Canon EOS 650D Review

Canon EOS 650D Review. Designed to deliver stunning pictures in the hands of both amateur and professional.     The Canon EOS 650D may look little different from its brethren, but there are a couple of new things about it that are a sign of things to come. Firstly, touch-screens are all around us today, though the 650D is the first DSLR to come with one. Secondly, the 650D uses a hybrid autofocus (AF) system, which fuses the phase-detect system used in DSLR cameras, with the contrast-detect system found in digital compact cameras.     It’s not the first hybrid AF on the market, but it’s the first for Canon. In theory, Canon’s hybrid AF should make auto-focus faster and more accurate while using live view and shooting video, areas where DSLR cameras’ AF systems have traditionally fallen short.     Using the 650D the old-fashioned way by shooting through the optical viewfinder, AF is fast and accurate, as expected from a modern DSLR, and the camera can shoot at a quick maximum of fi ve frames per second. The camera feels comfortable in the hands too. In terms of physical controls, the 650D loses the Display button on the top plate while gaining an additional Movie mode on the On/Off toggle. This makes it easier to start shooting video than using the mode dial, but you need to take extra care not to enter Movie mode accidentally by overextending the power toggle.     There’s a Q button which brings you into the Quick Menu, where you can easily shift options like white balance, ISO and drive modes. Because the monitor is now touch-sensitive (capacitive, not resistive, just like your iOS or Android smartphone), you can also quickly change settings by tapping the screen. Even the Menu is touch-sensitive, and while we worried the touch targets might be too small, the touch experience works remarkably well.     In live-view mode (shooting via the monitor), AF is faster and more accurate on the 650D than previous Canon DSLRs, but still slower compared to mirrorless and digital compact cameras. It takes an average of a second from the moment you press the shutter to the time the camera achieves focus and shoots. Then the monitor goes black while snapping sounds emanate from within the body. A second or two later, the image you took appears on screen for review. It feels jarring; the experience certainly isn’t the same as shooting with the monitor on a mirrorless or digital compact. Where live-view works well is in tracking AF, once the 650D has a lock on its subject, it usually does a good job of following it around.     Images at low ISO settings look good, clear and colorful, just as we’d expect from a modern camera of this class. The 650D does a good job of decreasing muddiness and keeping a fine grain at higher ISO settings, but ISO 3200 really is the maximum we’d shoot at with this camera. You can go to ISO 6400, but be prepared for a noticeable drop-off in detail and increase in color noise.     The Canon 650D is an all-round capable entry-level DSLR like its predecessors before it. The experience of shooting in live view still leaves something to be desired, so don’t expect to use the monitor to shoot like you would with a mirrorless or compact camera. But when used like a traditional DSLR, performance is punchy and the images turn out well. The touch screen is surprisingly pleasant to use and adds another layer of usability to the 650D.

Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera Review

Nikon D5100 DSLR Camera Review, the definition of it is "a new perspective".     Mirroring the relationship between the older D5000 and D90, the new Nikon D5100 takes after the D7000 like a younger sibling. The D5100 has the same 16MP DX-format CMOS image sensor and EXPEED 2 image-processing engine as the D7000, with the same ISO100-6400 range, and the same sensitivity increases up to ISO25600.     A brand-new High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode has been added, which takes two shots of varying exposure and combines them in-camera into a single image. The LCD monitor size and resolution has been increased, from 2.7" and 230k dots to 3.0” and 921k dots, and the swivel hinge has been moved from the bottom of the LCD lid to the side of the camera. The D5100 now records in full HD at 1920X1080 (30fps, 25fps, 24fps), has subject tracking AF in movie mode and an audio jack for an external microphone. Nikon also introduces a brand new Special Effects mode with the D5100, which includes seven special effects or filters which can be applied to both stills and video.     The D5100 is a shorter and slightly slimmer camera than the D5000, and also slightly lighter. Like the entry-level D3100 and the D5000, the D5100 shaves size and weight off by excluding the auto-focus motor found on higher-end models. That means the number of lenses the D5100 can use with auto-focus is limited to those lenses with AF motors built-in.     While the D5000 had an articulating LCD which pivoted from the bottom, the D5100’s screen pivots from the side of the camera. It's easier to use this way, and it doesn't get in the way when the camera is mounted on a tripod. As a result of the LCD screen now pivoting from the side, the buttons on the side of the camera have all been shifted. While the Play and Zoom buttons find easy to reach locations beside the d-pad, the Menu and info button have now been shifted to odd-to-reach places above the screen. The thumb-rest has been widened, and in line with the curvier shapes of the D5100, is more contoured than the D5000's and more comfortable to grip.     In a confusing move, Nikon has eschewed the easy-to-use design of the Live View cum Record flip seen on the recent D7000 and D3100 bodies and crested a new LV lever which sits beneath the mode dial. The video Record button has been moved to beside the shutter release on top of the camera. Both new designs don't work as well as the previously integrated Live View and Record switches; the LV switch is now harder to flip, and the Record  button can be troublesome to locate.     Tine D5100 improves upon the D5000's ISO performance, taking after the D7000's lead in this area. It produces clean images up to ISO1600, and even though ISO3200-5000 produces more noise, the images still look workable. The images return approx. 2000x1800LPH vertical and horizontal on our resolution chart, almost but not quite as sharp as the D7000's 1800X2200LPH. Above ISO6400 into the HI settings, Image noise becomes overwhelming. Elsewhere, auto-focus is fast and accurate, and makes shooting with the camera fun and easy AF in Live View is still slower than when shooting through the optical viewfinder, but it's a hair faster than the Live View AF used on the Canon 600D.     Nikon introduces a new Effects mode, with seven effects that are applied as you shoot. They include a miniature effect, which makes your subjects look like toys, high key effects for an over-or under-exposed look, and color sketch for a sketch-like picture. While they may seem like gimmick, they can actually be quite fun in practice. If you don’t like applying destructive filters to images, most of the effects are actually available in the Retouch menu.     We had mixed results while playing with the new High Dynamic Range (HDR) function. Depending on the scene, you might even be able to shoot handheld if neither of the two exposures taken is too long. The HDR effect is more subtle then fantastical: unlike the more intense HDR images out there the D5100 produces HDR images which are more realistic.     You can leave the difference in exposures to be set  it to a difference of 1,2 or 3EV. Depending on the scene, that might or might not give you a lot of latitude - it certainly won't give you as much latitude as a larger sequence of HDR images you shoot and combine yourself, and the D5100 doesn't manage to expose for all highlights and shadows in an image with a wide difference in brightness levels.     As such, the HDR function is a convenient and automatic supplement to your photography, not a replacement for a more complete (but also more tedious) manually-composed HDR image, with the 3EV limit in exposures, we found that the HDR function produces images that look more like higher dynamic range photos, rather than high dynamic range photos - which isn't a bad thing at all if you find yourself shooting in difficult lighting conditions.     The Nikon D5100 improves on its predecessor in more than a few ways. The new Effects mode and HDR feature should provide some entertainment to the enthusiast, and that's whom the D5100 is targeted towards - a beginner or more advanced beginner who's looking for something more compact and affordable than the D7000. Whereas the D7000 is a semi- pro/advanced enthusiast camera, and the D3100 is a simple, beginner's DSLR, the D5100 falls somewhere in-between, as a solid camera with great image quality that both beginner and advanced users will enjoy.

Nikon D800 DSLR Camera Review

Nikon D800 DSLR Camera Review, allows your imagination to create beautiful images and videos. With a 36.3 megapixel resolution and processing EXPEED3 the D800 camera is ideal for professional photographers like you.     Once in a long while, something comes along which changes the conversation entirely. In the camera conversation, the Nikon D800 is one such example, being a full-frame DSLR successor to the three year-old D700. Except that the D800 isn't really a successor, but something entirely new altogether.     The reason for that is the D800's whopping 36MP sensor. Nikon has tripled the resolution for their latest 'entry-level' FX camera, a move which has forced everybody to reconsider what a DSLR camera could and should be.

DESIGN & HANDLING

Designed by Italian industrial designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, the D800 is one handsome beast. The Nikon flagships have always reminded us of Italian supercars, unapologetically straining at the leash with their powerful contours; this is especially so with the D800.     Elements of the flagship D4 are reflected in the D800, the shutter release button is tapered downwards at a lower angle, giving the finger a more comfortable place to rest. The red Nikon strip below the shutter release button has been slimmed down to a single line, and the D800 gains the movie Record button, focus-mode selector and Live View levers seen on the D4.     Like the D4, you can now set ISO to Auto using the front command dial, without having to dig through the menu. The D800's interior body is made of magnesium alloy, which means it can take a few knocks – the body certainly feels solid in the hands. The body is weather and dust-sealed, and it is remarkably 10% lighter than the D700 while slightly wider by about 4.5mm.     Handling is superb; the D800 sits comfortably in the hands and the controls feel intuitive. Unlike on the Canon 5D Mark III where the Power switch is on the opposite side of the shutter release button, the D800 (and all Nikon DSLRs) have the Power switch sitting below the shutter release button, which means you can switch on the camera and shoot with just one hand. The only major complaint we have about the camera body is that battery life is now lower than the D700, at 900 shots versus 1000 shots (as rated by CIPA). This isn't entirely Nikon's fault though; the batteries had to be changed due to new battery regulations in Japan.     The D800 uses the same Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX auto-focus sensor module as the D4, with 51 AF points, 15 of them cross-types. Which is why it's surprising that the D800 focuses more slowly than the D4 in low-light, likely due to the D800's larger 36MP resolution compared to the D4’s 16MP.     In good light we found the D800's AF to be fast and accurate. It's in low light where the D800 hesitates, a breath slower than the Canon 5D Mark III and slower than the D4. Once the D800 achieves focus however, it locks-in dependably, and in AF-C mode it can track moving subjects well (although, like the Canon 5D Mark III, it will sometimes get confused and track in and out in-between shots).     The D800's LCD monitor is slightly larger than the D700's, 3.2" versus 3". You can zoom deeply into the preview images, up to 46x, which is a great help when you need to check focus on the large 36MP images. One disappointment is that pixel count has remained the same even though the screen size has increased, at 921,000 dots the D800's LCD monitor is not as rich as the 5D Mark Ill's 3.2" screen, which has 1.04 million dots.

