DigiCamReview.co.uk are the first website to publish a review of the new 5 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FX7.

“Image quality is very good - the images have great colour, great detail (although they could do with a slight sharpen depending on your tastes), low noise, there is very little purple fringing, although it would be nice if there was a bit less. Image compression seems about right. The macro mode is good (a bit better than average). The flash did cause problems when the subject was too close. Auto white balance and metering seemed to be very good. The movie mode is good although a bit low-res compared to other cameras.”

Website: DigiCamReview.co.uk - Panasonic DMC-FX7 Ultra Zoom Review

The Danish website have published their review of the 4-megapixel Olympus C-770 Ultra Zoom digital camera.

Website: Akam.dk - Olympus C-770 Ultra Zoom Review

EIZO Press Release

EIZO Introduces ColorEdge CG220 LCD Monitor at Photokina 2004

22.2-inch wide screen monitor covers Adobe? RGB color space

Cologne, Germany, September 28, 2004 - Eizo Nanao Corporation (“EIZO”) is unveiling its ColorEdge CG220 LCD monitor featuring 100% support for the Adobe RGB color space at Photokina 2004, one of the world’s leading trade fairs for the photographic and imaging sectors. The wide color gamut of the ColorEdge CG220 provides a vast range of displayable colors compared to conventional monitors, which typically cover the smaller sRGB color space. To ensure suitability for complex imaging tasks and color management, EIZO has equipped the ColorEdge CG220 with several features such as improved rendering of dark grayscale tones, emulation of the color characteristics of other monitors, and black level adjustment. The CG220 and other EIZO ColorEdge products are on display at Photokina 2004 in Hall 10.1 Booth B048.

With the shift to a digital workflow where colors checks are conducted on screen rather than with printed color proofs, the ColorEdge CG220’s support for the Adobe RGB color space helps professionals in graphic design, photography and printing shorten production time and reduce costs. Unlike conventional monitors, which are limited to displaying the sRGB color space, the ColorEdge CG220 can display almost all the colors in an ISO-coated color space used in printing, including a broad range of emerald greens and cyans. As a result, all color checks can be carried out on screen before printing begins without worrying about color loss.

The 22.2-inch screen has a 1920 x 1200 native resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio. This wide screen enables the full display of two A4 pages of an application like Adobe Photoshop and its tool palette without any overlap.

PCMagazine have published their review of the new photo editing software, Paint Shop Pro 9 from Jasc Software.

“Compared with the dramatic redesign Jasc Software introduced in Paint Shop Pro 8, the updates and enhancements in Paint Shop Pro 9 seem at first glance much subtler. But Jasc has packed a number of impressive new tools and capabilities into this professional-level image editor. In a couple cases, Jasc is playing catch up with Adobe Photoshop CS. But Paint Shop Pro 9 reaches beyond mere image editing with “painting” features that resemble Corel Painter’s.”

Website: PCMagazine - Paint Shop Pro 9 Review

The 44th Photo of the Week contest is now closed.

I have choosen what I think are the best photographs in my opinion. Now it’s your turn to vote for the overall winner of the contest. A Public Poll has been setup on the PhotographyBLOG Forums and you have 7 days during which you can vote for your favourite photo from the ones that I have chosen. Voting will end on Monday 11th October. The Poll will then be closed and the overall winner announced.

Vote now for your favourite image from the Photo Of The Week 27th September - 3rd October 2004 contest

The technology website G4techTV have published a brief and enthusiastic review of the 6 megapixel Nikon D70 DSLR.

“While it’s a pricey piece (the body alone costs $999), the D70 is considered the “Holy Grail” in many a photography circle as it deftly combines optical precision, quality and flexibility of a fully manual film camera with the efficiency and convenience of a digital recording device.  Add to the mix the D70’s compatibility with virtually all conventional and “for digital” Nikon lenses (known by the brand Nikkor using a Nikon F mount) and you’ve got a nest of Nikon faithful ready to drop some cash in the name of digital.”

