Well, after a couple months of reduced activity in searches for the Nikon D400, the hype seems to have rebounded and is on fairly steep climb. Traffic to NikonD400News.com is back up over 5500 unique visitors a month. I want to thank all you loyal visitors who keep checking back for updates and I hope I can give you some really good concrete news soon!
A new roadmap has been reported by the folks at Nikonrumours.com. There's been quite a lull in the Nikon D400 rumors of late, definitely due to the release of the Nikon D300s. I'm not worried though, and expect the Nikon D400 to come out in late 2010 or early 2011. As for features, this is the list that came with the roadmap:
Nikon D400
• Replaces D300S.
• Announcement in 1st half of 2011.
• 16MP or higher* CMOS sensor (same new sensor as upcoming Sony A700 replacement)
• AF motor still there.
• 8 FPS (without the grip).
• Live View & special* high quality 1080 video (possibly RAW video???!!!).
• Articulated* 920K LCD.
• OVF & AF module same as D300S.
To me, this seems a little "unofficial" looking even for a roadmap, so I don't put a whole lot of credibility to it, but its the first thing I've heard in a while so I decided to post it anyways.
This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but is a little disappointed, but the release of the Nikon D300s has put the Nikon D400 into a bit of a hype – slump. Prior to the D300s’ release, the D400 has had steady increases in the overall search traffic. Since mid July; however, that has changed. Search traffic has gone from from almost 20k searches per month in the US down to 6600 in August, and has gone from over 70k globally down to 46k. Quite a drop there, and a little disappointing, but I expect in another couple months those numbers will bounce back up beyond the previous levels.
To put this in context, NikonD400News.com has been floating between the 1st and 3rd spot in Google search rankings, and was getting 6500-8000 visitors per month, and almost paying for its own hosting costs with the small ad revenues. Viewership has dropped down to 3000-3500 per month, less than half, and almost no revenues from ads.
The Nikon D300s has been announced today as being the latest update in the serious amateur – professional line of DSLR cameras. This means a delay for the launch of the Nikon D400, which will now probably have to wait at least 6 months before they would even consider releasing it. On the plus side, the D300s does come with some noticeable improvements on the Nikon D300, as follows:
Now the biggest in that list in my mind is the addition of 720p HD video, which when paired with the auto-focus while recording makes for a pretty impressive boost. Its not 1080p, but they do have to leave some room for improvement there. the virtual horizon feature is a nice touch, allowing you to confirm that you are taking a shot on the level. Though nowadays there are tonnes of programs out there that can straighten out a crooked photo, it is always better to take the level shot in the first place. The addition of the SD card slot is a nice feature, but realistically I don’t see it as a huge bonus, though I can see how other people would like the feature immensely. Apart from being a more common mass storage type, SD cards are slower and seem to cost more than CF. The SD card readers are noticeably more common though, which accounts for the feature in my eyes.
Now, the Nikon D300s is retailing at different stores at different times. At this point I’m not sure if I want to go ahead and buy the D300s, or wait it out for the D400… The improvements to the D300 have made it much more difficult a decision. Though my decision is not yet made (and I expect I’ll be trying desperately to get my hands on one to try it out), you may want to buy one. If so, here are some places at which they will be for sale:
Now you can buy from whomever you like, but if you buy from one of those sites after clicking those links, I do get a small commission which helps to keep this site up and going. If you decide to purchase the D300s, and you’ve found this site useful, please use those links, it is much appreciated.
Early this morning I received a tip for a Nikon D400 News.com reader, Stefan from Munich, who told me of a comeback of Michael Gradias’ book on the Nikon D400. Two separate websites on the .de domain list his new book as being titled "Nikon D400", both of which list an August release date.
