A-DIGITAL-EYE

CANON ANNOUNCES NEW DIGITAL SLR CAMERA (02/27/03)

Canon announces today the new 6.3 Megapixel Canon EOS 10D Digital SLR Camera, a fairly substantial upgrade to last year's recently discontinued EOS D60 DLSR camera, and at a lower MSRP of $1999. Canon indicates that the new camera will be available in stores in just a few weeks, by mid to late March and should be more widely available now with use of new manufacturing facilities! The new EOS 10D appears to address many issues which existed with the D60, with one of the primary ones surrounding what many felt was just an average Auto Focus system in the D60, lacking speed especially in low light. The new EOS 10D now boasts a much faster 7-Point Auto Focus system which Canon specifically indicates is a vastly improved upgrade from the D60's 3-point AF system. Canon states that the new Auto Focus is as fast or faster then the EOS Elan 7/7E, which most agree is a very fast system. The EOS 10D camera can now achieve 3 frames per second burst shooting up to 9 frames in either JPEG or in the very useful simultaneous RAW + JPEG capture settings which have been expanded to work in all quality settings. Canon has also significantly improved the ISO range which now extends from ISO 100 to 3200. The camera has a rigid Magnesium Alloy Body, it can now connect directly with many Canon Photo Printers, it has a fully manual white balance mode with temperature settings in 100 degree increments (2,800 to 10,000K), there is a new preset white balance for SHADE (aprox. 7000K), in addition there is a new white balance bracketing mode providing 3 images rendering from cooler to warmer tempatures, it supports EXIF 2.2, DPOF 1.1, Fat32, Compact Flash Type 1 & II, and it is compatible with all EF-series lenses including a newly announced EF 17-40 mm f/4L USM. There is also now included an Intelligent Orientation Sensor which detects whether the camera is positioned horizontally or vertically allowing improved autofocus, exposure metering and automatic rotation of images in playback! The new EOS 10D further offers the new DIGIC image processor designed by Canon for improved camera performance and image quality, which has proven itself on recent Powershot cameras including the excellent Canon G3 prosumer level 4 megapixel digital camera.

Canon points out in the EOS 10D materials that it is the only maker of DSLR cameras which designs and manufactures all 3 of the key elements to a high quality image, the optics in the form of their excellent EF lens series, the image processor which is now a vastly improved processor they name DIGIC, and the resolution from the Canon 6.3 CMOS image sensor. Regarding their lenses, Canon points out that they have been making their own lenses for 70 years now and they market over 50 EF lenses which are compatible with the new EOS 10D. Canon's CMOS Image Sensor was a proven success in the D60 as it was clearly providing absolutely astounding image results which we acknowledged last year was about as high as one could expect at the lower ISO settings. Canon indicates that the CMOS sensor in the EOS 10D is not only designed and developed by Canon, but it is manufactured entirely by Canon and features improved peripheral circuitry including a new amplifier circuit board that boosts the S/N ratio and is made using a refined manufacturing process. Canon specifically states that these changes provide an improved image quality result in the EOS 10 D and they allow better results across a wider ISO range, all the way up to ISO 3200. If these features holds up then Canon will have addressed some of other major issues in the D60 which some felt did not perform as good as the Nikon D100 at higher ISOs and it did not have a very high ISO range for low light shooting being limited to ISO 1000. The image sensor retains the same size as the one used in the D60 and it provides the same picture area at 15.1 x 22.7 mm which results in a 2:3 picture aspect ratio and a 1.6X lens multiplier. In addition to the fine lenses and CMOS image sensor, Canon indicates that the new DIGIC image processor is a primarily factor in the overall improvement of the 10D's camera functions and image quality. The DIGIC processor was specifically designed for use in digital cameras, which Canon explains is generally not the case with most other image processors used by other camera companies. Canon states that its DIGIC image processor is much faster then the more general CPUs used by others by use of parallel processing (this is sounding like Intel's hyper-threading type results in the very latest Pent. 4 CPUs). The extra speed allows higher quality signal processing algorithms, improves buffer performance and consumes less battery power because the signal processing is completed more quickly on a per-image basis. However, the DIGIC does more than the image processing, as Canon points out it also handles all the digital camera functions including JPEG compression and expansion, memory card control, auto exposure, auto white balance and in-camera sharpening. The camera comes with a host of software including Adobe Photoshop Elements and Canon's RAW image converter software which has very impressive post shot image controls as well as Remote Capture software. The EOS 10D measures 5.9 by 4.2 by 3.0 inches and weighs in at 27.9 ounces for the body only (a few ounces heavier then the Nikon D100). Finally, Canon is also newly announcing that the EF 17-40 mm USM Wide-Angle Zoom lens, which will be a very popular lens to complement the EOS 10D, will be available in May at a price of $1,200. For further details see the Canon Press Release, the Canon Japan BeBit site, and the Canon USA EOS web site.

ORDER THE CANON EOS 10D NOW FOR $1,499 HERE

CANON ANNOUNCES 5 NEW POWERSHOT DIGITAL CAMERAS (02/27/03)

Canon announces today 5 new digital cameras in their popular consumer Powershot camera line. The new Canon Powershot models are the 3.2 megapixel A300 ($299 - April), the 2.0 megapixel A60 ($349 - March), the 3.2 megapixel A70 ($449 - March), the 4 megapixel S400 ($599 - March) and the 5 megapixel S50 ($699 - March). The 5 new Powershot cameras all feature the new Canon DIGIC Image Processor and iSAPS technology for improved camera performance (see EOS 10D story above for more details, and high quality Canon glass optics for sharp image results. All of the new cameras have the built-in ability to connect directly with Canon's recent line of Bubble Jet and Card Photos for excellent photo quality home prints.

The Powershot S50 is Canon's first 5.0 megapixel camera and it features a f/2.8 3X optical zoom lens in a very compact black body which is similar in size and weight to the current 4 megapixel Canon Powershot S45 camera. The S50 also features a 9 point auto focus system, a 9 position White Balance, selectable metering modes including full manual modes, and an improved Movie Mode which allows up to 3 minutes of shooting at a time with sound.

The Canon Powershot A60 (2.0 megapixel CCD) and A70 (3.2 megapixel CCD) are compact cameras which use AA batteries, and both feature 3X optical zoom lenses, 5-point AiAF autofocus, enhanced Movie Modes which allow 3 minutes of filming at a time with sound, macro focus up to 2 inches, full manual exposure modes, compatibility with the WP-DC700 Waterproof Housing, and accept wide angle, telephoto and macro accessory lenses.

The Powershot A300 is a new entry level 3.2 megapixel camera for Canon which comes in a very compact body and has a fixed 33mm glass lens (no optical zoom), has a 5.1X digital zoom, uses AA batteries, 5-point AiAF autofocus and the improved Movie Mode. As is true for all the new Powershot models the A300 supports driverless download with Windows XP and Mac OS X as well as EXIF 2.2 and DPOF 1.1.

The Powershot S400 is Canon's latest Digital Elph and now has a huge 4.0 megapixel CCD along with a full 3X optical zoom, in a tiny and truly very small camera body. Canon claims the S400 is the world's smallest 4 megapixel digital camera with a 3X optical zoom lens. The S400 features a 3.6 digital zoom making the zoom range up to 11X when combined with the 3X optical zoom, it has a 9-point AiAF autofocus system, a stainless steel body and a new super hard Cerabrite finish to guard against scratching (we'd like to see this do its job). The S400 also has the improved Movie Mode with sound and the features listed above for the other cameras, although it does not use AA batteries.

For further details see the Canon Press Release, the Canon Japan BeBit site, and the Canon USA Powershot web site.

PENTAX ANNOUNCES NEW *ist D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA (02/26/03)

Pentax announces today its first interchangeable lens Digital SLR styled camera known as the *ist D, based upon the film version of the same camera announced on February 18, 2003. The Pentax *ist D features a 6.1 effective megapixel CCD measuring 23.5 mm by 15.7 mm, which provides a 3:2 aspect ratio and just over a 1.5 X focal length lens multiplier. The camera body is somewhat unique in that it is quite a bit smaller then the current crop of DSLR cameras available, weighing in at just 18 ounces without batteries. The camera uses an optical Pentaprism Viewfinder, and has a 1.8 inch, 118,000 pixel LCD monitor. The camera uses a wide variety of Pentax compatible lenses originally designed for their many film SLR cameras. Other key features include, 16-segment metering for accurate exposures, 11 point AF sensor (SAFOX VIII), 1/4000 sec. shutter speed and a high-speed flash sync at 1/150 of a second, CompactFlash Type II storage including the MicroDrive, 2.7 fps burst shooting, Noise Reduction on long exposures, uses 4 AA batteries, has 2-dial system which separates the shutter and aperture settings, RAW recording format with Pentax editing software provided, 12X magnification on playback display, and a special battery grip will be available to work with the *ist. The camera will be shown under glass at PMA starting on Sunday, however we hope to get a sneak preview of it at a special press event on Saturday! Pentax is also announcing today a new wide angle f/4 18-35 mm lens which will provide the equivalent of a 28 to 54 mm lens on the *ist D and this great sounding new lens will also be shown for the first time at PMA 2003. Here is further information Pentax provided to us recently which we can now share with you this morning. (Pentax did not have a press photo available yet, however 2 photos indicating the body is black in color have emerged at DigitalCamera.jp.)

Long Anticipated *ist D Offers Inter-Changeable Lenses

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado (February 26, 2003)… Patience soon will pay off for digital SLR enthusiasts when PENTAX USA delivers the lens-interchangeable *ist D digital SLR camera. With the clarity of 6.1 effective megapixels, a pentaprism viewfinder, and a 1.8 inch LCD monitor, the *ist D will feature one of the world's smallest, lightest camera bodies in the digital SLR category.

Along with the *ist D, PENTAX announces an exciting wide angle lens for 35mm AF SLR cameras, the smc PENTAX-FA J Zoom 18-35mm F4-5.6 AL.

These latest PENTAX digital advancements will be showcased under glass at the 2003 Photo Marketing Association's (PMA) Show in Booth C140 from March 2-5 in Las Vegas. PMA hosts an annual trade show where manufacturers in the photography industry showcase their newest products.

The *ist D will officially launch in July 2003.

*ist D DIGITAL SLR FACT SHEET

6.1 effective megapixels
With a high-performance CCD measuring 23.5mm x 15.7mm and unique image processing technology, the *ist D achieves impressive 6.1 effective megapixel resolution for the recording of precise, superior quality images.

One of the world's smallest, lightest camera bodies
The design of the *ist D combines compact dimensions with surprisingly light weight. Measuring 5 inches (129mm) x 3.7 inches (95mm) x 2.3 inches (60mm) and weighing just 18 ounces (510g) without batteries, the *ist D will be one of the smallest, lightest lens-interchangeable digital SLR cameras available.

A wide range of compatible PENTAX lenses for flexible shooting
A wide range of compatible PENTAX lenses are available for use with the *ist D, allowing the user to compose satisfying scenes regardless of the type of subject. Compatible lenses: K, KA, KAF, and KAF2 mount lenses; screw mount lenses, 645, and 67 series lenses (adapter required). Some functions may not activate depending on the choice of lens.

New pentaprism viewfinder
An optical pentaprism viewfinder developed especially for the *ist D makes viewing easy with an ample 95% field of view and 0.95X magnification. A superimposed display function assists composition by illuminating the AF points in red.

5) Other major *ist D features
· New 16-segment metering system achieves more accurate exposure
· New 11-point AF sensor (SAFOX VIII) realizes enhanced focusing
· Fast 1/4000 sec. shutter speed and high-speed flash sync at 1/150 sec.
· Continuous shooting at approx. 2.7 fps
· 2-dial system separates aperture and shutter speed settings
· With individual dials for shutter and aperture selection, Hyper program makes it easy to switch between Shutter-Priority AE and Aperture-Priority AE.
· Hyper manual let you achieve the proper exposure with simple button operation.
· Custom function allows functionality to be tuned to satisfy user preferences
· Noise reduction function activates for long exposures
· Compatible with MicroDrive™ and CompactFlash™ Type I/II

· Takes four AA batteries or two CR-V3 lithium-ion batteries
· PC-based camera control and easy data transmission with USB 1.1 compatibility
· 1.8 inch, 118,000-pixel LCD monitor for easy, high-precision viewing
· Convenient playback functions, such as nine image- and 12X magnification-display
· Choice of JPEG, TIFF and RAW recording formats
· Comes complete with software compatible with RAW format data
· Special battery grip (availability to coincide with *ist D)

New Interchangeable lenses
A new wide angle lens for 35mm AF SLR cameras, the smc PENTAX-FA J Zoom 18-35mm F4-5.6 AL, also will be displayed at PMA 2003 together with the *ist D. The lens is comprised of 12 elements in 10 groups and it has a focal length equivalent to 28-54mm in 35mm format when used with the *ist D.

Specifications and capabilities subject to change.

PENTAX on the Web: http://www.pentaxdigital.com

LEXAR ANNOUNCES NEW 40X SPEED COMPACT FLASH CARDS (02/24/03)

Lexar recently sent us a press release for posting today regarding their new 40X Professional Series Compact Flash cards which are capable of write speeds of 6MB per second. The new cards will be sold in 256MB and 512MB sizes, and feature the recently announced Write Acceleration technology which offers additional speed performance in WA-enabled digital cameras such as the Nikon D1x and D1h. Lexar is also announcing a new 1 GB Type I CF card which can write at speeds up to 32X. Lexar explains in the press release below that 1X equals 150KB per second, so multiplying that by 40X is what establishes the 6MB per second write speed. All of the new cards will come with Lexar Media Image Rescue, a software which can assist in the recovery of deleted on accidentally lost image files stored on a memory card. The 256 MB card will sell at a suggested price of $129.99, the 512 MB card will have a price of 249.99 and the 1 GB card will sell for $399.99. Here is the full press release for those who want further details.

Lexar Media Breaks Speed Record With New CompactFlash

Speed Rated at 40X and Capable of a Minimum Sustained Read and Write Speed of 6MB per second

Fremont, CA February 25, 2003 - Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq:LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of award-winning high-performance digital media and accessories, announces it will boost the speed of its Professional Series CompactFlash cards to 40X, further solidifying the company's leadership position in high-speed digital media. The new 40X cards will be available in 256MB and 512MB capacities and will feature the company's Write Acceleration technology (WA), which further increases write speed in WA-enabled digital cameras. Completing its Professional Series line upgrade, Lexar Media will increase the speed of its 1GB Type I CompactFlash card to 32X.

Lexar Media, known for its rigorous speed-rating standard, has nearly doubled the speed capability of its Professional Series product line, previously rated at 24X for 256MB and 512MB cards, and 16X for the 1GB card. The X-speed rating is a standard pioneered by Lexar Media for solid-state memory cards where 1X equals 150KB per second write speed. Under this testing standard, the new 40X-speed cards are capable of 6MB per second minimum sustained write speed.

"Lexar Media has become known for its speed rating standard for CompactFlash and 40X, or 6MB per second write speed capability, is quite an achievement. What makes this even more significant, Lexar Media speed rating measures the minimum sustained write speed capability of the CompactFlash. Other companies' speed claims are often burst or read speed and may not reflect the typical performance of the product," said John Omvik, director, product marketing, Lexar Media.

Write Acceleration technology is the result of a Lexar Media proprietary high-speed flash memory controller and the cooperation of major digital camera manufacturers to increase write-speed performance by simplifying the way a camera and card communicate with each other. With WA, the camera can transfer more data, and command overhead is reduced. A significant performance advantage can be seen in high-resolution cameras that produce large image files and the increase in write-speed becomes even more noticeable when several images are shot in burst or continuous mode. Actual performance data will vary between cameras, resolution and shooting mode.

Lexar Media introduced Write Acceleration in its Professional Series CompactFlash cards in September 2002 and to date, three major camera manufactures are supporting the standard: Kodak, Nikon and Sanyo. Write Acceleration cards also function in standard mode in cameras that do not support Write Acceleration.

All Lexar Media Professional Series cards include a free copy of Lexar Media Image Rescue. Image Rescue is a unique and revolutionary file recovery software that recovers 'perceived to be lost' image files from Lexar Media-brand USB-enabled CompactFlash memory cards. The most common causes of image loss include removing the card from a camera or reader before the image has been fully stored, accidentally deleting a picture, reformatting a card or low camera battery power. Image Rescue goes to the root-level of the data structure to identify and retrieve lost images, even if the computer does not see the card. In most instances Image Rescue can identify and retrieve JPEG, TIFF and many RAW file formats.

The new 40X Professional Series CompactFlash cards will be demonstrated at PMA 2003, booth number H152, in Las Vegas on March 2. Estimated retail pricing for the 256MB, 512MB and 1GB cards is expected to be $139.99, $249.99 and $399.99 respectively, with retail shipments beginning March 2003.

Cameras that currently support Write Acceleration include:

Kodak DCS 14n, Kodak DCS 760, Kodak DCS 760m, Kodak DCS 720x, Kodak DCS Pro Back Plus, Kodak DCS Pro Back 645
Nikon D1x, Nikon D1h, Nikon D100
Sanyo DSC MZ3

SONY ANNOUNCES 9 NEW DIGITAL CAMERAS FOR SPRING 2003 (02/24/03)

Sony USA announces today 9 new consumer digital cameras including 6 new P series cameras, 2 new Mavica CD cameras, and a camera in what Sony labels the Enthusiast series (joining the F717 but in a much different compact Rangefinder Style form factor), called the Cybershot V1 featuring a new 4X Carl Zeiss optical zoom lens. The 6 new P series cameras as well as the new V1 camera join the Sony F717 in supporting usage of the added capacity (but not the full speeds) of the newly announced Sony Memory Stick Pro storage cards, which offer 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 Gigabyte of storage in addition to the cameras being backward compatible with all existing Memory Sticks and having USB 2.0 support. Four of the new P series cameras (P32, P52, P72 & P92) will ship with new higher capacity AA sized 2100 mAh NIMH batteries and an external 8 hour charger. Each of the new cameras offer new MPEG MOVIE VX recording at true VGA 640 by 480 resolution, 16 frames per second, up to the capacity of the memory card (aprox. 21 MB per min. or 44 mins on a 1 gig MS Pro), and all with audio! Sony indicates that all of the cameras feature significantly improved user interfaces and overall camera operations including much faster start up and shutter lag, benefits we can confirm in our use of a brand new DSC-P72 model we received a few days ago. In daylight we detected almost no delay AT ALL in just pushing the shutter fully down in one movement, and the camera taking the picture instantly. Playback and deletion functions were also much faster! Be sure to see our P72 story below regarding our first impressions of the P72 and our samples from Disneyland!

