April 25, 2005: OpenRAW Web site confronts issues crucial to quality digital photography and archiving of photographic images

The OpenRAW Working Group launched a website today at http://www.OpenRAW.org designed to solve issues crucial to the future of photography.

Digital technology is revolutionizing the photography industry, and an emerging part of that technology is the set of RAW camera file formats. Most professional photographers prefer using RAW image capture because it offers the highest quality and the greatest creative control.

The grass roots OpenRAW group arose out of photographers' frustration with camera manufacturers' refusal to openly document their proprietary RAW file formats. That lack of file format information inhibits innovation, limits image processing choices, and endangers the long-term accessibility of millions of photographs. The goal of the new website is to obtain complete documentation by manufacturers of their RAW file formats.

"Our primary strategy is to educate the public and the manufacturers," said Juergen Specht, the Japan-based German photographer who is spearheading the OpenRAW group. Specht also founded the highly regarded D1scussion mailing list for Nikon dSLR photographers, and hosts a similar 1Dscussion group for Canon photographers. Specht continued, "Once photographers understand what's at stake, and once digital camera manufacturers understand how their profitability will be enhanced by the release of the RAW file format specifications, our goals will be realized."

Epson Stylus Pro 4800, Epson Stylus Pro 7800, and Epson Stylus Pro 9800

New professional wide-format printers use color and unique three-level black ink system to create highest-quality archival black and white images

See additional information about the new Epson Stylus Photo R2400 featuring the new UltraChrome K3 inks

Long Beach, Calif.—May 10, 2005—Epson is once again advancing its printing technology into new territory for professional photographers and graphic artists with the launch of the Epson Stylus Pro 4800, Epson Stylus Pro 7800, Epson Stylus Pro 9800, and new Epson UltraChrome K3 ink technology.  The combination of these new printers and archival inks not only gives today's most demanding professionals the widest gamut of archival color ink jet printing to date, but an almost infinite degree of black and white image control that rivals all other forms of photographic printing.

All three printers introduce several new and advanced features and technologies, most notably Epson UltraChrome K3 inks - a new archival technology that uses eight individual colors to create even better exhibit-quality output on a wide selection of media.  The Epson Stylus Pro 4800 replaces the award-winning Epson Stylus Pro 4000 for printing images as wide as 17 inches, while the Epson Stylus Pro 7800 and Epson Stylus Pro 9800 replace the Epson Stylus Pro 7600 and 9600 for printing up to 24 inches and 44 inches in width, respectively.

For decades, artists have used photographs as reference sources for their paintings. Some artists attach a photo to their easel as they paint. Others have gone so far as to project a photo against a wall and to draw on paper or canvas, following the projection as a template.

So it isn't that surprising that one of the most popular uses of Corel Painter today is using photos as the basis of paintings. This includes everything from adding painterly touches to a photo to completely transforming the photo into a painting in Painter.

The practice spans many creative fields, too, from traditional artists who use the photo as a springboard for their art to professional photographers who sell painted portraits of their photographs to their clients. And today, with the popularity of digital cameras and archival inkjet prints, more people than ever are getting into turning photographs into paintings.

It's in this atmosphere of excitement that Karen Sperling is happy to announce that she has completed updating her Artistry Painting for Photographers tutorials for Painter IX.

"I've been getting emails begging me for the update," says Karen. "I'd like to think it's because I'm so much in demand, but the truth is, it's the subject that gets people excited. After all, there are lots of Painter tutorials and books out there nowadays, in addition to Painter classes. But there's that much interest in the subject that people can't get enough information about it."

The Artistry Painting for Photographers tutorials are available in Acrobat format, downloadable from the Artistry web site at http://www.artistrymag.com and also on CD. Discounts are being offered for ordering the CD along with the other Artistry tutorials that are available for Painter IX, including a CD with the first six months of the Artistry Tips and Tricks newsletter and an Artistry Beginners CD.

Vancouver, BC, Canada (May 31, 2005)—Creo Inc. is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the new Leaf Aptus digital camera back system. This next-generation digital camera back is being introduced in two models: the Leaf Aptus 22 and the Leaf Aptus 17, with resolutions of 22 million and 17 million pixels respectively.

