Canon Digital SLR Camera Reviews

Jack Neubart discovers that this 18 MP single-digit “D” series APS-C EOS camera is indeed a chip off the old block—and then some.

Canon EOS 7D—front. The 7D is shown here with built-in flash ready for action, with EF-S 15-85mm lens attached. I hadn’t worked with this lens, but the camera itself should be a model for future EOS designs. Canon photo.

I was all set to begin this review with a diatribe about all the negatives pertaining to movie shooting and Live View, but then thought better of it and opted to take the journey into 7D-dom with a positive foot forward.

When you look at the real meat and potatoes inside this machine, you’ll discover, as I did, that when you peel back the movie capture veneer, the Canon EOS 7D is a very capable DSLR. That’s especially true when it comes to capturing breaking action, owing to a highly responsive, albeit not flawless, AF system coupled with an even more responsive shutter release. There—I took the high road. Too bad Bob Hope isn’t around to do the movie version: “The 7D Road to Bali, the Musical.” I could even write the music and lyrics. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve just started experimenting with the new Canon EOS 7D, which is an interesting beast–an APS 1.6x crop camera with 18 megapixels. Many folks, some of whom don’t appear to have used the camera, have criticized this camera as going too far along the megapixel path at the expense of ISO. To me, the “right” trade-off between those two features depends a lot on the specific job you’re doing. One of the things that interests me about the 7D is that it can serve as a lightweight backup for shooting birds and for occasional wildlife work.

For that purpose, I want good high-ISO performance (but I may not need world-class). I also want a lot of cropably-delicious little pixels–for anything else I’ll do with the camera, I’ll have a tripod.

I don’t think of the 7D (as some have suggested) as a “bad upgrade to the 5D Mark II”, I think that misses the point of this camera entirely. I think of it sort of as a “1D lite” the way that the 5D Mark II is sort of a “1Ds lite”. Of course, I have yet to discover if the 7D lives up to that standard, but I have a few good first impressions.

First, let me share with you a few badly-controlled handheld shots from my living room. Before you go look, let me apologize that the 1600 image isn’t pin-sharp because of camera movement, you should be able to get a sense of the noise characteristics despite these flaws. Read the rest of this entry »

A full-frame EOS DSLR gets even better-with 21.1 MP CMOS sensor and much more.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 16-35mm lens. This is a versatile combination, which proved itself street shooting in New York City, with subjects ranging from street scenes to candid portraits-even a celebrity sighting at a film premiere. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

I remember when long intervals would go by before a new SLR was introduced, back when we were shooting film. Today, those intervals are growing remarkably shorter and shorter, although not short enough for some of us who eagerly await the next iteration. Technology, it seems, waits for no man or woman.

When the original, and very reasonably priced, EOS 5D came out, I bought it and chucked my APS-C Canons. I had heretofore resisted buying EF-S glass expecting to make this move one day. And while I’d considered the pricier 1Ds-series cameras, I felt that, for my needs, the 5D would do. In fact, for the same price as a 1Ds, I could buy the 5D and several lenses.

More to the point, I bought a Canon fisheye for starters, to take advantage of the full-frame sensor. So I felt like I had my cake and could eat it too. To top it off, all my Canon EF lenses would now be true to form. No more dealing with sensor factors. My wide-angles would be truly wide, although I did miss that extra boost my telephotos got with the 1.6X factor (applicable to Canon APS-C). But coming back to that fisheye, I now could take pleasure in that unique fisheye perspective. (Sadly, it wasn’t till I bought the Tokina fisheye zoom-for an APS-C camera, no less, namely the D300-that I truly began to exploit the possibilities of fisheye optics.)

With continued use, I could sense that there were certain features lacking on my original 5D, but I wasn’t really looking forward to upgrading too quickly. Besides, for me to take the plunge, a new 5D would have to be packing some serious new hardware-or software (technically, firmware).

