dSLR Dad

Phil Holland has published his detailed review of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Full-Frame dSLR:

Much like many of you I’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Canon 5D Mark II. Many things intrigued me and excited me about the camera, but the points that stood out to me personally were: Higher quality/range ISO, increase of resolution, full 1080p video support.

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Photography Blog has posted their review of of the FX Full-Frame Nikon D3x:

It’s fair to say from our findings that the Nikon D3x is pretty much a re-badged D3 with twice the pixel count but a slower continuous shooting speed; therefore the D3 remains alongside it as a valued component of the range in its own right. (more…)

Popular Photography Magazine has published their review of the FX Full-Frame Nikon D3x:

As we pointed out in our Hands On last month (February 2009), raising the pixel count involves some tradeoffs. Not just for Nikon, but for the other powerhouses in this category, the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III ($6,550, street, body only) and Sony Alpha 900 ($3,000, street, body only).

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Photographer Nick Devlin has published his field report of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II dSLR.  What follows are his impressions after a January, 2009 Expedition to the Antarctic:

The 5D Mark II is a hard camera to review. On one hand, it betters its predecessors in every respect and pushes the envelope of 35mm photography to new bounds at a relatively accessible price.  On the other hand, it is not the photographic second coming that its pre-release hype and anticipation suggested.  Given that the original 5D brought full-frame to the masses, the messianic metaphor isn’t altogether misplaced.  With this camera, Canon offers us mere mortals elevation into the exalted air of 20+ Megapixels – previously the terrain of MF backs and the über-pricey 1DsIII.  This is heady stuff, even in the era of camera-a-minute advancements and galloping Megapixel counts. (more…)

B&H Photo has the Canon EOS 5D Mark II dSLR camera body in stock and shipping.  Please note, that unlike other retailers, it is selling at it’s correct Street Price of $2,699.95.  If you were hoping to order the 5D Mark II and EF 24-105mm f/4L lens kit, you’re are going to have to wait, it is still listed on back order.

Professional Sports Photographer Dave Black has published part 2 of his review on the FX Full-Frame Nikon D3x:

Hi and welcome to this packed edition of Workshop at the Ranch featuring Part II of the NEW Nikon D3X review. I felt the readers of Workshop at the Ranch might want some additional images and commentary on this remarkable piece of equipment. This month’s images are a wide variety ranging from the studio, to climbing along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, to indoor sports using the D3X with arena strobe lighting and remote camera work. With Nikon D3X Part I somewhat behind us, let’s review a few things I mentioned last month and then move on to some new pictures.

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Michael Reichmann, creator of the The Luminous Landscape, has published his review of the 24.5-Megapixel Nikon D3x after using it during a January Expedition to the Antarctic:

I am convinced that by just about any measure (except price) this is the most outstanding 35mm format DSLR yet. Build quality, image quality – you name it. No, it’s not the fastest shooting, and no it doesn’t have cleanest high ISO capability of any Nikon – its sister the D3 wears that crown. But other than with these specialized capabilities there’s hardly a camera on the market that can touch the Nikon D3x in overall goodness – except when it comes to price.

Did I mention price? At US $8,000, and a lot more in many other countries, the D3x is the most expensive DSLR on the market by far, and is only exceeded in price by medium format cameras and backs. I’ll have more to say about the price issue shortly, as well as my field experience with the D3x in Antarctica, but first let’s digress into a discussion of digital camera size.

You can read the entire review at The Luminous Landscape. You can also find more dSLR Dad articles about the Nikon D3x here.  For those dSLR Dads who read Chris Sanderson’s struggles in using the Canon 5D Mark II while also down in the Antartic, you can now see where complete weather sealing has it’s benefits.

PDN Gear Guide has published their review of the 24.6-Megapixel Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 Camera:

It was little over a year ago that Sony introduced its first DSLR to graze the pro market—the prosumer-oriented 12.2-megapixel A700 which was distinguished as being the company’s first to use a CMOS sensor—albeit of the smaller, standard APS size. Though that camera wasn’t bad as a first entry, it could no way predict the stunning image quality that would come from the 35mm-sized 24.5-megapixel CMOS sensor in the studio-worthy A900. In our testing, the A900 showed that it could produce some of the finest quality images from a DSLR at low ISOs in moderate to good lighting. While this image quality—particularly the A900’s off-the-charts dynamic range—make it a great choice for studio photographers where lighting and shooting conditions can be controlled, its limited range rules out other types of photography. In particular, the camera’s disappointing noise levels at ISO 800-1600 and its unacceptably noisy images at ISO 3200+ make the A900 kind of a one-trick pony. If you’re studio photographer on a budget—and who isn’t these days?—this high-res full frame monster could be for you. But if you’re looking for something more flexible, the comparably priced full-frame cameras from Canon and Nikon are better options.

You can read the entire review at PDN Gear Guide.

Digital Photography Review has been pretty busy.  After releasing their abbreviated 41-page review of Canon EOS 5D Mark II, they have now turned their sights on the $7,999 FX Full-Frame Nikon D3x:

When we reviewed the Nikon D3 in April last year we said that it was ‘possibly the most compelling, capable and well-rounded professional digital SLR ever made’ and that an (at the time non-existent) D3X ‘would have quite a job to do to better the D3′. The D3x eventually became reality in December. We’ve had one for just over a month now and after thousands of sample shots both in the studio and out in the wild you would think we should be able to confidently answer the question if the ‘X’ variant is capable of bettering the original D3.

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Shutterbug Magazine has published their review of the 24.6-Megapixel Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 Camera:

Considering the price ($5000 less than the 24.5-megapixel Nikon D3X), the Sony A900 offers excellent value in terms of resolution, versatility, and speed (for a 24.6-megapixel model) as well as the benefits provided by the stabilizer, Intelligent Preview, and full-frame sensor. This camera is not lacking a single important feature and it’s particularly competent in terms of autofocus and off-camera flash photography. In my estimation, the A900 will meet the needs of virtually any photo enthusiast as well as some professional photographers. Even so, it’s relatively uncomplicated and very convenient to operate.

You can read the entire review at Shutterbug.net.  It seems like their ‘final thought’ doesn’t quite say what they originally wanted it to, what to you think?