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-- Top News Stories -- Steve's "Best of 2001" Camera Awards PMA 2002 Report Addonics Internal USB 7-in-1 Reader Canon EOS D60 Price Is $2199 Canon PowerShot S200 and S330 Canon S9000 Printer Review posted Casio Exilim - World's Thinnest Digicam Epson PM-4000PX to replace 2000P Printer? Fuji to OEM SMaL Credit Card Size Camera Fuji sets S2 Pro price at $3495 CeBIT 2002 Coverage from LetsGoDigital.nl Lexmark 4800dpi Inkjet Printers Minolta DiMAGE 7i Minolta DiMAGE F100 Olympus Camedia D-380 Olympus Camedia D-520 Zoom Panasonic Lumix LC5 First Look Posted Rayovac's 15-Minute Rechargable NiMH Rollei d530 flex SLR SanDisk 1GB CF Type I in Europe SanDisk Card Readers for Europe Sony DSC-P9 Ultra-Compact See Feb 2002 News or PMA 2002 Report for all the new camera announcements for 2002. February 2002 News Index January 2002 News Index December 2001 News Index

03-29-2002

New Canon Products Reviews Posted Seems like this has been our week to post reviews of new Canon products. Earlier we posted the completed EOS D60 review and the S9000 Photo Printer review. Today we posted the following new reviews: PowerShot S330 review PowerShot A40 review PowerShot A30 review S900 Photo Printer review

03-29-2002

Addonics Announces Internal USB 7-in-1 Card Reader For 3.5-inch Drive Bay SAN JOSE, CA (March 27, 2002) – Addonics Technologies has solved the puzzle of transferring data from multimedia peripherals that use flash memory storage cards to desktop PCs. The company today announced the Internal DigiDrive -- a universal USB flash memory card reader that can be mounted into any 3.5-inch drive bay of any computer or equipment. Similar to its cousin (the Pocket DigiDrive), the new device also supports seven mainstream digital media formats such as CF-I, CF-II, Smart Memory, Memory Stick, Micro Drive, Multimedia Card, and Secure Digital Card. Flash memory cards have become the standard storage method for PDAs, digital cameras, video camcorders, digital voice recorders, and MP3 players, but most USB card readers only support one or two card types. Because the Addonics Internal DigiDrive supports seven different media types in one drive users do not need to worry about what storage platform their PDA or digital camera uses, or buy separate card readers for each peripheral to transfer media to their desktop PC. Once the Addonics Internal DigiDrive is installed, an icon for each type of the seven media it supports automatically appears under the My Computer folder. The drive provides four separate slots to accommodate various media types and occupies a standard 3.5-inch drive bay. The drive contains no moving parts. Users only need to plug device into any internal or external USB 1.1 or USB 2.0-compliant port to power the drive. The Addonics Internal DigiDrive has a 1MB/second read/write speed. Support is included for Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Mac OS 8.6 or higher, Linux kernel 2.4 or higher. List price of the Internal DigiDrive is $69, which includes two USB cables and driver software. The Addonics Internal DigiDrive is available through major catalog companies, resellers, VARs and distributors, including StorageUSA.com, Amazon.com, PC Connection, CDW, Buy.com, Insight, Egghead, Ingram Micro, and Ma Lab.

03-27-2002

Full Canon D60 Review Posted I just posted my conclusion page and updated the sample photos page of our Canon EOS D60 review. We've had a full production level D60 in house for a couple of weeks now and all I can say is wow, what a camera. I've already seen a growing number of used D30's showing up on eBay so I guess there are a lot of folks getting ready to upgrade. Maybe I better list my D30 for sale soon too :-) If you're in the market for a "serious" digital camera the D60 will serve you well. It's hard to believe that a high quality dSLR can be had for just over $2000, it wasn't that long ago that we were paying $10K or more for less capable cameras. 2002 is shaping up to be a banner year for digicams and we've only just started!

