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Nikon and Canon have both released firmware updates for some of their new DSLRs (for Nikon, it’s for cameras that haven’t even been officially released yet, although a few stores seem to have started shipping them early).

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon has released firmware version 1.1.3 for the EOS-1D Mark III digital SLR. This update increases the transfer speed when using high speed SD cards, a “rare” case of the shutter not working if you got some bad timing just right, and improved autofocus tracking of low-contrast subjects.

Don’t forget that the AF improvements for bright environments were added in firmware 1.1.1. Canon just keeps seeming to find more AF issues to fix in the 1DMkIII. I don’t know if that means it had a lot of problem to begin with, or it just has picky customers who expect a lot, and who are alert for auto focus issues with the camera ever since they were first discovered a few months ago.

Nikon D3 and D300

The new firmware for the brand new Nikon D300 and equally brand new (and top-of-the line) Nikon D3 adds three optional Picture Controls, one for each of the three Nikon D2X/D2XS Color mode settings. Nikon says:

When these optional Picture Controls are registered with the D3, color reproduction simulating that of images captured with the D2X and D2XS is possible, and custom Picture Controls can also be created based on these optional Picture Controls. For black-and-white images, use the standard Monochrome Nikon Picture Control.

D2XMODE1
This optional Picture Control simulates color reproduction at a D2X/D2XS Color mode setting of I.
Skin tones and gradations are reproduced naturally with rich reproduction of tones.

D2XMODE2
This optional Picture Control simulates color reproduction at a D2X/D2XS Color mode setting of II.
This optional Picture Control is suited to images that will be extensively processed or retouched.

D2XMODE3
This optional Picture Control simulates color reproduction at a D2X/D2XS Color mode setting of III.
Choose for nature or landscape shots. Greens and blues are vividly reproduced.

“Look, D2X and D2XS owners!” Nikon says. “Easy upgrade path because of matching picture control modes! No reason not to buy a D3 now! Buy a D3 now!” Actually, buy two and send me one. That was me talking, not Nikon, but I’m sure Nikon supports that message.

Christian Handl attended the Nikon Solutions Expo in Vienna a few days ago and had the opportunity to shoot with a Nikon D3 and a Nikon D300, and without any restrictions on what he did with the images. He’s now posted a comparison between those two new Nikons and the Canon 5D.

It’s pretty preliminary, a Nikon expo isn’t really the right venue to do a comprehensive camera comparison, obviously, but he still has some interesting results. He rates the high ISO performance of the D3 as good — and very good when compared to Nikon’s past cameras — but not that mind-blowing when compared to Canon:

The propagated fantastic high ISO-performance is actually very good, but for a Canon photographer less of a sensation, with a maximum of 1 Aperture advantage over the Canon 5 D, I would say after the first comparisons. But in other words, for a Nikon photographer an improvement of 3-4 steps to the D2X, which is a very impressive difference.

The D300 shows slightly higher noise levels than the 5D.

However, he reports much-improved dynamic range in the Nikon D3 over the 5D:

Most surprised me the far greater dynamic range, here are the differences in my recordings to the Canon 5D very large, the cameras were in similar light (same flash unit and similar ISO from 250 to 320) to allow a good comparison. While the black clothes of the model in the 5D were only partly illuminable, with the D3 even the seemingly blackest parts of the dress showed structure without disturbing noise. Very impressive, and in everyday life in many photographic situations more important than MP. If these observations can be confirmed in further tests for me that would be the main reason to consider a change. But Canon will also not sleep, and let’s see how well the successor of the 5D is made.

Looking at the sample images that he’s basing that on, however, I’m not sure that it’s warranted. He photographed two models with both the D3 and 5D, and shows improved shadow detail in the D3 photo. However, the models are turned differently between the two shots, and in the D3 image the model’s dress has much more light on it than in the 5D shot. Naturally, that leads to more details in the dress than in the 5D’s shot. Both images show shadow areas, but the Canon 5D shots appear to be in much deeper, darker shadows than in the D3 image, so I’m not sure that it’s a valid comparison.

But we’ll have to see. I wouldn’t be surprised to see better shadow detail — I don’t really have any expectations either way — but I don’t think that Christian’s impromptu test really sheds much light on it (no pun intended.)

He hopes for lighter fast lenses for the Nikon, stating that Canon has the advantage in that area at the moment:

[W]ith the increasingly restrictive rules for flights, a photographer has to be careful with the hand luggage weight. Here my Canon equipment with 5D and 40D has some advantages. What is also sorely lacking in Nikon, are lighter Pro Series optics with aperture 4 as it is at Canon. Here I can choose from 17-40 L, 24-105 IS L and 70-200 IS L and the 100-400 IS USM 4-5,6 is on the 40 D a very workable Tele optics, with effective 640 mm. Since Nikon has really nothing comparable to offer here (the 80-400 has slower AF and old IS/VR, but Nikon reps are hoping that it will be updated). Hopefully in the future more new lenses are added which can cope with the high demand of that sensor, many old lenses will not shine very bright, I fear.

In the end, while not the most breathlessly thrilled Nikon D3 preview I’ve read, it’s still very positive, and he clearly thinks the camera is going to give Canon a run for its money.

Normally all of this information comes out at once: camera names, specs, price, ship dates, etc. Nikon seems to enjoy trickling out little bits of information over time. I guess if I wanted to teach them a lesson I wouldn’t keep posting when they’re announced — and, to be honest, I’ve posted some Nikon rumors about these cameras. I guess I can forgive myself, especially with the D3, since it’s a fairly major camera.

Anyway, the new details announced by Nikon Japan says that the Nikon D300 will go on sale on November 23, and the Nikon D3 will go on sale on November 30. The new 500mm and 600mm lenses will go on sale in January, while the other new lenses will be on sale on November 30th along with the D3 (and the WT-4, as well.)

Also, the first 300,000 buyers — how many are they planning on selling, exactly? — will get CaptureNX for free.

All of you web sites that get these cameras when they come out (and earlier) for review purposes (i.e., not me) better hurry up with your reviews. I want to read about these guys. No, I’m not going to dress up as a D3 for Halloween, I’ll leave that to somebody more obsessive. I’ll just sit on the sidelines and wait for reviews and sample photos.

I linked to an interesting hands-on Nikon D300 preview last month that someone at DPReview posted. Well, now there’s another one, also at DPReview. That DPReview, they’ve got all the cool kids.

The short version of the results are:

• 1 stop or a little more improvement in high ISO noise in the D300 compared to the Nikon D200. “The high-ISO performance of this camera is absolutely INSANE!! Even at ISO 6400 (or higher), there is no multi-colored noise in the shots… everything is clean and smooth.”
• “Spectacular” LCD display. “…extremely bright, high contrast, and rivals the picture quality of a desktop display. The new zooming and panning controls are faster and easier to use than the D200. I especially liked being able to instantly zoom to the focus point of the photo with the touch of a button. The histogram display has also been greatly improved.”
• AF system is good; fast and accurate.
• The contrast-based autofocus option when using the live view mode is reported as “very slow” and inconsistent.
• “In 14-bit RAW mode, the high speed frame rate does indeed drop from 6 to 2.5 frames/second.” Interesting, that’s a pretty significant drop in speed for the extra dynamic range that 14-bit will give you. I wonder why that happens. If the sensor is natively giving you 14-bit data, why would it be slower to store that directly in a file? Shouldn’t the lower bit depth RAW mode be slower? I feel like I must be missing something here; anyone know?
• “Large and built like a tank.”

Be sure to read the whole post for the full details.