DPReview have just reviewed what is sure to be a popular digital camera, the 5 megapixel Canon PowerShot A95:

“Canon has taken a popular camera and added just enough to make it even better. It’s questionable whether you really need the extra million pixels for ‘snapshots’, but the results in this test show that the A95 has the optics and processor needed to squeeze the maximum possible information out of a scene. I was impressed by the build quality, and pleasantly surprised at just how good the results the A95 produces are. It’s a lot smaller than the G5, but a lot easier to handle and a lot more stable in your hands than many of the ‘sexier’ ultra compact 5MP models on the market. It also has a feature set that rivals many cameras considerable more expensive.”

Website: DPReview - Canon PowerShot A95 Review

Chooing a digital camera can be a confusing experience rather than an enjoyable one, especially with the large numbers of different and often very similar models that are released every year. PCMagazine has published a handy guide to selecting the right camera for you.

“Shopping for a digital camera is stressful. Most stores carry a fraction of the 200-plus cameras on the market, and except at specialty stores, salespeople aren’t much help. You can ask friends for recommendations, but even if they love their camera, it might be discontinued, given short product cycles. Don’t throw up your hands and give up. A little information, some strategizing, and our reviews can make the process less traumatic.”

Website: PCMagazine - Choose Your Camera

PCMagazine have obviously been busy writing this kind of article, as they also have a essential buying guide for photo printers:

“Photo printers fall neatly into three categories. The first is ink jet photo printers, which we’ll refer to as photo printers or photo ink jets. These offer at least one photo feature but can also function as all-purpose printers. They print from business applications reasonably well, though often at a very slow pace. This is the category to consider if you want a single, all- purpose printer. You should also consider it if you want a second printer just for photos.”

Website: PCMagazine - The Essential Buying Guide: Photo Printers

HP UK Press Release 20/09/04

New 8-ink HP Photosmart 8450 Photo Printer Provides Complete ‘Digital Darkroom’ Solution

Advanced colour and b/w photo printing with built-in network capability

LONDON, UK, 20 September 2004. HP today announced the launch of its new, top of the range photo printer, the HP Photosmart 8450. A high performance device developed for serious amateur and professional photographers, this advanced printer provides a complete digital darkroom solution with a range of advanced features and all the convenience of personal digital processing.

In addition, a new printhead architecture with double the previous nozzle density significantly improves photo print speed in high quality modes. The HP Photosmart 8450 therefore offers an unrivalled combination of no-compromise quality, fade resistance and speed.

The 8-ink HP Photosmart 8450 enables studio-quality printing in both colour and black and white, with specially-formulated greyscale inks at the heart of the system. The use of dye-based light grey, medium grey and photo-optimised black inks - developed to reduce metamerism and thereby provide neutral tones regardless of lighting conditions - results in black & white photos comparable with the best studio-developed prints. In addition, they combine with the five colour inks (cyan, magenta, yellow , light cyan and light magenta ) to build luminance, dramatically reduce hue shifts and produce far more accurate colours. Such is the quality of output that professional photographers can use the HP Photosmart 8450 to print photos for press books or galleries. These results are produced through a combination of the HP No. 344 tri-colour inkjet print cartridge, the HP No. 348 photo inkjet print cartridge and the HP No. 100 grey photo inkjet print cartridge, which come with the HP Photosmart 8450.

The Danish website Digital Magasinet have posted a review of the new 4 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3.

Website: Digital Magasinet - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3

DCResource have posted their review of the 4 megapixel Canon PowerShot A85.

“As it was with the A75 and A95, the PowerShot A85 is a first-rate entry-level camera. It’s great for both beginners who want fully automatic operate to more experienced photographers (or those who want to become one) who like manual controls. The A85 offers very good photo quality, full manual controls, plenty of scene modes, an AF-assist lamp, and expandability. The A85’s photo quality is quite good, with only a bit of noise and purple fringing. The camera has the full suite of manual controls, including white balance and focus. For those who aren’t ready for those yet, the camera offers 11 scene modes.”

