EXPRESS PACKS
A COMPLETE new range of Tenba camera bags has been
launched under the title Express Pak. They are lighter in weight, have a
net pocket in the lid, and a new 'lens protector' divider system. The base
of each bag has a padded wooden insert to protect against shock. Prices
range from £29.95 for the smallest (103) to £49.95 for the 107 which
measures 24 x 22 x 16.5cm.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 01628 74411
PROCAM CASES
KINGSTON Cases, who launched the ProCam divider
system now being marketed by Lastolite, have decided to clear out their
warehouse of the many sample cases they made during this year's
development of their products. Slight seconds and discontinued models are
being offered at up to 50% discount, with the bonus of a free ProCam
divider kit. Finishes available in discontinued lines include checked or
ribbed alloy, black powder coating, smooth aluminium, or polycarbonate.
For a sales list and brochure, telephone Kingston.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01482 328946.
CLEAR AS GLASS
HASSELBLAD's new lens brochure provides full
technical information on all 23 different lenses for the prestige 6 x 6cm
SLR system. With full colour sample illustrations, the brochure is
available now free of charge.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0181 903 3435.
BLACK ELMAR
THE NEW Leitz Elmar 50mm f2.8 for M-series
rangefinders is now also available in black finish following its launch in
silver chrome at the beginning of 1995 to 'match' the retro-designed M6-J
camera. The lens has joined mainstream production as a result of demand
from photographers for its economy in both size and price.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel +49 (06442) 208-404.
PET PACKAGING
MINOLTA's Christmas gift packs of compact 35mm
cameras have an unusual pedigree - appealing puppy and kitten portraits to
liven up the boxes. The kits also include three 24-exposure ISO 400 colour
negative films, a camera case, and batteries so that they are ready to use
on the day. Minolta believe that the cute pet portraits will help convey
the user-friendliness of the camera. The prices are £319.99 for a Riva
135EX kit with RC-3 remote control, £269.99 for a 115EX, £199.99 for the
70W, £129.99 for the Zoom Pico, and £54.99 for the AF-101R.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01908 200400.
JUNIOR GEAR
THE JUNIOR Geard Head MN410 from Manfrotto is a new
compact tripod head with three-way movements that can be positioned
rapidly using an override, then finely adjusted using geared controls.
Suitable for 35mm and medium format cameras, the head has a quick-release
base plate, and costs £112.30 + VAT from branches of KJP and Manfrotto
stockists.For further information, contact (UK telephone number -
replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel
01908 366344.
600si BOOK
THE FIRST book on the Minolta 600si SLR has just been
published by Magic Lantern (Silver Pixel Press, Saunders Group, USA). Covering from Features and Functions through
to Advanced Camera Operation, the guide also has general sections on
Minolta lenses and accessories, the dedicated flash system. It is written
by Thomas Maschke and Peter K Burian and has 192 pages with over 100
colour and mono photographs. It costs £10.95. Magic Lantern has also
published 'Minolta Classic Cameras', with 208 pages, covering from the SRT
series of the mid-1960s all the way through to the 8000i. Written by
Robert E Mayer, it also costs £10.95. Magic Lantern Books are distributed
by Paterson Photax Group Ltd.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0121 522 2120.
FAST 80-200
TOKINA has introduced a sister lens to the 28-70mm
f2.6 PRO - an 80-200mm f2.8 with internal focusing, non-rating front
element, super-low dispersion glass, and a manual focus ring which can be
disengaged entirely from the AF mechanism for faster auto focusing. The
lens focuses down to 1.8m and is fitted with a tripod collar. In Canon EOS
fit it costs £1195, in Minolta or Nikon AF, £995.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01628 74411.
LOW COST GODARD
A GODARD flash head to compete in both amateur and
professional market has been introduced by the French manufacturer's UK
agents Microfield Scientific Ltd at under £300. The Genura is a very
compact 300WS head with three stop output selection, recycling in under
one second at full power, 1/2,000 flash duration and comptibility with
Godard system accessories. It uses a 100W 240V 'krypton' modelling lamp,
has a built-in slave cell, and fits standard 6.35mm jack synch leads. The
unusual body shape is 180 x 145mm in cross-section and around 270mm long
depending on the reflector fitted. A single head costs £289 + VAT, a
two-head softbox/brolly kit £760 + VAT, and a three-head kit £1,220 +
VAT.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01865
821348.