Sony has listened to its users and many of us reviewers, as several cameras have the added features of saturation and contrast controls, LIVE Histogram (including the P8 and P10), 49 point multi-pattern exposure metering, continuous & 5 area multi-point autofocus which can lock onto a moving subject, and the V1 and CD500 cameras also have a new "Program Shift" feature for alternate aperture/shutter speed combinations to assist with Depth of Field choice (often found on DSLRs) and a new hot shoe with additional contacts for greater speed light compatibility (in addition to retaining the accessory connector allowing flexible studio set-ups) and a new IMPROVED (including a higher guide number) optional Sony HVL-F32X flash unit will be available in the near future. Sony has also eliminated what is called the disfavored interpolation method of "digital zoom" in the cameras and offers instead what they are calling "Smart Zoom" which uses the full CCD to zoom by cropping in when the capture size is set to the smaller settings offered. One of the great new factors we liked about the P72 besides it much faster operation, is the use of a new 5 point toggle switches, which uses a separate central button to press for choice selection, instead of the older method of pressing the whole 4 way toggle switch in the middle, hoping to press evenly to make the selection. Sony has also added a new auto daylight fill flash feature which allows the flash to fire when the camera detects the main subject is dark or in back lighting in addition to having a Slow Sync setting . There are two added scene modes in all cameras, Beach and Snow, and there additional scene modes in the higher end cameras (P8, P10, V1 and CD500) such as fireworks etc as well as a "Flash" white balance setting in those models.

Sony pulled some surprises with these new cameras as they have dropped all cameras below 3.2 megapixels, and instead of offering any 4 megapixel cameras they are offering three new 5 megapixel cameras using the new 1/1.8 CCD. All of the cameras have very aggressive suggested prices, slimmer and trimmer designs (esp. the P8 and P10 which have metal construction), easier to use controls and simpler operation, as Sony makes a huge move to embrace the masses with the reality of digital cameras.

The 6 new cameras in the the Cybershot P series are as follows:

1. DSC-P32 - 3.2 megapixels, 0X optical zoom, 2 AA batteries, new 1/2.7 CCD, available in April for $230.00.
2. DSC-P52 - 3.2 megapixels, 2X optical zoom, 2 AA batteries, new 1/2.7 CCD available in May for $280.00
3. DSC-P72 - 3.2 megapixels, 3X optical zoom (same one used in the P9), 2 AA batteries, available in March for $330.00
4. DSC-P92 - 5.0 megapixels, 3X optical zoom (same one used in the P9), 2 AA batteries, available in June for $450.00
5. DSC -P8 - 3.2 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, increased InfoLithium battery, 1/2.7 CCD, smaller, avail. April for $400.00
6. DSC-P10 - 5.0 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, increased InfoLithium battery, smaller size, available in June for $500.00

For more information, press releases, pictures, features list, and specifications see our A-Digital-Eye Cybershot P series preview page.

The new camera in the Enthusiast category is:

7. DSC-V1 - 5.0 megapixels, 4X optical zoom, full manual controls, new hot shoe, available in June for $700.

For more information please see our Sony Cybershot DSC-V1 preview page.

The two new Sony Mavica CD cameras are:

8. MVC-CD350 - 3.2 megapixel, 3X optical zoom, slimmer size, new 1/2.7 CCD, available in May for $500.00
9. MVC- CD500 - 5.0 megapixel, 3X optical zoom, new hot shoe, advanced features, available in May for $700.00

Please see our Sony Mavica CD preview page.

NEW SONY DSC-P72 DISNEYLAND SAMPLES/FIRST IMPRESSIONS POSTED (02/24/03)

We have been fortunate over the past 3 years to have been able to test out all of the new Sony digital cameras including all of the P series cameras aimed at the point and shoot type users who do not want a lot of confusing buttons to push. One of the initial problems we noted to both Sony and readers was the limited flexibility offered by one and two megapixel cameras, along with slower camera operations compared to even cheap one use film cameras. Each year we have seen gradual improvement in these areas with 3 megapixel and higher resolution cameras coming down in price, and camera speeds getting much better. This year Sony fully adopted what we have supported all along, which they acknowledge is the number one demand, and that is the concept of offering higher resolution cameras such as at least 3 megapixel cameras, at more affordable prices, in addition to improving the ease of operations. This year Sony has eliminated the one and two megapixel cameras, and so new owners will be greeted with the benefits of at least a relatively affordable (models are in the ($230 to $330) priced 3 megapixel camera which will operate much faster then ever before in this price range!

Among the list of 9 new cameras announced today, the first which will make it to stores (by March or early April) is the new Sony Cybershot DSC-P72 camera. With 3 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, easy/fast operations, compact size, very good results, and a price just over $300 dollars we predict that the P72 will be one of the biggest selling cameras in 2003.

We are very pleased to report that Sony was able to send us a full production DSC-P72 last week, in time to get some initial impressions and samples posted (see links below) in time for todays big announcements. Like last year's P71, the new P72 model retains a 1/1/8 inch 3 megapixel CCD as well as a nice 3X optical zoom lens. The chassis size appears to be just slightly slimmer in the new P72 compared to last year although overall the weight was just about the same. What we initially noticed when we opened up the P72 box was the two new 2100 mAh AA batteries which come supplied along with an 8 hour charger. Folks, think about it, AA batteries have been improved to a whopping 2100 mAhs, and we clearly saw a great improvement in our initial usage of the P72 which included a 5 hour trip to Disneyland. We took over 70 shots with the monitor on constantly, as well as heavy playback, and we did not get any indication that we were close to exhausting the batteries. Even if we had, for just a few dollars more we had 2 extra AA batteries in our pocket ready to go. Sony has accomplished quite a feat in allowing this small of a camera to stay powered for a relatively long period on just TWO AA batteries. We also applaud Sony for including a 2 battery charger, which now charges in 8 hours. For $20 or $30 dollars more you can buy one and two hour chargers which come with 4 more rechargeable batteries. What makes the P72 so attractive to many first time buyers is the fact that if you forget to charge batteries or run out of them, by using AA batteries you can easily find a set anywhere in the world, at almost any time, so you won't miss any important shots.

As we mentioned above in the product announcement, the new P72 has several new features compared to last year. First of all it can accept the new Memory Stick Pro. In the Fine resolution our shots appear to average about 1.4MB per shot, and thus you can get about 90 shots on a standard 128 MB Memory Stick, and around 700 pictures on a 1 Gig MS Pro card. We were also very impressed by the new 4 directional selection buttons (replacing the 4 direction toggle button) with the main choice selection button now a separate dedicated 5th button in the center. We were able to set the date and format a card etc.... much easier. We also noticed that the camera operations were in fact much faster. For instance in our usage out at Disneyland we could just press down the shutter button and it focused and fired off the shot almost instantly. The perception of it operating much faster is certainly what we experienced in our early use of the P72. We then compared it to some of our older 3 megapixel cameras we own, such as the Canon S20 and the Nikon 880, and the difference is truly remarkable, especially at a price of almost $500 dollars cheaper then what we paid for those cameras about 2 to 3 years ago! Although there still is a short start-up time as the 3X optical zoom lens does have to come out and fully extend from behind the closed lens protector, once again the speed is improved and was hardly an issue as it used to be in prior years. The only time we noticed some of the usual operational delays was waiting for flash shots to fire especially when in red-eye reduction mode, and the recharging time after a flash was occasionally taking a bit longer then we wanted to catch a shot such as a float going bye in shadows during the late evening parade. We did try out the new Smart Zoom feature but as of yet we have not seen a major difference between how it functions and how the older digital zoom worked. We got about the same results from using the Trim feature in playback, which allows you by using the zoom controls to enlarge/crop/frame into a 3 megapixel image IN THE CAMERA and then save it at different sizes as a new picture, without altering the original. In the playback mode, we found that scrolling through pictures and deleting them was faster then last years model.

Overall the image quality seemed to be very good on the P72. The colors are well saturated, the images are almost always in perfect focus using a 3 point autofocus system, and the metering seems to be very accurate. One thing we have always liked about Sony Cybershot cameras is the display of the chosen shutter speed and aperture, which gives more experienced users the ability to compose the scene differently as needed. While the P72 does not use the Carl Zeiss lens, it still does a very good job, again especially considering a price range of around $330. Although the P72 is mostly an automatic point and shoot camera without the sharpness controls and other settings found in the P8, P10 and V1 etc..., we found the images to be sharp and resized images for web pages look great! We also got very pleasing results in test 4 by 6 inch pictures. We have just started to test out the P72 and so we will have more comments soon. But for now please check out and enjoy our samples taken out at Disneyland on Saturday during almost perfect 74 degree sunny weather, and yes that is February 22, 2003. We believe these to be among the very first production P72 shots posted anywhere on the Internet and we hope they are helpful in seeing how well Sony has done in getting a $330 dollar, 3 megapixel camera to work. As usual, we have about 26 shots in these galleries and for evaluation purposes only you can download the originals to look at them close up, or to print out.

SONY DSC-P72 DISNEYLAND SAMPLE GALLERY PAGE 1

SONY DSC-P72 DISNEYLAND SAMPLE GALLERY PAGE 2

WEEKEND BRIEFS (02/23/03)

The 2003 Photo Marketing Association Tradeshow (aka PMA) begins in ONE WEEK! We will be attending the show and providing daily show reports for the 4th straight year in a row! The trade show is held this year in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center which opens on Sunday March 02, 2003 at 10:45 am and runs through Wednesday March 05, 2003 at 1:00pm. The PMA show has been a time when many new digital camera (and related digital imaging products such as storage cards, software and printers) announcements are made, allowing the companies to display their new products to distributors, retailers, buyers, press and the public. PMA is open to the public however non-PMA members are charged 30 dollars a day or 70 dollars for all 4 days to get into the trade show floor areas, with seminars costing extra. There are events and seminars with the DIMA section of the PMA starting Friday February 28, 2003 and also on Saturday, with PMA seminars and educational workshops available for those looking for specialized training Sunday through Wednesday. The Tradeshow itself is just huge, with almost 40,000 attendees expected this year and taking up both of the giant sized 2 floors in the new South Hall which opened just last year for CES 2002. We encourage you to stay tuned all this week and next week as there will be lots of interesting news stories posted including some big news starting tomorrow when we will be posting a first look and some of the very first sample images anywhere from a new camera. We will also be providing links to the PMA Report pages and major breaking stories from our friends at the other digital camera web sites who we once again look forward to seeing at the show!! For more information visit The Official PMA Web Site, and their Homepage for PMA 2003 .

Recently, Canon announced their fantastic new i950 6 ink photo printer, which is an improvement over the fine S900 printer Canon announced last year at PMA . The new improvements include doubling the resolution up to 4800 dpi using tiny 2 picoliter droplets of ink from a larger number of nozzles. We have seen the i950 demonstrated in person and have previously indicated (see our Canon i950 story below) that it is one of the very best photo printers all you digital camera owners can currently buy for needs up to 8.5 by 11 inches. It produces borderless prints that are truly as good as lab prints and it is very fast yet quiet. The printer is available now at most major retail stores in the USA at a cost of around $249. The only other printer we would say at this moment that is as high in final output quality is the Epson 960 Photo printer, which is currently selling for aprox. $349. However, the Canon i950 is clearly much, much faster then the Epson 960 while producing results that do rival the top-notch quality we have always praised Epson for having. Epson does have an upgraded version of the Photo 960 which has actually been available for some time now in Japan called the Epson Photo 970 (also limited to 8.5 by 11 inch printing), which uses more nozzles, higher resolution and improves on the print speeds of the Photo 960. With Canon making a big move to capture some of the Epson 960 market, we will have to see if the good folks at Epson USA respond with an announcement for PMA next week indicating that the Epson Photo 970 will finally be arriving in the USA in the near future.

Today, Steve Sanders over one of the best web sites for digital imaging information, Steve's Digicams, posted a full and very impressive Review of the new Canon i950 Photo Printer. We are pleased to see that Steve shares our enthusiasm for this new Canon printer including the higher resolution and the fast speeds available. Steve also mentions that Canon is expected to make an announcement soon about an upgraded model to the current S9000 wide format printer (prints on up to 13 inch wide paper) which would presumably be essentially the same printer as the i950 but with the ability to print on papers up to 13 inches wide. Epson's wide format printer using dye inks, the Epson 1280 Photo printer has now been out a few years, and while one of the very best in the industry, it is slow and now lower in resolution compared to the new Canon printers. Epson does have the industry leading wide format Photo Printer the recent Epson 2200 using a special formulation of pigmented inks, however it is nearly impossible to find given its popularity and it costs over $700 dollars. We are encouraged that Epson is listening to at least one bit of kind advice we offered (ok we bugged the @#@# out of them) now for quite some time, and that was to release cut sheet 4 by 6 inch Premium Glossy Photo Paper which will allow full borderless prints using their popular 780, 820 and other recent photo printer models, given that many Epson printers do not have roll sheet capabilities to use the same paper they choose to only offer in roll format. We have long felt that its nicer not to have to cut, tear, UNBEND or trim in order to get those fantastic photo prints that look just like from a photo lab and in a printer at an affordable price (just $99 bucks, they may be slower but the results are just outstanding). So far the only place we have found the paper is on the EPSON North American Web Site. It comes in a package of 50 sheets for $13.49. We still feel that overall the Epson Premium Photo Paper is the very closest to lab prints in both look and feel, and thus for those looking to getting as near to the one hour lab results, you can get the same 4 by 6 inch borderless results using the cut sheet paper from Epson. That said, Canon and HP have now had for some time a very very good 4 by 6 inch Photo Glossy Paper which produce really great results on their newest models. Hopefully the Epson version will make it to stores soon and in this one instance, they will catch up with their competition! And despite being huge fans and supporters of Epson Photo Printers over the past 3 plus years, we think the competition is good for the consumer so we are very pleased to see Canon and HP really make huge efforts to close the gap in Photo Printing Quality which Epson has earned first!

We are looking forward to PMA and hope to see new printers from Canon, Epson, HP and others that will continue to offer digital camera owners the very best home printing solutions to match the outstanding new cameras out there!!!!!

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. Announces First Digital Camera With New Fourth-Generation Super CCD

Fujifilm's FinePix F410 First Camera to Carry Super CCD HR Technology

ELMSFORD, N.Y. - Feb. 19, 2003--Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today unveiled the first digital camera to carry its fourth-generation Super CCD HR (High Resolution), the FinePix F410. The camera, which has 3.1 million effective pixels, provides first-time digital camera users with increased resolution, sensitivity and color reproduction, and produces high quality images. In addition, the camera's sleek and lightweight design is sure to win style points from consumers.

The camera's Super CCD HR sensor uses 3.1 million effective pixels on its 1/2.7" chip, and can produce high-resolution images with 2,816 x 2,120 (6.0 million) recorded pixels. This allows consumers to print crisp and vivid prints up to 11 x 14 inches in size using Fujifilm's Digital Camera Developing services at retail outlets nationwide.

"It is with great pleasure that we bring our proprietary Super CCD HR technology to the FinePix F410 series cameras," said Eric Thorng, Senior Marketing Manager of Consumer Digital Imaging Products, Consumer Markets Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. "Now, first-time digital camera users can experience the increased resolution, sensitivity and truer-to-life color reproduction serious hobbyists enjoy, in a palm-sized, ultra-stylish and easy-to-use camera."

One of two new consumer digital cameras announced today, Fujifilm's FinePix F410 digital camera offers the following array of features:

Improved resolution -- The FinePix F410's fourth-generation Super CCD HR sensor system enables the digital picture-taker to capture images with rich, vibrant colors that radiate in prints. The camera's 3.1 million effective pixels produce files of 6.0 million pixels, for a truer-to-life 2,816 x 2,120 pixel output file.

Movie recording with sound -- The camera captures AVI digital video with sound for short clips that can be replayed for friends and family at later dates. The camera can record 98-second 320 x 240 pixel movies with a 16MB xD-Picture Card, and 5.6 minutes for 160 x 120 pixel movies.

Palm sized, stylish and compact -- The FinePix F410's sleek design packages a 3x optical and 4.4x digital zoom in its 3.3" (w) x 2.7" (h) x 1.1" (d) metal body, and weighs 5.8 ounces without battery and xD-Picture Card(TM).

In addition, the camera offers users: full PC-Cam/Video conferencing capabilities, a multi-language menu, and comes with ImageMixer VCD for FinePix 1.0 software so that consumers can create CD albums and video CDs by burning images onto CD-Rs, viewable on most PCs and DVD players. The FinePix F410 comes bundled with an NP-60 lithium-ion battery, USB cable, shoulder strap, 16MB xD-Picture Card(TM), AC Power Adapter/Battery Charger, FinePixViewer v4.0, ImageMixer VCD for FinePix 1.0 software.

The camera will be available for purchase in April 2003 at the suggested list price of $499.99. In addition, an optional cradle is available for easy power recharging, and streamlined file transferring. The cradle also provides a stable platform for the camera's PC-Cam function.

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. Announces First 6.2 Megapixel Consumer Digital Camera With New Fourth-Generation Super CCD SR for Extended Dynamic Range

FinePix F700 offers 6.2 million effective pixels to capture images with quality approaching that of film

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today unveiled the first consumer 6.2 megapixel (S-pixel: 3.1 million, R-pixel: 3.1 million) digital camera, which carries its proprietary new Super CCD SR (Super Dynamic Range) technology. Capturing pictures with quality approaching that of film, with 2,832 x 2,128 (6.03 million) recorded pixels, and dramatically increased dynamic range, the new Fujifilm FinePix F700 represents a new frontier in digital photography. The Fujifilm FinePix F700 is the first 6.2 million effective pixel (S-pixel: 3.1 million, R-pixel: 3.1 million) consumer digital camera on the market today.

One of two new Fujifilm digital cameras announced at PMA 2003, the FinePix F700 is intended for photo enthusiasts who want a near-film quality print experience from digital imaging products. The FinePix F700 produces digital pictures that stay truer to life than ever before, thanks to its Super CCD SR technology, which doubles the number of pixels on the chip. The SR sensor offers 3.1 million large pixels (S) with high sensitivity to light, and 3.1 million smaller pixels (R) with low sensitivity to light, resulting in a dynamic range of four times that of previous Super CCDs. Fujifilm combines this new technology with the traditional color integrity and overall high quality imaging Fujifilm is best known for, allowing consumers to capture truer-to-life images.

