Inside Digital Photo - Special Report
Photokina 2008

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Join Scott Sheppard and Mike McNamara as they review this year’s highlights announced at Photokina 2008 held in Cologne, Germany September 23-28, 2000. Many of the product that were introduced were previewed in the U.S. prior to the event and Scott and Mike share their personal experiences with them and discuss some products that should stay on your radar screen as the fall show season unfolds.

• Adobe CS4 - many features added to this version provide enhanced productivity which at first seem tuned for graphic/print design but will offer great benefits for professional photographers once they become more familiar with the new tools.
• Casio - announced the Casio HIGH SPEED EXILIM Pro EX-F1 and the EX-FH20 Camera superzoom with 9.1 megapixels, and high speed burst shooting up to 40 fps at 7 megapixels and high definition movie recording at up to 1,000 fps. At a price point around $600.
• Canon - launched the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which could easily become the camera of the year but they also showed their new top range compact digital, the PowerShot G10. Both cameras offer the key functionality and performance near their professional cameras but are marketed to the prosumer/entry-level DSLR users.
• Leica - introduced the Leica S2, with its premium collection of lenses that include everything from ultra wide to super telephoto. The S2 features a smaller metal body that is easier to carry, and a special new sensor with 30 x 45 mm and 37.5 megapixels designed for professionals.
• Sigma - delivered upgrades to their camera bodies with Sigma SD15 powered by the 14 megapixel Foveon X3 direct-image-sensor which captures all primary RGB colors. They also announced the Sigma DP2, also 14 megapixel high definition digital camera, which packs the full spec of a DSLR into the body of a compact camera.
• Pentax - took the lead in the entry-level category with their lightweight, easy to maneuver, PENTAX K-m digital SLR camera and lenses. The lenses include two DA L-series interchangeable zoom lenses: the smc PENTAX-DA L 18-55mmF3.5-5.6AL and the smc PENTAX-DA L 50-200mmF4-5.6ED. The system is perfect for first-time DSLR users.
• Ricoh -adds another "cult" point-and-shoot with the GX200 featuring 24 mm wide-angle optical 3x zoom and an effective 12 mega-pixel CCD. Not readily available in the U.S. these cameras add another option to those wishing for their unique status and capabilities.
• Epson - introduced the Epson Perfection V300 entry level scanner, at a price of $99 which includes 4800 x 9600 dpi optical resolution and a built in transparency unit to scan 35mm film.

Scott & Mike also shared their insights to new products announced by Fuji, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Kodak with their predictions on the impact of these new technologies and their effect on the "megapixel" and "camera wars" which are sure to drive performance to new heights in the next 6 months.

Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage on these products or visit Mike’s site "The McNamara Report" at http://www.mcnamarareport.com.

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Tanya Chuang, Director of Worldwide Retail Product Marketing, SanDisk joins host Scott Sheppard to discuss some details about their new SanDisk Extreme® III 30MB/s Edition line of SDHC™ Cards that boost card performance speeds by 50%. Tanya explains how their close relationship with Nikon helped them break the barriers of the current card limits and that the new Nikon D90 is the first camera body to support the advanced performance capabilities of their new cards which are ideal for both photo and video capture. Tanya also discusses some updates on their compact flash cards and what we can expect to see on the horizon for their full line of high performance photo and video cards.

For more information visit: http://www.sandisk.com

The McNamara Report on Inside Digital Photo with Michael J. McNamara
This week’s topic: Nikon and Canon save best DSLRs for last

Photokina is the largest photo-trade show in the world, and it kicks off in Cologne, Germany on Sept.23. Predictably, manufacturers announce their top models just prior to the show, and this year it’s no different. Both Canon and Nikon just made back-to-back announcements of their top advance-amateur DSLRs, and in this radio segment, Scott and Mike take sides in a verbal shootout of the features to see if Canon’s new $1,400 50D is a better deal than Nikon’s new $1,000 D90.

For more new Photokina product announcements visit: http://photokina.en.koelnmesse.info/

Read more insights and analysis from Mike McNamara on: http://www.mcnamarareport.com

Dane Sanders, Author, Trainer, & Wedding Photographer, joins Inside Digital Photo for an update on his new book "Fast Track Photographer", a comprehensive guide on how to build a recession-proof, competition-proof photo business in the 21st Century. Dane explains his unconventional approach that includes a Photographer DNA (pDNA) Assessment Tool designed to help you identify your personal strenghts and personality type that can determine the best approach you can take to differentiate yourself instead of simply copying your competition. Dane shares some tips from his own experiences and is thrilled to have this opportunity to pay it forward to the community via this book designed not as a "how-to" shoot weddings but a tool that will help you build your photography business.

For more information, and to get your own copy visit: http://www.fasttrackphotographer.com/ for information and to see Dane’s work visit: http://danesanders.com/