Tamron Announces Release Of A Full Size Premium Telephoto Zoom = The Tamron Superior Performance SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 DI VC USD (model A005) For Nikon Mount

An Extra Low Dispersion (XLD)1 lens made from high-grade materials delivers best in class resolution. Tamron’s own Ultrasonic Silent Drive (USD)2 and Vibration Compensation (VC) make the lens fast, quiet and easy to use.

August 10, 2010, Commack, NY—Tamron announced another advance in the company's pursuit of high resolution images in the telephoto lens category with the release of its anniversary model 70-300mm F/4-5.6 telephoto zoom lens featuring VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization and an ultrasonic auto-focus drive –– USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive). The SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) high-resolution DSLR telephoto zoom lens is available for the Nikon mount, with the development of compatible mounts for Canon and Sony to follow. 3

This new lens is designed for digital SLR cameras, and it can be used with both full-frame sensor and AF 35mm cameras with a zoom range of 70-300mm; or with APS-C sensor cameras where the angle of view will change the zoom range equal to 109-465mm. 4.

With superior optical performance, Tamron’s own USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) and VC (Vibration Compensation), the SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) provides the performance of a high-end premium telephoto zoom that is appealing to a broad spectrum of photography enthusiasts.

Unparalleled optical performance in a fast and steady telephoto zoom lens
In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron’s 60th Anniversary lens - the SP AF70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) - utilizes an advanced optical design that features an LD (Low Dispersion) and an XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from specialized materials that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP AF70-300mm Di VC USD boasts sharper contrast and greater descriptive performance than all others in its class.

In addition, it is the first Tamron lens sporting a USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron’s very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports, racing, and other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization to assist in hand-held shooting, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom.

This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens.

Product Features

New optical system optimized for digital cameras achieves top resolution in the 70-300mm class with specialized glass elements including an XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element
This lens’ advanced optical design employs a sophisticated XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from specialized high-grade glass that has lower dispersive properties than standard LD lenses (where refraction causes the dispersion of white light into spectral hues). The dispersive properties of the XLD lens are at a level similar to fluorite, and in combination with LD elements make for an optimal optical design that delivers best in class resolution with advanced axial chromatic and magnification aberration correction - major inhibitors of image quality enhancement. The result is a lens that delivers sharp contrast and better descriptive performance throughout the entire zoom range.

Fast focusing with USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron's ultrasonic autofocus drive
The lens is equipped with Tamron’s first-ever ultrasonic auto-focus drive USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive). It achieves faster focusing making this telephoto lens perfect for photography of sports, motor racing, and other fast-moving subjects. With advanced motor technology and newly developed software, Tamron's USD delivers precise and noiseless focusing at turbo speed.

USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive)
Tamron’s USD works with the high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations that are produced by a ring called a ‘stator’. Energy from the vibrations is used to rotate an attached metallic ring known as the ‘rotor’. Piezoelectric ceramic, an element that produces ultrasonic vibrations when voltage of a specific frequency is applied is arranged in a ring formation on the stator. This electrode configuration of piezoelectric ceramic causes two ultrasonic vibrations to occur in the stator.

By effectively combining these two ultrasonic vibrations, it is possible to convert the energy from the vibrations that produced simple motion into energy known as ‘deflective traveling waves’, which then moves around the circumference (rotation direction) of the ring.

With the USD, the friction between these deflective traveling waves created on the metallic surface of the stator and the surface of the rotor produce force, causing the rotor to rotate. The focusing ring lens, which is linked to the rotor, is thus moved, creating a fast and smooth auto-focus drive.

Equipped with Tamron’s VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization
The SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD employs Tamron’s esteemed image stabilization mechanism–VC (Vibration Compensation) seen in both the AF18-270mm Di II VC (Model B003) and SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II VC (Model B005). With VC, the photographer has the freedom to shoot at a shutter speed that is an extra four stops slower without having to worry about blurring. This makes capturing handheld, evening, night, and interior shots much easier.

VC (Vibration Compensation)
Tamron’s VC mechanism employs a three-coil system, whereby three driving coils activate the shake-compensating VC lens group electromagnetically via three steel balls. The VC lens elements are held in place only by contact with the steel balls, achieving smooth movement with little friction. This provides a stable viewfinder image with excellent tracking performance that eliminates the blur from camera shake for cleaner, crisper shots.

Full time manual focus at your fingertips
Auto-focus has many benefits but sometimes the photographer needs the control of manual focus. Full time manual offers just that: the crossover from auto-focus to manual focus by simply adjusting the focus ring, allowing the photographer to make adjustments on the fly. This feature helps the lens produce impressive results even in telephoto situations where the depth of field is narrow.

Better balance and consistent length with internal focusing
When focusing, the internal elements of the lens move and the lens’ external size does not change. This offers better balance and easier telephoto shots. Moreover, the barrel is not subject to stray light entering from external helicoids that can negatively affect images. And because the external elements do not move, it makes it easier to utilize polarizing filters and the flower shape hood to control the amount of light that enters the lens.

Enjoyable photography for a wide range of enthusiasts, from those using traditional film cameras, to digital SLRs with full-frame or APS-C size sensors
With a full-frame digital or 35mm SLR, portrait and medium telephoto shots can be achieved on the wider 70mm end of the range and spectacular telephoto shots at the longer 300mm side. When using an ASP-C sensor camera the angle of view changes, giving it the equivalent range of 109-465mm for bold ultra-telephoto shots. And with a maximum magnification ratio 1:4, the lens can be used to explore in the realm of semi-macro photography.

Uncompromising countermeasures to reduce ghosting and flare
Digital photography requires extreme precision, which is why Tamron incorporates new BBAR (Broad-Band Anti Reflection) multilayer coatings that reduce reflection into the lens elements. This ensures excellent performance in all photographic conditions and enhances light transmission on both long and short wavelengths. In addition, Tamron applies internal surface coatings on cemented surfaces of lens elements to make images sharper with better color reproduction and balance.

Simple yet beautiful exterior design
Tamron adopted a simple design with a smooth silhouette to ensure that this lens fits well with various SLR cameras. The exquisite textured paint gives a well-crafted finish to the exterior.

Flower-shaped hood with excellent stray light shielding properties–a standard accessory
The flower-shaped hood has been designed specifically to block out damaging light rays and ensures clear, sharp descriptive performance.

