A 9 megapixel camera for £199 from a major manufacturer - surely there must be some mistake? The Fujifilm Finepix E900 is the model in question, offering 9 megapixels, a 4x zoom lens, 2 inch LCD screen and optical viewfinder. Plus the E900 offers a full range of creative shooting modes, manual focus and RAW format for the more discerning photographer. Is the Fujifilm Finepix E900 too cheap to be any good, or is this the bargain of the year? Read our latest review to find out.

Website: Fujifilm Finepix E900 Review

On Thursday news emerged about a new image file format from Microsoft, specifically for photos, called the Windows Media Photo format. Said to offer better quality at half the size when compared to the JPEG format, WMPs will be part of Windows Vista and may also be released as an add-on for WIndows XP. But does the world really need another image format - isn’t JPEG good enough already? After all, JPEG 2000 has struggled to gain widespread support, despite its technical superiority to bog-standard JPEG. And will anyone except for Microsoft actually bother to support the WMP format? Shout out now…

DIWA Press Release

Last year, the 4 Megapixel Canon PowerShot A520 received a DIWA Gold Award for excellent test results. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the 7.1 Megapixel PowerShot A620, passes the merciless DIWA test procedure with an impressive scoreboard.  With its comfortable and user-friendly design, high image quality, flexible lens construction, and budget-friendly price, the A620 has all it takes to deserve a DIWA Gold medal.

Amsterdam, 26. May, 2006: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), a world-wide organisation of collaborating websites, today announces a DIWA Gold Award to the Canon PowerShot A620 digital compact amateur camera.

Here are the stand-out news stories from the last 7 days:

New Cameras
Pentax K100D DSLR (pictured)
Pentax K110D DSLR
Ricoh R40
Sanyo Xacti S60
Canon Ends Film Camera Development

New Accessories
SmartDisk FireLite XPress Portable Hard Drive
Linatree’s Downloadable Pinhole Camera

New Software
Windows Media Photo Format

Other Headlines
Sony Memory Stick Data Rescue Service
Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens Service Notice
Leica Sales Up 15.9%
The Cameratruck Project

Reuters are reporting that Canon have today announced that they have stopped development of new compact and SLR film cameras. The company will continue to promote and sell existing film models, although it also said it will “make a final judgment on the business in the future while monitoring market demand.” Canon’s announcement follows a similar one by Nikon earlier this year.

UPDATE: Well, it seems that Reuters were a little quick off the mark, in that Canon are now considering halting film camera production, rather than actually doing it. Which isn’t half as interesting as the original news!

Website: Reuters - Canon to halt development of film cameras

Microsoft have unveiled a completely new image file format, called Windows Media Photo (.wmp files), at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, which will apparently be of better quality at half the size of a comparable JPEG image.

“WMP captures more of the raw information of photos to enable better presentation, editing and compression. Crow said WMP will easily enable 25:1 compression ratios for most uses of digital photography. That compares to a maximum of about 12:1 for consumer JPEG images before images visibly degrade.”

Do we need another file format for photography, or is the JPEG format good enough already? Will the .wmp format be supported by the camera manufacturers, or will it become a forgotten part of Windows Vista?

Website: EETimes - Microsoft beats JPEG with new photo format for Vista

Sanyo Press Release

Sanyo Debuts Compact, Affordable Xacti S60 6-Megapixel Digital Camera With Touch Sensor Shutter and New Ergonomic Styling

CHATSWORTH, Calif., May 24—The SANYO Xacti S60 is a high performance, yet exceptionally easy to use, 6-megapixel digital still camera. Featuring a 3x optical zoom lens and an extra-large 2.5 inch TFT LCD monitor, the palm-sized Sanyo S60 offers an ergonomic, easy to hold design to help users capture beautifully detailed images every time. The Sanyo S60 incorporates a newly developed high-resolution 6.18-megapixel CCD (total) designed to capture vibrant, razor-sharp color images. Simply touch SANYO’s unique Touch Sensor Shutter Button and both Auto Focus and Auto Exposure are instantly confirmed with a luminous touch signal and beep. Then, a gentle press of the shutter button captures the image.