Website: DCResource - Canon PowerShot A85 Review

Sharp Press Release 20/09/04

Sharp Develops 2-Megapixel CCD Camera Module for Full-Fledged Digital Camera Functionality in Mobile Phones

New 2X Optical Inner Zoom Lens Design Provides Dramatically Improved Functionality for Camera-Equipped Mobile Phones

Sharp Corporation has developed a new 2-megapixel CCD camera module featuring a 2X optical inner zoom lens. Intended for use in high-end camera-equipped mobile phones, the new LZ0P3738 will be available in quantity beginning in October 2004.

Cameras designed to be embedded in mobile phones have been moving toward ever higher pixel counts beyond the megapixel range in response to user demands for greater functionality and higher image quality on a par with ordinary digital cameras. At the same time, there are demands for more compact and thinner camera modules to provide this greater functionality and higher image quality without altering the form factor of mobile phone handsets.

Photoshop Elements User have published a great preview of Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 by Scott Kelby.

“This is a much-improved version of an already amazing product, and if your a serious, or even semi-serious user of Elements, you’ll definitely want to upgrade because it just offers so much in so many areas. The downside of all this is that Mac users get a little bit shafted on this release because some of the cool new features in Elements 3 (like the Organizer) didn’t make their way to the Mac version.”

Website: Photoshop Elements User - A First Look at Photoshop Elements 3

BIOS magazine have just reviewed the new Epson Stylus CX3600 All-In-One Printer.

“The Stylus CX3600 sits at the bottom of Epson’s all-in-one printer range and is suited to home workers, students or small business users. It’s not the most stylish or capable device, but its relatively compact form factor and good print quality on general paper should suit general users who don’t want the expense of purchasing and running a high-end photo-imaging solution. The Stylus CX3600 is no powerhouse, but it does allow you to scan, copy and print in colour.”

http://www.biosmagazine.co.uk/rev.php?id=180

The UK camera shop Grays of Westminster have published a review of the new Nikon F6 film SLR by Simon Stafford.

“Whatever the case many Nikon devotees consider the F5 as representing the pinnacle of film camera design so how does the new camera compare? Well, based on my first impressions, I would suggest it raises the bar even higher, and by a significant amount. To date I have had the privilege of trying out a pre-production camera for a few weeks, which has given me a strong flavour of what the F6 is capable of achieving but even at this late stage in its development Nikon have been tweaking its specification, so the list of features below is not comprehensive. I will, of course, be reviewing a full production model as soon as possible.”

Thanks to Giallauk for sending me the link :-)

Website: Simon Stafford - Nikon F6 Review

Ulead Systems Press Release 20/09/04

Ulead Releases CD & DVD PictureShow 3 Deluxe, the Newest Version of its Complete Software Suite for Organizing and Creating Photo Slideshows.

A new three-step workflow with Instant-Show templates turn photos into memorable slideshows with themes such as Birthday, Wedding, and Holiday, complete with graphics, animated effects, transitions and music.

Northampton September 20th 2004 - Ulead Systems, a 15-year, industry-leader in digital media software development, introduces Ulead DVD PictureShow 3 Deluxe, the newest version of its easy-to-use digital photo slideshow suite. The software lets anyone organize, enhance and transform photos into DVD and CD slideshows to watch on TV or a computer. With a long history of creating user-friendly consumer software, Ulead has upped the ante for ease of use with CD & DVD PictureShow 3 Deluxe. The software’s new three-step workflow and Instant-Show templates make it possible to turn photos into entertaining slideshows within minutes. CD & DVD PictureShow 3 includes Photo Explorer 8.5, the newest version of Uleads popular digital media management software, which offers a host of new features including Calendar View and Albums for better organizing photos according to date. Together these two best-of-breed Ulead digital image programs form CD & DVD PictureShow 3 Deluxe, a powerful and intuitive suite of tools for managing, enhancing, and sharing digital photos.

Shortcut Press Release 20/09/04

Shortcut is going to show its complete range of software at Photokina, world’s leading photo fair, Germany. Shortcut will demonstrate its products PhotoZoom (Pro), updated PhotoClean, recently launched PhotoArtist and the new PhotoPrint. Curious? Contact us for more details or visit us at Photokina at our booth, hall 10 booth F21. 

