Nikon issued a buncha new firmwares, apparently to support those new boffo 64GB cards that’re starting to trickle out (like this one, maybe?). Anyway, I found this news at DPReview, and they have it laid out the best for getting ahold of those, so rather than reinvent the wheel I’m just going to float them some traffic and send you there to grab those. Just to remember to come back to us when you need the cameras themselves, k?
› posts tagged ‘d3x’
Leica S2: Big and Mighty, and Official
First announced in September last year, the Leica S-System redefines the professional DSLR class with a custom 37.5-megapixel, 30 x 45 mm sensor built into a 35mm-sized body.
So quoth DPReview concerning Leica’s new S2, the first body in their unique S system line-up. Announced formally this week, with pricing and everything, the S system is poised to slot in above top-end DSLRs like Nikon’s D3x and Canon’s 1Ds Mk III, and somewhere under the likes of Mamiya and Hasselblad (more in using the familiar operations of 35mm over the nature of medium format than anything to do with expected and promised quality.) In short, it aims to redefine what a studio camera is and should be.
It’s also well in keeping the Leica tradition of making premium products with the price to match, with the body coming in at $23,000. Also announced at launch are four focal lengths of lens: 70mm f2.5 (which seems to be the ‘standard’ focal length for this new platform), 120mm f2.5, 180mm f3.5, and 35mm f2.5. All four are available in standard flavor, and optionally with a central shutter for a spot more. They start at around $4,500 and weave their way up from there.
Other sundry accessories like a battery grip and a charger have been announced. If the S System piques your interest, give us a ring at 1-800-726-5544 and ask for mail-order to get on our list for it.
Nikon Annouces D300s, D3000, 70-200 f2.8 VR II,and 18-200mm VR II
Nikon today, as you may have already heard, announced the long-awaited D300s (for speed! Kinda like the new iPhone), the new entry-level D3000 (which looks to replace the aging D40/D60 series, spec-wise), and two hot lenses, the newest revision of Nikon’s AF-S 70-200mm VR (now the AF-S 70-200mm VR II), and a new 18-200mm.
D300s
Up front and center is the new DX semi-pro body, the D300s, which now of course sports HD video. It is, probably unsurprisingly given its name, very similar to a D300 in most other regards. Which isn’t bad. The D300 at introduction was an astounding, revolutionary camera and I don’t imagine adding 720p @ 24 fps is going to be detrimental to that legacy.
D3000
The D3000 is a bit of a curveball, apparently forgoing the movie mode of its other recent Nikon kin (although the specs table still lists AVI as a format, mind fixing that, Nikon?). It is fairly typical specs-wise, sporting just over 10 megapixels and 11 autofocus points. Lacking the swiveling screen of its big brother, the D5000, and movie mode, I feel pretty confident saying this slots into their entry level division, and is priced accordingly, coming out around $600 with the 18-55 VR lens.
AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
In a move many have been waiting for ever since the release of the D3 almost 2 years ago, Nikon has finally announced a revision to it’s 70-200mm 2.8 VR. Part of the holy trinity of pro zooms, the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II slots in with the other newer pro lenses to (we expect) create a line-up from 14 to 200mm with enhanced performance for the increasingly more-demanding sensors Nikon has been churning out (D3x, anybody?)
AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
And, lastly, the ever-popular consumer super-zoom, the 18-200mm VR, has been revised, and we’re expecting increased sharpness and overall optical performance out of this lens too. If its predecessor was any benchmark, this stands to be one of the hottest lenses Nikon currently offers.
As is the norm around here, these will all have wait-lists for them so we can handle requests in a rational manner. Call us up at 1-800-726-5544, ask for Mail-Order, and let us know which product you’d like. We’ll add you to our list, and once we start getting these in we’ll go through those lists in order, call you up, and if you still want/need it, we’ll do the sale then.
Glass LCD Screens
So, let’s start off-topic. I’ve been looking into buying a new MP3 player to replace my rather agéd Zen Xtra (a device roughly the size of an internal SATA drive it’s so old now). Not being a fan of the iPod culture, I’ve been doing my due dilligence on its practical competitor, the Zune, and I found the most amazing video ever.
It’s a guy talking about how he feels that for devices with glass screens, people are just wasting money on screen protectors. He then goes on to prove his point using the highly scientific approach of attacking the screen with various metal objects.
Now, to bring this around to topic. About halfway through I looked over at Nick, who had put down the game controller and was now watching the fun along with me, and said ‘you know, Nikon uses glass screens on their DSLRs.’ Which is true, I remember our rep making a big point about in in the D300 training, and the D700, D3, and D3x share that screen.
So, you Nikon pro users, watch below and understand why Nikon is so proud of the durability of that screen:
If anyone uses any other DSLR brand and can get me some documented proof they use glass LCDs (it’s quite possible, just no one else has gone out of their way to make it clear to me like Nikon did), I will more than gladly update this post.
On your Mark II, get set…
Well folks, here’s something I haven’t been expecting for a little while longer: our Canon 5d Mark II units are now in general stock. Heck, we have enough to call stock.
Since I hired in here back in October, the shadow of the Mark II has loomed across the world of digital photography. Being one of three 20+ MP cameras on the market (including the D3x from Nikon and the alpha 900 from Sony), it’s already a big deal but the inclusion of HD video and a more than perfunctory marketing emphasis on that feature sets it apart from the others.
Now that the Mark II is, presumably, to become more widely available I’m intrigued to see what more amateur videographers (or photographers dabbling in shooting video) will produce with it. I am faced with the reality that it is primarily a still camera designed to take advantage of Canon’s powerfuL lens set so the novelty of shooting HD video seems the sort of practice that will remain a fringe phenomena until the invisible hand pushes expense relative to other comparable options down. Of course, those on the fringe can as easily be on the cutting edge as the trailing and in that regard -being the first or last of a trend- has for me a mystique. Aren’t the brief, the rare, and the elusive things the more difficult subjects of the photographic craft? Ok, maybe finding right moment is the difficult part.
Here’s hoping for this being the cutting edge of media, not the trailing.
Nikon D3x
So, while this is old news in the forum worlds, it’s new news in the official world: the D3x has been announced. 24.5 megapixel sensor as more-or-less widely expected. I’m impressed it can shoot 50 mb RAW files at 5 frames per second. Time to start stocking up on 16 GB compact flash memory cards, and lets hope Sandisk trots out some 32 GBs this season.
But, I think my favorite thing about this camera is how it’s clearly designed for a purpose. Yes, I’m talking about the new 100-1600 native ISO range. Yes, it can only push the ISO to 6400, low by today’s standards and seemingly against everything people want from full-frame sensors. But, it seems fairly obvious Nikon wasn’t intending this to be a low-light champion, there’s the D3 and D700 for that purpose. No, this is a new beast designed for work that more than likely already needs a camera tripod. Studio, landscape, macro, fashion– the D3x is claiming a dynamic range and tonality gradient that’ll go head-to-head with medium format.
And I say good for them, taking an 8,000 buck camera and pulling it out of the ISO war. It’s a nice reminder that cameras are tools, you pick the best one for your needs, and if you don’t need ISO 25,600 it becomes little more than a number on the spec sheet.
Nikon D3X
The rumours were getting hot and heavy, but this isn’t what I call a rumour. Nikon has made the official announcement of the Nikon D3X.
It boasts FX-format and a 24.5-megapixel (6048 x 4032) CMOS sensor.
No word on new Nikon lenses though.
We are maintaining a list for this new Nikon digital camera. Email us at info@robertsimaging.com with D3X in the subject and your contact info in the body.
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