Digital Camera Information

Looks like Olympus will be joining Canon and Nikon by releasing their new DSLR this year. This time it’s the new professional 10 mega pixels Olympus E-3 due to be announced on the 17th October 2007. The new swivel LCD screen looks great. The E-3 replaces the ageing Olympus E-1 announced in 2003.

So far, the recent releases have been Canon with its Canon 40D, Nikon with the Nikon D3 and the D300 and now we are just waiting for the official announcement by Olympus and also Sony.

What a competitive market and I can’t wait to see who comes out with the highest market share towards the later part of the year.

Source

Here is a very interesting image taken with the Nikon D3 at ISO 5000 (Osaka games). As you can see, the high sensitivity images are quite usable which gives you an indication of the sensitivity of this new camera. It’s good to see Nikon competing head on with one of the major strengths that Canon has in its DSLR - the silky smooth low noise CMOS sensor.

The gap is now closing for what use to be a major advantage and competitive edge for Canon DSLR. The constant patriotic salute to the high ISO sensor in almost every digital photography forum is slowly being eroded away. Horary for competition.

Source

Although the Canon 40D has not been released yet, Japanese website (www.photo-cafe.jp) somehow has pictures of images taken at different ISO ratings. As expected the high ISO images taken at ISO 3200 from the Canon 40D seems pretty impressive. Images were taken with the Noise reduction turned on and off.

Noise Reduction - OFF ——————————- Noise Reduction - ON

For more pictures click here

Source

Nikon is really taking the challenge to Canon with its first professional DSLR to have a full framed sensor. Although it only has 12 mega pixels sensor, it does make it up with high sensitivity and speed. With boost, it can go as high as ISO 25,600!

Here are the specifications:

Type of Camera - Single-lens reflex digital camera

Effective Pixels - 12.1 million

Image Sensor - CMOS sensor, 36.0 x 23.9 mm; total pixels: 12.87 million; Nikon FX format

Image Size (pixels) - Image area L M S

- FX format (36 x 24) 4,256 x 2,832 3,184 x 2,120 2,128 x 1,416
- 5:4 (30 x 24) 3,552 x 2,832 2,656 x 2,120 1,776 x 1,416
- DX format (24 x 16) 2,784 x 1,848 2,080 x 1,384 1,392 x 920

Sensitivity - ISO 200 to 6,400 in steps of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV; sensitivity decreases approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, or 1 (ISO 100 equivalent) EV below ISO 200, and increases approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1 (ISO 12,800 equivalent), or 2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent) EV over ISO 6,400

File System - Compliant with DCF 2.0, DPOF and Exif 2.21

Storage System

- Compressed 12/14-bit NEF (RAW, Lossless compressed): approx. 60-80%
- Compressed 12/14-bit NEF (RAW, Compressed): approx. 45-60%
- PEG: JPEG-baseline-compliant; can be selected from Size priority and Optimal quality

Storage Media - CompactFlash (Type I/II, compliant with UDMA); Microdrives

Release Modes 1) Single-frame [S] mode, 2) Continuous low-speed [CL] mode: 1-9 frames per second*, 3) Continuous high-speed [CH] mode: 9 fps (9-11 fps with DX format)*, 4) Liveview [LV] mode, 5) Self-timer [ ] mode, 6) Mirror-up [Mup] mode

*With Continuous-servo AF, S or M exposure mode, shutter speed 1/250 s or faster; other settings are set at “Default”.

White Balance

- Auto (TTL white balance with main image sensor and 1,005-pixel RGB sensor);
- Seven manual modes can be preset with fine-tuning; color temperature setting; white balance bracketing: 2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1, 2 or 3

Liveview Handheld mode:

- TLL phase-difference AF with 51 focus areas (15 cross-type sensors)
- Tripod mode: focal-plane contrast AF on a desired point within a specific area

LCD Monitor

- 3 inch with approximately 920,000 pixels (VGA), 170-degree wide-viewing-angle, 100% frame coverage, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment

Playback Function

1) Full frame, 2) Thumbnail (4 or 9 segments), 3) Zoom, 4) Slideshow, 5) Histogram indication, 6) Shooting data, 7) Highlight point display, Auto image rotation