CHARGES CUT
THE PRO Centre in London's Mallow Street has cut its
weekend rental rates for equipment by offering a long weekend including
Monday hire for the price of only a single day. You can collect equipment
on Friday after 4pm, and return it the following Tuesday. The move is
intended to give a fairer deal for those needing gear for Monday shoots
(the Pro Centre opens normal weekday hours only) but will benefit
photographers hiring studio space at weekends.For further information,
contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international
dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 490 3122.
BOXED BLITZ
A COMPLETE mono flash head in a box Ð with its stand,
reflector, umbrella and carry-case Ð has been packaged up by Prolinca, the
British manufacturer working under licence from Elinchrom to make
compatible flash heads with simple specifications. The kit is available
with either the 125 or 250 head; prices start at £249 including VAT.For
further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero
with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 837 6163.
FULL STRETCH
LASTOLITE is stretching budgets, studio space and
portraits simultaneously with a promotion for a special size of
background, available only until December 31st. They have taken some of
their most popular colours, and made a new 6 x 7ft size panel (the usual
is a 5 x 6ft three-quarter length collapsible background). As this on its
own is not enough to enable full-length work, they have added an integral
6ft floor apron, which the subject stands on. The unit still collapses
into a 34Ó diameter bag Ð and the backdrop only costs £15 more than the
standard version, at £99.99.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 01530 813381.
DUAL PURPOSE
THE NEW Reflector/Umbrella from Lastolite can be used
two ways Ð in the first position, as a shallow square umbrella, and with
the frame pushed further forward, as a reflector. The 45 inches square panel is
reversible, and available in White Translucent, Silver/White, or
Gold/White. It costs £24.95 inclusive of VAT.For further information,
contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international
dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01530 813381.
ONE SOLUTION
RA4 and EP2 papers can now be processed using a
single product, without any need for additives, or any loss of quality.
Fotospeed CKFP is a kit to make 2.5 litres of working solutions, mixed
from a single developer concentrate and single blix concentrate. Partial
quantity mixing is possible. The kit costs £25.99.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01225 810596.
TIMER-ANALYSER
THE LABOMETER is an innovative design of combined
colour analyser and enlarger timer, capable of switching up to 250W and
taking both colour and density readings. It has ten programmable film
channels and ten paper reciprocity compensated channels, plus low and high
correction settings to cope with subject failure. Auto-zero compensates
for changes in room temperature, mains voltage and enlarger lamp age. The
Labometer gives step-by-step instructions to the operator via its LCD
panel, in a choice of five languages, while a separate LED displays
exposure time. It will indicate and accept colour correction in print
terms, so that setting 'minus green' corrects a green cast in the print.
Labometer is aimed at all levels from beginner to professional.
For
further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero
with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01372 726262.
CLASSIC FINISH
A REALLY classic surface finish has come to Agfa
Classic paper Ð known as 118 FB, the latest fibre-based Multicontrast
Classic has a fine grain matt surface and ivory base colour with naturally
warm emulsion (if our sample print received is not toned or treated). The
new paper immediately gives a print a traditional, rich feel and it is
ideally suited to portrait where the surface will accept retouching
invisibly. It will be available in sizes from 10 x 8 to 20 x 24 inches,
and has been tested by leading labs and printers recently.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel .
SCALA 5 x 4
AGFA SCALA black and white reversal film, which can be
processed only by Joe's Basement in London and is already proving popular
in both 35mm and rollfilm form following extensive tests and reports in
the press earlier this year, is now available in 5 x 4 sheet form for
£21.25 + VAT (10 sheet). Processing costs £2.50 per sheet and prepaid
mailers are not yet available.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0171 434 9313.
