July 3 - 2:10am EDT   Only a few days after its D700 announcement (pictured at right), Nikon has released v2.0 firmware for its D3 digital SLR (Windows/Mac), bringing improved autofocus performance, improved Auto White Balance, and an issue that caused the battery indicator to blink, regardless of actual battery charge (which the company claims happened in "rare circumstances"). Nikon says that the firmware update incorporates a number of other fixes, including (1) allowing the aperture setting to be adjusted from the computer when shooting LiveView mode using Camera Control Pro 2 (ver. 2.2.0) or later with a PC-E lens. Other fixes include more "Vignette control" settings and fixes, more ... [full story]

July 1 - 12:35am EDT   After a long series of leaks, Nikon on Tuesday took the official wraps off its new D700 digital SLR camera, which features 12.1 megapixel resolution using the Nikon FX-format sensor that measures 23.9 x 36mm and is nearly identical to the size of 35mm film. Offering many of the same feature as the D3, but in a smaller, lighter body, the D700 features a dual-mode Live View mode, a hi-res three-inch LCD, its EXPEED Image Processing System, and Nikon’s 51-point auto focus system with 3D Focus Tracking as well as its Scene Recognition System and a new active dust reduction system. The D700’s 12.1-megapixel FX-format CMOS image sensor utilizes a large pixel size of 8.45 ... [full story]

June 30 - 12:00pm EDT   Nikon's often-leaked D700 digital SLR has been given further evidence through a leaked set of photos from German magagine Profifoto. The seemingly authentic page spread reaffirms the camera's position in between the D300 and D3 with a 12.1 megapixel sensor and a 95 percent viewfinder; it should shoot up to ISO 6,400 in normal operation (with no word of an expanded ISO 25,600 mode) and up to five frames per second in RAW (8 frames with a battery grip). [full story]

June 25 - 2:25pm EDT   SilverFast software has been upgraded to add Mac OS X Leopard compatibility for numerous Nikon film scanners. Version 6.6, first released May 25, bails out Mac owners who were told by Nikon that the company will not provide Nikon software support for Mac OX X 10.5. The updated scanner software will support owners of older Nikon film scanners (Coolscan IV and V ED, Super Coolscan 2000, 4000 ED and 5000 ED) and the most recent revision (6.6.0r1a) adds medium-format capable LS-8000 and LS-9000, on both PPC- and Intel-based Macs running OS X 10.5 and above. The software is available for a range of prices (between $400 and $512 for the Super Coolscan 5000 for example) ... [full story]

June 25 - 10:15am EDT   Nikon's increasingly rumored D700 mid-grade DSLR camera has purportedly been photographed and may provide clues as to more of the feature set, according to a post at Evolife. The camera now appears to have a pop-up flash that would confirm its unusual status as a very high-end amateur camera as well as a mid-range professional model; the image also points to new and unusual 24-120mm lens with vibration reduction built-in. [full story]

June 19 - 12:40am EDT   Purportedly leaked images of promotional material reveal that Nikon is preparing to unveil the Nikon D700, with a full outlay of specifications available to browse. Photography Bay reveals that the camera boasts a 12.1 Megapixel CMOS FX format sensor, with 16-bit EXPEED image processing and 14-bit analogue-digital conversion, all housed in a magnesium alloy body. Images are taken at a native 4256 by 2832 pixels in Nikon NEF, JPEG, or TIFF formats. [full story]

May 29 - 11:45am EDT   Apple is on par with Canon and Toshiba as one of the most highly regarded brands in Japan, according to a new study published by Gfk. Surveys of more than 40,000 Japanese people gives the American company equal footing with the other electronics makers despite Japan's historical preference for native brands. The company's industrial design and support for Windows users have helped it reach the top ranks, the research group says. Apple specifically earned its highest scores for both desktop and notebook PCs as well as portable media players. [full story]

May 22 - 12:35am EDT   (Updated with accuracy challenge) A video from an alleged insider shows sample images from the as-of-yet unannounced Nikon D3H, which illustrate the overall scale of precision the camera could provide. With an advertised boosted ISO rating of 51,200 (25 to 12,800 native), it would indicate that Nikon is making great strides in reducing sensor noise. The video claims that the photographs were shot with a second generation prototype under various lighting conditions. [full story]

