New Epson 4900 printer

Epson America is once again redefining the standard for photographic print quality with the introduction of the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 17-inch printer. Leveraging Epson's latest engineering technology featured in the award-winning Epson Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 combines the precision of Epson's MicroPiezo TFP print head with the performance of Epson UltraChrome HDR ink to deliver high quality prints, fast print speeds, and an extremely wide color gamut. Epson website.

Sun-Sniper Camera Strap

I used this strap for the first time today and it is the best camera strap I have ever owned in 30+ years of shooting. The strap is a major improvement in safety and comfort. Standard camera straps always dangle and bump into things. With the Sun-Sniper, the camera and the strap, are worn diagonally across the body and are never in your way.  The camera hangs over your butt  and a carabiner that is attached to the camera's tripod socket, slides freely along the strap. The camera glides all the way to the eye as if it were on tracks – with virtually no frictional resistance. There is an elastic shock absorber built in that buffers the camera perfectly while you are walking.
Check out this video.
Buy the California Sunbounce Sun-Sniper, Black on Black Camera Strap


California Sunbounce Sun-Sniper, Black on Black Camera Strap

Vincent Laforet - Gear Needed to Shoot DSLR Video

Given the level of interest in this new technology of shooting DSLR video - Vincent Laforet thought that readers might appreciate a slide show of images that show what such a production might entail in terms of gear. Link

Epson Signature paper

Epson America is now shipping an expanded offering of Signature Worthy papers to professional photographers and fine artists. This expanded collection includes new Epson Hot Press and Cold Press Papers and Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper, all of which are optimized for use with award-winning Epson Stylus Pro printers.

Offering advanced capabilities, these media types are poised to redefine fine art markets in unique ways. Epson Signature Worthy papers enable photographers to achieve images with richer blacks, wider color gamuts and smoother tonal transitions that define the ultimate expression in print making. Visit www.proimaging.epson.com.for more info.

Canon Announces EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon has announced a major update to its flagship professional digital SLR, the EOS 1D Mk III. After listening to professional press, sports and wildlife photographers who are the 1D's main users, Canon has revamped all of the camera's major systems. The new model features a 16.06 million image pixel, 1.3x crop sensor, top ISO of 102,400, 1080p video with external stereo mic jack, a revamped 45-point AF system and a wider-gamut, 920,000-dot rear LCD. Read full story at RobGalbraith.com.

Nikon announces D3S with 102,400 top ISO

Late next month Nikon will ship the D3S, an update of its venerable D3 digital SLR that features improved high-ISO image quality (and an eye-popping top ISO of 102,400), a 720p D-Movie mode with external stereo mic jack, approximately double the burst depth of the D3, a useful 1.2x crop mode and various other refinements.

Like its predecessor, the D3S is aimed at the working photojournalist. To create the new model, Nikon started by keeping the D3 hardware mostly intact; the D3S' 12.05 million image pixel CMOS image sensor is the only truly-new core hardware component in the camera, and is responsible for its promised improved image quality at stratospheric ISO levels.

Read more at RobGalbraith.com

'Frankencamera': A Giant Leap For Digital Photos?

It's big. It's ugly. And it's made from recycled parts, at least for now. It's called the "Frankencamera" — and it might someday change the way you take pictures.

Computer scientists at Stanford University say the new camera works something like an iPhone: It can be altered in nearly infinite ways, depending on the applications downloaded to it.

Say you want to take a photo of your child playing with a new toy in a dark room, near a bright window. It's tough to do now because of the variations in lighting within that single frame. If Junior's face is visible and bright, the tree and the sky through the window will be bleached out. If the scene outside comes out just right, Junior will be so underexposed you won't be able to see the glee on his face.

Not so with the Frankencamera, says Levoy. For the prototype, he and his colleagues developed a program that instructs the camera to take two rapid shots if a frame has both dark and light parts. One shot exposes correctly for the dark; one shot exposes correctly for the light. The program then merges the two images into one, taking the best parts from each.

Read the whole story at NPR.

ColorChecker Passport from X-Rite

ColorChecker Passport is a powerful ‘capture to edit’ color solution for any photographer looking for more accurate, consistent color and creative flexibility. ColorChecker Passport combines three photographic targets into one pocket size protective, multi-positionable case that adjusts to any scene. Together with the included camera calibration software, you get the ultimate in functionality, flexibility and portability. Read more.

