Houston -The Dot Has Landed - And Taken Off Again

Well the Leica T is pretty much here - we had a product launch last night with Daniel from Leica showing the camera, lenses, and accessories.

If you want to see it today...you can't. He took it away again. HOWEVER...he and Saul promised that the whole shooting match will be back here in the shop on the 28th of May, in stock, supplies for sale - you bring money, you get camera.

The whole shooting match includes a range of accessories - two lenses are to be made with the T mount right now and more are coming. There is an adapter to let you use Leica M mount lenses on the camera. There are four fitted plastic cases and a leather model. There will be system cases. There is an electronic viewfinder with GPS in it. There will be a new flash. There is the best camera neck strap in the universe available for it and some pretty snazzy coloured wrist straps. The batteries are to be colour-coded for the camera colour - because they feature a metal plate at the end that forms part of the external surface of the camera.

The device itself is elegantly designed and uniquely manufactured. Only two buttons  -shutter and video start/stop. The rest of the commands go through the very large touch screen.

You are not overwhelmed when you turn the screen on - you pick the criteria that you wish to deal with and cache them in your own interface screen. If you are a steady customer you just need a few controls. If you are the type who jitters around a lot you can have a lot of things to fiddle with. Your choice.

As with many modern devices, it Wi's and Fi's and you can control it from your electronic ear warmer, pocket warmer, or lap warmer. If you wish to put it on the end of a pole and wave it over the wall you can fire it from the ground. Do not laugh - someone will.

The strap that we alluded to earlier is the best in the place because it plugs into the camera body with a minimum of fuss - you get to keep your fingernails - and it is a tough, smooth neoprene rubber. Entirely in keeping with the style of the camera.

The " Leica Enthusiast " who worries whether the company has done a good thing can rest assured. They have. It's an elegant but not as expensive option to the big 'ol M camera. It will develop its own line of lenses and followers. The geeks on forums who cannot afford to buy it will bat the idea of it about like they always do, but the people who can afford to buy it will have a wonderful instrument that takes wonderful pictures.

Launch Day

Today is a momentous day for the Western World. Or at least the portion of the Western World that hovers around 230 Stirling Street...and for that matter those members of the Eastern World who do the same...

Today is Launch Day for a new Leica product. I'm not allowed to show it here on the blog, but that is okay because I have not seen it myself. I can say it is smaller than the Graf Zeppelin and more expensive than a Kinder Surprise egg. It may, or may not take digital pictures and it may, or may not be carved out of a solid block of metal. Actually that also applies to the Kinder Surprise too...

After work we are going to have ...more work...as we roll out the new item and celebrate it. There will, presumably, be drinks and snacks. If not, there will, assuredly, be murder.

Watch for us in the papers.

Furniture Porn

In the grand tradition of the selfie, here is the new desk that we have just made for the sales area - and the three new sales and display cabinets behind it for the paper, darkroom, and inks.

IKEA may be a boiling hell with meatballs during the day but at least the flatpack furniture does go together well. I would advise people to look very carefully at the diagrams in the wordless instruction book. Every little drawing has hidden meanings that are obvious when the next stage doesn't fit. I would welcome colour printing with red arrows and exclamation marks.

The Cold War Heats Up - With Kodak

Relax - no need to go into the fallout shelter just yet. The Russians are only annexing their neighbours and we don't live that near them. Just don't go investing your superannuation in Lomo camera shares....

Actually, I am not sure if it is the increase in international tensions or just a clever ploy by Rochester to get money from the government, but I note hat there is a new aerial film format being introduced later this month. Apparently digital imaging from near-space just does not have the resolution that film can provide, so they are going back to flying over  potential targets and photographing them with regular cameras. The RB36 has been mooted as the best platform.

Of course these are not just "regular" cameras - they need to have a big format to pack all the information in. Thus the new film format. Rumour has it they use colour negative film, but I don't know what emulsion.

I've asked a friend who works at Corrigan AFB if he can get me a roll of it to test out. I am not quite sure if my Linhof monorail camera will take it, but this sort of opportunity is too good to miss. I'll report whatever success when the film arrives.

Uncle Dick

Whole Lotta Leica Goin' On

No post from me yesterday because we were busy preparing the shop for and important event - the official opening of our new Leica boutique shop-within-a-shop.

