Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Pentax Press Conference in Dubai on January 10, 2008

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Info from Reflex.it indicates that Pentax will hold a press conference in Dubai on January 10th. English translation from Italian (via DPR forum member):

Pentax will hold an international press conference on the 10th of January in Dubai. In all likelyhood, on this occasion it will be possible to confirm the rumours about two new reflex cameras (evolutions of the excellent K10D and K100D with 14MP and 10MP CMOS sensors), and evaluate in which ways the “new” Pentax company intends to move in a market still dominated by Canon and Nikon. Further considerations will shed light on whether the 645D project will ever be restored, how much time it’ll take to integrate and renovate the lens system/offering and, if, as it looks like, the collaboration with Samsung for reflex cameras will go on.

See more on the K20D and K200D rumors here.

[tags]pentax, k20d, k200d, rumor, press, conference, news[/tags]

 

Canon 450D at PMA and 5D Mark II at Photokina?

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Some interesting thoughts from POTN:

The new camera [5D Mark II] is most likely at beta level, undergoing further tests prior to its official announcement by Canon in Fall, in conjunction with Photokina 2008. PMA Show 2008 at Las Vegas end of January is not the ideal place to announce a successor to the EOS 5D. A successor to the EOS Xti Rebel is more likely to be unveiled in conjunction with the PMA event.

A year ago, everyone/everywhere was speculating on the EOS 40D for PMA 2007 and Canon decided to unveil the EOS-1D Mark III instead.

EOS 40D and the EOS-1Ds Mark III became part of the Fall announcement of 2007 instead due to it not being a Photokina year to capitalise on. At this point of time, it is too early for Canon to announce a successor to the EOS 5D as both the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III and Nikon D3 have not been in the market long enough to gauge how much effect (sales-wise) of both against the volumes of the EOS 5D and EOS-1D Mark III.

Rebates and promotions of the 5D currently may not necessary mean it is going to be replaced soon. It may be promoted against the onslaught of Nikon D300 and Sony Alpha A700, both of which are 12MPs and APS-C DSLRs.

Also, the EOS 350D (Rebel XT) has been dropped from the 4th-quarter 2007 catalog line-up of EOS models in my country/region while the EOS 5D remains. In the 4th-quarter 2006 catalog, only the EOS-1D Mark II N was missing from the line-up while EOS 30D remained. 1st-quarter 2008 catalog will be issued at end of January. [See Geoffrey’s post at #87]

Smells like Geoffrey may be on to something here. Canon doesn’t really have to be in a rush to put out a replacement for the 5D. It’s still great at what it does. It’s still in the top 10 selling DSLRs on Amazon (while it’s listed as 18th, if you take out the repeats on different variations of kits and bodies, the 5D comes in at #10). That’s pretty impressive for a 2 1/2 year old DSLR.

Just a couple of weeks or so left until we find out for sure, but I’m sure we’ll get more rumors and rumblings between now and then. Stay tuned.

[tags]canon, 5d, mark ii, 6d, 4d, news, rumors[/tags]

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

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AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

Originally uploaded by stfbfc


Here’s a shot of the rumored Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR mounted on a D2. (You can click on it to go to the Flickr page for larger images) There have been a few images of this lens captured in the wild. Some are convinced this is a photoshopped image of the 18-200mm; however, I think there are too many subtle differences and too many different angles of photos of this lens floating around the web for it to be photoshopped. Expect to see more of the new 16-85mm lens at PMA later this month. By the way, this is a great focal length for Nikon DX shooters.

More images here.

[tags]nikon, 16-85mm, vr, photo, pic, release, rumor, pma[/tags]

Canon 5D “Intermediate” Version

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This article on Kyoto (Translated Page) features an interview of Hisashi Owada, who is apparently a president of some division within Canon. When asked about Canon DSLR strategy, Owada said:

We will launch a strong product. Intermediate camera “EOS 5D” there will be increased durability and the subsequent pixel models listed. At the same price, we will launch better products.

Granted, that’s Google’s translation, but I think we get the gist from it. It sounds like we’ll be seeing something in between the current 5D and the 1 series cameras.

For what it’s worth, here’s another translation:

We will launch powerful products. A new version of the middle range 5D will be launched with more pixels and enhanced reliability in the market. This will be the best of the DSLRs in the same price. (Source)

More on the 5D Mark II (or whatever it’s called) on this page. Stay tuned for the latest.

Nikon D60 Rumor Archive

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Word is that the Nikon D60 will replace the D40x in Spring 2008. This info comes from M-L, who also gave us the heads up on the Nikon D3 the day before its announcement, so this is perhaps a little more solid than many of the rumors that we get leading up to new announcements. The source also revealed that a Nikon D90/D80x would not be coming. Perhaps Nikon will be dropping the D70/D80 series as a wedge between the D40 series and D200/D300 series.

