Part 4 of landscape photographer Alain Briot’s Esthetics and Photography series of articles has just been published by Luminous Landscape.

“Light, time and over again, has been part of the most important aspects of our lives and has played a major role in our existence. Today still, our lives are ruled by light and darkness, as most of us rise at dawn and go to bed after dark. We work during the day and we rest during the night.

As landscape photographers we abide to the same schedule. We follow the sun in its migration while the earth rotates upon itself and circles around the sun according to, respectively, a one day and a one year path in the sky. Our days are organized around the 24 hours the earth takes to make a complete rotation around its axis. Our yearly calendar is based on the one year journey that the earth makes around the sun. The sun, and more importantly the light it sheds upon the earth, control our lives.”

Website: How to Find the Best Light

LetsGoDigital have reviewed the Fuji FinePix F700, which has a 6.2-megapixel Super CCD SR and is supposed to capture more detail in the shadow and highlight areas of an image than Fuji cameras have previously captured.

“The compact design of the FinePix F700 and the nice aluminium workmanship give the FinePix F700 a quality appearance. The camera offers convenience and user friendliness as well as many settings for the photographer. This new model is available on the Dutch market since a few months, so it is time to try out this FinePix F700 in the field. Read about our experiences with this camera in the following review.”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Fuji FinePix F700 Review

Website: Read my review of the Fuji FinePix F700

LetsGoDigital have also published reviews in Dutch of the Fujifilm Finepix S5000 and Sony CyberShot P-8 digital cameras.

Website: LetsGoDigital - Fuji FinePix S5000 Review

Website: LetsGoDigital - Sony CyberShot P-8 Review

The latest issue of the monthly online photo magazine, Vivid Light Photography, has just been published. Highlights this month include a review of the Fuji Finepix S2 Pro DSLR:

“But the bottom line to all this is the quality of the images from the S2. We’re happy to say you won’t be disappointed. Image quality was excellent. The Super CCD can produce either a 6.2 megapixel image or an interpolated 12 megapixel image! The color, tonal quality and sharpness of those images were excellent as well.”

and a good introductory article that explains the mysteries of colour infrared photography:

“Images produced with color infrared film have a unique look that can be used to create dramatic images. Once you understand how the film interprets colors and how you can control it with color filters you can make it work for you creatively. It’s not likely you’ll use this film all the time, but it could well become one that you come back when you’re looking for something a little different.”

Website: Vivid Light Photography - Issue #31

Digital Outback Photo have just reviewed the camera bag that they use - the Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II backpack. Personally, I use a cheap Hama backpack bought for ?25 from 7DayShop.co.uk, which is surprisingly comfortable to use and holds 2 SLR bodies and a few lenses. If you want to spend a large amount of money on a camera bag, then LowePro would be a good choice.

“For a nature photographer I think the only option is a backpack. End of 2000 we faced the decision which backpack and we opted for the previous model of the Nature Trekker. Whether you like a backpack or not only experience can tell. The Nature Trekker easily withstands the test of time. We have even a definition for our equipment to carry. If it does not fit into the Nature Trekker it has to stay home or in the car.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II Review

Website: Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II

Digital Outback Photo have published a very short review of the Delkin eFilm PRO CardBus 32-bit PCMCIA adapter, which Delkin claims is the fastest PCMCIA Adapter on the market. Digital Outback Photo agrees, saying “Using normal PC card adapters the copy process takes a very long frustrating time. Finally the Delkin CardBus 32 Adapter is available and cuts the transfertime to about 1/4th. It is hard to describe how much of a relief it is to be ready in about 15minutes instead of a full hour!”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Delkin CardBus CF Adapter Review

Steves Digicams have just posted a Quick Review of the 5 megapixel Kodak EasyShare DX4530. This new digicam retails for ?399 in the UK.

“As of the writing of this conclusion (Nov 2003), the Kodak DX4530 is the lowest cost 5- megapixel digital camera available with a zoom lens. It proves that the old saying “you only get what you pay for” may not always be true. The DX4530 is an entry-level yet high resolution camera with a quality 3x optical zoom lens. This is a perfect camera for anyone that wants to easily capture sharp and well saturated pictures, indoors or out, with little or no prior experience. And with an average street price of $350 or less you won’t need a bank loan to purchase one.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Kodak EasyShare DX4530 Review

Luminous Landscape has tested the 4Gb Microdrive from Hitachi. The 4Gb Microdrive is relatively cheap compared to other similar storage options, selling for around $499.

