May 1999

05-31-99

Kopin CyberDisplay Wins Photonics Spectra Magazine's Circle of Excellence Award TAUNTON, Mass.--Kopin Corporation announced that Photonics Spectra Magazine has selected the Kopin CyberDisplay as one of the winners of the magazine's prestigious 1999 Photonics Circle of Excellence Awards. This award honors the "25 Most Technically Innovative Products of 1999." Other award winners include leading technology developers in the field of optics such as Hamamatsu Corp., SDL Inc., Corning Inc. and 3M. The Kopin CyberDisplay is a line of small-format active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD). The CyberDisplay allows manufacturers of portable communication and personal information devices to offer products that will allow users to visualize very high quality text, graphic, and video images. The difference is that images seen on CyberDisplay are seen as virtual images and are viewed through a specially designed small-format optic that magnifies the image so that it appears quite large to the eye. The award was given for Kopin's CyberDisplay 320C, a full-color AMLCD with 320 x 240 full 8-bit color pixel resolution. The CyberDisplay 320C's ultra-small size (.24 inch diagonal), minimal power requirements, and low cost allow manufacturers to design it into all types of consumer products, such as digital cameras, camcorders, cellular phones, GPS systems, HMDs, watches, toys, pagers and other high volume consumer products. Photonics Spectra's independent board of industry specialists recognized that Kopin's CyberDisplay has the potential to change the way ultra-portable electronic products are used to access information. The technology is designed to enable ultra-portable communications devices and personal information products, such as cellular phones, palm-top computers, digital cameras to display text, email, graphics and video.

05-31-99

PhotoPoint.com Reaches Goal of One Half Million Photos Shared HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- Pantellic Software announced that members of their free service for sharing photos over the Internet, http://PhotoPoint.com, have shared over half a million photos since the site's launch in August 1998. The service added that they now receive over 50,000 additional photos each week. The website features an easy way for people to send their photos, add captions, organize photos into albums, and send e-mail announcements to friends and family. The website also sports a comprehensive members photo gallery, organized into Yahoo-style categories. Additional features include the popular "Photo of the Day," a list of the most popular albums, discussion forums and a chat room where people can discuss their photos and albums. PhotoPoint.com is currently a software application highlighted on Intel's imaging website. Intel's site, http://www.intel.com/imaging, is the place where people find the latest information on Intel imaging products and digital imaging applications for the personal computer (PC).

05-30-99

Ricoh RDC-5000 Review Posted I just received the new Ricoh RDC-5000 camera and have been putting it through its paces. I have put together a RDC-5000 Features page and a short but to the point user review. I'm still working on the sample pictures page and hope to have it online by next week. You've probably seen the Ricoh RDC-5000 banner on our site, they are planning to kick off this new camera on the QVC Shopping Channel on June 6th. They'll be no shortage of RDC-5000 cameras, anyone who wants one will be able to get one.

05-29-99

Imaging-Resource Reviews PhotoGenetics Seems this is the month for reviews, most all of the new cameras have shown up or at least been hyped up. This gives us the time to review various hardware and software that makes our digital imaging more productive. According to the Imaging-Resource's PhotoGenetics review this is one piece of software that most digicam users could make good use of. To paraphrase David Etchells: "A company called Q-Research has developed PhotoGenetics, a software application that intelligently optimizes your images in response to input you give it on how much you like the (quasi-) random variations it produces. In a matter of a few minutes, you can arrive at a significantly improved picture, without knowing the first thing about tone curves, color theory, or the controls of a sophisticated image-manipulation program. The process really couldn't be simpler, provides surprisingly good results with a little patience, and best of all, is packaged in a software product that costs a paltry $29.95! Not enough? The program also includes a nifty printer-calibration routine that helps adjust you printer's output to match what you see on your computer screen. Oh, yes: It also works on both Mac and Windows platforms!"

05-28-99

PC Watch Posts Toshiba PDR-M4 Samples & Shows New Panasonic Coolshot Camera PC Watch has posted some Toshiba PDR-M4 samples online. The soon to be released PDR-M4 camera has 1600x1200 resolution and will be an all-Toshiba product, not a Fuji OEM like the PDR-M3. PC Watch has also posted information on the new Panasonic Coolshot which features dual CompactFlash card slots like the Canon Pro 70. Some of its other specs are: 1.32 megapixel CCD, 3x (34-102mm) optical zoom, 1.8" LCD and 1280 x 960 resolution. Panasonic will offer an optional CF-USB card interface for the camera. The Coolshot will go on sale in Japan on June 25. Thanks to reader Hiroyuki Yoshikawa for posting the info.

05-28-99

Focus Online Posts Epson Stylus Photo 1200 Review Focus Online has posted an informative Epson Stylus Photo 1200 user review from a monochrome fine-printing professional with 27 years of experience. He tells us that the new Epson printer is a b&w photographers "digital" dream with the variable-dot technology now extended to the black cartridge as well as the color cartridge.

05-27-99

Lexar Media Files Unfair Competition Charges Against SanDisk Corporation FREMONT, Calif.--May 26, 1999-- President and CEO of Lexar Media, John Reimer, says Lexar Media, a leading supplier of High Performance Digital Film(TM), has filed a complaint alleging SanDisk of false advertising, unfair competition, trade libel and interference with prospective business advantage arising out of their false, misleading, deceptive and malicious conduct. According to Reimer, the complaint also alleges that SanDisk's actions are motivated by SanDisk's anti-competitive desire to dominate the market for non-volatile memory storage devices known as "CompactFlash(TM)" and to drive Lexar out of that market, thereby preventing Lexar's superior product from reaching consumers in the market. The complaint was filed with the San Jose Division of the United States District Court, Northern District of California. SanDisk Denies Accusations Filed by Lexar Media in Court Complaint SUNNYVALE, Calif.--May 26, 1999--SanDisk Corporation today denied all allegations in a complaint filed by Lexar Media Inc. in U.S. District Court charging SanDisk with unfair competition, false advertising, trade libel and interference with Lexar's business. Nelson Chan, SanDisk vice president of marketing, said, "The complaint has absolutely no merit and we will ask the court to dismiss the case. Despite its significant advertising campaign, Lexar has been unable to successfully compete against SanDisk in the marketplace so it is trying to succeed against SanDisk in the courts."

