Here is a summary of the PopPhoto review of the Nikon’s DSLR for Everyman and Everywoman, the D40. The replacement for the D50, it keeps the 6.1-megapixel sensor but boasts upgrades to the viewfinder, LCD, metering, processor speed, burst rate, noise suppression, in-camera editing, and user help, in a smaller and lighter package. Now for the really hot feature: The new camera, at $599 (street) with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II AF-S Zoom-Nikkor DX lens, is $100 less than the current D50 with a kit lens.

At very first glance, the D40 looks pretty much like a trimmed-down D50, but a closer look reveals a simplified layout intended to be less intimidating for anyone who’s not a photo geek. For starters, there’s no top LCD panel. Instead, control readouts appear in big readable type on the rear LCD monitor, a 230,000-pixel 2.5-incher rather than the D50’s 2-inch version. This setup is fine by us, given that the top panel readouts on the D50 aren’t very readable.

The smaller, more compact Li-ion battery designed for the D40 is responsible for much of the weight savings (2.3 ounces), but nonetheless increases CIPA life to 470 shots, up from the D50’s 400 shots (both ratings with 50 percent flash shots).

While we were expecting maybe a few more megapixels in the new camera, it didn’t fit in with Nikon’s strategy here. And that is to attract lots of first-time DSLR buyers with a camera that won’t scare them off, at a price that won’t break the piggy bank. We’d say it has a pretty good shot at doing that.

Website :  Hands On Review of the $599 Nikon D40

The new 6.1MP D40 may be the lowest-priced DSLR to ever be introduced by Nikon, and it could be a big hit for those trading up from their compact digital cameras to a higher-performance DSLR. But if you’re a dedicated Nikon 35mm SLR or DSLR owner with a bag full of Nikon glass, you may want to skip this one. Why? During our current lab test (results to be published in the March 2007 issue and online in February 2007) we discovered that the D40 isn’t fully backward compatible with many older Nikkor lenses! Sure, you can attach them to the D40, but autofocus won’t work unless the lens is a relatively new, AF-S or ED-IF series. (These both differ from older Nikkors because they have the AF motor built in to the lens body).

Looks like Nikon found a way to cut costs on the body by removing the mechanical AF assembly found in all other Nikon DSLRs and most 35mm SLRs. That makes the camera lighter and may allow for faster AF speeds with progressive generations of Nikkor lenses. But something doesn’t feel right about a new DSLR that can’t autofocus at any light level with a trusty Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D, or even an expensive, digital-only Nikkor Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX lens. What were they thinking?

Website : Update to Nikon D40 HandsOn from PopPhoto

Website : Nikon’s smallest DSLR yet from TechCentral

First announced at Photokina 2006 in Germany, the digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) cam will go on sale next February and carry a price tag of $1,999. What do you get with this pricey camera? The S5 Pro has 12.3 megapixels and uses Nikon interchangeable lenses (compatible with all Nikkor AF-D/G and AF-S optics).

Fujifilm says the camera has “an expanded dynamic range from the double-pixel technology of the camera’s Super CCD SR Pro sensor that is approximately 400 percent wider than than of a charge-coupled device (CCD) working on a single-pixel design.” And, it has a “new Super CCD SR Pro sensor with Fujifilm’s new RP Processor Pro for smoother tonality from brightest light to the darkest shadows.” The sensor also allows the camera to have an ISO sensitivity of 3,200, and the S5 Pro can shoot in RAW and JPEG simultaneously. What does this all mean? It means that unless you are a professional photographer, you can move along to the next camera.

A unique feature is the Face Detection Technology. It can “detect up to ten faces in a scene at the push of a button. Using the camera’s LCD monitor, users can zoom in to the faces of subjects, confirming focus, exposure, and whether eyes are open or closed.”

Website : Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro DSLR Pricing & Release Date

Website : Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro Detail Specification

Website : Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro Brochure (in PDF)

Here’s MacWorld Buying Advice on this Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 camera: “The Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K is a very good camera, albeit a little pricey. While it feels clunkier than its competitors, it delivers very good image quality and a full feature set, as well as some nice extras such as image stabilization. While Sony has released a good selection of lenses for the Alpha 100, its lens collection is fairly expensive when compared to the digital-specific lenses from Nikon, Canon, and Pentax. The Alpha 100 is a good competitor to the Canon Rebel XTi and the Nikon D80, but you should get your hands on all three to get a feel for their interfaces and grips before making a decision.”

