Sybex have announced a photography contest which has a main prize of $1,000 and publication of your winning photo in a Sybex book.

Sybex Press Release

WIN $1,000 FROM SYBEX!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the SYBEX DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST. Send us your best digital photos (max. 3) between now and 4/1/05 for a chance to win up to $1,000 and publication of your image in a Sybex book. The judge will be Tim Grey, author of Color Confidence and Photo Finish. Tim will also comment from time to time on selected photos throughout the contest period, so check back regularly for feedback on your entries. Visit us at www.sybex.com for details!

Sanyo Press Release

Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Phone MM-5600 by SANYO Captures High Honor by Digital Imaging Marketing Association

CHATSWORTH, CA. – The Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Phone MM-5600 by SANYO was selected out of the hundreds of digital products on display at the Photo Marketing Association 2005 Convention and Trade show in Orlando, Fla, to receive the prestigious DIMA (Digital Imaging Marketing Association) Innovative Digital Product Award. The award is presented by DIMA based on a comprehensive evaluation by a blue-ribbon panel of digital imaging editors and writers.

An Innovative Digital Product of PMA 2005 was defined by the judges as a product utilizing new technologies and/or applications in such a way as to make it either unique or the first of its kind. The MM-5600 by SANYO was introduced in the United States as SANYO’s first 1.3-megapixel camera phone with flash, digital zoom and macro setting for capturing close-ups, and a video camcorder for catching special moments. The device comes packaged with a 16MB removable miniSD memory card and adapter, and USB cable for printing photos directly from the phone to any PictBridge-enabled printer.

Hama Mobile DataSafe III is announced before CeBIT 2005. The Mobile DataSafe III allows you to copy the contents of your memory cards onto blank CDs or DVDs. The Mobile DataSafe III will be available in March - price to be announced.

Hama Press Release

Just recently available on card – now already on DVD

Hama will present a king among the portable burners at this year’s CeBIT: the Mobile DataSafe III. Equipped with a DVD burner, the big brother of DataSafe II is even more flexible. It burns the data of the most common memory card types on DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW and CD-R/-RW, even without a computer thanks to the powerful battery.

It is also a mobile DVD, MP3 and media player for JPEG, MPEG 1 and 2 formats and is a USB 2.0 multi-card reader as well. Once connected to your computer via USB, DataSafe III is immediately recognized as an external DVD burner and card reader.

inCamera 4 is announced by PictoColor. inCamera 4 is a plugin for Adobe Photoshop that creates ICC profiles for digital cameras and scanners. PictoColor inCamera is available for $149.95.

PictoColor Press Release

PictoColor Releases inCamera® 4.0 Digital Camera and Scanner ICC Profiling Software

New version of acclaimed Photoshop Plug-in features support for the new GretagMacbeth ColorChecker SG chart for digital camera profiling and HutchColor HCT target for scanner profiling

March 1, 2005-Burnsville, MN-PictoColor Corporation, a leading developer and distributor of color management products, has released inCamera® 4.0, a new version of the acclaimed digital camera and scanner ICC profiling plug-in for Adobe Photoshop.  Based on an enhanced version of the widely acclaimed inCamera color management technology licensed from Pictographics International Corporation, inCamera 4.0 features support for the new GretagMacbeth ColorChecker SG and the HutchColor HCT target for scanners.  This proven digital camera and scanner profiling software features an easy to use interface and a User Guide that explains how to successfully create and use ICC input profiles in Photoshop. inCamera is available for $149.95 at PictoMarketplace, PictoColor’s new online store featuring color management products for digital photographers.  PictoMarketplace is located at www.pictomarketplace.com.

Konica Minolta Press Release

Mahwah, NJ (March 1, 2005) – Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. announces that the Maxxum 7D and DiMAGE A200 digital cameras won 2005 DIMA Digital Camera Shoot-Out awards as announced during the PMA 2005 Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D won the Prosumer/Professional Digital SLR category and the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 (pictured) won the Prosumer/Professional $600 to $999 category.

Ten digital cameras were named winners in their category out of 35 digital camera entries from 13 manufacturers. The 9th annual Digital Camera Shoot-Out took place on Saturday, February 19, 2005 at the DIMA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, which proceeded the annual PMA 2005 Convention.

Read my Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200

Write a Review of the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200

Genuine Fractals 4 is announced. Genuine Fractals 4.0 is a plugin for Adobe Photoshop which allows you to create high-quality, print-ready enlargements of various sizes and resolutions from a digital image. Genuine Fractals 4.0 suggested retail price is $159.

LizardTech, Inc. Press Release

Seattle, WA — February 25, 2005— LizardTech, Inc., a leader in software solutions that make it significantly easier to manage, distribute and access digital content such as aerial photography, satellite imagery and scanned color documents, today announced the launch of Genuine Fractals 4.0.

Canon had the biggest stand and the biggest new range of products at PMA 2005 last week in Orlando, Florida. As promised here are some product shots from Canon’s stand.

Click on each picture to see a larger version.

