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Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

An Open Letter to Nikon re: the 50mm f/1.8 Lens

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Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Lens

Dear Nikon,

I think you are doing a great job with your cameras, lenses and accessories.  The entry-level series that started with the smaller form-factor Nikon D40 through the current D3000 and D5000 has been a real hit.  The D40 is a fantastic little camera that you have continued to build upon over the past several models in this line.  The D5000 is now one of the best bang-for-your-buck DSLR cameras on the market.

I understand that you needed to pull the AF motor out of these camera bodies in order to make them smaller.  I totally get that.  I will also say that you have done a good job with your lens selection since the D40 was introduced.  There are so many great AF-S lenses available now and you seem committed to continuing this trend.  To that end, kudos to you.

That said, we are all missing one crucial AF-S lens that is not in your lineup at this time – an AF-S 50mm f/1.8 lens. [Read more…]

 

Nikon Coolpix P100 Reviews and Resources

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Nikon Coolpix P100

The Nikon Coolpix P100 is a 10.3MP superzoom camera with a 26x optical zoom lens and optical VR image stabilization.  The P100 can capture 1080p HD video, features in-camera HDR image merge and a 3-inch LCD. The P100 should be available in March 2010 at an initial retail price of $399.95.

Nikon P100 Availability

B&H Photo

Amazon.com

Adorama

Photography Bay Resources

Nikon P100 Review

Nikon P100 Reviews

Digital Camera Info

Imaging Resource

PhotographyBLOG

Neocamera

Nikon Coolpix P100

Nikon Coolpix P100 Press Release

MELVILLE, NY (Feb. 2, 2010) – Nikon Inc. today unveiled the new COOLPIX P100 digital camera, marking a series of firsts for Nikon with the debut of a CMOS image sensor and full High Definition (HD) movie (1080p) capabilities in the COOLPIX line. Additionally, with an expansive 26x Optical Wide Angle Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens and a 3.0-inch 460,000-dot vari-angle Clear Color Display LCD screen, the COOLPIX P100 delivers a compact camera fully equipped and readily able to expand a user’s photographic potential.

The COOLPIX P100 is Nikon’s first compact camera to offer full HD movie (1080p), allowing consumers to entertain audiences with movies that capture the entire impact of a scene at the touch of a dedicated movie-record button. A stereo microphone optimally mounted on top of the camera accurately captures audio to further enhance the video capture experience. Contributing to compositional freedom, both the optical zoom and autofocus functions are available while recording video. Additionally, the high-speed movie function provides the added benefit of recording movies that can be played back in slow motion or fast motion to create artistic effects. To further ease integration into an existing home theater system, an HDMI connector allows for easy playback on a compatible HDTV.

“Our portfolio of cameras is designed to ensure that any photographer, at any level, can find the camera that feels right for them,” said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. “The P100 blends a stellar lens with creative automatic and manual features to allow the more advanced consumer to explore the boundaries of their photographic capabilities.”

The Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera features a 10.3-megapixel backside illumination CMOS sensor, which enables high-speed shooting at 10 frames per second (fps) at full resolution and exceptional image quality even when shooting in low light settings.  Other functions benefitting from the lower noise and exceptional image quality of the new CMOS image sensor include an in-camera high dynamic range (HDR) function, which merges images of the same scene to achieve a single image with a broad range of tonal detail. Additionally, the Night Landscape mode combines a series of consecutive shots taken at a fast shutter speed into a single image with reduced noise when taking handheld shots in night scenes.

The versatility of the COOLPIX P100 digital camera is also attributed to its new 26x Optical Wide Angle Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens. This lens offers unparalleled compositional freedom, with its wide angle (26mm) to super telephoto coverage (678mm). The broad focal range lets consumers capture a variety of shots and scenes, ranging from sweeping landscapes to action shots taking place far away on a sports field. For further versatility, this extraordinary lens allows the user to take images or video as close as 0.4 inches while in macro mode. As part of the flagship Performance Series of COOLPIX compact digital cameras, the COOLPIX P100 is the ideal photographic tool for photo enthusiasts, sports and travel photographers and consumers with more advanced photography skills who crave a high performance camera.

