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Canon EOS Rebel T1i impressions, head-to-head with Nikon D5000
Make no mistake about it, the low / mid-range DSLR battle of early 2009 is on. Just over a month ago, Canon shook up the entry-level DSLR game with a shooter that packed a 1080p video mode, a 15.1 megapixel sensor and a price tag well below the magical $1,000 mark. Right around a fortnight later, Nikon not-at-all-coincidentally issued a new shooter in its own range, one that was no doubt built to rival the previously mentioned EOS Rebel T1i. Just this week, both of these bad boys showed up on our doorstep, and we've spent every waking minute since mashing buttons and capturing memories in order to give you our take on the pair. Care to hear more? Jump on past the break... and be sure to leave your fanboy suit at the door.
Canon EOS Rebel T1i vs. Nikon D5000... fight!
We can't quite recall if the last week in April of 2008 was jam packed with camera introductions, but you can go ahead and pencil this little stretch down as quite an important time in the lives of DSLR junkies. Nary 24 hours after we gave you our pair of pennies on Nikon's D5000, Canon's EOS Rebel T1i (its arch enemy, just so you know) has arrived. Based on specifications alone, the T1i looks like a much more serious shooter than the D5000, though its kit package -- which also includes an 18-55mm IS EF-S lens -- runs you $50 more and omits that all-too-intriguing articulating display. Instead, you get a fixed 3-inch Live View display (like the more expensive D90 over on the Nikon front), a 1080p movie mode (which trumps all Nikon DSLRs at the moment and matches the mighty EOS 5D Mark II), a ISO sensitivity up to 12,800 (the D5000 tops out at 6,400) and a 15.1 megapixel sensor (compared to the 12.3MP sensor in the D90 and D5000). We're going to run out and pit these two against each other in order to bring you a more thorough showdown soon, but for now, hop on past the break to see how the T1i -- which is shipping to the public today as well -- stacks up against the D5000 on paper. Oh, and check out the gallery if you're intrigued by world class knock-down-drag-outs.
Canon Rebel T1i trickling out to stores
Sure, the Nikon D5000 might have gotten itself a ship date today, but Canon's Rebel T1i is doing one better and actually turning up in stores a couple weeks ahead of its scheduled mid-May debut. This particular specimen was spotted at Bromfield Camera in Boston, but we'd love to hear if you've seen this guy pop up elsewhere -- let us know! [Thanks, Conrado]
Canon Rebel T1i / 500D gets unboxed
Sure, we've already seen a couple video clips, but Canon's new EOS Rebel T1i / 500D certainly deserves a proper unboxing, don't you think? Nothing you probably don't already know if you're into this cam, but we will say the menu screen looks a little nicer than on previous models. Hit the read links for the full rundown.
First Nikon D5000 and Canon T1i video clips appear
It's kind of strange that the most anticipated sample media from the latest crop of DSLRs is actually HD video, but that's the way the market's going, and the new Canon EOS Rebel T1i and Nikon D5000 are no exception. Demystifying Digital has footage from both, and while Nikon's newest seems to deliver essentially the same CMOS jelly-motion results from its 12.3 megapixel sensor as the D90, the T1i is a pleasant surprise -- we're not seeing much wiggle at 720p, which might be a result of the higher-res 15 megapixel sensor. We'll wait to see full-res samples and some actual still images before we crown a winner, but we'll tell you right now that neither one of these is going to make us leave a dedicated camcorder behind when it's important -- the lack of autofocus and the windblown internal mics just don't cut it. Videos after the break.Read - Nikon D5000Read - Canon T1i
Searching For Sonny: first feature film shot on a DSLR
What's the world coming too, really? Not only did we see the first official presidential portrait shot with a DSLR this year, but we're also seeing the first feature film to be entirely shot on one as well. Searching For Sonny has grabbed the rights to that latter claim, a little ditty written and directed by one Andrew Disney. As expected, we have Canon's almighty EOS 5D Mark II to thank, though Nikon fanboys will surely love that their lenses were used. Head past the break for a sneak peek, and hit up the read link on April 15th for the full trailer. Indie filmmakers, this is the break you've been waiting for -- don't screw it up.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II flash drive: just 21.1MP shy of awesomeness
You could say that this is the perfect USB flash drive for existing EOS 5D Mark II owners. We'd argue, however, that this is the perfect USB flash drive for those looking to just live vicariously while not shattering the bank. 'Course, $129.99 for a 4GB USB key is pretty absurd, but at least that gets you Live View and a 1080p movie mode. Er, wait...[Via Zungua]
Canon's EOS Digital Rebel T1i gets hands-on preview
It's early on, we know, but the EOS Digital Rebel T1i is already shaping up to be a winner. Merely hours after its official unveiling, the shutterbugs over at Imaging-Resource have put together a remarkably thorough hands-on preview that takes you through practically every feature offered on the new DSLR. One area of importance was the movie mode; we quickly noticed that Canon deliberately failed to mention the word "autofocus" when referencing "movie mode," and sure enough, the cam won't autofocus continuously. As with the D90, this little fact puts a huge damper on what would otherwise be an (even more) amazing feature, but we suppose we'll chalk it up to baby steps and just hope for better at PMA 2010. At any rate, everything else seemed to exceed expectations, with their beta unit delivering image quality "at least as good as the 50D." Hop to the read link for all the rest.
