The German subsidiary of Sigma has unveiled the prices of the Sigma DP2s large-sensor compact and the Sigma SD15 digital SLR camera. The cameras, which share the same almost-APS-sized Foveon sensor, were on display at PMA in Anaheim but at that time, the prices were not revealed. According to the official German website of the company, the Sigma DP2 carries an RRP of €799, while the Sigma SD15 is expected to retail for €899.

Source: Sigma-Foto via 1001 Noisy Cameras

Sigma has just relaunched its website, complete with a fresh look and new features. Designed by Blue Collar Interactive, the new Sigma site has an extensive Lens Finder Tool, enhanced functionality for Sigma dealers, and social media sharing tools. One of the prominent new features is the Sigma Lounge, which includes a photo share gallery and blog. “We’re particularly excited about the opportunity to interact with users and provide a place for the Sigma community to share their images,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America. Customers will also find it much easier to navigate our product pages and make purchases through Authorized Sigma Dealers.”

Website: Sigma

Seitz has unveiled the Roundshot D2x 360° panorama camera and its faster brother the Roundshot D2xs. The Roundshot D2x has a 2,048 pixel vertical resolution and captures 2x full HD panoramas at a fast speed, ideal for nature photography and virtual tours, the company says. As with all Roundshot cameras, the D2x rotates around its own axis and takes Nikon F mount lenses. A panoramic image is created in seconds, and can then be transferred to the PC via Ethernet (100Mb on the D2x, 1Gb on the D2xs). One further difference between the Seitz D2x and the Seitz D2xs is the onboard RAM buffer, which is 256MB on the D2x, and 1GB on the D2xs. The Roundshot D2x costs CHF 14,500; while the Roundshot D3xs can be had for CHF 16,500.

Internationally renowned artist Tadanori Yokoo released a photography compilation based on his signature work “Y-Junction”, including a print that covers an entire wall without join lines. In order to produce this mural-sized print, he used a HP Designjet L65500 large format printer. Standing in front of his newly printed giant-size work, Yokoo expressed delight with its high quality and reproducibility. “I was surprised at the lack of join lines in the print and that it had been completely printed as a single work. Standing in front of it, it feels like I’ve entered the actual Y-junction depicted.”

Nikon has announced that the Nikon Coolpix S220 was Europe’s best-selling digital camera in 2009. According to research by German market research agency GfK, European consumers purchased more than 740,000 Nikon Coolpix S220 digital cameras in 2009. Commenting on the results, Mark Pekelharing, Product Manager for Consumer Products at Nikon, said: “When we launched the Coolpix S220, we wanted to offer simple yet functional digital camera that was small enough to take anywhere and suitable for everyone. These figures show we have achieved that exact goal. Overall, the good price point of this camera combined with great colours, design and performance has truly appealed to our audience and we look forward to introducing them to our new range of Coolpix cameras, including its successor model, the Coolpix S3000.”

The British government has launched a photo / essay contest as part of its Science: [So what? So everything] campaign. The Science: [So what? So everything] campaign is looking for real life images and stories to illustrate how medical science has touched your life by bringing you or a loved one a better quality of life. Your photo could show what improved health has allowed you to achieve, that would previously have been impossible, or how it has given you or a loved one a new start in life. The first prize is a Canon EOS 500D with 18-55 IS and EF-S55 250 IS lenses, worth £1,149.95, and a photography course.

Website: Science: [So what? So everything]

Corel has recently introduced CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5. A brand new built-in application named Corel CONNECT synchronises with both CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT to provide quick access to content on a computer, network, or disc. In addition, industry-leading support for more than 100 commonly used file formats ensures users can easily collaborate and exchange files with clients and colleagues. Also, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 represents a complete change in approach to colour management, assuring users accurate colour representation. The new Document (CorelDRAW) and Image (Corel PHOTO-PAINT) dockers allow users to save project-specific colours and to reuse colours from a previous project. In addition, eyedroppers have been added to colour dialog boxes, colour palettes, and colour pickers throughout the product, providing faster and more convenient colour sampling opportunities. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 is available at a suggested retail price of £399 for the full version or £179 for the upgrade.