SLICE OF LIGHT
A FLAT illuminating panel which can be slid under
ringbinder or negative album pages has been introduced by DW Viewboxes
Limited. The Ringbinder Viewer has a screen size of 230 x 62mm, wide
enough for rollfilm and long enough for super-A4 filing sheets, and can be
illuminated instantly at a choice of two brightness levels using a
spring-loaded switch. It is not necessary to remove the pages from the
binder or the film from the pages.
For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 01908 642323.
SPEEDY SIMMS
SIMMS International plc, distributors of Kingston
memory for Apple Macintosh and other computer systems, have released test
figures for Photoshop performance in larger than normal RAM allocations.
Unsharp Mask, which took over two minutes on a 50Mb file with 16Mb of RAM
installed, took only 36 seconds with 256Mb on board, using a PowerMac
9500/120. Installing 32Mb, however, was enough to cut it to 1 minute 10
seconds. Image rescaling showed gains almost proportional to memory
increase, while Image Rotate (arbitrary, by 22¡) only improved from 14.49
to 10.41.For further information, contact (UK telephone number -
replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel
0181 213 5000.
BIG RESPONSE
MARRUTT Limited report that since they took on the
Sienna FotoPrint (formerly Metrum) digital image printer which uses real
RA4 photo paper to create prints indistinguishable from original photos
they have had a 'huge response' and been inundated with test files. The
low materials cost, familiar technology and guarantee of true photo quality
output is making the FotoPrint a first choice for photo labs entering the
digital output field. TEST NEXT MONTH in Photon.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01825 764057.
CABLES CAUGHT
RIP-TIE CableCatch is a variation on the Rip-Tie
system introduced for bundling tudio mains leads together. CableCatch uses
Velcroª loops with a flat, self-adhesive backing and a pull-away tag, to
group computer cables under desks and along walls. It is available in 5/8
inch
or 1 inch widths, in 2, 4, 8 and 12 inch capacities. A pack of five 1 x 4
inch
ties costs £13.00 + VAT.For further information, contact (UK telephone
number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for
UK): tel 01635 32321.
D.I.M.A.
THE DIGITAL Image Marketing Association has been formed by
PMA (Photo Marketing Association) as a section which will be inaugurated
at the PMA Convention in Las Vegas, February 21st 1996.
WEIGHT LOSS
Before...
After!
A SLIMMER press sports photographer may not result
from reducing the weight carried on location, but the slimmer new digital
kits may save some backstrain. EMPICS sports photo agency has bought an
£11,500 Canon EOS DCS-3 digital action camera for covering overseas events
and transmitting images back from a Mac PowerBook. Photographer Lawrence
Griffiths can use the 35-350mm Canon zoom in place of a battery of lenses
up to 600mm, will save £60 a day in film, never have to process a roll in
a toilet, and will beat wet-chemistry and scanner based rivals by at least
half an hour in sending his images. Up to 120 shots will be recorded on
each removable memory card. The entire kit weighs a reasonable 30 kilos Ð
still 50% more than a fully loaded squaddy's backpack Ð instead of a
massive 80 kilos. It was supplied to EMPICS by John Blishen & Co Ltd.
EMPICS has also invested in a Fujix DS-515 SLR with full frame image area
which has been used by Claire Macintosh to cover the Japanese Grand
Prix.
For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0115 945
5885.
CD SHOCKER
MAPPLETHORPE's exhibition which shocked America, The
Perfect Moment, can now be viewed along with other great works of
international art on CD-ROM from Virgin subsidiary New Media Solutions
Ltd. Three Robert Mapplethorpe disks are being released Ð Overview,
Controversy, and a Catalogue RaisonnŽe Ð at prices of £69.95, £129.95 and
£295.00 respectively. The disks are available through Virgin Megastores,
Tower Records, Waterstone's, Dillons, Blackwells and other bookshops.
Sales generate funding for the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation which
supports photographic collections at the institutional level, and medical
research into HIV and AIDS.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0171 229 1708.
FRACTAL EURO HQ
FRACTAL Design, creators of major graphics programs
including Painter and Poser, has chosen London for its new European
office, and appointed Oyvind Lundgreen as European General Manager.
