NEC unwraps new 27-inch display for imaging pros

NEC Display Solutions has announced a new high-end monitor for color critical work using 10--bit P-IPS panel capable of exceeding the gamut of Adobe RGB. For more info including piece and availability, please see the press release below.

NEC Display Solutions defines the benchmark in the new 27” class of colour-critical desktop displays

New NEC SpectraView® Reference 271

London, 8 July 2010 – With the SpectraView® Reference 271, NEC Display Solutions is proud to unveil its first 27” wide-format LCD in its next generation line of Professional Colour Management Displays. The hardware-calibratable display features a state of the art 10-bit P-IPS* Panel able to reproduce 1.07 billion colours and 107% of Adobe RGB colour space for class leading colour accuracy. In addition, the impressive resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels makes it perfect for stringent pre-press and soft-proofing applications as well as demanding photographic image reproduction and video editing. The display comes with a 6 months pixel failure warranty starting from the date of purchase.

The high-end LCD possesses all the well established professional features and qualities common to the SpectraView® Reference series, including a 3D LUT** for separate colour space emulations, a 14-bit LUT to achieve an accurate colour calibration via gamma correction and the NEC Lab ‘Profiler’ software to create the 16-bit ICC profile as part of the colour workflow.

A large size desktop image, coming with a light protection hood, and the high resolution additionally make the NEC SpectraView® Reference 271 of particular interest for professional photographers, media designers and graphic designers. Effective features such as the picture-in-picture function for the simple, simultaneous display of numerous program windows, or the programmable USB for controlling multiple PC platforms makes content-rich and diverse working a breeze, boosting the user’s productivity. The Backlight Ageing Correction helps to ensure stable picture quality, constant white point and brightness over the display’s entire lifetime. The stand, which is height-adjustable by up to 150 mm, as well as the stunning P-IPS image quality guarantees comfortable working – even for extended periods. Users also benefit from the flexible connectivity options, which include the future-proof DisplayPort connection as well as two DVI-D ports.

“The SpectraView Reference 271 is a particular exciting development in format, technology, and design,” says Christopher Parker, Product Line Manager for Professional Displays at NEC Display Solutions. “We are convinced that our customers will be utterly won over through the combination of high-performance P-IPS image reproduction, powered by the NEC chassis electronics and visible with the amazing new high resolution format.”

*P-IPS = performance in-plane switching, **LUT = lookup table

Availability, price and warranty

The NEC SpectraView® Reference 271 is available as from now in black, at a price of £1,549.00 (inc. VAT). The package includes NEC’s SpectraView® Profiler 4.1 software on CD, light protection hood, an individual SpectraView® certification report, providing proof of the individual performance of each screen, a power cable, DisplayPort and DVI-D cable, comprehensive manual for the monitor and software, and CD containing the installation software and drivers. NEC Display Solutions Europe offers a three-year warranty including backlights (as well as a 5 years optional warranty) and a 6 months warranty against pixel failure from the date of purchase.

More information can be found here.

To buy from a respected UK retailer (ColourConfidence), please follow the link here.

For US purchases, please use the B&H link on the site, or follow the link here.

If you're a UK-based Mac user and intend to connect the display to your Mini-DisplayPort, you'll require a reliable adaptor. Please follow the link here.

Ricoh announces GXR and S10 unit available in kit

Previously only available separately, the Ricoh GXR body and S10 lens module are now available as a kit. The price will be 599 Euros (£496 equivalent, potentially saving £244 buying separately) but the UK price is still be to confirmed. The kit will be available from July 16th.

Ricoh announces the GXR＋S10 KIT

A camera kit that includes the GXR and RICOH LENS S10 24-72 mm F2.5-4.4 VC

 

Tokyo, Japan, July 6, 2010—Ricoh Co., Ltd. (president and CEO: Shiro Kondo) today announced the release of the new GXR+S10 KIT, a camera kit that combines the GXR body and the “RICOH LENS S10 24-72 mm F2.5-4.4 VC”* GXR camera unit featuring a high-performance 3x wide-angle zoom lens.

*The “VC” designation indicates that this unit has the Vibration Correction function developed independently by Ricoh.

*The GXR+S10 KIT includes both the GXR body and RICOH LENS S10 24-72 mm F2.5-4.4 VC in a single package.

The GXR+S10 KIT is the second GXR and camera unit kit product, following the popular GXR+P10 KIT, which is already on sale. As GXR basic kits, these two kits can be used immediately upon purchase so they make it easier for a wider range of customers to buy and use the GXR.

For Full Information, please see:
URL: http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/gxr/

 

Travel photographer Rick Sammon shares view on Lexar memory cards

Lexar Elite photographer Rick Sammon has produced a short video explaining why Lexar compact-flash cards work for him.

Nikon rolls out 33rd NPCI

Nikon has announced their prestigious NPCI (Nikon Photo Contest - International) for 2010-2011, with the Grand Prize including a D3s, AF-S 24mm f/1.4G and 24-70mm f/2.8G for the overall winner. For more information including submission details and online entry, please see here.

Olympus announces cash-back on E-PL1

Olympus UK has announced a £75 cashback offer on the purchase on either a E-PL1 body or kit from authorized stockists. The offer will run in the UK and Ireland and is valid on purchases made up to 31st August 2010.

More details on the offer and how to claim are available at www.olympus.co.uk/promotion

Kata rolls out the Beetle

Stills and video camera bag specialist, Kata, has wheeled out the new Beetle backpack, which they claim conforms to most airlines carry-on restrictions. The Pro Light Beetle-282 is capable of carrying a 17-inch laptop, a couple of camera bodies and a lens up to 300mm. For a shade under £270 inc VAT, the pack is also compatible with the Kata Insertrolley option, making it a breeze when navigating the busy check-in. For more information, please see the press release below.

Press release:

Carry On Convenience for both DSLR and HVD with the new Kata Beetle!

29 June 2010
Kata has done it again with another brand new feature-packed backpack – the Pro Light Beetle-282 – yet another super-light and protective camera bag from the Kata stable, which offers unrivaled protection for your camera gear.

Perfect for travel, this new backpack manufactured in the latest lightweight ripstop fabric, is suitable carry on for most airlines* and can hold an impressive array of kit.

The Beetle 282 can house up to 2 or 3 DSLR bodies with a further four to six lenses (right up to 300mm), plus additional room for a laptop (up to 17”) and all the necessary accessories.

Alternatively – with totally adjustable inner dividers - the bag is also suitable for HD Video cameras or a combination of both video and stills equipment – the choice is yours!

