News

The 8GB SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash card satisfies the need of those using
high-megapixel digital SLRs, those producing large files with every shot. Ultra
II cards offer a minimum sustained write speed of 9MB/sec and a read speed of
10MB/sec. SanDisk also produces their Extreme III CompactFlash lineup, which
has about double the read/write speed, but because the Extreme III uses a different
type of NAND flash memory the maximum capacity of that lineup is 4GB. In tests
with a variety of digital SLRs the Ultra II performed flawlessly, and it sure
was handy having that amount of memory on trips where lots of images were made
during the day's shoot. For Raw images with an 8MP camera we could get
almost 600 images on a card. Retail price for the 8GB card is $999.99, about
what a 1GB CompactFlash card cost three years ago.

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Extensis has posted free updates for all of our Photoshop Tools products (Mask
Pro, PhotoFrame, Intellihance Pro and pxl SmartScale). The free updates for registered
users will provide Adobe Creative Suite 2 compatibility. As always, information
on any Extensis product compatibility update (for either Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger or
Adobe Creative Suite 2) can be accessed at http://www.extensis.com/en/support/product_compatibility.jsp
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AgfaPhoto,
the independent company which has emerged from the Consumer Imaging division of
the Agfa-Gevaert Group, has announced it is significantly expanding the range
of its digital film offerings with new products in four popular formats: secure
digital (SD) cards, high-capacity compact flash (CF) cards, xD digital media cards,
and USB memory sticks.
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HP has announced its first annual "On Assignment with HP" contest
for advanced amateur and professional photographers. Running May 18 through
August 31, 2005, the program is designed to help promote HP's high quality
photo printing solutions and capture a special new collection of original photography.
The winning images will be evaluated and selected based on composition, sharpness,
lightning, creativity and originality by a panel of judges that includes world-renowned
photographer Douglas Kirkland.



"HP's commitment to the photography market runs deep and we believe
this contest will help support and recognize the efforts of this talented community,"
said Enrique Lores, Vice President & General Manager, HP Inkjet Commercial
Division (ICD). "From the advanced amateur photo to fine arts reproduction,
HP's professional photography products incorporate the latest advancements
in HP color sciences with unparalleled output."



Contest participants will have a chance to showcase their imagination and skill
in three categories, designed to allow maximum freedom to explore original creative
ideas. The categories are as follows:

· Color: This category will explore the wide range of brilliant colors
taken through the lens as well as capturing clear, well-defined images.



· Black and White: The best photos in this category will include a wide
range of gray shades, yet will also take into account sharp imagery.



· Portrait/Social: Featuring people in still or social settings, photos
submitted in this category will be judged on both the use of color and well-defined
images.



By demonstrating imagination through the creation of images, a grand prize and
runner-up prize will be awarded in each category. Grand prize winners will be
awarded $5,000 in cash, an HP Designjet 90 series printer, as well as 30 professional-quality
prints from their portfolio. The runner-up prizes include an HP Photosmart 8750
printer and supplies kits including HP Vivera inks and photo paper.



The judging panel will include photographer Douglas Kirkland, a team of creative
professionals from Publicis in the West, and HP representatives. Winners will
be notified on September 30th. Participants may enter the program by uploading
their photo(s) electronically at the program website (www.hp.com/go/onassignment)
from May 18 through August 31, 2005. Only original photographs will be accepted.
Graphic designs or illustrations will not be accepted. For full terms and conditions,
please visit the program website.

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The following release was received from Ilford. While a bit breathless, it
shows the enthusiasm and effort involved in keeping the company afloat. I did
edit somewhat for length. --gs



After some four months of highly geared activity following the announcements
in February this year that ILFORD had been saved from total annihilation, the
newly emerged organization is now able to draw breath and assess its current
situation.



It was due to the swift and timely action of six of ILFORD Imaging's management
team - at some considerable personal financial risk to themselves - that the
UK-based company which headed the international group avoided being split up,
asset stripped, or otherwise totally lost. Via a cleverly constructed operation,
the liquidators were able to sell off the considerable areas of land at the
company's plant in Mobberly, Cheshire, to an investment company on the basis
that the plant would remain, thereby enabling the rest of the business to fall
within the capabilities of the team.



What amounted to something of a coup in the face of determined interest expressed
by 21 potential suitors which pursued the company through its most vulnerable
stages saw the team able to provide a more attractive solution to the liquidator.
This included not only satisfying the demands of the liquidation, but also ensuring
the continuation of a business which, over its 125-year history, had established
itself as the leading monochrome specialist.



Having had the deal and the buyout accepted to much acclaim, the team then had
to get the company fully on track: manufacturing processes operating, stocks
up to appropriate levels, sales, marketing and distribution fully functioning,
staffing organized and relations with both the company's overseas distributors
and its worldwide customers being re-established on a progressive basis. "It
has been a pretty hectic four months," states chairman and managing director
Phil Harris, "but we now have the company on a strong basis and ready
to take on the world in our endeavors to revitalize the ILFORD name."




ILFORD Photo is the trading name of HARMAN technology Ltd, the company under
which the new enterprise trades, and is the brand which will be used for all
monochrome products - film, paper and photochemistry. The HARMAN brand (drawn
from the name of ILFORD's founder in 1879, Alfred Harman) will be applied to
other aspects of the company's business, such as thin-layer film and paper coating
for the medical sector, as it becomes further organized.



The distributors in USA, France, Benelux, Switzerland and Australia are no longer
subsidiaries of ILFORD UK, but since their former parent company's crash, they
have re-organized themselves, mostly as independent companies, and will continue
handling the supply of ILFORD Photo products to their respective markets, as
do the many other companies which make up the global network of suppliers. The
ILFORD digital products manufacturing base in Switzerland is still involved
in discussions concerning its future.



