Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.1 Release Candidate

The new Lightroom update fixes 2.0 bugs and adds Raw support.

Lightroom Product Manager Tom Hogarty announced the availability of Lightroom 2.1 as a release candidate on Adobe Labs.

"The goal of this release is to address bugs that were introduced with the release of Lightroom 2.0 and provide additional camera Raw support," Hogarty explained on the Lightroom Journal. "A comprehensive list of issues fixed in this release is provided on Adobe Labs." Camera support is "identical to the support provided in the recent Camera Raw 4.6 update," he added, citing the Fuji Finepix IS Pro, Nikon D700, Nikon D90and Nikon Coolpix P6000 specifically.

The release notes and downloads for Mac or Windows versions are available on the Lightroom 2.1 page.

New Lexar Shoot-n-Sync Wi-Fi Memory Card

Lexar will release it's Shoot-n-Sync™ Wi-Fi® memory card - a convenient wireless solution for uploading digital photos to computers as well as sharing them via social networking and photo-sharing websites. The 2GB memory card, compatible with SD-compatible digital cameras, reliably records and stores digital photos in a camera just like a standard memory card, but adds the time-saving convenience and simplicity of wireless uploading from camera to computer - and directly to the Internet.

The Lexar Shoot-n-Sync Wi-Fi memory card will be available in October.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Announcement

Adobe® is announcing the release of Creative Suite 4 and we are all invited. Adobe will be providing a special web announcement on September 23. Simply register to receive information for viewing the broadcast.

New DSLR Camera Reviews

Five new DLSR camera models have been added to the ‘Recent Digital Camera Reviews’ section.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 50D DSLR
Nikon D90 DSLR
Pentax K200D DSLR
Sony A900 DSLR

Featured Photographer - Charlie Cho

Featured in this month's edition of Rangefinder magazine, Charlie Cho creates amazing and imaginative images literally painting with light. Doing what few others can, Cho illuminates the darkness with light paintings of mind-boggling precision and artfulness. Coordinating all of these unseen picture elements sometimes takes him much of the night to choreograph, or in several cases the better part of three consecutive nights.

Read Charlie Cho: Light & Night Painting by Larry Brownstein on Rangefindermag.com.

Adobe Beta Testing for Camera Raw and DNG Converter

Adobe Labs is the domain of public program testing for Adobe, allowing us glimpses at programs prior to release. Both Lightroom 1 and 2 were available there, and now Camera Raw 4.6 and the associated DNG converter are available from there to download.

This is a release candidate version, meaning that it has been internally tested, but needs more testing in the public domain before being released as an automatic update.New cameras fully supported by this version include Fuji Finepix IS Pro, Nikon D700, Nikon D90 and the Nikon Coolpix 6000. Preliminary (i.e. uncertified) support is provided for Canon Rebel XS, 50D, Olympus SP-565 UZ, Sony A900 and Sigma DP1 (the DP1 support is not finalised).
Courtesy of lightroom-news.com

Samsung Makes Bid for SanDisk

The New York Times is reporting today that Samsung Electronics has made an unsolicited $5.85 billion cash offer for SanDisk, the flash memory card manufacturer.

According to the article, Samsung's offer of $26 a share was first made in August and only revealed to investors after the U.S. market closed Tuesday with SanDisk trading at $15.04. In after-hours trading, shares rose to nearly $23 a share as news of the proposal spread.

In an earlier Sept. 5 statement, the company had acknowledged, "SanDisk periodically has conversations with multiple parties, including Samsung, regarding a variety of potential business opportunities. We evaluate all of these opportunities, but maintain a policy of not commenting on market rumors or speculation."

But in a letter released Tuesday, Eli Harari, SanDisk founder and chief executive, had rejected the offer, claiming it significantly undervalued the company and characterizing it as "opportunistically timed."
Courtesy of Mike Pasini, The Imaging Resource

Nikon Updates Transfer, NX2 and Capture Software

Nikon has updated three of its software applications to be compatible with its D90 including Transfer, NX2 and Capture Control. Nikon Transfer additionally introduces support for the P6000's new NRW Raw format.

