SanDisk Launches New High-Performance Ultra II Media

SanDisk® Corporation introduced two new capacities in its high-performance SanDisk Ultra® II line: a 4-gigabyte (GB)* SDHC™ Plus card and an 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo™ card. The announcement was made at IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, where SanDisk is exhibiting at Booth 130, in Hall 15.1 of Messe Berlin, through Sept. 5.

Both cards offer fast read and write speeds of 10 megabytes per second** (10MB/sec), reducing the waiting time between camera shots and the download time when transferring photos and video to a computer.

“With video recording becoming a standard feature on digital still cameras, memory cards need more capacity and speed to capture not only high-quality photos, but also video” said Susan Park, senior product marketing manger for SanDisk Ultra II cards. “Our SanDisk Ultra II line of high-capacity memory cards provides increased storage and speed to meet the growing demands of digital photography, so consumers can capture, preserve, and relive their most precious moments.”

“High-resolution digital still cameras and high-definition video camcorders using flash memory are changing the way people capture their memories,” said Ron Glaz, program director for digital capture devices and photofinishing research at IDC. “But the extra clarity and detail of these images require significant increases in the speed and storage of flash memory, creating demand for capacities such as 4GB and 8GB that would have seemed outlandish a few years ago.”

Beyond speed and capacity, the 4GB SanDisk Ultra II SDHC Plus card offers both SD™ and USB functionality in one card. Designed with SanDisk’s unique, patented Hinge Lock technology, the card may be inserted into a USB port on any computer. This two-in-one SD-plus-USB feature eliminates the need to carry cables or card readers to transfer photos and videos from cameras or camcorders. Despite its small size, the hinge is sturdy – having survived more than 10,000 open-close cycles in SanDisk’s durability testing.

The 8GB SanDisk Ultra II Memory Stick PRO Duo is designed for recording high-definition videos and high-resolution still images on Sony digital cameras and camcorders.

Pricing and availability
The 4GB SanDisk Ultra II SDHC Plus card has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price in the United States of $79.99. The 8GB SanDisk Ultra II Memory Stick PRO Duo card has a U.S. MSRP of $159.99. Worldwide availability of both cards is targeted for October.

SanDisk Launches Multi Card ExpressCard Adapter

SanDisk® Corporation has launched the SanDisk Multi Card ExpressCard™ Adapter, offering fast transfer speeds from memory cards to notebook computers without the need to carry cables or external card readers. The announcement was made at IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, where SanDisk is exhibiting at Booth 130, in Hall 15.1 of Messe Berlin, through Sept. 5.

The new adapter fits into the ExpressCard slot now found in most new notebook computers, and accepts six card formats: SD™, SDHC™, MultiMediaCard™, MMCplus™, Memory Stick Duo™, Memory Stick PRO Duo™ and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™. Many competing ExpressCard adapters only accept the full size Memory Stick format, running counter to the swing in market momentum toward the smaller Duo form factor.

“With the SanDisk Multi Card ExpressCard Adapter, we’re supporting the rise of the ExpressCard slot in notebook computers,” said Matthijs Hutten, Senior Product Marketing Manager at SanDisk. “We expect ExpressCard to completely replace the PC Card standard in the near future, so offering an ExpressCard adapter which integrates many popular card formats is a natural move for SanDisk.”

For notebook computers without embedded memory card slots, the SanDisk Multi Card ExpressCard Adapter is an easy system upgrade. Users only need to pop the card into the ExpressCard slot – there is no software to install, with no external cables or hardware required. To transfer data, users simply take a memory card out of a device such as a digital still or video camera, an MP3 player, a portable game player or a mobile phone and insert the card into the adapter.

Even for notebook computers with embedded memory card slots, the SanDisk Multi Card ExpressCard Adapter can be useful. Embedded slots today don’t always support the new SD High Capacity (SDHC) format or the Memory Stick PRO Duo form factor, requiring users to carry an external reader. SanDisk’s new adapter offers native SDHC and Memory Stick PRO Duo support.

Pricing and Availability
The SanDisk Multi Card ExpressCard Adapter is expected to available in North America and Europe in September, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $29.99 in the United States. Suggested retail pricing in Europe is yet to be announced.

Olympus Announces E-1 Successor In October

Olympus will reveal the successor to their top-of-the-range E-1 digital SLR, currently dubbed the E-P1 although rumored to be called the E-3, on 17th October. While no details about the camera have yet been officially announced there have been numerous leaks point to ten megapixels, Liveview, in-body image stabilization (like the E-510), five frames per second and eleven area auto-focus (as well as normal pro features such as full metal body, weatherproofing, etc.).

Altered Photo A 'Shocker'

A posed team photograph taken by a photographer at the Carroll Daily Times Herald of the Carroll High School football players was digitally altered when it ran in the paper to obscure what the paper and the school deemed to be and obscene hand gesture.

Four players were blurred in the picture, three for making the hand gesture and one for behaving in a manner that editors decided was not "respectable."

