D-SLRs For The Landscape

Choose the best camera for your landscape photography

Sony DSLR-A700

With a new 12.24-megapixel Sony Exmor CMOS image sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion, on-chip noise reduction before and after A/D conversion and a Bionz imaging engine to tie it all together, the A700 turns out beautiful image quality—at ISO 6400, it’s better than ISO 1600 film. That gives the landscape shooter lots of versatility in handling all kinds of lighting conditions, from predawn to postdusk, and even moonlit landscapes at midnight.

Features
Sensor: 12.24-megapixel Exmor CMOS, 1.5x
LCD: 3 inches
Anti-Dust: High-frequency vibrations
Stabilization: Sensor-shift
ISO Range: 160-6400
Spot Metering: Yes
Estimated Street Price: $1,400

Super SteadyShot sensor-shift shake reduction works with all lenses, for much sharper handheld and monopod-mounted shots, while a sensor-dust remover vibrates dust off the sensor assembly each time you switch the camera off. Four Creative Styles (Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Adobe RGB), plus three switchable Image Styles (Portrait, Landscape and B&W, by default), let you select a “look” for each shot, and you can modify contrast, saturation and sharpness to suit your taste. Five-level DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) is very effective on contrasty scenes.

Like all Sony D-SLRs, the top-of-the-line (for now) A700 accepts a wide range of Sony and Minolta Maxxum lenses, plus Zeiss T* lenses designed for the camera. Currently, Sony lens focal lengths range from an 11-18mm superwide zoom (equivalent to 16.5-27mm on a 35mm camera) and 16mm fish-eye (24mm on a 35mm camera) to a 300mm ƒ/2.8 supertelephoto and 500mm ƒ/8 mirror lens.


The mode dial allows you to choose the various shooting modes and scene-selection modes.	When the camera is rotated, as is often the case when shooting a landscape, the menus are displayed in that orientation. No more tilting your head! Super SteadyShot, Sony’s name for anti-shake, is built into the camera and selected by the switch on the lower right of the camera back.	White-balance and ISO buttons on the top of the camera are conveniently placed.	The pop-up flash can be quite useful in low-light landscape situations.

Alternative Landscape D-SLR
Camera: Sony DSLR-A350 Sensor: 14.2 MP/1.5x LCD: 2.7 inches/Live View Anti-Dust: Vibration Stabilization: Sensor shift ISO: 100-3200 Spot Metering: Yes Estimated Street Price: $

Lineage: Sony introduced its first D-SLR in 2005 after obtaining D-SLR technology from Konica Minolta when that company left the camera market. That A100 model now is out of production, and the Sony lineup includes the A200, A300 and A350. The A700 currently is the top model in Sony’s D-SLR lineup, although a new pro model should be announced by the end of the year.

Cool Factor: Five-level Dynamic Range Optimizer and DRO bracketing deliver beautifully detailed sunrises/sunsets and contrasty forest scenes.

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G - HASSLER makes this comment

Friday, 30 October 2009

Going back to all the 2&1/4 cameras made - - - Still no digital in square format?
Steve Tracy makes this comment

Monday, 07 September 2009

Having used Just a variety of Nikons over the years before switching to the Canon EOS-1V, I still find that I think of focal lengths in a film sense. The EOS-5D Mk11 seems to fit that bill in every way, and when matched to an all-round lens like Canon's 28-300mm L series lens, there seems little need to ever remove the lens from the body unless extreme wide-angle is essential. It's a very fine camera in every way, and I have no complaints thus far. The combination produces stunning landscapes.
Michael makes this comment

Monday, 03 August 2009

I'm a recent convert to...FILM!!...for really good landscapes. In particular, a Pentax 645N (which you can get for ~$400 nowadays in pristine condition) shooting Fuji Velvia 50. North Coast Photo Services produces high-quality scans during processing....love it!
Jim Horne makes this comment

Thursday, 23 July 2009

Article
Cees van Leeuwen makes this comment

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

The 5D MII is a fine camera. It has one rather silly design flaw: The program button has no lock and its position can easily be changed. That happens me often in the heat of the photo-battle. Struggling to find the right position of the clouds' shadows, the ideal formation of the clouds. All of a sudden you see it. You slam the brakes, grab the camera, aim and shoot. A split second later the ideal situation has gone. Then you realize the program button has changed position! It happened when you grabbed the camera. Sh.t is the friendliest way to get rid of your anger.
Jack Nichols makes this comment

Thursday, 16 July 2009

the art of the photograph is in the eye of the photographer. The camera is merely the instrument used to create the image. We each have our preferences and it is always an interesting discussion to compare reasons for those preferences. I presonally prefer Nikon because I have used a Nikon, starting with a Nikon F in the late 60's. The most important characterist for me is for the designed to share a philosophy that the photographer is in control, and Nikon does a great job in that respect.
Corker2 makes this comment

Saturday, 27 June 2009

Yha know, I really don't know what the big deal is about the Nikon & Cannon DSLR Camera's. It's true that the Nikon and Canon Camera's are very good, but I don't have any trouble with my Pentax K100D. It shoots a very good Image and will do more than I will ever use. I can inter-change it with all different types of Lens. I have 4 different Lens now and use them frequently. However, since Pentax has decided to dis-continue the K100D and step up to the K10, the K20 and probably more than what I know, I don't really need a more expensive Camera. What I have is just fine for me. As far as I'm concerned, the Pentax has done an excellent job and I will stay with it, rather than change over to Nikon or Canon.
Jan makes this comment

Friday, 26 June 2009

Not knowing when the article was published, it is remarkable that the Sony A900 is not being mentioned as a camera for suberb landscape photography.
Michael West makes this comment

Friday, 05 June 2009

The Canon 5D MKII is currently the canons top image quality dslr, and I can personally swear by its capabilities as a landscape photographers best friend.
Norwood C(ady) Hazard makes this comment

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

I would add that a fully articulated hi res LCD should be among your criteria for a mid-level landscape/nature ready camera. One with a stiff or lockable hinge so that a Hood viewer, with magnifier, can be mounted on it. Like a Rollei twin-lens with snap-up lens— or going way back, to an Exakta. Which mfg will be the first to offer it? And then an artificial horizon line to compliment the grid lines you've already mentioned.

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D-SLRs For The Landscape

Choose the best camera for your landscape photography

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