Shutterbug Staff

Fuji
Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. has announced that the FinePix S3 will be available
in October, 2004 with a number of previously unannounced features, including
adjustable dynamic range and film simulation modes.



New feature highlights of the FinePix S3 Pro include:

Improved Dynamic Range -- The unique double photodiode design (6.17
million S-pixels and 6.17 million R-pixels) of the Super CCD SR II sensor
is said by Fuji to produce dynamic range approximately 400% greater than
that of CCD working on a single-pixel design, capturing the finest detail
in even the highest contrast scenes.

Adjustable Dynamic Range No longer confined within a small, fixed space,
professional photographers will have the option to adjust the camera's
dynamic range, changing the mixing ratio between the FinePix S3 Pro's
"S" and "R" pixels.



Film Simulation Modes

Photographers that favor the look and feel of film can replicate the results
of various chrome and negative films while shooting digitally with the
FinePix S3 Pro.



Color Spaces

The FinePix S3 Pro will offer a choice of sRBG and Adobe RGB to generate
the color best suited for the job.



Selectable RAW capture modes

Sometimes, a smaller file is needed. With the FinePix S3 Pro, the user
will be able to "turn off" the expanded dynamic range function
without losing resolution.



Lightning-Fast Start-Up

The FinePix S3 Pro goes from off to ready-to-shoot in one-half second
with any compatible media type.

The FinePix S3 Pro package will include Fujifilm's own HS-V2 Hyper-Utility
software, a workflow enhancement tool that acts like a digital lightbox,
helping photographers pick their best images.



For further information visit www.fujifilm.com.

Panasonic
has introduced the first digital cameras to combine 12x optical zoom with
an optical image stabilizer. Panasonic's three new 12x zoom are the DMC-FZ3
(3-Megapixel), DMC-FZ15 (4-Megapixel) and DMC-FZ20 (5-Megapixel). Each
features a Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens with 12x zoom (equivalent to a
35 - 420mm zoom lens on a conventional 35mm film camera) and F2.8 brightness
throughout the entire zoom range. Panasonic's MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer
automatically detects and optically compensates for hand movement by shifting
internal lens elements, enabling the user to capture crisp, clear, distortion-free
ultra-telephoto or macro shots of distant or moving subjects, even in
low lighting conditions.



These cameras also feature an extra-low dispersion (ED) lens to minimize
color aberration (color bleeding) -- a common problem in high-magnification
/ large aperture lenses. ED lenses are typically exchangeable lenses designed
for single-lens reflex cameras and high-end, professional cameras.



Panasonic has also improved its innovative Venus Engine LSI, the "brain"
of the camera that converts the optical data into digital information.
The new Venus 2 Engine LSI handles all image processing functions simultaneously
-- from displaying the image on the LCD to writing data to the memory
card -- as soon as the CCD captures the image signal. This simultaneous,
parallel processing results in a quick start-up, increased shutter speed
and reduced lag time. The improved LSI also allows faster consecutive
shooting than its predecessor. If desired, the camera will keep shooting
until the memory card is full.



All three cameras also include a host of sophisticated features such as
MEGA BURST consecutive shooting mode, real-time histogram, auto bracketing,
color viewfinder and more.



Contact: www.panasonic.com.