Journal of Modern Photography

Looks like dpreview.com has posted a nice preview of the newly announced Canon EOS 1000D also known as the Rebel XS. In a somewhat perplexing move, Canon appears to be trying to regain its strangle hold on the entry-level DSLR market with the introduction on a entirely new camera that falls below its current entry level 450D/Rebel XSi.

At first glance the 1000D seems to be nothing more than a slightly emasculated XTi / 400D refit with the addition of the newer XSi / 450D Live View. But things are not always as they seem. It looks like Canon has been poking around under the hood, and may have given us more than they intended.

DPReview as always is on top of its game and also has some pre-production photos available on its site. There appears to be a noticable gain in image quality especially when low-light noise levels are examined.

Cameralabs has posted a fairly in-depth review of the new 10Mp Olympus Evolt E-3. Looks like a really nice update to the older E-1. The review spans several areas including a gallery of sample images and some real world results. Also some comparison shots with the Nikon D300. In the end, it looks like Olympus may have a winner on its hands, but ultimately, the Four-Thirds format itself may be approaching its upper limit on the amount of pixels that can be effectively stuffed onto the smaller sensor. High ISO noise starts to become an issue at around ISO 800.

the E-3 certainly has a lot going for it, including several unique aspects. There’s built-in anti-shake which proves highly effective; the anti-dust system is the best around; it has the greatest claims of weatherproofing for the semi-pro models currently available; there’s a fully-articulated screen which makes Live View really useful; and it has all the usual features you’d expect from a semi-pro camera including fast continuous shooting, a PC Sync socket, battery grip and broad customisation to name a few.

Olympus E-3 review Cameralabs verdict

Steves Digicams has a hands-on review of the 12Mp Canon EOS Rebel XSi / 450D up now. As usual, Steve seems to leave no stone unturned in this lengthy peice. Sample and comparison shots. The XSi has some real improvements over it presecessor the XTi; larger, brighter LCD (LiveView), larger viewfinder, better high ISO noise performance. And for less than half the price of the Nikon D300 (I know, they really are not in the same class!)

Canon’s CMOS sensor on the XSi offers the most pixels of any camera in its price range. And the XSi incorporates many new technologies first seen in the professional EOS-1D Mark III model. For example, the analog to digital signal conversion uses a 14-bit color space. What does this mean to you? The 14-bit conversion means you’ll see smoother transitions from light to dark colors and RAW images of the highest quality that can be processed with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software.

Steves Digicams - Canon EOS Rebel XSi / 450D - Hands on Review.

Photoxels has an in-depth review of the Nikon D300 up now. Several pages of sample shots both Photoshop processed and unprocessed images. At around $1700, where does the D300 fit it? Not really an entry level DSLR, but not a D3 either. Still, a very nice body by any stretch.

The Nikon D300 DSLR is an affordable professional-grade DSLR. It is a major upgrade to the Nikon D200 that it replaces and incorporates many of the features of the top of the line D3.

The Nikon D300 has more features than the beginner photographer would ever need. It now also features Live View, which works like in most other DSLRs. Which is to say, it is not like what you are used to on your consumer point-and-shoot digicams. The D300 is not really for the P&S crowd looking to upgrade to a DSLR nor is it for the amateur photographer looking for a first entry-level DLSR.

Nikon D300 DSLR Review - Nikon Digital Cameras - Photoxels.

Another look at the D300

The Imaging Resource has a nice review of the new 8Mp Canon PowerShot A580. Using the new DIGIC III procesor allows for some nice features on a lower priced, entry level compact, including face detection and motion detection. Although the image quality could use some improvement, its not that bad.

The Canon A580 doesn’t play the megapixel game, offering instead a solid eight megapixels of resolution rather than dabble in double digit sensors. But that brings some good news about noise….

The Canon A580 is well suited to everyone from children to grandparents, but that doesn’t mean it has no frills or firepower….

Thanks to its DIGIC III processor, its performance was nothing to sneeze at. And the same imaging engine gave it some very helpful tools like motion detection and face detection that Canon has harnessed in unique and interesting ways.

Canon PowerShot A580 Digital Camera - Review - The Imaging Resource!.

And keeping with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 theme, Jeff Keller over at DCResource has also posted his in-depth review. Another good read with additional several sample shots. He seems to like the image quality and noise reduction capabilities better than some of the other reviews out there.

