Capture One 4
Posted on December 31, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Capture One 4, the next generation of Phase One’s RAW workflow software, is now available. A newly designed user interface offers high fidelity color and detail reproduction, plus new timesaving workflow features. “Capture One excels at RAW workflow,” said Jan H. Christiansen, marketing director for Phase One. “Today, it is no less an art to develop digital images than to process film in the darkroom. Ours is not an ‘end-to-end’ solution, but devoted to helping photographers achieve the highest quality from the images they have captured.” Capture One 4 is available now for $129 USD / 99 EUR. Existing Capture One customers can upgrade to Capture One 4 at no extra cost.
Phase One Press Release
Phase One Delivers Capture One 4 Next-Generation RAW Workflow Software
Transforming RAW Data to Uncompromising Image Quality
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Dec. 19, 2007 — Phase One today announced the availability of Capture One 4, the next generation of the world’s first RAW workflow software. Built on a new architecture, the successor to Phase One’s entry-level Capture One LE offers photographers – pros and enthusiasts alike – a RAW workflow solution for superior image quality.
A newly designed user interface offers high fidelity color and detail reproduction, plus new timesaving workflow features. Capture One 4 supports medium-format digital backs and a wide range of DSLR cameras.
“Our recent survey of professional photographers shows that pros have fully adopted digital and RAW format, with 89 percent of total images now being captured digitally and over 50 percent of them in RAW format,” said Ed Lee, Director at InfoTrends.
“Capture One excels at RAW workflow,” said Jan H. Christiansen, marketing director for Phase One. “Today, it is no less an art to develop digital images than to process film in the darkroom. Ours is not an ‘end-to-end’ solution, but devoted to helping photographers achieve the highest quality from the images they have captured.”
About Capture One 4
Capture One 4 marries sophistication with a simple, intuitive ease. It invokes more consistent use of shortcuts, tools and naming. It is compatible with many other popular applications; for example, users can have a seamless workflow with Capture One to process RAW files and Adobe Photoshop to post process images.
New user interface offers maximum space for the images. Images, not sliders and controls, are the focus. A darker background permits easier image viewing and enhancements. As with previous generations of Capture One, a guided workflow is available to assist the photographer in the image enhancement process;
View and work with up to 12 images simultaneously at full resolution;
Multiple Variants of a single RAW image can be made with virtually no disk and performance overhead;
Manage and transfer license codes, so Capture One 4 can be used on one computer one day and on another computer the next.
Recover details in highlights and shadows with high dynamic range control;
Import and export images in DNG format, for more options to share and archive;
Powerful new shortcut architecture allows faster image import, adjustment and processing;
Pricing and availability
Existing Capture One customers can upgrade to Capture One 4 at no extra cost. Designed for Windows XP (SP2)/Vista and Mac OS X 10.4.11 and 10.5, Capture One 4 is available now via download at http://www.phaseone.com/4 for 129 USD and 99 EUR through Phase One’s e-Shop.
About Phase One
Phase One is a leading provider of digital image capture and work flow management technology. Phase One P+ Series digital backs open new possibilities, putting the focus back on the moment of capture. Phase One Capture One software helps streamline the capture and post-production process. Supporting DSLR, medium- and large-format photographic equipment, Phase One products are renowned for their superior quality, flexibility and speed — enabling pro photographers to realize their most subtle and most complex visions without compromise.
Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.
For more information about the products, visit the Phase One web site on http://www.phaseone.com.
Scientist Presents Case Against Possible Pollocks
Posted on December 29, 2007 - Filed Under Art, Culture, News | Leave a Comment
A forensic scientist said yesterday that a large group of paintings discovered several years ago and thought by some to be by Jackson Pollock included many containing paints and materials that were not available until after the artist's death in 1956.
At least one was painted on a board that was not produced earlier than the late 1970s or early 80s, said the scientist, James Martin, in a lecture last night sponsored by the International Foundation for Art Research in Manhattan.
Mr. Martin was commissioned to examine the paintings in 2005 by their owner, Alex Matter, the son of Herbert and Mercedes Matter, artists who were friends of Pollock's. Mr. Matter has said he found the paintings, made in Pollock's signature drip style, in 2002 or 2003 in a Long Island storage container that had belonged to his father.
Although Mr. Martin, who is based in Williamstown, Mass., completed the analysis last fall, he has said he did not release it earlier because Mr. Matter's lawyer told him he would face a lawsuit if he did so. It is unclear why he chose to go public now.
