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November 2002
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-- Top News Stories --Our Photokina 2002 News PageCanon Posts D60 Firmware UpdateDelkin Intros eFilm PRO CF Cards Epson PIM II Plugin for Photoshop Minolta DiMAGE X/Xi U/W Housing PhaseOne's Capture One DSLR for Canon dSLR PocketLoupe Lets Pocket PC Users Display Photos Popular Science "Best of What's New" Awards Pretec Intros 3GB CF Card Qimage Pro 2003 v1.0 Released Sigma SD9 First Look Posted Toshiba PDR-M25 & PDR-3300 Price Drop Ulead Photo Explorer 8.0 Umax Launches Two Film Scanners (Check the Photokina 2002 or September News pages for all the hot and newly announced digicams.) October 2002 News Index September 2002 News Index August 2002 News Index Steve's "Best of 2001" Camera Awards Sunday Morning Photographer Index
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| 11-29-2002 |
Inkjet Paper for the Holidays from Red River Paper  Order Inkjet Greeting Cards & Envelopes Come to redriverpaper.com for a great selection of pre-scored cards for your holiday greetings, 4x6 and 5x7 Snapshot sizes to print those special family images, and a Holiday Gift Guide of unique paper and digital photography accessories. SPECIAL DECEMBER SAVER - Make prints that look and feel just like real photos on Red River UltraPro Gloss resin coated paper. Now only 30 cents/sheet 8.5 x 11" for a limited time!
Red River wishes all of Steve's readers a safe and wonderful holiday
season.
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| 11-29-2002 |
Reviews, Reviews, Reviews ...I just posted our conclusion to the Sigma SD9 review which I expect will generate considerable pro and con email. Both Dave and Phil have also concluded (and revised in some cases) their reviews as well so there is plenty of opinions to read about it. There have also been many other reviews posted lately by our friendly competitors:
DC Resource: Olympus C-730 UltraZoom, Sony Cyber-shot U10, Pentax Optio 330GS. DP Review: Sigma SD9
LetsGoDigital: Fuji S2 Pro
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| 11-29-2002 |
PhaseOne Releases Capture One DSLR Software for Canon dSLR CamerasCopenhagen, Denmark, November 28, 2002: Phase One, known for providing the world's leading high-end digital camera solutions, today releases the Capture One DSLR software package for Canon DSLR cameras. The Capture One DSLR software is designed to match the high demands of a modern, professional photographer: Enhanced productivity, exceptional image quality, workflow flexibility, and ease of use. The first version is based on windows platforms and the software is the first of many in an attempt to provide the most sophisticated RAW converter for every leading DSLR camera brand. The Capture One DSLR supporting Canon's EOS 1D/1Ds is a result of a joined project between Canon and Phase One. By March 2003 Phase One will include support for Nikon's DSLR cameras and a Mac OSX version of the software will also be available. Phase One's CEO, Henrik Håkonsson remarks: The Capture One DSLR software is a RAW converter providing the professional photographer with improved productivity and image quality. Today most DSLR cameras are controlled by software that allows you to carry out image adjustments in a rather complex way. From now on Canon DSLR camera users take advantage of workflow-oriented software enabling the creation of print-ready images with amazing quality in just a few simple steps. It's a straightforward process that saves a great deal of time for the busy press, social or fashion photographer, makes the workflow less complicated, and allows a high level of creativity. Henrik Håkonsson continues: "According to outstanding reviews posted recently on the most visited digital photography websites we have the best digital imaging software on the market. Phase One's patent-pending image processing algorithms allow Canon DSLR users to benefit from the highest image quality in the CCD or CMOS sensor class. This first partnership will ensure that more end-users can take advantage of its advanced features as well as its intuitive and user-friendly interface. With this release we expect to acquire new market shares within every photographic application." To learn more about Phase One's products and download a 30-day trial of Capture One software, visit the Phase One web site.
