Nikon vs. Canon

2011-10-14T20:21:00.002-04:00

European Financial Problems Hurting Nikon Sales But Not Canon

Canon officials tell Reuters they haven't seen any loss of sales attributable to the European financial crisis, but Nikon says some dealers are delaying orders. Read more.

Canon Beats Nikon 7-5 in May Photo Magazine Contests

2008-04-29T21:56:00.000-04:00

Canon beat Nikon 7-5 in May’s reader contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines in April.

Canon scored five winning photos and Nikon claimed four in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” contest, with one winning shot made by another brand (Olympus). The score was Canon two, Nikon one in the “Your Best Shot” contest in Popular Photography and Imaging, with no photos by other brands.

The Canon victory follows a tie in April. Canon currently leads the year 30-23 with eight winning photos shot with other brands. Canon has won three months this year, with Nikon taking March.

In 2007, Canon won 71-56 win with other brands accounting for 37 winning photos. In 2006, the score was 89-83 in Canon’s favor, with 43 also-rans.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2008

Nikon and Canon Score 6-6 Double Tie in April Photo Magazine Contests

2008-03-22T20:25:00.001-04:00

Nikon and Canon scored a rare 6-6 double tie in the reader contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines in April.

The two photo giants have fought to a draw four times before since NikonvsCanon.com started tracking the contests in 2006 – March 2006 plus February, May and September of 2007. But this was the first time that there were simultaneous ties in both magazines.

Nikon and Canon each claimed five of the winning shots in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” contest for April, with no winning shots made by other brands. The score was tied 1-1 in the “Your Best Shot” contest in Popular Photography and Imaging, with one photo by another brand (Sony).

Nikon won in March, breaking a four-month winning streak by Canon. Canon currently leads the year 23-18 with seven winning photos shot with other brands.

In 2007, Canon won 71-56 win with other brands accounting for 37 winning photos. In 2006, the score was 89-83 in Canon’s favor, with 43 also-rans.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2008

Nikon Introduces New AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens

2008-03-02T15:17:00.001-05:00

Nikon says its new AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens is in stores now.

The new lens features Nikon’s proprietary Vibration Reduction technology to reduce blur from camera shake. The company is billing the compact, lightweight and affordable optic as “an optimum lens to use with Nikon DX-format digital SLR cameras” and “the ideal focal length as a ‘first lens’ to faithfully capture life’s day-to-day moments.”

Nikon says its VR system affords users the ability to take pictures at shutter speeds up to three stops slower than they ordinarily could before seeing blur from camera shake at slow shutter speeds.

The “digitally optimized” lens features hybrid aspherical elements to minimize chromatic aberration, and Super Integrated Coating to reduce flare and ghosting. The lens also features Nikon’s compact Silent Wave Motor technology for quiet, fast and accurate autofocus performance.

The 18-55mm has an estimated street price of $199.

Copyright 2008

Nikon Beats Canon 6-3 in March Photo Magazine Contests

2008-03-02T15:02:00.000-05:00

Nikon claimed its first victory of the year and its first win in five months with a 6-3 score over Canon in the March reader contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines.

Nikon claimed six of the winning shots in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” contest, while one was made with Canon and three were made with other brands.

The score was 2-0 in favor of Canon in the “Your Best Shot” contest in Popular Photography and Imaging, with one photo by another brand.

The four shots made by other brands marked one of the rare times that other brands – even combined – have been able to outscore either Nikon or Canon. The third-party winners included one each by Sony, Pentax, Olympus and Konica-Minolta.

Canon had won the past four months in a row and still leads the year 17-12 after Nikon’s strong showing this month. Other brands account for six photos.

This is the third year that NikonvsCanon has counted the monthly results. In 2007, Canon won 71-56 win with other brands accounting for 37 winning photos. In 2006, the score was 89-83 in Canon’s favor, with 43 also-rans.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2008

Canon Beats Nikon 9-3 in February Photo Magazine Contests

2008-02-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

Canon claimed its fourth winning month in a row with a 9-3 win over Nikon in the reader photo contests in the February editions of the two largest U.S. photo magazines.

Canon had seven of the winning pictures in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” contest, while one was shot with Nikon and two others were made with other brands.

The score was 2-2 in Popular Photography and Imaging, which resumed its regular “Your Best Shot” monthly contest complete with camera data. Pop Photo skips the monthly contest each January to publish the winners of its big annual photo contest, throwing off our monthly scoreboard. Pop made matters worse this year by not publishing any camera information about the winners of the annual contest.

Canon won last month’s Shutterbug-only contest, and now leads Nikon 14-6 for the year, with two photos shot with other brands. Including November and December of last year, Canon has had four winning months in a row.

This is the third year that NikonvsCanon has counted the monthly results. In 2007, Canon won 71-56 win with other brands accounting for 37 winning photos. In 2006, the score was 89-83 in Canon’s favor, with 43 also-rans.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2008

Canon Starts the Year with 5-3 Win in Photo Magazine Contests

2007-12-25T16:34:00.000-05:00

Canon kicked off the year with a 5-3 win over Nikon in the reader photo contests in the January editions of the two largest U.S. photo magazines – but it was a one-magazine contest for NikonvsCanon.com purposes this month.

Canon had five of the winning pictures in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” contest, while three were shot with Nikon and two others were made with other brands.

January is the month that Popular Photography and Imaging runs the results of its annual photo contest and skips the usual “Your Best Shot” monthly contest. Traditionally, Pop has published camera details, but last year only gave data for a few of the winners of the annual contest. This year, the magazine provided no camera information on any of the 25 pictures published. Very frustrating for those of us who keep track.

This is the third year that NikonvsCanon has counted the monthly results. In 2007, Canon won 71-56 win with other brands accounting for 37 winning photos. In 2006, the score was 89-83 in Canon’s favor, with 43 also-rans.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2007

Canon Beats Nikon 8-2 in December Photo Magazine Contests, Wins Year 71-56

2007-11-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

Canon beat Nikon 8-2 in December’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines – matching last month’s score exactly and wrapping up the year with a 71-56 win over Nikon for all of 2007.

The win for the year was Canon’s second in a row, with a significantly broader margin than last year’s 89-83.

Canon beat Nikon 3-0 in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest for December, following up on 2-1 wins two months in a row, then went on to outscore Nikon 5-2 in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature for a total score of Canon 8, Nikon 2. Other brands scored three hits in Shutterbug but none in Pop, also the same as last month.

All other brands combined totaled 37 for the year, compared with 43 last year. That means Nikon and Canon together outscored all others together nearly four to one.

The year ended with five months won by Canon, four by Nikon and three tied.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Inc. Appoints New President

2007-11-03T16:52:00.001-04:00

Nikon Inc. has a new President and CEO.

Twenty-nine-year Nikon veteran Yasuyuki Okamoto will be responsible for driving the company’s performance in the areas of sales, marketing and customer service for North, Central and South American markets.

"Nikon’s operations in the Americas are very important to the success of our company and I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with the team at Nikon Inc.,” Okamoto said. “We have developed great prospects for continued growth within the Americas, and I hope to work closely with the team to build upon the tremendous momentum of recent years and drive successes for Nikon Inc.”

Okamoto has a diverse background with Nikon. He has held top management positions at Nikon’s headquarters in Tokyo and Nikon subsidiaries within a variety of markets, product divisions and business situations. Most recently, Okamoto served as general manager and operating officer at the marketing headquarters for the Imaging Company at Nikon Corporation. In that role, Okamoto was responsible for global marketing initiatives and policies. During his term Nikon developed a highly competitive and sophisticated marketing team that helped the company gain market share in Japan and across its worldwide subsidiaries.

Prior to his work at the marketing headquarters, Okamoto was general manager of corporate communications for Nikon Corporation in Japan. His responsibilities included overseeing all internal and external communications initiatives relating to Nikon Corporation's businesses throughout the world, as well as managing the company's financial and investor relations activities.

Additionally, Okamoto served as president of Nikon France SA in 1998, spending more than five years directing Nikon’s photo and imaging business activities in the region. Under his leadership, Nikon France SA developed an aggressive marketing and communications approach that helped the subsidiary successfully gain market share in the region.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Sponsors Project to Capture Pictures that “Define Life at Home in America"

2007-11-03T16:41:00.000-04:00

Nikon was among the companies that sponsored this fall’s America at Home project, an extended day-in-the-life effort to document and photograph the Americans home.

From September 17-23, 100 prominent photojournalists and thousands of amateur photographers fanned out around the United States to capture pictures of their life at home. Nikon, in association with FotoNation.net, provided 100 Coolpix S51c Wi-Fi enabled point and shoot digital cameras to photographers, allowing them to easily shoot and send their pictures wirelessly from wherever they were. (Participants were free to use more serious cameras as well, and equipment was not restricted to Nikon.)

“Nikon is excited to be a part of such a momentous project, and provide professional photographers with an easy way to share their vision,” said Bill Giordano, Nikon’s general manager Coolpix marketing.

America at Home was produced by former Time, Life and National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan in partnership with furniture retailer IKEA. In the past, Smolan and his team of magazine and newspaper photo editors have successfully produced such notable projects as A Day in the Life of America: America 24/7, 24 Hours in Cyberspace, and One Digital Day.

A book of photos from the project is scheduled to be published in March.

More information about the project is available at http://www.myamericaathome.com./

Copyright 2007

Nikon Starts Podcast Series

2007-11-03T16:14:00.000-04:00

Nikon is on the radio – Internet radio, at least.

Nikon this fall began a series of podcasts on topics ranging from the basics of digital SLR photography to how to shoot particular situations, with a big emphasis on Nikon equipment, of course. (If you’re reading this blog, you probably know that a podcast is a radio program that is downloaded from a website rather than broadcast over the air, then listened to either on your computer, iPod or other MP-3 player.)

The first episode featured “lifestyle journalist” Mark Ellwood interviewing Nikon Inc. Senior Technical Manager Steve Heiner talk radio-style on the topic of “All About D-SLR.” The episode is very beginner-oriented, clearly targeted at a point-and-shoot owner considering a D-40 rather than a professional thinking about a D-3. And as the title indicates, Ellwood kept awkwardly using the term “D-SLR” rather than “a D-SLR” as if it were a style of photography rather than a type of camera. Ellwood is clearly not a photographer but apparently was chosen on purpose as a typical consumer who doesn’t know an f/stop from a shutter speed who wants to learn the advantages of a digital SLR. But it’s still interesting to see Nikon exploring the relatively new medium of podcasting to get the word out and perhaps encourage a few people to move up to the world of interchangeable lenses and pentaprisms.

The series is up to five episodes now, with the latest covering PhotoPlus Expo 2007. Click here for Nikon’s press release page, then click on the release about each episode in order to get the links and listen.

Copyright 2007

Canon Beats Nikon 8-2 in November Photo Magazine Contests

2007-11-03T15:53:00.000-04:00

Canon beat Nikon 8-2 in November’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines, taking a hard-to-beat hold on its year-to-date lead as the end of the year approaches and tying monthly wins at four each.

Canon beat Nikon 2-1 in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest for the third month in a row, then went on trounce Nikon 6-1 in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature for a total score of Canon 8, Nikon 2. Other brands scored three hits in Shutterbug but none in Pop.

The numbers expand Canon’s lead for the year to 63-54 – a nine-point margin that makes it all but impossible for Nikon to come from behind with only one month left in the year. (Canon led Nikon 55-52 last month.) All others combined now total 34. Canon and Nikon now have four winning months each, with three months tied. Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Beats Canon 6-5 in October Photo Magazine Contests

2007-10-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

Nikon beat Canon 6-5 in October’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines, marking Nikon’s first win since an unprecedented shutout this summer.

Canon beat Nikon 2-1 in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest for the second month in a row but Nikon outscored Canon 5-3 in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature for the final score of Nikon 6, Canon 3. Other brands scored two hits in Shutterbug but none in Pop.

The scores follow a 7-0 shutout of Nikon by Canon in August and a 5-5 tie in September.

