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

The Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2011 Competition Is Now Open

The “Leica Oskar Barnack Award” competition is open to all professional photographers. To take part, participants must send in a series of photographs taken in 2010 or long-term projects containing at least one photo from 2010.
The “Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award” competition is open to any (prospective) professional photographer aged 25 or under at the time of entering. To take part, participants must send in a series of photographs taken in 2010 or long-term projects containing at least one photo from 2010.

CONTEST PRIZE & TERMS

Prize Details: The winner of the “Leica Oskar Barnack Award will receive a Leica M9 camera and a lens worth 9,500 euros in addition to a cash prize of 5,000 euros.
For the “Newcomer Award” the prize has also been increased. The winner will receive a Leica M9 camera and a lens.
Eligibility: Professional photographers
Copyright: You are the sole owner of the copyright for these photos or have been authorized by the owner of the copyright
Usage Rights: You give Leica Camera AG the right to publish your series of pictures entered into this competition online in the online·gallery on the homepage of Leica Camera AG.
To view the official site - go here

Pre-Order Your Fujifilm X100 Now

For the princely sum of $1,199.00, you can pre-order your FujiFilm X100 from Adorama. The cheapest, so far, we managed to find for a pre-order in the UK is at £999.00 at Digital Depot.

There's currently no sign of actual units and no sign as to when actual delivery of this little gem with take place. It's likely, you'll have to wait until March until you can get your hands on this fabulous show stopper from Photokina 2010, somehow though, we think it will be worth the wait.

Kingston out 233x speed SDHC cards

With speeds up to 60MB/sec. read and 35MB/sec. write, these appear to be the fastest SDHC cards available currently. Prices (including VAT) are quoted as £81 for 8GB, £163 for 16GB and £327 for the 32GB card, but there's no word as yet on availability.

Kingston Digital Announces Fastest SDHC Card in the Market
  London -- January 17, 2011 -- Kingston Digital Europe Ltd, an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the new Kingston Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) UHS-I UltimateXX memory cards. The highest speed class available today, the UltimateXX meets standards set by the Secure Digital Association for next-level performance in Secure Digital (SD) card technology. Kingston’s UltimateXX memory cards are ideal for the serious photographer and videographer. Photographers will appreciate the ability to easily capture sequential shots that were once a challenge due to the speed limitations of memory. The UltimateXX also makes it easy to capture HD video. The performance of SDHC UHS-I memory card is optimised when paired with a UHS-I device, although the card is backwards compatible with Class 4, 6 and 10 equipment. “Kingston is pleased to be one of the first manufacturers to offer SDHC UHS-I memory cards to our customers,” said Jim Selby, Manager – European Product Manager, Kingston Technology. “Being a member of the SD Association enhances our ability to bring new technology to market. As the devices that support SDHC UHS-I become prevalent; our UltimateXX cards are at the ready.”   Kingston’s UltimateXX line meets the SD Association standards for the UHS-I speed class with speeds up to 60MB/sec. read and 35MB/sec. write. At this performance level, the write speed of SDHC UHS-I memory cards is more than three times as fast as SDHC Class 10 cards. The UltimateXX product line will offer capacities of 8GB, 16GB and 32GB. 

Readers can check prices on Kingston SDHC UHS-I at Amazon US.

Photo Manager Pro 2.4 For iPad - Price Drop

This is a great app for organizing your images and to celebrate a huge update there is 50% bringing the price to $1.99 instead of $3.99.

What's New In This Update

What's new in the latest update:
1. Sort photos and folders
2. Use original photo image. App won't change image any more.
3. Load next photo in background
4. Slideshow improvement
5. Move folders
6. Rotate photo
7. Add a option "Show Caption"
a) Show caption on all views
b) Take caption as filename for download
8. Fix all known bugs and stabilize application

