The Photograph: Composition & Color Design

Posted on March 23, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

The Photograph: Composition & Color Design explains the elements that are essential to achieving the highest level of visual design in photographs. This book is geared toward the serious intermediate and advanced photographer who strives to create outstanding images. Author Harald Mante explores the principles of line, shape, point, color, contrast, composition, and design in great depth, illustrated with more than 600 images from Mante’s own portfolio. The Photograph: Composition & Color Design is available now and costs $49.95 USD / £30.99 GBP.

Rocky Nook Press Release

The Photograph: Composition & Color Design–New from Rocky Nook

How to achieve the highest level of visual design in photographs

Santa Barbara, CA—Harald Mante, one of the most distinguished teachers of the photographic arts in Germany and an internationally recognized master of photography, brings his teaching to us in the English language for the first time in more than 30 years. In The Photograph: Composition and Color Design Mante explains the elements that are essential to achieving the highest level of visual design in photographs. This book is geared toward the serious intermediate and advanced photographer who strives to create outstanding images.

While a deep understanding of photographic techniques is required in order to master photography, technical knowledge alone is not sufficient to create outstanding images. Beyond the technical aspects, the crucial elements that determine the quality and strength of a photograph are the content of the image and its organization within the image frame. This is where the “art” of photography comes into play. Truly creative photography is based upon knowledge and mastery of design and of how the viewer perceives images. The creative photographer can exploit this knowledge and push image-making in new directions.

Mante explores the principles of line, shape, point, color, contrast, composition, and design in significantly greater depth and at a higher level than most any book available to date. He also covers a number of techniques to enhance expressiveness in a photograph to support the photographer’s intentions.

These in-depth lessons are beautifully illustrated with more than 600 images from Mante’s own portfolio, plus over 160 diagrams.

The Photograph is a unique book that is sure to become an invaluable reference for anyone involved in photography—from the hobbyist to the professional; for both the digital and analog photographer; and for those practicing, studying, criticizing, or administering in the visual arts.

Born in Berlin in 1936, Harald Mante studied graphic design and painting at Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden. He taught Photographic Design at Dortmund Polytechnic and at the European Art Academy in Trier, as well as many seminars and workshops. Professor Mante has authored numerous art books and textbooks. His photographic work has been exhibited in museums and private collections world-wide, and his books and calendars have become collector’s items.

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9781933952260

The Photograph
Harald Mante
ISBN: 9781933952260, 280 pages, $49.95 USD, £30.99 GBP

1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

About Rocky Nook
Rocky Nook’s books are distributed internationally by O’Reilly Media.

Rocky Nook was founded in early 2006 in Santa Barbara, California, and is closely associated with dpunkt.verlag, a leading publisher of books on technology based in Heidelberg, Germany. The focus of Rocky Nook’s publications is on digital photography and computing.

About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

First Winners of Getty Images 2008 Grants

Posted on March 14, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

The first 2 winners of the Getty Images 2008 Grants for Editorial Photography have been announced. Ian Martin and Lorena Ros will each receive $20,000 in funding, enabling them to pursue new documentary photography projects. Ian Martin’s project, “Hidden Minority: South Africa’s White Poor,” looks at the little-known problem of white poverty in post-apartheid South Africa. Lorena Ros’ project “Silent Witness” documents the impact and prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in America. Martin and Ros were selected from 139 applicants from 29 countries.

Getty Images Announces First Two Winners of 2008 Grants for Editorial Photography

Ian Martin and Lorena Ros each receive $20,000 to pursue photojournalism projects

NEW YORK – February 28, 2008 – Getty Images announced today that Ian Martin and Lorena Ros will each receive $20,000 in funding, enabling them to pursue new documentary photography projects. In addition, each grant recipient receives collaborative support from Getty Images photo editors as they implement their winning projects.

Ian Martin’s project, “Hidden Minority: South Africa’s White Poor,” looks at the little-known problem of white poverty in post-apartheid South Africa. He plans to use the Getty Images Grant for Editorial Photography to spend two months expanding his coverage of this “minority of a minority,” people living on less than $40 (US) a month. By taking intimate, humanizing photos that require time and trust to make, Martin hopes to reveal poverty where many people don’t expect to find it, and in doing so, coax viewers to see all poverty, black or white, with new, less jaded eyes. Martin lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and daughter.

Lorena Ros’ project “Silent Witness” documents the impact and prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in America while providing survivors with a safe, respectful way to address and share their experiences. She plans to use her Getty Images Grant for Editorial Photography to photograph, make audio interviews and collect supporting narratives from 30 survivors throughout the US over a period of one year. The project will demonstrate both the diversity of the survivors’ experience and their common threads. The prospective outcome will be a book and traveling exhibition to be displayed in various communities in conjunction with events involving multimedia educational outreach. Ros, from Barcelona, Spain, currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Martin and Ros were selected from 139 applicants from 29 countries, by the following judges:

· Simon Barnett, Director of Photography, Newsweek
· David Griffin, Director of Photography, National Geographic
· Alison Morely, Program Chair, International Center of Photography
· Rosanna Sguera, Photojournalism Editor, Vanity Fair

Simon Barnett commented, “I was impressed to see such a collection of quality entries representing a wide range of photographic styles competing for this year’s Getty Images Editorial Grants. The judges had a spirited day of arguing, debating and defending our choices, and we believe we identified two winners whose projects may contribute to understanding difficult issues.”

“It was wonderful to see such a variety of inspiring and passionate projects submitted by the photographers,” said Rosanna Sguera. “The organization of nearly 140 proposals was impressively seamless. I have to commend everyone responsible for the grant for giving photographers around the world an opportunity to work on projects that may not otherwise be funded.”

