Well, I guess we all know now that the Jim Seaholm rumors are bogus. For those of you that didn’t follow that story, you can catch up here on the Pre-PMA Nikon D3 release rumors. Now it seems that a UK based photography site is alleging that the Nikon D3 will be released on July 5, 2007 (whether that’s worldwide or Europe based I don’t know). They give no sources for their info, but it is new info nonetheless. If you don’t follow rumors, fair enough. But if you’re a gadget geek like me and want to know (or think you know) all about the next big thing, then take a look at some of the “possible” specs that they list for the Nikon D3: [Read more…]
What does “Crop Factor” mean?
. . . and why does it matter? Crop factor is a term used loosely in the DSLR world when referring to lens focal length. There’s often a lot of confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the term for folks that are new shoppers or users of DSLR cameras.
It’s not so scary folks. If you want a no nonsense explanation of what it means and why it may be important to you, head on over to Rich Legg’s recent post on the topic. He explains it for the average Joe and even gives us some photos to illustrate what crop factor does. What are you waiting for? Go. Now.
RAW vs. JPEG
I’m going to address a debate that there is no clear answer to . . . actually, there is an answer: “It depends.”
Ask a handful of photographers which file format you should shoot with and you’ll get some strong opinions on both sides of the debate. Each side has some good points. The problem with the debate is that some folks with strong opinions believe there is only one way – JPEG or RAW. I tend to think that this depends on each photographer’s particular circumstances. [Read more…]
Tamron 28-300 VC (Vibration Compensation)
Looks like Tamron is jumping on the super-zoom image stabilized band wagon the new Tamron 28-300 f/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC lens that was announced today. Bob Atkins has a handy preview article. You can also check out the features in the press release below.
PRESS RELEASE
Mr. Morio Ono, President of Tamron Co., Ltd., has announced the successful development of the AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO zoom lens, a high power zoom lens designed for SLR cameras with full-size format(Model A20), now equipped with a Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism. The AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC is the ultimate high power zoom lens that covers everything from wide-angle to telephoto and macro. Tamron has incorporated a Vibration Compensator, an anti-shake mechanism developed by Tamron, into the highly versatile zoom lens. The new AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO zoom lens offers the convenience, comfort and versatility of a high power zoom lens and the capability to reduce hand-shake blur on SLR cameras using either APS-C size or full size format imagers.
When the AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC is used with a full size format SLR camera, it covers the tremendous focal length range from 28mm in wide angle to 300mm ultra telephoto. When mounted on a DSLR with an APS-C sized imager, the lens covers a 43mm wide angle to 465mm equivalent ultra telephoto* (full size format equivalent, in a diagonal angle of view of 5°20′).
(*) The ratio Tamron uses to convert from full size format to APS-C focal length is 1.55X.
MAIN FEATURES
1. VC (Vibration Compensation) Mechanism Reduces Hand-shake
The proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) mechanism developed by Tamron features a triaxial configuration using three pairs of driving coils and slide balls around the compensator group of the lens’ optical system. Since the compensator lenses are supported with rolling friction of the balls, the response performance is enhanced and the construction is simple, which results in the compactness of the lens. The lens incorporate a highly accurate gyro sensor for detecting hand-shake, which, combined with a 32-bit RISC CPU, offers comfortable anti-vibration effects.
2. Outstanding Design Realizing High Zoom Power, VC Mechanism and Compactness
The AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.5 XR Di VC integrates optical technologies that Tamron has accumulated as the pioneer and leader of high power zoom lenses in order to realize the desired compactness even while incorporating the VC mechanism. The optical system uses a number of lens elements made from special optical glass materials including XR (high refraction index) glass elements, GM (glass-molded aspherical lens) elements, hybrid aspherical elements, LD (low dispersion) glass elements to compensate for on-axis and lateral chromatic aberrations and AD (anomalous dispersion) glass element. The lens offers high contrast, high resolution performance and flatness of the image field as a one-does-it-all zoom lens designed to match the characteristics of DSLR cameras.
3. Revolutionary MFD of 0.49m (19.3″) throughout the Zoom Range Provides 1:3 Macro Magnification Ratio
The AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD MACRO boasts an MFD (minimum focusing distance) of 0.49m (19.3″) over the entire zoom range, a top-class closing focusing capability among high power zoom lenses for full-size format SLR cameras, which provides the remarkable maximum macro magnification ratio of 1:3 at the 300mm telephoto end.
4. Internal Surface Coatings Minimize Ghosting and Flare
Through the use of “Internal Surface Coatings” (i.e., multiple-layer coatings on cemented surfaces of plural elements) and multiple-layer coatings to prevent reflections from lens surfaces, ghosting and flare due to reflections that occur when light enters through the front element as well as reflections caused by the imager itself in the mirror box are reduced to the absolute minimum.