Video Output

NTSC or PAL; simultaneous playback from both the video output and on the LCD monitor available
HDMI Output Supports HDMI version 1.3a; Type A connector is provided as HDMI output terminal; simultaneous playback from both the HDMI output terminal and on the LCD monitor not available

Interface - Hi-speed USB

Lens Mount - Nikon F mount with AF coupling and AF contacts

Compatible Lenses*1

1) Type G or D AF NIKKOR: All functions supported
2) DX AF NIKKOR: All functions supported except FX-format (36×24)/5:4 (30×24) image size
3) AF NIKKOR other than type G or D*2: All functions supported except 3D Color Matrix Metering II
4) AI-P NIKKOR: All functions supported except autofocus and 3D Color Matrix Metering II
5) Non-CPU AI NIKKOR: Can be used in exposure modes A and M; electronic rangefinder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster; Color Matrix Metering and aperture value display supported if user provides lens data
*1. IX NIKKOR lenses cannot be used
*2. Excluding lenses for F3AF

Picture Angle - Equivalent to angle produced by lens focal length (1.5 times when DX format is selected)

Viewfinder - SLR-type with fixed eye-level pentaprism; built-in diopter adjustment (-3 to +1 m-1)

Eyepoint - 18 mm (-1.0 m-1)

Focusing Screen Type B BriteView Clear Matte VI screen

Viewfinder Frame Coverage Approx. 100% (vertical/horizontal)

Viewfinder Magnification - Approx. 0.7x (50mm f/1.4 lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1)

Reflex Mirror - Quick-return type

Lens Aperture - Instant-return type, with depth-of-field preview button

Autofocus

- TTL phase detection, 51 focus points (15 cross-type sensors) by Nikon Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus module; Detection: -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100 at 20°C/68°F); AF fine adjustment possible
- Focal-plane contrast [in Liveview (Tripod) mode]

Lens Servo

1) Autofocus: Single-servo AF (S); Continuous-servo AF (C); Focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status,
2) Manual focus (M) with electronic rangefinder

Focus Point - Single AF point can be selected from 51 or 11 focus points

AF-Area Mode

1) Single-point AF
2) Dynamic AF [number of AF areas: 9, 21, 51, 51 (3D-tracking)]
3) Automatic-area AF

Focus Lock - Focus can be locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button or by pressing shutter-release button half-way (single-point AF in AF-S)

Exposure Metering System

- TTL full-aperture exposure metering using 1,005-pixel RGB sensor
1) 3D Color Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); Color Matrix Metering II (other CPU lenses); Color Matrix Metering (non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data)
2) Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8-, 15- or 20-mm circle in center of frame, or weighting based on average of entire frame
3) Spot: Meters 4-mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus area (on center focus area when non-CPU lens is used)

Metering Range

1) 0 to 20 EV (Matrix or center-weighted metering)
2) 2 to 20 EV (Spot metering) (ISO 100 equivalent, f/1.4 lens, at 20°C/68°F)

Exposure Meter Coupling - Combined CPU and AI

Exposure Modes

1) Programmed Auto (P) with flexible program,
2) Shutter-Priority Auto (S)
3) Aperture-Priority Auto (A), 4) Manual (M)

Exposure Compensation

±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV

Exposure Lock - Exposure locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button

Exposure Bracketing - Exposure and/or flash bracketing (2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV)

Picture Control System

- Four setting options: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome; each option can be adjusted

Shutter

- Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter; 1/8,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV; Bulb

Sync Contact - X = 1/250 s; flash synchronization at up to 1/250 s

Flash Control

1) TTL flash control with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor; i-TTL balanced fill-flash and standard i-TTL fill-flash available with SB-800, 600 or 400
2) Auto aperture (AA): Available with SB-800 and CPU lens
3) Non-TTL auto (A): Available with SB-800, 28, 27 or 22s
4) Range-priority manual (GN): Available with SB-800

Flash Sync Modes

1) Front-curtain sync (normal), 2) Slow sync, 3) Rear-curtain sync, 4) Red-eye reduction, 5) Red-eye reduction with slow sync

