About Cameras have just reviewed the new 10.2 megapixel Nikon D200 digital SLR camera.

“Back in the golden days of film (remember those little plastic pots?) it was an often-stated dilemma that Nikon made the best cameras but Canon the best lenses. When the switch to digital began, Canon stole a lead in cameras, but with the D2x and now the D200, Nikon have put themselves very firmly back in the running (and arguably in pole position.) In fact, it seems very much like the film days, when the F5 and the F100 were competing for the crown and many pros preferred the smaller, lighter and cheaper model.”

Website: About Cameras - Nikon D200 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

This week’s Saturday Shout looks back at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) show in Las Vegas. A surprising number of new photography products were announced, with more than 25 new cameras from the likes of Kodak, Samsung, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Pentax. But did anything really set your pulse racing, or was it a case of “same old, same old”? Shout out now…

Here are the sample photos from my upcoming review of the 7 megapixel Canon PowerShot A620, a few days before the full review is online. Enjoy…

Website: Canon PowerShot A620 Photos

Samsung USA Press Release

SAMSUNG’S 6-IN-1 DIGITAL CAMERAS PROVIDE A WEALTH OF FUNCTIONALITY IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

CES Innovations Award Winning SC-MS25 Combines Digital Camera, Camcorder, MP3 Player, Voice Recorder, Web Cam and Data Storage in One Device

Las Vegas, NV – January 5, 2006 – Samsung, a world leader in award-winning innovation, is leading the charge in multi-function devices with a new line of three 6-in-1 digital still cameras that offer video and voice recording, music playback, data storage, and web cam capability in addition to producing high-quality digital stills. The ultracompact SC-MS25 combines multiple functions with full 6 MegaPixel photo quality and the best MPEG4 recording quality (640 x 480, 30fps) available in a digital still camera. Samsung’s innovative 6-in-1 still cameras will be on display during CES 2006 at the Samsung booth, #11033 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 5th – 8th.

Tamron USA Press Release

TAMRON 2006 WILD WORLD PICTURE CONTEST SEEKS YOUR BEST BEASTS TAKEN WITH TAMRON LENSES

January 6, 2006, Commack, New York—It’s a Wild World, and that’s not just our opinion—it’s the subject of Tamron’s latest picture contest, an event open to legions of dedicated Tamron lens users. Actually, you don’t need to trek through the wilderness or go on a jungle safari to capture images that are potential winners. Your best photos taken while monkeying around at the local zoo, petting farm or aquarium may do the trick. The only rules on subject matter: An animal or animals must be prominently included, and the pictures must be in good taste. Entries must be received by October 31, 2006.

Sandisk Press Release

SanDisk Adds “U3 Smart” USB Flash Drives To Its Cruzer Line So Consumers Can Take Their “Personal Workspace” with Them

New SanDisk Cruzer Micro and Titanium Feature Sleek New Designs & Advanced Software Bundle

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan. 5, 2006 – SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced a significant enhancement to its line of award-winning Cruzer® Micro and Cruzer Titanium USB flash drives. The two models feature a sleek new design and include software that turns them into ‘U3 smart drives’ so users can access their “personal workspace”—software programs, personal preferences, personal files and data as well as the means for managing them within a highly secure environment—on any personal computer running Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000. The new Cruzer models were unveiled at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Booth #30329, South Hall, Level 3, Las Vegas Convention Center.

PhotoVu Press Release

PhotoVu Announces World’s Most Powerful Wireless Digital Picture Frame

Double Memory Increase and Upgradeability Ensures Support of Rapid Camera Megapixel Growth

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/—Today PhotoVu(TM) announced the availability of the new PhotoVu PV1955(TM) picture frame, which adds support for up to 16.7 megapixel cameras, USB 2.0, and future upgradeability to Wi-Fi(R) wireless-G networking, advanced screen transitions, commercial applications, and Internet services. An optional 1GB USB flash drive or USB 40GB removable hard drive can also be used for stand-alone play.

Motorola / Kodak Press Release

Leading Mobile and Digital Imaging Companies Team to Build Breakthrough Mobile Imaging Experience

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—CES—Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) , a global leader in wireless communications, and Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) , the world’s most recognized brand in digital imaging and the U.S. market-share leader in digital cameras, today announced a 10-year global product, cross licensing and marketing alliance intended to fulfill the promise of mobile imaging for the benefit of consumers.

