In 2004, the worldwide consumer digital camera market experienced enormous pricing pressure on the low-end, primarily due to camera phone adoption, effecting DSC unit sell-through which remained nearly flat from 2003 at a 26.3% growth rate, amassing .2B in street valued revenue. ASP’s in 2004 plummeted –19% on average across all geos. Those non-branded camera vendors providing sub units suddenly found themselves in competition with branded vendors at retail selling cameras at the same price-points. Many were forced out of the market in 2004. Contrary to another research firm’s assessment for the WW consumer DSC market, (guessing 1% year on year growth rate in 2007), Imerge Consulting Group firmly believes this sector will slowly settle between 5% and 10% growth year on year out to 2009. Even though resolution will peak and will not be a market requirement or driver out to 2007 and beyond, price, wireless transmission, improved...[read more]
03/30/2005: Casio Announces Firmware Update For EX-P505
Well, it must be spring because the firmware updates are certainly popping up all over. Today Casio released EX-P505 Firmware Update version 1.01, the improvements in this update: Increases USB communication speed. Adds autumn leaves scene to snapshot BEST SHOT scenes. Provides support for SD memory cards greater than 1GB. Note that you will lose the Russian language support in the menus and you cannot undo the firmware once it has been installed....[read more]
03/28/2005: Olympus Announces Free Firmware Updates For Evolt E-300 Digital SLR
Melville, New York, March 28, 2005 – A key advantage of the Olympus Digital SLR System is that the performance of the cameras, lenses, and flash units can be enhanced through free user updates accessible via the Olympus image editing software and the Internet long after the products have arrived at a user’s home. Olympus once again demonstrates this advantage by posting online today a free firmware update for the EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR body. The new firmware version 1.2 will improve the already fast write speed of the EVOLT with support for newer Compact Flash media cards. It also adds a number of new professional features to improve the functionality of the camera. Read the Olympus E-300 firmware press release...[read more]
03/28/2005: Konica Minolta Announces Rebate for Maxxum 7D and Rebates for DiMAGE Z2 and Z3
Mahwah, NJ (March 28, 2005) – Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. announces new consumer mail-in rebates for the purchase of a DiMAGE Z2, DiMAGE Z3 or Maxxum 7D digital camera. Available now until June 30, 2005, consumers that purchase a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 or DiMAGE Z3 digital camera are eligible for a rebate. In addition, consumers that purchase a DiMAGE Z2 or DiMAGE Z3 together with a qualifying Epson printer are eligible for an additional rebate from Epson (total up to in rebates from Konica Minolta and Epson). There is also a mail-in rebate available for consumers who purchase a new Maxxum 7D digital SLR camera. These rebate offers are good only in the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, on DiMAGE Z2 and DiMAGE Z3 purchases made from March 1, 2005 and Maxxum 7D purchases made from March 14, 2005 until June 30, 2005....[read more]
03/25/2005: Reviews Recently Posted
Today we posted our Canon Digital Rebel XT first look with some initial sample images. Early conclusion - it's another SLR winner for Canon. The image quality is what we've come to expect from a Canon CMOS sensor, it's got the controls and features that were lacking on the original Digital Rebel and sells for with a lens! Also just posted is our Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 review, a 5-megapixel "pocket rocket" with a 5x optical zoom, flexible 2" LCD and high-quality VGA motion video with stereo audio. All this from a barely palm-sized and extremely lightweight but durable, metal-bodied camera - check it out! If you're looking for a "one device does it all" printer / scanner / copier, the Canon PIXMA MP760 Photo-All-in-One might just fit the bill without breaking the bank. Take a Canon PIXMA photo printer, stick a Canon flatbed image scanner on top of...[read more]
