Team Digital Hosts Official Canon Release

The ground breaking Canon EOS 1Ds Mark 111 received a fitting welcome when it was officially released at a gala evening in Fremantle on the 14th May.

Maria’s on the Terrace proved to be an ideal setting for a gathering of the professional photographic fraternity as they listened intently to three of Western Australia’s finest photographers give their impressions of the new Canon.

Canon’s Professional Products Manager Michelle Tuddenham commenced proceedings by giving an overview of the camera’s technology and development before handing over to our guest presenters for a “photographers perspective” on the Canon.

Anna Bombarderi and Greg Hocking both gave informative presentations supported by a selection of their own work which served to highlight not only the unique talents of these two photographers but effectively showcased the capabilities of the Canon 1Ds MK 111.

With the aid of a studio set-up Simon Westlake then took the audience through a hands on session before handing over to guests keen to try some wireless shooting and get a feel for the new camera. The consensus by presenters and guests alike was a big thumbs up for the Canon EOS 1Ds MK111 with its wireless technology.

Complete with Geisha, Teriyaki and Sushi the evening had a distinct Japanese flavour and provided a great opportunity for industry friends and colleagues to catch up with one another. A special thanks to Anna, Greg and Simon for lending us their time and expertise for the night.

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Clean Up the Studio Clutter with SKYPORT

The photographic studio can be a hazardous place especially for clients and in the case of portrait photographers, that can often include small children.

For a modest investment in Skyport you can remove sync cables from the studio to give a cleaner more professional look whilst at the same time creating a safer working environment.

EL – Skyport is the latest development from renowned Swiss lighting manufacturer Elinchrom who after nearly forty years in the business have a pretty good understanding of what works for the busy professional studio.

Skyport is a two in one system that provides both flash triggering and wireless remote control of all Elinchrom RX flash unit functions. It is a new miniaturised, ultra secure, high-speed data transmission system that provides hand held or computer wireless control of all Elinchrom RX power units. There is also a “Universal Set” for flash synchronisation with other flash systems.

The system comprises an ultra lightweight transmitter (18-30g) that fits onto the camera and a transceiver that fits onto the flash units. The Transmitter synchronises remote flash units when each is fitted with either a “Universal “ (fitting all flash brands) or the RX transceiver (fitting Elinchrom Style RX, Digital RX and Ranger RX units).

Computer Control

By adding a Skyport USB Transceiver and installing the EL-Skyport software on your Mac or PC you can have full computer control over your flash functions. This would be particularly ideal for the photographer specialising in product shots and catalogue photography.

EL – Skyport can be viewed in operation in out showroom or we will be happy to set up a trial session in your studio.

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Begin Your Creative Adventure With … Elinchrom D – Lite

When designing the Elinchrom D-Lite system, Elinchrom’s mission was to create a low cost, non-technical, state of the art, lighting system that would be backed by the Elinchrom guarantee of excellence.

Based on our own observations and those of others who should know, we believe that the D-Lite 4 (400J) not only delivers on these objectives but in some cases exceeds expectations.

Although aimed directly at the enthusiast and semi-pro the D-lite has exactly the right power – 400 seconds (or joules) – and exactly the right type of control, five f-stops in one tenth of a stop digital steps. The D-Lite 4 can go down to 1/16 power, giving it a minimum output of 25J.

Simplicity is the key word with the D-lites with settings controlled via illustrated membrane buttons located on the back panel, Up/Down buttons raise and lower the power output which is read on an LED panel immediately above them. All other functions are displayed logically in a non-cluttered presentation. Whilst weight has increased slightly from the first generation D-Lite, the units are still extremely light and portability has not been compromised. The small increase in weight is more than offset by the additional security of having an inbuilt cooling fan enabling greater continuity of use for extended projects.

The D-lite use the same accessory ring as the more expensive Elinchrom Style Heads allowing an upgrade path without having to buy new accessories.

D-Lite To Go Kit

A To Go Kit offers a great way for digital photographers to start their adventure into the world of studio lighting. Kit includes:

2 x D-Lite heads
2 x Modelling lamps.
2 x Stands
1 x 65x65 Softbox
1 x 53x53 Softbox
Cables and Sync leads
DVD lighting guide.

Upgrade Kit

The To Go Kit can be upgraded with the addition of a background stand kit and a white washable background so that the photographer is ready for any assignment.

