The International Filter Photo Contest 2008/9 is open to anyone who has taken a photograph using any type of filter. Sponsored by Kenko with a top prize of 500,000 Yen of Kenko products, there are a total of 139 prizes to be won with a total prize fund of 2,900,000 Yen. Images can be of any subject and taken on digital or film cameras, black and white or colour. Entries to the International Filter Photo Contest must be submitted by 31st December 2009.

Do you want to drastically increase the size of your photos without sacrificing image quality? Are you frustrated by the results from Photoshop? Enter stage left, Genuine Fractals 6, the latest version of one of the oldest, most popular image enlargement programs around. Version 6 adds texture presets, gallery wrap function, batch processing, tiling for smaller printers and integreation with Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2. Genuine Fractals 6 is available in a Professional Edition and a Standard Edition for $299.95 and $159.95 respectively. Jon Canfield discovers if Genuine Fractals 6 is still “The Industry Standard for Image Enlargement”...

Website: Genuine Fractals 6 Review

Nikon have released a new firmware update, version 2.01, for the D3 DSLR camera. The most notable changes are geodata support for ViewNX and Capture NX, improved Continuous-servo AF performance, and the ability to use the AF-ON button and multi selector to choose a focus point.

Nikon have released a new firmware update, version 1.01, for the D700 DSLR camera. The following improvements have been made in version 1.01

- When Custom Setting a4 Focus tracking with lock-on was set to Off in Continuous-servo AF, the lens drive moved gradually without achieving focus.  This issue has been resolved.
- When the Speedlight SB-800 was mounted on the camera with flash mode set to Distance-priority manual (GN) mode, and then the exposure meters were reactivated or the camera was turned on, the distance information displayed on the SB-800 changed.  This issue has been resolved.
- When the Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 was mounted on the camera and an EN-EL3e battery inserted in the camera but no batteries inserted in the MB-D10, and SB-900 flash mode set to TTL auto flash mode, the flash mode changed to A mode when the exposure meters turned off or were reactivated, or the camera was turned off or on.  This issue has been resolved.  (This issue has also been resolved with SB-900 firmware Ver. 5.02.

Samsung is aiming for a 10% share of the global digital camera market in 2009. Last year Samsung’s share was 9%, compared to leaders Canon (20%) and Sony (17%). According to the article by The Nation, Samsung will apparently concentrate on mid to high level cameras in developing countries, as it expects “demand would still be flat in some countries, including the United States, China, Australia and Ukraine”.

Website: The Nation

A Message for Obama is a new collaborative photo book from Blurb, The Guardian and Flickr. guardian.co.uk asked internet users to share their personal messages to Obama online by uploading a photo, the results of which are compiled in “A Message for Obama”. The book is be 140 pages long, with a recommended retail price of up to £9.99, and is available now.

VueScan 8.5.01 adds support for an additional 180 digital camera raw files. VueScan is the world’s most widely used 3rd party scanning software. VueScan is available in two editions, Standard Edition ($39.95 USD) and Professional Edition ($79.95).

Website: VueScan 8.5.01

Canon have released a new firmware update, version 1.1.1, for the Canon EOS 40D digital SLR camera. This firmware update incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

  1.  Fixes a malfunction that in rare occurrence causes a low battery indication to be displayed when using the EF 85mm F1.2L II USM lens. Depending on the battery check timing of the camera, the battery level displayed on the camera’s LCD data panel may shows Battery will be exhausted soon or Battery must be recharged, even though the battery capacity is sufficient.
  2. Fixes a malfunction that in rare occurrence causes an Err 06 Self Cleaning Sensor malfunction to appear on the camera’s LCD monitor and LCD data panel, even when the Self Cleaning Sensor Unit is operating normally. This message may appear depending on the timing of when the camera is switch to the ON position.
  3. Fixes a malfunction that prevents correct colors from being printed when direct printing. RAW images captured using the camera’s custom Picture Styles (Emerald, etc.), which have been downloaded from Canon’s Web site and registered under User Def. 2 or User Def. 3.
  4. Modifies the level of subject brightness that causes the AF-assist beam to fire when using an external Speedlite.
  5. Enables an external flash connected to the camera’s synchro terminal to fire even when the camera’s built-in flash is popped up.

Website: Canon EOS 40D Firmware Update 1.1.1

Instant film for Polaroid cameras could be available again by 2010. The company Impossible b.v. has purchased Polaroid’s former factory in the Netherlands with the “aim to re-invent and re-start production of analog integral film for vintage Polaroid cameras.” The new film will be different to Polaroid film and will have a completely new brand name.

