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-- Top News Stories -- Steve's "Best of 2001" Camera Awards PMA 2002 Report Apple Introduces iPhoto 1.1 Bibble 3.0 Posted BreezeBrowser v2.0 Released Epson Large Format 7600/9600 Printers Fujifilm F401 Zoom Ultra-compact Kodak EasyShare CX4230 Camera Microsoft Launchs Windows XP DigiPhoto Site Nikon Coolpix 2000 Nikon Coolpix 4500 Nikon Coolpix 5700 Nikon D100 First Look posted Olympus C-720 Zoom, 8x zoom 3 megapixel Olympus D-550 Zoom, 3x zoom 3 megapixel Qimage Pro 2002 v2.0 Released Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P7 and DSC-P2 ThumbsPlus v5.0 Released Toshiba PDR-T10 w/Touchscreen LCD April 2002 News Index March 2002 News Index February 2002 News Index

05-30-2002

Fujifilm Introduces The New, Ultra-Slim Finepix F401, One Of The Smallest Zoom Digital Cameras In Its Class ELMSFORD, NY, May 30, 2002 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. continues its tradition of exceptional photo quality and distinctive styling with the new FinePix F401 digital camera. The FinePix F401's ultra-slim, trend-setting metallic body is sure to turn heads. It is one of the smallest 2.1-effective-megapixel zoom digital cameras in its category and features Fujifilm's third-generation Super CCD sensor and optional PC-sync cradle. Fujifilm's new FinePix F401 is the perfect solution for those looking for excellent picture-taking performance, advanced multimedia features and pocket-sized convenience. "Fujifilm continues to expand its extensive portfolio of digital cameras that are designed to make the digital photography experience easy and fun for consumers," said Darin Pepple, Brand Manager, Consumer Digital Products, Consumer Markets Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. "The FinePix F401 is ideal for the on-the-go photographer who wants a choice of features and point-and-shoot simplicity in a sleek, stylish package." Fujifilm's Third-Generation Super CCD The FinePix F401 third-generation Super CCD image sensor system reflects significant advancements in the company's digital imaging technology history, enabling the camera to offer consumers such advantages as images with 2304 x 1728 (3.98 million) recorded pixels and ultra-high ISO sensitivity. Fujifilm's new, proprietary image processing method, known as Pixel Data Coupling Technology, along with a new noise reduction technology have been combined with the new Super CCD sensor system to enable the FinePix F401 and other third-generation Super CCD models to deliver ISO sensitivities all the way up 1600 in 1280 x 960 (one megapixel) mode while minimizing CCD "noise." Fujifilm FinePix F401 features: Clear and Colorful Pictures - Boasting a third generation Super CCD sensor system with 2.1 million effective pixels, the FinePix F401 can deliver 2304 x 1728 (3.98 million) recorded pixels for clear, colorful 11 x 16-inch prints. Sleek and Stylish Metal Body - This stylish, lightweight camera measures a mere 3.3" W x 2.7" H x 1.1 "D and weighs only 6.5 ounces without batteries. One of the smallest zoom digital cameras in its class, the FinePix F401's ultra-slim body houses the camera's Super EBC Fujinon 3x optical, retractable zoom (with up to 3.6x digital zoom) lens, enabling picture-takers to capture detailed close-ups. Digital Movie Recording - The FinePix F401 can capture over 13 minutes of AVI digital video with sound on a 128MB SmartMedia(tm) card (320 x 240 resolution) at 10 frames per second (fps) or email-ready 160 x 120 resolution at 10 fps. Digital Picture Voice Notes - With the camera's built-in microphone, picture takers can attach 30-second voice notes to each photo, allowing users to further enhance their memories or photo albums with narration. High ISO Sensitivity/Range of Shutter Speeds - The FinePix F401 shutter speeds range from 1/4 to 1/1000 of a second with adjustable ISO sensitivity of 200/400. It also includes a high sensitivity one-megapixel (1280 x 960) mode at ISO 800/1600 that features Fujifilm's Pixel Data Coupling noise reduction technology for crisp, clear photos. Continuous shooting modes - Enabling picture takers to capture just the right image, the camera offers continuous, full-resolution shooting at three fps up to four frames or a special last-four-frame-only continuous shooting mode which enables photographers to record the last four frames of the subject after releasing the shutter button - a great feature for sports and action photography. Videoconferencing Capabilities - The FinePix F401 can also operate as a PC-cam permitting users to experience live face-time via computer with friends, family or co-workers. Shooting Modes - The FinePix F401 simplifies advanced picture taking with special, preset shooting modes, including auto, portrait, sports, landscape and night scene. The FinePix F401 will be available in August 2002 at a MSRP of $499.99. In addition, an optional PC-sync PictureCradle, for fast camera-to-computer photo transfer via USB cable, PC-cam videoconferencing and easy recharging of the camera's battery will be available for $79.99.