Read product reviews at:
dpreview.com and outbackphoto.com
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| 11-26-2002 |
Steve's Partners with Walmart.comSteve's Digicams, in association with Walmart.com, is proud to offer our readers fast and economical photo finishing and specialty photo items. Walmart will be our Premier Photo Finishing partner. Walmart.com has agreed to ship products and provide customer service for orders they receive through special links on our site. We encourage you to click on the Walmart banners and links throughout our site often, as Walmart will be offering new and exciting photo gifts.
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| 11-25-2002 |
Kodak Posts Update to EasyShare Software
Eastman Kodak announces an enhanced version of its EasyShare software for the
Kodak digital cameras. Microsoft Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP
and Mac OS X 10.1.2 users can update their software for free by
downloading it from the Kodak website or for a fee of $4.95 plus shipping
and handling you can get it mailed to you on a CD.
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| 11-25-2002 |
LC Tech Begins Worldwide Retail Shipments Of PHOTORECOVERY SoftwareCLEARWATER, Fla., -- LC Technology International, a global leader in investigative, intelligence, security and technology services proudly announces the release of PHOTORECOVERY software to retail stores worldwide. PHOTORECOVERY can recover pictures that have been deleted off digital storage media and recover images from media that have been formatted in a Windows application. PHOTORECOVERY is compatible with Memory Sticks, SmartMedia, CompactFlash, Floppy disks and most other forms of Digital Film. It is available in 14 different languages with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $39.95. It can identify and recover over 13 types of images, movies and sound files and works with most cameras and all readers and media. The most common causes of image loss include removing the card from a camera or reader before the image has been fully stored, accidentally deleting a picture, reformatting a card or low battery power in a digital camera. LC Technology's PHOTORECOVERY will get to the core of the data structure and identify and retrieve those lost images.
For more information, please call 727-449-0891 or visit
www.LC-Tech.com and download a DEMO version of the software today.
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| 11-25-2002 |
Canon Posts D60 Firmware UpgradeCanon has today posted the EOS D60 Firmware Version 1.0.4 resolves the following issues, which may occur in the RAW mode depending on shutter release timing:
*2 With EOS D60 cameras that have Firmware Version 1.0.0, 1.0.1 or 1.0.2 installed, in cases where data stored in the camera's buffer memory has not yet been written to the CF card or microdrive, that data will be written when the menu button is pressed, or when the shutter button is pressed halfway.
EOS D60 Firmware Version 1.0.4 can be used to update EOS D60 cameras with Firmware
Version(s) 1.0.0, 1.0.1 or 1.0.2.
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| 11-23-2002 |
SprintPCS Vision / Samsung Vision Phone Review Posted
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| 11-22-2002 |
Fred Miranda's EOS-1Ds Review
Looking for more information about Canon's new EOS-1Ds? Fellow digicam
enthusiast Fred Miranda has just posted his
EOS-1Ds review. Fred is a serious pro user and has a Canon D30, D60 and 1D in his
hardware arsenal so you can be sure that he knows about Canon dSLRs. There's no
doubt that he knows how to use the camera either, check out the fantastic shots from
Death Valley. He pushed those Canon wide angle lenses to their optical limits. After
you read the review be sure to check out his Photoshop actions, photo gallery and
the discussion forums. His site is loaded with lots of digicam info and resources.
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| 11-21-2002 |
Nikon Announces Additional $50 Instant Savings On Coolpix 4500MELVILLE, NY - This holiday season, between November 15 and December 31, 2002, consumers will receive another gift from Nikon to make shopping even easier for digital photographers. Nikon, the world leader in photography, today announced its latest offer for holiday shoppers -- an additional instant savings added to the mail-in rebate on the Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital cameras.
Nikon is offering $50 instant savings upon the purchase of the Nikon Coolpix 4500, in addition to
the $50 mail-in rebate that is currently available to consumers between November 15 and
December 31. This brings the $699 retail price down to $599 after instant saving and mail-in rebate.
The Nikon Coolpix 4500 offers a 4.0 effective megapixel CCD to capture superior
quality images and a 4x Optical Zoom-Nikkor lens in a swivel lens body, with a combination of full
manual control options and automatic features.
