digitalslr
Latest
Nikon D3S is officially official, bringing its ISO extremes in late November
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-75503%
Nikon D3s leaked by UK press, expected to ship December with impressive ISO range, £4,200 price tag
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
Pentax K-x DSLR now official: 12.4MP, 720p video, coming October for $650
Looks like we didn't have to wait long after today's leak. Pentax has made its not quite entry-level DSLR, the K-x. All the earlier specs have panned out, so we're looking at a 12.4 megapixel CMOS censor, a 200 to 6400 ISO sensitivity expandable to 100 to 12,800, 4.7 frames per second continuous shooting, and 720p HD video at 24 frames per second. Sized up to the K-7, its wider ISO range is the only improvement, otherwise on par in features or lacking, as is in the case of AF / AE, video, and continuous shooting speed. It's due out in October available in black, white, red, or navy blue, with an attractive base price of $650 that nets you a 18-55mm lens. Read - Press release Read - Brief hands-on
Pentax K-X DSLR pictures and specs leaked?
Playing coy as to which site was culpable, Photo Rumors claims it managed to nab from some page a handful of pictures and specs of a new Pentax K-X DSLR, reportedly set to launch tomorrow. Highlights include a 12.4 megapixel CMOS image sensor with stabilization, 720p / 24 frames per second HD video recording, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and ISO sensitivity ranging from 100 to 12,800. Consider our interest piqued, but unfortunately we've got no indication when this will see the official light of day -- but with press photos propagating somewhere, we're hoping the waiting isn't too much longer.
Panasonic Lumix GF1 banner ad hits the web, still not official
So much for subtle, ambiguous leaks. As a great follow-up to the first blurry pics we saw of Panasonic's Lumix GF1, someone over at dpreview apparently pulled the trigger a little early and posted a vertical banner ad for the micro four thirds camera, with the tag line "DSLR photo quality in ultra compact flat design." 4/3rumors has some of the other ad variants if you're curious -- so now that its ad campaign is primed for launch, anyone care to take a guess how much longer we'll be waiting for its full debut? [Via Photo Rumors; thanks, Ren K]
Canon EOS 7D now official, coming end of September for $1,899
Now everyone pretend to be surprised here. Canon's gone official with what everyone has already seen and read about in detail, the EOS 7D. Specs look to be exactly what we heard, too: 18 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with 8 frames per second continuous shooting, 1080p 24fps HD video with full manual control, a 3-inch LCD, 19-point AF system, and wireless flash control. Mum's still the word on pricing and availability, though. Hit up the read link for the full press release, as well as some hands-on impressions care of Digital Photography Review. Update: Canon's press release has now gone live. Price is $1,699 body-only or $1,899 with an EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens, and target launch is set for end of September. Read - Press release Read - Hands-on
Leica to announce new cameras on September 9th, absolute best day to stand out in the headlines
We know Leica's target demographic is decidedly less consumer and more devoted professional photography, but even still, September 9th isn't exactly the most apt timing to maximize press coverage on a next generation camera lineup when your competition of the day will be Apple's annual iPod event and the release of Beatles Rock Band. Still, the urge to make announcements on 9-9-2009 at 9:00AM ET has gotta be too hard to pass up, and possibly not topped until 10:00AM on October 10th of next year. Video teaser after the break; no idea what we're expecting to see from Leica (M8 successor, perhaps?), but we can all but guarantee it won't be priced for mass consumption. [Via Pocket-Lint]
Nikon D300s, pro photographers meet up to make magic together
What better way to show off your company's latest DSLR than by giving it to a couple of professional photographers to work their magic? Nikon's done just that, handing off its just-announced D300s to noted photojournalist Ami Vitale and sports photographer Robert Bösch. The pair submitted stills and videos from their trial run, and the results are unsurprisingly impressive -- there's only one noticeable instance of rolling shutter, in the beginning of Bösch's video with the helicopter blades. Of course, there's no telling how much post-production work went into these pieces, and let's not forget these are pros in their element -- average Joe isn't gonna be able to pick up this camera and produce the same results. Footage after the break, or hit up the read link to see all the impressions and sample works. [Via PDNPulse and ProLost Blog]