MINI DISK FORMAT
KONICA is one of the first to offer a digital image
viewer for the new Sony minidisk format Ð a possible future replacement
for CD-ROM Ð with the Konica MD Viewer launched at Photo & Imaging Expo in
London. The viewer allows up to 200 images on the disk to be viewed with a
zoom function, and because the disk is rewritable, a cropped version can
be saved for digital output by a lab. The Walkman-sized device, developed
jointly with Sony, is mains or battery powered. It can display the images
as index prints, and will also play audio mini disks. A future feature to
run a slide show with sound is under development.
THUMBS UP FOR FUJIX
VISUALEYES, top London lab serving the music industry
(and instigators of the Down the Line Exhibition of Internet sourced
images, backed by Photon WWW edition), has endorsed the Fujix Pictrography
digital image photo printer as the solution to true photo quality output.
The company is investing in a Fujix DS-515 digital camera with output
through the Pictrography 3000 printer, and demonstrated this and other
parts of the Fuji digital photo line-up at Apple Expo.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 586 5900.
RENKER RIP
COLORBOX+ is a raster image processor for large format
inkjet printers, launched by Renker Limited. It is claimed to be lower in
cost than comprable RIPs and offers built-in colour management with a
special matching for 3M Matchprint proofs. Stochastic screening is
standard, and the RIP runs on a Pentium CPU with 1Gb HD. Renker is part of
the Swiss Sihl paper and film manufacturing group which was founded in
1471.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01235
555189.
DIGITAL DILEMMAS
A CONFERENCE and trade show dealing with the
digital future of photography will be held at NESCOT, Epsom's college
with reputation in the field, on April 18th 1996. Photon editor David
Kilpatrick is scheduled as one of the speakers. Last year's conference
attracted 130 delegates.
DIGITAL CATALOGUE
IMAGE RESOURCE Ltd has announceded a new version of
its Digital Catalogue program, costing only £98 + VAT. Available from
January 5th, Digital Catalogue Photo Album 2.0 is claimed to offer the
most sophisticated indexing for photos on CD-ROM or hard disk available in
its range.For further information, contact (UK telephone number -
replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel
01246 290966.
MAKING PROGRES
THE LATEST upgrade to the Kontron Elektronik ProgRes
digital studio camera, which creates high resolution files by shooting a
quantity of video images in rapid succession and interpolating positions,
claims a final resolution of 4490 x 3480 pixels and a capture speed of
only 8 seconds for a 20Mb file. The ProgRes 3012 also has a built-in
negative mode for rapidly archiving existing images, electronic distortion
correction for studio shots without camera movements, and image
enhancement on the fly during capture. Sensitivity has been increased
fourfold allowing monobloc flash to be used, or lower wattage tungsten and
ballasted fluorescent. Reproductions of A2 or poster size are claimed to
be acceptable, though the A2 sample submitted with the press release was
no match for the highly detailed A4 and A5 reproductions accompanying it.
Translation award of the year for their use of 'immaterial proofing
procedures' in creating the samplesÉFor further information, contact
(UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus
44 code for UK): tel 01844 213790.
BAD APPLES
STOLEN Apple Macintosh equipment represents 35 per
cent of UK IT
insurance claims although it only accounts for 6 per cent of sales, according to
loss adjusters. Now Adam Associates, a 'business continuity specialist',
has a large stock of current models Macs which are kept on standby against
a contract which firms using this equipment can take out. Within four
hours, Adam will have equipment installed and running, and will help a
burglary-hit business recover ' whatever the problem'. Their tailored
insurance policies can also cover employee abuse of computers, software
failure and other normally excluded problems from around £200 per
workstation.For further information, contact (UK telephone number -
replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel
01635 521500.
LIVE PREVIEW
A LIVE picture preview with two frames per second
update is now offered by Sinar with their MegaVision digital back (using
the new Kodak M6 CCD). This Sinar adaptation of the system enables
movements to be used and adjusted in the studio, while further
enhancements permit full use of the Sinar Digital Lens Program to
calculate the optimum movements and aperture.
