Below you will find this week’s firmware updates. Hit the manufacturer website links for more details and download instructions for the firmware. [Read more…]
Pictureline Giving Away a Nikon D5100
Just a quick heads up to point you in the direction of the cool guys at Pictureline. Those of you in Utah are likely familiar with the local camera shop, Pictureline, which also has an online presence here.
Anyway, they’re giving away a Nikon D5100 to a random Facebook follower as soon as they hit 5100 followers. Get the details over on Pictureline’s blog.
Nikon D5100 Review
The Nikon D5100 is a 16.2-megapixel DSLR that also has the ability to capture 1080p HD video. It resides in Nikon’s line-up between the base-model D3100 and the advanced amateur D7000. [Read more…]
The 10 Best Photography Products of 2011 . . . So Far
1. Fuji X100
I don’t think I’ve had more fun with a camera since I first held the 5D Mark II. Sure, it’s got some quirks, but the excellent image quality and amazing flash sync speed push the Fuji X100 into the front runner position as my personal pick for camera of the year. We’ll see what the rest of the year holds; however, it will take some serious innovation to unseat the X100. Find it at B&H Photo (when it’s in stock). [Read more…]
Apple Issues Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.7
Apple has released a Digital Camera Raw Compatibility update, which adds RAW support to Aperture 3 and iPhoto ’11 for the following cameras: [Read more…]
Nikon D5100 Availability Update
It seems that Nikon D5100 is quite hot item. Amazon is pretty thin on stock right now and appears to only have availability through third-party vendors at the moment.
B&H Photo has updated its stock status to show the D5100 as “Available for Pre-Order” which generally means that B&H has stock on the way and will be shipping it out in a matter of days. Here’s the link to the D5100 product page at B&H Photo.
Nikon D5100 Prices, Pre-Orders and Availability
Now that the Nikon D5100 is officially out of the gate, you may be interested to know that the US price is $799.95 (body only) and $899.95 with an 18-55mm VR kit lens.
You can find it for pre-order or notification status at the following links. It’s scheduled to ship this month (April 2011).
Nikon D5100 (body only): Amazon | B&H Photo
Nikon D5100 w/ 18-55mm VR lens: Amazon | B&H Photo
Nikon ME-1 Stereo Mic: Amazon
The US price for the Nikon ME-1 hot shoe mic is $179.95. However, if you’re going to spend that much on a hot shoe mic, spend a little extra and get the Rode VideoMic Pro instead.
Nikon D5100 Incoming [Updated: It’s Here]
With press releases already leaking out on the web, it looks like Nikon is about to lower the hammer with its new D5100 DSLR, which sports a 16.2MP sensor, 11-point AF system and 1920 x 1080/24p video capture. Other juicy specs are a new HDR feature, video special effects and 4 fps still frame rate.
The most obvious new addition to the D5100 is a swivel LCD, which attaches to the side of the camera. This is a bit of change up from the D5000, which sported a swivel LCD that attached to the bottom of the camera. The LCD itself is a solid 921k-dot res display that weighs in at a full 3 inches.
The D5100 offers a sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400, and is expandable to ISO 25,600. What’s more, the D5100 sports a new “Night Vision” mode for video capture that records in low light up to ISO 102,400.
The D5100 captures both 1080p and 720p at 24p or 30p frame rates. Notably absent is the ability to record at 60p when shooting 720p video (like the Canon 7D and 60D models). Of course, this isn’t new to Nikon HDSLRs – with the recent Nikon D7000 locked down to the same frame rate options. Manual exposure control is confirmed for video mode. [Update: DPReview confirms that the D5100 suffers from the same, frustrating aperture lock that cripples the D7000 when in Live View mode. This seriously hampers the use of the D5100 as a video-centric tool.]
Those interested in using the D5100 to capture video will find the addition of a stereo mic input will be a welcomed bonus.
Speaking of mic inputs, Nikon looks to be launching the Nikon ME-1 stereo mic alongside the D5100 – although its spec sheet is hardly inspiring. Nikon Rumors picked up word that the frequency response only covers 70Hz to 16kHz. It will be powered by the camera and will sport a switchable low-cut filter (not sure what the low-cut boundaries are though). Given that the ME-1 appears to be strictly intended for using on-camera and mounted in the hot shoe of a consumer-grade camera, it might be good enough.
[via Nikon Rumors]
Full Nikon Canada (replaced with US version) press release follows. [Read more…]