Nikon D3 Rumors

It seems the emergence of the Nikon D3 could be happening soon with the numbers of rumors surfacing in the past month. The latest rumors come from the Nikon Italian forum group via dpreview and writes:

Camera Model: Nikon D3
Effective Pixels: 12 mega pixels +
Date Of Release: 05 Jul 2007
Body Make: Magnesium Alloy
Image Size: 4288 x 2848
File Formats: RAW, JPEG (3 types)
Frames Per Second: 8 - 10 FPS

Description

****THE RELEASE DATE ABOVE IS AN ESTIMATE ONLY **** (based on dealings within the distributor network)

All the hype surrounding the new D3 series may well be pointing to a summer 2007 release

Below are some of the potential updates we can find on this most sought after camera.

Modular body (interchangeable finder, back, and storage modules); the body is the host camera brains and control system, power source, lens mount, mirror box, shutter, and support system while everything else gets added on:

10-12mp APS High Speed Back (10 fps DX crop, 12 fps HS crop)
24mm FF Low Speed Back (3 fps FF, 5 fps DX crop)
12mp Black and White Back
Prism finder with real time displays (e.g. histograms)
Card storage module (2x Compact Flash or 2x Secure Digital)
Drive storage module (40, 80, 120GB hard drive)
Wireless module (1x Compact Flash for backup, Wi-Fi)

Also during May 2007, another rumor that writes

"In France the magazine "Reponses Photo" declares in the new june issue of their popular magazine th New D3...

They inform us that it will be a 18,7 Mpix with a 1.1 frame ( near full frame) and it allows to maintain the Nikon F mount. As the D2X this DSRL has 8 im/sec with a DX frame and 5 im/sec with the 1.1 frame.

DX lenses won't suit the 1.1 frame and will be maintaint for the actual DSRL's and the future amateur Nikon DSRL's.

The 18,7 Mpix chip will come from Sony and will be exclusif for Nikon dor the 12 months after the launching of the camera (as it was always done in the past ...)

Nikon director and spokesman in France Benoit de Dieuleveult declares that he can't give any comments on this proposals, but he states : " Nikon don't want to reduce their Pro Market. On the contrary, our intention is to increase our parts in this market. We have developed very nice new pro products that will make us take back the lost parts and increase our position in the Pro market. Actuelly i can't say more but you want be disappointed ..."

--

Stop talking megapixels, a good shot even with a D1 is better than a bad shot with a D2X. All is in the picture and pictures will make you live. The gear won't pay your food.

So we'll have to wait, maybe end of June ???? Previously in

Now I don't know who's correct so we'll just wait and see.



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Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC (Nikon) Review

Photozone.de has an excellent review on the Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC lens which is one of many standard zooms available for Nikon DSLR users. Compared to the rest of the gang it offers a relatively long zoom range (~ 4 x ratios) combined with a relatively large max. aperture at 17mm.

They write: "The Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC is a very good standard zoom and a viable alternative to the Nikon offerings in this range. Generally it is capable to produce very sharp results although the corner performance leaves a bit to be desired at 17mm at large aperture settings. The vignetting level could also be a bit better here but most competitors don't offer an f/2.8 settings anyway and from f/4 it follows the mainstream. The level of distortions is about typical for a standard zoom whereas chromatic aberrations (color shadows) are comparatively low. The build quality is very fine for a lens in this price league."



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Robust Growth for Canon

According to the latest financial report, it looks like Canon has forcast ROBUST growth in their camera division and thus maintain their number 1 ranking.

Here's what they say:

"As for the global economic outlook in the second quarter and thereafter, although uncertainty surrounds such factors as the future direction of crude-oil and raw-material prices and a slowdown in the U.S. economy, the global economy is expected to continue growing steadily.

In the businesses in which Canon is involved, demand for both compact digital cameras and digital SLR cameras is expected to continue enjoying robust growth."

160 Megapixel camera

Yes, that's right a 160 mega pixel in a digital camera. Although not the most portable camera, the Seitz photo Seitz 6x17 Digital takes a massive 160 mega pixels.

Here are some of the features

Create a high-resolution (160 million pixel) 6 x17 digital scan in just one second

Capture action thanks to a minimum exposure speed of 1/2000 sec. (per pixel) - images full of speed, motion and life!

Benefit from an outstanding image quality in virtually all light situations:

- 16-bit per channel (48-bit RGB) color depth
- Anti-blooming
- Low noise
- Dynamic range of 1:2,600 (11 f-stops)
- Seitz image optimization algorithms

Use world-class large format Schneider or Rodenstock lenses - or reuse your existing set of lenses

Process a high-definition high dynamic range panorama directly in the RAM of the computer (single-pass, multi-pass)

Take advantage of the latest technology in tablet PCs for image control, display and storage

Remove the Seitz D3 digital scan back and use it with the Round shot D3, the Alpa family of medium format cameras
(Alpa 12 SWA, WA, TC, XY) or with other medium or large format cameras (in the future)







Click here for the price list

High ISO Modes in Compact Digital Cameras

Here is an interesting summary on various ISO modes in compact digital cameras by Dpreview.