Intelligent Mobile Solutions Limited (IMS), announce that its groundbreaking new product DSLRClean™ – a specially created cleaning stick for removing dust from digital SLR camera sensors – is now available worldwide. The DSLRClean™ sticks are designed for use without liquids using a unique micro-pore swab that creates a mini vacuum effect to gently lift dust from both CCD and CMOS type sensors. There are several solutions on the market which either involve static charged brushes or liquids. IMS has created a solution that does not involve either the insertion of a static charged brush (which can have a negative impact on CMOS devices as they are incredibly sensitive to charge build-up) or the use of hazardous liquids. IMS has the most effective and safest solution for sensor cleaning at less than half the cost of other available products. DSLRClean™ is available online from www.intemos.com - .99 for a package...[read more]
03/23/2005: Casio EX-P700 and EX-P505 Earn Honors at 2005 DIMA Digital Camera Shoot Out
DOVER, NJ – March 23, 2005 – Casio, Inc., a leading innovator in digital cameras, was twice named a winner in the Point-and-Shoot category of the 9th Annual Digital Imaging Marketing Association (DIMA) Digital Camera Shoot Out at the recent PMA 2005 Show held in Orlando, Florida. Casio’s Exilim Pro EX-P700 and EX-P505 digital cameras were both recognized in the point-and-shoot category – the EX-P700 won in the to category, and the EX-P505 in the digital Video Camcorder category. The DIMA Awards recognize consumer technology products that exhibit excellence in overall quality of the digital print and accuracy of color as compared by the samples of fabric used in the studio. Participating camera manufacturers captured images in four live-model studios, and images from the point-and-shoot cameras were printed on three different digital mini-lab systems. “Casio is honored to have two of our newest digital cameras acknowledged by DIMA in...[read more]
03/21/2005: Harbortronics Ships VG-D70 Battery Grip for Nikon D70
Harbortronics has just begun shipping their new VG-D70 Vertical / Battery Grip for the Nikon D70. This add-on may be just what you D70 owners have been looking for and unable to acquire from Nikon. It's a perfect match, both physically and asthetically, for the D70's black body. The VG-D70 gives you the ability to have two EN-EL3 battery packs attached to your camera, giving you enough power to take 1,000's of shots. If you only want the advantage of the grip without extra weight just use one battery. It makes the D70 more stable and secure when using a long zoom lens and/or an external flash. It adds a vertical grip and shutter release which can be triggered using the camera's IR function. For those who like to take long exposures or anyone who needs a way to trigger the shutter via a wired remote, the VG-D70 provides...[read more]
03/21/2005: Lensbabies Launches Lensbabies 2.0 - New Generation of Selective Focus SLR Lens
March 21, 2005, Las Vegas, NV - Today at the WPPI trade show, Lensbabies launched Lensbaby 2.0, a second-generation selective focus SLR camera lens, bringing brighter, sharper, and faster selective focus photography to professional and avid amateur photographers. Lensbaby 2.0 brings one area of a photo into sharp focus, with that ‘sweet spot’ surrounded by graduated blur, glowing highlights, and subtle prismatic color distortions. Photographers can fluidly move the sharp area around the photo by bending the flexible lens tubing. Lensbaby 2.0 features an f2.0 aperture setting in addition to the Original Lensbaby’s f2.8, f4.0, f5.6 and f8.0. With Lensbaby 2.0, a photographer can control the size of the sweet spot of sharp focus by changing the apertures. The brighter the aperture, the smaller the sweet spot of focus and the greater the amount of graduated blurring in the photo’s surrounding area. It also features a coated, high refractive...[read more]
03/18/2005: BreezeBrowser Pro v1.1 Adds Canon EOS REBEL XT/350D Raw Conversion
18th March, 2005 : Breeze Systems announced the immediate availability of BreezeBrowser Pro v1.1. This release introduces raw conversion for the Canon EOS Digital REBEL XT/350D camera. BreezeBrowser Pro users can now also rank images and create and view image shortcuts. 'Shortcuts' allow showcase directories and web galleries to be created using links to images held in a variety of other directories. BreezeBrowser Pro remains at the introductory price of just US .95 or US .50 bundled with Breeze Downloader Pro until April 11th 2005. This price includes one year's free upgrades. Breeze Systems have also extended the US introductory price for existing BreezeBrowser customers wishing to upgrade to BreezeBrowser Pro until April 11th 2005. A free 15 day trial version can be downloaded from www.breezesys.com Read the complete BreezeBrowser Pro press release....[read more]
03/17/2005: Bibble Labs Ships Bibble 4.2 with D2X Support
