In early 2000, Better Light, a designer and manufacturer of professional digital camera systems, agreed to cover all remaining warranties for digital scanning camera backs manufactured by Dicomed, Inc., and continues to provide ongoing support, repair services and replacement parts for all out-of-warranty Dicomed scan backs.

According to published reports, Dicomed, Inc. began experiencing financial difficulties in early 1999 that ultimately resulted in the closing of most of the company's operations. "There are hundreds of Dicomed owners who have scan backs throughout the world", said Better Light President Michael Collette, "this arrangement should give them some peace of mind, knowing that there is ongoing support for their digital cameras."

Collette said the agreement with Dicomed requires Better Light to provide support and repair service for all Dicomed scan back owners, and that in return Better Light is receiving a complete stock of replacement parts and subassemblies, many of them unique to the product or hard to find.

In addition to providing replacement parts and repair services, Better Light is developing a comprehensive Internet-based support system for all of its scan back users. "Many of the challenges involved in digital scancapture photography are common to all systems," said Collette, "so we plan to help both Dicomed and Better Light users, and even users of other scan backs, via our web site.

" The company continues to post a series of Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs), with example illustrations, that
will explain many common image problems and their
solutions. Several ‘white papers’ explaining various
aspects of digital scanning technology have also been
added to the site, plus plans exist for a number of "How-
To" articles for solving unique challenges faced by
scanning camera users. Better Light also hosts an email
user's forum with over 600 members; where both Better
Light and Dicomed scan back users from around the world can ask questions and share their experiences.

Collette said he was relieved, as the developer of the
technology used in Dicomed's scan backs, to be able to
provide ongoing support services to the product's users.
" When Dicomed announced its changes in early 1999,"
said Collette, "you could feel that a bit of a chill went
through the digital imaging industry, and some
photographers began to question whether they should be
getting into digital at that time. I want all Dicomed scan
back users to know that they did not buy a dead-end
product, that it is still being supported, and that these
systems can still deliver some of the finest digital
images."

Better Light President Michael Collette was the designer
and inventor of the patented technology behind the
Dicomed Pro Series of digital scanning backs, the first
such cameras on the market, which were released by
Dicomed in 1994. After having spent the intervening years
developing further innovations in scanning camera
technology, Collette introduced the highly-regarded
Better Light line of digital scanning cameras in early
1998.