February 24, 2002 - Day One

Complete list of all announced products

Feb 24th Announcements, jump to: 2002 DIMA Printer Shoot-Out Winners Adobe Announces Photoshop 7 Applied Science Fiction Intros Software Plug-ins Epson Announces Milestone For PIM Kodak DCS Pro Back 645 Kodak's Extended Range Imaging Technology Kodak ML500 Digital Photo Print System Kodak Picture Maker Digital Print Kiosks Kodak ProShots Studio Software Suite v5.0 Konica Revio KD-400Z, KD-310Z Kyocera FineCam S4, S3x Leica 4-Megapixel Digilux 1 Lexar Announces 24X Pro CF Cards Lexar EOS-1D Firmware for Pro Series Cards Lexar Media's Enhanced Memory Stick MultiPhoto/Video (MPV) Open Specification Olympus New CamediaMaster Pro Online Guide to Photoshop 7 - FREE Pictographics' iCorrect EditLab Polaroid SprintScan 4000 Plus

02-24-2002

Kyocera Thinks Small With Big Release Of Two New Tiny Digital Cameras The Kyocera Finecam S3x and Finecam S4 are Among the Smallest and Lightest 3.2 and 4.0 Mega Pixel Cameras in Their Class ORLANDO, FL - On the heels of the success of the Kyocera Finecam S3, Kyocera Optics, Inc. is making a big deal about its smallest and lightest digital cameras: the new Kyocera Finecam S4 and the Kyocera Finecam S3x. Both cameras weigh less than six ounces and fit comfortably in a shirt pocket and are loaded with features that make them big players on the digital camera scene. Both new Finecam digital cameras also have major improvements over the Finecam S3 including 30% faster operation, improved battery consumption and faster click-to-click processing. The Kyocera Finecam S3x and the Kyocera Finecam S4 are being displayed at PMA 2002, February 24 - 27 at the Orange County Convention Center, Booth #2374. THE KYOCERA FINECAM S4: In digital photography quality is the key word. For those looking for image quality that approaches that of "pro-sumer" digital cameras, but in a package they can afford, with style to be envied, there is the Kyocera Finecam S4. This stylish camera includes a 3X optical zoom lens and a 2X digital zoom lens, giving the user a total of 5X zoom for getting up close and personal in any situation. This translates to the 35mm equivalent of a 35-105mm lens. A pop-up flash, new to the Finecam series, means that every picture has the right exposure, daytime or night, making the S4 perfect for any kind of photography and with dimensions of 3-3/8" by 2-3/16" by 1-3/16", this 4 megapixel digital camera takes images that can be blown up to 11" by 17" without any loss of quality while its body is barely bigger than a deck of cards. With a dark finish reminiscent of a Pierre Cardin tuxedo, this elegant digital camera is at home at the finest parties while the stainless steel body means that the Finecam S4 is sturdy enough to go just about anywhere. The S4 uses either Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia Cards (MMC) as memory, the same media cards used in MP3 players and PDAs. These cards presently are available up to 256MB, holding well over 500 images in normal mode. The memory cards download images to any PC via the included USB cable. When hooked up to any computer, it is read as a separate drive making viewing of images taken by any of the Finecam digital cameras simple and fast. THE KYOCERA FINECAM S3x: Slim is in and the new Kyocera Finecam S3x packs a lot into its slim 3-3/8" by 2-3/16" by 1-3/16" silver-finished body. With the same dimensions as the S4, this 3 mega-pixel digital camera takes crisp, sharp images that rival the quality of conventional photographs while offering all of the conveniences of an advanced digital device. The camera boasts a full line-up of functions, including auto exposure control, exposure compensation, white balance controls, various types of shooting modes and playback function. These functions can be operated smoothly using the high polysilicon TFT 1.5" color LCD monitor. This selectable color LCD monitor allows the user to see all the action while the 3X optical zoom, coupled with a 2X digital zoom creates the feeling of being right in the middle of the picture. This feeling is heightened by the high definition 3.2 million pixel CCD that, coupled with the high-resolution zoom lens, produces images on par with that of photographs taken with conventional 35mm film cameras. The selectable color LCD monitor available with both Finecams allows users to not only set up a picture, but also view the image directly after it is taken to check for closed eyes or other problems that can ruin an otherwise great shot. The image can then be erased and re-shot in just seconds, insuring a great picture every time. The monitor can also be turned off to save battery life. Both the Finecam S4 and S3x feature Epson's revolutionary new PRINT Image Matching (PIM) technology, enabling it to work perfectly with the newest generation of EPSON Stylus Photo printers. With PRINT Image Matching, critical image specific parameters for printing are recorded by the camera and saved in each image data file. PRINT Image Matching-enabled Epson Stylus Photo printers use this information to ensure that they accurately reproduce the image created by the camera. The new Finecam digital cameras also have an AVI movie mode, allowing users to make movies of up to 15 seconds. The AVI file format can be played back on the cameras themselves or on a PC, using Quick Time 4 or above. The Finecam series offers an array of shooting and flash modes, including: Macro, which allows shooting approximately 9 cm from the lens surface when in wide angle Infinity Mode Manual focusing 4 Flash modes (Auto, Red-eye reduction, Fill-in or Flash Off) Color modes (Color, Sepia or Black & White) White Balance (Auto, Daylight, Tungsten Lamp, Cloudy, Fluorescent Lamp, Manual) Exposure compensation (+ - 2EV, 1/3 EV steps) Both cameras are built with a durable metal cover that provides not only a smooth feeling for the user but long-lasting protection for the camera itself. Protecting the lens is a built-in auto lens barrier, which allows for usage without fear of losing or forgetting to remove the lens cap. The cameras also come with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery that helps to protect the environment as well as ArcSoft's new Pixela Software. Also available is an optional one-hour Quick Time battery charger that helps ensure that you will never be without power for your Finecam. The Finecam S4 will be available March 2002 for a retail price of 599.95. The Finecam S3x will be available February 2002 for a retail price of 499.95. Finecam S3x Finecam S4 Color Silver / Cool lavender Black metallic Sensor 1/1.8" 3.34 mp CCD 1/1.8" 4.13 mp CCD Effective pixels 3.14 million (2048 x 1536) 3.87 million (2272 x 1704) Image sizes 2048 x 1536, 1024 x 768 2272 x 1704, 1280 x 960 JPEG qualities Super-Fine, Fine, Normal Lens 35-105 mm equiv., 3x optical zoom, F2.8 - F4.8 Focus Auto focus (contrast detect), Manual focus Focus range Normal: 55 cm - Infinity, Macro: 12 - 55 cm Exposure modes Programmed Auto, Aperture Priority, Auto Apertures (AP) Two: F2.8, F9.6 (@ wide angle) Metering modes Evaluative, Center-weighted Average, Spot Exposure comp. +/-2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps Shutter speed 1 - 1/2000 sec Long exposures 8, 4 or 2 sec Sensitivity Standard, 2x, 4x (ISO 100, 200, 400) Movie clips AVI 320 x 240, 15 seconds max White balance Auto, Sunlight, Incandescent, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Preset Flash Pop-up, range approx. 0.6 - 2.5 m Flash modes Auto, Auto red-eye reduction, Flash on, Flash off Storage SD / MMC memory card LCD monitor 1.5" 110,000 pixels Viewfinder Optical Connectivity USB, Video out (NTSC / PAL switchable) Compliance PIM (Print Image Matching), DPOF, DCF Power Supplied 900 mAh Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery Dimensions 31.5 x 91 x 57 mm Weight 175 g