This brand new backpack incorporates Kata’s brand new Gecko harness system for ultimate comfort on the go. The Gecko EVA foam harness straps provide extra cushioning where it counts, micro hatch texture ensures straps say put, and the harness moulds to fit your own individual shape without any pinching. The adjustable hip belt is designed to transfer the weight of your gear from your back to your hips and a sternum strap adjusts to various heights to ensure individual comfort. There’s also a clever camera attachment device which enables you to take the weight of the camera on the harness, rather than around your neck.

The Beetle also boasts Kata’s new Aerifoam dividers – which while still providing 100% of the protection are 25% lighter, together with a new foam encased spring-steel Spine Guard feature, which gives the Beetle the ultimate in structural protection.

And as you’d expect from a Kata backpack, there’s two different ways to attach a tripod (on the front and on the side), together with Kata’s unique Elements Cover for added protection in even the harshest environments. The Elements Cover, which folds away neatly into its own pouch, is black on one side and silver the other – great for reflecting heat away or providing additional protection from the weather.

Perfect for the demanding pro or keen enthusiast photographer, the Beetle-282 is also compatible with Kata’s Insertrolly, so can easily be transformed into a rolling bag for when four wheel drive is an option!

To find out where you can get your hands on one of these hi-tech new backpacks visit www.kata-bags.com or call 01293 583300

*Always check with the specific airline you are traveling with as regulations often change.

SRP for the Kate Beetle-282 PL is £269.95 inc VAT .

Leica Tweet for Charity

Fundraising on Twitter for Leica enthusiasts’ charity initiative

29 June 2010

Starting on 30 June 2010, Leica Camera AG will donate € 0.50 (0.50 Euros) to the UK-based Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) for every new follower of Leica’s Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/leica_camera (@leica_camera). Leica will donate an additional € 1,000 to the AICR upon reaching 10,000 followers by 9 July 2010.

The charity project for the benefit of international cancer research is part of an initiative that was launched by Leica enthusiast photographers who met on the independent International Leica User Forum (http://www.l-camera-forum/leica-forum/).

At the cornerstone of the project is the Leica User Forum Charity Book 2010, which is available through online publishing company, Blurb: http://www.tinyurl.com/LUFBOOK2010. The book is 172 pages long and includes a broad variety of images taken by 101 Leica Forum members. A significant donation from the participating photographers, as well as € 6 from the € 95 price of the book, will benefit the AICR. More than € 9,000 has already been raised.

Leica Forum member, Bill Palmer, who came up with the idea of the photo book, said, “We simply wanted to showcase the talent of the photographers on the forum, whilst simultaneously raising money for a good cause. The response was overwhelming, both in the number and the quality of images submitted from contributors worldwide.”

Norman Barrett, AICR’s chief executive said, “This impressive work will provide essential income to help us assist scientists across the globe in their efforts to understand and answer some of the most complicated questions in their field.”

Leica Camera chief executive, Rudolf Spiller, also commented, “I am delighted that we can contribute to an initiative that perfectly illustrates the spirit of the Leica user community. The project combines social responsibility, creative excellence and dedication to Leica cameras and lenses. Our customers are the best!”

Detailed information on the fund raising campaign and the photo book, including news, interviews and photos will be posted on the Leica Camera Blog at: http//blog.leica-camera.com and the Leica web site at http://www.leica-camera.com. Details will also be posted on Twitter and Facebook at: http://www.twitter.com/leica_camera and http://www.facebook.com/Lei

DxO Labs add lens testing to DxOMark

Earlier in the week DxO Labs, the software company behind DxO Optics Pro Raw workflow utility and latterly the DxOMark database of camera sensor performance measurements, has added lens testing to assess image-quality of specific lens-camera combinations. The listings aren't at this time exhaustive, being mainly Nikon and Canon models to start, but that will surely change over time.

DxOMark 2010 introduces comprehensive lens measurements and score system to assess optics and cameras image quality

DxOMark’s unique RAW-based measurements now available for each specific lens-camera combination

June 22, 2010 – DxO Labs today unveiled DxOMark 2010, the new version of its successful dxomark.com website, adding objective RAW-based lens performance measurements to its existing database of camera sensor measurements. DxOMark 2010 also proposes fifteen different DxOMark Scores to assess the various aspects of image quality and to help rank and compare lenses and cameras.

Freely accessible, DxOMark is designed to serve the entire imaging community, particularly serious and demanding photographers along with photography experts and journalists.

About the new DxOMark 2010 Measurement Database

Initially covering about 540 cameras-lens combinations, with dozens to follow each month, DxOMark measurement database is the ultimate source of objective, independent metrics on camera image quality. In order to guarantee the accuracy and consistency of its database, DxO Labs, an industry leader in Image Quality Evaluation, performs all measurements in its own labs, never relying on any manufacturer data. DxO Labs uses state-of-the-art equipment and open measurement protocols compliant with international and industry standards.

DxOMark measurements are performed on RAW images and are specific to each lens-camera combination. “We found that the same lens can produce big differences in image quality performance when coupled with different camera bodies, which is why DxO Labs has taken the time and trouble to evaluate lens-camera combinations instead of testing lenses and bodies on their own,” said Nicolas Touchard, Vice President of Marketing, DxO Labs Image Quality Evaluation.

About the new DxOMark 2010 Scores

To complement the lens and camera sensor Measurement Database, DxOMark also proposes fifteen Scores to help users to quickly assess and compare the intrinsic RAW performance of lenses and cameras. These Scores are based either on photographic Use Cases such as Travel, Portrait, Landscape, etc., or key optical metrics such as resolution, distortion, etc., allowing fair and objective comparisons of photographic equipment within the context of specific needs.

About DxOMark

Sponsored by DxO Labs, DxOMark is the reliable, objective, manufacturer-independent source of information about camera and lens image quality that demanding photographers can trust.

There are many valuable resources available through traditional and web media to help assess the image quality of digital cameras, but only DxOMark consistently uses RAW data. DxOMark thus makes it possible for photographers who shoot in RAW to assess the intrinsic quality of their lenses and cameras before the impact of any RAW conversion.

DxOMark measurements rely on DxO Analyzer, the world’s leading turn-key laboratory solution for image quality evaluation. Thanks to its accuracy, completeness, and reliability, DxO Analyzer has become the reference tool for numerous leading imaging industry players, photography magazines, and websites

OWC announce conversion kit for second drive in Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro computers

US-based retailer Other World Computing (OWC) has announced a $79.99 conversion bracket kit to replace the internal optical drive of Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. The bracket, aimed at pro-shooters and retouchers, accommodates a second hard drive or Solid State Drive (SSD) for up to 640GB additional capacity, or RAID array.

For more information, please read the press release below:

Press release:

June 24, 2010, Woodstock, IL -- Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, today announced the OWC Data Doubler™, an optical bay mounting solution for MacBook or MacBook Pro notebook computers that enables users to add a second hard drive or SSD for up to an additional 640GB of internal drive capacity, internal RAID, or other user customized internal data storage configurations.

