News Archive - August 2002 Return to: Current News Archive Index Friday, August 30, 2002 Sharp returns to the digicam market 14:23 EDT - It has been quite a while since Japanese consumer electronics company Sharp Corp. offered a new digital camera model - but a press release from the company's US arm sees it returning with not just one, but two new models. The release from New Jersey-based Sharp Electronics Corporation is rather light on detail, but describes two similar models with three- and four-megapixel sensors respectively. We're continuing to seek... (More) LaserSoft ships new SilverFast version 13:47 EDT - German software company LaserSoft Imaging AG has announced a new version of its SilverFast imaging software for scanners and digital cameras. Amongst the new features in SilverFast 6 is a scratch and dust removal filter, dubbed "SilverFast SRD". The filter works on both black & white or color images, and features a real-time preview allowing... (More) Thursday, August 29, 2002 First Look review posted for Nikon Coolpix 4300 18:37 EDT - While their traditional strength and renown has been in the high end and professional realms of photography, Nikon has actually developed a strong line of digicams aimed at more novice users. These cameras still include many advanced Nikon features (like my personal favorite, the "Best Shot Selector"), but provide ample "scene modes" that make picture-taking simple in what otherwise might be... (More) Nikon announces new 4mpix digicam (UPDATED) 18:06 EDT - A day ahead of schedule, Nikon Europe has taken the wraps off a new four megapixel digital camera, the Coolpix 4300. Based on the existing three megapixel Coolpix 885 model but with a higher resolution CCD imager, the Coolpix 4300 is similar in most other respects to its predecessor. Nikon USA has yet to announce plans... (More) Hot new external battery pack: Digipower's DPS-9000 09:00 EDT - With all the detailed testing involved in my digicam reviews, accessories have generally gotten short shrift around here. I do occasionally manage to break a little time loose for them, and the latest product that caught my eye was a new external battery pack from Digipower. What makes this unit unusual is its packaging (it... (More) Wednesday, August 28, 2002 Casio: QV5700 bumps resolution to 5mpix 11:10 EDT - Casio is planning a new digital camera which is likely based on the same 1/1.8" 5 megapixel sensor used in cameras just announced by Olympus and Kyocera. The Casio QV-5700, reported on by our friends at the Digital Photography Review, is already listed on the websites of at least two German retailers. Listed as Product Number "QV-5700-MIC", the camera will... (More) Tuesday, August 27, 2002 Sharp announces 4 megapixel digicam / camcorder combo 18:35 EDT - Japanese consumer electronics company Sharp Corp. has announced a new combination digital camera / camcorder device, an email from IR reader 'uri' tells us. The 'Sharp VL-DD10 LCD Digital ViewCam' follows a precedent set by past products such as Matsushita's Panasonic NV-EX21, in which portions of the unit can be added and removed to allow differing configurations... (More) Production update for Olympus D-520 Zoom posted 10:00 EDT - This one is certainly long overdue - I confess that I kept getting sidetracked by more "exciting" cameras (like Olympus' own C-4000 Zoom, which I just completed an exhaustive review of.) Apologies to all the readers who've been waiting for my update on the D-520 Zoom! It's worth the wait, I think: I was quite impressed with the D-520's image quality. It tended to have a slightly warm white... (More) Full(!) Review posted for Olympus C-4000 Zoom 09:00 EDT - This was probably the most time I've ever spent on the review of a sub-$500 digicam, but I felt that the camera itself more than justified it: IMHO, Olympus' new four-megapixel C-4000 Zoom delivers more features and value for the price than pretty much anything else on the market, at least at this particular point in time. While you can find cameras that equal or exceed its performance at higher prices, I don't think there's anything out there right now that can touch it at its $499 MSRP. It delivers excellent color and... (More) Monday, August 26, 2002 What's New on other sites? 