Bibble Labs Inc. is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Bibble 4.2. The second major update to Bibble 4.x includes support for a host of new cameras as well as new features, enhancements and bugs fixes. As always versions of Bibble 4.2 are available in Pro and lite versions for Windows, OS X and Linux. New cameras supported in version 4.2 include: Canon S60, S70 G6, Pro1, Digital Rebel XT, Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, Nikon D2X, 8800, 8700, 8400, Olympus C-8080, E300 Evolt and Pentax *IST DS. Of particular note is the Nikon D2X. With this new camera Nikon has chosen to “obscure” some of the data that is necessary for processing the raw files. This has resulted in most 3rd party solutions being unable to correctly render the cameras As-Shot white balance. Bibble Labs has successfully located and decoded this data allowing us to provide Full support...[read more]
03/16/2005: Nikon Coolpix S1 - The Smallest and Thinnest Nikon Ever and the First with a 2.5” LCD
MELVILLE, NY, MARCH 16, 2005 – Some digital cameras are very stylish. Others simply take great pictures. Those looking for the best of both worlds will enjoy the latest addition to Nikon’s award-winning line-up of Coolpix digital cameras. Nikon today introduced the new ultra-slim Coolpix S1 - a 5.1-megapixel camera featuring state-of-the-art technology like the exclusive new Face Priority AF (Auto Focus) feature, enhanced image quality and improved speed, within a smooth, compact design. Along with the line’s first, bright 2.5-inch LCD screen, the ¾-inch thin Coolpix S1 is perfect for the customer who values style and sophistication on par with traditional Nikon performance. Read the full Nikon press release....[read more]
03/15/2005: Pentax Announces 645 Digital Medium Format Camera
GOLDEN, CO (March 15, 2005)…PENTAX Imaging Company has announced that PENTAX Corporation will unveil the first PENTAX 645 Digital medium-format camera at the Photo Imaging Expo (PIE) from March 17–20, 2005 in Tokyo. This latest PENTAX digital advancement will be showcased under glass at PIE 2005. The PENTAX 645 Digital camera will offer professional quality digital image reproduction. The camera will feature: PENTAX 645 AF mount, compatibility with existing smc PENTAX 645 interchangeable lenses and a Kodak developed CCD image sensor with 18.6 total megapixels. Read the Pentax 645 Digital press release. Pentax Announces DA 12-24mm for Pentax Digital SLRs GOLDEN, CO (March 15, 2005)…PENTAX Imaging Company has announced yet another compact, lightweight, interchangeable zoom lens for exclusive use with PENTAX digital SLR cameras including the *ist D and the *ist DS digital SLRs. The smc PENTAX-DA 12mm-24mm F4 ED AL [IF] is the sixth DA-series lens offered by...[read more]
PictoColor Corporation, a leading developer and distributor of color management products has opened PictoMarketplace.com, a new online store featuring professional color correction, calibration, and profiling solutions. PictoMarketplace is a color management product resource for digital photographers. It is owned and operated by PictoColor Corporation and specializes in digital color control products that help the digital photographer create a color management workflow. PictoMarketplace.com will offer the best digital imaging hardware and software products designed to help the digital photographer improve workflow and maximize quality and productivity. Among the inaugural products featured are: GretagMacbeth Eye-One Display2 for monitor calibration and profiling GretagMacbeth Eye-One Design for RGB and CYMK printer calibration and profiling GretagMacbeth Digital ColorChecker SG digital camera profiling chart Kodak Professional Color Management Check Up Kit iCorrect® EditLab™ Pro 4.5 High Speed Color Correction Software inCamera® 4.0 Digital Camera and Scanner ICC Profiling Software...[read more]
CeBIT (Hannover, Germany)- March 10, 2005 - Ulead Systems, Inc., a 15-year industry leader in video, image and DVD software, announces Ulead® DVD MovieFactory™ 4 Disc Creator, the latest version of its all-in-one consumer-level DVD creation software for the PC. DVD MovieFactory 4 Disc Creator offers useful digital media tools such as the ability to burn audio DVDs, fit dual layer DVDs to a single layer disc and quickly sync music to an MP3 player. At the same time, it enables consumers to turn videos and photos into DVD movies and slideshows to watch on TV with a professional-looking DVD menu. DVD MovieFactory 4 Disc Creator is the right fit for anyone who wants a variety of tools to handle their digital media as well as the ability to create polished home movies, slideshows and business presentations. Ulead also offers a standard version of DVD MovieFactory 4, which provides...[read more]
