You might remember we posted about the Sony A900 specifications just a few days before it was released, it had been rumoured for a while but when it came out with such competitive pricing everyone was shocked!

As a first competitor to the Nikon D700, the Canon 5DMKII and the highest resolution FF cam before this the Canon 1Ds MKIII

The full frame market is certainly heating up!

Features

• 24.6 MP 35mm format full-frame CMOS sensor (highest res in class)
• SteadyShot INSIDE full frame image sensor shift stabilization (world first)
• High Speed Dual Bionz processors
• Eye-level glass Penta-prism OVF, 100% coverage, 0.74x magnification
• 9 point AF with 10 assist points, center dual-cross AF w/2.8 sensor
• 5 frames per second burst, newly developed mirror box
• Intelligent Preview Function
• 3 User programmable custom memory modes on mode dial
• Advanced Dynamic Range Optimizer (5 step selectable)
• 40 segment honeycomb metering
• 3.0″ 921K pixel Photo Quality (270 dpi) LCD display, 100% coverage
• Direct HDMI output
• ISO 200-3200 (ISO 100-6400 expanded range)
• Magnesium Alloy body and rubber seals for dust and moisture resistance
• AF micro adjustment
• $2999.99 body price; available late October 2008

The interesting things to note are 100% viewfinder coverage – impressive, lack of live view, AF micro adjustment (everyone is jumping on this now with it available on the 5DMKII and started by Nikon), a decent performance with 5FPS shooting and a good high res LCD.

The image quality is pretty good too, you can see a comparison side by side of the A900 vs the Canon 1Ds MKIII here.

It shows excellent resolution but falls down at higher ISO (quite bad above ISO400) but at the same RRP as the Nikon D700!

You can read the full review here:

Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 Review

The Canon 5D MKII leaked specs weren’t quite accurate, but the more information got leaked towards the actual release date the more accurate it became.

One thing most people didn’t expect was full HD video (1080P)!

Features

• 21 megapixel CMOS sensor (very similar to the sensor in the EOS-1Ds Mark III)
• Sensor dust reduction by vibration of filter
• ISO 100 – 6400 calibrated range, ISO 50 – 25600 expansion (1Ds Mark III & 5D max ISO 3200)
• Auto ISO (100 – 3200) in all modes except manual
• 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting
• DIGIC 4 processor, new menus / interface as per the EOS 50D
• RAW and SRAW1 (10 MP) / SRAW2 (5 MP)
• RAW / JPEG selection made separately
• Permanent display of ISO on both top plate and viewfinder displays
• AF microadjustment (up to 20 lenses individually)
• 98% coverage viewfinder (0.71x magnification)
• 3.0″ 920,000 dot LCD monitor with ‘Clear View’ cover / coatings, 170° viewing angle
• Automatic LCD brightness adjustment (ambient light sensor)
• Movie recording in live view (1080p H.264 up to 12 minutes, VGA H.264 up to 24 mins per clip)

Most people find the frame rate a little slow, but then it can’t be faster or it’d be eating into the Canon EOS 1Ds MKIII section of the market! It’s already full frame and with the same resolution, it’s a dangerous move by Canon..

Much like what Nikon have done with the new Nikon D700 Full Frame dSLR.

There was an awesome video shot by Vincent Laforet here, but it’s been taken down as Canon can’t handle the bandwidth! How crazy is that.

There some more preview stuff here, some high ISO shots here and plenty of other info popping up all over the web.

I have to say even has a Nikon user, this is a fantastic camera!

Full preview here:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Hands-on Preview

Since the release of the Canon EOS 1D MKII – which is an incredible camera…people have been waiting with baited breath for the announcement of the 1Ds MKIII full frame beast.

And here it it! What a camera, getting into MF (Medium Format) territory with 21 megapixels, Imagine the detail you can get from this beast.

Pictured with the excellent 50mm f/1.2 L lens.

Canon raises the stakes in the professional photography market with the launch of the 21 Megapixel, 5 frame per second EOS-1Ds Mark III. Delivering 14-bit depth resolution from a newly developed 35mm full frame CMOS sensor, Canon’s new flagship digital SLR produces files that convert to over 100MB uncompressed 16-bit TIFF, setting a new benchmark in image resolution and sharpness for 35mm-format digital photography.

As well as producing outstanding colour rendition, Dual DIGIC III processors drive 5 fps continuous shooting for up to 56 Large JPEGs (12 RAW) – unrivalled by any other camera at this resolution. This capacity to shoot such large images uninterrupted is regarded as a big driver in switching studio photographers to the EOS platform.

The EOS-1Ds Mark III inherits the new technology platform introduced earlier this year in the EOS-1D Mark III, including 63-zone exposure metering, 19 cross-type auto focus system, a 3.0” LCD with Live View mode and EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The Highlight Tone Priority function expands dynamic range for more depth and detail in bright areas. The launch is supported with the announcement of Canon’s new ultra wide-angle lens, the Lens 2.

“Taking image quality and versatility to unprecedented levels, the EOS-1Ds Mark III redefines commercial photography conventions”, said Karz Suzuki, Head of Canon Professional Services. “The camera will strengthen Canon’s popularity amongst professional studio photographers. Culminating 20 years of EOS development, the EOS-1Ds Mark III represents a definitive moment in our company’s photographic history.”

Key features

• 21 Megapixel full frame (35mm) CMOS sensor
• 5 fps continuous shooting for up to 56 frames
• Dual “DIGIC III” processors
• Highlight Tone Priority
• Auto focus system with 19 cross type sensors and 26 focus assist points
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• ISO 100-1600 (expandable to L:50 H:3200)
• 3.0” 230K pixel LCD with Live View mode
• Redesigned viewfinder now wider and brighter

Now we just need to see what Nikon comes out with, with the new D3x or D3h, or perhaps both! Apparently some big news is going to be released this week – perhaps in 3 days.

So let’s wait and see.