Hack provides Liveview Canon EOS DSLRs with video recording
If you're just now starting to come to grips with the fact that Canon's utterly succulent EOS 5D Mark II is just way, way out of reach, here's a little something to lessen the impact of your inferiority complex. An enterprising young buck with a passion to bring video capture abilities to other EOS cameras figured out a way to enable that very capability on all Liveview EOS DSLRs. Of course, there's still the whole "manual focus" requirement -- which means that the bulk of your captures will be way out of focus -- but it's a new feature for your existing camera nonetheless. Now that the cat's out of the bag, why don't you just push out an official update to add this into more cams, Canon? We mean, can you imagine the look on Nikon's face if you really came through?Read - The hackRead - Video capture from a Canon EOS 40D
Eos Wireless' Converge system streams audio all over your home
Considering that Eos Wireless is introducing its Converge wireless audio system at Macworld, it follows logic that the press release is geared towards Apple kit. So yeah, there's no question this stuff will stream jams from your iPod, iPhone, Apple TV or Mac to any room in the house, but you should also know that the system plays nice with the anti-Apple (but pro-USB / auxiliary port) crowd as well. It promises a wireless range of 150 feet, and it seems to be available in a variety of "Groups" depending on how complex or simplistic your home setup is. Look for the components to ship in March for as low as $89.95 per piece.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II unboxed
It's been on sale for a couple days now (at least in Shanghai), so it had to happen eventually -- you're witnessing the first tentative breaths of a Canon EOS 5D Mark II as it leaves the box. So many manuals to ignore! So many useless composite video cables and driver CDs to fill your drawers! So much bubble wrap to spend intimate moments with! It all goes down at the read link, kids.[Thanks, Mikha]
21.1 megapixel Canon EOS 5D Mark II with Full-Frame, Full-HD video
After a brief tease, Canon just got official with its EOS 5D Mark II. The full-frame shooter updates the original 5D introduced back in 2005 with a 24 x 36mm 21.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 processor with 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion, and the ability to capture Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 video -- take that Nikon D90 and your paltry 720p. We're talking expanded 50-25,600 ISO range,15-point autofocus with 9 selectable AF points, 3-inch Live View LCD offering 4x the pixels of the original 5D, and a 3.9fps burst for unlimited JPEGs or up to 14 RAW images when using a UDMA CF card.With regard to video leaked predicted by RED CEO last week, the EOS 5D Mark II captures Full HD video at 30fps as well as VGA / 30fps for the first time on any Canon SLR. Of course, it works with any of Canon's 60 EF lenses (and whatever Carl Zeiss cooks up) for ultra-wide-angle, fish-eye, macro, and super-telephoto videography. Video can be recorded at up to 4GB per clip which is equivalent to about 12 minutes of Full HD video or 24 minutes in VGA. Video clips are recorded in .MOV format using MPEG-4 video compression and linear PCM audio. You can even record with external stereo mics attached to an input terminal.At the end of November, Canon will sell the body-only for $2,699 or bundled with Canon's 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens for $3,499. Welcome back to the show Canon, we were starting to worry.%Gallery-32080%[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Carl Zeiss surprises with lenses for Canon's EOS EF mount
We don't cover too many lenses here at Engadget. However, when Carl Zeiss surprisingly announces support for Canon's EF mount, well, we're pretty sure you'd like to know. The first EOS compatible lenses in the ZE range will be the Planar T* 1.4/50mm (pictured) and 1.4/85mm manual focus lenses priced at $660 and $1,170, respectively, when they ship before the end of the year. [Via dpreview, thanks Brett D.]
