Olympus, Nikon and Canon have announced firmware updates. Canon’s firmware update for the Canon WFT-E3/E3A wireless transmitter will now make it compatible on the 50D. The firmware update for Nikon D80 and D200 corrects the problem of light flashing empty, inspite of it being fully charged, commonly known as the ‘Dead Battery Syndrome’. Meanwhile, firmware v1.1 for the Olympus E-520 improves the brightness level of AF target points in the Viewfinder.
Photokina 2008: SanDisk has today introduced new Compact Flash cards which offer increased storage capacity and faster read/write speeds. The Extreme III CompactFlash card now comes in a 32GB version with a speed of 30MB/s, and the Extreme IV CompactFlash card now comes in a 16GB version with a speed of 45 MB/s. In addition, the rest of the Extreme IV range has been upgraded to a read/write speed of 45MB/s.
SANDISK EXTREME IV COMPACTFLASH CARD SHIPS AT DOUBLE CAPACITY AND INCREASED SPEED
COLOGNE, GERMANY September 23, 2008 - SanDisk today announced that it is now shipping an upgraded family of SanDisk Extreme® IV CompactFlash®(CF) memory cards to better meet the needs of professional digital photographers. The entire series of SanDisk Extreme IV high-performance memory cards has received a 12.5-percent speed boost up to 45 megabytes per second (MB/s) 1 and the newly-released 16-gigabyte (GB) 2 card is twice as large as previous capacities. The announcement was made at the Photokina trade show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Hall 5.1, Stand A20.
SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash 45MB/s (300X) memory cards offer advanced technologies that are fully compatible with all CompactFlash cameras including the latest UDMA-enabled cameras. SanDisk Extreme IV CF cards have undergone internal testing with many leading manufacturers’ cameras and DSLRs, such as Canon’s EOS series, Nikon’s D300 and D3 cameras, the Sony Alpha A700, and the Olympus E500 and E3 cameras.
Depending on the camera used, the increased performance of the SanDisk Extreme IV memory card line may help reduce the delay between shots, enabling photographers to take more photos overall. The high-speed cards let all photographers save time and improve their workflow with faster card-to-computer data transfer speeds.
Rob Galbraith, a professional photographer and an independent digital imaging reviewer, tested the 16GB SanDisk Extreme IV memory card and released his review on www.robgalbraith.com. Following performance testing with the Nikon D700 and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III digital cameras, Rob states that the 16GB SanDisk Extreme IV card offers the fastest write speed of any card at the 16GB capacity. He adds that such top-line performance can be expected when using the card with most or all current Canon and Nikon digital SLRs.
The new high-capacity, high-performance SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash cards are ideal for professional photographers who typically shoot in RAW or RAW + JPG formats, which require up to ten times more card capacity than JPG images. In addition, photographers who regularly use burst or continuous shooting mode during high-action situations such as sporting, wildlife or fashion photography can also benefit from the increased capacity and performance.
“The new 16GB SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash card at 45MB/s demonstrates SanDisk’s commitment to providing serious photographers with the high performance they require,” said Susan Park, director of consumer product marketing for SanDisk’s performance cards. “Our goal is to help photographers maximize their productive output by equipping them with cards that offer ample storage space and fast data transfer rates.”
“Hasselblad and SanDisk have a long working relationship in advancing digital photography,” said Christian Poulsen, the CEO of Hasselblad. “The 16GB SanDisk Extreme IV card’s increased storage capacity and high speed deliver the performance required to optimize our Hasselblad digital backs and H3D digital cameras for professional-grade uses.”
SanDisk Extreme IV cards carry a lifetime limited warranty and hold the industry’s widest guaranteed operating temperature range, from 13F (minus 25C) to 185F (plus 85C). Finally, Extreme IV CF cards can transfer data from card to computer using a SanDisk Extreme FireWire reader (sold separately), which helps speed up workflow by transferring large image files through the computer’s FireWire port at a speed of up to 45MB/s.
Pricing and Availability
The 16GB SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash memory card is available now and it carries a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $399.99 in the United States.
32-GIGABYTE SANDISK EXTREME III COMPACTFLASH CARDS IDEAL FOR NEW DIGITAL SLR CAMERAS WITH FULL HD VIDEO CAPTURE
COLOGNE, GERMANY. September 23, 2008 –The recent release of Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II DSLR camera represents an emerging trend in digital imaging: the convergence of high-megapixel still photograph and High Definition (HD) video capture in a single digital single-reflex lens (DSLR) camera and the need for large-capacity memory cards to support these added capabilities. With flickr.com now allowing users to post 90 second videos, or “long photos” as they are called, the DSLR video movement has definitely arrived. Canon’s new DSLR camera enables enthusiasts to take professional-grade photos and video, while SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) memory cards provide the robust capacity required to store the resulting data.
