Fujifilm U.S.A., Inc. is pleased to announce plans to re-introduce an ISO 50 Fujichrome
Velvia professional film, tentatively named Velvia II. Fujichrome Velvia (RVP
50) was the first high color saturation, high contrast transparency E-6 compatible
film when it was introduced in 1990 and was a favorite among photographers. Its
discontinuation was announced last year due to difficulties in procuring some
of the raw materials used to produce the emulsion.



As a result, Fujifilm research and development teams have developed substitute
raw materials and new manufacturing technologies that enable the company to restart
production. The new film is expected to be available in late spring 2007. The
characteristics of the new emulsion will mirror that of the previous product.



www.fujifilmusa.com
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Online photo and video sharing service Phanfare has announced the availability
of downloadable slideshows that can be easily viewed on any PC or Mac computer
system.

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Lexar has announced that new Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) flash memory
cards will be available as part of the company's Platinum II and Standard
lines of products. Lexar SDHC cards satisfy market demand for reliable SDHC
cards that are ideal for storing and sharing digital images, video, and music
and are offered at varying price and performance levels. SDHC cards from both
Lexar product lines will be available next month in 4GB capacity, and later
this year in 8GB capacity.

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Adobe Systems Incorporated(Nasdaq:ADBE) has announced that Adobe Photoshop(r)
Lightroom(tm) 1.0 software is now available for pre-order and is expected to
ship in mid-February 2007. Photoshop Lightroom enables professional photographers
to import, manage and present large volumes of digital photographs, helping
photographers spend more time behind the lens and less time at the computer.
With more than 500,000 photographers participating in the public beta program
over the last 12 months, Photoshop Lightroom now includes a wealth of innovative
features that streamline digital photography workflows. Recognizing the photography
community for their efforts, Adobe is offering Photoshop Lightroom at a special
introductory price of US $199 through April 30, 2007 at the Adobe Store. Photoshop
Lightroom will later sell for an estimated street price of US $299.



Photoshop Lightroom includes new functionality added since beta 4.1, with significant
changes to the Library and Develop modules complementing improvements to the
Slideshow, Print and Web components. While in the Library module, new advanced
keywording tools help photographers filter through large collections, and an
improved import dialogue with more flexible file handling allows more choice
when determining file location. The new Key Metadata Browser provides quick
access to key information tags with an improved ranking and rating system that
now incorporates color labels and a pick/reject system that sorts and locates
photographs faster than ever. New to the Develop module, Virtual Copies and
Snapshot tools help present multiple versions of the same image, providing the
most choice to clients without the confusion of saving separate physical versions.
Additional tools added include a Hue, Saturation and Luminance targeted adjustment
tool for precise and intuitive image edits. Clone and Healing features provide
non-destructive edits to eliminate sensor dust across one or many images.



Photoshop Lightroom leverages Adobe Camera Raw technology and supports over
150 native raw file formats, in addition to JPEG and TIFF, bringing raw conversion
into a single workflow experience. The latest camera models supported include
the Nikon D40 and D80 and the Pentax K10D. This support means that photographers
can use Lightroom with even the newest cameras on the market, knowing that the
image files will be recognized today and in the future. Upon import, files can
be converted to the Digital Negative specification (DNG) or renamed and segmented
by folder or date. DNG is an industry-wide initiative to create a universal
file format for solving workflow and archiving issues. It aims to eliminate
barriers to new camera adoption while giving professional photographers the
confidence that their digital body of work is securely archived and will remain
accessible as digital imaging technology evolves.

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