According to the analysis of user trend in Japan for the most popular camera sales ranking from 5/14 to 5/20. The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ3 took the number one spot for a continuous of 3 weeks. This camera is the latest members of the award-winning Lumix TZ family of digital cameras, which is renowned for packaging a remarkable 10x optical zoom in a compact, stylish body. To further add to their appeal, the TZ3 go one step further to feature a 28mm wide-angle Leica DC lens (equivalent to 28-280mm on a 35mm film camera) for wide-angle shooting.

The Olympus Camedia SP-550UZ camera took the number 2 spot pushing the Canon IXY Digital 900IS down to number 3. The Camedia SP-550UZ is a digital camera with 18X optical zoom (28-504mm equiv.), a 7 Megapixel CCD sensor, 5.6x digital zoom, a 2.5-inch LCD display, ISO up to 5000 and anti-shake protection.

Number 3 is the Canon IXY Digital 900IS, US name of Canon PowerShot SD800 IS Digital ELPH. This camera offers a focal length range of 28 – 105mm (35mm equivalent), and a 3.8x optical zoom lens allows photographers to capture wider panoramas, architectural photos and group shots. The lens incorporates Canon’s optical Image Stabilizer to counteract the effects of camera shake for steadier performance in low light, at full zoom or when shooting from moving vehicles.

The Fuji FinePix F31fd dropped 4 ranking down to the 9th position, and the only DSLR camera that made it to the top 10 is Pentax K10D, at number 10 ranking. Here’s the top 10 ranking between 5/14 - 5/20 in Japan:

1. Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ3
2. Olympus CAMEDIA SP-550UZ
3. Canon IXY DIGITAL 900IS
4. Olympus μ770SW
5. Nikon COOLPIX P5000
6. Ricoh R6 DIGITAL
7. Kodak EasyShare V705
8. Ricoh GR DIGITAL
9. Fuji FinePix F31fd
10. Pentax K10D
    

Website : Japan Most Popular Camera Ranking - May 14 to May 20

LOOK3, a three-day “Festival of the Photograph,” will take place in Charlottesville, Va. June 7-9. The festival is a not for profit celebration of photography created by photographers. It will feature various exhibitions, programs, master classes and interviews with famous photographers. This year’s festival theme is “Serendipity,” and there will be numerous exhibits illustrating the topic.

Outdoor projections of new talent along with works from established photographers such as Sally Mann, William Albert Allard and Eugene Richards will be available for viewing. There will also be evening broadcasts by NPR’s Alex Chadwick featuring interviews with various photographers. Chadwick will also host his show “Day to Day” from the festival.

Each activity in the festival features a unique name. “Shots,” a celebration of the festival’s beginnings, will feature a collection of up and coming photographers. “Pages,” a multiple-location show celebrating the year’s best published work from around the globe, will be projected onto storefront windows and outdoor walls. Special two-hour-long presentations of work by photography greats David Alan Harvey, Maggie Steber, Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, called “Masters,” will be featured each day.

University of Virginia architects designed “YouSpace,” an interactive exhibit that allows attendees to print or project their own work. The grand finale of the festival, “Works in Progress” will take place in the outdoor ampitheater. The finale will feature live music and renowned photographic works projected on a giant screen.

“This festival is for people who love photography and the image, but it isn’t just for those who take pictures,” says National Geographic photographer and co-director of the festival, Michael Nichols. “For every photographer out there, there are 10 people who appreciate the photograph. You don’t have to have any membership to come to this. You just have to show up and have a great time.”

Website : Three days of peace, love, and photography

AKVIS Enhancer is image enhancement software that improves local contrast and detects detail in underexposed, overexposed and mid tone areas of a photo. AKVIS Enhancer brings out details by intensifying color transition. It means that Enhancer strengthens the difference between adjacent pixels having different color gradations and therefore allows revealing not only details in the shadow but even details in the overexposed and mid tone areas.

The tool is useful in cases when a photo has an uneven exposure. For example, when a picture has been taken with the background overexposed and consequently the foreground is hardly discernible, which is especially annoying when you take a picture of a person; or when a photo lacks dramatic effect due to vagueness of the scene.

AKVIS Enhancer plugin that integrates into your image processing programs adding new features. The plug-in is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Corel (Jasc) Paint Shop Pro, Ulead Photo Impact, etc. You can download from below and use the software 10 days free of charge.

Website : AKVIS Enhancer V.6.0: Improving Detail with Uneven Exposure

Download : AKVIS Enhancer — Windows-version (PlugIn)

Download : AKVIS Enhancer — Mac-version (PlugIn) - Photoshop CS3

Download : AKVIS Enhancer — Mac-version (PlugIn) - Photoshop 6-CS2, Photoshop Elements, GraphicConverter, etc

Microsoft has started up a promotional contest for its Windows Live Spaces blogging service. The contest focuses on amateur photography: “Just post pix to your Windows Live™ Spaces, enter them in the contest, then get your friends to vote daily for your chance to win prizes!”:

• Create a Space: Create your very own site and blog in minutes with Windows Live™ Spaces. Then post your photos and enter the Get Real photo contest!
• Post Your Pics: Show off your best real-life moments. REAL friends. REAL stories. REAL connections. You submit up to 15 of your best photos daily for a chance to win REAL COOL prizes! Learn more below.
• Vote for Favorites: It’s time to see which dog will have his (or her) day. Did you beg your friends to “pick me”? The best in show each day wins a prize and is then entered to win the Get Real Grand Prize, a Toshiba 42″ Hi-Def LCD TV ($1,700) along with a Canon PowerShot G7 digital camera ($359). Daily vote limit: 1 vote per person and 5 votes per IP
• The Contest begins at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on May 14, 2007 and ends at 11:59 PM PT on June 30, 2007.

