Rangefinder Magazine
March 2006

Click Here for printable version of this article.

Focus  

Industry News

• Sotheby’s Offers New Degree in Photography

Sotheby’s Institute of Art (London, UK, www.sothebysinstitute london.com) will expand its graduate program in September 2006 to include a master’s degree in historic and contemporary photography. Following the current shift in the way photography is received and understood, the new degree is designed to give students the skills needed in appreciating and analyzing photography in terms of intention, production, encounter and interpretation. Subject matter will range from exquisite 19th century daguerreotypes to conceptual art’s use of the banal and “artless” snapshots. Participating faculty will include Susan Bright, author of the just-published book, Art Photography Now, as well as artists such as Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, Sophie Calle, Wolfgang Tillmans and Nan Goldin, among others.

• Camera Saves Trees

Photographer Sebastião Salgado raised enough money to save 120,000 trees in the Brazilian rainforest by auctioning one camera. Of course, it was no ordinary camera. The all-titanium Leica M7, with serial no. 3,000,000, was awarded to Salgado by Leica Camera AG (Solms, Germany) in honor of his “extensive and extremely human photographic work.” It sold for $107,500, a new world record for cameras built after 1945. The special Salgado M7 was part of a 50-camera series marking Leica’s 50th anniversary.

• Brooks Students Win Awards

Students from Brooks Institute of Photography (Santa Barbara, CA, 888/304-3456, www.brooks.edu) received 12 awards in the prestigious College Photographer of the Year competition held at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia. The competition, sponsored by Nikon, National Geographic, Poynter Online, the National Press Photographers Association and the Missouri Photo Workshop, drew 9000 images from 306 students. More than 50 schools were represented. Brooks winners captured awards in sports action, sports features, spot new, pictorial, illustration, personal vision, documentary and team online multimedia. The goal of the competition is to encourage student photographers to evaluate their own work and assemble the best of it in order to demonstrate their vision and abilities to their peers and to industry professionals, who donate their time to judge the event.

• Nash and Holbert Win Visionary Award

Graham Nash, award-winning photographer and member of the rock group Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and his partner, master printmaker Mac Holbert, are this year’s winners of the PhotoImaging Manufacturers & Distributors Association’s (PMDA) Visionary Award.

Graham Nash and Mac Holbert with early print as they donated their original IRIS printer to the National Museum of American History.

PMDA judges chose Holbert and Nash, co-founders of Nash Editions, because they started a photographic revolution in 1989 with the invention of digital fine art printing. Their frustration with the limitations of digital output technologies at the time led to unique methods of printing Nash’s photographs on an Iris 3047 printer. Today Nash Editions is one of the leading fine art photographic printmaking studios in the world.

Other PMDA Award winners this year include Hank Hayashi, Fuji Photo Film USA; Patrick D. King, Eastman Kodak Company; Grant Pill, CVS; Joe Lisuzzo and Sharon Whibben, Wal- Mart—“Person of the Year Award” for the Photo Kiosk; White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA)—“Photographer Award”; Naoki Tomino, Nikon Corporation—“Technical Achievement Award”; and Rudy Maschke and Ed Wagner—“Norman C. Lipton Lifetime Achievement Award.”

The 2006 PMDA awards, which took place February 25 in Orlando, Florida, were co-sponsored by National Geographic magazine.

• Industry Mourns Loss of Carl Koch

Carl Koch, photographer and inventor of the modular Sinar camera system, died December 23, 2005. He was 89. Koch began his illustrative career in 1948 by inventing a view camera technology that incorporated the latest technical refinements. He believed professional photographers should always have superior equipment. His motto, “What can be done better, shall be done better,” also led him to create a universal shutter for all lenses and selective exposure metering at the film plane. Koch also authored the popular “Photo Know How,” a self-teaching course for professional photographers. Although he retired from Sinar in 1982, his principles continue to guide the company, which still markets the only professional camera with a logical modular system.

• Thirty Millionth Canon EF Lens

Canon Inc. (Tokyo, Japan, www.canon. com) recently reported a new lens-production milestone: its 30 millionth EF lens. Production of the very popular interchangeable lenses, which began in 1987, hit the 10 million mark in 1995 followed by the 20 million mark just six years later. Following that, Canon once again expanded EF production in 2003 by introducing the EG-S series of lenses, which are optimized for digital DSLRs using the APS-C image sensor. All of Canon’s proprietary EF (electro-focus) lenses combine a large-diameter, fully electronic lens mount with an internal autofocus motor. Currently 60 EF models are in production.