Accessory Shoe - Standard ISO 518 hot-shoe contact with safety lock

Sync Terminal - ISO 519 standard terminal

Creative Lighting System

- With Speedlights such as SB-800, SB-600, SB-R200, supports Advanced Wireless Lighting, Auto FP High-Speed Sync, Flash Color Information Communication, modeling flash and FV lock

Self-timer - Electronically controlled timer with duration of 2, 3, 10 or 20 s

Depth-of-field - When CPU lens is attached, lens aperture can be stopped down to value selected by user

Preview Button (A and M modes) or value selected by camera (P and S modes)

10-pin Terminal

1) GPS: NMEA 0183 (Ver. 2.01 and 3.01) interface standard supported with 9-pin D-sub cable and GPS Cable MC-35 (optional)
2) Remote control: via 10-pin terminal

Supported Languages

Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish

Power Source

One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a/EL4, Quick Charger MH-22, AC Adapter EH-6 (optional)

Tripod Socket 1/4 in. (ISO 1222)

Dimensions (W x H x D) Approx. 159.5 x 157 x 87.5 mm (6.3 x 6.2 x 3.4 in.)

Weight Approx. 1,240 g (2.7 lb.) without battery, memory card, body cap or accessory shoe cover

Operating Environment Temperature: 0-40°C/32-104°F, Humidity: under 85% (no condensation)

Supplied Accessories* Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a, Quick Charger MH-22, USB Cable UC-E4, Audio Video Cable EG-D2, Camera Strap AN-D3, Body Cap BF-1A, Accessory Shoe Cap BS-2, Eyepiece DK-17, Battery Chamber Cover BL-4, USB Cable Clip, Software Suite CD-ROM

*Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area

Main Optional Accessories Wireless Transmitter WT-4, Magnifying Eyepiece DK-17M, AC Adapter EH-6, Capture NX Software, Camera Control Pro 2 Software, Image Authentication Software

Click here for the D3 pdf file

Just as soon as the Canon 40D was announced, Nikon has announced the release of the new Nikon D300 and from the specifications; the Nikon seems to come out on top.

Here are the specifications

Type of Camera - Single-lens reflex digital camera

Effective Pixels - 12.3 million

Image Sensor - CMOS sensor, 23.6 x 15.8 mm; total pixels: 13.1 million; Nikon DX format

Image Size (pixels) - 4,288 x 2,848 [L], 3,216 x 2,136 [M], 2,144 x 1,424 [S]

Dust-reduction System - Clean image sensor, image dust-off data acquisition (Capture NX required)

Sensitivity - ISO 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV with additional settings of approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 EV (ISO 100 equivalent) under ISO 200 and approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 EV (ISO 6400 equivalent) over ISO 3200

File System - Compliant with DCF 2.0, DPOF and Exif 2.21

Storage System

-NEF 12-bit or 14-bit (uncompressed, lossless compressed or compressed RAW)
-TIFF (RGB)
-JPEG: JPEG baseline-compliant

Storage Media - CompactFlash (CF) Card (Type I and II, UDMA compliant), Microdrive

Release Modes - 1) Single frame [S] mode 2) Continuous low speed [CL] mode: 1 to 7*1 frames per second 3) Continuous high-speed [CH] mode: 8 frames per second*1, 6 frames per second*2 4) Liveview [LV] mode 5) Self-timer [] mode 6) Mirror-up [Mup] mode

*1. When using AC Adaptor EH-5a/EH-5 or Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 with batteries other than Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e
*2. When using Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e

(When shooting in Continuous-servo AF (C), Shutter-Priority Auto [S] or Manual [M] exposure modes, at a shutter speed of 1/250 s or faster with other settings at default)

White Balance - Auto (TTL white balance with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor), seven manual modes with fine-tuning, color temperature setting, white balance bracketing possible (2 to 9 frames in increments 1~3)

Liveview - Hand-held mode, Tripod mode

LCD Monitor - 3-in., approx. 920,000-dot (VGA), 170-degree wide viewing angle, 100% frame coverage, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment

Playback Function - 1) Full frame 2) Thumbnail (4 or 9 segments) 3) Zoom 4) Slideshow 5) RGB histogram indication 6) Shooting data 7) Highlight point display Auto image rotation

Delete Function -Card format, All photographs delete, Selected photographs delete

Video Output - NTSC or PAL; simultaneous playback from both the video output and on the LCD monitor available

