06/30/1999: Toshiba PDR-M4 First Look Posted
It's been a busy last couple of weeks and yet another new 2-Megapixel digicam is inhouse for testing and review. I haven't had time to do a complete user review yet but I have posted the Toshiba PDR-M4 First Look for those who want to get a look at the goodies on this palm-sized wonder....[read more]
06/30/1999: Sony Announces New Black DSC-F55K
Sony has just announced a new black DSC-F55K digital camera. Nothing changed or added to the original DSC-F55K so it must be a marketing gimmick or somebody just decided that black was the current "cool" color for digicams. But hey, we could have told them that, Steve's Digicams has been a big supporter of the cool black look since day one !...[read more]
06/29/1999: Unity Digital's New ProPower NiMH Battery Pack
Unity Digital introduces the new .95 ProPower rechargeable NiMH battery pack for digital still cameras. This is the second external battery pack we have reviewed, the first was Mizco's DPS-4000 which is a 1350mAh pack. The Unity Digital ProPower pack's capacity is a whopping 2450mAh using the latest in Nickle Metal Hydride battery technology. That is almost double the capacity of the Mizco and it is virtually the same size and weight! The ProPower NiMH battery pack is roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes and comes in a classy leather case with a belt clip that looks like a beeper. Read more in my ProPower User Review, this one is a winner! Unity Digital's phone number is 888-419-4900...[read more]
06/29/1999: Canon PowerShot A50 Review Posted
I just posted my Canon PowerShot A50 user review online. We've been having nothing but rain, rain and more rain lately so I haven't been able to get outside to grab some sample shots, those will be posted later. There's plenty to like about this pocket-sized megapixel digicam, it takes excellent pictures....[read more]
06/29/1999: Kodak Posts Firmware Upgrade for DC265
From the Kodak web site: Update SpecificsVersion 1.0.3 Firmware Upgrade provides a number of performance and reliability improvements including: Elimination of the Red -> Magenta Color Shift External Flash Sync is now active for all photos when this option is enabled DC265 Firmware version 1.0.3 is considered a minor firmware upgrade, however once you upgrade the camera firmware, you cannot revert to the previous version. Note: In our investigation of red -> magenta color shift in DC265, we have found that recent sensor production can be seperated into two primary categories. In either case, this firmware addresses the issue....[read more]
06/28/1999: New Digital Cameras From Samsung
Samsung has a couple of new digital cameras coming out. The first one is the 1.5 megapixel Digimax 150, here's the specs:...[read more]
06/28/1999: New Olympus C-21 Digital Camera
Olympus Japan just posted info about yet another new 2.14 megapixel digital camera, this one is called the C-21. Here's the specs: 2.1 Megapixel CCD (1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480) Fixed 7mm (38mm equiv. 35mm lens) F2.4 lens (5 elements) Digital Zoom: 1.6x, 2x, 2.5x Aperture range: F2.4, F8.0 Shutter range: 1/2s - 1/750s Focus range: 60cm normal, 15cm macro Capture modes: SHQ (TIFF), HQ, SQ Burst mode: 1fps up to 5 frames (HQ), 1.5fps up to 15 frames (SQ:XGA) Image Format: JPG or TIF Storage: SmartMedia (up to 32MB cards) Metering modes: Digital "ESP" and Spot metering Exposure compensation: +/-2EV in 1/3EV steps Sensitivity: Auto (between ISO 100 and 400) or ISO 100, 200, 400 White balance modes: Auto, 4 modes and manual Optical viewfinder 1.8" TFT LCD Focus modes: Focus can be locked to infinity or 0.2m and 2.5m Flash modes: Auto, Red-Eye, Forced...[read more]
06/27/1999: Cable Release Brackets for Nikon Coolpix 900/900s/950 Cameras
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06/26/1999: Sanyo has New CD-R Recorder With SmartMedia and CF Type II Slot
Thanks to reader Hiroyuki who pointed me to this interesting new SA-115 Sanyo 4x/14x CD-R recorder that has both a SmartMedia card slot and a CompactFlash Type II slot. His translation of the Japanese info is that it is a Java-based CD-R device with a CF slot (TYPE II. Microdrive support), Smartmedia slot, Video and Audio output and a printer port. A PC is not required when it works. You can burn the image with sound to CD-R from CF/SM and display to TV or print it out to color printer. Some picture enhancement will also be possible. New Sanyo DigicamHiroyuki also pointed out a new Sanyo megapixel digital camera on the Sanyo Japan website. He says the specs are: 1.5 Megapixel progressive CCD with 1360x1024 resolution, also does 640x480 motion picture with voice. Uses CompactFlash with a Type II slot (Microdrive supported) and has a builtin speaker. I couldn't...[read more]
