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More Nikon D80 DSLR deets leaked?
We're not entirely sure how much more you needed to knw about the Nikon D80 that's due to be announced tomorrow, but from the looks of things it's not going to differ all that greatly from their other more professional offerings; the camera will have a 170 degree viewing angle 2.5-inch LCD, 0.18 second startup time, 3fps continuous shooting, and a £699 UK price tag (about $1,300), which, unfortunately, is without lens. Guess we'll find out for sure tomorrow, eh?
Pentax K100D DSLR reviewed
Pentax certainly isn't new to the budget-DSLR scene, and its K100D is another fairly affordable offering into the single-reflex lens world. When we first got wind of this camera a few months back, our biggest excitement stemmed from the more manageable naming system, but ePhotoZine actually found quite a bit more to love about the K100D than the refreshing model name. While this unit is an awful lot like the *ist DL 6.1, that's actually not such a bad thing. The most substantial update to the 6.1 megapixel camera is the CCD-shift shake reduction system -- a first in the Pentax DSLR lineup -- that presumably helps reduce blur in moving and low-light situations (i.e. OIS). Reviewers found the system beneficial, but poorly implemented nonetheless; there's no visual indication the system is actually working or how effective it is until you view the finished image, which isn't exactly useful in the field. Also, the camera had a tough time digesting more than 3 RAW shots in succession, often forcing the operator to wait until the buffer was clear before shooting could resume. However, if those two relatively professional complaints won't apply to you, the K100D produced excellent images and was said to "perform well for its price point." While the 2.5-inch display, sturdy enclosure, 200 to 3200 ISO settings, and impressive 11-point AF system were viewed quite fondly, it should be noted that your CF cards aren't welcome here, as only the SD format is accepted, and 4 AA batteries are used in favor of a proprietary cell. But if you've been chomping at the bit to grab a DSLR on the cheap, and you can live with the, um, unstable anti-shake system, you can snag the K100D now with a bundled 18-55mm lens for $699.99. [Via Photography Blog]
Nikon D80 pics revealed
No surprises here, Nikon has merely added a few curves and changed a few lines of their D70/D70s camera bodies, but images of a D80 camera have surfaced, and we thought it'd be nice to share. There are just 14 days left on Nikon's little teaser countdown before we can know what else this 10.2 megapixel DSLR will have in store for us, but it's looking fine from where we're sitting. Keep reading to peep a few more angles.[Thanks, Brando]
Nikon teases about upcoming 10.2 megapixel DSLR
Oh Nikon! You kidder, you. The popular pro-cam manufacturer is prepping a new DSLR, and has upped a little teaser on their site referring to the "Next Nikon." Beyond the usual marketing hyperbole of "More power," "More control," "More versatile and "More excitement," Nikon lets slip the megapixel count: 10.2, and the release date: 20 days from now. Word on the street is that the mystery cam will be a replacement to the D70/D70s series, and the 10.2 megapixels will be one welcome improvement from the 6.1 megapixels of the D70.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Panasonic releases its DMC-L1 DSLR
Always looking to one-up its long-standing Japanese rival, Panasonic has gone and beaten Sony's first digital SLR -- the Alpha A100 -- to market with its own premiere DSLR -- the DMC-L1 -- which just became available today. As you'll probably recall, this 7.5 megapixel "Live MOS"-equipped shooter was developed in conjunction with Olympus, thus including that live preview 2.5-inch LCD that got us so jazzed up about the E-330, and ships with an optically-stabilized 14-50-millimeter Leica D Vario-Elmarit lens. And at $1,999, the Panasonic had better throw in a few extras if it wants to remain competitive, because the Sony, while not arriving with a lens in the box, will sport a higher-resolution 10.3 megapixel sensor at half the price of the L1.
