Here are a few more shots from the picturesque town of La Orotava in Tenerife.

ByteSector have posted what may be the first ever review of the 4-megapixel, 10x zoom Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2.

“Conventionally, the user can swap between the internal and external viewfinders. That isn’t new but how it is done is! If you switch to the internal viewfinder “the thing you look at with one eye” the external viewfinder has some mechanical element that folds a screen over it. So the external viewfinder doesn’t simply turn off, it is covered up by a mechanism. A cool design enhancement; it shows you exactly that which is shown on the external viewfinder into the internal one, same colours, contrasts and hues. It’s like a reflective mirror inside.”

Website: ByteSector - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the 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.

“The VP-300 can use most any (9.5mm height) 2.5-inch IDE laptop hard disk drive. I upgraded a laptop a while back and had a 20GB IBM Travelstar hard drive sitting around doing nothing, it’s now in my VP-300. Laptop hard drives are plentiful and cheap these days, just pick the capacity you want and install it in the VP-300.”

Website: Steves Digicams - X’S-Drive Pro VP300 Review

The Slovenian website e-Fotografija has just reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Pentax Optio 30, which is a simple digital camera aimed at photography beginners.

Website: e-Fotografija - Pentax Optio 30 Review

Microtek International, Inc. Press Release 11/03/04

Microtek International Takes Aggressive Measures

Corrects misinformation about new business relationship with Umax System GmbH

Hsinchu, Taiwan (March 11, 2004) - Microtek International, Inc. is quickly and decisively responding to a false and misleading news report recently posted on Macworld.co.uk that Umax is acquiring Microtek.  Microtek emphatically denies this report, and Umax System GmbH (USG) has provided to Macworld.co.uk additional, factual information about its newly formed business relationship with Microtek.  Macworld online in the United Kingdom has subsequently corrected its news report in its March 10, 2004 issue. 

The facts are that Microtek International, Inc. entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with USG in Europe.  This distribution agreement is specific and limited, applying to Europe only and to specific high-end scanners in Microtek?s ArtixScan and ScanMaker product lines. USG will discontinue its distribution of the PowerLook scanners in Europe as part of this agreement.  Microtek will continue to market and sell its other products including digital cameras.

We only had a few hours to look around the small hillside town of La Orotava in the North of Tenerife, but luckily the weather was gloriously sunny and the town was something of a photographer’s paradise. My favourite photo of the day was not taken in La Orotava, however, but in the much, much more touristy city of Peurto de la Cruz, just a short bus journey away. The last photo of 4 tourists unknowingly resting under a Holy Cross is one of my favourites of the entire trip.

This week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston is very subtly titled “Moving Pictures”...

“I’ve always believed - on very little actual evidence - that watching black-and-white movies can help black-and-white photographers get better. New on DVD recently is the famous “Schindler’s List,” which, although perhaps a qualified success as a film (only Spielberg could come so close to ruining a movie full of death and genocide with a saccharine ending), is indisputably a tour-de-force of superlative monochrome cinematography. Never mind the red cloak; Janusz Kaminski’s camerawork is of an extraordinary standard, always very good and, quite frequently, flat-out great. A movie to rent if you’re trying to learn how to see, or see better, in black-and-white.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: Moving Pictures

Digital Outback Photo have added some photos of cactus plants to their diary review of the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.

“The 8700 is capable of producing very nice photos once you get more used to it. If you shoot raw you just have to be patient to wait for the camera to write the files (the 8700 may be faster with other cards than my 1GB Microdrive).”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Nikon Coolpix 8700 Diary

A forum user over on the Thailand website Photohobby.net has posted a useful comparison of the 5 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A1 and the new 8-megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 digital camera (found via digicamera.net).

“I have a chance to play around with the A2 for couple days. Having both A1/A2 at the same time make me decide to write a short review emphasizing how the two are different. I hope that the information I?ve put here will be beneficial for whom who is seeking for what to buy. As well as the A1 owner like mine will have a chance to see whether or not the new A2 is worth upgrading?”

Website: Photohobby.net - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 vs A1 Comparison

The Danish website Akamera.dk have just published their review of the Sony Cybershot DSC U40, a stylish 2-megapixel digicam available in four colors (silver, black, dark blue and red), which costs around $200.

Website: Akamera.dk - Sony Cybershot DSC U40 Review

PENTAX to Distribute Camera Control Software for *ist D on the Internet

PENTAX Corporation is proud to announce that it will distribute the PENTAX REMOTE Assistant* camera control software to users of the PENTAX *ist D digital SLR camera via the Internet. The software can be downloaded free of charge from the PENTAX Web site (http://www.digital.pentax.co.jp) beginning on March 18, 2004, for Windows users and after mid April for Macintosh users.

