CNET Asia are the second website today to take a look at the Minolta DiMAGE A1. They liked the camera, awarding it a rating of 8 out of 10.

“In terms of image quality, the A1 delivered some of the better-looking photos we’ve seen from a 5-megapixel camera. With ISO speeds below 200, we found the images to be relatively clean in a full variety of shots. Disappointingly, we detected slight barrel distortion with the A1 in its widest angle. The colors captured, on the other hand, were always vibrant and the metering generally gave well-exposed shots.”

Website: Digit.no - Minolta DiMAGE A1 Review

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

Canon launches the Bubble Jet i905D: Dedicated six-colour direct photo printer for ultimate quality and connectability

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the 4800 x 1200 dpi1 Bubble Jet i905D, a six-colour photo printer with unsurpassed print quality and connectability.  With card slots for the most popular brands of memory cards, the i905D is 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.

A new built-in colour LCD screen can display image thumbnails and provides an intuitive interface for effortless cropping, paper size selection, photo effects and image orientation. Canon’s advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology print head with 2picolitre (pl) Micro-Nozzles delivers unsurpassed levels of fine detail and smooth gradation. This patented technology enables grain-free printing - particularly for skin tones and sky colours which show up limitations in lesser brands.  The unbeatable photo quality and additional features of the i905D render it a precious tool for any digital camera user who wants the convenience of photo printing without a PC.

“The Bubble Jet i905D is easily the highest quality photo printer in its class,” says Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland.  “It has also been designed to work with a vast array of cameras both now and in years to come”.

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

Canon’s Bubble Jet i965: World’s fastest photo prints with highest resolution

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the fastest and highest resolution photo printer the 4800 x 2400 dpi1 Bubble Jet i965. Canon’s latest professional series six-ink printer produces a 400dpi full A4 photo in approximately 60 seconds - less than half the time taken by its nearest rival. A 4"x 6” print takes just 21 seconds, making this the ideal printer for demanding photographers. The i965 is compliant with the new direct photo print industry standard, PictBridge.

The i965’s remarkable speed results from patented technologies that allow Canon to get more ink on the page in less time and with more accuracy. Semi-conductor manufacturing techniques are used to create the highest density print head, delivering extremely small droplets from the smallest diameter Micro-Nozzles. The result is a 3072 nozzle print head capable of ejecting up to 73.7 million 2-picolitre (pl) droplets per second. The exacting precision afforded by this advanced icroFine Droplet Technology combines with the six-ink, 1/6 density photo ink system to create grain-free prints with unsurpassed clarity, contrast, colour range and smoothness of tone.

“Professional users not only demand lab quality prints, they want high speed as well” explains Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland. “The great thing for our customers is that the same technical advances that make the i965 the fastest photo printer also deliver the highest quality images”.

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

Canon Bubble Jet i865 - the business photo printer everyone will want to take home

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the PictBridge compliant Bubble Jet i865 printer.  Building on the popularity amongst business users of its predecessor, the Bubble Jet i850, the Bubble Jet i865 has an additional black ink for higher contrast and astonishing quality photo printing. This will appeal to exacting users looking for unrivalled professional quality printing of borderless photographs. Like all Bubble Jet printers in Canon’s latest range, the i865 is PictBridge compliant, enabling printing via direct connection to any PictBridge compatible camera or camcorder via a USB cable, without the need for a PC. With print speeds of 23ppm mono and 16ppm colour, the i865 is easily the fastest ink jet printer on the market, making it a clear choice for business users.  These record print speeds are achieved through Canon’s advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology print head, which has nozzle density up to seven times that of rival brands.  The result is a print head capable of delivering up to 28 million droplets per second more ink on the page in less time for super fast prints.  With a 2 picolitre (pl) droplet size ejected from Micro-Nozzles, the record speed is matched only by the quality.

“The introduction of additional black ink for photo printing to the world’s fastest Bubble Jet printer will be welcomed by increasingly savvy and demanding users of photo printing,” says Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland.  “At the same time, retaining the standard black ink is critical for our business customers who demand crisp, clean, fast document printing”.

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

The PictBridge revolution: Introducing the Bubble Jet i455 and i475D Direct Print photo printers

PictBridge compatible Direct Print photo printers keep coming from Canon.

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of its latest PictBridge compatible photo printers, the Canon Bubble Jet i455 and i475D.  The two new models have been launched in line with Canon’s position at the forefront of the drive towards complete PictBridge compatibility.  Any PictBridge compliant digital camera can connect and print directly to these compatible printers, regardless of brand and without the need for a PC. The Bubble Jet i455 and i475D replace the Bubble Jet i450 and i470D respectively.

