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More Nikon D3 News

June 26, 2007 By Eric Reagan

Here’s a couple o’ snippets from the rumor world (i.e., DPReview.com forums):

Actually met with the guy today. Got quite a lot more info, so perhaps his tight lips before was ’cause someone else was in the room when I was on the phone.

HERE’S WHAT I KNOW after my chat today:

The product is definitely a new professional DSLR

It is hardware final. Firmware is under testing and still in flux.

Production is scheduled to begin in July, in Japan, at a rate of 8-10,000 per month.

It has a revolutionary feature. I don’t know what it is, nor do I know whether it is revolutionary ‘across the board’ or just for Nikon.

It WILL NOT be announced this month.

It will be announced and demonstrated internally at Nikon Japan around the 10th of July.

It will now be publicly announced around late July/early August.

It will still be available for purchase late August.

HERE’S WHAT I DON’T KNOW:

Model name

Specs

‘The Feature’

Price

(Source)

And Thom Hogan chimed in as well:

stupormundi wrote:

> Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t that a really high production

> volume for a Pro-Camera?

Yes and no. The initial D2x quantity was 25k/mo according to Nikon (though it’s unclear whether or not that included built-up inventory that was released to shipment as well as the current production). Long-term production of the high-end pro models has generally been modest in number (1k-10k, depending upon the model).

Given the product Nikon is going to announce (remember, I used the words “big surprise” way back at the start of this year ;~), I’d say that 10k/mo is too low a volume to satisfy demand in 2007. And if the reports of hardware design freeze and initial production has begun with an August launch are true, that would mean that there would still be fewer D3 available at launch than D2x units were available at its launch.

Keep in mind that this comes from the former postings about a special NPS event in Japan that went up last month:

Just heard from a very reliable [ie, he has never been wrong] senior Nikon employee that Nikon are hosting a “pro product” prerelease information and demo session in Japan in the 2nd week of June 07. He will be there along with other worldwide Nikon-agency NPS managers, and Nikon in-house NPS managers. Invite only.

He would not tell me whether the product was lenses or body or both, just that it’s pro.

Unknown announcement date, ~August ship.

So, maybe we won’t see an announcement this week, eh? Keep tabs on the latest Nikon D3 developments here.

[tags]nikon, d3, d3x, rumors, news, 2007, july, august[/tags]

Filed Under: Gear, Nikon, Rumors

 

Canon Rebel XT Reviews

June 26, 2007 By Eric Reagan

Canon Rebel XTThe Canon EOS Rebel XT is an 8.0-megapixel entry-level digital single-lens reflex camera. The Rebel XT is an upgraded version of the popular Canon EOS Digital Rebel, which was the first sub-$1000 digital SLR, introduced in 2003. The differences between the Rebel XT and the original Digital Rebel are significant and are present in almost all aspects of the camera. Many of the features ‘locked out’ by Canon in the original Digital Rebel were unlocked in this camera, so it has been subject to less unofficial ‘hacking’ to release the locked features. In addition to these unlocked features, a number of other improvements have been made. Some of the most significant upgrades include:

  • 8.0 megapixels (up from 6.3)
  • DIGIC II image processor—the same processor used by Canon’s top-range EOS-1Ds Mark II professional level digital SLR
  • Near instantaneous turn on and wake up times (0.2 seconds)
  • Compact Flash type II capability (includes microdrives)
  • 14 (JPEG) or 4 (RAW) frames continuous shooting buffer
  • Smaller and lighter body
  • Vastly increased function customizability
  • E-TTL II flash algorithm (improvement over the old E-TTL flash algorithm)
  • Mirror lock-up
  • Selectable AF and metering modes
  • USB 2.0 interface (improved from the slower USB 1.1 interface on the original Digital Rebel)

The Rebel XT was my first digtal SLR camera. I bought it shortly after it became available in 2005 for $1000 (a Rebel XT is $499 with a lens as of Nov. ’07). I still use it on almost a daily basis. I’ve shot somewhere around 25,000 – 30,000 shots now. No hiccups yet. Anyway, I can personally vouch for the reliability and image quality that this camera packs. My gripes over the past 2+ years are few.

