Posted first Weekend Photo product review today.  Although purchase of the Olympus Stylus 300 Digital camera required serious dollars, it is a not so serious one for photo making.  But it is a great little digital point and shoot and one of the newer items in my bag.

In other news ...
While trying not to be too negative Kodak a couple weeks ago struck another blow for film based photography by announcing the company will no longer sell 35mm or APS cameras in the US, Canada, or Western Europe.  It will, however, continue to sell film worldwide for both formats.  Kodak underscored its commitment to film (its bread and butter business of old) by announcing it will introduce several new high performance 35mm and APS films next month.

This week, however, Kodak exposed its less than glossy earnings for the 4th quarter of 2003 (i.e., down 83% from the 4th quarter of 2002) and stated it must cut over 20% of its current 64,000 employee workforce.  The company said these reductions will occur over the next three years and were required for it to survive amidst the market transition to digital photography.  Kodak's peak employment of 136,500 in 1983 will be reduced to about 50,000 in 2006.

Certainly a sad Kodak moment for the world's film giant.  And I shutter to think what's next.  Red eyes anyone?

On the other hand ...
Herbert Keppler in the Feb 2004 issue of Pop Photo reports Nikon is working on a new high-end 35mm SLR for possible release this year.  Thom Hogan in his site's 2004 Predictions expects a new 2004 Nikon model will be an upgrade of the N80 and marketed as the N85.