Additional features of the Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera include:

  • 10.3-megapixels and Backside Illumination CMOS Sensor for stunning prints as large as 16x 20 inches, while retaining fine detail
  • In-Camera High Dynamic Range (HDR) merges multiple images of the same scene to create an image with a range of tonal detail that could not be captured in a single photo
  • Night Landscape Mode combines a series of images into a reduced noise composite for low light shooting
  • 3.0-inch Vari-Angle 460,000-dot Clear Color Display LCD and Electronic Viewfinder make it easy to compose and share pictures with friends and family.  The new LCD, with anti-reflection coating, can tilt as much as 90 degrees up or 82 degrees down. This enables photographers to shoot from higher angles or from the hip. The incorporation of the an electronic viewfinder enables consumers to see through the lens in most any lighting condition
  • 5-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization System
    • Optical VR Image Stabilization by image sensor shift compensates for the effects of camera shake, producing clearer, sharper results in lower lighting or unsteady conditions
    • Hybrid VR Image Stabilization combines both sensor shift VR and Electronic VR
    • Motion Detection automatically detects moving subjects and adjusts shutter speed and the ISO setting to compensate for camera shake and subject movement
    • High ISO 3200 capability creates new opportunities to take sharper, more natural-looking photos in lower light conditions (up to 10 megapixels)
    • Best Shot Selector (BSS) automatically takes up to 10 shots while the user presses the shutter, and saves the sharpest image
  • Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual Exposure modes give ultimate creative control over images
  • New Sport Continuous Scene Mode for shooting at up to 10 fps at full resolution and 120 fps for 1.1-megapixel images
  • Subject Tracking automatically activates autofocus while tracking moving subjects such as children and animals.  Even when the subject momentarily moves out of the LCD frame, the camera will restart tracking if the subject returns in the frame within 3 seconds
  • Pre-shooting Cache lets users capture up to 40 shots before shutter is released. This setting helps photographers stay ahead of the action
  • Active D-Lighting minimizes loss of details in highlights and shadows resulting in beautiful, more natural-looking images
  • Smart Portrait System integrates the following features to make it a snap to capture stunning portrait photos of friends and family:
    • In-Camera Red-Eye FixTM automatically fixes most instances of red-eye
    • Enhanced Face-Priority AF can detect up to 12 faces from a variety of angles
    • Skin Softening ensures smooth skin tone on the face of subjects by leveraging built-in face-detection technology
    • Smile Mode automatically detects when a subject smiles and releases the shutter
    • Blink Warning notifies the user when a subject has blinked in a photo
    • Blink Proof detects the subject’s face and automatically takes a series of sequential shots, then saves the image in which the subject’s eyes are open

The Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera will be available nationwide in March 2010 and will retail for $399.95* MSRP. For more information on the P100 and all COOLPIX cameras, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Nikon Coolpix L110 and L22 Reviews and Resources

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Nikon Coolpix L110

The Nikon L110 is a 12.1MP superzoom camera featuring a 15x optical zoom lens (28-420mm equivalent) with optical VR image stabilization, a 3-inch LCD screen and the ability to capture 720p HD video. Check out Photography Bay’s Nikon L110 review.

The Nikon L110 should be available in February 2010 at an initial retail price of $279.95.  Check availability on Amazon.com.

Nikon L110 Reviews

PhotographyBLOG

Trusted Reviews

Nikon Coolpix L22

The Nikon L22 is a 12MP point and shoot camera with a 3.6x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch LCD and is powered by AA batteries.  Check out Photography Bay’s Nikon L22 review.

The Nikon L22 should be available in February 2010 at an initial retail price of $129.95.  Check availability on Amazon.com.

Nikon L22 Reviews

Camera Labs

Trusted Reviews

[Read more…]

“Chicken vs. Penguin” Wins $100,000 from Nikon

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Nikon just announced the winners of the Nikon Festival contest, which was searching for the best short film in an effort to promote new Nikon DSLRs with D-Movie functionality.