An editor's note ran beneath the photograph, which had a cutline naming every player (including the ones who were obscured):

"The above photo has been altered to remove hand gestures displayed by four members of the team. While we considered not publishing the photo, we felt it was not fair to the 51 young individuals who conducted themselves in a respectable manner."

The three players making the hand gesture were suspended from the team for one game. The fourth player obscured was not suspended, the Omaha World Herald reported.

The father of one of the players resigned as booster club president in protest over the altered photo and the way the school handled the situation. Mike Bach said the gesture is not obscene and has been used by male and female athletes in other sports at the school, and is used widely by college players. The hand gesture is commonly known as "The Shocker" and it involves the middle, index, and small fingers and is widely known to refer to the use of the hand in a sexual act.

The Omaha World Herald quotes Ann Wilson, the general manager and co-owner of the Carroll Daily Times Herald, who said that the players' action "was disrespectful to the team, to us and to women, which means mothers, sisters and girlfriends. Why cover it up? I think young people need to learn to take responsibility for their actions."

"Any gesture would be considered inappropriate, whether it's a thumbs-up or anything," she told the Omaha World Herald. "If it happens again, we'd do it the exact same way." Wilson said she strongly opposed re-shooting the photograph, so as not to use more of the newspaper or the team's time and resources.
provided by the NPPA

Kodak Announces 10-Inch Digital Picture Frame

Along with the launch of the EasyShare V1253, V1233, Z812 IS, and optional HD dock, Kodak introduced the SV1011 Digital Picture Frame. The frame supports photos taken in the wide 16:9 aspect ratio. The 10-inch Kodak SV1011 Digital Picture Frame with photo, video, and music capabilities will retail for $199.95 when it hits stores this month.

Like Kodak’s cameras, the frame comes equipped with Kodak Color Science technology that optimizes color and detail, according to company press materials. The Kodak SV1011 matches the screen size and monitor resolution of the Kodak EX1011 frame, announced in January. At nearly $80 less than the previous model, the SV1011 frame ditches Wi-Fi abilities but maintains the wide 16:9 aspect ratio viewing abilities on the 10-inch TFT color LCD. The SV1011 frame has a screen resolution of 384,000 pixels.

The Kodak SV1011 is compatible with JPEG photos, movies in MOV, AVI, MPEG 1, and MPEG 4 format, and MP3 audio. Users can insert their memory card media into the frame for automatic viewing in slide show or thumbnail form, or store files on the frame’s 128 MB internal memory. For additional storage, the SV1011 frame accepts SD, CF, xD, MS, MMC, MD, and USB flash media. The Kodak frame has built-in stereo speakers and an earphone jack.

The frame with remote allows users to copy and delete images. Users can also directly print photos from the frame without the use of a computer via a PictBridge compatible printer.

Panasonic Announces 10MP Lumix DMC-L10 DSLR

Panasonic today introduced the 10.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-L10, the company’s second digital SLR. The entry-level SLR features face detection technology, a rotating 2.5-inch Live View LCD, and a dust reduction system. The L10 will retail for $1299.95 when it is released in October.

The L10 is the follow up to the 7.5-megapixel L1, announced in early 2006. The L1 was the first non-Olympus SLR to use a Four-Thirds format sensor. While the L10 retains the Live View LCD, dust reduction system, and Venus Engine III image processor of its predecessor, it comes a few notable upgrades including higher resolution, a better autofocus system, a rotating LCD, and face detection.

Panasonic markets the LS10 as a stepping stone from compact digital cameras to digital SLRs. Features such as face detection, scene modes, and the live view LCD are familiar to point-and-shooters looking to advance their skills.

“Panasonic’s advanced digital imaging technologies, including Optical Image Stabilization and Intelligent ISO control settings, are helping LUMIX compact digital cameras make a name for themselves in this industry, “said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company in a company press release today. “Now, we expand our SLR line with the LUMIX DMC-L10, which is especially designed for the consumer who is familiar with compact digital cameras, but also wants to further experience the enjoyment of digital SLR photography.”

The point-and-shoot market is replete with cameras with face detection; it’s an automatic feature ideal for digital photography novices. The L10 is the first SLR to include it. The Fuji S5 has a face finding feature in its Playback mode, but it doesn’t automatically focus and expose faces in the Shooting mode. The L10’s rendition can automatically recognize, focus on, and expose up to 15 human faces in a scene.

The L10 continues the Live View LCD trend in SLRs. The Olympus E-330, introduced in January 2006, was the first SLR to incorporate a Live View LCD. It has since made an appearance in consumer and professional models, such as the Canon EOS 40D, Nikon D300, and Canon EOS 1D Mark III. The L10’s 2.5-inch, 207,000-pixel LCD provides 100 percent coverage of a scene while its optical viewfinder provides 95 percent. It can fold out from the camera body and rotate 270 degrees, another non-typical SLR feature. The LCD’s brightness automatically increases or decreases depending on the scene. When the camera is set to Manual mode, users can enlarge the subjects on the screen, according to the release.

