Photo.net have a great do-it-yourself article that describes how to hook your digital camera up to a 7 inch portable LCD display - great for zooming in to see all the detail in your images. At $129, this is a cheap alternative to a laptop too.

“In the ‘old’ days we used to pass Polaroids around the studios to clients, art directors, teachers, etc. Now that I have switched to DSRL I really don’t feel like passing around my camera nor do I enjoy holding it while everyone has a chance to look at the image(s). So, I set out to find a solution that would allow instant playback with an image large enough for clients & me to view comfortably, without having to take the CF card out of the camera and load the images into a laptop. (I like to keep my shoots as time conscious as possible).

After much researching I have found the solution in the automotive retro-fit market.”

Website: Photo.net - Portable LCD Display

Think Tank Photo Press Release

SANTA ROSA, CA –  For veteran photographic equipment bag creator Doug Murdoch, designing camera bags and accessories is more than a craft, it is a cause.  “Many of history’s greatest moments are captured only because the photographer was ready ‘Before the Moment,’ intuitively pressing the shutter before the definitive moment occurred,” says Murdoch.  The goal of his new company, Think Tank Photo (www.thinktankphoto.com), is to design inventive carrying solutions, based upon photographer behavioral input, that help them capture these moments.

Canon has kicked off its pre-PMA announcements with an entry-level model, the compact 3 megapixel PowerShot A510, available from early Febuary 2004 for £ 199.00 RRP inc. VAT / € 289.99 RRP inc. VAT.

Canon UK Press Release

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the 4x optical zoom PowerShot A510. The super compact 3.2 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.

Minox Press Release

MINOX MobiDV – the multimedia bundle that fits into a shirt pocket

A digital video camcorder, a digital camera, a MP3 player and a dictating device, all combined in a flat slimline body of just 16mm and weighing a featherweight 87 grams including storage card and battery – a device boasting these key data is absolutely unique, just like the famous MINOX spy camera was. This small and powerful MINOX MobiDV is a true multimedia bundle in shirt pocket format.

Rollei Press Release

January 2005

Digital Super Bundle from Rollei

Ever since the dawn of the digital era, Rollei 6000 Series cameras have neatly blended in with the digital workflow thanks to the option of simply exchanging their film magazine (and this without losing a single picture due to their laminar drawslide) for a digital back.

A development that started over 10 years ago with the Chip Back and the Scan Back has been consistently pursued and now culminates in a unique bundle offer. To meet the requirements of extremely discriminating digital photographers, Rollei are offering the Rolleiflex 6008 AF with a db20p digital back – an outfit that covers the entire spectrum from studio work to architectural and landscape photography because it benefits from the extensive line of Rollei-6000 lenses.

Sigma Corporation Press Release

Four New DC lenses for “Konica Minolta” digital SLR camera. 2005.1.20

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the availability of four compact-lightweight DC lenses (18-50mm F2.8 EX DC, 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC, 18-125mm F3.5-5.6 DC, 55-200mmF4-5.6 DC) in Konica Minolta digital SLR fitting. These lenses are exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras. The image circle that DC lenses create is large enough to cover these smaller APS-C image sensors adequately. These lenses especially designed and optimized to complement the characteristics of digital cameras. These compact dimensions and lightweight of these lenses offer superb handling and mobility.

* It cannot be used with 35mm film Single Lens Reflex cameras and APS film Single Lens Reflex cameras. In case of such use, vignetting occurs on the screen and in the resulting images.

Jessops Press Release

Jessops introduce more Raynox digital lenses - 19 Jan 2005  

Jessops have added three new accessories to their range of Raynox brand lens converters and adaptors.

The Raynox DCR-2020 PRO is a high definition telephoto lens converter that will magnify the subject up to 2.2 times. It is suitable for either digital still cameras or digital camcorders when used with an appropriate adapter and/or holder.

Using high index, low dispersion optical coated glass elements, light reduction is minimal and a maximum resolution of 260 lines/mm can be achieved. The converter has a 62mm mounting thread, and comes with 52mm and 58mm adapter rings.