Well, I’ve finally got my hands on the 5D Mark II. But is it all it’s cracked up to be, enough so for me to upgrade? Having tested the 1Ds Mark III adds another twist to this story. That 1Ds is a marvelous piece of machinery, if pricey. Should I continue to play the waiting game? Well, the only way to find out is to put the new 5D through its paces and see how it compares. Read the rest of this entry »

Still the EOS to beat.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III - front. This is a rugged camera, with everything needed to deliver top quality images from day one. Granted, the heavy-duty battery gives it a large footprint and considerable heft, but still this is one camera you'd be proud to be seen with. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

I’ve been working with Canon EOS single-lens-reflex cameras since they burst upon the scene. Well, actually, since shortly before, when I and other members of the photo press were introduced to the very first one-the EOS 1-on a top secret junket in Bar Harbor, Maine, many, many moons ago. Back then the photo press consisted entirely of print publications and cameras were analog, or as we simply liked to call them, cameras.

Fast forward to the digital age-and the full-frame EOS 1Ds DSLR. The 1-series continues to be the ranking member in the EOS lineup, designed for every imaginable professional application, with durability, functionality, reliability, and consistency at the forefront. And you’ve no doubt heard of the EOS 1Ds Mark III (MkIII, for short), the current flagship. While not the newest EOS on the block, like the 5D Mark II, it shares a 21.1 megapixel CMOS sensor.

But more to the point, it maintains the longstanding tradition established by its progenitors. And since Photocrati is a new site, we thought we’d take this camera out for a spin and round out our experiences with the EOS, with newer cameras to come under our scrutiny when available. In the meantime, here goes. Oh, and at the outset, at roughly $7,000, we should also point out that this is not the cheapest camera out there. But you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck and a camera that will probably outlast you in the field. Read the rest of this entry »

Small and compact, a good choice–if you don’t mind some compromises.

Canon Rebel T1i--front. The Canon Rebel T1i is a neat little DSLR to tool around with. You'll hardly know it's hanging from your neck, owing to the cozy size and heft of the camera/kit lens combo. By the way, look closely at the lens: if it appears that there's no focusing ring, look again--it's an annoyingly thin, knurled ring on the very front of the lens barrel. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

The Rebel has always been Canon’s sleek but inexpensive choice in a digital SLR. That’s true even now. The T1i, while still not the sharpest tack in the bunch, manages to make a point with a solid feel and comprehensive feature set.

Each succeeding Rebel climbs one rung up the ladder, with this latest Rebel offering higher resolution–15.1 MP–and faster processing–Digic 4 (one of those acronyms that has never really caught on as such, but does appear to deliver in principle) on its CMOS chip. Then add a larger LCD and HD video capture (if you go in for that), and the camera becomes even more appealing. Of course, when you include an image-stabilized lens in the package and price it all under $900, there are bound to be some compromises. But are these compromises you can live with? Well, that depends. Read the rest of this entry »

A 14.7 MP pocket-size point-and-shoot even the pros use.

I don’t know of any point-and-shoot camera that commercial advertising shooters have used more than Canon’s PowerShot G-series. Yes, there are other very capable point-and-shoots out there, but none has garnered the G-series’ rep. As with its predecessors, the G10 remains the flagship in Canon’s point-and-shoot lineup, and as such, this camera proudly carries the colors into the heat of battle.

Canon G10 (front). The compact Canon G10 features an equally compact 5X zoom. Start-up is quite fast. Fast enough so as not to miss a vital shot. Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

The G10 ups the ante in resolution, compared with earlier models in the G-series, delivering 14.7 megapixels (MP). That gives you enough real estate for cropping. Granted, it’s a CCD chip. Chatter on the Net is that the next G will be the G-whiz wunderkind, with a CMOS sensor adding new vitality into this series. (With that said, should you buy the G10 or wait? Well, you’ll need to read further.) Read the rest of this entry »

Canon’s enthusiast-level series has included the EOS 10D, 20D and 30D, each boasting some improvement over its predecessor. The most recent DSLR in this range — prior to the EOS 50D — the 10 megapixel EOS 40D definitely qualified as a substantial upgrade over the 8 megapixel EOS 30D. Aside from higher resolution, the EOS 40D benefits from a great deal of new technology, such as an improved CMOS sensor, a faster DIGIC III processor plus a huge buffer (temporary storage bank) that allows for taking numerous shots at a blazing 6.5 frames per second. Several other amenities also make the EOS 40D more desirable than the earlier EOS 30D, including an automatic sensor cleaner, an Auto ISO option, a larger/brighter viewfinder, a 3″ LCD screen, and Live View. Read the rest of this entry »

Check out Jack Neubart’s recent review of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II on Photocrati.

