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Monday, September 29, 2008

New-For-Fall D-SLRs Reimagined

In the lead-up to the huge Photokina 2008 trade show, there were a number of big new camera announcements—more megapixels and better image quality, and in the spirit of convergence, HD video makes the leap to still cameras!

This was a Photokina year, and Photokina 2008 included a number of exciting new camera introductions (even if they actually appeared a bit ahead of the actual show). On these pages, you’ll meet new low-cost, 20-megapixel-plus, full-frame D-SLRs from Canon and Sony, versatile new mid-range D-SLRs from Canon and Nikon, new D-SLRs with movie capability (and HD, no less) from Canon and Nikon, and 50-, 56- and 60.5-megapixel, medium-format entries from Hasselblad, Leaf and Phase One.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Quick Shooting. The EOS 5D Mark II can shoot those big images at 3.9 per second. If you use a UDMA-compliant CompactFlash card, you can shoot Large/Fine JPEGs at that rate until the card is full or up to 14 RAW images in a burst. With standard CF cards, you can shoot up to 13 RAW or 78 highest-quality JPEGs in a burst.
21.1-Megapixel Canon CMOS Sensor. The EOS 5D Mark II’s 21.1-megapixel sensor is an improved version of the one in the top-of-the-line EOS-1Ds Mark III. Image resolution is 5616x3744 pixels. This sensor, coupled with the new DIGIC 4 image processor and 14-bit A/D conversion, results in the highest level of image quality of any EOS camera, according to Canon.
Full HD-Movie Capability. The camera features the capability to record movie clips (up to 4 GB worth or 29 minutes 59 seconds, whichever occurs first) at 30 fps, in full 1920x1080 HD resolution. You can add audio via a built-in mono microphone or connect a stereo mic. Movies are stored in WAV format, with CD-quality sound.
EOS Integrated Cleaning System. A big sensor can attract a lot of dust, so the EOS 5D Mark II includes the latest generation of Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System. A fluorine coating on the low-pass filter keeps dust from sticking to the sensor, and ultrasonic vibrations remove any dust that does settle there each time you switch the camera on or off. You also can activate the dust remover at any time manually.
High ISO Capability. The camera provides a standard ISO range of 100-6400, settable in 1/3-stop increments. You also can set L (ISO 50), H1 (ISO 12800) or H2 (ISO 25600).
Live-View Shooting. A 3-inch 920,000-dot LCD with the same three Live-View AF modes are found in the new EOS 50D Mark II: Quick, using the normal phase-detection AF system; Live, using compact-camera-style contrast-detection AF; and Face Detection, which can detect up to 35 faces and adjust focus to get them all as sharp as possible. You also can focus manually in Live-View mode.

Specifications
Image Sensor: 21.1-megapixel (effective) CMOS
Resolution: 5616x3744 pixels
Sensor Size: 36x24mm (full-frame), 1x
AF System: 9-point, plus 6 assist points
Shutter Speeds: 1/8000 to 30 sec., X-sync up to 1⁄200 sec.
ISO Settings: 100-6400, also 50, 12800 and 25600
Continuous Firing Mode: 3.9 fps
Recording Format: JPEG, RAW, sRAW 1, sRAW 2
Metering: 35-zone evaluative, 8.0% partial, 3.5% spot, CW
Storage Media: CompactFlash (UDMA-compliant)
Dimensions: 6.0x4.5x2.9 inches
Weight: 28.5 ounces
Power Source: Rechargeable LP-E6 lithium-ion battery
Estimated Street Price: $2,699
Contact: Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com

The long-anticipated successor to Canon’s popular full-frame EOS 5D is finally here, with gusto. The new EOS 5D Mark II ratchets up the resolution 65%, incorporates the new DIGIC 4 image processor, increases the ISO range to 50-25600, adds full HD-movie capability, provides a much sharper LCD monitor with Live-View capability, adds the EOS Integrated Cleaning System to keep dust off that big sensor, improves weather sealing and shutter durability and a lot more—at a price $600 less than the original EOS 5D when it came out.