Nikon D90

Nikon D90

If you shoot pictures with a digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera but also carry around a point-arid-shoot for its video capability, then Nikon's D90 might be the camera for you. The successor to Nikon's excellent D80, the D90 allows you to shoot high definition 720P video in addition to still photos.

The real significance of video on an SLR is not the ability to shoot simple You-Tube-style clips (though the D90 is quite suitable for that purpose), but rather the flexibility it gives you to use high-quality lenses to get cinematic effects you can't achieve with a camcorder. In this regard, the D90 is a boon to digital filmmakers, though you'll have to jump through some hoops to take advantage of the camera's video features

Nikon Digital SLR Camera D90 Specifications

Type	Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount	Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)
Effective picture angle	Approx. 1.5 x lens focal length (Nikon DX format)
Effective pixels	12.3 million
Image sensor	23.6 x 15.8 mm CMOS sensor
Total pixels	12.9 million
Dust-reduction system	Image Sensor Cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 required)
Image size (pixels)	4,288 x 2,848 [L], 3,216 x 2,136 [M], 2,144 x 1,424 [S]
File format	• NEF (RAW) • JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8), or basic (approx. 1:16) compression • NEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Picture Control System	Can be selected from Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; storage for up to nine custom Picture Controls
Media	SD memory cards, SDHC compliant
File system	DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), Exif 2.21 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras), PictBridge
Viewfinder	Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder
Frame coverage	Approx. 96% horizontal and 96% vertical
Magnification	Approx. 0.94 x (50mm f/1.4 lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1)
Eyepoint	19.5 mm (-1.0 m-1)
Diopter adjustment	-2 to +1 m-1
Focusing screen	Type B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark II with focus frame (framing grid can be displayed)
Reflex mirror	Quick-return type
Depth-of-field preview	When depth-of-field preview button is pressed, lens aperture is stopped down to value selected by user (A and M modes) or by camera (other modes)
Lens aperture	Instant return, electronically controlled
Compatible lenses	• DX AF Nikkor: All functions supported • Type G or D AF Nikkor: All functions supported (PC Micro-Nikkor does not support some functions). IX-Nikkor lenses not supported. • Other AF Nikkor: All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II. Lenses for F3AF not supported. • AI-P Nikkor: All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II and auto focus. • Non-CPU: Autofocus not supported. Can be used in exposure mode M, but exposure meter does not function. Electronic rangefinder can be used if lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster.
Shutter type	Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
Shutter speed	1/4,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, Bulb
Flash sync speed	X = 1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200s or slower
Release modes	Single-frame, continuous low speed, continuous high speed, self-timer, delayed remote, quick-response
Frame advance rate	Continuous high speed: up to 4.5 fps, continuous low speed: 1-4 fps
Self-timer	Can be selected from 2, 5, 10 and 20 s duration
Exposure metering	TTL exposure metering using 420-pixel RGB sensor
Exposure method	• Matrix: 3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses) • Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 6-, 8- or 10-mm circle in center of frame • Spot: Meters 3.5-mm circle (about 2% of frame) centered on selected focus point
Exposure range (ISO 100 equivalent, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)	• Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0-20 EV • Spot metering: 2-20 EV
Exposure meter coupling	CPU
Exposure modes	Auto modes (auto, auto [flash off]), Advanced Scene Modes (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Close-up, Night Portrait), programmed auto with flexible program (P), shutter-priority auto (S), aperture-priority auto (A), manual (M)
Exposure compensation	±5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Exposure bracketing	2 or 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
Exposure lock	Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)	ISO 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3 EV, can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.7 or 1 EV (ISO 100 equivalent) below ISO 200, or to approx. 0.3, 0.7 or 1 EV (ISO 6400 equivalent) over ISO 3200, ISO sensitivity auto control available
Active D-Lighting	Can be selected from Auto, Extra high, High, Normal, Low or off
Active D-Lighting bracketing	2 frames
Autofocus	Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus module with TTL phase detection, 11 focus points (including 1 cross-type sensor) and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5-3 m/1 ft. 8 in.-9 ft. 10 in.)
Detection range	-1 to +19 EV (ISO 100 equivalent, 20°C /68°F)
Lens servo	• Autofocus: Single-servo AF (S), Continuous-servo AF (C), Auto-servo AF (A), Predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status in single- and continuous-servo AF • Manual (M): Electronic rangefinder supported
Focus point	Can be selected from 11 focus points
AF-area modes	Single-point AF, dynamic-area AF, auto-area AF, 3D-tracking (11 points) AF
Focus lock	Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (Single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
Built-in flash	Auto, Portrait, Close-up, Night Portrait modes: Auto flash with auto pop-up P, S, A, M: Manual pop-up with button release
Guide number (m/ft.) at 20°C/68°F	• At ISO 200: Approx. 17/56, 18/59 with manual flash • At ISO 100 equivalent: Approx. 12/39, 13/43 with manual flash
Flash control	• TTL: i-TTL balanced fill-flash and standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR using 420-pixel RGB sensor are available with built-in flash, SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 or SB-400 • Auto aperture: Available with SB-900, SB-800 and CPU lenses • Non-TTL auto: Supported flash units include SB-900, SB-800, SB-28, SB-27 or SB-22s • Range-priority manual: Available with SB-900 and SB-800
Flash modes	Front curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync
Flash compensation	-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, or 1/2 EV
Flash bracketing	2 or 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
Flash-ready indicator	Lights when built-in flash or SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-400, SB-80DX, SB-28DX, or SB-50DX is fully charged; blinks for 3 s after flash is fired at full output in i-TTL or auto aperture modes
Accessory shoe	Standard ISO 518 hot-shoe contact with safety lock
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)	Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with built-in flash, SB-900, SB-800, or SU-800 as commander and SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes; Auto FP High-Speed Sync and modeling illumination supported with all CLS-compatible flash units except SB-400; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
White balance	Auto (TTL white-balance with main image sensor and 420-pixel RGB sensor); 12 manual modes with fine-tuning; color temperature setting; preset manual white balance
White balance bracketing	2 or 3 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3
Live View AF modes	Face priority AF, wide area AF, normal area AF
Live View focus	Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face priority AF is selected)
Movie image size (pixels)	1,280 x 720/24 fps, 640 x 424/24 fps, 320 x 216/24 fps
Movie file format	AVI
Movie compression format	Motion-JPEG, with monaural sound
LCD monitor	3-in., approx. 920k-dot (VGA), low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with 170° viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, and brightness adjustment
Playback function	Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9 or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, Pictmotion, slide show, histogram display, highlights, auto image rotation, and image comment (up to 36 characters)
USB	Hi-Speed USB
Audio video output	Can be selected from NTSC and PAL; simultaneous playback from both the audio video output and on the LCD monitor available
HDMI output	HDMI Mini connector; camera monitor turns off when HDMI cable is connected
Accessory terminal	• Remote Cord MC-DC2 (Optional) • GPS Unit GP-1 (Optional)
Supported languages	Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
Battery	One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e
Battery pack	Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D80 (optional) with one or two Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e or six R6/AA-size alkaline, Ni-MH, lithium or nickel-manganese batteries (Battery Holder MS-D200 is required when using R6/AA-size batteries.)
AC adapter	AC Adapter EH-5a (optional)
Tripod socket	1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Dimensions (W x H x D)	Approx. 132 x 103 x 77 mm/5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0 in.
Weight	Approx. 620 g/1 lb. 6 oz. without battery, memory card, body cap or monitor cover
Temperature	0-40°C/32-104°F
Humidity	Less than 85% (no condensation)
Supplied accessories (may differ by country or area)	Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, Quick Charger MH-18a, Eyepiece Cap DK-5, Rubber Eyecup DK-21, USB Cable UC-E4, Audio Video Cable EG-D2, Camera Strap AN-DC1, LCD Monitor Cover BM-10, Body Cap, Accessory Shoe Cover BS-1, Software Suite CD-ROM