The Leaf Aptus was designed to accommodate the needs of professional photographers. A user-friendly and intuitive 6x7cm touch screen display allows photographers to shoot up to 1000 frames without interruption. Images are shot at a speed as fast as 1.2 seconds per frame, and can be evaluated and edited on the spot. A unique user button is customizable and enables the photographer to quickly access vital image information and perform tasks without removing his or her hands from the camera.

Infrastructure to enable custom, personalized, one-of-a-kind trading card created online

DigiProofs, Inc. (www.digiproofs.com), a leading provider of online proofing services, has launched Custom Online Trading Cards. The trading cards are professionally designed to create an elegant and unique look that will be great for one’s own collectibles or memorabilia for friends and family. It is ideally suited for sports and other theme events. Visitors to the online events view proofs online, select the card design, position the photo by pan and zoom, enter the personalized text, proof the final and order the cards, all by themselves. All that the photographer members have to do is set the retail prices to enable the feature.

Kodak will continue to supply black-and-white papers to cover current demand through the end of 2005.

Tim Ciranni, Kodak's worldwide product manager for pro lab media, told Professional Photographer that a steep decline in demand over the last four years spurred Kodak's decision to discontinue its line of black-and-white papers. According to Ciranni, most pro labs now scan black-and-white negatives and print on color paper. The discontinuance applies to any black-and-white paper sold by Kodak.

Kodak will continue to offer black-and-white film and processing chemistry.

Kodak will honor warrantees and service agreements for these Kodak Professional DCS models through the end of 2008.

According to Madhav Mehra, director, digital capture business strategy, Kodak remains committed to the professional photographer market and will concentrate on developing its highly regarded line of CCD sensors, which are now employed in digital SLRs and digital backs created by other camera manufacturers, as well as Kodak's printer and substrate products and lab solutions.

The Kodak representative would not go so far as to say that Kodak is not developing any professional digital cameras for the future, only that they plan to discontinue the DCS Pro SLR/c and SLR/n.

New digital camera models combine record pixel strength with Fujifilm's breakthrough Real Photo Technology for sharper high-resolution pictures with less noise

VALHALLA, NY, July 28, 2005—Harnessing the technology excellence of Fujifilm's superior Real Photo Technology and answering the advanced needs of today's skilled digital camera user, Fujifilm today introduced three new models to its digital camera portfolio. Fujifilm unveiled the FinePix S9000 and FinePix E900 digital cameras—the world's first consumer level cameras with 9-megapixel sensors. In addition, Fujifilm's popular S-series line now features the new FinePix S5200, offering 5 megapixels of shooting power, with a fully automatic point-and-shoot feature set.

To commemorate its 40th anniversary, the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum is offering a free gift to renewing and new members. For a $50 membership fee, you will receive a copy of "The Pictorial Artistry of Adolf Fassbender," a $49.50 value, along with all of the other benefits of IPHF membership.

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum is the result of a project begun in 1965 by the Photographic Art and Science Foundation. Members of Professional Photographers of America originally created the foundation to promote photographic history by inducting historically significant photographers and inventors into a Photography Hall of Fame.

The IPHF is now located in the west wing of the museum complex called the Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum at Omniplex in Oklahoma City. There IPHF houses more than 3,000 photographs in its permanent collection and displays in its galleries one of the world's largest collections of cameras, photographic equipment and memorabilia. For information, please visit www.iphf.org or call 405-424-4055.

IMAGE: The White Night by Adolf Fassbender

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) introduces www.OurPPA.com as a place where photographers can chat, ask questions, share ideas and post image galleries in a robust community that serves PPA members, as well as the photography community at large.

"We're very proud of this exciting new resource," comments PPA President Ann Monteith. "OurPPA.com was created in specific response to members' requests for an online community where they could interact and build a sense of oneness with other photographers. In the process of building the site, we recognized the greater benefit of making the online community available to everyone in the industry, not just PPA members. This means photographers will have instant access to more information, more creative ideas and more photographer friends than any other place online."

Karen Sperling is pleased to present a one-day workshop with pioneer digital artist Laurence Gartel as part of her November 2005 Artistry Corel Painter Retreat.

Laurence Gartel has been creating art with digital tools since before there was a Painter and a Photoshop. And he has had successes internationally with his art, as reflected by his list of accomplishments: http://gartelmuseum.com/resume.html/.

Laurence Gartel's 'Mozaic Lady Land' (right)

In a four-day series of lectures and workshops, Evidence Photographers International Council will hold its 2005 School of Evidence Photography and Imaging in Atlanta, Georgia, November 3-6.

