Nikon D3s

As for all of photography brands, the upcoming Photokina fair in Köln (Germany) will be a major meeting point with the after-crisis market. Not only because of the launches that will be done there, but also because the photographers expectations have been piling up tidily (maybe be too high?). Let’s see what is really to be expected here and what Nikon will show in terms of news and announcements.

First and foremost, let’s notice that after a deluge of news in 2008 and 2009, the yellow brand seemed a little slow (and farming money from its advance, I should say). It is probably a coincidence and the simultaneous occurrence of several jumps in the various product families, but it should also be considered as a warning of things to come in the digital SLR product lines.

Nikon D90

The cameras that are most probably going to be replaced or renewed are (according to the data I could get):

• The Nikon D90 has grown past its normal life since the very noisy launch of 2008 and its 720p video capture needs to be upgraded to keep annoying the competition. So, probably, here comes the Nikon D7000 for early September: 16MP DX-format sensor (APS-C size), 1080p video capture @ 24fps, 26-point AF system, climbing sensitivity (but not as high as the FX sensor of the D3s, let’s not dream: Native ISO 100-6400).
• Nikon may renew, or may only give the last orientations for the evolution of its pro line after the Nikon D3s and D3x. But there may not be much more than a wooden prototype.

On the other side, no replacement for the D700 in 2010 (with an FX sensor). Both pro and amateur sales representatives where told that this impressively beautiful Full Frame photo camera will see its successor only after the professional shows of early 2011. Probably, for a real announcement before Summer 2011 and availability after Summer. We will have to be very patient and Nikon certainly did not have as many sales as needed to fully convince the marketing department that a (relatively) low resolution FX (Full Frame) sensor is the way to go. They see the competition (Canon and Sony, first) rushing for a pixel-race that may not be ideal for image quality but stays convincing for most applications.

The $1000 open question is still in front of the low-end of the market. On one side, I hear that the Nikon D4000 is ready to launch; On the other side, I hear that it does not even exist. But no source seems more reliable than another. It may simply come from the fact that rumours abound and are always less precise for entry-level photo cameras, or it may be that the new entry-level camera from Nikon will hold a completely different name and people get lost by this change. We will have to wait a little more, I guess.

Currently, Nikon’s development efforts are centered on the preparation of a a new hybrid compact camera (how should I name these photo cameras which look like a point-and-shoot, host interchangeable lenses and an APS-C sensor that would be acceptable in a mid-range SLR camera?). For Nikon, it will be the means to put a whole new range in orbit, bringing two new major features:

• Much improved video capture modes with options to simplify significantly the operation and certainly some technical details to reduce the issues linked to autofocus while shooting video.
• A deep integration with Internet and the communication networks. It is clear that these cameras (there will be a full range of them) will be very near to Flickr, YouTube and Facebook. WiFi integration will be part of the scope.

the first announcements have been done by Makoto Kimura in an interview with Bloomberg, and confirmed by others more recently. If the cameras are scheduled for the end of the year (1st quarter or 2011, at most), Nikon seems ready to lift the curtain on many of the features and details of new range in September 2010 at the Photokina.

During years we have been worried because people seemed only interested in getting more Mega-Pixels (MP) out of the new photo cameras (or camera feature sheets). It has been repeated often enough that this single quantity is not a good measure of camera performance. It was, when cameras had so few pixels (less than 3-5 MP) that picture quality was linked first to number of pixels, then to other parameters.

Since 2009, we can consider that the race for more pixels is over. All camera manufacturers decided more or less to go easy on resolution: Over 12-15 MP, you can easily print an A4 or Letter-size print in top quality. Most photographers will never need more. So, why go over 20 MP?

Most manufacturers followed the lead of Olympus and Nikon trying to enlarge the pixels in order to ensure they collect more light and this leads to a higher level of sensitivity as measured by the ISO standard. This is good, because this means that our pictures are going to be better and better, not only uselessly finer and finer. Moreover, maximum ISO sensitivity becomes a relatively good proxy for image quality.

However, there is a slippery slope here. It has already been observed in some Point-and-Shoot compact photo cameras: A manufacturer may be tempted to push a maximum ISO level to ridiculously stratospheric altitudes. It’s not only because you P&S camera can do ISO 1600, that its pictures are still usable (noise cancellation algorithms may be so energetic that most of the details are blurred in the process).

Usually, in the D-SLR market we do not see this happening too often, but there is a risk. With Canon and Nikon leading the race with (pro) cameras over ISO 100,000, we already see figures that are amazingly high and images that are already quite bad (for a pro).

Don’t get me wrong! I’m quite happy to see that technology will soon be allowing us to shoot pictures in darkness without using a flash. But those two very serious camera manufacturers have obviously been racing to reach an ISO landmark. Some others, maybe less able, will reach it not only with barely usable photos, but with really unacceptable pictures. Then, it would become a fruitless race again, with figures creeping into the fact sheets and a real-life comparison will be ever more critical.

For me, the Canon EOS 1D Mk IV and Nikon D3s are useful because they produce absolutely great photos at ISO 32,800, not just because they can collect a barely informational document at ISO 102,400. Let’s be attentive with the present products from Canon and Nikon and the future cameras from all the photo camera manufacturers.

We should still be photographers and not just number-seeking blind consumers. I hope we are.

I just updated the tests/reviews in the database of the SLR photo cameras, mostly for the Pentax and Samsung cameras (and some Nikon, Sony, Canon, too).

If you are looking for the best SLR camera that your money can buy, you have certainly seen the announcement of the latest pro cameras from Nikon and Canon as very interesting. Both the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and the Nikon D3S pretend to be very fast cameras and to have actual record sensitivity (up to ISO 102400).

But, even if you are ready to switch from your current brand of photo camera, which one should you choose? There are a few comparisons that are starting to pop around the Internet and I want to list them to you:

• The Mansurovs: in Nikon D3s vs Canon EOS-1D Mark IV highlights the 9 key differences between them and says “this camera [the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV] beats the Nikon D3s in almost every feature category.”
• PhotographyReview.com says “the choice comes down to image quality vs. speed.”
• Digital Rev says “Canon EOS-1D Mark IV vs Nikon D3S – Rivalling in Speed and Sensitivity” but they simply compare feature lists and draw no conclusion.

So, which one is yours now?

RAW file conversion process

Ready to celebrate the arrival of 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau, a new version of the RAW conversion utility from Adobe is here: Camera Raw 5.6. It supports a whole lot of recent cameras:

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon PowerShot G11
• Canon PowerShot S90
• Leaf Aptus II 5
• Mamiya DM22, DM28, DM33, DM56, M18, M22, M31
• Nikon D3s
• Olympus E-P2
• Pentax K-x
• Panasonic FZ38
• Sigma DP1s
• Sony A500
• Sony A550
• Sony A850

It also solves an issue in demosaicing of some Raw files on PowerPC Mac.

Download Adobe Camera Raw 5.6.

After the official presentation of the Nikon D3s, here are a couple of nice videos used by Nikon in its international promotion at launch time.

There are a series of informations or rumors rolling in about a possible double announcement in October. Both Canon and Nikon would be readying themselves for major announcements targeting the highest end of the market. It would be a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and a Nikon D3s (or D3x).

But this is still to be confirmed.

Sources: Shots.fr, Nikon Rumors.

Update: The D3s is now confirmed for October 15th, by another source (via RP).