The FinePix F700's sleek metal body echoes traditional film-camera design with centralized placement of its viewfinder, lens and 1.8 inch LCD screen. Its 6.2 million effective pixels (S-pixel: 3.1 million, R-pixel: 3.1 million) can produce high-resolution images with 2,832 x 2,128 (6.03 million) recorded pixels. In addition, the FinePix F700 offers on-demand continuous auto-focus, three color modes, manual functions, advanced movie recording capabilities, diminished shutter lag, and at 1.2 seconds, one of the fastest start-up times on the market. The FinePix F700 also comes with a cradle for easy downloading and recharging.

"The FinePix F700 is representative of Fujifilm's focus - leading-edge technology combined with an enjoyable user experience. The camera's sleek and familiar form factor, combined with its increased dynamic range, heightened sensitivity, and unique functions will make it the new camera of choice for consumers who seek the highest standard in picture quality," said Eric Thorng, Senior Marketing Manager of Consumer Digital Imaging Products, Consumer Markets Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc.

Some of the Fujifilm FinePix F700's most exciting features include:

Increased dynamic range and resolution - The camera's fourth-generation Super CCD SR technology provides 6.2 million (S-pixel: 3.1 million, R-pixel: 3.1 million) effective pixels, resulting in 2,832 x 2,128 (6.03 million) recorded pixel output. The sensor's increased dynamic range helps to create pictures of a quality approaching that of film.

Zoom - The FinePix F700 offers 6.6x zoom capabilities, with a 3x optical zoom and 2.2x digital zoom.

Exposure modes and manual functions - The camera offers P/A/S/M exposure modes and manual settings, allowing consumers a more interactive experience while capturing high-quality images.

High sensitivity - The FinePix F700 offers auto sensitivity equivalent to ISO 160-400 when the LCD is on and the flash is off. Manual equivalency is ISO 200/400/800, and at 1600, when resolution is fixed at 1 megapixel.

Rapid continuous auto-focus on demand - The camera offers consumers a rapid continuous auto-focus (C-AF) on-demand mode in addition to its built-in autofocus capabilities. Consumers can choose to capture action shots in crisp, clear focus by pressing the C-AF button, located just to the left of the lens, to engage a full-time active fine focus adjustment. This choice conserves power, while allowing the consumer flexibility in capturing their images.

Color modes - The FinePix F700 produces near film quality pictures in standard color mode, and also offers black and white and chrome settings. The FinePix F700 also allows users to capture their images in RAW files as well as the JPEG format.

Sleek and familiar style - The camera's unique horizontal design echoes that of traditional cameras, and places the viewfinder, lens, and 1.8 inch LCD screen in the center of its sleek metal body. Its start-up time is one of the market's fastest, ready to capture images only 1.2 seconds from the time it is turned on.

Movie recording with sound - The FinePix F700 captures full resolution VGA digital video at 30 frames/second with sound, for non-stop unbuffered recording directly onto storage media. Movies can be replayed for friends and family at later dates on NTSC or PAL outputs.

The FinePix F700 comes bundled with an NP-40 battery, USB/AV cable, hand strap, 16MB xD-Picture Card, AC Power Adapter/Battery Charger, Picture Cradle, FinePixViewer 4.0, and ImageMixer VCD for FinePix 1.0 software. The camera will be available for purchase in spring of 2003 at the suggested list price of $599.95.

Adobe Delivers Easy Access and Control of Raw Digital Camera Files With New Photoshop Plug-in

Photoshop Camera Raw Plug-in Supports Digital Cameras and Uncompressed Formats From Leading Manufacturers; New JPEG 2000 Plug-in Also Available

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Feb. 19, 2003-- Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE - News), the leader in network publishing, today announced the immediate availability of Photoshop® Camera Raw and JPEG 2000 plug-ins. The Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in delivers lightning-fast, easy access -- within Photoshop -- to "raw" image formats in professional and mid-range digital cameras from Canon, Fujifilm, Minolta, Nikon and Olympus.

Available as a software add-on that works with Photoshop 7.0.1 software, the Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in allows photographers to directly manipulate the original data captured by a digital camera sensor, producing images with superior tonal range and the maximum amount of detail.

This uncompressed raw image, a "digital negative," is often preferred by professional photographers because of the precise control over tonal range and image detail it allows. Accessing the raw image before conversion into formats like JPEG and TIFF allows users to adjust the white balance, saturation and sharpness instead of leaving these decisions to the camera's automatic settings. Bundled with an additional plug-in that adds Photoshop support for the recently released JPEG 2000 format, the Photoshop Camera Raw software can be downloaded today from Adobe's web site.

"We fast-tracked the availability of this technology because customers told us they wanted to view and work with raw camera formats in Photoshop, the software that is crucial to their art and their business," said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Video Products at Adobe Systems. "While we expect to build this functionality into future versions of Photoshop, we wanted to put it into customer hands as soon as possible."

With Digital SLR cameras replacing traditional film across professional photographic disciplines, photographers require a standardized way of accessing and working with uncompressed digital negatives. Using the Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in, adjustments can be made to the uncompressed file, including: white balance; temperature; tint; exposure; shadows; contrast; color saturation; sharpness; and smoothness.

The plug-in also provides the ability to preview raw files within Photoshop software's File Browser, and files can be imported directly into Photoshop in full quality, 16-bit-per-channel mode. For each supported camera, default and custom raw image settings are available and can be adjusted and saved between sessions. With the ability to apply settings across multiple files from the same photo shoot, the result is increased quality in the final image, less after-import manipulation, and greater efficiency in the workflow for the photographic or graphic professional.

"The coolest thing about the Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in is the white balance feature," said Jeff Schewe, award-winning advertising photographer, and one of just 65 photographers worldwide to be named a Canon Explorers of Light. "Now photographers can adjust their images in terms familiar to them, quickly and accurately. Also, the ability to see a preview of the sharpening and smoothing is great. Photographers will love the raw format capabilities in this new plug-in."

A complete list of camera models and proprietary raw formats supported is available at: www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html.

Pricing and Availability

The Photoshop Camera Raw and JPEG 2000 plug-ins are available together, as a single download, from www.adobe.com/store/products/master.jhtml?id=catPhotoshop for US$99. The software is also available, in English only, on Adobe's worldwide web sites today. The plug-ins will work with non-English language versions of Photoshop 7.0.1. Japanese versions of the plug-ins are expected to be available in the spring of 2003, and will be sold direct from www.adobe.co.jp.

Adobe Photoshop Album Now Available

New Software for Active Picture Takers Delivers an Easy Way to Find, Fix, Share and Preserve a Lifetime of Memories

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Feb. 18, 2003--Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE - News) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Album, new Windows®-based software that extends the legendary Photoshop product line to millions of digital camera users who need an easy way to find, fix, share and preserve their lifetime of photos. Consumers can now purchase Photoshop Album for US$49.99 on Adobe.com as well as at major retail outlets, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Buy.com, Circuit City, CompUSA, Datavision, Fry's Electronics, J&R Music and Computer World, Micro Center, Office Depot, Sam's Club, and Staples.

Recognized by TechTV as the best new photography and imaging product at last month's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Photoshop Album software gathers thousands of digital photos for viewing in one convenient place -- the photo well -- and automatically organizes them by date. No matter where pictures are stored on a computer, it's simple to find any photo using the timeline view, which displays photos taken over a period of time, or the detailed calendar view, which shows the exact day and month when each moment was captured. Photoshop Album is the only consumer digital photography product to take full advantage of the ubiquity of Adobe Acrobat® Reader® and the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), creating a universally accessible way to share digital photos with friends and family. Most importantly, Photoshop Album is equipped with one-click photo backup to CD and DVD to ensure that memories can be preserved for future generations.

An easy-to-follow wizard helps users create slide shows, printed cards, calendars, and photo albums. Direct links to online partners, Shutterfly and MyPublisher.com, allow users to order high-quality prints and linen-covered hardbound photo books. Online services may vary worldwide.

"Photoshop Album takes digital photography far beyond film. It makes it easier and more fun to do what users want to do today with pictures," said Alexis Gerard, president of Future Image Inc. "Since the product thinks the way picture takers do, users will appreciate unprecedented control and access to their entire lifetime of photos, along with sharing options that enable visual communication with loved ones around the world."

Photoshop Album is the newest addition to the Photoshop family of digital imaging products from Adobe. Adobe meets the imaging needs of everyone involved in digital photography: Photoshop Album for active picture takers, Photoshop Elements for photo enthusiasts, and for image-editing professionals, Adobe Photoshop. Information concerning international availability, pricing and support policies is available at www.adobe.com.

Pentax Digital Camera Duo Offers Big Advancements in Little: Optio 550 and Optio 450 Join Pentax Digital Line

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Feb. 18, 2003--PENTAX U.S.A. continues to make big advancements in little with the introduction of the new 5.0 megapixel Optio 550 and the 4.0 megapixel Optio 450 digital cameras. Both models host a variety of features including a 5X optical zoom (20X combined), a high resolution 1.5-inch LCD monitor, a movie mode that captures up to ten minutes of video with sound, voice memo-recording mode, panorama assist, and full manual control.

PENTAX will debut the two little, but loaded, digital cameras at the Photo Marketing Association's Show (PMA) in Booth C140 from March 2-5 in Las Vegas. PMA hosts the annual trade show where manufacturers in the photography industry showcase their newest products.

"This powerful digital duo carries on our PENTAX tradition of providing full-featured, compact, durable, easy-to-use digital cameras," said PENTAX sales and marketing director Jim Leffel.

Both cameras are USB-compatible, feature AV output, and may be powered by a powerful, rechargeable lithium-ion battery or by an optional AC adapter. Additional features include: Time-lapse movie; Optical viewfinder; Nine-image; zoom display; Digital filter mode; Built-in auto flash; A broad range of shooting and picture modes; White balance mode; Metering options; Settings for sharpness, saturation, and contrast; Image protection; World time function and alarm clock

Optio 33L Digital Camera with Rotating LCD Monitor Offers So Much for So Little

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Feb. 18, 2003--PENTAX USA introduces the smaller, but smarter, Optio 33L, a full-featured 3.2 megapixel digital camera with a versatile, bright, 1.5 inch LCD monitor that both swings up and rotates a full 180 degrees. The Optio 33L is a perfect digital camera choice for self-portraits, group shots and high or low angle photography.

With a 3X optical (8X combined) zoom lens, a compact yet durable design, and a variety of shooting and picture modes, Optio 33L is proof that you can get so much for so little.

The major Optio 33L features include: 3.2 effective megapixels with high-performance 3X zoom optical lens; Rotating LCD monitor with easy operation; 30-Second Movie Mode; A variety of shooting modes and picture modes; Built-in auto flash; Nine-image zoom display and slide show viewing; USB PRINT Image Matching II and Exif Print (Exif 2.2) compatibility; CompactFlash compatibility; AV output terminal

PENTAX will debut the Optio 33L at the Photo Marketing Association's (PMA) Show in Booth C140 from March 2-5 in Las Vegas. PMA hosts an annual trade show where manufacturers in the photography industry showcase their newest products.

NIKON ANNOUNCES 3 NEW COOLPIX CAMERAS (02/18/03)

Nikon has announced today three new tiny Coolpix digital cameras aimed primarily at beginning digital photographers, the 3 megapixel Coolpix SQ and 3100 models as well as the 2 megapixel Coolpix 2100. All three of these new cameras feature Nikkor 3X optical zoom lenses, much faster operation and use Nikon's new One-Touch Red-Eye Fix built into NikonView 6.0 software. In demonstrations Nikon showed us, the Red-Eye Fix software appeared to work very impressively and a new Scene Assist feature was quite interesting in helping new users get good shots! Nikon has taken 4 of the most popular Scene Modes (Portrait, Landscape, Sports and Night Portrait) and built in graphical overlays to help make sure users get the right shot, including proper composition, focus and exposure. The concept looked great in our initial usage of these new cameras but it was hard to confirm results due to our handling pre-production models which were not fully implementing all features. Overall, there are 14 Scene modes in these new cameras each of which assist in providing the camera the correct settings for a particular scene type, which often the Auto mode will not handle optimally. Nikon's attempt is to allow first time users to get a higher percentage of properly taken pictures from the start, minimizing the need for reshooting pictures or performing extensive post shot picture editing.

The new Nikon Coolpix cameras also feature date imprinting onto the images and prints, slide show playback onto a TV, a 1.6 inch LCD display, Macro Shooting mode up to 1.6 inches, In-Camera cropping and saving of the new image without changing the original, special effects such as halo effect, black and white as well as Sepia tones, an enhanced Movie Mode offering QuickTime movies at 320 by 240 or 640 by 480 (see details below for time limitations), and images are stored on Compact Flash Type 1 cards. The Coolpix 2100 and 3100 come with a CR-V3 lithium battery and accept optional rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. A Quick Charger kit is available separately.

The Nikon Coolpix SQ is an extremely compact camera while retaining a high quality Nikkor 3X optical zoom, 3 megapixel CCD and a swivel body design eliminating the need for a prism. The camera connects to a computer using a new USB Nikon Cool-Station Power Base which is included with the purchase of the camera and also serves to recharge the batteries.

The Nikon Coolpix SQ will be available in Spring 2003 with the suggested price not yet provided. The Coolpix 2100 will have a MSRP of $249.95 and the price of the Coolpix 3100 will be set at $349.95, with both becoming available in March of 2003. For more details see our Nikon Coolpix 2100 Preview Page and our Nikon Coolpix 3100 Preview Page.

NIKON® ANNOUNCES THREE REVOLUTIONARY NEW COOLPIX® DIGITAL CAMERAS WITH A COMBINATION OF EXCLUSIVE FEATURES AND BREAKTHROUGH DESIGN

Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 'Change the Face' Of Digital Pictures With Exclusive New "Scene Assist" and "One-Touch Red-Eye Fix™" Company "Defies Convention" With Nikon Coolpix SQ

MELVILLE, NY, February 18, 2003 - Nikon Inc., the world leader in photography, today introduced three dynamic new 3x Optical Zoom-Nikkor digital cameras - the Nikon Coolpix 2100, Nikon Coolpix 3100 and the Nikon Coolpix SQ - to its popular Coolpix (www.nikoncoolpix.com) consumer line. The Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Coolpix 3100, Nikon's "dynamic digital duo" share the smallest Coolpix body design, fast operation and are the first with Nikon's new Scene Assist function to guide users toward the ideal shot and make picture-taking faster and easier for beginning digital photographers - and with even better results.

These exciting new digital cameras are also the first to utilize Nikon's exclusive new One-Touch Red-Eye Fix™, built into the NikonView 6.0 software, which instantly fixes red-eye within most typical red-eye digital photos with a simple click on the computer. Nikon is the only photo manufacturer offering this automatic 'One-Touch' red-eye removal tool to its digital camera users.

"The Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 each introduce truly breakthrough technology that is designed for the first time digital camera buyer," said Jerry Grossman, vice president, marketing, Consumer Digital Products and Compact Cameras for Nikon Inc. "Our designers have made a bold statement with the Nikon Coolpix SQ which will raise the bar for compact digital camera design. The new Coolpix cameras offer a unique combination of legendary Nikon quality and 'new and exclusive' features in a new ultra-compact design that will take digital photography to an entirely new level."

Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 - Nikon's New "Dynamic Digital Duo"
The Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 are among the fastest Nikon Coolpix digital cameras to date and make taking great digital pictures as easy a point-and-shoot. The Nikon Coolpix 2100 offers 2.0 effective megapixels while the Nikon Coolpix 3100 incorporates a 3.2 effective Megapixel CCD, each with Nikon's renowned enhanced image-processing technology which gives photographers the freedom to shoot wider, crop tighter and print larger, without concern for sacrificing image quality. With a maximum resolution of 1600x1200, the Nikon Coolpix 2100 can print crystal clear pictures at sizes of up to 8x10-inches. The more powerful Nikon Coolpix 3100 produces a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 and will make larger prints of up to 11x14-inches.
Both cameras employ Nikon's legendary Nikkor optics and exclusive 256- Segment Matrix Metering to ensure crisp images and vibrant color. The Nikon Coolpix 2100 has a zoom range of 36-108mm while the Nikon Coolpix 3100 features a 38-115mm lens (both 35mm equivalents).

Nikkor Optics - It All Starts With the Lens
The lens on a digital camera plays a vital role in making quality photos. More professionals choose Nikkor lenses than all other brands combined. That same quality is built into the Nikkor lens of every Nikon Coolpix digital camera, including the Nikon Coolpix 2100, Nikon Coolpix 3100 and Nikon Coolpix SQ.

On-Board Photography Expert- 14 Scene Modes and All New Scene Assist
Nikon's new Scene Assist takes 4 of the most popular Scene Modes to another dimension using transparent technology to guide the photographer toward the ideal composition, focus area and exposure for each and every shot. Scene Assist acts as a photography expert built right into the camera and ready upon command. For example, when taking an off-center portrait using the Scene Assist mode, a graphical overlay visible on the LCD helps the photographer compose the shot, and then adjusts focus and exposure automatically. "It helps beginners solve the most common photography problems, such as out-of-focus subjects, which are frustrating for most novice photographers," said Grossman.

Nikon's 14 Scene Modes and groundbreaking Scene Assist make it easy for almost anyone to capture amazing pictures. With a turn of the dial, 4 of the most popular Scene Modes - Portrait, Landscape, Sports and Night Portrait - are easily accessible and each feature Scene Assist. 10 additional Scene Modes are menu accessible and make capturing a great exposure of that perfect moment as easy as "point and shoot." Scene Modes range from Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dawn/Dusk, Night Landscape, Party, Museum, Fireworks, Close-Up, Copy and Backlight.

In addition to Scene Modes, the Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 can imprint the date and time on its digital images and prints, which make it simple to catalog and remember important events. Digital images can also be viewed as a slide show while still in the camera. Both cameras can also display back onto a television for a new way to enjoy digital photography with others. Friendly design and a new GUI (Graphical User Interface) means that these cool features are never more than a click or two away - one function, one button.

Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 Shooting Options - It's Your Choice
Whatever your shooting pleasure, the Nikon Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 are equipped with the tools to accommodate your needs. Frame the shot within the Optical viewfinder or use the 1.6-inch LCD display (1.5-inches on the Nikon Coolpix 3100) … choose what works best for you! For those who like to get close to their subjects, the camera's Macro Shooting Mode can take crystal clear pictures from as close as 1.6 inches. See an incredible picture within the picture? Both cameras offer in-camera cropping to quickly zoom in, crop the image you see in the LCD and save a new image copy directly to the memory card without affecting the original. Special effects such as a halo effect, black and white and sepia tones can be instantly added to images in the camera and then saved or easily emailed to friends and family.