Three additional grants will be awarded in September. For more information about the grants program, the judges, the winners’ projects and portfolios, please visit http://www.gettyimages.com/editorial-grants.

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2008

Posted on March 6, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

Feel like getting back to basics? Well, how about taking part in Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day – you can’t get much more basic than using a simple pinhole camera to create a work of art. Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day is an international event created to promote and celebrate the art of pinhole photography. This year’s event takes place on April 27th, giving you plenty of time to practice your technique.

Delkin ImageRouter

Posted on February 25, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

The new Delkin ImageRouter is a four-slot, USB 2.0 CompactFlash card reader with a built-in powered hub. It can simultaneously transfer data from four CF cards to a PC when combined with Delkin’s BackupandBurn file management software. “A single slot reader keeps you tied to your desk cycling cards in and out until each card has been transferred. By letting you transfer data from 4 cards at once, ImageRouter frees you from your desk.” explains Kathleen Finlayson, Delkin’s New Product Specialist. ImageRouter’s built-in powered hub allows “daisy-chaining” of multiple units. We have photos of the Delkin ImageRouter in our Delkin Devices Booth Tour gallery, taken at last week’s PMA show.

Delkin Press Release

DELKIN INTRODUCES DIMA AWARD WINNING IMAGEROUTER AT PMA 2008

Poway, CA. January 30, 2008 – Delkin Devices, Inc. debuts the ImageRouter, their latest, cutting-edge card reader, at PMA 2008.  The DIMA Award winning ImageRouter is a reader that offers professional photographers a complete file import system specifically designed to improve workflow efficiency.  ImageRouter, a four-slot, USB 2.0 CompactFlash card reader with a built-in powered hub, simultaneously transfers data from four CF cards to a PC when combined with BackupandBurn file management software.  Users simply insert their cards, start the transfer and walk away.

“When you come back from a shoot with several cards, you will spend a significant amount of time transferring your images to a computer”, explains Kathleen Finlayson, Delkin’s New Product Specialist.  “A single slot reader keeps you tied to your desk cycling cards in and out until each card has been transferred.  By letting you transfer data from 4 cards at once, ImageRouter frees you from your desk.  You get to spend more time taking photographs while ImageRouter and BackupandBurn handle the busy work.”

In addition to the four slots on each unit, ImageRouter’s built-in powered hub allows “daisy-chaining” of multiple units.  Photographers with more than four cards simply plug two or more ImageRouters together and transfer as normal.  Its heavy casing and rubber feet make ImageRouter rugged, durable and perfect for the heavy workloads of professional photographers.

ImageRouter can be purchased separately or with BackupandBurn software included.  BackupandBurn allows users to select multiple drives from which to download.  It automatically renames files based on user-set parameters.  Users can specify how the files are re-named and re-numbered and even have Jpeg and RAW files sent to different folders.  Images can also be copied to multiple locations and automatically burned to a CD or DVD.  Security features like Image Verification ensure transfers and burns are completed properly.  BackupandBurn is currently available for Windows.  A Mac version is scheduled for release in the near future.

Since speed is always an issue with readers, Delkin designed the ImageRouter around one of the fastest chipsets available – with four UDMA enabled CF cards inserted, users will see transfer rates of 19 MB/sec read and 18 MB/sec write through USB 2.0.  Even with two ImageRouters hooked together, transfer speeds drop to a still-blazing 17MB/sec read and 15 MB/sec write.

“We didn’t want to make just another fast reader; we wanted to design a product that made life easier for photographers,” explains Martin Wood, Delkin’s CEO.  “With the ImageRouter we looked at one of the major bottlenecks for photographers – workflow – and made the process more efficient.  Our goal as a company is to make photography better with innovative new products, and ImageRouter definitely accomplishes this.”

All of Delkin’s new products introduced at PMA can be found in their booth A231 or online at http://www.delkin.com.

Delkin Devices, Inc. is based in Poway, California, and its European branch office is located in Birmingham, England. Delkin has been “Making Photography Better” since 1986. From SensorScope cleaning products and Archival Gold Media to Pop-Up Shades and Power batteries, Delkin products deliver premium quality, innovative designs and an ongoing dedication to superior customer service. Delkin Devices and its products have become worldwide industry leaders in both OEM and consumer markets. Delkin branded memory cards continue to be a leading choice among professional photographers and others passionate about digital photography.

Olympus E-510 Firmware Update

Posted on February 19, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

Olympus Japan has released a firmware update for the E-510. The update addresses the same issue as the E-3 with a quick fix solution. The update enables the use of the Image Stabilization function with non-Four Thirds System interchangeable lenses by inputting a specific focal length.

 

 

E-510 Firmware Ver1.3 has incorporated the following upgrade.
[Modification]

Enabled use of the Image Stabilization function with non-Four Thirds System interchangeable lenses by inputting a specific focal length.

* Upgrade history *
– 510 Firmware Ver1.2 has incorporated the following upgrade.

– Improved the focusing accuracy when using the EC-20 Teleconverter.
– mproved image stabilization when shooting at slow shutter speeds.
– E-510 Firmware Ver1.1 has incorporated the following upgrade.
– Improved reliability of writing to high-speed Compact Flash cards. 

 

By setting the focal length of the lens in advance, you can use the image stabilizer function with lenses
other than the Four Thirds system.