5. Ultra-high Zoom Power, yet Lightweight and Compact Design Thanks to New Mechanical Devices
Tamron has reviewed the roles that respective barrel parts play in order to achieve the high power, compactness and light weight. As a result, dimensional increases are confined to a mere 17.8mm (0.7″) in overall length and about 5mm(0.2″) in diameter, when compared with the existing AF28-300mm (Model A061), despite the incorporation of the VC mechanism.
6. Zoom Lock Mechanism for Enhanced Portability
The zoom lock prevents unwanted barrel extension when carrying the lens/camera combination over the shoulder.
7. Flower-shaped Lens Hood
A flower-shaped lens hood is included as a standard accessory. The special hood provides optimum shading of superfluous light rays that enter from the rectangular frame outside the image field.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model Name A20
Focal Length 28-300mm
Maximum Aperture F/3.5-6.3
Angle of View 75°23′-8°15′
Lens Construction 18 elements /13 groups
Minimum Focus Distance 0.49m (entire zoom range)
Maximum Mag. Ratio 1:3 (at f=300mm, MFD=0.49m)
Filter Diameter ?67mm
Overall Length 99mm *
Maximum Diameter ?78.0mm
Weight 550g*
Diaphragm Blades 9 blades
Minimum Aperture F/22-F/40 (28mm – 300mm)
Standard Accessory Flower-shaped hood
Compatible Mount Canon and Nikon
* values given are for Nikon AF-D cameras.
* The cosmetic design and specs are subject to change without notice.
Press Release: Nikon 55-200MM F/4-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR ZOOM
MELVILLE, NY, MARCH 5, 2007 – Nikon Inc. (www.nikondigital.com) today introduced the new 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens – a new compact telephoto zoom Nikkor lens that offers Nikon’s exclusive Vibration Reduction technology in a high-powered 3.6x zoom lens. [Read more…]
Nikon D40x Press Release
MELVILLE, NY, MARCH 5, 2007 – Nikon today introduced the new D40x digital SLR camera that is designed to allow users take spectacular photographs with very high-resolution at the touch of a button. The D40x maintains the same compact size, portability and ease-of-use as its already successful sister camera, the D40, and adds features like higher 10.2 megapixel resolution, faster continuous shooting capability and wider ISO sensitivity. Digital SLR cameras are the tool of choice among the majority of professional photographers but some people have found them to be complex or bulky. With the D40x, consumers don’t have to sacrifice the quality of their pictures anymore. The D40x inherits many advanced technologies from Nikon’s professional models, but was designed specifically to make taking outstanding pictures easy and fun for everyone.“The D40 has become a runaway success for Nikon because it effectively addresses so many of the concerns shared by those who take pictures to preserve family memories and for all-around fun. The D40 and the new D40x eliminate common annoyances such as shutter lag and inaccurate viewfinders, while answering our customers’ needs for superb image quality, fast handling, compactness and, most important of all, simplicity. Now with the D40x, anyone has the choice of higher resolution so they can do even more with their pictures,” said Edward Fasano, general manager for Marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon Inc. “Whether people want to make poster-sized prints or make special enlargements from a smaller (cropped) area of a picture, the D40x can produce images that have superb clarity, outstanding detail and vibrant colors. Even regular 4×6 inch prints, and pictures reduced in size for e-mailing, are visibly better when captured with a more capable camera”.
The Nikon D40x is able to capture special moments instantly, virtually eliminating the frustrations of shutter delay typically associated with point-and-shoot digital cameras. The D40x powers-up in a near-instant 0.18 second and can shoot up to 3 pictures per second, non-stop for up to 100 shots. With such great speed, you’ll never need to wait for the camera to get ready for the next shot. The camera reacts instantly when the shutter button is pressed ensuring you never miss a special moment. The images are immediately recorded to the camera’s SD memory card.
The D40x’s 10.2-effective megapixel CCD imaging sensor is complimented by Nikon’s exclusive 3D Color Matrix Metering II and an improved Nikon Image Processing Engine that together ensure breathtaking picture quality with analyzed exposure, refined details and natural, accurately rendered colors.
The increased image sensor capacity of the D40x isn’t its only advantage. In addition to shooting three consecutive shots per second (versus 2.5 pictures per second with the D40), the D40x also features design efficiencies that allows up to 520** images per charge) and wider ISO sensitivity of 100-1600, plus HI-1 (200-1600 plus HI-1 for the D40).