19:31 EDT - One of the nicer points about being a part of the online digital imaging community is the friendly relationship we have with our colleagues at the other main digital imaging sites. We've had the pleasure of meeting most of the people behind these excellent resources in person at trade shows, and we wish there were more hours in the day so we could mention their latest reviews as... (More) Friday, August 23, 2002 Nikon gives its support to New York 13:42 EDT - Imaging leader Nikon Inc. will do its part in remembering those affected by the September 11th tragedy by sponsoring a photographic memorial to the city a year later. The company has announced in a press release that it is sponsoring the 15th Annual 'Eddie Adams Barnstorm Workshop', a four day event that will include an opportunity for the 100 photojournalism students... (More) Online photography course to commence soon 00:59 EDT - We just received an email from Arthur Bleich, Feature Editor of Digital Camera Magazine, announcing that he is now accepting applications for his latest Digiphoto 101 Course. Commencing on September 3rd, the course costs $360 and takes 10 weeks with a limit of 10 enrollees in each course. Arthur's class instructs both beginner and intermediate students in the technical and... (More) Thursday, August 22, 2002 Addonics new portable flash reader 23:51 EDT - Addonics Technologies Inc. has today announced a new flash card reader that combines portability with compatibility, and a high-speed interface to boot. The Pocket UltraDigiDrive is available in versions with a USB 2.0 connection or an IEEE 1394 FireWire connection, and features a full-sized Type-II PCMCIA slot, which with appropriate adapters can also... (More) Microsoft announces new PictureIt! version 16:46 EDT - Microsoft Corp. has announced a new release of its PictureIt! imaging software, now available at stores in the USA. 'Picture It! Digital Image Pro' has features specifically aimed at digital camera users, including levels control, PhotoShop plugin compatibility, integration with MSN Photos, and a redesigned user interface.... (More) Wednesday, August 21, 2002 Kyocera readies three new digicams (UPDATED) 03:48 EDT - Our friends at the Digital Photography Review website picked up on a brief statement on Kyocera Germany's website previewing three new digicams. According to the Kyocera announcement, the three new models to be shown for the first time at the Photokina show in Germany next month are as follows: Kyocera FineCam S5 - 5 megapixel (likely uses the... (More) Sanyo announces DSC-MZ3 digital camera (UPDATED) 03:20 EDT - Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. has today announced a replacement for its DSC-MZ2 digital camera that takes the movie capabilities of the prior model a step further. Where most digital cameras today offer only the most basic video quality - low resolution and slow frame rates conspiring to make the videos watchable only in a tiny window on a computer monitor, or on... (More) Ricoh announces new compact digicam (UPDATED) 00:24 EDT - Our friends at the Japanese website digitalcamera.jp have today posted news of a new 3 megapixel, 3x optical zoom digital camera from Ricoh. We don't yet have any information as to whether this camera, the Caplio RR30, will be coming to the US market, but in Japan there will be three different color variants available - the names translating... (More) Tuesday, August 20, 2002 MASSIVE Comparometer Update 09:00 EDT - One of the key features of this site is the Comparometer(tm), a unique tool for comparing standardized test photos shot with any of the literally hundreds of cameras I've tested over the years. Back in May, we undertook a massive project that made thumbnails of all our test images and rearranged the carrier pages so visitors can get a quick look at large (300 pixel) thumbnail of a camera's image... (More) Olympus sponsors imaging workshop 01:56 EDT - In a press release that went out yesterday, the well-known name in digital photography details its involvement with Arthur Bleich's upcoming "digital photography cruise". We first told you about this year's cruise and workshop late last month, but if you don't remember (or missed the item), it represents an opportunity to refine your digital photography skills with help... (More) Monday, August 19, 2002 Olympus Europe announces C-5050ZOOM (UPDATED) 10:48 EDT - In the run-up to next month's Photokina show in Germany, the latest in Olympus' line of high-spec compact digital cameras has today been unveiled in Europe - the Camedia C-5050 Zoom. Featuring a shape very similar to that of past models such as the C-4040Z and just-announced C-4000Z, the C-5050Z continues the search for higher megapixel ratings with 5.0 effective megapixels from a... (More) Friday, August 16, 2002 Digital Outback examines Qimage S2 RAW processing 17:34 EDT - Purchased or considering Fuji's S2 Pro digital camera, and interested in Qimage Pro's RAW conversion possibilities? If so, an article from Uwe Steinmueller at the Digital Outback Photo website may be of interest. Uwe's yet to give the camera a whirl, but has tried out Qimage's RAW conversion on photos provided by Paul... (More) Nikon donates Coolpix digicams for kids 03:14 EDT - We always like to see leaders of the digital imaging industry giving something back, be it to charities that do so much good work around the world, or to help educate kids and get them interested in photography. We were pleased today, then, to see a press release from Nikon Inc. detailing a partnership