Archive for the 'Buy a D-SLR' category

If you are looking for this camera, all the updated information I collected is on http://www.YLovePhoto.Com/en/ where I now publish all my photography-related news.

Nikon launches a Nikon D3000 (entry-level SLR), a Nikon D300s (enthusiast SLR). Sony reveals accidentally the future Sony Alpha 850 as a relatively inexpensive complément to the Sony Alpha 900 (Full Frame SLR).

Find all about it on YLovePhoto.

I’m just out of eBay where I bought a second-hand Minolta 1.4x lens converter to extend a little my tele-lenses when I put them on my Sony Alpha 700 and the old faithful Konica-Minolta Dynax Maxxum 7D.

I think it is going to support me when I go to Nepal (Bardia National Park) in next October. With Alain Pons and Amawanda.

Link love

Those are the best links I found recently. I could not write a full post about them, but they are worth visiting:

• Box.net launches a web-based free word processor (via Download Squad)
• Histoface: How to hide an image in the histogram of another image
• Safer Code – Secure Coding In C \ C++ is a blog about such issues as writing clean C/C++ code.

Most-read articles

The news as you make it:

• Download free Nero 8
• Sharks and other sea jaws
• Art Nouveau Design

Most visited categories

Your attention does not stop to 1 post only:

• Gorilla in Wildlife (digital photography)
• Nikon D300 (SLR photo camera) that can be complemented with the YLovePhoto.com similar category about the Nikon SLR family

Nouveau Nikon D400

Would you be interested in knowing what the next Nikon dSLR is going to be? A Chinese web site wants you to know everything about the Nikon D400.

If you are looking for the latest news and the next rumours about the Nikon D800, you can now join other visitors on my new web site dedicated to the digital SLR cameras and digital photography: YLovePhoto.com.

Finally, we’ve got photos and features for the Nikon D3x, the new high-end dSLR camera in the pro range from Nikon. All is posted on YLovePhoto.com.

Nikon D700

After the launch events of this Summer and this Fall (before and during the Köln Photokina), there are two brands leaving important questions open. This is Sony and Nikon. While the two near-friends had us used to seeing them working together around the Sony digital photo sensors, we discovered two very divergent/different announces about 35mm Full Frame dSLR cameras: A Sony Alpha 900 pushing the resolution to record levels (24.6MP) and a Nikon D700 limiting its resolution in favor of maximum sensitivity (12MP).

Sony Alpha 900 - publicité

Some would have us thinking that Nikon would have rejected the sensor offered by Sony (used on the Alpha 900) for reasons of insufficient image quality. It does not seem so obvious when looking at the results actually obtained by Sony, but why not? After all, Nikon did obtain a special edition of the Alpha 700 sensor in order to build its Nikon D300…

So what?

It is not very difficult to forecast. Nikon is preparing a Full Frame SLR photo camera with very high resolution (the Nikon D800 of the rumour mill or the D4 promised around Christmas?) and Sony will derive a low resolution version of the Alpha 900 (most certainly named Alpha 800). Their moves will be opposite but very complementary (and predictable).

In both cases, you can say that Canon will not be forced into running with the pack. With their EOS 5D Mk II (and the last EOS 5D, sold at bargain prices), there is enough to sustain the pressure, but Canon will need to react in 2009, before Summer.

On the Canon USA web site, there are a few interesting articles about the recent Canon EOS 50D. A good way to evaluate the performance we all can expect from this nice camera for enthusiasts.

• EOS 50D: Quick Control Screen
• EOS 50D: Peripheral Illumination Correction

And remember that Full Frame cameras are for the richest of the photographers. Most of us are still interested in more accessible real-world cameras like the Canon EOS 50D.

Digital Rev prepared a video presentation of the new Nikon low-to-middle-range digital SLR camera: Nikon D90.

Link to YouTube

Here you can see the video recording feature in operation. And a lot of the other fancy features too (fish eye effect!)

Note: Video recording is not only a feature for the stratospherically-priced Canon EOS 5D Mk II.

A leak on a Pentax Germany web site (quickly plugged but collected efficiently) shows the specification of a future Pentax SLR camera.

• 10 MP CCD APS-C
• Sensor-shift image stabilization
• Continuous shooting: 3.5 fps
• Sensitivity: up to 3200 ISO
• LCD screen: 2.7″
• RAW (PEF, DNG) and JPEG
• Four AA/R6/LR4 batteries

It is difficult to extract real product data out of so little information, but it is clear that these are the features of an entry-level SLR camera that would allow Pentax to widen its customer base. A post is stating a target price of 500€ (body only) and 600€ with a 2-lens kit!

Apparently, the leak was wide since it was also describing the following bunch of lenses:

• DA super telephoto coming up later (not precise)
• new SDM 1.4x converter
• AF160 FC ring flash
• DA 15mm f/4 LTD (coming in 2009)
• DA * 60-250 SDM (1300€)

I don’t really understand if this is to be presented during the Photokina. But we can translate all this into: Pentax is going to fight hard and dirty (understand with a good ratio of features-over-price) in order to get a strong foothold in the widest part of the SLR market.

Via 1001 Noisy Cameras.

Link to YouTube

Via DSLR user.

This is really becoming annoying, now. After days of hearing that Canon is fighting to get an extension to the NDA of the photo press, it seems that several elements point to a further delay (compared to the previously probable launch date of 17th September).

French magazine Réponse Photo has delayed its parution date to 23rd possibly to wait for the revelation of a yet-unannouced camera (obviously it could only be from Nikon or Canon).

It is quite possible that Canon is trying to arrive after the Nikon announcement of its 24,6MP Full Frame camera (Nikon D800 or Nikon D900, maybe?), scheduled for 18th of September.

After some interesting comments seen about the age of the current EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS tele-zoom from Canon (for example, in the recent test done by Chasseur d’Images), there is now an active rumour about the arrival of a real replacement.

The Canon EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS II would no longer be a push-pull design but would have a second ring (like the recently presented Sony design). Better for managing the sealing and protection that are so important when used in difficult conditions like a photo-safari. It would also be equipped with an upgraded image stabilizer (the most critical issue with the existing zoom).

Expect a price of US$1700. If that one is true, it will be a very good price.

Announcement: Not sure, but you can bet there would be something about it on September 17th when Canon will present its new SLR body.

Via Canon Rumours.

What can be forecasted of the most important (in my eyes ) announces expected before the Photokina fair in Koln.

Beware: We said announces, not releases.

Already done:

Beware: This will be updated as often as needed. This may lead to repeated publications in the RSS feeds and some publication date changes.

When a dSLR like the Sony Alpha 900 is presented as if it was a Hollywood movie, we get this result :

This is what appears on the Canon teaser about the upcoming Canon EOS 5D MkII. As we can see, Canon made sure that several important zones are hidden (the yellow-ish parts at the bottom, at the top of the lens, under the EOS marking). But we can see that the design is much smoother than the previous EOS 5D. Obviously the same organisation, too (from the button outlines) and no integrated flash at the top.

Canon EOS 5D MkII

Not enough to anticipate the 17th September announcement.