Photo quality was very good. In most cases, the TZ5 took well-exposed photos with pleasing, saturated color. Photos are slightly soft, though not enough to cause concern for this reviewer. On previous TZ-series models, noise reduction was a big problem. Panasonic has addressed that here, though your photos have noise in them instead, especially in shadow details. The noise does clean up well, though, since details are left intact (even at ISO 800), and if you’re making small to midsize prints, you don’t even need to bother with that. Noise reduction is still present, though it’s not nearly as harsh as it was on the TZ3.

DCRP Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5.

See Also:
DPReview looks at the DMC-TZ5
DigitalCameraReview’s take on the DMC-TZ5

Digitalcamerareview.com now has a review up for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. As manufacturers pack more and more pixels onto the smaller sensors found in compact cameras, noise becomes a major issue. Looks like Panasonic is trying to address this with a using a more aggressive noise reduction setting than on previous models. Very in-depth with several sample images and several comparison shots from the DMC-TZ4.

Inevitable comparisons with the TZ4 at ISO 1600 show that while there’s less visible noise, the TZ5 seems to use slightly more noise reduction (probably to mask slightly more inherent noise on the higher-res sensor), resulting in details that are a little softer.

In truth, NR on the TZ5 is more of a problem across the board than we saw with the TZ4, with its effects clearly visible from ISO 400 on up.

The latest TZ cameras definitely haven’t quite lived up to Panasonic’s bold claims about improved high ISO performance courtesy of its Venus Engine IV processing, though in fairness they show some decided improvements over the previous generation of Lumix devices and should compete fairly well with anything in this class. That said, advanced users will still likely wish for some user-selectable NR to further dial back detail smearing.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Review.

Dpreview also has a review of the DMC-TZ5 as mentioned earlier. Read them both and draw your own conclusions.

Trustedreviews.com has a nice review of the 10Mp Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS (also known as the Canon PowerShot SD770 in North America). This represents the mid-point of Canon’s IXUS (PowerShot SD) line of digital compact cameras. Specs include a 2.5″ 230K LCD, 3x zoon lens, and optical lens stabilization. Also an optical viewfinder is present. Seems like a quite alot in a little package.

As usual with Canon cameras, the build quality of the IXUS 85 IS is beyond reproach. The camera’s body is all aluminium, with an attractive semi-matte anodised finish. It is available in two styles, with either a black lens surround or the mirror-finish chrome version shown here. It is a very compact camera, not quite in the same league as the tiny Casio EX-Z80 I reviewed last week, but certainly in the “ultra-compact” category. It measures 86.0 x 54.0 x 20.4mm and weighs 130g, so it’s small and light enough for a shirt pocket.

Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS - TrustedReviews.

Gavin Stoker over at PhotographyBlog has posted a nice review of the 8Mp Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS (known as the PowerShot SD1100 in North America). Seems to be up to the task as a “entry-level” compact, but image quality really seems to suffer in low light conditions, when using anything over about ISO200. Compare this review to the previous review Canon PowerShot SD1000 review from DCResource.com. 

“The Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS can perhaps best be summed up as an undemanding snapper for the unpretentious imagemaker – and as such is largely beyond criticism, save for some fiddly controls inherent in a camera with a height and width (if not depth) equivalent to a credit card. The build quality is very impressive, as is speed of operation and overall ease of use. … The only real shame here is in the levels of noise apparent in the mid to high ISO range. Though most of its intended audience will doubtless be using the Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS for the occasional sunny holiday snap or activating the flash for party shots, and so that won’t be an issue, it’s an area that nevertheless detracts from the positive overall picture and knocks a star off its score.”

Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS Review - PhotographyBLOG.

Justin Yu over at CNET.co.uk has a review up of the new Canon Pixma MX7600 all-in-one printer. Fairly in-depth and there are some speed comparisons with some other popular printers in this class such as the Kodak EasyShare 5500, HP Officejet L7780, and the Canon Pixma MX700.

“The Canon Pixma MX7600 answers the issues of speed and advanced faxing left unsolved by previous Canon models. The MX7600 features superb photo print quality that you simply won’t get with a laser printer. This, coupled with a new proprietary print head system, autoduplexer and significantly faster output speeds, makes the £260 MX7600 an excellent option for anyone in the market for a high-grade, photo-capable all-in-one.”

Canon Pixma MX7600 Review | CNET.co.uk