Sony officially announces Alpha A900 DSLR
Days after some photos of the A900 DSLR began hitting the Internet, Sony has gone ahead and made the camera official.
Features of the Alpha A900 will include:
- 24.6 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor (dubbed “Exmor”)
- Dual BIONZ Image Processing Engine
- Intelligent Preview
- 100% Viewfinder, 0.74x magnification
- 3-inch, 921,000 dot Xtra Fine LCD
- 9-point center dual-cross AF
- 5 fps continuous shooting
- SteadyShot Inside new image stabilization system
- 13 image quality modes
- HDMI output
- Compatible with MS Duo, MS PRO Duo, MS PRO-HG Duo, and Compact Flash (Type I and II)
The camera will go on sale in November (pre-order to begin on September 10th) and be sold body only for $2,999.99.
To go with the A900 Sony has also announced a couple of new lenses that will be available beginning in January:
The wide-angle Vario Sonnar T (model number: SAL1635ZA):
- 16 – 35mm F2.8
- Carl Zeiss glass
- Will sell for $1,800
The 5.7x super zoom SAL70400G :
- 70 – 400mm f/4-5.6 G Series Lens
- Will sell for $1,500
For more details check out the press release here.
[Via Photography Bay and PC Mag]
Sony A900 DSLR caught in the wild
Sony’s upcoming but not yet officially announced A900, their 24 megapixel full frame DSLR, seems to have been caught in the wild in Belgium sporting a Carl Zeiss 16 – 35mm f/2.8 lens.
The camera should be officially unveiled at or just before Photokina opening on September 23rd in Cologne, Germany.
[Via Photography Bay]
Canon 5D Mark II already in the hands of some media outlets?
According to some new Canon rumor info, two new DSLR’s will be announced at Photokina and one will almost certainly be the highly anticipated 5D Mark II.
A poster in the in the DPR forum says that “production units of the 5D replacement have already been shipping to some long-lead media outlets under NDA so the can get their reviews lined-up for the day the embargo lifts.”
So if one of the cameras is the 5D Mark II what with the other be?
Photography Bay believes that it could be the 7D, but we’ll see by the time Photokina opens on September 23rd. If you’re in the market for a budget DSLR, neither of these would be it with the price possibly starting around $2,000 for the 7D and $3,500 for 5D Mark II.
[Via Photography Bay]
Specs of Canon 5D Mark II leaked?
Although Canon hasn’t officially announced the 5D Mark II DSLR, rumors of it have been around for a while and if Canon Rumors source is correct here are the camera’s features:
- 21.1 megapixel full-frame sensor
- DIGIC 4 image processor
- ISO range of 100 – 6400 L:50 & H:12800
- Able to shoot 5fps
- 3.2 inch high resolution LCD
- 19 point AF
- HDMI out
- Live View
- Able to record HD movies
- 100% viewfinder coverage
- Full weather sealing
- Only compatible with Canon EF lenses
I’m sure the 5D Mark II is coming, but are those the specs? We’ll see…
[Via Gizmodo]
Nikon D90 officially announced
While it’s not exactly a surprise it is still nice to see official confirmation on teh Nikon D90 DSLR.
Features of the D90 include:
- 12.3 megapixel sensor
- EXPEED image processor
- ISO 200-3200, 100 and 6400 in extended range
- Live View
- Face Detection system
- Scene recognition system from D3 and D300
- Active D-Lighting
- Able to shoot up to 4.5 fps
- 11 autofocus points
- 3 inch LCD
- HDMI output
Perhaps the coolest feature of the D90 is the ability to record 720p HD video at 24 frames per second, the first DSLR to have this capability. It’s worth pointing out that some features, like autofocus, won’t be available when recording a movie.
Look for it to hit stores next month for $999 for the body only or for $1,299 with a new 18-105mm f3.5/5.6 VR lens.
Check out a video of the D90 in action below:
[Via Electronista]
Canon officially announces EOS 50D
Canon today officially announced the EOS 50D, a new DSLR camera that looks to bring professional features to the hands of consumers.
Now, that’s not to say that it’s an inexpensive camera–it is still a DSLR, after all, but relatively speaking the price of $1,399 for the camera body only or $1,599 with a Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens.
