Canon Digital Camera EOS 70D Meet the New Game-Changer

Changing the way users capture still images and video with a DSLR camera, Canon proudly introduces the EOS 70D – a trailblazing powerhouse featuring a revolutionary autofocus technology that unlocks the potential of Live View: Dual Pixel CMOS AF. This game-changing technology allows the EOS 70D to capture video in Live View with smooth and precise autofocus similar to that of a camcorder, complete with the superb image quality that is a hallmark of EOS cameras. Additionally, Dual Pixel CMOS AF provides fast and accurate autofocus during Live View still image capture, enabling you to fully benefit from the freedom of angle allowed by the Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II. Compositional options are now nearly limitless with the two real-world choices of Live View and viewfinder shooting. To further empower the photographer, Canon engineers spent months ensuring that the cutting-edge Dual Pixel CMOS AF on the EOS 70D is compatible with over 103 Canon EF lenses, greatly expanding creative possibilities. Built-in wireless technology and the EOS Remote app* further enhance shooting versatility, as well as enable easy sharing. Brilliant image quality is provided by the EOS 70D's 20.2 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, a first for an EOS camera with an APS-C sized sensor. A powerful DIGIC 5+ Image Processor supports continuous shooting up to 7.0 frames per second, as well as an extended ISO range of 100–12800 (H: 25600) that allows shooting in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Stunning photos can be accomplished using the remarkable 19-point all cross-type AF system with a high precision dual cross f/2.8 center point, and advanced display options available on the Intelligent Viewfinder supply exceptional control. In-camera imaging features like HDR, HDR Backlight Control, Multiple Exposure, Handheld Night Scene, and Creative Filters available in real time help turn even simple images into spectacular photos. Elevating the possibilities of creative expression to extraordinary new heights, the powerful EOS 70D with Dual Pixel CMOS AF places the ability to capture both amazing stills and video right in your hands.

Features

• Canon's innovative Dual Pixel CMOS AF enables you to shoot video like a camcorder with smooth, fast, and accurate autofocus; lets you enjoy instant and precise autofocus even when shooting stills from a variety of angles with the freedom provided by the Vari-angle LCD; and provides amazing autofocus power with over 103 compatible Canon EF lenses when shooting photos or video.
• Built-in wireless technology allows you to wirelessly transfer your images to social networking sites through CANON iMAGE GATEWAY#, share your images with wireless-enabled Canon cameras, or upload virtually anywhere on your iOS® or Android^TM smartphone* with the free download of the EOS Remote app**. Use your smartphone for remote camera control and operation (with the EOS Remote app), or even print your images on a wireless PictBridge certified printer.
• 20.2 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion, ISO 100-12800 (expandable to H: 25600) for shooting from bright to dim light and high performance DIGIC 5+ Image Processor for exceptional image quality and processing speed.
• High speed continuous shooting up to 7.0 fps allows you to capture quick action.
• EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for improved continuous focus tracking of moving subjects, manual exposure control and multiple frame rates (1080: 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 720: 60p (59.94) / 50p, 480: 30p (29.97) / 25p), built-in stereo microphone, manual audio level adjustment with attenuator function to reduce audio clipping, and Video Snapshot with editing for expanded movie shooting options.
• Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II (approximately 1,040,000 dots) with smudge-resistant coating features multi-touch operation and Touch AF for an easy and intuitive experience, flexible positioning, and clear viewing even when outdoors in sunlight.
• 19-point all cross-type AF system (including a high-precision f/2.8 dual cross-type AF center point) with a wide area array for exceptional autofocus performance and greater compositional freedom when shooting with the viewfinder.
• Intelligent Viewfinder with superimposed LCD display provides approximately 98% field of view, and Multi-Aspect ratio in Live View broadens your choices in composition.
• Expand your creativity with advanced in-camera imaging features like High Dynamic Range, Multiple Exposure, Handheld Night Scene and HDR Backlight Control, along with seven Creative Filters that can be displayed in real time during Live View shooting.
• Scene Intelligent Auto Mode delivers expertly optimized photos and offers improved scene detection for amazing results when shooting at night.
• Additional features.

The Next Generation in Live View AF.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF
The EOS 70D features Canon’s all-new Dual Pixel CMOS AF, a revolutionary leap forward in speed and accuracy that unlocks the potential of Live View shooting. This game-changing technology will forever change what is possible with a DSLR camera.