03-27-2002

BreezeBrowser v1.5 Released BreezeBrowser v1.5 is a powerful browser for viewing and manipulating JPEG images and Canon raw image files quickly and efficiently. It can be thought of as a sort of digital light box - use it to sort through your shots and convert raw files ready for further processing. The powerful HTML generator creates pages for your website or to add indexes to your CD-R archives. The thumbnail browser makes it simple to view you images and makes batch operations such as rotating and renaming images quick and easy. Version 1.5 has just been released with the following new features: Directory tree display in thumbnail view with drag and drop capability and folder creation, deletion and renaming. IPTC editing added for JPEG, TIFF, Canon raw files and AVI files. All IPTC data fields are available to the HTML generator for inserting in HTML pages. New "combined" raw conversion method added for improved highlight detail in over-exposed shots. Support added for AVI movie files. 16-bit JPEG2000 support added - both lossless and lossy compression. Added EXIF thumbnail regeneration in JPEG files. Auto levels option added to HTML generator Higher quality interpolation used for image preview and thumbnails Improved integration with Downloader (requires Downloader v1.4 or later) Note: BreezeBrowser v1.5 is fully compatible with D60 JPEGs but it does not support D60 raw file conversion yet. This will have to wait until Canon updates their SDK (as will EOS 1D raw file conversion). Also released is Downloader v1.4 a free utility for downloading images from Canon digital camera via the USB cable or from any DCF compliant camera via a cardreader. Unlike ZoomBrowser this utility downloads all the images, including the .thm files which accompany raw files, and preserves their names. Downloader has been tested with the Canon Powershot G1, Powershot G2, Powershot Pro90IS, Powershot S30, Powershot S40 and EOS D30 cameras and it should work with other Canon digital cameras provided you have v3.4.x or later of Canon's USB TWAIN driver loaded.

03-25-2002

Fujifilm Releases Price For FinePix S2 Pro Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc., Elmsford, N.Y., USA, released the suggested list price for its new FinePix S2 Pro digital camera. The price will be $3,495 when it becomes available in the second half of this year. The 6-megapixel FinePix S2 Pro features a new, professional Super CCD sensor system that produces images of up to 4,256-by-2,848 (12.1 million) recorded pixels, and dual-storage media options. I have to wonder about Fuji's thinking here given that Canon has priced the D60 at $2199 and we know that Nikon is going to be very competitive with the price of the D100. So that leaves a $1300 gap between them and the new S2 Pro. Not exactly a great marketing strategy here in my book.

03-23-2002

Red River Paper's Inkjet Card Shop Site sponsor Red River Paper introduces their new Inkjet Card Shop. The card shop offers 10 different high quality inkjet papers in popular scored card and photo sizes. Matching envelopes, card boxes and translucent insert papers make Red River a one-stop-shop for your greetings and announcements. Try their exclusive card sample kit for only $5.99 plus shipping. You will receive: Two 7x10" sheets of each paper in the Card Shop Includes white, eggshell and translucent envelopes and Sheets of their new "See-Thru" inserts

03-19-2002

Lexmark's New Z65 Inkjet Printer Features 4,800 dpi Resolution Lexmark International Inc., Lexington, Ky., USA, introduced its 2002 Z-line of inkjet printers, with the Z65 featuring 4,800-by-1,200 dpi resolution in black and color on photo paper, inkjet paper and transparencies, as well as 4,800-by-600 dpi on plain paper. The 2002 Z-line, which includes the Lexmark Z65, Z55, Z45, Z35 and Z25 Color Jetprinters, begins shipping this month. The flagship Lexmark Z65, designed for small office/home office (SOHO) users and high-end consumers, offers print speeds of up to 15 pages per minute (ppm) in color, and up to 21 ppm in black. The Lexmark Z55 offers advanced home users 3,600-by-1,200 dpi in black and color on photo paper, inkjet paper, and transparencies in addition to 3,600-by-600 dpi on plain paper. These inkjets also feature a three-picoliter microfine color drop size, allowing for better color transitions and more detailed textures, Lexmark said. Available for a street price of $199, the Z65 is Windows and Mac compatible and offers USB connectivity. Also available for $229, the Lexmark Z65n features an integrated Ethernet network adapter. The Z55 has a suggested retail price of $129. The other printers in Lexmark's Z-line range in price from $49 to $89.

