Crave

This frame of a woman toasting shows how video from newer digital SLRs lets people blur backgrounds to emphasize a particular subject, something that's harder with conventional video cameras.

(Credit: CC Joi Ito)

The photography world is beginning to adapt to a new phase in the marriage of cameras and computing technology: the arrival of SLRs that can shoot not just still images, but video too.

The change began with the arrival of image sensors, the light-sensitive microchips that replaced film. Now, two new SLRs--Nikon's D90 and Canon's EOS 5D Mark II--are taking another step away from the film paradigm, following in the footsteps of point-and-shoot cameras by recording continuous video and not just still images. Doubtless video will gradually spread to other SLR models and makers.

"This camera is the ultimate 'equalizer'--you no longer need half-million dollars' worth of high-definition video cameras and lenses delivered by a truck with its own driver to shoot a high-definition film in low light--you just need a $2,700 camera and a few lenses," gushed professional photographer and Canon adviser Vincent Laforet in a blog post about a 5D Mark II prototype.

But not everything will be simple for Laforet wannabes excited by the new possibilities. Hardware, software, Web sites, and perhaps most of all, technique all must catch up to the new technology.

Though how-to book authors have yet to weigh in, there are signs the adaptation has begun. Take the case of video hosting.

(Credit: Nikon USA)

New beta software for Adobe Systems' Photoshop means those with Nikon's latest SLRs, the mid-range D90 and higher-end, full-frame D700, now can handle those cameras' raw files with the company's widely used image-editing software.

In addition, the software supports Nikon's Coolpix P6000, a high-end compact camera, and the Fuji Finepix IS Pro, said Adobe's Tom Hogarty in a blog post Wednesday.

The update includes unofficial, preliminary support for Canon's 50D, a mid-range SLR due to ship in October, Canon's new low-end Rebel XS, Sony's ambitious full-frame Alpha A900 SLR due in November, the Olympus SP-565 UZ ultrazoom compact, and Sigma's large-sensor DP1 compact, Hogarty said.

In addition, Adobe released an accompanying version of its DNG Converter software, which changes the proprietary raw file formats from higher-end cameras into Adobe's relatively open Digital Negative (DNG) format. That means people have a bridge to get the new cameras' raw files into Lightroom, which doesn't yet support the new cameras.

No word yet on other higher-end cameras such as Canon's G10 or EOS 5D Mark II.

The Camera Raw 4.6 update and DNG Converter is available from Adobe Labs' site.

(Via Lightroom-News.com)

EPISODE 104

Hottest solar-powered sports car ever
http://dvice.com/archives/2008/08/seat_brisa_the.php

Solar ice maker
http://dvice.com/archives/2008/08/solar_icemaker.php

Xbox 360 coin-up arcade
http://gizmodo.com/5042961/xbox-360-goes-coin+op

Logitech Squeezebox Boom: The ultimate Wi-Fi radio?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10027437-1.html

Nikon D90: The hotness
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10026094-1.html

PinkWatch:
LG to join the UMPC bandwagon with the Netbook X110
http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/08/lg_to_join_the.html

It’s about time
Chococlock delivers chocolate every hour
http://www.mystichackers.com/1054.html

Why didn’t I think of that?
GE Profile frontload washers & dryers
http://www.uncrate.com/men/home/appliances/ge-profile-frontload-washers-dryers/

Kill me
The Fuggit by Fuggis Hilton, Part II: The actual box of fake hair
http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/2008/08/the_fuggit_by_fuggis_hilton_part_ii.html

A propos (of) nothing
Kinesio Tex Tape
http://www.uncrate.com/men/body/health-fitness/kinesio-tex-tape/

What the hell!?
Teddy Bear USB drive is a headless horror
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/27/teddy-bear-usb-drive.html

The Nikon D90 arrived on Wednesday, and since we've had some great weather this week here in NYC, I immediately headed out to Madison Square Park to shoot a few hundred photos and start to get a feel for the camera. Then I passed it back to Matt F. for some initial performance testing. (Here's a slide show with some photo samples.) My first impression? For a sub-$1,000 model, the D90 is verrrrry nice.

