Nikon to unveil its next-generation D4S digital SLR

Slightly odd announcement, Nikon say they are going to unveil their new flagship camera…..really? Were they going to let it sneak out quietly.

Anyway the full specifications are still awaited, the good people over at DP Review seem to have a picture of one and tell us:

As Nikon’s new flagship model, the D4S will offer advances over the Nikon D4 HD-SLR camera, including enhanced image quality enabled with adoption of a new image-processing engine. The new HD-SLR will also feature more advanced autofocusing performance, further solidifying it as the choice for professional sports, nature and event photographers as well as photojournalists.

The D4S represents a concentration of Nikon’s advanced camera development technologies and legacy as a leader in imaging. The D4S will further expand the possibilities for professional photographers who demand the best possible performance and image quality in challenging environments. The Nikon D4S will build upon the success of the acclaimed Nikon D4, a camera highly regarded for its speed, unrivaled low-light ability and amazing image quality that made it the choice of professionals and advanced amateurs around the world.

So not very much really except that it is going to be better. So as Sid would say ’Off the record, On the QT and all very hush-hush’

 

Best Bridge Camera 2013

A bridge camera is a bit like a dslr but without interchangeable lenses and smaller so more portable

Tech Radar up first

Sometimes you don’t want to lug around a DSLR and an assortment of lenses – you want one camera and one lens that does it all.
This means a feature set that cherry picks the best that a typical DSLR has to offer, including manual control and preferably the ability to shoot in raw format as well as JPEG, along with a lens that offers a very broad focal range, so it won’t matter that it can’t be swapped.
Enter the superzoom camera, also known as an ultra zoom or bridge camera – so called because it bridges the gap between a point and shoot compact and an all bells and whistles DSLR, in terms of handling and feature set, at least.

Buying Guide

For this reason, superzooms tend to closely resemble DSLRs in terms of look, build and – to an extent – handling, but feature smaller image sensors and, partly because of this, afford physically smaller lenses.
While not a replacement for a DSLR then, the advantage here is that the cameras can offer a very broad focal range; one that, if you were to try and achieve similar with a DSLR, would make for a prohibitively expensive and awkwardly unwieldy combo.
The larger physical size of a bridge camera or superzoom when compared with a snapshot camera may deter some, but there’s a lot more creative versatility here in terms of framing choices. A case in point: many models also offer tilt and swivel LCD screens as well as optical or electronic viewfinders. Again, with a bridge camera there is more choice and more options for the photo enthusiast.
So if you are after one jack-of-all-trades digital camera – either instead of a DSLR, or perhaps as a less expensive back up – and you value convenience and flexibility as much as image quality and pixel count, then a bridge or superzoom camera could be your ideal companion. So here we’re shining the spotlight on the best of some recent releases.
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX300

Price: £325/US$430/AU$550
Specs: 20.4MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, 50x zoom with 24-1200mm (equivalent) focal length, 1080p video
Best compact camera 2013It’s very nearly brilliant
There’s a lot to love about the Sony. It has a class-leading 20.4Mp image resolution, a fast 10fps burst rate, generous 30-1/4000th-of-a-second shutter-speed range and a big 50x zoom range (24-1200mm equivalent).
It has clever tricks too. For example, as well as a two-speed powered zoom lever by the shutter button, you can also adjust the zoom and focus settings via a control ring on the lens barrel. This alternative zoom method is still motor-controlled but enables greater precision in adjustments.
Further highlights include a high-res 921k pixel LCD that also boasts a tilt facility.
It’s good for shooting from very high or low perspectives, either holding the camera above your head or for shooting from ground level without getting muddy knees. However, unlike some Sony tilt screens, it doesn’t flip over completely to help with self-portraits.
In other areas, the Sony comes up a bit short. It does have an electronic viewfinder but the unspecified resolution seems pretty poor, on a par with the Canon and Panasonic cameras.
A more surprising shortcoming, given the otherwise advanced collection of creative shooting modes and high-end features, is that ‘stills capture’ is a JPEG-only affair, without the ability to shoot in raw. There’s also no hot shoe, so you’re stuck with the fairly minimal power of the pop-up flash.
Back on the plus side, handling is very good overall, with a high-quality build and quick access to plentiful shooting parameters.
Performance
Impressive in most areas, performance benefits from effective autofocus and metering even in tricky conditions.
The optical stabilizer matches those of other cameras in the group, giving consistently sharp handheld images under decent lighting, even at very long zoom settings.
The only real upset is that image noise can be very noticeable in low-light shots, even at the lower end of the ISO range.