Nikon has also enhanced its Movie Mode. The Nikon Coolpix 3100 can record up to 40 seconds of QuickTime™ video (at 15 frames per second) in Movie Mode (320x240) and 20 seconds in TV Movie (640x480) format. The Nikon Coolpix 2100 can shoot 15 seconds and 7 seconds, respectively. Movies can be shot in color, black and white and sepia tone (at 5 frames per second), opening the door for new creative ideas.

Nikon Coolpix SQ - High Style … High Quality.
The Nikon Coolpix SQ is a special camera for Nikon, demonstrating a compact design that is both cutting edge and functional. The Nikon Coolpix SQ will capture stunning images with its 3.1-megapixel CCD, 3x Optical Zoom-Nikkor lens and swiveling body design, which allows the lens path to remain in a straight line, using original light without the use of prisms. The camera connects to the computer through Nikon's Cool-Station Power Base, a system included with the camera that not only transfers images to the desktop or the Web, but also charges battery in-camera and can charge a spare. The result is a specialized and sophisticated digital camera that is sure to please adventurous Nikon Coolpix photographers looking for a unique Nikon digital photography experience.

No More Red-Eyes, No More Work! - NikonView 6.0 and Nikon's Exclusive One-Touch Red-Eye Fix Software
No more red-eyes and no more work! Anyone who has ever taken a photograph has experienced the dreaded red-eye. Now, all Nikon Coolpix digital cameras will feature the latest version of NikonView 6.0, complete with Nikon's new and exclusive One-Touch Red-Eye Fix software, which instantly fixes red-eye with the touch of a button from most typical red-eye digital photos without having to box in or highlight the eyes. Best of all, the One-Touch Red-Eye Fix software only fixes the red eyes without affecting any other red items throughout the photo. Nikon is currently the only photo manufacturer offering this powerful One-Touch red-eye removal tool, which will revolutionize digital photography for Nikon digital camera users.

A Personal Photo Studio Right Out Of The Box
Both new digital cameras incorporate NikonView 6.0 photo management software to easily transfer, browse, edit, save and print photos. NikonView 6.0 now offers the One-Touch Red-Eye Fix software, expanded emailing capabilities, new color management functionality and an option to create online photo templates using HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language). Nikon continues to offer their product-specific "Let's Get Started" Video CDs to get the user started right after opening the box. After the CD is loaded, a program host takes users through the camera operation and answers common questions including: How do I load software, How do I transfer pictures, How do I use the camera functions and teaches in a progressive manner so users can learn as they go. Users can also visit www.Coolpix101.com for lessons and tips on how to get the most out of their Nikon Coolpix digital camera.

As an added bonus, all Nikon Coolpix cameras include a host of exciting programs from ArcSoft® including PhotoImpression™, a fun manipulation package that allows users to edit, retouch or apply special effect to their photos; VideoImpression™ to edit and share QuickTime™ movies taken with the camera and Panorama Maker™, which lets users easily stitch together a number of images to create beautiful panoramic photos. The camera also comes with PhotoBase™, which actually allows photos and slide shows to be displayed on the screen of a PDA.

The Coolpix 2100 and Nikon Coolpix 3100 provide users with all the equipment they need to get started including the new NikonView 6.0 software CD-ROM, wrist strap, USB cable, video cable, a Lexar 16 MB "Speed Rated" Starter Memory Card and a CR-V3 lithium battery. A Coolpix rechargeable NI-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) battery and Quick Charger kit is also available separately.

The Nikon Coolpix 2100 will have an MSRP of $249.95 while the Nikon Coolpix 3100 will be available for $349.95. Both cameras will be available nationwide in March 2003. The Nikon Coolpix SQ will appear in Spring 2003.

ULEAD RELEASES VIDEOSTUDIO 7 (02/16/03)

Ulead recently announced that they would be releasing a new version of their powerful home video editing software, VideoStudio 7 in mid-February. We received an updated press release from Ulead a few days ago announcing that the new program is shipping to stores and is now available by downloading from their web site. One of the main improvements we think digital camera owners will be interested in learning is the ability of Ulead's new VideoStudio 7 to edit both video and still images and then burn a DVD for playback on TV set DVD units. This includes of course those short videos which digital cameras are often limited to, and which may need to be trimmed or combined together.

Version 7 also has many other new features including , InstaView Real-Time Previews, MultiCut™ Editing using Extract Video, Non-destructive editing, New Video Filters and Effects - Old Film, Lightning, Lens Flare, Comic and Bubble effects, Content-Based Scene Detection, New Playback Speed Control - Control the exact speed of your video with slow/fast motion effects. Slow clips down to as little as 10% of the original speed for nostalgic or dramatic scenes. Speed clips up to as high as 1000% for time-lapse effects and humorous fast motion, Create Impressive 3D Graphics and Text for your next video production. Also provided with VideoStudio 7 is Ulead® COOL 3D™ 3.0 SE which allows you to use your Cool 3D project files in your video production by placing them on the overlay track for nice visual effects.

As we mentioned with the new VideoStudio 7 you can now share projects on CD or DVD as VideoStudio can burn to CD or DVD or you can make Multiple Videos Per Disc - Include multiple videos onto each DVD disc. Videos can be imported from any format without the need to have it in the appropriate format first and the program can make what is called Dual-Layer DVD Menus that works by allowing you to create a main menu that displays all videos and then, with an easy click, navigate to another menu to reveal each video's scene selections. The program also has Round-Trip Editing which Ulead states "If you noticed your video wasn't quite like you imagined, you now have the option to stop the burning process and return back to the editing process to fix your mistakes. VideoStudio will automatically save your new changes and continue your DVD making from where you left off. "

We have used VideoStudio in the past and it clearly is a very powerful home editing program, and now with the ability to make DVDs, including digital camera slideshows, the program is well worth checking out. We know there are a lot of digital camera owners out there who need to put their still images together with those short Video clips many digital cameras are limited to(and which may need trimming or other editing), and so here is one of the top 3 or 4 programs we have seen to do this for under $100. The new VideoStudio 7 now takes full advantage of Intel's new HyperThreading technology for true multi-tasking while video is rendering (available on the latest Pentium 4 chips and just a fantastic development we have seen demonstrated at CES) and it is one of the few third party software programs we have seen to have added support for Sony's latest Micro MV video format (several cameras of which also have 2.0 megapixel still cameras built in).

Ulead does offer a full 30 day FREE trail of the software from their web site, but be sure you have a fast connection as it is over 75MB and then their are extras you can download. Here is the most recent press release, and a link to the Ulead VideoStudio 7 Web Site.

Ulead VideoStudio 7 Now Available

Torrance, CA – February 13, 2003 – Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of video editing, image editing and DVD creation software, today announces the availability of Ulead® VideoStudio 7, the newest version of its consumer-level video editing software. VideoStudio 7 brings professional-level, real-time technology to consumers. With real-time capture, edit and output, consumers can see their editing decisions immediately without having to wait to render. Ulead has placed professional-level technology under the hood of VideoStudio 7 to make video editing more fun and less time consuming for anyone who wants to create polished home movies.

Other VideoStudio 7 enhancements and time-saving features include: a step-by-step video introducing users to the movie-making process, the ability to output to a second display device with high-quality, real-time, full-screen previews; increased performance with support for Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology and AMD dual processors; new tools such as scene detection, fast/slow motion effects, MultiCut™ video extraction, and the ability to create 3D animated text and graphic video overlays. The software is also unique with its support for a variety of formats, including Sony MICROMV, -VR, and Windows Media Video.

Availability and Price

The VideoStudio 7 electronic download is now available at www.ulead.com for $89.95. The box version will soon be available for $99.95 at www.ulead.com and in North American retail stores, catalogues and online stores. Registered VideoStudio users can download the upgrade version for $44.95 or buy the box edition for $49.95 at www.ulead.com.

PRO NAMED EXCLUSIVE CHANNEL DISTRIBUTOR OF MEDIA RECOVER SOFTWARE (02/15/03)

We received the following press release from PRO about their distribution of MediaRECOVER software, which can in certain situations recover image data from Flash Memory Cards, including digital camera picture files on all major formats of memory cards used currently. The program can reconstruct digital media files, even corrupted files, which have been formatted over, cards that were pulled out of a camera during a write process, inadvertent loss of camera power, or even deleted picture files. We hope to check out this product in further detail at PMA in 2 weeks to see how well it works for digital camera owners and we should have more of a hands on report right after PMA 2003.




New image recovery software program allows users of digital cameras, PDA, etc., to retrieve digital data once thought lost
Fairfield, CT (February 14, 2003)

Photographic Research Organization, Inc. (PRO), a cooperative owned by independent specialty retailers, announces today that they are the exclusive distributor to the photo industry of MediaRECOVER Image Recovery Software for Windows from MediaRECOVER, Inc. No matter if images, videos, or audio files have been deleted or if the digital media has been formatted or pulled out during a write process, this software program reconstructs the corresponding data automatically.

MediaRECOVER is a digital image, data recovery program for recovery of "lost" files on removable media used in digital cameras, PDA's, etc. Common media types supported by the software program are: SmartMedia, CompactFlash, Memory Stick, MicroDrive, Flash Card, Multimedia Card, Secure Digital Card, Zip Disks and also hard drives. If a user has accidentally deleted or formatted their media, this program can recover that data, even if the media has become corrupted. The program does not write to the media, but stores the recovered files in a user-defined location.

"The loss of digital data from digital media is a major concern for users of digital cameras," said Mike Worswick, PRO president and director of product development. "Now with the use of MediaRECOVER software, data such as digital images of once-in-a-lifetime family moments or vacations which were once thought of as lost forever can be recovered. PRO is proud to be the exclusive distributor of this important software program that will help so many people. "

MediaRECOVER™ helps users repair files that are unusable due to the following reasons:
· Corruption due to the card being pulled out while the camera is on · Corruption due to turning the camera off during a write process · Inadvertent camera/computer shutdown · Data corruption to critical areas · Formatting and using between different cameras/computers · Other events that could cause damage to data

MediaRECOVER Features MediaRECOVER retrieves the following file types:
Images: JPEG, EXIF, TIFF, PNG, GIF, BMP, RAW Images, Canon CRW, Nikon NEF, Kodak DCR, and others.
Audio/video clips: AVI, MOV, MPG/MPEG
The system requirements are a memory card reader, such as the PROMASTER® USB Card Readers (the media has to be appear as a drive), any Windows platform and a hard drive (or another storage media) space the size of the media.

About MediaRECOVER MediaRECOVERwas founded in 2000 and is based in Cedar Falls, IA. MediaRECOVERdevelops software and provides service for the recovery of lost data on removable devices. Users can perform data recovery themselves through the use of MediaRECOVER Digital Image Recovery software. Users can also send their media into MediaRECOVER for the FlashcardFIX data recovery service. For more information on MediaRECOVER products and services please go to http://www.mediaRECOVER.com.

PHOTOSHOPWORLD TRADESHOW STARTS WEDNESDAY WITH PRODUCT UPDATE NEWS (02/15/03)

Several weeks ago the sponsors of PhotoshopWorld, The National Association of Photoshop Professionals, announced that Bryan Lamkin with Adobe Systems will be participating in the opening ceremony for the upcoming trade show on February 19, 2003 in Los Angeles and would share some interesting news. The caption for the press release indicates that an Adobe Executive would kick off PhotoshopWorld with a "Product Update". Last year we were present when Adobe announced Photoshop 7 at the start of the PMA show in February 2002 and we broke the story about Photoshop 6 being announced at the start of the Seybold trade show in late August of 2000. Those announcements were not pre-announced with a press release and thus we would doubt that in just one year Adobe will announce Photoshop 8 in this manner or at this show (PMA 2003 is just 2 weeks away). However you just never know, and it is clear that there will be some type of Product announcement this Wednesday night at PhotoshopWorld which they are calling an "UPDATE" of Adobe software aimed at Photoshop Professional users. Just what will it be? Stay tuned here for details just as soon as we are able to post news.

Adobe Executive to Kick Off PhotoshopWorld with Product Update

TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 27 - The National Association of Photoshop Professionals today announced that Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Video Products at Adobe Systems, will be participating in PhotoshopWorld's opening ceremony Wednesday night, February 19.

"PhotoshopWorld is a great event and Adobe should have some interesting news to share with these passionate Photoshop pros," said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Video Products at Adobe Systems. "We've been working hard to fast-track some new technology to the market and this event gives us a great opportunity to share our progress with our most committed advocates."

"We're really excited about what Adobe has to share and the response it will generate from our attendees and the Photoshop community as a whole," said Scott Kelby, PhotoshopWorld Technical Conference Chair. "It's a perfect way to kick off what promises to be a very exciting conference."

The PhotoshopWorld Conference & Expo will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, February 19-21, 2003. In addition to Adobe, exhibiting companies include Apple, Sony, Nikon, Epson, Wacom, Leaf America, and others.

About PhotoshopWorld
PhotoshopWorld is the annual convention of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and has become the largest Photoshop event in the world. It features more than 60 training sessions taught by recognized Photoshop experts, hosts exhibits from leading hardware and software developers in the industry, and provides the premier networking opportunity of the year. Details about PhotoshopWorld 2003 are available online at http://www.photoshopworld.com/. Press passes for accredited media are available upon request.

Source: National Association for Photoshop Professionals

CONTACT: David Moser, National Association of Photoshop Professionals,
+1-813-433-5000, or dmoser@photoshopuser.com

Web site: http://www.photoshopworld.com/

Minolta Introduces New DiMAGE S414 Compact Digital Camera

Minolta has announced an update to last years 4 megapixel Dimage S404. The new camera retains a 4 megapixel CCD and has a 4X zoom lens. It has an expanded 32MB SDRAM buffer and fast 32 bit RISC CPU for fast operations. It has a low ISO 64 setting, movie mode with audio, a real-time histogram, a new color filter, fast autofocus and metering, uses 4 AA batteries and store images on Compact Flash Type I cards. Overall, it appears Minolta has tweaked the performance to make a fine S404 even better with improved image results, more features, and faster operations. We will be previewing this camera in more detail at PMA in a few weeks and will have more on this new camera at that time.

The new Minolta DiMAGE S414 meets amateur photographers' needs for a digital camera that provides high-quality image processing, a dynamic zooming range, advanced autofocus and autoexposure performance and fast, easy operation.

4-Megapixel Consumer Digital Camera Offers High Performance With Fast, Simple Operation

RAMSEY, N.J.-Feb. 10, 2003--Minolta Corporation announces the new easy-to-use DiMAGE S414 featuring a 4.1 megapixel CCD, a high-quality Minolta GT 4x optical zoom lens, Minolta's CxProcess, and additional versatile features.

With a design based on the highly-regarded DiMAGE S404 and DiMAGE S304, the stylish new DiMAGE S414 also features a built-in flash, video recording capability, USB interface and Compact Flash card compatibility.

"The new DiMAGE S414 combines high quality images and automatic features, allowing users to obtain the best photographic results with easy camera operation," said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of Marketing, Minolta Corporation's Consumer Products Group. "It's the ideal digital camera for a variety of applications and users -- personal or business, from novice to enthusiasts."

The Minolta DiMAGE S414's high-precision electro-optical system is built around a 4.1 megapixel 1/1.8-type interline primary-color CCD with 4.0 million effective pixels for fine high-resolution images. The DiMAGE S414's built-in Minolta GT lens is a versatile apochromatic 4x zoom with anomalous dispersion (AD) glass for color accuracy and dual aspherical elements which, combined with a 2.2x digital zoom, provides a compact lens design with a wide image capture range. The optical zoom lens range is from 7.15mm to 28.6mm, equivalent to 35mm -140mm in 35mm photography, and with digital zoom, the range is equivalent to 35mm - 308mm in 35mm.

The image formed on the CCD is enhanced by Minolta's exclusive CxProcess image processing technology to optimize sharpness, color reproduction, tonal gradation and noise to create clear and natural images. The wide dynamic range is provided by 12-bit A/D (analog to digital) conversion to ensure natural color and tonal reproduction.

In addition, the high-speed LSI with 32-bit RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) CPU and expanded SDRAM buffer memory allows the camera to be highly responsive with faster operation. The capturing interval time of 0.8 seconds and brisk continuous advance speed of 1.3 frames per second with up to 7 frames (full size images in fine image quality mode) can transform a passing moment into a priceless memory.

The DiMAGE S414 offers flexible and accurate autofocus, auto exposure and an optical zoom viewfinder. Its stylish aluminum body features an easy-to hold grip and simple control layout. A versatile camera, the DiMAGE S414 features fully automatic white balance and video recording with audio as well as ease of use features like Digital Subject Program Selection and creative functions such as histogram display of recorded images, exposure compensation and bracketing, custom white balance and digital effects control, that give the photographer control over the final image.

NEWS BRIEFS (02/08/03 & 02/09/03)

CANON ANNOUNCES NEW PHOTO PRINTER

Canon has recently announced a new photo printer featuring higher resolution (4800 by 1200 dpi), faster speeds, and improved color quality using tiny 2 picoliter volume ink droplets produced from 3,072 nozzles. The new Canon i950 Photo Printer succeeds last years popular S900 printer by retaining most features, while improving overall performance such as doubling the resolution and increasing the print speeds. The Canon Photo Printers use 6 individual ink cartridges and produces about the highest quality photo prints available at this time. For those of you who have not yet seen the photo abilities from these new Canon inkjet printers, they are just stunning, absolutely producing prints of equal appearance to traditional photo prints from print labs. The Canon i950 prints fully borderless prints including individual cut sheet 4 by 6 inch, and 5 by 7 inch prints on special photo glossy paper (no trimming, tearing off, cutting or unbending). We applaud Canon for continuing their efforts to provide digital camera owners very high quality print capabilities and now at faster speeds. This printer is clearly one of the best home printer options currently available for those who do not need photo prints larger then 8.5 by 11 inches. The Canon i950 is already available in most major retail stores and is selling at a price of $249.99. For full details see the the Canon i950 Photo Printer Web Site.

NIKON D100 NAMED TOP PRODUCT OF THE YEAR BY PTN MAGAZINE

The Nikon D100 DSLR camera was named the TOP IMAGING PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2002 by the well respected photo industry PTN magazine. Olympus was given the award for the best line of consumer digital cameras. PTN Magazine is an industry publication for retailers, and thus the BEST OF awards represent the choice of those who sell to and interact with consumers to get a very informed idea of their relative satisfaction with various brands and models. Here is a link to the full PTN 2002 Best Product results.

FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES 256 MB xD-PICTURE CARD FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS

Fuji has announced their new 256MB xD-Picture Card, a memory card for digital cameras, including their newest models as well as the new line-up from Olympus. The recently announced xD-Picture Card format offers high capcity storage in a very compact/light-weight card about the size of a penny as well as fast data transfer rates, while minimizing power consumtion. The new cards will eventually be able to hold 8 Gigabytes of memory. These larger capacity sized storage cards began shipping in late January and should be available now for use in digital cameras supporting the xD-Picture Card format.

NIKON POSTS TEASER AD CAMPAIGN

Nikon recently began an online ad campaign showing successive teaser ads for a new digital camera to be unveiled soon. Nikon showed us this camera some time ago under an agreement not to reveal any details until later this month. We will have full details of this camera on the official launch date. For now, check out the ads.

LIFESCAPE SOLUTIONS UPGRADES PICASA PHOTO ORGANIZER TO VERSION 1.5

Picasa is a software program which serves as an automatic digital photo manager and organizer allowing digital camera owners the ability to easily access, share or print large volumes of picture files stored on a computer over time. We first saw this software several months ago and then met with the company at CES 2003 4 weeks ago. We learned at that time that the Picasa Software has been upgraded to version 1.5. A full working version of the software can be downloaded from the Picasa web site which functions for 15 days. Those who wish to purchase the software can do so over the internet which allows you to buy a serial number to allow the program to continue working beyond the 15 day free trial period for $29.99. We have used the new version 1.5 of Picasa fairly extensively over the past 3 weeks and find it to be very helpful in many ways.

Briefly, Picasa works by initially scanning designated drives and/or folders for all common picture and movie type files and then builds thumbnail albums grouped by file folders which are sorted by date (Depending on the options you select it can then constantly monitor your computer for automatic updates as new photos are added even via USB camera connection or card readers). Within minutes you can see all of the albums that may be spread out over your computer in the order they were taken. We were very impressed with the speed the thumbnails are generated and with the sharpness of the thumbnails, which can be viewed in various sizes. You can then very easily view albums as slideshows, move photos around to different albums or select various picture files to print or e-mail. Version 1.5 now adds a powerful organizational tool which allows you to associate "Keywords" with either single photos or a selected grouping of files. The program then allows you to quickly retrieve photos which have common Keywords even if they are spread out throughout dozens and dozens of albums and over several years time using a "Search" function. Once you have found and selected the photos you are looking for, you can then easily print out various sized prints including use of a template for 4 by 6 inch prints, two to a page, as the program will automatically crop the images to the correct aspect ratio. In our test prints from several cameras including a group of 12 of our best keepers from the new 3 megapixel Minolta Xi camera we recently took out to Knotts Berry Farm Amusement Park, the 4 by 6 inch prints were just fantastic. We just selected the 12 shots and put in 6 sheets of paper, set the printer driver, and came back a while later and they were done, without having to fuss with resizing, or cropping etc... If necessary the program does allow simple editing such as one-click rotating, red-eye elimination and click and drag cropping (which works great!).

Overall the Picasa program is very useful in so many ways. We'd like to see even a few more advanced features given our perhaps unusually large collection of digital photos over the past nearly 4 years now, however for most family needs Picasa in its current upgraded 1.5 version is still a very interesting, powerful and practical program which we think you should consider for your particular needs. We intend on looking at several other programs which have some overlap to these functions and so stay tuned for future news and perhaps some comparisons in the next month or two.

For now, check out the Picasa web site for full details on the program and the ability to download for free a full working version for a 15 day trail period!

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM OF PMA 2003 (02/06/03)

The digital imaging news has been unusually slow at the end of January and the start of February this year, a time frame which during the past 3 years had been the start of the big pre-PMA (Photo Marketing Association) announcements. The change this year is mostly due to the fact that the PMA show has been scheduled to be held approximately 2 to 3 weeks later and will start early next month, on Sunday March 02, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thus, the exciting explosion of new product announcements and other interesting news by all the major imaging companies has only been deferred for now, meaning the fun is just about to start!

For those of you not familiar with the PMA show, it has become a major tradeshow for the relatively young digital imaging industry, as it shares ever more prominently in the spotlight with the established traditional photography market. The progress digital imaging has made in such as short period with large groups of photographers who have handled film based photography all of their lives is truly remarkable, as illustrated by the tremendous sales figures digital cameras are sustaining and the huge presence of digital cameras and related products at the PMA show. It is an event we highly encourage anyone who is involved with photography to attend, as we assure those of you who would trek out to Las Vegas, you won't be disappointed with the experience of attending PMA. It is well worth your time, effort and well earned money!

However, we also fully understand that there are tens of thousands if not millions of enthusiast, hobbyist and professionals all over the globe who just cannot make it out to Las Vegas next month to attend the PMA show despite the desire to timely learn what is happening in the digital photography industry. This is one area where we have always felt that web based publications such as this site can complement the many excellent written news publications including the many monthly photography magazines, to quickly provide a source of detailed information. As we have done for the past 3 years now, we once again will be attending PMA 2003 and we will be posting breaking news, press releases, information from the tradeshow floor and some of the most extensive picture galleries along with some video clips you will find anywhere.

To get things started we would like to provide a link for those of you who might wish to visit The Official PMA Web Site, and their Homepage for PMA 2003 where there is a lot of detailed information about the PMA 2003 tradeshow. Some basic quick info. that may be helpful is to understand that you do not need to be a member of the PMA to be allowed into the show, nor do you have be in the photography business to get a pass. The tradeshow floor is open to the public at various fees, with basic one day entrance costing approximately $30 dollars for non-members. You can register online at this link. The tradeshow floor opens March 02, 2003, which is on a Sunday morning at 10:45 am and runs through Wednesday at 1:00 pm (when in past shows the Sony Booth has won the award for cheering the loudest given the huge volume that crowd into their huge booth). There are also educational DIMA seminars or what are called conference sessions which begin on Friday afternoon February 28, 2003 and then PMA seminars and business sessions starting early Sunday Morning and running through Wednesday March 05, 2003 including night school training Sunday through Tuesday, all at additional costs. There are several award ceremonies for printing and digital cameras products which are always fun to pay attention to, and through out all this there are many press events, and meetings we will be attending, all in an effort to help spread the good word on the latest and greatest in digital imaging to those of you who join in our enthusiasm for the digital revolution we find occurring at this time!

We felt it important to assure those of you who visit our site on a frequent basis that our recent gap in posting news the past 10 days had good reasons, mostly rooted in the lack of major news, on top of temporary illnesses and such, and our attending meetings with several major camera companies to get ready for PMA 2003. You can be damn sure that this site will join with our friends from the other main digital imaging web sites of which we are proud to be among, to provide you some of the best breaking news related to the PMA show coverage over the next 4 weeks. Look at it this way, in essence the last 10 days has been as the saying goes, the calm before the storm! (Yes, we know that phrase has been used before :)

CES 2003 SUMMARY REPORT PART 1 POSTED (01/25/03)

We have posted the first part of our CES Report Summary. We have had to break it up due to a few set backs including the dreaded flu bug coming this way! We will post part 2 tomorrow night, with a few more parts in the next few days.

CES 2003 SUMMARY REPORT PART 1 POSTED (01/25/03)

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. Announces Fourth-Generation Super CCD Technology

Leading-Edge Digital Camera Device Reaches New Frontiers in Film-Like Image Quality

ELMSFORD, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2003--Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. today reached a new landmark in the industry's quest for a perfectly life-like digital image. Its proprietary Super CCD technology has created new standards for exceptional digital camera imaging quality since 2000. Now, its fourth-generation devices provide increased resolution, and extended dynamic range, creating for the first time pictures that can begin to match those taken with film. The technology will be marketed under two names - Super CCD HR and Super CCD SR - and will appear in products later this year.

Super CCD HR - High Resolution

The new Super CCD HR (high resolution) announced today incorporates a total of 6.63 million pixels into a 1/1.7" chip, performance made possible through new strides in miniaturization. Cameras equipped with this imaging device can produce up to 12.3 million recording pixels, resulting in remarkably high-resolution images.

Super CCD SR - Super Dynamic Range

Incorporating the same miniaturization technology as the HR version, the Super CCD SR also features a new configuration that produces approximately four times wider dynamic range than third-generation Super CCD. Also measuring 1/1.7" in size, the new Super CCD SR incorporates 6.7 million total pixels (3.35 million S-pixels and 3.35 million R-pixels). Super CCD SR produces a smooth and wide tonal range without losing detail in dark areas or washing out in bright areas.

"These fourth-generation Super CCD technologies represent a monumental change in the way that digital cameras read the data available in scene composition and translate that information into truer-to-film image quality," said Darin Pepple, Brand Manager of Consumer Digital Imaging Products, Consumer Markets Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. "Super CCD HR and SR bring us closer than ever to reaching the same image quality with digital as with film, especially when images are printed at retail."

Why Super CCD?

Based on almost 70 years of photographic experience and technology expertise, Fujifilm recognizes the importance of resolution, sensitivity and dynamic range as factors that determine overall image quality. Super CCD, which Fujifilm developed in 1999 and introduced to the international marketplace in 2000, aimed for a balance of these enhanced performance factors. The second-generation Super CCD, introduced in 2001, focused on enhancing resolution even further. Next, the third-generation Super CCD, introduced in 2002, successfully boosted light sensitivity. Now, the new fourth-generation Super CCD HR offers significantly enhanced resolution, while the new Super CCD SR delivers greatly expanded dynamic range.

In recent years, the industry's race to boost pixel counts has resulted in ever-smaller pixels incorporated in greater numbers without increasing chip size. In the new Super CCD HR, each pixel has been miniaturized, resulting in a total of 6.63 million total pixels in a 1/1.7" CCD. Cameras equipped with this device produce a remarkable 12.3 million recording pixels. A 1/2.7" version of the Super CCD HR incorporates 3.14 million total pixels, for 6.0 million recording pixels. In addition to greatly enhanced resolution, sensitivity has also improved over the third-generation technology.

In addition to the pixel race, the industry has pursued the creation of digital image quality that approaches that of photographic film, and has approached this problem by increasing resolution and boosting sensitivity. To date, however, among the most important image quality characteristics, even the performance of Fujifilm's previous Super CCDs fell short of film in the area of tonal range. While the pursuit of digital image quality that matches film continues to be the industry's aspiration, Fujifilm's new Super CCD SR technology is an important step in making that goal a reality.

Traditional digital cameras have difficulties reproducing high-contrast images containing both dark and bright areas, with dark areas tending to lose detail and whites washing out. Fujifilm's Super CCD was designed so that the photodiodes in each pixel could be larger, enhancing sensitivity and expanding dynamic range. The newly developed, fourth-generation Super CCD SR achieves a dynamic range approximately four times greater than its predecessor, and which produces a smooth and wide tonal range without losing detail in dark areas or washing out in bright areas.

The Super CCD SR incorporates both large, high-sensitivity S-pixels and smaller R-pixels for expanded dynamic range. By combining data from both sensor elements according to the composition of the scene, the Super CCD SR is able to deliver both high sensitivity and expanded dynamic range.

A world leader and technology pioneer in digital cameras and their component technologies, Fujifilm will continue to introduce innovative solutions to constantly expand and improve the horizons of digital imaging quality.

Fourth-generation Super CCD-equipped cameras specs (planned)

Super CCD HR-equipped camera Super CCD SR-equipped camera

Effective pixels 6.35 million 6.2 million (3.1 million S-pixels +3.1 million R-pixels)

Image sensor 1/1.7" Super CCD HR 6.63 million total pixels 1/1.7" Super CCD SR 6.7 million (3.35 million S-pixels +3.35 million R-pixels) total pixels

Number of recorded pixels Max. 4048 x 3040 (12.3 million) Max. 2832 x 2128 (6.03 million)

A/D conversion 12 - 14 bits 14 bits

Sensitivity ISO 200 - 1600 (at ISO 1600, in 1280 x 960 pixel mode) ISO 200 - 1600 (at ISO 1600, in 1280 x 960 pixel mode)

Dynamic range Same as existing Fujifilm digital cameras with 3rd generation Super CCD Approximately 4x (vs. existing Fujifilm digital cameras with 3rd generation Super CCD)

Movie 30 frames/second in VGA size

BRIEF UPDATES (01/18/03)

Today we are going on a trip up the California Coast to the town of Solvang, California. Along the way we are going to take some additional samples using the Minolta Dimage Xi, the Sony F717, the Nikon Coolpix 4300 and the Nikon Coolpix 3500, in addition to shooting with a new Sony Camcorder with a 2 megapixel still camera built-in. We are then going to use the really impressive program ScreenBlast MovieStudio by Sony Pictures Digital which includes Screenblast's VideoFactory Deluxe to put together a DVD movie mixing video and still shots of the Santa Ines area including the California Mission at Santa Ines. We were given a very detailed preview of the new ScreenBlast MovieStudio program at CES just last Sunday and we cannot wait to try it out this weekend. Included as a very unique feature to the Video Editing and Movie making programs we have tested out so far is the really nice looking feature of Panning and Cropping Digital Camera still shots for inclusion in a video movie project. The effect gives the appearance that the digital camera still shot was taken by a video camera, and allows for a really cool zooming in effect too! This feature along with so many others such as text overlay and over 100 transitions really impressed us. The program also works with ScreenBlast MusicStudio for additon of great audio effects and you also have access to many Sony Pictures film clips both on disk and online to spice up home movies. We will post more after we get back and do some hands on editing, for ultimate DVD authoring and we will have our CES reports soon.

CES 2003 THUMBNAIL PHOTO PAGES POSTED (01/15/03)

We have posted thumbnail pages of most of our photos taken at the CES 2003 show which ended Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas. The first page contains images shot entirely on Saturday January 11, 2003 primarily in the South Hall, Upper Level, and some from the Central Hall. These images were all taken using the Nikon Coolpix 4300. The second gallery of pictures were mostly shot on Sunday January 12, 2003 in the Central Hall and in the Sony Display located in a large area between the Central and North Halls. The Thumbnails can be clicked on to show a larger 480 by 360 size image. We will be posting a show summary and some other information about what we saw and learned at the show ASAP!

CES 2003 Day 1 Images

CES 2003 Day 2 Images

NEWS BRIEFS (01/13/03 & 01/14/03)

UPDATE 10:00 am - Given the volume of pictures we have, we are going to put up at least for the short term separate thumbnail pages of all the images in our CES 2003 indexes (see links below) and then soon we will post our report pages with just the key images. We will post our information on the Sony Memory Sticks sooner then later, hopefully later tonight. We also have many pictures of the new Casio, Panasonic, Samsung, Olympus, and Minolta cameras which we spent much of our time previewing with Reps at the show, the only camera we did not yet see in detail was the new Pentax. We have lot's of other information about new batteries, we have pictures and info on a new 15 minute charger, and more! Lots on DVD slideshow making too for digital camera owners!

UPDATE 12:30 am - We have added an index page of our Day 2 pictures from CES 2003. These shots were taken with the Minolta Dimage Xi and include a short movie and many pictures demonstrating the new Samsung DuoCam which is a Camcorder & 4 megapixel Digital Camera and pictures of the Memory Stick Pro Pavilion and Sony's very impressive CES Show areas. There are over 160 shots of many new products from our Day 2 coverage and over 80 from Day 1 (see links below). We will add a thumbnail or Report page soon.

CES 2003 Day 2 Index Page

UPDATE 10:15 pm -For those of you who would like to see a preview of our CES 2003 Photo Tour Shots, we have an index page of our Day 1 pictures now posted. These shots were all taken with the Nikon Coolpix 4300 and resized to 480 by 360. We used a Minolta Dimage Xi for Day 2 and we are working on those next. We will keep you posted as we are working through almost 400 shots to put up the better ones to give you a view of what was shown at CES 2003. Here is the link to the current index page which requires you go back and forth, however it will be changed later as we put the pictures into our Report Pages soon and add Day 2. We will be posting a show summary and other info. ASAP including our discussions with the new Sony Memory Stick Pro folks and our CES tests of a Memory Stick Pro in a Sony F717.

CES 2003 Day 1 Index Page

We are just back late last night from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES -2003) held once again in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have lots of interesting information and of course tons of photos to show you. We will begin posting our CES floor coverage later tonight and over the next few days we should be able to get many items up, including the results of our tests using a new Memory Stick Pro in a Sony F100. Yes they do work, and yes they are faster, but just how much... come on back for more later tonight!

PANASONIC DEBUTS TWO NEW LUMIX™ Digital STILL Cameras FOR USA AT CES (01/10/03)

Panasonic's USA division has issued a press release as part of their CES media kit announcing two new LUMIX cameras for the USA Market, which were previously announced in Japan on October 10, 2002. The Lumix DMC-F1 is a 3.2 megapixel camera with a 3X optical zoom lens. The DMC-FZ1 is a 2 megapixel camera with a huge 12X optical zoom lens. The cameras use SD memory cards and the DMC-Z1 also uses a new Mega Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) feature, which reduces jitter. Both cameras will be available in the USA in February with the DMC-F1 selling at a suggested price of $399.95 and the DMC-FZ1 selling at a suggested price of $449.95. Here is the Panasonic press release. For more details here is the original press release from October.

Combining World-Renowned Leica Optics With Advanced Digital Technology, Panasonic’s Lumix Cameras Represent The Perfect Balance Of Art And Science.

LAS VEGAS (January 8, 2003) — Panasonic, the first consumer electronics company to incorporate Leica lenses in digital still cameras and camcorders, now presents the first digital still camera to feature 12x optical zoom. The new DMC-FZ1 high-performance Lumixä camera is one of two new 2003 models being launched in February, to be followed by additional models later this spring. All Lumix cameras feature an SD Memory Card/ MultiMediaCard slot and built-in USB port.

The Lumix DMC-FZ1 will incorporate several new features. Foremost among them is the newly developed, super 12x optical zoom (equivalent to a 35-420mm zoom lens on a 35mm film camera) and F2.8 brightness throughout the entire zoom range. Both of these features were previously available only in high-end professional cameras.

Also new for this year is the Mega Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) feature, which reduces jitter when shooting distant and fast-moving subjects.

Another feature consumers are sure to appreciate is a newly developed digital signal processor, which increases processing speed so that sequential shots can be taken quicker without having to wait for the image to be written to the memory card. This means consumers can take pictures quicker without having to wait between shots.

Also found throughout the new Lumix line is an improved, cradle-type battery recharging system that enables users to charge a spare battery while using the camera.

