News

Sony's (alpha) DSLR-A100 system features a  10.2-megapixel APS CCD image
sensor andwill be introduced with 19 high-quality Sony lenses. All will be compatible
with most of the former Konica-Minolta Maxxum mount lenses. The system will
include a wide range of accessories as well. Sony has developed a new Dynamic
Range Optimizer image analysis technology that is said by the company to provide
exceptional picture quality and natural color reproduction, along with a new
Bionz image processing engine. This new engine supports a continuous burst mode
for fast-action shooting and performs intelligent power management.

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Ansel Adams--John Muir Trail Exhibit, Opens September 23, 2006. This exhibit
features more than 20 Ansel Adams originals as well as over a dozen vintage
prints. It will also showcase over 100 landscapes captured on the trail.

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Nikon (www.nikondigital.com)
has introduced the new D2XS professional digital SLR camera, which shares many
performance and design innovations with the current D2X camera, including the
12.4 million pixel DX format CMOS image sensor. The D2XS also has a range of
upgraded features, including refined viewfinder performance that makes for easier
composition when shooting in Nikon's exclusive High-Speed Crop mode, a new 2.5
inch LCD with a 170-degree wide viewing angle, which is individually calibrated
at the factory to ensure consistent color fidelity, significantly increased
battery life and a wide range of firmware enhancements. Options such as the
WT-2A Wi-Fi transmitter achieve full wireless remote camera control and transmission.

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SmartDisk
Corporation today introduced FireLite XPress, a portable, palm-sized hard drive
that includes a unique cholesteric liquid crystal display. The always-on display
is readable without power, identifies the drive by a user-designated name, indicates
the last date that information was recorded and provides a table of contents
for the drive. The display provides excellent readability even in direct sunlight,
allows for wide-angle viewing and exhibits high brightness and contrast.

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The Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography will host a two-week
Benefit Exhibition and Print Sale, June 22 through July 2, 2006. A gala
Public Reception, with live music and refreshments will be held
Saturday & Sunday, June 24 & 25, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. All are welcome
to the free exhibition. The entire proceeds from the print sale will be
donated to aid the international humanitarian medical organization,
Doctors Without Borders.


The exhibit and sale is a collaboration between the museum and
contributing students from Hallmark Institute of Photography. It will
showcase over one-hundred fifty professional- level, donated
photographs having appeal to a wide range of tastes and preferences in
visual art.

Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced an update to the Camera Raw plug-in for
Adobe Photoshop CS2, extending raw file support to eight additional digital camera
models. Available as a free download from the Adobe Web site, the Camera Raw 3.4
plug-in builds on Photoshop CS2 raw file support for digital cameras from leading
manufacturers such as Canon, Epson, Leaf, Olympus, Pentax and Samsung.

PENTAX Imaging Company has announced the PENTAX K100D, which combines 6.1 effective
megapixels with a host of advanced technologies including a Shake Reduction
(SR) system to deliver high-quality digital SLR photography and user-friendly
operation to all levels of photographers. The PENTAX-developed Shake Reduction
(SR) system in the K100D effectively offers a two-stop advantage for sharp,
blur-free images even under difficult shooting conditions, such as using a telephoto
lens or shooting in low light without a flash.



The SR mechanism is designed to minimize camera shake by oscillating the CCD
image sensor vertically and horizontally at high speed using magnetic force,
while adjusting the speed of oscillation in proportion to the amount of camera
shake detected by a built-in sensor. As a result, the system does not require
special anti-shake lenses and can be used with almost all existing PENTAX interchangeable
lenses.



Also announced is the PENTAX K110D, an entry-level digital SLR camera, which
has all of the features of the K100D with the exception of Shake Reduction.
Both models reflect a new digital SLR naming system that references the reverse
compatibility that each body has with the legacy of PENTAX K-mount lenses. The
PENTAX K100D will ship along with the smc 18-55mm lens in July 2006 for $699.95
US, while the PENTAX K110D will ship along with the smc 18-55mm lens in August
2006 for $599.95 US.



Along with the two new SLR models, PENTAX announced the smc PENTAX DA 21mm F3.2
AL Limited interchangeable wide-angle lens. Previewed at PMA 2006 in Orlando,
the lens features a versatile angle of view and an ultra-thin, pancake design
that offers go-anywhere portability that is ideal for casual, day-to-day snapshot
photography. The latest lens inherits all the attributes of the acclaimed PENTAX
Limited lens series including high-quality image reproduction, distinctive visual
description, and high-grade lens-barrel finish. The smc PENTAX DA 21mm F3.2
AL Limited lens will ship in July 2006 for $549.95.



www.pentax.com

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