Arca-Swiss announce price of D4 and D4m heads

Arca-Swiss has announced the price of the d4 and d4m geared heads. The d4 will be priced from 790 Euros (ex VAT) or around $1,100, depending on the locking system, while the d4m will start from 490 Euros (ex VAT) roughly $670. There's still no definitive date for availability, but I'm assuming now we have a price, shipping will start soon.

Press release:

To get to the point ARCA-SWISS d4 & d4m
With the invention of the d4 pan tilt head ARCA-SWISS has put an end to setting levers of 3d heads that extend in all directions and always get in the way. No more uneven swiveling out of the camera. No more oversized dimensions, heavy loads and other all too well-known drawbacks to get in your way. We get straight to the point! The d4 and d4m are especially suitable for efficient and precise work in digital studio photography and outdoors for architectural photography. The d4 is the world’s smallest, most functional and lightest gear-head.

Technical specifications
The innovative design of the ARCA-SWISS d4 and d4m gear heads unites the pivot points of the X and Y movements at the same point. The result of this new concept: identical and the smallest possible rotational radii. That ensures small camera movements and, as a consequence, almost no deviations in scale, which, until now, led to reduced depth of field in digital photography and all too often made tedious corrections necessary.

The self-locking, micro-metric movements in X and Y result from separate gear mechanisms, manufactured with a high-strength special alloy. Every tilt movement has its own fine tuning knob and a lockable free wheel button. When both knobs are unlocked, the tilts can optionally be carried out in freewheeling modus. The possibility of free movement in both axes using the freewheeling modus then ensures free movements similar to those of a spherical head!

The ARCA-SWISS d4 and d4m have, like the cube C1 from ARCA-SWISS, a turning device on its base to align the camera as well as a panning device under the camera mount for panorama pans which maintains the swivel axis. Underneath the panorama feature are 2 bubble levels at a 90° angle to align the camera. In addition to the tilts in X and Y and the panorama rotation, the ARCA-SWISS camera mount enables the camera back and forth movement in the exposure axis, the 4th dimension, so to speak, as the model number d4 symbolizes. The outstanding specifications include the record-breaking weight of just 800g for the d4 and only 640 g for the d4m. There is no smaller gear-head on the market.

d4m
The ARCA-SWISS d4m has no gears, its adjustments are made manually in all directions. Its other features are the same as the d4‘s.

ARCA-SWISS d4: 110x90xH100 - weight: 800 gr. - price: 790 euros (excl VAT)
(price may vary according to the fastening system chosen)
ARCA-SWISS d4m: 90x70xH100 - weight: 640 gr. price: 490 euros (excl VAT)
(price may vary according to the fastening system chosen)

Read our original coverage here

Read how to select a Gitzo tripod here.

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Anthropics announce Portrait Professional Studio version 10

Anthropics the developer behind the outstanding retouching utility, Portrait Professional, announced the expected upgrade to version 10. Along with a new interface, more presets, improved facial sculpting algorithms, child mode and improved brushes (they're much improved over LR and Aperture's healing brushes) version 10 is claimed to be a major upgrade. That maybe a bit of a stretch, although there is a lot going on in the background, still it's a welcome improvement nonetheless. Standard, Studio and Studio 64 (Windows 64-bit) editions are available now at a special time limited discounted price of £29.95, £49.95 and £79.95. If you purchased version 9 during the recent promotional period, you're entitled to a free upgrade.

I f you buy or upgrade to any edition of Portrait Professional by 31st of January (that's tomorrow), and you will automatically be entered into a $500 Prize Draw! Fore more details about that see here.

Extract taken from the press release :

Anthropics are pleased to announce the release of the latest major upgrade for Portrait Professional, Version 10.
New for Version 10:
    •    Greatly improved face enhancing function
    •    New ClearSkin®2 defect elimination and skin regeneration technology
    •    More and better face shaping and slimming controls
    •    Improved brushes
    •    Child Mode
    •    Enhance Skin Only Mode
    •    Better presets
    •    New User Interface

More information can be found here.

To buy directly see here or here

To download a free trial see here (name and email required).

US readers can buy from Amazon (although they're still showing version 9 - it will be free to upgrade to version 10).

Read our review of Portrait Professional (v 8.0) here.

Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 9 deal of the day

Amazon US are enticing camera users with an $80 saving on Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 9 - $50 instant saving and a $30 extra with a mail in rebate but it's just for today. If Photoshop Elements is all you're looking for see here instead.