05-29-2002

Nikon D100 SLR First Look Posted It's still a work in progress and will be for some time yet - but in the meantime we've posted our Nikon D100 SLR First Look. Later today I will begin posting the first of our sample images and will be adding to them as we go along. If you were waiting for a reasonably priced dSLR for your Nikon lenses, that wait is almost over. The D100 delivers on its promises and then some!

05-29-2002

Nikon Announces Three New Coolpix Cameras for the Summer of 2002 Coolpix 5700 - 5-Megapixel CCD and 8x Optical Zoom Coolpix 4500 - Nikon's First 4-Megapixel, 4x Optical Zoom Coolpix 2000 - 2-Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom Entry-Level (click links above to read our First Look reviews) MELVILLE, NY, May 29, 2002 - Nikon (www.nikonusa.com), the world leader in photography, today announced the introduction of three new Nikon Coolpix cameras - the Coolpix 5700, Coolpix 4500 and Coolpix 2000. With this expansion of the Coolpix consumer digital camera line, Nikon now has a Coolpix camera for photographers of all skill levels -- from the novice to the serious hobbyist -- who seek a digital camera packed with the superior quality and technology that Nikon is known for. As the world's first digital camera with a 5.0 effective megapixel CCD and 8x Optical Zoom-Nikkor ED glass lens, the Coolpix 5700 is packed with various Coolpix "firsts," including an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), Nikon's exclusive Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass for superior image quality and the ability to capture in a RAW data recording mode for ultimate image control. The Coolpix 4500 offers a 4.0 effective megapixel CCD and a 4x Optical Zoom-Nikkor lens in a swivel lens body, with a combination of full manual control options and numerous automatic features. The Coolpix 2000 is a 2.0 effective megapixel digital camera with a 3x Optical Zoom- Nikkor lens and numerous easy-to-use features including One-Touch Upload, built-in Scene modes and a "Let's Get Started" video CD to provide the perfect starter digital camera package for those looking to make a fun, easy and inexpensive dive into digital photography. Read the full Nikon May 29 press releases

05-29-2002

Sony Announces Two New Ultra-Compact Cyber-Shot "P" Series Digital Cameras Read our full Sony DSC-P2 review Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P2 Sony is pleased to announce the DSC-P2 Digital Still Camera, which combines a high resolution 2.0 Megapixel (effective) Super HAD CCD with a 3X optical zoom lens in an easy to use camera of elegantly compact design. Though compact enough to fit most any pocket or purse, the DSC-P2 is packed with performance and technology. Sharply focused shots are a snap with 3 Area Multi-point AF, which can evaluate focus and for low-light conditions, Sony's AF Illuminator briefly illuminates the subject for an accurate focus lock. The Multi-burst function captures 16 320x240 frames with 3 selectable intervals for convenient motion analysis. Versatile MPEG Movie modes are highlighted with MPEG HQX, which captures 16 fps 320x240 full screen playback video (w/o audio) clips whose length is limited only by the capacity of the media. You can even edit in MPEG clips in the camera with 6X cue/review & divide/delete functions. For reliable, long-lasting operation, the DSC-P2 is supplied with Sony's InfoLithium battery and AC-LS1 AC adaptor/ in-camera charger. Supplied USB cable and driver software allows easy image transfer for most computers. The Sony DSC-P2 will sell for about $400 and will be available in July 2002. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P7 Sony is pleased to announce the DSC-P7 Digital Still Camera, which combines a high resolution 3.2 Megapixel (effective) Super HAD CCD with a 3X optical zoom lens in an easy to use camera of elegantly compact design. Though compact enough to fit most any pocket or purse, the DSC-P7 is packed with performance and technology. Sharply focused shots are a snap with 3 Area Multi-point AF, which can evaluate focus and for low-light conditions, Sony's AF Illuminator briefly illuminates the subject for an accurate focus lock. The Multi-burst function captures 16 320x240 frames with 3 selectable intervals for convenient motion analysis. Versatile MPEG Movie modes are highlighted with MPEG HQX, which captures 16 fps 320x240 full screen playback video (w/o audio) clips whose length is limited only by the capacity of the media. You can even edit in MPEG clips in the camera with 6X cue/review & divide/delete. For reliable, long-lasting operation, the DSC-P7 is supplied with Sony's InfoLithium battery and AC-LS1 AC adaptor/ in-camera charger. Supplied USB cable and driver software allows easy image transfer for most computers. The Sony DSC-P7 will sell for about $500 and will be available in July 2002.

