The PMA 2000 report
Return to:
Current News


Photo Marketing Association Show 2000
Day One - Wednesday, February 02, 2000

Day One News Highlights - (0:00 EST)
Highlights of today's PMA 2000 news stories include:



Sony to announce Mavica MVC-FD95? - (19:12 EST)
We received the following email from Danny Brenner over at the Digital Photography World website:

"I have just posted a single photo of the to be announced new Sony Mavica FD95. It's on the opening page of my web site and I have no further details.
--
Thank you,
Danny Brenner - Editor
Digital Photography World
http://www.brenner.co.il"

Thanks for the note and a very interesting photo, Danny!

Sony announces three new CyberShot cameras! - (19:08 EST)
Sony Japan has today announced three new CyberShot series digital cameras, according to the folks over at Steve's Digicams and the Digital Photography Review! (Sorry we took a while picking this story up, Mike has literally just walked into the hotel in Las Vegas, on three hours sleep!)

The new cameras are the CyberShot DSC-S30 (1/2.7" 1.6 megapixel), DSC-S50 (1/2.7" 2.1 megapixel) and DSC-S70 (1/1.8" 3.3 megapixel)... All three cameras feature the following:

 - 3x optical (34-102mm F2.0-2.5 equiv. on -S70,
39-117mm F2.8-2.9 equiv. on -S30 and -S50) / 6x digital
zoom lens (uses "newly developed interpolating
technology" for smoother, more natural image; 37mm lens
thread on -S30 and -S50, 52mm lens thread on -S70
- Built-in intelligent flash
- MemoryStick storage
- USB connectivity
- InfoLithium long life batteries
- 12 bit Analog-Digital conversion for increased dynamic
range
- TIFF mode for non-compressed images
- Selectable 4:3 or 3:2 image ratio
- In-camera zoom/trim and resizing allows images to be
cropped, blown up, and reduced to a smaller resolution
without the need for a PC
- Auto-orientation - camera knows when pictures are taken
in landscape or portrait mode, and plays them back
accordingly
In addition, the DSC-S50 and -S70 add an MPEG movie mode with up to 60 second movies, and the DSC-S70 adds Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar optics, an optical viewfinder, a programmable AE mode with adjustable shutter speed and aperture priority, MPEG High Quality Mode, which gives full frame playback on a standard TV and an increased frame rate of 16 fps, and a flash terminal for the optional HVL-F1000 flash which will be available in April for $120. It appears that pricing/availability in Japan is as follows:

 - DSC-S30: ¥63,000 (US$582), available 04/25/00
- DSC-S50: ¥88,000 (US$813), available 04/15/00
- DSC-S70; ¥113,000 (US$1044), available 03/25/00
For the full specifications of the three cameras, check out Phil Askey's Digital Photography Review coverage...

Olympus announces two new digicams, printer and batteries! - (10:24 EST)
Olympus America Inc. has today announced four new products in several press releases, including two new digital cameras! These are the Olympus D-360L digital camera, a 1.3 megapixel unit based on the existing D-340R, and the D-460 Zoom, also 1.3 megapixel and based on the existing D-450 Zoom...

Here's the full specs for both:

Olympus D-460 Zoom - click for a bigger picture!
Click for a bigger picture!