Features of the 50D will include:
- 15.1 megapixel sensor
- DIGIC 4 image processor
- ISO range of 100 – 12800
- 3-inch LCD with 920,000 dot/VGA resolution
- 9 cross-type AF sensors
- Face detection able to find up to 35 faces in a shot
- Able to shoot up t 6.3 fps for bursts of up to 90 Large/Fine JPEGs or 16 RAW images
- Auto Lighting Optimizer to analyze the brightness of subjects and automatically adjust dark images to help them appear brighter
- High-performance viewfinder with 0.95x magnification
- Creative Full Auto setting to allow the user to make adjustments while still in automatic mode
- Live View mode
- Two small RAW formats, sRAW1 and sRAW2
- Improved Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit and new fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance
- HDMI output
Look for it to hit in October.
[Via Photography Bay]
New Canon 50D leaks on Canon China website
Looks like one of Canon’s upcoming DSLR’s has been leaked thanks to their website in China. Oops.
The upcoming 50D DSLR will include:
- 15.1 megapixel sensor
- 14-bit DIGIC 4 image processor
- 3-inch LCD with VGA resolution
- 9-segment AF/AE sensor array
- 95% viewfinder
- ISO range of 100 – 3200 with an expanded range of 6400 – 12800
- Face recognition
- Able to shoot 6.3 fps
- Built-in image stabilization
- HDMI output
The link revealing the camera has since been taken down so you won’t be able to find it on Canon’s website at this point but looks like we can expect an official announcement in the next few weeks.
[Via Gizmodo]
Nikon D90, D3s to be officially announced on August 27th?
According to Thom Hogan, Nikon will be holding a press conference on August 27th, a couple of days before the kickoff of IFA and almost a month ahead of Photokina.
While there’s been some speculation as to what exactly will be announced, Hogan believes he knows for sure:
- D90 with 18-105mm lens
- D3s (updated D3)
Looks like we’ll find out for sure next week.
[Via Photography Bay]
Sony Alpha A900 25 megapixel DSLR shown off
Sony’s upcoming 24.6 megapixel full frame DSLR, the Alpha A900, showed up in Brazil at Photo Image Brazil.
Features of the A900 include:
- 24.6 megapixel full frame sensor
- Bionz image processing engine
- Super SteadyShot image stabilization
Obviously there’s feature or two we don’t know yet but we should know more, including a price, later this year.
[Via Photography Bay]
Nikon D90 shows up in Best Buy inventory screen
After first showing up in Circuit City’s inventory screen, the not announced by pretty much guaranteed Nikon D90 DSLR has now shown up in Best Buy’s inventory system.
Looks like it will have a price of $1,299.99, the same one confirmed by Circuit City. The date in the screenshot shows September 1st but according to Engadget’s tipster it won’t be in stock until the 7th.
[Via Photography Bay]
Leaked photo of Nikon D90? [UPDATED]
Another day another bit of D90 news. Is the image to the right a leaked shot of the much talked about but so far unannounced Nikon D90 DSLR camera?
Maybe, maybe not. Pretty good fake if it’s not real, though.
In case you missed the last post about the D90, here’s a rundown of the features Thom Hogan expects to see in the D90 when it’s announced:
- 12 megapixel sensor
- Able to shoot 4.5 frames per second
- New Live View with the ability to record video and audio
- HDMI and GPS connectors
- New 18 – 105mm f/3.5 – 5.6G DX VR lens
UPDATE: Nikon has finally made the D90 official–check out this post for more info.
[Via Photography Bay]
Sony camera announcement on August 14th
Photoclub Alpha has confirmed that Sony will be holding a press conference on August 14th to announce “an exciting camera”.
While it could be the official announcement of the Sony Alpha A900 full frame 25 megapixel DSLR, most believe that announcement will take place closer to the Photokina show next month.
If that’s true, wonder what this one will be?
[Via Photography Bay]
Canon announcement coming on August 26th?
According to photography site Kamera & Bild, Canon will be having a press conference on August 26th to announced a new model.
Which new new model is not known yet, but it could be the 5D Mark II which some have been anxiously awaiting.
If it IS the 5D Mark II, check out a list here of the features that it will allegedly include as well as those it won’t.
[Via Photography Bay]
Hasselblad introduces new H3DII-50, 50-megapixel camera
High-end camera maker Hasselblad had just announced a new 50-megapixel high-end digital camera, the H3DII-50.
Yes, 50 megapixel.
