Nikon Digital Cameras - Coolpix

Even though Nikon entered the camera world by 1948, today its digital cameras are well known everywhere. The company started small but always dreamed big. Here is a historical review of Nikon.

Nikon was one of the late starters in the camera world. It established itself after the end of the World War II with the launch of the Nikon I in the year 1948. It took Nikon three years to develop this camera. From its launch, the Nikon I had a lot of problems. This was rectified by the company and another model called the Nikon M was introduced in 1949 which was well accepted by the market.

During the 1950's, Leica (a German make) had the best 35 mm rangefinder cameras. Nikon wanted to surpass Leica, and its pursuit, it came up with the Nikon SP in 1957. This was considered to be one of the best Nikon cameras available at that time.

After this, Nikon continued to innovate and launched the Nikon F single lens reflex (SLR) camera in 1959. The Nikon F set the industry standard for SLR's and became the hot favorite of photo journalists and professional photographers at that time. With the Nikon F, Nikon managed to surpass Leica and became the market leader in this category.

Then, in the year 1980, Nikon hit another milestone. It designed the Nikon F3 which was to be used by NASA astronauts in outer space expeditions. This camera needed to be big enough so that astronauts wearing bulky gloves could easily handle it and at the same time it had to be strong enough to work perfectly in zero gravity situations and withstand the strong rays of the Sun. NASA was very happy with the job done by Nikon and it got more cameras designed for itself in the coming years from the company.

During the 1990s, Nikon continued to innovate by bringing out better and more advanced SLR cameras. It came up with the NIKONOS RS, the world's first underwater auto focus SLR camera in the year 1992. The company also joined hands with Fuji Films and introduced the E2/E2S digital still cameras in 1995. As far as digital cameras were concerned, Nikon entered the digital arena in the year 1997 with the launch of its first digital camera, the COOLPIX100.

Today, the company has expanded itself further, and even opened factories in distant lands such as Poland and the Netherlands. It has entered new areas such as binoculars and telescopes and eyewear. Nikon is also considered to be one of the good makes as far as digital cameras are concerned. Over its 50 year history, Nikon has done a fascinating task of constantly innovating itself and bringing about new technologies in the market. here are the latest cameras by Nikon:

Digital SLR Cameras (D-Series): For advanced, professional users.

Coolpix Cameras: Ranging from 3-5 mega pixels, these are great for everyday users.

Kevin Rockwell worked as a network TV cameraman for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography and video he works to gather information, tips and news for digital camera users. Oh and he loves to shoot pictures of his kids playing sports. http://great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Rockwell

2.5-inch LCD, Optical Zoom, CCD 5.3M Pixels Sensor, SD Slot - ZKX-DDC-Z51

Image Sensor: CCD 5.3M Pixels/10M Pixels(Interpolation). Optical Zoom: 3X. Digital Zoom: 4X. LCD Monitor: 2.5-inch Colour LTPS LCD. With high performance components from well known manufacturers, combining great design, the latest technology, and high performance, this wholesale product will exceed your expectations.

# Built-in 32M Memory
# Video Out: TV Out with video & audio

# Image Sensor: CCD 5.3M Pixels/10M Pixels 3648×2736(Interpolation)/2560×1920/2048×1536/1600×1200/1280×960/640×480
# Video Clip: 320×240 @ 30 fps
# Build-in Microphone: Yes
# Build-in Speaker: Yes
# Storage Types: Secure Digital(SD)Card or MultiMedia Card(MMC)
# Optical Zoom: 3X
# Digital Zoom: 4X
# Focus Length: f=5.8～17.4mm
# Aperture Range: F=2.9～4.7
# Shutter Speed: 16～1/2000 sec
# Focus Mode: TTL Contrast Detection
# Normal Focus Range: 30cm～∞
# Macro Focus Range: 10cm～30cm
# Voice Memo: 20 seconds voice memo
# Audio Record: WAV
# Sound Effect: Yes
# Flash Manual Setting: Force/Auto/Red eye Reduction/Slow/Off
# Flash Range: 1.0～3.0M
# Self-Timer: 2/10 seconds delay
# Continuous shot: Yes
# Compressed File Format: JPEG EXIF 2.2(DPOF Support)
# Video Clip Format: MPEG4
# LCD Display: 2.5-inch LTPS TFT, 882×228
# Multiple Language OSD: E/F/G/I/S/J/K/TC/SC
# Playback Zoom: Up to 8x
# Video Out: TV out with video & audio
# PC Interface: USB2.0 Full Speed
# Power Source: 2AA alkaline, Ni-MH, Ni-Cd and CR-V3 Lithium-ion
# Tripod Mount: Yes
# Supported O/S: Microsoft Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Mac OS 9.1


