Sony NEX-7 review

Sony introduced the NEX mirrorless range early in 2010 with the intention of attracting beginners stepping up from a compact. These customers, the company suggested, had little interest in the maker’s traditional DSLR range, and would prefer the smaller, lighter and easier to use NEX models instead. While that might well be the case, adopting the same APS-C sensors as their DSLRs and with a short 18mm flange back distance, allowing the use of practically any lens with an appropriate adaptor, it’s not much of a stretch to see how those cameras might benefit professional users. While Canon and Nikon continue to push the DSLR for professional use, with the introduction of this model, Sony appear to be hedging their bets between systems.

And, it’s not a bad strategy. Indeed, the NEX-7 shares many of the same features and therefore capabilities of the Alpha SLT-A77, including the 24-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor with 1080/50p/50i/25p* video, incredible 10fps continuous shooting and remarkably detailed OLED electronic viewfinder. All of this Sony has achieved in a body reminiscent of a rangefinder, with the EVF installed in the top-plate to the far left without any unnecessary disruption to the body’s angular lines. Although it’s good, very good, it’s not the equal of an optical viewfinder, just yet. But, it has good contrast and colour while being ergonomically superior to using a loupe over a screen on a rival DSLR for video capture.

If the EVF is remarkable so to is the camera’s layout and ‘Tri-Navi’ controls consisting of two metal-alloy dials on the top plate and a third, more conventional direction-pad on the rear. While the two top-dials aren’t configurable, aperture values, shutter speeds and EV shift alternate with the shooting mode selected. They also alter other settings, for instance WB, AF modes, still/video image profiles, and more when used with a function button placed next to the shutter release. The direction pad is configurable, though likely best left to select sensitivity (useable up to ISO6,400 though offering a maximum of ISO160,000 in stills, ISO3,200 in video). Between them, the Tri-Navi dials are a triumph of simplicity, and vastly superior to the NEX-5n even though the three additional soft keys, primarily for the selection of the exposure modes and menu access are present on both.

While the exposure mode is selected by just a button push and a quick flick of any one of the Tri-Navi dials, the main menu isn’t particularly intuitive or, easy to navigate and selection requires multiple button pushes. Certain features aren’t grouped logically, adding to the problem of navigation generally. The NEX-5n is the same, but the touch sensitive panel of that model helps with selections. Oddly, the NEX-7 dispenses with that but retains the same highly detailed pull-out 16:9 aspect 3-inch LCD panel that’s essential for waist level stills and video capture. By default, movies occupy only a part of the screen, which seems an odd choice but at least there’s an option to utilize the whole of the screen’s real estate, even if it isn’t immediately apparent from the menu.

The large built-in handgrip is the best of the mirrorless models, including the Panasonic Lumix GH-2, the nearest rival in terms of stills and video capabilities. A dedicated video capture button perilously placed on the thumb-grip to the rear is easy to activate accidentally but doesn’t detract from the exceptional video capabilities and high quality capture. Like the GH-2, the NEX-7 has full manual control of Av, Tv and ISO during video capture. Combined with the optional Focus Magnifier as well as the outstanding live focus peaking option, critical manual focus is easy to achieve using either Sony lenses or third-party optics with a mount adaptor. Autofocus is possible during video, and there are several choices available over the expected centre and multi-point options including face detection and focus tracking but in low light levels, whether for stills or video, the contrast detection based system struggles. Faster lenses mitigate this but AF operation is slightly behind the current Olympus PENs and Nikon 1 bodies.

Be that as it may, operation is swift, and shutter lag, when pre-focused, is lower than the Nikon D3s. Stills image quality is excellent but you’ll need the very best in optical quality and focus accuracy to achieve the sensor’s potential. In camera JPEG processing reveals slightly aggressive noise reduction even at lower ISO’s, reducing small structure detail somewhat but that’s not an issue when shooting Raw. The NEX-7 is capable of delivering hugely detailed files unmatched by rivals using an APS-C sensor, though the standard kit lens isn’t a particularly strong performer. Sony desperately needs to widen the E-series range adding more high-quality primes such as the superb Sony Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 Sonnar T*. While that is neither small nor cheap, it’s a great match for what it is, arguably, Sony’s finest camera to date.



