Nikon 800mm f/5.6 E-FL-ED-VR (lens design)

Nikon has decided to start renewing some of its sports- or wildlife-oriented long lenses this year (and probably in 2014 too). Starting in January 2013, they offer a monster of a lens, the Nikkor 800mm f/5.6 E FL ED VR.

It’s a monster of price (18000 USD list price, but slightly better at B&H or Amazon), of weight (4.59 kg or 10.12 lb). But it’s also one of the longest focal you can really find on the market (older 1200mm heavy-weights are out-of-market, in all senses of the word).

The most prominent features are a dream for all photographers (in this category):

• Two ED glass elements (“fluorite” for those more used to Canon language, despite the small differences between these technologies)
• Electro-magnetically-controled diaphragm (like in the PC-E line of lenses)
• Included TC800-1.25E ED extender designed specially to create a 1000mm f/7.1 beast (the first extender ever to include an ED glass element).

Nikon 800mm f/5.6 (architecture)

Nikkor 800mm

Nikkor TC800 1.25x

Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM

• Dust-proof and splash-proof construction
• High image quality close to fixed focal length lens
• Focus limiter button (to speed AF up)

Sigma also disclosed that they want this lens to be the first in a long (and new) line of “sports-oriented” lenses (read: lens line of big focal lengths, and possibly relatively inexpensive… for long lenses).

So, we will have to wait until we can see if these features are accompanied with excellent optical quality (or not) for this Sigma new 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM lens.

Nikon D800

PDN found a problem with the Nikon D4 and D800 while testing these. It seems that there are situations where the camera will lock up when the camera is used with either Highlights or histogram display.

Simply disabling these features will avoid this ugly lock-up (even if it is easy to restore normal operation by removal of the battery for a couple of seconds).

Nikon is looking for a correction. Most probably a firmware upgrade.

The only batteries that may be replaced hold the letter E or the letter F in 9th position in their serial number.

EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery Service Advisory (Nikon).

We are not alone. Plenty of people on the web have the same objective and they brought us exactly that: A wealth of comparisons, parallel tests and face-to-face reviews for the newest contenders for the title of “Most attractive enthusiast-targeting photo camera with a Full Frame sensor”.

• Low Light Comparison of the Canon 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, and Nikon D800 from Joe Marine (via PetaPixel): It’s an impressive show of the Canon video performance (even calling the old 5D MkII in)
• DxOLabs does a number of reviews and comparisons aiming at the sensor quality (D800 & 5D MkIII): does not leave any doubt about the photo ability of the Nikon sensor (or should I say Sony sensor?).



• Nikon D800 vs. D3s and D7000 comparison by Cary Jordan: is obviously impressed by the D800 performance (as an excellent FX camera and as a very good DX/APS-C camera, too.)
• Canon EOS 5D Mk III Vs Nikon D800 at PhotoAnswers: is rather balanced but shows very nice D800 pictures.

Nikon D3200

According to their strategic partnership, Nikon keeps using the Sony digital sensors as they are brought to them (at least, for the entry-level and mid-range DSLR photo cameras). This approach allowed Nikon to produce a few good cameras. Today, with the announcement of the Nikon D3200, the same strategy still works:

1. Sony created a nice sensor (here an APS-C 24Mp imaging sensor)
2. Sony starts using it (in the SLT-A77, SLT-A65 and NEX-7)
3. Nikon applies it again as fast as possible within its own range: starting with the Nikon D3200

Advantage? Very good sensors (Sony is good at their design), available in large quantities, where Nikon plugs its excellent images software/firmware handling. The result should be a very attractive camera. What about the Nikon D3200?

Nikon D3200

As a matter of fact, te Nikon D3200 exhibits a rather beautiful collection of nice features:

• An APS-C 24 MP digital sensor (We can expect that Nikon will produce pictures slightly better than from Sony on the NEX-7 or the A77)
• The improvement of sensitivity (ISO 6400 now in standard and ISO 12800 in extended mode) seems limited but will have to be checked in future tests
• Full-HD 1080p video capture (and a connector for external microphone)
• A 3″ LCD display on the back with 920.000 pixels
• A black suit (very traditional) or a red coat (much wilder)

Nikon D3200

The external design is evolving slowly (compared to the previous Nikon DSLR, the grip is slightly slanted). But more importantly, the controls are changing with a video button now at the top of the body (very near the photo button).

An additional module will also allow to Wifi-connect to an Android phone or tablet (iPhone/iOS will only come a little later).

The probable price: $700 with he 18-55mm standard zoom, as soon as the end of April 2012 (so, very soon).

Nikon D3200

Links

• Sample images de Nikon
• Presentation of the D3200 at Nikon USA
• Presentation of the D3200 at Nikon global

Nikon D3200

Press Release

Nikon D800 vs. Canon EOS 5D MkIII

It’s clear that the most recent launches by Canon and Nikon are fighting more or less each other on a market of experts and pros. So, in the recent days, I collected a number of comparisons between the Nikon D800 and the Canon EOS 5D MkIII to help you check this out by yourself:

• Video shootout: Nikon D800 vs. Canon 5D mkIII by Dan Chung
• Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Nikon D800 noise at CameraLabs
• Bob Atkins: Pixel Matters – Canon EOS 5D MkIII vs Nikon D800
• Canon EOS 5D Mark III: primeras muestras y breve comparativa con la Nikon D800 (de QueSabesDe.com)
• CrisisLab: The F%^&ing Nikon D800 vs. Canon 5D mkIII Shootout with a YouTube video

Of course, these will stay in the pages specific to these two cameras.

Camera accident or bug?

This is starting to look like a bring refrain, in these recent weeks: The most recent photo cameras seem to have been launched before all the bugs could be detected and wiped out. As a simple reminder, I would list the following cases:

• The Canon EOS 5D MkIII files are not handled perfectly well in DPP v3.11.10 (the exact nature of the issue is not clear: Something to do with the details and micro-contrast in digital noise management).
• FStoppers seems to have found a light leaks or an exposure algorithm sensitivity to charge conditions of the battery of the Canon EOS 5D MkIII.
• Sometimes, the Nikon D800 does not switch itself OFF.

Canon and Nikon will certainly update soon either the camera firmware or the picture software program. But this is confirming once again that we no longer purchase photo cameras in the most traditional sense (marvelously fine-tuned mechanical systems) but computers (with all its software and… bugs).

We could well ask ourselves if we are not on the verge of waiting several weeks (or months?) before reviewing or even purchasing a new camera. We already knew that a camera firmware could exist as pre-production version (some preliminary tests and reviews are grossly wrong because of this) and that some brands (Sony, for the A77 and the A700?) sometimes take several months before producing a firmware worth describing as final.

Dear camera manufacturers, be more cautious: You will soon see customers become much less faithful, much more troubled. Your brand value could erode quickly if you do not stay faithful to the image the photographic industry had all along the XXth Century. This image could be lost easily…

Nikon D3100 - Download

As always helping the user, YLovePhoto found direct links to freely download the user manuals for the Nikon D3100.

• Nikon D3100 User’s Manual – English – File Size: ~ 15.8 MB
• Nikon D3100 Manual de Usuario – Spanish – File Size: ~ 16.1 MB
• Manuel d’utilisation du reflex Nikon D3100 – Français ~6,52 Mo