Mr. Matter's lawyer, Jeremy Epstein, has denied threatening Mr. Martin, but he has said that he did tell Mr. Martin he was not authorized to release the report because Mr. Matter, who has sold some of the paintings, did not feel it was complete.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence that the paintings 32 in all, including some ephemera and works on paper were made by someone other than Pollock or at least that many were substantially altered after the artist's death. Mr. Martin also examined materials in Pollock's studio on Long Island for evidence of paints similar to the suspect samples on the Matter paintings but found none.
Three of the 24 paintings that Mr. Martin examined were analyzed around the same time last year by the Harvard University Art Museums, which reported similar findings. Richard Newman, the head of scientific research at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has also examined the paintings and found that two of the nine he looked at contained a pigment first known to have been patented by Ciba-Geigy in 1983, a result also found by Mr. Martin.
Since their discovery was reported in 2005, the paintings have been the subject of an intense scientific and scholarly debate that has drawn attention to the growing role of technology in questions that were once the sole province of connoisseurs.
Ellen G. Landau, a professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and one of the world's most respected Pollock scholars, said in 2005 that she believed the works were authentic. She agreed to conduct scholarly research for an exhibition of the paintings that opened on Sept. 1 and continues through Dec. 9 at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College. (The show focuses largely on the personal and artistic relationship between Pollock and Herbert Matter, who was a photographer and graphic designer.)
But after Dr. Landau's role in supporting the works was announced in 2005, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, which had declined to enter into authentication disputes for almost a decade, became involved. It enlisted Eugene V. Thaw, a veteran art dealer, and Francis V. OConnor, an art historian and author of the four-volume catalogue raisonné, or complete listing, of Pollock's work.
Both scholars disagreed strongly with Dr. Landau, with whom they had previously served on a board that examined paintings to determine whether they were genuine Pollocks.
Dr. Landau said recently that she was no longer involved in research or debate regarding the paintings.
As the dispute was heating up, Mr. Matter quietly sold some of the works, although he had generally maintained in interviews that he was not interested in profiting from their discovery.
Some of the paintings are believed to have been sold to the SoHo gallery owner Ronald Feldman, who has declined to comment on the issue.
Source: www.nytimes.com
Panasonic DMC-L10 v1.1 Firmware Update
Posted on December 22, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Panasonic have released a new firmware update for the DMC-L10 DSLR camera. Version 1.1 adds the following improvements:
1. Improved the performance of AF(Auto Focus) with Panasonic lenses. (Model Number L-ES014050,L-RS014150).
2. Improved the performance of AE (An accuracy improvement of Auto Exposure at night scene).
3. Improved the performance of AWB(Auto White Balance).
4. Shortened the minimum shooting intervals on the single shooting mode.
5. Enabled the Front/Rear dial operations in the fine white balance adjustment and the change of magnifying position on the MF Assist in Live View mode.
Website: Panasonic DMC-L10 v1.1 Firmware Update
United Nations Journal: After 10 Years and 3 Plans, U.N. Renovation Is in Sight
Posted on December 19, 2007 - Filed Under Art, Culture, News | Leave a Comment
All of them have been proposed by increasingly desperate United Nations officials as the place to locate thousands of employees and delegates while the organization's stylishly timeless but dangerously antiquated 39-story headquarters are refurbished.
This decade-long search has ended now with a decision to begin a five-year, $1.876 billion renovation of the complex in the spring and to house the 2,600 people who must move out in rented space in Manhattan, across the East River in Long Island City and a temporary conference building on the United Nations campus.
The 55-year-old steel and glass Secretariat tower and its companion General Assembly Hall, sleek and shapely icons of postwar modernism, still look smashing from the outside, but their interiors are not wearing their years as well.
Periodic surveys have cited asbestos insulation, lead paint, outmoded plumbing and electrical systems, lack of sprinklers, frequent power shutdowns and leaking roofs.
Those failings are serious, as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg underlined in October by demanding that the organization immediately improve its fire safety plans with sprinklers, smoke detectors and exit signs or he would prohibit visits by city students to the building and alert the public to the danger. The United Nations has pledged to make the adjustments in the coming months.
But there are also quaint reminders of just how dated the installation is.
Many of the companies that made the internal machinery have gone out of business, so the United Nations has its own shop to make replacement parts, and the originals are prized by industrial museums.