Top 10 Photography iPad Apps Of January 2011

There have been some incredible photography apps launched this month and with February 2011 also upon us we have completed our roundup of the best photography iPad apps launched this month. Take a look at these, they are fantastic.

Folio HD

Personally connect through the "Folio" App with Models, Makeup Artists, and Hair Stylists while viewing vivid fine art image examples created in collaboration with photographer Jason Hallmark.  An ever-growing collection of exotic women and abstract art images will capture your discerning eye.  Waiting for you is a visual experience sure to amaze with its clarity, saturation, and talent.  
$4.99/Download

Panasonic reveals Lumix G market share

Panasonic UK has issued a press release in which it claims the DMC-G2 is its best selling model and, continuing in a revealing statement, that they now hold an 11.3 per-cent market share of all interchangeable lens cameras, what they call CSCs (Compact System Cameras or mirrorless cameras to the rest of us) and DSLRs. They also claim that mirrorless sales are up 194 per-cent over the previous year (but if you look closely they're comparing Dec '10 to Dec '09) - mirrorless cameras were few and far between in Dec '09. All the same, on the eve of the first deliveries of the GF2 (pictured above) it's encouraging news all round.


Please find the latest press release from Lumix G below:

Phase One updates Capture One

After the introduction of the new IQ backs the other day, the maker Phase One has updated their Capture One raw conversion utility (now at version 6.1) to include support for them and a raft of other cameras including the following models:

- Phase One IQ189, IQ160 and IQ140
- Leaf Aptus II 12 tethered
- Canon G12
- Nikon D3100 and P7000
- Panasonic DMC-GF2*, DMC-GH2*, DMC-G2*, DMC-G2, DMC-G10, DMC-FZ100 and DMC-FZ45 (*preliminary)
- Pentax K-5 and K-r

New features include:

- Local contrast and brightness adjustments
- Pen pressure and eraser support
- Getty Images metadate and import

To download Capture One follow the link here.

 

Canon PowerShot S95 in stock at B&H

If the PowerShot G12 is too bulky for you then the svelte S95 should do the trick. Not only is it pocketable but it boasts a 28-105mm f/2.04.9 IS zoom and has a Raw file shooting option too. B&H are saying it's back in stock (it's a hugely popular choice by all accounts) at $399.95.

GeoLogTag Apple iPhone App review

We're great fans of GeoLog Tag here at the Digital Journal of Photography and also at our sister site, The App Whisperer , we have reviewed it in the past and always been impressed. This review concentrates on the latest updated version 3.3 that now includes support for geotagging Samsung RAW (SRW) photos, a fix for Mac geotagging when traveling through different timezones and a fix for Mac geotagging on an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network.
We put this app through its paces as the competition is heating up in the Apple app store of this style of app. Read our extensive review here...

Love Is In The Air At The Updated Apple Store

Looks like there's love in the air at the Apple store today, the store has just updated after being down all night and Apple have put together a great collection of Valentines Apple goodies for you and your true love, take a look here

There has also been a slight redesign with the navigation bar showing cosmetic signs of being a slightly darker grey. There also appears to be a subtle background texture added to the site.

First Image Samples Taken With The FujiFilm X100

At least that's what the link said, now it seems the website has been asked to remove the test images by Fujifilm Norway. Still, the dialogue is still up, take a look at Akam.no

They Conclude...

"All in all, we are quite impressed with the image quality of the X100, especially considering that we have tested is a very early pre-production model and the image quality almost certainly will be as good or even better in the finished product. In addition, we have seen here on the JPG images, and almost without exception, a carefully processed RAW file could cause a significant increase in image quality.
X100 will be the legendary camera it is planned that it should be? Will it in its final edition to be worth the rather hefty price? It's hard to tell on the basis of the model we have seen, but unless Fujifilm really do not care for tension in one or another is the possibility certainly exists. X100 is clearly a prestige product for Fujifilm, and the enthusiastic reception it has received after the initial announcement at Photokina indicates that the interest is great. Fujifilm has many times shown that they can if they want, and when it comes to x100, they simply can not afford not wanted. If Fuji does not do his utmost to get the X100 as well as possible, shoot themselves in the foot, and we believe they are too smart to do".


Pre-order your FujiFilm X100 from Adorama.  UK readers can pre-order at Digital Depot.

Olympus XZ-1 available to pre-order

B&H Photo are accepting pre-orders on the new high-end XZ-1 (10MP) digital compact from Olympus. Seems like Olympus are trying to challenge the G12 and LX5, and with an optically imagae stabilised 28-112mm f/1.8-2.5 it's looking hopeful. Time will tell. The price is listed at $499.95 and if you order it with Lightroom 3 you'll get $100 off the price.

