Galen Rowell & Wife Killed in Plane Crash

Olympus and Fuji unveil new digital camera media

Lexar Media Introduces New High-speed JumpDrive

Company to sell disposable cell phones

Contax Introduces New Carl Zeiss Zoom Lens for the 645 System

Fuji Announces New Fujichrome and Fujicolor Portrait Point Reward Programs 

Olympus to Sponsor Digital Photography & Imaging Workshop on Cruise Ship

Galen Rowell & Wife Killed in Plane Crash

The news is a shock to all in the photographic community whether they knew them personally or through their work. Click Here for the full story.

Olympus and Fuji unveil new digital camera media

Olympus and Fuji have unveiled the xD Digital Picture Card, a new smaller, high-capacity media card. They claim the xD will be the smallest storage format of its kind on the market - comparable in size to a penny, measuring just 0.79 x 0.98 x 0.07 inches and weighing less than one-tenth of an ounce with a claimed capacity 8GB. Both Fuji and Olympus will unveil products using xD format this fall.

Initially, the cards will have 16MB, 32MB, 64MB and 128MB capacities, according to Fuji, with a 256MB card planned for later this year.

According to Fuji, a 16 or 32MB card can record data at 1.3MB/second. A 64MB card or higher can record data at 3MB/second and both offer a read speed of 5MB/second. The xD is compatible with existing PCMCIA and CF slots with adaptors.

Lexar Media Introduces New High-speed JumpDrive

Not much bigger than the plug on a USB cable the new JumpDrive from Lexar is a cool storage solution. The JumpDrives hold 64mb or 128mb of data, require no drivers or software, and can be treated like a mini hard drive by any PC or Mac. Just plug it into any USB port. A light will blink while data is being transferred. When the light goes off it's safe to remove the JumpDrive. It even has slot for a keyring!

It's small size and durability make it handy for swapping files between computers, particularly if you often carry work home.

List prices for the JumpDrives are $79.99 for the 64mb model and 119.99 for the 128mb model.

Throwaway cell phones are set to make their debut on United States convenience store shelves according to Reuters. 

Hop-On, a small California company has won U.S. regulatory approval to sell its first disposable phones, clearing the way for a nationwide introduction of a no-frills recyclable phones for prepaid mobile calling.   

Hop-on says it will sell its stripped-down mobile phone and 60 minutes of air time for a $40 flat fee through an unnamed "major CDMA" carrier. They also hope to win the FCC's blessing in 45 to 60 days for a second, less-expensive model that would be priced at $29 based on the international GSM mobile standard to be aimed at Europe and eventually the United States.   

Hop-On mobile devices are plastic, two-way phones the size of a deck of playing cards. The phones are based on a low-cost chipset from Philips Electronics and based on technology from Qualcomm. Users talk and listen to callers via a microphone/earpiece connected by a thin wire. Customers buy scratch cards in increments of additional talk time of 60, 90 and 120 minutes. 

Hop-On hopes to sell the phones at major retailers, corner stores and gas stations but some analysts are skeptical. "The pieces of the strategy seem to make some sense, but I just wonder what's going to make people reach for this phone rather than a more conventional prepaid phone?" said Steve Baker, a retail technology analyst for research firm NPD.  

But Hop-On offered a comparison to single-use cameras. "When they first came out, most people thought, 'Ah, why would I want a disposable camera? That changed rather quickly when consumers discovered new uses for them." 

Contax Introduces New Carl Zeiss Zoom Lens for the 645 System

Contax has introduced the new Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* f/4.5 45-90mm mid-range lens for the Contax 645 system. The equivalent of a 28-55mm lens in 35mm format thi compact (for a medium format lens) Vario-Sonnar T* 45-90mm lens incorporates a Dual Focus Mechanism (auto/manual), 12 elements in 10 groups, and an improved version of Carl Zeiss internal baffling system technology that controls stray light which in turn increases contrast and image quality. The lens features a a constant aperture of f/4.5 and a minimum focus distance of 0.5 meters and takes 95mm screw type filters.

Contax designed the Vario-Sonnar T* 45-90mm lens to be a a one-lens solution for photographers using their 645 medium format system, especially wedding photographers, by providing a lens with moderate wide angle to normal coverage.

Street prices for the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 45-90mm lens are expected to be around $2,900.

Fuji Announces New Fujichrome and Fujicolor Portrait Point Reward Programs 

The Fujichrome films eligible this year include Fujichrome Velvia, Astia, Provia 100F and Provia 400F. Awards include the now familiar loupe and lightbox as well as a rather nice Tenba photo backpack and $200 and $350 rebate checks on a Fuji PG3500 or a PG4000II respectively. 

Not to leave out the folks who make their living shooting portraits and weddings Fuji has a separate promotion for their professional portrait films, specifically Fujicolor Portrait Professional NPS160, NPC160, New NPH400 and NPZ800. 

Awards for this program include educational books from Fuji, A Tenba rolling case designed for wedding photographers, rebate programs for the S2 ($200), Fuji PG3500 ($200) and  PG4000II ($350), or a gift certificate ($300) towards studio props and backgrounds from Denny Manufacturing.   

This promotion is geared toward pro shooters. You'll have to shoot 40 rolls of Velvia to qualify for the loupe and 80 rolls to qualify for the backpack or 60 & 120 rolls if you're buying your film in 20 packs. That's a lot of film for most amateurs but a drop in the bucket for many pros.

Olympus to Sponsor Digital Photography & Imaging Workshop on Cruise Ship

Olympus announced that it will sponsor an innovative 8-day Digital Photography & Imaging Cruise featuring workshops for beginning and intermediate photographers. 

The cruise will embark from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on December 4, 2002, aboard Carnival's newest superliner, Legend.

The cruise is the second in a series offering instruction in photo-digital technologies in a relaxed learning environment. Scheduled ports of call include Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama, with an optional side trip to the Panama Canal.

Each workshop attendee can choose a camera, accessory or software gift package worth over $1,000 provided by participating sponsors including Olympus, whose best-selling Olympus D-550 Zoom is included in the camera package.

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