Ricoh Caplio R2 is announced today. The Ricoh R2 is a 5 megapixel digital camera with a 4.8x optical zoom and 2.5 inch LCD screen. The Ricoh Caplio R2 is less than 26mm thick and has a battery life of around 500 shots. The Ricoh Caplio R2 is available now and costs £229.99 inc Vat.

Ricoh Press Release

Ricoh launches the Caplio R2 – a sublime 5.0 megapixel digital camera offering with a 4.8x optical zoom lens in a super slim body

Tokyo, February 28th, 2005. Ricoh Co., Ltd., is proud to announce the release of the new Caplio R2 digital camera—a 5.0 megapixel masterpiece featuring an incredible 4.8x optical zoom lens that guarantees top quality pictures, and an awesome 2.5-inch LCD for super high-resolution images as well as enlarged characters and icons that enhance functionality. The 25.8-mm stylishly thin body of the Caplio R2, a product of Ricoh’s innovative retractive lens system, packs a host of advanced technologies, while the user-friendly interface of the extra-large LCD empowers both professional photographers and photo enthusiasts to take full advantage of all these powerful features. Able to switch between the rechargeable battery and AA batteries, the Caplio R2 is the perfect choice for those on the move.

The Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 is a 3 megapixel digital camera with a 2.8x optical zoom lens that offers a focal length of 36-102mm and a large 2-inch LCD screen. On paper at least. In reality it is a super-compact, super-thin digicam that really has to be seen to be believed. Casio’s Exilim Card range of digital cameras has long been known for delivering incredibly small and slim models that are little bigger than a credit card. The Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 is no different. All of this is housed in a stylish and hard-wearing metal casing. But is the Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 just too small for its own good? Carry on reading my extensive review to find out if it’s actually a good camera or not.

Website: Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 Review

Mamiya ZD update - as promised, here are some shots of the Mamiya ZD DSLR live from the show floor here at the Focus On Imaging photography show in the UK. The ZD unit on show is a prototype mock-up that has been kept behind glass for the entire show - I got here early for an exclusive look at the camera.

Click on each picture to see a larger version.

I am still alive…just! After flying 4,000 miles to Orlanda and then 4,000 miles back to the UK last week, I am now in Birmingham at another photography show - Focus On Imaging in the UK. Internet access is scarce, so this is the first update in a few days. More normal service will resume on Thursday.

The PMA Show is over for another year, closing its doors yesterday. The concensus amongst journalists was that this was a year of consolidation on the part of the manufacturers, with less revolutionary products on show than at previous shows. Having said that, there were still some interesting cameras, printers, and other products, some of which I have already covered in my PMA Show Report. PhotographyBLOG’s PMA coverage will continue for the next couple of weeks, as I have interesting interviews with the likes of Nokia, Sigma and Casio to publish, plus some more Booth by Booth reports, articles on more of the stand-out products, and finally a roundup of the show.

I am actually still in Orlando and won’t be returning to the UK until tomorrow morning. My coverage of the latest photography kit isn’t over yet though. On Sunday the Focus on Imaging photo show starts in Birmingham, UK, and I will be there to cover the show and report back on anything new that hasn’t already been unveiled at PMA. News reached me this morning that the long-delayed Mamiya ZD digital SLR will actually be at Focus - I will do my best to try out this £8,000 DSLR.

Not forgetting that my 30th birthday is sandwiched between PMA and Focus - it’s definitely been (and still will be) a busy 2 weeks!

Pocket Phojo 3.0 is announced. Pocket Phojo 3.0 allows Nikon digital SLR cameras to transmit images via WiFi directly to a Pocket PC. Price and availability of Pocket Phojo 3.0 to be announced at Focus on Imaging next week.

Idruna Software Press Release

Pocket Phojo 3.0 to launch Feb 27th on Nikon’s stand at Focus Show

Idruna Software Inc. is pleased to announce that the Pocket Phojo 3.0, a major update to the acclaimed handheld photo editing and wireless transmission solution for photojournalists, will be launching on Nikon’s booth at the Focus on Imaging show at the Birmingham NEC, from February 27th to 3rd March.

“Pocket Phojo 3.0 greatly extends the functionality of Nikon’s WT Wireless Transmitters, ushering in a new era of high speed news gathering, and we are honored to have been invited to present our solution at Nikon’s stand.”, said Paul Nolan, CEO of Idruna.

Epson StoryTeller Photo Book Creator is announced. StoryTeller Photo Book Creator is a convenient, easy-to-use kit with everything consumers need to turn their digital pictures into a glossy, hardbound photo book to preserve and share personalized life stories and events. StoryTeller Photo Book Creator kits will be available for purchase in the USA in late April 2005 for $19.99 for the 5” x 7” version, $24.99 for the 10-page 8” x 10” version, and $29.99 for the 20-page 8” x 10” version.

Epson Press Release

Epson’s storyteller Photo Book Creator MAKES PUBLISHING your own “Best Seller” of cherished MEMORIES a snap at home

Easy-to-Use Kit Gives Chief Memory Officers and Photo Enthusiasts Tools to Preserve and Share Special Occasions

LONG BEACH, Calif., Feb. 22, 2005 – Epson America Inc. today announced the debut of the StoryTeller™ Photo Book Creator, a convenient, easy-to-use kit for creating and publishing personalized, hardcover photo books entirely at home that are ideal for gifts or display.  StoryTeller Photo Book Creator provides Chief Memory Officers™ (CMOs) and photo enthusiasts everything they need to publish a book of their own photos to remember and share special events and memories easily and affordably at home.