Samples





London skyline, Primrose Hill, London. Sony NEX-7 and Zeiss 1,8/24 T* (35mm equivalent).





Regent's Park Road, London. Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 at f/1.8 - some slight longitudinal CA is noticeable in the out-of focus highlights but the lens is otherwise an excellent performer.

*Please note the Sony NEX-7 is region specific, so you can't switch a PAL version to NTSC to access 1080/60p/60i/24p unfortunately. If you work with both standards you'll need to source two bodies - please use our links below.

Sales


If you found this review helpful and intend to remunerate us for this expensive and time-consuming work, please clear your browser's cache of cookies if visiting from a referring photo-site before clicking on our links, as we're unlikely to receive the commission from the retailer. Thank you for buying through this site's links.

Body only prices at:

Jessops (£999 inc VAT)

WEX UK (£995 in VAT)

Adorama ($1,119.99)

Amazon ($1,199)

B&H Photo $1,198 (Pre-order, released in limited quantity)

Sony Zeiss 24mm f/1.8T* (35mm-e):

Jessops (£849.95 inc VAT)

WEX £849 inc VAT

Adorama ($1,098)

B&H Photo ($1,098 back-ordered)



Related Posts


Sony 24mm f/1.8 Zeiss Sonnar T* sample images

Nikon 1 V1 review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 review

Fujifilm X100 concise review

Leica M9 concise review

Mitsubishi CP-D70DW dye-sublimation printer review

Roll-fed dye-sublimation transfer printers are often used in photo-kiosks but with their fast operation and touch dry photos, they’re also the printer of choice for event photographers.

Mitsubishi Electric CP-D70DW

Rating 4.5/5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Price
£1214 (£999 ex VAT) $1,399.95
Contact
Mitsubishi Electric; www.mitsubishielectric.co.uk www.mitsubishi-imaging.com
Needs
Mac OS X 10.5 or Windows XP later
Pros
Print quality, job times, low media costs, durability, build, noise levels
Cons
Noise levels, paper handling niggles, colour profile on request



Buy at Adorama Camera (US) at $1,279.95, plus mail-in rebate available. Buy at Amazon US (sold by Adorama).

Buy the Dual deck CP-D70DW at Adorama now at $1,939.95, plus mail-in rebate (was $2,950).



Introduction


Unlike the process of dithering liquid ink in an inkjet, dye-sublimation printers produce authentic continuous tone images with an analogous look like that of a conventional lab-produced print. They achieve this using thin cellophane ribbon with wax-like dyes that are heated to form a gaseous exchange of dye onto special receiving paper.

Typically, the ribbon has three (CMY) coloured panels of dye plus a fourth over-coating offering durable protection of prints from, moisture, UV and even greasy fingerprints.

Benefits like these are the main attraction for event photographers, and print costs are competitive. Early versions were literally no different to those used in retail photo-kiosks but the recent shift to more compact desktop models is proving attractive not least due to the reduction in size and weight, in many cases around half that of previous offerings.

Mitsubishi’s latest dye-sublimation printer, the roll-fed CP-D70DW is a compact desktop model weighting 12kg and capable of printing high-quality photos up to 6-inches wide at high-speed and with the minimum of fuss.

The £999 (ex VAT) CP-D70DW offers print sizes of 3.5x5-inch, 4x6-inch, 5x7inch and 6x8-inch, from three ribbon sizes. Popular with time-pressured event photographers a fourth size, 6x9-inch, mimicking the uncropped 3:2 format of DSLRs should have been released by the time you read this.

To avoid potential pitfalls such as mismatching of sizes, both ribbon and roll paper are sold together in media packs. Print capacity is quoted as 400x 6x4-inch sheets or 200 sheets at 6x8-inch per media pack and costs are some of the lowest for this type of printer at around 19p ex VAT (30 US cents) per 8x6-inch sheet.