Despite the comeback, Canon still leads Nikon 55-52 for the year, with all others combined at 31. Nikon has had four winning months compared with three for Canon and three months tied. Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Introduces 12.3 Megapixel D300

2007-09-14T20:36:00.000-04:00

Nikon has introduced the successor to its 10.2 megapixel D200. The new D300 boasts 12.3 megapixels and is being billed as Nikon’s most-advanced DX-format DSLR now that Nikon has moved into the full-frame world with its new D3 flagship.

Sharing a number of features with the D3, the D300 has a new 51-point auto focus system with Nikon’s 3D Focus Tracking feature and two new LiveView shooting modes that allow users to frame a photograph using the camera’s high-resolution LCD monitor. The D300 shares a Scene Recognition System similar to that found in the D3 that promises to greatly enhance the accuracy of auto focus, auto exposure and auto white balance by recognizing the subject or scene being photographed and applying this information to the calculations for the three functions.

The D300 powers up in a 0.13 seconds, and has a 45 millisecond shutter release lag time. The D300 is capable of shooting at six frames per second and can go as fast as eight frames per second when using the optional MB-D10 Multi-Power Battery Pack. In continuous bursts, the D300 can shoot up to 100 shots at the Normal/Large JPEG setting.

“Nikon’s D200 digital SLR camera has been a runaway success for us because it embodies everything that performance-conscious photographers demand. With the D300, we’ve raised the bar with remarkable new features, greater resolution and speed, and even higher image quality,” said Nikon SLR Systems Products General Manager for Marketing Edward Fasano. “The D300 delivers an unmatched combination of quality, performance and value that’s hard for discerning photographers to resist.”

The D300’s new Scene Recognition System advances the use of Nikon’s acclaimed 1,005-segment sensor to recognize colors and light patterns that help the camera determine the subject and the type of scene being photographed, before a picture is taken. This information is used to improve the accuracy of auto focus, auto exposure and auto white balance functions in the D300. For example, the camera can track moving subjects better and by identifying them, it can also automatically select focus points faster and with greater accuracy. It can also analyze highlights and more accurately determine exposure, as well as infer light sources to deliver more accurate white balance detection.

The D300 incorporates Nikon’s new Multi-CAM 3500DX auto focus module that features an intelligent array of 15 cross-type sensors and 36 horizontal sensors. These sensors can either be used individually or in groups, with the option for Single area AF mode and Dynamic AF modes using groups of either nine, 21 or all 51 focus points. The system also features 3D tracking with automatic focus point switching that takes advantage of all 51 AF points as it uses color and light information to accurately track the subject. Nikon's new Scene Recognition System and improved focus algorithms also contribute to the performance of the AF system.

Nikon's new Picture Control System makes it easy for users of all experience levels to select and apply adjustments to how their pictures are rendered and create optimized settings to suit their individual preferences. The same settings produce consistent picture tone, even when using different camera bodies. The Picture Control System offers four basic setting options – Standard, Neutral, Vivid and Monochrome. These can be directly modified for easy adjustment and customization of image parameters, such as sharpening, tone compensation, brightness and saturation. Photographers can customize and store up to nine customized options in the D300 and export up to 99 to a Compact Flash memory card, enabling photographers to share settings among multiple cameras that feature Picture Control System.

Taking a cue from the popularity of Nikon’s D-Lighting technology, the D300 features a new Active D-Lighting mode that, when enabled, provides remarkable real-time highlight and shadow correction with optimized image contrast. Active D-Lighting produces broader tone reproduction in both shadows and highlights by controlling highlights and exposure compensation while applying localized tone control technology to achieve a more pleasing level of contrast across the entire image. And because the advantages of Active D-Lighting are applied as images are captured, image editing time can be shortened.

The D300’s LiveView feature offers two modes for confirming subjects and composition on the new 920,000-dot, high-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor while shooting. The Tripod mode is designed for precise focus and accuracy when the camera is on a stable platform and the subject is not moving. In this mode, the camera focuses on the subject using focal-plane contrast and any point on the LCD screen can be selected as the focus point for the picture. The second mode, called Handheld mode, allows photographers to use the camera’s conventional TTL focusing system, with all 51-points and 15 cross-type points available. When using this mode, the camera activates focusing immediately when the shutter button is pressed, to ensure accurate focus.

The D300 also employs a new self-cleaning sensor unit. Four different resonance frequencies vibrate the optical low pass filter in front of the image sensor to shake particles free and reduce the appearance of dust.

The camera’s viewfinder provides virtually 100 percent coverage so pictures can be framed accurately, while the ultra-high definition 920,000 dot VGA LCD screen has a 170-degree wide viewing angle.

The D300 features rugged magnesium alloy construction and the camera’s shutter mechanism is tested up to 150,000 cycles. The 3-inch LCD is strengthened with tempered glass and the D300’s rubber gaskets and seals protect vulnerable entry points from dust and moisture.

The D300 will be available in November for an estimated selling price of $1,799.95.

Copyright 2007

Nikon and Canon Tie 5-5 in September Photo Mag Contests

2007-09-13T20:30:00.001-04:00

Nikon recovered from August’s embarrassing 7-0 shutout to tie Canon 5-5 in September’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines.

Canon beat Nikon 2-1 in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest but Nikon outscored Canon 4-3 in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature. Other brands scored one hit in Pop and three in Shutterbug for a total of four.

Canon now leads Nikon 50-46 for the year, with all others combined at 29. Nikon and Canon have each had three winning months while three months were tied. Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Introduces First (Nearly) Full-Frame DSLR

2007-09-08T16:24:00.000-04:00

After years of losing photographers to Canon by the droves for lack of a full-frame digital SLR, Nikon has introduced its first full-frame DSLR – sort of.

The new 12.1 megapixel D3 features a sensor chip that Nikon calls “nearly identical to the size of 35mm film.” That works out to 23.9 mm by 36mm, or just one-tenth of one millimeter short of the standard 24mm by 36mm.

Why in the world they could not have squeezed out the extra tenth of a millimeter is beyond us. There’s been talk that the diameter of the F-mount isn’t large enough to build a lens that would fully cover 24x36 with the need of digital pixels for a perpendicular light ray. But couldn’t they have just made a 24x36 chip and if there was falloff in the last tenth of a millimeter just let falloff fall where it may, so to speak? Or why not just round off the dimensions and wait until someone came along and measured it?

There’s another huge disappointment that would be laughable if not so pitiful – when DX format lenses are used, the D3 reverts to being a 5.1 megapixel camera. Hard to believe but true. See below for details.

Ordinarily, the announcement of a full-frame Nikon DSLR – even sort of full-frame – would have been the hot news in professional photography. But introduction of the D3 came just days after Canon rolled out the new EOS-1Ds Mark III, and the comparison clearly left Nikon in the dust.

Why? Nikon may have brought out its first full-frame DSLR. But Canon has been making full-frame models for years. Nikon’s new model may have been full frame. But it is only 12.1 megapixels. That failed to match even Canon’s previous EOS-1Ds Mark II at 16.7 megapixels. And the new Canon boasts 21.1 megapixels – nearly twice Nikon’s new flagship model.

Dedicated Nikon fans may welcome the D3 as finally offering them a full-frame camera and taking them out of the position of being forced to consider a switch to Canon if they need extreme wide-angle capabilities. But photographers without a previous commitment to Nikon glass who are considering which brand to choose may right it off as too little too late.

The D3’s one big advantage over the Mark III is its price -- $5,000 vs. $8,000. That’s still not cheap, but certainly a substantial savings and probably enough to keep those with an investment in Nikkors in the Nikon camp.

Twelve megapixels vs. 21? It depends on what you shoot and your end market. News photographers need extreme wide angle capability for situations where they are in close quarters. But for photos that are going to go through a halftone screen and end up on newsprint, anything more than six megapixels is a waste. But landscape photographers also like extreme wide angle and often want to sell large prints where they need every megapixel. Wedding and portrait photographers may be seeking maximum megapixels so they can sell wall portraits. And other photographers want a full frame chip just so they don’t have to do the mental math to think that their trusty 80-200 has become a 120-300 and what is that going to do to depth of field, perspective and backgrounds.

With all that said, here’s the scoop on the D3.

Nikon calls the 23.9x36mm CMOS chip the FX format, and it can capture images at nine fps. With that speed, Nikon says the D3 has the fastest startup time, shortest viewfinder blackout time, and shortest shutter lag of any digital SLR camera, making it “the world’s fastest digital SLR camera in its class.” It also incorporates Nikon’s new EXPEED Image Processing System.

Nikon says images made with the D3 reflect exceptional overall quality, broad tonal range and depth and extremely low noise throughout its normal ISO range of 200 to 6400. The camera can also be set to options of Lo-1 or Hi-2 for the equivalent of ISO 100 or ISO 25,600 respectively – but why not just mark them as such?

The D3 also features a new 51-point auto focus system with Nikon’s 3D Focus Tracking feature and two new LiveView shooting modes that allow photographers to frame a photograph using the LCD monitor. The D3 uses a Scene Recognition System to greatly enhance the accuracy of auto focus, auto exposure and auto white balance detection by recognizing the subject or scene being photographed and applying the information to the calculations for the three functions.

“Nikon is proud and excited to once again respond to the needs of professional photographers by introducing the D3,” Nikon SLR Systems Products Marketing General Manager Edward Fasano said. “Nikon engineers have successfully combined ultra high-speed shooting capabilities and handling with outstanding low-noise image quality, offering professional photographers an ideal tool for a broad range of shooting disciplines.”

“Sports, commercial and press photographers are increasingly demanding higher ISO sensitivity, better resolution, wider dynamic range and a familiar depth-of-field in relation to picture angles,” Fasano said. “With the D3, Nikon is excited to deliver a solution that represents an ideal unification of unsurpassed image quality, high-speed operation and professional durability, without compromise. Nikon fully expects the D3 to positively affect the photographic community in a way that hasn’t been seen since the introduction of the Nikon D1.”

Nikon says its DX-format cameras – with a 1.5 digital crop factor – have been widely accepted by professional photographers and photo enthusiasts but that there is an increasing demand among professionals for a full-frame digital Nikon with the same relationship between picture angle and depth-of-field of the 35mm film format.

Introducing a full-frame camera raises the question of what photographers are supposed to do with the DX-format lenses Nikon has been selling – lenses that are designed for smaller chips and won’t cover a full 24x36mm frame. Nikon says the D3 will deliver full-frame 12.1 megapixel images when used with conventional full-frame lenses, and will automatically switch to the DX format when using DX lenses.

But here’s the next big kicker: rather than delivering a 12, 10, 8 or even 6-megapixel image from DX lenses like Nikon DSLRs going back to the D100, the D3 will crop into its sensor and produce only a 5.1 megapixel image when used with DX lenses. The viewfinder will be automatically masked to show the appropriate area included in the frame.

That’s right – when used with DX lenses, this is a 5.1 megapixel camera selling for $5,000!!! Canon executives and fans must be howling with laughter.

Going to 5.1 megapixels does let D3 shoot at 11 fps, but the uses for a frame rate that high are few.

Nikon’s explanation: “Both Nikon FX and DX-formats provide their own advantages, and Nikon recognizes that both formats are necessary in order to satisfy its diverse customer demands. Based on this recognition, Nikon will strengthen its D-SLR lineup with the addition of the D3 FX-format SLR camera and a broadened assortment of Nikkor interchangeable lenses, while continuing to develop and market high-performance DX-format cameras and lenses.”

Scene Recognition
Nikon’s Scene Recognition System advances the use of Nikon’s 1,005-segment sensor to recognize colors and light patterns that help the camera determine the subject and the type of scene being photographed to improve the accuracy of auto focus, auto exposure and auto white balance. For example, the camera can track moving subjects better in all directions and by identifying them it can also automatically select focus points faster and with greater accuracy. It can also analyze scene highlights and more accurately determine exposure, as well as infer light sources to deliver more accurate white balance.