06/26/1999: Olympus Releases AquaCase PT-003 for D-900Zoom
According to a news article on digitalkamera.de, Olympus has just released a new underwater case for the D-900 Zoom digital camera that is waterproof to 30M. The new PT-003 case allows the D-900Z to be used deeper underwater than any other digital camera to date....[read more]
06/24/1999: Kodak Releases Firmware v1.08 Upgrade for DC240
Thanks to the Imaging-Resource for pointing me to this info: KODAK DC240 Zoom Digital Camera Firmware Update Version 1.08 (June 1999) The firmware update includes the following features: firmware bug fixes increased shutter speed at f8 improved representation of saturated reds improved LCD preview response Note from Kodak that the firmware update can only be done via the serial port and not the USB port....[read more]
06/23/1999: Calluna Technology Announces the World's First 260MB Type II PC Card Hard Disk Drive
NEW YORK-- Calluna Technology Ltd. today announces at PC EXPO the world's first 260MB Type II PC Card hard disk drive. At only 5mm, the disk drive is less than half the thickness of all current Type III PC Card disk drives from Calluna. This new Type II Callunacard is based on the same magnetic recording technology as used in Calluna's 1GB Type III model. Specifically, it uses the same recording head and the same disk as the Type III drive. An innovative new mechanical and electronics design enables 260MB of data to be stored on just one disk, using one head within an overall format just larger than a credit card. In response to this increasing demand for higher capacity storage from mobile devices, Calluna also announced that it plans additional developments with this exciting new technology. The company is in fact already looking at quadrupling storage capacity in...[read more]
06/23/1999: New 2-Megapixel Kodak DC280 In Japan
Thanks to one of our readers for pointing me to the Kodak Japan website for the new Kodak DC280J camera. From what I could decipher from the Japanese text these are the main specs: 2.3 megapixel CCD yielding 1760 x 1168 or 896 x 592 images in the usual Kodak "Best," "Better," or "Good" JPG compression. Three sharpness settings. 2x optical 30-60mm f/3-f/3.8 zoom lens with 3x digital zoom. 1.8" LCD w/15fps update. "Auto ISO" rating from 50 to 140. Center-weighted average and spot metering. Video out NTSC/PAL. Shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/755 sec. USB data interface so it will be PC and iMac compatible. Comes with an 8MB CompactFlash card. No word on if or when it is coming to the U.S. so I guess we'll wait and see what turns up. So far nothing has been announced at PC Expo....[read more]
06/22/1999: Nikon Extends Rebate On Film Scanners
MELVILLE, N.Y., June 22 -- Imaging professionals and advanced amateurs have an additional opportunity to save on Nikon's Super Coolscan(R) 2000 and Coolscan(R) III film scanners. Nikon's popular rebate program for these top-rated scanners (which was due to expire June 30) has been extended through September 30, 1999. To qualify for the rebate buyers need only shop for their best price for either or both of the scanners, complete the rebate form and mail the form to Nikon at the address provided. Nikon will send a rebate check for for each scanner purchased....[read more]
PC EXPO - New York City, NY., June 22, 1999 - FlashPoint Technology Inc. and PhotoPoint.com today announced that they have formed a partnership to launch a photo sharing web site that is dedicated to users of Digita- enabled cameras. This new site will support the unique features of Digita- enabled intelligent cameras, including Kodak's DC220, DC260 and DC265, and the Minolta's Dimâge EX family of digital cameras. The primary focus of the jointly developed site will be to enable photographers to easily share their experiences over the Internet. The partnership simplifies the process of submitting Digita photographs, by leveraging the built-in intelligence to create and organize interactive Web albums and broadcast e-mail announcements. The site will also feature news, information, and products of interest to Digita camera owners and offer community features including a public gallery and discussion boards....[read more]
06/22/1999: Norman Camera - Our Newest Site Advertiser
Steve's Digicams welcomes Norman Camera as our newest site advertiser. Norman Camera has been a great source for digital cameras and related digital imaging hardware for several years now. They currently have the new Canon A50 in stock as well as the Fuji MX-2700, Olympus C-2000Z and many of the other popular digicams. Their customer support before and after the sale is and always has been excellent....[read more]
06/22/1999: Filmless Photography Sweepstakes Announced