DxOMark sensor data are now available for the Olympus E-620 and E-450 digital SLR cameras. The findings, which allegedly reflect the sensors’ raw performace, reveal that the two cameras have sensors of very similar quality, with the 10-megapixel E-450 (pictured) enjoying a marginal lead over the 12-megapixel E-620. The DxOMark Sensor scores of these cameras - 55.8 for the Olympus E-450 and 54.6 for the E-620 - are in the same ballpark as most other Four Thirds sensors, but lag behind the rating (63.6) given for the sensor in the Pansonic Lumix GH1 Micro Four Thirds camera.

Website: DxOMark

The Arca-Swiss RL3d is a state-of-the-art professional viewfinder camera, which comes equipped with new functions for making high-resolution images both digitally and on film. Thanks to Arca-Swiss’ wide selection of interface plates it is possible to take anything from medium format images through to panoramas. The extraordinary versatility of the modular Arca-Swiss photographic system enables you to use elements from the F- and M-Line cameras as well as a binocular viewer, lens hoods, bellows and other accessories to significantly enhance the functionality of the Arca-Swiss RL3d. Compared to the previous Rm3d model, the new Arca-Swiss RL3d offers increased shift, opening up new horizons by enabling you to take images in multiple formats up to 4x5”. Apart from the in-plane horizontal and vertical shift feature, the Arca-Swiss RL3d also offers ±5° tilt to allow photographers to exploit the Scheimpflug effect. The camera comes equipped with focus sensors and an electronic range-finder; framing is achieved using the new variable Vario viewfinder, which covers focal lengths from 23 – 210mm. An optional electronic module provides an electronic camera level function. The list price of the Arca-Swiss RL3d viewfinder camera is €4650+VAT.

Sanyo Europe has announced three new digicams, the Sanyo X1420, X1220 and S122. The star of the trio is the Sanyo X1420 with its 14-megapixel sensor, 3” monitor, SDXC card support, HD movie capture and 28-112mm equivalent 4x optical zoom. The Sanyo 1220 and the Sanyo S122 are simpler cameras, with 12-megapixel imagers, 3x zoom lenses and VGA video. The main difference between the two is that the cheaper Sanyo S122 (pictured) is powered by AA batteries. The X1420 is priced at €149, the X1220 at €129, and the S122 at €99. Availability is slated for Spring 2010.

Creaceed has released a Hydra plug-in for Lightroom 2. The HDR Plug-In is compatible with Lightroom 2 (32 and 64 bits). Hydra is a HDR imaging application, and with the plug-in, you can use the pictures from the Lightroom library to render HDR images. All features of Hydra’s stand-alone version are available in the plug-In. This update is free for all Hydra 2.x registered users.

Rollei has announced two entry-level cameras, the Rollei Compactline 103 and 203. The two models are identical except for the pixel count (10mp and 12mp, respectively). Both have 3x zoom lenses with a 35mm equivalent focal range of 35-105mm, 2.4” colour LCD screens, 21 scene modes and both offer 720p high-definition video at 30 frames per second (fps). The company also quotes a continuous shooting speed of 30fps for stills, but we suspect it is not offered at the cameras’ full resolution. Compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards, the Rollei Compactline 103 and 203 will become available from April, priced at €69.95 and €79.95, respectively.

A start-up called Noktor is planning to launch a 50mm f0.95 lens for Micro Four Thirds, which looks like the ideal portrait lens for the system, at least on paper. The Noktor HyperPrime 50mm f0.95 for Micro Four Thirds offers approximately the same angle of view (23°) and depth of field as a theoretical 100mm f1.9 lens would on a 35mm film camera.. Via Twitter, Noktor has already posted a couple of samples that were allegedly taken with the Noktor HyperPrime 50mm f0.95, but these are of low resolution and are devoid of any EXIF data.

