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Sony A700 and A900 Rumor Archives

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UPDATE 8/27/07: A big announcement is expected from Sony on September 4th at a press conference in Italy.

UPDATE 8/26/07: The latest images of the newest Sony Alpha in the wild.

UPDATE 7/18/07: Check out the story on the new Sony blog and the latest Alpha talk here.

UPDATE 7/13/07: Some new news on both new models:

Sony was confirmed to be working on a FF-DSLR (Alpha 300) including a high-end APS-C counterpart (Alpha 200). Information released from Japan revealed that the Alpha 200 will not be much larger in size than the current model 100, confirming Sony’s acknowledgement of female users as a major DSLR growth segment in ways identical to what Olympus had long been saying.

Allegedly, the Alpha 200 will feature a 12.8 megapixel CMOS sensor derived from Sony’s technology, which means you’re very likely to get LiveView. (Read more here . . . )

UPDATE 7/12/07: There’s some good reasons why the launch of a new Sony Alpha DSLR is imminent.

UPDATE 7/6/07: The DPReview.com forums brought us some more photos of the purportedly new Sony Alpha camera. Read more about it and see the photos here.

UPDATE 7/1/07: A forum poster over at dyxum.com says that we can expect a press release from Sony on July 9:

A big press release will be sent out the 9th dealing with the new DSLR’s coming out this year from Sony. I just spoke to the East Coast Sony Rep. here at the bike shop I work at. He wouldnt give me any details, but he said he can talk about stuff after the 9th…thats all I know right now. I want my full frame chip!!!!

It’s about time! They’ve been stringing us along for long enough. Keep your eyes on this page for an official announcement.

ORIGINAL POST: Looks like Sony will be mixing it up with the big boys soon. Sony has announced a couple of new cameras in their DSLR lineup. There will be a pro version (think Nikon D2X or D3 and the Canon 1Ds Mk II or 1D Mk III) and a prosumer version (think Nikon D200 and Canon 30D or 40D). There’s some mock-up model photos over at gizmodo (more photos). DPNow has some better angles. Keep in mind though that these models are just for show and will likely be substantially different once the production models are released. [Read more…]

 

Nikon D3 . . . June 26?

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Engadget is reporting that they were contacted after the onslaught of rumors appeared on the web by a “photo editor at a major newspaper” with some inside info on the Nikon D3 (or whatever it will be called), state that:

[he] has tipped us on a phone call he received from Nikon in which his presence was requested at a meeting where a “new professional camera that is leaps and bounds better than anything Canon is offering” would be showcased.

Those are some pretty big words coming from a source that is presumably more reliable that what we’ve seen in the forums over the past few months.  I guess will know in a little less than two weeks.

[tags]d3, date, dslr, high-end, launch, launch date, LaunchDate, nikon, rumor, rumors, tease, teaser[/tags]

Nikon Reps and the Nikon D3 . . . the Plot Thickens

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Yet another DPReview.com forum poster, Jeffrey Anderson, has revealed more info on the Nikon D3 today.  Apparently, he was in a Ritz Camera store in Studio City when a Nikon Rep was discussing the future almost-full-frame sensor.  His account:

I spoke to the representative and asked him when we could expect the announcement and he said about 45 days. 

What I heard was that Nikon has 1.0 and 1.1 in testing.

We’ll see.

When pressed for details on the issue, the poster revealed more:

Studio City, Ritz Camera, Don’t know his name, black hair

I’m only conveying what others have heard reps or supposed reps say at the camera stores. I overheard him talking to the salesmen and then entered the conversation.

A salesman asked why 1.1 and the rep said it was because of light fall off, edge softness, etc.

And perhaps some of the most sensible info was posted in response to Mr. Anderson’s rumor:

if Nikon knew who this person is, they’d fire them. Nikon does not “leak” information through “reps” … they only announce information when they have something REAL to move into stores.

as a matter of fact, they dump different information to different groups, and when erroneous announcements are leaking, the know where it came from.

do people REALLY think Nikon allows pre-sale information to be leaked through some rep?

Interesting?  Yes.  Groundbreaking?  No.  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, lest we go overboard like we did with the Jim Seaholm rumor from PMA.

[tags]nikon, d3, d3x, d3h, dslr, rumor, news, digital camera[/tags]

 

Nikon D300 Coming Too?

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We’ve all been busy with the Nikon D3, or whatever it’ll be called. A DPReview.com forum poster is throwing around some Nikon D300 rumors now:

I believe [the Nikon] D300 will be there sooner than some might think. Got the info trough the shop I often buy from…

A weak rumor, but a rumor nonetheless. We’ll see if the D300 starts to heat up the rumor mill in the near future…

For now, see more dirt here.

[tags]nikon, d300, d200, digital camera, dslr, rumor, news[/tags]

5 Reasons the Canon 40D Might Be a 50D

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All the buzz is about the Canon “40D” but it just might be a 50D instead. Here’s why:

1. Canon doesn’t like 4’s. Case in point the new Canon S5 IS. Canon jumped from the S3 IS to the S5 IS. What happened to the S4 IS? Canon isn’t the only one; Fuji went from the S3 to the S5 with now S4 in between. What gives?!

2. It would get confused with the Nikon D40 and D40x. Canon and Nikon’s model numbers are confusing enough with D30, D60, 10D, 40D, 50D and everything else in between. Why do Canon and Nikon have to confuse us so?!