The Polaroid a520m Digital Camera

Designed for the first-time user, the Polaroid a520m Digital Camera has some easy-to-use features. Here are a few examples of what you can do with the Polaroid a520m camera:

* Enjoy point & shoot operation. The resolution is adjustable for print or email.
* Store video clips and pictures to an SD card or the internal memory.
* Shoot pictures or video clips, and play them back on the LCD screen or on a computer.
* Send your friends and family your pictures and video clips over the Internet.
* The camera has PictBridge capability.

The camera offers a splashy break from the sea of traditional black and silver cameras, being offered in a cute theme of colors: pink, light pink, and magenta—sure to appeal to young girls—in support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.


The list of technical specifications and additional features are as follows:

* PC and Mac compatible
* 4x digital zoom
* Standard 16 mega byte integrated flash memory
* Supports MultiMedia Card and SD Card for extra memory
* 5.1 mega pixel resolution
* Built-in flash
* 2.0” bright color TFT active-matrix LCD which offers a preview of images before shooting
* Video recording in AVI format
* Built-in microphone
* Built-in tripod stand (tripod sold separately)
* Still image compression in JPEG, EXIF 2.2 and AVI format
* Settings include flash off, auto, red-eye reduction, and fill-in flash
* Automatic white balance
* Automatic exposure
* Features an electronic 10-second delay for taking pictures of yourself
* Optical sensor type: CCD
* Image sensor type: CMOS
* Minimum focus range: 38.4”
* Image resolutions: 640 x 480, 2592 x 1944, and 2048 x 1536
* Video resolution: 320 x 240 (QVGA)
* Aperture range: f2.8/f8 (w/t)
* Shutter speed: 1/8 – 1/2000 of a second
* Unit dimensions, metric: 60mm high, 94mm wide, and 21mm deep
* Unit dimensions, English: 2.4” high, 3.7” wide, and .8” deep
* Retail package dimensions, metric: 222mm high, 267mm wide, and 69mm deep
* Retail package dimensions, English: 8.74” high, 10.5” wide, and 2.7” deep
* Unit weight, metric: .13 kg
* Unit weight, English: 4.5 oz
* Retail package weight, metric: .49 kg
* Retail package weight, English: 1.1 lb
* Comes with a wrist strap, skin, USB cable, 4 “AAA” batteries, and a software CD which includes drivers and utilities.