Now both of these screenshots are active as of right now, at www.buecher.de and www.weltbild.de. So what does this mean? Now one possibility is that is another accidental leak on the part of these german book sites. It has happened before as detailed in the 13 April 09 post "Amazon.de, slim hope or small hoax?" Another possibility, is both this as well as the 09/10 Nikon roadmap leak are all part of a viral marketting scheme orchestrated by Nikon and intended to keep the buzz going and keep Canon guessing as to their actual plans. Now a third possibility is that this is legitimate, and points to an upcoming release of the Nikon D400. Given the nature of these rumors, I’m hesitant to call this one an outright fabrication, so what does this mean? I still think the release will happen this year, contrary to the mysterious ‘roadmap leak’.
Now its been a while since I’ve posted anything, and for the I appologize. This one is coming a tiny bit late, but its a good one. A supposed Nikon D400 roadmap has been leaked to the internet through a source from an IT company based in England. The 37 page report lists the future of Nikon releases until the end of 2010. This report lists the Nikon D400 release as being set for release in the 2nd quarter of 2010, which spans from April to June 2010, and includes specs for the camera as follows:
-13.8mp DX sensor w/ maximized by increasing the sensitivity of >1 exposure value
-an “ultra-fast pixel register cache”, which allows to double the frame rate or increase dynamic range, including effective aid noise reduction with natural lodging details.
-[S] 4.550 x 3.034
-Continuous high-speed mode: 8 fps, 10 fps with BG,
-12 fps with a double-exposure phase detection AF & mirror up 6/sec.,
-14 fps with BG to double-exposure with the phase detection AF & mirror up 7/sec.,
-ISO 200 – 6400, Lo-1, Hi 1
-Movie – mode: 1920 * 1080 at 24 fps
-Multi-CAM 4500 DX 61-point AF, Auto / User Drive dynamic AF-C, intelligent co-operation with 2200-zónovým 3D Color Matrix meter
to achieve great success autofocus.
-Screening of additional information across a large area of the viewfinder.
-Dual histogram for the double-exposure mode.
So, does this report carry some weight and point to an early-mid 2010 release, or is it a fabrication? I’m thinking it may be real. Creating a 37 page report as a rumor is quite a big task with little reward. Or, could it be something intentionally leaked to create hype? I guess we’ll see, but I’ll post the full report soon for you all to see.
The google search requests on the Nikon D400 are just skyrocketing. I’m talking exponential increases here. If this keeps up, the Nikon may have found the most anticipated camera for the year at least, and possibly one of the most anticipated DSLRs in recent history. In April, there were ~33000 google searches for "Nikon D400". Six months ago, there were only ~5000 google searches. This shows a almost a 700% increase in searches over 6 months, which is incredible. I’m almost giddy waiting for the official announcement from Nikon.
So I wouldn’t call myself an educated source in this regard, but I’ve done enough research to feel my opinion on this is at least plausible. I’m guessing the release date to be 7 Dec 09. I figure, the D300 was released on December of 2007, the D200 was released in December 2005. It only makes sense that the Nikon D400 will be released in December of 2009. But, what fun is just a guess, at least compared to the idea of having a prize for guessing right? This is why I’m running a contest. All you have to do is post a reply to this post on your own blog with your estimated release date, linking back to my blog, then post a comment with a link back to your blog and the expected release date. Now the important part =D the prizes.
1st Place (first person to guess the right date) – $50 payed through paypal and a link from my blog to yours!
2nd Place (second person to guess the right date) – $15 payed through paypal and a link from my blog to yours!
3rd Place (you get it…) – a box of cookies! (You pay the shipping) =D
I know, not huge rewards, but its free to enter =) One entry per person!
Contest is over as soon as Nikon reveals their expected release date, so get on it folks =)
So I’ve found several different sources which pretty much confirm the same specifications for the Nikon D400. Its possible that this adds credibility to the rumors, but I think its more likely that it is one rumor which has gone viral. Still, heres a list of rumored specs for the Nikon D400.
