TRUE 3D ON TV
EDRIC Audio-Visual are UK suppliers of a new system which offers true polariser-based colour 3D television or video by polarising alternate scan-lines on an LCD projection panel differentially. Needing neutral colour polarising viewer spectacles, the system introduces no colour fringes or loss of natural hues. It is called VRex-3D, and the cost of a panel together with 40 pairs of glasses is under £7,900. A 3D CAM-3000 video camera, and special notebook computer and software presentation programs for Windows, Macintosh and DOS are also available.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01753 884646, fax 01753 887163. E-mail address if available - .
VIRGIN'S PRAYER
VIRGIN Media has announced the first of what it calls an exciting series of new applications developed by its business software and solutions arm, New Media Solutions. ImageAXS is a program to catalogue and manage digital media including scans, sound clips, MPEG video and many different file formats on Mac and Windows. The program also has a CD authoring version, which has been used to create disks for Storm Model Management.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 229 1708, fax . E-mail address if available - .
STAR TREK
CORBIS Corporation, a company expanding into the business of photo libraries with an interest in digital distribution, has acquired the Starlight Collection created by photojournalist Roger Ressmeyer. These are images of space, science and technology. The archive will continue to operate independently providing conventional film images, but the pictures will also be available through Corbis Media, the US-based licensing division of Corbis.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 278 1387, fax . E-mail address if available - .
TYPESET QUALITY
QMSÕs new laser printer, the 1660EX, offers full bleed A3 and A4 printing at a full 1200 dpi resolution, equal to image and type setters. With a typical configured price of just under £6,000 (48Mb) it has a heavy-duty cycle of 35,000 prints per month. AppleTalk, Ethernet or Token Ring adaptors are however extra.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01784 42255, fax . E-mail address if available - .
MARRUTT GET METRUM
THE METRUM FotoPrint digital printer, which outputs computer image files on to conventional RA-4 colour paper with all the standard photographic qualities of colour and permanence, has a new UK distributor. Marrutt Limited has signed an exclusive deal to to sell the printer to the professional photographic market, where it has been an outsider despite its quality and the familiarity of the process. With its 20p per 10 x 8 print cost and 100 print per hour speed, Marrutt believe it can now be made into a standard fixture for labs and studios entering digital imaging and retouching.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01825 764057, fax . E-mail address if available - .
GLINT
A PC games board, the 3D Blaster from Creative Labs, uses a new Glint 3D processor chip which claims faster performance in texture rendering and 3D mapping than the best dedicated 32-bit console games. The Glint chip accelerates polygonal graphics, maps textures with true perspective, and permits fogging, blending, translucency, overlays and stencils. The professional version, Glint 300SX, accelerates applications such as CAD and modeling. However, the games version is likely to have some future impact on PC-based retouching, painting and photo-realistic rendering programs, through low cost and its acceptance by around 40 manufacturers in the high volume games market.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01784 476651, fax . E-mail address if available - .
CATCH THE LIGHT
THE LEAF Catchlight, an instantaneous and flash exposure compatible digital camera back for rollfilm and technical cameras offering a 1.2 inch square format and very high colour quality, is now in stock at Ilford Limited. Demonstrations are being held in their Tottenham Street, London, Digital Imaging Showroom. The Catchlight is unique in using a sensor which responds to four non-primary colours instead of red, green and blue. With a random pattern of special filter elements in colours such as ÔtealÕ which fall between the conventional primaries, the Catchlight uses Power Macintosh processor speed to interpret and convert the data from the CCD into RGB or CMYK information free from any pixel artefacts or problems with gamut.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 636 7890, fax . E-mail address if available - .
FARGO FUN
A DYE SUB colour printer claiming to offer 6 x 4 inch prints equal in quality to normal enprints is to be marketed by Fargo, whose Primera broke the price barriers for A4 dye sub last year. The FotoFUN costs only £349 retail, plugs in to Windows or Macintosh systems, can can print full-frame, 3 x 3 square, two-up 2 x 3 or four-up passport. Special media is available for printing your own postcards including the backprinted sheet, and for making dishwasher proof photo mugs. The supplies are however fairly high in cost compared to the printer Ð a ribbon and paper kit for 36 prints costs £39, for 36 postcards £43. A FotoMUG starter kit with four mugs, clamp, tape and instructions costs £39; refill kits with four mugs are £32, and with 12 mugs £63. The commercial potential of this system, for transferring digitised portraits with messages on to mugs, would only realised with resale prices around £10-15 per mug Ð no doubt bulk buying will in due course enable High Street operators to take advantage of it.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01268 419101, fax . E-mail address if available - .
