PMA 2009

Nikon's D3X is now supported by Adobe Lightroom.

(Credit: Nikon)

LAS VEGAS--Adobe Systems has released the final version of Lightroom 2.3, its photo-editing and cataloging software, along with its close relative, the Camera Raw 5.3 plug-in to let Photoshop CS4 edit raw images from higher-end cameras.

The new software (available as a download for Windows and Mac OS X) supports Nikon's top-end D3X, an $8,000, 24.5-megapixel machine whose owners likely will usually prefer raw files for their flexibility and quality advantages over JPEG. Also supported is Olympus' new midrange E-30.

The Lightroom 2.3 update also fixed a number of bugs and adds support for eight new languages: Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese. Adobe made the announcement Monday just as the Photo Marketing Show (PMA) was getting under way here.

The Camera Raw software works with Adobe's flagship CS4 version of Photoshop, but also with the consumer-oriented Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 for video editing, and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac OS X.

Nikon's Spring stylistas--photos

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Nikon's ultracompact S series look like the typical refreshers, with bumps in lenses and resolution across the board. The touch-screen S60 must be working out for the company, because it's added a second model for spring: the Coolpix S230, which has a cheaper touch-free sibling, the S220. Unlike with the S60, however, Nikon included a mechanical zoom switch rather than relying on the touch screen for zooming. Both cameras have 3x zoom lenses, 10-megapixel sensors, and 2.5-inch LCDs.

Both S600 series models are 12 megapixels and use 2.7-inch LCDs, but the S630 has a 7x zoom lens compared with the S620's 4x unspecified wide-angle zoom. Nikon also highlights the S620's "incredibly quick start-up time of 0.7 seconds," which really doesn't sound all that fast to me--point-and-shoots in its class typically start and shoot in less than 0.5 second.

All of the cameras incorporate Nikon's new "4-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization" which consists of optical IS, auto shutter speed/ISO determination to compensate for moving subjects, and a Best Shot Selector option for choosing the sharpest photo out of a burst of 10. And, like all its competitors, Nikon introduces its own get-the-faces-right system comprised of automatic red-eye fix, improved face-priority AF, and smile- and blink-detection.

And they all come in a cornucopia of pretty colors. When they ship this month, the S630 will sell for $279.95, the S620 for $269.95, the S230 for $229.95, and the S220 for $149.95.

Nikon Coolpix P90--photos

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Nikon joins the ranks of manufacturers ramping up their top-of-the-line megazoom models to 24X. The replacement for the P80, the Nikon Coolpix P90, outzooms its 18X predecessor with an f2.8-5 26-624mm-equivalent lens, and outpixels it by upping the resolution from 10 megapixels to 12. More useful, Nikon incorporates a tilting 3-inch LCD into the camera, bringing it into parity with competing megazooms from Canon, Sony, and others.

With its spring cameras, Nikon introduces its "4-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization," which consists of optical IS, auto-shutter speed/ISO determination to compensate for moving subjects, and a Best Shot Selector option for choosing the sharpest photo out of a burst of 10. Like the P80, it supports up to ISO 1600 with reduced resolution for ISO 3200 and 6400. Also new, the camera has a mode for 15fps continuous shooting for up to 45 frames, though it's not clear if that's at a reduced resolution as well. And like all its competitors, Nikon introduces its own get-the-faces-right system comprised of automatic red-eye fix, improved face-priority AF, and smile- and blink-detection.

We found the P80 unusably slow, and Nikon hasn't mentioned anything about performance enhancements for its successor. Nor does the P90 add raw format support.

The P90 ships in March 2009 for $399.95.

Photos: Nikon's 'lifestyle' cameras

Nikon plays catch-up to the competition by introducing a budget megazoom model, the Coolpix L100. Characteristically, budget megazooms offer shorter lenses than their more expensive siblings and eschew the electronic viewfinder; the 10-megapixel L100 follows the pattern with its 15x f3.5-5.4 28-420mm lens, which is slower and shorter than its sister the P90's. Though it uses a 3-inch LCD, the L100's doesn't tilt like the P90's does.

Like the more expensive models, though, Nikon adds its "4-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization" which consists of optical IS, auto shutter speed/ISO determination to compensate for moving subjects, and a Best Shot Selector option for choosing the sharpest photo out of a burst of 10. Like the P80, it supports up to ISO 1600 with reduced resolution for ISO 3200 and 6400. Also new, the camera has a mode for 13 frames per second continuous shooting at full resolution for an unspecified number of frames, or 30fps for 30 frames at 3 megapixels or less. Like all its competitors, Nikon introduces its own get-the-faces-right system comprised of automatic red-eye fix, improved face-priority AF, and smile- and blink-detection.