There is a lot of variation in the appearance high ISO output of different cameras, but they're all crippled by the same small sensors / lack of sensitivity. (except for the 6megapixels Fujifilm models)

Do not expect to be able to produce large prints from compact camera high ISO modes.

Subject matter matters: portraits are a lot more forgiving of noise reduction than landscapes.

Once you get over ISO 400 any advantage of higher mega pixel counts is usually lost.

There is no compact camera on the market that can produce acceptable full size results at ISO 3200, and only a handful that can at ISO 800 or ISO 1600. Again the exception is the Fujifilm F30 model

Even viewed full screen on a large monitor you will see the loss of quality.

Optical image stabilization is not a replacement for high ISO - it can combat camera shake, but it doesn't allow you to increase the shutter speed and therefore cannot do anything about blur due to movement of the subject in low light.

If you intend to buy a compact for use in low light look for a fast lens (wide maximum aperture) - it's worth a lot more than a pointless ISO 1600 mode.

For small social snaps (friends in a bar, for example) high ISO modes may well produce acceptable results as long as you are aware of the quality limitations and stick with small prints.

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Sony poor performance yet high share price

According to Reuters, the Sony Play Station 3 (PS3) and the recall of laptop batteries has been blamed for Sony not hitting forecast profits; however the company does claim that the future is looking good. Although it may add to the bottom line, the launch of the new Sony DSLR's may help help push up profits.

Here's what they say:

Sony has reported a profit downturn due to losses in its game unit, but it has forecast a sharp rise in profits this year as it boosts sales of its PlayStation 3 video game machine and LCD TVs.

The Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate was hit hard last year by massive costs to launch the PS3 and recalled 9.6 million units of its laptop PC batteries, which in rare cases could catch fire from overheating.

But it is taking steps to cut production costs for the PS3 and is starting up an advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) panel plant with Samsung Electronics this year, which should help it make TVs more efficiently.

Sony, which is locked in a battle with Microsoft and Nintendo for dominance in the $30 billion video game industry, forecasts an operating profit of $3.66 billion for the year to March 2008.

The estimate represents a six-fold gain on 2006/07 and beats the consensus of 377.8 billion yen in a poll of 20 analysts by Reuters Estimates, though it includes a 59 billion yen profit from a sale of land not likely reflected in the consensus.

Sony expects sales to grow 5.8 percent to 8.78 trillion yen. Analysts said Sony's forecasts looked strong.

"The forecast looks really good. It will be a matter of whether the company can actually achieve that goal," said Tomomi Yamashita, senior fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management.

"Investors think highly of Sony's efforts to turn around its struggling electronics business. Now its game business is underperforming, and whether it can fix that too will be closely watched."

For January-March, the fourth quarter of the past business year, Sony booked an operating loss of 113.4 billion yen, against a loss of 51.9 billion yen a year earlier and the consensus of a 94.5 billion yen loss according to five analysts. Operating profit at Sony came to 71.75 billion yen in the year ended March 31, down from 226.42 billion yen a year earlier.

Sales rose 10.5 percent to 8.295 trillion yen while net profit rose 2.2 percent to 126.3 billion yen, boosted by the strong performance by Sony Ericsson, the world's fourth-largest mobile phone maker owned jointly by Sony and Ericsson .

Sony, which offers Bravia LCD TVs, Cyber-shot digital cameras and Vaio PCs, has packed its cutting-edge technology such as a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player into the PS3, enabling lifelike graphics but driving up its manufacturing costs. The basic version of the PS3 is priced at twice as much as Nintendo's new console, the Wii, which has been outselling the Sony machine in Japan and the United States since the devices were launched late last year.

Sony said it would aim to nearly double shipments of the PS3 to 11 million units in 2007/08, but it warned that it would be difficult to bring its game division into the black following an operating loss of 232 billion yen in the past year.

It is banking on a better showing for the PlayStation Portable. Shipments of the handheld game player fell 41 percent in 2006/07 amid competition with Nintendo's popular DS device.


Howard Stringer, who became the company's first non-Japanese chief executive in 2005, has pledged to put Sony on the right track by selling non-core assets and pouring resources into its electronics segment that makes up two-thirds of overall sales.

The electronics unit improved to an operating profit of 157 billion yen in 2006/07 from a 7 billion yen profit in the prior year as it enjoyed robust demand for digital cameras, high-end camcorders and benefited from a weaker yen.

Sony also more than doubled sales of LCD TVs to 6.3 million units and predicted a further surge to 10 million this year.

"We expect profits from TVs to get a boost this year, led by LCDs. We had a huge cost for the battery recall, but we won't have such expenses this year," Sony Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda told a news conference.

The upbeat forecast will likely underpin the perception among investors that Sony is on a recovery path, even if it is still playing catch-up with Apple Inc. in the portable music player market and faces cut-throat competition with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. in flat screen TVs.

Prior to the announcement, shares in Sony closed up 1.3 percent at 6,460 yen, having gained about 27 percent since the start of the year. The stock is now up about 70 percent since Stringer took the helm in June 2005.

"I think investors will be positive about the results. It won't be a case of the stock taking off, but there should be some gains. It would not be strange to see Sony's stock go as high as 7,000 yen," said Shigemi Nonaka, adviser at Polestar Investment Management".



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