Lexar Ships 300x And 600x CompactFlash Cards For Pro Shooters

by Ray Willington

Secure Digital cards may be all the rage these days, but true photographing professionals probably have no interest. Even today, most higher-end DSLRs use CompactFlash cards alone, and if you rely on rapid-fire continuous shooting to get “the perfect shot,” Lexar’s new pair of cards might be worth a look. The company is today revealed that their Professional ExpressCard CF Reader and Professional 600x and 300x 32GB cards are now available in traditional and online retail channels.

Both cards offer increased speed and performance, with a guaranteed minimum sustained write speed capability of 90MB/s and 45MB/s, respectively, when paired with an UDMA 6-enabled device. There’s also a high-speed reader to take those images from card-to-PC more quickly, with the Lexar Professional ExpressCard CF Reader being compatible with all UDMA and non-UDMA CF cards, supporting read/write speeds up to 133MB/s, and featuring a design with an extra deep card slot for added card protection. Pricing has yet to be made public, but any pro knows these high-capacity, high-speed cards don’t come cheap.

http://hothardware.com/News/Lexar-Ships-300x-And-600x-CompactFlash-Cards-For-Pro-Shooters/

Leica V-Lux 20 superzoom compact with GPS tagging

The 12x superzoom Leica V-Lux 20 12.1 megapixel compact camera

By Paul Ridden

erman camera specialist Leica has announced its first compact superzoom in the form of the 12.1 megapixel V-Lux 20. The new addition to the Leica family not only benefits from 12x optical zoom and 720p HD video capabilities but also features built-in GPS tagging for recording the exact geographical location of each snap taken.

If you’re thinking that the V-Lux 20 looks somewhat familiar, you’d be right. Spec for spec it’s almost the same as the less expensive and slightly smaller Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 announced in January but sports a Leica brand logo instead and doesn’t benefit from Panasonic’s AVCHD Lite video movie format. Other than that the main features are, somewhat disappointingly, the same.

Both cameras have a 1/2.33in CCD sensor with 14.5 million total pixels (12.1 million effective), a LEICA DC-VARIO-ELMAR 4.1-49.2mm f/3.3-4.9 ASPH 12x optical zoom lens with a focal range of 25-300mm (35mm equivalent), an ISO80 to 1600 sensitivity range and a 3in 460,800 dot LCD display with 100 percent field view. Integrated image stabilization, face recognition, automatic scene modes and smart exposure should ensure good picture quality and memory card support includes SDXC. Connectivity options are covered by USB 2.0, HDMI and AV out.

GPS tagging co-ordinates are automatically added to the Exif data of each photo “ensuring the user always has a useful and accurate record of their trip”. And of course, including such information in a photo means that if it’s uploaded to social media or sharing sites on the internet, “the data automatically reveals exactly when and where the photos were taken”. Additionally, the camera can display up to 500,000 points of interest spread across 73 countries to help users find interesting photo opportunity.

Those with a requirement for a little more than mere point and shoot automatic settings will be pleased to find Program, Manual, Shutter and Aperture options available via the familiar dial on the camera’s top. And for capturing those movie moments in high definition, Leica‘s V-Lux 20 offers its 720p HD video at 60 frames per second in QuickTime Motion JPEG format (whereas the ZS7 records to the more advanced AVCHD Lite format).

The matt black 4 x 2.4 x 1.3in V-Lux 20 will ship with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 and will be available shortly for US$699.

http://www.gizmag.com/leica-vlux20-superzoom-gps-tagging/14909/

Will the ARRI Alexa finally kill film?

ARRI Alexa platform is a new generation of high-end digital movie cameras

By Alan Brandon

Motion picture equipment manufacturer ARRI is set to release its new high-end digital movie camera, known as the Alexa, and some people in the industry are calling it the final nail in film cinematography’s coffin. Sure, we’ve heard that prediction before but early hands-on reports of the Alexa seem to back it up. Final details have not been officially released, but so far we know the Alexa platform will have a 35mm-size 3.5k pixel sensor with 800ASA sensitivity, onboard HD recording, and shooting speeds up to 60fps.

ARRI held the “world premiere” of the Alexa prototype in February at the AFC (Association of French Cinematographers) event held in Paris. More than 200 professional Directors of Photography had the opportunity to get a hands-on demonstration of the new digital camera system.

ARRI is certainly no stranger to the motion picture industry. The Munich, Germany, based company already offers another digital camera, the Arriflex D-21. The company also makes film cameras, lighting fixtures, and digital image processing systems.

ARRI is releasing three Alexa cameras over the course of 2010. The base model is the A-EV, which will shoot from 1 to 60fps and features a 16:9 aspect ratio, electronic viewfinder, and onboard HD recording. The A-EV Plus model adds uncompressed onboard HD recording as well as wireless remote control capability. The A-OV Plus has all that, but adds an optical viewfinder and shoots with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

All three models will feature the same ARRI Alev III CMOS sensor, which is a full-frame 35mm size and has a 3.5K pixel count. ARRI claims the chip’s sensitivity is 800EI (exposure index; comparable to an ASA or ISO speed rating). The low-noise sensor uses a dual-gain architecture (DGA) for extended range (up to 13 stops). ARRI’s electronic viewfinder is an LED-lit F-LCOS micro display with automatic calibration and high-quality coated glass optics.

Hands-on reports say the Alexa’s controls are similar to a film camera and include FPS, shutter, EI, and WB (white balance). Buttons control the functions and an LCD display shows all the camera settings at once.

The ARRI Alexa platform is aimed squarely at the RED ONE digital camera, itself already well established in the movie industry. RED digital cameras have been used by directors such as Steven Soderbergh, and on feature movies including Angels & Demons. ARRI has designed the Alexa for shooting feature movies, television dramas, and commercials.