The back of the D40x is dominated by a refreshingly large and bright 2.5-inch color LCD screen that displays everything from menu options, pictures in playback mode and Nikon’s new visually-intuitive information display system that presents camera and shooting information in a user-friendly, graphically represented way. The camera also features a built-in help menu that can be accessed at the touch of a button and new Assist Images that help you select appropriate settings for many camera features by displaying a sample image typical of that setting.
The D40x’s automated, scene-optimized Digital Vari-Program modes allow users to capture nearly any type of scene without needing to understand the fine points of photography or fumble with camera settings. The D40x includes eight preset modes, including a new Flash Off mode that shuts off the camera’s flash and boosts its ISO so users can easily take pictures in places where flash photography is not allowed, inappropriate or when they prefer the look of naturally lit pictures. As users gain experience with the camera, the D40x offers advanced controls such as Aperture-priority and Shutter-priority modes that offer greater creative control over the look and feel of their pictures.
The D40x’s new Retouch menu offers exclusive in-camera image editing features that add to the D40x’s “fun factor” by providing greater creativity without the need for a computer. Included in the Retouch menu is Nikon’s D-Lighting, which brightens dark pictures and Red-eye correction that automatically detects and corrects red eye – a common condition that occurs in flash photography. Image Trim allows for creative cropping of an image and creates smaller files for easy e-mailing. Other creative features include Image Overlay, Small Picture, Monochrome (Black-and-white, Sepia, and Cyanotype) and Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance).
The D40x comes packaged with the new 3X 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens that assures superb picture sharpness and optimum contrast, along with the versatility to capture everything from candid portraits to wide-angle landscapes. The D40x is also compatible with all of Nikon’s AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses***, including the remarkably versatile 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens and the new 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens.
For flash photography of subjects at greater distances, the light and ultra-compact SB-400 Speedlight proves to be a perfect companion to the D40x, providing a simple solution for adding more power and bounce flash capability. Keeping with the D40x’s remarkable ease of use the, SB-400 Speedlight is as simple as sliding it on, turning it on and shooting.
The D40x will be available throughout the United States beginning April 2007 for an estimated selling price of $729.95* for body only or $799.95*, packaged with the 3X zoom 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens. For more information, please visit www.nikondigital.com.
Nikon, At the Heart of the Image™. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes the Nikon Total Imaging System of consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, Nikkor optics, Speedlights and System Accessories; Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras; COOLSCAN® digital film scanners; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports and recreational optics. At the heart of every Nikon camera is Nikon’s In-camera Innovations, making it easy for anyone to take amazing digital pictures. Through the Nikon Spirit Initiative™, the company plays an active role in supporting aspiring and advanced photographers through a variety of philanthropic organizations, educational programs, events and workshops. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers to the web’s most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities.
* Estimated selling prices listed are only an estimate. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
** CIPA standards, with Built-in Flash used for 50% of the shots
*** Autofocus is supported only with AF-S and AF-I CPU lenses, which are equipped with built-in motors.
It’s Official: Nikon D40x is here
Nikon has officially announced the release of their new 10MP follow-up to the 4 month old D40, which is 6MP. Talk about short product cycles! It’s $799 (US) retail with the 18-55 DX lens. You can already pre-order a D40x at Amazon.
The tech specs are here for your review. Note the 3 frames per second, 1/200s flash sync and continued limitation of autofocus with AI-S and AF-S lenses. If you want to browse the brochure, it’s here (.pdf).
DPReview has a detailed hands-on review of the D40x. You can find several different shots of the D40x from various angles and showing off the body features in the product gallery. Ken Rockwell has a nice preview too and points out why you should buy the D40 over the D40x or just jump up to the D80 instead.
In addition to the D40x, Nikon has also announced a new lens: the Nikon AF-S DX VR 55-200mm IF-ED lens. That’s right, another VR lens to choose from. Nikon is making quite a stable of VR lenses now. What’s most impressive to me though is that the retail price is $250! Don’t believe me? Read the press release.
I’m really wondering about the Nikon D3 now.
Nikon D40x Announced . . . What About the Nikon D3?
So, it looks like we’ve got ourselves a new 10MP Nikon D40x, which is reportedly the same physical size of the D40, just more horsepower. I wonder if Nikon took a page from Canon’s handbook and misinformed us about the Nikon D3?
I’ll keep you posted when more is revealed.
Nikon D3 Rumors
Below is a chronology of the rumors leading up to the official announcement.
The Nikon D3 has been rumored for some time now. You can see the history of the rumors in this post. Updates will appear at the bottom of this page by date until something official comes from Nikon.