Lyra Research Press Release

Lyra Research Projects Worldwide Digital Camera Shipments Will Exceed 100 Million Units in 2008

In 2004 Europe surpassed the United States in unit shipments

Coinciding with this year’s Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show in Orlando, FL, Lyra Research’s Digital Photography Advisory Service has issued its worldwide digital camera forecast. Digital still camera shipments surpassed 63 million units worldwide in 2004, up more than 35 percent compared with 2003. Worldwide digital still camera shipments will surpass 100 million units in 2008.

In 2004, for the first time ever, Europe became the largest market in terms of unit shipments, taking the top spot from the United States, which is now second in terms of shipments. Japan is the third-largest market.

Photodex ProShow Gold 2.5 is released today. ProShow Gold 2.5 is a slide show software package aimed at photographers. ProShow Gold 2.5 is priced at $69.95 for electronic delivery. ProShow 2.5 is also available in a standard edition for $29.95.

Photodex Press Release

Photodex(R) Corporation Releases ProShow(R) Gold 2.5, the Newest Version of Its Award Winning Slide Show Software for Photo Enthusiasts and Professionals

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/—Photodex(R) Corporation today released ProShow(R) Gold 2.5, the newest version of its award winning slide show software for photo enthusiasts and professionals. ProShow Gold 2.5 allows users to easily and efficiently create quality multimedia slide show presentations to share with friends and family. Slide motion effects, captions effects, over 280 quality transitions, and unmatched performance make ProShow Gold the industry leading tool for creating quality DVD, PC, and Web slide shows.

Seagate 6 Gigabyte hard drive is now shipping. The new Seagate 6Gb harddrive can store up to 3000 songs and features RunOn and G-Force technology. Price and availability of the 1 inch 6 Gb Seagate hard-drive are to be announced; 5GB and 2.5GB versions are also available.

Seagate Press Release

Seagate Ships 6GB 1-Inch Hard Drive, Highest Capacity in the Industry

ST1 Series Now the Most Widely Adopted 1-Inch Hard Drive for Handheld Music Players

SINGAPORE, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Seagate (NYSE:STX) , the world’s leading maker of consumer electronics hard drives, announced today it is shipping the industry’s highest capacity 1-inch hard drive, a new 6GB model of its popular 1-inch ST1 Series hard drive for handheld applications. Seagate began shipping this industry-leading 6GB drive in December 2004. The 6GB Seagate ST1 Series can hold up to 150 hours—or 3,000 songs—of high-quality music files (128 kbps), providing breakthrough value and storage capacity for small music players, PDAs and handheld entertainment devices.

Hitachi 6 Gigabyte Microdrive is now shipping. The new Hitachi Microdrive can store 1500-3000 songs, 6,000 pictures (1 MB each) or 8 hours of MPEG-4 video. The 1 inch 6 Gb Hitachi Microdrive will cost $299 USD, with the 4 Gb version costing $199.

Hitachi Press Release

Hitachi Ramps 6-Gigabyte Microdrive to High Volume; Company Sweetens Arrival of Higher-Capacity One-Inch Hard Drive with Significant Price Reduction

SAN JOSE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Feb. 23, 2005—Users of miniature MP3 players and other storage-demanding handheld consumer electronics can rejoice today as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies begins shipping its 6 gigabyte(a) (GB) one-inch hard drive in high volume. As the leader in one-inch hard drives, Hitachi is raising the stakes by making available the new Microdrive 3K6 with a suggested retail price reduction of up to 60 percent.

Epson UK Press Release

The Epson Stylus Photo R1800 will have its first UK audience with live demonstrations at Focus On Imaging 2005.  Available from April 2005 and designed to meet the needs of the most demanding photo enthusiast and semi professional photographer, this A3 photo printer is the latest addition to the Epson photo printer portfolio. 

Providing border-free printing up to A3, photographers now have the freedom to print in a wide range of formats for portfolios, display, and photographic exhibitions without sacrificing quality. Combined with the Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss ink set, the Stylus Photo R1800 delivers prints that really can exceed the quality from a professional photo lab.

Mamiya ZD digital SLR that was announced in August last year will be on show at the Focus on Imaging event next week at the NEC, Birmingham, UK. The Mamiya ZD is a 22 megapixel digital SLR that will cost around £8,000 body only. PhotographyBLOG will be at Focus where I will hopefully be able to try out the Mamiya ZD.

Mamiya Press Release

Mamiya are pleased to announce that initial production tests of the ZD camera have been successful. To ensure that the camera meets the high demands and requirements of the professional photographer there are significant field tests now taking place in Japan. It is estimated that these tests will conclude at the end of March and that once any modifications have been implemented full production will start and then be launched during summer 05.

The Mamiya ZD back is in final development and is also due for launch during summer 05.