New Nikon models announced today as expected, but . . .

Nothing about any D90 replacement.

On 2010-02-03 16:13:56 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:

Nothing about any D90 replacement.

Nikon would probably not announce a DSLR the same day they announce new
point & shoots.

These particular point & shoots have some nice features, but not enough
to make me give up my S90 just yet.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
news:2010020318452775249-christophercampbellremovethis@hotmailcom...
On 2010-02-03 16:13:56 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:

Nothing about any D90 replacement.

Nikon would probably not announce a DSLR the same day they announce new
point & shoots.

These particular point & shoots have some nice features, but not enough to
make me give up my S90 just yet.

I don't follow Canons much, but Googling it just now I'd agree the S90 looks
quite nifty.

I still have (and like) an S60, and as I recall that series remained very
similar in general layout up to the S80. The S90 looks like a considerable
improvement. I'm not thrilled with the absence of an optical viewfinder, but
that seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird in all cameras of this
size.

On 2010-02-03 21:29:42 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:


"C J Campbell" wrote in message
news:2010020318452775249-christophercampbellremovethis@hotmailcom...
On 2010-02-03 16:13:56 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:

Nothing about any D90 replacement.

Nikon would probably not announce a DSLR the same day they announce new
point & shoots.

These particular point & shoots have some nice features, but not enough to
make me give up my S90 just yet.

I don't follow Canons much, but Googling it just now I'd agree the S90 looks
quite nifty.

I still have (and like) an S60, and as I recall that series remained very
similar in general layout up to the S80. The S90 looks like a considerable
improvement. I'm not thrilled with the absence of an optical viewfinder, but
that seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird in all cameras of this
size.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? I would have loved an optical
viewfinder. I like having a camera with pretty good specs and lots
manual capability that fits in my pocket even more. So, if it means
sacrificing the viewfinder, then so be it.

I do have a few ideas on how I would improve it, such as making the
lens ring behave in a consistent manner in all different picture-taking
modes, but hey, how many of these pocket cameras even have a lens ring?

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

On Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:52:34 -0800, C J Campbell wrote:

On 2010-02-03 21:29:42 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:


"C J Campbell" wrote in
message
news:2010020318452775249-christophercampbellremovethis@hotmailcom...
On 2010-02-03 16:13:56 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:

Nothing about any D90 replacement.

Nikon would probably not announce a DSLR the same day they announce
new point & shoots.

These particular point & shoots have some nice features, but not
enough to make me give up my S90 just yet.

I don't follow Canons much, but Googling it just now I'd agree the S90
looks quite nifty.

I still have (and like) an S60, and as I recall that series remained
very similar in general layout up to the S80. The S90 looks like a
considerable improvement. I'm not thrilled with the absence of an
optical viewfinder, but that seems to have gone the way of the dodo
bird in all cameras of this size.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? I would have loved an optical
viewfinder. I like having a camera with pretty good specs and lots
manual capability that fits in my pocket even more. So, if it means
sacrificing the viewfinder, then so be it.

It never had a good viewfinder anyway. I have an S80 which still has one,
but like most compacts it's so bad that it's useless IMO.

I do have a few ideas on how I would improve it, such as making the lens
ring behave in a consistent manner in all different picture-taking
modes, but hey, how many of these pocket cameras even have a lens ring?

I'd like to see a better lens for this kind of money. This one has a _lot_
of barrel distortion at the wide end, which is automatically corrected
when shooting JPG.

--
Regards, Robert http://www.arumes.com

On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 22:52:34 -0800, C J Campbell
wrote:

On 2010-02-03 21:29:42 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:


"C J Campbell" wrote in message
news:2010020318452775249-christophercampbellremovethis@hotmailcom...
On 2010-02-03 16:13:56 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:

Nothing about any D90 replacement.

Nikon would probably not announce a DSLR the same day they announce new
point & shoots.

These particular point & shoots have some nice features, but not enough to
make me give up my S90 just yet.

I don't follow Canons much, but Googling it just now I'd agree the S90 looks
quite nifty.

I still have (and like) an S60, and as I recall that series remained very
similar in general layout up to the S80. The S90 looks like a considerable
improvement. I'm not thrilled with the absence of an optical viewfinder, but
that seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird in all cameras of this
size.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? I would have loved an optical
viewfinder. I like having a camera with pretty good specs and lots
manual capability that fits in my pocket even more. So, if it means
sacrificing the viewfinder, then so be it.

I do have a few ideas on how I would improve it, such as making the
lens ring behave in a consistent manner in all different picture-taking
modes, but hey, how many of these pocket cameras even have a lens ring?

It will be interesting to see how this one pans out in tests.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10...hs10series.asp

Like one of my favorite super-zoom P&S cameras from the past, this one too
has both manual zoom and focus rings in a closed lens system for protection
from dust no matter how harsh the environment. My earlier Sony camera with
a similar lens design has been through many years of prairie dust-storms
and deserts, the sensor still clean as new.

Past P&S cameras from this company had noise-free ISO1600 due to their
previous sensor designs. Those particular models are even difficult to find
being sold as used today because they are so worth having. Nobody wants to
give them up.

If the tricks this new model are using work well, it might be a worthwhile
purchase. It's nice to see at least one company is trying new things in new
ways to achieve the best performance possible. And using a sensor-size that
is matched to optics which allow it to attain the zoom and aperture reach
it has. It looks promising, even if it goes against conventions--especially
because it goes against conventions. Back-illuminated CMOS sensor, and
multi-exposure melds, etc. Its low-light tricks it's using might even be
enough to not need shutter speeds slower than 1/4s, but it would be nice if
it had much more reach than that, at both ends of its shutter range. Maybe
those will happen in the HS20. There's too many times when I require
shutter speeds above 1/10,000 second to stop some insect's or other
animal's wing motion or other.