Price

The To Go Kit is priced at a remarkable Gst included price of $1,295 and although not finalised the upgrade option will be available at something under $2,000.

At $1,295 Gst inc for the D-Lite 4, there are not too many excuses left. Give us a call on 9328 3377.

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Creative Options With New Printing Papers

At Team Digital we are constantly searching for new printing materials that will provide the photographer with additional artistic scope when outputting client’s images. Here is a sample of three new surfaces we now offer.

Bamboo 290 This is believed to be the first Fine Art Inkjet paper made from Bamboo fibres. It is a natural art paper which with its premium inkjet coating creates Fine Art prints with a 3-dimensional image depth. Particularly suited tor warm-toned colour and monochrome prints. The material has a certain spiritual quality to it and is environmentally friendly.
FineArt Bartya 325 FineArt Bartya 325 is a brilliant white high gloss paper that sets the benchmark for high colour depth, large colour gamut and image definition. This paper gives the “Wow” factor to black and white prints with an extremely high dmax and the finest grey tones. It is a somewhat unique experience to touch and feel the ultra smooth surface.
Omnijet Piezo Gloss White Film This new polyester glossy film has a Cibachrome feel with 3D depth. Perfect for pigment ink printers and compatible with thermal dye printers as well.

Team Digital has an enormous range of printing options and materials that are best appreciated by visiting our showroom at 268 Lord Street East Perth. Please drop in when next in the area.

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Foto Freo - Photo Fashion 2008

Six months ago we sat around the table discussing ideas for this year’s Foto Freo Festival of Photography, trying to decide what sort of contribution we could make to the 2008 event.
The Festival itself had grown dramatically over its short lifespan and it seemed incumbent upon us to respond in kind by upping the scale of our participation.

As a result of these deliberations the idea of a collaboration between Team Digital and the Fashion Houses of Fremantle was born which ultimately resulted in the presentation of Photo Fashion 2008 on the 9th April.

The idea of a live play depicting a busy photographic studio wrestling with an impossible assignment was a bit daunting, as was the prospect of linking that to a full-blown catwalk fashion parade. But with energy and the goodwill of all involved we charged on. As with any undertaking getting the right people was the key and we were off to a flying start when we enlisted the services of Tony Hewitt as MC and narrator. Then came Star photographer Simon Westlake and his resident photographic team at Illustrations of Chantelle Concei, Jade Foo and Nina Otranto. But where to get an experienced art director that was the question. Not a problem for long as into the breach stepped John Barnet the proprietor of well-known marketing consultancy Brains Trust.

After an initial meeting with key members of the Fremantle Fashion Collective we had the nucleus of a show to which we added a selection of models from West End Academy 2. The final piece in the Jigsaw puzzle was Fremantle Chamber of Commerce CEO John Longley who generously volunteered his services as compare for the fashion parade. The gracious old Fremantle Town Hall was the ideal setting for the night and an enthusiastic crowd of some 300 turned out in support. Based on the many comments received from members of the audience at the post show celebrations and subsequent to that, the event was hailed as a great success. After some early nervousness it also proved to be a lot of fun for the participants. Our sincere thanks to all of the cast and crew that participated in Foto Freo 2008 with a special thanks to the hard working staff of Team Digital for their enthusiastic support.

To Rip Or Not To Rip That Is The Question

What is a RIP?

A Rip (Raster Image Processor) is a dedicated piece of software which can turn your image files or documents into dots of ink on your printer. By definition your printer itself contains one or more 'Rips', usually for PostScript or some other language or set of display commands. But often your printer driver is built to serve many needs and not to optimise image workflow and image quality for professional photographers.

So a market has emerged for third party RIPs for printers, which appeal to graphics professionals. The advantage of using a third party RIP with your existing inkjet printer can include:

* Better workflow
* Improved quality
* Additional print options and capabilities

Using a RIP

A software RIP replaces your print driver completely so rather than printing from your applications through the print driver, you send files directly to the RIP, which prepares them for printing and sends them directly to the print engine inside the RIP. This often allows the print engine to directly drive the CMYK without going through the intermediate step of sending RGB to the print driver.

Better Workflow

This is one of the major attractions of a RIP. Having to open each image in Photoshop, lay it out carefully, size it correctly then print it is time consuming. Once you get the hang of it using a RIP though you will free up Photoshop more quickly, save time hassling with print layouts and more quickly and effectively print multiple images on roll paper.

