Olympus, Nikon shoot for lower-end SLRsLAS VEGAS--Digital SLR maker Olympus announced two new lower-end single-lens reflex cameras Monday, while competitor Nikon upgraded its entry-level model with a higher-resolution sensor.
Olympus' US$700 E-410 and US$800 E-510 come with a 10-megapixel image sensor and the company's new TruePic III image-processing chip. The E-510 also comes with image stabilization to compensate for shaky hands or low-light conditions. Adding a basic 14-42mm Zuiko zoom lens raises the models' price another US$100; adding a second lens, the 40-150mm Zuiko, costs another US$100. Nikon's D40X, meanwhile, is similar to the entry-level D40 introduced in 2006, but the new model increases the image sensor resolution from 6 to 10 megapixels, which can lead to more detailed images. That matches the product's chief rival, Canon's EOS 400D. Nikon's D40X costs US$730 for the camera body or US$800 with an 18-55mm lens; the company continues to sell the D40 for US$600, including the lens. The companies announced the cameras in conjunction with the Photo Marketing Association's annual trade show, which begins here Thursday. Canon, the top SLR maker, and No. 2 Nikon offer image stabilization in some lenses. Olympus, the No. 3 manufacturer, chose to put the stabilization in the camera body, meaning it will work for any lens. Olympus' stabilization approach is "the nice way of doing it if you can," said InfoTrends analyst Ed Lee, but it has tradeoffs because the camera-shifting motors have to deal with such a wide variety of lens properties. "I personally think it's better in the lens, because then you can really tune the stabilization for that specific lens," Lee said. "But it's more expensive." | ||||
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