Nikon's midrange full-frame dSLR

It's amusing how leaked images of future products are always blurry and you can't really tell if it is for real or just a manipulated shot. But these pictures of Nikon's supposed midrange full-frame dSLR, the D700, were so convincing, we had to make a call to the Japanese company.

As usual, we were told no comments for now, but that Nikon "will say more when the date draws near". The spokesperson did volunteer that the pictures were taken at the agency where the brochures were printed.

Photographybay reported that this 12.1-megapixel shooter will have a full-frame (36 x 23.9mm) CMOS sensor, 51 autofocus points, expanded ISO sensitivity of 25,600 like the D3, and accept CompactFlash storage media. The camera body is said to be cast from magnesium alloy, and pricing is US$2,999 for the body.

Currently, the only midrange full-frame dSLR is the EOS 5D from Canon, and it is way overdue for an update. We think Nikon's tapping into this niche market is going to heat up the competition. It'll be interesting to see when Canon will unveil the successor to the EOS 5D to fight back.

We predict the D700 will be announced at the biennial imaging tradeshow Photokina in September, alongside Sony's rumored Alpha 900 and the EOS 5D's successor. It's a fight to watch out for, so check back with us as we will update once we get more information.

Picture credit: Photographybay

Picture your credit card

It's sad that credit card companies in Asia don't allow you to customize how you want your credit card to look like. Most of it are draped in "premium" black or "platinum" silver to denote its class. However, if you happen to stay in the US or Canada, look out for the Capital One Image Card.

In collaboration with Flickr, applicants can choose their favorite pictures stored on its Web site to put on the front of the card. Alternatively, they can also upload their pictures to Capital One's site and process their application and design from there.

The end product may not please everyone though, because Capital One slaps its logo on the top right-hand corner. So if you intend to customize your card, don't use any pictures with faces that you know will get covered (unless it's someone you'd rather not see).

World's first digicam--older than most of you

Thirty-three years ago, an engineer from Kodak by the name of Steve Sasson took several spare parts from various gadgets and put together what was possibly the world's first digital camera. It relied on a cassette tape to record the image captured by a CCD (yes, it existed then) and a custom machine to playback the images on a television. In case you are wondering, the image captured was like television then, in black and white.

Talk about portable--Sasson's invention tipped the scales at 4kg and could easily blend in with most kitchen appliances. The prototype was shown to Kodak's executives and subsequently forgotten after the presentation. Fast forward to 2001, and we see Sasson, who is still with Kodak, showcase the vintage piece to the public.

What Sasson envisioned then has become reality today--CCD sensors, connectivity to televisions to share your photos and film-less photography. Will we still be stuck with film now if he had not rolled up his sleeves and tried something different? We wouldn't want to know.

Picture credit: Kodak

Sony develops similar sensor to Omnivision's

A couple of weeks back, we reported on Omnivision's new CMOS sensor which promised improved sensitivity in low-light shots. By rearranging the layers in the sensor, engineers were able to shift the light-sensitive diodes to the surface. This not only boosted sensitivity, but also slimmed down the physiques of the device.

Japanese electronics giant Sony has also announced its development of a similar chip which works on the same basis as Omnivision's. The company also mentioned that the development was in-house and that there was no involvement with the Californian company.

Much to our surprise, Omnivision's take on this was quite nonchalent. It said that a lot of companies have been trying to work on this technology for the past decade, and it was no surprise to the company that Sony had managed to conceive its own backside-illuminated sensor.

According to Gizmodo, Sony is planning to implement the new sensor in its latest cameras soon. We wonder if the much-rumored full-frame Alpha 900 will be one of them? We'll find out soon enough during Photokina in September.

Picture credit: Omnivision

Scan the stars for E.T.

I loved E.T. when I first caught the movie, and was young enough to be devastated when he had to return home. Since then, I've been staring at the stars, searching for signs that would tell me where he is. The weak telescopes sold at Toys R US only let me see as far as the moon, but I'm pretty sure everyone's favorite alien isn't hiding among the crater rocks.

So, I'm going to take a plane to Switzerland and stay at AAV Lue-Stailas. Each suite has a dome-shaped roof and is equipped with a powerful telescope to explore the infinite abyss of space, plus camera equipment to snap shots of E.T. if he should stumble across our view. Although the price for a night's stay has yet to be confirmed, I'm sure I'll have to break more than my piggy bank to cough out the fee.

Then again, with the rising price of fuel and food, I'll just stay home and hope I catch a gaze of our alien pal through my cheap telescope. Or that E.T. would phone home to my iPhone 3G.

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