Possible focal length settings:
8 mm       10 mm     12 mm     16 mm     18 mm     21 mm     24 mm     28 mm     30 mm     35 mm
40 mm     48 mm     50 mm     55 mm     65 mm     70 mm     75 mm     80 mm     85 mm     90 mm
100 mm   105 mm   120 mm   135 mm   150 mm   180 mm   200 mm   210 mm   250 mm   300 mm
350 mm   400 mm   500 mm   600 mm   800 mm   1000 mm

 

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5

Posted on February 9, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 are the first models in a new range of stylish, easy to use cameras. Both the FS20 and FS5 offer a 4x, 30-120mm lens and 10.1 megapixel, 1/2.33-inch sensor. Intelligent Auto Mode has been improved and there’s also a new image-processing engine, Venus Engine IV. The DMC-FS20 features a 3 inch, 230k screen, whilst the DMC-FS5 has a smaller 2.5 inch model.

Panasonic Press Release

10.1-Megapixel LUMIX DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 with 30mm Wide-Angle 4x Optical Zoom Leica DC Lens*
Combines Simple Operation and Slim, Stylish Profile
Featuring Intelligent Auto Mode
*35mm film camera equivalent: 30-120mm

Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new 10.1-megapixel DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 cameras with 30mm wide angle Leica DC lens and 4x optical zoom (equivalent to 30mm to 120 mm on a 35mm film camera) as part of the new Lumix FS series. The FS series is similar to the world-acclaimed FX series, pursuing easy and simple operation with its high-grade profile for users at every stage to enjoy taking beautiful pictures. Despite its remarkably compact and slim body, the stylish DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 boast a 30mm wide-angle Leica DC lens which captures the subject and the wider scene at the same standpoint as the normal 35mm camera does. The DMC-FS20 incorporates a large 3-inch LCD screen whereas the DMC-FS5 sports a compact 2.5-inch LCD screen. Both have 230,000-dot high resolution and Intelligent LCD function, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD in 11 fine steps, thus offering a display with the most appropriate clarity in any situation.

The DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 feature the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, which comprises 5 shooting-assist functions; Mega O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection and Quick AF functions. Mega O.I.S. suppresses hand-shake and Intelligent ISO Control prevents motion blur. The Intelligent Scene Selector sets the appropriate scene mode by automatically selecting it from the most frequently used scene modes, such as Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait and Night Scenery. The Face Detection system detects a human face to set the focus and appropriate exposure for it automatically. The Quick AF system allows the camera to start focusing on the subject even without pressing the shutter button halfway, to get the best results from every shooting opportunity by minimizing the AF time. Once you enter iA mode, these multi-capable functions happen automatically so you can shoot without the bother of adjusting settings every time conditions change. You can enjoy easy, trouble-free shooting in any situation and get the satisfaction that comes with capturing clear, beautiful images.
Panasonic’s own high performance image processor has newly entered its fourth generation, to be reborn as Venus Engine IV assuring higher-quality pictures with an advanced signal processing system. The Easy Zoom feature shifts the lens instantly to full zoom at the touch of a button. The slideshow setting now comes equipped with a musical option, allowing users to listen to music whilst viewing their images, giving emotional impact when desired.. The DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 also boast an internal 50 MB memory (approx.) giving users more flexibility when shooting.
With a metal finish, the DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 are both sleek and stylish. Offering the ability to take great snapshots with committed ease of operation, even for beginners. The DMC-FS20 will be available in silver and black, and the DMC-FS5 in silver, black and red*
*Availability of models and colours may vary depending on the sales area.

1. Newly Developed 30mm Wide Angle 4x Optical Zoom (30-120mm) Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR Lens and 1/2.33-inch 10.1-megapixel High Resolution CCD
The 10.1-megapixel DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 come with a 30mm wide-angle* Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with 4x optical zoom complementing the slim and compact body of the camera. Comprising seven elements in six groups, including three aspherical lenses with four aspherical surfaces, this advanced lens unit fits well with the outstandingly slim and compact body yet passes Leica’s stringent standards to deliver an exceptional optical performance. Further, in 3-megapixel resolution mode, the Extra Optical Zoom function provides additional magnification, extending the zoom power to 7.1x by using the centre part of the CCD.
The Easy Zoom** feature shifts the lens instantly to full 4x optical zoom power at a touch of a button, and with a second touch, the zoom ratio is further extended to 7.1x by activating the Extra Optical Zoom function.
*35mm film camera equivalent: 30-120mm*
**When the picture size is set to 3 megapixels or larger, the photo is automatically resized to 3 megapixels. When the lens is shifted back to the wide-end, the picture size is set to the original size automatically. The original size is maintained for photos smaller than 3 megapixels.

2. Great Photography Is Not Only from Professional Photographers Anymore—Intelligent Auto Mode
Panasonic incorporated the Intelligent Auto mode to ensure ultimate ease of operation and the reduction of misshots. The Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) compensates for hand-shake and the Intelligent ISO Control detects and suppresses motion blur., As the industry’s most advanced countermeasures against blurring, both image stabilizing technologies have been further advanced in detection accuracy and correction effect thanks to the new image-processing LSI, Venus Engine IV.
In addition to these two key anti-blurring technologies, Panasonic continues to reinforce the idea that anyone at any technical level of photography should be able to take beautiful pictures with ease.. Increasing the number of scene modes is one thing and taking advantage of them is another, this is where the Intelligent Scene Selector comes in. It automatically sets the appropriate scene mode according to the picture you are about to take. Most frequently used scene modes include Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery and Night Portrait mode. The Face Detection system helps the camera to recognize human faces and to focus and set the exposure automatically. Up to 15 faces can be recognized simultaneously. The Quick AF system allows the camera to continue focusing on the subject without pressing the shutter button halfway, giving the best results from every shooting opportunity by minimizing the AF time.
These multi-capable functions happen automatically, so you can shoot without the bother of adjusting settings every time conditions change—the powerful Intelligent Auto Mode does all the work for you. You can enjoy easy, trouble-free shooting in any situation and get the satisfaction that comes with capturing clear, beautiful images.

