The Norwegian website Akam.no have posted a review of the new 4 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3.

Website: Akam.no - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3

Concord Camera Press Release 27/09/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. ANNOUNCES THE POLAROID 345AF FILM CAMERA WITH MORE FEATURES FOR THE MONEY

Priced at only $17.99, the compact & stylish Polaroid 345AF includes many features normally found in more expensive cameras providing consumers an affordable solution to achieve great pictures

Cologne, Germany, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”)  (Nasdaq:LENS), a leading provider of popular image capture solutions, today announced at Photokina the Polaroid 345AF, a new auto focus, fully-automatic, 35mm camera.  The Polaroid 345AF is compact, fitting easily into a pocket, purse or tote bag, providing “on?the-go” convenience while delivering sharp worry-free pictures.

The Polaroid 345AF’s auto focus feature and 3 element lens together are an optimal combination allowing even a novice to simply achieve great pictures.  The ideal camera for kids and vacation use, the Polaroid 345AF features a motorized film advance and rewind, making picture taking easy.  With its auto flash setting users never have to worry about forgetting to turn on the flash, ensuring that pictures will always turn out bright and vibrant.  The Polaroid 345AF also has an easy to use flash on and flash off setting, making it more flexible to adapt to changes in lighting conditions. 

The Polaroid 345AF also is equipped with an efficient auto power off feature to help conserve battery life, and a red eye reduction feature to achieve great red eye free pictures.

The Polaroid 345AF 35mm auto focus camera is expected to be available in the first quarter of calendar year 2005 at a suggested retail price of $17.99.  For more information see the Concord Camera Corp. web site: www.concord-camera.com.

Concord Camera Press Release 27/09/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. UNVEILS POLAROID SPLASH II 2-IN-1 LAND & UNDERWATER 35MM CAMERA

Snaps Photos at 65 Feet Underwater for Scuba & Snorkeling Photography
Ultimate Vacation Camera for Land & Sea Adventure

Hollywood, Florida, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”)  (Nasdaq:LENS) today announced the Polaroid Splash II new fully-automatic, waterproof 35mm camera.  Based on the popular Polaroid Splash, the Polaroid Splash II is the ultimate camera for active lifestyles—perfect for sports, scuba, and beach vacations. 

The Polaroid Splash II features a removable waterproof housing for underwater photography up to a depth of 65 feet (20 meters).  The housing can easily be removed for land-use as a normal 35mm compact camera and includes a large external viewfinder so that pictures can be easily framed even while wearing bulky equipment, such as a snorkeling mask or other gear.  A fully automatic camera, the Polaroid Splash II features auto flash, auto film load, auto advance and rewind to make picture-taking a snap.  The camera also includes an auto power off feature to help conserve battery life, as well as a 27mm, 2 element high-quality optical lens and auto flash for optimal picture quality and lighting for easy underwater photography ? all delivered at an affordable suggested retail price of $24.99.

A stylish and rugged camera, the Polaroid Splash II features a metallic silver body encased in a clear waterproof housing accented with a blue grip for a sporty look.  The Polaroid Splash II waterproof 35mm camera is expected to be available the first quarter of 2005.  It comes complete with the camera, waterproof housing, sports strap, and pouch for a suggested retail price of $24.99.  For more information, see the Concord Camera Corp. web site: www.concord-camera.com.

BenQ Press Release 27/09/04

BenQ Unveils Two Ultra-Slim Digital Cameras Equipped with Large-Sized LCD Screens

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, September 27, 2004 - BenQ today unveiled the ultra-slim and sleek 4 mega pixel CCD resolution DC E43 and 5 mega pixel CCD resolution DC E53 digital cameras, equipped with 3x optical zoom.  Measuring 24 mm in thickness, the new compact DC E53 and E43 digital cameras are BenQ’s first camera series equipped with 2+ inch LCD screens.

“Sporting a slim 24 mm casing and elegant design, the BenQ E43 and E53 will offer end-users a highly portable and stylish camera for enjoyment anywhere,” said William Wang, Vice-President and General Manager of the Imaging Network Business Group. “Also with the inclusion of spacious large-sized LCD screens, the BenQ E43 and E53 will further enhance the experience of taking and sharing pictures.”

