Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Photokina 2010 Report

By

Photokina 2010

Updated: Check out all of the recently announced cameras and other gear at the bottom of this page.

Photokina 2010 is set to take place from Tuesday, September 21 to Sunday, September 26, 2010 in Cologne, Germany.  Photokina occurs every two years, and in 2008, 1523 companies exhibited at the show and more than 169,000 people attended the show.

Photokina is a trade show in which many new cameras, lenses and accessories are frequently introduced.  Cameras introduced at or around Photokina 2008 include, the Canon PowerShot G10, Canon Rebel XS, Canon 50D, Canon 5D Mark II, Nikon D90, Nikon D700, Panasonic G1, Pentax K2000, Sony A900 and Sigma DP2. All the major camera manufacturers are typically in attendance and are rather high profile at Photokina events.  Expect no less this year.

Photokina 2010 Trends to Watch

Camera features and formats haven’t seen a state of flux like we are currently seeing for quite some time.  As a result, I don’t think that it would be unreasonable to expect big things from big players in the months and weeks leading up to Photokina 2010.

Mirrorless Camera Systems

Sony has already busted out of the gate with a serious mirrorless camera system this year, leaving the two big camera makers, Canon and Nikon, to play catch up.  The industry is seemingly waiting for these traditional camera manufacturers to bless this new format by entering into the field with a product of their own.  The killer (as in entry-level DSLR killer) mirrorless camera hasn’t hit the market yet.  Could Canon or Nikon deliver one this year at Photokina?

HDSLRs

No one really knew what kind of potential that the Canon 5D Mark II had when it was introduced nearly two years ago.  Now, with an abundance of short films, commercials and broadcast TV episodes under its belt, this market segment is a serious piece of the pie.

Canon is the clear front-runner; however, Nikon is sure to add 1080p video capture at some point.  The next DSLRs in the Nikon line-up would be a perfect time to seize a piece of this still-yet-to-be-defined market segment.  We know Sony is working on some AVCHD-capable DSLRs, so it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see these guys at Photokina 2010.

Compact Cameras with Large Sensors

Enthusiasts have been dying for these cameras to break out to the mainstream manufacturers.  It’s not a segment that’s necessarily hot, but has been rumored to be “coming” from a number of manufacturers for years now.  Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, or maybe enthusiasts will soon get their serious compact cameras with DSLR-sized sensors (instead of the handful of niche products currently on the market).  Of course, the rise of mirrorless camera systems could be the death knell to these pipe dreams as well.

New Cameras and Gear Added Soon

With Summer upon us, I will be adding new camera and gear announcements to this page on a rolling basis as we approach Photokina 2010.  Expect any serious cameras or gear announced from now on to play a roll in manufacturers’ exhibits at this year’s Photokina.  Feel free to bookmark this page for future updates, or check the front page of Photography Bay for regular updates as we approach September.

Photokina Map

DSLR / Interchangeable Lens Cameras

Compact / Point & Shoot Cameras

Medium Format

Video Cameras

Camera Accessories

Concepts, Prototypes and Industry News

Stay tuned for the latest updates in the days leading up to Photokina 2010.

 

Top Digital Cameras

By

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7

Since we looked at the most wished for cameras last week, I thought we could see what the actual best sellers are this time around.  Again, this is based on info available at Amazon’s digital camera page.

Best Selling Digital Cameras

  1. Panasonic ZS7
  2. Canon PowerShot SD780 IS (black)
  3. Polaroid t1031
  4. Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS
  5. Canon Rebel T1i
  6. Canon PowerShot S90 IS
  7. Nikon D90
  8. HP PB360
  9. Canon PowerShot G11
  10. Canon PowerShot SD780 IS (red)

This is just a snapshot in time, as Amazon updates its bestseller list on an hourly basis.  It does provide an idea of what’s important to people though.

Looking at the customer reviews, it’s easy to see why many of these are at the top, as all of the cameras have received overwhelmingly positive reviews.  It’s also interesting to see $60 cameras and $800 cameras moving in nearly equal quantities.  It’s a pretty diverse group.

