PhotoVu Press Release

Boulder, CO—July 27, 2006—Today PhotoVu™, the leading wireless digital picture frame company, announced compatibility with the latest beta software of Picasa™. Additionally, using RSS technology, the PhotoVu frame can directly download photos from Picasa Web Albums, letting friends and family easily display and share their published photos. “For a typical PhotoVu customer who has tens of thousands of photos, they need a photo management solution that is fast and efficient, and we’ve found that Picasa is ‘best in class’ when it comes to the speed of accessing and organizing large volumes of photos,” said Mark Van Buskirk, Partner, PhotoVu. “The response from our early beta customers has been extremely positive and we look forward to making Picasa compatibility a standard feature when the full version is formally released.”

Leica Press Release

Leica Camera has a new internet site! Please go to http://www.leica-camera.com and enjoy! You can also go to http://www.leica-camera.us directly to see the site in English. We are planning several further languages, which should come at the end of this year. We have tried to design a site, which could give a genuine portrait of the Leica brand today. Firstly, we have concentrated on a clear presentation of all our actual products and accessories with all necessary technical data and user manuals available as downloads. After browsing our products, you will be able to find a list of the dealers which we endorse in many countries world wide, as well as, the different local contacts to your Leica agent. This can be done for photographic products, as well as, for nature observation and hunting products.

Tamron Press Release

New, Redesigned and User-Friendly Website Lets You Access Advice and Images by Leading Imaging Experts in Just Two Clicks

July 24, 2006, Commack, NY — The popular Tamron website at http://www.tamron.com has had a major makeover that makes it even more visually exciting and considerably easier to navigate. The Pro Learning Center, the area of Tamron’s website most frequently visited by photo enthusiasts, is now much more up-front and easier to get to—when the home page comes up, just click on Photographic Lenses, then on Pro Learning Center, and you’re there! This remarkable resource provides 12 clearly marked subject areas, each chock full of concise, authoritative advice, shooting tips, tech data, and outstanding images by top pros.

Wacom Press Release

26.7.2006 - Wacom, the leading manufacturer of pen tablets and interactive pen displays today announces an update to the Studio and Studio XL versions of its Graphire4 range, aimed at amateur photographers who record family events such as birthdays, weddings and holidays, and who want to get the best out of their digital photographs. From now on, all Graphire4 Studio packages will be equipped with Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0. The Graphire Studio is priced at £99.99 and the Studio XL at £179.99 including VAT. Both tablets come with a two-year warranty.

Digital Domain Press Release

Qimage v2007.100 (07/25/06): Digital Domain Inc. is making Qimage 2007 available early and is thrilled to announce the most significant change to it’s professional Windows photo printing software since its inception nearly ten years ago.  With a completely redesigned and “skinned” user interface, an unbelievably clear and super fast “Hybrid” interpolation algorithm, and features such as copyright/signature stamps and “hyper printing” dual core print processing geared toward studio professionals, this bold new release is packed with advances.  And there are three new editions to choose from, starting with the Lite Edition designed for the casual shooter through the Professional Edition aimed at the serious amateur/professional, all the way to our brand new Studio Edition for businesses such as photography studios.

Digital Foci Press Release

Digital Foci Ships Picture Porter Elite - Portable Digital Photo Album with Large 3.6” LCD - 40GB & 80GB Portable Hard Drive Securely Saves Photos on the Road - Prints Photos without a Computer – Plays MP3s, Records Voice & Video!

Los Angeles, California, July 26, 2006– Digital Foci, Inc. today announced that it is shipping the highly anticipated Picture Porter Elite 40GB and 80GB portable digital photo albums with built-in hard drive and memory card reader.  Featuring a large 3.6” LCD for easy viewing, Picture Porter Elite lets you instantly and securely save and view digital photos and video on its hard drive wherever you go, so you can keep snapping away and stop worrying about limited memory card space on your digital camera.

Rob Galbraith has just updated his CompactFlash / SD Performance Database with a number of new additions, including eleven different Canon and Nikon digital SLR cameras and new CompactFlash and Secure Digital (SD) cards from Hoodman, Lexar, Ridata, SanDisk (including Extreme IV), Transcend and others. Well worth checking out if you’re looking for the fastest cards available.

Website: Rob Galbraith’s CompactFlash / SD Performance Database

DPReview have published a review of the Fujifilm FinePix F30, which offers ISO 3200, 6 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5 inch LCD.

