The New High-End
Digital SLR From Nikon Is Built For Shooting Speed
By The Editors
A new 4-megapixel sensor
is at the core of the new Nikon D2h. Its predecessor, the Nikon D1h,
was a very popular camera among action photographers, and what it
lacked in ultra-high resolution it more than made up for in its ability
to operate at high speeds. With the introduction of the D2h, Nikon
takes aim once again at the high-speed action photographer.
The D2h has a brand-new CCD image sensor. At 4.1 effective megapixels,
the sensor isn’t the highest resolution in the market, but there’s
more to image quality than just megapixels. The new CCD is a JFET
Imaging Sensor, developed specifically for this camera. JFET stands
for Junction Field Effect Transistor, and the new technology in the
sensor produces the high level of image quality that you’d expect
from any Nikon SLR, plus it achieves very high-speed performance.
The new technology in
the D2h also renders very low noise and excellent sharpness, detail
and color accuracy. Image processing in the camera is carried out
on a new ASIC that smooths artifacting in the image. The new D2h is
optimized for top performance in challenging conditions, such as low-light
situations.
A common criticism of all digital cameras is that they need time to
start up before you can make an exposure. The D2h is ready to go almost
the instant you turn on the power. Also, the shutter lag is just about
nonexistent—at 37 milliseconds, it’s close to the same
lag as the Nikon F5 film camera. Continuing with the speed theme,
the D2h shoots 8 fps at full resolution for up to 40 continuous images
(JPEG) or 25 continuous RAW (NEF) files before the buffer fills up.
Nikon’s latest autofocus system, called Nikon Multi-CAM 2000,
has been built into the camera. The technology is matched to the fast
shooting speed, as well as the need for accurate performance in low-light
situations. There are 11 AF sensors, nine cross type and two placed
at the horizontal ends of the frame. The cross-type sensors are laid
out to match typical rule-of-thirds compositions. Overall, 75 percent
of the frame is covered by AF sensors, reducing the chance that you’ll
miss a shot because the camera missed the subject.
One interesting new feature in the D2h is the integrated WiFi (802.11.b)
connectivity. To utilize the WiFi feature, you need the optional Nikon
WT-1 accessory. With it, the camera can transmit images over a WiFi-enabled
network. The effective range is about 100 feet (or as far as 490 feet
with the optional range-boosting antenna). You can shoot and send
the images directly to a laptop.
The Nikon RAW file (called NEF) combined with Nikon Capture 4.0 software
allows you to pull the maximum amount of image data from images shot
with the D2h. To speed up review of images while maintaining the versatility
and quality of a RAW file, the D2h can simultaneously capture a JPEG
file along with the RAW file. The JPEG files are fast and easy to
open and review, but you still have the RAW files at your disposal
for more extensive processing down the road. MSRP: $3,999 (body only).
This Top-Of-The-Line Printer
Features Eight-Ink Color And An Integrated Memory Card Reader
By Wes Pitts
One of the little inconveniences
of using your photo printer as a general-purpose printer is needing
to switch between photo paper and plain paper for, say, printing an
e-mail. The HP Photosmart 7960 Photo Printer solves that with a dedicated
tray for 4x6-inch photo paper, in addition to the standard tray for
larger papers. You can leave the 4x6-inch tray loaded and select it
with a slider switch.
The Photosmart 7960 is HP’s best photo printer, and it’s
loaded with extras that not only make great prints, but that make
great prints easier—like a built-in card reader, LCD display
and a USB port on the front for direct printing from HP digital cameras.
As the top-of-the-line
Photosmart model, the 7960 uses HP’s eight-ink printing technology,
which includes special grayscale photo inks, enabling the printer
to reproduce an extensive grayscale spectrum. If you like black-and-white
photography, you’ll appreciate the smoother tonal gradations
and neutral grays and blacks that this printer can deliver.
When printing color images, the enhanced grayscale ability allows
the Photosmart 7960 to print a wider range of dark tones. The ink
system also uses light cyan and magenta, in addition to normal cyan
and magenta, for greater hue variation.
The built-in card reader is compatible with CompactFlash Types I and
II, Microdrive, SmartMedia, SecureDigital (SD), Memory Sticks and
xD-Picture Cards—that’s all of the major brands today.
So, whatever type of memory card your camera uses, the Photosmart
7960 accepts it. Slip the card into the appropriate slot, and your
images are displayed on a 21⁄2-inch LCD on the front of the
printer.
You can preview and even do some limited editing of your photos right
in the printer before making prints—no computer required. If
the printer is connected to your computer, the card reader also can
be used to download photos. One-touch buttons automate print-making,
file-saving and even e-mailing through included software.
The HP Photosmart 7960 is USB 2.0-compliant. An optional two-sided
printing accessory is available. Estimated Street Price: $299. Contact: Hewlett-Packard, (800)
752-0900, www.photosmart.com.
Check Out The Completely New
Digital-SLR System From Olympus
By The Editors
The Olympus E-1 is a completely
new “from the ground up,” professional-level digital SLR.
The camera represents one element in a new, complete system. Rather
than take previous SLR bodies and lenses and convert them to digital,
Olympus has chosen to start from scratch.
