04/30/2001: Fuji Sets Up Joint Venture To Produce Digital Cameras In China
Fuji Photo Film Co., Tokyo, Japan, set up a joint venture in Suzhou, China, with a local corporate group of machinery makers and distributors to manufacture digital cameras and market them in China, JPEA Photo Electro News reported. The new firm, Fujifilm Digital Imaging Products (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., will begin producing digital cameras in June at the rate of 10,000 units per month initially. Key components such as CCD imagers will be imported from Japan for the production of mid-grade 1- to 2-megapixel cameras to be sold under the Fuji name. Fuji, which holds a 70 percent stake in the new firm, appointed Tsunehiko Sato to head it....[read more]
04/30/2001: Study Shows Photo Kiosks And Digital Minilabs Fuel Digital Photography
A new report, "Retail Digital Photofinishing Market Outlook," by InfoTrends Research Group, Boston, Mass., USA, shows photo kiosks and digital minilab services are growing in use and popularity with consumers. "Our research shows that photo kiosk usage is growing," said Kerry Flatley, research analyst for InfoTrends Research Group. "Awareness and usage are still low, with less than 20 percent of U.S. households having used a photo kiosk, but satisfaction among users is relatively high, providing opportunity for much growth. The installed base of photo kiosks in North America is projected to grow from around 26,000 in 2000 to almost 150,000 by 2006." Most consumers today use photo kiosks for making reprints (72 percent) or enlargements (64 percent) from their snapshots. They are attracted to the convenience and customization offered by kiosks, compared to the traditional approach of handling negatives and waiting days for the results. Now new features and functions...[read more]
04/30/2001: Red River Paper - New Professional Series Gloss and Satin Papers and Inkjet Sample Kits
NEW Red River Professional Series Ink Jet Gloss And Satin Finish Papers. Take your digital images to a new higher level of excellence. These microporous resin coated papers represent state-of-the-art technological advances that result in superb color reproduction. UltraPro Satin looks and feels like real "E-Surface" photographic paper. Red River encourages you to try before you buy. With so many inkjet papers available, we want to convince you ours is the best. Red River offers over 30 different outstanding inkjet papers for photographic reproduction. Our papers are compatible with all inkjet printers. Huge variety of cut sizes and rolls. Go to www.redrivercatalog.com and click on the sample kit button at the top of the page. Choose from 4 different Sample Kits: Photographer's, Fine Artist's or Combo. A folder and envelope sampler is also available....[read more]
04/30/2001: Kodak to Acquire Leading Online Photo Service Ofoto
ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 30, 2001--Eastman Kodak Company announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Emeryville, Calif.- based, Ofoto, Inc. (www.ofoto.com), a leading online photography service. Ofoto will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodak and will be led by its existing management team, which will report to Willy Shih, president of Kodak's Digital and Applied Imaging unit. Ofoto will serve as a critical connection between Kodak's film scanning and uploading services and Kodak's output capabilities through labs operated by its Qualex Inc. subsidiary. These capabilities will give customers and consumers unlimited flexibility in storing, sharing, enhancing and printing pictures. Founded in 1999, Ofoto has 1.2 million registered members. The company offers digital processing of digital images and traditional film, top-quality prints, private online image storage, sharing, editing and creative tools, frames, cards and other merchandise. Ofoto employs 121 people, all based in Emeryville. In a recent report...[read more]
04/29/2001: Canon EOS ELAN 7/7E ReviewPosted
I've just posted our second film camera review, this time it's the Canon EOS ELAN 7/7E SLR. To quote Gregg: "Canon has done a very good job on this camera. I believe it is one worth the investment due to its ergonomic, useable and durable design. It is a system you can own for a long time to come."...[read more]
04/28/2001: Eric's DigiPhoto Adventure To The Reef Paradise of Palau
Eric Cheng who has given us some brilliant insights into Nikon cameras and infrared has just returned from a trip where he used a Coolpix 990 and Ikelite housing to take underwater photographs. Besides the great U/W pics he has also put together a photo essay of his trip, the places he went and the people he met there. I just spent a good half an hour virtually cruising and perusing his photos and text and enjoyed it tremendously. There are roughly 300 photos on his site, and a page devoted to the setup that he used: Eric's Palau Adventure...[read more]
04/28/2001: Casio QV-3500EX Review Posted
Casio has produced another winner here, the QV-3500EX is a top of the line 3-megapixel camera with all the features needed to make novice and experienced users happy. The QV-3500EX Plus bundle with the 340MB Microdrive is very competitively priced and gives you enough image storage for extended vacations. The new Best-Shot mode is very interesting as well as configurable and should make better photographers out of us all. Check out all of the features in my Casio QV-3500EX review....[read more]
04/28/2001: ShortCourses Now Offers Color eBooks
