Today: Nikon D2Xs vs Canon EOS-1D Mark III. Tomorrow: Sony A1 vs The Great Wall!?

Some time ago (or much – how old I am!) I used to visit special stores which sold consumer electronic devices. I was young, I was a poor student of the Technological Institute (not in Massachusetts, unluckily) but how much I got to know about my famous Akai from salesmen! Those guys knew everything about the gadgets they sold. Yes, the prices were deadly for those days. But now we have innovation, technological progress and hard competition on the consumer electronic market. And have a look at the prices: is it what can make us happy?
Of course the situation with digital SLR cameras or HD camcorders isn’t as critical as two years ago. Today we have many excellent and not expensive devices at less than $1000: Nikon D80, Canon Digital Rebel Xti, Sony A100, Pentax K10D and Samsung GX10. There is a table of this cams specificatios in my previos post. We are offered a little from Panasonic-Leica marriage: Lumix DMC-L1 which is worth too much for those who want to be an owner. Besides, there is one personally from Leica, M8 at “modestly” $4800. Somewhere we find Olympus with EVOLT models: E510, E410, and E400 etc. at unjustified high prices for noisy images it takes ($800 - $900). Ah! This photo giant is floating on the surface. It is General Electric holding its Digital SLR device (Olympus SLR clone) in one hand and former Olympus top manager in the other hand.
Moreover here are guys rambling about from Fuji with Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro (or S5 Pro) for$1300 in their backpacks. I think that Nikon is here, too because they not only “sharpen” their lens thread under Nikon F mount. They also “sharpen” their “teeth” for buying Nikon. It is globalization, men, f…ing globalization!
Then we have middle class models: ‘Good morning!’ from Nikon, D200 for $1700 (it’s a nice morning), ‘Good afternoon!’ from Canon, EOS 5D (it’s a splendid afternoon for $3000!) and ‘Good night!’ from the same Canon, 30D for $1200 (I don’t want to sleep). The peaks of this “mountain” are two cult models: Canon EOS-1D Mark III for $4500 and Nikon D2Xs for the same $4500. That’s all, guys! Instead we have two promises from Sony: A1 and A10 (look at “Battle of the Giants”) but between campaign promise and fulfilled can slip by an epoch!
Also there are some “hybrids of an elephant and a turtle” – Digital SLR-likes cameras. Once I had a pleasure to take pictures with Nikon 8700 and it was a really great device. But the last year’s one kilo Sony DSC-R1 was to excess! These gadgets can be useful for many people especially for risky travelers if its size will be under that of Canon Mark III. In my previous post I assemble most attractive SLR-like cams to the table. Look at their prices. They are true for SLR cameras and do not arouse optimism in anybody.
Straight away, nevertheless at a lower level has found room the market of Compact Cameras. It's disgraceful, though numerous. They use every trick to capture money from naive amateur photographers. New models are so quickly that things are dancing. In return all of these bagatelles extremely need the ten or more mega pixels sensor and an anti-shake system. As he is – “His Highness” modern Compact market, let’s glance at the prices! $400 for Sony DSC-W200 or $600 for Canon Power Shot TX1 is not a limit! If it can take a picture better than my Sony Alpha I’m Bill Gates’s prodigal son!
It’s not yet an evening! There are billions of mobile phones here. Some people eagerly need a build-in camera. It is not surprising if anywhere there is a lavatory pan with a build-in water resist with 12 megapixel sensor!
And at the same time mobile phones with cams are announced as compact and Camcorders killers what is more. It would be better if they were announced as prices killers! But it’s impossible. You ask: Why? I’ll tell you. We must pay money for nothing! Moreover we must pay for marketing, advertising and other parts of progress, which are dancing around us with the main purpose: to sell. It’s not a problem. But they don’t know anything about devices which they are selling and it’s a trouble. The battle for our money is fought by long-legged girls (it’s every nice but unfair) and advertisers. But where are the engineers who make progress? Where are consultants who can explain to us the specifications, the drawbacks and other features of the camera we want to buy? May be they are in the Net because I have not met an efficient salesman in modern stores for a long time. There are no specialized superstores and sellers. We are in real need of those who know anything about everything.
As for my headline, I present “The Great Wall” as a possible brand for the new Digital SLR not as a joke. Chinese mfrs. don’t pay for marketing and advertising. It horrifies those specialists because there was an old rule: good wares can sell themselves. And all we know: they can make good wares. They are apprentices of the best manufacturers of consumer electronic because all of them have facilities in China. They make cameras for some mfrs. They can make some DSLR themselves. Why not? But what this fact can perform in the Digital Cameras market!
As for SLR cameras and lenses, HD camcorders and prices and what the right choice is I’ll write in the next post.