On the 28th floor, a padlocked room housing electrical transformers has a High Voltage warning sign on its door that advises, In case of necessity, call MUrray Hill 2-4477. New York abandoned name telephone exchanges three decades ago.
The elaborate rehabilitation plan, which the General Assembly is expected to approve soon, is the third in a decade. Like many other urgent items on the United Nations agenda, the mission has met with repeated delays.
Hesham Mohamed Eman Afifi, an Egyptian diplomat, said at budget committee hearings last month that the only element of the project that had stayed on schedule was the periodic bill received by member states.
The first plan was halted in 2005 when the New York State Legislature, angry about diplomats unpaid parking tickets, mismanagement of the Iraq oil-for-food program and what lawmakers viewed as the United Nations anti-Israel bias, refused to pass enabling legislation to construct a new annex on an underused city playground next door.
The second was abandoned a year later after its architect, Louis Frederick Reuter IV, a veteran of large project management in New York, grew tired of fighting persistent objections from Congress and United Nations bureaucrats. He resigned.
The author of the new plan is Michael Adlerstein, 62, an affable Brooklyn-born former National Park Service architect involved in the preservations of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the New York Botanical Garden and the Taj Mahal and a man with 20 years of experience dealing with lawmakers in Washington.
I think there is now a general tone that I have found of total support to get this thing done, he said. Ive been dealing with many of the member states on a one-to-one basis the U.S. one of them and I have found nothing but support.
He is unfazed by the problems that have plagued past plans.
I took the job because it's an ideal challenge for an architect at this point in my career, he said. It's an iconic building of great stature in the world. You can show a picture of this building to people in remote, rural locations in the world and everyone will know it.
While the famous exteriors will be unchanged, the insides will be brought up to 21st century standards of efficiency and security and reconfigured to consume 40 percent less energy.
The glass curtain wall will be replaced by a heavily laminated one that appears identical but is far stronger and able to withstand the blast of a bomb attack.
Energy-saving additions include sensors that turn off lights in unoccupied rooms and solar power systems.
Ten years from now there will be no way to tell that the U.N. was renovated unless you look at the Con Ed bill, Mr. Adlerstein said. He said that he was well aware of the bribery scandals that have scarred the reputation of the United Nations procurement department but that Skanska, the Swedish company that is the construction manager, and his own people would make sure nothing like that recurred.
Skanska has its audits, he said. We have our own audits. There are several different levels of oversight to make sure this is done right. It will be done right. There's too much money at risk here not to do it right.
The cost of the project will be borne by the 192 member states in supplementary annual dues over the five-year period, with the United States responsible for 22 percent, or $413 million. The United Nations has leased office floors in a building at 305 East 46th Street and is negotiating for space nearby and in Lower Manhattan and Long Island City.
Impatience comes slowly to the United Nations, but the timing seems to be right for Mr. Adlerstein. The only question I get now, he said, is Youre not going to leave, are you?
Source: www.nytimes.com
Epson Stylus CX9300F Printer
Posted on December 18, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Epson has released the latest addition to its office range, the Stylus(TM) CX9300F all-in-one printer, scanner, copier and fax. The Stylus CX9300F is ideal for business users, combining frequent usage with reliability and high quality results.
The Stylus CX9300F features Epson’s new and improved DURABrite(TM) Ultra ink which produces sharper black text and up to 50 per cent glossier photos with quality results. DURABrite Ultra ink is resistant to smudging, fading and water and has up to 120 years light fastness*.
With fast print speeds up to 32ppm and copies at up to 30 pages per minute the Stylus CX9300F is both productive and efficient, without compromising the end result. Furthermore, it combines an inbuilt colour fax and automatic document feeder for simplified document management and the complete office solution.
For cost effective printing the Stylus CX9300F has four individual Intellidge(TM) ink cartridges so users only need to replace the ink cartridges that are used.
With Epson’s advanced MicroPiezo print head and Variable Sized Droplet Technology (VSDT) the Stylus CX9300F has a print resolution of up to 5760 optimised dpi, generating both images and text with great detail, accuracy and speed.
Copy features include colour or black and white copying up to 99 copies of the one item when used in PC-free mode (from memory cards or connected cameras), as well as fit to page and automatic reduction and enlargement.
With an integrated multi-format memory card reader and onboard PictBridge connectivity, the Stylus CX9300F allows users to print photos directly from a PictBridge-enabled digital camera or even a compatible memory card-enabled mobile phone.
