This replaces the EOS 30D, an excellent camera known for its excellent low noise high ISO capability. Announced in August (2007) it is already on sale in the stores or online.

Canon upped the resolution to 10 megapixels, increased the size of the rear LCD screen to 3", and raised the burst mode to 6.5 frames per second. They also added "live view." This means you can compose your shot on the rear LCD screen in addition to using the viewfinder. [Note, though, that you won't want to be doing this with lenses appropriate to baseball. They're just to big and heavy to hold the camera at arms length.] Canon has also added weather/dust seals to help protect the internals of the camera. Also new is an anti-dust mechanism to shake dust off the CMOS image sensor.

Like the 30D the 40D supports ISO modes up to ISO 3200. And digital noise is impressively low at those levels. The noise levels in the two cameras below, however, are probably comparable.

The Canon is the cheapest of these three "advanced amateur/semi-pro" class cameras. It's $1299 for the camera body alone. You'll need some lenses also! If you already have some Canon EOS lenses, though, this is definitely the camera for you. What do you give up by choosing the cheapest of these three? See below.

Click here for more information courtesy of Digital Photography Review.

The Nikon is the highest level camera of these three by a good bit, worth every bit of its $1799 (body only) price. The D300 will go on sale in November, but if you want one by Christmas you'd better order yesterday. This camera has created quite a stir in the market and Nikon certainly will not be able to make them fast enough.

The D300 is very similar to the Nikon D200. Its basically the same camera body, and that's great because the D200 is a sweetheart to hold and use (I know because I have one.) . But there's some very impressive new hardware under the skin.

The D300 is built around an impressive new Sony 12.2 MP CMOS sensor. (Canon has been using CMOS sensors in their DSLRs for years.) Actual pictures are hard to find because the camera has not gone into production yet and Nikon is still working on the details, but early indications are that noise levels will be similar to the Canon 40D. And that's much better (alas!) than the Nikon D200 (or any other 10 MP CCD sensor camera on the market). Note that the Sony below uses the same, or a very similar, sensor. Both the Nikon and the Sony support ISO clear up to ISO 6400!

The Nikon has all the features of the Canon, plus the higher resolution sensor. It also features in incredible 51 point autofocus system, which sounds like overkill to me. Time will tell how well it works. [The Canon has a 9 point autofocus system and the Sony is 11 points.] Also new is a 3" LCD screen that is much higher resolution than the Canon's. The reviews use terms like "breakthrough" and "breathtaking." Interestingly the Sony has a sensor with the exact same specs and the same reviews, so it looks like Sony is probably supplying the LCD screen as well as the sensor for this camera.

Click here for more information courtesy of Digital Photography Review.

Under the heading of full disclosure, I confess that I have ordered this camera. So I'll be updating this preview when I have this camera in my hands.

This is Sony's first DSLR camera in this class, although it builds on much of the technology of the Konica Minolta 7D (which I also own). [Sony bought the DSLR technology from KM in January 2006.]

As you can tell from the description of the Nikon, these two cameras have much in common. Apparently Sony and Nikon are doing considerable collaborating. But the Sony is clearly a notch below the Nikon in its feature set, although a notch above the Canon. The body-only price is $1399.

What do you give up compared to the Nikon? You get a new 11 point autofocus system instead of Nikon's 51 point system. [11 points is really substantial, though. Some DSLRs, such as the Nikon D40, get by with 3 point systems.] The big thing you'll give up with the Sony is "live view." You have to frame your shots using the viewfinder with this camera (as you do with all DSLRs except the two above and the Olympus E-330, E-410 and E-510).

What you get with the Sony that the two cameras above do not have is Sony's "Super Steady Shot" in-camera stabilization system. This means that all the shots you take with this camera will be stabilized against camera shake, regardless of what lens you are using. With the Canon and Nikon systems you have to buy IS (Canon) or VR (Nikon) lenses to get stabilized pictures. My hands aren't very steady and I don't like using a tripod or a monopod in most circumstances, so stabilization is important to me. So this is why I chose the Sony. [I also own a selection of Minolta mount lenses which are all Sony compatible.]

Click here for more information courtesy of Digital Photography Review.
Click here for a "field test" from Popular Photography. This features some pictures (click their "photo gallery" link) from a production Alpha 700. No photos are yet posted on DPReview.