The $79.99 MSRP OWC Data Doubler comes complete with all required hardware, a detailed step-by-step Mac notebook model specific installation guide, available online OWC installation videos, and is immediately available for the following notebook computers:

MacBook 13" “Late 2008” ‘Unibody’ and later models
MacBook 13" “Late 2009” ‘White Unibody’ and later models
MacBook Pro 13" "Mid 2009" ‘Unibody’ and later models
MacBook Pro 15" "Late 2008” ‘Unibody’ and later models
MacBook Pro 17" "Early 2009” ‘Unibody’ and later models
For more information on the OWC Data Doubler kit, compatibility guide, or to order, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/DDAMBS0GB/

Provides Custom Configuration of Notebooks
The custom engineered, black anodized aluminum OWC Data Doubler gives MacBook and MacBook Pro users the flexibility to uniquely configure their notebook computer’s internal drive array. Any SATA 2.5" hard drive or SSD of up to 9.5mm (Super Slim) height can be mounted onto the bracket with the entire assembly then installing into the notebook’s 5.25" optical drive bay. 9.5mm SATA 2.5" drives, currently available in capacities of up to 640GB, are fully ‘Plug and Play’ recognized via the Apple Disk Utility program with standard configuration options just like any typical drive including, but not limited to:
Creating an individual volume with its own desktop icon.
Combining a new drive with the existing internal drive for one larger volume (SPAN).
Combining a new matching drive with existing internal for high-performance RAID-0 Stripe volume.
Configuring a new drive as a Time Machine™ backup drive.
Formatting one drive for the Mac OS and the other dedicated for Windows.
“Since 1988, OWC has focused on products and services that enhance the Macintosh user experience,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. “The OWC Data Doubler kit is a cost effective and well documented solution for MacBook and MacBook Pro owners to attain more capacity, performance, and/or redundancy - all right within their existing laptop with nothing additional to carry.”

High Performance Hard Drives & SSDs Available
In addition to the Data Doubler optical bay drive solution, OWC carries a full line of 2.5" notebook drives up to 1TB with 500GB hard drives from $74.99 and Solid State Drives (SSD) from $129.99. For the fastest and most reliable drive available on the market, OWC also offers its own award-winning Mercury Extreme Pro SSD line in capacities from 50GB to 480GB starting at $199.99. For more information on OWC’s internal storage options for notebook computers, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/es/2.5-Notebook/

Lexar unveils new 24-in-1 USB card reader

Lexar Media has announced a new 24-in-1 USB multi-card reader. With a RRP of £29.99, the reader is compatible with multiple SD, CF, mobile, Memory Stick and xD card form factors.

In the following video clip, Lexar’s director of marketing Jeff Cable demonstrates how to use the Lexar Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader with the new Apple iPad and 600x speed CF cards.

Press release

Lexar Media Introduces Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader For Easy and Reliable File Transfer

All-in-One Solution Enables Concurrent Downloads and Card-to-Card Transfer of Multimedia Files

Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader Key Messages:
Allows for quick and easy download of photo, video, music, and other files
Includes five slots and supports 24 memory card formats
Enables concurrent downloads to a host computer and card-to-card file transfer
Pop-up design protects card slots when not in use

Fremont, CA, June 24, 2010 – Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today introduced the Lexar® Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader. Featuring five slots and supporting 24 popular memory card formats, the newest reader is an all-in-one solution enabling concurrent downloads and card-to-card file transfer. The highly versatile card reader was developed with a unique pop-up design, which allows the card slots to be protected when not in use, and comes equipped with a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable. The reader makes it easy to quickly download photo, video, music, and other files from nearly any memory card to a host computer. For additional information about the Lexar Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader, visit www.lexar.com.

“From cameras and camcorders to mobile phones and GPS units, so many of today’s devices rely on memory cards, and not all of them use the same format. Managing these various cards can be cumbersome and confusing for consumers, causing them to mistakenly think they need to purchase multiple card readers,” said Jim Chan, product marketing manager, Lexar Media. “The Lexar Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader simplifies this process, eliminating the need for different readers and providing the ability to transfer important files and memories from nearly any memory card format.”

The Lexar Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader supports the following memory cards formats:
CompactFlash slot: CompactFlash® Type I and Type II
Secure Digital slot: SD™, SDHC™, miniSD™, miniSDHC™, MMC™, MMCplus™, and RS-MMC™
Mobile slot: microSD™, microSDHC™, and M2™
Memory Stick slot: Memory Stick™, Memory Stick (with MagicGate™), Memory Stick PRO™, Memory Stick PRO Duo™, Memory Stick Duo (with MagicGate), Memory Stick PRO Duo Mark 2, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™, and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo “HX”
xD-Picture Card slot: xD-Picture Card™, xD-Picture Card Type-M, xD-Picture Card Type-M+, and xD-Picture Card Type-H

In addition to ease-of-use and reliable performance, the Lexar Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader provides consumers with the reliability they have come to expect from Lexar Media. All Lexar memory card and card reader designs are tested in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with more than 800 digital cameras and memory card devices, to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability. Lexar performs this extensive testing in an effort to provide customers with the highest level of confidence.

The Lexar Multi-Card 24-in-1 USB Reader includes a one-year limited warranty..

Chase Jarvis shares workflow secrets

US-based commercial photographer and videographer, Chase Jarvis, has released an eye-opening video of his workflow from capture, through to post (in Aperture), storage and on to delivery to the client.

Transcend outs class 10 64GB SDXC card

Transcend, makers of memory cards and storage devices, have unwrapped their new class 10 64GB SDXC cards capable, it's claimed, of transfer rates up to 25MB/s. There is no word on price or availability at this time.

Transcend Unveils 64GB Class 10 SDXC Card

June 22, 2010

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a worldwide leader in memory and storage products, today announced the company's first 64GB Class 10 SDXC memory cards. Featuring an unprecedented amount of storage capacity and ultra fast transfer rates up to 25 MB/s, Transcend's new Ultimate SDXC cards are perfect for consumers in need of extended HD video recording time and improved camera performance for high-resolution digital photography.

SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) is the next-generation standard for SD cards established by the Secure Digital Association (SDA). With supported capacities ranging from 32GB up to 2TB, SDXC offers vastly greater storage potential compared to the SDHC standard, which only supports capacities up to 32GB. A 64GB SDXC card is capable of storing a maximum of 26208 pictures (based on 5 megapixel JPEG compression format), 352 hours of standard quality video (MPEG-4 video at 384 Kbps), or 640 minutes of 1920x1080 videos. Thanks to its use of the exFAT file system that supports files larger than 4GB, Transcend's SDXC cards feature astonishingly high storage capacity, making them the ideal complement to today's high-end SDXC-compatible DSLR cameras and HD camcorders.

