1001 Noisy Cameras

Nikon launches a 42x superzoom, the new Coolpix P510

Tired of the 30X superzooms? Fear not! Nikon comes to the rescue today with the announcement of the 42x optical zoom Nikon Coolpix P510, with a 24-1000mm equivalent range with optical VR! Hello Moon, hello Marklars!

New Nikon Coolpix P3100 starts at f1.8 and PASMs (but no RAW)

Nikon has also announced a follow-up to their quasi-serious compact Coolpix P300. The new model is aptly named Coolpix P310, and it starts at f1.8 with a 16mp backlit CMOS sensor, and the full PASM, but still no RAW. The lens is 24-100mm equivalent with optical VR.

New Nikon Coolpix superzooms: L810, S9300 w/GPS, and S8300

In addition to the crazy 42x zoom P510, Nikon has also announced three more superzoom (10x or more) digital cameras today:

New Nikon Coolpixies also: S30 waterproof, S4300, S3300, S2600, L26, L25

Nikon has also announced four six new Coolpix cameras with a shorter zoom ratio lenses, including an affordable waterproof/drop-proof new model (Coolpix S30).

Fuji X-Pro 1 and three lenses priced and available for pre-order [updated]

The Fuji X-Pro 1 and the three prime lenses that were announced with it are now priced and available for pre-order. The camera goes for $1700 and the lenses range from $600 to $650 as follows:

+ X-Pro 1 camera for $1700 at Adorama and B&H Photo and Amazon
+ 18mm f2 lens for $600 at Adorama and Amazon and B&H Photo
+ 35mm f1.4 lens for $600 at Adorama and Amazon and B&H Photo
+ 60mm f2.4 lens for $650 at Adorama and Amazon and B&H Photo
+ for the big picture, check the X-Pro 1 and XF lenses stock status page

The @FujiGuys tweeted that the prices are the same for Canada, in Canadian dollars.

Panasonic and Samsung rumored to propose capital ties with Olympus

New updates at Reuters on the Olympus saga. These are short alerts at this point in time based on Japanese newspaper reports: one update says that Panasonic and Samsung will independently propose capital ties with Olympus, while another update says Toshiba has said that they have not taken any action.

UPDATE: There is a longer update at Reuters on Panasonic & Samsung.

Interview with Pentax: new DSLR, rehire Hoya-fired engineers

Interview time again, this time Amateur Photographer UK talked to Pentax, and among other things, they mentioned a new DSLR is coming, and that Ricoh is looking to expand the Pentax business and rehire engineers that were fired by Hoya. This is a red-meat interview for Pentax fans :-)

Canon G1x gets evaluated by Dxomark

The Dxo Marky Mark and the Pixel-Peeping Bunch have now posted their Canon G1x test results. They encapsulate the results in a review, which includes comparisons to mirrorless cameras (GX1, E-P3, J1, V1) and fixed lens compacts (P7100, LX5, XZ1, EX1/TL500).

In addition to the comparisons shown above at Dxomark, here are some others for you to ponderously ponder:

+ Canon G1x vs Fuji X100 - fixed lens, large sensors [look at the ISO score, but also look at the comparison right below - historically Canon does not do well in Dxomark Low ISO scoring]
+ G1x vs D-Rebel T3i/600D vs T2/550D - versus the D-Rebels
+ G1x vs Nikon D5100 vs D3100 - vs the Nikon APS-C dSLRs
+ G1x vs Sony NEX-5n vs -C3 - vs Sony APS-C mirrorless
+ sizewise the G1x sensor is between APS-C and FourThirds/MicroFourThirds
+ the Dxomark website is starting to get hammered as their test results propagate across the internets and the Canon G1x is a camera that has generated a lot of curiosity interest. We will add more comparisons later today after things cool down.

For more on the G1x, check its list of reviews and stock status page.

Interview with Nikon: faster CX lenses and new features coming

Back to the interview parade we go with a new interview with Nikon at dpreview, talking about the new CX mirrorless 1-inch system. They talk lenses, video, and the possibility of upcoming new features to address some of the complaints for the 1st generation of Nikon's CX cameras.

For more on the Nikon CX mirrorless cameras with the Angry Inch sensor, check their combined list of reviews.

Recap: new Sony and Panasonic cameras, Canon and Fuji financials, and more

This turned out to be a rather wild Monday, so let us recap what happened if you are just now catching up with the excitement...