Choosing DSLR camera lenses: take a shoot before buying

For those who take Sony A100 as first DSLR camera and for those who look for easy life I advice the old fashion Konica-Minolta kit SAL-75300 - f/4.5-5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens that costs $230. This compact, lightweight 4X zoom lens is of really great value and the ideal choice for travelers. It’s a good choice for covering outdoor activities and sports action, even in large stadium locations. Its wide zoom range of 112.5mm to 450mm (35mm equivalent) handles both middle-ground subjects and portraits shot from a relaxing distance, so people won’t be nervous -- even capturing intimate details and natural wonders close at hand.
Specifications:
Min Focus Distance: 4’ 11” (1.5 m)
Maximum Magnification: 0.25X
Lens Construction: 13 elements in 10 groups with 7 aperture blades
Filter Diameter: 55 mm
Dimensions: 2-13/16 x 4-13/16” (71 x 122 mm)
Weight: 1 lb. 2 oz (460 g)
In any case I’m writing for amateurs because pro photographers have made their choice (Canon or Nikon) before their own birth. Now the main distinction of pro is that he earns money where others get pleasure. I think that 75-300mm Telephoto lens for two hundred is a good choice for a beginner. You can throw a big stone to me if I am wrong!
For the last bite I had some lenses from one’s Carl Zeiss. I was already tired of telephoto but it was a chance to authorize my blog title: to make a comparison of all Sony Tele. It was SAL-135F18Z - Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens for $1400. It can be really a high-performance telephoto lens with the widest aperture in its class. Whether you shoot a distant island or a beautiful girl’s face at an arm length, this telephoto lens provides amazing image quality. Its f/1.8 aperture can make it the brightest telephoto lens in its class -- and with 35mm-equivalent 202.5mm focal length plus the ability to focus tightly on the objects closer than three feet away, it can cover an amazing range of photographic assignments.
Specifications:
Wide aperture for amazingly bright telephoto shots
Superb sharpness with Sony Super Steady Shot system
Close-up focusing capability (less than three feet)
Internal Focusing to speed auto-focus response
2 ED Glass elements for sharp clear long shots
Min Focus Distance: 2’ 5” (72 cm)
Maximum Magnification: 0.25X
Lens Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups with 9 aperture blades
Filter Diameter: 77 mm
Dimensions: 3-1/2 x 4-5/8” (88.5 x 115 mm)
Weight: 2 lb 5 oz (1050 g)
But the ultimate all-in-one zoom lens SAL-1680Z - Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* DT 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 which designed especially for DSLR imaging brought me back from telephoto world. It is the first grade 5X zoom lens especially designed for APS-size CCD image sensors -- providing incredible precision in a single compact, easy-to-carry lens that takes you from 24mm wide-angle to 120mm telephoto (35mm equivalent). Its price of $700 is not as high as it is an excellent device. And its universality is a good reason for choosing it.
Specifications:
Superb performance from wide-angle to telephoto
2 Glass-Molded Aspherical Lenses for extra precision
Circular Aperture for pleasing defocused effects
Auto Clutch to stop manual focus ring rotation
Wide focus ring for a solid feel in manual focusing
Min Focus Distance: 2.4” (62 mm)
Maximum Magnification: 0.24X
Lens Construction: 14 elements in 10 groups with 7 aperture blades
Filter Diameter: 62 mm
Dimensions: 2-7/8 x 3-3/8” (72 x 83 mm)
Weight: 15.5 oz (440 g)
I was interested in DT 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 High Magnification Zoom lens because of its low price of $500 and extensive ability. Its 35mm-equivalent range of 27mm wide-angle to 300mm telephoto excels at capturing faraway subjects, sports events, dramatic landscapes and intimate close-up views.
Specifications: DT Lens Design for optimum DSLR performance Excellent wide-angle to long telephoto shots Fast Internal Focusing -- lens length does not change 3 Aspherical Lens Elements for wide-angle accuracy 2 ED Glass Elements for sharp, clear long shots Circular Aperture for pleasing defocused effects Min Focus Distance: 1' 6" (45 cm) Maximum Magnification: 0.27X Lens Construction: 15 elements in 13 groups with 7 aperture blades Filter Diameter: 62 mm Dimensions: 2-7/8 x 3-3/8” (73 x 85.5 mm) Weight: 14.3 oz (405 g)
I don’t know where the pictures which I took with 50mm F1, 4 are and next lens but the rest of the work was made with my cheap DT18-70mm F3.5-5.6. I am sure it succeeded.
What can I say about other lenses is that I did not have enough time to take a closer look at all could crash my face because they were furious with me so much. And I left the Sony hall very quickly. But I was able to get away with many good pictures taken by my camera.To gain a better understanding of a specific character of lenses choosing I made a Digital SLR optical systems glossary.
P.S. What about myself - I have a very special problem with my Sony A100 and lenses - I'm writing a blog about Saunas, Hamams and Russian banyas. And I'm in need of special lenses and cases for shooting in the hot and damp bath rooms. To get a result like this one.
P.P.S. In the title of the previous post I’ve promised to reveal How to shoot with 10 great Sony Alpha lenses and not to be beaten by salesmen. It’s not a problem to throw dust at Sony guys’ eyes and taste lenses without any purchase: I know much more about Sony Digital SLR cameras and I am extremely talkative…

