Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

Alright, here we go! Nikon has just announced not one, but two cameras. The D800 and its sibling, the D800E. Both D800s feature a number of changes from the D700, the main difference being that 36 megapixel FX sensor. I am not sure if that many people need all those megapixels, but I guess Nikon is trying to woo the affluent amateur in addition to the thrifty professional with this camera. The sensor has a base ISO range of 100-6400, and an extended range of 50-25,600. No super high numbers like the D4 here. Still, a number of changes do carry over from the D4, including the new 91,000 RGB matrix sensor for determining exposures, the improved CAM-3500 AF module, and the 3.2" VGA LCD screen. There is an ambient light sensor for the LCD screen to boost its brightness levels, just like a smartphone, which is a nice touch.

The D800 also inherits the D4's video capabilities. That means the D800 does 1080p videos at 30, 25 and 24 FPS, with B frame compression in h.264 codec, HDMI pass through with uncompressed video data, a microphone jack, fine control of audio levels with visual indicators, a headphone jack to monitor said audio levels, and built-in time lapse recording. Each video clip is limited to 29m 59s (in other words, a second shy of 30 minutes, presumably for tax reasons in certain countries).

Back to the stills side, the camera has a maximum frame rate for 4 FPS at FX, and 5 FPS in crop mode. With the MB-D12 battery pack using other batteries than the default EN-EL15 (which replaced the EN-EL3e), the camera can do 6 FPS in crop mode. Shifting all those megapixels has made the D800 slower than the D700 in that aspect. Improved over the D700 however, is the viewfinder. It is now a 100% affair, unlike the D700 slighty cropped 95% coverage. Other improvements include faster contrast detect autofocus for live view, faster shutter response times, the addition of a SD card slot alongside the CF card slot, dual-axis virtual horizon (great for eliminating converging vertical lines), built-in two shot HDR, and overall changes to the UI. I particularly like the new frame advance setting dial on the left side of the camera. Finally one no longer has to peer at the top of the camera to confirm that self-timer mode has not been engaged. A dedicated bracketing button also means that the right function button next to the lens mount is no longer the only way to access bracketing. I hate it when camera manufacturers make features only accessible to custom function buttons, forcing you to pretty much set the custom function button to that feature anyway. It really doesn't leave much choice in setting the custom function!

Now, on to the D800E. It is essentially the D800, but with the anti-aliasing filter removed. Sounds pretty tasty. To compensate for potential moire, Nikon has added a moire removal feature in an upcoming version of Capture NX2.

The Nikon D800 will go on sale in late March for US$3000. The D800E will go on sale in mid-April for US$3300. That is right. Take away a part, promise higher image quality, charge US$300 more. More coverage at the link. Coverage of the D800 seems a bit sparse this time; DPReview even got the battery information wrong!

Update: DPReview has a preview up! Loads more information, especially on the new features.

"For those whom 24X, 30X, and even 36X zooms aren't enough, the Coolpix P510 has a whopping *42X* optical zoom lens. And no, it doesn't come with its own tripod."

24-1000mm equivalent zoom lens. That's right. 1000mm equivalent. That is what the P510 packs. The lens is not too slow at a f/3.0-5.6 maximum aperture, and it comes with Nikon's VR optical stabilisation to help stabilise that really long focal length. I still recommend a tripod, and a bright sunny day to make use of that range! The rest of the camera is pretty much a current superzoom (or should it be ultra-mega-superzoom now?). It is equipped with a 16 megapixel backlit sensor, a tilting (as opposed to fully articulated) 3" VGA LCD, 1080p videos at 30 FPS, and includes a GPS sensor. The camera's UI means serious business: Two command dials grace the camera to accommodate the camera's manual controls, along with two zoom controllers to handle that monster zoom range. Ships in February for US$430.

