The Sony Alpha A380, A330, and A230 are three new easy-to-use DSLR cameras. The 14.2 megapixel A380 and 10.2 megapixel A330 feature Quick AF Live View for responsive ‘freestyle’ shooting. The 10.2 megapixel Sony A230 is the world’s lightest DSLR featuring an APS-C sized image sensor and in-body image stabilisation. All three models feature a 2.7-inch LCD screen, which can be tilted up or down on the A380 and A330 models, a HDMI terminal and a graphical user interface with built-in on-screen Help Guide. The Sony Alpha A380 costs $850, the A330 $650, and the A230 $550 with the SAL-1855 standard zoom lens. The twin lens kit with the SAL-1855 standard zoom and SAL-55200 telephoto zoom lenses is $1050, $850 and $750 for the A380, A330 and A230 respectively. In the UK, the A230 is priced at £530, the A330 is £610, and the A380 is £720 (all body only).

Canon have issued a service notice for the Canon EOS 1D Mark III and 1Ds Mark III DSLRs. The service notice concerns the problem of ring-shaped spots appearing in photos taken with some of these cameras. The company claims that these spots are “images of oil lubricant on the surface of the low pass filter”. The oil is allegedly used to lubricate some of the camera’s moving parts, but can become scattered onto the surface of the low pass filter through normal camera operation if it is “applied too liberally when the camera is manufactured”. Customers who are encountering this phenomenon or, who have noticed that oil is visible on the surface of the back side of the mirror, are asked to contact a Canon service centre for a free cleaning of the mirror box.

Website: Canon Products Support

Canon today announced the launch of Canon Live Learning, a new on-site education programme targeted towards photographers who currently use or are interested in Canon EOS gear. Canon Live Learning (CLL) will offer high-quality classes and workshops conducted by a number of the industry’s leading professional photographers, Canon’s Explorers of Light. CLL will consist of two distinct educational opportunities: EOS Essentials and EOS Extras. EOS Essentials is ideal for photographers who are interested in learning how to get the most out of their EOS and other photography equipment. EOS Extras provides participants with an opportunity to take part in a weekend of instruction on location at an interesting site with a Canon Explorer of Light. Click through / read on for exact dates and locations across the US.

Pentax Germany says on its website that the new K series Pentax DSLR is coming on the 20th of May. We have already told you about a teaser campaign launched by Pentax Japan that puts the announcement date on the 21st. The discrepancy is apparent only, as Japan and Germany are in two very different time zones. From the countdown running on the German website, one can deduce that the new Pentax DSLR will be unveiled at 4pm CET on the 20th, which is 0:00 on the 21st in Japan. The official name of the product is unknown, but it is widely expected that the new DSLR will be called the Pentax K-7. TeKaDe, which bills itself as “Germany’s and Austria’s Number One Pentax Shop” expects the camera to become commercially available at the end of June / beginning of July, and puts the price at around €1,500.

Website: Pentax DSLR Countdown

  The Pentax K-7 has been announced.

Canon U.S.A. has announced an instant rebate programme on select EOS dSLR kits, EF lenses and other accessories. Eligible product(s) must be purchased by end users from a participating authorised Canon U.S.A. dealer or reseller in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico between 3 May and 11 July. The offer is valid until stocks last.

Website: Canon U.S.A. Instant Rebate Programme

The Nikon UK team will be visiting Jessops’ New Oxford Street store on 1st - 2nd May 2009 to demonstrate the capabilities and benefits of the Nikon D5000 DSLR, which goes on sale on Friday. A programme of free Nikon-led seminars will also be running throughout the two-day event. These include a tutorial on getting the best out of the D5000’s HD movie mode and a demonstration of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System. In addition, for every purchase of the D5000 made at the store, customers will receive a free canvas print (32” x 24”) and a free Sandisk 8GB Ultra II SDHC card, Centon outfit bag and Jessops TP323 tripod.

Website: Nikon D5000 Hands-On

DxO Labs have posted detailed RAW-based image quality data on the Olympus E-30 and the Pentax K-m DSLRs. DxOMark is a free online resource that delivers key objective sensor performance metrics measured directly on the RAW image for a variety of cameras.

Website: DxOMark
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Olympus E-30
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Pentax K-m

Pentax have launched a teaser campaign for a new K series DSLR, which is to be unveiled on 21 May 2009. The official product name has not been disclosed, and the company remains tight-lipped about the feature set as well (though as usual, rumours abound). What seems - at this point - unlikely to break new records is the pixel count, at least if the words of Gabriele Remmers, Marketing Communication Manager of the Division of Imaging Systems of Pentax Europe, are anything to go by.

Canon have released firmware updates for three of its DSLRs, the EOS 50D, 450D (XSi, pictured) and 1000D (XS). In all three cases the new firmware update supports the AF assist beam feature of the new Speedlite 270EX  flash, which was introduced alongside the Canon EOS 500D digital SLR a month ago. In addition, the 50D firmware update also changes the error indications that are displayed on the camera and addresses the vertical banding noise phenomenon.

