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(Credit:
Matthew Fitzgerald/CNET)
For what it's worth, the consensus about the 2009 Photo Marketing Association show seems to be that it wasn't as bad as everyone expected. The mood was low-key, many of the booths were half empty, and several manufacturers were notably absent--like Adobe and Epson--while others only had meeting rooms.
Nonetheless, several announcements managed to generate some buzz, and most of the manufacturers I spoke with agreed that their business-to-business business at the show was quite productive. Despite the economy, tons of new products debuted, partly because planning takes place 6 to 12 months out. So it's likely that the first real signs of contraction will appear with the fall product lines. And, in fact, at least one manufacturer has already changed its dSLR release plans in preparation for tough times.
The biggest hits of the show seemed to be Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX1, a CMOS-based megazoom with a novel shooting mode that creates panoramas on the fly as you pan across the scene, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1, a video-capture enabled version of its interchangeable-lens G1. What has everyone excited about the camera is how much control you have over depth of field when shooting video, a capability you usually only get with relatively expensive pro camcorders. And unlike the dSLR video implementations in cameras like the Nikon D90 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II, because the GH1 lacks a mirror it supports AF while shooting; in conjunction with the camera the company introduced a new Lumix G Vario HD f4-5.8 14-140mm lens which by design has a quieter focus motor so that the microphone doesn't pick up the noise.
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LAS VEGAS--Olympus has declared an end to the megapixel race.
"Twelve megapixels is, I think, enough for covering most applications most customers need," said Akira Watanabe, manager of Olympus Imaging's SLR planning department, in an interview here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA). "We have no intention to compete in the megapixel wars for E-System," Olympus' line of SLR cameras, he said.
Instead, Olympus will focus on other characteristics such as dynamic range, color reproduction, and a better ISO range for low-light shooting, he said.
Increasing the number of megapixels on cameras is an easy selling point for camera makers, in part because it's a simple concept for people to understand. Even though having more megapixels can enable larger prints and enlargement of subject matter through cropping, adding megapixels comes with some drawbacks.
For one thing, smaller pixels can mean more noisy speckles at the pixel level and can reduce the dynamic range, so brighter areas wash out and darker areas become swaths of black. For another, images take more room on memory cards, hard drives, and Web servers, and cameras need more powerful image processors to handle them. And yesteryear's cameras already had plenty of pixels for making 8x10-inch prints, a size few people exceed.
... Read moreLAS VEGAS--Lexar plans to introduce faster, higher-capacity CompactFlash cards using a new generation of the flash memory technology, a company executive said Wednesday.
Lexar's top-end 300X cards will be outpaced by new models shipping later this year.
(Credit: Lexar)Lexar's current top-end 300X-rated CompactFlash cards use a standard called UDMA (Ultra Direct Memory Access) to transfer data at 45MB/second, and their capacity tops out at 16GB. But using a new generation of the standard, UDMA 6, Lexar will release cards that have significantly faster transfer speeds and larger capacity, Jeff Cable, director of marketing, said in an interview here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show here.
Cable wouldn't be pinned down on precise details, but he said the new cards' capacity "probably" would be 32GB, and their transfer speeds likely would "pretty close to" UDMA 6's threshold of 100MB/sec, which is more than double that of today's UDMA.
Only newer SLR (single lens reflex) cameras support current UDMA technology, but it's spreading, and there are benefits. For example, cameras can take longer continuous bursts of photos, and photographers can zoom faster to check focus when reviewing shots on the camera LCD. Video, which is arriving in new SLRs, also can saturate data-transfer pathways.
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Tamrac's new Aero Speed 85 has an improved camera compartment and zippers.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)LAS VEGAS--Sure, they don't have 11-point autofocus systems or image stabilization, but a lot of money is spent on camera packs as well as cameras, and Tamrac, M-Rock, and Think Tank Photo introduced some new ones here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show.
Tamrac
First up are Tamrac's Aero Speed 75 and 85 backpacks. These feature a lower compartment with a side-access zipper so cameras can be removed without taking the pack off.
Unlike related predecessors, the new models come with waterproof zippers for that compartment, and the lower section also has been reworked to permit larger 70-200mm telephoto lenses to fit, said product specialist Derek Gross.
The Aero Speed 75 costs $109.95, and the 85, which adds a compartment that can accommodate a laptop with a 17-inch screen, costs $149.95.
... Read moreLAS VEGAS--The bad economy has hurt the photography business, but there are a few areas of growth amid the gloom.
Among the bright spots are digital SLR cameras, photo books, memory-keeping moms, and Web sites adapted for mobile phone use., concluded InfoTrends analysts sharing research results at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show here Wednesday.
