DigitalPro Shooter Volume 2, Issue 20, February 24th, 2004
Welcome to DPS 2-20: Our PMA 2004 Highlights issue. Digital is the word! On the show floor, plasma screens outnumbered photo posters, almost the only film cameras were disposable, and Microsoft has a booth--with a Pro Corner where you can get a demo of DigitalPro for Windows--and the word photography has subtly been replaced by the word imaging almost everyone. All signs that digital has arrived for the pro photo marketplace and nearly taken over the PMA tradeshow.
There was no lack of product announcements, although in a continuing effort to get the jump on the competition the press releases come earlier each year, so most of the news was out by the time the show floor opened. But unlike prior years, there were working and in many cases true production models of recently introduced cameras. In particular the Nikon D70, Nikon Coolwalker and Canon 1D MkII, as well as the Nikon Coolpix 8700 were there for attendees to handle and use. Here are some of the highlights:
Nikon D70 + 18-70mm AF-S Zoom
I was blown away by my initial impression of the D70. First, just that it was available. Given the way the pre-announcement was done it seemed likely that the camera was months away. Instead not only was it showing, but the Nikon Tech Reps were planning to take the show units home with them as their field samples as full production units.
The cameras were also solid and felt very well built, but of course smaller and lighter than their bigger brothers the 1X and 2H. Nikon also didn't skimp on features, so for the $1K price you get a fairly full featured D-SLR.
Nikon has done another interesting thing by bundling the camera with a excellent new lens, an 18-70mm DX lens featuring AF-S. This lens is from the same family as the 24-85 AF-S, offering no compromise performance in a small size and reasonable price. The result is a street price for the bundle of $1299 (camera only $999), $300 higher than the Canon equivalent. But the D70 offers more features (flash sync of 1/500th, high-end 1005 pixel meter not found in the D100 and flash exposure compensation) and a better lens so it will be a tough competitor for the cheaper Canon Digital Rebel (aka Canon EOS 300D).
I've been debating whether to spend the money to get a second D2H as my backup camera, but now I'm seriously considering using a D70. The camera is over a pound lighter, shoots at 3fps, is 6MP and has the latest electronics. Unfortunately it doesn't share the same battery as the D2H, but other than that it is an excellent alternative backup at 1/3 the price. Even if you don't need another D-SLR, keep your eye on the 18-70 AF-S. It isn't being sold separately yet (that I can find) but will make an excellent stand-alone lens.
The D70 has a unique feature where the camera can continuously shoot JPEGs until your card is full, essentially providing an infinite buffer if you have a fast enough card. Aside from giving up TIFF mode, the D70 doesn't lose much from the D100 and it gains quite a bit, making it a no-brainer replacement to the D100 for most users. However, the D70, while having an optional add-on battery pack, does not offer a vertical grip. That will make it a tough call for event photographers who might otherwise love the D70 as an inexpensive alternative to the D100 or D1X. The D70 is expected to begin production shipments in March.
Nikon Coolwalker
Mysteriously a Coolwalker prototype appeared from Tokyo, surprising even the Nikon booth employees. It is a well designed and well built 30GB portable storage that has some unique features. First and foremost it quickly and accurately displays Nikon Raw files. By the same token, don't expect it to display any other camera raw files, so it is probably best suited for Nikon shooters. Second, in a clever twist, the Coolwalker optionally shows the histogram for the image you are viewing.
Nikon SB600
Identical to its big brother SB800 except that it can not control remote flashes (or at least that's what Nikon reps assured me), the less expensive SB600 is designed to be either a lower cost entry level flash or a slave flash for the SB800. Depending on its final price, the SB600 will be a valuable addition to Nikon's product line.
Nikon WT1 -- Wireless transmitter for the D2H
Production WT1 wireless transmitters were in evidence at the show. The device attaches to the bottom of a D2H and allows the photographer to send images over 802.11b (Wi-Fi) networks to a computer running an ftp server. It's not a speed daemon, requiring several seconds per JPEG, but it has an extensive set of commands for allowing either automatic image transmission or folder by folder transmission. It is easiest to setup by creating a configuration file on your PC (the configuration software is currently Windows only).
The WT1 won't appeal to everyone, but if you need to quickly send off your images to a waiting editor at a major event, or retrieve your images from a remote camera without having to upset your setup, this optional accessory will be a real timesaver and well worth the $450 street price. Event studio shooters with a few extra dollars to spend will find it much more convenient than shooting tethered. Nikon also sells an extended range antenna you can get for about $120 if you need more than the native 100' or so range. Let us hear from you about whether you see wireless in your future.
Canon 1DMkII
 Canon 1D Mark II |
Bit for bit, the Canon 1DMkII produces more pixels faster than any other digital camera. Featuring 8Mega-pixel images fired off at 8 frames per second, the 1DMkII really flies. The sample images look great, but that is to be expected. Obviously the proof will be the first few months after the camera is shipping (expected to ship in small quantities in March, then larger numbers in April). |
Microsoft Shows Up and Shows Off
Windows has been the poor step-child of the pro photo community for years. As an avid Windows user and developer that's always been more than a little depressing to me. But no longer. Microsoft was at PMA in full force, with exhibits showcasing both consumer and pro solutions to user's imaging needs. Our own DigtalPro for Windows software was demoed as part of the Pro Corner along with the latest versions of Photoshop and Capture One. It'll be interesting to see if Apple feels the pressure to directly participate in future PMA conferences now that there is some real competition.
Adobe Camera Raw Update
Perhaps most exciting to those of us with a D2H who do any work with raw files was the free update for PS CS with support for additional Raw file formats including the Nikon D2H. In general it's great news that Adobe has revved PS only a few months after release to add this support. It shows serious commitment to the Raw image processing capability and to pro photography.
Lexar keeps pace with the size & speed race.
Lexar wasn't the first out with either 8GB CompactFlash or 80x cards, but demonstrated at PMA that they are not resting on their laurels as the top brand name in pro cards. They introduced a 40x 8GB card and 80x cards in resolutions up to 2GB.
Other Cool Stuff
 Nikon Coolpix 8700 8MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom |
The darling of the booth for prosumers was
clearly the Coolpix 8700, an 8MP ZLR with an 8x optical zoom range.
Nikon also introduced the world's first cameras with built-in red-eye reduction, the Coolpix 4200 and 5200. TI has announced a partnership with Pixology to allow other companies to do the same. Panasonic announced the DMC-LC1 Lumix, a digicam with controls like a manual film SLR. Presumably targeted at the advanced amateur market just switching from film, it'll be interesting to see if this creative product can get any mindshare for Panasonic in the high-end digicam space. |
2004 Cardinal Photo Safari and Event Calendar
May 24-28, Birds of the Bay Area, Palo Alto, CA (slots still available)
July 21-28, Alaskan Grizzly Bears and Puffins (2 slots still open)
October 8-11, Fall Color, Michigan (slots still available)
Other Events:
February 28-29, Palo Alto Bird Photo class through PA Enjoy
March 7-10, Guest Shooter at DLWS in Yosemite (SOLD OUT)
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DigitalPro Tip:If you caption your NEF files with DigitalPro2, Photoshop CS will recognize the captions and preserve them when you convert your files. You can always download the latest version of DigitalPro2 for Windows at the DP2 site. |