One feature that flew under my radar was the accessory port for an optional EVF, I'm hoping it's the same one that I'm using currently with the Olympus Pen E-PL2, it would make sense.

Last chance to buy the GF1

Panasonic's little GF-1 is being replaced by this, and while still eminently stealthy, the GF-1 has excellent manual controls lacking in the newest iteration. Amazon US are selling the GF1 body only here at $299 (via Samy's Camera), while B&H are still have some stock at $419. But after that it it's all over, so get yours now before it's too late. If you're looking for a lens, this is the one I would go for.

PhaseOne reveals IQ180

PhaseOne has announced a new range of digital backs, the first of which the IQ180 is the first to be released features a 'full-frame' 53.7x 40.4mm 80MP chip and touch-sensitive 1.15 megapixel (which we assume to mean 1.15 million dot) resolution screen. Although the back can be used tethered with a FireWire 800 cable, the IQ180 is the first to also adopt a USB3 connection - sure to be the more common of the two in the coming years. Two further models, the IQ160 and IQ140 with 60.5 and 40MP resolution sensors, respectively, will join the IQ180 and all three will available from April 2011 with prices starting from 16,990 EUR / 21,990 USD.

Unlimited creativity at your fingertips
Today, Phase One announced the IQ series of digital camera backs, setting a new standard for image quality.
The IQ series is the answer to the professional photographer’s wildest dreams and exists as the most sophisticated and capable photographic system ever engineered and built!
The first system that will ship is the Phase One IQ180 digital back. Built on the most advanced sensor ever, the IQ180 can capture images at full-frame 80 megapixel resolution with a dynamic range of 12.5 f-stops. The IQ180 also features the sharpest, most vibrant, highest-resolution camera screen ever. The large 3.2” retina type, 1.15 megapixel high resolution display delivers a pixel density so high, that your eye is unable to distinguish between individual pixels which enables you to check even very fine details instantly.
Combining a new multi touch screen and the intuitive 4-button navigation, the IQ180 makes it easier than ever to navigate between different menus and features. The multi touch screen lets you zoom, pan and browse through images or menus fast, and the unique instant zoom function allows you to zoom with the tap of a finger.
The first product of its kind to feature a USB3 connection, the IQ180 facilitates extremely fast image transfers. The IQ180 also features a FireWire 800 connection, ensuring the fastest tethered capture speeds possible today. For untethered shooting, the IQ180 digital back’s new memory card interface is so fast that it eliminates buffering delays, supporting continuous shooting until a card is filled.
More information can be found at the manufacturer's site here.

Spanish architecture photographer, Eugene Pons, shows the IQ180 on location at the Hotel Porta Fira in Barcelona.

Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2011 Competition Now Open

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich is proud to present Astronomy Photographer of the Year, showcasing some incredible images of the sky, from within our solar system to deep space. Last years competition was a huge success and this years is set to be even greater. It is a free to enter competition, and all the details can be found below.

How To Enter

Above image - Blazing Bristlecone by Tom Lowe (USA) Competition Winner 2010

Entries to the competition open on Thursday 20 January 2011 and close at midday (BST) on 13 July 2011. To enter the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition you will first need to add your photos to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year group on the photo-sharing website, Flickr. Once you have done this, fill in the online application form on this website here. Through this form you will be able to nominate your chosen category and consideration for any of the relevant special prizes.

If you are under 16 and would like to enter your photos into the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year category or Robotic Scope Image of the Year special prize, please complete a special online application form, found here

Submitting images and eligibility

Above Image - Siberian Totality by Anthony Aylomanmitis (Greece) - Category Winner 2010 - Our Solar System

Entrants may submit up to five photos per month to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Flickr group and five photos in total to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition – this includes entries via this website by Young entrant.
By adding a photo to the group on Flickr or submitting images via this website by Young entrants you confirm to the Royal Observatory Greenwich that it:

        was taken and processed by you 
        is consistent with the Flickr Community Guidelines
        is your original work
        does not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party
        does not contain any obscene or defamatory content or material
        was taken within two years immediately prior to the competition closing date

The following images are not eligible for entry to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition:

        Photos that have already been previously published or submitted to a print publication or its associated online media brand 
        Photos that have won a prize in a major competition (one receiving more than 500 photos) 
        Photos taken more than two years before the competition closing date (i.e. taken before 13 July 2009)
        Photos that use a substantial amount of data from a previously published image

Using data from before 13 July 2009 is permitted so long as a substantial portion of the image is created using data captured within the dates of the competition. If data used in an image was captured outside the competition dates, please state roughly what percentage of the total data it constitutes.

