News Archive - March 2006
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Friday, March 31, 2006

Printer Review: Canon PIXMA iP6600D
17:27 EST - Inkjet printers have been producing gorgeous color prints for some time now. But have they matured?

The latest models refine the class with faster printing and higher resolution but reformulate their inks as well. Beyond the basics, they're starting to add more features to distinguish themselves, including... (More)



Thursday, March 30, 2006

DxO announces Optics Pro v3.55a
15:01 EST - A press release from DxO Labs has announced that it is now shipping an update to its DxO Optics Pro software.

DxO Optics Pro v3.5, adds support for Fujifilm's FinePix S9000Z and S9500, Kodak's P880, and Samsung's Digimax Pro815. The new version also offers a new docked palette mode, improved configuration wizard,... (More)



Hidden Power Announces Elements Newsletter, Tools, Book and Classes
12:51 EST - Photoshop Elements users have their work cut out for them as Hidden Power's Richard Lynch publishes his new Elements 4 book for Mac and Windows, a new issue of his Elements newsletter, Elements 4 power tools and even offers an online Elements workflow course.

Hidden Power has announced the release of a new Hidden Power Elements newsletter (Volume 15), a new 100 tool Power Tools set [MW], a new Hidden Power book for Elements 4 [MW], and a new 8-week Internet... (More)



Phanfare Increases Video Limits, Updates Phanfare Photo
12:37 EST - Store videos as long as five minutes and play them in your Phanfare slide shows.

Phanfare today announced expanded video capabilities for its Web photo sharing site and an update to its Phanfare Photo client software to take advantage of the new features. New Features The video limit... (More)



Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Leica's DIGITAL-MODUL-R on the R9 35mm film camera. Courtesy of Leica, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Leica: New firmware for Digital-Modul-R
16:24 EST - Leica Camera AG has released a new version of firmware for its Digital-Modul-R digital back for the Leica R8 and R9 cameras, but the company notes that users may perhaps wish to hold off on applying the update.

Digital-Modul-R firmware version 1.2 has a number of changes, including improved image reproduction on the LCD display, improved image color, new compatibility with 4GB Secure Digital cards and Mac OS... (More)



Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX9 digital camera. Courtesy of Panasonic, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 review posted
16:12 EST - The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 seems about average at first, with a 3x zoom in a small, stylish body, and a big 2.5 inch LCD.

But when you learn it has Panasonic's MegaOIS Optical Image Stabilization technology added, despite its average 3x zoom, that's better than average. Image stabilization is becoming a hot feature, capturing... (More)



Canon Japan: New EOS firmware
14:51 EST - Several of Canon's EOS-series digital SLRs have today received firmware updates from the headquarters of Canon Inc. in Japan.

Equivalent updates have yet to appear on Canon USA's website, but full details and the update files are available in English on Canon Japan's BeBit site. The updates are: Canon EOS 30D version 1.0.4 Corrects... (More)



Monday, March 27, 2006

RealViz's VTour logo. Click here to visit the RealViz website! PRESS RELEASE: REALVIZ VTour Now Shipping
12:17 EST - Introductory Discount Offer of up to 40% Until 15. April 2006 Sophia Antipolis, France (March 23, 2006) - REALVIZ, a leader in image processing software development, is pleased to announce that VTour, the latest addition to their software portfolio for content creation, is now available. The product, which was unveiled at the recent IMAGINA show in Monaco, draws on the award-winning technology of... (More)



PRESS RELEASE: Digital Photography Reaching New Heights
12:00 EST - The U.S. Photo Industry 2006: Review and Forecast ( http://www.pmai.org/new_pma/Marketing_res_Rpt.asp?ID=31880#pi ), now available online, provides a comprehensive overview of where the industry was in 2005, and where PMA sees the industry heading in 2006. Did you know that digital camera sales reached 20.5 million units in 2005 and are expected to increase once again this year? The report also predicts... (More)



lightzone.jpg Light Crafts Releases LightZone 1.2.2
10:19 EST - Highlights of the new release include new Color Cast and Color Balance tools, new histogram and sampler views and conversion of grayscale images to RGB mode to allow use of all color tools on them.

