mac.iLounge

Professional photographers, the wait is over. Nikon has finally announced two new DSLR cameras—the D800 and D800E ($3,000-$3,300)—and boy, do they have some killer specs. The first thing that jumps out is the whopping 36.3-Megapixel Nikon FX-format full-frame CMOS sensor, but also in the mix are an improved 51-point AF system, 3.2-inch LCD monitor, and 1080p video recording, with plenty of manual controls for videographers. Then there’s that special E model, which seems hell-bent on erasing the need for traditional medium-format cameras altogether. Read More

Sure, the name “D20” evokes the famous multi-sided dice loved by Dungeons & Dragons players, but Canon’s just-announced PowerShot D20 ($350) is intended for a more mainstream hobby: it’s the follow-up to the D10, a ruggedized “use it virtually anywhere” camera. With this new version, Canon has slightly tweaked the specs while completely redesigning the body and adding some really useful new features. Read More

After ranking a distant third or fourth to camera-making rivals Nikon and Canon, Sony has recently surged in popularity thanks to increasingly powerful point-and-shoot and DSLR models—sensor and software improvements have done wonders for the company’s reputation. Now Sony has debuted the Cyber-shot TX200V ($500), a premium waterproof camera that features an iPhone-like all-glass face, reducing its thickness and eliminating the need for lens protection. The pitch: 16-foot submersibility, full dust resistance, 18.2-Megapixel shots at 10 frames per second, 1080/60p video, and a 5X optical zoom lens. If you’ve been wondering how pocket cameras could survive in the iPhone 4S era, the TX200V offers a pretty clear answer. Read More

What’s this? Another 2012 International CES-bound camera leaked ahead of time by Wells Fargo? Great! This time, it’s Nikon’s D4 ($6,000), the company’s new flagship DSLR. Of course image quality is improved over the previous generation D3 unit, but there’s a whole lot more going on under the hood than just that—this is a full-frame camera with plenty of new features, and will be available before Canon’s powerhouse 1DX, to boot. This time, Nikon’s added a bunch of video-friendly features that sound fantastic on paper, plus welcome little tweaks such as illuminated function buttons and a lighter weight. Read More

There’s no doubt that this year’s International CES will host a treasure trove of new goodies, and many companies have already begun to announce at least some of their offerings—some inadvertantly. Over the last day, Wells Fargo accidentally let loose a whole slew of press releases for upcoming cameras, including Canon’s new Powershot G1X ($799). When it’s released in February, we expect this compact but powerful prosumer unit to make some big waves.  Read More

Is there a bigger bane to a DSLR user’s existence than managing your lens cap while shooting photos? Well, sure, but it’s still an annoyance. Lens Cap Strap Holder ($18) is a smart little accessory from Photojojo that solves the issue without leaving you with a dangling cap on the edge of your lens; the name says it all. Read More

It’s been quite a while since Red started talking about the follow up to its Epic camera. But, finally, Scarlet has been fully revealed, as has its pricing and release date—the body will start at $9,750, and is expected to ship starting December 1, 2011. As far as high end cameras go, this guy is the real deal. It shoots stills at 5120x2700 (5K) resolution at 12fps, and 4096x2160 (4K) video at 25fps. Yeah, pretty ridiculous. Read More

With its forthcoming Lytro Light Field Camera ($399-$499), Lytro may very well have reinvented the camera. The device strips away complexities that have previously been taken for granted, housing a unique sensor and zoom lens system inside a very Apple-inspired, cleanly designed package. Without a doubt, the biggest innovation is how it captures pictures themselves: it records the entire light field rather than just a static image. Consequently, you never have to worry about focusing while shooting; once the light field has been captured, you can open the digital file and change the focus point to whatever you prefer at a given moment. In the near future, Lytro claims that you’ll be able to view the captured image as a 3-D hologram from different angles. It’s pretty impressive stuff. Read More

Although it may look almost identical to its predecessor, Canon’s EOS-1D X ($6,800) is a whole new beast for serious photographers. This DSLR replaces both the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS-1D Mark IV in the company’s lineup: it’s a super powerful, professional grade camera designed to eliminate noise, shake, and other issues from your shots through a combination of three powerful DIGIC processors and an 18-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. Read More

Moviemaking technology has moved way past the days of smearing Vaseline on your lens to achieve cool effects: between post-processing filters and distinctive lenses, there are all sorts of really cool ways to make videos stand out visually. Lensbaby has made a name for itself in recent years with affordable imaging accessories, and has now packed a bunch of its most noteworthy tools into the Movie Maker’s Kit ($2,900). Some of the effects may have Vaseline-like blurring, but at least you dwon’t have to clean off your lens when you’re through. Read More

The camera community has been expecting Nikon to release a mirrorless rival to Sony’s popular, smaller-than-DSLR interchangeable lens cameras for quite some time, and it finally happened last night: Nikon actually debuted two of them. The J1 ($650) and V1 ($900) bodies will both be available towards the end of October, sharing sensor technology, a new “CX” lens mounting system, and still/video capabilities, while diverging in body designs and frills. Read More

Look at the picture and you’ll think Canon’s new PowerShot S100 ($430) is exactly the sequel everyone’s wanted since the company debuted the breakthrough S90 two years ago. Well, it’s not: whereas the 2009 S90 and 2010 S95 were targeted directly at a different kind of camera buyer—the person who cared less about megapixels, huge zoom ranges and other specs than shooting speed and image quality—the S100 has taken a turn for the mainstream, packing lots of spec bumps into a slightly slimmer body. Some of the changes are wow-caliber, including the addition of a GPS chip for geotagging, as well as Canon’s new DIGIC 5 processor for rapid noise reduction, 1080p full HD video recording, and 8 frame-per-second shooting. And other changes… let’s just say serious “enthusiasts” won’t all be happy, but ambitious point-and-shoot upgraders may have just found their holiday toy of choice. Read More

Sony had a busy morning, introducing a slew of new and exciting cameras; the most important of the bunch is probably the Alpha SLT-A77 (~$1,400, aka α77), a mid-priced DSLR rival with a host of new technology inside. Several things set it apart from earlier rivals, starting with 24.3 megapixel resolution: SLT-A77 packs the latest version of Sony’s Translucent Mirror system, which enables accurate 19-point autofocusing, electronic viewfinder accuracy, and high-speed shooting. Twelve shots per second at 24 megapixels is nothing to sneeze at, and full HD AVCHD 2.0 video recording is included, as well. Read More

Apple may be steadily trimming physical media readers out of its Mac computers, but the need for those readers isn’t going away quite yet. For the foreseeable future, you’re going to have to use memory cards to transfer photos from your favorite digital camera into your Mac photo library and editing apps. That’s why we’re digging Moshi’s Universal Media Reader ($35). It’s especially handy if you have an 11” MacBook Air without any sort of card reading capabilities, but the CompactFlash slot is useful on any Mac computer. Read More

Being able to shoot hi-def video on your DSLR is pretty great; it can save you a ton on equipment. But like anything else where you’re saving some money, there are sacrifices to be made. In this case, we’re talking about audio quality. Wind noise can ruin your video if you’re not using an external mic setup. Well now there’s another solution: Micromuff (£13/$22), from the company of the same name. Read More