Main categories

Above image - Orion Deep Wide Field by Rogello Bernai Andreo (USA) Category Winner 2010 Deep Space

The four main competition categories are:

        Earth and Space: This is for photos that include landscape, people and other 'Earthly' things. Your picture should also include an astronomical subject – for example the stars, the Moon, or near-Earth phenomena such as aurora.

        Our Solar System: This is for photos of our Sun and its family of planets, moons, asteroids and comets.

        Deep Space: This is for photos of anything beyond our Solar System, including stars, nebulae and galaxies.

        Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year: See below for details of this category.

Each of these categories will have one overall winner, a runner up and three highly commended awards.

Special prizes

Above Image - Photon Worshippers by steven Christenson (USA) - Category Winner 2010 - People and Space

The judges will also be awarding a number of additional prizes. If you would like your photo to be considered for these prizes please indicate as appropriate on the online entry form. These prizes are:

        People and Space: For astronomy photos that include people in a creative and original way. We will also award a runner-up for this category.

        Best Newcomer: This is for photographers who've taken up the hobby in the last year and have not entered an image to the competition before. The judges will give special consideration to those using simple and inexpensive start-out kit so please update your photo’s Flickr description to say what you've used. If you’re shortlisted for this prize, the judges would also like to look at a small portfolio of your other astroimages. This will help them to better assess the overall standard of your imaging and see how you’ve progressed and improved during your first year of astrophotography.

        Robotic Scope Image of the Year: This special prize is awarded by the judges for images that have been taken by robotic/remote telescopes and that have been processed by yourself. Any age entrant may enter, however images captured remotely/robotically are not eligible for the main judging categories.

Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year category

Above image, Young Astronomy Photographer 2010 - Winner - A Perfect Circle by Dhruv Arvind Paranjpye (India) aged 14

This is the competition category for those under the age of 16 at the competition closing date. If you would like to enter this category, you can do so through the online application form. If your photo is shortlisted, your parent or guardian will need to sign a written consent form. This category will have one overall winner, a runner up and three highly commended awards.

NEC SpectraView Reference 271 concise review

Rating 4.5/5

Price $1,882, £1,549 (ex VAT), £1,858 (inc VAT

Contact NEC, 0208 993 8111, www.nec-display-solutions.co.uk

Needs OS X 10.3 or later, Windows 2000 with SP4 or higher

Pros Picture quality, wide-gamut, hardware-calibratable with SpectraView profiler, ergonomics, build, three-year warranty 

Cons Granular text, no bundled Mini DisplayPort cable, calibrator extra (UK version)

Please follow the link to buy from UK retailer Warehouseexpress.com 

Please note this has been replaced by the PA 272W BK SV LED in the US (B&H Photo )



Color management is essential for critical color reproduction and the NEC SpectraView Reference 271 (MultiSync PA271W-BK-SV in the USA) is one of the few wide-gamut monitors available to come close to covering the Adobe RGB color space. Most monitors, even so-called high-end models, are barely able to reproduce the gamut of the much smaller sRGB color space. And, if your monitor doesn’t display the colors available to your output space, such as a photo-inkjet, then making accurate color adjustments to your photos or video is made all the more difficult.

With a 16:9 aspect ratio, the SpectraView Reference 271 is the first 27-inch monitor from NEC in its Professional Color Management series. As well as 2560 x 1440 pixel native resolution, it packs a new 10-bit P-IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel for wide viewing angles and instead of LED backlighting, it adopts the cold cathode tubes of earlier offerings. This sounds a lot like rival 27-inch offerings, including NEC’s Multi-Sync siblings but the SpectraView Reference models are individually selected and certified for zero pixel failure.

Furthermore, they’re supplied with the SpectraView Profiler utility that controls 14-bit hardware LUTs (Look UP Tables). These data instructions are written directly to the chassis electronics during calibration (a screen calibrator, such as the i1Profiler, is required*). This is a more reliable and consistent method of achieving accurate color reproduction than using the same calibrator to re-write the software LUTs on the computer's video-adaptor (known as software calibration), which in turn is corrected by the color profile.