Sony Alpha 850 DSLR manual pops up on Hong Kong support site
Sony's Alpha series DSLR cameras are almost notorious for how often they leak, and as is custom with an introductory assertion like that, we've got another one to show you. The company's Hong Kong support site has an instruction manual available to download for an as-of-then unknown iteration, the α850. The gang at Dyxum forums have gone through it more thoroughly than we have so far, and the Initial reaction is that it's similar to the α900 but with only three FPS, a smaller viewfinder, and still no video (unlike its competition). We've assembled some highlights from the guide, including full specs, in the gallery below. Hit up the read link to grab the full manual for yourself, but just a word of caution, even though the PDF's only 3.54MB in size, the download has proven to be rather painfully slow. [Via Dyxum forums; thanks, Doug]
Leica S2 DSLR hitting UK scene in October for eye-opening $26,165 without lens
Remember Leica's S-system flagship DSLR camera? We'd wager a nickel you probably stuck this in the deep in the back of your brain after its September 2008 debut, figuring something that boasts 37.5 megapixels and Leica branding was gonna be just out of your budget range. Well, you were right. The company announced that it'll be out in the UK as of October this year, and the starting price is £15,996, or about $26,165 in US dollars. Since you're going on the wild side anyhow, why not consider the S2-P, which features a sapphire glass monitor screen and "Platinum Service" support package? That'll set you back £19,092 ($31,229). Bear in mind both those prices are for body only, and with lenses range anywhere from £3,096 to £5,160, you might as well forget about that year of salary.
More Nikon D300s sightings in lead up to rumored July 30th announcement
Nikon's D300s seems to be having a hard time staying out of the viewfinder of other cameras, as the DSLR has popped up both in a nondescript close-up shot and in the hands of the president of a Nikon distributor at a Nikon Club gather in the Philippines. Same observations as last time, from what we can tell it's got the same body as the D300 but with holes that suggest a mic input below the logo, although we've seen hints of a SD card slot in previous leaks. As for when we'll be seeing the official debut, Nikon Rumors has a pretty good track record when it comes to these things, and it's reporting with near-absolute certainty that the company has lined up a press conference that'll take place either July 29th in the UK or 30th in Stockholm, Sweden, and a second date for August 4th in Sweden. The first event is expected to be the unveiling for D300s and D3000 and the second some new point and shoots -- or it could be the other way around. Either way, with any luck all these uncertainties will work themselves out by the end of next week at the latest. Read - D300s caught at Nikon Club gathering Read - Another shot of D300s in the wild Read - Nikon rumors and expectations for next week (recap)
Beware cheap Nikons on eBay: 22 stolen from NYC red light cameras
Hopefully you're not the sort to risk things by gunning it when the light turns yellow, pushing your (and our) luck, saving yourself a few seconds on the race to the next intersection, and sneering red light cameras. Maybe if you knew the kind of hardware in there you'd have more respect: Nikon's D2X digital SLR. We had no idea there were pro-level shooters in there, but a New York City couple certainly did, running around the city with a cherry picker and pilfering 22 of the things, all sold at pawn shops for a total of $88,000 $6,600 -- money that was promptly spent to further their heroin habit. These two channel swimmers, 45-year-old Anthony Cintorrino and 29-year-old Tara LaBurt, got away with this for a full month before the authorities finally caught up with them. When they were approached they said they were with the DoT... then promptly started running. They didn't get far. Crime doesn't pay, folks, even if it's for a sweet body like that. Update: The cameras were worth $88,000, but the couple pawned them off for a measly $300 apiece, netting a total of under seven grand. That's a crying shame.[Via Gizmodo]
Nikon addresses major D5000 glitch
We've fondled Nikon's D5000 SLR, stacked it against the competition, and read no shortage of reviews. In general everyone seems to love the camera, but there's apparently one, big, nagging problem: the durned thing won't always turn on. That's obviously a no-nonsense sort of glitch and thankfully Nikon isn't beating around the bush when it comes to addressing it, posting a service advisory today and pledging to follow up next week with a full list of affected serial numbers. If you're unlucky enough to be mentioned you'll sadly need to part with your hot new body and let Nikon tear it open, but the company will at least cover shipping to and fro. That's something, right?
