There have been a few rumours about this recently, it was about time for Canon to update their entry level model with the new Digic III processor and the Live View technology they have put into their other cameras like the 1D MKIII and the EOS 40D.

There will be two kits, body only for $800 and one with a starter 18-55mm lens for $900

• 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor
• SD/SDHC cards
• Larger viewfinder
• Live view mode, including contrast-detect AF
• Improved 9-point AF system
• Spot metering
• 3.0″ LCD monitor
• Continuous shooting at 3.5fps for up to 53 JPEG (6 RAW)

Finally Canon’s entry level cameras has spot metering! Something that has been missing (and rather important) for quite some time.

It’s also Canon’s first camera to use only SD cards (Supports SDHC).

Read the full release here:

Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi brief hands-on

Definitely looks interesting, just remember if you get one to turn the noise reduction down and set sharpening -2, then you will be rocking!

Default image quality is good, if not as crisp as the competition. However, if you play with the settings for a while, or more specifically turn Noise Filter off and set Sharpness to -2 (to compensate for the default high sharpening used to overcome the softening effect of the Noise Filter) you’ll see that the camera is capturing just as much detail (if not more) than other ten megapixel digital SLRs, and that the lens is more than up to the job too.

So what’s the final word? At the end of the day I found myself quite liking the E-410, it’s a grower that offers great value for money in a small compact package, has some real stand-out features and hasn’t been crippled to ‘fit into the range’ like similar models from other manufacturers. Just make sure you turn off the Noise Filter!

They seem to have fixed the overexposure issue too, looks like a nice camera. I’ll be looking forwards to see how the new Olympus E-510 EVOLT turns out.

I guess the downside is the lack of dynamic range, I would think this is due to their smaller than standard sensor size (remember Olympus has a 2x crop factor not 1.5x or 1.6x like Nikon or Canon).

Olympus E-410 EVOLT Review at DPReview

A quick step up from the previous 6 Megapixel original D40 version! A strong competitor for the Canon 400D now with the added resolution.

It shows consumers really do still want more Megapixels and the 6 Megapixel D40 kept a lot of people on the fence with it’s competition already at 10 Megapixels.

The new D40x shares the same 10.2 Megapixel sensor as the D80 and D200, has a faster burst mode (up to 3fps) and has an extended ISO range of 100 to 3200.

The Nikon D40X measures 126.0 x 94.0 x 64.0mm and weighs 481 grams.

The Nikon D40X will have a retail price of $729.95 USD when it ships in April. Alternatively you can bundle it with a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens for $799.95 USD.

That should make it around RM2500 with the kit lens!

Full details here:

Nikon D40x

And it’s very positive as I expected, I saw this as a great camera for beginners and those looking at bridge or ‘prosumer’ superzoom models like the FZ-50 or Canon S3 IS.

It’s only a few hundred RM more (Selling for around RM2150) and you get a good solid 6 megapixel SLR with a new improved 18-55mm kit lens.

In everyday use the D40 is just what it set out to be, a very capable, compact, lightweight and easy to use camera which makes a perfect first step for anyone wanting to get into digital SLR photography. It provides enough control and a large enough range of manual settings to enable you to experiment and learn but also helps you to take great pictures in the process. It’s one of those cameras you can just pick up and start shooting without fuss, that you can hand to a friend who’s never used an SLR and know they’ll be able to do the same. All of this and a pretty decent kit lens for $600, I’d say it’s a bit of a bargain.

You can find the full review at DPReview here:

Nikon D40 Review