LATEST ADDITIONS

Shutterbug Staff  |  Jul 06, 2005  |  0 comments

In conjunction with the launch of its JUICE brand rechargeable battery line,
Winner International is introducing a unique, microprocessor based JUICE Multi-Charger
that eliminates the need for multiple charging systems.

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 |  Jul 05, 2005  |  0 comments

DxO Labs has announced that DxO Optics Pro v3.0 Digital SLR and lens
automatic image quality enhancement software is available on the company's
e-store (http://store.dxo.com)
and via selected resellers. DxO Optics Pro v3.0 incorporates optics, noise and
exposure corrections in an all-new, easy-to-use, feature-rich application for
both Mac and PC users.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 now also includes support for two additional Nikon digital
SLR camera bodies: the Nikon D70s and Nikon D2X. DxO Optics Pro v3.0 provides
support for the Nikon D70s and the same range of lenses as currently supported
for the Nikon D70. And new to DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is support for the Nikon D2X
and an initial selection of compatible lenses with more to come over the coming
weeks and months.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 was subjected to rigorous, in-the-field testing by tens
of thousands of professional and advanced amateur photographers during worldwide
public beta testing."The photography community got incredibly involved
in the beta test. Their feedback was invaluable and we would like to publicly
thank all of them," explained Luc Marin, Vice President of the Photography
Business unit at DxO Labs. "Several thousand photographers also answered
a follow-up questionnaire and confirmed, once again, the value that DxO Optics
Pro delivers."



At the core of DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is the award-winning DxO Optics Engine which,
together with the associated DxO Lens modules, automatically removes lens distortion,
vignetting, lens softness and lateral chromatic aberration. The DxO Raw Engine
in DxO Optics Pro v3.0 has also been completely redesigned to offer photographers
full control of the RAW conversion process.



DxO Noise Engine is based on a set of unique algorithms developed by DxO Labs
and on precise camera sensor modelization. The all-new DxO Noise Engine automatically
achieves a reduction of up to two f-stops in image noise while preserving maximum
detail. DxO Lighting Engine is a brand new DxO technology included in DxO Optics
Pro v3.0. A unique local exposure and dynamic range optimizer, DxO Lighting
Engine brings out the shadow detail of digital image files while preserving
highlights, textures, colors and a natural look. DxO Optics Pro v3.0 offers
a choice of three operating modes to meet every demanding photographer's
needs. All modes are fully batch-oriented for the greatest productivity. Users
can switch between modes at any time.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is offered in two versions with the same functionality but
different levels of camera support: DxO Optics Pro v3.0 (US$159) for prosumer
and expert amateur Digital SLRs and DxO Optics Pro v3.0 Elite (US$ 249) for
all supported cameras, including professional Digital SLRs.



DxO Optics Pro v3.0 is available in six languages: English, French, German,
Italian, Japanese and Spanish, for both Macintosh and Windows (full system requirements
on www.dxo.com).



All purchasers of DxO Optics Pro 2.2 on or after April 20th, 2005 are eligible
for a free upgrade to DxO Optics Pro v3.0. For all other users, upgrade to DxO
Optics Pro v3.0 is offered at US$ 49).



For more information, visit DxO Labs online at www.dxo.com
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 |  Jul 05, 2005  |  0 comments

PictoColor announces the release of iCorrect Portrait, a color correction plug-in
for Adobe Photoshop and Elements and other photo editor that accept Photoshop
plug-ins. It is compatible with Photoshop CS2 and is available for both Windows
and Macintosh operating systems.



iCorrect Portait gives the "people" photographers a very easy "point
and click" method to color correct their digital pictures. The skin tone
technology in iCorrect Portrait is licensed from Pictographics International
and is considered by many to be the best skin tone algorithm available.



iCorrect Portrait information can be found at http://www.pictocolor.com/portrait/default.htm.
The price is $99.95 and is available as a software download through www.pictomarketplace.com,
PictoColor's on-line store.

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Shutterbug Staff  |  Jul 01, 2005  |  0 comments

The following release was received from Ilford. While a bit breathless, it
shows the enthusiasm and effort involved in keeping the company afloat. I did
edit somewhat for length. --gs



After some four months of highly geared activity following the announcements
in February this year that ILFORD had been saved from total annihilation, the
newly emerged organization is now able to draw breath and assess its current
situation.



It was due to the swift and timely action of six of ILFORD Imaging's management
team - at some considerable personal financial risk to themselves - that the
UK-based company which headed the international group avoided being split up,
asset stripped, or otherwise totally lost. Via a cleverly constructed operation,
the liquidators were able to sell off the considerable areas of land at the
company's plant in Mobberly, Cheshire, to an investment company on the basis
that the plant would remain, thereby enabling the rest of the business to fall
within the capabilities of the team.



What amounted to something of a coup in the face of determined interest expressed
by 21 potential suitors which pursued the company through its most vulnerable
stages saw the team able to provide a more attractive solution to the liquidator.
This included not only satisfying the demands of the liquidation, but also ensuring
the continuation of a business which, over its 125-year history, had established
itself as the leading monochrome specialist.