This year’s curriculum offers the opportunity for participants to learn a new technology that captures 360-degree panoramic images of crime scenes, study the intricacies of lighting and photographing ballistic wounds, and go away with a complementary kit to build a portal axial apparatus for shooting in low-contrast lighting.

Rapid shift to digital SLRs by Bronica’s core customer base prompts move to terminate Bronica medium-format business

October 14, 2005, Commack, New York — Tamron USA, Inc. announced today that it has discontinued the production of the Bronica RF645 6x4.5 range finder camera model along with its relevant interchangeable lenses and accessories. The discontinuation of this last Bronica model marks the termination of the Bronica brand business. Bronica withdraws from the medium format camera business after 47 years since its first model, the Zenza Bronica D, was introduced in 1959.

10.2-megapixel D200 digital SLR delivers outstanding image quality with blazing speed, rugged construction and intelligent features

Melville, NY— Nikon today introduced the highly anticipated new D200 – a precision-engineered, high performance digital SLR camera designed to satisfy the requirements of passionate and demanding photographers. Combining brand new technologies with advanced features inherited from Nikon’s venerable D2X professional digital SLR camera, the D200 incorporates more must-have features than any other camera in its class, enabling photographers to capture images in a way once reserved only for professionals.

The D200 promises an extremely satisfying shooting experience, with a winning combination of quality, performance, construction and advanced system features.  Employing a newly developed 10.2 effective megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor, the D200 captures images with remarkable resolution and clarity.  Its sophisticated 1,005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II system ensures ideal exposures while an advanced Nikon image processing engine renders images with superb clarity and smooth color gradations.  The D200 reacts with lighting speed, powering-up in a mere 0.15 seconds, and firing in an imperceptible 50 millisecond shutter release lag time.  It can shoot five frames per second with a drastically shortened viewfinder blackout time of just 105 milliseconds between shots.  Its large, bright viewfinder offers 0.94X magnification for comfortable and precise composition while a new 2.5-inch LCD screen provides ultra-wide 170-degree viewing angle from all directions.  With an all new 11-area Autofocus system, robust control of Nikon’s  i-TTL Creative Lighting System and advanced Wi-Fi image-transmission options*, the D200 is a perfect fit for discriminating photographers and a natural choice for wedding, event and action photographers.

Adobe Systems has announced an update to Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop(r) CS2, extending RAW file support to 17 additional digital camera models. Available as a free download from Adobe's Web site, the plug-in builds on the raw file support integrated in Photoshop CS2 for digital cameras from leading manufacturers such as Canon, Fujifilm, Kodak, Mamiya, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony.

With the addition of the new plug-in, Camera Raw functionality in Photoshop CS2 now supports more than 113 different camera models and allows professional photographers to easily manipulate RAW files without sacrificing any image quality.  Now professional photographers can more quickly and easily import and manipulate RAW data, saving time while increasing artistic control.

New cameras supported by Adobe Camera Raw 3.3 plug-in and DNG Converter include Canon EOS 5D, Canon EOS 1D Mark II N, Canon EOS 20Da, Fujifilm FinePix E900, Fujifilm FinePix S5200/5600, Fujifilm FinePix S9000/9500, Kodak EasyShare P850, Kodak EasyShare P880, Mamiya ZD, Nikon D200, Olympus E-500, Olympus SP-310, Olympus SP-350, Olympus SP-500UZ, Pentax *ist DL, Pentax *ist DS2, and Sony DSC-R1.

Apple has announced an upcoming upgrade to Aperture that the company says will resolve many of the issues revealed in reviews of the first release. Aperture 1.1—the first Universal version of Aperture—offers increased computer and camera compatibility. The upgrade allows photographers to run Aperture on both PowerPC-based and Intel-based Macintosh computers, including MacBook Pro. Developed in consultation with pro photographers, Aperture 1.1 is scheduled for release in March. Current owners of Aperture 1.0 can upgrade via Software Update. Aperture 1.1 will be available for $499.

Performance and feature enhancements to the new version include improved RAW image quality, RAW fine tuning controls, noise compensation for high ISO or long exposures, a built-in color meter to sample the pixel values anywhere in an image and display them in RGB, LAB, or CMYK, and the Export Versions command will now include a “Fit Within (Inches)” option and allow you to specify a resolution in dots-per-inch.