Leica coding lenses to prep for Digital M
Old school film camera manufacturer Leica has taken yet another step towards the scary new world of filmless shooters by announcing that the majority of its lens lineup will receive 6-bit coding for use with the company's upcoming Digital M model. Save for the 135-millimeter APO-TELYT-M, all current Leica lenses leaving the factory after July 1st will sport marks representing binary numbers on each of the six fields in the bayonet ring, which the Digital M will optically read in order to optimize image quality. Luckily for current Leica lens owners, many models released after 1963 can be retrofitted with the coding for use with the M, although the procedure will set you back $175. Non-coded lenses will still work with the M -- which is scheduled for release by the end of the year -- but they will not be able to take advantage of the image enhancements or EXIF-ready data offered by the new models.
Sony DSLR-A100 (p)review roundup
Looks like the hands-ons, previews, and reviews are starting to pour in on Sony's DSLR-A100, and the results are coming back surprisingly positive. In fact, TrustedReviews gave it one of the highest ratings we've ever seen -- an average 9/10. We've rounded up what we could, but if you've seen any other sites who've gotten their hands on Sony's new shooter, definitely leave those in the comments for us to add.Read - DCRPRead - DP ReviewRead - Imaging ResourceRead - Popular PhotographyRead - Steves DigicamsRead - Trusted Reviews[Via DP Blog]
Sony Alpha 100 DSLR previewed
The first DSLR from Sony is sure getting plenty of hype, but we think we'll reserve judgement until we spy a solid review of a production unit. Until then we'll have to make do with this hands-on preview of the 10 megapixel Sony Alpha A100, and try not to get caught up in that fancy Greek lettering. Luckily, things are looking plenty good in pre-production, with features galore, and a potential to rival the image quality of cameras nearly twice as expensive. Specially notable is an eye sensor to automagically activate auto-focus, Sony's special sauce image stabilisation that mixes the best of Sony and Konica Minolta tech, the 2.5-inch 230,000 pixel LCD, and of course the large 10 megapixel CCD. The camera build is pretty solid, shooting speed is fairly fast, and other little niceties like Konica Minolta and Minolta lens compatibility make this camera very attractive. PopPhoto is predicting a roughly $800 street price, and while the similarly specced $1700 Nikon D200 might have it beat in a few (important) areas, Sony's new kid on the block might have a chance to do battle with Canon's EOS 30D or at least pose a serious threat to its own price range.
Sony's Alpha DSLR A100 debuts
Looks like the Alpha's what we thought it'd be after all -- and everybody waiting for Sony's first official DSLR need not wait (much) longer. Really, there's nothing much in the Alpha A100 we weren't already speculating based on the previous specs reported on the interwebs, but at least now the details are a little more fleshed out: its 10.2 megapixel sensor is a Super HAD (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD with Super SteadyShot OIS, anti-dust filters and vibration, and Bionz Image Processor hardware; the camera also features the Minolta A-lens mount (of course), a 2.5-inch anti-reflective display, 3fps burst mode, 600 shot lithium-ion Stamina battery,CF and Memory Stick Pro Duo (via CF adapter), and a sweet feature that initiates autofocus when you look into the viewfinder (so you don't have to waste time with the half-press). Not bad, but we're honestly a little worried about the price up in this piece. We'll keep ya posted.Update: and the price! $999, "expected to ship on or before July 28th, 2006" according to the SonyStyle page. Oh, and DP Blog also has some sweet info on the 20 or so lenses announced for this thing as well, better check that out before you make any buying decisions. There you have it ladies and gents, enjoy. Thanks, Steve.
Possible Sony Alpha DSLR specs revealed
Australia's Digital Photography Blog is reporting that an anonymous source has emailed them detailed specs of Sony's upcoming DSLR, which -- if accurate -- show that the company's first foray into this product category will sport a 10.2 megapixel CCD and go by the name Alpha 100. As we already knew, this model will be compatible with existing Konica Minolta lenses as well as some 20 new lenses that Sony plans to release over the next year, but the information revealed today would seem to flesh out all of the remaining details concerning features, pricing, and availability that had previously been unknown. DPB's tipster claims that the 100 will rock an anti-reflective 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel LCD, in-body Super SteadyShot image stabilization, maximum ISO of 1600, nine-point auto focus, CompactFlash support (but oddly enough, your MemoryStick Duo cards will only work with the included adapter), a reported 750-shot battery, and about a million different shooting modes and scene settings. If we are to believe what this mystery "insider" says, you'll be able to pick up your very own Alpha next month for around $1,000, sans lens.[Via Let's Go Digital, thanks Pascal V.]
