Sigma introduced a new version of the 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM, this time with a focus distance that is enough shorter than the original that they're using the words "macro" on this lens (I don't think 1:3.5 makes it into macro range, but it is nice to be able to have a constant closer focus range).
Fujifilm USA announced a price drop and bundling addition for the S3 Pro. The new price is US$1669, plus now you get an AC adapter and Hyper Utility HS-V2 converter software bundled with the body. I believe this applies to an S3 Pro without the buffer upgrade, though.
February 2006PMA 2006 Round 1
Nikon has announced the expected 105mm Micro-Nikkor f/2.8G VR AF-S, but not the rumored 70-300mm AF-S. An N-type lens (nano crystal coating), the new Micro-Nikkor is definetely a unique optic, being the first VR macro I know of. But it's not the macro I would have wanted (either the 200mm or the 70-180mm would have been better candidates for VR and AF-S; the old 105mm Micro-Nikkor didn't really need either addition, though they're welcome). Available in April.
On the camera front, Nikon continued its assault on WiFi with the 8mp P3/P4 and 6mp S5/S6 pairings. One of the models in these pairings gets you 802.11g capability (and in the case of the S6 a slightly larger screen). The one eyebrow raiser in the mix is that the P3/P4 pair gets VR in their 3.5x zoom. The S5/S6 come in colors other than silver (black, red, and blue). Otherwise, these seem to be modest updates of the P2 and S3 models. And heck, my dealer still has S1's on his shelf and just got his S3's. When you'll be able to get a blue S6 is anyone's guess.
And in the stupidest naming I've seen lately, we have the Coolpix L2, L3, and L4. Guess which one has the most megapixels? Yep, the L2 is 6mp, the L3 is 5mp, and the L4 is 4mp. Other than that, they're nearly identical 3x (large) pocket zoom cameras. Yawn.
I was amused by the use of the phrase "marking a leap forward in picture-taking enjoyment" in the press releases. Right. That's the real reason we buy cameras: the visceral joy of pressing the shutter release on an all-automatic camera...
The most interesting Nikon news was the announcements of Capture NX and Nikon View Pro. The first is the expected rewrite of Capture (apparently by Nik), with an expected delivery date of April (and a whole new UI to learn). The latter is the unexpected ressurection of View, adding speed and new features, such as IPTC editing. You'll pay for the new View, though (50 Euros; haven't gotten the US price yet since Nikon still refuses to send me press releases directly).
Tamron has announced three new lenses: the SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II LD, the AF 28-200mm f/3.8-5.6 XR Di, and the AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro. The last two are really updates of existing lenses. (Is anyone else getting tired of all the initials on lens designations?) Full details on the lenses are now in my Tamron database.Fujifilm introduced two new slide films (yes I said film): Fujichrome T64 Professional (T stands for tungsten--this is an indoor film) and Provia 400X Professional. Both look interesting. The T64 has some of the finest grain structure of any slide film (RMS 7), while the new Provia also has a very tight grain structure for its ISO (RMS 11, which at one time was state of the art for any slide film). The new T64 will be available within a month or so, the 400X will be available in summer.
BibbleLabs and PictureCode have announced a joint agreement where a fully licensed version of Noise Ninja will be built into future versions of Bibble. On the heels of the PT Lens corrections additions, it appears that Eric is hard at work at trying to make Bibble a one-stop producer of clean, well corrected images from raw files. Current users of version 4.0 will get this upcoming update for free. I welcome both additions and hope to report on them in an upcoming Nikon DSLR Report.
Two Surprising Numbers from NikonNikon has posted their financial results through the third fiscal quarter (ended 31 Dec 2005). Two numbers stuck out: Coolpix shipments are up, with the company revising their full year estimates to 7 million units (up from 6.4 million); meanwhile DSLR unit numbers are down, with Nikon now saying that they'll only sell 1.4 million units instead of 1.6 million for the current fiscal year (ends 31 March 2006). The culprit for the DSLR unit volume seems to be the Christmas quarter, where year-to-year sales actually went down slightly. I wonder how much of that was the pending D200 scaring away D70s sales?
For those that are interested, here's my current best guess at how the DSLR marketplace ended for 2005:
| Canon | 1.85m units | 48% share |
| Nikon | 1.33m | 35% |
| Other | 0.67m | 17% |
| Total | 3.85m | 100% |
Nikon executives forecast that total DSLR unit volume worldwide will be about 5m units in 2006 (i.e., the market is expected to grow by just over 30%). Overall, just looking at the imaging division operating numbers (cameras and lenses), things looked like this for Nikon during the first three quarters of the last two fiscal years:
| 2005 | 2006 | |
| Sales | 266.7b Yen | 314.1b Yen |
| Income | 8.9b | 29.5b |
Given the constant downward pricing pressures in digital cameras and the number of competitors trying to grab market share, Nikon seems to be weathering the storm and has a healthy operating profit in this business.