With a print head nozzle density up to seven times that of competing brands and a nozzle apperture size 40% smaller than Canon’s nearest rival, the i455 and i475D use a 2pl droplet size to deliver unsurpassed 4800x1200 dpi* professional photo quality as standard.  The same technology that delivers tiny 2pl ink droplets and the highest nozzle density also makes these easily the fastest printers in their class - both models boast incredible 18ppm mono and 12 ppm colour print speeds.

“Not only do the Bubble Jet i455 and i475D deliver the best quality photo prints and highest speeds in their class,” says Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland, “they embody our commitment to producing cameras and printers that work together with whatever device our customers might have or choose to have in the future.”

The Slovenian digital photography website e-Fotografija have recently reviewed the Canon EOS 300D, Pentax *ist D and the Olympus E-1 DSLRs. They are also testing those cameras with various lenses, which will be published in a few days time. Unfortunately everything is in Slovenian (naturally); they are currently looking for a slovenian-english translator to publish the site in English. Fortunately, there are a lot of sample images to look at from all 3 cameras.

Website: e-Fotografija

Steve’s Digicams have reviewed the very similar FinePix A205 Zoom and FinePix A210 Zoom digital cameras. The main difference between them is the megapixel count - 2 million for the A205 and 3.2 million for the A210. The Fuji FinePix A205 costs $199.95 and the FinePix A210 $279.99.

“Outdoors, the FinePix A210 produces good results, both well-exposed and nicely saturated. The 3X optical zoom lens has enough range, 36-108mm in 35mm equivalence, to provide flexibility in composing your shots and is sharp enough to produce pleasing 8X10-inch prints.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Fujifilm FinePix A210 Review

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Fujifilm FinePix A205 Review

Website: Read my review of the Fujifilm FinePix A205

The German website Digitalkamera.de have recently reviewed the Fuji FinePix F700. Fuji claims the the F700 sensor improves image quality by widening the dynamic range, rather than just increasing the number of pixels. This should mean more detail in the shadow and highlight areas of an image than Fuji cameras have previously captured.

Website: Digitalkamera.de - Fuji FinePix F700 Review

Website: Read my review of the Fuji FinePix F700

DCResource has posted its full review of Nikon’s uniquely designed digital compact camera, the Nikon SQ, with product photos and sample images from a production camera.

“To call the Nikon Coolpix SQ ($499) unique would be an understatement. The SQ’s design is stunning, with a square shape (hence the name) and Nikon’s trademark rotating lens.

The SQ is a “boutique camera”, meaning that it’s uniquely designed, expensive and fairly limited in terms of features. It will also be sold only in certain stores.”

Website: DC Resource - Nikon SQ Review

Digit.no, the Norwegian digital photography website, have reviewed the new DiMAGE A1 from Minolta. It will be interesting to see how the A1 does now that the Sony Cybershot F-828 and Canon EOS 300D have been announced.

Website: Digit.no - Minolta DiMAGE A1 Review

The most interesting news today is courtesy of Vincent Oliver, the editor of the website Photo-i.co.uk. Vincent has exclusively revealed that Canon are introducing 3 new photo printers, which are all updated versions of existing printers, and he has also started an interactive review of one of the new models.

Here is a brief summary of what the new models offer; Photo-i has the full press release from Canon.

The Bubble Jet i865 replaces the i850. It has an additional black ink for higher contrast and top quality borderless photo printing, and also supports the PictBridge standard. Printing directly onto compatible CD-R/DVDs is now possible with the inclusion of a detachable CD-R printing unit. With print speeds of 23ppm mono and 16ppm colour, Canon claims the i865 is the fastest ink jet printer on the market.

The Bubble Jet i965 replaces the i950. Canon are claiming that it is the fastest and highest resolution photo printer; a a 2400dpi full A4 photo is printed in approximately 60 seconds. Like the i865, the i965 is PictBridge compatible and also prints directly onto compatible CD-R/DVDs.

The Bubble Jet i905D replaces the S830D. There is a new built-in colour LCD screen and card slots for CompactFlash?, Microdrive, Sony Memory Stick, smartMedia, Secure Digital, Multimedia card, Memory Stick DUO, miniSd Card and xD-Picture card, which allows convenient photo printing without a PC. Like the i865 and i965, the i905D is PictBridge compatible and also prints directly onto compatible CD-R/DVDs.

All 3 printers feature a new covered paper tray that has been added to the auto sheet feed to hold and protect 4? x 6? photo paper, allowing users to switch printing modes without swapping paper.