Fuji FinePix HS50 EXR

Price: £350/US$450/AU$510
Specs: 16MP 1/2-inch EXR CMOS II sensor, 42x optical zoom with 24-1000mm (equivalent) focal length, 1080p video
Best compact camera 2013It’s a bit of a whopper
Compared with some competitors in the group, the Fujifilm is a real hunk of a camera. It’s got a big, beefy body and, unlike some, the lens doesn’t retract when the camera is switched off.
Big isn’t necessarily bad, however, and the camera feels wonderfully natural with superb handling. It can’t quite match the leaders in the group for outright zoom range, but the 42x lens still gives the equivalent of a mighty 24-1000mm span of focal lengths.
Not only does the Fujifilm have an electronic viewfinder, but it’s of considerably better quality than any of the other cameras on test, with a super-sharp 920k pixel display. Composition and manual focusing are all the easier for it.
Along with a plethora of basic and advanced shooting modes, both raw and JPEG quality options are available.
Battery life is similarly impressive, with 500 shots available from a full charge, where most competing cameras only last for about 300 shots.
There’s no power zoom facility but, in practice, the smooth and precise manual zoom and focus rings on the lens enable greater precision, without the constant danger of overshooting the mark and having to yo-yo back and forth. Like only the Canon in this group, the LCD is fully articulated so gives a complete range of pivot functions.
Performance
Autofocus is a bit special; the hybrid phase/contrast system doing better than the contrast-detection systems of competing cameras to track moving targets.
Continuing the speed theme, there’s a fast 11fps drive rate available, which increases to 16fps if you limit yourself to medium-sized JPEG capture.
In the standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-3200, noise is well controlled and there’s excellent retention of fine detail, even at very high ISO settings. Ultra-high sensitivities of up to ISO 12800 are available in expanded mode, if needed.
Nikon Coolpix L820

Price: £190/US$200/AU$300
Specs: 16.79MP 1/2.3-inch back illuminated CMOS sensor, 30x zoom with 22.5-675mm (equivalent) focal length, 1080p video
Best compact camera 2013It’s more of a point-and-shoot bridge camera
Photographers who use Nikon SLRs are usually rewarded with a wealth of shooting options and customisable functions, available through almost-endless scrolling menus.
The L820 is an entirely different proposition and really quite basic in operation.
You don’t have to be eagle-eyed to spot the lack of a shooting mode dial and, indeed, there are no aperture-priority, shutter-priority or metered manual modes.
Instead, you’re limited to ‘auto’, ‘easy auto’, ‘smart portrait’, and a number of scene modes and filter options. If you like being in control, it can feel a bit limiting. For example, the only way to get a shutter speed slower than one second is to switch to the ‘fireworks’ scene mode. At the other end of the scale, shutter speed tops out at just 1/1500th of a second.
Sensitivity only reaches ISO 1600 in the standard range, and ISO 3200 in expanded mode.
Other areas which might be disappointing for accomplished photographers are the lack of a viewfinder or hot shoe and the absence of raw capture.
On the plus side, the Nikon is very compact, helped by the retracting lens which tucks away when the camera is switched off. Then again, the 30x zoom range is the smallest in the group.
With an effective 22.5-675mm focal length range, it’s quite generous at the wide-angle end, but loses out for long telephoto shooting. Zooming itself can be a bit hit and miss. Unlike the Canon, Panasonic and Sony cameras, there’s just a single-speed (and reasonably fast) power-zoom mechanism which can make precise adjustments a real frustration.
Performance
The Nikon redeems itself somewhat when it comes to image quality, which is generally very good even under dull lighting conditions.
Autofocus isn’t particularly rapid but it copes better in tricky conditions than Nikon’s high-end Coolpix P7700 compact camera, which we reviewed back in issue 139.

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Price: £350/US$430/AU$475
Specs: 12.1MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, 50x zoom with 24-1200mm (equivalent) focal length, 1080p video
Best compact camera 2013Small but powerful and feature-packed
Slightly smaller and lighter than competing cameras that also feature an electronic viewfinder, the Canon nevertheless boasts a 50x zoom lens, equivalent to 24-1200mm in range.
As one of Canon’s ‘HS’ series cameras, it’s intended to give good performance in low lighting conditions, which is why its image resolution is relatively modest. As such, the camera is fitted with a 12.1MP image sensor, whereas most others in the group are between 16MP and 20.4MP.
The shooting mode dial is packed with wide-ranging scene modes, a full complement of PASM shooting modes, special effects aplenty and two user-defined custom settings. Further direct access controls around the back make it quick and easy to get to important shooting parameters.
Further attractions include a fully articulated LCD screen and a hot shoe for mounting an optional flashgun.
Ultimately, it really does feel like a ‘proper’ camera. By contrast, the low-resolution electronic viewfinder is a bit lacking in clarity.
With the immense telephoto reach on offer, one nice touch is the pair of buttons on the side of the lens barrel. These enable you to instantly zoom out if you lose a target at extremely long focal lengths, reacquire it, then zoom back in again to take the shot.
For normal operation of zoom, there’s a two-stage lever which enables both slow and fast action. The ability to shoot in raw mode as well as JPEG is another plus point for the Canon.
Performance
True to its low-light claims, image noise is well controlled and the longest available shutter speed is better than most, at 15 seconds.
Maximum burst rate is a bit pedestrian at 4.1fps (frames per second) but you can boost this to 13fps if you don’t need autofocus after the first shot in a sequence.
Sharpness is good throughout the zoom range and the optical image stabilizer works well.