IMAGE PERFORMANCE

As expected, the clarity coming from the D800 is phenomenal - we've never seen so much detail and dynamic range coming from a DSLR camera before. But the high amount of information contained in a D800 image file comes with a price.     The amount of detail you can get in the D800's images are astounding, measuring a high 2800 LPH (vertical and horizontal) on our resolution chart. It makes the camera suitable for high-resolution work, and also handles cropping well. At the same time though, each image's size is significantly larger, JPEG files are an average of 20MB, while RAW files are around 40MB, and Nikon has said that RAW files can go up to as high as 75MB per file.     You'll also need to be tighter with your shooting technique, as we've found that slight off-focus errors or movement which may look sharp in lower resolution images are magnified and revealed as soft in the D800's large photos.     The D800's images have an impressively high dynamic range, at low ISO sensitivities even JPEGs behave like RAW files from lesser DSLR cameras. There's an incredible range of detail which can be pulled out of the D800's images in post-production, as long as the highlights are not completely blown and the shadows lost. So much so that when pushed to the maximum, images can take on an almost HDR-like quality     With more detail, we also see more image noise in the D800's images. But - and here is where it gets complicated - we are also looking at much larger images here with the D800’s 36MP, so yes, detail should be more noticeable, and so should image noise.     Down-sampling (the act of reducing image resolution) will also have an impact on the perceived image noise in the D800's images" because it will look less prevalent at lower resolutions (which is why noisy digital photographs look less noisy when downsized for the web or when displayed on mobile phones). So when evaluating the D800's image noise, considering the final output resolution also plays a part. Not all users will be printing or displaying their images at the full 36MP resolution of 7360x4912, which works out to be an approximate maximum print size of 25x16 inches at 300dpi, or almost A2 size.     If we look at image noise based on the D800's full resolution, we'd say that images look good up to IS03200, and noise is quite noticeable at IS06400, Which is the D800's native limit and the limit at which we'd shoot at to still get acceptable image quality. Depending on the output resolution, we might shoot up to the first boosted level of ISO12,800, but in general we would avoid shooting at the D800's highest setting of ISO25,600 as both luminance and color grain are quite obvious at that setting.     Just like with the D800's still images, we see quite a bit of sharp detail in the D800'S video. While the rolling shutter effect is well-controlled and hardly appears with pans at normal speeds, the D800's video is susceptible to moire.

Nikon D3200 DSLR Camera Review

If you want a DSLR camera to start photography, Nikon D3200 DSLR Camera Review. Is one choice for beginners shooting with specifications supplied full.     The Nikon D3200 is Nikon's latest entry-level DSLR, replacing the D3100 as the go-to camera for those upgrading from a digital point- and-shoot for the first time. This camera is also pushing the envelope when it comes to resolution, with the D3200 surpassing its predecessor s 14.2 megapixels with a 24.2-megapixel sensor.     Despite being a DSLR, the D3200 is a small by DSLR standards, but manages to fit in a comfortable hand grip. While the D3200's body does feel a bit plastic, the quality of the rubber on the hand grip and rear thumb rest does make it feel like you're holding a more expensive camera. The buttons on the D3200 are generally the same as the D3100, with one of the more notable differences being the removal of the D3100's combined Live View and video record button. The D3200 now has a separate Live View button on the rear, while the video record button is found right behind the shutter release. Another major change is the removal of the D3100'S drive mode switch, one that is a step backwards in our opinion, as this necessitates accessing the menu system in order to switch drive modes i.e. single, continuous or quiet.     Being an entry-level camera, the D3200 sports an interface that will be easy to use for beginners. Pressing the information button will bring up a screen showing most of the camera's key settings, with navigation done using the d-pad. The display on the D3200 has also been improved from the D3100’s, from 230k dots to 921k dots. A pity the screen cannot be flipped out for more flexible shooting.     In terms of performance, the D3200 scores 2,200LPH vertically and 2,400LPH horizontally in our resolution tests. The D3200 produces very detailed shots and allows for a fair bit of detail to be retained even after cropping. Colors are vibrant the D3200 has a habit of occasionally underexposing, which can be easily solved with exposure compensation. The D3200 keeps noise suppressed until ISO800, which is definitely better then what most compacts can achieve. Noise starts to creep in at ISO800 and JPEG images start to be really grainy at ISO6400. Furthermore, with a higher-resolution sensor, files tend to be larger. So don’t be surprised to see file sizes ranging from 9MB to 11MB.     The D3200 is a good choice if you’re looking for your first interchangeable-lens camera. Fortunately, despite all those pixels, image quality is still excellent even at higher light sensitivities. However, the removal of the drive mode switch does make switching modes a little more troublesome than before.