People who have purchased this camera describe it as a good camera for first-time users especially young teen-agers: it’s cute, it’s light, it easily fits into a pocket, it’s easy to use, and it seems to be priced with this young demographic in mind, coming in at around $65.00 US.

Many users complain about the photo quality, stating that even in moderately well-lit indoor settings photos are too dark without the flash, but that photos come out too bright with the flash or outside on a bright day—sometimes to the point of washing out people’s faces. However, this problem seems to be more pronounced when the subjects photographed are close to the camera—subjects further away photograph better.

Some users also complain that the LCD display is too dark when used indoors as well. In addition, the LCD goes black for a few seconds after a photo, which some users find frustrating. On a bright note, the LCD is considered large enough to be eye-friendly.

The lack of a view finder is aggravating to users who are used to having this functionality in their digital cameras. Users sometimes find background objects to be out of focus. However, users do find it easy to upload photos from the camera to the computer.

Bottom line: it’s a good camera for younger first-time users who will be more excited about owning a pink camera than being discerning about the quality of pictures they take.

Digital Camera - The Nikon D40

Nikon is a trusted brand in the digital camera industry. Some of the high end Nikons are staples of quality digital photography. One model in particular, though a little pricey for casual picture-takers, is a favorite among professionals and industry insiders: the Nikon D40.

The Nikon D40 is a 6.1 megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom. Pictures are taken in JPEG or NEF (RAW) format. The camera's ISO equivalencies range from 200 to 1600. It has both programmed and automatic focus modes and exposure settings to ensure the very best photographs regardless of distance or lighting. It uses a Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm lens.

A sturdy camera, the Nikon D40 weighs in at one and a half pounds. Its physical dimensions are 3.7 in x 5 in x 2.5 in (HxWxD), making it a hard camera to fit into tight spaces, but also a hard camera to break. Users like the Nikon D40’s natural feel. It fits right into the photographer’s hands and doesn’t feel clumsy or bulky.

The Nikon D40 uses SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, or SecureDigital (SD) memory cards. It comes with A/V and USB cables, as well as a shoe cap, strap, eyepiece cover, dust cap, body cap, lens cap, and eyecup. All of this hardware makes the camera sound like serious business, and it is. This is no child’s toy. The Nikon D40 stands at the point where digital cameras start to get expensive. Its users would pay a higher price still for such crisp, clear photographs and easy-to-use extra features. This is one camera that’s worth the cost.

User sentiments are overwhelmingly positive. This camera is touted as the next step after mastering point-and-shoot. When the beginners get serious about taking great pictures, the Nikon D40 will be waiting for them. Customers insist that the camera is easy to use, even with all the extra features. You certainly don’t have to be a professional to take professional-quality photographs with the Nikon D40 digital camera.

User complaints are minimal. Some customers don’t like the fact that the D40 has only three auto focus points, while Nikon’s D80 digital camera has 11. There is also some concern over the way the D40 tends to wash people out in indoor photography, though this is easily remedied with the use of the camera’s “warm” photo editing tool.

True Nikon enthusiasts lament the fact that the D40 can only use auto focus lenses that have their own built-in auto focus motors, thus preventing the use of older Nikon lenses with this digital camera. These complaints are rare, though. Far more often, users say that they haven’t had any problems at all with the camera, and would pay the somewhat hefty price all over again.

The Nikon D40 sells for about $500 US. It can be found online or off, anywhere digital cameras are sold.

PENTAX Optio W80 - Waterproof digital compact camera

HOYA CORPORATION PENTAX Imaging Systems Division is pleased to announce the launch of the PENTAX Optio W80 digital compact camera. In addition to its outstanding waterproof, dustproof and coldproof capabilities — which allow for up to two hours of continuous underwater photography at a depth down to five meters — the new Optio W80 offers outstanding shockproof performance to withstand a fall from a height of one meter.





