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Showers of April rumors bring flowering of May dSLRs?

Rumors of new dSLRs from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax abound on the Web.

Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Expertise Photography | PCs and laptops | Gaming and gaming accessories
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Lori Grunin
2 min read

Given that the timing is right for manufacturers to update various models, it should come as no surprise that the rumors are leaking left and right--especially at sites whose stock-in-trade is tracking these types of rumors.

According to the Canon Rumors blogger, "If this is real, I'll eat a worm." lpazxxsh/Fred Miranda forums

My favorite of the moment is over at Canon Rumors, which repeats info suggested in the forums at Fred Miranda. A favorite not because I think the specs are particularly accurate--a full frame 16-megapixel sensor, or maybe 18 megapixels, HD video, 12fps burst, 65-zone metering, 48 AF points (think the AF will get fewer complaints with all those points?), better viewfinder and built-in Wi-Fi--but because the blogger on Canon Rumors said that if the accompanying photo was real he'd "eat a worm."

Last week, Nikon Rumors posted a couple of (most likely faux) photos and specs for a D400 and D750. Most notably, if they're true, are 16- to 18-megapixel sensors, Vari-angle LCDs and 24fps 1080p video. While the blogger doubts their veracity, he did not volunteer to eat a worm.

Next on the rumor trail is the Sony Alpha DSLR-A500, which comes to us from Photogenius, a Russian site, via Google Translate and the Panasonic and Olympus rumor site, 43rumors.com. It sounds as if the A500 replaces the A350 or possibly the older A700, with a 17.2-megapixel sensor of indeterminate type, 1080p HD video, max ISO 12,800, 4fps burst and a 2.7-inch tilting LCD.

And finally, winning points for utter vagueness, is the rumor about a new dSLR spotted on a Pentax family group shot watermarked ivyjopy.spaces.live.com that RiceHigh's Pentax Blog says is a K7D. Or maybe a K30D (more likely, in my opinion). One of the forum participants speculates that the camera will use a Relay Finder viewfinder--as far as I can tell, it uses lenses in addition to the prism in order to shrink the viewfinder while maintaining magnification and eye point--which Pentax patented back in September.