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 at Amazon: Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

The Canon EOS-5D Mark II raises the standards of the entire EOS line, as it is the first EOS digital SLR camera to offer both still and video capture. That’s right, this high-end digital SLR can capture movies at 1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The Canon 5D Mark II is quite a camera, one that seems to trump the other two full-frame digital SLR cameras in this price range. Canon is making some very impressive claims about the EOS-5D Mark II, describing it to us as offering the highest image quality of any EOS digital SLR released to date, and noting that it offers noise levels significantly lower than those of the original 5D. Whether the Canon 5D Mark II’s high ISO performance will be as good as the 1Ds Mark III remains to be seen. So far, though, the Canon 5D Mark II has all that Canon needed to bring their consumer flagship camera back to the top of the heap. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

The full-frame digital SLR megapixel race has a new champion: the 21.1-megapixel Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. Its new 36×24mm sensor records images that measure 5,632 x 3,750 pixels, with a pitch of 6.4 microns. Next to its higher resolution, the other significant feature in the 1Ds Mark III is its faster five frames per second. The 1Ds Mark III can shoot up to 56 large/fine JPEG images or 12 RAW images before the buffer fills. 1Ds is also built a little more rugged, the 1Ds will make Canon’s highest resolution digital SLR more accessible than the last offering. Though it’s still too big and heavy for most shooters, it’s much easier to use. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Digital Photography Review

The 1000D does just about everything it needs to do, and everything it does, it does well. It can produce great images at any of its ISO settings and, viewed as a whole, makes a great first DSLR. Canon seems to have gently toned-down the specification so that it rates slightly less well in all the metrics that appear on shop shelf tags – pixel count, continuous shooting speed, number of AF points and screen size. The only one of these to have any real impact on the user experience is the continuous shooting speed, which has been pruned back a little far. The 1000D doesn’t stand out from the competition as much as previous models. It’s certainly a safe bet and one of the most consistent offerings in the sector . . . its all-round competence, excellent high ISO performance and class-leading image quality will win it a lot of friends. READ FULL REVIEW Read the rest of this entry »

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 1D Mark III 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Imaging Resource

The big story with the Canon EOS 1D Mark III is that it’s a better, more universally appealing professional camera for more types of professional photographers. I think a lot of intermediate photographers may want to make the jump as well, given its more friendly interface and astonishing high ISO performance. The EOS 1D Mark III has several improvements that illustrate its greater versatility: Fast performance, high resolution, and improved image quality across the board, resolution sufficient for double-truck spreads and general commercial photography. Even faster capture, processing, and write speeds, and faster AF tracking for sports shooters, super low-light capability for photojournalists (High ISO). Quoting the bare specs says a lot: 10 frames per second, 10 megapixels, 110 JPEG buffer, three inch LCD, Live View mode, dual DIGIC III processors, automatic sensor cleaning. Bottom line, the Canon 1D Mark III is by far the fastest digital SLR on the planet, and one of the very fastest SLRs ever. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Imaging Resource

The Canon Rebel XSi is indeed a worthy successor to the Rebel throne. A camera with the Rebel name has never carried such sophistication, nor so rich a feature-set. It has all that makes the Rebel XTi great, but with more resolution, live view, a faster frame rate, a new look, and an image-stabilized lens. It’s the image quality that makes the Rebel XSi stand out, with great performance across the ISO range. … As I said of the XTi, the Canon Rebel XSi is an excellent, take-anywhere, all-purpose digital SLR camera that’s great as a second camera for pros, or as a primary camera for anyone else. It will more than serve, it will make its owner very happy. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 1D Mark II N 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Steve’s Digicams