Nikon tweaks D2X DSLR with new D2Xs
Never one to rest on its laurels, Nikon has taken the already highly-rated 12.4 megapixel D2X digital SLR and tweaked several features that are probably very important to professional photographers (but mean little to the rest of us) to come up with the new D2Xs. The major enhancements to this model include an improved 2.5-inch display, longer-life battery, the addition of a black and white mode, Adobe RGB support in all color modes, and better viewfinder performance; other, less exciting improvements are a new menu color scheme, extra 1/3 stop ISO settings, more Custom Curve options, and electronic viewfinder masking in High Speed Crop mode -- we can't even tell you how long we've been waiting for this last option. Making the best even better usually doesn't come cheap, though, but the D2Xs will only set you back a pretty reasonable $4,700 when it's released next month.
Pentax's K100D and K110D DSLRs
Pentax just announced their K100D and K110D Digital SLRs today which hopefully kick that ridiculous, google-hating *ist naming convention to the curb once and for all. The two DSLRs are in fact, the same 6.1 megapixel digital cams only the K100D packs in Pentax's CCD oscillating Shake Reduction technology to keep your pics clean while shooting with a telephoto lens or under low-light conditions. Each camera remains compatible with Pentax K-mount lenses, and features ISO 200 to 3200 sensitivity, a 2.5-inch LCD, and SMC Pentax DA lens with 12x zoom. Expect the K100D to ship for $699 in July with the K110D set to drop in August for an entry-level enthusiast's price of $599.
Samsung's second DSLR, the 10 megapixel GX-2
Along with a pair of compact point-and-shoots, Samsung also announced their second digital SLR camera today at the Seoul International Photo & Imaging Industry Show, the 10 megapixel GX-2. This followup to the 6 megapixel GX-1S was, like its predecessor, developed in conjunction with Pentax, and thus looks suspiciously like an unnamed model from the esteemed camera manufacturer that was revealed late last week at the same South Korean show. Also like the Pentax, very few details are known so far regarding little things like features, pricing, and availability -- although we can say with some certainty that the GX-2 will accept Schneider and Pentax lenses -- so stay tuned to this station for updates as we learn more.
Pentax's 10 megapixel *ist D SLR makes Seoul appearance
It still doesn't have a name, price or launch date, and they're still not letting anyone touch it, but Pentax's forthcoming 10-megapixel *ist D SLR is making the rounds in Korea. AVing managed to get a few choice shots of it at the Seoul International Photo and Imaging Industry Show. The pics show a pretty standard collection of the controls you'd expect on an SLR, multiple autofocus modes and a popup flash. No surprises, really, but at least Pentax has stopped keeping it under glass, which we hope means this is getting just a little closer to launching.
