We’re now designing albums for users of Loxley Colour! Contact us for more information and to discuss your requirements.

Some of you may be aware of a man called Ren Ng, who in 2004 began development of the Light Field Camera, a device capable of refocusing and image AFTER it had been captured. Pretty amazing stuff I’m sure you’ll agree, or perhaps frightening, if you take the view that it’s yet another way that the amateur is going to encroach on professionals’ and dilute the market further.

Nevertheless, it’s an astonishing concept, and one which should warrant closer monitoring, with a scheduled release date for a consumer point and shoot not too far off.

Have a look at the details and science behind the product at Lytro.

Here’s something that will appeal to our female photographers’ without a doubt. Robyn is already trying to think of ideas why she would need one of these beauties…

Pompidoo is a new brand of fashion styled camera bags, with many of the bells and whistles associated with something like a LowePro, but with catwalk credentials, making any owner proud to have something this good looking on their shoulder.

Here’s what Pompidoo have to say:

Pompidoo Press Release

PHOTO GEAR AND STYLE – IT IS POMPIDOO

A purse, home keys, a mobile phone, a cosmetic bag, an organizer…what else? A DSLR camera on top? Everything in one bag and still stylish? Impossible…you might say.

Not anymore. POMPIDOO is a modern answer to all women who respect style and quality, who are passionate about photography and aesthetics. POMPIDOO is a new brand for stylish camera bags where natural leather and well thought-out form are only a small part of all offered advantages. Modern design and functionality, which form the basis of the brand, creates a perfect tandem for those who value convenience and originality.

The idea of the invention has been developed by a professional photographer from Baltics Irina Kuzmina who knows exactly from her personal experience what a female photographer encounters on her everyday run. POMPIDOO camera bag is an alternative to a usual handbag – stylish, spacious and reliable. It is created to answer numerous issues of a female photographer: are you annoyed of looking like a tourist with a massive rucksack or a professional photo bag? Do you feel shy when carrying a photo rucksack not actually being a professional photographer? Don’t you want that thieves would put an eye on your photo bag? Are you tired carrying two bags – everyday handbag and a professional photo bag? Finally, do you want to match your camera bag with a dress and high-heel shoes? In this case a new stylish camera bag POMPIDOO meets all your expectations: for style and functionality.

Not only your mobile phone and notebook deserve a proper and stylish case. Now also your camera can be perfectly and conveniently packed for your everyday application, together with any other things you need and use. Equally cool for modern fashionistas and busy moms, active teenagers and serious business women, with POMPIDOO bags the functional becomes stylish. And POMPIDOO will not stay there – men will also become stylish with a male POMPIDOO model, which is coming soon.

POMPIDOO – we make functional things stylish!
www.pompidoo.com

And just so we don’t seem to be unfair, check out these wonders from Epiphanie Bags

Star Wars has tied up with the Microsoft bods and come up with this, an R2-D2 themed Xbox 360, with a C-3PO gold colour controller. The controller even has the trademark C-3PO wiring trailing it’s underside.

As you can see, R2’s colour scheme will be used for console, and it will also boast 320 GB of hard disc space, on par with the 320Gb PS3 system, while the controller is a blend of gold and black in honour of his shy and cumbersome buddy.

The package is set to be available later this year, and will also include a Kinect Star Wars game, a headset, a white Kinect and access to exclusive downloadable content.

Star Wars has also had Sony tie in’s, and Sony have traditionally followed the Empire, so we might see a Darth Vader PS3 sometime soon…

Leica announces the Leica M9-P: the essence of discretion. It’s another classic from the marque, offering all the quality and precise control and workmanship you would expect. From the files we have seen previously from the M8, this Pro variation of the M9 should be a pleasure to work with also.

