March, 2009 | Photocrati

Canon EOS D30 Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this camera, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Canon EOS D30 3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Steve’s Digicams

The D30 is a highly durable camera constructed from polycarbonate material on the outside with a steel inner frame. It is more compact and a good deal lighter than the D1 but its burst rate is only 3fps up to a maximum of 8 frames. The D30 offers more metering options and its continuous drive mode can be used in more than just the sports mode. The D30’s battery life is better (and simpler) thanks to its one high-capacity lithium pack. Besides the smaller size and lighter weight, the D30 is making waves because it is the first high-performance SLR to use a CMOS image sensor rather than a CCD. The ISO sensitivity is variable from 100 up to 1600 and as you can imagine the images get rather grainy looking at 800 or 1600. So far the D30 has fully lived up to my expectations. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon D70 Review Round-Up

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Digital Photography Review

Nikon has achieved three major improvements with the D70 (compared to the competition/the D100): (1) They have improved the performance of the camera, with its instant on availability, very fast shutter release, superb continuous shooting and image processing speed and smart use of its buffer. (2) They have maintained build quality while still delivering a smaller and lighter camera, the D70 doesn’t feel much less well built than the D100 but is lighter. (3) They have improved image sharpness and detail, while we could niggle about moirÃ© the compromise between artifacts and sharpness is worth it, in many instances the D70 delivering more detail than our previous benchmark, the EOS 300D / EOS 10D CMOS sensor. There’s not much more for me to add other than I am very pleased to see Nikon stepping up with a quality camera which doesn’t compromise on build quality, feature set or image quality and yet offers superb value for money. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 1Ds Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Canon EOS-1Ds 11.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Digital Photography Review

The EOS-1Ds is Canon’s newest professional SLR. Based on the EOS-1D body the EOS-1Ds raises resolution to 11 megapixels, uses a CMOS sensor and is the first Canon digital SLR with a sensor which captures a full 35 mm frame. The EOS-1D has a 4 megapixel sensor and can capture at an amazing 8 frames per second, clearly targeted at the sports photographer. … The 1Ds is capable of shooting at wider angle than any other digital SLR. From a size point of view the 1Ds body is almost identical to an EOS-1V with the additional powerdrive booster attached. … Build quality is superb, the entire body molded from magnesium alloy with environmental seals around every compartment door, terminal, connector and button. The EOS-1Ds is the first released digital SLR with double figure effective pixel count and it’s also one of the first released digital SLR’s with a full 35 mm size sensor. …I love this camera, it’s addictive, you get the first hit when you pick it up, look through the viewfinder and press that shutter release, it’s one of the most effective and rewarding photographic tools you can use. … Simply the best (at the time of writing this review). READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 10D Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Canon EOS-10D 6.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Digital Photography Review

Without a doubt the other most significant thing about the EOS-10D is the price. Other internal improvements included the new LCD monitor, the addition of Adobe RGB, a rotation sensor and crucially support for sensitivity equivalence up to ISO 3200. If you’ve ever handled a D30 or D60 and you pick up the EOS-10D you’ll be immediately struck by how much stronger this camera feels, and how much that body adds to the feeling of quality and superb value. The next surprise will be your first auto focus, which will be remarkably fast and certain. I have no concerns in stating that as things stand (at the time of writing this review) the EOS-10D is the absolute best in class, with the best image quality, lowest high sensitivity noise, superb build quality and excellent price (not to mention the huge choice of lenses). READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon D2Xs Review Round-UP

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Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Nikon D2Xs 12.4 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera

Imaging Resource

While it represents only a relatively minor upgrade relative to the original D2X, the Nikon D2Xs remains an exceptionally strong competitor in the professional SLR market…The D2Xs is really just a running upgrade of the original D2X, adding a few enhancements and improving performance slightly, but leaving the basic operation unchanged. Reflecting this, most of this review is lifted directly from our earlier review of the D2X, although all test images were reshot, and the analysis of what we found there is all-new. …By far the biggest deal with the D2Xs is its dual-resolution nature. It can be used as either a high resolution 12.21 megapixel SLR capable of around 20 JPEG shots at five frames per second, or change to a 6.87 megapixel speed demon that can deliver up to 34 JPEGs at eight frames per second….Our feeling about the camera is pretty well summed up in the list of pros and cons above: There’s just a load of things to like about this camera, and precious little to complain about! READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 20D Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