New Digital Cameras
+ new 18mp 1/2.3" backlit CMOS Exmor Sony Cybershots: TX200v and TX300v (Japan only?)
+ new Sony WX70 and WX50 (16mp Exmor, 5x Zeiss zoom)
+ new Panasonic TZ30/ZS20 and TZ25/ZS15 compact-travel-zooms with 20x and 16x optical zooms
+ new Panasonic TS20/FT20 and TS4/FT4 elementproofs
+ new Panasonic FX80 and LS6 P&S models
+ new cameras of 2012 now increase to 85 from the major manufacturers (40% superzooms)

Financial Results
+ Canon President will step aside
+ Fuji sold 100,000 Fuji X100 cameras

Other Action
+ Pentax K-mirrorless chatter continues
+ Fuji and Terumo flirt with Olympus
+ Polaroid brand owner licenses name left and right

Fuji sold 100,000 Fuji X100 (as of Dec-31-2011)

Fuji has also released their financial results. Overall, the company stock is getting hammered because they have cut operating and net profit estimates going forward (see Reuters).

On the digital camera front, according to their quarterly presentation (direct link to PDF file, see page #5), Fuji revealed that they sold 100,000 X100 (X-one-hundred) cameras (0.1 million = 100,000) up to December 31st, 2011. The X100 and the F600-EXR are mentioned as their sales stars. They also note a promising start for the X10 (X-Ten).

The report also states that Fuji sold 9.5 million cameras during the year, and they expect to sell 13 million units this year.

New Panasonic TZ/ZS-series compact-zooms with 20x and 16x

Just like previous years, late January means new Panasonic TZ-series superzooms. Today they have announced two new TZ/ZS-series models! They have all sorts of different names. The European names are TZ31/TZ30 and TZ25. The Japanese name is TZ30. The US names are ZS20 and ZS15. We are still not sure what the Marklar names are ;-)

The cameras have 14mp and 12mp MOS sensors respectively with 20x and 16x optical zoom lenses starting at 24mm equivalent. They are now available for pre-order at Amazon.

Details
+ DC Resource
+ TZ30/ZS20 first impressions at Digital Camera Info
+ TZ30 and TZ25 body pictures at Photography Blog and press release
+ Photoscala
+ Le Monde de la Photo
+ Pocket Lint
+ DP Interface: TZ30/ZS20 and TZ25/ZS15
+ Panasonic Japan

Two new Panasonic elementproof cameras: FT20/TS20 and FT4/TS4

In addition to the two new TZ-series compactzooms, Panasonic has also announced two new elementproof digital cameras, the FT20/TS20 and the FT4/TS4. At least in this case, the model numbers are the same, making it less painful for photographers around the world to "translate" the model names... They are now available for pre-order at Amazon.

Details
+ TS20/FT20 hands-on at Digital Camera Info
+ FT4/TS4 hands-on at Pocket Lint
+ Photography Blog: FT20/TS20 and FT4/TS4
+ DP Interface: TS20/FT20 and TS4/FT4
+ Le Monde
+ Photoscala: FT4/TS4 and FT20/TS20

New Panasonic P&S models: FX80, LS6 and who knows what else

Panasonic has also announced some other P&S digital cameras. So far we have found these: the FX80 and the very entry-level LS6! Panasonic announced some new models at CES/PMA, which you may see in press releases for some regions where they were not initial announced (see cameras of 2012 and cameras of 2011 - such as the 3D1 3D camera just announced in Japan by Panasonic Japan)

Details
+ FX80 and LS6 body pictures at Photography Blog (also press releases for FX80 and LS6)
+ Photoscala (FX80)
+ DC Watch (FX80)

Pentax K-mirrorless: alleged leakages: tiny body picture leaked, diagrams and differentness

The Xitek forums strike again, this time they have published a small picture (computer-translated) [page down towards the bottom] of a tiny part of the alleged body of a Pentax Mirrorless camera. Via Ogl comment at RiceHigh (see item #4). Discussion of this at dpreview Pentax forum where Ogl rumorizes it will come in three body colors, with unusual/different design, with more details on February 2nd. Another post shows two diagrams allegedly leaked in Russian forums which are also dissected at the ChassImages forums.

As you may recall, Pentax is no stranger to trying unusual designs. The last ten years they released the rotating body Optio X (see pictures) and the "fat phaser" Optio MX camera-camcorder creature (see Imaging Resource review)