05-27-99

Altamira Group's Genuine Fractals 2.0 Bundled With New EPSON Stylus(R) Photo 1200 Printer BURBANK, Calif., May 27 -- Altamira Group, Inc. today announced that its Genuine Fractals(TM) 2.0 LE version is bundled with the new EPSON Stylus(R) Photo 1200 printer from Epson America Inc. The Genuine Fractals LE software included in the bundle enables users of the EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 to start with an original RGB image up to 5x7" at 300 dots per inch (dpi), which is around 9 megabytes of data, and increase the size or resolution of the image up to 65 megabytes without degrading the image quality. For example, an image that looks great as a 5x7" print at a resolution of 300 dpi will look just as good at the same resolution when enlarged to take advantage of the full printable size of Epson's Super B, 13x19" papers. The full version of Genuine Fractals 2.0, the award-winning file format plug-in for Adobe(R) Photoshop(R), is the only software on the market that is able to encode photographic quality images as scalable reusable assets, which can be rendered to any size or resolution without sacrificing image quality. The plug-in allows Lossless or Visually Lossless encoding and provides three scaling options for quality versus speed. In addition to RGB color mode, the full version also supports Grayscale, Indexed Color, Multichannel (up to 16 channels), and Duotone color modes. The bundle agreement allows owners of the EPSON Stylus Photo1200 (estimated street price $499) to upgrade to the full version of Genuine Fractals 2.0 for a special discounted price of $75. Available for Macintosh PowerPC or Windows 95/98/NT.

05-26-99

Agfa to Sponsor Corel RoadShow 1999 WILMINGTON, Mass.--May 25, 1999-- Agfa Corporation's Desktop Products Group (USA-DTP), a leading provider of award-winning digital cameras and desktop scanners, announced today their sponsorship of Corel's (R) RoadShow 1999 - a 34-city, new product exhibit featuring Corel's new releases, including WordPerfect Office 2000 and CorelDRAW 9 Graphics Suite. Corel Roadshow 1999, a free opportunity to learn about the new software products, will feature information on Agfa's full line of DuoScan scanners, ideal solution for small office or graphic art professionals. The Corel Roadshow will visit 34 North American cities between Monday, May 24 and Friday, June 4. The Roadshow 1999 is open to anyone interested in learning more about Corel's products and the solutions they can offer. The event is free of charge, and all registered attendees will receive a free gift from Corel. While other attendees are welcome, gifts will be limited to registered attendees.

05-26-99

Minolta To Offer 3D 1500 Digital Camera NEW YORK, May 25 - Minolta Corp. and MetaCreations Corp. on Tuesday unveiled a new camera and delivery system to allow online merchants to wow shoppers with three-dimensional pictures quickly and relatively inexpensively. Minolta licensed MetaCreation's technology, called MetaFlash, which captures and stores an image in three dimensions. Minolta said the camera, the 3D 1500 camera will be marketed to professional Web site designers. Eastman Kodak also licensed the technology for a similar camera, MetaCreations said. From the camera, the images are downloaded to a computer, where they can be put together and manipulated for an e-commerce Web site. MetaCreations and Intel Corp. also developed MetaStream, which can send images over the Internet to just about any standard computer and connection. The shopper can then view the item from any angle. MetaCreations said Microsoft also has licensed the software and will include it in its operating systems, allowing a user to view the three-dimensional objects without downloading MetaStream software first.

05-25-99

DC Resource Posts Nikon 950 vs Olympus C-2000 Comparison The DC Resource has just posted their Nikon 950 vs Olympus C-2000 comparison article. Jeff takes both cameras and does a feature to feature comparison of them. He comes up with some interesting conclusions about these new dual-megapixel digicams. I guess around summertime we'll have another Nikon vs Olympus war again, this time the battle will be between their new SLR cameras.

05-24-99

Fujifilm Ships the Award-Winning MX-2700: World's Smallest Camera With 2.3 Megapixel Resolution ELMSFORD, N.Y.--May 24, 1999--Springing up in time for the busy summer picture-taking season ahead, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. is now shipping to stores nationwide the company's much anticipated and highly acclaimed double megapixel model, the Fujifilm MX-2700 Digital Camera, which retails for $699. Now available at photo specialty shops, consumer electronics stores, office superstores, and through mail order catalogs, the stylish MX-2700 fits in a shirt pocket, yet is big on resolution and simplicity. The award-winning Fujifilm MX-2700 has already been lauded by industry followers and has been cited by the Digital Imaging Manufacturers' Association as "a product of high quality and a major influence in the future of digital imaging." The camera has also garnered several awards to date including the Digital Imaging Manufacturers' Association "Innovative Digital Product Award" for a consumer point-and-shoot digital camera at this year's Photo Marketing Association Trade Show. The MX-2700 features a 35-mm equivalent lens with macro capability and carries an impressive 1,800 x 1,200 resolution, boasting one of the highest pixel (dots per inch) counts on the market today. Sporting an aluminum alloy body, the pocket-size MX-2700 is the most stylish camera in its class. Weighing a slight 8.5 ounces and measuring a sleek 3.1 (w) x 3.8 (h) x 1.3 (D) inches, the MX-2700 fits easily into a car's glove compartment, a briefcase, or a pocket book. Equipped with both a precision, 2-inch polysilicon color LCD monitor with 130,000 pixels and optical viewfinder, the MX-2700, with its built-in flash, is ideal for indoor and outdoor image capture and viewing. In addition, a Manual Mode allows users to adjust the white balance settings, and select the exposure compensation. Like Fujifilm's other MX-series digital cameras, the MX-2700 model records images to postage-size SmartMedia(TM) cards, a convenient format that has become one of the mainstream storage solutions for digital cameras. With the soon to be available 32MB SmartMedia card, the camera can store up to 142 shots at the highest compression. The MX-2700 uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery that can take up to 250 shots when the liquid crystal display is turned off, and 80 shots when it is turned on.

05-24-99

Steve Posts Fuji MX-2900 First Look I've only been playing with it for a day but have managed to put together a pre-review that's better called a "first look" at the recently announced Fuji MX-2900 zoom. Many thanks to the FujiFilm USA folks for sending me the first hand-built prototype of the MX-2900 in the country. It is basically the Japanese model and I had a heck of a time going through the Japanese menu pages while reading the English instruction manual. I'm waiting to get the go or no-go on posting sample images as this is a beta, pre-production model it is not fair to assume that the image quality will be equal to the ones shipped to the buyers in August.