1. XLD-Extra Low Dispersion lens is made from specialized high-grade glass that has lower dispersive properties than standard LD lenses.
2. USD-Ultrasonic Silent Drive is Tamron’s proprietary ultrasonic motor drive.
3. The Sony mount is not equipped with the VC image stabilization mechanism, as anti-shake functionality is included in the body of Sony digital SLR cameras. Consequently, the name of the Sony mounted lens, SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di USD, does not include the VC description.
4. Tamron’s conversion 1.55x

Specifications - Link to full spec page

*specifications based on Nikon mount

**The Sony mount does not include the VC image stabilization functionality, as the body of Sony digital SLR cameras contains built-in image stabilization functionality

About TAMRON Co., Ltd.
‘New Eyes for Industry’ is Tamron’s slogan, as they are a comprehensive manufacturer of a wide range of original optical products, from interchangeable lenses for SLR cameras to various optical devices for both the general consumer and OEMs. Tamron makes optical products that contribute to a range of different industries. As a leading manufacturer of optical devices, Tamron will continue to exercise its rich creativity and leading-edge technical prowess to make advances into various industrial fields. Tamron is aware of their environmental responsibilities and aspires to preserve the environment in all business activities.

Optical Product Line-up:
Interchangeable lenses for SLR cameras, digital camera lenses, video camera lenses, CCTV camera lenses, automotive lenses, lenses for cell phones cameras, ultra-precision optical components, etc.

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Ocean Art Underwater Photography Competition Announced, $63,000 in Prizes to be Awarded

The Underwater Photography Guide is pleased to announce that the prestigious Ocean Art Underwater Photography Competition 2010 will be accepting images between Aug 1st and Nov 14th 2010. There are over $63,000 worth of liveaboard and scuba diving resort packages as prizes.

Marina Del Rey, CA (PRWEB) August 9, 2010 - The Underwater Photography Guide is proud to announce it is accepting entries for the first annual Ocean Art Photography Competition 2010.

There are over $63,000 worth of prizes including over 25 liveaboard and scuba diving resort packages, dive equipment and much more. Grand prizes include 12 days on the Arenui boutique liveaboard, 9 days on the Solmar V, and 18 nights in Papua New Guinea including a stay on the Febrina. This is one of the largest underwater photography competitions held in terms of prizes.

The competition has 11 categories, including a Novice dSLR category, and 3 compact camera categories – giving underwater photographers of all levels a chance to win a great prize. Unique categories include Supermacro, Nudibranchs, and Divers / Fashion – a category that will allow pool shots. The more traditional categories include Wide-angle, Macro, Marine Life Portraits and Marine Life Behavior.

Winners from each category will be awarded a fantastic resort or liveaboard package. Winners will be able to rank the prizes they would like to receive, which means they are more likely to end up with a prize that they want.

Judges include world-renowned underwater photographers Martin Edge, Marty Snyderman, Chris Newbert, and Bonnie Pelnar. Martin Edge is the author of “The Underwater Photographer”, a top-selling book on underwater photography. Chris Newbert is the author of “Within a Rainbowed Sea”, a book selected by the White House as an official Presidential Gift of State. Marty Snyderman has won an Emmy, and has been published in dozens of top publications such as National Geographic Magazine. Bonnie Pelnar has been published in numerous diving and travel magazines.

Photos must be submitted before the November 14th 2010 deadline.

We look forward to your participation. Information can be found on our Ocean Art Competition page at www.uwphotographyguide.com/underwater-photo-contest.

About UWPhotographyGuide.com
UWPhotographyGuide.com is a website and online magazine dedicated to helping underwater photographers and scuba divers learn and improve their underwater photography. For more information, visit www.uwphotographyguide.com.

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BVPA Workshop: All About Selling Images

Aug 06. 2010 09:08 by CEPIC - The German Association of Pictures Agencies (BVPA), offers a three day workshop from 14th to 16th October 2010 in Hamburg.

The following topics will be included:

• 14 October: How to build up your list of clients
• 15 October: How to mantain customer relations
• 16 October: How to negotiate royalties

Target group: Managers as well as staff of picture agencies who are working within the sales department

Speaker: Sabine Harms, FriederBarth Sales Consultants

The workshops can be booked seperately.

For further information please visit: http://www.bvpa.org/BVPA-Seminare.php
or call 00 49 30 32 49 917

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The Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens is now available

Second-generation, zoom lens now optically stabilized and built with “F” Low Dispersion glass

Ronkonkoma, NY, Aug. 2, 2010 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, has announced that its new, optically stabilized APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens, which contains the company’s new “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) lens glass, is now available in the United States for the MSRP of $2,470.

The APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens was first announced at the PMA International Convention in February and is currently available in Canon mounts. It will soon be available for purchase in Nikon, Sigma, Sony and Pentax mounts. This second-generation lens is designed for use with full-frame, DSLR cameras and may also be used with smaller, APS-c size sensors with a corresponding effective increase in focal length of 100-300mm with most cameras.

This new addition to Sigma’s lineup of more than 50 lenses covers a medium telephoto range of focal lengths from 70mm to 200mm with a large, maximum aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. It’s revered for its incorporation of Sigma’s unique Optical Stabilization (OS) technology, which allows photographers to use shutter speeds approximately four stops slower than would otherwise be possible, while maintaining its predecessor’s compact dimensions. Moreover, the lens offers two modes of optical stabilization: The first is for general photography and the second is specifically designed for panning with moving subjects.Sony and Pentax shooters who are accustomed to the anti-shake system in their cameras are able to choose between that internal function and the lens’ OS capabilities.

“The 70-200mm has historically been a very popular lens in our collection of telephoto zoom lenses,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America. “With its large aperture, it’s impressively sharp in low-light situations and its zoom range makes it a versatile option for photographers and photojournalists on the go. It’s truly one of those all-occasion, must-have lenses.”

The 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM also features Sigma’s Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) technology, which ensures quiet and high-speed auto focus and full-time manual focus capability. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 55.1 inches throughout the entire zoom range and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:8. The rounded, nine-blade diaphragm creates an attractive blur to the out of focus images. This lens is equipped with a petal-type hood and, for APS-C size image sensor cameras, it comes with a dedicated hood adapter that expands to the length of the lens hood.

The lens has two of Sigma’s new FLD glass elements. This is the highest level, low dispersion glass available and it has extremely high light transmission with a performance equal to fluorite glass. The new 70-200mm also has three Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements for excellent correction of color aberration and Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting.

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Hasselblad Social Media Sites, Feeds and Streams Inform and Inspire

Social media websites are enormously popular today. A wide range of international social media sites, feeds, and streams are focused on Hasselblad and the Hasselblad product line.

Whether you are an analog or digital Hasselblad shooter, photography student or pro, you'll find a bounty of technical tips, product updates, event news, discussion forums, and stunning imagery to inform and inspire you.

