DIWA member and Czech website FotoAparat.cz have posted their review of the new HP Photosmart 8450 printer.

Website: FotoAparat.cz - HP Photosmart 8450 Printer Review

DPReview have reviewed the 8 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 digital camera, which incorporates anti-shake technology and a swivelling LCD monitor.

“The DiMAGE A200 takes much of what is appealing about the A2 and repackages it in a more affordable, friendlier and slightly more compact format. There’s much to like here - the useful 28-200mm zoom range, the superb mechanical zoom, the wealth of photographic feature, the effective Anti-Shake system and the excellent handling, all at a much more attractive price point than the A2. The obvious conclusion to be drawn from the launch of this camera is that a major upgrade to the A2 must be waiting in the wings - I think this will be the last time we see this lens (originally used around four years ago in the DiMAGE 7) used on a high-end Konica Minolta camera; it simply can’t cut the mustard with today’s high resolution sensors and high consumer expectations.”

Website: DPReview - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Review

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DPNow are running an interesting article on the future of memory cards from a Sandisk point of view. According to the memory giant, digital cameras are no longer the primary driver for memory card production, with mobile phones, USB flash drives and digital music players overtaking them. Also compact flash cards are in decline and are likely to be overtaken by other formats by the end of 2005:

“This doesn’t mean the future for compact flash is bleak, though it is rapidly being phased out of compact digital camera lines in favour of SD/MMC and xD. CF will eventually be the mainstay of DSLRs. It looks like unit sales of CF cards will still grow, but not nearly as fast as other card types. The good news is that the generous dimensions of the Compact Flash form factor will ensure CF cards will continue to offer the highest storage capacities of all compact memory cards and this stretches to 8GB today. The cost per megabyte of all cards, including CF, will also continue to fall steadily.”

Website: DPNow - SanDisk says Compact Flash sales will be flat in 2005

Update: LetsGoDigital have more details from Sandisk’s press conference here.

Digital Outback Photo have published the second in a series of articles metadata and the role that it plays in photography. The latest article looks at IPTC metadata.

“IPTC metadata is a very important part of my workflow, since it allows me to specify my own metadata for my images and makes it easier to retrieve images once they are catalogued. As long as the individual software programs that you use in your workflow do not strip your IPTC metadata, there’s nothing that should prevent you from adopting IPTC metadata support, if you have not done so yet.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Using Metadata in Your Workflow: Part 2: IPTC

DIWA member website digIT.no have just posted their review of the diminutive and stylish 4 megapixel Olympus Mju Mini digicam (called the Stylus Verve in the USA).

Website: digIT.no - Olympus Mju Mini Review

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Professional photographer and Nikon user Thom Hogan has just posted a very comprehensive review of the Fuji FinePix S3 Pro digital SLR. Well worth reading if you are interested in this camera.

“Overall, noise handling on the S3 Pro is state-of-the-art and an improvement over the already quite good S2 Pro. Since many people use the S3 Pro as a JPEG camera and JPEG artifacts can get produced by and interact with noise in very bad ways, this is very good news. Indeed, I’ll just simply say it here: if you only shoot JPEG, I don’t know that there’s another DSLR available that can outdo the S3 Pro in image quality.”

Website: Thom Hogan - FujiFilm FinePix S3 Pro Review

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Kodak Press Release

Kodak’s Monthly Tech Brief Removes the Milli-Amp Mystery of Digital Camera Batteries

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 2, 2005—Baffled by batteries? If you’re one of the millions of newcomers to digital photography, you may find more than a few choices when you’re looking for batteries to power your digital camera.

Kodak’s Monthly Tech Brief offers ideas to help power up your picture taking. Just as you choose a car or bus for a short trip, or a jet or train for longer travels, you can select batteries that meet different picture-taking needs.

If your digital camera uses AA-size cells, you can choose from several chemistries to meet different needs. Rechargeable Ni-MH AA batteries are your best overall value. In addition, Ni-MH cells are better for the environment and require no special handling.

Intelligent Mobile Solutions Limited Press Release

IMS Intemos DSLRClean(TM) Now Ships Worldwide A Revolutionary No-Liquid Way to Clean DSLR Sensors

February 2, 2005—Intelligent Mobile Solutions Limited (IMS), announce that its groundbreaking new product DSLRClean(TM) a specially created cleaning stick for removing dust from digital SLR camera sensors is now available worldwide.