The PENTAX REMOTE Assistant is designed to expand the capabilities of the PENTAX *ist D when the camera is connected via USB cable to a personal computer with the software installed. Advanced functions and user-friendly features that the software offers to *ist D users include:

Remote shutter release and interval shooting from the computer. (The interval shooting function is available only in combination with a computer.)

Direct uploading and filing of captured images onto the computer’s hard disk drive, without having to store them on the camera’s memory card.

Setting and adjustment of basic and auxiliary functions, including user-selectable custom functions, on the computer.

* This software is equivalent in English only.

After a brief spell of being offline this morning due to exceeding my bandwidth limit for March (it’s only the 14th!), PhotographyBLOG is now back up and running :-)

The latest issue of the monthly online photo magazine, Vivid Light Photography, has just been published. Highlights this month include a couple of articles that look back at PMA 2004 Article 1, Article 2, and a look forward to the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7 Digital.

Website: Vivid Light Photography - Issue #34

Steves Digicams has posted a First Look at the new 8-megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 digital camera.

“The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 inherits the excellent image quality and performance of the DiMAGE A1 and takes it to the next level with a high-quality 8-megapixel CCD and a Super Fine Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) with VGA resolution. The features continue with a fast, new 3D autofocusing system (1.5x faster than DiMAGE A1) with 3D Predicative Focus Control and Movement tracking, a sharp f/2.8 7x optical zoom lens with manual zoom and focus rings, Anti-shake function for still images and VGA quality movies, CxProcess II Image Processing technology, UHS Continuous Advance rate of 7 frames per second, high-speed USB 2.0 support and compatibility with portable and studio flash systems.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 First Look

According to a story over on Rob Galbraith’s site, the Nikon D70 is due to start shipping in the USA on March 18th. Apparently the D70 is already back-ordered, so unless you’ve already pre-ordered you may have to wait a while…

Website: Rob Galbraith - Nikon D70 Shipping Date

Olympus UK Press Release 12/03/04

An opportunity not to be missed!

Trade in your current camera for Olympus E-System accessories

Between the 15 March and 30 April 2004, customers who purchase the Olympus E-1 Kit (which includes E-1 body and ZUIKO Digital 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 lens) are invited to trade in any make or model of SLR equipment or digital camera (in full working order)*. They may then choose between one of four high spec accessories or ?200 cash back. In addition, these customers will receive a free one year membership to the Olympus E-Club.

The accessories to choose from are:

- FL-50 external flash system
- ZUIKO Digital ED 50mm f2.0 macro lens
- CAMEDIA P-440 photo printer
- 2GB 40X Lexar Pro series CompactFlash card

Sara Cubitt, Head of Marketing Communications of Olympus UK comments, “This opportunity emphasises our commitment to professional photographers by encouraging them to explore the creative potential of the E-System”.

The Olympus E-System has been designed to meet the demands of professional photographers and currently offers the most innovative digital SLR system on the market. The system boasts excellent image quality and flexibility, plus lenses which are much smaller and lighter than those created for analogue systems.

Further information can be found on the Olympus E-System website: www.olympus-pro.com/uk from Monday 15th March.

* NB The offer does not include 35mm compact cameras or single use cameras.

PhotographyBLOG visitor Emil is the proud owner of the new Canon Powershot Pro 1 digital camera, and he has kindly sent me 2 sample images and a noise comparison between the Pro 1 and his old Canon G3. The images below have been resized in Photoshop - simply click on them to open the full-sized image in a new browser window. The first sample was taken with ISO set to Auto, the second was set to ISO 50.

Nature Photographers Online Magazine has recently published an interesting article by Mark Hobson, who urges you to focus on a specific subject in order to stand out from the photography crowd.

“So, let me repeat myself. All great photographers do the same. Avedon, Penn, Bresson, Adams, Witkin, Meyerowitz, et al - they find (or create) a niche and then they hammer at it over and over again. They create a focused body of related work of a particular subject over an extended period of time, and, from that vision-defining body of work, emerges the ?greatest hits? for which they are well known.”

Website: Nature Photographers Online Magazine - Just Do It

Michael Reichmann’s recent review of the Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom digital camera provoked a lot of negative feedback on various discussion forums. In his latest essay, Michael looks at what is important when it comes to evaluating a new camera.

“In the end both image quality and a camera’s operational quality are equally important. No camera is perfect, and few are perfectly bad. For some photographers who don’t have a lot of experience with a wide range of equipment, and of working under difficult conditions, where seemingly small operational features can make the difference between getting the shot or not, my complaints may seem like so much unfair griping.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - The Case of the Nit Picking Pixel Peepers