DIWA member and Norwegian website digIT.no have published their review of the 6 megapixel Nikon D70 DSLR.

Website: digIT.no - Nikon D70 Review

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PCWorld have asked if an all-in-one printer can match the quality of a dedicated photo printer, comparing Canon’s Pixma MP780 Photo All-In-One and the Pixma iP4000 photo printer (pictured).

“To check the status quo, I printed a few glossy photos on a recently released Canon MFP and on a Canon photo printer: Canon’s Pixma MP780 Photo All-In-One came out in September and costs $300; Canon’s Pixma iP4000 photo printer, which we reviewed in November, costs $150.

The MP780 uses the same inks as the iP4000 dedicated photo printer; and, like that printer, it has 1856 nozzles in its print head and can print droplets as small as 2 picoliters. So you might expect its photos to look as good as those from the iP4000. The good news is, you’d be mostly right.”

Website: PCWorld - Should You Buy a Multifunction Printer for Photos?

NikonNet Press Release

NikonNet and ‘Legends Behind the Lens’ Honor the Work of Commercial and Fine-Art Photographer Steve Vaccariello

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 1, 2005—There are photographers who are defined by the lengths they go to in order to create the perfect shot. Then there are those who allow simplicity to take the best pictures. Legendary photographer Steve Vaccariello falls into that latter category with a career that echoes one of his own statements, “Photography isn’t what I do. It’s what I am.”

This February, NikonNet’s inspiring monthly, “Legends Behind the Lens,” honors the work of award-winning commercial and fine-art photographer Steve Vaccariello. He has photographed some of the most recognizable images in national advertising campaigns for Sprint PCS, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Sure deodorant, Finlandia vodka, MasterCard, Nikon, and many others.

The NPD Group Press Release

Canon Named ‘America’s Choice’ For Digital Cameras in 2004, According to Leading Industry Data Source; Canon’s PowerShot and EOS Digital Cameras Capture the Overall #1 Brand Ranking from The NPD Group

Feb. 1, 2005 America has spoken, and it has chosen Canon as the leading brand for digital cameras in 2004, according to recently released retail sales data from The NPD Group, one of the leading providers of retail market information.

The NPD Group reports that the Canon brand captured the number one position in Total Digital Camera Sales in 2004, with a market share of 20.4 percent, based on unit sales of both compact cameras and digital SLR cameras combined*. In addition, Canon was the number one brand in both NPD’s Digital Point-and-Shoot and Digital SLR categories, with market shares of 18.6 percent and 62.8 percent, respectively.

I3A Press Release

I3A is Putting Magic into PMA 2005 on Feb. 21: Free Technical Forum, “Making Images Mobile;”

I3A Spotlight Reception and Annual Leadership Award

White Plains, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2005 — The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A), the leading global association for the imaging industry, will add magic to the mix for attendees at the upcoming PMA 2005 conference, to be held February 20-23 in Orlando, Fla.

On Monday, Feb. 21, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, I3A will hold a Technical Forum entitled “Making Images Mobile,” sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, Konica Minolta and Fuji Photo Film., which will focus on the standard for sharing and transmitting images, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol), which was developed by an I3A Image Technology group. PTP is the foundation for the popular PictBridge specification, and work is underway to expand PTP to include transport over IP, Bluetooth and Infra Red.

Fujifilm is introducing its own range of high performance CompactFlash, SD and miniSD memory cards, as well as new Fujifim RS-MMC and miniSD cards.

Fujifilm Germany Press Release

Now in two categories, new appearances: RS-MMC and miniSD card

With the breakthrough of digital cameras onto the mass market there has also been a steep increase in demand for memory cards. The market volume in Germany is currently at approximately 9 million pieces per annum and has risen by more than 50% in comparison to last year. The digital memory cards are not, however, only used in digital cameras. They also store images, text or sound in PDAs, laptop computers, MP3 players and mobile phones.

Fujifilm is constantly expanding the range of memory cards and will offer two different categories in the future. In addition to the present range, currently sold under the name of High Quality Card, there will also be a series of High Performance Cards. Both card types use the tried and tested SLC (Single Level Cell) technology, which stands principally for speed, durability, compatibility and efficient energy consumption.

Yesterday at 12 midday CET, 7 names were randomly selected from the list of PhotographyBLOG Newsletter subscribers. If you are one of the winners, you will already have received an email from me ([email protected]). In order to protect the winners’ email addresses, I’m not going to publish them here.