The ARRI Alexa cameras will be officially launched at the NAB show in April 2010, and complete details are expected then. The A-EV will be available in June 2010, with the A-EV Plus available in September, and the A-OV Plus due in December. Prices are expected to start at US$69000.

For more information visit www.arridigital.com.

Follow link for Video -> http://www.gizmag.com/arri-alexa/14543/

Fujifilm’s FinePix Z700EXR – a Touch of Class

Fun NEW Features
Taking Face detection technology to the next level, Face Recognition technology has been developed by Fujifilm which allows you to pre-programme the Z700EXR to recognise up to eight people. Once you have set it up it will optimise the settings to ensure that your favourite people are always given preference when the camera is calculating focus and exposure.

In playback mode you can use a new Picture Search tool to search by name, for example bring up all the photos with ‘Tom’ in them. In addition you can also use this search function to sort by Scene type (Macro, Landscape, Portrait etc), and even by images that have been earmarked for Facebook upload.

The Z700EXR isn’t just all about people; it’s got some clever Pet Detection technology, too. This works in a similar way to Face Detection technology, and can identify up to ten cats or dogs in a scene and optimises the settings for your four-legged friends rather than any distracting background. So, whether you’re snapping your feline friends or in true Paris Hilton style capturing a portrait of your pooch, you can be sure your pet pictures are immaculate.

Key features:

• 12 Megapixel Super CCD EXR sensor
• Fujinon 5x zoom lens (36-180mm equivalent)
• 3.5 inch wide 460K dot touch screen LCD
• Dual Image Stabilisation – CCD shift
• 720p HD capture for stills and movies
• ISO sensitivity to 3200
• EXR Auto
• Up to 400% expanded dynamic range
• NEW Easy Web Upload function
• NEW Face Recognition
• NEW Pet Detection
• NEW Image Search
• NEW Dual Direction GUI and Dual Image Display
• Pro Low-light Mode
• Face Detection
• Natural Light with Flash
• Auto Picture Rotate

February 2, 2010: Fujifilm are proud to announce the launch of the FinePix Z700EXR, the first in a new class of EXR touch screen camera. Combining beautiful styling, award-winning EXR sensor technology and showcasing a gorgeous 3.5 inch touch screen LCD and a new YouTube/Facebook easy web upload tool, the Z700EXR really is a joy to handle.

With advanced features including an internal Fujinon 5x zoom lens, 12 megapixel resolution, 720p HD image capture, ISO to 3200 at full resolution and Dual Image Stabilisation, the Z700EXR will produce images that are just as magnificent as the camera itself.

Beautiful to look at, beautiful to use
The FinePix Z700EXR’s sensational design oozes luxury. The 16.7mm slim metal body features a smart horizontal lens cover with wave detail, which neatly acts as the on/off switch with a cool “Z” motif that lights up when the camera is in operation. And thanks to its petite build, it can be slipped in to any pocket or bag so it’s always ready for action.

However, the Z700EXR’s real talking point is its intuitive touch screen technology. The 3.5 inch touch screen display panel facilitates effortless navigation of the camera’s many functions. This responsive touch screen not only lets you take and view photos at the touch of a finger, but also provides a large, bright screen to compose and admire your photos.

With the addition of new Dual Direction GUI and Dual Image Display travelling though the Z700EXR’s functions is smooth and easy; Dual Direction GUI detects the orientation of the camera and automatically switches the direction of the menu button accordingly (for shooting, playback, multi-viewing and image search), while Dual Image Display splits the screen in various ways to view multiple images at once, so you can scroll through your images quickly and easily to locate the one you are looking for.

Advanced features at your fingertips
Inside the slim metal chassis hides a generous, high-quality Fujinon 5x zoom lens (36-180mm equivalent). These world renowned high-precision optics will deliver pin-sharp results across the entire zoom range, be in dramatic close-up shots or wide-angle compositions.

What’s more, the Z700EXR incorporates Fujifilm’s award-winning Super CCD EXR sensor, prized for bringing a new level of image quality to the consumer compact market. EXR has the unique ability to switch its behaviour dependent on the shooting conditions; it can be left on EXR Auto, or alternatively you can manually select the EXR Priority mode for high resolution (HR), dynamic range (DR) or high sensitivity and low noise (SN).

The Z700EXR features Dual Image Stabilisation (CCD-shift) to minimise image blur. With high sensitivity settings up to ISO 3200 at full resolution, this camera is an excellent low-light performer. Additionally, it features Pro Low-light Mode which uses multi-frame technology to produce images with impressive clarity at high ISO levels, perfect when shooting subjects like cityscapes in poor light conditions.

High Performance meets HD
HD is a must-have for the Z700EXR’s target audience. With 720p HD image and movie capture, they can rest assured that their memories are being captured in HD and they will be able to re-live them in glorious high definition on any HD ready television*1.

NEW Facebook & YouTube Folders
Fujifilm has introduced a new Facebook/YouTube Easy Upload feature which again is perfectly suited to the target audience of this product. Users can mark their favourite images and videos to a Facebook folder or YouTube folder so they are all ready to go when they next connect to their computer. No more time is wasted sorting through pictures on the computer – just connect to MyFinePix Studio (supplied with the camera), and all marked images and videos will upload directly to the respective site at the press of a button.

Fun NEW Features
Taking Face detection technology to the next level, Face Recognition technology has been developed by Fujifilm which allows you to pre-programme the Z700EXR to recognise up to eight people. Once you have set it up it will optimise the settings to ensure that your favourite people are always given preference when the camera is calculating focus and exposure.