In case that sounds complicated, it really means that we have a dedicated Leica section here at the front of the shop that has been designed and manufactured by Leica to showcase their product. Now we have a lot more of their products here with us right now and can service the needs of the Leica enthusiast and professional with real style.

Style is a lot of it - we saw the new 100th-year anniversary camera introduced here last night and a wonderful range of colour-coordinated Leica cameras and binocular sets. The former has a special logo engraved onto the Leica D-Lux 6 and a silver lens assembly while the latter are yellow, blue, beige, red...you name it and if Leica can catch it and skin it they can likely cover your camera with it.

The other fashion device is the G-Star Raw camera - again derived from the Leica D-Lux 6 body but with an entirely different covering and body colour. It has a very cool bag included as part of the assemblage.

There was German sausage and beer, German sparkling wine, German cider, and a very pretty blonde model for the photographers to test the cameras out on. There were speeches from the Camera Electronic and Leica managers. The new 100-yeqr camera was announced and shown, and the national manager for Leica was able to remind us of some of the most iconic images of the twentieth century that were taken with Leicas.

Side note: If you once thought that Leica was sort of a staid old-guy's toy sold by staid old guys, you can put that thought firmly out of your mind. The company here in Australia and in Germany is running young and thinking young. Big things coming. When they come, they'll come here to our red and black boutique!

NOW It's Hands On. Fuji X-T1

Came in early. Made sure the battery of the Fuji X-T1 was charged. Put on the 18-55 lens and popped around the place shooting. Some of the results are here on this post, though the nature of a blog picture can never show the entire quality of the file - it is too small.

Right now, I can't see what the RAW work would be like - this computer has too old a copy of PE to do it and Aperture doesn't support the X-T1 RAW file yet. This will be added, no doubt, in the next few months. Until then I would have to use one of the jpeg file settings.

This is not a limitation with Fuji. I discovered a long time ago with my Fuji X-10 that the jpeg files were so good that I didn't even bother to update to RAW work for two years. I could go to the car shows and shoot happily and just show or print the jpegs as is.

Of course, since I decided to get fancy and add to my fill-flash setup ( see previous posts ) I had glorious opportunities to stuff up the exposures....and seized those opportunities...so starting to use the RAW has proved to be a benefit. I can recover my sins gracefully in a darkened computer room with the door shut.

For the time being, I would shoot the X-T1 in studio in jpeg readily - I can see the results straight away and modify them with studio lighting. I would also feel perfectly confident in using it as a field camera dependant upon the camera's meter - it does a far better job of exposure than I do, as long as I do not try to help it out.

And Adobe and Apple will beaver away in the electronic background and one day announce that you can use their products with Fuji X-T1 in RAW.

Note, I suspect that you can use the Fuji RAW conversion in the camera right now on a picture by picture basis.

Please also note one ergonomic/design note. Like some Canon lenses for Canon cameras, Fuji X lenses for Fuji X cameras have a metal lens mount and the electronic contacts that are recessed slightly into the mount. Fuji have the advantage over Canon that there is only one type of mount - you don't get confused with red-dot or white-square when you try to mount a lens. Fuji have the advantage over my large Nikon in that the Nikon mount is filled with sharp edges and protruding levers and can be a bit crunchy when going on and off.

If I could offer one request to the Fujifilm company in their lens design, it would be to follow the lead of manufacturers who place a raised dot or other external indicator at the point where their lens mount engages the body. Just to be able to feel the orientation as you bring the lens to the camera. I suppose you could always sew a button to the lens with a strong bit of twine...I must try this with the shop lenses.

I'll let you know how I get on...

Very Nearly Hands On With the New Fuji X-T1 camera

Okay, we HAVE got our hands on the Fuji X-T1. As I type the staff are fighting tooth and nail to get a play with the new camera. I got two quick shots before it was whisked away, but at least I got to see some good bits.

One, the hand grip is perfect for the balance of the camera.

Two, the viewfinder is brilliant. Big.

Three, the classic front and back control wheels are exactly where your fingers need to find them for the operation of aperture or shutter speed.

Four, it looks as though the TTL control contacts in the hot shoe have been changed from those on previous Fuji cameras. There are four silver contacts plus a gold one as well as the central contact. This argues a new set of flashes coming. Hip. Hip. Hooray. Should this be the case, this camera will be the central pivot of a new professional system. I wait with bated breath.

Five, the inclusion of the tilting screen is welcome. Forget peering down through the gloom in the studio when you can pull the screen out and use it as a waist-level viewfinder.