How to shoot with 10 great Sony Alpha lenses and not to be beaten by salesmen

A few days ago I was lucky to visit an exhibition with many groovy photo devices from various manufacturers. It was great because Sony guys allowed me to make use of many interesting gadgets for my Sony A100. What can I say; their method to conquer DSLR market by Alpha guide is very impressing. In previos post I wrote that after Sony A-100 the next big news from this manufacturer is the announcement of two professional additions: A-1 and A-10.
First of all I took advantage of a special device for macro shooting with 50mm F2.8 and 100mm F2.8 Macro lenses. Of course these gadgets were excellent and I was so sorry about those cockroaches absent at the exhibition. I think that these facilities are useful for those who are very fond of flowers and insects. But they will have to pay about $479 for SAL-50M2.8
It is advertised as “a compact macro-focus lens that covers the full range from life-size to infinity”.
Specifications:
Focus Range Limiter for faster auto-focusing
Focus Hold button for full creative control
Auto Clutch to stop manual focus ring rotation
Circular Aperture for pleasing defocused effects
Min Focus Distance: 7.8” (20 cm)
Maximum Magnification: 1.0X
Lens Construction: 7 elements in 6 groups with 7 aperture blades
Filter Diameter: 55 mm
Dimensions: 2-13/16 x 2-3/8” (71 x 60 mm)
Weight: 10-3/8 oz (295 g)
Moreover they will have to pay for “the superb macro-focus lens for both close-up and distant subjects” SAL-100M2.8 about $679. The pleasure to love butterflies is really expensive!
Specifications:
High contrast, high-resolution image quality
Focus Range Limiter for faster auto-focusing
Focus Hold button for full creative control
Auto Clutch to stop manual focus ring rotation
Circular Aperture for pleasing defocused effects
Min Focus Distance: 1’ 2.4” (35 cm)
Maximum Magnification: 1.0X
Lens Construction: 8 elements in 8 groups with 9 aperture blades
Filter Diameter: 55 mm
Dimensions: 3 x 4” (75 x 98.5 mm)
Weight: 1 lb 2 oz (505 g)
I made the next stop at SAL-300F28G - 300mm f/2.8 G-Series Super Telephoto Lens. “The brilliant long-distance lens with wide aperture and fast auto-focus response” costs ‘only’ $5999 but what is the pleasure to take pictures with it! Focusing is very fast and fairly accurate. Wide opening is occasionally exhibits some softness, which I believe is primarily due to slight front focusing behavior. When focus hits just right, it is very sharp at any aperture. Image quality is really great. What good-looking girls I could see and shoot with this biggest gun in my arsenal! One can envy pro- photographers who can work with this perfection. But it's hard to see me on my favourite Koh Chang Island with this two-and-half kilogramms a six thousand "diamond"! Still I have another blog: The Thai Tramp about it.
Sony advertises it as “For definitive long-shot precision and spectacular portraits even in low light, this professional G-Series lens raises the standard of DLSR performance. Its 35mm-equivalent 450mm focal length and ultra-bright f2.8 aperture combine for superb results in virtually any light -- and its high-speed SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) auto-focus are fast, accurate and quiet”.
Specifications:
Versatile focus hold with 4 buttons on lens
Electronic slider focus range selector switch
Maximum Magnification: 0.18X
Lens Construction: 13 elements in 12 groups with 9 aperture blades
Filter Diameter: 42 mm (internal)
Dimensions: 5-16 x 9-3/8” (122 x 242.5 mm)
Weight: 5 lb 5 oz (2.31 kg)
There was another reason to fall into confusion or to have an empty pocket: SAL-70200G - 70-200mm f/2.8 G-Series Telephoto Zoom Lens. It’s advertised as a precise zoom lens with bright aperture and fast, quiet auto-focus response. It costs about $2400. It’s 35mm-equivalent range of 105-300mm zooming, fast f/2.8 aperture and quiet. It really has a very speedy auto focus drive. But besides the high price they have another disadvantage: they are hard to travel with.
Specifications:
Versatile focus hold with 3 buttons on lens
Electronic slider focus range selector switch
Min Focus Distance: 4 ft (1.2 m)
Maximum Magnification: 0.21X
Lens Construction: 19 elements in 16 groups with 9 aperture blades
Filter Diameter: 77 mm
Dimensions: 3-1/2 x 7-3/4” (87 x 196.5 mm)
Weight: 2 lb 15.3 oz (1.34 kg)
In return SAL-500F80 - 500mm f/8 Reflex Super Telephoto Lens with auto-focus capability costs almost $700 and does not have so huge size as 300mm F2.8. It has a short barrel and compact, lightweight design. It is more convenient for field work on the wild and nature assignments as 70-200mm F2.8G. Its auto-focus capability makes it unique among reflex lenses of this class. This lens provides a 750mm focal length 35mm equivalent and takes advantage of Sony’s in-camera image stabilization system to reduce blur by compensating for shaky hands.
Specifications:
Min Focus Distance: 13 ft (4.0 m)
Maximum Magnification: 0.13X
Lens Construction: 7 elements in 5 groups
Filter Diameter: Internal
Dimensions: 3-5/8 x 4-3/4” (89 x 118 mm)
Weight: 1 lb 7.4 oz (665 g)
To be continued as: Choosing DSLR camera lenses: take a shoot before buying