05-24-99

Phil Askey Posts Kodak DC265 User Review Phil Askey has just posted an in-depth Kodak DC265 user review. To quote Phil: "Overall I enjoyed using the DC265, it's a surprisingly rewarding camera to use, gone are the long delays and annoyingly slow startups of the DC260 and with almost every click of the shutter you're rewarded with a high contrast, sharp and colourful image. And it's fast enough to get back to you and let you take more and more shots (at least until the internal DRAM is full.. Then you'll have to wait). Some of the controls were a bit fiddley but that's just a get-used-to-it thing."

05-23-99

Steve Posts Canon PS Pro 70 User Review I just finished posting my user review of the Canon PS Pro70 camera. This is one impressive digicam and when it is mated to the Canon 380EX Speedlite it becomes an affordable but very powerful "pro" digital camera. The image quality is spectacular due to its superb Canon lens and a nearly foolproof white balance and focus system.

05-22-99

Agfa Offers $100 Mail-In Rebate On ePhoto CL50 WILMINGTON, Mass.--May 22, 1999-- Agfa Corporation's Desktop Products Group (USA-DTP), a leading provider of award-winning digital cameras and desktop scanners, announced today that it is offering a $100 mail-in-rebate to those customers who purchase an ePhoto CL50 between May 22 and August 31, 1999. The ePhoto CL50 is a high performing digital camera targeted for both business professionals and technology enthusiasts who require advance features, ease-of-use and a photo-quality image. The ePhoto CL50 offers an optical resolution of 1.3 million pixels (1280 X 960) and through Agfa's PhotoGenie(TM) image enhancement technology, the ability to produce images of 1.9 million pixels (1600 X 1200). The ePhoto CL50 features four resolution settings (1600 X 1200 - Super, 1280 X 960 - High, 1280 X 960 - B/W text, 640 X 480 - VGA) and four flash modes. In addition, the ePhoto CL50 features a 3X optical zoom lens and a 2X digital zoom - in both capture and playback mode.

05-20-99

Steve's Nikon 950 User Review Posted I have just posted my Nikon Coolpix 950 User Review online. This is a re-work and combination of my original Features page complete with lots of pictures of the camera and its important parts, menu screens and options. Near the top of the page is a link to quickly skip to just the review text if desired.

05-20-99

FujiFilm Posts FinePix 2900Z and 1500 Sample Pictures FujiFilm Japan has posted samples images from the new FinePix 2900Z and FinePix 1500 digital cameras. Check them out, they look pretty good. Fuji is sending me a MX-2700 to review and will be sending me a preproduction MX-2900Z in the next week or so. If you're having trouble getting to Fuji's site then try going to the PC Watch's Fuji FinePix 2900/1500 samples page instead.

05-19-99

Kopin Introduces A 1280x1024 CyberDisplay TAUNTON, Mass.--May 17, 1999--Kopin Corporation today introduced the CyberDisplay(TM) 1280, the world's smallest ultra high resolution, monochrome SXGA display. The CyberDisplay 1280 is a light-weight, power efficient, rugged, solid state active-matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) measuring only 0.77-inch diagonal in size. Based on Kopin's patented and proprietary technology, the CyberDisplay 1280 is a transmissive imaging device that displays information at 1280 by 1028 pixel resolution. The CyberDisplay presents 1.3 million pixels for viewing. At 2,100 lines per inch, together with Kopin's recently introduced CyberDisplay 640C, the CyberDisplay 1280 is the densest AMLCD in the world. In addition to displaying high-resolution text and graphics, the display operates at video speeds. Using a lens in conjunction with an energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) backlight, the display presents an optical image equivalent in size to a high resolution desktop computer monitor. The CyberDisplay 1280 is an extension of Kopin's CyberDisplay family of products (including CyberDisplay 320, 320C and 640C) and further provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with enhanced performance. The CyberDisplay 1280 enables portable ultra high-resolution communications devices, military and personal information products. The CyberDisplay 1280 utilizes twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal, the same material used in commercial laptop AMLCDs, and has the excellent performance features of TN displays, such as 8-bit grayscale, high contrast, broad temperature range and stability. The CyberDisplay 1280 shares the same manufacturing processes as the other Kopin CyberDisplay products. I can't tell you how happy I am to hear of Kopin's newest CyberDisplay, at 1280x1024 this is geared right at hi-res digicams. OK camera manufacturers -- let's get on the low-power bandwagon and start building these into the new digicams!

05-19-99

Arthur Bleich Delivers A Monthly Column Arthur H. Bleich becomes a contributing editor here at Steve's Digicams with a monthly column where he shares with us over 40 years of experience as a lifelong practitioner and a passionate lover of photography. To quote Arthur: "Photography is photography and capturing a digital image doesn’t change the basic creative process. Like an artist working in different mediums such as watercolors, oils, and others, you still have to know the basics of light, texture, color, focus, depth of field, and all the other elements that must work together to produce a good picture. As the digital photography revolution begins to gather momentum, techno-babble fills the air, creating confusion among photographers who just want to test the waters, not swim the Channel. Believe me, it requires neither great pain nor extraordinary expense to get your toes wet and have some fun at it. It’s easy to join thousands of other photo enthusiasts who are becoming fascinated by the first new photographic process to come along in 150 years. Some of you may have already visited the Digital PhotoCorner, where I’m building an informational and educational cache of photodigital materials on a wide range of subjects. When you’re ready to learn more about digital photography or take a course, click on over. What will you see in future columns? Well, there are those neat little extras that sometimes have to be cut from my magazine articles in Digital Camera because there isn’t enough space for them. You’ll also get a preview of some of the features you’ll find at the Digital PhotoCorner. And don’t be surprised if I ask you to contribute something every so often; that’s what interactivity is all about, and I’m a big fan of it." To read Art's monthly column go to our main page and then pick the link marked "Art's PhotoCorner" which is just below the regular menu selections. This link will always point to the latest edition of Art's column.

05-18-99

Build An Inexpensive "Do It Yourself" Coolpix 950 Cable Release Bracket If you're mechanically inclined -- Denny Cannon has come up with a fairly simple and cheap Nikon 950 cable release bracket. It's pictured above, go to his web site for complete details! Be sure to see Denny's Nikon 950 pages, he's got some nice 950 pictures and Tips and FAQs too!

