The Microtek ScanMaker i800 scanner is announced today. The Microtek i800 offers 4800 x 9600 dpi optical resolution. Software features include Kodak DIGITAL ICE Technology and ColorRescue. The ScanMaker i800 is priced at $399.99 SRP and is compatible with Windows or Macintosh.

Microtek USA Press Release

Microtek ScanMaker i800 Delivers Professional Photo and Film Scanning Capabilities, First-Class Features and Premium Value; High-Resolution Scanner Includes Microtek’s EZ-Lock(TM) Film Holders and Microtek’s PictuRescue(TM) for High Quality Results

CARSON, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 26, 2005—Microtek USA, a world-leading manufacturer of digital imaging products, is shipping the ScanMaker i800, a high-resolution scanner that combines professional features, versatility, power and convenience at a great price.

The unit can handle multiple film sizes including 24 frames of 35mm filmstrips, 12 mounted 35mm slides, two 4” x 5"transparencies, and medium format up to 6 x 17 cm panoramic. Featuring 4800 x 9600 dpi optical resolution, the i800 allows users to create poster-size images from photos and film. It also has a large 8.5” x 14” reflective scanning area to accommodate legal-size documents and batch scanning of photos or film.

Epson UK Press Release

Epson and Discovery Real Time team up to show how everybody can be a great photographer - New series to show how easy it is to create professional photos

Epson announces today that it has teamed with Discovery Real Time to produce a brand new fast paced show on digital photography.  Hot Shots, a 10 part series, will be aired on Discovery Real Time from 24th October 2005.

Each episode in this new series will give three contributors, of varying levels of ability, the opportunity to learn from artistic experts of various genres. The participants will first be given a masterclass in that particular genre, where they will be encouraged to take lots of photos and print them out on a portable printer, with the expert on-hand to provide critique. They will then be set a challenge, where they have time to experiment with the techniques they have learnt and produce and print further photos - highlighting how easy it is to create photos at home.

Photoxels have just reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 digital camera, which has 5 megapixels and a 12x image stabilized Leica lens.

“Overall, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 makes a great all-round family digital camera. Beginner amateur photographers (and the proverbial “soccer moms”) will find it easy-to-use, and more serious amateur photographers will appreciate all the useful and immensely practical features—all in a well-designed and very compact body. The Panasonic FZ5 produces great images, is fast and a pleasure to use—and is simply incredible value for money. If you are looking for a long zoom digital camera, don’t miss checking out the Panasonic FZ5, available in silver or all black body.”

Website: Photoxels - Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 Review

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DIWA member Steves Digicams have published their review of the new waterproof Pentax OptioWP digital camera.

“The Pentax 3x optical zoom lens produces sharp results throughout its range, with average barrel distortion at wide angle and slight pincushioning at full telephoto. The operation of the optical zoom is smooth and quiet, but not continuous; it moves through its 38-114mm range in 10 distinct steps, more than adequate for composing most shots. The 9-point autofocus system did very well in most situations, however it would benefit greatly from a focus-assist lamp when shooting in low ambient lighting; focus will fail more often than not in these conditions.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Pentax OptioWP Review

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Imaging Resource have briefly reviewed the new 5 megapixel Kodak Easyshare C360 digital camera.

“The Kodak EasyShare C360 is the latest in a long line of digital cameras that really earn the word “easy” in their name. The entire line of EasyShare digital cameras are among the easiest and most goof-proof out there, and the Kodak C360 holds true to its roots. A very compact 5-megapixel, 3x-zoom model, the Kodak C360 also mates with Kodak’s popular “Printer Docks,” offering one-button printing of high-quality photos. The Kodak C360 follows the recent, more stylish EasyShare design theme, with a trim shape, brushed-metal panels, and generally cleaner lines. An entry-level digital camera, with a primary focus on ease of use, a Kodak C360 and accompanying Printer Dock could make a good choice for a “family” camera, to be used by both parents and kids.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Kodak Easyshare C360 Review

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DIWA member and Danish website DigitalMagasinet has published a joint review of the new Canon PIXMA iP5200 (pictured) and MP800 printers.

Website: DigitalMagasinet - Canon PIXMA iP5200 and MP800 Printer Review

Pocket-Lint have reviewed the new 5 megapixel Kodak Easyshare C360 digital camera.

