Designed for easy, creative shooting, the new LX3 comes two years after its predecessor, the LX2, which earned an enthusiastic following among both professional photographers and serious amateurs for its exquisite image rendering, superior operating ease, and unique triple-wide system comprising wide-angle lens, 16:9 CCD and LCD. Panasonic has gone a big step further in the new LX3, upgrading every component to achieve a camera whose performance surpasses that of any compact camera that has come before. Simply put, the LX3 smashes all previous perceptions about the limitations of a digital compact camera, setting a lofty new standard in performance, quality and creative capabilities.

Panasonic introduces the Lumix DMC-FZ28 digital still camera, featuring a 27mm wide-angle Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens with an 18x optical zoom*. Joining Panasonic’s popular FZ series of cameras that pack a high-powered zoom into a compact body, the FZ28 also boasts 10.1-megapixel resolution and adds a number of enhanced features that boost user fun and convenience, represented by an advanced iA (Intelligent Auto) mode. The super-powerful 18x zoom lens makes it easy to pull in subjects from far away or to take dramatic close-ups. For an added boost, zoom power can be increased to 32.1x with the Extra Optical Zoom function**. The 27mm wide-angle feature is ideal for both broad landscapes and tight indoor shots, letting photographers capture a wider view. The 10.1-megapixel resolution allows photos to be greatly enlarged while still retaining outstanding detail, or edited by trimming and enlarging parts of the photo to print.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 8 -- Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) has achieved another breakthrough in its storied history of imaging technology innovation with the introduction of the world’s first 50 million pixel CCD image sensor for professional photography. At 50 million pixels, or megapixels, the sensor captures digital images with unprecedented resolution and detail. For instance, with a 50 megapixel camera, in an aerial photo of a field 1-½ miles across, you could detect an object about the size of a small notebook computer (1 foot by 1 foot).

For the second year in a row, first prize in Festimage goes to India. This year’s winner is Abhijit Nandi, a fellow countryman of Arup Ghosh, last year’s winner. Second prize goes to Frenchman Bernard Muller, with third prize going to Daniel Benito Machado Hernández, a Uruguayan creator of digital art living in Japan. The 4th place entry is that of Oleksandr Hnatenko, an Austrian of Ukrainian origin, and in 5th place is Spaniard. The People’s Choice Prize was won by Sergey Kozoderov, from Kazakhstan. The 1st prize amounts to 5.000 euros. The other prizewinners receive 2.500, 1.000, 750 and 500 euros. The people’s choice prizewinner gets 1.000 euros.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1 July 2008 - Nikon Europe is pleased to announce the introduction of an all-new FX-format digital SLR: the 12.1 megapixel Nikon D700, designed to enable many more photographers to enjoy the acclaimed image quality of the Nikon D3, but in a smaller form factor. ”The Nikon D3 has taken the action photography industry by storm, motivating many pros to change brands and we expect the D700 to continue that trend,” said Robert Cristina, Manager Professional Products and NPS at Nikon Europe. He added: “The D700 excels in the extreme low-light and high-contrast conditions under which today’s cameras are judged and affirms Nikon’s ongoing commitment to meeting tomorrows imaging needs too.”

Nikon have introduced 2 new tilt and shift perspective control lens, with 45mm and 85mm focal length and an aperture of F2.8.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1 July 2008 - Nikon Europe today introduced a brand-new flagship Speedlight - the Nikon SB-900 – that offers exceptional high-speed, high-power operation combined with an extended zoom range. The SB-900 incorporates a moving diffuser and light source that can zoom from 17mm to 200mm in just 1.2 seconds while maintaining an even light distribution. The versatile new flash provides a choice of three illumination patterns (centre-weighted/standard/even) that can be selected to suit a particular subject. “Nikon Speedlights are widely regarded to be the best in the business” said Robert Cristina, Manager Professional Products and NPS, Nikon Europe. “The new SB-900 propels flash lighting into the future with really exciting creative opportunities available at the touch of a button” he added.