03-19-2002

Rayovac Develops New NiMH Rechargeable Battery Technology Rayovac Corp., Madison, Wis., USA, developed a new rechargeable battery technology that the company said will shorten charging time to 15 minutes or less. Rayovac's patent-pending I-C3 technology (In-Cell Charge Control) puts the control of recharging into the battery, instead of the charger, the company said. When commercialized, Rayovac said its I-C3 technology NiMH batteries will be the longest-lasting rechargeable for many devices and last up to four times longer than regular single-use alkaline. The batteries with built-in charging control can be recharged up to 1,000 times. Rayovac is targeting several different applications with its In-Cell Charge Control system, including digital cameras, MP3 players and cell phones. In digital cameras, the company said the new Rayovac I-C3 NiMH AA size batteries will deliver up to four times more shots than an alkaline battery and more than any comparable size lithium ion battery, based on current American National Standards Institute (ANSI) battery tests. Rayovac is evaluating options for OEM partnerships. Retail products are expected to be introduced in mid-to-late 2003.

03-19-2002

LetsGoDigital.nl CeBIT 2002 News Our friends over at LetsGoDigital.nl are continuing their coverage of the CeBIT 2002 show from Hannover Germany. Check their CeBIT News Page for all the latest articles. Recently posted is coverage of the new 4800dpi Lexmark and HP photo printers, Sanyo's latest iD-Photo camera (who knows, we might actually see this one, last year's model never made it here to the U.S.), new SanDisk flash memory products and Canon printers and the new Exif 2.2 standard.

03-18-2002

Olympus Introduces An Affordable Pocket-Sized 3X Zoom Digital Camera World-Class Olympus Lens, Stylish Design, & 2 Megapixel CCD D-520 ZOOM Provides Effortless, High Quality Photography See our Olympus D520 review Melville, NY, March 18, 2002 - Olympus America Inc. today announced the D-520 ZOOM, an easy- to-use pocket-sized zoom digital camera. Building on the success of the D-510 ZOOM, one of the best sellers in its class, the D-520 ZOOM is approximately 30% smaller with a sleek metallic silver gray body; 3x optical zoom combining with a 2.5x digital zoom for a total seamless 7.5x zoom; CCD resolution of 2 Megapixels; QuickTime™ Movie Mode; and USB Auto- Connect for easy connectivity to most USB equipped computers. Read the entire press release.

03-18-2002

Olympus Unveils Low Priced 2 Megapixel Digital Camera D-380 is a User-Friendly Digital Camera that Delivers Photo Quality 8 x 10 Prints See our Olympus D380 review Melville, NY, March 18, 2002 -- Olympus America Inc. today announced the Olympus D-380, the lowest priced Olympus point and shoot 2 Megapixel camera for only $199. With simple controls, the D-380 is easy to use and provides the high image quality that consumers expect from Olympus. A simplified menu system; USB Auto-Connect for fast/easy downloads without additional software; and built-in long-life battery circuitry for extended battery life are key to the value and quality of the D-380. The self-portrait and image resizing mode; as well as the ability to merge two shots into one image deliver consumers new exciting features never before offered in an Olympus digital camera at this low price. Read the entire press release.

03-18-2002

Four New Camera Reviews Posted Well, break time is over and the new cameras are starting to roll in the door. Over the weekend and today we posted a total of four new reviews for your approval. Olympus D520 Zoom review Olympus D380 review Casio GV-10 review Kodak DX4900 Zoom review More to come, we posted new sample pictures from a full production Nikon Coolpix 2500, we're working on finalizing our Canon D60 review now that we have a full production model in house. All of the D60 sample photos will be replaced with new ones and we'll post our conclusion before the end of the month. We also have a Japanese version of the new Fuji F601 Zoom which we will post a first look of soon and full reviews of the new Canon Powershot A30 and A40 are also in the works.