In playback mode you can use a new Picture Search tool to search by name, for example bring up all the photos with ‘Tom’ in them. In addition you can also use this search function to sort by Scene type (Macro, Landscape, Portrait etc), and even by images that have been earmarked for Facebook upload.

The Z700EXR isn’t just all about people; it’s got some clever Pet Detection technology, too. This works in a similar way to Face Detection technology, and can identify up to ten cats or dogs in a scene and optimises the settings for your four-legged friends rather than any distracting background. So, whether you’re snapping your feline friends or in true Paris Hilton style capturing a portrait of your pooch, you can be sure your pet pictures are immaculate.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10020204fujifinepixz700z70.asp

Finger Fail: Why Most Touchscreens Miss the Point

By Priya Ganapati

You’re not crazy, and neither are we: The touchscreen on the Apple iPhone really is more responsive than the screens on the BlackBerry Storm, the Motorola Droid, the Nexus One and many other phones, even though all of these devices use essentially the same touch-sensing hardware.

Though handset makers buy their touchscreens as components from the same select pool of suppliers, a good touchscreen experience requires more than just hardware. It requires a bit of design alchemy blending software, engineering and calibration for the perfect feel. Few smartphone makers have managed to get that balance right, say experts.

“If you think that no other touchscreen out there is as good as the iPhone, its not all your in your head,” says Chris Verplaetse, vice president of the Moto Development Group, a product design and development firm. “It’s like asking what makes a Mercedes door close like a Mercedes door and a Hyundai door close like one though they use the same steel. There’s clearly a difference.”

Variables include engineering details such the calibration of the touch sensor so it can separate the signal from the noise, the quality of the firmware and the level of integration of the touch experience into the phone’s user interface. There are also more difficult-to-quantify things such as as the level of the company’s commitment to making the best touchscreen experience possible.

“Many layers account account for the performance of a touchscreen,” says Verplaetse. “But it all comes down to how well the electronics and the mechanical hardware are integrated.”

As cellphones became more powerful, allowing users to surf the internet and check e-mail, handset makers started to add touch capability to their phones.  The earliest screens were resistive touchscreens, where two thin metallic layers are separated by a narrow gap. A finger pushing down on the top layer makes contact with the bottom surface and the point of contact is computed by the accompanying electronics.

But resistive touchscreens didn’t make most consumers happy because they weren’t responsive enough — you had to really push and hammer away at the display with your fingernail or a stylus to get it to respond.

The capacitive touchscreen in Apple’s iPhone changed the game, because it’s not pressure-sensitive. Instead, this kind of technology responds to the electrical properties of your skin, not the pressure of your finger, to figure out where you’re touching the screen. For the first time, just a light tap could open an application or a flicking gesture could get the screen scrolling. Best of all, it seemed effortless.

A projected capacitive touchscreen — the kind that’s usually used in phones — has a glass insulator coated with a transparent conductive layer. The layer is etched into a gridlike pattern. When a finger touches the surface of the screen, it distorts the electrostatic field. That can be measured as a change in capacitance.  The location of the touch is computed and it is passed on to a software application that relates the touch into actions for the device.

In theory, all capacitive touchscreens should offer consumers the same experience, but they rarely do, says Andrew Hsu, a technology strategist for Synaptics, one of the biggest touchscreen component makers.

“Capacitive touch-based handsets involve a lot of development work and quite a bit of engineering expertise in order to give them their ‘magical’ quality,” says Hsu.

It’s Not Just About Hardware

Smartphone users have no way to measure exactly how well the capacitive sensor system on their phone is actually working. Their perception is based on the feedback they see on the screen, says Hsu. That means a touchscreen could be quite fast and accurate, but if the visual display doesn’t keep up, it won’t feel smooth or responsive.

That’s where well-designed user interfaces and quality firmware come into play.

“Some systems are better at it than others,” says Hsu.

Synaptics ran tests comparing the iPhone touchscreen to the original BlackBerry Storm. They found that the Storm’s touchscreen sensor responded well, which pointed the finger at the underlying firmware.

It’s also a reason why BlackBerry maker Research In Motion was able to fix some of the lag and the bugginess of the screen that reviewers had initially complained about. Subsequent updates to the Storm’s software significantly improved its responsiveness to touch.

Another problem is separating signal from noise, which some phones are better at than others.

A perfectly designed and well-tuned capacitive sensing system would require no pressure to detect the presence of a user’s finger. But to get there, handset makers have to solve what Hsu calls the “needle in a haystack problem.”

The amount of signal that your finger contributes when it touches the sensor is very small compared to the noise already present in the system. To accurately sense it and compute its location requires some software magic.

“Even if you design the entire touchscreen right, once you put it into the device, there’s an impact from other sources that emit electromagnetic interference, such as the wireless unit,” says Hsu.

That’s where an ASIC, or application specific integrated circuit, is needed to measure and amplify the signals. Apple reportedly designed its own ASIC for the iPhone’s touchscreen, while most other companies buy an ASIC from one of the touchscreen chipmakers.

Cameras of the Future: Heart Researchers Create Revolutionary Photographic Technique

The image shows a drop of milk falling into a beaker of water. A video was made at the same time, using the same camera, and represents the same image data. The still image has a 16 fold greater spatial resolution (see swirls of milk in the beaker), and it can be decoded into the video frames played in sequence to reveal the high-speed motion content. (Credit: Copyright Dr Gil Bub, University of Oxford)

“What’s new about this is that the picture and video are captured at the same time on the same sensor” said Dr Bub. “This is done by allowing the camera’s pixels to act as if they were part of tens, or even hundreds of individual cameras taking pictures in rapid succession during a single normal exposure. The trick is that the pattern of pixel exposures keeps the high resolution content of the overall image, which can then be used as-is, to form a regular high-res picture, or be decoded into a high-speed movie.”