In conjunction with two other leading digital camera web sites, the Imaging Resource today announced the "Summer Filmless Photography Sweepstakes." The Sweepstakes is open to adult residents of the United States, age 18 or older, and runs from today through August 17. Prizes will consist of five Olympus C-2000 Zoom 2.1 megapixel digital cameras, valued at each. Sweepstakes winners will be selected through a random drawing after the close of registration. The sweepstakes is being sponsored by three leading digital photography web sites: The Imaging Resource, The Digital Camera Resource Page, and The Digital Photography Review. Interested parties may register for the sweepstakes by visiting any of the three sponsoring sites and clicking on an ad banner, or by clicking on banners advertising the sweepstakes which will appear on multiple portal and consumer-related sites around the internet. Each person may only register once from each site carrying the advertising banners,...[read more]
06/22/1999: Sony DSC-D770 Preliminary Specs
Professional Quality Digital Still Camera: Sony introduces a new consumer digital still camera with exceptional image quality and features that can only be found on high-end professional cameras. The DSC-D770 features a high performance Progressive Scan 1.5 Million Square Pixel CCD. This will create still images with high quality resolution (up to 1344 x 1024) which is excellent quality for printing or sending still images from your computer. Sony D770 Features: 5X (28-140mm) Manual Optical Zoom Lens with Manual Focus Professional Quality Progressive Scan CCD with 1.5 Million Square Pixels 2.5" Advanced Color LCD with Brightness Control (180K Pixels) TTL Optical Viewfinder Removable ATA Type II PC Card Data Storage or Supplied Memory Stick? Digital Data Storage Media Supplied PC Card Reader (Parallel Port Adapter) JPEG or TIFF File formats Integrated Pop-Up Flash and Hot Shoe Center Weighted Averaging/Spot Metering System with AE Lock Function Exposure Control: Program AE, Aperture...[read more]
06/22/1999: Toshiba Launches New PDR-M5 Two-Megapixel Camera At PC Expo
NEW YORK--June 22, 1999--Toshiba Imaging Systems, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., continues to expand its industry-leading position as a provider of cutting-edge digital imaging solutions with the introduction of the PDR-M5, an ultra-fast Two-Megapixel digital still camera featuring USB/serial connectivity and a 3X optical zoom, at this week's PC Expo Show in New York City. Available at an estimated street price of , the PDR-M5 is a superior value in the emerging Two-Megapixel class. Utilizing a 2.14 million pixel, 1/2-inch CCD, it offers true 1600 x 1200 resolution for spectacular, artifact-free photos suitable for framing in print sizes up to 8-inches x 10-inches. Moreover, its simple design -- inspired by traditional point-and-shoot cameras -- allows even novices to begin capturing great digital pictures only moments after taking the camera out of the box. The sleek and powerful PDR-M5 is compatible with Windows (95/98) and Macintosh operating systems....[read more]
06/21/1999: SanDisk Expands Product Line With New SmartMedia Flash Cards
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--June 21, 1999-- SanDisk Corporation announced today that it will act as a single source supplier of flash memory to the retail channel by adding the SmartMedia(TM) flash card form factor to broaden the range of products it offers retailers. SanDisk is the only vendor to supply the retail channel with CompactFlash(TM) (CF(TM)), MultiMediaCard(TM), PC Card and SmartMedia, the most popular flash memory card formats. SanDisk, inventor of the industry leading CompactFlash memory card and developer of the flash MultiMediaCard, currently plans to offer the SmartMedia card only in the retail channel....[read more]
06/21/1999: iView Multimedia 3.6 for the Mac
Its name describes what it does 'I View Multimedia'. iView is a professional digital asset management system. It can be used by pros in a demanding publishing environment because it follows international standards, is PhotoShop compatible, is extremely fast, powerful, stable and has great color precision. At the same time it is not just for pros because it is fun, inexpensive, practical and easy to use for anyone with a Macintosh. iView Multimedia can be used to catalog/display all these files, Quark, Canvas, Painter, Live Picture, Freehand, PageMaker, Illustrator, gif, jpg, TIFF, PICT, GX, BMP, Targa, EPS, fonts, sounds, movies, QuickTime VR, animation, MPEG, PNG, Photoshop, MIDI, karaoke, Electric Image and Electronic Arts, and many others. iView Multimedia can also catalog images for Kodak pro digital cameras like: Kodak DCS 1, 3, 5, 315, 410, 420, 460, 520, 620, the Canon EOS D2000 and the AP/Kodak NC2000e. It reads EXIF...[read more]