HDMI Output - Supports HDMI version 1.3a; Type A connector is provided as HDMI output terminal; simultaneous playback from both the HDMI output terminal and on the LCD monitor not available

Interface - Hi-Speed USB

Text Input - Up to 36 characters of alphanumeric text input available with LCD monitor and multi-selector; stored in Exif header

Lens Mount - Nikon F Mount with AF coupling and AF contacts

Compatible Lenses

1) DX AF Nikkor: All functions possible
2) D-/G-type AF Nikkor (excluding IX Nikkor lenses): All functions possible (excluding PC Micro- Nikkor)
3) AF Nikkor other than D-/G-type (excluding lenses for F3AF): All functions except 3D-Color Matrix Metering II possible
4) AI-P Nikkor: All functions except Autofocus, 3D-Color Matrix Metering II possible
5) Non-CPU AI Nikkor: Can be used in exposure modes A and M; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster; Color Matrix Metering and aperture value display supported if user provides lens data

Picture Angle - Equivalent in 35mm [135] format is approx. 1.5 times lens focal length

Viewfinder - SLR-type with fixed eye-level pentaprism; built-in diopter adjustment (-2.0 to +1.0 m-1)

Eyepoint - 19.5 mm (-1.0 m-1)

Focusing Screen - Type-B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark II with superimposed focus brackets and On-Demand grid lines

Viewfinder Frame Coverage - Approx. 100% (vertical and horizontal)

Viewfinder Magnification - Approx. 0.94x with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1

Autofocus - TTL phase detection, 51 focus points (15 cross-type sensors) by Nikon Multi-CAM 3500DX autofocus module; Detection -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100 at 20°C/68°F); AF fine adjustment possible

Focal plane contrast [in Liveview (Tripod) mode]

Lens Servo - Single-servo AF (S); continuous-servo AF (C); manual (M); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status in continuous-servo AF

Focus Point - Single AF point can be selected from 51 or 11 focus points

Liveview (Tripod mode): Contrast AF on a desired point within entire frame

AF Area Mode - 1) Single point AF 2) Dynamic Area AF [9 points, 21 points, 51 points, 51 points (3D-tracking)] 3) Automatic-area AF

Focus Lock - Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button

Exposure Metering System - TTL full-aperture exposure metering using 1005-pixel RGB sensor

1) 3D Color Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses); color matrix metering (non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data; metering performed)
2) Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 6, 8, 10, or 13 mm dia. circle in center of frame or weighting based on average of entire frame (8 mm circle when non-CPU lens is used)
3) Spot: Meters approx. 3 mm dia. circle (about 2.0% of frame) centered on selected focus point (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used)

Exposure Metering Range - 1) 0 to 20 EV (3D Color Matrix or center-weighted metering) 2) 2 to 20 EV (spot metering) (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C)

Exposure Meter Coupling - Combined CPU and AI

Exposure Modes - 1) Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program 2) Shutter-Priority Auto [S] 3) Aperture Priority Auto [A] 4) Manual [M]

Exposure Compensation - ±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV

Auto Exposure Lock - Detected exposure value locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button

Auto Exposure Bracketing - Exposure and/or flash bracketing (2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV)

Picture Control System - Four setting options: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome; each option can be adjusted

Shutter - Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal plane shutter, 1/8,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, Bulb

Sync Contact - X=1/250 s; flash synchronization at up to 1/320 s (FP) adjustable with Built-in Speedlight or optional Speedlight (will reduce GN)

Flash Control

1) TTL: TTL flash control by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor, built-in Speedlight, SB-800, SB-600 or SB-400: i-TTL balanced fill-flash and standard i-TTL flash
2) AA (Auto Aperture-type) flash: Available with SB-800 used with CPU lens
3) Non-TTL Auto: Available with Speedlights such as SB-800, 28, 27, and 22S
4) Range-priority manual flash; available with SB-800

Flash Sync Mode

1) Front-curtain Sync (normal) 2) Red-eye Reduction 3) Red-eye Reduction with Slow Sync 4) Slow Sync 5) Rear-curtain Sync

Built-in Speedlight - Manual pop-up with button release

Guide number - (ISO 200, m): approx. 17 (manual 18)

