DSLR

This week Sony unveiled the α57, the successor to Sony's α55 DSLR camera.

This A-mount camera with Translucent Mirror Technology has many of the same specs as the a55 such as 12 fps shooting and 1080p HD video capture at 60p, 60i or 24p frame rates, but you'll notice that it's larger than the a55. Perhaps that's to pack in all the goodies such as a 16.1- megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, a 15-point AF system with three cross sensors and Sony's latest BIONZ processor, which allows the camera to shoot at full resolution up to 16,000 ISO.

The camera features variety of creative modes, including Auto Portrait Framing, a "world's first technology." It works like this: using face detection and the compositional 'rule of thirds,' the camera identifies a subject's position, and then trims the scene to create tightly framed, professional-looking pictures. It maintains a copy of the untrimmed, original image so you can compare the two images. Also, in-camera Picture Effect modes include Pop Color, HDR Painting, Miniature Mode and more, which can be viewed on the 3.0" LCD tilt/swivel screen or in the new Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder.

In addition, the a55 has 2x Clear Image Zoom which uses Sony's "By Pixel Super Resolution Technology" to retain full pixel resolution even after images are cropped and zoomed. Read more

The Canon EOS camera system has been around for 25 years, and what better way to celebrate than to announce the new EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR? Featuring a newly-designed 22.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, Canon's Digic 5+ image processor, a new 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF System and six frames-per-second (fps) continuous shooting speed, this camera offers numerous upgrades from the almost 5 year old EOS 5D Mark II.

On the video side, the 5D Mark III captures 1080p Full HD video at 24p, 25p, and 30p fps, as well as 720p HD recording at 60 and 50 fps and SD recording at 25 fps with H.264 video compression. It also offers better noise reduction, longer recording times and a built-in headphone jack - video features that cinematographers and videographers can appreciate.

Additional features include a 3.2-inch, 1.04M-dot LCD display, a new HDR mode, a 63-zone dual-layer metering system, Quick Control dial with touch capability for silent adjustments while in video mode, and an Intelligent Viewfinder with 100% field of view. The 5D Mark III offers an ISO 100 to 25,600 in the standard range, with an ISO 50 option for studio and landscape use, and 51,200 and 102,400 for specialist applications. Read more

The Nikon D800 has been one of the most highly anticipated DSLR cameras to date – and with good reason. Featuring a 36.3-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor, this camera was built for professionals who demand the highest resolution, such as wedding photographers or photo/video enthusiasts who wants to deliver the absolute best multimedia content.

The Nikon D800 records Full HD 1080p video at 30, 25 and 24fps frame rates, along with 60 and 50fps rates at 720p for shooting slow-motion movies. It sports a 3.2-inch, 921,000-dot LCD, the latest 91,000 pixel 3D Matrix Metering system with Advanced Scene Recognition System, along with an improved 51-point AF system.

Additional features include uncompressed HDMI output, full manual control, 4 fps shooting (6 fps with the optional battery pack), SD and CF card slots, and has an ISO range of 100-6400, expandable to 50 (Lo-1)-25,600 (Hi-2). There's also a dedicated headphone jack for accurate monitoring of audio levels. Read more

PENTAX on Thursday announced its second interchangeable lens camera – the K-01. Designed by Marc Newson, the PENTAX K-01 features a 16MP APS-C CMOS sensor and is compatible with most of the lenses the company has ever made – and that's a bunch, folks – we're talking over 25+ million K-mount lenses!

This mirrorless camera also features a 3-inch LCD with 920,000 dots, sensor-shift image stabilization, it can shoot at up to 6 frames per second, and has an ISO range of 100-25600 for noise-free imaging in almost any lighting. In addition, the K-01 captures Full HD 1080p video at 30 FPS with h.264 compression (60 FPS at 720p). What you won't find on the K-01 is an optical viewfinder or quick-return mirror – the elimination of these components gave Marc Newson more freedom when it came to the camera body's design.

PENTAX is also releasing a new lens for the K-01. The smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS interchangeable lens is said to be the world's thinnest interchangeable lens (as of February 1, 2012). The PENTAX K-01 will be available in black, white and Newson's signature yellow colors, and it features the designer's autograph logo stamp on the bottom of each camera. Read more

Panasonic just outed their latest Lumix GX1, a 16 MP MOS live sensor DSLR with up to 14 interchangeable lenses. But this is just the starting point with the Lumix GX1. Panasonic's latest and greatest pocket DLSR camera looks and feels like the previous iterations, the GF1, GF2 and GF3, but the GX1 is better for all around photography that demands customizability, and the ease of use of a point and shoot.

