Camera Test: Sigma DP1
Posted on April 18, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
Serious photographers tend to look down on compact cameras. But would they change that attitude for one that delivered the same image quality as a DSLR, yet allowed them to travel light? Sigma believes so — and that they’ll pay a premium for its new compact DP1 ($800, street). It’s too soon to say whether the DP1 — with its handsome good looks, single-focal-length lens, and slip-on, rangefinder-style viewfinder — will garner a cult following like the classic 35mm Contax T2 and Konica Hexar compacts, more recent high-end digital compacts such as the Ricoh Caplio GX100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 (a less-expensive version of the Leica D-LUX 3), or even Sigma’s own SD14 DSLR. But we couldn’t wait to put the DP1 to the test in the Pop Photo Lab and the field — especially after waiting a year and half for it since it was announced. The delay was predictable, as Sigma was very deliberate in developing the DP1. It has a tough, yet slim, die-cast aluminum body (though no weather or dust seals), a 9-zone (all cross-type) autofocus system, and full manual metering and exposure controls. Most important, it’s the first compact to use a DSLR-sized sensor.
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III review
Posted on April 15, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Cameras | Leave a Comment
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR review : Since Kodak’s disappearance from the market, Canon held the luxurious position of being the only manufacturer with a full-frame digital SLR in their program for a long time. The large amount of pixels in a firm professional housing made the 1Ds the perfect replacement for an analogue middle format camera for many professional photographers. After the introduction of the EOS-1D Mark III everybody eagerly awaited the successor to the 1DS Mark II. And that’s when the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III appeared. Prism house of the Canon 1Ds Mark III As we expected, the Canon 1Ds Mark III is based on its predecessor; the Canon EOS-1D Mark III. It was redesigned from scratch. It might take some time for Mark II users to get acquainted with the new lad, but I am positive that it will happen flawless. Besides the type tag on the front, the 1Ds is furthermore distinguishable from its faster brother by the lump on the prism house. To enable correct reproduction of the AF points in the viewfinder, the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III uses a second prism. And of course that takes up more space than the mirrors inside the 1D camera. 3-inch LCD monitor with Live View Naturally the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III has been equipped with a large 3 inch LCD monitor on the back of the camera. This size has become standard for these cameras nowadays and to be honest, there is no turning back; 3 inch and more please! The large monitor also enables Live View. A feature that is starting to become normality on a D-SLR. And until recently it wasn’t even an issue but at present the availability of Live View or the lack of it is almost reason for a camera to be a success or a failure. Whether or not this is also the case for the professional segment, remains unknown for now. Live View does have its advantages. For example when you mount the camera on a tripod and place it on a high level. Action photography with Live View is still not perfect, but that will undoubtedly change too in the near future. Full-frame 21 Megapixel image sensor Besides upgrading to the concept of the 1D Mark II, naturally the image sensor is the main improvement of the 1Ds Mark III. It’s a full-frame sensor again but this time it offers the impressive amount of 21 Megapixels. Canon tiptoed into the resolution class where currently middle format cameras rule. Therefore Canon is still leader in the 35mm D-SLR cameras. But not for long since Sony announced a 24 Megapixel full-frame sensor. And Nikon will definitely not stay behind…. Canon EOS 1Ds Mark 3 review The signals of the CMOS sensor are being processed by two DIGIC III processors. In total some five pictures per second can be taken in the highest resolution. The two processors are capable of processing a 100 Megapixels per second, which fits with the 10 fps with 10 Megapixels of the EOS 1D Mark III. The specifications are impressive and to get the assignment to use this camera in practice is very appealing to a photographer like me. We have used the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III once before on the EOS Safari in Kenya but now it’s time for a full Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III review.