(ISO 100 equivalent, m): approx. 12 (manual 13)

Flash Compensation - -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV

Accessory Shoe - ISO 518 Standard hot-shoe contact with safety lock provided

Sync Terminal - ISO 519 standard terminal

Creative Lighting System - With Speedlights such as SB-800, SB-600, SB-400, SB-R200, supports Advanced Wireless Lighting, Auto FP High-Speed Sync, Flash Color Information Communication, modeling flash and FV lock

Self-timer - 2 to 20 seconds duration

Depth of Field Preview - When CPU lens is attached, lens aperture can be stopped down to value selected by user (A and M mode) or value selected by camera (P and S mode)

Remote Control - Via 10-pin terminal or Wireless Transmitter WT-4 (optional)

GPS - NMEA 0183 (Ver. 2.01 and 3.01) interface standard supported with 9-pin D-sub cable (optional) and GPS Cable MC-35 (optional)

Supported Languages - Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish

Power Source - One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 (optional) with one Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a, EN-EL4 or EN-EL3e or eight R6/AA-size alkaline (LR6), Ni-MH (HR6), lithium (FR6) batteries, or nickel-manganese ZR6 batteries, AC Adapter EH-5a (optional)

Tripod Socket - 1/4 in. (ISO 1222)

Custom Settings - 48 settings available

Dimensions (W x H x D) - Approx. 147 x 114 x 74 mm (5.8 x 4.5 x 2.9 in.)

Weight - Approx. 825 g (1.82 lbs.) without battery, memory card, body cap, or monitor cover

Operating Environment - Temperature: 0-40°C/32-104°F, Humidity: under 85% (no condensation)

Supplied Accessories (may differ by country or area) - Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, Quick Charger MH-18a, USB Cable UC-E4, Video Cable EG-D100, Strap AN-D300, LCD monitor cover BM-8, Body cap, Eyepiece Cap DK-5, Rubber Eyecup DK-23, Software Suite CD-ROM

Main Optional Accessories - Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10, Wireless Transmitter WT-4, Magnifying Eyepiece DK-21M, AC Adapter EH-5a, Capture NX Software, Camera Control Pro 2

After a long and exhausting wait, the Canon 40D has finally been released and here are the final specifications:

Specifications

Type - Digital AF/AE SLR

Recording Medium - CF Card Type I and II and external media (USB v.2.0 hard drive, via optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E3A)

Image Format - 0.87 x 0.58 in./22.2 x 14.8mm (APS-C size sensor)

Compatible Lenses - Canon EF, EF-S, TS-E, and MP-E lenses

Lens Mount - Canon EF mount

Lens Focal Length Conversion Factor* - 1.6x

Image Sensor - High-sensitivity, high-resolution, single-plate, CMOS sensor

Pixels - Approx. 10.10 mega pixels

Total Pixels - Approx. 10.50 mega pixels

Aspect Ratio - 3:2 (Horizontal : Vertical)

Color Filter System - RGB primary color filters

Low-pass Filter - Fixed position in front of the CMOS sensor

Recording System - Recording Format - DCF 2.0 (Exif 2.21): JPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG simultaneous recording possible. Multiple options for recording images on a memory card.

Image Format - JPEG, RAW (Canon CR2)

File Size

- JPEG/Large: Approx. 3.5MB (3,888 x 2,592)
- JPEG/Medium: Approx. 2.1MB (2,816 x 1,880)
- JPEG/Small: Approx. 1.2MB (1,936 x 1,288)
- RAW: Approx. 12.4MB (3,888 x 2,592)
- sRAW: Approx. 7.1MB (1,936 x 1,288)

Folders - Automatically created by camera; can be user-created with “Manual Reset” file naming setting

File Numbering - Continuous numbering

Auto reset - Manual reset (the image numbering is reset to 0001, a new folder is created automatically)

Color Space - Selectable between sRGB and Adobe RGB

Interface - USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, mini-B port. NTSC/PAL for video output

White Balance - Settings

- Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom WB setting, user-set Color Temperature (2,500~10,000K)

Auto White Balance - Auto white balance, taken from imaging sensor

Personal White Balance - White balance bracketing: Three consecutive images written to CF card for each firing of shutter; Up to +/- 3 levels in 1-step increments

