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

Digital Outback Photo have reviewed Adobe Camera Raw 2.0, which is now integrated into Adobe Photoshop CS. So if you’re buying Photoshop CS, you effectively get this RAW conversion program for free. Does it stand up against the competition, or should you buy Capture One DSLR instead?

“We always liked the colors that we got from even ARC 1.0. Some complained that the images were soft if they used the default settings. We actually like that a raw converter produces slightly soft (not too contrasty) images as we then have some latitude to tune the contrast in PS (actually one of the best tools in CS is Shadow/Highlight with it’s midtone contrast control). Again we like the the colors we get from the default hard coded profiles. But we are more into subjective pleasing colors than “true” colors.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Adobe Camera Raw 2.0 Review

PictureCode, a US-based software company, have released Noise Ninja, which claims to effectively remove noise from digital camera and scanned images. Two versions are available to buy; Home license, which costs $39 and supports 8-bit file output with no batch processing, or the Professional license, which costs $99 with 16-bit file output and full batch processing. There’s a trial version available to download, although you can’t actually save files until the software is registered. (found via Digicamera.net)

“Eliminate noise and grain from digital images - PictureCode’s Noise Ninja software uses breakthrough technology to quickly remove high-ISO noise, scanner noise, and grain from digital images. Compared to other noise removal tools, Noise Ninja does a superior job of suppressing noise while preserving sharpness and detail. In many cases, the results are nothing short of amazing.”

Website: Noise Ninja

Epson Press Release

LONG BEACH, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Nov. 5, 2003—Inaccurate Claims Regarding Residual Ink in Epson Cartridges Causing Consumer Confusion and Potential Damage to Ink Jet Printers

Epson America Inc., responding to inaccurate public reports on the design and function of its ink cartridges, today is providing important information to consumers regarding the reason why its cartridges contain a small amount of ink when consumers are advised to replace them. This response was prompted by allegations from a Dutch consumer group that have since been publicly retracted, as well as several U.S. lawsuits. The recent lawsuits were filed by the same law firm in several jurisdictions and based on these same inaccurate allegations that Epson believes are completely without merit.

Epson’s position that these lawsuits are frivolous is echoed by many of the industry’s leading authorities on printer technology including CAP Ventures and Lyra Research. A sampling of their opinions follows:

“The U.S. lawsuits copying the erroneous Dutch allegations against Epson are frivolous,” said Jim Forrest, imaging expert with Newton, Mass.-based Lyra Research. “An Epson ink jet cartridge that runs completely dry could damage the hardware’s printing mechanism. Yes, there may be some ink left over, but that is by design, for the protection and longevity of the printer. And, since its cartridges are priced by page yields, not volume, consumers are in fact getting all that they paid for.”

“Recent trade press coverage on some of these lawsuits appear to be manufactured and have little legitimacy,” said John Shane, director, Communication Supplies Consulting Service, CAP Ventures, a leading strategic consulting firm for providers and users of business and visual communication technologies and services. “This type of misleading industry discourse does little to accurately educate the marketplace.”

Epson’s ink cartridges are designed to include a small safety reserve of ink. This safety reserve serves an important engineering function to ensure consistent image quality and prevent damage to the permanent print head that could be caused by drawing in air bubbles when there is no ink remaining in the cartridge. The printer will automatically stop working when there is no more safely usable ink in the cartridge. Users benefit from all of the ink they have paid for since Epson promotes and prices the cartridges based on the usable volume of ink reflected in the rated yield, not on the total volume of ink.

The chip included in Epson’s cartridges records the amount of ink that has been used from a cartridge, which not only ensures that the print heads are not damaged by ink cartridges running dry but also enables users to swap out cartridges as needed to handle particular print jobs.

“Our customers get the full benefit of the ink we promote if they use our printers as we recommend,” said Keith Kratzberg, director, photo imaging, Epson. “Therefore we take these abusive accusations very seriously and deny them vigorously. Furthermore, we are concerned that some of the people making these accusations are doing a disservice to consumers by recommending that they override the ink replacement signal which will cause poor quality prints and can damage the printers.”

Rumors surrounding this issue began in July 2003 when Consumentenbond, a Dutch consumer organization, alleged that Epson misled consumers by prematurely warning them to replace ink cartridges because they use an integrated chip to prevent the use of all of the ink. Upon further investigation, the Dutch consumer organization publicly retracted all claims and issued an apology, concluding that all brands of ink cartridges have ink remaining when consumers are advised to replace cartridges. In addition, the organization confirmed that Epson cartridges confer a technological benefit in order to maintain the life of the printer.