Improved Image Quality

A RIP can benefit print quality in several different ways. First it can talk directly to the 4 or 6 colour print engine instead of sending RGB data to the engine driver to be converted. Second it can send more than 8-bits per pixel and third it normally comes with a wide variety of carefully tuned profiles.

Additional Capabilities

RIPS can have a range added benefits such as overcoming print size limitations imposed by the printer driver. They also enable accurate proofing which can be particularly relevant for those sending prints to CMYK presses not under their control.

Choosing a RIP

That is where we at Team Digital come in. We have a wealth of experience in providing and supporting printing solutions for the photographic and graphics market. Our expertise is at your disposal so why not give us a call.

Meet the New iMac

The updated all-in-one iMac introduced today offers the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac. The ultimate all-in-one desktop computer includes faster processors with 6MB L2 cache, a faster 1066 MHz front-side bus across the entire line, and 2GB of memory standard in most models. And the 24-inch iMac now offers a 3.06 GHz Intel processor and the high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics as options. Available immediately, the new iMac starts at just A$1,599 RRP inc GST.

If your shopping for a small desktop computer, drop in and see the worlds most popular all-in-one computer, the impressively faster, new iMac.

 

EPSON PRINTER PRICES PLUMMET

Boy when Epson decide to reposition the pricing of their wide format printers they don’t muck around. As we go to press the following are the new Ex Gst prices on their current “mid-size” range of Wide Format Photographic Printers.

	Old Price*	New Price*	Change
Epson 7880	5,395	4,595	800
Epson 9880	10,895	7,995	2,900

(*Note: Prices Exclude GST)

“Must be about to be superseded”, we hear you say. NO Epson assure us that the current line of printers is here to stay. There may be new models brought on line in the future but they will be in addition to the current printers not replacements for them.

TRADE UP

Whilst the new pricing is great news for professionals and businesses looking to invest in wide format printing, we at Team Digital are not satisfied. We want to help existing Epson users upgrade to the latest technology by offering a trade in option that takes the pain out of the changeover. In fact Team Digital is actively seeking good condition secondhand Epson printers and in the words of a well known Perth businessman, “and we are prepared to pay for it”.

Contact either Ben, Trevor or Pat on 9328 3377, they will be only too happy to pop out and give you a valuation.

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EPSON GATECRASHES THE PARTY

It was only a matter of time before Epson, the “Rolls Royce” of wide format printing would arrive to challenge the establishment and that time has come.

Traditionally the masters of high Quality photographic printing, Epson have now rolled out a range of fast, economical, cutting edge printers aimed directly at the technical markets where HP and others have for so long ruled the roost.

Plan Printing, Engineering, CAD, Drafting, Architectural, Education and Signage are just some of the applications that Epson had in mind when they developed their 7450 and 9450 series printers.

If you are engaged in any industry that would benefit from an “in House” wide format printing capability, then it no longer costs more to invest in the best.

Contact Ben, Peter, Pat or Trevor on 9328 3377 for a free no obligation one week trial on your premises.

Features at a Glance:

• Professional media handling of roll or cut-sheet media
• UltraChrome CMYK ink featuring independent large-capacity cartridges for lower running costs
• Built-in automatic media cutting system
• Special units made available for screen print application
  Epson Micro Piezo print head technology

	Price*
Epson 7450	3,595
Epson 9450	5,995

(*Note: Prices Exclude GST)

See The Big Picture With Eizo CG301W

We are delighted to confirm the release of EIZO’s CG301W, the first ever 30” monitor for graphic arts and printing to support hardware calibration.

The 30” screen with its native resolution of 2560 x 1600 gives you more than twice as many pixels to work with as a 20 or 21 inch monitor with a 1600 x 1200 resolution. You can now open up your digital photographs and soft proofs and work in comfort without having to worry about your windows and palettes overlapping.

The ColorEdge CG301W has a color gamut that reproduces 97% of the Adobe RGB colour space so it can display most colours in a photograph taken in Adobe RGB mode and CMYK colour spaces used for printing. Furthermore it has an sRGB mode to accurately reproduce this narrower but commonly used colour space.
The CG301W is a premium edition model that comes with EIZO’s Digital Uniformity Equalizer function and a shading hood.