I also like that it has stereo audio recording for video modes, like my
present favorite P&S camera. I wouldn't buy a camera that has video without
stereo recording. When documenting sounds of nature there's some vibrancy
and fidelity that just seems to get lost in monaural sound recordings even
though the recording frequency is identical. The high frequencies that many
animals and insects make seem to become muted and just sound flat and
lifeless when not recorded in stereo. The added bonus of 1000 fps would be
a real treat for macro-videography of insects in flight and other nature
studies.

Its flip-out and tilting LCD is highly valuable for nature and
macro-photography too. I wouldn't buy a camera without that today.

It looks promising. They seem to have covered most of the bases that any
demanding photographer would require, except for longer and shorter shutter
speeds.

One caveat, I fail to understand why their specs state ~97% viewfinder
coverage for both LCD and EVF. If the image is coming directly from the
sensor, as does in all electronic viewfinders, it is then always 100%
coverage. Perhaps this is an oversight from the editor, not realizing that
a camera of this design doesn't have the typical DSLR optical viewfinder
drawbacks.

On Thu, 4 Feb 2010 01:31:19 -0800 (PST), Rich wrote:

Plenty of these kitchen sink superzooms rotting on store shelves. This
will be just another one. Unless the backlit chip works miracles.
Which it won't.

Until you own a super-zoom, you know not of what you speak. Post your proof
that they don't sell. Then I'll show you how many are in production today,
as well as in the past, to show you that it's a highly viable design for
many pros who are fed up with all the drawbacks and limitations of the DSLR
design. Why do you think that every year more and more companies are coming
out with better and newer models of super-zoom cameras? Rotting on store
shelves? No. Just rotting in the empty spaces in your own rotting mind, and
nowhere else. Some of them are difficult to even buy as "used" today at a
price less than original price because people don't want to part with them.

In article ,
says...

It will be interesting to see how this one pans out in tests.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10...hs10series.asp


Certainly a lot of breathless enthusiasm in the release announcement,
and some of what they boast sounds wonderful.

O.t.o.h. I stayed well clear of Fuji when I bought my first digital
camera (an Oly 5050, for more than what you'd pay for an EOS 450 these
days) because at that time Fuji image quality was well to the rear of
the field. So has this really turned around? I don't know, frankly.

The 30x zoom seems .... well optimistic. I have a 20x zoom now, and on a
moderately windy day the very slight vibrations of the tripod can
stretch the IS envelope. Not going to get an old style Linhof-sized
wooden one! On the other hand, considering the claims they make for that
Fuji camera to be such a speed-demon, hmmm - it might work.

In any event, I think I'll take the announcement with a pinch of salt
for the time being.

f.w.i.w. -P.

On Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:06:50 +0000, Bruce wrote:


One problem with pros using non-DSLRs is that clients expect you to
arrive with two DSLRs and a selection of big lenses, otherwise they
feel short changed. There is a perception that, if you turn up with
anything short of 20+ MP and pro zooms, you cannot be serious about
your work, or you shouldn't charge professional rates.

Perhaps I am fortunate in that for the work where I use the Sony R1, I
am largely left to my own devices and judged only by the results I
submit, not the equipment that was used to make them. The Sony has
never let me down and has been one of my best buys ever.

There is one famous photographer I know (who shall remain nameless) for
architectural magazines who carries a DSLR around, but shoots with a P&S
because it does so much better in cramped areas and has less geometric
distortions from its lens. Whenever the clients are around he picks up the
DSLR so they won't realize that everything he submits to the magazine
editors comes from his P&S camera. Using a batch EXIF editing script before
submission. None of them ever suspect he uses his P&S camera for everything
he submits for print. They just continue to give him accolades and a
worthwhile income for his submissions. I think he enjoys the secret laugh
out of the whole thing. They all claim what a fantastic DSLR he has.

What a shame that this silly camera-gear-bigotry exists and people have to
jump though such silly hoops to please the less educated and less
experienced. We have online trolls to partly thank for that. As well as the
ignorance of those who have never held nor used cameras before. And, as you
say, expect the pro photographer to waste all that energy and money on
having to lug around last-century obsolete gear to appease others' silly
prejudices and preconceived notions.

I, on the other hand, am more fortunate. I report to no one. I don't have
to appease the silly senselessness of anyone. I can and do use any camera
that I wish to use. I sold all my DSLR gear long ago.

"Robert Spanjaard" wrote in message
el.net...
On Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:52:34 -0800, C J Campbell wrote:

On 2010-02-03 21:29:42 -0800, "Neil Harrington" said:



I still have (and like) an S60, and as I recall that series remained
very similar in general layout up to the S80. The S90 looks like a
considerable improvement. I'm not thrilled with the absence of an
optical viewfinder, but that seems to have gone the way of the dodo
bird in all cameras of this size.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? I would have loved an optical
viewfinder. I like having a camera with pretty good specs and lots
manual capability that fits in my pocket even more. So, if it means
sacrificing the viewfinder, then so be it.

It never had a good viewfinder anyway. I have an S80 which still has one,
but like most compacts it's so bad that it's useless IMO.

Well, I wouldn't say quite useless. Horribly inaccurate, yes. They all are.
But in bright sunlight it's better than nothing, and once you're used to the
fact that it only shows 80% or less of the actual picture area you can
compensate fairly well in most cases.