Over the past two years we've turned many people on to the books offered by our good friend Dennis Curtin who runs the ShortCourses.com web site. His books are much better than the manuals that come with the cameras as they not only explain their operation but also give you plenty of hints and tips to get better photographs with the cameras. To keep the cost reasonable he has always had the books printed in black and white as color publishing is rediculously expensive. To make this information available in color and still keep it affordable Dennis has launched a new series of ebooks on CD done in Adobe's PDF format. Four ebooks are now available. A general description of the ebook program can be found HERE. The first ebooks being announced can be found at: Canon PowerShot S300 Using Your Digital Cameras Over the next few days we'll also...[read more]
04/27/2001: Olympus To Market Interchangeable Lens SLR For Less Than Using Kodak CCD
We received an email last night from Kumio Yamada who runs the digitalcamera.gr.jp web site. He said that Mr. Kojima of Olympus announced at Kodak e-Revolution2001 that they would be building a digital SLR with interchangeable lenses based around the Kodak 4/3-inch 5-megapixel KAF-5100CE imager. The most intriguing part of this news was the price, 200,000 Yen which is roughly USD for the body and a lens. Olympus would be making a selection of five lenses available for the new camera. The official announcement of the new camera will come at PMA 2002 in February with the sale to commence by autumn, just in time for Photokina. Olympus is also developing a "mass power supply, a "grip system, "a mass storage system (optical magnetism type), a "macroscopic system" and the camera may also support the new Bluetooth wireless standard. Needless to say that we will stay on top of this...[read more]
04/27/2001: Phase One A/S to Use Kodak's 16-Megapixel CCD in LightPhase H20 Digital Camera Back
...[read more]
04/27/2001: Andromeda Launches Its New PERSPECTIVE Plug-In for PhotoShop
Westlake Village, CA ? Andromeda Software Inc. today announced the release of the new Perspective Filter, a new multi-platform, Adobe Photoshop compatible plug-in. More information is available at company site www.andromeda.com.A photograph is a flat image (2D) with height and width but no depth. Perspective Filter can be used to suggest or introduce the third dimension, depth, experienced in human vision.Andromeda Perspective Filter is unique in that it uses a camera paradigm to introduce depth or perspective. The user interface provides a dynamic visual interface, which inspires creative use. The introduction of this new plug-in continues Andromeda?s commitment to provide innovative plug-ins that are distinctive and beneficial.A "virtual camera" navigational tool in the Perspective offers a "tilt" and "swing" motion. The "tilt" movement permits depth-of-field control of the image plane. Moving the virtual camera right to left while focused on a stationary position accomplishes the "swing". The Perspective zoom function...[read more]
04/27/2001: Pictographics Announces iCorrect Professional Color Correction Software
April 27, 2001 - Burnsville, Minnesota - Pictographics International Corporation, a leading provider of digital color technology, has released iCorrect Professional, a color correction plug-in for Adobe Photoshop® and other popular photo editing packages. "A breakthrough in color technology, iCorrect quickly and easily solves a major problem of digital photography-accurate color capture." according to Wayne R. Huelskoetter, Pictographics president. Developed for professional photographers and other professionals who work with digital images, iCorrect makes color correction easy. With just one or two clicks of the mouse, iCorrect quickly makes global corrections to tonal ranges, colorcast, and other reference 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....[read more]
SAN DIEGO, April 26, 2001 - Sony Electronics today introduced the DCR-PC9 Mini DV Handycam camcorder that combines expanded battery capacity, MPEG movie capability and USB connectivity, while maintaining the diminutive form factor of its forerunner, the award-winning DCR-PC5 model. Weighing in at only 1 pound and 1 ounce, the new DCR-PC9 still packs a powerful punch with a 10x optical/120x-digital zoom and a ¼-inch, 680K pixel CCD imager. The lightweight PC9 Mini DV Handycam camcorder offers stunning digital video quality and digital still capture to Memory Stick media. Additionally, the new camcorder features Carl Zeiss optics, a precision color viewfinder and a 2.5" Precision SwivelScreen LCD display with Touchscreen controls all in one tiny package. The supplied "M" series InfoLithium battery on the DCR-PC9 increases battery life more than 30 percent over last year's DCR-PC5 model. With this increased power, users can shoot up to 115 minutes of action...[read more]
04/25/2001: Nikon Coolpix 775 Is the First Digital Camera with "One-Touch To The Web"
MELVILLE, NY, April 25, 2001 - Nikon, the world leader in photography, today introduced the Coolpix 775, the first digital camera to feature a One-Touch button to allow users to upload digital images directly to the desktop or the Web. The ultra-compact Coolpix 775 packs a 3x zoom lens and 2.14 megapixel CCD into the lightest, pocket-sized point-and-shoot digital camera. The Coolpix 775 is perfect for capturing digital photos anywhere, anytime, quickly and easily, and packs a host of easy-to-use features in a package weighing a mere 6.5 ounces. Nikon has always been known for advancing photography - the Coolpix 775 will reinvent the way people share digital photos. "The Nikon Coolpix 775 truly takes the guesswork out of digital photography," said Deborah Sauer, general manager, marketing, Nikon Consumer Digital Products and Compact Cameras. "Its combination of shooting modes, One-Touch to the web capability and Nikon digital image quality and...[read more]
