Some Camera Talk

DLSR's

The DSLR world is abuzz with recent product announcements like the Canon 1DX and Nikon D4 as well as rumored prospective camera announcements such as the D800 and 5D Mark II replacement.  Right now it's difficult to say which of the four will really lead the pack of next-generation DSLRS.  

For the non-professional photo enthusiast, the biggest difference with Canon and Nikon's flagships is price and size.  They cost twice as much, weigh over 50% more, and are larger than the D800 and 5D.  Aside from price, I feel the size and weight really detracts from the usefulness of this camera.  Sure, in a studio or maybe at a wedding this wouldn't make a difference, but I doubt I'd want to lug one of these behemoths around on vacation.  

The next major difference between these cameras, all of which have a full frame sensor, is sensor megapixel count.  The 1DX sports 18.1 megapixels compared to 16.2 on the D4.  The D800 is rumored to boast over 30 megapixels while the 5D replacement is said to capture around 20 megapixels.  This brings up the issue of better low light capabilities of the lower megapixel cameras (and hence larger pixels) versus the better ability to create large prints with more pixels.  The issue becomes even more convoluted when one considers that when a 30-megapixel image is resized down to 16 or 18 megapixels, the noise would be much less apparent than in the original size.  

Right now, it looks like only real world performance will tell the truth regarding these four cameras.  Perhaps the high megapixel D800 and 5D3 will hold their own against their higher-priced brethren or maybe the flagships will show off image quality that truly makes them worth the extra money.

These cameras will all sport a HD movie mode as well and all will most likely trump the 5D Mark II in quality, but I feel this point is moot in that I do not believe any of the 4 will top the quality of a hacked Panasonic GH2.  With a GH3 on the horizon I doubt anything from Canon or Nikon will become the new king of DSLR video, especially with the GH2 performing relatively closely to Canon's $16,000 C300.

As a finally note, I'm still putting my weight behind the theory that the next 5D will be called the 5DX.  This would clearly put it in the same family as the 1DX (which it should be).  Further adding credence to this, is the fact that Canon's newest Digic 5 G-series Powershot is named the G1X.  I think the X is going to denote high-performance, Digic 5 cameras.  

Nikon 1 Series

The new Nikon V1 and J1, part of Nikons new mirrorless, interchangeable lens "1 series," have been getting horrible reviews despite selling quite well.  The problem is that they are too often being compared to cameras in a different class.  The point of the V1/J1 is ultra-portability, with decent image quality and the freedom to change the lens.  These cameras should be regarded as point-and-shoots with DSLR-like usability rather than DSLR-like image quality.

Too often the 1 series is compared to the cheaper and similarly sized Sony NEX3.  While the NEX may provide better image quality, the standard 18-55mm zoom lens (the full frame equivalent of 27-82.5mm) is  almost 2.5 inches long whereas the standard 10-30mm zoom lens (the full frame equivalent of 27-81mm) is only 1.7 inches long and weighs about half as much.  For the length of the NEX lens you could put a 30-110mm zoom on the V1 or J1 (27-300 in full frame terms).  Even just considering the standard zoom lenses plus camera thickness, we're talking about 3.8 inches for the NEX versus 2.9 inches for the Nikon.  An inch may not sound like much, but to put things in perspective, a Panasonic GH2 with a 14-42mm kit lens is about the same depth as a NEX3 with an 18-55 lens.  Also the 5D Mark II with a 50mm prime is just one inch deeper than the NEX.  Yes, an inch does make a difference here.  

Let's face it, no one is really going to use either the NEX3 or V1/J1 to create large prints.  Most stuff is going on Facebook or Flickr.  On Flickr, both cameras look quite similar in low light.  These cameras simply aren't for pixel-peepers.  For it's size, I think the 1 series is a worthy contender.