-- Top News Stories -- Canon D30 Poweroff Fix Canon G1/Pro90/S100 Firmware Update Canon HyperPhoto Bubblejet printer Delkin Ships 128MB SmartMedia Fujifilm S1 Pro $1000 Price Drop Nikon D1H and D1X Pro SLRs Nixvue Photo Album Review Posted Qimage Pro v12.0 Released Rob Galbraith's Nikon D1X Report Sony Mavica CD300 and CD200 Visioneer Scanner Includes Card Readers All the new digicam announcements are here:

02-28-2001

Sony Launches New Mavica CD300 and CD200 with CD-ReWriteable Drives See our First Look reports of the new Mavica MVC-CD300 and the Mavica MVC-CD200 cameras. Imaging-Resource's Sony MVC-CD300 review DP Review's Sony MVC-CD300 review. (press release) Digital Photography Goes Even More Mainstream With Sony's New Compact CD Mavica® Cameras PARK RIDGE, N.J., Feb. 28, 2001 ­ Sony Electronics today introduced two new CD Mavica digital still cameras that take high-capacity, disc-based photography to new levels, with the ability to use CD-RW media in addition to lower cost, archivable CD-R media. The MVC-CD200 and MVC-CD300, with 2.1 and 3.3 megapixel resolution, respectively, both capture photos and MPEG videos to CD-R and CD-RW media. These two new cameras follow the lead of Sony's first CD-based camera, the acclaimed MVC-CD1000, introduced last year. Both of the new models will be available in June, and will sell for around $800 and $1,000, respectively. Sony's new CD Mavica cameras record images to an 8 cm CD-R disc that costs about $5 and gives photographers 156MB of storage. CD-RW discs, at about $8 per disc, with the same 156MB capacity, can be erased and reused for hundreds of cycles. "These media provide the lowest cost-per-megabyte of storage in the digital camera industry," said Greg Young, Sony Electronics' general manager of digital camera and printer marketing. "The high capacity of CD-R media, its affordability, archive ability and its ability to be used in virtually any PC is what's expected of a CD Mavica camera," Young continued. "But adding the option of CD-RW, a design that's easy to handle, and a truly competitive price is what give these cameras broad appeal." With 156MB capacity, the CD can store more than 1000 VGA still images and more than 90 minutes of MPEG video. The media is directly compatible with virtually any personal computer, so image transfer is as simple and, at about $5 a disc, sharing and archiving photos is cost-effective. The new CD Mavica models offer more than just a great way to store images. They incorporate new ergonomic and photographic advancements as well as a choice of resolutions and lens configurations. The MVC-CD200 provides 2.1 Megapixel resolution and a 3X optical zoom lens with 6X digital zoom. The MVC-CD300 adds 3.3 megapixel resolution, a 3X Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar zoom lens, and three-shot, two-frames-per-second burst or exposure bracketing modes. Both models include AF illuminator assisted autofocus, extensive manual focus and exposure controls, and a choice of three MPEG movie modes, including Sony's MPEG HQ, which offers full screen playback of 320 x 240 video clips with high sampling rate audio. For fast, intuitive handling, the MVC-CD200 and MVC-CD300 include a top mounted mode selector for shooting, playback and exposure preferences, and a Jog Dial navigator for easier and faster control of manual focus, aperture and shutter settings. Highlighted by a contemporary new chassis design, these models are the most compact Mavica cameras ever. At 3-5/8" in height, they are just 3/8" taller than the 3-inch CD media itself. Know what this is? Check out page 2 of our review. MVC-CD300 CD Mavica 1/1.8" 3.34 Megapixel Super HAD CCD image sensor 2048 x 1536 maximum picture size Records images to a 8 cm Mavica CD-R or RW Disc (156 MB) Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar 3x optical, 6x digital zoom High-speed scan AF with AF illuminator light and manual focus modes 2½" 123K pixel precision LCD viewfinder 13-step Aperture priority, 39-step shutter priority, manual exposure modes 3-mode auto pop-up flash w/selectable red-eye reduction, compatible w/HVL-F1000 flash 3-shot burst, AE bracketing, MPEG/MPEG HQ, Voice memo, text modes JPEG, GIF, uncompressed TIFF or MPEG file formats UXGA/XGA/VGA, 3:2 UXGA image resolution USB transfer allows use as an external CD-R/RW drive InfoLithium® rechargeable battery, AC adapter/charger supplied MVC-CD200 CD Mavica 1/2.7" 2.1 Megapixel Super HAD CCD image sensor 1600 x 1200 maximum picture size Records images to a 8 cm Mavica CD-R or RW Disc (156 MB) 3x optical, 6x digital zoom High-speed scan AF with AF illuminator light and manual focus modes 2½" 123K pixel precision LCD viewfinder 13-step Aperture priority, 39-step shutter priority, manual exposure modes 3-mode auto pop-up flash w/selectable red-eye reduction, compatible w/HVL-F1000 flash MPEG Movie, MPEG HQ, Voice memo, text modes JPEG, GIF, uncompressed TIFF or MPEG file formats UXGA/XGA/VGA, 3:2 UXGA image resolution USB transfer allows use as an external CD-R/RW drive InfoLithium® rechargeable battery, AC adapter/charger supplied

