The Best Digital SLR For You

The Canon EOS 50D

Even though the Canon EOS 40D is barely a year old (originally released in September of 2007) today Canon has announced the upcoming release of the new EOS 50D (release date: October 2008).

The features that the 50D shares with its predecessor are its build quality, dust control system, and compatibility with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses (in addition to hundreds of third party lenses).

What does the new 50D have to offer that's not available on the 40D? Quite a lot actually:

• 15.1 megapixels instead of 10.1 (which will give it the most megapixels of any consumer-level SLR at the time of release)
• An improved image processor (DIGIC 4) to quickly save the large 15 megapixel files to a memory card even when captured at the camera's top speed of 6.5 photos per second
• Increased ISO range from 100 to 12800 with multiple levels of applied noise reduction
• Increased buffer size, allowing the continuous capture of up to 90 JPG images or 16 RAW
• The Auto Lighting Optimizer helps to increase brightness under lighting conditions where digital SLRs often under expose
• An improved LCD with 4x the pixel count (920,000) than the one on the 40D for a clearer, more colorful display
• The addition of a new "Face Detection" setting when using the live view mode
• Two small RAW (sRAW) formats - the 40D only has one

The estimated selling price of the EOS 50D body only is $1,400 while a kit that includes the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is expected to retail for $1,600.

Read the Canon EOS 50D Press Release.

2008 Digital Camera Satisfaction

JD Power recently announced the results of their 2008 Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction Study.

Some interesting findings:

• Canon and Nikon digital SLR cameras are tied in terms of customer satisfaction, although Canon received better marks in terms of image quality while Nikons were easier to use
• The most desired new feature for future digital SLR cameras: waterproofing
• Digital SLR owners take the most photos per month (especially if you photograph your subject from every angle as I often recommend)
• The most frequently used resource used to shop for a digital camera is - you guessed it - Internet product and review sites (just like the Digital SLR Guide)

Read more results from the 2008 JD Power Digital Camera Study

Canon EOS Rebel XSi for Sale

For anyone interested in the new Canon EOS Rebel XSi - I have one for sale with the 18-55mm kit lens on eBay.

Here's a very quick summary of the features of the Rebel XSi (more information can be found in the complete Rebel XSi guide):

• 12.2 megapixel sensor
• 3.5 photo per second continuous speed
• Fast, accurate 9-point autofocus system
• ISO range from 100 to 1600
• 3 inch live view LCD
• Dust Control System
• Evaluative 35 zone metering system
• Picture Styles (custom color control)

The Rebel XSi is also extremely compact and light, making it a nice camera to carry with you on the go.

It's easy to access all the primary camera controls with one-touch buttons, including ISO, white balance, metering mode, autofocus mode and drive mode (check out the following video to see how easy it is to change settings).

Average Retail Price: $820

Starting Bid Price: $680

Auction Ends: Tuesday, July 15 Bid Now

Canon Rebels Compared

Feeling perplexed by the latest announcement from Canon about the upcoming Rebel XS?

Billed as the camera that "puts easy-to-use professional features into the hands of emerging photographers" the immediate question that emerges is: how does this thing compare to the other TWO digital Rebel cameras that are currently available (the xTi and XSi).

The confusion is not surprising - all three cameras have a lot of overlap when it comes to features and telling one from the other can be a tricky business.

But fear not - if you've made up your mind that Canon is going to be your brand of digital SLR but just can't decide between the xTi, XS and XSi, then my latest head-to-head (to head) article should be of use.

The article compares the three Canon digital Rebels, providing a quick overview of each one's specifications and then going into a more detailed analysis about how each camera is slightly different...hopefully providing you with some small measure of comfort that the camera you choose will fulfill all your photographic needs.

Canon Rebel XSi Guide

After a great deal of toying, tinkering and - of course - taking pictures, I've finally released my Canon EOS Rebel XSi Guide.

Overall impression: this small, lightweight digital SLR is a great travel companion and its ultra-fast response time makes it great for spontaneous spur-of-the-moment photography.

The new Image Stabilized (IS) kit lens is a huge improvement over the kit lens packaged with the Rebel xTi (which left a lot to be desired) and the stabilization will help you take sharp photos of non-moving subjects even with very slow shutter speeds.

When you pair the IS lens with exceptionally low noise at high ISO settings (all the way up to 1600) the Canon XSi excels at low-light photography, no tripod required.

Read the complete Canon Rebel XSi Guide

April Newsletter - How to Avoid Image Blur

The April issue of the Digital SLR Guide newsletter has just been posted.