This extract from their press release:

Leica today presents a new version of the world’s smallest, full-frame digital system camera: the Leica M9-P. This new model will sit alongside the Leica M9 in the company’s rangefinder portfolio, providing an alternative, even more discreet and resilient design that further reinforces the quintessential nature of the M9 – and particularly meets the needs of professional photographers. The new model will be available in a classic silver chrome or subtle black paint finish.

Offering the same technical specifications as the highly successfully Leica M9, the M9-P combines all the benefits of the original: compact size, full-frame, 18 megapixel 24 x 36mm sensor (35mm format), sophisticated image processing and robust construction, with features designed for the professional user or photographers who prefer a pure, even more unobtrusive styling.

The Leica M9-P includes a scratch-resistant, sapphire crystal covering on the LCD screen. This material is so tough that the screen can only be produced using special diamond cutting tools and is one of the world’s hardest materials. As a result, the sapphire glass LCD cover is extremely resistant to wear and almost unbreakable, meaning many years of reliable use. In addition, thanks to an anti-reflective coating on both sides of the cover, reviewing images on the display during composition and after capture is further improved, particularly in unfavourable lighting conditions.

The external covering of the body of the M9-P, finished in vulcanite leatherette, features a more coarselytextured finish that ensures a steady grip when shooting, making the M9-P feel particularly safe and secure in the hand.

A further understated feature of the Leica M9-P is its minimalist styling, which is focused on the most essential features. Many professional photographers using Leica cameras have been known to tape over the Leica ‘red dot’ logo to make their equipment as inconspicuous and discreet as possible. For this reason, the Leica red dot logo and the M9 lettering on the front have been omitted. Instead, the top plate is engraved with the Leica name in classic script form.

Since 1954, the Leica M system has represented an unmistakable, individual kind of photography and a very conscious photographic style. With a Leica M, the photographer becomes a ‘part of the action’ in the process of capturing challenging, authentic and creative images.
The rangefinder frames precisely the shot the photographer envisages, while allowing a clear view of the scene outside the viewfinder frame. This allows the photographer to predict the decisive moment and capture it discreetly and reliably at the right moment – in all fields of photography, from photojournalism, reportage and ‘available light’ to the capture of portraits and aesthetic, fine-art images.

Another significant advantage for unobtrusive photography is the almost silent shutter, a feature of both the M9 and M9-P. Moreover, when longer exposure times requiring an extremely steady camera stance are essential, only a slight pressure on the shutter release button in ’soft release’ mode is required. Photographers can also select the most appropriate moment for re-cocking the shutter.
The functions of the Leica M are consistently constructed for extreme durability and a long working life. The highest quality materials, intricate manufacturing processes and meticulous manual assembly at Leica’s facility in Germany guarantee functional reliability for years to come.

In line with Leica’s commitment to system compatibility, almost all Leica M lenses built since 1954 can be used with the M9 and M9-P – an important factor in the enduring value of the M series. The 18 megapixel image sensor, specifically designed and developed for the M9, enables capture of the full 35mm film format without any compromise. All M lenses mounted on the M9 and M9-P therefore offer the same focal length as originally intended, and the enormous potential performance of the extensive M lens portfolio, with focal lengths from 16 to 135mm, can be fully exploited by both cameras.

Samsung has launched a host of new SDHC memory cards, available in Class 4, 6 and 10 performance, wth super fast write speeds of up to 21Mb/s. See below what Samsung have to say, particularly their weatherproofing and ruggedness qualities:

Samsung UK Press Release

20th July 2011, London UK – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., has launched a new range of high performance SDHC/SD and micro SDHC/SD memory cards. All of the cards in Samsung’s latest memory line-up provide incredible read speeds of 24MB/s and have been designed to meet the growing need for faster data transfer from a mobile device, such as smart phone or digital camera, to a PC.

The new Samsung memory cards will be available in two categories: ‘Essential’ and ‘Plus’, providing a choice of card to suit every application.

