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Canon 760D Review

The canon 760D was first launched in February 2015. An entry level DSLR, it features an APS-C sensor and forgoes some of the flashier elements similar to the 5Dc. As quoted by Canon in their release, “The EOS 760D is the first entrylevel EOS camera to incorporate a top LCD panel, in addition to the main display”. We got hold of a body with an 18-135mm lens for a review, let’s see how it performed.

Look body feel

The Canon EOS 760D is comparatively almost identical to the EOS 750D. It has the same 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor, the same DIGIC 6 processor and the same AF system that provides hybrid focussing whether you’re using live view or the viewfinder as the EOS 750D. Although compared to the Canon EOS 700D, a few important improvements have been made across the board. Focus points have been upped form 9 to 19 and we get the DIGIC6 processor rather than DIGIC 5 for faster shooting and processing. An additional add-on is that Wi-Fi and NFC are included, unlike the 700D. There’s no need to buy pricey Wi-Fi adapter or wireless memory card anymore. It provides a sophisticated top LCD panel which displays important information such as ISO speed, exposure level and battery life. Much alike higher-ends cameras, operating the menus and settings in the EOS 760D is achieved through Quick Control Dial and Main Electronic Dial – an advanced method that allows users to adjust their settings and search for images with maximum convenience and minimal effort. The mode dial of the camera is pretty much the same; however the position of it allowed Canon to fit in an LCD display on the right part of the top plate, something which is generally a feature of a high-end pro DSLR. It lets you read exposure settings without activating the rear screen or looking through the viewfinder. The grip however is much more comfortable than the previous to carry. Mounted on a 50mm the camera bodyweight hardly feels anything. the pairing of an amazing sensor and the DIGIC 6 processor allows the user a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100 to12,800 equivalents which performs well in low-light conditions. For the price and the range the ISO performance is better than other equivalents in the market. The touch screen on the LCD also has good touch capability and calibration.

Performance

The Canon 760D uses 19-point, all cross-type autofocus sensor that’s inherited from the EOS 70D. It replaces the earlier 9-point, all cross-type phase detection autofocus sensor of the 750D,more than doubling the total number of points. The camera gives a Mac video resolution of 1920 x 1080. Together, the pairing of an amazing sensor and the DIGIC 6 processor allows the user a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100 to12,800 equivalents which performs well in low-light conditions. For the price and the range the ISO performance is better than other equivalents in the market. The touch screen on the LCD also has good touch capability and calibration.

ISO

The Canon EOS 760D offers you a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-12,800 with an expansion setting of ISO 25,600 for stills. It’s also possible for the cameras to set sensitivity automatically within the range ISO 100-6400.The native range for movies is ISO 100-6400with an expansion setting of ISO 12,800. The camera gives no or low noise at the higher ISO, and the noise control works well through the range. For more on how the camera performed check out the ISO chart.

Conclusion

Overall, this camera provides more than enough to the ones who want to go beyond the auto mode and explore. It’s fun and easy to use. The top LCD and Quick Mode Dial both make it worth the money you are paying for it. However, if you are looking for something basic and never going to switch out of your program mode than this might not be it.

Look, body and feel rating – 4 *

Light camera body, with touch screen and the all-new function button placement makes this camera very easy to use.

Performance rating – 4 *

With the new sensor and the functionality, the camera performance is as good as any semi-professional, entry-level full frame camera.

Overall rating – 4 *

It’s lighter in weight, like all the APS-C bodies from Canon. The performance and looks are close to any present entry-level full frames, which make this worth the buy for its cost.

Fujifilm XT-1 Review

Fujifilm’s latest addition to its popular mirrorless cameras, the Fujifi lm XT-1 is aimed at professional photographers who like to carry light and still get striking photographs. With this launch, Fujifilm looks to strengthen its X-series of cameras which include the X-E2, X-M1 etc. The camera features 16 megapixel 23.6mm x 15.6mm (APS-C) X-Trans CMOS II sensor and boasts of fast focussing. Let’s see how it performs.

