Luminous Landscape have cast their critical eye over DxO Optics Pro and DxO Raw Engine, a RAW convertor that automatically removes distortion, chromatic aberrations, vignetting and lens softness from your RAW images.

“f you’ve read this far you undoubtedly know that I see Optics Pro with Raw Engine as being problematic. If it was being judged just as a raw converter it would be given a failing grade. But, as I pointed out in my original review last year, Optics Pro does a truly excellent job of analyzing and correcting a range of optical defects in digital camera and lenses systems. While there are other programs available that do some of what Optics Pro does, none do it as well overall and as automatically.But, the price that one pays for this is a very awkward workflow, and for those with more than a few lenses, a goodly financial cost. Whether these are factors that mitigate either for or against this program when it comes to your individual needs, is something that you’ll have to decide for yourself.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - DxO Optics Pro and DxO Raw Engine Review

Imaging Resource have just posted their review of the new 5 megapixel Konica Minolta Z5 digital camera.

“The Konica Minolta Z-series of long zoom digital cameras have consistently led the market in features and value in the long-zoom category. While the market has become more crowded, Konica Minolta has maintained their place, and the DiMAGE Z5’s only real competitors currently are Panasonic’s FZ5 and FZ20 models. (They being the only long-zoom cameras equipped with anti-shake technology anywhere near the Konica Minolta Z5’s price point.) The Z5 handles well, its anti-shake greatly extends the utility of its long zoom lens, and it’s just plain fun to use. (Surely a critical factor in any camera purchase decision.) It produces good-looking prints up to about 11x14 in size, and you can extract a fair bit more detail from its images if you’re willing to shoot with the in-camera sharpening set to “low” and then do some unsharp masking in Adobe Photoshop.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Review

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SpotPhoto have just posted their review of the 6 megapixel Pentax *ist DS DSLR.

“Let’s sum up. Pentax *ist DS is in no way better than the competition. It does not have any special features or is really above others in certain respect. But body that handles well, good menu system and good picture quality mean that this is an overall good contender in entry-level DSLR market. The only minus in my opinion was slow autofocus. As Michael Johnson wrote in his review of the same camera, it’s the K1000 of digital SLR. If you have Pentax lenses, get it.”

Website: SpotPhoto - Pentax *ist DS Review

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DIWA member and Czech website FotoAparat have published a double review of the 4 megapixel Canon PowerShot A520 and A510 digital cameras.

Website: FotoAparat - Canon PowerShot A520 / A510 Review

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DIWA member and Slovenian website e-fotografija have just reviewed the 8 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8400.

Website: e-fotografija - Nikon Coolpix 8400 Review

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Pocket-Lint have published a review of the new 5 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FX7.

”...the image quality is surprisingly good with excellent auto white balance, exposure and focus is consistent and reliable plenty of detail thanks to the excellent Leica Vario-Elmarit 3x, 35-105mmF2.8 lens. Noise control – at all sensitivity settings up to ISO 200, after which noise seems to leap – is well controlled and the colour is good too, with, if anything, almost to subtle colour rendition, but highlights can be blown away too quickly in high contrast areas though.”

Website: Pocket-Lint - Panasonic DMC-FX7 Ultra Zoom Review

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DIWA member and Danish website DigitalMagasinet have posted a review of the 5 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33.

Website: DigitalMagasinet - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33 Review

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Canon USA have released a new version of Digital Photo Professional, Canon’s software application for editing and converting RAW images shot by EOS Digital cameras.

Changes from the previous version include:

(1-1) The Copy Stamp Tool (to adjust images by copying and pasting some part of the image) was added.
(1-2) The Rename Tool (to change multiple file names at once) was added.
(1-3) Lines appeared in the bottom of images converted from RAW images taken with certain models when using Digital Photo Professional 1.5.0/1.6.0 on a computer with dual processors or Hyper-Threading Technology. This problem has now been fixed.
(1-4) Support was added for the EOS D60 and EOS Kiss Digital N / EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT / EOS 350D DIGITAL.
(1-5) The amount of time it takes for image thumbnails to appear has been reduced.

Website: Canon USA - Digital Photo Professional v.1.6.1

CNET have just reviewed the 8 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8400.

“With a wide-angle view that equals the perspective of a 35mm-film camera’s 24mm lens, or 18mm with optional converter, the Nikon Coolpix 8400 is perfect for shooting indoors in tight quarters or for grabbing shots outdoors of an exquisite 18th-century monument when you’re backed up against a 21st-century fruit stand. Add the optional 0.75X converter attachment, and you’re in 18mm (35mm equivalent) bliss. Yet, the 3.5X optical zoom also extends out to 85mm—perfect for portraits and some sports.”

Website: CNET - Nikon Coolpix 8400 Review

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Canon have released a new firmware version (1.2.1) for the EOS-1D Mark II DSLR.

This firmware update fixes/improves the following:

1.  Three new languages (Russian, Traditional Chinese, and Korean) added to the camera menus.
2. Improvement in communication reliability when using some CF cards.
3. The issue of communication failure between the camera and some personal computers has been fixed.

Website: Canon EOS-1D Mark II Firmware Update Version 1.2.1

Canon have released a new firmware version for the EOS-1Ds Mark II DSLR.

This firmware update (version 1.1.1) includes the following additional functions and improvements:

1.  Three new languages (Russian, Traditional Chinese, and Korean) added to the camera menus.
2. Improvement in communication reliability when using some CF cards.

Website: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Firmware Update Version 1.1.1

CameraTown have just reviewed the HP Photosmart 8150 printer which was first announced in August 2004.

