Nikon causes internet tantrum with Mirrorless ‘1′ System

Nikon has announced their first interchangeable lens, mirrorless camera system today.  The company is calling it the Nikon 1 System.  At launch it will feature two cameras, the J1 and the V1, and four lenses.  The biggest difference between the two is that the V1 has an electronic viewfinder, where as the J1 does not.  Both will feature 10mp sensors which are larger than the sensors in compact cameras, but considerably smaller than Nikon's DSLR sensors or the sensors in other mirrorless cameras made by Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, or Samsumg.

I find these intriguing cameras, but I appear to be fairly alone on this.  At least, that's the impression I get looking through the overwhelmingly negative comments at DPReview and other photography web sites.  The sensor is too small!  Image quality is going to suffer!  It doesn't compete with other mirrorless cameras!  Mostly, what these complaints boil down to is, "Nikon hasn't made the camera I wanted them to make".  What they have made, instead, is a camera that's targeted at users of compact cameras, instead of the enthusiasts who read photography blogs.  This may be a poor strategy by Nikon, but it doesn't mean the cameras are junk.

Lost in the uproar is the fact that these have pretty decent image quality-- check out the sample photos on Nikon's web site-- the autofocus is supposed to be wickedly fast, and the video features are much more robust than most of us probably need.

On the downside: the price is much too high (at $649 and $899), and the lens lineup (thus far) leaves a lot to be desired.  There's room for improvement, to be sure, but this is an interesting product and I look forward to seeing what Nikon does with it in the future.

Further reading:

* For detailed specifications, check out Nikon's Web Site.
* Thom Hogan has a similar reaction to mine, and he's always worth reading when it comes to Nikon equipment.
* Of course, Amazon already has these available for pre-order.

Now I've seen it all - Nikon AW100 Camo Camera

A bunch of new cameras have been announced this week.  I'm not going to dwell on all of them.  Sony has announced not one, not two, but three new DSLR(ish) cameras all featuring 24mp APS-C sensors.  You know, for those who believe they need a 24mp sensor. (hint: you don't).  I may write more about these in the future.

Canon and Nikon have both announced some new compacts, but nothing that really jumps out at me.  If you're in the market for a point and shoot, now is a great time to look for sales on last year's models.  I'm personally waiting for the Canon 300 HS to drop in price-- my girlfriend needs a new compact, and Canon just announced the 310 HS.

Then there's the Nikon AW100, aka the camo camera:



I like this camera.  Leaving aside the silliness of it being released in camouflage-- what does that really accomplish other than making it hard to find if dropped in the forest?-- this actually looks like a nice piece of gear for the rugged outdoorsy type.  It's water proof to 33 feet, drop resistant to 5 feet, and freeze proof to 14°F.  One feature that I particularly like: it has an accelerometer inside, which allows you to assign functions (such as changing scene modes) to a specific swinging motion.  Useful if you're wearing heavy gloves.

The price is $379.95 and it'll be available in September in orange, blue, and black.  The camouflage version, for no apparent reason, is currently a European only model.

Nikon D5100 adds a 1 to the name, new features too!

Nikon announced a new DSLR today, the not-very-excitingly-named D5100.  It's a replacement for the D5000.  I still contend that this naming scheme reminds me of a car, or perhaps the Atari 5200, but let's not dwell on that.  The important point is that it looks like a great camera, especially if you're in the market for a small, mid range DSLR.  It's basically a slightly modified D5000 with an image sensor borrowed from the more expensive D7000.  This is standard practice with camera companies these days: you upgrade a few things, trickle down some parts from another camera, throw in a gimmick or two to get people's attention, and vavoom: you have a new product cycle.

Here's what's upgraded from the D5000:

• A vastly improved LCD.  The D5000 had an ill conceived LCD that swiveled down instead of to the side.  Swiveling to the side is much more useful as it allows you to swivel the LCD when the camera is on a tripod or sitting on the ground.  It's also a higher resolution screen, at 921k pixels vs 230k.
• It's about 10% smaller than the D5000, and a bit lighter.  Smaller is almost always better, in my opinion.

And this is what it borrows from the D7000:

• The 16.2 MP Sensor, and all the features that come with that, including an ISO range of 100 to 25,600.  This sensor is really good, in my experience, but be warned-- the file sizes will eat a hole in your hard drive.
• All the video modes that come with the D7000.  1080p at 30/25/24fps.  I personally never use them.