Website: G4techTV - Nikon D70 Review

HP UK Press Release 06/10/04

HP sets new levels of excellence with new imaging and printing introductions

BRACKNELL, UK, 6 October, 2004.  HP today announced the launch and upgrade of more than 15 new imaging and printing systems, solutions, and accessories as part of its ongoing Smart Office initiative designed to help SMEs get more reliable business results from their technology investments.  In addition, many of the imaging and printing products released, such as workgroup printers and print servers, are also ideal for enterprise environments.

New and enhanced products range from colour laser and inkjet printers, and monochrome laser printers (see separate release), to networking and mobile printing accessories, all of which help address the imaging and printing needs of businesses of all sizes.  The new lineup offers customers HP?s fastest colour and mono laser print speeds to-date; the industry?s first gigabit print server; added advanced security features for transferring data across a network; and, easy-to-use connectivity options including mobile wireless printing that enable simple walk-up printing when on the go.

“No company understands and meets the needs of small and mid-size businesses better than HP, and we?re committed to continued leadership in this important and growing market,” said Peter Urey, IPG Category Manager, HP UK. “Customers know that when they choose HP, they get a relationship, not just a transaction. By developing products and services for the unique needs of small and mid-size customers, HP delivers a superior ownership experience, so customers spend less time worrying about technology and more time focused on their business.”

HP UK Press Release 06/10/04

Continued investment in mono technology means that customers get smaller, faster and more efficient machines

BRACKNELL, UK, 6 October, 2004.  HP today introduced its largest-ever refresh of monochrome printers its new range of mono printers. These new products continue to increase in speeds and shrink in size whilst lowering the total cost of ownership of printers. 

The increase in performance of the new range, which is suitable for the home, SME and enterprise markets, is the result of significant investment from HP into mono printing from both a hardware and supplies perspective and sets new benchmarks for mono printing products.

Included in today’s launch are six new monochrome printing platforms that consist of 27 new individual products.  From a broader industry perspective, the refresh of the monochrome product line also means that 50% of the entire printing industry?s monochrome inventory is being replaced with new products from HP. 

“There has been talk in the industry around the fact that mono printing is a declining market with reductions in colour price points resulting in customers moving away from mono. This is simply not the case, and the latest market figures back this up,” said Laura Seymour, Personal Laser Category Manager, HP UK.  “We are continuing to invest in new mono technologies and are driving the market forward so that people can discover new uses for their mono devices like printing at home - this is still an exciting market to be in.”

A few days ago Canon released Firmware version 1.0.4 for the EOS 20D DSLR. Yesterday the firmware was pulled from their BeBit website, with only the words “Firmware update service is not available temporarily” left to show that the firmware was ever there. It seems that some people have installed the new firmware and experienced problems (like the camera not actually working) - let me know if you were one of them.

Website: Canon EOS 20D Firmware Update

Slovenian photography site Slo-Foto.net have today reviewed the new 7 megapixel Canon PowerShot G6.

Website: Slo-Foto.net - Canon PowerShot G6 Review

Steves Digicams have posted a review of the very new HP Photosmart 8450 printer (only announced by HP UK yesterday).

“The Photosmart 8450’s photo print quality is nothing short of excellent and rivals the output of the best photo inkjet printers that we’ve used. It isn’t as fast as the Canon “i” and the new 2004 “iP” series printers, but it is faster than previous HP photo printer models that we reviewed last year.”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP Photosmart 8450 Printer Review

The Spanish website quesabesde.com have today posted their review of the new 4 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3.

Website: quesabesde.com - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the Canon PowerShot S60, a 5 megapixel digital camera with a wide-angle 28mm-100mm lens and a new thin body.

Website: Index Digicam - Canon PowerShot S60 Review

Imaging Resource have just reviewed the new HP Photosmart R707, a stylish 5 megapixel digital camera.

