TrustedReviews have reviewed the new Samsung NV15, a 10 megapixel digital camera with a refined Smart Touch User Interface, up to ISO 3200 and faster Advanced Shake Reduction system.

“Like most of the cameras in Samsung’s NV range, the NV15 has distinctive style, first class build quality, good handling, exceptional performance and an interesting range of features at a very reasonable price. The Smart Touch control system is something you’ll either love or hate, and the USB charging is a very useful addition. Unfortunately it also suffers from rather poor image quality, with significant levels of noise at all ISO settings. The 8MP NV8 is a better camera.”

]]> http://sirint.com/design/samsung-nv15-review.htm By Mary Wisniewski

Billings, Mont.—As precious metal prices continue to break records, and consumers cut down on luxury spending, designers and manufacturers are moving toward lower-cost options such as lighter-weight designs and less expensive metals—including palladium and silver.

Seizing on the price-conscious trend is Palladium Alliance International (PAI), which recently hired DJS Marketing to design a new multiyear, global palladium campaign. The advertising, marketing, branding and public relations firm will launch a comprehensive program to educate trade professionals worldwide about palladium in tandem with a major consumer campaign.

Dollar figures for the new marketing crusade were not yet released at press time, but PAI says there will be a significant spend for marketing the metal in 2008 and beyond. Meanwhile, the metal's best ally just might be the prices on other precious metals: Gold prices had reached $945 an ounce, and platinum, $1,909 an ounce, as of March 19, compared with $459 an ounce for palladium.

Dawn McCurtain, marketing director for PAI, says one of the reasons the group hired DJS Marketing is because it wants to send a consistent message to both trade and consumers that palladium is a luxurious, natural, precious white metal. Although PAI has tried to convey this information previously, the push hasn't always been consistent, and this team-up will keep the drive strong, she says.

Deborah Scarpa, president of DJS Marketing Group, says once the trade is infiltrated with palladium knowledge, the campaign will immediately begin to create imagery to coax consumers to try the white metal. In a time of rising gold and platinum prices, she says, this is an optimal time to reintroduce the metal, which is already being offered as an option by manufacturers such as Christian Bauer, Michael Beaudry, Tenthio Fine Jewelry and Scott Kay.

Designer Scott Kay says he doesn't promote palladium, just his own brand, but he thinks the metal is making great headway.

"Palladium is taking staggering steps into the jewelry industry," Kay says, adding that he expects it will become mainstream in only a few years' time.

Bridal buyer Sara Kravetsky of the Diamond Cellar, with two locations in Ohio, says the jeweler first brought palladium into its stock with Scott Kay bridal designs. After finding success there, the store added other designers working with palladium.

Touting it as a precious white metal, Kravetsky says it also has a strong appeal among those watching their wallets and seeking quality.

Marquise-shaped gemstone enhancer in 18-karat yellow gold by Elyssa Bass, shown with, clockwise from top, smoky topaz, amethyst and lemon citrine; suggested retail price with one stone is $4,389. Marina Elliot, president of Tenthio Fine Jewelry, has observed retailers' increasing knowledge of the metal, and says the company's palladium pieces are doing well, but she believes there is still more promotion to be done.

Elliot says her company maintains a variety of price points at all times, but stresses that the price tag isn't always the biggest issue, and that exclusivity and rarity play roles in jewelry sales too.

Tenthio Fine Jewelry also sells in several markets outside the United States, which helps to offset the current challenges in the domestic market, she says.

Switching it up at the bench Palladium isn't the only sign of budget-consciousness in the industry. Jewelry designer Jane Basch purposely uses 14-karat gold to keep price points reasonable for her "Indulge by Basch" pieces. Since she, herself, is the type of person who might save money by shopping for jeans at Target and then splurge on the occasional $1,000 purse, Basch strives to offer a range of price options to her customers.

"Many women want to look good but have a lot of financial obligations," she says.

Besides using 14-karat gold to cut down on prices, Basch uses open space in many of her designs to offer a big look at a smaller price tag.

One way designer Elyssa Bass is tackling rising metals prices is by offering jewelry with enhancers that allow the wearer to switch gemstones in and out to create various looks.

"The gold market is going so high, how to cut costs is on everyone's minds," she says, adding that her pieces walk the line between art and fashion, and because of this, she doesn't get too bogged down by metal prices and will keep on designing in 18-karat gold.