Six, the focus assist button that boosts the center of the screen to allow you to focus is as precise as you could ask for. Beats the old microprism screen all hollow.

In short, an extremely desirable object. Watch out for our launch night when we get this baby in action!

Whoompf And Boomf

Looks as though the Nikon lens design bureau has decided the try something on one of their APS-C cameras that up till now has been seen on the smaller 1-series cameras; folding lenses.

Lest you think I mean folding in the middle, I hasten to clarify*. The lens parks itself in itself and only comes out to working size when you twist the main barrel. Users of the 1 -series cameras or lenses in the Olympus micro 4/3 range will recognise this as a very effective ploy to reduce the size of the thing for carriage.

The idea has been applied to the 18-55 standard zoom that comes with the smaller cameras. It will be seen on the new D3300 and some of the others, I suspect. If it proves useful, perhaps they will extend the design concept to other longer lenses. Logic tells me that to house concentric lens barrels that add up eventually to a longer focal length requires an increasing diameter in the main ring. Fatter lens - twist it to get longer.

We shall see. Don't know when but will photo it as soon as one gets here.

*All lenses can fold in the middle, but some only do it once...

Smaller And Smaller

I am always amazed at the degree to which the Japanese designers of cameras succeed in miniaturising things. You see, I remember the Mamiya camera company's efforts in the medium format field and how they seemed to get bigger with each passing year. I do remember camping in the lee of an RZ67 for a week in inclement weather and was grateful for the shelter.

No such shelter from the Panasonic Lumix GM camera and lens. It is a micro 4/3 camera that has been reduced to he smallest compass yet. I will not say the smallest size possible as they will take it for a challenge and then the next one will fit in your nostril. No sense poking the extremely small bear.

As it is, this one is a beauty. Metal body, micro 4/3 mount, 12-32 lens. touch screen, 680 mAh battery, 2 custom channels, and Wifi built in. Stereo mic for video.built-in flash. makes BLT sandwiches. No, surely that can't be right...

Well, anyway, have a look at it. A real pocket beauty.

We Are Getting There Splendidly

Please disegard the expression on the face of our staff member, Mr. Doudakis. He is practising to be the Parthenon in a fog - grim, grey, and Greek. He is really as delighted with the progress of the new Leica Shop as rest of us.

The basic structure is up and we are setting out stock onto the shelves. Leica have an amazing range of cameras, lenses, and accessories. Their binoculars are superb - there is an entires section devoted to them at the right of the shop. We have also made provision for the pre-owned Leica stock in some very elegant show cabinets.

There will be much more coming - drift in occasionally to see the new stock go up. If you want you can buy some...just sayin'...

UD On The Df

Move over, Ken.

Uncle Dick has had two days to play with the new Nikon Df camera - we got them on Wednesday of this week and held a big launch for them after 6:00 on the night. Today he gives his verdict.

As a quick aside - I scored a bottle of beer and a piece of sushi on Wednesday and  thoroughly enjoyed the picture presentation by David Dare Parker. Other people were faster with the food. A LOT of people crowded into the shop and a goodly number of cameras and lenses were sold. The buyers are all out there right now skiving off work so that they can go out with their new cameras...and who could blame them.

To quell your fears, the device is a good one. It is an interesting take by Nikon on what people MIGHT want in a digital camera. I would be fascinated to see who they surveyed and how they asked the questions to arrive at their design plan. The aesthetics of it argue that they are targeting a particular market - the operational characteristics may am at something else.

Here - what I mean is that it has been constructed to look like a film camera of the 1970's and 80's - not a dead simulation, but a design that has a great deal of mimicry about it. Not a new thing to do - think of Fuji's X100 and X100s camera and their echo of the 35mm rangefinder camera. This is Nikon trying the same thing with the big DSLR.

Students of the camera will remember that Nikon replicated some of their 35mm rangefinder cameras just at the turn of the millenium for nostalgic collectors. They were available in Japan, and B&H, and ECS for some time but have now settled into eBay and Uncle Boris' various shops. Pursue them if you will - they work about as good as ever they did.

This new camera is of another stamp. Nikon don't want the collectors to buy it - they want to sell this one to users. They have pitched the appearance to those of us nostalgic for the older gear, but the guts of it and the functionality are right up with the best new practise. One point to mention: if you want to do video you cannot do it with this device. It is pure still photography.

