News

onOne Software, Inc.announced the availability of Perfect Effects 3 Free Edition. Based on the award-winning Perfect Effects 3 engine, Perfect Effects 3 Free is a robust photography effects software program for image enhancement and creative stylization. It may be used as a standalone application, as an external editor for Apple Aperture, Adobe Lightroom or as a Photoshop plug-in, including the new Lightroom 4 and Adobe Creative Suite 6 Beta.

Panasonic announced a new digital interchangeable lens system camera, the LUMIX DMC-GF5, which joins Panasonic’s award-winning LUMIX G Series of digital cameras, which are acclaimed for their high image quality with small and compact body and lenses. The LUMIX GF5 features a newly developed 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor and redesigned Venus Engine, helping to ensure true-to-life images through exceptional resolution, image rendering and color reproduction. Even in low-light situations and at a maximum 12800 high ISO sensitivity, the LUMIX GF5 produces stunning photos and videos. The noise reduction system includes a combination 3DNR (3D Noise Reduction) and MNR (Multi-process Noise Reduction) allowing for both bright areas and dark areas to be faithfully reproduced with minimal noise in high sensitivity image recording.

Western Digital introduced the first 2 TB capacity portable drive dedicated for Mac® customers, My Passport® Studio™. This new standard in high storage capacity, along with Apple® Time Machine® compatibility for quick and easy automatic backup of Mac hard drives, allows Mac users to use one drive for the protection and transport of virtually all their digital content, everywhere they go. The new My Passport Studio portable drive maintains its elegant and protective all-metal casing to complement the MacBook® Pro or MacBook® Air®, providing the beautiful aesthetic that Mac users expect while increasing storage capacity to 2 TB, enough space for approximately 400,000 photos, 240 hours of video or 500,000 songs(1).

In this and a continuing series of articles in the coming months we’ll bring you the news and innovations from the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held earlier this year in Las Vegas. While the show floor was dominated by “smart” this and that, from phones to TVs and tablets, we’ll concentrate on those items of most interest to photographers. This report is on the new and recently introduced D-SLRs and interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras.

Smith-Victor, a leading manufacturer of photographic lighting equipment and accessories, is celebrating National Photography Month the entire month of May on the company’s Facebook and Twitter social media pages. The company is featuring a tip-a-day on its social media pages and is holding a Facebook contest for the chance to win Smith-Victor kits and lights.

Facebook users have the chance to win a Smith-Victor 2,000 Watt Pro SoftBox Light Kit or Smith-Victor FLO-220 220W Dimmable Fluorescent 4-Lamp Bank with Barndoors by posting their best original image and description of the lighting used to the Smith-Victor Facebook page. Entries should include details such as where lights were place, if the photo was shot with ambient light, and how the light wasdiffused. Each participant can enter up to three images. Entries will be judged by photographers and lighting professionals and the best two images with descriptions win the prizes.

With the new Strap-Surfer, the German company Sun-Sniper GmbH introduces the next revolution in savvy camera carrying and presents the most clever connection between a regular shoulder bag and a camera since the invention of the tripod adapter. With only a few simple steps, the Strap-Surfer is firmly attached to the shoulder bag and secured. The camera can then be carried right on the bag – the photographer no longer has to decide whether to take the bag or the camera strap and does not have to wear a strap over each shoulder.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. announced that the PIXMA MG8220 and MG6220 Wireless1 Photo All-In-One (AIO) inkjet photo printers now support Google Cloud Print 2 allowing users to print from Gmail and Google Docs on a mobile device and from the Google Chrome browser for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chrome devices. With Google Cloud Print, you can print from wherever you are, from applications you use every day. You can even share your home and work printers with anyone you choose. The PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO inkjet printer is also scheduled to provide the same support in May.