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Shoot Video Like a Camcorder
The benefits of the groundbreaking Dual Pixel CMOS AF are clearly evident in video shooting, where bringing scenes and subjects into focus is a critical element of the final composition. On the EOS 70D, Dual Pixel CMOS AF helps ensure focus is achieved naturally and precisely, even when switching between subjects. And, combined with the predictive power of Movie Servo AF, subjects in motion are smoothly and consistently tracked – once the EOS 70D locks focus, it doesn’t let go. Plus, with the shallow depth-of-field afforded by EOS optics, your video gains a cinematic ambience.

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Compositional Freedom, Quick and Accurate Live View Focus
For stills, Dual Pixel CMOS AF makes Live View AF precise and faster than ever, freeing the photographer to take advantage of the freedom of angle afforded by the camera’s Vari-angle LCD monitor. Whether capturing images of athletes on the field or kids in the park – with a tripod or handheld and operated from a number of angles and positions – crisp focus can be obtained nearly instantly across a wide shooting area, especially useful for those spontaneous or fleeting shots. And, when composing and shooting in Live View mode, the image, exposure and chosen effects can be previewed before shooting, ensuring better accuracy, increased comfort, and more control from the start.

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Compatible with over 103 Canon EF Lenses
Over 103 Canon EF lenses are able to fully realize the benefits of Dual Pixel CMOS AF. Compatible lenses greatly expand creative and compositional possibilities so users can enjoy a wide range of endeavors made possible through various lenses whether shooting still images or video.

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The Genius of Pixel Based AF
Dual Pixel CMOS AF is a cutting-edge Canon technology, made possible by a sophisticated redesigning of the CMOS sensor. Traditionally, image sensors have one photodiode per pixel, but the CMOS sensor on the EOS 70D has two photodiodes per pixel, enabling each pixel on the sensor to both perform phase-difference detection autofocus and capture light – a first for EOS cameras. With phase-difference detection AF, autofocus is achieved quickly and easily on the camera. This unique AF system enables autofocus on 80% of the image plane, vertically and horizontally, and helps ensure virtually no loss in image quality.

Canon Digital Camera EOS 7D Mark II Fuel Your Creative Passion.

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II digital SLR camera is designed to meet the demands of photographers and videographers who want a camera that can provide a wide range of artistic opportunities. With a winning combination of cutting-edge operations and a robust, ergonomic design, it is optimized to make even the most challenging photography simple and easy. The EOS 7D Mark II features a refined APS-C sized 20.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor with Dual DIGIC 6 Image Processors for gorgeous imagery. It shoots up to 10 frames per second at ISOs ranging from 100–16000 (expandable to H1: 25600, H2: 51200), has a 65-point* all cross-type AF system and features Canon's amazing Dual Pixel CMOS AF for brilliant Live-View AF. It has dual card slots for both CF and SD cards, USB 3.0 connectivity and even has built-in GPS** for easy location tagging, automatically. Compatible with an ever-expanding collection of EF and EF-S lenses plus a host of EOS accessories, the EOS 7D Mark II is an ideal tool for creative and ambitious photography.

 

Specifications

Type
Digital, AF/AE single-lens reflex camera
Recording Media

Dual CF Cards (Type I or II)

Compatible with UDMA 7 CF cards

Image Format
Approx. 36 mm x 24mm (35 mm Full-frame)
Compatible Lenses
Canon EF Lenses
Lens Mount
Canon EF mount

Image Sensor

Type
High-sensitivity, high-resolution, large single-plate CMOS sensor
Pixels
Effective pixels: Approx. 18.1 megapixels
Total Pixels
19.3 megapixels
Aspect Ratio
3:2 (Horizontal:Vertical)
Color Filter System
RGB primary color filters
Low Pass Filter
Fixed position in front of the image sensor
Dust Deletion Feature
(1) Self Cleaning Sensor Unit

Carrier wave type

Removes dust adhering to the infrared- and ultraviolet-blocking glass.

Self-cleaning executed automatically (taking about 1.8 sec.) when power is turned on or off. Manual execution also possible (taking about 5.2 sec.).

Low-pass filter has a fluorine coating.

(2) Dust Delete Data acquisition and appending

The coordinates of the dust adhering to the infrared- and ultraviolet-blocking glass are detected by a test shot and appended to subsequent images.