First, I didn’t like the grip size from day one. It’s just too small for my hands (it works fine for my wife though). My solution? I bought the BG-E3 battery grip, which ads some functionality as well. The Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip is designed specially for the EOS Digital Rebel XT and Rebel XTi cameras. The BG-E3 holds up to two NB-2LH battery packs or six AA batteries to offer double-length shooting time. The vertical shutter release makes shooting with the camera in a vertical position just as comfortable as shooting horizontally. This grip provides additional controls for easier vertical shooting including shutter release, AE lock/FE lock, index/reduce button, main dial, AF-frame-select button, and the aperture/exposure compensation button.

Next, I think the 1.8″ LCD screen is just too small. Nowadays, a 3″ LCD is almost standard industry wide. I’m a little envious of those big LCD screens when I’m squinting through the images. Not much of a way to solve this problem other than upgrading to a new camera. That’s not worth it it alone, but I’ve got my eyes on a Canon 40D. Ok, enough with the fluff; here’s the reviews you’re looking for:

Reviews

DPReview.com

So it’s clear, the EOS 350D is a great successor to the EOS 300D, it puts right many user complaints, it delivers a smaller and lighter camera which feels better put together and delivers an increase in resolution. Image quality is just as good as the more expensive EOS 20D, if you can live with the differences between the two the money saved could buy you a very nice lens.

Luminous Landscape

This is a sweet little camera that could well be the best DSLR camera value on the market today (March, 2005). Newcomers will find the price to be right and the camera to be feature rich. Experienced photographers will be frustrated by some of the interface problems, but none of these are really show-stoppers.

PC Magazine

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is a superbly crafted camera that will please nearly anyone with any interest in photography—from those who want to set their camera on auto to those who want to experiment. And by keeping the price under $1,000, Canon ensures the continued popularity of its Digital Rebel line. This camera provides a truly excellent value, and we wholeheartedly recommend it.

Digital Camera Resource Page

Camera performance is just you’d expect from a camera equipped with Canon’s latest DIGIC II image processor: excellent. There’s no more startup wait, focusing speeds are great (even in low light), and shot-to-shot and shutter lag times are nonexistent. The Rebel XT can take about fourteen shots in a row at just under 3 frames/second, which is the best you’ll find in this class (save for the more expensive 20D). Photo quality is excellent for the most part, though images are on the soft side, as is the case with all D-SLRs. Something else that factors into this is your choice of lens: the kit lens is especially soft at small apertures, so you need to keep an eye on things when using it to ensure the best photo quality. As you’d expect from a camera like this, high ISO performance is top-notch: shooting at ISO 1600 results in totally usable pictures. The Rebel XT offers shutter speeds as slow as 30 seconds or longer if you use the bulb mode, making it great for long exposures. While there’s a noise reduction feature, you might as well keep it off — noise levels are that low.

Digital Outback Photo

Honestly we get excited about this little camera. With the right lenses the XT is a very, very serious player.

Imaging Resource

In almost every parameter, the Canon Rebel XT offers significant enhancements beyond the original model, while maintaining the same (original) list price. Despite its advanced feature set, the Canon Rebel XT manages to span the full range of user needs, from the pure point & shoot user interested only in “green zone” operation to the professional looking for an inexpensive second body. As such, it’s a nearly ideal option for families or other situations in which users of greatly varying experience levels need to share the same camera. My one biggest gripe with the camera will be some users’ favorite feature: The small (tiny) hand grip. While I found shooting with the camera an infuriating exercise in frustration and crunched fingertips, women who picked up the camera immediately loved how it felt in their hands.

Steve’s Digicams

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR takes everything found in the original Digital Rebel and improves the resolution to 8-megapixels, speeds up all of the camera operations, adds more creative control and put it all into a smaller and lighter body. This easy to use digital SLR is compatible with all Canon EF lenses including the EF-S lenses and still retains the sub-$1,000 price point for entry-level digital SLR consumers.

Photo.net

It looks very much like the image quality of the Canon Rebel XT is up to that of the EOS 20D. It’s also evident from using the Rebel XT, that it’s a Rebel, i.e. a camera aimed at the consumer entry level, while the Canon 20D is clearly aimed at the more experienced and serious photographer. Ultimately in many respects the cameras will be capable of yielding almost identical results, it’s just that doing it with the 20D will be a little easier.

Cnet

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT is an exceptionally small and lightweight camera designed for amateur digital SLR photographers, but it delivers the responsiveness and image quality you’d expect from a semipro model.

