While maybe not as fancy as the new megapixally Coolpix models (and getting nowhere near the 12.4-megapixel D2X), this revamp of Nikon’s D2H SLR camera certainly looks like an improved work horse. The four megapixel D2Hs brings a number of improvements to the party, including 8 fps for a continuous burst of up to fifty pictures, 3D-Color Matrix Metering II and support for the sYCC color profile. Look for some features from the ongoing D2X development as well, like support for the 802.11b/g Wireless Transmitter and GPS devices. In layman’s terms: It takes pics, it sends pics, it tells you what your longitude and latitude were when you took the pics.

The D2H raises the bar even further, it has a brand new Nikon designed 4.1 million pixel ‘JFET sensor’ and is capable of capturing eight frames per second for up to 40 frames (five seconds of continuous shooting at 8 fps). The D2H also adds a whole lot more including a new eleven area AF module (Multi-Cam 2000), 37 ms shutter lag and just 80 ms viewfinder blackout, a new ambient external WB sensor, an orientation sensor, RAW + JPEG format, a huge 2.5″ 211,000 pixel LCD monitor, a new lightweight Lithium-Ion battery (with detailed in-camera readout) and USB 2.0. The other ‘big news’ about the D2H system is the new WT-1 802.11b wireless transmission add-on which allows you to FTP images back to a server as you shoot them*.

GPS support and improved wireless support (with WT-2 transmitter for 802.11b/g) were also added. A new LCD screen of the same size but with increased resolution and a higher refresh rate was added to the body. The screen’s playback mode now supports 15x zoom instead of the 8x of the D2H, with RGB Histogram.

The recent boom in DSLR sales has seen all the major manufacturers adding bulked-up or stripped-down entry level models, repositioning their offerings to make sure that anyone willing to put up with the size and weight of a DSLR will look at one of their models. The whole thing has often left existing DSLR owners a little lost – ‘why isn’t there a direct replacement for my camera?’ – but has undoubtedly meant there are many more attractive, accessible cameras on the market just waiting to entice first-time DSLR owners.

And its into this maelstrom of DSLR proliferation that Nikon launches its latest baby DSLR, the D5000. Nikon’s recent strategy of inexpensive, simplified models caused a lot of confusion. The D40, D40X and D60 removed the autofocus motor, making them smaller and less expensive but limiting the choice of lenses that could be autofocused. Despite this oft-criticised move, the cameras sold very well, prompting the major third-party lens makers to create versions of their popular budget lenses that would focus on these baby Nikons. However, it appears Nikon has again decided that simply replacing models isn’t the best way to address the market. So here we have a camera that genuinely seems to sit above the D60 (rather than continuing in parallel until the stock runs out), and below the D90. Like the baby Nikons, the D5000 doesn’t have an autofocus motor built into the body but does gain a tilt-and-swivel LCD.

The D5000 shares the same 200 to 3200 nominal ISO range (with ISO 100 and 6400 options available), and the ability to use “Active D-Lighting” (Nikon’s proprietary feature that boosts shadow details and helps prevent overexposed highlights so you don’t have to spend as much time editing your photos after you take them).

There’s built-in image sensor cleaning, a continuous shooting rate of “up to” 4fps, and live-view with contrast-detection auto focus. In addition to the typical DSLR manual exposure modes, there are five advanced scene modes that can help ease the transition worries of folks coming into the camera from more fully automatic compact digitals. The D5000 also has automatic and selectable D-Lighting to provide a wider dynamic range, 3D Color Matrix Metering II with scene recognition exposure system, a built-in flash, and a shutter tested to more than 100,000 cycles.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 ($899, with lens) is a compact interchangeable lens camera that uses the Micro Four Thirds standard. When Panasonic introduced their first Micro Four Thirds camera, the DMC-G1, many folks (myself included) were disappointed that it was fairly large, and not the compact model we hoped the MFT format would deliver. Olympus upped the ante with their E-P1, which has a compact, retro-styled body that is a lot closer to what many people expected in the first place. Unfortunately, that camera was plagued by slow autofocus, no built-in flash, and the lack of a viewfinder (with the exception of the one mated to the 17 mm pancake lens).

One of the biggest selling points of the previous model, the GH1, was its ability to capture 1080p HD movies at 24fps. The GF1 does not allow for the capture of 1080p but is limited to 720p HD video capture at 30fps and up to 17Mbps. This will help to produce smoother higher quality videos, but at a smaller resolution. The new pancake lens uses a drive system for the autofocus, that you will hear when play back your movies. A dedicated video capture button has been added to the top of the camera that allows you to start recording with just the touch of a button, no need to be in Video capture mode. This is a feature that Panasonic has been adding to its point-n-shoot cameras as well.