BACK TO BASE
A NEW market has been found by photo companies for an
unusual product Ð photo paper with no silver or emulsion. Kodak's Ektajet
paper and film falls into this category, being marketed for the rising
inkjet market, and aimed specifically at Encad and Laser Display Maker
printer models. The papers are coated with a Kodak-designed ink receiving
layer in place of the photographic emulsion.For further information,
contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international
dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01442 845146.
TEAM APPLE
TEAMWORK, one of London's best-known specialist photo
dealers founded by the late Stein Falchenberg, has become an Authorised
Apple Reseller and will be offering packages aimed at both the beginner in
digital imaging and experienced business and photo users.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 323 6455.
COMP IT!
KODAK Composition Software, previewed at the 1994
photokina, allows social photo labs to compose both multiple image prints
and reprints incorporating text and graphics, a popular feature in the USA
where schools and club photos are often presented this way. Davies Colour,
the Cardiff-based school photography specialist lab, is the first in the
Uk to invest in the system. It will provide added value to events, sports,
ID, function, schools, graduation and many other kinds of printing work
where multi-image montages can sell well. The software is on a three-year
license from Kodak.For further information, contact (UK telephone
number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for
UK): tel 01442 844652.
BETTMANN BOUGHT
THE BETTMANN Archive, one of the USA's largest
picture collections known for its ability to sell in bulk to major media
markets, has been acquired by Corbis Corporation, the digital image
library and distribution company set up by Microsoft's Bill Gates. The 16
million image collection includes all of the United Press archive and was
founded by Dr Otto Bettmann in 1930. Corbis has already acquired images
from David Meunch, Roger Ressmeyer, Galen Rowell and many other
photographers.For further information, contact (UK telephone number -
replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel
0171 278 1387.
HULTON ON WEB
HULTON DEUTSCH Collection, the London picture
library, has set up its own Web site with 70 representative imges from its
collection of 15 million. The WWW URL is http://www.u-net.com/hulton and
is optimised for Netscape viewing.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0171 226 2660.
NET CUMULUS
CANTO Software, makers of Cirrus scanning and Cumulus
image cataloguing programs, have released Cumulus Network Image Database,
which operates across AppleTalk networks to watch all catalogued folders
and continuously update the index. It comes with a royalty-free browser
which photographers can distribute with selections of thumbnails to
clients. It costs £1,299 + VAT.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0181 200 8282.
KPT 3.0
KAI'S POWER TOOLS is now in version 3.0 Ð a major upgrade
which includes a new instrument called Lens f/x&trademark; for previewing the
results of different filters in the kit as if looking at the screen image
through a suspended moveable lens. A Spheroid designer is added, textures
have a new engine and can be mixed, previews are larger and effects can
also be viewed full-screen before applying them. The program also adds 36
steps of undo-redo to Photoshop using standard commands. It costs £149 +
VAT for Mac, PowerPC or Windows.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 01706 832000.
INSTANT C E O
POLAROID has a new Chief Executive Officer to
replace Mac Booth from December 1st 1995. The American imaging giant has
recruited Black and Decker vice-president Gary DiCamillo, one of the USA's
most successful young executives, who will move with his family from
Baltimore to Boston.For further information, contact (UK telephone
number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for
UK): tel 01582 632209.
NEW BSI STANDARDS
THE BRITISH Standards Institution has released a set
of new BSI ISO standards for many aspects of photographic materials and
equipment. These include 8581:1994 for flash synch connectors, 2827:1988
for electronic flash light output and performance measurement, 3298:1994
for glacial acetic acid, 5655:1993 for film dimensions in industrial
radiography, 3625:1994 for potassium hydroxide, 3628:1994 for granular
boric acid, 3772:1991 for typesetting film roll dimensions, 3943:1993 for
anhydrous sodium acetate, and 4090:1991 for film dimensions in medical
radiography. Prices for the documentation are available by telephoning,
and range from £25 to £45.50 per standard for non-members.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0181 996 7000.
3114.
DW CATALOGUE
A NEW catalogue from DW Viewpacks Limited includes
details of the filing products which were recently award PAT (Photographic
Activity Test) certification to prove their archival effectiveness. Both
the Super Archival and Economy Archival filing sheets comply with this
standard. The catalogue includes sixty new items ranging from computer
disk storage to art and project filing systems.For further information,
contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international
dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01908 642323.
