Rich Bui » Nikon D300

A Quick Comparison: Canon EOS 50D Versus Nikon D300

Richard Bui — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:04:06 +0000

So how does the new Canon EOS 50D stack up against the Nikon D300? Let’s have a quick look.

Before anyone gets worked up, this is merely a comparison of specs and not capabilities such as which takes better pics or which handles better or which has nicer colors. This is only meant to see what Canon has to offer with their latest SLR.

Comparison Chart

SLR Cameras	Canon EOS 50D	Nikon D300	Winner
Year Introduced	August 26, 2008	August 2007
Cost	~$1,299	~$1,799
Sensor Size	22.3 x 14.9 mm	23.6 x 15.8 mm
Viewfinder	95%, 0.95x magnification	100%, 0.94x magnification	D300
Max Resolution	4752 x 3168	4288 x 2848	50D
Megapixels	15.5	13.1	50D
ISO rating	100-3200 in 1/3 stops, with 6400 and 12800 as options	200-3200 in 1/3 stops, with 100 and 6400 as options	50D
Auto Focus type	9 focus point TTL CMOS sensor	51 focus point CMOS sensor	D300
Metering	Evaluative, partial, spot, center weighted average	3D Color Matrix Metering II, partial, spot (center), center weighted
Crop Factor	1.6	1.5
Continuous Drive	6.3 fps for 90 JPEG or 16 RAW	6 fps (8 fps with battery pack) for 100 JPEG
Storage Types	Compact Flash (Type I or II) with UDMA support	Compact Flash (Type I or II) with UDMA support	Tie
LCD	3.0 inches	3.0 inches	tie
LCD Pixels	922,000	922,000	tie
Battery	Canon Lithium-Ion BP-511A (7.4V, 1390mAh) battery	Nikon Lithium-Ion EN-EL3e (7.4V, 1500mAh) battery	D300
Weight	822 g (1.8 lb) with battery	903 g (2.0 lb) with battery
Dimensions	146 x 108 x 74 mm (5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 in)	147 x 114 x 74 mm (5.8 x 4.5 x 2.9 in)

From the specs, the biggest advantage that the D300 has over the new 50D is the 51 point auto focus. But in my opinion, the 50D certainly is offering many features that are comparable or better than the D300 for a substantial lower price such as the higher ISO performance, the same high resolution LCD, and more megapixels. It’ll be a matter of time to see if the 50D can perform as good or better than the D300.

Say Hello To The New Canon EOS 50D

Richard Bui — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:09:51 +0000

After months of agonizing wait, hoping that Canon hasn’t lost it’s way, they have now announced a new SLR body: the Canon EOS 50D, the 40D’s replacement. It looks very similar to the Canon EOS 40D except they really went all out this time and made it a camera that *hopefully* will finally start competing strongly against Nikon again.

Here are the specs as reported by DPReview.com:

15.5 megapixel CMOS sensor
Digic 4
9 point AF sensors (still nothing compared to the Nikon D300′s 54 point AF)
ISO 100-3200 with 6400 and 12800
Different focusing screens
3.0″ LCD with 920,000 pixels
6.3 frames-per-second for 90 JPEGs with UDMA support

On paper, it looks like Canon is back. This renews my confidence that the new 5D (Mark II?) will definitely be a force to reckon with. Hopefully this will also potentially spell a new Canon EOS 1D Mark III(n?) with an autofocusing system that performs like a 1D and high ISO performance on par with the Nikon D3. Hopefully this signifies a paradigm shift at Canon where they are no longer afraid to put the best of what they have in some of their lower line SLRs like Nikon (D3 versus D700 versus D300).

Canon users rejoice!

Image courtesy of DPReview.com

It’s Official: Nikon D700 Released

Richard Bui — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:28:41 +0000

After months of rumors of a Nikon full frame prosumer SLR that will most certainly compete with the aging Canon EOS 5D, Nikon has confirmed those rumors today with the release of the Nikon D700. The Nikon D700 is a cross between the flagship professional model, Nikon D3, and the consumer model, Nikon D300. What features do the new Nikon D700 have?

12.1 MP Full Frame (FX) 23.9 x 36mm CMOS sensor with EXPEED
ISO 200-6400 with 12,800 and 25,600 (as options)
5 frames-a-second (FPS) with 8 FPS with the optional MB-D10 battery pack
3 inch 920,000 pixel LCD display
51-point AF system
Dust Reduction System (which the D3 doesn’t have)
Pop-up flash

The new Nikon D700 is certainly a beast. If the low noise performance is anything like the D3, I’m sure people will be scooping the Nikon D700 up like hot cakes at almost $3000 a pop. This certainly would be a great backup wedding or sports body to the Nikon D3. The Nikon D700 is definitely missing a very useful option that it’s bigger brother, the D3, has: dual CF cards. Looks like that option is still only available on the flagship professional model. I’m hoping the new Canon EOS 1D Mark IIIn will replace the second slot SD/SDHC with a CF slot like the D3. Check out this comparison shot from DPReview of the Nikon D700 versus the Nikon D3.

Now all that is left is, what does Canon have in store for the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II?