Vivid Light Photography, digital and film photography online
News from
Photokina & PhotoPlus Expo
<<Back  Page 1  2  3  4  Next>>

Kodak

EasyShare DX7590 Zoom Digital Camera

Kodak's latest EasyShare camera is a 5.0 megapixel digital zoom camera. 

The DX7590 features a Professional-quality Schneider-Kreuznach f/2.8 – f/3.7 Variogon 10X Optical Zoom Lens equivalent to 38-380 mm. A big 2.2" high-resolution indoor/outdoor display, low-light auto-focus, Continuous shooting and bracketing modes, and 22 scene and color modes.

Konica Minolta

While we still struggle with saying Konica Minolta (not just Minolta) we are impressed with what we're seeing on the digital front. The 7D looks very promising and we can't wait to get our hands on one, and the new A200 joins the 8MP fray.

Maxxum 7D Update

The long awaited Maxxum 7D from Konica Minolta will hit stores in the U.S. in early December at an expected MSRP of $1599. 

The camera will also be available in kit form, packaged with the 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 RS lens, priced at $1689. 

Also look for kits and more information on including the two new digital lenses announced below. 

Two New Digital Zoom Lenses for the Maxxum 7D

Konica Minolta announced the AF Zoom 17-35mm F2.8-4 (D) Lens and AF Zoom 28-75mm F/2.8 (D) Lens which proved the equivalent of 25-52mm and 42-104mm coverage respectively. These are digital only lenses designed specifically to work with the 7D and incorporate Konica Minolta’s Advanced Distance Integration (ADI) flash metering. These fast lenses also make use of circular apertures for natural looking out of focus areas. 

Look for these lenses when the camera is made available in December. 

Pricing TBD.

A200 8.0 Megapixel 28 to 800mm f/2.8 - f/3.5 SLR

Equipped with Konica Minolta's Anti-Shake technology the DiMAGE A200 joins the 8.0 MP SLR competition. 

It features a high-performance Konica Minolta GT APO f/2.8 - f/3.5 lens that includes a 7x optical zoom (28 to 200mm) and a 4x digital zoom that extends the cameras reach to 800mm. 

This feature packed camera will be available in December, price to be announced.

Leica

R9 10MP digital back 

Leica has succeeded at doing what others have promised but never delivered - they've created a high quality digital back capable of working with a 35mm camera body - giving the photographer a choice of shooting either film or digital with a single camera body. 

The Leica Digital-Modular-R is a digital camera back designed to fit regular production LEICA R8 and R9 cameras providing 10 megapixel digital capture capability but allowing owners of those bodies to continue to shoot film by simply changing camera backs. 

It uses SD cards for storage, supports an ISO range of 100 to 1600, RAW, TIFF, and 2 JPEG modes, and a full suite of digital features that you'd expect to find in a high-end digital SLR. 

Street prices on the R9 are in the $2300 range, the Digital-Modul-R Camera Back is in the $4995 range.

We think this is a fantastic solution. Are you listening Nikon and Canon?

Miniature 4.0 Megapixel Minox

Attention all you aspiring James Bond types. The miniaturization specialists at Minox have introduced a miniture 4.0 mp version of Leica's classic M3 small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It can record up to 99 images on its internal 32 MB of memory. 

OK so this is more of a curiosity than a serious photographer's camera. But these little Minox cameras are a wonder of craftsmanship and we really were taken by the little snapper. 

We don't yet have pricing but it's 2.0 mp predecessor sold on the street for around $250 which makes it an affordable curiosity.

Lexar

JumpDrive TouchGuard Uses Fingerprint Recognition to Guard Data and Simplify Access To Protected Web Sites

Lexar introduced JumpDrive TouchGuard, a USB flash drive with an integrated biometric fingerprint sensor to authenticate a user's identity and provide easy access to secured files and password protected web sites. TouchGuard allows users to automatically login to most web sites with the swipe of a finger, eliminating the need to remember and enter usernames and passwords. JumpDrive TouchGuard functions as a USB 2.0 hi-speed portable storage device and personal Internet gatekeeper storing and managing web favorites and up to 200 user names and passwords, the device stores and recognizes up to 10 unique fingerprints. 

ActiveMemory System

The ActiveMemory System, a technology designed to optimize digital photography workflow to achieve enhanced productivity in and out of the photo studio. 

