Friday, August 31, 2007

Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR (preview)

Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR
 

Key features
- 10.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
- 6.5 fps continuous shooting, max. burst 75 JPEGs

- 14-bit A/D converter and 14-bit RAW
- New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors
- DIGIC III processor 
- 3.0” LCD with Live View mode
- EOS Integrated Cleaning System
- Clear and bright viewfinder
- Customisable Picture Style processing parameters

- Strong magnesium alloy body with weather resistance

Press Release Canon EOS 40D digital SLR

Press Release, LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 20, 2007

"The Wait is Over: CANON U.S.A.'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EOS 40D DIGITAL SLR DELIVERS HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGE QUALITY, HIGH-SPEED SHOOTING AND HIGH-END FUNCTIONALITY

Fastest in Class 6.5 FPS Shooting Speed, New Autofocus Sensor and Newly Enhanced 10.1 Megapixel CMOS Imaging Sensor Combine to Boost the EOS 40D's Appeal While Maintaining its Accessible Mid-Market Pricing

 

Following months of intense anticipation by Digital SLR enthusiasts worldwide, the EOS 40D DIGITAL SLR Camera from Canon U.S.A., Inc. is scheduled to begin sailing into stores in early September. Building on the success of Canon's perennially popular "prosumer" EOS 20D and 30D models, the EOS 40D advances the state-of-the-art for mid-range Digital SLR cameras, making it a natural first choice for advanced amateur photographers and entry-level professionals, and an ideal second body for more established photo pros. Indeed, given the level of feature upgrades and improvements, technological wizardry and user-requested creative controls, the Canon EOS 40D SLR's "prosumer" appellation may refer more to its accessible price point than to the exceptional quality, clarity and resolution of the images it creates.

From the camera's newly enhanced, 10.1-megapixel CMOS imaging sensor (designed and manufactured by Canon) and its proprietary and super-efficient DIGIC III image processor, to its completely redesigned autofocus sensor and fast, 6.5 frame-per-second (fps) continuous shooting capability (for bursts of up to 75 Large/Fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images), the EOS 40D SLR puts the fun in functionality and makes serious photo business a positive pleasure.
...
Display's the Thing
The most easily visible upgrade on the EOS 40D Digital SLR is the camera's larger three-inch LCD screen (compared with the EOS 30D's 2.5-inch monitor)

...
Canon extends its "ease-of-reading" policy to the EOS 40D SLR's viewfinder as well. The upgraded viewfinder increases optical magnification from 0.90x to 0.95x, expands the viewing angle from 251 degrees to 264 degrees and raises the eye point from 20mm to 22mm.

...
Enhanced Durability
Recognizing the often rigorous shooting conditions encountered by professional and advanced amateur photographers, Canon design engineers made the EOS 40D SLR's magnesium alloy exterior even more ruggedly dependable than its predecessors with upgraded dust and weather resistant construction, particularly around the camera's connection ports, battery compartment and single-slot compact flash memory card door. ..

...fast 0.15-second initial start-up, its extremely durable shutter (rated up to 100,000 cycles), its top shutter speed of 1/8000 sec and 1/250 maximum X-sync flash shutter speed setting.

...
Improved Image Quality
...expand sensitivity up to ISO 3200. The EOS 40D retains the model 30D camera's 1.6x focal length conversion factor (compared to full-frame digital image sensors or 35mm film) ....
Adding to the improved virtuosity of the images captured by the EOS 40D SLR is the camera's 14-bit Analog-to-Digital (A/D) conversion process. Able to recognize 16,384 colors per channel (four times the number of colors recognized by the ...

DIGIC III
DIGIC III is the latest generation of Canon's proprietary image processing engine. ...
sRAW
In addition to retaining the RAW image capture capabilities of its predecessors, the EOS 40D SLR now offers a more manageable "sRAW" recording format. ...

Improved Autofocus and Exposure Control
While the EOS 40D SLR maintains the nine-point wide area AF coverage first introduced on the EOS 20D camera, Canon has made significant improvements to its speed, precision and functionality, minimizing subject recognition problems in the process. The EOS 40D camera's completely redesigned nine-point AF sensor provides cross-type AF measurement at all nine focusing points for maximum apertures up to f/5.6, and for ....

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
First introduced on the EOS Digital Rebel XTi camera, the EOS Integrated Cleaning System is a prime example of trickle-up technology and is now becoming a standard feature on all new EOS Digital SLRs. ....

...
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
Developed in response to consumer demand for a high-quality yet affordable optically image stabilized lens, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS standard zoom lens adds a phenomenally flexible lens to the EOS 40D SLR shooter's imaging arsenal. While it features the wide-angle to mid-range zoom flexibility of its non-IS predecessor, this new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens offers the significant advantage of a true lens-shift image stabilization system that yields up to a full four stops of image-shake correction.
....
Compact and lightweight, the optional EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens is manufactured by Canon specifically for the EOS 40D SLR and any other EOS SLR that takes EF-S lenses including the EOS 30D, EOS 20D, EOS 20Da, EOS Digital Rebel XTi, EOS Digital Rebel XT and the original EOS Digital Rebel camera. An ideal complement to the EOS 40D SLR, the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens is scheduled to be in stores in October at an estimated selling price of $199.99.i


The Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR is scheduled for early September delivery and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated selling price of $1,299.00i. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated selling price of $1,499.00i."
...

Read more at: About Canon: Press Room > Press Release

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Pentax K10D Grand Prix Package

PENTAX has created a truly special K10D to mark a very unusual occasion: Its K10D digital SLR camera has joined the exclusive group of epoch-making cameras by winning the Camera Grand Prix 2007 award in Japan.The package contents, including the battery grip and camera strap, are accentuated with standard brown-and-gold colors, while each camera body is distinguished by its own exclusive serial number




K10D Grand Prix Package: K10D GP Camera Body, D-BG2 GP Battery Grip, O-ST55 Grand Prix Camera StrapStandard accessories: I-USB17 USB Cable, I-VC28 Video Cable, ME Finder Cap, D-LI50 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery, D-BC50 Battery Charger, AC plug cord, S-SW55 Software Package (CD-ROM), Eye Cup FP, Hotshoe Cover FK)

 

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Pentax flash with a guide number 54

German press release repository PresseBox has a press release issued by Pentax Europe GmbH (but not activated yet) about “powerful flashgun with a guide number 54 for Pentax DSLR cameras“. Perhaps this is the new flash that Pentax will roll out on August 31st - September 5th at the IFA Consumer Trade Show in Berlin.

PentaxLife

Sony expected to unveil A300 on September 4th/5th


It is almost certainly APS-C format, 12.x megapixels CMOS, 5.5 frames per second, ISO to 3200, improved AF, 3 inch screen or very much improved 2.5 inch, 95 per cent view 90 per cent scale (or vice-versa) optical glass prism viewfinder, AF assist on the body, improved flash, same basic shutter speed range as A100, slightly altered mirror/shutter action, very fast card writing, some water and weatherproofing upgrades, generally better response, altered user interface; much better high ISO noise, further enhancements to SSS.

Read at Photoclub Alpha