Light Crafts has updated ZightZone, its cross-platform image editing solution based on the Zone System, introducing Color Cast and Color Balance tools in addition to improved noise reduction, new histogram... (More)



Saturday, March 25, 2006

Pentax's logo. Click here to visit the Pentax website! PRESS RELEASE: Pentax Launches Kelly Slater Invitational Web Site
00:00 EST - (GOLDEN, CO) March 25, 2006...Nothing screams "take me with you" quite like the line of PENTAX Optio waterproof digital cameras. So, that is exactly what world-class surf champion Kelly Slater and his friends did when they convened recently for the second annual Kelly Slater Invitational (KSI) surfing event on the beautiful coast of Kona, Hawaii in February 2006. Every year, KSI brings together... (More)



Thursday, March 23, 2006

PRESS RELEASE: Epson SOHO Scanner Features Auto Document Scanning
20:19 EST - Epson Perfection 4490 Office provides automatic document scanning along with advanced photo imaging capabilities at an affordable price LONG BEACH, Calif., March, 23, 2006 - Epson America, Inc. is announcing the latest addition to its Perfection line of scanners with the Epson Perfection 4490 Office model. This product combines the best of two worlds for small office/home office businesses by adding... (More)



Fujifilm's FinePix S5200 digital camera. Courtesy of Fujifilm, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Fujifilm FinePix S5200 review posted
14:08 EST - The updated Fujifilm FinePix S5200 offers great value with a 10x optical zoom and 5.1-megapixel CCD in an amazingly small package.

The S5200's higher resolution is a welcome improvement, providing great image quality for a budget-priced digital camera, and its 10x optical zoom is excellent for distant subjects. Its color is more accurate... (More)



Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Kingston Technology's logo. Click to visit the Kingston website! PRESS RELEASE: Photographer Barbara Bordnick Shares Her Secrets To Taking Great Portraits At Kingston's "Icons Of Photography" Web Site
16:08 EST - Web Site Continues to Inspire and Educate Photographers at All Levels with Helpful Tips and Techniques from World-Class Pros Fountain Valley, CA - March 20, 2006 - Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, announced that world-class portrait and fashion photographer Barbara Bordnick is the new featured photographer on Kingston's Icons of Photography beginning... (More)



Saturday, March 18, 2006

February 2006 POTM Winner February Picture of the Month Winners Selected!
18:36 EST - We chose "Love is all we need," "Break in the Clouds," and "2006" as February's Photo of the Month contest winners. Congratulations to Amer Kapetanovic, Pedro De Carvalho, and Bilal!

It was another great month, with submissions from around the world, as usual. It's quite entertaining to see all these fine photos from everywhere, and a unique privilege to pick the best from among them.... (More)



Thursday, March 16, 2006

Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-S600 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Sony DSC-S600 review posted
14:31 EST - The entry level of Sony's digital camera lineup, the Sony DSC-S600 is a capable 6.0-megapixel digital camera, aimed at novices and consumers looking for a "no fuss" digital camera for travel.

Unfortunately, we found its images somewhat contrasty for our taste and its images showed a bit more optical distortion than average at both ends of its zoom range. It packs a sharp, high-quality 3x optical... (More)



Wednesday, March 15, 2006

PRESS RELEASE: Iridient Digital Releases RAW Developer 1.4.6 Update for Mac OS X
20:47 EST - The RAW Developer 1.4.6 maintenance update contains the following important changes: New features: Support added for Canon 1D Mark II N. Official support added for Nikon D70s (previously this model worked, but used generic settings). Supported added for Leaf Aptus 75. Improvements: Default white balance presets (Daylight, Tungsten, etc) are now included for all supported Leaf and Phase One digital... (More)



Epson Logo Epson updates P-series media viewer
18:10 EST - In its second announcement of the day, Epson Japan has unveiled the new Epson Photo Fine Player P-4500, the third in the series following its existing P-2000 and P-4000 models.