If you’re wondering why you can’t print a 6x9-inch print on 6-inch wide paper, it’s because the ribbon patch determines the size of the print, matching the paper precisely, and simply isn’t physically big enough. While presumably the paper won’t change, Mitsubishi will have to produce new 6x9-inch ribbon and update the drivers.

Setting Up





Setting up is a quick and relatively straightforward affair. Unlike earlier offerings, the delicate ribbon is loaded first into a cassette tray making the installation process far simpler and risk free. Installing the paper is marginally more-fiddly but that’s to be expected. Plastic flanges must be inserted into either end of the paper roll while spacers are used for the smaller media sizes.

Inside the printer, however paper guides must be manually set for either the 5-or-6-inch wide media. It’s a pity this doesn’t take place automatically as this is easily overlooked, what’s more it’s crucial to prevent a paper-jam or misaligned print.

That said, media sizes are unlikely to be switched frequently, and then only when installing new packs where warning labels located inside are likely to remind. In terms of ease of access the front loading tray is a high spot, and even with the inevitable shift in weight, the printer doesn’t tip forward alarmingly like some rival offerings

Drivers





Windows drivers are included on the bundled CD but the Mac driver must be downloaded from the Mitsubishi Electric website. The Mac driver was originally written for Leopard (OS 10.5) though it runs well enough under OS 10.6. Colour management options a choice of either None (application managed) or Tone 1 (printer managed).

If using Windows for a printer managed workflow the driver has some additional colour control settings, to save time adjusting each image before printing. Bearing in mind most event photographers prefer to use the printer driver to colour-manage, the lack of additional colour correction options in the Mac driver seems like an oversight.

It’s not a deal breaker, though, especially as we would recommend using an application-managed workflow for more predictable colour. With just one media type available and no quality settings, only one colour profile is required so it’s hardly challenging. Mitsubishi don’t provide a generic profile but you can contact them directly for one free of charge, as I did.

Application-managed workflow via Lightroom is simple enough once you've been sent the generic profile (although if you've a spectrophotometer, you can make a profile yourself).

Lightroom makes colour management simple, in this case managed by the printer. But you must remember to change the driver setting for Color Conversion (above) from None to Tone 1.





In use with either a Windows machine or a Mac, accidentally selecting the wrong print size or layout for the media loaded from within an application (such as Lightroom, for instance) resulted in the print job being halted, seemingly to save unnecessary wastage. Ordinarily, choosing the wrong format for the media loaded has no real impact other than to waste a single sheet. Although slightly tiresome at first, as it’s not immediately obvious what the problem is, once corrected it was fine.


With a 29-second cycle for a 6x8-inch print, including 12 seconds processing time, job times were pleasingly short. And noise levels, something of a weakness of roll-fed dye-subs, were barely audible in standby mode rising to a reasonable 50dB at rest peaking to 70dB during output. Best of all though was the print quality.

With no real discernible difference using the default settings between the two colour management options, colour accuracy was excellent when compared with the Kodak test prints provided as part of the Colour Confidence / Kodak Professional Colour management Check-Up Kit.

Reds and oranges especially were pleasingly more vibrant though I suspect the brighter white base of the Mitsubishi paper over the test print (printed on Kodak Professional Endura) was the reason. This could also go to explain the entirely convincing yet slightly more neutral-looking mono (Black and White) output. Mono isn’t likely to be the first choice for event photographers but at least the CP-D70DW offers that as an option.


In terms of rivals, the front-loading DNP DS-40 is the most obvious competitor and offers both 6x8 and 6x9 inch prints and is slightly cheaper ($1,249.94 / £941 ex VAT) although the Mac driver has slightly ambiguous colour management options and it can’t quite match the Mitsubishi in terms of print quality. With the 6x9-inch media pack being the only real hitch*, the Mitsubishi CP-D70DW stands out in terms of build, ease of use, speed of operation, and picture quality, making it a solid choice for the event photographer.

* UPDATE (11 May 2011), 6x9-inch media is now available.