BUYING ADVICE: If you already own a D5000 and are perfectly happy with that camera, keep shooting with it and be perfectly happy.  I assure you, your photos will not turn into a pumpkin at midnight.  If, however, you were thinking about buying a D5000, you may as well get the D5100.  I personally think the LCD screen is enough of a reason to chose the D5100, but obviously the newer sensor is a benefit as well.

Potential D7000 buyers will have to play a game of "what do I need?" vs "what can I afford?"  Yes, these cameras share the same sensor, but the D7000 has a whole host of professional features that are lacking in the D5100.  Notably, a weather sealed body, drive motor, 100% viewfinder, and 39 point autofocus system.  Of course, the D5100 is $400 cheaper.

Further info: Nikon USA, DP Review, Engadget.
Preorder at Amazon: Not available yet, but will be priced at $799 (body only) or $899 (w/ kit lens).

Fuji goes retro with FinePix X100

Photokina is this week-- the once-every-two-years trade show for the photography industry.  As a result there's sure to be a bunch of new products announced, and Fuji got things started yesterday with an interesting new camera, the Fuji FinePix X100 compact.  It's a fixed lens camera, with a fixed focal length of 23mm (35mm equivalent) using a custom APS-C 12.3mp sensor.  Fuji claims that it's manufactured the 23mm lens to perfectly match the APS-C sensor, and that the priority for this model is "picture quality".

The X100 is a camera that's likely to confuse your Average Joe Best Buy shopper (what, no zoom lens?) but should get photography enthusiasts plenty excited, and in particular those familiar with 1960 and 1970s era rangefinders that this camera is clearly an homage too.  Check out that all metal top and leather covering-- if that doesn't scream 1970 I don't know what does.



Of course, the whole retro concept isn't skin deep.  There are dedicated manual controls for shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation, and also included is a brand new and thoroughly unique "hybrid viewfinder" that can toggle between an electronic and an optical display.  Fuji claims this will give the user the "best of both worlds", pleasing traditionalists without sacrificing on the modern conveniences of the digital era.

The one omission is a dedicated dial for manual focus, and Fuji has conveniently left any mention of manual focusing out of their literature-- I guess we'll have to wait for a production model to see how that works.

Overall, the X100 is a nice development from Fuji, who have spent the last few years chasing a 3D camera market that just isn't there. 

Want to learn more?  I suggest checking out the excellent write up at The Online Photographer or head over to Fujifilm dot com.  There's also a helpful promotional video at Engadget which explains the concept.  Fuji says we can expect this camera in early 2011, and pricing will apparently be in the ballpark of $1000.

Nikon D7000 blows up the internet

Wow.  If the various articles and commententary that I'm reading on the internet are any indication, Nikon has caused a lot of drool to hit the floor today among photography enthusiasts.  I'm talking about the just announced Nikon D7000, successor to the enthusiast level D90 DSLR. (I'm leaning towards calling it the D7k-- it has a nice ring to it, no?).

The reason for the drool is that Nikon has delivered (surprisingly, in my opinion) on all the speculation that's been floating around for this camera, which I first mentioned here.  In essence, if there was something that anyone thought was lacking in the D90, the D7000 pretty much has it.  100% viewfinder: check.  Weather sealed body: check.  Improved video: check.  The kitchen sink: check.  Check out Nikon USA or DP Review for the full rundown, but here are the main improvements:

100% viewfinder vs 96% for D90.

Magnesium Alloy body with weather sealing vs. polycarbonate unsealed body.

39 autofocus points (with auto focus fine tuning) vs. 11 points.

Continuous shooting at 6fps vs. 4.5fps

16 Megapixels vs. 12.

Native ISO range of 100-6400 (with boost to 25600) vs. 200-3200 (6400)

Maximum shutter of 1/8000 vs 1/4000

Improved metering system.

Improved 1080p HD Movie mode.

Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots.

So what does that all add up too?  These aren't trivial changes.  Basically, Nikon has put a pro level camera in a D90 body.  It's not so much an upgrade to the D90 as it is a shrunken D300s.  On paper that sounds fantastic.  I've used a D300 and love it, but definitely prefer the smaller form factor of the D90/D7k.