Setting up the NEC is a pretty simple affair, but they’re a couple of points to be aware of. Firstly, unlike the earlier 24-and 30-inch models, the SpectraView Reference 271 has no analogue ports, just two DVI-D ports and a single, full-size DisplayPort. If you’re a Mac user with a spare, full-size DVI port you’ll be fine, if not it gets tricky.





If you intend to run a second monitor from your current MacBook Pro, iMac, or from a single video card on your Mac Pro, that means having to locate either a Mini DisplayPort adaptor or Mini to full-size DisplayPort cable, as neither are supplied. To make matter worse, they aren’t widely available. Luckily, Lindy (www.lindy.com) has just released a reliable adaptor (which was used in this test, see image above) and they now have a 1.0m cable option (not available at the time of testing). Alternatively, you could use a dual-link DVI to Mini DisplayPort adaptor, but at £70 (inc VAT) the price is prohibitive, while the cheaper single-link DVI adaptor doesn’t support the monitor resolution.





Neither is a calibrator supplied with the European version*, but colorimeters such as the i1 (EyeOne) Display and Spyder2 are supported. Thankfully, the previously messy licensing procedure of the SpectraView utility has been abandoned, but it will only run if the monitor is powered on, a niggle only if you intend to use it for a second, third-party monitor.

SpectraView handles the whole calibration and profile creation, and is made simpler by the inclusion of a number of optional presets. These are intended for different color space emulations and workflows; photography, pre-press, web-design, and others. However, SpectraView has a raft of manual options if you wish to modify the process.

With simple adjustment for height, tilt, and rotation (the screen can be rotated 90-degrees from horizontal to vertical format), the SpectraView Reference 271 has excellent ergonomics. And it’s also bundled with an excellent flocked hood that can be left in place during calibration.

As you might expect the picture quality and color reproduction is outstanding. Images are particularly sharp, sharper than most 30-inch monitors at a closer working distance, thanks to the finer pixel pitch. Also noticeable when compared to a calibrated 27-inch iMac are a wider range of blues and greens, greens in particular. Reds were deeper, less orangey and very vibrant. Uniformity of brightness was excellent too. I couldn’t see any hot spots on a black background and there were no signs of the ugly yellow colored mura that affected the late 2009 27-inch iMac.

If there’s a niggle it’s that text in a word-document, for instance, isn’t quite as smooth as the glossy screens, again, in part due to the texture of the matte finish anti-glare coating. When compared with rival Eizo ColorEdge models, it’s a competitively priced offering and an outstanding choice for imaging pros.

* The USA MultiSync PA271W-BK-SV is bundled with a NEC branded EyeOne Display calibrator made especially for the color characteristics of the display.





Related posts:

NEC has announced the 30-inch SpectraView Reference 301, also known as the MultiSync PA301W-BK-SV display in North America. This will replace the SVRef 3090, not the SVRef 275 reviewed above..

Advertisement

Sales

For more information please visit www.nec-display-solutions.co.uk

Please follow the link to buy from UK retailer Warehouseexpress.com 
Please note this has been replaced by the PA 272W BK SV LED in the US (B&H Photo )

Hipstamatic iPhone Photography Exhibition - Don't Miss It

The Orange Dot Gallery, London
Exhibition: 14th January 2011– 31st January 2011
Launched in the summer of 2010, Hipstamatics.com is a blog dedicated to iPhone Hipstamatic photography. A beautiful online photo reel, it brings together and showcases some of the very best Hipstamatic shots from around the globe alongside some in-house originals.
People can scroll through the ever-expanding library of Hipstamatic shots and most importantly can share their own photos, submitting them for selection via Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.
From the hundreds of pictures on the blog the Orange Dot Gallery will showcase 157 prints – the same number as the amount of original analog cameras produced. A homage to both the history and future of Hipstamatics the exhibition will showcase some of the best works featured on the site to date, from both submitted snaps from around the globe and their own specially sourced and exclusive work.
A movement has started, opening up an opportunity for people around the globe to produce some outstanding lo fi photography all from their mobile phone. It’s a revolution that looks set to only continue to grow. Don't miss this outstanding exhibition.

To get directions etc, visit the OrangeDotGallery here

Olympus E-PL2 sample shots with Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f/0.95

We've been spoiled this week, not only did we get an E-PL2 sample in for testing, we were sent a new Kingston card like this one, and a Voigtlander 25mm (50mm-e) f/0.95 Nokton also for review, so we thought we would share some quick snaps we took this Friday afternoon. We'll be showing more over the weekend, and hopefully with a wider selection of settings and with more photographic merit. Please check back regularly.

