Earlier this month we shared some neat photos of astronauts using DSLRs while on spacewalks outside the International Space Station. In case you’re also wondering how the cameras are used inside the habitable satellite, we’ve carefully perused NASA’s 2Explore Flickr photo stream in search of those photos as well, and have collected them here in one place for your viewing pleasure. They’ve got some pretty nice gear up in the ISS… lucky astronauts.
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Are we past the age of entry-level DSLRs? Dan Nosowitz over at Popular Science has written a piece titled “Don’t Buy A DSLR”, in which he argues that DSLRs are no longer the best option for aspiring amateur photographers.

DSLRs are enormous, problematically-shaped gadgets. There’s no other portable gadget with such an unapologetically non-portable shape [...] Hell, even giant headphones fold up into themselves. But DSLRs are bulky, heavy, roundish and squareish at the same time [...] There’s a reason there’s a thriving economy of DSLR-specific bags.

[...] If you’re just getting into more serious photography, a DSLR’s button layout is a major obstacle to overcome, and, more importantly, an unnecessary one. It’s not that people can’t learn, or even that they shouldn’t–it’s just that for many users, there’s no need. To someone who’s only used a point-and-shoot, you know what a DSLR looks like? A f**king airplane cockpit.

[...] DSLRs should be, and will be very soon, for experts. For pros, or passionate amateurs. Sports photographers, bird-watchers, people who want to build a multi-thousand-dollar collection of lenses. But for those of us who just want to take better pictures, dammit, there are amazing options just for us.

I think the big question is “what does the aspiring photographer want out of their camera?” If it’s simply “better photos”, then a mirrorless should do just fine… but they’d be missing out on the joys of learning how to operate “a f**king airplane cockpit.”

Don’t Buy A DSLR [Popular Science]

The frenzy of Photokina 2012 is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean crazy camera rumors are going anywhere. A big one currently floating around is that Canon is working on a DSLR with a massive number of megapixels. Northlight Images writes that we may see a preview of the camera at PhotoPlus 2012 in New York, which starts October 24.

We’re told to expect to see a ‘preview’ of a ‘high MP EOS DSLR’ at the upcoming PhotoPlus show in New York (Oct 24-27). Although the current official line is that 20ish MP is a ‘sweet spot’ for DSLRs, D800 specs, price and performance is considered ‘worrying’ in some market areas.

Nikon’s D800 has a highly-acclaimed 36.3MP sensor. Here are the specs that Canon will reportedly respond with: 46.1 megapixels, 5fps continuous shooting, 16-bit RAW images, and an ISO range of 100 to 12800.
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If you thought the design and hardware specs of Canon’s upcoming 4K-capable 1D C are strangely similar to the company’s flagship 1D X, you’re right: the two models feature identical hardware loaded with different firmware. At Photokina 2012, DSLR filmmaking blog EOSHD spoke to Canon representatives, who confirmed this fact to be true. They write,

The 1D C is a 1D X with a 4K firmware update. Canon’s man told me that the only hardware change was to do with the flash sync jack [...] So essentially the 1D X hardware – sensor, processor, everything – is capable of 4K video, 100%, no heat or bandwidth issues either.

What’s crazy is how much the difference in firmware affects the camera’s price. With a suggested retail price of $15,000, the 1D C more than doubles the 1D X’s price tag of $6,800.
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The leaked photos were authentic and the specs were spot on: Canon announced its new 6D DSLR this morning, the smallest, lightest, and cheapest full-frame camera in its lineup. At 690g, it’s 20% lighter than the 5D Mark III. The camera is Canon’s entry in the emerging “affordable full-frame” DSLR segment, which Nikon entered last week with its similarly named and similarly priced D600.

The Canon 6D features a 20.2 megapixel full frame sensor, an ISO range of 100-25600 (expandable to 50-102400), an 11-point AF system with a high-precision center cross-type point, 63-zone metering, 1080p HD video recording, 4.5fps continuous shooting, vibration-based dust removal, a shutter rated to 100K actuations, and a 3-inch LCD screen.
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Sony has launched a beastly new full frame camera to wage war against the flagship DSLRs of rival camera manufacturers. The A99, which saw its share of leaks over the past couple of weeks, is the company’s new flagship professional camera, replacing the full-frame A900 and A850. It’s also the world’s first pellicle mirror full-frame digital camera, combining the image quality benefits of having a large sensor with the speed benefits of having a semi-transparent mirror.

The camera features a 24.3MP sensor, an ISO range of 50-25600, 6fps continuous shooting, 14-bit RAW files, a viewfinder with 100% coverage, a 3-inch LCD that tilts in three directions, and a high-res OLED EVF (the same one found in the A77, NEX-6 and NEX-7).
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Hasselblad first launched its H System of digital medium format cameras back at the 2002 Photokina. The H4D was unveiled three years ago in 2009, and a number of variants and price cuts have been introduced since then. The company has just announced that it will be updating the H System line at Photokina this year with the new H5D, along with a new 24mm f/4.8 (17mm equivalent 35mm terms) and macro converter for wide angle lenses.

The camera features RAW + JPEG mode, improved focusing features, the largest and brightest viewfinder on the market, larger and more ergonomic buttons, and improved weather sealing. It’ll start shipping in December 2012 in 40, 50, and 60 megapixel models (along with 50 and 200 megapixel “Multi-Shot” models). Although the price isn’t known, you can expect it to cost around the same price as a standard minivan, so get your arm and your leg ready to pay for the thing.

After leaking onto the web late last week, the Pentax K-5 II and K-5 IIs have now been officially announced. The cameras succeed the K-5 as Pentax’s flagship DSLR, and feature a 16.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, an ISO range of 100-12800 (expandable to 80-51200), an 11-point autofocus system, a 3-inch LCD screen, 1080p HD video recording, in-camera stabilization, RAW shooting, a 100% FOV viewfinder, full weather sealing, and 7fps continuous shooting.
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Here’s the first leaked photograph of Sony’s upcoming high-end full-frame single-lens-translucent DSLR, the A99. sonyalpharumors confirmed the authenticity of the image, which was first leaked onto the chinese website Xitek. We’ll likely be seeing the official announcement on Wednesday, September 12.

The A99 is designed to compete with high-end full frame DSLRs like the Canon 5D Mark III, and marks a departure from the optical viewfinders found in previous Sony full frame models — the A900 and A850. It’s the first pellicle mirror camera by Sony to feature a full frame sensor. It features a 24.3MP sensor, 10fps continuous shooting, 102 AF points (11 cross), a 3-inch tilting LCD, and in-body image stabilization. You can find some more specs in this post from last week.

Sorry for the blurriness, but that’s what you often have to live with in exchange for seeing cameras before they officially exist. Digicam-info has published leaked photos of the upcoming Q10 mirrorless camera and the K-5 II and K-5 IIs DSLRs.
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