<![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild - Gizmodo Comments]]> <![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild - Gizmodo Comments]]> <![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild]]> Dannohung: Canon's response will either come at or shortly after Photokina next month. The talk is a *huge* leap forward in dynamic range and ISO sensitivity. Their sensor R&D teams have not been sitting around doing nothing for all of 2006.

El Guano

]]> <![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild]]> Worf:

Not to mention the custom steppers and other tools that need to be rolled to stamp out a 35mm FF sensor, and the fact that a single defect on the wafer will take out 20% of the yield on FF.

The costs we're talking about are in the ballpark of $75-100 for an APS-C sensor v. $1000+ for FF. It's no trivial matter.

El Guano

]]> <![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild]]> You guys do realize that a full-frame sensor will *ALWAYS* be pricey? There's a fixed amount of silicon available per wafer that's usable, and thus, a given silicon wafer can only give a fixed number of full frame sensors. Silicon yields are such that good sensors will be few (the likelihood of a good silicon chip is inversely proportional to its silicon real estate - a small chip means they're more likely to be good). So a full frame sensor yield will be very low - big silicon real estate means few sensors per wafer, and big silicon real estate means very good probability of a bad sensor.

So low yields on an expensive process will result in very expensive sensors. And unlike the rest of the electronics, the sensor itself won't get cheaper. It will get higher resolutions, but the high fixed cost of the silicon base means the chip itself won't get cheaper.

(Typically, electronics gets cheaper because the chips get cheaper to make - yields go up due to better process, and smaller dies (which also increase yield), and better process just means that chips can be designed to mitigate a lot of the flaws. Of course, while a digital chip can have transistors that are different, analog electronics (much of the CCD) require precision.)

If you want a well paying job, be an analog IC designer - they're in very high demand, and very little supply.

Worf

]]> <![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild]]> Nice little camera -- Some day my D70 will have to go.

The big feature answering to Canon's products in this class is the ISO 100. Hopefully the auto white balance and improved AF also will work as they describe, because they are not extremely great performers on the D70.

It is highly disapointing that they switched to SD though and left the APS sized sensor. It would have been really nice to see them move to a 35mm sensor, though I suppose if you have a good investment in DX lenses already, it's still cheaper to replace your memory cards than your lenses! It's also nice they are looking to package kits with a few different lenses.

John Laur

]]> <![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild]]> All I wanna know is: can I get a D70 at a good discount now?

Sure, I love the latest and greatest, but a month ago that was the D70...

Ben

]]> <![CDATA[Nikon D80 DSLR Hits the Streets, Web Goes Wild]]> While it's a hot body, for those of us who've invested in Canon glass instead, is Canon planning a response?

DannoHung

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