02-28-2001

Other Sites' Latest Reviews We've been a little busy around here since PMA and have had precious little time to report on things going on elsewhere so it's time to play catchup. The Imaging-Resource has just posted their Olympus C-2040 Zoom review and Dave had this to say about it: "Overall, the C-2040 Zoom turned in an excellent performance, particularly in the areas of image quality and creative control. Colors were bright, accurate, and well-saturated, and detail was excellent. The difficult red / magenta separation is very good, and the camera does a pretty good job with the awkward blues of our model's pants and the blue flowers in our outdoor test shot. We also noticed a slight oversaturation of red in the skin tones, but the vibrant red flower of the model's bouquet appeared to stay in check... With the C-2040 Zoom, Olympus has taken a very good digicam (the C-2020) and made it even better. The increased exposure flexibility and focusing options, combined with the Camedia's creative features, make the C-2040 Zoom capable of handling just about any shooting situation." Jeff at DC Resource also posted an Olympus C-2040Z review and said: "The Olympus C-2040Z is in kind of a strange position. It costs only about $100 more than the D-490Z, and $100 less than the C-3000Z. If all this talk of manual controls are too much for you, then you might want to jump down to the D-490Z. If you can afford the extra $100, the step up to the 3.3 Megapixel C-3000Z might be worth it. Aside from all that, though, the C-2040Z is a nice upgrade to an already excellent camera. I have few issues with it, and most of them are minor. If your old digital camera is looking for an upgrade but you're not quite ready for the big leagues of 3 and 4 Megapixel cameras, then the C-2040Z is seriously worth considering." Phil at DP Review posted his Sony DSC-S75 review and concluded: "Sony have taken a good digital camera and made it even better, when you first pick up the S75 it's obvious that they've made quite a few ergonomic and external design changes but it's only when you start using and analysing what's changed do you see the number of changes that have been engineered into this new camera. What's interesting is if you take a look a the list of cons from the conclusion to my DSC-S70 review, then compare it to the list of improvements in the new camera... Maybe Sony do listen to us ;-)" The folks over at digitalkamera.de recently posted their Pentax EI-2000 / HP C912 lab test and said this: "Although the camera has a real reflex viewfinder, a satisfactory (but not above average) image quality, numerous adjustable settings, various functions, as well as a good expandability (optical and flash accessories), this is not enough for semi- professional use. The overly strong JPEG compression, the fact that the colour LCD screen does not quite reach optimum quality, the power zoom concept, the missing manual white balance, together with the uneven illumination produced by the internal flash make this a digital camera for amateur photographers." We'll be adding a couple of new reviews ourself in addition to the Olympus E-100RS and the pile of Sony reviews that we recently posted - see our review links above. And watch for a surprise review later today ...

02-27-2001

MedioStream Ships Complete $199 DV to MPEG-2 / DVD Solution SAN JOSE, CA, (February 27, 2001) – MedioStream, Inc. today announced CAMpeg RT, a complete DVD publishing system for creating MPEG-2 files suitable for streaming on desktop PCs as well as for DVD publishing, video editing, or archiving. MedioStream's new solution for video enthusiasts and consumers includes its new CAMpeg RT real-time DV to MPEG-2 transcoder software, MedioStream IEEE-1394 FireWire adapter and cable, and a special release of Sonic Solutions MyDVD software for authoring videos onto recordable CD or DVD discs. MedioStream's CAMpeg RT converts digital video from a DV camcorder to an MPEG-2 file in full D1 resolution at 30 frames per second. Users who purchase the entire package have a complete solution, which will run on Pentium III or AMD Athlon CPUs, as well as on Celeron 533A MHz or higher CPUs with SSE (Streaming SIMD Extension) support. Users simply plug in a mini DV Camcorder to the MedioStream FireWire (IEEE-1394) card port, install the CAMpeg RT encoding and DVD authoring software, and they are ready to create full-motion and full-screen DVD quality video on their computer and share it with anyone. The estimated street price of CAMpeg RT with IEEE-1394 FireWire Card and cable, and DVD authoring software is $199. CAMpeg RT is currently available in the U.S. International versions with PAL support will ship in 60 days. CAMpeg RT provides the ability to create an MPEG-2 file from a DV camcorder using your notebook or desktop PC. This breakthrough in full motion video and audio processing is made possible by an advanced algorithm, which enables full D1 resolution DV decoding and MPEG-2 encoding in real-time simultaneously at a full frame rate. CAMpeg RT transcoding software has user-friendly features that allow users to select the video segments that they want to transcode from their DV camcorder. The on-screen control menu is easy to use, and is designed to assist the user to create an MPEG-2 program stream or DVD compliant stream on the fly. MedioStream's IEEE-1394 host adapter provides high-speed file transfers to 400 Mb/sec. It is OHCI-compliant and includes 2 IEEE 1394 ports which can act as a multi-function adapter. Each port may be used for peer-to-peer networking or as controller for 1394-ready peripherals such as digital cameras, camcorders, printers, or scanners. The host adapter will enable all existing systems to be IEEE 1394 ready. MyDVD software from Sonic Solutions provides a fast and easy way to create interactive DVD projects with CAMpeg video streams. MyDVD allows a user to build menus, preview the project and record it onto CD or DVD media. DVD playback software is included so that recorded CDs and DVDs can be played back on virtually any PC.