You can see the winning video above, “Chick vs. Penguin,” and check out more details about the winner Marko Slavnic, as well as word on the fan favorite award and more in the press release below. [Read more…]

PMA 2010 Report

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PMA 2010

The PMA 2010 International Convention and Trade Show is scheduled to take place February 21-23, 2010, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California.  PMA is the largest photographic trade show in the world.  Surrounding PMA are a number of new product announcements from camera, lens and accessory manufacturers.  Each year, we all watch these announcements to see what the next best thing in the digital imaging realm might be.

While we saw many product announcements from photo-industry manufacturers at CES 2010, the biggest announcements generally come in the days leading up to the PMA show.  I’ll be reporting live from PMA this year and you may find some up-to-the-minute updates from Photography Bay’s Twitter account before it goes live on the homepage.  So, if you’re that kind of gearhead, follow Photography Bay on Twitter.

This preview will showcase news and developments categorized by manufacturer and will be updated as new information comes in.  Consider bookmarking this page through PMA to have access to the latest info at your fingertips.

If you have something to contribute or would like to discuss this topic further, please join the Photography Bay Forum and post your comments there.  I’ll stay on top of the discussions and relay relevant information on this post.

Canon

Canon will not be attending PMA 2010; however, due to the proximity of Canon’s new camera releases to the event, I have included them in this report.

Canon EOS Rebel T2i: 18MP DSLR that serves as a replacement to the popular Rebel T1i.  The Rebel T2i offers a number of advancements, including an improved metering system and a number of HD video recording options.

Canon PowerShot SX210 IS: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a 14x optical zoom lens with image stabilization, 3-inch LCD and the ability to capture 720p HD video with stereo sound.

Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a stabilized 5x optical zoom lens, 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD and 720p HD video capture.

Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS: Ultra-compact 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a stabilized 4x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.

Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS: Basic 12.1MP point and shoot camera with a stabilized 4x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch LCD.

Casio

Casio EX-10HG: Introduced at CES 2010, the concept camera has received an estimated price tag of $400 and expect availability in October 2010.

Casio EX-FC150: 10.1MP point and shoot camera with a 5X optical zoom and Casio’s popular high-speed video and image capture.

Casio EX-S7: 12.1MP point and shoot camera with a 3x optical zoom, 720p HD video capture and a 2.7-inch LCD.

Casio EX-Z35:  12.1MP point and shoot camera with a 3x optical zoom, VGA video capture and a 2.5-inch LCD.

Fuji

Fuji AV100: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 3x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.

Fuji AX200: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 5x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.

Fuji F80EXR: 12MP point and shoot camera featuring Fuji’s popular EXR sensor technology with a 10x optical zoom lens (27-270mm equivalent), 3-inch LCD and 720p HD movie capture.

Fuji GF670 Professional Medium Format Camera: Offers 6×6 and 6×7 format shooting with 120 and 220 roll film.  The GF670 features an 80mm lens, rangefinder, aperture-priority mode for auto exposure, as well as manual exposure mode.

Fuji HS10: 10MP superzoom camera with CMOS sensor and 30x zoom lens, which offers a zoom range equivalent to 24-720mm.  Also captures 1080p HD video.

Fuji JV100: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 3x optical zoom lens and 720p HD movie capture.

Fuji JX250: 14MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 5x optical zoom lens and 720p HD movie capture.

Fuji JZ300: 12MP point and shoot camera with sensor-shift image stabilization, 2.7-inch LCD, a 10x optical zoom lens and 720p HD movie capture.

Fuji JZ500: 14MP point and shoot camera with sensor-shift image stabilization, a 2.7-inch LCD, a 10x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.

Fuji S1800: 12MP superzoom camera with 18x optical zoom lenses for an equivalent zoom range of 28-504mm, 3-inch LCD, an electronic viewfinder and 720pHD video capture.

Fuji S2550HD: 12MP superzoom camera with 18x optical zoom lenses for an equivalent zoom range of 28-504mm, 3-inch LCD, an electronic viewfinder and 720pHD video capture.

Fuji XP10: Rugged 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD and 5x optical zoom lens.  The X10 is shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and dustproof.

Fuji Z70: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.

Fuji Z700EXR: 12MP point and shoot camera featuring Fuji’s popular EXR sensor technology with a 3.5? wide touch screen display in 16:9 format, a 5x optical zoom and 720p video capture.

