Pentax Imaging Company has dropped the price on the *ist DL digital SLR camera
with 18-55 DA lens to $599.95. Well known for delivering small, lightweight,
easy-to-use and affordable SLRs, Pentax now offers a suite of nine digital lenses
specifically designed for use with their digital SLR bodies. Rebates up to $100
on select lenses are currently available through March 31, 2006. More details
are available at www.pentaxslr.com.
Rick
Sammon's new instructional DVD, Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Outdoor and Travel
Photographers, is designed to help you improve your wildlife, landscape, nature
and travel images. With 10 lessons and more than 1.5 hours of training, Rick's
latest DVD teaches you how to transform snapshots in great photographs.
The lessons are presented in the QuickTime movie format that includes Rick's
voice and on-screen enhancements guiding you through each step of the process.
Users can stop the movies and go "back in time" if they miss a step
in the enhancement process. Each lesson includes a high-quality JPEG work image,
enabling users to apply Rick's suggestions during their practice sessions.
Free lessons are posted on rickspixelmagic.com to give viewers a glimpse of
Rick's teaching style and the innovative QuickTime movie technology. The interactive
DVD, a rickspixelmagic production, is available for $39.95 (plus shipping and
handling). For more information on Rick's complete line of DVDs, see www.rickspixelmagic.com.
We
are sad to announce that Carl Koch, inventor of the modular Sinar camera system,
died in late December at the age of 89. This Swiss photographer and inventor
introduced the revolutionary Sinar camera in 1948. Koch's primary motivation
was to offer professional photographers the latest technical refinements. He
was steadfastly successful with the logical implementation of his life's
motto: "What can be done better, shall be done better".
Additional milestones were the automation of the camera with the introduction
of a universal shutter for all lenses, selective exposure metering at the film
plane and the simplification of camera settings.
The education of the new generation of professional photographers was also a
major concern to Koch. He authored a series of textbooks and guidelines for
professional photography, of which Photo Know How'--a self-teaching
course for professional photographers that was translated into many languages
including Chinese and Russian--became a worldwide standard text. To this
day, Koch's principles still guide the philosophy of Sinar, the company
that he founded. The world of professional photography mourns the passing of
one of its great pioneers.
Apricorn has introduced the high-capacity 60GB EZ Bus Mini to their popular
ultra-portable USB hard drive line. Utilizing 1.8" hard drive technology,
the EZ Bus Mini is bus powered for optimum versatility. The entire EZ Bus Mini
line, now available in 20GB, 40GB and 60GB capacities, features a Hi-Speed USB
2.0, 4200-RPM hard drive. The enclosure includes an integrated USB cable with
a convenient, recessed storage compartment.
ATP
Electronics Inc. recently unveiled the ProMax line of high-performance CompactFlash
memory cards, designed for use with the latest high-resolution digital SLRs.
Boasting a speed rating of 150X, the water- and shock-resistant ProMax CF cards
feature a 30MB/s data transfer speed for rapid file transfers and seamless multimedia
streaming.
Walking along the shoreline I found an accumulation of feathers and a tragic death of a beautiful creature. This left me to wonder, how and why. In the water floats one feather that escaped this tragic ending. I took a picture of this lone feather as it floated away. Every time I look at it, I wonder about its ending and the sadness of it all. The demise of this creature lies in...
Our Picture This! assignment this month was Outdoor Sports, and readers responded with a host of great shots from a near-Olympic-size field that included baseball, running, biking, and rodeo. Judging from these photos it's clear that readers have their eye on the ball and know how to grab those "peak of the action" shots.
We welcome your comments on articles, photo and digital events, feedback on how we're doing, constructive criticism, and friendly advice. We reserve the right to edit for brevity and to paraphrase longer comments if necessary. You can send us letters by US mail at Editor, News & Notes, Shutterbug Magazine, 1419 Chaffee Dr., Suite #1, Titusville, FL 32780, or by e-mail...
Phase One, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, is now shipping the world's only digital
camera back with a 39-megapixel sensor for the ultimate in medium- and large-format
digital photography. The new P 45 digital camera back features a capture rate
of 35 frames per minute, a write speed of up to 20MB per second, and a huge
117MB file size.
The new Pentax Optio A10 is the company's first model with an 8MP CCD
packaged in the signature slim, lightweight, stylish design of the Optio digital
camera line. The new flagship camera features an innovative Shake Reduction
system that utilizes two internal gyro sensors to detect camera shake while
a dedicated CPU calculates the required correction to compensate for the level
of camera shake while focusing. In turn, a proprietary mechanism adjusts the
CCD to compensate for the camera shake and deliver sharp images.