Bob Atkins Photography

Getty Images Up for Sale, Could Fetch $1.5 Billion - New York Times

2008-01-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

Getty Images Up for Sale, Could Fetch $1.5 Billion - New York Times: "Getty Images, the world’s biggest supplier of pictures and video to media and advertising companies, has put itself on the auction block and could fetch more than $1.5 billion, people briefed on the situation said Sunday."

Herbert Keppler - Obituary - New York Times

2008-01-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

Herbert Keppler - Obituary - New York Times: "Herbert Keppler, a publisher and columnist at leading photographic magazines who advised amateur photographers on everything from lenses and shutter speeds to camera bags and tripods and who helped pioneer independent testing of camera equipment, died last Friday in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. Mr. Keppler, who lived in that village, was 82."

Canon produces 30 millionth EOS-series SLR camera

2007-12-20T05:47:00.000-08:00

TOKYO, December 20, 2007— Canon Inc. today announced the achievement of a new camera-manufacturing milestone as combined production of the company's EOS-series film and digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras passed the 30-million mark. Additionally, production of EOS Digital-series SLR cameras has passed the 10-million unit threshold.

The achievement coincides with Canon's 70th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the launch of its EOS line of SLR cameras. Shipment of EOS cameras began in 1987 from Canon Inc.'s Fukushima Plant (now Fukushima Canon Inc.), with production later moving to Canon Inc., Taiwan and the company's current main production base at Oita Canon Inc. In 1997, the 10th anniversary of the series, production reached 10 million units, and in 2003 it passed the 20-million mark. And now, a mere four years later, Canon reached the 30-million level.

More at http://www.canon.com/news/2007/dec20e.html

What's New - SIGMA CORPORATION

2007-11-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

What's New - SIGMA CORPORATION: "New Product Announcement; 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM (2007.11.14)"
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM lens. This autofocus fisheye lens is designed for use with digital SLR cameras equipped with APS-C size image sensors.

What's New - SIGMA CORPORATION

2007-11-14T21:32:00.000-08:00

What's New - SIGMA CORPORATION: "New Product Announcement; 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM (2007.11.14)"
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM lens. This autofocus circular fisheye lens has an angle of view of 180 degrees in all directions. It is exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras with the APS-C size image sensor.

KODAK PROFESSIONAL: Film Discontinuance Notice

2007-11-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

KODAK PROFESSIONAL: Film Discontinuance Notice: "November 2, 2007 KODAK is preannouncing the discontinuance of several smaller running families of Professional film - EPR, EPN and High Speed Infrared (HIE) effective end of December 2007. Demand for these products has been declining significantly in recent years, and it is no longer practical to continue to manufacture given the low volume, the age of the product formulations and the complexity of the processes involved. We will continue to ship product through the end of this year."

EETimes.com - SD card brings Wi-Fi links to digital cameras

2007-11-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

EETimes.com - SD card brings Wi-Fi links to digital cameras: "A family get-together in New York sparked a career change that turned a trio of telecom ASIC engineers in Silicon Valley into consumer electronics entrepreneurs. The first results of that change arrived last week in the form of Eye-Fi, an 802.11g card for digital cameras ... The resulting Eye-Fi card fits into an SD slot and automatically sends pictures to a local PC or Mac, or to an online site based on preset user preferences. The $100 card went on sale Oct. 30 on a variety of online sites including Amazon and Wal-Mart."

Samsung Reveals World's First 30nm-class 64Gigabit NAND Flash, for High-Density Storage Cards

2007-10-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

Samsung Reveals World's First 30nm-class 64Gigabit NAND Flash, for High-Density Storage Cards: "SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leader in advanced semiconductor technology, announced today that it has developed the world‘s first 64 Gigabit (Gb) multi level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory chip – using 30-nanometer (nm)-class process technology. The flash memory device represents a major leap forward in the move to higher density flash storage solutions at a time of exploding demand for flash as the main storage medium in computing and other digital applications. A maximum of 16 64Gb flash devices can be combined to make a 128 Gigabyte (GB) memory card that can store 80 DVD resolution movies or 32,000 MP3 music files."

