LowePro Dryzone Rover - Review @ WyldfireStudios
LowePro Dryzone Rover, the world’s first backpack designed to safely carry both a hydration system and camera gear all inside the same bag, has been reviewed at wyldfires.com
“This is a very good pack. It’s a nice design overall, and it fits me fairly well. The waist belt could do with a little more redesign, but as LowePro doesn’t make multiple sizes to fit multiple people, the waist belt is about as good as it’s going to get. The waist belt fits me “well enough”, although I would have liked for it to fit more, but it’s doubtful that will happen with a one-size-fits-all camera bag.
Switching out lenses quickly is not exactly an option with this bag, but what you sacrifice in quickness, you do get in waterproofing. For hikes where I know things aren’t going to get wet, I will probably pick up something that can attach to the waist belt or to the pack for lenses that I want to interchange quickly.
Gitzo’s Mountaineer Reporter Carbon Fiber Tripod
Joe Farace has published his review on Gitzo’s Mountaineer Reporter Carbon Fiber Tripod in the Professional Photographer Magazine February 2006 Bonus Content
“Unlike previous Gitzo heads I’ve used, this one features ergonomically designed pan and tilt handles with triangular shaped rubber grips. The handles can be positioned on either the right or the left hand side of the head for southpaws. When shooting vertical images, the G2270M’s mounting plate spots anti-rotation pins that ensure the camera remains stable. The pins are stored in pre-drilled holes under the head when not in use. A large hexagonal locking screw makes it relatively easy to attach and remove equipment. If you need a QR, the $249.95 G2272M model has a quick-release locking system for just $10 more. The 6X Mountaineer Reporter is the best tripod I’ve used in a long, long time. Is it really 6X better? Yes, it is.”
Lowepro New Camera Bags
Lowepro has announced a new line of camera bags designed for reporters, photo journalists, travelers, and students;
Stealth Reporter AW Digital Series
The Stealth Reporter AW series are designed for reporters and photo journalist in mind. The bag is waterproof with water-resistant zopper allowing easy and quick access to your equipments. The heavy-duty shoulder strap can be worn sling-style and a stabilizer distributes weight and holds the bag still. The bag also comes with a built-in weather cover to protect it in bad weather.
The Stealth Reporter line ranges from $103-$193 and will be available in March 2006.
Canon Launches imagePROGRAF iPF5000
Canon has announced a new printer model that offers 17-inch wide large format prints using 12-color “Lucia” pigmented inks aimed at professionals. The new Canon imagePROGRAF iPF5000 features dual print heads with a total of 30,720 ink nozzles (2,560 nozzles per color), and 12 separate ink tanks, and speed of 3 minutes for a 16.5″ x 23.4″ (A2 sized) print. Canon imagePROGRAF iPF5000 will be available in April 2006 with a retail price of $1,945
PRESS RELEASE
Canon Launches PIXMA MP800R & PIXMA MP830
Canon has announced a new series of All-in-one printers aimed at home users. The new PIXMA MP800 & PIXMA MP830 both have PIXMA MP800 & PIXMA MP830 dpi resolution with five-color Canon ContrastPLUS ink set with separate ink tanks and 3,584 nozzle ink head and the capability to print up to 30 pages per minute in black and white, and 24 pages per minute in color.The difference between the two printers is that The PIXMA MP830 features a built-in fax, PIXMA MP800R offers both wired and wireless (802.11 b/g) networking
PRESS RELEASE
Canon Launches PIXMA Pro9500 and Pro9000
Canon has announced a new series of A3 inkjet printers aimed at professional photographers. The new PIXMA Pro9500 and PIXMA Pro9000 both have A3+ 4800 x 2400 dpi resolution at 3 picolitre drop size. The difference between the two printers is that PIXMA Pro9500 uses a 10-colour pigment ink system and the speed up to 8ppm (colour). While PIXMA Pro9000 uses 8-colour ink system and has a max print speed up to 15 ppm (colour)
Digital Foci Picture Porter - Review @ Digitalcamerareview
Digitalcamerareview has published a review on Digital Foci Picture Porter, a portable storage media with 2″ color screen and capacity of 20 - 40GB
“If you don’t have a laptop or you aren’t taking one with you on vacation and you need a way to backup your images, a device such as the Digital Foci Picture Porter is a good plan. There are many other ways to accomplish this, so it’s up to you to decide on how you want to handle. For example, it may be cheaper to get more memory cards, but you give up being able to view images or perform a backup. The battery life and capacity of the Picture Porter are sufficient to last you a whole trip.
Pros: USB 2.0 reader for the most popular memory cards, Nice remote control, Works with PC and Mac,
Cons: 2 inch screen is smaller than most current cameras, A bit bulky”
Samsung Unveils 1 GB MMC Micro Memory Card
Samsung has announced the new 1 GB MMCmicro, which they claim is the fastest micro memory card at 7.12 MBs per second. The 1 GB MMCmicro measuring only 12mmx14mmx1.1mm and it will be used in small cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players and it would be available in the third quarter of 2006
PRESS RELEASE
StorVision PSC-100
StorVision has unveiled StorVision PSC-100, a portable storage device with capacities up to 100GB using 2.5″ hard disk. The device supports various types of memory card such as Compactflash (type I and II), Microdrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, and XD picture cards. Alternative memory cards such as Memory Duo, MiniSD and RS MMC will require an adapter to use with the PSC-100.
StorVision claims that StorVision PSC-100 is the cheapest portable storage device around with the retail price starting at £95 for a 40GB.
PRESS RELEASE
Olympus P-11 Photo Printer - Review @ SteveDigicams
SteveDigicams has recently reviewed the Olympus P-11 Photo Printer, a 310 dpi printer with USB and PictBridge connection.
“The P-11 is VERY FAST with an average printing time of just 33 seconds (not counting data transmission time.) This makes it the fastest dye sub printer that we’ve reviewed yet! Most other 4×6″ dye sub printers take anywhere from 60 to 90 seconds per print. Another nice feature is that the prints do not come out of the printer with those pesky tear-off tabs on both ends, they’re 100% borderless and ready to be shared.
The P-11’s print quality is excellent, it’s as close to lab quality as it gets from a home or small business printer. Compared to prints from a HiTi dye sub, the P-11 prints are a little more contrasty but I’m sure they will satisfy today’s digital camera users. The PictBridge direct-print feature is super-handy and the vast majority of new digicams are compatible with it. This means you can take the highly portable P-11 along with you to a party or event and make prints right there without need of a computer. It also elminates the problems of color matching between camera, computer and printer - a major stumbling block for many digital newbies. “
