Brendan
22nd February 2005, 16:18
PMA 2/22/05 LIVE 6pm
My last day here. Well as the show winds down, I searched for the more enjoyable/neat things in it. With CES stealing PMA’s thunder this year there was not much to see. However I did get some neat products and a little bit of interesting news Leica fans may want to here. ALSO I got to ride on the FUJI Blimp!!!!! Really cool, it does feel like your floating. Oh and I also got to take the controls for a few, WOW.
1) Leica may be in deeper water than they thought, though the booth personnel were not allowed to talk much on the subject apparently they have posted a press release stating financial problems:
Dated 1/02/05 “Leica Camera AG, Solms, expects the existence of a loss in the amount of half of its registered share capital in March 2005. The Company’s Board of Management will make a corresponding announcement according to section 92 (1) of the German Stock Corporation Law (AktG) at a General Meeting to be held on May 31, 2005.
Concurrently, the Board of Management prepares a turnaround strategy. It will propose at the General Meeting on May 31, 2005 that capital measures be taken. In connection with such measures audits are conducted at present. The measures proposed will be announced and published in the designated journals at the time of the convening of the General Meeting and the announcement of its agenda.”
http://www.leica-camera.com/unternehmen/presse/data/04256/index_e.html
Dated 2/2/05 “Following the ad hoc announcement of Leica Camera AG, Solms, of February 17, 2005, stating that the Company expects a loss of half of its registered share capital in March 2005, the banks have partially terminated their credit lines. The remaining lines still cover the current liquidity requirements. The Company’s Board of Management has entered into negotiations with the banks on a solution that will carry the Company until the time of its Extraordinary General Meeting on May 31, 2005, at which capital measures are to be proposed to the shareholders.”
http://www.leica-camera.com/unternehmen/presse/data/04272/index_e.html
However on an upside they do plan to announce a Digital M camera in 2006. They “unofficially” have taken the Epson RD-1 as a stop-gap measure for its users, however do not officially support it” They also expect to start shipping the long awaited Digital Back in April.
2) Nikon: the D2x should ship on the 25th of Feb. No date for the new D2Hs. Their new line of cameras is impressive (MTC) but quick note; the in-camera tech has massively grown with red-eye reduction, face focus etc. The New 46,56,59,7900 cameras will also be available to dive to a depth of 130ft with the aid of 2 new housings the WPCP3 and WPCP4 (respectively) Also in mid-late 2005 they will have a Wi-Fi enabled Coolpix! MTC
3)Norazza in introducing a line of CD/DVD duplicators aimed for ease of use and slightly lower price points with a 1-1 MSRP at $499 and a 1-3 at $1199. This may be handy for event photographers or wedding photographers with write speeds for CD-2min and DVD-4min.
That’s all for right now tomorrow or Thurs. I will have more pics etc from the show.
Thanks All for reading ThePhotoStation.net’s LIVE reports from PMA I hope to be back next year. And as always Keep reading for updates and additions as they come-along/ I have time
-Brendan
My last day here. Well as the show winds down, I searched for the more enjoyable/neat things in it. With CES stealing PMA’s thunder this year there was not much to see. However I did get some neat products and a little bit of interesting news Leica fans may want to here. ALSO I got to ride on the FUJI Blimp!!!!! Really cool, it does feel like your floating. Oh and I also got to take the controls for a few, WOW.
1) Leica may be in deeper water than they thought, though the booth personnel were not allowed to talk much on the subject apparently they have posted a press release stating financial problems:
Dated 1/02/05 “Leica Camera AG, Solms, expects the existence of a loss in the amount of half of its registered share capital in March 2005. The Company’s Board of Management will make a corresponding announcement according to section 92 (1) of the German Stock Corporation Law (AktG) at a General Meeting to be held on May 31, 2005.
Concurrently, the Board of Management prepares a turnaround strategy. It will propose at the General Meeting on May 31, 2005 that capital measures be taken. In connection with such measures audits are conducted at present. The measures proposed will be announced and published in the designated journals at the time of the convening of the General Meeting and the announcement of its agenda.”
http://www.leica-camera.com/unternehmen/presse/data/04256/index_e.html
Dated 2/2/05 “Following the ad hoc announcement of Leica Camera AG, Solms, of February 17, 2005, stating that the Company expects a loss of half of its registered share capital in March 2005, the banks have partially terminated their credit lines. The remaining lines still cover the current liquidity requirements. The Company’s Board of Management has entered into negotiations with the banks on a solution that will carry the Company until the time of its Extraordinary General Meeting on May 31, 2005, at which capital measures are to be proposed to the shareholders.”
http://www.leica-camera.com/unternehmen/presse/data/04272/index_e.html
However on an upside they do plan to announce a Digital M camera in 2006. They “unofficially” have taken the Epson RD-1 as a stop-gap measure for its users, however do not officially support it” They also expect to start shipping the long awaited Digital Back in April.
2) Nikon: the D2x should ship on the 25th of Feb. No date for the new D2Hs. Their new line of cameras is impressive (MTC) but quick note; the in-camera tech has massively grown with red-eye reduction, face focus etc. The New 46,56,59,7900 cameras will also be available to dive to a depth of 130ft with the aid of 2 new housings the WPCP3 and WPCP4 (respectively) Also in mid-late 2005 they will have a Wi-Fi enabled Coolpix! MTC
3)Norazza in introducing a line of CD/DVD duplicators aimed for ease of use and slightly lower price points with a 1-1 MSRP at $499 and a 1-3 at $1199. This may be handy for event photographers or wedding photographers with write speeds for CD-2min and DVD-4min.
That’s all for right now tomorrow or Thurs. I will have more pics etc from the show.
Thanks All for reading ThePhotoStation.net’s LIVE reports from PMA I hope to be back next year. And as always Keep reading for updates and additions as they come-along/ I have time
-Brendan