Imaging Resources have today reviewed the 7 megapixel Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom, which was announced at the CES show back in January.

“What stands out to me most about the Olympus C7070 is that wide angle lens. I was very often surprised with the nice, all-inclusive shots I could get with it. Though it’s not quite as powerful, it reminds me of the power I used to feel with my old OM-1 film SLR and its 24mm lens. The wide angle end of photography has been too long ignored by the digital camera manufacturers, and our pictures have suffered as a result. With cameras like the Olympus C7070 Wide Zoom, we’re free again to explore and capture more of our world in a single frame than the standard 35mm “wide” setting usually allows. Those seeking to broaden their vision with an expandable 7 megapixel camera would do well to add the Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom to their list.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom Review

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Canon USA Press Release

CANON INC. REPORTS RECORD RESULTS FOR FIRST QUARTER 2005

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — April 27, 2005 — Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ — news) and a leader in imaging technologies, today announced Canon Inc. first-quarter 2005 consolidated net sales of 843.4 billion yen (US$ 7,882 million), which represents a year-over-year increase of 5.7% over first-quarter 2004.

Canon reported first-quarter net income of 93.1 billion yen (US$ 870 million), which represents a year-over-year increase of 10.4% and basic earnings per share of 104.93 yen (US$ 0.98).

Operating profit also advanced, improving 7.3% over first-quarter 2004.

Digital Outback Photo have published an article by Brad Hinckel that considers whether or not Adobe Photoshop CS2 is worth buying from a photographer’s point of view.

“Merge to HDR is one of Photoshop CS2 cool new features. Merge to HDR creates high dynamic range images - scenes will more exposure range than would normally fit in a single exposure; it takes multiple similar images shot at different exposures and merges these together to create a single image where the highlights and shadows both appear. For most image sets shot properly, you merely run Merge to HDR, select the images, and run; Photoshop will create a 32-bit high-dynamic range image from these source files; even easier than PhotoMerge. “

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Is Photoshop CS2 Worth It?

PicScout Ltd and Digimarc Corp Press Release

PicScout and Digimarc Partner to Enhance Image Tracking Combined offering to deliver dramatic improvements in image monitoring on the Internet.

Herzeliya, Israel, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, 27 April 2005. PicScout Ltd and Digimarc Corp (NASDAQ: DMRCE) announced today a new partnership combining image recognition and watermarking for online image protection and monitoring. As part of the partnership, Digimarc will begin using the PicScout Internet crawling technology to power the Digimarc ImageBridge MarcSpider search. The companies have also started a joint development project that is expected to be completed in the next six months to enhance Digimarc ImageBridge with PicScout’s image recognition technology. The joint development will be funded in part by the BIRD foundation www.birdf.com, which is an Israel - U.S government foundation whose mission is to promote and support industrial R&D between Israeli and US companies.

Epson USA Press Release

Epson Takes Action Against Two Off-Brand Ink Cartridge Manufacturers to Protect Intellectual Property

LONG BEACH, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—April 27, 2005—Company Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Armor Group and Expands Scope of Existing Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Multi-Union Trading Co. Ltd.

Epson has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore., against the Armor Group, manufacturers and distributors of aftermarket ink cartridges, including its French-based head office Armor S.A, German manufacturing subsidiary Artech GmbH, and its U.S. sales subsidiary Armor USA Inc. The lawsuit by Epson Portland Inc., Epson America Inc. and Seiko Epson Corp. alleges that at least 30 models of replacement ink jet cartridges for Epson Stylus printers manufactured by Artech GmbH infringe Epson’s patents. A total of 12 patents are asserted, with each cartridge alleged to infringe several of these patents. The Armor cartridges are widely distributed at retail locations throughout the United States.

DCViews have published their review of the new 8 megapixel Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT DSLR.