Canon Rebel XT Accessories

Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip

Canon RC-1 Wireless Remote

Canon NB-2LH Rechargeable Battery

Canon 430EX Speedlight

Canon 580EX Speedlight

Rebel XT Magic Lantern Guide

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT Guide to Digital SLR Photography

Introduction to the Canon Digital Rebel XT DVD

Where to Buy

First off, consider going to your local camera store (and I don’t necessarily mean Wolf Camera at the mall). By going to your local camera store, you’re supporting your community and you just might build a lasting relationship with people you can rely on when you need some help or answers. If you’re buying online, I recommend sticking with Amazon, B&H Photo or Adorama. These three vendors are reliable, trustworthy and generally have the best (legitimate) prices. Additionally, purchasing your camera through these links helps support this site.

[tags]canon, rebel, xt, 350d, kiss, digital, camera, review[/tags]

Filed Under: Canon, Gear, Reviews Tagged With: Canon, dslr, eos, rebel, review

Sony A700 and A900 Rumor Archives

June 19, 2007 By Eric Reagan

UPDATE 8/27/07: A big announcement is expected from Sony on September 4th at a press conference in Italy.

UPDATE 8/26/07: The latest images of the newest Sony Alpha in the wild.

UPDATE 7/18/07: Check out the story on the new Sony blog and the latest Alpha talk here.

UPDATE 7/13/07: Some new news on both new models:

Sony was confirmed to be working on a FF-DSLR (Alpha 300) including a high-end APS-C counterpart (Alpha 200). Information released from Japan revealed that the Alpha 200 will not be much larger in size than the current model 100, confirming Sony’s acknowledgement of female users as a major DSLR growth segment in ways identical to what Olympus had long been saying.

Allegedly, the Alpha 200 will feature a 12.8 megapixel CMOS sensor derived from Sony’s technology, which means you’re very likely to get LiveView. (Read more here . . . )

UPDATE 7/12/07: There’s some good reasons why the launch of a new Sony Alpha DSLR is imminent.

UPDATE 7/6/07: The DPReview.com forums brought us some more photos of the purportedly new Sony Alpha camera. Read more about it and see the photos here.

UPDATE 7/1/07: A forum poster over at dyxum.com says that we can expect a press release from Sony on July 9:

A big press release will be sent out the 9th dealing with the new DSLR’s coming out this year from Sony. I just spoke to the East Coast Sony Rep. here at the bike shop I work at. He wouldnt give me any details, but he said he can talk about stuff after the 9th…thats all I know right now. I want my full frame chip!!!!

It’s about time! They’ve been stringing us along for long enough. Keep your eyes on this page for an official announcement.

ORIGINAL POST: Looks like Sony will be mixing it up with the big boys soon. Sony has announced a couple of new cameras in their DSLR lineup. There will be a pro version (think Nikon D2X or D3 and the Canon 1Ds Mk II or 1D Mk III) and a prosumer version (think Nikon D200 and Canon 30D or 40D). There’s some mock-up model photos over at gizmodo (more photos). DPNow has some better angles. Keep in mind though that these models are just for show and will likely be substantially different once the production models are released. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Gear, Rumors, Sony

Digital Camera Shopping Guide

June 18, 2007 By Eric Reagan

Check out this post over at Techasaur.us for the Top 10 things you need to know about digital cameras. The first point is golden:

1) Resolution is less important than you think

There is a popular misconception that more megapixels lead to better pictures. This is not the case.

Sure, higher resolution gives you the ability to crop more aggressively or print large pictures, but only a fraction of digital photographers will benefit from this ability. If you’re a casual shooter who won’t be printing pictures larger than 8×10? or doing extensive computer editing, then a camera with 3- or 4-megapixel resolution will be sufficient.

More advanced photographers will likely appreciate the flexibility of higher resolution, but a 5+ megapixel camera is by no means necessary to create stunning pictures. Choose a camera you can understand and afford, and don’t be fooled by glitzy high-resolution specs. Read the final 9 pointers . . . .

This is great advice if you’re in the market for a new camera.

[tags]digital camera, top 10, shopping, deals, reviews, advice[/tags]

Filed Under: Gear, Learn, Reviews

Next Generation Color Filter Patterns Deliver Higher Quality Photos Under Low-Light Conditions

June 18, 2007 By Eric Reagan

Tired of the ISO/noise problem?

Kodak thinks that it has the solution.  Check out their new image sensor technology that Kodak says “redefines digital image capture.”

There’s a little deeper explanation on the 1000 Nerds blog.

If you’ve got 10 minutes and are a photo geek, this is worth a read.