Whether connected to a PC or in standalone mode, the Stylus CX9300F is easy to use with a 2.5 inch LCD viewer with tilt adjustment for effortless photo viewing and editing and easy menu controls.
Epson PhotoEnhance is part of the Stylus CX9300F driver and enables users to produce the optimum photo every time by automatically adjusting the colour balance to allow for the different requirements of portraits, landscapes or people, adding that professional touch.
For immediate out-of-box use, the Stylus CX9300F comes with a USB cable for a more convenient user experience.
Epson offers more quality, value and choice with its range of home, office and photo single and multifunction printers. Genuine Epson inks and paper ensure the best quality prints from text, graphics, web pages and photos. Individual ink cartridges and the option of standard or high capacity cartridges on selected models means more efficient ink use, greater value for money and choice.
The Epson Stylus CX9300F is RRP $249 including GST and is available for purchase at consumer electronics retailers, computer superstores, mass merchandisers and office superstores.
Olympus µ 790 SW Lime Green Digital Camera
Posted on December 10, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Olympus brings more vitality to the European digital camera market with the release of the striking new µ 790 SW Lime Green edition. Limited to just 5,000 models in Europe, this distinctive camera is the perfect exclusive accessory for active, colourful lifestyles. In addition to its attention-grabbing appearance, the 7.1 Megapixel µ 790 SW Lime Green is bursting with powerful features. Shockproof*, waterproof** and freezeproof, it never loses its shine no matter what life throws at it. Make a personal statement with this season’s most invigorating stand-out model.
Boasting a body built for action, the 7.1 Megapixel µ 790 SW Lime Green can go where other cameras can’t. Whether at the beach, doing a round of snowboarding or navigating the hazards of a kids’ party, this camera withstands it all.
The µ 790 SW Lime Green matches elegance with power and performance. For versatility in locating and framing subjects, it features a 3x optical zoom (equiv. to 38-114mm). The ability to recognise human faces as the main subject of a composition through implementation of Face Detection Technology ensures optimal focus and exposure in the areas you want. What’s more, the µ 790 SW Lime Green applies innovative technology to deliver stunningly realistic results through the lightening of shadowy areas such as shade under a tree or backlit subjects. And ensuring photographic settings are tailored for most shooting situations, multiple scene modes are available, including four specifically made for underwater use.
The limited edition Olympus µ 790 SW Lime Green is destined to turn heads wherever it is taken and arrives October 2007.
The Olympus µ 790 SW Lime Green – main features:
* Stylish lime green coloured metal exterior
* Take it anywhere, anytime since it’s shockproof* up to 1.5m
* Exciting shots in and by the water since it’s waterproof** to 3m
* Face Detection Technology for perfectly focused and exposed faces plus correct exposure for other image areas
* 6.4cm/2.5” HyperCrystal LCD (230,000 pixel resolution) with a bright display even in brilliant sunlight
* High ISO settings for less blur
* 7.1 Megapixels to make poster-sized prints
* 3x optical zoom (equiv. to 38-114mm on a 35mm camera) 1:3.5-5.0 for stunning portraits, with optical folded light path and water-repellent lens coating
* Better low-light shooting thanks to BrightCapture Technology
* 23 scene modes for the best results in different situations
* Liven up your memories with movie recording plus sound
* TruePic III image processor for faster image handling and higher image quality
* Underwater shooting up to water pressure equivalent of 40m possible in combination with optional underwater case PT-041
* Shadow Adjustment Technology to brighten shadowy areas in a composition
* Perfect Fix function for correction e.g. backlight and red-eye
* One-touch light and LED Macro Illuminator
* Internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
* 25 languages on board
* Supplied with Olympus Master software 2.03 and Muvee Pack trial version, LI-42B battery and charger
* According to Olympus test conditions
** According to IEC publication 529 IPX8
DSLR Remote Pro v1.5
Posted on October 29, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
DSLR Remote Pro v1.5 introduces Remote Live View with Autofocus for the Canon EOS 40D and 1D Mark III cameras. DSLR Remote Pro can now autofocus the 40D and 1D Mark III from a PC using a contrast detection algorithm on the large remote live view display. This release is a free upgrade for all registered users who purchased a license within the last year. DSLR Remote Pro 1.5 costs $95 and is available now.
