dSLR Dad

Patrick Dean on Digital Photography School has published his review of the Canon EOS 7D dSLR Camera:

The Canon EOS 7D is a camera that excels in nearly every regard. From excellent build and handling, to beautiful high resolution images, the EOS 7D is perfectly suited for any enthusiast or semi-pro photographer. While Canon claims the EOS 7D isn’t intended to replace any of their current models, it is clearly intended to compete with the Nikon D300s, and in nearly every regard the EOS 7D is equal to or better than its competitor. It’s an adept performer with class leading high ISO capabilities and the most versatile movie options available from a DSLR camera. In total, the EOS 7D isn’t just a great value, it’s also the best APS-C DSLR that you can buy right now.

You can read the entire Canon 7D review at Digital Photography School. You can also read more articles about the Canon EOS 7D on dSLR Dad.

I must admit, this is a great service that I hope every manufacturer adopts.  Canon USA has made available 16 tutorial videos (at the time of this post) on the new Canon EOS 7D.  These instructional videos can be watched on the website, or downloaded to your iPod, iPhone, and even your Camera.  That’s right, all a dSLR Dad has to do is copy these videos to your CompactFlash Card and then you can watch them on the Canon 7D’s 3-inch LCD screen when out in the field.  The following EOS 7D On-Camera Tutorial Videos are available:

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Not one to shy away from a good discussion, Professional wildlife photographer Scott Bourne has published his thoughts on the Canon EOS 7D dSLR. For his first chronicle, Mr. Bourne assesses the EOS 7d’s prowess as an HD video cam:

I’ve been playing with all the current crop of DSLRs that shoot video. They are all very good at some things. None is perfect. But after all my tests, I have settled on two favorites. The Panasonic GH1 surprised me as the early favorite. It’s small, easy to use and has a ton of features that some of the more expensive cameras don’t. I like it a great deal and had pretty much settled on it as my favorite. Then came the Canon 7D. It’s a real game changer. It really caught my attention as well. It’s got very wide third-party support since most of the video accessories made for the Canon 5DMKII will also work with the 7D. It also offers access to more lenses and a larger sensor to capture video. That translates to better shadow detail and less data loss. In short, I have decided to use it as my primary video camera. Now I suspect Nikon is coming out with a new video platform any day. So could I change my mind? Absolutely. I may even end up using both. But for right now, I think the Canon 7D is the best hybrid video camera out there so that’s what I am going to use.

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Digital Photography Review has published their review of the Canon EOs 7D dSLR Camera:

Canon’s X0D series was, for many years, essentially the default choice for keen enthusiasts, professionals and aspiring-professionals who wanted top-level image quality and functionality without the bulk (or price) of a pro-level camera such as the 1D series. The 10D, 20D and 30D were hugely successful and popular cameras, and you didn’t have to spend long shooting with them to understand why. However, like every other sector of the DSLR market, there are some very competitive rivals, in terms of both price and features. Cameras such as Sony’s A700 and Nikon’s D200 and 300 have meant the most recent X0D EOSs have been held to higher standards and have found it a little harder to stand-out. Which brings us to the 7D, a camera that seems determined to wrestle back the king of APS-C crown. At first glance it looks a lot like the EOS 50D – it’s unmistakably a member of the EOS family – but a closer look shows that this is far from being the gentle refresh that we’re used to seeing in this range. And indeed, this is intended as big brother to the 50D, rather than as a replacement for it.

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Canon has released a firmware update for the Canon EOS 50D dSLR Camera. According to Canon, this firmware update, Version 1.0.7, incorporates the following fixes:

1. Corrects a phenomenon where captured images may tend to appear somewhat magenta depending on the shooting scene.
2. Fixes incorrect indications on the Arabic, Romanian, Spanish, and Ukrainian menu screens.

You can download firmware version 1.0.7 from Canon Global.

Photography Blog has a digital SLR review of the Canon EOS 50D camera:

Released just one year after the 40D, the new EOS 50D DSLR is Canon’s answer to its main rival, the Nikon D300. The EOS 50D is both a worthy upgrade for current 40D owners and a real challenger to the D300, mainly thanks to the larger 15 megapixel sensor, new Digic 4 processor and expanded ISO range, which thankfully haven’t compromised image quality in any way. Despite the 50% increase in resolution, the EOS 50D offers the best image quality of any Canon APS-C DSLR camera to date, with very similar performance to the 40D at comparative ISO speeds, and the added bonus of ISO 6400 and 12800 modes. Admittedly the fastest setting is only really usable as a last resort and doesn’t quite match up to the low-light performance of the Nikon D3 and D700, but they are much more expensive cameras than the 50D. We’d happily use this camera on a daily basis up to ISO 3200 with 6400 as a back-up. All other image quality aspects are up to Canon’s usual high standards, although we’d swap the 18-55mm kit lens for the more expensive 17-85mm optic in order to get the most out of the 15 megapixel sensor. If you’re looking for the highest resolution for your money, the Canon EOS certainly doesn’t disappoint.

You can read the entire review at Photography Blog.

Photographer Ben Long has published his digital SLR review of the Canon EOS Rebel T1i / 500D:

If you’re looking for an SLR under $1,000 that takes great images and movies, then the Rebel T1i is an excellent choice.
PROS
Excellent image quality; very good design; full feature set; great high-ISO performance.
CONS
No external mic jack or manual exposure controls when shooting video.

You can read his entire review at Macworld Magazine. As always, dSLR Dads can find more information about the Canon EOS Rebel T1i 500D here.

Digital Photography Review has published their review of the Canon EOS 50D dSLR camera:

It’s exactly eight years ago this month that Phil posted his review of the Canon D30. The camera was Canon’s first ‘developed in house’ DSLR and therefore a milestone in digital photography. But it was also the first model in the popular line of cameras of which the EOS 50D is the latest descendant. Technology has moved on at the speed of light since the year 2000 but each generation of x0D cameras left its mark in the marketplace and the photographic community alike and there is no reason to believe to 50D would be any different. Or is there?

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Digital Photography Review has published their typically concise review of the 720p HD video recording Canon EOS 500D / Rebel T1i:

The EOS 500D is the latest incarnation of a highly successful line of cameras and although the ‘entry level’ market segment is these days much more crowded than it used to be, we would be very surprised if the new model would not sell like hotcakes.

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Camera Labs has published their review of the 720p HD video recording Canon EOS 500D / Rebel T1i:

The headline new feature of the EOS 500D / Rebel T1i that’s notably absent on the 50D is HD video recording – indeed it’s only the second Canon DSLR to offer the facility after the high-end the EOS 5D Mark II. Unlike any model in the existing Canon EOS or compact range, the EOS 500D / T1i also offers a choice of HD video recording quality from 1080p or 720p, the latter allowing longer recording times and lighter files for editing. This is a considerate and welcome feature, although frustratingly the 1080p mode only records at 20fps compared to 30fps for the 720p option.

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