02-24-2002

Applied Science Fiction Introduces New Software Plug-ins Free trial versions of ASF's Digital ROC and Digital SHO now available at http://www.asf.com Orlando, FL (February 23, 2002) -- Applied Science Fiction, Inc., the creator of the award-winning Digital ICE and Digital ICE 3 technologies, the leader of automatic photo restoration applications and the inventor of the cutting-edge digital dry film processing system Digital PIC, introduces two new software plug-ins for digital image correction and enhancement Digital ROC and Digital SHO. ASF's Digital ROC software plug-in implements automatic color restoration and Digital SHO automatically reveals details in dark image areas on any digital image file. These plug-ins are compatible with most host applications which accept Adobe Photoshop plug-ins. Free trial versions are available for download now* only from ASF at www.asf.com. These fully functional trial versions apply digital watermarks to images. To disable the watermark, users may purchase a software key via a secure site for $49.95 per plug-in. CD-ROM versions of these plug-ins are also available for purchase at www.asf.com. "Our new Digital ROC and Digital SHO software plug-ins enable users to produce the kinds of pictures they actually expected when looking through a camera's viewfinder," said Dan Sullivan, president and CEO of Applied Science Fiction. "Regardless of the image source, whether scanners, digital cameras, the Internet or CDs, Applied Science Fiction's easy-to-use software plug-ins offer convenience and versatility for anyone wishing to improve their pictures. Our plug-ins are also affordable tools for restoring the many memories that consumers have captured and stored in prints, negatives, slides, and digital files." Digital ROC Plug-in Digital ROC plug-in removes the color cast from faded images and the effects of tungsten and fluorescent lighting by using proprietary algorithms to analyze the color gradients of an image and determine the optimum tonal curve for each color channel. The Digital ROC on any image digitized by a digital camera, flatbed scanner, film scanner or pictures stored on CDs. Additionally, Digital ROC plug-in is a powerful tool for obtaining the best value from a color printer. Digital SHO Plug-in Digital SHO plug-in automatically reveals details hidden in shadows commonly caused by exposure problems such as backlit subjects, uneven flash illumination and partial shade. The Digital SHO plug-in proprietary algorithms analyze and adjust the gradations of darker image areas to optimally reveal hidden details. Digital SHO presents the user with an overall pleasing image at the touch of a button. Digital SHO works on any image digitized by a digital camera, flatbed scanner, film scanner or pictures stored on CDs. Additionally, Digital SHO plug-in is a powerful tool for obtaining the best value from a color printer. About Applied Science Fiction Applied Science Fiction develops proprietary technologies for the imaging industry that link traditional photography with the digital age. ASF licenses its branded technologies through Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that provide products for the professional and consumer imaging markets. Additionally, ASF directly distributes Adobe Photoshop compatible plug-ins for automatic image correction and enhancement. ASF's product portfolio consists of the Digital ICE 3 film scanner suite, Digital ICE, Digital ROC and Digital GEM , the individual components of the suite, Digital ICE and Digital ROC for flatbed scanners, and Digital ROC plug-in for color restoration and Digital SHO plug-in for revealing details of dark image-areas. ASF is also the innovator in digital dry film processing, with its environmentally friendly Digital PIC technology. Digital PIC develops exposed film directly into a high-resolution RGB digital format file in minutes. Digital PIC produces an Extended Range Digital Negative (XRDN ) on a CD from which photographic quality images can be easily printed. More information can be found on ASF's Web site at www.asf.com. Digital ICE, Digital ROC, Digital GEM, Digital ICE 3 , Digital SHO, Digital PIC, Extended Range Digital Negative, XRDN, ASF and Applied Science Fiction are trademarks of Applied Science Fiction, Inc. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (*Windows versions currently available; Macintosh versions available soon.)

02-24-2002

Lexar Media's Enhanced Memory Stick 'Lights When it Writes' to Protect Against Accidental Data Loss PMA, Orlando, FL, February 24, 2002 -- Lexar Media Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of award-winning high-performance digital media and reader products, debuts its new enhanced Memory Stick at the Photo Marketing Association trade show (PMA), Orlando, Florida, on February 24 - 27. Lexar Media's enhanced Memory Stick comes in a translucent purple shell and features a built-in LED 'in-use' indicator that 'lights when it writes' to reduce the risk of corrupting data due to premature removal from a host device. "Lexar Media is pleased to bring this new enhancement to the highly successful Memory Stick format," said Eric Stang, president and CEO, Lexar Media. "Anyone can occasionally lose data by removing digital media cards prematurely. Even worse, improper memory card removal can sometimes cause complete card failure. Our new data-safe light lets users know when their data has been safely stored to the card, providing an extra level of protection." Memory Stick storage media, the size a stick of chewing gum, has become increasingly popular since its introduction. In the fourth quarter 2001, Memory Stick accounted for almost 22 percent of all consumer memory cards sold in the U.S., according to NPD Intellect Market Tracking, a leading provider of sales tracking data for consumer electronics, imaging and computer hardware. The new Memory Stick's LED lights when it writes and will stop blinking once data has been fully and safely stored or transferred to a device. Available in 32, 64 and 128MB capacities with suggested retail prices starting $29.99, the new Memory Stick will ship to retailers worldwide starting March 2002. Lexar Media's new Memory Stick works in all Memory Stick-compliant devices, including digital cameras, MP3 players, video cameras, computers and printers.

02-24-2002

The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) and The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) Collaborate To Develop MultiPhoto/Video (MPV) Open Specification MPV specification to enable more intuitive playback of digital photo and video collections in next generation consumer electronic devices ORLANDO, Florida, Feb. 24, 2002 - The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) and the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) today announced they are developing the MultiPhoto/Video (MPV) specification to enable computer software and consumer electronic devices such as DVD players to more easily process and playback collections of digital photos and videos. MPV will standardize the representation and organization of photo and video collections when stored as data files on recordable CD or DVD media. The new specification will define the table of contents for a collection of digital images and provide a means by which consumers can access and store metadata about the collection's files using a variety of electronic devices. "The MPV initiative will allow consumers to access and display digital images using many devices, including DVD players and Internet-connected mobile phones," said Lisa Walker, co-executive director and chief marketing officer of I3A. "The new specification will make it easier to play, edit and print diverse collections of digital photo and video images." The MPV initiative expands upon previous work done separately by OSTA and I3A, including I3A's DIG35 metadata specification and OSTA's MultiAudio specification. DIG35 defines the ease-of-use, flexibility and range of applications that can be achieved with metadata-enhanced digital imaging. OSTA's MultiAudio specification introduced last year enhances playback of MP3 audio collections on music players. The proposed MPV format can be added to existing imaging applications and conventions and can co-exist with current file system structures and formats. MPV can be produced automatically or interactively by digital cameras, scanners, imaging software and Internet services, among others, and is designed for processing in consumer devices such as DVD players and by PC software. The format can also be used with a wide range of storage media including memory cards, recordable or stamped CD and DVD media and magnetic disks. MPV can also act as a protocol for exchanging information between software applications and services. It is designed for longevity and extensibility using industry-standard XML. MPV provides specific manifest and metadata formats and implementation practices that utilize existing industry specifications such as the World Wide Web Consortium's SMIL 2.0 and I3A's DIG35. MPV is compatible with and supports the DCF and EXIF standards from JEITA that are widely used in digital cameras. A basic specification will be available later in 2002 for use in DVD players and imaging software. Subsequent work will further develop the specification to extend its use to digital cameras, scanners, Internet services and other personal digital media applications. To promote widespread support from the imaging industry, OSTA and I3A formed a relationship to encourage I3A members to participate in the development and promotion of MPV. I3A and OSTA member companies currently supporting the development of MPV include Alera Technologies, Hewlett-Packard Company, LightSurf Technologies, Inc., LSI Logic Corporation, NETIMAGE, Planetweb, Inc., Oak Technology, Inc., Roxio, Inc., and Software Architects Inc. Other organizations, including DVD player manufacturers and chipset vendors are welcome to participate. For more information, or to get involved, interested companies are encouraged to contact OSTA or I3A directly.