Scientists at the University of Oxford have developed a revolutionary way of capturing a high-resolution still image alongside very high-speed video — a new technology that is attractive for science, industry and consumer sectors alike.

By combining off-the-shelf technologies found in standard cameras and digital movie projectors they have successfully created a tool that will transform many forms of detailed scientific imaging and could provide access to high-speed video with high-resolution still images from the same camera at a price suitable for the consumer market. This could have everyday applications for everything from CCTV to sports photography and is already attracting interest from the scientific imaging sector where the ability to capture very high quality still images that correspond exactly to very high speed video is extremely desirable and currently very expensive to achieve. The technology has been patented by Isis Innovation, the University of Oxford’s technology transfer office, which provided seed funding for this development and welcomes contact from industry partners to take the technology to market. The research is published February 14, 2010 in Nature Methods.

Dr Peter Kohl and his team study the human heart using sophisticated imaging and computer technologies. They have previously created an animated model of the heart, which allows one to view the heart from all angles and look at all layers of the organ, from the largest structures right down to the cellular level. They do this by combining many different types of information about heart structure and function using powerful computers and advanced optical imaging tools. This requires a combination of speed and detail, which has been difficult to achieve using current photographic techniques.

Dr Kohl said: “Anyone who has ever tried to take photographs or video of a high-speed scene, like football or motor racing, even with a fairly decent digital SLR, will know that it’s very difficult to get a sharp image because the movement causes blurring. We have the same problem in science, where we may miss really vital information like very rapid changes in intensity of light from fluorescent molecules that tell us about what is happening inside a cell. Having a massive 10 or 12 megapixel sensor, as many cameras now do, does absolutely nothing to improve this situation.

“Dr Gil Bub from my team then came up with a really great idea to bring together high-resolution still images and high-speed video footage, at the same time and on the same camera chip — ‘the real motion picture’! The sort of cameras researchers would normally need to get similar high-speed footage can set you back tens of thousands of pounds, but Dr Bub’s invention does so at a fraction of this cost. This will be a great tool for us and the rest of the research community and could also be used in a number of other ways that are useful to industry and consumers.”

“What’s new about this is that the picture and video are captured at the same time on the same sensor” said Dr Bub. “This is done by allowing the camera’s pixels to act as if they were part of tens, or even hundreds of individual cameras taking pictures in rapid succession during a single normal exposure. The trick is that the pattern of pixel exposures keeps the high resolution content of the overall image, which can then be used as-is, to form a regular high-res picture, or be decoded into a high-speed movie.”

The technique works by dividing all the camera’s pixels into groups that are then allowed to take their part of the bigger picture in well-controlled succession, very quickly, and during the time required to take a single ‘normal’ snapshot. So for example, if you use 16 pixel patterns and sequentially expose each of them for one sixteenth of the time the main camera shutter remains open, there would be 16 time points at which evenly distributed parts of the image will be captured by the different pixel groups. You then have two choices: either you view all 16 groups together as your usual high-resolution still image, or you play the sixteen sub-images one after the other, to generate a high-speed movie.

This concept has attracted the attention of Cairn Research, a UK based scientific instrument manufacturer. “High speed imaging of biologically important processes is critical for many of our customers at Cairn Research,” said Dr Martyn Reynolds, “Frequently there is a requirement to record events in living cells that are over in a fraction of a second, and this pushes us to the limits of existing technology. For several years we have been developing a product line for fast imaging of optical slices though cells, and we are very interested in using the processes and technology developed by the group in Oxford to extend the capabilities of our devices and the scientific benefits this could bring.”

The research may soon move from the optical bench to a consumer-friendly package. Dr. Mark Pitter from the University of Nottingham is planning to compress the technology into an all-in-one sensor that could be put inside normal cameras. Dr Pitter said: “The use of a custom-built solid state sensor will allow us to design compact and simple cameras, microscopes and other optical devices that further reduce the cost and effort needed for this exciting technique. This will make it useful for a far wider range of applications, such as consumer cameras, security systems, or manufacturing control.”

This research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the British Heart Foundation.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

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Journal Reference:

1. Gil Bub, Matthias Tecza, Michiel Helmes, Peter Lee & Peter Kohl. Temporal pixel multiplexing for simultaneous high-speed, high-resolution imaging. Nature Methods, 14 February 2010 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1429

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100214143129.htm

Canon Unveils EOS T2i D-SLR, New PowerShot Cameras

Canon Eos Rebel T2i DSLR  (Source: Canon)

Shane McGlaun (Blog)

EOS T2i is first to EOS model to support SDXC storage

Canon is a big and popular maker of many types of digital cameras from the cheap point-and-shoot cameras to more complex and expensive D-SLR cameras. The new D-SLR camera from Canon is called the EOS Rebel T2i. The camera is described as a D-SLR that can grow with a photographer as they learn more and expect more from the camera.

The camera can shoot bursts at 3.7 fps and has an ISO range of 100-6400 and a 63-zone dual layer metering system. Canon is positioning the camera as a bridge between entry-level D-SLRs and prosumer cameras. The T2i can record 1080p HD video  and has a Movie Crop mode that offers 7x additional zoom with no lost image quality when shooting in SD resolution.

The camera has an 18-megapixel sensor and features an expanded +/- 5 EV exposure compensation range for more versatility when showing. The cam has selectable image quality settings and can store JPEG images and RAW images. The LCD is a 3-inch model and has 1.04 million dots and a 3:2 aspect ratio. The camera is the first EOS model to support SDXC memory cards. The T2i will ship in March for $799.99 in a body only kit. A kit with an 18-55mm lens will sell for $899.99.