02-27-2001

Firmware Updates For Canon Powershot S100, G1 and Pro90 IS February 27, 2001 -- Canon Inc. has announced that new firmware updates are now available for the PowerShot S100, PowerShot G1 and PowerShot Pro90 IS. If you own one of these cameras, please review the following information and then visit Canon Inc.'s BeBit web site for detailed information. USA Customers Please Note: All PowerShot Pro90 IS cameras designated for distribution in the USA will be updated to new firmware version 1.0.0.1 prior to shipment. If your PowerShot Pro90 IS is purchased in the USA, there is no need to update firmware at this time. Cameras that have been updated at the factory can be identified by a red "0" mark on the inside of the battery compartment cover. All PowerShot G1 and S100 cameras shipped in the USA prior to March, 2001 have not been updated to new firmware version 1.0.0.1. Cameras that have been updated at the factory or by Canon Factory Service can be identified by a red "0" mark on the inside of the battery compartment cover. What the firmware updates do: PowerShot Pro90 IS: If an EX-series Speedlite (220EX/380EX/420EX/550EX) is mounted on the camera, the user-selected white balance is used when the Speedlite is turned off. (With firmware version 1.0.0.0, the Pro90 IS set an arbitrary white balance whenever an EX-series Speedlite was mounted on the camera.) Aperture values as large as f/2.8 can be used with shutter speeds as high as 1/800 sec. in Tv (shutter-speed priority AE), Av, (aperture-priority AE), and M (manual) shooting modes. (The previous maximum aperture limitation was f/4 for shutter speeds higher than 1/500.) PowerShot G1: It is no longer necessary to reset the date at the end of the month. (With firmware version 1.0.0.0, some G1 cameras lost the date information at the end of the month.) An underexposure problem that occurred in Program modes in low light when an EX-series Speedlite (220EX/380EX/420EX/550EX) was mounted on the camera but turned off has been solved. Speedlites 160E and 200E will now flash when they are mounted on the PowerShot G1. However, since they are not EX-series Speedlites, they will fire at full strength. (Automatic flash exposure on the PowerShot G1 is only available with the built-in flash or an EX-series Speedlite.) The problem that the camera sometimes didn't emit a shutter clicking sound has been solved. PowerShot S100 Digital ELPH: It is no longer necessary to reset the date at the end of the month. Who can perform the update? Two methods of firmware updating are provided: One is for end users to load it by themselves directly from Canon Inc.'s web page, as described in the PowerShot Firmware Installation Procedure posted there. Another is to have the new firmware installed by a Canon Factory Service Center. If you choose the latter method, please contact Canon USA's Customer Support Center at 1-800-828-4040 (available Mon. - Fri. from 9AM to 8PM Eastern time) for assistance prior to shipping your camera. When the automated attendant answers the call, please follow the prompts for Technical Assistance with Digital Cameras. How is the firmware update installed? The new firmware can be installed directly via the camera's USB interface cable, or it can be copied to a CF card and installed without an interface cable. The updating procedure takes approximately 40 to 60 seconds depending on the camera model. Please visit the following web page according to your camera model: PowerShot S100 PowerShot G1 PowerShot Pro90 IS

02-26-2001

Visioneer PhotoPort 7700 USB Color Flatbed Scanner Ships With Built-In, High-Speed Memory Card Readers PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 2001-- Visioneer ships the PhotoPort 7700 USB color flatbed scanner with built-in CompactFlash and SmartMedia high-speed memory card readers. The CompactFlash reader also supports the IBM Microdrive. The scanner features an optical resolution of 600 x 1200 dpi, 42-bit color and five convenient OneTouch buttons for storing, copying, emailing, faxing and uploading digital images or photographs to the PhotoWorks.com web site. The 7700 includes ScanSoft's PaperPort Deluxe 7.0, TextBridge Pro 9.0 and MGI PhotoSuite III SE. Visioneer's PhotoPort technology makes using your digital camera easier than ever. Simply insert a SmartMedia or CompactFlash memory card or an IBM Microdrive from your digital camera into one of the PhotoPort card readers to automatically transfer images to your PC. The PhotoPort 7700 USB not only transfers files into the computer, but creates thumbnails on the PaperPort desktop that are easy to recognize, organize and put to work in popular applications. With Visioneer's advanced PhotoPort architecture, the 7700 transfers images up to 40x faster than serial cameras, 4x faster than USB-based digital cameras and up to 30% faster than dedicated memory card readers. By pressing the OneTouch Prints button on the scanner, digital photos or scanned images are automatically uploaded to the PhotoWorks Internet printing service where inexpensive, long-lasting OneTouch Prints can be ordered. Images are also placed on a secure server where you can share them with family and friends or order photo personalized gift items. The PhotoPort 7700 USB supports 3.3V SmartMedia and CompactFlash + type II, including the IBM Microdrive, so users can save scanned files to the memory cards. This allows the memory card to be the cornerstone of transporting digital images from home computers to imaging kiosks. Scan traditional photos and documents in 42-bit true color. The five OneTouch buttons are preconfigured to make scanning easy. Just press a button for perfect results on everyday scanning tasks or hold down a button to access OneTouch preferences where you can easily customize the scan settings and destination for your images. The PhotoPort 7700 USB is bundled with ScanSoft's PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 (retail value $59.99) and TextBridge Pro 9.0, and MGI PhotoSuite III SE. With ScanSoft's award-winning PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 document management software, the PhotoPort 7700 USB can be used to store documents and photographs. TextBridge Pro 9.0 offers professional Optical Character Recognition with retention of page layout. With MGI PhotoSuite III SE, users can easily retouch their photographs or create calendars, greeting cards and other fun projects. The Visioneer PhotoPort 7700 USB is available through authorized retailers, computer super stores, online services, mail order catalogs and from Visioneer's web site at www.visioneer.com. Its suggested retail price is $149.99. For additional information, consumers can visit the Visioneer web site. The Visioneer PhotoPort 7700 USB requires a Pentium or equivalent processor or higher and Windows 98, Windows ME, or Windows 2000 Professional, 32MB RAM (64MB for Windows 2000 Professional), 160MB available hard disk space, a CD-ROM drive, a color monitor and a USB Port. An existing Internet connection is required to use the OneTouch Prints service.

02-26-2001

Olympus E-100RS First Look Posted I have just posted our Olympus E-100RS First Look report. This is one seriously fast camera - so fast in fact that it can capture up to five pictures before you press the shutter all the way down. I bet that got your attention huh? How about fifteen 1.5-megapixel images per second or 640 x 480 VGA resolution QuickTime movies with sound at 30fps! If you complain about shutter lag and how your three year old gets in the other room by the time the shutter fires - this is your camera.