03-17-2002

TVwriter Lets You Put JPGs Back On Your Camera For Display I've lost count of the number of emails or forum messages that I've gotten asking me if there was a program available that lets you put non-camera JPG images back into the camera for display purposes. The problem is that most digicams won't recognize a JPG unless it has a full Exif header and most graphic or viewing programs strip this header if the image has been altered. And images that didn't come from a digicam in the first place were never viewable on the camera. Check out David Taylor's TVwriter program for Windows. TVwriter is for various Nikon Coolpix, Canon, Olympus and Sony Digital Cameras. Program to convert JPEGs after processing in Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop etc. for TV slideshow display from your Nikon Coolpix 950, 990, 995 or 5000 camera. Yes, what many people have said is impossible can now be done with the help of TVwriter. Take individual JPEG files or even a complete folder of JPEG files and using simple drag-and-drop convert them into a slideshow you can carry around in your pocket, and display on any NTSC or PAL compatible TV! Other digital cameras including the Canon S300, Olympus C-1 zoom, C-700, C3040 zoom, D-40 zoom and Sony DSC-P1 can read these images. The registered version of this program has technical support, more facilities, a higher quality output, and doesn't have the "demonstration" text at the picture edges. You will need either a camera with a mass storage USB driver (appears as a removable drive under Windows/Mac) or a card reader to transfer the new TVwriter images back to your memory card. Most digicam download software only works one way, from camera to computer.

03-15-2002

SMaL Camera Technologies Announces Release Of Its World's Thinnest Digital Camera By Fujifilm Axia CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, USA - March 14, 2002 - SMaL Camera Technologies, Inc. announced today that FUJIFILM AXIA CO., LTD, a subsidiary of Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. of Tokyo (Nasdaq: FUJIY), will release the world's thinnest digital camera -- the 6mm thin eyeplate™ -- based on SMaL's Ultra-Pocket™ digital camera design and technology. World's thinnest digital camera: the 6mm thin eyeplate by FUJIFILM AXIA, utilizing the award-winning Ultra-Pocket digital camera design and technology from SMaL Camera Technologies, Cambridge, MA. The eyeplate is the size of a credit card (85.6mm x 54mm), a mere 6mm thin (0.2 inches), and weighs only 35 grams. The camera's integrated battery re-charges while pictures download to Mac or PC. Users can take hundreds of images between charges. The eyeplate is scheduled for release in Japan on April 1, 2002. SMaL introduced the credit card-sized Ultra-Pocket™ at the 2001 International Consumer Electronics Show, where it was awarded "Best of Show" in the digital imaging category. With the launch of its new eyeplate™, FUJIFILM AXIA is the first OEM to bring a version of the Ultra-Pocket™ to market. It is scheduled for release first in Japan on April 1, 2002. In the OEM partnership between the two companies, SMaL supplies FUJIFILM AXIA with the reference design and major components, including SMaL's proprietary CMOS image sensor and ASIC. FUJIFILM AXIA manufactures, markets, and distributes the eyeplate™. "No other camera on the market comes close to offering such a unique combination of size, affordability, and quality," says Maurizio Arienzo, President and CEO, SMaL Camera Technologies. "In order to meet the global demand for this sleek product, we were interested in OEM partners with a strong brand, a proven track record for quality, and solid distribution channels who could move very quickly. Partnering with FUJIFILM AXIA on this project made perfect sense for SMaL." Yutaka Kuroki, Manager of Hardware Marketing Division, FUJIFILM AXIA CO., LTD. adds, "We found SMaL's innovative technology very interesting and we believe the eyeplate™ can create new demand in the digital camera market." Thanks to SMaL's ultra-low power imager chip set, its optics, and its 0.8mm thin, USB-rechargeable, lithium polymer battery, the eyeplate™ boasts an amazingly thin 6mm (0.2 inches) credit card size. SMaL's color CMOS image sensor has VGA resolution and consumes six times less power than typical VGA imagers. The chip set also features SMaL's proprietary Autobrite™ technology, which greatly enhances the dynamic range and automatically adjusts the exposure so that details in both bright and dim areas of a picture are clear.

