The J1 is the cheaper mirrorless camera Nikon introduced last month, and it’s first foray into that market. Engadget posted their review but the summary below is probably a good thing to read if you are considering buying it:

If image quality is more important than looks, advanced photographers will probably want to search elsewhere. $650 is a lot to spend on any camera, and when you consider that Sony’s NEX-C3 is selling for the exact same price (and is available now), that has been, and still remains, our first choice. The C3 excels in nearly every area — pro-level control, color and exposure accuracy, and overall image quality — though the J1 does offer a few unique and clever features, including slow-motion shooting and Motion Snapshot, along with that silent shutter. So does that make this camera a close second? Sadly, not by a long shot. That title would go to the Olympus E-P3, which offers class-leading focus speeds and consistent performance. Nikon’s new ILC is more class competitive with, say, the novice-friendly Panasonic GF-3 or Pentax’s Q (though we haven’t yet had a chance to thoroughly test the latter).

Olympus is giving away 1000 E-PM1 cameras – this is the same camera I’ve been blogging about for the past two weeks. It’s the most economical mirrorless camera out there and features the most up-to-date 4/3rds sensor. It should arrive in stores soon but 100 people in Toronto got the camera when the Olympus team was promoting the PEN Ready campaign.

I’ve posted a lot about the high-end point-and-shoot cameras before, this market had some great offerings in the past two years. However, a tipping point in the market has been reached and many companies are fighting it out in the mirrorless interchangable lens camera space. Featuring larger, better sensors than point-and-shoot cameras, these systems also feature interchangable lenses. They’re generally smaller than SLR cameras because of the lack of a TTL viewfinder and it’s required optics. Lens quality is not as good as full SLR lenses, but you get a much smaller form factor. These mirrorless cameras take photos with picture quality rivaling dSLR offerings just one year ago.

While these cameras have been out for a while, this summer an explosion of offerings of mirrorless cameras have been announced. Instead of just “high-end” mirrorless offerings, there are not multiple offerings at different price points. The Olympus PEN E-PM1 is rumored to list for $500 – and probably will sell for less at retail assuming there is an adequate supply. The PM1 is the camera I am considering. Now is probably the best time to consider these cameras if upgrading from a point-and-shoot or looking to complement a dSLR.

Olympus PEN E-P3

Olympus PEN E-PL3

Olympus PEN E-PM1

Panasonic DMC-G3

Panasonic DMC-GF3

Samsung NX200

Sony NEX-C3

Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-5N

Some people might consider the Fuji X100 and X10 to be comparable, however that camera does not have interchangeable lenses, a very strict limitation for a $1000 “point-and-shoot”.

Olympus just announced pricing for it’s latest PEN 4/3 camera. At only $500 (USD) the PEN E-PM1 will be the cheapest 4/3 camera out there. It is still compatible with all of Olympus’ lenses and is in a nice, small form factor. At this price point, the PEN Mini, as it’s called, is right in the reach of shooters looking at the Canon S95 and LUMIX LX5. With it’s larger sensor, interchangable lenses and RAW capability, it will far outclass those cameras at the same price.

Drawbacks? There is no flash, but a good f1.8 prime lens should fix that, and Olympus sells one.

I’ve been itching to get a mirrorless camera as my secondary. Nikon and Canon still have not announced theirs yet, and I think this Olympus at this fantastic price point will do it. Can’t wait until September!

Sony just announced their latest flagship SLR camera. It shoots an impressive 12fps with a 24MP sensor and features an articulated OLED viewfinder in the back. DPreview covers the announcement and has a hands-on preview.

A friend linked this and I’m sharing it. It’s a good article to basic Food Photography.

There are more tips in a few of my other posts:
Food Photography Tips
Improving Food Photography

The D7000 is taking a while to hit the stores, as all Nikon’s do. DPReview has one of the first in-depth reviews of Nikon’s new midrange camera.

Wow, the Fuji X100 is probably the sexiest digital camera to come out in quite a while. Details are being released ahead of Photokina, but it’s advanced compact cameras that everyone seems to be working on (Canon S95, Lumix LX5).

It features a 12MP sensor and a fixed f2, 35mm-equivalent lens. A new trick viewfinder allows viewing of image and display information.

UPDATE: It will be $1000 USD.

Nikon introduced a new SLR today. The Nikon D7000 slots between the existing D90 and D300s DSLR bodies. The following features are on the new camera:

• 16MP DX-format sensor with high ISO capabilities
• 100% coverage viewfinder
• Weather sealed, magnesium alloyed body
• Full 1080p video capability
• Twin SD card slots

It should arrive in stores at the end of October. A full hands-on preview is at dpreview.

Gizmodo just published a buying guide for DSLR’s. They recommended four different cameras in four different price points. They were brand-agnostic, picking the best camera regardless of whether you were in the Nikon Camp or Canon Camp (sorry Olympus and Sony).

I agree with all their picks, the Nikon D3000, Canon T1i, Nikon D90 and Canon 7D do beat out their peers in their respective price points.