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| 11-20-2002 |
Pictographics Releases iCorrect® Professional 4.0 Color Correction SoftwareNovember 20, 2001—Burnsville, MN—Pictographics International Corporation, a leading developer of digital color technology software, has released Version 4.0 of its award- winning product, iCorrect® Professional, a color correction plug-in for Adobe Photoshop products. The new version was developed under the recently released Photoshop 7.0 SDK and is optimized for Apple’s Macintosh OS X and Microsoft’s Windows XP operating systems. In addition, iCorrect Professional 4.0 includes new features and enhancements that make it even easier to “Make the Color Right”™. New features in Version 4.0 include a larger selectable image viewing area, a preview mode to quickly compare the corrected image with the original, and an enhanced interface for modifying and creating Memory Color definitions. Developed for photo enthusiasts and imaging professionals alike, iCorrect Professional makes color correction quick and easy. With just one or two clicks of the mouse, iCorrect quickly improves the tonal range, removes unwanted colorcast, and corrects pre-defined “memory colors” including skin tones, foliage green, and sky blue. These global corrections are based on sophisticated mathematical functions that instantly adjust the colors within the defined color space and make them right. The skin tone feature, for example, contains powerful race-independent color models that accurately portray a wide range of human skin colors. To the user, however, the complexities of these revolutionary techniques remain behind the scenes. Just a click and it’s done. One of the major features of iCorrect Professional is that it allows users to edit the default memory colors as well as create their own so they can easily get exactly the color they want on objects like company logos, uniforms, or backgrounds. Version 4.0 features a new user interface that makes it even easier to achieve the desired result. The net result is a software plug-in that makes it easier and faster for the digital imaging professional to “Make the Color Right”™.
iCorrect Professional 4.0 Plug-in is compatible with Photoshop 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 and
Elements 1.0 and 2.0 and the following operating systems: Macintosh 8.6, 9.2, and 10.1and
10.2 in both Native and Classic modes and Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP. iCorrect
Professional 4.0 is available for $79.00. iCorrect Professional 3.0 owners can upgrade
for $29.95. For more information, purchase or to download a free demonstration
version, visit www.picto.com.
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| 11-19-2002 |
Ulead Photo Explorer 8.0 Supports Epson PIM and Offers New and Enhanced Tools for Digital PhotographyLas Vegas, NV – COMDEX, November 18, 2002 – Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of image editing, video editing and DVD authoring software, today announced Ulead Photo Explorer 8.0, the most complete media management tool for the PC for acquiring, organizing, converting and sharing images, video and other media files. Ulead Photo Explorer, which consistently remains a popular pick for download on CNET, offers new support for Epson's Print Image Matching (PIM) format for printing digital photos with exceptional color. Support for PIM coupled with new, convenient features for classifying and searching photos, viewing media, and capturing multiple scanned images, further solidify Photo Explorer 8.0 as the most complete and versatile tool in its class.
Read the entire press release at:
pr11-18-02.htm
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| 11-19-2002 |
Pretec Introduces 1.5 GB, 2GB and 3GB CompactFlash Cards
The highest capacity CF card currently available in the market is 1GB, also available from
Pretec. The demonstration of the 1.5GB CF card will be shown at Pretec booth #11258 at
Central Hall, LVCC. Samples available immediately. 2GB and 3GB CF cards from Pretec will
be demonstrated at Pretec private suite in Comdex by invitation only. 3GB CF card will be
priced at $2499 for sampling quantity by the end of this year.
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Las Vegas, NV, November 18, 2002 -
| 11-19-2002 |
SD Association Launches Web Site to Promote and Educate Consumers About SD Cards
LAS VEGAS, NV, (November 19, 2002) - Paralleling the worldwide growth in the
use of SD Memory Cards, the SD Association announced at COMDEX, November
18-22, in Las Vegas, NV, the launch of the SD World Web site. The site,
www.sdcard.com, highlights
the diverse range of SD-enabled products and
applications available globally and features invaluable information about the
SD Memory Card, a non-proprietary digital storage medium.