The groundbreaking addition of HD video capturing capabilities in a DSLR camera opens up whole new avenues of creative expression for users. Point and shoot digital cameras have been able to shoot video for some time, but HD video-enabled DSLRs take such innovation to another level. DSLR cameras offer users increased versatility with the ability to film using a wide variety of lenses. Now video enthusiasts can use a fisheye lens during one shot in order to capture wide hemispherical images, and a telephoto lens during another shot for close ups.
RAW images consume up to 10 times as much space as regular JPGs, making an afternoon’s worth of wedding photos or using burst mode at sporting events a memory-intensive affair. The new 32-gigabyte1 (GB) SanDisk Extreme® III CompactFlash® (CF) card enables photographers to shoot in RAW for extended periods of time without worrying about running out of storage space.
Featuring 16:9 Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 frames-per-second (fps), Canon’s EOS-5D Mark II DSLR demands a memory card with the storage capacity required to make such filming both possible and enjoyable. At a whopping 32GB, the latest addition to the award-winning SanDisk Extreme III Compact Flash line can store over an hour and a half of video at full HD resolution. With a 30 megabyte-per-second2 (MB/s) write speed, SanDisk’s card can transfer 32GB of content to a computer in a little over 15 minutes.
“The Canon EOS-5D Mark II highlights the newest trend in DSLRs which is to combine high-quality still photography with full HD video,” said Susan Park, director of product marketing at SanDisk. “This is truly a remarkable camera that takes full advantage of the SanDisk Extreme family of high-performance and large-capacity memory cards.”
The SanDisk Extreme III family includes CompactFlash cards that range from 4GB to 32GB as well as the new SanDisk Extreme III SDHC™ and SanDisk Extreme III Memory Stick PRO HG DUO™ cards that recently received a 50 percent speed increase from 20MB/s to 30MB/s. Renowned for their world-class durability, SanDisk Extreme III CF cards possess the industry’s widest guaranteed operating temperature, ranging from minus 13F (minus 25C) to 185F (plus 85C)
Revolutionary sensor blazes the way to a new era of high image quality “Super CCD EXR”
Pre-Photokina 2008: Fujifilm's second technology announcement of the day is the latest development of its Super CCD sensor, Super CCD EXR. Designed as a 'three in one' sensor combining the benefits of high resolution, high sensitivity and wide dynamic range, Super CCD EXR uses a totally new color filter array and has the ability to process half the pixels separately. This should, according to the press release, get Fujifilm closer to the holy grail of compact camera design; small sensors that don't sacrifice noise and DR for resolution. Again there's no product this time around.A ‘three-in-one’ sensor for high resolution, high sensitivity and wide dynamic range Made by photographic specialists for photographic specialists
PHOTOKINA 2008, COLOGNE, GERMANY, September 23, 2008 FUJIFILM Corporation, on the anniversary of 10 years of FinePix cameras, has developed “Super CCD EXR,” a revolutionary new sensor developed in the rigorous pursuit of high image quality.
There is strong demand in the digital camera market to increase the number of pixels on a sensor, which, all too often, is used as a convenient yardstick for image quality. While introducing excellent 12-megapixel cameras such as the FinePix F50fd and the FinePix F100fd, Fujifilm has had great success in increasing pixel density while at the same time controlling noise and optimizing sensitivity. Fujifilm’s campaign to improve overall image quality, while at the same time increasing sensor resolution, has been coordinated under the program of ‘Real Photo Technology.’
‘Real Photo Technology’ is underpinned by the belief that experienced photographers, many brought up using famous reversal films like FUJICHROME Velvia or PROVIA, understand that true image quality is about a combination of many factors like tone, hue, color fidelity, dynamic range, sharpness, and resolution. It is well known that increasing the pixel count on a sensor actually makes it more difficult to achieve high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. As the photodiode gets smaller, the problems of increased noise, blooming and clipping increase. Super CCD EXR
It is widely believed that ‘high resolution’ and ‘high sensitivity’ are irreconcilable opposites, and impossible to optimize on the same sensor, particularly for compact cameras, where sensors are necessarily smaller. High quality pictures are dependent on the subject. Excellent low light pictures need high sensitivity; high contrast pictures need wide dynamic range, while fine details, like the leaves of a tree or strands of a model’s hair, depend on high resolution. Fujifilm engineers set about the task of building a Flexible sensor to match the demands of the photographer. The end-goal is to produce a sensor that works as close to that of the human eye as possible. Whatever nuance of color or sensitivity of tone that makes the scene so special to the photographer should be the continual challenge of the sensor engineer. The EXR sensor is essentially a switchable sensor; changing its complex electronic behavior to suit the subject, changing its characteristics as the photographer demands, and producing the very best picture without making compromises.