This is from What Digital Camera

The Best Bridge Camera of 2013 – our pick of the very best bridge cameras currently on the market
Bridge cameras – P520
The bridge camera remains one of the most popular types of digital camera, owing to their huge zoom lenses, DSLR-esque handling and relatively compact proportions.
There are several factors to consider before buying a bridge camera, including whether in fact a bridge is right choice for your needs. If you’re uncertain we highly recommend you read our in-depth Guide to Bridge Cameras first, just be sure.
But if you’ve done that, or you’re already confident that a bridge camera is for you, then read our round up of the best bridge cameras of 2013…

Best bridge camera 2013 – Canon PowerShot SX50HS
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
Street price: £360
Even though it’s by no means the biggest bridge camera on the market the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS it was the world’s first bridge camera to feature a 50x optical zoom, extending from 24mm to an impressive 1200mm.
Paired with Canon’s latest DIGIC 5 processor, the 12MP HS sensor is renowned for its high speed and good high ISO performance. The SX50 HS also offers a full tilt and swivel LCD screen, raw capture and a selection of 58 scene modes, while the hot-shoe allows for Canon EX Speedlite flash guns to be attached.
Best Bridge Camera for: Canon Compatibility
Read more on the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
Find the best deals for the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Best bridge camera 2013 – Fujifilm HS50 EXR

Fujifilm FinePix HS50 EXR
Street price: £400
The Fujifilm HS50 EXR features the highly regarded EXR sensor technology, which can be optimised to provide High Resolution, Wide Dynamic Range or Low Noise, depending on the conditions. In this case it’s a 16MP chip that also incorporates an array of phase detect pixels to provide what Fujifilm claims is the fastest AF of any bridge camera in the world.
The manually operated 42x zoom lens goes from 24mm to 1000mm with a twist of the lens barrel. Additional features include a high resolution articulated LCD screen, a 1.44 million dot EVF, an impressive 11fps burst rate, full 1080p HD video, raw capture and a range of creative filters and film simulation modes.
Best Bridge Camera for: DSLR styling and operation
Read our full review of the Fujifilm HS50 EXR
Find the best deals for the Fujifilm FinePix HS50 EXR

Best bridge camera 2013 – Nikon Coolpix P520
Nikon Coolpix P520
Street price: £350
The Nikon Coolpix P520 is one of the smaller bridge cameras of the group. Its 42x lens extends from 24mm to 1000mm, and uses lens-shift VR to minimize camera shake.
Image capture comes courtesy of an 18MP backlit CMOS sensor, while images are viewed on an impressive 3.2in 920k dot vari-angle screen. The P520 also boasts a GPS function through which images can be placed on a map using the supplied ViewNX software.
Although the P520 is a little more plasticky than some rivals this also helps make it quite a bit cheaper.
Best Bridge Camera for: Those with a premium on size
Read our full review of the Nikon Coolpix P520
Find the best deals for the Nikon Coolpix P520

Best bridge camera 2013 – Panasonic Lumix FZ200
Panasonic Lumix FZ200
Street price: £400
The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 is the world’s first, and so far only, bridge camera to offer a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout its zoom range.
This is a huge benefit, enabling lower ISOs and/or faster shutter speeds to be used that other bridge cameras in the same conditions, and also affording potentially narrower depth of field. It’s a Leica lens too.
The only downside is that its zoom range is a relatively modest 24x, extending from 24mm to 600mm. The FZ200 also features Lightspeed AF for superfast focusing, 12fps burst shooting, a vari-angle LCD screen and high speed video shooting at 100fps.
Best Bridge Camera for: Wildlife and nature photography

Read more

 

Best Compact Digital Camera 2013 (over £400)

This is such a cluttered market we have decided to concentrate on the more upmarket versions, so everything here will cost you at least £300 and some much more. These are the sort of cameras someone who is serious about their photography might use when they are not using their dslr.

As always Tech Radar is a place to go for informed opinion

Best compact cameras: Advanced

Fuji X100S

Price: £1,000/US$1,300 (around AU$1,680)

Specs: 16.3MP APS-C format CMOS II sensor, EXR Processor II, Full HD video

Fuji’s replacement to its popular FinePix X100 compact camera draws on user feedback to make improvements. The Fuji FinePix X100S uses the same APS-C format sensor, but with a 16.3 megapixel resolution and a new EXR Processor II and 6 x 6 RGGB filter array pattern.

We liked the retro design and control arrangement of the Fuji X100. Its image quality is also good, but it is surpassed by that of the Fuji X-Pro1, which is capable of producing pictures that aren’t far off those from some full-frame cameras.

Read our Fuji X100S review

Fuji X20

Price: £480/US$600 (around AU$760)

Specs: 12MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor, 6 x 6 RGGB filter array pattern, 7.1-28.4mm f/2-2.8 lens

The Fuji X10 was our favourite high-end compact camera of 2012, and combining it with the same sensor design as one of our favourite compact system cameras – the Fuji X-Pro1 – bodes very well.

Fuji says it’s made 50 improvements on the X10 for the X20, including a new 2/3-inch X-Trans CMOS II sensor with 12 million effective pixels and a 6 x 6 RGGB filter array pattern, which combines with an EXR Processor II. The Fuji X20 also boasts a hybrid AF system and a Digital Trans Panel in the viewfinder.