The dust coordinate data appended to the image is used by the provided software to automatically erase the dust spots.

(3) Manual cleaning

Recording System

Recording Format
Design Rule for Camera File System 2.0 and EXIF 2.3
Image Format
Still Image: JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon Original), M-RAW, S-RAW, RAW+JPEG, M-RAW+JPEG, S-RAW+JPEG

Video: MOV (Image data: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM)
File Size
(1) Large: Approx. 17.9 Megapixels (5184 x 3456)

(2) M1: Approx. 14.20 Megapixels (4608 x 3072)

(3) M2: Approx. 8.00 Megapixels (3456 x 2304)

(4) Small: Approx. 4.5 Megapixels (2592 x 1728)

(5) RAW: Approx. 17.90 Megapixels (5184 x 3456)

(6) M-RAW: Approx. 10.10 Megapixels (3888 x 2592)

(7) S-RAW: Approx. 4.50 Megapixels (2592 x 1728)

Exact file sizes depend on the subject, ISO speed, Picture Style, etc.
Recording Functions
1. Standard
Select one of the CF cards to record.
2. Auto switch card
When the current card becomes full, the camera switches to the other card automatically.
3. Record separately
The same image is saved to both cards, but in a different size (L, M1, M2, S, RAW, M-RAW, or S-RAW) that was set for the respective card.
4. Record to multiple
The same image is saved to both cards in the same size (RAW+JPEG also possible).
Backup Recording
N/A
File Numbering
Consecutive numbering, auto reset, manual reset.
Possible to create new folders and select folders in the CF card
RAW + JPEG Simultaneous Recording
The image-recording quality can be selected in any combination of the three RAW and four JPEG recording quality settings.
Color Space
sRGB, Adobe RGB
Picture Style
Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined 1-3

White Balance

Settings
Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature setting
Auto White Balance
Auto white balance with the image sensor
Color Temperature Compensation
Blue/amber bias: ±9 levels
Magenta/green bias: ±9 levels
*Corrected in reference to the current WB mode's color temperature.
Color Temperature Information Transmission
Provided

Viewfinder

Type
Eye-level pentaprism
Coverage
Vertical/Horizontal approx. 100%
Magnification
Approx. 0.76x (-1m^-1 with 50mm lens at infinity) / 35.0° angle of view
Eye Point
Approx. 20mm (At -1m^-1 from eyepiece lens center)
Dioptric Adjustment Correction
-3.0 to +1.0 m^-1 (diopter)
Focusing Screen
Interchangeable
Mirror
Quick-return half mirror (transmission: reflectance ratio of 40:60)
Viewfinder Information
- AF information (AF point, focus confirmation, AF status indicator)
- Exposure information (Metering mode, shooting mode, AE lock, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO speed (always displayed), exposure level, exposure warning)
- Flash information (Flash ready, high-speed sync, FE lock, flash exposure compensation)
- Image information (White balance correction, highlight-tone priority (D+), maximum burst (2-digit display), CF card information, JPEG/RAW indicator)
- Battery check
- Composition information (Grid, electronic level)
Depth Of Field Preview
Enabled with depth-of-field preview button

Autofocus

Type
TTL-AREA-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS sensor
AF Points
61-point AF
*One to five cross-type AF points at f/2.8, 10 to 20 cross-type AF points at f/4, and 15 to 21 cross-type AF points at f/5.6. 1 cross-type AF point at f/8.* (The number of cross-type AF points will differ depending on the lens.)

*With Firmware Version 1.1.1 installed.
Focusing Modes
(1) Autofocus
One-Shot AF
Predictive AI Servo AF

For automatic AF point selection, the AF point to start the AI Servo AF operation can be selected.

For automatic AF point selection, the active AF point can be displayed.

