The New York Times have reported that none other than Polaroid are set to introduce a compact digital camera called the x530 which is based around a Foveon sensor at PMA 2004. It will have 4.5 million effective pixel sensors and cost $399.

Website: DPReview - Polaroid x530 uses Foveon chip

Website: New York Times

Website: Foveon X3 5M CMOS Direct Image Sensor

The US website DCResource has posted the full specifications of the still unconfirmed Canon PowerShot Pro1, and also a new model in the shape of the PowerShot S1 IS. The Pro1 will apparently cost $999, whilst the S1 has a price tage of $499.

Website: DCResource - Canon PowerShot Pro1 Specifications

Website: DCResource - Canon PowerShot S1 IS Specifications

The latest issue of the monthly online photo magazine, Vivid Light Photography, has just been published. Highlights this month include a review of the Canon EOS 300D:

“The other misconception is that the Digital Rebel is just an EOS 10D in a plastic body. That’s like saying a Subaru WRX STi is the same as an Imprezza; hell, they look similar don’t they? Yes, the DR has a plastic body, but that’s as much of the statement is true. Let’s look at the similarities: they have the same imaging chip and similar electronics, so the image quality should be as good as the 10D and when using both cameras back to back, I haven’t noticed any difference in image quality.”

and an article called David vs. Goliath which compares consumer lenses with pro lenses:

“These are both quality lenses but they are aimed at two very different types of shooters. The trick is to figure our which type you are and buy the right lens.

The amateur who buys the 80-200mm will soon tire of hauling around its bulk and the lens will start spending more time in the drawer than on the camera. Likewise the pro who buys the 70-300mm will be frustrated by its autofocus speed and will likely damage the lens at some point through hard use. “

Website: Vivid Light Photography - Issue #33

Triscape Inc. Press Release 09/02/04

New FxFoto Version 1.2 Expands Digital Photo Organization, Enhancement and Web Publishing

Windham, NH (February, 2004) - Triscape Inc. announces the release of FxFoto 1.2, offering significant enhancements of its easy-to-use yet feature-rich photo package. Major new features include intuitive timeline navigation, a host of new photo enhancement and creativity tools, and improved tools for publishing slide shows on web sites using the FxFoto Viewer Plug-In. The FxFoto Standard Edition is still free and the Deluxe Edition is $29.99, with upgrades free of charge.

FxFoto’s unique user interface has been highly acclaimed by users as easy to learn and use. FxFoto automatically scans for photos upon installation and organizes thumbnails by date and folder in the navigation pane. The new Timeline Bar indicates visually the location of all folders by date, and one mouse click instantly moves the user to the folder thumbnails. Unique to FxFoto, all photo navigation, timeline representation, enhancement, slide creation, and creativity features are quickly accessible from a single application window, avoiding the complexity of products using complicated and sometimes confusing windows for separate tasks.

Fairly self-explanatory - 2 product shots of the rumoured 8-megapixel Canon Powershot Pro 1…

The following specification is also completely unconfirmed:

- 28-200mm optical zoom (35mm equivalent)
- 8.3 megapixel, 2/3 inch sensor
- 8.0 effective megapixels
- Aperture range: f2.4 - f3.5
- Shutter speed range: 15 seconds - 1/4000 second
- DiGiC Processor
- Macro 10 - 50cm
- Super Macro 3-30cm
- UD lens with 14 element lens (with Flourite) and aspherical elements

Steves Digicams has just reviewed the 3-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 3200 compact digital camera.

“The 3x Nikkor zoom lens is sharp and has excellent macro coverage down to about 1.6 inches. The lens exhibits moderate barrel distortion at full wideangle but is relatively free of pincushioning at full telephoto. The zoom and focus mechanisms move smoothly and quietly through their range. Its 38-115mm (35mm-equivalent) optical zoom range is typical for a camera in this class, offering a sufficient field of view for pleasing panorama’s, and enough telephoto magnification to bring your subject closer.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Nikon Coolpix 3200 Review

Luminous Landscape has today reviewed DSLR Remote Pro from Breeze Systems, a software program which allows you to connect a Canon DSLR to your PC and directly operate your camera’s controls and take photographs from your PC.

“As I was testing DSLR Remote Pro and putting it through its paces I found that the hours were slipping by. But, I couldn’t stop. I would take a frame and seconds later there it was on my screen to be studied in detail. Not a tiny viewfinder image. Not a coarse and unrepresentative rear LCD display, but a large 21” highly detailed image. I played with exposure changes, colour balance and more. I looked to see how blown highlights were handled by the camera with minute exposure setting changes. Then it hit me. What a great learning tool this is.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - DSLR Remote Pro Review

The winners of the January 2004 PhotographyBLOG Competition have now been decided. The theme for January was “Reflections” - you can view all of the 69 entries in this gallery.

The panel of judges thought long and hard before deciding on the three winners:

1st Place
“Transporter Bridge Middlesbrough” by Colin Hugill
View this entry

Judges Comments:
“Great tromp l’euil reflection on the car roof”

“Perfectly framed, a strong reflection and great light help to make this a winner.”

