Check Software Update or go to the Apple Download Page for the latest Mac OSX Update and Raw Support for the following digital cameras in AP2 and iPhoto 08:

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/Kiss Digital x2/450D
Epson R-D1
Leaf AFi 7
Leaf AFi 6
Leaf AFi 5
Pentax K200D
Pentax K20D

First Digital

Whenever I start to think, “wow, that was a great picture I took”, I can bring myself back to earth by looking at the tool I used to take that picture. My little brain can’t begin to conceive just how magical the technology is in our amazing digital cameras, computers and software programs like Aperture.

So when I was alerted to this historical reference by the legendary Canadian photojournalist Andy Clark, I had to share it with you.

Who built the first the digital camera? It's Steve Sasson, who was inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame last year, and worked for Kodak. Sasson is credited with the first attempt at building a digital camera. Seems like digital shooters should at least know his name.

The first digital camera pictured here, is not as elegant or compact as all the digital cameras to come after it. But in 1975, this pieced together myriad of digital circuits, batteries and a lens from a Kodak Super 8 Camera, was able to capture a black and white image onto a CCD imager and store the image onto a standard cassette tape in a 23 second exposure. It weighed 8 pounds and had a resolution of 0.01 megapixels (10,000 pixels).

Sasson’s invention did not go over well at the yellow giant.

“In what has got to be one of the most insensitive choices of demonstration titles ever, we called it "Film-less Photography".

A patent was issued for the technology, but it was years ahead of it’s time.
Kodak never continued research on this “film-less” camera, but did come up with the "not so popular" Kodak Disc Camera in 1982.

Ooops.

Read Steve Sasson’s Blog here.

Sign Of The Times…

FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO Shigetaka Komori; hereafter “Fujifilm”) announced today that it will increase prices on its range of photographic papers and other photosensitive material products on a worldwide basis. Price increases will depend on products and markets.
 (starting in July, 10-20 per cent)

Be Careful Out There…

Ouch!