Fully Class 10 compliant, Transcend Ultimate SDXC cards boast read speeds up to 25 MB/s. This exceptional data transfer performance not only prevents lag when recording 1920x1080 Full HD videos, but also enables high-speed consecutive shooting at sporting or other fast-motion events. As more and more consumer electronic products such as HDTVs, Blu-ray players, mobile phones and GPS are expected to support SDXC in the near future, widespread adoption of SDXC is just around the corner.

For further peace of mind, the new SDXC cards are comprehensively tested for compatibility and reliability, and carry Transcend's renowned Lifetime Warranty. In addition to the 64GB Class 10 SDXC Cards, Transcend also offers a complete line of Ultimate series Class 10 SDHC Cards, which deliver transfer speeds of up to 20MB/s and are available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities

Nikon sponsors The Open Championship

Nikon continues its association with the The Open Championship, the camera company announced today. Nikon first sponsored the event 17 years ago in 1993.

NIKON SPONSORS THE 150TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Nikon today announces its continued sponsorship of The Open Championship, the world’s oldest golf tournament, which is celebrating its 150th year. Nikon will be sponsoring The Championship, which is taking place between 15-18 July, at St Andrews, Scotland, for the 17th consecutive year, and has lined up some exciting activities and promotions to reflect this special anniversary for the tournament.

Nikon will be hosting an experiential area at St Andrews where members of the public will be able to view their golf swing as they hit balls into a net, using the COOLPIX P100, Nikon’s high performance COOLPIX camera that features full HD Movie Mode. Visitors will then have the chance to spend time with a professional golfer, who will analyse their swing, help to iron out any flaws and make improvements to their swing. The COOLPIX P100 will then be used to capture this improved swing which will be available for visitors to take away with them on a memory stick for future reference.

Nikon will also be setting up a retail unit displaying all of the latest Nikon DSLR and COOLPIX cameras, with expert advisors on hand to help people looking for a camera to capture the stunning scenery and important moments of what promises to be a memorable Championship. There will also be a gallery showing some of the iconic images captured by leading Nikon professional sports photographer, David Ashdown, which have characterised Open Championships through the years.

As with previous years, Nikon will be providing a dedicated photography service depot on site for the army of professional photographers that will be present at St Andrews from all over the world, where they can loan equipment or check their equipment in for cleaning or repair services.

The Open Golf Championship is one of Nikon’s most significant worldwide sponsorships, having been a patron of the event since 1993. The company is committed to continuing its patronage until 2012 and beyond, ensuring a prominent brand presence at what remains one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.

Commenting on Nikon’s ongoing sponsorship of The Open Championship, Birgitta Olson, General Manager of Marketing Communications at Nikon Europe, said: “Golf has provided sport with some of its most inspiring images and therefore we see our sponsorship of the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament in the world as a very natural fit. We understand the unique challenges involved in shooting high quality golfing images in what are often testing conditions, and therefore we are continuing to provide photographers with the very best equipment and technical support they need.”

Lexar demos 600x speed card in use

Lexar’s Jeff Cable ably demonstrates how quickly the new pro-level x600 cards clear the buffer when shooting with a UDMA enabled Canon EOS 7D.

 

Sales

Buy Lexar 600x CF cards from the following retailers:

Warehouse Express (UK)

Adorama (US)

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Lexar launches 256GB CompactFlash card

BlackRapid RS-5 camera strap review

By Kevin Carter

I was sent the BlackRapid RS-5 camera sling for review, and my first thoughts on opening the package were how is this going to work? - it's an unusual design for a camera strap, to say the least. Fo the uninitiated, the camera is held, not by the usual two eyelets on the body, but by the tripod socket underneath. Now I wasn't immediately thinking of the benefits to this, indeed I was a little taken aback to be honest.

There's no doubt it feels strange to secure the camera by just one point, instead of two, but the RS-5 sling has a fastener and D-ring made from solid steel and a high-quality rubber compression washer (pictured above) - assuring a rock-sold attachment point to your camera. While the D-ring allows you to apply a precise amount of torque and the compression of the rubber holds the fastener without fear of it coming undone, the camera hangs up-side down. That's the concerning point. But as I mentioned earlier there are several important benefits to this.

 

If you've ever walked around with a heavy pro-camera fitted with a 70-200mm f/2.8 you'll know that a) it's uncomfortable, b) prone to getting in the way and often getting knocked, and c) not advised by the camera makers for excessive strain on the mount. As you would attach the fastener to the tripod socket of the lens (and not the camera), that avoids that problem, and, somewhat surprisingly I admit, after the strap is correctly adjusted so the camera and lens sits in the small of your back, it's very comfortable. And it works just as well when fastened to the camera body when using smaller lenses, without a tripod collar. It falls naturally close to the body and doesn't swing about either. If you prefer you can position it to the side of your body, over your kidney, with the body pointed forward. That position allows you to grab the camera quickly and pull it to your eye, and it really is quicker than a conventional strap.

On the underside, the RS-5 has a breathable mesh and, while not thickly padded, it's comfortable enough for said pro-camera and 70-200mm. It's very well-made and there are several nice extras over the standard slings, the RS-4 and RS-7, including a magneticly secured padded pouch for a cell phone (it fits the iPhone even with a case attached to the rear), and there's a zipped mesh pocket for change, keys or some memory cards. Interestingly, the pocket is held by another magnet, rather than noisy velcro. And, finally, there is a flat, zipped pocket for notes or tickets. If you like to feel free and unencumbered while shooting - I don't like keys, phones or change in my trousers (or shorts) when I'm photographing - then the RS-5 takes care of that.

In order to get the most from the $65/£60 RS-5, and the other slings in the range, you must use it as the maker suggests. Odd, I know, but that's just how it is. The sling must be placed over your head, and not just over a shoulder. And there's a buckle that seems to serve no purpose, but is intended to keep the pad, or camera, from slipping backwards. Even so, when the pad is correctly positioned, if you pull the camera up vertically, the sling swivels and the pad will fall behind you (especially when loaded with a phone and change) and that is bothersome. If, however, you pull the camera up in an arc, the pressure keeps the pad in place on your shoulder and then it works as it was intended.

Did I find anything I didn't like? Well, no, after I followed the maker's suggestions, it worked like a dream. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, and especially so, if you walk around with a 70-200mm f/2.8, or similar, permanently attached, then I can think of no better solution. But even if you're not a sports shooter or don't shoot birds in-flight, then anyone looking for a well-made and comfortable camera strap should take a closer look at the BlackRapid range.