“One of the main benefits of using a Microdrive is price. When the IBM 1 GB Microdrive first came out it was the largest Compact Flash card available, and cost approximately $500. Now, less than 3 years later the Hitachi 4GB card also has an initail list price of $500. Moore’s Law at work. (A new 2GB card is also available from Hitachi).

This makes the cost per Gigabyte under $125.

The only other CF card with this capacity is the Lexar 4GB 40X WA, with a typical retail price of about $1,250 ? considerably more than twice as expensive as the Hitachi.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Hitachi 4Gb Microdrive Review

The Slovenian website e-fotografija have published an article about the new Olympus E-1 DSLR. They seem to have tested the E-1 to the full, judging by all of the photographs of the camera sprayed with water! There are also some sample images taken with the FL-50 flash unit to look at.

Website: e-fotografija - Olympus E-1 Article

Digital Outback Photo have already reviewed Noise Ninja from PictureCode software, which was only annnounced a couple of days ago. This new software package claims to effectively remove noise from digital camera and scanned images. Do Digital Outback Photo agree? Find out in their review…

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Noise Ninja Review

Website: Noise Ninja

DIWA Press Release 08/11/03

IDENTIFYING DIGITAL IMAGING PRODUCT EXCELLENCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Introducing: the Digital Imaging Websites Association (DIWA), a new and independent international organisation comprised of experienced, professional, online publications.

Identifying and rewarding product excellence
DIWA’s purpose is to identify excellence in digital imaging products, including cameras, photo printers, scanners, accessories and software. DIWA awards marks of excellence for selected products that have shown their superiority through rigorous, standardised, testing procedures. These awards are designed to give consumers complete confidence in making the best digital imaging choices for their needs.

Fundamental differences
Two fundamental differences mark DIWA from other awards organisations. Firstly, DIWA doesn’t restrict itself to a single annual meeting to choose award winners. Un-restrained by the traditional print medium, DIWA is a dynamic association that can keep up with the brisk pace of industry developments and issue timely awards throughout year. Secondly, DIWA awards are decided through a detailed and standardised testing process undertaken by each member website.

Once a year exclusive annual awards will also be made, celebrating the very best of the products to have won awards earlier in the preceding twelve months.

Rigorous standardised testing
Only products repeatedly tested by different DIWA members are eligible for awards. Multiple testing by different testers addresses issues of sample variability and isolated testing errors. DIWA awards are set to be the most trusted and authoritative independent awards in the industry, valued by manufacturers and consumers alike.

Members
DIWA commences with member sites in Norway (www.digit.no), Poland (www.fotopolis.pl),  Spain (www.nuevafotografia.com), The Netherlands (www.letsgodigital.org), The United Kingdom (www.dp-now.com and www.photo-i.co.uk), and Turkey (www.diginorm.com).  In its first year, DIWA aims to encompass all the main countries of Europe and also welcome members from other parts of the world.

The first official DIWA award will be revealed in the next few weeks, coinciding with the formal launch of the DIWA website. The DIWA home page is at http://www.diwa-awards.com

If you would like to contact us, please email [email protected]

The Channel 4 Television HQ, near Victoria Station in London, is designed by the same architect, Richard Rogers, as one of my favourite buildings, the Lloyds Building. It cost a massive ?38,500,00 to construct and took 4 years to complete, from 1990-94. The primary steelwork is a reddish brown, the exact colour of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco! As part of the London Open House weekend, visitors are let into the building and given a guided tour of the boardroom and roof terrace. Which is where these photos originated from.

Channel 4 Building #1	Channel 4 Building #5	Channel 4 Building #2
Channel 4 Building #15	Channel 4 Building #8	Channel 4 Building #13

About.com have reviewed the image management database software program ThumbsPlus 6.0 from Cerious Software. ThumbsPlus costs US$49.95 for the Standard Edition and US$89.95 for the Pro Edition. A trial download is also available.

