Well, the big news today comes from Nikon with their official announcement of the D300s DSLR. The new model keeps the D300’s DX-format 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor but adds new features like a dual CF/SDHC card slot, 7fps burst mode (or 8 with the optional MB-D10 battery pack) and most notably, a 720P 24fps movie mode.

Now it’s pretty obvious HD video recording is here to stay when it comes to DSLRs, and while 1080P would have been preferred, Nikon has at least included a stereo sound input allowing videographers to capture high-quality audio using an external mic. The D300s also allows you to edit videos in-camera with the ability to select start and stop end points during playback, but to me that sounds a lot more like ‘trimming’ than ‘editing.’ And if the 3-inch 920,000 pixel LCD display isn’t sufficient for your ‘editing’ needs, the camera also features the new Type C HDMI interface allowing you to review and edit your clips on an HD display. $1,799.95 (body only) available in late August.

[ PR - NIKON D300s REVITALIZES THE STANDARD AND MEASURE OF AGILE, PRO-LEVEL DX-FORMAT D-SLR DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE ]

By Evan Ackerman

I’ve got portable chargers for my cell phone, portable chargers for my iPod, portable chargers for my little video recorder, portable chargers for my AA batteries… The only thing I don’t have a portable charger for (besides my laptop) is my DSLR, because it takes those annoyingly square 7.4 volt battery packs that require their own special charger. Energizer is about to solve this problem with a little clip that has teeth to attach to the contacts of battery packs of any size. The other end can be plugged into a USB port, and if I may say, props to Energizer for not making it some kind of proprietary plug.

Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure that you can’t charge a 7.4 volt DSLR battery out of a 5 volt USB port, which means that you’ll have to instead use one of Energizer’s new line of XPAL universal power packs (out next month) that come with 8.4 volt outputs. Nothing wrong with that, though… The battery packs looks pretty useful, and some of them even come with solar chargers. We should be seeing a review unit sometime in the near future, and we’ll keep you updated.

[ Energizer XPAL Power ] VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Shane McGlaun

I will admit that other than the PS3 I am not a fan of Sony products. I especially loathe Sony cameras, not because they aren’t cool and don’t work well, but because you have to use Sony proprietary memory card formats that cost much more than the good ‘ol SD cards other cams can use.

If you don’t mind Sony’s proprietary nature, the company has announced three new DSLR cameras including the a380, a330, and a230. The a230 and a330 cameras are both 10.2-megapixel joints with adjustable LCDs and more goodies. The a230 is hailed as the most compact and light DSLR available at only 15.9-ounces.

If you want more megapixels the a380 sports 14.2 of them and promises to be lighter than Sony’s high megapixel predecessors the a300 and a350. All three sport Sony’s SteadyShot Inside tech to stabilize images regardless of the lens used. Kits with a SAL-1855 lens sell for $850 for the a380l kit, $650 for the a330L kit, and $550 for the a230L kit. Add $200 to each kit price and you can get a better kit with the SAL-1855 lens and the SAL-55200 zoom lens. The cams can be pre-ordered now.

[ Sony ]

If you don’t think a vinyl decal or a plastic shell is going to make your iPhone stand out amongst the crowd, then head on over to the SGPstore where you can get a skin that’s actually made from extremely thin, laser-etched nickel. And if that’s not ‘blingy’ (ugh) enough for you, there’s also versions that come coated in 24k gold or tinted in various colors.

The iPhone skins range in price from $14.99 to $21.99 depending on the finish, but the company also makes metal skins for most of the popular smartphones on the market as well as MP3 players, PMPs, laptops, gaming consoles and unfortunately, digital SLRs. Now don’t get me wrong, I can understand why someone might want to fancy up their cellphone or MP3 player, but doing that to your Canon or Nikon DSLR is quite simply a crime against technology.

[ SGPstore ] VIA [ Gear Live ]

Having used a DSLR for many years now, I much prefer looking through a viewfinder to compose a shot than starting at an LCD. But with more and more people making the upgrade from a P&S to a DSLR these days, it makes sense that Nikon would introduce a model like the D5000 which is their first to include a “Vari-angle” or flip-out LCD display.

The D5000 features the same 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor as the D90, and is also able to capture HD video in 720P at 24fps. The LCD display is a bit smaller at 2.7 inches, but it’s not that much of a trade-off if you’ve been really hoping for a swivel LCD on a DSLR. Personally, I’ve still got my sights on the D90 because it features a larger viewfinder and a bit more flexibility when it comes to custom settings, but the D5000 kit which includes the AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens should be available in late April for about $850, making it an excellent choice if you’re looking to replace your P&S.

[ Nikon D5000 ]

by Shane McGlaun

A couple years ago, I moved from a simple point-and-shoot camera to a much more complex Nikon D80 DSLR. At the time, the D80 was one of the best cameras you could get. The thing I missed right away with the D80 compared to my old camera was the ability to shoot video, but at the time, no DSLRs were able to record video.

Today things are much different and there are several DSLR cameras on the market that can shoot video in HD resolutions, like the Nikon D90. Canon today announced a new entry-level EOS Rebel T1i DSLR camera that can record video in full 1080p resolution, though at only 20 fps.

To get full motion 30 fps you have to cut the resolution back to 720p. The camera stores images and video to SD and SDHC memory cards. Other features include a 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and ISO 100 to ISO 3200 speeds. The rear Live View LCD is a 3-inch high-resolution screen. The T1i will ship in early May at an affordable price (for a DSLR) of $799.99 for the body only. Throw in an EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS zoom kit lens and the price for the camera goes up to $899.99.

[ Canon ]