Here are some of the foremost online sites dedicated to Hasselblad owners:

- Facebook, for Hasselblad consumer products
- Facebook, for Technology products and services
- Facebook , for products
- Facebook, for HassyUSA
- Facebook, for Victor by Hasselblad
- Facebook, for Hasselblad UK
- Facebook, for Phocus by Hasselblad
- Twitter, for Hasselblad USA
- Twitter, for Hasselblad UK
- LinkedIn, for the Hasselblad Group
- LinkedIn, for Hasselblad University Alumni
- flickr, for Hasselblad on flickr
- YouTube, Hasselblad on YouTube
- Hasselblad Digital Forum

If you’ve ever done a search for Hasselblad product or workflow videos, you’ve discovered there are literally millions.

Do a search for “photographers shooting with Hasselblad,” and you’ll come up with a list of some 150,000 stories. Do a search for “Hasselblad cameras” and you’ll tap into 350,000 leads. A search for “Hasselblad photographers” generates a list of 11,500,000 stories and videos.

The annual Hasselblad Masters final exhibition and tours and the Hasselblad Owners’ Club have caused a spike in the number of online stories. The videos with the biggest draw, inevitably, involve high-end photographers discussing their digital workflow, the power of Hasselblad, the remarkable detail and resolution of their files, how Hasselblad enhances their images and their ability to tell a story through pictures.

Do some exploring on your own and you’ll find even more sources of Information and inspiration.

Text by Alice B. Miller

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Fixtime and Paintings I Love on BBC

Excellent coverage of Flixtime and Paintings I Love on the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/8863334.stm

FLIXTIME (http://flixtime.com/)

If you want to create compelling displays of all your treasured digital photos to share with your family and friends, point your browser at Flixtime. This web app lets you make impressive animated slide shows including pictures and video in three simple steps.

You can create a 60 second film for free, with the software doing all the complicated and artistic stuff for you.

Transitions are applied to the beat of your choice of music and you can add video and captions without any drama.

The processing and rendering works nice and fast and the end result is really professional. Once the slideshow is rendered you can even add a voice track so your viewers know exactly what is going on.

This is a brilliant way to share those forgotten digital photographs gathering dust on your hard drive.

PAINTINGS I LOVE (http://www.paintingsilove.com/)

If you would rather enjoy a different kind of picture, take a gander at Paintings I Love.

This site houses a community for online artists to post their work and get friendly feedback from other users of the site.

You do not have to be an artist to enjoy these pages - they value the feedback of art lovers just as much as the artists who contribute. All the submissions are rated by the site's community, so you can easily find your way to the most stunning pictures in the galleries.

I was blown away by some of the quality of this work. If you feel inspired by what you see, there are open workshops you can take part in to brush up your artistic skills, and the Q&A section allows people to ask specific questions about certain techniques to improve their work.

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Hundreds Of North American High School Students To Compete At Annual Canon Envirothon

Teams Convene at California State University, Fresno, for One of North America's Largest High School Environmental Education Competitions

Lake Success, N.Y., July 29, 2010 – From August 1 through August 6, more than 270 teenagers from 45 U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces will meet at California State University, Fresno, to participate as finalists in one of North America's largest high school environmental education competitions, the 2010 Canon Envirothon.

During the six-day competition, teams will be challenged on their knowledge of a variety of environmental issues including soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a specially selected current environmental issue. For this year's competition, the topic is Protection of Groundwater Through Urban, Agricultural and Environmental Planning. Students will analyze the long-term and short-term impact of natural environmental occurrences, social and economic factors and human activities on ecosystems relative to how each may influence or directly impact natural resources and their management.

In addition to learning in-depth about environmental issues affecting our natural resources, teams will be competing for a share of more than $125,000 in educational scholarships as well as an array of Canon products. The competition is organized by the National Association of Conservation Districts, the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) Forest Service and the U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service in the U.S. and in Canada by the Provincial Forestry Associations.

"The decisions we make today regarding the conservation and preservation of our environment and natural resources will shape the future of our delicate planet," said, Bunji Yano, senior director and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A. "Canon believes environmental education among our future leaders is the key to a developing a sustainable and successful planet for years to come. The students at the Canon Envirothon will have a direct hand in solving the complex environmental issues related to conserving and preserving the planet's limited resources for future generations."

Sponsors since 1997, the Canon Envirothon is one of North America's largest high school environmental education competitions, in which more than 500,000 teenagers are involved during a year-long learning process that combines in-class curricula with hands-on field experiences. Five-member teams from schools and organizations throughout out the United States and Canadian provinces first compete in local competitions, organized by environmental agencies, for the honor to represent their respective state or province in the national competition. During the final competition, teams compete in a series of field-oriented tests under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists and wildlife specialists and also prepare and deliver oral presentations to panels of judges who evaluate each team on their problem-solving capabilities, oral presentation skills and recommendations to help solve the specific environmental challenge presented during the competition.

In addition to the Canon Envirothon, Canon U.S.A. supports a wide range of environmental education and youth programs including the PBS Nature series, various programs at Yellowstone National Park, and many additional local programs. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com/environment.

A list of the U.S. and Canadian schools/organizations participating in the 2010 Canon Envirothon appears below.

Canon Envirothon Media Center: www.envirothon.org Click on the media center for information about the competition, daily updates and photos of the winning teams. Photos of winning teams can be downloaded beginning Saturday, August 7, 2010.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2009+, with global revenues of US $35 billion, is listed as number six in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2010 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of "100 Best Global Brands." Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.
 

###

† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

State	Winning Team
Alabama	Oak Mountain High School
Alaska	Homer High School
Alberta	Sexsmith Secondary School
Arizona	University High School
Arkansas	Mills Team A
British Columbia	Chilliwack Secondary School
California	Arlington American Lions
Connecticut	Litchfield High School
Delaware	Charter School of Wilmington Team 1
Florida	John Carroll High School
Georgia	Rockdale 4-H
Idaho	Dennis Technical Education Center
Illinois	Taylorville High School
Indiana	True Arrow 4-H Gibson County
Iowa	Marshalltown High School
Kansas	Holton High School
Kentucky	Fayette County-Dunbar High School
Louisiana	Zachary Area Homeschoolers
Maine	Jay High School
Manitoba	Swan Valley Regional Secondary School
Maryland	Carroll County Boy Scout Venturing Crew 202
Massachusetts	Lexington High School
Michigan	All Natural Baby
Minnesota	Rushford-Peterson High School
Mississippi	Harrison Central High School
Missouri	Pembroke Hills High School
Montana	Cascade County 4-H
Nebraska	Superior High School
New Brunswick	Stanley High School
New Hampshire	Keene High School
New Jersey	Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science (MATES)
New Mexico	Tatum High School
New York	Candor High School
Newfoundland and Labrador	Corner Brook Regional High School
North Carolina	Vicious Vipers--"CHEAGD"
North Dakota	Sargent Central High School
Nova Scotia	Northumberland High School
Ohio	Chardon High School
Oklahoma	Ninnekah High School
Ontario	University of Toronto Schools
Oregon	Newberg High School
Pennsylvania	Penncrest High School
Prince Edward Island	Three Oaks Senior High School
Rhode Island	The Wheeler School
Saskatchewan	Luther College High School
South Carolina	Spartanburg High School
Tennessee	Montgomery Bell Academy
Texas	College Park Academy of Science and Technology
Utah	Logan High School
Vermont	Essex High School
Virginia	Jamestown High School
Washington	Stanwood High School
West Virginia	Jefferson FFA
Wisconsin	Middleton High School

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Humorous Video Provides a Look into the Crisis in the Profession of Professional Photography

The profession of professional photography and the consumers that buy that photography are confronted by a crisis that grows with each passing day. College students, soccer moms and even high school students without any training in photography are marketing their services to the buying public. These untrained camera owners are photographing weddings, senior portraits, family reunions and other once in a lifetime events without any training in photography and the average consumer has no idea until it is too late!