At the heart of the system
is the new 4/3rds image sensor. The format corresponds to the size
of the sensor, and it has been designed as an open standard—the
standard is available for any company that wishes to use it. The idea
is that companies that may not have the inclination or resources to
develop their own “from the ground up” digital SLRs can
design and build equipment, like lenses, that will be usable on many
different cameras. The image sensor is 18x13.5mm and a total of 5
megapixels. It’s slightly smaller than most other D-SLR image
sensors, and gives the lenses a 2x magnification factor.
The size of the image sensor makes lens design easier, and lens manufacturing
can be less expensive than 35mm lenses of the same focal lengths.
The lenses also can be considerably lighter than their 35mm counterparts.
Taking advantage of these benefits, Olympus plans a full range of
lenses, including a recently announced 300mm ƒ/2.8. Note that
the 2x magnification factor turns this lens into an effectively 600mm
ƒ/2.8!
One very interesting new innovation built into the E-1 is a “Supersonic
Wave Filter” that cleans the CCD at each camera startup. Dust
is a serious issue with digital image sensors, but so is cleaning
technique. It’s not like you can go in and rub a lens tissue
around (never attempt to do that unless you’ve been instructed
by a qualified technician). To alleviate the problems of dust without
risking damage to the sensor or the protective coverings, Olympus
devised the Supersonic Wave Filter to actually shake dust off the
CCD. It’s completely safe and keeps dust from accumulating.
The E-1’s autofocus system is a three-point TTL phase-difference
AF system. The AF is fast and accurate, and keeps up with the camera’s
3 fps maximum shooting speed. The 3 fps is good for 12 frames before
the buffer fills and you’re forced to slow down. The camera
takes CompactFlash cards (Type I and II) and connects to the computer
via USB 2.0 or FireWire.
White balance is tackled in a unique fashion as well. Color temperature
is measured off the imaging CCD and from a sensor on the camera body.
Then the values are combined to render an accurate white balance for
the overall image. Of course, you also can set the white balance manually
if you’d prefer.
The E-1 body has been built to withstand rugged use. Its magnesium-alloy
construction is durable and it’s sealed to protect against adverse
conditions. It weighs in at 1.5 pounds and measures 5.6x4.1x3.2-inches—very
compact for a camera of this kind.
Olympus is creating a complete line of new Zuiko lenses for the E-1.
Currently available are a 50-200mm ƒ/2.8-3.5, 50mm ƒ/2.0
macro, 14-54mm ƒ/2.8-3.5 and 300mm ƒ/2.8. New focal lengths
at the wide end are said to be on the way to round out the range.
MSRP: $1,799 (body only).
It May Have The Strangest
Name Of Any Camera We’ve Seen, But The New Pentax D-SLR Is A
Capable Camera
By The Editors
The *ist D is the first
digital SLR from Pentax. Weighing just 19.4 ounces and measuring 5.1x3.7x2.4-inches,
it’s considerably lighter than most current D-SLR models, but
still has the functionality that you’d expect in a full-featured
D-SLR.
The *ist D’s 6.1-megapixel CCD image sensor is the size of an
APS film frame, resulting in a magnification factor of about 1.5x
when using 35mm lenses. Owners of Pentax 35mm lenses (as well as some
Pentax medium-format lenses) will be able to attach many of those
lenses to the camera. The *ist D employs the Pentax KAF mount for
compatibility with KAF2-, KAF- and KA-mount lenses. Pentax K-mount,
S-mount and even Pentax 67 and 645 lenses also can be used, though
with some restrictions. You’ll need an adapter to attach S-mount
and 67/645 format lenses.
The camera employs the
new SAFOX VIII phase-matching autofocus system with an 11-point AF
sensor. The metering system is sophisticated as well, with 16-segment
multi-pattern metering to overcome the trickiest lighting situations.
If you prefer to work in Center-weighted and Spot modes, you have
those options, too. The *ist D offers six exposure modes, including
Manual, Program, Aperture- and Shutter-priority modes, plus Bulb.
You also can adjust exposure modes for specialty applications through
the camera’s Custom Function options.
Exposure compensation is possible, up to ±3 EV in 1⁄2-stop
increments. Auto-exposure bracketing lets you automatically capture
three frames (normal, over, under) in 1⁄2- or 1⁄3-EV steps.
Set the *ist D’s ISO equivalence from 200 to 1600 by default,
or up to 3200 via a Custom Function setting. Available shutter speeds
range from 1⁄4000 to 30 sec., plus Bulb. Noise Reduction technology
can be activated to improve the quality of low-light long exposures,
although this feature does slow the camera’s processing speed.
With Noise Reduction disabled, the camera can capture 2.6 frames per
second for up to six frames before needing to pause for file processing.
The *ist D captures in TIFF, JPEG and RAW file types. JPEG recording
allows you to choose three quality levels of compression. TIFFs are
uncompressed as are RAW files. To take full advantage of RAW capabilities,
the *ist D comes with Pentax Photo Laboratory software for RAW-format
processing, and the Pentax Photo Browser to help you quickly view
and sort the files.
The *ist D accepts CompactFlash media and the IBM Microdrive. It’s
powered by four AA or two CR-V3 batteries, or an optional AC adapter.
On the whole, the *ist D is a very capable, if oddly named, first
entry into the digital SLR category for Pentax. MSRP: $1,999. Contact: Pentax USA, (800) 729-1419,
www.pentaxusa.com.
Specifications
Lens Mount
Pentax KAF2, KAF, KA mount
(S mount and 67/645 available
with adapter)