This rumor was prompted by reports of the end of manufacturing of the Nikon D40x on this site. A DP Review forum user gave us a decent translation and some commentary:

The first para says “Nikon announced on their product information website that the stock holding of D40X finished. There was no mentioning of D40.” (The second para explains the difference between D40 and D40X, so I skip.) The third para is post script on 28 Dec, saying that the above announcement was not on the website anymore. The termination of stock holding of D40X is only for domestic market. Also it was confirmed that sales of D40 continues.

(End of translation.)

I think the postscript is not so logical when translated. But that is what it says. There is another website by Nikon indicating in red character that they now stopped taking order for D40X. (See here)

Stay tuned to this page and I’ll keep you posted on the latest words from the rumor mill.

UPDATES

___________________

Nikon USA is listing the D40x, among others, as having a new low price.

1/28/08:  Leaked D60 press release, 16-85mm VR, 60mm f/2.8 and 24mm T/S lenses.  (Read more)

1/27/08: More info leaked from a German magazine. (Read more)

1/21/08: Nikon D60 specs leaked? (Read more)

[tags]nikon, d60, d40x, replacement[/tags]

Canon to Announce Next DSLR on January 24

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It seems that Robert Westin, VP for Canon Sweden, has spilled the beans on Canon’s upcoming Pre-PMA 2008 announcement. This article on Kamerabild.se (a Swedish site) quotes Westin regarding Canon’s 2007 performance and thoughts on the upcoming year. A little help from Google and some translation sites helped me read some of this stuff.

Key points:

1. Canon will announce the next big thing on January 24 – the week before PMA starts.

2. Canon will release more photo products in 2008 than 2007.

My Thoughts:

1. My money is on a Canon Rebel XTi replacement (aka 450D) being announced on January 24th. As I’ve said before, the Rebel XTi (aka 400D) is due for replacement – now at the end of its 18 month produce life cycle. Read more about this camera here.

2. If not announced alongside the 450D, the Canon 5D Mark II is sure to follow later this year. For all the reasons why I think this is the case, check out this page.

3. Something else may be coming too. Canon had three big ones for 2007 – the PowerShot G9, EOS 1Ds Mark III and EOS 40D. If he’s talking about more cameras, then we could be looking at a gap filler DSLR. 3D or 7D anyone?

[tags]canon, 5d, mark ii, rebel xti, replacement, 450d, rumor, news, announcement[/tags]

Canon 5D Mark II Rumors Heating Up Again

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5D mark II rumours

Originally uploaded by danidantje


If you’ve been looking for the latest info on the Canon 5D Mark II, chances are you’ve see (or will see) this photo. Sorry, but it’s a fake. The rumors have been stirring over the past couple of weeks, but there’s nothing really floating around (except for this post, which is from a new poster that has no history of reliability).

If the 5D appears anytime soon, we won’t know anything until Canon’s 2008 PMA press conference. I expect that Canon will introduce either the Canon 450D (Rebel XTi successor) or the Canon 5D Mark II (or even both of them). Both the Rebel XTi and 5D are due for replacement.

If you’re looking to make a purchase, perhaps you should consider the crazy prices that you can get the Canon 5D at now. Once the 5D Mark II comes out, I expect the 5D will be discontinued and it may be tough to find new.

[tags]canon, 5d, mark ii, successor, replacement, 6d, rebel xti, 450d[/tags]

Pentax K20D and K200D Rumor Archives

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There are some rumors floating around the web (finally! – albeit in Chinese) that Pentax will announced the much sought after follow-up to the K10D at a press conference on January 24, 2008 – just in time for PMA.

The new camera is rumored to be called the Pentax K20D and will include the following features:

  • Pentax Proprietary 14MP CMOS Sensor
  • 14 bit RAW A/D Processor
  • 3″ Live View LCD
  • Improved In-Body Shake Reduction
  • Body Design Similar to K10D
  • Significant Custom Functions (including AF trimming/programming for different lenses)
  • PC Sync

The K100D is also scheduled for replacement by the new Pentax K200D, which is rumored to include the following features:

  • 10MP Sensor from Sony
  • PRIME 12-bit Image Processor
  • 3 FPS (10 Max RAW; Infinite JPEGs)
  • Larger LCD (3 inch?)
  • 11 AF Points

Rumors for now – time will tell. When there’s more, I’ll keep you posted. If you gotta sift through every whisper now, check out 1001 Noisy Cameras’ recent post. I’ve also updated the PMA Preview as promised.

UPDATES

1/21/08: Sample images from the Pentax K20D. (Read more)
Pentax K20D and K200D specs leaked? (Read more)

1/15/08: Rumored sample images from the beta version of a K20D.

1/9/07: Samsung GX-20 revealed and is likely the 14MP twin of the K20D. (Read more)

1/6/07: Press conference from Pentax on January 10 in Dubai. (Read more)

12/29/07: Purported photos of the Pentax K200D surface. (Read more)

[tags]pentax, k20d, k200d, rumor, release, announcement, pma[/tags]