04/25/2001: Nikon Coolpix 995 Review(s) Posted
You've all been waiting for it so here is my Coolpix 995 review...[read more]
04/25/2001: Nikon Introduces the new Coolpix 995
MELVILLE, NY, April 25, 2001 - Nikon, the world leader in photography, today introduced the new Coolpix 995, a 3.34-megapixel CCD digital camera that builds upon the award-winning design of the Nikon Coolpix 990 to set a new standard in digital photography. The Coolpix 995 combines a pop-up flash for added shooting performance, a 4x Optical Zoom-Nikkor lens that extends picture-taking capabilities, and a host of creative controls to offer the ultimate Coolpix digital camera available today. "With the Coolpix 995, Nikon once again raises the bar in digital photography design, control and performance," said Deborah Sauer, general manager, marketing, Nikon Consumer Digital and Compact Cameras. "When Nikon designed the Coolpix 995, we listened to user feedback to develop the perfect blend of features and superior Nikon quality and innovation. As a result, we created a digital camera that is driven by the photographer's imagination and offers the power and...[read more]
04/24/2001: Canon PowerShot A20 and CP-10 Printer Reviews Posted
I've just finished and posted both the Canon PowerShot A20 and the Canon CP-10 Card Printer reviews. This is an excellent choice for a compact and easy to use two-megapixel camera and the new CP-10 printer is as interesting as it is unique so check them out!...[read more]
04/23/2001: Sony Lowers MSRP on New DSC-P30 and DSC-P50 Cameras
We just received an email from Sony's PR folks informing us that Sony is lowering the MSRP on two of the new CyberShot cameras announced at PMA 2001. The new DSC-P50 is expected to retail for around instead of the originally announced and the DSC-P30 will be instead of . This lower pricing should make these cameras even more attractive to consumers looking for their first or next digicam....[read more]
ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 23 - Eastman Kodak Company today introduced a camera docking system, making it easier than ever for people to print and share digital pictures. Called EasyShare, the new line of cameras and docking system will set the standard for ease of use for digital photography. The Kodak EasyShare system features a camera dock and two new digital camera models-the Kodak DX3500 Digital Camera and the Kodak DX3600 Zoom Digital Camera. The camera dock addresses two of the biggest objections to digital cameras: easy connection and battery charging. Once the camera is placed in the dock, pictures are automatically uploaded to the computer and the dock recharges the camera?s battery pack. The system also includes software that allows users to connect to the Internet to e-mail or print their pictures. EasyShare makes picture sharing as easy as picture taking: one-button simple. Using Kodak Picture Software, the EasyShare system...[read more]
04/20/2001: Nikon D1X (beta) Samples Posted
If you're eagerly awaiting the new 6-megapixel Nikon D1X pro camera then you'll probably want to take a look-see at the samples that have been recently posted. Phil at the DP Review has gathered up all of the links and put them on this page to make it easy to find them. So far the images are very impressive and the production cameras will probably have even better image quality to offer. The Japan Miscall samples are definitely the best, the album pages will take a while to load from that Japanese photo sharing site but are well worth the wait!...[read more]
04/20/2001: Canon Re-Posts Digicam Drivers
We reported back on 4/13/01 that Canon had pulled the new 3.6.1 drivers that had just posted for their digital cameras. The new USB and TWAIN drivers have been again posted on the Canon site for download. Thanks to Mike from Imaging-Resource for spotting the message left on Rob Galbraith's forum from Chuck Westfall of Canon USA. Click on the link to read all of Chuck's comments about the driver update files. Briefly he said: "Canon Inc. has released new versions of the TWAIN Driver/Mac Plug-In software for the EOS D30. The version 3.6.1 drivers provide an option for reducing the conversion time of EOS D30 RAW images. USB TWAIN Driver 3.6.1 and Macintosh Plug-in Module 3.6.1 are the first Canon drivers to support the False Color Filter ON/OFF setting for EOS D30 RAW file conversions. This option is not yet available for ImageBrowser, ZoomBrowser EX, or the new Canon...[read more]
04/19/2001: e-Sim and Nikon Reach Groundbreaking Agreement
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2001-- Nikon Inc. signs agreement to become first digital imaging company to utilize LiveManuals Simulations. e-SIM, the leader in advanced simulation technology for product development, customer support and internet applications, and nikon inc., the world leader in 35mm and digital imaging technology, today announced an agreement to develop functional, interactive livemanuals simulations and manuals for Nikon's digital and SLR camera models. Nikon, already a forerunner in digital imaging, becomes the first in its industry to provide product simulation capabilities, available online, to augment its customer service and sales offerings. Nikon will also be the first customer to receive e-SIM's new plug-in-less simulations. Under the terms of the agreement, Nikon will utilize e-SIM's proprietary simular technology to enhance its customer service and sales support through the creation of interactive electronic product simulations and manuals. The product simulations will give consumers the ability to try out and interactively...[read more]
