Mac users can now download the latest update to Mac OS X Leopard, version 10.5.7. The upgrade adds system-level raw support for 14 new cameras and digital backs including four Leaf cameras. The new cameras supported are:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 50D
Canon PowerShot G10
Epson R-D1x
Pentax K2000/K-m
Leaf AFi-II 6
Leaf AFi-II 7
Leaf Aptus-II 6
Leaf Aptus-II 7
Leica M8.2
Nikon D3X
Nikon Coolpix P6000
Nikon D90
Sony DSLR-A900
Version 3.9.5 of the Raw Photo Processor is now available for download. The Raw Photo Processor is a Mac OS X raw file converter and now includes support for three new digital cameras and also fixes a number of known bugs.
The Canon SX1, which can be termed as a prosumer camera, has been reviewed by the publication Steve’s Digicams. The 10-megapixel shooter comes highly recommended as image quality was outstanding and the new 1080p HD movie mode stellar. The camera also scored brownies points for its feature set and the 28 - 560mm (equivalent) 20x optical zoom lens didn’t disappoint either.
Excerpt from conclusion: “With a street price of US$599 or less, we feel the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS offers an outstanding value for the amount of control, quality and features you are receiving.”
The Iridient RAW Developer 1.8.3 for the Mac OS is now available for download. The update adds RAW support for the Olympus E-620, Canon SX1 IS, and Casio EX-FH20 and also adds support for 3FR and FFF format files produced by recent Hasselblad backs and from Phocus software conversions. It also fixes a number of bugs and more for more information on this release go here.
The Iridient RAW Developer 1.8.3 for the Mac OS is now available for download. The update adds RAW support for the Olympus E-620, Canon SX1 IS, and Casio EX-FH20 and also adds support for 3FR and FFF format files produced by recent Hasselblad backs and from Phocus software conversions. It also fixes a number of bugs and more for more information on this release go here.
Canon has released a new firmware update (Version 2.0.0.0) for the PowerShot SX1 IS camera. The update incorporates a RAW image recording function and once the camera is updated, the camera settings will be restored to default values; however, My Camera data will not be deleted. For more details go here.
DxOMark.com has published the Raw-based image quality data and DxOMark Sensor ranking for three Sony Alpha-series cameras, the A700, the A300 and the A200. You can check out how the cameras fared here:http://www.dxomark.com/.
"We have had these cameras for some time, but our preliminary tests showed that at the time of acquisition, the A700 made use of green-channel Raw noise reduction," explained Nicolas Touchard, Vice President of Marketing, DxO Labs Image Quality Evaluation. "To ensure fair ranking on dxomark.com, we only score cameras that do not perform any sort of spatial signal filtering on the Raw signal. Since its latest firmware release (version 4) the Sony A700 no longer implements green-channel Raw processing, we are now able to publish all its doxmark.com sensor measurements and ranking, along with those of the A200 and A300, for the benefit of the photographic community
Hasselblad has released updates for the Phocus and H-series camera systems. Phocus 1.1.3 for Mac & 1.0.2 for Windows offers full digital APO Correction for the HTS1.5 and the Capture Info tool in Phocus has been extended with fields for HTS parameters, extension rings and converters.
Highlights Include:
* Support for ISO 800 on H3DII-39 & ISO1600 on H3DII-31
* Add full integration with your H-series camera and the HTS1.5 by updating your firmware.
Kubota Image Tools has announced the immediate availability of Lightspeed Workflow: Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom 2. Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom 2 takes digital photographers step-by-step through proper organization and gives them tips to make a final image presentation. The Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom 2 tutorial is available now for $99 as an interactive QuickTime Movie on DVD a www.kubotaimagetools.com.
A RAW update will soon be available for the Canon SX1 IS. The firmware will be available for download from mid-March and PowerShot SX1 IS owners should check http://web.canon.jp/imaging/BeBit-e.html for information and availability.
DxO Labs have published detailed Raw-based image quality data and DxOMark Sensor rankings for the Panasonic Lumix G1, Olympus E-420 and E-510. You can check out the finding at http://www.dxomark.com.
“Despite the difference in overall size, however, both conventional Four Thirds cameras and Micro Four Thirds cameras have the same image sensor size and specifications. This means that photographers can easily compare both kinds of cameras' Raw-based performance on the DxOMark Sensor scale, regardless of other differences (optics, ease of handling, etc.).”
Hamrick Software have released VueScan 8.5.01 which apart from offering an enhanced performance also adds support for 180 Raw file formats. The Standard Edition of Version 8.5.01 can be downloaded for $39.95 and the Professional Edition for $79.95. The software is available for Linux, Mac OS X 10.3.9+ and Windows platforms and for the full list of the 321 supported Raw formats go here.
