I have updated my daily photo website, Everyday Eye (http://www.everydayeye.com), with some fresh new images taken at last weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in central London, just in time for the main event which takes place today. Take a look and let me know what you think by leaving some comments. All photos taken with the Canon EOS 5D DSLR (for all the anoraks out there)...

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

New Cameras
Epson R-D1s

New Accessories
Sony Compact Vault 8GB Drive
Epson P-4500
10 Megapixel Samsung B600 Camera Phone

New Software
Apple Aperture 1.1 Update
Breeze Systems PSRemote 1.5
Canon Software Updates

Other Headlines
Canon EOS 30D Cashback Offer
Epson OLED Print Head

Apple Press Release

Aperture 1.1—the first Universal version of Aperture—offers increased computer and camera compatibility. The upgrade allows photographers to run Aperture on both PowerPC-based and the new Intel-based Macintosh computers, including MacBook Pro. Developed in consultation with pro photographers, Aperture 1.1—scheduled for release in March—will be available for $499. Current owners of Aperture 1.0 can upgrade to Aperture 1.1 via Software Update. In addition to enhanced compatibility, Aperture 1.1 also provides a variety of significant performance and feature enhancements.

Sony Press Release

LAS VEGAS, March 16, 2006 - Adding to its removable hard disk drive lineup for the digital photography market, Sony Electronics today unveiled the Compact Vault™ 8GB drive. The new drive is compatible with Compact Flash type II slots, and provides a significant increase in data storage over the current 5GB version. An ideal companion to high-end digital cameras, the new drive’s 8GB capacity holds up to 2,560 JPEG images (at 3MB each) or 320 minutes of MPEG4 video, and has transfer speeds of up to 12MB per second. Measuring just over 1 ½ inches wide and less than 1 ½ inches high, the hard disk drive is designed for photo enthusiasts and so-called prosumers.

Breeze Systems Press Release

New Breeze Systems PSRemote 1.5 supports Canon PowerShot A620, S80, S2 IS and S3 IS cameras and improves exposure control

16th March, 2006: Breeze Systems today announced PSRemote 1.5. Photographers can now use Breeze Systems’ highly regarded software to control the Canon PowerShot A620, S80, S2 IS and S3 IS cameras as well as many other PowerShot models. Improve exposure control in tricky lighting conditions with PSRemote’s unique ability to auto bracket a sequence of up to 15 images with a Canon PowerShot camera. PSRemote 1.5 allows auto bracketing by varying the shutter speed or the aperture and is ideal for capturing high dynamic range images (HDR).

Fujifilm USA Press Release

Hometown hero Reed Sorenson captures the sights and experiences of his Atlanta homecoming with Fujifilm’s Finepix V10 digital camera - Fans Get a Behind-The-Scenes Look at NASCAR Cup Series Rookie via Online Photo Diary

VALHALLA, N.Y. (March 16, 2006)—What is it like to be Reed Sorenson the week prior to his 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Series debut at his hometown track? Fans can now find out as the Peachtree City native documents his sights and experiences leading up to this Sunday’s Golden Corral 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) with a Fujifilm FinePix V10 digital camera. Sorenson’s behind-the-scenes photos are available for all to see in a photo diary at www.fujifilm.com.  Sorenson’s diary, which will be updated throughout the week, commemorates his Atlanta homecoming and will feature this week’s Fujifilm paint scheme for the Target #41 Dodge. “Fujifilm is honored to have Reed Sorenson carry our corporate logo and colors at his hometown track,” remarked David Bailey, Vice President, National Accounts, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc.  “We look forward to seeing Reed’s world through his photo diary and wish him the best of luck in this special race.”

DigitalCameraReview have the first review of the new Olympus Stylus 710 (also known as the mju 700 in Europe), a 7.1 megapixel camera with 3x zoom, 2.5 inch LCD and a weatherproof body.

“The Stylus 710 is actually pretty tiny, regardless of how it looks in pictures. It’s easily pocketable and I have no worries about damaging the camera while it rides in a shirt or pants pocket. The metal body has 24K gold plating covered with a platinum alloy that resists scratches. It’s a very sturdy camera, as is expected from a Stylus camera. I found the camera hard to hold—it just never felt “at rest” in my hand. I think the biggest contributor to my discomfort was that it always felt like it would just slip out of my hand. There was no grip or physical feature of the camera that solidified my grip. This may not be an issue for everyone so, as always, try it out before you buy.”

