News from
Photokina & PhotoPlus Expo
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.
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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.
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