Next up is the P310, an update of the P300. Like the P300, it is not quite a Canon Powershot S100 (or similar) challenger. While it offers a bright (at the wide end at least) 4x 24-100mm f/1.8-4.9 zoom lens, the 16 megapixel backlit sensor is the same 1/2.3" affair as the P510, which is almost half the area of the S100's 1/1.7" sensor. It also lacks the S100's RAW file recording capability. The rest of the camera is almost tantalising, which makes me wonder what Nikon is trying to do here. Like the P510, there is Nikon's VR optical image stabilisation, a 1080p video mode at 30 FPS, a 3" VGA LCD (but fixed here), and a number of nice touches to the UI (like a full rear command dial and a customisable function button on the front, like Nikon's DSLRs). Ships in February for US$330, which is cheaper than the Canon S100, but I really would rather have the bigger sensor and RAW capability for US$100 more. More details and photos at the read link.

After the excitement (or disappointment) of the P-series cameras, here are the more standard releases. Let us start with the S9300 travelzoom camera. It has an 18x optically stabilised 25-450mm equivalent f/3.5-5.9 zoom lens, a 16 megapixel backlit sensor, 1080p video at 30 FPS, a 3" VGA LCD, and built-in GPS. Ships in March for US$350.

Next up is the S9300's little brother, the S6300. It has the same 16 megapixel backlit sensor, but a shorter 10x optically stabilised 25-250mm equivalent f/3.2-5.8 zoom lens. The LCD is a smaller one, at 2.7" with just QVGA resolution. GPS is also not present, but at least the same 1080p 30 FPS video is still present. Ships in March for US$200.

After that are a pair of budget compacts, the S4300 and S3300. Both use a standard 16 megapixel CCD, a 6x optically stabilised 26-156mm equivalent f/3.5-6.5(!) zoom lens and 720p video. The main difference between the two is that the S4300 uses a 3" HVGA touchscreen, while the S3300 uses a 2.7" QVGA screen. The S4300 will ship in March for US$170, while the S3300 will go for US$140. More details and images at the read link.

It is not every day a US$120 camera is interesting, but I think Nikon has done it. The S30 is a camera with unremarkable, even mediocre, specifications: A tiny 1/3" 10 megapixel CCD with a 3x 29-87mm equivalent f/3.3-5.9 zoom lens, a 2.7" QVGA LCD screen, and 720p video mode. What makes it interesting is that the camera has been given a slightly rugged shell that is waterproof to 9.8 feet (3 metres), shockproof to 2.6 feet (0.8 metres) and dustproof. It also takes common AA batteries. Together with the price, I think this might be a great camera for the children, or for slightly more adventurous activities where a cheaper camera is good enough for to capture the fun. Ships in February for, as mentioned, US$120.

Next up are the L budget cameras. The L810 is a budget superzoom, packing a 26x optically stabilised 22.5-585mm equivalent f/3.1-5.9 zoom lens, a 16 megapixel CCD, 3" VGA LCD and 720p video mode. The camera uses four AA batteries to power it. The specs are pretty decent for a budget zoom. One can hope the photos match the specs. Ships in February for US$280.

Finally there is the L26. This budget shooter has 5x 26-130mm equivalent f/3.2-6.5 lens, 720p video mode, and a 3" QVGA LCD screen. The camera will ship in February for US$120. More details and photos at the link.

So here it is. I hope the rumours have not totally spoilt it for you. The Nikon D4 is the latest flagship, and will replace the D3S. The specs look good, but most of the upgrades seem geared towards video. Let us take a look!

On the photo side of things, there is a new 16 megapixel FX sensor that does ISO 100 to ISO 12k, with ISO 50 on the low end and ISO 200k on the high with boost (I feel silly saying ISO 204,800; does this kind of precision really matter?), an upgraded CAM 3500 module that boasts fifteen cross points out of the 51 AF points, and nine that will work with the Nikon 1.4x and 1.7x teleconverters, and one (just the one?) point that will work at f/8 with 2x teleconverters. I distinctly remember my F100's AF working with a third party lens and a third party teleconverter at f/8, so this does not feel totally new, but I could be mistaken. The camera boasts a frame rate of 10 FPS, with 11 FPS if the AF tracking is disabled. The 1005 pixel RGB Matrix meter is now a 91000 pixel sensor, and is also used for other tasks like face detection and dynamic range manipulation (what Nikon calls Active D-Lighting).

