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Enthusiastic shutterbug immortalizes Nikon on his forearm

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 21st 2009 at 5:09PM

Since time immemorial, man has used the tattoo to signify rites of passage and status, to look like a bad-ass, and to tell the rest of us what he holds dear -- whether it be the Zune, Storm, or PS3. Now camera buffs are getting in on the action, with a certain Manny Williams becoming so infatuated with his Nikon D3X that he had one inked to his forearm. According to his email to the company, this guy has been a photographer for over twenty-five years, but "since using a Nikon product, I am convinced that I will never use anything else...EVER AGAIN." You know, there are enough naysayers in the gadget biz that whenever we see someone happy it makes us happy. It really does. We just hope the body mod here isn't really another regretful symptom of some sort of manic episode. More Manny after the break.

Continue reading Enthusiastic shutterbug immortalizes Nikon on his forearm

How would you change Nikon's D3000?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 16th 2009 at 11:56PM

Nikon's D3000 launched under the long, dark shadow of the D300S, but for entry-level DSLR buyers, it has certainly remained a viable option. For those who passed on the D5000 and tossed their six bills towards this, we're curious to see just how great / terrible it is at Nikon's bottom rung. Are you still enjoying your cam? Do you wish you would've selected a higher-end model? Is the kit lens worth a darn? Feel free to spill your rant in comments below, and make it good -- you never know when the D3000S or D4000 will hit the market.

Nikon D3S shows its high ISO prowess in two sample videos

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 14th 2009 at 12:54PM

Well, we just got the first round of Nikon D3S previews this morning, but it looks like we now also have the first few sample videos shot with the camera -- possibly a bit ahead of Nikon's preferred schedule. While it's a bit hard to draw some firm conclusions due to their YouTube-ness (not even a "High Quality" version, unfortunately), the videos do go some way towards backing up claims that the camera truly delivers the goods when it comes to high ISO shooting -- something that's particularly evident in the stunning wildlife video shot by Vincent Munier (pictured above). Head on past the break to check it out for yourself, along with a second, also impressive short shot down under.

[Via CrunchGear]

Continue reading Nikon D3S shows its high ISO prowess in two sample videos

Nikon's D3S officially announced, previewed extensively

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 14th 2009 at 7:23AM

One day after having been leaked to the wilds and then officially announced, Nikon has opened the floodgates on the upcoming D3S, an upgrade to last year's D3 that was oh so warmly received. Early indications are the D3S is just as hot, adding a 720p24 video mode to the mix and allowing use of the camera's full aperture and ISO range while recording. Important, that, because this camera offers a ludicrously high maximum ISO value of 102,400 -- approaching night vision territory. That's thanks to a new 12.1 megapixel sensor, which is paired with a vibration mechanism to reduce dust. How well does the sensor perform? Nobody is apparently allowed to show us just yet, but tell us they have, with words like "simply incredible" and "fantastic feat" used to describe its low-light shooting. Seems we'll have to wait a bit longer for full reviews, but these previews will surely whet your appetite. Oh, and the cost? A mere $5,199.95.

Read - Pocket-lint Nikon D3s hands-on
Read - Digital Photography Review D3s hands-on
Read - LetsGoDigital Nikon D3s "review"
Read - TechRadar Nikon D3s "review"

Nikon D3S is officially official, bringing its ISO extremes in late November

by Ross Miller posted Oct 14th 2009 at 12:01AM

We don't want to say Nikon has something of a trend here, but as with most of its major releases in recent memory (c.f. D300s, D5000, Coolpix lineup), the umph of tonight's 12.1-megapixel D3S announcement has been somewhat lessened by a pretty large leak from earlier tonight. Still, let's act a little surprised. Ready? Okay! The professional-grade DSLR is packing a rather wide ISO range of 200 to 12,800, which can be further boosted to 102,400 -- although we're dying to see just how pictures taken under those conditions actually turn out. There's a video mode, 720p at 24 frames per second with autofocus and a "new algorithm" to lessen the effect of rolling shutter, but as far as we can tell there's still no image stabilization. Release date for US is about on par with its UK brethren, launching in late November for the favorably comparable price of $5,199.95 for body only. Full details in press release after the break.

Gallery: Nikon DS3 press photos

Continue reading Nikon D3S is officially official, bringing its ISO extremes in late November

Nikon D3s leaked by UK press, expected to ship December with impressive ISO range, £4,200 price tag

by Ross Miller posted Oct 13th 2009 at 7:23PM

Impending Nikon announcements? You don't have to tell the British Journal of Photography, who today published an article dated for tomorrow (oops!) all about its time with the as-of-yet unannounced D3s. So what can we glean from this report? For starters, standard ISO settings go as high as 12,800 (low is 200) and can be further boosted to an incredulous 102,400. The 12 megapixel DSLR also touts a 720p 24 frames per second HD video capture mode, and as far as price and release date are concerned, look for it this December, at least in the UK, for £4200 (about $6,685 in US). Nikon Rumors is expecting an official announcement from tonight, so perhaps we won't be waiting too long -- in the meantime, that site's also hosting pics of the camera supposedly in the wild doing a photoshoot in Barcelona. Enjoy!

[Via Nikon Rumors]

Read - BJP preview
Read - Barcelona peak

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj torn asunder, L-shaped projector module examined

by Laura June posted Oct 7th 2009 at 4:08AM

ifixit's gotten ahold of Nikon's new camera - projector hybrid, the Coolpix S1000pj, and done what they do... meaning they've ripped it apart. Okay, they slowly and carefully disassembled it while painstakingly photographing the proceedings. Most interesting to us, of course, is the Nikon developed, L-shaped projector we just heard about that makes the whole set up possible, and we have to say that the internal layout of the S1000pj is terribly impressive to behold. There's another shot (and video!) after the break -- but hit the read link for the entire, time consuming project in all its tedious glory!