Prize: Photobird.com one-year subscription with 100 megabytes of storage space, kindly donated by Photobird.com.
http://www.photobird.com

2nd Place
“Post Storm Prague by digi-nation
View this entry

Judges Comments:
“This photograph captured my attention right away with the image of the reflection in the puddle. The strong contrast of the white clouds against the black of the buildings draws my eyes right to the center, and the vertical lamp post(reflection and real) draws my attention to the entire composition. An interesting idea.”

“One of the few black and white entries, of a scene that many photographers would have walked right past.”

Prize: 1 copy of Digital Photography Captured Volume 1, kindly donated by KnowledgeTrek.
http://www.knowledgetrek.com

3rd Place
“Reflecting on Life” by svermeulen
View this entry

Judges Comments:
“Cute, poignant, and offers many possible captions.”

“A very different take on the theme which makes it stand out from the crowd.”

Prize: 1 copy of Picasa, kindly donated by Picasa Inc.
http://www.picasa.net

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who took part!

As ever the rumour mill is working at full speed just ahead of PMA 2004, with Canon the latest manufacturer to be in the spotlight, and the DPReview forums to be source of the rumours. Apparently 3 new models in the form of the Canon Powershot Pro1, S1 and S3 have been spotted in the German photography magazine “ColorFoto”, with the Pro 1 being an 8-megapixel model. Follow the links below for all of the discussion.

Website: DPReview - Two New Canons

Website: DPReview - PowerShot Pro1 Specs

Steves Digicams have reviewed the Olympus P-440 Digital Photo Printer, an A4 dye-sublimation printer that was first announced back in August 2003.

“The bottom line The P-440 is an excellent printer for those needing to print 8 x 10” size prints with the same archival properties as conventionally processed film prints. At a cost of around $500, the P-440 is currently in a class of it own, the nearest competitor is the Kodak 8500 at ~ $300-400 more. The P-440 performs flawlessly and produces professional quality prints when connected to a PC or operating in standalone mode. The prints come out dry to the touch and are coated to resist UV fading, fingerprints, moisture and scratching. This is a very economical alternative for the small studio professional user or the enthusiast that isn’t satisfied with inkjet prints.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Olympus P-440 Digital Photo Printer Review

Imaging Resource have just reviewed Soundpix, a software program that allows you to record, embed and play audio in any JPEG file.

“SoundPix (http://www.soundpix.com) has developed an audio-imaging solution that ranges from integrated audio-image capture to desktop audio editing to serving audio over local and wide area networks.

In short, SoundPix technology embeds audio in the Exif header of JPEG image files. Its OEM developer’s kit can do it at image capture in the camera or phone. Its SoundPix Plus application can do it on your computer. And SoundPix Web can share it over your home network or over the Web.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Soundpix Review

It looks like an updated version of the Minolta DiMAGE A1 (pictured) will be announced very soon. DCViews are reporting that the French website Chasseur d’Images have published an article showing a German advert for the new Minolta DiMAGE A2. There’s a picture of the camera and specifications, including the fact that the A2 will join the likes of the Sony DSC-F828 and Nikon Coolpix 8700 in having a 8-megapixel sensor. Oh, and there’s also a scantily-clad female model in the advert as well, just in case all those megapixels aren’t quite enough to persuade you to part with your money :-)

Website: DCViews - Minolta DiMAGE A2

Website: Chasseur d’Images - Minolta DiMAGE A2

The German website Photoworld.de have reviewed the stylish and affordable 5 megapixel Olympus CAMEDIA C-5000 Zoom, which relaces the older C-4000 Zoom model and features a more compact design that is almost 20% smaller than its predecessor. The C-5000 has a full range of exposure modes, including Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, full Manual control and 6 preset Creative Scene modes. It has a built-in flash with 7 different modes and also accepts an external flash via its hot shoe.

Website: photoworld.de - Olympus CAMEDIA C-5000 Zoom Review

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have reviewed the Fuji FinePix S7000, which is the successor to the popular FinePix S602 model. The S7000 uses Fuji’s 4th Generation Super CCD HR with 6.3 Million Effective Pixels output and 12.3 million recorded pixels. It costs around $799.99 and is available now.

Website: Index Digicam - Fuji FinePix S7000 Review

Website: Read my review of the Fuji FinePix S7000

Imaging Resource have posted a full review of the 8-megapixel Sony DSC-F828, which now has some serious competition in the shape of the Nikon Coolpix 8700 and the Minolta DiMAGE A2 (more on that shortly!).

“Higher image noise than the best 5-megapixel cameras. We’ll have to wait to see if this is a uniform characteristic of 8-megapixel digicams, once other units hit the market, from other manufacturers. Much has been made of the F828’s image noise. There’s no question that its images show more noise than those from the best 5-megapixel cameras, and it isn’t even in the same category as digital SLRs like the Canon Digital Rebel and Nikon D100. That said, I didn’t personally find its noise at low ISO settings to be particularly objectionable.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Sony DSC-F828 Review

THE GUARDIAN via NewsEdge Corporation: The battle for superiority in the high end of the compact digital camera market continues with the launch next month of the Sony DSC-T1. The Japanese version of the camera - identical to the UK model - has been a huge hit and it’s easy to see why. First, it is truly pocketable. Despite having a 3x optical zoom, the ultra-thin T1 has no protruding lens. This is due to its Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar optical lens that operates within the camera.

