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Photokina 2008: The Metadata Working Group, an alliance between Adobe, Apple, Canon, Microsoft, Nokia and Sony has published its first guidelines on the use of image metadata. The guidelines suggest methods to increase interoperability and storage of shooting settings and other associated data in digital images. It aims at standardizing the availability of metadata across all applications and devices, making it easier for users to create, organize and share their pictures. ...

Photokina 2008: Lens maker Tokina is working towards adding autofocus motors to its Nikon-mount versions, which will enable AF with the budget D40/D40x/D60 bodies. The first optic to benefit will be the popular AT-X Pro SD 12-24mm F4 (IF) DX wideangle (gaining a II suffix in the process), and a motorised version of this lens is being exhibited for the first time at Photokina; more lenses in the lineup are expected to be updated in due course. ...

Photokina 2008: Eye-Fi has announced enhancements to its range of WiFi-enabled SD cards. Upload speeds from camera to computer are now twice as fast, and existing owners will be able to avail themselves of this benefit by simply downloading a firmware update. Also from October 5th, users will be able to add on features such as web sharing, geotagging and hotspot access to their cards. In addition, Apple’s MobileMe and AdoramaPix have been added to the list of supported online services. ...

Photokina 2008: Kodak has designed a new line of advanced CCD image sensors to power the latest medium format DSLRs, including the Leica S2, Sinar HY6-65 and Hasselblad H3DII-50. The Leica S2 features the KAF-37500 37.5MP sensor with an imaging area of 45mm x 30mm, bringing in a completely new format; interestingly it also includes a novel slimline infrared filter, which wed guess could eventually find its way into a future Leica M sensor. The Sinar Hy6-65 sports the KAF-31600 34.6MP sensor with an imaging area of 46mm x 35mm, and the Hasselblad H3DII-50s KAF-50100 50MP, 48mm x 36mm sensor sets a new benchmark in medium format camera resolution. ...

Photokina 2008: SanDisk has today introduced new Compact Flash cards which offer increased storage capacity and faster read/write speeds. The Extreme III CompactFlash card now comes in a 32GB version with a speed of 30MB/s, and the Extreme IV CompactFlash card now comes in a 16GB version with a speed of 45 MB/s. In addition, the rest of the Extreme IV range has been upgraded to a read/write speed of 45MB/s.Press Release: ...

Photokina 2008: Adobe has lifted the lid on Creative Suite 4, the latest version of its huge design and production suite. Of most interest to photographers will of course be Photoshop CS4, which brings some interface changes (tabbed windows) as well as 64-bit Windows support and OpenGL support to use graphics cards to speed up operations (and provide nifty zoom and rotation tools) and a new non-modal approach to adjustment layers. Weve been using Photoshop CS4 in Beta form since May and will bring you more extensive coverage of all the new features once Photokina is behind us. ...

Photokina 2008: Fujifilm says its new Super CCD EXR technology will allow its next generation of premium compacts to produce high-ISO images "superior to the F31fd," while also offering improved dynamic range in other shooting conditions. The technology is already fully developed and will be integrated into the first camera in time for a spring 2009 launch. ...

Photokina 2008: Lensbaby has introduced three new lenses for selective focusing, and has named them the Composer, the Muse and the Control Freak. The Muse and Control Freak replace the current Lensbaby Original, 2.0 and 3G lenses. The Composer is first of its kind and is based on a ball and socket assembly, offering greater precision and ease of use. All the lenses feature a new Optic Swap System allowing the user to choose from four interchangeable optics (double glass, single glass, plastic and Pinhole). ...

Photokina 2008: Pretec has today introduced the highest capacity and fastest CompactFlash cards in the world. Under the highest capacity come the 64GB and 100GB, 233X CF cards with a read and write speed of 35MB/s. And the 333X CF cards in 32GB and 50 GB capacities have broken the record of the fastest read and write speed with 50 MB/s. Both the cards will start shipping this month. ...

Photokina 2008: Sigma has announced the DP2, a large sensor compact camera that will sell alongside the DP1. The new models specifications are largely identical to the DP1s but it comes with a 41mm (35mm equiv.) lens, rather than the 28mm equiv. lens of its sister model; the new lens is also a stop faster at F2.8 as opposed to F4. The DP2 additionally includes the True II image processing engine that appears in the new SD15 DSLR, which the company says offers improved processing speed, operation and performance. ...