The MINOX DC 6033 WP is a new digital camera that’s watertight to a depth of ten meters. The DC6033 is also resistant to to dust, water, sand and salt. A 6 megapixel sensor, 42mm fixed lens (no zoom) and a 2 inch TFT colour monitor complete the MINOX DC 6033 WP’s feature list. The DC6033 is available now, price in Germany is 229 Euros.

PopPhoto have reviewed the Ricoh GX100 digital camera, which features a 10.01 megapixel CCD, fast 24-72mm wide zoom lens and a removable electronic view?nder.

“The GX100 uses an unusual, hybrid autofocus that combines TTL focusing on the CCD with an external passive AF sensor. It focuses quickly and accurately, so much so that we never needed the AF assist lamp, even in very dim lighting. The camera also has very short shutter lag.”

Website: PopPhoto - Ricoh GX100 Review

Website: Read our Ricoh GX100 Review

DIWA member Digit.no have reviewed the Leica M8 digital rangefinder camera, which has a 10 megapixel sensor, focal factor of 1.33x and an ISO range of 160-2500.

“The Leica M8 is a unique camera in many respects, first of all because of its combination of a conservative, traditional exteriour, virtually identical to its analogue siblings, and a high-tech interiour. Its 10 MP image resolution and first class Leica lenses is a superb foundation for outstanding image quality. However, the image is a bit more complex than that. This a photographer’s tool, exclusively for those who shoot RAW, and certainly not a fancy show-off piece to match the Rolex and the Jaguar. The price tag alone will obviously discourage most amateurs from considering buying the Leica M8. That’s all right, because with JPEG you can’t tell that the pictures come from one of the finest and most expensive cameras available. There are far cheaper cameras out there that performs a lot better. Besides, who wants a modern camera without autofocus and programmed exposure? That’s right, only the dedicated Leica enthusiast who prefers to do it the old-fashioned way.”

Website: Digit.no - Leica M8 Review

Megapixel.net have reviewed the new Kodak Z712, which is positioned as an alternative to a DSLR, offering a 12x zoom lens (36-432 mm) and 7.1 megapixels.

“The Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS is good value for the money. The compression at the highest image quality is a bit stronger than we would like, and the LCD monitor not as crisp as some others. But the camera’s capacity to reproduce colours faithfully and the generally good characteristics of the lens, and the fact it includes a very effective stabilization system make it a worthwhile camera.”

Website: Megapixel.net - Kodak Z712 Review

DigitalCameraInfo have reviewed the Pentax W30, a waterproof digital camera offering 7.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and two new Shake Reduction modes.

“The Pentax Optio W30 is part of a growing line of weather- and dust-resistant cameras geared for active point-and-shooters. It is the fifth in Pentax’s W-series, a line of waterproof cameras. The 7.1-megapixel camera comes in a swimmer’s body, which allows for longer underwater time at increased depths over its predecessors. Among its other touted features are facial recognition technology and low light shooting abilities at ISO 3200.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Pentax W30 Review

Website: Read our Pentax Optio W30 Review

DPReview have reviewed the FujiFilm S5 Pro digital SLR camera.

“One thing is certain: the S5 Pro is a huge improvement on its predecessor - it’s a far, far better camera and it produces better, cleaner output with fewer artefacts and slightly better detail. Everything from metering to focus to noise reduction to the interface and speed of operation has improved significantly.”

Website: DPReview - FujiFilm S5 Pro Review

Website: Read our FujiFilm S5 Pro Review

ePhotoZine have reviewed the new Epson 3800 A2 printer with UltraChrome K3 ink and the smallest footprint on the market.

“The print quality is very good as would be expected from a printer of this class and it also has a high build quality. The prints are well balanced and have a nice saturation of colour. Lightfastness is 75 years for colour prints and over 100 years for black and white as long as the images are not subjected to sunlight.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Epson 3800 Review

Website: Read our Epson Stylus Pro 3800 Review

ePhotoZine have reviewed the 10 megapixel Samsung GX-10 DSLR camera.

“The GX10, being the same as Pentax’s K10D, proves that the SLR market is no longer safely ruled by Canon and Nikon. As you see from the specifications above, the Samsung GX10 offers a product that will not only satisfy enthusiasts, but also many pros. It sits in a price point that includes Canon’s EOS30D and Nikon’s D80, yet it has features, such as waterproof seals, that bring it closer to the pro-spec Canon EOS5D or Nikon D200.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Samsung GX-10 Review

TrustedReviews have published their review of the new 10 megapixel Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti (also known as the Powershot SD900).

