Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro Digital SLR: A Cam for All Reasons
Fujifilm’s long-awaited follow-up to the FinePix S2 Pro, the S3 is packed with even more next-generation technology to produce some of the finest pics possible in a digital SLR. This 12.3-megapixel camera’s much-ballyhooed improvement is its unique Super CCD sensor, which sports an incredibly wide dynamic range. Its improved sensitivity, low noise and realistic colour reproduction make it the perfect tool for portrait or event photographers. Add to that a firm, contoured body and a bright two-inch LCD, and you have a tempting toy for beginner and pro alike.
Price: $3,300 (CAN), $2,500 (US)
5 FACTS ABOUT FUJI:
(1.) It uses four rechargeable AA batteries that last for about 450 shots, ideal for portability.
(2.)Comes with a gigabyte of storage space, with the option of upgrading to six — a smart investment considering the size of the pics.
(3.)Fujifilm’s enhanced Super CCD uses large, high-sensitivity R-pixels and smaller S-pixels for an expanded dynamic range .
(4.)Based on consumer feedback, Fujifilm wisely included an easily accessible release button for vertical photography.
(5.)The S3 significantly improved on its predecessor’s startup time: It’s up and ready to shoot in half a second.
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Kreisen KR-320T 32” LCD TV: Low Cost, High-Definition
You might not have heard of Kreisen yet, but with its KR series of high-definition LCD TV sets, the San Jose company has earned widespread consumer interest and accolades. Why? Because it offers solid high-def viewing in a striking design, at some of the lowest prices available. The 32-inch KR-320T features a 1366 x 768 native resolution picture, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 16.7 million colours and wide viewing angles of 176 degrees — for nearly half the price of most equivalent offerings on the market. With LCD panels supplied by Samsung, you can rest assured its technology is reliable.
Price: $1,750 (CAN), $1,499 (US)
5 FACTS ABOUT KREISEN:
(1.)Features progressive scan, 4-line digital comb filter, picture status memory and single-tuner picture-in-picture.
(2.)Comes with an intelligently designed, backlit remote — a rarity with TV sets at this price point.
(3.)Includes two 10-watt stereo speakers attached to the sides, plus the set features automatic volume adjustment.
(4.)Equipped with the proprietary Digital Perfect Creation Engine to faithfully reproduce digital video signals into more natural colours and resolution.
(5.)Dimensions are 36.6 x 8.3 x 22 inches and it weighs 42.5 lbs, meaning it can be set up easily or wall-mounted.
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Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition Photo Printer: A Photo Lab Anywhere
With the PictureMate Deluxe, digital photography enthusiasts can finally say goodbye to the photo lab forever. The souped-up edition of Epson’s celebrated PictureMate prints beautiful, smudge-proof 4 x 6 glossies up to 40 per cent faster than its predecessor. Using high-quality archival inks, the prints outlast film-processed photos by up to four times. The PictureMate features PC-less printing, and you can plug in your memory card and make surprisingly elaborate edits on its 2.4-inch LCD.
Price: $320 (CAN), $250 (US)
5 FACTS ABOUT EPSON:
(1.)For the true techie, accessories let you print from your car or even your cell phone, via Bluetooth.
(2.)Photo options include borderless, mini-wallets, print-by-date mode, thumbnailed proof sheets and a collection of Disney-themed borders.
(3.)PictureMate’s optional internal battery is rechargeable and supports two hours of non-stop printing, so you can print photos anywhere.
(4.)Archived correctly, PictureMate’s waterproof photos will last up 200 years, about 25 times longer than other home prints.
(5.)In 1968, back when it was called Shinshu Seiki Co., Epson released the world’s first electronic mini-printer, the EP-101.
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Brother MFC-7420: Home Office Hero
For the entrepreneur who wants it all, a multi-function centre (MFC) is the office manager of your business dreams. Brother’s MFC-7420 can print, fax, copy and scan with a high-quality monochrome laser output. Heavy-duty workers will appreciate the 20 pages-per-minute printing speed and the graphically minded can rest easy with the colour scanner’s 9600 x 9600 dpi resolution. The hearty hub comes with a toner cartridge good for 1,500 pages, while the drum units last for about 12,000 pages. Unfortunately, it doesn’t yet include a built-in espresso maker.
Price: $410 (CAN), $335 (US)
5 FACTS ABOUT BROTHER:
(1.)Copies at 20 pages per minute at 300 x 600 dpi.
(2.)Brother Canada was established in 1960 and is headquartered in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec.
(3.)Brother Canada offers 20 different inkjet and laser MFCs for purchase.
(4.)Features a 14.4 Kbps fax and 16MB RAM .
(5.)Brother is also known for its state-of-the-art sewing machines and
label makers.
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Adobe CS2: Designer Toolbox
“Look at this picture I Photoshopped.” Like Google and Xerox, some product names have morphed into verbs, and parent companies can smile proudly at how their offspring brands have leaped off to the shelf into everyday language. Adobe is one of those proud parents.
Adobe’s latest bundle, Creative Suite 2, fits nicely with any user who wants to “coolify” pics with Photoshop or lay out pages with InDesign. In fact, InDesign is nipping at the heels at the once-ubiquitous Quark Xpress, which is losing steam amidst fierce competition and a sudden departure from Quark Inc.’s CEO. What this means for Adobe is that CS2 can corral doubtful designers wary of Quark’s future — a task made easier by new offerings tailored for the finicky professional.
Price: $1,500 (CAN), $1,230 (US)
FEATURES:
PHOTOSHOP CS2:
Included with the usual basket of editing goodies are several newcomers worth noting. Vanishing Point lets you clone, paint and paste visuals that match the perspective of the surrounding image area. The Smart Objects feature allows drawings from Illustrator to be scaled and rotated without losing any resolution or quality. Package designers will especially appreciate Image Warp, which creates
mock-ups of stretched and wrapped images on any shape.
Video of Image Warp in action:
www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/pop_warp.html
ILLUSTRATOR CS2:
A graphic artist’s sidekick enjoys some improvements to its lineup, from the Live Trace feature, which converts bitmap images to editable artwork, to tighter integration with Photoshop. Especially useful is Live Paint, which allows you to colourize overlapped areas without any gaps. Save files in SVG format and import them to the screen of any
mobile device.
GOLIVE CS2:
Building Web pages may be easy for the savvy designer but GoLive makes the process even more painless. Users can preview changes to Web and mobile content in real time, and also track everything involved with the site.
INDESIGN CS2:
Known as one of the best layout programs available, InDesign doesn’t rest on its laurels with the latest version. Designers can now save options such as fill, stroke and drop shadow as Object Styles to easily work with other elements. Users can control the layers they see in imported Photoshop and PDF docs, and Snippets preserve the formatting and relative positioning of InDesign objects.
ACROBAT 7:
Adobe’s trademark PDFs get a nifty makeover with the ability to add comments during design reviews and correct problems without having to recreate the file. Prepress errors can now be avoided with new warnings for total ink coverage and overprints.
Adobe Bridge:
This is the hub of the suite, where you can view image thumbnails and slide shows, access Adobe Stock Photos and run automated operations. Powerful file-searching saves time and stress.
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This article is part of Digital Journal’s national magazine edition. Pick up your copy of Digital Journal in bookstores across Canada and the United States. Or subscribe to Digital Journal now, and receive 8 issues for $29.95 + GST ($48.95 USD).
