full-frame

Sony breaks $2,000 barrier for full-frame dSLRs

News of the A850, Sony's full-frame follow-up to the Alpha DSLR-A900, surfaced on the Web weeks ago--Sony itself accidentally leaked the entire manual, for pity's sake--but the most important aspect of the product, the camera's price, remained only speculation. Without that context, one really didn't know what to make of the subtly stripped-down version of the A900. Now we know it'll cost $1,999 for the body, making it the least expensive full-frame dSLR currently available. That makes it newsworthy, but does that automatically make it droolworthy?

It's worth taking a step back and considering the benefits--and drawbacks--of a full-frame dSLR; that is, a camera with a sensor that has the same active area as a frame of 35mm film. In comparison, typical consumer dSLR sensors are anywhere from two thirds to half that size. Since larger sensors are generally better for cramming a lot of pixels in without losing ground to an excessive amount of image noise, full-frame sensors are commonly accepted as the best choice for high-resolution and/or low-light photography (without opting for the significantly larger and more expensive medium format option). It's also easier to build wide-angle lenses for larger sensors.

A big, low-noise, high-resolution sensor: what's not to like? Well, for one thing, big sensors mean big cameras; they require lenses with larger circumferences than the smaller sensors, larger viewfinders, larger bodies, and so on. And all of that costs more. The A850 is still $1,000 more and 10 ounces heavier than its newly minted 14-megapixel little brother, the A550.… Read more

Sensor quality: SLRs erode medium-format lead

It looks like Canon and Nikon weren't blowing smoke when they said their high-end SLRs cameras will compete with medium-format digital cameras used almost exclusively by professionals.

Given the image quality advantages that SLRs with larger "full-frame" sensors have over mainstream and much less expensive models with smaller processors, one might have expected another quantum leap from costly high-end medium-format digital cameras with sensors twice the area of top-end SLRs. Not so, according to new DxOMark Sensor test results set for release Tuesday by French test and measurement firm DxO Labs.

The company tested image sensors from several medium-format cameras--the Mamiya ZD Back, Leaf Aptus 75S, Hasselblad H3DII 39, and Phase One P45+. These are the sorts of cameras used by fashion photographers and others who need lush tones, fine detail, and lots of megapixels to handle big photos such as magazine spreads.

But none outperformed the Nikon D3X SLR, whose score of 88 gives it the current top rank on DxO's sensor tests. … Read more

New firmware for Canon 40D and Nikon D3, D700

The top two SLR makers have released relatively minor firmware revisions for three cameras, Nikon's higher-end full-frame D3 and D700 and Canon's prosumer-grade EOS 40D.

The fixes generally address rare and unusual problems. One notable fix for the D3 and D700 is for a problem which, as Nikon describes it, "in extremely rare cases, resulted in noticeable black dots in images captured with Long exp. NR (long exposure noise reduction) in the shooting menu set to On." Canon fixed a black-dot issue of its own with the EOS 5D Mark II earlier this month, but Nikon's issue sounds rarer.

Forthwith, the release notes: … Read more

Nikon's new SLR leads the pack for sensor quality

It's not a surprise that the Nikon D3X, the company's brand-new $8,000, 24.5-megapixel SLR, tops DxO Labs' sensor performance test. What is a surprise is the margin by which it leads its rivals from Canon and Sony.

When the French firm unveiled its DxOMark Sensor benchmark test last year, Nikon's D3 was the top scorer at 80.6, a composite number that represents various performance features. Very close on its heels were Nikon's D700 at 80.5, Canon's EOS-1Ds Mark III 80.3, and later Canon's 5D Mark II at 79 and Sony's Alpha A900 at 78.9.

All those cameras were close, but the D3X stands apart with a score of 88. The result shows how much ground Nikon has made up on Canon, which has dominated high-end digital SLR technology. … Read more

Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Worth the wait?

Three years is a long time for any product to hang around, especially when the technology changes as rapidly as it does for digital cameras. So before moving on to Canon's latest marvel, the EOS 5D Mark II, let's take a moment to appreciate how well the EOS 5D filled the needs of burst-indifferent professionals and deep-pocketed prosumers.