Battle of the Giants. Sony’s ‘company’ Alpha tries to extort a piece of DSLR-market from Canon and Nikon

After the triumph of Sony A-100 the next big news from this manufacturer is the announcement of two additions: A-1 and A-10. Sony started with A-100 having taken the best innovations of Konica-Minolta a year ago. This first DSLR model ‘grew up’ from Konica-Minolta D5D including the latest devices: sensor, processor and others from Sony. It was very successful and the most available 10 megapixel DSLR camera on the market.
Unfortunately the only source of information is the news from the PMA 2007. Sony doesn’t give any detail on specifications, timing or pricing. All I know is that the first DSLR camera is a full frame high end amateur model. It will have a pentaprism VF and a 16 megapixel sensor. Moreover as A-100 camera every Alpha has the famous image stabilization system. I suppose that flagship model of Canon – EOS-1D Mark III gets a worthy rival. Probably it can compete with a Nikon ‘ghost’ SLR – D3 with full frame (1.1X sensor). But any information about Nikon D3H is available on Chinese special sites in the Chinese language. Their intelligence sources in the heart of Japan have confirmed some information about this camera.
New Model denomination: D3, most likely D3H Sensor Manufacturer: Either Sony (the most likely and important for Sony addicts) Megapixel rating: in the 18MP to 20MP range Expected announcement date: March 2007, at PMA Likely availability in store shelves around the world: October 2007 Surprise Feature: DX format high FPS rate High Speed Crop Mode
However it can hardly be good for us. Sony is going to launch the camera in the fall. We are expecting to hear more in the near future.
Unfortunately we have less information about the second camera A-10. It is going to have an absolutely new sensor, a great viewfinder and an enhanced Bionz processor. It will be a strong competitor for the Nikon D200 and arrive this year.
What’s about lenses – I wrote a post about it:How to shoot with 10 great Sony Alpha lenses and not to be beaten by salesmen. The Alpha squad already includes 21 devices. There are some Konica-Minolta lenses such as DT 18-70mm F3,5-6,3 or 75-300mm F4,5-5,6 cheap kit and very expensive Carl Zeiss optical systems: Vario-Sonnar T DT 16-80mm F3,5-4,5 ZA, Planar T 85mm F1,4 ZA and Sonnar T 135mm F1,8ZA. There is an interesting fisheye 16mm F2, 8, two teleconverters and a few Macro lenses. And now Sony makes it clear that it’s not a limit. In the PMA 2007 Sony showed a cool lens roadmap with 8 new zoom and fixed focal length concept lenses. There are three lenses which they expect to launch first: 24-70mm F2.8, 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 and a DT 18-250mm F3.5-6.3. And other five must be announced before the end of 2007. All of these have been designed and developed by Sony and not based on Konica Minolta designs.
P.S. I suppose that all of this information will make happy not only Sony DSLR fans because the appearance of a strong player forces Canon and Nikon to create new excellent DSLR cameras.
P.P.S. Some other sources announce that Sony DSC-W200 with 12 megapixel sensor can make Panasonic and other super pixel compact camera manufacturers to have a good cry.

