Pixel Genius Press Release

Chicago, IL ­ February, 21st, 2005 - Pixel Genius LLC announces the release of PhotoKit-EL3.

PhotoKit-EL3 is a Photoshop® Elements® 3.0 Automate Plug-in that gives you all the wonders of a darkroom without the chemicals, letting you achieve the same effects on digital images that you once could only do in a darkroom, With a retail price of $39.95, PhotoKit-EL3 offers a comprehensive toolkit for all Elements 3.0 users on both Macintosh and Windows.

Pretec 133X Secure Digital Card is unveiled today at the PMA SHow 2005. The Pretec 133X is available in 256MB, 512MB and 1Gb capacities. The Pretec 1GB 133X SD Card can transfer 1GB of 5MP high resolution digital images in under one minute. Price and availability to be announced.

Pretec Press Release

ORLANDO, Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 20, 2005—PRETEC Electronics Corp., the leading company offering flash memory cards since 1993 is announcing today their 133X (20MB/sec.) secure digital (SD) card with capacities of 256MB, 512MB and 1GB at PMA (booth # 2025 & 2027) in Orlando.

Endowed with more than 2 times the access speed of current high speed SD 60X (9MB/sec), PRETEC SD 133X is now running at close to 20MB/sec allowing for a demanding new generation higher-resolution and higher-speed digital cameras and growing multimedia appliances. Implementing high speed flash algorithm controller design and “Dual Channel” technology, PRETEC SD 133X offers a 16-bit bus architecture for data transfer at an accelerated rate.

Concord 3047 and Concord 4042 are announced today at PMA Show. The Concord 3047 and Concord 4042 are positioned as impulse buy digital cameras and are priced at at $79 and $99. The Concord 3047 is a 3 megapixel digicam with 4x digital zoom and 1.5” color TFT LCD. The Concord 3047 is a 4 megapixel digicam with 4x digital zoom and 1.5” color TFT LCD. Both cameras will be available in March 2005.

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release

Orlando, FL, February 20, 2005 – Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENSE), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced cameras, announced today a new line of digital cameras positioned as “Impulse Buys” at the Photo Marketing Association Trade Show (PMA).  Designed to be the ideal camera for first time digital camera users as an excellent gift, Concord’s 3047 and 4042 take great pictures and are priced to sell at $79 and $99 respectively.

Panasonic Press Release

ORLANDO, FL (February 20, 2005) - Today from the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) 2005 Annual Convention & Tradeshow, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company announced an alliance with Shutterfly, a leading online photo service provider, to provide an online photo center for consumers.  Beginning in March, Panasonic customers can take full advantage of Shutterfly’s award-winning products and services at the Panasonic Photo Center, created and managed by Shutterfly.  This reflects a broadening of the alliance between the companies, who both provide consumers with high-quality digital photography solutions.

Konica Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II film scanner is announced today, the successor to the popular Scan Elite 5400 model. The DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II has a new Film Expert Algorithm which faithfully reproduces colours in images with different exposure characteristics and a Quick Scan System to enable scanning at a rate of 25 seconds per frame. The Konica Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II film scanner has a provisional price of £599.99 and will be available in February.

Konica Minolta UK Press Release

Konica Minolta introduces the DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II film scanner for photography enthusiasts and professionals. As the successor model to the award winning DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 which has been exceptionally popular thanks to its powerful 5400 dpi resolution, the DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II further improves colour reproduction with a new algorithm and delivers high speed scanning at a rate of 25 seconds* per frame. The DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400 II combines all of the technologies that Konica Minolta has come to know as a manufacturer of film, cameras, scanners and photofinishing equipment.

Sony DSC-H1 Cyber-shot is announced at the PMA Show 2005. The DSC-H1 has a 12x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 36-432 millimeters), 5 megapixel CCD and 2.5 inch LCD screen. The Sony DSC-H1 Cyber-shot is available in June for about $500.

Sony Press Release

ORLANDO (PMA 2005, Booth 3032), Feb. 19, 2005 — The adage that good things come to those who wait has never been more appropriate than with today’s introduction of Sony’s DSC-H1 Cyber-shot® digital camera.

A five megapixel, Super HAD™ CCD imager, 12X optical zoom lens and a large 2.5-inch LCD are just a few of the features on this model that are sure to please even the choosiest photo buff.

“We’ve responded to requests from enthusiasts for this type of camera,” said Hiro Takahashi, vice president for Sony Electronics’ digital imaging products. With the DSC-H1 model, we have fully leveraged Sony’s digital imaging expertise to offer a high-zoom camera worthy of the Cyber-shot brand.”

Sony DSC-S90, Sony DSC-S60 and Sony DSC-S40 are introduced. All 3 models have a 3x optical zoom lens, 32 MB of internal memory and 550 shots battery life. The Sony DSC-S90 will cost $300, the Sony DSC-S60 $250 and the Sony DSC-S40 $200.

