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Corel Releases New Photo Workflow Solution: Corel AfterShot Pro

Carlos Echenique — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:46:54 +0000

CES - Las Vegas, Nevada – January 9, 2012 – Corel is pleased to announce the exciting expansion of its digital photography portfolio with the introduction of Corel® AfterShot™ Pro. The total photographic workflow solution for professional and enthusiast photographers will be displayed today at Pepcom®’s Digital Experience!® and tomorrow at ShowStoppers® at CES. Providing complete RAW workflow, flexible photo management, advanced, non-destructive editing and breakthrough performance, AfterShot Pro offers a powerful and affordable alternative to products like Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® and ACD Systems ACDSee™ Pro. Based on technology from Corel’s acquisition of Bibble Labs, Corel AfterShot Pro provides Windows®, Mac OS® and Linux® users with the tools they need to get the most out of their photos. “Today’s photographers, whether they’re professional or enthusiast, are coming from shoots with hundreds, if not thousands of photos,” said Chad Kinzelberg, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Digital Media at Corel. “They want to be able to bring in their photos and get right to work finding their best shots and making them better. With AfterShot Pro we are delivering a powerful RAW workflow solution to help photographers power through their photo workflow and get back to doing what they love [...]

Olympus Introduces New Micro Four Thirds Lens

Carlos Echenique — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:42:01 +0000

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., December 14, 2011 – Olympus adds to its powerfully simple and growing PEN family with the first fully-compatible interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lens to incorporate an electronic motorized zoom. The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ (35mm equivalent 24–100mm) delivers smooth, quiet zooming that gives you versatility, portability and maximizes the performance of the Olympus PEN® compact system cameras. The sophisticated new lens has a zoom ratio of approximately 4.2x, allowing photographers to capture anything from detailed, wide-angle group shots to medium telephoto-range images so you can get up close and personal for intimate portraits of children and pets – even indoors. The photographer can control the zooming speed by turning the barrel – slowly for drama, quickly for performance, or at an intermediate rate. Manual zooming is also available for those looking to take full control. In macro mode, which can be set by pushing the zoom ring forward while depressing the macro button on the side of the lens, focusing is possible between 8 and 20 inches for close-up shooting with a maximum image magnification of 0.72X (35mm camera equivalent). The L-Fn (Lens Function) button suspends the autofocusing operation temporarily to avoid unintended focusing on [...]

Sony NEX-7 Deliveries in USA this month – Limited Availability

Carlos Echenique — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:56:01 +0000

Sony USA today issued a statement that they would begin limited shipment of the flood-delayed NEX-7 mirror less camera. Those who pre-ordered the camera will be attended to first. Sony USA statement: “Sony USA is happy to announce that limited quantities of the new NEX-7 camera will begin shipping to pre-order customers this month. Overall production capacity remains restrained as a result of the recent floods in Thailand, but we’ve made significant progress recovering our manufacturing capabilities and supply chain. We’re continuing to aggressively pursue all efforts to restore full production capability of the NEX-7 and other affected models.”

Tamron Announces the 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC for Sony NEX

Carlos Echenique — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:47:43 +0000

December 8, 2011, Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Morio Ono; Headquarters: Saitama City), a leading manufacturer of optical equipment, announced the introduction of an exciting new lens, the 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III** VC (Model B011). The new high-power zoom lens is designed for the Sony E-mount system of its NEX series interchangeable-lens, lightweight and compact digital cameras. Sales in Japan will commence from December 15, 2011. Product Features High-power 18-200mm(*1) lightweight and compact zoom lens weighing 460g with a 62mm filter is designed for the E-mount system of Sony’s NEX series mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Equipped with Tamron’s acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation), the lens enables easy handheld shooting from 18mm wide angle to 200mm full telephoto. Striking appearance worthy of the NEX series design. The metallic lens barrel exterior is available in two colors: black and silver. Stepping motor adopted for the AF drive, a construction that accommodates Contrast-detection AF and shooting video. * “Mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras” are also known as “Compact System Cameras.” **Di III (Digitally integrated design): A designation Tamron gives to lenses engineered specifically for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras with no internal mirror box or pentaprism, adopting an optical design that matches the characteristics of [...]

