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Friday, February 29, 2008

review canon 450D

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 24 January 2008: Canon today launches its latest D-SLR, the EOS 450D. Featuring a 12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor, EOS Integrated Cleaning System, 3.0” LCD with Live View mode and a new 9-point AF system, the model presents consumers with an unprecedented level of image quality and versatility at this end of the market.

The EOS 450D employs features already proven in Canon’s professional EOS-1 series cameras, including the DIGIC III image processor and a redesigned menu system that enables features such as direct control of Speedlite flash units from the camera LCD. A choice of 13 custom functions allows the photographer to customise the camera to their shooting style.

“The EOS 450D bears the fruits of more than 20 years of ongoing investment into EOS,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. “This camera continues Canon’s policy of taking technologies proven in the professional arena and putting them within reach of a wider market of amateur photographers.”

The EOS 450D features:

  • 12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor
  • Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System
  • 3.5 frames per second
  • 3.0” LCD with Live View shooting
  • 9-point wide-area AF system with f/2.8 cross-type centre point
  • Picture Style image processing parameters
  • DIGIC III image processor
  • Digital Photo Professional RAW processing software1
  • Compact and Lightweight body
  • Fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites

The EOS quality advantage

With all key components developed and manufactured in-house, EOS offers photographers a unique quality advantage. The EOS 450D’s specially designed 12.2 Megapixel sensor employs Canon’s high-sensitivity, low-noise CMOS technology to produce richly detailed images with minimal grain. The DIGIC III processor ensures superior image rendering and rapid response times, with an almost instant 0.1 start up. Image data is processed at 14 bits for Delivering a burst rate of 3.5 frames per second, the DIGIC III processor works with the image buffer to handle up to 53 JPEGs (6 in RAW) without interruption.

Built for better photos

The EOS 450D is designed to make photography a fluid experience for photographers of all levels and experience. Housed in a compact body that weighs less than 475 grams, the camera features an improved grip design that provides a natural, ergonomic fit with the user’s hands. A large, bright viewfinder makes image composition clearer and more comfortable. The menu system inherited from professional EOS cameras uses a simplified tab structure that does away with scrolling. It includes a user-defined My Menu tab for instant access to frequently used settings.

Several custom functions are available to optimise the quality of photos captured in a range of situations. Highlight Tone Priority boosts the dynamic range at the highlight end, providing better tonal detail from wedding dresses, cloudy skies and other bright objects. The new Auto Lighting Optimiser corrects brightness and contrast during image processing, while improving skin tones in portraits by ensuring correct exposure for faces. Photographers can also enable additional noise reduction for shots captured at high ISO speeds.

Live View

Available for the first time on a Canon consumer D-SLR, Live View mode makes it easier to shoot from awkward angles, such as ground-level macro shots or when shooting from a tripod. The image from the Live View mode is displayed as a smooth, 30fps video feed on the 3.0” LCD, which is 50% brighter than the screen of the EOS 400D. A grid line display and live histogram can be selected to help with shot composition and exposure. While focusing, the photographer can zoom in on specific details with up to 10x magnification of the image displayed on the LCD screen. Two types of auto focus are available: Quick AF flips the camera mirror momentarily to engage the AF sensor; Live AF uses the image contrast data to focus - a method familiar to anyone upgrading from a compact digital camera.

For studio environments, remote Live View lets the photographer compose, adjust settings and capture the shot from a PC using the supplied EOS utility software.

Other improvements

The EOS 450D complements its headline features with a host of smaller improvements that enhance the photographic experience. The viewfinder now displays all key exposure information including ISO speed. The addition of spot metering (4% of viewfinder) allows for greater control over exposure in tricky lighting conditions. PictBridge functionality has been expanded so that photographers can correct horizons and add picture effects before printing. A new high capacity battery extends shooting time on a single charge to a maximum of 500 shots.