Sony unveils first alpha DSLR
Sony has taken the wraps off of the company's first Alpha DSLR camera and, as expected, the digicam appears to be largely based on designs from Konica Minolta, and supports all lenses that work with Konica Minolta's earlier DSLRs, the Maxxum 5D and 7D. At this point, Sony is being coy about key details, like the digicam's megapixel count or actual launch date, but the company does say the camera is still expected to ship this summer, and that it plans to release 20 new lens models over the course of the next year -- which should be a relief to any 5D and 7D owners who were worried that they'd have to toss their gear on eBay and switch to -- shudder -- Nikon or Canon.Update: According to Sony, "final photography" for the first Alpha model "has not been finalized yet." So, assume that what you see above is subject to change, and may end up looking completely different by the time Sony releases it. Kind of like the Playstation 3's "boomerang" controller.[Thanks, David]
Pentax *ist DL 6.1 megapixel DSLR reviewed
If you're looking for a relatively cheap way to enter the world of digital SLR photography, the UK's DigiCam Review thinks you could do a lot worse than the Pentax *ist DL, which despite its unpronouncable name, came out a clear winner in their testing. Successor cheaper alternative to the company's *ist DS, the 6.1 megapixel DL impresses on many fronts, including image quality, response times, ergonomics, and, perhaps most importantly to a DSLR newbie, ease-of-use. Specifically, the DL -- which was tested with the optional 15-55mm Pentax DA lens -- captured pictures with good contrast, detail and color, low noise except at the highest ISO setting, and a general lack of purple-fringing or red-eye, while providing a lot of features, such as RAW support, auto ISO, and a 2.5-inch display, for its $740 price tag. The only real knocks here seem to be the lack of image stabilization or CF card support -- meaning storage is limited to the most capacious SD card available -- but since this model is certainly not targeted at pros, those issues may not even matter to most.
Samsung GX-1S DSLR reviewed
It's been a couple of months since Samsung dropped their first DSLR, the GX-1S, and we'd yet to hear anything of it since -- until now. DigitalCameraInfo has a review up of the sub-$1g DSLR, and they were pretty thorough in giving it the once-over. The reviewer found the device to be rather small for its class -- which of course we love to hear -- but didn't like the way it felt in the hand, and weren't particular impressed with its button layout. It scored on ease of use, color, and low noise on low ISOs, even though it underexposed a few too many shots and apparently wasn't quick to the draw on autofocus. Basically it doesn't sound like the camera to wait around for, which doesn't surprise us given Samsung's less than mindblowing digital camera releases to date. Even if you just want something with a Pentax lens mount that's not a Pentax, the GX-1S "seems to be a re-branded Pentax" according to DCI, so you should probably put that credit card away for now and see what develops in time for Photokina in a few months.[Via DPBlog]
Sony's Alpha DSLR brand
Following up on that farewell to Konica Minolta, Sony just announced their new D-SLR sub-brand hitting the streets this summer: Alpha. Yeah, Alpha as in "beginning" or "essential," not pre-beta instability (we hope). Sony will produce the complete camera system including the lenses (no Carl Zeiss?), accessories, CCD (hopefully not those CCDs) and CMOS imaging sensors, and other Sony imaging technologies. And like we already knew, the new Sony shooters will be compatible with Konica-Minolta lenses and accessories. That's it, we can all go back to waiting now for actual products to be announced. Oh, and we linked to the Sony Alpha website per the press release which is, er, down at the moment... "Alpha" indeed.Update: Thanks to everyone who pointed out that Minolta's SLRs were marketed in Asia under the Alpha brand. At this point, it looks likely that Sony will be using the brand globally, dropping Minolta's previous use of Maxxum (North America) and Dynax (Europe) branding for its SLRs. We'll let you know if we learn otherwise.[Via Sony]
Canon EOS 30D 8.2 megapixel DSLR reviewed
Although not as much of an upgrade from the 20D as photography enthusiasts would have liked, the Canon EOS 30D DSLR nonetheless retains the quality performance and full feature set of its predecessor while addressing some key concerns that users had with the 2004 model. DPreview comes to these conclusions prior to bestowing their "Highly Recommended" rating on the 30D -- which obviously fared well in their rigorous testing -- finding it to be a strong competitor in its category for both image quality and value. Most welcomed by the reviewers was the addition of spot metering, variable continuous shooting rates, and the jump to a 2.5-inch LCD, although problems that plagued the 20D such as AI Servo banding with certain lenses and poor incandescent lighting results were not improved to their satisfaction. Still, besides these relatively isolated issues, most of the gripes with this model are minor quibbles, and it seems safe to say that anyone in the market for a mid-range DSLR would be more than satisfied with Canon's offering.