“Super CCD EXR” is the latest new generation of Super CCD to be produced by Fujifilm. Over the years, Fujifilm has excelled in high resolution sensors through ‘HR’ technology (F50fd, F100fd) and high sensitivity/wide dynamic range through ‘SR’ sensors (S3 Pro, S5 Pro). The direction in the future will be to combine HR and SR technology together to produce one universal sensor suitable for all high quality photography.
> more Technology of Super CCD EXR
Pretec Releases 64GB and 100GB CF Card - Highest Capacity in the World
Photokina 2008: Pretec has today introduced the highest capacity and fastest CompactFlash cards in the world. Under the highest capacity come the 64GB and 100GB, 233X CF cards with a read and write speed of 35MB/s. And the 333X CF cards in 32GB and 50 GB capacities have broken the record of the fastest read and write speed with 50 MB/s. Both the cards will start shipping this month.
Cologne, Germany, September 23rd , 2008 － Pretec, creator of the highest capacity CompactFlash card in the world (48GB) and the fastest CF card in the world (333X) will demonstrate even higher capacities including a 64GB CF card, in the Leaf booth (West Hall 4.2, B009) and CFA (Hall 5.1, G-019) at Photokina 2008.
Continuing the revolution in the field of flash memory card speed and capacity, Pretec today releases 64GB and 100GB, 233X CF cards with access speed of up to 35MB/s, overtaking the Pretec 48GB CF card, the previous world’s record holder for highest capacity CF card; and super high speed 333X 32GB and 50GB CF cards capable of running up to 50 MB per second of Read/Write speed, the highest speed CF card in the world.
Pretec CF 233X and 333X CF cards use metal housing and ruggedized construction to provide extensive ruggedness making the card resistant to impact and shock – at least 10 times more durable than a typical CF card. With the green concept of reuse, recycle and reduce in mind, Pretec 64GB CF cards can be configured or reused to make a 256GB SATA or IDE SSD, the highest capacity 2.5” SSD in the world so far, by using Pretec Q-SATA, a patent-pending technology of flexible, scalable and modular SATA/PATA design based on up to 4 CF cards. This technology provides ultimate flexibility and ease of use, especially for those needing both CF cards and SSDs.
Pretec 233X and 333X CF cards will be demonstrated together with high performance digital cameras from Leaf, a business unit of Eastman Kodak and a world-renowned industry leader in providing cutting edge digital photography solutions, whose AFi professional camera was recently awarded “Product of the Year” at the Photoforum exhibition in Russia. The new Leaf AFi-II system delivers the fastest shooting speeds of any camera in its class, with a practically unlimited burst depth.
These speeds are enabled by advanced communication and CF technologies and Leaf Capture software. “Leaf and Pretec share a similar vision –to offer cutting edge technologies and unique products with unparalleled performance and to provide our customers with exceptional quality and satisfaction,” said Seth Greenberg, Leaf Marketing Director. “We are pleased to have chosen Pretec as our exclusive storage partner at Photokina 2008 and to witness the excitement as Pretec breaks the CF card speed and capacity world records.”
Pretec 233X 64GB and 333X 32GB CF cards with suggested retail price of $399 and $630 are slated to start delivery by Photokina 2008, and 233X 100GB and 333X 50GB are expected to start shipping by the end of 2008.
The compact large aperture standard zoom lens equipped with HSM
Photokina 2008: Sigma has today announced a new HSM version of its popular 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG lens. This large aperture standard zoom is considerably more compact than its predecessor, thanks to a brand new optical design which features 14 elements in 12 groups, including three aspherical, one ELD and two SLD elements. The HSM focusing motor promises fast and silent focusing coupled with full-time manual focus, and the minimum focus distance is 38cm allowing a maximum magnification of 1:5.3. The lens will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the new 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM. This large aperture standard zoom lens covers focal lengths from 24mm and is housed in compact construction.
The latest optical design provides an overall length of 94.7cm /3.7inch. It is ideal for general photography such as snapshots, portraiture and landscapes. The Super Multi Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting. ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass, two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements and three aspherical lenses provide excellent correction of all types of aberrations.
Superior optical performance is ensured throughout the entire zoom range. This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), ensuring a quiet and high speed AF as well as full time manual focusing capability. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 38cm/15in and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:5.3.
The rounded 9 blades diaphragm creates an attractive blur. It is possible to attach the included petal-type hood to block out extraneous light.
Features:
- Large aperture standard zoom lens
- ELD and SLD glass provides excellent correction of all types of aberrations
- Super Multi Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting
- Equipped with HSM ensuring quiet and high speed AF
- The rounded 9 blade diaphragm creates an attractive blur
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