• Konica Minolta Withdraws from Photo Business

Long-time camera maker Konica Minolta (Mahwah, NJ, konicaminolta. com) recently cited the shrinking photographic market and the company’s inability to maintain profitability as reasons for withdrawing from the photo business. The company said it would discontinue its color film and paper products by March 31, 2007, and its minilab business by March 31, 2006. As part of the restructuring, Noritsu has agreed to provide minilab service and maintenance. Konica Minolta also said that it would transfer its camera assets and digital sensor technologies to Sony Corporation and stop manufacturing film and digital cameras by March 31, 2006. Sony would continue to develop and service digital SLR cameras compatible with the Maxxum/Dynax lens mount system.

• Denny Buys Scenic Design

Denny Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Mobile, AL, www.dennymfg.com) has completed the purchase of Scenic Design, Inc. of Murray, UT. All former operations of Scenic Design are being moved to the Denny’s main facility in Mobile, AL. The merger of the two companies will make it possible to provide the company’s existing customer base of over 30,000 photographers around the world access to a whole new concept in sets and props.

• End of an Era at Nikon

Nikon (Melville, NY, www.nikonusa. com), the company that introduced professional- level 35mm SLR cameras 50 years ago, has made the business decision to discontinue making most of its film cameras to concentrate on digital models. Citing shrinking film and film camera sales, Nikon will eventually stop manufacturing seven film-camera models. Only the popular F6 SLR and the manualfocus FM10 will continue in production. As part of the announcement, Nikon said it would stop making most of its manualfocus lenses.

Coincidentally, German optical company Carl Zeiss AG is widely reported to be planning on making a line of manual focus lenses for Nikon bodies.

• Tamron Sponsors “It’s a Wild World” Photo Contest

Tamron USA, Inc. (Commack, NY, www.tamron.com) is sponsoring the 2006 “It’s a Wild World” photo contest. Open to professional and amateur Tamron lens users, the contest has two general requirements: an animal or animals must be prominently included in the submissions, and all entries must be in good taste. The grand prize winner will receive a Tamron AF18–200mm f/3.5–6.3 Di-II Aspherical (IF) Macro zoom lens in any DSLR mount available, and the winning photograph will appear in Tamron’s Viewfinder newsletter and on the Tamron website. All entries must be received by October 31, and only U.S. residents may participate in the contest. A list of additional contest rules is available at www.tamron.com.

• Correction

In the recent announcement about www. wedshooter.com (January, “Focus,” pg. 33), we neglected to mention Internet and website expert Erik Dungan as one of the key contributors. In addition, Kevin Kubota is now a regular participant on this new blog!

New Products:

• First Digital SLR With Live View LCD

Olympus Imaging America Inc. (Melville, NY, 800/260-1625, www.olym pusamerica.com) recently introduced the EVOLT E-330, the world’s first interchangeable lens digital SLR to feature a traditional optical viewfinder and the “Live View” 2.5-in. articulated LCD screen. The new camera has a 4/3 type, high dynamic range MOS 7.5-Megapixel Image Sensor and a patented Dust Reduction System that uses a Supersonic Wave Filter to remove dust from the camera sensor every time the camera is turned on.

The EVOLT E-330 with 14–45mm f/3.5–5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens will be available in March 2006 with a street price of $1099.99.

• Pantone’s Huey Improves Monitor Color

Pantone, Inc. (Carlstadt, NJ, www.pan tone.com), a global leader in professional color calibration devices, is marketing the new Huey, a user-friendly monitor calibration tool that’s designed for digital photographers who want absolute color accuracy. Developed in cooperation with Gretag- Macbeth, Huey delivers excellent results on LCD, laptop and CRT displays, all without requiring any knowledge of color management. In fact, it is the first monitor calibration device to continually adjust the monitor as room lighting changes. Huey carries a list price of $89.

Pantone also recently introduced two additional GretagMacbeth color calibration products. They are the Eye-One Display LT and the Eye-One Display 2. Both devices offer more functionality than Huey and carry list prices of $169 and $249, respectively. Huey and the Eye-One Display solutions are the first products from Pantone since it formed a strategic partnership with GretagMacbeth.

• New Battery Pack From Dyna-Lite

Dyna-Lite (Union, NJ, www.dynalite. com) recently introduced the new Comet CBm-1200, a small, lightweight 1200-Ws battery-operated power pack. Designed for photographers who want a fast DC unit to work with existing Comet flash heads, the new two head symmetrical/asymmetrical power pack supports a fast 2.8-second recycling time, 150 full power flashes and a 71/2 f-stop range. It features 8-second modeling lights that operate on a 300 Wt circuit and an NHB-24 Nickel Metal Hydride battery (24V/2800 mA) that takes only two hours to charge. For added convenience the battery charger works on 100–120 as well as 220–240 volts AC. The CBm-1200 Battery Power Pack has a street price of $2395.