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| 11-19-2002 |
Archive Creator: New Innovative Archiving Solution for Digital PhotographersPictureFlow LLC, makers of YarcPlus, the popular Canon RAW conversion program, today announced the launch of their latest product, Archive Creator; an innovative archiving solution for the Windows OS that deals directly with the issues of archiving digital photographic images onto removable media. Archive Creator will automatically span an Archive Set across multiple CDs thereby maximizing the storage potential while minimizing the time required to organize the files in an efficient manner. In addition, during the archive process, Archive Creator automatically makes an HTML "Web Style" Index of the all of the source files within the Archive Set. Even from most popular RAW file formats including Canon and Nikon. This Index of the entire Archive Set is written onto each CD. This is extremely powerful as you can then view the thumbnails and viewing images from the entire Archive Set from any 1 of the CDs. This means that later if you are looking for an image, you can insert any 1 of the CDs from the Archive Set and find the image that you are looking for without having to shuffle CDs. The index is written in pure HTML and does not require any special software to be on the viewing computer except for Internet Explorer (or compatible browser).
Version 1.0 supports the burning of CD-R media, with DVD and other media planned for a
free upcoming upgrade. The Pre-Release Version of 1.0 is available now for a limited time
special Pre-Release price of $30. The official V1.0 is expected to be released within 1 to
4 weeks. The software is available by download and will run in a free demo mode for an
unlimited time with the only main restriction being that only the first disk of an Archive
Set can be burned in the non-registered version.
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| 11-17-2002 |
HiTi PhotoShuttle Printer Review Posted
The folks at Hi-Touch Imaging have released another excellent 4x6" personal photo
printer. It's small, it's black and it's fast. The HiTi PhotoShuttle cranks
photo lab quality 4x6" prints in just 45 seconds and at a very low cost of just $.40
per print. It's compatible with Windows 98/98SE, Me, 2000 and XP systems and costs
about $240. Check it out in our
Hi-Ti PhotoShuttle review.
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| 11-15-2002 |
Epson Announces PRINT Image Matching II Plug-in for Adobe PhotoshopLONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2002-- Epson America Inc. today announced the availability of a PRINT Image Matching II (P.I.M. II) plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® 7.0, 6.0, and Photoshop Elements 1.0 and 2.0 for Macintosh and Windows operating systems. The new plug-in enables Adobe Photoshop users who own a P.I.M. II-enabled digital camera and P.I.M. II-enabled Epson photo printer to take advantage of the print matching and automatic benefits offered by PRINT Image Matching technology to create the best possible prints quickly and easily. The P.I.M. II plug-in allows users to import JPEG files containing P.I.M. or P.I.M. II information into Adobe Photoshop and print them with the color, quality and detail that PRINT Image Matching technology provides. The plug-in was designed to be flexible, giving users multiple options: a user can either import with P.I.M. II, import Exif 2.2 images with Exif Print technology, a new standard for digital cameras published by the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA); or, the interface allows users to import an image with color expansion information only while disregarding other image enhancements for flexible print matching control. "P.I.M. technology continues to have a significant impact on the growing digital imaging market," said Fabia Ochoa, product manager, photo imaging, Epson. "The availability of the P.I.M. II plug-in furthers Epson's pursuit to provide the ultimate photo printing solutions for consumers looking to print the best prints possible from their photo printer."
The P.I.M. II plug-in is available to customers as a free download from
the Epson Web site at www.epson.com, www.printimagematching.com
and www.support.epson.com. More information on P.I.M. technology
and a complete list of current P.I.M.-compatible products is available
at
www.printimagematching.com.
