jeaston

I think there are really great things coming in the near future.

Hydrocruiser

Right now the Canon 1DS and the Contax are the best pro-digitals I hear. They are very expensive and require investments at or around $ 10-12,000 with lenses etc.
The Canon 1DSW is only 4 million megapixels too.

I think the best digital SLR's will be affordable in 3-5 years. Until then the pro-sumer market can only bear the Rebel and D-70. The Panasonic?Leica really does not have any competition in it's price range or even 2-3x it's price. You go from $ 600.00 to well over $6,000 to see much better performance. I read today where most British and german photo-journalists are going this route.

Don't throw your 35mm cameras away just yet. My Nikon N8008 with Kodaks High-Resolution film and developed by Kodak is still better than any digital SLR out there. I just get the film developed and add in a CD so I can do further editing. But My Pana/leica is fast becoming my favorite.

http://www.cambridgeworld.com/Canon_...tal_camera.htm

jeaston

I have a 1DS because of the one to one focal length got the new mark II for the speed think it is 1.6 or 1.3 the newer mark II has the 1 to 1 but takes half the fps. Kind of a trade off for the shots you are trying to get.

Hydrocruiser

The 1DS is the best SLR on the market I have been told. Make sure to always get Canaon ED multicoated lenses and you will have it made. Great piece.

How much do you have invested in the system?

jeaston

Mark II only beats it in fps. Mark II's capture plate has a little better quality but in photo prints you can't really see it.

Hydrocruiser

Canon 1ds @ $8,500 on the left and the $ 500.00 FZ-20 Panasonic/Leica on the right.

The background is not the exact same...I like both pictures.

jeaston

What lens on the 1ds?

Hydrocruiser

That was with the Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 USM lens. It's a $ 1,250.00 lens. I think the Panasonic/Leica and the Canon 1DS with this lens are about equal and the total cost of the Canon is $ 8,500.00 vs. $ 500.00 street price for the FZ-20 Panasonic. Amazing?

A lot of folks don't know Canon makes two grades of lenses. It's the USM lenses that are comparable to Nikkors,Zeiss and Leica lenses

http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/fr...ate=12_03_2004

jeaston

Well no argument until you take the picture to 28x40 for prints. That is where I have had problems in the past.

Hydrocruiser

So after I compared the D-70 to the FZ-20 I took my D-70 back. In 5 years the digital SLR's will be where they ought to be and until then it seems like Panasonic with their electronic expertise and Leica being one of the best lens manufacturer's in the world came up with the best most high perforamnce and affordable camera of 2004. Who can complain with built in 36-436mm Zoom and external flash capabilities.

I even tried the Contax and it's ccd is not as good as a D1.

So for top enders we have 3-5 years to wait. Panasonic has a new camera coming out next fall that will be the same with 8 million megapixels. But who needs more than 5-6 anyways? The FZ 20 is a 5.36.

They say 2008 will have a newly designed D-70.

Also, if you go with a digital SLR there is no cutting corners on lenses. You have to go with the more expensive ED glass lenses and get comfy with paying $ 1,500.00 for a zoom lens and you will need two of them.