A LARGE SCOTCH
3M COMMERCIAL GRAPHICS division will show their new Scotchprint Electronic Graphics System at Photo and Imaging Expo, Olympia, October 26-29th. This system includes a scanner, computer and large format electrostatic colour print together with 3M GraphicMaker software and Scotchprint permanent or removable self adhesive films, translucent film or reflective paper. Posters and prints can be produced for short-term indoor use or exterior durability depending on the choice of materials and finishing methods.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01344 858520, fax . E-mail address if available - .
JOEÕS ON-LINE
JOEÕS BASEMENT, the top London professional photo lab, has added e-mail and Mac-based fax reception to its Digital Solutions department. The new e-mail address is digital@joesbase.demon.co.uk, and the fax line is 0171 494 1274. The Digital department has added Photo CD transfer of all formats from 35mm to 4 x 5 inches. In the copying department, two new Fujix Pictrostat 300 printers have been added to the existing model 200. Conventional photography continues to prosper, as a new Kreonite Dip & Dunk processor is speeding up black and white process and contact to 3 hours, and the Pictrostat 300 machines enable E-6 slide film contact printing Ð at a combined price of only £9.95 + VAT for process and contact.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 434 9313, fax . E-mail address if available - .
NOW you ÔCÕÉ
DIGITAL CAMERAS fitted with C-mount lenses, such as the Kontron ProgRes or JVC, often suffer from the high cost and limited focusing range of standard video and cinŽ C-mount lenses. Those with 35mm system mounts often do not have a full range of lenses for scanning slides available. George Elliott & Sons Ltd now offer the Schneider Kreuznach Unifoc 58 focusing mount to solve both problems; it provides a focusing action, while accepting standard Leica thread enlarging lenses at one end, and a choice of C-mount, Nikon, Pentax or other SLR mounts at the other.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01959 562198, fax . E-mail address if available - .
STONE'S CREATORS
TONY STONE Images, one of the worldÕs leading picture libraries, has invested in two additional Barco Graphics Creator workstations for photo manipulation and retouching, bringing the total to four. The workstations are used to compose artwork and photography into new stock images, and were supplied by HK Productions.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01734 664611, fax . E-mail address if available - .
LOW COST DIGITAL
COLAB, the national professional laboratory chain, has launched a high quality scanning and output bureau service for photographers wanting to tackle their own Photoshop manipulation. Using flatbed scanners for artwork and prints up to A3, and transparency scanning from 35mm up to 10 x 8, they are avoiding the need for huge file sizes by educating photographers to understand the level of detail and sharpness available from a file around 10Mb. Film recorded output to 35mm or rollfilm completes the job and enables low-cost machine prints to be ordered.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01203 440404, fax . E-mail address if available - .
PAGEMAKER 6
ADOBE PAGEMAKER 6.0 incorporates, for the first time in a page design program, KodakÕs Precision Colour management system. PageMaker 6.0 no longer requires CMYK conversion of RGB scans, or the use of a separate printing utility like PrePrint. It also supports direct import of Photo CD images with colour transformations, and output to HiFi Color, which uses six or more inks to achieve a full photographic range of colours on the litho printed page. Other photographically important advances include simultaneous support for multiple colour management systems, Pantone Hexachrome, and direct use of Photoshop CIELab (Lab Colour mode) files and JPEG images. Some Photoshop filters can be applied directly within PageMaker 6.0, and double-clicking a Photoshop created image within PageMaker automatically opens it for editing in Photoshop. A copy of Photoshop LE is included on the deluxe CD-ROM version of PageMaker 6.0. The new release is available shortly for both Mac/PowerMac and Windows 3.1 or 95.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0181 606 4000, fax . E-mail address if available - .