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| 11-15-2002 |
Minolta U/W Housing for DiMAGE X and DiMAGE Xi Digital Cameras Ramsey, NJ (November 15, 2002) - Minolta Corporation announces the availability of the new Minolta Marine Case, an easy to use underwater housing designed specifically to perfectly fit the super slim profile of the award-winning Minolta DiMAGE X and new DiMAGE Xi digital cameras. Finally, digital photographers can have the flexibility to photograph what they want when they want to, regardless of weather conditions. From approximately 100 feet under the surface of the ocean to the summit of a rugged peak, this extremely compact Marine Case will protect the DiMAGE X and DiMAGE Xi from all the elements. "This new durable housing allows users involved in virtually any outdoor activity to bring their DiMAGE X or DiMAGE Xi camera with them anywhere they go to document their day-to-day activities or special adventures," said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of marketing, Minolta Corporation's Consumer Products Group. "Although specifically designed for diving down to depths of approximately 100 feet, this case provides protection against the elements involved in outdoor adventures such as scuba diving, mountain and rock climbing, camping, snow boarding and skiing, kayaking and white-water rafting, as well as a rainy or snowy day on vacation. And it's great for the backyard pool too."
Like the DiMAGE X and DiMAGE Xi cameras, the new all-weather housing exemplifies the
synthesis of function and design. The smoothly contoured, compact shell easily slides into
the pocket of a buoyancy control jacket or ski jacket. The chrome-plated, metal control
buttons make using the camera simple, even when wearing gloves. And the elegantly curved
polycarbonate surfaces give the Marine Case its strength while eliminating unnecessary
bulk and weight. The Marine Case is available at the suggested list price of $249.
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| 11-14-2002 |
Portable Image Storage on the Cheap
 Looking for an inexpensive portable image storage device? We came across the X'S-Drive VP-2030 after reading about it in one of our discussion forums. The price was right at $87, the only catch is that it doesn't include a hard drive. You install any size 2.5-inch laptop IDE hard drive in it and you're good to go. Everything else is included in the package, even a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack and carrying case. It reads and writes CompactFlash (Type I and II), Microdrive, Secure Digital, MultiMedia Card and SmartMedia. And can act as a 6-in-1 reader / writer when it's connected to your host computer.
If you're interested then read my X'S-Drive
VP-2030 review.
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| 11-11-2002 |
Toshiba Drops Price on Popular PDR-M25 & PDR-3300 Digital CamerasIRVINE, CA, November 11, 2002 -- Toshiba Imaging Systems, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., is getting shoppers ready for this holiday season with a stocking full of exciting new deals from its award-winning line of digital cameras.
Effective today, Toshiba is reducing the price of its popular 2.2 megapixel
digital camera, the
PDR-M25, by nearly fifteen percent from $229 to a
breakthrough $199. In addition, Toshiba is immediately cutting the price of
the
PDR-3300 3.2 megapixel camera from $329 to $299, putting the excitement
of high-resolution digital photography within the grasp of even the
stingiest of shoppers.
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| 11-10-2002 |
Pictographics Releases iCorrect Entrée Color Correction Software For WindowsNovember 8, 2002-Burnsville, MN - Pictographics International Corporation, a leading developer of digital color technology software, announces the release of iCorrect Entrée, a fast and easy entry level color correction program for digital photos. Designed as a stand alone application for Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, and XP operating systems iCorrect Entrée is the newest member of the Pictographics’ iCorrect “point and click” color correction family of products. Since the introduction of iCorrect Professional Plug-in in May, 2001 Pictographics’ award winning color correction technology has expanded into a family of iCorrect products that Make the Color Right that also includes iCorrect 4.0 Designed for Windows XP application and iCorrect EditLab Plug-in. Wayne Huelskoetter, president says, "Digital cameras are the hottest thing going. Yet, they all suffer the same problem - accurate color capture. So many of our customers tell us things like, ‘iCorrect should be included with every digital camera sold.’ That's why we decided to create a low-cost, entry-level version to make it easier for others to include it with their imaging products or services. iCorrect Entree is a valuable tool for improving the color of any digital picture and serves as an impressive introduction to our line of powerful digital color technology products." iCorrect Entree automatically eliminates unwanted color cast, automatically sets new white and black points, and adjusts brightness and contrast. iCorrect Entrée has a list price of $19.95 and is available for sale at www.picto.com. Special pricing arrangements are available to marketing affiliates under the iCorrect Partner Program. Interested affiliates may contact Wayne Huelskoetter at whuel@picto.com for more information about the partner program.
