Looks like Self Monitoring Analysis and Real Time Reporting Technology (SMART) is now available in Compact Flash as well.  SMART has been around for many years and is usually available in magnetic hard drive. Almost all hard drive in the market now  has SMART and can easily be enabled via your motherboard BIOS.  Not sure how SMART is going to be enabled for CF.  Basically, SMART provides a standard method for checking the health of mass-storage devices whilst Error Correction Code (ECC) verifies the datastream to catch and correct any errors. 

Hopefully, we will have SMART in all our removable medias in future ... nowadays, the flash drive is not as good as the older ones.  I have data failure occasionally on my new TwinMOS SD that I bought a couple of months back.  I also have bad experience of failure with my Pendrive flash drive after the warranty expires ... :(.

Press release: 

RIDATA SMART Compact Flash Card

Featuring Self-Monitoring Analysis and Real Time Reporting Technology to Monitor CF Card Status.

1/2/2008 – Diamond Bar, Calif. – Advanced Media, Inc., is a manufacturer and marketer of the popular RIDATA brand of recordable CD and DVD media, electronic storage products, and digital media accessories. The company is introducing the first Smart Compact Flash™ Cards at CES 2008. Featuring high-speed access to reading and writing and up to 16GB of storage capacity, the self-monitoring CF card is ideal for virtually any flash media storage application.

“We are pleased to introduce the RIDATA SMART CompactFlash Card, which is the first of its kind in the industry,” stated Harvey Liu, Advanced Media president. “The flash memory market is growing quickly due to the number of new applications that use flash media for storage. As capacity continues to increase, RIDATA saw the need for an internal data monitoring system to ensure the safety of your data.”

The new rugged, reliable, RIDATA memory cards are available in two series of "Supreme 150X (up to 8GB capacity-SLC format)" and "Lightning (up to 16GB MLC format)". It features innovative functionalities such as Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology so users can easily monitor the CF card’s status. The card is capable of providing notification to users in real time to protect vital information and data.

Reliability and Endurance
The new Smart Card offers long-term reliability and endurance with a Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of 5,000,000 powered-on hours. It also offers maximum endurance of 100,000 times of program/erase cycles. Its embedded Error Correction Code (ECC) supports two random bits of a sector on-the-fly ECC corrections.

Compatibilities
Ridata’s Smart Card conforms to the CompactFlash Association Standard, the PC Card standard and is PC Card ATA and true IDE Mode compatible. It is also host ATA disk I/O BIOS DOS/Windows file system, utilities and application software compatible. The controller supports Ultra DMA Mode to Mode 4. Also supported is CIS implemented with 256 bytes of attributed memory. Lastly it supports 8 or 16 bit host transfers with any host speed using Input/Output channel ReaDY (IORDY).

Power Savings
Another feature of the RIDATA Smart CompactFlash™ Card is its low power consumption. In standby mode with an automatic power management function, users acquire longer battery life from a digital camera or other device. The non-volatile card requires no power to store data, but requires a 3.3V/5V single power supply to read and write data.

File Systems
Regarding the 4GB, 8GB and 16GB CF cards, users should use the cards on devices that support a FAT32 file system. Some older devices only support FAT16 file system and these systems have a maximum capacity of a 2GB CF card. Please refer to the owner’s manual for the device’s file system compatibility.

Here are some links to the reviews available in the websites .... Alpha 700 looks like a promising DSLR. But I doubt it is able to compete with Canon 40D or Nikon D300. Now, let's see what the reviews say:

• http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra700/
• http://www.dphotojournal.com/sony-alpha-a700-dslr-reviews-sample-photos
• http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/Sony%20-A700.shtml
• http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/AA700/AA700A.HTM
  

Some interesting comments:

"Interestingly the one thing the A700 doesn't have is any form of live view; when we spoke to Sony about this the answer was simple; they believe that the compromises involved in current systems are satisfactory, and they won't implement live view until they can 'get it right'. Whether the lack of live view has any real relevance in a camera at this level remains to be seen; we doubt it."

"Although the styling has been given a modern twist and the D7D's button / switch overkill has been toned down a little, it's not hard to see where Sony's designers started from, and there are many features from the D7D that made it almost unchanged into the A700. These include the basic control layout (the second dial has been lost and replaced by a simpler on-screen 'Quick Navi' system), the magnesium alloy construction, the eye-start focus, CCD-shift IS and high level of customization and the optional vertical shooting grip. For potential upgraders looking for a reason to trade up from a D7D to Sony's new 'Advanced Amateur' model here's just a brief taste of what three years difference makes:

• Twice as many pixels: 12MP CMOS sensor (vs 6MP CCD)
• New shutter with higher maximum speed and higher sync speed
• Bigger screen with three times the resolution
• Improvements to focus speed and accuracy
• Faster (5 fps) continuous shooting capabilities and better buffering
• New 40 segment honeycomb metering
• Better GUI and huge range of new features
• HDTV output
• Creative Styles and lots of new parameters to play with
• HDTV output"

