DigitalCameraInfo have reviewed the Canon G9, a 12.1 megapixel update of the G7 compact camera, with a 6x zoom lens, 3 inch LCD screen and the return of RAW mode.

“Canon made a lot of improvements on the PowerShot G9 – most notably the image quality, LCD screen, and RAW file capability. The Canon G9 offers more megapixels than its predecessor, the G7, which on paper suggests it will have better resolution but more noise and worse dynamic range. Our tests prove the G9 has significantly better resolution, better than most cameras released this year. Noise levels are high, but not any higher than the G7, which is commendable. Color accuracy is fantastic, as is the Movie mode, both of which have become consistent successes for high-end Canon PowerShots.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Canon G9 Review

Website: Read our Canon Powershot G9 Review

PCMag have reviewed the Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd, the first in its range of ‘Z’ series cameras to feature hardware-based Face Detection technology.

“Fujifilm’s 6.3-megapixel FinePix Z5fd brings an appealing set of capabilities to the crowded ultracompact point-and-shoot arena: Sturdy build, quick performance, and very useful advanced automatic features give it an edge in this competitive category. Of course, this camera won’t satisfy photographers who want a lot of manual control. In addition, its images suffer from some artifacts that show up in large prints. Nonetheless, the Z5fd makes automatic snapshot photography a pleasure.”

Website: PCMag - Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd Review

Chris Langley, Chief Executive of Jessops, one of the UK’s largest photography retailers, has resigned “to pursue other business interests”. Langley will remain until the end of November to assist with planning for the Christmas trading period and other handover projects. No successor has yet been announced. Jessops have also confirmed that the year to 30 September 2007 will see a loss of £7.5 million. Total sales for the 51 weeks to 23 September 2007 were down by 7.5%. Commenting on today’s statement, Executive Chairman David Adams said: “Following a tough year for Jessops, I am pleased with the progress that the Group has demonstrated against a difficult market backdrop.”

The Sanyo HD700 is a new 720p high-definition digital camcorder which can also capture 7.1 megapixel still photos. Other features include a 2.7 inch widescreen LCD, 5x optical zoom and Face Detection. Video is recorded in the advanced MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format which delivers exceptional video clarity and detail while maintaining the smallest file size possible.“The new SANYO Xacti HD700 is our best everyday-use camcorder ever,” said John Lamb, SANYO’s Senior Marketing Manager for the Xacti line. “At 16% smaller and 10% lighter than our popular HD2, the HD700 combines a host of new features in a sleek, affordable and easy-to-use camcorder.” The Sanyo HD700 will be available in Silver, Red and Brown in the USA at the end of October, 2007, priced at $599.99.

The new Lacie Ethernet Disk mini Home Edition is a 500Gb personal media server. It combines remote access through the Internet, ability to stream multimedia files through DLNA-compatible UPnP media players and act as an iTunes music server. The DesktopMirror application can backup and restore computer files to the Lacie Ethernet Disk mini Home Edition for safekeeping, sharing and remote access. “This product offers a simple way to store digital photos, family videos and complete music libraries in one convenient location while making them accessible throughout the home or elsewhere around the world.  Sharing pictures with friends or backing up office files, while on the road, has never been so easy.”  said Marie Renouard, LaCie Product Manager. The LaCie Ethernet Disk mini – Home Edition will be available late October for $199.

The Transcend T.photo 710 is a new 7-inch digital photo frame with a high-resolution 480x234 pixel display. The T.photo 710 has a black frame and gold frame that’s only 28mm deep, can play background music, and supports JPG, BMP and Motion-JPG formats. You can even plug-in a pair of headphones and use the T.photo 710 as an MP3 player. Price of the Transcend T.photo 710 is 120€, availability still to be announced.

The Nikon D200 Dbook is the ideal companion for anyone who wants to get the most from their Nikon camera. The Dbooks from publisher Rocky Nook are in Adobe Acrobat format and offer clickable examples and digital images that explain before-and-after situations and clearly illustrate the individual stages of the processes involved. The Nikon D200 Dbook covers digital photography basics, taking pictures, image optimization, lenses, accessories, and much more. The Nikon D200 Dbook is available now on interactive CDROM for $44.95 USD / £27.99 GBP.

There’s an excellent podcast interview with sports photographer Adam Pretty over on the official Getty Images Sport Blog. Co-founder of Getty Images, Jonathan Klein, talks with Pretty about how he got into photography and the highlights of his career, with lots of inspirational pictures to backup the words. Pretty has covered several major sporting events including the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, 2002 and 2006 Common Wealth Games and the 2004 Rugby World Cup. If you’re even remotely interested in sports photography than definitely take a look / have a listen.

Website: Adam Pretty Interview

Photos of a Mute swan, Heron and Shelduck were the unanimous winners of the first ever WWT Nikon Photographic Competition. Linda Wright from Monmouth picked up the top prize for general photography with her Mute swan photo taken at WWT Slimbridge. Judge Chris Packham, said: “Choosing Linda’s photograph was a unanimous decision by the judges, but that’s not to say it wasn’t difficult – the standard of entries was very high. The Mute swan is a common species that’s often thought of as a nuisance. This photograph made this swan look extraordinary, and showed the beauty of this overlooked bird.” The competition received over 3,300 entries from people of all ages across the UK.

Canon have released a new firmware update, v1.1.1, for the EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi in the USA) DSLR, which offers the following improvements:

  1. Adds detailed information about three new lenses.
  2. Polish has been added as a new display language in the menu screens.

