Latest rumors regarding Canon’s newest P&S:

60D Specs

• Articulating screen
• Metal body, similar To 50D
• Upgraded 15.1mp APS-C Sensor
• 720p/1080p Video at 30fps
• Electronic Level
• New battery & battery grip
• Price about $1190

550D/600D Specs

• Articulating screen
• Body smaller than 500D
• Upgraded 15.1mp APS-C Sensor
• 720p Video at 30fps
• Price about $799

What do you all think of Articulating screens?  Love em, hate em?   Are these cameras worth waiting for?  Rumored release date in late spring/early summer

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P&S cameras are getting faster, and increasing HIGH-iso performance – case in point, Canon’s S90.   EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) cameras are coming on strong (i.e. Panasonics’ GF-1) but are still very price with smaller lens selection.  So for the time being at least DSLRs do have advantages – here are a few

DSLR Advantages:

• Fast- from cold start to picture taking DSLRs are king and time is measured in milliseconds.  And fast from shot to shot, many DSLRS can take several high quality images in less than a second.
• Battery life is exceptional in most DSLRs with numbers between 500-1000 depending on flash use. A good P&S approaches 300ish
• A control scheme that lets you change common settings without wading through menus. I am comfortable enough to change most of my commons settings by touch alone because the buttons are smartly placed and work well.
• Interchangeable lenses allows your camera to specialize in any type of photography- going from exceptional wide angle to incredible macro if you have the lenses.
• High ISO performance, this means that in low light you can take clear crisp pictures without a ton of grain(noise).
• External Flash – The ability to add an external flash to your setup can do more for your pictures than any other accessory including lenses.
• Complete manual control including hour long shutter length if desired.

DSLR disadvantages:

• Bulky/heavy, DSLRs are large, often heavy and will not fit in a pocket or even a small purse
• They are hard to hide, related to the above, and scream “look at my camera, steal my camera”
• Lenses can be as, or even more, expensive than the original camera
• You can get dust on the sensor, or in the lenses, this has been better addressed in recent bodies though

I have a DSLR recommendation guide and a P&S recommendation list

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CES saw a slew of new camera, new camera technology and accessories announced this year. I highlight some of the more interesting below.

The megapixel race has slowed and dare I say plateaued (this is a good thing) with camera manufacturers focusing on new features and better low light performance. Sure a good number of the models announced feature 14MP but we have been there for over a year now and some models announced are still at 10MP. Don’t get starry eyed about these 14MP cameras. Personally I would take a quality 10MP sensor, or even 8MP sensor over 14MP any day.

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External Flash-

If you don’t have one these can do more for the quality of your indoor, and outdoor, shots than any other upgrade/accessory.  Both Nikon and Canon offer fairly inexpensive but excellent flashes that allow you to bounce the light of the ceiling.  The result is bright, evenly lit photos without your subjects looking washed out or getting red-eye.

Canon
Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras $130

Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras $250

Nikon

Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras $115

Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras $218

In both cases the more advanced/expensive flash gets you faster recycling times, greater range/power and more detailed control.  If you are not likely to be using the flahs in professional settings the cheaper of the two will be fine.

Tripod-

I already have a post about a wonderful, feature laden tripod for only $45

Accessories-
Transcend 8 GB SDHC Class 6 $23 Easy stocking stuffer,stop worrying about running out of room, especially if you have a newer camera that shoots HD video.

Eye-Fi Share Video 4 GB Wi-Fi SDHC $64 This is one of those accessories that makes me feel like I am living in the future. Not only do you get 4GB of space on a standard sized SD card you also get Wi-Fi that lets you wirelessly upload pics as you take them to your computer and/or a handful of photo sharing sites online. One of the best uses of these cards is to hook your computer to your TV, run a slide show of the upload folder and as you are taking pictures of the party/fun they will appear on the TV slideshow – blowing your guests minds!

Waterproof your P&S DicaPac WP110 145X95mm Small Alfa Waterproof Digital Camera Case with Optical Lens (Clear)

Filters-

Another cross post – Filter information and links

Books-

For years I have been recommending Bryan Peterson’s Excellent “Understanding Exposure” He now has a second book Bryan Peterson’s “Understanding Photography Field Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera” that looks to be very helpful

Another book getting rave reviews The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You: iPhone Photography by Chase Jarvis (Voices That Matter)

More Ideas-

Waterproof housing, Pro-membership on Flickr, Smugmug, a photobook of their best images, Gift Cards, something fun from Photojojo.com

I will add more ideas in the coming days!

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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You have small children that will want to touch your lens, even then it is debatable. Modern lens are coated and it takes a bit of work to scratch them. And that is really all a UV filter does, protects your lens. In my opinion a much better protection is a lens hood. There are plenty of stories of dropped lenses with lens hoods taking most if not all the damage.

Lens Hoods: protect the front element of your lens, eliminates flare and stray light and can upon dropping absorb a good bit of the impact(hopefully). Lens Hoods.

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Canon's 7D

Canon’s newest DSLR, the 7D, is very nice. For $1699 (Body only) $1899 (with 28-135 lens) you get a DSLR with the following specs

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