06/21/1999: New Online Service Develops High-Quality Photos from Digital Cameras with Ease
NEW YORK, June 21 -- Bringing digital camera owners the same high-quality photos traditionally reserved for 35 mm film processing in a fast and inexpensive manner, EZ Prints today announced the launch of its online service, http://www.ezprints.com . The site provides simple, convenient software for viewing and developing high quality digital images. EZ Prints removes the need to use a personal color printer with costly inks, which tediously prints images on expensive, special purpose paper. EZ Prints develops images into high-quality prints that consumers expect to receive from high-end traditional photofinishers -- delivered in only 48 hours, right to their doorstep. EZ Prints' e-commerce site also eliminates the time-consuming process of delivering digital images to a retail photofinisher. Digital camera owners download EZ Prints' free software one time directly from the Web site. The software is easily installed with a "click," and then users simply transfer digital images from their...[read more]
06/20/1999: Olympus C-2000Z Review Posted
I just finished up my Olympus C-2000Z Review am most impressed with this new 2.1 megapixel digicam. Sharp, colorful and well-exposed pictures, fast operation, simple user controls and a small and light form factor. Of special interest is the remote control that I have been begging the manufacturers to include with their cameras, congrats to Olympus for listening - it makes taking macro and night shots on a tripod a breeze!...[read more]
06/19/1999: PC Watch's Nikon D1 Report
The Imaging-Resource has a full translation of the PC Watch article about Nikon's new D1 professional digital camera. It makes for very interesting reading and you can read it here....[read more]
06/18/1999: Coolpix 950 Firmware Update News
According to information posted on the NikonUSA Support Board: The following information has been made available by Nikon Corporation Japan Nikon Corporation is preparing to supply an upgraded version of the Coolpix 950 firmware to improve the product operation. The firmware update will be available for free downloading from Nikon's USA Technical Support Site. The update is user installable. We expect the update to be made available in the middle of July. Additional information will be posted here as it is made available to Nikon's US offices by Nikon Corporation Japan....[read more]
06/18/1999: Kodak Introduces Global Positioning System Solutions Kit for DC265 Cameras
ROCHESTER, N.Y.--June 18, 1999-- Where in the world are we today? Ask your camera. You can if your camera is a DC265 equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) and a special script from Kodak. Integrating the next generation of GPS with the intelligent Kodak DC265 zoom digital camera, Eastman Kodak Company today introduced a new accessory kit enabling businesses and government bodies to record longitude/latitude information along with the date and precise time onto digital pictures. Perfect for law enforcement, cartography and government applications, the GPS Solutions Kit is available on the Kodak web site (www.kodak.com) for ,999. The package includes a Kodak DC265 zoom digital camera, handheld Garmin III Plus unit, rugged aluminum mounting bracket, interface cable and GPS DIGITA script software. The Garmin GPS III Plus features a powerful, 12-channel GPS receiver with a 36-hour battery and detachable antennae, which searches the sky in real-time for signals...[read more]
06/18/1999: Kodak Announces New DCS 660 Professional Camera
Professional photographers have been impatiently awaiting the digital version of the Nikon F5 and Kodak has finally delivered it in the form of the new Kodak Professional DCS 660. A six megapixel CCD imager that delivers 3040 x 2008 pixel resolution in 12 bits per pixel depth for instantaneous capture of the RGB matrix. Built around the lightweight and highly durable Nikon F5 frame with the ability to capture 1 frame per second for 3 frames. The full-frame viewfinder shows you exactly what the CCD sensor sees. You get true wide-angle performance with your wide angle lenses, and an effective focal length 1.3 times the nominal focal length shown on the lens. And, with the advanced anti-aliasing technology in the DCS 660, moiré problems are virtually eliminated. DCS 660 Features: Imaging system developed by Kodak Metal-frame NIKON F5 Camera body 6 megapixel CCD Calibrated color response Auto-white balance ISO 80...[read more]
06/18/1999: Olympus Announces New USB SmartMedia Reader