White balance shift: blue/amber bias and/or magenta/green bias +/- up to 9 levels; manually set by user

Viewfinder - Type (Eye-level SLR with solid glass pentaprism)

Coverage - Approx. 95% horizontally and vertically

Magnification - 0.95x (-1 dpt with 50mm lens at infinity)

Eyepoint - Approx. 22mm

Dioptric Adjustment Correction: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter

Mirror - Quick-return half mirror (Transmission: reflection ratio of 40:60)

Viewfinder Information - AF (AF points, focus confirmation light), Exposure (shutter speed, aperture, ISO speed, AE lock, exposure level, spot metering circle, exposure warning), Flash (flash ready, flash exposure compensation, high-speed sync, FE lock, red-eye reduction light), Image (monochrome shooting, maximum burst, white balance correction, CF card information)

Depth-of-Field Preview - Enabled with depth-of-field preview button; possible in Live View Function

Eyepiece Shutter - None

Autofocus - Type

- TTL-CT-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS sensor

AF Points - 9 cross-type AF points, including center AF point; fully functional with f/5.6 or faster lenses

Additional high-precision, diagonal cross-type sensor at Center AF point, used with lenses f/2.8 or faster

AF Working Range - EV -0.5 ~18 (ISO 100 at 73°F/23°C)

Focusing Modes - Autofocus (One-Shot AF, Predictive AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF), Manual Focus (MF)

AF Point Selection - Automatic selection, Manual AF point selection

Selected AF Point Display - Superimposed red illumination in viewfinder; also visible on top or rear LCD panel when AF point select button is pressed

AF-assist Beam - Intermittent firing of built-in flash

Exposure Control - Metering Modes

- 35-zone TTL full aperture metering
- Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points)
- Partial metering (approx. 9% of viewfinder)
- Spot metering (approx. 3.8% of viewfinder)
- Center-weighted average metering
- Metering Range
EV 0-20 (ISO 100 at 73°F/23°C with EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens, ISO 100)

- Exposure Control Systems
Program AE (shiftable), Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Auto Depth-of-field AE (non-shiftable), Full auto (non-shiftable), Programmed image control modes, Manual exposure, E-TTL II autoflash program AE

ISO Speed Range - Equivalent to ISO 100-1600* (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments), ISO speed can be expanded to ISO 3200

* Standard output sensitivity. Recommended exposure index.

Exposure Compensation - Exposure Compensation (user-set): +/-3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-half increments

AE Lock - Auto: Applied in One-Shot AF mode with evaluative metering when focus is achieved
Manual (user-set): By AE lock button in all metering modes

Shutter - Type - Vertical-travel, mechanical, focal-plane shutter with all speeds electronically controlled

Shutter Speeds - 1/8000 to 30 sec. (1/3-stop increments), X-sync at 1/250 sec.

Shutter Release - Soft-touch electromagnetic release

Self-timer - 10 sec. delay, 2 sec. delay

Remote Control - Canon N3 type terminal

Built-in Flash - Type - Auto pop-up, retractable, built-in flash in the pentaprism

Guide Number - 13/43 (ISO 100 in meters/feet)

Recycling Time - Approx. 3 sec.

Flash-ready Indicator - Flash-ready indicator lights in viewfinder

Flash Coverage - 17mm lens focal length (equivalent to 27mm in 35mm format)

Flash Metering System - E-TTL II autoflash

Flash Exposure Compensation : +/-2 stops in 1/3- and 1/2-stop increments;

Can be set on EOS 40D body or with most EX-series speedlites

LCD Monitor - TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor

Screen Monitor size - 3.0 Inch.

