SLRs

Pentax dSLR takes video to a new low price

Continuing its tradition of aggressively priced dSLRs, Pentax's K-x model breaks the low ground by offering video capture support in a kit that costs less than $650: the body alone for Nikon's D5000 runs about $700, Canon's EOS Rebel T1i a bit more and Sony and Olympus don't even offer video yet. And for good or ill, Pentax will also be offering navy and red versions a month after launch, as well as its Stormtrooper white and traditional black models. According to Pentax, women traditionally constitute 20 percent of its dSLR sales, but that increased to 50 percent for the white K2000/K-m model. As such, I wanted to thank Pentax for not offering a pink version, as well as for using a single naming convention for the US and the rest of the world.

Now that the K200D has been disoncontinued, the K-x sidles up next to the dirt-cheap K2000 in Pentax's product line; unlike many crowded competing dSLR lineups, the K-x it differs enough from its line mates that Pentax shouldn't bewilder its own customers.

Like the cheaper models, the K-x runs off 4 AA batteries--some people think that's a plus, others not so much--has the same superior-for-its class viewfinder as on the K2000, and looks like it uses a similarly austere design, color choices notwithstanding. It introduces a 3-shot High Dynamic Range capture feature which debuted in the K-7 and sounds like the one in Sony's recently announced (and more expensive than the K-x) Alpha DSLR-A500 and A550 and creative filter modes à la the K-7 and Olympus.

Here's where it fits in Pentax's current lineup:… Read more

Canon returns to tackle Nikon in midrange with EOS 7D dSLR

Updated, September 1, 2009: As expected, Canon announced the 7D, and all the rumor information turned out to be correct. I've added more details below.

There's enough seemingly reliable information floating around the Internet to guess that Canon plans to announce the long-rumored EOS 7D any day now. For those willing to slog through it, Canon Rumors offers up a difficult-to-parse Google Translate version of a Chinese press release from which everyone's painstakingly pulled the basic specs. (I'll update this post when the camera's officially announced; consensus has that happening on September 1, though it's not clear which continent that refers to, so it might be September 2 here in the U.S.)

Rather than an inexpensive but full-frame version of the 5D Mark II, the 7D looks to be a direct competitor for the Nikon D300s--and it's about time. Canon basically ceded the entry-level pro performance market to Nikon in 2005 with the arrival of the D200; since then, Canon's 30D, 40D, and 50D have taken the slower but less expensive road, with a relatively stagnant AF system, that Nikon leapfrogged. But with entirely new AF and metering systems, a new high-resolution (and seemingly low-noise) eight-channel readout sensor coupled with dual Digic 4 image processors and a new 100 percent coverage viewfinder, plus 1080p video capture, the 7D looks like an aggressive attempt to make a comeback.… Read more

Olympus to offer budget E-600 dSLR for holiday shoppers

Shipping in November, just in time for your holiday purchasing fun, Olympus' E-600 dSLR will offer a slightly stripped-down version of the E-620 for consumers whose price elasticity is stretched to the breaking point. At $599.99 with the 14-42mm kit lens (28-84mm equivalent), by dropping down $100 Olympus will be taking on the Nikon D3000 (and whatever new model Canon finally decides to ship--its entry-level model is overdue) in a very competitive price segment.… Read more

New Sony dSLRs target burst, low-light shooters

With the announcements of the Alpha DSLR-A500 and A550, Sony brings what feels like a market microsegmentation strategy to dSLRs. These models raise the total of new Sony dSLRs costing less than $1,000 up to five; if you count the older A700, which hasn't been formally discontinued, then you've got 6 Sony dSLR options squeezed into the $400 gap between $549 and $999. A welcome plethora of choices, or a try-anything-and-see-what-sticks strategy? I can't answer that for Sony, but I've been staring at the specs for hours and still can't figure out why the A380, introduced only 3 months ago, exists in this family.