MELVILLE, N.Y., June 17 -- Olympus America Inc., Digital & Imaging Systems Group, world leader in film and filmless photography, today announced the Olympus USB SmartMedia Reader/Writer, the fastest way to download images from any SmartMedia digital camera. The new device complements the Olympus line of connectivity options, which includes serial, parallel, and PCMCIA port image download capability, and floppy disk compatibility, making the Olympus product offerings broader than any other. The Olympus USB Reader/Writer is travel-friendly and lightweight with an ergonomic palm-sized design (dimensions of 2-1/2" width x 4" height x 3/4" depth). No heavy A/C adapter or batteries are ever needed and there are no moving parts. The reader is hot swappable and Plug 'N Play ready, so it's always ready for instant use. It is ideal for portability and for those users that need to download image files to many different computers. The Olympus USB SmartMedia...[read more]
06/17/1999: digitalkamera.de Posts Sony DSC-D700 Review
digitalkamera.de has just posted their Sony DSC-D700 user review and as you can see from this picture, they've tested it with a variety of additional hardware. The bottom line was that they liked most everything about it except for the fact that it is quite heavy and comes wrapped in a plastic case. digitalkamera.de has also posted more info on the upcoming replacement for Sony's DSC-D700, the DSC-D770 which will be available in July or August for the same price as the older model. Manual focusing has been improved, the ISO values were slightly rearranged and there's been a lot of changes in the camera's internal software....[read more]
Microtech today announced it has been selected as the first North American distributor to bring the highly-anticipated IBM 340 MB Microdrive to market. The microdrive is the world's smallest hard disk drive, measuring just 42.8 x 36.4 x 5.0 mm. The drive is designed to the newly adopted CF+ Type II standard. The microdrive has a disk platter the size of a large coin and weighs less than a AA battery. The new device can hold: 1,000 digital photographs compressed; six hours of near CD-quality audio; 300 hefty novels; or the equivalent of more than 200 standard-size floppy disks. IBM microdrive uses high-performance, time-proven hard disk drive technology to store information. The drive has a much lower cost-per-megabyte and holds more content than alternate small-format storage technologies. Available in 170MB and 340MB capacities, with or without a CF II to PC Card Type II adapter, the drive is a...[read more]
MELVILLE, N.Y., June 15 -- The technological innovation, optical excellence, and superb handling and response that are hallmarks of Nikon professional cameras are now available in a 2.7 megapixel Nikon Digital Professional SLR. Combining the immediacy of high-quality digital with Nikon Total Imaging System versatility, the D1 is the ideal camera for photojournalism professionals and virtually every other category of professional photography. Available by end of September 1999, the Nikon D1 Digital Camera Set ships with the D1(TM) camera body, neck strap, a NiMH rechargeable battery (EN4) and quick charger (MH-16), video cable, Nikon View DX software and carries a suggested retail price of ,580. The D1 is an original design Nikon digital SLR, not a hybrid adaptation. Designed from the ground up for the demanding task of photojournalism, The D1 lets photographers make a seamless transition from film to digital. High digital image quality is rendered by the...[read more]
06/14/1999: New Short Courses Digicam Handbooks
My good friend Dennis Curtin has just put his latest Olympus C-2000Z Pocket Guide on his web site for download. There are also Pocket Guides for the Nikon Coolpix 950 and the Canon A5 Zoom available as well. Dennis also has a complete line of digital photography books for sale at very reasonable prices. Click on the book cover to go to his site to see what's currently available....[read more]
06/14/1999: CycloVision Announces Support for Nikon 950, Olympus C-2000Z and Kodak DC265 Digicams
According to a press release today, CycloVision is now supporting the new Nikon Coolpix 950, Olympus C-2000Z and Kodak DC265 cameras with their ParaShot 360 degree camera attachment. The ParaShot continues to support the Nikon 900 series and Agfa's ePhoto1280 and ePhoto1680 cameras....[read more]
06/14/1999: SR Electronics Offers A New DigiSlave Deluxe 3000 Flash Unit
SR Electronics, the pioneer of integrated electronic flash units with builtin slave circuits, has announced the availability of a new DigiSlave Deluxe 3000 flash unit. The DigiSlave Deluxe 3000 has a powerful Guide Number of 110 at ISO 100 and features a tilting bounce and zoom head. In addition to being a slave flash for most all popular digital cameras, the Digi-Slave Deluxe 3000 can also be used as an ordinary 'Hot shoe' flash for any camera with a hot shoe connector. Two automatic and one manual exposure modes are featured....[read more]