DataMind Srl announces Jade Plugin 3.0 for Apple Aperture

DataMind Srl today is proud to announce Jade Plugin 3.0, their digital image processing plugin for Apple Aperture. Jade Plugin includes the same algorithms as DataMind's highly acclaimed digital image processing applications, Jade and Beryl. Implementing state-of-the-art algorithms to enhance color, contrast and dynamic range, remove red-eye effect and remove noise, Jade Plugin is an easy-to-use image enhancement tool that will automatically improve digital images directly in Aperture.

Feature Highlights

Jade provides manual controls to fine-tune the intensity value, increase the contrast and apply the colour correction for unbalanced images. The red-eye removal can be tuned by setting the threshold level, the intensity of correction and by directly selecting the eye or image area to be corrected.

Feature highlights include:
* One-Button Automatic Image Enhancement
* Automatic red-eye detection and removal
* Denoising
* Side-by-side image comparison
* Batch processing large volumes of images at once
* Enhancement of very large images (tested up to 16000x16000px)
* Fine-tune Intensity Values, Contrast and Colour Correction for unbalanced images
* Preservation of Colour Profiles
* 32/64 bit

Minimum Requirements

* Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Snow Leopard
* Apple Aperture 2.1 or later
* 35.0 MB Hard Drive space

Pricing and Availability

Jade Plugin 3.0 is 49.99 Euro and is available as a Free full-featured 30 day demo.

Bibble out 5.2 and Lite versions

A favorite of Nikon DSLR users, Bibble Labs has released Bibble 5.2 Pro and Lite versions. For more information and to download a trial version please see below.

Bibble 5.2 Pro & Lite Now Available

Major Selective Editing Improvements, Support for 14 New Camera RAW Formats & Much More

Austin, Tx, January 20th, 2011: Bibble Labs, Inc. is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Bibble 5.2 Pro and Bibble 5.2 Lite. This free update for all current Bibble 5 customers adds support for 14 new RAW formats, including Nikon D3100, D7000, P7000 and Panasonic LX5, GF2 and GH2, and includes significant improvements to Bibble 5's already powerful Selective Editing capability, and many other enhancements.

"We've been hard at work since we launched Bibble 5.1 in June," says Jeff Stephens, President of Bibble Labs, Inc., "and we're thrilled to again be able to provide a free update to all our Bibble 5 customers with so many improvements."

Follow the link here to update or download a trial of Bibble 5.2 Pro or Bibble 5.2 Lite

 

Portrait Professional v9 on offer

Easy to use and with outstanding results, Anthropics' automated retouching utility, Portrait Professional 9, is on sale at just $49.95, or £29.95 (normally $109.95, or £64.95). This is a time limited offer, as version 10 isn't far off, but this seems like a steal to me. The Studio version (reduced from $172.95 or £109.95 to just $89.95, or £49.95) has RAW conversion and, crucially, compatibility with 16-bit TIFFs (essential for pros).

See my review here of version 8.

B&H Photo Lightroom offer

B&H Photo are giving a $100 off Adobe Lightroom when purchased together with any one of these cameras. Yep, even the Canon EOS 5D Mk II.

White House Custom Colour expands backdrop range

White House Custom Colour, one of the largest pro photo and press printers in the world, has announced an expanded range of backgrounds for photographers. The 'wrinkle free' printed backdrops are made of polyester, allowing easy handling, transportation and storage. They're available in 8’x10’ size with a pole pocket at $350, despatched within 2-3 days of ordering and come with free ground shipping anywhere in the US. For more information please see the press release below.

Press release

White House Custom Colour Expands Product Line with Printed Photography Backdrops

The company’s line of wrinkle-free, easy-to-transport backdrops offers portrait photographers a variety of designs and colors that appeal to high school seniors, families, and children

Imaging USA 2011
Booth #403

SAN ANTONIO & EAGAN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--White House Custom Colour, the premier professional photographic and press printer, today announced the expansion of its product offering with the launch of Backdrops by WHCC, a line of contemporary, wrinkle-free printed photography backdrops for portrait photographers. All who are interested in learning more about Backdrops by WHCC are invited to visit White House Custom Colour at Imaging USA 2011 in San Antonio, Texas, at booth #403.

Staying true to its innovative spirit, the company has become the first lab in the country to offer a line of printed backdrops. Unlike traditional hand-painted muslin backdrops, White House Custom Colour backdrops are printed directly onto wrinkle-free 100% polyester fabric, which allows for easy transport and storing.