Website : Windows Live Spaces Photo Contest

Website : Photo Contest Daily/Weekly Winners

Nikon is currently offering a “Buy Both and Save” rebate for customers who purchase one DSLR and one Coolpix camera. When bundled together, customers can receive up to $50 back on select Coolpix point-and-shoot models.

The mail-in rebate offer is valid from May 1 to June 30. Qualifying Nikon customers will receive $50 cash back on Coolpix P-series and S-series purchases or $25 back on L-series cameras. Nikon DSLRs that qualify for the rebate

• D2Xs Body
• D2Hs Body
• D200 Body or Kit
• D80 Body or Kit
• D50 Body or Kit
• D40x Body or Kit
• D40 Body or Kit

Nikon Coolpix cameras that qualify for rebate

• P1, P2, P3, P4, P5000 - $50 rebate
• S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7c, S9, S10, S50c, S200, S500 - $50 rebate
• L1, L2, L3, L4, L6, L10, L11, L12 - $25 rebate

Download : “Buy Both and Save” rebate form

PopPhoto hands on review on the newly announced Olympus E-510 and E-410, here’s a quick summary of the article, “The E-510 packs a significant advancement over the E-410 and all Evolt DSLRs: mechanical image stabilization. This chip-based system works like those on the Sony Alpha 100 and Pentax K10D. Unlike the lens-based IS systems from Canon, Nikon, and Panasonic (Leica), which charge a premium for each imagestabilized lens, the Olympus system works with all legacy Four Thirds Standard lenses.

…The E-410’s battery is plenty powerful: Olympus claims up to 400 shots without Live Preview, and up to 200 with Live Preview on for 50% of the shots….Internally, both camera bodies rely on a metal frame across the camera back and a stainless steel lensmount in front to improve durability…Both cameras have dual card slots for CF and xDPicture Cards, and can store RAW, JPEG, or RAW + JPEG (at several compression settings).

For just $100 more, we think the E-510’s sensor-based IS system (plus larger battery, more comfortable hand grip, and external controls) makes it the better choice for serious photographers. In turn, the E-410 will appeal to entry-level DSLR shooters looking for a smaller, lighter, and more affordable camera body.”

Website : Hands On: Olympus E-510 and E-410 by PopPhoto

The Olympus E-410 is an unusually small and light 10 Megapixel digital SLR aimed at compact or super-zoom owners who are looking to upgrade, along with enthusiasts who want a camera they can use in situations where a traditional DSLR would be too cumbersome. It’s the latest model to employ the maturing Four Thirds DSLR standard and while priced as an entry-level product, there’s currently no Four Thirds body with a higher resolution. Here’s the conclusion:

“Like its predecessor, the Olympus E-410 has a lot going for it: it’s very small and light without compromising comfort or usability, there’s quick and easy access to all the settings, the resolving power and noise levels are comparable to the best 10 Megapixel DSLRs, and the SSWF anti-dust system remains unmatched. And while some will question the usefulness or implementation of the Live View facility, we found it offered genuine benefits.

The biggest problem facing the E-410 though is undoubtedly the lack of viable anti-shake options. Olympus may officially hide behind the line third parties can make stabilised lenses for it, but the fact is only one has so far and it’s both pricey and hard to track down separately. Someone urgently needs to produce an affordable and widely available stabilised lens for the Four Thirds fit, not just for the E-410, but for all existing Olympus DSLR owners. Surely they’d clean up.

Ultimately if stabilised optics aren’t a priority, the E-410 is a great choice. The body is extremely portable without compromising handling or comfort, the control system quick and easy to use, the SSWF filter remains the best around, and the Live View facility is both fun and useful. As such we can Highly Recommend the E-410 to anyone who wants a small and light DSLR, although we’d advise close comparison with the forthcoming E-510.”

Website : Olympus E-410 Review by CameraLabs

Tamron’s lens rebate starting from May 1 to August 31, 2007. Here’re the lens that’s in this summer promotion for rebate:

• SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro lens $ 90
• SP AF11-18 F/4.5-5.6 Di-II LDAspherical (IF) $ 50
• SP AF17-50 F/2.8 Di-II LDAspherical (IF) $ 10
• SP AF17-35 F/2.8-4 Di LDAspherical (IF) $ 10
• SP AF24-135 F/3.5-5.6 ADAspherical (IF) Macro $100
• SP AF28-75 F/2.8 Di LDAspherical (IF) Macro $ 10
• SP AF200-500 F/5-6.3 Di LD (IF) $ 30
• SP AF14 F/2.8 Aspherical (IF) $100
• SP AF90 F/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro $ 90
• SP AF180 F/3.5 Di LD (IF) 1:1 Macro $ 50

Download : Tamron Summer Rebate Form