- New 14.8 megapixel DX format CMOS sensor effective 14.3 megapixel
- Self-cleaning sensor unit (low-pass filter vibration)
- ISO 100 – 6400 (with boost up to ISO 25600 and down to ISO 50)
- 14-bit A/D conversion
- Movie capture at up to 1080p 24 fps with stereo sound
- Nikon EXPEED Plus image processor 30% faster than previous EXPEED image processor
- Super fast operation (power-up 13 ms, shutter lag 40 ms, black-out 90 ms)
- Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 200,000 exposure durability
- Multi-CAM3500DX Auto Focus sensor (51-point, 15 cross-type, more vertical coverage)
- Auto-focus tracking by color (using information from 1005-pixel AE sensor)
- Auto-focus calibration (fine-tuning) now available (fixed body or up to 20 separate lens settings)
- Vignetting control in-camera
- Automatic chromatic aberration correction
- Custom image parameters now support brightness as well as contrast
- Seven frames per second continuous shooting (nine frames per second with battery pack)
- 3.0″ 922,000 pixel LCD monitor
- Live View with either phase detect (mirror up/down) or contrast-detect AF, face detection
- ‘Active D-Lighting’ (adjusts metering as well as applying D-Lighting curve)
- Detailed ‘Control Panel’ type display on LCD monitor, changes color in darkness
- Buttons sealed against moisture
- Same ultra-fast startup and shutter lag as D700
- Scene Recognition System (uses AE sensor, AF sensor)
- Picture Control image parameter presets
- UDMA compatible single CF card slot
- Virtual horizon indicates if camera is level (like an aircraft cockpit display)
- Extensive in-camera retouching
- HDMI HD video output
- Magnesium alloy body with connections and buttons sealed against moisture
I think these are pretty darn impressive. What are your thoughts? Anything you wish was here that isn’t? Anything that surprises you?
I saw an interesting rumor today posted by NikonRumors.com which hints that the Nikon D300 has been discontinued. Apparently a Best Buy employee has claimed that the Nikon D300 is discontinued by the manufacturer. Normally this would be a low value rumor, but supposedly NikonRumors.com also received similar reports from several similar European companies. The post says the Nikon D300 was removed from the Nikon Europe websites, but I looked on a couple such as the French website and found it. So? Is this a legitimate rumor? A sign of things to come? In the past, products being discontinued have been met shortly thereafter by the next product in the line, so is the Nikon D400 on the immediate horizon? My guess is no. At this point I’d say its all just hearsay. Check on NikonRumors.com to make your own opinion.
Less than two weeks ago, Nikon announced the release of another new DSLR, this one following their entry level line. The Nikon D5000 appears promising at first glance, but is it worth the cost? To start us off, here are the key features as listed by Nikonusa.com
Now looking at this, its obviously an entry level SLR, especially considering the advanced in technology over the last little while. The 12.3 megapixel DX sensor is to be expected. I actually find a slew of similarities between the Nikon D90 and the D5000. One major difference I saw is the lack of an autofocus motor in the body of the camera itself. It has movie mode like the D90, which allows you to make movies in HD 720p up to 5 minutes long. Now personally, though I’m fairly impressed with this camera’s features, I want a higher caliber model such as the Nikon D300 (or D400 
), but I see this as a viable alternative. If you’re interested in buying it now, it is priced at $729.95 for the body alone and $849.95 with a 18-55mm lens. Amazon.com will be getting 6 more in stock on 30 April 09, so if you want to pick one up I’d suggest grabbing it ASAP. If you want more information straight from Nikon, check out the D5000’s listing at Nikonusa.com.
The forum is up and running and I’ve made the first post! I must say, installing BBPress this first time was a huge pain in the rear, but I figured it out and the result can be found at www.nikond400news.com/bbpress. I am still trying to work out a couple kinks here and there, like finding the best way to link it back to the main site. I’ll work out the bugs over the next couple days. Till then, have fun, and start discussing!
Also, if you know of a nice theme that you think would fit for this forum, let me know. I like the current one but I’m sure there is something better out there.