The P-4500 retains the same gorgeous 3.8" LCD display with Photo Fine technology as in the past models, but offers a slight restyling, a new backlight that's 1.5 times as bright, support for images... (More)



Epson's R-D1s digital rangefinder. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Epson updates digital rangefinder
14:47 EST - Seiko Epson Corp. in Japan has today announced an update to its R-D1 digital rangefinder, developed in cooperation with Cosina Corp. and first unveiled at the 2004 PMA show in Las Vegas.

The Epson R-D1s is a relatively minor update, with the changes mostly confined to firmware (although specs provided by the company list the new model as 30 grams lighter than its elder sibling). Both models... (More)



Tuesday, March 14, 2006

RealViz's Stitcher logo. Click here to visit the RealViz website! PRESS RELEASE: Launch Of Realviz Stitcher 5.1 & New Dedicated Site At Multimedia Photo Image Show, Paris
17:03 EST - Sophia Antipolis, France (March 14, 2006) - REALVIZ, a leader in image processing software development, has confirmed, that version 5.1 of their multi award-winning panorama software, Stitcher is now available. With version 5.1 Stitcher now also becomes available in German, in addition to English and French. The release of version 5.1 also accompanies the launch of a brand-new website (http://stitcher.realviz.com),... (More)



Digital Outback Photo's logo. Click here to visit the Digital Outback Photo website! Outback Photo: Fine Art Printing e-book
16:58 EST - Our good friend Uwe Steinmueller from the Digital Outback Photo website has released a new e-book entitled "The Art of Digital Fine Art Printing: Using today's inkjet Printers for Quality Prints".

Available for $39.95 as a downloadable Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file, the 300 page e-book covers the printing workflow including color management, with specific information on Epson K3 ink-based models and... (More)



Monday, March 13, 2006

New service offers digicam faxing, scanning
14:19 EST - Palo Alto, California-based scanR Inc. has today announced a new service that allows digicam owners to use their cameras for scanning and faxing.

The service is said to work with both digital cameras and some camera phones with one megapixel or greater resolution. Photos of whiteboards, documents, etc. are uploaded to ScanR's site, where proprietary... (More)



PRESS RELEASE: New Digital Photography Book for Advanced Beginners and Amateur Photographers
13:53 EST - All Things Photography release a new book aimed at amateur photographers with particular emphasis on Digital Photography and the popular Digital SLR. London, UK (PRWEB) March 12, 2006 -- Whilst many "how to" and "learn this" photography books fill their pages with technical jargon, complicated diagrams and images taken from a stock library, this book is quite different. 100% of the example images... (More)



zenon.jpg Accewssories Review: Zenon Midi Copy Table
10:27 EST - Taking product shots without special equipment can be challenging. Zenon's Peter Louden has developed a unique solution based on his MagneFlash light panel technology. And it's nearly fool proof (as we humbly prove).

To take a good looking product shot, you have to somehow diffuse your light source and balance it with reflectors, at least -- not the typical kitchen lighting setup. Zenon's unique solution not only... (More)



Friday, March 10, 2006

Mamiya ZD SLR ships in Europe
09:24 EST - Our friends at the Digital Photography Review website are reporting that Mamiya's 22 megapixel ZD digital SLR is now shipping in the UK.

DPReview have posted a press release from the British distributor for Mamiya, noting the camera's availability in that market priced at £7000 before tax (roughly equivalent to US$12,200, ignoring... (More)



4GB Secure Digital cards on the way
08:24 EST - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. - better known by its Panasonic brandname - has officially announced the development of Secure Digital cards with a capacity of four gigabytes.

Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that in the announcement of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 digital SLR, the company stated that the camera would be compatible with memory cards of greater than 2GB capacity,... (More)



Thursday, March 9, 2006

PRESS RELEASE: Kepmad Systems Releases ImageBuddy v3.3.0
09:09 EST - Kepmad Systems today released ImageBuddy v3.3.0 a free upgrade. ImageBuddy's simple and intuitive interface lets you rotate, size, crop, mask and layout your digital photos for printing in just a few simple click. Version 3.3.0 enhances Contact Sheet printing with new file name alignment and text formatting options as requested by users. ImageBuddy offers Drag & Drop from iPhoto, extending the limited... (More)



Wednesday, March 8, 2006

What Constitutes a "Review"?
12:00 EST - One of the things that makes running a photo review website such a pleasant experience is the relationships I have with some of my fellow publishers.