Look, Body and Feel

At first glance, the Fujifilm XT-1 looks strikingly similar to older analogue SLR cameras but then the eyes instantly go to the big 3-inch LCD screen at the back and the big circular electronic viewfinder. The traditional X-E2 design has been modified and perfected and looks nothing like its predecessor now. The 2.6M dots OLED electronic viewfinder is large and crystal clear. When you have your eye to the viewfinder it feels like an LCD in itself. It has three large circular dials at the top of the camera body which controls the ISO, shutter speed and exposure control from left to right respectively. The design is sleek and the weather resistant body looks well built. There are a lot of buttons spread throughout the tiny body of the camera which is to provide easy access to the user without having to look at the LCD too many times. The3:2 tilting LCD is also a good touch, and the joints feel strong and quite sturdy. The view mode button that was replaced in the X-E2 has been added back again in this model, and you can switch on the viewfinder proximity sensor with the touch of a button. The camera is compact and packs a lot of physical features in terms of buttons, dials and switches. The grip is also quite good due to the leather finish on top of the magnesium alloy body but the small size of the camera might pose a problem to some.

Performance

The Fujifilm XT-1 was tested with the standard Fujinon 18-55 2.8-4 lens for our review. The camera performed excellently and the images were sharp, the colours were crisp and overall gave excellent quality images. The autofocus performed quite well, as promised by Fujifilm as we used it to take photographs of static objects with moving foreground and background objects. The 16 megapixel APS-C “X-TransCMOS II” sensor delivers to its reputation and the camera has seen considerable improvements in terms of faster autofocus compared to other mirrorless cameras from Fuji. The exposure dial came in handy to selectively expose a part of the frame and the results were quite good. The Fujifilm XT-1 also produced some vibrant colours. The camera which reportedly boasts of having the “world’s fastest AF of 0.08 seconds” also has a staggering burst mode of 8 fps with subject tracking features. As already stated this camera is all about buttons and dials, which Fujifilm has taken to new heights. There are six programmable buttons on the camera and the user can change the settings according to their needs.

The ISO performance of the camera is also quite good. It handles low-light very well till ISO 3200. Artifacts and grains start to appear from ISO 6400 but the photograph still remains sharp and quite usable. They start showing extreme grains at ISO 12800, which is the H1 or High1ISO. H1 and H2 should be avoided as much as possible and should only be used if extremely necessary when using this camera. A welcome feature that comes in handy for most modern photographers these days is the video capability of a camera. The camera allows the user to shoot full HD videos and HD videos at both 30 and60 fps. The videos recorded in the FujiXT-1 were crisp and the focussing was amazingly smooth. Another feature that Fujifilm has been constantly providing with its upper end mirrorless cameras is the Wi-Fi connectivity. This feature allows the user to instantaneously share JPEG images from the camera to different locations and social media sites over the Wi-Fi. One important thing missing from the camera is a built-in flash, which comes in handy in many situations. But Fujifilm has aptly added a small lightweight external flash as an accessory which has a guide number of eight meters at ISO 100. The flash attaches directly to the hot shoe. Another accessory that is compatible with this camera is an external battery pack, which is a very good feature to have during long shoots and is a welcome change to the mirrorless camera.

Conclusion

If you are looking to buy a high-end mirrorless camera not just for still photography but also for video recording this camera is highly recommended. Priced at around `119000 with fast and smooth focussing, a large tilt-swivel LCD, 2.36M doodled electronic viewfinder,8fps continuous shooting and good ISO performance this is a documentary photographer’s dream. Fujinon lenses another accessories from Fuji for this camera are trustworthy and have a very good built quality. Even though the number of buttons and dials in the camera and the small size can be problem for few, the Fuji XT-1is a good purchase for its price.

Look, body and feel rating – 3*

Beautifully designed, but too many dials can be confusing to some.