Website: Canon EOS 50D Firmware Update Version 1.0.6
Website: Canon EOS 450D Firmware Update Version 1.1.0
Website: Canon EOS 1000D Firmware Update Version 1.0.5

Nikon has updated the firmware of the Nikon D40 and Nikon D40x DSLRs. The D40 firmware has been upgraded to v1.1.2, and the D40x to v1.01. The updates resolve the following issue: the number of images that could be captured (battery performance) when an EN-EL9a was used was less than when an EN-EL9 was used. Upgrading maximises EN-EL9a performance, so that more images can be captured when an EN-EL9a is used than when an EN-EL9 is employed.

Website: Nikon D40 Firmware Update
Website: Nikon D40x Firmware Update

We spent some hands-on time with the new Nikon D5000 at today’s UK launch. Although we couldn’t actually shoot any photos with the pre-production cameras on display, we have compiled a gallery of 22 images showing the D5000 from every conceivable angle.

The Nikon D5000 is a new DSLR camera with a vari-angle LCD monitor. The 12.3 megapixel D5000 also offers 720p HD movies with sound and D-Movie function, ISO 100-6400, 4fps burst shooting, and 11-point autofocus system with 3D Focus Tracking. The Nikon D5000 will be available in late April 2009 for £719.99 / €878.00 / $729.95 body only, or £799.99 / €972.00 / $849.95 with the 18-55mm VR lens. We’ll have a hands-on report on the D5000 from the UK launch event, later today…

Pentax have released a firmware update for their top-of-the-line DSLR, the Pentax K20D. Version 1.03 is claimed to improve the accuracy of the Shake Reduction (SR) apparatus. Shake Reduction is the Pentax approach to sensor-shift image stabilisation.

Website: Latest Pentax K20D Firmware Update
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Pentax K20D

Olympus have issued a firmware update for the Olympus E-3, their flagship professional DSLR. The company claims that version 1.4 improves the auto-focus performance of the camera (without specifying exactly which aspect of AF performance gets a boost).

Website: Olympus Firmware Updates
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Olympus E-3

Canon has announced that it has produced over 10 million consumer DSLRs since the launch of the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / 300D in 2003. The increasing volume of consumer-orientated DSLR models on the market has also driven an increase in the volume of lens sales. Canon’s EF lens portfolio is allegedly the world’s most extensive range of DSLR lenses, with over 60 models and 40 million sales worldwide.

Olympus has announced a firmware update for the Olympus E-30 DSLR. Version 1.1 addresses the following issues:

- Reduces the sound of Image stabiliser operations when IMAGER AF and HYBRID AF are being used.
- Resolves the issue where pressing the delete button in Close-up playback occasionally caused the Card access lamp to blink.
- Resolves the issue where images with a changed aspect ratio played back with Index display sometimes had horizontal stripes.

Website: Olympus Firmware Updates
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Olympus E-30

The Olympus E-450 is a new 10 megapixel DSLR featuring in-camera Art Filters. The E450 is based on the Four Thirds standard and offers 3 filters including Pop Art and Soft Focus, a brighter 2.7 inch LCD screen, Supersonic Wave Filter for dust protection, and 28 shooting modes. Continuous shooting of 3.5fps with up to eight RAW images, wireless flash control, ISO 100 to 1600 and 49-segment digital ESP metering complete the E450’s headline specs. The Olympus E-450 will be available from May 2009 for around £450 for the standard lens kit. There will also be a single lens kit with the 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6, and a double zoom kit with the 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm 1:4.0-5.6 lenses.

‘Searching for Sonny’ is a new indie film, planned to be shot exclusively on a DSLR. As such, this is going to be the first of its kind. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that while the DSLR in question is a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, the filmmakers are using Nikon lenses on it (obviously with an F-to-EF adapter). There is currently a teaser available on the film’s website. A longer “full” trailer is promised for release on 15 April, whereas the movie itself remains to be shot.

Website: Watch the teaser

Engadget’s readers have picked the Canon EOS 5D Mark II as the ‘Digital Camera of the Year.’ The readers’ opinion did not coincide with that of Engadget’s editors, who cast their vote in favour of the Nikon D90 instead.

Website: 2008 Engadget Awards: Readers’ Choice & Editors’ Picks
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Nikon D90

This time around, we got word of an olive green Olympus E-3. We’ve told you this was a 2009 thing: Leica started it with the Leica M8.2 Safari Edition, then Pentax followed on with the Pentax K-m Olive, and now here’s the green version of the Olympus E-3. The guys over at dc.watch.impress.co.jp snapped a photo of it at the Photo Imaging Expo held in Tokyo, Japan. The olive green Olympus E-3 also features in Episode 7 of Olympus’ Global Warming Witness movie. However, unlike the Leica and the Pentax, the Olympus is not for sale - yet.

Photo credit: dc.watch.impress.co.jp