Website: DigitalCameraReview - Olympus Stylus 710 Review

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Canon USA have released updates for several of the company’s software applications:

- Digital Photo Professional (DPP) 2.1
- EOS Utility 1.0
- CameraWindow DSLR 5.3R2 (Windows)
- ZoomBrowser EX 5.6.0 (Windows)
- ImageBrowser 5.6.1a (Mac).

Website: Canon USA Download Library

Carl Zeiss Press Release

Oberkochen, 16.03.2006. - Starting April 2006, the Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division will assume full responsibility for the global distribution of its products. The division is implementing this measure in preparation for the launch of the new ZF lenses for Nikon SLR cameras and other future product lines. The company’s new sales department will also be responsible for the Zeiss Ikon camera system previously distributed by a partner. The product line available for this rangefinder camera includes ZM lenses, a unique line of premium ZEISS M-mount lenses. Dr. Winfried Scherle, Vice President and General Manager in the Camera Lens Division of Carl Zeiss AG, expects significant progress to be made through this development: “Our own sales department will allow us to be considerably closer to developments on the market. We will be able to convey the benefits of our products more directly and effectively to dealers and photographers. And from them we will receive straight, truthful comments that will help us develop even more impressive products in the future.“

A number of service advisory notices have been issued about the Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens, by both Nikon and Fujifilm.

Nikon Europe Notice

We would like to inform customers of an issue that may occur when the Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens is used with the D100, D2H or D70 digital cameras. With the lens set to a wide-angle position, in some rare cases, the camera is unable to acquire accurate focus on near subjects when auto focusing starts from the infinity position. This issue is caused by incompatibilities in AF control at short distances between the AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens and the following cameras, D100, D2H or D70 (only D70 firmware versions earlier than version 2.00, it does not occur with firmware version 2.00). This issue does not occur with Nikon digital cameras or lenses other than those indicated.

CNET have reviewed the new entry-level Pentax *ist DL digital SLR camera. The Pentax *ist DL is a 6.1 megapixel DSLR which features a 2.5 LCD screen and light 16 ounce body.

“Most casual users won’t notice the corners that Pentax cut to reduce the DL’s cost: a less sophisticated autofocusing system and a mirror in the viewfinder instead of a prism. Despite its slight stature and modest price point, the *ist DL handily produces crisp, vibrant photos that should please any photographer taking the step up from a digital point-and-shoot. Curious amateurs should definitely explore beyond the DL’s simplest options; a few automatic features, such as white balance, are handily outperformed by the camera’s manual settings.”

Website: CNET - Pentax *ist DL Review

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PCMagazine have reviewed the Panasonic DMC-LX1, an 8.4 megapixel digital camera with a 4x Leica optical zoom lens equivalent to 28-112mm, optical image stabilizer and a 2.5 inch LCD screen.

“If you’re looking for a compact landscape shooter, consider Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LX1 ($599.95 direct). Although it’s not a perfect all-around camera, it gets big props for being the first digital camera with a true 16:9 CCD. Other cameras can shoot at this aspect ratio, but they achieve the result by cropping, reducing the number of pixels in the image. The LX1 is the first camera of its kind with a true 16:9 CCD. As a result, you get the full 8.4MB of information in every panoramic shot. Still, the images show more noise than we’d like from a $600 camera, and the camera isn’t particularly speedy.”

Website: PCMagazine - Panasonic DMC-LX1 Review

Website: Read my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1 Review

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Canon Europe are running a cashback offer for various lenses and accessories for all owners of the new EOS 30D DSLR camera. Purchase any of the selected products in the Canon Extra voucher booklet between 15.03.2006 and 31.12.2006, and you can claim the following money back offers

EF 300mm 4L IS USM (£105)
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (£105)
Fernglas 10 x 42L IS WP (£105)
EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM (£70)
EF 17-40mm f/4LUSM (£70)

More after the break…

Sigma UK Press Release

CameraWorld launch Sigma EX Lens Hire and Try Before You Buy

CameraWorld have recently introduced a Sigma EX lens hire and try before you buy scheme in their flagship London store. Lens hire is available for daily, weekly or weekend rates. The try before you buy scheme offers a 50% rebate on hire charges if the lens is purchased at the time of hire. All lenses are offered at CameraWorld’s competitive low prices.

