By David Saffir
I had the good fortune to attend Photokina 2008 in Cologne Germany. As always, it is held on such a large scale that it defies description. Take it from me, the whole thing seems bigger than Rhode Island. According to a final report issued by the Photokina Press Office, this year’s show featured 1,523 exhibiting companies from 49 countries. The show was attended by 169,000 people (including 6,000 journalists) from 161 countries.
Attending Photokina has reinforced what I posted previously: We truly are in a golden age of photography, with more choices and tools available at more reasonable costs than ever before. New photography products were everywhere, ranging from cameras and lighting systems to printers, inkjet papers, and more. For example, Nikon’s lineup of cameras now includes the D90, which features over 12 MP and video recording, plus some new lenses including Perspective Control models.
Plus, in addition to announcing new products of interest to photo labs and retailers, HP introduced the new Designjet Z3200 and HP Artist system for fine-art reproduction. I have also had a chance to test the Nikon D3 combined with the new 105mm Macro VR lens, along with the HP Artist system. This lens is very sharp, with great technical characteristics, and superb color and contrast.
The Designjet Z3200 is a new model in many ways, but primarily it builds on the success of its predecessor, the Z3100. Technical changes and upgrades include:
· easier loading of sheet media;
· direct user control of the paper feed; and
· improvements in the user interface in the software HP supplies to run the printer.
The speed of the printer has increased significantly, which should make this machine even more attractive for those who need higher-volume output. Most interestingly, the printer now incorporates a new ink formulation for the red channel, called Chromatic Red. It provides a wider overall color gamut. In images that include a range of red tones, you can definitely see improvements in saturation and color vibrance, along with increased detail throughout highlights, shadows, and transition areas.
The Designjet Z3200 includes support for more than 50 types of HP large-format printing materials, including HP’s new Baryte Satin Art Paper.
In a case study HP’s site, photographer Albert Watson shares some of his observations about the Z3200. He notes that, “One of the most important things to a photographer is the translation from the eye to the film, the film to the screen, and the screen to the paper. The translation the HP Designjet Z3200 achieves is amazing.”
The Designjet Z3200 is at the heart of the remarkable HP Artist System, a breakthrough end-to-end digital fine art reproduction system that I’ll discuss in more detail in my next post.
Posted
10-04-2008 1:17 AM
by
Eileen Fritsch