Nikon D800

NIKON D800

The Nikon D800 is a full-frame 36 Megapixel DSLR with Full HD video capabilities. Announced in February 2012, it arrives three and a half years after the D700, Nikon's first 'affordable' full-frame DSLR. Three and a half years is a long time in the digital camera industry and to describe the D800 merely as highly-anticipated feels like an injustice. This is a camera which many people have been waiting a very long time for and Nikon has pulled-out all the stops.

The D800 features a brand new 36 Megapixel full-frame FX-format sensor, which makes it the highest resolution camera outside of the medium format world. That's one third more than Nikon's previous flagship, the D3x, more than a third higher than Canon's EOS 5D Mark III, and a whopping three times more than the D700. I'll go into much more detail later, but anyone with concerns over noise should find it reassuring the D800 shares essentially the same pixel density as the D7000 which bodes well for quality and dynamic range.

The earlier D700 predated the video revolution on DSLRs, so it's not surprising to find the D800 making major upgrades in this respect - indeed the D800 shares almost exactly the same video specifications as the D4 which means you get 1080p and 720p at maximum frame rates of 30 and 60fps respectively, along with an external microphone input, headphone jack and uncompressed HDMI output. The D800 also inherits the 51-point AF system of the D4 along with its 91k metering sensor and 3.2in screen. The D800 is additionally available in a D800E version with a modified low pass filter for those who want manage their own moiré and potentially unlock the maximum detail from the sensor. There's loads to discuss and digest so in my review I'll explain the new features in detail and what impact they'll have in practice, while also comparing it closely to its arch rival, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D

Canon Rebel T4i / EOS 650D review

The Canon EOS Rebel T4i, or EOS 650D as it's known outside North America, is the company's latest upper entry level DSLR. Announced in June 2012, it replaces the massively popular Rebel T3i / 600D which has held the upper entry-level position in the EOS line-up since its introduction in Feb 2011. Following Canon's usual practice, the T3i / 600D won't be discontinued, but will drop down the range to occupy a position just below the Rebel T4i / 650D.

Canon EOS Rebel T4i / EOS 650D Body Only

To look at the heading specifications, you'd be forgiven for assuming not much has changed. The resolution remains at 18 Mega pixels, the video is still 1080p, the AF system is the famhliar Canon 9-point arrangement and the articulated 3 inch screen with a resolution of 1040k dots looks much the same.

Look a little closer though and you'll discover an abundance of new features and improvements that make this a very different camera in terms of handling and performance from its predecessor. The screen is now touch-enabled and supports phone-style gestures like swiping and pinching as well as touch focusing and shooting. The AF system has been radically overhauled with cross-type sensors in all nine locations and a new hybrid AF system which embeds Phase Detect capabilities into the main imaging sensor, allowing it to perform better continuous auto focusing in Live View and movies. The processor has been updated to the latest Digic 5 which supports 25600 ISO and in-camera correction for color fringing.

Other improvements include continuous shooting - boosted from 3.7fps to 5fps and two new multiple exposure shooting modes: Handheld Nightscape mode is now joined by Multi shot noise reduction which allows you to choose the ISO sensitivity and HDR Backlight combines three shots to extend tonal range. Finally, Canon has announced two new lenses with Stepper Motor Technology for faster and quieter auto focus during video recording - an 18-135mm kit zoom and a new 40mm f2.8 pancake prime.

The natural rival to the T4i / 650D will be the successor to Nikon's best-selling D5100, but until it's announced I'm going to compare the quality against the D3200 as both cameras will almost certainly share the same - or a similar - 24 Mega pixel sensor. So read on to find out how the quality compares and how well the new technologies work in practice!