Panasonic have announced an update to the Lumix DMC-FZ1. The imaginatively titled Lumix DMC-FZ2 doesn’t add too much to the overall specification. It still has a 2 megapixel sensor and 12x optical zoom, but improves on its predecessor by including aperture and shutter prioirity, white balance fine tuning and color saturation control.

Website: Panasonic Japan - Lumix DMC-FZ2

Website: Panasonic Japan - Lumix DMC-FZ2 Press Release

Website: DPReview - Lumix DMC-FZ2

Pentax Japan have posted 3 sample images taken with their new DSLR, the Pentax *ist D. There’s 1 image each taken with the 200mm, 100mm macro and 18-35mm lenses.

Website: Pentax Japan

DPReview have now got a production version of the Olympus E-1 in for review. Yesterday they updated their E-1 Preview, posted 18 sample images and compared the E-1’s noise levels against other competitors’ DSLRs.

“Up to ISO 800 noise levels from the E-1, EOS-10D and D100 are relatively similar. Of these three the EOS-10D has the cleanest images at ISO 100 and 200 followed by the D100 and then the E-1. At ISO 1600 the E-1’s noise levels leap notably (and visibly) higher than the EOS-10D and D100 which both maintain similar levels. Throughout the ISO range Fujifilm’s impressive S2 Pro plots a shallow noise curve none of the other cameras can match.”

Website: DP Review - Olympus E-1 Sample Photos

Website: DP Review - Olympus E-1 Preview (updated)

Website: DP Review - Olympus E-1 vs Canon 10D vs Nikon D100 vs Fujifilm S2 Pro Noise Comparison

Part 2 of my Online Print Services Review has just been posted. I’ve taken a look at PhotoBox, assessing delivery time, packaging, price and print quality, then awarding an overall rating.

Online Print Services Review - Part 2 - PhotoBox

As a reminder, in this new 7 part Review, I’m taking a look at some online print services that operate in the United Kingdom and letting you know what I think about the service and print quality that I’ve received from each one. I’ll be posting further updates to this Review throughout this week, so stay tuned.

Hewlett Packard are apparently releasing details of new digital cameras and photo printers today, according to stories from Yahoo Finance, the Miami Herald and other online news agencies. Here’s a quote from Yahoo:

“Hewlett-Packard Co. is introducing more than 100 new consumer gadgets on Monday, from digital cameras to photo-quality desktop printers, in anticipation of what could be a grinch-like holiday shopping season.

CEO Carly Fiorina and other senior executives were to unveil the devices at a New York gala that HP called its largest product rollout ever. The focus is on photography, entertainment and home computing, including some all-new products and upgrades of HP’s popular printers and other favorites.”

HP’s website isn’t reporting anything new so far - I’ll let you all know if and when they announce something…

Website: Yahoo Finance

Website: Miami Herald

Website: Hewlett Packard

Luminous Landscape have published an interesting article by Mark Pelletier called “A Journey to Photograph the Nomads of Northern Sudan”, which features some good photography and useful tips for travel photographers.

“Finally at the well and the smell of camel dung is overpowering, yet the light is good, the heat is bearable, and the D60 batteries are fully charged. My goal in situations like this is to shoot so much that the novelty of a strange guy taking pictures of them will wear off. Hopefully then they will become less self-conscious, continue working, and begin treating me only as an annoying pest or at best invisible.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - A Journey to Photograph the Nomads of Northern Sudan

It seems that Sony are set to release an updated version of the DSC-F717. Someone has posted a photograph of the new Sony DSC-F828, claiming that it will be announced on the 16th August. As usual with Internet rumours, we’ll have to wait and see, but the photograph doesn’t look as though it was created in Photoshop to me…

Website: DP-Now Forums

About.com has enthusiastically reviewed the image management software program IMatch 3 from photools.com. This is the program that I will probably purchase and use to manage my own growing photography collection (especially after reading this review).

“If you are a photographer using a Windows system and create large numbers of image files, you will need software to organise these. IMatch looks to be one of the best systems around, with a good interface and powerful indexing and is well worth a look.