02-24-2002

Leica Announces 4-Megapixel Digilux 1 The new LEICA DIGILUX 1 from Leica Camera AG, Solms is a compact digital camera for reportage photography that offers superlative optical quality, high speed and excellent mobility. Created in intensive technical cooperation with Panasonic, it combines state-of-the-art digital technology with Leica's optical expertise. Classic elements in the design and operation concept make the LEICA DIGILUX 1 a synthesis of time-tested and innovative components. The LEICA DIGILUX 1 features a 4-million pixels CCD image sensor and a high-performance high-speed LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON f/2-2.5/7-21 mm ASPH. triple zoom lens. A large 2.5" monitor provides an excellent view of the image before and after the exposure is taken. High flexibility is offered by a 64 MB SD memory card and 3-hour power supply. The fast picture sequence of almost 4 frames per second and the extremely slight delay in shutter release enable spontaneous photography in all situations. "As an easy-to-use digital camera with superb imaging quality, it offers the photographer a wealth of creative possibilities. And this makes it a typical Leica in every way," says Roland Wolff, Product Manager for Leica compact cameras. The LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON f/2-2.5/7-21 mm ASPH. triple zoom is equivalent to a 33 to 100 mm lens for the 35mm format. It has a manual focusing ring and consists of eight elements in seven component groups, including two aspherical elements. The lens was individually matched to the 4 megapixel sensor. In harmony with the electronics and software of the LEICA DIGILUX 1 they produce highly dynamic, natural-color photographs. The recording and processing of the image data has been optimized with regard to the visual effect. Leica contributed high standards of quality and photographic know-how to the cooperation in this respect. The high detail resolution and definition allows outstanding enlargements to be produced in A4 format, for instance. Photographers will welcome the short storage time and fast signal processing, which make the camera almost continuously ready for action. Series of almost four frames a second in highest JPEG quality or eight frames in two seconds with higher compression can be taken. It is also possible to record video sequences with sound, the length of which is only limited by the size of memory card. The 64 MB card supplied with the camera allows a recording time of six minutes, for example. The 2.5" LC display of the LEICA DIGILUX 1 is 50 - 90% larger than that of comparable digital cameras. The resolution of approx. 205,000 pixels is extremely high and facilitates the assessment of the focus setting, for example. A slot-on hood reduces reflections and enables an accurate assessment of the image even in daylight. The camera also has a large, bright optical viewfinder with diopter compensation. Power consumption is low. The camera can be used for about three hours with the display switched off, or two hours using the display. The powerful lithium-ion battery is fully recharged after two hours. A mains connector/battery charger is supplied with the camera. The clear, modular styling of the LEICA DIGILUX 1 gives the camera a highly individual look. Its pure lines and reduction to the essentials are inherited from the clear design of Leica's legendary rangefinder cameras. "The robust and yet extremely light-weight magnesium alloy body and the classic controls accentuate its timeless elegance," says product designer Professor Achim Heine. For exposure, the photographer has a choice of five different control modes: fully automatic, program, aperture priority, shutter-speed priority and manual. There are three exposure metering modes (selective, integral or multi-field). As well as the built-in flash with guide no. 10, it is also possible to connect a separate flash unit. The large 64 MB SD card accommodates about 32 images at top resolution and lowest compression. At the lowest resolution and top compression, up to 484 images can be stored. The LEICA DIGILUX 1 package also includes ADCSee and Adobe Photoshop Elements software which offer many possibilities for creative image processing. The LEICA DIGILUX 1 will be on sale from May 2002 at LEICA dealers. (As expected, Leica is also marketing the digital camera that they developed jointly with Panasonic. The Digilux 1 is identical to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC5, a picture can be seen on our Panasonic page.)

02-24-2002

The Ultimate Guide to Photoshop 7.0 February 24, 2002, Boulder, Colorado--Master Photoshop trainer, Ben Willmore, has the inside skinny on everything you want to know about Adobe's newest version of Photoshop. As an alpha tester for Adobe, Willmore ran 7.0 through its paces for over six months and is now offering, free to the public, The Ultimate Guide to Photoshop 7.0, an online, insider's look at every palette, menu and dialog box that Adobe has tweaked or refitted. Willmore's first impression? "It's not the biggest upgrade in Photoshop's history,but the changes seem to sneak up on you and after some time you realize that the refinements are more extensive than you first thought." Willmore is offering a wealth of resourses for users who'd like to learn about 7.0. Starting in May users will be able to get "Up to Speed with 7.0" in two days flat with his new hands-on class in Denver, or they can attend one of his national tour seminars, "Photoshop Mastery," which will include an complete overview of 7.0. And back by popular demand, in May, he is offering his "Photoshop For Photographers, a hands-on seminar designed just for the working photographer. Dates and locations available at www.digitalmastery.com/mainsite/national/tourdates.html His award-winning, best-selling book, "Official Adobe Photoshop 6 Studio Techniques" (Adobe Press/Peachpit Press) is being updated for 7.0 and will be available in bookstores this summer.

02-24-2002

Adobe Sets New Digital Imaging Standard with Photoshop 7.0 Photoshop 7.0 Delivers Must-Have Release for Professional Photographers, Web and Graphic Designers with Enhanced Retouching, More Organized File Access, and Expanded OS Support SAN JOSE, Calif. — February 24, 2002 — Adobe Systems Incorporated, the leader in network publishing, today announced Adobe® Photoshop® 7.0, a major upgrade to the world's professional image editing standard. Photoshop 7.0 boasts an extensive set of new features that allow photographers, Web and graphic designers to work more efficiently, explore new creative options and produce the highest quality images for print, Web and other media. Native on Mac® OS X and Microsoft® Windows® XP, Photoshop 7.0 provides enhanced multi-processor support and interoperability with other native Adobe applications. Photoshop 7.0 software delivers a comprehensive toolset that helps users meet any creative or production challenge. The new Healing Brush revolutionizes the process of retouching images, effortlessly removing dust, scratches, blemishes and wrinkles, while automatically preserving shading, lighting, texture and other attributes. The new File Browser allows users to quickly locate, organize and visually manage images, as well as view EXIF information from digital cameras, including date captured, exposure settings, and associated metadata (such as creation and modification dates). The creative tools in Photoshop 7.0 help design professionals generate compelling visual effects and stay ahead of the competition. A new painting engine lets users create custom brush presets, simulate techniques like pastels and charcoal, and add special effects such as grass and leaves, while the new Pattern Maker plug-in can create patterns such as rocks and sand. An enhanced Liquify plug-in provides even greater control over image warping with zoom, pan and multiple undo capabilities. "Photoshop 7.0 does a beautiful job of building on the advances of previous versions to make 7.0 the most powerful, most amazing, and most useful release of Photoshop ever," said Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. "The new Healing Brush may be the single coolest tool in Photoshop ever, and when you use it, all you can do is shake your head and say, "How in the world does it do that?" It's that cool." Including ImageReady® 7.0, the advanced Web component, Photoshop 7.0 provides new output enhancements so Web designers can apply extra compression to images while maintaining the quality of text and vector shape layers, as well as exercise greater control over how transparency is maintained online. New support for the WBMP format enables optimization for display on PDAs and other wireless devices. For interactive authoring, ImageReady software now allows all slices, rollovers, image maps and animations in one palette, and an expanded set of rollover types allows for the creation of more effective navigation bars. To streamline the management and updating of large image libraries, Photoshop 7.0 integrates with Adobe AlterCast®, Adobe's dynamic imaging server software. Photoshop 7.0 supports Adobe's XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform), an open framework that standardizes the creation and processing of content across publishing workflows. Photoshop 7.0 is also tightly integrated with Adobe Illustrator®, Adobe InDesign®, Adobe GoLive®, Adobe LiveMotion™, Adobe Premiere®, Adobe After Effects® and Adobe Acrobat®. Pricing and Availability In the United States and Canada, Adobe Photoshop 7.0 will ship in the second quarter of 2002 for all platforms. The estimated street price is US $609. Registered users of earlier versions of Photoshop can upgrade to version 7.0 for the new reduced price of US $149. Upgrades from Adobe Photoshop Elements and Photoshop LE are available directly from Adobe for US $499. Information about other language versions, as well as pricing, upgrade and support policies for other countries, is available on Adobe's Web site at http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.