The T1’s second trump card is a 2.5in LCD monitor that boasts superb resolution and vivid colours. It needs to be good, though, as there is no space for a traditional viewfinder. The T1 can also take good quality 640x480-pixel moving images.

The clincher, though, is the impressive five megapixel images, which are crisper and of a higher resolution than those snapped by rivals. Its only weaknesses are a flash that’s a little underpowered and the high price of around pounds 500. Trust me: you’ll want one.

PMA Marketing Research Department Press Release 05/02/04

New PMA report forecasts digital images will generate one-third of printing activity by 2006

The PMA Marketing Research Department released a new report, Photo Industry 2004: Review and Forecast. This 13-page report offers a summary of film, photofinishing, and camera sales through 2003, with forecasts for the current year. It also includes information on consumer printing activity from digital images and examines how economic factors may impact the industry this year.

Among the key points of the report are:

- At the end of 2003, 31 percent of U.S. households owned a digital camera, with penetration projected to exceed 42 percent by the end of 2004. The past year was a pivotal one for the industry, with digital camera sales volume overtaking traditional camera sales for the first time in 2003.

- In 2003, 11.6 percent of all amateur photographic prints were made from digital images, projected to rise to 17.7 percent of all images in 2004 and 34.2 percent in 2006. The total number of prints made will hold steady at more than 30 billion annually, as rising digital printing activity offsets declining film processing sales.

- Nearly 22 percent of digital printing activity during 2003 occurred in a retail environment. During 2004, more than one-third of digital prints are projected to be made at retail outlets, and in 2006, retailers will make 60 percent of digital prints.

- Film sales in 2003 declined by 8 percent in terms of volume, and are projected to fall by another 6 percent in 2004. Film processing sales have fallen at a similar pace.

- A bright spot in the traditional photographic market has been the continued growth of one-time-use camera sales, which increased by 7 percent in 2003 and are projected to rise by another 5 percent in 2004. It is important to note, however, the rate of sales growth is slowing.

- The 2004 outlook for economic growth is relatively favorable, with GDP expected to rise by 4 to 5 percent during each quarter. These increases would follow growth of 8.2 percent in the 2003 third quarter and an estimated 4.5 percent during the fourth quarter.

- Consumer confidence experienced a slight rebound in late 2003, rising to a level not experienced since the first quarter of 2001. The job market will likely play a significant role in determining whether or not confidence will continue to rise and consumers increase their discretionary spending.

Photo Industry 2004 is available for free download from the Marketing Research area of the PMA website at www.pmai.org, or through a fax-on-demand service. To receive a faxed copy of the report, dial (800) 536-8677 and follow the prompts. The ID code is 8222.

I “rediscovered” these shots of Camden, North London, which were originally taken on a cold and sunny winter’s day towards the end of 2003. I only live a few tube stops away from Camden, but rarely go there due to the huge amount of tourists that throng the streets at the weekend. It’s a popular destination for teenagers looking for cheap alternative fashion, something like the last photo shows.

View more Camden photos

LetsGoDigital have been literally burning the midnight oil to bring you an exlusive First Look at the Fujifilm Finepix S20 Pro digital camera, announced earlier today.

“A new feature of the FinePix S20 Pro camera is a PC-Sync link. This feature is handy for linking strobes or external flash systems to the FinePix S20 Pro camera. The camera’s high-speed flash synch fires at up to 1/1000 second. This gives professional photographers the opportunity to use the camera directly with their studio flash systems. And to give them even more freedom, the Live Video function lets the photographer see the subject on a monitor without having to rely on the LCD display or Electronic Viewfinder.”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Fujifilm Finepix S20 Pro First Look

Website: Read my Review of the Fuji FinePix S20 Pro

Fujifilm Press Release 05/02/04

2004 successor for FinePix S2 Pro

Development of new SLR almost complete

5 February 2004 - PMA, Las Vegas, USA*: This year will see the eagerly-anticipated launch of the FinePix S3 Pro - successor to Fujifilm’s critically-acclaimed FinePix S2 Pro digital SLR. Set to confirm Fujifilm?s status as one of the top three digital camera makers, this model has been conceived as the camera of choice for photographers who wish to achieve image quality worthy of Fujifilm’s professional film heritage.

This camera will be a breed apart from all other DSLRs because of its sensor and processor technology, without doubt the most important components within any digital camera. The FinePix S3 Pro’s 4th Generation Super CCD SR sensor will use 6.17 million S-pixels and 6.17 million R-pixels (12.3 million effective photodiodes) to deliver 12 million recorded pixels. The picture quality from this 23 x 15.5mm sensor will show noticeable image improvements to that of single-pixel cameras. The SR sensor’s unique double photodiode design will produce images with a dynamic range four times greater than that of a sensor working on single-pixel technology. This dramatically broadens tonal capability, and guarantees exceptional rendition from bright highlights to deep shadows. It gives greater sensitivity, improved signal-to-noise ratio and consistently natural colour reproduction.