EEOC and B & H Reach $4.3 Million Settlement In National Origin Discrimination Case

2007-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

EEOC and B & H Reach $4.3 Million Settlement In National Origin Discrimination Case: "NEW YORK – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today filed a complaint and entered into a consent decree in federal district court with B & H Foto and Electronics Corp., resolving a national origin discrimination case on behalf of Hispanic workers at one of the largest retail sellers of photographic, computer and electronic equipment in the metropolitan area. The EEOC’s lawsuit, filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 alleged that B & H paid Hispanics in its warehouses less than non-Hispanic workers and failed to promote them or provide them health benefits based on their national origin (EEOC v. B & H Foto and Electronics Corp., No. 07- CV-9241). The court filed complaint is resolved simultaneously through the voluntary settlement of this matter by consent decree under which B & H agrees to comply with the requirements of Title VII; equalize the wages of Hispanic employees to their non-Hispanic coworkers; and to work with the EEOC in a claims process to distribute $4.3 million in monetary relief to individuals who were paid less, not promoted, or denied benefits because they are Hispanic. “We commend B & H for working cooperatively with us to resolve this matter without protracted litigation,” said EEOC New York Trial Attorney Louis Graziano. "

Kodak to end Olympics sponsorship after '08 games | Reuters.co.uk

2007-10-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Kodak to end Olympics sponsorship after '08 games | Reuters.co.uk: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - When the Beijing Olympics closes in August 2008, more than a century of 'Kodak Moments' at the global sporting event will also come to an end. Eastman Kodak Co (EK.N: Quote, Profile , Research) said on Friday it will end its Olympic sponsorship after the 2008 Beijing Games, part of a redirection of the company's marketing strategies as it completes a long expensive move from photographic film to digital products."

Sony technology focuses on smiles - MSNBC Wire Services - MSNBC.com

2007-10-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Sony technology focuses on smiles - MSNBC Wire Services - MSNBC.com: "TOKYO - If a picture's worth a thousand words, then how much is a smiling photo worth? About $350 based on Sony's new 'smile shutter' cameras. Using face-detection technology, the 8-megapixel, DSC-T70 and DSC-T200 Cyber-shot cameras won't snap a high-definition picture until a selected subject smiles."

The last moments of photographer gunned down by Burmese troops as nine die| News | This is London

2007-09-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

The last moments of photographer gunned down by Burmese troops as nine die| News | This is London: "These are the shocking images from Burma of a Japanese journalists as he lay dying after soldiers opened fire on thousands of anti-government protesters. Kenji Nagai held his camera above his head to continue taking photos even as a soldier pointed a gun at his chest."

San Jose Mercury News - Earth-imaging satellite launched into space

2007-09-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

San Jose Mercury News - Earth-imaging satellite launched into space: "VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.—A rocket carrying a next-generation Earth-imaging satellite blasted off Tuesday on a mission that promises to zoom in on objects as small as 18 inches across."

SiliconRepublic.com: USB to be 10 times faster

2007-09-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

SiliconRepublic.com: USB to be 10 times faster: "19.09.2007 - The new ultra-fast USB 3.0 standard which should have a data transfer rate of 600mbps, developed by Intel, HP, Microsoft, NEC Corporation, NXP Semiconductors and Texas Instruments, is planned to launch early in 2008. USB 3.0 will be backwards-compatible with older versions but will also be future-proofed for optical ability. It will furthermore be designed for lower power consumption and improved protocol efficiency. Intel revealed yesterday that along with other industry leaders, it has formed the UBS 3.0 Promoter group to work together and get this technology out as quickly as possible."

World's biggest digital camera to join asteroid search - space - 04 September 2007 - New Scientist Space

2007-09-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

World's biggest digital camera to join asteroid search - space - 04 September 2007 - New Scientist Space: "The world's largest digital camera has been installed on a new telescope designed to hunt for potentially dangerous asteroids. The camera was installed on the PS1 telescope in Maui, Hawaii, US, the first of four telescopes being built as part of a project called the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS). Pan-STARRS will make frequent scans of the sky, searching for asteroids that could pose an impact threat to Earth (see New telescope will hunt dangerous asteroids). Typical consumer digital cameras offer imaging chips just a few millimetres across. The new Pan-STARRS camera, by contrast, boasts a light-detecting surface that spans 40 centimetres. Sixty separate chips lie on that surface, providing a total of 1.4 billion pixels."

» 50 terabyte flash drive made of bug protein » USB Powered Gadgets and more..

2007-08-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

» 50 terabyte flash drive made of bug protein » USB Powered Gadgets and more..