Digital Photography Review

Canon knew that they would have to raise the bar still higher to stay ahead, with the EOS 20D they have certainly done that. That’s not to say the EOS 20D is perfect, the camera still shuts down when you open the CF compartment door which can mean losing buffered images … it’s still missing the flexibility of adjustment of its professional brothers and image processing could be better still … Back on the positive, a swathe of improvements and changes from the EOS 10D; faster startup and in-use performance, five frames per second continuous shooting, increased buffer space, an all new improved AF system, white balance fine tuning, USB 2.0 connectivity, improved design and control layout all add up to a camera which is formidable competition for anyone trying to place a digital SLR in the $1500 to $2000 price bracket. Stack that up with the new eight megapixel CMOS sensor and continuing low noise performance across the sensitivity range and the EOS 20D maintains Canon’s edge over other manufacturers in this prosumer/semi-professional digital SLR market. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 30D Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

The new Canon 30D offers impressive noise performance at high ISOs, with the result that its images at ISO 1600 are remarkably clean-looking, and its shots at ISO 3200 are very usable. Simultaneous with the increase in resolution, the Canon EOS 30D also brings improved shooting speed, with a 5 frame/second continuous mode and unusually deep buffer memory. For all its technical sophistication though, the camera avoids any sense of needless technology for technology’s sake: The Canon EOS 30D is clearly focused on a single purpose: Helping photographers capture excellent images. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon D2H Review Round-Up

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Digital Photography Review

The D1H built on the strengths of the D1 and added several new features including selectable color space, one-button playback, a new LCD monitor and others. However the biggest news about the D1H was the concept that it was a camera aimed specifically at sports and photo journalists who needed high frame rates and a large buffer. The D2H has a brand new Nikon designed 4.1 million pixel ‘JFET sensor’ and is capable of capturing eight frames per second for up to 40 frames (five seconds of continuous shooting at 8 fps). … I seriously can’t imagine a digital SLR which could operate more quickly, both in terms of delays to shutter release (power up, AF, shutter release lag) and continuous shooting speed. Build quality, control layout and design are second to none. I was disappointed with Nikon’s much lauded LBCAST sensor technology. … The Nikon D2H is one of a very few cameras which feels almost perfectly ‘sorted’. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 40D Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens

Imaging Resource

The new Canon 40D offers a very mature set of features in a camera that’s priced lower than its predecessors. It also offers as much value and image quality as competing designs that are hundreds of dollars more. Canon’s pro SLR designs have always been conservative, and they didn’t try to leap-frog the market with a higher resolution sensor; instead they stuck to a 10-megapixel sensor size that would deliver the quality that Canon fans are used to. Live View is the most significant advancement in technological terms in the Canon 40D, offering a true 100% view of the image, as well as the ability to zoom in either five or ten times to focus manually, or verify focus. The Canon EOS 40D is an excellent photographic tool, slightly evolved to take advantage of recent technological advances. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS Digital Rebel 300D

Digital Photography Review

The EOS 300D’s plastic body is just one of the elements used to reduce the cost of the camera, others include the use of a pentamirror in the viewfinder instead of a pentaprism, a reduction of features … and a shifting of manufacturing from Japan to Taiwan. … The EOS 300D’s sharpness is twice as strong as the EOS 10D. In addition to this the EOS 300D is the first Canon digital SLR to support a new lens called the EF-S (S = short back focus), this has the same mount and electrical contacts as an EF lens but has a rear element which fits further into the camera allowing it to be closer to the image sensor. … The EOS 300D is a formidable camera, not from a feature set point of view. Not from a body finish point of view … but rather for what it offers, for its value for money. … Almost laughably the majority of the EOS 300D’s limitations are ‘programmed in’… Obviously reducing the feature set leaves the EOS 300D weaker in some respects than many similarly priced prosumer digital cameras. Canon is clearly hoping that the speed, AF, lens choice and low noise high ISO trade-offs will be worth it for a considerable number of people, who will buy into EF lenses and work their way up to an EOS 10D priced digital SLR in the future. READ FULL REVIEW

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