Read our Fuji X20 review

Canon Powershot G1 X

Price: £500/US$700/AU$650

Specs: Large 14.3MP CMOS sensor, 4x optical zoom, 1080p HD video, swivel LCD screen

Although the zoom range is limited when compared to other Canon G-series cameras, the trump card of the Canon G1 X is its unusually large sensor. A larger sensor has more surface area to receive light, improving image quality at high sensitivities and boosting dynamic range. Interestingly, Canon has opted to stick with the 4:3 aspect ratio, rather than 3:2 as most APS-C sensors are, even though the sensor in the G1 X is roughly the same height as APS-C format.

In order to make the most of what the sensor can offer, Canon has equipped the G1 X with the latest Digic 5 processor, which promises better control over noise at high ISO sensitivities, faster operation and smoother 1080p video recording.

The 4x zoom lens provides an angle of view equivalent to a 28-122mm lens on a 35mm camera, and the usual array of direct controls found on G-series cameras should make manual operation a pleasure.

Read our Canon G1 X review

Canon PowerShot G15

Price: £440/US$500/AU$520

Specs: 12.1MP CMOS sensor, 5x zoom lens, f/1.8 aperture

Buying Guide

Best high-end compact camera

At first glance, the Canon G15 looks pretty similar to theCanon G12, but there are a few significant differences. The most notable of these is the stacked or overlapping mode dial and exposure compensation dials on the top, and a new f/1.8 lens with 5x zoom.

Canon has manufactured a high quality compact camera in the shape of the Canon G15. It is capable of producing great images with bags of detail, good punchy colours and pleasing shallow depth of field effects.

Read our Canon G15 review

Nikon Coolpix A

Price: £1,000/US$1,100/AU$1,300

Specs: 16.2Mp APS-C format CMOS sensor, 28mm (equivalent) f/2.8 lens, 3-inch 921,000-dot LCD

Nikon has given the Coolpix A the same 16.2-million-pixel sensor as theNikon D7000, but it has left off the anti-aliasing (low-pass) filter to allow it to record sharper details in-camera.

Aimed at serious photographers, the Coolpix A has advanced exposure modes such as aperture priority, shutter priority and manual as well as fully automatic and scene options.

Our tests reveal that the Coolpix A can capture lots of sharp detail, on a par with an SLR, but the file write times are a little longer than we’d like and vignetting is apparent in images shot with apertures down to f/8 and in some cases f/16.

Read our Nikon Coolpix A review

Nikon Coolpix P7700

Price: £390/US$400/AU$525

Specs: 12.2MP, 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor, 7.1x zoom, 1080p video, 3-inch 921,000-dot variangle LCD

The Coolpix P7700 replaces the Nikon P7100 and sits at the top of Nikon’s compact camera line-up. It’s aimed at experienced photographers who want a smaller alternative to an SLR.

There’s a liberal covering of control dials and buttons on the P7700’s body giving quick access to features such as the shooting mode, sensitivity, white balance and exposure compensation to name just a few.

The lens offers an equivalent focal length range of 28-200mm in 35mm terms, and has a maximum aperture range of f/2.0-4.0.

Although the P7700 is capable of producing excellent images with lots of detail and nice colours, it is a little hampered by slow image processing making it unsuitable for shooting action.

Read our Nikon P7700 review

If you are ready to push the boat out this is the place for you

The Top Five Compact Cameras In The World 2013

Related articles

• Updated: Best compact camera 2013: 38 reviewed (latesttechnonews.wordpress.com)
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• Olympus announces premium compact camera (latesttechnonews.wordpress.com)

Best DSLR Cameras 2013

There is always a bit of subjectivity involved with such lists, we can’t help it we all have preferences based on little objective observation, having said that opinions in the major magazines and websites are based on something more than just personality.

What Digital Camera has these as the best of 2013

Canon EOS 1100D

Street price: £300 body only

The Canon EOS 1100D (also known as the Rebel T3 in some territories) is equipped with a 12.4MP CMOS sensor and a nine-point AF system as well as being compatible with Canon’s huge range of EF-mount lenses.

Better still, the body-only price has fallen from around £500 at launch to around £300, making it excellent value for money and rightfully one of the best entry-level DSLRs on the market.

Best DSLR for: Those on a budget

Read our full Canon EOS 1100D review

Find the best deals for the Canon EOS 1100D

 

Nikon D3200

Street price: £450 body only

The Nikon D3200 is one of the strongest entry-level DSLRs on the market. As well as a helpful Guide Mode to assist newcomers, its new 14.2MP CMOS sensor and EXPEED 2 imagine engine make for detailed stills.

Although it’s not the cheapest entry-level DSLR available, it offers an impressive level of performance and the chance to expand in to Nikon’s DSLR system.

Best DSLR for: Entry-level photographers wanting a bit more 

Read our full Nikon D3200 review

Find the best deals for the Nikon D3200

Pentax K-5 II

Street price: £700 body only

The Pentax K5-II is a relatively minor upgrate on the Pentax K-5, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as the model as the K-5 was a fantastic mid-range DSLR. The model offers a great level of performance and great build quality, including a weather-resistant body.

