Digital Photography News Archive!
September 2000

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Saturday, September 30, 2000

Friday, September 29, 2000

"We see a tremendous expansion of application needs which could best be met by the SmartMedia card," said Jackie Traeumer, senior business development manager, Flash Products, at TAEC. "We believe that making this specification easily accessible to designers will enable them to design more innovative and cost-effective products in the future as well as creating a de facto standard for the industry."

"A few other reviewers have been as brave as to say that mini CD-R will be the future of storage in digital cameras. I'd have to place myself on the other side of that fence. Don't get me wrong, there's a place for it and I'm sure the CD1000 will sell well, but there's lots of things holding mini CD-R back, not least the physical size of the CD-R mechanism (and thus the camera), its speed and battery usage. It'll be interesting to see how many more products Sony release using mini CD-R.

From a storage cost point of view it's amazing value if you buy your mini CD-R's from the right places. As a camera the CD1000 performs well, that big zoom will keep even the most avid bird watcher happy and image quality is on par with the best 2 megapixel digital cameras."

Thursday, September 28, 2000

"HP Cartogra.com members will enjoy an array of features designed to provide them with an online photo-sharing experience unmatched by any other site," said Dan Gilbert, general manager of HP's Digital Imaging Solutions. "For example, the HP Cartogra photo manager's scheduling feature makes the image-uploading process simple and convenient for members."

Wednesday, September 27, 2000

"With the strong demand of digital cameras and the holiday season upon us, the main issue the camera industry faces is not demand, but supply. Camera manufacturers are concerned about shortages in key components of digital still cameras. The only question for the remainder of the year is will manufacturers be prepared to meet the insatiable appetite that consumers have for digital cameras? We'll just have to wait and see," commented NPD INTELECT Senior Manager Neil Portnoy.

"This agreement pairs Yahoo! Photos, a leading Internet-based photo sharing site with PhotoWorks, a leading full service Internet photo company, giving Yahoo!'s millions of users easy access to Internet photo services via PhotoWorks," said Gary Christophersen, PhotoWorks President and CEO. "PhotoWorks' services allow Yahoo! Photos users to have their film developed, receive their prints and negatives via mail and have their pictures posted online in a password-protected area on Yahoo! Photos."

"Yahoo! Photos is pleased to offer our users the ability to easily develop film, receive prints and easily access their pictures online for users to view, share and order reprints," said Mark Hull, senior producer, Yahoo! Photos. "We selected PhotoWorks as our partner for mail-in film development and online scanning services based on their strong reputation as a leader in this market, the close relationship they have with their users, and their commitment to high-quality film developing and photofinishing services. Working together with PhotoWorks will make it easier for all camera users to benefit from the variety of services offered online without needing a digital camera or a scanner. Our agreement with PhotoWorks reinforces Yahoo! Photos as a one-stop place on the Internet for all online and offline photo needs."

"The gift-giving season is fast approaching and consumers are beginning to look for the perfect present," said Bill Giordano, National Marketing Manager, consumer digital products at Nikon. "Digital cameras are one of the hottest products on the market this season, and with the rebate extension a Nikon digital camera makes for the perfect gift."

• Imaging Resource Nikon Coolpix 950 review
  
• Digital Camera Resource Page - Nikon Coolpix 950 vs. Olympus C-2000Z
  
• Steve's Digicams Coolpix 950 user review
  
• PC World - Nikon Coolpix 950 vs. Olympus C-2000Z
  
• Digital Eyes Nikon Coolpix 950 user review
  
• PC Watch - Nikon Coolpix 950 vs. Olympus C-2000ZOOM (Japanese)
  
• Digital Photography Review Coolpix 950 user review
  
• Lone Star Digital Coolpix 950 review

• Imaging Resource Nikon Coolpix 800 review
  
• Digital Photography Review Coolpix 800 user review
  
• Digital Camera Resource Page Coolpix 800 user review
• megapixel.net Coolpix 800 user review (we can't provide a direct link, but click on the "+84 other reviews" link and select the Coolpix 800 in the dropdown list)
  
• Lone Star Digital Coolpix 800 review

• Improvements have been made to focusing when auto AF-area selection is in effect. Improvements have also been made when focusing in a selected focus area with manual focus-area selection.
  
• After a series of photographs has been shot in continuous sequence, the next photograph can now be taken as soon as memory for a single photograph becomes available in the buffer.
  
• Support for the remote release cable. The MC-EU1 remote cord (available separately) can be used not only to release the shutter but also to perform such operations as zoom and interval photography.
  
• With Best Shot Selection on, you can now take up to ten shots of any image quality and size. (Only the shot perceived to have the highest level of detail is recorded to the memory card. BSS is not available at an image-quality setting of HI.)
  
• A reduction has been made in the amount of time photographs are displayed after shooting, making it possible to set up the next photograph immediately.
  
• Improvements have been made to allow rapid display of uncompressed photographs taken at an image-quality setting of HI.
  
• The performance of the white balance function has been improved.
  
• Corrections have been made to some of the English, French, and German menus.

"The Konica/Zing distributed prints network will address the needs of our film users by offering digitization and upload-to-Web service, and address the needs of our digital camera users by offering the speed and convenience of `one-hour photo' prints," said Mark Platshon, Zing president and CEO. "Zing is proud to be the first major online photo service to offer its members print processing at local retail stores as well as the standard mail-order prints."

"Konica expects to provide a more advanced digital mini-lab system to its retail customers through our strategic partnership with Zing, introducing online sharing, printing, storage and Internet communication capabilities for Konica's QD Lab film-processing customers. This will further enhance the developing, print and storage services to better serve customers worldwide," said Hideaki Iwama, an executive officer at Konica.

Tuesday, September 26, 2000

"The introduction of the Leaf C-Most back marks a significant turning point in professional digital photography," said Amit Shvartz, Vice President, Marketing, Leaf Products, CreoScitex. "The unique value proposition of the Leaf C-Most back will draw more photographers to add digital photography to their offering, hence fueling the transition from analog to digital."

Monday, September 25, 2000

Friday, September 22, 2000

"The major benefit of Delkin’s MultiMediaCards is high megabyte capacities in an ultra-small removable media for the latest compact digital devices which require additional memory," said Arthur Blanck, Chief Technical Officer, Delkin Devices, Inc. "Designed to be the smallest memory card, MultiMediaCards contain an embedded memory core which holds up to two pieces of solid-state flash memory and a controller inside this confined 1.4mm thick flash card," explains Mr. Blanck. "Since Delkin’s MultiMediaCards are built with non-volatile flash memory, they’re capable of operating at only 2.7 to 3.6 volts, so the cards don’t drain the device’s battery power. The other distinct advantage of using flash memory in our MultiMediaCards is their ability to re-write large amounts of data to the same card over 100,000 times!"

"These new eFilm Pocket Readers were designed for the purpose of being the most convenient tool for transferring images, songs and data from the memory card to computer when not in the office," noted Blanck. "Since the vast majority of PC and Mac laptops and desktops come equipped with a USB port, Delkin’s Pocket Readers contain a USB controller inside each reader. This micro-controller allows transfer of large megapixel images from the eFilm card to the computer in just a couple of seconds. In addition, Delkin has guaranteed its eFilm Pocket Reader to be 100% compatible with every manufacturer’s memory card format. So users who have different brands of CompactFlash cards, the CF Pocket Reader will accept all of them!"

"For Delkin to manufacture the highest capacity CompactFlash and CompactFlash Type II cards to date, our engineers needed to use flash memory chips larger than 256Mbit in the design," explains Blanck. "Therefore we implemented a 512Mbit AND-type flash memory created from a Double Density Package, or DDP, which contains two 256 Mbit chips. These revolutionary 512Mbit flash chips gave us the necessary technology to reach such a high capacity in a single card,"

"We are eager to access Moto Photo's unrecognized asset value represented by it's 2 million upscale customers who process 9 million rolls of film a year and generate one-quarter of a billion images," said Geoffrey G. Briant, CEO and Chairman of PhotoChannel. "Bricks and mortar retailers like Moto Photo will have an increasingly prominent role to play in the imaging world of the dot-com economy. Moto Photo's 419 locations will be a valuable link to PhotoChannel's digital world by providing us a widely distributed network for immediate film delivery and print pick-up. In the 1999 Annual Report for Moto Photo, Michael Adler, Moto Photo's Chairman & CEO commented, 'One dot-com company hails itself as one of the leading websites with 6 million images now being stored on its servers. That is equivalent to just 9 days volume for Moto Photo. This remark emphasizes for us the combined potential of PhotoChannel and Moto Photo."

"With this merger our shareholders, franchisees and associates will benefit from fully embracing digital photography. The combined superior management teams at Moto Photo and PhotoChannel, coupled with yesterday's announcement of PhotoChannel's new financial and strategic advisors at Salomon Smith Barney, gives us the foundation to build a new economy company" said Michael Adler, Chairman & CEO of Moto Photo. "I personally look forward to, and I am fully committed to, working with the merged entity. It is inevitable that imaging Internet companies will join forces with major retailers. I am excited that we are the first two companies to implement this strategy and I anticipate that others will want to join this newest imaging powerhouse."

• Kyocera Finecam 3300 digital camera
  
• 3.34 megapixel 1/1.8" interlaced RGB CCD image sensor. Effective rating of 3.24 megapixels. EXIF 2.1 conforming JPEG and non-compressed TIFF-RGB image formats at resolutions of 2048 x 1536 (TIFF, JPEG Super-fine and Fine) or 1024 x 768 (JPEG Normal)
  
• 7.8 - 15.6mm F3.0 - 3.7 all-glass Kyocera 2x optical zoom lens equivalent to 38-76mm on a 35mm camera. Eight groups with nine elements. Minimum center resolution of 200 lines/mm. 1.3, 1.6 and 2x digital interpolation. Macro focusing down to 10 centimeters captures an image area of 42 x 36mm, normal focusing 0.6m to infinity. Automatic lens cover.
  
• 1.5" 110,000 pixel (512 x 218) low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD display with brightness adjustment. No optical viewfinder.
  
