Digital Camera Information

With increasing competition Nikon continues to grow stronger and expand steadily in the digital SLR camera market. This is despite increasing sophisticated functionality and a downward trend in prices.

With the latest financial figures indicating a doubling of profit in the April to June quarter due to increase net sales and profit, it looks like Nikon will only go higher in the future. According to the business model shown below, Nikon aims to expand its DSLR camera market by more than 40%. I’m sure the Nikon D80 will help push this even further.

It seeks to do this by:

1. Seeking to maintain its position as the leading pioneer in the digital SLR camera market. By going forward, it will combine various outstanding features with other elements that win the hearts of customers and ensure long-lasting loyalty. The Nikon D80 is one of many to come.

2. Continue the timely introduction of new products is imperative to secure profitability in the digital compact camera market. Achieving this requires the swift development of products that directly satisfy customer needs. Besides strengthening marketing capabilities, Nikon will bolster ties between product development, production, advertising and sales to facilitate sharp response to market trends.

3. Investing heavily in fast-advancing digital technology with the aim of releasing appealing and unique products.

It looks like the new Nikon DSLR due out in August 2006 will be called the Nikon D80. Although the sensor size will be the same, the body will be based on an upgrade of the Nikon D70s.

Interestingly, it looks like it will use SD cards instead of the current Compact Flash cards. I’m not sure why, however it may imply a transition path for exisiting Nikon owners.

For example, for the Nikon D70/D70s customers who have a bunch of Compact Flash cards, the next transition upgrade looks more likely to be the Nikon D200. Whilst for the Nikon D50 customers who have a bunch of SD cards, the transition upgrade target is the Nikon D80.

It makes sense when considering upgrading with a larger step. After all, upgrading from a Nikon D50 to a Nikon D80 is a big step and is as exciting as upgrading from a Nikon 70/D70s to a Nikon D200.

Check it out and decide for yourself.

D80 DSLR Camera w/Nikon 18-55mm F/3.5-4.5G AF-S DXS Lens - Pre-Order Now! Highly Anticipated - The Nikon D80 DSLR Announcement Is Here!Building on the extraordinary success of the D70 and D70s, Nikon introduces the new D80(TM) digital SLR camera — an impressively featured, high performance camera that incorporates Nikon’s latest digital and photographic technologies, and offers advanced features as well as automated operation to satisfy any photographer with the passion to create beautiful photographs and preserve special moments. With a new 10.2 effective megapixel DX Format CCD image sensor and an exclusive high-resolution color processing engine inherited from Nikon’s latest professional digital SLR cameras, the D80 can render images with incredible resolution, sharp detail and vibrant color that is unmatched in this class of cameras. And it can shoot these images fast - at speeds of up to 3 frames per second, for up to 100 consecutive shots (in JPEG Normal mode), ensuring that the camera’s always ready for the next fleeting moment. Paired with the 18-55MM f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens providing an 18-55mm focal length range, the lens can be conveniently used to photograph everything from wide angle landscapes to portraits and is well suited for use at parties, on vacation, and other occasions. 10.2 Megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD Imaging Sensor New High-resolution Nikon image-processing engine Instant 0.18 sec. start-up with fast 80ms shutter response Continuous shooting at up to 3 frames per second and up to 100 consecutive JPEG images Up to 2,700 images per battery charge Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II, plus Variable Center-Weighted and Spot Metering In-Camera Image Retouching Built-in Speedlight with Nikon i-TTL flash metering and two-group Wireless Commander 2.5-inch LCD color monitor with 170 degree wide-angle viewing 11-area AF system with Wide-area Center Segment and Auto-area AF functions Seven Digital Vari-Programs plus Programmed Auto with Flexible Program, Shutter-Priority Auto, Shutter-Priority Auto and Manual Image Optimization Functions Large, bright 0.94x viewfinder Built-in Slideshow function with Pictmotion The D80 works with the efficiency and grace of a fine-tuned instrument, powering up in only 0.18 seconds and capturing a picture with an imperceptible shutter lag time of just 80 milliseconds (0.08 seconds). A new 11-area auto- focus system detects focus with superb precision and can even track a moving subject across the frame, shifting focus instantly and automatically to any of the 11 auto-focus points that detect the subject. The D80’s large, bright 0.94x viewfinder affords a remarkable view not found in many digital SLRs, making critical composition easier and more pleasing. The camera’s rechargeable battery can last up to 2700 shots on a single charge, while also providing a real-time Fuel Gauge of the percentage of charge remaining in the battery at all times. And like all Nikon digital SLR cameras, the D80 feels solid and substantial while being both compact and comfortable