The cameras incorporate Sony's latest technologies for improving low-light shooting experiences. They both use Exmor CMOS sensors (compared to CCDs for the lower-end models), debuting updated on-chip noise reduction which processes chroma and luma channels separately. The quality of its noise suppression has long been one of Sony's weak points, and this can only help. Will it bear scrutiny up to the extended sensitivity of ISO 12,800? I can't wait to test them and see.

They also debut Auto HDR, a variation on the Hand-held Twilight mode, one of the few things I liked in the company's DSC-HX1 megazoom. Auto HDR snaps two sequential shots at different exposures and combines them into a single shot with "optimal" highlight and shadow detail. It doesn't have quite as much control as I'd like--you'll be able to manually select the amount of the bracket, but it's limited to two shots and it doesn't save the individual frames, just the combined result and only as a JPEG--but it's potentially a superior approach to the gamma-adjusting schemes such as Sony's Dynamic Range Optimization and Nikon's D-Lighting. Provided there's no performance overhead, of course.

In addition to the resolution differential between the A500 and A550, the A550 has a higher resolution LCD--the same one used on the A700 and A900--and a faster burst option called Speed Priority mode, which basically forgoes continuous autofocus. (With AF, the continuous-shooting performance is the same.)… Read more

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

Nikon D3000, new entry-level SLR

It's had a loooong run, but now it's over; the Nikon D40, which the company unveiled in November 2006, is finally being put out to pasture. That's a pretty good lifespan for a consumer dSLR, and I'm sure Nikon is hoping that its replacement, the D3000--announced today along with the D300's replacement, the D300s and a pair of lens updates--can match or surpass its popularity.

The body remains mostly unchanged from the D40, but as you'd expect, Nikon beefs up some of the performance and features aspects of the camera, including a much-needed update of the AF system, which includes behind-the-scenes face detection. Other improvements inherited from across the line include enhanced air flow for improved dust reduction and better midtone correction in the Active D-Lighting.… Read more

Nikon D300s adds video capture

Though Nikon fans on message boards around the Web were hoping today's announcements would include a "D700x," we'll all have to settle for a not-too-shabby replacement for the D300 instead. Along with the D40's update, the D3000, and a pair of lens replacements, Nikon unveiled the D300s, which most notably includes support for 720p video capture.

The D300s incorporates the same video engine as that of the D90, which, at 720p resolution but limited to 24fps, isn't the greatest video we've seen, but it's significantly better than nothing. And the D300s goes it one better by supporting autofocus during recording--though we'll have to see how usably implemented that is--and use the Picture Controls to adjust the tone and color. The camera also has a stereo mic input. … Read more

A romp through the camera rumor mill

While none of these seem verifiable, there are simply too many rumors about new dSLRs and interchangeable-lens cameras floating around on the Web to ignore. So here, for your delectation, is a summary of all the bits that are fit to post.

The most frequent topic playing Ring Around the Web is for a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. A host of sites have repeated a set of specs first posted at Northlight Images by a supposed tester of the aforementioned model. He specifies the following:

Same 1.3x multiplier (APS-H) as previous models. 16-megapixel sensor with 8-megapixel sRAW ISO 50 to ISO 26,500 Same video and display as the 5D Mark II Slight redesign of button layout and grips

Said tester reports good high ISO photo quality (as you'd expect), faster continuous shooting than the 1D Mark III, "Nikon fast AF", usable Live View AF, and an overall better feel.

Supposedly there'll be a late summer announcement and end-of-year ship. Start saving those pennies now. Use a really big jar.… Read more

Budget shopping tips: Digital SLRs

There are a lot of good reasons to pay the extra bucks for a digital SLR over a point- and-shoot, including better photo quality (especially in low light), faster shooting, and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses. But it's also err on the side of too much or too little when buying, especially if you don't have a solid idea of what you need or want from the camera.

Define budget Buying a dSLR is more like buying a computer than a TV or an MP3 player; you're not shopping for the cheapest model you can find, you'… Read more