# Manufacturer and Origin: China

Reviews of Sony Alpha 100 / A100 DSLR

As Sony's first entry into the digital SLR space, the 10.2 megapixel Alpha A100 has a lot of expectations to live up to. While it is a nicely constructed entry level unit that performed well in a number of our imaging tests, it is let down considerably by the default lens, which generated high levels of chromatic aberration. We also noticed quite a cool tone to a lot of our shots, even after adjusting the white balance appropriately.

One of the best elements of this model is the design. The A100 is weighted perfectly and sits very nicely in the hands, while the thick, rubberised grip is comfortable and most of the controls are easily accessed. We had mixed feeling about the control layout. Sony has combined all the major imaging options onto a single dial located on the top left hand corner of the unit. This quite unconventional approach leaves the camera's back a little sparse, and makes for a rather simplistic interface. This is great for new users, but may leave experienced photographers missing a more traditional setup. We also had an issue with both this dial, and the main function wheel; they are very stiffly mounted. On most other SLRs the wheels can be manipulated with a single finger, but on the A100 you have to adjust your whole grip to change things, which can rapidly become a pain. This issue aside, all the controls are well labelled and intuitive to use, so most novices should easily master the interface in a matter of hours.

In our image quality tests the A100's results were similarly mixed. Imatest awarded it a score of 1771 for sharpness, which is a great result and more than satisfied our expectations of the new crop of 10.2 megapixel sensors. Our shots exhibited almost no visible fringing and were extremely sharp for the most part.

However its score of .162% for chromatic aberration was far less impressive. For any camera this is a very poor result, and for an SLR it is even more so. It was clearly visible as a red and purple halo ringing certain objects towards the exterior of our shots. We originally put it down to a fault in the camera, but further testing with multiple lenses revealed the default lens was the culprit. The A100 ships with an 18-70mm lens by default, and an 18-200mm lens if you buy the dual lens kit. When testing with the extended lens the problem was much less pronounced, although still visible to some degree. It is a real shame Sony didn't bundle better quality glass with the A100 as it is a big limiting factor.

Its performance in other areas, while marginally better, was not as impressive as its sharpness result. Scoring 9.97 in Imatest's colour test, it wasn't quite as impressive as some other SLRs we've looked at recently such as Olympus' E-330. We can largely attribute this result to the camera's colour balance, which was visibly skewed in most of our shots. Comparing identical pictures with other SLRs in our offices revealed that the A100's pictures all had quite a cool tone to them. It was most noticeable in patches of white but affected all the other shades. Even using manual white balance or adjusting to the appropriate preset didn't fix this, and it was a big disappointment.

The A100's noise performance was quite solid, but again not particularly impressive. At ISO 100 it scored .47% in Imatest, which is slightly ahead of some of the best compacts we've seen recently, but doesn't compare with many SLRs that score .37% or less. At this level noise was very slightly visible at big magnifications, but it was extremely fine and won't be an issue unless you expand your shots to poster sizes. As we increased the sensitivity though, it began to become more prominent. At ISO 400 the noise, while still fine and white, was quite evident and created a noticeable degradation in sharpness. At ISO 800 and ISO 1600 it began to become visible as chroma noise (colourful blotches) and we wouldn't recommend using the A100 at these levels.

From one type of noise to another, our audible noise tests also revealed another issue with the A100; the motor is quite noisy and a little slow. When compared to competing units from Canon and Olympus it took slightly longer to adjust focus and was noticeably louder when doing so. This paralleled the shutter and mirror movement, which was also a little louder than normal. This isn't a big issue, but is noteworthy nonetheless.