Nikon D3000, D300s images materialize
What's this? An as of yet unannounced Nikon D3000 camera has allegedly popped up in press photo format, flaunting itself as what appears to be a slimmed down entry level DSLR. The gang LensTip have analyzed the pic pretty thoroughly against the D5000 and have concluded it's got a smaller body, no HDMI connector, no microphone (so much for a movie mode), and likely no articulating display. Additionally, we've got from Nikon Rumors what's purported to be our first glimpse at the D300s body. Given the angle of the shot, the only difference we can spot is the inclusion of a microphone -- then again, it could just be some subtle image manipulation trickery from a rabid fan. See it and decide for yourself after the break.[Via Electronista]Read - Nikon D3000 is comingRead - Another Nikon D300s picture
Sony's Alpha 230, 330 and 380 DSLRs get flood of official pics
Sony's latest mainstream DSLRs cameras got the seal of officialness this past Saturday, and now the company's added some icing to the cake by releasing of plethora of pictures for its α230, α330, and α380. Direct your eyes lovingly at the articulating screens and SD/SDHC card slots in the gallery below. Pre-orders for the trio are supposed to start today at Sony's official retail site, but as of this writing, they're not yet there.
Pentax K-m DSLR leaks out a little early
Just in time for the big Photokina show in Koln, Germany, rumours are buzzing about a new Pentax DSLR that briefly appeared on the Pentax Germany site. Though details are sketchy, the K-m looks to be a lower-cost take on the K10D, with the same 10.2 megapixel Sony sensor and in-body stabilization but a lighter and smaller plastic case and slightly larger 2.7-inch LCD display. Sadly, there's no live view, but if the rumored pricing -- €500 ($725) for the single (18-55m) lens and €600 ($875) for the 2-lens kit (18-55mm and 50-200mm) -- is accurate that might not be a dealbreaker. We'll find out soon.[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]
Sigma SD14 DSLR delayed 'till March
Oh, Sigma. First you get us all excited with a tantalizingly over-the-top teaser site for your flagship SD14 digital SLR, then you officially announce the camera with the usual fanfare at Photokina, only to delay the launch date by a few weeks shortly thereafter. Now, you're throwing our digital camera-loving hearts for a loop once again, announcing that the camera's been pushed back all the way to March 2007, blaming the delay solely on an unspecified "issue" that can only be remedied with a hardware fix. We'll give you this one more chance to get it right, Sigma, but there's only so torment much we can take.
Nikon D80 unboxing
It's a good thing we have more than one digital camera kicking around the HQ, because we just got our hands-on Nikon's new 10.2 megapixel D80 digital SLR and the first thing we wanted to do was take a bunch of pictures of it.
Olympus' E-1 followup on display at Photokina
When Olympus unveiled the E-1 DSLR way, way back in 2003 it was the first DSLR designed from art-to-part specifically for digital photography. Now the lucky few attending Photokina will be the first to see the eagerly anticipated E-1 followup when the show kicks off tomorrow. Well, kinda. See, Olympus will be displaying a concept model when the doors swing wide so take these images as a taste of what's to come, 'cause that's all we've got for now. Oh, and be sure to go full screen, 'cause just like Paris, the new Engadget's a moveable feast.[Thanks, oly_man]
Sigma teases SD14 DSLR
We've gotta hand it to Sigma, with other companies announcing a slew of digital cameras in advance of Photokina, it's holding out and unveiling its new DSLR, the SD14, at the show itself. Of course, they're still doing their best to build anticipation with a trying-to-be-mysterious teaser site that taunts us with such penetrating dialogue as "you believe that all RAW data is created equal?" and "if you could have fundamentally better technology, would you settle for added, improved functions instead?" We'll leave you to ponder that for a minute, but rest assured, "the truth will soon be revealed." It also looks like the truth has been leaked, as evidenced by the pic after the break that cropped up Xitek.com's discussion forum, although it seems we'll still have to wait for the big unveiling at Photokina to get all the camera's deets. [Via DP Review, thanks Robby B]
