The official Canadian press releases for the Nikon D5100 DSLR camera and the ME-1 microphone are currently out on digitalhomethoughts.com. The MSRP price of the Nikon D5100 kit with a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens will be 899.95 CAD and should be available in late April. The Nikon ME-1 microphone will cost 159.95 CAD and will be available in May, 2011.

Full press releases:

Nikon D5100

Mississauga, ON, April 5, 2011- Today Nikon Canada announced the new 16.2 megapixel Nikon D5100 digital SLR, designed for those ready to stepup and be artistically expressive with a versatile camera. The NikonD5100 digital SLR houses a host of new and innovative features aimed atgiving photographers the tools to shatter creative constraints and tellstories with amazing image quality and stunning HD movies.

Designed to enhance the shooting experience, the Nikon D5100 includesan impressive new 3-inch, sharp 921,000-dot Vari-angle LCD screen andfull 1080p HD movie recording with full-time autofocus. The 16.2 megapixel D5100 is also the first Nikon digital SLR to provide in-cameraeffects that can be applied to photos and movies, putting more tools ofcreative expression at the users fingertips.

Our newest digital SLR offers a wide range of options users can applyto photos and videos as they shoot, or in-camera after the shots havebeen taken, transforming them into works of art, said Gregory Flasch, National Advertising and Communications Manager at Nikon Canada Inc. The in-camera Special Effects Mode presents many creative possibilities, allat the twist of a dial. Its like having 24-hour access to a digitalediting studio.

Ready for the Adventure of Life

The D5100 allows photographers of all levels to confidently execute newand creative ways to tell stories with amazing colour and clarity.Whether shooting over crowds or down low from a toddlers point of view,the swing-out style, Vari-angle LCD screen makes it easy to compose andshare great images. Displaying even the most subtle details withclarity, the super sharp LCD has a 1000:1 contrast ratio and 921,000-dotresolution with the ability to pivot 180 degrees horizontally andvertically.

To further test creative boundaries, photographers can take advantage of the D5100s in-camera Special Effects Mode. Applied to either stillsor D-Movies, these innovative effects are easy to implement and add ahigh level of creativity. By selecting the Effects position on the modedial located on top of the camera, photographers can easily applyeffects such as Selective Colour and choose up to three differentcolours while the remainder of the scene is converted to monochrome.Colour Sketch creates photos and a stop-motion movie in a colour full sketched drawing style, while the Miniature effect records photos andhigh-speed movies to bestow a feeling of a mini-scale scene.

To record photos in extreme lighting conditions or to produce movies with a gritty appearance, the new Night Vision mode calls upon Nikonspro digital SLR low-light technology to offer extreme low-lightcapability by enabling the camera to shoot up to a super-high 102,400ISO. In addition to the Effects mode, users can create photos with amazing tonal range by selecting the high dynamic range (HDR) functionwithin the camera. With this selected, the D5100 will automatically bracket up to three exposure stops with two images in rapid successionto produce a finished photo with an amazing range of midtones and highlights that wouldnt otherwise be possible in a single shot. Additionally, Active D-Lighting can be selected and combined with HDR for even more dramatic effects.

The versatile Nikon D5100 digital SLR will motivate shooters to further explore creativity with its advanced camera features including full manual controls (P,S,A,M on the mode dial) offering the ability to manage the cameras aperture and shutter speeds. Once a photo is captured, photographers have the flexible retouch menu at their disposal to apply additional in-camera effects and editing options including colour and filter effects, red eye correction and NEF (RAW) processing.

The remarkably wide ISO range of 100-6,400 (expandable to a staggering 25,600 ISO) allows photographers to shoot confidently in outdoor andindoor low-light situations, even handheld with low noise. In challenging lighting conditions such as when a subject is backlit, Nikons Active D-Lighting feature keeps shadows and highlights consistent for even exposures.