AI Focus AF (Switches between One-Shot AF and AI SERVO AF automatically)
(2) Manual focus (MF) AF Point Selection
1. Single-point AF (Manual selection)
2. Auto selection 61-point AF
3. Single-point Spot AF (Manual selection)
4. AF point expansion (Manual selection, 4 points: up, down, left, and right). Firmware Ver. 1.1.1 allows cross-type autofocusing with the center AF point up to a maximum aperture of f/8 when using an extender. When AF point expansion is used with a lens/extender combination, the four AF points surrounding the center point act as AF assist points. Points above and below are sensitive to vertical contrast, while those to the left and right are sensitive to horizontal contrast
5. AF point expansion (Manual selection, surrounding 8 points)
6. Zone AF (Manual zone selection)
AF Function Registration/Switching
With a Custom Function, four types of AF function settings can be registered in a group: 1. AF area selection mode, 2. AI Servo tracking sensitivity, 3. AI Servo AF tracking method, and 4. AI Servo 1st/2nd img priority.
* This function can be assigned to the depth-of-field preview button or lens A stop button by customizing camera controls/buttons (Custom Controls).

Selected AF Point Display
Indicated by transmissive LCD display in the viewfinder and on the LCD panel
Active AF Point Indicator
AF Area and AF Point Selection
From the Orientation Linked AF Point menu, the AF area and manually-selectable AF point can be set separately for horizontal and vertical (camera grip at the top or bottom) shooting.

AF Point Illumination during AI Servo AF
With Firmware Ver. 1.1.1, AF points can be illuminated in red with a half-press of the shutter button in AI Servo AF mode. Illumination is intermittent, not continuous, and does not interfere with metering accuracy.
AF Assist Beam
When an external EOS-dedicated Speedlite is attached to the camera, the AF-assist beam from the Speedlite will be emitted when necessary.

Exposure Control

Metering Modes
252-zone metering with approx. 100,000-pixel RGB AE sensor and TTL maximum aperture metering employed. The following metering modes selectable:
(1) Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points)
(2) Partial metering (center, approx. TBA% of viewfinder)
(3) Spot metering (center, approx. TBA% of viewfinder)
   1. Center spot metering
   2. AF point-linked spot metering (Custom Function)
     -Linkable to all AF points.
     -With automatic AF point selection, center spot metering is set.
   3. Multi-spot metering
     - Up to eight multi-spot meter readings can be taken.
(4) Center-weighted average metering
   1. The selectable metering modes can be restricted with a Custom Function.
Metering Range
EV 0 - EV 20 (at 73°F/23°C with 50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100)
Exposure Control Systems
Program AE (Shiftable), Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual exposure, Bulb, E-TTL II autoflash program AE
ISO Speed Range
Automatically set, ISO 100-51200 (in 1/3-stop or 1-stop increments)
Basic Zone modes: ISO 100-51200 set automatically
Extension settable: ISO 50; 102,400 and 204,800
Exposure Compensation
Manual: ±5 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
AEB: ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
* Indicated up to ±3 stops on the LCD panel and in the viewfinder.
AE Lock
(1) Auto AE lock

• In the One-Shot AF mode with evaluative metering, AE lock takes effect when focus is achieved.

(2) Manual AE lock

• With AE lock button. (AE lock is updated each time you press the button.) Enabled in all metering modes.

Shutter

Type
Vertical-travel, mechanical, Electronically-controlled, focal-plane shutter
Shutter Speeds
1/8000 to 30 sec., bulb, X-sync at 1/250 sec. (still)

1/4000 - 1/30 (Movie / Program AE)

1/4000 - 1/30 (Movie / Manual Exposure) for 24/25/30 fps

1/4000 - 1/60 (Movie / Manual Exposure) for 50/60 fps
Shutter speed's control range can be set with a Custom Function. Shutter Release
Soft-touch electromagnetic release
Self Timer
10-sec. delay, 2-sec. delay

External Speedlite

EOS Dedicated Speedlite
E-TTL II autoflash with all EX Series Speedlites
Zooming to Match Focal Length
Provided
Flash Metering
E-TTL II autoflash
Flash Exposure Compensation
±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
FE Lock
Provided
External Flash Settings
1) External Flash Control

• Flash mode, sync setting, FEB (not with 270EX II / 270EX), flash exposure compensation, E-TTL II, zoom, wireless master flash, (not with 430EX II / 270EX), and clear settings.

2) Flash Custom Function Setting PC Terminal
Provided; accepts third-party flash units with sync line voltages up to 250V maximum

Drive System

Drive Modes
Single, High-speed continuous, Low-speed continuous, Silent Single Shooting and Self-timer (10-sec. self-timer/remote control, or 2-sec. self-timer/remote control)
Continuous Shooting Speed
Super High-speed: Maximum 14 shots/sec.