Fresno, California (PRWEB) July 26, 2010 - The profession of professional photography and the consumers that buy that photography are confronted by a crisis that grows with each passing day. College students, soccer moms and even high school students without any training in photography are marketing their services to the buying public. These untrained camera owners are photographing weddings, senior portraits, family reunions and other once in a lifetime events without any training in photography and the average consumer has no idea until it is too late!

In this short, humorous video the fictional character of Newfus is the new face of professional photography. From his "lemonade style" photo stand in his front yard, he attempts to sell passersby a photograph for 25 cents or wedding photography for $29.95. Newfus and his client quickly learn of his limited skills.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn-w7fDH6y4 Jeff Smith, Professional Photographer, author of 13 books about professional photography and owner of Smith & Co. Studios, a Senior Portrait Studio in Fresno, Ca., created this video to encourage those camera owners that want to pursue a career as a professional photographer to actually learn about photography before trying to work with clients, as well as trying to educate the buying public about this growing problem. Every person learning photography has to start somewhere, but paying clients are not the training ground for our profession.

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iPad Photography App: FlickStackr: Adorama Photography TV

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjYl2Tk1Bow



adoramaTV - Adorama Photography TV presents FlickStackr for the iPad.

This week Mark Wallace discovered a great iPad application that is called FlickStackr. The FlickStackr app brings Flickr photo sharing to the iPad. It allows you to browse photos in the Flickr universe, as well as your sets, your favorites and your contacts and their photos. You can upload photos and edit your photos' metadata. A unique feature is the Stack. The Stack lets you mark photos from you or any other people. This stack is saved on your iPad, so that you can keep this list without having to publish it to flickr. Useful when you want to review photos later.

For related articles and videos at the Adorama Learning Center, and to download FlickrStackr, go here: http://www.adorama.com/alc/article/iPad-Photography-App-FlickStackr-AdoramaTV

Visit http://www.adorama.com/alc/ for more photography videos!

Category: Howto & Style
Tags: photography, ipad, digital, FlickStackr, snapfactory, apple, app, camera, mark, wallace, adorama

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WDC Outdoor Portraits Masterclass with John Freeman

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYlpLRA8Mbw



WhatDigitalCamera - Top pro photographer John Freeman demonstrates how to get better summer portraits outdoors using just natural light.

Category: Science & Technology
Tags: John, Freeman, Portraits, tutorial

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PANASONIC LUMIX LX5, THE ULTIMATE COMPACT HIGH-PERFORMING DIGITAL CAMERA AIMS FOR SUPERB PHOTO QUALITY, ESPECIALLY IN LOW-LIGHT ENVIRONMENTS

Panasonic LUMIX LX5 Features New High Sensitivity CCD and F2.0 Leica Lens for Shooting Stunning Photography and Vivid High Definition Videos

SECAUCUS, NJ (July 21, 2010) – Panasonic today announced the LUMIX DMC-LX5, the ultimate compact, high-performing digital camera offering photo enthusiasts the ideal camera for capturing professional-quality photos and High Definition (HD) video. With an ultra-bright F2.0 ultra-wide-angle 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens, the LUMIX LX5 minimizes image distortion, resulting in stunning, true-to-life images with outstanding resolution and detail. The 24mm wide angle lens offers extraordinarily large viewing space and now the optical zoom is extended to 3.8x(90mm) making the LX5 even more versatile.

“The Panasonic LUMIX LX-Series cameras have been extremely popular models for us with professional and enthusiast photographers, who understand and value the superb image quality such a compact, affordable digital camera can offer,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “We expect the same enthusiasm, if not more, for the LUMIX LX5, which features improvements to the lens and processing – resulting in even better images.”

The Panasonic LUMIX LX5 is a unique compact digital camera in that it offers superb image quality along with a super-bright lens and increased creative modes. The F2.0 lens is twice as bright as a F2.8 lens, making it easy to produce beautiful photos with a soft-focused background thanks to the shallow depth of field provided by the extra light. In addition to the newly-designed lens, the LUMIX LX5 features an image processing engine that combines technologies resulting in professional-quality photos, especially in low-light situations. Like its predecessor, the LUMIX LX5 features the highly-acclaimed 10.1-megapixel CCD, but it has an expanded dynamic range by increasing the sensitivity and the saturation.

The newly developed Venus Engine FHD image processor enables higher-speed, higher-performance while compiling the Intelligent Resolution technology. The triple CPUs in this imaging engine dramatically speeds up processing while achieving exceptional noise reduction performance. With its high-sensitivity CCD and the brightness of the lens, minimum illumination of the LUMIX LX5 is as low as 3 lux while shooting video.

In addition to capturing high-quality still photos, the LUMIX LX5 can record HD videos in AVCHD Lite, a format that allows almost doubling the recording time in HD quality compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format. Creative video shooting modes include Creative Movie mode, where users can set shutter speed and aperture manually to make even more impressive movies. My Color mode and Film mode are available for more extended expression not only in photography but also in videography. The LUMIX LX5 also features Dolby Digital Creator to record high quality audio and the 3.8x optical zoom is available while shooting video.

The LUMIX LX5 has also been redesigned externally – with a thicker grip making it easier to hold and a newly-incorporated turn-and-push jog dial achieves various selection and setting more quickly. The LUMIX LX5 also features a hot shoe, which allows for the attachment of a wide-variety of accessories, such as an optional Live View Finder which helps shooting under strong daylight with high visibility or an external flash. The 1:1 square format setting is added in the aspect ratio option which can be selected with the switch at the side of the lens barrel.