02-26-2001

Callisto Announces PhotoParade Maker for the Macintosh Natick, Mass., February 27, 2001 -- Callisto Corporation today announced PhotoParade® Maker for the Macintosh, the first Macintosh version of their innovative software that provides consumers with an effortless way to turn their digital photos into entertaining slideshows and screen savers to share with friends and family. PhotoParade combines high-quality animation, graphics, music, narration and photo titling with a user’s digital photos. PhotoParade also includes editing tools for touching up and enhancing photos. PhotoParade for the Macintosh is currently in Beta and is expected to ship in early April. PhotoParade’s user-friendly features make creating and sharing PhotoParade slideshows easy and intuitive. The easy-send feature lets users share their PhotoParades with anyone by simply entering the recipient’s e-mail address and clicking send. To view PhotoParades sent to them, the recipients need only the free PhotoParade Player (available for both Windows and Macintosh). PhotoParade has a built-in screen saver feature that automatically turns any PhotoParade into a personalized screen saver. Users can display PhotoParades they have created or PhotoParades sent to them by friends and family. The wallpaper feature allows users to decorate their desktop by turning their favorite photo and caption into their wallpaper. There are dozens of professionally designed PhotoParade themes perfect for showing off photos from vacations, weddings, holidays, the birth of a baby and other special occasions. Each unique theme has its own music, animation and art. The wide variety of themes lets users keep their PhotoParades fun and fresh. Samples can be downloaded from www.photoparade.com/downloadSamples.asp. PhotoParade for the Macintosh is scheduled for release in early April and will be available for purchase and download from the PhotoParade website. PhotoParade is sold in three theme bundles: Standard Edition, which includes 4 multi-purpose themes for $19.99, Premium Edition, which includes nine themes for $29.99, and Super Edition, which comes with 38 themes including Wedding Album, New Baby and a variety of holiday themes for $39.99. PhotoParade for the Macintosh requires Mac OS 8.6 or later and a PowerPC processor-based Macintosh. PhotoParade Player is available for both Windows and Macintosh and is available as a free download.

02-24-2001

Nixvue Digital Album Review Posted One of the more interesting items we saw at the PMA show was Nixvue's Digital Album. This is a battery-operated image storage, viewing and printing device with a whopping 10-gigabyte hard drive. Due on the market in about a month for $599. For all the details please read our Nixvue Digital Album review.

02-22-2001

PhotoMover 1.5 Released Now easily upload photos directly to ClubPhoto, Zing, Sony ImageStation, and PhotoPoint from any Mac using iView PhotoMover. PhotoMover works with the very best and most popular photo archive sites on the net. Share all your digital photos with family and friends without having to email megabytes of images. Your clients, friends and family can order professionally printed copies of your photos on many different media (including photographic paper, posters, t-shirts and mugs) from these sites and have them shipped anywhere. New in Version 1.5: Fixed reporting canceled uploads to Club Photo Fixed exiting upload when connection drops during sending. No logger tries to read response. Fixed/Changed host to deal with file size limit of 1Mb on the old club photo upload host. New host now support files size up to the 4Mb. Now when scaling is selected, if image is smaller than selected size and is in JPEG format the image is not recompressed. Added better checking for out of memory. Added play sound at end of upload. Now Beeps if an error during upload. Report file size, if failed to upload and file was read successfully. Record Album name in log file, if logging is enabled and if host support it. Added option to scale images to 320 x 240 or 640 x 480 Added options for changes setting during upload. Improved status information during upload. Display Album name in upload dialog (if host support is). Updated copyright. PhotoMover is the latest application from the creators of the award winning iView Multimedia and iView MediaPro. iView MediaPro is absolutely essential software for digital camera and Photoshop users. iView MediaPro is a media asset management application enjoyed because of its ease of use by hundreds of thousands of beginners and simultaneously iView is powerful enough for large commercial users like the SF Chronicle, Condenast, RIT, Apple Computer, NASA and others. iView Multimedia catalogs and organizes many types of media files including stills, movies, animation, sounds, Canvas, PhotoShop, Quark, SGI, QTVR and a long list of others. iView users can now use PhotoMover to coordinate photos locally with photos on the web. PhotoMover can save anyone with a digital camera hours of clicking in a browser. PhotoMover allows uploading images direct from your computer to photo upload sites on the web. PhotoMover can upload directly to Sony Imagestation, ClubPhoto, Photopoint and Zing photo web sites. More sites will be added over time. PhotoMover is $15 and iView MediaPro is $45. With this combination of software every Mac user will have everything they need to work with all their digital images and share photos on the web. iView MediaPro is the media hub of your digital lifestyle. PhotoMover can be adapted to work with any photo upload website making it easier to use and more popular with pro photographers, graphics professionals, digital cameras owners and beginners. Digital Camera manufacturers can contact us about bundling PhotoMover with their hardware.

02-22-2001

Fujifilm Announces Limited Time Price Break For Finepix S1 Pro, Free 1GB Microdrive Elmsford, NY, February 22, 2001 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today announced a significant price reduction for its FinePix S1 Pro Digital Camera, its first interchangeable lens SLR model with Super CCD technology. Fujifilm has dropped the suggested list price for the FinePix S1 Pro from $3,999 to just under $3,000. The reduced price is good through April 15, 2001. At the same time, Fujifilm announced that it is now bundling, on a permanent basis, a 1GB Microdrive "Bonus Pack" - a $499 value - at no extra charge. "This is a tremendous cost break for photographers who want a high-quality professional digital SLR camera," said Jennifer Davalos, Marketing Manager, Commercial Markets Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. "In addition to its attractive price, the free, high-capacity Microdrive storage device offers commercial photographers another good reason to consider the S1 Pro for their professional needs. With 1GB, a photographer can take a small library of high resolution pictures with the FinePix S1 Pro/Microdrive combination before concerning themselves with storage capacity." Also bundled along with the camera is a rebate coupon for select Tamron Special Performance lenses. If purchased within 30 days of the final FinePix S1 Pro purchase receipt, buyers will receive a $200 rebate for Tamron's SP AF14mm F/2.8 Aspherical (IF) Rectilinear, SP AF20-40mm F2.7-3.5 Aspherical (IF) or SP AF28-105mm F/2.8 LD Aspherical (IF) lenses. There will be a $100 rebate for the purchase of the SP AF90mm F/2.8 1:1 macro lens. To receive the rebate, a receipt for both the FinePix S1 Pro digital camera and Tamron lens, along with a UPC bar code for each, must be submitted with a completed coupon and Tamron warranty card. This offer will end March 31, 2001.