[tags]kodak, digital camera, sensor, high iso, noise, bayer pattern[/tags]

Filed Under: Gear, Technology

Canon S5 IS Reviews and Resources

June 15, 2007 By Eric Reagan

In this post you will find several reviews, tests and other resources for the Canon S5 IS. I’ll be updating this post as I come upon new material, so check back often. You can purchase the Canon S5 IS as these reliable sellers: Amazon.com and B&H Photo.

PowerShot S5 IS Digital Camera Features:

Movie Action and MovieSnap

The PowerShot S5 IS camera features four movie modes with Canon’s Face Detection AF and AE. Similar to its still mode role, Face Detection AF focuses on the faces in the movie scene while Face Detection AE measures and accounts for the brightness of the faces when it is evaluating the appropriate overall scene exposure. What’s more, the one-touch “modeless movie” feature makes the decision to capture movies virtually instantaneous by engaging the movie function at the press of a dedicated button, without first switching to a shooting mode.

For even greater flexibility, The S5 IS camera’s MovieSnap feature enables users to capture high-resolution eight-megapixel still images at any point during the movie. This “best of both worlds” solution transforms the family photographer into the family videographer, and preserves moving memories and milestones in their original action format while making key moments a snap to view in frames, photo albums and easy-to-share in emails.

Rugged, Reliable and Ready-To-Go

The feel is unmistakably one of reliability. Canon’s new PowerShot S5 IS digital camera ergonomic grip fits firmly into the hand and the ready-for-action rubberized grip cover offers a substantial sense of reassurance. From its fast shutter-speed capabilities – up to1/3200 sec. – to the new accessory Hot-Shoe that accommodates a variety of Canon EX-series Speedlite flashes, the PowerShot S5 IS digital camera is a technological bridge between Canon’s advanced point and shoot compact digital cameras and its entry-level digital SLR cameras. For those seeking still greater optical capabilities, Canon offers an optional 1.5x teleconverter, a .75x wide converter and a close-up lens.

What’s in the Box?

Despite its rich repertoire of photo features, the PowerShot S5 IS digital camera measures a mere 4.6 inches long, 3.15 inches high and 3.06 inches wide and tips the scales at less than 16 ounces. In stores beginning in early July 2007, the PowerShot S5 IS digital camera kit includes four AA alkaline batteries, a 32MB SD memory card, a USB interface cable, a stereo AV cable for audio/video output, and a full suite of Canon’s latest software applications. The PowerShot S5 IS digital camera carries an estimated selling price of $499.99.

Reviews

Camera Labs

Canon’s PowerShot S5 IS remains one of the best super-zoom digital cameras on the market. It sports a decent 12x range with optical stabilisation, a useful flip-out and twist screen, a decent degree of manual control and impressively, a flash hotshoe. Some will also prefer its use of AA batteries over proprietary and expensive Lithium Ion battery packs.

Imaging Resource

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS has a lot to offer with its image-stabilized 12x optical zoom lens and well-rounded feature set that provides more than enough sophistication and manual options for advanced amateurs and prosumers, while providing less experienced photographers a solid set of familiar options like Auto, Program AE, and Scene modes.

Cameras.co.uk

The Canon Powershot S5 IS is a feature rich super zoom digital camera. In terms of controls and settings it has the edge over all its rivals. Picture quality is very good overall and outstanding in places.

Trusted Reviews

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS is unquestionably the most versatile digital camera on the market, with a powerful high quality zoom lens, superb image stabilisation, class-leading performance and what may be the best AF system on the market. It has a huge range of features, including a video mode with full zoom lens and stereo audio. It is slightly let down by the small sensor and its inherent noise problems, but it is still an outstanding camera by any standard.

Photography Blog

Ultimately the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is something of a jack-of-all-trades – perhaps even a Swiss Army knife of a camera (though it doesn’t play MP3s), and there’s certainly more of a focus on shooting movies than many enthusiast cameras, with stereo sound (Wave format) offered, a long play option, and a nicely smooth and quiet zoom action thanks to that Ultrasonic Motor (USM).

Digital Camera Info

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS combines a few aged components with some new technology and upgrades. The 8-megapixel ultra-zoom digital camera has a 12x optical zoom lens that has made several appearances on previous S-series models. The 12x lens used to be considered long, but is now one of the shorter lenses on an ultra-zoom camera. Newer cameras have 15x and 18x lenses – and are less expensive.