Key Features

* Universal app
* Fully support retina display
* Transfer multiple photos/videos among Apple touch devices at one time.
* Upload multiple photos/videos from computer to touch devices at one time. Use filename as photo caption.
* Download multiple photos/videos to computer at one time. Use photo caption as download filename.
* Use browser for uploading and downloading. All major browsers are supported (Safari, firefox and IE7/8).
* Sort photos and folders
* Organize photos and videos in folders and sub folders
* Lock folders/sub folders with passcode
* thumbnail and detail view of folders
* Slide show photos with music. Songs are picked from music library.
* Photo/video files management: move, delete etc. Trash is supported for deleted photos and videos.
* Show caption on folder view and photo gallery
* Search by caption
* Support favorites
* Share photos on Facebook and twit pic
* Email photos
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Sony add clip-on monitor CLM-V55 for HDDSLRs

Sony has announced a 5-inch 800x480pixel LCD for their video-enabled DSLRs. The images provided don't show the power options. There's a AC adaptor and a battery-pack, which presumably attaches to the rear, hence the lack of photos - it's unlikely to be a neat solution. Although it will be available in March, the price has not yet been confirmed.

Press release

Clip-on LCD monitor from Sony for HD video shooting with Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras
 
CLM-V55 gives big, high-resolution view of video footage
• Clip-on LCD monitor attaches to DSLR camera
• Large (5") WVGA panel offers superb high-resolution view while shooting HD video
• Tilt/swivel for comfortable viewing at any angle
• Colour peaking and pixel magnification for precise focus confirmation

A new clip-on LCD monitor from Sony gives DSLR camera owners a bigger, better view of their footage while shooting HD video. The CLM-V55 is a portable video monitor featuring a high-resolution WVGA (800 x 480) (5”) LCD panel. Attaching easily to most Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras and compatible HD camcorders via the supplied adaptor, it displays video footage during shooting/playback with excellent clarity and a wide viewing angle.

The clip-on screen tilts and swivels to any angle for comfortable framing in any position – even self-shooting when you’re in the picture. The CLM-V55 is loaded with pro-style features to help photo enthusiasts and videographers shoot high-quality HD video footage with their Interchangeable Lens Digital camera. Pixel magnification mode assists with accurate focus confirmation, giving an enlarged pixel-perfect view of a selected portion of the Full HD image. It’s complemented by a colour peaking function that highlights the edges of accurately-focused areas of the video image.

An intuitive control wheel allows quick, positive adjustment of a wide range of monitor settings without interrupting shooting. Adjustable parameters include aspect ratio (16:9/4:3), volume, brightness, contrast, colour tone (phase), colour temp and auto dimmer. On-screen markers aid precise framing by giving precise indication of a TV’s 16:9 or 4:3 actual display area. The LCD monitor’s on-board mono speaker is complemented by a headphone jack for accurate audio monitoring during shooting.

The CLM-V55 attaches easily to a wide range of Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras from Sony and other manufacturers that support HD video shooting. The supplied adaptor simplifies mounting on any camera or HD camcorder that features an auto-lock accessory shoe or ISO shoe. Signal connection from camera to monitor is via the supplied HDMI cable, while power can be supplied using a battery pack or AC adaptor (both optional). The CLM-V55 comes with a detachable LCD hood for more comfortable viewing when shooting outdoors in bright sunlight.

The CLM-V55 LCD video monitor by Sony is available from March 2011.

Sales

To buy from Warehouse Express UK (currently £398.00 inc VAT), please follow the link here.

Behind the scenes at Lexar

Lexar Media has released a behind the scenes look at their production facilities. As part of the massive Micron Corp, the wafers are made in the US - they're the only manufacturers that make memory there. These wafers are then shipped to Asia and are assembled and tested mainly by hand, albeit it in impressive facilities. Each and every speed-rated card is then tested, something I didn't expect.

Check prices of Lexar memory cards at Amazon US.

Datacolor out SpyderLensCal

Datacolor, better known for their color management tools, have introduced a focus calibration device for DSLRs. It was introduced at Photokina last September, but flew under my radar till the PR company here in the UK contacted me recently to send a sample. I'll reserve judgement until I've fully tested it, but it looks well-made and robust. The SpyderLensCal lists at $59, 49.00 Euros or £41 plus VAT. That's a considerable saving over the $179 rival LensAlign PRO.

Datacolor has also released an informative video.