02-21-2001

Qimage Pro v12.0 Released Today Qimage Pro v12.0 was released today. The following info came by way of Mike Chaney, the author. This major upgrade includes a brand new, totally redesigned user interface as well as a long list of new capabilities. The new interface is designed to make better use of space while providing single click access to the most commonly used program functions. The list of new capabilities is too extensive to give a comprehensive breakdown, however, the following are some highlights from Qimage Pro v12.0: Version 12.0 boasts a brand new way to create and modify your printouts. Resizing, rotation, fitting and more can be accessed via a right click on the preview page after selecting one or more prints by simply clicking on the prints on the page(s). Sizes of selected prints can be changed and even the fitting method (cropping to specific size versus fitting entire images in a frame) can now be changed on a print-by-print basis! Version 12.0 even remembers the size you selected for your prints initially so you can toggle that crop on and off and recover your initial size selection even after the crop method has been selected. There are also operational enhancements such as ability to "spawn" your favorite photo editor to edit selected thumbnails, an option to spool one printed page at a time to reduce hard drive spool space, and even a new print progress meter that shows the progress of each print as it is being spooled. Qimage Pro v12.0 offers even higher print quality than older versions. We have improved the Lanczos interpolation method so that there are no artifacts, and have therefore switched the default print interpolation method to Lanczos. Using the Lanczos method and a print interpolation setting of Max, Qimage Pro will produce prints directly from your originals that are comparable to those produced by fractal resampling programs, all by simply dragging your originals to the printed page! We have also upgraded the color management engine in Qimage Pro. As a result, you may notice a slight improvement in color accuracy when dealing with ICC profiles. And finally, we have updated the program help and provide a new section on "Getting Familiar with Qimage Pro" where you can get a quick look at how the new interface works.

02-21-2001

Nikon Receives Two Prestigious DIMA Innovative Digital Product Awards MELVILLE, NY, February 21, 2001 - Nikon has received two prestigious DIMA Innovative Digital Product Awards for the Nikon D1X pro digital SLR camera and the Super Coolscan® 8000 ED desktop film scanner. Nikon was honored with two of the 17 awards that recognize unique technologies and/or applications that will influence the future of digital imaging. Digital imaging editors and writers judged the annual award sponsored by DIMA, the Digital Imaging Marketing Association, which is a section of PMA. "We are proud to be recognized by DIMA for product technology and innovation of our recently announced products. The D1X and Super Coolscan 8000 ED will set new standards in digital imaging for pro SLR photography and film scanner technology," said Anna Marie Bakker, general manager, communications at Nikon. The D1X digital SLR camera is optimized for superior image quality with a 5.47 megapixel CCD and a number of advanced capabilities for color reproduction, white balance and precision exposure control. It is designed for professionals requiring high image quality and the more demanding image resolution requirements for high-tech, publishing, scientific, pre-press, advertising, graphic arts and other photography that involves extremely high detail. The D1X combines with the Nikon Total Pro Imaging System to advance any pro photographer's ability to most effectively incorporate digital photography into their workflow. The Super Coolscan 8000 ED is a revolutionary multi-format film scanner that offers the highest dynamic range and resolution of any desktop film scanner available today. The scanner is capable of scanning a variety of film formats, including 35mm, 120/220, 16mm, electron microscope and prepared microscope slides, at true 4,000 dpi optical resolution with image quality equal to drum scanners. Designed for professionals looking to increase productivity and profitability in graphics applications, the Super Coolscan 8000 ED is the first film scanner to include Applied Science Fiction's groundbreaking Digital ICE3 technology, a suite of sophisticated digital enhancement tools for color correcting and enhancing images.

02-19-2001

Delkin Devices Starts Shipping The 128MB eFilm SmartMedia Card Delkin Devices today unveiled their new 128MB SmartMedia memory card. With first shipments beginning January 31, 2001, Delkin Devices, Inc. has followed through on their promise to be one of the first to deliver these SmartMedia cards to retail channels & OEM manufacturers looking to bundle the 128MB card with their products. Nearly 48% of the digital cameras currently support SmartMedia memory, some of which are 3.3 megapixels or higher. The 128MB eFilm card will greatly expand the number of pictures stored on a single card, reducing the need to change eFilm in the middle of photo shoots or download images to a computer during vacations. The new 128MB SmartMedia card still remains the same physical size (45mm x 37mm x .76mm thick) as previous 3.3v SmartMedia cards, yet stores two additional flash memory chips. “To increase the capacity of the SmartMedia card to 128MB without increasing the size, engineers needed to redesign the layout of the PCB board to hold a total of four 256Mbit NAND flash memory chips. Together, these 256Mbit chips would act as a 1Gbit chip,” said Arthur Blanck, Chief Technical Officer, Delkin Devices. “Utilizing the latest 0.18- micron design technology, engineers were able to shrink the die enough to fit all four chips inside the 0.76mm plastic card base,” continues Mr. Blanck. “Consequently, Delkin can offer a higher density SmartMedia card more quickly and cost effective per bit, without waiting until Quarter 4, 2001 for the 1Gbit chips to hit the marketplace.” Doubling the industry’s current capacity ceiling of 64MB, Delkin’s 128MB SmartMedia offers digital photographers the ability to always shoot in hi-res mode; a benefit previously only enjoyed by CompactFlash consumers. This higher capacity is ideal for professional digital cameras like FujiFilm’s FinePix S1 Pro SLR and Olympus’s Camedia E-10 with a 4.0 megapixel resolution. Other SmartMedia applications like the Diamond Rio 500 MP3 player will support the 128MB SmartMedia card with a firmware update. Please consult with the device’s manufacturer for more details about memory card compatibility. Delkin Devices also carries a line of eFilm Readers and adapters for transferring images from a SmartMedia card to computer in a flash. Delkin guarantees its eFilm Readers and adapters are 100% compatible with all SmartMedia including the 128MB card. Recently released was the new eFilm Pocket Reader for SmartMedia cards. This miniature sized reader/writer is equipped with a USB connector built directly into the back for easy access with a laptop or desktop’s front USB port, without the need for cumbersome cables. Delkin’s FlashPath™ adapter, a floppy disk adapter for accessing SmartMedia through a 3.5” disk drive, also supports the new 128MB SmartMedia card. For up-to-date FlashPath drivers, please visit www.delkin.com.