Canon also unveiled a new line of point and shoot cameras that include the PowerShot SX210 IS, PowerShot SD3500 IS, PowerShot SD1400 IS and PowerShot SD1300 IS. The SX210 IS is a  compact camera with 14x optical zoom and a 28mm wide-angle lens with optical lens stabilization. It has a 14.1-megapixel sensor and a 3-inch LCD on the rear. It will ship in March for $349.99.

The SD3500 IS camera has a 3.5-inch LCD that is touch sensitive allowing for control of the functions and images with a finger. The cam has a 14.1-megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom. It will ship late this month for $329.99. The SD1400 IS has 4x optical zoom with image stabilization. The sensor is 14.1-megapixels and it can shoot HD video. The camera is under an inch thick and will ship this month for $249.99.

The last camera is the SD1300 IS sporting 4x optical zoom, image stabilization, and a resolution of 12.1-megapixels. The rear LCD is 2.7-inches and the camera will come in five different colors. The camera will ship this month for $199.99.

Digital Photography Review has posted a hands-on preview of the new Rebel T2i here.

http://www.dailytech.com/Canon+Unveils+EOS+T2i+DSLR+New+PowerShot+Cameras/article17630.htm

Hasselblad releases H4D-40 medium format camera

Hasselblad has launched the H4D-40, 40 megapixel medium format camera. It incorporates a 33 x 44mm CCD sensor (almost twice the size of a full-frame 35mm DSLR sensor) and includes the ‘True Focus’ AF system introduced in the H4D-50 and 60. The H4D-40 kit, including camera body, 80mm lens and viewfinder is available at a retail price of US $19,955 (£12,995) and includes the company’s Phocus 2.0 software.

Press Release:

Hasselblad brings Medium Format DSLR advantages to new generation of photographers with new H4D-40 camera.

Copenhagen, February 2nd 2010: The announcement of Hasselblad’s H4D line of cameras and True Focus technology heralded the beginning of a new chapter in the history of medium format DSLRs. Now, with the launch of the H4D-40, Hasselblad is announcing its intent to bring the advantages of Medium Format DSLRs to high-end 35mm photographers.

The announcement of Hasselblad’s H4D line of cameras and True Focus technology heralded the beginning of a new chapter in the history of medium format DSLRs. Now, with the launch of the H4D-40, Hasselblad is announcing its intent to bring the advantages of Medium Format DSLRs to high-end 35mm photographers.

“Most high-end photographers understand the advantages that a Medium Format system has over smaller formats,” explains Hasselblad CEO Larry Hansen, “but many younger photographers have never been exposed to larger format photography. Most everyone in the photographic world is aware, for example, of the dramatic developments that have taken place in the 35mm in recent years,” he continues, “but there many of the younger generation of shooters are not aware of the fact that Medium Format DSLRs have evolved equally dramatically, maintaining – and even in some cases increasing – the quality gap that has historically existed between small format and larger format systems.”

“The fact that our large sensors have millions of pixels more than 35mm sensors is known, for instance,” Hansen continues, “but the superior image quality that results, in terms of color, detail, and clarity, is not as well known. Likewise, many photographers are not aware of the fact that the larger format of the H System cameras provides a considerably shallower depth of field range, making it much easier to utilize selective focus to creative effect.

When combined with True Focus, this opens enormous creative possibilities and technical accuracy. Add to this the modularity of the H4D-40 with its choice of bright image viewfinders and an extensive accessories program, and you get a feature set that makes a Hasselblad system, today, more than ever, a crucial component of any professional photographic toolbox.”

Features such as new low noise color filters of the H4D-40’s sensor and the high performance HC/HCD lens line, provide the basis for increased clarity and increased depth of field. The Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS) achieves consistent color reproduction using a single color profile, and Press Release Copenhagen, February 2nd 2010 Hasselblad brings Medium Format DSLR advantages to new generation of photographers with new H4D-40 camera. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE page 2/3 digital lens correction (DAC), perfects each image captured through the HC/HCD lenses, by removing any trace of distortion, vignetting, or chromatic aberrations.

The H4D also comes bundled with Hasselblad’s new Phocus 2.0 imaging software, featuring a dramatically reduced learning curve, enabling the average photographer to be up to speed in less than 30 minutes, and a feature set that matches the industry standards defined by Adobe and Apple.

“We are thrilled to be able to announce the introduction of the H4D-40,” continues Hansen, “and look forward to welcoming a new generation of 35mm photographers as they step up to a higher level of image quality and begin to explore the creative possibilities provided by a Hasselblad system. With the H4D-40, photographers get a camera that is as easy to use – or even easier – than a high-end 35mm DSLR, but that comes with the famed Hasselblad image quality – larger lenses and sensors, more advanced optics, increased resolution and clarity, and all the other benefits of Hasselblad’s Medium Format DSLRs.”

“For over half a century,” Hansen concludes, “Hasselblad cameras have been the choice of the most discerning professionals and the reason for that loyalty has not changed – at Hasselblad, image quality always comes first. We will continue to pursue image quality perfection and will continue to provide the ultimate imaging tools for any application where image quality is important. And in the upcoming months we will do our best to see that as many 35mm photographers as possible get the opportunity to try these amazing products for themselves.”

Hasselblad is launching the H4D-40 worldwide via a series of dealer demonstrations and events in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The H4D-40 starts at 13,995 Euro / 19.995 USD / 12.995 GBP for camera body, viewfinder, and 80mm lens, and is available for immediate shipping. For dates and times of regional or local launch events, or to learn more about the advantages of the Hasselblad system, log on to http://www.hasselblad.com

True Focus: Delivering accurate composing at close distance with shallow depth-of-field
True Focus helps solve one of the most lingering challenges in professional photography, true, accurate focusing throughout the image field when working with shallow depth-of-field at closer range. Without multi-point auto-focus a typical auto-focus camera can only correctly measure focus on a subject that is in the center of the image. When a photographer wants to focus on a subject outside the center area, they have to lock focus on the subject and then re-compose the image.

