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GEAR GUIDE 2005
GEAR CHECKLIST
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The 8.2MP Canon EOS 20D may offer
the most bang for the buck, with the
highest image quality and best overall
performance of the bunch. It features a
rugged magnesium-alloy body, super-
fast AF, a blazing 5-fps burst mode, and
advanced flash functions. Plus, unlike
most compacts and EVFs, the 20D han-
dles low-light shooting up to ISO 1600
without a dramatic increase in noise
(a.k.a. digital grain). Downside: the
APS-sized sensor means a 1.6X 35mm
lens factor.
5.7x4.2x2.8 INCHES BODY ONLY
•
1.7 POUNDS WITH BATTERY AND CARD
Y
ou’re really into it
when you need a big
camera bag to carry
your normal kit, not just a
belt pouch or fanny pack.
We figure a lot of you fall
into this category: the kind
of people who plan vaca-
tions around photography,
not vice versa, and who
wouldn’t think of going to a
family party without an
extra camera body, and a
system flash, and maybe
some slave units, and….
Canon
EOS 20D
$
1,499 street (BODY ONLY)
$
1,599 street
(WITH 18–55MM F/4–5.6 EF-S LENS)
www.canoneos.com
800-652-2666
$
Canon EOS
Digital Rebel
$
799 street, body only
$
899 with 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6
POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGING/DECEMBER 2004 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 73
Konica Minolta
Maxxum 7D
✚
Frustrated with the shutter lag and lens limitations of your compact digital cam-
era? Tired of spending money developing photos you don’t want from your 35mm
SLR? If so, then it’s time to get serious with a digital SLR. There are several
advanced models ranging in price from $799 to $1,500 that give you nearly
instant shutter response and a wide choice of lenses and accessories. They also
deliver amazing image quality, advanced control features, fast focusing speeds,
lower noise at higher ISO settings, and rapid-burst shooting modes.
▲
EF-S lens
www.canoneos.com
800-652-2666
The first digital SLR under $1,000,
Canon’s EOS Digital Rebel is still a bar-
gain despite stiff competition. It features
6.3MP resolution and extremely high
image quality, a low-noise APS-sized
CMOS sensor, a great AF system, long-
life battery, and compatibility with all
Canon EF lenses including the new EF-
S lenses. OK, it lacks the custom func-
tions and rugged body of the EOS 10D
or 20D, and you get a slower burst
capability, but you can’t beat
its price.
5.6x3.9x2.9 INCHES
BODY ONLY
•
1.4 POUNDS
WITH BATTERY AND CARD
•
TESTED NOVEMBER 2003
$
1,500 est. street, body only
www.konicaminolta.us
877-462-4464
The long-awaited Maxxum
7D should be arriving in
stores by the time you
read this—we hope. This
6MP DSLR has a built-in
anti-shake system that
works with most Maxxum
lenses (albeit with a 1.5X 35mm lens fac-
tor). Built along the lines of the 35mm
Maxxum 7, it has advanced metering and
exposure controls, white balance with
manual color-temperature adjust-
ment, Eye-start, and a fast AF
system. Slightly pricey for a
6MP DSLR, but its Anti-Shake
system will save $$ on image-
stabilized lenses.
5.9x4.2x3.1 INCH-
ES BODY ONLY
•
1.7 POUNDS WITHOUT BAT-
TERY OR CARD
• FIRST LOOK OCTOBER 2004
REALLY INTO IT!
DSLRs: THEY’RE ALL ABOUT CONTROL
DIGITAL SLRs
VERSATILE LENSES
FILM SCANNERS
MONITOR CALIBRATION
ENTHUSIAST SOFTWARE
HOME LIGHTING KITS
PRO-LEVEL FLASH
WACOM TABLETS
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