There is a new bigger VGA LCD at 3.2", along with a few upgraded controls. The buttons are now backlit, which is a very nice touch, coming a few years after Olympus did that with the E-620 (a consumer DSLR, no less!). The AE-L/AF-L button is gone however, replaced by a joystick nub that looks suspiciously like Canon's one, which is also replicated in the vertical grip. Also, get ready for a new battery: the new EN-EL18 is rated for 2600 shots. Err, that does seem lower than the D3S's 4200 shots. Change in methodology? XQD support is now added, with one slot for it, and the other for the old standby CompactFlash. There is also an Ethernet port, along with a new WiFi transmitter for connectivity, which also allows remote access via the Internet. Yes that's right, the D4 can be controlled from a tablet!

Most of the big upgrades however, are in the video portion. In fact, Nikon bills this as a "multimedia SLR". See that little record button behind the shutter release? The D4 does 1080p video at 24/30 FPS at 24 Mbps bitrate, but also allows uncompressed video to be streamed out of the HDMI port. This allows a monitor with a recording device daisy-chained to it if maximum quality is desired. B frame compression is now supported, along with microphone and headphone jacks. No word if gain on the microphone jack can be controlled. Both AF and exposure can be controlled while recording, and there is a neat trick to use the FX, DX or CX (that's 1x, 1.5x and 2.7x respectively) crop for videos.

It is a nice upgrade in all, but I am not sure if current D3S owners who use their cameras for stills will be upgrading. I think most might still stick with the D3S. The D4 will be released in February 2012 with a price of US$6000. More photos and press release after the break.

There is also a new lens, the AF-S 85mm f/1.8G lens. It is, depending if it is mounted on a FX or DX camera, a nice short or medium telephoto, and an AF-S update to the older AF 85mm f/1.8D lens. Good for those using cameras like the D5100, which lack the internal AF motor. If this is like most of the AF-S primes released so far, expect the AF-S motor to be more on the slower side of fast. The lens will be available for US$500 in March 2012. Photo and press release after the break.

Nikon D4 Overview - DPReview

Nikon D4 and AF-S 85mm f/1.8G - DCResource

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"The AW100 is Nikon’s first foray into the weather-proof camera market and is is waterproof to 10 meters, shock-proof to 1.5 meters, and freezeproof to as low as -10°C (14°F). The Coolpix AW100 also has a 16-megapixel back illuminated CMOS sensor, a 5x, 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens with lens-shift vibration reduction, 3-inch 460K-dot LCD monitor, full 1080p HD video with stereo sound, 3fps burst shooting, built-in GPS, a world map display and an electronic compass."

Once again, does anyone really like Nikon compacts? Image quality on the Coolpixes in the last seven years have ranged from average to downright terrible, and the cameras themselves are rarely a joy to use. The AW100 does not do much to shake off this reputation, but at least it as less competition since it is one of the few waterproof and shockproof compact cameras in the market (it seems only Panasonic, Olympus and Pentax have updated theirs). Still, at least it will survive a drop where most cameras will not!

"The Nikon 1 J1 (priced from $649) is the entry-level model in Nikon's brand new line of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The 1-System cameras feature a new 10 Megapixel CX-format sensor, which is smaller than Micro Four Thirds and APS-C, but larger than what you'll find on compact cameras and the Pentax Q. It also uses new CX-mount lenses, which have a 2.7X crop factor. Image stabilization is built into select lenses, rather into the body itself."