Pictographics International Corporation is a digital color technology company offering software products,
including Photoshop Plug-ins and stand-alone applications that Make the Color Right. The company also
licenses technology to digital imaging software developers, hardware manufacturers, Internet solutions
providers, and in-plant operations. Products are available on-line at www.picto.com and through marketing
partners and affiliates. Pictographics is located at 2216 East 117th Street, Burnsville, MN 55337, USA.
TEL: 952-894-6247, FAX 952-894-0784.
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| 11-08-2002 |
Some of Popular Science's 15th Annual Best of What's New Award Winners
Foveon X3 Image SensorThe new Foveon X3 image sensor has been chosen by Popular Science magazine to receive the "Best of What's New" Grand Award in the Photo Category. Popular Science editors reviewed thousands of new products and innovations for 2002 and chose just 100 winners in 10 categories for inclusion in the December "Best of What's New" issue. And out of that just one Grand Award winner is selected for each category. To win a "Best of What's New" Award, a product or technology must represent a significant step forward in its category.In addition to the "Best of What's New" Award, the Foveon X3 image sensor has also received worldwide recognition this year along with numerous prestigious awards. These awards include: Europe's Technical Image Press Association's (TIPA) "Best Innovative Technology" in 2002 - 2003; the European Imaging and Sound Association's (EISA) "Best Photo Innovation" for 2002 - 2003; the 2002 Innovative Digital Products Award from The Digital Imaging Marketing Association (DIMA); and the German CHIP computer magazine's prestigious CeBIT Highlights 2002 Innovation Award. The Foveon X3 sensor was chosen by CHIP magazine because of its revolutionary technology that will have far reaching impact on the digital camera and video markets. The Foveon X3 sensor makes its debut in the new Sigma SD9 digital SLR camera due on the market next month. Other award winners in photography include:
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| 11-07-2002 |
Digital Camera Buyer's TutorialJohn Stewart, a writer for both Shutterbug and eDigitalPhoto, has just released his 3rd edition of a buyer's tutorial (NOT a product guide) that's called "The Picture Perfect Digital Camera." This was formerly called "How To Buy Your First Digital Camera." The 1st edition was favorably reviewed and the content got snapped up for use by Lexar for a year. The 2nd edtion, also on CD, got even better reviews, but was shelved after the "events" of 9/11. This 3rd edition is a complete rewrite and a downloadable eBook (4.5 MB). It's being offered as an experiment using the "shareware" model. If readers find they understand basic digital camera concepts and better know what to look for after using the tutorial, then they send in the $10 fee. It's a gamble, but they're trying it. Again, this is NOT a buyer's guide. It is designed to give the new shopper a better idea of the concepts so they can more clearly read and understand the kind of things found at digital camera review and information sites like ours.
Download your copy from www.acpress.com.
It's a self-contained Windows program. John hopes to
do a Mac version as soon as he finds a Mac user with an eBook compiler.
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| 11-07-2002 |
Sigma SD9 SLR First Look Posted
Just posted our comprehensive Sigma SD9 First Look review
. We've only had it for a few days but have managed to put together most of the
review and a starter set of sample photos. If our weather cooperates we'll be adding
more photos soon including some studio shots by our resident pro Dan Eisenman.