Other features of the Panasonic LUMIX LX5, include:

* The 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot high resolution Intelligent LCD also redesigned by adopting High CRI (Color Rendering Index) backlight LED to greatly increase the color reproduction, making it more visible both in shooting and playing back images in any conditions from at dark night to under bright sunlight.
* Battery life is extended to shoot 400 photos (CIPA) per a single charge.
* A wide-variety of accessories, including a Live View Finder (DMW-LVF1), External Optical View Finder (DMW-VF1), Wide Conversion Lens (DMW-LWA52), Conversion Lens Adaptor (DMW-LA6), MC Protector (DMW-MC52), ND Filter (DMW-LND52), PL Filter: DMW-LPL52, External Flashes, Leather Case (DMW-CLX5) and a Battery Pack (DMW-BCJ13).

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX5 will be available in late-August 2010 for a suggested retail of $499.95 and will be available in black and white models.

·Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.

·The LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.

·The "AVCHD" is a high definition (HD) digital video recording / playback format jointly established by Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation. The "AVCHD Lite" is a subset of the "AVCHD format" for HD digital video cameras with HD video recording restricted to 720P. The new "AVCHD Lite" Logo and the "AVCHD Lite" License are restricted to devices within the AVCHD Video Camera category. Digital cameras have been added to the AVCHD Video Camera category.

·The "AVCHD Lite" and the "AVCHD Lite" logo are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation.

·AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD disc cannot be played on a device that does not support the AVCHD standard.

·Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

·HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.

·YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc.

·All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.

·This unit is compatible with both SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards. You can only use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are compatible with them. You cannot use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are only compatible with SD Memory Cards. (When using an SDHC Memory Card on another device, be sure to read the operating instructions for that device.)

·Some accessories are not available in some countries.

·The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.

·Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.


About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In its commitment to provide consumers with extensive imaging resources, Panasonic LUMIX established the Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide workshops designed to instruct consumers how to optimize the features on their digital cameras and produce high-quality photos.

Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company’s Eco Ideas programs. Company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

For more than 20 years, Panasonic has been proud to support the Olympic Movement as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category and, beginning in 2009, in the Digital Imaging category as well. Panasonic has also renewed its partnership with the International Olympic Committee for an additional eight years through the 2016 Summer Games. For more information, visit http://panasonic.net/olympic/.

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PANASONIC PACKS ADVANCED PHOTO AND VIDEO FUNCTIONS INTO A SLEEK, SLIM AND STYLISH LUMIX DIGITAL CAMERA

New LUMIX FX700 is small in size and big on features, including a MOS sensor, 3” Touch-Screen LCD and Full 1080 High Definition Video

SECAUCUS, NJ (July 21, 2010) – Panasonic announced today the addition of the new LUMIX DMC-FX700 digital camera, which records 1080 full High Definition (HD) videos in the AVCHD format and features a 3-inch touch-screen LCD. The 14.1-megapixel digital camera features a 24mm ultra wide-angle F2.2 super bright LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens with a 5x optical zoom*1 making the LUMIX FX700 extremely versatile in low-light conditions and when capturing moving subjects.

“The 24mm ultra wide-angle lens and 5x optical zoom on the LUMIX FX700 makes it a powerful and advanced addition to the FX-Series, known for being slim, sleek and high-performing,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “The LUMIX FX700 offers a complete suite of creative ways to capture superior quality photos and full HD videos in all shooting situations.”

The LUMIX FX700 adopts full touch-screen operation, which allows for Auto Focus (AF) to be set by touching the 3.0-inch, 230,000-dot LCD screen. Once a subject is locked with a single touch, the AF tracking function will follow the subject while moving. With the Intelligent Scene Selector, the camera automatically switches to the appropriate mode according to the subject selected. All menus settings are now available with one-touch control for shooting images and videos.

The LUMIX FX700’s advanced 24mm ultra-wide-angle lens, a rarity for a compact camera of this size, makes it easy to capture many subjects due to the great depth-of-field provided by the extra light. Additionally, photographers now have a wider range of composition possibilities with approximately 213% larger viewing space compared to that of a 35mm camera.

The LUMIX FX700 can also record HD video in the AVCHD format, which allows for almost double the recording time in HD quality compared to the conventional Motion JPEG format. The LUMIX FX700 records in 1920x1080 full HD with enhanced picture quality and Intelligent Resolution technology. Along with this high-quality HD video with a 5x optical zoom*1, the FX700 also features Dolby Digital Stereo Creator to record high-quality audio.

Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode is further advanced in the FX700 with the addition of Motion Deblur mode* by updating the motion detection (Intelligent ISO Control) and brightness control (Intelligent Exposure) to gain the highest shutter speed possible. Combined with the outstanding brightness of the lens and the POWER O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer), the LUMIX FX700 reduces any blur either caused by handshake or a moving subject. Intelligent Burst mode now determines the frame rate in burst shooting according to the speed of the subject’s motion, making it easy to capture any image. Included in the iA suite of technologies is: POWER O.I.S., Face Recognition, Face Detection, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure.

The LUMIX FX700 features the new Venus Engine FHD image processor which includes advanced signal processing capabilities. It also incorporates Intelligent Resolution technology, which examines three areas pixel-by-pixel, to automatically detect and enhance any degradation created during the digital zoom process.

Other features of the Panasonic LUMIX FX700 include:

· Handheld Night Shot: Using the high-speed MOS sensor, this new mode shoots 10 consecutive shots to simulate and detect the perfect shot of any subject while simultaneously fixing the subject’s position. Through the MOS sensor’s short shutter speed, exposure is increased while noise is reduced to create a blurless, beautifully- illuminated night shot without the use of a tripod.

· Battery Life: The high-performance Venus Engine FHD is also highly energy efficient despite its high processing capabilities, extending the battery life up to 300 shots (CIPA) on a single charge.

The Panasonic LUMIX FX700 will be available in black in late-August for a suggested retail price of $399.95. For more information on Panasonic LUMIX digital camera models, please visit: www.panasonic.com/lumix.

*1 Equivalent to 35mm camera: 24-120mm.

*2The picture size may be reduced.

*Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.

*The LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.

*Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

*This unit is compatible with both SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards. You can only use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are compatible with them. You cannot use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are only compatible with SD Memory Cards. (When using an SDHC Memory Card on another device, be sure to read the operating instructions for that device.)

*The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.

*Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In its commitment to provide consumers with extensive imaging resources, Panasonic LUMIX established the Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide workshops designed to instruct consumers how to optimize the features on their digital cameras and produce high-quality photos.

Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company’s Eco Ideas programs. Company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

For more than 20 years, Panasonic has been proud to support the Olympic Movement as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category and, beginning in 2009, in the Digital Imaging category as well. Panasonic has also renewed its partnership with the International Olympic Committee for an additional eight years through the 2016 Summer Games. For more information, visit http://panasonic.net/olympic/.