The Coolpix L100 is slated to ship in April for $279.95.

At the bottom of Nikon's photographic food chain sit the Coolpix L20 and L19, 3.6x zoom cameras that run off 2 AA batteries. The L20 is a 10-megapixel model with a 3-inch LCD, while the L19 uses an 8-megapixel sensor, and 2.7-inch LCD. Both ship this month; the L20 will cost $129.95, while the L19 will run $109.95, making it the cheapest Nikon ever.

Nikon's PC-E Micro-Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

LAS VEGAS--Nikon just introduced a 24mm "perspective correction" lens, but the camera maker also showed off two new prototypes of the same ilk.

As promised last week, Nikon showed off a new PC-E Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here. Also under a glass booth was the PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D.

Note that the latter model lacks the "ED" suffix that indicates extra-low dispersion glass used to maximize sharpness and minimize chromatic aberration. Nikon last week employed the ED suffix in describing the lens, but there was a conspicuous rectangle carved out of the name badge right where those two letters would have appeared.

Regardless of what the 85mm lens composition and name, it definitely looks different from Nikon's existing PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D.

Nikon's PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D lens

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

The perspective-correction lenses, also called tilt-shift models by rival Canon and others, let a photographer optically alter the perspective of a view, for example changing the vertical lines of a building so they are parallel rather than convergent.

Architects are a particular market for the specialty lenses, which aren't cheap: Nikon's PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED will cost $1,930 when it goes on sale this fall.

The two new perspective-correction lenses "are scheduled to become available through Nikon authorized dealers during the summer of 2008," Nikon said last week.

Speaking of coveted lenses, Nikon also showed a D3 SLR with the newer 14-24mm zoom lens mounted--both sawn in half down the middle. All I can say is I hope it was a factory reject.

Nikon's newer D3 SLR and 14-24mm zoom lens, shown here sawn in half.

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

Nikon's new 10.2MP D60 will cost about $750 for a kit that includes the camera body and an 18-55mm VR lens.

(Credit: Nikon)

Just on the heels of the camera's official announcement, Nikon has now announced official pricing for its new 10.2MP entry-level dSLR. The camera, which will be available in stores in February 2008, will cost about $750 for a kit that includes the camera body, as well as an 18-55mm lens with Nikon's Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization.

Nikon's original announcement of the D60 said that pricing would be available 30 days prior to the camera's availability. Since January has 31 days, and February has 29 days this year, thanks to the joy of the leap year, Nikon is keeping true to its word. Even if your local camera store is closed 30 days from now (this announcement went public at 11pm Eastern Standard Time), there will still be one day left in February for you to run out and buy the D60, as long as everything goes according to Nikon's master plan.

Nikon's new 10.2MP D60 includes a nifty new Air Flow Control dust reduction system.

(Credit: Nikon)

While we've seen some exciting announcements from Canon and Pentax in the last week, and from Sony at CES, Nikon's PMA SLR announcement amounts to an incremental upgrade from its entry-level D40 SLR. The new D60 includes a 10.2-megapixel CCD sensor, the company's new Expeed processor, sensitivity up to ISO 3,200 (Nikon calls it Hi), and a 2.5-inch LCD. Compared to Canon's Rebel XSi, this new Nikon comes in with fewer pixels (though still more than enough for most entry-level SLR users) and a smaller LCD. With its 3-frame-per-second burst mode, the D60 is also slightly slower in continuous shooting. However, the D60 is essentially on par with Sony's DSLR-A200, though the Sony includes sensor-shift image stabilization that works with any lens, while Nikon relies on lens-based optical image stabilization. To Nikon's credit, they have upgraded the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens to include their Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization.

Like the D40, the D60 includes 3-area autofocus, 3-D Color Matrix Metering II, and a host of in-camera editing features, including Nikon's D-Lighting, red-eye reduction, and filter effects, such as the cross-screen (aka cross star) effect. Another nifty feature, also found in some of Nikon's point-and-shoots, is the Stop-Motion Movie mode, which lets you create a stop-motion movie clip from a series of up to 100 consecutive JPG images, and even lets you pluck individual images out after the fact if the clip doesn't live up to your expectations. As with all of Nikon's SLRs, the D60 can capture images as RAW (aka NEF in Nikon-land) files. However, Nikon has also included a NEF-to-JPG conversion tool in the camera itself. It won't offer all the functionality of the software included with the camera, or Nikon's optional Capture NX software, but it's a nice option to have if you don't want to shoot RAW+JPG, which can eat up a lot of memory on your SD card.