Scott Kay's "Javlin" bands in palladium from the "For Men Only" collection; suggested retail prices start at $790, but the company notes that all prices are subject to metal price fluctuations. Other designers choose to use silver as a way to offer a variety of price points. One is Leslie Greene, who recently introduced a new sterling silver line in addition to her 18-karat line, so that women can continue to purchase more than one high-end jewelry piece for themselves at a time.

Still, worrying about costs is not an issue for some retailers such as Virginia Paterson of James Locke Jewelers in East Liverpool, Ohio, who says her customers show no resistance to higher prices.

"If they wanted it, they just wanted it," Paterson says. She sees the rising price of metals as more of a problem for jewelers, particularly if they are price-point driven or are operating chain stores.

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories in which National Jeweler will examine ways to combat various retailing challenges this year. This story first appeared in the March 2008 edition of National Jeweler. Metal prices cited were updated as of March 19 for the online version of this story.

]]> http://sirint.com/design/palladium-finds-niche-amid-record-high-metal-prices.htm Photojournalist Lori Grinker, photographed in 2004.

It was only in the mid 1990s, however, that the shape and scope of the project emerged as Grinker began to cover more stories of ex-combatants, beginning with a photo-essay for Life on Vietnam vets from the U.S. returning to Vietnam in 1989. Other assignments she generated took her to Liberia, where she documented the impact of war on child-soldiers, Ethiopia to examine the role of women in the Eritrean Armed Forces, and Russia for a story on the meaning of memorials and reunions.

"I began to see that the various images and narratives, taken together, were telling a previously untold story...a story that went beyond the politics of any individual war and when I reached that point I began to expand the focus geographically while sharpening its focus into a cohesive set of images. I wanted to capture the 'wars' after the wars are over." Ultimately, the book -- which Grinker likens to a time-capsule -- includes 23 wars of the last 100 years, starting with Sri Lanka and peeling back to World War One.

It was as a student at Parson's School of Design that Grinker discovered her passion for going the distance. She initially planned to become an illustrator, but was knocked out by the power of documentary photography after taking an "inspiring" course with George Tice and viewing groundbreaking books like W. Eugene Smith's Minamata. While still at Parsons, Inside Sports published her photo-essay on a nine-year-old pugilist, and she continued to train her lens on another young boxer she met along the way -- Mike Tyson -- for a decade.

Staying with it, acknowledges Grinker, takes a high level of perseverance and the willingness to let the story unfold. "You have to be very Zen about it," she notes.

"Patience is so important and while photography gives us instant results, a larger project takes a lot of planning and research. And life happens in between the work and it takes a lot of tenacity to keep focused on the larger goal." For Grinker, there was cancer and her brother's death. (The book is dedicated to him.)

Funding, too, is an ever-present challenge. Grinker estimates that at least half of her time was spent raising money -- a skill she acquired while working on Invisible Thread. "I learned to apply for every grant there is," she says. Financial support for Afterwar came from many sources including a Eugene Smith grant, the Santa Fe Center for Photography, the Marty Forscher Humanistic Award, and a grant from the New York Foundation of the Arts.

Long-term projects can also be emotionally draining. Grinker says she was "heartbroken" by veterans' horrific physical and psychic wounds. "There was so much to absorb." Yet she also learned how resilient and philosophical they were, despite an "aura around them...born of having witnessed something they never should have witnessed."

For Grinker, the extended project is essentially a way of being, and if there's a drawback, it's simply that there's not enough time. She is currently juggling three works-in-progress: Distant Relations which explores the universal experience of diaspora through the experience of her own family; urban Iraqi refugees' life in exile; and a new chapter for a possible second edition of Afterwar that will focus on veterans from both sides of the Iraqi war.

"This work is life's knowledge," says Grinker. "It teaches new ways to understand the world for yourself and for the viewer."

If she needed affirmation that Afterwar has opened hearts and minds, she found it at a series of public exhibits. At one show, a student from a military family told her the stories in the book confirmed his decision not to join the service; at another forum a woman spoke of her father's inability to discuss his war experience and vowed to work with other vets to help them give voice to their demons. At yet another gathering, local veterans of the Iraq and Afghan conflicts said they found it cathartic to learn that ex-soldiers from so many wars and diverse cultures shared the same postwar trauma.

