Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

"Nikon has announced the D3X, its latest high-resolution professional DSLR. Sporting an imaging sensor with double the number of photosites of the popular D3, the 24.5 megapixel D3x includes similar features such as a 3.0", 920,000 dot LCD monitor with Live View, 51-point autofocus, EXPEED image processing and HDMI output. To keep up with the demands of stock photography the camera produces 50MB 14-bit RAW files that can be processed to produce 140MB TIFFs. It also supports Nikon’s wireless system and is compatible with Nikon’s new GP-1 GPS unit."

The 24.5 megapixel Nikon D3X is not a replacement for, but a sibling to the award winning 12 megapixel Nikon D3. To double the megapixels, Nikon incorporated a new full frame sensor built by Sony. However, there is a serious drawback to the D3X - the price. At USD $7,999, the list price is $3,000 more than the Nikon D3, forcing pros to pay a lot for those 12 additional megapixels. It is also $5,000 more than the 24.6 megapixel Sony A900, which uses a very similar sensor. I think with our current world economy, this is going to be one tough sale for Nikon. Nonetheless, for those who want it and can afford it, it is truly an outstanding camera.

"Canon added much more to the Canon EOS 50D than just another 5MP. Improvements over the EOS 40D include: A 15.1 MP CMOS sensor with a "gapless microlens" design for higher efficiency, a 920,000 dot, 3" 640x480 pixel VGA resolution LCD with enhanced anti-reflection coating, a microfocus adjustment which can be applied on a fixed or lens by lens basis, an ISO range from 100-3200, plus expansion to 6400(H1) and 12800(H2)..."

In the 50D, not only were enhancements made, Canon also added new features not seen before on their mid-level digital SLRs. The best enhancement to the 50D is the upgraded 640x480 920,000 pixel screen on the back of the camera. As a current owner of Canon's predecessor, the 40D, its 320x240 screen is the one flaw I found on the otherwise excellent camera it as it is hard to judge your photos. The best new features are the micro focus adjustment and the two higher ISO settings. The only drawback is that Canon once again pushed the number of megapixels to the maximum. In doing so, the 50D photos show noise that is equal to or slightly higher than the 40D. For this reason, I think the 50D is a minor upgrade for a 40D owner, but a significant upgrade for owners of earlier versions of Canon DSLRs.

"The PowerShot G10 ($499) is the flagship camera in Canon's point-and-shoot lineup. Its highlights include a 14.7 Megapixel CCD, 5X wide-angle zoom lens, image stabilization, a high resolution t3-inch LCD, and more manual controls than you can shake a stick at."

This Canon is almost the perfect small, carry-anywhere camera for photo enthusiasts. It is fun to use, can take RAW images and has great manual capabilities. At ISO 80, the photos from this camera rival those from larger and more expensive digital SLR's. But it has one glaring flaw - low light performance. It seems that Canon got caught up in the megapixel race and by increasing the number of megapixels on the same 1/1.7 inch sensor, it increased the noise in the images which really shows up in low light photography. Canon would have been better served reducing the megapixels and the subsequent noise. If you don't need low light, it is a great camera to get.