So I'm definitely purchasing this camera, right?  Well, it may surprise some people that I don't know.  Leaving aside the fact that I can't just pull $1200 out of a mattress, the one thing lacking on the internet right now are any actual photos shot at ISO 1600 or higher.  Sure, Nikon can claim improved image quality, but until we have some images to look at, it's all just marketing hype.  The proof will be in pudding, as they say.  Or in this case, the photographs.

Note: this will be for sale in October for $1199.95 (body only).

Update 9/17: my resolve to wait for image samples lasted less than 48 hours-- I just preordered a body only version of the D7000 from B&H.  I figure, even if the image quality isn't improved, it can't be worse, and I'm more interested in the new professional features of this camera anyway.

Canon 60D and Nikon D90 (D7000) to deathmatch for all eternity

(or, at least the next two years)



I haven’t written about Canon cameras very often on this blog.  This is simply because I don't shoot with Canon cameras (although I did enjoy their A series of compacts for a while).  Still, the new Canon 60D (announced yesterday) caught my attention.  Mostly because it's a continuation of the previous 20D-30D-40D-50D line of cameras, but not strictly a continuation, part upgrade and part downgrade from its predecessor.

The upgraded parts: it gets the same 18mp sensor used in the Canon 7D and Xti, and also the movie modes of those cameras.  It also adds a swivel LCD if that's something that interests you.

The downgraded parts: The smaller body is made of plastic and aluminum instead of the stronger magnesium alloy of the 50D.  It loses a few frames per second, from 6.3 to 5.3, and it now takes SD cards rather than Compact Flash.  Of course, the price will also be downgraded slightly, to $1100 at launch (body only).

The same: The 9 point AF system is unchanged.  The viewfinder increases from 95% coverage to 96%-- basically the same.

Most of the commentary that I've read have called this a "repositioning", but no one has really talked about what Canon is repositioning this camera for.  In my opinion, it's to better align their camera line up with the competition, specifically Nikon’s popular D70-D80-D90 line.  The D90 has always had a slight price advantage over the 50D, but lacked the 50D's more robust body.

Here's where things get interesting in dorky camera nerd land.  The next version of the D90 is coming in September (likely called the D7000), and rumors point to it having a bunch of pro features previously reserved for Nikon's D300 and up.  Here's the most recent wish list:

Magnesium alloy body
100% viewfinder
Dual memory card slots
39 AF points
ISO up to 25600
Somewhere between 6-8 fps.
1080 HD video
16 megapixels for the pixel self conscious
Improved flux capacitor

(note: I culled this list from these two Nikon Rumors posts, except for the last one that made up)

Of course, all of that is just rumor at this point, but even if only some of those specs are included, what we'll be left with are two cameras: one from Nikon that's aspiring to be a professional camera, and one from Canon aspiring for the serious amateurs. 

Which one do you think will sell better?  A lot will depend on price. (Update: the D7000 has been announced and will sell for $1199.95 at launch. The Canon 60D will sell for $1099.95).

Canon Announces 120 MP Sensor, will be sold with free Hummer

Canon announced today the creation of the world's first 120 MP sensor.  Yes, you read that correctly-- 120 megapixels!  It's an APS-H (1.3x crop) sensor, the same size used in Canon's flagship EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR (which currently only has 16 megapixels).  No word from Canon about when or if this will ever be sold in a camera.  Obviously, I'm joking with my title, because if this is ever released it would cost a small fortune.

I'm also not sure what the point would be?  Here's the dirty truth about megapixels-- having more of them doesn't mean a thing if the lenses on your camera can't actually resolve that much detail.  I doubt that Canon (or Nikon for that matter) has any lenses that can.

Not to mention that you would need a supercomputer to process the RAW files.

You can find more info about this monstrosity at DPReview or Canon USA.

Steve Jobs says something smart! (about megapixels)

Steve Jobs said something that caught my attention during his iPhone 4 presentation/ tech orgy today.  In reference to the iPhone's new 5 megapixel camera, he said:

"Now everybody loves to talk about megapixels, but we tend to ask the question how do we make better pictures? Megapixels are nice, but what these cameras are really about is capturing photons and low light photography. So we've gone from 3 megapixel to 5 megapixel, but we're using a backside illuminated sensor."

"In addition to that, when most people increase megapixels they make them smaller, but we've kept ours the same size. They don't capture less photons."

Hey, what's that-- an acknowledgment that more megapixels are not necessarily better?  I couldn't agree more.  5 MP on a phone is as much as anyone reasonably needs, and anything more than that is just marketing hype.