Having had the deal and the buyout accepted to much acclaim, the team then had
to get the company fully on track: manufacturing processes operating, stocks
up to appropriate levels, sales, marketing and distribution fully functioning,
staffing organized and relations with both the company's overseas distributors
and its worldwide customers being re-established on a progressive basis. "It
has been a pretty hectic four months," states chairman and managing director
Phil Harris, "but we now have the company on a strong basis and ready
to take on the world in our endeavors to revitalize the ILFORD name."




ILFORD Photo is the trading name of HARMAN technology Ltd, the company under
which the new enterprise trades, and is the brand which will be used for all
monochrome products - film, paper and photochemistry. The HARMAN brand (drawn
from the name of ILFORD's founder in 1879, Alfred Harman) will be applied to
other aspects of the company's business, such as thin-layer film and paper coating
for the medical sector, as it becomes further organized.



The distributors in USA, France, Benelux, Switzerland and Australia are no longer
subsidiaries of ILFORD UK, but since their former parent company's crash, they
have re-organized themselves, mostly as independent companies, and will continue
handling the supply of ILFORD Photo products to their respective markets, as
do the many other companies which make up the global network of suppliers. The
ILFORD digital products manufacturing base in Switzerland is still involved
in discussions concerning its future.



HARMAN technology/ILFORD Photo now stands totally independent of any corporate
ties to the erstwhile group, and is concentrating on what it knows best, and
to which it is totally committed - black-and-white photography.



"Black-and-white analogue photography is the platform to which we are
all dedicated," explains Howard Hopwood, HARMAN/ILFORD Photo's marketing
and business development director. "Quite frankly, the rebirth of ILFORD
as a brand concentrating on this genre could not have been better timed.



"The world imaging market has been jumping through all kinds of hoops
over the last few years as it has come to terms with digital processes, just
as much as it has with the progress of color photography. Having done that,
and turned full circle back to its roots, those who really care about expressive
photography, and about preserving images in all their beauty, still acknowledge
that black-and-white is the one true medium.



It is this dedication to black-and-white, shared by Harris and Hopwood with
their fellow HARMAN technology directors: Andy Taylor (Finance Director), Steven
Brierley (Sales Director UK, USA and Australia), Simon Galley (Sales Director
European and Export Markets), and Peter Elton (Operations Director), which provides
the catalyst for the company's determined and carefully formulated assault on
the global market.



Nearly 400 people are now employed at Mobberly, with technology and production
capability up to full capacity. Eighty-five per cent of output is being exported,
and global distribution channels are all open. The management is in place and
fully functioning, as are all sales departments and personnel.



In view of the uncertainty that has existed in the worldwide monochrome consumables
field recently, especially regarding availability of black-and-white paper,
ILFORD Photo's relaunch of its comprehensive range of top quality products,
which includes a variety of black-and-white paper types, and the company's assurances
of continued future manufacture, are especially timely for the many enthusiasts
and professional photographers concerned about future supplies.



"In spite of being so busy over these months," comments Harris,
"the process has been cathartic, and great fun. Having structured the
company into a fully operational organization, we now look forward to facing
the challenge in all our marketplaces. If the extremely positive reaction we
have received so far is anything by which to judge, we can expect to be in a
very solid position very quickly."



www.ilfordphoto.com

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Lynne Eodice  |  Jul 01, 2005  |  0 comments

Parades and other ceremonies are exciting and colorful, and always offer fun photo opportunities. If you enjoy photographing such events, they're worth going to some effort to locate. Some of the most famous of these include the Rose Parade, held in Pasadena on New Year's Day, and the Macy's Day Parade, held in New York on Thanksgiving. These annual events draw...

Text and photography by Lynne Eodice  |  Jul 01, 2005  |  1 comments

A photo excursion to Canada isn't truly complete without visiting Banff, Canada's oldest national park, which encompasses 2564 square miles in the Canadian Rockies. Azure lakes, vast areas of wilderness, and of course, the splendor of the Canadian Rockies are some of the many great attractions that await you at this beautiful destination.

 

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Joe Farace  |  Jul 01, 2005  |  0 comments

If there is in any theme to Web Profiles during 2005 it's that there are lots of ways to create an Internet homepage. Unlike other technologies used in web design, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) wasn't adapted from the print world and was developed specifically to enhance the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) code that's the basic building block off the World Wide...

Jon Canfield  |  Jul 01, 2005  |  0 comments

Many serious digital photographers have discovered the power and control available with a graphic tablet and are now letting their mouse gather dust when editing images. The additional control and features offered by the current generation of tablets makes image editing easier and more precise than ever. No longer will you feel like you're trying to draw with a brick. With...

David B. Brooks  |  Jul 01, 2005  |  0 comments

Writing about the latest and greatest products is exciting fun. When a really good product comes along with a price just about everyone can afford, that's much more than just fun--it is all too rare. In the past it seemed to be difficult to find a 35mm film scanner with good hardware performance, excellent software support, and a very modest price. But UMAX...

Jack Neubart  |  Jul 01, 2005  |  0 comments

When hiking or traveling with my SLR system, whether 35mm or digital, I prefer hand holding the camera to shoot nature and scenic views. Yet the value of a tripod is not lost on me, especially when confronted with the relatively long exposures required to capture a gracefully cascading waterfall or the warm glow of a sunset, or when employing a long lens with wildlife (especially...

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