The DSLR environment has dramatically changed with the introduction of new competitors in the market. They include the Sony Alpha, Panasonic LUMIX DMC-L1, Olympus E-330 and the yet to be announced Fujifilm S4 Pro and the Olympus E-3. In response, Nikon will announce a new DSLR camera on the 9th August 2006.

The new camera has a 10.2 mega pixel sensor and is the successor to the Nikon D70s. It has everyone guessing but it definitely fits in between a D70s and the D200 with the body being based on a consumer grade body, the D70s.

I’ve searched through the US Trademark and Patent site and could not find any application for the rumored names such as the D20, D80 or even D90. Although the D20 is a commonly rumored name for the replacement, I believe the D20 most likely is reserved for a much lower spec camera as the numbers doesn’t make any sense, unless Nikon is totally revamping its naming conventions. Under the current Nikon naming arrangement, a D20 would be a very, VERY low spec camera. If Nikon does come out with such a low spec camera (something below the D50), it definitely won’t have a 10 mega pixel sensor. That would totally undercut the Nikon D50, which I don’t think Nikon will do. However, while I don’t think the new 10.2 mega pixels will be a D20, that doesn’t mean Nikon isn’t also coming out with a new low end camera. But why D20? All other consumer grade bodies have had odd numbers. So that would suggest a new low spec body would be a D30. Again, this all assumes Nikon isn’t totally revamping its naming conventions. This leaves the most logical name to be the either the Nikon D80 or D90. Again both are not registered under the US Trademark and patent site, however this may change.

Panasonic has just announced the successor to the popular LUMIX DMC FZ30 with the Fz-50. The new LUMIX DMC FZ50 has a 10.1 mega pixels sensor and includes Panasonic’s revolutionary Intelligent ISO Control technology which compensates for subject movement to decrease image blurriness – an industry first. In addition, the ISO range has improved with a range up to 1600.

Here’s the press release:

” The LUMIX DMC-FZ50 with MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) features a powerful 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 35 mm to 420 mm on a 35 mm film camera) f/2.8 LEICA DC lens. It also boasts a 10.1-megapixel high resolution CCD for its image sensor and Venus Engine III for the image processing LSI, making it possible to record an image at a maximum ISO 1600 high sensitivity setting at full resolution. Furthermore, by dramatically reducing noise levels, the DMC-FZ50 is able to capture 10.1-megapixel full resolution images even in high sensitivity recordings.

The DMC-FZ50 is now compatible with TTL external flashes creating greater flexibility for shooting in a wider range of conditions. The long battery life will allow the user to shoot approximately 360 images on one charge* (CIPA), yet another way the FZ50 stakes its claim to a premium spot in the digital camera market.”

The DMC-FZ50 will begin shipping in September with a MSRP of $649.95.

Source

The Fujifilm Finepix F30 has been reviewed by Steves digicams and writes:

“Like its predecessor, the F30 relies on its high sensitivity to help you capture images in lighting conditions that other consumer camera’s find difficult. While the F10 had a maximum ISO settings of 1600, the F30 raises the bar with a sensitivity of 3200; something only more advanced dSLRs use to offer. The “Picture stabilization” mode, which uses this ability to offer faster shutter speeds in lower lighting conditions, reducing camera shake and motion blur. I was very surprised at how low noise levels were, even at ISO 800. Both ISO 1600 and 3200 are also quite low for a camera in this class, due to the in-camera noise reduction processing. Image detail, however, does suffer a bit, making pictures look a bit “fuzzy” when being viewed at 100%. However, the usefulness of this feature greatly out weighs the negative effects.”