Tokyo, Japan June, 24, 2008 Ricoh Co., Ltd. (president and CEO: Shiro Kondo) has announced today the development and release of the GX200. The GX200 is able to reproduce high quality images from edge-to-edge with low noise and natural gradation. This camera succeeds the award winning Caplio GX100 compact digital camera introduced in April 2007. The GX200 inherits the popular features of the GX100 such as a 24 to 72 mm (35 mm film equivalent focal length) high-performance wide-angle optical zoom lens on a 25 mm thin pocketable compact body, a wide variety of manual shooting functions, and a removable tilting electronic viewfinder. The new GX200 achieves increased resolution via its 12 megapixel CCD and dramatic noise reduction with the addition of the new image processing engine Smooth Imaging Engine III.

Announcement Date: 18 June 2008 - Fujifilm UK Ltd has announced the launch of a new 310x version of its CompactFlashTM card. The Fujifilm Professional UDMA enabled 310x CompactFlashTM card offers the fastest sustained write speed of any memory card available today. Using a specially designed controller and the latest SLC flash memory chips, the Fujifilm 310x CompactFlashTM card is available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities.

SAN DIEGO, Jun. 19, 2008 – Sony is expanding its a (alpha) system of accessories to include the new HVL-F58AM flash unit with exceptional features for versatile and flexible external lighting control. Quick Shift Bounce and Expanded Versatility This new flash features a new and innovative Quick Shift Bounce system. It offers more creative ways to achieve lighting, flash and bounce angles you may not have been able to experience before. The flash head can pivot 90 degrees left and right on a horizontal axis in addition to the conventional up and down vertical adjustment. With this system, the camera and flash unit can keep the same orientation regardless of portrait or landscape shooting. This gives a higher degree of flexibility when arranging the direction of light. For example, you can take full advantage of the flash unit’s built-in bounce card even during portrait shots since the flash head can maintain the same orientation as it would in the landscape position.

United Kingdom / Republic of Ireland, 10 June, 2008: Canon today announces the latest addition to its EX Speedlite flash unit range, the Speedlite 430EX II. A high-powered compact flash, the Speedlite 430EX II has a guide number of 43 (m/ISO 100 at 105mm) and an inbuilt wide panel to allow coverage suitable for wide angle lenses to 14mm. Replacing the Canon Speedlite 430EX, the Speedlite 430EX II offers fast, silent recycling and full control via the menu system of compatible EOS cameras. It is ideal for both amateurs and professionals seeking a versatile, all-purpose flash.

Lightweight, affordable and intuitive to use, the 10.1 Megapixel EOS 1000D offers the simplest way yet for aspiring photographers to enter the world of digital SLR photography. The Canon EOS 1000D is the perfect D-SLR camera for anyone looking to get creative with photography. It lets you carry on shooting wherever you are, from dark interiors to evenings spent outdoors. Capturing the vibrancy on a street, or once-in-a-lifetime holiday shots, is made easy by the camera’s ability to shoot at up to 3 frames per second. Plus, for shots of kids or friends at a party, the wide area auto focus system has 7 separate points to capture their most active moments.

GOLDEN, CO. (June 3, 2008). PENTAX Imaging Company has introduced the smc PENTAX DA 17-70mm f/4 AL [IF] SDM lens designed for exclusive use with PENTAX digital SLR cameras. This standard lens with extra zoom offers outstanding, well-balanced handling, and covers the most frequently used focal lengths between wide-angle and telephoto making it ideal for a variety of shots including scenery, snapshot and portraiture. Previously shown in February at PMA 2008, this lens features a 4.1X zoom ratio covering wide-angle to moderate-telephoto ranges, and covers a focal-length range from 26mm wide angle to 107mm telephoto in the 35mm format. When mounted on a compatible* DSLR camera body, the PENTAX-original SDM system driven by a built-in supersonic motor, offers exceptionally smooth, quiet autofocus.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 28 -- On the upcoming flight of space shuttle Discovery, planned for launch on May 31, 2008, KODAK Digital Technology will again be instrumental in capturing critical images and helping to safeguard the well-being of shuttle astronauts during re-entry back to earth. KODAK CCD Image Sensors are a key component of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, an in-flight imaging system attached to the end of a 50-foot robotic arm that is used by shuttle astronauts to scan the underside of the orbiter for possible damage before landing. The resulting high-resolution images are then analyzed to assess any potential spacecraft damage that may have occurred during lift-off or while in flight. This system is now available throughout the entire shuttle fleet to examine critical external surfaces before re-entry.

