Canon announces the new 15.1MP EOS 500D which offers photographers an outstanding combination of features. Following the launch of the first Canon EOS camera to shoot movies – the EOS 5D Mark II in September 2008 – Canon now brings Full High Definition (HD) video capability to consumers in a compact and lightweight DSLR.
The new EOS 500D features a 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor – ideal for large detailed prints or enormous cropping possibilities. For shooting in near-dark conditions, the EOS 500D offers a high ISO sensitivity up to 3200 which is expandable to 12800, giving photographers the power to shoot in the dimmest light conditions. Outstanding noise reduction is made possible by Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor.
The EOS 500D heralds a new way for photography enthusiasts to capture their world. It pairs outstanding still image capture with Full HD 1080P video recording. For longer video shoots, users can also choose lower shooting resolutions of 720P or VGA.
Features at a glance:
* 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
* Full HD movie recording with HDMI connection for viewing and playback on an HDTV
* ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 12800)
* 3.4 frames per second continuous shooting
* Max. 170 large JPEG images in a single burst
* 3.0” ClearView LCD with Live View mode
* 9-point wide area AF with cross type centre point
* High speed DIGIC 4 performance and superb image quality
* EOS Integrated Cleaning System
* Full compatibility with Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites, including new Speedlite 270EX, TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II
Finally an affordable DSRL with HD video!!!
Too bad they crippled it with the 20fps limit in 1080p mode. That’s going to cause quite a bit of jerkiness which basically makes it unusable at that quality.
One thing for sure… Nikon better get their game together and release an update to the D700 with HD video before I jump ship again.
Ever since the release with the 5D MarkII, it wanted to cross over to Canon ever since. Nikon has lower megapixel count, and still lacks 1080 video record(i dont mind lacking video). It’s definitely affordable.
Okay, the trick with the 500D is, 1080 will give you high quality STOP-MOTION videos, recording at 20fps, but if you move the resolution down to 720 and vga, you get 30fps back, essentially meaning 1080 is just implemented as a feature to draw in unsuspecting customers.
If you’re into photography and not video then the D700 would be a much better choice. It’s AF system and low light capability trumps the 5D MKII any day. Not to mention that the Nikon zooms are vastly better than Canon’s counterparts (unless you’re a prime kind of guy).
The megapixel count is a non-issue unless you’re printing gigantic posters all day.
http://i.gizmodo.com/5182772/c.....ue&s=i
1080p video is a bit choppy to say the least.
I bought the D700 for 2 weeks, I jumped over to the 5DmarkII I ended up much happier. I had no problem with focusing in the dark. But how often do you shoot in the dark, where it’s so dark you cant take any pictures though? If you have a flash or a strobe of some kind, there are always assisting lamp and focusing beam on all of these. Buying the D700 and looking at their “zoom lens” I was horrified by the prices on their lens too…. 5D full HD video still rocking the market =) It took me a while to decide when comparing specs side by side… but 5Dm2 totally owned in every important aspect and not something like faster frame rate which i never go over 3fps.