02-18-2001

The Demise of DigitalFOTO Magazine We picked up on this from several of the other digicam web sites -- the DigitalFOTO magazine is being discontinued due to reorganisation of their UK parent company. I saw that Dave Etchells at the Imaging-Resource made the statement that DigitalFOTO was his favorite magazine and I'll second that -- we get every digicam magazine there is out there and DigitalFOTO was the *best* of the bunch. Guess we know for sure now, the link above used to go to their magazine web page but it doesn't go there anymore ...

02-16-2001

Rob Galbraith's Nikon D1X Report Photo courtesy of www.robgalbraith.com Pro photo journalist Rob Galbraith has posted an extensive preview of the new Nikon D1X after getting a lengthy hands-on with it at PMA 2001 this past week. Rob reports that Nikon is about 90 days out from shipping the D1X and the D1H cameras should be about anther 30 days after that. Besides the D1X's higher image resolution there's clear and sharp thumbnails and previews thanks to a new high-res color LCD that shows 100% and an improved menu system. Nikon's new catch phrase is "total image quality" when refering to the new D1's. Rob had this to say: "What is apparent in the D1X sample prints on show, and those being shown privately by senior staff from Nikon Japan, is that image sharpness and clarity is nothing short of spectacular. Really, if the 7 x 9 inch range and 11 x 14 inch (sizes approximate) Fuji Pictrography prints are an accurate indication of the fine detail rendering capabilities of the D1X, then I for one am sold on the interpolation hocus pocus the camera performs in delivering 16.9MB finished photos. The samples are truly among the sharpest, smoothest, most un-digital looking prints I've seen from any digital SLR." Rob covers as LOT more details about this new camera so be sure to cruise over to his site and check it out.

02-15-2001

PMA 2001 News Finalized, Check Out Our Fujifilm Blimp Coverage I think I've now got all of the PMA news stories finished on our special report pages, you'll find the PMA 2001 News Index page here. I also just added coverage of the Fujifilm Blimp which Dannee got a ride on the other day. There are blimps and then there are BIG blimps, the Fujifilm airship is the biggest one flying today. Check out the pictures and story on our PMA News - Feb 14th page.

02-14-2001

DC Resource Posts Canon Pro90 Review Jeff has posted his Canon Pro90 IS review and had this to say about it: "The Canon PowerShot Pro90 IS is the latest in a string of higher-end, "big zoom" cameras. It's got an excellent feature set, good photo quality, a neat swiveling LCD, and fast processing speeds. There are a few annoying design quirks, and chromatic aberration can be a problem. The closest competitor is the Olympus C-2100 Ultra Zoom, as I mentioned. While the Pro90 is higher resolution than the Ultra Zoom (2.6 vs. 2.1 Mpixel), it costs $300 more, and doesn't add a whole lot more in the features department (aside from movie mode and the swiveling LCD)."

02-10-2001

ClubPhoto's Online Photo Finishing and Sharing Services Grow by Over 450% SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 9, 2000 - In the wake of dotcom layoffs and e-tail business closings, Club Photo today announced consistent growth for its online photo finishing and sharing services. For Q4, 2000 over Q4, 1999, new customer acquisitions were up more than 250% while activities including page views, shared photos and user albums were up by more than 450%. Club Photo is redefining photography by integrating the traditional film and printing process with an extensive sharing foundation. This enables people to easily get their pictures processed the way they want, whether from digital images or film, and instantly share them anywhere, anytime for friends and family to enjoy around the world. The rapid growth is a clear endorsement of the compelling added-value approach that combines traditional and digital photo processing, printing, personalized gifts, and online photo sharing via desktop and Palm or Handspring devices. "We're growing because we focused on providing real solutions," said Andrew Wei, president and CEO of Club Photo, Inc. "As consumers ourselves, we built an infrastructure and service that helps people stay in touch with friends and family all over the world. We expect this phenomenal growth to continue because consumers want and will support a solution that simplifies today's tedious photo developing, finishing and sharing processes, to help loved ones stay connected." Club Photo offers film developing, high quality prints, special photo gifts, electronic photo greeting cards, and a free personal photo album Web site, to help users share the magic of pictures. Club Photo's Pick Your Photos service allows users to send in film, share selected photos online in free digital "photo albums," and only order the prints they want. Whether from a film or digital camera, scanner or CD, the company's free software allow users to easily organize and annotate albums on the Palm, Visor, Windows PC, or Apple platforms, then share them on a their own Web site for all to enjoy with a few clicks of the mouse. Club Photo has aligned with key industry leaders including Palm Inc., Travelocity.com, Acer, Ricoh, Imaging-Resource, Qwest and PalmGear.

02-09-2001

First Look Reports Posted for the Year 2001 Sony Still Cameras We have a page of Sony Year 2001 Digital Still Camera specifications and First Look reports of the DSC-P30, DSC-P50 and DSC-S75 CyberShots and the MVC-FD87, MVC-FD92 and MVC-FD97 Mavicas complete with sample photos. The links to the camera reports are on the specifications page.

02-09-2001

Sony's New Cyber-Shot™ Line Continues Advancement Of Quality, Style And Performance ORLANDO, PMA, Booth #3449, Feb. 9, 2001 ­ Sony Electronics announced today feature-rich additions to its Cyber-shot® digital still camera line. The diverse line will appeal to a broader variety of consumers with more options in convenience, resolution and value. The DSC-P30, DSC-P50 and DSC-S75 cameras will be available in May, and will sell for around $400, $500, and $700, respectively. Read the entire Sony press release.