POST 3/4/07: Now that Canon has had their fun, rumors abound that Nikon will unveil the new D3 tomorrow, March 5. Jim Seaholm gives the personal account of attending a sales rep seminar in LA on Friday, March 2:
Last night I attended a Nikon sales rep seminar in Los Angeles, where Nikon’s D3 was unveiled to an audience consisting of L.A. area Advanced Systems Dealers and myself.
Courtesy of my cousin, who is a salesperson at a major Los Angeles Nikon retailer, I was able to get credentials and attend the 45 minute meeting with him.
All camera cell phones were checked at the door, as we entered the meeting room. The LA sales rep revealed the D3 which was partially wrapped in black gaffers tape so as to disguise key elements of its appearance. For about 30 minutes, the sales rep talked to the assembled audience about Nikon’s latest offering which is to be unveiled on Monday, March 5th at PMA:
Full Frame (no 1.1 crap) – DX mode at 1.5x – High Speed Crop – VERY fast motor drive (can’t remember the number he quoted, but when he fired it, it sounded at least as fast as my F5 on CH. – 18.7 MP – MSRP $7999 – No H and X models anymore, just the one D3 – D2xs will continue to sell. – Dimensions and weight were mentioned, but I don’t remember the minutae. Suffice to say, the camera looked to be roughly the same size as the D2 series.
The camera was fitted with another new release: an undisguised 50mm 1.2G AF-S lens, which looked to be quite large and sturdy. Also mentioned but not present was a 24-120 2.8G AF-S. The rep said no new DX lenses were forthcoming in the near future.
So there you have it. End of rumors. We’ll all see it undisguised on Monday. So relax, its here.
Regards,
Jim
The original post was over at photo.net, but they removed the text. The 50mm f/1.2 and 24-120 f/2.8 look tasty too! I still consider this a rumor, but we’ll find out tomorrow. If it’s true, I imagine that some Nikon rep is in a little bit of trouble.
UPDATED: This rumor dispelled and more fuel to the fire – click here for more.
UPDATED 5/1/07: Read the History of the Nikon D3.
UPDATED 5/7/07: More rumors of an announcement “around fall” 2007.
UPDATED 5/13/07: More rumors – Summer announcement.
UPDATED 5/30/07: More rumors of a Summer/June Announcement.
UPDATED 6/8/07: Check out the awesome concept renditions of the Nikon D3x. Cnet has joined in the rumor mill, although I don’t really see anything new that we’ve not already reported here. Also, from the DPReview.com forums:
From a very good inside source. I will not elaborate or name the source.
Expect around August this year an upper end Nikon DSLR – probably with a FF sensor.
UPDATE 6/9/07: There has been a rumor explosion since Norm Olsen’s Nikon D3x Concept Rendition went up yesterday. However, all the posts (some from official news sources) are covering the same stuff that’s been on Photography Bay for a while, some of which is as old as early May. Unfortunately, there is nothing new to the rumor explosion that’s happened over the last 36 hours or so. I’d say this trend will continue for the next few days. As always, I’ll keep you posted if something new crops up on the rumor mill.
UPDATE 6/12/07: There’s a great post over at DPReview.com that shows a number of Nikon D3 fake photos. If you think you’ve seen a photo of the real Nikon D3 (including the one at the top of this post), you haven’t. Check out the growing collection of fakes now.
Additionally, Jeffrey Anderson reports on his discussion with a Nikon Rep regarding the announcement from Nikon of a full frame sensor in the next 40 days.
UPDATE 6/13/07: Check out the marginally more reliable rumors of a June 26 announcement for the Nikon D3. If this is legit, expect the rumor mill to really pick up over the next couple weeks.
UPDATE 6/15/07: Yet another DPReview.com forum poster, Robert Daniels, claims to have the official scoop on the Nikon D3:
My friend who is in the Technical services at MGM Studios contacted me today to say that Nikon Rep was in his offices this afternoon showing off the capabilities of the D3 or D3x. He told me in the past about the D2X prior to it coming out also. ALL YOU NAYSAYERS WILL BE EATING HUMBLE PIE ON THIS ONE!!!! (view the thread here)
Seems like more and more of these unofficially official reports are popping up. While that seems to insinuate that there’s something to these rumors, where are the leaked photos? I mean seriously . . . if there were really Nikon D3’s floating around in possession of Nikon Reps, wouldn’t someone have nabbed a cell phone shot at least?
UPDATE 6/16/07: User 2wheelsup over at Photo Takers Photography Community spoke to a Nikon rep a couple days ago and had this to say:
I asked him if Nikon planned on making any full frame sensors. His reply was “No. Not until we can come up with a costworth way to get light to every pixel placement”. he said something about other full frame digital sensors show the black edges in the corners because they cant get light to them. Which is why they use the 1.5 crop facotor so it essentially cuts it off.
