Archive for the 'Nikon' category

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

Chasseur d’Image recently told us all that the Nikon D800 was not only a rumour. But what is really this bizarre photo camera (bizare because still unknown)? The question is there to be answered and it’s a difficult task. But, let’s see what we can infer from the little data available.

According to the numbering scheme, it would not be the direct successor of the Nikon D3 (totally pro). On the contrary, coming behind the Nikon D700, and much too early to be its replacement, in the semi-pro range, this must be a better camera.

Nikon D800?

Furtheremore, it appears that the Nikon D700 has a camera body which is not fully exploited: The memory card location seems pre-cut for an additional and smaller Flash card (SD model, probably). It seriously leads us toward the high-end cameras using two cards simultaneously to write both the RAW files on one card and JPEG files on the other. This would clearly be a feature for a high-end camera, but without being enough to create a separate model.

Hwever, Nikon became the specialist of re-use, re-cycle and modularity of its SLR cameras. They ensure that as many parts as possible are common to two different cameras. So, I would believe that…

• the Nikon D700 body will be re-used (sorta confirmation of the Nikon D800)
• this camera would be in the high-end

But which body?

I wonder whether the Nikon D800 (let’s use this name for the time being) would not be the real user of the Sony Full Frame 24.6 mega-pixel sensor that has been promised to us. Can you imagine it? A semi-pro Full Frame range at Nikon with a D700 of 12.1 MP and a Nikon D800 of 24.6 MP. Nikon would only have to add a high-end pro successor to the Nikon D3 in January of February 2009 and, here comes the best-looking range of digital cameras for enthusiast photographers.

Nikon would have no real dififcult to succeed here. At least, they already have everything for it.

The DPreview forums are currently providing the latest bit of information about the Canon EOS 5D succession. The EOS 5D is dead, long live the… EOS 7D and EOS 5D MkII. The first would be for a low cost option (around $2000 – I told you that this low price point would be critical in the battle of the Full Frame cameras in 2008-09), the second would be staying up against the Nikon D700 and replace honorably the original Canon EOS 5D. Or it would be a set of Canon EOS 3D and Canon EOS 7D…

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 7D

Anyway, do not expect to get any reliable information now. Canon has put under NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) all press representative and has provided the pre-production cameras for the initial hands-on reviews to pop up everywhere when the embargo is lifted.

This is exactly the reason why  we no longer have any information about the upcoming Sony Alpha 900 which will be fighting in exactly the same market. Possibly with exactly the same weapons (two cameras to simultaneously cover both the $2000 and $3000 ranges).

We are nearing time for the Photokina fair in Koln, Germany. So, photo manufacturer companies areannouncing their new products right now. As expected, here comes the Nikon D90 aimed at the entry-level D-SLR market. It is supposed to replace the Nikon D80.

The first presentations and reviews are coming up now everywhere on the Internet (except in France where Nikon appears to have embargoed the news after an isolated incidents in this country):

• Nikon product page (USA)
• Nikon press release (USA)
• DPreview hands-on review/preview
• Ken Rockwell presentation (with comments on the movie mode)
• Hands-on preview from Nikon D40/D40x/D60 Photog by Simon Joinson
• Richard Kilpatrick
• Photography Blog
• PopPhoto
• ThinkCamera

And an advanced presentation video:

$999 should be quite a nice price for a completely new camera with 12.3-megapixel image (4.5fps bursts) and even a 24fps HD-Movie 1280×720 mode. Standard zoom lens offered in kit will be AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. You can see it below with this lens and… a GPS unit (compatible with nearly all existing Nikon SLR cameras: D3, D300, D700, D2X, D2Hs, D2Xs and D200).

Nikon D90 with GPS unit attached

As I was expected, this announcement is not followed by one for the Nikon D3x. Just the entry-level Nikon D90.

Indirect confirmation of what we told previously here about the future replacement for the Nikon D80.

This new photo camera was “seen” (more or less) on the Target.com web site where a single page is describing it as:

• Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR w/ 18-105mm

No photo, no detailed technical features, but the title confirms the size of the sensor and the zoom that will be offered in the standard lens kit.

The next camera from Nikon is upon us. Nobody has officially seen it, but prices start to appear here and there. Nikon D90 with an 18-105mm VR lens will be at $1299.99.

Official announcement forecasted for August 27th, 2008.

According to German photo magazine, Foto Magazin, the future Nikon D3x pro SLR camera will be fitted with the Sony image sensor that was presented a few months ago and that is expected to appear on the Sony Alpha 900 camera (high-end D-SLR from Sony). If this is confirmed, it would mean that the Nikon D3 will have a successor under the name of Nikon D3X (or D4) and that the Sony sensor is really of the utmost quality.

We knew that it was coming with 25 million pixels, but it could have been short on quality compared to the D3 (or D700) sensor because of its small (but many) pixels. For Nikon to accept to use this Sony sensor (and not a better one) at this level of products, they must be sure to have the best possible silicon piece: Pros want wonderful images, not only big figures (a big bunch of pixels).

I was thinking differently, but this could tilt the scale toward a very high price for the Sony Alpha 900 camera (I had hoped to see less than 2500€ or even less than 2000€, but -now- I would not be surprised if the label looked like 3000€).

However, it would leave some space left in the Sony camera range for an Alpha 800, with an intermediate price. This could be quite neat if it allowed to have a super-featured Full Frame camera around 3000€ (the Sony Alpha 900) and another Full Frame under 2500€ (the hypothetical Sony Alpha 800).

With such arguments, nobody would be surprised in seeing a brother to the recent Nikon D700: The ruored Nikon D800?

Let’s see at Koln Photokina opening next month.

This is nearly confirmed, the successor to the very nice Nikon D3 will be named Nikon D4 (and not D3x as was imagined before). The (negative) information comes directly from Chasseurs d’Image and seems very reliable.

I guess it means that Nikon feels this will be a major step forward and not only an upgrade to the existing Nikon D3. Clearly, Nikon is the leading brand in terms of technology leaps this year.

The new full Frame SLR camera from Nikon is just out and there is already a little hack appearing to give it additional features. The Nikon D700 has the capacity to shoot continuously at 8fps if you use the additonal grip. Nikon Watch found a way to allow this very high frame rate without the booster grip.

It may even be working on some other models from Nikon.