Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

If you watch TV, even skipping the commercials, you've probably seen Nikon's Ashton Kutcher commercials. Nikon has been out-advertising Canon at every turn as far as I can tell, but it looks like Canon is finally fighting back - and they're starting with a promotion starring Avril Lavigne. I screen-capped the above image from a commercial I saw on TV - though I think this is only part of Canon Canada's promotion. Has anyone else seen Canon doing any "star promotions" in their own country?

"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.

"The Canon PowerShot E1 is the newest addition to the company's popular PowerShot line, within which it represents the starting point of an entirely new sub-range, allegedly "designed by women for women". The main point of differentiation is a curvaceous design complemented by hip colours - the E1 is available in an eye-catching pink, cyan and white. The Canon E1 also features a 10 megapixel sensor, a 4x zoom lens with optical image stabilisation, a 2.5" LCD screen, an optical viewfinder, Face Detection, 17 shooting modes including VGA video capture at 30fps, an Infinity Focus mode for enhanced responsiveness and a Macro mode that lets you focus on subjects that are just 3cms away from the front lens element. Retailing for $199.99 / £159.99 on launch, Zoltan Arva-Toth found out if the Canon PowerShot E1 also appeals to the male photographer..."

Designed by women for women? Well, these definitely do look different from any other camera I've seen - but will they appeal to woman? I think so - I could see my wife liking the design, though I think for any woman the ease of use and ease of carrying matter more than the colour. The buttons look like they're a reasonable size, which might be a result of feedback - I know some of the buttons on my point and shoot cameras are so small it would be hard for anyone with nails to manipulate them. Of course, not all woman have long nails, so not every woman would care about that. Gee, it's hard to generalize about a gender isn't it?

"The Canon Digital IXUS 980 IS / Powershot SD990 IS is one of Canon's new top of the range compact digital camera - not only do you get a whopping 14.7 megapixels, but it the first IXUS to feature full manual controls, including manual focus, aperture and shutter settings! It's also one of the first IXUS cameras to be available in black. The camera has a 3.7x optical zoom lens with image stabilisation, a 2.5" LCD screen, VGA video recording, an optical viewfinder and face detection focus. The Canon Digital IXUS 980 IS is available from around £259. The camera is enclosed in a stylish metal body that measures approx. 96.7 x 62.2 x 27.9mm (excluding protrusions), and weighs approx. 160g. excluding battery and memory card."

If you are looking for a compact camera that does not skimp on features, the latest offering from Canon will be hard to pass up. Check out the full review for some pretty impressive sample pictures.

"Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet got his hands on a Canon 5D MkII for a weekend. Rather than shoot some quick stills, he rounded up an entire film crew and put them to work using the amazing 1080p video capture it offers - in helicopters, no less! When SmugMug heard about this, we went bananas and offered to host both the short film itself, Reverie, as well as the Behind the Scenes footage."

Seeing is believing, so the best thing I can say is to watch the video: there's a Quicktime version of the video over on Canon's site, or there's the h.264 Flash-based version on Smugmug. They both look great! Vincent Laforet's blog has a bunch of info about the video, how hit was shot, etc. I really have to hand it to Canon, they've created a whole new generation of DSLRs with shockingly impressive video capabilities. I want to see this type of technology trickle down to Canon's point and shoot line - it's ridiculous that the best Canon has done with their small cameras is 640 x 480 resolution video, though with one camera they've finally moved to h.264. I wouldn't expect the same quality of video on a small $400 point and shoot camera, but at the very least I hope Canon gives us h.264 720p video (and no, the TX1 doesn't count).

"Canon strengthens its PowerShot range of digital cameras with the addition of a new SX "Super Zoom" model: the 9 Megapixel PowerShot SX110 IS, which replaces the popular SX100 IS. Featuring a 10x optical zoom with optical Image Stabilizer - plus a 3.0" LCD - the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS delivers outstanding telephoto reach in an even more compact and lightweight body. A full range of Canon technologies - including Face Detection Technology, Motion Detection Technology and a new Easy Mode - help everyone take great photos, while experienced users can also enjoy the creative possibilities offered by full manual control."