BRIGHTER WARDS
IT'S NOT winning awards but 'winning wards' which
has caught the attention of Harrods Portrait Studio photographer Gary
Italiaander. With Kodak's support, the Italiaander Studio at Harrods is
donating the full cost of each child portrait sitting up to March 30th
1996 to the Friends of Great Ormond Street Hospital for their Starlight
Fun Centres appeal. This provides trolleys with a range of videos and
electronic toys, to brighten up the lives of children in the wards. The
donation will be made whether the customer opts for traditional
photography, painted oils, or the Italiaander Studio's unique 'Duet'
service which combines photography and painting. It applies only to
children's portrait sittings.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0171 730 1234.
HISTORIC AWARDS
THE FIRST ever competition for awards was held at
the tenth conference of the British Association for Historical and Fine Art
Photographers (AFHAP), a small group which has grown steadily in
importance. The conference attracted almost 200 members and speakers
covered topics from copyright and Photo-CD museum archiving to the life
and work of George Rodger. Roy Asser, chairman of AFHAP, was elected as
its president, an Lucinda Lambton was awarded honorary life membership.
The winner of the contest, which was promoted by Ilford, was Graham
Brandon of the Victoria and Albert Museum.For further information,
contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with international
dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 636 7890.
SOCIAL CLUB
FREE MEMBERSHIP of 'The Club', organised by KJP London
along the lines of a successful initiative in the States by Calumet
stores, gives wedding and portrait photographers access to meetings, talks
and workshops with a newsletter and promotional discounts. KJP say that
the first year membership is free, but no plans have yet been announced
for future development.For further information, contact (UK telephone
number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for
UK): tel 0171 380 1144.
COLD COMFORT
CHERRY ALEXANDER, well-known for her arctic
photography with husband Bryan, has won the British Gas 'Wildlife
Photographer of the Year' Award with a photograph of penguins on a rare
blue iceberg in Antarctica. Bryan and Cherry have recently been equipped
with a full range of Billingham products to test in their chosen extreme
working environment, having used Billingham bags for some time. They
report that the Ventile jackets do provide good windproofing and
insulation, while the wooden Ash tripod has proved usable in conditions
where, at -40degrees C, metal tripods can adhere to bare skin and cause serious
injury.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01384
482828.
S.W.P. HONOUR
NORMAN PHILLIPS of Illinois, whose contact with British
photographers and associations goes back decades and led to the formation
of Master Photographers Association groups in the States, has been awarded
a Fellowship by the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers. It was
handed over by former MPA President Derek Avery, now chief executive of
the SWPP which he founded. Other Fellowship holders are Heidi Mauracher
and Dave Newman from the USA, and Jonathan Brooks, Roy Hargreaves, Terry
Hansen and Derek himself from the UK.For further information, contact
(UK telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus
44 code for UK): tel 01942 711763.
LEICA CALENDARS
LEICA Camera offers an unusual choice for 1996 Ð two
different calendars, where most camera companies only produce only. There
is a 56 x 45cm calendar called 'Close Up' which costs £11 including p&p,
and a 30 x 40cm 'Landscape' calendar at £6 inc p&p. Both can be obtained
from Leica Camera Ltd, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5
8LB.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01908
666663.
COLAB E-MAIL
COLAB now has an electronic address Ð Compuserve
E-mail. The UK national superlab chain can be reached on
100670.503@compuserve.com through any Internet e-mail account, or on
Compuserve at 100670,503.For further information, contact (UK telephone
number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for
UK): tel 01203 440404.
NN-NINE
NORTHAMPTON, UK, makes the NN-ninth branch for laboratory chain
Colab. The new outlet has opened at 309 Wellingborough Road and offers the
full range of Colab services.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 01604 29520.
LONDON STORE REFIT
KJP's Drummond Street branch in London Ð the former
Pelling & Cross HQ Ð is getting a full refit which will take until the end
of January to complete, and make it Europe's largest one-stop professional
showroom. Service hs continued as usual during the refit, and a 'grand
opening' will be marked by various events shortly.For further
information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero with
international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01908 366344.