With regards to features, the A100 is a fairly standard entry level SLR. It offers ISO sensitivities up to 1600, manual, custom and preset white balance modes, six scene modes and a number of auto focus types including spot and wide. The continuous shot mode is quite reasonable, taking 3.3 shots per second, and is backed up by both exposure and white balance bracketing. There is also Sony's new anti-shake technology, which we are pleased to say operated excellently. It is great that more and more SLRs are coming packaged with this type of technology, as it makes a big difference when shooting free-hand at high zoom levels. Sony's implementation on the A100 is about on par with Panasonic's efforts over the last year, and really helps keep shots crisp and blur free.

Sony has implemented a few other new features on the A100 as well, most notably dust reduction technology. Prior to this release, only Olympus had really successfully tackled dust reduction in SLRs and while Sony's effort isn't quite as good, it is still very effective. It works by shaking the sensor after you power down the unit, and goes a long way to rectifying dust problems, which are often a big issue for SLR users who regularly change lenses.

The other new feature is Sony's dynamic range optimization, which theoretically helps balance shots that are over or under exposed. Our testing revealed that while it did make a very marginal difference it isn't really noticeable unless you do a side by side comparison. The only situation where it proved to be a little more useful was in shots with high levels of backlighting.

Overall the A100 is a competent but not outstanding unit. It sports a very nice design and its pictures are quite sharp, but the colour balance is a little off and there are extremely high levels of chromatic aberration with the default lens.

Kodak EasyShare Z700 with Printer Dock

There's a world of colors, textures, and inspiring beauty out there, and the Kodak EasyShare Z700 zoom digital camera is designed to capture it all. You'll be able to capture images in crisp detail with the Z700's all-glass lens, and get amazingly close to your subjects with the 5x optical zoom (35mm equivalent of a 35-175mm zoom). With the exclusive Kodak Color Science Image Processing Chip, your pictures come to life just the way you remember them. A new high-speed digital processor chip, advanced algorithms, and hardware acceleration features let the Z700 make simultaneous, split-second decisions to produce rich, vibrant, true-to-life colors in almost any lighting situation.

Features
* Kodak EasyShare Z700 Digital Camera Resolution: 4.0 Megapixel
* Zoom: 4x (Digital), 5x (Optical)
* Supported Media: MultiMediaCard and SD Memory Card
* Weight: Approx. 7.7 oz.
* Connectivity: USB
* Environments: Windows and Mac Compatible
* Warranty: One Year Covering Parts and Labor
* Printer Dock Series 3
* Print Sizes: One–4 × 6 in. (10 × 15 cm), Two–3 × 4 in. (7.5 × 10 cm), Four–2 × 3 in. (5 × 7.5 cm), Nine–1.3 × 2 in. (3.3 × 5 cm)
* Print speed: 90 seconds (120 seconds first print direct from camera)
* Print Technology: Continuous tone thermal dye transfer
* Connectivity: USB
* Environments: Kodak EasyShare Digital Cameras
* Warranty: One Year Covering Parts and Labor

Nikon Coolpix L6

Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the COOLPIX L6. A digital compact camera offering powerful imaging performance, easy operation and outstanding battery life, the COOLPIX L6 lets users shoot with greater confidence for better-looking results.

Created with a slim, lightweight design, the COOLPIX L6 offers the imaging performance of 6.0 effective megapixels. It also has an optical 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens with a focal range of 38-116mm (35mm equivalent) – making it a cinch to capture everything from pleasing portraits to expansive landscapes with true-to-life color and fine detail. Furthermore, the COOLPIX L6 delivers the world’s longest battery life* – being able to shoot up to an incredible 1,000 images when using the supplied Energizer™ lithium AA-size batteries! Highly convenient, such extended battery life is ideally suited to travel or when capturing important events, such as a wedding, where you can’t afford to run out of power.

The COOLPIX L6 offers light sensitivity beyond conventional compact digitals, too, with settings up to ISO 800. This means users can shoot pictures in lower light without having to use a long exposure. It also allows users to select higher shutter speeds for the capture of fast-moving subjects. And because the COOLPIX L6 has a large, easy-to-view 115,000-dot 2.5-inch LCD monitor, it supports smooth composition as well as enjoyable image playback anywhere.

A choice of 15 Scene modes makes it easy to achieve optimal results in a wide range of common shooting conditions. Simply select the Scene mode most closely corresponding to the scene at hand and the COOLPIX L6 automatically chooses the best settings for pleasing results. Four of these handy Scene modes also feature Scene assist, which helps users to achieve better composition.