New Epson 3880 - 17 inch wide printer

The 3880 is getting the 8-color UltraChrome K3 Vivid Magenta ink set that's already been incorporated in most of Epson's other Pro Graphics printers, plus the same ink-repellent coating on the printhead to minimize nozzle blockages. With this model, Epson introduces Accuphoto HD2, an update to its screening technology with look-up tables co-developed with RIT; the new LUTs go a step beyond choosing the appropriate color for any given dot to selecting the appropriate color with the lowest metameric index (i.e., the least likely to change appearance under different lighting conditions).

Epson site.

Canon announces 18 megapixel 7D

Canon has announced the EOS 7D, a 17.92 million image pixel digital SLR that features 8fps shooting, 19-point AF, a 63-zone metering systems, a dual-axis electronic level, wireless TTL control thru the built-in flash and 1080p video in a body that is more configurable than any previous EOS camera. The EOS 7D is Canon's most ambitious new digital SLR in some time, and is meant to attract professional photographers as well as compete directly with Nikon's D300 and D300s in both features and price.
Read an in-depth report at RobGalbraith.com

RadioPopper JrX at Strobist

David Hobby over at Strobist has a great Q&A on the new RadioPopper JrX. If you are looking for remote triggering options other than Pocket Wizard or Skyport, this is a must read. RadioPopper site.
ps. You should be checking out Strobist for all your Off-camera flash/speedlight info anyway.

Black Rapid Camera Strap

MiLi Pro Turns Your iPhone Into a Projector

The MiLi Pro is an LED-driven projector for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Simply pop your iPhone into it and it can project on to a wall. The rsolution is 640x480, so it won't look all that good at 70 inches, which is why they recommend 40 tops. It is rechargeable and has VGA and RCA inputs as well as a dock connector. Look for it in September. This could turn out to be an interesting way to show your portfolio.
Read more.

Nikon Coolpix compact camera with built-in projector

Check this out at Nikon Rumors.

Nikon Unveils New Video Enabled D300s and Inexpensive D3000 Cameras

Nikon unveiled the latest additions to their DSLR line of cameras with the D300s and D3000. The D300s is an upgrade from the D300 that adds 720p video capture, 7fps shooting rate and twin memory card slots. The D3000 is a bigger improvement over its predecessor, the D40, adding higher pixel count at 10.04 million, self-cleaning sensor, 3fps shooting rate, larger 3-inch rear LCD and a new assist feature for novice photographers called Guide Mode.
Read more (D300s) or (D3000).

Next in the Nikon product line

This Nikon product roadmap for the coming year is either the real deal or a fanboy fantasy. Bubbling up onto the internet through a fissure in the Czech forum Grafika On-Line, the document supposedly originates in the UK from an anonymous source at a company that provides Nikon UK with IT services.

This would be interesting if it does turn out to be true. Nikon Roadmap.

GridIron Flow - Become organized without organizing anything.

Flow is the world's first Visual Workflow Manager, built from the ground up to keep creative professionals streamlined and informed. Flow gives you a total understanding of your project, visually and intuitively. In one simple interface, you'll see all your project files, how they're related to each other, and where they're located - on a local drive, on a network volume, even on a DVD you burned a few months ago.

Read more.

Guided Tour.

Sending Large Files

YouSendIt is the tool I use most often when I need to send large files. It's quick and it's easy.

YouSendIt is free if you ned to send a file of 100MB or less. After registering, you're presented with an upload page that allows you to send files up to 100 recipients. Uploads are quick and once complete, the service stores that file for seven days and e-mails a download link to all the recipients you added prior to the upload.

The best part for me is that YouSendIt offers plugins for Photoshop, Acrobat, Aperture, Final Cut Pro, Corel Draw and Microsoft Office so you can send file directly from those programs.

There are not a lot of bells and whistle like many other programs, but I like the simplicity of the plugins.

Shooting Aid for Panorama Images

Panamatic by LensPen is a unique new device that helps you take panoramic images. Panamatic allows you to work with PhotoStitch ™ and QuickTime VR ® software to create seamless panoramic photos every time.
It mounts on your tripod and once the tripod is completely level (using Panamatic's built in bubble level) you mount your camera on the wheel. Then shoot and rotate camera. Each click on the wheel is 30°
Read more.

iPhone App from OnOne - DSLR Remote

OnOne has developed a new iPhone app that will allow Canon users to remotely trigger their cameras through their computer. The camera must tethered to a wi-fi enabled laptop using the EOS Utility software. Wil then be able to rigger the shutterand control your camera settings remotely using the iPhone or iTouch. Check out the details over at Engadget.