HARMAN technology/ILFORD Photo now stands totally independent of any corporate
ties to the erstwhile group, and is concentrating on what it knows best, and
to which it is totally committed - black-and-white photography.



"Black-and-white analogue photography is the platform to which we are
all dedicated," explains Howard Hopwood, HARMAN/ILFORD Photo's marketing
and business development director. "Quite frankly, the rebirth of ILFORD
as a brand concentrating on this genre could not have been better timed.



"The world imaging market has been jumping through all kinds of hoops
over the last few years as it has come to terms with digital processes, just
as much as it has with the progress of color photography. Having done that,
and turned full circle back to its roots, those who really care about expressive
photography, and about preserving images in all their beauty, still acknowledge
that black-and-white is the one true medium.



It is this dedication to black-and-white, shared by Harris and Hopwood with
their fellow HARMAN technology directors: Andy Taylor (Finance Director), Steven
Brierley (Sales Director UK, USA and Australia), Simon Galley (Sales Director
European and Export Markets), and Peter Elton (Operations Director), which provides
the catalyst for the company's determined and carefully formulated assault on
the global market.



Nearly 400 people are now employed at Mobberly, with technology and production
capability up to full capacity. Eighty-five per cent of output is being exported,
and global distribution channels are all open. The management is in place and
fully functioning, as are all sales departments and personnel.



In view of the uncertainty that has existed in the worldwide monochrome consumables
field recently, especially regarding availability of black-and-white paper,
ILFORD Photo's relaunch of its comprehensive range of top quality products,
which includes a variety of black-and-white paper types, and the company's assurances
of continued future manufacture, are especially timely for the many enthusiasts
and professional photographers concerned about future supplies.



"In spite of being so busy over these months," comments Harris,
"the process has been cathartic, and great fun. Having structured the
company into a fully operational organization, we now look forward to facing
the challenge in all our marketplaces. If the extremely positive reaction we
have received so far is anything by which to judge, we can expect to be in a
very solid position very quickly."



www.ilfordphoto.com

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DxO Labs has announced that DxO Optics Pro v3.0 Digital SLR and lens
automatic image quality enhancement software is available on the company's
e-store (http://store.dxo.com)
and via selected resellers. DxO Optics Pro v3.0 incorporates optics, noise and
exposure corrections in an all-new, easy-to-use, feature-rich application for
both Mac and PC users.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 now also includes support for two additional Nikon digital
SLR camera bodies: the Nikon D70s and Nikon D2X. DxO Optics Pro v3.0 provides
support for the Nikon D70s and the same range of lenses as currently supported
for the Nikon D70. And new to DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is support for the Nikon D2X
and an initial selection of compatible lenses with more to come over the coming
weeks and months.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 was subjected to rigorous, in-the-field testing by tens
of thousands of professional and advanced amateur photographers during worldwide
public beta testing."The photography community got incredibly involved
in the beta test. Their feedback was invaluable and we would like to publicly
thank all of them," explained Luc Marin, Vice President of the Photography
Business unit at DxO Labs. "Several thousand photographers also answered
a follow-up questionnaire and confirmed, once again, the value that DxO Optics
Pro delivers."



At the core of DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is the award-winning DxO Optics Engine which,
together with the associated DxO Lens modules, automatically removes lens distortion,
vignetting, lens softness and lateral chromatic aberration. The DxO Raw Engine
in DxO Optics Pro v3.0 has also been completely redesigned to offer photographers
full control of the RAW conversion process.



DxO Noise Engine is based on a set of unique algorithms developed by DxO Labs
and on precise camera sensor modelization. The all-new DxO Noise Engine automatically
achieves a reduction of up to two f-stops in image noise while preserving maximum
detail. DxO Lighting Engine is a brand new DxO technology included in DxO Optics
Pro v3.0. A unique local exposure and dynamic range optimizer, DxO Lighting
Engine brings out the shadow detail of digital image files while preserving
highlights, textures, colors and a natural look. DxO Optics Pro v3.0 offers
a choice of three operating modes to meet every demanding photographer's
needs. All modes are fully batch-oriented for the greatest productivity. Users
can switch between modes at any time.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is offered in two versions with the same functionality but
different levels of camera support: DxO Optics Pro v3.0 (US$159) for prosumer
and expert amateur Digital SLRs and DxO Optics Pro v3.0 Elite (US$ 249) for
all supported cameras, including professional Digital SLRs.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is available in six languages: English, French, German,
Italian, Japanese and Spanish, for both Macintosh and Windows (full system requirements
on www.dxo.com).



All purchasers of DxO Optics Pro 2.2 on or after April 20th, 2005 are eligible
for a free upgrade to DxO Optics Pro v3.0. For all other users, upgrade to DxO
Optics Pro v3.0 is offered at US$ 49).



For more information, visit DxO Labs online at www.dxo.com
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Shutterbug contributor Jon Canfield's latest book has just been released.
"RAW 101: Better Images With Photoshop Elements and Photoshop",
published by Sybex is the first introductory book on using Adobe Camera Raw.
RAW 101 covers all practical aspects of RAW in Photoshop Elements 3 and Photoshop
CS2. Just follow the heavily illustrated, step-by-step examples and you'll
quickly figure out how to attain the greatest accuracy from your RAW files,
whether it's correcting shadow and highlight detail, fixing white balance,
or eliminating noise. Once you see the startling results, you'll no longer
want to rely on your camera to make critical decisions for you. The 160 page
full color book retails for $24.99. For more information, visit the Sybex website
at http://www.sybex.com/sybexbooks.nsf/booklist/4432

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