Sony announces PMW-EX3 camcorder (NAB Show 2008)

Sony announced at PMA 2008 the new full HD PMW-EX3, the direct descendant of the PMW-EX1. If you check out its form factor and that of the new XL H1S and XL H1A Canons, you will immediately find plenty of similarities and will immediately understand how much Canon has influenced the prosumer segment.

However, Sony made its new handheld as mean as possible with a lot of neat features:

• Native 1920×1080p resolution.
• 24p availability for cinema-like feel.
• 3 x 1/2 inch CMOS sensors.
• XDCAM HD EX recording.
• Interchangeable lens.
• Uncompressed HD-SDI output.

PMA 2008 DSLR wrap-up

This year’s PMA has been nothing but exciting for DSLR cameras. The great news is that Canon and Nikon are no more alone in the arena. Of course we have the issue of legacy lens and photographer resistance to change when they have been served by their cameras for year on end…

The show’s disappointment? For me the fact that Canon did not replace its 5D with a newer model, but of course it is their regular practise to only release one major model per show. We will have more chances for this later in the year. Full-frame sensors are Canon’s strong card as it has the longest history and a proven record. If the 5D successor comes in at a low enough price point to become competitive against smaller sensor DSLRs it will be the most exciting development I could expect this year…

Sony readies 24.8 megapixel full-frame sensor

Sony is taking the DSLR segment much more seriously than Canon and Nikon would like. In addition to the new A300 and A350model announcement, the actual big news is that Sony is readying -possibly for production in 2008- a 24.8 megapixel 35 mm equivalent full-frame sensor! Sony’s announcement mentions 12-bit processing, a 6.3 frames/second rate and low noise characteristics. So get ready for a truly professional model announcement very soon.

Is it time to start talking about the Big Three in DSLRs? I believe yes, as Sony will cover every user need with a complete range of five -or more- DSLR models.

Sony makes impressive DSLR move with new A300 and A350 for PMA 2008

Today is the first day of PMA 2008 and I have to say that I have never seen before so many DSLR launches in a single show by so many manufacturers. Sony has been up to now silent but the wait was worth it as it is releasing two new DSLR models in its Alpha range, the A300 and the A350. They both squeeze between the entry A200 and higher end A700. Features are nothing but rich:

• A350 resolution is an impressive 14.2 megapixels, in direct competition with Pentax’s new K20D. The A300 has the usual entry DSLR 10 megapixels.
• Live view which means that pictures can be taken by just looking at the 2.7 inch screen. In fact, to leave free room for the live mechanism, the viewfinder is smaller than that of the A200 as this was deemed a necessary sacrifice for this very useful feature.
• Great -I will say it again great!- tilt 2.7 inch monitor that can be positioned at “difficult” positions to take advantage of the live view feature when unusual camera positions do not allow viewfinder use.

New Nikon D60 DSLR coming to PMA 2008

In the build up to PMA 2008 we already know of the new DSLR cameras from Canon, Pentax and Samsung, for which you can read here. Of course Nikon could not be left behind and chose its official announcement time to be much closer to the PMA opening day this Thursday. The D60 is the new baby and it looks incredibly close to the older D40x that it will probably replace. It incorporates the following features:

• 10 megapixel sensor.
• A dust protection system that combines self-cleaning sensor shake-off and an airflow design to sweep dust away.
• 3-area autofocus.

New DSLR cameras coming in PMA 2008

Tired of CES and Macworld yet? Time for something more focused, because PMA is no generalist show but concentrates exclusively on imaging stuff. I am not going to deal with compacts at all, as models change with the the frequency of weather changes, I am going to concentrate on my favourite part of the show, DSLR cameras :-) There is already wind of new DSLR models for the show, the timing is quite critical as 2008 is going to be good for this segment and fierce competition is a certainty.

Canon is going to reveal its 450D/Rebel XSi that will replace its current 400D/XTi. With 12 megapixel resolution, a larger viewfinder, live view, spot metering, 3 inch screen, 14-bit processing and high ISO noise reduction it is a definite improvement but times are changing and the competition is not as weak as in previous years… A point to note is that resolution is higher than the 10 Mp of the more expensive and capable 40D, a case of dismay among Canon customers expressed vocally in the past with the 400D/XTi and the 30D.