Okay - Nikon takes the body style of the film SLR and puts the sensor and computer processor of their best full-frame camera in it. The legendary D4 sensor - thing that has improbably high ISO and impossibly low noise combined. They put the controls for the thing up on metal dials like the old days. They lighten the body by making the panels of magnesium. They opt for a smaller battery than the big cameras - so that it can go in a slimmer hand grip. No pop-up flash. Traditional PC connector and mechanical cable release.

But remember that this is a digital camera and modern users are used to adjusting the shutter and aperture with thumb wheels - so they put that on there as well. You don't need to use them - you can do your adjusting on dials. You can also add all your old Nikon-mount lenses from the film era - they have incorporated the special little dedicated tab on the lens mount that talks to the lenses. You might be scrapping to put 1962 lenses on it but all the later ones go very well.

The battery compartment bears an EL-EN14a battery and an SD card slot and WHOA NELLIE there is a heavy rubber seal and metal locking key to get into it. It speaks well for the weather sealing of the rest of the body. Retro-look notwithstanding this is going to be a camera that can can withstand hard service.

Hard service: Can't tell whether people who get shot at for profit will be taking this out amongst the rockets and machetes. David Dare Parker said he would - he has been using the big D3 and 4 series for just that for a number of years. Now he'll get a chance to get that level of performance at a very much lighter weight. He will be wise to take a couple of spare batteries on a bandolier, however - the EN-El14a is a 1230 mAh pack.

Soft service: This is all any amateur photographer will ever need - as long has it as a good selection of Nikon lenses. I do not wish to suggest that the amateur should stop buying cameras - this is a business and we want to eat...but if you get this one you have a vast vista of capability in front of you and you will be working long and hard to exhaust the possibilities.

Pose service: This is new and if you are fast you will have it before your brother in law. Hurry in and bring your card.

Uncle Dick

NIKON Df

Nikon Df digital camera.

Yes, we have them.

Here - 230 Stirling Street, Perth.

Now - 9:15 AM Thursday, 28 November.

Ready for sale.

08 9238 4405

Wow! Look At This! The New Camera!

Wow! First pictures of the new Nikon DF camera - right here on my blog! And I took the picture! I can hardly contain myself.

Oops. Didn't. Back in a minute.

Now, where were we? Oh, yes, the new Nikon DF camera that everybody in the town will be crowding in to see tonight - we're hosting a tease-a thon between 6:00 and 8:30, whereupon we will start selling the camera and taking orders. People finally get to see whether the rumours were true. They get to see and touch and spend.

I'm counting down to 6:00 and so should you.

Uncle Dick

Stop. Stop Showing Me The Pictures. Now I Want One, Too...

The way of the world is changing. No longer do we get told about new cameras before the customers. They get told before us - or they tell themselves. The rumour sites run red hot as soon as someone can get a faint whisper, and the imaginative writers can all file their copy on the merest whiff of a specification.

I am no different. I have not seen the new Nikon DF, nor am likely to do so for some time. I've skimmed D P Review, Rockwell, and The Vegetarian's Guide To Defusing Mortar Bombs and rephrased their speculative writing as best I can. In truth you can use your mouse to click over to their sites and get your rumours fresh...

But. I do have some ideas about it - firstly, I want to see it in hand - my hand.

I tried another much-rumoured product from a different manufacturer last week when their sales reps brought two examples in. Superb specifications, and should produce great images, but not if my right forefinger is pressing the button. My right forefinger had difficulty getting to the button, as it was positioned for someone else's hand geometry. With a camera strap on it just couldn't do it. Lovely camera, but no. Just no.

I have hopes for the Nikon DF. The ergonomics of Nikon cameras have always worked out well for me. The specs say it is considerably lighter than the other camera in the range that carries the same sensor, and that is attractive too. I always craved that sensor for its low-light capability, but quailed at carrying the machinery to support it. Old wrists are weak wrists.

Likewise, I like that the promise of being able to mount any number of older Nikon lenses to it - I HAVE any number of older Nikon lenses. Some are so convenient that they are the go-to choice even in the face of the fact that brand-new glass from Nikon is even better. I am not ashamed to admit that I can fool myself into thinking anything - I know my own weaknesses.

There may be a lot of readers who are in the same boat out there - and I think that they should set about cleaning and shining their collection of Nikon-mount lenses right now in preparation for the delivery date - whenever that turns out to be - so that they can bring them down here to the shop in a cardboard box and try out the new body. I am going to start tonight.

