Is the recession really biting?

It seems everywhere you look these days there's doom and gloom about the recession. I'm sure everyone reading this knows someone who has been made redundant, had their hours cut or otherwise suffered due to economic down-turn. However, while everything else seems to be heading ever more downwards, the photo industry seems to be carrying on regardless.

A couple of months back we had the launch of the Canon EOS 500D and Nikon D5000 and now Sony have released a raft of THREE new consumer level models. Not only that but Pentax are in on the act too with the announcement of the K-7. It all adds up to a time when you'd be forgiven for thinking there was a global recession going on. At the very least I'd expect companies to hold off a little. Maybe keep products 'live' for a little longer before replacing them. Or maybe it's a concerted effort to drive sales upwards and so stave off poor economic results. Sony for example posted their first net loss in 14years just the other week - and it was big too - $1.03billion. Nikon too have seen a drop. While they're still in profit, they've seen their profits fall 63% for the year ended 31st March '09 - down to 28.06 billion yen from 75.48 billion yen the year before.

So what's going on? We've got cameras being launched when you'd think the market was in a downturn and at the same time, prices from the major manufacturers going UP. It's like giving with one hand and taking away with the other.

What do you think? Are you likely to buy a new camera in the near future or are you taking the squirrel approach of saving for a harsh winter?

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Black dots....again

Well would you believe it. All you Nikon lovers best start your grovelling apologies because the shoe's on the other foot now.

Since the launch of the EOS 5D Mark II there have been those (let's call them Nikon users) who have been very vocal in their ridicule of the new camera because in some circumstances, it suffered from black spots at the edge of highlights in high ISO images. Firmware version 1.0.7 put a stop to it. Full stop. (Suggesting they were only ridiculing what they were jealous of would just be seen as sour grapes so we'll stop short of that...)

Now it seems Nikon are having their own travails with it too. In the latest firmware updates for BOTH the Nikon D3 and the Nikon D700 (2.01 and 1.01 respectively) they have apparently addressed a phenomenon of BLACK DOTS! Yes, you read that right. Black dots on a Nikon camera when shooting with long exposure noise reduction set to ON.

Anyway, not wishing to be the finger pointing kind, but I never like to pass up the opportunity to laugh at our bearded, sandal wearing brethren :-)

I thought all you Canon users might like some ammunition for when your Nikon-shooting "acquaintances" start getting a little mouthy.

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