The COOLPIX L6 also makes it especially easy to get great-looking results in challenging conditions by featuring three unique in-camera Nikon image innovations – Face Priority AF** that automatically detects and achieves sharp focus on people’s faces wherever they are in the frame, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix that can automatically overcome the red-eye effect sometimes caused by flash, and Nikon’s D-Lighting that can rescue underexposed images or shots taken with too much back light.

The COOLPIX L6 additionally features approximately 23MB of internal memory, which allows users to go on shooting even without external memory media. It’s also compatible with SD cards, which are widely available around the world. What’s more, the COOLPIX L6 even adds convenience to printing – allowing users to connect the camera direct to PictBridge-compatible printers to produce beautiful photos without the need for a computer.

* Best performance in 3x zoom compact class as of June 2006.

** Face recognition capability may be limited in some shooting conditions.

Note: Specifications, design, product name, standard accessories, and release schedule may differ by country or area.

Nikon COOLPIX L6 Feature Highlights

High image quality based on Nikon technologies

The COOLPIX L6 puts high-quality imaging within reach of users of all experience levels. Offering the imaging performance of 6.0 effective megapixels and an optical 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens with a 38-116mm range (35mm equivalent), the COOLPIX L6 gives users the compositional freedom to capture everything from expansive landscapes to tight portraits with high clarity, fine detail and true-to-life color.

World’s best battery life in 3x zoom compact class*

The COOLPIX L6 gives photographers the longest battery life in the world! Offering the ability to take up to an impressive 1,000 shots with the supplied pair of Energizer™ lithium AA-size batteries, it enables users to go on shooting long after other compacts have run out of power. The COOLPIX L6 also enables up to 400 shots to be taken when using alkaline AA-size batteries

* As of June 2006.

Three image innovations for more satisfying shots

Three unique Nikon image innovations make it easier to achieve great-looking results. Face-priority AF* can automatically detect then achieve accurate focus on people’s faces, no matter where they are in the frame. In-Camera Red-Eye Fix can automatically detect the annoying red-eye effect sometimes caused by flash and compensate for it in-camera. And the D-Lighting function can rescue underexposed images or shots with too much backlight by creating a copy of the image but with light and detail added where necessary and well-exposed areas left exactly as they were.

* Face recognition capability may be limited in some shooting conditions.

Nikon COOLPIX L6 Other Features

· Highly compact dimensions of (W x H x D) 91 x 60.5 x 26mm (3.6 x 2.4 x 1.0 in.) excluding projections

· Take-anywhere light weight of approx. 125g (4.4 oz.) (without battery and SD memory card)

· Energizer™ lithium AA-batteries included

· Date Counter visually records the countdown of days to a special occasion or number of days since an event

· Slide show function adds fun to image viewing anytime

· Menu available in a choice of 20 languages

· BSS (Best Shot Selector) identifies and saves the sharpest image automatically from ten sequential shots

· Macro mode allows shooting from as close as 10cm (3.9 in.)

· Color Options add fun to shooting with 5 different color effects

· Blur Warning alerts when an image is blurred, allowing the user to shoot again before leaving the scene

· USB connectivity enables fast data transfer to computers and other peripherals

· Small picture function creates image with smaller data for easy email attachment

· Trimming function makes it easy to improve composition after shooting

· Time zone function enables the camera clock to be set to local time, anywhere in the world

· 4x digital zoom extends compositional freedom

· Choice of White Balance

· Auto with TTL control, 7-mode manual (Direct sunlight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Shade, Flash and White Bal. Preset)

Review Olympus E-330 / E-300

Thursday, 22 June 2006 -- Olympus has today announced firmware updates for the E-330 and E-300 digital SLR's. The most interesting of the two must be the E-330 update which enables Auto Focus in Live View B Mode (via the AEL/AFL button) this appears to operate in the same way as the Panasonic DMC-L1, by dropping the mirror (blanking the Live View), focusing and then returning the Live View afterwards. The E-300 update is said to improve exposure accuracy for pictures taken in Macro mode with Spot metering. These updates can be downloaded and installed automatically via Olympus Studio or Olympus Master. Review and links ...