05-22-2002

BreezeBrowser v2.0 Released Breeze Systems is proud to announce the latest release of its popular BreezeBrowser software. A free evaluation copy of BreezeBrowser can be downloaded from www.breezesys.com New features in BreezeBrowser v2.0: Full support for Canon EOS D60 including EXIF display and raw conversion with exposure compensation and color tone setting. Full support for Canon EOS 1D including EXIF display, IPTC editing and raw conversion with exposure compensation, color balance, color matrix setting and sharpening. New preview modes for Canon EOS 1D raw files: a) 288x192 thumbnail only for fast preview b) convert raw file for larger preview c) display JPEG when viewing raw+JPEG shots - also links JPEG to raw file for copy, move, delete and rename operations d) auto create preview JPEG when viewing raw file for the first time Contact sheet printing and print preview with extensive control over the layout of the page and captioning of images High quality full size image printing and print preview with the option to center the image on the page to give an even border on all sides Much faster display of JPEGs in "High Quality" mode Now reads and writes 8-bit and 16-bit Portable Network Graphics (PNG) images Now reads 8-bit Photoshop PSD images Black and white preview mode - quickly switch between color and black and white image display New "paypal" HTML template added making it easy to create web pages for accepting print orders and payments online Option to use IPTC captions instead of EXIF UserComments allowing comments to be added to any JPEG, TIFF or Canon raw file. BreezeBrowser also includes the following unique set of features: Fast Explorer-style thumbnail display for organizing folders and images Simple, easy to use full size view complete with essential EXIF shooting data and histogram displays One of the most powerful and flexible HTML generators available. Includes several attractive templates including the popular drop shadow and order templates Comprehensive support for converting Canon raw files with powerful post-processing options to auto level, resize and sharpen images Special "combined" raw conversion mode combining the best features of normal and linear raw conversion for improved highlight detail Proofs feature for creating high quality proofs ready for printing or batch converting between image formats. Includes batch processing options to auto level, adjust gamma and saturation, noise reduction filter, high quality resize and sharpen images. Industry standard IPTC data display and editing of JPEGs, TIFFs and Canon raw images EXIF thumbnail regeneration and EXIF copying facilities to restore EXIF information after editing files in an external editor Lossless rotation of JPEGs, TIFFs and Canon raw files

05-21-2002

New Kodak EasyShare System and CX4230 Digital Camera ROCHESTER, NY, May 21, 2002 – Eastman Kodak Company today introduced the new Kodak EasyShare system, combining enhanced software, digital cameras and an enhanced camera dock to take digital photography beyond e-mail and take the challenge out of obtaining high-quality prints. Until today, printing photos from digital cameras was difficult, time-consuming and frustrating. With the new EasyShare system, making high-quality prints becomes fun and easy because of EasyShare’s one-touch simplicity. The new EasyShare system provides the industry’s broadest number of integrated printing options that allow consumers to easily print at home using One Touch to Better Pictures and Kodak inkjet paper, from home by choosing to upload to either the EasyShare online print service or another retail online photofinisher of choice, or at retail using Kodak digitally-enabled kiosks or over the counter. The new Kodak EasyShare system features a series of technological advances that give consumers an unmatched digital photography experience. They include: The new Kodak EasyShare Software, which simplifies how picture-takers print, e-mail, edit and organize their digital pictures. The software’s One Touch to Better Pictures feature, combined with Kodak Inkjet Photo Paper, delivers hassle-free, stunning prints from any inkjet printer. To help generate more high-quality prints, users can see on the computer screen exactly what they will print with the dynamic print preview feature. For printing online, the software connects seamlessly to the Kodak EasyShare Print Service or any other online photo finisher, reflecting Kodak’s commitment to consumer choice, open systems and services. The 2-megapixel Kodak EasyShare CX4230 Zoom Digital Camera, the first EasyShare camera with a “share” button that allows users to tag pictures for printing, e-mailing or as favorites right on the camera’s preview screen. On-camera print tagging is as simple as choosing the print and selecting the number of prints required. When the camera is docked and images transferred, the Kodak EasyShare software automatically opens the print screen for printing at home or online. On-camera e-mail tagging is also simple and powerful. The camera stores up to 32 e-mail addresses directly from the camera. Users simply tag the image for e-mailing and select an address. The CX4230 offers stunning prints up to 8”x10”, a result assured by a new, all-glass Kodak Retinar lens, 3X optical zoom and built-in Kodak color science that delivers high-quality digital images. The CX4230 and all current Kodak EasyShare cameras are compatible with the improved Kodak EasyShare Camera Dock, which allows consumers to upload their digital images at the touch of a button and benefit from enhanced battery charging. The new EasyShare system provides the industry’s broadest number of integrated printing options that allow consumers to easily print at home using One Touch to Better Pictures and Kodak inkjet paper, from home by choosing to upload to either the EasyShare online print service or another retail online photofinisher of choice, or at retail using Kodak digitally-enabled kiosks or through counter service.

