Nikon D300s & D3000 Now Official

Nikon just unveiled the new Nikon D300s and an new entry level Nikon D3000.

Nikon D300s Key Features

• 13.1 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
• 720p HD video
• Dual Card Slot (CF & SD)
• 3.0″ LCD monitor (920,000 dots)
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• 51 AF points (with 3D tracking)
• IS0 200-3200 range (6400 expanded)
• 7 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 17 RAW, 44 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing
• Picture Controls – image parameters consistent with all current Nikon DSLRs
• Same EN-EL3e battery as D300
• 72 thumbnail view in playback

Nikon D3000 Key Features

• 10.2 megapixel DX-format CCD sensor (effective pixels: 10.7 million)
• 3.0″ LCD monitor (230,000 dots)
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
• IS0 100-1600 range (3200 expanded)
• 3 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing
• Picture Styles – image parameters consistent with all current Nikon DSLRs
• ‘Miniature effect’ mock-tilt/shift effect as retouch option
• Higher capacity battery from D5000
• 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playbac

Dpreview.com has a brief hands-on of the new Nikon D300s that you might wanna check out.

Mystic Lake Sebu

Lake Sebu is a province in South Cotabato region which is about 2 hours drive north of General Santos City in the Philippines. I got a chance to visit this mystical place once again since my last trip here about 11 years ago. It was kind of a different place now but somehow the Lake Seloton is still mystically placid.

Aside from the beauty of the lake, one can head down to the place they call “Seven Falls” which got its name for the series of seven cascading waterfalls. I got the chance to snap the 2nd of the seven falls which was named “Hikong Bente” which means “unmeasurable”

More information of Lake Sebu can be read on Wikipedia.

* Shot using a Nikon D300 with Nikon 18-70 mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens

Firmware Updates for Nikon D40/D40x

Nikon has released a firmware update for its D40 and D40x Digital SLRs which addresses battery performance issues.

Nikon D40 Firmware Update A 1.12

About this firmware update
This download provides software for upgrading D40 A firmware to v1.12. The camera’s B firmware must be Ver. 1.11 to upgrade A firmware to Ver. 1.12. Be aware that proper operation of your D40 is not guaranteed with the combination of A firmware Ver. 1.12 and B firmware Ver. 1.00 or Ver. 1.10.

The following issues has been resolved in A firmware version 1.12
With firmware Ver. 1.11 and earlier, the number of images that could be captured (battery performance) when an EN-EL9a was used was less than when an EN-EL9 was used. By upgrading A firmware to Ver. 1.12, EN-EL9a performance is maximized so that more images can be captured (battery performance) when an EN-EL9a is used than when an EN-EL9 is used.

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