05-18-99

Fuji Announces Two New FinePix Cameras Thanks to reader Hiroyuki Yoshikawa who posted info on our Message Board about the new Fuji cameras. Photos courtesy of PC Watch FinePix29000Z: 1/2-inch 2.3 megapixel CCD imager with 1800 x 1200 resolution, uncompressed TIFF mode, 3x (35-105mm) optical zoom, 2" LCD, builtin flash with output control + external hot shoe, shutter and aperture controls, 3 metering modes, magnesium body, SmartMedia storage, rechargeable lithium battery. Available in August. Price: 99800 yen (approx $899) Photo via Business Wire Complete specs for the Fuji 2900 Zoom can be found on this Business Wire page. Photo courtesy of PC Watch FinePix1500: 1/2-inch 1.5 megapixel CYMK CCD with 1280 x 1024 resolution, builtin flash, SmartMedia storage. Price: 62000 yen (approx $500. street price will be $400?). And as you can see, it comes in designer colors too! I guess that Fuji has decided to become the official KING OF THE HILL in the digicam world. Not even Kodak has as many active models of digital cameras on the market as FujiFilm. I have literally lost count of how many cameras they do actually have out right now but it is an impressive list!

05-18-99

FlashPoint Announces Winners of Its First Annual Digita Scripting Contest, the Digita Photo Adventure SAN JOSE, Calif., May 18, 1999 -- FlashPoint Technology Inc. today announced the winners of its first annual Digita Photo Adventure Scripting Contest. The contest enabled consumers, for the first time ever, to create software that runs inside their cameras. And, it allows users of Digita-enabled products to download and install prewritten software to add new capabilities. The grand prize winner was awarded a photo adventure in Hawaii, Mexico or the Caribbean, or $2,500 in cash. FlashPoint and fellow industry leaders Kodak, Minolta, SanDisk and Digital Camera Magazine launched the Digita Photo Adventure Contest last October, to encourage photo enthusiasts to customize their digital cameras using the powerful and revolutionary Digita operating environment and Digita Scripts. Digita Script is an open source programming language that enables digital imaging enthusiasts to personalize and automate the functionality of Digita-enabled products. FlashPoint and its contest partners were presented with a vast series of exciting Web- centric and imaging tools entries, drawing scripts from users in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany and Thailand. The companies learned that users are looking for a common and flexible software platform that can grow with their experience. More than 2,500 developers have already registered to develop Digita Scripts in this active imaging community. "Consumers are inundated with an overwhelming set of options when considering the purchase of a digital camera. Unfortunately, most users are locked into a fixed feature-set that forces them to learn a new interface every time they purchase a new camera," said David Pratt, president and CEO of FlashPoint Technology Inc. "Digita provides a creative canvas for imaging enthusiasts to build solutions that enhance and extend their products capabilities. The Digita Photo Adventure Contest was established to encourage users to build new and exciting features, and the entries we received were so creative they even surprised FlashPoint's own engineers." The power and versatility of the Digita platform is demonstrated in every contest submission. Each entry demonstrates how Digita Scripts enhance the overall digital imaging experience. The Grand Prize winner was Diff Capture Script. The first prize winner was Picture Info 2. Second prizes were awarded to Electronic Ruler and Web Site Frames. Third-place prize winners included Scripts that offer automatic focus, preset sequence shots, timing scripts and, a Tic-Tac-Toe game. More detail regarding the entries and all winning scripts will be posted at FlashPoint's site on the World Wide Web at http://www.flashpoint.com. Consumers who have access to Digita-enabled products will be able to download and install them freely and use or modify them to suit their own needs, FlashPoint officials said.

05-17-99

Review, Reviews, Reviews ... The folks at Digital Eyes have just finished their Coolpix 950 Review and it is now online for your perusal. The DC Resource has posted a review of the SanDisk USB ImageMate CompactFlash card reader. They also reviewed the soon to be released Epson PT-100 (aka PrintOn) photo printer with the Digita OS and a PCMCIA flash card slot. I completed my own review of the Epson PT-100 printer about three weeks ago in case you missed it. My Coolpix 950 review is almost completed but I have been swamped with other work which has slowed its completion. I'll do my best to get it finished and posted in the next couple of days. So far all of us that have reviewed the camera agree that in spite of a few hardware and firmware flaws the new Nikon takes some incredible pictures, especially macros!

05-17-99

Epson Intros New Large-Format Stylus Photo 1200 TORRANCE, Calif.--May 17, 1999-- Building on the success of the EPSON Stylus Photo EX, Epson America Inc., creator of high-quality award-winning imaging products, Monday introduced the EPSON Stylus Photo 1200, the ultimate printing solution for advanced photography. This new tabloid-format printer produces exceptional Photo Reproduction Quality (PRQ) output at dramatically improved color photo print speeds -- up to 150 percent faster than the overall print speeds of its predecessor, the award-winning EPSON Stylus Photo EX. The Stylus Photo 1200 also offers maximum paper-handling capabilities, giving users the ability to print images on media as large as 13" x 44" in size, as well as full-bleed 11" x 17" output. The only printer available today approved by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), the EPSON Stylus Photo 1200, priced at an affordable $499 (estimated street price), delivers the smallest droplet size in its class -- six picoliters. The result is crisper detail and enhanced Photo Reproduction Quality, featuring Epson's award-winning Advanced Micro Piezo ink jet technology, stunning 1440 x 720 dpi resolution, Advanced AcuPhoto Halftoning, native Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity and six-color, quick drying inks. Out of the box, the EPSON Stylus Photo 1200 is both PC- and Macintosh-compatible, allowing simultaneous connection and autosensing between both platforms for maximum flexibility. In addition to Mac-serial and parallel connectivity, the printer also features native Universal Serial Bus (USB) for both Windows 98 and Macintosh platforms, including the iMac and the new G3 computer.

05-17-99

Agfa Introduces ePhoto 780c Digital Camera WILMINGTON, MA - May 17, 1999 - Agfa Corporation's Desktop Products Group (USA-DTP), a leading provider of award-winning desktop scanners and digital cameras, introduces the ePhoto 780c - an exceptionally fast point and shoot digital camera designed for home and small office environments. Similar to the original ePhoto 780, the ePhoto 780c features XGA resolution (1024 by 768) in an easy-to-use digital camera design. The ePhoto 780c ships in a metallic blue housing and will be available in the U.S. for the suggested price of $199. "This camera is well suited for users who have moved just beyond the entry-level phase of digital camera use, yet still require ease-of-use in an affordable package," said Larry Newman, Retail Sales Manager, USA-DTP. "We improved the original model to make it more attractive to those customers looking for a high-performing unit under a certain price. We are pleased to offer such technology in a sleek design." The ePhoto 780c uses Agfa's PhotoGenie technology to achieve high standard of image quality (XGA) from the camera's 350,000 pixel CCD sensor. Agfa PhotoGenie enhances images as they are downloaded to the computer and represents a new standard in image enhancement technology. The ePhoto 780c features a 1.8-inch, color LCD, 1024x768(XGA), 640x480(VGA-HIGH), 640x480(VGA-LOW) and 320x240(standard) capture modes, stores between 12 and 96 images on the 2 MB SmartMedia card, four flash modes and video out (switchable NTSC/PAL).