“Given the (just) sub £200 price and more than adequate specification, not to mention you have 5 million pixels to play with, the C360 is not a bad little camera. Ideal for snaps rather than studied shots, the C360 is a nice model from Kodak, but it is at large in a world populated by many, many, equally as nice (or better) small, digital cameras. It is in for a fight…”

Website: Pocket-Lint - Kodak Easyshare C360 Review

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The Olympus E-500 digital SLR camera is announced today. The Olympus E500 is an 8 megapixel DSLR with a 2.5 inch LCD screen in a body with a classic penta-prism design. A unique Supersonic Wave Filter eliminates dust problems and the E-500 also offers improved metering from a 49 area sensor. The Olympus E-500 will be available at the end of October, with the standard kit costing around £600 and the double zoom lens kit costing around £650.

Olympus UK Press Release

Classic design with a futuristic edge - Olympus announce the E-500

London, 26 September 2005, Digital SLR photography is gaining in popularity as more and more people become hooked on the higher quality and flexibility that only an SLR camera can offer. Olympus today announces the E-500 - its impressive new addition to the E-System SLR range.The Olympus E-500 will be available by the end of October.

Olympus UK Press Release

ZUIKO DIGITAL and Top Pro lenses - Olympus extends E-System lens range to coincide with E-500 launch

London, 26 September 2005 – Olympus is extending its interchangeable lens range to provide photographers with a greater choice and increased creative possibilities. Based on the FourThirds Standard and compatible with all Olympus E-System cameras, the 2.6x and 10x zoom and macro lenses are targeted at users who want high performance and exceptional value for money. In addition, two Top Pro range telephoto lenses are also being introduced. Both offer extraordinary brightness across their entire focal range and guarantee outstanding image quality.

Digital Foci Press Release

Picture Porter Digital Photo Album Securely Saves Photos on the Road on 20GB & 40GB Portable Hard Drives without Heavy Laptop

Keep on Snapping Photos - Never Run Out of Memory Card Space Again

Los Angeles, California, September 23, 2005 – Digital Foci, Inc. (www.digitalfoci.com) introduced today Picture Porter portable digital photo album with hard drive and card reader that lets you instantly and securely save and view digital photos and video on a hard drive wherever you go, so you can keep snapping away and not worry about running out of memory card space.

Especially valuable for vacations, trade shows, special events, parties, and for pro photographers who take and show a large number of photos, Picture Porter saves photos on its compact portable hard drive, so you don’t have to bring heavy laptops on the road.  Picture Porter takes the worry out of losing precious photos stored on easily damaged memory cards.  Its built-in memory card slots let you copy and archive photos directly from any digital camera card, without the need of cumbersome cabling. With Picture Porters’ compact 20GB and 40GB hard drive versions, you’ll virtually never run out of memory card space on the road again.

Manfrotto Press Release

All Roads Festival tours L.A. and Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles, CA and Washington, D.C.  (26 September 2005) – Manfrotto, the world’s leading manufacturer of support products for pro video and photography, will be a sponsor of the 2005 All Roads Photographers Program.  In connection with National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project, this program recognizes and supports talented photographic storytellers from around the world who are documenting their changing cultures and communities through photography.

Avvenu Press Release

Avvenu Remote Access and Photo Sharing Service Now Live; Unique Free Service Gives Users Access to Their Photos and Files from a Mobile Phone, PDA or Computer—and Lets Them Securely Share This Content with Friends, Family and Associates

PALO ALTO, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 26, 2005—The highly anticipated Avvenu remote access and photo sharing service is now live at www.avvenu.com. Avvenu is a free service that lets consumers and business users securely access the content on their computer from any web-enabled mobile phone, PDA or computer. In addition to remotely accessing their own content, users can instantly and securely share access to their content with friends, family and associates. And since Avvenu bypasses email file size limits and eliminates the need to upload files to a centralized server, Avvenu is particularly efficient for sharing high resolution images and other large files.

Nikon has posted the following notice on its Support page for the D70 / D2H / F55 cameras.

It has come to our attention that electronic components related to exposure control in some D70 cameras may, on rare occasions, fail.

Should you experience this problem with your D70 camera, Nikon will replace the associated components free of charge even if the camera’s warranty has already expired. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have suffered because of this problem.

To check if your camera has failed due this reason, please read the symptom description, below.

Website: Nikon Support

DIWA member and Czech website FotoAparat.cz have published the first web review of the Canon EOS-1D Mark II N digital SLR camera, an upgrade of the EOS-1D Mark II, principally offering a larger frame burst on both JPEG and RAW mode and increasing the size of the LCD monitor to 2.5 inches.

