Imaging Resource have just reviewed the 15x zoom Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H9 digital camera.

“Surprisingly compact and lightweight, considering its powerful zoom, the Sony H9 is styled to mimic the look and feel of a digital SLR. The grip is sufficiently large for a sturdy and comfortable handhold. The body is made of plastic of course, and while it’s not as sturdy as a digital SLR, it doesn’t feel fragile. Granted, the camera is obviously too large to tote around in a pocket but I was able to stow it in a medium-sized handbag when taking it out and about.”

Imaging Resource - Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H9 Review

ePhotoZine have reviewed the Casio EX-Z75, which features a 7.2 megapixel sensor, Anti-Shake DSP mode and other advanced functions.

“Measuring a scant 16.2mm at it’s thinnest point, the Casio is a thin camera. Unfortunately, the camera is quite unstable when stood on its own and can fall over easily which is not a good thing for your shiny screen. It is made from metal which is always a good thing. It is heavy and solid and looks well built. Movement of the lens is quiet and smooth and if it wasn’t for the immense size of the menus, it would be easy to navigate and quick to move around in.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Casio EX-Z75 Review

CNET have reviewed the Casio Z1200, a 12.1 megapixel compact camera featuring a a 1/1.7 inch CCD sensor with shift anti-shake mechanism and a 2.8 inch LCD screen.

“Of all of the Z1200’s major features, its lens is the least impressive; the 37mm-to-111mm-equivalent lens offers a mere 3x zoom and a relatively narrow wide angle. A wider angle or stronger telephoto lens would have been a nice touch. The camera also falls short in terms of sensitivity; while most point-and-shoots can reach ISO 800 or ISO 1600 levels, the Z1200 tops out at ISO 400, limiting your options when taking low-light or high-speed shots.”

Website: CNET - Casio Z1200 Review

CameraTown have reviewed the Brite Vue Sensor Loupe from VisibleDust, which allows you to closely examine the sensor of a DSLR.

“When examining my camera’s image sensor I found the best technique was to move the loupe around (though, not rubbing it against the camera), helping to bring into sharp focus all sections of the image sensor. Moving and even tilting the loup just a bit also helps you guage whether the specs or debris are on the sensor or on the loupe itself. I also found that moving my head back and forth just a bit also helped to change the magnification - allowing a better view of all parts of the image sensor.”

Website: CameraTown - Brite Vue Sensor Loupe Review

It looks like the much rumoured and long-awaited Canon 40D DSLR camera, successor to the popular EOS 30D model (pictured), may finally be arriving. None other than the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has spilled the beans by listing the Canon 40D on it’s PictBridge-certified product page, which was last updated yesterday. Normally we don’t comment on internet rumours, and with good reason in the case of the 40D, as it has been the subject of a lot of hot air since 2006. In this case, though, it seems that the 40D may finally be real - Canon are after all a member of the CIPA orgranisation. There’s obviously no specs or pictures - you will just have to entertain yourselves with a Google search until the Canon 40D is officially launched… (CIPA link found via DCViews)

Update 19th July: Somewhat unsurprisingly, CIPA have now removed the Canon 40D from their list of PictBridge-certified cameras…

Plans have been revealed to develop a CompactFlash memory card with a SATA interface. The new CompactFlash SATA cards will provide even faster interface data rates than the current 133MB/second, and ensure compatibility with SATA disk drive interfaces. “The development of a CompactFlash card with a SATA interface will maintain the dominance of CompactFlash in the nonconsumer markets…having the SATA interface will be a significant step for CompactFlash.” commented Mr. Shigeto Kanda of Canon and chairman of the CompactFlash Association.

The SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition CompactFlash and the SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition SD Plus have the quickest read/write times of any SanDisk memory cards. The speeds are 45 megabytes per second for the CompactFlash card and 20MB/sec for the SD Plus card. The line-up consists of 4GB and 8GB capacities for the SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition CompactFlash card, and 4GB for the SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition SD Plus card. Suggested retail prices are $164.99 for the 4GB CompactFlash card, $314.99 for the 8GB CompactFlash card and $129.99 for the 4GB SD Plus card.

The SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition USB Flash Drive offers 4Gb capacity and and write speeds of 20 megabytes per second. “The SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition USB Flash Drive is fast and functional, but it’s also a way for everyone to share the excitement of Ducati motorcycles and Ducati’s long history as a racing champion.” said Greg Rhine, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Products Division at SanDisk. The SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition USB Flash Drive has a suggested retail price of $124.99 in the United States, and will be be available in North America and Europe in August, and worldwide in September.

OLYMPUS Studio 2 improves image file management and editing functionality for Olympus users. OLYMPUS Studio 2 features a new user interface, Windows Vista and Intel-based Macintosh support, Olympus E-510 and E-410 RAW image development, and a a new back-up function. The full version of OLYMPUS Studio 2 is now available for download.

