Digital Camera News and Reviews

Updates from the camera world



Month: April, 2008

Nikon annonces 2 new S-series compact camera – Coolpix S52 and S52c with Wi-Fi

11 April, 2008 (11:54) | Compact Camera, Nikon | By: Camera News

Nikon Coolpix S52c camera
Nikon Coolpix S52c

Nikon has announced two new digital cameras in their Style series, the Nikon Coolpix S52 and Coolpix S52c. The main difference between the two cameras is that the Coolpix S52c got Wi-Fi connectivity. The lack of Wi-Fi makes the S52 a tad smaller.
Here are some features of the Nikon Coolpix S52 and S52c cameras:
-9 megapixel sensor
-3x optical zoom (38-114mm)
-Wi-Fi for the S52c
-3″ LCD screen
-Optical Vibration Reduction technology and EXPEED image processing
-ISO up to 3200


Press release:
10 April 2008: Nikon UK today announces the S52 and S52c, two new additions to the successful COOLPIX S series of digital compact cameras.

The new cameras feature an elegant design that combines style and versatility with ease of use, and incorporate Nikon’s industry-leading standards of innovation and quality. They are intended to appeal to consumers who believe that style and advanced technology should come hand in hand.

Both cameras feature a 9.0 megapixel resolution for crisp, clear results and a space-saving vertically-mounted NIKKOR lens that offers 3x zoom and VR image stabilisation. The S52c continues Nikon’s innovative Wi-Fi compatibility in the COOLPIX range, with built in capability for connection to the internet, allowing users to share pictures instantaneously with their friends and networks.

Kazuhiro Okano, Assistant Manager Consumer Products, at Nikon Europe says: “The COOLPIX S52 offers a unique combination of style and technology. Fast image processing and responsive operation is guaranteed with Nikon’s EXPEED technology., and we have also ensured that the high exterior quality of these cameras matches the advanced innovations inside. We hope that the choice of colours will appeal to both men and women alike, and we are confident that those looking for advanced features will love the S52c’s WI-FI connectivity. ”

COOLPIX S52c
With its sophisticated wave-surface design, smooth curves and beautiful finish, the S52c is a joy to use. Despite being lightweight and compact, the S52c is packed with features. Its 9.0 megapixel resolution, EXPEED image processing concept and NIKKOR 3x optical zoom lens with lens-shift VR stabilisation ensures top-notch image quality.

Photos can be shared instantaneously using the built-in Wi-Fi connection and are sent at the single touch of a conveniently-located button. Internet users can take advantage of my Picturetown, Nikon’s own photo and video storage site, which offers free storage and sharing of up to 2 Gigabytes of images and movie files. Great pictures can be shared immediately with those around you thanks to the large 3-inch LCD monitor that offers a wide viewing angle and a high contrast level for easy, all-round visibility.
The S52c incorporates three unique Nikon innovations – Face-Priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and D-Lighting. In addition, the high ISO sensitivity means that the S52c is fully-equipped for taking pictures of individuals and groups, both indoors and outdoors when lighting levels are low,. That’s not all. The movie recording mode, 15 scene modes for optimised shooting in various settings as well as a macro mode that allows objects to be photographed from as close as 4cm completes the picture.

COOLPIX S52
The S52 is equipped with the same exciting features as the S52c, but is intended for those who do not require internet connectivity. This allows for a slightly smaller body (93 mm wide) and is available in two colours: silver and plum black (depending on country of sale).

Both cameras offer convenient, user-friendly controls and an easy-to-follow set of on-screen menus for access to advanced functions.

S52
RRP £: exclusive
RRP €: exclusive
Colours: Silver, Plum Black
Available from: 25th April 2008 (exclusive)

S52c
RRP £: 229.99
RRP €: 343.00
Colours: Plum Black
Available from: 16th May 2008

Nikon announces Nikon Coolpix P80 – Superzoom digital camera with 18x optical zoom

11 April, 2008 (11:34) | Compact Camera, Nikon | By: Camera News

Nikon Coolpix P80 camera
Nikon Coolpix P80

Nikon has announced the new super zoom camera Nikon Coolpix P80 in their Performance range. This compact digital camera sports an impressive 18x optical zoom.
Here are some features of the Nikon Coolpix P80 camera:
-18x optical zoom (equivalent to 27-486mm equivalent in 35mm format) with ability to focus as close as 1 cm
-10 megapixel sensor
-2.7″ LCD screen
-Image stabilization system
-Up to ISO 6400



Press release:
NIKON OUTPERFORMS THE REST WITH THE NEW COOLPIX P80

The P80 digital camera features an 18x zoom giving you the opportunity to explore the world from afar and in close up

10 April, 2008: Nikon UK announces today the COOLPIX P80, a new addition to its successful COOLPIX P series range.

The new 10 megapixel camera features a wide-range 18x NIKKOR zoom lens with extended telephoto capability, and incorporates image stabilisation for clear, blur-free results.

