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A Nikon Coolpix camera belonging to the MI6--the British equivalent of the CIA--was sold on eBay for $US30 with images of al Qaeda suspects, fingerprints, names, rocket launchers, and missiles inside. That's bad enough, but it gets worse: the camera also contained top secret information that may compromise the security of James Bonds in the field.
Some of you are thrilled that the age of video on DSLRs is here; some of you are surprisingly pissed off about it. Truth is, the 720p video coming from the Nikon D90 can look amazing, but in some ways it can't replace even the cheapest cams when it comes to chasing kids and pets around. The good news is that you can use sweet DSLR lenses—in this case, a trio of Nikkors—for a cinematic look and feel. The bad news is, there's no autofocus in video mode. It's a bitch, but it forces you to think more like a filmmaker and less like a hockey mum. Check out the video above, then drop down for some issues and tips we've sorted out so far. Update: Still framegrabs from the actual video below.
The mystery of Nikon's Black Gold D60 might have just been solved, and man, it is not pretty. No really, it's a downright repulsive study in tackiness, if these pictures are to be believed (sadly, it looks like they should be). Nikon has liberally slathered the D60 with cheap gold paint aaaaaaand... that's it. And you get to pay an extra $US50 to rock more shiny than the people who actually have taste and get a regular D60. I'm not sure who came up with this, but even Mr. T wouldn't use this camera. [Nikon Rumors, DP Review]
It's been a good few weeks for DSLRs. Just after Nikon's D90 became the first ever to jump into the sweet, sweet waters of the HD video pool, Canon did a gigantic cannonball today with the EOS 5D Mk II, upping the game to full 1080p captures at 30fps. The question that all of this good news brings up is: Why now? Why haven't the DSLRs we've been using for years ever been able to grab video clips like their cheaper pocket-cam brethren? Let's take a look at the roadblocks that have stood in the way of the DSLR video revolution, and why Canon, Nikon and others are only just now starting to Bigfoot right over them.
The Gadget: Nikon's D300 is a 12.3MP camera with 200-6400 (hi mode) ISO, a 3-inch LCD, 51 autofocus points and a prosumer magnesium body on the fence, but teetering more towards pro than consumer. Inside is a DX-sensor, not quite the FX sensor found in the better D3 and D700 cams. It's not directly competitive with either the cheaper 50D or the more expensive 5D from Canon.
The folks at Nikon Rumours are puzzling over a new product SKU appearing on inventory lists, a Nikon D60 body only that lists for US$649.99, US$50 more than the standard D60. As you can see in the listings, it's named "Black Gold," utilising all two of Nikon's favourite colours. We don't know what it is, but maybe you do. Frankly, we're kinda just relieved it's not White Gold. [Nikon Rumors]
We've been following this for a little while to let some meat stick on the skeletal rumours, and it's finally feeling substantial enough—though definitely still a rumour—to throw your way. It looks like Nikon's got a 41-megapixel medium format (MX) sensor up its sleeve, which is most likely for a digital rangefinder. Nikon itself teases something BIG for the Wedding & Portrait Photographer International convention in Feb. in the pages of Rangefinder magazine. Finally, Nikon Watch has a tip (albeit unsubstantiated) that the MX format sensor is 48x48mm and in fact 48MP, and will go inside of a digital rangefinder that's "not to [sic] dissimilar to the older film Mamiya 6 camera philosophy." There's more.
Ever wondered exactly how honking DSLRs work vs. your pocket point-and-shoot? Photographer Marianne Oelund shot an incredibly high speed sequence (more incredibly, not with a high speed camera!) of Nikon's US$5000 flagship, the D3, popping a 1/62 second exposure, which Jeffrey Friedl has turned into a mini web movie. In 87.8 milliseconds, you see the mirror flip up, the shutter curtain drop to expose the image sensor—at 35kph!—and everything move back into place. Truly amazing: [Regex, Marianne Oeuland via Daring Fireball]
While some have been sceptical of the D90's video recording as a useless gimmick, Nikon has posted a bunch of videos showing off some of the amazing things you can do with the camera. The above clip ticks off some of what you can do with a variety of lenses, toying with fisheyes or super-zooms, but the two below really show what the camera can do, like create stunning effects with a shallow depth-of-the-field, and the detail it captures in low light using a pumped ISO.
Posted by Nick Broughall at 12:24 PM on August 28, 2008
Everyone's excited about Nikon's new D90 DSLR. Well, everybody except Canon fanboys, that is. And it makes sense - it's the first DSLR that lets you record video, after all. If you're hanging out for some Australian info, the price of the body-only kit will be $1,549, with lens kits likely to cost a few hundred dollars more when they launch mid to late September.
But the other piece of exciting news is that in addition to launching the D90 (and a new 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR lens for $479), Nikon are also dropping the price off a heap of their current lenses, which could be particularly useful for some creative videos.
Some of you are thrilled that the 
Ever wondered exactly how honking DSLRs work vs. your pocket point-and-shoot? Photographer 
While some have been sceptical of the D90's video recording as 