The D3 incorporates Nikon’s new Multi-CAM 3500FX auto focus module that features an intelligent array of 15 cross-type sensors and 36 horizontal sensors. The sensors can either be used individually or in groups, with the option for Single Area AF mode and Dynamic AF modes using groups of either 9, 21 or all 51 focus points. The system also features 3D Focus Tracking with automatic focus point switching that takes advantage of all 51 AF points as it uses color and light information to accurately track the subject. Nikon's new Scene Recognition System and improved focus algorithms also contribute to the performance of the AF system.

Nikon's new Picture Control System makes it easy for users of all experience levels to select and apply adjustments to how their pictures are rendered and create optimized settings to suit their individual preferences. The same settings produce consistent picture tone, even when using different camera bodies. The Picture Control System offers four basic setting options – Standard, Neutral, Vivid and Monochrome. These can be directly modified for easy adjustment and customization of image parameters, such as sharpening, tone compensation, brightness and saturation. Photographers can customize and store up to nine customized options in the D3 and export up to 99 to a CF memory card, enabling photographers to share settings among multiple D3 cameras.

Taking a cue from the popularity of Nikon’s D-Lighting technology, the D3 features a new Active D-Lighting mode that, when enabled, provides real-time highlight and shadow correction with optimized image contrast. Active D-Lighting produces broader tone reproduction in both shadows and highlights by controlling highlights and exposure compensation while applying localized tone control technology to achieve a more pleasing level of contrast across the entire image. And because the advantages of Active D-Lighting are applied as images are captured, image editing time can be shortened.

The D3’s LiveView feature offers two modes for confirming subjects and composition on the new 920,000-dot, high-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor while shooting. The Tripod mode is designed for precise focus and accuracy when the camera is on a stable platform and the subject is not moving. In this mode, the camera focuses on the subject using focal-plane contrast and any point on the LCD screen can be selected as the focus point for the picture. The second mode, called Handheld mode, allows photographers to use the camera’s conventional TTL focusing system, with all 51-points and 15 cross-type points available. When using this mode, the camera activates focusing immediately when the shutter button is pressed, to ensure accurate focus.

Speed
Nikon says the D3 has the fastest reaction times of any camera in its class. Its shutter release time lag is only 37 milliseconds, and its start-up time is approximately 0.12 seconds. It is capable of continuously shooting approximately nine frames per second in full resolution with FX-format, up to 64 consecutive frames in JPEG, Normal compression. For NEF (RAW) files, the D3 can shoot up to 20 or up to 17 consecutive frames depending on whether it is set to 12-bit or 14-bit images. When using a DX-format lens, the camera automatically switches to DX-format mode, adjusting the resolution of the camera to 5.1 megapixels. In the DX-format mode, photographers also have the opportunity to increase the speed at which the camera can take pictures by limiting the auto exposure and going up to 10 frames per second or limiting both auto exposure and auto focus and going up to 11 frames per second.

The camera’s viewfinder provides virtually 100 percent coverage for accurate framing, while the VGA LCD has a viewing angle of 170 degrees to help with the LiveView mode. The D3 also features a Virtual Horizon digital level sensor that indicates the camera’s alignment relative to the true horizon on the rear LCD screen or in the viewfinder. This is a feature we like and haven’t heard of elsewhere.

The D3 also features two Compact Flash card slots that can be used for consecutive recording (overflow), simultaneous recording (backup), separating recording of RAW and JPEG files or copying pictures between the two cards. Images can be displayed directly from the camera to a high-definition monitor using the camera’s HDMI port and an optional cable.
The exterior of the D3 is crafted of magnesium alloy and the camera’s shutter mechanism is tested to 300,000-cycle releases. The three-inch LCD is strengthened with tempered glass and the D3’s comprehensive array of rubber gaskets and seals protect vulnerable entry points from dust and moisture.

Nikon says the D3 will be available in November at a street price of $4,999.95.

Copyright 2007

Canon Introduces 21-Megapixel Full-Frame DSLR

2007-08-23T21:10:00.000-04:00

Canon this week introduced the first digital SLR to break the 20 megapixel mark, putting SLRs based on 35mm-size bodies into the range of resolution previously claimed only by medium format cameras with digital backs.

The new EOS-1Ds Mark III boats 21.1 megapixels on a full-frame chip, and Canon says the new offering is targeted at high-fashion and commercial studios where bulkier, medium-format cameras previously reigned but that the compact, lighter-weight magnesium alloy body is also rugged and versatile enough to take out of the studio and into the field.

The camera's five fps shooting rate allows bursts of up to 56 Large/Fine JPEGS or 12 RAW images. It is scheduled to begin shipping in November and will have an estimated selling price of $7,999, the same price as its predecessor, the 16.7 megapixel EOS-1Ds Mark II.

"The EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera is a prime example of the EOS philosophy and Canon's ongoing commitment to providing photo professionals with the tools they need to create the finest quality images," said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of Canon USA’s Consumer Imaging Group. "To continue our legacy, we must provide not only the right professional tools, but also the finest photo tools for the job and do so consistently, whether we are presenting this exemplary EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR camera, or any one of the many fine specialty lenses, flashes and accessories that populate the EOS professional photo system."

Developed and manufactured by Canon specifically for the Mark III, the camera's new full-size 36 x 24 mm CMOS image sensor offers the highest resolution in its class, and is comprised of approximately 21.1 million effective pixels (5632 x 3750) set at a pitch of 6.4 microns. The user can select any one of six recording formats ranging from 21.0 megapixels in Large JPEG or RAW format, 16.6 or 11.0 megapixels in the two medium JPEG sizes, or 5.2 megapixels in the small JPEG or "sRAW" formats. In any JPEG format, the user can set one of 10 compression rates for each image size. In sRAW mode, the number of pixels is reduced to one-fourth that of a standard RAW image and the file size is cut in half, while retaining all of the flexibility of full-size, traditional RAW images.

To achieve low noise and high image quality while keeping up with the enormous signal processing requirements of the camera's 21-megapixel resolution and five fps shooting speed, Canon has incorporated two identical DIGIC III imaging engines into the camera for parallel (and hence, faster) signal processing. The CMOS sensor reads out to the dual DIGIC III processors simultaneously in eight channels. DIGIC III is the next generation of Canon's proprietary image processing engine. This technology ensures the fine details and natural colors of images are optimally recorded and, as an added bonus, is responsible for the Mark III's high-speed performance, faster signal processing and more efficient energy consumption.

Adding to that is a 4-bit Analog-to-Digital (A/D) conversion process. Able to recognize 16,384 colors per channel (four times the number of colors recognized by the EOS-1Ds Mark II's 12-bit conversion capability), this model is able to produce images with finer and more accurate gradations of tones and colors.

Additionally, given the significantly larger image file sizes created by the camera, Canon has provided compatibility with the new Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) compact flash memory card specification, which enables ultra-high-speed data transfer to the card. Utilizing a UDMA compliant card doubles the data transfer speed compared to a conventional memory card, putting the EOS-1Ds Mark III on par with the 10.1-megapixel EOS-1D Mark III, even though the pixel count of the new model is more than twice as large.

The EOS-1Ds Mark III autofocus system - first introduced earlier this year on the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR - has 45 AF points including 19 high-precision cross-type points and 26 Assist AF points. This new array allows the 19 cross-type points to be divided into groups of nine inner and nine outer focusing points plus a center point, which makes picking an individual focusing point much faster and easier than going through all 45. During manual AF point selection, the AF point area is expandable in two stages via Custom Function control.

At the request of sports and wildlife photographers, a new micro-adjustment feature allows for very fine changes in the AF point of focus for each lens type in use, along with the addition of adjustable focus-tracking sensitivity as another sophisticated new AF feature. Other new components in the AF system include a reconfigured concave submirror and the secondary image formation lens. Finally, the low-light sensitivity of the new AF sensor has been doubled to EV-1 for improved performance compared with earlier EOS digital SLRs.

The Mark III also features Canon's Live View shooting mode for shooting options beyond the conventional SLR through-the-lens viewing. Framing and shooting subjects using the camera's LCD screen affords the shooter the same 100 percent field of view provided by the optical viewfinder but Live View allows the image to be composed on the camera's bright and brilliant 230,000-pixel, three-inch LED screen. Additionally, the LCD-viewed image can be magnified by five or ten times in order to ensure that the shot is optimally focused.

Live View is at its best during tripod shooting, particularly for close-up photography where precise focusing is imperative. As a side benefit, the Live View shooting mode helps to reduce vibration by lifting the reflex mirror out of the optical path well in advance of the exposure, improving image quality at slow shutter speeds. Additionally, as the release time lag is miniscule, even instantaneous movements like a bird taking flight can be readily captured. The shutter charge sound can be delayed and made quieter than normal in Live View mode to avoid spooking wildlife or disturbing people nearby with unwanted camera sounds.

If a user is going to be several feet away from the camera, such as in some studio settings, the EOS-1Ds Mark III can be connected by cable to a computer via its USB 2.0 High-Speed interface. The camera can also be operated remotely at distances up to almost 500 feet with the assistance of the optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2A, which allows users to view images directly off the camera's sensor in virtually real-time, with the ability to adjust many camera settings quickly and easily.

The Mark III features a three-inch, 230,000-pixel wide angle LCD display screen. The TFT color liquid-crystal monitor features seven user-settable brightness levels and a wide, 140-degree viewing angle, both horizontally and vertically. An added advantage of the large, three-inch display size is the ability to utilize a larger font size for text, making it easier to read setting and menu options on the screen. The optical viewfinder features 100 percent picture coverage and a magnification factor of 0.75x.

Another first is Canon's dust management solution, called the EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The new CMOS image sensor is designed with a lightweight infrared absorption glass cover that vibrates for 3.5 seconds when the camera is turned on or off. This brief delay can be cancelled immediately upon start-up by pressing the shutter button half way. Dust that has been shaken or blown loose of the sensor is trapped by adhesive surfaces surrounding the sensor unit housing, preventing the problematic particles from reattaching themselves to the filter when the camera moves.

Like its sibling, the EOS-1D Mark III, the shutter of the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera carries a durability rating of 300,000 cycles and, though it generates less dust, it still charges itself three times during the manual cleaning process so that dust is shaken off the shutter curtains as well. This cleaning system uses very little battery power and can be turned off in the custom function menu.The second part of the dust management system is software that maps the location of any spots that may remain on the sensor. The mapped information is saved as Dust Delete Data and attached to the image file. Subsequently, the offending dust information is subtracted from the final image during post processing, using the supplied Digital Photo Professional software.The entire body of the EOS-1Ds Mark III, including its internal chassis and mirror box, is made of an advanced magnesium alloy for strength and rigidity, and features comprehensive weatherproofing at 76 locations on the camera body ensures superior reliability, even when shooting in harsh environments.

The Mark III is compatible with Canon's new Picture Style Editor 1.0 software. With PSE, photographers can personalize the look of their photographs by inputting their own preferred image processing parameters, including custom tone curves. The Mark III also ships with the latest versions of Canon's software applications, including Digital Photo Professional 3.2 and EOS Utility 2.2, which support the camera's Remote Live View and Dust Delete Data functions, as well as incorporating a broad range of additional improvements designed to improve image quality and speed up workflow.

Particularly noteworthy in DPP 3.2 is a new Lens Aberration Correction Function that corrects various image defects such as chromatic aberration, color blur, vignetting and distortion. Initially, the Lens Aberration Correction Function will support images captured by the Mark III and 11 other EOS digital SLRs using any of 29 individual EF and EF-S lenses. Also included are ZoomBrowser EX 6.0 and ImageBrowser 6.0 for easy browsing, viewing, printing and archiving with compatible computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows XP, as well as Mac OS X.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Introduces Affordable 55-200 with Vibration Reduction

2007-08-03T21:57:00.000-04:00

Nikon has introduced the new 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor, a compact telephoto zoom Nikon says will offer vibration reduction technology and “outstanding” optical performance at an affordable price.

The $250 zoom is the equivalent of an 82.5-300mm but is engineered for digital cameras only and does not provide sufficient coverage for use on full-frame film cameras.