Designed for active photo enthusiasts with an interest in fine detail, this camera features a class-leading compact body size and a zoom lens that ranges from wide-angle to super telephoto (27-486mm equivalent in 35mm [135] format). In addition to this, the camera also offers manual control of exposure (shutter and aperture) and a high sensitivity rating of up to ISO 6400 for use in low light conditions. The exceptionally powerful zoom lens is capable of focusing on subjects that are as close as 1 cm, and image-shift Vibration Reduction technology stabilises the image sensor to combat camera shake.

Powered by Nikon’s EXPEED image processing concept, the P80 is an up-to-date solution for the camera enthusiast, providing advanced digital features in a compact format. Kazuhiro Okano, Assistant Manager Consumer Products, at Nikon Europe comments: “The COOLPIX P80 has it all: powerful lens, manual and automatic modes and advanced technology in a compact and ergonomically-designed body. Anyone looking for versatile, high quality camera that is easy to carry around will be thrilled with the results.”

The camera features an electronic viewfinder to allow accurate composition throughout the zoom range and also includes a large 2.7 inch monitor with anti-reflection coating and a wide viewing angle.

As well as offering comprehensive performance through the combination of wide-range zoom lens, image stabilisation and resolution, the P80 incorporates technologies that deliver outstanding results in specific areas. Three unique Nikon innovations that are designed for group and individual portraits (Face-Priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and D-Lighting) are supported by the addition of high ISO sensitivity for situations when lighting levels are low.

For additional creative options after taking a picture, the ‘Optimize Image’ feature allows users to take monochrome photographs using a choice of four different filters for effect, while still saving the original colour version of the image.

The COOLPIX P80 is the ideal camera for the photo enthusiast who wants to have the convenience of a point-and-shoot camera with full manual control, and all possible options in-between. With 15 scene modes that are pre-configured for situations such as night time, fireworks, seaside, panoramas and sports photography, the camera can be preset to give the best results in many common settings. The capability for recording movies allows realistic action to be captured at a frame rate of 30 fps as well as time-lapse sequences which expose the mystery of scenes that evolve slowly over hours or even days. The camera comes with an internal memory of 52MB and will accept SDHC memory media, allowing high-speed storage of thousands of photos on a single card.

The P80 will be available at all Nikon retailers as of 25th April 2008.

RRP £: 299.99
RRP €: 448.00
Colours: Black

Adobe updates Lightroom to 1.4.1 and Camera Raw to 4.4.1

11 April, 2008 (09:45) | Adobe, Software | By: Camera News

Adobe has released updates for Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4. The updates fixes some issues with the EXIF time date field of images and problems with artifacts in Olympus JPEG files when exported.
The latest version of Adobe Lightroom can be download here and the latest version of Adobe Camera Raw can be downloaded here.


From the Adobe blog:
The Lightroom 1.4.1 and Camera Raw 4.4.1 updates have been posted to the following locations: Lightroom(Mac, Win), Camera Raw(Mac, Win). The updates provide all of the changes included in the original Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4 releases but also include corrections for issues described below and in previous blog posts. The Camera Raw plug-in will also be available later this evening via the Adobe Update Manager and the Lightroom update can be located by choosing ‘Check for Updates…’ under the Help menu. The Lightroom and Camera Raw team apologize for any inconveniences caused by the issues presented in the initial updates

Lightroom

* Lightroom 1.4 incorrectly modified the EXIF time date field of images that had a metadata update applied. This incorrect modification does not appear in Lightroom or Bridge and is only viewable through third party EXIF tools. This error has been corrected in Lightroom 1.4.1 and all files in a Lightroom catalog that have been incorrectly modified will be corrected on their next metadata update. (Metadata can be updated by selecting the files in the Library grid view and choosing Command or CTRL + S to save and update the metadata.)
* Olympus JPEG files could render incorrectly in Lightroom 1.4, displaying an artifact in the exported file.
* Any conversion to DNG in Lightroom 1.4 (Windows Only) would cause the DNG file to become unreadable by Lightroom’s Develop Module or Camera Raw 4.4 in Photoshop. The issue has been corrected and files can be converted to DNG again in order to resolve the issue for existing files. Returning to the original native raw files is not necessary. The affected DNG files can be selected and converted again using the DNG Converter 4.4.1 available at www.adobe.com/dng/. This process is not required but recommended to ensure that a correct validation value is stored within the DNG files.
* Lightroom 1.4 provided degraded import performance relative to Lightroom 1.3.

Camera Raw

* Camera Raw 4.4 incorrectly modified the EXIF time date field of images that were saved as TIFF or JPEG files from the Camera Raw dialog. This has been corrected in Camera Raw 4.4.1
* Olympus JPEG files could render incorrectly in Camera Raw 4.4, displaying an artifact in the exported file.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 lens review by dpreview

9 April, 2008 (09:56) | Lens, Olympus, Review | By: Camera News

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm lens
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm

Dpreview has reviewed the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 lens which is Olympus standard kit lens with its entry level DSLR cameras like the E-510 and E-410. Olympus got a very good reputation for making very good kit lenses so it is interesting what the reviewer will think of the the 14-42mm.

Dpreview ends up giving the lens a “Recommended” rating due to small and light size and very good image quality. A minor con is some chromatic aberration wide open at the telephoto end.
Seems like Olympus has made an excellent kit lens.

Read the full review of the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 lens here.


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