“Speed and looks are not the strong point of ThumbsPlus, but if you want extensive cataloging features, multi-criteria file search, powerful batch processing, and integrated image enhancement—and you don’t mind spending time navigating dialogs and entering database information—ThumbsPlus would make an excellent choice. While the myriad of options may be overwhelming for beginners, it’s well-suited for users who need to organize and search through large image collections.”

Website: About.com - ThumbsPlus 6.0 Review

Website: Cerious Software

Fujifilm Press Release 06/11/03

Fujifilm enjoys a month of acclaim in magazine polls, with the FinePix F700 Zoom gaining widespread plaudits

6 November 2003

Fujifilm’s digital photography expertise has been recognised by a series of accolades and award successes in the past month.

Following its launch in July 2003, the FinePix F700 Zoom has received a series of commendations for its winning combination of style, speed and ground-breaking sensor technology.  The compact digital camera was the first to incorporate Fujifilm’s innovative Fourth Generation Super CCD SR.  The new sensor enables the user to capture highlight and shadow detail missed by conventional digital cameras, resulting in images of stunning quality.  Fujifilm has dubbed this advance ‘High Fidelity PhotographyTM ‘, a reference to the sensor’s extraordinarily faithful rendition of detail.

2003 MAXIM STYLE AWARDS, ‘MONEY TO BURN’ CATEGORY
For the second year running, a Fujifilm digital camera has enjoyed success in Maxim magazine’s annual awards.  The FinePix F700 Zoom won the ‘Highly Commended’ award in Maxim’s ‘Money to Burn’ category.  This follows the winning performance of the FinePix F601 Zoom in 2002.

GQ’s ‘100 BEST THINGS IN THE WORLD’ EXHIBITION
The FinePix F700 Zoom continues its success with acclaim from GQ magazine as one of the ‘100 best things in the world’.  The GQ exhibition, which covers areas such as gadgets, cards, clothes and music, takes place in November and December at the Barclay Hotel, London.

2003 COMPUTERACTIVE READER AWARDS, ‘BEST DIGITAL CAMERA COMPANY’ CATEGORY
For the second year running, Fujifilm has been voted ‘best digital camera company’ by the readers of Computeractive, the UK’s best-selling computer magazine.  Reader voting makes these awards a true barometer of brand perception amongst the UK public.

Adrian Clarke, Director of Consumer Products, Fujifilm, said, “It’s always fantastic to win awards as they are a recognition of everyone’s hard work.  We made significant technological strides with the FinePix F700 Zoom, without compromising the camera’s aesthetics.  This combination has worked, and the fantastic response we are getting is testament to that.”

Body Glove Press Release 06/11/03

Body Glove consumer electronic accessories introduces its range of camera cases to offer the best protection for your memories.

Your digital camera is in safe hands with Body Glove?s new Digital Camera Cases

As digital cameras continue to grow in popularity, the latest additions to the Body Glove lifestyle accessory range promise to take good care of your state-of-the-art technology. Made with tough ballistic nylon, matt rubber and stylish neoprene fabrics, splash and scratch resistant there?s no better way to protect your digital camera than with a new Body Glove Digital Camera Case.

Available in three sizes in a choice of blue or black, Body Glove Digital Camera Cases and the Body Glove Digital Video Case offer multiple interior and exterior pockets for media and accessory storage, with a belt loop and shoulder strap for variable carrying options. Stylish and durable they can stand up to any challenge, while ensuring complete protection for your memories.

At just ?9.99 for a compact case, ?14.99 for a medium sized case, ?19.99 for a large and ?24.99 for a Video Case, a Body Glove Digital Camera Case is the ONLY way to protect your digital camera whatever you?re up to.

Multi Purpose Camera Cases for the more traditional
For those of us who have not yet stepped into the realm of digital accessories, Body Glove has produced a range of Multi Purpose Camera Cases. Offering the same features as the Digital Cases, available in blue or black, Body Glove Multi Purpose Cases are priced at ?19.99 for a standard Camera Bag and ?24.99 for a large. These stylish cases accommodate most traditional camera models available on the market today.

