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Posts with tag nikon

Adapter weds Leica lenses to Micro Four Thirds cameras -- for real, Heidi


The German outfit Novoflex has just announced an adapter that will allow you to mount Leica lenses onto your Micro Four Thirds system cameras. Due out this month at €149 (about $193), the mount is one in a planned series, with adapters for Leica R, Nikon, Contax / Yashica, Olympus OM, Pentax and Minolta MD lenses expected in February. Of course, the only MFT camera out there is Panasonic's Lumix G1, but with a new Olympus on the horizon and more sure to follow, this is certainly good news for all of you budget-conscious photographers out there.

[Via Wired]

Nikon D3x DSLR preview roundup


You've heard the rumours and the tales of hacked firmware, and you've seen the glamor shots -- and now that the Nikon D3x has hit the streets, we've got some significant previewage for you to check out. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive -- as you would expect from a 24.5-megapixel, $8,000 camera. Trusted Reviews was impressed not only by the quality of the pictures and the bright, clear viewfinder, but by the overall build of the camera as well, stating that it felt "extremely well-balanced in the hand even with heavy lenses. And ... the D3x's controls were surprisingly easy to operate and use, with everything laid out very intuitively." CNET pointed out that the camera "shares similar dimensions with its sibling, the D3, so this means accessories produced for the latter can be used on the new camera." One omission that the review pointed out was the Nikon's inability to capture 1080p full HD video, making Canon's EOS 5D Mark II your only option if that's what you're after. But don't take our word for it -- check out the reviews below for more info.

Read - CNET: "[O]ne beast of a camera... raises the Japanese company's benchmark for future product development."
Read - Trusted Reviews: "It looks big, I agree, but it doesn't feel it..."
Read - MegaWhat TV (video review): "The 24.5-megapixel CMOS sensor puts it above all of the other models in the FX lineup."

Nikon's geotagging GP-1 dongle now available

Nikon's geotagging GP-1 dongle now available
When we asked how you'd change Nikon's 720p-recording D90 DSLR, many of you globe-trotting photogs let out wistful sighs, gazed at the brightest star, and wished with all your might for automatic geotagging of photos. Like some trickster genie, Nikon is granting your wishes, but we're not sure the GP-1 GPS add-on is exactly what you had in mind. It slots into the hot-shoe on most cameras (clipping onto the strap for a few) and uses an unwieldy looking cable to connect to the body of your D200, D3, D700, D90, D300, or D3X. We can't say that we're particularly fond of the device's means of indicating status, either: red blinky light = no satellites; green blinky = three satellites; green solid = four satellites or more. C'mon Nikon, for $240 you couldn't integrate that cable into a hand strap and put more than two LEDs up in there?

[Via Gadget Lab]

Nikon's D3X DSLR hits the scene in official fashion


After a quick outting in its own mag, Nikon has gone and gotten all officially official on the D3X. The big boy DSLR sports a bone-crushing 24.5-megapixel CMOS FX format sensor, full resolution shooting at 5 FPS, ISO from 100-1600 (expandable to 50-6400), TIFF, JPEG or NEF (RAW) file formats up to 138MB, and a newly updated EXPEED image processing system. The top-tier digicam won't come super cheap, hitting shelves at $7,999.95 -- but if you need something like this, money probably isn't much of an issue. The camera goes on sale this December, so you might want to get the piggy banks out. Check the gallery below for a full look at the magic.

Nikon outs D3x in own Pro magazine


Uh, oops. Sorry Nikon but your D3x is now even less of a mystery. According to your own Pro magazine, the D3x will sport an FX-format, 24.5 megapixel sensor shooting 5fps at full resolution or 7fps at a reduced 10 megapixels. Nikon made a few other tweaks including an extended ISO 50-6400 range but the body design, AF, metering, and main functions remain the same as the D3. The only thing we need now is a price and confirmed release date. Back to you Nikon. One more shot detailing the features after the break, full details beyond the read link.

[Via dpreview forums]

D3x reportedly shown, then removed from Nikon's site


While this rumor hasn't been running quite as long as the original iPhone rumor, we've been brushing off whispers of the D3x for a really, really long time. For what it's worth, the latest tidbit actually seems to have some teeth, with one eagle-eyed tipster noting that the website in the read link was alive momentarily, then canned inexplicably. He managed to grab the image you see above (but not the whole site?), and he swears up and down it wasn't the Eggnog distorting his judgment. We'll see, won't we?

[Thanks, Darryl]

Nikon Coolpix P6000 reviewed, not all that cool


The kids over at Photography Blog have finally got their hands on the Nikon Coolpix P6000 that became official back in August and have pronounced it "a mixed bag." It looks good on paper at least, with a 13.5-megapixel sensor, 28mm wide angle lens and built-in Ethernet (a first for a consumer grade camera). Unfortunately, the big ticket items like on-board GPS (for geo-tagging all those coolpix you'll be taking) and NRW file format support (the new "RAW" image format developed by Microsoft and Nikon) are said to be poorly implemented and all but unusable. Even the much-ballyhooed LAN connectivity is limited to something called MyPictureTown. Hit the read link to catch the reviewer holding forth on a number of other salient points, including the camera's DSLR-like hand-grip, optical viewfinder and external flash hotshoe.

