Shutterbug Staff

Fine art printmakers and their customers will soon have a guarantee on the longevity
of certain Epson fine art prints through Epson's new UltraGiclée(tm)
print certification program. This certification will enable printmakers to sell
their work and enable customers to buy these prints with confidence that the
prints will last.



UltraGiclée certified fine art prints, which can only be created on selected
Epson professional printers using select professional media and EPSON UltraChrome(tm)
ink, will be warranted to resist noticeable fading for 80 years from the original
date of purchase when the print is printed, framed, handled and displayed according
to warranty conditions. If a warranted print fades, Epson will provide the ink
and paper needed to make a replacement print. Current certified printers include
the EPSON Stylus Pro 4000, 7600 and 9600 printers, and certified media include
UltraSmooth(tm) Fine Art Paper, Textured Fine Art Paper and PremierArt(tm) Water
Resistant Canvas for Epson.



Wilhelm Imaging Research (www.wilhelm-research.com)
has independently tested the printers, inks and papers used in Epson's UltraGiclée
certification program for the fine art, fine art reproduction and fine art photography
industries. Final prints made according to the program's specifications will
be registered and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.


In order to earn UltraGiclée certification, printmakers will attend a
training class on proper printing and finishing techniques. Classes will be
offered starting in late spring in various cities across the country. Details
will be available at www.epson.com/ultragiclee
beginning March 14.

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Olympus has announced the development of what they dub the world's fastest
"Designed for Digital" interchangeable fixed-aperture wide zoom
lenses. Designed for use with Olympus E-System digital SLR cameras, including
the E-1 and EVOLT E-300, these three new Digital Specific lenses -- Zuiko
Digital ED 14-35mm f2.0, Zuiko Digital ED 35-100mm f2.0 and Zuiko Digital ED
90-250mm f2.8 -- feature fixed apertures through the entire zoom range.
These three lenses are due to go on sale in fourth quarter of 2005.

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Rollei, manufacturer of the classic twin-lens 6x6 Rolleiflex, has announced
the availability of the 6008 AF "Bundle," which will be the top-of-the-line
offering in a family of products Rollei is rolling out in the U.S.



The bundle includes the Rollei 6008 AF camera, the world's first auto focus
single lens reflex camera in a 6 x 6 medium format; C1 Pro software for precise
workflow that supports all phases of image editing and intuitive operation;
and the PhaseOne db20p digital back, which gives photographers film and digital
picture taking capability in one package. The interchangeable film packs allow
a photographer to shoot film, Polaroid-type shots as well as digital shots.



The db20p has resolution of 16 mega pixels, 16 bits per RGB or CMYK color, and
offers the option of saving RAW files in addition to TIFF and JPEG files. The
unit handles studio or location shoots with ease, thanks to high performance
rechargeable batteries that provide 250 shots (four working hours) and 45 frames
per minute without AC power. The data is stored in the IIQ RAW format on CompactFlash
cards. Processed images can be stored in the form of IIQ RAW, TIFF-RGB, TIFF-CMYK
or JPEG files. File sizes are between 48 MB and 128 MB. ICC profiles can be
embedded for optimum color management.



The 6008 AF is targeted to studio and on-location professionals -- from portrait,
fashion and landscape photographers, to photojournalists, and corporate/ government
photographers involved in "workflow" photography. Pricing is expected
to be in the $14,999 range.



Rollei's new bundle, which includes lenses from Schneider-Kreuznach and Carl
Zeiss, retains full compatibility with the Rollei 6000 system. This makes it
compatible with more than 20 current 6000 system lenses. Three new AF lenses
have been developed for the auto focus modes of the 6008 AF.



The 6008 AF also features a new TTL flash-control system. The TTL sensor is
integrated into the camera and measures the amount of flash light reaching the
film - parallax-free and at the exact viewing angle. All available shutter speeds
are flash-synchronized, which give pros a considerable advantage when working
in daylight and or for filling in shadows and strong subject contrasts. The
Rollei 6008 AF weighs 1500 grams and is 143 x 139 x 124 mm without lens.



For more information, contact: www.Rollei.com.

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