For some reason, I really like the look of this camera - the rounded edges make it look like it would be really easy to hold and control. The pop-up flash, and overall design, remind me of the point and shoot cameras from 15 years ago. The SX110 certainly doesn't lack in features though: the combination of 10x optical zoom and image stabilization, along with 9 megapixel images, would make for a decent all-around camera. I'm kind of aghast at all of the specs that Canon printed on the front of the camera though - does it really need to say 10x optical zoom if it already says that on the lens? And do we really need to be reminded that it's a 9 megapixel camera every time we pick it up?

"Almost exactly a year after the arrival of the EOS 40D, Canon has announced the 50D, which we're assured will be a sister-model, rather than a replacement. Recent history has seen Canon release new models every 18 months-or-so but it's been a busy year with newcomers such as the Nikon D300 getting a lot of attention in the 40D's keen amateur/professional segment. The 50D puts essentially a 40D body wrapped around a newly-developed 15 megapixel sensor that finally rectifies the situation in which Canon's x0D range trailed the company's entry-level line, in pixel terms....The other big change is the inclusion of a new, high-resolution LCD screen. 920,000 dots mean that it can convey 640 x 480 RGB pixels, making it effectively a VGA standard monitor. Three anti-reflection layers built into the screen do their best to keep it useable in bright conditions, too."

If you've got your eye on the new Canon EOS 50D, this preview article has a wealth of detailed information worth checking out.

15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor? Check. DIGIC 4 series processor? Check. Dust reduction and auto brightness processing? Check. 95% viewfinder, .97 magnification? Check. ISO 100 to 12,800? Check. 6.3 FPS burst mode? Check. Three inch VGA-resolution screen? Check. Magnesium alloy body? Check. Canon fans, is this your next camera?

"When Canon launched the EOS 300D back in 2003 it was widely regarded as the first affordable digital SLR and secured Canon a seemingly indomitable number-one spot in the market. Since then the 'small' Canon has gone through three further iterations and the current model - the EOS 450D - offers a feature set and image quality that could only have been dreamed about five years ago (and at a price point well below the 300D's). However, the competition haven't been idle spectators and have recently launched a number of de-spec'ed cameras that have redefined the entry level segment and undercut the EOS 450D in the DSLR hierarchy. Canon has now responded to this mounting pressure by launching a new model one tier below the 450D in its current lineup - the EOS 1000D. It shares bits and pieces with Rebels gone by and, depending from which angle you look at it, the new model is either a stripped down 450D or a 'reheated' 400D. It's a lower specification camera than the 450D, by every measure you might see listed on the shop shelf, but is not the huge step down that its market positioning might lead you to expect. ...the headlines are: a 10MP sensor, 2.5 in LCD monitor, 7-point AF system and no spot-metering (like the 400D) but gaining Live View with both phase- and contrast-detect AF, SD/SDHC for storage and a control and menu layout that is pretty much identical to the EOS 450D's."

While I can clearly tell from the review about what the differences are between the 450D and the 1000D, I am not entirely sure whether the 1000D is anything more than a refresh. I wonder if Canon is simply reacting to pressure rather than creating unique and superior products that will help it corner the market, as I feel Nikon is doing. By itself the 1000D is a solid camera that gets a great review, I just hope that the new higher end camera (5D Mark II) that is expected from Canon in the next month or two wows us a little more.

"Announced early 2008, the Canon Powershot A590 IS is one of Canon's new compact A series digital cameras with image stabilisation. It features a 4x optical zoom lens, a 2.5" LCD screen, VGA video recording, a 8 megapixel sensor and face detection focus. The Canon Powershot A590 IS is available from around £113 which is very good value for money. The camera is enclosed in a robust two tone metallic grey finished body. The camera measures approx. 94.3 x 64.7 x 40.8mm (excluding protrusions), and weighs approx. 175g. excluding battery and memory card."