Update 26/6/10:

Take a look at this video of Tyler from BlackRapid, giving the RS-5 a once-over.

BLACKRAPID RS-5 Basic Setup & Features from BLACKRAPID on Vimeo.

Shop for the RS-5 at the following retailers

Amazon (all countries)
Adorama US (free shipping in the US)
Warehouseexpress.com (£54.95)
Jessops (£69.95)

Nikon equipment ordered for Space mission

It's no secret Nikon equipment has been the choice of NASA and the Russian contingent of the International Space Station for decades (starting with specially modified Nikon F bodies and lenses), but the company has for the first time officially released details of a recent order.

Above, specially modified Nikon F3 with MD-4 motor-drive and 55mm f/2 UV Nikkor for the early 80's Shuttle missions. The 55mm f/2 UV Nikkor was never made commercially available.
UPDATE: The camera above used to be referred to as the 'small camera' by NASA technicians and crew, the 'large camera' was essentially the same configuration only differing by the addition of the MF-4 250-exposure back (in place of the standard back).

Press release:
THE LATEST NIKON EQUIPMENT TO BE USED IN THE RUSSIAN SEGMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

New orders received for Nikon D3S and D3X digital-SLR cameras as well as NIKKOR interchangeable lenses

Nikon Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) is pleased to announce that orders for one Nikon D3S and two Nikon D3X digital-SLR cameras, four interchangeable lenses including AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR, software and various accessories have been received from S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, the general contractor of the Russian Federal Space Agency on the program operating the International Space Station (ISS). This equipment was transported to the ISS via the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft, which was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 16, 2010.

No special improvements or modifications have been made to these products; they are the same products available to consumers, confirming the incredible reliability of the D3S, D3X and NIKKOR lenses. The new equipment will be used along with Nikon SLR cameras, such as the Nikon F5 film-SLR camera and D2X digital-SLR camera and a variety of NIKKOR lenses already used with on-board activities of Russian cosmonauts working in the Russian segment of ISS.

Nikolay Cherlenyak, director of operations for Energia’s ISS program, has commented as follows regarding this order: "The integration of Nikon photographic equipment in space exploration has a long history and goes back to the moment when there first arose the question of photographing research conducted in orbit. It was then when the first Nikon film cameras and NIKKOR lenses, notable for precision and reliability, were sent into space. They had been used even on the station "Mir". Since then, the range of photographic equipment has been frequently supplemented by new products and advanced developments of the Nikon Company. Now with the latest models of Nikon D3S and D3X digital cameras, photography in space will reach a new, previously unattainable level."

Nikon has spent many years contributing to the study of space through the development and manufacture of advanced and extremely durable cameras and interchangeable lenses. With total production exceeding 50 million, NIKKOR lenses make the most of Nikon’s optical technologies. In 2009, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ordered eleven D3S cameras and seven AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses for use in recording activities aboard the Space Shuttle and International Space Station.

In addition to the extreme environment of space, Nikon also provides official observation equipment used in exploring the Antarctic. Nikon equipment contributes to observation and research of these little explored regions with durability, reliability and technical capabilities that stand up to even the most severe environments.

•Primary Nikon products in the current order
・ D3X
・ D3S
・ AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR
・ AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR
・ SB-900
・ AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III
・ AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II
・ AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E II
・ Capture NX2
・ Camera Control Pro 2

•Nikon products already used in the ISS’s Russian Segment
・ D2X
・ D200
・ D3X
・ Various NIKKOR lenses

Noton announces Chasing the Light Roadshow in Edinburgh

David Noton, one of the UK's leading landscape photographers has announced a new venue for his popular Chasing the Light roadshow. Tickets are on sale now and the event will be held on 28th September at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh. For more details including how to secure your tickets, please see the press release below.

17 June 2010

TEAM NOTON IS CHASING THE LIGHT AGAIN – THIS TIME IN EDINBURGH

Team Noton is on the road again, having announced a brand new Edinburgh venue for the highly acclaimed ‘Chasing the Light’ Road Show.

Hosted in association with Lowepro & Giotto’s, tickets are now on sale for the show, which will be hitting the stage on 28th September at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh.

The first events which took place in Bristol were a sell-out. David said: ‘Our aim was to put on a travel and photography show which would take guests on an inspirational ‘round the world’ trip. Feedback from the events has been phenomenal, and as promised, we’re taking the show on the road.’

The show includes David’s latest unpublished photographs, video clips from shoots around the world, the stories behind some of his most iconic images and of course, all delivered with David’s unique sense of humour:

"Amazing photographs and an expertly produced show - if you think David Noton’s photographs look incredible on a 10 x 8 print, try viewing them pin sharp on a 30-foot screen." Neil Baber, David & Charles.

The Edinburgh event will also be your first chance to get your hands on a copy of David’s long awaited second book Full Frame and the Chasing the Light DVD sequel - both to be launched this autumn. David will be doing a book signing at the event, so personalised copies of the book will be available.

Also on show will be a range of photographic bags and tripods - supplied by sponsors Lowepro & Giotto’s - which will include some of the key items of kit David uses and recommends.

Further feedback from Bristol & Sheffield events includes:

“Excellent balance of stunning photography, insightful explanations and questions and answers all balanced off with a down to earth sense of humour. DVD is also a great thing to have to remember those crucial tips.”

“Having literally just got back from the Sheffield Road Show, I feel I must express what a great, witty, enjoyable and truly inspiring show it was! I had fully expected to be blown away by stunning landscape and travel images, which I was, but the wildlife shots were a real jaw dropper.”

Tickets are priced at just £15, so book your seats now. Group bookings are welcome by calling David Noton Photography on 01963 250061 – for every 10 tickets purchased, one additional ticket will be included free of charge. Student discount available on production of relevant ID – ticket cost £12.00

For full details and to buy tickets online visit www.davidnoton.com.

Lexar debuts Quality Labs

Lexar has released an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how they test their memory cards.

Press release:

While many photographers and consumer electronics customers pay close attention to the prices, speeds and capacities of their memory cards and USB flash drives, they don’t know just how durable these devices are in real-world use. Lexar developed a video offering a look into the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with more than 800 digital cameras and memory card devices, to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability.

Bibble Labs announce Bibble Pro 5.1 and 5.1 Lite versions

Bibble labs has announced the long-awaited update to the popular independent raw workflow utility, Bibble Pro. Originally promised earlier in the year version 5.1 now includes the automatic optimization option, Perfectly Clear and Heal and Clone tools, from version 4.0 as well a support for 10 new Raw formats. The company has also announced the Lite version (5.1). Bibble 5.1 Pro and Bibble 5.1 Lite are available immediately for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers for $199.95 and $99.95, respectively.