with Circuit City to provide 34 Coolpix 2500 digital cameras as prizes for the ImageMakers contest which is being... (More) Iomega starts bundling backup software 02:51 EDT - Only tangentially related to digital imaging, perhaps, but if you're considering alternatives for backing up your photos then a new bundle from Iomega Corp. could prove attractive. According to a press release issued by the company, it has released new versions of its Iomega Automatic Backup and Iomega Sync software, and is bundling them with the just-announced Iomega® Zip®... (More) Wednesday, August 14, 2002 Review posted for Sony DSC-P7 03:54 EDT - Dave tries out the sibling of Sony's four megapixel DSC-P9... Sony seems to have found a nice formula for subcompact digicams: A bit larger than some, with a very thin profile, but a slightly longer case. The thin profile lets them slip easily into pockets, but the... (More) Final update to full review of Nikon Coolpix 4500 complete! 03:43 EDT - Our last word on results for Nikon's 4 megapixel swivel-bodied digicam... I finally shot and posted the test images from a production-model 4500 about a week and a half ago, before I took off on a brief business trip, but didn't have time to collect new performance timing data.... (More) DigitalCustom continues to expand 2:55 EDT - Two recent press releases from DigitalCustom Group Inc. suggest that the company is continuing to expand as it strikes deals around the world. We've mentioned DigitalCustom's photo repair and restoration services several times in the past, and the company has now signed agreements with DEEP Japan Co., Ltd. of Fukuoka, Japan and US company Town & Country Photo Dealers Network to offer photo editing... (More) Tuesday, August 13, 2002 Kodak announces new EasyShare digicams 09:00 EDT - New models are 2 and 3 megapixel respectively; one of the two features a 3x optical zoom... Eastman Kodak Co. has this morning announced two new digital camera models. The Kodak EasyShare CX4200 is a $179 entry-level 2 megapixel model that will ship in October, featuring an all-glass 39mm-equivalent... (More) Monday, August 12, 2002 Sony's tiny U10 comes to the USA 23:47 EDT - 1.3 megapixel ultracompact digicam is available for pre-order now... We told you back in June about Sony's new Cyber-shot DSC-U10, a tiny ultracompact digital camera with a sensor resolution of 1.3 megapixels that had been announced in Japan. Whilst at the time we were... (More) Nikon recalls certain Coolpix 2000s 16:44 EDT - Cameras in two serial number ranges may have problems that could "cause excessive heat" in the battery compartment... Nikon Inc. has announced a recall of certain units of the Coolpix 2000 digital camera, according to an announcement linked from the front page of the Nikon USA website (replicated below). US cameras with... (More) Improve your long exposures, and reduce noise 06:11 EDT - Tawbaware's Max Lyons has announced a very interesting utility aimed at using multiple images of a scene to allow for simulated long exposures, reduced image noise, brighter results in poor lighting or a combination of these improvements. Image Stacker looks to give some pretty impressive results, judging from Max's samples. We've not had a chance to try the program ourselves yet, but we're definitely looking forward to giving Image Stacker a whirl! The program can be registered for $17, and a demo version limited to 10 640x480 (max) images at a time can be downloaded from Max's site... Epson announces three new photo printers 01:00 EDT - Ranging in price from $199 to $349, the new models span a range from consumer to professional uses... Epson America Inc. has today announced three new photo printer models in its Stylus Photo series. First up is the new Stylus Photo 925, a 720dpi model with built-in slots accepting CompactFlash (Type-I... (More) Sunday, August 11, 2002 Kaidan announces Mac pano software 19:01 EDT - PanoPost, a new MacOS, creates cylindrical or equirangular images for numerous panorama formats... Kaidan Inc. has announced a new Macintosh software package for creating source images to use with QuickTime VR, PT Viewer, Zoomify and other panorama viewers. The software works with any image that contains... (More) Review posted for Canon CP-100 "Card Printer" 12:29 EDT - Dave tries out Canon's nifty little photo printer... I have to admit I've not been a particular fan of little dye-sub printers for printing photos, but Canon's CP-100 has done a lot to turn me around on the genre. It's a compact little package that connects... (More) Thursday, August 8, 2002 Sony announces two new Handycams 17:09 EDT - Latest MicroMV camcorders from the electronics heavyweight are equipped with 10x optical zooms... Sony Electronics has announced two new additions to its camcorder lineup, in the form of the Handycam DCR-IP55 and DCR-IP220. The models share many features, but there are some major differences as