“The Canon Digital rebel XT is available in silver or in black (default). Which of these you prefer is down to personal preference, although we would choose the black version as it gives the camera more of a pro appearance. Physically the camera is quite a bit smaller and lighter than the older 300D. In fact it’s almost exactly the same size as the extremely compact Pentax *istDS which we tested earlier. Everything seems to be well put together without any rattles or free play in the camera or its controls. The handgrip on the right is ideal for people with smaller hands, although the lack of space between the grip and the lens mount might pose problems for those with bigger hands and fingers. If you plan to use the Digital rebel XT with longer and consequently heavier lenses, the relatively small hand grip may prove insufficient and you may find that the hard rubber finish on the grip doesn’t help much here either. To make sure that the rebel XT is for you, we would advise you to try it out for size before you buy one.”

Website: DCViews - Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT Review

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Lyson Introduces Daylight Darkroom™ for Windows XP and Extends Usage for Wider Range of Epson Printers

Revolutionary Black & White Imaging System Now Available on Both Major Operating Systems Used by Photographers

ELK GROVE, IL (April 27, 2005) — Lyson, Inc., a leading provider of inks, media, and related products to the printing, photography, graphic arts, and other allied industries, has introduced a Windows XP version of its revolutionary Daylight Darkroom digital black & white printing system. This new imaging system provides photographers what they have long desired— the ability to accurately mirror traditional darkroom techniques, including silver halide printing, with digital images and an inkjet printer.

The Windows XP version of Daylight Darkroom is being introduced—and the Mac OSX version extended— for use with the Epson Photo 1280, 2000, and 2200 printers, as well as the Stylus Pro 2200, 4000, and 7600/9600 printers. Plans are to extend the system, on both operating systems, for use with the most recent Canon printers during the balance of 2005.

Fujifilm UK Press Release

Award win sees Fujifilm in TIPA top condition

FinePix S3 Pro and PASS Group commended by Technical Image Press Association

The Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro and PASS Group (of which Fujifilm is a member) have been awarded ‘Camera of the Year’ and ‘Best Technology in Europe’ accolades at the 2005 TIPA European Photo & Imaging Awards.

In the highly competitive Mid-Range Digital SLR category, Fujifilm’s FinePix S3 Pro secured the sought-after ‘Camera of the Year’ award.  The TIPA jury stated, “This third entry from Fujifilm in the domain of the digital SLR is certainly the best yet. The FinePix S3 Pro offers a new Super CCD SR II sensor, with a total of 12.34 million pixels. This is made up of 6.17 million ‘S’ pixels and 6.17 million ‘R’ pixels, which combine uniquely to produce images with an extended dynamic range offering outstanding highlight detail. Being half the weight of high-end professional digital SLRs, the FinePix S3 Pro is a very competitive option for studio, location or still-life shooting.”

Creative Press Release

New WebCams for desktop and notebooks feature advanced technologies including ultra-wide-angle lenses and fast USB 2.0 connectivity. Ideal for broadband users.

London; Wednesday 27th April 2005: Creative (Nasdaq: CREAF) the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer and the Internet, announces two WebCam products that top the company’s current WebCam product range – the Creative WebCam Live! Ultra for desktop users and the Creative WebCam Live! Ultra for Notebooks. They both combine the most advanced technology in hardware with comprehensive software suites to deliver outstanding image quality, flexibility and functionality.  Both products are available now.  The Creative WebCam Live! Ultra has a suggested retail price of £79.99, and the Creative WebCam Live! Ultra for Notebooks is available for £69.99.

“These two products address the needs of the most demanding of users,” comments Eoin Leyden, European Business Manager with Creative. “They deliver the high-end image quality and functionality customers demand for the broadband era.”

Konica Minolta USA Press Release

KONICA MINOLTA’S DiMAGE SCAN ELITE 5400 II FILM SCANNER RECEIVES TOP 2005 HONOR

Mahwah, NJ (April 27, 2005) – Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. announces that the new Konica Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II film scanner has won the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) Award for “Best Film Scanner” in Europe for the year 2005.

“This award is especially significant because it recognizes Konica Minolta’s commitment to producing the highest quality photography products for consumers and professionals,” said Todd Schrader, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. “We are honored that TIPA has selected the affordable new DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II as a superior imaging product throughout Europe.”