03-14-2002

Baptised Nikon 990 Now a "Magic Camera" It takes the darnedest pictures. Sometimes it creates pastel auras or adds symmetrical streaks to the color of rainbows. The Lawrence Journal-World has posted a very interesting story about a fellow digi-photographer who accidentally baptised his Nikon 990 in a New Mexico pond. After three days of being dried by blasts of canned air, baking in the August sun and then spending two days being tied to the windsield wiper of his car -- the trusty Nikon began taking pictures again -- but not the expected kind of pictures. Now it turns every photograph into a digital work of art such as the picture posted here. Be sure to follow the link above and read the entire article and then visit Bruce Dale's Web site at: www.brucedale.com and click on the photo of Dale with a bear sitting on his back. Then go to the upper left corner of the next page and click on "New!! Mr. Eaves and his Magic Camera"

03-14-2002

Casio Introduces The Exilim EX-S1 At 11mm, It’s The Thinnest, Smallest And Lightest Digital Camera In The World! DOVER, NJ, March 14, 2002—Casio, Inc., Dover, NJ, along with Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, introduced the EXILIM EX-S1, a credit-card-sized digital camera that is the smallest, thinnest and lightest in the world. The announcement was made at the CeBIT show that opened in Hanover, Germany today. The EXILIM EX-S1 is only 11.3 mm thick, 88 mm wide x 55 mm high and weighs a mere 86 g, excluding the battery and memory card. The EXILIM is designed to be a constant companion at work, during sporting events, on evenings out, trips away or anywhere you take it. Unique moments, unusual snapshots, memorable situations -- nothing will be lost, as the EXILIM is always at hand. The camera won’t be visible in a shirt pocket nor does it require any bulky camera bag. Its sister model, the EXILIM EX-M1 is equipped with an integrated MP3-player, a movie player (with sound) and recording function. Only 1.1 mm thicker, this model has a total depth of 12.4 mm, and all other dimensions remain the same. Read the press release and specifications here.

03-13-2002

Sandisk Launches World's Largest Capacity CompactFlash Type I Card In Europe CEBIT--HANNOVER, GERMANY, March 13, 2002 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today announced the availability in Europe of its one-gigabyte (GB) CompactFlash® (CF) memory card, the world's highest capacity card in the standard CF Type I format. The new high-capacity card can store more than 1000 digital images, 20+ hours of digital music or several hours of video. The growing popularity of high-resolution digital cameras, digital music players, Pocket PCs and other consumer electronics products is boosting demand for large-capacity CompactFlash cards. SanDisk is showing its 1GB CF card and other removable storage cards and accessories at its exhibit location in Hall 21, Stand D23 at the annual CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany. "As consumers acquire more electronics products that use the popular CompactFlash Type I cards, the demand for high capacity cards like the 1GB SanDisk CompactFlash card will continue to increase," said Gerrit Van Hofwegen, SanDisk's EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) director of sales. "The ability to store a combination of video, images, music and data on a single card is very compelling and opens up new ways for people to use their devices." CompactFlash cards, originally introduced by SanDisk in 1994, use solid-state flash memory chips to store data rather than mechanical, rotating disk drives that are subject to mechanical failure and high power consumption. Additionally, SanDisk CF cards are built in the Type I format, which fit into more than 400 different consumer electronics devices. The MicroDrive and high capacity CompactFlash cards from other manufacturers are built to the thicker Type II format and will only fit in a limited number of devices available today. The 1GB SanDisk CompactFlash card is available at many of the 17,000 retail stores in Europe where SanDisk products are sold. It is priced at under $800 (under 1000 Euros, excluding VAT).