One of the biggest selling points of the previous model, the GH1, was its ability to capture 1080p HD movies at 24fps. The GF1 does not allow for the capture of 1080p but is limited to 720p HD video capture at 30fps and up to 17Mbps. This will help to produce smoother higher quality videos, but at a smaller resolution. The new pancake lens uses a drive system for the autofocus, that you will hear when play back your movies. A dedicated video capture button has been added to the top of the camera that allows you to start recording with just the touch of a button, no need to be in Video capture mode. This is a feature that Panasonic has been adding to its point-n-shoot cameras as well.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Features:

• 12.1-Megapixel Live MOS imaging sensor
• Choose from 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 aspect ratios
• Micro Four-Thirds lens mount system
• Compatible with Four Thirds (30) mount and Leica M/R (20) lenses using optional adapter (DMW-MA1PP)
• Venus Engine HD image processor
• Supersonic Wave Filter Dust Reduction System
• 3.0-inch, 460,000 dot, LCD
• Optional Live View Finder
• Full-Time Live View
• intelligent Auto Shooting mode
• Peripheral Defocus
• Built-In TTL Flash – GN6.0 ISO 100
• AVCHD Lite video format
• 1:1 Aspect Ratio
• Contrast AF Focus System – 23 area
• 144-zone, multi-pattern light metering system
• Shutter Speeds: 1/4000 – 60 seconds and Bulb (up to approx. 4 min.)
• RAW image capture
• 3fps High-Speed continuous shooting
• Multiple Scene and other creative shooting modes
• Movie Scene modes
• USB and HDMI
• Rechargeable Li-Ion battery, up to 380 images per charge
• Viera Link

The Canon EOS 550D is a difficult product to categorize. Ostensibly designed to appeal to first-time DSLR buyers and enthusiasts, it offers a lot more technology, and at a higher price, than we might expect for a camera aimed squarely at this sector. Although it might seem logical for the 550D to replace the EOS 500D, the older camera is set to continue in Canon’s lineup, which leaves the 550D pinched between its entry-level (represented by the still-current EOS 1000D and the 500D) and nominally enthusiast (the EOS 50D) peers. Confusingly however, apart from build quality (which is all but identical to the EOS 500D), the 550D has more in common with the prosumer EOS 7D, and – perhaps even more confusingly – it out-specifies the EOS 50D in many areas.

Central to the impressive specification of the EOS 550D is a high-spec movie mode which offers full HD capture at up to 30 fps, manual control over exposure, and the option to use an external stereo microphone. The new camera also inherits the EOS 7D’s sophisticated metering system (which brings it a lot closer to similarly positioned Nikon SLRs).

The 550D lacks the 7D’s bullet-proof alloy construction and lags behind in the speed stakes. While the EOS 550D can shoot at 3.7 frames per second in Continuous Shooting Mode, it’s restricted to 34 JPEG images, or six RAW files – so sports and action photographers might want to look elsewhere.

But don’t get us wrong; while the EOS 550D is not a professional-spec SLR, the keen photographer will still get a lot of bang for their buck.

Canon’s response has been to expand its range of consumer cameras especially in the mid-range area, launching the 15-megapixel EOS 500D  towards the end of last year, and now following it up with a new mid-range model, the EOS 550D. With a newly designed 18.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, 1080p HD video recording and the sharpest monitor of any current DSLR it has an impressive specification, handily trumping the D5000 and Alpha A550 in all the crucial areas except price. The Nikon D5000 is currently selling for around £500 body-only, while the Sony A550 is around £550. The EOS 550D is available for just under £700 body only, or around £750 with the kit 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-S image-stabilised lens

Sony’s Alpha DSLR-A900 feels like it’s been with us for a long time – after all, the prototype was first shown back in March 2007 and its sensor unveiled in January 2008. So unlike its rivals which are often sprung with little notice, we’ve long-known what Sony’s flagship DSLR would look like and speculated how its new 24 Megapixel full-frame sensor may perform in practice.

Despite this advance information though, using the A900 in person is still quite a surprise in a number of respects. First, it’s larger and heavier than it looks, and once equipped with a quality lens like the Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f2.8, you certainly know you’re carrying it around. This is not a combination for anyone who wants to travel light, but it does feel well-balanced in your hands and like most heavier cameras, this heft instils a degree of confidence. It should also be said, the A900’s very distinct styling comes across better in the flesh than in photographs – it’s a unique but smart-looking camera.

The Sony A900 has to rank among the most anticipated digital SLRs in recent memory. The company first showed an early version of its upcoming flagship design at the Photo Marketing Association tradeshow in the spring of 2007, and at the following year’s show Sony revealed a few more details about the image sensor and stabilization mechanism it would use. With the Alpha A900 featuring a full 35mm frame-sized image sensor, Sony has joined a rather exclusive club. To date only four companies have offered full-frame digital SLRs. Of these, two – Contax and Kodak – have since left the digital SLR market altogether.

It is designed to deliver ultra-fine picture quality with the world’s highest resolution, 24.6-megapixel, 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor and fast image processing with a new dual BIONZ® processing engines. The camera is also the first to have a body-integrated image stabilization system for a full-frame sensor with Sony’s SteadyShot® Inside anti-shake system.

One look at the camera’s distinctive pentaprism and nostalgic body design will evoke its full-frame optical performance. It features a bright, clear optical viewfinder with 100% field of view coverage that would impress even film photography loyalists.