Press release:

 

Bibble 5.1 Pro & Lite Now Available

 

Adding Heal & Clone tools, Perfectly Clear® One-Touch Image Optimization from Athentech, and much more.

Bibble Labs is proud to announce the availability of version 5.1 of Bibble Pro, and to introduce Bibble 5.1 Lite. This release includes Healing & Cloning, Perfectly Clear® one-touch image optimization, web gallery output, support for 10 additional RAW camera formats (including Panasonic G2 and G10, Sony a450, NEX-3 and NEX-5 and Olympus E-450 and E-600 and more) as well as several smaller features.

 

This release not only brings additional features and stability to our current Bibble 5 Pro users, but also introduces Bibble 5 Lite - a lower cost photographic workflow solution for those that don't need all the professional features of Bibble Pro, but still want the fastest workflow, RAW-level 3rd party plugins, and a complete selective editing framework. Bibble 5.1 is a free upgrade for all current Bibble 5 users.

Get the update or download a trial of Bibble 5.1 Pro or Bibble 5.1 Lite

 

Perfectly Clear ®: One Click Correction to Perfection
Perfectly Clear® is a one-touch image optimization algorithm created by Athentech, Inc which applies more that 13 synergistic corrections simultaneously. "Bibble is the fastest raw engine on the market - and in addition produces the most accurate and eye-pleasing raw renderings" says Brad Malcolm, President of Athentech, Inc. "I am delighted that our Perfectly Clear automatic correction is part of this exciting software. We look forward to saving Bibble users significant time in correcting their photos when they apply our powerful automatic image correction."

 

Heal & Clone Tools
The new Heal & Clone tools in Bibble 5 work in conjunction with Bibble 5's selective editing framework, allowing photographers to remove distracting elements from their images quickly and easily.

Healing Regions allow photographers to quickly remove small blemishes and spots left by sensor dust by blending away small imperfections quickly and easily. Cloning Regions copy image content from one portion of the image to cover over distracting or unwanted elements in photographs.

 

Bibble 5.1 Lite
Bibble 5.1 Lite offers much of the same speed, power and control as Bibble Pro, but without several of the pro-specific features at a fantastic price. Lite is designed for photo enthusiasts who demand top-quality RAW file conversion and fast, efficient and powerful image editing tools.

A complete list of the differences between Bibble 5 Pro and Bibble 5 Lite is found here.

Availability, Upgrades, and Pricing
Bibble 5.1 Pro and Bibble 5.1 Lite are available immediately for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers for $199.95 and $99.95, respectively, from http://bibblelabs.com. Bibble Labs customers who purchased Bibble 4 since September, 2006 are eligible for a free upgrade to Bibble 5. Bibble 5.1 is a free upgrade for all current Bibble 5 customers.

About Athentech:
Athentech Imaging Inc was established in 2001 for the licensing of imaging technologies to companies for inclusion in their existing lines of software, still and motion/video cameras, x-ray machines, satellites, scanners, editing equipment and kiosks and mini-labs. Learn more at http://www.athentech.com.

Get the update or download a trial of Bibble 5.1 Pro or Bibble

Sigma announce service advisory for tele-zooms

Sigma UK has issued a service advisory concerning a potential autofocus defect in three tele-zoom models:

APO 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM: Serial Numbers between 10633051 and 10972000
APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM: Serial Numbers between 10574001 and 10972000
APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM: Serial Numbers between 10674301 and 10972000

If you own one of the lenses, Sigma has a special helpline 01707 376 795 where you can arrange collection for inspection and possible modification. The service is free of charge. For more information please see the press release below. According to a spokesperson for the company, only "a few lenses are affected within the range of serial numbers", and if there doesn't appear to be an issue "there's no need to take further action".

Press release:

Auto focusing issue affects limited number of Sigma telezoom lenses

After thorough investigation, we have ascertained that some APO 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM, APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM and APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lenses, produced recently, may have a potential autofocus defect.

This issue could possibly occur in some lenses within the following range of serial numbers:

APO 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM: Serial Numbers between 10633051 and 10972000
APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM: Serial Numbers between 10574001 and 10972000
APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM: Serial Numbers between 10674301 and 10972000

This is a limited problem that will not occur in any lenses other than those specifically listed above.

To overcome this issue, we will be offering our customers an inspection and where applicable, a modification service, free of charge. In the case of any autofocus problem becoming apparent on inspection, we will rectify the situation and make every effort to minimise delay and inconvenience.

If you are the owner of one of the above three focal lengths but your serial number is different to those specified above, then you need take no further action. If however you are in possession of one of the lenses with a serial number mentioned above, please contact us on our special helpline 01707 376 795 and we will arrange to collect your lens at no cost to yourself. In the unlikely event that the inspection uncovers a potential problem, your lens will be modified and returned to you absolutely free of charge with the minimum of delay.

We deeply apologise if any inconvenience has been caused to our customers.

For further information, please visit www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/returns, call our helpline on 01707 376 795 or email us at support@sigma-imaging-uk.com.

Canon and Nikon pro lenses get Don Zeck treatment

Any pro photographer knows the OEM hoods for Nikon and Canon telephoto lenses are tricky to use at the best of times, and while they're well made and offer excellent protection for the front element and hood, they aren't really all that useful when you're on the move. Made from engineering plastic and featuring a 'O'-ring seals, the Don Zeck lens cap is meant as a replacement for the original spec and is available for a number of Canon and Nikon telephotos. The price is $54.95 each, regardless of size, and shipping is free for US customers, or just $12.50 for international orders.

Press release:

Canon® and Nikon® Lenses Get a New Level of Protection for the Front Optics with The Don Zeck Lens Cap

Don Zeck Lens Cap welcomes their newest dealer: Photo Craft located in Burke VA. Check out their website www.ephotocraft.com or call them at 703-250-5555.

Portland, OR (PRWEB) June 15, 2010 -- Photographers cover your glass with a lens cap that has raised the bar for function, design, and simplicity. These sturdy caps have a US Patent and offer the best protection from scratches, dust, rain, and other hazards. Each lens cap is equipped with a collapsible low-profile handle so that the cap can easily be mounted while the hood is in the shooting or stored position. The caps are precision CNC machined from rugged black polypropylene and equipped with "O" rings that will not mark or damage your lens. Nothing touches your lens optics and the thick design will protect against damage to your front element. The product design and quality speak for itself. Please view our detailed photos at our website http://www.donzecklenscap.com.

Don Zeck Lens Cap

Fits the following Canon and Nikon Lenses:
Nikon® / Nikkor® caps are available in the following sizes: 200mm F2.0 VR, 300mm F2.8 VR, 300mm F2.8 AF-S, 400mm F2.8 VR, 400mm F2.8 AF-S, 500mm F4 VF, 500mm F4 AF-S, 600mm F4 VR, 200-400mm F4 VR.

