pma

New CMOS sensors catching on in cameras

LAS VEGAS--You may not know it from the outside, but digital cameras are getting something like an eye transplant.

Deep within every digital camera is a sensor chip whose job it is to capture light. Most camera sensors today use CCD (charge-coupled device) technology, but a newer approach called CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) is catching on, particularly at the high end of the market.

CMOS advantages can include lower noise, lower power consumption, lower price, and faster response times. In the prestigious and fast-growing digital SLR (single-lens reflex) camera market, Canon and Olympus have used CMOS sensors for years, … Read more

Nikon D60 offers incremental upgrade

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 … Read more

New Nikon lenses include 24mm perspective correction model

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 … Read more

Nikon adds VR in compact P60

Taking on the popular Canon A720 IS with its update to the P50, Nikon's Coolpix P60 includes some nontrivial enhancements, including optical image stabilization (Vibration Reduction, or VR), an electronic viewfinder (which is unusual in a non-megazoom), and an increase in the zoom range to 5x up from 3.5x.

However, the longer zoom reach comes at the expense of the wide angle: the P50 offered an f/2.8-5.6 28mm-102mm-equivalent range, in contrast to the P60's narrower (though a bit faster at the telephoto end) f/3.6-4.5 36mm-180mm-equivalent range.

Though it uses the same … Read more

Nikon's new budget-priced Coolpix camera

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, … Read more

A cavalcade of compact cameras from Nikon

Nikon has unveiled a pack of pocketable point-and-shoot cameras for style-minded users. These new Nikon Coolpix cameras all feature ultracompact, all-metal bodies, and range from a sub-$200 budget shooter to a feature-laden $300 model.

The Coolpix S210 presents the least expensive of the Coolpix S-cameras. It fits an 8-megapixel sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens into a 3/4-inch-thick aluminum body, making it very pocket-friendly. Its 2.5-inch screen is smaller than the L18's, but it makes up for its size with a high resolution and a 170-degree viewing angle. The Coolpix S210 also ships in March … Read more

Underexposed blog: Links of the day

Nikon lens rumors: (24mm tilt-shift, 60mm macro, and 16-85mm VR): DPReview forum -- The 16-85mm VR looks closer to reality. The tilt-shift model would be interesting--that was a longtime Canon advantage. Rumored Nikon D60 details: Digital Photography Review -- Some purported details of the now widely rumored Nikon D60 SLR have bubbled up on the DP Review forum. Nikon releases D80 firmware version 1.10 -- Windows Vista compatibility, USB Media Transfer Protocol now supported, and tweaks to longer-exposure noise reduction. iStockphoto rolls back international price increase -- A 2008 price change increased fees for European buyers because of exchange … Read more

Exclusive video: Hands-on with the Canon XSi

You've read the blog, now see the video. Starring Phil and Canon's new consumer dSLR, the EOS Rebel XSi.

PNY, Transcend flash cards move to 32GB

Correction January 27 7 p.m. PST: I messed up the photo-capacity math. A 32GB card can hold more than 10,000 3MB photos.

Jumping the Photo Marketing Association trade show gun by a few days, PNY Technologies announced several new 16GB and 32GB flash cards for cameras and video cameras on Thursday.

The 32GB SDHC card can keep up with high-definition video captured at 9 megabits per second, the company said. And the Optima Pro CompactFlash card, has a 266X transfer speed, or 40 megabits per second, using a UDMA interface.

Both cards will be available in the second … Read more