Hasselblad

Hasselblad H4D-40: 40MP medium format camera with 80mm lens and Phocus 2.0 software.  Geared toward high-end 35mm format photographers.

HP

HP CW450: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom and 2.7″ LCD.

HP CW450t: Touchscreen version of HP CW450.

HP SW450: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom and 2.7″ LCD.

HP PW550z: 12.2MP point and shoot camera with 5x optical zoom and 2.7″ LCD.

HP PW460t: 12.2MP point and shoot camera with 4x optical zoom and 3″ touchscreen LCD.

Joby

Gorillapod Magnetic:  A Gorillapod with magnetic feet, which allows it to attach to any magnetic surface.

Ballhead X: Supports up to 11.1lbs and allows you to pan, tilt and rotate the attached camera atop the Gorillapod or other tripod.

Leaf

Leaf Aptus-II 8:  40MP medium format digital back with a sensor size of 44×33mm and is capable of capturing images at a rate of 0.8 seconds per frame and a burst of 60 full-res images per minute.

Lensbaby

Fisheye and Soft Focus Optics: New optics for Lensbaby Composer, Muse and Control Freak lenses.

Lowepro

Lowepro Slingshot AW Camera Bags: Updated version of the popular Slingshot series of camera bags, which rotate from back to front for fast and easy access to gear.

Nikon

Nikon L110: 12.1MP superzoom camera featuring a 15x optical zoom lens (28-420mm equivalent) with optical VR image stabilization, a 3-inch LCD screen and the ability to capture 720p HD video.

Nikon L22: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 3.6x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch LCD and is powered by AA batteries.

Nikon P100: 10.3MP superzoom camera with a 26x optical zoom lens and optical VR image stabilization.  The P100 can capture 1080p HD video, features in-camera HDR image merge and a 3-inch LCD.

Nikon S3000: Budget-friendly, 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch LCD.

Nikon S4000: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch (460k dot) touch-panel LCD and the ability to capture 720p HD video.

Nikon S6000: 14.2MP point and shoot camera with a 7x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD panel and the ability to capture 720p HD video.

Nikon S8000: 14.2MP point and shoot cameras with a 10x optical zoom, a high resolution (920k dot) 3-inch LCD screen and the ability to capture 720p HD video and stereo audio.

Nikon AF-S 16-35mm f/4G ED VR Lens: Nikon’s first ultra-wide zoom with VR for FX format cameras. The 16-35mm lens features Nikon’s Silent Wave Autofocus Motor and VR II stabilization technology.

Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED Lens: A wide angle prime, compatible with both FX and DX-format DSLRs.

Olympus

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Lens: Wide-angle zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 Lens: Wide-to-telephoto zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Olympus PEN E-PL1: 3rd-generation Micro Four Thirds camera with 12.3MP sensor, HD video capture and 14-42mm kit lens.

Olympus SP-600UZ: 12MP point and shoot camera with 15x optical zoom and 720p HD video capture.

Olympus SP-800UZ: 14MP superzoom “bridge” camera with 30x optical zoom and 720p HD video capture.

Pentax

Pentax E90:  Budget-friendly 10MP point and shoot camera with 3x optical zoom.

Pentax H90: Stylish 12.1MP point and shoot camera with 5x optical zoom and 720p HD video capture.

Pentax I-10: Retro-style 12.1MP point and shoot camera with 5x optical zoom, 720p HD video capture and 16:9 format LCD.

See my quick hands-on report of the Pentax Optio E90, H90 and I-10 here.

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS7: 12.1MP point and shoot camera with 12x zoom, HD video recording and GPS capabilities.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2: 14.1MP rugged point and shoot camera that is waterproof, shockproof etc.  Records HD video.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with 8x zoom and HD video recording.

Ricoh

Ricoh CX3: 10MP point and shoot camera with a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, a 10.7x optical zoom (28-300mm equivalent) and has the ability to capture HD video.

Samsung

Samsung TL500: 10MP point and shoot camera with a 1/1.7-inch CCD image sensor, a 3x zoom f/1.8 lens and a 3-inch AMOLED swivel display.  The TL500 supports RAW file capture and offers optical image stabilization.

