CNET have reviewed the HP Photosmart 635, an entry level digicam that has a 2.1 megapixel total resolution and up to 12x total zoom - 3x optical and 4x digital.

“Looking for cheap and decent snapshots? HP’s 2-megapixel Photosmart 635 isn’t the greatest performer, but its decent zoom lens, its sensible design, and its reasonable picture quality add up to good bang per buck.”

Website: CNET - HP Photosmart 635 Review

The Norwegian website Akamera.no have just posted their review of the Nikon Coolpix 3700 digital camera. The Coolpix 3700 has a very different design from previous Coolpix models, with a brushed aluminium body that’s both slim and lightweight. The 3.2 megapixel 3700 features a 3x optical zoom that is equivalent to 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Website: Akamera.no - Nikon Coolpix 3700 Review

Lexar Media, Inc. Press Release 15/12/03

Companies? Latest Technologies to Produce the World?s Highest Capacity and Fastest Removable Memory Solutions

FREMONT, CA, December 15, 2003—Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of high-performance digital media and accessories, today announced that the company has begun sampling Samsung Electronics? first 8Gb NAND flash memory device. The new high-density chips, combined with Lexar Media?s next-generation controller technology, will enable Lexar Media to increase the performance and storage capacity of its award winning memory cards and USB flash drives.

?Photographers consistently demonstrate an insatiable appetite for fast, high-capacity digital storage and our close relationship with Samsung allows us to be the first to deliver it,? said Eric Stang, chairman, president and CEO, Lexar Media. ?Our collaboration with Samsung allows us to maximize the capabilities of their flash memory through advanced features programmed into our controller.?

?Our 8Gbit quad-die NAND flash using single level cell (SLC) technology offers a superior, reliable high performance storage solution over substantially slower multi level cell (MLC) solutions,? said Jon Kang, Senior Vice President of Samsung Electronics? memory product planning and application engineering team. ?Our SLC technology is not only low cost but also performs ideally for high-end, high performance applications such as digital still and video cameras allowing consumers to take consecutive pictures more quickly and enabling continuous recording of high quality video.?

Lexar Media?s next generation technology will produce faster write speeds in high-density memory through more efficient operation. Historically, Lexar Media’s proprietary and patented controller has allowed many sectors of flash memory to be programmed without any erase cycles, and erases blocks in the background when the system is idle for faster performance. Included in the new architecture are pipelining and streaming technology to enable smooth transfer of data without interruption, which further increases the speed at which data is written and read.

About Lexar Media, Inc.
Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR) is a leading designer, marketer and licensor of award-winning removable flash-based digital storage media, card readers and ATA controller solutions for the digital photography, consumer electronics, industrial and communications markets. Lexar Media brands digital memory cards in the industry’s most popular formats including CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard and SD. As a digital storage innovator, Lexar Media was the first to develop and advance proprietary read-write speed standards for its USB-enabled CompactFlash cards and holds over 60 controller and system patents. Licensees of Lexar Media’s technology include Olympus, SanDisk, Samsung Electronics and Sony. Headquartered in Fremont, California, Lexar Media also has offices in London and Tokyo. Lexar Media is a member of the Russell 2000 Index. For more information, please call 1-800-789-9418 or visit www.lexarmedia.com.

DataRescue Press Release 15/12/03

PhotoRescue 2.0 for Mac OS X and Windows Released

New versions of popular digital image recovery software

Liege, Belgium (15/12/2003) - DataRescue sa/nv, the developer of the innovative and popular digital photo recovery software, today announced the release of PhotoRescue 2.0.

The new versions, available on both the Mac and PC platform, build on PhotoRescue’s widely acclaimed “what you see is what you get” digital image recovery engine to deliver a faster, more efficient solution for digital photographers.

Version 2.0 recovers more images, from bigger storage devices, up to ten times faster than its predecessor whose recovery engine already outperformed the competition in each and every data-recovery test run by Personal Computer Magazine (Issue 5, May 2003).

These astounding recovery rates are obtained through a proprietary data-recovery engine that dynamically switches between up to twelve data-recovery algorithms to
apply a case-by-case optimised recovery strategy. True “What You See is What You Get” performance is achieved by on-the-fly rendering of picture thumbnails; the only technique that accurately reflects the content of a damaged media.

“I was able to recover 97% of the photos that were on the card and all critical photos using your software.  It was extraordinary how well PhotoRescue works and how quickly. It really saved a lot of memories we’d not have had without the product’s effectiveness.” said Douglas Brown from California.

PhotoRescue 2.0 is available today in a simplified Wizard version, and a more advanced Expert version for the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, including the latest Panther release. Both versions, available in most languages, can be freely evaluated and are available for download at www.datarescue.com/photorescue/download.htm.

DataRescue has also upgraded its reseller offering by including both its PC Expert and Mac OS X Expert version in a single package priced at $39.

