Category archives: nikon

 

 

Nikon D4 field review

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Right around 2.5 years after the introduction of Nikon’s most recent game-changer (yeah, we’re bragging about the D3S ), its proper successor has emerged. Without qualification, the amount of hope and expectation surrounding the Nikon D4 was immense. In a way, most Nikonians were (perhaps foolishly) expecting the D4 to be to the D3S what the D3S was to the D3, and we’ll confess that we were cautiously saving up precious pennies in the event that the game was changed yet again. For better or worse, the actual specifications of the D4 ended up as hardly worth writing home about , with an ISO range mirroring that already seen on the D3S, a megapixel rating lower than that of the cheaper D800 and a battery rated for fewer snaps than the outgoing D3S. All at an MSRP that’s starting at $800 above where the D3S started. You’ll notice a lot of comparisons throughout this article with the Best Camera of 2009 , but that’s intentional; yours truly has spent the last 2.5 years using the D3S for business and pleasure, and it’s only logical to pit the D4 against a camera that has become molded to many palms here at Engadget HQ. Is the D4 a worthy upgrade? Or even a worthy successor? Let’s find out. Gallery: Nikon D4 hands-on gallery Continue reading Nikon D4 field review Nikon D4 field review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments

 

Engadget Primed: Camera metering explained

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Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day — we dig deep into each topic’s history and how it benefits our lives. You can follow the series here . Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com . Is learning how to meter with your camera really necessary? With all the intelligent models out today, who needs it, right? Well, you may, depending on the type of killer photography you hope to produce. When it comes to the person behind the camera, there are a few types of photographers. First, there’s the photog who just wants to snap away, not terribly concerned about how their photos turn out — or, at the very least, not interested in knowing how to alter the camera. If this describes you, that’s fine — the latest-and-greatest compact cameras may be your cup of tea. But then there’s the amateur shooter who desires a better understanding of how their cameras determine exposure, and if you fit into this category, this piece should be right up your alley. Metering is not a subject you can easily master, let alone explain entirely in an article of this length, but we can give you an idea of how it all works. I consistently see the faces of my workshop students glaze over as I wax rhapsodic about the wonders of metering, but I also notice wry smiles from time to time, which shows me the wheels are turning — they begin to realize all the things they can do if only they can conquer this aspect of photography. However, comprehension and applied mastery are two separate balls of wax. Putting what you learn to practice is the start, and you can improve over a number of months, but true metering control in any situation requires years of practice. So for our 2012 pre-apocalyptic installment of Primed, we’ll break down the world of camera metering, giving you a bit of history, dissecting the main components, describing what your camera wants to do and telling you what the future may hold. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of this vital photographic topic… either that or you’ll be in a nice deep sleep. Note : Check out our recent Primed articles on aperture and image sensors to add to your metering knowledge. Continue reading Engadget Primed: Camera metering explained Engadget Primed: Camera metering explained originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments

 

Nikon D800 studio samples posted at DPReview (update: 5D Mark III studio sample added)

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Nikon faced some backlash following the announcement of its D800 DSLR , due both to the camera’s potentially excessive 36.3-megapixel resolution and its relatively limited top sensitivity of ISO 25,600. Then, less than one month later, Canon revealed its own mid-range full-frame cam — the 5D Mark III — with a 22.3-megapixel sensor, and an option to shoot at ISO 102,400. Both models appeal to the same market of professional photographers, but with vastly different specs, which is the better pick? Low-light shooters will likely base part of that decision on high-ISO capabilities, and after reviewing samples from both cameras, there appears to be a winner. DPReview spent some time with the D800, and we took the Canon for a spin last week. We scaled the D800 sample down to 22.3 megapixels to match the 5D, then pasted a 300-by-400 1:1 pixel section from each camera side-by-side in the image above. The D800 JPEG (on the left) appears to be the noisier of the two, which seems logical, considering that Nikon opted to boost the camera’s resolution instead of its sensitivity. Still, the cam’s top-ISO is quite usable, and if you plan to shoot in a studio setting or can live without a six-digit sensitivity, the D800 will likely suit you just fine. Hit up our source link for samples shot at the full ISO range, including full-res downloads, to make that call for yourself. Update: We’ve replaced the Canon sample with a studio shot from DPReview , which provides a more accurate comparison. You can find images from both cameras at our source links below. Nikon D800 studio samples posted at DPReview (update: 5D Mark III studio sample added) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | DPReview (Canon) , DPReview (Nikon) | Email this | Comments