Rating 4.5/5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED



Sales


Buy at Adorama Camera (US) at $1,279.95, plus mail-in rebate available. Buy at Amazon US (sold by Adorama).

Buy the Dual deck CP-D70DW at Adorama now at $1,939.95, plus mail-in rebate (was $2,950).

Media is not included in the price (unless it's part of a special promotion); you will need to buy media to be up-and-running. Please follow the link here (currently only special).

Thank you for using this site's links.

UPDATE 8 June 2011


We've had a few emails about UK stockists (please feel free to leave comments below instead - it's far easier). I've only had dealings with Mitsubishi directly, but I also know Photomart (based in London) is one of the UKs leading B2B retailers of dye-sub machines.

To buy the CP-D70DW at £925 ex VAT (£1,110inc VAT) from Photomart, please follow the link here.

NEC SpectraView Reference 271 concise review

Rating 4.5/5

Price $1,882, £1,549 (ex VAT), £1,858 (inc VAT

Contact NEC, 0208 993 8111, www.nec-display-solutions.co.uk

Needs OS X 10.3 or later, Windows 2000 with SP4 or higher

Pros Picture quality, wide-gamut, hardware-calibratable with SpectraView profiler, ergonomics, build, three-year warranty 

Cons Granular text, no bundled Mini DisplayPort cable, calibrator extra (UK version)

Please follow the link to buy from UK retailer Warehouseexpress.com 

Please note this has been replaced by the PA 272W BK SV LED in the US (B&H Photo )



Color management is essential for critical color reproduction and the NEC SpectraView Reference 271 (MultiSync PA271W-BK-SV in the USA) is one of the few wide-gamut monitors available to come close to covering the Adobe RGB color space. Most monitors, even so-called high-end models, are barely able to reproduce the gamut of the much smaller sRGB color space. And, if your monitor doesn’t display the colors available to your output space, such as a photo-inkjet, then making accurate color adjustments to your photos or video is made all the more difficult.

With a 16:9 aspect ratio, the SpectraView Reference 271 is the first 27-inch monitor from NEC in its Professional Color Management series. As well as 2560 x 1440 pixel native resolution, it packs a new 10-bit P-IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel for wide viewing angles and instead of LED backlighting, it adopts the cold cathode tubes of earlier offerings. This sounds a lot like rival 27-inch offerings, including NEC’s Multi-Sync siblings but the SpectraView Reference models are individually selected and certified for zero pixel failure.

Furthermore, they’re supplied with the SpectraView Profiler utility that controls 14-bit hardware LUTs (Look UP Tables). These data instructions are written directly to the chassis electronics during calibration (a screen calibrator, such as the i1Profiler, is required*). This is a more reliable and consistent method of achieving accurate color reproduction than using the same calibrator to re-write the software LUTs on the computer's video-adaptor (known as software calibration), which in turn is corrected by the color profile.

Setting up the NEC is a pretty simple affair, but they’re a couple of points to be aware of. Firstly, unlike the earlier 24-and 30-inch models, the SpectraView Reference 271 has no analogue ports, just two DVI-D ports and a single, full-size DisplayPort. If you’re a Mac user with a spare, full-size DVI port you’ll be fine, if not it gets tricky.





If you intend to run a second monitor from your current MacBook Pro, iMac, or from a single video card on your Mac Pro, that means having to locate either a Mini DisplayPort adaptor or Mini to full-size DisplayPort cable, as neither are supplied. To make matter worse, they aren’t widely available. Luckily, Lindy (www.lindy.com) has just released a reliable adaptor (which was used in this test, see image above) and they now have a 1.0m cable option (not available at the time of testing). Alternatively, you could use a dual-link DVI to Mini DisplayPort adaptor, but at £70 (inc VAT) the price is prohibitive, while the cheaper single-link DVI adaptor doesn’t support the monitor resolution.





Neither is a calibrator supplied with the European version*, but colorimeters such as the i1 (EyeOne) Display and Spyder2 are supported. Thankfully, the previously messy licensing procedure of the SpectraView utility has been abandoned, but it will only run if the monitor is powered on, a niggle only if you intend to use it for a second, third-party monitor.