Primatte Chromakey 3 from Digital Anarchy removes a blue/green background from a still image or video footage. “We’re excited to bring serious batch processing capabilities to Primatte”, said Jim Tierney, Digital Anarchy founder. “This is going to be a huge advance for photographers dealing with large volumes of images shot against chromakey.” Regularly priced at USD $299, Primatte Chromakey 3 is available now for USD $269 until August 15th 2007.

Correct OneClick 1.5 is a new automated color correction plugin for Adobe Photoshop CS3. “iCorrect OneClick is by far our fastest, easiest, and most automatic color correction plug-in yet.  Now, home users can get the same accurate results our professional customers have enjoyed for years.” said Craig Huelskoetter, President of PictoColor. Free upgrades are available for registered users who purchased iCorrect OneClick Plug-in on or after January 1, 2007.

Two new Nikon School DVDs demonstrate how easy it is to take great pictures with Nikon digital SLR cameras. The “Fast, Fun & Easy: Great Digital Pictures” is aimed at Nikon D40 and D40x owners, and “Understanding Digital Photography” covers fundamentals that are relevant to any DSLR camera. Both Nikon School DVDs are available at Nikon-authorized dealers in the USA.

Jaacx Distributors will distribute GE-branded digital cameras in Latin America. “The contract with Jaacx came about very quickly,” said Rene Buhay, General Imaging vice president of sales, North America. “As a result, Latin American consumers will be able to see the excellent quality and superior features of the GE cameras this summer.” General Imaging unveiled eight GE-branded cameras on March 8 in Las Vegas during PMA 07.

The Sony Net-sharing CAM is a new pocket sized camcorder aimed at users of YouTube and other social networking websites. The Net Sharing CAM shoots video in the “web-ready” MPEG-4 recording format and 5 megapixel digital still photos. There is also a built-in flash, 4x digital zoom and a 2.4-inch color LCD screen. The Sony Net-sharing CAM will be available in September for about $200.

DxO Labs and REALVIZ have teamed up to offer up to $230 off DxO Optics Pro and REALVIZ Stitcher. “Bundling DxO Optics Pro and REALVIZ Stitcher makes it easier for photographers to create dramatic panoramic images while ensuring the best correction of optical and anamorphic distortion, vignetting, lens softness and chromatic aberrations for all the images concerned,” says Luc Marin, vice president of the Photography business at DxO Labs. Four different bundles are available:

DxO Optics Pro v4.5 Standard + Stitcher Express 2 $199 instead of $288
DxO Optics Pro v4.5 Standard + Stitcher Unlimited 5.6 $599 instead of $749
DxO Optics Pro v4.5 Elite + Stitcher Express 2 $319 instead of $418
DxO Optics Pro v4.5 Elite + Stitcher Unlimited 5.6 $649 instead of $879

Scholarships are now up for grabs for the Kubota Image Tools “Digital Photography Bootcamp”, a 5-day workshop for professional photographers worth $2,195. “We want to recognize and assist photographers who are working on a very limited budget—yet who still find time to give back to their communities.” said Kevin Kubota, Idea Guy of Kubota Image Tools.

Jessops is demonstrating the new Canon EOS 1D Mark III DSLR and offering free tips from Canon experts at four special events for enthusiasts and professionals. There’s also a half-price SanDisk 4GB CompactFlash card with every EOS 1D Mark III ordered on the day. The Jessops Demo Days take place in London and Birmingham on Thursday 19th July and Edinburgh and Cardiff on Thursday 16th August.

The ExpressDigital Darkroom photography workflow software has just been launched in the UK. Two training days will be held this summer covering event photography using ExpressDigital Darkroom software. Event Photography Training Days will be held in Birmingham on July 27 and Manchester on August 30.

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix P5000 camera, which offers 10 megapixels, 3.5x zoom lens (36-126mm), Vibration Reduction to combat camera shake, ISO 3200 capability and a 2.5 inch LCD screen.

“The attractive and capable P5000 may rub you the wrong way when it comes to shutter lag, shot to shot speed and high ISO noise. But because it’s a camera you can control, it provides ways to improve autofocus and reduce shutter lag and smooth out high ISO images. That takes a little more engagement with the camera than many digicams require, but that’s not always a bad thing.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Nikon Coolpix P5000 Review

ePhotoZine have reviewed the new Sony T100 camera, which has a 5x optical zoom lens and 3-inch LCD screen, with red, black and silver colours available.

“Predictably, ISO80 gives good results with no noise and good detail to the petals as does ISO100. ISO200 shows a minor amount of noise and the colour of the petals is starting to saturate with ISO400 having distinct noise and the petals a brighter orange than the lower ratings. ISO800 shows more colour, but still displays detail in the petal and I would expect to see more noise than this in the image. At ISO1600 the image starts to drop off in quality with noise taking over and the petals paling out whilst the noise at ISO3200 breaks the straight lines of the grey card down so they are fuzzy.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Sony DSC-T100 Review

Website: Read our Sony Cyber-shot DSC T100 Review