LEICA CAMERA OFFERS FIRMWARE UPDATE 1.176 FOR THE LEICA M9 AND M9-P

Carlos Echenique — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:33:32 +0000

Allendale, NJ (December 6, 2011) – Leica Camera, Inc. announces the latest firmware update, 1.176, for the Leica M9 and M9-P, the world’s smallest, full-frame digital system cameras. Users wishing to benefit from the new offerings can download the firmware update from the Leica Camera website. Firmware update 1.176 eliminates a rare fault occurring during the formatting of SanDisk cards, ensuring compatibility with the Leica M9 and M9-P in accordance with the cameras’ respective standards. All card types available from SanDisk have been fully tested by Leica’s expert technical team and firmware version 1.176 guarantees their proper function, resulting in the previous constrictions on the cards being revoked. Leica Camera is dedicated to providing products that exhibit mastery in optics and mechanics, high-quality design and outstanding craftsmanship, resulting in an uncompromised customer experience. The company thanks all affected customers for their patience and support in searching for the cause of the compatibility issues as well as SanDisk for their intensive technical assistance. For installation instructions and to download firmware update 1.176, please visit: http://en.leica-camera.com/service/downloads/rangefinder_cameras/m9_m9-p/index.html. About the Leica M9 and M9-P: As the world’s first digital rangefinder camera with a 24 x 36 sensor, the Leica M9 carries the proud heritage [...]

Leica Camera and Seedlight Workshops Host “Preserving Patagonia” Conservation and Travel Photography Workshop

Carlos Echenique — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:21:13 +0000

Allendale, NJ (November 29, 2011) – Leica Camera, Inc., the legendary German camera manufacturer, is collaborating with Seedlight Workshops, developer of environmental photography workshops, to host “Preserving Patagonia: Conservation Photography with the Patagonia Sur Foundation.” Taking place March 3-10, 2012 in Chilean Patagonia, this experiential workshop is led by Conservation Photojournalist Bridget Besaw. Throughout the week, participants learn documentary and travel photography techniques and capture all aspects of the story of Patagonia conservation in breathtaking quality with Leica Camera’s flagship M9 and M9-P digital rangefinder cameras as well as the entire portfolio of lenses. “We are very excited to partner with Bridget Besaw for this incomparable travel experience,” said Christian Erhardt, Vice President of Marketing at Leica Camera, Inc. “A Leica in hand, participants interpret and capture fleeting moments to document the planet’s natural resources and the people who work, play and steward Patagonia’s impressive and irreplaceable landscape.” Workshop participants spend the week with Bridget Besaw amidst her six month project of documenting the preservation and stewardship of the Aysén region of Patagonia in conjunction with the Patagonia Sur Foundation. After learning relevant photographic techniques during informative lectures, participants put them into practice in the field. The result is a [...]

Hasselblad gets festive with half-price lens deal

Carlos Echenique — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:59:34 +0000

Hasselblad is offering customers who buy a new H4D-40 camera with an 80mm lens the chance to buy a second HC/HCD lens of their choice at a massive 50% discount. The exclusive Christmas/New Year deal means that a photographer opting for an HCD 4-5.6/35-90mm zoom lens could save up to GBP 2,397 / USD 3,747 overall on the purchase. Explained Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad Global Sales and Marketing Director: “There has never been a better time to invest in the cutting edge Hasselblad H4D-40. We have just announced excellent free firmware upgrades on all new H4D-40 and H4D-50 cameras including: one-click instant digital focus check, two directional electronic spirit level, an improved high resolution display and a brand new rear display with grip info on the back And from now until the end of January photographers buying an H4D-40 with an 80mm lens can get half price discounts on any H line lens from the HCD 4/28mm wide angle upwards.” Any photographer keen to take advantage of this promotion should visit the Hasselblad website at www.hasselblad.com/h4d-40-lenscampaign or contact their local dealer for more information.

