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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Epson Japan has unveiled the Epson R-D1s, an updated version of the Epson R-D1 digital rangefinder camera. The new RD1s offers the same 6 megapixel APS-C sensor and support for Leica lenses as the original R-D1. New features on the RD1s include the addition of Adobe RGB colourspace, noise reduction for long exposures, RAW + JPEG support and Print Image Control support. You can also adjust various image settings such as contrast and sharpness. The new Epson R-D1s will be available in Japan at the end of March - more news on global pricing and availability as we get it.

Epson Japan has announced the new Epson P-4500 Photo Fine Player, hot on the heels of the P-4000 which was introduced at the end of 2005. The Epson P4500 photo storage device shares exactly the same 3.8 inch screen and 80Gb hard drive as the P4000. Support for RAW files up to 30 megapixels in size and more RAW and video formats are the main additions to the P-4500. More details on global availability and pricing of the Epson P4500 will follow as we get them.

Epson Press Release

TOKYO, Japan, March 14, 2006 - Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”) has successfully developed the world’s first print head*1 using an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) light source. In addition to its development of OLED displays, Epson has researched the characteristics of OLED as an electronic device. Specifically, Epson has succeeded in creating a print head that uses OLED as a light source (OLED print head), opening the way for utilization of OLED as a new printing technology for printers. At present, electrophotographic printing technologies for copiers and printers use either laser or LED light sources. Epson merged the many years of expertise it had accumulated in printing and display technology, and partnered with Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. to jointly develop a super bright OLED that can be used in printing. Printing tests using a prototype of an OLED-based print head have produced printouts quality comparable to or better than those produced by conventional laser printers.

Samsung Press Release

Samsung amazes mobile users by introducing the world’s first 10 megapixel cameraphone, and the world’s first 8GB HDD smartphone.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. reinforces its technology leadership by unveiling the world’s first 10 megapixel mobile phone (model: SCH-B600), and the world’s first 8GB Hard Disk embedded smartphone (model: SGH-i310) at CeBIT 2006. “Samsung’s development of the 10 megapixel camera phone, and a 8GB hard disk drive phone open a new world in telecommunication industry,” said Kitae Lee, President of Telecommunication Network Business of Samsung Electronics. “As consumers’ needs of mobile entertainment are growing rapidly, we are continuously introducing breakthroughs in mobile phones. Our i310, 8GB HDD smart phone will be the best match for business consumers who want a colossal of business functionalities as well as rich mobile entertainment contents. Furthermore, the SCH-B600, 10 megapixel cameraphone will satisfy mobile users who are seeking higher quality photography in his or her mobile. I would like to see our technological advances contribute to the future of this industry and improve the way of our future life style.”

Realviz Press Release

Sophia Antipolis, France (March 14, 2006) - REALVIZ, a leader in image processing software development, has confirmed that version 5.1 of their multi award-winning panorama software Stitcher is now available. With version 5.1 Stitcher now also becomes available in German, in addition to English and French. The release of version 5.1 also accompanies the launch of a brand-new website (http://stitcher.realviz.com), dedicated to the REALVIZ stitching products, Stitcher & Stitcher Express. The REALVIZ Team will be demonstrating Stitcher 5.1 along with Stitcher Express and new product, VTour on the DIGIT’ACCESS booth at this week’s Multimédia Photo Image Show, from 16.-20. March 2006 at the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Center in Paris.

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have the first online review of the new top of the range HP Photosmart R927 digital camera.

Website: Index Digicam - HP Photosmart R927 Review

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Sigma Notice

Notice to customers using Sigma’s EM-140 DG NA-iTTL type flashguns

2006.3.13 - The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce firmware update that brings refined performance to the Sigma’s EM-140 DG NA-iTTL flashgun. This free firmware update service will be given to customers from March 14, 2006 onwards. This firmware update service will ensure compatibility of the above-mentioned flashguns with the i-TTL system of the D2X, D2H, D2Hs and D200 digital SLR cameras.

CPSC Press Release

WASHINGTON, March 14 /PRNewswire/—The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. (To access color photos of the following recalled products, see CPSC’s Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.)

Name of product: Various Olympus-Brand 35mm Film Cameras
Units: About 1.2 million (in the U.S.)
Hazard: A defect with the flash circuit in these cameras can cause it to smoke and overheat when the camera is turned on. This poses a possible burn hazard to consumers.

DIWA member LetsGoDigital have just reviewed the new 10.2 megapixel Nikon D200 digital SLR camera.

“Even though it is not necessarily the most important asset of a camera, the resolution virtually always remains people’s prime interest. With 10 Megapixels the Nikon D200 raises the bar another notch for digital SLRs in this class. The sensor, ordered again from Sony, is a CCD type image sensor. At this time we still see the manufacturers divided in two camps; whilst one clearly opts for the CMOS, the other prefers to stay with the CCD sensor.”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Nikon D200 Review

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