06/14/1999: Lexar Media Officially Announces New JumpShot CF Cards
We first reported about Lexar's new JumpSHOT CF cards a month or so ago but today they made it official with the following press release. Click on the hyperlink below to read the entire release. I'll have more to report on these new USB-enabled CF cards at month's end as Lexar has promised to get me a set to evaluate and review. Fremont, CA, June 14, 1999 -?Lexar Media, a leading supplier of High Performance Digital FilmTM, today announced a new line of high-speed CompactFlash cards that lets digital photographers quickly capture high-resolution images and easily transfer them to a desktop computer via the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. Compatible with any CompactFlash device, Lexar's USB-enabled CompactFlash cards are specifically designed for use with the Lexar JumpSHOTTM USB cable, which provides a high-speed, easy-to-use connection to the desktop computer. Available at leading retailers in August, the new USB-enabled CompactFlash digital...[read more]
06/12/1999: Steve's Fuji MX-2700 User Review Posted
I have just posted my Fuji MX-2700 User Review online. This is one small camera that takes really BIG pictures! Speaking of pictures, I hope to finish up my MX-2700 Sample Pictures page over the weekend but I have already posted some macro shots from this new camera. Check out this 2 megapixel marvel and if you're tempted to buy one Fuji is sweetening the deal by offering a FREE flashpath adapter for all MX-2700, MX-600 and DX-10 cameras sold through August 31, 1999....[read more]
06/10/1999: Steve's Millionth Visitor Is Enjoying His New Digital Camera and Assorted Prizes
Last month we turned over 1,000,000 on our counter and Dave Lucarelli was the fellow who snatched up a pile of goodies for being the visitor who saw the one followed by a lot of zeroes on the counter. Pictured above is Dave and his prizes including a Canon A5 camera, MicroTech CameraMate card reader, SanDisk CompactFlash card, Quest NiMH charger and AA batteries, and a whole suite of digicam software from Ixla. Dave tells me that he's still trying to figure out how it all works but is having a good time and taking a lot of digital picture in the process....[read more]
06/10/1999: Callisto Announces Availability of PhotoParade? Maker Version 2.0
Natick, Mass., June 10, 1999 -- Callisto Corporation today announced the availability of PhotoParade? 2.0, a new version of their innovative digital photo software that provides customers with an easy way to display and share their "rolls" of personal digital photos. PhotoParade 2.0 combines high-quality animation, graphics, music, sound effects, narration and photo titling with a customer?s digital photos. PhotoParade Maker 2.0 allows customers to effortlessly package their personal photos in entertaining presentations by combining them with one of the specially designed PhotoParade themes. A version of PhotoParade is currently an integrated part of Adobe PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 3.0 . PhotoParade 2.0 has new features based on the feedback of thousands of PhotoParade customers. The new features include larger photo display, new photo editing tools, and options for users to personalize their PhotoParades using music, narration, and scrolling credits. Additional enhancements include support for more photo file formats, new easier-to-use...[read more]
06/09/1999: Phil Posts Nikon Coolpix 700 Review
Phil Askey has just posted a Nikon Coolpix 700 review and he seems to be pretty impressed with it. If you don't need the zoom and you're tired of waiting for a Coolpix 950 then maybe you ought to check out the Coolpix 700 instead. It has the same 2 megapixel CCD and most of the whiz-bang features minus the manual shutter and aperture controls and the swiveling lens feature....[read more]
06/08/1999: Ricoh Ships 2.3 Megapixel Digital Camera with USB For Only
Sparks, Nev. June 8, 1999 -- Ricoh PC Peripherals Business Unit today announced that its new 2.3 megapixel digital camera, the RDC-5000, is now available. At only , the newest additional to its award-winning family of cameras is expected to offer the industry's most feature-rich camera, at the market's lowest estimated street price. Targeted towards everyday consumers and professional users, the RDC-5000 offers powerful features that include USB and serial connectivity, protective LCD cover/power switch, 2.3x optical zoom, 1.6-inch super macro for close-up shots, time lapse and 8MB of on board memory. In the tradition of offering its customers a total solution, the package also contains productivity software including ArcSoft PhotoStudio 3.0, PhotoMontage, PhotoFantasy, PhotoPrinter and Club Photo's Living Album 99 online photo sharing software. RDC-5000 Offers More Bang for the Buck The new digital camera features a 1.8-inch LCD monitor and viewfinder for perfect image composition and capture. Photographers...[read more]