LOW COST SCANNER
THE CLASSIC Microtek Scanmaker II 24-bit RGB colour scanner Ð which was good enough to be used for all the colour scans in this magazine for a year or so when it was the only choice at a reasonable price under £2,000 Ð has been slashed in cost to only £299 + VAT. This price, for Windows or Mac, includes Photoshop plug-ins and OmniPage Direct text reading software, but does not include Photoshop itself. The offer closes on September 30th.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0181 200 8282, fax . E-mail address if available - .
XPress BUNDLES
TWO BUNDLES which cut costs have been announced by Computers Unlimited Ð Quark XPress together with Macromedia Freehand 5.0, saving £146 off the list price of the two programs, and XPress together with Canto Cumulus PowerLite, an image cataloguing and retrieval program, saving £129. For Macintosh or Windows, the overall prices are £1,199 and £1,045 respectively; the Freehand bundle if bought for Power Mac is £1,299, all prices excluding VAT.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0181 200 8282, fax . E-mail address if available - .
QUANTUM for DCS
QUANTUM have a belt-clip battery pack available now for Kodak and Canon digital camera systems. The Battery 5 is a sealed lead-acid gel type and offers around five times the capacity of the standard nicads. It costs £152 + VAT.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0181 903 3435, fax . E-mail address if available - .
DESKTOP HELL
A HELL scanner for desktop computer system is available for the first time Ð the Linotype-Hell Saphir. An A4 600dpi flatbed scanner, Saphir comes complete with LinoColor Lite, a new version of the Linotype colour management software which is compatible with ColorSync 2.0. The cost will be £3,250 + VAT and availability is imminent.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01242 285071, fax . E-mail address if available - .
ROLLFILM SCANNER
A KODAK high speed desktop film scanner capable of handling popular rollfilm sizes up to 70mm duplicate Ð larger than 6 x 9cm on 120 Ð has been introduced by Kodak at under £7,000 + VAT, only £100 more expensive than the existing 35mm model. The RFS 3570 scans at 2,000dpi (35mm) to 900dpi (120), in times from one to two minutes, with a 36-bit colour depth. Profiles for several popular Kodak films, including black and white negative, and built-in to the scanner. Colour balance, autofocus and adjustable sharpening filters are all built-in. TWAIN compatibility allows Macintosh or Windows use via a standard SCSI interface.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01442 671122, fax . E-mail address if available - .
BANNER VINYL
SALLMETALL, the mounting material people from Holland, also make special substrates for giant inkjet and electrostatic printers. Their new E-Stat Banner Vinyl can be used outdoors, being waterproof, and receives the image by wet transfer from SIHL DE-077 type paper through a laminator press. The image is actually embedded in the vinyl surface. It is also possible to use a dry transfer Wearcoat process in which the back of the transfer medium acts as a laminate protection coat.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel (+31) 5720 52771, fax . E-mail address if available - .
ONE-SHOT SINAR
A COMPACT one-shot digital camera from Sinar, the DCS 465 has been designed in co-operation with Kodak and uses the 6-million pixel colour sensor together with live preview Sony 9 x 12cm LCD colour screen and PCMCIA data storage. It has a set of three special Sinaron Digital lenses sourced from Olympus Ð a 35-80mm Ä2.8, 24mm Ä3.5 shift, and 35mm Ä2.8 shift. The mirror housing is titanium, the optical path is built by Rodenstock, and the body has built-in panning, dual tilt and spirit levels. The back can be detached and used with the Sinar e and p2 studio monorail cameras. The cost of the DCS 465, which is suitable for both fashion and still life work, is around £30,000.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 278 7633, fax . E-mail address if available - .
EQUATOR DIGITAL
LONDON LAB Equator, of Tysoe Street, EC1, has invested £200,000 in a digital system supplied entirely by Ilford Limited. The system includes Apple PowerMacs, Leaf Lumina scanner camera and Leafscan 45 scanner (as used in our own offices); an Iris 3024 inkjet printer (as regrettably not usedÉ); and a Xerox MajestiK colour copier with EFI 2000i Fiery RIP (we wish!). Equator will now be able to handle short-run colour leaflet printing, digital proofing, fine art poster printing, 3D digital still life photography, and bureau scanning.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0181 636 7890, fax . E-mail address if available - .