Nikon is marketing the lens as “ideal for sports, action, wildlife, travel, and portrait photography, among many other telephoto applications” – such a catch-all description they’d might as well as admit the copywriter has obviously never tried to shoot sports with a 200mm 5.6 in anything other than full mid-day sun.

“Nikon’s range of Nikkor lenses with Vibration Reduction technology has grown substantially and the new 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens is another excellent addition, offering Nikon digital SLR photographers an advanced high-powered zoom lens in a remarkably compact, lightweight design,” Nikon SLR Systems Products General Manager for Marketing Edward Fasano said. “High quality lens design requires a challenging blend of art, science and, of course, photographic experience. With this new 55-200mm lens, Nikon engineers have again met that challenge, producing a lens whose optical performance delivers clarity and contrast typically found only in lenses costing substantially more."

Nikon says the Vibration Reduction system enables photographers to take substantially sharper handheld pictures at slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible. Nikon claims the system allow users to shoot at shutter speeds as many as three stops slower than they ordinarily could shoot without blur closed by camera shake.

Nikon says the lens includes an Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass element that provides for high resolution, high-contrast images while minimizing chromatic aberration, astigmatism and other forms of distortion. It also features Nikon’s compact Silent Wave Motor technology (SWM), which combines fast and precise auto-focusing with super-quiet operation, as well as Internal Focusing (IF) construction that allows the lens to focus without changing its external size, improving balance and handling characteristics.

The lens features 15 elements in 11 groups (including the one ED element) with a seven-blade rounded diaphragm. The minimum aperture is f/22-32 and minimum focus 3.6 feet throughout the entire zoom range. Maximum reproduction ratio is 1:4.35 and angle of view ranges from 8 degrees to 28 degrees. Filter size is 52mm and the lens comes with the HB-37 bayonet hood, front and rear caps and a flexible pouch. Weight 11.8 ounces.

The 55-200mm should already be available in camera stores, with an estimated selling price of $249.95.

Click here for the Nikon news release. Click here for additional specifications.

Copyright 2007

Canon Shuts Out Nikon 7-0 in August Photo Mag Contests

2007-08-03T21:34:00.000-04:00

Nikon suffered its worst month in the history of NikonvsCanon.com as Canon scored a 7-0 shutout in August’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines.

Canon beat Nikon 5-0 in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature and 2-0 in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest.

Nikon not only lost to Canon, but was outscored by other brands, which accounted for an unusually high five winning photos in Shutterbug and one in Pop. (The winning “other” photo in Pop was made with a Yashicamat 124-G, one of our favorite non-Nikon/Canon cameras.)

Nikon also lost its previous 41-38 year-to-date lead, slipping behind to 45-41 as Canon took the lead. Others now total 25 for the year. Nikon and Canon combined still outnumber all others combined three to one.

Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by www.NikonvsCanon.com is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Beats Canon 7-4 in July Photo Mag Contests

2007-06-13T22:11:00.000-04:00

The pendulum swung back in July’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photo magazines as Nikon beat Canon 7-4 and reclaimed the lead in year-to-date totals.

Canon had a clean sweep of 3-0 in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest, but Nikon took Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature 7-1 to make the combined score of Nikon 7, Canon 3. That’s a reversal from last month’s 7-3 Canon win.

Canon, which had been running behind for the year, caught up to Nikon last month for a 34-34 tie for the year so far. But this month’s results put Nikon ahead 41-38. Nikon has been the winner in three months this year, with Canon winning two, and two months tied. Less than half the year is left, but with the score this close it’s still too soon to predict a winner.

Only one photo in Shutterbug was shot with another brand in July, and none in Pop, bringing other brands to 19 winning photos combined. Nikon and Canon photos combined still outnumber all other brands combined more than four-to-one.

Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Canon Beats Nikon 7-3 in June Photo Mag Contests

2007-05-23T21:44:00.000-04:00

Canon had its strongest showing of the year in June’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines, beating Nikon 7-3 and tying the competition at 34 for the year so far.

Canon was the winner in both Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest and Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature, leading Nikon 2-1 in Pop and 5-2 in Shutterbug.

All other brands combined accounted for only four photos out of 14 total winners – a return to tradition after last month, when the combination of “other” brand winners outnumbered both Nikon and Canon numbers for the first time since NikonvsCanon started keeping count. (Five “other” photos won in May, compared with four each for Nikon and Canon.)

June’s 7-3 Canon win brings the year to a 34-34 tie. Nikon and Canon have been the monthly winners twice each while two months (February and May) were ties. Other brands have shot 18 winning photos combined, so Nikon and Canon photos combined still outnumber all other brands combined almost four-to-one.

Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Nikon and Canon Tie in May Photo Mag Contests

2007-05-09T19:45:00.000-04:00

Nikon and Canon came to their second tie of the year in May’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines, each claiming four winning photos in the combined tallies. But in a rare occurrence, other brands combined to outnumber winning photos taken by either Nikon or Canon.

Canon was the winner in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest, taking two of the winning photos compared with one for Nikon. (That’s right, only three total photos published in the Pop contest this month.)

The margin was also tight in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature, where Nikon won with three to Canon’s two. But Shutterbug published a total of 10 winning photos, and five were taken by other brands: Fuji, Sony and Konica-Minolta.

That marks the first time since NikonvsCanon began keeping count that other brands have equaled or exceeded the number of photos shot with Nikon or the number shot with Canon. It’s also the first time that “other brand” photos published in either magazine equaled the number of Nikon and Canon shots combined. (Five “others” compared with five Nikon/Canon split as three Nikon and two Canon.)

But don’t worry: the strong showing by “other” in Shutterbug doesn’t appear to be any threat to the dominance of Nikon and Canon. Two of the photos were made with Nikon lenses on Fuji S2 DSLR cameras, which are actually Nikon bodies modified with Fuji electronics and could arguably be counted as Nikon. Two were shot with Konica-Minolta Dimage models and one with an unspecified Sony Cybershot. There were no “other brand” photos in Pop this month.

Other brands aside, that adds up to a 4-4 Nikon-Canon tie, the second this year following February’s 6-6 draw. Nikon still leads Canon 31-27 for the year. The “other” windfall in Shutterbug brings the year to a total of 14 photos shot with other brands. Even with that, Nikon and Canon photos combined still outnumber all other brands combined more than four-to-one.

Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for only 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by www.NikonvsCanon.com is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Canon Beats Nikon 8-5 in April Photo Mag Contests

2007-04-03T21:54:00.001-04:00

Canon beat Nikon 8-5 in April’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines, ending Nikon’s five-month streak of blocking Canon from a win but still leaving Nikon in the lead for the year so far.

Canon was the easy winner in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest, taking three of the winning photos compared with one for Nikon. Competition was tighter in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature, where Canon claimed five winners to Nikon’s four and Pentax had one.

That adds up to an 8-5 win for Canon for the month, but Nikon is still leading the year at 27-23 while nine photos were shot with other brands. That leaves Nikon/Canon photos outnumbering all other brands combined 5.5 to one.

Nikon was the winner in four out of the past five previous months (February was a tie). April is Canon’s first winning month since a three-month streak that ended last October. Canon won 2006 89-83 with all other brands combined accounting for only 43 photos.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by www.NikonvsCanon.com is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Canon Wins 5-2 in Trains Magazine Contest

2007-03-24T13:53:00.001-04:00

Canon beat Nikon 5-2 in Trains magazine’s annual photo contest, with winner’s published in the April issue.

Reader Robert Jordan took the grand prize for his winter scene of workers clearing snow off the front of a locomotive, keeping with the contest’s “Against the Elements” theme. The winning photo was made with a Nikon N-80 and an unspecified 28-200 zoom on Fuji Provia 100F.

As Grand Prize winner, Jordan will receive a six-day rail excursion for two plus a Canon EOS 30D with 24-85mm lens.

First-prize winner Mike Schaller made his image of a locomotive plowing through the snow with a Canon 20D and EF 35-350mm zoom. He will receive a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi with 18-55mm lens. Second prize of $300 went to Ken Fitzgerald for a summer photo of a railroad worker drinking from a bottle of water under a hot sun, shot with a Canon 5D and 20mm lens. The five runners up included one Nikon shot, three by Canon and one with a classic Pentax K1000. Runners up received a Canon gadget bag.

The contest was open for photos taken between November 1, 2005, and October 31, 2006. Judging was based on “intriguing composition, effective use of light, and inspiring and creative images.”

Trains isn’t a photography magazine, but is a very photographer-friendly publication for photographers who like to shoot trains and related railroad scenes. The magazine publishes dozens of photos in each issue, most if not all from freelancers, and welcomes submissions from readers. Unlike some hobby magazines, photographers are paid for their work. In fact, publisher Kalmbach Publishing Co. has recently launched a new submissions page at www.contribute.kalmbach.com to encourage writers and photographers to submit their work for Trains and other railroad-related magazines own by the company.

Click here for contest details.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Upgrades D40 to 10.2 Megapixels

2007-03-24T13:18:00.001-04:00

It’s only been four months since Nikon brought out the D40, but Nikon is already taking a step beyond the entry-level consumer digital SLR with the D40x, a new model that overcomes the original’s biggest shortcoming by jumping from 6.1 megapixels to 10.2 megapixels.

Nikon says the D40x maintains the same compact size, portability and ease-of-use as its already successful sister camera, the D40, and adds features like higher 10.2 megapixel resolution, faster continuous shooting capability and wider ISO sensitivity.

Nikon says the $800 D40x will be available in April but gave no indication that the $600 original D40 will be discontinued, apparently hoping to appeal to customers at two price points.

“The D40 has become a runaway success for Nikon because it effectively addresses so many of the concerns shared by those who take pictures to preserve family memories and for all-around fun,” Nikon Inc. General Manager for SLR System Products Marketing Edward Fasano said. “The D40 and the new D40x eliminate common annoyances such as shutter lag and inaccurate viewfinders while answering our customers’ needs for superb image quality, fast handling, compactness and, most important of all, simplicity. Now with the D40x, anyone has the choice of higher resolution so they can do even more with their pictures.”

“Whether people want to make poster-sized prints or make special enlargements from a smaller area of a picture, the D40x can produce images that have superb clarity, outstanding detail and vibrant colors,” Fasano said. “Even regular 4x6 inch prints and pictures reduced in size for e-mailing are visibly better when captured with a more capable camera.”

The D40x powers-up in 0.18 second and can shoot up to 3 fps for up to 100 shots, recording to an SD memory card. That compares with 2.5 fps on the D40. The ISO range is 100-1600, plus HI-1 (actually 3200, but we’re not sure why Nikon doesn’t call it that), compared with 200-1600 plus HI-1 for the D40. The D40x features 3D Color Matrix Metering II and an improved image processing engine. Battery life is improved to 520 images per charge.

The back of the D40x is dominated by a 2.5-inch color LCD screen that displays everything from menu options, pictures in playback mode and Nikon’s new visually-intuitive information display system that presents camera and shooting information in a user-friendly, graphically represented way. The camera also features a built-in help menu that can be accessed at the touch of a button and new Assist Images that help users select appropriate settings for many camera features by displaying a sample image typical of that setting.

The D40x’s automated, scene-optimized Digital Vari-Program modes allow amateurs to capture nearly any type of scene without needing to understand the fine points of photography. The D40x includes eight preset modes, including a new Flash Off mode that shuts off the camera’s flash and boosts its ISO so users can easily take pictures in places where flash photography is not allowed, inappropriate or when they prefer the look of naturally lit pictures. Once beginners gain experience – or for experienced photographers picking up the camera – the D40x offers standard Aperture-priority and Shutter-priority modes.

The D40x’s Retouch menu offers exclusive in-camera image editing features that add to the D40x’s “fun factor” by providing greater creativity without the need for a computer. Included in the Retouch menu is Nikon’s D-Lighting, which brightens dark pictures and Red-eye correction that automatically detects and corrects red eye. Image Trim allows for cropping of an image and creates smaller files for easy e-mailing. Other features include Image Overlay, Small Picture, Monochrome (Black-and-white, Sepia, and Cyanotype) and Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance).

