News

Olympus has announced its new super-telephoto Zuiko Digital ED 70-300mm (f4.0-f5.6)
lens. The lens' allows users to get up-close (38 inches / 0.96 meters)
to subjects when taking macro shots. It is compatible with all E-System and
Four-Thirds system cameras. Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses each house their own
CPU and offer the user the ability to upgrade the firmware as new technology
becomes available. The ability to upgrade firmware is said to establish optimal
communication between the lens and the camera body, enabling better compensation
for common distortions such as "shading" (darkening of the edges
of an image that may sometimes occur in photographs) or "barrel distortion"
(the bowing of vertical lines).

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From the beaches of the eastern seaboard to the Great Plains, and from the wetlands
of the south, to the towering sequoias of the west, America and its pristine parks
have always been hailed as top destination sites for photography enthusiasts and
their families. Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the American Park Network continue to help
define the relationship between photography and the great outdoors with the introduction
of a free photography workshop program on select dates throughout the summer in
Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks. These programs will be
artfully hosted and instructed by a select few of the world renowned Canon Explorer
of Light photographers including Adam Jones and Lewis Kemper, along with other
Canon-selected photographers such as Rob and Ann Simpson. What's more, the
Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest returns this year to offer photographers
the chance to display their work and win prizes in the categories of landscape
and wildlife photography in the parks.



From June 1st to September 29th, photographic enthusiasts are encouraged to submit
their favorite photographs from an American park to the Canon Digital Learning
Center. Winning photographs in the categories of landscape and wildlife will win
a trip to the participating parks of their choice, along with a full suite of
Canon photographic equipment. By logging onto the Canon Digital Learning Center
at www.usa.canon.com/dlc,
potential winners will not only have the opportunity to submit their photos, but
can also peruse the Web site to explore the various educational resources that
Canon has to offer for novices and advanced photographers alike.



With the help of the Canon Explorer of Light program, park visitors will have
the opportunity to participate in free daily guided visual photographic journeys.
Additionally, Canon will loan participants top-tier digital camera equipment to
capture those awe-inspiring sights at no additional cost. Aspiring photographers
will learn the tips and tricks to taking great outdoor photos and experience hands-on
training using some of the same equipment that professional photographers use.
Evening programs are also offered, providing visitors the rare opportunity to
spend time with the Explorers of Light, view stunning imagery, ask questions,
and receive prints and a CD of their own photos.

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ReaSoft Development has announced the release of ReaConverter 5.0, which allows
users to convert images, as well as edit them, creating the high quality photos
and drafts.

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New digicams now offer higher resolution, larger LCD screens, longer zoom lenses, more compact body size, greater speed, and some other amenities that I'll discuss in this report. And the megapixel race has not really slowed as we had expected a year ago. Apparently, some consumers are not satisfied with 6- or 7-megapixel (MP) resolution, making the ultrahigh-resolution...

Epson America, Inc. has announced the Epson PowerLite S5 multimedia projector,
offering SVGA resolution and 2,000 ANSI lumens at an attractive price point
of $649 (estimated street price.) The PowerLite S5 weighs 5.8 pounds and offers
a range of features including HDTV support, to accommodate business or educational
needs during the day as well as home entertainment needs such as movies and
gaming in the evening.



The PowerLite S5 is said to be the ideal solution for a range of industries
and applications. Sales professionals can deliver powerful presentations in
almost any lighting condition with 2,000 ANSI lumens. And, with Epson's
latest generation of high aperture 3LCD (three-chip) technology for sharp, more
intense images, users are able to project with vivid color reproduction and
detail. For added versatility, the projector features a high brightness "Game"
Mode and can be plugged directly into a gaming console for an enhanced gaming
experience.

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Mamiya Digital announced an exciting new product - the Mamiya ZD 645AFD II Digital
System. The System consists of the Mamiya 645AFD II Medium Format Camera with
80mm f/2.8 AF lens and the newly- introduced Mamiya ZD 22 Megapixel Digital
Back. At a retail price of $9,999, the digital system marks a new era in the
high-end digital market.

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MediaStreet Inc is introducing its new "15-inch eMotion Digital Picture
Frame." The announcement comes on the heels of the company's recent
introduction of a Bluetooth-enabled digital frame, and soon to be announced
WiFi Frame. The new 15-inch eMotion frame provides an extremely high resolution
(1024 x 768), 15-inch (4:3 aspect ratio) Digital TFT LCD panel for clear, sharp
picture quality.

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