As has become the trend in SLRs, the D60 includes a dust reduction system that shakes the sensor to make any loose dust fall off of the sensor. Nikon has taken this system a step further than some by placing anti-static coatings on all parts in the mirror box (most manufacturers include an anti-static coating on the UV filter in front of the sensor), and has a new Air Flow Control system. Since the air inside the SLR is disturbed every time the mirror flips up to take a picture, this new system uses air vents in the bottom of the mirror box so that air naturally flows downward, bringing any loose dust with it, instead of bouncing around the inside of the mirror box.

According to Nikon, they have also improved the camera's help function, compared to the D40, while also offering different options for the status screen. Since, like too many entry-level SLRs, the D60 doesn't include a dedicated status display, the LCD shows you the state of your camera's settings. A sensor below the optical viewfinder turns the display off when you raise the camera to your eye. I prefer a dedicated status display, though the omission of one is usually an attempt to keep prices down, which is always a nice thing.

It's not easy to say how much of a price advantage that amounts to in the D60, since Nikon says that pricing will not be available until 30 days prior to sales availability. Strangely, they also say that the D60 will be available in February 2008. That means that unless Nikon starts selling this camera on February 29th, in celebration of leap year, we should know the pricing by now. Rest assured, once we find out the pricing we'll let you know. We do know that the D60 will be offered as a kit, with the aforementioned AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens. It is unclear right now if Nikon will offer a body-only option, though they never did for the D40, so I wouldn't expect it.

Nikon's new 24mm perspective correction lens can help make diverging lines parallel.

(Credit: Nikon)

To accompany the announcement of its new D60 SLR, Nikon has announced three new lenses: the PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED, the AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED, and the AF-S DX 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G VR. The most unusual of the three is the PC-E 24mm, which is a perspective correction lens-- a type of lens that Canon has dominated for a while now with three models, though Nikon already offers the PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D. Canon refers to this type of lens as tilt-shift, since it lets you adjust the angle of the lens elements in relation to the film/sensor plane by angling the lens from side to side, up or down, and slide it horizontally. By angling the lens elements, you can compensate for the trapezoidal look that very large buildings take on when looking up as you shoot them. While this is obviously a very specialized lens, it's nice to see Nikon stepping up their already-extensive selection of lenses. The PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED will be available this fall for about $1,930. Nikon will also be showing prototypes of a new PC-E Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED and PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D ED at the PMA show this week.

An update to Nikon's 60mm macro lens now features a Silent Wave Motor and internal focusing.

(Credit: Nikon)

Next up is a new 60mm macro lens called the AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED. Compared to the existing AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D, which has been around for a few years now, this new 60mm includes a built-in Silent Wave Motor for autofocus to make it compatible with the D40 and D40x, Nikon's new Nano Crystal Coat, ED (extra low dispersion) lens elements, and fully internal focusing. The internal focusing means that the front lens element doesn't extend or retract while you focus-- something that did irk me when using the previous 60mm when shooting at magnifications close to 1:1. Nikon expects the AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED to be available in March for about $550.

With a versatile zoom range, this new DX-format 16-85mm lens makes a nice all-around lens for Nikon's sub-full-frame cameras.

(Credit: Nikon)

The last new lens is a versatile DX-format lens that covers a 35mm-equivalent zoom range of about 24-128mm. The AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR includes Nikon's Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization, which the company says can provide from 2-4 stops of leeway. Meaning that if you normally would shoot at 1/100 second for a particular shot, you should be able to use this lens at 1/25 second (a 2 stop difference), or possibly even as slow as 1/6 second (about a 4 stop difference). As always with image stabilization, your mileage may vary. This 16-85mm lens also includes ED glass and Silent Wave Motor technology. Nikon expects the AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR to be available this March for about $650.

(Credit: Nikon)

While it doesn't feature an ultracompact metal body like the new Coolpix S-series cameras, or the viewfinder and manual controls of the new Coolpix P60, Nikon's new budget-priced Coolpix L18 stands out as the most affordable of Nikon's new cameras.

The colorful, 8-megapixel L18 sports a large 3-inch LCD screen, a surprising feature in a sub-$150 camera. Besides the large screen, however, the L18 offers a standard and unremarkable feature set, including a 3x optical zoom, 32 MB of built-in memory, and a maximum sensitivity of ISO 1,600. It draws power from two AA batteries, so you can choose between rechargeable batteries or cheaper, one-use lithium/oxy-nickel/alkaline cells. The Coolpix L18 ships in March with a suggested retail price of $140. It will be available in a variety of colors, including red and blue versions.