Bonusprint UK Press Release

Digital camera users can now save even more on their prints, thanks to Bonusprint’s new banded pricing which starts from just 9p per print.

For customers ordering digital prints online at www.bonusprint.co.uk, prices start at 12p per print. This drops to only 10p per print for 50 or more prints, and further still to 9p per print for orders of 100 or more. The bargain prices from Bonusprint roll on with further savings on enlargements (with 8”x10” falling to just 99p for 10 or more) and mugs.

Fuji Photo Film Co Press Release

Reuters
Tokyo, January 19, 2005|15:31 IST  

Japan’s Fuji Photo Film Co said on Wednesday it expects its global digital camera sales to grow 21 per cent in the next business year, and unveiled plans to cut production costs by 10-15 per cent by using more common parts.

Fuji Photo, the world’s fifth-largest vendor of digital cameras, is struggling to maintain profit margins along with other players in the industry due to sharp price falls and slowing growth rates in more mature markets like Japan.

Confirming plans first unveiled by the company in an interview with Jiji news agency, a Fuji Photo spokesman said it would aim to sell 8.5 million digital cameras in the business year starting April 1.

Ricoh Corporation Press Release

San Bernardino, CA –January 18, 2005 - Ricoh Corporation a leader in specialized digital imaging devices today launched the Pro G3. The Pro G3 is a high-resolution digital camera that embeds captured images with GPS coordinate information received from either its on-board GPS unit or from external GPS devices.

Once these captured ‘geo-images’ are transferred to a PC, they are automatically converted to shape files or merged to geo-databases for instant integration into Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Points representing each image’s position may be hovered over to display a thumbnail, or clicked on to access the full-size image.

World Photo Day - June 1, 2005 - “capture and record on camera worldwide, our daily lives, and all in just 24 hrs”

The World PhotoDay 2005 project is an exploration into the everyday lives of people on a global scale. The diversity of this planet we inhabit is grand beyond belief. While you are having breakfast reading the paper, what do you think the rest of the world is doing? You will find out what happens on just one single day in the lives of people worldwide. What a journey it will be.

Website: World Photo Day 2005

Have HP shot themselves in the proverbial foot? Yes, according to Boing Boing, who report in 2 separate stories that HP have decided to region encode HP inkjet printers to only accept region appropriate ink cartridges. This wouldn’t be an issue if the prices were similar worldwide, but apparently the cost of a HP cartridge in Europe is a lot more than the equivalent cartridge in the USA. In the second story, an anonymous HP employee replied:

“You may have a valid issue with respect to how the company should try to manage the effects of currency fluctuations, but I think the conspiracy theory about a one-time gouging of Europe to make a fast buck is a red herring. The only real solution to this might be truly dynamic, global pricing—which might work if HP only sold direct over the web, but real world sales channels consist of a web of retailers and resellers who cannot support it “

Thanks to Sanj for the link.

Website: Boing Boing - Region Coding Electronics and Ink Cartridges

Website: Boing Boing - Explanation for region coded printer cartridges?

Some more airport related shenanigans for you this week, as a photographer from Derry, Northern Ireland, wins a court case against Manchester Airport, who took a picture of him without his consent as he passed through the airport.

“Mr Harkin said: “This is an important victory for passengers from across Northern Ireland who have endured many years of discrimination simply because they are from here.

“While I accept the need for security at airports, especially with the continuing threat from international terrorism, I strongly believed that ordering passengers to have their picture taken without explaining the reasons behind such requests was immoral and downright rude.

“The airport has now claimed the measures have nothing to do with terrorism laws, but are designed to meet Customs & Excise standards.”

Website: Derry Journal - Derry Journalist Makes Legal History

It was only announced yesterday, but PCMagazine already have a review out of Picasa 2, a software program that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC.

“It’s not just free. It’s better than ever. This past summer, the ever-expanding Google empire acquired Picasa, one of PC Magazine’s favorite photo-management tools, and a week later, in keeping with its usual business strategy, the company quit charging for the application. Now, for the first time since the acquisition, Google has released a new version, Picasa 2.0, and we like it even more than before.”

Thanks to Sanj for the link.