Two new 3CCD High Definition AVCHD Camcorders from Panasonic - have we been waiting for these?

It has happened! Now we have two HD devices from Matsushita Electric with their traditional 3CCD sensors system. One model - HDC-DX1 can record and play DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R DL, DVD-R discs and SD/SDHC Memory Card. But it’s not only my opinion that DVD camcorders can’t make a high quality film because their processors are weak for that work. For example my PC with AMD Atlon XP+ 3000 needed about one night for encoding one film from MiniDV format to DVD. I think it is a problem for Matsushita engineers to build into the Panasonic HDC-DX1 something like the Core 2 Duo, although the HDC-SD1 is a more interesting camcorder. It has no moving parts in the recording section because SD-1 records to SDHC Memory Cards. However this compact model is the smallest HD camcorder now. As for SDHC-cards it concerns we already have 4 Gb cards and it is not a limit now. These two new models have some great features like Optical Image Stabilizer and 5.1-channel surround sound system with 5 microphones. Specialy for HD cams Leica Dicomar has designed new lens. The prices for new Panasonic HD-cams do not look terrible and are the same as for Sony’s HD camcorders. You can wait for the HDD or MiniDV HD camcorders but I think that HDC-SD1 is a cool device. But the price is cool too and this summer a lot of new models will appear on the market which can cause lessening of the prices.

Image Sensor	1/4" CCD x 3 (560 k x 3 pixels, Total / 520 k x 3 [16:9] (Motion Picture / Still Picture) Effective)
F Value	F 1.8 (wide) / 2.8 (tele)
Optical Zoom	12x Variable Speed Zoom
Focal Length	4.0 - 48.0 mm
Filter Diameter	43 mm
35 mm Film Camera Equivalent	38.5 - 462 mm [16:9] (Motion Picture / Still Picture)
Lens Brand	Leica Dicomar
Minimum Illumination	2 Lux (MagicPix)
Focus	AF / Manual
White Balance	Auto / White Set / Indoor / Outdoor (with IR Sensor)
High-Speed Shutter	1/60 - 1/8000 (Motion Picture), 1/60-1/8000 (Still Picture)
Iris	Auto / Manual
Backlight Compensation	Yes
Monitor	3,0" LCD 250,000 pix
Flash	1m-2.5m (approx.)
Microphone	Stereo 5ECM, 5.1-ch Surround Sound, Zoom Mic, Wind Noise Reduction
Date recording	Auto Date ( in Data Code)
Image Stabilizer	Optical
Digital Zoom	40x 700x
Self Timer	Yes (10sec. / 2sec. / OFF) (Only Photo)
Card Slot	SD/ SDHC
Still Pictures	JPEG Picture size: [16:9] 1920 x 1080 2.1MEGA
DPOF	Max. 999stills
PictBridge	Yes
INTERFACES: AV	Out
HDMI	Out
Microphone (Stereo mini)	Yes (in)
USB	2,0 High Speed (mini B)
Component Video	Out
Power Supply	DC 9.3 V / 7.2 V
Battery Pack	Lithium-Ion