The newly released Capture One 4.6 comes in three versions: 4.6, 4.6 PRO and 4.6 DB and existing Capture One 4.x owners can upgrade for free. The latest version adds support for cameras like Nikon D3, Nikon D700, Nikon D300, Nikon D200, Nikon D80, Nikon D60, Nikon D40x, Nikon D40, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 50D.
RAW Developer 1.8.2 for the Mac OS is now available courtesy Iridient Digital. The update has support for all the latest new camera models, improves deep shadow rendering, improves default camera profiles for many models and also fixes several bugs.
There is a new update to the Silkypix Developer Studio software. Version 3.0.26.1 includes support for the following cameras: Sony A900, Pentax K-m / K2000, Casio EX-FH20, Panasonic DMC-G1 and Canon PowerShot G10 camera. Registered users can download the update for free and for more information head over here.
The website dxomark.com is now live and claims to give objective RAW‐based image quality data for a fair analysis. Available as a free online resource, dxomark.com assess the intrinsic quality of a camera before the impact of any RAW conversion.
“There are many valuable resources reviewing the image quality of digital cameras, but none of them consider the actual RAW signal straight from the camera sensor,” explains Nicolas Touchard, Vice President of Marketing, DxO Labs Image Quality Evaluation business. “Demanding photographers who shoot in RAW should only care about the genuine quality of the RAW image, yet until now they have had to rely on measures based on converted RAW images, obviously biased by the processing applied to them, whether embedded or performed offline with a software RAW converter.”
The Canon RAW Codec 1.4.0 is now available for download here. Changes and corrections made from Canon RAW Codec 1.3
1. Added supported models
EOS 50D, EOS 5D Mark II, and PowerShot G10.
2. Changes made in the RAW image processing of the EOS DIGITAL products
RAW processing results are now the same as those of Digital Photo Professional.
Capture One 4.5.1 for Windows is now available courtesy Phase One. The updated version of the RAW workflow software now adds support for Canon EOS 50D and 5D Mark II RAW files, and improves the overall performance of the software.
Version 3.0.25.1 of the Silkypix Developer Studio is now available for free to registered users. The new version now supports the Nikon D90, Nikon Coolpix P6000, Canon EOS 50D and Leica D-LUX 4 cameras.
The Kubota RAW Workflow for Lightroom tutorial can now be purchased for $99 as an interactive Quicktime Movie on DVD at http://www.kubotaimagetools.com. Pro photographer Kevin Kubota, takes digital photographers step-by-step through proper organization, efficient editing and enhancing, and final image presentation.
An update for Silkypix Developer Studio application is now available for download. Version 3.0.23.0 adds support for the newly released Nikon D700 DSLR and is available for free to registered users.
New Features in Version 3.0
Many new features are included in Developer Studio Version 3
* Differences in Image Quality: Improved development engine
* Differences in Tone: The nonlinear processing components of output gamma and tone curve levels have changed.
* Differences in Highlight rendering: The new development engine uses high graduation sequencing to aid silky smooth highlight recovery.
* Differences in Parameters: Sub controls, sharpness controls, noise controls, highlight controls and colourspace have changed.
An update to the Capture One 4 application has been released by Phase One. Version 4.1.2 of Capture One, adds lens correction support for Phase One digital back owners who have the following systems; Hasselblad H, Hasselblad V and Contax mounts. For more information please visit: http://www.phaseone.com/Content/Downloads/CO4.aspx
Apple has made the Mac OS X 10.5.4 update available for download, which is recommended for Mac OS X 10.5, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, and 10.5.3 Leopard users.
The update adds RAW image support for several new cameras and also resolves an issue with saving and reopening Adobe Creative Suite 3 files on a remote server.
Hasselblad has announced the launch of Phocus version 1.0 for Mac, which is a raw processor and camera control software. The new Phocus RAW processor provides the ultimate in processing quality for Hasselblad digital images, including:
• Digital lens corrections for color aberration, distortion and vignetting
(DAC I, II, and III)
• Hasselblad Natural Color Solution for perfect colors
• Moiré removal directly upon of raw data, preserving image detail
Phocus is available for download for registered users. To download, click on the link here and you will be taken to the download area of the Hasselblad website where you can register for your copy of Phocus.
Adobe has submitted their proprietary DNG RAW file format to the ISO as a proposed new standard. Adobe will also provide a DNG-viewing codec to view DNG files right within the Windows Vista operating system.
Some of the merits of DNG according to John Knack from Adobe:
* Converting to DNG saves disk space and eliminates the need to use separate sidecar files for raw settings. (I knocked 1.5GB off the 7GB of photos from our wedding photographer.)