Sony Press Release

ORLANDO (PMA 2005, Booth 3032), Feb. 19, 2005 — With a focus on performance, Sony’s Stamina series of Cyber-shot® digital cameras set a new standard for speed, battery life and picture quality in compact cameras.

Adding to the overall value of the line, two of the models include the benefit of large LCDs for simple image inspection and sharing right on the camera. The optional Cyber-shot Station charging cradle offers additional convenience and utility to the DSC-S60 and DSC-S90 models.

All three easy-to-use, four-megapixel cameras are packed with features like Sony’s Real Imaging Processor™ circuitry for better battery efficiency, more responsiveness and high quality movie taking. The Carl Zeiss® Vario Tessar® 3X optical zoom lens on the models complements their high resolution for great picture clarity, while 32 MB of internal memory and a Memory Stick® media slot provide plenty of storage capacity.

Sony DSC-W5 and Sony DSC-W7 are both announced today. The Sony DSC-W5 and Sony DSC-W7 are 5 and 7 megapixel models respectively that have 2.5 inch LCD screens. The DSC-W7 and DSC-W5 both offer battery life of 380 shots between power charges and 32 megabytes of internal memory.

Sony Press Release

ORLANDO (PMA 2005, Booth 3032), Feb. 19, 2005 — Sony is redefining what a digital camera should be with the introduction of two W series models: the 5.1-megapixel DSC-W5 and the 7.2-megapixel DSC-W7.

The new models combine the some of the most desirable characteristics of a fully-featured camera in a compact metal-alloy body wrapped around an impressive, 2.5-inch LCD.

Sony PictureStation DPP-FP50 printer is unveiled at PMA 2005. The Sony PictureStation DPP-FP50 uses dye-sublimation technology to create durable, lab quality prints. The DPP-FP50 supports PictBridge, has a wireless remote control and can be used with a television so that you can select which images to print. Available in May for about $200, the PictureStation DPP-FP50 printer offers 4” x 6” and 3.5” x 5” print sizes.

Sony Press Release

ORLANDO (PMA, Booth # 3032), Feb. 19, 2005 - Printing and sharing your favorite photographs just got easier with the introduction of Sony’s latest PictureStation™ DPP-FP50 at home printer.

The DPP-FP50 model features a wireless remote control that makes it possible to print, edit, and enjoy lab-quality pictures from the comfort of your favorite chair. The new model also supports the PictBridge™ standard, so images can be viewed and printed directly from a PictBridge™ compatible digital camera without having to turn on a computer or fuss with image editing software.

Sony 1 Gb and 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo is introduced today. The tiny media card is ideal for use in compact digital devices, including cellular phones, wearable portable audio players and pocket-sized digital imaging and gaming devices The 1GB and 2GB Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo media will be available in April for about $150 and $300, respectively.

Sony Press Release

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 20, 2005 (PMA Conference Booth # 3032/33) - Sony today announced a leap forward in the Memory Stick® flash media family with the introduction of the 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo™ (High Speed) media, the largest capacity available in the Duo format. Sony is also introducing the 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, ™ media which is easily recognizable by its bold new black coloring.

The new 1GB and 2GB media are the perfect solution for users who need to easily store and swiftly transfer data-intensive digital content, such as high-resolution digital photos and TV-quality video clips.

This is the second Z-series Kodak that is being unveiled at PMA 2005, the Kodak Easyshare Z730. The Z730 is a 5 megapixel digital camera with 4x optical zoom and will cost US$349.95.

The Kodak Easyshare Z7590 was announced a couple of days ago. It’s identical to the older DX590 except for a couple of features. Here it is in the flesh showing the new histogram. This is apparently the first ever Kodak digicam to feature a histogram (long overdue in my opinion). The other new feature is a new printer dock connector on the base of the camera.

The Sanyo MM-5600 multimedia phone is the USA’s first 1 megapixel cameraphone and was at the forefront of the Sanyo stand during this afternoon’s Sneak Peek PMA event, alongside Sanyo’s compact photo printers for 6x4” prints. The MM-5600 has a 1.3 megapixel camera, removable miniSD memory card and built-in MP3 player. It supports the Sprint PCS Multimedia service, which lets you watch and listen to video and audio. The MM-5600 is also PictBridge compatible so you can print directly to a PictBridge-enabled printer, and avoid having to download your images onto a computer first.

Minox were previewing their series of minature replica cameras - amongst them was the MINOX Mobi DV, a digital camera, a MP3 player and a dictating device all in one. The Mobi DV is just 16mm wide and weighs a featherweight 87 grams, fitting well into Minox’s esoteric product lineup. Check out the product spec for the Mobi DV, which was announced at the end of January, by clicking here.

