Digital Photography Blog have just reviewed the Canon Powershot S1 IS digital camera, which offers 10x image stablised zoom, 3 megapixels and high-quality 640 x 480 video at 30 frames/second with sound.

“I found the image quality of the many shots I took on the Canon Powershot S1 IS to be very good using a variety of settings. Images were generally sharply focused and well exposed in a variety of lighting condidtions.

I did notice a small amount of barrel distortion at the widest angle zoom settings and at the other end of the zoom there was some chromatic aberration (purple fringing) which is often a problem for cameras with large zooms like this. Colors were well represented and noise levels were reasonable for a camera in its class - although things get a little noisy at 200 ISO or over.”

Website: Digital Photography Blog - Canon PowerShot S1 IS Review

Fotoware Press Release 04/07/04

Take Full Control Of Your Digital Assets With FotoStation Pro.

Fotoware is Europe’s leading supplier of digital asset management software. Anyone working professionally with images and other digital media will agree that a powerful archive and retrieval system is essential.

FotoStation Pro has been designed for people who work professionally with digital assets. It puts you in command whether you work alone or in a large organization and whether you have just started building your archive or need a fast, powerful solution to organize your existing one. FotoStation Pro offers powerful group collaboration tools and adapts perfectly to even the most complex workflow requirements.

A few more photos from in and around the futuristic Bullring Centre, Birmingham, England.

Also new from Australian photographer Jeremy Daalder is a step-by-step guide to building your very own lightbox.

“There are of course lots of light boxes to be bought if you’ve got cash burning a hole in your pocket. The best models have wonderfully even light, are about 3 inches thick and cost about as much as your first car. Locally made alternatives exist but are still in the region of at least $300 for an A2 sized model (about 70 by 50 cm).

However, light boxes are pretty simple things in the end, so why not build it yourself? You can make it exactly the right size to cover your table or suit your purposes - or add some legs and it can even be the table! You can build your own quality light box for half the price or even less, and in just a couple of hours. And there is always something nice about building your own tools.”

Website: Jeremy Daalder - Building Your Own Light Box

Australian photographer Jeremy Daalder has a great tutorial that dicsusses techniques for imitating classic photographic effects and film types in Photoshop.

“The Bleach Bypass is a film laboratory technique where, by skipping the bleach stage in the color processing sequence, silver is retained in the image along with the colour dyes. The result is effectively a black and white image superimposed on a color image. Bleach Bypass images have increased contrast, reduced saturation, often giving a pastel effect. This technique (combined with digital grading) is VERY popular on shows like CSI etc.”

Website: Jeremy Daalder - Simulating Classic Film Effects in Photoshop

The Consumer Electronics Association’s report “Digital Imaging Trends in 2003-2004” contains some interesting observations on the the digital camera market in America.

“The resolution race that defined the early growth of the digital camera market is dying down and pricing is beginning to flatten for the various megapixel camera categories. The tech-savvy consumer understands that a 3-megapixel camera delivers far better resolution for enlargement than do the 1- and 2-megapixel cameras, and they are willing to pay for the better output. Two out of five consumers are willing to pay the premium, according to PMA.”

Website: Consumer Electronics Association - Digital Imaging Trends in 2003-2004

A recent visit to Birmingham produced these shots of what must by now be something of a photographic cliche. The Bullring Centre was recently pulled down and rebuilt in this outlandish, space-age style, and has quickly become one of the most photographed buildings in the Midlands, if not England. Black and white seemed to suit the building better than the original colour images.

Well, UK-based Digital Camera Magazine certainly thinks so, as their latest email newsletter that I got today has this interesting tidbit of information:

“PRODUCT NEWS: Yet another monster zoom DiMAGE

It seems like only yesterday that we got review samples of the 10x zoom DiMAGE Z2, but Konica Minolta has already announced its successor - you’ve guessed it, kids, the DiMAGE Z3. Anyone who’s just bought the Z2 will be cheesed off, as the Z3 has an even beefier 12x optical zoom, as well as anti-shake technology and predictive focus control, for the same money. The all-glass GT APO lens bodes well, too, as does the proprietary CxProcess II image processing technology. The Z2 gets a ‘Best Value’ award in a group test of power zooms in the new issue of Digital Camera Shopper, so we can’t wait to test this new one!”

