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posts by Derek

About Derek

Our resident web guru, Derek graduated from Ball State with a BFA in Visual Communications. When not in the office slaying CSS dragons, jousting social media windmills, or working on the blog, he's also a fine artist, working in oil paints and photography. He's an Olympus shooter, and swears by his trusty tank of an E-3.


Nikon Updates Coolpix Line-up

Nikon decided to grace us with some announcements last night, although those of you waiting for word on if something will replace the D700 are going to just have to wait a bit longer. Instead, we got the annual fresher for the Coolpix line-up, with 2 L-series entries, 5 S-series ones, and two P-series revamps. But because that’s too easy, one of the S series is being lumped in with the L series at the bottom. Confused yet? Good. We don’t like being the only ones.

From the bottom up, we find ourselves starting with the L “Lifestyle” series of entry-level compacts. And one S. But we’ll let that slide for now. These are the cheaper, budget-conscious models,and they are also the ones that still use AAs for power, if you’re into that sort of thing. As usual, the marketing speak in these releases is just amazing, so, far be it for us to deprive you of the joy, we’ll introduce each model with Nikon’s promo line. Starting with:

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Tokina, Tamron, and Freaking ASTRODESIGN Hop On Board The Micro Four Thirds Train

So, while the Interchangeable Lens Compact market has since exploded, with entries now from Nikon, Fuji, and Sony joining Olympus and Panasonic’s sorta-shared sorta-competitor Micro Four Thirds platform, Micro Four Thirds is still the most established name in the game. And if you had any doubts about that left, the announcement of popular lens makers Tamron and Tokina, as well as specialty lens maker ASTRODESIGN, hopping on board with Sigma, Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica to support the going-on-four-year-old system ought to help remove those. There’s not a lot else to announce at this point, as no one has mentioned any coming lenses, but fans of Tamron’s travel superzooms and Tokina’s incredibly popular wide-angle zooms should rejoice in this move. Press release after the jump.

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Then And Now, Pro DSLR Pricing

While there’s no doubt on paper that this year’s two big pro DSLRs, the Canon EOS-1D X and the Nikon D4, are monstrous superstars, you don’t have to look very far (or very long) online before you find an all-too-familiar cry against the “unfairly” high prices of these cameras (with announced initial retail prices of $6,800 and $5,999.95 respectively). And, while many a working pro knows that like it or not, that’s just the cost of a tool in their trade, a lot of hobbyists might not have the same perspective on such daunting price tags.

So, after seeing a used Canon EOS-1D body come in this morning, I got curious to sit down and see just how bad things have become with pricing, and what features you get for those prices. And, I came up with the following information:

Nikon

Nikon was the first of the big two out with a digital SLR. The D1 was introduced in the now-dusty year of 1999, and had a massive 2.7 megapixel sensor and a price tag of $5,500 body only (1999 currency). Because getting high-yield sensors was difficult and expensive, Nikon opted to use a lesser-known film size, the APS-C standard, for its sensor size, creating the 1.5x crop factor DX format that it still uses in many bodies to this day. If we compare specs and prices adjusted for inflation, this is how it stacks up next to its newest incarnation:

D1 (1999) D4 (2012)
Price $5,500.00 $5,999.99
Price (Adjusted to 2011 USD) $7,468.58 $5,999.99
Megapixels 2.74 16.2
Sensor Size 15.6mm x 23.7mm (APS-C DX) 36.0mm x 23.9mm (Full Frame)
Sensor Type CCD CMOS
ISO Range 200-1,600 100-12,800
AF Points 5 51
Frames-per-second 4.5 (21 shots) 10/11 (depends on card)
Metering 1,005 pixel 91,000 pixel
LCD 2″ 120,000 dot 3.2″ 921,000 dot
X-Sync 1/500 1/250 (1/8000 FP)
Shutter Speeds 30 – 1/16,000 30-1/8,000
Movie None 1080 HD

Canon

Canon was a bit later to the DSLR game, coming out near the end of 2001 with its EOS-1D camera. It launched with a then-unusual 1.3x APS-H sensor packing 4.48 megapixels, and a 2001 price tag of $6,499.

EOS-1D (2001) EOS-1D X (2012)
Price $6,499.00 $6,800.00
Price (Adjusted to 2011 USD) $8,306.60 $6,800.00
Megapixels 4.48 18.1
Sensor Size 28.7mm x 19.1mm (APS-H) 36.0mm x 24mm (Full Frame)
Sensor Type CCD CMOS
ISO Range 200-1,600 100-51,200
AF Points 45 61
Frames-per-second 8 (16 shots) 12 (unspecified)
Metering 21 zone 251 zone (100,000 pixel)
LCD 2″ 120,000 dot 3.2″ 1,040,000 dots
X-Sync 1/500 1/250 (1/8000 FP)
Shutter Speeds 30 – 1/16,000 30-1/8,000
Movie None 1080 HD

As you can see, with the prices adjusted for their relative purchasing power at the time, these new pro cameras are actually notably less than their predecessors, and feature generally dramatically improved specs at the same time. The problem with pricing perceptions has a lot more to do with an inattention to the declining value of the US dollar, and much less to do with any purported disconnects from the two big manufacturers. The relative cost of these imaging machines hasn’t changed drastically over the past decade (and the change that did happen was down in relative spending power, they cost less), but the amount of technology inside has. Which is pretty much as expected from technology (last year’s price, this year’s tech).