04/19/2001: Callisto Releases PhotoParade Maker® for the Macintosh
Natick, Mass., April 19, 2001 -- Callisto Corporation today released PhotoParade® Maker for the Macintosh, the first Macintosh version of their innovative software that provides consumers with an effortless way to turn their digital photos into entertaining slideshows and screen savers to share with friends and family. PhotoParade combines high-quality animation, graphics, music, narration and photo titling with a user?s digital photos. PhotoParade also includes editing tools for touching up and enhancing photos. PhotoParade?s user-friendly features make creating and sharing PhotoParade slideshows easy and intuitive. The easy-send feature lets users share their PhotoParades with anyone by simply entering the recipient?s e-mail address and clicking send. To view PhotoParades sent to them, the recipients need only the free PhotoParade Player (available for both Windows and Macintosh). PhotoParade has a built-in screen saver feature that automatically turns any PhotoParade into a personalized screen saver. Users can display PhotoParades they have created or...[read more]
04/19/2001: Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine's Top "Photo Sites" Named
The folks at Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine have a section called "Gold Star Sites" and this month they have named their Top Sites related to digital photography and the winners are: Best Overall Photo Site - Ofoto Best Prints From Film - Snapfish Best Digital Print - Ofoto Best Photo Sharing - Zing Best Photo Community - Photo.net Best Digital Camera Tutorials - ShortCourses Best Digital Camera Reviews - Digital Photography Review Best Digital Camera News - Steve's Digicams! Best Photo Novelty Gifts - Club Photo Congratulations to all the winners, their excellent sites and the services they provide to the digital camera community. And thanks to the folks at Yahoo! Internet Life for voting us the BEST News site....[read more]
SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2001-- Rods and Cones, a leader in color management services, announced today a new, unique training CD, Profile Toolbox, Photoshop 6. With this CD, color-critical Photoshop users will understand how to apply ICC profiles, how to prepare files for print and for the Web, and how to optimize Photoshop's vast color management features. The CD, developed using Final Cut Pro, introduces viewers to the basics of color management. Because color management begins with an accurate monitor, this versatile CD explains, step by step, how to profile a monitor using today's best-selling monitor profiling package, Color Vision's Photocal/Spyder. Other features include an introduction to the technology of color management, an explanation of what ICC profiles are, how to set up color management preferences in Photoshop, softproofing for print and for Web, optimal settings for printers (featuring an Epson with and without RIP). The good news is...[read more]
04/18/2001: SanDisk Unveils New Web Site to Showcase Products; Site Focuses On Flash Education
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2001--SanDisk Corporation today unveiled its new corporate web site to showcase its products. The new site emphasizes a user-friendly design, which makes learning about flash cards -- and the products that use flash cards -- simple and straightforward. Nelson Chan, SanDisk's senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing said, "Flash cards are now well past the early adopter stage as hundreds of portable, electronic products that use SanDisk flash memory cards have been introduced. Our new web site is designed to inform potential customers with very little technical expertise about these various products and which of our cards works best with the devices. The increased affordability and ease of use of handheld computers, digital cameras, cell phones, digital camcorders and Internet music players that all use SanDisk's flash memory cards have pushed these products into the mainstream." Judy Hoffmann, marketing communications manager at SanDisk, said,...[read more]
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2001--Epson has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore., against PrintRite Holdings Ltd. of Hong Kong and Dynamic Print USA Inc., its U.S. sales subsidiary. The lawsuit by Seiko Epson Corp., Epson Portland Inc. and Epson America Inc. alleges that replacement ink jet cartridges for Epson Stylus printers manufactured by PrintRite in China and distributed in the United States under the PrintRite and other brand names infringe numerous Epson patents. According to Rajeev Mishra, Epson America's Group Manager of Supplies Marketing: "Epson was forced to take this action to protect the company from unfair competition through the continued sales of cartridges that are infringing copies of Epson's patented ink cartridges. Epson has made huge investments in R&D and manufacturing in the United States and elsewhere to produce high quality, patented ink cartridges. This lawsuit is part of Epson's worldwide effort to...[read more]