May 7 - 1:15pm EDT   Nikon may be in the middle of developing a new camera series, rumors suggest. These are based on the release of the MB-D10 battery grip for the D300, an add-on that lets users both insert extra batteries and shoot with special portrait-ratio controls. Nikon grips have traditionally used a naming tied to a principal camera; the D200, for instance, must use the MB-D200. The MB-D10 may thus be foreshadowing a namesake camera, which would likely be announced ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August -- a critical event for both amateur photographers and photojournalists -- or at Photokina in September, one of the industry's largest tradeshows. [full story]

April 16 - 4:50pm EDT   Nikon recently released a firmware update for its flagship D3 DSLR, version 1.10, that will enhance its usability as well as resolve some bugs with the old programming. What Nikon didn't account for was someone to go snooping through the code and finding mention of a 6048x4032-pixel, 24.4-megapixel resolution, something the current D3 is not capable of, topping out at 12.1 megapixels. This could only mean a D3x variant, which would effectively feature the second highest megapixel count of the current crop of popular pro-consumer DSLR cameras, falling just short of the rumored 24.8-megapixel Sony Alpha A900 and outdoing Canon's 21.1-megapixel 1Ds-MkIII. [full story]

April 10 - 8:25am EDT   Nikon this morning interrupted the normal pattern of camera launches and released three COOLPIX models that skew towards the higher end of home cameras. The pictured 10.1-megapixel P80 aims to bridge the gap between compacts and entry DSLRs with an 18X, 27-486mm zoom lens and more control than most point-and-shoot models. While it shares the same image processor as newer Nikon cameras, the P80 is the first COOLPIX to offer a Sport Continuous Mode; the camera can take up to 30 shots in a row at speeds between 4 and 13 frames per second depending on whether duration or precision is the focus. [full story]

January 30 - 12:30pm EST   Nikon's new D60 SLR, announced just yesterday, will additionally be one of the first cameras to be a part of Eye-Fi's Connected program, the latter company has announced. Eye-Fi produces self-named Wi-Fi memory cards, which allow people to copy data without removing a card from a device; this involves a special configuration process, which sets up automatic transfers. Files can not only be sent to computers, but websites such as Facebook and Flickr. [full story]

January 29 - 12:15am EST   (Updated with pricing) Nikon tonight has been quick to end speculation and has introduced the D60, the successor to both the D40x and D50 starter digital SLR cameras. True to leaks, the camera uses the same 10.2-megapixel resolution as its ancestors but draws on the same EXPEED image processor as the top-end D300 and D3 to improve color balance as well as speed; in JPEG mode, the camera can shoot as many as 100 frames at three frames per second until the memory buffer runs dry. The D60 also comes with both passive (airflow channeling) and active (sensor shake) dust removal systems to keep the image clean despite constant use. [full story]

January 29 - 12:10am EST   In addition to its D60 SLR, Nikon tonight has also taken the wraps from six new COOLPIX cameras. At the top, the P60 (shown) straddles the line between regular compacts and more advanced cameras such as Nikon's P5100. Though stopped at 8.1 megapixels and lacking the flash hot-shoe, it improves on the P5100 with both a longer-range 5X optical zoom as well as hardware image stabilization. Using the newer EXPEED image processor also boosts light sensitivity to ISO 2000 while reducing overall noise. The P60 ships in March for $230. [full story]

January 28 - 1:35pm EST   Nikon's replacement for the D40 and D50 entry-level digital SLRs has been slipped out today, courtesy of a press release leaked through a forum post. The historically reliable source echos past rumors that the D60 will jump from 6 to the 10.2 megapixels of the D40x and D80 but will use the newer EXPEED imaging processor of higher-end cameras, such as the D300 and D3. This should improve color metering as well as boost the camera's speed: it will capture JPEG photos at an uninterrupted three frames per second for up to 100 shots, the release suggests. [full story]