Continuous-shooting with the Nikon D90. Click for a slide show of sample photos

(Credit: Lori Grunin/CNET Networks)

First up, the D90's movie capture. I shot the flags blowing in the breeze and a fountain that I typically use to test camcorder and camera video. (Unfortunately, I can't display those here without compressing them in a way that defeats the purpose of showing them.) The clips themselves look OK, although for some reason Nikon bumps up the saturation beyond the photo settings, and I wish the camera shot 30fps instead of 24. You also need three hands if you plan to use the zoom--which requires manually focusing--because it's hard to hold this relatively heavy dSLR out in front of you steadily while videos shooting in Live View. But I like the creative potential of the mode and look forward to shooting with it some more.

(Credit: Nikon USA)

The much-rumored and even more longed-for update to the Nikon D80 has arrived. Or will, in a couple of weeks. The Nikon D90 doesn't replace the popular D80, which moves down Nikon's dSLR product line, and unsurprisingly, provides some significant enhancements over that 2-year-old model. Most notably, the D90 is the first digital SLR to support movie capture.

Though its movie-capture specs aren't too shabby--24fps 1280x720 motion JPEG and support for VR optical image-stabilization if the lens has it--D-Movie still doesn't match the best of the snapshot-camera movie modes.

For instance, exposure is fixed for the length of the clip, it has monaural sound, and you can only focus manually while shooting. HD clips are capped at five minutes, likely to keep the sensor from overheating since movie capture operates in Live View mode. Still, this has been a long-awaited feature in the entry-level segment, since it's one of the two important most features users have had to sacrifice when moving up to dSLRs (the other being pocketability).

D80 done for?

(Credit: CNET)

Though he doesn't spill where he got the information, author Thom Hogan is usually a relatively reputable source of Nikon leaks rumors. The latest whisperings to come out of his mill are about the replacement for the D80. Although he mentions that Nikon's first quarter financial meeting is this week, he doesn't explicitly draw the cynical connection that my brain's making about the timing of this information.

But anyway...he claims the D90 will have a 12-megapixel sensor, shoot about 4.5 frames per second, and have a Live View mode that shoots video. Cool, if it's true. Plus a new kit lens--the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR.

Nikon D80

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Photography Bay seems to be cranking on its reputation as rumor central for the photography community. In addition to today's intimations about new Canon dSLRs, and a suggestion that Sony is discontinuing the DSLR-A700, the blog deconstructed a post on DPReview to hint at a new midrage Nikon full-frame dSLR targeted to compete with the Canon EOS 5D, and quotes speculation from bythom that a Nikon D90 and D3X will appear some time between May 12 and June 16. Nikon USA's comment: "You will be absolutely the first to be NDA'd if there is any legitimate product news coming from Nikon. Until then, everything you see about new products is an unsubstantiated rumor, and as you know, we're unable to comment on rumors."

The D80 is certainly ripe for replacement, and "D3X" might make a nice name for a midrange full-frame model.

ZTE D90 has a Fastap keypad

(Credit: CNET Networks/Nicole Lee)

Earlier this year at CES, we promised you that Digit Wireless would release a new Fastap phone in the U.S. before the end of the year. As you might recall, Fastap is this unique keypad layout that incorporates raised and lowered keys into a single keypad to facilitate quicker text entry (The first U.S. Fastap phone was the LG AX490 for Alltel). Well it's almost the end of October, and it hasn't happened yet. The ZTE 90 (also known as the ZTE D90) that we showed you in January is only available in Canada (via the Telus network) and the Ukraine (via Peoplenet, sold as the ZTE Evolution).

The ZTE D90 is a 3G phone with a 1.3-megapixel camera, a music player, a microSD card slot, and stereo Bluetooth. Digit tells us they're working on getting a U.S. carrier to carry the device, but makes no promises for now.

Concept phones with Fastap

(Credit: CNET Networks/Nicole Lee)

Digit did show us a few interesting Fastap concept phones with raised access keys instead of a raised alphabet. As you can see, these keys can be customized according to the needs of the manufacturer or the carrier. They can be mapped to the camera, the music player, music-player controls, messaging, or any other function. It's a shame that these were only concept phones; we would've liked to have seen them in action. However, Digit is again saying they're trying to convince U.S. carriers to carry some of these phones. We're not entirely convinced of the usability of these keypad layouts, but it's good to see some innovation in cell phone design that isn't all about making thin phones.