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PMA - ORLANDO, FLORIDA -
Adobe was a big newsmaker at the Photo Marketing Association
trade show this week by announcing version 7 of Photoshop.
Adobe Booth
The Photoshop 7.0 upgrade was introduced with a
30-page magazine supplement, produced by the staff of Photoshop
User magazine. NAPP members will receive the supplement with
their next regular issue.
My assignment for the magazine was to cover
Photoshop 7's hot new feature, the Healing Tool and its
counterpart, the Patch Tool.
Essentially electronic Retin-A, the Healing Tool
is a variation of the Clone tool which magically erases wrinkles
and blemishes while maintaining the skin color and retaining
underlying texture!
I'll write more about 7.0's Healing Tool in
future columns. But what other wonders did PMA hold?
Sigma SD9
New Digital SLRs… The much heralded Sigma SD9
with the Foveon X3 chip was in Orlando… under glass! The factory
prototype wasn't available for handling but its film counterpart
was. The SA7 with a wide to medium zoom weighs close to three
pounds. The digital camera also appears to be a horse! Perhaps
the Foveon chip will produce color so terrific that obstacles of
the camera's size and weight, plus the proprietary Sigma lens
mount, and a whopping 1.7X mag factor will be overcome.
Canon showed its high-end SLR, the EOS-1D,
definitely a competitor for the Nikon D1X. More interestingly,
was the 6.1mp EOS D60, a more affordable SLR from its mid-range
of EOS cameras. Not to be outdone, Nikon introduced its
"affordable" D100 digital SLR, based upon the mid-range N100.
The last two cameras should run (body only) between $3,000 and
$4,000. Finally, a working version of the Contax N was at PMA in
a factory prototype model. By the time Contax gets this 6mp baby
to market, we should be rolling in 7-8 megapixel cameras.
Nikon Coolpix 2500
After two weeks of tantalizing hype, Nikon
showed the "new twist" in digital with the 2mp Coolpix 2500, its
twisting 3X zoom lens (a'la CP 99X) hiding in a jazzy
surrounding frame. 12 Scene modes, one-touch uploading and a
true shirt-pocket design, the 2500 is a neat addition to Nikon's
consumer line.
Also in Nikon's digital offering was a pair of
new speedlights including a tiny SB-30, an ideal companion to
the CP5000.
Leica Digilux 1
An intriguing partnership is that of Panasonic
and venerable Leica. The Leica Digilux 1 and Panasonic Lumix LC5
are essentially the same camera, sharing a 33-100mm f:2 zoom
lens and 3.9mp resolution. High point of these feature-packed
cameras is the whopping 2.5 inch LCD which ships with an
attachable pop-up sunshade (a'la Rolleiflex). The cameras use
the relatively new SD memory card. The Panasonic LC5 will retail
for $799 and you'll pay another $100 for the Leica nameplate.
Casio GV-1-
Taking a constant show at PMA was Casio's water,
dust and shock-resistant GV-10, a $349 go anywhere, shoot
anywhere camera. With 1.2mp resolution and only a 2X digital
zoom, this little Casio is limited but cute.
Pentax Digibino
Another behind-glass product was Pentax's
Digibino, a 7X roof-prism binocular with a built-in .83mp
digital camera with auto sensitivity of ISO 100 to 1600. With
shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/8000 second, this unusual device
is a bird watcher's dream. 16x20 prints were exhibited and even
shot a low resolution, were exquisitely sharp. I can't wait to
get my hands on this one for review.
I'll continue PMA coverage next week with some
more exciting digital news. Plus a reminder from the sponsor.
Photoshop World 2002 opens March 14 at the San Diego Convention
Center. Hope to see you there! |