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| 11-06-2002 |
PocketLoupe Lets Pocket PC Users Display Photos Including Nikon NEF and Canon CRW Raw FilesWashington, DC, 6 November, 2002: Glass Lantern, LLC announces the release of Glass Lantern PocketLoupe, a Pocket PC application that allows digital photographers to display the large thumbnails embedded in Nikon NEF and Canon CRW raw files, as well as standard JPEG images. The photographer can insert a storage card from their camera into a Pocket PC and access their photographs directly. To check for sharpness and detail, images can be zoomed and panned with the stylus. With one tap, PocketLoupe displays information about the image including the image dimensions, time and date the photograph was taken, and additional data such as exposure, ISO setting, and focal length, depending on the camera. Pictures can be deleted to free space on the storage card. Unlike many other photo viewing products, PocketLoupe is specifically designed for evaluating photographs in the field without a laptop computer. The Pocket PC's bright screen, easily readable even in direct sunlight, means that clients, friends, and the photographer can all see and evaluate images anywhere they are taken. For older Pocket PC devices with 12-bit screens that display a limited number of colors, PocketLoupe offers optional dithering to enhance the appearance of the images. PocketLoupe joins Pixfer in Glass Lantern's suite of Pocket PC digital photography software products. Pixfer allows photographers to efficiently transfer digital images from expensive storage cards to less expensive hard disks using a Pocket PC. Used together, these two products enable photographers to both transfer and view their photographs using a Pocket PC.
Any storage technology that connects to the Pocket PC as a standard
storage card can be used with PocketLoupe, including SD, Compact Flash,
PCMCIA, and other formats with the correct Pocket PC. Depending on the
Pocket PC model, an adapter may be necessary for some storage cards. See
www.glasslantern.com
for detailed information or to download a
free demonstration version of PocketLoupe.
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| 11-06-2002 |
QPict Media Organizer Version 5.2 Released for Mac OSMalmo, Sweden - November 5 2002 -- Rune Lindman today announced the release of version 5.2 of QPict Media Organizer. What's new in QPict Media Organizer 5.2?
Export to XML Quartz text rendering Improved performance Jaguar optimized JPEG 2000 support Improved PDF support Improved Fonts support Batch process variable input Sheet Dialogs Refined user interface Improved image quality Customizable fields Contextual menu support Apple Help QPict Media Organizer is a US$35 shareware. It is available from the QPict Software web site and all major Macintosh shareware ftp sites. Version 5.2 is a free upgrade to registered users of QPict 5.0 or later. A free trial version is available from QPict web site:
System Requirements: QPict 5.2 requires Mac OS X or Mac OS 9. QPict is also available for Mac OS
7.5.3 and later.
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| 11-06-2002 |
Minolta DiMAGE Scan Dual III Review Posted
I just posted our Minolta DiMAGE Scan Dual III
review. This is a truly amazing film scanner given its price (under $400) and its
scanning resolution and speed. It's small, fast and comes with a very capable suite
of software applications and plugins. If you've been waiting for an affordable film
scanner that delivers high resolution images - your wait is over!
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| 11-05-2002 |
Umax Launches Two Affordable Film ScannersDALLAS, TX., November 5, 2002 -- UMAX Technologies, Inc. today announced its entry into the film scanner market with two new products, the PowerLook 180 and Astra FS180 film scanners. Both scanners feature true 1800dpi optical resolution, for clear, detailed pictures even when enlarged to 8x10 inches, and a high Dmax rating to produce sharp, high-quality scans with accurate color reproduction. "Our new film scanners combine the best of digital and film photography for casual, and amateur photographers and graphics artists," said Christabel Chen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of UMAX. "The PowerLook 180 and Astra FS180 are designed for those users that need a dedicated slide and filmstrip scanner with superb quality at a more affordable price." The PowerLook 180, which is focused more for graphics designers, graphic artists, publishing, in-house graphics production, and photographers, also includes an automatic film loader for batch scanning up to 40 un-cut frames, an auto focus device and a high 3.4 Dmax. The PowerLook 180 includes SilverFast Ai software and Photoshop Elements. The Astra FS180 is designed for amateur photographers, graphics designers, Web designers, and desktop publishers, features 1800dpi resolution with software enhancement up to 3600x 3600dpi and is bundled with LaserSoft SilverFast SE and Adobe Photoshop Elements, a powerful digital imaging solution for photographers and graphic designers.