The D40x comes packaged with the same 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens as the original D40. The D40x is also compatible with all of Nikon’s AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses but still suffers from the original D40’s other major shortcoming – lack of autofocus compatibility with older AF lenses. Autofocus is supported only with AF-S and AF-I CPU lenses, which are equipped with built-in motors. As with all Nikon SLRs since the original Nikon F, virtually any Nikon F-mount lens ever made can be used if you don’t mind giving up autofocus and metering features.

The D40x will be available throughout the United States beginning in April for an estimated street price of $729.95 for body only or $799.95 packaged with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor. That compares with $599.95 for the original D40 with the same lens.

The Nikon press release is available by clicking here. A brochure and other details are available by clicking here.

Copyright 2007

Canon Announces Speedlite 580EX II Flash

2007-03-24T11:59:00.000-04:00

Canon’s popular Speedlite 580EX Flash is being replaced by the new Speedlite 580EX II Flash, which features a host of improvements including a metal hot shoe with an improved locking mechanism, an external metering sensor for non-TTL automatic flash exposure control and a PC socket for use with non-dedicated slave triggers.

The new unit offers E-TTL operation with all EOS digital SLRs, the PowerShot G2, G3, G5, G6, and Pro1, and the following EOS film cameras: EOS-1v, EOS-3, Elan 7N series, Elan 7 series, Elan II series, Rebel T2, Ti, K2, GII, G. TTL operation is available for all other 35mm EOS SLRs and the Canon T90.

The new strobe features 20 percent faster recycling and a maximum ISO 100 guide number of 190 at the 105mm setting (standard 50mm setting not specified). Lens zoom settings and white balance are automatically communicated between flash and camera on compatible digital cameras. The head swivels 180 degrees, and an AF-assist beam is compatible with all autofocus points in EOS SLRs, covering a distance range of two to 32.8 feet at center and two to 16.4 feet at periphery.

Recycling time is 0.1 to six seconds with fresh AA alkalines, with 100-700 flashes on a set of four. Alkaline, lithium or rechargeable Ni-MH batteries can be used. Fourteen Speedlite custom functions are built in and set on the LCD panel. The flash is 3x5.3x4.5 inches and weighs 13.2 ounces without batteries, or 16.7 ounces with batteries. The flash is gasketed for dust and moisture resistance, making it more reliable in dusty or wet environments.

For details from the Canon web site, click here.

Copyright 2007

Canon Introduces New 16-35 f/2.8L

2007-03-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

Canon has introduced a new EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens to replace the previous EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM Lens as a high-performance L-series wide-angle zoom lens.

Canon says the new lens is specifically designed for improved peripheral image quality. Compatible with all EOS SLRs past and present – film, digital and full-frame digital – it uses three high-precision aspherical lens elements and two Ultra Low Dispersion lens elements to minimize lateral chromatic aberration and to produce “superb” image quality with “excellent” resolution and contrast. New coatings minimize ghosting and flare.

The lens features an internal focus design, so the front element does not rotate during focusing and zooming, a convenience when using polarizers or grads. Other features include a ring-type USM (Ultra Sonic Monitor), and new AF algorithms for fast and quiet autofocusing. The lens is also fully gasketed and sealed for dust and moisture resistance, and features an electronic diaphragm with circular blades for natural-looking background blur effects.

The 16 elements in 12 groups provide an angle of view ranging from 63 degrees to 108 degrees and focus down to 11 inches. The lens measures 3.5x4.4 inches and takes 82mm filters.

For MTF curves and other details from the Canon web site, click here.

Canon did not announce a price, but the current 16-35 sells for just under $1,400 street.

Nikon Beats Canon 7-4 in March Photo Mag Contests

2007-03-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

Nikon beat Canon 7-4 in March’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines, maintaining its lead in year-to-date results and blocking Canon from a win for the fifth month in a row.

Nikon was the overwhelming winner in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” monthly contest, scoring five winning photos compared with Canon’s one. But Canon accounted for three winners in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” feature compared with Nikon’s two. Other brands got four shots into Shutterbug but none into Pop.

That adds up to a 7-4 win for Nikon for the month, bringing Nikon’s lead for the year so far to 22-15, while eight photos were shot with other brands. That leaves Nikon/Canon photos outnumbering all other brands combined 4.6 to one.

Nikon has been the winner four out of the past five months (February was a tie), leaving Canon without a winning month since a three-month streak that ended last October.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Canon Announces 10.1 Megapixel, 10 FPS DSLR

2007-02-27T21:33:00.000-05:00

Canon has announced a new EOS digital SLR with a 10 fps shooting rate the company says is the fastest of any digital SLR on the market, and a “live-view” the option of using the LCD screen as a viewfinder like on point-and-shoot cameras or for remote shooting.

At 10 fps, the EOS-1D Mark III will be able to fire “motor-driven” bursts of 110 Large JPEGs or 30 RAW files thanks to a new Dual DIGIC III image processor engine that Canon says provides enough computational horsepower to do parallel processing at a rate unmatched by any other digital SLR.

The all-new 10.1 megapixel, APS-H size CMOS sensor designed and manufactured by Canon is the most light-sensitive sensor Canon has developed to date. With a 1.3 lens magnification factor, it features a new microlens array and a more efficient pixel structure for “ultra-low” noise resulting in “exceptional” image quality and an ISO range of 100 to 3200 with extensions to ISO 50 and a “highly usable” ISO 6400. The ISO 6400 speed would be the first in a digital SLR, beating Nikon’s top 3200 ISO by a factor of two.

Canon says the new camera will ship in spring and sell for about the same as the current EOS-1D Mark II N, which streets for about $3,400. Canon will display and demonstrate the Mark III March 8 - 11 at the Photo Marketing Association trade show in Las Vegas.

"The new EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR is an essential tool for professional sports photographers and photojournalists because of its exceptional speed and durability and it will attract a broad range of other professional and advanced amateur photographers because of its superior image quality and improved low-light performance," said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon USA Inc. "In designing the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR, Canon responded to the requests of its many professional customers by adding new features that cater to their demanding needs. But at the same time, we have once again raised the bar for digital SLR cameras by introducing new technologies that only Canon can offer with the legendary EOS System."

Live View LCD
One of the most unusual functions of the EOS-1D Mark III is the introduction of a Live View shooting mode. Photographers who use point-and-shoot digital cameras are familiar with looking at the LCD screen on the back of the camera to compose their images. Normally, a single lens reflex cannot do this because the mirror is in the way.

The Live View function has several options in addition to the conventional SLR through-the-lens optical viewfinder. If the camera is going to be close at hand, the new mode lets the user focus and compose on the built-in three-inch LCD screen and magnify the image 5x or 10x to achieve the optimal focus. If a user is going to be a few feet from the camera – in the studio, for example – the camera can be connected to a computer with a USB 2.0 cable, and the real-time image viewed on the computer monitor using the including EOS Utility 2.0 software, lets you view what the camera is seeing in real time and control its operation.

If the photographer is going to be far away from the camera, say, on the other side of a racetrack or stadium, or if the camera is hidden or buried someplace inaccessible, the EOS-1D Mark III can be operated wirelessly with the assistance of the new WFT- E2A Wireless File Transmitter. This allows users to view images directly off the camera's sensor in virtually real time with the ability to adjust many camera settings on the fly.

As a side benefit, Live View shooting mode helps to reduce vibration by lifting the reflex mirror out of the optical path well in advance of the exposure, improving image quality at slow shutter speeds.

Integrated Cleaning System
The camera is the first to feature the new EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The new CMOS image sensor is designed with a lightweight infrared absorption glass cover that vibrates for 3.5 seconds when the camera is turned on or off. (The delay can be cancelled immediately upon startup by pressing the shutter button, or turned off completely in the custom function menu.)

The sensor is also sealed around its edges to help keep dust out. The shutter, newly upgraded to 300,000 cycle durability, generates less dust, and fires three times during the process so dust is shaken off the shutter curtains as well. The second part of the anti-dust system is software that records the location of any spots on the sensor as Dust Delete Data and appends the information to the image file. The spots can then be erased automatically in the included Digital Photo Professional 3.0 software.

Advanced Autofocus
The Mark III also has a new autofocus system. Like previous EOS 1 Canon cameras, the Mark III has 45 AF points, but unlike its predecessors, 19 of them, rather than seven, are of the high-precision cross-type configuration. In addition to the center point, the new array allows the other points to be divided into groups of nine inner and nine outer focusing points plus a center point, which makes picking an individual focusing point much faster and easier than going through all 45, as in the past. During manual AF point selection, the AF point area is expandable.

At the request of sports and wildlife photographers, a new micro-adjustment feature allows for very fine changes in the AF point of focus for each lens type in use, along with the addition of adjustable focus-tracking sensitivity as another new AF feature. In addition to the AF sensor itself, other new components in the AF system include a reconfigured concave submirror and the secondary image formation lens. Also, the low-light sensitivity of the new AF sensor has been doubled to EV-1 for superior performance compared to earlier EOS digital SLRs.

Dual Image Processors
To cope with the voluminous signal processing required by the EOS-1D Mark III's 10.1 megapixel resolution and top continuous shooting speed of 10 fps, dual DIGIC III imaging engines are incorporated for parallel signal processing. The DIGIC III image processor replaces the DIGIC II and assists in rendering very fine image detail and natural color reproduction with 50 percent less shadow noise than previous EOS digital SLRs.

The CMOS sensor reads out to the dual DIGIC III processors simultaneously in eight channels. By having two processors handle the workload, image processing is approximately 1.5x faster than before, Compact Flash access speed is 1.3x faster and SD card access is 2x faster. The camera is compatible with the new high-capacity SDHC format memory card. The extra power of dual DIGIC III processors has also allowed analog-to-digital conversion to improve from 12 to 14 bits per channel, meaning that tonal gradation for RAW images is now divided into 16,384 separate levels per channel rather than 4,096. The difference also means freedom from defects such as moirés, Canon says.

Proprietary CMOS Sensor
The all-new 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor is designed and manufactured by Canon using semiconductor manufacturing equipment that is designed and manufactured by Canon. The sensor is APS-H size, 28.1 by 18.7mm, significantly larger than the much more commonly found APS-C, usually about 23.5 by 15.5mm. The lens magnification factor is 1.3x, rather than 1.5x or 1.6x.

The increased sensor size means that each pixel can be larger for a given resolution. The pixels of the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR are 7.2 microns square. A sensor with 10 megapixels in APS-C size would have pixels less than 6 microns square, smaller and therefore receiving less light, requiring more amplification and producing more noise. Canon has also increased the proportion of each pixel that is sensitive to light, called the fill factor, so the pixels are not only bigger but more receptive to light. Another improvement comes from the revised microlens array that collects light for the sensor. The new unit has smaller gaps between the tiny lenses, meaning more light is gathered and less is lost. Canon says the changes will lead to “sensational” low-light performance and “terrific” quality at ISO 3200 and 6400.

Other Features
Canon says the camera has several new features that make it “much more reassuring and confidence inspiring.” Highlight tone priority extends the dynamic range of highlights by about one stop and improves gradation within highlight areas. Safety shift lets the camera automatically change the shutter speed, the aperture or even the ISO speed, according to the photographer's choice, even if the light level changes out of the range that the settings on the camera can normally handle. In-camera noise reduction for high ISO images is provided, along with a “silent drive” mode for situations where camera noise needs to be minimized (such as in a courtroom or on a movie set).

Canon says controls on the Mark III are new and easy to use. The camera uses a Main Dial, a Quick Control Dial, a Multi-controller, a SET button and several other buttons to select and set various functions. In addition, the ISO speed button, AF Start (AF-ON) button, Picture Style button, and Memory selection/Image size/White balance function button have been newly added to make camera operation faster and easier than previous models.

Answering the requests of many current EOS system users, information displays have also been improved. For example, both the ISO speed and the metering pattern in use are now visible at all times, not only on the top LCD data panel, but in the viewfinder as well.