Sony Europe Press Release

Free to download, the new service enables quick recovery of deleted photographs and files

Paris, 24 May, 2006 - Sony Europe’s Recording Media & Energy (RME) division today announced the launch of its new Memory Stick Data Rescue Service. The service enables recovery of photography and data files which, once stored on a Memory Stick have been lost or deleted. The File Rescue software is free and can be downloaded from the Sony customer support website at: www.sonydigital-link.com/memstick/downloads 1.

Duracell Press Release

Duracell Launches New Rechargeable Cells; Introduces Powerful, Higher Capacity 2650 mAh NiMH Rechargeable Cells

BETHEL, Conn.—May 24, 2006—Duracell today announced the latest additions to its rechargeable battery line designed to meet the growing demands of high-drain devices like digital cameras. The new nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which include 2650 mAh AA and 1000 mAh AAA cells, are arriving on mass market, drug, grocery and electronic store shelves in May 2006. The new batteries represent some of the highest capacity AA and AAA rechargeable cells available today. Ideal for consumers who frequently use high-drain devices like digital cameras, the 2650 mAh AA and 1000 mAh AAA cells offer both strong performance and value. The introduction builds upon Duracell’s extensive line of rechargeable battery solutions, including the Duracell 15-minute charger, which was introduced earlier this year.

Canon USA Service Notice

Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens May Result in Insufficient Resolution

To Customers Who Use the EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens:

Thank you very much for your patronage of our products. We have recently become aware of a phenomenon in which some images captured by the EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM lens appear in insufficient resolution. This phenomenon may be seen at the edge of the frame at the 300mm setting when the camera is held vertically. We have been studying the symptoms of this phenomenon in order to determine its precise cause and to develop an appropriate remedy. We will inform you on this Web site as soon as this remedy has been decided, which, at this point should be by the end of June 2006.

PCMagazine have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix L4, a 4 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom lens and 2 inch LCD.

“Novices will appreciate its simple menu navigation and useful in-camera features such as cropping and repairing dark images. I was satisfied with both its picture quality and in-camera features, but the lack of a viewfinder and the inability to record video with sound hurt the camera’s rating. Still, if you’re a camera newbie or just need to return to the basics, the Nikon Coolpix L4 is a good choice.”

Website: PCMagazine - Nikon Coolpix L4 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

ePhotoZine have just reviewed the new Fujifilm FinePix V10 Zoom, a 5 megapixel camera with 3 inch LCD screen that can also play games!

“I am impressed by the V10’s control of digital noise. Images taken up to ISO400 are clean and sharp, with just a little noticeable noise visible at ISO400. At ISO800 and ISO1600 noise becomes much more of a feature, but it is still usable for small prints of about 6x4inches. Another feature of images taken at these high sensitivity settings comes from the liberal use of in-camera noise reduction, which smooths over the speckles. Unfortunately this also reduces detail and creates strange looking blotchy patterns of it’s own.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Fujifilm FinePix V10 Zoom Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

CNET have just reviewed the Sony Cybershot DSC-T30, a 7.2 megapixel camera with a 3 inch LCD screen, image stabilisation and high sensitivity mode (ISO 1000) to help avoid blurry photos.

“Sony has hit on a design philosophy that resonates strongly with digital snapshooters. Add to that recipe their pocketable size, easy-to-use controls and menus, and solid image quality, and you have a tasty little digicam. While Sony has been smart enough to add optical image stabilization and keep the screen sizes competitive at 2.5 inches, we wish the Japanese giant would see fit to upgrade the T-series cameras with a faster, and perhaps wider, lens than the one included in its latest T, the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T30.”

Website: CNET - Sony Cybershot DSC-T30 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

Leica Press Release

Leica Camera Group, Solms, has closed fiscal year 2005/2006 (FY end 31 March) with sales of € 106.7 million. This is 15.9 % above the previous year’s figure of € 92.1 million. The earnings before income and taxes which have been adjusted for restructuring expenses have improved from € –10.6 million to € 0.6 million compared to the previous year, mainly as a result of increased sales. At the same time the Group net loss has decreased from last year’s € 18.1 million to € 9.2 million in fiscal year 2005/2006. The Group net loss of the previous year includes a loss of € 1.9 million from abandoned lines of business.

Casio have released a firmware update for the 10 megapixel Casio EX-Z1000 compact digicam.