Note: This last weekend I was tasked with doing a wedding in a church that did not allow  flash photography. I squeaked it in with a Nikon D300s at 800 ISO and my zoom lens set on the VR setting. The church had glass walls and they opened one up to let the air in and the perspiration out. I see from the EXIF that I was down to 5.6 and 1/50 second for most of the ceremony. Thank goodness I work close to the floor and adopt the kneeling rifleman's position - the images are sharp enough. In future, if I can persuade myself to get the DF, it will be possible to push that ISO to 3200 easily and grab a stop and a speed and balance on one foot off the altar. Roll on the DF roll-out...

An Initial Response To The New Nikon - DF

Well, that's all you get, unless like us you whizz over to the DP Review site or the Nikon company sites and look at the actual pictures of the actual new Nikon DF camera. If you are confused it is the new retro-styled FX DSLR body and there is to be a retro-styled lens to match it. I think it started as a style and marketing exercise but underlying that is a real advantage for some photographers.

The body looks like a fusion ( and the F in the DF is intended to stand for fusion...) of a Nikon DSLR back and the Nikon FM series or F3 camera front. There are stylistic hints from each type there. Builder's photos show a metal top and body. it is slightly larger, it appears, than the F3.

The eyepiece on the FM series and the F3 had no dipoter adjustment - I learned that my eyes were changing when I got increasingly out-of-focus results with my F3. Of course I could have searched out correction lenses but never did - medium format and large format called me away, and by the time that digital was necessary the Nikon DSLRs had adjustable dipotres. Bless them, they have kept that feature in the DF.

The finder on the F3 was 100% and huge but for us spectacle wearers it was problematic - we shifted around trying to see the edges of the frame. The DF has a slightly smaller coverage and we should be able to get the full view in one.

I note from the promotional photos in DP Review that the shutter release is mechanical enough to use a cable release. The shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation functions are on good-sized external metal dials, with locks in their centers. There is a T as well as a B and and X to boot. If it locks in the X it will sell to me, as I am always jiggering up the synch speed in the studio on my Nikon DSLR and making black bands on the images.

The thing runs on En El 14 batteries to make it smaller - this means that you might have to  get a coupla spares if you are a prolific shooter. You can't shoot video on it - you'll need one of the other fine Nikon products to do that. You CAN shoot dang near all the Nikon lenses from the 70's onwards ( please note the dang near - I am sure someone will pop up with a special lens that requires a woodpile and band of lascars to operate it just to prove me wrong...) so dig out all the good glass that you have stacked away and try them out. I have a 28-105 macro that is dying for a good body...

We are taking pre-delivery orders sight unseen. Which doesn't mean that we are closing our eyes and typing away...it means you can put a deposit down and go on the list for the first deliveries. The prices are:

Nikon DF camera body, silver or black, by itself.................................................$ 3483

Nikon DF camera body, silver or black, plus special 50mm f:1.8 lens.............$ 3822

Remember I said there was real advantage in the new Nikon DF? It has the sensor from the D4 - that's immense light gathering capability in a DSLR. It is lighter than the D4 by a long way, and if you are a shooter that does not need the incredible 11 FPS of the D4 and can manage with 5 FPS, then this is your body.

I will have to wait until I get my hands on the actual camera to tell you what it feels like in the hand. And whether it stands up to the Uncle Dick throw-it-down-the-stairwell durability test. It should be interesting.

Self Portrait With Camera Box

Just in and just down from our receiving desk - the new Nikon D610 24-85 VR kit. The handsome gent seen reflected in the box top is not for sale but the camera and lens are.

This is the ideal Nikon do-everything full-frame DSLR and the lens is well suited to portraits, family and group pictures, tourism, and interiors. It is the sort of camera that goes on tour and brings back large files for award-winning club shooters.

Add a card and a filter and charge it up and go. Proper Nikon Australia warranty and a price of $ 3299 on our computer.

This is a great upgrade of the D600 and should be very popular with enthusiasts.

The Newest Of The New From Canon

Really. Just announced a half hour ago. And the literature just handed to me to blog. No sign of the actual device, but I can paraphrase the press release for you.

