Leica have started shipping the Leica S2, their all-new, larger-than-full-frame digital SLR camera. The first camera goes to Jim Rakete, a prominent photographer from Berlin, Germany. Rakete’s first contact with the S2 this year was such an intense experience that he spontaneously made the decision to buy into the S-system, the company says. “The S2 is a camera that embodies the best characteristics of good tools - it never tries to tell me what to do,” Rakete explains, adding, “It fits my hands like a glove, and doesn’t make any superfluous suggestions when I’m shooting. For me, it’s an absolute superlative in digital quality - for the first time in ages you can really feel the depth of focus in your shots.”

Website: Leica Dealer Locator

DxO Labs have published RAW-based image quality data for a range of new Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony digital cameras on dxomark.com. The newly added models include a couple of advanced compacts, such as the Canon Powershot S90 and G11, as well as a number of DSLR cameras (Canon EOS 7D, Sony A500 and A550, Pentax K7, Nikon D300s and D3000). “dxomark.com results indicated that the best Advanced Compacts demonstrate remarkable image quality performance, especially considering their very compact form factor:  overall, the difference between the top models from the Advanced Compact category and the entry-level DSLRs is only about 1 to 2 stops,” DxO Labs said in a statement.

Website: DxO Mark

Selected items from the Olympus E-System DSLR range are now available for hire at competitive rates via the Olympus UK E-System User Group, an online community and resource founded by Digital Photography Now editor Ian Burley. The hire stock of E-System lenses, camera bodies, and accessories, is being provided by Olympus UK, enabling the e-group to offer very competitive rates. “Probably the greatest attraction of the Olympus E-System is the range of Zuiko Digital lenses,” Ian explains, “and even if you could never justify the cost of owning one of the amazing Top Pro lenses, they are now accessible to many more E-System photographers.” For more detailed information on the e-group equipment hire service, visit the group’s website.

Website: Olympus UK E-System User Group

Pentax have released a firmware update for the Pentax K-x DSLR camera. Version 1.01 adds three kinds of particular effect shooting function to the cross processing feature offered by the camera, allows the user to assign cross processing to the green button, and improves the accuracy of the battery level indicator under specific conditions. K-x owners can download the update from the website below.

Website: Pentax K-x Firmware

Nikon UK has announced a promotion: buy a new Nikon D300s until 17 January 2010, and get an SB-900 flash for free. The offer is limited to currently registered Nikon users, and is valid only on new Nikon D300s purchases. Also, the promotion strictly only applies to products which have been supplied and distributed by Nikon UK Ltd within the UK and Republic of Ireland. For more details, please refer to the Nikon Flashback terms and conditions.

Hasselblad have announced a Multi-Shot (MS) version of their H3DII-50 medium-format digital SLR camera, which completely eliminates the need for Bayer interpolation. In multi-shot mode, the Hasselblad H3DII-50MS captures a sequence of four shots, each offset by a one-pixel increment (pixel shifting), so that each sensor photosite records full colour information. Therefore no demosaicing is required, leading to higher resolution (especially of low-contrast fine detail), better colour rendition and a complete lack of colour moiré. Due to the nature of the process, multi-shot mode is suited to perfectly still subjects only - buildings, still life subjects, works of art etc. -, which is why the Hasselblad H3DII-50MS also retains the H3DII-50’s single-shot mode too. Users of other medium-format systems can trade in their gear (body + 16-39-megapixel digital back) and get the Hasselblad H3DII-50MS for €16.000. Current Hasselblad owners can trade up for €14.000, provided they trade in a Hasselblad digital system, or a Hasselblad body with a 16-39-megapixel digital back of another manufacturer, or another manufacturer’s camera body outfitted with a Hasselblad digital back. The list price is €22.995.

Website: Introducing the Hasselblad H3D-50 Multi-Shot (in German)

Via photoscala

Canon USA have just published an in-depth white paper for the new EOS-1D Mark IV DSLR camera. The EOS-1D Mark IV is a high-speed camerar with a 16-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, Dual DIGIC 4 Imaging Processors, and 14-bit A/D data conversion, all at 10 frames-per-second. The EOS-1D Mark IV white paper is available now as a free PDF download.

Website: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV White Paper

The opening title sequence of NBC’s Saturday Night Live was shot using the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D digital SLR cameras. The concept behind the opening sequence was portraiture as the director and crew looked to capture “living” portraits of the city, the cast and the unique characters that make up the New York City nightlife. The entire segment was captured and edited in a week’s time, incorporating 30p footage from Canon’s 5D Mark II as well as 60p footage used for slow-motion segments shot with Canon’s EOS 7D Digital SLR camera.

The new Olympus E-600 digital SLR camera is now available for purchase. The folks over at 1001 Noisy Cameras noticed that the E-600, announced back in August, has made a debut on RitzCamera.com, where it is offered in a double-lens kit for $749.99. The kit includes the Olympus E-600 camera, a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom and a 40-150mm f/4-5.6 telezoom. The 12.3 megapixel Olympus E-600 is heavily based upon the E-620 model, dropping the backlit buttons, 3 art filters, multi exposure mode and aspect mask control of the latter. At the moment it is unclear if/when the E-600 is going to be available outside the USA.

Via 1001 Noisy Cameras

Sony has updated the firmware of its A230, A330 and A380 digital SLR cameras, all of which have been reviewed on this site. Version 1.10 brings about the following improvement: when the metering mode is set to centre-weighted or spot, the exposure will be locked when focus is confirmed. This applies to shooting in AF mode.

