where there’s smoke there’s fire

Update: jeff-c confirmed the release date of December 1st (source).

Who can translate this invitation(?) for us?

I can only see the date of December 1st, 2008.

Source

Translation update:

Respectful Ladies and Gentleman,

How are you,

Thank you for a long term support and deeply concern for the Nikon Company and Nikon professional photography products.

2008 Winter Exhibition on Nikon experience
Beside Product description in the exhibition, the Nikon experience will have studio set up in the venue for products trial. Hence, Nikon would like to invite you sincerely.

Nikon imaging equipment sales (China) Co., Ltd.

Message in the Winter Exhibition for Nikon experience

Monday 1st December, 2008
Time 13:00 – 16:00
Grand Ballroom C, China Hotel
Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue, Chaoyang District

Schedule:
13:00 – 13:30 Press sign-in
13:30 – 14:30 Products Description
14:45 –16:00 Hand on product experience

Recap of the today’s rumors (most of them D3x related):

• The November 20th date is still on in Denmark (according to Kamera & Bild). I guess Nikon Denmark is being punished for leaking the info in advance. Here is better translation provided by a reader:

The plans for Nikon’s new product launch has been altered. But the PR office at Nikon Denmark missed this change, which got the Nikon head office attention. Earlier this autumn, Nikon Denmark announced a press release on the 22th of October. The weird part was that the other countries weren’t doing the same thing. K&B checked with Nikon Sweden if they were arranging a press conference on the same date as well and got a  positive response at first, that turned into a denial shortly after.
On the Photo Expo in Stockholm this weekend, K&B met up with Peter Brondin (head of Nikon’s professional service in the Nordic countries). He was able to tell us that the danish PR office were being punished.
– Half an hour after the news went out, Tokyo called. Then the danish had to explain for themselves.
No other country has confirmed the November 20th launch date, and the current confusion with different dates is all because the danish went by old an old timetable for product launches. They don’t want to provide a new date though.

• AF DX Fisheye-NIKKOR 10.5mm f/2.8G ED is not longer listed as a product in Europe (Germany, UK). New AF-S model coming soon? (Update: this one got busted – the lens is listed under DX section)
• It seems that Nikon CoolScan 9000 ED is very hard to get in Europe. There is a rumor that it may be discontinued.
• Email from a reader:

“Nikon Poland has invited a group of polish Nikon Pro photographers for weekend of 6-7th of December for two day workshop in city of Lodz. The program includes some studio work, NX2 workshop and “the surprise”. I was told that on 4th of December there will be official presentation of “this surprise” and on the workshop we will have a chance to play with this “surprise from NIkon”. That’s the words from a guy from Nikon Poland. I was not told what is “the surprise” but as I understand, it has to be something that you use at a studio. There is no detailed program of studio workshop, so I guest it is playing with new camera.“

• Another email:

“I just returned from a workshop today with xxxx, a famous National Geographic photographer. He mentioned testing a new camera awhile back and accidentally called it a D3x.”

• No rumors here: Nikon Solution Expo will take place in London on December 9th and 10th. Register for free here.