DCResource.com has a review of the Nikon J1 up, and the samples here look much better. Image quality is quite close to a Micro Four Thirds camera, but dynamic range seems to suffer a bit. The "small" sensor does not look so bad now, does it? The camera really is quite small, as you can see. Nikon really needs to release a set of zoom lenses that can match the size of the camera, just like what Panasonic has done. Read the review for all the details, including the performance of the hybrid AF system built in to the imaging sensor!

"The Nikon 1 J1 (priced from $649) is the entry-level model in Nikon's brand new line of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The 1-System cameras feature a new 10 Megapixel CX-format sensor, which is smaller than Micro Four Thirds and APS-C, but larger than what you'll find on compact cameras and the Pentax Q. It also uses new CX-mount lenses, which have a 2.7X crop factor. Image stabilization is built into select lenses, rather into the body itself."

DCResource.com has a review of the Nikon J1 up, and the samples here look much better. Image quality is quite close to a Micro Four Thirds camera, but dynamic range seems to suffer a bit. The "small" sensor does not look so bad now, does it? The camera really is quite small, as you can see. Nikon really needs to release a set of zoom lenses that can match the size of the camera, just like what Panasonic has done. Read the review for all the details, including the performance of the hybrid AF system built in to the imaging sensor!

"The Nikon 1 J1 (priced from $649) is the entry-level model in Nikon's brand new line of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The 1-System cameras feature a new 10 Megapixel CX-format sensor, which is smaller than Micro Four Thirds and APS-C, but larger than what you'll find on compact cameras and the Pentax Q. It also uses new CX-mount lenses, which have a 2.7X crop factor. Image stabilization is built into select lenses, rather into the body itself."

DCResource.com has a review of the Nikon J1 up, and the samples here look much better. Image quality is quite close to a Micro Four Thirds camera, but dynamic range seems to suffer a bit. The "small" sensor does not look so bad now, does it? The camera really is quite small, as you can see. Nikon really needs to release a set of zoom lenses that can match the size of the camera, just like what Panasonic has done. Read the review for all the details, including the performance of the hybrid AF system built in to the imaging sensor!

"Nikon isn't targeting pros or even advanced amateur shooters with its latest addition to the interchangeable lens camera family. Instead, the company is marketing its J1 to soccer moms (and dads), fashion-conscious young folk, and casual shooters who want some of the versatility of a DSLR, but are willing to sacrifice excellent image quality for a more compact design. But what about the rest of us? Will Nikon one day reward our patience with a true class competitor? Perhaps, but that's definitely not what we have here."

Well, I have ranted before that Engadget may not do the best camera reviews, and I am sure you guys have read my thoughts on the Nikon 1 system, so I will just skip those and say that this time, I have discovered that Engadget does post full size samples, bundled in a zip file located at a link at the bottom of the review, that goes to... Megaupload. After struggling with that abomination of a download site, the samples are not encouraging. Instead of images that look better than its sensor size would suggest, it is the complete opposite: They look more like something from a much smaller sensor. I will be looking out for other reviews as well, but the early signs are not looking good.

Nikon's latest mirrorless system is notable as it marks the entry of one of the Big Two into this area. Panasonic and Olympus, who started the trend, were after all failed DSLR manufacturers whose original Four Thirds system hardly made a dent against the combined market stranglehold by Nikon and Canon. Nikon's entry in a way shows that the mirrorless system camera is here to stay (for several years at least), but will it be successful in its own right? I have my doubts, but surprise: they are not based on the one thing most people are complaining about.

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Reading through comments about the Nikon 1 on other sites, it seems to be getting universally panned...I wonder if this is what Nikon was expecting? To be lambasted by the photography community, but still sell a lot of them to consumers at retail? Some of the features - such as the Smart Photo Selector, which takes 20 photos in rapid succession then analyzes them and allows you to pick from the best five - are interesting and could be very appealing to consumers. Heck, I'd like to see that feature on my next camera! The 10 fps full-resolution capture is also intriguing because it includes auto-focus tracking; with focus locked it will capture a blistering 60 fps. So is a Nikon 1 on your wish list?

