| Photo Mechanic with D1 JPEG support in private beta testing |
| Used by the Assciated Press at Superbowl for a portion of their D1 image-editing workflow, an updated Photo Mechanic with support for D1 JPEG files is nearing completion. The new version, which previously has supported only Kodak/Canon pro digicams, will feature blazing D1 thumbnail display speed, display of key EXIF... |
January 31, 2000 | FULL STORY  |
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| DigiCam Pal 0.46 adds before/after view |
| Jeff Lee has posted v0.46 of DigiCam Pal. He's fixed a bug and added a before/after comparison mode to the software designed to clean up noise in Nikon D1 images.... |
| January 31, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Fuji takes wraps off FinePix S1 Pro |
| With a list price of less than US$4000, Fuji's FinePix S1 Pro, announced today and built around the Nikon N60 body, could make an even bigger splash than Nikon's D1 among commercial and studio photographers. Why? |
| January 31, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| FotoStation 4 Build 78 nearing release |
| Responding to user complaints, Fotoware has added full IPTC field support to Build 78 of FotoStation 4 for Mac/Windows. Other additions in the soon-to-be-released update include: |
| January 31, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| DigiCam Pal 0.45 cleans up D1 luminance noise |
| The lines that streak the length of some high-ISO Nikon D1 images have been the source of much consternation, especially for digital newcomers. Prominent on screen (though normally not a significant factor on newsprint), the lines have been difficult to clean up until now, primarily because filtering tended to knock down image sharpness along with the lines. DigiCam Pal 0.45's D1 Banding filter is designed to neutralize the appearance of the lines without affecting the underlying image. It's slick, and it works. |
| January 28, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Nikon unveils Coolpix 990 |
| With a whopping 3.34 megapixel CCD, the Nikon Coolpix 990 joins the Canon S20 in the ranks of amateur digital cameras with significantly higher pixel counts than the pro digital cameras discussed on this page. The camera, which features the same basic design as the Coolpix 950, features a 9MB file size and a host of features first found in the D1 and DCS 620, including a histogram and highlight point indicator, a similar range of colour controls and an F5/F100/D1-style navigation switch on the back. Steve's DigiCams has a complete overview of the new camera. |
| January 26, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Sports Shooter 16 posted |
| The latest issue of the Sports Shooter web/email newsletter for photojournalists is now posted. Be sure to check out the web version, which contains numerous photos to accompany this month's stories on the Contra Costa Time's conversion to the Nikon D1, tips on protecting gear from being stolen at major... |
| January 26, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| FotoStation 4 Pro to be unveiled at PMA |
| Slated for sale from www.fotostation.com beginning in late February, FotoStation 4 Pro for Mac and Windows is designed as a front end for Fotoware's image server products. It includes most of the features of FotoStation 4, plus: |
| January 21, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| FotoStation 4 update will add full range of standard IPTC fields |
| Responding to user complaints, Fotoware's Ole Christian Frenning indicates a future update of the US$145 browser FotoStation 4 for Mac and Windows will add editing of the same range of IPTC text fields that Photoshop supports. A firm release date has not been set for the update, though Frenning indicates... |
| January 21, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Kodak certifies Newer, VST FireWire PC Cards |
| Kodak's Mike Deluca indicates that the Newer Technology FireWire 2 Go and VST's FireWire CardBus Card have been dubbed fully compatible with Kodak's FireWire-enabled digital cameras and Mac CardBus-compatible Powerbooks. Kodak has yet to certify any PC Cards for use with any version of Windows; a future version of Kodak's... |
| January 21, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| LaCie Pocket Drive commences shipping |
| Macintouch reports that LaCie is now shipping their line of Pocket Drive FireWire/USB portable drives in 6GB, 12GB and 18GB capacities. The drive, which features connectors for both FireWire and USB, a ruggedized case, small size and a claimed throughput of greater than 11 Mbytes/second (that's almost 3x faster than... |
| January 21, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Price drop on MediaStream Explorer until March 31 |
| MediaStream is offering their US$150 Mac-only newspaper image management application for US$89 until March 31. The sleek, elegant application is one of my favourite image browsers. Contact Tom Priddy for more information or to purchase a copy; download a demo here. By default, caption editing is switched off; changing this... |
| January 21, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Whither Telefinder? |
