I wouldn’t say this teardown of a D7000 is of particular interest over, say, a Canon or Pentax, but you don’t often get to see brand-new DSLRs cracked open like this. When you think about it, there really is quite a lot of computing power packed into these guys. Being able to process and write thirty 16-megapixel RAW or JPEG images at five or six per second is a serious task. Go ahead, open 30 right now in your favorite image editor. Like lightning, right? No, not so much. → Read More
This patent, filed by Nikon in Japan, is really baffling me right now. The idea is that the viewfinder or eyepiece would serve not only as a something to put your eye to and frame shots, but also as a pico projector. Isn’t that a little dangerous? → Read More
Nikon publishes a program called Camera Control Pro, a software program intended to help the studio photographer by allowing them to tether their camera to a computer. The problem is, Camera Control Pro doesn’t support some of the latest cameras, and it has a $150 price tag. This inspired Nikontrol 3K, a free program that does basically the same thing, but for free. → Read More
This is kind of a cool technology Nikon is patenting here. I personally like to do the manual zoom thing when shooting DSLR video, but the slow creeping zoom or quick min-max possible with an electronic zoom rocker are both also valuable tools. As far as I know, there aren’t any consumer cameras that implement both, though I could be wrong about that. At any rate, Nikon is looking into it. → Read More
This would be one of those “once in a lifetime” opportunities. Nikon has announced a contest that will allow an aspiring photographer to go on an exclusive photo excursion with a National Geographic photographer. Apparently they’ll also throw in a D7000 in order to make sure you’re ready to take some great pictures. → Read More
With all the hur-de-hur about technological gadgets on these very pages, I submit to you that there is one subset of the community that is underserved by our constant reportage: the Luddite. To that end, I propose a short exploration of the Luddite’s psyche and suggest a few possible items for their consumption this Holiday period.
The term Luddite comes from Ned Ludd, the mythical or at least apocryphal head of a group of anti-technologists from the 18th century. Ludd, a weaver, grew so agitated by his working conditions one day that he beat some weaving frames into a “heap.” Like “Notme” and “Ida Know” of Family Circus fame, the refrain “Ned Ludd did it” became the comic excuse for broken gear in the 19th century.
So what about modern Luddites? It seems to me the modern Luddite is tired of computers. He or she needs something tangible, usable, and extremely inexpensive. Yet he/she doesn’t want to end up on the wrong end of a homemade blunderbuss when the end times come and he’s raiding someone’s log cabin for MREs. He’s (or she’s) not a survivalist but is looking for a way to survive in an increasingly complex world. Here’s what you should buy them with your RFID-chipped credit card or via Paypal. → Read More
Nikon released a firmware update for the P7000 yesterday, fixing many of the problems that came up in the review. Most importantly, the image recording time has improved, and lens control has been optimized.
Deets inside. → Read More
Short Version: It’s no secret that I love photography. I’m also very attached to my DSLR. I rarely leave the house without it and consider it to be an important part of my life. That being said, I’ve found something that makes me leave my DSLR at home. I’ve finally found a camera that’s small enough to slip into a pocket but still has the features and qualities that make it capable of taking a picture equal in quality to a DSLR. → Read More
It’s time for a new standard for memory cards – according to Sony, Nikon and chip maker SanDisk. The three companies jointly developed a set of specifications for a next-generation memory card for digital cameras and digital video cameras and proposed the specs to the CompactFlash Association. → Read More
Nikon Japan is planning [JP] to offer an online service that allows users to convert conventional 2D images into 3D in order to view them on a dedicated 3D photo frame. Starting December this year, the service will be open to Japanese members of “my Picturetown”, an online photo sharing and storage service run by Nikon (which already exists). → Read More
Nikon’s MyPictureTown service has been running for a while now, but it still hasn’t pulled in the users that the other sharing services have. There has been some work to change that though, Nikon just announced several upgrades to the service, which will allow users to create PhotoMovies, as well as an improved user interface and more sharing options. → Read More
Nikon announced their new CoolPix P7000 point and shoot on September 8th, and we’ve been waiting to get a review unit ever since. We still don’t have access to a unit that I can fully review; however, I’m currently at the Albuquerque Balloon festival with Nikon, and have had a chance to take a pretty close look at their newest power-P&S. First impression: I like it. → Read More
There’s been some interesting noises coming out of Photokina in the form of some leaked photos that were sent to Nikon Rumors. There’s not much to the photos, just some phone camera shots of what closely resembles the lens mount of the new EVIL camera that Nikon has patented. Could we be seeing a micro 4/3rd’s from Nikon next week? → Read More
Canon and Nikon, the photography world’s Hatfields and McCoys, have both recently released new DSLRs and compact manuals. While all of them are certainly excellent cameras, they’re clearly gunning for each other and a quick perusal of all their specs seems in order. → Read More
Looking for a DSLR that pretty much does it all? Say you need great low light performance, auto-focus while shooting HD video, and a new image processing system that gives you a 6 FPS burst speed for those action shots? Nikon’s got you covered with their latest DX format camera, the D7000. → Read More
We’ve been hearing about a proper Nikon D90 replacement for months now, but this is seemingly the first pic of what’s now being called the D7000. Spec didn’t leak with the pic so there’s still no word whether that body houses a 16MP DX sensor capable of autofocusing 1080p video. But Nikon Rumors feels good that all will be revealed by tomorrow along with some new Nikkor prime lens and a new Speedlight so you don’t have long to wait. Chances are the info is solid, too. Nikon has a problem with leaks. Nearly all of their announcements make their way onto the seedy interwebs prior to the official release, and so that is likely the real deal. → Read More
This is an interesting rumor, if not particularly well-sourced. But hey, it’s Friday night. Anything goes! It seems someone working in a workshop specializing in carbon-fiber construction has been working on something for Nikon: a “resin-infused 3D woven CFRP body” of the Pro DSLR persuasion. Current high-end camera bodies often use magnesium alloy for structure, though usually it has a rubberized finish for grip and shock resistance. I’m not sure how carbon fiber stands up to current materials, but apparently Nikon thinks it’s worth investigating. Plus: looks sweet. → Read More
We speculated this morning that the new Nikon P7000 was going to be a G11 fighter, and now that we have the official specifications it certainly appears that is the case. → Read More
Ths S8100 is the cheapest of the three cameras being released by Nikon today, and although at $300 it’s starting to get into the luxury range for point-and-shoots, I think it looks like a pretty solid deal. → Read More