05-17-99

PC World Rates Nikon 950 and Olympus C-2000 The June '99 issue of PC World has a comparison of the new Nikon 950 and Olympus C-2000 digicams. To quote PC World, "new models from Nikon and Olympus deliver beautiful, ultrahigh-resolution images, but each of them carries a hefty $999 price tag." They went on to talk about the features of each of these digicams and then concluded with, "Overall, for the best-looking, most vibrant pictures and easy-to-use controls, the Coolpix 950 is your best bet. But if you want a camera that works with a floppy disk adapter and comes with extras such as rechargeable batteries, consider the C-2000 Z."

05-16-99

Phil Posts Nikon Coolpix 700 Samples The Digital Photography Review has just posted some Nikon Coolpix 700 sample pictures. If you've been wondering how the 950's little brother worked I think these pictures answer that question. The Coolpix 700 has the same 2.11 megapixel CCD imager and processing electronics as the 950. It does not have the manual controls or the Nikkor zoom lens but for an easy to use point-n-shoot digicam with MMP (multi-megapixel) resolution it fits the bill nicely. Sometime this week, Ricoh is sending me their new RDC-5000 camera for evaluation and review so look for even more sample pics from an even higher resolution MMP digicam soon. The new RDC-5000 sports a 2.3 megapixel imager so it will be interesting to see how its 1792 x 1200-pixel pictures stack up against the current competition.

05-16-99

Qimage v4.1 Now Features One-Touch Blemish Correction The best just keeps getting better. The new Qimage v4.1 now has a one touch correction feature that allows you to easily remove skin blemishes, small distracting objects and/or stuck pixels with a single mouse click Easier than touching up negatives, this new feature allows you to quickly identify and remove unwanted distractions from your images. Just click and drag to identify the center and radius of the blemish and Qimage Pro blends the blemish away instantly. Using Qimage Pro's associative filtering, you can remove all the blemishes from your photos while leaving the original image untouched, all without resaving the corrected image and without any additional JPEG losses. Add this new feature to the lengthy list of its other features and Qimage becomes a lot more than just a great image printing program. The last version upgrade allowed Qimage users to dynamically drag their pictures to any location on the page desired, even on top of other images. Add that to the CCD corrective filters that let you remove dark current and high ISO noise without the use of dark frames and you'll see why I think Qimage is the best.

05-16-99

Club Photo Aligns with Signature Color to Offer Complete Online Photo Sharing and Finishing Services SAN JOSE, CALIF., -- Club Photo(tm), creator of Living Album 99 and the provider of integrated digital photo sharing and finishing over the Internet, has allied with Signature Color(r), the leading direct mail photo-finishing firm, to create the industry's first true, end-to-end solution for both film-based and digital photography. The combined services of the two firms will provide consumers with a comprehensive solution that covers the entire cycle of film processing, online sharing of memorable photos with friends and families around the world, and on-demand online reprint ordering and fulfillment services. This unprecedented alliance changes the face of photography and photo sharing all through the consumer retail and online marketplace. It is the first time that a true photo sharing company, Club Photo, has linked itself to a true photo-based photofinisher, Signature Color. The result of this partnership will give SignatureColor customers access to a new level of photo sharing and finishing services, making Signature Color a comprehensive one-stop resource for photographers, from film purchase through Internet sharing and finishing. "For the first time, we have integrated the entire process to streamline film processing, photo sharing, ordering, and photo-finishing, to simplify and organize the entire photo experience," said Andrew Wei, President and CEO of Club Photo Inc. "Our unified vision will transform today's tedious developing and non existent sharing model into a fully-contained online photo community that will completely change the face of photo sharing and finishing as we know it today. Through this unprecedented alliance, we will provide their customers with more than a total timesaving and friendly solution, we will offer them integrated capabilities that will revolutionize the entire capture, print and distribution process." The signaturecolor.photoclub.com site will provide full consumer service beginning May 1999. Signature Color customers will be able to have their 35MM or APS images digitized. Then, using Club Photo's Living Album 99 (photo sharing software or the online Album Manager, users will have the opportunity to organize, annotate and share all of their favorite photographs at the Signature Photo Club on the worldwide web.

05-15-99

Kodak Professional Enhances DCS 315 Digital Camera NEW YORK, N.Y., --Kodak is bolstering the feature-set of its popular Kodak Professional DCS 315 digital camera, recipient of the PC Photo Editor's Choice Award, by providing new firmware to enhance contour and color quality and acquire software to improve the overall quality of images. Kodak Professional, effective today, will also ship an AC adapter with a U.S. power cable with each camera order. Unlike digital point-and-shoot cameras, the DCS 315 offers the unique combination of affordability, precision, the photographic versatility of a SLR camera with interchangeable Nikkor AF lenses, and Kodak Professional's digital imaging technology. The DCS 315 feature enhancements include: Image quality Noise reduction improvements in blue channel available via the current version of acquire software. Contouring improvements for enhanced overall image quality. Color quality improvements in images. Product bundling AC adapter with U.S. power cable is included in the box. Introduced last June, the DCS 315 features a 1.5 megapixel full-frame CCD and interchangeable Nikon lenses for precision and flexibility. It extends Kodak Professional's current line of DCS digital cameras and provides professionals with a sophisticated imaging tool. The DCS 315 digital camera reduces the time and costs associated with traditional workflow and complements fully automated digital workflow methods. Current DCS 315 owners can download firmware and acquire modules at www.kodak.com/go/professional. The camera is available through authorized dealers of Kodak Professional digital camera products. Thanks to the Photo/Image News Network for this story.

05-15-99

Digital Camera "Short Courses" Guide Books Available My good friend Dennis Curtin, author of the immensely popular and highly informative Short Courses web site, has just released some new guide books for the Nikon Coolpix 950 and the Canon A5 Zoom cameras. He'll have another book for the new Olympus C-2000Z shortly. There are other photography books available too, see the graphic on the left and click on it to go to the order form. To kick things off Dennis has decided to make the Pocket Guide for the Canon A5 Zoom and the Nikon Coolpix 950 freely available from his web site. Simply click on these links to get your FREE camera guide!

05-14-99

Delkin Devices Introduces New eFilm 32MB SmartMedia Card SAN DIEGO--May 13, 1999--Delkin Devices today announced the release of the highest capacity SmartMedia(tm) card available on the market. The eFilm(tm) 32MB SmartMedia(tm) card is the most cost effective, removable flash storage available. SmartMedia(tm) is utilized in digital cameras, solid state storage applications and the new MP3, CD quality recording devices. Priced in the low $80.00 range to OEM's, the product should have a street price of around $150 when full production shipments begin in June. Delkin's eFilm(tm) brand of SmartMedia(tm) is one of the thinnest, smallest camera upgrades available, but is virtually undamaged by static, and difficult to break. Delkin SmartMedia(tm) utilizes Samsung flash technology in a 32M x 8-bit NAND cell. Write-intensive applications can take advantage of the cards extended reliability of 1,000,000 program/erase cycles. The Delkin 32MB SmartMedia(tm) has data retention in excess of 10 years, and is an optimum solution for large non-volatile storage applications. Technical kits are available for OEM's designing SmartMedia(tm) host applications.

05-14-99

Move Over BarbieCam, Here Comes The NASCAR Digital Camera NASCAR Digital Camera and CD-ROM-- All the lightning-quick action of NASCAR racing can now be captured with Hasbro Interactive's NASCAR Digital Camera. This cool new camera takes 28 high-resolution photos or 80 low-resolution images -- which can be easily downloaded to a Microsoft Windows-based PC. The supporting software lets the user get into the picture - literally. Clip art featuring top NASCAR drivers and teams can be manipulated so anyone can appear behind the wheel in the winner's circle. Images can even be enhanced with the authentic sounds of NASCAR racing for true-to-life adventure. Word has it that the NASCAR Digital Camera will retail for about $79 so the Barbie Camera now has a testosterone-charged counterpart.

05-13-99

Intel and Kodak To Make Filmless Insert for 35mm Cameras (source: New Scientist magazine) PHOTOGRAPHERS have been slow to adopt digital cameras, as they don't want to discard the lenses and accessories that only fit their film-based cameras. Now Kodak has an answer: it is teaming up with chip maker Intel to produce a device that lets a normal stills camera take digital pictures. Intel holds a world patent (WO 99/ 12345) on a set of microchips that can be built into a combined image sensor and memory unit which slots into any 35-millimetre film camera. Images stored in the removable memory unit, which is shaped like a standard film cartridge, can be transferred to CD-ROM for permanent storage. Kodak's earlier CD-ROM picture storage system, Photo CD, has just been relaunched as Picture CD, supplying images in the standard JPEG format. The next step will be to integrate Picture CD with cameras that use the Intel technology. Intel promises "compelling new developments". Before you ask ... NO, this is not the same as ImageK's 35mm insert

05-13-99

Kopin Introduces CyberDisplay 640C--World's Smallest and Lowest Power Color VGA Displays TAUNTON, Mass.--May 12, 1999-- Kopin Corporation today introduced the CyberDisplay(TM) 640C, the world's smallest high performance, high resolution, full color VGA display. The CyberDisplay 640C is a low cost, light-weight, ultra low power, rugged, solid state active-matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) measuring 0.38-inch diagonal in size. The CyberDisplay 640C is a transmissive imaging device that displays information at 640 by 480 full color pixel resolution using 307,200 pixels for viewing. In addition to displaying high-resolution text and graphics, the display operates at video speeds and consumes only 30mW of power. Using a miniature lens in conjunction with an energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) backlight, the CyberDisplay 640C presents an optical image equivalent in size to a notebook monitor. The lens provides a wide degree field of view and the "virtual image" presented can be viewed comfortably in all lighting conditions. The new CyberDisplay 640C will be demonstrated at the annual international conference of the Society for Information Display (SID Conference) to be held in San Jose, CA, May 18-21 and can be viewed at Kopin's booth #814. Evaluation kits are now available for selected OEM partners. I can't say it often enough but ... this is the future of digicam LCD displays. Bigger is not better, bigger just uses more of our precious battery power. Kopin has the answer with their CyberDisplays and it's time the digicam manufacturers started using them. Besides using MUCH less power these display devices are perfect in any light conditions.

05-12-99

Panasonic's New Camcorders Feature Builtin Still Digital Camera and Use CompactFlash Cards Panasonic's two new VHS-C analog camcorders, the $899 PV-L859 and the $799 PV-L759 feature PhotoShot™ which lets them capture still images to a CompactFlash card. Both camcorders feature VHS Compatibility, 26x Hi-Definition Zoom with incredibly detailed close-up shots, 300x Digital Zoom, 4" Color LCD Monitor, 480,000 Pixel CCD, Digital Electronic Image Stabilization, PhotoShot™ Built-in Digital Still Camera using the included 2MB CompactFlash memory card. Picture-in-Picture Capability allows you to insert a digital still image superimposed on top of the image that you're recording. Built-in Auto Light improves picture quality in color and tint when shooting in low light levels.

05-12-99

IDC Report: Lower Prices Enhance Mass Market Appeal - Worldwide Digital Camera Sales to Approach 4.7 Million Units in 1999 FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 12 -- After years of modest success performing limited tasks in niche markets, digital cameras are on the verge of a mass-market explosion. According to new research from International Data Corporation (IDC), once-common inhibitors are breaking down, opening the door for a new set of consumer applications that will drive worldwide digital camera shipments to 4.7 million in 1999 and an astounding 22 million by 2003. "With falling prices, increasing quality and resolution, and new applications, digital cameras have begun to attract the attention of the average consumer," said Kevin Kane, research analyst with IDC's Digital Cameras and Scanners program. "The next several years will be key in determining what part digital cameras will play in leisure and business budgets and activities worldwide." Because of the falling prices, digital camera shipments will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 48% through 2003 while revenues earn a slower 25% CAGR. IDC expects the worldwide market will total $6.4 billion in 2003. According to IDC, digital camera use is more prevalent in the U.S. and Japan than in other worldwide markets. The two markets, however, look for very different traits in these products. U.S. users value simplicity in camera design while the Japanese prefer compact, feature-rich devices. IDC's report, Worldwide Digital Camera Market Review and Forecast, 1997-2003 (IDC #B99S2172), provides a comprehensive view of the market at every level of price and functionality. IDC splits the market into five segments and examines each thoroughly. The report presents market forecasts by technology and region (U.S., Japan, Asia/Pacific [excluding Japan], Western Europe, ROW). It discusses key trends and competitive dynamics. To order a copy of the report, contact Sue Beauregard at 1-800-343-4952, ext. 4774 or at sbeauregard@idc.com.

