Digital Camera News, 4/12/08

Sigma DP1 firmware update now available

Sigma announced new firmware for its DP1 advanced compact earlier in the week, but the update didn't actually go live until yesterday.

The now-available version 1.01 corrects some stability issues with the camera, fixes an image numbering issue in RAW mode, and provides a composition grid for almost all shooting modes.

To learn more or download the new version, visit Sigma's firmware updates page.

ViewSonic rolls out 10 new digital photo frames

As if we didn't already feel like there were a bewildering number of digital photo frame choices out there, 10 more can now be added to the list. In a press release this week, LCD monitor standby ViewSonic announced the launch of 10 new digital photo frames, in 7-, 8-, and 10-inch models, just in time for Mother's Day.

Prices start at $139 for the new models, which all feature the now commonplace interchangeable bezels that allow users to customize the frame's appearance to suit different decor. Seven of the new models sport 256MB of internal memory for photo storage (multi-function widescreen versions in each size have 128MB instead), and photos can be uploaded to any of the new models from a computer via a USB connection, directly from a USB flash drive, or from most camera memory cards.

Power from a built-in rechargeable battery means the frames can be mounted or placed anywhere – no plugs or wires needed – though depending on the projected per-charge battery life, this may or may not have been a good decision.

Built-in speakers in all of the new models allow users to customize slide-shows in the frame with background music. The three all-white multimedia models can play most common video file types as well. 

The new ViewSonic models don't offer a lot of glamour or new tech, but coming from a known monitor manufacturer we hope that, if nothing else, they'll be high-quality displays nonetheless. Find out more about the new offerings at www.viewsonic.com. 

Nikon's "my Picturetown" photo sharing site gets improvements

In a complimentary announcement to Nikon's recent unveiling of its new Wi-Fi enabled ultracompact, the Coolpix S52c, the company has announced upgrades and improvements to its "my Picturetown" photo sharing site.

The site, which previous and newly released versions of Nikon's wireless ultracompact have used as a default photo storage location (as well as a throughway for sending images to other sites like Flickr), also provides up to 2GB of free online photo storage (200GB are available with a paid account) and organization tools for other Nikon shooters and the general public.

For advanced shooters, the biggest news among the upgrades is the ability to upload RAW files in Nikon's NEF format and have them viewable as JPEGs via the site. More work has also been done to seamlessly integrate site function with Nikon's Wi-Fi cameras, including the S52c (which should hit stores next month), and the service can now receive photos uploaded via Eye-Fi's wireless SD card as well.

To learn more about the updates, visit www.mypicturetown.com.

New Adobe Lightroom, Camera RAW versions actually available

We announced last month that Adobe had released a new version (v.1.4) of Lightroom, the company's noted RAW workflow software, as well as a new version (v.4.4) of its Adobe Camera RAW converter for Photoshop CS3/Elements 6. Almost immediately, both updates were withdrawn due to several bugs, including EXIF modification issues, a problem with JPEGs from some sources, and a problem with DNG RAW files.

Adobe has now fixed all identified bugs with both updates, and the new, corrected versions (versions 1.4.1 and 4.4.1) are now available for download. As reported previously, in addition to improved color temperature control and grayscale processing in the conversion algorithm, the new tools provide "RAW file support for most of the DSLRs and RAW-shooting compacts released at PMA, including the Canon Rebel XSi, the Nikon D60, the Pentax K20D and K200D, the Fujifilm S100FS, the Olympus SP-570 UZ, and Sony's new Alpha models."

To download the latest versions, check out the current listing of available updates on Adobe's website.