The GX1's body is made from aluminum, and it weighs in at just 413 grams. You'll be able to choose from two finishes: Gunmetal Grey and Raven Black. In addition to a 16-megapixel sensor, Panasonic has reduced the auto focus time to just .9 seconds, which Panasonic says is the fastest among Compact System Cameras. Burst mode lets you capture up to 20 frames per second, and you can also record full HD video.Read more

Big news from Canon today! In addition to announcing a new digital camera for Movie Production, the EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera, new EF Cinema Lenses, and a brand new Cinema EOS System, the company said that they have a new Canon Digital SLR camera in the works.

Under development is a new-concept EOS-series digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera which will be "ideally suited for cinematographic and other digital high-resolution production applications." It will feature a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor and will be capable of recording of 4K video (at a frame rate of 24P, with Motion-JPEG compression).

Product specifications of the new-concept EOS digital SLR camera, including the name and availability, will be announced at a later date.Read more

Canon unveiled a completely redesigned EOS-1D series camera on Tuesday - the EOS-1D X Digital SLR. Replacing both the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS-1D Mark IV, the EOS-1D X DSLR features an 18-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, 3.2-inch, 1,040,000-dot LCD display, Dual DIGIC 5+ Imaging Processors, 14-bit A/D data conversion and is capable of shooting 12 fps.

Packed full of new features, the EOS-1D X boasts a new 61-Point High Density Reticular AF – Canon's most sophisticated to date, new EOS iTR (Intelligent Tracking and Recognition) AF options, and is also the first EOS Digital SLR to feature Multiple Exposure capability. And that's just a sampling of what's new (read the press release below for all the details). The camera also offers a top ISO range of 204,800, a 252-zone metering system, and a 14 fps JPEG (12 fps RAW) burst mode.

As far as video is concerned, it can capture 1080p video at 24p (23.976), 25p, or 30p (29.97); and 720p HD or SD video recording at either 50p or 60p (59.94). The EOS-1D X also features automatic splitting of movie files when a file is over 4GB. This allows for continuous video recording up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds across multiple 4GB files with no dropped frames. The files can then be connected in post production. It also includes a wind filter, and offers manual audio level control, an automatic setting, or it can be completely turned off. Sound can be recorded either through the internal microphone or via an optional external microphone through the stereo mic input. Read more

Now you can get your hands on a PENTAX 5-5 Digital SLR and save $400 in the process! The company just announced a permanent price reduction on its popular K-5 – dropping its price $100 to $1499.95 (body only) and to $1,649.95 (for the K-5 lens kit w DA 18-55 WR lens). To make it even better, from now until November 30, 2011, a $300 instant rebate is in effect on the purchase of either kit configuration. The combined savings brings the K-5 to $1199.95 (body only) and $1,349.95 (for K-5 lens kit w DA 18-55 WR lens).

PENTAX K-5 features:

• 16.3 megapixel CMOS sensor with integrated AD conversion circuitry.
• High sensitivity 80-51200 ISO range with improved noise performance.
• Speedy 7 FPS captures fast action shots.
• 11 point SAFOX IX+ autofocus system with dedicated AF assist lamp and light wavelength sensor.
• Widescreen 1080p HD video at 25 FPS, with sound via built-in or external 3.5mm stereo microphone jack.
• 3 inch LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution.
• Fully weather sealed and coldproof design.
• Durable magnesium alloy covers surround a rugged stainless steel chassis.
• Highly accurate 77 segment metering system.
• Pentaprism viewfinder with 100% field of view and 0.92X magnification.
• PENTAX body-based Shake Reduction (SR) stabilization system
• A maximum 1/8000 second shutter speed.
• HDMI port outputs high definition images and video (and sound).
• Native support for both PENTAX PEF and Adobe DNG 14 bit RAW files.
• Improved in-camera HDR image capture.
• A wide range of in-camera image processing and special effects filters.
• Customizable RAW/Fx button.
• Built-in electronic level with tilt scale display.

Have you seen the movie "Captain America: The First Avenger"? Released in theaters on July 22nd, it is the second major motion picture to film portions using a DSLR camera ("Iron Man 2" was the first). Jonathan Taylor, second unit director/director of photography on "Captain America: The First Avenger", chose Canon's EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR to capture select point-of-view action shots in the film.

Why the 5D Mark II? The camera is smaller and lighter than a traditional motion picture camera, allowing Taylor to mount it on moving vehicles to capture dramatic action shots. The camera's size also made it "invisible" to the film cameras shooting the same scene from a distance. The action scenes in "Captain America: The First Avenger" in which Taylor used 5D Mark II cameras for POV shots include a car chase and crash, and a high-speed motorcycle pursuit.

"The challenge with a lot of action photography is getting the camera in the right position," Taylor noted. "I'm always looking to get the camera into impossible to reach places because those kinds of shots make action sequences much more exciting. Most 35mm motion-picture cameras and even the leading digital cinematography cameras are just too big to get into interesting positions."Read more