Canon EOS 450D
And so, the big PMA 08 announcements have begun. First out Canon, with the Canon EOS 450D: Headline features include a 12 megapixel sensor, a 3″ LCD with Live View and a larger viewfinder, among other goodies. More details over at The Digital Photography Review.
Canon now finds itself in the slightly awkward position of having a low-end camera that matches or exceeds some of the specs of the midrange EOS 40D, released a mere five months ago. The 450D has a higher resolution sensor, a similar autofocus mechanism and what is presumably the same display. At the same time, the 40D is severely outdone by the Nikon D300, despite vaguely similar price points ($1300 vs. $1800). The stage seems to be set for an incremental update to the 40D in the coming months.
More interesting still is that the EOS 450D now has the same sensor resolution, roughly the same autofocus mechanism and a better display than the $2100 EOS 5D. Apples and oranges, to be sure, but with the 5D unchanged since August 2005, a refresh must be just around the corner.
January 24, 2008 #