Website: Photo-i

Photoxels have reviewed the Canon PowerShot A70, which has recently been superceded by the A80. Nevertheless, Photoxels still thinks that it is worth considering:

“The Canon PowerShot A70 is an attractive, compact and affordable digital camera perfect for an aspiring photographer. It has the image quality Canon is famous for, its 3.2 megapixels resolution allows 8x10 in. prints, and, more importantly, it provides the features and exposure flexibility that allow a beginner amateur photographer to experiment, learn and grow in digital photography.”

Website: Photoxels - Canon Powershot A70 Review

“After Life: Streatham Cemetery” is a year in the life of a London cemetery, as seen through the eyes of photographer Jonathan Clark. The website is split up into Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, with Winter being the most prolific and interesting season in my opinion. All of the photographs were taken between dusk and dawn over a 2-year period. It’s a well-executed photography project, although I’m not sure about the animation of flowers and leaves in some of the photographs.

Website: After Life: Streatham Cemetery

Leica Press Release 04/09/2003

Trial offer: two free issues of Leica Fotografie International (LFI)

LFI is the must-read magazine for all Leica enthusiasts, appearing eight times a year. Our current issue includes:
PORTFOLIOS: OSCAR BARNACK AWARD 2003. Leica presents the much sought after award for the 24th time. LFI introduces winner, Andrea Hoyer, and reproduces works from the jury?s shortlist.
HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON. LFI honours this unique artist with a retrospective of his work.
TECHNOLOGY: LEICA M7 TITANIUM. A Leica fan had an idea: to have an M7 built out of pure titanium. The result is worth checking out.
LEICA KNOWLEDGE. New 100 ISO slide films put to the test: comparing Ektachrome 100 G and Fujichrome Astia 100F.
NICO BEYER, FILM-PHOTOGRAPHER. The internationally renowned commercials director has an unusual way of perfecting his ads: he uses an R9.
Also read about news from the world of photography, current exhibitions and interesting books.

Order now for a free trial of the next two LFI issues!

Send us an email to [email protected] and don?t forget to provide us with your complete name and postal address.

For more information check our http://www.lfi-online.com

The people who brought you the 28 Things photography project back in July have launched a new project idea. Connect 8 asks you to choose 1 idea/theme for your starting photograph, then from your chosen starting idea/theme, take 8 connecting photographs. There are 30 different themes to choose from, along with the rules, some tips and an example project.

Website: Connect 8

Canon USA has posted details of an updated version of the popular i950 photo printer. The i960 is virtually identical to its predecessor, but now supports the PictBridge standard and is curiously listed, at $199, as $50 cheaper than the i950. Otherwise it looks to be an identical, although somewhat heavier, printer. There is no official word yet about the i960 from Canon, although the Canon USA website does say that it will ship in October.

Website: Canon USA - Printers

Here are 6 more Notting Hill Children photographs to help brighten up your Sunday morning. Although one or two of the children didn’t seem to be entering fully into the spirit of the event…

Notting Hill Carnival Children #7	Notting Hill Carnival Children #8	Notting Hill Carnival Children #9
Notting Hill Carnival Children #10	Notting Hill Carnival Children #11	Notting Hill Carnival Children #12

The UK digital photography website, DP-Now.com, have announced a new photography competition in conjunction with Olympus UK. There is ?8,000 worth of prizes up for grabs; 12 monthly prizes of ?500 to spend on Olympus products, and a ?2,000 holiday for two in Greece for the overall winner. The competition is based loosely on the theme of each of the twelve Olympian gods, in turn, one for each month. Check out the DP-Now website below for the full details.

Website: DP-Now Competition

It seems as though the major digital camera review websites have collaborated to review or preview the Canon EOS 300D on the very same day! So without any further ado, here are those all important links - grab a cup of coffee and find a spare 1/2 hour to discover if the 300D is the breakthrough camera that Canon claims it is.

Website: DCResource - Canon EOS 300D Preview

Website: DPReview - Canon EOS 300D Review

Website: Imaging Resource - Canon EOS 300D Review

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon EOS 300D First Look

Bob Atkins over at Photo.net has published a very informative article which I’m sure will prove to be a valuable resource for all new digital photographers. And some of the information will help clear up a few misconceptions that more experienced photographers may have :-)

” In this basic guide to digital camera technology we hope to try to give digital beginners at least some basis to use in deciding which digital camera is appropriate for them. When shopping for a digital camera it’s at least good to know what the basic terms like white balance, pixel, ppi and dpi mean and how they affect image and print quality. It’s also important to know the difference between things like optical zoom and digital zoom as well as the advantages and disadvantages between storage formats such as Compact Flash (CF), Microdrives, Sony Memory Stick, Secure Digital (SD), Multimedia and camera interface technologies such as USB 1.1, USB 2.0 and Firewire IEEE 1394.”

Website: Photo.net - “Digital Cameras - A beginner’s guide”