Starting from the 28th of September till the 3rd of October Shortcut is exhibiting at Photokina. Shortcut wants to brand its name there and show amongst others PhotoPrint and PhotoClean.
The recently released Shortcut PhotoPrint is one of a kind, unique in technology. No other software product before has offered seamless borderless high quality printing with just one mouse click, without the hassle of setting difficult printer adjustments.

M-ROCK Press Release 15/09/04

M-ROCK ANNOUNCES LINE OF CAMERA BAGS MADE ESPECIALLY FOR DIGITAL CAMERA, TRAVEL, AND OUTDOOR USE

With Non-Abrasive Materials, More Pockets, Bungee Straps and Versatility that Photographers Crave

Centennial, CO, September 15, 2004, M-ROCK, the ultimate camera and accessory bag manufacturer, will introduce at Photokina its line of 14 user-friendly digital camera and camcorder bags, modular belts, and backpacks with everything the amateur photographer, traveler and outdoorsman needs to store and carry their camera equipment no matter where they go. 

M-ROCK?s camera and accessory bags are on the cutting-edge of modular design and development.  Especially created to carry digital cameras from small point and shoot to larger SLRs with protruding lenses, M-ROCK?s camera bags are made of digital-camera friendly non-abrasive materials and have loads of interior and exterior see-through pockets for memory cards and digital camera accessories.  The bags have additional special camera features, such as U-shaped lens cradles that protect lenses by securely holding them in place and keeping the camera weight off the lens.

The 33rd PhotographyBLOG Portfolio has been submitted by Bob Perry.

“This portfolio is a collection of British birds. Some are taken in my garden and some a little further afield. The camera used in all these shots was the Fuji S2 Pro. I have many more wildlife images on my website, please pay me a visit.

I was born in 1948 and have lived all my life round and about Salisbury in the U.K. I have always been interested in photography and natural history and attended evening classes in these subjects for a number of years. With the advent of the digital age my interest in photography really took off, the main focus being natural history.”

Website: www.bobperryonline.co.uk

Website: Portfolios: Bob Perry

IN THE IMAGE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Jose Snijders (LetsGoDigital), Mark Goldstein (PhotographyBLOG), Dennis Hissink LetsGoDigital), Mark Peters (LetsGoDigital), Kai Thon (DigIT)

DIWA Press Release 17/09/04

Pan-European PhotographyBLOG joins DIWA Awards, The Digital Imaging Websites Association

DIWA Awards is a fast-growing association of expert websites specialised in digital imaging technologies and product reviews. Today, the group is proud to announce its 12th member website: www.photographyblog.com, a pan-European site, presently located in London and Paris.

PhotographyBLOG was started in January 2003 by UK photographer Mark Goldstein and has quickly grown to become one of the premier sources of photography news on the Internet. The main purpose of PhotographyBLOG is to report all the photography news, as it happens. Reviews are also a fundamental part of the site, with detailed reports on digital and film cameras, printers, software and other photography products. PhotographyBLOG has a very popular photo Gallery, Forum, User Reviews database and Portfolios section, as well as running regular photo competitions and prize giveaways. From being a small personal weblog about photography, PhotographyBLOG is now a vibrant community with a large amount of subscribers.

Mark says: “The speed of the Internet never stops to amaze me. Only 18 months after its modest beginning, I’m proud to learn that my site is invited to join the prestigious DIWA organisation. My introduction to the unique DIWA testing procedure confirms its reputation of being the most comprehensive and rigorous of its kind”.

Although PhotographyBLOG originated as a news website, it is now increasingly focusing on product reviews and tests. Joining an international organisation like DIWA is indeed an inspiration for Mark and his team, as they now establish themselves in Paris.