So if the Z2 is currently on your shortlist of possible new purchases, you may want to wait a while to see what develops…

Archos Press Release 02/07/04

ARCHOS UNVEILS THE NEW POCKET VIDEO RECORDER AV400, MAKING HOME ENTERTAINMENT PORTABLE

The Ultimate Handheld Digital Video Recorder Offers TV Recording and a Portable Home Entertainment Centre in one Pocket-Sized Device

UK - JULY, 2004 - ARCHOS, the pioneer and technology leader in pocket-sized audio and video digital media solutions for mobile consumers has introduced a new pocket-sized digital video recorder and player that offers both portable and home entertainment. The ARCHOS Pocket Video Recorder AV400 (20GB) is the industry?s first and only portable digital video recorder with television recording and scheduling capabilities, and audio, photo and data storage in one compact device.

Geared towards families, TV enthusiasts and gadget lovers, the Pocket Video Recorder AV400 experience starts in the living room where you can record television shows and movies directly from a TV, VCR, or cable/satellite receiver with a convenient one-time set-up TV Cradle. At the same time, the AV400 (20GB) takes personal entertainment enjoyment far beyond the living room, where consumers can watch videos and view photos on a large color LCD screen, listen to and record music, and transfer photos from a digital camera and data files from a PC or Macintosh.

There will be a new meaning to Rush Hour when the streets of central London are filled with the sights and sounds of Formula One on Tuesday 6 July.

This spectacular display is unprecedented, and Olympus will be helping the expected 250,000 onlookers to capture the moment, as eight Formula One teams take to Regent Street.

The evening event, running from 6pm to 8pm, takes a route starting at Waterloo Place, at the bottom of Lower Regent Street, and will go up to Piccadilly Circus and from there along Regent Street itself. Promising to get about even faster than a black cab, the Formula One cars will spear right through the pedestrian precinct outside the London Palladium before heading for Liberty’s department store and from there back on to Regent Street for the run back down to Waterloo Place.

CNET have reviewed the Archos AVCam 300, the world’s first camera and camcorder attachment for a portable audio and video player. The AVCam brings together for the first time a 3.3-megapixel camera, MPEG-4 camcorder and player, MP3 recorder and player and massive hard disk. The AV300 series and AVCam are available today at archos.com.

“If you own an Archos AV300-series portable video player, the AVCam 300 may tempt you. This camera attachment uses the player’s hard drive to store as much as 250 hours of MPEG-4 video or as many as 40,000 3.3-megapixel photos. The video it captures is quite good compared to footage from other MPEG-4 camcorders, and we love not having to worry about storage. On the downside, the 3X zoom lens makes a grinding noise and is highly erratic. Its photo quality is also subpar compared to output from dedicated 3-megapixel still cameras. But even with these problems, given its relatively low price, the AVCam 300 is well worth considering if you own a compatible Archos player.”

Website: CNET - Archos AVCam 300 Review

Digital Outback Photo have published a great step-by-step guide to improving the contrast of the midtones in your photographs.

“We often use S-Curves to enhance contrast. This is actually just fine if we don’t have any problem with darkened/blocked shadows or aggressive highlights. But often you want to improve the contrast without damaging the shadows and highlights.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Control Midtone Contrast

Nikon Press Release 01/07/04

NikonNet and ‘Legends Behind the Lens’ Honor the Work of Veteran Photographer Doug Menuez

MELVILLE, N.Y., July 1 /PRNewswire/—For award-winning photojournalist Doug Menuez, there is a real connection between tequila and a camera, and it goes far beyond ‘great shots.’  In fact, with everything from tequila to technology, Doug Menuez has proven that, if you look closely, there is a story to tell.

This July, NikonNet’s inspiring monthly, “Legends Behind the Lens,” honors the work of esteemed photojournalist and commercial photographer Doug Menuez. Since 1981, Menuez has photographed major news stories from the famine in Ethiopia to South American drug wars for Time, Newsweek, Life, People and Fortune.  His eye for fine art has also made him one of the most sought-after commercial photographers in the country.

“NikonNet is pleased to honor the images and extraordinary career of Doug Menuez in this July’s ‘Legends Behind the Lens,’” said Tracy Mack-Jackson, senior manager of Internet Development and Programs at Nikon Inc. “For over 20 years, Doug has captured some of the most memorable images in news and advertising.  He has truly served his industry through his creativity, inventiveness and search for finding new stories to tell.”

Kodak Press Release 01/07/04

Kodak Monthly Tech Brief Explores How Camera Phone Users Go Mobile With Their Pictures

ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 1—Digital photography has made computer based slideshows and photo sharing a reality for millions of consumers. Now, Kodak is giving consumers a new service that brings these features to their mobile phones.

Kodak’s Monthly Tech Brief explores how the advent of new imaging-enabled mobile phones that include web access (and, in more recent higher-end versions, also include a one-megapixel camera), coupled with online and mobile picture services, will give consumers new ways to access their pictures and share individual images, slideshows, and online photo albums, without relying on desktop or laptop computers.