02-24-2002

2002 DIMA Printer Shoot-Out Winners Announced The winners of the 2002 DIMA Digital Printer Shoot-Out were announced today at the PMA 2002 Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, Fla., USA. Winners were chosen from 108 prints from 28 companies displayed during the DIMA Annual Conference held Feb. 22-23, in Orlando. Entries in the DIMA Digital Printer Shoot-Out were produced from files created by Quality Chrome Imaging Center, Charlotte, N.C., USA. Participants were asked to provide specification information pertaining to the equipment used (printer, RIP and color management); the consumables used (output media and ink/toner/dye); and the production timing. Trade attendees of the DIMA Annual Conference voted upon the entries based on image quality and color accuracy. Below are the winners of the 2002 DIMA Digital Printer Shoot-Out: Photo Print 52" wide or more (Merit Award) v Printer - Lightjet 500XL: Oce Display Graphics Systems Paper - Kodak Digital III; Eastman Kodak Co. RIP - Postershop 5.52 36" to 51" wide Printer - Lightjet 430; Oce Display Graphics Systems Paper - Kodak Digital III; Eastman Kodak Co. RIP - Postershop 5.52 11" to 35" Printer - Durst Epsilon 30; Durst Dice America Paper - Kodak Digital III; Eastman Kodak Co. RIP - DDA Cheetah RIP; Durst Dice America Less than 11" wide Printer - Durst Zeta - High Speed Laser Printer; Durst Dice America Paper - Agfa Laser III; Agfa Corp. RIP - DDA Cheetah RIP; Durst Dice America Digital Mini Lab Printer - Fuji Frontier 370; Fuji Photo Film USA Inc. Paper - Fuji Color Paper; Fuji Photo Film USA Inc. Inkjet Over 72" wide Printer - Vutek Ultra Vu 3360 EC; Vutek Inc. Paper - Verseidag Ultima Supreme RIP - Color Burst Pro; CSE Systems 50"to 72" wide Printer - Ilford Novajet 850i; Ilford Imaging USA Inc. Paper - Ilford UM2GP7; Ilford Imaging USA Inc. RIP - Ilford Ripstar; Ilford Imaging USA Inc. 36" to 49" wide Printer - Epson 9500; Epson America Inc. Paper - Best Proofing Paper - 7180 Glossy; Bestcolor RIP - Best Photo Xposure XXL; Bestcolor 9" to 17" wide Printer - Epson Stylus Photo 1280; Epson America Inc. Paper - Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper; Epson America Inc. 8.5" wide or less - $300 or more Printer - HP Photosmart 1315; Hewlett-Packard Co. Paper - HP Premium Plus Photo Paper - Glossy; Hewlett Packard Co. 8.5" wide or less - $150 to $299 Printer - Epson Stylus Photo 785 EXP; Epson America Inc. Paper - Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper; Epson America Inc. 8.5" wide or less - $149 or less Printer - Epson Stylus Photo 820; Epson America Inc. Paper - Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper; Epson America Inc. High-Speed Inkjet Printer - Phogenix DFX; Phogenix Imaging Paper - Phogenix Imaging; Phogenix Imaging Dye Sublimation 8" x 10" or larger v Printer - Kodak 8660 Dye Sub; Eastman Kodak Co. Paper - Kodak Paper; Eastman Kodak Co. 5" x 7" Printer - Mitsubishi CP 8000DW; Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Paper - Mitsubishi CK 8000FW4P; Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America 4" x 6" or less Printer - Crystal Digital CP-PP10; Crystal Digital Corp. Paper - Crystal Digital; Crystal Digital Corp.

02-24-2002

Konica Announces New Revio KD-400Z and KD-310Z with Both SD/MMC and Memory Stick Card Slots MAHWAH, N.J., February 24, 2002 - Konica Photo Imaging introduces two new high resolution Digital Revio Mega Pixel cameras with 4.13, and 3.34 Megapixel CCDs, the Digital Revio KD-400Z and KD-310Z - the world's smallest and lightest digital cameras in their class - are also the world's first digital cameras that offer both SD/MMC Memory Card and Memory Stick storage. Konica's complete line of digital cameras was introduced at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) Show (Booth #1948) that opened in Orlando, Fla. today. Read the entire Konica press release at LetsGoDigital.nl.

02-24-2002

Polaroid Extends Scanner Line With SprintScan 4000 Plus Polaroid Corp., Cambridge, Mass., USA, will officially unveil its new enhanced version of the SprintScan 4000, the SprintScan 4000 Plus, at PMA 2002, held Feb. 24-27 in Orlando, Fla., USA. This new Polaroid scanner provides increased flexibility by offering FireWire and USB connectivity and an increased dynamic range. The SprintScan 4000 Plus scans professional quality 35-millimeter slides, filmstrips and Advanced Photo System. The enhanced scanner provides an optical resolution of 4,000 dpi, a dynamic range of 4.2 Dmax and a scan time of under a minute for a 35-millimeter slide at 4,000 dpi. The SprintScan 4000 Plus is currently available in the United States through authorized Polaroid dealers and catalogs. The suggested U.S. list price is $1,295.

02-24-2002

Olympus Announces New CamediaMaster Pro Easy-To-Use Photo Suite For $39.95 Instantly Downloads; Creates Albums and HTML Pages; Edits & Stitches Images; Adds Sounds and Slideshows; Print Photos, Calendars and Postcards February 24, 2002, Melville, NY -- Olympus America Inc., the world leader in film and filmless photography, today announced the Olympus Camedia Master Pro photo software for only $49.95. Camedia Master Pro gives the user everything they need straight of the box for easy and seamless downloads, album creation, cataloguing, and printing for an all-in-one photo solution. Designed for ease of use, Camedia Master Pro employs one main screen for all the tools necessary for photo manipulation and printing. Buttons are easy to understand: Get Images, Browse Images, Backup Images, Create & Share, and Print Images. Quick & Easy Downloads Users no longer need to fumble with driver software and compatibility issues when using an Olympus Auto-Connect USB camera. Camedia Master Pro is compatible with most standard storages device and drive allows easy downloading of images to the computer. The images instantly appear on the screen as thumbnails, which can then be enlarged for easier viewing, while retaining the other thumbnails on the side of the screen. Images can be downloaded from Olympus Digital cameras, media readers, drives, and other external devices. Back-up has also been made easy with Camedia Master Pro. It quickly backs up images, albums and calendars onto any form of media or drives. Albums Images can be easily catalogued and sorted by album type or by date. Camedia Master Pro can record and attach 60 second sound (WAV) files to any image for slideshows and commentary. QuickTime movies can also be previewed right on the screen. Images can be emailed, prepared for an HTML page, made into wallpaper or slideshows. Advanced stitching features, such as sphere, perspective, 2D Matrix, 360 VR. Basic image editing tools are also included, such as red-eye correction, contrast, special effects and other features to seamlessly create the perfect photo. Automatic Printing Camedia Master Pro enables you deign, layout and print 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 images on one sheet of any type of printer paper by dragging and dropping onto the included templates. Index or contact sheets of up to 144 images can also be printed. Single or multiple images can be printed on different sizes of paper without making any complicated software adjustments. Users will love their professional looking postcards, Christmas cards and calendars, which can be printed in a snap from personal photos. Camedia Master Pro is optimized to be used with the Olympus P-400, P-200 and P-330N printers (which offers pre-cut paper), but it also works great with any photo printer on the market. Camedia Master Pro is available immediate purchase for Windows 98 and above and Macintosh 9.0 or later. It supports all Olympua Auto-Connect USB, standard USB and serial cameras as well as all major file formats: Exif-JPEG, JFIF-JPEG, BMP, TIFF and PICT. The standard version of Camedia Master Pro, Camedia 4.0, will be included in all new Olympus cameras for free starting in late spring or as an upgrade for $19.95. Camedia Master Pro and Camedia 4.0 are available from all Olympus retailers or from the Olympus web site: http://www.olympus.com. Camedia Master Pro MSRP: $39.95 Camedia 4.0 MSRP: $19.95

