TrustedReviews have reviewed the Epson PictureMate 290 compact photo printer, which can produce a 10x15cm borderless lab-quality photo in just 37 seconds.

“Epson’s PictureMate PM290 is a neat and effective small-format photo printer. With its built-in CD rewriter and Bluetooth capabilities, it can handle most needs of any enthusiastic photo taker. Improvements could be made, such as bundling in the battery which makes this machine fully portable and redesigning the printer so both paper and power supply are carried internally. Even so, it stands up well against its competition and running costs remain low.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Epson PictureMate 290 Review

Digital Astrophotography is a new book from Rocky Nook that teaches you how to capture the night sky in all its glory. The book helps you sort out which cameras are best for the various celestial subjects, what to look for when buying a camera, and what accessories you really need. Digital Astrophotography by Stefan Seip costs $29.95 USD, £18.50 GBP.

The Kingston Media Reader is an external, hi-speed reader that supports 19 popular types of Flash memory cards. “The new media reader handles so many different card types that it’s ideal for the consumer or business professional who uses multiple card formats to transfer data, music, photos, videos and other files between mobile phones, cameras, PCs and other devices,” said Jean Wong, Flash memory product manager, Kingston. The Kingston Media Reader has a unique retractable chassis that keeps inserted cards safe. It also houses a short, compact USB cable for use on the go with a notebook. The Kingston Media Reader has a two-year warranty and costs $17.00.

The Samsung SPF-83V is a new 8 inch digital photo frame based on Microsoft technology. Photos can be viewed wirelessly from sharing sites such as Windows Live Spaces or from your PC. The Samsung SPF-83V frame also communicates with Windows Media Player and open standards such as RSS. “Our latest digital photo frames, based on cutting-edge technology from the Microsoft Research labs, are easy to use and are one of the few offerings in the marketplace that offer a ‘network’ approach to digital photo sharing.” said Christopher Franey, vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. Price and availability of the Samsung SPF-83V to be announced.

The Royal Photographic Society has launched a new youth photography competition called IRIS-25, aimed at young people under the age of 25. IRIS-25 aims to prmote the growth of Digital Audio Visual photography among young people. “The production of AV sequences involves many skills useful in modern life, and can benefit the workers and leaders of tomorrow, teaching them to communicate, not only visually but also verbally; to look, listen and understand; and to express their ideas creatively with skill and sensitivity.” commented Maureen Albright, Organiser. The deadline for entries is 21st April 2008.

The Spyder3Pro and Spyder3Print from Datacolor are two new color management products for photographers. The Spyder3Pro is a display calibration tool that includes the only colorimeter available on the market offering a seven detector color engine. It is designed to deliver more precise control over white point and gamma. Spyder3Print is a unique print calibration solution that includes software and a Datacolor 1005 spectrocolorimeter to ensure accurate and consistent color. It makes creating printer profiles easy through its simple wizard-driven program. Spyder3Pro has a US price of $169 and Spyder3Print $499.

Take Your Photography to the Next Level is a new book based on a series of essays originally featured on the Luminous Landscape website. Photographers will learn what is required in order to grow in their creativity and to gain a deeper understanding of their craft. Author George Barr takes a practical approach with specific suggestions and enough ideas and exercises to keep you busy and creative for years to come. Take Your Photography to the Next Level costs $39.95 USD, £24.99 GBP.

Phil Holland has published an extensive review of the new Canon 1Ds Mark III, a 21.1 megapixel full-frame digital SLR camera with 5fps continuous shooting and 45 AF points.

“After shooting with the camera with a few days under numerous conditions I can confidently say the Canon 1Ds Mark III is easily the most versatile full frame digital SLR currently available. Currently the only thing similar on the market is the camera it’s replacing. The 1Ds Mark II. In terms of pure image resolution the only cameras that come close are digital medium format bodies and backs. I’ve used a range of PhaseOne backs now and I know they can squeeze out more detail. That said you lose a lot of flexibility for that gain in resolution and in price point.”

Website: Phil Holland - Canon 1Ds Mark III Review

Buy the Samsung GX10 DSLR single (18-55mm) or twin (18-55mm and 50-200mm) lens kit and get £50 cash back. To claim the cashback, log onto www.samsungcamera.co.uk/gx10cashback , download the redemption form, complete and return, along with proof of purchase and serial number to the address specified on the form. You will then receive a cheque within 28 days. This offer is valid until 31st January 2008.

Rob Galbraith has published an in-depth analysis of the auto-focus problems that have affected the Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera since it was first launched.

“At long last, our analysis of Canon’s sub-mirror fix and firmware v1.1.3 for the EOS-1D Mark III is live. Does the hardware change and new firmware solve the camera’s AI Servo autofocus problems? Does the EOS-1D Mark III now match or exceed the bright light autofocus performance of its predecessor, the EOS-1D Mark II N? Here, in 8500 words and over 650 full-resolution photos, is our answer”

Website: Rob Galbraith - Analysing the EOS-1D Mark III sub-mirror fix and firmware v1.1.3

KoffeePhoto and Tokyo based JetGraph have joined forces to launch KoffeePhoto in Japan. KoffeePhoto is a free and unlimited online photo sharing solution. KoffeePhoto Japan will include all KoffeePhoto free and unlimited online photo sharing solution and local photo organizing software features. “With a preview of KoffeePhoto already available into Japanese, our exclusive partnership with JetGraph will help us reaching a consequent market share in Japan while providing our japanese users with a far better user experience thanks to local print services and local support.” commented Gilles Pommereuil, President of KoffeeWare, editor of KoffeePhoto. KoffeePhoto Japan is planned to start in March 2008.