The International QuickTime VR Association (IQTVRA) and International Association of Panorama Photographers (IAPP)

will unveil an exhibit of 41 panorama’s from around the world during Photokina, the world’s largest photography expo in Cologne, Germany. The exhibit will be in Hall 14.1, booth F55, and can be viewed Tuesday, 28 September through Sunday, 3 October during expo hours.

Members will be on hand to demonstrate panoramic tips and techniques, as well as show real-world applications with this very hot technology. A workshop on Saturday, 2 October, will feature several new products demonstrated and present Hans Nyberg of panoramas.dk, discussing how his web site began and has developed into today and in the future.

VRMag, the premier panoramic e-zine has launched a site that will feature daily news and Photokina information targeting the VR community: http://vrm.vrway.com/projects/photokina_koeln_2004/default.htm

The 43rd 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 4th October. The Poll will then be closed and the overall winner announced.

Vote now for your favourite image from the Photo Of The Week 13th-19th September 2004 contest

Apologies for the delay in setting this up - it’s been quite a busy week!

It looks as though Epson are finally about to replace their venerable A3 printer, the Stylus Photo 2100/2200. The Japanese website I Love Epson has details about a new A3 model called the PX-G5000. Michael Reichmann over at Luminous Landscape comments “The PX-G5000 is an 8 ink, 5760X1440 A3-sized printer, with 1.5 picoliter dots. The inks apparently have a wider colour gamut and better compatibility with glossy papers.”

Thanks to Hans Van Rafelghem for sending me the link.

Website: I Love Epson - PX-G5000 Printer

Sandisk Press Release 29/09/04

SANDISK INTRODUCES EXTREME III, WORLD’S FASTEST, HIGHEST PERFORMING FLASH MEMORY CARD

Extreme III Product Line Based On SanDisk’s New ESP Technology, A Major Technological Breakthrough

COLOGNE, GERMANY, SEPT. 29, 2004 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced the world’s fastest flash memory cards - the SanDisk Extreme III line of CompactFlash , SD and Memory Stick PRO digital film cards. The CompactFlash and SD cards have minimum write and read speeds of 20 megabytes per second (MB/sec.).* Memory Stick PRO has minimum write and read speeds of 18 MB/sec.* The SanDisk Extreme III cards, which range in capacity between one and four gigabytes (GB), have essentially double the performance speeds of SanDisk?s predecessor Extreme product line which currently has the fastest working cards in many of today?s leading digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras.**

The SanDisk Extreme III product line was introduced at a SanDisk press conference at the Photokina imaging show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Hall 1.2, Aisle A, Booth 059.

Sandisk Press Release 29/09/04

SANDISK LEAPFROGS COMPETITION - QUADRUPLES TOP CAPACITY OF ITS HIGH-SPEED ULTRA II FLASH MEMORY CARDS

New Cards Include World’s First 8-Gigabyte (GB) Type I High Speed CompactFlash Card

COLOGNE, GERMANY, Sep. 29, 2004 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) announced today that is has quadrupled the capacity of its high-speed SanDisk Ultra II line of flash memory cards that includes the development of a new 8GB CompactFlash Type I card. The top end SanDisk Ultra II Memory Stick PRO and SD cards now boast 4GB and 2GB of capacity respectively. The announcement was made at the Photokina trade show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Hall 1.2, aisle A, Booth 059.

Each SanDisk Ultra II card features a minimum write speed of 9 megabytes per second (MB/sec.) and a minimum read speed of 10MB/sec.* (Results based on testing with the popular HDBENCH benchmark software; actual results in digital cameras will vary by camera model.) The Ultra II cards are primarily targeted at serious photographers with 4-megapixel or higher resolution digital cameras that require fast, high capacity digital film cards to quickly shoot many high resolution images.