Major Features

1.Further enhanced waterproof and dustproof performance
By creating tighter external joints for a more airtight camera body, PENTAX has improved the Optio W80’s underwater picture-taking performance from four meters for the previous models to five meters, and for up to two hours of continuous operation. Along with this outstanding, IPX 8 (or JIS Class 8) waterproof performance, the Optio W80 also provides remarkable dustproof performance equivalent to IPX 6 (or JIS Class 6) and exceptional coldproof performance for reliable operation at temperatures as low as –10°C. These features make it perfect for photographing outdoor activities, such as skiing, marine sports and fishing. It can be also used without worry in other situations where water or dirt can be a concern, such as in the garden or kitchen.

2.Exceptional shockproof performance
Special shock-absorbent material has been applied at crucial points throughout the Optio W80’s inner body, while all components have been redesigned to be more rigid and durable. This means that the Optio W80 can withstand a fall from a height of one meter* without damage to the body, further enhancing its reliability in harsh shooting conditions.

3.Optical 5X zoom lens for excellent zoom coverage from wide angle to telephoto
Despite its compact dimensions, the Optio W80 features an optical 5X zoom lens covering focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent in the 35mm format to approximately 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto). Thanks to this wide zoom range, the Optio W80 can be used for a wide variety of subjects and scenes, from spectacular landscape, majestic architecture and group shots to tight snapshots from a distance. Coupled with the Intelligent Zoom function, which allows even tighter zooming in on the subject, the zoom range can be extended to approximately 31.3 times.

4.High-quality HD-proportioned movie recording
The Optio W80 captures beautiful, flawless movie clips at 16:9 high-definition TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels)** at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. It also comes equipped with advanced, user-friendly features designed to facilitate movie recording: Movie SR (Shake Reduction) mode, which automatically compensates camera shake during movie shooting; and Underwater Movie mode, which automatically optimizes all camera settings for underwater movie shooting.
5.High image quality
Combining approximately 12.1 effective megapixels with the PENTAX-developed imaging engine and high-performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio W80 delivers brilliant, high-quality images with well-defined details. Even when images are enlarged to larger sizes, the user is assured of sharp, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness.

6.Triple anti-shake protection to prevent different types of camera shake
1. Pixel Track SR mode
When recording still images, the Optio W80’s new Digital SR (Shake Reduction) mode effectively compensates for camera shake by processing affected images.
2. High-Sensitivity SR mode***
When it detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, the Optio W80 automatically raises its sensitivity to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed. This effectively minimizes the adverse effects of camera shake and subject shake under poor lighting conditions.
3. Movie SR mode****
During movie recording, the Optio W80 prevents blurry images by effectively minimizing annoying camera shake through the use of exclusive software.

*** When the High-Sensitivity SR mode is selected, the recorded size is fixed to 5M (2592 x 1944 pixels).
**** When the Movie SR mode is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.

7.Auto Picture mode for automatic selection of eight different shooting modes
The Optio W80 features the PENTAX-original Auto Picture mode, which automatically selects the most appropriate shooting mode for a given subject or scene by detecting the subject’s lighting and other conditions. This user-friendly mode not only makes the right mode choice for the photographer (from Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Flower, Sport, Standard and Candlelight modes), but also features an auto macro mode, which automatically switches the camera’s focus range to macro in close-up applications.

8.Automatic recognition of up to 32 faces in a mere 0.03 seconds
The Optio W80 features the advanced Face Recognition AF & AE function, a great tool in casual shooting of people. This user-friendly function automatically detects up to 32 faces in the image field, then optimizes their focus and exposure settings in only about 0.03 seconds. The Optio W80 is also equipped with the Smile Capture mode, which automatically releases the shutter the moment the camera detects the subject’s smile, as well as the Blink Detection function, which warns the photographer when the subject’s eyes close at the time of shutter release.

9.Large LCD monitor for effortless outdoor viewing
Despite its compact body, the Optio W80 features a large 2.5-inch high-brightness color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots. This monitor is treated with a special AR (Anti-Reflection) coating to cut the glare of external light and minimize annoying reflections, making it easy to view recorded images even in bright sunlight.

10.Other features
1. Macro mode to record dramatic close-up images of a subject from as close as one centimeter
2. Digital Wide function to compose extra-wide-angle images (equivalent to an image taken with an approx. 21mm lens in 35mm format) from two images
3. 20 digital filters, including Toy Camera and Retro, to add distinctive visual effects to recorded images
4. SP (Super Protect) coating applied to the front surface of the zoom lens to repel water, grime and finger marks
5. O-CC932 Protector Jacket (available as an optional accessory) to protect the camera body from scratches and grime
6. AF-assisting spot beam projector (ON/OFF switchable) to assist autofocusing operation in the dark
7. New D-Range setting to prevent whitewashed (overexposed) and blacked-out (underexposed) areas in an image
8. Frame composite function (with 90 frames stored in the camera) to shoot or compose images with decorative photo frames
9. ACDSee for PENTAX 3.0 image viewing, editing and filing software included (compatible with Windows Vista™)