Massive Memory? Yeah, We Got That

The recently announced Canon Rebel T2i 550D has a special feature: it is compatible with a new type of SD memory card called SDXC.

The "XC" stands for "Extended Capacity" and the idea behind the new format is that you can now have a memory card that lets you record hours of Full HD video without worry (whether or not anyone will watch said video is another matter).

At the PMA 2010 conference, SanDisk announced the release of a 64GB Ultra SDXC card...available to the public now for a mere $350 USD.

While most people probably don't need QUITE so much memory, expect to see many more SDXC cards as 2010 rolls along.

New DSLR - Canon Rebel T2i 550D

Never content to sit around and twiddle their thumbs, Canon has announced the release of their latest Digital Rebel: the T2i 550D.

The T2i 550D is a follow-up to the Canon Rebel T1i 500D, the first Digital Rebel to include a video capture mode (Full High Definition 1080p).

The T2i enhances that video mode, providing aspiring videographers with manual exposure control, autofocus during video capture and an input for an external microphone.

In addition to the video mode, the T2i 550D can capture 18 megapixel images at 3.7 shots per second.

When you want to show off your photos and videos, you just plug the camera into an HDTV using an HDMI cable (not supplied with the camera). If your television has what's called a "Consumer Electronics Control" then you'll be able to control the camera playback using your TV remote.

The LCD on the T2i 550D has a wide aspect ratio designed to maximize the quality of video and image playback if you don't happen to have an HDTV nearby.

Since Full HD video files can eat up a lot of space, the T2i is compatible with the latest SD memory cards called SDXC.

• Release Date: March 2010
• Estimated Kit Price (with lens): $900 USD

Macro Lenses for Nikon D60 and D5000

If you'd like to get really up close and personal with your subjects, a regular old kit lens just isn't going to cut it.

The main limitation of a standard lens is something called minimum focusing distance.

With a standard lens, if you get the front glass of the lens too close to your subject (closer than the minimum focusing distance of the lens) your autofocus won't be able to make the subject appear clear.

You might even hear the focusing motor in the lens tracking back and forth: the autofocus is trying to get a lock, but isn't succeeding.

However, if you're using a specialized lens called a macro, minimum focusing distance is no problem at all - you can get your lens up close and personal with even the smallest of subjects.

If you're the owner of a Nikon digital SLR camera that does not have its own focusing motor - like the D40, D60, D3000 and D5000 - then the macro lens that you're looking for needs to have its own focusing motor. Nikon calls these types of lenses AF-S.

If you're not fond of tons of options, then you're in luck: there are three Nikon macro lenses with AF-S that you can choose from:

1. Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S DX ED VR
2. Nikon 60mm f/2.8G AF-S ED
3. Nikon 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR

A quick analysis: both the 85mm and 105mm have Vibration Reduction (VR) which helps you capture clearer shots when you hold the camera in your hands. Note: camera shake is especially apparent in macro shots, so this is a nice feature to have - unless you intend to use a tripod all the time.

The 60mm and the 105mm have a slightly wider maximum aperture than the 85mm (helpful for shooting hand-held in dim available light) but they also have another advantage: they're not DX lenses.

DX lenses - like the 85mm - will only work on digital SLRs with cropped sensors. If you ever decide to upgrade in the future to a full-frame digital SLR, the non-DX lens is the better option here.

Olympus E-PL1 Intro Video

This video highlights some of the features of the latest Olympus micro 4/3rds camera (also called an Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera or ILDC).

This is the third micro 4/3rds camera released by Olympus, and it comes packed with features including an HD video capture mode.

January Newsletter Now Available

So this announcement is a little bit late - that's what happens when you have far too many things to do and then come down with a head cold.

The January issue of the Digital SLR Guide newsletter is now available on the web site.

Here's a quick overview of what's in this issue:

• How to protect your camera from rain and cold
• Alternative kit lens options for all the different manufacturers
• How to take photos at night (and what problems you'll run into)

Read the January Newsletter

Q and A: Full Frame or Crop Frame DSLR?

Question:

Should I get a full frame or crop frame digital SLR camera?

Answer:
The key deciding factor between full frame and crop frame boils down to how often you think you'll shoot in dim available light.

While full frame cameras do offer a wider field of view (which is great for landscapes and interiors) their real advantage is the minimal noise they produce even at high ISO settings.

The larger sensors handle noise much better, so you can shoot at ISO 1600 and be hard-pressed to see deterioration in image quality.

If you don't think that you'll be shooting a lot in dim light without flash, then the reduced size and portability of crop-frame cameras is a big advantage. Plus, you pay a huge premium right now for full frame.

I expect the price of full frame cameras to drop in the coming years, and you can certainly get a crop-frame camera now and upgrade to a full frame later on down the line when the prices are more reasonable.

Canon DSLR Portrait Lens

A lot of people write in to the Digital SLR Guide asking which lens they should get for their camera.

These are folks who started out using the kit lens that came with their camera, but have a sense that there might be something a little bit better out there.

Today, I'll begin a series of posts on the lenses that I find most interesting for all of the different camera manufacturers.

To kick it off, I'd like to talk about my favorite Canon DSLR portrait lens: the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD.

There's a lot that I like about this lens:

• Zoom Range: 28 to 75mm is a great range for portrait photography, allowing for large group shots as well as individual head shots
• Wide Aperture: the f/2.8 maximum aperture lets you take pictures in very dim available light without having to boost your ISO too much
• Constant Aperture: the aperture is constant throughout the zoom range and doesn't change once set
• Superb Image Quality: the sharpness and color capture of this lens rival some that are significantly more expensive
  

Finally, there's the price: you can pick up a new version of this lens for about $430 USD, which is extremely reasonable given the quality and the performance that this lens offers.