 - Olympus D-460 Zoom digital camera
- Based on the Olympus D-450 Zoom
- 1.3 megapixel CCD (up to 1280 x 960 pixel image size);
image compression options expanded since its
predecessor. 1280 x 960 TIFF, Low compression or
Standard compression JPEG; 640 x 480 Low compression
or Standard compression JPEG
- 3x optical aspheric zoom lens, all-glass, 8 elements,
F2.8; macro focusing down to eight inches; 2x digital
zoom
- Built-in 1.8-inch LCD display, improved since its
predecessor with increased viewing angle and better
visibility in bright light
- SmartMedia storage (compatible with up to 32MB cards)
- 5 mode pop-up intelligent flash (red-eye reduction,
force-fill flash, automatic low-light and back-light
mode, flash-off and slow-sync)
- Serial and Video out connectivity
- ISO 100, 200 and 400 ratings
- 2 frames per second burst mode for up to 10 images in
all quality modes
- TTL focusing system
- Auto white balance with 4 preset manual settings
- Center weighted, Digital ESP matrix metering and spot
metering with +/- 2EV exposure compensation in 1/2EV
steps
- Improved menus and function button as compared to its
predecessor
- 3x playback zoom feature and 16-thumbnail playback
mode
- DPOF compliant
- Ability to display file names on the LCD screen
- Direct printing to the Olympus P-330 Photo Printer
- Two new long-lasting Olympus-branded long life CR-3V
Lithium batteries, 8MB SmartMedia card, hand strap,
Mac/PC serial cable, video cable, Adobe PhotoDeluxe,
Enroute QuickStitch, Olympus Camedia Master Utility
and instruction manuals bundled
- Available this month at a price of $499
Olympus D-360L - click for a bigger picture!
Click for a bigger picture!


 - Olympus D-360L digital camera
- Based on the Olympus D-340R
- 1.3 megapixel CCD (up to 1280 x 960 pixel image size);
1280 x 960 TIFF, Low compression or Standard
compression JPEG; 640 x 480 Low compression or Standard
compression JPEG
- 5-element all glass coated aspheric 5.5mm F2.8 lens
(equivalent to 36mm on a 35mm camera); 2x digital zoom
- Built-in 1.8 inch LCD display
- SmartMedia storage (compatible with up to 64MB cards)
- 6-mode flash with Auto, Auto-S (red eye reduction),
Off, Fill-in, Slow syncro, and Slow syncro with
red-eye reduction modes
- Serial (PC/Mac compatible) and Video out connectivity
- ISO Automatic, 100, 200 and 400 ratings
- 2 frames per second burst mode for up to 10 images
- Auto white balance with 4 preset manual settings
- Digital ESP matrix metering and spot metering with
+/- 2EV exposure compensation in 1/2EV steps
- Playback mode features 1 or 9 thumbnail viewing
- Direct printing to the Olympus P-330 Photo Printer
- DCF file number memory and photos reset options and
DPOF printer compliant
- 8MB SmartMedia card, 4 AA Alkaline batteries, strap,
serial cable for PC, coupon for free Mac cable, video
connection cable, instruction manuals, and Olympus
Camedia Utility Software bundled with camera
- Available this month at a price of $299
Also announced was a new photo printer, the P-330N:

 - Olympus P-330N Photo Printer
- Dye sublimation type, 306 dpi resolution at 16.7
million colors
- Support for JPEG files up to 10MB and TIFF files up to
20MB
- DPOF compliant, capable of print queuing, selection of
the number of prints and specific images, rotation and
trimming directly from the camera. Lamination, mirror
output for t-shirt and gifts, multi-image output on 4,
9 and 16-cut sheet, sharpness adjustment, and indexing
are also available.
- Reads SmartMedia cards with built-in SmartMedia slot
- Video In/Out connectivity allows display of images on
a TV, or frame grabbing from any VHS/DVD signal
- Parallel connectivity for attaching to a PC, serial
connectivity for a Mac
- Acts as a PC SmartMedia reader via the parallel port
- Prints 1, 4, 9 or 16 photos per 4" x 5.5" sheet in
either three pass (faster/cheaper) or four pass (adds
UV coat to lengthen image life) depending on ribbon
cartridge.
- 2 minutes per page in 24-bit color depth with 16.7
million true colors
- P-330N including the printer, photo paper and
cartridge pack will cost $449; release date has not
yet been announced
Finally, Olympus today announced its new CR-3V Manganese Dioxide Lithium batteries, which are compatible with two AA dry-cell batteries. Battery life of 2.75 times Lithium AA batteries, and 30 times that of Alkalines can be expected, and the batteries can be stored up to 5 years... Compatible with the C-460 Zoom and C-3030 Zoom, the CR-3V batteries are available immediately and have a suggested price of $9.95 each.