2009 | Photocrati

Nikon D2Xs Review Round-UP

nikon-d2xs 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: 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

canon-eos-20d 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 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

canon-eos-30d 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 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

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

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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Nikon D100 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: Nikon D100 6MP Digital SLR Camera

Digital Photography Review

The D100 enters that new segment of the digital camera market, it’s the middle ground between the high end $1,000 prosumer digital cameras and professional D-SLR’s. The D100 has a six megapixel sensor, a body loosely based on the F80 … a Nikon F mount. … Nikon’s designers once more should take a lot of credit for producing a superbly well designed camera. Ergonomics, balance and control layout are excellent, the D100 feels both professional enough to be used on the most important days, yet small and light enough to be taken out on the most casual outing. …Image quality is also excellent, good color and metering, nice tonal balance… READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 350D Rebel XT Review Round-Up

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Camera Labs

The 350D / Rebel XT delivers an almost unbeatable package of quality, speed, size and price. The most obvious selling point is of course its 8 megapixel resolution, and while the difference between this and its 6 megapixel rivals can be subtle, it’s certainly visible in real life results. Thankfully the smaller pixel pitch doesn’t compromise noise levels, and Canon’s DiG!C II processor ensures silky smooth results at standard ISO settings, while allowing the use of a smaller, lighter battery without affecting lifespan. … It’s not all good news though. The screen, especially today, is measly at just 1.8in, some re-positioned controls have become less convenient to use, the USM lens version would have made a preferable bundle and some may find the smaller body harder to hold. But that’s really about it. Overall the 350D/Rebel XT remains a tough camera to beat and the leader in the budget digital SLR market. READ FULL REVIEW

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Nikon D50 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: Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor Lens

Camera Labs

Launched at the same time as the D70s, the D50 will inevitably be viewed as a cut-down, beginners version of its more serious counterpart. But in use, the D50 rarely if ever feels compromised in any way. It starts instantly, responds quickly and delivers superb results in fully automatic modes, while offering sufficient manual control to keep most enthusiasts satisfied. Dig a little deeper on the basic specs and you’ll also find plenty of areas where the D50 excels over its rivals. Of course there’s equally areas where its rivals are better. At the end of the day, the choice of camera is a highly personal one. Once you’re sure it has all the features and delivers the quality you’re after, the choice boils down to look, feel and brand loyalty. Nikon’s D50 may not have 8 megapixels, but scores highly in every other respect. It looks smart, feels well built, responds quickly, delivers great pictures and is a joy to use. You can’t ask much more from a camera and as such it comes highly recommended. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon EOS 400D Rebel XTi Review Round-Up

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Imaging Resource

The new Rebel XTi has a 10.1 megapixel sensor, a 2.5 inch LCD screen, and a new dust cleaning system. Ultimately, the Canon Rebel XTi is an improvement of an already superb camera — the Rebel XT — with Canon’s latest and greatest innovations to make digital SLR photography more like you remember from the film days and more versatile to boot. For my money, the greatest improvement to the XTi is the addition of the 30D’s autofocus array. More pixels, a bigger LCD, and dust reduction are welcome, but faster AF is the true benefit to the Rebel XTi, because you can get shots that you couldn’t with the XT. Now I can say that Canon’s flagship consumer camera has it where it counts: fast, accurate autofocus and the best imager you can get for the money. All the rest is gravy. The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi is a fine digital SLR, an excellent choice for anyone wanting to improve their photography. READ FULL REVIEW

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