High-speed: Maximum 12 shots/sec.

Low-speed: Maximum 3 shots/sec.
Maximum Burst
The maximum burst during continuous shooting is as follows:
JPEG Large: Approx: TBA
UDMA CF Card: Approx: TBA
RAW: Approx: TBA
UDMA 7 CF Card: Approx. TBA

Live View Functions

Shooting Modes
Still photo and video recording
Focusing
Quick mode (61- Point Phase-difference detection AF)
Live mode/Face detection Live mode (One-Point Contrast detection AF, switching to another point possible)
Face detection Live mode (Contrast AF, Face Selectable)
Manual focusing (5x/10x magnification possible)
Metering Modes
Real-time Evaluative metering with the image sensor
Metering Range
Real-time evaluative metering with image sensor:

• Metering range: EV 0 - EV 20 (At 73°F/23°C, 50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100)
• AE lock possible
• The active metering time can be changed.

Grid Display
Three grid display provided
Exposure Simulation
Possible
Silent Shooting
Provided

Video Shooting

File Format
MOV (image data: H.264; audio: Linear PCM)

• Internal monaural microphone
• External stereo microphone jack available

File Size
Recording Sizes:
1920 x 1080 (Full HD), 1280 x 720 and 640 x 480
Frame Rates
[1920 x 1080]: 30 fps / 25 fps / 24 fps
[1280 x 720]: 60 fps / 50 fps
[640 x 480]: 30 fps / 25 fps
Continuous Shooting Time
Recording Times based on 8 GB Memory Card:

[1920 x 1080]
30 fps: ALL-I (TBA) / IPB (TBA)
25 fps ALL-I (TBA) / IPB (TBA)
24 fps ALLI-I (TBA) / IPB (TBA)

[1280 x 720]
60 fps: ALL-I (TBA) / IPB (TBA)
50 fps ALL-I (TBA) / IPB (TBA)

[640 x 480]
30 fps: IPB (TBA)
25 fps: IPB (TBA)
Focusing
Same as Live View Shooting
Exposure Control
Program AE, Manual exposure
Exposure Compensation
±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments

LCD Monitor

Type
TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor
Monitor Size
3.2-inches
Pixels
Approx. 1.04 million dots
Coverage
Approx. 100%
Viewing angle: 170°
Brightness Control
7 levels provided
Interface Languages
25 (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukraine, Turkish, Arabic, Thai, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese)

Playback

Display Format
Single image, Single image + Image-recording quality/shooting information, histogram, 4- or 9-image index, magnified view (approx. 1.5x-10x), rotated image (auto/manual), image jump (by 10/100 images, index screen, by shooting date, by folder), slide show (all images/selected by date/folder), star rating
Highlight Alert
With single-image display (Info.) and single-image display, overexposed highlight areas will blink

Image Protection and Erase

Protection
Erase protection can be applied or canceled for a single image, all images in a folder or all images in the card
Erase
Erase a single image, selected images, all images in a folder, all images in a card or erase only unprotected images

Direct Printing

Compatible Printers
PictBridge-compatible printers
Printable Images
RAW and JPEG images complying to Design rule for Camera File System

- Movies cannot be printed.

DPOF: Digital Print Order Format

DPOF
Version 1.1 compatible

Direct Image Transfer

Compatible Images
JPEG and RAW images and movies

• For RAW+JPEG, only the RAW or JPEG image or both images can be transferred

Customization

Custom Functions
Total 31
Camera User Settings
Current camera settings can be registered to C1, C2 and C3 on the Mode Dial (Automatic registration update is possible)
My Menu Registration
Up to six top-tier menu options and Custom Function settings can be registered

Interface

USB Terminal
For personal computer communication and direct printing (USB 2.0 Hi-Speed)
Video Out Terminal
(1) Video OUT terminal: NTSC/PAL selectable
(2) mini-HDMI OUT terminal
Extension System Terminal
For connection to WFT-E6A (WFT) and GP-E1 (GPS)

Power Source

Battery
One Battery Pack LP-E4N or LP-E4
AC power can be supplied with the AC Adapter Kit ACK-E4
Number of Shots
Number of shots (approx.)