SpectraView handles the whole calibration and profile creation, and is made simpler by the inclusion of a number of optional presets. These are intended for different color space emulations and workflows; photography, pre-press, web-design, and others. However, SpectraView has a raft of manual options if you wish to modify the process.

With simple adjustment for height, tilt, and rotation (the screen can be rotated 90-degrees from horizontal to vertical format), the SpectraView Reference 271 has excellent ergonomics. And it’s also bundled with an excellent flocked hood that can be left in place during calibration.

As you might expect the picture quality and color reproduction is outstanding. Images are particularly sharp, sharper than most 30-inch monitors at a closer working distance, thanks to the finer pixel pitch. Also noticeable when compared to a calibrated 27-inch iMac are a wider range of blues and greens, greens in particular. Reds were deeper, less orangey and very vibrant. Uniformity of brightness was excellent too. I couldn’t see any hot spots on a black background and there were no signs of the ugly yellow colored mura that affected the late 2009 27-inch iMac.

If there’s a niggle it’s that text in a word-document, for instance, isn’t quite as smooth as the glossy screens, again, in part due to the texture of the matte finish anti-glare coating. When compared with rival Eizo ColorEdge models, it’s a competitively priced offering and an outstanding choice for imaging pros.

* The USA MultiSync PA271W-BK-SV is bundled with a NEC branded EyeOne Display calibrator made especially for the color characteristics of the display.





Related posts:

NEC has announced the 30-inch SpectraView Reference 301, also known as the MultiSync PA301W-BK-SV display in North America. This will replace the SVRef 3090, not the SVRef 275 reviewed above..

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For more information please visit www.nec-display-solutions.co.uk

Please follow the link to buy from UK retailer Warehouseexpress.com 
Please note this has been replaced by the PA 272W BK SV LED in the US (B&H Photo )

ProCamera + GeoTagging iPhone App Review

The ProCamera iPhone app is extensive, it incorporates many features that will appeal to pro photographers. Not that this app is designed to replace the full functionality or speed of a DSLR but it represents an extremely good app to have on your iPhone to capture that elusive photo and with its extensive features gives you the opportunity to utilize the possibility of having a camera with you at all times. As we all know the best camera is the camera that's with you and by having this app on your iPhone you certainly get that. Take a look at our review below:

Expert Mode

One of the particular things I like about this app is within the so called, Expert Mode - here you can gain greater control of your image by focusing on specific areas within your photograph, ie selective focusing as well as exposure and it also incorporates a white balance lock. These facilities are available within the photo and video mode of ProCamera.

In order to activate this feature, with the app open you will see two boxes, a blue and a yellow box, as above. The blue box is the focusing box and the yellow box the exposure one. All you need to do is drag each box around within the image to lock the focus and exposure within different sections of the image. This is an exceptional feature within an iPhone app and one that is seriously welcomed.

Video Recording

Video recording is a very important factor within photography market at the moment and is growing day by day in popularity. To have the feature available within an iPhone photography app is very important, but it has to work well. Fortunately ProCamera does not disappoint in this respect.

The Video recording mode is simple to access, just select video camera within the menu and start recording by tapping the button within the center of the toolbar. To stop the recording just tap the stop button on the right of the toolbar. Again, you can selective focus and exposure specific areas of the recording by tapping the desired spot on the screen before and while actually recording. Despite not having a pause icon within the recording mode it is possible to start rerecording again simply enough, although the counter starts counting from the beginning. It would be a nice but not an essential feature to see a pause icon within the recording mode and one that the developer should be able to add with a future update.

GPS/Exif Data

This app has recently been updated to include GPS tagging - known as geotagging - this is a great and essential feature, no doubt about that. But, perhaps even more importantly it includes Exif data - this is something many pros want to know about time and again.

I have used the image above of my MacBook Pro keyboard for demonstration purposes.