Website: FotoAparat.cz - Canon EOS-1D Mark II N Review

DigitalCameraInfo have reviewed the Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505, which features a 5X optical zoom, an imaging CCD with 5.0 megapixels, Casio’s “EXILIM engine”, and a large 2-inch TFT color rotating screen.

“Aiming for the hybrid market, the Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 adds camcorder-like features to its digital camera body. The P505 has 5 effective megapixels for still imaging on its 1/2.5-inch CCD and full VGA resolution in its four movie modes. Heavily marketing the camera’s video capabilities, Casio included a unique Past Movie mode that starts the recording five seconds before users press the shutter release button. The Casio P505 has a 5x optical zoom lens that works in the movie mode too. The camera body is compact, but the 2-inch LCD can fold outwards and rotate in classic camcorder style to provide added shooting flexibility. This Exilim hosts a fully manual mode, aperture and shutter priority modes, an auto mode, and a long list of scene modes. The hybrid Casio EX-P505 retails for $399.99. “

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 Review

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The Czech website Digineff have just reviewed the Nikon Coolpix L1 digicam, which offers a 5x optical zoom lens, 2.5-inch LCD monitor and 6.2 megapixels.

Website: Digineff - Nikon Coolpix L1 Review

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Virtual Traveller has compared a full-production Canon EOS 5D digital SLR (pictured) and the 24-105 f4L IS USM lens with an EOS 20D and 17-85 f4-5.6 IS USM lens.

“I practically ran home after work to start testing the new camera, as the light was failing (yes, I’m that sad!)  I live near Tower Bridge in London so I rushed out to take a few comparison shots near the bridge just before sunset.  My aim was to compare the cameras, not to take good photos.  Also, the cameras were on their own in this test - I wasn’t going to be helping them out by using my knowledge.  I know the 20D tends to overexpose quite badly in contrasty light, but for the purposes of this test the cameras would be left to their own devices.  I was expecting the metering to be identical on both cameras, and it pretty much seemed to be.”

Website: Virtual Traveller - Canon EOS 5D vs Canon EOS 20D

Bytesector have published their review of the Fujifilm FinePix Z1 Zoom, a 5 megapixel compact digital camera with a large 2.5inch LCD screen and 3 optical zoom.

“Small, stylish, lightweight and quick response time; that is what best describes FujiFilm’s FinePix Z1 digital camera. This camera can easily step all over Nikon’s Coolpix S1 model with its better image and performance results. This FinePix is equipped with a non-extending 3x optical lens, 5.1 megapixel CCD, 0.6 second start-up time, 0.01 second shutter lag, and a 2.5” scratch resistant LCD screen. This fast little device has impressed me where the Coolpix S1 hasn’t delivered.”

Website: Bytesector - Fujifilm FinePix Z1 Zoom Review

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Imaging Resource have posted their review of the 16 megapixel Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II DSLR.

“Canon has held a commanding position at the high end of the professional SLR market, ever since they introduced the original EOS-1D in late 2001. The full-frame 11-megapixel EOS-1Ds was likewise a breakthrough product when announce in 2002. In late 2004 though, the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II set a new standard for ultimate resolution in a full-frame 35mm-format digital SLR. Carrying over a host of improvements and innovations from the 1D Mark II, the EOS-1Ds Mark II improves image quality and performance over the original 1Ds, while at the same time raising the resolution to an incredible 16.7 megapixels. No other camera currently on the market comes close to matching the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II for its combination of resolution and shooting speed, and (as of this writing in September 2005), Canon is the only manufacturer offering digital SLRs with full frame 35mm sensors.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Review

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DIWA member Steves Digicams have published their review of the Canon IXUS 750 digital camera (also known as the Canon PowerShot SD550), which has 7.1 megapixels, 2.5 inch LCD screen and 3x optical zoom lens.

“Ergonomics are great. The SD550 continues Canon’s tradition of stylishness and sleek design, but departs from the boxiness of its predecessors with an attractive curved body design. But not overlooked was the need to allow the camera to stand in either vertical or horizontal orientation; tiny feet are built into the bottom and side of the camera body, allowing it to be placed on an even surface for a self-timer triggered self- portrait, or for long exposures in lieu of a tripod.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon IXUS 750 Review

Website: Read my Canon Digital Ixus 750 Review

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