News

ACD Systems International Inc.has announced updates to its two flagship products,
ACDSee 8 Photo Manager and ACDSee Pro Photo Manager. The enhancements are designed
to improve speed, performance and productivity, and include advanced support
for RAW formats.

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Lexar Media, Inc., a world leader in advanced digital media technologies, today
announced that Lexar LockTight Professional CompactFlash memory cards, ideal
for security-conscious photographers worldwide, have been recognized by the
Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) as the "Best Imaging Storage
Media" introduced in Europe in the past 12 months. The award-winning system
employs a unique functionality for protecting stored data when used in conjunction
with a camera that supports the system and, as a result, is a valuable tool
for photographers in fields such as forensic photography, scientific research,
military, law enforcement and mass media.

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PENTAX Imaging Company has announced the PENTAX K100D, which combines 6.1 effective
megapixels with a host of advanced technologies including a Shake Reduction
(SR) system to deliver high-quality digital SLR photography and user-friendly
operation to all levels of photographers. The PENTAX-developed Shake Reduction
(SR) system in the K100D effectively offers a two-stop advantage for sharp,
blur-free images even under difficult shooting conditions, such as using a telephoto
lens or shooting in low light without a flash.



The SR mechanism is designed to minimize camera shake by oscillating the CCD
image sensor vertically and horizontally at high speed using magnetic force,
while adjusting the speed of oscillation in proportion to the amount of camera
shake detected by a built-in sensor. As a result, the system does not require
special anti-shake lenses and can be used with almost all existing PENTAX interchangeable
lenses.



Also announced is the PENTAX K110D, an entry-level digital SLR camera, which
has all of the features of the K100D with the exception of Shake Reduction.
Both models reflect a new digital SLR naming system that references the reverse
compatibility that each body has with the legacy of PENTAX K-mount lenses. The
PENTAX K100D will ship along with the smc 18-55mm lens in July 2006 for $699.95
US, while the PENTAX K110D will ship along with the smc 18-55mm lens in August
2006 for $599.95 US.



Along with the two new SLR models, PENTAX announced the smc PENTAX DA 21mm F3.2
AL Limited interchangeable wide-angle lens. Previewed at PMA 2006 in Orlando,
the lens features a versatile angle of view and an ultra-thin, pancake design
that offers go-anywhere portability that is ideal for casual, day-to-day snapshot
photography. The latest lens inherits all the attributes of the acclaimed PENTAX
Limited lens series including high-quality image reproduction, distinctive visual
description, and high-grade lens-barrel finish. The smc PENTAX DA 21mm F3.2
AL Limited lens will ship in July 2006 for $549.95.



www.pentax.com

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Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced an update to the Camera Raw plug-in for
Adobe Photoshop CS2, extending raw file support to eight additional digital camera
models. Available as a free download from the Adobe Web site, the Camera Raw 3.4
plug-in builds on Photoshop CS2 raw file support for digital cameras from leading
manufacturers such as Canon, Epson, Leaf, Olympus, Pentax and Samsung.

The Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography will host a two-week
Benefit Exhibition and Print Sale, June 22 through July 2, 2006. A gala
Public Reception, with live music and refreshments will be held
Saturday & Sunday, June 24 & 25, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. All are welcome
to the free exhibition. The entire proceeds from the print sale will be
donated to aid the international humanitarian medical organization,
Doctors Without Borders.


The exhibit and sale is a collaboration between the museum and
contributing students from Hallmark Institute of Photography. It will
showcase over one-hundred fifty professional- level, donated
photographs having appeal to a wide range of tastes and preferences in
visual art.

SmartDisk
Corporation today introduced FireLite XPress, a portable, palm-sized hard drive
that includes a unique cholesteric liquid crystal display. The always-on display
is readable without power, identifies the drive by a user-designated name, indicates
the last date that information was recorded and provides a table of contents
for the drive. The display provides excellent readability even in direct sunlight,
allows for wide-angle viewing and exhibits high brightness and contrast.

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Pictureframes.com has just launched an online service portal devoted to the
artist and photographer community: www.pictureframes.com/artandphoto.
It is intended for artists and photographers who seek a single source for everything
from fine art printing to matting, framing, fulfillment, secure archiving and
an unfolding suite of web services. The new online portal is said to make it
easier for artists and photographers to maximize their exposure and sell more
work with useful services such as limited and open editions with the latest
giclee technology, free telephone forums on high interest topics and regular
Graphik Dimensions news updates. Even more reseller benefits are scheduled to
premiere this summer. Other advantages found at pictureframes.com/artandphoto
include a free full-sized proof with each edition, free certificates of authenticity,
the ability to hand-sign editions and nearly a dozen fine art quality papers.

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