Nikon to start a massive marketing campaign this Fall

By [NR] admin | Published: June 22, 2010

The rumor is that Nikon is preparing a huge marketing campaign that is suppose to start this Fall. I do not have any details, but probably Nikon will hire an outside company to manage all the details. The “I am Nikon” campaign is already fading away and with the holiday shopping season approaching soon after Photokina (September 2010) this rumor sounds plausible.

Posted in Other Nikon stuff| 56 Comments

What are you waiting for?

By [NR] admin | Published: June 21, 2010

Time for some polls:




Posted in Other Nikon stuff| 283 Comments

Interesting Nikon patents (curved image sensor and more)

By [NR] admin | Published: June 20, 2010

Nikon’s curved image sensor patent (Google translation) will improve the sharpness in the corners of the image:

  • Patent publication number 2010-109096
    • Release date 2010/05/13
    • Filing Date 2008/10/29
  • Using a lens with field curvature aberration
  • The image plane conversion element, sandwiched between the lens and image sensor
    • Each pixel has a single optical transmission pipe
    • Element corresponds to the surface curvature aberration
  • As a countermeasure light falloff at edges, with a filter that only the central dimming

Nikon patent application 20100150539 is for a focus adjustment solution (see wikipedia’s explanation of the two different passive focus solutions: phase detection and contrast measurement). Different implementations are shown in this patent application: the first drawing is a camera with a half mirror, the second is mirrorless (EVIL) camera, the third implementations is without a prism (Pellix camera?) and in the last drawing the sensor is located under the mirror (instead of behind the mirror):

Read More »

Posted in Nikon Patents| 37 Comments

Weekly Nikon related news/links

By [NR] admin | Published: June 19, 2010
  • Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS HSM price announced: US: $669.00 | UK: £649.99, expected to ship within 1 to 2 months.
  • Nikon Coolpix L18 camera survives 1,100 miles ocean trip to Florida.
  • Sony NEX adapter for Nikon mount released by Rayqual.
  • Nikon Formulates Medium Term Management Plan for Fiscal 2011/3-2013/3 is out. Presentation material can be found here. Nikon expects to have 35% DSLR market share in 2013 (up from 34% in 2010). Research and development expenses will be increased. Some quotes: “Create markets through development of next- generation products and new business territories’ products” and  “Add the innovation, originality, and fun to brand image.
  • DSLR Magazine says that Nikon will have two DSLR cameras by the end of the year and a new 35mm 1.4 lens. They may be getting their info from here.

“Our new released Distagon T* 2,8/25 ZF.2 is optically identical with the Distagon T* 2,8/25 ZF/ZK/ZS version. Because of its very good value for money this lens is one of our most popular SLR lenses. So we decided to offer it also in the ZF.2 version with electronic interface.”

Posted in Weekly Nikon News Flash| 40 Comments

New Nikon Imaging website is up

By [NR] admin | Published: June 17, 2010

The Nikon Imaging website got a face lift. I cannot find anything interesting to report except the fact that there is a new Nikon lenses catalog (pdf format).

At that point I think it is safe to assume that there will be no new product announcement this month (June). July 4th is an official holiday in the US, which makes the first week of July less-desirable for any product announcements. It seems that Canon will have an announcement somewhere between July 12-16. All this leaves us with a potential Nikon announcement at the end of July (I don’t think Nikon and Canon ever had a product announcement in the same week).

Posted in Nikon Lenses| 224 Comments

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj replacement will serve as a conventional projector

By [NR] admin | Published: June 17, 2010

In the latest issues of Chasseur d’Images there is a small article that Nikon is preparing a replacement of the Coolpix S1000pj (this is the one with the built-in projector). The new version will provide the option to be connected to a computer and serve as an external conventional projector.

There were already some rumors that the Coolpix S1000pj is discontinued in at least one major retailer. Nikon also filed numerous patent application for various projector technologies over the past 12 months.

The next batch of Nikon Coolpix cameras is expected to be released in the first half of August. A new, high end Nikon Coolpix p&s camera is also rumored (to compete directly with Canon G11).

Chasseur d’Images are not afraid to publish rumors and they had some good leaks in the past. It is interesting to note that all they got this time is a p&s leak and nothing DSLR related.

Posted in Nikon Point and Shoot| 13 Comments

Nikon Imaging website will be down for maintenance this Thursday

By [NR] admin | Published: June 15, 2010

Many European Nikon websites were down during the past few weeks (especially on weekends). Those outages could be caused by technical issues, but I am not sure how this is possible with the current web servers technology (redundant/backup servers, staging servers for pushing new updates, etc).

Anyhow, the main Nikon Imaging website is also scheduled for a 4 hours maintenance this Thursday:

“Product line up pages will not be accessible due to maintenance during 1PM to 5PM Japan time in Jun. 17, 2010.”

On several occasions in the past Nikon has brought down their websites in order to update them for an upcoming announcement.

Posted in Other Nikon stuff| 186 Comments