New Personal Focus Within Senior Photo Market

Today’s senior pictures are expected to be more personal than previous ‘by-the-numbers’ in-studio offerings. Read an interesting article by Leeann Moore from the Zanesville Times Recorder. The latest issue of Rangefinder Magazine also includes an article covering the new focus within the Senior Market.

Macworld Reviews New iPhoto '08 From Apple

Rick LePage of Macworld reviews the new iPhoto ’08 software from Apple. Here is an excerpt:

…One immediately obvious change in iPhoto ’08 is in the way your photos are organized when you import them from your camera. Apple has replaced the film-roll metaphor—in which each batch of imported pictures is stored as a “roll”—with a scheme called Events, based upon the time the pictures were taken. An event is represented by a thumbnail image in iPhoto’s viewing area. The Events feature is an attempt to better organize your pictures when they first enter your library by segmenting images into daily, weekly, and two- or four-hour chunks, depending on what works best for you…

Read the entire Macworld review.

Sony Announces New CMOS Sensor

Sony has announced it is commercializing a new CMOS sensor for upcoming digital SLRs. The 12.47-megapixel APS-C size CMOS promises improved noise reduction, better image quality, and faster speeds of up to 10.39 frames per second, according to a company press release.

The Sony CMOS sensor, model number IMX021, uses Sony’s technology of “Column-Parallel A/D Conversion Technique.” Each column of the 28.0 x 22.3mm sensor has an analog-to-digital converter. The system converts vertical signals over the shortest distance possible, and therefore preserves image quality while improving speed.

The Sony CMOS chip promises to produce shooting capabilities at 10.39 fps, a digital SLR frame rate that beats the rate currently held by Canon and its 10 fps EOS-1D Mark III, announced last February. The Sony CMOS, however, uses 12-bit AD conversion, while the Canon 1D Mark III APS-H sized chip uses 14-bit conversion.

“Sony will position ‘IMX021’ as a key device capable of generating new added value in the high-growth digital SLR camera market, actively promoting its use within Sony and externally," according to the release.

Sony’s semiconductor division will provide the IMX021 sensor. The initial sample price is set at 40,000 yen (approx. $348 USD).

Canon Announces Seven New Camera Models

Canon's new SX100 might be garnering considerable attention, but it's by no means the only camera model the company announced today: in fact, Canon has announced no fewer than seven other new cameras, running the gamut from entry-level point-and-shoot cameras to professional DSLRs.

Read about all of these camera releases from Digital Trends.

New EOS-1Ds Mark III From Canon

A sibling to the 1D Mark III model that debuted last February, the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III fills out the latest generation of Canon's dual-pronged professional digital SLR lineup. With a truly epic 21.1 megapixels, the Canon 1Ds Mark III has resolution in spades. Perhaps more impressive though is that the Canon 1Ds Mk. III can capture this volume of data at no less than five frames per second, for 12 Raw or 56 Large / Fine JPEG images. This speed comes courtesy of a pair of Canon's proprietary DIGIC III processors as well as twice as much DDR-SDRAM as in Canon's previous EOS-1Ds Mark II digital SLR. Also improved is the 1Ds Mark III's shutter mechanism, now rated at a lifetime of 300,000 exposures (a 50% improvement on the previous 1Ds model, despite the speed increases).

The Canon 1Ds MkIII also gets the uprated focusing system we've seen previously in the 1D Mark III, one of many features it inherits from that model. Like that camera, the 1Ds MkIII has a 45-point autofocusing sensor, 19 of which are cross-type and selectable manually by the user, while the remaining 26 points are linear sensors that can only be selected by the camera itself when autofocusing. Autofocusing is now possible in a range from -1 to 18EV, versus 0 - 18EV in the 1Ds Mark II. Another feature inherited from the 1D Mark III is that camera's clever "AF microadjustment" feature. Exposure control is also improved in the 1Ds Mark III, with new 63-zone metering sensor in place of the 1Ds Mark II's 21-zone sensor. This should yield more accurate autoexposures that are more stable and consistent from shot to shot.

