News

Mitch
Goldstone, president and CEO of 30 Minute Photos Etc., Irvine, Calif., USA, reports
"Operation Photo," appealing to U.S. photographers to donate older model
digital cameras and accessories to families of military service members distanced
from loved ones, has been extended through July 4. Since its launch a few weeks
ago, Operation Photo has provided approximately $110,000 in donated digital cameras
to military families through www.operationhomefront.net.
"We needed to extend the deadline because there are so many more military
families requesting the cameras," Goldstone says.
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Photodex Corporation has introduced ProShow Gold 2.5, the newest version of its
slide show software for photo enthusiasts and professionals. ProShow Gold 2.5
allows users to create quality multimedia slide show presentations to share with
friends and family. Slide motion effects, captions effects and over 280 transitions
are available for creating DVD, PC, and Web slide shows.
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Shutterbug Forums create an online community for information, questions and
debate on topics of interest to photographers today. A wide range of topics
are covered, including various camera User Groups, 35mm and Digital SLR photography,
camera collecting, Help desks and more. The Forums are also a great way to get
in touch with Shutterbug writers and editors as well as professional photographers
from around the world. Many of these experts will be moderating focused discussions,
as well as participating in all the Forums at the Shutterbug site.

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Eastman
Kodak Company has announced enhancements to its consumer and professional film
portfolios. Kodak unveiled a number of emulsion improvements to KODAK MAX Versatility
400-speed film, adding more flexibility for clearer, sharper pictures in underexposed
situations, such as low-light and extended flash range conditions. KODAK MAX
Versatility film is said to provide the best skin tone reproduction, fastest
speed, widest latitude, and unsurpassed sharpness and color. The suggested retail
price for Kodak MAX Versatility 400 Film is US$8.99 - US$9.99 MSRP for a four-pack,
varying by retailer. This film will begin to ship in the second quarter of 2005.




Enhanced KODAK PROFESSIONAL PORTRA film features an improved surface coating
technology that delivers increased performance with KODAK DIGITAL ICE technology
and improved scanning with specular light. The new overcoat technology maintains
the excellent scratch resistance of PORTRA films. This improvement applies to
120/220 (medium format) and sheet format films across the entire PORTRA film
family, including 160 and 400-speed NC (natural color) and VC (vivid color)
PORTRA films.



www.kodak.com

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The new Sunpak Digital Battery Case is a small, nylon case with key-chain clip
that is said to be perfect for storing spare disposable batteries of all types,
or rechargeable batteries for compact digital cameras, and it has a pouch that
holds digital media storage cards. It not only protects batteries and precious
media cards from physical damage but also helps prevent accidental battery discharge.

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You should always shoot with your eyes wide open (at least, the one looking through the viewfinder). But often it pays to shoot with your lens wide open, too.

Wide apertures let in more light, so you can use a faster shutter speed in any given light level. This is handy for anything from low-light photography to action shooting.

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Velbon is expanding its range of carbon fiber tripod choices by offering the
El Carmagne leg assemblies separately. These ultra-light full-size models are
said to be among the lightest, most portable and affordable in their class.
All are constructed of strong, durable, lightweight carbon fiber with magnesium
body, have low-angle adjustment levers allowing extreme grounder capability
with minimum heights mere inches off the ground, and provide heavy-duty 12-pound
load capacity. Other features include robust flip-lock levers for quick leg
adjustment, easy to read leg length adjustment marks, a removable split/lift
center column with accessory hook, and neoprene grips on all legs for comfortable
cold-weather handling.

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