Canon cropped sensor bodies - anything coming up?

[Dan Wells]

I just switched from Nikon (D200) to Canon (1Ds mkII) after seriously contemplating medium format digital. I looked long and hard at the image quality from various options, including digital backs, the forthcoming ZD, Canon and Nikon (everything except the Pentax, which nobody's seen samples from yet). I'm going to be shooting a lot of landscape this summer for my PhD, and couldn't afford to wait for mythical cameras from Canon and Nikon, which might show up this winter (especially with Nikon's disappointing "announcement" on full frame)... The 1Ds mkII has superb image quality (judging from my first 500 shots), including more resolution than its already impressive specifications suggest - it seems to have much more detail per pixel than the D200, and quite a bit of extra dynamic range (again, compared to a D200).
     I'm very satisfied with the camera so far, and have already arranged to sell my Nikon system. The one thing I wish Canon would make is their own version of a D200. A reasonable weight, rugged camera with a 1.5x (in Canon's case, probably 1.6x) crop... For 80% of my work (landscape and macro), the 1Ds mkII is wonderful, and its weight is worth it. The full frame is a perfect fit for that work. I'd like to complement it with a cropped sensor camera with a really high pixel density for wildlife, though. Wildlife shooting is always focal length limited, and the same full frame I love for landscape becomes a curse for wildlife. Canon doesn't seem to offer the cropped body I want, though. They have the 30D, which is a D80 competitor, and a bunch of Rebels which don't fit big hands or stand up to rough use. Why can't they make a D200 competitor? With the D200 already over a year old, I would think Canon would have come out with something to embarass Nikon by now...
      What I'd love to see:
12 MP with noise and DR capabilities equivalent to 30D
1.6x crop
Improved AF (at least D200 level, maybe better - doesn't have to reach EOS-1 level)
Weathersealed, rugged body, at least to D200 standards, if not to EOS-1 standards
Built-in remote flash control (Nikon does this in the D200 AND D80) - I'd probably use this for people as well as wildlife, and there are times where remote flash is really nice, ideally without bothering with a ST-E2).

        Other than the 12 mp, this is nothing more than a D200 with an EF mount on it! If Canon made one of these and sold it for, say, $1600, how many folks here would buy it? It would seem to be a great complement to a 1Ds mkII or a 5D.


                                                          -Dan

[dobson]

Sounds like what I would like.

I never understood why Canon's weather sealed cameras had to be so big. I can't afford the weight and bulk of a 1-series while climbing, but would prefer something a bit more rugged and sealed than my 20d.

[Ken R]

Sounds like what I would like.

I never understood why Canon's weather sealed cameras had to be so big. I can't afford the weight and bulk of a 1-series while climbing, but would prefer something a bit more rugged and sealed than my 20d.
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The Pentax K10D is that camera from what ive seen. Weather sealed but the size and weight of a 5D just about.  I dont know why but its a sleeper doesnt get mentioned much. Raw image quality seems great.

[dobson]

The Pentax K10D is that camera from what ive seen. Weather sealed but the size and weight of a 5D just about.  I dont know why but its a sleeper doesnt get mentioned much. Raw image quality seems great.
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But as far as I can gather, the Pentax lenses are not as rugged as "L" lenses. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

[Ken R]

But as far as I can gather, the Pentax lenses are not as rugged as "L" lenses. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.
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They have some pro quality glass and some coming up. Id at least check it out at a store and get a feel for the gear. Might be an alternative. It has sensor clean built in which is great when one is out in the field. Its worth a look. Its also priced at about $900 which is just a steal for a weathersealded, 10mp DSLR with those features.

[stever]

i would certainly like something with better sealing and higher resolution than the 20D (and be happy to pay for it), but giving up the Canon glass is not a practical option.  Even if Pentax makes good long lenses (as they have in some cases in the past), and if they can stay in business without the Hoya merger/acquisition, i'm convinced that sensor based shake reduction will not be satisfactory (there's a long thread on this topic).

The Canon 100-400Is and 300 f4Is are pretty good long hand-held teles with a crop frame camera - but marginal to unsatisfactory with a full-frame - to get the same reach with a full frame you've got to carry 2-4 times the weight (perhaps with the exception of the 400DO) not to mention the $$

Canon does not want to make a crop-frame camera that is too good as it would cannibalize sales of full-frame cameras and big glass as well.

[macgyver]

They need to though.  I would but a D200 with a canon sensor and ef mount in a heartbeat.  The 30D (with which I shoot) is neither quite here nor quite there.  I understand that they dont want to canabalize the upper level models, but surely they must be readying something to compete with the D200.  Or, maybe they are just relying on the 5D to carry them.

[Dan Wells]

I feel the same way as MacGyver - give me a "Canon D200" with 10 MP CMOS and an EF mount for the price of a D200 - it'll accept the EF glass I'm carrying for the 1Ds mk II, give me extra pixel density for wildlife, and make a good backup to the big camera. If it were 12 mp without losing other qualities such as noise or DR, even better, but a good 10 MP will do (and I'd prefer it to an overstuffed 12). I'd carry a D200 except for the need for two sets of lenses...

                                -Dan