SLRs vie for power at PMA 2005

Canon EOS 350D

In secret backroom meetings last year, the digital SLR-world power brokers mapped out their PMA 2005 strategy. When the dealmakers pushed back from the table, the plan was clear: add letters. Or so independent analysts conclude from the early announcements of Canon's EOS 350D and Nikon's D2Hs. Even PMA greenhorns know what all the new letters at the ends of already familiar camera names spell: new and improved. Having put a lot of muscle into introductions at the international Photokina show in late 2004, SLR makers are either sitting out PMA or introducing updated versions of existing models. But although these announcements may not be as thrilling as the unveiling of a camera emblazoned with a tongue-twisting neologism, that doesn't mean they're not good news.

The best news for amateur photographers at this year's PMA involves the model sporting the most additional letters: Canon's EOS 350D (known as the Digital Rebel XT in the US). Since 2003, when the original EOS 300D shook up the digital photo scene by hitting the market with a sub-S$2,000 (US$1,472.50) price tag, Canon's competitors have gotten busy. Pentax's *ist DS and Olympus's E-300 turned up the heat by offering broader feature sets at a similar price and clearly outpacing Canon in the outlandish-name department. Nikon's D70 also provided some stiff competition at the high end of the consumer SLR range. And then there was the little matter of tinkering 300D owners throwing caution--and their warranties--to the wind and hacking the camera to give it the features of an EOS 10D. With the new EOS 350D, Canon makes a bid to reclaim its place at the top of the consumer-SLR heap, offering 8-megapixel resolution, an expanded feature set, and faster shooting, thanks to a DIGIC II processor. It's also more compact than its predecessor. And if that isn't enough to make you take Canon seriously, the 350D has a black finish instead of the original's slightly cheap-looking silver plastic.

Even the serious new look won't make professional photographers look twice at a consumer SLR such as the EOS 350D. Fortunately for them, Nikon has stepped in with an update to its action-shooting SLR, the D2H. The US$3,500 (S$5,740) D2Hs doesn't rise above its predecessor's rather low 4.1-megapixel resolution but instead gets a larger buffer that allows it to capture as many as 50 photos at 8fps, as well as--according to Nikon--improved metering and color rendition. For sports photographers assigned to the Paris-Dakar Rally, it's compatible with GPS units and an improved version of Nikon's wireless transmitter.

New lenses push their limits
If PMA 2005 is looking a little thin to you when it comes to SLR introductions, all the new glass on the floor may be a consolation. After all, interchangeable lenses are one of the main reasons people covet SLRs.

Olympus is showing three new Zuiko Digital lenses for its E-1 and E-300 cameras. The first two are a 14mm-to-35mm zoom (28mm-to-70mm in 35mm-camera terms) and a 35mm-to-100mm zoom (70mm-to-200mm). Both offer F2.0 apertures throughout their focal-length ranges, making them attractive choices for night and portrait photographers. The third is a 90mm-to-250mm F2.8 lens whose range translates into 180mm-to-500mm in 35mm-camera terms--an ideal tool for photographing wildebeest on safari or beating them off when they charge the Jeep. Unfortunately, Olympus isn't expecting to ship these lenses until late 2005.

Canon has unveiled some new optical options designed specifically for its digital SLRs that support EF-S lenses, namely the EOS 20D, the EOS 300D, and the EOS 350D. The EF-S 17mm-to-85mm (27mm-to-136mm in 35mm camera terms), F4-to-F5.6 IS USM lens provides a wide stabilized zoom for US$600 (S$984), while the EF-S 10mm-to-22mm F3.5-to-F4.5 USM lens drops the stabilization but gives you an even wider 35mm-equivalent view of 16mm to 35mm for US$800 (S$1,311).

Sound a little pricey? Third-party lens makers Sigma and Tamron will have lots of new optics for digital cameras on display, and they'll be equipped with lens mounts to fit a variety of SLR brands, as well as less-onerous price tags.