Asks Grinker: "What more could one want from one's work?"

A UK photographer narrowly missed out on winning this year's Deutsche Börse photography prize which was awarded to Finnish photographer Esko Männikkö.

John Davies from the UK was one of the four shortlisted photographers, who each won £3,000.

The top prize of £30,000 is awarded to the photographer deemed to have made a significant contribution to photography over the past year.

Männikkö won for his retrospective 'Cocktails 1990-2007' which was shown in Stockholm, Sweden last year.

'Esko Männikkö's pictorial risk-taking, combined with his poetic approach to dealing with universal issues such as alienation and identity, greatly impressed the 2008 jury,' said Brett Rogers, director of The Photographers' Gallery and chair of the judging panel.

To view more of the winning images CLICK HERE



Picture credit: Esko Männikkö

]]> http://sirint.com/design/photographer-hits-30k-deutsche-b-rse-jackpot.htm A photojournalist has won £4,000 from police in an out-of-court settlement after claiming that officers assaulted him while photographing a political protest outside Parliament.

Photographer Marc Vallée has accepted a written apology from the Metropolitan Police after he sued them following injuries he sustained while covering the Sack Parliament demonstration in Parliament Square in London on 9 October 2006.

He was subsequently treated at nearby St Thomas's hospital, according to the National Union of Journalists which states that the photographer's legal costs have also been met by police.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to (AP) that both parties agreed a settlement figure of £4,000.

Speaking to AP, Vallée said he expects police costs to total around £15,000, meaning that the case would cost the police nearly £20,000.

In a statement The Met told us that the £4,000 settlement was reached 'with no admission of liability'.

Vallée had issued legal proceedings against the Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair, accusing police of assault and of breaching his 'freedom of expression and assembly' under the Human Rights Act 1998.

'I'd already had my press card checked twice that morning,' Vallée told us, adding that the incident occurred after he had backed away from the protesters. 'I was grabbed by three officers. It was like a conveyor belt. I said 'I am press'.

'The last [officer] propelled me across the street and through a police line and I landed on my back.'

Vallée's solicitor Chez Cotton said: 'This was an extremely unpleasant incident. Neither the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police or his officers has any legal power, moral responsibility or political responsibility to prevent or restrict what the media record.

'Mr Vallée is a well-respected photojournalist, lawfully present to photograph a political protest outside parliament, yet he was brutally prevented from doing so by the police.'

]]> http://sirint.com/design/photographer-wins-4-000-from-british-police-in-out-of-court-settlement.htm By Mary Wisniewski

Milan, Italy—About J, a brand-new by-invitation-only show created and organized by the The Vicenza Fair, debuted this weekend in luxury capital Milan, boasting the best of the worldwide jewelry industry.

The March 2-4 event, held at the trendy Superstudio Piu, drew a select 60 Italian jewelry brands and 20 international brands, along with 150 invited buyers and representatives from 350 high-end Italian retail outlets.

Designers on display included Aaron Basha, Calgaro, Garavelli, Gurhan, Hearts On Fire, Marco Bicego, Mikimoto, Nanis, Orlando Orlandini, Picchiotti and Roberto Coin, to name a few, and designs ran the gamut, with flattened metals, diamond pendants and hoops, dark hues and animal motifs as recurring trends.

Yellow Coronado butterfly necklace by Io Si. One of the standout designers in terms of creativity was Spanish jewelry designer Vicente Gracia Joyas, who revealed such detailed work as a jewelry piece reflecting a bird nesting its eggs. His client base includes the Spanish Royal Family, Spanish institutions and collectors from around the world.

Jewelry designer Gurhan Orhan said he really loved the show because of its high quality.

Typical best sellers for the designer included necklaces, rings and his more delicate pieces because of their versatility.

Gurhan also said the slowing economy hasn't had a negative effect on his brand thus far.

"We are experiencing a shift in the perception in jewelry," he said, referring to those who view high-karat gold as an investment.

A necklace from Roberta Porrati's "Velvet" collection. Claudia Zaramella, spokeswoman for Pianegonda, said sales are good—even in America—and credits this to buyers' appreciation of the brand's handmade quality.

Partners of About J include Condé Nast, Studio Attila, TJF and Hangar Design Group.