• Type-II CompactFlash storage compatible with CompactFlash cards to 192MB or IBM Microdrive up to 1GB
  
• No PC connectivity (optional USB CompactFlash reader is available for ¥6,200 [US$58]). NTSC/PAL user-switcheable video output
  
• Aluminum alloy and reinforced plastic chassis
  
• Built-in four-mode flash (auto, auto with redeye reduction, on, off). Range of 0.6 - 3 meters at wide angle, 0.6 - 2.5 meters at telephoto. Charges in six seconds.
  
• Automatic exposure with +/- 2.0EV exposure compensation in 1/3EV increments, or Aperture priority AE (two settings of F3 or F6.6 possible)
  
• Shutter speeds of 1 - 1/2000 second, or manual shutter settings of 2, 4 or 8 seconds.
  
• Automatic, 4-preset (Daylight, Tungsten, Cloudy, Fluorescent) or manual white balance
  
• Contrast detection-type autofocus. Manual focus options are Macro or Infinity.
  
• Center-weighted averaging or Spot metering
  
• 2x or 4x sensitivity options
  
• AVI Movie capability; 15 frames per second for 15 seconds at 320 x 240 resolution. Quicktime 4.0 required.
  
• Sepia and Black & White modes (not possible in TIFF mode)
  
• 2x playback zoom
  
• 2 second or 10 second self-timer
  
• Sound at shutter release can be enabled/disabled
  
• Japanese/English switcheable menus
  
• Settings remembered when camera switched off
  
• DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) and DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compliant
  
• Single or all-image deletion
  
• Power from Lithium Ion rechargeable battery (bundled) which charges in-camera using the AC adaptor. One charge gives 200 photos or 90 minutes of use.
  
• Dimensions of 93.5 x 66 x 37.5mm, weight of 200 grams. Billed as the smallest and lightest 3 megapixel digital camera with zoom lens as of August 20, 2000.
  
• Available in 'Ice Blue', 'Aqua Pink', or 'Brilliant Silver' in Japan, 'Brilliant Silver' elsewhere (No, really! 'Aqua Pink' - we thought we were losing something in the translation, but we're not!)
  
• Bundled with Lithium Ion battery, AC adaptor, video cable and hand strap. Optional extras are CFR-1 USB CompactFlash reader (¥6,200, US$58) and extra BP-1100R Lithium Ion battery (¥4,500, US$42)
  
• Shipped on September 15 2000 in Japan at a price of ¥79,800 (US$749) with monthly production volume of 10,000 units

• Agfa CL20 and CL34
  
• Canon G1, EOS D30, underwater housing, 400mm DO IS lens
  
• Casio QV-3X, QV-2300UX
  
• Delkin 256MB CF Type-I, 320MB & 448MB CF Type-II
  
• Foveon 16 megapixel CMOS, Hasselblad Dfinity

• Fuji Finepix 2400Z, Finepix 1300, Finepix 40i, Finepix 4700Z, Finepix 4900Z
  
• HP Photosmart C215, Photosmart C315, Photosmart C912
  
• IBM 512MB and 1GB Microdrives
  
• Kodak 16 megapixel CCD, DSC Pro Back, EZ-200, DC4800, DC5000, DC215
  
• Kyocera Contax N Digital SLR, Yashica Finecam 3300

• Leica Digilux 4.3
  
• Minolta Dimage 2330
  
• Nikon Coolpix 880, Coolpix 990, D1, MC-EU1 remote control
  
• Olympus E-10, E-100RS, C-3030Z, P-400 dye sublimation printer
  
• Panasonic iPalm PV-DC3000

• Pentax EI-2000 and unnamed digital SLR
  
• Ricoh RDC-i700
  
• Sandisk Photo-me station, 64MB SD MultiMediaCard with mockup digital camera, 300MB CF Type-II card
  
• Sony P1, DSC-F505V, DP-SV55 dye sublimation printer, MemoryStick picture frame

Thursday, September 21, 2000

• The same cold-forged aluminum chassis with a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer back as the original GC-X1 remains, but the color is now black instead of silver
  
• It appears that the top shutter speeds have been dropped somewhat (!) - our spec sheet on the original GC-X1 model lists shutter speeds of 1/750 to 1 second in Program AE mode, or 1/750 to 4 seconds in Night mode, whereas the spec sheet for the GC-X3 lists shutter speeds of 1/750 to 1/8 second in Program AE mode, and 1/750 to 2 seconds in Night mode.
  
• A High Definition Video output connector has been added to the camera for viewing images on an HDTV
  
• The camera is being promoted as having a "film copy mode"; similar to Leica's previous cameras, JVC are going to be releasing an adaptor to hold positive/negative film precisely 2 centimeters in front of the camera lens, allowing the film to be "photographed" in macro mode and hence copied. It isn't clear if the adapter will be bundled or sold separately, and if any software changes have been made to the digital camera itself to accomodate this.

"If you want one digital-imaging product that does it all, Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7.0 is the one for you," said Kris Tufto, CEO of Jasc Software. "No matter what you're into - digital photography, sharing family photos, creating business graphics, or designing Web sites - Paint Shop Pro 7.0 is packed with powerful tools that help you look great. But it's not a one-size-fits-all product. Newcomers will love the handy, automatic tools - and professionals will appreciate the top-notch, high-end features. So whether you're a new digital camera owner, or a graphics guru with your own Web site, Paint Shop Pro gives you an easy, very affordable way to make amazing, professional images."

• Automatically adjust color balance, enhance brightness, saturation, and hue
  
• Remove red-eye, automatically - it works on people and animals
  
• Restore damaged photos with Scratch Removal Tool
  
• Adjustable Histogram enhances details without loss of information
  
• Automatically and manually improve video, scanned, and compressed images
  
• Remove noise, scratches, dust, or specks and improve crispness and impact
  
• Align, distribute, arrange, group and resize vector objects
  
• Create and save custom-styled lines with dots, dashes, and end-caps
  
• Create and save custom shapes for reuse
  
• Position more precisely with Snap-to grids and guides
  
• Experiment with over 20 new artistic and lighting special effects
  
• Speed-up downloading of Web graphics with Image Slicing
  
• Automatically create "hotspots" and embed URL links with new Image Mapping features
  
• Create visual mouse-overs with Image Rollover effects
  
• Preview graphics in various Web file formats in up to 3 browsers
  
• Repeat last command feature
  
• Save and retrieve workspaces to manage projects
  
• Identify and select with thumbnail previews of Picture Tubes, Gradients, Textures, Preset Shapes
  
• Navigate easier while in Zoom mode with the Overview Window Palette
  
• Protect critical work with customizable Auto-save
  
• Get started on the right foot with the new Getting Started Guide featuring hands-on tutorials

• Proofing, autoproofing, and reset options on most dialogs
  
• Support for nearly 50 file formats - claimed to be more than any other product on the market
  
• Vector shapes, lines, and text now support gradients, textures, and patterns on the stroke and fill commands
  
• Brushes now support gradients, textures, and patterns
  
• Create GIF animations with Animation Shop 3
  
• Optimize graphics for Web use with JPG/GIF/PNG Optimizer

President and CEO of Victor Hasselblad AB, G�ran Bernhoff, said of the cooperation, "We see Foveon as a very strong partner in the development of a photographic solution that will bring our customers the image quality they have been accustomed to in conventional film, also in the digital field. We see this as a first step in a fruitful cooperation where we combine the capabilities of our respective companies that will result in a series of compelling products for our customers."

"There's no doubt that the Foveon imaging engine, which consists, in part, of three 2Kx2K sensors mounted on a prism, results in superior images. Creating leading-edge CMOS-based sensor technology and reducing color artifacts are two of the pillars that Foveon is based on. We're extremely pleased that Hasselblad, a leader in professional image quality for over 50 years, recognizes the power and purity of this approach," said Carver Mead, Foveon's founder and Chairman of the Board.

"For several years Hasselblad has chosen not to market our own digital single-shot product for reasons of image quality. Only now with the Hasselblad DFinity concept can we truly say that the image quality matches that of film. This camera has the potential to replace today's three-shot backs as well as breaking new digital ground in applications such as portrait and fashion" says Patrik Mark, Vice president Marketing, Victor Hasselblad AB.

• Kodak DC3200
  The DC3200 is described by Yamada as a low-cost megapixel unit with an LCD display. He has posted two pictures of the camera, which he notes has a very simple exterior somewhat reminiscent of Fuji's DS-7 digital camera. The DC3200 has a fixed focal length lens and uses digital interpolation for zoom; storage is via 2MB of built-in memory and a CompactFlash card slot. Yamada felt the response of the LCD display to be quite slow, as was the shot-shot time of 18 seconds per shot. The DC3200, which Yamada speculates is actually built by Sharp, will cost 499 DM (US$216, £153, ¥23,000) when it ships in Germany.
  
• Sanyo Electric DSC-SX560 and unnamed ID Photo disk reference design
  Sanyo is showing two interesting new developments at Photokina. First up is the first camera we've seen that uses the long-awaited iD 720MB magneto-optical disks that we told you about back on July 26 1999. When first announced, Sanyo (who created iD in cooperation with Olympus and Hitachi) had expected to have a camera using the disks to be shipping by this summer; since then they have been overtaken capacity-wise by IBM's 1 gigabyte Microdrive, as well as 1 gigabyte PC cards from the likes of Viking - but they could still be extremely worthwhile if the cost per disk is low enough in comparison with these other media... The new reference design features a 1.5 megapixel CCD and 3x optical zoom lens in an SLR-style camera. Detailed information on the camera is apparently hard to come by, so we can't confirm whether the unit actually has a TTL optical viewfinder or an LCD viewfinder, nor any other specifications, but as soon as we hear more we'll cover the camera in more detail...
  