Pixels - Approx. 230,000 pixels

Coverage - Approx. 100%

Brightness Control - 7 levels provided

Playback - Image Display Format

Single image, 4-image index, 9-image index, Jump, Magnified zoom (approx. 1.5x to 10x), Histogram, AF point display, Auto rotate, Rotate
Live View: View image before shooting on LCD monitor; live histogram and live simulation of exposure level possible with C.Fn IV-7-1

Highlight Alert - In the single image display and (INFO) display, over-exposed highlight areas will blink

Image Protection and Erase - Protection

Single image or all images in the memory card can be protected or cancel the image protection

Erase - Single image, select images, all images in a CF card or unprotected images

Direct Printing from the Camera - Enabled with the Print/Share button

Compatible Printers - CP and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, PIXMA Photo Printers and PictBridge compatible printers (via USB Interface Cable IFC-200U, included with camera kit)

Settings - Print quantity, style (image, paper size, paper type, printing effects, layout), trimming, tilt correction (compatibility varies, depending upon printer in use)

Menus - Menu Categories

- Shooting
-Playback
-Setup
-Custom function/My Menu

LCD Monitor Language - 18 (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese)

Power Source - Battery

- One dedicated Battery Pack BP-511A

AC power can be supplied via the optional AC Adapter Kit ACK-E2

Number of Shots - Normal shooting, at 73°F/23°C:

-No flash: approx. 1100 images
-50% flash use: approx. 800 images

at 32°F/0°C:
No flash: approx. 950 images
50% flash use: approx. 700 images

(tests comply with CIPA industry test standards)

The above figures apply when one fully-charged Battery Pack BP-511A is used

Battery Check - Automatic

Power Saving - Provided. Power turns off after 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30 min.

Back-up Battery - One CR2016 coin-type lithium battery. Battery life approx. 5 years

Dimensions and Weight

Dimensions (W x H x D) - 5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 in./145.5 x 107.8 x 73.5mm

Weight - 26.1 oz./740g

Operating Environment - Operating Temperature Range
32-104°F/0-40°C

Operating Humidity Range - 85% or less

Source

More and more material on the Nikon D3 have started to re-surface again and this time it’s from Japan. It’s a teaser showing the outline of the new Nikon D3 with some Japanese (Kanji) character saying the following:

Highly accurate 51 points Autofocus system

9 Frame per second (fps)

Wide view angle - 3 inch TFT LCD with a screen resolution of 920,000 pixels.

So far the rumored teaser on the Nikon D3 sounds pretty impressive. The screen resolution is much higher than Canon’s top of the range 10 mega pixel EOS 1D Mark III which has a total of 230,000 pixels in their 3 inch screen. The 51 point autofocus is also impressive compared to Canon with 19 cross-type auto focus plus 26 assist autofocus point.

The only comparable feature is the fps speed which is 9 fps for Nikon compared to 10 fps for Canon.

This is going to be a great year in DSLR with the impending release of the Canon 40D, Olympus E-P1, Sony Alphas and the Nikon D300 and D3.

Although the current focus is on the impending release of the Canon 40D, there is another competitor lurking in the bush. No it’s not Nikon, Olympus or even Fuji film, its Sony.

Remember - Sony makes the sensor for Nikon DSLR and they are about to introduce 3 new models to compete against the likes of Canon, Nikon and every other DSLR manufacturer in the world. With strong competition, Sony have decided to add as many features into their DSLR such as higher mega pixels, image stabilization, faster processor in an attempt to have that competitive edge. So far, the up and coming second generation cameras seem to provide the goods.

According to the French website www.photoim.net, they have posted the following specification on the high end amateur model and this has been translated to English.

Lens magnification - (Crop factor) 1.25 x

Sensor type and size - CCD sensor (28.6 X 19.8 mm)

Resolution - 14.4 mega pixels

Maximum resolution - 4648 x 3098

Processor - image processing system and two standard of Bionz pixels

LCD screen - 2.5 inch (230,000 pixels TFT display)

Viewfinder - 95% view coverage

Magnification - 0.9 times magnification with diopter adjustment and eye-function

Battery - standard NP-FM55H

Memory - Recorded media CF I & II which can record a capacity to support more than 4 GB of memory

Image format - JPEG, RAW, RAW + JPEG

Sensitivity - ISO 100 - 3200 / Mode speed LO80/HI200

Autofocus - Focusing AFS AFC DMF focusing area regional/local wide area/fixed focal

Flash - Support high-speed flash mode flash synchronization function, with wireless flash function and cited slower doors automatically synchronized flash, fill

Wireless Flash - from the camera (using HVL - F56AM, F36AM flash) arrange of the X-synchronization flash: 1/160s and 1/200s

Flash Control - ADI, pre-flash TTL, Manual adjustment built-in flash for flash 12 shooting performance coil-support functions 10 the second gold 2 seconds

Sequential shooting function - 5/dry sequential shooting, JPEG unlimited, RAW, RAW + JPEG

Support anti-red eye exposure

Automatic exposure mode, aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual

Exposure modes, such have exposure compensation +-3EV 1/3 to adjust the exposure

Measurement central x-ray meter, spot metering, 40 regional cellular linen meter,

Shutter Speed - 12 shutter speed 1/4000 seconds to 30 seconds the door to other B focusing system edge Be optimized, focusing faster more accurate.

