Novatron, best known for its professional photographic lighting equipment, has been acquired by OmegaSatter. Also in the professional photographic lighting accessory segment with its GaryFong Inc., FlashFrame, Wein, and Polaris products, OmegaSatter commented: “Novatron has perfect synergy with OmegaSatter. We are a manufacturer and we market and sell our products to the same customers as Novatron. OmegaSatter has coveted a strong, high quality brand and presence in the professional photographic lighting market and Novatron is the perfect fit.” Novatron products are available to order from OmegaSatter immediately. The company expects to be in full production in July.

PCMag have reviewed the Kodak ESP 3 All-in-One Printer, which claims to save up to 50 percent on everything you print.

“When Kodak announced its first generation of all-in-one (AIO) printers last year, including the EasyShare 5300 All-In-One, it wasn’t content with simply offering printers that held their own on speed, output quality, and features. It also claimed a low cost per page—a claim that got a lot of attention. Now Kodak’s introducing its second wave of AIOs, starting with the ESP 3 All-In-One Printer ($129.99 direct). The obvious question is, what is Kodak doing for its second act? The answer: More of the same.”

Website: PCMag - Kodak ESP 3 Review

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The smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mm/F4[IF] SDM is a new standard zoom lens designed for exclusive use with Pentax DSLR cameras. The 17-70mm lens covers the focal-length range from 26mm wide angle to 107mm telephoto in the 35mm format, and features the smooth and quiet SDM autofocus system with built-in supersonic motor. Other highlights of the Pentax 17-70mm lens include a minimum focusing distance of 0.28 meters over the entire zoom range and a Quick-Shift Focus System for instant switching to manual-focus operation. The smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mm/F4[IF] SDM will be available in mid-July for £449.

Fujifilm have reduced the price of the FinePix S5 Pro DSLR camera to just £499. First launched at Focus on Imaging in 2007 for £999.99, Fujifilm are now running a special summer promotion on the S5 Pro. Awarded the EISA European Advanced Camera of the Year 2007-2008, the FinePix S5 Pro is a benchmark DSLR camera, offering a wealth of features. Visit your local dealer to find out more about the Fujifilm S5 Pro promotion.

The Epson Stylus NX400 is the flagship model of a new generation of all-in-one printers. “Whether printing book reports, driving directions, presentations or party invitations, the Epson Stylus NX400 turns ordinary projects into amazing output. Its versatility, high-performance, durability, and affordable price make it the best solution for everyday home printing needs.” said Kristi Lanzit Fox, product manager, Consumer Ink Jet Printers, Epson. The Epson Stylus NX400 is now shipping and will be available for an estimated street price of $99.99.

Places Of Wonder and Discovery is the first book from OUR PLACE, the world’s largest ever World Heritage photography project. Launched at Photokina in September, Places Of Wonder and Discovery is the first of a series of 10 books based on the collection. All OUR WORLD photographers use the Panasonic Lumix DMC L1, L10, FZ50 and LX2 digital cameras.

MAGIX Xtreme Photo & Graphic Designer 2 provides image editing, graphics and website creation in a single unified program. New features include non-destructive real-time image editing, one-click montages of panorama images, beautify faces and add facial expressions, and optimization and editing of RAW images. MAGIX Xtreme Photo & Graphic Designer 2 will be available from June 9th for £39.99.

Tanscend has launched a transparent version of its 7 inch T.photo 710C digital photo frame. The transparent frame offers a simple and pure look, making it perfect for setting on an office desk or mounting on a living room wall. Also available in a black and gold color scheme, the T.photo frame includes a convenient picture-clock and calendar, alarm, and built-in MP3 player with speakers. All Transcend digital photo frames come with a two-year warranty.

This year’s Digital Photo and Imaging show takes place at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London on 26th and 27th June 08. Peartree will be demonstrating the Leaf AFi camera system and Leaf Capture software, plus the Broncolor Lighting system. Leaf and Peartree experts will be on hand throughout the show to answer any questions on the Leaf and Broncolor solutions. The Digital Photo and Imaging Show is free if you register online, or it costs £12 admission at the door.

Digital Foci has launched a Custom Framer Program for its Image Moments 8 digital photo frame. Available immediately, all PPFA (Professional Picture Framers Association) members will receive a free Adapter Ring Kit ($10 value). Digital Foci’s Custom Framer Program will help framers create unique options for their customers. Image Moments 8 ships with a standard black frame with 3 interchangeable mats (cream, gray, and black) and is priced at $199.