Nikon D300 review
Posted on March 24, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Cameras | Leave a Comment
Nikon D300 digital SLR camera review : Canon undoubtedly must have been taken aback when Nikon announced the Nikon D300 as successor to the D200. And rightfully, because the D200 was already an impressive camera and the Nikon D300 digital SLR camera exceeds its predecessor to a great extend. It is more than ever an SLR camera that is perfectly suitable for the professional photographer. Nikon D300 CMOS image sensor The image sensor the Nikon D300 features is a new CMOS based on the sensor that Sony are using in the Alpha 700. With 12.3 million effective pixels the resolution of the Nikon D300 is even a tad higher than that of its professional big brother, the D3. The latter has to settle for 0.2 Megapixels less. But the main difference is found in the format. Where the sensor of the Nikon D3 equals a 35mm camera, the D300 sticks to the DX-format with its 1.5 x crop factor. A filter is positioned right before the sensor and is able to shake in four different frequencies thus removing annoying dust particles. Nikon D300 EXPEED image processor Information coming from the image sensor is processed by a new processor, named EXPEED. In combination with the new CMOS it is expected to offer high image quality. The EXPEED can process 14 bit data which is supposed to improve the quality. ISO sensitivity ranges from ISO 200 up and including 3200 and can be enhanced from ISO 100 to very high ISO 6400. Don’t be surprised to detect some noise when using the highest ISO sensitivities. Big question is how well the Nikon D300 will perform with a sensitivity higher than ISO 400, because the D200 let us down a bit there in comparison with its bigger competitor. Multi-CAM 3500 DX auto focus sensor A revolutionary change is found in the auto focus. Canon are reducing the amount of focus points; Nikon does the opposite and increase them and place them more in the centre. No less than 51 selectable focus points does the Multi-CAM 3500 DX auto focus sensor offer in the D300, 15 of which are so-called cross-type sensors sensitive to both horizontal and vertical lines. The EXPEED processor can also use color data of the 3D matrix sensor for focussing. Even if a subject is out of the AF sensor’s range, it can still be tracked perfectly. Nikon D300 Live View LCD screen The Nikon D300 has naturally been equipped with Live View. This feature is a must on a new DSLR. The LCD of the D300 measures 3-inches and features high resolution. It surely makes Live View more useful, moreover because you can zoom in well. And for focussing with Live View, the mirror does not have to be folded down first. Focussing by means of contrast detect AF on the sensor just like compact cameras do, is also possible. We already saw this on the Panasonic L10. Contrast metering might not be as fast as phase detection but it surely is a welcoming addition. Nikon D300 Chromatic aberration When the pictures are stored, some calculating is still carried out. The D300 DSLR is capable of getting rid of the chromatic aberration by calculating. Wide angle lenses can suffer from chromatic aberration as we all know. Of course you can correct it afterwards using Photoshop but it does save so much time when the camera does it for you. D-lighting, known from cameras such as the D40x and the D60, has been even more refined in the Nikon D300, thus solving the high contrast problem. Nikon D300 Weatherproof housing The high quality housing is almost identical to that of the D200. Of course it is made weatherproof to enable the photographer do his job in deserts or during some rain showers. The viewfinder is further improved and offers 100% view at a 0.94x enlargement. Naturally the D300 works entirely with the extremely advanced Nikon i-TTL flash system. The shutter has been guaranteed up to 150,000 pictures. Nikon D300 SLR camera review The Nikon D300 is a very interesting digital SLR camera on paper and as far as I am concerned it is one of the most important introductions these days. We have tested the Nikon D300 to see how well everything works in practice in combination with the new AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8 G ED and the AF-S Nikkor 24-70 1:2.8 G ED lenses. Our findings can be read in the following Nikon D300 review.
Lens Test: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S
Posted on March 8, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S The fastest and widest of Nikon’s full-frame zooms, this pro lens ($1,800, street) scales up to 21-36mm on the Nikon D300. Introduced with the full-frame D3 and unofficially matched to Nikon’s 24-70mm and 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, this superfast, constant-aperture, full-framer is almost in a class by itself. HANDS ON: A large chunk of glass, with a fixed lenshood, this internal-focusing Nikon weighs a hefty 2.19 pounds. It incorporates expensive, high-tech aspheric and low-dispersion glass elements. Distinguished by a large black-on-gold “N” (for Nikon’s flare-resistant Nano Crystal Coating), its matte-black finish, large ribbed and rubberized focus and zoom collars, and bright gold markings make for a very attractive package. Both collars turn well, although the zoom action is a little uneven and rough, and manual focusing a bit loose. Autofocus is absolutely silent, fast, and accurate on our test camera, the D3. As you would expect from such a big lens, when mounted on the smaller D40x, it throws a shadow at all zoom settings when used with the camera’s built-in flash. Due to its ultrawide angle of view and fisheye-like convex front element, this lens is that rarity that makes no provision for front- or rear-mounting filters. IN THE LAB: Sharpness and contrast, as measured by the SQF system, were in the Excellent range at the three tested focal lengths. DxO Analyzer 2.0 distortion tests revealed its true forte: Visible barrel distortion at 14mm (0.51%); Slight barrel at 18mm (0.12%); and Imperceptible pincushioning at 24mm (0.02%) — incredible distortion control by ultrawide, full-frame standards.