CROYDON HIRE
PHOTOGRAPHERS in Croydon (next to Gatwick Airport,
UK) can now hire an increased
range of equipment following the merger of KJP and Hargreaves. The former
Hargreaves store at Purley Way has been restocked with new hire gear
including AV and multimedia products, and can draw on KJP's £1.2m national
hire catalogue.For further information, contact (UK telephone number -
replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel
01908 366344.
NORTHERN LIGHT
AUDIO-VISUAL, data projection, video editing and
many other strengths of the Hargreaves 'tradition' have been retained in
the fully re-fitted KJP Hargreaves showroom at Arundel Street in
Manchester. Claimed to be the major professional outlet for the North, the
store has a dedicated multi-media centre, hire counter, frame mount and
album department, and the usual KJP camera and lighting lines.For
further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace first zero
with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0161 832 4957.
PHOTO ARTS 2000
AN AGENCY has been formed to co-ordinate,
fund-raise and market the programme for the UK's 1998 Year of Photography and
the Electronic Image, which is to be centred in Yorkshire and Humberside.
photoART2000 (sic) is based at Kirklees Media Centre, 7 Northumberland
Street, Huddersfield HD1 1RL, and its Executive Director is Paul
Brookes.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 01484
531201.
NEW POCKETBOOK
SPEED GRAPHIC Ð nothing to do with the classic
press camera Ð have a new Pocketbook, their A4 format plain and simple
price list which includes comprehensive listings of many product lines. If
your dealer doesn't stock Nikon or Canon filters and lenshoods, or every
size of stepping ring, you can at least find them and order them through
Speed Graphic.For further information, contact (UK telephone number -
replace first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel
01420 543544.
CERTIFIED?
PHOTO SHOP sales assistants should be certified Ð an
opinion our readers have long held, now endorsed by PMA. Their new CPC
programme (Certified Photographic Consultant) is coming to Britain. Watch
out for Master CPCs (those with five years of membership of this
examination-based, annual fee-paying scheme) and for stores which have a
CPC on hand at all times. Now the chap telling you can't get what you need
because there is no demand for it will have a badge to prove that this is
really true and you therefore are a figment of his imagination.
WP ENTRIES
WORLD PRESS Photo Foundation invites entries for the
39th Annual World Press Photo Contest. All press photographs taken in
1995, whether published or not, and picture stories first completed or
first published in 1995 are eligible. The closing date is January 31st
1996, to Amsterdam, and entry forms are available in most languages.For
further information, contact: tel (+31) (20) 6766096.
OBSCURA?
FUJI's 1996 Student Awards contest, organised jointly
with BIPP, sets a difficult brief Ð to create a jeans advertisement
poster with no jeans in the shot. The top prize is worth £1,300 and the
student's college will benefit almost equally. There are second and third
places and merit awards, all with cash value. The closing date for entries
is April 26th 1996 and entry forms can be obtained from most photographic
colleges or direct from Fuji.For further information, contact (UK
telephone number - replace first zero with international dialout plus 44
code for UK): tel 0171 586 5900.
WEDDING PROMO
FUJI PROFESSIONAL is to exhibit at the 1996 National
Wedding Show in Olympia and will be joined on its stand by representatives
of the Master Photographers Association, BIPP and SWP. It will be the
first time that Fuji has exhibited at a national show for the wedding
market.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 586
5900.
LEADING LIGHTS
BACK IN the mid-1970s, this editor came across two
eccentric and committed people, Doug and Amanda Lear, running a touring
magic lantern show on a narrow boat. Later on, Lears Magical Lantern
Museum moved to a fixed base in Llandrindod Wells, Powys. Now part of
their collection is to be sold by Christies South Kensington on January
18th, with an estimate value of around £60,000. When the Lears started
collecting, the equipment was of little interest or value. Today two items
alone may account for as much as half the sale value of the 100 lots on
offer.For further information, contact (UK telephone number - replace
first zero with international dialout plus 44 code for UK): tel 0171 321
3120.