“So, whilst it would be unfair to label the F30 a ‘one trick pony’ (no matter how good that trick is), it is fair to say that it really shines in low light, whereas in daylight - especially bright daylight - it is merely competent. If I’m being brutally honest this sensor deserves a better camera - or at least one with some control over things like contrast, sharpness and saturation. The good news is that the recent announcement of the S6500fd certainly suggests that Fuji isn’t going to abandon this sensor for a while yet.”

Website: DPReview - Fujifilm FinePix F30 Review

Website: Read our Fujifilm Finepix F30 Review

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DigiCamReview.co.uk have published a review of the Fujifilm FinePix F30, which offers ISO 3200, 6 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5 inch LCD.

“The F10 was groundbreaking in regards to low noise at high ISO settings, and the F30 has great abilities in this area.  Most digital cameras have low noise at ISO100 and ISO200 and you start to see problems at ISO400.  As can be seen from these test photos, at ISO400 noise is very low (in the F30 and F10) while it looks grainy for other cameras. Compared to the Canon Powershot A700 noise is significantly lower and pictures appear smoother. The results are excellent for a 6 megapixel digital camera.  If we compare the F30 with the F10, the images do appear smoother and less noisy on the F30, and in practice this is a useful improvement.  It should be noted however that I found the ISO3200 and ISO1600 images to contain low resolution blotches of colour - and colour reproduction was not as accurate as at lower ISO.”

Website: DigiCamReview.co.uk - Fujifilm FinePix F30 Review

Website: Read our Fujifilm Finepix F30 Review

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Pentax will ship the new Optio S7 digital camera in September 2006 on a limited basis for under $300.00 US.

Pentax USA Press Release

GOLDEN, CO. (July 24, 2006)…PENTAX Imaging Company has announced the PENTAX Optio S7 compact digital camera.  The Optio S7 is the latest model in the PENTAX Optio S series, which is known for slim, stylish, full-featured digital camera bodies. In addition to an upgrade to 7.0 effective megapixels, this model features an easy-to-use Blur Reduction High ISO mode to help reduce the effects of camera shake and subject blurring for sharper images even in dim lighting conditions such as night scenes and indoor sporting events. In this mode, the camera adjusts shutter speeds automatically to an ISO as high as 1600 to match the brightness of the subject.  The higher sensitivities permit faster shutter speeds. Also featured in this newest Optio digital is Face Recognition AF & AE, a function that simplifies portrait-taking by automatically detecting the position of the subject’s face and adjusting the focus and exposure based on the detected position.

Epson America Press Release

LONG BEACH, Calif., July 24, 2006 – Epson America Inc. today announces its newest consumer scanners – the Epson Perfection™ V350 Photo and Epson Perfection V100 Photo, targeting Chief Memory Officers™ , photo enthusiasts and advanced amateur photographers who want to easily restore and archive their cherished photos, negatives and slides, as well as scan items for creative projects with ease. The Epson Perfection V350 Photo and Epson Perfection V100 Photo scanners, with estimated street prices of $149 and $99 respectively, both feature a newly designed slim case suited for either portrait or landscape orientation with a high-rise lid and hinge that can be opened up to 180 degrees. This lid allows for greater flexibility in scanning three-dimensional objects up to 25mm thick, as well as oversized objects, photos and documents. In addition, the scanners offer premium value with a maximum hardware resolution up to 4800 x 9600 dpi on the Perfection V350 Photo and up to 3200 x 9600 dpi on the Perfection V100 Photo. Both models offer 48-bit color scanning and 3.2 dynamic range for high quality scans, as well as Epson Easy Photo Fix® for automatic color restoration of faded photos.

WaterField Designs Press Release

San Francisco, CA., July 25, 2006 – WaterField Designs, a leading maker of custom-fitted cases for digital gear, announced today a new line of protective cases for compact and ultra-compact cameras. The Pic Pocket camera cases incorporate the company’s signature trademarks of stylish simplicity and premium craftsmanship, and are small enough to fit into a pocket, purse or portfolio.

The Pic Pocket is constructed of WaterField’s custom-made ballistic nylon and accented with eye-popping color in Indium material or leather. An interior layer of plush neoprene and a no-scratch liner offer solid protection without bulk. A loop sewn on to the upper corner lets customers carry the case with one finger. Self-locking YKK zippers keep the camera secure and allow customers to use their camera’s wrist strap as well. Every Pic Pocket comes with a removable carabiner for hooking onto a belt loop, backpack, or strap for quick access. The cases are water and shock-resistant.

