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The Holidays are a time for indulging your nieces and nephews in some new pursuit [perhaps photography, what else is there?] that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives, a time for helping dad reach his ultimate dream of getting a coveted pro DSLR or rangefinder camera, perhaps a season for stuffing your own stocking with a gift certificate to your favorite photography store [might we suggest Adorama] and then pretending it was from grandma.

On that note, let photo.net show you what’s hot this season, organized in price categories so you don’t go overboard, or underboard, for those on your holiday list.

Read the Photo.net Holiday Gift Guide.

Presenting…the D3S, Nikon’s first FX-sensor DSLR with HD movie mode. This camera is an upgrade to the D3, announced two years ago. Many of the features are the same, with some improvements. Nikon has improved the 12MP CMOS FX sensor for the new D3S so that its rated ISO is extended by another stop to 12800 with additional Hi 1, 2, and 3 ratings all the way to a whopping ISO 102,400 equivalent!

Other improvements:

• New 12MP CMOS sensor, FX format
• 5MP DX-crop mode (same as D3) and new 8.4MP, 1.2x crop mode
• Rated ISO from 200-12800, with extended Lo 1, Hi 1, 2, and 3 ranges
• 14-bit A/D conversion, 16-bit image processing
• 12-bit or 14-bit RAW (Nikon NEF) files
• Multi-CAM 3500 FX AF module, 51 AF points (same as D3)
• Movie Mode: 1280×720, 24fps HD AVI recording with contrast-detection AF, and stereo microphone jacks
• Extract 1280×780 JPEG basic still images from movie
• Dedicated Live View button and Info button
• Sensor Cleaning with 4 vibration frequencies

Read the complete Nikon D3S Preview.

I ran the Sigma DP2 through it’s paces recently.

The results? A mixed bag to say the least. There was some real potential there in the lens and the sensor. But the end results were more frustrating than I would have liked:

Photo.net Sigma DP2 Review

http://photo.net/equipment/sigma/dp2/review/

Want to hear what we at photo.net think about the K-x announcement? Then click below and check it out before all those newsletter reading johnny-come-lately users get their hands on it.

In all seriousness, I’m actually pretty excited about this camera. Pentax might have made a very good move with the K-x. I’m excited to try one out.

Pentax K-x Preview

http://photo.net/equipment/pentax/k-x/preview/

Today (September 9, 2009), Leica announced the M9, the first ever full frame digital rangefinder. The M9 is the successor to the M8, (Leica’s first digital rangefinder with a small frame sensor), and features a new 18MP CCD image sensor, specifically designed and developed along with Kodak for the M9. Some other improvements to the M9, not on the M8 include:

• simplification of the menu navigation (ISO sensitivity is set by holding down the ISO button while turning the dial to select the desired setting)
• automatic lens recognition via 6-bit coding
• ISO range from 80 to 2500, selectable in 1/3 ISO increments
• new, microprocessor-controlled, metal-leaf, focal-plane shutter that enables shutter speeds of up to 1/4000 seconds
• new UV/IR filter cover glass: no need for lens filters as on the M8

During the press conference this morning, Rudi Spiller (CEO of Leica) stated, “Our users choose products with value. [For Leica enthusiasts], it’s about seeing something and capturing it in that moment without delay, and later bringing the viewer into the exact same moment without obstruction.”

Read the complete Leica M9 preview, including the official press release from Leica.

Fall is the time for exciting camera news. Panasonic breaks the anticipation by releasing official information on their latest camera to the micro four thirds line, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. I look forward to trying this out and seeing how it compares to the Olympus E-P1.

The DMC -GF1 is the smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera with built-in flash. As well as conventional still digital images, the DMC -GF1 can also record 720p (1280×720 pixel) HD video. -Bob Atkins

Read the photo.net preview of the Panasonic DMC-GF1.

Panasonic adds 2 new micro four thirds lenses to the lineup: Panasonic Micro Four Thirds 20/1.7 and 45/2.8 Macro Lenses.

Read the photo.net preview and official Panasonic press release.

Canon just announced their new EOS 7D small frame sensor DSLR camera today. Features include a new 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor, full HD shooting capability, new 19-zone AF system, and an ISO range expandable to 12,800.

The sensor is a new design with greater efficiency, which may compensate for the smaller pixels in terms of noise performance. At 18MP, the EOS 7D is the current “pixel champion” for the crop sensor format. The EOS 7D also has a new metering system, the Focus Color Luminance metering system (iFCL), which measures focus, color and luminance across 63 zones, keeping exposure levels stable even as the light source changes. -Bob Atkins

Without an EOS 7D in hand, we can only speculate on the new sensor and AF system at this point, but photo.net will be running a complete review as soon as we can obtain a production sample.

Read the photo.net preview on the Canon EOS 7D.

Nikon keeps “upping” the game for their entry-level models. Gone are the days of the 6MP D40 or the D60 with only 3 AF points. Replacing these entry-level cameras in Nikon’s lineup is the new D3000 with 11 AF points and more robust features.

As you must have noticed by now, the D3000 shares a lot of its main components with the D200, which was a highly popular $1699 prosumer DSLR at the end of 2005. While the D3000 does not have the metal chassis, built-in AF motor, metering capability with no-CPU AI/AI-S lenses, and 5 fps as the D200 does, the D3000 uses a 3” LCD and has auto sensor cleaning that were not available as recently as three years ago. In a few short years, a lot of higher-end features are now available at the entry level; that is how far DSLRs have improved. – Shun Cheung

Read the full Nikon D3000 Preview.

Nikon upgraded the D300 to the D300s: a new version with dual memory card slots (CF and SD), HD video-capable, higher frame rate of 7 frames-per-second (over the 6 fps on the D300), virtual horizon indicator, and dedicated buttons for Live View and camera settings info.

Clearly the new capabilities on the D300s further improve this excellent DX-format DSLR. Apparently the sensor and image-processing electronics are largely the same as those on the D300. Therefore, we can expect similar very good high-ISO results that are about a stop below the D3 and D700. Personally, I am glad that Nikon does not increase the pixel count. 12MP is sufficient for a lot of applications and denser pixels will likely increase noise. -Shun Cheung

Read the full Nikon D300s Preview.