Improvements Provided by This Update:

- Fixes a problem that very rarely would cause incorrect color reproduction in images recorded in overcast weather, and other outdoor conditions with poor lighting.

Attention users in Russia and the Ukraine
Updating the firmware of your camera to Version 1.01 will cause your camera to lose its ability to display messages in Russian. After updating, you will be able to display messages in the following languages only: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, or Korean. Update your firmware to Version 1.01 only if you agree to lose Russian display messages. Note also that there are no plans to offer a Russian language version of firmware update Version 1.01.

Website: Casio EX-Z1000 v1.01 Firmware Update

Pictographics Press Release

BullZeye™ 3 is a high speed color correction, sharpening, and noise reduction batch processing tool based on Pictographics’ CandelaColor EditLab technology.

May 23, 2006—Burnsville, MN, USA, Pictographics International Corporation has partnered with the world renowned professional photographer Gary Fong to create the BullZeye 3 High-Speed Image Corrector.  BullZeye 3 is a stand-alone color correction, sharpening and noise reduction application that inspects, selects, and corrects digital pictures in one batchable step. With just one simple utility, professional photographers can produce lab-accurate color images with remarkable precision.  BullZeye is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers, including OSX, and includes Gary Fong’s BullZeye 3 Tutorial.  BullZeye 3 is available at Gary Fong’s web site, www.garyfong.com , http://store.garyfonginc.com/newbullzeye3.html.

Toshiba Press Release

Toshiba’s 2GB miniSD Memory Card to Launch in Global Market

TOKYO - Toshiba Corporation today announced an expanded line-up of large capacity miniSD memory cards with the introduction of a 2GB capacity card. The new Toshiba-branded miniSD will be launched in the world market in mid June 2006. The miniSD card is much smaller than a standard SD memory card but delivers increasingly large capacity. Its primary application is in mobile devices with miniSD slots, but it can also be used in standard SD slots with an adapter.

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the new 6 megapixel Fujifilm FinePix F470 Zoom digital camera.

“Ergonomics were good considering the size of the LCD, with a well-placed depression at the top right corner for your thumb. The camera’s controls were well-located and positive-feeling, with the zoom control a left/right rocker rather than the up/down device of several recent Fuji models. The uncomplicated menu system was very easy to navigate and see on the large LCD. I’ve always been a fan of Fuji’s “F” menu, providing direct access to image size/quality, ISO and color mode settings. My only complaint with the camera body is its plastic tripod mount.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Fujifilm FinePix F470 Zoom Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

CNET have taken a look at the new Pentax Optio A10, which features a shake reduction system, 8 megapixels and a 2.5 inch LCD screen.

“Pentax’s Optio A10 boasts some impressive specs, including 8-megapixel resolution, sensor-shifting shake reduction, ISO 800 sensitivity, and a high-resolution 232,000-pixel 2.5-inch LCD. As you might expect, the camera produces decent images under a variety of conditions, but as in many pocket cameras, excessive noise makes the Optio A10 impractical for use above ISO 200. Add to that an LCD that washes out in direct sunlight and blanks completely when shooting bursts, and you have a mixed bag.”

Website: CNET - Pentax Optio A10 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

Pentax UK Press Release

PENTAX K100D - A Lens-Interchangeable Digital SLR Camera Featuring Innovative Shake Reduction System and a Host of Advanced Technologies for High-Quality, User-Friendly Digital SLR Photography

PENTAX Corporation is pleased to introduce the PENTAX K100D lens-interchangeable digital SLR camera. This new digital SLR camera combines 6.1 effective megapixels with a host of advanced technologies - including a PENTAX developed-Shake Reduction (SR) system - to deliver high-quality, user friendly digital SLR photography to all abilities. The Pentax K100D packs an array of advanced, user-friendly features - including a PENTAX-developed Shake Reduction (SR) system, high-precision auto focus and auto sensitivity control - all in a compact, well-balanced body to accommodate a wide range of shooting and playback requirements. Its outstanding overall performance makes high-quality digital SLR photography effortless, fun and exciting for all users in any situation- from casual travel snapshots and memorable family pictures to highly specialised photography. All together, the Pentax K100D is a versatile all-around digital SLR for all levels of photographers.