“The premiere models of our 2003 Lumix line are designed to accommodate individual lifestyles and the different ways in which people use digital cameras,” said Rusty Osterstock, Vice President of Merchandising, Panasonic’s Optical Group. “Panasonic is doing everything possible to make high-quality digital photography fun and easy.”

New model DMC-FZ1 is a high-performance, quick-response camera targeted to active families who enjoy recording all of life’s memories. Its superb telephoto features make this camera ideal for outdoor and sports enthusiasts as well. It features a Leica DC-VARIO ELMARIT lens, 2 mega pixel resolution, stabilization function, a special panning mode, 4 frames per second “burst” shooting, and an included lens hood to diminish flare and ghosting when photographing extremely bright scenes. Panasonic’s aspherical lens technology has made it possible to design this compact, lightweight camera with a full-range F2.8 12x zoom lens.

For fashionable fun any time, Panasonic presents the super compact DMC-F1. This outstanding, stylish camera features a full metal body, F2.8 Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens and 1.25” 3.2 mega pixel CCD. The DMC-F1 also features 3x optical/2x digital zoom, QuickTimeâ motion image recording with audio and burst shooting. The DMC-F1 incorporates the high-speed, quick-response features that distinguish the 2003 Lumix line.

The Lumix camera precisely integrates superlative Leica optics with unparalleled digital electronics technology to allow artistic expression as well as all the applications made possible by digital technology. Representing the perfect balance of art and science, the Lumix line elevates the performance standard of digital still cameras, signifying a new benchmark of creative expression.

New models DMC-F1 and DMC-FZ1 are targeted for delivery in February to be followed by additional Lumix models later in the spring. Model DMC–F1 will have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $399.95. The DMC–FZ1 will have an MSRP of $449.95.

CASIO ANNOUNCES NEW 3.2 MEGAPIXEL, 3X OPTICAL ZOOM, ULTRA-SLIM EXILIM EX-Z3 (01/09/03)

Casio has announced an amazing 3.2 megapixel camera which has a full 3X optical zoom lens built in to an ultra-thin and overall very tiny camera body which is about the size of a credit card and weighs only 4.4 ounces. The new Exilim EX-Z3 camera is also somewhat unique in that it has a larger 2.0 inch lcd screen on the back of the camera making easier to see what you are shooting and for better play back viewing. The camera is ready is to shoot in just 2 seconds after it is turned on and has a release lag time of just .01 seconds for very fast response. The EX-Z3 includes a Photo Stand Feature which allows the EX-Z3 to be placed into its cradle for USB image transfer to a PC and then by pressing a "Photo" button it starts a slideshow of images which are currently in the camera's memory. The zoom lens used in the EX-Z3 uses a new type of 3-segment telescoping lens mechanism that makes it able to have the full 3X optical zoom capabilities in the truly ultra-thin camera body. The memory card design of the EX-Z3 is made possible by what Casio calls "Stack MCM" mounting, which they claim makes it possible to stack the chips and reduce overall space requirements by about 40% (which is being compared to the MCM mounting method used for the EXILIM EX-S2 and EX-M2). The camera has a Best Shot Mode as well as an interesting sounding Coupling Mode which allows two people to appear in the same shot using two successive pictures, when they are the only ones present to snap the pictures. There is even a Triple Self-Timer which takes 3 shots in a row and selects the best one and a World Time and ALARM function built in. The camera has what is called the Album feature which allows the EX-Z3 to stores images in a Web browser. The album feature uses HTML format, which means you can incorporate an album directly into a web site, and even print directly from the album. The EX-Z3 uses SD/MMC memory cards and has 10 MB of built-in Flash Memory. The EX-Z3 can capture 320 by 240 AVI movies with sounds up to 30 seconds at a time. The camera uses a Special rechargeable lithium-ion battery and recharges when placed in the bundled cradle, shown below. For more details see the press release below or visit the Casio EX-Z3 press release which has the features listed and the full specifications

The camera will sell at a suggested price of $449 and will ship in April 2003.

Casio Debuts the EX-Z3; the most powerful Exilim yet.

CASIO, INC. DEBUTS THE EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z3 DIGITAL CAMERA AT CES 2003 -THE LATEST ADDITION TO ITS EXILIM CAMERA SERIES

The EX-Z3 Incorporates 3X Optical Zoom, 3.2-megapixel CCD and a Built-in 2-Inch Monitor Screen in a Simple to Operate, Stylish Credit Card-Sized Camera

LAS VEGAS, NV -- January 9, 2003 - Casio Inc. today announced the arrival of the EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z3, the latest addition to its EXILIM series of credit card-sized LCD digital cameras. Designed for the photography aficionado with an on-the-go lifestyle, the EX-Z3 features a CCD that boasts 3.2 megapixels, a high-performance 3X optical zoom lens, plus a host of additional photographic features to make capturing the highest quality photos simple for anyone. Like the initial EXILIM 1.24 and 2.0 megapixel cameras introduced last year, the EX-Z3 packs the features of a full-sized camera in a thin, compact configuration, 3.43" (W) x 2.24" (H) x .9" (D) and lightweight, 4.44 oz - small enough to tote in any pocket or purse - portable, wearable, fashionable technology for today's lifestyles.

"The tremendous response from last year's release of our first EXILIM models truly shows that our target audiences were more than ready for our high fashion, go-anywhere digital camera," said John Clough, president, Casio, Inc. "This year, with the EX-Z3, we are thrilled to expand our premier EXILIM line by adding even more photographic features. Everything about the new EX-Z3 was designed and engineered for the ultimate in simple operation and fashionable styling."

The EXILIM EX-Z3 will retail for $449.99 and will be available in April 2003.

SONY ANNOUNCES NEW MEMORY STICKS AT CES (01/09/03)

Here are the official press releases and specifications from Sony regarding new Memory Sticks which were announced by Sony at a joint Press Conference with their Memory Stick partner SanDisk at CES in Las Vegas at 11:00 am this morning. Sony is announcing a new Memory Stick Pro Format with cards that will reach 1 Gigabyte at much faster speeds and a seperate product which will allow all existing Memory Stick products to access 256 MB of memory on one card, although there is a toggle switch required. There are lots of details in the press releases below, so initially we though we would just post both of them in full.

We have long been under NDA with Sony regarding the Sony product details, which further discuss compatibility with current Sony products until 1:00 pm today. We have also posed many questions and received many answers from Sony USA's top Memory Stick representatives regarding these announcements. Feel free to post your questions in our Forum and we will try to answer what we can. Probably the number one questioned which is answered in this press release is that YES, the Sony Cybershot F717 is currently compatible with the new Memory Stick Pro Format!!

NEW MEMORY STICK PRO FORMAT OFFERS GLIMPSE
INTO THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL DEVICES

Sony's Advanced Memory Cards Able to Record High-Quality Content in Real Time

LAS VEGAS (CES, Booth #10728), Jan. 9, 2003 - Enabling users to listen, watch and enjoy a variety of rich content including high-resolution digital images, CD-quality audio and DVD-quality moving images, Sony Electronics announced U.S. introduction plans for its line of the new 256MB, 512MB and 1GB Memory Stick PRO™ media.

Jointly developed with SanDisk Corporation, the new generation of memory cards features high capacity, high-speed data transfer, high-level security and future expandability. The Memory Stick PRO format-enabled devices with high-speed data transfer capabilities can reach unparalleled levels of performance, such as real-time recording of high-resolution moving images.

"Memories, not just information, are stored on these tiny media cards. Sony developed Memory Stick PRO format together with SanDisk to ensure that those memories can be captured quickly and abundantly," said Mark Viken, senior vice president of the Information Technology Products Division at Sony Electronics. "In much the way that DVD takes up where CD left off, Memory Stick PRO format builds upon the foundation of the popular standard Memory Stick platform."

The Memory Stick PRO format integrates new technologies and features including:

High Capacity - On a 1GB card, users can enjoy and record approximately:
16 CDs (calculated at 64MB per CD)
385 JPEG images in 5.0-megapixel quality, more than 10 rolls of 24/36 film.
24 minutes of DVD quality video (MPEG2)
Six hours of MPEG4 (384Kbps) moving images

High Speed - In addition to an improved transfer speed of up to 160 megabits per second (Mbps), an advantage of the Memory Stick PRO format is the minimum write speed of 15Mbps that can be realized with optimized Memory Stick PRO format-compatible devices.

Real-time Recording - Memory Stick PRO technology also incorporates software specifically designed to offer real-time recording of data. With compatible devices, users can now rest assured that their memory cards and more importantly, the content on the card, will not be compromised when they accidentally remove the card before all of the data has been transferred or recorded.

Data Security - Tentatively dubbed the "Access Control Function," the new protection technology will have the capability of securing content on the media, preventing others from accessing the files in the event the card is stolen or lost. The new format also includes the MagicGate™ copyright protection technology, which will provide secure transfer and playback of commercial and copyrighted content, such as digital music and in the future, video and games.

Compatibility with Current and Future Devices
While many new Memory Stick PRO media-enabled devices are expected to ship in spring 2003, certain devices currently in the market are able to accept the new format cards either natively or through a downloadable software patch.
Devices that can accept the new format cards natively include:
Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-F717 digital camera
Sony Handycamâ Camcorders TRV-350,-22,-33,-38,-39,-70 and -80
Sony DPP-EX5 and -EX7 digital photo printers
Sony XBR Grand WEGA™ KF-60XBR800, -50XBR800 Rear Projection TV
Sony KLV30XBR900 LCD Color TV
Sony Plasma WEGA™ KE-50XBR900, -42XBR900 Flat Panel Television
Sony CINEZA™ VPL-HS10 LCD Front Projector
Sony MSAC-US20 USB Memory Stick adapter
Sony MSAC-US70 USB optical mouse and Memory Stick adapter
Sony MSAC-PC3 PC Card Memory Stick adapter

Devices that can accept the new Memory Stick PRO media after being updated via a software upgrade include (for additional product information and a complete list of compatible VAIOä notebook and desktop PC models, visit www.ita.sel.sony.com/support/news/ in April):
· Sony CLIÉ™ PEG-NZ90 handheld
· Sony CLIÉ PEG-NX70V handheld
· Sony CLIÉ PEG-NX60 handheld
· More than 100 VAIO notebook and desktop PCs

Available at retail in April, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB Memory Stick PRO media will sell for about $190, $440 and $880, respectively.

Specifications:
Dimensions Same as existing Memory Stick media (21.5 x 50 x 2.8mm) Capacity 32GB (Theoretical maximum)
Connector Pin 10pin
Connector Shape Same as existing Memory Stick media (Planar electrode one-row)
Transfer Speed (theoretical maximum) Up to 160Mbps or 20MB/sec
Minimum Write Speed 15Mbps (with optimized Memory Stick PRO format-compatible devices)
Power Source 2.7-3.6V
Current 100mA Maximum

HIGHER CAPACITY AND SMALLER SIZE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR EXISTING MEMORY STICK DEVICES

LAS VEGAS (CES, Booth #10728), Jan. 9, 2003 - Offering a greater range of options for Memory Stick™ media-enabled devices, Sony Electronics introduced two new media cards designed to connect the growing universe of compatible devices.

The new Memory Stick® media with Memory Select Function™ is based on the existing Memory Stick media platform, which incorporates multiple 128MB memory units on a single card. Users of current Memory Stick media-enabled devices can quickly and easily separate their personal data into the individual memory units via a switch located on the back of the media.

Initially with a total 256MB (128MBx2) capacity, the new memory card will be available at retailers nationwide in April for about $160. "Personal photos and business documents and any other digital files should be easily accessible on a memory card," said Mark Viken, senior vice president of the Information Technology Products Division at Sony Electronics. "By partitioning the memory on the new Memory Stick media, users can find the file they need in half the time."
Also announced today, the tiny MagicGate™ Memory Stick Duo™ media will make its American debut this spring. One-third the volume and half the weight of standard-size Memory Stick media, the new card was designed for use with smaller digital devices, including cellular phones and wearable portable audio players.

The MagicGate Memory Stick Duo card will be available at retailers nationwide and at www.sonystyle.com in 64MB and 128MB capacities for about $70 and $110, respectively. Both will ship with an adapter that is compatible with all devices with a Memory Stick media slot.

NEW MEMORY STICKS ANNOUNCED BY LEXAR AT CES (01/09/03)

We received the following press releases from Lexar and are now being allowed to post these news items. Lexar is announcing a new line of Memory Stick PRO products, which include up to 1 Gigabyte of storage and faster read/write speeds, as well as a new Memory Stick using the existing technology but putting twice the capacity of a 128MB card inside and using a switch on the card to access the second 128 MB of memory. We have spoken at length with Sony about these new products and we will have more info. from both Sony and SanDisk at 1:00 pm pst. Here are the Press Releases from Lexar sent to us for publication just now.

Lexar Media Announces New Line of Memory Stick PRO Products

LAS VEGAS (CES, Booth #10728), January 9, 2003 - Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq:LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of award-winning high-performance digital media and accessories, today announced plans to manufacture and distribute Memory Stick PRO(tm). The new media format offers high capacities and advanced performance, and is designed for use in Memory Stick PRO compatible host devices. The Memory Stick PRO, when produced by Lexar Media, will integrate the company's proprietary controller technology to achieve advanced speed performance.

Lexar Media plans to begin shipments of Memory Stick PRO this spring, in time for the future launch of Memory Stick PRO compatible products. Lexar Media Memory Stick PRO media will be available in capacities of 256MB, 512MB and 1GB.

"We are delighted to be partnered with Lexar Media, which has collaborated with Sony in support of the Memory Stick format for over 3 years now," said Masaharu Yanaga, Senior General Manager of the Memory Stick Division, Sony Corporation. "Having Lexar Media support Memory Stick will further strengthen our Memory Stick platform strategy. Together with Lexar Media and other partners, we will continue to work toward making Memory Stick a standard recording media throughout the world."

"Since Lexar Media began manufacturing Memory Stick, the format has grown to be a major portion of the overall digital media market and an important part of our product line-up," said Eric Stang, president and CEO, Lexar Media. "Memory Stick PRO offers a significant step forward in terms of expanding the capacity and performance of Memory Stick. The addition of Memory Stick PRO to our product line allows us to continue our leadership position in this rapidly growing segment."

Memory Stick PRO format will be equipped with MagicGate(tm), a copyright protection technology that consists of authentication and encryption technologies. The authentication technology ensures that protected content is only transferred between compliant devices and media, and that protected content is recorded and transferred in an encrypted format to prevent unauthorized copying or playback.

The Memory Stick PRO format also provides a unique personal data protection technology for removable media that allows users to securely and easily control access to their personal information stored on a Memory Stick PRO media.

Sony introduced Memory Stick in September of 1998. In April 2000, Lexar Media and Sony signed a joint technology agreement that included rights for Lexar Media to manufacture and market Memory Stick. Lexar Media is currently developing and integrating its proprietary controller technology into Memory Stick PRO.

Lexar Media Expands Memory Stick Storage Capacity to 256-Megabytes

LAS VEGAS (CES, Booth #10728), January 9, 2003 - Lexar Media Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading designer, developer and marketer of award-winning high-performance digital media and accessory products, announces plans to manufacture Memory StickÒ with Memory Select Functionä that increases the total storage capacity of a single Memory Stick to 256MB. Memory Stick with Memory Select Function doubles the previous capacity of standard Memory Stick by allowing the user to toggle between two 128MB flash memory units, using a switch located on the back of the media.

"Lexar Media is pleased to bring this new enhancement to the highly successful Memory Stick format," said Eric Stang, president and CEO, Lexar Media. "Our new Memory Stick with the select function delivers everything Memory Stick users want: high capacity with the reliability of Lexar Media solid-state storage."

Lexar Media has supported the popular Memory Stick format since April 2000, when Lexar Media and Sony signed a joint technology and licensing agreement. Lexar Media is currently developing high-speed controller technology for the Lexar Media Memory Stick PRO also announced today.

OLYMPUS ANNOUNCES 2 NEW STYLUS DIGITAL CAMERAS (01/09/03)

Olympus is announcing today at the start of the CES show in Las Vegas, two new ultra-compact Point and Shoot style Digital Cameras. The new "Stylus Digital" line is based upon the very popular "Stylus" line of film cameras Olympus introduced in 1991 and features a sleek, metal, light-weight (5.8 oz.), all weather design, a built-in clam shell type sliding lens cover and comes in both a 3 megapixel and 4 megapixel sized CCD version along with a 3X optical zoom lens. The 3 megapixel camera is called the Stylus 300 Digital and will be available in February at a street price of around $399. The 4 megapixel camera is called the Stylus 400 and will be available in April at a street price of around $499. The new Stylus Digital cameras use the new xD Picture Card for memory storage as well as an Olympus dedicated miniature Li-Ion rechargeable battery. We hope to preview these great sounding new digital cameras at CES this weekend and will have more information soon.

America's Best-Selling Film Camera Series Enters The Digital Age

Olympus Announces 'Stylus Digital' Line of Premium, Sleek, Metal, All-Weather, Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras
Melville, New York, January 9, 2003 - More than a decade of design evolution has resulted in the creation of a new line of Olympus digital cameras that adapts the DNA of America's best-selling 35mm point-and-shoot film camera series into a modern digital form. Known as the 'Stylus Digital', these new digital cameras are the culmination of years of refinement and embody the highest level of style and performance in a package that looks as great as the pictures it produces.

The first members of the Stylus Digital family include the 3.2 megapixel Stylus 300 Digital and the 4.0 megapixel Stylus 400 Digital cameras. Carrying on the heritage of their film predecessors, the Stylus Digital cameras incorporate premium features and design elements that are trademarks of the Stylus name. The Stylus Digital cameras are ultra-compact, all-weather and easy-to-use cameras designed for the digital photography enthusiast looking for the best performance in a stylish and portable body.

"The best-selling film camera series in America is now digital," said Martin Lee, vice president of marketing, Olympus America Inc. "The Stylus Digital model is our most important digital product introduction to date. We believe we have created a product worthy of carrying the premium name of the Stylus, and we are confident that the Stylus Digital will fulfill the promise of its predecessor and become our most popular digital camera series."

Stylish
Since the introduction of the Stylus film camera line in March 1991, 22-million award-winning Stylus cameras have been sold in the United States. With a clamshell lens barrier (pioneered by Olympus) and an artistic design inspired by the beauty of ocean waves, the Stylus has won numerous awards and accolades such as being displayed at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Olympus plans to continue producing Stylus film cameras alongside the new digital line.