Temperature and Shooting Method	Possible Shots
At 73°F/23°C	Approx. TBA
At 32°F/0°C	Approx. TBA
Live View shooting at 73°F/23°C	Approx. TBA
Live View shooting at 32°F/0°C	Approx. TBA

The figures above are based on CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) testing standards Battery Check
Automatic battery check when the power switch is turned on:
Displayed in 6 levels:

• Battery level displayed on LCD panel and in viewfinder.
• Battery information can be checked with the [Battery info.] menu

Power Saving
Power turns off after the set time (1, 2, 4, 8, 15 or 30 minutes) of non-operation elapses.
Date/Time Battery
CR2025 lithium battery
Start-up Time
Approx. 0.1 sec

Dimensions and Weight

Dimensions (W x H x D)
Approx. 158 x 163.6 x 82.7 mm / 6.2 x 6.4 x 3.3 in.
Weight
Approx. 1530 g / 54.0 oz.

Operating Environment

Working Temperature Range
32-104°F/0-40°C
Working Humidity Range
85% or less

Nikon D4 First Camera With XQD Memory

The recently announced Nikon D4 D-SLR  will be the first camera to use the new XQD memory card standard.
XQD is the successor to CompactFlash, which has long been the standard for use in professional cameras. CompactFlash is an aging standard, and first-generation XQD cards promise to deliver a 25 percent increase in throughput over the fastest CF cards. XQD leverages PCI Express technology for data, and can write files at up to 125 megabytes per second, compared to the 91 megabytes per second that the best CF cards currently deliver. Future revisions of XQD promise to go as high as 600 megabytes per second, which promises to be a boon to photographers and videographers alike.
Sony is set to release XQD cards next month, the same time that the D4 will hit the street. According to Nikon, the cards will be able to write up to 100 Raw frames with the D4 in continuous shooting mode before the camera will start to slow down. One concern of note is that only one of the two slots in the D4 supports XQD—the other slot only works with CompactFlash. Professional shooters often use the camera's dual card slots to create a real-time backup of files via mirroring, in which case they'll need to carry two types of memory into the field. Presumably mirroring would also slow the performance of the camera to the slowest card installed, although Nikon wasn't able to confirm this behavior at this time.
The 16GB card is set to retail for $129.99, with the 32GB priced at $229.99. Sony will also make card readers available, in USB 3.0 and ExpressCard/34 form factors, for $44.99 each. The Nikon D4, which you'll need if you want to make use of the memory cards, is also scheduled for a February release. It's priced at a meager $5999.95.

Canon 1Dx vs. Nikon D4 – Battle Lines

The two heavyweights of the DSLR world, Canon and Nikon, have both announced new professional bodies to be ready in time for the London 2012 Olympics. But, which one is better? We take a look at how the specs sheets compare in this head to head.

 Canon's 1DX pips the D4 with 18.1 million effective pixels, compared with 16.2 million effective pixels, but both are full-frame.

Users of the Canon 1D Mark IV may miss the 1.3x crop factor which helps get closer to wildlife and sporting action, however Nikon's D4 offers the choice to shoot in DX crop, offering more flexibility when photographing distant subjects. Obviously, as it's a crop, it reduces the pixel count though.

How does the Nikon D4 stack up against the Canon EOS 1DX

The two heavyweights of the DSLR world, Canon and Nikon, have both announced new professional bodies to be ready in time for the London 2012 Olympics. But, which one is better? We take a look at how the specs sheets compare in this head to head.

Sensor

Canon's 1DX pips the D4 with 18.1 million effective pixels, compared with 16.2 million effective pixels, but both are full-frame.
Users of the Canon 1D Mark IV may miss the 1.3x crop factor which helps get closer to wildlife and sporting action, however Nikon's D4 offers the choice to shoot in DX crop, offering more flexibility when photographing distant subjects. Obviously, as it's a crop, it reduces the pixel count though.

 

Autofocus capability

Featuring a massive 61 autofocus points, the 1DX again just beats the D4, which has 51. However, again appealing to sports and wildlife photographers, the AF sensors on board the D4 are compatible with apertures down to f/8, meaning that teleconverters which restrict the maximum aperture can still be used with autofocus. Canon's 1DX meanwhile, only works down to f/5.6, meaning many long lenses will not be able to autofocus when used with teleconverters .

