Every now and then we come across the photos we take. This Autumn family stock photo was found on the cover of Westcoast Homes & Design (thanks to Nuno Silva).

Here is the stock photo that you can download for as little as one dollar.

^ download this image

Canon officially announced their much anticipated 5D mkII today. Here are the key specs:

•  21 MP resolution. Similar to the 1Ds mkIII and Sony a900, this resolution borders on medium format quality. Despite the similar resolution to the 1Ds mkIII, Canon is claiming much better noise handling at higher ISO.
• 1080p video mode. Again, this is perfect for stock photographers wanting to dip their toes into video. It also has a mic input.
• Weather seals. Probably not as tight as the 1Ds mk III, but still a huge improvement over the older 5D.
• 3.9 FPS. I’m gonna call this 4 fps. Close enough.
• New high resolution viewing screen to keep up with the competition.
•  ISO 100 - 6400 with boost of ISO 50, 12800, and 25600
• Live view, dust prevention / cleaning, better viewfinder, HDMI output, DIGIC 4, and a bunch of other bells and whistles.

The price is a mere $2700 at release. Those who bought a 5D back in the day paid $4500 CAD. Ouch! The times have changed. Expect this camera to hit the shelves… and then be quickly pulled off the shelves due to high demand… in mid to late November. I’ll probably be one of the first on the waiting list.

We’ve just added a bunch more photos to our portfolio. A few more recent favorites of mine. Check them out!

An interesting post from Jim Jannard in the RedUser forums states:

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“While (insert code name) is not a replacement for Epic or Scarlet, it is strategically targeted at the DSLR space. As Nikon and Canon release their 720P and 1080P, respectively, DSLRs with video capture… RED has a more advanced view of the future. We look forward to rapidly pushing the “big guys” along in feature sets and capabilities.”

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Though this doesn’t prove anything, it appears that Canon will follow the Nikon D90 and release a 1080p HD video capture mode in their next DSLR.

Having a HD video capture in a DSLR could be a good starting point for stock photographers wanting to sell video without committing to large amounts of new gear. Having a video and still camera in one could save a lot of space in a gear bag (less lenses, batteries, etc.) but like most ‘all in ones’ there will be some compromise.

The Sony a900 was officially announced today. You can check out DPReview.com for the full press release, a preview, and sample images. Luminous Landscape has also posted a brief article with comparisons to the Canon 1Ds III.

It appears to have several decent features that make it stand out from the competition, with it’s $3000 pricepoint grabbing most of the headlines. Steady shot claims to reduce camera shake by four stops and the viewfinder appears to be best in class, but in the end, image quality is the deal breaker. Early samples from pre-production models appear underwhelming for anything above ISO 200 with ISO 800 looking really smeared and splotchy. These are JPG’s converted from Sony’s RAW convertor of course, which could be the weakest link. We’ll have to see how well image quality holds up when processed through ACR.

Overall, at $3000 USD, this is probably worth every penny, especially when compared to the $8000 1Ds III. The Sony a900 is generating a lot of interest simply because they are shaking things up in the camera business, including the medium format niche. The increased competition should send prices falling and Canon’s history of charging $8000 for their flagship cameras should be over.

Overall, the a900 should be an excellent studio camera under controlled lighting and other settings. $3000 + an additional $400 for a Tamron 90mm macro lens and you’ve got MF quality at a fraction of the price.

Canon has just posted a teaser on their various websites about a “destined evolution” (whatever that means).

^ Click here to check out Canon’s US website

What does this mean?

My guess is that they are building up interest before announcing a full frame 5D replacement this Tuesday morning in Amsterdam, which would be very early morning for those of us in North America. In PST time zone, we usually see these anouncements around 1:00 AM. Of the various speculated names, it may be called either a 5D mark II, 3D, 6D, or 7D. Of course this hardly matters.

It appears that the set of four buttons have been moved closer to the side of the camera. This is good news becuase the LCD light button was cramped up against the viewfinder chamber, and was difficult to reach. It’s a minor issue, but that’s all we can gather from what we have been given.

However, if you brighten up the image in photoshop, we can see two more hints. 1. The flash hotshoe appears to be weather sealed, thus indicating the rest of the camera will have some sort of weather sealing, albeit nothing as protective as the 1 series camera bodies. 2. There is no built in grip, which makes for a lighter camera that is suitable for travel.

Other than that, everything else is pure speculation. Rumor has it that it will be 21MP, 5fps, have a decent screen, and excellent low light performance, even for ISO 6400. Personally, I believe it will be 18MP, because the company doesn’t want to cannabalize sales of the 1 series bodies. Unfortunately, those bodies are really overpriced. I also think it will be 4fps at 18MP, or 3fps at 21MP. I do hope it is 21MP, though, because I need all the resolution I can get and a 21MP Canon body will dissuade me from picking up the 24MP Sony a900. Life would be a lot simpler if I could just stick to my Canon kit.

Just came across this from UWPosters.com. They did an awesome job of using our stock photo of a blacksmith for their marketing campaign. It’s really cool, and must have taken a lot of work. Wish I thought of it myself.

^ Download this photo

Internet forums have been rabid about an officially released Sony a900 advertisement in the National Geographic magazine.

The specs are:

+ 24.6 MP Full Frame Exmor CMOS Sensor
+ Dual Bionz Image Processing Engine
+ Intelligent Preview
+ 100% Viewfinder 0.74 mag
+ 3.0″ 921,000 dot hybrid LCD
+ 9 point dual cross AF (with f2.8 sensor and wide area 10 point assist)
+ 5fps [Nice!]
+ Steady shot

The Sony a900 sounds great, especially for a studio photographer as I mentioned in a previous post. It is missing a few things, however, including Liveview - with “Intelligent Preview” taking it’s place - and 14bit processing. Also, Sony is fairly new to the DSLR game after acquiring Konica Minolta two years ago. This is why I don’t suggest it for travel, wedding and event photographers, and photojournalists. Studio and landscape photogs could do a lot with it though. The good news is that their video recorders are very competent on all levels, from consumer camcorders to fully professional broadcast quality cameras. A second generation a900 will probably rock pretty hard considering they’re lower in the food chain behind Nikon and Canon, and thus fairly generous in offering innovations at a reduced pricepoint ($3000?). Remember, they make their money on lenses and accesories. And the sexy Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f:2.8 is a hefty $1750 USD at BHPhoto.com.

Click here for more images of the Sony a900 DSLR advertisement [edit: the info appears to have been taken down].