Continue reading Nikon Coolpix S1000pj torn asunder, L-shaped projector module examined

Secrets of Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj projector camera revealed

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 2nd 2009 at 4:22AM

Perplexed by the mystery of Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj projector camera? Like the puzzle of free energy or Google Wave, it's a quandary that has perplexed researchers and common folk alike for decades (or at least a few months). It looks we can now finally lay this particular quandary to rest, however, as leading scientific journal Tech-On! has finally revealed how something can be both a camera and a projector at the same time. It turns out the key is a new L-shaped projector module developed by Nikon itself, which is just the right size to fit inside the camera alongside some repositioned optical components, and some new heat control measures that keep the whole thing from getting too toasty. Still skeptical? Hit up the read link below for a closer look and some additional details.

[Via About Projectors]

Nikon D3s with 1080p video rumored for release next month

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 27th 2009 at 1:50PM

This sort of burst out of nowhere today, but word is that a new Nikon D3s will hit on October 15 -- the crew at NikonRumors puts it at "99 percent probability." The D3s is expected to add 1080p video and an 14fps burst mode to the D3, as well as a 1.6x crop mode, but other than that we don't know too much. We'll keep you updated, it looks like the leaks are coming fast and furious.

Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj now shipping from select locales

by Darren Murph posted Sep 21st 2009 at 6:51AM

Nikon assured us that its projector-packin' S1000pj would be out and about by September 17th, and while we've yet to confirm whether or not anyone was able to snag one last Thursday, we can say for certain that it's shipping now from a number of respectable e-tailers. Ritz Camera, Abe's of Maine and Beach Camera are all shipping units out within 48 hours, while Amazon appears to be backordered until September 23rd. The cam is sitting at $430 pretty much everywhere, so the only question left the answer is this: you in?

[Via PicoProjector-Info]

Read - Abe's of Maine
Read - Ritz Camera / Amazon / Beach Camera

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj hands-on at IFA

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 7th 2009 at 9:52PM

We're still curious to see how well the integrated projector in Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj does under real-world lighting and usage conditions, but it sure seems pretty in the controlled environment of the company's IFA booth. The crew from Engadget Spanish say the novel cam is a lot thinner than you'd expect -- check out the video and a gallery of sample shots after the break.

Continue reading Nikon Coolpix S1000pj hands-on at IFA

Nikon D300s unboxing and hands-on

by Darren Murph posted Aug 31st 2009 at 12:57PM

Nikon's D300s has been filtering out to select retail locations for a few days now, and judging by the box that just arrived on our doorstep, we'd say Nikon (just barely) kept its promise of having these things out by the end of August. The semi-pro body is significantly more sturdy and somewhat heavier than our in-house D90, though the rear LCD sure looks awfully similar. We're planning on giving the 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor and 720p movie mode a go, but for now, feel free to peruse the gallery below to see exactly what a penny under $1,800 gets you in the DSLR world these days.

Gallery: Nikon D300s unboxing and hands-on

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj won't be with us until October, others also delayed Update: On time!

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 31st 2009 at 6:51AM

Alas, our dream of rocking parties with the projector-packing s1000pj will have to wait an extra month. Turns out that demand for the shooter was so high that even Nikon, whose sole purpose in life is making imaging equipment, couldn't satiate it in time. The new dates for your calendar are October 23 for the 12.1 megapixel, 5x optical zoom S1000pj, and September 19 for its S70 and S570 brethren. The S70 switches out the projector for a 3.5-inch OLED multitouch screen, and should prove quite the attractive proposition in its own right, but for now all we can do is look admiringly from afar. Sigh.

Update: Happy news, at least for those of us in the States -- Nikon just let us know the S1000pj will be available in the US as planned on September 17th. Sorry, no word on anywhere else. We'll think of you when we're beaming our photos, though.

[Via Impress]

Nikon D300s spotted and tested at Best Buy with its little brother, still does that jelly video thing

by Tim Stevens posted Aug 28th 2009 at 6:52AM

If you were wondering when you'd be able to get your hands on the Nikon D300s and its 720p/24 movie mode, the answer is... yesterday, apparently. The cam was spotted (along with the lower-rent D3000) at a big box Best Buy, and a bit of testing was performed -- an admittedly limited bit, but there's only so much you can do when the cam is bolted to those annoying six-inch tethers. The updated video recording mode was the thing that underwent most scrutiny, and while the new auto-focus seemed to work reasonably well (if slowly -- and noisily) on stationary objects, swinging the camera back and forth resulted in the same jelly-time sloshing effect we've seen on the D5000 and D90 before it, as seen in the video embedded below. Maybe its time for that 12.3 megapixel CMOS to hit the gym and tone up a bit, Nikon.

Continue reading Nikon D300s spotted and tested at Best Buy with its little brother, still does that jelly video thing

Nikon D3000 summons up courage to get tested, needn't have worried

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 28th 2009 at 5:33AM

The best thing to be said about the Nikon D3000 is that it's simple. It's a camera that knows who it's aimed at -- first time or amateur DSLR users -- and makes direct provisions for that audience by automating as much as possible. Simple to understand, simple to use. Having undergone a grueling review session, it can now boast about its Photography Blog-approved image quality, solid body construction and actually useful extras like 3D subject tracking, 11-point AF, built-in ~~lens~~ sensor cleaning, and an accelerometer that rotates menu items when you turn the camera for a portrait shot. The lack of live view or video recording might prove a stumbling block for some, but the reviewers found this shooter compelling enough to give it their "Highly Recommended" badge of honor.