 

Layout

Both cameras have undergone some changes to make the body more ergonomically friendly, with both manufacturers claiming to have consulted professional photographers during the design process.
Canon has redesigned the menu system to make it easier to use, while an extra mini-joystick controller has been added. Nikon, meanwhile, has added two mini-joysticks and made the D4's key control layout identical when it's used in either portrait or landscape orientation. Nikon has also added other nifty features such as button illumination for using the camera in low-light situations.


ISO range
We're used to seeing big numbers when it comes to the ISO stakes of big pro cameras.
The standard range of the D4 is 100-12,800, while the Canon's standard range is 100-51,200. Both are expandable up to a whopping 204,800 and interestingly, both the cameras also have the option to expand downwards, to ISO 50, which should appeal to landscape photographers and those looking to use slower shutter speeds.
It seems in this respect, the cameras are pretty much equal.

Video recording

Of course, both cameras are equipped with full HD video recording, and Nikon will always be the company that introduced video to DSLR (it all started with the D90). However, it's Canon that seems to have really taken off in the DSLR video stakes, especially with the introduction of the 5D Mark II.
Significant improvements have been made to both cameras in comparison with their predecessors, but Nikon has some interesting features in its D4 video offering. The choice of different formats means that the same lens can be used to produce three different crops and depth of field effects.
Canon claims that the new Digic 5 processor on board the 1DX helps to reduce noise from video, while the camera is now capable of automatically creating a new file once 4GB of video recording has been surpassed.
 Memory cards
Both cameras are compatible with high-speed UDMA 7 Compact Flash cards, with the 1DX coming with two slots. This is good news for photographers with an existing stash of CF cards, however, the D4 has introduced a slot for the new XDC card format, announced at the end of 2011.
The superfast memory card format boasts speeds up to 125MB/second, and while new cards are at expensive at the moment, the price is likely to go down as time goes on, so it would seem that the D4 is perhaps more "future proof" in this respect than the 1DX.

Shooting speed
Aiming the cameras squarely at sports photographers shooting the Olympics, speed is of course the essence. It's the 1DX that wins in the shooting speed stakes, offering a maximum of 14fps on the Super High-speed setting. The D4 meanwhile can shoot at up to 11fps. It's possible that 14fps could make all the difference when attempting to photograph split-second action.
It's worth noting here that exposure and focusing is locked with the first frame on both cameras at the highest shooting rates.

 opinion from another

Nikon D4 The New FX Format Camera

Key Specifications:

• 16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total)
• 10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs
• 91,000 pixel sensor for metering, white balance, flash exposure, face detection and active d-lighting
• ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
• MultiCAM 3500FX Autofocus sensor works in lower light and with smaller apertures
• Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
• 1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
• New EN-EL18 battery (21.6Wh capacity, CIPA-rated at 2600 shots)
• Twin card slots - one Compact Flash and one XQD

Like its predecessor, the Nikon D4 looks as if it’s going to be an incredibly impressive camera. Nikon has looked to its professional user-base and tried to work out what it needed to add or adjust on a camera that just a couple of years ago represented the best they were capable of. The result is a camera with few big changes but a extensive series of small improvements.
The biggest change is, of course, the improvement in video capabilities. Given the increasing demand for video footage from professional photographers, and the incredible success of Canon’s 5D Mark II in the professional video market, it was inevitable that Nikon’s pro flagship would need to offer a more compelling feature set than the existing models.
Beyond this, the changes to the stills-shooting specifications are relatively modest – there’s a higher-resolution, 16.2MP, full-frame CMOS sensor and the ability to shoot at 10 frames per second with autofocus, but that’s about it. The new chip's capability has prompted Nikon to offer an ISO range from 100-12,800 that can then be extended to 50 – 204,800 (Hi4). The significant changes, beyond video, are a profusion of smaller tweaks, additions and improvements to what was already a well worked-out camera. These include a carbon fiber shutter rated to 400,000 actuations that can fire at up to 1/8000th of a second.
The biggest technical changes are the addition of a 91,000 pixel ‘metering’ sensor, replacing the 1005 pixel example used up until now. This sensor is used for much more than just metering, playing a key role in subject tracking, white balance and 'Active D-lighting' (a trick Canon seems impressed with, given the appearance of a similar system in the 1DX). The higher-resolution sensor allows the camera to offer face detection when shooting through the optical viewfinder.
Then there are the ergonomic changes to the camera’s body. Again like Canon’s 1DX, moves have been made to make the ergonomics of portrait-orientation shooting more closely resemble those of shooting in landscape format. The camera no longer features a dedicated AFL button, instead gaining push-button joysticks for both the vertical and landscape shooting orientations. An additional rubberized lump has also been added to provide a better grip in the vertical orientation and an additional function button added next to the vertical shutter button.