Canon's EOS 50D product shots, test photo leaked
It's fairly obvious that the EOS 50D is on its way out into the world, especially considering those pics and specs we just caught wind of. Still, it's nice to see some decent images of the 15.1-megapixel DSLR, and thanks to a brief Canon Japan website slip-up, we're able to do just that. Check out one more view of the device after the break.
Canon EOS 7D rumors heat up again
Seriously, we've been hearing about the EOS 7D for well over a year now, with the chatter predictably heating up before every major trade show -- and with just over a month before Photokina, it's happening all over again. Hopefully Canon actually has this semi-legendary $1,899 full-frame DSLR to show us this time -- the 5D is getting pretty ancient.P.S.- We have no way of knowing if this image is real or not, so don't get too excited out there.[Thanks, David]
How would you change Canon's Rebel XSi?
For the DSLR hardcore, we doubt you waited much more than a day or two after launch before securing a Rebel XSi of your own, and for newcomers to the fold, you may have snatched one up after hordes of reviewers gave it an expected thumbs-up. Whatever the case, we're eager to know what's gone right and wrong with the first thousand or so clicks. Has it lived up to your expectations? Are you decidedly joyous about the image quality? Could anything stand to be tweaked / reworked / overhauled completely? You ponied up some serious change for this thing, so don't let emotion get in the way of telling Canon how you really feel.
Canon brewing yet another autofocus fix for EOS-1D Mark III?
Unfortunately, details are extraordinarily scant at the moment, but it appears that Canon is readying one more fix for the EOS-1D Mark III, which has been plagued with an autofocus issue for what seems like ages. Apparently, the forthcoming fix -- which could involve hardware and / or firmware alterations -- will make improvements even over last year's tweak. Reportedly, the firm's AF engineers are confident that they have now realized the "root cause" of the problem, hinting that this solution may in fact be the last. Per usual, there's been no clues handed out as to when users will actually be notified that a fix is available, but we're sure official word will stream out soon enough if there's anything to this.
Canon ships 30 millionth EOS SLR, 10 millionth EOS DSLR
It's been 20 years since Canon shipped the first film-based EOS 650 AF SLR, and although the camera industry has undergone some fundamental changes since, the EOS line remains as strong as ever. Canon announced today that it's now shipped over 30 million EOS cameras, and over 10 million digital EOS units since launching those in 2000 with the EOS D30. With popular models like the XTi / 400D flying off shelves, it looks like we've got another 20 years to look forward to -- congrats, Canon!
Canon's EOS-1D Mark III autofocus fix makes strides, stops short
Remember that autofocus fix that Canon was supposedly working up? Turns out, the company isn't quite ready to start accepting faulty EOS-1D Mark IIIs just yet, but it is shipping out upgraded versions to new buyers. Rob Galbraith managed to wrap his hands around not one, but three of the new DSLRs in order to substantiate his findings, and what he found was noticeable improvement. In summary, the sub-mirror fix was said to boost the performance of the AF, as it enabled the camera to deliver "about the same number of in-focus frames whether it was warm or cold." Unfortunately, it seems that the solution still left a lot to be desired; Mr. Galbraith noted that it still couldn't match the EOS-1D Mark II N, and implied that there was still room for betterment. 'Course, we're really just scratching the surface on his thorough (and we mean thorough) look at the sub-mirror fix and v1.1.3 firmware, so if this issue has been hounding you, do yourself a favor and check out the read link.[Thanks, Anand]
Canon planning fix for EOS-1D Mark III autofocus issue
If you're one of those folks who just refused to fork out thousands of dollars for an EOS-1D Mark III after hearing reports of a seemingly widespread autofocus issue, take heart. Apparently, Canon is fessing up to the problem and is planning a remedy, although a simple firmware update doesn't seem to be it. According to an interview with Chuck Westfall, Canon USA's Director of Media and Customer Relationship, the firm is looking to issue a hardware fix that "adjusts the sub-mirror within the body." The company doesn't seem to think that every one of these beasts are afflicted, and its supposedly gearing up to provide a "simple way for owners to identify if their camera is among those affected." As for dates, US-based owners should be hearing more details about how the process will work by "the end of this month," while buyers that reside elsewhere will likely be informed shortly thereafter. If you're thirsty for more, be sure and hit the read link for the full chat.[Via CNET]