He concludes with “.. The FujiFilm Finepix F30 is an awesome digital package. With its unmatched ISO capabilities, great image quality, robust performance, durable metal body, and loads of useful exposure modes, the F30 is tuff to beat in the 6-megapixel category. While its retail price of US$399 is a bit more expensive than many of the other 6-megapxiel models, we feel that its versatility and advanced features allow it to still offer a great value.”

I tend to agree that althought it’s more expensive than the competition, the high ISO makes up for it and it’s surely worth the extra dollars.

Click here for the full review.

According to the press release by EurekAlert, researchers at the University of Toronto have created a semiconductor device that outperforms today’s conventional chips. This is made it simply by process similar to painting a liquid onto a piece of glass.

The finding, which represents the first time a so-called “wet” semiconductor device has bested traditional, more costly grown-crystal semiconductor devices, is reported in the July 13 issue of the journal Nature.

“Traditional ways of making computer chips, fibre-optic lasers, digital camera image sensors – the building blocks of the information age – are costly in time, money, and energy,” says Professor Ted Sargent of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and leader of the research group. Conventional semiconductors have produced spectacular results such as the personal computer, the Internet, digital photography, however they rely on growing atomically-perfect crystals at 1,000 degrees Celsius and above, he explains.

The Toronto team instead cooked up semiconductor particles in a flask containing extra-pure oleic acid (The main fatty acid in olive oil). The particles are just a few nanometres (one billionth of a metre) across. The team then placed a drop of solution on a glass slide patterned with gold electrodes and forced the drop to spread out into a smooth, continuous semiconductor film using a process called spin-coating. They then gave their film a two-hour bath in methanol to dissolve the fatty acid. Once the solvent evaporated, it left behind an 800 nanometre-thick layer of the light-sensitive nanoparticles.

At room temperature, the paint-on photodetectors were about ten times more sensitive to infrared rays than the sensors that are currently used in military night-vision and biomedical imaging. “These are exquisitely sensitive detectors of light,” says Sargent, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Nanotechnology. “It’s now clear that solution-processed electronics can combine outstanding performance with low cost.”

The U of T development could be of critical importance to both research and industry, according to John D. Joannopoulos, a Professor at MIT. “The ability to realize low-cost, paintable, high-performance designer semiconductors for use as short-wavelength infrared detectors and emitters is of enormous value for a wide range of communications, imaging and monitoring applications,” says Joannopoulos, the Francis Wright Davis Professor of Physics and director of the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“The key to our success was controlled engineering at the nanometre lengthscale: tailoring colloidal nanocrystal size and surfaces to achieve exceptional device performance,” says lead author Gerasimos Konstantatos, a doctoral researcher at UofT. “With this finding, we now know that simple, convenient, low-cost wet chemistry can produce devices with performance that is superior compared to that of conventional grown-crystal devices.”

Lets hope digital photography can benefit further in the future with this new technology.

Source

Here is an interesting article by Harris Interactive which according to their annual nationwide online poll rates which brands are the best. Interestingly, the electronic section took out 5 of the top 10 brands with Sony being number 1. With such strong brand recognition, will the sales of the Sony A100 DSLR increase? Maybe, however only time will tell.

Here’s what they say:

“Sony tops the list in the annual Harris Poll of “best brands” for an impressive seventh consecutive year. Dell retains its No. 2 spot, while Coca-Cola, previously in the fourth position, moves up to No. 3.

Other brands that receive a substantial number of mentions but not enough to make the top-10 list include Chevrolet, Panasonic, Pepsi Cola, Nike and Maytag.”

Harris Interactive

Fujifilm has announced another addition to the S series called the Fujifilm Finepix S6500fd. The fd stands for “Face Detection” which looks for the face within the frame and then automatically auto focus, meters and tracks the subject tracking within 40 milliseconds.

The great thing about this camera is the high ISO of up to 3200, high resolution 2.5 inch LCD screen and the long zoon lens. Yes it also has spot metering.

If this is how Fujifilm is tackling the point and shoot market, I can’t wait for the Fujifilm S4 pro.

