dSLR Dad

Camera Labs has reviewed the Canon EOS 5D Mark II dSLR Camera:

Had the EOS 5D Mark II not suffered from the black dot issue, it would have easily earned our highest recommendation. It’s one of Canon’s most powerful DSLRs to date, capable of delivering superb image quality with decent handling and all the latest bells and whistles. The movie mode is also an excellent addition, and while it’s not a practical replacement for a camcorder for most amateurs, the results can be spectacular and independent film makers will love it. Indeed its testament to how good the 5D Mark II is that it can be highly recommended as a still-camera alone, or a movie camera alone.

You can find out more news and reviews about the Canon EOS 5D Mark II in the dSLR Dad Resource Guide.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Popular Photography Magazine has published their review of the 21.1-Megapixel Canon EOS 5D Mark II. They seem to think it is a pretty decent little camera:

If you’re moving up from an APS-format DSLR, you will be happy with the 5D Mark II. Make that ecstatic. Life is fuller in the full-frame lane.

And the vast amount of detail that goes along with 21.1MP, as well as the sophisticated image processing served up by its new DIGIC 4 engine, cannot be understated — it’s a wow! The low-light image quality is almost life-changing.

But the 5D Mark II’s old-fashioned AF system can’t keep up with the cutting-edge imaging power. Nor is the 3.9-fps burst rate state-of-the-art. So if you’re a pro, understand these limitations.

Yet if you’re looking to trade in your old 5D for this version, while you gain nothing in AF, you pick up everything from low-light to video capability. And those are very impressive — perhaps irresistible — upgrades.

You can read the entire review over at PopPhoto.com.  You can also find out more news and reviews about the Canon EOS 5D Mark II in the dSLR Dad Resource Guide.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Popular Photography Magazine has published their review of the Nikon D700 12.1MP dSLR Camera .  Oddly enough, they really liked it:

Does the D700 obviate the more expensive D3? Not for high-end pros: Hardcore types who find themselves shooting in the Arctic one month and the desert the next will prefer the D3’s extraordinarily tight level of weathersealing. For paparazzi, who shoot lots of vertical images and so prefer a built-in vertical grip to a bolt-on battery grip, the D3’s better. And pro sports shooters blasting off frame after frame need the faster native burst and extra CF card slot of the D3.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will be more than happy with the D700 fulfilling our full-frame fantasies.

Of course, if all your Lenses carry the DX moniker of Nikon’s APS-sized format, you should stick with the D300. After all, it basically mirrors the image quality and performance of the D700, and your DX Lenses will yield only 5.1MP images on the Nikon D700. In other words, those digital-only lenses will fit this full-frame camera, but at a cost of massive cropping — a sacrifice that hardly seems worth making on a regular basis.

But if you have some full-frame lenses or want to move toward Nikon’s FX glass, the D700 is money well spent.

You can read the entire review of the Nikon D700 over at PopPhoto.com.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Digital Photography Review has published their odyssey on the Nikon D90 dSLR Camera:

Almost exactly two years after the D80 was announced comes its replacement, the rather predictably named D90. The D80 has been one of Nikon’s quiet successes, and even today, despite being positively Methuselah-like in digital camera terms it continues to sell and often makes its way into our top 10 most clicked on cameras. Because it looks so similar to the D80 the D90 appears at first glance to be one of those rather subdued incremental upgrades, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find there’s plenty to keep Nikon fans happy.

You can read all 37 web pages over at dPreview.  As always, you can find out more about the Nikon D90 in the dSLR Dad Resource Guide.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Canon’s introduction of the new 10-Megapixel EOS Rebel XS marks a change in it’s business model.  Previously, when Canon would introduce a new model, it would lower the price of the older model and make it the new entry-level camera.  Now, Canon has decided to merge the features of the two year-old Canon Rebel XTi / 400D and 3.5 year-old Rebel XT/350D dSLRs to create a new entry-level camera.  By incorporating the DIGIC III processor, Live View, and SD/SDHC card slot of Rebel XSi/450D, Canon now has a consumer dSLR product line that smoothly transitions from the Powershot line.  This makes Canon’s entire consumer line much more consistent and competitive.  Continue Reading to find out all of the details, my take, and the reviews.

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Popularity: 5% [?]