Olympus E-500

The new Olympus E-500 camera represents an excellent choice for keen photographers who want better performance, functionality and flexibility than a high-end digicam can provide. The E-500 is the lightest interchangeable-lens DSLR available and, with the supplied 14-45mm lens attached, one of the most comfortable to hold and operate. With its 8-megapixel, Four Thirds System CCD sensor it can also capture 8-megapixel images in RAW, TIFF or JPEG format.

Olympus E-450

9 Rating

The latest entry-level DSLR camera from Olympus boasts an affordable price tag and provides above-average image quality.Announced at the end of March, the Olympus E-450 follows hot on the heels of the E-620 and replaces the E-420 at the entry level of the company’s DSLR line-up. Its specifications are almost identical to the E-420, but the E-450 adds three of the Art Filters that were introduced last year with the E-30 and boasts an upgraded image processor. Sensibly, sensor resolution has been kept at 10-megapixels and the top sensitivity setting is ISO 1600.

Nikon D90

8.8 Rating

The first enthusiast-level DSLR camera to support high-definition video recording.It was only a matter of time before one of the camera manufacturers figured out the Live View mode on a DSLR required a video image and then came up with some way to record it. Olympus was hinting at this potential back in January 2006, when the E-330 (the first camera with live viewing) was announced. But Nikon was first to the post with the D90 and Canon is following with the just-announced EOD 5D Mark II.

Nikon D5100

8.5 Rating

An update to the popular D5000 with an improved monitor plus Full HD video support and seven built-in special effects.Nikon’s D5100 DSLR arrives just a year after the release of the D5000 it replaces, offering higher resolution, improved video performance and a more adjustable LCD monitor. Slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor, it’s the first Nikon DSLR with built-in special effects. Full HD (1080p) movie recording is also supported.

Nikon D50

Designed and priced to attract ‘family’ photographers, Nikon’s D50 is the second DSLR on the market to use an SD card for image storage, rather than the CF card type used by other DSLRs. The saving in space has produced a slightly smaller and lighter camera than the D70 model, which remains on the market in the form of the D70s. The D50 is cheaper than the D70s, which will make it attractive to newcomers to DSLR photography. But it has many similar features, although some functions have been eliminated and others made simpler to use.

Nikon D3X

9 Rating

A professional DSLR that rivals medium format cameras in imaging performance. When Nikon unveiled its new D3X DSLR camera on 1 December, it was to mixed reactions. Launched as a successor to the popular Nikon D3, which was released in November 2007, it offers roughly double the resolution of the D3 (and the D700, which uses the same sensor). However, when its price tag was revealed a couple of weeks later, many reviewers were less than impressed. The reason: the D3X is in many respects identical to its sibling, but you’re paying a high price for all those extra pixels.

Konica Minolta Dynax 7D

In this review we’ll cover aspects of the Konica Minolta Dynax 7D that were not reported on in our ‘First Look’ in the last issue, and look at how well the camera performed in our standard suite of tests. Our tests were carried out on a production model supplied with two lenses: the new AF 17 – 35mm f2.8 – 4(D) and the AF 70 – 210mm f4.5 – 5.6 II. Changing from one lens to the other highlighted the snug fit of the lenses; you have to be spot on to engage the lens mount with the 7D’s body.

Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

8.5 Rating

A capable, but pricey, high-resolution DSLR camera with some functions that will particularly suit portrait photographers.Fujifilm’s long-awaited successor to the FinePix S3 Pro is also built around a Nikon body (see illustrations in full review tab) and designed for Nikon AF lenses. However, the new S5 Pro takes Nikon’s D200 magnesium alloy body as its shell, instead of the film-burning F80, which was used for the S3 Pro. The result is a camera with superior construction, a more solid feel and much better digital integration. The S5 Pro is also distinguished by Fujifilm’s Super CCD SR Pro sensor, which uses double pixel technology to deliver an expanded dynamic range in shots.

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro

Although it was unveiled in early February 2004, it took just over 11 months for Fujifilm’s FinePix S3 Pro to reach dealers’ shelves. The new model, which is targeted at professional photographers and high-end enthusiasts, is based on the Nikon F80 but, rather than using an existing Nikon body, it has a single-piece polycarbonate shell that has been customised for digital photography. It’s slightly wider and taller than its predecessor, but also marginally slimmer, with more rounded contours.

FIRST LOOK: Canon EOS 550D

A new, easy-to-operate camera for those looking to enter or step ahead in the creative world of DSLR photographyCanon’s EOS 550D, which was announced overnight, combines an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor ( the highest resolution in its class) with an easy-to-operate user interface. Featuring advanced technologies to underpin creative stills photography, the new camera can also record Full HD movie clips at a range of different frame rates. At first glance, the EOS 550D looks and feels like a winner.