Canon will today release details of the much rumoured replacement for the Canon 350d (or Rebel XT), to be called the 400d, or in some markets the Rebel XTi.

Improvements to the camera include a 2.5" LCD, 10.2mp all new sensor, a sonic anti-dust system for the sensor and an improved AF, thought to be the same as the Canon 30d's. The street price will be around US$800, about $100 less than the recently released Nikon D80, and about the same price as the new Sony A1 DSLR.

All three of these entry level cameras now sport similar features with enough to differentiate each of them, so it's a great time to be looking for a camera in this range.

Canon also announced two new L-series lenses. The 70-200 f4 IS L and the 50mm f1.2 L.

Patrick Schneider, a photographer for the Charlotte Observer, was fired from the paper for manipulating the colour of a sunset sky in an image featured in the newspaper on Thursday.

In a statement the paper said:

The photo, taken by Observer photographer Patrick Schneider, appeared on the front of the Local & State section. It depicted a Charlotte firefighter on a ladder, silhouetted by the light of the early morning sun.

In the original photo, the sky in the photo was brownish-gray. Enhanced with photo-editing software, the sky became a deep red and the sun took on a more distinct halo.

The photographer had been suspended previously for similar manipulations and three awards he had won from the North Carolina Press Photographers Association were taken back. Many people defended the photographer after his original suspension in 2003, there is an article here with a comparison of the three manipulated images he submitted to the NCPPA awards and the originals.

So the new Nikon being teased on Nikon sites around the world is, according to popular reports, the new D80. The important factor will be price, with 10.2mp it will be strong competition for the Canon 30d (approx US$1250) and Nikon will be looking to keep the price low to compete with the Sony A100 ($900). At the same time Nikon can't undercut their own D200 model (approx US$1700) by too much. One of the possible restrictions on the D80 could be that it only uses SD memory cards, like the D50.

In an announcement the president of Canon says the company will consider halting development of new film cameras, but continue producing cameras already on sale. Although Canon insisted one news outlet alter its story to read in less certain terms the consensus seems to be that this is an inevitable decision by Canon.

Nikon, Canon's biggest rival in the SLR market, announced it was ceasing development of film cameras in January, and Konica Minolta pulled out of the camera business altogether in the same month, selling its assets to Sony.

"Scaling back the film camera (business) is a sign of the times, " said Canon president Tsuneji Uchida.

Canon currently produces 9 different film cameras, which account for only 17% of its total camera sales.

Sunday, April 30th, 2006 is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. The rules are simple. On that day shoot pinhole images. Then upload them to the official Worldwide Pinhole Day website to be included in a huge online gallery. Of course, just getting out and shooting pinholes is fun and you don't have to share them anywhere, if you don't want to.

In addition to classic pinhole cylinders did you realize you can make pinhole cams out of tea containers, holgas, paper, and even legos?? Yes, even you digital folks can join the fun. Marcus has some fabulous ideas as well on how to make your own which we will be seeing in action that day for the WPD Bay Area Photologgers/SFlickr meetup and photostroll. If you are in the San Francisco area, feel free to join us. If not, then why not get out there on Sunday and shoot pinholes with the kids, yourself or other photobloggers in your area.

The theme of web legends/photobloggers/publishers Heather Powazek Champ and Derek Powazek's latest JPG Magazine is "Photography is Not a Crime". Issue number 5 begins their second year of publication, and is now available for sale at Lulu. From JPG's website:

The theme, "Photography is Not a Crime," is a rallying cry. It's meant to remind everyone that amateur photographers are the documentarians of real life. We capture our world to help us understand it. We are not a threat.

The issue contains 31 photographer's takes and stories on the theme, NYC subway photography by Edmund Leveckis, Shane Lavalette's Family Portrait Project, an interview with attorney Bert Krages, and a special clip-out Photographer's Right Bust Card.

Our rights as photographers is a topic that is repeatedly being challenged in our everyday encounters and frequently discussed in the photoblogging community. There is currently another example of how relevant this theme is at the NYC Photobloggers website. Hopefully the ongoing discussion and tools such as the current JPG issue will help someone out there know what do to when their rights are challenged.

Thank you Heather, Derek, and all of the inspiring photographers in the issue for addressing this topic head on. Check out the preview at JPG Magazine, and remember that photography is NOT a crime!

Although some of the other categories are still being judged, the winners of the first ever Amateur Photoblogs Awards Category have been posted at the National Press Photographers Association's Best of Photojournalism 2006 Awards in the Web Site division. The winners are listed in the three categories below with links to their entries.

Portrait Blogs

1st place: vinay_p’s photos, Vinay Panjawani
2nd place: Portraits, Tatiana Cardeal
3rd place: The Journey, Nameet Potnis

Festival and Events Blogs

1st place: Through the Eyes of a Pilgrim, esâm
2nd place: Indigenous National Party, Tatiana Cardeal
3rd place: Foster City Carnival, Marcus Kaz

Photojournalism Blogs

1st place: Photojournalism, Dan Squires (dsquires)
2nd place: blog 88:88, Will Duncan
3rd place: Mexican Pictures: Images of Kham, Raul Gutierrez

Major congrats to all of the winners and a huge thank you to everyone who entered for representing the community your awesome entries! Be sure to browse the other winners' sections of the BOP 2006 Awards for some breathtaking photography.

Urgent Call for Your Action on Orphan Works

The American Society of Media Photographers and other creative organisations are calling for action to protest the new 'Orphan Works' legislation passing through congress in the United States.

The issue is that the amendment to the Copyright Act that will define works whose creators cannot be identified as 'orphaned'. For photographers and illustrators especially this is bad news. We routinely publish our images on the internet, they are then linked to or featured on other sites, in all good faith. As our work spreads across the internet on third-party sites it may be that someone who comes across that image, and wants to use it, won't know who the creator is. If, after "good faith, reasonably diligent search," they still cannot find out who you are then they're free to use that image as they please.

If you discover the usage you can make a claim for compensation, but that compensation is set so low - it doesn't include allowances for any damages or legal fees - that you will need to pay out of pocket to take action against people who refuse to pay. If one of your images was used in a way that was damaging to your reputation (misrepresenting a subject for example) then you have no avenue for compensation.

The long awaited issue 2 of Gomma Magazine is now available, showcasing renowned and established photographers such as Daido Moriyama, Stephen Gill, Hiroshi Watanabe, Ami Vitale and Michelle Sank. A special section features the work of Nikolay Bakharev. In addition, there is an exclusive interview with Antoine d’Agata.

Gomma can be purchased directly from their web site via PayPal for £ 10.00 UK (including shipping/handling), € 8.00 Europe, and $ 10.00 in the USA and Rest of World (+ shipping/handing for the latter).

National Geographic are holding a themed monthly contest for user submitted photographs called 'Your Shot', a chance to see your image in the pages of National Geographic! This is the first time that the magazine has published 'consumer photos'. You can see this month's winner here and the next theme is "Where I Live."

The rules of the contest are quite strict, in keeping with the magazine's professional reputation; post processing must be kept to a minimum, you must have releases for any people or artwork visible in your shot, and if the photograph was taken on private property then you must have a release from the landowner. Sample releases can be downloaded from the site.

Good luck!