Visit Apple's Aperture 1.1 Update page for more information.

In the summer of 2004, armed with cameras and press credentials, Canadian photojournalist Steve Simon moved in and out of Madison Square Garden, capturing the essence of the 2004 Republican Convention. The arrangement of his images in "The Republicans" (Charta, $35.00) delivers an outstanding visual narrative of iconic opposites and shrewd observations, a recording of an unprecedented moment in American politics, power structure and media predominance.

"I knew this would be both an important political convention and an ironic portrait of the Republican Party against the interesting choice of New York City as its backdrop," said Simon. "With 15,000 accredited media covering 5,000 Republican delegates, I understood how powerful the media's role would be in presenting the convention to Americans and to the world. That's why I elected to focus my cameras not only on the delegates inside and the protesters outside, but on the media participants themselves."

In response to the growing demand for a superior fiber-based digital fine art media with the look and feel of a traditional darkroom photo paper, the Hahnemuhle Mill has introduced the newest member of its digital FineArt media collection.

As with all Hahnemuhle papers, FineArt Pearl has been developed to the highest standards using only the finest raw materials and manufacturing techniques. FineArt Pearl 285gsm is a triple coated, lignin free, 100% alpha-cellulose paper. The result is a surface that is remarkably similar to a traditional silver gelatin double-weight photo paper. In a side-by side comparison to similar papers from competitors, Hahnemuhle FineArt Pearl proved to be significantly superior in D-Max, white point and surface structure.

By Mark Garber,  PEC Chair

Beginning at the International Print judging in July 2006, album competition entrants may submit their Album entries on CD. This exciting change in the International Print Competition will simplify the submission process and greatly reduce the cost of producing and shipping physical albums.

On May 5, Apple released Aperture 1.1.1 Update, reported to fix "several issues related to performance, stability, color correction, and display compatibility." This update is recommended to all Aperture users. 

According to Apple, fixes included with the Aperture 1.1.1 Update are as follows:

- White balance and Tint value controls have been fixed to deliver more accurate results.
- Import from iPhoto has been updated so that you can browse and select specific images from iPhoto Library for import.
- Addresses a bug that was causing Aperture to get the wrong results in a minimum display hardware check, thus preventing users with certain VGA displays from being able to use Aperture.

Note: You must first update to Aperture 1.1 and Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later before installing Aperture 1.1.1.

Updated Camera Raw 3.4 Plug-in Now Supports Over 120 Camera Models

Adobe Systems Inc. today 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.

New cameras supported by Adobe Camera Raw 3.4 plug-in and DNG Converter include Canon EOS 30D, Epson R-D1s, Leaf Aptus 65 and Aptus 75, Olympus EVOLT E-330 and SP-320, Pentax *ist DL2 and Samsung GX-1S.

The Adobe Camera Raw 3.4 plug-in requires Photoshop CS2, Photoshop Elements 3.0 or Photoshop Elements 4.0 (Macintosh or Windows) and can be downloaded for free by going to the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html.

California-based Gyroscope Interactive Photography is a leader in TV show virtual tours, and has produced countless QTVR tours for shows such as; The West Wing, Beverly Hills 90210, That 70s Show, 7th Heaven, Charmed, Pasadena, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Young & the Restless, and The OC. Founded by Tim Petros in 1996, many Gyroscope projects have been with the entertainment industry, for clients like Warner Bros., Disney Online, Fox Interactive and Buena Vista Pictures.

Photo: Tim Petros of Gyroscope Interactive Photography

"A primary goal of Gyroscope Interactive Photography,” explains Petros “is to develop useful commercial applications for interactive images, beyond the simple capability of just being able to look around 360º;  i.e. using a 360ºinteractive image as a visual ‘browser’ or selection tool to trigger further events, such as selecting a product in a store, or an item on the set of your favorite TV show, in order to purchase that item or get more information about it.”

Fire up Adobe Photoshop This Summer and Get Cooking

All-Star Judges Includes Katrin Eismann, Deke McClelland, Bert Monroy, Eddie Tapp, Vincent Versace, and more

O'Reilly Media today announced The 2006 O’Reilly Photoshop Cook-Off, a contest featuring eighteen top Photoshop experts as judges, including Mikkel Aaland, Katrin Eismann, Harris Fogel, Tim Grey, Deke McClelland, Bert Monroy, Eddie Tapp, Vincent Versace, and John Beardsworth, among others. O'Reilly is aiming to inspire creativity and discover new and promising talent from the ranks of the 4,000,000 plus Photoshop users. The winners will be recognized with awards and fabulous prizes which will be presented at an event at PhotoPlus Expo in New York on November 2, 2006.