02-24-2002

Epson Announces Major Milestone For PRINT Image Matching Technology Breakthrough Technology Linking Digital Cameras and Photo Printers Takes Another Step Toward Becoming an Industry Standard LONG BEACH, Calif., Feb. 19, 2002 - Epson America Inc. today announced that PRINT Image Matching (P.I.M.) technology has been accepted throughout the digital imaging industry with the publishing of Exif 2.2, a new JPEG file standard. Exif 2.2 is based on the P.I.M. concept, incorporating seven print matching parameters and will be implemented industry-wide in the near future. This will give customers an even wider selection of digital cameras that can be used to produce better prints automatically with PRINT Image Matching technology. PRINT Image Matching-enabled printers and software released after the third quarter will support cameras using Exif 2.2 and current P.I.M-enabled digital camera models. PRINT Image Matching technology, which Epson announced in February 2001, ensures that P.I.M.-enabled digital cameras and P.I.M.-enabled printers work perfectly together to create the best possible prints. The first P.I.M.-compatible products began shipping in summer 2001 and by the fall, there were 35 P.I.M.-enabled products from 16 manufacturers of digital cameras, photo printers and software. To date, over two million PRINT Image Matching-enabled products have been shipped worldwide. "Epson and its partners recognized that not only do consumers have the desire and need to achieve high quality prints from their digital camera files, but also have the expectation to do so with minimal effort," said Keith Kratzberg, director, photo imaging, Epson. "P.I.M. has addressed that need and has been enthusiastically accepted by consumers. As additional digital camera manufacturers move forward with the Exif 2.2 file type, more people will be able to enjoy high quality P.I.M. prints." About PRINT Image Matching PRINT Image Matching ensures that digital cameras and printers that are P.I.M.-enabled work perfectly together to create the best possible prints. With P.I.M. technology, digital camera manufacturers can set critical image specific parameters in the JPEG file for printing, such as gamma level, color space, contrast, sharpness, brightness, saturation, shadow point, highlight point, and color balance, to ensure optimum results for each digital camera model. The photographer's original intentions are automatically reflected in the printed image. Photographers can now easily create stunning, frame-ready photos with their favorite P.I.M.-compatible digital camera model and PRINT Image Matching-enabled printer and software without any complicated procedures to ensure accurate color results. PRINT Image Matching has been licensed by a number of industry-leading names, such as ArcSoft, Asahi Optical Co. Ltd. (Pentax Corporation), Casio Computer Co. Ltd., JVC (Victor Company of Japan Ltd.), Konica Corporation, Kyocera Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic), MGI, Minolta Co. Ltd., NewSoft, Nikon Corporation, Olympus Optical Co. Ltd., Ricoh Company Ltd., Sanity Software, Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., Sony Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and Ulead Systems Inc. A complete list of PRINT Image Matching-compatible products is available at www.printimagematching.com. This web site will continually be updated as more P.I.M.-compatible products are introduced to the market. More About Exif 2.2 Standard Exchangeable image file format (Exif) is the international file format standard for digital cameras. The new Exif 2.2 standard was published recently by the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) and it supports information that is useful for printing, embedded in a JPEG file header. With Exif 2.2, print matching information such as contrast, saturation, sharpness, gain control, captured scene type and digital zoom ratio used during capture will now become standard digital camera image parameters. This print matching information is attached to the digital camera file and can be used by a printer that can read the information. PRINT Image Matching-enabled printers and software released after the third quarter will read the print matching parameters from both today's P.I.M.-enabled digital cameras and from future cameras using Exif 2.2. "Exif 2.2 provides a solid foundation for PRINT Image Matching in the consumer digital camera market," continued Kratzberg. "Together with our digital camera partners, Epson will continue to focus its efforts on the development of advanced PRINT Image Matching technology to provide the highest possible print quality automatically."

02-24-2002

Kodak Brings Innovation to the Category of Digital Print Kiosks Modular, "Self Assist" Kodak Picture Maker Solutions Allow Retailers to Grow Digital Consumer Offerings, Capture Profit Potential ORLANDO, Fla., February 23 - Eastman Kodak Company announced today an expanded family of digital Kodak Picture Maker solutions that will offer retailers the ability to extend consumer photo services and capture digital printing profit opportunities. As part of the new Picture Maker family, Kodak introduced the Picture Maker Digital Station, a low-cost kiosk that enables consumers to quickly and cost-effectively print photo quality Kodak pictures from digital camera media. Kodak has reinvented its kiosk family with a simplified, modular approach that provides the flexibility retailers need to scale according to volume, grow high-margin consumer photo offerings, and connect these photo offerings to a variety of imaging equipment through a common hardware and software platform. Driven by a consistent consumer interface, the Picture Maker family includes three modular stations: the Picture Maker Order Station, Picture Maker Digital Station and Picture Maker Print Station. The new Kodak Picture Maker family builds upon the continued success of Picture Maker, providing consumers with more imaging options and more access points to the world of Kodak picture services. Attractive to digital camera users, people in search of gift ideas and those who want to be more creative with their pictures, each station in the Kodak Picture Maker family enables a wide range of new consumer applications. "Retailers have a tremendous opportunity with the new Kodak Picture Maker family to offer consumers an expanded range of do-it-yourself picture solutions that will continue to drive repeat traffic to the retail environment and generate profit," said Bernie Perrine, General Manager and Vice President, Output, Consumer Imaging, Kodak. "With this announcement, Kodak is expanding the market reach of Picture Maker and widening the placement potential for the Picture Maker family - now anywhere people want access to Kodak picture services." The new Kodak Picture Maker family represents a significant shift in Kodak's approach to picture kiosks as the Picture Maker software platform will be enhanced by the Kodak Image Access Standard, an open architecture interface that enables connectivity to third party developed equipment, Web sites and applications, and in-store print fulfillment; providing retailers with greater choice in the products and services they can offer to their consumers. To support the new portfolio, Kodak has recently launched an aggressive advertising campaign to drive consumer awareness of the Picture Maker brand. The advertising campaign delivered a 30 percent lift on average for retailers with Kodak Picture Maker in the fourth quarter of 2001, and the campaign will continue with a strong television media schedule throughout 2002. The Expanded Kodak Picture Maker Family Kodak invented the photo kiosk category in 1994 leveraging the convergence of imaging science and information technology to launch its Picture Maker kiosk. Since that time, Kodak has placed more than 21,000 kiosks in the U.S. market and grown print volume to record levels behind strong advertising and marketing campaigns. Kodak is now leveraging its photo kiosk expertise and strong Picture Maker brand recognition to expand its portfolio, meet new channel needs, and drive new consumer applications. The expanded Picture Maker family starts with the Order Station, which enables consumers to preview and select their analog or digital images and print them to a retailer's on-site digital lab system. If a retailer wants the ability to have their customer print digital images in just minutes, they can upgrade their Order Station to a Digital Station by adding a 4x6 printer. If their customer has a need to scan and print images up to 8x10, a retailer can upgrade to a fully featured Print Station by adding a flatbed scanner and Kodak Photo Printer 8110. Each of these products in the Picture Maker family can be purchased individually, or a retailer can upgrade from one to the next as their business needs change. Kodak Picture Maker Order Station The Kodak Picture Maker Order Station is the next generation of Kodak's current Preview and Select service. For the consumer, it opens up a variety of imaging choices, giving them the opportunity to preview and select their analog or digital images and have them fulfilled onsite through the retailer's digital lab. The Order Station features a touch-screen monitor that allows users to view thumbnails of their pictures, zoom and crop, reduce red-eye and adjust brightness. Kodak Picture Maker Digital Station With a speed of 25-seconds per print, the Kodak Picture Maker Digital Station will allow consumers to print from digital memory cards, CDs, or floppy disks with JPEG images - faster than ever before. Consumers can simply walk up to this kiosk and insert their memory cards, CD or floppy disk, and gain access to a touch-screen monitor with an intuitive user interface. It accepts the most common memory card formats, including CompactFlash, Smart Media cards, Memory Stick, MMC, as well as other formats through common PCMCIA adapters. The Picture Maker Digital Station allows consumers to zoom/crop, eliminate red-eye, adjust colors and print photo-quality 4x6 thermal prints on to top quality Kodak paper. It also allows consumers to write images to a Kodak Picture CD. When the consumer is finished, they will have the option to pay for the entire transaction by credit card. Kodak Picture Maker Print Station As the full service member of the Kodak Picture Maker family, the Print Station brings all the functionality of the Order Station and Digital Station to the original Picture Maker. Offering reprints and enlargements up to 8x10 from original prints (without the need for negatives), consumers can make great pictures from almost any source even better in just 5 minutes. And consumers can print these pictures to a wide variety of digital printers, enabling high-volume and unique format printing in-store. The Picture Maker Print Station accepts original prints, film negatives, CD, floppy, or digital media and offers popular edit and enhancement features. Its newly enhanced digital media printing capability makes it easier and faster than ever before to print digital camera images or write them to a Kodak Picture CD. It will also enable consumers to preview and select their favorite digital images, and print them at the kiosk or at the retailer's digital lab. Benefits to the Retailer With the world's largest installed base of digital picture kiosks, Kodak is leveraging its industry expertise to help retailers maximize the profit potential of Picture Maker. There are currently more than 21,000 Picture Makers in use in the United States and over 35,000 in use worldwide. In addition, high consumer satisfaction and repeat usage of Kodak Picture Maker generates significant profitability for the retailer. In a 2001 Kodak Picture Maker consumer usage study, 86 percent of Picture Maker users said they would definitely use Picture Maker again in the future. Repeat users say that they have used Picture Maker 6.2 times in the past 12 months. The new additions to the Picture Maker family are expected to contribute to this retailer profitability. Kodak found through its trade test markets that consumers picked their favorite photos and printed the equivalent of a traditional photofinishing order each time they used the new Picture Maker Digital Station, helping retailers to quickly capture output profit from the growth of digital camera use. For retailers, the benefits of the Picture Maker family are clear: Strong kiosk expertise and a strong brand name Significant marketing and advertising investment to drive consumer demand Software designed to meet the changing needs of today's consumer Solutions that can grow with a retailer's business needs Connectivity to on-site and on-line products and services World class service and support