02-09-2001

Sony Introduces New FD Mavica Camera Line With Both Floppy Disk And Memory Stick Capability ORLANDO, PMA, Booth # 3449, Feb. 9, 2001 - Sony announced today the four latest additions to its industry leading FD Mavica camera line. The new models include the MVC-FD75, MVC-FD87, MVC-FD92 and the top-of-the-line MVC-FD97. These cameras boast enhanced features, expanded file formats and value. The MVC-FD87 and MVC-FD75 cost about $400 and $500 respectively, the MVC-FD92 and MVC-FD97 will be available in March for about $600 and $900 respectively. Read the entire Sony press release.

02-09-2001

Sony Takes Camcorder Imaging Beyond The Mega-Pixel -- New MiniDV Handycam Camcorder Offers 1.5 Mega-Pixel Imager ORLANDO, PMA Booth #3449, Feb. 9, 2001 - Sony Electronics continues to lead the way in camcorder innovations with today's introduction of two new high-performance MiniDV Digital Handycam camcorders, the DCR-TRV17 and the DCR-TRV30 - the latter being the industry's first 1.5 mega-pixel CCD camcorder with an intelligent pop-up flash and a precision color viewfinder. The DCR-TRV30's 1.5 mega-pixel imager raises the bar by delivering up to 530 lines of horizontal resolution and stunning 1360 X 1020 digital still images; unprecedented image quality for a single CCD camcorder. The DCR-TRV17 and the DCR-TRV30 will be available in April for about $1,100 and $1,700, respectively. Read the entire press release here.

02-09-2001

IR Posts Canon Pro90 IS Review Dave Etchells is also enroute to sunny Orlando but left me email this morning that they had just posted their full Canon Pro90 IS review. He seemed to be quite impressed and had this to say about it: "Canon's earlier PowerShot Pro70 received wide acclaim for its excellent picture-taking capabilities, with excellent optics and beautiful, accurately-rendered images. The Pro90IS is a very worthy upgrade to the earlier product, carrying on the tradition of image quality, but now adding the power of a 10x Image Stabilizer lens and a 2.6 megapixel CCD."

02-08-2001

Canon Develops Technology For New Hyperphoto Bubble Jet Printer LAKE SUCCESS, NEW YORK, February 6, 2001 - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon, Inc., has announced development of technology for a new medium to high volume HyperPhoto Bubble Jet printer that can be used as a stand-alone unit or as part of the HyperPhoto Digital Express 3000, which is the new, faster way to convert and deliver photos. This technology will be demonstrated, along with the HyperPhoto Digital Express 3000, at Canon's exhibit (Booth # 2707) at the PMA 2001 International Convention and Trade Show, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, February 11-14. This pre-production printer has high volume and high performance capabilities, along with enhanced image quality and the ability to meet on-demand requirements. It will provide a greater portion of the professional and consumer markets with timely access to digital quality prints. Featuring all the benefits of a Bubble Jet printer, the new Canon model is easy to use, chemical-free and is low maintenance. The printer provides six-color light and dark ink for quick production of digital quality prints -- 8x10-inch image at full bleed in 25 seconds, 4x6-inch image at full bleed in 12 seconds - saving time and money on print jobs. Economical benefits include the low cost digital printing solution, a cut-to-size capability and additional features that will rival other printers on the market. With one paper roll, the printer can function as a tabletop compact unit that consumes little office space. It also can operate as a console standing unit, with two paper rolls that permit running two different size papers simultaneously. This increases productivity while reducing manual intervention. Features Of HyperPhoto Printer: Design: Tabletop or console (with optional pedestal). Resolution: 1200 dpi x 1200 dpi Ink: six-color light/dark ink Print speed: 4 x 6 image at full bleed in 12 seconds; 8 x 10 image at full bleed in 25 seconds Printer I/F: 10baseT/100baseTX, IEEE1394 optional Printer driver: Windows 95/98, WindowsME, Windows2000, Macintosh OS 9X/10X, NT 4.0

02-07-2001

New ProShots Viewer Version 4 Released for PMA Revolutionizes Ordering Digital Prints from Pro Labs SWARTZ CREEK, MI. February 6, 2001 – Professional photographers can now use ProShots® to send orders with images from their digital cameras to participating ProShots labs. Using the newly released ProShots Viewer version 4.0, photographers now have the ability to create an entirely digital workflow. Until today, photographers using digital cameras were forced to manually write their order, then send the form with the images files to the lab. With ProShots, this process can be completed entirely within the viewer, with the order automatically triggering print production at the lab. ProShots enables digital photographers to place orders by creating digital proofs from digital camera files, letting photographers place orders on the proofs, and then sending the original images and the order electronically to the lab. Once at the lab, images can be retouched and color corrected. Finally, they are automatically cropped according to the photographer’s order before being sent out to a digital printer. ProShots 4.0 will be immediately useful to senior and portrait studio photographers who are changing over to an all-digital workflow. Using Adobe® PhotoShop® or a similar program, the photographer can correct the original source images while viewing thumbnails in ProShots so that customers can see their retouched order immediately. Alternatively, ProShots has several built-in sepia tones and black & white preview, so that photographers can add even more artistic value to their prints. As an additional feature, photographers can now preview their images in photographer-designed or lab-designed digital templates like calendars or magazine covers. This allows customers to see their images exactly the way the finished print will be produced.

