2,000 holiday for two in Greece for the overall winner. The competition is based loosely on the theme of each of the twelve Olympian gods, in turn, one for each month. Check out the DP-Now website below for the full details.

Website: DP-Now Competition

It seems as though the major digital camera review websites have collaborated to review or preview the Canon EOS 300D on the very same day! So without any further ado, here are those all important links - grab a cup of coffee and find a spare 1/2 hour to discover if the 300D is the breakthrough camera that Canon claims it is.

Website: DCResource - Canon EOS 300D Preview

Website: DPReview - Canon EOS 300D Review

Website: Imaging Resource - Canon EOS 300D Review

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon EOS 300D First Look

Bob Atkins over at Photo.net has published a very informative article which I’m sure will prove to be a valuable resource for all new digital photographers. And some of the information will help clear up a few misconceptions that more experienced photographers may have :-)

” In this basic guide to digital camera technology we hope to try to give digital beginners at least some basis to use in deciding which digital camera is appropriate for them. When shopping for a digital camera it’s at least good to know what the basic terms like white balance, pixel, ppi and dpi mean and how they affect image and print quality. It’s also important to know the difference between things like optical zoom and digital zoom as well as the advantages and disadvantages between storage formats such as Compact Flash (CF), Microdrives, Sony Memory Stick, Secure Digital (SD), Multimedia and camera interface technologies such as USB 1.1, USB 2.0 and Firewire IEEE 1394.”

Website: Photo.net - “Digital Cameras - A beginner’s guide”

As well as the hundred’s of children in the Notting Hill Carnival last Sunday afternoon, there were also as many responsible adults present to look after them. Naturally the adults took the opportunity to dress up and join in the fun :-)



Most of my images from the Carnival were taken with the long-end of my 70-200mm zoom lens, hoping to capture that split-second moment when everything falls into place. I find that this kind of photography is very hit and miss, with more failures than sucesses, and with a lot more “just OK” images than both failures and successes put together. You know, images that are exposed and sharp, maybe even well-composed, but they don’t really have any effect on you.



Saying that, here are 6 photos that I do quite like, especially the first one, Notting Hill Carnival #3.

Notting Hill Carnival #3	Notting Hill Carnival #4	Notting Hill Carnival #5
Notting Hill Carnival #6	Notting Hill Carnival #7	Notting Hill Carnival #8

Just to let you all know that I’m away all of this weekend - a Wedding on Friday, Engagement Party on Saturday, then a Curry Festival (!) on Sunday. So I won’t be repsonding to email and site updates will be at best sporadic.

Finally, Pentax have announced the Optio555, an updated version of the popular 550 model.

Pentax Press Release 03/09/03
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 3, 2003—PENTAX U.S.A., Inc. proudly presents the Optio555 5.0 megapixel digital camera.

A successor to the popular Optio550, which recently received an Editor’s Choice award from PC Magazine, the Optio555 offers exceptionally compact and light-weight design that is ideal for use anywhere.

PENTAX maximized the responsiveness of the Optio555 including reduced lag time so the camera is instantly ready when the power is turned on. In addition, a single touch of the playback button brings up recorded images and just a touch of the shutter button is all that is required to return to shooting. With enhanced operation capability and maximized responsiveness, the Optio555 allows satisfying shots to be taken with extreme ease. Add a powerful 5X optical zoom (4X digital zoom for a combined 20X total zoom), and the superb clarity of 5.0 effective megapixels, the Optio555 offers extreme versatility with superb detail and accuracy.

The second new announcement from Pentax is the diminuitive Pentax Optio S4.

Pentax Press Release 03/09/03
ENGLEWOOD, Colorado (September 3, 2003)?The innovative manufacturer that introduced a popular digital camera tucked inside a breath mint tin, has introduced a second generation.  PENTAX U.S.A., Inc. announced the launch of the Optio S4.  Sporting the tiny dimensions and light weight of its predecessor, the Optio S4 boasts a hefty 4.23 effective megapixels, a 3X zoom lens, and a variety of features including a large, easy-to-use manual control playback button.

PENTAX U.S.A., Inc. will preview the tiny but powerful digital camera at the Digital Focus media event on Monday, September 15 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City during the PC EXPO trade show.

How does PENTAX continue to load so much into such a small space? The Optio S4 features an innovative Sliding Lens system that allows the camera?s powerful 3X zoom lens to move up and away so the retracted lens is completely flush with the camera body.  This novel system protects the lens and helps reduce the size. 

Pentax have now officially announced the 3 new digital cameras that I first reported yesterday :-)

First up is the water-resistant Pentax Optio 33WR.

Pentax Press Release 03/09/03
ENGLEWOOD, Colorado (September 3, 2003)?Just add water.  That?s the best way to enjoy the latest digital camera from PENTAX U.S.A., Inc. 

The Optio 33WR is a robust and durable 3.2 megapixel, 2.8X zoom lens digital camera. With a JIS Class 7 water resistance rating, the Optio 33WR remains watertight even when the camera is rinsed, splashed or submersed in water.*  The Optio 33WR is the perfect companion for outdoor photography in rain, snow or a day at the beach. 
*The Optio 33WR should not be operated underwater.

PENTAX U.S.A., Inc. will preview the digital camera submersed in a fish bowl at the Digital Focus media event on Monday, September 15 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City during the PC EXPO trade show.