02-24-2002

New Kodak Professional DCS Pro Back 645 Digital Camera Backs Introduce True Portability, Highest Resolution to Popular 645 Segment Digital Unit is Size of Film Magazine, Features Kodak's Acclaimed 16mp CCD Sensor ORLANDO, Fla., February 24 -- Photographers who enjoy the increasingly popular 645 medium- format cameras but not the restrictive tethered operations of current 645-format digital backs now can achieve true digital portability and unsurpassed image resolution with the Kodak Professional DCS Pro Back 645C and 645M digital camera backs. Kodak Professional is introducing its newest medium-format digital camera backs at the Photo Marketing Association trade show, Feb. 24-27, in Orlando, Fla. (booth #2772). These 645 medium-format digital backs - featuring the acclaimed 16mp CCD sensor, LCD display and image management capabilities available in the ground-breaking Kodak Professional DCS Pro Back Plus Digital Camera Back - are compatible with the Contax 645AF and Mamiya 645AF camera systems. Virtually the same size as a 120/220 film magazine, they deliver genuine hand-held portability for wedding, portrait, on- location commercial and outdoor photography, as well as efficient performance in the studio. "Our DCS 645C and 645M digital camera backs go anywhere the photographer wants to go, and bring the power of Kodak Professional's 16-megapixel resolution and proprietary image science with them," said Madhav Mehra, Worldwide Director, Digital Capture Solutions, Kodak Professional. "Pro photographers now have the perfect digital solution to blend the functionality and portability of an SLR camera with the quality look and feel of medium-format photography." Kodak Professional's new digital camera backs let photographers generate versatile, high-resolution digital image files for use in professional color-managed workflows. They introduce a superior, truly portable digital option to popular 645-format photography, where the emphasis is on the optimum combination of mobility, robustness and high image quality. The 645C and 645M camera backs are fully compatible with the latest iterations of Kodak Professional Camera Manager, Photo Desk, Capture Studio and DCS Custom Looks profiles software, and the new Kodak Professional Extended Range Imaging Technology file format. They also function seamlessly with Kodak Professional's ProShots Digital System software in a complete digital workflow connecting photographer, lab and customer. With an equivalent ISO of 100-400, the 645C and 645M digital camera backs help photographers shoot in a variety of challenging lighting situations. They are compatible with all host camera functions, including auto-focus, and provide overall creative flexibility for zooming, cropping and re-purposing. An optional anti- aliasing filter assures the highest image quality. The lightweight ergonomic design of the 645C and 645M digital camera backs includes a power source in the form of a snap-on battery, good for 100 images in normal use. They have a burst rate of one frame every 1.63 seconds and a burst depth of eight images, and feature a video port for image review and an AC power adapter. Kodak Professional's highly functional LCD screen - with 1:1 focus check among its advanced photographer-friendly features - and high-speed interface enable fast image review and processing. These backs accommodate a variety of flash-exposure tools, and work with virtually all major radio slave flash systems. Product availability begins April 1 through authorized dealers of Kodak Professional digital photography equipment. The suggested U.S. list price of the Kodak Professional DCS Pro Back 645C and 645M digital camera backs will be announced at PMA.

02-24-2002

Revolutionary Kodak Professional ML 500 Digital Photo Print System Prints 270 Quality 8x10" Photos an Hour ORLANDO, Fla., February 24 -- Kodak Professional brings a new level of productivity, versatility and mobility to digital photographic printing technology with today's introduction of the Kodak Professional ML 500 Digital Photo Print System. This revolutionary system prints an 8x10-inch high-quality photo in only 13 seconds, as many as 270 8x10-inch prints per hour, and more than 500 5x7-inch prints per hour. Kodak Professional's new thermal output system operates four to six times faster than standard dye sublimation printers and is similar in productivity to digital photo printers. Because the ML 500 system is based on dry/thermal technology it can be used virtually anywhere. With excellent color reproduction and the ability to produce both matte and gloss finishes, the ML 500 system represents the best available option for speed, versatility and image quality. "Kodak has a long history of leadership in dry, resistive-head thermal printing systems, and once again we are advancing this technology as part of our broad portfolio of imaging solutions to meet the wide-ranging needs of our customers," said Karen Smith-Pilkington, President, Kodak Professional, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. "As digital printing evolves and needs are identified in the areas of on-demand printing and workflow bottlenecks, Kodak Professional will continue to develop appropriate solutions. Our ML 500 print system addresses labs' and photographers' demands for efficient, high-quality, distributed output as they begin to meet the requirements of new and current customers for faster and faster turnaround." The Kodak Professional ML 500 Digital Photo Print System is an ideal alternative for labs, studios and event photographers with individual, continuous feed / batch printers that produce 500 to 4,000 prints per month. It offers low cost of ownership for a digital printing system - its media (paper and ribbon) costs equate to less than $1 per 8x10-inch print, to create photo-quality output at about half the cost of other thermal printers. For field use, the system can be mated with a digital camera and appropriate software for a turnkey event solution. Because of its lightweight, dry thermal technology and high output, the ML 500 system allows on-site event photographers to deliver high- quality output immediately. This means they can reduce complexity in terms of workflows and order administration and sell more prints. Customers can see what they are buying and don't have to wait long for additional prints. Because of low operating costs, users will increase their profitability on each print sold. The system is rack-mountable, and because it is a dry system, it can also be mounted on a cart and easily moved within the studio to where it's needed for convenient proofing, additional processing capacity or the production of lower-volume specialty prints that are not optimized within existing workflows. The ML 500 system plugs into any standard wall outlet and runs on 110-volt A/C power. It requires no other connections, plumbing or HVAC support. The ML 500 system can operate non-stop and unattended for more than two hours. It accommodates 8.5-inch wide paper rolls and 500-foot long ribbons, and prints all standard photo sizes up to 8x10 inches. Longer prints or banners can be printed and are only limited by the 8.5-inch roll width. Easy to use, the ML 500 system's front-mounted control panel affords convenient access to operating and diagnostic functions. Image Print Server software queues and manages print jobs, while printer drivers allow printing from any standard application. Because of its speed, the system requires a dedicated host computer and utilizes an IEEE 1394 Firewire connection to the printer to ensure high-speed communications with greater reliability than other standard industry interfaces. In addition, it is fully compatible with Kodak Professional Digital Print Production Software (DP2 v4.0) as part of Kodak Professional's lab digitization architecture. The Kodak Professional ML 500 Digital Photo Print System is slated for availability in Q2 of 2002 and has a suggested U.S. list price of $19,995. A fully integrated solution with a dedicated computer and software is available through a network of Kodak value-added resellers and dealers who offer integration, service and support.