Update: the Noktor HyperPrime 50mm f0.95 has been announced - it’s for real.

Sanho’s HyperDrive Album is a portable photo backup device with up to 640GB storage capacity and a transfer speed of 2GB per minute. Sanho claims that it can decode and display true raw images from “virtually any digital camera” on its 4.8” WVGA LCD screen. Incremental Backup allows the download of only new data on the card or USB device, skipping previously saved data. The battery allegedly provides enough power for up to 200GB of downloads per charge. Travel Photographer of the Year, Lorne Resnick commented, “I found the HyperDrives in use to be flawless. I shot more than 5,000 images and downloaded all of them without a hitch. The actual speed of the drives was by far the most impressive. The difference it makes in the quality of your travel cannot be discounted.” The HyperDrive Album is available now at the following manufacturer’s suggested retail prices: 160GB:$349, 250GB:$399, 320GB:$449, 500GB:$549, 640GB:$599.

Website: HyperDrive Album

Beyond Borders is an exhibition of the works of graduates of the LCC’s Photography MA, a course completed entirely online. The exhibition is to be held at East London’s prestigious photographic gallery, theprintspace. Amongst the amazing fusion of work are stories such as Belarus seen through the eyes of an American photographer living in Sweden and a disparate collection of Londoners photographing their own visions of the city, shot on everything from medium format cameras to mobile phones. The exhibition opens at theprintspace - located at 74 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8DL - with a private view on 10 March 7pm-10pm and runs to 1 April from 9am-7pm Monday-Friday.

Leica’s North American fans are going to be given a rare opportunity to see and try out the Leica M9 (pictured) and the Leica S2 courtesy of a road show kicking off on 18 March. The road show has 21 M-events in 17 US and 4 Canadian cities, and 19 S-events, out of which 2 are in Canada. M-events are $99 per participant, while the cost of entry to an S-event is $149. Click through / read on for locations and dates.

Manfrotto has launched its new 521LX LANC camcorder remote control for videographers. The 521LX uses Sony and Canon’s widely implemented LANC protocol to allow interaction and command over LANC-enabled camcorders. The new remote control can be updated in the event of new camcorder features becoming LANC-enabled as it features a USB port for connection to your PC. The new Manfrotto 521LX is available from March 1st 2010 at an RRP of £339.95.

The 12.1-megapixel Pentax X90 digital superzoom camera boasts a 26x zoom lens offering a focal-length coverage of 26-676mm in 35mm terms. The Pentax X90 incorporates the Pentax-original CCD-shift-type Shake Reduction system to assure sharply focused, blur-free images even under demanding conditions prone to camera shake. The X90 comes equipped with an electronic viewfinder of 200 000 dots and a newly incorporated dioptre adjustment mechanism. Manual, Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes are all on board to serve the needs of the creative photographer. And in addition to shooting twelve-megapixel stills - or 5-megapixel images at 11 up to frames per second -, the Pentax X90 can also capture 720p HD video clips. Thanks to a large-capacity lithium-ion battery, the X90’s battery life is approximately 50 percent longer than that of its predecessor. Available from the end of March 2010, the Pentax X90 has a recommended retail price of £329.99.

The twelve-megapixel Pentax Optio W90 is a heavy-duty water-, dust-, freeze- and shockproof digital compact camera that also provides an all-new Digital Microscope mode. Combining a macro shooting capability from one centimetre away with the Digital Zoom function, the Optio W90’s new Digital Microscope mode delivers a magnified view of miniscule subjects difficult to observe closely with the naked eye. Also, Pntax has upgraded the Optio W90’s underwater picture-taking performance to six metres (compared to five metres for its predecessor) and for up to two hours of continuous operation. In addition, the Pentax Optio W90 can withstand a fall from a height of 1.2 metres without damage to the body, and is also freezeproof down to –10°C. Upgrtaded face detection, 720p HD movie recording and a 28-140mm equivalent 5x optical zoom round off the features list. Available from the end of March 2010, the Pentax Optio W90 has a recommended retail price of £269.99.