 

IRL: Chumby 8, LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 and a duo of Nikkor lenses

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Welcome to IRL , an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we’re using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. You know what we’re sick of talking about? (Okay, sick is a strong word, but you catch our drift.) Phones . Also, the iPad . Fortunately, this week’s IRL touches on neither of the above. Instead, our audio guy Joe takes a different tack and explains his choice of Nikkor lenses, while Andy and Billy get hands-on with a rugged hard drive and Chumby 8, respectively. Head on past the break to see how we rate this stuff after spending more than a little time with all of it. Continue reading IRL: Chumby 8, LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 and a duo of Nikkor lenses IRL: Chumby 8, LaCie Rugged Triple USB 3.0 and a duo of Nikkor lenses originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments

 

Nikon D4 hands-on with sample images, video

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Remember when we were in a tizzy about the Nikon D4 , way back in January? We got to play with this tank of a DSLR a bit, but sadly weren’t permitted to actually publish any of the photos or video that we shot with the thing. Sure, we’ve seen some samples of it in action, but it’s not quite the same. Thankfully, the company made our late-February that much better, allowing us to take the D4 on a jaunt around the city, a couple of weeks ahead of its mid-March launch. We strolled around Washington Square Park and 6th avenue, with the beast of a camera in-hand, shooting tourists and scenery, before popping by a subway station to have a go with the camera’s purported excellent low-light capabilities that we’ve been hearing so much about. Click on through to take a look at some sample video. Gallery: Nikon D4 sample shots Gallery: Nikon D4 hands-on shots Continue reading Nikon D4 hands-on with sample images, video Nikon D4 hands-on with sample images, video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments

 

IRL: Nikon D90, myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 and Phosphor's World Time Sport

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Welcome to IRL , an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we’re using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Desperate times call for desperate measures — namely, new gadgets. Disappointed with his Droid Charge’s ever-depleting battery capacity, Tim took a $100 portable charger for a spin to see if he could eke out a little extra runtime before racing for an outlet. Meanwhile, Dan agreed to wear his first E-Ink watch after his analog Fossil timepiece outlived all compatible wristbands. Rounding things out, we have a more traditional account of gadget nostalgia from Don Melanson, who explains why he won’t be replacing his aging D90 anytime soon. Continue reading IRL: Nikon D90, myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 and Phosphor’s World Time Sport IRL: Nikon D90, myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 and Phosphor’s World Time Sport originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments

 

Nikon D4 and D800 to ship in March, but only in the land of the baguette?

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We might not have an official release date for Nikon’s new shooters in the US of A, but over in France, well, things are un peu different. Per a Q&A box on the French arm’s Facebook page comes the image above, plainly stating its latest twosome will go on sale in March — the 15th specifically for the D4 , and the 22nd for the D800 . Following that, tweakers obsessed with finer details will get their fix with the D800E a month later on April 12th. No word on if those dates apply globally, but instead of getting yourself all frothy, we say have a rendezvous with our hands-ons ( D4 , D800 ) or lose yourself in some delectable video samples ( D4 , D800 ). Go on, we won’t judge. Nikon D4 and D800 to ship in March, but only in the land of the baguette? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink Nikon Rumors | Nikon (Facebook) | Email this | Comments

 

Nikon D4 and D800 to ship in March, but only in the land of the baguette? (update: US too)

