eK-gadgets info

Canon today introduced the new EOS-7D digital SLR (you’ve probably read bits and pieces about it over the last week). Despite its name, the 7D is not a full-frame camera; rather, it’s an APS-C model that fits between the EOS-50D and EOS-5D Mark II. I’d personally call it Canon’s answer to the Nikon D300s.

EOS-7D 

• 18.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor
• Dual DIGIC 4 processors
• Supports all EF and EF-S lenses with a 1.6 focal length conversion ratio
• Rugged magnesium alloy body has weather seals and a shutter rated to 150,000 cycles
• 3-inch LCD display with 920,000 pixels
• Intelligent pentaprism viewfinder has 100% coverage, a magnification of 1.0X
  • An LCD is overlaid on top of the viewfinder to show AF points, composition grids, spot metering, electronic level, and the usual shooting info
• New 19-point, all cross-type AF system
  • Supports AF point expansion (surrounding AF points used to track a moving subject) and Zone AF (divides all focus points into five selectable zones)
  • Intelligent Macro Tracking detects when a macro lens is attached and adjusts the AI Servo sampling frequency to compensate for forward/backward camera movement
• New iFCL 63-zone dual layer metering system
• Full manual controls
  • ISO range of 100 - 12,800 when fully expanded
  • Shutter speed range of 30 - 1/8000 sec, plus a bulb mode
  • Three RAW sizes to choose from
• Continuous shooting at 8 frames/second (15 RAW, 126 JPEG with UDMA card)
• Dual axis electronic level handles roll and pitch; data can be shown on LCD or viewfinder
• Pop-up flash has built-in wireless flash transmitter; external flash supported via hot shoe or flash sync port
• Dust reduction system
• Records movies in Full HD (1920 x 1080) with sound, using H.264 codec
  • Frame rates at 1920 x 1080: 30p, 24p, 25p; at 1280 x 720: 60p, 50p; at 640 x 480: 60p, 50p
  • Exposure and focus can be manually adjusted
  • Dedicated movie recording button
  • Stereo mic input
• CompactFlash Type I/II slot
• HDMI output
• Optional battery grip and wireless file transmitter (see below)
• Uses LP-E6 li-ion battery; 800 shots per charge
• Ships in late September for $1699 body only, or $1899 with the F3.5-5.6, 28 - 135 mm IS lens

Along with the 7D comes the new WFT-E5A wireless file transmitter. This attaches to the camera like a battery grip and offers 802.11a/b/g wireless support, plus Ethernet and USB ports (to which you can attach a hard drive). The WFT can send photos to your computer or another DNLA-enabled device, supports geotagging with a compatible GPS, and even has a built-in web server that allows you to control it (complete with live view) from your PC or smartphone. The WFT will be shipping in early November for $699.

Panasonic today introduced the new Lumix DMC-GF1 interchangeable lens camera — their third to use the Micro Four Thirds standard. Like the Olympus E-P1, the DMC-GF1 really fulfills the promise of the MFT format. You get all the benefits of having a digital SLR, with a lot less bulk. And did I mention the super-fast autofocus and 720p movie mode? Even this jaded reviewer is licking his chops over this one.Lumix DMC-GF1 

• 12.1 effective Megapixel Live MOS sensor (same as the DMC-G1)
• Supports all Micro Four Thirds lenses with a 2X focal length conversion ratio
  • Also supports legacy Four Thirds and Leica R- and M-mount lenses with optional adapters
• Compact body (for a camera with interchangeable lenses), roughly the size of the E-P1
• 3-inch LCD display with 460,000 pixels and live view
  • Live view features super-fast 23-point AF, face detection, custom guidelines, a live histogram, and more
• Optional electronic viewfinder ($200) attaches to hot shoe and provides the same benefits as the main LCD; screen has 202,000 pixels and a 1.04X magnification; it can also tilt upward 90 degrees
• Built-in pop-up flash (yay) has a GN of 6 meters at ISO 100
• Full manual controls
  • ISO range of 100 - 3200
  • Shutter speed range of 60 - 1/4000 sec, plus a bulb mode
  • RAW, RAW+JPEG support
• Continuous shooting as fast as 3 frames/second (7 RAW, unlimited JPEGs)
• Intelligent Auto mode selects a scene mode, detects faces, brightens shadows, and more
• My Color mode similar to Olympus’ art filters; a new peripheral defocus mode makes it easy to have a sharp subject and blurry background
• Dust reduction system
• Capable of recording movies at 1280 x 720 using AVCHD Lite or Motion JPEG
  • Unlimited recording time with AVCHD Lite, unless you’re in Europe
  • Frame rate is 60 fps (sensor output of 30 fps) when using AVCHD Lite
  • Aperture and exposure compensation can be adjusted
  • Camera can focus continuously while recording, though you’ll want to use the 14-140 lens for the most camcorder-like experience
  • Wind-cut feature for recording video outdoors
• HDMI port
• SD/SDHC card slot
• Uses DMW-BLB13 lithium-ion battery; battery life ranges from 350 - 380 shots depending on which lens you’re using
• Ships in October with your choice of the 20 mm pancake lens (described below) or the 14 - 45 mm lens from the DMC-G1; price is $899 for both
  