“Picture quality is also impressive. The larger 1/1.8” CCD avoids most of the problems associated with small high-resolution sensors, and produces better dynamic range and much better image noise control than some other 10MP compact cameras. The 900 Ti produced usable pictures with fine detail at 800 ISO, and from 400 downwards I’d describe the picture quality as excellent, although I still don’t think there’s a noticeable advantage in choosing a 10MP sensor over an 8MP one.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti Review

Website: Read our Canon Digital IXUS 900 Ti Review

The new DX-1G housing and 1G camera is the world’s most advanced compact underwater digital camera system. The Sea&Sea DX-1G underwater digital camera is based on the Ricoh Caplio GX-100 digital camera, offering the same features including 10 megapixel sensor, 24-72mm lens and RAW shooting mode. Available in the US is early August, the DX-1G system costs around $999.95, and it will be available in several packages with SEA&SEA’s YS-110 DS-TTL strobe and YS-27DX strobe and accessories.

HARMAN have targeted users of the new Epson 3800 printer by launching an A2+ paper size. “The launch of the new A2+ format for all of our HARMAN PHOTO products will provide Epson 3800 users with the first and only bespoke sheet size that will help to unlock the potential of the printer.” commented Howard Hopwood, marketing director at HARMAN technology. The A2+ sheets are will be available from HARMAN stockists throughout the UK from July.

The Transcend JetFlash 185 is a USB 2 flash drive with a zinc alloy body. Now available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the JetFlash 185 has a read speed of 10-12MB/s and write speed of 8MB/s. The new JetFlash 185 costs 27.90€ (1GB), 44.10€ (2GB) and 83.00€ (4GB).

Pentax have released a firmware update, v1.30, for the Pentax K10D DSLR camera.

The following functions has been added in version 1.30:
    1. Correspond to PENTAX DA lens which built-in supersonic motor (SDM System)

Website: Pentax K10D v1.30 Firmware Update

The Plugin Site has updated the Harrys Filters and PhotoFreebies plugins. Harry’s Filters is a free Photoshop compatible plugin containing dozens of image effects. The PhotoFreebies are a collection of 11 freeware plugins with various effects for digital photos. Harrys Filters and PhotoFreebies are freeware and can be downloaded from http://thepluginsite.com/ .

It’s July 4th today, which means that it’s Independence Day if you live in the USA, and also the opportunity to see a great fireworks display. According to Wikipedia, “Fireworks have been associated with the Fourth of July since 1777”. If you are planning to go out and take a few photos of the celebrations, then you may want to take a look at our Photographing Fireworks article, which has links to some great online resources.

Photographing Fireworks

The winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year 2007 contest will be able to photograph His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In addition the winner will receive an Apple MacBook with Aperture 1.5 software, Adobe CS3 Web Premium software, a £2,500 TPOTY bursary, and a Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio book. Entries for TPOTY 2007 are now open to amateur and professional photographers, and the contest closes on October 3rd.

The BenQ E820 and BenQ C740i digital cameras are upgraded versions of the E720 and C740 models. Both feature a large bright 2.5-inch LTPS screen, face-tracking function and 3x Pentax lens. The BenQ C740i has a 7 megapixel sensor, whilst the E820 offers 8 megapixels. Pricing and availability of the BenQ E820 and BenQ C740i to be announced.

The winners of the Nikon Photo Contest International 2006-2007 have been announced. The Grand Prize was awarded to Mr. Tung Khanh Le of Vietnam for his work entitled ” crossing waves.” More than 16,000 entrants submitted in excess of 47,000 photographs, with works coming from a total of 135 countries and regions.

HP has teamed up with 30 retailers across the UK to offer photographers the chance to try the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 A3+ printer in-store. Additionally, HP is offering a ‘buy and try’ option to photographers, with the option to have the printer collected by HP in the first 30 days for a full refund, less £15 handling fee, if they’re not satisfied with the product.

German Eduardo Hernández Saavedra from El Salvador was chosen from more than 10,500 entries as the winner of HP’s Street Photography competition. Winning entrants will have their photographs exhibited at the Rencontres d’Arles Photography festival. The online street photography gallery (http://www.hypegallery.com/streetphotography) will continue to run for the rest of the year creating a comprehensive collection of Street Photography.