Canon 70D. Replacement for the Canon 60D. A new system camera that integrates with most of the stuff you already have. New spcs are:

20.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor.
Digic 5+ processor.
19 autofocus points.
7FPS and the buffer can stack in 15 RAW or 40 jpeg at that rate.
Up to 7 shot backeting.
7 creative filters in-built.
3" touch screen.
Built-in Wi-Fi.
Full HD 1080 video - 3 different frame rates.
Continuous Movie Servo. Continuous pre-AF in the live view mode.
Stereo mic built-in.
Optical flash control for the Canon speed lights - radio connectivity for the 600EX-RT in-built.


The focusing during live-view shooting is effected with a new system. It is referred to as dual pixel CMOS AF. Each pixel is said to have image and AF detection circuits. The lens is stated to move only in one direction to the AF focus point - not to hunt back and forth.

The system chart shows all the usual connectivity to EF and EF-S lenses, as well as to the large number of Canon speed lights. It should be a fine successor in the small-sensor high quality camera market.

We'll be able to tell you more when the Canon representative tells US more. You can ring up and put your name and a deposit down for it now, but you'll have to wait to find out the final prices. The management has just got briefed and they need time to digest.

Flash Bang Wallop! New Leica Vario News! Here! Now!

Pardon the exuberance, and be grateful that Blogger only allows a moderate size of font - otherwise we would have a WAR DECLARED! banner above this post.

The New Leica X-Vario that we blogged about on Wednesday night at 9:00:15 ( to comply with the advertising embargo. Oh it is all intrigue in the camera game...) is HERE! NOW!

Brent the Storeman is prising it out of the packaging with a jemmy bar as I type and you can come in to the shop and give it a test shot today - provided there is a bit of German electricity in the battery.

Saul is beside himself. You can add whatever punchline you want to that one, but do come in and have a look at the new camera.

Uncle Dick

Whole Lotta Pictures - New Nikon Lens Spy Photos

Hahahahaha. Got my hands on a pre-production model of the new Nikon 80mm - 400mm AS-S Nikkor f:4.5-5.6 G ED lens and ran out of the shop. The industry reps are at a meeting with one of our owners and this is my chance...

First, the studio pics of the lens itself. Note the new style of the barrel and the inclusion of a the 4 slider controls on the LHS of the lens. The bottom one is a lock to keep it from creeping open when you are transporting it. The barrel shape is a very elegant curve at the back there that leaves plenty of room for the fingers of your right hand.

The feel of the lens is very smooth and the results appear to be superb - the VR snaps in with authority and I was able to hand-hold all of the featured shots. It's a cool day out there with mild contrast and not a lot of atmospherics so we got a pretty neutral look at things.

The tripod foot is greatly redesigned in comparison to the previous model - much neater.

I cannot say how much this is going to cost, nor when we are going to have them in store. We'll announce it when we know.

More Bang For The Buck With Nikon

Yesterday's arrival of the D7100 fills a need that we have felt for the last few weeks - an APSC-size sensor with 24.1 Megapixels and the Nikon lens mount.

The chassis is the well-proven D7000 type. Nikon enthusiasts know that this is the result of the continuous development all the way from the D60 days - as each successive generation of camera is introduced the body build quality improves - magnesium castings for structural rigidity - and the electronic performance steadily upgraded.

This means better low-light performance - improved video working - and in this case a more finely divided sensor. I hesitate to say that 24.1 Megapixels will be the final achievement for the 18mm x 24mm sensor because I know that some of the extremely tiny sensors on compact cameras and cell phones can be hold even smaller light-sensitive divisions. Who can say if the major manufacturers will try to make a higher number in the future...

In any case, this should be a perfect camera for the landscape artist or for people concerned with extreme detail. The carry weight of the camera with the average wide-angle lens is also favourable - it is no fun trying to lug a camera that is the weight of an anvil if you are expecting to climb mountains  looking for a view.

Likewise, workers who expect to lug the aforementioned camera through a long day at a wedding or event might welcome this sort of Nikon - every gram of weight you don't support means your arms will feel better.

Of course the camera has all the normal Nikon features - dedicated custom channels for pro's, helper programs for the perplexed, standard PASM for everybody else. Quick-clck bracketing button on the left side of the body so that you do not have to re-program it from the menu. Preview button tucked up near the lens for stopping down.

Interesting feature - if you can live with 15.3 Megapixels in your picture...you can turn on a 1.3X feature that gives you just that much more reach with telephoto lenses. In the case of the 18-200 I put on for the heading shot, this means you are fielding a 260mm. Good for sports - good for portraits if you really don't want to go close to the subject...

D7100 - in store now.