DigitalCameraInfo have reviewed the Olympus Stylus 830, a weatherproof digital camera offers a 5x optical zoom lens (36-180mm) and 8 megapixel resolution.

“The Stylus 830 has a longer lens than most slim-bodied point-and-shoots, we’ll give it that. And it comes in a bunch of colors, if that’s your bag. But in this price range are compact cameras with longer zoom lenses and similarly built slim models with standard 3x zoom lenses that have superior image quality. For us, image quality reigns superior to the 5x zoom and weatherproof body.  There are better options available for the same price or for less than $100 more.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Olympus Stylus 830 Review

As part of the Sony Alpha Unseen Britain campaign Sony is inviting photographers to submit eye-catching images of Britain. Pictures submitted will be entered into a competition to receive a new Sony Alpha 700 (?700) Digital SLR camera and full kit. The closing date for entries is January 4 2008. In addition renowned photographer and climber Mike Robertson will be scaling Spinnaker Tower (Portsmouth), Blackpool Tower, Newport Transporter Bridge, Snowhill Plaza (Birmingham) and a London site armed with the Sony Alpha 700. Paul Genge from Sony says: “Through combining the advanced technology of the new Sony Alpha 700 (?700) D-SLR camera with Mike’s expertise, skill and daring attitude, we aim to capture views of Britain that have not been shared with the public before.  We want individuals to be inspired and think about photography with a different perspective and encourage them to enter our competition.”

London-based photographer Cat Vinton has become the first female overall winner of the international Travel Photographer of the Year competition. Cat’s beautiful panoramic images of the snowy Norwegian landscape and evocative shots of a Nomadic family won her the opportunity to photograph the Dalai Lama in India. Amateur and professional photographers from 51 countries competed for the £50,000+ prize package. The winning images can be seen at www.tpoty.com, and will be on display at the Exposure Gallery in London.

Take the pressure off Christmas shopping this year by selecting a personalised hand printed photograph from the Getty Images Gallery. With over 40 million images to choose from, the Getty Images Gallery offers access to some of the greatest collections of photography in the world. Hand-printed from the original negative by a specialised in-house darkroom team, each photograph is produced to the customer’s specific requirements. Prices start from as little as £65 for a 10x8 inch resin photograph and go up to a 40x60 inch premium fibre, luxury limited editions for £875.

Become a better photographer with HP, which is currently offering free online photography classes. Learn how to get better results from proper use of your digital camera, find out how to work with perspective, angles and light, and also how to share your digital photos with friends and family. For your New Year’s Resolution this year, learn to take better photos with HP.

Steves Digicams have just reviewed the Kodak Z1275 camera, which offers 12 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom.

“Image quality was very good, producing sharp images through out the zoom range, with only slight edge softness. We also saw noticeable barrel distortion on the wide end of the 35mm - 175mm equivalent zoom lens. The colors are very vibrant and the exposure system did well. There is slight noise that is noticeable in some of the blue skies when viewing the images at 100%, but I don’t think it would be noticeable in prints unless you were to get bigger than an 8x10.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Kodak Z1275 Review

The Transcend 16GB SDHC memory card offers enormous capacity at an attractive price. Fully Class 6 compliant, the card features fast data transfer speeds (guaranteed minimum write speed of 6MB/s). The 16GB memory capacity is enough to store over 8,000 high-resolution 7-megapixel JPG photos. For peace of mind, all SDHC cards are comprehensively tested for compatibility and reliability, and carry Transcend’s renowned Lifetime Warranty. The Transcend 16GB SDHC card costs 139 Euros.

A recent survey of over 1,000 professional photographers reveals that 89% of their images are digital, and they keep 90% of those. “Today’s photographers are technologically savvy, as a significant majority is using image editing software and many are using RAW conversion and color management software,” commented Ed Lee, Director at InfoTrends. “It’s particularly interesting to note that 83% of professional photographers are using the Web as part of their business and about 30% use an online photo service provider.” The full survey results are available in InfoTrends’ recently released report, “Digital Imaging and Professional Photographers: 2007 Survey Results”.

The Microsoft HD Photo Plug-In allows you to open and save any HD Photo file (.wdp or possibly .hdp) in Adobe Photoshop. The HD Photo plug-in supports a wide range of pixel formats (including high dynamic range, wide gamut formats) and numerous advanced HD Photo features. HD Photo is also known as Windows Media Photo. This plug-in is designed for use with the CS2 or CS3 versions of Adobe Photoshop software running under Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista or Mac OS X.

Website: Download Microsoft HD Photo Plug-In for Adobe Photoshop (Windows)

Website: Download Microsoft HD Photo Plug-In for Adobe Photoshop (MAC)