Camera preview NikonD3300 Nikon’s latest DSLR might well be aimed at the relative newcomer to DSLR photography, but it is also well endowed with great features that photographers of any level can enjoy FIRST LOOK
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PRICE £500 body only, £599 with Nikon 18-55mm VRII lens CONTACT www.nikon.co.uk SENSOR
The optical viewfinder is bright and clear and the 11 AF points are clearly marked. There is the option to use just one AF point and move this around with the multi-way controller. If you prefer, you can leave the camera in Auto Area mode, or there’s 3D-tracking and Dynamic Area AF too. AF is very responsive and even pretty good when the light levels drop – there’s an AF illuminator available, which you can turn off if you want to be more discrete. Speaking of discretion, push the shutter button all the way down and you can enjoy the D3300’s quiet, low vibration shutter. There is a Qmode too (unusual in an entry-level DSLR), which has a noticeable but not massive impact on the shutter sound. Having only shot a few frames for this first look, it’s fair to report that the D3300 seems to do everything as promised. Of course, where it really counts is in image quality. So far so good here, with high-quality straight-out-of-the-camera JPEGs with respectable high ISO performance too. Obviously it’s very early on in my time with the D3300, but there is plenty here for me to enjoy and explore, so I’m looking forward to putting it properly through its paces. highest in the world, beating all full-frame DSLRs, and a claimed lag time of 0.005 seconds makes it the fastest of its kind. It lives up to its billing – it’s truly huge and extremely clear, and while 0.005 seconds is difficult to measure, it really doesn’t seem to be off the pace of real time at all. You even have the option of eliminating the inevitable eye sensor delay by keeping the viewfinder on all the time – in this mode, the image is there whenever you lift it to your eye, just like using an optical viewfinder. Focusing is often the downfall of mirrorless cameras, and Fujifilm has struggled in the past, but this seems to have been well and truly addressed. I’m not sure whether the ‘world’s fastest AF’ claims hold up here, but I do know that in use it’s very speedy. And in choosing to focus manually, there’s the option of Fujifilm’s ingenious digital split image to get it spot on. Inside is the same X-Trans II sensor and EXR II processor as the X-E2, so image quality was never in doubt and doesn’t disappoint. With the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 Fujinon lens, images I’ve taken are incredibly crisp with a lot of detail and strong colours. The only disappointment at this stage is no Raw compatibility with Adobe software, but this is just a matter of time.
24.2 megapixels, with EXPEED 4 processor IMAGE DIMENSIONS 6000x4000pixels ISORANGE 100-12,800 (100-25,600 extended) SHUTTER 30secs-1/4000sec, B and T modes, flash sync 1/200sec Matrix, centre- weighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Up to 5fps LCD SCREEN 3in 921k dot, 100% frame coverage STORAGEMEDIA 1x SD card DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 124x98x75.5mm WEIGHT METERING PATTERNS PRICE £1049 body only, £1399 with 18-55mm f/2.8-4 CONTACT www.fujifilm.co.uk SENSOR 16.3 megapixels with EXR II processor IMAGE DIMENSIONS 4896x3264pixels ISORANGE 200-6400 (100-51,200 extended) SHUTTER 30secs-1/4000sec, B and T modes, flash sync 1/180sec METERING PATTERNS Multi, average, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Up to 8fps LCD SCREEN 3in 1040k dot, 100% frame coverage STORAGEMEDIA 1x SD card DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 129x89.8x46.7mm WEIGHT SPECS 460g (including battery and card)
Words by Will Cheung
In the hand, the D3300 feels lightweight but not at all flimsy and its compact dimensions mean it sits well in my average-sized hands. The only dial is clearly marked with the essential PASM modes, but there are plenty of scene and effect modes to explore too. Toy Camera, Easy Panorama and Miniature Effect are filter modes that I enjoyed and they generally worked well – in JPEG only, of course. Turn the camera on and the monitor comes to life with plenty of information. I thought the default info display was excellent – clear, information-packed and very useable. I really liked the way the three key camera settings – aperture, shutter speed and ISO – were shown prominently. Sometimes ISO can be confined to a bit part, but not here. By the way, the screen is not touch sensitive. The menu set-up is very Nikon, which is fine if you’re familiar with the brand, but newcomers shouldn’t have a problem finding key items. There are also options for customising controls – the Fn, AEL/AFL and shutter buttons can be set up to handle different functions.
BELOW The ability to shoot at ISO 12,800 is very welcome on an entry-level DSLR.
FujifilmX-T1 Having made its mark in the professional, enthusiast and entry- level markets with its innovative technology, Fujifilm is taking the X-series in a DSLR-inspired direction with the X-T1
Words by Ian Fyfe
Just from looking at the X-T1, it’s obvious that it’s different from the rest of the X-series. The styling is still retro, but rather than the rangefinder style of the X-Pro1 and X-E2, it’s more like a film SLR, with a central pentaprism-style viewfinder and more substantial handgrip. The styling is an indication that Fujifilm thinks this camera has the speed and performance to match a DSLR. Having used it for a short time, I think they might be right. Everything about the X-T1 speaks of quality, and once it’s in your hand, it feels sturdy, comfortable and classy. The handling is a dream – like the other top-end X-series cameras, exposure control is selected via the shutter speed dial and lens aperture ring – either or both can be set to auto, or you can take full control. But with space on the left shoulder, there’s also room for a drive mode selector and ISO dial, while a metering mode switch is slipped under the shutter speed dial. In the normal run of things, there’s no need to enter the menus at all. The specs of the new viewfinder make for high expectations. The magnification of 0.77x is the
BELOW The X-Trans II sensor delivers plenty of detail and strong colours in JPEG files.
440g (including battery and card)
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Issue 5 | Photography News
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