02-24-2002

Kodak Pro's Extended Range Imaging Technology; JPEG Flexibility with Raw Image File Quality ORLANDO, Fla., February 24 -- Kodak Professional today introduced its new Extended Range Imaging Technology - an innovative, proprietary image format that represents a major advance in digital imaging. It provides professional photographers ease-of-use of JPEG files with the image quality and color/exposure control of Kodak's highly regarded DCR format raw camera files. The only digital camera manufacturer to offer this proprietary technology, Kodak Professional designed the Extended Range Imaging format to streamline photographer workflows, lower costs and help increase productivity. Visitors to the Photo MA show, February 24-27 in Orlando, Fla., can view the Kodak Professional Extended Range Imaging Technology in the Kodak Professional booth (#2772). This innovative ERI JPEG image format will be available for the Kodak Professional DCS Pro Back Plus, DCS Pro Back 645, DCS 760 and DCS 720x digital cameras in March. Similar to normal JPEGs, Extended Range Imaging files are captured directly in the camera, are EXIF 2.1-compliant, and are compatible with virtually all imaging applications for opening, viewing and printing. But unlike normal JPEGs, the files are captured with the raw dynamic range and color gamut information - commonly discarded by the JPEG (sRGB) image processing in the camera - intact. "Our new file format technology was conceived as a convenient, extended-range JPEG format that provides the color management and image manipulation that JPEG files do not," said Madhav Mehra, Worldwide Director, Digital Capture Solutions, Kodak Professional. "Our new Extended Range Imaging Technology marries advanced data capture and preservation of the photographer's artistic intent with JPEG file format ubiquity." The preserved extended-range information is compressed and then stored in a special location inside the JPEG file. Specially developed Kodak software recovers this information and modifies the image based on user-directed controls. In a way, Kodak Professional Extended Range Imaging Technology can be thought of as an extended-range JPEG format. Kodak's ERI JPEG files deliver all the benefits of capturing raw "digital negative" files. So in addition to improving the editing, color balance and exposure compensation lacking in normal JPEG files, Kodak's ERI JPEG file permits easy-open, easy-edit and easy-print functions common within a JPEG workflow. The new file format will appeal to portrait/wedding photographers, who are asking for simple workflows to shoot and print high volumes of images, but have limited storage card space to preserve hundreds of image files. In-camera finished Extended Range Imaging files deliver high-quality images that can be easily stored for post-shoot color correction or image manipulation, and can be seamlessly submitted to a lab using Kodak Professional's ProShots Digital System software for efficient job-turnaround in a digital lab environment. Photojournalists who have long appreciated the high image quality and exposure- compensation and color-balance capabilities of raw files, but who desire the efficiencies of JPEG files, will find much to like about this new format in their JPEG workflows. Commercial photographers will realize similar benefits, as well as the high capture volume and streamlined workflow that location shooters require. Photographers in government, medical and scientific sectors who document procedures and experiments in real time will reap the benefits of capturing JPEG files that preserve all of the original image data. Kodak Professional DCS Extended Range Imaging Technology will be introduced with new camera firmware and a companion Kodak Professional DCS Extended Range Imaging Technology File Format Module (ERI FFM) for Adobe Photoshop. When DCS Extended Range Imaging files are opened in Photoshop, the ERI FFM will allow the user to make a variety of sophisticated image-processing decisions - such as exposure compensation, color balance, color space selection and lighting adjustments. This ERI FFM software also is compatible with Kodak Professional DCS Custom Looks ICC profiles, which allow photographers the freedom to modify their captured image files to a variety of highly specialized color and black-and-white renderings.

02-24-2002

Enhanced Kodak ProShots Studio Software Suite v5.0 Simplifies Use, Streamlines Digital Workflow for Photographers, Labs Compatible with Film and Digital Images ROCHESTER, N.Y., February 24 -- One year after Kodak Professional acquired the popular ProShots studio imaging workflow system, the software has been made even more sophisticated. Kodak ProShots Studio Software Suite v5.0, introduced today by Kodak Professional, allows photographers to work with both film-based and digitally captured images, and offers a more intuitive, easy-to-use graphical user interface for delivering image files effortlessly to processing labs. New software enhancements include more automated features to save photographers production time. In addition to a more user-friendly interface, the software can customize print sizes and includes more options for easier presentations to clients - including black-and-white, sepia-tone and color-tone images in online photo albums or portrait slide shows for such clients as brides, high school seniors, athletes, business executives, and families. Increasingly popular with bridal parties who enjoy online access to wedding photos, high school seniors also like the ability to view online their images and the broad portfolio of digital image products that can be created with the new ProShots software. It is a powerful suite of image management and design tools developed primarily for professional wedding, social and portrait photographers who work with optical, hybrid and complete digital lab workflows. "The enhancements to our Kodak ProShots Studio Software Suite v5.0 allow professional photographers to expand their product offerings and increase sales to clients," said Guy Smith, Worldwide Product Manager, Software and Services, Kodak Professional. "It's easier to use, and job turnaround time shrinks so photographers - and labs - can take on additional business and expand their client base." Kodak Professional has enhanced ProShots software in the following ways: Film and Digital Images: Easy-to-use, automated handling of digital camera files, and easy merging of scanned film and digital camera files. Streamlined Workflow: One click allows photographers to send orders to a lab that uses the Kodak ProShots System. Color Management: Photographers can assign color profiles to assist in calibrating digital camera files for input, display and output. Files can be converted automatically to the preferred lab color space, allowing labs to deliver consistently high-quality prints. Improved User Interface: Fewer windows and clicks overall result in easier navigation through the system. Installing and learning to use the software also is easier. Workflow Wizards: The customizable, automated tools reduce the time needed to design albums, side shows and other and photo presentations to clients. Improved Web Sites: Web site design and navigation as been improved and simplified, resulting in a better client viewing and purchase experience. The photographer can start using ProShots software once the ProShots CD comes back from his or her participating lab with film scans of all their images. If the photographer also has digital camera files, film scans and digital camera files are merged for composition and editing. The photographer will work with an electronic light table to edit and organize images to create a slide show presentation for the client. Working with the photographer, a client can specify cropping, composition and tones for each image. The client can also be involved in the creation of albums, digital compositions, and images in frames. The photographer also can provide clients with a proof book of the album. Additionally, the photographer can direct the client to the Kodak ProShots web site, where the lab has uploaded the images so friends, relatives and other potential purchasers can view and order prints online - creating an additional revenue stream for the photographer and the lab. Print orders are encoded with metadata detailing cropping and composition preferences and delivered electronically to a Kodak ProShots System participating lab, thus eliminating the labor-intensive step of carding negatives and filling out order instructions. For digital camera images, the same process is used to send order instructions with the digital camera files for printing. The job is received by the lab and processed using the Digital Accunet System from Bremson, Inc. - A Kodak Company. The Accunet system collects the job data, tracks the job's status and communicates with Kodak Professional DP2 v4.0 software, the "digital backbone" of the lab's workflow, to print the order. The finished prints are then returned to the photographer. Kodak ProShots Studio Software Suite v5.0 is the "front end" of Kodak Professional's comprehensive modular digital workflow for the lab. The entire system will be demonstrated at the PMA trade show, Feb. 24-27 in Orlando, Fla., at the Kodak Professional booth (#2772). For labs that already have purchased key components of Kodak's lab digitization architecture, Kodak is ready to help them extend and enhance their digital workflow, and ensure that the system runs smoothly. "Labs that currently have some of the components in place now have a clear migration path to the complete system," Smith said. "They have the system foundation, and Kodak will provide assistance to make sure they get the most from their technology." Kodak ProShots Studio Software Suite v5.0 will be available in the United States beginning in the second quarter. Pricing is determined based on use and other factors.