Pro

By selecting the center icon on the row below it is possible to see information regarding this shot. Size, date, time, flash, aperture, exposure, location and direction are all recorded.

Expert

Within the expert mode of that screen it is possible to see the colormodel, DPI height and width, depth, orientation, pixel height, ISO speed rating, metering mode, shutter speed value and so on.

Map

Within the Map section you can pinpoint the place the image was taken and within the Satellite mode you can get a complete overview.

Photo Suite

Another great feature of this app is the ability to adjust the photo within the app by way of using Photo Suite. It is possible to adjust the brightness, exposure, digital flash and to change the image to either black and white or sepia modes, without leaving the app. Once you are happy with the image you can share it via email again within the app.

Conclusion

I have to say that this really is a great photo app and one that should be on your iPhone. It is priced within the app store for $2.99 and to my mind represents an absolute bargain. In the future it would be good to see an HDR and burst mode and again this could be incorporated within a future update but at present If you only want one photography app on your device, then make it ProCamera now. To download, go here

Wacom’s Intuos4 redefines the pen tablet for digital content creators

Press release:

Next generation pen tablet delivers new proprietary pen technology and a stylish, ergonomic design loaded with new features

Wacom today unveils Intuos4, a professional pen tablet system that delivers new features and unparalleled performance to photographers, designers and artists. Inspired by members of Wacom’s professional community, the next generation Intuos is anchored by its new pen performance, capable of capturing the slightest nuance of pen pressure against the tablet surface, as well as offering 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. Intuos4’s intelligent industrial design provides advancements in looks, comfort and control. Additionally, specific workflow and productivity tools include customisable shortcut and modifier keys with accompanying OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) displays, which show the current function setting of each key.

All new pen performance

The Intuos4 Grip Pen features Wacom’s new proprietary tip sensor technology, offering users near-zero (one gramme) starting pressure for an even more natural feel. Now, any writing, art or design can start with an incredibly light touch, emulating the same feel, response and result derived from working with traditional media.

Additionally, the Intuos4 pen delivers 2048 levels of pressure, doubling the resolution of the pen’s pressure curve to further enhance feedback and expand the creative effects within software applications that support pressure sensitivity. The Intuos4 Grip Pen features a pressure-sensitive eraser and two customisable side-switches for setting commands such as double-click and right-click on the pen. For those looking for a pen with a thicker barrel, a thick bodied Intuos4 replacement grip comes as an accessory.
Updated design improves workflow and boosts productivity
With its ergonomic design, the ultra-slim Intuos4 pen tablet is the ideal creative instrument for working with digital content. Its new reversible (ambidextrous) design puts all of the shortcut and modifier keys in the ideal position for right-handed or left-handed users. The ExpressKeys are conveniently located on one side of the tablet, making them all available to the users’ non-dominant hand. To move from right-handed to left-handed use, simply rotate the tablet through 180 degrees and change the orientation of the illuminated icons within the Wacom tablet driver software.

These application-specific ExpressKeys are instrumental in helping improve workflow and boost productivity by placing commonly used commands right at the fingertips. The close proximity of these tools to the actual work area is efficient and comfortable, helping to save valuable time by minimising dependence on the keyboard. New to Intuos4 are illuminated OLED displays (not featured on the Intuos4 S) that provide a helpful reminder of the current function setting of each ExpressKey. As these settings can be application-specific, the displays will update immediately as the user changes between applications.

Also new to the Intuos4 is the introduction of a user-defined Touch Ring capable of controlling up to four different functions in any application. A button located in the centre of the ring ‘toggles’ between functions such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment, canvas rotation and layer selection. The position of an LED located along the perimeter of the Touch Ring indicates the current function.

Pick and mix software

Intuos4 owners can choose valuable software applications based on individual needs. A selection from industry leaders such as Adobe, Autodesk and Corel are available to users following installation of an Intuos4 pen tablet. In addition, Intuos4 users will appreciate the significant upgrades to Wacom’s powerful, user-friendly driver software, including the introduction of precision mode and radial menus. In precision mode the mapping of the pen tip changes to a slow motion movement, enabling even more precise and accurate work. This feature is activated when the relevant ExpressKey is held down. Releasing it returns to normal mapping. Radial menus enable users to quickly access preferred functions through a hierarchical menu display. Functions can be customised and grouped together.

