DIMA, the Digital Imaging Marketing Association, announced the winners of its Digital Printer Shoot-Out and Digital Camera Shoot-Out at the recent PMA show in Orlando. In addition, the organization selected 17 products to receive its Innovative Digital Product Award.
Digital Printer Shoot-Out Winners–Entries were produced from files created by color-workflow experts Chromaticity in Grand Rapids, MI. Judges based their votes on the overall quality of the digital print and the accuracy of the color compared to the target print. Winners included:
RA4 Digital Printer: Durst Lambda 131 (50 in. wide or more); Durst Theta 76 and ZBE Chromira 5×30 (30 to 49 in. wide); Polielettronica Laserlab 50 cm (13 to 29 in. wide).
Inkjet: Mimaki JV3-250SP (Over 72 in. wide, Solvent); Roland FJ-540 (50 to 72 in. wide, Aqueous); ColorSpan DisplayMaker 72s (50 to 72 in. wide, Solvent); Noritsu Mytis-1 (uncontested, 36 to 49 in. wide); Mimaki JV3-75SP11 and HP DesignJet 130 (18 to 35 in. wide); HP Photosmart 8750 (9 to 17 in. wide); ColorSpan Displaymaker 72uvr (Flatbed).
Media: HP PremiumPlus Photo & Proofing Gloss (24 in. wide or larger); ICI Imagedata (11 x 17, 12 x 18, or 12-in. Roll); Ilford Galerie Smooth High Gloss and ICI Imagedata (8.5 x 11 in.).
Ink-Aqueous: d'Vinci Hi Fi Ink (20 in. wide or larger); HP 97 ink (uncontested, less than 20 in. printer).
Ink-Solvent: Mimaki 552 Solvent
RIP: Ergosoft StudioPrint (in both the 20 in. or larger and less than 20 in. printer categories).
Dye Sublimation: Sony UPD 70A (8 x 10 in. or larger, $2500 or more); Kodak Professional 1400 Digital Photo Print System (8 x 10 in. or larger, $2499 or less).
Creative Applications: Mimaki GP-604 (Textile); Chromira 5x 30 (Paper); Kumoto Silkjet SC4 (Alternative Substrate); ColorBurst RIP (Black & White).
Digital Camera Shoot-Out Winners–Images from the Prosumer/Professional category were output through a G5 Power Mac running Adobe Photoshop CS, and printed on an Epson Photo Stylus 9600 inkjet printer. Judges based their votes on the overall quality of the digital print and the accuracy of color as compared to samples of fabric worn by studio models.
$600-$999: Konica Minolta A200;
Digital SLR: Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D;
Advanced Digital SLR: Leica DMR (uncontested).
Innovative Digital Product Awards–These awards were defined by the judges as a product utilizing new technologies and/or applications in such as a way as to make it either unique or the first of its kind. The products must show themselves to be an influence on the future of digital imaging. The product may be hardware or software, amateur or professional, photographic or prepress (or any other segment). The 17 winners included:
* Spyder2 Plus color-management software, ColorVision;
* Wacom Cintiq LCD Tablet, Wacom
* DFP-621 digital dry inkjet printer, Noritsu
* R-System of imaging products, Leica
* EXPnP EZ Digimagic DM 180, EZPnP;
* DxO Mobile cameraphone image software, DxO Labs;
* Picassa 2 online image editing software, Google
* Kodak Easyshare One wireless zoom camera, Eastman Kodak;
* Flash-HD to Go, MediaGear
* Photo-D Family of Automatic Image Correction Products, KlearVision Digital
* Wi-PICS Wireless Image Transfer, Dice America;
* JVC Everio GZ-MC500 Digital Media Camera, JVC;
* Compact Drive, EastGear;
* Sanyo MM-5600 1.3 megapixel cameraphone, Sanyo;
* Perfectly Clear Pictures software, Athentech Technologies;
* Z-Drive USB drive, Dane-Elec;
* Marko MKIO digital minilab, SMI Group.
(DIMA: http://dima.pmai.org)