Website: Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi v1.1.1 Firmware Update

Raw without FUD is a video tutorial which explains why RAW is the easier way to shoot. Available either as a download or a DVD-ROM, Michael Tapes from RawWorkFlow.com cuts through the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) surrounding the RAW format. The 6-hour DVD and Download Versions are Mac- and Windows®-compatible and plays on any PC with Adobe Flash Player installed in the user’s web browser. The RAW without Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt Video Tutorials are now available and will be priced at $34.95 (Download Version) and $49.95 (DVD with Extras Disc). Both are currently discounted to $29.95 and $44.95 during October 2007.

The NEC MultiSync LCD2470WVX is a new 24 inch LCD monitor featuring 1920 x 1200 resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 5 ms response time and 400cd/m2 brightness rating. Italso incorporates a unique four-way ergonomic stand that allows users to quickly and easily adjust the display height, tilt, swivel and pivot orientation. “The MultiSync LCD2470WVX is a great enterprise display but it is also versatile enough for graphics and CAD users who need feature-rich performance,” said Lynn Gu, Product Manager for NEC Display Solutions. “In addition to delivering performance, the LCD2470WVX is priced as a great value.” There’s no price yet, so it remains to be seen how “great value” it will actually be.

PrinterInfo have reviewed the Canon mini320, a new compact photo printer that produces 7x5 inch prints and features a high-definition 2.5” LCD screen and Easy-Scroll Wheel interface.

“We like the mini320 for its simple design and operation. The Easy-Scroll Wheel provides the simplest interface of any competing models. The combination of a single, easily replaced cartridge with good print quality makes for easy, carefree operation. Canon’s new fast on and off feature reduces waiting time and, therefore, speeds up printing.”

Website: PrinterInfo - Canon mini320 Review

CNET have reviewed the Olympus Stylus 820, a weatherproof 8 megapixel camera with a 5x optical zoom lens.

“Were its terrible performance not damning enough, the Stylus 820’s pictures also disappoint. Extreme softening obscures and renders illegible virtually all fine details. Significant fringing crops up in almost all contrasting edges, producing purple or green auras around very light objects. These two issues result in pictures that work well enough for e-mails, Web sites, and small prints, but quickly fall apart when blown up.”

Website: CNET - Olympus Stylus 820 Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the new Canon S5 IS ultra-zoom compact camera, which features a 12x optical zoom lens equivalent to 36-432mm, optical image stabilizer and 8 megapixel sensor.

“As you’d expect from one of Canon’s flagship models, performance is exceptional. The camera starts up in just over one second and shuts down again almost as quickly. In single shot mode it can take a photo roughly every 1.6 seconds, which is about as fast as you can press the shutter button, while in continuous mode it can shoot at approximately one frame every 0.6 seconds, and can apparently keep that up until the memory card is full. Focusing is incredibly fast, in fact in good light it’s virtually instant and amazingly reliable.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Canon S5 IS Review

Website: Read our Canon PowerShot S5 IS Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the 15x zoom Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H9 digital camera.

“The colors in the images captured outside were very bright and vivid, providing very pleasing results. The exposure was controlled nicely making a beautiful image. There is very little noise, only noticeable in dark or shadowed areas. Well lit and bright areas, such as a light blue sky showed absolutely no noise. At the wide angle end of the lens there is a little barrel distortion, but no pin cushioning on the zoom end. The 15x optical zoom works very well outside and is great for shooting sporting events. Shooting in shutter priority mode with a top shutter speed of 1/4000 of a second combined with the image stabilization, you should have no problem capturing clear, blur-free images.”

Steves Digicams - Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H9 Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7, which offers 8 megapixels, 15x optical stabilized zoom lens, ISO 3200, face-detection and HDTV output.

“Upgrading the H5 for 2007 is the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC H7. One of the major updates on this model is the image sensor, which increases resolution from 7 to 8-megapixels. Other new features include an even more powerful Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 15x image stabilized optical zoom lens. This camera is full of features, such as a 2.5 inch LCD screen, easy to use controls and an incredible exposure system. Providing everything that an advanced photographer can ask for, with a full selection of manual controls, to the pre-programmed scene modes (Portrait, Landscape, High Shutter Speed, etc.) and the full automatic mode for the beginning users, this camera will be enjoyed by all.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7 Review

The new Canon iPF6100 is a large format printer that uses a 12-colour pigment inkset and can print up to A1 in size. The iPF6100 can produce a borderless A1 glossy print in less than 4 minutes, and incorporates a built-in colour calibration system. A wide colour gamut is offered by the dual-head 12-colour LUCIA II pigment ink system which packs 30,720 nozzles into two 1” print heads. Can the new Canon iPF6100 compete with the likes of the HP Z3100? Jon Canfield found just enough room in his office to test it out.

Website: Canon iPF6100 Review

The Canon ES2 and Canon ES20 are two new compact photo printers. Canon’s Easy System uses integrated ink and media cassettes, and is complemented by one-touch operation and a 50-sheet capacity. The Canon ES2 offers a 3 inch LCD monitor, and the ES20 a 2.5 inch display. “Digital cameras are more popular than ever, but many users have yet to invest in a dedicated photo printer,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “With the SELPHY ES2 and ES20, we are able to offer two convenient, high-quality products that will allow digital photographers to share and store their photos for years to come.” The Canon ES2 will be available from the end of October 2007 priced at £169.00 / €249.00 / $199.99. The Canon ES20 will be available from the end of November 2007 priced at £139.00 / €199.00 (the ES20 isn’t available in the USA).

One True Media takes photo and video editing and sharing to the next level, with new sophisticated editing and social media posting capabilities. You can combine photos, video, music and special effects in completely new ways to create amazing video montages. “We are very excited about our new QuickStyle content additions and the new look and feel of our website.  Now our customers can let their imaginations run wild and build extremely creative montages they can easily share in more ways than ever,” said Mark Moore, CEO, One True Media.