12.4-megapixel successor to Nikon's flagship D2X includes internal and external refinements

Press Release—Nikon today introduced the new D2Xs professional digital SLR camera, incorporating a range of refinements that improve overall camera performance and enhance the user experience. The D2Xs shares many performance and design innovations with the current D2X camera, including the 12.4 million pixel DX format CMOS image sensor that renders images with high resolution and sharp detail.  The D2Xs also hosts a range of upgraded features that make operation more responsive: refined viewfinder performance that makes for easier composition when shooting in Nikon's High-Speed Crop mode; a new 2.5-inch LCD with a 170-degree wide viewing angle, individually calibrated at the factory to ensure consistent color fidelity; significantly increased battery life; and a number of firmware enhancements.

EPIC training to feature documentation of terrorist activities and underwater crime

Announcing its 2006 School of Evidence Photography and Imaging, to be held in Long Beach, Calif., Nov. 16-19, Evidence Photographers International Council (EPIC) reveals the addition of new timely  and relevant classes, such as how to photograph terrorist activities for evidence. 

The seminar, “Preparation for and Documentation of Terrorist Activities and the Aftermath of Disasters and/or Weapons of Mass Destruction,” will be taught by Leonard Reed, who is qualified as a general instructor in Weapons of Mass Destruction by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and certified in Weapons of Mass Destruction Law Enforcement Protective Measures.  He also holds certification as an instructor on environmental crimes from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and is a certified law enforcement photographer.

Press Release—Back by popular demand, Sekonic has redesigned and re-launched the classic Studio Deluxe light meter as the L-398A Studio Deluxe III.

Earlier this year, Sekonic stop using selenium photocells in their light meter manufacturing, to support the new manufacturing standards and environmental safety measures. As a result, all light meters that utilized the advantage of selenium photocell technology, (battery-free operation) were discontinued including the L-398. For a brief moment, photographers around the globe thought that the discontinuation of the L-398 meter marked the end of battery-free light meters.

Sekonic responded to the needs and demands of these photographers by re-engineering the L-398.

Registration opens with $100 advance sign-up discount

Press Release—Photoshop World Conference & Expo, the largest Photoshop educational event in the world, held Sept. 7-9 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, is offering an advance registration discount of $100 now through Friday, Aug. 4th. Registration is open at http://www.photoshopworld.com or by calling 800-738-8513, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM EST.

Press Release—Adobe Systems Inc. today announced an update to the public beta of Adobe Lightroom, a digital imaging workflow solution for professional photographers that allows them to import, select, develop and showcase large volumes of images. The latest version adds features suggested by beta testers that allow greater control over export size and resolution, refined metadata selection with print output and RGB value readouts for greater editing precision.

New to the Develop module are Before and After preview tools and History features that allow a photographer to quickly preview and track changes, more control over the size and resolution of exported photos. A new dedicated Web module provides a rich web content editing experience and live previews of HTML and Flash output. Other features include resolution control in the Export module, an additional Straighten tool to correct camera angle issues, Keyword import and export, the ability to save module settings with collections or shoots. Auto Import or Hot Folder support allows photographers to automatically add images to the Lightroom Library from a specified directory.

Four new models designed for adventure, sports, journalism and studio photography

Press Release—Lowepro is introducing four new camera straps—Speedster, Transporter, Voyager S and Voyager C—designed for unique photography applications while taking every photographer’s needs into consideration.

Caption: The Transporter, designed for studio photographer for ease of use with multiple cameras.

While on the run, photojournalists will appreciate the lightweight and simple design of the Speedster. Studio photographers will value the Transporter’s adjustability and ease of use with multiple cameras, while nature photographers enjoy the soft, breathable neoprene construction of the Voyager on long hikes. Reflecting the unique needs of photographers, these camera straps provide the perfect upgrade to customize any photographer’s equipment needs.