  
  Also from Sanyo is a newly-announced camera, the DSC-SX560. The unit features a design based on Sanyo's DSC-SX550 digital camera (sold in the USA with an IBM Microdrive as the VPC-SX550MD), but has a one important change. Retaining the SX550's 1/2" 1.5 megapixel CCD, 7mm F2.4 fixed focal length lens (equivalent to 38mm on a 35mm camera), and Microdrive-compatible Type-II CompactFlash storage, the SX560 builds on its predecessor's already noteworthy speed. Movie recording capabilities are the same - up to 7.5 minutes of 640 x 480 15fps video, 35 minutes @ 320 x 200 15fps, and a whopping 50 minutes @ 160 x 120 15fps - plus a choice of 30fps and/or fine instead of normal compression in both of the lower resolutions. Where the SX550 could capture 7.5 frames per second of still images for 15 (fine) or 20 (normal) shots at 1360 x 1024, 20 fine or normal shots at 7.5 or 15fps in 1024 x 768, and 40 fine or normal shots at 7.5 or 15 fps in 640 x 480, though, the SX560 really shines. How about 7.5 or 15 frames per second for 15 (fine) or 20 (normal) shots at the full 1360 x 1024 resolution and 50 fine or normal shots at 7.5, 15 or 30 fps in 640 x 480? Wow... Yamada notes that the European and Japanese designs differ for the camera, the European design looking essentially identical to the current VPC-SX550MD, whilst the Japanese version will feature a rubberized handgrip...
  
• Kyocera/Contax N Digital
  No new information here, but Yamada presents us with two new photos of the N Digital body (without a lens) as well as a picture showing Contax' display stand with a variety of N system camera bodies, lenses and the suchlike.
  
• Canon DO lens
  We told you about Canon's new diffractive optical element, a development that allows smaller, lighter lens designs in our news item 'Canon announces diffractive optical element breakthrough!' of September 7th, and at that time showed you pictures of the new lens alongside an equivalent non-DO lens. Yamada has now seen the new DO lens in person, and has posted similar photos of the DO element and a lens comparison, as well as a photo of the new lens on a Canon EOS 1V body, and a closeup photo of the DO element which demonstrates the concentric diffraction grating rings quite nicely... According to Yamada's discussion with Canon, they intend to develop the DO element for use in both digital camera and single-lens reflex camera lenses and increase lens density (smaller, more powerful lenses).

• Minolta Dim�ge 2330 ZOOM digital camera
  
• 1/1.75" 2.31 megapixel RGB interline CCD gives images of 1792 x 1200 or 896 x 600 pixels in EXIF 2.1 JPEG format, Fine, Standard or Economy compression
  
• 8 - 24mm 3x optical zoom lens equivalent to 38 - 114mm on a 35mm camera. 9 elements in 6 groups, including 3 aspherical elements. f/3.4 - f/3.6. macro mode focusing down to 40mm (1 9/16"). 2.5x digital interpolation.
  
• 1.8-inch TFT LCD display
  
• Type-I CompactFlash storage media
  
• 5-mode built-in flash (Auto, Fill, Off, Auto with Redeye Reduction, Fill with Redeye Reduction)
  
• USB connectivity
  
• TTL autofocusing system
  
• TTL Programmed AE exposure with +/- 2.0EV exposure compensation in 0.5EV increments
  
• Center-area average TTL metering
  
• ISO rating of 100
  
• Shutter speeds 1/500 to 1 second
  
• Automatic or 3-preset manual (Daylight, Fluorescent, Tungsten) white balance
  
• Burst mode of approx. 1 frame per second for 12 frames in economy compression, 896 x 600 pixel resolution
  
• 10-second self timer
  
• Complies with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) and DPOF (Digital Print Order Format)
  
• Power from 4 AA alkaline or NiMH batteries, or external 6V DC AC adapter
  
• Dimensions of 116 x 73 x 62mm (4 9/16 x 2 7/8 x 2 7/16 inches)
  
• Weighs 220 grams (9 7/8 ounces) without batteries or flash card
  
• Bundled with AA alkaline batteries, 8MB CompactFlash card, Video cable, USB cable, camera case, hand strap, USB driver CD-ROM, Adobe PhotoDeluxe CD-ROM (Mac/Windows)
  
• Optional AC adapter (AC-1 100-120V 50/60Hz for North America and Japan, AC-2 100-240V 50/60Hz for Europe, Asia except Japan, and Oceania)
  
• Expected MSRP of US$499

Wednesday, September 20, 2000

• Unnamed Pentax Interchangeable-lens SLR digital camera
  
• Full 35mm-frame sized 6 megapixel CCD and a DSP both developed by Philips
  
• Newly designed magnesium alloy SLR body which is also used by a new flagship film camera being announced by Pentax at the same time, features 2-inch LCD display, built-in retractable TTL flash unit, fixed pentaprism TTL optical viewfinder
  
• Pentax KAF2 bayonet lens mount, which is compatible with K-mount, 645N and 67II lenses by use of a converter
  
• Type-II PC card and Type-II CompactFlash slot which can be used simultaneously
  
• Files saved in TIFF, JPEG or RAW formats
  
• IEEE 1394 (FireWire) connection
  
• 6-point autofocus system
  
• Shutter speeds up to 1/6000 second

"In addition to being SD Memory Card-compatible, the new PV-DC3000 ipalm digital camera also takes print-quality photos that can easily be e-mailed with audio accompaniments, all at the touch of a button," says Mary Miceli, product manager of the Consumer Video Division for Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "And, as attractive as it is useful, the new ipalm digital camera also has a striking, vertically-oriented, easy to hold design that fits more naturally into the palm of the user's hand."

• Panasonic ipalm PC-DC3000 digital camera
  
• 0.55" 3.3 megapixel CCD. Images stored in JPEG (Super Fine, Fine, Normal and Burst-Mode) or TIFF (uncompressed) formats. Resolutions of 2048 x 1536 in TIFF and JPEG Super Fine/Fine, 1024 x 768 in JPEG Normal or Burst-Mode.
  
• 2x optical zoom lens equivalent to 32-64mm on a 35mm camera. 3x digital interpolation.
  
• 1.5-inch color TFT LCD display
  
• Built-in flash with red-eye reduction
  
• SD card slot compatible with SD Memory Card or MultiMediaCard. 16MB MultiMediaCard bundled.
  
• PC or Mac compatible USB connectivity with "Easy Transfer" (press a button on the camera to automatically transfer all images to PC)
  
• Easy Mail feature will automatically attach an image to an email message by pressing the Mail and Shutter buttons.
  
• Program AE exposure with shutter speeds 1/30 to 1/1000 second or 1/4 to 1/1000 second in slow shutter mode, and apertures from F2.9 to F8
  
• Still images can be tagged with up to 5 seconds of audio
  
• Automatic white balance
  
• QuickTime MotionJPEG compliant movie capture with audio, 320 x 240 resolution up to 12 seconds per movie, 10 frames per second
  
• Burst mode uses higher resolution and can capture up to 3 images per burst, time between images not specified
  
• Time lapse mode automatically captures images at intervals of 1, 5, 10, 30 minutes, or 1, 6, 12 or 24 hours
  
• Self-timer
  
• Bundled with a 16MB MultiMediaCard, USB cable, PC USB driver (Mac version is not yet available but will be posted on Panasonic's website), video cable, camera strap, 4 AA alkaline batteries, Adobe PhotoDeluxe (Home Edition v4.0 for Windows or 2.0 for Macintosh) and QuickTime
  
• Power from 4 AA Alkaline batteries
  
• Available in the USA in October, 2000 at an MSRP of US$899.95, and in Japan as the PV-DC3000J on October 25th at an MSRP of ¥95,000 (US$)

"The reference design kit is the first of many complete 'turnkey' product deliverables developed from the acquisition of Sierra Imaging in June of this year," said Douglas Cebik, senior product marketing manager for Conexant's Personal Imaging Division. "Our full-featured reference design appeals to both traditional digital still camera manufacturers, and a new class of companies that want to add imaging to their product portfolio with our product's easy-to-manufacture architecture and cost-effective design. Our design allows camera manufacturers to reduce the cost, power consumption and size of their megapixel digital cameras without sacrificing image quality or click-to-click performance."

Tuesday, September 19, 2000

"The DCS Pro Back represents everything Kodak Professional has learned about digital image capture and workflow, studio and portraiture applications, and what photographers want after more than a decade of developing the world's best-selling professional digital cameras," said Jerry Magee, Worldwide Product Line Manager, DCS Capture Systems, Kodak Professional."This digital camera back marries Kodak's image science and color management expertise with important new photographic features and our own 4K-by-4K ITO sensor, representing the highest standard of image quality and light detection on the market,” Magee said. “The result is large, precise, quality image files that are remarkably easy to capture, evaluate and process in a professional workflow."

• Kodak DCS Pro Back
  
• 16 megapixel CCD image sensor. 4,096 x 4,096 pixel resolution, 9um pixel size. 12-bit dynamic range, 'extremely low noise'. Yields 48MB files.
  
• Compatible with Hasselblad 555 ELD and Mamiya RZ medium format camera systems; interfaces for other medium- and large-format camera systems planned.
  
• 1.3x focal length magnification in a medium format camera
  
• LCD display with 90-degree tilt movement, instant review, histogram, overexposure indicator, 1:1 focus check, RGB spot meter
  
• S-Video review port
  
• Removeable anti-aliasing filter
  
• Dual PC card slots, compatible with the IBM Microdrive, allows up to 2 gigabytes of in-camera storage!
  
• Powered by IEEE 1394 "FireWire" port or internal rechargeable battery
  
• Burst mode allows for one image every 2 seconds for 8 images
  
• ISO rating of 100
  
• Stand-alone host software with ICC-enabled color management tools. Features include up to 10 input profiles mimicking film emulsions and one custom input profile

Monday, September 18, 2000

• Canon PowerShot G1 digital camera
  
• 1/1.8 inch 3.34 megapixel CCD. 3.24 megapixel effective rating. Images stored in JPEG (Super Fine, Fine or Normal compression) or RAW format (2048 x 1536 pixels only). Resolutions of 2048 x 1536, 1024 x 768 or 640 x 480 pixels.
  
• 7 - 21mm F2.0 - F2.5 3x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 34 - 102mm on a 35mm camera. 8 elements in 7 groups. Digital interpolation: 2X, 4X. Focusing range:
  • Normal AF 70 cm - infinity (2.3 ft. - infinity)
  • Macro AF 6 cm (wide)/ 20 cm (tele) - 70 cm (2.4 in. (wide)/ 7.9 in. (tele) - 2.3 ft.)
  • Manual Focus 6 cm (wide)/ 20 cm (tele) - infinity (2.4 in. (wide)/ 7.9 in. (tele) - infinity)
• Real-image type optical zoom viewfinder with diopter adjustment and 1.8" TFT flip/tilt/swivel LCD display (97% coverage, anti-reflective coating).
  