C|net is one of the first sites to post a review of the S5 IS. They gave it a 7.4 out of 10 (“very good”):

There was a lot to like about the Canon PowerShot S3 IS, and much of it remains in this year’s PowerShot S5 IS, including Canon’s veteran optical image-stabilization technology, excellent metering and focusing systems, the signature flip-and-twist LCD display, and a hefty set of manual and semimanual controls. The S5 IS bumps up to 8 megapixels from the S3’s 6-megapixel sensor, increases the LCD size from 2 to 2.5 inches, and adds trendy bonus features like face-detection autofocus/autoexposure, maximum sensitivity of ISO 1600, and an ISO-shift mode that lets you jack up the setting with a button press when the camera tells you the shutter speed is too slow. We can thank the upgrade to a Digic III processor for many of the new capabilities. Read the rest of C|net’s review . . . .

Popular Photography now has up a Buyer’s Guide page for the S5 IS with a section for users to submit their review scores.

DC Resource has a thorough review up now:

While not perfect, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is still one of the best ultra zooms on the market. It offers a nice blend of photo quality, performance, and features that appeal to both beginners and enthusiasts. I can recommend the S5 to just about anyone interested in an ultra zoom camera. If you’re a PowerShot S3 owner wondering if you should upgrade, I would only say “yes” if you need the hot shoe and longer movie recording times. Otherwise, stick with what you have! (Read more at dcresource.com)

You can read a short review of the S5 IS over at DPexpert.com.au:

The Canon S5 IS is one of the best of the pseudo SLR super zooms. The lens is outstanding and the company has kept the pixel count to 8 million. That’s about a million more than we consider ideal and images are a bit noisy at ISO speeds above 200, but not so much so that the picture is degraded. This is a good all-purpose camera with a standout macro ability. (Read more. . . )

DP Interface has a thorough review up:

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS is a worthy successor to last year’s S3 and it is arguably the flagship Canon PowerShot (though some may disagree) since it has an overall better feature set than the G7. There are some negatives about the S5 highlighted above but which camera is entirely perfect? Overall, I have no problem giving my recommendation and thumbs up to the Canon PowerShot S5 IS for those who want a very good ultra-zoom camera which has almost every feature you need, at a reasonable price too. If a capable all-in-one (good still image mode and impressive movie mode) camera is what you need, the S5 IS is absolutely it. (Read more. . .)

Digital Camera Review has posted a review of the Canon S5 IS and notes the following:

This is a capable and versatile camera, with good shutter and focus performance, great image and color quality and a lens that can range from modest wide angle to long telephoto. The auto and shooting mode options are supplemented by a full set of manual controls, and the camera will provide a fine imaging tool to the novice who never ventures past “auto”; serve as an excellent learning platform for someone contemplating the move to a DSLR and all that entails, or capably produce high quality images for an advanced shooter who doesn’t need or want to be constrained by the bulk of a DSLR. The smaller physical size of the sensor guarantees that noise performance won’t match a DSLR once ISO values start to rise, and the 0.9 fps continuous shooting speed is a bit of a disappointment for a camera that does so many other things so well. But these are truly minor annoyances given the overall excellence of the S5 IS.

Photo Review (Australia) gives the Canon S5 IS an overall score in their review of 8.5 out of 10 (which is really more of an overview of the features) and writes:

Features common to the S5 IS and its predecessor include the 12x optical zoom lens and lens-shift Optical Image Stabiliser (IS) technology as well as the digital zoom magnification ratio. The sensor sizes in both cameras are also the same, which means the photosites in the new model are slightly smaller. This presents a challenge for the image processor at high ISO settings. Interestingly, the shutter speed range is also identical for both cameras. The supplied lens cap is also unchanged and is still too easy to dislodge accidentally.

DPReview.com finally has a thorough (as expected) review up of the Canon S5 IS.

. . . let’s get one thing straight; the S5 IS is a great camera, one we really enjoyed using, and one that produces decent output shot after shot thanks to a responsive focus system, accurate exposure, vibrant (but natural) color and a decent image stabilization system. Although the results don’t bear close ‘pixel level’ scrutiny, for the typical user wanting to produce prints at standard sizes (say up to 5×7 inches) there’s very little to complain about, and the more you use it the more you learn how to tailor the settings to get the best output. It also offers class-leading movie quality, if that’s important to you.

[tags]canon, s5, is, s5is, review, comparison, s3, digital camera, zoom, superzoom, deals, cheap, price[/tags]

Filed Under: Canon, Gear, Reviews Tagged With: Canon, point and shoot, review, s5 is

Nikon D3 . . . June 26?