DIWA Press Release 17/09/04

HP Photosmart R707 honoured with the highest recognition in the digital imaging industry - a DIWA Gold medal

17. September, 2004: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), a world-wide organisation of collaborating websites, today announced that Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P. has been awarded a Gold medal for the remarkable compact digital camera; HP Photosmart R707. The DIWA group of digital imaging experts in Europe and USA came to this conclusion after performing multiple tests of different product samples, based on the comprehensive DIWA test procedure.

For a compact amateur digital camera, the HP Photosmart R707 is equipped with a sensible array of user-friendly functions for beginners, as well as advanced modes for experienced or ambitious amateurs. The DIWA testing team also appreciated the camera?s unique features, such as on-board “Tips & Tricks” Image Advice menu, automatic red-eye removal and in-camera panorama stitching.

Thanks to 5 Megapixels resolution and innovative HP technologies, like Adaptive Lighting, Adaptive Demosaic, Vignetting and Shading Correction, and Noise Filter, the overall image quality is very impressive for the camera’s price tag.

Representatives from the eleven DIWA testers say: “The R707 test results were most surprising for most of us. Obviously, HP possesses far more imaging expertise than is found in their excellent printers and scanners. With this compact camera, HP also proves that high performance and low price is not an impossible combination. It just took an outsider to do it”.

Well, most of you seem to think that the product lineup that Canon unveiled at the beginning of this month, which included the new EOS 20D DSLR, PowerShot G6 and PowerShot S70, was pretty exciting, judging by the following results in the latest PhotographyBLOG Poll:

Option 01: Definitely - what a great lineup! [264 votes]
Option 02: Yeah, they’re pretty interesting [213 votes]
Option 03: Erm, sort of, maybe [148 votes]
Option 04: I’m not really that bothered [136 votes]
Option 05: I couldn’t care less! [137 votes]

The new PhotographyBLOG poll is a topical one, given the recent deluge of press releases: “Are you excited by the recent pre-Photokina camera announcements?”

PCMagazine 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.

“The 3.6X zoom operates smoothly, and we like the camera’s 28-mm wide-angle ability. In macro range, you can shoot from as close as 2 inches, though with wide-angle distortion (as you’d expect). The camera’s 1.8-inch TFT LCD panel wasn’t particularly bright, and even when it was adjusted for daylight viewing, direct light washed it out more than we’d like.”

Website: PCMagazine - Canon PowerShot S60 Review

PCMagazine have just reviewed the 5 megapixel Kodak Easyshare LS753, which was first announced back in January.

“Image quality is very good - equal to or better than any point-and-shoot we’ve tested in terms of resolution: 1,300 horizontal lines per inch (lpi) and 1,250 vertical lpi. Our simulated daylight and flash test shots were crisp, with excellent detail and color, though slightly underexposed.”

Website: PCMagazine - Kodak Easyshare LS753 Review

Yesterday’s new digital camera announcements by Nikon were accompanied by the usual flood of previews, first looks and reviews from the various websites who receive the kit in advance. To help you make sense of the avalanche of new articles, here’s a handy guide to which sites have published what:

DCResource
Nikon Coolpix 8800 Preview
Nikon Coolpix 8400 Preview

DPReview
Nikon Coolpix 8800 Preview
Nikon Coolpix 8400 Preview

Imaging Resource
Nikon Coolpix 8800 Preview
Nikon Coolpix 8400 Preview
Nikon Coolpix 4800 Preview

Index Digicam
Nikon Coolpix 8800 Preview
Nikon Coolpix 8400 Preview
Nikon Coolpix 4800 Preview

LetsGoDigital
Nikon D2x First Look
Nikon Coolpix 8800 First Look
Nikon Coolpix 8400 First Look
Nikon Coolpix 4800 First Look

Steves Digicams
Nikon Coolpix 8800 First Look
Nikon Coolpix 8400 First Look
Nikon Coolpix 4800 First Look

That should be enough reading to be getting on with!

The Photokina 2004 show hasn’t actually started yet, but several websites already have pages dedicated to giving you the lowdown on all the new products that have been announced, both before and during the show. PhotographyBLOG will also be starting its own round-up soon…

- DPReview
- LetsGoDigital
- Steves Digicams