Most reviews I read of hardware and software come largely from the press releases and often include the product shots from these. This one is different, and has incurred considerable sweat and tears if not blood. I’ve installed the software and started to use it to catalogue my own collection. Previously I’ve tried most of the other software available, from cheap to expensive, and this beats them all.”

Website: About.com - IMatch 3 Review

Imaging Resource have today posted some side by side examples of shots taken with the Fuji FinePix S5000 and FinePix F700. The F700 uses Fuji’s new “SR” technology SuperCCD sensor, which pairs high and low-sensitivity photodetectors in each pixel. According to Fuji, the F700 will allow you to “capture pictures as real as life, approaching that of film for the first time…ensuring a dynamic range that is four times that of previous Super CCDs”. Imaging Resource is the first website that I know of to put this bold claim to the test, and their preliminary results certainly seem to back it up:

“As it happened, I had both a Fuji S5000 and the F700 in-house at the same time, so I shot the same subject with the two cameras just a few minutes apart. The results are impressive, nicely validating the rationale behind Fuji’s SR technology. While the S5000 quickly lost all detail in the highlights (as do most, if not all, digicams on this shot), the F700 retained a surprising amount of detail in Marti’s shirt. What I hadn’t expected, but that should have been perfectly obvious, is that the F700 had much more exposure latitude than the S5000 or other digicams I’ve shot this with. The extended tonal range means that I could get acceptable-looking images over a much broader range of exposures than is normally the case.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Fuji’s SR sensor technology - side by side results

Steve’s Digicams have take a First Look at “the world’s smallest and lightest 2-megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom”, the Minolta DiMAGE X20.

“Minolta’s legendary expertise in optical lens design has led to the creation of a unique compact folded 3x optical zoom lens with a depth of only 0.8 inches. By using a high quality prism that folds the optical path, the entire lens is positioned vertically within the body.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Minolta DiMAGE X20 First Look

Kyocera have announced an updated version of their FineCam S5 digital camera. The FineCam S5R is basically the same as the S5 but it “provides high-speed, full-memory consecutive shooting at approximately 3 frames per second, and features high image quality thanks to the new image processor, RTUNE.”

“High-Speed, High-Quality Photography Thanks to the New Image Processor, RTUNE
The world’s fastest full-memory consecutive shooting*1
The Finecam S5R provides the combined features of full-memory successive shooting at approximately 3 frames/second and the high pixel value of 5 million effective pixels. Furthermore, the liquid crystal monitor follows to display images in real time during consecutive shooting, so you can take photographs naturally.

*1) Compared to other compact digital cameras as of July 1, 2003
* Full-memory consecutive shooting means shooting successively until the full capacity of the memory card is used. It is available when using an SD memory card with a recording speed of at least 10MB per second for high-speed recording.”

Website: DCViews

Website: DPReview

Imaging Resource have posted their First Look at the 5 megapixel Minolta DiMAGE A1, which was announced on Thursday.

“With its panoply of features and flexible control, the new DiMAGE A1 demands serious consideration from anyone shopping at the high end of the “prosumer” digicam market.”

Website: Imaging Resource - DiMAGE A1 First Look

DCResource have reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Kyocera Finecam L3v, whose main defining feature is its large 2.5” LCD display.

“Image quality on the L3v is good, but not great. Color and exposure were both good, in most cases. My two biggest complaints are that images have a soft look to them, and that many edges are jagged, rather than smooth. Cranking up the in-camera sharpening would fix the first problem, but it may worsen the second one. Purple fringing did make an appearance, but it wasn’t a major problem. Overall I’d rate the L3v’s photos as average for the price.”

Website: DCResource - Kyocera Finecam L3v Review

I’ve posted a new PhotographyBLOG article called “Wolfgang Tillmans: Artist, Photographer, or neither?”, in which I explore my reponse to the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibition currently being held at Tate Britain in London.

“It seemed to me that Tillmans has somehow managed to forge a lucrative career out of taking snaps of his normal, everyday life…I can’t help feeling that this lack of photographic competence may have contributed to Tillmans being considered to be an artist, rather than a photographer.”