Range Information
Body Glove Camera Cases
Compact - ?9.99
Medium - ?14.99
Large - ?19.99
Body Glove Digital Video Case - ?24.99

Body Glove Multi Purpose Camera Cases
Standard - ?19.99
Large - ?24.99

Stockists
For details of UK stockists call Fellowes on 01302 836836
The range of Body Glove camera cases is available on amazon.co.uk
Body Glove consumer technology accessories website www.gowithit.com

Olympus Press Release 06/11/03

Photos taken by the rich and famous raised over ?40,000 for the fashion industry?s leading AIDS charity - Fashion Acts -  last night. The auction, supported by Olympus for the fifth year, saw a host of famous faces including Mariella Frostrup, Jimmy Choo, Graeme Le Saux and Peter Gabriel turn up and bid for the celebrity snaps. The event took place at Bonhams in Knightsbridge, where 40 photographs were auctioned for as much as ?2,000 each! Further photographs are still available for silent bid.

Over forty stars including Dannii Minogue, David Bailey, Mario Testino, Nigella Lawson, Peter Gabriel, Manolo Blahnik, Bryan Adams, Matthew Williamson and Julien MacDonald took on the role of paparazzi with their personally engraved, stylish Olympus Mju 300 digital camera. The two best snapshots from each then went up for sale - one for auction last night, and one for the silent bid.

The silent bid photographs will be exhibited at two locations where the general public will be able to bid for them:

- 6th -11th November - InsideSpace gallery on the lower ground floor of Selfridge?s Oxford Street store
- 12th November ? 10th December at Westover Hall, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire.

To place a silent bid, please send details of the photo and the amount you wish to [email protected] or by post to: Kathy Davies, Fashion Acts, 30 Elgin Crescent, London, W11 2JR. Bidding closes on 15th December 2003, and no money is due unless your bid is accepted by Fashion Acts*.

Fashion Acts is the UK fashion industry’s principle charity for raising awareness and funds for HIV and AIDS. 

Note:
* If bidding for more than one photograph all bids accepted will be due for payment. The highest bid entered for each photograph will be accepted and the lucky bids will be notified by Fashion Acts by 15th December 2003 and delivered on receipt of payment. We regret that we cannot notify unsuccessful bids.

Fuji Press Release 06/11/03

Curves in all the right places: Fujifilm announces Q1 Digital

Fun-sized, ultra-portable digital camera that’s affordable for everyone

Following the success of its popular Q1 film camera, Fujifilm has today announced an addition to the family: the Q1 Digital. This curvy, silver, compact digital camera is perfect for beginners, or for those looking for a second camera to keep in their pocket or bag at all times.  Easy to operate, and very light in weight at just 108g, the Q1 Digital makes the ideal gift for anyone taking their first steps in photography, adults and children included!

Equipped with some handy features, such as automatic flash, red-eye reduction and a QVGA movie mode, the 2 megapixel Q1 Digital offers a great deal of functionality.  Normally, such a stylish camera would carry a heavyweight price tag, however, the Q1 Digital comes in at an expected slimline street price of around ?100 (inc VAT).

On the back of this cool camera, you’ll find a colourful 1.5” TFT LCD screen, for easy review and playback of your still images and movies.  Its 8MB internal memory means you’re ready to go straight out of the box, and if you want to carry on taking more and more shots, you can insert an xD-Picture Card for additional memory (sizes up to 512MB available).

The camera also comes with a handy long strap, so it can be worn around the neck, for ultimate portability.

Pricing and availability
The Q1 Digital will be available in November 2003 at an expected approximate street price of ?100 inc VAT.

Nikon Press Release 05/11/03

Service engineers at Nikon’s German Service Centre were amazed to discover during routine servicing recently that a Nikon F5 had achieved 1,092,904 shutter releases without fault.

Translating into about 35 kilometers of film this figure is a testament to the durable design of the mechanism, now also shared by the latest Nikon D2H Professional Digital SLR.

To put the 1,092,904 shutter releases into context, it equates to 34 hours of continuous shooting at 8 frames per second.

The camera is one of the bodies used in the Matthaus Photographic Studio in Nuremburg, Germany.