Website: PCMagazine - Picasa 2 Review

In other Picasa-related news, USA Today has an interview with the man who created it, Lars Perkins.

“A camera enthusiast, he figured digital photography was a lot of fun but way too complicated. So he dreamed up Picasa, a software program that takes the pain out of finding photos stored on a computer hard drive.

Last summer, Google snapped up Picasa, a tiny firm with 18 employees and about 500,000 paying customers, for an undisclosed sum. It hired Perkins as part of the deal.”

Website: USA Today - Entrepreneur lets Google fly with his creation

BBC News takes a look at the increasing number of companies that are offering storage of digital photos on the internet:

“Marcus Hawkins, editor of Digital Camera magazine, said: “As file sizes of pictures increase, storage becomes a problem. People are using their hard drives, backing up on CD and DVD and now they are using online storage solutions. They are a place to store pictures, to share their pictures with families and friends and they can print out their photos.”

Website: BBC News - Web photo storage market hots up

DIWA member website Steves Digicams have posted a review of the new 6 megapixel Pentax *ist DS DSLR.

“The first thing that strikes you about the *ist DS is its diminutive (for an SLR) size. Weighing in at just 2 pounds including batteries and DA 18-55mm lens, it is the smallest and lightest dSLR currently available. Pentax reduced its size by switching to an SD memory card versus the CF card of the *ist D, and rearranging the camera’s controls. Its small size does not diminish its ergonomic qualities, however; the *ist DS is comfortable to hold and its revamped controls are both logically organized and easy to operate.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Pentax *ist DS Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Pentax *ist DS

Write a Review of the Pentax *ist DS

DIWA member website Steves Digicams have posted their first look at the long-delayed DSLR, the Fuji FinePix S3 Pro.

“The S3 Pro makes full use of Fujifilm’s extensive color film expertise. Rather than force photographers to shoot in RAW mode and spend time on an extensive workflow process, Fujifilm has introduced Film Simulation Modes, dynamic range presets and color space selection. Once the photographer is familiar with these settings, they will be able to produce JPEG images straight from the camera, which require no post-production. Photographers can choose between smooth, extended tonality and natural skin tones, or the dramatic impact of highly saturated color. The Film Simulation Mode is the equivalent of changing film type to suit shooting conditions, and achieves this at the touch of a button.”

Website: Steves Digicams - FujiFilm FinePix S3 Pro First Look

Check the Latest Prices for the FujiFilm FinePix S3 Pro

Write a Review of the FujiFilm FinePix S3 Pro

Photo-i have published a short review of the book “Surreal Digital Photography” by Barry Huggins & Ian Probert, published by ILEX Press.

“It’s easy for some to look at surreal digital photography and wonder what’s the point of some of the pictures. But that’s looking at it in the wrong way. This book takes the conventions of digital photography into the realm of digital art – which is quite a place to be. Sure, there will be a load of rubbish produced along the way, but there will be those who will go beyond and emerge as a new generation of artists.”

Website: Photo-i - Surreal Digital Photography Review

The following InfoTrends press release indicates that more and more people are turning to retail outlets to have their photos printed. So what do you do? Use an inkjet printer at home, get them printed via an online service like myPIXmania, take them to the local store, or don’t actually bother having them printed at all?

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Press Release

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ Study Indicates Continued Digital Print Growth for Retail Photofinishers

(Weymouth, MA) January, 18 2005… According to a new consumer survey from InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, 37% of digital camera owners who print photos said they had tried retail services in 2004. Retail services include ordering prints at a photo kiosk, ordering over-the-counter at a retail store, or ordering through a retailer’s online site for pickup in the store. This percentage is up from 14% in 2003, demonstrating the growing popularity of printing digital photos in retail stores.

Nikon have just released a new firmware version for the 3-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 3200 compact digital camera.

Issues addressed with firmware version 1.2

- When trying to print multiple images using PictBridge after specific operations, only one image was printed. This problem has been corrected.
- Errors in time zone (city) names and French and Dutch menus have been corrected.

Website: Nikon - Coolpix 3200 Firmware (Windows)

Website: Nikon - Coolpix 3200 Firmware (MAC)