The Summer is a harbinger of multiple camera announcements, and it can be very difficult to keep track of the all-stars in a league so heavily populated. Everywhere you look, it seems as though a manufacturer is catapulting a new "latest and greatest" or "world's first" into the field, so we isolated the most promising high performance cameras we've seen within the past month in order to make it easier to choose.
Nikon D300s
 The Nikon D300s is one of the most heavily anticipated DSLRs of the year, thanks to the addition of 720p HD video recording and a dual memory slot that caters to SD/SDHC cards and CF cards. The D300s will now be able to record independent sound, thanks to a 3.5mm stereo jack and videos can be trimmed on the fly. The camera also features a slightly quicker Continuous mode compared to the D300, allowing for 7 frame-per-second shooting with the standard battery and 8 frame-per-second capture with the additional MB-D10 rechargeable battery pack. The Nikon D300s inherits the Nikon D5000's Quiet Shutter mode and Picture Controls, as well as two new Active D-Lighting settings that consist of Extra High and Auto. Construction wise, the Nikon D300s does not stray from the D300, and we get the same 3-inch 920,000-pixel LCD in back with 170-degree viewing angle, eight-way directional pad with diagonal scrolling in playback and Main and Sub Control dials. The camera has a 12-megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor, supports DX lenses and weighs 29.3 ounces. The Nikon D300s camera body is set to ship in late August for $1800.
Nikon D3000
 The award-winning Nikon D40 has received some hot upgrades this summer, courtesy of its successor, the Nikon D3000. Not only did Nikon boost the APS-C size CCD sensor resolution to 10-megapixels, but the company implemented a built-in tutorial for beginners looking to properly compose and light a shot. It's called Guide Mode and it seems like the next best thing to a basic Photography 101 course for those avid do-it-yourselfers. The Nikon D3000 also offers an extensive Retouch menu that will offer basic Photoshop functionality from within the camera, including a Miniature effect, which changes the appearance of distant subjects to look like close-ups of miniature models. The Nikon D3000 has a broad ISO range with a 3200 ISO max, Active D-Lighting and 3D Color Matrix Metering II. Nikon's DX format will be the compatible optics and the D3000's Continuous mode will yield an average of 3 frames-per-second. Auto Focus will be 11-point with 3D Subject Tracking and the camera will weigh in at just over a pound. As far as construction, the D3000 will feature textured, rubberized grip panels and a popup flash. The Nikon D3000 outfit, including the versatile AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR image stabilization lens, is set to be available at Nikon Authorized dealers in late August 2009, for $600.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35
 From the outside, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 appears to be identical to its predecessor, the DMC-FZ28, save the new Video Record button. The cover is up—the new Lumix DMC-FZ35 adds AVCHD Lite to its menu, in addition to an overhauled POWER OIS Optical Image Stabilization, which is said to be more effective than Panasonic's previous MEGA OIS system. This time around, we'll be able to control shutter speed and aperture in HD Video mode, and a new High Dynamic Mode is supposed to tame shadows and highlights. The Lumix DMC-FZ35 will offer a My Color Mode, which will allow shooters to adjust the Color, Brightness, and Saturation while using the live LCD. The DMC-FZ35 will have the same 27mm wide-angle lens with 18x optical zoom capability, though the sensor gets a 12-megapixel upgrade with the latest Venus Engine HD processing. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 will be available in September for $400 and ship in Black.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1
 Smallness is the name of Panasonic's game, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 is a scaled-down version of the Lumix DMC-ZS1, a compact we took a liking to for its decent all-around image quality and impressive AVCHD Lite video performance. Well, the new DMC-ZR1 loses a few notches on the zoom belt, falling back to an 8x optical, but the camera still offers AVCHD Lite video recording and the latest Venus Engine HD video processing. The camera inherits the new High Dynamic mode and adds a Travel Mode for keeping track of photo origins and times. We get a standard 2.7-inch LCD in back with a four-way directional pad and it looks like the shutter button will be located right next to the Mode dial again, which chapped our behinds when we repeatedly shifted the Mode dial by accident when we went to snap a shot. The Lumix DMC-ZR1 includes PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 and offers Intelligent Auto and Face Recognition, as well as AF Tracking. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 is set to ship in September for $280 and will be available in Black, Red, Blue and Silver.
Fujifilm Finepix S200 EXR
 Fujifilm's EXR technology seems to be everywhere these days, and the company is packing the dynamic range-boosting goodness into the new Fujifilm Finepix S200 EXR fixed lens Mega Zoom. The Finepix not only offers the joys and splendors of EXR shooting, but the new compact will offer a 14.3x optical zoom and a few additional shooting modes including Pro Focus and Pro Low-Light Modes, which are designed to achieve results comparable to a high-end DSLR. Yes, Fujifilm is insistent on comparing its new lineup, including the Fujifilm Finepix F70 EXR, to the interchangeable lens greats, but we'll be the judges of that. In the meantime, the S200 EXR will feature a new 2.7-inch High Contrast LCD with a 160-degree viewing margin vertically and horizontally and Super Intelligent Flash. We now get to shoot in RAW and the Fujifilm Finepix S200 EXR is equipped with a fairly large 1/1.6-inch Super CCD EXR sensor. With a full Manual mode that offers an f/2.8 – f/11 aperture range and 30 – 1/4,000 second shutter speed, we're excited to shoot with the S200 EXR. The 50% improved battery life over the previous Finepix S100FS is also enticing, though the S200 EXR's lack of wide-angle capability is a little disappointing. The Fujifilm Finepix S200 EXR will be available in August for $600.
Fujifilm Finepix F70 EXR
 The Fujifilm Finepix F70 EXR recieves a hefty dosage of style this time around, which was imperative, based on the plain and puke-colored Finepix F200 EXR. Not only is the Finepix F70 EXR more compact than the F200 EXR, but it features all of the new additions found on the Finepix S200 EXR, complete with an awesome 10x optical zoom lens with 27mm wide-angle capability. That means we get the new Pro Focus and Pro Low Light modes, which combine images at different exposure in order to create well-rounded illumination with minimal shadows and highlights. The F70 EXR will have a 1/2-inch CCD, 2.7-inch LCD and Super Intelligent Flash, along with a slew of EXR shooting modes including Auto, High Sensitivity and Low Noise and Dual Image Stabilization. The Fujifilm Finepix F70 EXR is expected to ship in August for $280.
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