In an age where things are increasingly digital, it’s nice to take a step back to analog once and a while. Designed from the ground up by Superheadz of Japan, the Blackbird uses 35mm film and features a 33mm lens with focal adjustment. Other features include two exposure settings (F7/F11), two shutter speeds, and a hot shoe. Also included are two masks for cropping the film (normal 24 x 36, square 24 x 24). Without a mask, the image exposes over the edge, into the film perforations. Superheadz added a sports viewfinder on top for quick shots, but the real pleasure of the Blackbird is holding at your waist, looking down, and taking your time to shoot. Available here.

Nikon recently announced a new camera to hit the streets later this fall, the Nikon D90 digital SLR (a professional style camera with interchangable lenses). For the $1000 price tag you get about what you’d expect: 12 Megapixels, 4.5 pictures per second in burst mode, and good low light performance.

What puts this SLR in a league of its own is the ability to shoot HD video. No other SLR offers this feature. There are some limitations. There’s a five minute footage limit and manual focusing only. The amazing thing is that you can shoot video footage using standard Nikon lenses. Macro shots and great depth of field can now be shot on the cheap.

To give some perspective, another video camera with interchangeable lenses would easily set you back ten times as much. To make things worse, you’d spend $5,000-$10,000 per lens. Our hat is off to Nikon for bringing this kind of control over video to the masses.

Canon has always been a solid choice for digital photography. Among their offerings, the ultra-portable Digital Elph is fantastic, while their SLRs provide more control and quality. Anything between the two has traditionally been a no man’s land. The PowerShot G9, however, is a head turning option.

It’s larger than the Elph so you can’t toss it in your pocket, but it’s one of the most professional portables you’ll find. First, it can shoot files in RAW format, which is the clear choice for quality. If you like, it can be switched to fully manual for total control. Preview and review photos on its 3″ LCD display. It also has some video recording capabilities (similar to the Elph).

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