To further unleash creativity, the Picture Control system allows the choice of Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, or Landscape settings to apply a personal look and feel to pictures, and the versatile Scene Modes let photographers choose from Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up or Night Portrait for stunning results in just about all possible lighting conditions.

Create Full HD Movies

The Nikon D5100 captures full 1080p HD movies with full-time autofocus.Users can quickly switch focus modes to stay with the action through a variety of AF functions, including Face Priority which can track up to 35 human faces, Subject Tracking and normal or wide-area autofocus. To activate movie mode and Live View, a new switch is positioned on the top of the camera near the shutter button for improved ergonomics and easier access.

The D5100 digital SLR offers variable frame rates and resolutions, and can record 1080p at a cinema-like 24 frames per second (fps). Alternatively, for playback on HD devices, it can record at 30 fps or aweb-friendly 720p at either 24 or 30 fps. All clips can record for up to 20 minutes in the AVC-HD H.264 codec. Once recorded, movie clips can be trimmed in the camera to save time in post-production. Whether utilizinga wireless or hot shoe-mounted microphone such as the new ME-1, sound can be recorded via the stereo microphone input for professional audio results. Captured movies can be easily shared via HDMI output, and controlled remotely with HDMI CEC compatibility.

Superior Image Quality

The 16.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor is capable of capturing images that erupt with colour, offering amazing sharpness and clarity to create images and full HD movies even in low-light conditions. Coupled withNikons exclusive EXPEED 2 TM image-processing engine, images are brought to life with vivid colours and amazing contrast, accurate exposure and low noise levels resulting in brilliant image quality. The EXPEED 2 TM engine also drives the quick 11-point AF system on the D5100 to providefor rapid focus acquisition even on fast-moving subjects. When shooting action, split-second shutter response and four frames per second burst rate make sure no moment is missed, forever putting to rest the story ofthe one that got away.

Whether shooting lush wilderness landscapes or an urban skyline, theD5100 utilizes Nikons exclusive Scene Recognition System to analyze subject information from a database containing more than 30,000 imagesto optimize focus, exposure, i-TTL flash exposure and white balance. To assist in creating amazing imagery, the Scene Recognition System reads data from the 420-pixel 3D Colour Matrix Meter RGB sensor that examines the scenes brightness and colour data then optimizes the cameras performance prior to the actual exposure.

An entirely greater world of creativity will open up to photographers when adding versatile AF-S NIKKOR lenses to the equation. With a wide range of focal lengths and versatile features, AF-S NIKKOR lenses help to create a variety of photo perspectives to images and movies such as the ability to isolate subjects with a shallow depth of field or zoom close to the action from a far. Combining the D5100 digital SLR with NIKKOR lenses also delivers the sharpness essential for HD movies, and Nikons innovative Vibration Reduction (VR) II technology helps to eliminate the effects of camera shake.

Nikon ME-1 microphone

To address the needs of the ever growing community of shooters abandoning their video cameras for the versatility of a digital SLR,Nikon now offers the ME-1 stereo microphone. Engineered specifically for a digital SLR, the new ME-1 microphone attaches to the hot shoe and has noise dampening components designed to minimize noise resulting from AF operation. The microphone also has a low-cut filter to reduce wind noisenot already blocked by the wind screen. Designed with digital SLR users in mind, the ME-1 also features a cable stop to keep the cable out of the way when using the camera, and reduce instances of noise from unintentional contact. Because it utilizes a standard 3.5mm stereo jack,the ME-1 is ideal for the D5100 and other Nikon HD movie capable digital SLRs such as the D3s, D300s, D7000 and the COOLPIX P7000.

Availability and Pricing

The Nikon D5100 digital SLR camera is scheduled to be available at Authorized Nikon Canada Dealers beginning late April 2011 at a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $899.95 for a kit that includes the AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.

The new Nikon ME-1 microphone is scheduled to be available at Authorized Nikon Canada Dealers in May 2011 at a MSRP of $159.95.