Kodak Announces Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

 

After a rough battle for nearly the past decade with declining marketshare, Eastman Kodak has today filed in the US for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Founded back in 1892, Kodak is one of those companies that really needs no introduction, it’s such a household name. Among many products and services, Kodak has been perhaps the most successful manufacturer of photographic films, with such popular lines as  Ektar, Portra, T-max, and Kodachrome (which even got a song). Their films were so popular that to this day particularly sentimental moments are still called “Kodak moments.”

Also of particular note, both to our current field and to Kodak’s own filing, in 1975 Kodak’s research labs created the first digital camera, with a 100x100pixel sensor, and in the 1990′s Kodak produced the first commercially available digital camera bodies by retrofitting existing Nikon and Canon ones. The modern photographic landscape owes so much to work from Kodak that it’s hard to even comprehend. Even the Bayer filter, the common means of interweaving red, greed, and blue pixels on a sensor to create accurate colors, is due to Kodak.

Those interested can read the surprisingly hopeful press release after the jump, for further details on how this will affect Kodak’s operations.

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Panasonic Expands Lumix Line 5 Models, One All-New

More CES love? Aw, shucks, well, sure. This time, it’s Panasonic on the block, with a total of five entries to its Lumix line of compacts. Two are updaes to the SZ series, 2 are updates to the FH series, and one is the new DMC-S2. What’s all that mean, exactly? Well, why not hop on over to Engadget, who not only nabbed the press releases, but some pretty pictures too?



Sony Announces Two New Bloggies, Encourages You To Get Your Splash On

Sony’s Bloggie line of camcorders may have had a rough start back as the Webbie HD series, a duo of compact cameras aimed squarely at the social generation… and the now-defunct but then-popular Flip pocket camcorders. Since then, the line has evolved into the Bloggie series, moving away from Sony’s… less than popular memory stick cards to integrated memory, and adding increasingly elegant design with touchscreens and metal bodies. And now we have not only your annual refresh, but the addition of a ruggedized waterproof sports Bloggie, too.

Up first is the Bloggie Live HD (also known by it’s technical name of MHS-TS55/S, for those of you who are more fluent in cyborg than I am). Starting with the hardware, you’re looking at a metal body, in which is housed a fixed 37mm equiv lens, a backlit Exmor sensor that does 1080p video or 12.3 megapixels for still, a 3″ touchscreen, 8GB of internal memory, a flip-out USB dongle, built-in interfacing software for Mac and PC, and a wi-fi card.

Using that wi-fi, you can do more things, like upload direct to social sites (YouTube, Facebook, etc). And going even further, it can now do live streaming (something a lot of the press could probably use out at CES this week). Honestly, this is probably the best spiritual successor to the Flip I’ve seen announced, and anyone who’s been looking to fill that hole in their life should gaze long and hard at this beauty. It might just be the way to go. Especially for the relatively painless retail of @249.97.

 

But, if you need something a bit more… durable, don’t worry, the Bloggie line now has you covered there, too, via the Bloggie Sport HD (MHS-TS22/L in the cyborgese). If you’re willing to trade down to a 2.7″ screen, a 5 megapixel still function, and the wi-fi, you can add on waterproofing down to 16 feet, and drop protection up to 5 feet. Which ought to make this a gem for adventuring types. For some reason I’m still thinking kayaks. I think I have a fixation, here.

And, because there’s apparently a law that waterproof things need to look sporty, the Bloggie Sport HD does indeed sport it up, though not without a certain sleekness. And it’ll do so for you in your choice of blue, red, or black (all adorned with black rubber trim). You also get to shave some scratch off the price, dipping down to $179.97 for this one.

It’s worth noting before we leave that both models also feature Sony’s sensor-shift IS, LED lights, and auto-focus with face detection. Which pretty much rounds out what you’d expect from a pocket cam.

 

 



Sony’s Cybershot W610, W620, W650 Update Line-Up, Skip Numbers.

Not wanting to miss out on the CES lovage, Sony has thrown 3 new models into its Cybershot line-up.

The W610 starts us off with some pretty typical entry specs: 14megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom (28-114mm equiv), 2.7″ LCD, face detection, smile detection, blink detection, sweep panorama, dynamic range optimizer, and a rather curious “Natural Flash.” And five colors: green, black, blue, red, silver. No HD video, though. VGA only. Price will be $109.99 for this one.