There has been suggestions the name of the new model may be called the Sony A300 with the high end model called the A500. Again, speculations are that the Sony A500 could have a sensor with up to 20 mega pixels.

Here is an interesting post from a member (akio mizumi) of the Dyxum forum that supports the above claims . Although it’s only rumors, some of the information does match the above specifications.

“I already told you that my brother-in-law works for Sony on the Alpha project. Here is some more info, some is repeated from my previous posts. The advanced model will be 14.* MP and close to FF. It will have 1.25x factor and a switch for lenses with 1.5 factor. It will be called A300. Because of the pixel pattern similar to Sony ClearVid CMOS sensors, Sony will claim up to 2x effective pixel resolution. The flagship model will be called A500 and will be 100% full frame. Nikon is supplying Sony new steppers to create FF sensors in one shot. Sony first joined forces with Konica Minolta, now with Nikon. This gives to both Sony and Nikon advantage over Canon, which Sony believes will eventually drop to a 3rd place; Sony will move up to 2nd place in overall volume of DSLR’s sales. The least expensive Sony DSLR will not have optical viewfinder and will be called A50. The flagship model will be 20 MP, 40 effective. That is the reason why Sony concentrates on top quality glass. Sony’s advantage will be fact that they are the foremost sensor maker; their output is several times higher than Matsushita, which is second largest CCD maker.”

The 2 DSLR prototypes that were shown at different shows by Sony were no wooden mock ups, but the actual cameras that will be produced. The same goes for the lenses. All these were pretty much final prototypes, but Sony could not disclose this due to its competition. The main thing that is holding these projects up is development of SSS which has to work harder with larger sensors; the insides of the cameras may be a little different than on the prototypes shown, not the outsides. That was finalized before showing them to the public.

“Sony was originally going to buy the Contax brand from Kyocera, but then used this infomation in its negotiations with KM, from whom they managed to get the DSLR division with all its expertise for pennies on the dollar. KM really wanted the DSLR division to be in the best hands; they cared about it more than about anything else; the Minolta portion of the KM team wanted to see the legacy of the system to continue and to improve as much as possible. The decision to sell to Sony was rather emotional.”

As for the release date, sources have indicated they will have the new amateur model to sell by the end of October 2007.

It seems the Canon 40D may have started to ship across the country judging by the photo of an apparent invoice or purchase order from a certain retailer. I’m sure the corporate watchdogs at Canon are conducting their own investigations into this leak. It lists the price as $1599.99, however I’m not sure if the lens is included.

Interestingly, if you enter the UPC code into the UPC database, you get the description as “Canon EOS 40D D-SLR W”. Again, I have no idea what the W stands for in the Canon 40D D-SLR W, but it does make me wonder what it could be? Wireless ? Who knows?

There seems to be some speculation that the Nikon D200 successor could be called either the Nikon D200x or the Nikon D300.

After recently reviewing the leaked pdf file on the Olympus professional camera called the E-P1 (yet to be announced), I have to say, the Nikon D300 seems the most appropriate choice.

You see, Olympus have somehow named the Nikon D200 successor as the Nikon D300 which is clearly indicated in the pdf file. Olympus has also provided us with some interesting inside information on how they view their future competition; namely the Canon 40D and the Nikon D300.

As you can see in the attached diagram (page 10 of 27), it indirectly points out the Nikon D300 will have a larger LCD screen (?3 inch), faster start-up time and higher mega pixels than the E-P1. There’s also other information you can gather from this diagram such as the absence of dust reduction and live view.

I’m sure more will be revealed soon. Once again, the 18 month product cycle is due again in September this year and it’ll be interesting to see how things develop.