05-20-2002

LetsGoDigital Posts First Impression of the Pentax Optio 230 The folks over at LetsGoDigital.nl have posted their Pentax Optio 230 First Impression short review. This is a small and pocketable 2-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and a swing-out color LCD monitor.

05-16-2002

Fred Miranda Compares Canon's EOS 1D and D60 SLRs If you're struggling between choosing a Canon EOS 1D or D60 (lucky you), then you should take a quick hop over to Fred Miranda's web site and check out his Canon 1D versus D60 review. To quote Fred: "Many advanced professional studio, catalog and landscape photographers wonder if they should invest the money to buy a more expensive Canon 1D or purchase a less expensive D60 body. Each camera is intended for specific usage. In a perfect world, one could alternate between the two cameras using them each for their intended purpose since these cameras do not compete with each other in terms of features and build quality. In this article, I will touch on what I find to be the best features and limitations of both cameras."

05-15-2002

Addonics DigiDrive Flash Card Reader Family -- Smaller Size, USB 2.0 Support, Lower Price See our complete Mini DigiDrive review SAN JOSE, CA (May 15, 2002) -- Addonics Technologies today announced several new editions to its DigiDrive line of multi-format Flash Card readers that offer more mobility and added features at a lower price. Regardless if users are mobile professionals, digital hobbyists or building multimedia kiosks, the common ground shared by all products in Addonics DigiDrive family is the ability to eliminate the need to carry different types of Flash readers. Users can have multi-format compatibility with one DigiDrive. The Addonics Mini DigiDrive is the latest Flash memory reader solution in the product family for mobile users who need to transfer data to their PC from digital cameras, digital camcorders, PDAs, MP3 players, or digital voice recorders and more. Similar to its cousin (the Pocket DigiDrive), the Mini DigiDrive also reads/writes to seven mainstream Flash media formats but in a smaller palm size package and at a price similar to many single media Flash readers. Mini DigiDrive media types supported include CF-I, CF-II, Smart Memory, Memory Stick, Micro Drive, Multimedia Card, and Secure Digital Card. The Mini DigiDrive measures 3.75 (W) x 3.18 (D) x .6 inches (H) and weighs just 5 ounces. The compact size combined with the simple USB 1.1/2.0 connection make the Mini DigiDrive the best flash reader for all levels of users. The Addonics Mini DigiDrive is a USB mass storage compliant device and has a 1MB/second read/write speed. Support for all DigiDrives is included for Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Mac OS 8.6 or higher, Linux kernel 2.4 or higher. Once the drive is installed, an icon for each type of media automatically appears under the My Computer folder in Windows. The Mini DigiDrive 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. Included with the drive is a 3-foot USB connecting cable and software utilities. List price of the Addonics Mini DigiDrive is $49 Internal Drive   Addonics has also revised its Internal DigiDrive, which allows users to add flash memory storage capability to any desktop PC, MS Windows based equipment or multimedia kiosk. The Internal DigiDrive II offers the same features the Mini Digidrive with its USB 2.0 support and ability to read/write to seven Flash media types. It can be easily mounted into any 3.5-inch drive bay of any computer or multimedia equipment such as a photo kiosk. The Internal DigiDrive II is also a solid state drive without any moving parts and is designed to plug into any internal or external USB port on your computer, rack-mounted system or kiosk. List price of the Internal DigiDrive is $49. PCMCIA Adapter   The Addonics 4-in-1 DigiAdapter is another convenient Flash Memory Reader solution for notebooks equipped with a PC Card (PCMCIA) slot. The DigiAdapter is the size of a standard Type II PC Card. It reads/writes to four popular Flash media types --Memory Stick, Smart Media, Secure Digital Card or Multimedia Card, via the PC Card type II slot. The DigiAdapter requires no additional drivers or other power source. It provides a maximum read/write speed of 3MB/sec. List price of the mini DigiAdapter is $59 Addonics products are available through major catalog companies, resellers, VARs and distributors, including StorageUSA.com, Amazon.com, PC Connection, CDW, Buy.com, Insight, Ingram Micro, and Ma Lab.

