Canon dropped a slew of potential credit record-ruiners on photo weenies today, starting with a new high-end SLR model for pros and people who want to look like one. The EOS-1DS Mark III could be the final wedge to push film holdouts into the digital world. We're talking resolution of 21 megapixels, a burst mode that can grab 12 images a second in RAW mode and a "live view" system that allows photographers to frame subjects through the viewfinder or via live readout on the LCD screen.
You also get a multi=part cleaning system to keep dust off the image sensor, comprehensive weatherproofing of the magnesium alloy body and an autofocus system that sounds only slight less complex than the average missile guidance system. The Mark III arrives in stores in November, priced at
$8,000.
On the mid-range side of the market, we finally have confirmation of the EOS 40D. Specs are similar to what many Canon fanboys had speculated -- 10.1 megapixels, 6.5 frames per second continuous shooting, sensitivity up to ISO 3,200 -- but you also get better weatherproofing than the current 30D, an enhanced viewfinder with better magnification and viewing angle and a new "sRAW' mode that does mild compression of RAW images.
The 40D arrives next month, priced at $1,300 for just the body or $1,500 for a kit that includes a 28-135mm zoom lens.
The SLRs are accompanied by several new lenses, including a $2,200,
14mm model that ought to have landscape photographers drooling.
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