News

The
new Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM lens allows enjoyment of super wide-angle
photography and it is a very powerful tool for indoor shooting and landscape
photography with APS-C size image sensors of digital SLR cameras. It offers
a wide angle of view (102.4 degrees at 10mm and 63.8 degrees at 20mm) and features
three SLD glass elements for effective compensation of color aberration, which
is a common problem with super-wide angle lenses. One piece of glass mold and
two hybrid aspherical lenses offer excellent correction for distortion, as well
as all types of aberration.



This lens is equipped with an inner focusing system, and the models are equipped
with an HSM system to provide quiet, high speed autofocus shooting and also
offer full time manual focusing. It has a minimum focusing distance of 24cm
(9.4") at all focal lengths. The non-rotating lens barrel perfectly suits
the petal shaped lens hood. A circular polarizing filter can also be used conveniently.


www.sigmaphoto.com.

...

UMAX Technologies, Inc. has announced the availability of SilverFast HDR and SilverFast
HDR Studio for its full line of UMAX scanners. SilverFast HDR enables users to
process images at 48-bit full dynamic range.



The four upgrade and purchase options are:



1. SilverFast Ai upgrade to SilverFast HDR: This offer is only good for existing
SilverFast Ai UMAX users and is available for $199.00.

2. SilverFast SE upgrade to SilverFast HDR: This offer is only good for existing
SilverFast SE UMAX users and is available for $250.00.

3. SilverFast HDR full version new purchase: Retail is $299.00.

4. SilverFast HDR Studio full version new purchase: Retail is $499.00 and comes
with IT8 color calibration and pocket target



Prior to SilverFast HDR, many of today's scanners did not allow the ability to
write the full dynamic range into TIFF-data, making the reduction to 24-bit RGB
obsolete. Scanners with only 30- or 36-bit capability save up to their maximum
output, but today's leading scanning software, such as PhotoShop, saves
images down to a 24-bit file, discarding the extra information supplied from the
scanner. SilverFast HDR and HDR Studio software gives users the ability to save
and edit 'raw' files in full 48-bit resolution. 48-bit editing opens up a whole
new workflow, enabling images to be scanned and archived into digital format,
and then accessed later without any loss of quality.



SilverFast HDR and HDR Studio allow for raw data processing enables color corrections
in 48-bit. In this extremely large color space no significant shade is lost during
image corrections. When all corrections are done the image can be saved into 48-bit
again and further corrections can be done later.Instead of driving the scanner
directly, SilverFast HDR enables the user to read these raw files and process
the data as if they had access to the original image on the scanner. SilverFast
Scan Type (Image Type in HDR) offers 48-bit Color and 16-bit Grayscale. While
48-bit HDR color scans into an uncorrected 48-bit raw data file (only gamma correction
and ICC-matching can be applied), 48-bit Color or 16-bit Grayscale allows users
to save all corrections into the raw data file (48- or 16-bit Tiff file). It is
also possible to scan directly into Photoshop using the image corrected in high
bit mode.



SilverFast also offers a full set of tools including the ability to define output
size, Auto-Adjust, Histogram, Gradation curves, Selective Color Correction, Unsharp
Masking, Color Separation, and CMYK-Preview.



SilverFast accelerates the processing of large files in real-time, even greater
than 500MB, without delay. Files that have been scanned with SilverFast Ai and
subsequently opened in HDR will have the HiRePP functionality (High Resolution
Picture Performance). SilverFast HDR Studio is an enhanced version of SilverFast
HDR and adds even more power by including Auto Adaptive Contrast Optimization,
SilverFast PhotoProof, a cloning tool, unsharp mask Plus, automatic image import
with renaming functions, conversion of RAW data and JPEG 2000 support.



Additionally, free copies of Taz Tally's Official Guide to SilverFast Ai
6.0 will be included with any upgrade or purchase from UMAX.com for the first
30 days from today.



http://www.umax.com.
...

PhotographyProps.com is pleased to introduce our new double sided Chimney Prop
to our Signature Series Line. As a photographer you have the choice of using
the brick side or the natural rock side to make that special portrait your customers
are looking for.



The Chimney is available separately or with our "Santa in Moonlight"
backdrop and fluffy "snow".