Website: The Impossible Project

Paper manufacturer Hahnemühle are celebrating their 425th anniversary with a new competition and products. The Hahnemühle 425th Anniversary Photo Award is an open, international competition with the theme “For Originals”. Hahnemühle will be awarding non-cash prizes, in several categories, worth 36.000 Euro. Hahnemühle are also releasing a special anniversary edition containing a choice of three papers from the Digital FineArt Collection.

The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 is one of the more intriguing compact cameras on the market, offering something to both beginners and keen photographers alike. The 14.7 megapixel Panasonic FX150 has a 3.6x, 28mm wide-angle lens, Venus Engine IV image processing engine, 2.7 LCD screen and the ability to shoot 720p HD movies. Panasonic’s innovative IA (Intelligent Auto) mode is ideally suited to the point-and-shoot user, while manual control over aperture and shutter speed and the option to shoot in RAW format should appeal to the more experienced shutterbug. Officially priced at £299.99 / $399.95, the Panasonic DMC-FX150 is also good value too. Gavin Stoker discovers if the FX150 can live up to its early promise…

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 Review

The Panasonic DMC-FS15 is a new 12 megapixel ultra-compact digital camera. The FS15 features a 29mm wide-angle, 5x optical zoom Leica lens, improved Intelligent Auto Mode, 2.7 inch LCD screen, Venus Engine IV processing engine, and WVGA movies (848 x 480). The Panasonic FS15 will be available from February in a choice of silver, black and blue.

The Panasonic DMC-FS7 and DMC-FS6 are two new entry-level compact cameras with 4x zoom lenses. The 10.1 megapixel FS7 and 8.1 megapixel FS6 both offer a bright F2.8 Leica DC lens with a focal range of 33mm-132mm, Intelligent Auto mode, Venus Engine IV processing engine, and WVGA (848 x 480) movies. The Panasonic FS7 has a slightly larger LCD screen than the FS6 - 2.7 inches versus 2.5. The Panasonic FS7 will be available in silver, black or pink and the Panasonic FS6 in silver, black, red, blue and pink, both available from February.

The Panasonic DMC-LS85 is a new budget compact digital camera. Successor to the LS80, the Panasonic LS85 features a 4x optical zoom lens (33-132mm), Intelligent Auto Mode, Venus Engine IV processing engine, 2.5 inch LCD screen and WVGA (848 x 480) movies. The Panasonic DMC LS85 will be available from March and will come in a choice of silver or black.

Panasonic have released a new firmware update for the DMC-LX3 compact camera. Version 1.2 offers the following improvements:

1. Improved white balance flash mode setting when DMW-FL220 is connected.
2. Proper setting of shutter speed on iA mode and Scene mode when OIS is turned ON.
3. Proper Exif information in the JPEG picture file.

Website: Panasonic DMC-LX3 Firmware Update 1.2

Mirage Premium Edition is a new software plug-in for Epson large-format printers. Mirage Premium Edition allows users to work faster and more efficiently by providing all the features, tools and settings required in one layout. Martin Johns, Senior Product Manager at Epson UK stated, “For professional applications Mirage Premium Edition simplifies the printing process. By bundling the software with the Epson range of large format printers we are delivering quality and ease of use to our customers”. Recommended for retail sale at £399, this Adobe plug-in is free when users register their Epson large format printer.

The Canon PowerShot A480 is a new entry-level digital camera. Replacing the popular PowerShot A470, the 10 megapixel Canon A480 is 25% smaller than its predecessor and offers a 3x zoom lens and simplified button layout. “Whether you’re 7 years old or 70, the PowerShot A480 offers a great-value way to discover the fun of taking pictures,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. The Canon PowerShot A480 will be available in silver, red, blue or black from February 2009 priced at £129.00 / €159.00. In the US the A480 will be available in March for $129.99.

The new Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM lens offers a 13.8x zoom range. The lens’s Hybrid Optical Stabilizer provides an anti-shake function for the camera body and also compensates for image-shake in the view finder. The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 1: 3.4 reproduction ratio. Designed for use on APS-C DSLR cameras, Sigma’s new lens will be available in March for Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax cameras for £559.99.

Barack Obama is the first American President to have his official portrait taken with a digital camera. Which lucky camera manufacturer will benefit from all the global attention? Canon, as official White House photographer Pete Souza uses a Canon 5D Mark II.

Website: Barack Obama Official Portrait

The new Nikon D3x DSLR is the best DSLR camera currently available, according to DxO Labs. With a DxOMark Sensor score of 88 points, the Nikon D3x takes the lead among the 54 cameras currently evaluated on the site. According to DxO, “the Nikon D3x is the first camera which actually achieves more than 12-bit depth of effective image information”. Maybe that justifies the £5999 / $7999 price-tag…