Transcend launches 8 TB external hard drive

Transcend Information Inc. has taken wraps off its newest device StoreJet 35T3. This black and sleek 3.5’’ device offers storage capacity up to 8TB and a USB 3.0 interface. It further provides a transfer rate of up to 200 MB/sec. With this speed, it would be a hassle-free task to transfer a 4.7GB movie, which will take about a mere 24 seconds. This hard drive features a One Touch auto-backup button. This helps the user in taking an instant back-up and synchronising their data with a notebook or desktop, making sure that their data is stored in a secondary location. Another value-added addition is the inclusion of a free download of the Transcend Elite data management software that helps users manage their data. They can perform incremental backups, secure confidential information and a lot more. StoreJet 35T3 is available in 3TB, 4TB and 8TB capacities. The device comes with Transcend’s three-year limited warranty.

Indian printers shine at HP Digital Print Excellence Awards

HP Digital Print Excellence Awards recognise atypical achievements and innovations made by the topmost printing companies across Asia Pacific and Japan. This year, there were about 380 submissions from across 16 countries. One of the grand winners was Bengaluru based Canvera Digital Tecnologies. The company was awarded in the Photo Book- Art category. Gido van Praag, Vice President and General Manager, Graphics Solutions Business, HP Asia Pacific and Japan said, “ Winners of the H P Digital Print Excellence Awards exemplify those who took the challenge to win their customers’ hearts and minds through innovative digital print technology. Businesses and brands today are connecting with their customers to drive more engaging conversations, transform perception of their organisations and ultimately, create the best possible customer experience.”

Tamron launches lightest zoom lens

Tamron announced a new lens— the 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC ( Model B018) for APS-C D-SLR cameras. This lens opens up varied photographic possibilities attributed to its optical and mechanical design in sync with modern times and technology. With a zoom range of 18-200mm, photographers need not go through the hassle of changing lenses while taking wideangle pictures or long distance telephoto pictures. From portraits to group photos and so on, this lens is an ideal choice. Keeping the aspects of portability and convenience in check, this lens weighs about 400 g. The lens also features Tamron’s Vibration Compensation technology. The lens offers quick and noiseless focusing in comparison to models with the usual DC motors. Constructed with 16 elements in 14 groups, the 18-200mm utilises an LD ( Low Dispersion) element to reduce chromatic aberrations. The lens’s circular seven-blade aperture diaphragm offers an appealing bokeh with point light sources blurring into naturally rounded shapes. The lens is also moisture-resistant. It further comes with a Zoom lock that helps in preventing unneeded barrel extension when the lens is pointed towards the ground.

95 million Nikkor lenses!

In a new achievement for Nikon, the company announced that its total production of Nikkor lenses, has reached 95 million. The first Nikkor lenses were manufactured in 1959 for Nikon’s SLR cameras. Since then, Nikon has produced various lenses that tap different kinds of optical technologies to cater to the photographers’ needs. These include the Nano Crystal Coat (anti-reflection coating), fluorite lens elements that offer chromatic aberration compensation and a compact build for telephoto lenses and more. Kazuo Ninomiya, Managing Director, Nikon India Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are elated to announce the production of 95 million Nikkor lenses, which have been pushing the boundaries of imaging possibilities ever since the early days of camera. At Nikon, we have a history of producing best in the class products that symbolise our spirit and today’s milestone is a testament of constantly innovating and providing world-class experience to our consumers, suited for their photographic needs.” Sajjan Kumar, Vice President – Imaging Division, Nikon India Pvt. Ltd. said, “ I am delighted to state that, we have propelled to 95 million Nikkor lenses, which is the result of several years spent in R&D to transform each photographer’s experience. Maintaining our legacy of producing technologically advanced cameras and accessories, we have introduced elements like Phase Fresnel lens and many more to make the Nikkor lenses compact, lighter and way ahead of the technology curve.

Canon India launches new multi function devices

Canon India has released a new range of A3 and A4 colour multifunction devices (MFDs) to further strengthen the Indian colour printing market. The A3 segment comprises of the imageRunnerAdvance (iRADV) C3300 series that consists of iR-ADV C3320/C3325/C3330 and imageRunnerAdvance C350i in the A4 segment. With these products, Canon endeavours to expand into the commercial space, especially photocopy shops. These machines have also been targeted at small and medium businesses. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Innovation has always been a driving force at Canon and our new series of colour MFDs reflect our commitment towards offering worldclass technology, ease of use and high quality to meet customer expectations. India is a land of rising entrepreneurs and we would like to play an active role in increasing the opportunities for them in the colour printing domain. National NEWS PHOTOG RAPHY Smart Our newly launched products shall add value to SME’s and government sector’s demand for cost efficient, secure and high quality printing solutions.” Accessible printing as well as quick execution of printing tasks can be attributed to this new range of products from Canon India. Mobile printing is also one of the features. Users can also benefit from the synchronisation with an onscreen walk-through video that provides detailed instructions to users regarding consumables replacement

Fujifilm reports increase in profit for Q1

Fujifilm Corp. stated that it has noted a 49.4% gain in its net profit, which amounts to nearly 24.305 billion yen for Q1 of 2015 on a revenue of 590.918 billion yen. On the whole, a 5.8% increase. Profit in operation soared by 21.3% to 36.193 billion yen. The Imaging Solutions segment recorded a 7.4% sales gain to 84.870 billion yen along with a profit in operation of 4.5 billion yen that totals up to a 39.4% leap. When it comes to photo imaging business, sale of instant cameras like the Instax series and different designs of instax film rose globally. The number of companies utilising instant cameras went up to 100 from previous year’s 70. 1.03 million units of these were sold, which is a 17% gain . An annual target of 4.6 million units has been set. The sales of the company also increased. This has been attributed to the growth in the value-added printing business. One of the main contributors to this growth were the sales of year album photo books and shuffle print services. The Electronics imaging systems’ sales decreased because of a drop in sales volume along with a shift to high-end models. The premium digital cameras of the X series delivered a steady performance. The company has plans to venture into sales of broadcast zoom lens that provides an exceptional optical performance with a 4K camera. As for the forecast, the company is anticipating a revenue of 2,580 billion yen indicating a 3.5% gain with an operating income of nearly 190 billion yen coming up to a 10.2% gain. When it comes to net income, a 1.2% gain is expected, which is about 120 billion yen.

Nikkei surveys Imaging industry

Nikkei Shinbun surveyed nearly 100 products of which 16 belonged to the imaging and IT industry. The camcorder category has disappeared from the list and interchangeable lens camera category was an addition to the list. Canon and Nikon have achieved 8.9 percent points and 2.2 points respectively. Sony and Fujifilm’s share reduced by 4.4 and 2.1 percentage points respectively. In the interchangeable lens camera category, Canon alone gained share. When it comes to inkjet printers, Canon moved to the first position in four years replacing Epson. This is attributed to its steady performance of Pixma printer series, which can print directly from smartphones without the use of a desktop. Epson has also released a similar printer. In the field of Video game consoles, Nintendo managed to retain its top position in spite of losing some shares. Sony Computer Entertainment gained with its PlayStation 4, which created ripples in the global market.