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Tag: Nikon

  • Don’t Judge a Phone By Its Photos: Huawei Caught Using DSLR Photos

    Don’t Judge a Phone By Its Photos: Huawei Caught Using DSLR Photos

    Huawei has been caught trying to pass off DSLR photos as ones taken by its new flagship phone, the P40 Pro.

    Huawei recently held a photography contest to encourage people to take photos using the company’s smartphones. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), however, some of the photos were actually shot on a $3,000 Nikon D850.

    This isn’t the first time Huawei has been caught doing this. The company has been called out repeatedly for trying to pass off photos taken with professional equipment.

    In this instance, the company seems to have changed the rules to allow it, once it was called out. As SCMP points out, the original video stating that all photos were taken on Huawei smartphones was replaced with a video saying that all photos were provided by Huawei’s Next-Image community. At the same time, the contest rules say “you can publish photos taken with any equipment in the Next-Image community.”

    In the meantime, any iPhone, Google Pixel or Samsung users who were feeling jealous over the P40 Pro’s camera can probably rest a bit easier.

  • Canon Digital Cameras One of Most-Stolen on Market

    Canon has long been considered one of the most prestigious producers of digital cameras. Now, Canon-brand cameras and equipment have been determined to be some of the most sought-after items on thieves’ holiday wish lists.

    According to Lenstag.com, a new website dedicated to helping consumers avoid being targeted for robbery, Canon is one of the most coveted camera brands on the market – thus, making the brand the producer of some of the digital cameras and lenses that are most often reported missing.

    Lenstag is a free website where camera owners can register the serial numbers on their equipment in order to track items if they are stolen. The site created by Trevor Sehrer also allows consumers the benefit of knowing how, and when, camera thefts usually occur. Sehrer recently announced that two new apps for mobile registration are now available for iOS and Android users.

    The #1 most-stolen digital camera currently available for purchase is the Nikon D7000, followed by the Canon 60D, and then the Canon 7D. However, the most-stolen camera lenses are all Canon-produced glass pieces.

    The site also shows where the majority of digital camera thefts statistically happen. According to Lenstag’s research, 29% of stolen cameras are taken during car robberies, closely followed by home break-ins, which account for 25% of thefts. Results also showed that consumers should closely monitor cameras while on vacation, attending a wedding, or traveling by air.

    Should a registered user’s costly equipment ever become stolen, the Lenstag will assist the owner in retrieving their merchandise using the previously-registered serial number.

    Main image courtesy @CanonUSAimaging via Twitter.

  • Nikon Announces Their First Android Powered Camera

    It was rumored earlier this month that Nikon would be announcing an Android powered camera shortly. Those rumors turned out to be correct as Nikon announced the Coolpix S800c, the first camera to feature the Android operating system.

    Nikon announced three new cameras today – the Coolpix S6400, the Coolpix S800c, and the Coolpix S01. It’s the S800c that we want to pay special attention to. The camera is powered by Anroid 2.3 and features a 3.5-inch OLED screen for impressive photo detail.

    Here’s the official feature sheet from Nikon:

    Simple setup and connection
    Setup and text input for Internet connection using operations that are similar to those used by Android smartphones is possible.

    Browse and post to social networking sites (SNS)
    The beautiful still photos and movies recorded with this digital camera, as well as comments, can be posted to social networking sites such as Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. Not only is posting to an SNS simple, but browsing them is also smooth and easy.

    Support for Google Play and built-in Google apps
    Users can customize their cameras by downloading favorite apps from Google Play. This will expand the ways in which users enjoy digital photography. A number of Google apps, including Google+, YouTube, Google Maps, and Gmail come preinstalled on the camera.

    Simple image transfer to other smart devices
    The camera’s Upload to Smart Device app can be used to transfer high-resolution photos and movies to smart devices running the Android or iOS operating system over a wireless connection.

    The S800c will come equipped with a 10x optical zoom and built in vibration reduction. It’s also able to record full HD movies at 1920×1080 resolution. All in all, it’s a basic point-and-shoot camera that has the added bonus of being an Android phone without the phone. With Skype and free messaging services, there really isn’t a need for the phone part anyway.

