News

The International Photographic Council (IPC), a non-governmental organization
of the United Nations, has named Mr. Toshiro Shimoyama, Supreme Advisor, Olympus
Corporation, Tokyo, Japan as the recipient of its annual Hall of Fame award. The
award honors legendary contributors to the photographic industry. The presentation
is scheduled to take place at the IPC's 2005 Annual New Years Luncheon on
Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 11:30 a.m., at the United Nations in New York City.
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The F.J. Westcott Company has introduced their new Spiderlite for still and
video imagemakers. The Spiderlite is less than five inches deep and is constructed
of solid metal. The inner metal surface of the light offers a highly reflective
surface. Any light falling backwards is again reflected back into a Soft Box
allowing for maximum output of the lights. Built-in points allow for direct
attachment of a Soft Box onto the Spiderlite itself. This not only cuts down
the cost of purchasing an adapter ring, but also allows the end user fewer parts
to carry or lose as well as quicker set-up.

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Recent tests found no evidence of X-ray scanner damage to digital camera media
cards or to the images they hold. The tests of scanner models currently in use
in the U.S. transportation industry were jointly conducted by the International
Imaging Industry Association (I3A), the leading global association for the imaging
industry; SanDisk® Corporation, a manufacturer of digital media cards; and
the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

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Pentax Imaging Company continues to expand its digital SLR lens family with
the announcement of a fourth member - the smc Pentax DA 40mm F2.8 Limited lens.
Designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras, the unique pancake
style standard lens measures a mere .59 inches in length and weighs just 3.17
ounces. Combined with the popular Pentax *ist DS digital SLR, the Pentax DA
40mm F2.8 Limited lens will offer the smallest and lightest digital SLR combination
available from any manufacturer.

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At photostockplus.com's free hosting site, photographers enjoy file-sharing
privileges and 10 megs of free storage. Photographers who choose to become pro
members can sell images with real time credit card processing and promote their
portfolio 24/7 with their own URL, while accessing clients offering photo assignments.
With 200 megs of storage provided, members can create multiple albums at their
URL for different categories of images, protect their images with a watermark,
control viewer access to specific albums with a password, upload multiple images
at once and track visitors to their site.

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Lyson, Inc. has introduced the first bulk feed ink delivery system with complete
pigment and dye-based inksets for the Epson Stylus Pro 4000. According to the
company, Lyson's bulk-enabled inksets can save upwards of 70% on ink costs
versus cartridges, significantly speed workflow processing and eliminate the time
and hassle involved in changing cartridges. The company also claims that Lyson's
inksets deliver a wider color gamut and more intense color reproduction than standard
OEM inks. The combination of Lyson's Fotonic™ dye-based inks and Lyson's
pigment-based Cave Paint™ provides a comprehensive ink offering for any
photographer using the Epson 4000. The Lyson bulk feed system for the Epson Stylus
Pro 4000 includes eight half-liter bottles of Cave Paint and has a suggested retail
price of $1199.

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Leaf America has announced the latest generation of portable and studio digital
camera backs - the Leaf Aptus. This new product line has the portability and
ease-of-use of consumer products, combined with the robustness, resolution and
powerful workflow required by professional photographers. The Leaf Aptus product
line includes the Leaf Aptus 22 and Leaf Aptus 17 digital camera backs with
resolutions of 22 and 17 megapixels respectively.

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