New Battery
The Mark III uses a new LC-E4 Lithium-ion battery pack instead of the previous NP-E3 Nickel-Metal Hydride type. As a result, the weight with the battery and memory cards installed is approximately 8 ounces lighter than the EOS-1D Mark II N, and estimated shooting capacity has significantly improved from 1200 shots to approximately 2200. Charge levels are displayed in 1 percent increments.

The Custom Functions and Personal Functions of previous EOS models have been merged to create an easier set of 57 Custom Functions arranged in four groups according to categories such as exposure and autofocus. Up to six frequently used menu options and Custom Functions can be registered in a new user-friendly feature, called "My Menu." Up to 10 sets of camera settings can now be saved to one recording medium and moved from one camera to another. Up to five personal white balance settings and five custom white balance data items can now be registered.

sRAW Option
In addition to the RAW and JPEG options found in previous EOS Digital SLRs, the Mark III offers the "sRAW" recording format. "sRAW" has all the flexibility of standard RAW data recording, but at one quarter the resolution and approximately half the file size of conventional RAW images.

The Mark II can also record to external USB storage devices connected to the camera via the optional WFT-E2A Wireless Transmitter. Another new option is automatic switching of recording media; when the current recording medium becomes full, the camera switches to another automatically and continues recording without interruption. With separate recording, a captured image can be recorded in varying sizes on different media. Each recording medium can be set to record a specific image size (L, M1, M2, S, RAW, sRAW) for each shot. With recording of identical images, the same image is recorded to all recording media. This is also possible with RAW+JPEG and sRAW+JPEG. Any image stored in a memory card or external media can be copied to another installed or connected recording medium. If the card slot cover is opened during the writing operation, an alarm sounds and a warning message appears on the screen to indicate that writing is in progress, but writing continues even if the slot cover is opened. Also, if the power switch is set to "off" position during the card writing process, a message appears on the screen to indicate that writing is in progress. After the writing is completed, the power turns off.

Improved Software
The Mark III will be supplied with the latest versions of Canon software, including Digital Photo Professional 3.0 and EOS Utility 2.0, which now support the camera's Remote Live View and Dust Delete Data functions, as well as incorporating a broad range of additional improvements designed to improve image quality and speed up workflow. Also included are new versions of ZoomBrowser EX and ImageBrowser for easy browsing, viewing, printing and archiving with compatible computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, as well as Mac OS X.

Nikon Releases Updated Version of Nikon Capture

2007-02-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

The updated version of Nikon Capture NX software offered in beta form in January has now been officially released as Capture NX 1.1, and has added Windows Vista features in addition to working with Intel-based Macs. (Intel Mac compatibility was the headline feature of the beta.)

Nikon says the new version boasts several new improvements including increased performance, full support for Intel-based Mac OS X computers, and optimization for Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system.

In addition to these advancements, Nikon has made several usability updates based on software testing and customer feedback. Capture NX 1.1 now sports a simpler user interface that has added improvements such as resizable palettes for histograms along with curves and levels adjustments.

Capture NX 1.1 provides a “unique and user-friendly” interface featuring tools that serve photographers needs, “without the complexity and clutter of other image editing applications,” Nikon says. The software can be used with JPEG and TIFF format images from any source, and its patented “U Point” technology offers photographers a simplified way to edit pictures by enabling them to enhance specific areas of a picture selectively, without the use of masks, selections, or layers. Capture NX 1.1 also works with Nikon’s RAW (NEF) format images, and inherits Nikon’s RAW processing capabilities for the highest quality results from NEF files.

Capture NX 1.1 is available for download immediately and can be purchased for an estimated selling price of $149.95 as a full boxed version or downloadable key. A 30-day trial version is available for new users, and can be downloaded at www.nikonusa.com, in the Software Download section. Current users of Capture NX will be also able to download an update to version 1.1 at no additional cost. A special limited-time upgrade price of $89.95 will be offered to current owners of Nikon Capture 4 software in the U.S. market. This upgrade will only be available online at www.nikonmall.com/captureupgrade and is limited to registered owners.

A detailed online demonstration of how Capture NX works is available at www.capturenx.com.

Copyright 2007

Pop Photo Praises Nikon D40

2007-02-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

Popular Photography and Imaging has completed its test of the Nikon D40, and Nikon’s newest entry into the digital SLR field has received high marks.

“The D40’s features and overall performance clearly raise the bar on the ‘entry-level’ DSLR class,” Pop Photo said in its March issue. “The Nikon D40 isn’t for everyone, but it will certainly appeal to first-time DSLR buyers who want an excellent camera with controls and features that they can grow into and eventually master.”

Popular praised the D40 for its low price ($560 street with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens), high image quality, low noise at most ISOs, user-friendly menus and on-screen tutorials. It received lower marks for its limited (compared to other Nikon digital SLRs) three-zone autofocus system and ability to autofocus only with Nikkor AF-S lenses.

Test results found image quality “extremely high” from ISO 200-800 and still “very high” at 1600. Resolution was “extremely high” while color accuracy “excellent” and digital noise – which usually gets worse at higher ISO settings – was “extremely low” regardless of ISO. Highlight/shadow detail was “high” and contrast “normal.” Autofocus speed ranged from an “extremely fast” 0.49 seconds to 1.25 seconds depending on light level.

Reviewers said the D40 is a good choice for first-time digital SLR buyers but that photographers seeking to upgrade from an existing digital SLR would probably prefer a 10 megapixel body. Those switching from 35mm film would probably avoid the D40 because its autofocus doesn’t support older lenses, even older autofocus lenses.

With its decades of experience, Popular Photography is still the gold standard for lab testing of photo equipment. Most other publications – both print and on-line – do hands-on testing and some do a few measurements. But few if any can match Pop’s extensive scientific measurements.

Click here to see the full Popular Photography and Imaging test results and review.

In another important review, the D40 was “highly recommended” by Digital Photography Review (DPR). On a scale of 1-10, the D40 received an average 8.5 for build, ergonomics, features, image quality, speed and value. DPR lamented the lack of autofocus capability with older lenses but liked the overall performance enough to praise the “instant connection between the photographer and the camera,” calling the D40 one of Nikon’s “most important” digital SLR models. Much in the school of Popular Photography’s lab tests and those done years ago by Modern Photography, DPR offers extensive scientific testing and side-by-side comparisons with other cameras, and is one of the most authoritative camera review sites on the web.

Click here to see the DPR review.

The 6.1 megapixel D40 was announced by Nikon in November, billed as the smallest and easiest to use in Nikon’s lineup of digital SLRs and aimed at consumers seeking a low-cost entry into the digital SLR field. Click here to read the Nikon press release.

Copyright 2007

Canon Announces Winner in Football Photography Contest

2007-02-11T14:51:00.000-05:00

Canon has announced that Diana Porter of Houston, Texas, has been chosen as the Grand Prize winner in Canon’s second annual “Why Do You Love Football?” photo contest.

Porter won with a photo of two youth football players. One young boy is shown running with the ball while the other is captured stretched out horizontally in mid-air attempting a tackle. The photo is captioned “Superman! I love it when football players imitate superheroes.”

Porter’s prizes included a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi camera, a PIXMA iP6220D printer, trips for four to the 2007 Super Bowl and 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, and a $500 gift certificate to the Hall of Fame Museum store.

Click here to see the winning photo and for more links to information about the game and tips on how to shoot football.

Canon said earlier that it would name a Grand Prize winner along with two First Prize winners, one each in Action and Feature categories. The company web site, however, only shows the Grand Prize winner with no mention of First Prize winners.

Co-sponsored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, judges for the nationwide amateurs-only contest included Sports Illustrated photographer Peter Read Miller, Associated Press photographer Mark Duncan, U.S. Presswire photographer Craig Melvin, Cleveland Browns team photographer John Reid III, freelancer Tony Tomsic and former NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

Copyright 2007

Nikon, Canon Tied 6-6 in February Photo Mag Contests

2007-02-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

Nikon and Canon tied 6-6 in February’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines, but Nikon maintained its lead over Canon in early year-to-date results.

Nikon was the winner in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” monthly contest, scoring three winning photos compared with Canon’s one.

But Canon accounted for five winning photos in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature, leaving Nikon with three, while two were taken with other brands.

That adds up to a 6-6 tie for the month, but Nikon leads 15-11 for the year so far, while four photos were shot with other brands. That leaves Nikon/Canon photos outnumbering all other brands combined six-to-one, though the ratio usually averages out to four-to-one over the year.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Fuji S5 Nikon Mount DSLR to Hit Stores in February

2007-01-28T18:20:00.000-05:00

Fujifilm’s Finepix S5 Pro, the latest in the company’s line of professional-level digital SLRs based on Nikon bodies, should start hitting stores in February.

The S5 is based on the Nikon D200, but Fuji says its electronics give the Fuji version better color quality and less digital noise at high ISO settings among other advantages. It’s also 12.3 megapixels under Fuji’s dual pixel system – 6.17 million S-pixels for high sensitivity plus 6.17 million R-pixels for wider dynamic range – rather than the D200’s 10.2 megapixels. The camera lists for $1,999 but the street price is $1,899.95. The D200 – driven down in price since the arrival of the 10.2 megapixel D80 last summer – is currently selling for $1,424.95.

“Confirming Fujifilm’s commitment to professional photographers, the Finepix S5 Pro carries a number of features that appeal to wedding, portrait and studio photographers,” Fuji said in announcing the camera.

The new Fuji has two particularly interesting features not seen elsewhere. In the first, “Film Simulation Mode” gives the photographer the choice of an F1 setting that simulates the look of Fuji’s professional color negative films, touted as “ideal for studio and portrait photography.” In the F2 mode, the camera simulates Fuji slide films for “highly saturated, high-contrast images,” a sort of electronic Velvia.

The other unique feature is “Face Detection” technology available during playback mode. This zooms in instantly and automatically on the face in a portrait shot, allowing the photographer to check facial detail, focus and other factors more easily than before.

The S5 accepts Nikon mount lenses with generally the same functionality as the D200: recent lenses offer all autofocus and metering functions while functions for older lenses depend on their age, but virtually all Nikon lenses can still be mounted and used. It has the same 1.5 magnification ratio as Nikon bodies.

The number of recorded pixels is 4,256x2,848, which are stored on compact flash cards as RAW, jpg or RAW plus jpg. Shutter speeds are 30 seconds to 1/8000 with flash sync up to 1/250. ISO is 100-3200. The LCD is 2.5 inches.

Click here to see the Fuji press release.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Updates Capture Software for Intel-based Macs

2007-01-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

Nikon has updated its Capture NX software to work with Intel-based Mac computers using the OS X operating system and says the updated version is faster and easier to use for all users.

Nikon unveiled a Beta version of the update at the January 9-12 MacWorld Conference in San Francisco.

The original version of Capture NX that shipped last August worked with both Windows and Mac computers, but not Intel-based Mac machines.

In addition to Intel Mac compatibility, Nikon says it has made several usability updates based on software testing and customer feedback. The user interface has been improved and updated to enable users to work faster, more effectively and more easily. Additional improvements include enhanced speed for faster and more effective workflow, resizable histograms and enhancements to the curves and levels palettes.

A detailed online demonstration of how Capture NX works is available at www.capturenx.com or www.nikondigital.com.

The Capture NX update lists for $149.95. Nikon says it will be available for download “as soon as it is ready for release” but did not specify how soon that might be. A 30-day trial version will be available for new users, and can be downloaded at www.nikonusa.com, in the Software Download section.

Current users of Capture NX will be able to download an upgrade at no additional cost. A special limited-time upgrade price of $89.95 will be offered to current owners of Nikon Capture 4 software in the U.S. market. This upgrade will only be available online at www.nikonmall.com/captureupgrade/ for registered Nikon Capture 4 owners and will be limited to one upgrade per legitimate Nikon Capture 4 product key.

Copyright 2007

Zeiss to Ship Two New Nikon-Only Macro Lenses in 2007

2007-01-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

Nikon users will soon have two new manual-focus, fixed focal-length macro lenses to choose from.