As frequently happens, I was chatting online with Phil Askey (dpreview.com) and Jeff Keller (dcresource.com) the other day, and we found ourselves remarking on the confusion that seems to reign over what... (More)



Lexar's logo. Click here to visit the Lexar website! Micron announces Lexar acquisition
11:04 EST - Semiconductor company Micron Technology Inc. has today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire one of the flash memory field's best known names, Lexar Media Inc.

Terms of the agreement call for each of 81.6 million outstanding common shares of Lexar stock to be exchanged for 0.5625 shares of Micron stock. Additional Micron shares would be issued as required to... (More)



Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Fujifilm's FinePix E900 digital camera. Courtesy of Fujifilm, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Review posted for Fujifilm FinePix E900
14:25 EST - The 9.0 megapixel Fujifilm FinePix E900 is an impressive follow-up to last year's 6.3 megapixel FinePix E550, which was good enough to earn a Dave's Pick.

Its color is very good (if somewhat subdued), resolution excellent, and noise levels at even high ISOs are tamed very well. The FinePix E900 isn't the fastest in terms of AF speed, but it's right there... (More)



Monday, March 6, 2006

Minox: New 6mpix ultracompact
14:51 EST - For its second announcement at the Photo Marketing Association tradeshow, German camera brand Minox unveiled a new ultracompact digital camera.

The Minox DC 6011 offers six megapixel resolution coupled to a MINOCTAR-branded 3x optical zoom lens. Other features include power from a proprietary Lithium Ion rechargeable battery (which is charged... (More)



Minox: 5mpix compact digicam
14:45 EST - Alongside the PMA show in Orlando, German camera company Minox (famous for its sub-miniature "spy" film cameras of days gone by) announced two new digital cameras.

The focus of this news item, the Minox DC 5011 is a compact five megapixel model with a "MINOCTAR"-branded 3x optical zoom lens. Other features include ISO sensitivity from 50 to 200, a built-in... (More)



Friday, March 3, 2006

Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies' logo. Click here to visit the Hi-Touch Imaging website! PRESS RELEASE: Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies (HiTi) Wins DIMA 2006 Digital Printer Shoot-Out Awards
18:01 EST - Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies (HiTi) is proud to announce that it has won the DIMA 2006 Digital Printer Shoot-Out for both the 4-by-6 inch and creative application categories. This is the fourth year that Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies (HiTi) has won the prestigious DIMA awards in its 5-year history and further elevated its already impressive award-winning legacy, which is summarized below: 2002: HiTi... (More)



Delkin's logo. Click here to visit the Delkin website! PRESS RELEASE: Delkin Devices Announces 51 New Products At The Largest Photo Show In The United States
17:10 EST - Delkin Devices, Inc., based in Poway, California, has been providing "Everything but the Camera" since 1986. From Archival Gold Media to Pop-Up Shades, Delkin provides products with premium quality, innovative designs and an ongoing dedication to superior customer service. Delkin announces 51 news products at the PMA (Photo Marketing Association Show) in Orlando starting February 26th. "We have something... (More)



Delkin's logo. Click here to visit the Delkin website! PRESS RELEASE: Never Lose A CD Or DVD To Scratches Again!
17:06 EST - Delkin Devices Announces Archival Gold With Scratch Armor. Poway, CA. February 22, 2006- Delkin Devices, makers of high quality digital photography products and accessories, announced the addition of Scratch Armor to their Archival Gold line. They are available in both CD-R and DVD-R formats. Scratch Armor's protective layer prevents scratches, scuffs, dirt, chemicals, and fingerprints; making it... (More)



Photo Talk Radio: PMA redux and sensor comparison
15:51 EST - Imaging Resource Founder and Publisher Dave Etchells will soon be making another appearance on Photo Talk Radio.

