Panasonic announced the Lumix GH1 Micro Four Thirds camera this March at the annual PMA tradeshow. It was the biggest announcement of the show and a solid follow-up to the first Micro Four Thirds camera and last year’s camera of the year, the Panasonic Lumix G1. Like the G1, the GH1 is a “system” camera with changeable lenses and a 12-megapixel Four Thirds sensor. The GH1 is basically the same as the G1 as far as still shooting goes, but it adds 1080p HD video capture and a new silent auto focus, 10x image-stabilized kit lens. Although it looks a lot like a digital SLR the GH1 is smaller and has an EVF (electronic viewfinder) instead of an optical through-the-lens viewfinder.
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Micro Four Thirds fans, listen up! The Olympus E-P2 digital camera has landed and Olympus sent me one to check out for a few days before they made the announcement! Its predecessor, the Olympus E-P1 was one of the surprise hits of the summer. The Olympus E-P2 is more or less the same camera as the E-P1 with a few important new features. The most obvious difference is the sexy new black finish. But it goes deeper than that. Most important is the new Accessory Port and included Articulating EVF (electronic viewfinder). The rest of changes are internal. They include auto focus tracking (yes - it works in Movie Mode, too!), manual exposure control in movie mode, two new Art Filters and a new Picture Mode.
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These two powerhouse pro digital SLRs were announced within a week of each other. They both cost about $5000, both have HD video, fast capture rates and a ridiculously high ISO 102,400 sensitivity. It’s impossible not to wonder which one is the better camera. So I thought it would worth the effort to, as closely as possible, do a back-to-back comparison of the Nikon D3S and. the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV.

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2009 PhotoPlus Expo
October 22-24, 2009 - New York City

October 22 - 24, 2009: The PDN PhotoPlus Expo tradeshow bills itself as “the most important event in the photo industry.” That might be overstating things a bit, but it is the largest and most important consumer photo tradeshow in North America. Every fall, photographers gather at the Javits Center in New York City where they get to take a closer look at new digital cameras, lenses, tripods, camera bags, software, studio lighting and more. There are also more than 100 photography workshops, covering everything from marketing your photography to improving all kinds of photography skills and techniques.
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Canon is calling their latest EOS-1D digital SLR the “ultimate multimedia imaging solution.” The new Canon EOS-1D Mark IV has a 16.1-megapixel APS-H (1.3x crop factor) CMOS sensor and captures full-resolution RAW images at 10 frames per second and 1080p video at 30, 24 or 25 frames per second. The new 1D has a standard maximum sensitivity of ISO 12,800, expandable to ISO 102,400. Most important to the sports photographers and photojournalists who make their living with the 1D series, the new EOS-1D Mark IV has an improved 45-point auto focus system that increases the number of ultra-sensitive cross-type AF sensor points from 19 to 39, and has “significantly improved” AI Servo II predictive auto focus programming.
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Nikon has upped the DSLR ante again. The new Nikon D3S has a 12.1-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor just like its predecessor the D3. But the maximum sensitivity on the D3S has been increased to a mind-boggling ISO 102,400 and noise levels have been lowered at all sensitivity settings. If being able to shoot in the dark isn’t enough for you, the D3S also adds 720p video capture with the ability to auto focus while filming. And the D3S now has sensor cleaning - a very important feature that didn’t make it into the original D3 spec.
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Today, Western Digital announced the WD TV Live HD media player. It allows users to play high definition videos, music and photos stored on USB, network drives, digital cameras, camcorders, portable media players and popular Web sites, on their HD television in the home. The new TV Live HD media player offers a more responsive interface to help users enjoy a world of digital content in their living room, without a computer. The WD TV Live media player features powerful media processing, which enables playback in Full-HD 1080p resolution. Read the rest of this entry »

 
I was impressed enough with the pre-production Canon EOS 7D that Canon sent me a few weeks ago that I pre-ordered one from my local pro shop (Pictureline). Since I picked it up last week I’ve been hustling to put the auto focus and video mode through their paces. Based on the EOS 7D studio tests I shot with the pre-production camera Canon loaned me, I’d already decided the image quality was a solid improvement over the EOS 50D. So my main interests are seeing how much improvement they’ve made with the auto focus, and playing with the video.
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Redrock Micro announced a wide range of new accessories that significantly reduce weight and increase the options available to enhance video DSLRs. Some accesories include, carbon fiber rods that are 66% lighter than stainless steel rods, theEvent DSLR rig with the microBrace body pad for handheld with maximum stability, remote start/stop holder for Canon video DSLRs, the microLink4 “flat” support for DSLR battery grips, and the eyeSpy shouldermount DLSR rigs that now position the viewfinder more comfortably for run-and-gun style shooting. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pentax has announced a new digital SLR based on the K2000 / K-m they introduced in late 2008. The new Pentax K-x looks pretty much exactly like the K2000 but has an upgraded 11-point auto focus system, 12.4-megapixel resolution, 720p HD video capture, ISO 12,800 sensitivity and “True High Dynamic Range” in-camera HDR. Pentax is also introducing the smc Pentax DA L 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED telephoto zoom lens.
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Rumors about the Canon EOS 7D have been bouncing around the Web for quite a while. The speculation can stop now - the announcement has been made. Surveying the features, specs and build, the new EOS 7D is sort of cross between the EOS 50D, 5D and EOS-1D lines. It has an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with expanded sensitivity to ISO 12,800. It’s faster than its predecessor, the EOS 50D, with an 8 frames per second capture rate. And yes - it captures video - full 1080p HD at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second.
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Canon announced the new Vixia HF S11 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder that has advanced HD features and professional-level manual controls.

The Vixia HF S11 has the ability to record up to 24 hours of high-definition video to a 64GB internal flash drive and the option of recording video directly to removable SDHC memory cards. It features Canon’s new Dynamic SuperRange OIS system for shake correction, Advanced Video Snapshot Mode, a Genuine Canon HD Video Lens, 8.59-megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor, Canon DIGIC DV III Image Processor, Canon Face Detection, and Instant AutoFocus. Read the rest of this entry »