New Nikon DSLR announced...

Well announced that it will be announced in 20 days.
http://nikonimaging.com/global/
Seems a D70/s replacement is coming.
Entirely new Nikon model names have had trademark applications
registered at US Patent and Trademark Office. Nothing new there.

 

Looks like a "head 'em off at the pass" answer to the Sony Alpha.

 

I don't know about that really. This looks like just a repeat of the
D100/D70 evolution - the D200 was announced almost a year ago - and the
D70/s is getting long in the tooth. I don't think Canon or Nikon feel
threatened by Sony at the moment - but that's not to say that the deep
pockets and marketing skill of Sony won't change that in future.
I'm probably wrong, but expect this to be a D200 with plastic body,
minus aperture connecting rings to meter with non chipped lenses. The
D200 has been a big success for Nikon - even at nearly three times the
price for a D70s body. I expect that this new camera will be crippled
in some way apart from above - most likely it won't have the great (for
cropped sensor cameras) viewfinder of the D200.
My guess is that the immediate loser may be Canon - as I wouldn't expect
them to release an updated 350d with more mp than a 30d - and despite
there being very little image quality difference between 6 and 10mp, and
practically none between 6 and 8 or 8 and 10, bragging rights helps sell
cameras.

 

Nice teaser images. I thought that the D70 replacement would have 8Mp,
but it makes sense to use a sensor they already have.

The D70 stole a lot of sales from the D100, having almost all the
features of that venerable machine for less than half the price. I
suspect that this new camera will be a D200 lite -- a few minor
differences, a plastic body instead of a magnesium one, not as well
sealed, but otherwise having the most essential features of the D200.
It might even use the same inexpensive remote control that the D70
uses, instead of the clunky wireless thing you need for the D200.

Adorama finally shipped my D200. I expect it sometime next week. If my
daughter can keep her hands off of it. She uses Canon, but when I
asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she said, "I have it right
here."

 

Thom Hogan speculates that the new model is *not* a D70/s replacement,
as it is touted as an addition to Nikon's line. That would mean the
D80. It still does not address the gaping hole in the lineup between
the D200 and the D2xs. But what if it did?

 

What gaping hole between D2x and D200? The price?

 

"Long in the tooth"? The "s" has only been around a short while and my
D70 only has about 5,000 frames on it!

Sooner or later working photographers realise that trying to keep up
with the pixel race, or the feature race just isn't a feasible business
action. They find a camera they are happy with and work it until it
works no more.

 

The D70s is now 15 months old, introduced April 20 2005, which in the
Nikon DSLR market makes it somewhat middle aged. It's not ready for
retirement yet, but Nikon needs a new camera to keep Sony and Canon from
taking sales away with their 8mp and 10mp models.

True. But Nikon can't sit idle and let the competition get ahead.

Nikon took a long time getting the D200 ready, and they did a good job.
This new model will likely have a lot of the same components, so it's
almost a proven design already.

 

Good point. What really needs to be done is reduce the price on the
D2xs and introduce a $4000 D3. But then, as long as I am wishing, how
about we just cut all the prices by 2/3?

 

You need to get out more. My D70 has nearly 20,000 frames on it. But
the "s" was only a minor upgrade; basically it got a larger LCD and
that was it. Nikon seems to have a pattern of doing an "s" when a body
is about eighteen months old.

I don't think the new camera is intended to "head 'em off at the pass."
It probably has been in development for a great deal longer than that.
But it is unlike Nikon to do a teaser ad like this, so the ad may very
well be targeted at people thinking of the Sony Alpha. So the camera
isn't a response to the Sony Alpha, but the ad might be.

 

I agree. Does my 2nd hand D2H with 23,000 frames taken by somebody else
count for anything? ;-)

I think they are worried about Sony for nothing. Sony makes crap. Always
will. I can't see them being successful in the DSLR market unless they
start paying half their profits to the retailers at POS.

 

Sony makes crap - sure. That's why the D200 and the new Nikon use a Sony
sensor, as do the D50, the D70, D70S, D100, D2X, D2XS, most Coolpix
models...

DK

 

Sony's electronics are great. It's their moving parts that are crap
(i.e., broken Walkman buttons, busted CD changers). Though, the alpha
will use much if not all of Minolta's moving parts (at least for the
mirror and anit-shake).

Kevin

 

I have a graveyard of broken Sony products. Hi-fis, CD-ROMs, headphones,
etc. I feel certain that in the near future Nikon will be making their
own sensors anyway...

 

There is very little difference between a D70 and D70s. They are the same
basic model camera, and for all intents and purposes can be considered the
same as far as release goes ... IMHO.

I agree. However, I believe 6MP is too small yet, as there is very little
ability to crop when attempting to print an image greater than 8x10. I would
like to be able to crop an image a bit and print an 10x15 image or 11x17 image
without significant image degradation on the print. Having said that, without
cropping, my D70 has done a fine job with creating images that print
beautifully at 10x15.

 

The D2X uses a CMOS sensor ... did Sony make that? Or did Nikon create it?

 

So many people call it a "plastic body". In reality, it is a poly-carbonate
body. Poly-carbonate is not a tradition polymer like plastic and is a much
more durible substance. I like it better than whatever the Canon products
use.

 

It's a Sony/Nikon design using the same CMOS architecture as the R1 sensor.

David

 

Where did you get that idea?

Polycarbonate is a clear polymer plastic like "lexan" used to make
bulletproof glass (additives are used to make it black and resistant to
ultraviolet light to prevent fading).

Surprise!

Canon Digital Rebel, Rebel XT, some film bodies, lense housings, etc.
are all made of polycarbonate plastics.

 

Sony does make some good stuff, but a lot of cheap junk too.

Years ago they made some of the best electronic items, but over the
years their outsourcing and cost cutting has really lowered their
quality levels on many items.

Today Sony relies on the name they made with the good stuff to sell
cheap junk to uneducated consumers. In many cases the cheap stuff is
good enough, so no one complains.

There are some Sony products I would buy, but many that I would not.

Sony is not the only company to be put in this status.

It was custom made for Nikon by Sony.