dSLR

The tl;dr on Canon's new pro camera: Yowza.

Canon's celebrating the 10th generation of its EOS-1 pro body with an overhaul, both of the hardware and the line itself. A consolidation of the fast, sports shooter with the high-resolution full-frame camera, the EOS-1D X replaces both the full-frame 1Ds Mark III and the APS-H 1D Mark IV with a single, double-grip full-frame model with fast continuous shooting. The price most closely resembles the 1Ds, though, at $6800.

That opens a big gap between the please-replace-it-already 5D Mark II and the new top of the line. And I suspect that when a 5D Mark III eventually surfaces (probably not until next year), it's going to be a lot more expensive--in part because of a weak dollar and the increased costs associated with the various natural disasters that have plagued production in Asia, and in part because Canon could probably get away with it. Especially if it incorporates some of the whizzy new technology (assuming it all works as advertised, of course) that's in the 1D X.

Where to begin? On the outside, you'll find an updated control layout, with some extra buttons joysticks designed to streamline shooting with the vertical grip. On the inside, there are new autofocus and autoexposure systems in addition to the de rigueur new sensor with an enhanced dust-reduction system. It has an entirely new shutter mechanism. There are new features, including a 1000BaseT Ethernet port, 3 custom settings groups (finally!), and a nine-shot multiple-exposure mode.

Basically, it's a whole new camera. Check out the basic specs before I get into details:… Read more

Sony's SLT series of digital cameras is a bit hard to categorize. The company considers them single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, but they lack the reflexes; they have fixed, transparent mirrors that don't flip up during shooting the way a dSLR's does. That means they also lack a through-the-lens-type optical viewfinder (OVF), instead incorporating an electronic viewfinder (EVF) like the ones you get in megazoom cameras with insanely long lenses.

What they do share with SLRs is the phase-detection autofocus-system technology, which tends to be faster--especially for burst shooting--than the contrast AF systems used by other types of … Read more

As expected, Monday night Nikon announced the replacement for the D5000, the Nikon D5100. The main specs include 16.2-megapixel resolution (like the D7000), 1080/30p/24p with a mic jack, 4fps burst, ISO sensitivity up to 6400/25,600 expanded with an ISO 102,400 Night Vision mode, and a larger 3-inch flip-out-and-twist LCD rather than the 2.7-inch drop-down articulated version of its predecessor. There's also a new 2-shot autobracket-and-combine HDR mode.

The body-only version will run $799.95 and a kit with the 18-55mm VR lens will be $899.95. At those prices, it's directly … Read more

Rumors about Nikon's follow-up to the discontinued D5000 have been circulating for weeks, but you can always trust a company's Web site or partner to accidentally leak the news in advance of PR plans. This time Nikon Romania prematurely posted news about the D5100, which eagle-eyed Nikon Rumors grabbed before the Nikon site unsurprisingly went dark for maintenance.

Nikon Rumors lists the specs as 16.2 megapixels (like D7000), 1080/30p with mic jack for new ME-1 microphone, 4fps burst, ISO up to 6400 with 102,400 "Night Vision" mode, and a standard flip-out-and-twist LCD rather … Read more

With today's product announcements, Canon bookends its sub-$1,000 dSLR lineup with two new models--the entry-level EOS Rebel T3 and the slightly more advanced T3i--as well as introduces an updated version of its 18-55mm kit staple lens and two enhanced low-end Speedlite flash units. Rather than introduce new dSLR models at bargain-basement prices as Pentax and Sony tend to do, Canon traditionally lets its slightly higher-end models gradually fall in price until they're the de facto entry-level models. But its current starter, the EOS Rebel XS, and which the T3 will replace, has been around since the … Read more

Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera systems such as Micro Four Thirds, Sony NEX, and Samsung NX were designed to cater to users who find dSLRs too heavy and bulky to operate. Well, these formats now have a new competitor--sort of.

The Chobi Cam One is a miniaturized dSLR that comes with different lens attachments users can deploy for varying picture results. However, don't expect this to dethrone dSLRs or mirrorless system cameras anytime soon. The pictures from the Cam One measure 1,600x1,200 pixels, and it captures video in VGA resolution only.

The mini shooter has a microSHDC slot … Read more

Most Expensive Christmas Tree Ever from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.

Let's hope the Grinch doesn't steal their Christmas.

Some guys from a camera equipment rental shop have fashioned an impressive Christmas tree out of cameras, lenses, and tripods.

The time-lapse vid above shows folks from BorrowLenses.com whipping a tree together with Nikon and Canon dSLRs and some very serious telephoto lenses. … Read more

Imagine you're shooting in a studio. But instead of sitting behind the camera, you're on a sofa a few meters away directing the subject. You look at your iPhone to check the exposure setting; it's correct and you press the virtual shutter button on the handset and the camera snaps the photo.

This scenario is not a dream. XEqual has developed a Bluetooth receiver unit and app that work with Bluetooth-enabled iPhone and iPod Touch units. The receiver unit plugs into the GPS port on most Nikon cameras including the latest D7000 and D3100. Users can then … Read more

When I first saw this limited-edition Pentax K-r digital SLR called the K-r Korejanairobomoderu, I thought it was a dSLR made from Legos. And then I remembered that sadly, this is the company's second go-round with this Korejanai Robo design; it gave the same paint job to the K-x around this time last year.

If you were hoping to pick one up for the holidays you're out of luck. Only 100 are being made and reservations start on December 24, with the cameras shipping in January. They're available through Pentax's Japanese shopping site for approximately $1,… Read more