Right. Time to move on now. Though it's always had a big fan base, 5D users have nonetheless been itching for more, and the successor Canon delivers, the EOS 5D Mark II, will likely be a must-have upgrade, especially for the wedding photography crowd for whom the 5D is a workhorse. And with many of the imaging components of the 1Ds Mark III (and a later version of the image-processing engine, Digic 4) for a price tag $5,000 lower, it's sure to be an attractive alternative.… Read more

Canon EOS 5D Mark II is official

After all the "leaks" and hype, the long-awaited Canon EOS 5D Mark II is finally official. Here are the highlights:

21-megapixel full-frame sensor 1,920x1,080-pixel video at 30fps Maximum ISO 25600 Digic 4 image processor 3.9fps burst unlimited JPEG/14 raw with UDMA card 15-point AF 920,000-dot 3-inch LCD Live View

I'll post a more meaningful analysis and comparison later today. The EOS 5D Mark II is slated to ship in November for a body-only price of $2,699 or in a kit with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens for $3,… Read more

Hands-on preview: Sony's full-frame DSLR-A900

We've seen prototypes under glass and been hearing rumors for months, but Sony's Alpha DSLR-A900 became official September 9 at 9 a.m. ET. The A900's main claim to fame is its 24-megapixel full-frame (the size of a 35mm frame of film) sensor, the highest resolution in a digital SLR to date.

Sony makes a point of not calling this a "professional" camera, instead referring to it as the "flagship" model of its dSLR line. However, it's priced like a pro model, and its competitors--the Nikon D700 and the we-expect-soon-to-be-replaced Canon EOS 5D--are widely used by professionals. We've had one for a few days and have had a chance to run it through our lab tests and shoot with it long enough to develop some preliminary opinions. … Read more

Nikon debuts D700, full frame for the midrange

For those who don't need the indestructibility or built-in vertical grip of a traditional pro dSLR like the Nikon D3 or Canon EOS-1D Mark III--and that's quite a chunk of the pro market--smaller, lighter, and cheaper full-frame models like the Canon EOS 5D are the real workhorses.

Plus, their (relatively) lower prices put full-frame shooting in the hands of deep-pocketed amateur photographers. Until now, that's a party at which Nikon never got to dance. But with Monday's announcement of the full-frame D700, Nikon's a wallflower no more.

The D700 looks to be a bit of a cross between the full-frame (FX format) D3 and the DX-format D300. It has the same 12.1-megapixel Expeed CMOS sensor as the D3, with its concomitantly wide ISO sensitivity range.

The D700 will also boast some of the durability characteristics of the D3, such as the magnesium alloy outside and dust and weather sealing. The 150,000-cycle shutter and dust prevention system come from the D300. Other features it inherits from both sides of the family include the 3-inch LCD, two live-view shooting modes, a 51-point AF system, and 3D Matrix metering technology.… Read more

Nikon full-frame D700 for real?

Those amazing folks at Photography Bay are at it again, this time with a pretty well-documented rumor about an upcoming midrange full-frame dSLR from Nikon, the D700. They got their hands on what looks like pretty real proof sheets of an ad for said model, with specs and everything. I'm not going to repeat them here--they deserve the page views. And a nod to CameraPorn, where I saw the first reference, simply because "C" comes before "P" in my RSS feed list. They link to coverage on a bunch of other sites. Check it out.… Read more

Leica removes leader of camera business

Leica Camera, the German manufacturer of high-prestige but high-price photography equipment, has replaced its top executive, Steven Lee.

"The supervisory board of Leica Camera AG today removed Steven K. Lee as member and chairman of the board of management of Leica Camera AG with immediate effect," the company said in a brief statement Friday.

The board also named Andreas Kaufmann to be chairman of Leica Camera's board of management until February 28, 2009. He and Andreas Lobejaeger will lead the company jointly, the company said.

Leica was an influential brand in the 20th century, pioneering the use … Read more