Nokia Press Release

Nokia and Carl Zeiss Join Forces to Offer Enhanced Imaging for Camera Phone Users

Cooperation to Set a New Benchmark for Picture Quality in Camera Phones

AMSTERDAM, CANCUN, HONG KONG and KUALA LUMPUR, April 27/PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Nokia, the global leader in mobility, and Carl Zeiss, the world’s leading optics company, today announced a collaboration to incorporate Carl Zeiss optics to Nokia’s camera phones. The two companies will bring the design expertise and stringent quality requirements of Carl Zeiss to Nokia’s product creation process for high-end camera devices. As a result of the collaboration, consumers will be able to capture, share, store and print better quality images with Nokia’s flagship imaging devices.

The outstanding scientific expertise from Carl Zeiss in camera optics and the industry-leading position of Nokia in the mobile phone market offers a solid foundation for the cooperation. Both parties regard this agreement as the beginning of a long-term relationship. The first Nokia product to incorporate Carl Zeiss optics and carry the ZEISS brand is the Nokia N90 Multimedia, also launched today.

Nokia Press Release

Twist and Shoot: Nokia N90 Makes its Premiere

Part of the Nokia Nseries High Performance Multimedia Range, the Nokia N90 Brings Carl Zeiss Optics Into the Mobile Arena

AMSTERDAM, CANCUN, HONG KONG and KUALA LUMPUR, April 27/PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Nokia (NYSE: NOK) today proudly presented the Nokia N90 multimedia, an advanced and inspirational multimedia device. Starring Carl Zeiss optics and a full set of advanced digital camera features, the Nokia N90 is targeted at high-technology enthusiasts who value the ultimate in connected mobile photography. The Nokia N90 boasts a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and 20x digital zoom, integrated flash, macro mode for sharp close-ups, and high quality video capture with on-phone editing capabilities.

Nokia Press Release

Slide and Shoot With the Nokia N70: the Smallest 3G Series 60 Smartphone With 2 Megapixel Camera

Nokia N70 is Part of the Nokia Nseries High Performance Multimedia Range

AMSTERDAM, CANCUN, HONG KONG and KUALA LUMPUR, April 27/PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Nokia today introduced the Nokia N70 multimedia, a beautifully designed, compact and easy-to-use 3G smartphone with versatile mobile photography, personal productivity and entertainment features. Incorporating a complete smartphone feature set, as well as a 2 megapixel camera, flash and front camera for video calling, the Nokia N70 comes fully equipped with stereo FM radio, a digital music player and new 3D games.

“The Nokia N70 perfectly illustrates our commitment to offer powerful, all-inclusive handsets that aid people in their daily lives. In addition to advanced smartphone and entertainment features, mobile photography is extremely easy and enjoyable with the elegant Nokia N70,” said Joe Coles, Director of imaging product marketing at Nokia. “The number one reason why people today purchase new handsets is the camera. Indeed, we foresee that by the end of 2005, over half a billion people worldwide will own a camera phone.”

The Sanyo Xacti C4 is quite unlike any other digital camera available today, looking more like a tiny version of a digital camcorder than a conventional digicam. The Sanyo C4 has been designed like this principally because it allows you to record both 4 megapixel still images and 640x480, 30fps MPEG-4 movies, with a separate shutter button available for each function and a flip-out, rotating LCD screen to frame your images and movies. Other notable features on the Sanyo Xacti C4 include a macro mode that allows you to get as close as 2cms away from the subject, and a 5.8 optical zoom lens that is equivalent to 38–220mm on a 35mm format camera. Sanyo have improved on the older Sanyo Xacti C1 by adding the 4 megapixel sensor, image stabilisation and a larger 1.8 inch LCD screen. So is the Sanyo C4 the perfect fusion of still and moving images, or just a compromise between the two? Read on to discover the answer.