LEICA CAMERA OFFERS FIRMWARE UPDATE 1.174 FOR THE LEICA M9 AND M9-P

Carlos Echenique — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:23:40 +0000

Allendale, NJ (November 14, 2011) - Leica Camera, Inc. is pleased to announce the latest firmware update, 1.174, for the Leica M9 and M9-P, the world’s smallest, full-frame digital system cameras. Users wishing to benefit from the new offerings can now download the firmware update from the Leica Camera website and take advantage of new, improved features. Firmware update 1.174 features an update of the SD card driver, fixing a bug that led to faulty behavior and allowing for a more stable general performance with most SD card types. Supporting Leica’s commitment to an uncompromised customer experience, these latest improvements come as the result of feedback from M9 and M9-P users who served as beta testers in a broad based field test. At this time, Leica does not recommend utilizing the San Disk Extreme Pro UHS-1 (all card sizes) and San Disk Extreme HD Video SDHC 1 (all card sizes) as a 100% error free status has not been achieved. Support for these cards continues to be developed by Leica’s dedicated technical team and will be made available after successful testing compatibility. For installation instructions and to download firmware update 1.174, please visit: http://en.leica-camera.com/service/downloads/software-_firmwareupdates/m9/index.html. About the Leica M9 and M9-P: As [...]

PhotoPlus Expo 2011 Show Report – Part 1

Carlos Echenique — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:02:45 +0000

The PhotoPlus Expo 2011 was held once again at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. With the absorption of PMA into the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), PPE has become the last major standalone photography exposition in the U.S. I once again took up my annual pilgrimage to the Big Apple to see what the camera makers had to offer. The Big Three were present with major displays as always, but the show was populated with about a hundred other vendors showing off their new toys. Here are some highlights: Canon Canon’s booth was populated with every existing copy of the newly announced EOS-1DX professional DSLR. I had an opportunity to handle the camera, but as it was a pre-release unit, I was not permitted to use my own memory cards to take sample pictures. The camera felt good in the hand and all of the controls fell naturally into place. The two joystick arrangement works in either the portrait or landscape orientations. Canon’s claim to shot speed, tracking focus, and lowlight capabilities seem to be well founded but I cannot render final judgement until I get to personally test the camera fully. That is going to be [...]

Thai floods hit Japan carmaker output, delay Sony launches

Carlos Echenique — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:03:30 +0000

* Unsure when Thai output will be restored - Japan auto group

* Thailand set to miss 1.8 mln unit output target due to floods

* Honda expects to resume some ops at Thai plant in early Nov

* Sony: flooding delays camera and lens launches

Lytro, Inc. Unveils the World’s First Consumer Light Field Camera

Carlos Echenique — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:20:11 +0000

Groundbreaking new camera instantly captures interactive, living pictures to share with friends and family online

Canon U.S.A. Introduces The New Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera, Re-Designed From The Inside Out

Carlos Echenique — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:01:06 +0000

Featuring a Completely New 61-Point Autofocus, Fast Shooting up to 12 fps, 18-Megapixel Full-Frame CMOS Sensor, Full HD Video Recording and Much More

Sigma Corporation Announces Availability and Pricing for Updated Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM

Carlos Echenique — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:10:33 +0000

New, stabilized, multipurpose, high-zoom lens offers higher performing glass for landscape, portrait shooters

Possible Production Delays for Sony due to Thailand Floods

Carlos Echenique — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:58:06 +0000