• CompactFlash card storage (Type I and Type II) with support for IBM MicroDrive
  
• Mac/PC compatible USB/ RS232C/RS-422 computer connectivity. User-selecteable NTSC or PAL video connectivity with monaural audio
  
• TTL autofocus (continuous or single). Focus lock and Manual focus are available. Red-eye reduction lamp doubles as AF Auxiliary Light Emitter.
  
• Mechanical and electronic shutter. Shutter speeds 8 - 1/1,000 second; 8 sec. shutter is available in Shutter-Priority mode or Manual mode. High-speed shutter setting from 1/640 to 1/1000 sec. are available only at F8 aperture setting. Slow shutter speeds of 1.3 sec. or more operates with noise reduction
  
• ISO ratings of 50, 100, 200 400, auto (ISO 50 & 100 only) or user selectable
  
• Center-weighted average metering or Spot metering
  
• Program AE, Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE or Manual exposure control. AE lock is available. Exposure compensation: +/- 2.0EV (in 1/3-stop increments)
  
• TTL auto white balance, pre-set white balance (available settings: Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent or Flash) or Custom white balance
  
• Built-in flash with Auto, Red-eye reduction auto, Red-eye reduction On, On or Off modes. Flash range 70 cm - 4.5 m (2.3 ft. - 14.8 ft.) at wide angle, 70 cm - 3.6 m (2.3 ft. - 11.8 ft.) at telephoto with sensitivity set to ISO 100
  
• Flash-sync terminals at accessory shoe. The following external flashes are recommended: Canon Speedlite 220EX, 380EX, 420EX and 550EX. Other flashes can be used but will be non-intelligent (ie. will fire at full strength). Maximum flash sync is 1/250 second.
  
• Flash exposure compensation: +/- 2.0EV (in 1/3-stop increments)
  
• Pan-focus, Portrait, Landscape, Night scene, Black & white, Stitch Assist and Movie modes
  
• Built-in microphone (front of camera) and speaker (left side of camera)
  
• Movie mode records Motion JPEG-conforming AVI movies with monaural sounds, 320 x 240 pixels at 15 frames per second up to 30 seconds per movie.
  
• Annotation feature records sound as a monaural wave file
  
• 10 second self-timer (Red-eye reduction lamp doubles as indication of self-timer)
  
• Infrared remote control included, with control of shutter, zoom and LCD display in "Record" mode, and LCD display with single or multi (9 images) and playback zoom (2.5 or 5x) with playback pan in "Play" mode. When shooting with remote control, image is captured 2 seconds after shutter button pressed . Infrared sensor is on front of camera (not visible from rear). Range of 5 meters (16.4 feet)
  
• PC-connected shooting over USB connection only. Proprietary software on the PC controls the camera over the USB connection (!)
  
• Continuous shooting : Approx. 1.7 image/sec. in Large/Fine mode with LCD viewfinder off
  
• Shutter lag of 0.07 seconds when camera is prefocused
  
• Metal tripod thread (left side of camera, not on central axis of lens)
  
• Design Rule for Camera File system (DCF), and Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant
  
• Single, Multi, (9 thumbnail images), Magnified (approx. 2.5X or 5X on build-in LCD monitor) or Slide show playback modes
  
• Power from BP-511 rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery or AC adapter (both included in the camera kit), and Charge Adapter/Car Battery Cable Kit CR-560 (optional extra). Battery life of 800 images (LCD off), 260 images (LCD on) or 160 minutes of playback. Battery pack recharges in camera body with AC adapter.
  
• Operating environment: Temperature 0 - 40 degrees C (32 - 104 degrees F), Humidity 10 - 90 %
  
• Dimensions 119.7 x 76.8 x 63.8 mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 2.5") (excluding protrusions)
  
• Weight approx. 420 g (14.8 oz) (excluding batteries and CF card)
  
• Bundled with 16MB CompactFlash card, USB cable, Video cable, Lithium Ion battery and AC adapter. Software bundle includes TWAIN drivers, ZoomBrowser EX, PhotoStitch, RemoteCapture, Adobe Photoshop 5.0 LE for PC, and Plug-In Module, ImageBrowser, PhotoStitch, RemoteCapture and Adobe Photoshop 5.0 LE for Mac.
  
• Optional extras include LA-DC58 58mm threaded conversion lens adapter (required for use of add-on lenses), WC-DC58 0.8x wide converter, TC-DC58 1.5x tele converter and 250D close-up lens (allows focusing down to 12-20cm / 4.7-7.9" with the camera in macro mode)
  
• Scheduled for avilability in late October/early November in Europe at a price of €1250 (£765, ¥115,012, US$1071)

"We are tremendously excited about this achievement. High resolution image sensors are what will accelerate the adoption rate of digital cameras and digital photography. Our sensor is the first viable 16 megapixel image sensor of any kind (CCD or CMOS) that can be produced in commercial volumes. Foveon has shattered the quality and resolution ceiling held by CCD sensors since their inception over 30 years ago,” said Dr. Carver Mead, the company’s founder.

“Our close working relationship with National Semiconductor has been a key to our success. National Semiconductor has a state-of-the-art 0.18 micron fabrication facility, is a world leader in low defect manufacturing and has the analog fabrication process expertise that is essential to manufacturing a sensor with this level of complexity,” said Richard Merrill, Foveon’s Senior Scientist and Chief Sensor Architect.

“The technical challenges have been formidable. With nearly 70 million transistors, the Foveon 16 megapixel sensor has almost 2.5 times the number of transistors as an Intel Pentium III,” said Brian Halla, Chief Executive Officer of National Semiconductor. "Without question, Foveon has made a quantum leap in analog chip design and in photography, " added Halla.

"Now that we have proven that the 16 megapixel sensor can be manufactured, over the course of the next 18 months we expect to see it in products for the high-quality professional markets, including professional cameras, film scanners, medical imaging, document scanning and museum archiving," said Eric Zarakov, Foveon's Vice President of Marketing. "Over the next few years we are, of course, anticipating our technologies to migrate down to the larger mass markets. It is a very exciting time in photography,” continued Zarakov.

Sunday, September 17, 2000

"Together with my colleague in Hong Kong, we started our own site for Digital Cameras (Bilingual Chinese & English versions available).

The first cover story published is about the beta/engineering sample E-10 supplied by Olympus Japan HQs. We did a hands-on report on it and took some Sample Photos with the beta version. We may be the first to make it available other than Japan.

You are cordially invited to visit, comment and hopefully you would share your experience with us. Thank you!"

Saturday, September 16, 2000

• The size on the screen is smaller.
  
• DCE 1.2 has now a rapid preview of the effect on the image. When you are in preview mode (default) you can slide the controls and you see the result without waiting. When you are satisfied, just press OK (in XTR) or Save (in Stand Alone) and the settings will be rendered in the full image.
  
• During the rendering, DCE writes which part of the enhancing process is doing.
  
• Zoom: Original Size - this will do the processing on the full original image. What you see is what will be saved. This is good if you want to verify sharpness or noise reduction effect on the image.
  
• Zoom: Preview Size (default) - DCE 1.2 has now a preview mode where the process will be rendered on a preview of the image. This is very fast and it allows you to test and see the changes almost in real time. After you press Save (or OK on XTR) the Enhancer will actually do the process on the full image. In preview mode you can clearly see the color adjusting but you can't sense the proper value of Enh. Details and De-Noiser. The actual effect could be different on the full size.

Thursday, September 14, 2000

• DCS 560 and DCS 660 list prices cut from $24,995 to $15,995
  
• DCS 330 list price cut from $4,495 to $3,495
  
• DCS 315 list price cut from $2,995 to $1,795, and a 24-70mm IX-Nikkor lens added to the DCS 315 bundle

Wednesday, September 13, 2000

"At Fujifilm, we have a history of offering digital cameras that appeal to specific sectors of the market and the FinePix 1300 and FinePix 2400 ZOOM are no exceptions," remarked Darin Pepple, Product Manager, Consumer Digital Products, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. "As a whole, digital photographers are a diverse lot with certain features and controls appealing to some, but not others. If there is one common denominator among them it’s the desire for colorful, true-to-life pictures and as a company world renowned for its color reproduction, we can deliver just that with our new digital cameras."

"With the picture-taking ability of the FinePix 1300 there has never been a better time for families to make the leap into digital photography," said Pepple. "This starter model, with its quality image reproduction and transferability, is a superb, entry-level digital camera."

"Rather than have most of the key controls placed within an internal menu system, we pulled the controls 'out' of the FinePix 2400 ZOOM and placed them on the body of the camera for ease of operation," explained Pepple. "This makes the camera very user friendly, allowing just about anyone who has operated a camera, film or digital, to take pictures with the FinePix 2400 ZOOM."

• Fujifilm FinePix 1300 Digital Camera
  
• 1/2.7-inch 1.3 megapixel CCD, 36 bit color depth (12 bit per channel). Gives files at resolutions up to 1280 x 960 pixels.
  
• Fixed focus, fixed focal length lens equivalent to 36mm on a 35mm camera. 2X Digital interpolation in VGA mode only. Macro focusing to 3.1 inches.
  
• 1.6-inch D-TFD LCD display (55,000 pixels) and Optical viewfinder
  
• SmartMedia storage (3.3V, 2-64MB); 8MB SmartMedia card bundled
  
• Mac/PC compatible USB connectivity
  
• Built-in Flash (effective range: 2.6 in. to 9.8 ft.) with Auto, Red-Eye, Forced Flash, Suppressed, Slow Sync modes
  
• Rated at ISO 125
  
• Automatic selection of shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/1000 second.
  
• Files saved in 24-Bit JPEG (EXIF) with 3 compression levels (1/4, 1/8, 1/16)
  
• Auto plus 6 Manual Preset white balance settings
  
• Program AE exposure, manual Exposure Compensation
  
• 64-zone TTL metering
  
• DPOF Compliant
  
• Auto Power Off Disable
  
• Playback Modes are Auto Playback, 9-up, Zoom, Resize, DPOF
  
• Burst Mode: 2 frames/sec. up to 9 frames (VGA)
  
• Self Timer
  
• Continuous Exposure mode in 640 x 480 only
  
• Exposure Interval 2.2 seconds with LCD off
  
• Booting Time 1 sec.
  