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix S4, which has 6 megapixels and a 10x Zoom-Nikkor lens that is equivalent to 38-380mm.

“Image quality was good for a 6-megapixel consumer model. Using its 6M High mode, we captured relatively sharp images with good exposure. However it does sometimes over expose objects of high contrast (snow or white buildings) and there was visible edge blurring in a large majority of our samples. I also noticed noise levels were a bit higher than comparable models. Nikon’s D-lighting feature proved to be very useful both indoors and out. While noise does become more noticeable, I found the usefulness of this feature out weighs this downfall. Plus, you won’t even notice much of anything when printing your typical 4x6-inch photo.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Nikon Coolpix S4 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

ePhotoZine have reviewed the Wacom Graphire4 pen tablet, which offers a new, ergonomically designed pen and tablet in either A6 or A5 size and silver, metallic design.

“Another major improvement is in the Graphire4’s pen. It now has a rubberised grip which makes it really comfortable to use and the front and back pen keys are set slightly apart to help you find and press the right key every time. In use I found the two keys positioned too high up the shaft and not that conveniently placed for my index finger or thumb action. I do, however, tend to write holding a pen really close to the nib, so I checked with colleagues. Three out of the four preferred lower buttons.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Wacom Graphire4 Review

Samsung Press Release

Samsung Digimax A503 to offer superior value with features including 2” LCD and 5x Digital Zoom

Las Vegas , NV ( January 5, 2005 ) Samsung is proud to announce the newest addition to their exceptional line of Digimax digital cameras, the A503. This five mega-pixel model features a 5x digital zoom, as well as an 8x zoom during playback, allowing shooters to check the precision and detail of their images. Along with excellent lens quality, the A503 is equipped with a large, two-inch 115k pixel TFT LCD screen that provides outstanding image quality for shooting and reviewing pictures.

Sony Europe Press Release

SONY ANNOUNCES Sony Cyber-shot S600 COMPACT DIGITAL STILL CAMERA TO ENABLE SUREFIRE SUCCESSFUL SHOOTING FOR EVERYONE

A powerful combination: 6.0 effective Megapixels, High Sensitivity for sharper shots, ZEISS Wide-Angle zoom lens and a Strong Flash

Berlin, 04 January 2006 - The point-and-shoot Sony Cyber-shot S600 combines great design and compactness with the forward-thinking, high quality and easy to use camera technology you have come to expect from Sony. The result? A fun, convenient shooting experience ensuring superb image quality every time – ideal as a first step into digital photography.

BenQ Press Release

BenQ Announces New High-Performance, Ultra-Slim Digital Cameras; Stylish Cameras Include the World’s Smallest 6-Megapixel Camera, a 5-Megapixel Model with an OLED Advanced Display and a Versatile 8-Megapixel Model

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 5, 2006 BenQ, a leading manufacturer of digital lifestyle devices, today unveiled three new additions to its digital camera lineup, the X600, C800 and E521. The highlight of the three models is the X600, the world’s smallest 6-megapixel camera. All three digital cameras offer an ultra-slim, compact design and versatile feature set, and are ideal for consumers seeking a high-quality multi-function digital camera at an affordable price.

Sony USA Press Release

Sony Launches Designs for Micro Vault Lineup at CES - “Tiny” and Biometric Models Highlight Lineup

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/—CES Booth # 14200—At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Sony Electronics will unveil a redesigned Micro Vault lineup, which will include the Micro Vault “Tiny,” the Micro Vault PRO 8GB, the Micro Vault Classic and Turbo and the Micro Vault with Fingerprint Access. Each offers users substantial storage capacity and high transfer speeds in stylish designs.

“We’re really focusing on new, conducive designs that deliver high performance in high style,” said Mike Lucas, Sony’s marketing director for consumer media products.