3. High-Speed, High-Quality Image-Processing LSI Further Evolves into the Venus Engine IV
The new image-processing LSI, Venus Engine IV, features more advanced signal processing technology for rendering even higher-quality images.
Notably, dual noise reduction for luminance signal and chromatic signal processing systems, a technology established by the preceding Venus Engine III, gains a more sophisticated process. Firstly, the luminance noise is two-dimensionally separated and only the low-frequency noise, which tends to be noticeable, is eliminated without affecting the high-frequency noise that greatly influences resolution. Secondly, the information of the change point between colours is minutely stored for precise determination of edges, thus colour bleeding is dramatically suppressed. This not only produces a clearer image in high ISO sensitivity recording, but also reproduces details in low-lit areas of pictures taken at low ISO sensitivity.
The Venus Engine IV also enhances the detection accuracy and corrective effect in both Mega O.I.S., which prevents hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control, which suppresses motion blur.
Featured in the DMC-FS20 and the DMC-FS5, the multi-task image-processor, the Venus Engine IV supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as 0.00X second and the shutter interval is as short as 0.X sec* despite high-resolution picture recording. The camera’s quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities. In burst shooting mode, the DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 can snap 2.5 shots per second at full resolution.** And in High-Speed Burst shooting mode,*** it delivers an incredible 6 shots per second. You also get unlimited consecutive shooting,**** which lets you continue shooting until the memory card is full.
The Venus Engine IV also supports a High Sensitivity mode that lets the DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 record at a setting of up to ISO 6400, sensitive enough to capture subjects in near-total darkness without using a flash.*****
*Not including auto focusing time
**Max. 5 images in standard mode/ 3 images in fine mode.
*** In 2-megapixel(4:3), 2.5-megapixel(3:2), 2-megapixel(16:9) recording
****The consecutive shooting speed varies with the memory card, image size, and image compression mode. The number of shots depends on the memory card size, battery life, image size and image compression mode.
***** In 3-megapixel(4:3), 2.5-megapixel(3:2), 2-megapixel(16:9) recording

4. Advanced 3-inch (FS20) / 2.5-inch (FS5) Large Intelligent LCD with 230,000-dot High Resolution for Easy Shooting and Playback
The DMC-FS20 boasts a large, easy-to-see, 3-inch (2.5-inch for DMC-FS5) 230,000-dot high-resolution LCD screen for clear viewing while both monitoring shots and playing back the results. The Intelligent LCD function detects the light condition and automatically boosts the LCD backlighting by a maximum of 40 percent when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine. It also adjusts the frame rate when shooting in low-lit situations in addition to using the pixel mixed readout method to secure clarity in such situations. Detecting the lighting condition precisely and automatically controlling the brightness with a total of 11 fine steps, this function gives the display the most appropriate clarity in any situation without using extra energy.
The High Angle mode makes the LCD screen extremely easy to view when the camera is held high, such as when shooting over a crowd.

5. Exciting Options to Expand the Fun of Photography
The Lumix camera further offers a wide variety of options to expand the fun of photography.
Both DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 now provide slideshows complete with a musical option. Just select the pictures you want to show and choose the mood that best matches your selection from natural, slow, urban or swing. You are then able to view your slideshow along with the chosen music, giving it an emotional touch..
All Lumix cameras can take 1920×1080 pixel high-definition quality photos that are ideal for full-screen viewing on a wide-screen (16:9) HDTV. Panasonic is focused on making photography more enjoyable and accessible by letting people view their images easily on a Panasonic Viera TV with internal SD card slot.
For the motion picture, the DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 can record WVGA (848 x 480) motion images at 30 frames per second in addition to standard VGA (640 x 480). The WVGA motion picture also fits a wide-screen HDTV perfectly, to offer extremely impressive viewing.

6. Other Features
The Panasonic DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 feature a variety of functions which expand convenience and fun for users at every stage. The energy-efficient Venus Engine IV imaging engine encourages the long battery life of the DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 to shoot around 280 (FS20) / 300 (FS5) shots despite their large, bright LCDs on a single battery charge*.
With reference to design improvements, all new Lumix cameras incorporate a REC/PLAYBACK mode switch. This helps the photographer to instantly switch between recording and playback modes, while always knowing which mode the camera is in. The GUI(Graphic User Interface) has been modified to look more futuristic in terms of design and colour while maintaining the visibility of characters.
A total of 20 (FS20) / 21 (FS5) scene modes help you to take more beautiful pictures in a wide range of situations.
Another valuable function is the Title Edit* option, which allows text to be input as additional information for the picture, for example, names of children or pets, and travel places. This information, as well as dates, which can be helpful when making a photo album, can be stamped on photos with the Text Stamp function whether you print them yourself at home or have a photo shop do them. Around 50 MB of internal memory is built-in to back up the SDHC/SD Memory Card recording and copying.
The major features mentioned above can be quickly understood with the newly installed slideshow program called Demo mode.
The DMC-FS5 is compatible with an optional marine case (DMW-MCFS5) with which users can shoot underwater while scuba diving, etc.
*Based on the CIPA standard.

Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 Digital Camera

Posted on January 26, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

The EXILIM Pro EX-F1 incorporates a new high speed CMOS sensor and high speed LSI processor that is claimed to have the world’s fastest burst shooting performance. After building in 6.0 million effective pixels and a 12X optical zoom, the developers focused on achieving a burst shooting speed capability that was hitherto unheard of.