Other significant changes from the EOS-1Ds Mark II include:

14-bit analog / digital conversion (was 12-bit A/D)
Highlight Tone Priority control
Canon Picture Style as in 1D Mark III
Integrated sensor cleaning
High-ISO noise reduction
Five custom white balance settings (was one)
USB 2.0 High-Speed connectivity (was IEEE 1394 FireWire)
PictBridge now extended with Canon Print Effects features
Compatibility with UDMA high-speed CF cards
Automatic switching between card slots
External hard drive compatibility (with optional WFT-E2A wireless file transmitter)
Ability to record Raw and JPEG files on separate cards
Ability to set a four-character filename prefix
3.0" LCD display (was 2.0", resolution is identical at 230,000 pixels)
Live view shooting ability, including via USB and wireless
Dials plus SET button interface (was hold button / turn dial type)
Silent mode accessible through camera menu
Speedlite 580EX II flash can be controlled from camera menu
57 in-camera custom functions (was 47, of which 27 were "personal functions" accessible via a tethered connection only)
New LP-E4 Li-Ion battery (as used in 1D Mark III, was NP-E3 NiMH)
Rated for 1,800 shots / charge at 68°F (was 1,200 shots)
Precise battery status read-out through the camera menu
Reduced body weight (48.8 oz vs. 54.7 oz body-only)
Different wireless transmitter (now smaller, more functional WFT-E2A rather than WFT-E1A)

The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III ships from November priced at $7,999 body only, the same price at which the EOS-1Ds Mark II debuted.

provided by Imaging Resource.

New iWatermark Software Released

Secure, protect and get recognition for your photos and artworkScript Software (http://scriptsoftware.com/) has announced version 3.0.11 of iWatermark for Mac and Win.

If you own a digital camera and you email or put your images on the Web then anyone can take and use them for whatever they want. iWatermark gives you the protection and recognition for your digital photos and artwork. Like the master painters, you can now sign your art work with iWatermark. iWatermark is easy to use on 1 or 1000 images at a time. Add your signature, url, email address or logo to all your photos. Professional photographers especially who care about their property will appreciate the security iWatermark can give and will find it an essential tool in the arsenal. Don't get ripped off. Use iWatermark to protect your images.

Download it for Mac or Windows at http://www.scriptsoftware.com/iwatermark/.

HIGHLIGHTS
• [Mod] Auto Saves the watermark changes
• [Mod] Created a workaround for incorrect meta data (Nikon DX2 & Photoshop CS Mac)
• [Mod] updated the help system to reflect changes in the program
• [Bug] Fixed a bug when it was accidentally corrupting non-JPEGs when saving
• [Bug] Fixed a bug with converting dates
• [Bug] Fixed a problem that may occur when unable to create backup location
• [Bug] Fixed a problem when overwriting files from the Watermark Editor
• [fr] Ability to draw the filename without the file extension.
• [fr] Insert only the year from Exif
• [fr] Set Correct Orientation for Thumbnails

provided by Imaging Resource

Lexar Offers Free Software To Media Buyers

Memory card manufacturer Lexar Media Inc. announced the Lexar Backup n Sync Software promotion, in which purchasers of its CompactFlash , SD, and SDHC cards can test photo backup software free until Sept. 15. After the free trial, users qualify for 30 percent off a one-year subscription to Sharpcast.

“Looking for a fast, easy way to protect and preserve your valuable photos? Lexar Backup n Sync™ software, powered by Sharpcast, backs up all your valuable photos automatically in the background, eliminating time-consuming uploads and the need to burn photos to CDs!” according to the promotion website.Backup n Sync 's free plan resizes photos to 5x7 inches.

Premium plans allow users to backup full resolution files. Lexar customers can register for the free Backup n Sync Software promotion online.

Olympus E-510 DSLR Awarded By EISA

With its winning combination of cutting-edge technology, exceptional image quality and superb ergonomic handling, the Olympus E-510 has secured the prestigious EISA "European Consumer Camera 2007-2008" Award. The innovative D-SLR, which is based on the Four Thirds System, boasts Live View capabilities for the optimal framing of compositions and also features a built-in image stabiliser that ensures shots come out blur-free - no matter which lens is being used. Like all cameras from the impressive Olympus E-System, the professionally-designed 10.0 Megapixel E-510 also incorporates the unique Olympus Supersonic Wave Filter to provide the ultimate protection against the effects of dust.

Commenting on their decision to bestow the camera with the award, the EISA jury explained that: "The Olympus E-510 is a digital SLR with excellent image quality and some clear advantages over the rest of the market." Handling was cited as another winning feature: "The camera is compact and light, but with its large handgrip it is comfortable to hold." Naturally, the innovative technology incorporated in the E-510 had not escaped EISA's attention. Here they said that the camera's "anti-dust and image stabilisation systems are both invaluable benefits for the amateur photographer."

EISA (European Imaging & Sound Association) is comprised of around 50 prominent magazines in the areas of audio, video, home theatre, mobile electronics and photography from 20 European countries. Each year it honours the best newly-released products in recognition of their features, quality and general appeal to users.