SD Card Association Press Release

New High Capacity SD Memory Card Specification Under Final Review by SD Card Association - Specification to Allow Development of Higher-Capacity Memory Cards for Next Generation A/V and Telecommunications Devices -

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/—At the 2006 International CES held here this week, the SD Card Association (SDA) announced it expects to finalize specifications for a new, high-capacity SD Memory Card—the SDHC Memory Card—in early 2006. The new specification will expand SD card capacity beyond 2GB, to meet the memory-hungry requirements of a new generation of audio/video and telecommunications devices—from camcorders to cell phones and computers, digital still cameras to plasma televisions and PDAs, among others.

Simple Star Press Release

Simple Star Announces New PhotoShow 4 Home DVD Add On; Users Can Create and Burn DVDs at Home for Enjoying Memories on TV

SAN FRANCISCO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Jan. 4, 2006—Additional Upgrade to PhotoShow 4 Gives Digital Photography Lovers Even More Options for Organizing, Managing and Sharing Photos and Video Clips

Consumers received DVD players in huge numbers this holiday season (2.6 million as of December 2)(a), and with Simple Star’s new PhotoShow 4 Home DVD Add On, they will be able to easily create and burn DVDs at home, allowing friends and family to view memories of holiday cheer right in their living rooms.

“The PhotoShow 4 Home DVD Add On helps consumers get the most enjoyment from three of the hottest-selling consumer electronics products this holiday season - digital cameras, flat panel TVs and DVD players,” noted Chad Richard, Simple Star CEO.

PNY Technologies Press Release

STORE MORE FILES WITH PNY TECHNOLOGIES’ 8GB, USB 2.0 EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE

LAS VEGAS - January 05, 2006 – Announced today at CES, PNY Technologies®, Inc. has unveiled Maxfile™, a USB 2.0 external hard drive. This portable storage device provides a convenient and economical way for mobile users to carry more than 8GB* of data or transfer files at speeds up to 480MB/sec*. Its small form factor fits conveniently in a briefcase or backpack.

Maxfile’s cost-per-megabyte is much less compared to other portable storage solutions of this physical size. Weighing only 60 grams and with a capacity starting at 8GB, users can store more than 16,000 digital photos, 2,400 songs in MP3 format, or thousands of text files. Its integrated USB connector plugs into any (MAC or PC) USB port to immediately store and access files, without requiring an extra power supply.

D-Link Press Release

D-Link First to Introduce HD Wireless Media Server With 100GB Built-in Storage and 5-in-1 Media Card Reader - Newest Addition to MediaLounge Family Lets Users Store, Share, Play Back Photos, Music and HD Videos Over Home Network

LAS VEGAS, NV, January 4, 2006 - D-Link, the end-to-end networking solutions provider for consumers and business, today became the first company to offer a streaming wireless high-definition media player/server with 100GB of built-in storage and a 5-in-1 media card reader.

The newest addition to D-Link’s popular MediaLounge family of products is the D-Link Wireless HD Media Server (DSM-5210R). It allows users to conveniently store, share and play back photos, music and high definition videos over a home network. Its full capabilities will be on display throughout CES 2006 in Booth 35832, South Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

Inventors of Charge-Coupled Device and Founders of Learning Factory Receive Highest Engineering Honors for 2006

WASHINGTON—The engineering profession’s highest honors for 2006, presented by the National Academies’ National Academy of Engineering (NAE), recognize an invention that revolutionized imaging technologies and an undergraduate education program designed to create leaders in engineering by solving challenges posed by industry.

Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith will share the Charles Stark Draper Prize—a $500,000 annual award that honors engineers whose accomplishments have significantly benefited society—“for the invention of the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), a light-sensitive component at the heart of digital cameras and other widely used imaging technologies.”

ILFORD Photo / CALUMET Press Release

The ILFORD Photo / CALUMET black-and-white photography event being staged in Pasadena, California, next March under the title SILVER is drawing bookings from across the United States as well as from overseas, and is anticipated to become a major event on the photographic calendar.

The inaugural staging of the SILVER black-and-white photography conference, together with its accompanying print competition, commemorative book, workshops and social events, planned to take place over March 3 - 5 next year at the Pasadena Arts Centre, has generated a great deal of enthusiasm and anticipation.

Being heavily sponsored by ILFORD Photo and CALUMET as a non-profit making event with any surplus revenue being donated to the Pasadena Art Centre to fund scholarships to photography students who need support and to assist photo educators, SILVER sees the coming together of some of the world’s leading exponents of black-and-white photography.