A prototype USB drive using bug protein to store data in the neighborhood of around 50 terabytes worth of data could be here in less then 18 months. This idea first started out by coating DVDs with a layer of protein so that one day solid state memory could hold so much information that storing data on your computer hard drive will be obsolete, says Professor V Renugopalakrishnan of the Harvard Medical School in Boston while reporting on his findings at the International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Brisbane this week.

Sigma - Photo Contest

2007-08-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sigma - Photo Contest: "Sigma Corporation of America is pleased to announce its third photo contest “Summer Dreams.” This contest is for U.S. residents only. All entries must be received by Sigma Corporation of America by September 30, 2007. The Winners will be announced October 31, 2007. Please follow the links on the left for contest details, eligibility information, and entry forms"

Joe O’Donnell, 85, Dies; Long a Leading Photographer - New York Times

2007-08-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Joe O’Donnell, 85, Dies; Long a Leading Photographer - New York Times: "Joe O’Donnell, who took some of the first disturbing pictures after the nuclear bombing of Japan and also captured lastingly famous scenes as a longtime White House photographer, died last Thursday in Nashville, where he made his home. He was 85."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Photo tool could fix bad images

2007-08-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

BBC NEWS | Technology | Photo tool could fix bad images: "Digital photographers could soon be able to erase unwanted elements in photos by using tools that scan for similar images in online libraries.
Research teams have developed an algorithm that uses sites like Flickr to help discover light sources, camera position and composition in a photo.
Using this data the tools then search for objects, such as landscapes or cars, that match the original. "

New NFL Vest Rule (With Sponsor Logos) Has Some Seeing Red

2007-07-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

New NFL Vest Rule (With Sponsor Logos) Has Some Seeing Red: "(July 18, 2007) - The National Football League has passed a new rule for the upcoming season that requires photographers at NFL games to wear red vests with Canon and Reebok logos on them, and the news is not being very well received by some editors and photography directors as word spreads through the journalism community.

David Shribman, executive editor of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in the NFL Steelers' hometown, responded to the news today by saying: 'We're not going to become walking billboards. I hope that NPPA will challenge this and they have our support.'"

asahi.com : Nikon tops Canon in digital SLR sales - ENGLISH

2007-07-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

asahi.com : Nikon tops Canon in digital SLR sales - ENGLISH: "Nikon Corp., buoyed by the popularity of its D40 model, sold more digital single-lens reflex cameras than rival Canon Inc. in the first half of 2007.

Nikon clinched a 47.5-percent share of the domestic market from January to June, surpassing Canon's 36.5 percent, according to Tokyo-based market research firm BCN Inc.

It was the first time that Nikon has held the top spot over a half-year term, although it had done so on a monthly basis before."

Fritz & Gisela Pölking, Nature Photography

2007-07-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Fritz & Gisela Pölking, Nature Photography
I'm sad to report that the well known nature photographer Ftitz Pölking passed away on July 16th 2007.

Canon to build $451 mln factory for key camera part | Reuters

2007-07-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Canon to build $451 mln factory for key camera part | Reuters: "TOKYO (Reuters) - Canon Inc. will invest about 55 billion yen ($451 million) to build a new factory in Japan to double its production capacity of image sensors used in digital cameras...

The factory will make complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), a component used in digital cameras and video cameras to convert light into an electric signal...

The CMOS chips will be used in both single lens reflex (SLR) models as well as in some compact models. Canon's compact cameras have to date used a different type of image sensor called a charge-coupled device (CCD)."

John Szarkowski, Curator of Photography, Dies at 81 - New York Times

2007-07-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

John Szarkowski, Curator of Photography, Dies at 81 - New York Times: "John Szarkowski, a curator who almost single-handedly elevated photography’s status in the last half-century to that of a fine art, making his case in seminal writings and landmark exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, died in on Saturday in Pittsfield, Mass. He was 81."

Rough road ahead for 'Arizona Highways'

2007-07-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Rough road ahead for 'Arizona Highways': "Founded in 1925 by the state Department of Transportation, Arizona Highways has always been a hybrid. The magazine is blocked from selling ad space, the lifeblood of most publications, by state law. Without commercial entanglements, publishers were able to create a unique editorial identity, covering offbeat places and people rather than standard tourist attractions pushed by advertisers.

They also made Arizona Highways a pioneer in photography, especially color reproduction, using pictures from some of America's greatest landscape photographers. The first all-color edition, in 1946, featured a cover photo of Navajo children taken by Barry Goldwater. "