Dave will be discussing the products we saw at this year's Photo Marketing Tradeshow, and in response to a listener email, he'll also discuss how varying sensor sizes can affect your final image quality.... (More)



Corel's logo. Click here to visit the Corel website! PRESS RELEASE: Corel and Pantone Collaborate to Bring Professional-grade Color Management to a New Range of Users
15:41 EST - ORLANDO, Fla., PMA Show Booth # 2261 - February 28, 2006 - Corel Corporation today announced its support for PANTONE™ huey™, Pantone's new, easy-to-use monitor calibration tool, by offering it with Corel® Paint Shop Pro® (PSP) X. Just as Paint Shop Pro X brings the power of professional-level tools to a broad group of consumers, huey provides monitor calibration with breakthrough... (More)



Corel's logo. Click here to visit the Corel website! PRESS RELEASE: Corel® Unveils Paint Shop Pro® Photo Art Suite at PMA 2006
15:39 EST - Suite Includes Three Incredible Programs that Let You Easily Enhance, Paint, and Share Your Photos - All in One Box Photo Art Master Search Competition Launched for Paint Shop Pro Photo Art Suite Users; Free Trial Download Available Now ORLANDO, Fla., PMA Show Booth # 2261 - February 27, 2006 - Corel Corporation today introduced Paint Shop Pro Photo Art Suite at the PMA 2006 International Convention... (More)



Corel's logo. Click here to visit the Corel website! PRESS RELEASE: Corel Introduces the Corel® Painter™ IX.5 Update
15:35 EST - Corel® Painter™ IX.5 Simplifies the Photo Painting Process for Professional Users and Extends Support to New Intel-based Macs ORLANDO, Fla., PMA Show Booth # 2261 - February 27, 2006 - Corel Corporation today unveiled the Corel® Painter™ IX.5 update to give professional photographers and artists new tools that make it easier than ever to transform photographs into paintings. Corel... (More)



Thursday, March 2, 2006

Bibble's logo. Click here to visit the Bibble Labs website! PRESS RELEASE: Bibble Labs releases 4.6 update with Noise Ninja Technology and Intel Macintosh Support
15:56 EST - Other improvements include revised user interface and more speed. PMA 2006 Orlando, FL (February 24th, 2006) - Bibble Labs, Inc. announced today the immediate availability of version 4.6 of its popular Raw Workflow software. Bibble 4.6 offers a major breakthrough via the direct integration of Noise Ninja Technology from Picture Code, LLC. High ISO noise and digital artifacts are one of the more challenging... (More)



Adobe's logo. Click here to visit the Adobe website! PRESS RELEASE: Adobe Highlights Lightroom Beta and Photoshop CS2 at PMA 2006 Convention and Trade Show
14:59 EST - Lightroom Public Beta 2.0 Photography Community and Photoshop CS2 Ecosystem Partners Rally to Support Digital Imaging Innovation SAN JOSE, Calif. - Feb. 27, 2006 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced wide-spread support from the photography community and ecosystem partners for Adobe® Lightroom™ Public Beta 2.0 and Photoshop CS2 software. With two open and extensible... (More)



Adobe's logo. Click here to visit the Adobe website! PRESS RELEASE: Adobe Photoshop Services Expands Offering to Help Pro Photographers Protect Digital Images and Boost Profits
14:56 EST - Iron Mountain and MorePhotos.com to Provide Online Backup, Proofing and Photo Sales Help to Photography Community SAN JOSE, Calif. - Feb. 27, 2006 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the expansion of Adobe® Photoshop® Services through new partnerships with Iron Mountain, the world's largest provider of data backup/recovery and archiving software as a service, and MorePhotos.com,... (More)



PRESS RELEASE: muvee Launches Automatic Video Solution for Photo Kiosks at PMA 2006
14:19 EST - More than just a slideshow, muveeKiosk technology enables photo kiosk users to instantly create emotive music video productions out of their photos and video clips Singapore and New York, NY (February 23, 2006) - muvee, the pioneer and leader in Instant Personal Video, launches its muveeKiosk software at the 2006 Photo Marketing Association (PMA) Convention in Orlando, Florida. When integrated, the... (More)

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