There are two new Micro Four Thirds lenses to mention, as well. The first is the 20 mm pancake lens that you see in the photo of the GF1. This F1.7 lens is compact, light, and equivalent to 40 mm on a MFT camera. It will be available in about a month for $399.

The next lens isn’t just the first macro Micro Four Thirds model — it’s also the first lens to carry the Leica name. The F2.8, 45 mm Leica DG Macro-Elmarit lens has image stabilization, a minimum focus distance of 15 cm, and it’s set to ship in early October for $899.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who keep up with camera rumors, but today Nikon introduced two new digital SLRs. One is an enhanced version of the D300, while the other replaces the entry-level D40. First, let’s talk about the new D300, which is an evolutionary upgrade of the venerable D300. The biggest new features are faster continuous shooting and an HD movie mode, but there are quite a few other changes as well. Here’s the full list:

Nikon D300s

• 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

  Чанти

• 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

The other new Nikon D-SLR is the D3000, which replaces the popular D40 (finally). Here are the details on the entry-level D3000:

Nikon D3000 

• 10.2 Megapixel CCD
• Supports all Nikkor F-mount lenses, though only AF-S and AF-I lenses will support autofocus
• Compact body, by D-SLR standards
  • Dust reduction system, with both ultrasonic cleaning and an “Airflow Control System”, which channels dust away from the sensor
• 3-inch LCD display with 230,000 pixels; camera does not have live view
• Optical viewfinder has 95% coverage and 0.8X magnification
• Full manual controls
  • ISO range of 100 - 3200 (fully expanded)
  • RAW image format supported
• 11-point autofocus system
• Continuous shooting at 3 frames/second
• New Guide Menu helps users learn various shooting techniques
• User can turn a series of still images into a stop-motion movie (the camera does not have a “regular” movie mode)
• Tons of retouching options, including a new “miniature” feature
• SD/SDHC memory card slot
• Uses EN-EL9a lithium-ion battery; 550 shots per charge
• Ships with the F3.5-5.6, 18 - 55 mm VR lens in late August for $599

Pentax is introducing a new digital SLR today. The new K-7 is a midrange model that replaces the K20D. Its closest competitors are probably the Canon EOS-50D, Nikon D90, Olympus E-30, and the recently announced Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 (more or less). Here are highlights:

Pentax K-7 

• 14.6 effective Megapixel CMOS sensor
• Supports all Pentax K-mount lenses with a 1.5X focal length conversion ratio
• Sensor-shift image stabilization now allows for rotational sensor movement
• Compact, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body
  • Camera is 7% smaller than the K20D and up to 25% smaller than other cameras in its class
  • Usable at temperatures as low as 14F (-10C)
• Improved dust reduction system
• 3-inch LCD display with 921,000 pixels
• Supports live view with contrast detect (with or without face detection) and phase difference AF
  • User can make slight adjustments to the composition of a photo in live view mode courtesy of the sensor-shift IS system
• Pentaprism optical viewfinder with 100% coverage and 0.92X magnification
• Full manual controls, with two different RAW formats (PEF, DNG) and Pentax’s unique shutter+aperture and sensitivity priority modes
• 11-point AF system, with dedicated AF-assist lamp
• Continuous shooting at 5.2 frames/second (up to 15 RAW, 40 JPEG)
• Electronic level feature
• In-camera lens distortion and chromatic aberration correction functions
• High Dynamic Range function takes three exposures and combines them into one
• Multiple exposure and interval (time-lapse) options
• Can record HD movies at 1280 x 720, 30 frames/second, with sound, using M-JPEG codec
• Supports external flash via hot shoe, flash sync port, or wireless
• Stereo microphone input; HDMI port
• SD/SDHC memory card slot
• Uses D-LI90 lithium-ion battery; 740 shots per charge
  • Optional battery grip ($230) supports two D-LI90 or six AA batteries
• Ships in July for $1299.95, body only