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PANASONIC UNVEILS COMPANY’S FIRST FULL HYBRID DIGITAL CAMERA WITH MOS SENSOR AND HIGH-SPEED CAPABILITY

New LUMIX FZ100 Has Powerful 24x Optical Zoom*1 and 14.1-Megapixel MOS Sensor, Allowing for full 1080 High Definition Video Capabilities

SECAUCUS, NJ (July 21, 2010) – Panasonic announced today the new LUMIX DMC-FZ100, a top-of-the-line model in the popular FZ-Series of LUMIX digital cameras with a newly developed LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens that features a powerful 24x optical zoom*1. As the company’s first hybrid compact digital camera with a MOS sensor, the LUMIX FZ100 can record full 1080 High Definition (HD) video – giving consumers a powerful hybrid that can shoot video and still photos with ease and professional-like quality.

“Panasonic is excited to be introducing its first full hybrid camera with MOS sensor – pursuing a higher level in resolution, sensitivity and speed,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “This new highly-functioning MOS sensor can record high-quality 1080 full AVCHD video, making it the ideal hybrid camera for both the casual shooter and the seasoned professional.”

The LUMIX FZ100 has an incredibly fast burst shooting in 14.1-megapixel full resolution at 11 frames per second with a mechanical shutter, and increases the frames per second to 60 in 3.5-megapixel recording. Additionally, the LUMIX FZ100 features continuous Auto Focus up to five frames per second at full resolution for great action shots. It also features Intelligent Burst shooting. The digital camera judges the appropriate shutter speed to suppress the motion blur according to the movement of the subject, rising as high as possible, activating the high sensitivity recording.

Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, a hallmark on all LUMIX digital cameras, now includes Motion Deblur mode*2. By updating the motion detection (Intelligent ISO Control) and brightness control (Intelligent Exposure) users can gain the highest shutter speed possible. Combined with the outstanding brightness of the lens and the POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), the LUMIX FZ100 prevents any blur created from a handshake or a moving subject. The iA suite of technologies include: POWER O.I.S., Face Recognition, Face Detection, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure. Panasonic’s iA is also available while shooting video.

Featuring a free-angle 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD, the LUMIX FZ100 features wide-angle viewing with Face Recognition functions that automatically remembers registered faces for future recording. The Intelligent Scene Selector automatically selects one of 6 Scene modes to best suit the shooting situation.

The LUMIX FZ100 also features Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator. This high-quality stereo sound offers realistic sounds and effects to any movie. For greater sound quality, the LUMIX FZ100 has a newly-created port for an optional stereo microphone (DMW-MS1) and a Wind Cut function is available to drastically reduce background wind noise.

The LUMIX FZ100 can record photos and HD video in AVCHD format on SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards. Additionally, My Color mode, first introduced in the LUMIX G Micro Systems cameras, is a special option that gives freedom to the user’s creativity. With a variety of options including new Pin Hole, Film Grain, High Dynamic and High Dynamic B&W, the My Color mode makes it easy to create innovative images and videos using new intensive color, brightness and saturation levels.

Other features of the LUMIX FZ100 include:

· Bundled Software – PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.2 HD Edition makes it possible to sort and organize photos. Videos can be uploaded directly to YouTube using the built-in YouTube uploader, while also letting the user create a 360-degree rotation panorama file in .MOV files. The software is compatible with the Windows 7.

· Happy Mode – An option in iA that optimizes color, saturation and brightness to make both photos and movies more vivid and true to the color of the scene you memorized.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ100 will be available in black in late-August for a suggested retail price of $499.95. For more information on Panasonic LUMIX digital cameras, please visit: www.panasonic.com/lumix.

*1 Equivalent to 35mm camera:25-600mm

*2 In the high speed burst shooting at 60fps, the picture size in max. 3.5-megapixel (16:9), 3-megapixel (3:2), 2.5-megapixel (4:3) or 2-megapixel (1:1)

*Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.

*The LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.

*All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.

*Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

*This unit is compatible with both SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards. You can only use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are compatible with them. You cannot use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are only compatible with SD Memory Cards. (When using an SDHC Memory Card on another device, be sure to read the operating instructions for that device.)

*Some accessories are not available in some countries.

*The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.

*Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In its commitment to provide consumers with extensive imaging resources, Panasonic LUMIX established the Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide workshops designed to instruct consumers how to optimize the features on their digital cameras and produce high-quality photos. Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company’s Eco Ideas programs. Company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

For more than 20 years, Panasonic has been proud to support the Olympic Movement as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category and, beginning in 2009, in the Digital Imaging category as well. Panasonic has also renewed its partnership with the International Olympic Committee for an additional eight years through the 2016 Summer Games. For more information, visit http://panasonic.net/olympic/.

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FUJIFILM LAUNCHES POWERHOUSE 15X LONG-ZOOM POINT AND SHOOT DIGITAL CAMERA: THE FINEPIX F300EXR

Powerful New Addition to Fujifilm's Award-Winning F-Series Offers Advanced Capabilities with New Features in a Compact, Stylish Package

Valhalla, N.Y., July 21, 2010 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the FinePix F300EXR, a sleek, compact digital camera that combines intuitive use with the most advanced features, including an astounding 15x Fujinon Super Wide-Angle lens (24mm – 360mm equivalent) and Fujifilm’s next generation EXR technology with Hybrid High Speed Auto Focus, available in a point-and-shoot digital camera.

Encased in a beautifully sculpted black metal shell with a double coated lacquer finish and measuring only 23 mm thick¹, the FinePix F300EXR offers a 12-MegaPixel EXR Super CCD, a large, 3.0” High-Contrast 460K LCD, Intelligent Image Stabilization and HD movie capture at 720p.

“The primary concerns consumers have are speed of capture, blurry photos and image quality. With the FinePix F300EXR, you won’t miss the action or sacrifice image quality as it has Fujifilm’s EXR technology with Hybrid High Speed Auto Focus. It also has Intelligent Image Stabilization for users to achieve outstanding results in virtually any lighting condition without blurring,” said David Troy, director of marketing, Consumer Digital Cameras, Electronic Imaging Division, Fujifilm North America Corporation, “Combine those features with a Fujinon 15x long-zoom lens and a new high contrast LCD in a chassis only 23mm thick and it helps make great pictures that people will love.”

Sharp, Clear 15x Zoom Lens
The FinePix F300EXR features a Fujinon 15x Super Wide-Angle optical zoom lens that produces crisp high resolution results throughout the focal range, from 24mm wide-angle to 360mm telephoto. The lens of the FinePix F300EXR also features Super EBC Coating that keeps ghosting and flare to minimum, allowing for optimal picture quality.

EXR Sensor Technology, with Hybrid High Speed AF
The next generation EXR sensor in the FinePix F300EXR incorporates Phase Detection pixels built-in to the CCD to realize Hybrid High Speed Auto Focus. It has the ability to intelligently decide between the two focusing systems on the camera. For example, when a bright, high-contrast subject is positioned in the center of the frame, Phase Detection AF works fast and accurately; and in dark scenes, Contrast AF is employed to work accurately.