Overall, though, the mood is grim.
"It sure feels different at this year's PMA. There's not so much booth space, not so much traffic. The energy level is down. This recession feels different from back in '01 (which was) somewhat contained to the tech sector," said InfoTrends President Jeff Hayes. "Now it has become an issue of a consumer confidence crisis and has become a lot more broadly based. The photo industry is feeling this."
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(Credit:
Pandigital)
The Pandigital PanTouch Clear 10.4-inch frame (also known by the far-catchier name PAN1000DWPCF2) is not only fully loaded with features, but it's really thin, too, at just 0.3-inch thick. The 4:3 frame uses an HD-quality LCD with a 1,024x768 resolution and it has a full touch-screen interface on fingerprint-resistant, clear glass. It's all very exciting.
With an MSRP of $229.99 you better be getting more than just a thin, pretty touch-screen frame, and you do. There's integrated Wi-Fi for connecting to a home wireless network and you'll be able to use an add-on Bluetooth USB dongle so letting friends and family send photos from Bluetooth-enabled devices is an option.
The multiformat card reader supports Compact Flash, SD, XD, MS/MSPro, and MMC or there's a USB connection for attaching an external flash or hard drive. Playback is limited to JPEG photos, Motion JPEG video, and MP3 files, though.
(Credit:
Matthew Fitzgerald)
At the PMA show yesterday, Pentax announced a new Limited Series lens, the DA 15mm f4 ED AL Limited. The ultra-wide angle lens has a 23mm equivalent in 35mm terms and has a closest focusing distance of 6 inches. The lens has an aspherical (AL) lens element, and an extra low dispersion (ED) lens element to minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure image quality. Image distortion is claimed to be extremely low for an ultra wide-angle lens.
As with others in Pentax's Limited lens series, it is built to a high-quality standard, featuring the lens barrel, cap, and built-in hood made of high-grade aluminum. The flower-shaped built-in lens hood is a great feature. The lens cap screws on and is felt-lined to help protect the front element.
The lens will ship in April 2009 for $649.99.
The Fat Gecko camera mount attaches a camera to a car, airplane, or other smooth surface with suction cups.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)LAS VEGAS--Having trouble attaching your camera to the outside of your plane? Delkin Devices announced a new product, the Fat Gecko camera mount, that could take care of your needs.
The $89.99 device has two large suction cups to hold cameras as heavy as 6 pounds, company Chief Executive Martin Wood said at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show here. The $89 device is strong enough to hold a camera on a plane going 200mph, he said.
The company is also working on two other versions of the device, one with two straps for attaching cameras to larger tubes such as Harley-Davidson steering gear, and one with a clamp to attach to tubes such as bicycle handlebars measuring 1 inch to 1.875 inches in diameter.
The devices can be repositioned flexibly through a double-knuckle adjustment mechanism, Wood said. The steel-frame Fat Geckos use a standard tripod screw for attaching any camera.
The SensorKlear Loupe magnifies and illuminates a digital SLR's sensor, and a window on the side lets it be cleaned.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)LAS VEGAS--Camera cleaning accessory maker LensPen announced a new product to help remove dust, hairs, specks, and other detritus that sticks to digital SLR sensors.
The $59.95 SensorKlear Loupe, announced here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show, is a magnifying glass that attaches to a camera's lens mount. Its four battery-powered LEDs illuminate the sensor, and unlike rival products such as VisibleDust's Sensor Loupe, a gap in the side allows you to clean off the sensor.
Unsurprisingly, the company recommends use of LensPen SensorKlear II to actually clean off the schmutz. The pen and loupe together cost $69.95.
Newer SLRs are equipped with a small motor that can shake the sensor or its cover to help rid it of debris, but sensors still have problems with dust flecks even when combined with new coatings not as prone to attracting flecks in the first place. Larger specks, especially when shooting with narrow apertures, can produce dark blemishes on photos.
ScanCafe is showing off a new service in testing to digitize entire photo albums. Below is the original; above ScanCafe's version.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)LAS VEGAS--ScanCafe, a start-up that digitizes film images using relatively cheap labor in Bangalore, India, announced a new service on Tuesday to scan black-and-white negatives.
The Burlingame, Calif.-based company already scanned color slides and negatives as well as prints, but film scanners have trouble with black-and-white negatives. ScanCafe uses a "wet mount" process for which the company has applied for a patent, said Wade Lagrone, vice president of marketing, in an interview at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show here.
The process is more expensive but still competitive, Lagrone said. Color negatives cost 24 cents each, color slides 29 cents, prints 27 cents, and black-and-white negatives 69 cents apiece. The cost includes retouching and color correction.
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