Sony A77 SLT Camera Built to meet the creative demands of serious photo enthusiasts

24.3 megapixel Exmor™ APS HD CMOS, Full HD AVCHD, 25/50p, 12fps, 7.5cm 3-way LCD, GPS. With 16-50mm lens.

• Very high resolution 24.3 effective megapixels
• Ultra-high speed continuous shooting up to 12fps
• Responsive, high-performance 19-point AF system

24.3 megapixels | 3" screen | APS-C sensor

The A77 is the long-awaited replacement for the A700, and spec-wise it's impressive: the A77 features a new 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 12fps full-resolution shooting and the highest resolution EVF we've ever encountered (a 2.4M dot OLED finder). It also uses a new 19-point AF sensor, 11 points of which are cross-type (sensitive to detail in both the vertical and horizontal axis). Clever use of the main sensor's live view allows the A77 to track objects as they move across the frame, enabling the camera to have a better understanding of which AF point it should be using at any given time.
The A77 isn't perfect, but we're pretty confident though that whatever your level of expectations and expertise, its rugged and well thought-out ergonomics, innovative full-time live view and AF systems and exceptionally good EVF will keep you very happy indeed. However, the somewhat mushy JPEG image quality, high noise levels and slightly laggy operation stop the A77 from getting a gold award.

Technical specificationsSLT-A77

Sony A65 SLT Camera Don't miss the moment with superb image quality and ultra-fast responses

24.3 megapixel Exmor™ APS HD CMOS, Full HD AVCHD, 25/50p, 10fps, 7.5cm LCD. With 18-55mm lens.

• Very high resolution 24.3 effective megapixels
• High speed continuous shooting up to 10fps
• Full HD video with fast subject tracking AF

 

The Sony SLT-A65 was launched alongside the SLT-A77 - the long-awaited replacement for the DSLR-A700. Although somewhat overshadowed by its higher-end stablemate at the time of its launch, the cheaper SLT-A65 has more mass-market potential and we believe there's every chance it's the A65 that will have the greater long-term impact.

There can be no doubt on picking up the plastic-bodied A65 that it is a camera intended to compete in a slightly lower class than the A77. The A65 lacks the A77's magnesium alloy construction and new AF sensor (it uses the same 15-point AF sensor that we saw in the original SLT-A55). It also does without the A77's top-plate LCD, rear control dial and uses a simpler hinge mechanism for the rear display, but importantly, it is built around the same 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor and the same 2.4M dot OLED viewfinder.

There are two reasons we believe the A65 has the potential to be the more significant camera in the SLT line-up: firstly because it is aimed at a much more popular segment of the market - many more people buy consumer-level DSLRs than buy enthusiast ones. And secondly, because despite a few missing specifications, the A65 includes many of the A77's core second-generation SLT features but at a lower price point. Unless the current market leaders bring something revolutionary to the party fairly soon, the A65 could just be the stand-out product Sony needs to get a proper foot-hold in the consumer DSLR/ILC market - something that despite impressive ambitions, it has thus far failed to do.

Offering 24MP capture, a 10fps continuous shooting rate, full-time live view and phase-detection AF as well as a raft of other innovative features, the A65 is unique in its market segment. On paper, the A65 is a significantly more interesting camera in some respects than peers like the Canon EOS 600D / Rebel T3i and Nikon D5100.

Sony's SLT design, with its ability to offer DSLR-style autofocus in live view and video, impressed us when the company launched the A33 and A55. However, the A65 takes the technology considerably further, most crucially with the introduction of the high-resolution OLED viewfinder. The 'TruFinder' design offers a 64% increase in resolution and, more importantly, offers progressive screen updates rather than refreshing one color after another, which gives a much smoother, more life-like shooting experience. The viewfinders in the A33, 35 and 55 are excellent, but the new unit in the A65 and A77 is significantly better. Quite an achievement. Read on to find out how all the new features and improvements on the A65 translate into real-life performance. 

Technical specificationsSLT-A65