News
Apparently Minox have decided to add a bit of style and pizzazz to their DD1 digital camera by adding synthetic sparkling diamonds to the design! The DD1 Diamond, which is round in shape, has 8 small diamonds set around its edge. Guaranteed to be a talking point down the pub, the Minox DD1 Diamond certainly stands out from the digital camera crowd.
Website: Minox
Website: LetsGoDigital - Minox DD1 Diamond
Website: digitalkamera.de - Minox DD1 Diamond
Apparently Minox have decided to add a bit of style and pizzazz to their DD1 digital camera by adding synthetic sparkling diamonds to the design! The DD1 Diamond, which is round in shape, has 8 small diamonds set around its edge. Guaranteed to be a talking point down the pub…
There are a couple on interesting articles in the latest issue of Nature Photographers Online Magazine that will appeal to nature and non-nature photographers alike:
Catching the Cold by Jess Lee
“Winter photography gives us an opportunity to capture scenes that are unique to many viewers. Streams, rivers and lakes can be covered with pancake layers of ice or blanketed with pillows of powder snow. Animals covered in hoary frost appear ghostlike in early morning ice fog. Even in the southwest you can find icicles hanging against the red rocks. The variety of subjects is only limited by our imagination.”
Nature Photography Best Sellers - What Sells and Why? by Darwin Wiggett.
“There is a huge disparity between what photographers think is a great image and what photo-buyers think is great. Photographers are impressed by images that show mastery of technical skills, artful compositions, sublime light, and refreshing creativity. Photo buyers, on the other hand, look for images with a strong story, powerful mood, and universal appeal…”
Website: Nature Photographers Online Magazine
There are a couple on interesting articles in the latest issue of Nature Photographers Online Magazine that will appeal to nature and non-nature photographers alike: Catching the Cold by Jess Lee“Winter photography gives us an opportunity to capture scenes that are unique to many viewers. Streams, rivers and lakes can…
The UK website Photo-i, run by Vincent Oliver, is starting an interactive review today of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer. The R800 printer, which uses UltraChrome pigment inks, will cost $399 and will ship in February 2004.
Website: Photo-i - Epson Stylus Photo R800 Interactive Review
The UK website Photo-i, run by Vincent Oliver, is starting an interactive review today of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer. The R800 printer, which uses UltraChrome pigment inks, will cost $399 and will ship in February 2004. Website: Photo-i - Epson Stylus Photo R800 Interactive Review
The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the Hewlett Packard Scanjet 5530 flatbed scanner.
The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the Hewlett Packard Scanjet 5530 flatbed scanner. Website: Index Digicam - HP Scanjet 5530 Review
Digital Outback Photo have concluded their report on the Olympus E-1 digital SLR with a look at the 50mm macro and 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 lenses.
“As we like closeups and near macro shots the 50mm would be a must if we would own an E-1. The 50mm Macro allows only 1:2 magnification. This may be not large enough for some macro fans but is no problem for our style of work. Also to note is that AF can be problematic as the auto focus starts hunting with low light and less textured objects.”
Website: Digital Outback Photo - Olympus E-1 Experience Report
Digital Outback Photo have concluded their report on the Olympus E-1 digital SLR with a look at the 50mm macro and 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 lenses. “As we like closeups and near macro shots the 50mm would be a must if we would own an E-1. The 50mm Macro allows only 1:…
The winners of the first ever PhotographyBLOG Competition have now been decided. The theme for November was “Autumn Colour” - you can view all of the 43 entries in this gallery.
The panel of 4 judges thought long and hard before deciding on the three winners:
1st Place
“Geese in Autumn” by spunwithtears
View this entry
Judges Comments:
“Beautiful muted colors give the feeling of a crisp autumn evening. Very effective contrast between the expanse of pale sunset and the cold blue-black water. The motion of the migrating birds captures a feeling of transition between the last glow of the sun and the cold winter to come.”
“Brilliantly composed with the geese filling the frame, and a lovely contrast between the warmth of the sunset and the dark water.”
Prize: 1 copy of Picasa, kindly donated by Picasa Inc.
http://www.picasa.net
2nd Place
“Autumn Red” by ses
View this entry
Judges Comments:
“Again the colour and the main focus - I feel it took skill to compose making the foreground stand out and the background fade away.”
“The translucency and glow of the leaves really evoke the dying embers of summer. Very good composition with the softness of the foreground and background effectively framing the subject.”
