October 25, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
So for the past few days I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on a new digital SLR body. Since I already own Canon lenses — most of which have no resale value — the smartest thing for me to do was focus primarily on Canon camera bodies (just to put it out there: if I could get good money on the lenses I own now, I’d probably make a major switch to Nikon).
Anyway, my current digital SLR is way out of date and I decided recently that it’s about time I get some new gear in my hands. Camera technology and picture quality has changed dramatically over the last 5 years since I last purchased an SLR which means that the gap between high-end professional SLRs and pro-sumer SLRs are becoming narrower.
For example, below is a comparison chart between the Canon EOS 7D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II (green boxes indicate superior specs).
Click image above to enlarge
While the 5D Mark II is the higher-end camera, it seems like the 7D is the camera that actually gets all the goodies I’d actually make use of. Sure, the 5D’s full-frame sensor is a huge deal, but at this point, I feel like I’m willing to compromise in exchange for a generally more sophisticated feature-set in the Canon 7D. Specifically, here are the things I’m sold on in terms of the Canon 7D being a “better” choice: 8fps shooting, dual Digic 4 processors, better auto-focus system, built-in Speedlite transmitter, on-camera flash, and 100% viewfinder coverage just to name a few — all of these features are missing from the higher-end 5D Mark II for some reason (but I have no doubts that they’ll make an appearance on the 5D Mark III).
Click image above to enlarge
I guess the question for me is whether or not I’m willing to pay an extra $1000 for a full-frame camera with less features. At that price, I’m leaning towards a no.
October 14, 2009 @ 12:35 am
Leaks have been happening all week, and finally it looks like Nikon has officially announced the new Nikon D3S. The new D3S touts an incredible ISO range, from ISO 200 to ISO 12,800 with an added ISO equivalent setting that bumps bumps the ISO to a possible 102,400 (WHAT!).
The Nikon D3S features Nikon’s 12.1MP FX-format CMOS sensor which also allows low-light shooting in the camera’s HD video mode (unfortunately, only at 720p, which is sort of a downer). But HD is secondary to my interests at the moment, as the actual real-world results of this camera’s ISO testing are simply phenomenal. Check out Marcus Bell’s blog for some comparisons and image samples.
Thanks for the link, Bommy!
UPDATE: Oh, I was so excited that I forgot the most important details: release date and price! The Nikon D3S will go for $5200 starting late November 2009.
UPDATE 2: The Nikon Press site finally has hi-res images available for viewing.
September 17, 2009 @ 10:23 pm
No joke, the recently announced Pentax K-x digital SLR camera will come in a whole mess of colors other than red. In fact, it looks like Pentax is rolling out a custom page for Japanese buyers so that they can mix and match colors for their camera body and grip.
I honestly didn’t think the red color was all that great, but now that I see that this camera is meant to be outrageous, I sort of like it a bit more now. Kudos to Pentax for doing this.
September 17, 2009 @ 12:48 am
The newly announced Pentax K-x comes in dashing red. Seriously. :O
I wonder how many of these red cameras Pentax hopes to sell.
September 1, 2009 @ 9:32 am
Canon just announced the new EOS 7D digital SLR which features wireless connectivity/transfer, HD video recording with full manual controls, a brand-new 19-point auto-focus system, dual DIGIC IV processors, and a viewfinder that has 100 percent coverage.
For $1699 (body only), this is a pretty solid choice for those that want features present in the 1Ds Mark III and 5D Mark II with some cash leftover to get a decent lens.
January 27, 2009 @ 10:45 am
Tokyobling visited the Tokyo Eco Products convention at the end of December last year and came across a cross-section of a Nikon D3 SLR camera. Everything seems to be there including battery cells, lens glass, the sensor, and what looks to be the mirror.
There’s no mess and no sharp edges which makes me think that a samurai was invited to the Nikon factory to do this job (after all, they are in Japan…right?). I mean, they didn’t build it like this, did they?