The DSLRClean(TM) sticks are designed for use without liquids using a unique micro-pore swab that creates a mini vacuum effect to gently lift dust from both CCD and CMOS type sensors.

IMS, based in Bristol, UK, has created the most effective and safest solution for sensor cleaning at less than half the cost of other available products.

Kodak Press Release

KODAK Consumer Digital Photography Products Soar; Company Leads in U.S. Digital Camera, Snapshot Printer, Photo Kiosk, and Online Picture Sharing Markets

Accomplishments Buoyed by Global Attention Surrounding Forthcoming KODAK EASYSHARE-ONE Digital Camera> ROCHESTER, N.Y.—(Business Wire)—Feb. 2, 2005—Continuing to demonstrate strong results against its digital strategy, Eastman Kodak Company now has the market lead in four major United States consumer digital photography segments: digital cameras, snapshot photo printers, retail photo kiosks, and online picture sharing sites.

Market research firm IDC, in its full-year 2004 digital still camera study* issued today, reports that Kodak’s digital camera shipments give the company an industry leading 21.9-percent U.S. market share—the first time that Kodak has held this top position. Kodak was also the fastest growing brand among market leaders, with a 66-percent year-over-year increase.

NuCore Press Release

NuCore Wins 21st PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award For Digital Imaging

NuCORE CleanCapture™ and InfiniteBurst™ image processors win prestigious award
 
Sunnyvale,CA – February 2, 2005— NuCORE Technology’s CleanCapture image processor family has been selected as the 2005 PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award winner for digital imaging. This award is given to the most pioneering and innovative products as reviewed by the PC Magazine editorial staff during the year. NuCORE’s Clean Capture image processors were chosen from the hundreds of digital imaging products seen by the editors. NuCORE’s innovative image processors for both digital video and still photography have set new expectations for image quality and performance. The hardwired processors produce superior images with greatly improved performance by reducing the noise and digital artifacts common in digital cameras. A cleaner, sharper image,while simultaneously reducing the image file size is the result.

Polaroid Corporation Press Release

—New PolaroidPics Offers Consumers Free Service for Storing and Sharing Photos Online Plus Lab-Quality Prints—

WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/—Polaroid Corporation today announced PolaroidPics, its new online photofinishing website (http://www.polaroidpics.com/), developed for consumers who want a hassle-free way to store, share and print their digital images. PolaroidPics is a convenient, full-service site that offers innovative features plus full online security.

“With our strong background in photography and image printing, we are excited to be a part of the online photofinishing market,” said Jeff Hopper, vice president and chief marketing officer, Polaroid Corporation. “As digital capture continues to skyrocket, Polaroid is committed to serving its consumers across the spectrum of their digital imaging needs, including capture, print and storage. With the launch of PolaroidPics, we are poised to continue to expand our digital products and service offerings.”

Sony Announces the Cyber-shot DSC-W5. Sony Europe have now officially announced the Cyber-shot DSC-W5 that was leaked on the SonyStyle website last week.

Sony Europe Press Release

Sony Cyber-shot W5 compact digital camera combines ease of use with high quality and traditional design

Sony’s new Cyber-shot W5 is a 5.1 effective Megapixel model featuring a large 2.5-inch LCD display, durable aluminium casing in a traditional design, considerable STAMINA, Carl Zeiss zoom lens and a focus on ease of use.

Berlin, 1 February 2005

Top quality photography
Sony has launched the brand new Cyber-shot W5, a camera that provides 5.1 effective Megapixel resolution as well as a very high level of STAMINA battery life, easy-to-use functions, 32MB internal memory and large 2.5-inch LCD display. The appeal of this camera is strengthened by a robust aluminium metal body, which features a superb Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with a 3X optical zoom. The Cyber-shot W5 is designed along classic lines, appealing to the traditionalist as well as those looking for a stylish digital camera. However there’s nothing old-fashioned about its functions. As well as its several fully automatic modes for quick shooting and ease of use there are also manual exposure settings suitable for the more creative photographer.

Creative announces the DiVi CAM 316. An all-in-one digital camera, camcorder, webcam, MP3 Player and voice recorder with a 3.1 megapixel sensor.