04/17/2001: Epson Introduces New Epson Stylus Photo 785EPX with PRINT Image Matching Technology
LONG BEACH, Calif., April 16, 2001 - Epson America Inc. today announced the EPSON Stylus Photo 785EPX ink jet printer. Developed for digital camera owners, this new printer delivers convenient photo printing with and without a computer, compatibility with popular digital camera memory cards and Epson's patented BorderFree photo printing. The EPSON Stylus Photo 785EPX is Epson's first printer to include PRINT Image Matching, a breakthrough technology that ensures digital cameras and printers work perfectly together to produce the best possible prints. The EPSON Stylus Photo 785EPX features up to 2880 x 720 dpi and Epson's Advanced Micro Piezo ink jet technology, a six-color photo ink system creating incredible detail, beautiful skin tones, sharper contrast and an ultra-wide color range designed ideally for photography. This printer also offers four-picoliter droplets, delivering the best in virtually continuous tone quality for prints that appear indistinguishable from traditional photos. Specially designed for digital...[read more]
04/16/2001: Olympus Cuts Digital Camera Production; Plans To Focus On Higher-End Models
Olympus Optical Co., Tokyo, Japan, revised its digital camera production plan for this year downward to 200,000 units a month from the 300,000 units it had originally planned for, JPEA Photo Electro News reported. The company cited the bearish market in the United States as a major reason for the revision. Olympus exports mainly low-priced models to the United States. "In short, we are withdrawing from the low-end markets that yield relatively little profits," said a company officer. "While the market is growing for low-priced digital cameras retailed at ¥19,800 to ¥29,800 ( to ), we would rather leave it to other makers including makers of so-called toy digital cameras." The same company officer added that competition is building among digital camera manufacturers to produce cameras with more powerful zoom lenses and higher pixel counts, and that Olympus plans to focus its efforts on these higher value-added models....[read more]
04/16/2001: Sony to Expand Memory Stick Line, 2002 Will See 256 & 512 MB, 1GB in 2003
JPEA Photo Electro News reports Sony Corp., Tokyo, Japan, will add new models to its line of Memory Sticks. This month, a 128 MB version is being introduced. In fiscal 2002, Sony will launch 256 MB and 512 MB models, and a 1 GB model will follow in 2003. Sony will also increase writing speed to 20 megabits per second next year....[read more]
04/16/2001: Nikon N80 and other Reviews Posted
I have just posted the first of our film camera reviews, this one is for the Nikon N80, Nikon's advanced 35mm SLR. In the coming weeks and months we will be reviewing more film cameras so keep an eye open for the announcements here on the News page. These reviews will also be listed on the Camera Reviews index page. More Reviews PostedIn the last couple of days I have also posted the following reviews: Toshiba PDR-M65 Kodak mc3 BracketBoy Flash Bracket DigiSnap 2000 - Remote Controller...[read more]
04/16/2001: Sarnoff to Commercialize Mini Spy-Camera Technology
By Eric Auchard NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sarnoff Corp., the research lab responsible for video inventions dating back to color television, on Tuesday will unveil a miniature digital camera for use in mobile phones, security and auto applications. The Princeton, N.J.-based research laboratory said its low-power, 1.2 inch by 1 inch BLINC digital camera will allow mobile phone users to send and receive film-quality photo and video images along with their calls. Sarnoff, a privately held unit of SRI International, created the technology as a part of a U.S. government contract to build a miniaturized surveillance camera for use in covert spy operations, a scientist involved in the project said. The contract required a camera that would allow its users to carry the device around for weeks before turning it on. The device needed to be able have its exposure adjusted quickly and respond to sudden changes in light. Mobile...[read more]
04/14/2001: Qimage Pro Now Supports Olympus E-10 Raw (ORF) Files
Qimage Pro 2001 v1.4 now has full support for the Olympus 10 bit per channel E-10 raw (ORF) format. Use Qimage Pro to decode your E-10 raw images and get the same super-high res interpolation and color accuracy as that found in the Nikon D1 NEF decoder (see v1.3 news below). Qimage Pro 2001 v1.4 uses its own unique interpolation and color matching process to bring you the best images possible from your E-10 raw files, giving you detail down to the pixel level and excellent shadow detail. Although we have calibrated the color matching as accurately as possible, since this is the first release of Qimage Pro that includes E-10 raw file support, we plan to work with E-10 users to refine the color matching in future versions, improving tone curves and white balance curves based on user input where applicable. Follow the link above to get the info...[read more]
04/13/2001: PhotoStreak Significantly Speeds the Sending of Photos over the Internet