Website: Sanyo Xacti C4 Review

Samsung SPP-2040 printer is announced. The Samsung SPP-2040 is a compact and portable printer that accepts a wide range of memory cards and doesn’t need to be connected to a computer. The Samsung SPP-2040 uses a printing technology called D2T2 - “Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer” and produces a print in as little as 15 seconds. From the picture on the UberGizmo website, it also looks as if the SPP-2040 has a colour LCD screen.

Website: UberGizmo - Samsung SPP-2040 Pocket Thermal Transfer Printer

Hitachi i.mega HDC-302SLIM is announced by Hitachi Japan. The Hitachi i.mega HDC-302SLIM is an updated version of the current HDC-301SLIM model and features a fixed focus lens equivalent to 44mm on a 35mm camera. The HDC-302SLIM has a 3.1 megapixel sensor that Hitachi claim can be interpolated up to 8 megapixels, although I would take that claim with a rather large pinch of salt. Other features on the HDC-302SLIM, which ships in Japan in May, include a 2 inch LCD screen and 16Mb internal memory. Price and availability of the Hitachi i.mega HDC-302SLIM outside Japan to be announced.

Website: Hitachi Japan - HDC-302SLIM Press Release

TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) have announced their photography awards for 2005. 30 different products have been chosen as the nest in their class. Standwout winners include the Nikon Coolpix 7900 (review coming soon), Sony Cyber-shot T7, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 and the Canon EOS 350D. For a full list of all the winners with accompanying test, see the following website:

Website: TIPA - The Best Photo Products in Europe, 2005

Luminous Landscape have a new article by professional photographer Doug Brown that takes an in-depth look at creating stitched panoramic photographs.

“Used to be if you wanted to produce a panoramic format image you had either hardware-based choices - cameras with revolving lenses, specialised wide format cameras, removable wide angle backs etc. - or you could crop a standard image to panoramic proportions in the manner APS cameras offered. The later wasn’t a true wider panoramic image but the aspect ratio was similar. With the introduction of dedicated stitching software the possibility of adapting any lens to a wide angle role via post processing the image from multiple segments was opened up to photographers. Having used everything from 16mm to just short of 300mm to create panoramic images in software, I can attest to the usefulness of these programs that ensure you’re never caught short in a wide-angle situation.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Adventures with Panoramas

About Photography have an interesting article on using the Nikon D70 digital SLR in conjunction with the Nikon SB-800 Autofocus Speedlight flashgun.

“For several months I’ve been trying to get to grips with my new flash unit, a Nikon SB-800, used together with a Nikon D70 camera. I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert with it, but I usually manage to get it to do what I want in the end. Much of what I’ve concluded will be relevant to those using the SB-800 (or SB-600) with other Nikon cameras, and some more generally to other modern camera and flash systems.”

Website: About Photography - New Flash: Nikon D70 and Nikon SB-800 Autofocus Speedlight

Imaging Resource have posted their review of the new Olympus mju DIGITAL 500 digital camera (also known as the Olympus Stylus 500), which has 5 megapixels, a 3X optical zoom lens and large 2.5” LCD display.

“As the latest in that company’s “Stylus” line of compact digital cameras, the 5-megapixel, 3x-zoom Olympus Stylus 500 Digital is to my mind the best Stylus Digital model to date. Its body design is trim and compact, with much better-feeling controls than those found on earlier models. It offers the same water resistance that makes the rest of the Stylus line so practical for go-anywhere photography, and sports a big, beautiful 2.5-inch LCD monitor to view your photos on. While the LCD on the Stylus 500 does much better than average in bright sunlight, and offers a wider than average viewing angle, I do wish that Olympus had kept an optical viewfinder for low light shooting, as the Stylus 500’s LCD has a bit of a hard time there. That quibble aside though, the Olympus Stylus 500 is a very capable, highly portable point & shoot camera, with good image quality and a better than average lens. Its point & shoot simplicity and 20 preset Scene modes make it easy for even novice users to bring home great-looking photos.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus mju DIGITAL 500 Review

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