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to bring additional value to our clients, and with our new line of backdrops, we are able to provide photographers with a product they need backed by our production expertise and industry leading turnaround times,” said Mike Hanline, owner and CEO of White House Custom Colour. “These wrinkle-free backdrops can go anywhere and provide photographers with beautiful designs and colors that their clients can get excited about.”

The line features more than 50 contemporary designs and colors such as Abandoned Study Forest Green and Brimfield Blue, which are available in the conventional 8’x10’ size with a pole pocket for easy hanging.

Backdrops by WHCC are available for $350 and ship within just two to three days with free UPS ground shipping. To learn more about Backdrops by WHCC, visit the team at booth #403 or the website at backdrops.whcc.com.

Nissin Di466 adds compatibility with Four Thirds cameras

Independent flashgun manufacturer Nissin has introduced the Di466 with compatibility for Olympus and Panasonic Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds cameras - the image sensor is the same size in both formats. The unit has a GN of 33m at 53mm focal length (ISO 100m/ft ) and is available now at £157 for the black version and £179 for the white model.

Nissin Di466 flash now available for Four Thirds cameras

Kenro, the UK distributor for Nissin flash equipment, has announced the award winning Nissin Di466 Professional Speedlite is now available for Four Thirds System DSLR cameras.

This new generation model comes in either black or white and is packed with features including TTL Exposure compensation from -1.5EV to +1.5EV by 0.5EV steps and Slave Remote Flash for either analogue or digital flash systems. The bounce head on the unit turns upward to 90 degrees with click-stops at 0, 45, 60, 75 and 90 degrees.

The Di466 comes with ŒMY TTL‚, a feature exclusive to Nissin that enables the user to customize their own TTL exposure level settings. The unit has a guide number of 33m at 53mm focal length (ISO 100m/ft ) and is firmware upgradable.

„The original model that came with either a Canon or Nikon fitting proved a huge hit so I‚m delighted the Di466 is now available to users of Four Thirds DSLR‚s too.'' says Kenro managing director, Paul Kench. „The flash produces the same colour as sunlight which makes it really useful for daylight fill-in photography. It‚s the perfect choice for professional and advanced photographers.‰

The Di466 Four Thirds is compatible with Olympus E-P2 / E-P1 / E-PL1 Olympus E-620 / E-520 / E-410 and Lumix GF-1 / GH-1 / G-1 Lumix DMC-LX3. The black version has an RRP of £156.47 with the white model costing £178.72.

See www.kenro.co.uk for details

Epson announce Stylus Photo R3000

Epson has announced a new A3+ (13-inch wide) photo-printer using the Vivid Magenta inkset, front-loading of heavyweight fine-art paper and cartridges with a larger than average 25.9ml capacity. The new printer is expected to hit the retailers' shelves at the end of March at a price of $849.99/ £699.99 inc. VAT.

Press release
Medium print runs made possible with compact A3+ printer
Adds to wide range of high-quality A3+ photo printers using UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta inks for unbeatable greyscale reproduction

17 January 2011 – Epson® today launches its latest A3+ photo printer aimed at the professional and advanced amateur: the Epson Stylus Photo R3000. This printer makes professional-quality output accessible, with its convenient high-capacity inks which are perfect for medium print runs, and fits even the smallest desk space with its compact footprint.

In response to photographers and designers’ feedback, Epson has developed the R3000’s new features with convenience in mind. A front-loading fine art paper feed makes insertion easier, reducing the likelihood of damage and removing the need for space behind the printer. Viewing media instructions and checking ink levels is simple with the 2.5-inch colour LCD. And the high-capacity, 25.9ml ink cartridges allow medium print runs to be completed while optimising cost per page.

Epson’s reputation for superior photo quality combined with its advanced UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta inkset means each print is consistently true-to-life. This inkset offers unbeatable greyscale reproduction – important for both colour and black and white prints – thanks to its three densities of black. Either a standard photo or matte black is employed and switched automatically by the printer to suit the media used, along with light black and light light black to create true black and white images. In addition to improving the grey balance and eliminating colour casts, this combination of blacks creates a smoother tonal range with a natural look, perfect for portraits.

Neil Wilson, business manager at Epson UK, says: “We launched the R3000 after listening to customers’ feedback. It is designed to offer photographers and artists a wide range of A3+ prints using our UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink, to meet their diverse needs. The R3000 allows them to tap into our unique ability to choose your own black and white tonality from warm to neutral or cool, and adapt it to suit individual tastes. These settings can easily be customised and saved, as we designed the R3000’s print driver to be easy to use.”