17 college students from around the USA have been chosen as winners in the first MyShot08 photo contest. Entrants were challenged to create innovative and aesthetically striking photo specialty products using web-based templates in three categories: photo books, greeting cards and calendars. Contest judges reviewed more than 200 submissions. Jenee’ Jones, a junior photography major at Virginia Commonwealth University, won “best of show” honors and will receive a prize package that includes a trip to a photo shoot with lead contest judge and professional photographer George Kamper.

LG have introduced 3 new, 6x speed Blu-ray drives - the BE06, GBC-H20L and GBW-H20L. LG’s new line-up offers SecurDisc capabilities, providing data protection and content access control on all current optical formats, and LightScribe, which creates direct-to-disc labels. The external LG BE06 drive costs $379.95, whilst the internal LG GBW-H20L costs $279.95 and the LG GBC-H20L $199.95.

The-Digital-Picture have reviewed a new professional EF lens, the Canon EF200mm f/2L IS USM.

“The Canon EF 200mm f/2.0 L IS USM Lens is at its release the shortest fixed-focal-length (prime) lens to have Image Stabilization. This IS implementation is rated by Canon for a state-of-the-art up-to-4-stops of improvement - and I find the improvement to be as-rated. After a long day of physical labor (around the house), and after well over 250 shots taken handheld (this is a heavy lens), I could still take sharp handheld shots at 1/5 sec with this lens as demonstrated in the sample comparison below.”

Website: The-Digital-Picture - Canon EF200mm f/2L IS USM Review

PCMag have reviewed the Casio EX-Z9, a new 8.1 megapixel digital camera with a 3x zoom lens, 2.6-inch wide LCD and 23 scene modes.

“The 8.1-megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z9 surprised me. In my experience, Casio’s point-and-shoot cameras have suffered from poor image quality. My opinion was reinforced most recently by the EX-S880, a slim and sleek camera that took dull and dark pictures. I was expecting more of the same from the $150 (street) EX-Z9, but much to my delight, picture quality was improved.”

Website: PCMag - Casio EX-Z9 Review

Silkypix Developer Studio from Shortcut Software is a RAW conversion software application that offers a real alternative to the mainstream contenders. Silkypix is specifically aimed at enthusiast photographers and professional users, offering a professional colour management engine, ICC profiles, and control over white balancing, contrast, sharpness, saturation, lens correction, image perspective and trimming (cropping), outputting and printing. Silkypix Developer Studio costs $149.00 and is available for Windows and MAC. Jon Canfield discovered if Silkypix Developer Studio can compete with the likes of Adobe Camera RAW, Lightroom and Aperture.

Website: Silkypix Developer Studio Review

Capture NX2 is a more powerful and easier to use updated version of Nikon’s image-editing software. Nikon Capture NX2 now offers Selection Control Point, enabling users to apply enhancements such as Unsharp Mask and D-Lighting to a specific area. The Auto Retouch Brush mouse strokes to clear away specks caused by dust on the sensor. Capture NX2 is compatible with both Windows Vista and XP and Macintosh OS X and will be available from 20th June 2008 for €199. Owners of previous versions of Capture NX can upgrade to Capture NX2 for €119.

Kodak are set to raise the prices of their digital cameras and printers by up to 20%, according to The Guardian newspaper. Blaming soaring raw material costs, Chief Exec Antonio Perez claimed that the rest of the industry would follow suit sooner rather than later. Kodk are blaming the rising costs of aluminium, silver, oil and transport, commenting that “manufacturers had held off raising consumer product prices for some time but raw material costs were now so high that these had become inevitable”.

Website: The Guardian - Kodak warns of 20% increase in camera and printer prices

Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 2 delivers the equivalent of a 2-day course in one project-based book covering all of Aperture’s new features. It takes readers step-by-step through the basics of image management and Aperture’s editing, retouching, proofing, publishing, and archiving features. Apple Pro Training Series: Aperture 2 is now available for $49.49.

Pinnacle Studio 12 is a new version of the market-leading consumer video editing software. Version 12 includes Pinnacle Montage, an innovative tool that makes high-end compositing and animation effects accessible to consumers. More titles, DVD menus and templates have been added to Pinnacle Studio 12, as well as new professional audio and video controls and a complete HD workflow with Blu-ray authoring. The Pinnacle Studio 12 family includes Pinnacle Studio, Pinnacle Studio Plus and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate with full HD support. Prices are US$49.99, $99.99 and $129.99, respectively.