Mahwah, NY (March 10, 2005) – Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc., announces the development of three new "DT" lenses – interchangeable Digital technology (DT) lenses designed for the Maxxum Series digital SLR cameras, including the Maxxum 7D. These new zoom lenses will expand the lineup of Konica Minolta interchangeable lenses for Maxxum Series cameras. The DT Lenses employ a new optical system that is specifically designed for digital SLR cameras, including the Maxxum 7D, which incorporate an APS-C size CCD image sensor. Konica Minolta AF DT ZOOM 18-70mm F3.5-5.6(D), AF DT ZOOM 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 (D), and AF DT ZOOM 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 (D) lenses will be available in the summer/fall of 2005. Read the Konica Minolta press release....[read more]
03/09/2005: DIWA Announces Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards
March 9, 2005 - The 11 member websites within DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association) continuously test and review digital imaging products for their readers. For digital cameras, more than 200 details must be checked, tested and evaluated. Then, each review is carefully monitored and compared by DIWA to ensure error-free, reliable and comprehensive test results. Top ranked products will receive DIWA Awards in the value of gold, silver or bronze, based on summarized average scores. At the end of each year, one of the gold winners from each of the three digital camera categories is selected by the members as the best of the best, honored by a "DIWA Platinum Award". Read the DIWA Platinum Awards press release. DIWA has also announced Gold Awards to: Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D (Dynax 7D), Nikon Coolpix 8800 and Canon Powershot SD300 (Digital IXUS 40) and Silver Awards to: Nikon Coolpix 8400, Olympus...[read more]
03/08/2005: Sony Super-Thin 5-Megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T7
LAS VEGAS, March 8, 2005 – Sony introduces new, incredibly thin Cyber-shot DSC-T7 digital camera. Thanks to a highly efficient design, the Cyber-shot T7 is just over a third-of-an inch thin. Though small in stature, the camera packs a 2.5-inch ‘hybrid’ LCD screen, 5.1 effective megapixel resolution, an enhanced power management system for extended shooting time and a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens. The Cyber-shot DSC-T7 is supplied with a 32 MB Memory Stick Duo™ media card, a NP-FE1 InfoLithium battery, connector block and external battery charger. It will be available in May for about . Read the full Sony press release....[read more]
NEW YORK, March 7, 2005 – It was standing room only in New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles - the first four stops of the Just Show Me How Professional seminar tour, where attendees learned a variety of tools and techniques that address digital workflow issues of the professional photographer. Only six cities remain on this popular ten city tour, so only a limited number of attendees will get to benefit from this valuable information. The remaining cities are: Dallas, TX March 13th, Boston, MA April 3rd, Washington, DC April 10th, San Diego, CA April 17th, San Francisco, CA May 1st, Orlando, FL May 15th. Several leading digital photography companies – including Extensis, GretagMacbeth, Lexar, Mirra, Nik Multimedia, Wacom, Microsoft, Adobe, and Blue Pixel - have partnered together to address critical workflow issues that help professional photographers stay competitive. While most seminars focus on the camera, editing, or...[read more]
Rochester, NY (March 8, 2005) – Eastman Kodak today introduced new Actions for its professional suite of image correction and enhancement plug-ins that work in Adobe Photoshop CS Software. The Actions expand automatic image correction capabilities by optimizing the plug-ins for creating unique effects and more beautiful pictures. The Actions require Adobe PHOTOSHOP CS Software and the professional versions of the plug-ins. Once the Actions are loaded into the Actions Palette and played, they perform in a fully automatic mode but can be modified by advanced users for custom results. With this introduction, there is a unique Action available for each of the four professional plug- ins: DIGITAL ROC Professional Plug-In for color restoration; DIGITAL SHO Professional Plug-In for revealing details hidden in shadows and highlights; DIGITAL GEM Professional Plug-In for reduction of noise and grain; and DIGITAL GEM Airbrush Professional Plug-In for smoothing skin surfaces. Eastman Kodak Company...[read more]