| A number of you have written to inquire about the status of Spider Island's Telefinder Server, the software package used by many newspaper photo departments to receive images from the field. I'm happy to report that sales and license upgrades of the US$675 package continue, though actually making the purchase is a bit of a chore at the moment. That's because the man behind Spider Island Software, Rusty Tucker, has taken a job as a software engineer at Apple. As a result, he is in the process of divesting himself of any sales responsibility; that task is being handed off to Bob Nunn at Headgap Systems in Memphis, though Nunn and Tucker have yet to finalize the details. |
| January 21, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| DOS Mounter 98 SE updated for OS 9 |
| An updater for DOS Mounter 98 SE is now available that brings Mac OS 9 compatibility to the card mounting control panel that ships with Microtech SCSI card readers. The updater upgrades any version of DOS Mounter 98 SE up to DOS Mounter SE v3.0.0 (the "98" designation in the name has now been dropped). |
| January 20, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Kodak releases v5.8.2 acquire software |
| Kodak's v5.8.2 acquire software for Mac and Windows fixes an IPTC text information conflict with Photo Mechanic. Kodak has also posted PDF manuals for both the 520 and 620's v3.09 firmware update. Mac users, be sure to install the latest version of Aladdin's decompression software (StuffItExpander 5.5, for example) before... |
| January 15, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Rumours, rumours |
| A number of you have written describing your own take on the rumours discussed here January 7th. Thanks for taking the time to do that. Most emails offered timelines and theories for a replacement for the D2000 from Canon, with the consensus being that a new camera is not likely... |
| January 15, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Canon posts manual supplement detailing v3 firmware |
| If you're looking to better understand the changes in v3.09 of the firmware for the DCS 520/D2000 and DCS 620 cameras, Canon has posted a supplement for the D2000 user guide that tells all. Scroll down the page to find the link to the PDF document.... |
| January 8, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Rumours, rumours |
| The rumour mill has been in full swing over the holiday season. A number of you have written in requesting additional information about Canon's answer to the Nikon D1 as well as the discontinuation of the DCS 620, DCS 520 and EOS D2000. Here is what I've pieced together from both official and unofficial sources: |
| January 7, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Shooting fireworks on the D1 |
| There's nothing I'd like more than to show off a few nifty Photoshop tricks to knock down all that's bad in Nikon D1 long exposure photos. But there's little point. That's because the D1 does a creditable job of minimizing long-exposure noise buildup, even with the shutter open for as long as 10 seconds. If you're shooting Independence Day celebrations in the U.S. tomorrow night with a D1, fear not. As long as you follow a few simple guidelines, expect to make fireworks photos that will reproduce well in your newspaper. |
| January 1, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Mac OS 8.6 introduced truly wireless data transmission |
| Mac OS 8.6 introduced truly wireless data transmission through the enabling of communication between IrDa-capable Powerbooks and Ericsson and Nokia digital mobile phones. With the appropriate phone, it's now possible to send data from the computer through the infrared port to the phone and onto a receiving modem at your newspaper or ISP, potentially eliminating the need to purchase a PC Card and cable to do the same thing. I've been evaluating the effectiveness of OS 8.6's beefed-up infrared support for digital mobile phones for several weeks now, and am happy to report that this is a viable method, providing reliability and ease of use that meets or exceeds what you can expect using a top notch PC Card and cable tethered to the phone. There are quirks, however, and this transmission method is only compatible with certain networks. |
| January 1, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| IBM microdrive failures increase since the beginning of the year |
| After watching the number of web postings on IBM microdrive failures increase since the beginning of the year, I called for feedback from robgalbraith.com readers last month. |
| January 1, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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| Showing off with the Nikon D1, shooting fireworks |
| Today's DigiNews is all about shooting fireworks with an NC2000e, DCS3 or DCS 520/D2000. Independence Day fireworks displays taking place across the United States this weekend will kick off at or past deadine for many news organizations, making a digital camera the tool of choice. Digital fireworks photos can look great, but only if carefully shot, acquired and pre-pressed. Follow these guidelines for best results July 4th: |
| January 1, 2000 | FULL STORY |
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