June 13, 2007 By Eric Reagan

Engadget is reporting that they were contacted after the onslaught of rumors appeared on the web by a “photo editor at a major newspaper” with some inside info on the Nikon D3 (or whatever it will be called), state that:

[he] has tipped us on a phone call he received from Nikon in which his presence was requested at a meeting where a “new professional camera that is leaps and bounds better than anything Canon is offering” would be showcased.

Those are some pretty big words coming from a source that is presumably more reliable that what we’ve seen in the forums over the past few months.  I guess will know in a little less than two weeks.

[tags]d3, date, dslr, high-end, launch, launch date, LaunchDate, nikon, rumor, rumors, tease, teaser[/tags]

Filed Under: Gear, News, Nikon, Rumors

Nikon Reps and the Nikon D3 . . . the Plot Thickens

June 12, 2007 By Eric Reagan

Yet another DPReview.com forum poster, Jeffrey Anderson, has revealed more info on the Nikon D3 today.  Apparently, he was in a Ritz Camera store in Studio City when a Nikon Rep was discussing the future almost-full-frame sensor.  His account:

I spoke to the representative and asked him when we could expect the announcement and he said about 45 days. 

What I heard was that Nikon has 1.0 and 1.1 in testing.

We’ll see.

When pressed for details on the issue, the poster revealed more:

Studio City, Ritz Camera, Don’t know his name, black hair

I’m only conveying what others have heard reps or supposed reps say at the camera stores. I overheard him talking to the salesmen and then entered the conversation.

A salesman asked why 1.1 and the rep said it was because of light fall off, edge softness, etc.

And perhaps some of the most sensible info was posted in response to Mr. Anderson’s rumor:

if Nikon knew who this person is, they’d fire them. Nikon does not “leak” information through “reps” … they only announce information when they have something REAL to move into stores.

as a matter of fact, they dump different information to different groups, and when erroneous announcements are leaking, the know where it came from.

do people REALLY think Nikon allows pre-sale information to be leaked through some rep?

Interesting?  Yes.  Groundbreaking?  No.  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, lest we go overboard like we did with the Jim Seaholm rumor from PMA.

[tags]nikon, d3, d3x, d3h, dslr, rumor, news, digital camera[/tags]

 

Filed Under: Gear, News, Nikon, Rumors

Nikon D300 Coming Too?

June 12, 2007 By Eric Reagan

We’ve all been busy with the Nikon D3, or whatever it’ll be called. A DPReview.com forum poster is throwing around some Nikon D300 rumors now:

I believe [the Nikon] D300 will be there sooner than some might think. Got the info trough the shop I often buy from…

A weak rumor, but a rumor nonetheless. We’ll see if the D300 starts to heat up the rumor mill in the near future…

For now, see more dirt here.

[tags]nikon, d300, d200, digital camera, dslr, rumor, news[/tags]

Filed Under: Gear, News, Nikon, Rumors

5 Reasons the Canon 40D Might Be a 50D

June 12, 2007 By Eric Reagan

____________________________________

All the buzz is about the Canon “40D” but it just might be a 50D instead. Here’s why:

1. Canon doesn’t like 4’s. Case in point the new Canon S5 IS. Canon jumped from the S3 IS to the S5 IS. What happened to the S4 IS? Canon isn’t the only one; Fuji went from the S3 to the S5 with now S4 in between. What gives?!

2. It would get confused with the Nikon D40 and D40x. Canon and Nikon’s model numbers are confusing enough with D30, D60, 10D, 40D, 50D and everything else in between. Why do Canon and Nikon have to confuse us so?!

3. Canon wants to be sneaky. Remember the introduction of the 1D Mk III? It was a bit of a shocker because Canon Hong Kong had supposedly slipped up and posted a placemarker on its site for the 40D. They were indulging the rumor mill to keep the 1D Mk III under the radar.

4. The 5D needs a little brother. Could this be the push to full frame in the prosumer and up Canon models? I dunno. How about splitting the 5D with a higher-end 3D and a lower prosumer-level 50D?

5. The 40D has been rumored for so long, that Canon will just skip that model altogether and go right to the 50D.

Please note that this post is blatant speculation with a little bit of fun mixed in.

[tags]canon, 40d, 50d, news, rumors, dslr, digital camera[/tags]

Filed Under: Canon, Gear, Rumors

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