The second title of Software Cinema's interactive training line for Adobe Photoshop CS3 has been scheduled. The new interactive series is designed specifically for serious amateur and professional photographers.

Recently inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame, digital artist Eddie Tapp teaches the series via broadband connection through Software Cinema's unique Workshops-on-Demand service or a Product-on-Disc DVD. Tapp teaches about the digital process and new effects that have been updated for the new CS3.

The series is a two-disc set titled "Classic Pro Techniques," and focuses on setup palettes for working spaces, and how to work in Adobe Bridge with the processing interface for RAW, JPEGs and more. It also teaches creative and advanced techniques...

Adobe Systems is offering an update to the free Photoshop Camera RAW plug-in. The Camera RAW 4.1 update incorporates features such as noise reduction, sharpening tools and RAW file support for 13 additional camera models and camera backs. The update also builds on the RAW file support integrated in the Photoshop products.

The Camera RAW 4.1 plug-in supports the same functionality for TIFF and JPEG files, and lets professionals import and manipulate RAW data. Additionally, the plug-in supports 13 digital cameras, including cameras from Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus, Olympus, Sigma, Phase One H 20, H 25, H 30 and Phase One P 45. Camera RAW 4.1 also adds support to camera backs...

HindSight has announced the arrival of a new software product called METAmachine. The simplified browsing utility program streamlines the process of adding keywords, licenses and other metadata to individual or packaged images. The program reads and writes XMP-formatted metadata in TIFF, JPEG, PSD and DNG images.

METAmachine can be used to write a complete set of the IPTC standard metadata into images or to add copyright and contact information or licensing terms, leaving unaltered all other metadata already present in the images. The software is compatible with XPM-compliant DAM software. To write metadata, users can drag images from the Desktop or from a compatible program...

Canon's new PowerShot G9 digital camera is designed for creative control and compact convenience. The camera comes standard with Raw Mode and gives the photographer the option of using RAW/JPEG simultaneous-capture functionality, JPEGs for immediate use and RAW images for reproduction. The 12.1-megapixel resolution and 6X optical zoom lens combine with Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer for sharp results.

The PowerShot G9 lets the user review and compare photos prior to printing with Canon's Image Inspection Tool. The camera also links Image Inspection with Advanced Face Detection technology, automatically enlarging and detecting the main subject. Additionally, the camera comes with 23 shooting modes, including Automatic, Manual, Shutter-Speed-Priority, Aperture-Priority, two custom modes and special scene modes, such as...

Nikon has announced the release of the D3 Digital SLR camera, making its debut eight years after the original D1 first surfaced. The D3 camera boasts 12.1 effective megapixels and a new FX-format CMOS sensor, which measures 23.9 x 36mm, closely mirroring the 35mm film size. The camera features a startup time of 0.12 second, the shortest viewfinder blackout time in the series, and a shutter lag time of just 37 milliseconds, with the capability of shooting up to nine frames per second at full FX-format resolution.

The D3 comes equipped with tonal range and depth and low noise throughout its normal range of ISO 200 to 6400. If set at its built-in options of Lo-1 or Hi-2, the ISO range can be stretched...

Canon has introduced the new 21.1-megapixel, ultra-high-resolution EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR. Designed with a ultra-low-noise CMOS sensor, the camera is fast and responsive, with a new ultra-wide-angle 14mm lens that fits perfectly with the full frame sensor. The compact camera has an alloy body, making it light in weight, versatile, and ideal for studio and field work.

For professional photographers, the five-frame-per-second shooting rate allows for a maximum of either 56 large/fine, 21-megapixel JPEGs or 12 RAW images, capturing fluid motion and free-flowing lines...

Steve Broback defends the JPEG format, providing tips on adjusting optimal settings.

Today, much debate surrounds the two main file formats that digital photographers have at their disposal. Serious photographers are hearing from various camps about the respective advantages of JPEG and RAW, resulting in a lot of confusion. 

I have been following this debate closely for some time, and have been asked by several photographers for guidance regarding which format they should be using...