05-14-2002

Qimage Pro 2002 v2.0 Released Mike Chaney has released Qimage Pro 2002 v2.0 which is a major upgrade to his excellent Windows image printing program. Over the last couple of years we have watched this program mature from just a printing application to a very sophisticated image manipulation program with many unique features. Qimage Pro makes image printing easy by eliminating the need to resample images to higher resolutions, manually place images on printed pages, make touchups and apply filters in separate photo editors. It's an application that is capable of producing professional quality prints that exceed the quality of most other photo printing applications, even high end photo editors. It was not designed to be (or replace) a full featured photo editor, but Qimage Pro is the only tool you'll need to enhance and/or print your digital images. Qimage Pro 2002 version 2.0 contains significant enhancements that increase overall productivity while providing a concrete relationship between on-screen document design and final output through true WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editing. A complete list of new features and fixes can be found on the Qimage Pro news page, here's a short list of the major additions: Ability to manage associative filters by selectively adding to/deleting from existing filters New WYSIWYG view of entire printed page including printable and non-printable areas - shows the entire printed page and clearly delineates the difference between the physical paper and the printable area as defined by your printer. Ability to center images on the physical page versus centering within the printable area Locate prints at exact locations on the page by nudging or direct entry of location Ability to duplicate scanned prints at their original (scanned) size via click/drag High quality sizing of images displayed via full screen and slide show reduces "jaggies" Support for full size (3072 x 2040) Kodak Photo CD images

05-13-2002

Toshiba Shipping World's First Digital Camera with Touch Screen LCD & Interchangeable Face Plates IRVINE, CA, May 10, 2002 ­ Toshiba Imaging Systems, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced shipment of the new "button-free" Toshiba PDR-T10, the world's first digital camera to utilize its LCD as an interactive touch-screen menu. Also distinguishing the two-megapixel PDR-T10 -- and adding to its excitement -- is a collection of interchangeable, snap-on faceplates, including zebra stripes, polka dots, and retro orange, that let the user alter the look of their camera to match whatever mood they find themselves in. Three faceplates come with the camera, with eight more available to be purchased separately. "The PDR-T10 is perfect for people who want serious digital imaging performance from a point-and-shoot camera that lets them express their own distinct personality," said Doug Freck, Vice President & General Manager, Toshiba Imaging Systems. "Younger, more fashion-minded users will appreciate the camera's good looks, compact size, and uniqueness, while experienced photo enthusiasts will be pleased by its crisp, clear images, as well as ease-of-use features such as auto flash, auto focus and exposure, and a self timer." On the performance side, the fully automatic PDR-T10 matches its beauty with a smart 2.2 megapixel CCD sensor that captures brilliant color photographs at resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 in universal JPEG format at three quality levels. To take advantage of the wide spectrum of uses of photography on the Internet -- from e-mailing friends to uploading photos to a personal web page -- the camera also has an 800 x 600 resolution mode that creates smaller-sized files. Built to the highest standards of consumer digital photography, the PDR-T10 benefits greatly from a professional-grade, all-glass lens that is equivalent to f=38mm on a 35mm camera. For picture-perfect close-ups there's also a Macro mode that allows picture taking as close as 3.5 inches from the subject. Other performance features include its 4X digital zoom, user-selectable white balance, exposure control and flash, USB interface, and compatibility with Secure Digital (SD) storage media, another first for a Toshiba camera. The camera ships with a 8MB SD card, allowing storage of up to 80 photos, plus features on-board compatibility with SD cards up to 256MB. By touching the bright, high-resolution 1.6-inch LCD with a stylus, users can quickly navigate the camera's simple menus and icons to select from a host of controls including flash and zoom optionsŠ to instantly review their photosŠ or to launch the downloading of their pictures to a Windows®-based or Macintosh® OS computer. The camera comes with its own stylus, but is just as easily controlled by a standard PDA stylus or even a fingernail. The absence of buttons, levers and switches on the back of the camera gives the PDR-T10 a streamlined, elegant styling that ideally compliments its pocket-sized dimensions (3.36 x 2.83 x 1.1 inches). MSRP is expected to be under $399. For more information, U.S. customers can call 1-800-288-1354. Fax, 1-800-640-8674. Or visit Toshiba on the Web at www.dsc.toshiba.com.

05-13-2002

Digital Outback Photo Describes "Fine Art Photography" from Digital SLRs In Their New Handbook The folks at Digital Outback Photo are putting a lot of energy into their newest project, Digital Outback Fine Art Photography Handbook, an eBook that describes in detail the how-to of creating fine art photographs using today's digital SLR cameras, printers and software. Here's some quotes from their web site about this new project: "What is this book about? We share our experience in using digital SLRs for fine art photography. We will not get into such questions as "Isn't Film better than digital?". This might be a valid question if you want to decide to go the full digital path. We had made the decision 2 years ago. The only question for us is "How can I get the most out of our digital cameras" and of course we are convinced that we are capable to produce Fine Art photos. What does the term Fine Art mean in this context? These are photos, which are printed and presented in a way that buyers like to decorate their homes, galleries to offer them and they even might end up in a museum. This book is a shareware book. Like with software you only pay the annual subscription fee ($19.95) if you see a value using this handbook. The more subscribers we have the more we can put energy into this project."