It's too bad this came during the presentation for a cell phone, as I've been waiting for the world's camera manufacturers to embrace this concept for some time now.  I thought we were making progress last year when Olympus announced that 12 MP was enough, but then Canon released their 18 MP Rebel T2i, and who knows what's coming next.  My hard drive weeps just thinking about all those pixels.

Two other thoughts:

1) How did I get on Apple's mailing list?  I don't own a single Apple product and my next cell phone will likely be running Android.  Yet for some reason I get a pretty email from Steve Jobs every time they announce a new product.  Weird.

2) Despite that first statement, I have to give credit where credit is due-- that's one snazzy looking phone:



Steve Jobs quote via Engadget.

Professional Photography Shrinking according to NY Times

The New York Times has published an interesting article about how professional photographers (and in particular, editorial photographers) are getting squeezed out of business in the digital era:

"Amateurs, happy to accept small checks for snapshots of children and sunsets, have increasing opportunities to make money on photos but are underpricing professional photographers and leaving them with limited career options. Professionals are also being hurt because magazines and newspapers are cutting pages or shutting altogether."

It's actually worse than that.  Many amateurs are willing to give away their work for nothing, happy just to see their name in print (aka: Capture My Chicago, and other sham photo contests that take advantage of people's vanity).

Don't get me wrong-- I love digital photography.  I've become a much better photographer since switching to digital five years ago, and I love the enthusiasm of people I know on flickr and elsewhere.  But there's no denying that the rise of digital has had significant ramifications for photography as a profession.

Ricoh GRX followup

Back in November, I wrote a pretty critical blog post about the new Ricoh GRX camera system, so I thought I should follow up on that.  There are a few reviews out now, including this one at DPReview (which tests the camera with its 50mm sensor module).  DPReview has some nice things to say about the GRX-- in particular the image quality is quite good-- but they also echo my own thoughts to a tee:

"In the digital age lenses tend to have a much longer shelf-life than camera bodies. Many photographers who replace their digital SLR every two or three years still use lenses that were originally purchased in the 80s or 90s. By fixing the lens to the sensor unit Ricoh practically reduces the lens' useful life to the sensor's. The GXR macro lens is a very nice piece of optical equipment now, and still will be in five years time. However, at that point how many photographers will be interested in using it with what will doubtless by then be an outdated sensor?"

In short, my feelings about this camera haven't changed.  It's a flawed design concept, as is, and I think Ricoh is going to swing and miss on this one.  At the very least, if I were someone interested in buying this product, I would wait a year to make sure it's still around.

The GRX: has Ricoh lost its mind?

Ricoh has announced an interesting new camera today-- or rather, a new camera system.  It's called the GRX and is truly one of the most unique products released into the digital camera market in the last ten years.  It's also a bit of a head scratcher, from both a design and a marketing standpoint.  I think this picture explains the concept pretty well:



What you're looking at is a camera system which divides the camera into two parts: the camera back, and an interchangeable lens/sensor module.  Unlike a DSLR which puts the sensor permanently in the camera body, Ricoh has gone the opposite route and attached the sensor permanently to the lens.  This is an unusual approach to camera design, to say the least, and Ricoh's logic seems to be this-- allowing interchangeable sensors means you can use different sensor sizes for different lenses.  It also means that dust cannot get into the sensor module, so if dust is a concern for you (it isn't for me) this may be an important factor.

I think the biggest problem facing this system is cost.  It's all quite expensive: $549 for the body, and $830 and $440 for the two modules available at launch.  It's even worse when you consider that each lens will become obsolete at whatever point the sensor it's attached to becomes obsolete.  This runs completely against conventional wisdom, which has always held that buying lenses is an investment that retains value over time, where as camera bodies (in particular digital camera bodies) depreciate as new and better cameras are released.  We've also been told for years that the sensor was the most expensive element in the camera, so it seems impractical to buy a new sensor each time you buy a new lens.  A better system would be one that's fully modular, where the body, sensor, and lens are all interchangeable.

Sorry Ricoh, but as is, I just don't think this system will succeed.  You can find out more about about the Ricoh GRX at the Ricoh website, or check out the full preview (with some impressive sample images) at DPReview.

UPDATE: DPReview now has a full review of this camera.