In short distances, this re-composing causes focus error, as the plane of focus sharpness follows the camera’s movement, perpendicular to the axis of the lens. The traditional solution for most DSLRs has been to equip the camera with a multi-point AF sensor. These sensors allow the photographer to fix an off-center focus point on an off-center subject, which is then focused correctly, but such multi-point AF solutions are often tedious and inflexible to work with and do not really solve the problem.

To overcome this problem, Hasselblad has used modern yaw rate sensor technology to measure angular velocity in an innovative way. The result is the new Absolute Position Lock (APL) processor, which forms the foundation of Hasselblad’s True Focus feature.

The APL processor accurately logs page 3/3 camera movement during any re-composing, then uses these exact measurements to calculate the necessary focus adjustment, and issues the proper commands to the lens’s focus motor so it can compensate. The APL processor computes the advanced positional algorithms and carries out the required focus corrections at such rapid speed that no shutter lag occurs. The H4D’s firmware then further perfects the focus using the precise data retrieval system found on all HC/HCD lenses. The True Focus technology and APL (both patent pending) mark a significant milestone for Hasselblad’s high-end DSLR strategy and represent the result of many years of development work.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10020210hasselbladh4d40.asp

Augmented reality: Pure hype or Next Big Thing in mobile?

‘Surf the world’ as you walk through it

By Howard Wen

Augmented reality technology is getting a lot of attention these days — particularly the use of AR with smartphones. The idea is that by using certain software, you can turn your iPhone, Droid or other smartphone into a virtual heads-up display. Aim your phone’s camera at a shop, restaurant or landmark, and information about the place, such as hours of operation, reviews or directions, appears on the device’s screen as graphics floating over the image of the place.Dozens of developers of mobile augmented reality apps are banking on AR becoming the Next Big Thing in the mobile market. Indeed, a recent Juniper Research report predicted that annual revenues from mobile AR apps will reach $732 million by 2014, up from less than $1 million in 2009.

Reality through the eye of the iPhone holder?

During this early stage in the use of mobile AR applications, users should be advised not to set their expectations too high, because current models of smartphones have limited capabilities. But the biggest question is whether augmented reality will turn out to be nothing more than hype.

Remember a few years ago when corporations rushed to establish virtual offices and storefronts in Second Life and other virtual worlds, only to see them wither on the vine? While AR appears to be more useful than virtual worlds (and therefore more likely to succeed), it remains to be seen how the technology will be developed and adopted in real-world use. In particular, those in the business world would like to know if, and when, their operations could somehow benefit from using AR.

With those thoughts in mind, here’s a short primer on AR for mobile devices, along with some need-to-know points about the technology.

Augmented reality 101

The term augmented reality can actually be applied to two types of technologies. One version of AR involves systems that use a webcam or a video camera to capture an image of a user (his head, hands or body, etc.) or of a real-world object in real time and put that image on a computer screen. Software then tracks the user’s or the object’s movements in real space so it appears that that user or the object is interacting with a virtual object (like a 3D graphic model) on the screen.

This type of AR technology has been used in video games (like the EyeToy for the PlayStation 2), in promotional tools (like this system in Lego stores), and as an online shopping aide — for example, a system could allow a shopper to “try on” clothes virtually before making a purchase. In the business world, this version of AR might be used to test products or marketing ideas. Total Immersion SA is one company that sells this type of technology to other businesses.

Wikitude World Browser at Seattle’s Space Needle. Click to view larger image.

The second kind of augmented reality systems use webcams or the cameras of smartphones or other devices to capture real-world images and then lay text, links or other objects (again, like a 3D graphic model) over the images on-screen. With this type of app, you can point the camera of an Internet-enabled device at a building or landmark and receive helpful information about it right on your screen.

That’s how many of today’s AR apps work. They include GeoVector’s World Surfer (for iPhone OS and Android) and Mobilizy’s Wikitude World Browser (for iPhone OS, Android and Symbian OS). This form of augmented reality has been getting the most attention because of the novel way it allows the user to interact with the world. But how does it work?

Article Continues – http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9145418/Augmented_reality_Pure_hype_or_Next_Big_Thing_in_mobile_

Panasonic’s new Photo/Movie Hybrid Super Zoom Compact Digital Camera DMC-TZ10

Featuring Intelligent Resolution Technology, 16x Intelligent Zoom and Built-in GPS

Panasonic’s multiple award winning TZ series is pleased to welcome a new addition to the family. Sporting key features fundamental to the TZ success story – including AVCHD Lite HD movie recording capability, a 25mm ultra wide angle and powerful 12x optical zoom in a compact body – the TZ10 goes one step further to offer users built-in GPS and full manual control.

Ultra Compact Zoom
With a strong heritage, this fourth generation TZ model features a high-quality LEICA DC VARIO ELMAR 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens with a 12x optical zoom. A high quality lens like this, with a range from 25mm to 300mm*1, is almost inconceivable in such a small, lightweight camera. Comprising 10 elements in 8 groups, including 2 ED lenses and 2 aspherical lenses with 3 aspherical surfaces, and utilizing new lens material in its design, this advanced lens unit realizes the outstandingly slim and compact body while passing Leica’s stringent standards to deliver exceptional optical performance. Thanks to the newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, a ground-breaking Intelligent Zoom is available with the TZ10 which extends the zoom ratio by approx.1.3x maintaining the picture quality even by combining zoom technologies. This means the 12x optical can virtually extend to 16x equivalent. Furthermore, the Extra Optical Zoom function that extends zoom power to 23.4x (at 3-megapixel resolution) by using the center part of the large CCD to bring subjects even closer.