Camera	HDC-SD1	HDC-DX1
Recording Format	AVCHD	AVCHD
Recording Time	HF: 40 min. / HN: 60 min. / HE: 90 min. (w / 4GB SDHC Memory Card)	HF: 28 min. / HN: 42 min. / HE: 62 min. (w / dual-sided RAM disc)
Recording Mode	HF / HN / HE HF: 13 Mbps / CBR, HN: 9 Mbps / VBR, HE: 6 Mbps / VBR	HF / HN / HE HF: 13 Mbps / CBR, HN: 9 Mbps / VBR, HE: 6 Mbps / VBR
Audio Recording Format	Dolby Digital (AC3) / 5.1ch or 2ch	Dolby Digital (AC3) / 5.1ch or 2ch
Thumbnail Display	8 Scenes / Page	8 Scenes / Page
Applicable Disc		8cm DVD-RAM Ver.2.1 / 8cm DVD-R for General Ver. 2.0 / 8cm DVD-RW Ver.1.1 2x-speed(2x / 1x), DVD-R for DL Ver.3.0
Power Consumption	8.0W	11.4W
Weight (w/o Battery)	430 g	680 g
Dimensions (W x H x D)	74.1 x 67 x 137 mm	91.5 x 90.2 x 162.4 mm
Prise abt.	US$1499	US$1399

I already wrote about HD camcorders such as Sony HandyCam: DCR-SR42E, DCR-SR62E, DCR-SR82E, DCR-SR200E and DCR-SR300E in my post:’ five new camcorders with hard disk drive’ and in the next post: ‘7 new 1CCD HD camcorders from Sony – any reasons to buy some or wait for 3CCD cams’. And I had a long talk (walk) with beautiful showgirl from Panasonic. Therefore my opinion is: 3CCD HD camcorder with Memory Card is the best but a tiny bit expensive. The Hard Disc drive is just a little delicate for travelers. While for this day Mini DV devices has too long history.
What about other mfrs. look at:
- 3 Canon's HD camcorders: HV10, HV20 and HR10; is only PowerShot TX1 still groovy?
- Puppet Sanyo Xacti HD2 vs clever Canon HV20 or groovy JVC GZ-HD7: it's time to buy a HD-camcorder or wait?
- Aiptek GO-HD vs Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 or HD2; $299 HD camcorder attacks HD market.

The summary table of the best SLR-like camera specifications

I don’t know who gives rise to SLR-like cameras. May be this strange kind of photo devices was born because some marketing experts wanted to have a new piece of digital camera market. Some opticians may have created such an excellent universal lens that forced them to build a special camera for it. But now we see this sort of cameras for people who are ready to have a cool and big device without any SLR complexities. For those who want to capture a moment without changing (and buying) lenses. It is interesting that Canon and Nikon made their best SLR-like cameras in 2004. But Sony and Panasonic (with there lenses manufacturers Carl Zeiss and Leica) are showing activity in SLR-like market right now.
More SLR-like camera's Comparison.
I have made that table because it’s impossible to talk about photo cameras while not mentioning SLR-like ones. However when I hold Sony DSC-R1 in my hands I recall old machine gun advertisement: Better means to get back at neighbors!

