Nikon leak hints backlit sensor camera, lenses for PMA
updated 05:30 pm EST, Wed January 27, 2010
Nikon P100 to lead PMA news
Nikon is slated to launch at least four cameras and break some new ground next week, details slipped so far would indicate. The P100 would top the series and would be the first Nikon camera with a back-illuminated sensor, giving it much improved performance in low light. It should replace the P90 ultrazoom and get a long-ranged 26X lens.
Two designer models, the S3000 and S8000, have fewer details still from Nikon Rumors, but the S8000 would be the thinnest camera yet with a 10X lens. It would also support HD video; it's not certain what the S3000 would shed to serve as the low end. The L110 would be a new entry compact camera.
Despite rumors of a D700 or D90 sequel, professionals would so far only be catered to through accessors. A 24mm f1.4 prime lens would supply extreme wide-angle shots; a 16-35mm f4G ED-VR lens would provide wide-angle zoom. TC-14E III and TC-17E III teleconverters are also due, but their capabilities are entirely unknown.
All of these should be shown at a press conference as early as February 3rd and don't preclude unveilings between then and PMA.
Grizzled Veteran
Joined: Oct 1999
Backlighting?
The Nikon idea of a backlit sensor is very clever if not entirely new. The process of pre or post flashing film emulsions, also known as latensification achieves a similar goal by raising (or lowering depending on which way you look at things) the shadow exposure threshold. This approach may be the final acknowledgement that sensors have a finite limit on dynamic range (particularly when all the image sites are the same size). Now, if you combined Fuji's SuperCCD (with two dissimilar photosites per pixel) with backlighting, what might be possible?