Nikon has announced the three lenses for the Nikon 1 cameras. The three lenses are the 10-30mm (27-81mm equivalent) f/3.5-5.6, the 10mm (27mm equivalent) f/2.8 pancake, the 30-110mm (81-297mm equivalent) f/3.8-5.6mm telephoto lens, and the 10-100mm (27-270mm equivalent) f/4.5-5.6 VR power zoom lens. Looking at the designs, they will be similar to the Micro Four Thirds lenses, in having purely electronic focusing, with the zooms doing away with a dedicated focus ring altogether. The zooms also appear to be collapsible lenses, like some of the Olympus lenses. More images at the link.

Nikon has decided to reach back into the past and use the "1" name from its Nikon One rangefinder (Nikon's first camera). While not quite the clone the original One was, the new Nikon 1 cameras are not quite the groundbreaking devices the Nikon F was either. First up, the new cameras use a new mount, dubbed CX-mount , and I assume the label will apply to the new sensor size: 13.2x8.8mm, which is about half of that of Micro Four Thirds. That will spark quite some massive disappointment among a lot of photo enthusiasts. Also not mentioned is any kind of backward compatibility with the F-mount, which means, for all intents and purposes, the 1 series will have to stand on its own with just three lenses on launch. [Correction: There is a VT1 adaptor, though without mention of price, nor is there a photo of it. It looks like the adaptor will likely work with AF-S lenses, and may not be available at launch. Thanks Marlof!] It clearly is marketed at casual shooters, with the colour options for the J1 including a very bright pink.

The J1 and V1 cameras are quite similar, with both using the same 10 megapixel CX sensor, featuring an ISO ceiling of 3200, and 1080p videos at 30 FPS. The camervtas can also do high-speed videos at up to 1200 FPS, with no mention of resolution. Both cameras will feature a 73 point hybrid AF system, which does both contrast and phase detect AF, and is claimed as the world's fastest mirrorless AF. We shall see about that. The cameras can do 10 FPS still capture, with an option of 60 FPS if AF is locked. I am going to assume this means an electronic shutter on the 1 cameras, which should mean a very quiet camera compared to the other mirrorless cameras on the market.

The V1 differs from the J1 in having an 1.4million dot EVF and an accessory port, while the J1 is slightly smaller due to lacking the EVF hump, but offers a built-in flash. The V1's accessory port is proprietary, like Sony's, so again, kiss goodbye to all your Nikon flashes and whatever hotshoe accesories you might have. Also, the LCD on the V1 is a 3" VGA LCD, while the J1 sports a 3" HVGA LCD. The V1 will ship with the 10-30/3.5-5.6 kit lens (equivalent to 27-81mm) in October for US$900, and the J1 with the same lens for US$650. Personally at those prices I really am not sure of their future. Press release after the break.

Engadget Coverage

DCResource Coverage

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Nikon has announced a whole bunch of cameras, starting with the Coolpix P7100. Following up on the not-very-successful P7000, the new camera features the same 10 megapixel CCD (at a slightly larger 1/1.7" size) and optically stabilised 7.1x 28-200mm equivalent f/2.8-5.6 lens, but updates the body styling to include a countered handgrip and a front command dial and a tilting 3" VGA LCD. More importantly, Nikon promises improved performance with the camera, which really was the P7000's main problem. Other features like 720p video and a hotshoe are still present. Retails for US$500 in September. More cameras after the break!

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"The so-called 'Travel Zoom' category was effectively invented by Panasonic, with the Lumix DMC-TZ1. Released in 2006, the TZ1 was the first camera with a 10x optical zoom lens that could truly be called 'compact', and although Panasonic had the field to itself for a while, it wasn't long before other manufacturers started to move into the same space. Fast forward to 2011, and almost all of the major camera manufacturers offer compact cameras with at least 10x optical zooms, up to almost 20x in some cases."