• Power from Alkaline, Ni-MH, Ni-CD AA batteries or optional DC5V AC adapter
  
• Dimensions of 4.3" x 3" x 1.4"; weight of 7.1 ounces
  
• Estimated Street Price US$249.00; available in October 2000

• Fuji FinePix 2400 ZOOM Digital Camera
  
• 1/2.7-inch 2.1 megapixel CCD, 36 bit color depth (12 bit per channel). Gives files at resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 pixels.
  
• 3x Aspherical Fujinon optical zoom lens, F3.5/F8.7 . Equivalent to 39-114mm on a 35mm camera. 2.5x Digital interpolation. Macro focusing from 3.9" to 2.6'; Auto focusing from 2.6 ft. to infinity
  
• 1.6-inch D-TFD LCD display (55,000 pixels) and Optical viewfinder
  
• SmartMedia storage (3.3V, 2-64MB); 8MB SmartMedia card bundled
  
• Mac/PC compatible USB connectivity
  
• Built-in Flash (effective range: 1 ft. to 8.6 ft.) with Auto, Red-Eye, Forced Flash, Suppressed, Slow Sync modes
  
• Rated at ISO 100
  
• Automatic selection of shutter speed from 1/2 to 1/750 second.
  
• Files saved in 24-Bit JPEG (EXIF) with 3 compression levels (1/5, 1/11, 1/27)
  
• Auto plus 6 Manual Preset white balance settings
  
• Program AE exposure, manual Exposure Compensation
  
• 64-zone TTL metering
  
• DPOF Compliant
  
• Auto Power Off Disable
  
• Playback Modes are Auto Playback, 9-up, Zoom, Resize, DPOF
  
• Continuous Exposure mode in 640 x 480 only
  
• Exposure Interval 2.2 seconds with LCD Off
  
• Booting Time 3 sec.
  
• Self Timer
  
• Power from Alkaline, Ni-MH, Ni-CD AA batteries or optional DC5V AC adapter
  
• Dimensions of 4.96" x 2.5" x 2.1"; weight of 8.8 ounces
  
• Estimated Street Price $499.00; available in September 2000

Tuesday, September 12, 2000

• Sony DSC-P1 digital still camera
  
• 1/1.8" 3.34 megapixel Super HAD RGB interlaced CCD image sensor. 3.24 megapixel effective rating. Image sizes of QXGA (2048 x 1536), 3:2 (2048 x 1360), UXGA (1600 x 1200), XGA (1024 x 768), and VGA (640 x 480). 12-bit A/D converter; JPEG, uncompressed TIFF or GIF (Text mode and Clip Motion mode) storage.
  
• 8-24mm 3x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 39-117mm on a 35mm camera. F2.8 - F5.3. 6x "precision" digital zoom. Focuses infinity to 0.5 meters, or 0.5 meters to 0.1 meters in macro mode.
  
• 1.5" Diagonal, 123,000 pixel precision LCD display and optical viewfinder
  
• MemoryStick storage media; 8MB MemoryStick card bundled
  
• USB connectivity, compatible with Mac and Windows and NTSC/PAL user-switcheable video out
  
• Four-mode internal flash (Auto, Anti-Red Eye, Forced-Flash and No flash modes). Range of 0.5 to 2.3 meters (wide) or 0.5 to 1.2 meters (tele)
  
• Built-in mono microphone and speaker with volume control
  
• High-speed scan autofocus system
  
• Shutter speeds 2 to 1/2000 second, automatically selected
  
• Auto exposure with +/- 2.0EV exposure compensation in 1/3EV steps.
  
• Program AE exposure (Twilight, Twilight+, landscape, Pan-focus and Spot-meter modes)
  
• Auto/Indoor/Outdoor/Hold white balance settings
  
• 5 user-selectable sharpness settings
  
• Auto-orientation feature automatically detects orientation of camera and tags image accordingly before saving so that it is displayed upright in playback mode.
  
• Movie mode with sound MPEG video file, 320 x 240 at 15 (HQ) or 8 (Normal) frames per second for 5, 10 or 15 seconds. Video Email mode captures up to 60 seconds of 160 x 112 MPEG video.
  
• Clip motion mode captures up to 10 images at 0.5 second intervals, and combines them into a GIF animation with size < 200KB. Resolutions of 160 x 120 pixels (normal) or 80 x 72 pixels (mobile)
  
• Voice memo mode allows annotation of images with audio
  
• EXIF information such as shutter speed, exposure info etc. automatically recorded with each image
  
• Email mode stores a low-resolution *VGA (320 x 240) file in a separate folder from the original image
  
• Text mode saves images as a black and white GIF file
  
• 5x playback zoom, 640 x 480 trim and resize capability. Zoomed/trimmed images can be saved as a new file, not affecting the original.
  
• File protection and deletion (selected or all images)
  
• Slide-show mode
  
• Ability to superimpose date/time on images
  
• 4 in-camera picture effects (sepia, black and white, negative and solarization)
  
• 10 second self-timer
  
• Power from Sony NP-FS11 InfoLithium batteries Lithium Ion batteries with AccuPower time-remaining display. Battery and charger included. Up to 90 minutes / 1700 shots of continuous usage without flash.
  
• Power consumption 3.0 watts (LCD on); 2.2 watts (LCD off)
  
• Bundled with 8MB MemoryStick, NP-FS11 battery and AC adapter/charger, AV cable, USB cable, USB software, MGI PhotoSuite 8.1 (Win), MGI VideoWave SE (Mac)
  
• Optional extras include the MPK-1 Marine Pack for using the camera in rain or underwater up to 30 meters (100 feet). Most camera functions accessible by spring-loaded, O-ring sealed stainless steel operation keys on Marine Pack. (see photo below), LCS-P1 soft carrying case (blue, green, yellow, orange; all except blue are limited production), LCS-HGP1 leather soft case, VF-MP1K Marine Pack Color Filter Kit, VCT-MP1K Marine Pack Video Light Arm Kit, HVL-ML20 Underwater Video Light
  
• Dimensions of 113 x 53.9 x 43.8mm, 4 7/16" x 2 1/8" x 1 3/4".
  
• Weighs 250 grams with battery, media and wrist-strap, 208 grams without battery or media.
  
• Will ship in Japan on October 20 at a price of ¥99,800 (US$941) with a monthly production of 150,000 units worldwide expected.

• Sony DSC-P1 digital still camera
  
• 1/1.8" 3.34 megapixel Super HAD CCD image sensor. Image sizes of QXGA (2048 x 1536), 3:2 (2048 x 1360), UXGA (1600 x 1200), XGA (1024 x 768), and VGA (640 x 480). JPEG, TIFF or GIF (Text mode and Clip Motion mode) storage.
  
• 8-24mm 3x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 39-117mm on a 35mm camera. F2.8 - F5.3.
  
• 1.5" Diagonal, 123,000 pixel precision LCD display and optical viewfinder
  
• MemoryStick storage media; 8MB MemoryStick card bundled
  
• USB connectivity, compatible with Mac and Windows
  
• Four-mode internal flash (Auto, Anti-Red Eye, Forced-Flash and No flash modes)
  
• Auto exposure with +/- 2.0EV exposure compensation in 1/3EV steps.
  
• Program AE exposure (Twilight, Twilight+, landscape, Pan-focus and Spot-meter modes)
  
• Auto/Indoor/Outdoor/Hold white balance settings
  
• Movie mode with sound (MPEG HQ video file, 320 x 240 or 160 x 112 pixel resolution). Up to 15 frames per second in all resolutions.
  
• Clip motion mode captures up to 10 images and combines them into a GIF animation
  
• Playback zoom, trim and resize capability
  
• Power from Sony NP-FS11 InfoLithium batteries Lithium Ion batteries with AccuPower time-remaining display. Battery and charger included. Up to one hour of continuous usage without flash.
  
• Optional extras include a marine housing for using the camera in rain or underwater
  
• Dimensions of 113 x 53.9 x 43.8mm, 4 7/16" x 2 1/8" x 1 3/4".
  
• Weighs 250 grams with battery and media.

"The Camedia P-200 printer is the missing piece in the puzzle of digital photography. Now our customers can produce high quality images anywhere, anytime, without cables or the need to first download images to a PC," said Mark Gomz, President of Olympus America. "It really untethers the digital photographer from the PC, and answers the need for mobility in our increasingly wireless world."

"This introduction broadens our product reach, and is evidence of Olympus’ total commitment to the digital photographer," said Gomz. "We want the marketplace to view Olympus as the leading single-source provider for all digital imaging applications, from capture to output. The Camedia P-200 Printer, with its outstanding image quality, will help us achieve that objective."

"Kodak’s ability to deliver large silicon sensors is a tremendous advantage given the current trends in the digital camera marketplace," said Chris McNiffe, vice president, Sales & Marketing, Image Sensor Solutions, Eastman Kodak Company. "Today, CCD manufacturers increase the resolution of their sensors by continually shrinking the size of each pixel which ultimately limits dynamic range and image quality. Kodak’s expertise in delivering high quality, large format sensors is a key advantage for us in the digital camera marketplace as performance and image quality, not simply pixel count, become the primary differentiating factor."

Monday, September 11, 2000

"The launch of the KAI-1020 is another example of Kodak innovation and expertise in CCD imaging," said Chris McNiffe, vice president, Sales & Marketing, Image Sensor Solutions, Eastman Kodak Company. "A key part of our product strategy is to continue to simplify the development process for our customers without compromising performance or image quality. The KAI-1020 is an excellent example of this strategy in action."