Users – whether they’re photographers, designers or architects – can also use the supplied professional-quality ICC profiles in their photo editing application to create professional-quality images that suit their unique style without relying on a lab. They can then focus on capturing the perfect shot, rather than having to learn print production skills. And with a high-quality A3+ photo taking just 195 seconds to print, they don’t then have to wait around to review the result.

And the versatile R3000 allows printing on a variety of media, from roll to cut-sheet fine art paper and board up to 1.3mm thick, making it the ideal choice for total freedom of expression without compromising on quality.

The Epson Stylus Photo R3000 will be available from the end of March 2011 with a recommended retail price (inc VAT) of $849.99/ £699.99.

Key Features Summary
·         Prints at up to A3+ size
·         Compact footprint
·         High-capacity 25.9ml ink cartridges for medium print runs
·         Front-loading fine art paper feed
·         Switches automatically between photo and matte black inks
·         USB, Wi-Fi and 10/100 Ethernet connectivity
·         8-colour UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta inkset for repeatable professional colour and true black and white images
·         Prints on a variety of media, including roll paper, fine art paper and media up to 1.3mm thick
·         2.5-inch colour LCD
·         Control panel with backlit LCD
·         Supports ICC profiles
·         Print high-quality A3+ photos in around 195 seconds
·         Keep power consumption and energy bills down with ENERGY STAR qualified power efficiency
·         PictBridge£ enabled to easily produce one-offs or contact sheets
·         Borderless printing
·         CD/DVD printing
·         Variable-sized Droplet Technology with Ultra Micro Dot£ for 2pl minimum droplet size
·         Up to 5760 x 1440 optimised dpi using Resolution Performance Management
 

Canon PowerShot G12 in stock at B&H

Our affiliate retailer B&H Photo in New York has reminded us that the newly arrived G12 is in stock and now includes free shipping in the USA (as well as  $100 off Adobe Lightroom, if purchased together).

Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 Competition Now Open

The Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 competition is now open and they are once again seeking innovative and inspiring wildlife images.
Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year champions ethical wildlife photography – specifically the representation of the natural world as faithfully as possible, free of excessive digital manipulation, with honesty in all captioning, and total regard for the welfare of the animals and their environment.

Entry Categories

Images of nature including wildlife, plants and fungi, landscapes, man’s impact on the environment (both positive and negative) are eligible and can be entered into the following categories:
1. Animals in their Environment
2. Behaviour: Birds
3. Behaviour: Mammals
4. Behaviour: All Other Animals
5. Underwater World
6. Animal Portraits
7. In Praise of Plants and Fungi
8. Urban Wildlife
9. Nature in Black and White
10. Creative Visions of Nature
11. Wild Places
12. Special Portfolio Award: Eric Hosking Award
13. Special Portfolio Award: Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year
14. Special Award: Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife
15. Special Award: One Earth

CONTEST PRIZE & TERMS

Prize Details: The overall winner of the title of Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year will receive £10,000.00.
Each Category winner will receive £500.00 and each runner-up will receive £250.00.
Special Award winners will receive £1,000.00 and each runner-up will receive £500.00.
Eligibility: The Competition is open to anyone
Copyright: The copyright in all images submitted to the Competition will remain with the copyright holder who will be credited in accordance with the Competition’s guidelines.
Usage Rights: By entering the Competition, each entrant grants to the Owners a non-exclusive irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish, and communicate to the public by any means and exhibit their image and copies of their image in all media throughout the world in relation to the Competition and the Exhibition including but not limited to all use in the context of:
Judging the Competition.
Display in the Exhibition.
Inclusion in the Portfolio Book and magazine or similar
Inclusion within interactive elements associated with the Competition and or Exhibition (now known or hereafter created) available for viewing or download from the Owners’ website.
Inclusion in promotional, press and marketing materials associated with the Competition and or the Exhibition
Inclusion in merchandising associated with the Competition and or the Exhibition.
In some of the above circumstances, commercial opportunities may exist for winning photographers to benefit from the use of their image: where a commercial benefit is likely to arise, permission will be sought in advance and terms and conditions will be agreed.
Winning images will be used by the Owners for a period of eighteen (18) months from the announcement of the winners and thereafter the Owners may keep the winning images within an archive (electronic or otherwise) for a further period of five (5) years, after which permission will be sought from the photographers should their images be used in connection with the Competition and or Exhibition.
To find out more, go to the official site here