Pentax releases world's ugliest camera: the K-x Red

Dear Pentax,

We need to talk.  I don't mean to get on your case-- in the past, I've liked some of the cameras you've put out.  That K7 you released earlier in the year, boy that K7 looks like a winner.  But this new camera, Pentax.  This K-x, as you're calling it.  Red?  Really?  Did you really think that was a good idea?  I mean, I can understand the white version, and maybe even the blue one isn't so bad.  People like color, I get it, we like variety.  But bright red?  On a DSLR?  Frankly you look a little desperate.

Sincerely,

Andy

The Panasonic GF1: A little competition can't hurt?

It's a good time to be a photography enthusiast.  Panasonic has just unleashed (I get tired of writing "announced") the LUMIX GF1, a new Micro 4/3rds compact camera with an optional electronic viewfinder.  In addition, they've unveiled a new 20mm f1.7 lens, and the GF1 will be sold with either that or the already available 14-45mm kit lens.  



The GF1 is a direct competitor to the Olympus E-P1 that I wrote about back in June.  The two cameras share the same lens mount, 12.3mp sensor, and are more or less the same size.  The E-P1 is perhaps the more stylish camera, with it's classic silver finish, but I find both cameras appealing in their own way.

To date, the E-P1 has been pretty thoroughly reviewed by everyone and their pet goldfish, and the consensus seems to be that it's an excellent little camera, with DSLR like image quality, marred by just a few shortcomings-- lack of a viewfinder and built in flash (if those matter to you), relatively slow autofocus, and a low resolution LCD screen.

Enter the Panasonic GF1, which would seem to answer those shortcomings.  Electronic viewfinder?  Check.  Built in flash?  Check.  Higher resolution LCD?  Check.  Improved autofocus?  Check.  Ability to talk in robot voice and read the photographer's mind.  Umm... just kidding.  The one feature lacking from the Pany that the Olympus has is sensor shift vibration reduction.  Panasonic has decided to go the lens route for image stabilization-- thus their 14-45mm kit lens is stabilized but not the 20mm.  I think this is a big advantage for Olympus.  (I'm personally waiting for Olympus to release an E-P2, which is rumored for the fall, before making any purchases).

More info on the GF1 can be found at DPReview (which has a nice photo gallery), the DC Resource Page, and The Online Photographer.  It should be available in October for $899 plus an additional $200 for the viewfinder.

(Note: Goldfish photo by -Fearless-)

Sony A850: only $83 per megapixel

Sony has announced a new full frame, high resolution DSLR, the A850.  This camera is significant because it currently sits as the least expensive high resolution DSLR.  At $2000 and 24.6mp, it comes out to roughly $83 per megapixel.  The Canon 5D Mark II, by comparison, costs $2,699.95 at 21.1mp, or $128 per megapixel.  The Nikon D3x at $7,999.95 and 24.6mp comes out to an astounding $325 per megapixel.  So... if you need that many pixels (I don't) this is probably a good deal.  An added bonus to Sony cameras is they come with sensor based image stabilization, so every single lens you throw on the camera will be stabilized.

This will be available in September.  For more information I'd check out Imaging Resource, which not only has the announcement but a full blown review as well.

The Era of the Gimmick Camera has begun

Samsung announced a new compact camera this week, the DualView TL225.  So why am I bothering to write about this?  It's because this camera contains the ultimate gimmick, an LCD screen on the front as well as the rear of the camera body.  Call it the Myspace camera-- other than cheesy self portraits, this really has no useful function.



I expect this trend will continue, and not just LCDs in wacky places, but whatever other nonsense camera manufacturers can include to generate interest.  The photography market is saturated right now, and we've reached a point where just about everyone already owns a digital camera of some sort.  Maybe an LCD screen on the front is that extra nudge that gets someone to upgrade.  Or how about some cool looking analog dials on top of the camera?  Or a built in projector?  The possibilities are endless.

So what's next?

• Cameras with voice activation?


• Cameras that can read your mind, enabling faster response time?  Never miss that decisive moment!


• A camera slash Easy Bake Oven combo?  Ummm... just think of all the brownie and cupcake photos.