Canon® EOS - EF - USM - IS caps are produced in the following sizes: 200mm F2.0 IS, 300mm F2.8 IS, 400mm F4 DO IS, 400mm F2.8 IS, 500mm F4 IS, 600mm F4 IS, 800mm F5.6 IS. Some Non – Image Stabilized caps are still available.

Don is a Portland inventor and photographer who developed the lens caps in 2006. The “Don Zeck Lens Cap” sells for $54.95 and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee as well as a lifetime warranty for materials and workmanship. We offer FREE domestic shipping. The caps are available at Don’s web site www.donzecklenscap.com.

Hasselblad take steps to reassure UK market

Hasselblad has taken the unusual step to reassure UK photographers and retailers after issuing a recent press release (see below) that appears to imply the newly appointed Global Marketing Director, Chris Russell-Fish, will have less presence in his UK role as MD. The company has issued the following statement assuring its customers that's not the case.

Dear Photographer,

You may in the past week have seen details of the following press release in the photographic news. Whilst this is a very positive move for the global Hasselblad brand, it could possibly be interpreted as a negative with regards to Hasselblad UK.

However, please be assured that this is not the case. Chris Russell-Fish will still have a very active involvement at Hasselblad UK in his existing role as Managing Director, and will continue to role out exciting initiatives such as the H4D Studiodays and the new Hasselblad Studio, etc.

It will therefore be business as usual at Hasselblad UK, with Chris looking to increase the presense of Hasselblad both in the UK and worldwide.

If you have any questions, concerns or queries regarding the details in the press release, please contact info@hasselblad.co.uk and we'll do our best to answer them.


Press release 07/06/2010

In a move that sends a message of intent about its future direction, Hasselblad has appointed its UK Managing Director Chris Russell-Fish with immediate effect as its new Global Marketing Director, in addition to his current UK role.

Russell-Fish (45) is seen by many in the industry as an agent for change - and in just over a year as UK Managing Director has created a raft of new customer service and training led-initiatives. Announcing the new appointment Hasselblad Chairman and CEO Dr Larry Hansen said: "Hasselblad and the entire imaging industry are facing change. Through his work in the UK Chris Russell-Fish has demonstrated that he can identify and take advantage of the subsequent opportunities that change creates."

Russell-Fish, a sales and marketing expert and former senior manager at Kodak, will continue to manage operations in the UK, alongside his new global brief. "I am thrilled with this appointment and the new additional challenge" he said. "I will be reporting directly to the Chairman and CEO and my new worldwide responsibilities will cover corporate marketing, branding, PR, photography relationships and the coordination of marketing in all our subsidiaries around the world."

He added "When I took the job as UK MD I wanted to take a fresh approach to the way we looked at our customers and our business. I believe that every photographer should aim to have a Hasselblad in his/her armoury - and that creating an environment in which photographers at all levels can get their hands on one of our cameras is one of the most important things we can do. We have a superb product in the new H4 series and the company has a great future as long as we continue to listen to our customers' needs and develop our solutions accordingly."
END OF PRESS RELEASE

Apple announces redesigned Mac mini

Apple has today announced the updated Mac Mini with a new form factor, more powerful NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics and memory up to 8GB. Prices start at $699 / £649 for the base model and $999 / £929 for the Server version.

Press release:

Apple Unveils All New Mac mini

Apple Unveils All New Mac mini

CUPERTINO, California—June 15, 2010—Apple today unveiled a completely redesigned Mac mini, featuring up to twice the graphics performance, a new HDMI port, and a new SD card slot, all in an amazingly compact aluminium enclosure. Mac mini is the world’s most energy efficient desktop and starting at $699 / £649 inc VAT, is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS X, iLife or Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server.

“The sleek, aluminium Mac mini packs great features, versatility and value into an elegant, amazingly compact design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With twice the graphics performance, HDMI support and industry-leading energy efficiency, customers are going to love the new Mac mini.”

Created with the unibody construction process pioneered by Apple, the new Mac mini features a compact aluminium enclosure just 7.7-inches square and 1.4-inches thin. A new integrated power supply eliminates the need for an external power adapter, reducing overall system volume by 20 percent and keeping cable clutter to a minimum. A removable panel underneath provides quick access for memory expansion. Mac mini is incredibly versatile, effortlessly connecting to existing peripherals such as mice, keyboards and digital displays, while the new HDMI output connects Mac mini to an HDTV and the new SD card slot enables easy transfer of photos and videos from a digital camera.

Inside its sleek, compact enclosure, the new Mac mini includes the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market today. With 48 processing cores, the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor delivers up to twice the graphics performance of its predecessor, making Mac mini ideal for graphics intensive applications or visually rich games. Mac mini comes standard with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB hard and 2GB of RAM for £649 inc VAT.

With twice the graphics performance, the new Mac mini is still the world’s most energy efficient desktop*. The new Mac mini reduces power consumption by an incredible 25 percent to less than 10W at idle, less than half the power required by competing systems. Mac mini meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status**. The new aluminium enclosure is highly recyclable and Mac mini uses PVC-free internal components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants and features material-efficient system and packaging designs.

Mac mini comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, to easily organise and manage photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilisation and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server fulfils all the server needs of a workgroup or small business including email, calendar, file serving, Time Machine backup, Wiki Server, Podcast Producer and more. Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server uses less than 11W of power at idle, a fraction of the power consumed in comparison to typical entry-level tower servers***. Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server is faster than before with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, two 500GB hard drives now running at 7200 rpm, 4GB of RAM and supports unlimited clients for $999 / £929 inc VAT.

Pricing & Availability
The new Mac mini is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/uk), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers.

The Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of £649 inc VAT (£552.34 ex VAT) includes:
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of shared L2 cache;
• 2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable up to 8GB;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet;
• four USB 2.0 ports;
• SD card slot;
• one FireWire 800 port;
• one HDMI port and one Mini DisplayPort;
• HDMI to DVI video adapter;
• combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack); and
• combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack).

The Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, for a suggested retail price of £929 inc VAT (£790.64 ex VAT), includes:
• 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of shared L2 cache;
• 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable up to 8GB;
• two 500GB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm;
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet;
• four USB 2.0 ports;
• SD card slot;
• one FireWire 800 port;
• one HDMI port and one Mini DisplayPort;
• HDMI to DVI video adapter;
• combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack); and
• combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack).

Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 8GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB hard drive running at 5400 rpm; Apple Remote; Aperture 3, Final Cut Express 4, Logic Express, iWork (pre-installed); Apple Wireless Keyboard; Magic Mouse; Apple 24-inch LED Cinema Display and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

*Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA ENERGY STAR 5.0 database as of June 2010.

