Photo news - 31. july 2008

Nikon has announced an upgrade for its flagship D3 DSLR. The service, which is already available, will increase the continuous shooting buffer from 16 to 36 shots for those people shooting 14-bit lossless NEF raw files. In most filetype/compression permutations, users can expect to see around a doubling of shooting buffer. Owners are advised to contact their local service center for availability and cost.

Pentax has announced the Optio E60 digital compact camera. This entry-level model comes with a 10.1 megapixels sensor and sports a 3x zoom lens (32-96mm, 35mm equivalent). It uses widely available AA batteries and should therefore appeal to those amongst us who tend to forget their battery chargers at home when going on holidays.

Pentax has launched the Optio M60, a 10 megapixel compact camera with a 5x optical zoom. It's got all the features you'd expect, including revised face detection technology that can locate the faces of the best part of a coach-party. The lens covers a range equivalent to 36mm - 180mm, so lacks any wide angle. The camera does offer an Auto Picture mode that automatically selects the scene mode it thinks most relevant for the shot being taken, helping to make the most of its 8 scene modes.