(Credit:
Nikon USA)
Budget for a smaller turkey this Thanksgiving; you'll need to save your pennies if you want to upgrade to Nikon's latest pro dSLR when it ships at the end of November. With a few substantial changes that should appeal to nighttime shooters or the video-inclined pro, packed into the old D3 body, the slightly more expensive D3S seems like it'll be a decent successor.
Though it retains the same 12.1-megapixel resolution and 8.45-micron pixels of its predecessor, the D3S uses a new sensor. Combined with updated image-processing firmware, Nikon manages to eke out sensitivity of up to ISO 102,400 (Hi 3), for a whopping 10-stop sensitivity range. How much of that will be usable? Well, the D3's looked pretty good as high as ISO 12,800--formerly Hi 1 and the new top of the standard range--and given the tweaks it should at least gain another usable couple of stops, which is worthwhile in itself. I saw some prints from Hi 3 shots taken with a preproduction model, and they looked pretty serviceable for emergency shooting in the dark.
The other major enhancement is support for Nikon's 24fps, 720p video implementation, which allows for shooting with sensitivities up to ISO 6400, shutter and aperture adjustments in preview mode and selectable sound levels. Like most models it has a built in mono mic, though it has a minijack for stereo audio. Plus Nikon supplies some postprocessing for trimming video and extracting frames.
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DSLR Camera Remote software lets your iPhone or iPod Touch remotely trigger Canon dSLRs.
(Credit: OnOne Software)Still longing for a decent camera on your iPhone? All you need's an app and a Canon dSLR and the dream is yours. Well, not exactly, but OnOne Software's DSLR Camera Remote application lets your iPhone or iPod Touch control most Canon dSLRs going back circa the 20D.
Announced in mid-May but available now, the system is a combination of two pieces of software: the free DSLR Camera Remote Server application, which runs on a Wi-Fi-enabled host computer, and either DSLR Camera Remote Professional ($19.99 with an introductory price of $9.99) or DSLR Camera Remote Lite ($1.99), both of which are available via iTunes or the iPhone App Store. Basically, you tether the camera to the host system and use the iPhone/iPod to communicate with the camera via the computer over Wi-Fi.
The Lite version looks pretty bare bones: it can fire the shutter, show the image, and tell you battery status and number of photos remaining. The pro version supports Live View (assuming the camera does); lets you adjust shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO, and white balance; choose quality; and zoom during review. It also adds intervalometer capability.
According to the company's blog, "For those of you who are Nikon shooters and are wondering 'Hey, why is this Canon only?' the answer is: 1. Because most of us here have Canon cameras; and 2. This is our first iPhone app and we're not sure how well it will be received." So if you want a version for your Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Pentax, or other model, head over there to request it.
(Credit:
Sony Electronics)
Look! A hidden SD card slot!
(Credit: Sony Electronics)Sony announced its three new entry-level dSLRs for 2009, the Alpha DLSR-A230, A330, and A380, which replace the A200, A300, and A350 respectively.
The products preserve Sony's three-tier strategy for its low-end SLRs. The cheap A230 differs from the slightly-less-cheap A330 by the viewfinder and the tiltable LCD, plus the A330 will be available in brown. And except for its higher resolution sensor--14 megapixels versus 10 megapixels--the A380 is otherwise identical to the A330. Sony's big marketing points on these models is lighter weight and friendlier, more point-and-shoot-like guided operation.
But perhaps most notably, these models have dual memory slots, one of which takes SDHC cards and the other Sony's proprietary Memory Stick Duo. I can only imagine the internal politicking it took to pull that off.
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Nikon D5000 includes a flip-down-and-twist LCD.
(Credit: Nikon USA)
Thanks to a rather public ad photo shoot, one of the most notable aspects of Nikon's new D5000 dSLR leaked early last week: its flip-down and 360-degree twist articulating LCD. This model, which more or less replaces the popular and long-lived D80, also includes perks such as video capture and a lower price. (Tables updated with corrections 10:30a 4/14/09)
... Read moreOn Sale Now: $651.89 - $849.99
View the latest prices for Nikon D5000 (with 18-55mm lens)
On Sale Now: $599.99 - $649.99
View the latest prices for Nikon D5000 (body only)
On Sale Now: $846.95 - $899.00
View the latest prices for Nikon D5000 (with 18-55mm lens and 55-200mm lens)
With the debut of theNikon D90, a third and mysterious L firmware module appeared below the A and B readouts on the camera. Until now, no one has really known what it was for.