02-24-2002

Pictographics Releases iCorrect EditLab Color Editing Software February 24, 2002 - PMA, Orlando, FL - Pictographics International Corporation, a leading developer of digital color technology products, has released iCorrect EditLab, a color correction and color editing plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Jasc Paint Shop Pro. "With iCorrect EditLab, Pictographics has taken the break through technology of its award-winning iCorrect Professional to a whole new level. iCorrect EditLab begins by making the color right, and ends with making the color even better", according to Wayne Huelskoetter, president. iCorrect EditLab brings very sophisticated color editing tools to digital imaging enthusiasts of all levels. Because it treats color in more familiar terms such as hue, saturation, brightness and contrast, iCorrect EditLab is very intuitive and easy-to-use. Working in Auto mode, iCorrect EditLab automatically analyzes an image and sequentially sets each of its four color control areas to an optimum starting point. All that's left is the much simpler job of making small refinements. The four control areas include: gray balance; white/black point; brightness/contrast/saturation; and hue selective editing. The hue elective editing function enables users to modify specific hues without masks. These tools are designed to have minimal impact on each other. For example, adjusting a skin tone will not affect the gray balance or tonal range of the image, thus eliminating the common "chasing your tail" syndrome common with other color editing tools like curves, sliders, and variations. iCorrect EditLab also includes Pictographics' patent pending memory color algorithms introduced in iCorrect Professional. These algorithms allow for very quick and easy correction of several special colors including sky blue, foliage green, and skin tones. Pictographics' unique race-independent skin tone memory color has found special favor in portrait and school photography markets. By eliminating frustrating trial and error methods and complex masks, iCorrect EditLab will save photographers an enormous amount of time and reduce their frustration as they realize their creative vision of how an image should look. In addition, the color transform created with iCorrect EditLab is linked to Photoshop's RGB working color space. Therefore, the correction is made within a profiled, device-independent, reference color space. The final image is now ready for use in a color-managed workflow. iCorrect EditLab Plug-in for Macintosh and Windows is the newest addition to Pictographics' family of easy to use color correction and color enhancement products. Other products include: iCorrect stand-alone application for Windows; iCorrect Plug-in for Macintosh and Windows; iCorrect Professional Plug-in for Macintosh and Windows; and inCamera Professional digital camera profiling application for Macintosh and Windows. iCorrect EditLab is available for $99.00 at www.picto.com. A free demonstration version is also available at www.picto.com. Pictographics International Corporation is a leading provider of digital color technology and advanced imaging applications. Through technology license partners and end user products, CandelaColor® Digital Color Technology by Pictographics is used to "Make the Color Right"™ on digital images that are seen by hundreds of thousands of people every day as they read their newspapers, page through a catalog, see a billboard or a magazine ad, or watch an animated movie. Pictographics is located at 2216 East 117th Street, Burnsville, MN 55337, USA. TEL 952-894-6247, FAX 952-894-0784.

02-23-2002

Lexar Media Breaks Speed Barrier with 24X Professional Series CompactFlash New Fastest-ever Digital Film Capable of Minimum Sustained Write Speed of 3.6MB Per Second PMA, Orlando, FL, February 23, 2002 -- Lexar Media Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of award-winning high-performance digital media and reader products, will demonstrate its fastest-ever 24X-speed Professional Series CompactFlash™ Type I digital film at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show in Orlando, Florida, February 24 - 27. Lexar Media's new 24X Professional Series memory cards are designed and tested to be capable of performing at a minimum sustained write speed of 3.6MB per second or faster. Cards begin shipping March 2002 in capacities of 256 and 512 Megabytes, at suggested retail prices of $225 and $600 respectively. "We believe this is the fastest digital film available. Lexar Media alone can claim consistent write speeds that clock at a minimum of 3.6MB per second," said Eric Stang, president and CEO, Lexar Media. "Professional photographers use faster cards, such as our 24X, to dramatically increase image file write times, especially when shooting in high-resolution modes. They rely on Lexar Media to individually test and speed rate each CompactFlash card, and make them work well with all popular makes and models of professional digital cameras. Lexar Media's Professional Series cards are clearly made with professional shooters in mind." The new 24X-speed Professional Series digital film will replace Lexar Media's existing line of CompactFlash 16X-speed cards beginning first with 256MB and 512MB capacities. The Company will continue to offer its 12X High-Speed Series for digital enthusiasts and 4X-speed for value-conscious photographers. Lexar Media is the only company to individually test and speed-rate every one of its CompactFlash cards. Lexar Media pioneered the adoption of the "X" speed rating for solid-state storage, where X equals 150kb per second, as used by other digital storage devices such as CD ROMs. Lexar Media Professional Series CompactFlash digital film is valued for its consistent write speed, unique product features and added professional services -- including the new Image Rescue™, a unique program that recovers lost or deleted image files from CompactFlash memory cards. Participating Lexar Media Authorized Professional Dealers will use Image Rescue to provide image recovery services for digital photography customers.

02-21-2002

Lexar Introduces Canon EOS-1D Optimized Firmware for Pro Series CompactFlash Enhanced Firmware Boosts Write Speed Up To 15 Percent in 1D FREMONT, Calif., February 21, 2002 -- Lexar Media Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of award-winning high-performance digital media and reader products, announces the availability of upgraded firmware for 16X-speed Professional Series CompactFlash cards to maximize image write speed when used with the Canon EOS-1D digital camera. Cards upgraded with 1D-optimized firmware, achieve a minimum sustained write speed of more than 15 percent faster than standard 16X Professional Series cards in the EOS-1D's High-Speed Continuous mode. "Based on our testing, our Professional Series 1D-optimized card is the fastest of all leading brands of CompactFlash and photographers will definitely experience a difference," said Eric Stang, president and CEO, Lexar Media. "We are able to achieve this remarkable performance by fine-tuning the firmware that resides on our patented controller to more optimally manage the data flow and interaction between the 1D and Lexar Media's CompactFlash." Using the EOS-1D in High-Speed Continuous mode and Lexar Media's specialized test equipment for the most accurate in-camera speed measurement, a generated 4.75MB image file is written to an optimized memory card in 1.79 seconds. This represents a 15 percent increase in speed performance over a standard 16X Professional Series card. Similar improvements were achieved in other modes with varying file sizes. "The new EOS-1D is designed primarily for photojournalists and sport photographers who depend on its high-speed image capture with a continuous shooting speed of eight frames per second for up to 21 consecutive frames at full resolution," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, vice-president and general manager, Photographic Products Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Lexar Media has aggressively worked to optimize its CompactFlash to achieve higher levels of compatibility between the memory card and our Canon EOS-1D camera." Lexar Media Professional Series 16X-speed digital film with optimized firmware will be demonstrated at the Photo Marketing Association International Conference and Trade Show (PMA) in Orlando, Florida, February 24 - 27, booth 1241. The Company is offering free firmware upgrades at the show and through Lexar Media technical support. Customers may contact Lexar Media at (510) 413-1275 for more information on how to receive the free upgrade.

Return to
PMA 2002 Index