PhotographyBLOG Article: “Wolfgang Tillmans: Artist, Photographer, or neither?”

I’d almost forgotten about Pentax’s new DSLR, the *ist D, which back in May was officially delayed until the end of August due to “a delay in the procurement of material required”.

It now seems that Pentax have procured whatever it was that they needed, as this morning they have officially announced that the *ist D will begin shipping in September. So all you Pentax owners out there can now breathe a big sigh of relief!

Here’s an excerpt from the US press release:

“PENTAX U.S.A., Inc. announced that the long anticipated digital SLR *ist D camera (pronounced ist-dee) will begin shipping in September 2003* to the United States.

Housed in one of the world?s smallest, lightest SLR camera bodies, the *ist D comes equipped with an array of advanced functions and user-friendly features, including an APS-sized CCD with impressive 6.1 effective megapixels, a responsive SAFOX VIII autofocus system with 11-point AF sensor, a sophisticated 16-segment multi-pattern metering system, a bright viewfinder with a newly developed compact glass pentaprism, an innovative ?Hyper? operating system and 22 user-adjustable custom functions. The *ist D is compatible with existing PENTAX 35mm-format interchangeable lenses and accessories.*
* Some restrictions and conditions may apply to certain lenses and accessories.”

Pentax are also releasing 2 new lenses at the same time as the *ist D:

- smc PENTAX-FA J Zoom 18mm-35mm F4-F5.6 AL
- smc PENTAX-DA Zoom 16mm-45mm F4 ED AL

The DA part of the 16mm-45mm is very important. Pentax have also announced that they are developing a new DA Series of interchangeable lenses for the *ist D, with the smc PENTAX-DA Zoom 16mm-45mm F4 ED AL being the first ever lens in the DA series. The image circle in the DA-series lenses is designed to perfectly match the size of the CCD (23.5mm x 15.7mm) incorporated in Pentax’s digital SLRs, optimizing the performance of these cameras. The new design also contributes to a drastic reduction in size, weight and production cost, compared to 35mm-format counterparts with similar specifications.

No prices have yet been announced for either the *ist D body or the new lenses.
UPDATE: Luminous Landscape is reporting that the *ist D body will cost $1699 in the USA, or $1899 with the 18-35mm zoom lens (which seems like an excellent deal to me).

Website: Luminous Landscape

Several websites already have the news and the usual first looks and previews:

Website: BytePhoto

Website: DCResource

Website: DP-Now

Website: DPReview - Pentax *ist Preview

Website: Imaging Resource

Website: Steve’s Digicams

DPReview are reporting today that Foveon have released specifications for a new variant of their X3 sensor, until now only used in the Sigma SD-9 DSLR. The new sensor is 1/1.8” in size, which is the most commonly used sensor size in today’s compact digital cameras.

“The Foveon X3 5M is a 1/1.8-inch CMOS image sensor that incorporates the breakthrough Foveon X3 technology. Foveon X3 image sensors capture full-measured color images through a unique three-layer pixel sensor design. By capturing fullmeasured color images, the need for color interpolation and artifact-reducing blur filters is eliminated. As a result, the Foveon X3 5M delivers the highest effective resolution possible without color artifacts for the 1/1.8-inch optical format.”

Website: DPReview - Foveon X3 5M 1/1.8” type sensor

Luminous Landscape have taken a look at Focal Blade, a PC-only sharpening plugin for Photoshop, and have given it a glowing report:

“If you care about producing the finest possible prints of your photographs, then sharpening them appropriately is a must. With FocalBlade you are provided with the most powerful and flexible tool yet produced for image sharpening. The only problem is that you’re going to now want to go back and resharpen and reprint every image in your portfolio. It’s that good!”

Focal Blade is priced at $49.95 download only.

Website: Luminous Landscape - FocalBlade Review

Website: FocalBlade

According to Peter Sills of digitalfocus.net, Canon will announce an updated version of its EOS 1D digital SLR at the end of August.