Transfer
The updater is available as a 24.3MB Macintosh download and a 46.1MB Windows download.

Capture NX 2
The 68.3MB Macintosh download and the 44.5MB Windows download of the updater require version 2.0.0 or 2.0.1.

Camera Control Pro 2
The 29.2MB Macintosh download and the 29MB Windows download require Camera Control Pro ver.2.0.0, 2.1.0, or 2.2.0.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Hands-on Preview

Dpreview.com takes a closer look at the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II DLSR. The 5D Mark II clocks in with impressive resolution and features, including 21 megapixels, 1080p video, 3.0" VGA LCD, Live view, ISO 100 - 6400 calibrated range, ISO 50 - 25600 expansion, 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting, and a higher capacity battery. The camera aims to seriously compete with both its direct rivals, the Nikon D700 and the Sony A900.

Read more about the Canon EOS 5D Mark II on dpreview.com

Featured Photographer - Chris Clor

Chris Clor, featured in the latest issue of Layers Magazine, has more than 25 years of experience working as a commercial photographer, and is passionate about producing the highest quality images for his clients on each and every project. His photographic expertise, innate lighting ability and sense of design, coupled with extensive computer imaging skills provide his clients with the tools necessary to solve any problem either in studio or on location.

Get inspired by viewing his images at clorimages.com

New Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM

When ever I bring up to fellow photographers that I still like to use my trusty 50mm f1.7 lens, they give that puzzled "why not just use a zoom" look. Until the purchase of the Sigma 70mm 2.8 Macro (105mm on A100), the 50mm was my portrait lens of choice for the Sony Alpha 100. At 70mm on the DSLR it provides sharp images for both low light and narrow depth of field situations.

So I was pleased to see that Sigma recently released their new 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM for all of the top camera mounts including Sony. Sigma has included features which distinguish this lens from those older designs, including an aspheric element for superior correction of aberrations, an oversized barrel design to reduce vignetting at wide apertures, a rounded diaphragm for attractive background blur, and 'super multi-layer' coating for reduced flare and ghosting.

Read an indepth review of the lens at dpreview.com

Scott Kelby's Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book Now Available

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers from Scott Kelby is finally available on Amazon.com. If you haven't had the pleasure of utlizing any of his many instructional books, I highly suggest them. Kelby makes learning these products easy by utilizing practical,step-by-step instructions.

His first Lightroom book was great and this new edition should be no different. I still having gotten around to upgrading to Lightroom 2, but once I do, this new volume will be on the desk next to the computer.

Order the book at Amazon.com for only $26.99 or at a discount through the NAPP website for NAPP members.

PhotoShelter Abandons its Stock Sales Effort

Not all online stock photo enterprises are apparently successful. Just a year after announcing a new stock photo licensing business with great fanfare, PhotoShelter says it will close its PhotoShelter Collection on Oct. 10.

Read the entire article on PDN.com

New Lumix DMC-G1 Lens From Panasonic

To coincide with the announcement of Lumix DMC-G1, Panasonic has also announced two new Micro Four Thirds System zoom lenses; the LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. and LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6/MEGA O.I.S. Both lenses offer Image Stabilization and produce an equivalent field of view of 28-90 mm and 90-400 mm respectively.

Read more about them from Digital Photography Review.

New Panasonic Lumix G1

Panasonic has a radical solution to the big, bulky 'same-as-all-the-rest' camera: the new Lumix G1. It’s not just a new model, but a new class: “The Digital Interchangeable Lens Camera System," and the choice of body colors, including red, look pretty cool too.

12MP Live MOS Four Thirds Standard sensor; Live view. 1.44-million-dot EVF with 100% viewfinder accuracy; $800, estimated street price and Body colors: black, blue, red.

Read the entire article.

New Sony 24.6MP Alpha 900 DSLR

It's been vaporware for over a year and now if finally becomes a reality. Popular Photography & Imaging have been testing the preproduction unit and have posted an article about the forthcoming Sony Alpha 900. 24.6MP CMOS sensor and a $3000 price tag are just the tip of the iceberg.

Read the entire article on popphoto.com

Digital Photography Review also has a 'first look' at the A900.