The premium ‘Plus’ range of SDHC/SD and micro SDHC/SD memory cards have the highest available class 10 speed rating – for advanced data transfer speed and flawless transmission of full HD video – and also boast a class-leading write speed of up to 21MB/s. With data storage capacity of 8GB or 16GB, the cards are perfect for today’s memory-devouring devices and come with a 10 year limited warranty.

Samsung’s ‘Essential’ category of SDHC/SD and micro SDHC/SD memory cards have either a Class 4 or Class 6 performance rating and offer a write speed of up to 13MB/s. Available in capacities from 2GB to 16GB, the ‘Essential’ memory cards come with a 5 year limited warranty.

Extremely durable and reliable, the new Samsung memory cards have been designed to be ‘3 Proof’: Shockproof, waterproof and magnet proof – ensuring that valuable data won’t be lost, even in the harshest of environments. Shock-proof technology within the cards protects data from forceful impact and high pressure, including being crushed by a 1.6 ton vehicle, while an innovative Epoxy Moulding Compound covering provides a shield against dust and means the memory cards can withstand over 24 hours in sea water. The cards are also able to resist x-ray scanners and any type of widespread magnetic exposure.

All cards in the new line-up feature a stylish brushed aluminum finish and will be available from July 2011 in the UK. A class 10 SDHC/SD and micro SDHC/SD memory card with a massive 32GB capacity will be added to the ‘Essential’ range in September 2011.

Don’t forget we are now offering a Collection service on a Wednesday and Friday in the Kent, Surrey and the East Sussex area.  If this is something that interests you then please contact us via email or the ‘Call me’ section on our website for more details and costs.

This service is beneficial if your images are of a sensitive nature, or if you need them urgently on a Same Day or Next Day service.

We’re starting to see the 1st realisticaly priced SuperSpeed USB 3.0 compatible storage solutions and devices becoming available and we think it will improve workflow dramatically.

With transfer speeds up to a theoretical 4.8Gb/s, that’s 10x faster than USB 2.0, we will be able to upload and download weddings to storage devices in a fraction of the time.  In the real world however, expect around 3-5 faster than USB 2.0 and you’d be on the right path.  It’s merely due to current devices, such as eSATA drives, not being able to fill the USB 3.0 pipeline. 

We’re defintely going to take advantage of the speed boost and the good news is that almost all of the devices are backwards compatible with USB 2.0.

It seems that memory card capacity is expanding at a good enough rate to allow all of you photographers to keep up. 

With Canon expected to release a 32Mp 5D3 and a 40Mp 1Ds Mk4 later in the year, it will be a bonus to have cards such as these two, (Not so much for us!  We already struggle for space storing the larger files and backing up via cloud servers…).

Things are looking up though for data transfer and storage.   Have a look at the post above and bask in the glory that is USB 3.0!

Since the stir caused by the release of the original iPad, many photographers have began using the device to enhance their presentation to potential clients and as a quick access tool in conjunction with their main laptop or computer.

What does the new iPad 2 bring to the fore?  For starters, Apple have upgraded the hardware significantly, now incorporating a faster processor, in a thinner body, with built in camera’s front and rear, and more importantly, the ability to connect an SD card or camera directly to the unit via the Camera Connection Kit, which is sold separately.

This allows you to shoot and import images directly into the unit, although don’t be fooled into thinking that you can remote capture using the iPad 2, though we’re sure a 3rd party app will be along soon to allow this.  A huge, highly portable screen to view your images on, what more could you ask for?

Once your images have been imported, the Apple Photo app will sync with a copy of Lightroom or Aperture once connected to your computer. 

You could even use an app such as Photogene for iPad, which has a very useful set of tools that can edit images to a thoroughly satisfactory degree.  After that process, why not upload your batch to cloud server, Dropbox, and give yourself the immediate security of an online backup as well.

With Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 on the way, and many purported photography features coming, and more connectivity than the iPad, things are looking on the up for photographers wanting more versatility with their shooting.