Honestly, the summary "The Canon Powershot A590 IS is a robust compact camera that provides an impressive 2.5" LCD screen, 8 megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom lens and image stabilisation" seems to be so the same these days. I guess I have been reading too many camera reviews. :-) Having said this, there are a number of notable things about this camera - the great battery life, good image quality, and a 2.5" LCD screen. I was at Adorama in New York today, and I thought it was a little bulky, but generally liked it. Best part is that for well under $200, you get the camera and a ton of accessories (SD card, mini-tripod, and a camera case).

"From Sunday, May 18 to Saturday, July 19, Canon tells us it will give customers instant rebates—that is, the good kind, not that mail-in crap—on higher-end DSLRs and lenses. We're talking up to $125 off some serious glass, plus $200 off the EOS 40D and $300 off of the EOS 5D. (Maybe they're making room for its successor?) Check out the full lineup of rebates below."

This makes me really want to buy the 5D but I have waited for the 5D successor for such a long time that I think I am going to wait a little longer. And after seeing the Nikon D3, I have high hopes from the 5D sucessor. However, it might be time to pick up some glass though. Gotta love the instant rebates!

"Whether human or camera, it's always hard following in the footsteps of a popular sibling, and the near-universally well-liked Canon PowerShot SD850 IS is a harder act to follow than most. Rather than simply bump up the resolution and zoom range for the SD890 IS--it's now 10 megapixels, up from 8, and 5x zoom, up from 4x--Canon chose to redesign the camera as well. The result is an almost completely different--and ultimately not as satisfying--compact point-and-shoot. With its thick 2.3-by-3.8-by-1.1-inch body, the 6.5-ounce camera can slide somewhat comfortably into a loose pants pocket. The SD890 IS sports a much curvier design than its predecessor, including a gently sloping front where you grip the camera."

What I have been hearing about the SD890 IS over the last few weeks seems to be confirmed by this article. People seem to be generally disappointed by the usually solid Powershot series by Canon. Don't get me wrong, it still takes great pictures, but the camera is disappointing in a lot of small things that add up to why it is getting a relatively mediocre 7/10 in many reviews. For example, the camera frip has become a lot smaller, it has shown poor shot-to-shot performance, it has a small LCD, an awkward design and it does not support optical zoom in movie capture mode. I feel that when one is spending over $300 for a camera, all these things become important. Time to pass on the 890 and wait for the 895?

"We've just been handed a production version of the new Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi and have done our best to bring you some sample images. The London weather has done us no favors but we thought you'd be eager to find out how its 12.2 megapixel images look so we persevered. A mixture of lenses and ISO settings were used to try to give an all-round impression of the camera's behavior and, as always, you can download the original files to scrutinize."

Normally I won't post on just preview pictures but you just have to look at some of these. I am quite impressed with the crispness of the various images as well as the colors. Very nice! Can't wait for a full detailed review.

The following is a post I made on my perosnal blog a couple weeks back, in regards to my frustration and dissatisfaction with my Canon camera's. Jason asked if I would be interested in sharing this with the Digital Home Thoughts community as there is a great interest in camera's and it could prove valuable information to anyone thinking of buying a camera in the near future. Since this post was written, I have purchased a Nikon s700 P&S camera and have been very happy with it. And for the record, I'm still waiting for my Canon to return from repair.

I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but time has run out and Canon has proved to me that they don't know anything about building a quality camera. The overall pictures and performance of their cameras are good, but the build quality and life expectancy is poor to say the least.

My first digital camera was the Canon G1 - a great semi-pro camera. I purchased the extended warranty on it - something I normally wouldn't do. However this time the price of the camera, $1300 or so, made me think twice and it turned out to be a good thing. About 6 months into the extended warranty the camera would no longer charge. I sent it in for repair and it turns out some small part of the internal charger died and had to be replaced. Total cost would have been $350. :-( Thankfully it was covered and I didn't pay a dime - just lost the use of the camera for a month. Read more...