The H3DII-50 uses a relatively huge sensor to capture these larger than average images. To give you an idea just how big the sensor is, a DSLR like the Canon EOS 450D Digital Rebel XSi has a sensor that is 22.2 x 14.8mm.
A full-frame DSLR like the Canon EOS 5D has a sensor that is 36 x 24mm.
The H3DII-50 uses a sensor by Kodak that is 36 x 48mm.
One image weighs in at around 300MB and the camera is only able to shoot 1fps, but you really wouldn’t use a camera like this for action photography anyway.
Look for the H3DII-50 to sell for around $37,000 when it’s released this October.
For more info about this camera you’ll probably never see in person (pretty sure I won’t, anyway) check out the official product page here.
[Via Engadget]
Nikon D700 officially announced [UPDATED]
Looks like the rumor about the Nikon D700 DSLR being revealed on Monday, June 30th panned out after all (if you’re in the US where it’s still technically the 30th).
After being rumored for weeks, Nikon has finally made it official and announced the D700 in France today. Focus Numerique (here’s a version translated to English) has the story but it’s in French–here are the official specs in English:
- Reflex digital compact format FX
- Full-format 24mm x 36mm) 12.1 megapixel sensor sensor
- EXPEED image processor with 14-bit A/D conversion and 16-bit image processing
- Active D-Lighting for better image contrast by applying tone compensation at the time of the capture
- Able to shoot 5fps, or 8fps when using optional MB-D10 battery pack with lithium-ion battery EN-EL4a or with 8 ‘AA’ batteries
- Multi-CAM3500FX AF system with 51 autofocus points (15 cross-type sensor), individually selectable or configurable in 9, 21 or 51-point settings
- 3-inch LCD with 920k dots and 170-degree viewing angle
- LiveView support with autofocus and two modes: handheld or tripod
- Dust removal system (same as the D300)
- Sensitivity from ISO 200 to 6400 but extendable down to 100 (equivalent) and up to 25,600 (equivalent)
- Shutter lag around 40ms
- HDMI output for connecting to HD video systems
- Moisture and dust resistant magnesium alloy body
- Wi-Fi and Ethernet support via optional Wireless Transmitter WT-4
The menus are a bit changed from other models giving you faster access to some features, but the menus are not customizable. It’s about the same size as the D300 and has a single compact flash slot but also accepts UDMA cards.
The viewfinder, unlike the D3, only shows 95% of the field (the D3 shows 100%). The may matter very little to some but be a deal break to others.
No release info just yet but look for it to sell for €2800 (around $4,400 US) for the body only…maybe the price will be bit lower when it actually hits the streets in the US?
Check out a few official pics here.
UPDATE: Found a bit more info about the D700 so I added it to the bullet list above. Also found the Nikon UK site has a product page up with more details–check it out here if you’re interested.
UPDATE 2: Okay, looks like Nikon USA has gotten their press release out and thankfully the price is a better than expected. Look for the D700 to be available in the US in late July for $2,999.95 for the body only. Sure, not cheap, but better than $4,400.
[Via Nikon Rumors]
Photo of Nikon D700 revealed as fake
A few days ago I posted a picture of what appeared to be the yet unannounced Nikon D700 DSLR. The D700 may still be coming, but that wasn’t a picture of it–it’s been confirmed fake.
The website NikonD700 found the the exact same picture on Flickr but it said D300, not 700–someone did a couple of minor changes to the photo and tada–D700.
If you’re curious to see the D300 picture that was used you can find a copy of it here.
[Via Gizmodo]
Nikon D700 coming Monday? [UPDATED]
According to some info that showed up on Digital Depot (since taken down but not before a screenshot was taken and posted here) the Nikon D700 DSLR will be announced on Monday, June 30th and readers are encouraged to “Check back soon for details, images & specifications.”
They didn’t post a price but Photografica was kind enough to post that info, though according to them it’s priced at $4,347 US which sounds a bit high.
That’s been taken down too but here’s a screenshot of that.
I wonder how many more D700 rumors we’ll see between now and Monday?
UPDATE: Believe it or not, it’s official–the D700 has been announced in France. Check out more details in this post.
[Via CrunchGear]
Pic of Nikon D700 showing new lens? [UPDATED]
According to a Chinese blog called Evolive, a pic of the rumored Nikon D700 shows a popup flash and, more importantly, shows off what could be a new lens–a AFS-S 24-120mm VR lens.