Yoshihisa Maitani dies at the age of 76

"The object of photography is to express what is in your heart and mind.  A camera is just a tool for taking pictures.  As a designer, I want to design a camera that becomes an inseparable part of the photographer, a camera that dose not get in the way.." -Yoshihisa Maitani

Yoshihisa Maitani passed away on Friday at the age of 76.  How familiar you are with Yoshihisa Maitani probably depends on how familiar you are with the cameras made by Olympus in the 1960s and 70s.  Maitani was the designer chiefly responsible for the Olympus Pen and Pen F cameras, the OM 35mm SLR system, and the XA ultra compact rangefinder cameras.  In short, if it was produced by Olympus from the late 50s through the 1980s, Maitani was likely involved.  He retired from Olympus in 1996.

The cameras of Maitani were innovative for a variety of reasons, but their most defining characteristic was their size and weight, which was consistently smaller and lighter than other cameras produced at the time.  The original Pen was a half frame camera released when no one else was making half frame cameras.  The OM-1 was essentially the world's first compact SLR, and the XA is still to this day the smallest rangefinder camera that I'm aware of.  If I could describe his overall design aesthetic in just a few words, it would be to make the camera as compact as possible while keeping the controls full sized.

Maitani was truly unique in the photographic world, in that he was a well known and a well regarded designer in an industry that normally does not have individual stars.  This is particularly true in Japan, where corporate culture treats products as the creation and property of the company.  In spite of this, in the late 1970s Maitani was featured in a series of advertisements in the US that promoted him as the mastermind behind Olympus, using slogans such as:

BEHIND THE GENIUS OF OLYMPUS CAMERAS IS A GENIUS.

THE CAMERAS OF MAITANI. THEY'RE MORE THAN CAMERAS. THEY'RE INVENTIONS.

And my personal favorite:

I CANNOT TAKE SOLE CREDIT FOR DESIGNING THESE LENSES. I HAD HELP FROM A COMPUTER.

Ah... the modesty!

(For the record, I also had help from a computer in writing this blog post.)

You can read the full text of these ads at the Maitani Olympus fan page. [Sadly, this link is no longer working]

Other than Oskar Barnack (who created the first Leica) and Victor Hasselblad (who has a company named after him) I can't think of any other camera designers who received anything close to this level of notoriety.  Does anyone know who designed the Nikon F, for example?  How about any Canon or Pentax camera?

Of course, this leads to a chicken and egg question.  i.e. Which came first, Maitani reputation as a camera designer or the ad campaign by Olympus promoting him as a genius?  In other words, would we have known who this man was without the ads?  I have no way to answer this conclusively, but I believe that we would, and the simple reason is that his cameras are still being bought and sold today on ebay, and still being used by photography enthusiasts around the world. 

Also, his design aesthetic to make cameras smaller has continued at Olympus in his absence.  Readers of this blog will have noticed that Olympus has recently relaunched the Pen branding with the Digital Pen System.  We'll probably never know what Maitani thought of these new camera-- which are admittedly vastly different from his original creations-- but I suspect he was happy to see his vision moving forward into the digital era.

The beat goes on: Nikon announces the D300s

Nikon has announced today a follow up to their successful D300 professional camera, the D300s.  That "s" stands for superduperterrific! (or... something like that).  Now, I don't intend this blog to be a place where I opine about every new camera launched, however, since I am primarily a Nikon user this is of interest to me.

The D300s is a D300 with some minor changes.  It has more or less the same 12.3mp sensor as the D300 and the D90, but includes a 720p video recording mode that the D300 lacked but was included with the less expensive D90.  It also adds a continuous shooting speed of 7fps, dual CF (compact flash) and SD memory card slots, and a "quiet mode" which delays the release of the mirror until the shutter has been released.

In short, if you already own a D300, there's absolutely no reason to buy this camera, unless you really really want to record video with your DSLR.  But if you were in the market for a D300 and haven't pulled the trigger yet, then the D300s makes a lot of sense.

Personally, I'll be sticking with my D90 which works just fine for me, but if I needed a more robust camera body (and had $1799.95 to spend), this is the camera I would buy.

Note: Nikon also released a new entry level camera, the D3000, and two upgraded lenses.  You can read more about this at Nikon USA or elsewhere on the net.

The Pen Story Video

Olympus is continuing the marketing push for its new Digital Pen Camera (which I first wrote about here) with this insane stop motion video:



My brain hurts thinking about how much effort went into this.  According to Olympus, they shot "60,000 pictures, developed 9,600 prints and shot over 1,800 pictures again."  My favorite part is the hang gliding sequence at about 2:30.  The music is a little cheesy but effective.