Tamron were showing their 11-22mm lens this afternoon,  which was first shown at Photokina in August last year. The The SP AF11-22mm F/4.5-5.6 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF), an ultra wideangle zoom lens, is Tamron’s first lens designed for exclusive use with digital SLR cameras using APS-C size image sensors. It seems that this lens is only just making it to market, with March being the month for it to hit stores in the USA. This could be a great wide-angle solution for all you DSLR users, as its available for Canon AF, Minolta AF-D, and Nikon AF-D systems. It has the same build quality as my Tamron 28-75mm lens and felt well-balanced on the Canon EOS 20D that is was being shown on.

SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus card is announced. The SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus card has a built-in USB connector in the card for instant connectivity. Flip the card to expose the USB connector and plug it into any USB port. A blinking LED light indicates when data is being transferred. The SD card features a write speed of 9-megabytes per second (MB/Sec) and a 10MB/sec read speed. Available in 512MB and 1-gigabyte capacities for $109.99 and $149.99.

Sandisk Press Release

ORLANDO, Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 19, 2005—New Twin Functionality Card is Added to SanDisk’s High-Performance Ultra II Product Line

SanDisk(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced the SanDisk Ultra(TM) II SD(TM) PLUS, an innovative SD flash memory card with built-in USB connectivity. The new card, which works seamlessly in any SD card slot, also can be used as a high-speed USB 2.0 flash drive. The announcement was made at the annual Photo Marketing Association (PMA) Show at the Orange County Convention Center where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Booth 2408.

Sandisk 128 Megabyte Shoot & Store CompactFlash Card. SanDisk Introduces a 200-Picture, 128 Megabyte Shoot & Store CompactFlash Card and also launches a Shoot & Store Version of the SanDisk Photo Album. The SanDisk 200-picture Shoot & Store CompactFlash card is a low-cost digital film card that is ideal for point & shoot digital cameras. Offered at $19.99, the Shoot & Store cards are priced at a point where many consumers are expected to fill the card and purchase another instead of re-using the card. Shoot & Store cards are available in the food and drug channel with prices starting at $9.99.

Sandisk Press Release

ORLANDO, Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 19, 2005—SanDisk(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK) today introduced a new 200-picture (128 megabyte)(a) CompactFlash(R) card in its Shoot & Store(TM) line of affordable digital memory cards. The announcement was made at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show in the Orange County Convention Center, where SanDisk is exhibiting in Booth 2408.

Sandisk 2-gigabyte Memory Stick PRO Duo card is introduced, plus a a new Memory Stick PRO Duo family in the high-speed Ultra II format. The Ultra II line of Memory Stick PRO Duo cards provides faster read and write speeds and are ideal for digital cameras with 5-megapixel resolution and higher. The SanDisk Ultra II cards are available in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB versions with suggest list prices of $119.99, $209.99 and $479.99 respectively.

Sandisk Press Release

ORLANDO, Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 19, 2005—Memory Stick Format Expands Beyond Digital Cameras to Other Electronic Devices, Spurs Demand for More Memory and Faster Performance

With growing sales of high-resolution digital cameras, video camcorders and other electronic devices that require more memory and speed, SanDisk(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced a 2-gigabyte (GB)* Memory Stick PRO Duo(TM) flash storage card and a new Memory Stick PRO Duo family in the SanDisk Ultra(R) II line. The announcements were made during the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show at the Orange County Convention Center, where SanDisk is exhibiting in Booth 2408.

Today is the day before PMA 2005 begins, and PhotographyBLOG is here in Orlando to bring you news and views on all the important developments. You’ve read the multitude of press releases, now let PhotographyBLOG take you behind the scenes and the PR barrage and show you what the new products are really like. There will be a steady stream of entries and photos during the next few days, right up until the show ends on Wednesday, so keep checking PhotographyBLOG regularly.

Delkin SD-Xtra card is announced, which allows you to transfer data from a SD card onto a computer via any USB port. Prices for the 128MB and 256MB SD-Xtra cards will be $39.99 and $59.99 and will be available in March.

Delkin Devices Inc. Press Release

DELKIN INTRODUCES SD-XTRA CARD THAT ALLOWS EFFORTLESS DATA TRANSFER BETWEEN PC’S AND PORTABLE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Poway CA, February 18, 2005 Delkin Devices Inc., maker of premium quality eFilm memory cards and other innovative digital photography products, today announced the SD-Xtra card which allows effortless transfers between any SD slot and any USB port.  The innovative design allows photos, music or data to transfer easily without the use of a reader/writer or cables.  Built into this SD card format is a USB 2.0 high-speed flash drive in capacities from 128MB to 1GB.  With the removable cover installed, the card plugs into any standard SD or MMC card slot in kiosks, cameras, PDA’s or Digital Music players.  When the cover is removed, the card becomes a USB thumb or flash drive.  This drive plugs into any standard PC or laptop USB port and is read like a disk drive.