06/08/1999: Minolta Expands Digital Capabilities Of Award-Winning Dimage EX Series
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO--Minolta Corporation continues to expand its award-winning series of megapixel digital cameras with the introduction of the new Minolta Dimage EX ZOOM 1500/WIDE 1500 Version 2.0!. With several new software and hardware upgrades, the Dimage EX Version 2.0! delivers a digital camera that offers even more features, such as faster burst capture and digital zoom, with quicker and easier operation, at an affordable price. In addition, Minolta will make it simple for existing Dimage EX camera owners to update their cameras and take advantage of the new software features. The new Dimage EX Version 2.0! camera boasts these software and hardware upgrades: The 3.5 frames per second burst capture mode has been more than doubled to an incredible speed of 7.5 frames-per-second at true megapixel resolution. Through a software upgrade to the Digita operating environment, users can take advantage of a digital zoom feature. Enhanced Digita scripting now...[read more]
06/07/1999: Internet Course On Digital Photography Will Teach Creative And Technical Skills
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06/07/1999: Pretec Debuts 160MB CF+ Card and Promises A 320MB CF+ Card In Q4 '99
DENVER--June 7, 1999--Pretec Electronics Corporation, the creator of CompactModem(TM) and Compact I/O(TM) card, will be demonstrating the 160MB CompactFlash(TM) (CF+) card, the highest capacity CompactFlash(TM) memory card available in the world today, at Microsoft Windows CE Developers Conference on June 6-9 at Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. The 80MB CF+ card (announced in CES 99 at Las Vegas) is in production now. The 128MB CF+ card (demonstrated in CeBIT 99 at Hannover, Germany) and the160MB CF+ card demonstrated today, will start sampling by the summer. 320MB CF+ prototype will be available by Q4/99. Pretec's CompactFlash card offerings covers the capacity of 2MB, 4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 48MB, 64MB, 80MB, 96MB, 128MB, 160MB, 192MB, 256MB, and 320MB. Other than 160MB CF+ memory card and CompactSCAN, Pretec also displays various CF+ I/O cards in the Conference such as CompactModem(TM), CompactLAN(TM), CompactSerial(TM), CompactParallel(TM), CompactSSFDC(TM), and one early prototype of CompactGPS(TM), all of...[read more]
06/05/1999: Toshiba To Make A 1-Gigabit SmartMedia Card
According to a story in EE Times, Toshiba has developed a new IC package that is as thin as a piece of paper. Toshiba has plans to use the technology to make higher-capacity flash memory storage cards by next year. Using the new package, Toshiba will stack four flash devices in the same opening. By the first half of next year, Toshiba plans to ship samples of a 1-Gbit SmartMedia card which uses four stacked 256-Mbit flash devices. ... and most of us are still waiting to see 32MB cards ......[read more]
06/05/1999: VueScan 2.4 Now Available
Ed Hamrick emailed me to let me (and you) know that he has just released VueScan 2.4 which takes advantage of the advanced hardware capabilities of the Nikon LS-30, LS-2000, HP PhotoSmart, and Canon CanoScan 2700f film scanners. Some of the capabilities of VueScan are:Support for more than 200 types of film Support for HP PhotoSmart, Nikon LS-2000/LS-30, Canon 2700f Can make contact sheets while cropping images Sophisticated white balance algorithm Automatic surface defect removal on LS-30 and LS-2000 Infrared scans of film to view surface defects Fast batch scanning Automatic cropping Scanning mounted color negatives Scanning unmounted slide film Scanning at 30-bits or 36-bits per pixel Saving 30-bit data to TIFF file Scanning panoramic images Fixed-exposure scanning for multi-image panoramas Version 2.4 added support for the USB PhotoSmart S20 scanner. The next version will support the new Polaroid 4000 dpi scanner soon....[read more]
06/04/1999: Iomega Announces Clik! PC Card Drive