Firmware Friday: Nikon S230; Pentax H90, I-10, W90, X90; Sigma DP2, DP2s

By

Camera Firmware Update

I’m instituting a new practice today with regard to camera firmware.  From now on, I’ll be consolidating firmware notices to a single post each Friday.  If something really hot (like the 5D Mark II firmware 24p update) is announced, I’ll pass that along as it happens.  Everything else will fly on Friday from now on.

Fridays are typically slow news days and so this seems like a good fit.  We’ll try this for a while and see how it works.

Nikon Coolpix S230 firmware version 1.1. “An issue that, in some rare cases, prevented accurate recording of pictures taken in Night landscape or Dusk/dawn scene mode has been resolved.” [Nikon website]

Pentax Optio H90 firmware version 1.01 – Adds additional Eye-Fi SD card support and functionality. [Pentax website]

Pentax Optio I-10 firmware version 1.01 – Adds additional Eye-Fi SD card support and functionality. [Pentax website]

Pentax Optio W90 firmware version 1.01 – Adds additional Eye-Fi SD card support and functionality. [Pentax website]

Pentax X90 firmware version 1.01 – Adds additional Eye-Fi SD card support and functionality. [Pentax website]

Sigma DP2 firmware version 1.05 “Improved image quality at ISO400.” [Sigma website]

Sigma DP2s firmware version 1.01 “Improved image quality at ISO400.” [Sigma website]

Mastering HD Video with Your DSLR – Book Review

By

So, you’ve got that Rebel T2i, 7D, 5D Mark II, D300s, D5000 or any other number of DSLRs that can record video.  But how do you get a worthwhile movie captured, edited and in front of others’ eyeballs?

A decent starting point for answering that question can be found in Mastering HD Video with Your DSLR from Helmut Kraus and Uwe Steinmueller.  [Read more…]

Fuji HS10 Firmware Update

By

Firmware version 1.02 is now available for the Fuji HS10.  The new firmware addresses the following issues:

  1. In Raw data a line is visible where colors slightly change when developed by Raw File Converter.
  2. Battery indicator turns on too early.
  3. When “Image Disp.” in set-up menu is set to “Zoom”, sometimes image corrupts.

Additional info and download instructions are available on Fuji’s website.

Joby Gorillapod Magnetic is Grooviness Incarnate

By

When Joby developed the Gorillatorch, which is a combination of a Gorillapod, flashlight and ordinary magnets, Joby fans immediately started asking for a similar device to hold their cameras.  Earlier this year, Joby delivered on that request with the Gorillapod Magnetic.

Every year, there are maybe a handful of products that really “wow” me.  The new Gorillapod Magnetic is officially on the list for 2010.

It’s quite simple, really.  It’s a Gorillapod with magnetic feet. [Read more…]

Think Tank Photo Retrospective Camera Bag

By

Think Tank Photo has introduced the Retrospective series camera and lens shoulder bag. While the outside of the bags look intentionally innocuous, the insides house extremely sophisticated designs specifically created to help field photographers carry their gear safely and access it quickly. The Retrospectives come in two basic models, the shoulder bag and the lens changer. Each comes in different sizes. And, in what is a first for Think Tank, they also are available in a color other than black.

The Retrospective series ranges in price from $99 to $179.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM for the Sony and Pentax Mounts

By

Sigma 120-400mm

Sigma has announced that its 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM lens will now be available for Sony and Pentax DSLRs. The lens should be available for both mounts later this month.

Check availability on Amazon below.

Sigma 120-400mm DG OS HSM for Sony DSLRs

Sigma 120-400mm DG OS HSM for Pentax DSLRs

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Sony A290 Surfaces in Vietnam

By

Sony Alpha A290

While there’s been no official word from Sony yet, it looks like the next entry-level DSLR from Sony has surfaced in Vietnam.  According to specs provided by tinhte.com, the Sony A290 is equipped with a 14.2MP CCD sensor, max sensitivity of ISO 3200, SteadyShot sensor-based stabilization and a frame rate of 2.5 fps.  The A290 appears to be a mild upgrade from the A230 and, keeping with the entry-level spec-list, still does not appear to offer the Quick Autofocus Live View based on the body design and roughly translated specifications.

[tinhte.com via Slashgear]