Another one bites the dust: RIP Kodak Kodachrome

Kodak has announced today the discontinuation of Kodachrome slide film, first launched in 1935.  This is sad but not at all surprising news.  Kodachrome was unique from the more modern E6 process slide films and required special equipment to process-- currently, only one lab in the United States still processes it.

Read more in this Associated Press article.

I've never shot a roll of Kodachrome 64 (which is the last version still available), but I did use the 200 variety in the last ten years.  Ironically, I distinctly remember purchasing several rolls in a Walgreens, which just shows how quickly digital photography has transformed the industry.  In less than a decade a once iconic film has gone from being available in a drug store, to obscurity, and soon into the history books.

What I liked most about Kodachrome was the 3D quality of the slides themselves.  There is no way to accurately show this on a two dimensional computer screen, but if you hold a Kodachrome slide in the air and tilt it sideways, on the layer side is a visible relief of the image.  That is, the bright areas of the slide are very thin, where as the darker areas are thick.  I'm not sure if this makes for a better image, but it certainly made Kodachrome unique.

According to Kodak, Kodachrome will be available until the current stock runs out, likely sometime in the fall.  Buy it while you can.

Olympus goes retro, announces E-P1 "Digital Pen"

I received this email at 1am this morning, telling me that Olympus has finally made good on their long speculated new Pen Camera:



Dubbed the Olympus E-P1, or "Digital Pen", it's their first offering in the Micro 4/3rds lineup, and the first compact camera to have interchangeable lenses and a DSLR sized sensor (in this case, the same sensor used in Olympus DSLRs).  For more information and detailed specs, I suggest reading the previews at DPReview, Imaging Resources, or visit the Olympus E-P1 page.

Olympus has apparently also realized that attractive women sell cameras:



So why is this camera significant?

The E-P1 slides into an underdeveloped spot of the camera market, namely a camera that can produce photos indistinguishable from a DSLR but in a lighter, much more compact body.  This will appeal to serious amateurs who think DSLRs are too bulky, and many professionals will buy this camera not to replace their DSLR, but as a secondary "carry everywhere" camera.  Others have tried to capture this market, notably Sigma with their DP cameras, but those have been marred by poor performance and other issues.  Panasonic has its own Micro 4/3rds cameras, in the excellent G1 and the GH1, but those cameras are not nearly as compact.  Thus, this new Olympus model is pretty unique.



Just glancing at the specs, I'd say Olympus has a winner on their hands.  I was worried it would lack image stabilization, but nope, that's included.  Also included is a dust reduction system.  The sensor is the same 12.3 MP sensor used in other Olympus cameras, so image quality should be on par, and the E-P1 has a whole host of exposure modes and manual controls to satisfy camera purists.  Yes, it lacks a built in flash and a viewfinder, which is unfortunate, but this was necessary (according to Olympus) to reduce the size of the camera.  Finally, the E-P1 includes a 720p video mode for those obsessed with the idea that their still camera must also shoot video.



Did I mention that it looks really snazzy?

There are, of course, unknowns at this point.  How well does the autofocus system work?  How well will the 17mm f2.8 lens perform?  Is the LCD screen good enough to compensate for the lack of a built in viewfinder?  These are things that will be answered as reviews start trickling in.

Retro Marketing Genius?

Camera specs aside, I have to give Olympus kudos for the marketing and launch of this camera.  For the last few months, Olympus has been touting the 50th anniversary of the Pen cameras on their web site, leading to speculation (now proven correct) that this was a precursor to a new Digital Pen camera.  This has served two purposes: 1) it's built up a lot of interest for this new camera, and 2) it's made people nostalgic for the old Pen system, which like the E-P1, was innovative in its time for its size and features.



Tying the E-P1 to the Pen cameras from the 1960s is a brilliant move.  It allows Olympus to be retro and cool, and at the same time, they get to rebrand themselves as something more than a second fiddle company to Nikon and Canon.  Instead, they're the company with the history of innovation compared to Nikon and Canon's status quo.  Of course that's not really true or fair, but it's beside the point-- it's effective marketing, and the other camera makers would be wise to pay attention.

Another thing worth noting is the price, which is less than expected.  $750 for just the camera body, $800 with the 14-42mm zoom, and $900 for the camera and the 17mm lens.  While yes, that is still quite expensive, rumors had this camera in the $1000 range or more, so this is a good job of managing expectations on Olympus' part.  The E-P1 actually seems like a bargain by comparison.