Prize: 1 copy of Photos on CD and DVD 2.0 Deluxe, kindly donated by FastTrak Software.
http://www.fasttrak.com
3rd Place
“playground” by patito
View this entry
Judges Comments:
“The mist creates a very mysterious and atmospheric mood. Beautiful soft, almost monochromatic, color. Interesting composition with the playground equipment disappearing into the background.”
“The fact that it shows the playground in a light that is not often seen, quiet and empty, lends interest to the shot - the colour due to the time that it was taken also adds to that
effect.”
Prize: 1 copy of Digital Photography Captured Volume 1, kindly donated by KnowledgeTrek.
http://www.knowledgetrek.com
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who took part. The judges commented on the high standard of entries, saying that it was difficult to choose just 3 photos from the 43 that were submitted.
December Competition
The theme for the December Competition has been decided. As the days are now so short here in the UK (it gets dark at 4pm!), the new theme is simply “Night”. Submit your best photograph that you think inteprets the theme, whether it be an urban cityscape or a moonlight landscape. If you’ve never attempted any night photography before, then grab your tripod, torch and a friend and get out in the dark!
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 December’s theme, which is “Night”.
Please make sure that you read the Monthly Competition Rules before submitting your entry. The competition is worldwide and open to everyone.
The winners of the first ever PhotographyBLOG Competition have now been decided. The theme for November was “Autumn Colour” - you can view all of the 43 entries in this gallery. The panel of 4 judges thought long and hard before deciding on the three winners: 1st Place “Geese in…
Steves Digicams have published their first impressions of the Nikon D2H DSLR; the full review will be posted shortly.
“Just posted is our Nikon D2H SLR First Look. We’re really enjoying doing this review but it’s going to take a while to finish - in the meantime here’s a little teaser. This is a camera that will satisfy anyone’s “need for speed,” it’s so fast it’s unbelievable. It will spoil you forever though.”
Steves Digicams have published their first impressions of the Nikon D2H DSLR; the full review will be posted shortly.“Just posted is our Nikon D2H SLR First Look. We’re really enjoying doing this review but it’s going to take a while to finish - in the meantime here’s a little teaser…
Michael Reichmann, editor of Luminous Landscape, has published an open letter addressed to all DSLR manufacturers, calling for the addition of full-feature exposure histograms to all future DSLR models.
“In recent years I have been especially interested in digital SLRs, because these clearly represent the future of mainstream professional and advanced amateur photography.
Recently I have noticed a disturbing trend though ? as several companies bring their first DSLRs to market ? and it concerns histograms. Or, I should say, either the lack of or poor quality of histograms.”
Website: Luminous Landscape
Michael Reichmann, editor of Luminous Landscape, has published an open letter addressed to all DSLR manufacturers, calling for the addition of full-feature exposure histograms to all future DSLR models. “In recent years I have been especially interested in digital SLRs, because these clearly represent the future of mainstream professional and…
The Norwegian website Akamera.no have reviewed the new Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4, which packs the first high-resolution 4-megapixel CCD of the EXILIM lineup into a stylish and thin card size body. The EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4 retails for $399.99 and is available now.
The Norwegian website Akamera.no have reviewed the new Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4, which packs the first high-resolution 4-megapixel CCD of the EXILIM lineup into a stylish and thin card size body. The EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4 retails for $399.99 and is available now. Website: Akamera.no - Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z4 Review…
Several technology and photography websites, including Slashdot, Imaging Resource and BytePhoto, are reporting that Microsoft are going to enforce patents that it holds for the FAT file system. In effect this mean that Microsoft will charge a fee for use of a technology that was first developed way back in 1976.
The fee applies to any company that uses the FAT system, which includes manufacturers of solid state media cards and digital still and video cameras. Apparently the patents have been around for over 10 years, and only now when the use of the FAT system is widespread have Microsoft decided to enforce them and start charging a fee. There are two types of license, one for removable solid state media manufacturers (e.g. compact flash) and one for consumer electronics devices. Pricing for both licenses is US$0.25 per unit with a cap on total royalties of $250,000 per manufacturer. How generous of Microsoft to cap the total amount…
What does this mean for consumers? Well, the price of digital memory cards and cameras themselves may go up slightly. Alternatively, Imaging Resource editor Michael R. Tomkins suggests that “flash manufacturers could avoid paying the fees by simply offering their flash cards for sale unformatted - and we’d not be surprised to seem them do so, in a business where violent price wars have driven profits down to a bare minimum.” Hopefully most companies will choose to absorb this sudden new cost and not pass on any increase to the general public.