Since there officially is no D700 it’s best to take this info with a grain of salt for now. I’m sure we’ll see a new Nikon or two sometime this year, but we might now see anything official until Photokina which opens on September 23rd.
UPDATE: Bad news…this image is faked. The D700 may come with a new lens when it’s announced (if it’s announced since it’s still not official) but this isn’t a picture of it. For more info check out this post.
[Via Photography Bay]
Pic of Nikon D10?
There hasn’t been any official announcement out of Nikon about the D10 mid-range, full-frame DSLR but if this pic is real its on its way.
It’s worth saying, though, that not many believe this pic is real.
If and when Nikon does announce the D10 it will likely be positioned between the D300 and the D3, making it a strong competitor for Canon’s 5D.
[Via Photography Bay]
Olympus officially announces E-520 DSLR
Olympus fans anxiously awaiting official info about the rumored E-520 DSLR rejoice–today Olympus has officially announced their E-520 digital SLR camera.
Features of the E-520 will include:
- 10 megapixel sensor
- Sensor-based image stabilization
- Live View with autofocus
- Dust reduction system
- Face Detection and Shadow Adjustment Technology
- 2.7-inch HyperCrystal II LCD able to show 100 percent field of vision
- 3.5fps with up to 8 images in RAW buffer
- Built-in flash and wireless flash control
- Optional underwater case available
- One-touch white balance
- Perfect Shot Preview mode to view and select white balance and exposure compensation effects on the LCD
- Detailed playback info screen with histogram
Look for the camera in July for $599.99 for the body only or $699.99 bundled with a 14-42mm (28-84mm equivalent) f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko lens.
[Via Photography Bay and ZDNet]
First person camera for radio control planes, cars, etc.
Okay, this cool. The Pilot View FPV 2400 is a wireless camera system for your really anything but it’s intended for radio control vehicles.
Strap the camera onto your vehicle and using a pair of goggles you can see what the camera sees.
The FPV 2400 has a range of about 1 kilometer (about 0.6 miles) and communicates in the 2.4GHz range.
It’ll set you back $549, but if I were still into R/C I’d be all over it.
For more info check out the product page here or check out this post at Gizmodo to see a video of the system in action. (WARNING: Unless you really, really like the song “Take a Picture” by Filter, you’ll want to turn down or mute your volume.)
[Via Gizmodo]
Pentax K200D reviewed
TrustedReviews has spend some time testing the new Pentax K200D DSLR camera.
The K200D replaces the K100D from last year and can be considered more of an upgrade than a completely new camera.
Some of the features of the K200D include:
- 10.2 megapixel CCD with PRIME image sensor as seen on K20D semi-pro model
- 2.7 inch LCD
- Dust Removal system with Dust Alert
- 11-point SFOX VIII auto focus system
- 16-segment multi-pattern metering
- ISO 100 – 1600
- 2.8 fps over 4 JPEG or RAW files
- Over 60 seals to prevent dust and moisture from entering the camera
What’s their verdict?
“The handling of the K200D is very simple yet it maintains a reassuring, more professional build quality. Images are sure to please even the most critical photographer, with few serious problems bar slight underexposure on rare occasions. There are plenty of features to keep beginners and advanced users happy, with the only major disappointment coming from the drive speed.”
Check out the full review here for more info and sample shots.
[Via Photography Bay]
Sigma DP1 camera reviewed, raises the bar
The folks at PopPhoto managed to get their hands on a new Sigma DP1 camera and put it through the paces. Its not without fault, of course, but they came away largely impressed.
“The DP1 sets a new standard for image quality in a compact camera, especially at ISO 400 and 800. Its fixed 28mm-equivalent f/4 lens has incredibly low distortion and minimal light falloff that adds to image quality.”
Sigma managed to squeeze a DSLR-sized image sensor that’s more than twice the size of image sensors used in other point-and-shoot cameras, which resulted in excellent noise control and color accuracy.
On the down side, some of their complaints were:
- Slow auto focus
- Burst mode can shoot 3 raw frames in one second, but the DP1 takes 23-seconds to store them before its ready for the next shot or sequence
- 11.8-inches is the closest focus distance so it can’t be used for macro shots
- A bit pricy at $800
For more info check out the product page here.
[Via Engadget]
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