No design detail has been overlooked in creating the Stylus Digital cameras. The Stylus 300 Digital has a sliding lens barrier accented in silver and that of the Stylus 400 Digital is accented in gold. Measuring an ultra-compact 3.8" long x 2.2" high x 1.3" wide, and weighing just 5.8 ounces, the Stylus Digital delivers maximum portability and durability for an active, on-the-go lifestyle.

Innovative
Over the course of several years, Olympus designers have worked to make the new Stylus Digital cameras not only attractive and compact, but also weather resistant for great shots come rain or shine. The lightweight and ergonomic metal bodies of the Stylus 300 Digital and Stylus 400 Digital provide all-weather protection from the elements and can even endure a downpour.

Intelligent
This dynamic duo utilizes the new xD-Picture CardTM memory media. The card's small size, about the same as a postage stamp, and an Olympus dedicated miniature Li-Ion rechargeable battery help keep the camera size down. Both models ship with a 16MB xD-Picture CardTM and a Li-Ion rechargeable battery and charger - an incredible value.

Easy to Use
The Stylus Digital cameras offer basic point-and-shoot simplicity for flawless picture taking. For photographers who want optimum results in a wide variety of settings, the easy-to-use Creative Scene Modes provide fully automatic exposure adjustments for Portrait, Self-Portrait, and Landscape-Portrait.

The cameras have an optical viewfinder as well as an easy-to-view 1.5" color LCD display on the back of the body for composing and reviewing shots. Menu navigation is easy to control with the push of arrow buttons. Transferring images to the computer has never been easier with the Auto-Connect USB (that does not require software drivers) for hassle-free image downloads. Images may also be viewed on a television with the video cable.

Features for the Most Realistic Digital Images
Both the Stylus 300 Digital and Stylus 400 digital offer a powerful seamless 12X zoom (3X optical zoom + 4X digital zoom) to capture amazingly sharp details and vibrant colors at distances near or far.

Olympus photos are known worldwide for vibrant, sharp and photo-realistic image quality. This is achieved with a host of key technologies including Olympus's high-quality all-glass lens (with aspherical lens elements) that's specially designed for digital cameras, and provides the equivalent of 35 to 105mm, f3.1/5.1 in 35mm photography. The Macro Mode allows users to take close up photographs to capture details like the wings of a butterfly.

The 3.2 megapixel CCD and 4.0 megapixel CCD of the cameras, and Olympus's TruePicTM technology, allows users to retain a realistic look to their photographs at all photo sizes e-mailed or printed. The cameras' CCD captures the detail needed for true crystal clear photo-quality printing even on large print sizes of 8" x 10" and larger.

Other controls include Digital ESP multi-pattern and spot metering; auto white balance; multiple flash settings and exposure compensation. The camera comes with a built-in flash that offers 4 settings to provide the widest range of options.

The cameras also capture QuickTime® video so users can create short movies that can be sent over the Internet to co-workers, friends and family.

Availability
The Stylus 300 Digital will be available in February 2003, and the Stylus 400 Digital will be available in April 2003.

U.S. Pricing
Stylus 300 Digital Street Price: $399.00 (U.S.)
Stylus 300 Digital SRP: $449.95 (U.S.)

Stylus 400 Digital Street Price: $499.00 (U.S.)
Stylus 400 Digital SRP: $599.95 (U.S.)

MINOLTA ANNOUNCES 5 MEGAPIXEL DIMAGE F300 DIGITAL CAMERA (01/08/03)

Minolta has announced Wednesday evening the new 5 megapixel, 3X optical zoom DIMAGE F300 digital camera which they indicate is one of the smallest and lightest 5 megapixel digital cameras with a full 3X zoom lens available. The camera is an updated version of last years F100 cameras, however it now features 5 megapixels instead of 4 and it has a new advanced noise reduction system. The Dimage F300 retains the somewhat unique feature for a consumer level camera of Subject Tracking Auto Focus, and has 4X digital zoom, a 1 1/8 inch CCD, 12-bit A/D (analog to digital) conversion, 38 to 114 mm zoom lens coverage, a thin aluminum exterior body, full manual control over exposure, color, contrast, saturation, white balance, camera sensitivity and focus. The Dimage F300 can also record movies with audio. Finally the Dimage F300 also features what Minolta calls Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection. The Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection is said to analyze the shooting conditions and then it selects the best Digital Subject Program or programmed auto exposure (AE) to match that condition such as Portrait, Landscape, Sports or Sunset scene modes. The camera has a large 32 MB built-in memory buffer which gives the DiMAGE F300 fast responsiveness. The DiMAGE F300 comes bundled with a 32MB SD (Secure Digital) memory card, four Ni-MH batteries, an Ni-MH battery charger, sports case and ArcSoft Funhouse software. The DiMAGE F300 will be available to consumers in February 2003.

MINOLTA INTRODUCES THE STYLISH NEW 5 MEGAPIXEL DiMAGE F300 DIGITAL CAMERA

New digital camera is one of the world's lightest and smallest 5 megapixel digital cameras with a built-in zoom lens

Las Vegas, NV (January 8, 2003) - Minolta Corporation announces a new addition to the DiMAGE digital camera line - the Minolta DiMAGE F300. Featuring increased resolution and zoom range, a new noise reduction option and Minolta's award-winning Subject Tracking Autofocus (AF) and Minolta's Area AF, this new digital camera produces high-quality images and incorporates advanced automatic functions, and fast, easy operation. Following the sleek contoured design of the DiMAGE F100, the DiMAGE F300 is one of the world's lightest and smallest 5.0 megapixel digital cameras with a built-in zoom lens.

"Today's consumers are looking for easy to use high quality digital cameras like that allows them to capture their precious moments," said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of marketing for Minolta Corporation's Consumer Products Group. "The new DiMAGE F300 not only lets them do that but it's a stylish addition to their everyday lifestyle."

The DiMAGE F300 features a 5.3 megapixel 1/1.8-type interline primary-color CCD with 5.0 million effective pixels for fine high-resolution images. The DiMAGE F300 incorporates a built-in 3x optical zoom Minolta GT LENS for color accuracy. Three aspheric lens elements ensure sharp images at all focal lengths that. And a 4x digital zoom capability, provides compact lens design with a wide image capture range. With a focal range of 7.8mm to 23.4mm, it is equivalent to a 38mm to 114mm 35mm zoom lens.

This stylish camera features a slim aluminum body exterior and stainless steel accents around the lens barrel with an easy-to hold, elegant grip and ergonomic control layout. A versatile camera, the DiMAGE F300 features the functions and controls essential for great image making. The DiMAGE F300 allows complete control over exposure, color, contrast, saturation, white balance, camera sensitivity and focus. It can also record movies and audio.

The image formed on the camera's CCD sensor is enhanced by Minolta's exclusive CxProcess image processing technology to optimize sharpness, color reproduction, tonal gradation and noise to create clear and natural looking images. The DiMAGE F300's wide dynamic range is provided by 12-bit A/D (analog to digital) conversion to ensure natural color and accurate tonal reproduction.

The new Minolta DiMAGE F300 combats noise which can give a grainy look to digital images by employing a large signal-to-noise ratio to minimize its effect even with higher CCD gain as well as allowing photographers to select noise reduction to control image quality. The new selectable feature compensates for dark noise caused by exposures of one second or longer.

Advanced technology makes focusing on the DiMAGE F300 simple and effective. The DiMAGE F300 follows in the footsteps of Minolta's DiMAGE F100 - the first compact digital camera in the world to be equipped with Subject Tracking AF and to also feature Minolta's Area AF. These technologies work together to locate and follow the subject through three-dimensional space within the camera's extra-wide focusing area, making the autofocus system ready to take a picture when the photographer wants to. Simply activate the Area AF system with the shutter-release button and the camera evaluates the objects in the extra-wide focus frames and pinpoints the subject. If the subject moves, Subject Tracking AF will adjust the focus to ensure sharp images; the active AF sensor is displayed in the focus frames and will follow the subject movement.

The DiMAGE F300 also features Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection. This advanced feature automatically selects one of five subject programs - portrait, sports action, landscape, sunset, or night portrait - to optimize the camera's exposure and image-processing controls based on the subject and scene. This frees the photographer from having to evaluate the conditions and make camera settings for each new situation.

A large built-in memory gives the DiMAGE F300 its responsiveness. The 32MB buffer memory allows large numbers of images to be captured smoothly in the continuous-advance drive modes as well as fluid playback operation. In playback mode, still images are loaded in approximately 0.2 seconds regardless of resolution and file type, and movie clips can be rewound and fast forwarded quickly.

The DiMAGE F300 comes bundled with a 32MB SD (Secure Digital) memory card, four Ni-MH batteries, an Ni-MH battery charger, sports case and ArcSoft Funhouse software. The DiMAGE F300 will be available to consumers in February 2003.

PENTAX DEBUTS OPTIO S DIGITAL CAMERA (01/08/03)

Pentax has announced the ultra-small 3X optical, 3 megapixel Optio S digital camera, which is so tiny it fits into a tin of Altoids! The camera is smaller then a credit card in dimensions and only 3/4 an inch thick. The Optio S has a movie mode with sound, a 2X digital zoom for a total 6X zoom when combined with the 3X optical zoom, a sliding lens zoom allowing the camera’s lens to fully recede into the camera housing, a new Multi-Chip Module in the Circuit Board, voice memo recording, a 2.4 inch macro mode and a variety of scene modes for correct exposure in common settings including time lapse photography shots. The new Optio S has approximately 11MB of built-in memory to capture images without the need of a digital memory card. The camera also uses SD memory card and the MultiMediaCard removable media. It is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or an optional AC adapter. The camera is being shown for the first time at the CES show in Las Vegas, and will begin shipping in late March.

PENTAX DEBUTS A HIGH-QUALITY ZOOM LENS DIGITAL CAMERA SO SMALL THAT IT FITS INTO A TIN OF ALTOIDS®

For more details including a fact sheet see the Pentax Optio S Press Release Web Page

A HIGH-QUALITY ZOOM LENS DIGITAL CAMERA SO SMALL THAT IT FITS INTO A TIN OF ALTOIDS®

ENGLEWOOD, CO – Remember the classic question, “Is it smaller than a breadbox?” on the ‘50s television quiz show What’s My Line?” In this 21st century, photographic consumers may well ask the question, “Is it smaller than an Altoids® tin?” Because the newest digital camera from PENTAX, the OptioS, is so small that
it does fit into an empty Altoids® tin!

When PENTAX debuts the OptioS January 9 at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show* (CES) in Las Vegas, they’ll be using Altoids® mint containers and decks of playing cards to show that this advanced-stage camera is smaller than both items. CES is the marketplace where the latest in consumer equipment, gadgets and household items are unveiled to the buying public. The OptioS is the smallest PENTAX 3.2 megapixel camera.

The face of the OptioS is smaller than the size of an average credit or business card and just over ¾ inch thick, but still it is a high-quality 3.2 effective megapixel, 3X (6X combined) zoom digital camera with a sleek design and a tough aluminum alloy case.

“Don’t let the size fool you. This is one well-built camera, which just happens to be the right size for a shirt pocket or purse,” said PENTAX marketing V.P. Jim Leffel. “Even men with larger hands will find it easy to maneuver the buttons and set up photos.”

The OptioS, while unveiled at CES, will be shipped to major camera retailers around the end of March 2003. Leffel expects demand to be strong because of the PENTAX reputation for quality.

How does PENTAX load so much into such a small space? Carrying on the strong PENTAX optics tradition, the OptioS features a patented sliding lens zoom mechanism that allows the camera’s powerful 3X optical lens to fully recede into the camera housing, flush with the body frame. This novel system helps protect the lens and helps reduce the size of the OptioS by almost 60 percent compared to the PENTAX Optio330RS. A new Multi Chip Module in the circuit board and the redesigned chamber have further minimized free space in the OptioS.

Despite the size, OptioS is packed with features found only on larger, higher-priced digital cameras: a movie mode with sound playback, a voice recording mode for attaching 30-second memos to selected images, a well-placed 1.6-inch LCD monitor, approximately 11MB of built-in memory and a powerful rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

This little camera delivers a big punch with its variety of shooting modes, including super macro, which captures images from just under 2.4 inches away, and infinity-landscape, which is great for shooting panoramic landscapes.

“The OptioS reflects the innovation, reliability and durability that are hallmarks of the PENTAX digital brand,” said Michelle Martin, PENTAX spokeswoman.

ULEAD RELEASES DVD PICTURESHOW 2 DIGITAL CAMERA SUITE (01/08/03)

Ulead sent us a press release regarding their new DVD PictureShow 2 software for making slideshows of digital camera pictures that can be shown on TVs using DVD players. We have used the first version of this software and it is about the easiest and best to use, while using the highest quality you can get from Video CD & DVD disks that play on DVD units hooked up to your TV set. The new software is now shipping to major retailers at a price of $49.95, with downloads available at Ulead's web site and lower upgrade prices for owners of current select Ulead software. The apparent major difference from the first version is the addition of transitions and special effects between the display of images. Ulead had indicated that the absence of transitions in Version 1 was intentional so as to preserve the ability to run picture slideshows burnt onto (V)CDs in DVD's higher image quality (the addition of transitions to a VCD slideshow converted the images to the lower NTSC video quality). However, this is apparently not necessary when burning to DVDs where the video image resolution is higher, as DVDs are becoming more prevalent these days. The lack of transitions and other effects left PictureShow behind in some ways other new software titles out there for burning DVDs. We will get a review copy of the software to see how Ulead preserves the feature or not for the slideshows to be burnt onto CD to not have transitions so they can be displayed in higher DVD resolution. Here is the Ulead Press Release.

No More Boring Slideshows -- Ulead Releases DVD PictureShow 2 Digital Camera Suite

A Complete Photo Sharing Suite for Organizing Photos and Creating Entertaining Digital Slideshows

Torrance, CA – January 8, 2003 – Ulead Systems, Inc., a leading developer of image editing, video editing and DVD authoring software, today introduced Ulead® DVD PictureShow™ 2 -- Digital Camera Suite, a powerful software package for managing digital media and creating multimedia slideshows that are fun to watch. This suite includes DVD PictureShow 2, the newest version of Ulead’s digital image slideshow creation software, and Photo Explorer 8, the latest version of Ulead’s popular digital media management software.

The software suite targets digital camera owners, giving them the tools they need to capture, organize, enhance, and share digital media. Users can create up to 99 multimedia slideshows on one disc complete with transitions, titles, music and narration. Once a slideshow project is complete, users can burn their creation onto a CD or DVD disc to watch on TV using a DVD player. DVD PictureShow, which recently received PCPhoto’s Editor’s Choice award, coupled with Photo Explorer, which received 4 out of 5 stars from PC Magazine, form one of the most complete and affordable digital media organization and photo sharing software suites available in the market.

“Many people received a digital camera or took digital photos for the first time over the holiday season,” says Colwin Chan, image editing product manager at Ulead Systems. “As more and more people switch from traditional to digital cameras, they will need a new way to share these photos. DVD PictureShow 2 -- Digital Camera Suite comes to the market at a perfect time, giving these new digital camera owners a way to organize, store and share digital memories in a slideshow format that they can watch on TV in the comfort of their living room.”

Worldwide demand for low-end digital cameras is expected to grow at a 24% compound annual growth rate from 12.6 million in 2000 to 46.6 million in 2006. And as the fastest growing consumer electronics product in history, DVD player sales will reach new heights with worldwide shipments expected to increase approximately four-fold from 15 million in 2000 to over 60 million in 2004.*

About DVD PictureShow 2 and Photo Explorer 8.0

DVD PictureShow 2 offers guided steps and a drag-and-drop interface to make assembling slideshows simple. Create multimedia slideshows now with video clips and digital images. Save time with a new Batch Collect tool to insert multiple image folders into a slideshow project all at once. Forty-two new transitions such as dissolves and wipes liven up slideshows, while voice narration and background music with support for WAV and MP3 files further jazz up slideshow creations. Personalize each photo by describing or adding comments directly on photos with the software’s text caption tool. As a final touch, choose from a variety of ready-to-use, Hollywood-style DVD menu templates with themes such as holidays, vacation and business, or create personalized menu backgrounds with any digital image. A built-in CD label and index creation tool completes the package to create a polished slideshow disc.

Photo Explorer 8.0 offers easy-to-use features for capturing, organizing, and editing photos. New features include an auto slice tool for slicing a scanned group of images, a CD catalog tool that scans a CD and stores image thumbnails that can be viewed without the CD in the drive, as well as new tools for editing images and adding effects.

Pricing and Availability
Ulead DVD PictureShow 2 -- Digital Camera Suite is available in North American retail stores and catalogs for $49.95, with the electronic version available at www.ulead.com for $44.95. Registered users of previous versions of DVD PictureShow and Photo Explorer can purchase the box upgrade for $34.95 and the downloadable upgrade for $29.95 at www.ulead.com. Photo Explorer 8.0 is also available as a stand-alone application for electronic download at www.ulead.com for $29.95.

MACWORLD BEGINS IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH NEWS OF NEW LAPTOPS AND SOFTWARE FOR DIGITAL CAMERA OWNERS (01/07/03)

Steve Jobs delivered another major Keynote Speech Tuesday morning to kickoff MacWorld in San Francisco including the announcement of a new 4.6 pound 12 inch PowerBook laptop computer which can come configured with a built-in DVD-R/RW burner for just $1999, and a new upgraded version Apple's highly regarded iPhoto digital imaging software with one button auto correct editing, pan & zoom of still photos and an awesome looking Retouch wand tool which was demonstrated to very effectively remove blemishes, scars and hairs from a child's face. Apple also announced improved versions of its video editing software called iMovie 3 as well as its DVD authoring software known as iDVD 3, which together now support the major feature for creation of DVDs allowing the placing of Chapter markings into edited DVD videos. The suite of digital music and imaging software was titled iLife and it was demonstrated how you can easily edit and store your digital images, and burn slideshows on CDs or DVDs which can be played in DVD players. For more details check out Apple's MacWorld News Page and the main page at Apple.Com.

TOSHIBA REDUCES PRICE OF 2 MEGAPIXEL PDR-T20 DIGICAM TO $299 (01/07/03)

We received a press release from Toshiba announcing the reduction in price of their popular PDR-T20 2 megapixel digital camera which has the unique feature of offering PDA like touchscreen controls. Here is the full press release.

