Again it's a review of the T2i and not a direct side-by-side comparison to the D90 or D5000. At the time this was one of the very first reviews of the canon.

I did read the entire article. As to why it doesn't make sense is individual opinion I guess. Still makes no sense to me. Why use the D90 as the comparison unit throughout for pictures, and then say that the D5000 is the main rival? Does having the same sensor guarantee the exact same image processing within the camera?

Did you read through the article? It's a review of the T2i/550D not an exclusive side-by-side comparison of just Nikons. They put up ISO samples against the D90, yes. They talk about all the other cameras that they feel are competing with the canon in the verdict page. One of the cameras being the D5000. The D90 and D5000 have the same 12mp sensor. Not sure why it doesn't make sense to you.

Makes zero sense that they would do that though... Why compare to the D90 throughout the review and then use the D5000 as a comparable unit on the last page?

They are comparing it to the D90 in the same images. On the verdict page they also do a summary comparing it to the D5000.

Are they comparing the 2Ti to the D90 or the D5000? the pictures are labelled D90 but on their verdict page, they are clearly comparing it to the D5000. They mention Nikon's swivel screen.

I'm guessing that when it comes to density and resolution there's a fall off beyond which the manufacturer must improve the software and hardware at a cost far greater than one is willing to pay for a T2i. Professionals who spend tens of thousands on their Nikon and Canon lenses aren't about to risk their business on a cheaper body.

ted2001 said:
I wonder whether you could get viewfinder coverage for FX in a D90 sized body. I would think the prism, etc., would need to be bigger for full frame.

It is possible, Nikon used to have film cameras the same size as the D90. The solution Nikon came up with for consumer film cameras was 92% or 89% viewfinder views.

There's only so much you can do with work-around's and manual lenses. I'm trying to comp 3D elements into live plates and it's really just not worth it if your shots aren't consistent.

I take it you're not satisfied with the HD video that it already does, pher. I doubt they're going to change available framerate settings even if they can. It makes more sense to put it in a new release as an upgraded feature.

Would they really update the d300s so soon? I have a compositing class in June I want to be able to take HD footage for. I've been waiting for firmware updates or something to come along.

ted2001 said:
I wonder whether you could get viewfinder coverage for FX in a D90 sized body. I would think the prism, etc., would need to be bigger for full frame.

Yes, and it would probably look unwieldy, but it would be worth it.

BTW, I'd wait on the D300s as the D90 to D300s upgrade may disappoint you. Then again, it may not, right PB PM and sidewinder?

I wonder whether you could get viewfinder coverage for FX in a D90 sized body. I would think the prism, etc., would need to be bigger for full frame.

I'm considering buying a D300s now, so any improvements in the next generation of DX replacements are just frosting an already delicious cake. I certainly won't turn improvements down, and I might wait a few months to see what happens.

I agree with you PB, and I am sure Nikon will do the same as Canon, first semi pro response to 7D (D400?) and then something for the masses ...
As for FX I personally see no reason to go for something cheap and plastic ... D700 replacement would do fine

I doubt Nikon would do that, it would kill almost all sales the D300s, and potentially mean no replacement for the latter. That would be sad, because a semi-pro DX body is important to have in ones lineup, IMO.

Wasn't there a quote on the blog about how Nikon is going to make enthusiasts very happy this year? I think we'll see a response (maybe not at 18MP, but it wouldn't surprise me either) probably this year and definitely before 2012. I still think a full-frame enthusiast camera is something that seems very Nikon-ish to me. I'll bet they would like to have another first under their belt. If they sell a D90-like body with the D700 sensor in it for less than the 7D, it seems like that would sell very well. And it would also do well in a high-ISO test like this. ;-)

There were rumors of an 18MP FF sensor from Nikon that got tested with the D3 but Nikon opted with the D3 sensor. If true, maybe they'd even put that in a D90-like body and price it with the 7D.

edit: for the record, I'd buy either if they actually made one of those.

mb said:
That is correct Niko, as far as I know, though this Nikon division is not making much profit lately ... They are making too good machines so they are not replaced frequently ;)

It's not just Nikon though. All four aren't doing to good. Nikon recently laid off workers from that division. Canon's stepper division is doing especially bad. Their latest stepper had a lot of reliability problems.

mb said:
By the way Canon EOS 550D/Rebel T2i was designed as a response to Micro 4/3, and if you compare the jokes from Panasonic and Olympus with this one for half the price you get much much better camera. You can even get much more compact G11 or my favorite S90 for the price difference and be really happy camper ;)

Somehow I doubt the T2i was a response to Micro 4/3, they aren't even in the same category of cameras. This is just my point of view, but to me Canon's response was the G11.

If anything the T1i and T2i are Canon's way of saying to Nikon, "The D5000/D90 ain't going to cut it."

That is correct Niko, as far as I know, though this Nikon division is not making much profit lately ... They are making too good machines so they are not replaced frequently ;)

According to wikipedia there are only 4 stepper manufactures. ASML, Nikon, Ultratech, and canon. IC makers use one of those four to make their integrated circuits. ASML is the biggest followed by Nikon and Ultratech. Canon is a distant 4th.

Not true, Faveon for example is designing their own sensors and they have no fab, so are many others IC designing only comanies.
By the way Canon EOS 550D/Rebel T2i was designed as a response to Micro 4/3, and if you compare the jokes from Panasonic and Olympus with this one for half the price you get much much better camera. You can even get much more compact G11 or my favorite S90 for the price difference and be really happy camper ;)

Since Nikon has no fabs (which are extremely expensive to build) it would be rather hard for them to develop their own sensors.

In any case, Samsung and Toshiba's best sensors are 14MP, no better than Sony. If they want higher res sensors than that they have two choices, Canon or Kodak.

Nikon makes the machines that build the sensors. Yet they don't have the facilities to actually use their own steppers to make their own sensors. The D3(S) and D700 are still made by another company and only designed by Nikon.

NikoDoby said:
I doubt Nikon will trickle the D3S sensor down into an entry level camera and definitely not for $899USD. They can barely keep up with the demand of the D3S as it is. Besides Nikon have already said the next model(s) will be a balance between high megapixels and ISO.

I tend to agree that the T2i is a new "standard" but remember that it's the "same" sensor that's in the 7D and that sensor didn't do so good in the latest DXO rankings. So there is more at play here then just the sensor.

Probably not, but the software and sensor tricks they employed will trickle down for sure.

I'd be happy if it had 3/4 of the performance of the D3s.

Pentax is using Samsung APS-C sensors, and there are other manufacturers, Toshiba for example is making sensors and have just entered photo market.
Nikon is selling more DSLR cameras and sensors than all others combined (Sony, Panasonic … except Canon of course) so they should be able to design their own sensors (like they did on D3) and use any of many fabs available for production.
And it is not DXO ratings that makes the pictures as Adamz would say, it certainly does not sell the cameras and currently Canon is doing twice as good as Nikon in DX market for what I know and if you look at the samples you will see why.