Camera Nikon Coolpix 8700 Canon PowerShot Pro1 Olympus SP-550 UZ Panasonic DMC-FZ50 Fujifilm FinePix S9100 Sony DSC-R1 Samsung Pro815 Format SLR-like SLR-like SLR-like SLR-like SLR-like SLR-like SLR-like Max resolution 3264 x 2448 3264 x 2448 3072 x 2304 3648 x 2736 3488 x 2616 3888 x 2592 3264 x 2448 Min resolution 2592 x 1944... 640 x 480 2272 x 1704... 640 x 480 2560 x 1920... 640 x 480 3264 x 2448... 1600 x1200 2592 x 1944... 640 x 480 3264 x 2176... 1296 x 864 2400 x 1800... 640 x 480 Image ratio w:h 4:3 4:3 4:3, 3:2 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 4:3, 3:2 3:2 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 Effective pixels 8.0 million 8.0 million 7.1 million 10,0 million 9.1 million 10.0 million 8.0 million Sensor photo detectors 8.3 million 8.3 million 7.4 million 10,4 million 9.2 million 10.8 million 8.3 million Sensor size mm 2/3 " (8.80 x 6.60 mm) 2/3" (8.80 x 6.60 mm) 1/2.5 " 1/1.8 " (7.18 x 5.32 mm) 1/1.6 " 21.5 x 14.4 mm 2/3 " (8.80 x 6.60 mm) Sensor type CCD CCD CCD CCD CCD CMOS CCD Sensor mfr. Sony ? Matsushita Matsushita Fujifilm SuperCCD V HR Sony ISO rating Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400 50, 100, 200, 400 Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, (5000 with limitations) Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, (3200 boost) Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 Auto, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400 Zoom wide (W) 35 mm 28 mm 28 mm 35 mm 28 mm 24 mm 28 mm Zoom tele (T) 280 mm (8 x) 200 mm (7.1 x) 504 mm (18 x) 420 mm (12 x) 300 mm (10.7 x) 120 mm (5 x) 420 mm (15 x) Normal focus range 50 cm 50 cm 10 cm 30 cm ? ? 10 cm Macro focus range 3 cm 3 / 10 cm 1 cm 5 cm ? ? 3 cm Auto focus tape ? TTL, FlexiZone TTL TTL ? Multi-Point AF (5 area), Center AF, Spot AF (flexible) TTL White balance override 5 positions, fine tunable, manual preset 6 positions & manual preset 5 positions, plus manual 4 positions, plus 2 manual 6 positions plus manual 5 positions plus manual 5 positions plus manual Aperture range F2.8 - F8 (wide), F4.2 - F7.4 (tele) F2.4 - F3.5 / F8 F2.8 - F4.5 F2.8 - F3.7 / F11 F2.8 - F4.9 F2.8 - F4.8 / F16 F2.2 - F4.6 / ? Min shutter 8 sec + Bulb 15 sec 15 sec 60 sec 30 sec 30 sec (Bulb 3 mins) 30 sec Max shutter 1/4000 sec 1/4000 sec 1/2000 sec 1/2000 sec 1/4000 sec 1/2000 sec 1/4000 sec Built-in flash Yes, pop-up Yes, pop-up Yes, pop-up Yes, pop-up Yes, pop-up Yes, pop-up Yes Flash guide nu. 4 m (13.1 ft) m 5.0 m (16.4 ft) 0 m 4.5 m (14.7 ft) 5 m 7 m (22.9 ft) m 5.6 m (18.3 ft) 6 m 8.5 m (27.8 ft) 5 m 3.7 m (12.1 ft) 7 m External flash Yes, ISO 518 hot-shoe Yes, hot-shoe No Yes, hot-shoe Yes, hot-shoe Yes, hot-shoe Yes, hot-shoe Flash modes Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow, Off Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off Auto, Red-Eye, Forced, Off, Slow 1&2, External Auto, Red-Eye Auto, On, Red-Eye On, Red-Eye Slow Sync, Off, Slow Sync (1&2) Auto, On, Red-eye reduction, Slow, Off Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Auto red-eye, Slow Sync Exposure compensation -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps -2 to +2 EV in 0.3 EV steps -2.0 to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV Steps -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps Metering 256 segment Matrix, Center-Weighted, Spot, Spot AF Area Evaluative, Center Weighted, Spot ESP multi-pattern, Center-Weighted, Spot Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot 256 segment, CW-average, Spot Multi-Segment, Center weighted, Spot Multi, Center weighted, Spot Lens thread Req. optional adapter Yes, optional Bayonet ? Yes, 55 mm 67 mm No Continuous Drive Yes, 