]]> http://sirint.com/design/milan-s-about-j-show-debuts.htm Canon interview at PMA : Despite a very busy schedule Bas de Meijer has interviewed some of the exhibitors during the PMA 2008 show in Las Vegas. One of the interviewees was Richard Trestain, Digital camera product specialist of Canon. Before the Photo Marketing Association 2008 kicked off, Canon introduced a number of new digital compact camera models and one new digital SLR camera for the upcoming season. Canon have been a leading brand for years in relation to worldwide sales of digital cameras. This is not something to take for granted. To apply high technical innovations or to integrate novelties into a product at the right moment is the key to successfully sell products. Richard Trestain answers a number of questions.

Question : It was expected that the compact camera market growth would come to a halt. However; at Canon's press conference we were told that this market is still showing clear signs of growth. Can you explain that?

Answer : I'm not sure but perhaps people are becoming keener on photography. I suppose there are many users shooting with a cam-phone now realizing that these devices are not really the best of cameras. They will switch over to a compact camera and hopefully to Canon for the best possible pictures. Besides that a large amount of users is willing to take pictures but unwilling to carry around heavy equipment. So there is a large group of users, from people who just want to take pictures on birthday parties to people who want to make almost professional pictures. I must say I don’t know why people want to make more pictures. It might be the internet age.


Question : Not only compactcamera sales numbers are increasing, this also goes for the DSLR. Do cheaper DSLRs threaten sales numbers of compact cameras?

Answer : The SLR takes up a part of the market. They will become cheaper. Compact cameras will also become cheaper but there will always be people demanding more from their cameras and they will step over to the DSLR. Canon offers some sort of overlap so we can serve both groups. But surely if you want flexibility and exchangeable lenses, you have to go for a digital SLR. If size is more important you should go for the Canon PowerShot G9. We don't want to compete with our own products, that's for sure.


Question : A while ago we had semi-pro Megazoom cameras such as the Pro90. Why do Canon not offer more of these kinds of cameras?

Answer : We offer a Megazoom camera; the Canon PowerShot S5 IS but I know what you mean with the top class. We try to offer a choice on every level. If someone wants extreme zoom, he can purchase the Canon S5IS. If someone wants an operation similar to an SLR, he can go for the Canon G9. We have sort of divided it.


Question : So you don't suppose a semipro Megazoom would be too much of a competition for the cheaper SLR cameras?

Answer : No, I don't think so.


Question : About the PowerShot G9. When the PowerShot G7 got introduced, first thing we noticed was the lack of RAW support. You called it a compact camera for the pro, but most professionals don't want a camera without RAW. Then the Canon G9 arrived including RAW but at the same time the amount of pixels increased. There was no demand for more pixels and my experience is that it did not enhance the quality. So, why did you add more pixels?

Answer : First RAW; when the Canon G7 was developed it was a well-considered decision. Canon did a lot of market research and discovered that the target group for the PowerShot G7 did not understand or need RAW. It wasn't until sales had started the demand for RAW started. I think it is one of Canon's strongest points that we do listen to the consumer and therefore we did equip the PowerShot G9 with RAW support. Megapixels; Canon do not compromise on image quality. We do believe strongly in this policy. If we didn't find image quality that important, we would not be where we are today. The number of Megapixels is the market trend. Thorough research shows that people go for Megapixels. It's the first thing they look at. I can show you numerous studies confirming this.


Question : But is it really what the consumer wants or is it what the market orders? When I talk with consumers they often ask me if they really need more pixels. They seem to think that more pixels equal more quality.

Answer : I know exactly what you mean. It's like the question of the chicken and the egg. What came first, the market or the marketing strategy? Fact is that you can do so much more with a larger amount of pixels. What we are trying to tell the consumer is that you can enlarge pictures to a great extend, that you can crop small details and print A4 sizes. However, we will not compromise. We will not just go along with the Megapixel race just for the sake of it. Our concern is image quality. We also look at the background such as the DIGIC III processor. I don't know if the demand for pixels will remain the same in the future. At the moment, there is still a demand for more and we cannot and will not ignore that.


Question : A few years ago Canon claimed that six Megapixels would be the limit. One year later no more mentioning about it and the eight Megapixel models appeared. That is kind of a contradiction. And the number of pixels makes me wonder of what to do with the large files.

Answer : A large group of the most dedicated users does not want more Megapixels; they just want to keep it simple. But as I said, the market demands more. And all we can do is offer it to them and ensure excellent image quality. Ensuring large prints and crops for users, which is the only thing we can do.