Breeze Systems Press Release
2nd October 2007: Breeze Systems announce the immediate availability of DSLR Remote Pro v1.5 for controlling Canon EOS cameras on Microsoft Windows. This innovative and highly regarded remote control application now controls Canon’s new EOS 40D and 1D Mark III cameras. DSLR Remote Pro v1.5 has the unique ability to autofocus the 40D and 1D Mark III from a PC using a contrast detection algorithm on the large remote live view display.
New in DSLR Remote Pro v1.5
Canon EOS 1D Mark III and 40D users can use DSLR Remote Pro v1.5 to view full frame live images on a PC screen, autofocus at a distance from the camera using the remote live image, and focus manually from a PC with the mouse wheel or using the cursor keys. Fine control over focus is obtained using the large live view image and the ability to zoom to pixel level and view the magnified detail live on the PC screen. Lining up panorama shots and stop frame animation is made easier using DSLR Remote Pro v1.5’s unique onion skinning ability combined with the remote live view.
Breeze Systems expect to add support for the new Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III with similar live view functionality later this year.
DSLR Remote Pro also allows professionals using Canon’s EOS-1D Mark III, 1D Mark II, 1Ds Mark II, 5D, 40D, 30D, 20D, 10D, 400D/Rebel XTi, 350D.Rebel XT and 300D/Rebel cameras to
* See large high quality previews of shots an a PC within seconds
* Gain unrivalled control of settings for Canon cameras during tethered operation
* Control single or multiple cameras from a PC or laptop*
* Automatically download images from single or multiple cameras to a PC*
* Shoot images and store them directly on the PC’s hard disk
* Automatically add IPTC data to images as they are downloaded
* Enable customers to view pictures while continuing to shoot
* Automatically bracket up to 15 shots by varying the shutter speed or aperture
* Increase control for time lapse photography
*Multiple camera support available only for Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 40D, 30D and 400D/Rebel XTi cameras.
DSLR Remote Pro supports the tethered operation of the following Canon cameras: EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1D Mark III, EOS-1D Mark II, EOS 5D, EOS 40D, EOS 30D, EOS 20D, EOS 10D, EOS 400D/Digital Rebel XTi, EOS 350D/Digital Rebel XT, EOS-1D, EOS-1Ds and EOS 300D/Digital Rebel.
DSLR Remote Pro is software developed by Breeze Systems for Canon EOS digital SLR cameras. The program runs on Windows Vista, Windows XP, 2000, ME or 98 SE and is available on a free 15 day trial. DSLR Remote Pro is available exclusively from Breeze Systems’ website http://www.breezesys.com for US $95. The price includes one year’s free upgrades.
This release is a free upgrade for all registered users who purchased a license within the last year. Breeze Systems’ BreezeBrowser Pro customers can buy DSLR Remote Pro for the special price of just US $75 until the end of October 2007.
Epson PictureMate Dash Review at CNET
Posted on October 23, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
CNET have reviewed the Epson PictureMate Dash (also known as the PM 260) compact photo printer, which can produce a 10x15cm borderless lab-quality photo in just 37 seconds.
“As we played with the printer, we had really high hopes: It’s jam-packed with great features, it’s easy to use, and it blew away the $100 competition in CNET Labs’ speed test. But (and it’s a big but), the picture quality was very disappointing. If you’re after the most features in a snapshot printer, this is the one you should get–just go into it knowing you won’t get the best prints available.”
Website: CNET – Epson PictureMate Dash Review
Pentax V10
Posted on October 18, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
The Pentax V10 is a new compact digital camera with an 8 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom lens and 3 inch LCD monitor. The V10 has an an ultra-slim, high quality aluminum alloy body of just ¾ of an inch (19mm) thick. Auto Picture mode lets the Pentax V10 automatically determine the shooting conditions for Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, and Normal modes The Pentax V10 will ship in November for $249.95.
Pentax USA Press Release
PENTAX INTRODUCES SUPER-SLIM OPTIO V10 WITH 3 INCH MONITOR
GOLDEN, CO. (October 1, 2007)…PENTAX Imaging Company have announced the Pentax V10, an ultra-slim compact digital camera equipped with a large 3.0 inch LCD monitor for enhanced usability and easy viewing. The Pentax V10 features 8 megapixels, a 3X optical zoom and easy operations in a slim, stylish, affordable body.
The Optio A40 will ship in October 2007 for US $299.95 and the Pentax V10 will ship in November for $249.95.
PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of digital SLR and compact cameras, lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, eyepieces and mobile printers and scanners. For more than 80 years, PENTAX technology has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of consumers and businesses. With headquarters in Golden, Colorado, PENTAX Imaging Company is a division of PENTAX of America, Inc.
PENTAX OPTIO V10 FACT SHEET
An ultra-slim body with a sophisticated texture
An exclusive slim battery and a smaller circuit board allow an ultra-slim, high quality aluminum alloy body of just ¾ of an inch (19mm) thick.
Large, 3.0 inch easy viewable LCD monitor
The Optio V10 comes with a high resolution 3.0 inch LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 pixels that enables images and the text to be displayed largely and clearly. The LCD monitor has a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees from all directions, making it easy to confirm images, even when looking at the screen diagonally.
3X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom for a maximum of 12X magnification
The Optio V10 features a 3X optical zoom lens equivalent to 36-108mm in the 35mm format, which is ideal for a broad spectrum of subjects from landscapes to portraits. Combined with 4X digital zoom, the zoom equals 12X zoom capability.
High resolution images
The Optio V10’s 8.0 effective megapixels and high performance PENTAX lens precisely captures images down to the finest details to deliver high resolution photos that look sharp even at large magnifications.
Digital SR (Shake Reduction)
Digital SR (Shake Reduction) mode automatically adjusts sensitivity as high as the ultra-high sensitivity of ISO 3200 according to the brightness of the subjects, and effectively reduces camera shake and subject blurring when photographing still images.
Face Recognition AF&AE function for portrait photography
The Face Recognition AF&AE* function automatically detects and focuses on faces, regardless of where the people appear in the photo frame.
*Available when the photography mode is “Portrait
Pentax A40
Posted on October 14, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
The Pentax A40 is a new compact digital camera offering 12 megapixels, 2.5 inch LCD monitor and 3x optical zoom lens. The Pentax A40 features three types of Shake Reduction including mechanical, digital and movie. The A40 also offers new Face Recognition technology including a Natural Skin Tone mode and a Half-length Portrait mode, which automatically takes a head and shoulder photograph of subjects. The Pentax A40 will ship in October 2007 for US $299.95.
Pentax USA Press Release
PENTAX INTRODUCES OPTIO A40 WITH 12 MEGAPIXELS
GOLDEN, CO. (October 1, 2007)…PENTAX Imaging Company has announced the PENTAX A40, the latest model in the Optio A series of advanced compact digital cameras with superior image quality and performance. Featuring 12 megapixels, this latest Optio features three types of Shake Reduction including mechanical, digital and movie. Each version helps deliver sharp, blur-free shots where camera shake is an issue such as action photography or in low light conditions at dawn, dusk or at night. The Pentax A40 model also features the newest Face Recognition technology including a Natural Skin Tone mode and a Half-length Portrait mode, which automatically takes a head and shoulder photograph of subjects.
The Pentax A40 will ship in October 2007 for US $299.95.
PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of digital SLR and compact cameras, lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, eyepieces and mobile printers and scanners. For more than 80 years, PENTAX technology has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of consumers and businesses. With headquarters in Golden, Colorado, PENTAX Imaging Company is a division of PENTAX of America, Inc.
PENTAX OPTIO A40 FACT SHEET
12.0 megapixels for higher image quality and enhanced performance
The Optio A40 marks PENTAX’s first 12.0 megapixel digital camera for ultra high-definition images. Equipped with a high resolution 1/1.7 inch CCD for a wider light receiving area that is superior in tone reproduction and a new image engine that offer excellent color reproduction.
Three types of anti-shake functions to suit any photography situation
Mechanical Shake Reduction
The Shake Reduction (SR) mechanism is unique to PENTAX, and corrects camera shake when photographing still images by shifting the image sensor (CCD) horizontally and vertically in relation to the amount of shake that the high-accuracy gyro sensor detects. Shake Reduction technology used in PENTAX’s digital SLR cameras is applied to the Optio A40 for highly corrective effects that are equivalent to shutter speeds of approximately 2.5 to 3.5 stops.
Digital Shake Reduction
Digital SR (Shake Reduction) mode automatically adjusts sensitivity, to an ultra-high sensitivity of ISO 3200 according to the brightness of the subject, and effectively reduces camera shake and subject blurring when photographing still images. With fast shutter speeds, photography with reduced blurring is available.
*Recording size is fixed at 5M (2592×1944 pixels) when “Digital SR