The new model has a 14.5-megapixel CCD and shoots with up to 12.1-megapixel resolution. This enables multi-aspect shooting that can reproduce images taken with the lens set from 25mm to 300mm in any of three aspect ratios – 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9 – so you can always capture dynamic, richly expressive shots with a wide perspective. The Multi Aspect mode lets you to take an image in all three aspect ratios simultaneously then choose the one that best suits your scene after shooting -perfect for when you want to take a picture for widescreen TV use but also to make conventional prints.

Intelligent Resolution Technology Enhances the Possibility of Digital Imaging
The high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD has been re-engineered to compile new image processing technology – “Intelligent Resolution”. It enables the recording of beautiful photos and high-definition movies with higher quality signal processing.

With Intelligent Resolution technology, 3 areas – outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas are automatically detected. The outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges more clarity while giving a moderate accentuation to the texture areas to make it look more finely detailed. To the soft gradation part, the superior noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to make it smoother. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative Intelligent Resolution technology precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp in both photo and movie recording.

Intelligent Resolution technology also makes possible Intelligent Zoom, which virtually extends the optical zoom ratio to 1.3x equivalent maintaining the picture quality even whilst using the digital zoom. The details of an Image taken in high sensitivity recording tends to be lost in the noise reduction process, however the Intelligent Resolution works to keep the detail, improving the picture.

At the same time, the multi-task image-processing engine Venus Engine HD II supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as approx. 0.006 seconds and the camera’s quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities together with the Sonic Speed AF (Auto Focus) that lets you lock on the subject minimum in approx. 0.35(wide-end) / 0.41(tele-end) second*2 and the short startup time of approx. 1.1 seconds. The high performance Venus Engine HD II is also energy efficient and extends the battery life up to 300 shots (CIPA) per a single charge.

Never Forget your Location with Built-in GPS Function
Panasonic’s TZ series has received world wide acclaim as an excellent travel companion because of a wide shooting range and hybrid recording capability of high quality photo and movie. The new TZ10 further enhances its value by adding a built-in GPS unit*3 into the camera.

The location data where the photo was taken is automatically embedded with its latitude and longitude in the EXIF data. These geo-tagged images can be pinpointed on the maps of social media internet maps to be shared with your friends and families. Plus, the TZ10 also shows the name of the town, area and landmarks using an internal database to give users real-time information of the place when taking photos to add fun of photo shooting during travel. The information of landmark exceeds 500,000, covering 73 countries – pretty impressive! The photos and movies with their location data are automatically sorted in the virtual folder alphabetically in the camera allowing quick access. You can also refer to the location names via the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO HD Edition Ver.5.1. It is also easy to sort or search images by the location names. If this wasn’t enough, the internal clock of the camera is automatically adjusted to the local time of the place where the camera is, so you do not have to set the clock manually whether you go abroad or come back home.

Manual Exposure for More Control
The TZ10’s iA mode is the perfect camera for every user to be able to take beautiful shots effortlessly. Going one step further, the TZ10 also features manual control for advanced expressive photo shooting. It has A(Aperture Priority) / S(Shutter Speed Priority) / M(Manual Exposure) modes for advanced users to enjoy the creative shots depending on the subject or the scene by controlling the shutter speed and aperture. Each of these modes and iA mode can be quickly set by the mode dial on the top of the camera unit.

HD Movie Recording
In addition to Motion JPEG images*4, the DMC-TZ10 can record high-definition motion picture in AVCHD Lite. It allows almost doubling of the recording time in HD quality compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format. The picture quality is greatly enhanced thanks to the newly added Intelligent Resolution technology. The TZ10 also features Dolby Digital Stereo Creator to record high quality audio, so you can match the beautiful motion images with outstanding stereo sound, and further offers a one-touch movie button for instant recording of videos.

The hugely popular and powerful iA (Intelligent Auto) is also now available in motion image recording mode. Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake when using high-powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion on it so it always turns out beautifully. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality.

Users can fully utilize the powerful 12x optical zoom in movie recording. The GPS and corresponding location information can also be embedded in the video clips. With the newly added Video Divide function, users can divide the video into two sections to shorten or delete the unwanted part on the spot in the camera. You can cutout a still image from a movie in the camera and Intelligent Resolution Technology makes it possible to produce 1920×1080 still images from a 1280×720 HD movie even recorded in AVCHD Lite.　A Wind Cut function is also available to block out most of the noise from background wind.

Still or motion images recorded in AVCHD Lite*5 on SD Memory Cards are easy to view on a Panasonic VIERA TV. Simply insert the card into the VIERA Image Viewer (SD Memory Card slot) on VIERA TV or DIGA Blu-ray Disc Player to playback your contents. Alternatively, you can use an optional mini HDMI cable to output the still and motion images you took from the TZ10 directly to the TV for VIERA Link. You can take maximum advantage of Lumix camera’s playback functions including the slideshow in which both still and motion images integrated in the timeline, category playback according to the scene mode you used or calendar display and so on. All control is possible using only the TV’s remote control.

In addition, with the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.1 HD Edition, it is easy to view and edit your recorded contents. You may also choose to upload your videos to YouTube or burn them to a DVD disc for archiving.

Introducing new POWER O.I.S
Panasonic has incorporated Intelligent Auto mode in pursuit of the ultimate ease of operation and the reduction of misshots. In iA mode the camera does all the work, leaving you free to compose shots and capture moments. Just press, aim and shoot. This mode is now further advanced with the inclusion of r advanced image stabilization system POWER O.I.S. and Intelligent Resolution technology for the DMC-TZ10.