• Memory Upgrade Improves FinePix S3 Performance

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc., (Valhalla, NY, www.fujifilm.com) is offering a hardware upgrade for the popular FinePix S3 Pro professional DSLR camera that improves the camera’s continuous shooting capabilities. The memory upgrade doubles the internal buffer memory capacity from 128MB to 256MB, increases the continuous frame shooting rate up to 2.5X, and wakes-up features for the vertical shutter release. FinePix S3 Pro owners must submit their camera to Fujifilm for the optional upgrade, which costs $379.95, plus tax (return shipping is included). Fujifilm will apply a $30 discount if certain conditions are met. Additional details about the upgrade are found at www.fujifilm. com/FinePixS3Pro.

• Online Proofing Service From Pictology

Pictology, Inc. (San Diego, CA, go.pictology.com), a provider of web technology solutions for professional photographers, is marketing an Internet service that makes selling images online easy. The new service provides a cost-effective way to sell images online while sparing photographers the time and expense of getting a merchant account. Pictology processes all credit card transactions. Additional details about the new service are available at go.pictology.com.

• Alien Skin Debuts Exposure Plug-in

Alien Skin Software (Raleigh, NC, www. alienskin.com) is marketing Exposure, an all-new Photoshop compatible plug-in that brings the look and feel of film to digital photography. Exposure simulates current and discontinued film stocks by applying the color saturation, light temperature, dynamic range, softness/sharpness, and grain patterns associ-ated with the chosen film stock. It supports 28 different films including Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Tri-X, GAF 500, Ilford HP5, Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros and Fujichrome Velvia 100, among others. In addition to simulating film, it also offers 50 different pre-configured darkroom and studio effects and has a wide assortment of optimization tools. Exposure, which has unlimited undo capability and Photoshop-style keyboard shortcuts, carries a list price of $199.

• Take Anywhere Spiderlite TD3

The F.J. Westcott Company (Toledo, OH, 419/243-7311, www. fjwestcott.com), a leading manufacturer of light control equipment for professional photographers, has developed a compact, 10-lb. version of its popular Spiderlite TD5. The new portable Spiderlite TD3 offers continuous or strobe light that operates on standard AC (120- or 220-volt outlets) or with a battery pack and inverter.

The all-metal TD3 uses either three 50-watt tungsten Halogen lamps, three 27-watt daylight-balanced fluorescent lamps, or two studio strobes with a modeling lamp. It includes two separate controls that run multiple combinations of lamps together and it supports instant changes in the light source, light output, color temperature or environmental temperature. Kits include the Spiderlite TD3, 12x16-in. Silver Soft Box and an 8-foot light stand or a 400- watt inverter with an XLR 4-pin connector. Complete kits are also available. Spiderlite TD3 kits range in price from $462–$1450.

New Book Helps Women Protect Digital Images

Laura Oles’ latest book, Digital Photography for Busy Women: How to Manage, Protect and Preserve Your Favorite Photos, is filled with anecdotes, guidance and information. Oles, a founding team member of Pixel Magic Imaging, wrote the book after leaving the company in July 2005 to dedicate her time to helping busy women make the most of today’s technologies.

As the title suggests, the new book primarily deals with the very real possibility that a substantial number of today’s digital images could be lost forever because they have not been properly stored and protected. It covers digital image management, the proper use of online photo sites, making the most of today’s camera phones, and what to do in the event of a hard drive crash or memory card error. Additional information about the book and image preservation are available at Oles’ www. gotdigitalpictures.com website.

• Secure Airline Carry-on Bag

Think Tank Photo (Santa Rosa, CA, www.thinktankphoto.com) is marketing an airplane carry-on bag that alleviates the professional photographer’s greatest fears. The new Airport Security bag allows photographers to roll their gear on board and store it near them. It also includes combination locks for the zipper sliders and a security cable that attaches to immovable objects. It provides rollers, a convenient method for transporting large amounts of heavy gear, and it is built to withstand the rigors of professional photography.

The new bag holds large lenses with lens hoods up to eight inches in diameter, as well as 70–200 f/2.8 zoom lenses vertically. Additionally, its custom-designed wheel housings are 12-in. from the floor to the top of the housing, which protects the bag against stairs, high curbs, and other obstacles. Think Tank Photo’s Airport Security bag is available at the company’s website for $359. It can also be purchased at Penn Camera Professional, Roberts, Samy’s Camera and Henry’s in Canada.

• Lightroom Beta From Adobe

Adobe Systems, Inc. (San Jose, CA, www.adobe.com) is currently developing and testing Lightroom (Beta), a brand new imaging application that is specifically designed for professional photographers. Using a modular, task-based environment, Lightroom delivers a complete photographic workflow from image capture to print. Among its many features are a user interface that emphasizes the image instead of imaging tools, and an Identity Plate that lets photographers apply their own branding to the application and its output.

Lightroom has an advanced image browser that quickly scrolls through hundreds of images and a 1:1 Zoom tool that instantly magnifies the finer points within an image. It supports advanced RAW file conversion, sophisticated slideshows and output templates. Although the Beta application is currently available only for the Macintosh, the production version will eventually support Mac and Windows platforms. The free Beta can be downloaded from labs.adobe.com/tech nologies/lightroom.