• Color and monochrome versions
  
• 1 million pixels, 1000 (H) by 1000 (V)
  
• 10 bits dynamic range at room temperature
  
• 7.4 mm square pixels for high sensitivity
  
• Progressive scan (non-interlaced)
  
• High frame speed (30 fps using one output; 48 fps with two outputs)
  
• Integrated vertical clock drivers
  
• Integrated correlated double sampling (CDS) up to 40 MHz
  
• Integrated electronic shutter driver
  
• Reversible HCCD capable of 40 MHz operation
  
• All timing inputs 0 to 5 volts
  
• Single or dual video output operation
  
• Fast line dump for high speed sub-window readout
  
• Anti-blooming protection

"Qimage Pro v9.1 was released today with a new filter that removes or drastically reduces color fringing. In addition, we have updated the exposure compensation filter to give users control over the clipping values and therefore the amount of "pop" being added to images. Finally, we also released the Sony D770 color profile plugin which results in quite a dramatic improvement in color for the D770 as well as the D700. Info and samples for the new plugin can be obtained by clicking on the D770 link at the Qimage Pro plugins page. Additional information and samples regarding the new color fringing filter can be seen in the Qimage Pro website news section."

"The image sensor product line carries forward Kodak’s century-long tradition as the world’s imaging leader," stated Dona Flamme, general manager and ISS, and vice president, Digital & Applied Imaging. "ISS will extend and open up opportunities for Kodak’s high-performance image sensors to be integrated in all cutting-edge digital imaging products and solutions."

"This announcement represents the first application of Kodak’s wealth of imaging expertise and technology into the CMOS marketplace," said Chris McNiffe, vice president, Sales & Marketing, Image Sensor Solutions, Eastman Kodak Company. "Kodak has been a leading innovator in the imager marketplace for many years. Our CMOS imagers are a natural extension of Kodak’s product line and will allow us to address a much broader market than we currently serve with our CCD products."

"This collection of printers represents our best line of consumer-level ink jet printers to date," said Steve Semos, product manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson. "The fact that we were able to once again enhance our successful lineup of printers -- resulting in faster speeds, outstanding print quality and even lower prices -- truly makes this a winning combination that benefits our customers."

Sunday, September 10, 2000

"The Ricoh RDC-i700 does it all, making it the 'Swiss Army Knife' of digital cameras," said Jeff Lengyel, digital camera manager of Ricoh PC Peripherals Business Unit. "This camera is the ultimate business tool providing any road warrior with the ability to fully complete any application from capture to documentation to Internet distribution and publishing. No other camera manufacturer takes into account the unique and diverse requirements of today's Internet-dependent mobile professional."

• Ricoh RDC-i700 Internet digital camera
  
• 1/1.8" 3.34 megapixel RGB CCD. TIFF (MMR type ITU-T.6) and JPEG (EXIF v2.1; Fine, Normal or Economy compression) image formats in 2048 x 1536, 1024 x 768 and 640 x 480 pixel resolutions. (Note the RDC-7's interpolation and pixel-shifting PRO modes are not available in the RDC-i700)
  
• 7.1 - 23.9mm 3x optical zoom lens equivalent to 35-105mm on a 35mm film camera. Same lens as the RDC-7; f/2.6-5.3 (wide), f/3.4-7.0 (tele) all-glass design with 10 elements in 7 groups. Macro focusing 24 cm down to 1 cm, normal focusing 24 cm to infinity. No filter threads. Digital zoom (1.28, 1.6 and 3.2x) available in 640 x 480 mode only.
  
• Real image type optical viewfinder and huge 3.5" 200,000 pixel touch-screen LCD display (!). Can be flipped out rotated 270 degrees to allow it to face the subject or be folded flat against the camera body with screen out for use, or away for protection. Information can be input to the camera through on-screen keyboard (British or Kana-Kanji Japanese) or by "writing" on the screen (not handwriting recognition). Touch-screen stylus included.
  
• Type-II ATA PC Card and Type-II CompactFlash slots. PC Card slot compatible with PC Card peripherals such as modems and network cards. Both slots can be used simultaneously, allowing for images to be accessed whilst camera is connected to a LAN or PSTN telephone network. 8MB built-in memory, of which 6MB can be used to store images as well, images can be copied from built-in memory to CompactFlash or PC Card. No flash card bundled due to built-in memory.
  
• Chassis style similar to Ricoh's RDC-7, but larger to accommodate 3.5" LCD etc. Second shutter button on camera front is designed to make it easier to take photos with the LCD display open.
  
• Built-in flash with auto, forced on, slow-synch, forced off and red-eye reduction modes.
  
• RS-232C or USB connectivity (Compatible with Windows 95 OSR2, 98, 98SE or 2000, Windows NT 4.0 Japanese edition, and MacOS 8.6 or 9)
  
• NTSC and Pal Video-out connectivity (user switcheable)
  
• ISO ratings of 150, 200 or 400 (user-switcheable)
  
• Shutter speeds 1 to 1/1000 second, or fixed at 2, 4 or 8 seconds using a mechanical shutter. Shutter speeds for Motion Picture mode are 1/15 to 1/10000 second with an electronic shutter.
  
• Auto and manual focus
  
• Program AE exposure with +/- 2.0EV exposure compensation in 0.5EV steps. TTL center-weighted metering.
  
• Auto or 4-preset manual white balance (Fluorescent, Cloudy, Tungsten and Outdoor)
  
• 10 second self-timer
  
• Interval mode takes images from once every 30 seconds to once every three hours.
  
• "Motion Picture" mode captures AVI OpenDML MotionJPEG video clips at 320 x 240 pixel resolution with audio, maximum length dependent on recording media and battery power remaining.
  
• "Text" mode stores images in monochrome (black and white), suitable for Optical Character Recognition etc. Text mode images are either 2048 x 1536 or 1024 x 768 pixels in size.
  
• Annotation feature allows images to be "tagged" with audio clips
  
• Internet connectivity built-in. Features email client with support for attachments, web browser with support for HTML 3.2 and SSL encryption, web server and FTP client. Dialup connectivity is via PPP connection. Email is POP3/SMTP/MIME compliant. Internet features require PCMCIA modem, LAN card, ISDN Terminal Adapter, or PHS communication card and compatible mobile phone.
  
• Fax connectivity built-in (EIA Class1 and Class2 compatible). Images which were saved in "Text" mode can be faxed from the camera to a fax machine or PC with faxmodem. Fax features require a PCMCIA modem.
  
• Email client can store up to 50 email addresses, which can either be entered via the camera's on-screen keyboard or by connecting to the camera from a desktop computer using the web browser and configuring the it remotely. Images can be sent as attachments in one of five resolution/compression settings without affecting the original image file, allowing for low-resolution versions of images to be emailed and the full-resolution images to be saved for archival/printing etc. "Quick send" feature allows the camera to be configured to automatically send images to a single email address, saving time as you don't have to manually choose which address to send to. Emails with attachments can be received as well as sent.
  
• Web server allows for remote configuration of the camera over the USB connection. Camera settings (email and network environment etc.) can be changed and files can be organised through a standard PC web browser. Images can be viewed through a web browser over the USB connection, so image viewing software isn't necessary on the host PC.
  
• HTML file creation software in the camera allows for creation of index web pages of images. HTML files and images can be uploaded via FTP to a website from the camera. Camera can also create a list all images taken.
  
• Word and Excel templates can be loaded into the camera and images automatically linked into the templates for export to a PC.
  
• In-camera image editing allows images to be annotated with the stylus pen and touch screen. For example, you could draw an arrow and write a brief note to highlight an important aspect of a photo.
  
• Images can also be annotated with voice clips (WAV format), or with text by typing on the on-screen keyboard. Also, resolution can be changed and images can be rotated and cropped in-camera.
  
• Images and sound clips can be replayed as presentations on the built-in screen or on an NTSC/PAL TV. Presentations can consist of images taken in the camera, and also images created or edited on a PC.
  
• Complies with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) with support for multiple image folders for organisation of images in-camera. Camera can be mounted as an external disk drive on a PC using the RDC-i700 Explorer Plug In / RDC-i700 Mounter.
  
• Complies with DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) for in-camera selection of images to be printed, quantities, etc.
  
• Power from DB-30 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (battery and charger included). One charge gives 50 minutes of picture-taking or 60 minutes of Internet communication with LCD screen on, at normal temperature. Battery charges in 150 minutes. 5V AC adapter is optional. AC adapter costs ¥3500 (US$), spare battery costs ¥5500 (US$), spare charger costs ¥6800 (US$)
  
• Optional accessories include DR-3 remote controller (¥3000 / US$), AC-3 AC adapter, spare DB-30 Lithium Ion battery, spare BJ-1 battery charger. Included accessories are rechargeable lithium-ion battery, battery charger, lens cap, soft case, neck strap, stylus pen, USB cable, AV cable and software CD.
  
• Recommended third-party accessories are Sandisk SDCFB-16 to SDCFB-128 CompactFlash cards, Lexar MCF-32 to MCF-128 CompactFlash cards, TDK TC016HS to TC064MS CompactFlash cards, 3COM 3CXM756JP and TDK DF5660ES PCMCIA modem cards, I-O Data Device PCINSII-128 PCMCIA ISDN Terminal Adapter card, and TDK LAK-CD021BX and LAK-CD031 LAN cards.
  
• Dimensions of 157mm x 93mm x 33mm excluding projections (as compared to 135.4mm x 74mm x 26.6mm for the RDC-7, and 0.5mm slimmer, 8mm wider and 14mm deeper than Nikon's Coolpix 990, to give an idea of the relative size.)
  
• Weighs 450 grams excluding the battery (as compared to 270 grams for the RDC-7, 375 grams for the Coolpix 990)
  
• Will ship in Japan on September 20, 2000 at a price of ¥158,000 (US$1502). Expected to ship in the USA in February 2001 at approximately the same price.

Friday, September 8, 2000

"My conclusions about the DC3400 are very similar to those of the DC280 that it replaces. It's a good camera, but not the best for the money. I compared the DC3400 to the Olympus D-490Z at the beginning of the review, and I'd say the D-490Z wins the battle hands down. If the Olympus had USB, it would be the perfect $500 camera. The Kodak is lacking many of the features that the Olympus model has, like TIFF mode, multiple ISO settings, a 3X zoom, and movie mode - plus it's much slower too."

"The PDR-M60 is an entry-level two megapixel camera for those seeking an easy to use camera with good image quality. It is basically a fully automatic point and shoot type of camera without a complex menu system or a myriad of advanced controls. Overall it is a fairly robust camera ... operating it is as simple as turning the mode dial to Auto, point and shoot! And owning one shouldn't be much of a problem either as the MSRP is a low $499."