Our Chimney is very light weight and durable (only eight pounds), sized for
a single baby/child or a family/group setting. The Chimney includes 3 various
sized blocks for the interior use to raise or lower the height of the child.

...

Hahnemuhle USA has announced a sales promotion for its Lumijet Preservation
line of digital papers. Customers who purchase any two boxes of any size Preservation
Series Enhanced Paper will receive another same-size box of the paper, free.
They will also get a bonus "Preview Pack" of 8 1/2 x 11 Photo White
270gsm paper (20 sheets) -- a new media that will be formally launched next
February.

...

The new compact
Canon EOS 5D digital SLR offers a full-frame CMOS sensor with 12.8 megapixels
of resolution and will be available in October for an estimated selling price
of $3,299. As the world's smallest and lightest full frame digital SLR, the EOS
5D model features Canon's proprietary DIGIC II Image Processor and allows users
to shoot up to 3 frames per second and record up to 60 full-resolution JPEGs and
17 RAW images in a single burst. The camera includes a new 9-point AF system with
six supplemental AF points for fast and precise focusing and a new 2.5-inch LCD/TFT
screen with 230,000 pixels that's viewable even at extreme angles.



The Canon EOS 5D digital SLR has magnesium alloy body weighing just 28.6 ounces
(810 grams. Canon describes the heart of the Canon EOS 5D digital SLR as being
its new, Canon-designed and manufactured CMOS image sensor. The sensor's 35.8
x 23.9mm size means that each pixel can be 8.2um, resulting in what Canon describes
as exceptionally low shadow noise. The sensor's low power consumption is also
said to extend battery life and lower noise. A finer CMOS production process and
optimized photodiode construction increase the light-sensitive area of each pixel
and improve dynamic range as well.



With the full-size sensor, EF lenses - even wide-angle lenses - have the same
look and feel they have with conventional SLR cameras, preserving their optical
signatures. Imaging quality in the EOS 5D is enhanced with the addition of the
DIGIC II image processor, which provides detailed and natural color reproduction
and fast image processing, including a burst performance of 60 Large/Fine JPEGs
or 17 RAW images at 3 fps. DIGIC II also enhances start-up time on the EOS 5D
DSLR, bringing it down to a lightning fast 0.2 seconds.



A new feature called Picture Styles combines processing parameters and color matrix
settings into easy settings designed to obtain the desired effect, almost like
choosing a type of film to obtain a specific result. For users who do not want
to bother with post processing, there is the Picture Style called Standard which
produces images that look crisp and vivid with the sharpness set to mid-scale
and the color tone and saturation set to obtain vivid colors. In the Portrait
setting, the color tone and saturation are set to obtain nice skin tones with
the sharpness set one step weaker than the Standard setting so the skin and hair
look softer. Under the Landscape setting, the color tone and saturation are set
to obtain deep blues and greens, the sharpness is set one step stronger than Standard
so the outline of mountains, trees and buildings look more crisp. The Neutral
setting is the same as the default setting for EOS-1 series cameras where natural
color reproduction is obtained and no sharpness is applied. This is the ideal
setting for post-processing. The Faithful setting is the same as Digital Photo
Professional's Faithful, so when the subject is photographed under a color temperature
of 5200K, the color is adjusted colorimetrically to match the subject's color
with no sharpness applied. Monochrome is the same as the EOS 20D camera's monochrome
setting and with User Defined, the user can create and save their own preferred
settings.



The Canon EOS 5D digital SLR has a new nine point AF system with six Supplemental
AF points, a new AF algorithm and a new AF circuitry. The new AF system improves
subject detection and focusing precision at the center, the most frequently used
area, and is said to significantly enhance subject tracking performance.



On the EOS 5D model, the nine AF points are concentrated at the center, but the
extreme left and right points are located in the same positions as the corresponding
AF points on the EOS-1Ds Mark II. In addition, the six invisible Supplemental
AF points, grouped around the center of the image provide highly accurate focusing
and do a great job of tracking the subject in the AI SERVO AF mode. In addition,
three AF points on the new EOS 5D model work with f/2.8 or faster lenses for enhanced
precision.