Website: BytePhoto - Microsoft Patent
Website: Slashdot - Microsoft to Charge for FAT File System
Website: Imaging Resource - Microsoft’s FAT fees add a little more to digicam costs
Several technology and photography websites, including Slashdot, Imaging Resource and BytePhoto, are reporting that Microsoft are going to enforce patents that it holds for the FAT file system. In effect this mean that Microsoft will charge a fee for use of a technology that was first developed way back in…
Photographer Thom Hogan has written one of the most interesting articles that I’ve read all year, and who knows, some of it may well turn out to be true. “What Will Happen in 2004?” is Thom’s personal predictions of what will happen in the photography world next year. Amongst other things, he predicts that there will be 9 new DSLRs released:
“The third new Nikon DSLR will shake up the industry. Last year I predicted the appearance of parts of the F6 (the autofocus system ended up in the D2h). Well, this year I’m going further, saying it will appear fully. Essentially, the F6 will be like a medium format camera in 35mm size. The main component will simply be a light-proof box with lens mount, shutter, and mirror mechanism. Perhaps that part will also have a power supply in it. But everything else (and perhaps the power supply) will be modular. You’ll have your choice of bolt-on film or digital backs and your choice of viewfinders. Backs and viewfinders can be interchanged mid-roll/mid-card. I’ll go further and point out that Nikon will use the Olympics in Greece to launch this hybrid.”
Photographer Thom Hogan has written one of the most interesting articles that I’ve read all year, and who knows, some of it may well turn out to be true. “What Will Happen in 2004?” is Thom’s personal predictions of what will happen in the photography world next year. Amongst other…
The Hungarian website Index Digicam have reviewed the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 3.1 megapixel digital camera, which has an RRP of $329.
The Hungarian website Index Digicam have reviewed the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 3.1 megapixel digital camera, which has an RRP of $329. Website: Index Digicam - Kodak EasyShare DX6340 Review
The Slovenian website e-FotoPortal have published Part 1 of their review of the recently announced Sigma SD10 digital SLR, together with the Sigma 18-50mm and Sigma 55-200mm lens.
Website: e-FotoPortal - Sigma SD10 Review Part 1
Website: Slovenian Translator
The Slovenian website e-FotoPortal have published Part 1 of their review of the recently announced Sigma SD10 digital SLR, together with the Sigma 18-50mm and Sigma 55-200mm lens. Website: e-FotoPortal - Sigma SD10 Review Part 1 Website: Slovenian Translator
Sekonic have announced a new top of the range lightmeter, the L-558 DUALMASTER, which retails for $769 in the USA and, according to DP-Now, ?399.99 in the UK.
Sekonic Press Release 04/12/03
New Sekonic L-558 DUALMASTER: Here?s why it may well be the best Light-measuring tool ever made.
Elmsford, NY: For starters, the remarkable new Sekonic L-558 DUALMASTER is the world?s most
sensitive multi-function meter, reading flash down to an astounding f/2 (at ISO 100), twice as low as any other multi-function meter in production. And with the optional PocketWizard* module inside, it becomes nothing less than a Master Control Center. You can use it to fire individual cameras and flash units remotely, without wires, using a 16/24 bit, security-encoded digital signal. And that?s just the beginning.
Here are some more cogent reasons why this is arguably the best meter Sekonic ? or anyone else ? has ever put on the market in this price class.
- The L-558 includes Sekonic?s unique built-in retractable Lumisphere. Simply turn the selector knob to extend it for 3D incident readings, or retract it for a narrow incident metering angle that?s ideal for brightness evaluations, lighting ratio setups or precise readings of flat subjects.
- The L-558 is also a true 1-degree spotmeter, with a parallax-free viewfinder and in-finder, illuminated digital display showing apertures in tenths, shutter speeds up to 1/8000 sec, and exposure compensation values.
- The L-558 features an extra large, cool-green-illuminated full-information LCD panel that displays the complete range of readouts and modes as well as battery condition. It can memorize and recall up to nine readings in any mode, average them, and display them individually on an analog scale.