Software

The EOS 450D is supplied with a comprehensive software suite that provides everything the photograph needs to manage and process images. This includes Digital Photo Professional (DPP), a powerful RAW converter that provides complete RAW image processing control. DPP also integrates with camera features such as Dust Delete Data and Picture Styles. The supplied Picture Style Editor software can be used to create custom Picture Styles for fine control over colour display. The camera also comes with EOS Utility, Image/Zoom Browser and Photostitch.



review from dpreview

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Review Nikon D60


Nikon D60 Digital SLR


Following on from Nikon's professional models at the end of last year, February saw the arrival of a new entry-level model in the form of the Nikon D60. The 16th DSLR to come from Nikon, the D60 is pitched at newcomers to digital SLRs and sits in the Nikon range between the D40x and D80.
The D60 is available in a kit with a Nikon standard 18-55mm zoom lens for £499.99, or with a newly developed 18-55mm VR (Vibration Reduction) lens for £539.99. Personally, I would opt for this set up, as unlike cameras from Pentax, Olympus and Sony, for example, Nikon doesn't provide in-camera image stabilisation.

Featuring the same 10.2MP CCD sensor as the D40x, at first glance there doesn't seem much difference between the two, but a close look reveals a host of new technology beneath the bonnet.

Nikon has taken the Expeed processor from the D3 and D300 models and put it at the heart of the D60, promising improved tonality and colour rendition, as well as allowing some post processing features, which we'll talk about later.
Another new addition is the dust reduction system which features the Image Sensor Cleaning System to reduce dust on the sensor via vibrations, along with the new Airflow Control System which passes air from the mirror box to small ducts in the camera base to clear dust away from the sensor.

Technology from the pro models also to be inherited by the D60 includes Active D-Lighting, a more advanced version of the older D-Lighting function found on older models. The new version can be applied before taking the image or afterwards in-camera to preserve details in particularly difficult lighting conditions. Examples of this would be when a subject is backlit against a bright sky, or when there is an extreme of dark and light when the details may get lost.

review from dpreview

Review Nikon D80


Nikon D80 Review, September 2006,


Review based on a production Nikon D80

Two and a half years ago Nikon announced the six megapixel D70, their first affordable enthusiasts digital SLR, it proved to be a very popular camera and strong competitor to the Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel). Just fifteen months later Nikon revealed the D70s which was essentially the same camera with a some subtle tweaks (improved AF, wider flash coverage, higher capacity battery, larger LCD monitor). And so just over fifteen months on from the D70s Nikon present the latest incarnation of their 'enthusiasts' digital SLR line, the ten megapixel D80.

The D80 slots nicely between the entry-level D50 and the semi-professional / professional D200, clearly based on the D70 design but also different enough to be seen as a completely new model. It features a ten megapixel DX format CCD (the same we presume as used by Sony in the DSLR-A100), the metering sensor from the D50 and numerous other items taken or modified from the D200.

UPDATE 18/Dec/06: In our original review a mistake was made in the measurement of the ISO sensitivity of the Canon EOS 400D as used for comparison, this has now been corrected and the releveant pages of this review updated.
Key features

* 10.2 megapixel DX format CCD (1.5x FOV crop)
* Image processing engine (similar to D200 / D2X)
* 3D Color Matrix Metering II, 420 pixel sensor (same as D50)
* 11-area AF system (new version of Multi-CAM 1000, similar to D200)
* Custom Auto ISO (selectable maximum ISO, minimum shutter speed)
* Configurable high ISO and long exposure noise reduction
* Mechanical only shutter (maximum 1/4000 sec, flash sync to 1/200 sec)
* Quoted 80 ms shutter lag (short viewfinder blackout; 160 ms)
* Larger, brighter pentaprism viewfinder (x0.94 magnification)
* Support for SD-HC (SD cards over 2 GB in capacity)
* In-camera retouching
o D-Lighting (shadow / highlight enhancement)
o Red-eye reduction
o Trimming
o Monochrome
o Filter effects
o Small picture
o Image overlay
* Multiple-exposures
* Compact body (smaller, lighter than D70/D70s)
* Improved menu user interface (same as D200)
* Higher capacity EN-EL3e battery (provides detailed information, same as D200)
* Wireless flash integration (same as D200)


review from dpreview