“‘ll end this review by saying that the HP Photosmart 8150 printer is THE printer I would buy for my parents, sister, or brother. For myself, I often print larger images (up to 13"x19”) so I’ll hopefully get a chance to review the new large format Photosmart 8450 that was launched last month at PMA. Print quality and simplicity are the two most important attributes a printer can have - and the HP delivers. Surprisingly, it delivers simplicity while actually adding in features such as cropping, red-eye removal, brightness control, and multi-image layouts. All of these features are so easy to use - even without the manual - that you’ll want to use them.”

Website: CameraTown - HP Photosmart 8150 Review

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Konica Minolta USA Press Release

KONICA MINOLTA ANNOUNCES CONSUMER MAIL-IN REBATES

Rebates available for DiMAGE Z2, DiMAGE Z3 and Maxxum 7D digital cameras

Mahwah, NJ (March 28, 2005) – Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. announces new consumer mail-in rebates for the purchase of a DiMAGE Z2, DiMAGE Z3 or Maxxum 7D digital camera. Available now until June 30, 2005, consumers that purchase a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 or DiMAGE Z3 digital camera are eligible for a $50 rebate. In addition, consumers that purchase a DiMAGE Z2 or DiMAGE Z3 together with a qualifying Epson printer are eligible for an additional rebate from Epson (total up to $100 in rebates from Konica Minolta and Epson). There is also a $200 mail-in rebate available for consumers who purchase a new Maxxum 7D digital SLR camera.

“These new consumer rebates put the power of digital photography within everyone’s reach,” said Todd Schrader, vice president of marketing for Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. “Whether a consumer is making their first digital camera purchase, or they’re upgrading to the top-of-the-line digital SLR, there’s a rebate available to make their purchasing decision much easier.”

Do you want to calibrate your monitor, but are unsure of exactly which product to choose? Digital Outback Photo have published a very useful overview of ten of the major contenders, including the recently-announced Spyder2 Pro (pictured).

“The ColorVision Spyder2 bears little resemblance to the original Spyder. That is a good thing. The tonality and accuracy of shadow colors is excellent. Grayscale accuracy is, overall, exceptional. The exception was on some laptop monitors. The Dell UltraSharp was one example. Here the Spyder2 was good but not outstanding. A strength of ColorVision has always been their feature-laden software. This still holds for the new offering. The Spyder2Pro software is flexible and powerful with most of the features I deem essential. One exception is not calibrating to the native gamma for CRT screens, but a draw your own gamma curve gives even more power.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Hardware Monitor Calibration systems: which ones to buy and use?

The Spanish website Quesabesde have posted their review of the Canon EOS-1D Mark II DSLR.

Website: Quesabesde - Canon EOS-1D Mark II Review

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Olympus have released a new firmware update for their 8 megapixel E-300 / Evolt DSLR camera. Version 1.2 includes the following changes:

SHADING COMPENSATION
In some cases, the edges of the image may be shadowed due to the properties of the lens. The SHADING compensation function compensates by in increasing brightness at the dark edge of the image. Especially when the Wide-angle lens is used, this function is able to work effectively.

ANTI-SHOCK
This diminishes camera shake caused by vibrations when the mirror moves. You can select the interval from the time the mirror is raised until the shutter is released.

RELEASE PRIORITY S
In the S-AF mode, you can release the shutter button and take a picture without waiting until focusing and flash charge are finished. This function is useful when you need to take advantage of a shutter release opportunity.

RELEASE PRIORITY C
In the C-AF mode, You can release the shutter button and take a picture without waiting until focusing and flash charge are finished. This function is useful when you need to take advantage of a shutter release opportunity. When RELEASE PRIORITY C is set to ON, Predictive AF is not available.

Website: Olympus E-300 / Evolt Firmware Updates

The Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer allows you to download digital photos and movies onto its 40Gb hard-drive and then view them on its 3.8 inch colour LCD screen. The Epson P-2000 has built-in card slots for Compact Flash and SD memory cards. The Epson P2000 will be of particular interest to digital SLR camera users as it can show a preview of some RAW file formats as well as JPEGs. You can connect the P-2000 directly to a PC or TV and it will even print directly onto compatible Epson printers. In addition the Epson P2000 can play digital music in the form of MP3 and AAC files. So can the Epson P-2000 do all of the things that it claims and do them well? Carry on reading to discover the answer.

Website: Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer Review

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the new 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.

“The EX-P505’s ergonomics are good and you won’t believe how small it is until you actually hold one in the palm of your hand. The controls are well placed and functional, and thanks to the large “barrel” lens, it feels comfortable in your hands and because of its size and weight, you’ll find it easy to hold with just one hand. the menu system was easy to access and navigate, and we like the ability to quickly change settings via the EX button on the side of the lens. This allowed for quick changes to White Balance, ISO, Metering and AF Area. Note that the EX-P505 does not have an optical viewfinder, all framing is done on the color LCD.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 Review

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The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published a double review of the 4 megapixel Canon PowerShot A520 and A510 digital cameras.

Website: Index Digicam - Canon PowerShot A520 / A510 Review

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Photo-i have just finished their interactive review of the brand new Epson R1800 A3 / 13x19 inch printer. The R1800 is an A3 version of the Epson Stylus Photo R800 that I reviewed last year, featuring the same 8 colour UltraChrome Hi-Gloss inks and 1.5 picoliter droplet size. The Stylus Photo R1800 will retail in the UK for £399.99 inc Vat and $549.99 in the USA.

“As a professional photographer with over 30 years experience and exhibited at many venues, I can say that the print I produced this afternoon is better than anything I have ever done in the darkroom. The print has sharpness, great colour saturation and all the qualities that I would expect from a wet chemistry photograph, let alone a digital print. It is stunning. Any photographer who questions the quality or merit of a digital print compared to a wet chemistry print need only look at the output from the R1800.”

Website: Photo-i - Epson R1800 Printer Review