ROY, Utah--Iomega Corporation today announced the Clik!(TM) PC Card Drive -- a small, lightweight removable storage drive for notebook PC users. The Clik! PC Card Drive fits into a PC card slot, common in most notebook and sub-notebook computers today. Using 40 megabyte Clik! disks, the Clik! PC Card Drive offers unlimited back-up and expandable, portable storage options for mobile PC users. Iomega anticipates worldwide shipments in the third quarter. The Clik! PC Card Drive will be available for an estimated street price of .95 (U.S.) and 40MB Clik! disks are available at an estimated street price as low as .99 (U.S.) each when purchased in a 10-pack. The Clik! PC Card Drive has been jointly developed between Iomega and Citizen Watch Company Ltd. The PC Card Drive combines Iomega's exclusive Clik! Technology with Citizen's proprietary high precision technology....[read more]
06/04/1999: Olympus Makes Official The 32MB Upgrade
MELVILLE, N.Y., June 4 -- Olympus America Inc., Digital & Imaging Systems Group today announced 32MB SmartMedia cards under the Olympus brand. Also announced was a compatibility program bringing 32MB card compatibility to legacy filmless digital cameras and the P-330 Instant Photo Printer. The Olympus 32MB SmartMedia card is expected to sell for and will be available in June. The Olympus D-400 Zoom, D-620L and C-2000 Zoom filmless digital cameras are inherently 32MB SmartMedia compatible. The pocket sized D-340L and D-340R come standard with 16MB SmartMedia compatibility and are optionally upgradeable to the latest 32MB SmartMedia card. Earlier D-220L and the D-320L cameras are 8MB Smartmedia compatible. Those owners of Olympus legacy D-320L cameras who want to bring them in-line with contemporary storage capacity may upgrade them to 16MB SmartMedia capability. The new Olympus P-330 Instant Photo Printer also reads SmartMedia cards. While all current production printers are 32MB...[read more]
06/02/1999: Simple Technology Announces Flash Card Capacity up to One Gigabyte
SANTA ANA, Calif., June 1 -- Simple Technology, Inc. today announced the availability of three new high-capacity ATA flash cards in 512MB, 800MB and 1024MB (1GB) capacities. The PC Cards are available in Type I, II and III form factors, respectively, and are ideal for notebook computers, digital still cameras, handheld computers, and other portable devices. Simple Technology reaches the high capacity points with innovative engineering and 256Mbit flash components. The cards can read data at up to 1.5Mbytes/sec and write at 3Mbytes/sec. Fast read and write speeds are important for all applications but especially digital still cameras that demand minimal wait time between shots. Equally important to digital cameras is the large storage capacity offered by the Simple Technology cards. Today's high-end digital cameras are capturing 2 million pixel images with resolutions of 1,800 x 1,200 pixels. Such an image requires approximately 1MB of flash storage. Storage capacity of...[read more]
06/02/1999: Imaging Resource Syndicates Content To ClubPhoto
ATLANTA--June 1, 1999--The Imaging Resource, an internet-based consumer resource for digital cameras, scanners, and software, today announced a far-reaching content syndication deal with the leading internet Internet photo-sharing and finishing site, Club Photo Inc. Through the terms of the syndication agreement, large portions of The Imaging Resource's extensive digital photography and imaging content library will be made available on the Club Photo web site, offering a comprehensive resource to ClubPhoto's subscriber community. Congratulations to our friends at Imaging-Resource and at ClubPhoto, we hope good things come from this union for both of them....[read more]
06/01/1999: Ricoh RDC-5000 Reviews Everywhere
Seems as if the Ricoh folks were busy making sure that one of their new RDC-5000 cameras got out to all the digicam sites. In addition to Steve's review you can now read these too: DC Resource's RDC-5000 Review & Pics Imaging-Resource's RDC-5000 Test Pictures megapixel.net RDC-5000 Review. Besides the Ricoh, the folks at megapixel.net also review the Agfa CL50, Fuji MX-2700 and the Olympus C-2000Z this month -- and I thought I had been busy the last two weeks!...[read more]
06/01/1999: Follow A Film Photographer As He Transitions To Digital
Follow Rob Brainard of 20-20Consumer as he goes from being a Nikon film exposer to a Nikon flasher. He puts his N90 down and gets ready to pick up a e950 instead. To quote Rob: Ok. I thought it would be helpful to others if I journeled my "conversion" from an amateur "film" photographer to an amateur "digital" photographer. I?m not sure what?s all involved, but I?ll soon find out, and I?ll keep track of what I do & need. I've always been terrified of not having a permanent, maximum quality slide/negative of my photos for all eternity, but I guess it's time to step out in a brave new digital world. Maybe this experience can help you out if you?re going to be following me down the same road in life?this journey will probably take a month or two to sort out, but let?s get started. Read the rest...[read more]