Toshiba Reduces Price of PDR-T20 Two-Megapixel Digital Camera to $299

IRVINE, CA, January 6, 2002 -- Toshiba Imaging Systems, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., announced today that it has slashed the MSRP of its popular PDR-T20 2.0 megapixel camera by more than twenty-five percent. Previously priced at $399, the Toshiba PDR-T20 is now available for an affordable estimated street price of $299. With its two-megapixel resolution, 6X total zoom, SD storage format and revolutionary touchscreen LCD, the PDR-T20 merges brilliant photo output with point-and-shoot convenience and low cost of ownership.

By featuring a touchscreen LCD, the PDR-T20 eliminates buttons, knobs and dials that may complicate the digital photographic experience. This benchmark achievement enables the user to navigate every camera feature except the zoom with a stylus just as they would a PDA. In addition, the camera's LCD sports a unique paint palette to draw and write on digital images, a feature highly valued by Realtors, contractors and insurance professionals who need to keep detailed notes for documentation and for sharing information with colleagues. Heralded as one of the most innovative designs in the consumer digital camera category, the PDR-T20 has received excellent reviews since its introduction six months ago. According to Consumer Guide, the Toshiba PDR-T20 is: "a perfect starter camera. It's easy to use and produces great images for its resolution. The camera has very good quality glass optics and a 2X optical zoom. ACDSee image-editing software is included to let you perform some fairly comprehensive image editing."

SLEEK DESIGN, POWERFUL PICTURE TAKING
The PDR-T20 packages its wealth of uncompromising photographic features and controls into a high tech-looking, silver metallic casing that combines pocketable dimensions with a distinctive sliding lens cover. The PDR-T20 takes advantage of its superior 2.01 million-pixel CCD sensor to capture richly detailed 1600 x 1200 images with superior color reproduction. For an up-close feel, the sensor works hand-in-hand with a 2x optical zoom lens (equivalent to a 38-76 mm lens on a 35 mm camera), plus a 3x digital telephoto mode, resulting in 6x total zooming capabilities. To assist in capturing the perfect picture, the camera's "Scene Mode" automatically makes the optimum settings according to the type of subject selected, such as portrait, landscape, sports and night view. Other key features include a high-precision auto and manual white balance, exposure control set either automatically according to brightness or manually set for preferred compensation, a self-timer, multi-zone TTL metering, shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/1000 second, and a pop-up flash with auto, forced, suppressed and red-eye reduction modes.

ACCESSORIES
The Toshiba PDR-T20 is a complete digital imaging solution for greatersatisfaction. It ships with a 8MB SD card, USB cable, hand strap with stylus pen, camera bag, and an environmentally-friendly rechargeable lithium ion battery. The included CD-ROM comes loaded with ACDSee imaging software for Windows OS (98, 2000, ME, XP) and Macintosh OS, USB Drive and instruction manual. An AC Adapter is included to recharge the long-life battery while it is in the camera.

EPSON ANNOUNCES DIRECT CD/DVD LABEL PRINTING KIT FOR STYLUS 960 PHOTO PRINTER (01/07/03)

EPSON USA issued a press release Tuesday morning at the start of MacWorld announcing the ability to print directly on to CDs and DVDs using a new upgrade kit for the Epson Stylus Photo 960 printer, which in our opinion is one of the most advanced photo printers currently available on the market. The upgrade print consist of a CD tray holder and new software to make it compatible with the Stylus 960 printer. The printers will begin shipping with the upgrade kit in February and will remain at the current price of $349. Current 960 owners can contact Epson to get a free upgrade kit. Here are key portions from the press release.

Epson Adds CD Printing Capabilities to Popular EPSON Stylus Photo 960 Printer

New Printing Feature Offers Increased Versatility With No Additional Cost to the Customer

SAN FRANCISCO - Jan. 7, 2003--Epson America Inc. today announced the addition of CD printing functionality to its popular EPSON Stylus Photo 960 model, which became available for purchase in November 2002. This useful and convenient feature will be included with the printer in the box beginning in February. Current EPSON Stylus Photo 960 owners and customers who purchase the printer before this feature is included, can redeem a coupon to receive a free CD kit to upgrade their printer. The upgrade kit contains a CD tray and software to make it compatible with the EPSON Stylus Photo 960 printer(a). The coupon is available in electronic form on the Epson Web site (www.Epson.com).

"The EPSON Stylus Photo 960 is the most versatile photo printer on the market today," said Parker Plaisted, product manager, photo imaging. "This printer delivers outstanding photo quality prints on Epson paper, and now it will print photo quality images directly onto CDs and DVDs to eliminate the need for adhesive labels."

The EPSON Stylus Photo 960 printer's new CD printing capabilities enable customers to choose colorful backgrounds and images from the EPSON CD Print software and print directly onto printable CDs or DVDs by placing them in a tray that slides through the printer's straight through paper path.

The EPSON Stylus Photo 960 will begin shipping with CD printing functionality in February for an estimated street price of $349 through mail order, computer superstores, specialty camera stores, and Epson's retail Web site (www.epsonstore.com). Current EPSON Stylus Photo 960 owners can receive a CD kit to upgrade their printer by contacting Epson directly via the Web site or at (800) GO-EPSON. The printer is backed by the one-year EPSON Exchange Warranty and is supported by the EPSON Connection, a customer support technical assistance line.

ADOBE TO RELEASE NEW $49 PHOTOSHOP ALBUM SOFTWARE PROGRAM FOR DIGITAL IMAGE STORAGE & ORGANIZATION (01/06/03)

Adobe has issued a press release announcing the upcoming availability of a new software program aimed directly at digital camera owners, called Adobe Photoshop Album. The new program provides a convenient way for image files to be stored, organized/categorized and easily retrieved. The program uses a unique visual "tagging" system which allows quickly labeling people or places etc... in each photograph, and then finding all pictures which share the same "tag". The new program also allows you to build slideshows using the PDF format, and you can burn slideshows of digital camera images onto CDs and DVDs for playback in DVD players connected to your TV. Finally, the new program includes one click editing correction tools such as red-eye reduction etc... The program will be available in February at a price of $49.99. Here is the full Adobe press release.

Adobe Extends Photoshop Product Line to Consumers with New Photoshop Album Software

Adobe's New Windows-based Software Delivers the Fastest and Easiest Way to Find, Fix, Share and Preserve Thousands of Digital Pictures

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Jan. 6, 2003-- Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE - News) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® Album, new software for Windows®-based computers that, for the first time, extends the legendary Photoshop brand to the consumer market. With digital camera sales exploding, consumers -- freed from the expense and limitations of film -- have made digital picture-taking an integral part of every family occasion and event. Photoshop Album solves the biggest problem facing these digital camera owners: how to easily find, fix, share and preserve thousands of photos accumulating on their computers.

Photoshop Album leaves the competition behind by using an easy and sophisticated 'tagging' system to organize and find images, and leverages Photoshop software's unrivalled image enhancement technology to provide simple, high quality one-click editing. In addition, Photoshop Album is the only consumer digital photography product to take advantage of the ubiquity of Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), creating an intuitive way to share digital photos with family and friends.

"Photoshop revolutionized photo-editing in the 1990s and was a catalyst for the emergence of digital cameras as a hot new product category for pro photographers and consumers," said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Video Products at Adobe Systems. "With Photoshop Album we're extending the proven quality of the Photoshop name to a new generation of digital camera owners, making it easy for them to edit, find and share the millions of digital photos now lying unsorted on computers."

Organizing Photos The Album Way

Adobe Photoshop Album gathers thousands of digital photos for viewing in one convenient place -- the photo well -- and automatically organizes them by date. From there, it's simple to find a particular photo: a timeline view displays photos taken over a period of time, while a detailed calendar view shows the exact day and month when each moment was captured. Users can bring precise control over finding and working with specific collections of photographs through Photoshop Album software's powerful tagging system. Visual tags can be created to instantly find photos of favorite people, places, events, or any other subject, no matter how large the collection becomes.

Editing with Photoshop Precision

Photos don't always turn out exactly as planned, so Photoshop Album provides one-click editing tools to fix common problems, such as red-eye, color, contrast and brightness. For more advanced editing, Photoshop Album provides single-click integration for users of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, Adobe's award winning image-editing software for photo hobbyists and amateur photographers. And perhaps most importantly, Photoshop Album is equipped with one-click photo backup to CD and DVD to ensure that memories will be preserved for future generations.

Adobe PDF Makes Sharing a Sure Thing

Photoshop Album software helps users tell and share the stories of their lives in pictures through entertaining slide shows that can include captions, video clips, and background music. These template-based slide shows are packaged in Adobe PDF, so that Photoshop Album users can deliver their images to anyone who is using free Adobe Acrobat® Reader® software. With over half a billion copies of this software already distributed across multiple platforms, Photoshop Album eliminates the guesswork of which format should be used to save and share photos -- and whether recipients will be able to view them.

Adobe Photoshop Album offers prints and other professional photo services through direct links to online service providers, and an easy-to-follow wizard helps users create cards, calendars, albums, Web photo pages, and even 3D Web galleries with just a few clicks of the mouse. Online services may vary worldwide.

Adobe has integrated Intel® processor optimizations in Photoshop Album, enabling consumers to see improved performance when running the software on Intel processor-based computers.

"Photoshop Album provides the freedom and flexibility to connect with friends and family through pictures anytime, anywhere," said William A. Swope, vice president of the Enterprise Platforms Group and general manager of the Software and Solutions Group at Intel. "The combination of powerful new Intel processor-based personal computers and high-quality, affordable digital cameras has revolutionized home photography. Now innovative software like Photoshop Album allows consumers to get the most out of their PCs and cameras."

Adobe Photoshop Album will be debuted at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Intel's booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, Central 3-5, #14607), and will be showcased during Intel's keynote address, taking place on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003, at 4:30 p.m. in the Las Vegas Hilton Theater.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Photoshop Album is expected to ship in the United States in February 2003 at an estimated street price of US$49.99. Photoshop Album will be available for sale on Adobe.com as well as in major retail outlets, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Buy.com, Circuit City, CompUSA, Datavision, Fry's Electronics, J&R Music and Computer World, MicroCenter, Office Depot, and Staples. International editions are expected to ship in the second quarter of 2003. Information concerning international pricing and support policies is available on www.adobe.com.

HITACHI GLOBAL STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO RELEASE 4 GIGABYTE MICRODRIVES IN BY LATE 2003 (01/06/03)

Recently it was announced that Hitachi had purchased the division of IBM which makes the popular 1 inch sized Microdrive mini-hard drives used in many digital cameras that support CompactFlash Type II memory cards. The Microdrive has had a big impact on the development of digital cameras over the past few years as they have provided millions of owners the ability to store up to 1 Gigabyte of digital images on one Microdrive, which are roughly the same size as Compact Flash Memory Cards, only slightly thicker. The presence of Microdrives at more affordable prices per megapixel has encouraged the rapid deployment of higher megapixel cameras and offered stiff competition against flash memory card companies whose initial prices for memory cards was not only outrageously high, but stifling earlier adoption of digital cameras.

On Monday Hitachi Global Storage Technologies announced they will proceed with the marketing of future Microdrives using the latest advancement we previously posted news about involving new Pixie Dust Technology allowing the development of 4 Gigabyte Microdrives before the end of this year! While these new higher capacity drives won't be cheap, and more affordable Compact Flash Cards of 1 Gigabyte and larger are already appearing, this is a very large capacity card to offer for digital camera owners who are increasingly using RAW formats and larger megapixel cameras which create larger and large image files. The 4GB Microdrive is expected to be available in the Fall of 2003. Here are a few excerpts from the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Press Release.

The new drive will use ultra-miniaturized components, including a new read-write head that is half the size of its predecessor and results in a 40-percent decrease in the height at which the head travels above the disk platter. This feature is analogous to a Boeing 747 airplane flying one millimeter above the surface of the earth. The Microdrive's new head technology, called the femto slider head, opens up a next generation of head slider technology. The new technology is so small that it is equivalent in size to a grain of table salt.

Pixie Dust Media Technology

The areal density of the 4GB Microdrive is made possible by using a new five-layer version of Hitachi's patented "Pixie Dust" media technology. This data storage breakthrough is achieved by taking a three-atom-thick layer of the element ruthenium, a precious metal similar to platinum, and sandwiching it between three magnetic layers. Technically referred to as antiferromagnetically coupled media, the ruthenium/magnetic layers enable data recording at ultra-high densities while maintaining data integrity.

Other significant technical achievements include a data transfer rate increase that represents a 50 percent improvement from the previous-generation Microdrive. Hitachi engineers estimate that the new data transfer rates are faster than all competitive solid-state data storage products available today.

For more details here is a link to the full Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Microdrive press release.

NEWS BRIEFS (01/06/03)

CES & MACWORLD BEGIN THIS WEEK

Welcome to the start of another new year of digital camera and digital imaging related news! Announcements of several new cameras are going to begin this week as two of the larger trade shows for the whole year both begin in a few days. MacWorld will begin Tuesday in San Francisco and the always fun Consumer Electronics show (CES ) begins Thursday in Las Vegas, although there are media and other events starting earlier. The news coming out of these two shows will not be limited to just new Digital Cameras, there will be other digital imaging related news this week. We are scheduled to be at both shows, with co-owner of this site Steve McLaughlin who lives in the Bay area planning on making it over to MacWorld, and Dave Kamanski is going to try and get out to Las Vegas if a current family health concern is resolved. As many of you may recall, our photo coverage of CES 2002 with our focus on digital imaging products was about the most extensive you could find anywhere on the Internet! (PLEASE SEE OUR CES SPECIAL - PICTURES & INFO. FROM CES 2002).

Regardless of how much time we get to spend at the show, we will be posting breaking news all week from the many announcements that are coming in already. Based upon the volume of early press releases we are getting, this is shaping up to be a big week. Already this morning Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has announced that later this year they will bring to market 4 Gigabyte Microdrive storage units which will fit into digital cameras that support Compact Flash type II disks. We then expect the news to remain fairly steady with lots of big news coming later in February as the Photo Marketing Association tradeshow (PMA) begins the first weekend of March, also in Las Vegas!

Although we did not post any updates during the two week holiday period which has just ended, we were working on a number of projects which we will be sharing information from in the upcoming weeks. As we have previously mentioned, we do have several software packages which we are evaluating which allow you to burn CDs and DVDs containing your digital camera images and/or video that will play back in DVD players connected to your TV sets. The number of DVD authoring titles and editing programs is getting very large as the sales of DVD units and digital cameras has just exploded this PAST year. Many software companies have seen the potential of offering owners another way of sharing and viewing their digital images or at least combining them with Digital Video. Following this trend, there appears to be a rather large group of digital imaging enthusiast and video camera owners who have finally bought DVD burners in the past few months, taking advantage of the huge price drop down to under $300.

Accordingly, we went out and purchased a new Sony DRU-500A multi-format DVD burner and have now spent large amounts of time since Christmas making several DVD video projects using Pinnacle's Expression Software ($49 DVD authoring program), Sony's MovieStudio program ($79 Editing Software), Arcsoft's ShowBiz Program (Editing Software) Roxio's recently updated CD Creator with new DVD burning features, Ulead's DVD PictureShow and Sonic's MyDVD (DVD authoring software). And that is just the start, as we expect to be testing out at least a half dozen to a dozen more DVD related software programs, and we have previously used several other major editing programs including Adobe's Premiere, Ulead's VideoStudio and MGI's VideoWave. We will be posting more detailed information about making CDs and DVDs that will display your digital camera images and video over the next few weeks.

Initially we will say this, the Sony DRU-500A is performing great! We are really pleased with the flexibility it provides in supporting the use of both major DVD formats for home DVD burning which are known as DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW. We have made DVDs using all 4 disk types (write once and re-writable disks are available in both major formats) and all projects worked out without any problems. The DVD-R disks seem to have a slight edge in compatibility as all of our DVD-R projects played without issue in the many DVD decks and computer DVD ROM units we tried. The DVD+R worked in all but one unit. Both of the RW disks were more selective in which units they worked in, but they worked fine in the Sony DRU-500A and were easy to re-write to over and over. In addition, we made 6 disks using the DVD+R format to back-up most of our 2002 images currently stored on one of our computers and they were read by all other computer DVD ROM units we tried! We are really pleased to be able to back up over 26 Gigabytes of digital camera images on just 6 disks, as previously such a large amount we collect would take just over 6 times the number of CD-Rs or close to 40 disks! Considering the fact that there are several new laptops out there with DVD burners available, this is a storage option we think many digital camera owners who are often on the road should consider, especially those who are shooting in newer RAW formats which result in images that are often 10MB in size EACH! Many brand new DVD burners available for desktop PCs support 4X speed writing (1X speed will take one hour to burn a one hour video or transfer aprox. 4.7 GB of data) so we were able to transfer 4.7 GB of digital images in just over 15 mins. and no more than about 20 minutes depending on the disks we used (older disk versions do not support faster write speeds). As far as price goes, we found many deals such as Memorex and Maxell DVDs going for about $17.99 for 5 blank DVDs, bringing the price down to about just $3.50 per blank DVD (and remember each DVD holds over 6 times the data of one CD-R). We noticed that several days after Christmas many retailers were essentially sold out of blank DVDs and shipment of 50 Sony burners and larger sold out in about a day, suggesting to us that DVD burners were also a very popular item this holiday season. We felt the price was low enough now at around $300, that even if they go down to about $200 in the future, where CD burners stayed for a few years at the height of their popularity, we could not wait any longer to have such a great storage method, not to mention a way to make DVD videos from our video camera that can be shown on our TV sets. Overall, we highly endorse DVD burners in general as a much more practical method of storing your backups of digital images and a great way to watch you videos and images on TV sets. Stay tuned we will have a lot more information about DVD burners and software!

Lots more news all this week, oh and all those fun gadgets we get to preview at CES! This week is going to get 2003 off to a great start!

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	Super CCD HR-equipped camera	Super CCD SR-equipped camera
Effective pixels	6.35 million	6.2 million (3.1 million S-pixels +3.1 million R-pixels)
Image sensor	1/1.7" Super CCD HR 6.63 million total pixels	1/1.7" Super CCD SR 6.7 million (3.35 million S-pixels +3.35 million R-pixels) total pixels
Number of recorded pixels	Max. 4048 x 3040 (12.3 million)	Max. 2832 x 2128 (6.03 million)
A/D conversion	12 - 14 bits	14 bits
Sensitivity	ISO 200 - 1600 (at ISO 1600, in 1280 x 960 pixel mode)	ISO 200 - 1600 (at ISO 1600, in 1280 x 960 pixel mode)
Dynamic range	Same as existing Fujifilm digital cameras with 3rd generation Super CCD	Approximately 4x (vs. existing Fujifilm digital cameras with 3rd generation Super CCD)
Movie	30 frames/second in VGA size