Specifications are as follows:

• 1/1.7″ Type CCD
• 6.3 million pixels total

Image sizes
• 2848 x 2136
• 3024 x 2016 (3:2)
• 2048 x 1536
• 1600 x 1200
• 640 x 480

Movie clips
• 640 x 480 @ 30 fps
• 320 x 240 @ 30 fps
• With monaural sound

File formats
• Still: JPEG / RAW
• Movie: AVI Motion JPEG

Lens
• 28 - 300 mm (35 mm equiv)
• F2.8 - F4.9
• 10.7x optical zoom
• Mechanically linked zoom ring

Digital zoom Up to 2x

Focus
• Auto
• Continuous
• Manual

AF mode
• Single
• Continuous
• Manual (with one-touch AF)

AF area
• Center
• Multi
• Area (selectable)

AF assist lamp Yes

Focus distance
• Normal: 40 cm (wide) / 2 m (tele) - Infinity
• Macro: 10 cm (wide) / 90 cm (tele)

Metering
• Multi 256-zone
• Average
• Spot

ISO sensitivity
• Auto
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 3200

Exposure compensation
• +/- 2EV
• 1/3 steps

Shutter speed 30 - 1/4000 th sec

Aperture F2.8 - F11

Exposure modes
• Programmed AE (with shift)
• Aperture prioritize
• Shutter priority AE
• Manual exposure

Shooting modes
• Auto
• Picture Stabilization (auto High ISO)
• Scene Position
• Macro
• Movie
• Continuous

White balance
• Auto
• Fine
• Shade
• Fluorescent (daylight)
• Fluorescent (warm white)
• Fluorescent (cool white)
• Incandescent
• Custom

Self timer 2 or 10 sec

Continuous shooting
• 2.2 fps, max 3 images (Top-3 or Final-3)
• 0.7 fps, unlimited

Flash
• Built-in pop-up
• Range (Auto ISO): 8.3 m (w), 4.6 m (t)
• Modes: Auto, Red-eye reduction, On, Off, Slow Sync, Slow + Red-eye

Viewfinder
• 0.33″ electronic viewfinder (EVF)
• 115,000 pixels

LCD monitor
• 2.5″ TFT LCD
• 235,000 pixels

Connectivity
• USB 2.0 High-speed
• AV out
• DC in

Playback functions
• Mode: Single frame, 9 Multi-frame, Sorting by date, Image rotate, Post shot Assist window (3 frames)
• Features: Voice Memo, Trimming, Automatic playback

Print compliance
• PictBridge
• DPOF

Storage
• 10 MB internal memory
• xD-Picture Card

Power
• 4 x AA batteries alkaline or NiMH
• Charger optional

Dimensions 131 x 98 x 128 mm (5.2 x 3.8 x 5.0 in)
Weight (no batt) 600 g (1.3 lb)
Supplied accessories 4×AA type Alkaline batteries, Shoulder Strap, USB cable , A / V cable , Lens cap, Lens cap holder, Lens hood, CD-ROM , FinePixViewer RAW File converter included), Image Mixer VCD2 LE for FinePix, RAW FILE CONVERTER LE

Fujifilm has just announced another camera to the F series, the Fujifilm FinePix F20. The F20 seems more like a minor upgrade of the Fujifilm Finepix F11 rather than a slim down version of the Fujifilm FinePix F30.

As indicated in the comparison chart below, the F20 has a lower ISO range (up to 2000), a lower pixel resolution in the LCD screen and a new battery compared to the F30. The only reason for choosing the F20 over the F30 is if the price is significantly lower.

I still prefer the Fujifilm FinePix F30 as you can’t beat the high ISO range of up to 3200 and the high resolution LCD screen. In comparison, the 2.5 inch LCD screen on the F30 has the same pixel resolution as the Fujifilm S3 Pro which is slightly smaller at 2.0 inch.

It looks like the Olympus E-1 replacement is getting closer and closer by the moment. As expected, the confirmed named is the Olympus E-3 as indicated through a search in the US Patent and Trademark site for the term E-3. Interestingly an extension to the trademark has been applied for on the 27th June 06.