    Unfortunately, there is no release date or price set for the camera yet. It’s safe to say that the camera will be released by the end of the year. As for price, your guess is as good as mine.

  • Nikon D800 Released in Japan

    Nikon D800 Released in Japan

    The Nikon D800 DSLR went on sale in Japan today, and distributors are having a hard time keeping up with demand. With pre-orders shipping all over the country, major retailers like Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera and Camera no Kitamura are out of stock, and have no estimate concerning new supply shipments.

    Bic and Yodobashi are pricing the camera body at roughly $3,575, while Kitamura is selling it for about $3,217. These prices seem a bit high, as Nikon’s MSRP in the U.S. for the D800 is $2995.95.

    There’s no word on when the camera will be shipped in the U.S.

    The D800, Nikon’s new flagship camera that is set to compete with Canon’s classic 5D line, was recently in the news due to a snafu at launch event in Bangkok in February. In a demo reel screened for the audience, Nikon used footage from other cameras, mainly the Canon 5D Mark II, to display the video capabilities of its D800. Below is an official promo video, featuring actual Nikon D800 clips:

    The D800’s 36.3 megapixel sensor appears to do well with video in low light situations, and the camera features stereo inputs and a peak audio meter display.

  • Nikon Uses Canon Footage to Demo Camera

    It has been reported that Nikon recently used Canon 5D Mark II footage to demonstrate it’s new D800. This is a big deal in the realm of DSLR filmmaking, and it is still not clear what Nikon may have been thinking.

    Nikon showed a demo reel, showcasing the abilities of its new D800 camera at a launch event in Bangkok in February. The reel was typical in its feature of variable frame rates, dynamic range, functionality in low light situations, portability, obligatory wedding-video potential, etc. – As a sidenote, at first glance, there is no way that the ultra-slow motion snowboarder footage at roughly 0:51 in the clip below was shot on a DSLR one can just go buy in a store:

    Problem is, after the demo was unveiled, filmmakers began to complain that their footage somehow ended up in the clip without authorization. And this wasn’t the only issue. Terje Sørgjerd, a filmmaker employed by Canon, had this to say on his Facebook page – “A bit surprised to see Nikon using some of my video clips in the world launch of the Nikon D800 camera….without contacting me. Especially since Canon is one of my sponsors, and I use a 5DII.” The D800 has been Nikon’s latest response to the essentially legendary Canon 5D Mark II, and Nikon made a pretty big mistake in using what appears to be a bunch of various footage pieced together from all over the place for their demo video. As it turns out, the super slow motion video footage was actually shot on a Phantom HD Gold high speed camera, with the actual clip used by Nikon being featured in the video below:

    Also, the sequence at 2:13 in Sørgjerd’s video below, was used in the Nikon clip at 0:18:

    The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

    There has been no official word from Nikon, but it is evident that there was a settlement with Sørgjerd, judging by this post on his Facebook page:

    tso photography

    Surely the whole thing was some sort of outsourced marketing snafu, and an embarrassing one.

  • Sony First To Release New Memory Card Format

    Sony once again sits at the cusp of new formats that may or may not succeed by being the first to launch the newest flash memory card format.

    The new format called the XQD is a high-speed memory card aimed at replacing the current format of CompactFlash cards. The inherent benefit of XQD is that it uses PCI Express serial communications links in computers to provide transfer speeds as high as 125MB/s.

    The older CompactFlash format, however, isn’t dead yet! Lexar introduced the 1,000x CompactFlash card that can achieve a transfer rate as high as 150 MB/s.

    CompactFlash is on its way out though. XQD is the future if the memory card makers of the world have anything to say about it. The true power of these cards is that they can eventually be extended up to 2TB of data. That’s a lot of data for such a little card.

    The transfer speeds are already being improved as well with targets aiming at 250MB/s for second generation cards and 500MB/s for third generation cards.

    The new cards are primarily being released for the new Nikon DSLR D4 camera that can shoot at a continuous 10fps at its 16.2-megapixel resolution.

    For those interested in the future of memory cards, Sony will be releasing two sizes in February with 16GB and 32GB cards launching for $130 and $230 respectively.