05-11-2002

Cerious Software Releases New and Improved ThumbsPlus v5.0 Our good friends at Cerious Software have just released ThumbsPlus v5.0, the latest update to my favorite graphics "Swiss Army knife" for Windows users. ThumbsPlus reads just about every popular graphic file format and many proprietary digital camera formats - v5.x even supports Canon CRW files via a new plug-in. ThumbsPlus lets you view, print, adjust, convert, resize, catalog and batch process files. The Web Page Wizard builds web-photo pages with hi-rez thumbnails and links to the full-size picture files. Database search by keyword or the filename. Windows Color Management support (ICM, ICC profiles). Loads and observes embedded ICC profiles in TIFF, JPEG and PNG files. Auto-launch with scanner or when a digital camera is attached. EXIF info is now displayed in text for many fields. Support for JPEG 2000 (read and write) for both lossless and lossy compression modes. Many new batch processing features and slide show options including transitions and improved scaling. Here's the full list of version 5's new features. ThumbsPlus is 100% "Steve Approved" digicam software - don't be without it!

05-10-2002

Epson Perfection 2450 Photo Scanner Review Posted Thanks to Keith Krebs we have posted an Epson Perfection 2450 Photo Scanner review. I have one of these scanners and use it daily but because I am always behind a pile of new digicams it never got reviewed. This is a very versatile flatbed reflective scanner with a built-in transparency unit in the lid for scanning film negatives and slides. It isn't going to replace a dedicated 35mm film scanner but it's the only reasonably priced scanner that handles 120/220, 4x5" and up to 4x9" sized film. Equipped with both USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 FireWire it is very robust when connected to a fast host computer.

05-10-2002

Digiphoto 101 Registration Now Open Enrollment is now open for the next session of Digiphoto 101, an online interactive digital photography course that begins June 3rd, 2002 and is taught by Arthur H. Bleich, professional photographer and feature editor of Digital Camera Magazine. Lighting, color, texture, composition, and other subjects are covered to give both beginning and intermediate students a solid grounding in photodigital techniques and esthetics. Each class is limited to ten enrollees, all of whom have access to the instructor as a mentor throughout the course. Weekly assignments are critiqued online and students may interact with the teacher and each other at a restricted Discussion Board. Tuition for the 10-week course is $360. For further information email Arthur Bleich or visit his www.dpcorner.com web site.

05-09-2002

Fuji FinePix F601 Zoom Review Posted We had previously posted a first look of the FinePix F601 Zoom and have now updated and completed this review with a new gallery of sample pictures from a full production level camera. Fuji packs a lot of picture power and features in a small, stylish and highly durable metal body. How does it rate against the competition? Check out our Fuji FinePix F601 Zoom review. AFT PRO II USB card reader I have also posted a review of the new AFT PRO II multi-slot USB card reader. We've looked at several multi-slot USB flash card readers but this is the first that can be used as an external drive or mounted internally in a 3-1/2 inch drive bay. For less than $50 it lets you read/write to CompactFlash Type I and II including Microdrives, SmartMedia, Secure Digital or MultiMedia Cards and offers a front-mounted USB port.

05-09-2002

Apple Introduces iPhoto 1.1 Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, Calif., USA, unveiled iPhoto 1.1, a free application update for saving, organizing and sharing digital photos. iPhoto 1.1 features new brightness and contrast controls, integration with Mac OS X's Mail application for e-mailing photos, displays EXIF data, and controls for setting photos as desktop backgrounds and screen saver slide shows. iPhoto 1.1 is available immediately as a free download from www.apple.com/iphoto.

05-09-2002

Sony DPP-SV88 Printer/CD-RW Reviewed Here's one incredibly versatile digital printer, CD-RW drive, flash card reader, video frame printer and digital image display unit that's hard to beat. One small and lightweight unit that takes the place of many digital imaging peripherals and it does it all - well! Read our complete Sony DPP-SV88 review.

05-08-2002

Olympus Introduces C-720 Ultra Zoom World's Smallest 3 Megapixel 8X Optical Zoom Digital Camera May 8, 2002 Melville, NY -- Olympus America announces the new 3 Megapixel CAMEDIA C-720 Ultra Zoom with a high quality 8X optical zoom lens (24X total seamless zoom) in a compact and stylish body. The C-720 Ultra Zoom is easy to use, and is the ideal camera for family, sports, action, and nature photography. Weighing only 11 ounces and measuring a minimal 3.1" x 4.2", the C-720 Ultra Zoom is the ultimate 3 Megapixel camera for an active lifestyle at a price of only $599. Read the entire press release with full specs.

05-08-2002

Olympus Introduces Easy To Use Pocket-Size 3 Megapixel Camera May 8, 2002, Melville, NY -- Olympus America announces the CAMEDIA D-550 ZOOM, a 3 Megapixel point & shoot camera with a 2.8X optical zoom with a totally seamless 10X zoom (2.8X optical & 3.6X digital); 5 Scene Program modes with the camera world's first Virtual Mode Dial; an improved easy menu navigation system; large 1.8" LCD; and high-end imaging features in a comfortable, compact and easy-to-use stylish clamshell body for only $399. Read the entire press release with full specs.