 

Using the camera’s ultra-high speed burst shooting for still images or its high speed movie recording mode at 1,200 fps for high speed movie recording capturing movement faster than the eye can see for ultra-slow motion replay. Users can now capture a split second’s movement with greater detail than before, allowing them to catch each decisive moment, even motion that the human eye cannot ordinarily perceive and can record movies at full High-Definition.

 

 

 

EXILIM Pro EX-F1 Specifications

Number of Effective Pixels: 6.00 million Image Sensor: 1/1.8-inch high-speed CMOS
Total Pixels: 6.6 million File Format: Still Images: RAW (DNG*), JPEG (Exif Version 2.2), DCF 1.0 standard, DPOF compliant Movies: MOV format, H.264/AVC, IMA-ADPCM (stereo) Built-in Flash Memory: To be advised Recording Media: SDHC Memory Card / SD Memory Card / MultiMediaCard / MultiMediaCardplus compatible Number of Recorded Pixels: Still Images: RAW, 2816 x 2112, 2816 x 1872 (3:2), 2816 x 1586 (16:9), 2304 x 1728, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480 STD Movies: 640 × 480 (30 fps) HD Movies: 1920 × 1080 (FHD HQ/FHD Normal, 60 fields per second), 1280 × 720 (HD LP, 30 fps) Hi-Speed Movies: 512 × 384 (300 fps), 432 × 192 (600 fps), 336 × 96 (1200 fps) Recording Capacity (when set at maximum image size): To be advised Operating Speed: To be advised High-speed Continuous Shutter: Maximum is 60 frames per second Flash Continuous Shutter: Maximum is 7 frames per second Lens: Construction: 12 lenses in 9 groups, including aspherical lens F-number: F2.7 (W) to 4.6 (T) Focal Length: f=7.3 to 87.6mm
35mm film equivalent: Approx. 36 to 432mm Zoom: Optical Zoom: 12X Digital Zoom: 4X (48X in combination with optical zoom) Focusing: Focus Type: Contrast Detection Auto Focus Focus Modes: Auto Focus, Macro Mode, Infinity Mode, Manual Focus AF Area: Spot, Free or Tracking AF Assist Lamp: Included Focus Range: Auto Focus: Approx. 40cm** to ∞ (W) Macro: Approx. 5cm** to 50cm (W) Infinity Mode: ∞ (W) Manual Focus: Approx. 5cm** to ∞ (W) Exposure: Exposure Metering: Multi-pattern, center weighted, spot by imaging element Exposure Control: Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Speed Priority AE, Manual Exposure Exposure Compensation: -2EV to +2EV (in 1/3EV steps) Shutter Type: CMOS electronic shutter, mechanical shutter Shutter Speed: Auto: 1 to 1/2000 second Aperture Priority AE: 1 to 1/2000 second Shutter Speed Priority AE: 60 to 1/40000 second Manual Exposure: 60 to 1/40000 second Aperture: F2.7 (W) to F15***** (W), auto switching Aperture Priority AE / Manual Exposure: F2.7 (W) to F7.5 (W) White Balance: Auto WB, Daylight, Overcast, Shade, Day white FL, Daylight FL, Tungsten, manual WB Sensitivity (SOS/REI)******: Still Images: Auto, ISO100, ISO200, ISO400, ISO800, ISO1600 Movies: Auto (Hi-Speed Movie when Manual Exposure mode: ISO100,ISO200,ISO400,ISO800,ISO1600) Other Recording Functions: Prerecord still images: Maximum speed: 60 fps, Maximum recording capacity: 60 images Slow Motion View: 2 seconds by 30fps Auto Bracketing: AE, WB, Focus BEST SHOT: Included YouTube™ Capture Mode: Included Face Recognition: Included Self-timer: 10 seconds, 2 seconds, Triple Self-timer Built-in Flash: Flash Modes: Auto, Flash Off, Flash On, Red Eye Reduction, External Flash Flash Range: Approx. 0.5 to 10.4m (W), approx. 1.1 to 6.3m (T) Finder: Monitor Screen: 2.8-inch wide TFT color LCD (Super Clear LCD), 230,160 dots (959 × 240) Electronic View Finder: 0.2-inch, 201,600 dots Timekeeping Functions: Date and Time: Recorded with image data On-image Time Stamp Function: Included Auto Calendar: To 2049 World Time: 162 cities in 32 time zones, city name, date, time, summer time Input/Output Terminals: USB/AV port, HDMI™ Mini Connector (output), hot shoe, external microphone jack, AC adaptor connection (DC-IN) USB: Hi-Speed USB Microphone: stereo Speaker: Monaural Power Requirements: Rechargeable lithium ion battery (NP-100) x 1, AC adaptor Battery Life: To be advised Dimensions (excluding projections): 127.7 (W) x 79.6 (H) x 130.1 (D)mm Weight (excluding battery and accessories): Approx. 671g Bundled Accessories: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, lithium ion battery charger, AC power cord, USB cable, AV cable, strap, lens cap, lens hood, remote shutter release, CD-ROM * DNG file format is one type of RAW image file, and it is recommended by Adobe Systems for use as a standard image file format. ** Range is affected by optical zoom. *** Shutter speed range may be different depending on the BEST SHOT scene. **** Using optical zoom causes the aperture to change. ***** F15 is the aperture when an ND filter is being used. ******  SOS: Standard Output Sensitivity. REI: Recommended Exposure Index.

 

 

Olympus RAW codec for Vista

Posted on January 16, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

OLYMPUS RAW codec is the program to import and display the RAW data file (file extension is .orf) into Windows Vista. This can be used if your computer’s OS is Windows Vista. Please check in the operation manual for your digital camera if this RAW data file works on your digital camera. If you cannot select RAW data file on the camera MENU, you cannot capture RAW data images.