03-13-2002

Sandisk Introduces New Line Of Dual-Slot Memory Card Readers For The Retail Market In Europe HANNOVER, GERMANY, Mar. 13, 2002 - SanDisk Corporation (Nasdaq: SNDK) today introduced three SanDisk ImageMate(tm) dual-slot memory card readers for the retail market in Europe. The new readers allow consumers to quickly and easily transfer images, audio, video and data between storage cards and computers via the USB port. The ImageMate dual-slot readers are available in the following combinations: CompactFlash(tm) and SmartMedia cards CompactFlash and Memory Stick(tm) cards CompactFlash and MultiMediaCard/SD cards. SanDisk is showing these new readers and its complete line of removable storage cards and accessories at its exhibit location in Hall 21, Stand D23 at the annual CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany. "As consumers acquire new electronic products that use multiple storage card formats, they prefer the convenience that a dual-slot reader provides," said Gerrit Van Hofwegen, SanDisk's EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) director of sales. "They also save money by not having to purchase a separate card reader for each type of card they have." SanDisk removable flash storage cards are rapidly becoming the standard removable storage medium for handheld computers, digital still and video cameras, MP3 players, cell phones and other consumer devices. Many consumers prefer to use a USB card reader to transfer data directly from their card to the computer since it is fast and easy to use. Designed for Portability and Ease of Use The lightweight readers are designed for easy carrying and flexibility of use. Each reader features a 15-centimeter cable that is ideal for readily accessible USB ports such as on a laptop computer. It also includes a 1- meter extension cable that can be left plugged into a desktop computer. The ImageMate readers are true "Plug-and-Play" due to USB Mass Storage Class (MSC) compliance when used with Windows ME, Windows XP and Mac OS 10.1.2+. The readers are fully compatible with Windows 98/98SE, ME, 2000, XP and Mac OS 8.6, 9.1.x+, Mac OS X v10.1.2+. When used with Windows XP, an AutoPlay function automatically detects the digital content on the flash card as soon as it is inserted in the SanDisk readers. It then offers the option to launch the appropriate software application and related activities to the end user. The SanDisk ImageMate readers are available at more than 40,000 retail stores worldwide that carry SanDisk branded products.

03-13-2002

Minolta Introduces the Dimage 7i Digital Camera Minolta's newest 5-megapixel, SLR-type digital camera offers photographers increased speed, versatility and control Ramsey, NJ (March 13, 2002) - Minolta Corporation expands its digital camera line with the introduction of the new Minolta DiMAGE 7i. Based on the award-winning Minolta DiMAGE 7, the versatile and stylish DiMAGE 7i features a 5-megapixel resolution, 7x optical zoom, and superior GT LENS technology, as well as more features and improved performance capabilities than its predecessor. The DiMAGE 7i incorporates an autofocusing system that's 2x faster than the DiMAGE 7. In the program and the aperture-priority exposure modes, the Minolta DiMAGE 7i's shutter speed tops out at 1/4000s. The new UHS (Ultra High Speed) continuous-advance drive mode can approximately 7 frames per second to compete with most professional film cameras. Read the entire DiMAGE 7i press release

03-13-2002

Minolta Introduces New 4.0-Megapixel DiMAGE F100 Digital Camera Ramsey, NJ (March 13, 2002) - Minolta Corporation expands its digital camera line with the introduction of the new Minolta DiMAGE F100, the world's first digital camera with Area autofocus (Area AF) and Subject Tracking autofocus (AF) and automatic digital subject program selection. The DiMAGE F100 features a 1/1.8-inch type CCD with 4-megapixel effective resolution. The camera incorporates a 3x optical zoom Minolta GT LENS for color accuracy and three aspherical elements that, combined with a 2.5x digital zoom, provides a compact lens design with a wide image capture range. Read our DiMAGE F100 first look or the Minolta press release

03-13-2002

Canon Introduces New PowerShot S330 and S200 Digital ELPH cameras Canon U.S.A. Inc., Lake Success, N.Y., USA, introduced the new PowerShot S330 and S200 Digital ELPH model cameras. Aside from differences in their optical zoom range (the S200 includes a 2x 35-70mm f/2.8-4.0 while the S330 includes a 3x 35-105mm f/2.7-4.7), both cameras provide a similar range of features including a 2-megapixel CCD sensor; an improved user interface with cross-configured camera controls; direct print capability with Canon's new CP-100 and CP-10 Card Photo Printers as well as the S820D Photo printer for making direct, borderless prints up to 8.5-by-11 inches; movie mode with sound; Photo Effects mode; a shutter speed range of 15 seconds to 1/1,500 second; spot metering; selectable ISO settings from 50 to 400; built-in red-eye reduction light-guide flash; and zoom playback up to 10x for image review. The Canon PowerShot S330 and S200 Digital ELPH cameras will be available in March and April and have a suggested retail price of $499 and $449, respectively. our Canon S330 User review Canon S200 and S330 press releases.

