cameras

Canon's new dSLRs get some new accessories

In conjunction with the Canon EOS 40D and 1Ds Mark III announcements, Canon also let loose with some new lenses and accessories.

At the high end, intimidating all the other lenses, sits the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, a $2,199 prime lens optimized for use with the 1Ds Mark III. Among other things, it's got improved dust-proofing and weatherproofing around the lens mount, and a round aperture (for a more natural depth-of-field blur). Canon says it's sharper than the original in the corners as well as the center, and that the increase to two aspherical … Read more

Canon PowerShot G9 hits 12

Despite the plethora of cheap dSLRs on the market, there's still room for some all-in-one, relatively compact enthusiast cameras--at least that's what seems to keep Canon's PowerShot G series going year after year. The latest model, the PowerShot G9, replaces the G7; the model naming skips a digit, lest it be confused with the more economically inclined G8 summiteers.

Key specs: 12 megapixels f/2.8-to-4.8, 35mm-to-210mm-equivalent (6X) optically stabilized lens Raw file support 3-inch LCD Digic III image processor

Still smarting from users' response to its having dropped raw-format support form the G7, Canon reinstates … Read more

Canon's EOS-1Ds Mark III reaches 21 megapixels

Though most of its thunder has already been stolen by the Canon EOS-1D Mark III, studio photographers have been awaiting the announcement of its high-res, full-frame sibling, the EOS-1Ds Mark III. Coming in November for about the same price as the 1Ds Mark II--$7,999--the replacement model is faster and higher resolution than the old, with the body and technology enhancements of the Mark III generation.

  1Ds Mark II 1Ds Mark III 1D Mark III Resolution 16.7 megapixels 21.1 megapixels 10.1 megapixels Continuous shooting 4fps32 JPEG/11 raw 5fps56 JPEG/12 raw 10fps110 JPEG/30 … Read more

Canon updates high-end Elphs

Some folk might not think that a simple refresh of Canon's top SD-series cameras is as exciting as its dSLR news. But as some of the top-selling cameras on the market, Canon's Digital Elph models hold a special place among compact cameras. The latest pair, called the PowerShot SD870 IS and the PowerShot SD950 IS, both include Canon's Digic III procesor, optical image stabilization, and face detection. Canon's latest version of face detection can spot up to nine faces and use them to determine autofocus and exposure.

The SD950 IS sports a 12.1-megapixel CCD imaging … Read more

Canon's budget megazoom, the PowerShot SX100

The continuing popularity of its less-expensive but last-generation PowerShot S3 IS and its competitors around the $300 price mark such as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS has likely driven Canon's decision to release a new megazoom option in that price class. The PowerShot SX100 IS, which Canon expects to ship in early October for $299, offers some attractions over the S3 IS, but makes some tradeoffs as well.

  S3 IS SX100 IS S5 IS Resolution 6 megapixels 8 megapixels 8 megapixels Lens (35mm equivalent) f/2.7-to-f/3.5, 36mm-to-432mm (12X) f/2.8-4.… Read more

Canon announces two new, zoomy PowerShots

Canon is bringing a new lens and a new image processor to its PowerShot A-series of digital cameras. The PowerShot A650 IS and the A720 IS both include 35 to 210mm-equivalent 6x zoom lenses with optical image stabilization and Canon's DIGIC III image processor, an upgrade from last generations' DIGIC II processor that Canon claims offers improved speed and image quality. Both cameras also keep the same manual exposure controls as the models they replace, the PowerShot A630/A640 and A710 IS.

The PowerShot A650 IS joins the PowerShot G9 and SD950 IS as Canon's first 12-megapixel non-SLR … Read more

BenQ E1000: Talking tough

By far our favorite press release of the last week comes from BenQ, announcing the E1000. It's a 10-megapixel compact snapper parceled in a metal frame designed for "individuals with discerning taste," according to BenQ, that "truly reflects an individual's character, personality and above all, masculinity." Above all, masculinity! So is this a camera for taking pictures of yourself bench-pressing burning cars on a building site in Baghdad?

Er, no, not really. The E1000 includes a 76mm (3-inch) LCD screen, which is good: We like big screens. We'd like to see more compacts … Read more

Cheaper DSLRs to drive digital camera sales

Digital cameras are like wallets--pretty much everyone has one. And it's generally unthinkable to go to any event without one--particularly for those of us with a Flickr or Facebook photo-tagging mindset.

Perhaps as a result, amateur photogs are snapping up digital cameras at faster rates than even industry analysts expected. The global digital camera market is expected to grow from 122 million cameras shipped this year to more than 138 million by 2011, according to IDC.

The last four years of digital camera shipments showed declining growth rates, most likely meaning that the consumers who wanted a digital camera … Read more

Samsung head cam: Good idea, needs improvement

A movie camera that attaches to your head. It's an idea that's intrigued me since I was about six.

Unfortunately, all of the bugs have yet to be worked out.

For the past two weeks, I've tried out the Samsung Sports Camcorder SC-X300L, a small video camera with a lens that straps onto your head. It also comes with a voice recorder and an MP3 player. It came out last year and now sells for $449. Since I had to review an electric motorcycle, I figured it was a good time to check it out.

The good … Read more