A900

A humorous rant about the Nikon D3X

There's something of a cottage industry on the Internet of making parodies through artful subtitles of Der Untergang, a movie about the last throes of the Third Reich. And now there's one that takes on Nikon's D3X, the company's new $8,000, 24.5-megapixel SLR.

The subtitles depict Adolf Hitler coming to terms with the arrival of Sony's Alpha A900. One amusing moment comes when a minion listening to Hitler's rant comforts a weeping colleague, "There, there, I hear he shoots only JPEG." (In case the humor is lost on you, that'… Read more

Apple gets raw support for Nikon D90, other SLRs

Apple's photography software now can accommodate raw images from some newer digital cameras through the release of Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 2.3.

Specifically, the update to iPhoto '08 and Aperture 2 means that the photography software can deal with raw images from three prominent new digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras: Canon's midrange EOS 50D, Nikon's video-enabled midrange D90, and Sony's ambitious 24-megapixel full-frame Alpha DSLR-A900.

Also supported is Nikon's high-end compact camera, the Coolpix P6000.

Raw images are taken directly from higher-end cameras with no in-camera processing into a JPEG. That means photographers … Read more

Adobe embraces latest Canon, Nikon, Sony SLRs

Adobe Systems has updated Photoshop's ability to deal with raw-format images from several of the latest SLR cameras with its new version 4.6 of the Camera Raw plug-in. Adobe's John Nack has the download links.

Less than a month after beginning beta testing, the final version is out with support for Canon's newer entry-level EOS Rebel XS, its brand-new midrange EOS 50D, Nikon's freshly released midrange D90 and full-frame D700, Pentax's newest entry-level model, the K2000, and Sony's ambitious 24-megapixel full-frame Alpha A900.

Also released is a new version of the DNG Converter … Read more

Adobe supports latest Nikon SLRs; Canon next

New beta software for Adobe Systems' Photoshop means those with Nikon's latest SLRs, the mid-range D90 and higher-end, full-frame D700, now can handle those cameras' raw files with the company's widely used image-editing software.

In addition, the software supports Nikon's Coolpix P6000, a high-end compact camera, and the Fuji Finepix IS Pro, said Adobe's Tom Hogarty in a blog post Wednesday.

The update includes unofficial, preliminary support for Canon's 50D, a mid-range SLR due to ship in October, Canon's new low-end Rebel XS, Sony's ambitious full-frame Alpha A900 SLR due in November, the … Read more

Sony unveils two new full-frame lenses

Coinciding with Tuesday's announcement from Sony of its new 24MP flagship camera, the Alpha A900, two new full-frame lenses were announced as well: the 16-35mm f2.8 ZA Vario Sonnar T* Carl Zeiss series lens (SAL1635ZA), and the 70-400mm f4-5.6 G series lens (SAL70400G). Since Sony uses an in-camera image stabilization system, SteadyShot, both lenses have the benefit of image stabilization.

The Vario Sonnar T* 16-35mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss series super wide angle zoom lens has a constant aperture of f2.8 though the zoom range. It is constructed with an extra-low dispersion (ED) lens element for … Read more

Hands-on preview: Sony's full-frame DSLR-A900

We've seen prototypes under glass and been hearing rumors for months, but Sony's Alpha DSLR-A900 became official September 9 at 9 a.m. ET. The A900's main claim to fame is its 24-megapixel full-frame (the size of a 35mm frame of film) sensor, the highest resolution in a digital SLR to date.

Sony makes a point of not calling this a "professional" camera, instead referring to it as the "flagship" model of its dSLR line. However, it's priced like a pro model, and its competitors--the Nikon D700 and the we-expect-soon-to-be-replaced Canon EOS 5D--are widely used by professionals. We've had one for a few days and have had a chance to run it through our lab tests and shoot with it long enough to develop some preliminary opinions. … Read more

Photos: Audio Technica's latest headphones

We've been having a bit of an Audio Technica headphone fest over the last few weeks. Today extends it to the ATH-A900s--a pair of closed-back reference cans priced around 200 pounds (about $392).

Placing the 'phones over the old Uncle Ned, we felt a similar level of comfort to the ATH-W1000s, which got a excellent rating in our review last week. They're snug without too much tightness.

Inside are decent specifications: a 53-millimeter neodymium-backed driver responding to frequencies between 5Hz-40kHz, an impedance of 40ohms, sensitivity of 101dB and an excellent maximum power input of 2,000mW. Click here … Read more

Sony 24.6MP SLR on display in Tokyo

The Photo District News' blog is pointing to a post on Masterchong.com that has photos of Sony's upcoming 24.6-megapixel, full-35mm-frame sensor SLR from the Photo Imaging Expo in Tokyo, Japan. From what I can tell, the photos seem to be of the same prototype that was shown at PMA earlier this year.

While Masterchong.com refers to the SLR as the DSLR-A900 and says that it'll be officially announced at either the IFA or Photokina trade shows later this year, our Sony contact for the U.S. said that the company has not released an official … Read more