03-12-2002

Sony's Ultra-Compact DSC-P9 Cyber-shot - Designed With The Image Conscious In Mind SAN DIEGO, March 12, 2002 - For people who want to take the most attractive pictures possible and be fashionable at the same time, Sony Electronics today announced its next generation of the diminutive P-series Cyber-shot® digital still camera -- the new DSC-P9 model. Instead of capturing images to cumbersome rolls of film, Cyber-shot cameras record to very small and reusable Memory Stick® media cards. Data stored on Memory Stick media can be shared with hundreds of high-tech products made by various manufacturers. In fact, images taken with this new camera can be displayed on virtually any PC with a USB interface. Using the removable Memory Stick cards, they can also be transferred to other digital devices like TVs, PDAs and printers. Offering four megapixels of resolution, the new DSC-P9 model combines high quality picture-taking with a sophisticated body that makes the most of miniaturization. But, beyond outward appearances, the camera comes packed with professional-level features combined with point-and-shoot simplicity. The camera's AF Illuminator mode briefly illuminates the subject of a picture with an infrared light for an accurate focus lock in total darkness. Multi-point auto focus allows the camera to intuitively choose between three separate focus areas within the frame and automatically select the best setting. Additionally, the DSC-P9 camera makes it easy to get the right exposure when lighting is irregular. The multi-pattern metering feature divides the scene into a matrix of 49 independently metered cells. The camera calculates exactly the right exposure for each cell so that a brightly lit portion of the picture doesn't cause the camera to leave a dimly lit subject in the dark. In low or no light conditions, the new Cyber-shot camera seamlessly employs built-in pre-flash exposure metering to calculate the right exposure with light from the flash itself. The flash strobes twice with every shot - once to illuminate the subject and work out proper exposure, and again to capture the moment without washed-out faces or unexpected shadows. The camera not only takes high-resolution digital images, but also comes with features that blur the boundaries between still photos and motion pictures. With multi-frame burst mode this Cyber-shot camera can capture fluid movement by taking 16 rapid-fire sequential pictures at any of three selected intervals. Saved as a single digital file, these images can be used to analyze a golf swing. The camera also features Sony's new MPEG Movie HQX video mode that records non-stop, full-screen, high-resolution MPEG videos with audio up to the capacity of the Memory Stick media. Memory Stick media in 16MB, 32MB, 64MB and 128MB capacities are available for around $25, $35, $50 and $90, respectively at retailers nationwide and at www.sonystyle.com. The new P-series Cyber-shot DSC-P9 ships with a 16MB Memory Stick card and will be available in May for about $600. Check the CeBIT News Page at LetsGoDigital.nl for news about the new Sony DSC-P2 as well.

03-11-2002

Canon EOS D60 Pricing - $2199.00 MAP We just recv'd a fax from our local camera store confirming that Canon has now set the MAP (minimum advertised price) pricing for the new EOS D60 SLR at $2199.00 for the D60 body, BP-511 battery and CA-PS400 charger and AC power supply. For the D60 body only is $1999.00. The official Canon pricing also just arrived in my email box it is: $2699 for D60 kit, $2499 for D60 body alone.

03-10-2002

CeBIT 2002 News from LetsGoDigital.nl The folks over at LetsGoDigital.nl will be covering the CeBIT 2002 show live from Hannover Germany, March 13-20, 2002. To keep up with the latest announcements be sure to check their multilingual CeBIT News Page - they already have info about several new cameras.

03-08-2002

Canon S9000 Printer Review Posted I just posted our Canon S9000 wide carriage photo printer review. This is one FAST printer!  It prints 13x19" photos in just over four minutes and cranks out borderless 4x6" prints in less than a minute. If you have a four megapixel or higher resolution camera and the need to make large prints then give this new printer a serious look-see, it's a winner!