Nikon D7000 DSLR Camera Review

Nikon D7000 DSLR camera review. This camera is the generation we have been waiting. It took two years old to develop, and this is the form of the D7000.      According to Nikon though, the D7000 isn't exactly an upgrade to the D90, instead it sits between the D90 and Nikon's APS-C flagship; the D300S. In some ways, the D7000 does share more in common with the D300S then the D90, and even outclasses the one-year old D300S in some respect.      Both the D7000 and the D300S share a solid magnesium alloy body, while the D90's made out of polycarbonate. The sensor is new, the D7000 increases the megapixel count to 16.2MP over the D90 and the D300S' 12.3MP, and ISO sensitivity to a high of 25,600 over the 6400 ceiling of the D90 and D300S The D7000 doesn't match the D300S' 51 focus points or its high 8fps shooting rate, but it increases the D90's 11AF points to 39, and introduces full 1080P video recording.      Controls on the D7000 have been slightly tweaked from the D90. It feels busier, with more going on at a glance. A second control ring for shooting modes has been added beneath the Mode dial which is kept safe from accidental switching by a small release. Instead of a Live View button. Live View is now turned on by flipping an LV switch with a satisfying spring action. A convenient Record button sits right inside the switch and makes recording video easier now.      The D7000 adds two new preset modes on the Mode dial, which lets you configure settings beforehand aid save them. This is very handy, especially if you have favorite settings for different kinds of shots at a single location. Another welcome addition is the dual SD card slots, with support for SDXC. And for all these new features, the D7000 is only just 2mm bigger than the D90 and a slight 70g heavier.      Handling is smooth and easy; everything on the D7000 feels like it's where it should be. The auto-focus is dead-accurate and fast most of the time. In fact we'd say handling is almost perfect... almost. For some curious reason, the AF mode switcher has been moved to an unmarked button found on the bottom left of the camera, beneath the lens release and sharing a space with the auto/ manual focus switch. You can imagine this makes it a little hard to find. If you want to switch focus modes while shooting, you have to feel for the little spot with one hand while switching modes with the other hand. The camera helps by displaying which mode you're using in the viewfinder, but this is one odd strike against otherwise great overall handling.      The D7000's resolution showed a significant improvement over the D90 on our test chart, clocking in 1,800x2,200LPH while the D90 had a result of 1,400x1,800LPH (higher is better,  it means the camera can capture finer detail). Compared to the D90, ISO performance is also much improved, even at ISO 1600, images stay noise-free. ISO3200 - the highest setting on the D90 is when noise starts to show on the D7000, but it still delivers cleaner images than the D90.      The D7000 manages to strike a balance between image noise and clarity up to ISO5000, with images that are usable after some noise reduction in post. From ISO5000 onwards we found image noise starting to interfere with image detail, and tried not to shoot at ISO6400 and beyond, still that's a lot of latitude for someone to work with on an APS-C camera And we imagine quite a few photographers will enjoy the bigger image sides to work with afforded by the D7000's 16MP images over the D90's 12MP.      The D7000 introduces full HD video recording, but at limited frame-rates. Continuous auto-focus is built-in as is a face detection AF mode, both of which should please holiday shooters. Professionals looking for more control and to avoid the whirring sound of a lens auto-focusing will find the stereo microphone jack useful, but we think the limited frame-rates may deter serious film-makers.      As a photographer's tool however, the Nikon D7000 is a dream Except for small niggles like the odd placement of the AF mode button, the D7000 handles beautifully. Its strong and weatherproof body lets you take it almost anywhere with peace of mind, its capable resolution and high sensitivity lets you shoot against most situations, the dual SD slots mean you can double your storage or even create backups right as you're shooting. This is one camera that’s been well worth the wait.