HILTON HEAD, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2001--Compression Engine Technologies Inc., a leader in digital image compression, has introduced two new powerful and easy-to-use products that significantly speed the sending of digital images across the Internet. PhotoStreak, an Internet Photo Accelerator, is a free full-featured download for personal use that allows for significant compression of digital images. PhotoStreak Pro is an enhanced version that is available for use by corporations and government users for .95. Both are available for download at www.photostreak.com. "Whether it's to family and friends or an online photo developer, sending high-quality images over the Internet via e-mail has been one of the most frustrating tasks for the average personal user," according to Debbie Michelle, director of product marketing. "The problem to date has been that the file sizes created by today's high resolution digital cameras and scanners are far larger than can be reasonably sent over still-popular standard...[read more]
04/13/2001: Iomega Proposes Cash Payout To Settle Zip Drive Lawsuit
Iomega Corp., Roy, Utah, USA, proposed a cash payout of .7 million in a settlement regarding alleged defective Zip disk drives, Reuters reported. Iomega would also donate million of its products and services to charity and offer rebates on new purchases of to to anyone who claims to have bought an Iomega Zip drive between the beginning of 1995 and March 19, 2001, the proposal on Iomega's website said. This class-action lawsuit was initiated in September 1998 by a group of purchasers of Iomega's Zip drive products. According to Reuters, the suit alleges that Iomega drives had a "clicking" problem and other defects and that company advertising was misleading, claims that Iomega denied, saying it was settling the suit to avoid further costs. According to Iomega's website, the Delaware Superior Court will decide on the settlement in June. Those who believe they may qualify as a plaintiff in the lawsuit...[read more]
04/13/2001: Kodak Revamps Picture CD Format
...[read more]
04/13/2001: LizardTech to Acquire Altamira's Genuine Fractals Technology
LizardTech, Seattle, Wash., USA, will acquire the Genuine Fractals technology of Altamira Group Inc., Burbank, Calif., USA. The acquisition will enable LizardTech to provide its DjVu and MrSID software solutions to Genuine Fractals' partners, alliances, customers and reseller channels. LizardTech will gain access to Genuine Fractals' sales channel with photography device manufacturers, such as Olympus, Nikon, and Minolta. The transaction will be finalized in the quarter ending June 30, subject to customary regulatory approvals....[read more]
04/13/2001: Jenoptik Offers Updates For JS-21 35mm Scanner
The Jenoptik JS-21 35mm scanner features a Version 3.0 driver update, which features improved sharpness, definition and color saturation via a more accurate method of sensing the film base and ISO selection procedure. Other improvements to the 2,400 dpi optical resolution scanner include better USB connectivity and the ability to scan both mounted and un-mounted slides with the supplied slide carriers for single or batch scanning. The JS-21 offers both parallel and USB interfaces for Windows 95, 98 and ME and comes with accessories and two software bundles. Retail price is £219.99 including VAT. Also available is a new Mac driver, which can be downloaded from www.jenoptik-camera.com. Existing owners of the scanner may contact Jenoptik Camera U.K. Ltd. with a self-addressed envelope for a free copy of the new version 3.0 driver upgrade....[read more]
04/12/2001: Harbortronics Releases New DigiSnap 2000
...[read more]
04/11/2001: SB-29 Ringflash Adapter for Coolpix
The folks over at digitalkamera.de in Germany have posted information about an adapter ring that allows you to mount the Nikon SB-29 ringlight on Coolpix cameras and retain full TTL flash exposure control. This should be of special interest to dentists and other medical people that need the lighting of a professional ringlight to enhance their closeup pictures with the Coolpix 950 or 990. Follow the link above to read the entire article and to get the web address of the company that markets this adapter ring....[read more]
04/11/2001: A-Digital-Eye Reviews Sony S75
Dave Kamanski at the A-Digital-Eye site emailed to let me know that he had just posted a thorough Sony DSC-S75 review as well as many sample photos. Dave even tested the camera with Sony's Remote Control tripod which is something we haven't seen or used yet. His conclusion was in line with the rest of us that have reviewed this camera: "The DSC-S75 provides great color and overall high quality picture results, standing out along with the relatively good value you get from the MSRP of just . With a solid camera feel to it, very easy menus to use, lots of camera control and manual exposure / focus settings, and a great battery life, the latest 3.34 megapixel offering by Sony is one which we feel has a lot to offer potential buyers, and one we can highly recommend."...[read more]
04/11/2001: Canon S600 Out of Blue Sweepstakes
Canon S600 Bubble Jet Printer Promotion Enter to win in the Canon S600 Out of Blue Sweepstakes for a chance at a 2001 Volkswagen® New Beetle GLX, Kawasaki JET SKI® Watercraft, New Orleans Blues Trip for Two, A Digital Solutions Package consisting of an indigo iMac? computer, a Canon S600 Printer, and a Canon PowerShot® S300 Digital ELPH® Camera, a Handspring? Visor? Edge Handheld Computer, and a Nokia? 8260 Wireless Phone. SWEEPSTAKES OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. Sweepstakes begins on April 9, 2001 at 12:00 a.m. (PT) and ends on April 30, 2001 at 11:59 p.m. (PT)....[read more]
04/10/2001: Olympus D-100 Brio Review Posted
We just finished our Olympus D-100 review, this is a pocket-size 1.3-megapixel digicam that doesn't have a lot of frills but it does take good pictures and it won't break the bank. If you're looking for an easy to use, point-n-shoot type camera then this may be the one for you....[read more]
