Scott's Photo Blog

Why I May Not Buy the Canon 50D.

After much speculation, it's finally here - the Canon 50D. According to Dave Etchells at Imaging-Resource.com, while the 40D was kind of an incremental upgrade from the 40D, the 50D takes it to the next level:

The Canon EOS 50D definitely kicks things up a couple of notches though, boosting resolution from 10.1 to 15.1 megapixels, doubling the maximum "standard" ISO to 6,400 and the maximum boosted ISO to 12,800, and dramatically upgrading the resolution of its LCD screen. Despite the 50% increase in pixel count though, the Canon 50D's new Digic IV processor manages to move the data fast enough to maintain a maximum continuous-mode frame rate of 6.3 frames/second, down only 0.2 fps from the speed of the 40D. With a high-speed UDMA-capable CompactFlash memory card, the Canon 50D's JPEG buffer capacity has also taken a nice step upward, from 75 to 90 large/fine JPEG images.

Despite the smaller pixels resulting from the 50% increase in pixel count on what's basically the same size sensor, the Canon 50D claims noticeably improved noise performance over that of the 40D, thanks to a combination of more efficient sensor cell layout, new "gapless" microlenses, and improved image processing, thanks to the faster Digic IV chip.

Zexy!

As someone who upgraded his 20D to a 30D and his 30D to a 40D, though, I have bad news for Canon...I'm holding off on the 50D. Why? Cause I'm waiting for the successor to the 5D, Canon's legendary full-frame DSLR for the enthusiast.

While the specs for the 50D look sweeeet, my strong feeling is that the day of the less-than-full-frame-sensor has passed. It can't be that much longer until full-frame DSLR's start moving into the $2,500 price range, at which point they become very compelling.

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm in a bit of analysis paralysis as a digital camera consumer. The choices are becoming very difficult...

Show Notes for The Digital Photography Show #95

On today’s show, Michael gave me a quiz about what consumers want in their next digital cameras. How do I do? You'll have to listen to find out, but the real fun will come if you play along yourself. Join in!

Here’s the article on DPReview that Michael quotes in the show.

Are you going to be in NY on August 21, 2008?  Come see me! Please! I'm lonely!

Listener Matthew sent us this link to gCaptain’s account of the Golden Shellback Water Resistant Coating. Is this for real? What do you think? 

If you have a DSLR and tickets to the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government has decided that you can’t have it all. Click here to read my thoughts on China barring “professional cameras” from the games.

You might, however, be able to bring a camera  that follows the new Micro 4/3 standard. These smaller and lighter cameras will have interchangeable lenses like a DSLR, but without the bulk and, presumably, the expense. Unfortunately, they don’t focus through the lens and they don't exist yet. Read Dave Etchells on why the Micro 4/3 system “is arguably the most significant announcement in the camera market this year."

If you’re in the market for some high-end plugins for Photoshop (and Apple’s Aperture), there are some new ones to lust over consider. Create beautiful black and whites with Nik’s Silver Efex Pro and achieve the bokeh of a $3,000 lens with onOne software’s FocalPoint 1. 

You software-lovers should also know that the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Aperture are out now. 

One more time - if you’re in NY, please come to see me at the signing of my novel, First You Fall. Here’s the event info:

Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008

Place: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 2289 Broadway, NY NY

Time: 7PM

I'd love to see you there. 

Olympics to DSLRs: Drop Dead

CNET reported today that:

If you're heading to Beijing (or are already there) for the Olympics, take note that the Beijing Organizing Committee has imposed bans on several items, one of which is "professional camera equipment." Unless you have official press credentials, we suggest you just bring your point-and-shoot to the games.

According to the site, Olympic officials haven’t specified what they mean by “professional camera equipment,” although CNET says there is speculation that “the ban refers to SLRs with big lenses that could block other spectators' views.”

I hope that’s the case. But my guess is you’ll have a hard time bringing any DSLR to the games.

That’s too bad. Imagine getting to go to the games (imagine what it would cost!) and then you can’t bring the equipment that will allow you to capture them. For some of us, taking pictures at the event is infinitely more rewarding than“just” watching it. Capturing the moment is better than seeing it.

Granted, some equipment, like tripods and truly cannon-like (not “Canon-like”) lenses might be unwieldy in large crowds and stadiums, but there are plenty of compact long-zoom lenses that could get the job done without being too intrusive.

I hope the guards are liberal in letting cameras through, but China is not a country known for its leniency. (Did you hear they’re censoring the internet for journalists attending the games? Wow).

Maybe you could get away with bringing something like a Canon G9, with it’s 6X zoom, good low-light performance and ability to shoot in RAW. Canon even makes an accessory lens for it that gets great reviews on Amazon and that gives you the (semi) equivalent of a 420mm lens. And it’s tiny enough to fit in your pocket.

And if you can afford to go to the Beijing Olympics, feel free to buy me one, too!