"Sony Alpha 700: New Features

• 12.2MP CMOS sensor, Sony says sensor is "all-new for this camera"
• More rugged body, magnesium alloy and polycarbonate construction
• Environmental seals
• Continuous 5 fps shooting, no buffer limit in JPEG Fine/Normal mode with sufficiently fast memory card
• All-new shutter, vertical traverse, 1/8,000 max speed, 1/250 or 1/200 x-sync (slower when Super SteadyShot is turned on)
• Viewfinder is glass pentaprism, 95% coverage, 0.9x magnification.
• DRO (Dynamic Range Optimization) has been revised to include five user-selectable levels in D-R+ mode
• 922K-pixel LCD, 267 ppi vs 160 ppi for typical 230K-pixel 2.5" monitors
• Dual CompactFlash (type I/II) and Memory Stick Pro Duo card slots
• Lithium-ion battery good for 650 shots
• New lens for high-end kits: 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6
  • Goes wider than any other kit lens, is equivalent of 24mm at wide end, vs 27mm equivalent for others. Doesn't sound like much, but the difference is 83 degree coverage for 16mm vs 76 degrees for 18mm.
• Super Steady-Shot image stabilization enhanced
• Both Eye Start and Grip Start sensors for AF
• Predictive autofocus has been enhanced
• Direct HDMI output built-in
  • New Sony Bravia televisions will have special PhotoTV setting, optimized for still pictures. Higher resolution, more gradation, richer color. More natural contrast, not as pumped as standard TV mode
• New vertical grip with full controls, holds one or two batteries for extended runtime
• Sony's goal: "Number One total picture quality among mid-class DLSRs"
  • New sensor with on-chip A/D converters
  • New image processor (entirely new BIONZ design)
  • RAW noise reduction, fast & low-noise processing optimized for CMOS"

 

Extracted from:
http://www.nikon.com.my/pagearticle.php?pageid=100-22f59e4309

NikonPro is published three times a year and distributed to Nikon Professional Services (NPS) members across Europe.

Now, NikonPro is available (Spring and Summer) at only RM 20 per copy (while stocks last).

Limited one copy per person (Limited copies available)

You may purchase a copy in our Nikon Service Center at the following address:

Nikon (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
11th Floor, Block A,
Menara PKNS,
No. 17, Jalan Yong Shook Lin,
46050 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: +603-7809 3688

For enquiries, kindly contact our Customer Service at +603-78093688 ext. 621, 627 or 628 from 8.30am to 5.30pm (Mon-Fri) or email to Consumer.Products@nikonoa.net

 

 

Extracted from:
http://www.tamron.co.jp/en/news/release_2007/0307_a20.html

Mr. Morio Ono, President of Tamron Co., Ltd., has announced the successful development of the AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO zoom lens, a high power zoom lens designed for SLR cameras with full-size format(Model A20), now equipped with a Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism. The AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC is the ultimate high power zoom lens that covers everything from wide-angle to telephoto and macro. Tamron has incorporated a Vibration Compensator, an anti-shake mechanism developed by Tamron, into the highly versatile zoom lens. The new AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO zoom lens offers the convenience, comfort and versatility of a high power zoom lens and the capability to reduce hand-shake blur on SLR cameras using either APS-C size or full size format imagers.

When the AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC is used with a full size format SLR camera, it covers the tremendous focal length range from 28mm in wide angle to 300mm ultra telephoto. When mounted on a DSLR with an APS-C sized imager, the lens covers a 43mm wide angle to 465mm equivalent ultra telephoto* (full size format equivalent, in a diagonal angle of view of 5°20')

MAIN FEATURES

1. VC (Vibration Compensation) Mechanism Reduces Hand-shake
The proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) mechanism developed by Tamron features a triaxial configuration using three pairs of driving coils and slide balls around the compensator group of the lens' optical system. Since the compensator lenses are supported with rolling friction of the balls, the response performance is enhanced and the construction is simple, which results in the compactness of the lens. The lens incorporate a highly accurate gyro sensor for detecting hand-shake, which, combined with a 32-bit RISC CPU, offers comfortable anti-vibration effects.

2. Outstanding Design Realizing High Zoom Power, VC Mechanism and Compactness
The AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.5 XR Di VC integrates optical technologies that Tamron has accumulated as the pioneer and leader of high power zoom lenses in order to realize the desired compactness even while incorporating the VC mechanism. The optical system uses a number of lens elements made from special optical glass materials including XR (high refraction index) glass elements, GM (glass-molded aspherical lens) elements, hybrid aspherical elements, LD (low dispersion) glass elements to compensate for on-axis and lateral chromatic aberrations and AD (anomalous dispersion) glass element. The lens offers high contrast, high resolution performance and flatness of the image field as a one-does-it-all zoom lens designed to match the characteristics of DSLR cameras.

3. Revolutionary MFD of 0.49m (19.3") throughout the Zoom Range Provides 1:3 Macro Magnification Ratio
The AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD MACRO boasts an MFD (minimum focusing distance) of 0.49m (19.3") over the entire zoom range, a top-class closing focusing capability among high power zoom lenses for full-size format SLR cameras, which provides the remarkable maximum macro magnification ratio of 1:3 at the 300mm telephoto end.