03-07-2002

Rollei's New 5-Megapixel d530 flex SLR The folks at LetsGoDigital.nl have uncovered another new camera that was supposed to be under embargo until April 15th but is now public. The new Rollei d530 flex is a five-megapixel upgrade of Rollei's d30 flex SLR. Although we never saw any of them over here in the states it is apparently a successful camera in the European market. The d530 flex features a 3x F/2.8 lens, 5-megapixel imager, 2.5" color LCD, PC Type II card slot, flash hot shoe, SCSI I/O port, video output (PAL or NTSC). The price is said to be under 2500 Euros ($2208 USD).

03-06-2002

Epson PM-4000PX to Replace Aging 2000P? The Epson Japan "I Love Epson" web site is touting their newest photo printer, the Colorio PM-4000PX. The specs say 2880dpi, "P"hoto e"X"cellence printing technology that uses pigment ink for longevity. It has individually replaceable ink cartridges for all SEVEN of the colors - now includes a gray. Prints up to A3 size using 4-picoliter ink droplets, supports USB 2.0 and IEEE-1394, PRINT Image Matching, Natural Photo Color, cut sheet or roll paper. Also can print on printable CD-R media. Priced at 94,800Y which is around $719USD. Now, let's hope that this one actually makes it to the U.S. market!

03-05-2002

Panasonic Lumix LC5 First Look Posted I just posted our Panasonic Lumix LC5 first look with all of our usual review material with the exception of the conclusion and sample photos. The full review will follow in about a month after we get a production level camera. The LC5 is a four-megapixel digicam with a huge, 2.5" color LCD, a high-quality Leica zoom lens and is loaded with exposure modes. It looks and feels like a 35mm camera and will also be sold by Leica as the Digilux 1.

03-05-2002

Oly-E.com Is Now Open for Business The folks that run the German web site oly-e.de which was bilingual (German and English) have now opened their new Oly-e.com web site which is strictly English language. Here you will find all sorts of great information about the Olympus E Series cameras (E-10, E-20, E-100RS) and many fine picture galleries and public discussion forums. If you're an Oly "E" user or thinking about buying one, be sure to stop by and visit this fine and highly informative web site.

03-01-2002

GPS-Photo Link Adds Advanced Features For GIS Professionals Fort Collins, Colorado, March 1, 2002 - GeoSpatial Experts is pleased to announce the release of GPS-Photo Link version 1.1. The new version extends current functionality beyond the basics. The original GPS-Photo Link PC software watermarked digital camera photos with latitude, longitude, and other descriptive information. Web pages were created containing the watermarked photos and on-line maps that show were the photos were taken. The new version includes Datum and Grid coordinate support, ArcView extension for linking to photos, and customizable web pages. New features in GPS-Photo Link version 1.1: ESRI ArcView extension for hot linking shape file to images: Just click on the feature point, and the geo-referenced photo will be displayed. Datum and Grid coordinate support: Supports NAD 27, NAD 83, WGS 84, plus most international datums. Specify UTM, MGRS/USNG, British Grid, Irish Grid, and Dutch RD Grid coordinates. Datum and Grid coordinates can be displayed in the watermarked photo and written to ESRI shape files and Web pages. ESRI Shape files will be created using the datum and grid selected, so there are no conversions necessary! Users can also add custom datums. User customizable web page templates: Modify the standard Web page output to your liking. Add your own logos and links to your own maps. Change the text to other languages. Added new maps: Location of photos can now be displayed on USGS Aerial Photos and Topographic Maps, in addition to the current MapBlast and Tiger maps. Added new map links to MapQuest street maps and aerial photos to the already existing map links to TerraServer and MapBlast. Enabled editing of pictures: Modify the brightness, contrast, and rotation of each watermarked photo. The new features make GPS-Photo Link ideal for federal, state and local government users and other GIS professionals. "Everybody here is dazzled by your program!!!" says Guy Tower from Long Island Rail Road Company after using GPS-Photo Link for the first time. "...I could see the important ramifications of your software." For more information on the new features and to download a free trial version, go to http://www.GeoSpatialExperts.com. Sample photos and GPS information are included in the trial version, so no hardware is required to try out the software. Supports all Garmin GPS receivers and most digital cameras. No physical connection required between the GPS receiver and the digital camera.

February 2002 News

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