Nikon D90's 720p movie mode gets critiqued

While being the first DSLR to shoot HD video sounds mighty excellent on paper, it's not worth much if the execution isn't there, right? The general consensus was that Nikon's D90 was a stellar DSLR, but the 720p movie mode was simply a so-so cherry on top. The gurus over at CamcorderInfo decided to take things one step further and actually write up an in-depth review on the movie mode alone. The long and short of it is this: the D90's movie mode simply can't produce the same results as a dedicated HD camcorder, and while it was "often able to produce impressive results (especially in moderately low light)," the unfortunate "wobble effect" really put a damper on things. In essence, the aforementioned problem causes objects to look like Jell-o when the user pans quickly from left to right, and the only real way to avoid it is to utilize a tripod or slow down your pans -- neither of which are terribly convenient. Critics did find quite a bit to praise, and they certainly appreciated the inclusion in an otherwise amazing camera, but it's still far from being ideal in all scenarios.

Next week's Nikon press preview moved to November


So it seems Nikon had a press preview all setup for October 22nd, reportedly to discuss the forthcoming MX format. We're not precisely sure if this ties directly in with that mysterious ad we saw at the front end of this month or not, but either way, it looks like the world will be waiting to find out. Reportedly, the new date for the conference will be on or around November 20th in Denmark, but we'd even take that with a hint of salt for the time being. In all seriousness, it's like Nikon is stuck in a perpetual warp tunnel of rumors, so don't be shocked to hear something else totally juicy between now and then.

[Via Electronista]

Read - Original plans
Read - Delay notice

How would you change Nikon's D90?


We gave the full-frame consumers (read: the lucky ones) the ability to sound off on the D700 a few weeks back, so we only felt it fair to give the same opportunity to those who've snatched up Nikon's recently released D90. For those who've bit on the kit package, how has your photographic life been? Are you satisfied with the low-light performance? Still struggling to get your settings worked out? Digging the Live View LCD? Oh, and how's that 720p movie mode treating you? History would assert that the D90's successor is already in the works, so make sure you give Nikon some good stuff to work with. And... go!

Nikon announces Media Port UP300x head-mounted PMP


Just when we were getting used to having most Nikon announcements thoroughly preceded by a flood of leaks, the company's managed to totally surprise us by introducing a new head-mounted display with PMP features -- and it actually looks pretty sweet. The WiFi-enabled 8GB Media Port UP UP300x has a .44-inch 640 x 480 screen that appears to be the equivalent of a 50-inch image viewed from about 10 feet away, and includes a motion sensor that allows media functions to be controlled through head movements. (There's also a "basic" 4GB UP300 that omits the motion control features.) Codec support is pretty slim, but there's a browser app and a new UP media store that allows for direct downloads. Two AA batteries will last for two hours of video or 270 minutes of audio, which should be enough time for you to look thoroughly like a dork, but we won't lie -- we'd buy one of these in a heartbeat if they ever make it out of Japan.

[Via Akihabara News]

Nikon D90 unboxing and hands-on


Here she is -- the world's first DSLR to capture 720p HD movie footage. But let's be honest, the high-def action is just a cherry on top of Nikon's D90 ($1,299 kit; $999 body only), as the expansive Live View LCD, high ISO options and heralded image quality are the real draws. You've already heard what the experts in the field had to say, but if you're just lookin' for some old fashioned gadget glamour shots to get your weekend started right, take all the time you need in the gallery below.

Mysterious leaked Nikon DSLR ads hint at something "big"


Man, the DSLR rumor mill never stops, does it? This time we're being treated to some leaked Japanese Nikon ads, which feature a shadowy DSLR body that's somewhat different than the D700 and D3 and the word "big" in Japanese. Of course, it could be totally fake, but we're not going to say we're not hoping for a compact full-frame camera -- but we're clearly dreamers. Anyone else have any guesses?

Read - First ad
Read - Second ad
Read - Sensor size comparison

Nikon's ritzy D60 Black Gold edition DSLR seen in the wild


We've seen Pentax put the Midas touch on a few of its DSLRs before, but Nikon? In a rare effort to draw attention to its D60, the outfit has evidently unveiled a "Black Gold" edition which merely adds a few niceties in the way of revamped trim. In other words, you'll see no upgrades on the camera that aren't cosmetic, and unless you're really into that gilded look, you may not even appreciate the Gold Edition strap, logo'd box, gold shutter button / strap lugs and the shiny new D60 badge. Is $50 too much to ask for those puny tweaks? Answer with your wallet, please.

[Thanks, Bo]

Nikon D90 DSLR review roundup


You've seen it get official, you've seen it in the wild, and you've seen it sneakily unboxed -- isn't it time you saw a few reviews, too? We've scoured the intarwebz for the freshest looks at this here DSLR, and generally speaking, those lucky enough to secure a review unit have been overwhelmingly pleased. As a mid-range shooter, it was decidedly difficult to find any real knocks. Sure, a heap of noise was seen at 6,400 ISO (but barely any was noticed from 200 to 3,200) and the kit lens wasn't all that, but the excellent low-light shooting and the "superb" image quality was enough to keep critics smiling. One thing that should be noted, however, is the so-so 720p movie mode. It's not that the quality was bad, but Popular Mechanics reported that the "extended exposure to light needed to record video caused the D90's CMOS sensor to heat up dramatically," which limits HD captures to a maximum of five minutes. In other words, don't ditch your pocket HD cam for this, but if you're scouting a new DSLR and wouldn't mind a 720p movie mode on the side, need you really look any further?

Read - Popular Mechanics (" The D90 is first and foremost a still camera. And in this regard, it excelled.")
Read - ThinkCamera ("The D90 is a trophy of a middleweight camera.")
Read - DCBBS Chinese ("Photography enthusiasts now have a new choice.")
Read - CNET's video review ("Very, very nice sub-$1,000 DSLR")



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