About DataRescue:
DataRescue Inc is a privately owned company located in Liege, Belgium.
Its flagship product, the IDA Pro Disassembler was a PC Magazine Award for Technical Excellence finalist in 2001 and is used by governmental agencies and major IT security developers worldwide.

The winner of the 6th PhotographyBLOG Photo of the Week contest is Digital-Alchemy with the entry “Fun in the studio with my puppy!”. There are no prizes as such for this contest, but the winning photo is displayed on the PhotographyBLOG homepage for a week, and the winner can display the Photo of the Week logo on their website if they wish.

The 7th Photo of the Week contest is now open. This is a weekly photography challenge where you decide who the winner is by voting for your favourite photos. It’s an open contest with no set theme and you can enter as many photos as you like.

The Slovenian website e-fotografija have posted a number of images taken with a full-production version of the highly-anticipated Sony DSC-F828 digital camera, showing the different ISO ratings that the camera offers (64, 100, 200, 400 and 800). Essential viewing if you’re even vaguely interested in this camera.

Website: e-fotografija - Sony DSC-F828 ISO Samples

Website: Slovenian Translator

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the HP Photosmart 7660 printer, which features six-ink color printing or up to 4800-optimized dots-per-inch. Users can easily download and print photos from a digital camera via the printer?s memory card slots or front USB port ? no computer required. Additionally, users can produce borderless prints, up to 8.5 x 11-inches, on HP?s new Premium Plus Photo papers.

Website: Index Digicam - HP Photosmart 7660 Review

Olympus Press Release 15/12/03

More illumination versatility for the Olympus E-System

The comprehensive Olympus Macro Flash System

Hamburg, 11 December 2003 ? With its professional macro flash system, Olympus opens up further creative and business areas to users of the Olympus E-System. Meeting the highest requirements for quality and flexibility, it comprises a ring flash unit, twin flash unit, adapter rings and flash controller. Ideal for advertising and still life photography plus macro work where precise, shadow-free lighting is required, these flash accessories allow every detail of the subject to be captured. Dedicated to the Olympus E-System, the professional digital SLR system based on the TIPA Award winning FourThirds Standard, this macro flash system will be available from February 2004.

A variety of macro flash units and accessories are being launched:
- Ring Flash Unit FS-RF11
- Ring Flash Set FS-SRF11
- Twin Flash Unit TF-22
- Twin Flash Set STF-22
- Flash Adapter Ring FS-FR1
- Macro Flash Controller FS-FC1

Nikon DSLR user Thom Hogan has posted a few thoughts about the recently-announced Nikon D70, which is due to ship in early 2004. Nikon decided to tell us next to nothing about the new DSLR, so Thom has had a go at filling in the gaps (found via digicamera.net).

Website: Thom Hogan - Nikon D70 Speculations

Photobird.com Press Release 15/12/03

INTRODUCING PHOTOBIRD.COM
The easy way to share your photos with friends and family around the world

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. - December 15, 2003 - Photobird.com today announced the immediate availability of its new easy-to-use, professionally-designed website that enables digital camera users to easily share their digital photos.  Photobird.com enables digital camera users to easily create online photo albums, using an intuitive, attractive web-based interface.  For a free trial, visit www.photobird.com.

“Digital camera users want an easy and attractive way to share their photos on the web.  Photobird.com was designed specifically for digital camera users to easily create beautifully designed online photo albums, so they can share their photos, and be proud of their photo collections,” said Ed Krimen, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Photobird.com.  “Websites are too difficult to build for most people, and most sites are not designed well, making them difficult or unattractive to use.  Photobird.com makes it very easy to share your photos in professionally designed online photo albums.”

Photobird.com is faster, easier, and more convenient than e-mailing your photos to friends and family.  When you want to share your photos on Photobird.com, you only need to send your personal Photobird.com link—which is much simpler than sending megabytes of data each time you want to send photos to someone.  Your friends and family can then select which photos they want to see, instead of waiting for them all to download.  Plus, Photobird.com automatically creates smaller, web-ready versions of your photos when you add them to your album, so your photos can be viewed quicker.  Your original photo is still available too.

With its attractive, user-friendly web interface, Photobird.com offers a variety of unique features that will interest everyone who takes digital photos.  “It’s very easy and simple to send my photo links to people by using the Send to a Friend button,” said Carol Caruso, a professional photographer in Paris, France.  “I like the picture upload process too, very clean and simple.”

Bob Geldof’s Brightening Up London campaign, which started on December 2nd with Wellington Arch, has continued throughout December with several more famous buildings having images projected onto them. I’ve managed to get along to most of them, although I did miss the National Theatre last week and the National Potrait Gallery the week before. The event doesn’t seem to be very well advertised, as there has been almost no-one there when I’ve visited, and most Londoners don’t seem to know that it’s happening, despite Bob himself appearing on Jonathan Ross’s Friday night chat show to help promote it. I think it’s a great idea that just so happens to be a great subject for photography, and I’ll be going out again several nights next week to visit the remaining buildings.