Best DSLR for: A rugged build

Read our full Pentax K-5 II review

Find the best deals for the Pentax K-5 II

Sony Alpha A58

Street price: £399 with kit lens

The Sony A58 is the latest in Sony’s growning range of SLT cameras. It represents great value for money – currently generally available with a kit lens for under £400 – and features a specification well suited to those looking for a dependable shooter.

Highlights of the specification include an all-new 20.1MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor which, when paired with Sony’s BIONZ image processor, offers a reliable standard of image quality. The benefits of the SLT technology include an eye-catching burst rate of 8fps, as well as good AF performance and an ample EVF, should that be to your liking.

Best DSLR for: Advanced AF performance at an affordable price

Read our full Sony Alpha A58 review

Find the best deals for the Sony Alpha A58

Canon EOS 650D

Street price: £500 body only    

The EOS 650D offers touch screen control via the camera’s 3in, 1040k-dot vari-angle LCD monitor, along with an improved 18MP CMOS sensor and 1080p Full HD movie capture at 30fps. In addition, the 650D also sees a noticeable boost in autofocus performance over its predecessor along with a rise in continuous shooting speed from 3.5fps to 5fps. Overall image quality is very good too, with consistent metering and pleasing colour and tonality. A bit of an all-rounder is the 650D.

Best DSLR for: All-round performance and value

Read more 

If you want a list by brand and price you cannot beat the 7 pages from Tech Radar

Always my first port of call when considering new cameras is DP Review their Ten Best DSLR can be found here

Pocket Lint have an easier written style and come up with similar recommendations as the other sites, if you need a bit of hand holding go here

So based on a round up of the various sites this seems to be the main recommendations. If you are planning to buy anything more expensive than those listed here you really do need to do your own research. I have only included Nikon or Canon in my abbreviated list because although Pentax and Sony might make good cameras in class I find people have far more problems navigating these than the two main manufacturers.

Entry level

Canon EOS 1100D: Nikon D3200 here is a comparison article

Best mid range

Nikon 5200D (5300D just released); Canon D100 here is a comparison article

Best pro/am

Nikon D7100; Canon 7D  here is a comparison article

Photography Courses for 2014

We have our new schedule for the coming year, we are currently writing a couple of new courses, one on art photography, but these will not be ready for the new term. We have all the usual favourites from Understanding Your Digital SLR Camera, Composition In Photography, Portraiture, Flash, Lightroom, Photoshop,

you can see the full list here

Understanding Your DSLR Camera Evening Class £85 Start Dates: 21.01.2014;  05.03.2014

Understanding Your DSLR Camera Saturday Morning Class £85 Start Date: 9.11.2013;   08.03.2014

1 Day Understanding Your DSLR Camera £95 Dates, 27.10.2013; 26.01.2014; 23.02.2014; 30.03.2014; 27.04.2014

Understanding Your Digital Compact Camera £85 Start Date: 5.03.2014

Intermediate Photography £97 Start Date: 24.02.2014

Flash Photography £85 Start date 29.01.2014

Understanding Lightroom £85 Start Date: 27.02.2014

Introduction to Photoshop and PS Elements £97 Start Date: 18.02.2014

Composition In Photography – Seeing Pictures £85 Start Date: 4.03.2014

Portrait Photography £85 Start Date: 27.01.2014

Nikon introduces new DX-format DSLR D5300

From Professional Photographer magazine we hear about a new Nikon DSLR

On sale on 14 November, the D5300 is an upper entry-level DSLR. The camera’s 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor is specifically designed with no optical low-pass filter (OLPF) – the result being more detail and texture in images. Photos can be shared fast with its inbuilt Wi-Fi function which connects the camera directly to a smartphone or tablet, and the GPS function adds geo-tags to pictures in-camera. “This new model is bursting with impressive features, from the high ISO (12,800) capability for low light shooting, to the powerful new EXPEED 4 image processing engine, and large vari-angle screen for a unique view,” says Simon Iddon, senior product manager at Nikon. “Built-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to share stunning images with friends and family, plus you can have some fun by tracking your route thanks to the camera’s GPS functionality. Ultimately, the Nikon D5300 is a pleasure to use and raises the standard of images we share.”

The body only will cost £729.99 and the D5300 kit with 18-55mm VR lens, £829.99

FEATURES LISTED BY NIKON INCLUDE:Built-in Wi-Fi
Photos can be sent directly from the camera to any iOS or Android smart device – after you’ve downloaded the free wireless mobile utility – ready for easy upload to social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. The Wi-Fii function also makes it possible to control the camera remotely using a connected smart device, plus you can preview the scene you’re shooting on the smart device’s screen.Built-in GPS
The D5300’s built-in GPS integrates with the in-camera Wi-Fi function. Images can be geo-tagged simply, without using any external adapters, by logging location information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude in the image’s EXIF data. The GPS logger function works when the camera is turned off, so you can continue to keep track of your route when you’re not taking pictures. Nikon’s View NX 2 software can help create travel on social networking or photo-sharing sites that support GPS.Image quality
At the core of the D5300 is a 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor that has been designed without an optical low-pass filter (OLPF) to make the most of every megapixel, to render exactly what the lens sees.High ISO light sensitivity (up to 12,800, extendable to 25,600 equivalent) combined with Nikon’s new image processing engine, EXPEED 4, allows for better photos and movies when shooting in low light. The 2016-pixel RGB metering sensor sends data to the scene recognition system, enabling optimum auto exposure, AF and auto white balance. It has continuous shooting speeds of up to five frames-per-second and a 39-point AF system, which has nine cross-type sensors in the centre……MORE FROM PP

The always excellent DP Review site has a pre-view of this new camera

Tis the season for iterative updates, apparently. The D5300, Nikon’s second new DSLR in as many weeks comes less than a year after the announcement of its predecessor, the D5200, and while it doesn’t represent a massive upgrade to the older camera it is improved in some meaningful ways.

