Sigma DP1: Fate unknown

We reported on this camera when an engineering sample surfaced at PMA 2007. And that sample was a follow-up on the concept prototype at Photokina 2006.

The Sigma DP1 is exciting because it's possibly the world's first digital compact camera to feature an APS-C imaging sensor, which is the same-sized sensor used in non-full-frame dSLRs.

However, our excitement would have to keep. Sigma has announced that due to unforeseen image quality problems, the camera has required an overhaul in its imaging pipeline, thus the delay. In fact, previously announced technical specifications for the DP1 will be changed, though Sigma has made no mention on which.

Alpha testing of the new camera is currently in progress and we can hope that the final product, when it's finally launched (PMA? CES?) will be well worth the wait.

Wireless camera powered by fluorescent light

Here's another one for green tech. Japan's NEC has unveiled a wireless camera capable of being powered by something as frugal as fluorescent light, with this acting like the sun's solar power. The magic, though, lies in a ring-shaped component attached to the bulb, which then generates a magnetic field of power. Tech-On reports that the wireless camera can operate at 120mW and will automatically adjust its video-shooting frequency according to the power supply from the fluorescent light. It can be set to shoot images every 10 seconds and supports VGA (640 x 480), QVGA (320 x 240) and QQVGA (160 x 120) resolutions. While this makes it extremely easy and affordable to implement, we're reminded of George Orwell's 1984 terrorvision--watching Big Brother watching us, watching everyone else. On exhibition at iExpo2007 in Tokyo Big Sight from December 5-7, if you're passing by.

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 endorses Redmond photo format

Early this year, Microsoft has been pushing for its Windows Media Photo file format into the liberal realm of open formats.

Corel's endorsement, via the integrated support for Microsoft's photo format, is a feather in the cap for the Redmond firm's bid to turn its photo format into an industry standard.

Because unlike the other Microsoft-centric standard, Office 2007's OOXML, which is currently slugging it out with another open document standard, ODF, the Windows Media Photo format seems to be enjoying its ride to mass adoption.

Renamed as "HD Photo" in November 2006 to sound less like a Microsoft product, HD Photo (.hdp) already enjoys support from photo-editing software powerhouse Adobe Systems whose wares include Photoshop, as well as the doyenne of high-end cameras, Hasselblad.

With the current support from photo-editing software and the slated mid-2008 adoption of HD Photo (which will be renamed JPEG XR) as an official JPEG standard by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, HD Photo seems to have gained a firm seat in a photographer's end-to-end color management ecosystem.

This development will obviously open up camera manufacturers to the possibility of including HD Photo as a native format in digicams.

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