 

E-1, E-3*, E-300, E-330, E-400, E-410, E-500 , E-510 , E-10, E-20, C-70 ZOOM, C-5050ZOOM, C-5060 Wide Zoom, C-7070 Wide Zoom, C-8080 Wide Zoom, SP-310, SP-320, SP-350, SP-500UZ, SP-510UZ, SP-550UZ, SP-560UZ
*A part of the parameter does not apply to RAW developing of images.

 

System Requirements

OS Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Ultimate RAM 256 MB or larger
(1GB or larger is recommended) HDD capacity 200 MB or larger
(1GB or larger is recommended)

  

http://www.olympus.co.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/download/software/codec/index.cfm

Verbatim SmartDisk 2.5” Portable Hard Drives

Posted on January 11, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

Verbatim SmartDisk 2.5” Portable Hard Drives are now available in 120, 160, 250, or 320GB capacities. Each drive is offered with a choice of either a USB interface or a Combo USB/FireWire interface. “SmartDisk’s advanced technologies are ideal complements to the inherent reliability, optimized performance and competitive pricing that resellers and consumers have come to expect from Verbatim brand products.” said Charles Klinker, Verbatim Director of Marketing for SmartDisk products. The palm-sized SmartDisk external drives will be available for both Windows and Mac users later this month, starting at US $99.00.

Verbatim Press Release

Jan 03, 2008 08:01

Verbatim’s New Family of 2.5’’ SmartDisk Portable Hard Drives Makes Its Debut at CES

Sleek Windows and Mac-compatible HDs Deliver High-capacity, Bus-powered Storage

LAS VEGAS –(Business Wire)– Jan. 3, 2008 Leveraging the resources gained with the purchase of SmartDisk(R) Corporation’s external hard drive (HD) assets in July 2007, Verbatim(R) Americas, LLC launched today a whole new line of SmartDisk 2.5” Portable Hard Drives (HDs). With the new elegantly designed HDs, consumers and businesses can immediately add 120, 160, 250, or 320GB of removable capacity without having to open their computer. The palm-sized external drives will be available for both Windows(R) and Mac(R) users later this month with retail prices starting at US $99.00.

The need for a fast, easy way to store, backup, share and transport data and multimedia files is fueling explosive growth in the worldwide removable storage industry. A growing number of consumers are using external hard drives to gain the additional storage they need for their photo, music and video files. Office workers are using the compact drives to transport work to their home systems and branch offices. As a result, IDC predicts more than 6 million external hard drives will be shipped in 2008, up 58 percent from the 3.8 million units shipped in 2006.

“Part of Verbatim’s corporate strategy is to capitalize on this trend with an expanded line of external HD products that meet the diverse storage needs of consumers and businesses around the globe,” said Charles Klinker, Verbatim Director of Marketing for SmartDisk products. “SmartDisk’s advanced technologies are ideal complements to the inherent reliability, optimized performance and competitive pricing that resellers and consumers have come to expect from Verbatim brand products.”

Verbatim has enhanced the versatility of its 2.5” SmartDisk HDs by offering them with choice of a USB interface or a Combo USB/FireWire interface. With the Combo USB/FireWire interface, the device also becomes interoperable and files can be transferred between a Mac and a PC. The bus-powered, 5400 RPM drives deliver transfer speeds of up to 480MB per second (MB/sec.) when connected with USB 2.0 and up to 400MB/sec. for FireWire connections without requiring an AC power adapter.

Once the SmartDisk portable HD is connected to a computer, it can be accessed and used like a computer hard drive. Users can drag files to the portable HD’s icon to copy them, navigate to their HD in Open or Save dialog boxes, or delete files stored on the HD.

Verbatim 2.5” SmartDisk Portable HDs support the “Time Machine” backup feature in Mac OS X Leopard. Included in the USB-only models is CMS’ award-winning BounceBack Express backup software, an easy-to-use backup utility that incorporates scheduling, backup sets, automatic launch options and a quick restore feature.

Pricing and Availability
Verbatim 120, 160, 250 and 320GB 2.5” SmartDisk Portable HDs will be available in January 2008 through retailers as well as leading etailers with suggested retail pricing beginning at US$99.00 for the 120GB USB version.

About Verbatim
Verbatim’s businesses in the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific regions are wholly owned subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd. MKM’s parent company, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC), is Japan’s largest chemical company.

Verbatim develops and markets innovative, high-quality products for storing, moving and using digital content. Known for its leadership in the optical, magnetic and flash storage and related accessories markets, the company provides reliable, unique technologies and products that are highly sought after and broadly distributed worldwide. For more information, contact Verbatim Americas, LLC, 1200 W.T. Harris Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28262, (800) 421-4188. In Europe, Verbatim Ltd., Prestige House, 23-26 High Street, Egham, Surrey, TW20 9DU, UK, (+44) 1784 439 781. In Japan, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd., 31-19, Shiba 5-Chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014, (+81) 3-5454-3972. Or visit the web site at http://www.verbatim.com and select the country of your location. 

Museum and Gallery Listings

Posted on January 4, 2008 - Filed Under Art, Culture, News | Leave a Comment

ART

Museums and galleries are in Manhattan unless otherwise noted. Full reviews of recent art shows: nytimes.com/art.