The W620 is up next, and features the return of pretty much all of the above, except the lens moves up to a 5x zoom (28-140mm equiv), and the video mode goes up to 720p. You do lose some color choices here, though, with only black, red, and silver being offered. Still, if that’s fine by you, you can pick up that better lens and movie mode for a mere $10 over the W 610, or $119.99.

Lastly, we skip a few numbers ahead to the W650. And, as you might assume from such a jump, the features leap forward a bit as well. You get to keep the 5x 28-140mm zoom, but you upgrade to 16.1 megapixels. The movie mode remains stuck at 720p, but optical image stabilization makes an appearance finally. You also get a 3″ LCD. Firmware-wise, all the usual and previously mentioned Sony technologies stick around, so you can detect blinks and sweep panoramas to your heart’s content.  at least, you can if you don’t mind black, silver, or red and a $139.99 price tag, that is.



Other Olympus Announcements: VG-160, SZ-12, and SP-620UZ

Olympus has even more new cameras, aimed at various markets and price points.

The VG-160 is the littler bro to the VG-320, at least in name. in style, it’s much more a traditional card-style compact. It’s got 14 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom (26-130mm). All pretty stalwart specs. It’s got a vaguely worded “dual image stabilization mode”, which might include sensor-shift as part of it. Either way, it gets a price point one penny under a hundred, at $99.99 initial retail. Colors here are orange, red, black, or silver.

Up next is the newest ultra-zoom (it’s like a super zoom, but with more zoom to zoom), the SP-620UZ. Interestingly, despite having the UZ moniker, this camera actually has less zoom than the plain-old SZ camera that was announced, and at this point the UZ is just telling you it uses the chunkier body style that once-upon-a-time imitated DSLRs, but has now got a different flair to it. Anyway, it’s a 21x zoom (25-525 equiv), and 16 megapixels behind that. The vaguely worded dual image stabilization strikes again, and a guded multiple shot 3D mode creeps in. If you guessed it probably has art filters, then you’ve obviously caught the hang of every Olympus camera announced since the E-P1. Street price for this guy is going to be $199.99, and you can have silver or black.

And last up is the very neat-o looking SZ-12 (seriously, Olympus has really upped its industrial design the past couple years. I approve.) This guy’s got 24x zoom (25-600mm), which ought be enough for pretty much anything. There’s a more conservative 14 megapixel sensor here, which is less good for tight crops but should help high-ISO noise a bit. The vaguely worded dual-IS once more strikes, and at this point I’m just assuming it includes sensor-shift, since it’s be unfathomable not to on a lens this size 9which makes the VG-160 up there even more enticing at that low price point). It can also chug along at a nice 7 frames-per-second. Everything else gets a yadda yadda (3″ LCD, art filters, etc), so, it’s really the lens’ show here. Well, that and the “retro-chic ‘smart grip’,” which does look pretty neat, though we’ll have to get our actual hands on it to confirm ergonomics. Price here is also $199.99, and you can have black, silver, or red.



Olympus Announces New Tough TG-320 All-Weather Compact

With the all-weather (waterproof, freezeproof, crushproof) market being one of the fastest growing ones right now, it’d be easy to forget that Olympus is really the oldest player in the game. At least, until you look at yet another entry for them, where their many years of refinement to the style and design become a bit more apparent. Such is the case with the TG-320, a mere “mid-grade” entry into their famous Tough series.

As a cost-conscious model, it features a mere 14 megapixels, a 3.6x optical zoom (28-102mm equiv, f3.5-5), a 2.7″ LCD, waterproofiness (what? that should totally be a word) to 10 ft, shockproof to 5 ft, and freezeproof to 14 degrees F. In other words, about everything you need to survive every day life, be that bars, kids, or kayaking. All for a street price of  $179.99. And, if you’ve been waiting for just such a refresh to the Tough line, you can preorder it on our site now in red or blue. Or read the press release after the jump, if you like.

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Olympus VR-340 Is Compact and Zoomy, Has Cheesy Press Line

“NEW OLYMPUS VR-340 PROVES BEAUTY IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP.” Thus starts Olympus’ press release for the new VR-340, a stylish upgrade to the also stylish VR-320 of yester-year. Key specs are a 16 megapixel sensor (up two megapixels from the 320) and a 10x superwide 24-240mm equiv zoom (down 2.5x from the 320). Otherwise, you’ve got a metal body, a 3″ rear LCD, nine art filters, the usual compliment of auto scene modes and auto-focus trickery, sensor shift image stabilization, and ISOs up to 1600. In your choice of black, white, silver, red, or purple. All for a very pocket-friendly anticipated cost of $149.99. If you’re in the market for just such a camera, you can put in for what ought to be a very short preorder wait here.

You can also read the press release after the jump.

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