Sony Japan posted the following press release on their site (the following is google translated): For assistance to the victims of the flood affected areas in Thailand The people the victims of flooding due to heavy rain in Thailand, We sincerely sympathy. 　The Sony Group in order to help rescue and rehabilitation of areas affected by flood victims, will donate 30 million yen as a donation. In addition, employees from soliciting donations Sony disaster, and also conducted a matching gift company will contribute the same amount from it. 　This is a disaster area, Sony’s manufacturing facilities are located, is an important area for Sony. At Sony, we would love to celebrate the reconstruction of affected areas as soon as possible. While the statement reports that Sony is donating money to the afflicted areas (¥30M ~ $389K USD), it also states that their factories are located in the disaster area and that it is important to them. To me, this means that if production is delayed, they can blame the floods. While the timing of this flood is unfortunate for consumers, it is more unfortunate for those Thais living in the area who have been flooded out. Please give generously to [...]

Sony NEX-7 Hands-on Video Preview at Digital Photography Review

Carlos Echenique — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:15:03 +0000

DPReview has just posted the following video preview of the Sony NEX-7. Here is the video for your viewing pleasure. Just Posted: Sony NEX-7 Hands-on Video Preview: Digital Photography Review:

Arca-Swiss Announces Their “NEX Kit”

Carlos Echenique — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:46:12 +0000

Arca-Swiss presents the ‘Nex Kit’ for Nex 3 and Nex 5 Sony cameras.The kit consists of an L-bracket and a viewfinder shoe for an optical finder. Previously Arca-Swiss has released the Mini L-bracket for compact cameras such as the Olympus E-PL1, E-PL2, Panasonic Lumix GF and LX3, Samsung NX-100, & Canon G10; the new smallest DSLR offerings from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Sony. Today we present a new mini L-bracket. Light and small, it is specifically designed to mate specifically with the Nex 3 and Nex 5 cameras from Sony. The Nex L-bracket is fully adaptable with our monoball®Fix and monoball®Classic quick release systems. It takes into account the compact design of the Sony Nex cameras allowing a fast change from landscape to portrait format and vice-versa. Secure handling of the cameras when hand holding is improved due to the L-bracket as well. The design further allows free access to cable ports allowing unhindered connection to the computer without having to remove or shift the bracket. The kit includes a shoe allowing easy attachment of an optical finder. An optical finder isa great accessory allowing the photographer to see better, yielding faster, more accuratecomposing and shooting in low light [...]

NEX-7 Delayed to November, Zeiss 24mm to December

Carlos Echenique — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:16:38 +0000

Those of us who hope to soon get our hands on the Sony NEX-7 will have to cool our jets a little more as Sony has pushed back the release date for the highly anticipated camera/lens combo. I just got an e-mail from my dealer who spoke to his Sony rep that the NEX-7 will be delivered in November and the Carl Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 lens will not hit the shelves until December. This is at least here in the USA. I must patiently meditate until it arrives. Ohhhhmmmmmmm. Ohhhmmmmmm.

BorrowLenses.com now has the RED Epic-M available for rent

Carlos Echenique — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:28:04 +0000

BorrowLenses.com now has the RED Epic-M 5k video camera system in house to rent. Want to take on Peter Jackson, Jim Cameron and the Wachowski Borothers? Here’s your chance! Rent RED Epic-M Kit Echenique.com is an affiliate of BorrowLenses.com and if you are going to rent from them, please use the finely crafted link on the right side of the site so that a few sheckels are sent my way.

Phase One and Schneider Kreuznach Announce Innovative New Lens Designs

Carlos Echenique — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:14:27 +0000

Phase One, medium format market leader and precision lens maker Schneider Kreuznach today announced a series of new lenses. Building on two years of intense collaboration including delivering four new lenses to market, the companies have now designed another four superior quality lenses for professional photographers.

Phase One Opens Enrollment for PODAS New Zealand Photography Workshop

Carlos Echenique — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:51:09 +0000

PODAS New Zealand Workshop is for Serious Photographers Who Want to Have Fun. Phase One Digital Artist Series Worskshops are Designed to Help You Broaden Your Horizons and Perfect Your Vision .