nikon

Quikdraw your lens for fast shooting

We've heard of holsters for cameras, such as the Roberu leather holster or the Spider holster, but what about one for dSLR lenses?

Compared with typical lens holsters -- which are basically small nylon bags that carry a single lens -- the Quikdraw system allows shutterbugs to quickly swap between multiple lenses.

All you need to do is to strap on a belt and you'll be able to hang several lenses from your waist. The lenses are mounted on the Quikdraw units and dismounted with a twist-and-lock motion, just like what you do when mounting lenses on a camera body. … Read more

Nikon to extend telephoto lens range to 800mm

Nikon will add an 800mm f5.6 supertelephoto to its product line, closing a competitive gap with its longtime rival Canon.

Nikon didn't announce when the lens will ship or how much it will cost, but you can bet it'll be expensive. Canon's Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM costs more than $13,000.

But for some photographers, notably those who shoot wildlife and especially bird images, supertelephoto lenses are worth the price. And now that videographers are buying SLRs, some new purse strings may be loosening.

Nikon plans to show the lens off … Read more

Lexar to sell XQD flash memory cards

Lexar, one of the top-shelf makers of flash memory cards, said today it will support the new XQD format with new models that will go on sale in the third quarter.

For the mainstream flash card market, SD dominates when it comes to price and usage in cameras, video cameras, and devices including tablets and PCs. But though bulkier, CompactFlash, maintains a foothold in the higher-end market such as professional SLR cameras.

As CompactFlash aged, though, Sony, Nikon, and Lexar rival SanDisk came up with XQD as a faster, smaller successor to CompactFlash. One big selling point is fast transfer speed -- 2.5Gbps initially with 5Gbps planned with an upgrade to its underlying data-transfer technology, called PCI. The first big XQD use was Nikon's top-end D4 SLR, and Sony offers XQD cards, but so far there hasn't been much evidence of enthusiasm beyond that.

SanDisk hasn't announced XQD support, and Lexar had been noncommittal. No more.

"We are committed to offering innovative and industry-leading photography solutions, which is why we're working with Nikon to offer and co-market XQD memory cards. We view the XQD standard as one of the most logical ways to increase interface speed beyond that of existing CompactFlash technology," said Wes Brewer, Lexar's vice president of products and technology, in a statement. … Read more

Best waterproof rugged cameras and camcorders compared

The number of waterproof rugged cameras has exploded over the past few years. The segment was basically owned by Pentax and Olympus, but now all of the major compact camera manufacturers have a rugged model, if not two or three.

The upside to that is there is something for just about everyone at various price points, starting at just more than $100. The more money you spend, the tougher the camera, though, so make sure you get something that meets your needs.

And if you're more interested in shooting video than photos, check out the two minicamcorders that follow the camera list. … Read more

Dirt-cheap dSLRs (roundup)

If you're looking for a cheap dSLR, about $500 or less including the usual 18-55mm kit lens, you don't have a lot of choice. If you're really vigilant and are willing to leave your comfort zone you can find a few more options.

What does leaving your comfort zone entail? First, ensure that the price you're looking at is for a new, not used or refurbished model. Second, if the seller insists that you have to speak to a salesperson in order to complete the order, that's a red flag -- they usually do that to deliver a high-pressure sales pitch for accessories. While you may be able to resist the pitch, outlets like that have a habit of messing up the order or delivering gray-market merchandise. (Note that gray-market products aren't bad as long as you're aware of what to expect, such as no warranty.)

I selected the products below because they are fairly widely available for less than $500, but with some work you can also find older recommended models like the Pentax K-x, Canon EOS Rebel T2i, and Rebel T1i for under $600 or with the occasional discount for less than $500.… Read more

Nikon adds 18-300mm superzoom, 24-85mm zoom lens

Nikon announced two image-stabilized lenses today, a 16.7x superzoom that reaches from 18mm to 300mm and more modest model reaching from 24-85mm.

The AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, with a $1,000 price tag, is geared for travel shooters and others who are willing to sacrifice some optical quality for versatility. It's designed for Nikon's mainstream DX-format SLRs, whose image sensor is smaller than a 35mm film frame and therefore gives the lens an equivalent range of 27-450mm. And it's a notch more expensive than Nikon's earlier 18-200mm superzoom, which … Read more

Ultracompact megazoom cameras compared

Zoom lenses sell cameras these days, so it's no surprise that manufacturers are doing everything they can to get longer lenses into increasingly smaller bodies.

A 3x or 5x zoom lens used to be the standard for ultracompact cameras -- those measuring 1 inch thick or slimmer -- but in 2012, you can easily find a skinny point-and-shoot with a 10x optical zoom.

The frontrunner here is the sub-$250 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 thanks to its excellent features, fast autofocus, and the quality of its pictures and video (though its color accuracy could be better). Most of the category consists of sub-$200 cameras, though, so there are several options if you're just looking for a simple pocket camera with a long lens.… Read more

Nikon Nirvana: Which Nikon dSLR? (roundup)

Editors' note: This story was originally published on May 3, 2012, and was updated May 7, 2013, to include my review of the the D7100.

Not everyone approaches the dSLR buying decision as a tabula rasa choice. If you've already chosen Nikon -- whether it's because you already have some lenses, your friends are enamored of the brand, or you simply have had good experiences with the company's point-and-shoots -- here's some help selecting the right dSLR model.… Read more

Nikon D3200

Entry-level releases in dSLRs seem to be slow in coming, but they're not quite dead yet. This month, Nikon will roll out the Nikon D3200, the replacement model for the almost two-year-old Nikon D3100, which, like its predecessor, the D3000, is still alive and well.

While the D3200 has a lot of the same or similar components to the D3100, including the same autofocus system (bolstered by Nikon's newer scene-recognition technology) and viewfinder, it's got a newer, higher resolution sensor coupled with Nikon's updated Expeed 3 imaging engine, a higher-resolution LCD, and 1080/30p video with … Read more