05-12-99

LCD Viewfinder Solution for Bright & Sunny Conditions The mad mechanic (aka John Cowley) is at it again, this time he has figured out how to cure the digicam LCD blues. We have a real love-hate relationship with our LCD displays ... we love them indoors but hate them outdoors. Want to love your LCD outside too? If the answer is yes then go to John's LCD Viewer page. Here's a picture of John's solution, a 4x loupe attached to the Nikon 950 via small strips of velcro so it can be installed and removed quickly. Note that it doesn't block any of the important control buttons on the back of the Coolpix 950 (or 900 or 900s) and can probably be used on many other digicams with 2" LCD screens.

05-11-99

DreamArts Posts Digicam Low-Light Comparison The Japanese web site DreamArts has posted a page full of digicam low-light samples comparing many of the popular brands, check it out. Looks like the Nikon 950 and Olympus C-2000 are very close.

05-11-99

SanDisk 64/80/96MB CF Cards Shipping So you got a multi-megapixel camera and you're tired of changing those low-capacity CF cards all the time ... not to worry, SanDisk is now shipping their new 64MB, 80MB and 96MB CompactFlash cards. According to Geof Lewis at Wynit, one of the largest wholesale distributors in the country, the new high-capacity SanDisk CF memory cards have starting shipping to the retailers.

05-10-99

DCRP Also Gives Away A Nikon 950 This must be "give away a Nikon 950 week" because the Digital Camera Resource Page has a contest for the readers and is offering a variety of prizes, the grand prize being a shiny, new Coolpix 950 camera, 48MB CF card and NiMH batteries! Who says you don't get something for nothing? Between our prizes for the millionth visitor, the DCRP and PhotoChannel you may never have to buy another digicam - just visit our sites!

05-10-99

Inmedia Readies Online Photo Albums & Gives Away A Nikon 950 According to my friends at Imaging-Resource Inmedia Presentations Inc. has announced it is readying its new PhotoChannel.com website, with online photo albums, chat rooms, discussion forums, a digital darkroom for editing your photos online, as well as news, reviews and more. The site is due to open in June, and InMedia is currently offering a Nikon Coolpix 950 digital camera as a prize to one lucky winner who signs up to be notified when the site opens!

05-10-99

SanDisk Will Supply 64MB CF Cards for Kodak's Professional 265 Imaging System SUNNYVALE, Calif.--May 10, 1999-- SanDisk Corp. announced that it will supply Eastman Kodak Company with high capacity 64 megabyte (MB) CompactFlash(TM) (CF(TM)) memory cards for its new Kodak Professional 265 Interactive Imaging System. The new Kodak system includes the 1.6-megapixel DC265 digital camera, a SanDisk-produced 64MB CompactFlash card carrying the Kodak Picture Card label, a comprehensive collection of interactive imaging software for both Macintosh and Windows platforms, a Kaidan custom panoramic tripod head and an interactive imaging software script. The imaging system will be available later this month at a suggested list price of $1,499 while the imaging kit will be available at the same time at a suggested list price of $525.

05-10-99

Agfa Introduces the ePhoto Smile(tm) WILMINGTON, MA - May 10, 1999 - Agfa Desktop Products Group (USA-DTP), a leading provider of award-winning digital cameras and desktop scanners, introduces the ePhoto Smile - a style-friendly, inexpensive digital camera that lets users of all levels easily capture images for use on the computer, e-mail applications and the Internet. An ideal solution for those people looking to capture e-mail ready images (at VGA resolution), the ePhoto Smile will be available in June for the suggested price of $129. Using Agfa's image-enhancing PhotoGenie Technology, the compact and stylish ePhoto Smile offers a maximum resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. The 2 MB of internal memory (not removable) can hold up to 16 VGA (640 by 480 pixels) images. The ePhoto Smile is designed for use on PC platform only, and ships with a serial cable for downloading images. The ePhoto Smile includes features that are usually reserved for higher-end digital camera models, including video-out capability, for direct access to playing images on television monitors, and a 10-second self-timer. Both can be considered an added benefit - contributing to the overall cost-consciousness of the ePhoto Smile.

05-09-99

Lexar Readies CF Card With Builtin USB According to a story in EE Times, Lexar Media is getting ready to announce a new CompactFlash card design with a builtin USB controller. The announcement will come at the CompactFlash Association's meeting in Hawaii next week. The new card would make connecting any CF device (digital camera, MP3 player, etc) to a USB-enabled computer as easy as plugging in a USB cable between the two. Oponents of the new design argue that it could cause confusion amongst the consumers but Lexar countered that their new card would be backwards compatible with all existing CF specs. The USB controller will take up very little real estate in Lexar's new controller and Lexar plans on beginning production in June with delivery to OEMs by July.

05-09-99

Toshiba PDR-M3 Review/Samples Posted The folks at Toshiba recently sent me a PDR-M3 for evaluation and I have finished my initial review of it and have posted the first of the sample pictures too. The PDR-M3 is an OEM version of Fuji's FinePix 600 camera, a 1.5 megapixel digicam with 3x optical zoom that delivers good 1280x1024 images. You'll find the review in my Hardware Reviews section or you can jump straight to the PDR-M3 review here. I've posted my first set of sample pictures with more to come including some good "people" pictures to test the flesh tones.

05-08-99

Updated FlashPath Drivers for 16/32MB Reader Ron Rippy emailed me to let me know that he had found even newer FlashPath adapter drivers for the new 16MB and 32MB SmartMedia cards at: https://www.smartdisk.com/software/fpdrivers.html According to the README file these drivers are dated Jan. 12, 1999 and FLASHPATH V2.68 for Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 95, Or Windows 3.11. FLASHPATH V3.05A for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. At the above site are also drivers for the Macintosh but I have no idea what version they are.