The F300EXR uses both Phase Detection AF and Contrast AF to offer fast auto focus speeds in all scenes. To achieve an incredible auto focus speed of 0.158 seconds², Fujifilm engineers placed pairs of phase detection pixels on the EXR sensor, which work like external sensors on DSLRs. The F300EXR automatically selects the better focus system (Contrast or Phase Detection), by measuring the amount of light or contrast in the scene. The benefit for the photographer is immediate and obvious – an almost instantaneous capture of the subject in the frame, with no missed shots or subjects half out-of-frame.

Intelligent Image Stabilization
Long-zoom cameras need stabilization more than any other compact, with handshake and subject movement a particular problem in low light at telephoto range and in movie mode. With a newly enhanced gyro sensor, the new image stabilization system promises further improved image quality with reduced blurring and noise in still pictures and even when shooting movies at the full 15x optical zoom or in very low-light. The new sensor is able to overcome handshake and can compensate for both sharp and wide hand movements, therefore increasing ISO to freeze action is no longer so necessary, meaning beautifully sharp low-light pictures can be achieved at 400 ISO, rather than 800 or 1600 ISO at night scenery. The FinePix F300EXR also works to reduce blur to a minimum by deploying high ISO sensitivity to automatically increase shutter speeds, and CCD Sensor Shift Stabilization to counteract the problems of handshake. By cleverly combining these two, blur is reduced to an absolute minimum.

3.0” High-Contrast LCD
The FinePix F300EXR is fitted with a high contrast 460K-pixel 3.0” LCD. The high contrast LCD is a considerable benefit in bright light, and means that the camera can be directed at various shooting angles to enable framing of awkward shots. The LCD is bright and clear for beautiful rendition of shots in playback.

HD Movie Capture
With the ability to capture movies in HD quality – 720p – the F300EXR also has a Mini HDMI Port, making it quick and easy for users to realize the full benefits of their home theater system and to share all their special moments.

Motion Panorama 360 for the Perfect All-Round Shot
New to the EXR sensor, the F300EXR extends the sweep range to 360˚ (shots can also be taken vertically). Combined with high quality Fujifilm printing, astounding scenes can be taken, showing fine detail, low noise and high resolution at 180, 240˚ or a full 360˚ range.

Improved Pro Focus Mode
Introduced on the F70EXR, Pro Focus Mode has proved very popular with photographers. Through complex digital imaging technology, several images are combined to create a crisp shot of the subject against a defocused background and foreground. Ideal for portraits, nature photography or any subject that needs 'lifting' from its background, the FinePix F300EXR Pro Focus Mode provides satisfying professional results at the touch of a button. Results are even more simple to achieve as Pro Focus Mode has been now been combined with Face Detection and Face Recognition.

Face Recognition
With Face Recognition, users can register up to eight (8) faces, along with names, birthdays and categories, and the F300EXR will prioritize focus and exposure right on the faces of those special people. Users can also use Image Search to view images of a registered person. Compared to models from other manufacturers, Fujifilm’s Face Recognition has faster recognition speed, greater number of names displayed, and the ability to recall the most often shot subject.

Tracking Auto Focus
The F300EXR also has Tracking Auto Focus, which allows users to track a moving subject automatically for still picture capture.

The FinePix F300EXR also offers these additional features:

• Super Intelligent Flash: The FinePix F300EXR offers a flash control system which efficiently controls the level of flash for a given exposure to produce beautifully balanced flash illumination across the foreground and background. Gone are the ugly washout shots where the subject is blasted with light and the background dark and unexposed. Super Intelligent Flash is most useful in macro photography where the contrast between subject and background can be especially challenging, but is also effective for night and backlit photography.

• EXR AUTO Technology: Prized for bringing a new level of image quality to the consumer compact market, Fujifilm’s EXR technology has the unique ability to switch its behavior depending on the shooting conditions by automatically switching sensor modes. The FinePix F300EXR can be left on EXR Auto Mode and the camera will do all the hard work for you, or alternatively, you can manually select one of three EXR Priority modes for high resolution (HR), dynamic range (DR) or high sensitivity and low noise (SN).

• Face Detection and Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, the FinePix F300EXR is fitted with Fujifilm’s latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically.

• Photobook Assist: Photobook Assist lets you select and organize images in your camera to create a digital photobook. You can download the photobooks to your computer using MyFinePix Studio software that is included.

The FinePix F300EXR will be available in late August 2010 at a retail price of $329.95.

*¹ 23 mm measured at the thinnest chassis point.
*² Based on Fujifilm research.

NOTE: For complete camera specifications, please go to: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, consists of four operating divisions and two subsidiary companies. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. FUJIFILM Optical Devices U.S.A., Inc. is a provider of binoculars, and optical lenses for the closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast, and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 20 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2009, and in the year ended March 31, 2010, had global revenues of $23.5 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

* At an exchange rate of 93 yen to the dollar.

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FUJIFILM ENHANCES EXR AND TOUCH SCREEN TECHNOLOGY WITH THE FINEPIX Z800EXR

Combining Style and Substance for the Ultimate Point-and-Shoot Experience

Valhalla, N.Y., July 21, 2010 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the FinePix Z800EXR, with next generation EXR sensor and Hybrid High Speed Auto Focus, adding to its stylish Z Series. The FinePix Z800EXR digital camera combines beautiful styling, with a generous 3.5” Wide (16:9) High Resolution Touch Screen to offer consumers the latest digital imaging technology wrapped up in a sleek, sophisticated package.

Available in matte black, red, gold or shell pink, the FinePix Z800EXR combines a large 3.5” LCD with a 12-MegaPixel Super CCD EXR sensor, a Fujinon 5x optical zoom lens (36-180mm equivalent) and ISO levels of up to 1600 at full resolution. Housed inside a full metal chassis, the FinePix Z800EXR will fit in any pocket or purse at only 16.9 mm¹ thin and features a horizontal lens cover with wave detail, which serves as the on/off switch, and an LED “Z” that lights up when the camera is in operation.

“The Z-Series has come to be known as Fujifilm’s fashionable camera line and the Z800EXR is no exception,” said David Troy, director of marketing, Consumer Digital Cameras, Electronic Imaging Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “This time, we’ve added an EXR sensor with phase detection pixels to enable features like Hybrid High Speed Auto Focus, plus Intelligent Image Stabilization for great anti-blur protection. And those features, coupled with the highly responsive touch screen interface, give fashion-conscious consumers the ability to take photos that look as good as the camera does.”