Thursday, September 7, 2000

• Your RDC-7 experience, good OR bad


• Approximately when you bought your camera and where


• Serial number of your unit, if you know it

"We believe that our revolutionary approach of design and process improvements provides consumer electronics manufacturers a high-quality image sensor option that previously was not available in the marketplace," states Y Media's CEO and President Ian Olsen. "Delivering a totally new class of image sensor innovation for the consumer space means that Y Media is well-positioned to assist OEMs as they transition from the previous capture technology to the next generation."

Wednesday, September 6, 2000

"The 6651 is ideal for insurance adjusters, building inspectors, utility repair workers and other mobile personnel that need a lightweight computing tool to capture both a picture along with a data record," said Matt Miller, Senior Product Manger for Intermec. "Now high-quality digital photos and video clips can be captured on the same device used for e-mail, Internet access, calendars and other Windows applications. And, best of all, workers won't have to recharge their unit for an entire workday -- eight hours of battery life. The very bright, high-contrast active color matrix display on the 6651 makes it easy to read in many lighting conditions."

"Warehouse and manufacturing workers can use the 6651 to transmit real-time data and video across a wireless local area network with the optional IEEE 802.11 High-Rate feature," added Miller.

Tuesday, September 5, 2000

"Zing offers picture enthusiasts a great online experience with a suite of products and services for sharing and ordering prints and picture gifts. Corbis adds the world's greatest images and products to the mix, and it's a natural partnership," said Rip Warendorf, vice president of Corbis' consumer division. "Corbis images bring a fresh and exciting element to the offering on Zing.com, and Zing provides Corbis with a new venue for featuring its pictures and picture products to consumers."The collection of Corbis images will be available for purchase on www.zing.com in a variety of sizes and product configurations. Zing members will have the option to use famous images for ZingCards, or in their own personal photo albums and slideshows. Scheduled for delivery in September, Corbis images will also be seen in ZingWorld, Zing's online e-zine with digital photography tips, advice and spotlight features.

"We welcome the addition of Corbis' historic, world-renowned photographs to Zing's consumer photo archive. We are continuously adding features and product offerings that will prove to further enrich the user's experience," said Mark Platshon, Zing president and chief executive officer. "Zing and Corbis share a common vision toward making digital photography easy and accessible for people to make a part of their everyday lives. I think that with our new partnership, we are one step closer to achieving that goal."

Source: Yahoo! Finance / Business Wire

SmashCast, PhotoPoint bring MovieMaker online!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, September 5, 2000 - 17:05 EDT)

Online photo-sharing webiste PhotoPoint.com and SmashCast Inc. have announced the launch of PhotoPoint MovieMaker, which allows PhotoPoint members to create and broadcast Web Movies, incorporating digital images, music, text and animated content. The announcement marks the first integration of SmashCast Movie Studios version 3.0 into a partner website.

"The future of video online is very exciting. We're delighted to be working with SmashCast to debut PhotoPoint MovieMaker, a valuable rich media production tool unlike anything else available on the Web today," said Ed Bernstein, CEO of PhotoPoint. "PhotoPoint MovieMaker gives our members the opportunity to see the future today by combining their digital photographs with music and animated content to create photo 'shows.' SmashCast's technology breaks new ground and demonstrates the promise for the day when video online will be as big a part of a person's life as still photographs."

In less than five minutes, PhotoPoint members can produce and broadcast a "Web movie" directly from their browser, notes the press release. Members select up to 24 photos from their online photo albums and PhotoPoint MovieMaker walks them through the rest of the process. A variety of animated storyboards, with themes like baby, birthday, pets and travel, and a library of popular music titles are available, enabling users to preview and choose content to accompany their photos. A web-based editing suite allows users to "drag and drop" thumbnail images into any order, and add text captions. The personal Web Movie is then instantly ready to broadcast from a private URL. Members can invite their family and friends back to PhotoPoint.com to view their Web Movie as often as they wish.

"Rich media brings a dynamic new dimension to traditional, static digital images. With the ability to turn images into a Web Movie in just a few easy steps, PhotoPoint members may never look at their photos the same way again," said Dan Hobin, founder and CEO of SmashCast, Inc. "We are excited to deliver this dramatically different digital photography experience."

The two companies first announced their plans for PhotoPoint MovieMaker on April 27, covered in our news item "PhotoPoint, SmashCast offer web movie making!". At that time, it was predicted to launch in the second quarter of 2000.
Source: Yahoo! Finance / PR Newswire

Altamira announces Nikon GF deal!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, September 5, 2000 - 16:57 EDT)

Nikon Inc. and Altamira Group Inc. have announced a new bundling arrangement with the newest Nikon digital camera, the Coolpix 880. Similar to the previous partnership with the Coolpix 990 camera, the Coolpix 880 bundle will include a copy of Altamira's Genuine Fractals 2.0 LE.

"The process of capturing, editing and resizing high quality digital images is made easier with Nikon and Altamira's partnership. The introduction of Nikon's newest camera in their award-winning digital camera line-up provides exciting opportunities for all digital camera enthusiasts to print vibrant digital images at unprecedented sizes and resolutions," said Sonja Palosaari, senior director of marketing for Altamira.

The Coolpix 880 camera is designed for a range of users, from novice to professional. The camera is based on a 3.34 megapixel CCD and a 2.5X (38-95 mm) optical zoom Nikon lens and features a "Quick Review" option that allows the user to instantly preview the photos taken. The Coolpix 880 possesses 11 different automatic scene adjustments that Nikon feels make it as convenient as a point-and-shoot, as well as a manual mode feature and ability to shoot up to 40-second QuickTime video files.

With Altamira's Genuine Fractals, the company notes that users can scale their photographs to larger sizes without sacrificing image quality or resolution. Images may also be reduced to compact, agile files that can be easily edited, transported, and stored.
Source: Yahoo! Finance / Business Wire

IrfanView 3.25 released!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, September 5, 2000 - 16:00 EDT)

A new version of the popular program IrfanView, the image viewer created by Austrian programmer Irfan Skiljan, has been released over the weekend. IrfanView 3.25 has the following changes over the previous version:

• LWF-PlugIn can save now images up to 4096x4096 pixels
  
• Support for LDF files (LuraDocument format, from LuraTech GmbH, Germany)
  
• IrfanView can create multipage LDFs (Menu: View->Multipage images)
  
• New feature: Selection/crop/cut now possible in zoom mode :-)
  
• Support for lossless JPG rotation/flip (Menu: Options->JPG Transformation)
  
• New advanced batch option: 'Crop' (Crop all images, set X, Y, Width, Height)
  
• New save option for PNGs: 'Set compression level' (Save dialog->Options)
  
• Change: 'Fit big images to desktop' moved to View menu
  
• Some minor bugs/features fixed/added

For full details and to download the program, head over to the IrfanView website...

PhotoPoint to sell Sony UP-DP10 photo printer!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, September 5, 2000 - 11:56 EDT)

Sony Electronics and PhotoPoint Corp. have announced that they have entered into a co-marketing agreement whereby Sony will sell its new UP-DP10 home photo printer to online photo-sharing enthusiasts through PhotoPoint.com. Sony's decision to work with PhotoPoint came after a review of the membership, features and e-commerce services offered by several online photo-sharing and print-processing websites, the press release notes.


PhotoPoint is using the launch of its new virtual shopping cart to promote sales of the UP-DP10 for $389, plus shipping and handling. This price also includes a complimentary media pack that produces 25 prints, a $14.99 value.

"By aligning with one of the fastest-growing photo communities on the Internet, we're introducing the UP-DP10 directly to active photo-sharing enthusiasts," said Steven Blum, vice president of digital photography, for Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Professional Company. "Our agreement with PhotoPoint is a great way to bring the value of our home printer directly to these digital photo buffs."

"With Sony's breakthrough new photo printer, we're raising the bar on the type of products and services we bring to our membership," said PhotoPoint CEO Ed Bernstein. "We're convinced that members will find this affordable home printer to be a great tool for helping them share and celebrate their lives in pictures and prints."

With a vertical design, the Sony UP-DP10 printer has a tiny footprint, that allows it to fit well as a second home printer dedicated to making pictures. The home photo printer uses Sony's new print media that produce laminated, 4" x 6" borderless picture, which the company feels are comparable to the prints people are accustomed to picking up at a photo lab. These pictures have image durability that rivals conventional photographs, the press release claims.

The UP-DP10 connects to a computer either via Universal Serial Bus or parallel port, and comes with printer-driver software for both Windows-based and Macintosh computers. The UP-DP10 will automatically adjust the contrast, tone, color balance and/or sharpness of the image through its Auto Color Correction feature, and produces each print in just 85 seconds. A check of the pircegrabber.com website, which monitors prices from numerous online retailers, found Sony's UP-DP10 listed at prices from $343 to $412, before shipping and tax.
Source: Yahoo! Finance / PR Newswire

PhotoAmerica.com integrates PictureIQ into its service!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, September 5, 2000 - 11:32 EDT)

PictureIQ Corp. and photoamerica.com have announced that the online photofinishing site will integrate the PictureIQ Internet Service as core infrastructure technology for its photo site and back-end printing systems. With PictureIQ technology, photoamerica.com customers will be able to enhance their photos prior to ordering photo prints or other photo products.

"As a key piece of our imaging infrastructure, the PictureIQ Internet Service will deliver the most powerful set of online image enhancement and creativity tools available, giving our users more options and opportunities to get great results with their digital images," said Richard Carter, President, photoamerica.com. "We expect our incorporation of PictureIQ will increase prints ordered per customer as they create different versions of their favorite photos by applying unique PictureIQ effects."

Photoamerica.com specializes in putting digital images both on prints and onto apparel and novelty items. Their "Digital Dividends" program enables digital camera retailers to become resellers of the photoamerica.com online photo development service and obtain a share of transaction revenues. The PictureIQ Internet Service will be integrated throughout the site's photo acquisition, editing, and high-resolution printing process. PictureIQ features will include one-touch photo fixing, red-eye removal, cropping, rotation and creative artistic effects.