Nikon Germany?s Service Manager Joachim Hoffman said: ?This is the most shutter releases I have ever seen. The F5 shutter is, in my opinion, definitely more durable than any other camera?s. Because the F5 in question was well looked after and serviced regularly, that makes it last longer- it?s a bit like going to the dentist!? he added.

Nikon Press Release 05/11/03

The ideal time to buy a Nikon Coolpix

Nikon have just announced a price reduction on their introductory digital compact camera, the Coolpix 2100 from ?199.99 to ?179.99, effective from November 1.

The Coolpix 2100 and 3100 models are amongst the best selling digital compacts in their class. Lightweight, simple and fun to use, they are the perfect models for worry-free digital photography.

And now is the time to buy because, anyone purchasing the Coolpix 2100, 3100 or the stylish Coolpix SQ, winner of the 2003 European TIPA award for design, before the end of December 2003, will qualify for a *Free Flight to one of 12 destinations. These include Barcelona, Malaga, Milan, Nice, Palma, or Venice with the option to fly from one of 6 UK airports. The offer is valid until 1 August 2004.

There’s also good news for photo enthusiasts who are looking for more from a digital camera. Anyone who purchases Nikon’s award winning top of the range Coolpix 5700 before the end of December 2003 will qualify for a ?100 Cashback offer.

The Coolpix range covers a variety of photographic needs and with two great offers in place, a Coolpix digital camera makes an ideal Christmas present.

Terms and conditions for both offers can be found on the Nikon UK website
http://www.nikon.co.uk/flyfreetoeurope/terms.htm
http://www.nikon.co.uk/cashback/terms_and_conditions.htm

Ricoh Europe Press Release 04/11/03

Announcing the Release of the Caplio RR211

Ricoh launches ultra-portable 1.92 effective megapixel 4x zoom digital camera
Ricoh is extremely happy to announce the release of the new Caplio RR211. Weighing in at approximately 110 grams*, the Caplio RR211 is an ultra-portable, stylish, fixed focus digital camera with a bright 1.92 effective megapixel CMOS sensor and impressive 4x digital zoom that’s very simple to use and comes conveniently packaged as an all-in-one unit.

Building on the success of last year’s Caplio RR230 ? a compact digital camera that pioneered the timesaving “Quick View” functionality which allows users to swiftly navigate their latest shots on the 1.5-inch TFT LCD monitor with just one push on the menu controller, Caplio RR211 is further enhanced with a handy fixed focus lens, slimmer design, movie recording capabilities and a clever battery-saving solution that works by using only the power supply of a PC when transferring images via USB cable.

The Caplio RR211 takes precise aim at the large number of value seeking consumers seeking a compact, simple to operate, point-and-shoot digital camera in the 2-megapixel, 4x digital zoom range. Continuous efforts to improve portability and functionality with respect to this principal consumer group will further advance Ricoh’s distinct reputation as a pioneering leader offering a trustworthy selection of quality digital cameras worldwide that includes the award-winning Caplio G3 released this past spring.

“Now this is a digital camera people have been waiting for!” exclaims a senior member of the Marketing Office at Ricoh’s Personal Multimedia Company. “It’s so light, so compact, so easy to use and so much fun, users will want to take it everywhere! There’s no need to worry about focusing either, just point, shoot and enjoy. Plus we’ve made transferring images via USB cable to their computer even smarter by using just the power of the PC, so users can save precious battery power. This is one smart, stylish digital camera that comes in an all-in-one package made for energetic people with a taste for life!”

* (excluding batteries and SD memory card)

Imaging Resource have provided the second review this week of the stylish and affordable 5 megapixel Olympus CAMEDIA C-5000 Zoom, which relaces the older C-4000 Zoom model. 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.

“Five megapixel digicams on average show higher image noise than did their two- and three-megapixel forebears. In the case of the C-5000, I was pleased to see that image noise was generally low, and even at high ISO settings, maintained a very fine grain pattern. It’s been my experience that noise with a tight, fine pattern is much less objectionable to viewers than is the blotchy-looking noise found in most digicams at high ISO settings. While I wouldn’t venture to compare its quantitative performance in this regard with other cameras, I did generally find the C-5000’s noise levels to be low, and its noise pattern less objectionable than that of many competing models.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus CAMEDIA C-5000 Zoom Review