Archive for the 'Nikon' category

The expectations for the next PMA fair: Nikon will announce 3 new prime lenses (most certainly high-quality), 2 new zoom lenses (24-120mm VR II, 70-200mm VR II), the Nikon D3x (high-end pro Full Frame camera) and the Nikon D90 (entry-level replacement for the Nikon D80).

For sure, we heard a lot of rumours more or less tolerable, but here is one that does not seem to have a lot more ground than the wishes of some Sony customers afraid of discovering too high a price for the upcoming Sony Alpha 900. Guess what? 24 millions pixels could ask for a steep price, nearer to 3000€ or 4000$ than the target of 2000$ that you could maintain if you are ready to purchase a bargain end-of-life Canon EOS 5D (nearing official retirement but not dead yet, for sure).

The arrival of the Nikon D700 with a Full Frame sensor of a lower resolution than the high-end cameras like the Nikon D3 (or the Sony Alpha 900) had people murmuring that maybe (and I have to heavily insist on this maybe word) Nikon and Sony would share a 12-16 million-pixel Full Frame sensor. Nikon would launch a Nikon D700 and Sony would launch a similar Sony Alpha 800 sometimes nicknamed “flagcheap” (”flagship” designating the top-of-the-line Sony, the Alpha 900, “flag-cheap” is a word game on “cheap” for a cheaper camera).

It is impossible to tell if there is any truth to it. Assuredly, the lack of recent information about the Sony Alpha 900 (and most importantly its price target) had heads spinning and marketing laws or logic law being what they are, plugging a price hole in the Sony SLR camera range may become an urgent necessity. Sony could fill it with the Alpha 800. And it previously occured that Sony hid some products behind the visibility of another camera (see the example of the Alpha 300/350).

With the arrival of several Full Frame SLRs on the market, people start wondering what they should buy or what they should wait. Actually, we can expect to see very real price differences, so I thought it would be good to make a summary for us:

As you can notice, it is expected that the Sony Alpha 900 will be targetting low prices despite it’s 24MP sensor (or it will have a little Alpha 800 brother, while the Alpha 900 would shoot for a higher price point). But the current Canon EOS 5D seems to be an astonishingly good bargain (while stocks last).

For those who ask, the Nikon D3x is not yet confirmed by Nikon. However, this is the supposed/rumoured name of the next Nikon Full Frame camera (after the Nikon D3 and D700). It is supposed to use the Sony 24MP sensor that is at the core of the next Sony Alpha 900.

Interestingly, Thom Hogan, who is often quite knowledgeable about Nikon, thinks that the name should become the Nikon D900. He thinks that this would be the reflection of an effort to bring own the price to allow it to fight against the real competition seen as the Canon EOS 5D MkII and the Sony Alpha 900. Honestly, I have no opinion or no information to add here. You know that I think this would be needed (in terms of price) and names are mostly a marketing issue after the technical features are locked in.

The availability date should not be more than 1 year from now, and quite probably in the very first weeks of 2009.

After the thunder of the Nikon D700 launch (which lasted several days), it is interesting to see that the Internet users are actually rushing for information about the other offers of digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras in Full Frame format forecasted for the enxt few months:

• Nikon D3x because Nikon is not yet out of voice and they prepare a high-end pro SLR to go along with the D3; Probably beginning of 2009.
• Sony Alpha 900 because Sony promissed in September 2008 (launch at PMA in August 2008?) its super-hig-end 24 million pixels FF camera.
• Canon EOS 5D MkII because the replacement for the EOS 5D is coming soon (maybe not even waiting for August) and maybe with a cheaper little brother under the name of Canon EOS 3D.

Now, it is official. But the details comes right from today’s Press Release.

Nikon FX-format digital SLR - exceptional performance combined with superior mobility and functional versatility to provide serious photographers with outstanding value

TOKYO - Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of its newest FX-format digital SLR, the Nikon D700.

(more…)

So, the tiger is out of the cage and we know most of it. The Nikon D700 has been seen today with various photos and sources.

The French post on pixelistes.com

Nikon D700 (full scan from Profifoto magazine)

Here it comes! The German photo magazine ProfiFoto is just out in the stands (with a little delay probably designed to ensure compliance with the Non-Disclosure Agreements -NDA- about the Nikon D700) with a this description of the new Nikon D700:

• Nikon D3 sensor: Full Frame, 12 MP
• Dust cleaning on the sensor
• 200-6400ISO
• From 1/8000s to 30s (flash synchro at 1/250s)
• 5 frames/seconde (8fps with MB-D10)
• Virtual horizon?
• Viewfinder a little more limited than on the D3, with 95% field coverage
• Integrated flash, NG11
• Batteries: EN-EL3e
• Compact Flash cards
• Weight: 1076g
• Price: 2599€ (about the price I estimated previously, but for the more expensive end of the FF market)

Source: An email from a German Internet user.

I have been asked by some people about the price of the upcoming Sony Alpha 900 flagship digital SLR camera. The problem is that there is no information filtering down from Sony. The only thing that we can say is that there is a body of indirect evidence that points to some pretty serious competition figures.

Nikon Rumours affirmed last week that the Nikon D700 (or D700 FX) will be priced just under 3000 USD. It has been said that the Canon EOS 5D MkII should arrives around 3500 USD, but the Canon EOS 5D is already sold under 2000 USD now. And the Nikon D3 (already previous generation camera) is still near 5000 USD, except in some very small on-line shops whose reputation is a bit low.

Not taking into account the actual performance and exact features of each, I would say that Sony will be able to position itself around 2000 USD which is the price point that Canon is setting for all the others. But keep in mind that there is a large body of amateurs enthusiasts that are ready to pay much more than the usual 600-1500 USD price tag for a digital SLR, but the competition is heating to bring Full Frame capability to the masses.

Your guess is as good as mine, but I would say that the tendency is to prepare to a very low price point. 2000 USD will be considered a turning point (notice how Canon is letting the price of the EOS 5D plummet down). A camera willing to position itself as top-quality Full Frame will probably aim at $2500 (I think the price of the Canon EOS 5D MkII or a possible Canon EOS 6D could climb there, not even speaking of a possible Nikon D3x in 2009 with a stratospheric price), but a product aimed at a larger market would have to start around $2000 and preparing for a street price going under this limit (this should be the case of the Nikon D700 -the name is referring more to the D300 than to the D3/D3x pro family- and of the Sony Alpha 900).

There is so much uncoordinated turmoil on the Internet and all around the world (at Nikon, at distributors, at vendors) that it seems now warranted that the Nikon D700 -a sort of Full-Frame-sensored Nikon D300 or affordable Nikon D3- will be launched early next week.

For once, here is a realtively good photo of the future Nikon D700 SLR camera. It could be a fake or a god Photoshopped image, but I doubt it. It looks a lot like a shot from a photo phone on a corner of a table in bad conditions.