* Because of these benefits, customer feedback indicates that 40% of Lightroom users are converting to DNG on import. (It's a one-click set-and-forget option that's also available in Adobe Bridge CS3.)
* DNG lets Adobe support new cameras in older versions of Camera Raw without having to constantly revise and test those versions. Photographers and use the free DNG Converter (Win | Mac) to process their proprietary raw images to DNG. The upshot is that we can spend our time building good new functionality instead of updating old software.
The public beta testing period for DxO Optics Pro v5 for Macintosh has begin said DxO Labs in a press release. The free public beta -- available in English only at http://www.dxo.com will run for several weeks. Users are invited to provide their feedback at http://www.dxo.com.
Some of the new features found on the Beta version include; Raw converter and noise removal technology and support for the Canon EOS 40D, Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, Nikon D300 and Nikon D3 camera bodies.
Pricing and availability
DxO Optics Pro v5 is available immediately on the company's e-store or from respected retailers for Windows users. DxO Optics Pro v5 final release for the Macintosh platform is expected later in Q2.
DxO Optics Pro v5 is available in Standard and Elite editions at pricing unchanged from version 4.5:
DxO Optics Pro V5, one the more popular RAW convertor application has been reviewed by the folks at Luminous Landscape. When compared to previous version the V5 showed significant improvements. The latest version has a more intuitive interface, which alone is worth updating according to the reviewer.
Another noteworthy feature is the noise reduction tool, which is quite effective, and the My Palette function, which lets you drag and drop aliases of your favorite palettes and sub palettes.
Excerpt from the review: “My recommendation is to give DxO 5 a try. The free trial version makes this easy. Raw conversion is a quickly evolving field, and with version 5 DxO is making a very significant contribution to this field.”
Apple’s 10.5.2 Operating System and Aperture 2 now officially support Hasselblad 3FR RAW files. The free Leopard update includes support for Hasselblad raw image files in the 3FR, FFF and DNG format, created with any Hasselblad digital camera product with a 16 Mpix, 22Mpix, 31Mpix or 39Mpix sensor.
With the new update one can preview the Hasselblad raw files (3FR, FFF and DNG) in Finder and able to be opened directly from popular applications such as Preview, iPhoto, and Aperture. An added benefit of the new OS X support is the creation of thumbnails for both FFF and 3FR files, enabling quick file inspection via Quick Look.
Phocus 1.0b11, a next generation browsing and RAW conversion software for Mac has made been made public by Hasselblad. The version is in Beta and supports files that have been shot by Hasselblad digital cameras and Hasselblad/Imacon digital backs. The download features a 36-page draft of the manual and a Read Me file. To get a copy of Phocus, download from the ftp site as follows:
DxO Labs has announced the addition of 10 new lenses to its library of lens correction modules for DxO Optics Pro v5. The addition of these lenses, designed specifically for the Nikon D3 and Nikon D300 digital SLR camera bodies makes the total number of lens correction modules available to DxO Optics Pro users to nearly 700.
For Nikon D3 DxO Optics Pro v5 software now offers lens correction modules for the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED, and AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED lenses. Support for this camera body and these lenses are available only in the Elite version of DxO Optics Pro v5.
For Nikon D300 now there is support for AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED, the AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, the AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, the AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED, AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED, and the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM. Support for this camera body and these lenses are available in both the Standard and the Elite editions of DxO Optics Pro v5.
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Version 3.9.5 of the Raw Photo Processor is now available for 
DxOMark.com has published the Raw-based image quality data and DxOMark Sensor ranking for three Sony Alpha-series cameras, the A700, the A300 and the A200. You can check out how the cameras fared here:
RAW Developer 1.8.2 for the Mac OS is now available courtesy Iridient Digital. The update has support for all the latest new camera models, improves deep shadow rendering, improves default camera profiles for many models and also fixes several bugs.
There is a new update to the Silkypix Developer Studio software. Version 3.0.26.1 includes support for the following cameras: Sony A900, Pentax K-m / K2000, Casio EX-FH20, Panasonic DMC-G1 and Canon PowerShot G10 camera. Registered users can download the update for free and for more information head over 
The website 
The Canon RAW Codec 1.4.0 is now available for download 
An update for 
An update to the Capture One 4 application has been released by Phase One. Version 4.1.2 of Capture One, adds lens correction support for Phase One digital back owners who have the following systems; Hasselblad H, Hasselblad V and Contax mounts. For more information please visit: 
Apple has made the Mac OS X 10.5.4 update available for download, which is recommended for Mac OS X 10.5, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, and 10.5.3 Leopard users. 
Adobe has submitted their proprietary DNG RAW file format to the ISO as a proposed new standard. Adobe will also provide a DNG-viewing codec to view DNG files right within the Windows Vista operating system.