The L10 features an upgraded autofocus system. It has eleven autofocus points versus the L1’s three. Users can also switch between the phase difference and contrast autofocus systems, according to the release.

Among the L10’s SLR beginner-friendly features are five scene modes: Portrait, Scenery, Macro, Sports, and Night Portrait. These modes are on the mode dial, alongside the traditional SLR Program, Automatic, and Shutter and Aperture Priority modes. The L10 also has a Film Mode that purportedly applies the look of traditional film to digital images. There are nine effects: Standard, Dynamic, Smooth, Nostalgic, Vibrant, Standard B/W, Dynamic B/W and Smooth B/W. The mode allows users to adjust contrast, sharpness, saturation, and noise reduction.

The L10 comes with a Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm f/3.8-5.6 lens with Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. (optical image stabilization) system, which compensates for handshake and moving subjects. The L1's kit lens had the same focal length but a wider f/2.8-3.5 aperture.

The L10 will retail for $1299.95 when it is released in October.

Casio Announces Fastest Digital Camera

Casio announced its plans to develop what it calls the world’s fastest-shooting digital camera. The new 6-megapixel compact model will capture full-resolution still images at a rate of 60fps and movies at 300fps. A prototype is on display at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany.

The new Casio model shoots still images about 20 times faster and movies 5 times faster than high-end compact digital cameras currently on the market. The movie mode captures at VGA resolution (640 x 480) at a rate that allows users to review clips at a super slow rate, according to a company press release today. The Casio’s CMOS sensor sounds like the same sensor Sony announced it was developing in April 2006

The following specifications have been unveiled:
- 6-megapixel 1/1.8-inch CMOS sensor
- Sensor-shift image stabilization
- 12x optical zoom (35-420mm 35mm equivalent)
- 2.8-inch, 230,000-pixel TFT color LCD

Pricing, availablility, and a name have yet to be announced.

Will The Pentax Digital 645 Ever See The Light Of Day?

In the wake of recent digital SLR announcements, tech blogs this week reported that the long-awaited Pentax Digital 645 medium format camera got axed. Pentax, however, has neither confirmed nor denied the rumor. According to a Pentax UK representative in a statement to DigitalCameraInfo.com, Pentax has no news or official comment at this time.

Like the on-again, off-again relationship between Pentax and Hoya earlier this year, the release of the Pentax Digital 645 has been looming since its original announcement in 2005. Details about the camera have been delivered in piecemeal over the years. Pentax’s silence has many in the industry scratching their heads, wondering what ever happened to the biggest camera that never was.

The Pentax Digital 645 Timeline

● March 2005 – Pentax unveils the first Pentax 645 Digital at Photo Imaging Expo in Tokyo, Japan. The design is based on the film version of the Pentax medium format 645 camera launched in 1984. The digital edition will include a Kodak sensor with 18.6 total megapixels. Read Pentax Unveils 645 Digital Under Glass; Kodak Announces 18-Megapixel Image Sensor for Pentax 645.

● February 2006 - The Pentax 645 is displayed at PMA 2006, Orlando, Fla. Specifications include an 18 MP Kodak CCD sensor and TTL flash compatibility. Launch date is set for late 2006. Read Pentax Digital 645 Prototype: A First Look.

● September 2006 - Pentax displays 645 Digital at Photokina 2006 in Koln, Germany. Pentax announces the medium format camera’s 645AF mount will accept interchangeable lenses. Read Pentax Announces Preview of DSLR and 3 Lenses.

● December 2006 – Pentax Corp. and optical glass maker Hoya Corp. announce plans to merge in October 2007. The deal is said to be worth $770 million. Read Hoya and Pentax Will Merge in $770 Million Deal.

● February 2007 – Pentax Japan replaces 18 MP sensor with updated 31.6 MP Kodak CCD sensor. The 645 Digital will accept CF and SD cards. Read Pentax Announces 31 MP Medium Format Camera and Accessories.

● March 2007 – The Pentax 645 Digital is on display at PMA 2007, Las Vegas, Nev. Specifications are updated to 31.6 MP Kodak sensor. The camera is said to include a 55mm lens. Pentax has no set release date. Read Pentax 645 Still Lives Under Glass.

● April 2007 – Pentax shareholders oppose Hoya offer and call off merger. Later that month, they enter into negotiation. Read Pentax Calls Off Merger with Hoya; More Hoya-Pentax Merger Talks to Come.

● May 2007 – Pentax and Hoya enter into a management integration agreement. The deal is said to be worth $864 million. Read Hoya Delays Pentax Offer.

● August 2007 – Hoya officially acquires half of Pentax’s shares. Canon rival launches 21.1 MP CMOS EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR for under $8000. Rumors spread that the Pentax 645 Digital developments are halted due to competition and merger with Hoya. Pentax has no comment.

provided by digitalcamerainfo.com