Photography

Yesterday Nikon announced the new D3S digital SLR. A perfect addition to the camera is Nikon's new medium telephoto AF-S DX Micro 85mm F/3.5G ED VR lens. Designed for close-up photography to DX-format users, it features VR II for up to 4 stops of correction, a 1:1 life-size reproduction ratio, Internal focusing design, and the use of an ED glass element.

"Nikon is proud of its strong reputation for designing and producing some of the world's finest close-up lenses, delivering faithful and consistent color reproduction, stunning sharpness and beautifully balanced contrast," said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR Systems Products at Nikon, Inc. "The introduction of the AF-S DX 85mm Micro lens further broadens the Micro NIKKOR family and answers a call from serious nature and portrait photographers, generalists and on-line auction specialists seeking superior close-up shooting performance, affordability and versatility."

Priced at $529.99, the new lens will be available in early December 2009.

For more information read the press release.

It has been a rumor for awhile, but now Nikon has officially announced the D3S, a 12.1 megapixel FX-format digital SLR. An upgrade from the popular D3, the D3S is the first D-SLR to shoot 720p HD video with a full frame CMOS sensor. And, with a base ISO sensitivity range from 200 to 12,800 (expandable from 100 to a whopping 102,400!), pictures can be captured in extreme low-light conditions.

Highlights include:

• Base ISO Range from 200 to 12,800, expandable from 100 to 102,400!
• 9 frames per second at full resolution
• 720p HD video recording with stereo microphone input
• Same amazing low light ability can be applied to movies
• 12.1 mp FX-format full frame CMOS sensor
• 51 point AF system, 3D Matrix metering and Scene Recognition System

The PictureMate Charm is the newest portable 4"x6" photo printer in Epson's PictureMate line. Featuring a 2.5-inch LCD for one-touch printing with or without a computer, built-in memory card slots, and the ability to print wirelessly from camera cell phones via optional Bluetooth adapter, the Charm is …well…a charm of a portable printer! It also delivers smudge, scratch and water resistant photos that last up to four times longer than film-processed photos.

Tools are also included to crop photos, remove red eye, and change the photo color to black and white, sepia or color - right from the printer, with no computer needed. Pictures are then printed using Epson's PictureMate Print Packs, which include ink and either 150 sheets of 4"x6" glossy paper or 100 sheets of 4"x6" matte paper.

The Epson PictureMate Charm will be available on October 20, 2009 for $149.99. Read more

Sometimes you don't need camera (or camcorder) that shoots a gazillion megapixels. You just want a small, simple camera that you can carry around in your pocket for everyday shooting. JVC realized this and just announced the company's first pocket flash memory camera, the PICSIO GC-FM1.

Think small and simple means you get low quality? Think again. PICSIO has a two-inch LCD screen, shoots true eight-megapixel stills and 1080p Full HD video, has a 4X digital zoom and image stabilization. Videos are recorded in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format and stored as .MOV files that can be sent directly to YouTube and iTunes. The camera also has an HDMI connection for viewing videos on your HDTV, and an SD/SDHC slot for additional storage of up to 32GB. Read more

Adobe just announced the Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone application. This new app lets you edit photos, apply effects and save pictures to your iPhone/iPod touch or Photoshop.com account. 2GB of free online album storage is included at Photoshop.com. The application is available free of charge at Apple's App Store.

Editing tools included in the app are Crop, Rotate, Flip, as well as the ability to adjust the saturation and tint, and convert images to black and white. Want to apply a special effect? Some of the tools included are Sketch, Soft Focus, Warm Vintage, Vignette and Pop. As with most photo software, changes can be undone or redone so you can experiment to your hearts' content. Read more

HP iPrint Photo, a mobile printing app that lets you wirelessly print 4 x 6-inch photos from the iPhone and iPod touch, will be available for phones using the Symbian and WinMo operating systems, HP just announced.

Also, HP said they will have an "enhanced" version of the current HP iPrint Photo for iPhone and iPod touch. The new version, available from the Apple App Store, will include support for different types of paper and additional photo print sizes.

PENTAX just announced a $100 instant rebate program effective until October 31, 2009 on the K-7 body and three lens kit configurations.

The PENTAX K-7 is weather and dust resistant and features 14.6 megapixels, a PRIME II engine processor, HD Video, Live View and Shake Reduction that works with every PENTAX lens ever produced.

Pricing:

Fujifilm just announced the availability of the Instax Mini 7S Instant Film Camera and Instax Mini Instant Color Film to the United States. This is the second Instax instant camera available from Fujifilm for the US market. The first, the Instax 200 Instant Camera System, was introduced in the fall of 2008 for those wanting an instant film camera.

Features include:

• Automatic built-in flash for low-light shooting
• Electronic shutter 1/60-sec
• LED exposure indicator
• 5" w, 5" h, 2.5" d

The DXG-125V is a new weather-proof HD camcorder, perfect for sports and outdoor enthusiasts. No larger than a candy bar, it is weather-resistant and features a rugged rubber handgrip to protect against bumps and drops while enjoying outdoor activities.

The camcorder has a 2-inch LCD screen and captures video in HD (720p), takes 3 megapixel still images, and supports SDHC up to 8GB for up to four hours of footage. It also includes a carabiner, compass and built-in MP3 player. And with its built-in HDMI slot, you can share your videos on your HDTV. All of this for just $139.99.

"The DXG-125V is a break-out product in the HD camcorder space. With its candy bar form factor that fits in the palm of your hand and rugged design, action sports lovers now have the ideal gadget that can withstand the rough outdoor conditions and capture their experiences in HD," said Paul Goldberg, senior vice president of sales and marketing at DXG USA. "We are excited to bring such an exciting product to market at such an affordable price, making the quality, compact HD camcorder accessible to all outdoor enthusiasts."

The DXG-125V is available now for $139.99.