Carl Zeiss says its plans to ship the Makro-Planar T* 2/50 ZF and the Makro-Planar T* 2/100 ZF during the first quarter of 2007. As implied by their names, the first is an f/2 50mm while the second is an f/2 100mm. Available only in Nikon mount, the lenses will list for $1,124 and $1,749 respectively.

Zeiss describes the pair as the fastest macro lenses available for 35mm-format full-frame photography, either film or digital. (Nikon doesn’t offer a full-frame sensor digital body, so the two new lenses will translate into 75mm and 150mm on Nikon digital bodies.) Both focus manually from infinity to one-half life-size, capture a full-frame field of view of about two inches by three inches at their closest focusing distances.

Zeiss says a floating element optical system enables the 2/50 to deliver very high image quality over its entire focusing range. It features eight elements in six groups, focusing down to 9.4 inches. Overall, the lens measures 2.8 inches in diameter, 2.6 inches long, and weighs 1.2 pounds. Like the 2/100, it stops down to f/22 in half-stops and takes 67mm filters.

The 2/100 goes several steps further by employing an optical design originally developed for the Arri/Zeiss Master Prime T* 1.2/100 – an ultra-high performance lens used by cinematographers in Hollywood filmmaking. The design gives the lens optical performance never before available in a still-camera lens, especially at wide apertures and in macro applications, according to Zeiss. The high wide-open sharpness is touted as being an advantage when using selective-focus effects. The lens features nine elements in eight groups, focusing down to 17.3 inches. Overall, the lens measures three inches in diameter, 3.5 inches long, and weighs 1.5 pounds.

Both lenses come in Nikon AI-S mount, complete with meter coupling prong to make them usable on older Nikon film bodies. There do not appear to be CPU electrical contacts in the lens mount, so higher-end Nikon digital bodies will be able to meter with the lenses but lower-end bodies will have limited metering ability.

The two new macros were announced in September at Photokina along with two wide-angles – the Distagon T* 2.8/25 ZF and the Distagon T* 2/35 ZF. Both were supposed to ship during 2006 but U.S. major retailers say they are not yet in stock. Altogether, Zeiss is offering six Nikon-mount manual focus lenses, including a 50mm f/1.4 and an 85mm f/1.4 introduced earlier and already available.

Click here for the Zeiss web page on its lineup of lenses.

Copyright 2007

Nikon Beats Canon 9-5 in January Photo Mag Contests

2007-01-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

Nikon beat Canon 9-5 in January’s reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines, but temporary changes in the contest formats made it the second month in a row in which it was difficult to make the normal comparisons.

Six of the winning photos in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature were made with Nikon and only one with Canon as Shutterbug returned to its normal contest format. In December, Shutterbug temporarily abandoned the usual contest and had readers send in old family album photos, most shot with Kodak Brownies.

January is the month that Popular Photography and Imaging runs its “Annual Readers Picture Contest” rather than its “Your Best Shot” monthly contest. The annual contest is usually a wealth of statistics for Nikon-Canon comparison with close to 20 shots each to be counted. But the magazine this year gave camera credit only on the grand prize winner and the first prize winners in each of nine categories, and gave no camera credits on the half-dozen or so runners-up in each category. The bottom line was four shots credited to Canon and three to Nikon, with two photos made by other brands. Some shots specified that the photo was made by a Nikon or Canon, while others only indicated the brand of camera used by the photographer.

The combined 9-5 score in favor of Nikon was Nikon's third winning month in a row and gets Nikon off to a good start for the year. Canon beat Nikon 89-83 for all of 2006. Together, Nikon/Canon photos outnumbered all other brands combined seven-to-one in January, though the ratio usually averages out to four-to-one over the year.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2007

Canon Chooses Finalists in Football Photography Contest

2006-12-20T21:32:00.000-05:00

Canon has posted the finalists in its annual “Why Do You Love Football?” photo contest and is inviting the public to vote on the first-place winners and grand prize winner.

The deadline for entries was November 27, and Canon’s panel of judges has selected seven finalists in each of two categories: action and feature. The Action category focuses on any image that captures football action during game play, while the Feature category comprises any football imagery outside of game action on the field. Click here to see the results. Canon doesn’t say how long voting will go on, but plans to announce the winners in early January, so vote soon.

Co-sponsored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the nationwide amateurs-only contest is in its second year.

Judges included Sports Illustrated photographer Peter Read Miller, Associated Press photographer Mark Duncan, U.S. Presswire photographer Craig Melvin, Cleveland Browns team photographer John Reid III, freelancer Tony Tomsic and former NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

Each first place winner will receive a Canon Digital Rebel XTi camera, while the grand prize winner will be awarded a trip for four to attend Super Bowl XLI in Florida and will have his or her photo displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Additionally, the winner will receive a trip for four to the 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Celebration in August 2007.Details and rules are at www.usa.canon.com/nfl. The web site also features a great Day in the Life video showing how Miller shoots a game, and another video offers tips on how to shoot football.

Copyright 2006

Nikon Beats Canon 3-1 in December Photo Mag Contests But Canon Wins Year 89-83

2006-12-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

Nikon beat Canon 3-1 in December’s monthly reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines, but Canon turned out to be the winner for the year, beating Nikon 89-83.

Three of the winning photos in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest this month were made with Nikon cameras compared with one for Canon. One photo was shot with another brand.

Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature temporarily abandoned its contest format this month, instead asking readers to submit old family album photos, so there were no Shutterbug numbers to tally this time around. (For the nostalgia-minded, four of the family album photos were shot with Kodak Brownies, one with a Rolleiflex, one with a Speed Graphic and five with unidentified cameras.)

The winning month was the second in a row for Nikon, and meant that Nikon won six months in 2006 compared with five for Canon. (March was a tie.) But it wasn’t enough to win the year: Canon outscored Nikon 89-83 for the total number of winning pictures. All other brands combined totaled 43 for the year.

Consistent with the trend seen throughout the year, the year-end numbers show that the number of winning photos shot with either Nikon or Canon outnumbered winning photos shot with all other brands combined 4:1.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners as a means of keeping score in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by www.NikonvsCanon.com is not intended to take sides or to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2006

Popular Photography Calls Canon Digital Rebel XTi High End Camera in Bargain Body

2006-11-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

Popular Photography and Imaging has done its review of the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, and the reviewers like what they see.

“It strains the term ‘entry-level,’ ” the review said, referring to advances since the original Digital Rebel. “It’s now more of a high-end camera in a bargain body.”

“Aside from a few inconveniences, shooting with the Rebel XTi is thoroughly pleasurable,” Pop Photo said. “It works fast and accurately. No, it’s not a bulletproof tank, and some of the control buttons are barely up from point-and-shoot. But given the image quality, autofocusing, fast shooting, and exposure controls of the XTi, it’s not just a deal, it’s a screaming bloody great deal.”

The Canon won praise for accurate autofocusing, high image quality, an easy-to-read LCD panel and two ways to remove sensor dust but was criticized for lacking a second command dial, for burying flash-level settings in the menu and for not being as tough as the EOS 30D. In scientific lab testing, image quality, resolution and color accuracy all received “excellent” ratings. Noise was rated “very low” at ISO 100 and 200, “low” at 400 and “moderately low” at 800 and 1600. Highlight/shadow detail was “very high” but contrast was “slightly low.”

The review appeared on Pop Photo’s web site dated November but was not in the November issue of the magazine.

Click here to read the complete review.

Copyright 2006

Nikon Offering “Select and Save” Rebates

2006-11-22T19:05:00.000-05:00

Nikon is offering rebates on lenses and accessories under a program that increases the amount of the rebate according to the number of Nikon products purchased. The “Select and Save” program, which began October 26 and applies to purchases made through January 28, offers savings of as much as $300.

Under the program, Nikon is offering rebates ranging from $10 on a 28mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor up to $100 on either a 300mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Nikkor or 400mm f/2.8D ED-IF II AF-S Nikkor.

But the amount of the rebate is doubled for customers who buy two eligible items during the rebate period, and tripled for those who purchase three eligible items. That means someone buying the 300mm or 400mm and two other items would receive a rebate of $300 instead of $100. The rebate program covers 15 lenses, the SB-800 AF Speedlight and a number of other accessories.

Purchases of a Nikon D2Xs, D2Hs, D200 or D80 – including D200 and D80 bodies sold in kit packages – don’t qualify for rebates but do count toward the multiple-item feature of the rebates. In other words, someone buying one of those cameras plus the 300mm or 400mm lens would receive a $200 rebate instead of $100.

Click here for details.

Copyright 2006

Nikon D40 Video on YouTube

2006-11-20T22:11:00.000-05:00

There’s a great little video showing off the new Nikon D40 on YouTube.

The three-minute introduction to Nikon’s newest digital SLR was produced by Pixinfo.com in Hungary. It’s in Hungarian with English subtitles, but offers a very intelligent description of the camera and a good number of close-ups to show how the camera fits into the hand and how it functions.

The video goes into some interesting details, including the absence of the normal coupling pin for autofocus lenses. It also offers a good look at the LCD displays, and shows just how small the SD memory cards appear to those of us accustomed to CF cards.

Click here to see the video.

Nikon Introduces D40 Digital SLR

2006-11-16T21:36:00.000-05:00

Nikon today officially introduced the D40 that has been the subject of the rumor mill in recent weeks, billing the 6.1 megapixel camera as the smallest and easiest to use in its lineup of digital SLRs and clearly aiming the new model at the low end of the amateur market.

“Digital SLR cameras have gained substantial interest among consumers looking for higher-quality pictures and faster handling response," said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing of SLR System Products at Nikon Inc. "But perceived complexity and bulkiness of some models has discouraged some customers. With the D40, Nikon addresses these challenges with incredible ease of use, compactness and a remarkable range of features and technologies.”

The D40 will come packaged with a new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens with ED glass and aspherical elements, with suggested street price of $599.95. The model is intended to replace the current D50, which sells for about $650 street. Nikon did not say how soon the new camera will be available.

The camera features a 6.1 megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor and Nikon’s 3D Color Matrix Metering II with spot metering, center-weighted metering and exposure compensation along with Program Auto, Shutter-priority Auto, Aperture-priority Auto and Manual (P/S/A/M) exposure modes. “Digital Vari-Program” modes include Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Landscape or Night Portrait.

The D40 powers up in 0.18 seconds and shoots 2.5 frames per second up to 100 consecutive shots in JPEG Normal mode, stored on an SD card and viewed on a 2.5-inch color LCD monitor. The new model uses a three-area auto-focus system based around Nikon's Multi-CAM 530 AF Sensor Module with central cross-type sensor operation.

The ISO range is 200-1600 with an "additional" setting of 3200. Shutter speeds are 30 seconds to 1/4000 with flash sync to 1/500.

The D40 also features an Image Retouch menu, with extensive in-camera editing functions. Options include:

• D-Lighting: Automatically balances underexposed portions of an image to enhance detail without affecting highlights.
• In-camera Red-eye Correction.
• Trim: Images can be trimmed to produce smaller cropped versions of any file on the SD card.
• Image Overlay: Merges a pair of selected RAW files to create a composite image within the camera as a RAW or JPEG file.
• Monochrome settings: Convert any color image to black-and-white, sepia or cyanotype.
• Filter Effects: Emulate and apply the effects of a skylight or a warming filter to any image stored on the SD card. A Color Balance menu within filter effects can also be used to make subtle shifts in color.
• Small Picture: Create a smaller version of any image in the camera for easy sharing and faster download.

The D40 ships with Nikon’s PictureProject software and a 30-day trial version of Capture NX software.

Dimensions are 5x2.5x3.7 inches and weight is 17 ounches.

Click here to read the Nikon press release

Click here for full technical specifications

Copyright 2006

Canon Digital SLRs Top Prizes in Trains Magazine Contest

2006-11-15T21:06:00.000-05:00

Photographers specializing in railroad photos have a chance to win Canon digital SLRs in a contest sponsored by Trains magazine.

The theme for the magazine’s annual contest is “Against the Elements.” Photos taken between November 1, 2005, and October 31, 2006, are eligible. Judges will be looking for “intriguing composition, effective use of light, and inspiring and creative images.” Winners will be announced in the April 2007 issue.

The grand prize is a choice of a six-day Canadian rail trip from Montreal to Halifax or a steam locomotive trip to be determined, plus a Canon EOS 30D with 24-85mm lens.

First prize is a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18-55mm lens. Second prize is $300, and five runners up will receive a Canon gadget bag.

Trains isn’t a photography magazine as such, but is a very photographer-friendly publication for photographers who like to shoot trains and related railroad scenes. The magazine publishes dozens of photos in each issue, most if not all from freelancers, and welcomes submissions from readers. Unlike some hobby magazines, photographers are paid for their work.

Click here for contest details.

Copyright 2006

Nikon Reportedly Planning D40 Digital SLR

2006-11-03T21:08:00.000-05:00

Rumors have been flying round the Internet recently that Nikon is about to introduce a new D40 digital SLR aimed at the low end of the consumer market, and two French photo publications now have the details.

LesNumeriques.com and Chasseur d’images both report that the D40 will be a 6.1 megapixel camera sold as a kit with a new AF-X DX ED 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 GII zoom lens for about 599 Euros, or about $760 in U.S. dollars. That compares with about $650 for the D50 with AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Zoom-Nikkor, so the price is unclear at this point.

The D40 would be about 3.5x5x2.5 inches, or about a third of an inch smaller in each dimension than the D50. It weighs about a pound, or five ounces less than a D50.

The new camera would save images in jpg or RAW on SD memory cards. ISO would range up to 1600 in normal mode and 3200 in “push” mode. Flash sync would go to 1/500. The LCD is 2.5 inches diagonally.

Reports indicate that older Nikon autofocus lenses without built-in focusing motors will not autofocus on the D40 and could only be used for manual focusing. The camera appears to have only three autofocus points, although the automatic French-English translations available on the web are unclear.

Nikon reportedly showed the camera to major distributors and photo retailers behind closed doors at Photokina while pushing the D80 for photo show attendees and the news media. Those who saw it weren’t supposed to talk before December, but a German store prematurely showed specs and photos on its web site before quickly withdrawing the pages. An official announcement could come as early as November 16 in Japan.

Details are available in the following reports:

--LesNumeriques.com
--Chasseur d’images

Copyright 2006

New York Times Highlights Affordable Nikon, Canon DSLRs

2006-11-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

Nikon and Canon’s more affordable models were highlighted today in a New York Times article on “Digital SLRs That Won’t Break Your Budget.”

“The success of the Digital Rebel has led to a rush by every camera maker, as well as newcomers like Sony and Samsung, to introduce digital SLRs priced and designed with consumers in mind,” the Times wrote, referring to the Canon model that broke the $1,000 price barrier in 2003 and was updated this summer as the Digital Rebel XTi.

The “In Focus” column also cited the Nikon D80 and D200, praising them for their backward compatibility with older Nikon lenses but criticizing the D200 for a focusing screen “designed with the assumption that it will be used with autofocus lenses” because it sacrifices the ability to distinguish fine changes in focus in favor of improved brightness. (Other users have said this is a problem in the D70 but has been considerably improved in the D200.)

One amateur photographer quoted praised the Digital Rebel for its improved shutter lag compared with his previous point-and-shoot, but complained that it was too small for his hands and required its accessory battery grip for a good fit.

The premise of the article was largely that many serious photographers have recognized the advantages of an SLR over a point-and-shoot but couldn’t afford a digital SLR before the series of price drops that have come since the introduction of the original Digital Rebel. It called the Rebel the first DSLR “at a price that a middle-class father of two could consider.”

Click here to read the Times article. (Free registration may be required.)

Copyright 2006

Nikon Beats Canon 7-5 in November Photo Mag Contests

2006-10-31T21:07:00.000-05:00

Nikon ended Canon’s three-month streak to score a 7-5 win in November’s monthly reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines.

Six of the winning photos in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” competition were made with Nikon cameras compared with two for Canon. Canon did better in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” contest, accounting for three photos to Nikon’s one.

That makes the score 7-5 in favor of Nikon this month, with three photos shot with other brands.

Canon still leads year-to-date totals 88-80, but the good showing for Nikon tightens Canon’s lead to eight compared with a 10-photo lead a month ago. Canon had won the past three months in a row and has won five out of the past 11 months. Nikon has now won five months also, while one month – March – was a 5-5 tie. All other brands combined total 42 for the year. On an annual basis, the number of winning photos shot with either Nikon or Canon continues to outnumber winning photos shot with all other brands combined 4:1.

Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug run photo contests for readers each month. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, and www.NikonvsCanon.com tracks the winners for the amusement of readers engaged in the perennial argument among photographers of which brand is better.

The analysis by http://www.nikonvscanon.com/ is not intended to indicate that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Copyright 2006

Canon Announces Rebate Program

2006-10-29T20:09:00.000-05:00

Canon is offering rebates of up to $300 on its mid-level digital SLR cameras, two dozen lenses and four electronic flash units.

The "Cash In With Canon" mail-in-rebate program began October 15 and runs through January 13.

Canon is offering rebates from $10 to $300, including $300 on the 12.8 megapixel EOS 5D digital SLR with a full frame CMOS sensor, and the EOS 30D digital SLR. Select EF lenses such as the new EF 24 -105mm f/4L IS USM and Speedlite flashes like the 580EX also qualify for the rebate. Photographers will also have the chance to double savings when purchasing different eligible Canon items to help further expand and build their EOS systems. When buying an EOS 5D Digital SLR and a select Canon EF lens, consumers can get up to $700 back. Consumers can also save up to $230 when buying the EOS 30D kit that includes the EF-S 17-85 IS USM lens.

The EOS-1Ds Mark II and EOS-1D Mark II N don't qualify for rebates, but rebates are doubled on other qualifying products bought at the same time as either of the two top-end cameras. The entry-level Digital Rebel XTi is not included at all.

"The Cash in With Canon rebate program gives users of all levels the chance to build or expand an EOS system of fine photographic gear that will give users professional level results for years to come," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A. Inc.

Details are available at www.web-rebates.com/canon.

--Canon Press Release

Canon Offers Second Annual Football Photography Contest

2006-10-20T21:34:00.000-04:00

It’s football season, and that means it’s time for Canon’s second annual “Why Do You Love Football?” photo contest.

Co-sponsored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the nationwide amateurs-only contest features two entry categories: Action and Feature. The Action category focuses on any image that captures football action during game play, while the Feature category comprises any football imagery outside of game action on the field. Canon says it’s looking for anything from a playful catch in the backyard to organized youth and school games.

Judges will include Sports Illustrated photographer Peter Read Miller, Associated Press photographer Mark Duncan, U.S. Presswire photographer Craig Melvin, Cleveland Browns team photographer John Reid III, freelancer Tony Tomsic and former NFL quarterback Archie Manning. After the judges determine a group of 14 finalists, the voting will be turned over to football fans, who will crown a first-place winner in each of the two categories and a grand prize winner in early January.

"This is the second straight year that Canon and the Pro Football Hall of Fame have conducted an amateur youth football photo contest," Canon U.S.A. Inc. Senior Vice President and Consumer Imaging Group General Manager Yukiaki Hashimoto said. "We are pleased to once again recognize the best youth football photos taken by amateur photographers across the United States."

Each first place winner will receive a Digital Rebel XTi camera, while the grand prize winner will be awarded a trip for four to attend Super Bowl XLI in Florida and will have his or her photo displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Additionally, the winner will receive a trip for four to the 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Celebration in August 2007.

Photographers can submit up to 10 images by the November 27 entry deadline. Details and rules are at www.usa.canon.com/nfl. The web site also features a great Day in the Life video showing how Miller shoots a game, and another video offers tips on how to shoot football.

Copyright 2006

Digital Photography Review Favors Nikon D80 Over Canon Digital Rebel XTi

2006-10-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

The hottest Nikon-Canon battle at the moment is between the 10.2 megapixel Nikon D80 introduced August 9 and the 10.1 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel XTi unveiled two weeks later – and one of the most respected Internet technical review sites has come down on the side of Nikon.

In its September review of the D80, Digital Photography Review (DPR) called the $999.95 (body only) Nikon a camera that “just feels right” and “worth the price difference” between it and the $799.95 Canon. On DPR’s 1-10 scale of ratings for build, ergonomics, features, image quality, speed and value, it averaged 8.8.

DPR’s review of the XTi published just last weekend gave the Canon a nearly-as-high average rating of 8.4 and praised Canon for revolutionizing the DSLR market when it broke the $1,000 price point with the original 6 megapixel Digital Rebel back in 2003. DPR said the latest version continues in the footsteps of the original and the 8 megapixel 2005 Digital Rebel XT, but laments that Canon played it safe with the successful formula and didn’t try to push the envelope. “Nikon clearly saw it coming and went one better with the D80,” DPR said. The review said the Rebel is “no longer the first or obvious choice” and urged photographers to consider the competition.

If you haven’t been to www.dpreview.com, be sure to check it out. While there have been dozens of articles written about the D80 and Rebel XTi, most are limited to writers’ personal opinions or testing that involves extensive hands-on trials but no objective laboratory tests. DPR offers extensive scientific testing and side-by-side comparisons with other cameras, much in the school of lab tests done for years by Popular Photography and Imaging and, back in the day, by Modern Photography.

You can find the DPR assessments at the following two links:

--Nikon D80 Review
--Canon Digital Rebel XTi Review

Speaking of Popular Photography and Imaging, the magazine has done its own lab tests on the D80 and the review couldn’t be more flattering: “The test numbers are stellar,” Pop said. “If you want to see real performance enhancement, grab Nikon’s new 10.2MP DSLR.” Pop gave the D80 high marks for overall image quality, resolution, color accuracy, noise, highlight/shadow detail, contrast and autofocus speed. With its decades of experience, Popular Photography is still the gold standard for lab testing of photo equipment. Click here to read the review. Popular hasn’t done its full test of the XTi yet, but says in a web-only comparison that the Nikon is sturdier and has a better TTL flash system, along with better autofocusing below EV 0. We can’t wait to see the full XTi test results.

If you haven’t seen them yet, here are the Nikon and Canon press releases announcing the D80 and XTi, complete with full technical details.

--Nikon D80 Press Release
--Canon Digital Rebel XTi Press Release

Canon Beats Nikon 8-4 in October Photo Mag Contests

2006-10-10T21:47:00.000-04:00

If you’re going to fight over Nikon vs. Canon, you need a way to keep score. You could keep track of camera sales, but those numbers aren’t always easy to come by. You could track the two companies’ financial results but both make other products. So we had to look for a way, and we think we’ve found it.

Each month, the nation’s two largest photography magazines — Popular Photography and Imaging and Shutterbug — run photo contests for readers. The majority of winning photos are shot with either Nikon or Canon cameras, so we’ve decided to begin keeping score. And we think you will find the results very interesting.

So here's our first monthly report.
--
Canon Beats Nikon 8-4 in October Photo Mag Contests

Canon beat Nikon 8-4 in October’s monthly reader photo contests in the two largest U.S. photography magazines.

Three of the winning photos in Popular Photography and Imaging’s “Your Best Shot” feature this month were made with Canon cameras compared with one for Nikon. Five of the photos in Shutterbug’s “Picture This!” feature were made with Canon and three with Nikon.

That makes the score 8-4 in favor of Canon this month, with three photos shot with other brands.

October was the third winning month in a row for Canon, which has won five months out of the past 10 and leads year-to-date totals at 83-73. Nikon has won four months, while one month -- March -- was a 5-5 tie. All other brands combined total 39 for the year. On an annual basis, the number of winning photos shot with either Nikon or Canon continues to outnumber winning photos shot with all other brands combined 4:1.

The monthly analysis by www.nikonvscanon.com is not intended to indicate that one brand is more likely than the other to produce prize-winning photos or that either magazine favors either camera brand. In fact, the winning brand fluctuates frequently from month to month in both magazines.

Be sure to visit again next month for the latest Nikon vs. Canon score.

Copyright 2006