As Nikon’s ‘advanced beginner’ DSLR, the D5300 takes the D5200’s place between the entry-level D3200 and the enthusiast-targeted D7100 in the company’s APS-C lineup. The D5300 offers 24MP resolution (like its APS-C stablemates), an articulated rear LCD and more physical controls than the D3200, but without the twin-dial interface and professional grade AF system of the decidedly higher market (and much more customizable) D7100.

Both visually and ergonomically the D5300 is a near-clone of its predecessor (it’s fractionally lighter and a tiny bit smaller), but under the hood it is a stronger camera in a couple of important ways. The D5300’s 24MP sensor lacks an anti-aliasing sensor, which – if our experience with the D7100 and D800E is any guide – should give it the edge in terms of resolution over the D5200. We’d expect the difference to be subtle (especially with a kit zoom attached), but it’s always nice to see improvements to critical image quality potential, especially in mid-range models.

The D5300 also offers a beefed-up video mode, which is now capable of true 1080/60p HD video. This, plus the slightly enlarged (3.2in compared to 3in) fully-articulated 1.04 million-dot LCD screen should mean that the D5300 is attractive to videographers as well as stills photographers. Easy to miss, but useful features include built-in Wi-Fi and GPS – both firsts for Nikon’s DSLR lineup. Battery life gets a boost too – according to CIPA figures the D5300 offers an endurance of 600 shots, compared to 500 from the D5200. Remember though that this figure does not take features like Wi-Fi or GPS into account, and we’d expect both to have an impact on battery life.

READ MORE FROM DPR HERE

Nikon have their seasonal cash back offers when you buy new gear

Nikon UK is launching a bumper Christmas promotion, offering cashback on a huge amount of products including selected D-SLR cameras, selected lenses and speedlights, selected Nikon 1 cameras, as well as the EDG binocular range.The promotion is limited to one claim per person per product and will run from 16 October 2013 – 26 January 2014 (inclusive) and all claims must be received by 28 February 2014 in order to qualify. Details here

Nikon df a new camera that looks old

I just don’t understand the quest for retro looking cameras. When the market for cameras is now firmly the digital natives, those who grew up after film had been committed to distant memory, why make a camera that harks back. Most people under the age of about 35 expect to navigate menus to access information and make settings so why create a camera that eschews that stylish minimalism and puts the major functions on controls that require manual operation. I think the clue is possibly in the price, the body and standard lens, a 50mm f1.8, will sell at about $3,000. This means it will appeal to those who have money and of course many digital natives are still trying to get theirs. You may correctly say that I am a cynic but I would counter, let’s have a rotary dial on the next iphone, yes I am curmudgeonly  but I do not live in a land that instinctively believes old is better.

OK rant over, this is a full frame digital camera, really good news; it only has a 16mp sensor, pretty bad news; it doesn’t offer video, really good news. I could probably gone on in this vein but you probably want to facts. DP Review is the place to go as usual

After being leaked almost as thoroughly as the NSA’s surveillance programs (right?), the Nikon Df is now officially here. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, the Df is a 16MP, full-frame DSLR with the sensor and processing guts of the company’s flagship D4, and an AF system borrowed from the D610, all packaged up inside a body inspired by a much earlier generation of film cameras. In fact, from the front the Df looks like an oversized Nikon FM (and not dissimilar to Canon’s F1N).
For those of us raised on film SLRs the effect is rather intriguing. We understand that the Df has been at least four years in the making, and the glee of its creators is almost palpable in the many specific design cues obviously taken from earlier SLRs including the FM/2 and the long-lived professional-targeted Nikon F3.

Nikon Df key features

16 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor (same as D4)
ISO 100-25,600 (expandable to ISO 50 – 204,800 equiv)
Maximum 5.5 fps continuous shooting
39-point AF system with 9 cross-type AF points (same as D610)
3.2-inch, 921k-dot LCD screen
Physical shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation dials
Compatible with virtually all Nikon F-mount lenses (including pre-Ai standard)
Single SD card slot
EN-EL14a battery (quoted endurance of ~1400 exposures)
According to Nikon, the ‘F’ in Df stands for ‘fusion’ – specifically, fusion of the old and the new. We know all about the old: the ‘retro’ styling – after all, the Df was widely leaked before its announcement and Nikon has been teasing it to death since the Photo Plus Expo show last month. Which leaves us with the ‘D’.