- The L-558 includes a flash/ambient analyzing mode that simultaneously reads both flash and ambient light automatically, and can display combined flash-ambient readings, percentage of flash in the total exposure, and simultaneous display of flash, ambient, and combined readings on an analog scale.
It also reads in shutter-priority, aperture-priority or EV modes, and makes cumulative flash readings in cord or cordless mode.
- The L-558 includes a broad range of custom settings so pros and enthusiasts can tailor it to their individual working methods. And its body and controls are so well sealed that it?s rated splashproof to JIS water-resistance standard ? so serious photographers can take control with confidence in any weather.
- The L-558 is competitively priced. It gives pros and serious enthusiasts exactly what they need ? nothing more and nothing less ? and represents a remarkable value. Suggested list price: $769.
*PocketWizard module: $25 at time of purchase only (a $99 value).
Sekonic have announced a new top of the range lightmeter, the L-558 DUALMASTER, which retails for $769 in the USA and, according to DP-Now, ?399.99 in the UK. Sekonic Press Release 04/12/03 New Sekonic L-558 DUALMASTER: Here?s why it may well be the best Light-measuring tool ever made. Elmsford, NY…
DCResource has posted a review of the Olympus CAMEDIA C-5060 Wide Zoom camera, an updated version of the popular Olympus CAMEDIA C-5050 model, with a wider-angle lens that is equivalent to a 27-110mm lens on a 35mm camera.
“The C-5060 Wide Zoom is one of the best Olympus cameras in recent memory, and it should be high on your shopping list if a full-featured 5 Megapixel camera is what you’re after. My main complaints about the camera are the above average noise levels at default settings (turning down the sharpness helps) and its intimidating user interface (buttons and menus). Everything else is good.”
DCResource has posted a review of the Olympus CAMEDIA C-5060 Wide Zoom camera, an updated version of the popular Olympus CAMEDIA C-5050 model, with a wider-angle lens that is equivalent to a 27-110mm lens on a 35mm camera. “The C-5060 Wide Zoom is one of the best Olympus cameras in…
CNET have reviewed one of Nikon’s top-of-the-range prosumer digital cameras, the 5 megapixel CoolPix 5400.
“The 5-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 5400 delivers numerous key improvements on the Coolpix 5000, including a 4X zoom lens, enhanced image quality, and revamped controls. Nikon also added 15 scene modes, making this model more accessible to casual snapshooters. But make no mistake: with its wealth of features and manual settings, the 5400 should appeal primarily to photo enthusiasts. We only wish that the camera offered longer battery life and RAW-file support.”
Website: CNET - Nikon Coolpix 5400 Review
CNET have reviewed one of Nikon’s top-of-the-range prosumer digital cameras, the 5 megapixel CoolPix 5400. “The 5-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 5400 delivers numerous key improvements on the Coolpix 5000, including a 4X zoom lens, enhanced image quality, and revamped controls. Nikon also added 15 scene modes, making this model more accessible…
The Plugin Site Press Release 04/12/03
December 4, 2003 - The Plugin Site (www.ThePluginSite.com) is pleased to announce Version 1.0 of PhotoFreebies, the third product in its popular PhotoWiz product series. PhotoFreebies is a collection of 10 Photoshop-compatible plugins for performing useful photo manipulations and effects. They can be used with dozens of different image editing applications e.g. Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Photo-Paint, PhotoImpact and many others.
Background
To celebrate the success of our PhotoWiz product series we decided to release the free PhotoFreebies. Our intention was to create small and easy-to-use utilities for image manipulation. The PhotoFreebies produce general effects that are needed from time to time and are only inconveniently reproducible in common graphics tools. Additionally you can also find some features of our other PhotoWiz products in a more simplified form in the PhotoFreebies collection. The PhotoFreebies collection will be expanded with even more attractive plugins in future.
Features
The PhotoFreebies collections contains sepia effects, saturation gradients, b/w conversion, color space transformations and many more. All plugins can be used on 8bit and 16bit RGB images, except the Histo Fix plugin which only works on 8bit images. The Remove Transparency plugin on the other hand works in almost all image modes that are provided by Photoshop. Some of the plugins have a dialog with a zoomable preview and adjustable controls whereas others are applied instantly without displaying a dialog.