4. Internal Surface Coatings Minimize Ghosting and Flare
Through the use of "Internal Surface Coatings" (i.e., multiple-layer coatings on cemented surfaces of plural elements) and multiple-layer coatings to prevent reflections from lens surfaces, ghosting and flare due to reflections that occur when light enters through the front element as well as reflections caused by the imager itself in the mirror box are reduced to the absolute minimum.

5. Ultra-high Zoom Power, yet Lightweight and Compact Design Thanks to New Mechanical Devices
Tamron has reviewed the roles that respective barrel parts play in order to achieve the high power, compactness and light weight. As a result, dimensional increases are confined to a mere 17.8mm (0.7") in overall length and about 5mm(0.2") in diameter, when compared with the existing AF28-300mm (Model A061), despite the incorporation of the VC mechanism.

6. Zoom Lock Mechanism for Enhanced Portability
The zoom lock prevents unwanted barrel extension when carrying the lens/camera combination over the shoulder.

7. Flower-shaped Lens Hood
A flower-shaped lens hood is included as a standard accessory. The special hood provides optimum shading of superfluous light rays that enter from the rectangular frame outside the image field.

(*) The ratio Tamron uses to convert from full size format to APS-C focal length is 1.55X.

 

SPECIFICATIONS
Model Name	A20
Focal Length	28-300mm
Maximum Aperture	F/3.5-6.3
Angle of View	75°23'-8°15'
Lens Construction	18 elements /13 groups
Minimum Focus Distance	0.49m (entire zoom range)
Maximum Mag. Ratio	1:3 (at f=300mm, MFD=0.49m)
Filter Diameter	φ67mm
Overall Length	99mm *
Maximum Diameter	φ78.0mm
Weight	550g*
Diaphragm Blades	9 blades
Minimum Aperture	F/22-F/40 (28mm - 300mm)
Standard Accessory	Flower-shaped hood
Compatible Mount	Canon and Nikon

* values given are for Nikon AF-D cameras.
* The cosmetic design and specs are subject to change without notice.

Finally, Tamron has released a new lens with Vibration Compensation (VC) that we have all been waiting for. We already have IS (Image Stabiliser) for Canon, VR (Vibration Reduction) for Nikon and OS (Optical Stabiliser) for Sigma lenses. And now VC (Vibration Compensation) for Tamron.

Tamron AF 28-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di VC is the first lens that comes with stabilizer mechanism for Tamron. This new lens can be used on either a full-frame or APS-C size sensor dSLR. This lens was supposed to be launched last August originally, but it was postphoned till recently.

However, Tamron has only released the Canon mount at this moment. According to Tamron press release, Nikon mount will only be available early spring 2008.

Click the link below to go to the Tamron website show-casing this latest VC lens:

Tamron AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC

I think this lens definitely looks good to go into my camera bag as a walk-around lens. The non-VC version Tamron AF F/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD
Aspherical [IF] MACRO has been a popular walk-around lens for quite a few amateur photographers. With the addition of VC to this focal range lens, I think it is going to be as popular as the XR lens used to be.

Well, it looks like we will need to wait a while more before it is available in Malaysia for me to get a hands-on on it ... :).

However, for Canon users, please note that there is some compatibility issue with EOS-1D and some of the older EOS film camera. Please check out the compatibility notes from Tamron website below.

http://www.tamron.co.jp/en/news/release_2007/1018_vc.html

For Nikon users, just keep a lookout in early spring 2008 for the Nikon mount release.

 

 

 

Here is the full preview of Nikon D300 from DPReview:

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/nikond300

I am truly impressed with this Interesting video that show its operation of live view mode. Click on the link below to see the live view mode in use.

http://a.img-dpreview.com/previews/NikonD300/Samples/Videos/d300liveview_2.swf

 

 

 

 

Here is the full preview from Imaging Resource

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/E40D/E40DA.HTM

Have fun reading !!!

So, the rumour that I mentioned in my blog is true ... Canon 40D is real.

Checkout the press release here ... Canon 40D was released last week.

40D Key features

• 10.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• 6.5 fps continuous shooting, max. burst 75 JPEGs
• New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors
• DIGIC III processor
• 3.0” LCD with Live View mode
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System (similar to 400D)
  
• Clear and bright viewfinder
• Customisable Picture Style processing parameters

Basically, it is just a higher-end version of 400D.

Check out the photo samples at DPReview here. Slurrrpp ... they really looks very good and the noise level is almost not visible at all.

ISO1600 sample

In a saga which (publicly) began in December last year and has seen Pentax fighting Hoya's approaches on various fronts including the resignation of their president Fumio Urano last month and talk of selling its headquarters in Tokyo looks to be finally coming to an end. According to numerous reports Pentax's board of directors has today approved the deal and the merger will go ahead next month. Additionally Pentax's board members have agreed to resign after the Hoya takeover goes through.

Source: DPReview