Intuos4 accessories

A new weighted pen stand not only provides a convenient pen holder, but also functions as a handy twist-off storage compartment for alternate pen nibs and handy nib extractor. Standard, felt, stroke and flex nibs ship with the Intuos4, allowing users to simulate working with a variety of traditional art and design materials.

Also available is an Art Pen, which turns on the rotation feature in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Corel Painter X to deliver natural brush effects, much like a calligraphy pen, as well as an Airbrush that enables users to create and define paint patterns within certain creative programmes. Finally, there is also the Classic Pen and a cordless and battery-free Wacom mouse.

“The Intuos4 is an intelligent pen tablet that addresses the needs of the creative professional with exciting new pen performance and thoughtful detailing,” says Guido Möller, product manager, professional products, at Wacom Europe. “By listening to our professional community, we are able to deliver an advanced pen tablet packed with new technologies and features that positively impacts creative control and productivity.”

See what professionals say about Intuos4:



Pricing and availability
Intuos4, available from 25 March 2009, comes in four sizes to meet varying workflow and workspace requirements – small (Intuos4 S: £199.99), medium (Intuos4 M: £329.99), large (Intuos4 L: £429.99) and extra large (Intuos4 XL: £699.99). All prices include VAT.

Read my review in the British Journal of Photography.

Canon EOS Rebel XSi (EOS 450D) review

We review the Canon EOS Rebel XSi (EOS 450D / EOS Kiss Digital X2), the first new mid-range model from the maker, and ask how well does it perform against strong rivals in a seemingly overcrowded market?





Canon’s market share in entry-level and pro-grade DSLR’s is impressive but rivals have been equally successful with pitching mid-range models for enthusiasts. Despite the introduction of the magnesium alloy-bodied 10-megapixel EOS 40D, this important market segment is an area that Canon hasn’t done that well with since the EOS 20D. Looking to leverage on the success of Canon’s hugely popular EOS Rebel XTi (EOS 400D), and subsequently replaced by the EOS Rebel XS (EOS 1000D), the maker’s EOS XSi (450D) slots neatly between the two. Rather than downgrading features from the 40D, as the name suggests the EOS XSi is more like a XTi on steroids.

Boasting a higher resolution sensor than either model, the EOS XSi has a 12.2-megapixel CMOS imager with automated dust cleaning, 14-bit colour for a finer range of tones, and a new, larger 3.0-inch (230k dot) LCD with Live View. Although the EOS XSi can be bought body only, so you can add it to a existing Canon system or choose from any of the maker’s lenses, a newly introduced image stabilised EF-S 18-55mm IS kit lens makes for a well-rounded package.

While the EOS XSi shares more than a passing resemblance to the entry-level offering the body has a larger viewfinder image, up from 0.81x to 0.87x. It’s not quite as large the image found on the EOS 40D but it’s a significant improvement nonetheless. Other features usually found on more expensive Canon models include ISO settings in the viewfinder, spot metering (although it’s a none too-narrow 4-percent) and both the Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimizer options introduced originally on the maker's pro-level EOS 1D models. Although we found the effect very subtle these last two features attempt, respectively, to improve highlight detail while adjusting brightness and contrast locally.

Trading up

The EOS XSi is also the first DSLR from the maker to adopt the smaller SD/SDHC card format. While this is likely to make those trading up from a compact feel more comfortable, it’s another card to find if you’re already using Canon DSLR’s. Build quality mimics that of the plastic-shelled XS (and earlier XTi), it’s pretty good but nothing like that of the magnesium outer used for semi-pro EOS 40D. We also found the EOS XSi to be pretty small but that makes it handy for traveling and a new vertical grip can always be added when you need a little extra heft to help balance larger lenses.