2.5 fps; 5 images, 1.2 fps; 12 images Yes, 2.5 fps, max 6 images Yes, 15 fps (1.2 MP), 7 fps (3 MP), 1.2 fps (Full size) Yes 2 or 1 fps, max 3/5 images Yes, 1.5 fps, up to 4 frames Yes, 3 fps, 3 images Yes, 1.5/2.5 fps Movie Clips 640 x 480; 30 fps; 35 sec, 320 x 240; 5 fps; 180 sec with audio 640 x 480, 15 fps, audio, max 3 mins Yes, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 30 fps 848 x 480, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 30 or 10 fps, audio, unlimited 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 30 fps with audio No 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120, 25/15 fps Remote control USB wired (Optional) Wireless ? ? No Optional wired ? Self-timer 3 or 10 sec 2 or 10 sec Yes 2 or 10 sec 2 or 10 sec 10 sec 2 or 10 sec Orientation sensor No Yes No Yes No No No Storage types Compact Flash (Type I or II) Compact Flash (Type I or II) xD Picture Card + Internal SD/MMC/SDHC card xD Picture Card + Compact Flash Type I or II SD/MMC card Memory Stick / Pro, Compact Flash (Type I or II) Compact Flash Type I or II Storage included ? 64 MB CompactFlash 20 MB Internal 32 MB SD card ? None ? Format RAW, TIFF / JPEG RAW / JPEG (EXIF 2.2) RAW / JPEG (EXIF 2.2) RAW / JPEG (EXIF 2.2) RAW / JPEG (EXIF 2.2) RAW / JPEG (EXIF 2.2) RAW, TIFF / JPEG (EXIF 2.2) Quality Levels Raw, Hi, Fine, Normal, Basic RAW, Super-Fine Fine, Normal Standard, High, Super High Fine, Standard Normal, Fine Standard, Fine Super fine, Fine, Normal Viewfinder Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic TTL LCD/Pixels 1.8 " (flip-out & twist) / 134,000 2,0"/ 235,000 (flip-out & twist) 2.5" Flip-up /230,000 2,0"/ 207,000 (flip-down & twist) 2,0"/ 235,000 2,0"/ 134,000 3,5"/ 235,000 Video out/USB Yes Yes, 2.0 Yes Yes, 2.0 Yes, 2.0 Yes, 2.0 Yes, 2.0 Battery Nikon EN-EL1 Lithium-Ion & charger included Canon Lithium-Ion & charger AA (4) batteries (NiMH recommended) Lithium-Ion rechargeable AA (4) batteries (NiMH recommended) InfoLithium (NP-FM50) & charger Lithium-Ion rechargeable Weight (inc. batteries) 512 g (18.1 oz) 640 g 460 g (16.2 oz) 734 g (25.9 oz) 750 g (26.5 oz) 995 g (35.1 oz) 910 g (32.1 oz) Dimensions 113 x 105 x 78 mm (4.5 x 4.1 x 3.1 in) 118 x 72 x 90 mm (4.6 x 2.8 x 3.5 in) 116 x 79 x 78 mm (4.6 x 3.1 x 3.1 in) 141 x 86 x 142 mm (5.6 x 3.4 x 5.6 in) 128 x 93 x 129 mm (5 x 3.7 x 5.1 in 139 x 168 x 97 mm (5.5 x 6.6 x 3.8 in) 136 x 87 x 79 mm (5.4 x 3.4 x 3.1 in) Notes Best-Shot selector, Manual ISO control, manual white balance ND filter, "L" lens Panasonic's first digital SLR Mechanically linked zoom Also known as Fujifilmn FinePix S9600 Carl Zeiss T* lens, mechanically linked zoom ring, first all-in-one with APS-C size sensor Price abt. US$ US$ US$486 US$501 US$496 US$775 US$545

I’m continued to write about most important SLR-like Ultra-zoom cameras in my next post:’ Choosing Digital zoom cam: Canon Power Shot S5 IS can fight with Sony DSC-H9 or H7; Canon, you really can?’ Moreover my best friend is choosing such Digital camera right now. And I’ll already write about which gadget he will buy.
For more information about SLR-like cameras look at: Canon PowerShot S5 vs EOS350D, Sony H9 vs A100; SLR-like cam never comes to SLR or 7 best SLR-like’s specification table; Sony DSC-H5 as a cheap & clever choice and Choosing SLR-like’s compare Panasonic DMC-FZ8, Olympus SP-550 and Fujifilm IS-1/S9600. Good, expensive and very expensive posts. But for those who want to make a deliberate choice I would recommend to analize the content of my:
- SLR's price-cutting: $250's Canon XT vs. $500's Canon S5; 10 motives to spit upon SLR-like and buy cheap SLR
- Sony A100 vs Nikon D80 more worthy than Sony A100 vs DSC-H9/H7.