Lens Test: Pentax DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 SDM AF
Posted on March 2, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
Pentax DA * 16-50mm f/2.8 SDM AF This pro-caliber, standard-range, bright digital zoom ($900, street) is the second Pentax to use sonic-wave autofocusing for very smooth and quiet AF. It works with newer Pentax bodies that accept the KAF2 mount. On older bodies such as the K100, it defers to the noisier, body-housed AF motor. A 24-76mm equivalent, it has three aspheric and two optically pure, low-dispersion glass elements. Special lens coatings resist dust and smudges, and suppress ghosting off the sensor. Hands On: Its gold accents signal that this is a Pentax DA * lens, with superior construction and extra-tight weather and dust resistance. Like most fast lenses, it’s large, casting a shadow at all focal lengths when used with built-in flash. Its manual-focus ring is more than twice the size of its zoom collar, great for manual-focus fans. Both rings are rubber-clad and attractively ribbed, and their turning actions are extremely smooth. IN THE LAB: Excellent SQF numbers promise satisfyingly sharp, contrasty images. Likewise, well-controlled distortion bodes well for photographers tackling subjects that have parallel or perpendicular lines — especially along the image edges and at or near infinity. Our DxO Analyzer 2.0 tests found Visible barrel distortion at 16mm (0.60%), average performance for the class. Distortion improved at 35mm and 50mm, though, with Imperceptible (0.10%) pincushioning at 35mm and Slight pincushioning at 50mm (0.12%).
Hands On: Canon EOS Rebel XSi/450D
Posted on February 6, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
Canon’s just-announced 12.2-megapixel EOS Rebel XSi is a digital Rebel through and through — lightweight, compact, and packed with an impressive feature set. It borrows and adapts a number of high-end EOS SLR functions and adds a few tricks of its own: • There’s a 3-inch 230K dot LCD like the 1Ds Mark III. • It’s the first Rebel with a Digic III processor. • There’s 14-bit A/D conversion. • Highlight Tone Priority settings come to the Rebel line. • It’s got a 4% spot meter (hooray!) • On-the-fly Lighting Optimization Technology can tweak photos in-camera to help challenging lighting situations. • The burst rate jumps to 3.5 fps for 6 RAW or 45 JPEGS. • It’s the first EOS to take only SD cards — no CF cards here! • Like the EOS 1D Mark III, EOS 40D, and 1Ds Mark III, it has Live View Mode — but this is the best yet! • Of course it’s got a self-cleaning sensor.
First Look: Sony Alpha 200
Posted on January 22, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
In its new Alpha 200, Sony has given its original DSLR (and our 2006 Camera of the Year), the Alpha 100, a makeover. Although it bears a slight outward resemblance to Sony’s higher-end A700, inside, not much has changed. The camera does get new firmware, a boost in ISO sensitivity to 3200 from the previous 1600, and a tweak of the sensor-based Super SteadyShot image stabilization that Sony says will allow a half-stop more handholding leeway than the A100. While the nine-point autofocus array remains, AF speeds are said to be improved 70 percent, and with better tracking. Otherwise, it uses the same 10.2MP CCD imager of the A100, and metering, flash, viewfinder, and image adjustments are all carried over from the A100 with little alteration. Most noticeable external changes are a modestly bigger LCD monitor — now 2.7 inches, up from 2.5 on the A100 — and the elimination of the Function dial on top, which gave access to settings for ISO, white balance, Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO), color profiles, flash modes, focus modes, and meter pattern. Instead, the A200 has an A700-style Function (Fn) button within easy reach of the thumb on the back of the camera. This provides quick access to camera controls via the rear LCD panel, whose interface more closely resembles that of the A700. The new camera can also accept a vertical grip, VG-B30AM ($250, street) that can use one or two rechargeable batteries. In spite of the bigger screen and a few tweaks, isn’t this camera a little less than the old A100? Well, yes. Sony is clearly positioning the A200 as the entry-level DSLR in its lineup, and its projected street price ($699 with 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 Sony DT lens) reflects that. Moreover, the A200 will be available only with the kit lens, not body-only. It’s still quite a deal. You get a camera capable of Excellent image quality (with resolution right around 2,000 lines), useful image controls such as DRO, a fine-performing lens, and image stabilization that will work with virtually any lens that fits on the camera. And for those who were hoping for yet another slam-bang Sony introduction, we can only say: Keep checking PopPhoto.com. Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on January 6, 2008, and updated to include more information on January 7, 2008.