Team Digital are the distributors for EIZO in Western Australia. Talk to us direct on 9328 3377.

Now Shipping: Final Cut Server

Early April Apple announced that it has begun shipping Final Cut Server, a powerful software solution for media asset management and workflow automation. A scaleable server application, Final Cut Server automatically catalogs large collections of assets, allows searching across multiple disks and SAN volumes, and enables viewing, annotation and approval of content from anywhere using a PC or Mac. “With the introduction of Final Cut Server, collaboration just got a whole lot easier for millions of editors, producers and clients who work with Final Cut Studio,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing.

To discuss how Final Cut Server may fit for you call Peter on 9328 3377 to arrange a meeting.

Print Media Expanded

Team Digital’s commitment to the photographic and graphics print market has been further strengthened over recent months with a significant increase in the range and quantity of cut sheet and roll media permanently held in stock.

Our main motivation for this has been the increased importance that our customers are placing on output media, which is due in part to the constant emergence of new surfaces and materials and the various opportunities that presents.

In particular we have expanded the range of the following leading brands:

• Hahnemuehle – Roll and Cut-Sheet materials for fine art applications including Photorag.
• Chromajet – Broad range of proofing paper, display banner material, backlit film, drafting and photographic applications.
• Ilford Omnijet – A good quality economically priced range of photographic and graphics media.
• Ilford Gallery Inkjet – Well priced higher quality media for a broad range photographic applications.
• Epson – The benchmark with a broad range of premium materials for a variety of photographic and graphics applications in roll and cut-sheet format. We are also carrying a range of material and inks for the enthusiast.
• Magic Matte – great range of canvas in roll form
• Canson – Well priced quality media for photographic and graphics applications
• Canson Arches – natural textured material suitable for fine art and creative applications.

PRINT SWATCH

With such a broad range of materials it can get pretty confusing for customers particularly as there are often several choices available for the one application. To assist customers to appreciate the full extent of the options available and to help with material selection, Team Digital has developed a print media kit. Please contact Ben Walton direct on 9328 3377, he will be happy to send you one free of charge within seven days.

Ben Walton in the distance as he surveys some of the new print material range.

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Sensor Cleaning Service At Team Digital

We are delighted, as we are sure many of our customers will be, to finally offer an 'In House' fully workshop controlled camera sensor cleaning service.

Following appropriate training and an investment in equipment and materials, the Team Digital workshop now offers a 24 hour turnaround on Nikon and Canon digital cameras and on Phase One digital backs.

Call and ask for Service Manager Stuart White or any of the sales team on 9328 3377 to book your camera in for that much needed clean.

New Training Schedule

Make sure you are getting the most out of your time and software. Hone your skills at Team Digital's Training Centre. Click on a course to register.

Maximising Mac OS X (Leopard)	May 27
Adobe InDesign - Basic to Intermediate	May 28-29
Adobe InDesign - Basic to Intermediate	June 3-4
Adobe Acrobat for Business	June 9-10
Adobe Photoshop - Basic to Intermediate	June 19-20
Maximising Mac OS X (Leopard)	June 25
Adobe Photoshop - Advanced Tips & Tricks	June 30
Adobe InDesign - Basic to Intermediate	July 2-3
Adobe Illustrator	July 10
Adobe Photoshop - Basic to Intermediate	July 14-15
Adobe Indesign - Advanced Tips & Tricks	July 22
Maximising Mac OS X (Leopard)	July 24
Adobe Acrobat for Business	July 28

Special Deals For June

The following special offers are valid until the 30th June 2008:

Background Paper (White) - Less 20% for two or more rolls

Gallery Inkjet Pearl 61cm Rolls - Buy two and pay only $220 GST inc per roll.

Sandisk Extreme 111 8GB Compact Flash card - $120.00 GST inc

Boronia Backdrops (2.7m x 5m) - White = $135.00, GST inc, Patterned = $235.00 inc

EIZO Becomes First Monitor Manufacturer with Monitor Proofing Systems Certified by IDEAlliance

Hakusan, Japan, April 24, 2008 – Two of Eizo Nanao Corporation’s (TSE: 6737) monitor proofing systems have passed the newly launched IDEAlliance1 (SWOP2, GRACoL3) Monitor Proofing Systems Certification Program. In total, 27 systems from five companies were certified, with EIZO offering the only systems from a monitor manufacturer.