- One person won a Kiesel TZ600 camera bag from Kiesel Bags  (worth $119.99).
- One person won a Kiesel MX500 camera bag (pictured) from Kiesel Bags (worth $109.99).
- Four people each won a book of their choice from the current ILEX list.
- One person each won a copy of Digital Photography & Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 from Total Training (worth $49.99).

If you haven’t won anything, then don’t worry, as a brand new contest for February has just started! There are over £600 of prizes on offer this month!

To have any chance of winning, you must subscribe to the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter.

Canon announces the PowerShot A520. With 4 megapixels, 4x optical zoom (35-140mm), the PowerShot A520 builds on the success of its predecessor, the PowerShot A85. The A520 is smaller and lighter than the A85 and now uses SD memory cards. The PowerShot A520 will be available from late February for £239 RRP inc VAT/ €349.99 RRP inc VAT.

Canon UK Press Release

Canon continues PowerShot A-series upgrade with the Feature-packed PowerShot A520

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the 4x optical zoom PowerShot A520 – big brother to the recently released PowerShot A510. The super compact 4.0 Megapixel PowerShot is smaller than many 3x zoom cameras and features 20 shooting modes, VGA movies, a powerful zoom flash, extended direct print functions, plus an optional waterproof case and adaptor lenses.
Compact and powerful

Casio Europe have unveiled 2 new colour versions of the 5 megapixel Casio EXILIM EX-Z55 digital camera.

Casio Europe Press Release

Scene style in twin-pack: The EXILIM Zoom EX-Z55 comes with two Special Editions  

EX-Z55 “Black Panther” EX-Z55 “Deep Blue” 
 
Norderstedt, January 2005 - EXILIM is well-known for innovative technology coupled with stylish design. Now the EX-Z55 is surprising with two Special Editions in trendy colour variations. The “Black Panther” in deep black and the “Deep Blue” in classic royal blue with 5 megapixels and 3x optical zoom stand for high-resolution photos and are real eye-catchers. All pictures can be admired immediately on the extra-large 2.5-inch TFT colour display. The slim, flat measurements of the “Black Panther” and the “Deep Blue” are also impressive: due to the integration of the optical viewfinder into the display with the aid of FIL technology, the little gems fit into any pocket, no matter how small.

PCMagazine have reviewed the Canon PIXMA iP6000D, a new six colour, 4800 x 1200 dpi printer with 2-picolitre nozzles, card slots for all popular brands of memory card and a 2.5” colour LCD screen.

“As a rule of thumb, a higher model number in a printer line means more speed, better quality, more capability—and a higher price. Not so with the Canon Pixma iP6000D Photo Printer ($179.99 direct). Priced $20 lower than the iP5000, the iP6000D is far slower for business applications and offers slightly lower output quality for text and graphics. It’s slightly faster for photos, however, and offers essentially the same photo quality. It also adds a 2.5-inch LCD for previewing photos before printing. All of this makes it a printer of interest mainly for those primarily concerned with printing photos.”

Website: PCMagazine - Canon PIXMA iP6000D Review

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DIWA member website Steves Digicams have posted their review of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II DSLR.

“How do you improve on what was widely regarded as the best studio/commercial dSLR available, the EOS 1Ds? The was the challenge faced by Canon’s engineers, and they responded with the 1Ds Mark II. The most touted improvement is the Mark II’s 50% increase in resolution, from 11.1-megapxels to 16.7-megapixels; it produces whopping full frame images of 4992 x 3328 pixels compared to the 1Ds 4064 x 2704. In addition to resolution, the Mark II offers improved responsiveness and a greater range of sensitivity.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Review

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A new version of Adobe Camera Raw has been released by Adobe for both Windows and MAC platforms.

Camera Raw 2.4 update
Support for the following cameras has been added. Visit the Camera Raw page for a complete list of supported cameras.

Canon
EOS 20D
PowerShot S70
PowerShot G6
EOS-1Ds Mark II

In the same download is the Adobe DNG Converter, a free utility that converts files from more than 70 cameras to DNG, which enables you to easily convert camera-specific raw files to a more universal DNG raw file.

Website: Adobe - Adobe DNG Converter and Camera Raw 2.4 update (Windows)

Website: Adobe - Adobe DNG Converter and Camera Raw 2.4 update (MAC)

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CNET have reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P73, a 4-megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom.