Announcement Date: 22 May 2008. Fujifilm is pleased to announce the launch of the new Fujifilm FinePix A850. The stylish new camera joins the existing FinePix A920 and A900 in offering high-end technology to every-day users who want pofint-and-shot simplicity at an affordable price point, but are not prepared to compromise on image quality. The FinePix A850 features a sharp Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens, an 8 Megapixel CCD sensor and ISO 800 sensitivity at full resolution.

Announcement Date: 22 May 2008. Fujifilm today announced the launch of the 10 Megapixel FinePix Z200fd, the latest addition to its popular range of ultra-slim, metal-bodied, high performance ccompact digital cameras. Despite being only 19.8mm thick the FinePix Z200fd is packed with state-of-the-art technology including a 5x Fujinon optical zoom lens, Fujifilm's acclaimed Face Detection technology, intelligent red-eye removal and Dual Image Stabilisation, as well as two brand new self-timer modes: Couple Timer and Group Timer.

Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Masaharu Okubo) today announced the launch of the E-520, the latest addition to the Olympus E-System series of interchangeable lens type digital SLR cameras. Featuring a built-in image stabilization mechanism functional at up to 33x* when used with ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses, the new E-520 is scheduled to be released at the end of May 2008. Main Features Thanks to a powerful built-in image stabilizer with a compensation effect of up to 4 EV steps**, image stabilization shooting is available at magnifications up to 33x over a wide range of focal lengths from super-wide-angle to super telephone when combined with ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses. Enhanced "Live View" shooting with new "High-Speed Imager AF" that provides users to the same ease of use available with a compact digital camera. "Face & Back Control" for clearer reproduction of both faces and backgrounds. Advanced new 10-megapixel Live MOS Sensor and TruePic III image processing engine.

Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Masaharu Okubo) is pleased to announce the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6, a super-wide-angle zoom lens compliant with the Four Thirds System standard for digital SLR cameras and scheduled for release by the end of 2008. Based on the Four Thirds System standard, Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses are interchangeable lenses with a digital-dedicated design that maximizes the performance of the image sensors used by digital SLR cameras. The newly announced ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 — which will join Olympus's Standard series*1 of Olympus interchangeable lenses, is a super-wide-angle zoom lens covering a wide focusing range equivalent to 18-36 mm on a 35-mm camera lens. Representing the commercialization of the "super-wide-angle zoom lens" described in the ZUIKO DIGITAL Interchangeable Lens Roadmap currently promoted on the Olympus website.

United Kingdom / Republic of Ireland, 25 April 2008: Canon today celebrates a new milestone in the history of D-SLR photography, as production of the company’s EF lenses – which began in 1987 with the birth of Canon’s EOS system – reaches 40 million. Incredibly, a quarter of these were produced within the last two-and-a-half years. With 67 models, the EF series is the world’s most extensive range of D-SLR lenses.

Vanessa Winship from United Kingdom has been named Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year, revealed at the VIP Gala Awards ceremony in Cannes. Her entry in the Portraiture category has beaten thousands of submissions to win the esteemed title, accompanied by a $25,000 cash prize. The final decision was made just hours before the ceremony by the Honorary Board, some of the industry’s highest regarded members, including Nan Goldin, Bruce Davidson, Tom Stoddart, Elliott Erwitt and Martine Franck. Over the past weeks they have been deliberating upon the professional photographers’ shortlist, chosen by the World Photographic Academy, and had a final meeting the day of the Awards to agree their decision.