The travel zoom area is probably the last major growth area for compacts in light of compacts getting squeezed from smartphones at the low end and cheap DSLRs and cute mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras on the high end, so it would be nice to see some more innovation in this area, instead of so-so image quality tacked to a design that has not changed much from the TZ1's launch in 2006. Still, they are still popular enough, and DPReview takes a look at some of the latest round of travel zooms, and there's a surprise winner in the round-up. Hint: The brand starts with an "N". I always thought their compacts were on the lacklustre side, and in fact, the sample images are not very inspiring in some cases; the camera gets a win mostly in the way it handles and operates. Hit the link for the roundup!

"The so-called 'Travel Zoom' category was effectively invented by Panasonic, with the Lumix DMC-TZ1. Released in 2006, the TZ1 was the first camera with a 10x optical zoom lens that could truly be called 'compact', and although Panasonic had the field to itself for a while, it wasn't long before other manufacturers started to move into the same space. Fast forward to 2011, and almost all of the major camera manufacturers offer compact cameras with at least 10x optical zooms, up to almost 20x in some cases."

The travel zoom area is probably the last major growth area for compacts in light of compacts getting squeezed from smartphones at the low end and cheap DSLRs and cute mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras on the high end, so it would be nice to see some more innovation in this area, instead of so-so image quality tacked to a design that has not changed much from the TZ1's launch in 2006. Still, they are still popular enough, and DPReview takes a look at some of the latest round of travel zooms, and there's a surprise winner in the round-up. Hint: The brand starts with an "N". I always thought their compacts were on the lacklustre side, and in fact, the sample images are not very inspiring in some cases; the camera gets a win mostly in the way it handles and operates. Hit the link for the roundup!

"The so-called 'Travel Zoom' category was effectively invented by Panasonic, with the Lumix DMC-TZ1. Released in 2006, the TZ1 was the first camera with a 10x optical zoom lens that could truly be called 'compact', and although Panasonic had the field to itself for a while, it wasn't long before other manufacturers started to move into the same space. Fast forward to 2011, and almost all of the major camera manufacturers offer compact cameras with at least 10x optical zooms, up to almost 20x in some cases."

The travel zoom area is probably the last major growth area for compacts in light of compacts getting squeezed from smartphones at the low end and cheap DSLRs and cute mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras on the high end, so it would be nice to see some more innovation in this area, instead of so-so image quality tacked to a design that has not changed much from the TZ1's launch in 2006. Still, they are still popular enough, and DPReview takes a look at some of the latest round of travel zooms, and there's a surprise winner in the round-up. Hint: The brand starts with an "N". I always thought their compacts were on the lacklustre side, and in fact, the sample images are not very inspiring in some cases; the camera gets a win mostly in the way it handles and operates. Hit the link for the roundup!

"Choosing a digital camera used to be a simple process that was heavily dictated by the amount of money in your pocket. Now the same money can buy you different benefits and compromises, making the decision much more complex. Here's a look at your camera-buying options, the pros and cons of each, and some specific suggestions to help you pick the perfect camera for your needs."

Lifehacker has a long article on how to choose a camera (and it even includes a guide on cameras in phones), but I recommended not going through the recommended picks just because they are there. Seriously, a Sony NEX-3?

Talk about an absolute surprise: After releasing the Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5, I thought that would be it for DX Micro Nikkors. Today Nikon proves me wrong by releasing a 40mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor. Does Nikon think that DX users lack options for macro lenses? (Hint: They probably don't.) The lens offfers a 1:1 reproduction ratio (meaning it can capture an area equal to that of the sensor, which translates to 24mm by 16mm on a DX camera), but the cost of having such a short focal length results in a 5cm working distance from the front of the lens. The lens will be available from the 25th of August at a fairly low price of US$280, but I wonder if Nikon should concentrate on other lenses. Is anyone interested in this lens at all?