Nikon have announced the D300S, its new DX-format DSLR flagship. The 12.3-megapixel DX-sensor camera has 51-point autofocus and can shoot 7 frames per second; however it can also record 24fps 720p high-definition video with contrast-detect AF (while in Tripod mode). Nikon have added a stereo microphone input and in-camera movie editing for clip trimming.
Panasonic have announced their latest three LUMIX digital cameras, kicking off with the DSLR-lookalike FZ35 with an 18x zoom, following up with the more fashion-focused FP8 with its 4.6x zoom, and finishing up with the mid-range ZR1 with an 8x zoom. All three have a 12.1-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization and face-recognition.
Ricoh have updated their GR Digital II camera with a third-generation model, the unsurprisingly titled GR Digital III. Packing a new wide-angle 28mm F1.9 GR lens, the GR Digital III has a 10-megapixel CCD and Ricoh’s GR Engine III image processor. Together they promise the lowest ever ISO sensitivity of a GR-series digital camera, plus minimal color aberration thanks to three special low-dispersion lenses.
Fujifilm announced four new additions to their FinePix line today, adding a wider array of affordable models that are sure to keep even picky camera enthusiasts generally satisfied.
Olympus have announced four new digital cameras, each packing 12-megapixels. The Olympus Stylus-7010 squeezes a 7x optical wide-angle zoom into a casing around an inch thick, and includes both optical and digital image stabilization. Meanwhile the Olympus FE series – the FE-5020, FE-4000 and FE-46 – have a range of in-camera “Magic Filters” such as “Pop Art” and “Pin Hole” together with AF Tracking.
In addition to their new camcorders, Samsung have also unveiled a pair of point-and-shoot digital cameras in the shape of the SL720 and SL502. Each offering 12.2-megapixel resolution and 5x optical zoom, the cameras predominantly differ in their lenses; the SL720 has a 28mm wide-angle lens, while the SL502 has a standard 35mm lens.
Fujifilm’s FinePix Real 3D camera is expected to cost around $600 when it arrives in the US and Europe come September, making the 10-megapixel stereoscopic-shooter around twice the price of comparable 2D rivals. The camera uses two lenses – spaced roughly the distance of human eyes – to capture two frames simultaneously, combining those in real-time to create a 3D image that can be viewed on special hardware.
Video demo after the cut
LG’s latest super-snapper cellphone has broken cover, and from the spec-sheet at least you’d think this was the handset to quash all point-and-shoot digicams. The LG GC990 Louvre is tipped (despite LG’s own denials; see after the cut) to launch later on in 2009, taking the place of the existing LG GC900 (aka the Viewty II), and brings with it a 12.1-megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach optics, Xenon flash and what the company suggests is ISO 3200 sensitivity.
Nokia are tipped to be developing at least one 12-megapixel cameraphone that will also include an optical zoom. Sources within Nokia as well as at Carl Zeiss – who are expected to provide the optics for the upcoming devices, as they commonly do with Nokia’s current cameraphone range – have suggested that the high-megapixel handsets will hit the market in 2010.
Panasonic have released a firmware update for its digital camera range that blocks the use of third-party batteries. The update, which is now available for sixteen cameras in Panasonic’s range, addresses “imitation” batteries that the company suggests “do not meet the rigid safety standards Panasonic uses”.
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