Included in this month's newsletter you'll find out:

• Important advice for new camera buyers
• Why some cameras cost more than others
• How to prevent image blur
• Do you NEED a live view LCD?
• What are "Long Portraits"?

Read the April 2008 issue of the Digital SLR Guide newsletter.

Lowepro All Weather Camera Bag for Sale

The Lowepro Magnum AW has plenty of room for two SLR cameras with attached lenses, 4-5 additional lenses, external flash units and other camera accessories.

The bag measures a substantial 16.9 x 12.6 x 10 inches (width x depth x height) and includes a main central compartment that can be configured to fit all of your equipment.

In addition, the bag has two detachable side pockets and a small removable pack for film or memory cards.

The Magnum AW is made of water-resistant ballistic nylon and can be carried comfortably by either the padded leather handle or the wide padded shoulder strap.

A weather cover pulls out from a rear zipper and can completely cover the bag in wet or dusty environments.

• Retail Price: $180
• Starting Bid Price: $100

($20 shipping and handling within the U.S.)

This auction ends on Thursday, April 3.

Bid on the Lowepro Magnum All Weather camera bag

Pentax K20D With 18-55mm Lens For Sale

I've got a like-new Pentax K20D digital SLR camera and lens up for grabs on eBay. The camera has been used delicately for the past two weeks so that I could write up a guide.

The K20D features the highest megapixel count of any digital SLR in this price range (14.6) and has a rugged, weatherproofed body which keeps out moisture and grit.

It's compatible with every Pentax lens ever made (some may require an adaptor) and the best part: its built-in image stabilization will work, even with older Pentax lenses.

The camera includes a slew of features including: dust control, a live view LCD, 3 frame per second continuous capture mode and 21 frame per second burst mode, 11 autofocus points, multiple exposures, interval timer, custom color controls and more.

Having used the camera steadily for the past two weeks I can say this about it: it's a great choice for anyone with old Pentax film SLR lenses who wants to upgrade to the best camera Pentax currently offers. While you do need to have some experience with SLR cameras to leverage the full benefit of this camera, it provides a lot of features that you can grow into.

For new camera buyers, the Pentax K20D is ideally suited for portrait photography. Its controls, feature set and the clarity of the images it captures make it a superb option for those who enjoy capturing faces, and want to be able to make large-scale prints of the final images.

• Retail Price: $1,380
• Starting Bid Price: $1,200

($18 shipping and handling within the U.S. includes insurance coverage)

This auction ends Thursday April 3.

Bid on the K20D digital SLR camera and lens

New Digital SLR Cameras for 2008

There's been a recent surge of announcements about new digital SLR cameras that will soon be released in 2008, thanks in part the recent PMA trade show in Las Vegas.

The new cameras announced include the Canon Rebel XSi, Nikon D60, Pentax K200D, Pentax K20D, Sony DSLR-A300 and Sony DSLR-A350.

I originally thought of posting information about each one here on this weblog, but quickly realized that there was just too much to summarize in a short post.

Plus, I also wanted to cover ALL of the following topics:

1. What new cameras have been announced?
2. What is the release date for each camera?
3. How do these new cameras of 2008 compare to last year's models?
4. How do they compare to each other?
5. Are the features available on these new SLRs worth the wait?

Get the answers to all these questions, plus specifications, package pricing and much more with my complete introduction to the new digital SLR cameras of 2008.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A200

It's early January 2008, and guess what - here comes the first signs of the tidal wave of technology in the form of new digital SLR cameras.

It makes sense why 2008 will be a banner year for new cameras: the annual PMA trade show takes place from January 31 to February 2 in Las Vegas and is always a time when camera manufacturers announce new models and show off their prototypes for upcoming releases.

As if PMA weren't enough, Photokina (a show that only takes place every other year) takes off in late September and you can rest assured that there will be plenty of new camera announcements leading up to that as well.

Let's get on with the first announcement of the year: the Sony Alpha DSLR-A200.

The DSLR-A200 is the follow-up to Sony's immensely popular first release: the DSLR-A100. The A200 borrows features from Sony's higher end DSLR-A700 (a semi-professional camera) and improves ever so slightly on the features available on the A100.

Here's the quick rundown

• 10.2 megapixels
• Dust control
• Built-in image stabilization (Super SteadyShot)
• Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO)
• 2.7 inch LCD
• 3 photos per second
• Eye-start autofocus system

The DSLR-A200 will be available in late February and comes with two different lens packages:

1. A200 camera body with 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens ($700)
2. A200 camera body with 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 and 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lenses ($900)