Fujifilm and Nikon set their sites on two distinct customer bases with recent digital SLR introductions. Nikon took aim at consumers with a refresh of its entry-level D-series SLR while Fujifilm sought business users with an SLR capable of photographing in the UV and infrared spectrums.
Nikon announced the second generation of its consumer-level digital SLR, packing the camera with technologies from its professional SLRs and also adding a few features from its point-and-shoots as well.
The 10-megapixel D80 is a successor to the company’s first consumer-level d-SLR, the D70. It offers a burst mode of 3 frames per second (fps) up to 100 JPEG Normal images. It boasts a start-up time of 0.18 seconds and a shutter lag of 80 milliseconds.
New to the D80 is an 11-area auto-focus system, a new image processing chip inherited from the company’s professional SLRs, an “Optimize image” menu for adjusting creative color controls while shooting, built-in i-TTL flash control with the ability to control up to two remote groups of Speedlights, as well as over 32 custom settings.
A new retouch menu gives D80 users access to several in-camera corrections and enhancements including Nikon’s D-Lighting exposure balancing, red-eye correction, image trimming, image overlay, and several filter effects. The camera offers seven scene modes and a 2,700-shot per charge rechargeable battery.
The D80 will ship in September for an estimated $999.95 without a lens and for $1299.95 with the camera body and new 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S IF-ED DX Nikkor Lens.
Fujifilm introduced a version of its high-end S3 d-SLR capable of photographing in ultraviolet and infrared light spectrum. The new S3 Pro UVIR is geared primarily at business users, such as crime scene investigators, scientists and researchers. Pricing and availability were not announced.