CNET have reviewed the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 3.1 megapixel digital camera which has an RRP of $329. Here’s a quote from the review:

“The 3.1-megapixel DX6340 couldn’t be easier for novices to use. The controls are well designed, you get instant access to a variety of shooting modes, and compatibility with optional EasyShare docks makes for convenient printing and sharing. And with its 4X zoom lens, the camera has more shooting flexibility than the average 3-megapixel model. More-experienced photographers and beginners who want to enhance their skills will appreciate the extra control offered by the DX6340’s aperture- and shutter-priority modes. Unfortunately, a couple of noticeable flaws mar this digicam’s otherwise pleasing images.”

Website: CNET - Kodak EasyShare DX6340 Review

The weekly UK magazine Amateur Photographer have given the Olympus E-1 DSLR a glowing review in this week’s issue (8 November 2003), awarding it 95%. Specification was awarded 28/30, Build 20/20, Handling 19/20 and Performance 28/30. Considering that the same magazine rated the Canon EOS 300D at 85% last week, that is very good news for Olympus and the E-1. Here’s a short extract from the conclusion:

“Considering that Olympus has not had a new SLR for nearly a decade, and the E-1 is its first digital SLR, the company has hit the proverbial nail squarely on the head first time. This is a fantastic camera in terms of performance and we are seeing digital imaging yet another step closer to offering us the Holy Grail of “film quality”. Indeed, in some respects the E-1 already surpasses it.”

High praise indeed! Amateur Photographer is available from your local newsagents for ?1.95.

Website: Amateur Photographer

Luminous Landscape owner and editor Michael Reichmann has just published his review of the Pentax *ist D digital SLR, which is now on sale in the UK. What does this professional photographer think of the *ist D? Not a lot I’m afraid…

“Let’s do the conclusion first this time. The Pentax *ist D, Pentax’s new 6MP digital SLR, is an adequate offering ? producing image quality competitive with similarly priced and featured cameras from Nikon, Fuji and Canon.

Is it better in any way? No.

Is it more expensive than the others? Yes. It costs more than the Canon 10D or the Nikon D100, but “no” it’s priced less than the Fuji S2 or Olympus E-1. In other words, it runs in the middle of the pack.

If that was all there was to the story it would be simple to tell. But regrettably the *ist D disappoints in a number of areas, and though I have been a fan of Pentax cameras for at least 40 years this model fails to live up to expectations.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Pentax *ist D Review

Many photographs that I take are destined never to see the light of day or be printed, but a few of them can be intriguing none-the-less. This sequence of abstract shots proves that photographic opportunities can present themselves when you least expect it. They were all taken in the space of 20 minutes on a very sunny afternoon on a recent visit to my Mum and Dad’s house. I haven’t told them yet that their bedroom is currently appearing on the Internet (and I don’t think I will!).

Domestic Abstract #1	Domestic Abstract #2	Domestic Abstract #3
Domestic Abstract #4	Domestic Abstract #5	Domestic Abstract #6

Photo.net have published their report of the recent Photo Expo Plus 2003 photography show, held in New York.

“Photo Expo Plus is a great place to see the latest gear and take the pulse of the industry. This year, as for the previous few years, the pulse has been ...0101010101…! I’d say digital cameras certainly dominated the P&S and 35mm displays, often to the point that you had to look hard to find a film camera. Even at the Medium Format displays the emphasis was on digital.”

Website: Photo.net - Photo Expo Plus 2003 Report

The Slovenian website e-Fotografija have posted a detailed review of the Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens, which is only available as part of the Canon EOS 300D kit. Again there are a lot of sample images and product shots, so the review is worth a look. And you can always try out the Slovenian Translator below…

Website: e-Fotografija - Canon EF-S 18?55mm Lens Review

Website: Slovenian Translator

The Slovenian website e-Fotografija has posted the first ever review of the Olympus CAMEDIA C-5060 camera. As usual there are a lot of sample images and product shots, so even if you’re not fluent in Slovenian, the page is still worth a visit.

Website: e-Fotografija - Olympus C-5060 Review

Website: Slovenian Translator