Fujifilm Press Release 29/06/04

Fujifilm and calumet photographic launch new deal for pictrography customers at special UK events

With combined experience of over 140 years in servicing the professional photographic market, Fujifilm and Calumet Photographic have joined forces to strengthen their partnership initiatives, aimed at offering businesses and photographers greater access to the finest equipment and systems on the market.

To celebrate their latest exclusive deal, Fujifilm and Calumet have announced three special Pictrography event presentations to introduce customers to the benefits of in-house digital printing with the Pictrography 3500 and 4500 units. Visitors to the events at Calumet stores in Birmingham, Fulham and Bristol, will not only have the opportunity to see the Pictrography in action, they will also be able the benefit from a special event free print offer and three month payment holiday.

PNY Technologies Press Release 24/06/04

Restore precious memories with ease

Merignac - June the 24th, 2004 - PNY Technologies announces PHOTORECOVERY, the new online data recovery service specifically for Digital Media in partnership with LC Technology International.

If you have ever deleted or lost pictures or documents accidentally PHOTORECOVERY for Digital Media will put an end to your frustrations! New cameras using Flash cards such as SDCard, or CompactFlash allow images to be erased, and the space on the media reused. The media can also be bulk erased or formatted; removing any images from the storage media. Imagine images of baby?s first steps, bath time, parties, school plays and special occasions being lost forever because someone pressed the wrong button!

The technology website BIOS have reviewed the Vosonic X’S-Drive Pro VP300, which is a portable image storage device, 9-in-1 flash memory card reader/writer, MP3 player and USB 2.0 hard drive device.

“Targeted at digital photographers, the X’S-Drive Pro VP 300 is a cost-effective way to store and backup lots of high-resolution images safely. Simply insert a memory card into the device and then press ‘Copy’ - all of your files are then transferred to the X’S-Drive Pro VP 300 so you can format your memory card and start afresh.”

Website: BIOS - Vosonic X’S-Drive Pro VP300 Review

Epson UK Press Release 01/07/04

EPSON delivers a flexible All-in-One with new features ideal for both the home and small office

The EPSON Stylus CX6600 is a new All-in-One designed to improve the quality and cost efficiency of home and small office printing.  It combines high-speed inkjet printing, scanning and photocopying with the flexibility of a memory card reader and the quality of EPSON DURABrite inks.

July 2004 - The EPSON Stylus CX6600 is EPSON’s most advanced general-purpose All-in-One inkjet device.  The new product benefits from EPSON’s latest PhotoQuicker 3.5 and EPSON Web-To-Page software.  PhotoQuicker 3.5 allows users to modify and print photos more easily, while Web-To-Page software allows web pages to be automatically condensed to paper size, so the printed version reflects what users see on screen.

Demand continues to grow for these devices as IDC analysts predict that the market will reach around 12 million units by 2007.  This is because individuals, whether they are in the home or the office, are demanding high-speed printing, high resolution scanning at cost-effective prices.  The new EPSON Stylus CX6600 is aimed at the user who wants the cost effectiveness of individual ink cartridges together with the ability to print and scan general-purpose documents with the convenience of memory card storage and occasional photo printing.  These functions together with the advanced photocopying features ensure that this product is especially attractive to business users as well as for home use.

Epson UK Press Release 01/07/04

EPSON brings effortless and easy film scanning to the home

EPSON launches the EPSON Perfection 2480 Photo featuring amazing one-touch photo restoration from this 2400dpi film and photo scanner

1st July 2004: The Perfection 2480 Photo provides excellent features and high specifications at an entry-level price.  This model will be the natural successor to the EPSON Perfection 1670 and EPSON Perfection 1670 Photo.  The new scanner is targeted at home users who want to scan film at home but may be daunted by the prospect.  The scanner has been designed with this in mind and ease of use is a key feature.

Richard Baylis, Sales and Marketing Manager, Consumer Products says, “This new scanner offer users a high resolution, improved photo restoration and fast film scanning.  At the same time, we have ensured that it is incredibly easy to use, film negatives can be easily scanned to make high quality enlargements at home.”

The July 2004 Competition is now open for entries. This is a monthly photography competition with a specific theme and prizes for the top 3 photos. The winning entries will be decided by a panel of judges. You just have to submit one photograph to the Competition Gallery that best interprets July’s theme, which is simply “Patterns”.

Please make sure that you read the Monthly Competition Rules before submitting your entry. Note that you are only allowed to enter 1 photograph. The competition is worldwide and open to everyone.

You can now start submitting entries to the July Competition here:
July 2004 Competition