“Canon will shortly announce a new camera, called of all things the 1Dx. According to our own sources, this new camera will be a refresh of the venerable 1D and will feature an improved 8 mpixel sensor, but the same FOV crop as the 1D. Framerate will remain unchanged as the camera gains double the number of megapixels.

Expected announcement is end of August - early September.”

Website: DPReview - Canon SLR Forum

I’ve just added 9 new wallpapers and 1 new screensaver to the Members section of PhotographyBLOG.

There are now 18 wallpapers and 2 Windows screensavers in total which feature photographs that have been posted on PhotographyBLOG. There is a choice of 2 different screen resolutions for each wallpaper and screensaver; 800x600 and 1024x768.

They are now available to download for FREE by all PhotographyBLOG members.

PhotographyBLOG Screensavers

PhotographyBLOG Wallpapers

Minolta have today announced 4 new digital cameras and a new flash unit.

The first new camera is the 5 megapixel DiMAGE A1, which improves upon the DiMAGE 7 series of digital cameras.

“Minolta introduces its next generation SLR-type digital camera, the DiMAGE A1. Abstracting the best features from the DiMAGE 7 series, the DiMAGE A1 was re-designed for today’s digital photographer. With a 5 megapixel display and a 7X optical zoom, equivalent to a 28 - 200mm 35mm zoom lens, the DiMAGE offers quality and versatility in a compact, convenient package. Offering CxProcess II, the latest image-processing technology, this camera providing the tools to fully capture the power of digital imaging. “

The new Anti-shake function minimizes the effect of camera shake, a slight blurring of the image when the camera is handheld, to provide the sharpest image possible. The Anti-shake system is valuable when shooting at long focal lengths or in low-light conditions without a tripod. This allows the camera to be handheld with exposures approximately eight times longer than usual. When using the camera at the telephoto setting, approximately 90% of the images recorded will be sharp with a shutter speed of 1/25s.

To quote Phil Askey of DPReview “The DiMAGE A1 is (as far as I know) the only digital camera to implement image stabilization (Minolta call it ‘Anti-Shake’) by mounting the CCD sensor on a movable platform controlled by two actuators (x and y axis). The system works by analyzing input from motion detectors in the camera body and producing an inverse movement in the CCD. The system can be disabled (easily by pressing a very prominent button on the rear of the camera) and can also detect a panning movement and only compensate for movement on the opposite axis.”

The DiMAGE A1 has the world’s fastest AF speed among 5-megapixel SLR-type digital cameras with a non-interchangeable 5x or greater optical zoom. With continuous AF, the DiMAGE A1 uses the new 3-D Predictive Focus Control to track the subject from the time when the shutter-release button is pressed until the exposure is made, all while ensuring optimal focus. This new predictive focus control continually follows the subject through 3D space to not only provide the sharpest images possible, but to also reduce focusing time to catch the perfect moment.

The DiMAGE A1 has an incredible top shutter speed of 1/16,000 of a second. This is not only an advantage in sport photography, but also gives greater control over depth of field in brightly lit environs by allowing the entire aperture range to be used. In low-light conditions, shutter speeds up to 30 seconds can be selected as well as thirty-second bulb exposures.

The 5.3 megapixel resolution of the CCD will produce 32.5 X 43.3 cm 150dpi prints or 16.3 X 21.7 cm photo-quality prints, thereby printing sizes larger than both A3 and A5, respectively.

The redesigned Digital Hyper Viewfinder gives the camera the same feel as an SLR. It can be tilted between 0? and 90? for comfortable shooting at low angles or in confined spaces. The viewfinder has a new precision 235,000-pixel TFT monitor, and as the viewfinder LCD is shielded, it makes the perfect tool when working under bright light.

The DiMAGE A1’s real-time histogram shows the luminance distribution of the image before it is captured. Displayed with the live image, the histogram allows the subject brightness and contrast to be evaluated to optimize the camera’s exposure and contrast controls. The luminance distribution of recorded images can be checked with a playback histogram.

Price and availability are still to be announced.

Website: Minolta Press Release

Website: DPReview - DiMAGE A1 Preview

Website: Steves Digicams - DiMAGE A1 First Look