Melville, NY, March 4, 2005 – Olympus Imaging America Inc. announces a rebate on its EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR system both with and without its consumer Zuiko Digital Specific lenses. Now, when consumers purchase one of the following items from an authorized OLYMPUS SLR dealer or log on to the Olympus America rebate page they can receive a mail-in rebate coupon for cash back from Olympus: EVOLT E-300 body on its own EVOLT E-300 Kit (with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko lens) or EVOLT E-300 Two Lens Kit (with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 and 40-150mm f3.5/4.5 Zuiko lenses) The offer applies to all EVOLT bodies and EVOLT Kits purchased from February 7 until March 31, 2005 in the US and Canada (rebates must be postmarked by April 30, 2005). The greatest savings by far is for the EVOLT E-300 Two Lens Kit. Purchased separately, they would cost ,428.90, with the rebate you can...[read more]
03/03/2005: Kyocera To Exit the Camera Business
According to a British Journal of Photography article, Kyocera has announced that it is exiting the camera business, production of both the Kyocera and Contax brand name will cease by the end of 2005. Operations in the U.S. have already been closed and distribution has been transferred to Tocad, an American distributor. Kyocera bought Yashica in 1996 and acquired the Contax-brand name as part of the deal....[read more]
03/02/2005: Konica Minolta Digital Cameras Win 2005 DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out Awards
Mahwah, NJ (March 1, 2005) – Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. announces that the Maxxum 7D and DiMAGE A200 digital cameras won 2005 DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out awards as announced during the PMA 2005 Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D won the Prosumer/ Professional Digital SLR category and the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 won the Prosumer/Professional to category. Ten digital cameras were named winners in their category out of 35 digital camera entries from 13 manufacturers. The 9th annual Digital Camera Shoot-Out took place on Saturday, February 19, 2005 at the DIMA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, which proceeded the annual PMA 2005 Convention. “We’re honored that these two digital cameras which feature Konica Minolta’s Anti-Shake technology have been recoginized in such a highly competitive market not just for their technology but for their ability to produce excellent quality photographs,” said Todd...[read more]
03/02/2005: ObjectRescue Release PhotoRescue Pro v2.7
ObjectRescue today announced the release of PhotoRescue Pro, the latest version of a highly acclaimed tool for restoring lost data from various multimedia devices. The new version builds on the recent success of version 2.6 which was introduced January 2005 and saw the highest customer adoption. The application gives digital camera owners one last chance to restore erased or formatted images from virtually any storage device including digital cameras, PDA, mobile phones and hard disks. PhotoRescue Pro features an intuitive wizard-style interface that will guide you through all five stages of data recovery from selecting a storage device to searching and recovering data. The user can narrow the search and specify the type of a multimedia file to recover simply by checking the appropriate checkboxes. With its intellectual search and reconstruction algorithms, the program guarantees a 100% data recovery for images, video, fonts and audio files even from corrupted...[read more]
03/02/2005: PictoColor Releases inCamera 4.0 Digital Camera and Scanner ICC Profiling Software
March 1, 2005-Burnsville, MN-PictoColor Corporation, a leading developer and distributor of color management products, has released inCamera® 4.0, a new version of its acclaimed digital camera and scanner ICC profiling plug-in for Adobe Photoshop. Based on an enhanced version of the widely acclaimed inCamera color management technology licensed from Pictographics International Corporation, inCamera 4.0 features support for the new GretagMacbeth ColorChecker SG and the HutchColor HCT target for scanners. This proven digital camera and scanner profiling software features an easy to use interface and a User Guide that explains how to successfully create and use ICC input profiles in Photoshop. inCamera is available for .95 at PictoMarketplace, PictoColor’s new online store featuring color management products for digital photographers. PictoMarketplace is located at www.pictomarketplace.com. inCamera is compatible with Photoshop 7.0 and CS and the following operating systems: Macintosh 9.2, and 10.X in both Native and Classic modes and Windows 98SE,...[read more]