“High barrel distortion at wide angle. “Purple fringing” at wide angle, severe coma at telephoto. Geometric distortion on the R707 is a good bit higher than average at the wide-angle end, where I measured approximately 1.17 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end fared a little better, as I measured approximately 0.2 percent barrel distortion. While chromatic aberration seems low, the wide angle images show a fair bit of what looks to be “purple fringing”, a bright purple fringe around dark objects against bright backgrounds. At telephoto focal lengths, severe coma blurs the corners of the image badly, extending a fair ways into the image area. Overall, its lens appears to be one of the weaker elements of the R707’s design.”

Website: Imaging Resource - HP Photosmart R707 Review

The Slovenian website eFotoGrafija have published a great interview (in English) with Mr. Takaya Iwasaki, who is the Canon representative for Central East and North East Europe, Sub-Sahara Africa and Middle East. Essential reading if you’re at all interested in the Canon product line.

“Jernej: Are you planing to introduce some high end EF-S lenses in the near future?

TAKAYA: Definitely. We are always planing 5 year spans so within the next 5 years we will develop high and mid end or even some completely unique EF-S lenses. But those are based on requests of professional photographers, however at the same time DSLRS are getting more popular with non professionals, therefore we have to develop lenses for both markets. It is not a question of timing, but as a leader of professional photography industry we are always thinking of high end products and new technology.”

Website: eFotoGrafija - Interview with Mr. Takaya Iwasaki

ePhotoZine have published one of the first reviews of the Epson PictureMate inkjet printer.

“I printed off 20 family snaps of varying levels of contrast and from different cameras, ranging from point & shoot to digital SLR loaded on a CompactFlash card. It delivered a good set of photos. Colours are good sharpness is good and contrast is good. Blacks look rich highlights sparkle and generally the results are impressive and live up to Epson’s claims of “bright colours”. The only thing I don’t like is the slight etch effect seen if you angle the print in the light.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Epson PictureMate Review

Although they’re very different cameras aimed at very different sections of the market, Digital Outback Photo have decided to compare the image quality of the Canon EOS 20D digital SLR and its more expensive brother, the 1D Mark II. Find out which camera won the shootout by clicking the following link…

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Comparing 20D vs. 1D Mark II Images

PictureCode Software have released a public beta version of their Noise Ninja plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, which works with PhotoShop 6, 7, CS, and Elements on Windows, and PhotoShop CS on Mac OS X 10.3. “PictureCode’s Noise Ninja software solves the image noise problem using new, patent-pending technology. Not only does it do an impressive job of removing noise - often yielding up to a two-stop improvement in effective image quality - it does so quickly and easily.”

Website: PictureCode - Noise Ninja Plug-In Beta Version

DCResource have today posted their usual extensive review of the 6 megapixel Fuji FinePix E550.

“As long as you stick with the 6 Megapixel resolution, the Fuji FinePix E550 is a good choice for those who want a very responsive camera with good photo quality and manual controls. The resolution issue is an important one, as the E550 uses the unique SuperCCD HR sensor. While it can produce images with 12 million pixels, you’ll get the best results by shooting at the 6M mode, or even better, by downsizing from the 12M/Fine mode. A RAW mode is available, but the quality wasn’t noticeably better than 12M/Fine (in fact, it may be worse) and the post-processing is time consuming (especially with the lousy RAW converter that’s included). At the 6M size, images are colorful and sharp, though purple fringing levels are above average. The E550 also has an excellent movie mode, with unlimited recording at 640 x 480, 30 frames/second.”

Website: DCResource - Fuji FinePix E550 Review

CNET have just reviewed the new 4 megapixel Kodak Easyshare CX7430 digital camera

“With 4-megapixel cameras that cost less than $300 becoming more common, the Kodak EasyShare CX7430’s standout features are an intuitive control layout, a quick-trigger response, and a design that makes shooting and changing settings fast and easy. Snapshooters on a budget will appreciate the EasyShare CX7430’s value but should note that rechargeable batteries and a memory card cost extra. Photo enthusiasts looking for manual controls will probably want to spend a little more for a camera with the features they need.”

Website: CNET - Kodak Easyshare CX7430 Review