Canon has finished its last major DSLR update of the past year and launched the EOS 1D Mark IV as its highest-end camera. The new model jumps from a 10-megapixel APS-H (near full-frame) sensor to a 16-megapixel, 1.3X crop unit and upgrades to twin DIGIC IV processors. The boost gives it 1080p video at 30 frames per second, or 720p at 60 frames per second, while still shooting full-quality still images at up to 10 frames per second. It can also match the Nikon D3s’ ISO 102,400 light sensitivity and so can shoot in extremely low light without invoking flash.
An overhauled 45-point autofocusing system is new and, like with the EOS 7D, can automatically group points together to speed up selecting the right area while still allowing the camera to focus on a more exact point. It can also track a subject locked in one point across any of the other points, even if it’s temporarily blocked.

Image quality should be improved with better noise reduction as the image leaves the sensor; 14-bit color conversion now occurs even at the maximum 10FPS photo shooting rate. A coating on the low pass filter should remove more dust from the sensor than in the past, and photographers can now capture smaller S-RAW or M-RAW shots to shoot faster or at reduced file size without losing compression.

The EOS 1D Mark IV arrives in a body-only kit at the very end of the year, in late December, and should cost $5,000. A companion add-on, the WFT-E2 II A, will give the Mark IV 802.11g Wi-Fi and Ethernet support to share photos over local networks and the Internet, including remote shooting with a live preview; Bluetooth is onboard to add geotagging with a wireless GPS receiver.

source:electronista

Dpreview has posted the full comprehensive review of the Pentax K-7 DSLR.  So if you are not heavily invested in Nikon or Canon lenses, this camera seems to have a lot going for it.  For the full review, hit this link to go to DPRreview and make sure you check out the image gallery as well. 

Overall conclusion
While the Pentax K-7’s predecessor, the K20D, was clearly a competent camera it was never quite up there, either in terms of performance nor from a specification point of view, with the established semi-pro models such as the Canon EOS 40/50D or the Nikon D300. However, with the K-7, Pentax has clearly upped its game and the new model is in many respects on eye level with the competition’s enthusiast offerings.

The K-7’s build quality and ergonomics are as good as it gets in this class of camera and the wealth of customization options make it an efficient tool for a large variety of photographic tasks. On top of that the spec sheet makes nice reading as well. 14.6 megapixels is still a more than competitive resolution for any APS-C camera. The K-7 also offers the highest resolution video mode amongst its direct competitors (though it’s the wrong aspect ratio for playback on most TVs) and comes with a number of interesting and useful features such as in-camera RAW conversion, composition-adjustment or in-camera HDR.

AF- and continuous shooting speed are the two areas where the K-7 lags just a tiny bit behind the competition. While the vast majority of photographers will be more than happy with the Pentax’ focusing speed and 5.2 fps continuous shooting, the ‘speed freaks’ amongst us such as action or sports photographers will probably be leering at the Nikon D300s’ 51-point AF and 8 frames per second. Having said that, the Nikon is approximately $500 more expensive than the Pentax which makes the K-7 look like a pretty decent deal.

Image Quality
No reason to complain at base ISO: the K-7 images show good detail and natural colors straight out the box. Compared to the predecessor in-camera sharpening has been reduced which results in slightly softer but also cleaner looking output. Pixel peepers can revert to shooting RAW which, in combination with some careful sharpening during the conversion process, will result in some visible extra image detail. It’s advisable though to use quality lenses if you want to make the most of the camera’s 14.6 megapixel nominal resolution.

At higher sensitivities the picture doesn’t look quite so good. JPEG noise is visibly and measurably higher than on some of the direct competitors. At default settings the K-7 retains relatively good detail up to the highest ISO settings but shows fairly large amounts of both luminance and chroma noise. Increasing the in-camera reduction will add some pretty heavy detail blurring to the mix. Some rivals, especially the Nikon D300, deliver a better balanced mix of noise reduction and detail retention. However, when shooting in RAW the K-7’s RAW noise is pretty much on the same level as the competition. Therefore, for maximum image quality in low light situations your best bet is shooting RAW and applying customized noise reduction in post processing.

We found the metering generally to be reliable with the occasional mild over-exposure in bright conditions. This can sometimes be very slightly problematic as at default settings the K-7 delivers less dynamic range than other cameras in this class and you can end up with some clipped highlights. However, a third of a stop negative exposure compensation takes care of the issue and the camera’s several dynamic range ‘enhancement’ features do an effective job as well.

All in all, apart from a slightly different tone curve, weaker default sharpening and slightly higher (!) RAW noise the K-7 output is very similar to the K20D. Purely from an image quality point of view there is therefore no urgent need to upgrade for current K20D users.

Handling
Despite its relatively small dimensions the K-7 handles well and always feels stable in your hands. The excellent build quality gives it a reassuringly solid feel and the well-designed and sized grip makes for comfortable holding, even with larger hands.

The camera’s ergonomics are excellent with not only a large number of external controls but also a very sensible button layout. The menu system is, due to the camera’s comprehensive feature set, naturally a little more complex but all the options have been grouped and sorted in an intuitive way and after a few days of shooting you’ll easily find your way through the menu system and around the camera in general.

The only point of slight criticism in the user interface department is the lack of an ‘interactive’ status display. While the K-7 shows you most important shooting settings on its rear LCD it is not possible to change them directly on screen (Pressing the INFO button takes you to an interactive screen for some settings though). Considering the K-7’s number of external buttons this is not much of a problem but cameras such as the Nikon D300s or EOS 50D simply give you an additional option for changing your settings.

The final word
The Pentax K-7 manages to combine superb build quality, comprehensive customization options, excellent ergonomics and an extensive feature set with (for a camera in this class) very compact dimensions. This makes it a more than viable alternative for those (but not only for those) who like to work with semi-pro equipment that still leaves some space in the gear bag. JPEG output at high sensitivities is not quite on the same level as some of the competitors but if you revert to shooting RAW things are pretty much evened out.

The Nikon D300s has been rumored for a while now and has now been officially announced. It will be released in the US in late August. Below are the main specs.

• 12.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor (same as D300)
• Supports all Nikkor F-Mount lenses
• Sturdy magnesium alloy body with some weather-sealing; shutter rated at 150,000 cycles
• Dust reduction system
• 3-inch LCD display with 920,000 pixels
• Live view supported (now with dedicated button)
• Contrast and phase detection AF modes
• Face detection available
• Optical viewfinder has 100% coverage and magnification of 0.94X
• Full manual controls
• ISO range of 100 - 6400 (when fully expanded)
• Shutter speed range of 30 - 1/8000 sec (there’s a bulb mode too)
• RAW and TIFF formats supported
• 51-point autofocus system is faster and more accurate
• Can shoot continuously at 7 frames/second
• Quiet Shutter Release feature reduces sound of mirror action
• User now has the ability to bracket for Active D-Lighting, which restores shadow and highlight detail
• Hot shoe and flash sync port plus the ability to control up to 2 sets of wireless flashes
• New HD movie mode records video at 1280 x 720 (24 fps) for up to 5 minutes
• No manual control during filming, though you can use the Picture Mode feature
• Stereo microphone input and HDMI port
• Dual memory card slots: CompactFlash and SD/SDHC, with backup and overflow features
• Uses EN-EL3e lithium-ion battery; 950 shots per charge
• Optional battery grip gives you even greater battery life and faster continuous shooting (8 fps)
• Ships in late August for $1799, body only.

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