3. Canon wants to be sneaky. Remember the introduction of the 1D Mk III? It was a bit of a shocker because Canon Hong Kong had supposedly slipped up and posted a placemarker on its site for the 40D. They were indulging the rumor mill to keep the 1D Mk III under the radar.

4. The 5D needs a little brother. Could this be the push to full frame in the prosumer and up Canon models? I dunno. How about splitting the 5D with a higher-end 3D and a lower prosumer-level 50D?

5. The 40D has been rumored for so long, that Canon will just skip that model altogether and go right to the 50D.

Please note that this post is blatant speculation with a little bit of fun mixed in.

[tags]canon, 40d, 50d, news, rumors, dslr, digital camera[/tags]

Rumor Alert – Nikon AF-S 100-500mm f/4-5.6 ED-IF VR III

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Is this for real?

(source) _____________________________

There are a couple more pictures here.

It showed up in a Thai-based Nikon forum yesterday. Anyone care to translate the forum postings and tell me what it says?

The specs read as follows:

  • VR III system offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 5.5 stops faster (when used with compatible camera bodies incorporated with Nikon’s O.B. VR technology), or 4 stops faster when used with conventional camera bodies
  • Two VR Modes: Normal mode or Active Mode for when taking pictures with extreme movement
  • Automatically detects when photographer is panning and compensates
  • 5 Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements minimizes chromatic aberration and provides higher resolution and superior contrast
  • Lightweight Magnesium die-cast construction (approx. 5.2lbs) with tripod mounting foot
  • Internal Focusing (IF) design for smoother focusing and great body balance
  • Nikon’s exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and super-quiet operation
  • High-performance Nikon Super Integrated Coating offers superior color reproduction and minimizes ghost and flare
  • Rounded diaphragm (9 blades) for natural blur
  • New tripod mounting foot design, compatible with Arca style quick-release system
  • Compatible with Nikon TC-14E, TC-17E II, and TC-20E II Teleconverters, AF operation only with TC14E II

Seems a little too good to be true and some of the grammar seems a little too broken for such an official looking Nikon ad/press sheet. It certainly got me excited though. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. The rumors sure do seem to be picking up here lately. The Nikon 50 f/1.2 has been getting some buzz of late too.

[tags]nikon, 100-500, af-s, ed-if, VRIII, VR-III, 50, f/1.2, 1.2, rumors, news, lens, lenses[/tags]

Sony Alpha Update

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Amateur Photographer has the latest on the coming additions to the Sony Alpha line. Apparently, Sony UK released some new publicity shots of the two new Alpha models yesterday. Nothing really new on the details of the cameras other than their release must be getting closer if Sony is now putting out “publicity shots” of the bodies. Get the full story over at Amateur Photographer.

[tags]sony, alpha, dslr, rumors, news, publicity shots[/tags]

Latest Nikon D3 Buzz

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Thom Hogan’s comments in the DPReview forums regarding the Nikon D3 (found via this blog):

Expect a late June announcement with ship in August/September instead and you might be less disappointed ;~).

Additional rumors, purportedly originating in France suggest 18.7MP and the highly-speculated 1.1x crop factor sensor. As stated in the DPReview.com forums (including spelling/grammatical errors):

In France the magazine “Reponses Photo” declares in the new june issue of their popular magazine th New D3…

They inform us that it will be a 18,7 Mpix with a 1.1 frame ( near full frame) and it allows to maintain the Nikon F mount. As the D2X this DSRL has 8 im/sec with a DX frame and 5 im/sec with the 1.1 frame.

DX lenses won’t suit the 1.1 frame and will be maintaint for the actual DSRL’s and the future amateur Nikon DSRL’s.

The 18,7 Mpix chip will come from Sony and will be exclusif for Nikon dor the 12 months after the launching of the camera (as it was always done in the past …)

Nikon director and spokesman in France Benoit de Dieuleveult declares that he can’t give any comments on this proposals, but he states : ” Nikon don’t want to reduce their Pro Market. On the contrary, our intention is to increase our parts in this market. We have developed very nice new pro products that will make us take back the lost parts and increase our position in the Pro market. Actuelly i can’t say more but you want be disappointed …”

Even more:

I have unconfirmed report that on June 22, 2007 Nikon have NPS meeting in Europe, they might announce some lenses and new body at that time.

[tags]nikon, d3, d3x, d3h, rumors, news, announcement, july, june[/tags]

Nikon D3

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A summer announcement is reportedly due for the D2- successor, presumably a Nikon D3. That’s the story over at DPReview.com anyway. This appeared in a recent forum post:

UK Nikon rep who made her yearly visit to us at a regional awards evening last week quite bluntly in fact HOWEVER we have been assured that a new camera is imminent, a summer announcement btw, and furthermore she will deliver the new camera to us for useage in september and if it fails to be a canon mk3 beater then she’ll take them off her hands with no questions asked. When pressed on names ie d3h or x she declined to say as this has not been decided as of yet (it’s just a code number at the moment apparently) but said the camera would be at least as big file size as the current d2xs and faster than the d3hs, other than that there was no further information ie full frame etc., sorry but it was an awards evening and by the time we spoke it was fairly late on.

[tags]nikon, d3, d3x, d3h, d2xs, rumor, news[/tags]