We thought the layout of the controls easy to work from, and the re-located ISO button, now found close the forward command dial is an improvement. We also liked the new larger screen, even if the scale looks slightly at odds with the rest of the body. If you don’t like the black on white data panel, three additional colour schemes can tone it down some. Unlike the interface of Nikon and Olympus models, though, features are selected from sub-menus after locating the appropriate button. But you can’t use the forward control dial to make selections they have to be made from the four-way controller instead. This and the fact a lot of the cameras features are set using custom settings makes it a little clunky. But, the pre-programmable My Menus screen can store your most used options, and this, once set-up, can be a big plus.



Sadly, the EOS XSi still lacks the rear command dial used by the maker’s semi-pro and pro-level cameras. This means manual exposure isn’t quite as slick, as you have to hold down the EV compensation button to shift between shutter speeds and aperture values. Despite that, the EV shift button is just a thumb’s reach away making a lot easier than some.

The EOS XSi is the first truly consumer orientated DSLR from the maker to feature Live View. Like other maker’s offerings, with the exception perhaps of Sony’s system, operation is still far away from the quick focusing and ease of use of a compact. As a result we feel the average camera-buyer isn’t likely to find benefit for day-to-day snaps, but for more specialized applications such as macro and still-life work using a tripod it’s a welcome advance. In the new contrast-detection mode, you can focus accurately using the 10x magnification option either using auto or manual focus from any point on the screen. It’s slower in use than the Quick AF Live View mode, which requires the mirror to flip and use the usual AF system, but there’s no blacking-out of the LCD screen and shutter-lag is minimal.

Need for speed

Using the camera held to the eye is a pretty positive experience overall but it is a little cramped compared with a 35mm full-frame viewfinder. The 9-point AF system from the EOS XTi now has a central cross-type sensor for improved accuracy with lenses of f/2.8 or brighter. The diamond-shaped layout and sensitivity means it’s a superior system to most rival offerings at this level, and blazingly fast in operation but we still noticed occasional focus inaccuracies with the new kit lens.

Like all Canon DSLR’s, picture quality is a highlight though cramming more pixels on to the same size sensor does have drawbacks. Sensitivity is limited to a maximum of just ISO1600, a little conservative perhaps but, with good colour and detail, entirely usable for many situations. A custom High ISO noise reduction option reduces the colour speckles further but continuous shooting falls from a respectable 3.5fps to 2fps for the first second dropping to just 1fps thereafter, even when not using high ISO’s. Noise levels at lower ISO’s are, for the most part, well-controlled. But, depending on the conditions, occasional colour speckles can still be seen in the shadows at just ISO 100.

Switching off the Auto Lighting Optimiser can help reduce noise, and works only very subtly in any case. Off by default the Highlight Tone Priority can also introduce some slight noise in the shadows, but it’s a handy, if again subtle, option when wanting to prevent highlights from loosing detail. Overall though, images are highly detailed and especially so when matched with the maker’s premium quality lenses. Not to be outdone, the new 18-55mm image-stabilised kit lens is suitably sharp and a better performer optically at the edges than the previous non-IS version. And, with up to three stops anti-shake compensation available it makes an ideal starter lens.

Ultimately, anyone looking to step up from a digital compact will be hugely impressed with the picture quality. And while there are a couple of handling niggles, there’s still plenty enough here to tempt enthusiasts on a budget. It all adds up to an incredibly well-rounded package and one we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Price

Canon EOS Rebel XSi (EOS 450D) c/w Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS $679.99 (£489).

Web

www.usa.canon.com, www.canon-europa.com, www.canon.jp


Pros & Cons

Pros

Small lightweight body
Good resolution
Low noise
Effective anti-shake and anti dust systems
Handy live view option


Cons

Small handgrip and general handling niggles
Hi-ISO NR lowers burst rate
Some focus inaccuracies


Rating

4.5/5


Verdict

Some handling niggles, but the EOS Rebel XSi would make a solid choice for those trading up from a compact, while at the same time offering more than enough to satisfy the majority of enthusiasts.

Sample Photos