At the center of the ActiveMemory System are ActiveMemory-enabled Professional CompactFlash cards that can store user preferences and host device settings in a protected area on the card. These settings can only be modified by the host application that created them and can be used to auto-configure multiple ActiveMemory-enabled products within the system. These settings are preserved even when the card is formatted or other data files on the card are deleted, because the ActiveMemory data is stored outside the standard DOS file structure on the card.

"Imagine a card that contains its owner's name and image preferences," said John Omvik, director of professional product marketing, Lexar. "Images downloaded from the card can be automatically appended with the photographer's copyright information, search keywords and caption information. In the future, photographers can also have confidence knowing that the camera is configured the way they expect, because their preferred settings are automatically loaded when the card is inserted in an ActiveMemory-enabled camera."

While many cameras and software applications already allow users to save favorite settings, storing this information on a memory card is unique because it allows for the immediate transfer of established information and improves multi-user or multi-device working environments.

Memory Cards With Encryption Technology

The security conscious among you can rest easy as Lexar now has memory card that uses high-end encryption code technology to keep you stored images and information from prying eyes.

Central to this unique security solution is an easy-to-use (according to Lexar) software tool for establishing security settings on the memory card and corresponding digital camera. Digital content stored on the memory card can only be accessed via the digital camera(s) with the corresponding encryption key or via a PC with a valid username and password. This unique security system utilizing the memory card and the camera offers a secure digital imaging solution.

Stackable Card Reader

Lexar's new "Pro" card reader is stackable and can be used with additional readers to allow simultaneous reading of multiple cards. A real timesaver when you return from a long shooting trip or assignment and have multiple cards to burn to your hard drive. 

Mamiya

Mamiya ZD SLR, A 22 Megapixel 
Medium Format Digital Camera


Mamiya has succeeded in creating a high resolution (22 megapixels) medium format digital SLR that is the size and weight of a typical 35mm pro camera - no small feat.

12-bit images are recorded at 1.5 fps, making it the fastest digital medium format camera. With its CF and SD storage options, built-in 1.8 inch LCD imaging preview screen and tethered FireWire (IEEE1394) to Mamiya Digital Photo Studio software it provides the prefect solution for studio and/or on-location shoots.

Nikon
Nikon F6

The successor to the F5 includes improved Nikon's Advanced Exposure Metering System includes 3D Color Matrix metering, Multi-CAM 2000 Autofocus (AF) Sensor, Four AF Area Modes such as Single Area AF, Dynamic AF with Focus Tracking and Lock-On, Closest Subject Priority Dynamic AF and Group Dynamic AF, and i-TTL wireless flash system compatibility. In short this is an evolution of the F5, which was a stunning camera in it's own right.

It features slightly faster focusing, incrementally better metering, and works with Nikon's improved flash system in a smaller lighter package. For those of you who will miss the larger body, and battery pack/vertical grip is available. 

Price: $2,299.95, available now.

Nikon D2X 12.4 Megapixel Digital SLR

The next generation Nikon Digital SLR, the D2X packs 12.4 megapixels. A rugged pro body with fast autofocus, 3D color matrix metering, i-TTL wireless flash support, WiFi networked shooting capability, and high speed crop mode. 

The latter is an interesting adaptation. The camera gives you the option of shooting at 5fps in 12 megapixel mode or of shooting at 8fps in a cropped 6 megapixel mode.

Price: to be announced, but expect prices similar to the D1X it replaces.

Nikon AF-S 300 mm F2.8G VR

Nikon continues to expand it's line of VR lenses with this new 300mm G lens. A long range, fast aperture fixed focal length lens.

Price: to be announced, available in January.

Olympus
Olympus E-300 8.0 Megapixel Interchangeable Lens SLR

Last year, Olympus introduced the Olympus E-System and E-1 interchangeable-lens-type digital SLR camera. 

Now Olympus is introducing the smaller, lighter E-300 E-System SLR with a radical new body shape that eliminates the bulky pentaprism from the top of the camera, resulting in a more portable camera body just 85mm tall. 

The E-300 is also fast when it comes to startup time, shutter release time lag, and shooting interval. An interesting camera to say the least.

 

 

<<Back  Page 1  2  3  4  Next>>
 

  Subscribe to Vivid Light 
Photography by email 

Tell Us What You Think

Vivid Light Photography, digital and film photography online

All materials contained herein © Copyright Vivid Light Photography Magazine 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004