Steve’s Digicams have reviewed the 4 megapixel EasyShare DX6490 digital camera, another digital camera featuring a 10x optical zoom lens (38-380mm focal length), which has a f/2.8 - f/3.7 maximum aperture. The Kodak EasyShare DX6490 has a suggested retail price of ?399.99.

“Kodak has filled-out the high-end of its EasyShare consumer digicam lineup with the very versatile 4-megapixel DX6490. Beginners will be able to use it as a point-n-shoot in automatic mode, photographers with intermediate skills will like its handy scene modes, and experts will appreciate the ability to exercise their creativity by using the manual and priority control over both aperture and shutter speed. This is truly a camera that everyone in your family can enjoy using.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Kodak EasyShare DX6490 Review

Steve’s Digicams have reviewed the new FinePix S5000 from Fuji, which has a massive 10X optical zoom that is equivalent to equivalent to 37-370mm on a 35mm camera. The S5000 is styled after and handles like a SLR camera and offers a full range of exposure control including Automatic, Program AE, Shutter speed and Aperture priority, Manual and pre-programmed scene modes.  The Fuji FinePix S5000 costs $499.95 and will be available in stores this month.

“We were mostly pleased with our outdoor test shots. Images were sharp, well-exposed and richly saturated. Fuji uses more JPEG compression than other similar resolution cameras, the file sizes for most of our samples were under a megabyte. Most cameras give you a choice of both the image size and quality, the S5000 offers only a resolution setting, I prefer being in control of both of these parameters.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Fuji FinePix S5000 Review

Following Digital Outback Photo’s review of Photokit Sharpener, another new sharpening software program, Luminous Landscape have now also reviewed it. Michael Reichmann, Luminous Landscape’s Editor, recently declared that FocalBlade was the best sharening tool since slided bread. Find out if Photokit Sharpener can challenge for the title…

“I have a problem. Just 1 week prior to beginning this review (August, 2003) I published a review of a terrific new sharpening program called FocalBlade. I called it “...the most powerful and flexible tool yet produced for image sharpening”. Well, that was then and this is now.

Now we have PhotoKit Sharpener. (I know that someone will say, “Ya, Reichmann always calls the latest product “the best ever”.) I can only say that I receive some 10-15 new imaging related programs and plug-ins for review each month, and I usually end up reviewing just 1 or 2 that make the grade. The rest either don’t meet my needs ? and so I work on the assumption that they won’t meet yours either, or that there are better solutions to be found elsewhere. The ones that I do review are generally the best of breed (or the very worst). Which brings us to PhotoKit Sharpener.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Photokit Sharpener Review

Lexmark have announced the PrintTrio Photo P3150, a $99 all-in-one device featuring a photo printer with built-in camera card slots and a 48-bit scanner. The printer offers 4800 x 1200 dpi on photo paper and prints 4” x 6” photo images in normal mode in about 60 seconds. The P3150 supports CompactFlash I & II, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), and Microdrive memory cards.

Website: Lexmark PrintTrio Photo P3150

The Polish photography website Fotopolis has published 11 sample images taken with the DiMAGE A1 digital camera. You can click on the thumbnails to view the full-sized versions of the Extra Fine JPEG images, which were taken at ISO settings ranging from 100 to 800.

Website: Fotopolis - Minolta DiMAGE A1 Samples

Panasonic have announced the “World’s Slimmest Digital Camera” at the IFA Consumer Electronics Show. The Panasonic SV AS10 measures 51.5 by 103.7 by 13.5 (mm, approx. excluding protrusions), with the slimmest part of the camera being a mere 9.9 mm. The SV AS10 uses state-of-the-art technology and the SD memory card which is no bigger than a postage stamp to achieve its tiny dimensions.

The SV-AS10 will be available in Germany as of October in the colours silver, blue and orange. There’s no word yet on pricing or availability in the rest of the world.

Website: Panasonic SV AS10

3 new Pentax digicams have been spotted at the IFA Consumer Electronics Show and on the Pentax Germany website. The new models are:

- Optio 555 (updated version of the 550)
- Optio S4 (updated version of the Optio S) - suggested RRP ?459,00
- Optio 33WR (WR stands for water-resistant) - suggested RRP $349.99

Website: DPReview - Pentax Talk Forum

Following on from DP-Now’ editor Ian Burley’s hands-on test of the Olympus E-1 DSLR, sports photographer Dave Kennedy has published his early impressions after he tired out a beta version of the camera at the US Open tennis tournament.

“The image quality and size are great. When you open the files in Photoshop they are 14.1mb. Larger than the Canon 1D & Nikon D1H jpeg files. The files looked really good (but again I only shot this on 100 ASA and not at a higher setting). The color was great, skin tones looked good and there seemed to be a good amount of lattitude to work with the files.”

Website: SportsShooter.com

Photo-i’s interactive review of the new HP Photosmart 7960 photo printer is now well under-way, with a look at what’s in the box, the installation process, the print dialog panel and some early prints. The last thing that Vincent Oliver posted yesterday was a comparison of black and white prints from the 7960 and the Epson 2100, which is currently considered to be the best inkjet printer for black and white. That assessment may be about to change now that the 7960 has arrived…

Website: Photo-i