Queen’s House #1	Tate Britain #1	Queen’s House #5
Queen’s House #2	St Mary le Strand #2	Tate Britain #2

Photo.net have published the results of their Digital Camera of the Year poll. No prizes for guessing which camera won…

“In first place was the 6.3 MP Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel). It captured 43% of the total vote, almost twice as much as the second placed camera. Though not the “best” or most technologically advanced digital camera, the 300D was the first digital SLR to break the $1000 barrier and it sold for about $500 less than its nearest cost competitor. In fact when sold with its companion 18-55mm lens it still sold for less than some non-SLR digicams. The EOS 300D was the camera that brought DSLRs to the masses. People who had never before owned an SLR bought this camera - and they are still buying it. It’s the only SLR I’ve seen advertised on network TV recently too!”

Website: Photo.net - Digital Camera of the Year

In this week’s Sunday Morning Photographer column Mike Johnston explains why he’s buying the $150 HP 7660 printer to use exclusively for black and white prints:

“Print color (the Achilles heel of color printers using colored inks to make B&W output): Outstanding. There’s no perceptible metamerism (color shift), which is the great failing of the Epson 2200, for one, in B&W mode. HP’s highlight, shadow, and paper-base colors are well integrated, and the print color is perfect: in formulating its #59 inks, HP seems to have deliberately mimicked the look of a neutral/cold conventional paper with light selenium toning, long the standard look for fine-art B&W prints. They did a good job on this.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: Hooray for Hewlett-Packard!

The American magazine Popular Photography have published an article on their website which would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons if everything comes true in 2004.

“A trio of top Pop Photo editors recently returned from a tour of the photo industry in Japan. Their mission: to find out, directly from the source, what’s happening in the photo industry, and how it will affect photography consumers in the coming year. In this exclusive report, they share news about upcoming products, photo buying trends, and what’s being designed for the future.”

Amongst other things, the article claims that Minolta will finally release a digital SLR, with delivery by Photokina (September-October 2004), that Olympus will release 2 more DSLRs aimed at the amateur and mid-range markets, Pentax will also release 2 new DSLRs, and that almost most camera makers are researching putting image stabilisation systems into digital SLR camera bodies, rather than the lenses.

So it looks like being a good year for digital SLRs then :-)

Website: Popular Photography - Report From Japan

The Slovenian website e-fotografija seem to have got hold of a Sony DSC F-828. I’m not sure if this is a pre-production or full-production model, but they have published some sample shots and pictures of the camera itself.

Website: e-fotografija - Sony DSC F-828 Images

Website: Slovenian Translator

A new version of BreezeBrowser, the popular browser for viewing and manipulating digital images, has recently been released. BreezeBrowser v2.8 now includes Canon Digital Rebel/300D support with raw conversion, focus point overlay display and full shooting data display.

Also new in this release:

- New ‘film strip’ view
- Displays Nikon D2H, Pentax *ist D, Olympus E1 and Minolta A1 raw files complete with shooting data
- Reads Adobe XMP shooting data when EXIF shooting data isn’t available
- Now reads and writes thumbnail data to JPEG and TIFF images for faster display of thumbnails

BreezeBrowser v2.8 is a free upgrade for all registered users.

Website: Breeze Systems

The German website PhotoWorld.de 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: PhotoWorld.de - Fuji FinePix S7000 Review

Website: Read my review of the Fuji FinePix S7000

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have reviewed the 4 megapixel Samsung Digimax V4 and the 3 megapixel Samsung Digimax V3, which have the unique ability to use 9 different types of battery sources.

Website: Index Digicam - Samsung Digimax V3/V4 Review

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published a review of Canon’s fastest and highest resolution photo printer, the 4800 x 2400 dpi1 Bubble Jet i960. This recently announced six-ink printer produces a 400dpi full A4 photo in approximately 60 seconds, with a 4"x 6” print taking just 21 seconds.

Website: Index Digicam - Canon Bubble Jet i965 Review

Sony Reports Defects in Its High-Class Qualia Digital Cameras
[Kyodo News International, Tokyo. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.]
Kyodo News International via NewsEdge Corporation : Dec. 11—TOKYO—Sony Corp. said Thursday it is offering free repairs of ultracompact digital cameras in its Qualia series of high-class products because of defects in the electronic flash.

Subject to the free repairs are 133 made-to-order digital cameras sold for 380,000 yen in June through September, company officials said.

Since the end of October, specialist staff members have visited buyers to fix the defect, which may cause the electronic flash not to work once the shutter is pressed at a certain time, they said.

To see more of Kyodo News International, go to http://www.kyodonews.com