Ilford Photo Press Release

ILFORD Photo is providing unique opportunities for students of photography to learn their skills from masters of the art via a programme of Masterclass workshops at colleges throughout the UK. Underlining ILFORD Photo’s commitment to the long-term development of black-and-white photography, the company is a strong supporter of students studying photography-related subjects.

ILFORD Photo recognises that as today’s students work their way through the fundamentals of pure photography, they are laying the basis for tomorrow’s world of imaging. As such, the company believes it is imperative that the basis of film-based image capture, processing and printing continues to provide the foundation for all elements of photography, including digital, to ensure that the human element in the creative process is encouraged and nurtured to its maximum. To this end, ILFORD Photo sponsors a series of Masterclass workshops at various UK colleges and universities which offer photography courses. From Newcastle to Fareham, from Blackpool to Cambridge and London, and all points in between, in excess of 80 Masterclasses will be held throughout 2006. They are led by world-class professional printer/photographers who share their own knowledge, experience and talents to provide students with the best possible grounding for their studies.

Fotolia Press Release

NEW YORK, NY - March 15, 2006 - In an exciting partnership, Fotolia is teaming up with Slide Inc., making the search for the perfect image or inspiration easier than ever before.  Through this agreement, Fotolia (http://www.fotolia.com), the global online social marketplace for stock images, is making their entire collection of images viewable on Slide.  In turn, Slide (http://www.slide.com), a free downloadable desktop program, will allow viewers to watch scrolling slide shows of Fotolia images on their screens.  When a desired image passes, a user can click on it to go directly to the Fotolia website and purchase the image for as low as $1.

Digital Foci Press Release

Unique Smart Stackable Design Organizes up to 8 Memory Cards of Any Type

Los Angeles, California, March 15, 2006 – Digital Foci, Inc. (www.digitalfoci.com),  a leading provider of digital photo albums, digital frames and accessories, introduced today the Memory Card Travel Case, which organizes and protects all important digital flash memory cards in one place.  The Digital Foci Memory Card Travel Case is the only case you will ever need on vacation or for business travel to protect your important cards.  Elegant as well as durable, the case features a sturdy silver brushed aluminum shell with hard rubberdized lining providing maximum protection and accessibility for those tiny easy-to-lose memory cards.

Kingston Technology Press Release

Kingston Technology Launches the Industry’s First Fully Secure USB Flash Drive for Business Users

[15 March 2006] Kingston Technology, the world’s leading independent memory manufacturer, today announced the launch of its Kingston DataTraveler Elite – Privacy Edition (DTE Privacy Edition), the industry’s first USB Flash drive that secures 100% privacy of data on-the-fly via 128-bit hardware-based AES encryption, ensuring fail-safe security without IT intervention. Offering 4GB of secure storage, DTE Privacy Edition is a plug-and-play USB device specifically targeted to meet the multi-level security and compliance requirements of today’s businesses. If the drive is ever lost or stolen, data will remain fully secure.

DIWA member and Norwegian website Digit.no have just reviewed the new 10.2 megapixel Nikon D200 digital SLR camera.

Website: Digit.no - Nikon D200 Review

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Imaging Resource have published a review of the new, budget 6 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot S600 digital camera.

“The Sony DSC-S600 is a recent entry-level model in Sony’s highly popular line of subcompact digital cameras, featuring a very pocket-friendly design. Offering a high-resolution 6.0-megapixel CCD, a 3x optical zoom lens, and a nice range of seven preset Scene modes to choose from, the Sony S600 is a capable, yet very compact, digital camera. Built into the S600 is a bright 2.0-inch LCD monitor for accurate framing, as well as a handful of creative shooting options. The Sony S600 is an excellent option for rank beginners and more experienced users alike, a great “pocket” camera to pack along when there just isn’t room or time to accommodate a larger or more complex model.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Sony Cyber-shot S600 Review

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