Camera Review: Nikon Coolpix P5100
Posted on January 17, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
If Charles Dickens were alive today and writing for PopPhoto.com, he might preface his review of the Nikon Coolpix P5100 ($310, street) thusly: “It was the best of cameras, it was the worst of cameras.” To its credit, Nikon has added to this flagship of the Coolpix line, a 12.1-megapixel, 3.5x zoom compact camera, some of the slick features developed for its more sophisticated DSLRs. Unfortunately, there are other areas within the P5100’s operations that can best be described as a “work in progress.” The P5100 features a 1/1.72″ RGB CCD that incorporates Nikon’s EXPEED processing system and improved hardware-based facial detection that Nikon claims can identify up to 12 faces in one frame. The EXPEED processing doesn’t refer to specific technologies within the P5100, but a digital image processing “concept” that is designed to improve image quality by reducing noise and improving signal-to-noise ratios, even at higher ISO settings. Another facet of the Nikon image processing is “D-Lighting,” which takes backlit and underexposed images and makes them more usable. By selecting the D-lighting option while viewing an image, the camera reprocesses the image and saves a copy of the processed file while leaving the original untouched. This manipulation does have its limitations however, and the quality will never be as good as a well-exposed image, but it can make the difference between trashing the image or hanging it on a wall. The quality of the images made by the P5100 was very favorable when viewed on our computer screen. It’s class-competitive, and can hold its own against similar models from other manufacturers.
Camera Test: Nikon D300
Posted on January 7, 2008 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
Nikon could have played it safe. By just tweaking its highly rated D200, the company could have come out with a camera priced closer to Canon’s new 10.1MP EOS 40D ($1,300, street, body only). Instead, the engineers went wild, revamping everything from the viewfinder to the sensor, adding live view, and taking such pro-level features as the 51-zone AF system from the new Nikon D3 ($5,000, body only). The result: the new 12.3MP D300 ($1,800, body only). Now, after our Lab and field tests, it’s clear that Nikon made the right decision. We’re so convinced of it that the editors of Pop Photo named the D300 The Camera of the Year 2007 — and in the face of heated competition in the middleweight DSLR class from the just-as-new 10.1MP Olympus E-3 ($1,700, body only) and 12.2MP Sony Alpha 700 ($1,400, body only).
Camera Test: FujiFilm FinePix F50fd
Posted on December 7, 2007 - Filed Under Reviews, Photo, Cameras | Leave a Comment
When the 6-megapixel FujiFilm FinePix F30 was released last year, its high ISO limit of 3200 was groundbreaking. And when we tested it in the Pop Photo Lab, it boasted full resolution capture with astounding noise and resolution results all the way up to ISO 3200. That legacy is both a curse and a blessing, however, when we tested Fuji’s follow-up to the F30, the 12-megapixel, 3x zoom (35-105mm f/2.8-5.1) FinePix F50fd (street: $250). Were it not for the high ISO lab results of its ancestor, we’d simply report that FujiFilm was a little too ambitious with its ISO range on the F50fd. It’s a mistake that many other camera companies have made, and continue to make, with virtually unusable high ISO settings on their compact cameras. Sadly, not even the F50fd’s great additions, of which there are many, can convince us to recommend it over its predecessor.