well:... (More) Full review updated for Sony DSC-P9 12:24 EDT - Production-level version of Sony's compact point'n'shoot gets the full "Dave Work-Out"... I did a "first look" at this camera a while back, when it was first announced, and I've now gone back and completed it with a full set of test images from a production model and updated conclusions. This... (More) Nikon Coolpix 5700 review final update completed 12:21 EDT - Dave wraps up his in-depth look at Nikon's 5 megapixel, 8x optical zoom digicam... I posted the production-model test images from this camera a bit over a week ago, just before heading out of town on a business trip. I've now completed a full update of the review, with final test conclusions,... (More) Wednesday, August 7, 2002 Canon announces Optura 200MC 02:10 EDT - Latest digital video camcorder model features a 1.33 megapixel imager... Canon U.S.A. Inc. has announced an addition to its lineup of digital camcorders in the form of the Optura 200MC, a 1.33 megapixel model with a 10X optical zoom lens with optical image stabilisation and... (More) Tuesday, August 6, 2002 Fuji USA to relocate headquarters 17:32 EDT - Offices moving from Elmsford NY to a larger location in Valhalla... A press release from real estate company CB Richard Ellis Inc. announces that Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc., the American subsidiary of Japanese camera giant Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., will relocate its corporate... (More) PRESS RELEASE: Direct Printing from a Digital Camera with a USB Connection 00:00 EDT - Simple Output of Digital Photographs with the New USB DIRECT-PRINT TOKYO, Japan, August 6 - Seiko Epson Corporation has developed USB DIRECT-PRINT, technology that allows a digital camera to print directly to a printer through a USB connection. Improved image quality, which is an effect of the rise in pixel counts of CCDs, and the ease of viewing photographs instantly has caused a marked growth in... (More) Monday, August 5, 2002 Qimage Pro adds Fuji S2 RAW support 18:05 EDT - Latest version can convert RAW files from Fuji's top-end digital SLR without using the official Fuji Raw File Converter... Mike Chaney of Digital Domain Inc., author of Qimage Pro and Profile Prism, just let us know of a significant update to the former program. Qimage Pro 2002 v2.3, released today, adds support for the RAW... (More) MultiMediaCard certification program launches 17:02 EDT - Perhaps answering suggestions that the standard may face compatibility issues, the MultiMediaCard Association has begun a new memory card compliance program... The MultiMediaCard Association has today announced a certification program for MultiMediaCard flash memory, allowing manufacturers to have their flash cards certified as "fully compliant with the MMCA... (More) Friday, August 2, 2002 Sony Ericsson launches unusual campaign 17:50 EDT - Next time someone hands you their T68i cell phone and addon digicam to take their picture, you might just be on the receiving end of possibly the strangest advertising tactic ever... A news item from Reuters details what has to the the most unusual advertising campaign we've ever heard of. Sony Ericsson is paying 120 actors and actresses in seven US cities to post as couples owning... (More) Thursday, August 1, 2002 Contax Japan recalls the N Digital 17:36 EDT - Free servicing required for the 35mm full-frame digital SLR that started shipping two months ago, at least in Japan... Kyocera Japan, the company behind the Contax brand, has announced a product recall on the N Digital - a $6999 camera that uses a full 35mm frame-sized sensor that's been shipping in the USA for the last... (More) Two more xD digicams from Fuji 01:00 EDT - FinePix A203, 303 are new designs that round out Fuji's xD camera announcements... Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. wraps up today's xD-Picture Card camera announcements with a third press release describing the new FinePix A203 and A303 digital cameras. Both cameras share similar styling,... (More) Fuji announces more xD digicams 01:00 EDT - FinePix A200 and 2650, based on the existing A200 and 2600 Zoom, offer 2 megapixel resolution, videoconferencing capabilities... Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. continues today's announcements with a second release detailing its new FinePix A200 and 2650 digital cameras. Of course, both support the new xD-Picture Card format; the $179.95... (More) Fuji announces FinePix 3800 digital camera 01:00 EDT - New model based on the FinePix 2800 Zoom replaces SmartMedia card slot with the newly announced xD-Picture Card... Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. has today announced its new FinePix 3800 digital camera, an update to the existing FinePix 2800 Zoom that is compatible with the just-announced xD-Picture Card format. Slated... (More) Return to: Current News Archive Index