Photo Review Reviews section

Canon EOS 40D

9 Rating

A feature-packed DSLR for enthusiasts and semi-professional photographers, which supports live viewing on the LCD monitor and 14-bit image processing.A replacement for Canon’s EOS 30D has been due for some time so the unveiling of the 10.1-megapixel EOS 40D at the end of August was no surprise. Nor was the inclusion of Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System, which was pioneered on the EOS 400D and is becoming a key technology for Canon’s DSLR cameras. However, the Live View function that lets users compose shots with the LCD monitor as they can with a digicam, was a real surprise – and the 3.0-inch display was a genuine bonus.

Canon EOS 400D

All the controls a serious photographer needs – plus a comprehensive dust-reduction system – in an affordable, high-performing DSLR.Canon obviously listened to its customers and researched the market thoroughly when designing its latest DSLR camera, the EOS 400D. While this model will replace the successful EOS 350D, it’s quite a different beast and offers significant improvements on its predecessor. Gone is the 350D’s small grip that caused photographers with large hands so much grief; it’s replaced by a slightly deeper hand-hold that’s much more comfortable.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

9 Rating

A sophisticated and versatile ‘full frame’ DSLR with the highest resolution available in this format thus far.Canon’s EOS-1Ds Mark III is the most sophisticated professional camera yet to emerge from the company’s stable. Replacing the EOS-1Ds Mark II, which was released towards the end of 2004, it is the fourth in the line that began in 2002 with the EOS-1Ds and includes the EOS 5D. Compared with the camera it replaces, some significant improvements have taken place as a result of three years of development.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon’s latest professional DSLR is based on the successful EOS-1Ds model of 2002. Like its predecessor, the Mark II has a full frame CMOS sensor and almost identical body and control layout. However, the new sensor carries 16.7 megapixels and includes much of the functionality of Canon’s other current ‘pro’ DSLR, the 8.2-megapixel EOS-1D Mark II, which was reviewed in issue 19 (October/November 2004). Canon has clearly positioned its new model to compete with the significantly more expensive medium format digital backs, showing confidence in the higher functionality, better specifications and lower price of the new model. And, with its tough, well-designed SLR body, high configurability and abundant controls, the EOS 1-Ds Mark II will take some beating, especially for wedding and sports photographers.

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

9.5 Rating

A leading-edge professional camera with high flexibility, ultra-fast response times and superb image quality.Released in the year of the 20th anniversary of the EOS band, the new EOS-1D Mark III is true to its EOS professional heritage. Canon’s most ambitions camera to date, it’s an amalgam of the best of Canon’s technologies and sports a water and dust resistant magnesium alloy body and a shutter that is rated for 300,000 cycles. It’s impossible to everything this remarkable camera offers in a single review so we’ve picked out the key features and new additions that place the EOS-1D Mark III so far in front of the current pack.

Canon EOS 1100D

9 Rating

A user-friendly entry-level DSLR that is compact, lightweight and available in three colours.The EOS 1100D steps into Canon’s DSLR line-up between the EOS 1000D and EOS 550D and features a 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor. Offered for the first time in three colours – Black, Metallic Grey and a limited edition Red – the EOS 1100D supports 720p HD video recording and introduces a new Feature Guide function that provides simple explanations of shooting modes and functions.

Sony Ericsson K750i

Many of the phonecam’s most zealous proponents are either arty types who fancy the low-tech quality of the images, or they are gadget geeks who, as a matter of course, simply love everything new and whizzy. However, as one who fits into both categories, I am sensible enough to understand that the average person likely doesn’t buy their phone for the quality of the camera. They set out to buy a phone and are happy to have the picture-taking capability included along with the other features.

Nokia N73

On paper Nokia’s N73 looks certainly looks the goods. The headline specification has to be its pairing of Carl Zeiss optics with a 3.2 megapixel imager (2048 x 1536 pixels), but there are other attractive photographic options rolled into the package such as the 15 fps video capture mode and the built-in flash. The phone is equipped with a miniSD card slot and, wonder of wonders, there was a usefully capacious 128MB card packaged with the test unit.

O2 XDA Atom

O2 describes the tiny XDA Atom as a PDA-phone. And so it is, but it’s also a 2 megapixel CMOS camera, an FM radio(!) and an MP3 player. Nor is it a slouch on the connectivity front, offering as it does Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone network compatibility, Bluetooth support, IrDA linking, as well as USB and Wireless LAN compliance. And all this functionality is managed with a touchscreen rather than a keypad.

Canon HV20

8.5 Rating

An attractive high-definition camcorder for family video shooters who also want to produce snapshot photos.Canon is targeting video shooters who own High Definition TV sets with its new HV20 camcorder, which will also appeal to many digital photographers. This compact camcorder shares many of the features of the DC51 model we reviewed in Issue 32 and even has the same sized sensor. However, on the HV20, CMOS technology is used for HD recording at 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and still images are captured at 3.1-megapixel resolution.