Question : More pixels on a sensor usually happens at the cost of the quality. Why do Canon not start using larger sensors?

Answer : I cannot comment on future products. But if you take a look at the Canon PowerShot G9 and PowerShot G7, the pixel sizes do not differ that much. It's not that pixels are getting gradually smaller. And yes, one of the advantages of the DSLR is the larger sensor, offering better quality. But we would not be selling compact cameras if the image quality weren't good.


Question : Compact cameras still disappoint when using high ISO. Using a higher sensitivity than ISO 400 is not advisable. What is your opinion?

Answer : The only thing we can do is offer a choice. Maybe a consumer is determined to take a picture of an object and we offer that possibility. It all has to do with physics. Higher ISO causes more noise, no way of preventing it. So you can select a lower ISO value. We limit ISO sensitivity to 800 at motion detection on purpose. So for those who want more, they will have to make a conscious choice. Of course it affects the image quality. We are still trying to improve the quality. The limitation is merely found in physics. And you have to keep in the back of your mind what it is people want to do with their pictures. ISO 1600 can look good on a 10 x 15 cm print.


Question : You don't offer a real wide angle in your series. One manufacturer, originally into electronics, offers and promotes wide angle. Many users request it too. Why didn't Canon equip the PowerShot series standard with wide angle?

Answer : It has to do with image quality. We have a long tradition concerning optics. And it is vital that light beams fall straight onto the sensor. We don't want to compromise; not on the field of optics either. We want to equip a camera with a lens that works perfectly.


Question : Face detection is nearly standard nowadays. What are the developments on face detection? Because at the moment also the white balance is taken into account. Do you think we can expect a slideshow in the near future of all the pictures on the memory card with a certain face, for example my daughter's face?

Answer : In my opinion that is very well possible in the future. But it is not something our models are offering just yet. We offer perfect face detection and we also have face tracking now. I cannot say anything about future features but it sounds good.


Question : What are the limitations of innovations in cameras, such as face detection, cropping etc.? Is it the hardware or the software?

Answer : Hardware is more important in our cameras. Our face detection is entirely placed on the chip and calculations mainly happen through the DIGIC III. We are convinced that this is the only way it works fast. Most of these kinds of processes work through the DIGIC III. It is a fast processor. And we are very proud of it; that is why we keep on mentioning it. You cannot expect to pack more features in a processor without it slowing down. We are always developing processors. Yes, I think it is mainly the hardware. The software plays a small role too, but then again, in combination with the hardware.


Question : DSLR cameras are more and more equipped with Live View and a vari-angle monitor where as they disappear from compact cameras.

Answer : We wanted the Canon PowerShot G9 first and for all to be a compact camera. A vari-angle monitor influences the design a great deal. Instead we chose the PureColor LCD which is a quite impressive monitor.


Question : They are less flexible. You offer only a few models with vari-angle monitors.

Answer : That's correct; we don't offer it on DSLR cameras and not on all models. It is a well-considered decision. If we develop other models and we find it useful to apply a vari-angle monitor, we will do so. It's not that we waved them goodbye, it is just a matter of applying them strategically.


Question : Geo-tagging is becoming more popular every day. A separate GPS will do the trick but is rather complicated. Can we expect a built-in GPS?

Answer : I have seen many GPS ideas. But I cannot say if we are planning to integrate it. We have done some market research and we think GPS is very new. We follow the market developments very closely and we will respond accordingly. If there are not many of such cameras available, we decide if there is a demand for them. An additional functionality might increase sales of course. And although GPS is already quite small, it is not sufficiently small to be integrated in a camera.


Question : I have seen a very small module that can be integrated.

Answer : Oh, really? How big is it? This is interesting. Every addition adds to the size of the camera. And if it is possible why not, I cannot comment on it. It sounds really cool. And it seems an interesting future technique.


Question : You have gotten rid of WiFi? Why?

Answer : After the release we have studied how it worked and how users used it and then we decided the consumer wasn't ready for it yet.


Question : But consumers need time to get used to it. There might not be a large market for it now, but that can change in weeks. And someone has to take the initiative. You are a huge company and there should be room for innovations.

Answer : We were certainly innovative with Canon IXUS wireless. It was one of the first cameras with built-in WiFi. However we always rely on market research to see where we are heading.


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