Creative Technology Ltd. Press Release

Records everything and incorporates multi-functionalities - Digital Video Recorder, Digital Camera, WebCam, MP3 Player, and Voice Recorder

SINGAPORE - February 1, 2005 - Creative Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CREAF), a worldwide leader in digital entertainment solutions for PC users, today introduced the Creative DiVi CAM 316, an affordable digital MPEG-4 video recorder that doubles up with all-in-one functionalities such as digital camera, webcam, MP3 player and voice recorder.

The Creative DiVi CAM 316 is equipped with an effective 3.1-Megapixels CMOS sensor capable of recording video with audio at up to 640 x 480 resolutions in MPEG-4 format - a storage-efficient format that enables users to record longer durations using the same memory capacity. With the provided video and audio cables, users can also playback video or still images on TV to share with their family and friends.

Sigma announces the EM-140 DG electronic macro flash, fully dedicated with new TTL flash control systems of all popular camera manufacturers.

Sigma Press Release

ELECTRONIC FLASH MACRO EM-140 DG is designed to work with both AF 35mm film and Digital SLR cameras of all the popular manufactures. The EM-140 DG Flash is ideal for photographing subjects in fine detail when the shadowless mode is used and is extremely effective for scientific and medical applications. Dual flash tubes can fire simultaneously or separately. Using only one flashtube creates shadow, which can give a three-dimensional feeling to the subject. The flash features a guide number of 14 w/ISO 100.

Operation Photo Press Release

Operation Photo, National initiative to donate 10,000 used and older model digital cameras to military families by Valentine’s Day

The Eastman Kodak Company is donating one-hundred 3-mega pixel Kodak CX-6630 EasyShare digital cameras to Operation Photo for distribution to military families as part of Operation Photo’s national initiative to provide cameras to military families.Olympus Corp.  has announced that they are donating fifty Olympus digital cameras as well. Because Operation Photo (www.operationphoto.us) is receiving three-times as many requests for cameras as those being donated, Mitch Goldstone, founder of this national initiative is seeking support from other camera manufactures and from suppliers of memory cards and other accessories. Cameras are arriving from across the county and Operation Photo is listed on many digital camera and photography websites and on military-themed sites as well. Operation Photo was featured in The Chicago Tribune and on Fox Network News.

Back in August last year I reported that Ilford UK had gone into receivership, citing “the decline in the black and white photography market” as the main reason for its losses. It seems that Ilford UK will now survive after all, according to an interview over on Photoscala.

“Actually, there are two buyers interested in Ilford UK; a final decision is expected these days (end of this week). It seems to be sure, though, that Ilford’s black-and-white materials will be produced and be available further on: That’s for sure; that’s absolutely certain“ said Günther Neugebauer”

Ilford Germany will only exist until February 28th, 2005.

Website: PhotoScala - Ilford UK will survive

Nikon have released a new firmware version for the 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.

Issues addressed with firmware version 1.3:

4GB CompactFlash memory cards can now be used.
Errors in Spanish menus have been corrected.

Website: Nikon Coolpix 8700 Firmware 1.3 (Windows)

Website: Nikon Coolpix 8700 Firmware 1.3 (MAC)

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PCMagazine 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 that makes angle shots a snap.

“It might be too early to sell your existing digital camcorder, but if instead of videoing a whole event, you’re shooting mostly stills with the occasional short video—perhaps just your kid’s at bats in a baseball game or solos at a ballet recital—the quality and the versatility of the Casio EX-P505’s hybrid design might make it a worthwhile investment. Though we really like the P505, we’re reserving our initial Editors’ Choice in this category until we see a few more of these hybrids.”

Website: PCMagazine - Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 Review

Spanish website Quesabesde have published their review of the FujiFilm FinePix S5500 Zoom digital camera (also known as the S5100 in the USA), which has a 10x optical zoom and 4 megapixel resolution and is the successor to the popular FinePix S5000 Zoom.

Website: Quesabesde - FujiFilm FinePix S5500 Zoom Review

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Imaging Resource have posted their review of the new 6 megapixel Konica Minolta Dynax 7D digital SLR camera.

”...the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is easily one of the most eagerly-awaited digital cameras in the last year or so. Many thousands (millions?) of Minolta film SLR owners have been waiting and hoping for a digital SLR to use with their extensive collections of (typically excellent) Minolta optics. Now that the Maxxum 7D has arrived, their wait is over, and the obvious quality and features of the new model appear to justify the long wait.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Konica Minolta Dynax 7D Review

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