‘JOEL SHAPIRO: NEW SCULPTURE’ Joel Shapiro's latest show is exquisite: a focused, perfect arrangement of just under a dozen sculptures filling Pace Wildenstein in Chelsea. This may well be the artist's best effort in years. The work may look old-fashioned to some, with its attention to relationships between abstraction and representation, its choice of weighty materials (wood and bronze) and its heroic scale. The pieces may even be reminiscent of David Smith's, specifically his final “Cubi” series of monumental geometric sculptures made of stainless-steel cubes and prisms. Certainly Mr. Smith opened up a space for abstract sculpture in which Mr. Shapiro works.

But Mr. Shapiro is very much his own artist, with his own style and set of aesthetic concerns, chief among them the striving for a sense of compositional balance between opposites. His sculptures are compact yet fluidly elegant; rapturously open yet contained; full of life yet inert; majestic yet humble. Several seem to defy gravity, with the arrangements of the cubes, prisms and rectangles surging into the air. The works can also be brightly colored or lovingly hand-finished, the surface of the bronze sculptures made to resemble wood. They are like scaffolding crossed with a bouquet of flowers. (Through Jan. 19, Pace Wildenstein, 545 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, 212-989-4258, pacewildenstein.com.) BENJAMIN GENOCCHIO

Museums

AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM: ‘GILDED LIONS AND JEWELED HORSES: THE SYNAGOGUE TO THE CAROUSEL,’ through March 23. Skills and motifs used in sacred art resurface in a surprisingly secular place: the carousel. In this exhibition, models of elaborate wooden synagogues and photographs of Jewish cemeteries with intricately carved gravestones in Eastern Europe are alongside paper cuts, which look like giant, precision-cut snowflakes mounted on colored paper. The lineage from synagogue to carousel is made explicit in a display that juxtaposes carved Torah arks with carousel horses fashioned in the baroque Coney Island Style. The show reveals a vibrant Jewish visual culture, where Judaism is often seen as text-oriented. It is also a great immigrant story in which skills learned in the shtetls of Europe made their way to the New World and, for a brief moment, flourished. 45 West 53rd Street, (212) 265-1040, folkartmuseum.org. (Martha Schwendener)

★ ASIA SOCIETY: ‘THE ARTS OF KASHMIR,’, through Jan. 6. Set in the Himalayas amid Afghanistan, China and India, Kashmir underwent constant cultural fermentation, taking influences in, sending them out. Sacred to Hinduism, home to early Buddhism and a favored retreat of Muslim rulers, it was forever either struggling to sustain social balance or heading into conflict. This perpetual play of opposites produced, through molding and friction, some of the most beautiful art in the world. 725 Park Avenue, at 70th Street, (212) 288-6400, asiasociety.org. (Holland Cotter)

ASIA SOCIETY: ‘ZHANG HUAN: ALTERED STATES,’ through Jan. 20. The Chinese artist Zhang Huan, the subject of this small, midcareer survey, is best known for the early, often poetic, sometimes sensationally masochistic performance work he did in the 1990s, which can only be seen in videos and photographs now. The objects in this show, which include giant fragments of Buddhist sculptures made from copper sheets and incense ash, are products of his new workshop-style studio in Shanghai. 725 Park Avenue, at 70th Street, (212) 288-6400, asiasociety.org. (Cotter)

BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS: ‘THE WORLD OUTSIDE: A SURVEY EXHIBITION 1991-2007,’ through Jan. 27. A product of the Cuban avant-garde of the late ’80s and now a resident of Santo Domingo, Quisqueya Henríquez has exhibited extensively in solo and group shows in North and South America. In her clever, ideologically pointed sculptures, installations, collages and videos, she aims to deconstruct prejudicial stereotypes about the arts and cultures of Latin America. 1040 Grand Concourse, at 165th Street, Morrisania, (718) 681-6000, bronxmuseum.org. (Ken Johnson)

★ BROOKLYN MUSEUM: ‘INFINITE ISLAND: CONTEMPORARY CARIBBEAN ART,’ through Jan. 27. This large show, with 45 artists and a collective of designers, photographers and architects from the Dominican Republic adding to the count, fills two floors of temporary exhibition space, and care has been given to the selection. Organized by Tumelo Moshaka, associate curator of exhibitions at Brooklyn, it's an in-house job, a labor of love, though an uneven one. Too much work treads ground already covered by other art over the years. But what's good is really good, and the very existence of a show about identity politics, out of mainstream fashion in 2007, is cause for serious reflection. 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park, (718) 638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org. (Cotter)

★ FRICK COLLECTION: GABRIEL DE SAINT-AUBIN, through Jan. 27. One of 18th-century France's greatest draftsmen, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin drew all the time and everywhere he went. He usually worked small, and in many cases you need one of the magnifying glasses provided at the museum to fully appreciate the subtlety and detail. Nevertheless, he had tremendous range. Whether conjuring epic visions of Ancient Roman history or recording intimate views of domestic quietude, he produced works of nonstop graphic liveliness, extraordinary sensuousness and hypersensitive alertness to perceptual reality. 1 East 70th Street, (212) 288-0700, frick.org. (Johnson)

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM: ‘FOTO: MODERNITY IN CENTRAL EUROPE, 1918-1945,’ through Jan. 13. This exhibition is the art historical equivalent of the ultimate real estate dream: You open an unfamiliar door in your apartment and — voilà — there's an extra room you never knew about. In this case the room is full of the work of scores of mostly unfamiliar photographers who put the medium through its paces in interwar Central Europe. Learning about them gives modern photography — up to and including the experiments of the early 1980s — a whole new layout. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, (212) 423-3500, guggenheim.org. (Roberta Smith)

★ GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM: ‘RICHARD PRINCE: SPIRITUAL AMERICA,’ through Jan. 9. This retrospective of one of contemporary art's inveterate bad boys looks more beautiful in the museum's rotunda than it probably should. Covering nearly 30 years, it includes photographs of photographs; joke paintings; car hoods; and parodies of de Kooning's “Women” paintings that have undergone a sex change. It shows a body of work in which the supposed end-game of appropriation has fueled a constantly changing and developing aesthetic that exposes and wryly celebrates the dark and tawdry side of this country's inner life. (See above.) (Smith)

INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ‘GERDA TARO’ AND ‘THIS IS WAR! ROBERT CAPA AT WORK,’ through Jan. 6. There are a number of narratives running through these shows, from the story of two young people who fled Nazi Germany to the rediscovery of Taro's career and the development of Capa as “the greatest war photographer in the world” (in the view of Picture Post magazine). Accompanied by a book written by Richard Whelan, the show delves into questions about Capa's famous photograph “Death of a Loyalist Militiaman” and the tricky relationship between truth and fiction in war photography. The show also examines how technological developments in warfare, photography and magazine printing led to a new era of photojournalism during the 1930s and ’40s. 1133 Avenue of the Americas, at West 43rd Street, (212) 857-0000, icp.org. (Martha Schwendener)

JAPAN SOCIETY: ‘MAKING A HOME: JAPANESE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS IN NEW YORK,’ through Jan. 13. This is the first significant group show at Japan Society since Takashi Murakami's 2005 “Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture.” While it includes emerging artists like Misaki Kawai and Hiroshi Sunairi, the show carves out room for midcareer and long-established artists. Yayoi Kusama is not in the show, but her influence is especially palpable in a series of connected installations that make the most of Japan Society's dark, airless galleries, transforming them into hypnotically introspective environments. 333 East 47th Street, (212) 832-1155, japansociety.org. (Karen Rosenberg)

THE JEWISH MUSEUM: ‘CAMILLE PISSARRO: IMPRESSIONS OF CITY AND COUNTRY,’ through Feb. 3. This exhibition contains few out-and-out masterpieces, but it does give us a rare look at the radical philosophies behind paintings that to a modern eye appear harmlessly bourgeois. For Pissarro, an anarchist and a Jew (albeit a secular one) in 19th-century France, Impressionism was about much more than the fleeting effects of light. It was about labor, the elimination of hierarchies and an idealized balance between urban and rural life. Pissarro emerges from this exhibition as an artist who never quite resolved the conflict between labor and sensation, but whose subtly anti-authoritarian stance propelled painting into the next century. 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, (212) 423-3200, jewishmuseum.org. (Rosenberg)

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: ‘ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM AND OTHER MODERN WORKS: THE MURIEL KALLIS STEINBERG NEWMAN COLLECTION,’ through Feb. 3. One of the Met's most significant gifts of midcentury art, promised in 1980 and finalized last year, is taut and rich, reflective of a passionately discerning eye. Nearly everything is a standout, not just the rare de Kooning and the substantial Pollock, or works by Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, Claes Oldenburg and Jules Olitski. Max Ernst's portrait of Gala Eluard; sculptures by Giacometti and Jacques Lipchitz; paintings by Alfred Leslie and Mark Tobey; and a collage by Anne Ryan radiate an almost brazen self-sufficiency. (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith)

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: ‘THE AGE OF REMBRANDT: DUTCH PAINTING IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART,’ through Jan. 6. The Met has long advertised itself as a grand art multiplex, a cluster of several separate world-class museums under a single roof. And we get a demonstration in this display of its entire 17th-century Dutch painting collection: 228 pictures, of which roughly a third are usually on view at any time, and some never. In addition to the Rembrandts, there are five Vermeers, nearly a dozen Frans Halses, and the list goes on in an inventory of breathtaking scope and depth. How to package it? The Met has come up with a theme, and a perfect one for our time: money. The work has been sorted not by artists’ names or dates, but by the names and dates of the collectors who bought and gave the paintings to the museum. This is the history of the Dutch Golden Age according to the American Gilded Age. (See above.) (Cotter)

★ METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: ‘BRIDGING EAST AND WEST: THE CHINESE DIASPORA AND LIN YUTANG,’ through Feb. 10. Focused on a single modern family art collection, this show weaves like a DNA strand through the Met's Chinese painting galleries. The 40 examples of painting and calligraphy belonged to the writer and scholar Lin Yutang (1895-1976) and his descendants, who have divided their time between China and the West. Accumulated over years, the collection has the casual logic of a household photo album, with evidence of shared habits, tastes and temperaments, and of personal interchange between generations. (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Cotter)

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: ‘DEPTH OF FIELD,’ through March 23. The Met's recently acquired large-scale photographs finally have some room to breathe in the new Joyce and Robert Menschel Hall for Modern Photography, a high-ceilinged, gray-carpeted sanctuary on the second floor. Curators at MoMA need not worry: The inaugural installation (a sampler rather than a thematic slice) is dominated by white, mostly male Europeans and heavily weighted with references to history and landscape painting. Despite its limitations, “Depth of Field” is not a bad debut. We can also expect more from future installations, which will explore themes like “photography about photography.” (See above.) (Rosenberg)

★ THE MET: ‘ETERNAL ANCESTORS: THE ART OF THE CENTRAL AFRICAN RELIQUARY,’ through March 2. Sure to be one of the sleepers of the fall art season, this beautiful show has a universal theme: life as a cosmic journey homeward, with parental spirits, embodied in charismatic materials and images, counseling and chiding us every step of the way. European, Asian and African reliquaries sit side by side in the first gallery; then some of the world's greatest Fang and Kota sculptures take over and sweep through to the end. (See above.) (Cotter)

Source: www.nytimes.com

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