Taking advantage of Panasonic’s accumulated optical technologies, MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) has been incorporated into LUMIX cameras from the earliest stages of development. MEGA O.I.S. has evolved into POWER O.I.S. on the DMC-TZ10, with a great performance improvement – twice the shake suppression capability of the predecessor TZ7.

The hand-shake component, which is physically generated when pressing the shutter button or when shooting at night with a slow shutter speed, is recognized as a low-frequency vibration, for which the new POWER O.I.S. is particularly effective. This greatly improves the quality of shots taken at night or indoors where a flash cannot be used, or where the photographer doesn’t want to use a flash because it would spoil the mood. It captures beautiful photos in situations that previously resulted in blurring.

The DMC-TZ10 features Face Recognition – a function that found popularity in the previous TZ7, and now with several upgrades. Three face images can be registered for each person, to raise the detection accuracy. And when the angle of view is changed horizontally, the name display also rotates for easier reading. The Intelligent Scene Selector, which automatically selects whichever of 6 Scene Modes – Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and newly added Sunset – that best suits the shooting situation.

In addition, newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology is always activated in iA mode which results in the clearer and higher picture quality in every photo and movie with extended zoom range with the Intelligent Zoom equivalent to 16x optical zoom.

Once you enter iA mode, these functions happen automatically together with other powerful shooting-assist functions – AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control and Intelligent Exposure – 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.

The new Happy Mode, a colour mode option in iA mode, optimizes colour, saturation and brightness to make both photo and movie more vivid and true to the colour of the scene you memorized.

A 3.0-inch, Super High Resolution 460,000-dot Intelligent LCD for Easy Viewing
The TZ10 is equipped with a 3.0-inch, super high resolution 460,000-dot Intelligent LCD with a wide viewing angle and AR (Anti-Reflection) coating. The screen brightness automatically adjusts in 11 steps as the surrounding brightness level changes, ensuring easy visibility at all times. The big screen reflects fine details, making it easy to check the focus before shooting. It also serves as a small photo and video viewer, allowing the user and friends to enjoy viewing the still and motion images together.

Other Versatile Functions Adding to the Photographic Enjoyment
Challenging convention, Lumix functions continue to evolve. Scene modes, which are optimized for a variety of still-image shooting situations, are now available for motion images as well. Thanks to a rich variety of 28 scene modes for still image and 18 for motion image (Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self portrait, Scenery, Low light, Food, Party, Candle light, Sunset, Beach, Snow, Aerial, High Sensitivity, Pin hole, Film grain, High Dynamic and Underwater), capturing beautiful videos is effortless with the TZ10.

The High Dynamic mode is newly added to the existing Scene modes. This mode helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure, even though the scene contains both bright and dark areas together. The user can select either of three options, Standard, Art, or B/W, depending on the desired effect and personal taste to make the photo look natural to artistic.

The optional marine case (DMW-MCTZ10) is available for underwater photography taking advantage of an outstanding shooting range from 25mm to 300mm for both photo and movie.

In addition to the conventional SD/SDHC Memory Card, the DMC-TZ10 accepts next-generation SD format SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity), that features high potential in both capacity and data transfer speed. The DMC-TZ10 is compatible with Windows 7.

Included Software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.1 HD Edition
The latest version of exciting software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.1 HD Edition comes bundled with DMC-TZ10. With quick start-up and fast read-in of images, the PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.1 HD Edition makes it possible to sort and organize photos not only of those newly taken but also of those stored in your PC. The Face Recognition function recognizes the faces in the picture and allows sorting of the photos by the registered faces without having to pick out each photo one by one when you only want pictures of a specific person. The geo-tagged photos and movies taken with the TZ10 can be sorted by place names automatically. You can also enjoy slideshows with a variety of effects and use your iTunes music library as background music and burn it onto a DVD disc in MPEG2. Motion pictures can be uploaded directly to YouTube using the built-in YouTube uploader even in HD (High Definition) quality. It also lets you create a 360-degree rotation panorama file in MOV, which is especially easy if Panorama Assist mode in the camera is used. The software is of course compatible with the Windows 7.

Experience and feel the outstanding benefit of the PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.1 HD Edition. It will powerfully allow you to view, edit and archive your captured photos and motion pictures with greater ease and fun.

Continuing to push the boundaries and providing consumers with additional features to be proud of, such as GPS and manual control, users will be finding more reasons to go on holiday to enjoy the new model than ever before! The TZ10 will be available from mid March in a choice of silver, black, red or blue.

*1 Equivalent to 35mm camera
*2Using 1-area AF
*3© 2009 NAVTEQ All rights reserved.
This service uses POI (Points Of Interest) of ZENRIN CO., LTD.
“POWERED BY ZENRIN” is a trademark of ZENRIN CO., LTD. ©2010 ZENRIN CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
・GPS may not work in China or in the order regions of countries neighboring China.
・Depending on the locations, it may not be possible to correctly receive the signals from the GPS satellites. In such cases, positioning may not be possible, or significant positioning discrepancy may occur.
*4Motion pictures can be recorded continuously for up to 29min 59 sec in some countries. Continuous recording exceeding 2GB is not possible when recording motion JPEG. Remaining time for continuous recording is displayed on the screen.
*5AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD disc cannot be played from a device that does not support the AVCHD standard. Use a card with SD Speed Class with”Class4”or higher when recording motion pictures in [AVCHD Lite]. Also, use a card with SD Speed Class with”Class6”or higher when recording motion pictures in [MOTION JPEG].
*SD Speed Class is the speed standard regarding continuous writing

Follow link for detailed specs – http://www.dpreview.com/news/1001/10012605panazs7.asp