Samsung TL350: 10.2MP point and shoot camera which features a CMOS sensor and 1080p video capture, as well as a number of high-speed video capture modes up to 1000 fps.  The TL350 offers RAW file capture, a 5x optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, full manual control and 3-inch AMOLED display.

Samsung AQ100: 12MP point and shoot camera that is waterproof up to 10 feet and features a 5x optical zoom, 720p HD video capture and a 2.7-inch LCD.

Samsung SL605: 12MP point and shoot camera that is durable and dustproof, and features VGA video capture, along with a 2.7-inch LCD.

Samsung HZ35W and HZ30W: 12MP point and shoot cameras with 15x zoom and 720p video recording. The HZ35W offers GPS features.

Samsung TL110 and TL105: 14MP and 12MP, respectively, point and shoot cameras that record 720p video.

Samsung SL630: 12MP and budget friendly point and shoot with a 5x optical zoom and VGA-quality video recording.

Samsung NX Lenses: Samsung unveiled 5 new lenses for the NX10 and future NX-series cameras. The new lenses include the following:

  • 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Standard Zoom
  • 20mm f/2.8 Pancake
  • 60mm f/2.7 Macro
  • 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Compact Zoom
  • 18-200mm OIS f/3.5-6.3 Superzoom

SanDisk

SanDisk 64GB SDXC Card: Capable of 15MB/s read speeds and 9Mbps write speeds.  For use with new SDXC-compatible devices.

Sigma

Sigma SD15: DSLR with a 14MP Foveon X3 CMOS sensor that captures 12-bit RAW files, and has a continuous shooting speed of 3 fps and 5-point AF system.

Sigma DP2s: A slightly refreshed version of the DP2 and features a 14MP Foveon X3 CMOS image sensor, RAW image capture and a 24mm f/2.8 lens.

Sigma DP1x: A refreshed version of the original DP1, freaturing the large CMOS sensor and the TRUE II image processing engine found in the DP2 and upcoming SD15.

Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 Macro OS HSM:  Previously available in other mounts, Sigma has announced availability of this lens with Pentax and Sony DSLR mounts.

Sony

Sony Alpha DLSRs:  Sony unveiled 2 Alpha DSLR concept models featuring AVCHD video capture, which should be out later in 2010.

Sony Alpha Compact Interchangealble Lens Camera:  Sony unveiled a mirrorless Alpha mount camera featuring an APS-sized sensor, along with plans for additional compact Alpha mount lenses.

Sony Cyber-shot TX5: 10.2MP compact waterproof camera up to 10 feet deep with optical image stabilization and 720p video capture, and is also dustproof, shockproof and freezeproof.

Sony Cyber-shot H55: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a 10x optical zoom (25-250mm equivalent), optical image stabilization, Sweep Panorama mode, 720p video capture and a 3-inch LCD.

Final Thoughts

As noted above, this PMA 2010 coverage is a work in progress, which will be updated on a rolling basis.  If you’ve got something to say, please share it with the rest of us in the Photography Bay Forum.  If you’re not already a member, you can join here for free.

Nikon D3S Sample Images from Times Square

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ISO 6400 – HDR Composite of 9 Bracketed Images

I’ve just been getting to know the Nikon D3S a bit, but I brought it along with me on a quick trip to NYC to visit my good friends at B&H Photo. I had some time to kill last night and I couldn’t resist a walk down to Times Square with the D3S to see what the high ISO handling looked like in a real world environment.  [Read more…]

Capture NX 2.2.4 Update for Mac

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Capture NX 2.2.4

Nikon has updated Capture NX2 to version 2.2.4 for Mac, which adds support for Mac OS X version 10.6.2, along with other bug fixes.

Compatibility with Mac OS X version 10.6.2 has been added.

Specifications have been modified so that when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, is selected for Select Layout in the Print layout dialog, the Use Thumbnail Data (Draft Use Only) box is automatically checked.

This resolves an issue that prevented printing when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, was selected for Select Layout.

Capture NX 2 would quit unexpectedly when certain settings files were applied with the Apply Settings box checked in the Watched Folder panel of the Batch Process dialog. This issue has been resolved.

An issue that caused Capture NX 2 to freeze when switching images after the Color Picker had been opened has been resolved.

You can find the update for download on Nikon’s website.