Shutterbug Staff

Other World Computing (OWC) http://www.macsales.com
has announced what they claim to be the highest capacity 7200RPM portable, bus-powered
storage solution on the market -- the Mercury On-The-Go 200GB portable
hard drive. The Mercury On-The-Go is said to be up to 50% faster than other
7200RPM drives; and at 200GB, it provides a 25% higher capacity than the competition.

...

Pacific Image Electronics has announced PrimeFoto 2.0, the latest version of
the product that creates picture album CDs from photos stored on digital camera
memory cards. PrimeFoto 2.0 now includes an automatic orientation feature that
rotates pictures automatically for users whose digital cameras have an auto
rotation function, rather than checking each image one-by-one. Users can also
now generate picture albums from a CD. Just select the desired images and press
"Make CD" on the remote control.

...

Panasonic and Leica Camera have announced that they have launched the development
of a new Leica D large-diameter telephoto zoom lens, specifically designed for
Panasonic's first digital SLR camera, the LUMIX DMC-L1 and other Four
Thirds System compatible digital SLR cameras. The new LEICA D VARIO-ELMAR 14-150mm/F3.5-5.6
ASPH./ lens will also feature Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)
and become the first Leica D lens with range up to 300mm*.



The new large-diameter 10.7x telephoto zoom lens, which meets Leica's stringent
quality and performance standards will be just as light and compact as the previously
released LEICA D VARIO-ELMARIT 14-50mm/ F2.8-3.5 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. lens, but
provide a considerably longer telephoto range as a result of incorporating four
aspherical lenses in the unit. The aspherical lenses and an ED (extra-low dispersion)
lens will also improve optical performance of the lens by minimizing distortion,
even at the 28mm wide end.



Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S. also allows for slower shutter speed use and the
ability to detect and correct hand-shake accurately using Panasonic's
Venus Engine LSI, which will be incorporated into the lens. Additionally when
the lens is mounted on the LUMIX DMC-L1, or the LEICA DIGILUX 3, photographers
will be able to use the aperture ring provided and enjoy easy, intuitive shooting.
This combination of an extended 28-300mm shooting range, Mega O.I.S., and an
aperture ring for intuitive control makes the new lens perfect for capturing
clear, beautiful, expressive images when shooting a wide variety of subjects
and in a host of conditions.



The LEICA D VARIO-ELMAR 14-150mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. lens will be available
in March for $999.95.



www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

Panasonic just announced the 16-megapixel DMC-G85 (G85), a new rugged, mirrorless camera, which is the latest model in the Lumix G series. The Panasonic G85 is splash and dust-proof and includes 5-axis Dual I.S. (Image Stabilizer) 2 for getting sharp shots in difficult shooting conditions.