The ‘D’ is of course for ‘Digital’. The Nikon Df boasts a full-frame sensor, 39-point AF system and a maximum shooting rate of 5.5 fps. The LCD on the rear of the camera is a 3.2″, 921k-dot display and, despite its ‘fully manual’ pretensions, the Df boasts front and rear control dials alongside the dedicated physical dials on the top-plate. It’s a thoroughly modern DSLR in fact, but with one major difference. 

Read the rest of the DP Review here

You may assume that my reason for championing DP Review is that in general they agree with my views (notice the switch there, note to self beware of hubris) so imagine my joy when I read their first impressions conclusion

I’ve had to type the word ‘retro’ so much in the past couple of years that I shudder every time someone says it, but the fact is that retro is ‘in’ at the moment. Pretty well all of the major camera manufacturers have something in their lineup which sports self-consciously old-fashioned design accents, whether they be chunky metal dials for exposure compensation, rangefinder-style optical finder windows, or even just accessory leather cases.

As far as I can see there are no unequivocally good reasons, either from an engineering or ergonomic point of view, for the Nikon Df to look like an oversized F3. The camera’s appearance is a self-conscious flourish intended to appeal on an emotional, as much as technical level. A lot of people will be interested in the Df not because of its ISO span or resolution, but because it because it looks… well, it looks really cool. There is nothing wrong with this – car and clothing manufacturers (among many others) know the monetary value of nostalgia, and companies like Fujifilm are literally banking on it….

The danger is that the design gets in the way of usability. When ‘traditional’ ergonomics work really well, as in the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and X100S, the effect is luxurious. ‘Hands-on’ manual control coupled with hybrid viewfinders and a boatload of features – plus, of course, excellent lens quality – make using those cameras a lot of fun to shoot with. My worry about the Df is that Nikon might have gone too far backwards for the sake of cosmetic appeal, without really adding any practical benefit to the shooting experience.

Don’t get me wrong – personally, in my brief time with the camera, I enjoyed the experience of holding and using the Df. But even with the Kool Aid within reach, I certainly wouldn’t try to convince anyone that its control logic – which heavily promotes the use of dedicated, lockable mechanical dials – is any better than a camera like the D610. 

PS. This is what Nikon say

“[The impetus was to] create a camera that celebrates Nikon’s engineering capability, a camera that will be a pleasure to own and use and that will be considered a future classic,” said Jeremy Gilbert, Nikon UK’s group marketing manager, at a launch event on 04 November. “It’s the camera that makes you think about the picture you’re about to take.”

 The new Df full-frame camera is said to seat “in a class of its own” in Nikon’s line-up of digital SLRs, appealing to photography enthusiasts, advanced amateurs and professional photographers. “The concept for this camera was based on the emotion of photography and will appeal to passionate photographers who enjoy pure photography and cherish their cameras, as well as their images, old and new,” says Hiro Sebata, product manager at Nikon UK, in a prepared statement.

No don’t get me started

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2304913/nikon-aspires-to-create-a-future-classic-with-the-full-frame-df-retro-dslr#ixzz2jtAc8dOJ
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Related articles

• Nikon Df unveiled as a lightweight FX-format DSLR (slashgear.com)
• More pictures of the Nikon Df camera (nikonrumors.com)
• This is the Nikon Df camera (nikonrumors.com)
• Nikon Df DLSR (coolmaterial.com)
• Nikon Df retro-styled camera is $3000 (doobybrain.com)
• Nikon DF compact full-frame camera photos leak (trustedreviews.com)

Nikon D610 First Impressions Review

DP Review gives us the heads up on the new D610. Yes if you bought the recent D600 you might be wondering what Nikon are up to.

Nearly a year after the arrival of Nikon’s full-frame D600, its replacement has arrived. The new D610 is a very minor upgrade to the D600, with just three new features. They include faster continuous shooting, a ‘quiet continuous’ mode, and an improved auto white balance system. The first two features are courtesy of a newly designed shutter mechanism.

The D610 can now shoot at 6 fps, up from 5.5 fps on the D600. A new ‘quiet continuous’ mode shoots at 3 fps and, as its name implies, makes a lot less noise while doing so. Finally, the auto white balance system has been updated to produce more accurate color in artificial lighting, and more realistic skin tones.

The D600 was an excellent digital SLR, with top-notch photo quality, a well-built body, and impressive movie recording capabilities. Unfortunately for Nikon, the D600 is probably best known for collecting oil on the sensor – an issue for which the Company issued a service advisory, without admitting the actual cause of the problem. The official line in the US remains ‘as with all of our products, if any users find they cannot get their sensor clean using the methods outlined in the user manual, they should return it to a Nikon service center’.

Internet theorists have already suggested that the D610 was created to leave the troubles of the D600 behind. And the appearance of a new model so soon after the D600’s launch, with almost no changes other than a new shutter mechanism, seems to give that theory some credence. However, given the company’s refusal to acknowledge a problem with the D600, it’s not possible to get confirmation that the oil issue has been resolved.

With that out of the way, let’s take a more in-depth look at the D610, and what’s changed.

