The Nikon D800 has been making waves even when it was no more than a rumor swirling around the blogosphere. And since its recent release it has not fallen out of the news cycle for very long. This week was no different; DxOMark rated the D800 with the highest rating it has ever given to any sensor to date. If you are curious who or what DxOMark is they are an independent company that performs professional independent image quality measurements and ratings for cameras and lenses. [Nikon D800: The best sensor analyzed on DxOMark!]

Another interesting development around Nikon is the leak of a new lens. On March 26^th the Nikon Europe website mistakenly posted an 18-300 DX VR lens. Some of the main features it boasts is a 16.7x zoom lens with versatile 18-300mm focal range (FX/35mm equivalent: 27mm to 450mm), Vibration Reduction II (VR II), a zoom-lock switch that keeps the lens secure when not in use, three ED glass and three aspherical lens elements to ensure high resolution and superior contrast, and SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for fast, whisper-quiet autofocus. [Details of a new DX format Nikkor lens emerge on Nikon Europe web sites, yet there is no official announcement!]

Do you remember the Canon 20Da? If you were someone that was interested in astrophotography you probably do. Canon recently released the 60Da that is the latest and the only DSLR to be released since the 20Da that is specifically optimized for astrophotography. The key feature that makes this camera so suited for photographing the night sky is its modified infrared filter and a low-noise sensor with heightened hydrogen-alpha sensitivity. Because the 60Da is a specialized product Canon will only be producing a limited number and will only available to order from select authorized dealers. [NEW CANON EOS 60Da DSLR CAMERA FOR ASTRONOMY ENTHUSIASTS CAPTURES THE TRUE COLORS OF THE COSMOS]

"When you draw a picture or take a photo, you sometimes form a rectangle with your hands to decide the composition. With this camera, you can take a photo using the exact same motion. You attach this device to your index finger, and form a rectangle with your finger like this. You take the photo by using the rectangle as the viewfinder, like this. When you push hard with your thumb, the shutter is pressed." This is a description of a new prototype camera called the Ubi-Camera that utilizes your hands to frame your pictures. Basically when you take a picture you look like a director trying to frame his shot. [Ubi-Camera - Take Photos With Your Hands]