• New 133X Memory Cards From Lexar

Lexar Media, Inc. (Fremont, CA, www. lexar.com), a leading manufacturer of advanced memory products, is offering its fastest Professional Comp a c tFl a s h (CF) and Secure Digital memory cards. With a 133X rating and minimum sustained write speeds of 20MB per second, the new cards are ideally suited for photographers who require reliable, high-performance flash memory. The new cards ship with Lexar’s Write Acceleration Technology, the company’s Image Rescue 2.0 software, and a trial version of Photo Mechanic 4.0, the popular image browser from Camera Bits. Lexar’s 133X Professional CF cards are available in 1, 2 and 4GB sizes. The 133X Professional Secure Digital cards are available in 1 and 2GB sizes.

• New Backpacks from Adorama

Adorama (New York, NY, 800/225-2500, www.adorama.com) and noted automobile and fashion photographer Joe Farace and his wife, Mary Farace, a well known portrait and nature photographer, have collaborated to design two camera backpacks. The new Daypack and Reporter backpacks are made of Softex, a ballistic nylon material that is rugged and weather-resistant. Both packs are well padded and have nine individual dividers that can be repositioned to accommodate various size lens and accessories. The Joe Farace Reporter Backpack lists for $74.95; the Mary Farace Daypack Backpack for $54.95.

• Adobe Plug-in Expands RAW Support in Photoshop CS2

Adobe Systems Inc., (San Jose, CA, www.adobe.com) recently updated the Camera RAW plug-in for Photoshop CS2, which now accepts RAW files from 113 different digital camera models. New cameras supported by the free Adobe Camera Raw 3.3 plug-in and DNG Converter include Canon EOS 5D, Canon EOS 1D Mark II N, Canon EOS 20Da, Fujifilm FinePix E900, Fujifilm FinePix S5200/5600, Fujifilm FinePix S9000/9500, Kodak EasyShare P850, Kodak EasyShare P880, Mamiya ZD, Nikon D200, Olympus E-500, Olympus SP-310, Olympus SP- 500UZ, Pentax *ist DL and*ist DS2 and Sony DSC-R1. The updated plug-in can be downloaded from www.adobe.com/ products/photoshop/cameraraw.html.

• ExpressDigital Expands Darkroom Capabilities

ExpressDigital, (Englewood, CO, www. expressdigital.com) one of the leading providers of digital workflow software, Internet storefronts, and lab solutions, has released an expanded version of Darkroom Professional Edition. The new release, version 8.5, adds a number of new features and capabilities, including a new Retro color tool and professional red-eye removal.

There’s also new hardware support for the Nikon D2X, D2Hs, D70s, D50, Canon Rebel XT and Fujifilm FinePix S3 digital cameras, as well as direct printer support for the Mitsubishi CP-3020DU, CP-9550DW, Kodak 9810, Shinko S9045, S1245 and the Fujimoto SHP5080 digital minilab. The new tools significantly expand the program’s capabilities. The new Retro color tool, for example, makes it possible for professional photographers to instantly create 1960s-style photos from any digital image, regardless of age. The new release is selling for $1395.

• Image-based Customer Appreciation Gifts

The Thank-U Company (Providence, Rhode Island, 877/444-3848, www.thanku. com) offers professional photographers beautiful and distinctive customer appreciation gifts. Everything is taken care of by the company, including designing and creating the gifts using laser imaging, a unique process that applies photos, logos and artwork onto a variety of unusual substrates, such as crystal glass and wood. Once the gifts have been created, Thank- U also takes care of the mailings.

• Unified Catalogs From Chilcote Companies

Wooden Nickel Albums (Benton, KY, www.wnalbums.com), Crown Photo Products (Dallas, TX, www.crown-usa. com), and Western Photographic Supplies Inc. (Garden Grove, CA, www.wpsi. us) have streamlined and expanded their 2006 catalogs. The new catalogs provide additional product lines, a shared design theme and compatible pricing. Copies are available from each of the participating companies. All three companies are owned and operated by The Chilcote Company of Cleveland, OH.

• RAW-managed Workflow with SilverFast DC Pro Studio

LaserSoft Imaging, Inc. (Longboat Key, FL, www.silverfast.com) offers an entire color-managed RAW workflow that runs on moderately configured Mac and Windows platforms. SilverFast DC Pro Studio gives users the ability to capture, organize, edit, print and archive, with all of SilverFast’s well known powerful editing features. It features Auto Adaptive Contrast Optimization, Photoproof, Unsharp mask PLUS and a clone tool, as well as automatic image import with renaming function, RAW data conversion and support for the JPEG 2000 file format. It carries a list price $499.