02-06-2001

Countermeasure For EOS D30 Auto Power-Off Malfunction Canon Inc. has developed a countermeasure to solve a problem with the Auto Power-Off setting in some early-production EOS D30 cameras. The purpose of the Auto Power-Off setting is to conserve battery life by minimizing power drain after the camera is inactive for a preset period of time. The EOS D30 is designed to power down after a preset time limit, but some early-production EOS D30s power up again within a second after the time limit is reached. This is not harmful to the camera or any stored images, but it may reduce battery life. All EOS D30 cameras shipped prior to February 5, 2001 are subject to this malfunction. USA residents who own an EOS D30 shipped prior to February 5, 2001 are kindly requested to contact Canon USA for assistance via our toll-free customer service hotline at 1-800-828-4040. Service hours are Monday through Friday (except for national holidays), 9 AM to 8 PM Eastern time. When the automated attendant answers your call, please follow the prompts for Technical Support on Digital Cameras. A Canon representative will then provide you with further instructions. If you are based outside the USA, please contact the Canon Factory Service Center in your region for assistance. In answer to some expected questions: Canon U.S.A. Factory Service is aiming for an in-house turnaround time of 72 hours or less for this warranty repair. Canon U.S.A., Inc. will provide a shipping container and label. Be sure to use these materials to ensure expedited service. The software used to correct the Auto Power-Off malfunction has no bearing whatsoever on any other aspect of EOS D30 performance. All D30 cameras sold prior to February 5, 2001 are subject to this malfunction, but only some exhibit any symptoms of it. Dealers who have questions about in-stock merchandise should contact their Canon Sales Representative for assistance. Canon U.S.A.'s offer applies to USA residents only. Please contact our Customer Service via the toll-free number as directed above for further information. Chuck Westfall, Assistant Director/Technical Information Dept., Camera Division/Canon U.S.A., Inc.

02-05-2001

Nikon Sets A New Benchmark In Digital Photography With Two New Professional Digital SLR Cameras MELVILLE, NY, February 5, 2001 - Nikon, the leader in professional precision optics, 35mm and digital imaging technology, is again setting the standard in digital camera technology, performance and image quality with the introduction of two new professional digital SLR cameras, Nikon models D1X and D1H. The D1X and D1H offer the most advanced image quality, speed, operation and functionality never before available in a professional digital SLR camera. Both models include advanced capabilities for color reproduction, white balance and precision exposure control, while the D1X is optimized for superior image quality, and the D1H is optimized for action photography, with continuous shooting up to five (5) frames per second, making it the fastest and most action-oriented pro digital SLR available today. Read the entire press release and specs here.

02-05-2001

Toshiba to Showcase Four New Digital Cameras at PMA This Weekend IRVINE, CA, February 5, 2001 -- Toshiba Imaging Systems, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., announced today that it would unveil a new line of state-of-the-art digital cameras at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show on February 11, 2001 at the Orlando Convention Center. Toshiba, which took top honors at last year's DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out at PMA with its popular PDR-M5 two-megapixel model, will be introducing four new cameras at booth No. 1233. Click here to read the entire Toshiba press release.

02-03-2001

Consumer Digital Camera Sales Juggernaut Slows in 2000 Belmont, CA -- A definitive new consumer digital camera report from Imerge Consulting Group LLC asserts that U.S. consumer digital camera sales cooled from 79.3% unit growth in 1999 to 51.4% in 2000 with 3.8 million in units sold, generating over $1.8 billion in street revenue. Imerge’s new report, The Worldwide Digital Camera Forecast and Market Overview, 2000 - 2005 is now available. "Nearly all digital camera vendors saw accelerated growth through the summer of 2000. A downturn in sales occurred in August through October. Sales picked back up in November and December primarily due to incentives at retail, but not enough to positively effect the over-all growth rate. Because of the necessary three to six month lead-time for procuring components for manufacturing, most manufacturers are still in maximum capacity-ramp-up mode and have not forecasted for this hiccup. This could result in a minor glut of unsold digital cameras on the U.S. market by the end of 2001. We believe this is directly associated the nation’s overall economic slowdown and also related to the recent downturn in PC sales, asserts Imerge Consulting Group’s Principal Analyst, Ron Tussy." "The worldwide market for digital cameras also experienced a slight slowdown in unit sales as well but was not as negatively effected as the U.S. Demand outpaced manufacturing capacity for the second year in a row as components such as LCDs, CCDs, microprocessors and flash, NAND and DRAM memory were in short supply for three quarters of 2000, says Tussy." Digital camera manufacturing capacity was eased towards the end of 2000 as Taiwanese OEM suppliers began manufacturing in Mainland China and Malaysia for branded Japanese and U.S. camera vendors, supplying programs for 1.3 mega-pixels and 2.0+ mega-pixels, in many cases utilizing Ricoh’s 2x optical zoom lens assemblies. This report provides a five-year, (2000 - 2005) unit, ASV and street revenue forecasts, and new segmentation for low-end, mid range and high-end consumer digital cameras. Regions covered are the U.S., Japan, Europe and ROW. The report identifies top market share leaders for each segment, their unit volumes and revenue and channel segmentation with forecasted volumes for each segment/channel. It also includes the industry's most recognized trend analysis for 2001 and beyond. This affordable report and other’s are available by calling Imerge Consulting Group LLC at 650-631-5737 or at: tussy@ix.netcom.com or by visiting www.imergeconsulting.com

02-01-2001

Fujifilm Introduces New FinePix 4800 and 6800 Zoom "Multifunction" Digicams and the Entry-Level Two-Megapixel FinePix 2300 For Under $300 Click to see a larger picture ELMSFORD, NY, February 1, 2001 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today unveiled the two newest models in its signature series of digital cameras, the $899 FinePix 6800 Zoom and the $699 FinePix 4800 Zoom, thus ushering in a new era of digital picture-taking, multifunction and design. The new FinePix cameras will make their first North American appearance at the Photo Marketing Association trade show in Orlando, Florida on February 11, 2001. ELMSFORD, NY, February 1, 2001 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. introduced the FinePix 2300 digital camera, the latest in Fujifilm's popular line of entry-level FinePix digital photography products. Designed with the first-time digital photographer in mind, the FinePix 2300 -- which will carry a suggested list price of $279 when it hits store shelves in April -- offers point-and-shoot convenience with a 2.1 megapixel CCD imager for simple, yet quality picture taking with outstanding color. Click here to read the entire Fujifilm press releases.

Jan 2001 News

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