Nicked from Engadget - pictures of the Nikon D80.

They are not giving much away - More Power, More Control, More Versatile and More Excitement. And thats it.

Nikon are to release a new camera in 19 days. Rumours suggest it will be a 10.2 megapixel replacement for the D70/D70s series.

This is for UK readers only I am afraid. Over the weekend of July 14th, and only for that weekend, readers of various national newspapers will be able to claim a £50 cashback when buying a Nikon Coolpix L2 compact camera. This has a normal retail price of £179.99. Nikon is also offering £40 cashback on the Coolpix L3 camera (£149.99).


To claim the cashback customers need only send in a photocopy of their till receipt, together with sheet B of the warranty slip and a completed promotional voucher by 14th August 2006.

The following newspapers will be running the offer over the weekend of the 14th July 2006.

• Daily Telegraph
• Times
• Guardian
• Independent
• Daily Express
• Evening Standard

Direct Source Marketing, (a partnership of Rolleiflex and Horseman) has announced the Horseman LD - an accessory that provides bellow functions to DSLR cameras and the ability to convert the LD into a 4 x 5-inch film camera. Sounds impressive.

Available for Canon and Nikon digital SLR's, the Horseman LD gives the ability to add full bellows functions with all the associated perspective and creative effects of the view camera. The front of the Horseman LD allows users to attach any standard medium or large format camera lens. They promise that users will be able to control depth of field, distortion, and lateral shift easily. 

The LD can also be adapted to a high end medium format digital back with the soon to be released sliding back. Converting the LD to a 4×5 film camera or popular 6×7, 6×9, 6×12cm, roll film backs, and large format scanning backs can be easily accomplished with the optional 4×5 adapter kit.

The Horseman LD is currently available at retail outlets or at www.horsemanusa.com. Suggested retail is $2500.00.

1. Kate Moss and the Nikon Coolpix S6 - it's an advert, not smut... [video]
2. PhotoFinale - another photo storage, basic manipulation package aimed at the amateur, free version available [website]
3. Michael Jackson is upset over a series of spoof photographs; and who can blame himi especially the one set in a cinema [news]
4. Problems with those rough edges to your tripod? A leg wrap is what you need squire [details]
5. Not something I have encountered but the Photoshop 'halo problem on the horizon' gets sorted by Aravind Krishnaswamy [website]
6. Blogcritics.org have a flick through the Photoshop Digital Studio Cookbook Series [book review]

Nikon has announced new pricing and rebates for some of their popular cameras and equipment. If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift there are instant rebates on a variety of Coolpix digicams. More interesting for most of you though is the DSLR news: they've slashed the MSRP on the D50 to $579 and the D70s to $699. Street price may well be even lower. There are also "Spring Breaks" mail-in rebates up to $200 on a selection of lenses and speedlights [pdf link] through July 31st, as well as a $500 mail-in rebate on the D200 D2X. See the Nikon Digital website for details. It's one of those inexplicable flash-based sites that so many companies insist on annoying consumers with these days, so there's no direct linking, but there should be a "Promotions" button in the nav menu.

George Schaub has a Nice review of the Nikon D200 up over at Shutterbug, the kind of review that makes me wonder why I don't remember to read them more often. (Actually, that's easy, no RSS feed. Which is a shame, really). What I like about George's reviews is that he's a photographer first, a writer second, and a technician only at need. He doesn't test a camera against three kinds of ideal lighting, or shoot endless pictures of USAF charts. He takes a camera out, shoots with it, and tells you how it went. Don't get me wrong: I'm a geek at heart and I get caught up in the minutae, too. I love it. But I also  like the way Shutterbug brings a writerly approach to the overwhelmingly techie world of web reviews. But I digress. The long and short of of it, where the D200 is concerned, is this:

Pros
• Superb lens, with manual focus ring and mechanical zoom feature
• Ultrahigh 10-megapixel resolution, gorgeous colors, snappy contrast, superlative image quality at ISO 160-400 with or without flash
• Better than average digital noise control at ISO 800 and 1600 for a prosumer digicam
• Includes the most important features for serious photography

Cons
• Some exposure and White Balance problems in low light, but can be solved with overrides
• Long shutter speed NR system is too aggressive; avoid using this feature when possible
• In camera sharpening algorithm does not produce ideal results in large prints
• Can shoot only three JPEGs in a sequence; in raw capture, no Continuous advance and slow data recording due to (uncompressed) 20MB file size

Don't let that list of cons scare you, though: the WB issues are minor, and you'll probably be using a custom WB most of the time. Ditto on the NR and sharpening; he actually raves about the NR in most circumstances, and when it comes to sharpening, you'll probably be using RAW for large prints anyway.

The 2006 Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) 2006 European Photo and Imaging Awards have been announced. There are 36 categories, but some of the highlights:

D-SLR Entry Level: Nikon D50
D-SLR Expert: Nikon D200
D-SLR Professional: Canon EOS 5D
D-SLR D-System: Hasselblad H2D-39
High-End Professional System: Sinar M System
Digital Back: Leaf Aptus 75
Consumer Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC
Professional Lens: AF-S VR Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED

Looks like solid choices all around, although I was a little surprised by the glowing review of the Nikkor lens; I'm a little suspicious of the built-in vibration reduction. But then I'm suspicious of most new technologies until they prove themselves. Looks like VR may be ready for prime time.