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We might not have an official release date for Nikon’s new shooters in the US of A, but over in France, well, things are un peu different. Per a Q&A box on the French arm’s Facebook page comes the image above, plainly stating its latest twosome will go on sale in March — the 15th specifically for the D4 , and the 22nd for the D800 . Following that, tweakers obsessed with finer details will get their fix with the D800E a month later on April 12th. No word on if those dates apply globally, but instead of getting yourself all frothy, we say have a rendezvous with our hands-ons ( D4 , D800 ) or lose yourself in some delectable video samples ( D4 , D800 ). Go on, we won’t judge. Update : We heard from Nikon PR confirming that the D4 will indeed be launching in the US in mid-March as well. Nikon D4 and D800 to ship in March, but only in the land of the baguette? (update: US too) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink Nikon Rumors | Nikon (Facebook) | Email this | Comments

 

Nikon WT-5 WiFi dongle wins FCC approval, fires off a ring of D4s to celebrate

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Okay, so Bullet Time actually used Canon DSLRs, but Nikon D4 owners should soon have their own means of messing with space and time. The WT-5 dongle can control up to ten of the mammoth DSLRs simultaneously or, in more usual set-ups, allow a single camera to share its shots over a network. This’ll mean you’re no longer tied down by the Ethernet cable that we were forced to use in our recent networking hands-on with the D4. We don’t know if this will arrive in stores at the same time as the camera itself, or how much it’ll cost, but at least it’s now passed through FCC without getting shot down. Click past the break for a few product shots, and note that the status LED glows solid green when there’s a network connection, flashes to indicate a transfer in progress, and radiates nasty orange to inform your lead actor that he’ll have to bend over backwards for yet another take. Continue reading Nikon WT-5 WiFi dongle wins FCC approval, fires off a ring of D4s to celebrate Nikon WT-5 WiFi dongle wins FCC approval, fires off a ring of D4s to celebrate originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments

 

Canon EOS-1D X and Nikon D4 ISO 204,800 shooting hands-on (video)

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With mirrorless cameras offering high-resolution APS-C sensors and consecutive shooting speeds of up to 10 frames-per-second, what’s left to make a $6,000 full-frame DSLR a compelling purchase, especially for amateur photographers? Low-light performance, for one — the Canon EOS-1D X and Nikon D4 are both capable of capturing images at up to ISO 204,800, letting you snap sharp photos in even the dimmest of lighting conditions. The benefits of a top sensitivity of ISO 204,800 are significant — jumping from one ISO to the next doubles your shutter speed. So an exposure of f/2.8 at 1/2 second at ISO 400 becomes 1/4th at ISO 800, 1/15th at ISO 3200, 1/60th at ISO 12,800, 1/250th at ISO 51,200 and a whopping 1/1000th at ISO 204,800 — fast enough to freeze a speeding car. Both Canon and Nikon have yet to allow us to take away samples shot with the 1D X or D4 — the companies even taped CF card slots shut to prevent show attendees from slipping their own card in — but we were still able to get a fairly good idea of high-ISO performance from reviewing images on the built-in LCDs. At the cameras’ top sensitivity of ISO 204,800, noise was visible even during a full image preview. Zooming into the image revealed significant noise, as expected. However, within each camera’s native range of ISO 100 to 25,600, noise was barely an issue at all. Both cameras are still pre-production samples at this point, so we’ll need to wait for production models to make their way out before we can capture our own samples, but based on what we saw when reviewing ISO 204,800 images on the built-in LCDs, that incredible top-ISO setting may actually be usable. Scroll on through the gallery below to preview some top sensitivity shots on the Canon EOS-1D X (camera poster) and the Nikon D4 (Japanese model), and join us past the break for an even closer look in our video hands-on. Gallery: Canon EOS-1D X and Nikon D4 high-ISO shooting Continue reading Canon EOS-1D X and Nikon D4 ISO 204,800 shooting hands-on (video) Canon EOS-1D X and Nikon D4 ISO 204,800 shooting hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments