News Archive - December 2004 Return to: Current News Archive Index Thursday, December 30, 2004 Canon updates ZoomBrowser / ImageBrowser software 19:12 EST - Photo industry giant Canon has released new versions of its ZoomBrowser (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Macintosh) software, according to its Japanese website. Pages linked from the Canon BeBit website offer introductions to the feature-set and system requirements of the two programs, which offer similar (but not identical) capabilities for the two popular operating... (More) Olympus updates Studio software 19:03 EST - Olympus America has released an updated version of its Studio software for the E-series digital cameras. Olympus Studio 1.2 adds support for the new E-300 digital SLR, as well as a number of tweaks to raw file development. The complete list of changes and notes courtesy of Olympus, as compared to Studio 1.11,... (More) PRESS RELEASE: Concord Camera Corp. Wins American Photo Magazine's Editor's Choice Award 18:52 EST - 5 Megapixel Digital Camera Wins for the Most Pixels for the Price Hollywood, FL, December 29, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. ("Concord") (Nasdaq:LENSE), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced cameras, announced today that the Concord Eye-Q 5062 has won the coveted American Photo "Editor's Choice" Award. In awarding the Concord Eye-Q 5062 with their prestigious Editor's Choice,... (More) PRESS RELEASE: LifePics Wins Photographic Processing 2004 Reader's Choice Award 18:51 EST - LifePics announced today that it has won Photographic Processing magazine's 2004 Reader's Choice award for best online photofinishing service. Photographic Processing magazine is one of the top sources of product and industry news for photofinishers in North America. Readers were asked to vote for their favorite product in 25 categories, and LifePics was selected by readers as the top online service.... (More) Photo of the Day Form Returns! 12:15 EST - Imagine our surprise when, trying to sneak a test photo into our Photo of the Day Contest, we were rebuffed with a server error! Perhaps you didn't have to imagine it because it actually happened to you. If so, our apologies -- everything's been fixed and tested and ready for your latest images. We've got some great prizes to give away. So don't delay, visit our Entry Form and send us a photo! Here's hoping everyone wins! (More) Tuesday, December 28, 2004 Sony readies black 1GB Memory Stick PRO 12:53 EST - Sony USA has today announced that it will shortly begin shipping a new addition to its line of Memory Stick flash memory cards. The black 1GB Memory Stick PRO, as with other black Memory Stick PRO cards, offers a somewhat extended operating temperature range of -13 to 185 degrees fahrenheit (identical to that of High Speed Memory... (More) Saturday, December 25, 2004 Season's Greetings to one and all! 11:23 EST - Another year has passed in the blink of an eye, and the holiday season is here once more. It has been an amazing eight years since Dave Etchells launched an early preview of the Imaging Resource, planned to become a compendium of all things digital imaging (courtesy of Archive.org, you can... (More) Friday, December 24, 2004 Software Review: The VueScan Solution 14:52 EST - We couldn't believe it. With a roll of color negatives to scan, we were staring at our screen trying once again to decipher the scanner manufacturer's array of icons. We knew exactly what we wanted to do. But which click led where made us feel like we were playing Myst IV, not scanning slides. "Do yourself a favor," we advised ourselves. Use something whose artful design requires no cosmetics. What? We knew what. VueScan from Hamrick Software (http://www.hamrick.com). It's been doing favors... (More) Thursday, December 23, 2004 DxO extends support for Canon cameras 16:18 EST - French software company DxO Labs has announced that its DxO Optics Pro software has been updated to extend support for Canon's line of digital SLRs. If you're not familiar with DxO Optics Pro, you might want to read our in-depth coverage from shortly after it was announced at this year's PMA show in Las Vegas. Imaging Resource Publisher Dave Etchells... (More) Bibble offer extended 08:44 EST - We just received an email from Eric Hyman, the man behind popular imaging utility Bibble, with interesting news for users of Phase One's C1 program. To quote Eric: "Due to overwhelming demand, we have extended the deadline for C1 Users to upgrade to Bibble Pro thru the end of the December. Users of Any version of C1 can obtain a license for Bibble... (More) Sony plans new camera phone CMOS fab 08:18 EST - A news article linked to by our friends at the Digital Photography Review website suggests that Sony is taking the market for CMOS image sensors used in camera phones very seriously. Sony already dominates the market for CCD imagers, producing a large portion of the chips used in digital cameras from a wide range of manufacturers - particularly at the higher end of the market. According... (More) Review posted for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 08:08 EST - The recent (and still current) Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 was easily a Dave's Pick, capitalizing on fast shutter-lag, excellent exposure and creative control options, and an excellent image stabilization system. Though the Konica Minolta A200 is a slightly pared-down version of the A2, I see many of the same excellent features that I praised on the A2, such as fine-tuned creative adjustments for contrast, saturation,... (More) Fuji FinePix A340 review posted 08:05 EST - Fuji FinePix digital cameras have always been associated with good image quality and color, with solid performance even at the lower-end of the line. With a 4.0-megapixel CCD and 3x optical zoom lens, the Fujifilm A340 offers the same point-and-shoot convenience as Fujifilm's earlier entry-level models, but with greater flexibility thanks to its four... (More) Tuesday, December 21, 2004 Canon: EOS-1Ds Mark II firmware 13:45 EST - Canon Japan has today posted a new firmware version for its EOS-1Ds Mark II digital camera. Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II version 1.0.3 has the following differences from the prior version, according to the company: Improvements to AF tracking in AI Servo AF. Easier to focus on low-luminance or low-contrast... (More) Monday, December 20, 2004 Adobe betas Camera Raw 2.4 13:35 EST - Software company Adobe released a new beta version of its Camera Raw software at the end of last week. Adobe Camera Raw 2.4, available for both Windows and Macintosh systems, can be downloaded from Adobe's website. Currently available in English only, the beta adds support for the following cameras: Canon... (More) PRESS RELEASE: Xerox DocuMate 252 Scanner Wins Product of the Year 12:41 EST - PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2004--The Xerox DocuMate(TM) 252 duplex scanner has won the prestigious Virtual Office News Product of the Year Award for 2004. "The Xerox DocuMate 252 is the most impressive new scanner we have tested in quite a while. It is fast, easy to use, and it is packaged with an excellent software bundle," said Virtual Office News Editor David Drucker. "When we... (More) Saturday, December 18, 2004 Full review posted for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 00:42 EST - FINALLY! This has to be one of the most requested reviews of the year... We've just posted our review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20, the 5-megapixel, 12x zoom, image-stabilized top of Panasonic's digital camera line. No surprises really, the camera is virtually identical... (More) Nikon Coolpix 8400 review updated to full production status 00:40 EST - Now that we've had a chance to fully test a final production model, our earlier impressions of the Nikon Coolpix 8400 have been pretty well borne out. Image quality was generally excellent, with loads of resolution, in-camera sharpening that struck a good balance between perceived sharpness and minimal artifacts, good (if somewhat bright) color, and... (More) Pentax Optio S5i Review posted 00:37 EST - The Pentax Optio "S" series digicams have long been favorites of mine, ever since the original Optio S first appeared, nestled in an Altoids(tm) tin. The latest model is the 5-megapixel Pentax Optio S5i, delivering the same level of features and functionality (amazing for a subcompact digital camera model) that have made the line such a huge success.... (More) Friday, December 17, 2004 PRESS RELEASE: Canto Announces Free myCumulus 6 Holiday Special 11:05 EST - Giveaway Week Kicks Off On Dec. 18 SAN FRANCISCO, BERLIN -- Canto, a global leader in Digital Asset Management (DAM) solutions, today announced its exclusive Christmas offer. The English version of Canto myCumulus version 6 will be available for free for a limited time only and can be downloaded from the Canto website from Dec. 18 to 26. myCumulus is Canto's "light" version of its Digital Asset Management... (More) Thursday, December 16, 2004 PRESS RELEASE: Digital Camera Media Safe In Both Carry-On And Checked Baggage, According To Tests By Imaging Industry And Transportation Security Administration 14:25 EST - Travelers Still Strongly Advised to Request Hand Inspection of High-Speed Film WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., DECEMBER 16, 2004 - Recent tests found no evidence of X-ray scanner damage to digital camera media cards or to the images they hold. The tests of scanner models currently in use in the U.S. transportation industry were jointly conducted by the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A), the leading... (More) Wednesday, December 15, 2004 PRESS RELEASE: Hamrick's VueScan 8.1.14 Improves Color of Canon and Epson scanners 16:41 EST - Uses advanced IT8 color calibration technique to get accurate colors. No other vendor supports all of Canon and Epson professional and consumer scanner products. VueScan 8.1.14 supports 45 different Canon scanners and 66 different Epson scanners, including film scanners, flatbed scanners, and multi-function printer/scanners. Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) December 15, 2004 - Hamrick Software, a leading developer... (More) Tuesday, December 14, 2004 PRESS RELEASE: CVS Celebrates the 12 Days of Christmas with 12 Ways to Make Photos an Easy Part of the Holidays 15:30 EST - 5 Free Digital Prints and New One-Time Use Digital Camera Available for the Holidays WOONSOCKET, R.I., Dec. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CVS/pharmacy began the countdown to Christmas 2004 with 12 easy ways to include photos in your holiday plans. CVS is America's pharmacy photo innovation leader and was the first pharmacy to introduce the latest wave of new digital photo products and services. With... (More) PRESS RELEASE: Microsoft and Fujifilm Team to Lower Barriers To Retail Digital Photofinishing 15:26 EST - Collaboration Offers Windows XP Users Fast, Easy Pickup of Digital Prints At More Than 5,000 Retail Locations, With Some in as Little as One Hour REDMOND, Wash. - Dec. 14, 2004 - In the midst of the busy holiday photo-processing season, Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has teamed with Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. to connect millions of digital photographers with retailers for easy and convenient... (More) PRESS RELEASE: Microsoft Announces Enhanced Windows XP Online Print Wizard To Enable Quick and Easy Pickup of Digital Prints at Popular Local Retailers 15:24 EST - Service Offers Consumers Greater Selection and Flexibility When Ordering Prints of Digital Photos From Windows XP REDMOND, Wash. - Dec. 14, 2004 - To offer even greater choice and convenience for digital photography customers, Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of an updated version of its Online Print Wizard, a feature that allows quick and easy ordering of prints from digital photos... (More) PRESS RELEASE: HeyPix! Revolutionizes Digital Photography, Links Online Sharing and Desktop Management to Build Interactive Photo Sharing Community 15:19 EST - Wind-Up Labs' HeyPix! first digital photo service to combine desktop organization, Internet sharing, online social networking and blog photo integration Arlington, MA - December 13, 2004 - Wind-Up Labs today announced the launch of HeyPix!, a revolutionary online photo sharing service and desktop application that combines the best attributes of desktop photo organization with advanced online photo... (More) Nikon drops D2H pricing? 15:16 EST - An email from regular contributor Peter Burian alerted us to what looks to be a fairly significant price drop on Nikon's D2H digital SLR. Originally announced at around $3500, Peter noticed that the D2H is now listing for $1995 at Roberts Imaging, and we found similar pricing from other reputable dealers such as Adorama, B&H, and Ritz Camera... (More) Saturday, December 11, 2004 Software Review: Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 00:43 EST - It's been over two years since Elements has been updated. It wasn't broke, but at that rate, Adobe might be. Still, how could Adobe possibly improve its competent entry-level image editing software famous for its extraordinary HTML Help and Tutorials on image editing? Well, Adobe is not an ordinary company. Sometimes we wonder if it's a company at all. It seems more like a movement. A movement inspired by the Spot and then the Pixel. There's always more to Adobe than... (More) Friday, December 10, 2004 Buy your dream camera -- A year or two later 08:47 EST - While technology marches relentlessly on, I've always maintained that a digital camera that takes great-looking pictures now will still take the same great-looking pictures 3-5 years later, regardless of what technology is doing in the meantime. Now that digital cameras have been on the market in significant numbers for several years, it's getting easier to find true bargains on former top-end models. You can also score some real bargains on last... (More) Tuesday, December 7, 2004 EOS 20D: new firmware 13:48 EST - Canon Japan has today released a new firmware update for its EOS 20D digital SLR. The Canon EOS 20D v1.1.0 firmware incorporates a fix for problems with horizontal line noise in high ISO images using the internal flash. The update also adds three new menu languages - Russian, Korean,... (More) Fuji FinePix S5100 Review posted 13:43 EST - The previous Fuji FinePix 2800 and 3800 Zoom cameras were exceptional values for the money, and the updated Fuji FinePix S5100 offers the same great value with the addition of a 4.0-megapixel CCD and a longer 10x zoom lens. The S5100's higher resolution is a welcome improvement, providing great image quality for a budget-priced digital camera, and its 10x optical zoom is excellent for distant subjects. Its color is more accurate... (More) Monday, December 6, 2004 PowerShot Pro1 - new firmware 15:16 EST - Canon Japan has released a new firmware update for its PowerShot Pro1 digital camera, the highest-specification model in the PowerShot series. The Canon PowerShot Pro1 v1.0.1.0 update improves autofocusing speed, changes how images are displayed in continuous AF mode, and improves responsiveness of the zoom ring. Detailed instructions for how... (More) Thursday, December 2, 2004 Sony DSC-V3 review updated to full production status 12:51 EST - Having now worked and lived with a production sample for a couple of weeks, I can say that the Sony DSC-V3 digital camera is a very compelling/appealing entrant in the high-end digicam derby. It's exceptionally responsive, in terms of both shutter lag and shot to shot cycle times. Image quality is very good, with good color (if a little bright on highly-saturated colors), and its images are... (More) Wednesday, December 1, 2004 November Photo of the Day Winners Announced! 09:59 EST - We thought we had a hard time picking a winner in our first Photo of the Day contest, but this month it was even harder - The quality of the various daily winners was just extraordinary. The judges hung tough though, and after much deliberation, have chosen the first, second, and third-place winners for November! This month's judging for our Photo of the Day contest was particularly tough, as there were so many excellent entries. After just a few fisticuffs and only one thrown chair though, the judges came through... (More) DxO Optics Pro updated for EOS 20D 1:35 EST - French software company DO Labs has today announced that its DxO Optics Pro software has been updated to support the Canon EOS 20D digital SLR. If you're not familiar with DxO Optics Pro, you might want to read our in-depth coverage from shortly after it was announced at this year's PMA show in Las Vegas. Imaging Resource Publisher Dave Etchells was definitely impressed by the sample images DO Labs... (More) PRESS RELEASE: Digital Silo Introduces First Personal HVOD Delivery Platform 01:23 EST - Company launches world’s first Home Video On Demand service platform allowing families to edit, share and preserve their home videos securely via the web without the need to purchase special software or hardware. HIGHLAND PARK, ILL (November 30, 2004) -- Broadband Internet users can now enjoy the benefits of Home Video On Demand (HVOD) with the introduction of the world’s first-ever streaming... (More) Return to: Current News Archive Index