**EPEAT is an independent organisation that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognised as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.

***Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA ENERGY STAR Small Scale Server database as of June 2010.

Sigma confirms price and availability of SD15 DSLR

Sigma has announced the new 14-megapixel SD15 will be avialble art the begining of July and will retail for £899.99. Sigma has also taken the opportunity to announce the new 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM zoom is available now in Canon mount, with Sigma, Nikon, Sony and Pentax to follow. The suggested retail price is £649.99

Press release:

Sigma SD15

Digital SLR camera with “TRUE II” image processing engine

Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that the suggested retail price of the new SD15 digital SLR is £899.99. This camera is the latest model in Sigma’s SD series and will be available at the beginning of July.

Powered by the 14 megapixel Foveon X3 direct image sensor it can capture all primary RGB colours at each and every pixel location arranged in three layers.

The new SD15 incorporates the “TRUE II” image processing engine which processes the large amount of data from the 14 megapixel direct image sensor. It also provides high resolution power and reproduces high definition images with impressive three-dimensional detail, rich in gradation.

The camera adopts the SD card and incorporates a highly visible 3.0 inch LCD monitor, 77-Segment AE sensor and AFE (Analogue Front End). It provides high image quality and user friendly design. In addition, the durable shutter mechanism, which has a life of over 100,000 actuations, is ideal for the demands of digital photography.

Further information on the SD15 can be found at www.SIGMA-SD.com/sd15

Seagate releases FreeAgent GoFlex drives

Seagate has released an updated range of the popular FreeAgent external hard-drives, offering interchangeable connection adaptors for USB 2 USB 3.0, eSATA and FW800. Seagate are also including an NTFS driver for Mac OS X allowing storage and access of files from both Windows and Mac computers. Capacities range from 320GB to 2TB in a range of form factors, and will be available later in the month. Prices are yet to be announced.

Press release:

SEAGATE ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF FreeAgent GoFlex EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES

IN THE UK

New era of external storage; a flexible hard drive solution with multiple interface and content sharing options

LONDON, United Kingdom — 10 June 2010 — Seagate (NASDAQ: STX), the worldwide leader in hard drives and storage solutions, today announced that the next evolution of the company’s award-winning FreeAgent® external hard drives—its new GoFlex™ storage solutions – will go on sale in the UK from the end of June. Initially the FreeAgent GoFlex will be available from Currys, Maplin, DSGi, PC World and Amazon.co.uk

This new family of external drives and accessories introduces a new level of flexibility to traditional USB 2.0 storage that will change the way people store, access, enjoy and share their digital content. The FreeAgent® GoFlex™ storage family includes easy, plug-and-play portable and desktop drives, with an array of interchangeable cables and desktop adapters that allow each drive to adapt to the interface or device being used. GoFlex hard disk drives are also specially designed to provide interoperability between operating systems in order to work with both Microsoft® Windows® and Mac® OS X computers.

“GoFlex™ interface cables are about providing the speed, performance and connectivity people need to support their interaction with their digital content. The explosive growth of video capture and multimedia collecting is expanding personal digital libraries to terabytes worth of content within the home,” said Matthew Yarrow, Executive Director, at Seagate Branded Solutions EMEA. “These trends are driving demand for high-capacity, high-performance storage. The GoFlex™ family of storage products meets this need by delivering simple, USB 2.0 storage and backup devices, with the flexibility to adapt as interface technology advances by using the various GoFlex™ cables and accessories to access content stored on the same drive.”

Protect, store and access files through the interface of your choice
Recent survey results by the Yankee Group indicate that more than half of people planning to purchase a new hard drive consider the interface connection an important factor in their selection. GoFlex drives address this concern by providing a flexible, plug-and-play way to adapt to the most popular available interfaces or devices. The seamless GoFlex™ cable system enables the GoFlex™ and GoFlex™ Pro ultra-portable USB 2.0 drives to be upgraded to USB 3.0, eSATA or FireWire 800 connections simply by switching out the cable adapter. Additionally, specially-designed GoFlex upgrade cables provide even more applications of how each drive can be used. For example, the GoFlexTM Upgrade cable – Auto Backup transforms the drive into a continuous full-system backup, giving consumers the peace of mind that their files and system settings are backed up, while leaving the remaining capacity for basic drag-and-drop file transfer.

“As consumer’s lives become increasingly connected, people will demand capabilities beyond the traditional hard drive,” said Carl Howe, director, Anywhere Consumer Research, Yankee Group. “Consumers are looking not only for storage, but for new ways to use their digital content. Connecting, sharing, and repurposing content is part of the purchasing decision process for today’s ‘Anywhere Consumer’®.”

Do More with the GoFlex Storage System
Within the GoFlex family, Seagate has created a special ecosystem wherein people experience easy backup and enhanced protection of all their data—the same way they would expect a traditional hard drive to perform—only now their interaction with that content is not wholly dependent on the drive. In addition to several cable options, people can pair a GoFlex or GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive with a GoFlex™ TV HD media player or the GoFlex™ Net media sharing device to enhance their experience of the drive’s content.

Using the GoFlex™ TV HD media player consumers can easily enjoy their personal digital media library on their television screen by inserting a GoFlex ultra-portable drive or GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive directly into the media dock, or connecting another storage device, digital or Flip camera to the two additional USB ports on the back of the device. Using the intuitive remote, owners of GoFlex TV HD media players can view movies, photos, and music from the comfort of their couch in 1080p high-definition and surround sound. Connect your GoFlex TV HD media player to the internet using the Ethernet or optional Wi-Fi adapter and stream digital content from a home network or popular online service providers such as Netflix, YouTube, MediaFly, Picasa and more.

The GoFlex™ Net media sharing device transforms a GoFlex ultra-portable drive, GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive, or any USB mass storage, into a media sharing device, allowing consumers to enjoy their digital content outside their home using a PC, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, iPhone, BlackBerry or any other internet-connected computer. The GoFlex Net media sharing device also integrates with social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and publishes RSS feeds allowing people to keep friends and family updated GoFlex media sharing device owners can
also stream content to other devices on a home network, including the GoFlex TV HD media player, to enjoy movies, photos and music on their TV.

Bridging the Gap between PC and Mac
For the first time, Seagate will include an NTFS driver for Mac® OS X on all GoFlex portable and desktop offerings, enabling storage and access of files from both Windows® and Mac computers. The NTFS driver is simply installed once on your Mac computer, and allows access and storage of files on a Windows-formatted[1] drive.

With capacities ranging from 320GB to 2TB, FreeAgent GoFlex ultra-portable and desktop drives group high-capacity, adaptability and ease-of-use with all the backup and protection people have come to expect from Seagate.