PictureIQ's "resolution-on-demand" model delivers low-resolution images to consumers for on-screen viewing and editing, and then produces high-resolution versions at the time of print fulfillment. This aspect of PictureIQ's XML-based architecture enables PictureIQ-powered sites to deliver both a quick online editing experience, and optimal print quality. PictureIQ's use of XML also ensures that enhancements made on-screen translate straight through to the print process, resulting in a true "what you see is what you get" experience, the company notes.

"Photoamerica.com provides people with quality digital photo services and PictureIQ is pleased to be enhancing their offering," said Bill McCoy, President and CEO, PictureIQ Corporation. "They are representative of the growing number of online photo services that realize the value of integrating the PictureIQ Internet Service as core infrastructure technology within their end-to-end image acquisition to high-resolution printing process, so that they can focus their in-house resources on building their businesses."

PictureIQ features will be available to photoamerica.com customers by fall of this year. Photoamerica.com joins a list of partners who have chosen to integrate the PictureIQ Internet Service, including Corbis, eCircles, eframes.com, Evite, InfoSpace, Jside.com, Ofoto, PhotoChannel, iPIX, and Zing.
Source: Yahoo! Finance / PR Newswire

Philips Semiconductors introduces new AFE lineup!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, September 5, 2000 - 11:06 EDT)

Philips Semiconductors has introduced a new Analog Front-end device family that it says enhances picture quality for digital still cameras and camcorders. The TDA996X and TDA995X device ranges, for 12- and 10-bit color depth respectively, are designed for cameras ranging from professional to consumer, providing digital camera and camcorder makers with low noise, distortion-free images and longer battery-life, the press release notes.

Philips' states that its new AFE family "provides superior picture quality by eliminating noise and image distortion while processing signals from the sensor into digital form". The TDA995X and TDA996X 3V ranges are compatibile with each other, offering an integrated design path from 10- to 12-bit resolution. The AFE family also supports a range of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) applications spanning sampling speeds from 18 to 40 MSPS.

"Philips created the TDA996X and TDA995X AFE family for versatility, giving customers the greatest flexibility for optimizing imaging systems that seamlessly integrates with our line of CCD sensors and Digital Image Processors," said Claude Giraud, International Product Marketing Manager, Digital Media Imaging, Philips Semiconductors. "This versatility enables digital still camera and camcorder manufacturers to easily develop and launch distinctive product lines spanning high performance to entry-level."

The 12-bit TDA9965 features a "Clamp and Track and Hold" architecture that refines input amplification to eliminate clamp noise and reduce overall noise. This approach, says Philips, makes the TDA9965 superior to other integrated front-end solutions with respect to noise, linearity and color transition. The TDA9965 operates on 5V, and accepts up to 2V active video signal, allowing use with high-density, high sensitivity CCDs with extended dynamic range. Power management features of the TDA9965 extend battery life without impacting camera performance, enabling power-ups to shooting mode in under 300ms following power-downs.

The mid-range 12-bit TDA9962 consumes only 125mW under 2.7V and supports sampling rates from 20 to 25MSPS. The TDA9962's low noise and programmable gain amplifier linearity contribute to high image quality for still images or video under a broad range of lighting conditions, Philips feels. For higher density or faster read-out CCD applications, the TDA9964 provides the same quality as the TDA9962, while supporting sampling rates from 30 to 40MSPS.

Optimized for use with entry-level, high volume camcorder and digital still camera lines, the 10-bit TDA9952 and TDA9956 are pin-compatible with the 12-bit 3V range devices. The TDA9952 supports sampling rates from 18 to 25MSPS, and the TDA9956 supports sampling rates to 36MSPS without any noise penalty.

The TDA9965 is priced at $18 in quantities of 1,000. The TDA9962 and TDA9964 are priced at $10 and $12, respectively, in quantities of 1,000. The TDA9952 and TDA9956 are priced at $7 and $9, respectively, in quantities of 1,000. All products are currently available in an LQFP48-pin package.
Source: Yahoo! Finance / PR Newswire

Friday, September 1, 2000

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Megapixel September issue online!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Friday, September 1, 2000 - 20:25 EDT)

The September 2000 issue of megapixel.net is now online! Reviewed this month are the Olympus D-490 Zoom (2.1 megapixel, 3X Zoom), Pentax EI200 (2.1 megapixel, 3X Zoom), Minolta Dim�ge (2.3 megapixel) and Sony Mavica MVC-FD90 (1.3 megapixel, 8X Zoom).

Articles this month include Paul Sullivan examining copyrights on the Internet, a look at the color correction process and a sampling of the macro photos readers have sent in over the last 2 months.

IDC sees entry-level digicams driving market!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Friday, September 1, 2000 - 18:31 EDT)

Entry-level VGA cameras, which offer fewer features and lower price points than standard point-and-shoot cameras, are becoming a driving force behind the rapidly expanding digital camera market, according to new research from the analysts at IDC. U.S. VGA digital camera shipments rose to 565,000 units at the end of Q2 2000, 214% up on the previous quarter.

Nonbranded, "white box" cameras led the charge in this growing segment of the market, as many of these cameras were shipped to various Internet companies as promotional incentives for attracting new customers, the company noted.

"The entry-level VGA camera has wide appeal and specifically targets mainstream consumers," said Chris Chute, research analyst with IDC's Digital Camera program. "As price points continue to fall, and more and more people get online, the demand for digital imaging will continue to grow."

In addition to nonbranded players, traditional vendors are also making gains in the VGA segment. Polaroid leads the way with shipments of 265,000 cameras, a 36% share of the market in the first half of 2000. KB Gear took 9% of the market in the same quarter.

The point-and-shoot segment of the digital camera market has also made great strides recently, according to IDC. U.S. shipments in this market reached 1.06 million in Q2 2000, a 55% increase over the first quarter. Sony tightened its grip on the top position of this market by grabbing 31% market share.

Overall, the pricing of imaging technology is dropping, and cameras are becoming more user friendly, IDC notes. As these trends continue, IDC predicts that the base of potential users will keep getting larger and the outlook for the industry will remain extremely promising. IDC's report Second-Quarter and First-Half 2000 Digital Camera Market Share Update (IDC #B22892) can be obtained by contacting Patrick Steeves at 508-988-6787 or [email protected].
Source: Yahoo! Finance / PR Newswire

Fred Meyer Stores stocks Agfa's CL18!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Friday, September 1, 2000 - 17:17 EDT)

Agfa Corp.'s Consumer Digital Imaging Group has announced that the ePhoto CL18 is now available at most locations of Fred Meyer Stores. The ePhoto CL18 is a simple-to-use dual-mode digital camera that opens the door for a variety of uses such as capturing both still images or video footage. Small enough to take anywhere, says Agfa, it can "capture a moment, record an event or anything in between".

"We are pleased to offer the ePhoto CL18 at Fred Meyer Stores," said Reggie Payne, Retail Sales Manager, USA-CDI. "Agfa is the first company to offer a quality digital camera combining the ease of a point and shoot digital camera and video conferencing. Through Fred Meyer's chain of multidepartment stores, our cameras will be more accessible for our customers."

The ePhoto CL18 is the first digital camera in Agfa's ePhoto line to have web-cam capabilities. Shipped with a video cradle, the digital camera can be attached to a monitor for video conferencing or online chats.

The ePhoto CL18 has 2 MB of internal memory and an optical resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. The camera offers industry-standard video format and can hold up to 32 VGA (640 x 480 pixels) images.

Agfa includes Corel Print Office 2000, which incorporates Print Office 5, Corel Photo House 5 and ArcSoft VideoImpression, and Microsoft Net Meeting, in all ePhoto CL18 packages. Corel Photo House 5 is an image-editing application that allows users to touch up, enhance or alter an image before adding it to a document. With Corel Print Office 2000 users can create a range of items like photo greeting cards, invitations, illustrated documents or Web pages. ArcSoft VideoImpression is a video and image editing software program enabling users to animate, edit and create desktop video presentations using existing video and image files.

Using Agfa's image-enhancing PhotoGenie technology, the bundled Corel Photo House 2000 software can, claims Agfa, "remove image artifacts such as those from JPEG compression, pixelation, jagged edges and posterization, which can be common in some digitally captured images."
Source: Yahoo! Finance / Business Wire

Altamira Genuine Fractals bundled with Oly E-100RS!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Friday, September 1, 2000 - 16:20 EDT)

Imaging software company Altamira has joined with Olympus America Inc. on the introduction of its Camedia E-100 RS (Rapid Shot) digital camera. Each E-100 RS, billed as the fastest digital camera on the market, will ship with Altamira's Genuine Fractals 2.0 software.

Altamira Genuine Fractals 2.0 is a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop that is targeted to graphics and photography professionals. With the Olympus E-100 RS, customers will receive a full version of Genuine Fractals for image scaling and manipulation. With Genuine Fractals, Altamira claims, photographers can "scale digital images to unprecedented sizes with effectively no loss in image quality or resolution. Images may also be reduced to compact files for more efficient file transportation and storage."


The Olympus E-100 RS is targeted at professional photojournalists and serious amateurs. It features multiple file compression formats, USB connectivity, automatic and manual exposures and a variety of shooting speeds up to 15 frames-per second. Additionally, the camera has QuickTime digital movie and sound capture capabilities in full VGA mode (640 x 480) at up to 30 fps.

"We are pleased to announce our bundle partnership with Olympus," said Sonja Palosaari, senior director of marketing for Altamira. "The technical innovations behind the Olympus E-100 and Altamira Genuine Fractals raises the bar for speed and quality in digital photography."

Source: Yahoo! Finance / Business Wire

 

 

AOL Alert: Several readers connecting via AOL have complained of poor image quality when using the AOL web browser. This is caused by a setting called "compress images" in the browser that causes it to completely mangle images in the interest of faster transmission. You should turn this setting OFF before viewing any of the comparison images on this site.

• FLASH: Thanks to reader Lynn Mannan, here's an explanation of how to make the correct settings adjustments (at least in AOL 4.0 for PCs):
  • I opened the "My AOL" preferences screen in the toolbar across the top. Then I clicked on WWW icon and selected the "web graphics" tab where I unchecked the "compressed graphics" choice and clicked on the Apply button at the bottom. Now the scanner test pictures are gorgeous. The pictures take a long time to load. But they are worth waiting for. Thank you, Lynn!