04/09/2001: MacDill AFB "AirFest 2001" Photos
I loaned my doctor friend a Kodak DC4800 Zoom to use at the AirFest 2001 air show held yesterday at MacDill AFB in Tampa. As usual they put on a terrific show with everything from F-117 Stealth fighters to B1 bombers and the Blue Angels and many more planes and things. I have posted a page full of the best photos - enjoy! AirFest 2001 photo page...[read more]
04/09/2001: Canon Debuts S600 Bubble Jet Printer; A Major Leap in Ink Jet Printing Technology
COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 2001-- Canon U.S.A. Inc., a division of Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), announced today its S600 Bubble Jet printer which the company believes sets new standards for performance in the mid-range ink jet printing market for small office/home office (SOHO) users. The S600 printer, new to the company's broad range of Bubble Jet printers, boasts high-resolution four-color printing at 2400x1200 dpi -- 38 percent higher resolution than 2880x720 dpi printers -- and produces laser-quality text at up to 15 pages-per-minute (ppm) as well as stunning 8x10-inch photos on plain paper in approximately 90 seconds. The S600 printer also includes the exclusive Canon ThinkTank System -- individual ink tanks for each color (CMYK) and a low-ink sensor -- an intelligent, economical system. For only estimated street price, the S600 printer offers a combined feature set that no competitive printer can match. Ink jet printer resolutions are determined by...[read more]
04/09/2001: Fujifilm FinePix 6800 Zoom Review Posted
Just posted our Fujifilm FinePix 6800 Zoom review. This is an impressive little pocket-size camera that takes 2048 x 1536 (3-megapixel) images that can be further enlarged in-camera to 2832 x 2128 via the SuperCCD interpolation. Its all-metal case and builtin lens protector make it a good "go anywhere" type of camera for the extreme sportist or the casual user. Capable of 160-second full motion video with sound, 60 minutes of audio recording plus it can also be used as a webcam so it is very versatile. Check out the rest of the features in our review. For a second or third opinion see the following Fuji 6800Z reviews: Imaging-Resource DP Review...[read more]
04/09/2001: Kodak DCS 760 list price: US; Street Price: US
According to pro photojournalist Rob Galbraith's web site Kodak has announced a price for the new DCS 760 SLR. "Kodak today pegged the list price of the upcoming DCS 760 digital SLR camera at US. Meanwhile, three pro dealers contacted in the US late last week indicate they are taking pre-orders for the DCS 760, which is slated to ship next month (not this month, as variously reported around the Web), at a price of just under US."...[read more]
04/09/2001: Fujifilm FinePix 6800 Zoom and FinePix 2300 Now Available
ELMSFORD, NY, April 9, 2001 - Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today announced the first nationwide shipments of the two newest additions to its FinePix digital camera line - the stylish and versatile FinePix 6800 Zoom, with its new 3.3 million-sensor Super CCD and High Definition Color Processing Technology for more colorful pictures with resolutions as high as six million pixels, and the FinePix 2300 digital camera, the latest in Fujifilm's popular line of entry-level FinePix digital photography products. With suggested list prices of and respectively, the FinePix 6800 Zoom and the FinePix 2300 offer these useful features and functions: With a body conceived by F.A. Porsche, the same designer that brought the world the distinctive and timeless look of the classic Porsche® 911 sports car, the FinePix 6800 Zoom features a new 3.3 million-sensor Super CCD, High Definition Color Processing Technology and a host of useful features that will...[read more]
04/08/2001: Qimage Pro 2001 v1.3 Released
Qimage Pro author Mike Chaney emailed to say: "I've spent that last 2+ weeks completely rebuilding the D1 NEF decoder in Qimage Pro, with focus on increasing resolving power. After weeks of designing and testing new interpolation algorithms, I've finally settled on a hybrid method that is capable of bringing you 1450+ lines of moire-free resolution as demonstrated on the Qimage Pro site using a standard resolution chart. This unprecedented level of resolution far exceeds that of even the previous king of resolution, the Fuji S1 Pro. In addition, the new NEF decoder has redesigned color matching for more accurate color and contrast." Qimage Pro 2001 v1.3 Major Features - Interpolation at its best: Take your D1 NEF images to new extremes by resolving an unparalleled 1450+ lines of resolution both horizontally and vertically! That's significantly higher resolving power than even the Fuji S1 Pro. Qimage Pro 2001 v1.3 uses...[read more]
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2001--Zooming in on gift ideas for Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations and summer fun, Canon, U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon, Inc., has introduced promotional offers that provide photographers and videographers with a total shooting experience. Featured Canon products include cameras, lenses, binoculars and digital camcorders. CAMERAS, LENSES, BINOCULARS Canon Rebates(1): Purchase eligible cameras, lenses, or binoculars from April 1, 2001 to July 31, 2001 and save up to with rebate offers. For example, the purchase of a Canon EOS-1v camera, PB-E2 Power Drive Booster and EF 400/2.8 L IS U lens, provides a rebate of . Canon Free Offer(1): Canon's most powerful free offer ever combines the purchase of a Canon EOS D30 digital camera with a free 340mb Microdrive PowerPack ( retail value). Effective purchase dates are April 1, 2001 to June 30, 2001. The Canon EOS D30 digital camera is the world's...[read more]