For those of you who havn’t seen it yet, I’ve added a countdown timer in the sidebar for the Nikon D400 release date. The trick is, right now there isn’t a release date. That countdown is what I estimate will be the release date. I’m basing my estimate off previous release dates for the D100, D200, and D300, on random chatter I’ve heard, and on my gut feeling. When do you guys think it will be released and why?
I’ve been trying to get a Bbpress forum installed for this site but having some difficulties. It doesn’t seem to like me and now I’ve managed to completely lock myself out of it by accidentally changing the case on the URL… Apparently, BBPress is case sensitive. Who knew? Anyways, it’s gonna be a little while before its finished though. I’m just going to remove the current install and start over from scratch. I hope the Nikon D400 News.com forum will be up before I go back to work on Wednesday though. Once its up, please sign up and also feel free to suggest forum topic ideas.
According to Chris Davies of Slashgear.com in his article "Nikon D400 imminent? Guide book coming in July" a screenshot of the German version of Amazon.com revealed a pre-release of a Nikon D400 Guidebook in hardcover to be released sometime in July.
The supposed author Michael Gradias adds some credibility to this rumor, but I found myself scheptical. I decided to do some release on the author and found a list of all the books he’s written here. No mention of the D400 anywhere. Big surprise there, but I like to be thorough so I did some more poking around. Though neither Amazon.com nor Amazon.de currently list any books on the Nikon D400, its possible they had just removed the slip. I therefore went to Michael Gradias’ site and did some searching. No mention of the D400.
The next step though provided a little better results. I did a search on the ISBN number listed in the Amazon.de screenshot and came up with DealOz.com. Now it looks somewhat promising just by the fact that it is listed in Mr Gradias’ results for books he’s authored, but I wouldn’t classify it as conclusive by any means. I’m not convinced its a reliable site. I did a manual ISBN search through about 10 other book sites and all came up empty. I’m going to label this a probable hoax, but I suppose it is a plausible rumor.
I’m setting up a forum for all the site’s visitors to post almost anything they want to. Everyone should be able to just use the same login info as they would to post a comment. If anyone knows of a good BBPress theme that is photography oriented, please let me know at admin@nikond400news.com and I’ll take a peek. For now I’m using an ok theme, but you’ll see within a coule days. I hope to have it up and running kink free by the end of the week.
Come one, come all, and witness history in the making! I, Pat Shaaw, am about to lose my blog-ginity! Being that this is a photography blog you would probably expect me to post a picture of myself during this event, but I am one ugly mother so I’ll spare everyone the nightmares. On a more serious note, this is my first blog. Not only that, but my first website of any kind, and so I fully expect it to fail miserably. I mostly just decided I wanted to share my opinions and keep an up to date account of the news and rumours surrounding an up and coming camera, the Nikon D400.
Now I’m not by any means what I would call a professional photographer. In fact, in all honesty, I suck… I am getting better, and since my hobby is less than six months in the making, and that I have no formal training, I am completely aware of the fact that I probably should not be giving tips to anyone when it comes to photography. I’m going to anyways. The most important thing though, is that I’ve used a friend’s Nikon D300. It is amazing. Its on a whole other level than my pitiful excuse for a camera, an old Nikon D50 which is in such bad shape I’d almost be better of with my first camera… which I’m ashamed to say… was a FujiFilm Z10FD. Yes, I just bowed my head in shame. Still, my trusty old Fuji was what first got me taking pictures, and now I’m writing a blog. Crazy. Anyways, I’m really looking forward to the Nikon D400, and if I can afford it when it comes out, I may end out finally investing in a "real" camera that I can use to actually break into the photography biz.
So, to sum it all up, welcome to my blog at NikonD400News.com, enjoy, and don’t be afraid to share any news, opinions, rumours, photos, or whatever you want with me at admin@nikond400news.com.
Cheers,
Pat