Sandisk Press Release 29/09/04

Low-Cost “Consumable” Cards Will Be Distributed Where Film and Processing Are Offered

COLOGNE, GERMANY, Sept. 29, 2004 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced that it is introducing its Shoot & Store line of budget-priced flash memory cards in Europe through a variety of stores that offer film and processing services. The announcement was made during a press conference at Photokina 2004, where SanDisk is exhibiting at Hall 1.2, Aisle A, Booth 059 of the Cologne Exhibition Center.

The cards, which are rewritable and function just like standard cards, are offered in capacities of 32 megabytes (MB), which holds up to 50 photos, and 64MB, which holds up to 100 photos, when used at a resolution setting of 1 megapixel*. Shoot & Store is aimed at consumers who want the convenience of leaving their flash cards with professional photo finishers—as they were accustomed to doing with traditional analog film—or who don’t have time or inclination to download their images to a computer or burn them to a disk. The line is sold in four formats: CompactFlash, SD, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card.

Sandisk Press Release 29/09/04

SanDisk introduces three new memory card readers - transfer photos, video, music and data quickly and easily

Multi-Card Readers Support Wide Range of Card Formats; Feature Transfer Button To Automatically Move Photos To Your Computer

COLOGNE, GERMANY , Sep. 29, 2004 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today introduced three high-speed card readers, the SanDisk ImageMate 12-in-1, ImageMate 5-in-1 and ImageMate CompactFlash (CF) readers. Ideal for owners of digital cameras and other consumer electronics devices, each new reader includes a one-step transfer button and software for the PC to simplify the most common tasks that people want to do with their photos - transfer them to the hard drive, rename files and email them. The ImageMate readers are designed to quickly transfer pictures, digital video, music or any type of data to a computer via a high-speed USB 2.0 port.

For easier image organizing, sharing and viewing, each reader is bundled with Adobe ? Photoshop ? Album 2.0 Starter Edition software. SanDisk announced the new line of ImageMate card readers at Photokina where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Hall 1.2, aisle A, Booth #059. 

Sandisk Press Release 29/09/04

SANDISK UNVEILS NEW DIGITAL PHOTO TV PLAYER THAT ALSO DISPLAYS VIDEO CLIPS AND DOUBLES AS AN MP3 MUSIC JUKEBOX

Versatile and Easy-to-Use SanDisk Photo Album Will Be Sold For $49.99 This Holiday Season

COLOGNE, GERMANY, Sept. 29, 2004 - SanDisk Corporation today introduced the SanDisk Photo Album, a compact, sleek and easy-to-use device that lets consumers display digital still pictures or video clips on their TV sets and even attach soundtracks to slide shows. Using any one of eight flash memory card formats as well as portable USB flash drives, the unit also enables consumers to play MP3 music files on their home audio systems. The media player was launched at a SanDisk press conference during the Photokina 2004 imaging trade show, where the company is exhibiting products in Hall 1.2, Aisle A, Booth 059 of the Cologne Exhibition Center.

The SanDisk Photo Album (SPA) allows consumers to bypass their computers entirely when storing, organizing and viewing images from a digital camera. Rather than having friends or family crowding around a small PC monitor, a user can attach the SanDisk Photo Album to any television set that has an audio/video input, then show larger-than-life images and video clips. The device comes with a remote control that allows for multiple functions. With a suggested retail price of US $49.99( approximately ?46 excluding VAT ), the SanDisk Photo Album will be sold worldwide through consumer electronics and photo retailers.

Creo Leaf and GretagMacbeth perfect custom color profiling for Leaf digital photographers

PHOTOKINA 2004, COLOGNE, GERMANY—September 28, 2004—Creo Inc. (NASDAQ: CREO; TSX: CRE) announces that Creo Leaf, a leading supplier of digital camera backs, and GretagMacbeth, a worldwide technological leader in color management solutions, have entered into a cooperative agreement to provide Leaf customers the ability to customize ICC color profiles to fit different lighting conditions based on the shooting environment.