Estimable former CNET freelancer and prolific book author David Busch took the time to solve the mystery and share the results in his blog: it's for the updateable lens database. Not the most thrilling news in and of itself, but interesting when you consider that it can also hold lens-specific distance information, which can theoretically improve performance of many of the subsystems, such as metering and Live View autofocus, in the D90 and all supporting dSLRs.
(Via Nikon Rumors)
Stephen Shankland drops by to talk about the specs you should look for when buying a dSLR camera.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
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Wakata's Olympus kit will also be available in a commemorative version.
(Credit: Olympus)Olympus was founded in 1919, which makes this year its 90th birthday. To celebrate this special occasion, the Japanese company is sending its cameras beyond the stratosphere into outer space.
Astronaut Koichi Wakata will take with him to the International Space Station the Olympus E-3 dSLR, with its 11-22mm F2.8-3.5 lens, ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD telephoto optics, and peripherals such as a battery grip. Wakata will snap pictures of Earth from Kibo, a Japanese experimental module built within the ISS. As a new facility is being built near it, the view of Earth will soon be blocked by the structure.
Koichi Wakata
(Credit: NASA)As part of its space expedition initiative, Olympus will announce a commemorative set of transparent lens caps and camera strap specially designed for Wakata to bring up into space.
The company explained to CNET Asia that the see-through lens cap will enable Wakata to evaluate if the lens has been damaged should it be subjected to impact. This will prevent shards of glass from floating around the space station, which could happen if the usual opaque lens cap is used and the photographer cannot see the extent of the damage to the optics.
Olympus commented that the Space Commemorative Kit will be produced in limited quantities, and will probably be launched after Wakata returns to Earth a few months later. The company was unable to confirm how much it'll cost or where it will be available.
(Via Crave Asia)
(Credit:
(Credit: Pentax))
Last December, Pentax unveiled the stormtrooper white K2000 dSLR. The company is following up with a camera that adheres to military guidelines--the olive green K-m.
The specifications remain similar at 10.2-megapixel resolution, a 5-point autofocus system, 3.5 frames-per-second burst mode, and a 2.7-inch LCD on the rear. All that's missing to make this dSLR a rugged commando are shockproof and waterproof features.
Rambo wannabes will also be glad to know that this iteration of the K-m will ship with an 18-55mm olive green lens, too.
According to tech blog Akihabara News, the camouflage-colored Pentax dSLR will be on sale only in Japan, and can be had for $716.
(Source: Akihabara News via Crave Asia)
Eventually, it'll become old hat, but for now, the addition of video capture to dSLRs still merits some oohing and aahing. Especially as it comes down to the less expensive models--you know, the ones within reach of the rest of us. So let us buzz eagerly about Canon's latest consumer dSLR, the EOS Rebel T1i, which becomes the cheapest dSLR thus far to support video capture.
Slipping neatly into the company's dSLR product line between the XSi and 40D, the T1i pushes the XTi off the edge of the bed into discontinuity. When it ships in May, it will occupy the popular $800 price segment: $799.99 for the body and $899.99 for the kit with the veteran f3.5-5.6 18-55mm IS lens.
... Read moreOn Sale Now: $649.00 - $799.99
View the latest prices for Canon EOS Rebel T1i (with 18-55mm IS lens)
On Sale Now: $629.00 - $699.99
View the latest prices for Canon EOS Rebel T1i (body only)
With PMA 2009 coming next week, there's a chance Pentax may announce a new follow-up to last year's 14.6-megapixel CMOS flagship K20D. At the very least the company's getting a little preshow coverage thanks to a $200 price cut.
Starting immediately, the Pentax K20D body only is $799.95. Paired with the DA 18-55mm II lens it's $879.95 or with the DA 16-45mm lens it's $1199.95.
We liked the K20D overall in spite of some color accuracy issues. It was a good-bang-for-your-buck camera at its original price, so this price drop only improves the situation.
Check out our full roundup of lower-cost digital SLRs.