05-06-99

Phil's Nikon 950 35mm Negative Copier In light of the Nikon 950's incredible macro/closeup capability, the Digital Photography Review has come up with a cheap and easy 35mm negative copier. While you're there, check out Phil's article comparing the Nikon 950 and the Canon PS Pro 70 cameras.

05-06-99

digitalkamera.de Opens Their Lab Test The folks over at digitalkamera.de have been busy lately and one of the fruits of their labors is their new Lab Test of popular digital cameras. So far they have good reviews of the Fujifilm DS-330, Nikon Coolpix 900s, Agfa ePhoto 1680, Olympus C-1400XL, Kodak DC260, Canon PS Pro 70, Sony DSC-D700 and the Minolta Dimage EX Zoom cameras.

05-05-99

Toshiba PDR-M1 Digital Camera Named To Windows Magazine's WinList For Fifth Straight Month IRVINE, Calif.--May 5, 1999-- Toshiba Imaging Systems, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS), announced today that its PDR-M1(TM) megapixel digital camera (U.S. $399) has been named for a fifth straight month to WINDOWS Magazine's influential WinList®. The magazine praises the PDR-M1 as being a "low-cost megapixel camera that brings high-quality to the midrange price point." The PDR-M1 was first named to the WinList in January, 1999. Updated monthly, the WinList is a roll call of the best-of-breed in several product categories. Readers regard the list as a serious tool for helping make intelligent buying decisions. The PDR-M1 is available at Best Buy, The Good Guys, Wolf Camera, and Fry's Electronics, as well as through direct mail catalogs and the Internet.

05-04-99

Emerging Digital Marketplace Fosters CCD and CMOS Rivalry MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 3 -- The image sensor market has experienced several changes in the last few years, due mainly to the advancements in CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology. This new technology has created quite a stir among large CCD (charge-coupled device) manufacturers who face the challenge of trying to determine how CMOS technology may potentially affect the overall marketplace. According to new strategic research conducted by Frost & Sullivan, World Image Sensor Markets, the total market is experiencing annual growth rates between 11 and 14 percent. Currently, the CMOS market is growing at a much faster rate than the CCD image sensor market. CMOS image sensor technology has rejuvenated the market in the past few years due to its many advantages, including a low system price, low power consumption, smaller system size and system-on-a-chip integration. New applications have consequently become more plausible, such as PC videoconferencing cameras, digital still cameras, biometrics systems, handheld communication units and automotive on-vehicle components, says Frost & Sullivan Analyst Vincent Lin. This new study by Frost & Sullivan, World Image Sensor Markets, is divided into two major segments: CCD image sensors and CMOS image sensors. This study discusses CCD and CMOS image sensor markets according to the overall market, geographic distributions and end-user industries. Provided in the study are revenue forecasts, market shares, market and technology trends, competitive issues and strategies.

05-04-99

Digital Minilabs Will Expand Digital Photography's Appeal By Bypassing the Need for PCs and Printers BOSTON--May 4, 1999--According to a new report from InfoTrends Research Group, Inc., a new breed of photo minilabs, called digital minilabs, are poised to play a critical role in the mainstream adoption of digital photography by allowing users to bypass the hassles associated with processing and printing digital photographs themselves. Conventional analog minilabs process film and create prints, and offer few options for editing images. Digital minilabs, by contrast, digitize film, and also accept digital input such as digital camera storage cards and floppy disks. Having images in digital form opens up a range of new output possibilities. Photo processors will be able to offer thumbnail index sheets, photo greeting cards, enlargements, photo captions, frames, collages, uploading to the Internet, and improved image quality through sophisticated tonal and exposure corrections. Digital camera and scanner users will be able to easily drop off their digital media at their local one-hour photo processing store and get back photo-quality prints, just as they do with film. Even the most computer-phobic person will be able to use a digital camera because there is no tinkering with the photo editing software, printers, special papers, and inks needed to print an acceptable digital photo. Similarly, users with film cameras can easily explore the digital arena by receiving their processed images on floppy, CD, or via the Internet.

05-03-99

Epson Reduces Price of PhotoPC 750Z to $699 TORRANCE, Calif.--May 3, 1999--Epson America Inc., creator of high quality, award-winning imaging products, Monday announced that it has reduced the price of its popular megapixel zoom digital camera, the PhotoPC® 750Z, by nearly 15 percent. Previously priced at $799, the EPSON PhotoPC 750Z is now available for an affordable estimated street price of $699. With its megapixel resolution, 6X zoom, increased storage capacity and revolutionary EPSON HyPict(TM) image enhancement technology, the PhotoPC 750Z combines exceptional photo output with unmatched versatility and low cost of ownership.

05-02-99

Build Your Own LCD Eyepiece for the Nikon 950 / 900 / 900s Thanks to reader John Strzykalski who told others about his Nikon 950 LCD eyepiece in our message board. Check it out and build your own! Also useable for Coolpix 900 and 900s cameras too. See all the pictures at John's PhotoPoint page

05-01-99

Kodak Picture Processing Will Offer The Highest Quality Prints Ever NEW YORK-- Consumers can receive the highest quality pictures ever from Eastman Kodak Company when they choose Kodak Picture Processing, a new photofinishing option available this fall throughout the United States. The Kodak pictures will be printed on a new photographic paper that is extremely durable--five times stronger than current papers--and produces the sharpest and brightest pictures in the industry. Thirty-seven patents are pending for the new Kodak DuraLife paper, described by the company as the biggest paper innovation since Kodak introduced color prints to consumers more than 50 years ago. DuraLife paper, available exclusively through Kodak Picture Processing, delivers new benefits that consumers told the company they want in their pictures The multi-layer Kodak paper is tear-resistant and durable--five times stronger than standard photographic paper, with less curl and improved stiffness. DuraLife paper also creates pictures with noticeably sharper details and brighter highlights. The new product also provides a more "writeable" back than current papers, allowing consumers to label their pictures easily with an ordinary pencil or pen. It looks as if digital photography is having an effect on conventional photography - it is forcing it to get even better!

April 99 News

or

Our Main Menu

Content copyright © 1999 Steve's Digicam Online, Inc.

The information presented here has been gathered from the manufacturers' press releases
and other news sources and is believed to be true but no warranty is made as to the general
suitability or performance of these products. All trademarks, registered trademarks, and
service marks are the property of their respective owners.