InfoTrends Press Release

(Weymouth, MA) July, 24 2006… According to a recent InfoTrends survey of 1,743 Internet users in Western Europe, almost three-quarters of respondents indicated owning a digital camera. Most respondents reported printing some photos, although only a small portion of respondents reported printing more than 20 photos per month. Home printing was used most often by more than half of respondents. Retail services were the second most popular printing location. “One of the most surprising findings of this survey was the level of loyalty among those who print at home, however, photo print volumes are shifting towards retail locations and online photo services as awareness of these other printing methods is increasing,” commented Mette Eriksen, a Consultant for InfoTrends. “We discovered that the preferred print location depends on the size of the print job; printing just a few photos is best suited for home, while large jobs are sourced to retailers or online photo services.”

DPNow have published a selection of sample images taken with a production version of the recently announced 10 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FZ50 camera.

“What really strikes me is that Panasonic has delivered on the reduction in chroma noise. ISO 800 and even 1600 are now usable, the latter if you print relatively small. Luminance noise is definitely reduced but there is some evidence of detail cost. Shaded areas do seem less saturated than the LX1 we compared with, but in good light the FZ50 still delivered very good colour.”

Website: DPNow - Panasonic DMC-FZ50 Sample Images

Website: Read our Panasonic DMC-FZ50 Review

Luminous Landscape have reviewed the Canon PowerShot S3 IS, a 6 megapixel camera with an image stabilized 12x zoom lens, ISO 800 and a 2 inch LCD screen.

“The Canon S3’s strength lies in its small size and long zoom reach, combined with Image Stabilization. While not a pocket digicam, it is coat pocket size, and therefore quite inconspicuous and portable. The use of AA batteries adds to the versatility, and a very high quality movie mode with a dedicated activation button are icing on the cake. At under US $500 retail this camera is a relative bargain.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Canon PowerShot S3 IS Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

Spanish website Quesabesde have just reviewed the Kodak Easyshare V610, the world’s smallest 10x zoom digital camera.

Website: Quesabesde - Kodak Easyshare V610 Review

Website: Read my Kodak Easyshare V610 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

In a brand new series, we cast the spotlight on members of the PhotographyBLOG Gallery and ask them about their photography. The third member to sit in the interview chair is Rangy Lil.

“Last May I received considerable help with a vacation shot from some of the veterans who have helped me from the start and good opinions from others as well. I learned a new trick. That made my day. We, as photographers, need feedback to grow.”

Website: Gallery Member Spotlight - Rangy Lil

Hold onto your hats - Nikon have a new teaser ad campaign for a 10.2 megapixel digital SLR! Hot on the heels of Sony’s A100 camera, it seems that Nikon will use the same sensor and release the successor to the popular Nikon D70 / 70s. Maybe. Announced last week (on the day that I went on holiday), there are now just 16 days to go until Nikon’s new baby is born on August 9th…

Website: Nikon Global Imaging

Website: Nikon Europe

Our friends over at DPNow have published a selection of sample images taken with a production version of the upcoming Panasonic DMC-L1 DSLR camera.

“The L1’s Leica Vario Elmarit 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5 standard zoom lenses provided were mechanically and optically production standard, but one more firmware update was expected. I had some intermittent focus mechanism problems when trying to use this lens on an Olympus E500, which Panasonic attributed to the E500’s firmware (v.1.1 rather than the latest v.1.2) and the intermediate firmware in the lens. “

Website: DPNow - Panasonic DMC-L1 Sample Images

Kata Press Release

Kata Launches the Bag of the Future - Ergo-Tech Collection blends futuristic design and ergonomics to offer state-of-the-art carrying solution

Ramsey, New Jersey (July 17, 2006) – Announcing the launch of its new Ergo-Tech Collection, Kata is giving consumers worldwide a new reason to get excited about what they put on their backs, shoulders or belts. Boasting state-of-the-art designs that look as though they were taken from the pages of a sci-fi novel, Kata’s new bags, packs and cases are most definitely ahead of their time and were designed to be the definitive carrying solutions for the future. A unique blend of cutting-edge technologies and materials are at the heart of the Ergo-Tech Collection and together with its unprecedented design, are sure to elevate Kata’s position as a leading manufacturer of ergonomic and protective carrying solutions. As with the entire Kata line, the Ergo-Tech Collection will be distributed exclusively in North America by Bogen Imaging.