The EOS 5D model has a 2.5-inch polysilicon TFT LCD monitor with approximately
230,000 pixels. At 170 degrees, it has an exceptionally wide viewing angle. Brightness
on the monitor is also adjustable in five levels and the screen's backlight feature
uses six LED modules, as opposed to three on previous models, to helps illuminate
the 2.5-inch LCD evenly. Along with the larger monitor, the menu text is also
larger and easier to red. The full-featured INFO screen includes files sizes,
RGB histogram and AF frame displays. In addition, Quick Review images are now
enlargeable.



Because noise is difficult to see on a camera's LCD monitor, even one as large
and detailed as the EOS 5D camera, it is hard to know whether noise reduction
should be turned on or not. Thanks to a new automatic noise reduction feature
on the EOS 5D DSLR, getting rid of unwanted noise has been made even easier that
with previous models. In the C.Fn-02-1 setting, automatic noise reduction occurs
when noise is detected for exposures of 1 second or longer, regardless of ISO.
In the C.Fn-02.2 setting, full-time noise reduction for exposures of 1 second
of longer occurs regardless of whether noise is detected and regardless of ISO.
With these two options, photographers using the Canon EOS 5D DSLR can adjust the
camera's noise reduction capabilities to suit a particular situation.
...

Firing at 8.5
frames per second for up to 48 full-resolution JPEG images in a burst (vs. the
same firing rate and a 40 JPEG burst for the 1D Mark II model), the new Canon
EOS-1D Mark II N camera ups the ante while retaining the superb CMOS Sensor of
the 1D Mark II model, with its convenient 1.3x lens conversion factor. Along with
its improved burst rate, the 1D Mark II N digital SLR adds a new 2.5-inch, wide-angle
view LCD/TFT monitor. Startup time on the new camera has also dropped to 0.2 seconds
(from 0.3) with the help of Canon's DIGIC II Image Processor.



The EOS-1D Mark II N camera shares with the EOS-1 series family its all-metal
body and chassis and weather-resistant construction with its shutter durability-tested
to 200,000 exposures. And perhaps best of all, the price of the new camera, $3,999,
is actually $500 less than the initial price of its predecessor.



Along with the new, 2.5-inch LCD wide-angle view display are several significant
improvements in image playback. For starters, the user can have a magnified view
from any selected AF point. Previously, magnified views took the center of the
image as the starting point, but a new menu item enables the user to select a
specific AF point and magnify the image in 15 steps with the press of a button.
Another new feature on the camera is magnified view during Quick Review. When
an image is displayed on the LCD monitor immediately after capture, the user can
immediately magnify the view to check focus right away. Other improved playback
functions include a last displayed image remembered feature and a more complete
INFO display which now shows file size and includes notations for monochrome (B/W)
and color (R/G/B) when the RGB histogram is enabled.



An improved image processing sequence and a better memory management method in
the EOS-1D Mark II N digital SLR has ramped up its burst capability with the camera
now able to shoot up to 22 RAW frames and up to 48 full-resolution JPEGs in burst.
The camera can also shoot 19 frames of RAW+JPEG (JPEG quality: 8, Picture Style:
Standard, ISO 100); and at 59 frames or better at the JPEG Middle 1 setting, 77
frames or better at JPEG Middle 2, and 135 or better at JPEG small, a substantial
increase. Additionally, the EOS-1D Mark II N digital SLR now creates new folders
automatically when file numbers reach 9999, making the new camera more responsive
in fast-moving news and sports photography situations. Photographers can even
customize the first four characters in filenames, enabling superior image organization
and camera identification capabilities.



Just like on the EOS-1D Mark II model, the EOS-1D Mark II N digital SLR lets the
user save the same image simultaneously in both the CompactFlash (CF) and SD memory
card slots, a highly effective backup mechanism. Photographers can also record
to slot one until it was full and then go to slot two as a reserve. Now, with
the EOS-1D Mark II N in RAW+JPEG mode, it's also possible to save the RAW and
JPEG images separately in each memory card. The RAW images can be saved in slot
one and the JPEGs, in any of ten quality levels, in slot two, or vice versa. Since
CF cards tend to be larger, currently, than SD cards, the RAW files will be likelier
to go on the CF card in slot one, but this is not required. The new option allows
images to be recorded separately according to usage, finally realizing a great
potential benefit of the dual slot configuration.



A new feature called Picture Styles combines processing parameters and color matrix
settings into easy settings designed to obtain the desired effect, almost like
choosing a type of film to obtain a specific result.



www.usa.canon.com.