Extensis Sells Plug-ins to onOne Software.

Extensis have sold its popular Photoshop Plug-ins and QuarkXPress XTensions to independent software developer, onOne Software. The products included in this purchase are pxl SmartScale, PhotoFrame, Intellihance Pro, Mask Pro, PhotoTools, and QX-Tools Pro from Extensis and the Genuine Fractals product from LizardTech. Extensis and LizardTech will continue support for these products until July 31, 2005 when onOne Software will take control. For more information visit Extensis, Lizardtech, and onOne...

Phase One announce new digital backs.

Phase One plans to introduce three new world leading digital backs within the next 6 - 8 months. The new Phase One P 45 which features a 39MP sensor and produces files of 117 MB and the P 30 which features a 31MP sensor, start shipping in November and December, 2005 respectively. The 18MP, P 21 should begin shipping in February, 2006. For more details, please visit the Phase One website.

"Because of Vortex Shedding"

Ok, I'm being a little obscure, but to clarify things a little, pay a visit to Luminous Landscape and read Michael Reichmanns' irreverent take on the whole film versus digital argument. It the article he draws a corollary between this subject and the argument some scientists have about the aerodynamic viability of a bee. I found the whole thing very entertaining and a good read.

Panasonic announce the DMC-FZ30

Panasonic has announced the new DMC-FZ30, which features an 8-megapixel and 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 35mm to 420mm). Equipped with both automatic and manual controls the DMC-FZ30 incorporates Panasonic’s MEGA Optical Image Stabilization. The DMC-FZ30 also features a 2.5" color LCD, a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens and should be available this September for an MSRP of $699.95.

Panasonic announce several new Lumix cameras.

Panasonic has introduced several new models of Lumix cameras. The most interesting of which is the 8.4 megapixel Lumix DMC-LX1, the first digital camera to have a true wide aspect 16:9 CCD. This camera also features a 2.5" color LCD, an image stabilized 4x optical zoom, equivalent to 28 to 112mm on a 35mm camera. The DMC-LX1 should be available in the US, in September for an MSRP of $699.95.

Other models announced, include the 5 megapixel DMC-FX8 and the 6 megapixel DMC-FX9, which are also due out in the autumn. Both models incorporate Panasonic’s MEGA Optical Image Stabilization, a feature that counters camera shake ands also feature 3x optical zoom, a 2.5 inch LCD display, various and a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens. The FX8 should be available at an MSRP of $349.95 and the FX9 at an MSRP of $399.95.

Konica Minolta and Sony to co-develop dSLR cameras

Konica Minolta and Sony have announced an agreement to co-develop digital SLR cameras based around the Maxxum/Dynax lens mount. This agreement should allow new cameras to use Konica Minolta's camera-specific technologies, such as autofocus, and Sony's imaging sensor, image processing, and lithium-ion battery expertise. It should be interesting to see how this development unfolds.

Konica Minolta Announce Dynax5D/Maxxum5D

Konica-Minolta has announced the Dynax5D/Maxxum5D. This camera is a high-performance interchangeable-lens based digital SLR that includes several technological advancements and their proprietary Anti-Shake technology. This antishake technology is centered around a "CCD-Shift mechanism" which purportedly compensates for blurring caused by low light shooting and camera shake cause by slow shutter speeds. Read more in their press release found here.

HP Announce New Printing Technologies

Hp announced new printing technology enhancements based upon research carried out over a five year period. They believe that these enhancements will give them the edge when it comes to a broad range of applications. Enhancements purportedly include printing 4x6 inch prints in as little as 14 seconds. The enhancements are also supposed to include higher resolution and improved media management. For further information visit HP to read their press release.

New Canon Printer Enhancements.

Canon have announced several enhancements to their printer lines, one which promises superior speed and the other, which extends the life of prints which are produced using their new ChromaLife100 system. You can read their press release here.

Enhancing A Photos Dynamic Range

I've been following a couple of articles recently which deal with the concept of dynamic range in film and imaging sensors. The articles are found at The Digital Photography Weblog and Luminous Landscape.
The Digital Photography Weblog article briefly introduces the concept, but the Luminous Landscape article does a good job of explaining it more fully. In brief the issue has to deal with the differences between how film and digital handle dynamic range. According to the articles, film has a more forgiving and smoother transition in the upper and lower ends of film exposure whereas digital has a comparatively linear response (I'm not entirely convinced in this I believe it may vary on the sensor being used, although I do believe film does have more range). The articles are definitely worth the read. The Luminous Landscape article stresses that the techniques used in this methodology are only relevant if you use RAW images to work from.
I remember back in 1992 meeting and working with a German Company called Color Concepts which had an enhanced Kodak PhotoCD Acquisition tool which did something similar to what is being discussed in these articles. The images created with their PhotoCD tool were much more vibrant and had more info than those from the standard PCD tools and drivers on the market.

Extensis Releases Free Portfolio Upgrade

Extensis have released a free update for registered owners of Portfolio 7. This update includes a Raw Filter update which adds support for 14 new cameras including, the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II, Digital Rebel XT, Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, Nikon D2x, D2H, Olympus E-300 and the Pentax ist DS. This update brings the number of supported cameras to more than 50. Portfolio 7.0.6 also includes compatibility updates for Adobe’s Creative Suite 2 and Apple’s Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger). For more info visit here.

Microsoft Launch Digital Image Suite products.

Microsoft have just released Digital Image Suite and Digital Image Standard 2006. These packages are designed to help consumers organize, enhance and share their digital photos. Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 is available for US$99.95 and Digital Image Standard 2006, which is designed for first-time digital photographers, is available for US$49.95. Both products ship with content and have image editing capabilities, but only Suite has additional features such as the burning of video cd's, panoramic image stitching, photoshop plug-in and RAW support. For more information visit here.

Fred Miranda - Website Review

Fred Mirandas website is a regular stop in my endless seach for new and interesting information on digital imaging. He is a talented photographer who has created a portal and a venue for other like minded individuals to share and learn about their craft. The site features digital imaging software, actions and info. It also features some very good forums, a user driven review area and some informative articles for the imageer and photographer.

Fred treats his visitors to regular competitions in which he gives away his excellent tools as prizes. This great site is well worth a visit.

Microsoft Launches Digital Photography Websites

Microsoft has launched professional and consumer digital photography websites. The professional site, offers articles, case studies, software and links to events. There is a knowledge base and also a featured photographers gallery. These sites are well worth the visit if you are an XP based digital photographer, providing hints, tips, and downloads. The professional digital photographers site can be found here and the consumer based site here.