Website: Sony DSLR Firmware Update (Windows)
Website: Sony DSLR Firmware Update (Macintosh)

As promised in a recent service notice, Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon EOS 7D digital SLR camera to address the faint ghosting reported by some early adopters. To quote Canon, version 1.1.0 “corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible”.

Website: Canon EOS 7D Firmware Update 1.1.0

Nikon UK has announced a new Christmas cashback promotion that entitles customers to claim £50 cash back on its D5000 and £30 on its D3000 Digital SLR cameras. The promotion runs from today until 10 January 2010. All claims must arrive by 15th February in order to qualify. For more information about the promotion, instructions on how to submit a claim and terms and conditions please visit www.nikon.co.uk/cashback.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Nikon D3000
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Nikon D5000

The Pentax K-m DSLR, which is barely more than one year old, is now marked as “discontinued” on the Pentax Japan website. The entry-level DSLR camera apparently shares this fate with the DA 50-200mmF4-5.6ED telezoom lens. At press time, Pentax have not yet issued an official release regarding the discontinuation of these products.

Via Rice High

Canon has announced instant rebates on a range of Canon EOS DSLR kits. According to Photography Bay, you can save $100 on the Canon Rebel XS double-lens kit including the 18-55mm IS and 75-300mm III lenses. Those buying either the Canon 50D with the 28-135mm IS USM + 70-300mm IS USM lenses, or the Canon Rebel T1i with the 18-55mm IS + EF-S 55-250mm IS, or the Canon Rebel XSi with the 18-55mm IS + EF-S 55-250mm IS are entitled to an instant rebate of $200. These offers are valid through 21 November 2009.

Via Photography Bay

Canon has admitted that “in images captured by continuous shooting [with the Canon EOS 7D digital SLR camera], and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible”, and said that they are planning to release a firmware update to address this issue. The company has not disclosed exactly when it would post the firmware update, saying only that it would be posted on their website.

Mamiya have officially announced the Mamiya 645DF medium-format single-lens reflex camera body. The camera’s prototype was first showcased at the Photo Imaging Expo (PIE) held earlier this year. The final version is quite a bit different to the prototype, being essentially the same thing as the Phase One 645DF announced last month. It features the same selectable dual shutter system with available flash sync speeds of up to 1/1600 of a second, when one of the three new leaf-shutter lenses developed in cooperation with Schneider Kreuznach is mounted. The built-in focal plane shutter, on the other hand, can be used with any of 15 existing Mamiya 645AF system lenses. The Mamiya 645DF camera body is compatible with digital backs from Leaf, Mamiya, Phase One and Sinar. The suggested retail price for the 645DF camera (body only) is $5,990.

Pentax has released a firmware update for the Pentax K-7 DSLR camera. Version 1.02 addsa “Fine Sharpness 2” option to base image parameters of custom image processing modes, improvesthe processing performance of digital previews for Watercolour and Pastel filters, and improvesoperational stability when using the optional D-BG4 battery grip.

Website: Pentax K-7 Firmware

Mamiya has put a price tag on the recently announced 22-megapixel Mamiya DM22 medium-format digital SLR camera, which features true 16-bit analogue-to-digital conversion and a claimed 12-stop dynamic range. As befits a medium-format camera, the sensor is larger than 35mm full frame, measuring 48x36mm. The price of the Mamiya DM22 is $9,995 including a Mamiya 80mm f/2.8 D Series lens. Mamiya has also announced the pricing of the DM22’s sibling the DM28 ($14,990 including lens), which only differs in its sensor (which is a bit smaller at 44x33mm, but has 28 megapixels and offers a higher maximum ISO speed). Both cameras are fully compatible with any Mamiya AF focal plane series lens but, unlike their bigger brothers the DM33 and the DM56, apparently cannot take advantage of the 1/1600-second top shutter speed of the three new leaf-shutter lenses developed in close collaboration with Schneider Kreuznach.

Canon have unveiled the 16-megapixel Canon EOS 1D Mark IV professional digital SLR camera boasting a completely new 45-point autofocus system. No less than 39 of these are cross-hatched AF sensors, sensitive to both horizontal and vertical detail. Moreover, the all-new AI Servo II AF mode gives still photographers the power and performance to track and focus a fast-moving subject at speeds up to 10 frames per second (fps). Canon is also making bold claims as to the high-ISO performance of the camera - the “regular” ISO range stretches from ISO 100/21° to ISO 12,800/42°, but expansion settings push this all the way up to ISO 102,400/51°. The Canon EOS 1D Mark IV is also geared toward videographers, as it offers full manual exposure control and selectable frame rates when shooting 1080p HD video. The EOS 1D Mark IV is equipped with a sixteen-megapixel “APS-H” sized sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors with approximately six times the processing power of DIGIC III for full 14-bit A/D conversion at 10 fps. Other new features include a large three-inch solid structure Clear View II LCD screen with 920,000 dot/VGA resolution and a wide 160-degree viewing angle. The new in-camera copyright information feature helps professionals secure control over images by setting copyright data directly into the camera and appending that information to each image file in the EXIF metadata. Additional features include a fluorine coating on the Low Pass Filter to further repel dust and enhance the EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers in late December, and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $4,999. In the UK and the euro zone, the 1D Mark IV will be priced at £4499 / €5499 respectively, including VAT.

Canon have issued a statement saying that they are currently developing a firmware update to the EOS 5D Mark II to enable the recording of high definition 1080p video at 24 and 25 frames per second (fps). The decision to develop new firmware to support these features has been taken following feedback received from cinematographers and photographers, the company notes. Currently, the frame rate for HD video on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II is 30fps, whereas motion picture cameras tend to shoot at 24fps.