Pros: Small size; full featured; very good image quality under most conditions; good lens selection; sensor-based stabilization.

Cons: Sensor-based stabilization is inferior to lens-based stabilization; lenses are expensive; autofocus mechanism is noisy; images look noisy from ISO 800-1600.
Website :  Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Review by MacWorld

To our valued customers,The Sigma Corporation of Japan is postponing the launch date of the Sigma SD14 Digital SLR camera, which was announced at Photokina 2006.

The Sigma SD14 had originally been scheduled to launch between the end of November and the middle of December. However, during final preparations, an unexpected hardware problem caused us to change the release date of the camera.

Due to this design change, the release date is now expected to be towards the end of February and the beginning of March 2007.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this postponement may cause. Customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us, therefore to avoid disappointment, we feel it necessary to make these changes before releasing the camera to market.

For inquiries:
Sigma World Network Web

Website : Sigma Intros 14 megapixel SD14 DSLR With Foveon X3 Sensor

Digital is the earnest child of photography, always striving to better itself. Film is the adult, having had more than a century to mature. That’s why there are times when film — and only film — is the best insurance that you’ll get the result you want. Here are five arguments in its favor.

1) ULTIMATE IMAGE SHARPNESS

For most purposes, digital will do. But unless you’re shooting with an ultra high-resolution digital back or top pro-level DSLR, film still produces the sharpest possible images. A 35mm frame converted to a digital file by today’s desktop scanners simply clobbers the sharpness of a typical consumer DSLR.

2) A SPECIFIC “LOOK”

Films have personality; DSLRs don’t. While many DSLRs let you dial in higher or lower saturation and contrast, those crude adjustments can’t compare to the richness of film, whether Velvia’s crisp, saturated look or the delicate tonal shoulder of Tri-X. (Black-and-white is a particular challenge for digital, especially in-camera.)

3) WIDEST TONAL RANGE

Film can be manipulated to soak up even more of a scene’s tonal extremes. You can rein in highlights by “pulling,” or shortening, the development of b&w film. You compensate for this by adding exposure when shooting, improving shadow detail. You can overexpose color negative film by as much as four stops to increase shadow detail and reduce contrast, without damaging highlight nuances.

4) ON A FIXED BUDGET

At a given level of quality, film is still less costly than digital. On the low end, a single-use camera loaded with color negative film costs under $10; the cheapest digital point-and-shoots run nearly $100.

5) WIDEST ANGLE OF VIEW WITH YOUR EXISTING LENSES

True, camera makers have created some excellent wide-angle zooms, and even fisheyes, for their digital SLRs. These lenses offset the smaller-than-35mm image sensor found in all but a couple of DSLRs. But many photographers choose the same brand of DSLR that they used for 35mm because they can shoot with their existing lenses. The problem is that the DSLR’s smaller image sensor puts horse blinkers on those lenses, wasting much of their available image circle.

Website : Five cases when FILM beats DIGITAL hands-down

Here’s a summary from ePhotozine: “With the possible exception of frame rate, made up for in part with the Shake-reduction and dual RAW capability, this camera is up there with Nikon’s D200 and Canon’s 30D. Packed with features that have been well thought out and are easily accessible in a body that has been built to withstand the pressures of hard use in typically English climates it has a lot going for it. If their lens line-up takes a similar leap in the next twelve months, Pentax will be back toe-to-toe with the big boys. This is a serious advanced amateur or semi-pro camera.”

In summary the positive points of the Pentax K10D are:

• Weather sealed body with s/s chassis
• Dual RAW formats supported
• Good 11 point AF system
• Sensitivity priority programs
• In camera anti-shake should keep lenses reasonably priced
• Good battery life.
• Very well priced

The negative points:

• Existing lenses not up to the camera’s capabilities
• SD compartment door release fiddly
• Battery grip a little quirky
• ISO1600 a bit too noisy

Website : Pentax are back with the K10D