The folks over at Digital Outback Photo have just posted an article called "REALISTIC, FILM-LIKE B&W IN PHOTOSHOP" that tells you how to convert your color images into the equivalent of pictures shot on real B&W film. The author of the article has also made the necessary channel mixer files available for download. QUE Publishing is releasing "Photoshop Restoration & Retouching," by Katrin Eismann. The 276-page book deals with exposure and color correction, dust and mold removal, damage repair, and portrait retouching. A supplemental website for the book is available at www.digitalretouch.org, where readers can download images used in the book for practice. Total Training Inc., Encinitas, Calif., USA, released a new training series Creating Web Graphics with Adobe Photoshop 6. The supplement to the series Total Training for Photoshop 6 provides information specific to creating images for Intranet and Internet sites. Photoshop expert Deke McClelland collaborated on the project....[read more]
04/05/2001: Epson Introduces New Large-Format Inkjet Printer
Epson America Inc., Long Beach, Calif., USA, is introducing a new large-format printer. The Epson Stylus Pro 10000 uses a variable droplet Micro Piezo DX3 print head with photo accelerator and nozzle verification technologies to create images up to 44 inches wide at 1,440-by-720 dpi resolution. Epson said the Stylus Pro 10000 is its fastest inkjet printer to date, with speeds approximately six times faster than its predecessors - the Stylus Pro 9000 and 9500. The printer can output images up to 231 square feet per hour at its fastest setting, Epson said, and approximately 72 square feet per hour when printing photographic-quality output. The Stylus Pro 10000 also features Epson's Archival Ink technology, which Epson said enhances the quality and extends the life of prints. The Stylus Pro 10000 offers a USB, IEEE 1394 FireWire, ECP Parallel and Epson Type-B expansion slot standard with optional cards available for 10/100...[read more]
04/05/2001: Kodak Offers "Trade-Up" Program For Thermal Printer Owners
The Kodak Professional division of Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., USA, is offering owners of Kodak Digital Science 8600, 8400 PS, 8650 and 8650 thermal printers or the Kodak Professional PS 8657 color printer the opportunity to receive a ,250 rebate when they trade in their printer towards the purchase of a new Kodak Professional 8660 or 8670 PS thermal printer under Kodak's "Trade Up the Heat" program. The Kodak Professional 8670 PS thermal printer offers a 133-Mhz processor and built- in Adobe PostScript 3 RIP which enables it to print photo-quality images from almost any PostScript software application in about 75 seconds for an 8-by-10-inch print, Kodak said. The Kodak Professional 8660 thermal printer offers both matte and gloss print surfaces, Kodak said, and offers a 15 percent faster printing speed over its predecessor. The Kodak Professional "Trade Up the Heat" thermal printer trade-in program runs until Oct. 31....[read more]
04/04/2001: Bibble is Back and Faster Than Ever!
For those of you that are not familiar with Bibble it's a PC/Windows and Macintosh program developed as an alternative to Nikon Capture for the D1. After the author perfected it as a NEF file converter those of us with Canon D30's asked him to make it work the same with the Canon RAW (.crw) files created by our cameras. It has been working with the .crw files since December of last year but rather slowly because it depended on the Canon drivers supplied with the software that came with the camera. I just received the following message from Eric along with the announcement of the release of the latest version of Bibble: "Sorry for the lack of updates recently, but I've spent the last 3 months trying to find a way to work around using the slow canon .crw drivers, and I've succeeded! Now you can finally tap amazing...[read more]
04/02/2001: April Fools Abound on the Net
Before you email me asking about the new 6-megapixel Olympus SLR or the 5-megapixel Coolpix Pro One or the multitude of other new "exotic" and high-res digicams that you might have heard about on one site or another in the past day or so please remember that yesterday was April Fool's Day. Many sites and news groups have been hit by incredible announcements of new cameras that seem to be too good to be true - they are!...[read more]
04/01/2001: Happy Birthday - Imaging-Resource
Our good friends over at the Imaging-Resource are celebrating their third year in the digicam web site business - congratulations! (Here at Steve's we got our start in early 1997 by posting some digicam information on my web site for ham radio and weather topics. At the beginning of 1998 we registered the steves-digicams.com domain and created this web site.)...[read more]
04/01/2001: Steve's Digicams To Review Film Cameras
No April's Fooling -- Steve's Digicams announces today that we are expanding our camera reviews to also include film cameras, both Point and Shoot and SLR's! The first review of the Nikon N80 is expected to be posted this week. This will be a cooperative effort between Steve's Digicams and Lake Shore Camera Exchange. Watch for further news as we post the reviews....[read more]
