What's New - August 2008
August 27
Hands-on Preview posted for 
Nikon D90!
The Nikon D80's exceptional sales record perhaps gave Nikon a little extra time to spend cooking up their vision of the ultimate prosumer DSLR. The result is the Nikon D90, incorporating AE and AF technology from the D3/D700/D300 line, while kicking both resolution and performance up a couple of notches from the D80. With a 12.3 megapixel sensor, the Nikon D90 offers only a modest increase in resolution over its predecessor, but that modest increase is likely to be viewed by many users as a welcome tradeoff in light of the D90's doubling of maximum ISO over that of the earlier model. (The Nikon D90's normal ISO range runs from 200 to 3,200, and can be extended to 100 - 6,400 at the user's option.) Another essential upgrade on the Nikon D90 is the move to a high resolution 3-inch LCD screen. The 920,000-pixel display has a 170-degree viewing angle and appears to be every bit as nice as the new screens found on the D3 and D300. It makes checking focus and using Live view mode that much more pleasant. Ah yes, Live View: The Nikon D90 brings this feature to Nikon's consumer camera lineup for the first time (well, arguably at the prosumer rather than the pure consumer end of the scale), but it also adds an entirely new feature, never seen before in a DSLR: The Nikon D90 can record movies at 24 frames/second (the standard in the motion-picture world), and pixel resolutions of 1280x720 (16:9), 640x424 (3:2), and 320x216 (3:2). Read our Nikon D90 Hands-On Preview for an in-depth look at this new camera's exceptional feature set!
UPDATE, 20:15 EDT: First Nikon D90 test shots posted! We've started testing a production-level Nikon D90 digital SLR camera, and wanted to let you see the first shots out of the lab without delay. Click on the Nikon D90 Samples tab and you'll see a full suite of our Still Life, Multi Target and Viewfinder test shots. Stay tuned for more test shots in the coming days!
UPDATE, 08/28/08: We've added more Nikon D90 test shots, including our low-light, flash and macro series. Click on the Samples tab to view!
August 15
Review posted for 
Sony Cyber-shot W300!
While Sony's slim T-series digital cameras get all the attention, the W-Series continues to delight, with great features at a mid-range price. The Cyber-shot W300 is Sony's new flagship W-Series digital camera, as you can tell at glance. The Sony W300's scratch-resistant titanium shell is among the coolest looking Sony digital cameras, and you won't be disappointed by the pictures it takes either. The Cyber-shot W300's 13.6-megapixel sensor sets a new standard in high ISO detail and color for Sony. The Sony W300's image quality really impressed, capturing detail and color at higher ISOs than Sony typically has achieved. The selectable noise reduction may have something to do with that, but it was such a dramatic difference, there's got to be more to the story. The only gripe we had was its timid 3x zoom. Click here for the Sony Cyber-shot W300 review for the whole story.
August 13
Review posted for 
Nikon D700!
With a design and features that will attract a wide array of photographers, the Nikon D700 is the first full-frame digital SLR camera to break the $3,000 barrier at its introduction. Based on the popular Nikon D300, the Nikon D700's controls are poised for quick activation, with commonly used functions out in plain sight, rather than buried in a menu. The Nikon D700's full-frame sensor is essentially identical to the Nikon D3's, so image quality is superb, and high-ISO performance is unprecedented, ranging from 100 to 25,600. A large, high-resolution LCD screen serves up images that are sharper than normal, and menus likewise appear razor-sharp. Special features adorn the Nikon D700, including a 51-point autofocus system, Active D-Lighting image processing, Lateral chromatic aberration correction, Vignette control, and AF Fine-tune capability; all making the camera extremely adaptable. Nikon's latest offering is a great digital SLR camera to build a system around. Click here for our review of the full-frame Nikon D700.
Review posted for 
Canon A590 IS!
There are good digital cameras and cheap digital cameras - the trick is getting both in the same package. The Canon
PowerShot A590 IS is one digital camera that delivers a lot of capability and good photos at a low price. We also like the fact that Canon A590IS is well-suited to both novices and advanced users. Total beginners can put it in "Easy" mode and snap away, but a full range of features (including full manual exposure control) will satisfy more advanced users. The Canon
PowerShot A590 IS offers 4x optical zoom, an excellent range of exposure modes and options, and is very user-friendly. Face and Motion Detection ensure good-looking portraits, even of moving subjects, and an intelligent selection of preset Scene modes offer great exposure flexibility. The Canon A590IS has a bright 2.5-inch LCD display, but also features a real-image optical viewfinder to help conserve battery power. Not a perfect camera by any means, but a heck of a buy at its current ~$150 street price. Click here to read our Canon A590IS review for all the details!
August 6
Review posted for 
Olympus 1030SW!
Olympus's shockproof, waterproof, crushproof, and freeze proof digital camera line got two significant upgrades in the Stylus 1030SW: a new, 28-105mm wide-angle zoom, and a 10.1-megapixel sensor. The Olympus Stylus 1030SW is still the ruggedness leader of the digicam, working at depths of up to 33 feet without an underwater housing, and the built-in manometer will record the heights and depths you've reached for bragging rights. The big question is whether the new lens and sensor improve the Olympus 1030SW's image quality over past offerings. Read our Olympus Stylus 1030SW review for more details.
August 4
Canon Rebel XS First Shots posted!
Canon's new entry-level DSLR, the Canon XS delivers a lot of capability for its low price, and excellent image quality. Check out our Canon XS Review for a look at a full set of test shots, showing what the new model can do! (We'll post a full review of the XS soon, but wanted to get its test images out to our readers asap first.)
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