Press Release—With a flip of the flap, the new Skooba Skin converts from a sleek, padded laptop sleeve to a handled carry bag, or vice-versa. The latest introduction from Skooba/RoadWired, the Skooba Skin is designed to protect a computer while carried inside another bag or suitcase, or to be used on its own for meetings, classes or other times when the laptop alone is all that needs to be carried.

Fire up Adobe Photoshop This Summer and Get Cooking

The 2006 O’Reilly Photoshop Cook-Off is underway. Just take up to three of your own photos and manipulate them with Adobe Photoshop, using recipes from any of the five O'Reilly Photoshop Cookbooks (no purchase necessary). Adapt the recipe as necessary for your creative vision. Then use the online entry form to reveal which recipe(s) you used, and submit both your original, unmanipulated digital image and the "cooked" image you've created. Submission deadline: August 15.

Grand Prize

• Adobe Web Bundle (Creative Suite 2 & Macromedia Studio 8)
• Epson Stylus Photo R2400 printer
• Pentax K100D Digital SLR and DA 18 - 55mm Lens Kit
• Pantone Reference Library
• GretagMacbeth Eye-One Display 2 Pro monitor calibrator
• Nik Software Nik Sharpener Pro
• Premium Subscription to Lynda.com online
• iView Multimedia iView Media Pro3
• JupiterImages 1-year subscription to Photos.com
• Shutterstock.com 3-month subscription
• Lensbabies Lensbaby 2.0
• Software Cinema DVDs:
  - Working with Adjustment Layers
  - Photoshop Fundamentals and Advanced Techniques
  - Advanced Masking Techniques;
  - Image Restoration, Repair & Enhancement;
  - Pro Techniques I & II Plus Color Management;
  - Best of Photoshop CS2
• Total Training DVD: Advanced Photoshop CS2
• O'Reilly Media Gift Certificate
• iStockPhoto Gear & Free Credits
• Lowepro Rolling CompuTrekker Plus AW Bag
• Wetzel & Co. Backgrounds/Textures 6 CD Bundle
• Pexagon Technology 1.8" 20 GB Store-It Portable Hard Drive

Features interviews with photographers Arnold Newman, Eve Arnold And Elliott Erwitt

There is an oft told tale of Marilyn Monroe walking down a New York City street, incognito, turning to her companion and saying, “Do you want to see her?” With that, she threw off all vestiges of Norma Jeane and miraculously transformed. There were no grand gestures, no change of clothes, no make-up.  It was a simple shift, a slithering out of one skin into the other. Arguably the most photographed person ever, the “outing” of Marilyn is something she looked at with both skepticism and awe. She once said, “I carry Marilyn Monroe around with me like an albatross.” In a new film, American Masters offers a unique take on one of the world’s first superstars by turning to the still photographs that captured Monroe’s beauty, her complexity and, ultimately, her own complicated relationship with the star side of herself.  AMERICAN MASTERS Marilyn Monroe: Still Life premieres Wednesday, July 19 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings).      

Caption: Marilyn Monroe during a photo shoot for The Seven Year Itch, 1954, © George S. Zimbel 2005

Automatic image enhancement software introduces advanced color features, new optical corrections, improved workflow and speed as well as plug-in compatibility with Adobe Photoshop

Press release—DxO Labs today revealed details of the next version of its flagship application DxO Optics Pro software which improves the image quality of Digital Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras and advanced digicams. DxO Optics Pro is the award-winning digital image enhancement tool incorporating revolutionary optics, noise and exposure corrections in an easy-to-use, feature-rich application for Mac and PC users.

Twice the speed of current SanDisk Extreme III cards, ideal for medium-format digital cameras and backs, high-performance and high-resolution DSLRs

Press Release—SanDisk Corporation today introduced the new SanDisk Extreme IV line of CompactFlash digital film cards for professional photographers. The line is targeted at photographers who require the highest possible performance and the largest capacities for their medium-format and high-end digital SLR cameras. The SanDisk Extreme IV cards are available in capacities of up to 8GB and deliver minimum read and write speeds of 40MB per second (based on SanDisk internal testing), making these the fastest flash memory cards in the world. This exceptionally fast card speed is critical when shooting large numbers of high-resolution images.

SanDisk also introduced the new SanDisk Extreme FireWire reader that can transfer images from the SanDisk Extreme IV cards to a computer at up to 40MB/sec. for significantly improved workflow efficiency. These new products were announced at a press conference held today at the NASDAQ Market Site in New York City.