Integration for Better Color Management…
The Creo Leaf(r) Capture 10 application provides a complete set of professional tools for the operation of Leaf digital camera backs, including the new Leaf(r) Aptus digital camera back. The application enables image capture through final output. Integrating GretagMacbeth profile creation and editing into the Leaf Capture application ensures accurate, reliable and predictable color even with changing lighting conditions through the creation of customized ICC color profiles.

Lexar Media, Inc. 27/09/04

Lexar and Kodak Expand Flash Memory Card Offering With the Introduction of KODAK xD-Picture Cards

COLOGNE, Germany, September 29, 2004—Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), and Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: EK), announced today the continued expansion of KODAK flash memory cards with the introduction of KODAK xD-Picture Cards. The addition of the xD-Picture Card continues the companies’ commitment to offer consumers a range of popular digital media formats. Lexar will distribute and market KODAK xD-Picture Cards through both Lexar and Kodak’s global retail distribution channels beginning in the fourth quarter of 2004.

“Retailers and distributors worldwide are eager to begin offering KODAK xD-Picture Cards to more fully meet the consumer demand spurred by the popularity of digital photography,” said Bobby Billman, vice president of marketing, Lexar. “With this addition to the KODAK memory card line, we are offering a wider variety of products that people trust for capturing and preserving their memories - hallmarks of Kodak.”

Lexar Media, Inc. 27/09/04

Lexar Introduces First Professional Card Readers With Innovative Stackable Design for Concurrent Downloads

COLOGNE, Germany, September 27, 2004—Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading marketer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media and accessories, today at Photokina (Hall 1.2, B-058) introduced two new Professional CompactFlashTM Readers designed to address professional photographers’ need for almost instantaneous data transfer and an improved project workflow. Built with material similar to a digital camera, with a unique industrial design of hardened plastic and rubber over mold, the new card readers can be easily stacked and daisy-chained together for concurrent download of images. In addition, the new card readers support Lexar’s ActiveMemory? System for improved photography workflow.

Delivering image read and write speeds in excess of 10MB per second, Lexar’s new CompactFlash Readers are available in USB 2.0 and Firewire formats. The Firewire units can be daisy-chained together directly, while up to four USB 2.0 units can be connected to execute simultaneous downloads via a 4-port USB hub. The firmware of both card readers can be upgradeable for possible future enhancements.

The Mamiya ZD digital SLR that I reported yesterday has now been officially unveiled - all 22 megapixels of it!

Mamiya Press Release 28/09/04

Mamiya Lens-interchangeable Digital SLR Camera & Mamiya Digital Back

We are very proud to announce development of a lens-interchangeable digital SLR camera “Mamiya ZD” and a digital back “Mamiya ZD Back”.

Mamiya ZD:
Type: Lens-Interchangeable Digital SLR AF/AE Camera
Features: 36x48 mm 22 million pixel CCD, Mamiya 645AF Lenses compatible

Mamiya ZD Back:
Type: Digital Back
Features: 36x48mm 22 million pixel CCD, Compatible with Mamiya 645AFD & Mamiya RZ67Pro-IID

Since 1940, Mamiya has been pursuing to design and realize high images quality, high reliability and ease of use. Mamiya cameras ever produced have been well received by professional photographers and advanced amateurs, and that has made Mamiya the leader in high-end imaging. Inheriting the high quality, in order to meet the needs of digital photographers, the Mamiya ZD and Mamiya ZD Back are being created.

Tamron Press Release 28/09/04

TAMRON ANNOUNCES AF18-200MM F/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II ASPHERICAL (IF) MACRO

A NEW HIGH POWER STANDARD ZOOM LENS DESIGNED FOR EXCLUSIVE USE WITH DIGITAL (APS-C) SLR CAMERAS

Photokina, Cologne, Germany, September 28, 2004 - Mr. Morio Ono, President of Tamron Co., Ltd., announced the successful development of the AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II Aspherical (IF) MACRO (Model A14), a new high power zoom lens designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras using APS-C size image sensors.