Which begs the question, how much do Nikon reps really know? We’ll see.
6/25/07: Rumors continue to circulate. Thom Hogan has placed another lengthy post on DPReview.com regarding the announcement of the Nikon D3:
With virtually all of Nikon’s pro announcements, there has usually been about a two or three-week early warning due to the press event announcements that go out (kind of difficult to have a major roll-out without inviting the press, and you don’t do that at the last moment if you want 100% attendance of the key influencers). There’s also a longer lead early warning when Nikon Japan does the initial roll-out (in Japan) to the subsidiaries. It appears that the latter has occurred, which is fueling a lot of the speculation, but the former hasn’t, which means it would surprise me if there is an announcement planned in the next couple of weeks, though we’re probably now in the period where each subsidiary is working feverishly on getting roll-out and marketing programs ready. As Jerry Pournelle used to write: Real Soon Now. Read the rest of the post over at DPReview.com. . . .
The “local store/Nikon rep” intel rumors also continue to surface, such as this one from the DPReview.com forums on June 22:
i heard it myself today, from my local authorized nikon dealer, who reported to me that the official nikon sales rep told him that the d3 is coming, and “they’re not using the term ‘full-frame.’ they say it’s a 35mm-sized sensor.”
6/26/07: More rumors trickling in from the purported special NPS meeting in Japan. Get the important details here.
6/27/07: Thom Hogan continues to be a wealth of information with regard to the next Nikon (be it a D3 or whatever). In this forum post he discusses the potential for a modular system on the next Nikon pro body (conclusion? unlikely). Additionally, a couple of new photos of the purported Nikon D3x surfaced today in the DPReview.com forums today really stirred the pot.
7/4/07: There have been rumblings for some time now that the Nikon D3 will be announced in conjunction with Nikon’s 90th Anniversary at the end of July. Uncle Vader offers support for this notion from a purported reputable source:
A source with a proven track record today has contacted our newsdesk with news of what most of the Nikon addicts out there have been waiting for and thats news of the professional range new model nikon D3 range will be announced on the 25th July !
Notably, we should “be ready for 2 new jaw dropping features said to put Nikon way above anything its rivals [Canon] currently offer.” (source)
However, I’m sure if it doesn’t appear this month, someone will step in to vow its announcement for August.
7/17/07: Some speculation on what the rumored “revolutionary” feature of the Nikon D3 could be.
7/19/07: Check out this post for a wink and a nod from Nikon regarding the D3x. Additionally, there are some new rumblings about a Nikon D300 that could be in the mix this fall.
7/30/07: Well, since July 25th has now come and gone, we’ve got a new rumor of a August 15th announcement for the Nikon D3. (See Ken Beatty’s comment below on July 30 @ 9:19 a.m.) Ken, on his site, also predicted some Nikon lens releases for July 25th. We missed those . . . so, here’s hoping you’re right on the Nikon D3 rumor.
7/31/07: A rumored confirmation from a Nikon engineer surfaced yesterday.
8/1/07: More rumors of an August announcement – this time, August 25th is the date.
8/7/07: Rumors are really heating up for the August 23-25 time frame.
8/16/07: An ad for the Nikon D3 has surfaced.
8/17/07: More confirmation on August 24th time frame (. . .with the D300 to boot).
8/22/07: Some more rumored specs on the Nikon D3 (16MP) and D300 (12MP) along with rumors of 5 new pro-level AF-S lenses.
It looks like we may see the Nikon D3 and D300 tomorrow via a leak by Popular Science. Stay tuned for more.
New image of the Nikon D3?
[tags]nikon, d3, d3x, d3h, review, rumors, news, norm olsen, concept, announcement, price, availability[/tags]
Sigma’s 18-200 Stabilized Lens Finally Available
Ok, not just yet, but you can now pre-order it now through Amazon in Canon, Nikon and, of course Sigma mounts. This thing was announce at Photokina last fall. Finally, it looks like it will actually release (ship?) on May 10, 2007. Canon is the company that really needed this lens though. Nikon has the wonderful 18-200 VR already. I’ve even been contemplating picking up a D40 or D50 (I’m a Canon user) just so I could have the 18-200 VR to carry around on family vacations and outings. I’m looking forward to reading some reviews on this lens and I’ll be sure to pass along my thoughts if I end up picking one up. If it lives up to the hype, it looks like a real bargain in the $550 neighborhood.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 218
- 219
- 220
- 221
- 222
- …
- 224
- Next Page »