Touch Screen Technology
The FinePix Z800EXR’s most appealing feature is its intuitive touch screen technology. The rich 460k-pixel 3.5” touch screen display panel facilitates effortless navigation of the camera’s many functions. The touch screen not only lets you take and view photos with the touch of a finger, but also provides a large, bright screen to compose and view your photos. With Dual Direction GUI and Dual Image Display, travelling though the FinePix Z800EXR’s functions are smooth and easy. Dual Direction GUI detects the orientation of the camera and automatically switches the direction of the menu button accordingly (for shooting, playback, multi-viewing and image search), while Dual Image Display splits the screen in various ways to view multiple images at once, so you can scroll through your images quickly and easily to locate the one you are looking for.

EXR Sensor Technology, with Hybrid High Speed AF
The next generation EXR sensor in the FinePix Z800EXR incorporates “Phase Detection pixel built-in CCD” to realize Hybrid High Speed Auto Focus. It has the ability to intelligently decide between the two focusing systems on the camera. For example, when a bright, high-contrast subject is positioned in the center of the frame, Phase Detection AF works fast and accurately; and in dark scenes, Contrast AF is employed to work accurately.

The Z800EXR uses both Phase Detection AF and Contrast AF to offer fast auto focus speeds in all scenes. To achieve an incredible auto focus speed of 0.158 seconds², Fujifilm engineers placed pairs of phase detection pixels on the EXR sensor, which work like external sensors on DSLRs. The Z800EXR automatically selects the better focus system (Contrast or Phase Detection), by measuring the amount of light or contrast in the scene. The benefit for the photographer is immediate and obvious – an almost instantaneous capture of the subject in the frame, with no missed shots or subjects half out-of-frame.

Intelligent Image Stabilization
Longer zoom cameras need stabilization more than any other compact, with handshake and subject movement a particular problem in low light at telephoto range and in movie mode. With a newly enhanced gyro sensor, the new image stabilization system promises further improved image quality with reduced blurring and noise in still pictures and even when shooting movies at the full 5x optical zoom or in very low-light. The new sensor is able to overcome handshake and can compensate for both sharp and wide hand movements, therefore increasing ISO to freeze action is no longer so necessary, meaning beautifully sharp low-light pictures can be achieved at 400 ISO, rather than 800 or 1600 ISO at night scenery. The FinePix Z800EXR also works to reduce blur to a minimum by deploying higher ISO sensativity to automatically increase shutter speeds, and CCD Sensor Shift Stabilization to counteract the problems of handshake. By cleverly combining these two, blur is reduced to an absolute minimum.

HD Capability
The FinePix Z800EXR also offers HD movie capture in 720p with sound and high quality HD stills playback at 1920x1080. Many consumers are happy to enjoy HD movies on their PC, but with the new HD Player (optional extra), which comes equipped with a remote control, families can gather around their home HDTV to enjoy amazingly detailed stills and high resolution movie playback.

Face Recognition Technology
With Face Recognition Technology, you can identify the people in a picture by name. Fujifilm’s Face Recognition Technology gives you the ability to pre-program 8 people into the camera. To do this, you start by taking a picture of the person you want to program into the camera and then tell the camera who that person is (e.g. Mom). You also have the option of inputting the category she belongs to (e.g. friends/family) and the date of her birthday. The next time you take a photo of her, the camera will cleverly recognize “Mom” and optimize the settings to ensure that exposure and focus are best suited to her, rather than the other people in the picture.

In addition, the FinePix Z800EXR’s Picture Search Tool is able to use the Face Recognition data (name, birthday and category) to help you find and playback your photographs quickly and easily. If you want to scroll through all pictures featuring “Mom” for example, the camera will be able to select them for you for easy viewing.

Motion Panorama 360 for the Perfect All-Round Shot
New to the EXR sensor, the Z800EXR extends the sweep range to 360˚ (shots can also be taken vertically). Combined with high quality Fujifilm printing, astounding scenes can be taken, showing fine detail, low noise and high resolution at 180˚, 240˚ or a full 360˚ range.

Photobook Assist
Photobook Assist lets you select and organize images in your camera to create a digital photobook. You can download the photobooks to your computer using MyFinePix Studio software that is included.

The FinePix Z800EXR also offers these additional features:

• EXR AUTO Technology: Prized for bringing a new level of image quality to the consumer compact market, Fujifilm’s EXR technology has the unique ability to switch its behavior depending on the shooting conditions by selecting any of 3 different sensor modes. The FinePix Z800EXR can be left on EXR Auto Mode and the camera will do all the hard work for you. It intelligently detects the scene type you are shooting and optimizes the camera’s focus, exposure and white balance and selects the best sensor setting, so whether you’re photographing flowers or a holiday landscape, you will get flawless photos at the press of a button. Or alternatively, you can manually select one of three EXR Priority modes for high resolution (HR), dynamic range (DR) or high sensitivity and low noise (SN).

• Touch Shot: Provides the ability for one touch focus and shooting for easy photo taking. After the user taps the focal point of choice for the shooting scene on the LCD display, the camera automatically sets the appropriate focus and functions, and then releases the shutter for optimal one touch picture taking.

• ‘Super Intelligent’ Flash: The FinePix Z800EXR offers a flash control system which efficiently controls the level of flash for a given exposure to produce beautifully balanced flash illumination across the foreground and background. Gone are the ugly washout shots where the subject is blasted with light and the background dark and unexposed. Super Intelligent Flash is most useful in macro photography where the contrast between subject and background can be especially challenging, but is also effective for night and backlit photography.

• Face Detection and Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, the FinePix Z800EXR is fitted with Fujifilm’s latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically.

• Pet Detection: For those who enjoy the company of four-legged friends, the FinePix Z800EXR comes equipped with Fujifilm’s Pet Detection technology, allowing users the ability to detect up to 10 faces of dogs or cats and automatically optimize the focus. Pet Detection works by matching various dog or cat data of facial parts with patterns to detect the dog or cat being photographed.

• Easy Web Upload: The FinePix Z800EXR also has the Facebook/YouTube Automatic Upload feature which is perfectly suited for consumers who want to share their pictures and videos more easily. Users can mark their favorite images and videos for Facebook or YouTube upload so they are all ready to go when they next connect to their computer. No more time is wasted sorting through pictures on the computer – just connect to MyFinePix Studio (supplied with the camera) and all marked images and videos will upload directly to the respective site at the press of a button.

The FinePix Z800EXR will be available in late August 2010 at a retail price of $229.95.

*¹ 16.9 mm measured at the thinnest chassis point.
*² Based on Fujifilm research.

NOTE: For complete camera specifications, please go to: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, consists of four operating divisions and two subsidiary companies. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. FUJIFILM Optical Devices U.S.A., Inc. is a provider of binoculars, and optical lenses for the closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast, and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 20 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2009, and in the year ended March 31, 2010, had global revenues of $23.5 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

* At an exchange rate of 93 yen to the dollar.

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