Nikon D610 key features

24.3MP Full-frame CMOS sensor (10.5MP DX-format crop mode)
ISO 100-6400 (expandable to ISO 50-25,600 equivalent)
Maximum 6fps continuous shooting; new quiet continuous mode shoots at 3 fps
39-point AF system with 9 cross-type AF points
Refined auto white balance system
Wireless flash control
3.2in 921k-dot LCD screen
Dual memory card slots
1080p30 full HD video
Uncompressed video recording via HDMI

 

If you want the full SP then go here

 

Nikon’s premium compact camera – the Coolpix A – tested

This new Nikon compact camera is aimed seemingly at the advanced amateur or pro market. It has features and functionality that require an understanding of photography and dpreview concluded with this:
The Coolpix A offers DSLR-standard image quality and an excellent 28mm equivalent lens in a well-polished, pocketable camera. Its user interface will be immediately familiar to Nikon shooters and its results are dependably good. It’s not the only game in town, though, and while solid in most respects, it’s not class-leading in any respect.

The review by Jonathan Eastland in the BJP is, I think, more useful. Jonathan is a photographer of many decades and his understanding of the process of photography has been honed by years of shooting on land and at sea. External appearance is minimalist; some might say it’s sleek and neat. At almost 300 grams and just over 11cm long, its thick matt black (also available in silver chrome finish) aluminium and magnesium alloy body cover and top plates exude a sense of robustness and lasting durability. A thin leatherette grip strip on the front face seems almost like a nod to secure handling, and while I would have preferred the grip featured on Nikon’s Coolpix P7700, this narrow strip works in combination with a small rubber thumb pad on the back of the camera.

Jonathan concludes: My view after several weeks of use is that the Nikon A falls short in some areas of handling. Sleek and neat may be a good selling point, but in practice there is simply not enough substance to the front grip to endow a faultless feel-good factor. The freely rotating control wheel works, but would have been better click-stopped and incorporated into a front grip. Minor grumbles aside, image quality, white balance and colour renditions are hard to fault; the camera produces files evenly matched and graded to those of larger Nikon models. Good enough reasons to get the A.

So not a ringing endorsement, in fact he has said enough to put me off buying one but the review is exactly full of the things you want to know before buying. Camera reviews are so often full of technical specifications but so light on what it is like to use the camera and hands-on experience by someone who knows. Read the rest of Jonathan’s review here

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/test/2286791/nikons-premium-compact-camera-the-coolpix-a-tested#ixzz2bNdMLDi7
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The Lomography Petzval Portrait Lens

Here is a novelty, but at $500 an expensive one. This is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor with a kickstarter (Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative projects. We’re a home for everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of projects, big and small, that are brought to life through the direct support of people like you. Since our launch in 2009, more than 4.5 million people have pledged over $718 million, funding more than 45,000 creative projects. Thousands of creative projects are raising funds on Kickstarter right now.)

The Lomography Petzval Lens attached to analogue Canon and Nikon SLRs.

In the 19th Century, the vast majority of photos were shot with the extremely popular Petzval lens. The lens was invented by Joseph Petzval in Vienna in 1840 and had a huge impact on the development of photography. Photos shot with a Petzval lens are immediately recognizable for their sharpness and crispness, strong color saturation, wonderful swirly bokeh effect, artful vignettes and narrow depth of field. The totally distinctive look of Petzval photos is all about the fantastic lens design that gives you the satisfaction of the instant optic experience that goes far beyond using photo editing software and filters.

For this Kickstarter project, we are reinventing the Petzval Lens for 21st century photographers and videographers. It doesn’t matter whether you shoot analog or digital; the brand new Lomography Petzval Portrait Lens is designed to work withCanon EF and Nikon F mount cameras. So, for the first time, you can easily get the fantastic Petzval photographic look with 35mm analog cameras and DSLR cameras too. This will bring with it a whole new world of possibilities; from shooting Petzval photos with your 35mm SLR or DSLR, to creating amazing DSLR movies with the lens!

The Petzval Portrait Lens is a high-quality glass optic; it’s a must-have lens for anyone looking to enhance their creative potential and turn every photo into a timeless artwork.

Expected delivery date of the lenses is on February 2014. However, we are confident to have the first 1000 lenses shipped out by December 2013.

The Story of The Original Petzval Lens

When the original Daguerre & Giroux Camera was introduced in 1839, it used a lens designed by Charles Chevalier. This camera marked the very beginning of modern analog photography and was of fundamental importance. But Chevalier’s lens had several problems. It had a slow, small aperture of f/15; this meant that even in bright sunlight, exposures could take 10 minutes or more.

Joseph Petzval was a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Vienna and worked on a rival lens design which was introduced in 1840 (by the way, as well as being the place where Petzval lived, Vienna is the home of Lomography!). At f/3.6, Petzval’s large aperture design was about 20 times faster than the Chevalier lens and produced photographs which were extremely sharp at the focused area.

Obviously, the original Petzval lens was designed in order to work with the cameras manufactured in the 19th century. Most of these cameras were large-format analog cameras. It’s extremely hard to find a Petzval lens today which works easily with smaller format cameras. The new Lomography Petzval Portrait lens changes all this and allows you to enjoy the magic of the Petzval lens optic using your analog or digital SLR camera.