Amazing colour output, fast focussing, good video quality.

Performance rating – 5*

Amazing colour output, fast focussing, good video quality.

Overall rating – 4 1/2*

The Fujifilm XT-1 is a powerhouse of features, and the future of mirrorless cameras.

Nikon D4 Review

Nikon D4

Nikon India recently launched their new flagship camera, the D4 in India. The latest entrant in the professional DSLR camera market, the D4 employs a newly developed Nikon FX format CMOS sensor with 16.2 million effective pixels and boasts of improved video capabilities and a compelling set of features compared to the existing models. Having turned to its professional user base to work out some of the improvements and changes, the new D4 features a few big changes and a host of small improvements compared to its predecessor apart from the more obvious increased megapixel and expanded ISO range.

Look Body and Feel

One look at the camera gives you a hint of what you could expect from this beast! Quite like the D3, the D4 is built tough and seems like it can handle a fair amount of abuse. There’s little change in terms of shape when compared to the D3 or the D3s. The D4 provides better control in both landscape and portrait orientations, making the overall feel a lot more comfortable to use. Some of the controls have been repositioned so as to provide faster access to the front dial and shutter release, making it more comfortable. The control and ergonomics are different with respect to both the D3 and the D3s. Both the joystick and the autofocus control are now easier to access when holding the camera vertically in the portrait orientation. These changes seem to have been made keeping in mind photojournalists and sports photographers making the camera faster and easier to use.

The addition of a record button to the top panel is just one of the changes made to the controls. You’d think the record button would start video recording just by clicking it but it doesn’t quite work that way. You still have to switch live view on first, a button for which is present on the rear panel of the camera, just below the 3.2” LCD. The record button is customisable. The button for switching through metering modes has replaced the command lock button, which has been done away with, just like the AE-L/AF-L button so as to better support using the camera in its vertical orientation. The protect button now also works as picture control when shooting. The rubberised lump on the rear panel below the microphone gives users better grip while using the camera in its vertical orientation. Backlit buttons are a welcome addition and hugely improve camera usability in low light scenarios.

Features

With the increasing demand for video footage from professional photographers, and with stiff competition in this realm, the improvements in terms of video capabilities don’t come as a surprise. Being able to see the audio levels on the rear display while recording video, a headphone jack for audio monitoring, improved audio fidelity are some of the small aspects that Nikon has taken care of with their latest offering.

The newly developed higher resolution 16.2 MP full-frame CMOS sensor enables better low light photography thanks to an ISO sensitivity range from 100 to 12800 at normal settings, and expandable from ISO 50 to ISO 204800 equivalent.

The new 91000 pixel RGB sensor manages to achieve better autofocus, enabling the system to recognise human faces even while shooting with the optical viewfinder. It also plays a significant role in subject tracking, white balance and Active D-Lighting.

The D4 has dual memory card slots – one Compact Flash and one XQD slot, Sony’s new memory card. While the new format might help improve speed, one concern is that it eliminates the possibility of using old CF cards as a second card for backup, and might also mean extra expenditure if you’re interested in purchasing the new card.

The D4 now allows users to vary Auto-ISO based on focal length, which is a welcome development, as earlier it lacked the ability to vary the shutter threshold based on focal length.

Conclusion

The launch of the Nikon D4 was highly anticipated, especially in the wake of the launch of Canon’s EOS-1D X. Featuring a few big changes and a host of small improvements in comparison with its predecessor, the Nikon D4 more than exceeded our expectations with its performance in the mid ISO range. However, its performance at ISO 12800 and beyond did leave a lot to be desired. The improvements in the camera’s video capabilities are also significant. However, at a price of Rs. 324,950, the D4 isn’t exactly cheap, and only time will tell how this model will fare in today’s competitive market.

Too read the whole review and the performance and ratings, grab the April 2012 issue of the magazine today.

Text: George Kurien and Ajay Singh