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News from PMA 2000 |
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PMA entrance sign just before 1st day. (photos Nikon USA) |
Crowd at "Are You Ready" Nikon booth. |
D1 demonstration and display area featuring 5' photo of an eagle by D1 camera. Photo by Bill Pekala. |
Renowned Photojournalist Steve McCurry signs posters for dealers visiting the Nikon "Are You Ready" booth. |
Nikon N80, the expected camera
Nikon complete its range with the N80. positioned between the N60 and the N100 cameras. This machine is an evolution of the Nikon N60 whose it resumes the design and the built-in flash. It replaces the Nikon N70 and had the same flash automatism and Multi programs possibilities. The core of this camera presents several characteristics inherited from the F5 and N100. Besides the matrix measure 3D, the N80 allows the five zone Autofocus with a new module called Multi-CAM900 and a matrix measure system with 10 zones.
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The particularity of this model is the liquid crystal display in superimposition of the screen (as Minolta 7xi). It shows the display of active autofocus collimator Vari-Brite allowing to notice instantaneously the selected collimator or the display of a horizontal and vertical lines (more useful). The motor cadence of the N80 is only 2,5 views by second (against 3,7 for the N70). Surely, It is a good machine to make photo but neither magnesium case and the batteries used are CR123. Without doubting, It is not the Nikon camera of the decade (the title seems to go to the N100). A version the N80S allows the data impression between views, interesting. |
Other new from PMA 2000, the first :
Nikkor autofocus lens with image stabilizer.
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Lenses with image stabilizer were for the moment a monopoly of Canon. This technology VR (Vibration Reduction) minimizes the moving haziness provoked by the instability of camera. It is an exclusive used by Canon as before USM motors which became Silent Wave AFS motors for Nikon. The USM technology was created by an subsidiary of Mitsubishi, the parent company of Nikon, but used in first by Canon. Nikon therefore adopts also this technology with this first zoom 5x of 80 to 400 mm F4,5-5,6 with an ED lens. Without doubting the first of a new professional series that will combine Silent Wave motor and VR. |
Many new compacts APS or 135 are showed at PMA, Nikon has also presented
coolpix 990
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This model has the same design that the preceding model the coolpix 950 with a new lens 8-24mm (38-115mm to the format 135), It comprises a new 3,34 Megapixel CCD (already used by Kodak). Battery life management has been optimized, the placement under tension starts in less of 0,1 second and it can sustain a cadence of view until 30 images by second. It has the two protocol series and USB for the data transfer until 2,5 images by second. |
pierre j.