Nikon

Number one attraction on the Nikon booth is undoubtedly the new D80, successor to the hugely popular D70, on show here with its new kit lens (the AF-S DX 18-135mm) and the very nice new VR (Vibration Reduction) AF-S 70-300mm zoom (in fact the stand is dominated by an enormous rotating D80). Over on the compact side there are lots of new Coolpix models as virtually the whole range gets a refresh; our favorite is the compact twist-lens Coolpix S10, which finally adds image stabilization (CCD-shift) to its 10x zoom and 6MP sensor, though they're all very nicely designed. Other models getting their first public showing are the L5 and L6, S7c (7MP, 3x zoom, 3-inch screen and Wi-Fi) and the S9. Interestingly Nikon has broken away from the crowd with its professional studio demos - rather than scantily clad models they are shooting dead fish with Nikon-yellow ribbons tied round them (go figure). The busy booth is full of 'hands-on' areas where visitors can try out lenses they'll never be able to afford (including the mammoth 2000mm f11 reflex), and there's a nice display of Nikon camera history and some impressive demos of Capture NX. Update: the dead fish have gone to be replaced by a lady in her underwear...