Plugin Descriptions
The Sepia plugin from PhotoFreebies lets you apply five sepia effects with the help of a combo box, a color slider and a Contrast Fix check box. The Desaturation Gradient plugin gradually desaturates the image in four possible directions. Luma Negative turns the image into a negative without changing the colors whereas the B/W plugin converts the image into a grayscale version, that comes closer to the original than currently provided methods. Histo Fix fixes the chopped histogram of a repeatedly filtered image by interpolating lost image information. It offers an option to regain 1/2 bit, 1 bit or 2 bit of information. The Remove Transparency plugin makes a transparent layer fully opaque again. Last, but not least there are also four plugins that transform RGB values into HSL or YCC values and back again without leaving RGB mode. That allows you to manipulate the images in color spaces that aren’t provided by most image applications.
Availability & System Requirements
PhotoFreebies is currently only available for Windows. A Macintosh version is planned. PhotoFreebies is freeware and can be downloaded from
http://thepluginsite.com/products/photowiz/. The two other PhotoWiz products called ColorWasher and FocalBlade are commercial.
Company Info
The Plugin Site is located in Nuremberg, Germany, and develops graphics, video and web software. We also created the Plugin Galaxy, Plugin Commander, HyperTyle, Edge & Frame Galaxy, HTML Shrinker, Harry’s Filters and Photo Galaxy products. We co-produced Alpha Magic with Hollywood FX and Pinnacle and also co-develop the FilterMeister plugin development environment with AFH Systems.
The Plugin Site Press Release 04/12/03 December 4, 2003 - The Plugin Site (www.ThePluginSite.com) is pleased to announce Version 1.0 of PhotoFreebies, the third product in its popular PhotoWiz product series. PhotoFreebies is a collection of 10 Photoshop-compatible plugins for performing useful photo manipulations and effects. They can be used…
About.com have just reviewed Adobe Photoshop CS, proclaiming it to be “the industry standard for professional photo editing, graphic design, and digital imaging”.
“As the industry-standard, Photoshop skills are a necessity if you want to be employable in the graphic design field. Priced in the hundreds and with a learning curve to match, it’s not for everyone, but the investment can pay off in increased productivity and the ultimate in flexibility. There are improvements in this version for everyone, but photographers will benefit the most from this upgrade.”
About.com have just reviewed Adobe Photoshop CS, proclaiming it to be “the industry standard for professional photo editing, graphic design, and digital imaging”. “As the industry-standard, Photoshop skills are a necessity if you want to be employable in the graphic design field. Priced in the hundreds and with a learning…
Photo.net have just reviewed the Canon Bubble Jet i900D printer (known as the i905D outside the USA). The 4800 x 1200 dpi Bubble Jet i900D is a six-colour photo printer with card slots for the most popular brands of memory cards. It’s also compliant with the new industry standard PictBridge protocol, allowing it to print directly from any PictBridge compatible digital camera without the need for a PC.
“Well. it’s pretty much all good. The printer produces excellent color prints on super glossy, glossy and matte paper. Getting absolutely neutral B&W prints is a bit more difficult, but that’s true for any multicolor ink printer. With a little work or toning I was also very happy with monochrome prints. Printer setup and operation is simple and fairly straightforward. Software installation under Windows XP was easy and hassle free. The ability to change individual ink cartridges, and to actually be able to see the ink level so you know when to change them, is certainly a big plus. The ability to print directly (without a computer) from memory cards or from compatible digital cameras is also something many consumers may find useful.”
Photo.net have just reviewed the Canon Bubble Jet i900D printer (known as the i905D outside the USA). The 4800 x 1200 dpi Bubble Jet i900D is a six-colour photo printer with card slots for the most popular brands of memory cards. It’s also compliant with the new industry standard PictBridge…
Steves Digicams have reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Kyocera Finecam SL300R. Kyocera claims that this is the world’s thinnest 3x optical zoom digital camera, which virtually eliminates lag time and is capable of unlimited continuous shooting at an unprecedented 3.5 frames per second. Find out if Steve agrees…
“Evaluating the Kyocera Finecam SL300R is like judging a figure skating competition; both technical merit and style must be equally considered. The unique design, light weight, and small size of the all metal body allow it to be worn as a wardrobe accessory, turning heads as well as photographing them.”
Steves Digicams have reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Kyocera Finecam SL300R. Kyocera claims that this is the world’s thinnest 3x optical zoom digital camera, which virtually eliminates lag time and is capable of unlimited continuous shooting at an unprecedented 3.5 frames per second. Find out if Steve agrees… “Evaluating the Kyocera…