The new AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di-II Aspherical (IF) MACRO is a high power zoom lens for exclusive use with digital (APS-C size) SLR cameras that inherits the product concept of the existing AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR zoom lens. Even two years after its introduction, the current AF28-300mm is still a favorite and highly evaluated by photographers around the world as a representative model of high power zoom lenses. With the market influx of digital SLR cameras in recent years, the use of high power zoom lenses has become increasingly popular since high power zooms provide the convenience of handling many photographic scenes and the capability of shooting ultra telephoto shots without changing lenses. The popularity of this focal length led Tamron to initiate the development of new zoom lenses to further meet the needs of digital SLR photographers. The result is the successful development of a new zoom lens exclusively for use on digital SLR cameras. The wide to ultra tele focal range of this lens will allow digital SLR camera owners to enjoy digital photography with comfort and convenience.

*

Tamron Press Release 28/09/04

TAMRON INTRODUCES SP AF11-18MM F/4.5-5.6 Di-II LD ASPHERICAL (IF)

A NEW HIGH PERFORMANCE ZOOM LENS DESIGNED FOR EXCLUSIVE USE WITH DIGITAL (APS-C) SLR CAMERAS COVERING THE ULTRA WIDEANGLE RANGE

Photokina, Cologne, Germany, September 28, 2004 - Mr. Morio Ono, President of Tamron Co., Ltd., announced the successful development of the SP AF11-18mm F/4.5-5.6 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) (Model A13), a new high performance ultra wideangle zoom lens designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras using APS-C size image sensors.

The new SP AF11-18mm 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. The lens provides reliable performance in a compact size to meet the needs of digital SLR camera users pursuing creativity in wideangle photography. The lens uses a new optical system specially designed for digital SLR cameras, in addition to the use of a glass-molded aspherical element having a large clear aperture, hybrid aspherical elements, and elements using such special glass materials as high index/high dispersion glass and low dispersion optical glass, for outstanding optical performance.

Casio Europe Press Release 29/09/04

Norderstedt, September 2004 - The new QV-R52 digital camera from CASIO is a must-have on holiday, for everyday use, on the weekend trip at all times. Equipped with 5.0 megapixels and 3x optical zoom, the camera produces superb quality photos quickly and simply. With its Direct On function it is ready to use in around one second1. That, together with the shutter release time of approx. 0.01 second2 makes the QV-R52 ideal for any snapshot.

The barbecue evening with your friends and your young one’s first gap between the teeth - it’s easy to have a look at the recording of thrilling moments on the large 2-inch TFT colour display. The QV-R52 digital camera comes in high-quality metal body, measures 88.3mm x 60.4mm x 33.4mm3, and photographing with it is child’s play, thanks to the simple menu control. The 21 pre-recorded scenes (BESTSHOT) give you the scenarios for various manner of snapshot situations, and there is more you can add on besides. The built-in flash with red eye reduction ensures excellent quality photos - even under poor light conditions. The compact camera, weighing a mere 168 g4, boasts extra features like the self-timer, macro, automatic calendar and world time, as well as alarm function with picture. The integrated memory store of approx. 9.7 MB can be extended with any SD/MMC card. With every function, CASIO’s own electronics reduce energy consumption considerably and ensures that snap-happy photographer can retain so many special moments.

Contax have announced 2 new digital cameras at Photokina.

Contax i4R - Overview
Photographer?s Dream, Carl Zeiss Tessar T* 6.5mm F/2.8 Lens
The Contax i4R offers a Carl Zeiss Tessar T* 6.5mm lens (equivalent to approx 39mm in 35mm film format) consisting of 4 elements in 3 groups and includes two aspheric and one high index lens element. The Carl Zeiss Tessar T* 65.mm f/2.8 lens has been developed specifically for digital usage and achieves outstanding color reproduction and rich color gradation. In addition, Carl Zeiss? special multi-layer T* coating dramatically reduces flare and ghosting which results in crisp, ultra sharp images. For greater control, the i4R has the ability to focus down to an amazing 5cm (2 inches) in macro mode (lens element surface to subject distance).

The i4R also incorporates 6x digital zoom and includes up to 8x digital zoom in playback mode.

Read the Specifications