Find all about it on YLovePhoto.

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

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

• 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.

Via DSLR user.

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.

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.

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.

Canon EOS 5D MkII

Not enough to anticipate the 17th September announcement.

Canon EOS evolution

This is what Chasseur d’Images reveals on its web site home page. the new Full Frame sensor from Canon “dépasse la barre des 21 millions de pixels” (has more than 21 million pixels). The camera should be at the top of the category with all the possible bells and whistles including LiveView and a video mode. But above all, we must expect that the design has been improved: “rajeuni et d’une belle finition alliant robustesse et légéreté, grâce à un châssis en alliage de magnésium” (rejuvenated and with a nice finish blending robustness and lightness).

The title of the illustration seems to confirm the name of the camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II. This was very probable, but many other names had been published here and there (and here too).

We’ll know all the details on September 17th in the morning.

• 24 mega-pixel 24X36/Full Frame CMOS sensor
• DIGIC IV processor
• LiveView
• Video Mode
• Integrated Cleaning System
• Full compatibility with Canon EF and EX-series Speedlites
• Magnesium alloy body
• New battery, new grip
• Price: 2600€
• Official announcement: 17/09/2008

It seems possible that this is real data, not a leak, since it is said that Canon has miscalculated the limit date for its recent NDA (they are trying to extend it).

And the announcement date seems to be what everybody thinks about the official launch of the Canon EOS 7D or Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

• Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6, to finally offer a great tele-zoom
• Carl Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8, to have the wide-angle zoom lens that could drive sales of the Sony Alpha 900

Now, Sony has a full range of f/2.8 zooms from 16mm to 200mm.

Availability of these two zooms: January 2009. Let’s be patient.