05-06-2002

FotoAlbum v3.0 Released The much anticipated version 3.0 of FotoAlbum, a popular album manager, has now been released. It features a completely reworked user interface and a ton of new features. You can see what's new at: www.fototime.com/whatsnew?prod=FA and FotoAlbum can be downloaded at: www.fototime.com/ftweb/install/fasetup.exe Some of the major new features are: Improved user interface 2-way sync (ability to sync from more than one computer at a time) Sticky albums (ability to have albums remain on the web even if you remove them from your PC) New device view that integrates TWAIN and other devices to make it easy to import images from your camera Support for Videos Ability to rotate/flip multiple files at one time New Wizards to make complex tasks much easier In addition to the changes to FotoAlbum we have also greatly improved our FotoTime photo sharing site. They also have a beta test available that adds support for the Windows XP publishing wizards to upload pictures to FotoTime. Anyone interested in beta testing it can send an e-mail to support@fototime.com.

05-03-2002

Kodak EasyShare LS420 Review Posted If you're looking for an affordable and pocketable digicam that produces good images then you might want to give a good look at Kodak's latest EasyShare camera. The LS420 is housed in a sleek and stylish silver aluminum case and comes complete with a docking cradle and a rechargeable lithium battery, all for just $299. For all the details and sample pictures check out our Kodak EasyShare LS420 review.

05-03-2002

Misc. Digicam News Tidbits The PowerShot website of Canon U.S.A. Inc. has re-posted the firmware upgrades for the A10, A20, S110 Elph, S300 Elph, S30, S40, G2 and EOS D30. Enhancements include support for the new Direct Print function with the Canon CP100 photo printer and support for multi-vendor Exif2.2 data. These firmware updates were temporarily pulled until Canon could verify that they were not the cause of some users' problems experienced during the upgrade process. Also available is an update to the ZoomBrowser EX software included in Canon digital cameras. HP is now shipping its first 4-megapixel digicam, the PhotoSmart 812, announced back in Jan. 2002. The 812 features a Pentax 3x optical zoom and can connect directly to HP USB inkjet printers and has an optional $79 camera dock. The 812 has an MSRP of $599 and has been spotted on the "street" for around $450. Epson America Inc. has reduced the price of its EPSON Stylus Photo 820 inkjet printer. The six-color printer, which offers BorderFree printing and 2,880-by-720 dpi resolution, is now available for $99. Additionally, the Stylus Photo 820 has been redesigned with a new metallic design that closely resembles the silver and gray body style of many digital cameras. Club Photo Inc. is cutting prices on 4-by-6 digital prints from 45 cents to 25 cents. "Club Photo's introduction of total digital photo services makes it both easy and economical for consumers to order 4-by-6, 5-by-7 or 8-by-10 prints," said Andrew Wei, president and CEO of Club Photo. "Until now, the market pricing for 4-by-6 digital prints was significantly higher than prints from traditional film, which has impacted user decisions to order digital prints previously."

05-03-2002

Bibble 3.0 Posted, Kodak Color and Raw Support One of my favorite D30 programs has just been updated, in fact, it has been completely re-written. Eric Hyman has spent the last 7 months redesigning the user interface, adding "Kodak Color" and support for new cameras. Bibble version 3.0 took longer than Eric had planned but he's pretty sure that you will agree that it was worth the wait. Since this version is such a major change the normal summary of changes sent out would be way too long. You can find a more complete list on the Bibble website. Major new items in 3.0 include: Dramatic improvements in speed (virtually instant opening of raw files, and batch processing twice as fast as the other guys) Full Compressed .Nef support All new camera Profiles and Professional Kodak Digital Science color engine. Photoshop 7.0 Support (including Browser and proper handling of Jpeg colorspaces). Support for new cameras, Bibble now does raw files from D1/X/H, Canon D30, Kodak 720x/760, Oly E10/E20. Windows XP Compatible Firewire support for D1 Family Super Fast. IPTC Captioning support. Persistent Live Options. Improved browser (Edit thumbs, rotate .nefs, sorting, sizes, etc). Fully Multithreaded to take advantage of Dual CPU Machines. Sticky dialogs. Support for Nikon and Qimage color models. Accepts externally generated camera profiles. Color Profiles Embedded and read in Jpegs. Complete manual! Due to the amount of work involved and the revolutionary nature of this version, it is being treated as a new product and will require re-registration. Recent registrants will get a free upgrade, older users will get a discount. Full details can be found on the upgrade page. Additionally, the price of Bibble will be increased on June 1st. Even if you tried Bibble in the past and decided it wasn't for you, I would strongly encourage you to try the new version. You might be pleasantly surprised. In coming weeks Eric will be adding support for the other Canon cameras as well as the new camera coming out later this year.