“Our test photos were generally good but not extraordinary for this camera’s class. Although some of our outdoor test shots were on the cool side, as whites were tinged with a slight bluish cast, the camera generally produced accurate and well-saturated colors. We saw slight image noise in some shadow areas, not surprising in a snapshot camera. While purple fringing was minimal, several of our photos showed a faint yellowish-green halo along high-contrast edges; however, it was usually so faint that it was hardly noticeable. Dynamic range was often broad enough to capture decent shadow and highlight detail, although whites lost all detail in some brightly lit scenes.”

Website: CNET - Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P73 Review

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Pocket-Lint have just posted their review of the new 7 megapixel Canon PowerShot G6.

“Image quality is very good thanks to the nice 35-140mm 4x F2.0 zoom lens but things are let down by a lot of noise in the shots at ISO 400. Colours are accurate however and you have plenty of extra settings to increase vividness or shoot in black and white for example should the fancy take you.”

Website: Pocket-Lint - Canon PowerShot G6 Review

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Fantasea Line Press Release

Fantasea Line, distributor of the world’s most popular and affordable underwater photographic products, announces the release of the FD-70, an underwater camera housing, designed exclusively for the Digital SLR Nikon D-70. The Fantasea FD-70 is a compact, lightweight, injection molded polycarbonate housing with ergonomically designed handles, making it easy to hold and use. The FD-70’s interchangeable port system accommodates a wide variety of SLR lenses, allowing photographers to capture the widest variety of superior underwater images.

The HP Photosmart R707 is the flagship model in HPs new range of digital cameras that was first announced at the end of August 2004. With a stylish brushed aluminum front and matt black rear, the R707 is sure to turn heads in your local camera shop. Inside is a 5 megapixel sensor and a number of cutting-edge technologies, the most notable being HP Adaptive Lighting, which automatically adjusts high contrast photos to reveal detail in the shadow areas. So does the R707 live up to its billing as HP’s best digital camera? Read my review to find out.

Website: HP Photosmart R707 Review

The new Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 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 offers the same manual operation as the EX-P600, as well as high-quality video shooting capability of 30 frames per second, in VGA size, thanks to the incorporation of MPEG-4 technology.

Casio USA Press Release

A NEW STYLE OF DIGITAL CAMERA – CASIO’S EXILIM PRO EX-P505

ENJOY THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS WITH HIGH QUALITY DIGITAL PHOTOS AND VIDEO

5.0 Megapixel and 5X Optical Zoom with High Quality Movie Capability

DOVER, NJ, January 31, 2005 – Casio, Inc., in conjunction with its parent company, Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has released the newest model in its popular EXILIM digital camera series. The new EXILIM PRO EX-P505 is a stylish digital camera equipped with a 5.0 megapixel imaging element and a 5X optical zoom. It not only takes superbly detailed digital photos, it is also capable of shooting extended video scenes with high-image quality. The EXILIM PRO EX-P505 will be available at retail the end of February, MSRP $499.99.

NABOCORP. SOFTWARES PRESS RELEASE
January 30, 2005

cam2pc expands on its media organization capabilities

Nice, France (January 30, 2005) - cam2pc reaches a new significant milestone in media organization by integrating a powerful search tool and IPTC metadata support in its newly released 4.5 version.

IPTC metadata are widely used in the media industry and allow precise content description of digital pictures. Detailed information such as photographer, subject, location can be easily entered in cam2pc and stored directly in the image file using an industry wide standard. Digital photography enthusiasts now have access to a widely used professional tool that will definitely make their media organization job better than ever.

Olympus are the latest digital camera manufacturer to announce falling profits and a cut in its predicted sales the 2004/5 financial year. Olympus’ profits fell 62 percent, despite an increase in sales of 21%, as digital camera prices slumped and operating costs increased. This news follows similar announcements from Sony and Sanyo last week. Only Canon have announced a positive prediction for the future.

Thanks to Sanj for the link.

Website: MarketWatch - Olympus profits slump, sales view cut

PhotographyBLOG and DigitalCameraInfo.com have joined together this month to host a monthly photography contest. Win a Nikon D70 Kit! Includes a Nikon D70 body and an 18-70 mm Nikkor Lens. There are only hours to go before the contest ends, so enter your photo now!

Website: PhotographyBLOG and DigitalCameraInfo.com Photo Contest

Check the Latest Prices for the Nikon D70