The film scanners are available now. The PowerLook 180 is priced at $349 and the Astra FS180 is priced at
$229. Additionally, for a limited time, PowerLook 180 and Astra FS180 users can upgrade from Photoshop
Elements to the professional, world-standard Photoshop 7.0, a $600 value, for just $299.
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| 11-05-2002 |
Qimage Pro 2003 v1.0 Released
Digital Domain announces a major upgrade to the popular Qimage Pro program.
Qimage Pro 2003 v1.0 is now available for download. The 2003 edition
has a completely redesigned user interface to make professional quality
printing even easier. While Qimage Pro 2003 is designed to dramatically
improve the learning curve for new users, it also offers many new features not
found in prior versions. Such as optimal image placement, sort prints, borders,
create email/web size images, quick access to common filters, custom size options
and a page sets option. Read about all new options, fixes and enhancements on the
Qimage Pro News page.
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| 11-04-2002 |
More Reviews PostedToday we posted our complete Nikon Coolpix 3500 review, the 3-megapixel update to the popular Coolpix 2500. This is a pocket size camera with a 3x Nikkor zoom lens and the stylish and highly functional swiveling lens design. This will make a great holiday gift, check it out. Catching up with some of our accessory reviews, just posted is the Addonics Pocket UDD review. This is an ultra-fast USB 2.0 PCMCIA card reader and writer. It comes with a CF/CF2 adapter and sells for just $69, or $89 for the same unit with a FireWire interface. Tired of slow file transfers? This baby moves data off of your memory cards about 10 times faster than existing USB 1.1 readers. For another $49 Addonics has a 4in1 DigiAdapter that lets you read and write to Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, SmartMedia or Memory Stick cards and works great in the Pocket UDD.
Very close to posting is our review of Minolta's new DiMAGE Scan Dual III film scanner.
This is a high resolution 2820dpi and very affordable 35mm and APS slide and negative scanner.
We just received the new Sigma SD9 SLR today and have been working with a production model
Canon EOS 1Ds so expect to see those reviews soon along with our final Canon G3 review.
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| 11-04-2002 |
New ShortCourse's Desktop Studio BookGood friend and digi-photographer Dennis Curtin, the guru behind the ShortCourses.com web site and numerous camera books, has just released his latest offering "Digital Desktop Studio Photography." It's available as a 122 page printed book or an eBook, or both. Follow the link to learn more about it and check out all of the other great digicam books and eBooks that are available. I'll let Denny introduce his new book:
But equipment isn't what gives you great results--it's techniques that do. We fully explain everything you need to know about your camera settings and lighting to get the results you want. There is even a section with 16 case studies showing how a professional studio photographer first thought about and then photographed all kinds of subjects from neon flamingos to toy cars and crystal flamingos. Just by reading through these cases, you'll pick up tips that will make a dramatic difference in your own work.
Finally, there is a section on understanding image sizes when displaying and
printing digital images. This is followed by a short section on posting
images on eBay auctions, one of the most popular uses for digital desktop
studio photos.
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Many years ago, the first book I wrote was "The Darkroom Handbook." It
instantly became a classic and is still in print after all these years. The
entire time I was working on this studio book, I kept feeling 'this is
another darkroom handbook!" It does the same thing that first book did so
well-it shows you how to do photography the way the professionals do without
spending the kind of money advertisers lead you to believe you have to
spend. Just to prove the point, we put one studio together for less than
$50. It uses desktop lights from Staples and diffusers and reflectors from
our local art supply store. Working with this simple desktop studio gave us
professional results, and it's great for taking occasional photos. However,
we did find it tiring to adjust things when working all day as we did on
this book. For about $200 we put together a first-class studio that gave
equally good results with somewhat less effort. You'll see both kinds of
studios in this book, and learn about all kinds of other equipment from free
to very expensive. Despite this comprehensive coverage, our focus has been
on keeping things inexpensive and even collapsible so you can hide them away
when not using them.
| October 2002 News |
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