PMA 2008: PMA may be over but that doesn’t mean we’ve finished working, yesterday we had our hands on an early Sigma DP1 and have produced a quick gallery (just 20 images) shot around Vegas. As expected the DP1’s images are beautifully sharp (thanks to its Foveon X3 sensor) and it continued to deliver good images up to its maximum ISO 800. For those unfamiliar the DP1 becomes the first compact, fixed lens camera to feature a large sensor (in this case approximately ‘Four Thirds’ size; 20.6 x 13.8 mm). Dive into our gallery and see if a DP1 deserves to make its way into your camera bag.

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Pre-PMA 2008: Panasonic has upgraded its Lumix DMC-LZ6 and LZ7 with wider lenses, manual and semi-automatic exposure modes and - surprise, surprise - more megapixels to create The LZ8 and LZ10. Also new is Venus Engine IV, promising better image quality and more sophisticated noise reduction. The LCD monitors are the same size but pack twice the dots for image review that’s far easier on the eye. Click through for the full story.

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Pre-PMA 2008: Sigma has announced the launch of 70-200mm and 50-150mm constant f/2.8 lenses for Pentax and Sony owners wanting lovely bright, sensibly-priced telephoto zooms. Both are part of Sigma’s premium EX range and include hypersonic focusing motors and apochromatic design.

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PMA 2008: PMA 2008 is almost underway and to kick things of we’re at the Sony press conference. We’ll update this story as and when we have any information about new announcements. Updated with pictures of new sensor and flagship model mockup.

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Pre-PMA 2008: Sigma offers Nikon D40 and D60 DSLR owners more reach for less outlay with the launch of two tele zooms with built-in focus motors. The popular 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro lenses in both standard and APO flavors have been motorized for owners of Nikon’s D40 and D60 which lack support for tradition screw focusing. More details after the link…

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PMA 2008: Tamron has three lenses in the pipeline suitable for Nikon camera bodies lacking in-body focus motors - namely the D40, D40x and D60. The 18-200 f/3.5-6.3 and 17-50 f/2.8 are for crop sensors only but the 70-300 f/4-5.6 will cover 24×36mm sensors. Click through for specs and compatibility information.

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Pre-PMA 2008: Sigma has announced an optically stabilized 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. The lens will be available for owners of Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony DSLRs. A maximum magnification of 1:4.2 also makes it useful for users who want to get a little closer. The DG designation means the lens will work equally happily on 35mm or APS format SLRs.

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Leica has announced plans to offer a major upgrade to its M8 digital rangefinder camera. Consisting of a new shutter - promising lower noise and vibration during exposure - and a protective sapphire glass LCD cover, the service may be pre-booked from March 2008 with the program due to commence as of August on a first-come-first-served basis. An additional two years of warranty cover is included and Leica has said it is investigating future upgrades including changes to the digital capture system - not least a possible sensor swap. Get the full details after the jump. Updated with press release and images

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Pre-PMA 2008: Kit lens owners seeking added stability without external support will welcome the launch of an image-stabilized ‘walk round’ lens from Sigma. The 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM combines a useful focal length range with a hypersonic focusing motor and optical stabilization in a remarkably compact package. Click through to find out more…

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Pre-PMA 2008: In a surprise move Sony today announced its entry into the rapidly-expanding 24×36mm imaging sensor market with its own 24.81 megapixel CMOS offering. Joining Canon and Nikon in the full-frame market, this new chip promises to output all pixels at 6.3 fps with lower noise than other designs of similar pixel-pitch thanks to its “Column-Parallel A/D Conversion Technique” whereby each column of photosites is given its own Analogue to Digital Converter. The ADCs themselves are 12-bit, flying in the face of current trends which are toward 14-bit devices but the combination of speed, dynamic range and sheer resolving power displayed by this sensor make it one to watch for when Sony puts into full production hopefully before the year is out.

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