The Mark II N is essentially Canon’s mid-life upgrade to its most popular pro dSLR, the EOS 1D Mark II. Although nearly identical in many ways to its predecessor, the Mark II incorporates a number of refinements in performance, usability and image processing. The bottom line is always image quality, and the Mark II N does not disappoint. Most pro’s will opt to shoot in RAW mode, using software tools to adjust for the desired degree of sharpness, saturation and contrast. But the Mark II also produces high-quality finished JPEG images courtesy of its Picture Styles. While image noise is noticeable at sensitivities over ISO 800, ISO 1600 and 3200 produce quite usable images. With its 8-megapixel imager, accurate autofocus system, precise metering system and robust performance, the Canon EOS-1D Mark II N is photographic tool that is unrivaled in the industry at the time of this test (October 2005). READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II 16.7MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Digital Photography

The EOS-1D Mark II is obviously Canon’s answer to Nikon’s fast shooting D2H, it does appear however as though Canon is raising the bar with resolution. … Image quality wise there are no complaints with the EOS-1D Mark II, it’s certainly no point-and-shoot camera and requires a certain amount of experimentation and learning before reaching your idea of the perfect image. That’s also the camera’s advantage, taking a hands-off approach to image development means that the photographer gets to decide just how the final image will look. This is the ultimate digital SLR, it offers an amazing level of build quality and environmental sealing, superb eight megapixels of resolution, low noise at almost any sensitivity, over eight frames per second (with a forty frame buffer) and near instant performance. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera from Amazon: Canon EOS-1D 4.15MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Digital Photography Review

The EOS-1D is a remarkably important and prestigious camera for Canon. Not only can it deliver beautiful images with great resolution … sharpness and balanced color but it does so from what could be the most robust and best built 35mm SLR bodies ever. The eight frames per second shooting speed is truly unbelievable and in operation the 1D never fails or hesitates. Add to all of this the fact that the camera has the most flexible set of custom and personal functions of any D-SLR … My major concern with the 1D is high ISO banding, while this isn’t apparent in well-exposed shots with most of their detail at the higher end of the grayscale it does become visible especially in darker backgrounds or underexposed shots. … if you’re the type of photographer who will find themselves consistently shooting at high ISO’s (ISO 800 or above) then you really need to go back, check our high ISO samples and decide if you can live with the banding. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II 16.7MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Digital Photography Review

Despite the significant jump in resolution from the EOS-1Ds (11 mp) to the EOS-1Ds Mark II (16.7 mp) the camera maintains an impressive four frames per second shooting rate and a buffer large enough for 32 JPEG or 11 RAW images. The EOS-1Ds Mark II’s internal bus throughput of approximately 67 megapixel/sec is virtually identical to the eight megapixel EOS-1D Mark II. The EOS-1Ds Mark II delivers a level of detail unmatched by any other current digital SLR (excluding the more ‘exotic’ medium format backs). … The EOS-1Ds Mark II is a very unforgiving camera when it comes to lenses. That ultra high resolution and full size 35 mm sensor mean that not only does the camera use all of the glass in a lens but it can reproduce it in minute detail, warts and all. … In my opinion both the EOS-1Ds Mark II and D2X represent the ultimate in current digital SLR technology. The EOS-1Ds Mark II’s problem however is its big price tag. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this camera at Amazon: Canon EOS D60 6MP Digital Camera

Digital Photography Review

For me the D60 outperformed many of my expectations, I didn’t expect resolution to be as good as it is and I didn’t expect Canon to be able to keep noise levels down in the way they have. In almost every respect the D60 has performed flawlessly. There are the diagonal jaggies and ’strange dots’ but these occur very infrequently in every day shots and even then they are hardly visible. Little touches like the reduced shutter release LAG, illuminated AF points, illuminated top status LCD, in-camera parameter programming are all welcome improvements and go to show that Canon are well aware of, and act upon user requests. One area I think a lot of people expected to be improved is auto focus, and this may be the D60’s only achilles heel. READ FULL REVIEW

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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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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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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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