05-02-2002

New ShortCourses Books and eBooks Dennis Curtin from the excellent ShortCourses web site has just released two new digicam books and eBooks, one for the Sony F707 and the new Canon EOS D60 dSLR. The printed book is in black & white and the eBook comes on a CD in PDF format in full color along with some trial versions of digicam related programs. These books and eBooks are available now on the ShortCourses web site. Dennis also has books for most of the popular Canon, Nikon and Olympus digicams too!

05-01-2002

Panasonic Lumix LC5 and LC40 Reviews Posted Many of you have been asking me for the full Panasonic Lumix LC-5 review and sample photos, it is now online. We have also posted a full Panasonic Lumix LC-40 review as well. If you've been wondering how these cameras shape up against the competition, now you'll know.

05-01-2002

Epson's New Large Format Inkjet Printers Epson is raising the bar and lowering the cost of large format inkjet printing with the introduction of two new Stylus Pro printers. The 24" wide Stylus Pro 7600 and the 44" wide Stylus Pro 9600 are priced at $2995 and $4995 respectively. Like the recently announced Stylus 2200, these large format Stylus Pro printers will make use of the new 7-color Epson UltraChrome pigmented inks for true archival performance. Preliminary data from Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. indicates the lightfastness of color UltraChrome prints will be rated at up to 100 years under glass. The "7th color" is a user exchangeable black that is available in three different densities (Photo Black, Matte Black and Dual Matte Black) for various media types and printing applications. Not only do these new printers bring down the price barrier to large format printing, they also raise the resolution and performance standards. The Stylus Pro 7600 and 9600 feature true 2880 x 1440 dpi resolution with new print heads capable of producing ink droplets as small as 4 picoliter. Epson's Variable Droplet MicroPiezo DX3 Technology is capable of producing up to three different dot sizes per print line which decreases the print times while optimizing photographic quality. The Stylus Pro 7600 and 9600 printers use seven 110ml or 220ml ink cartridges which can be replaced even in the middle of a print job. The Stylus Pro 9600 can use either 110ml or 220ml cartridges at the same time. And of course the printing media is just as important as the inks, you can print on virtually any media type in roll or cut sheet. User adjustable roll media spindles accepts either 2-inch or 3-inch media cores. A built-in automatic cutting system in addition to an optional manual media cutter for cutting even the thickest media types. The Stylus Pro 9600 has an optional automatic take-up reel system for long, unattended print runs. True BorderFree printing - first ever wide format print engine capable of printing off both left and rightedges of the media, while automatically cutting top and bottom edges to produce a full bleed print on all four sides. Depending on the print mode being used, print speeds vary from 8ft² per hour to a maximum of 192ft² per hour. Extremely photographic printing can be produced at 16ft² per hour and everyday "production quality" printing at about 87ft² per hour. This is about 2.5 times faster than the previous Epson Stylus Pro 7000 and 9000 series printers. True Cross-Platform OS Support - All new enhanced Epson photographic drivers for Macintosh and Windows allowing for complete control of ink density even when color management is turned off. The standard drivers allow the user to setup a dedicated Macintosh or Windows computer as a network spooler, greatly enhancing your productivity. For professional pre-press proofing and graphics workgroups an optional EFI Fiiery Spark Professional 2 Adobe Postscript 3 software with Pantone ColorMatching is available. Fully supported by most leading third-party RIPs and workflows greatly enhancing the usability of the basic print engine. Connectivity includes USB (1.1 and 2.0 compatible), ECP parallel, and one Epson Expansion Slot for installing the optional IEEE 1394 FireWire or 10/100 BaseT ethernet card.

05-01-2002

Microsoft Launchs Windows XP Digital Photography Site Nikon Inc. today announced support of Microsoft's launch of the Windows XP Digital Photography site.. The Windows XP Digital Photography site is a comprehensive resource for digital photographers of all levels to find helpful and fun information -- from tips and tricks on how to edit photos to making a professional quality print. The Windows XP Digital Photography site offers a wealth of resources and information around digital photography and the PC that will help everyone, from the amateur to the professional be more productive, be more creative and have more fun with digital photography. The site includes how-to and tips/tricks articles, ongoing photo and "test your skills" contests and special offers around digital photography products, applications and services, including Nikon digital cameras. Nikon provides the Windows XP Digital photography site with a host of exciting and informative tips and articles about digital photography as well as links to valuable websites and services including its photo sharing and education site www.nikonnet.com. Visitors will also find reduced prices on the Coolpix 885 and Coolpix 995 digital cameras, part of Nikon's popular Coolpix line of digital cameras, each designed to work seamlessly with Windows XP.

April 2002 News

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