Canon EOS Digital SLRs Shop All Canon EOS Digital SLRs Online Canon EOS Digital SLRs Feature Comparison Chart Click on model number in the chart below to see photo and detailed features. Click on any underlined feature on this chart for a more detailed explanation. Video Direct also sells Canon High-End PowerShot Digital Cameras and Canon PowerShot Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras.

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Canon EOS Digital SLR Feature Explanations:

1 - CMOS Sensor

These Digital SLR models feature Canon's large, single-plate CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, which captures images with exceptional clarity and tonal range.

The heart of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II is a state-of-the-art, 16.7 megapixel, full frame, single-plate CMOS sensor developed and manufactured by Canon. The 1Ds Mark II has the world's highest pixel count in a 35mm digital SLR camera. Its maximum-recorded resolution is 4992 x 3328 pixels. Each pixel is 7.2 µm, smaller than the 8.2 µm of the EOS-1D Mark II sensor or the 8.8 µm of the EOS-1Ds it replaces, but supporting the same range of ISO settings and producing the same low noise as the 1D Mark II and surpassing the 1Ds on both counts. The EOS-1Ds Mark II's sensor measures 36 by 24mm, a full 35mm frame, eliminating the need for lens focal length conversion factors. Wide-angle lenses and the many unusual or specialized lenses in the Canon EF family have their full, unfettered visual effect.

The EOS-1D Mark III features a newly developed 10.1 million pixel Canon CMOS sensor. 10.1 million effective pixels are more than sufficient for 13 x 19-inch prints, output directly without interpolation, at 200ppi. Megapixels alone, however, do not determine image quality. While maintaining the same APS-H size sensor area (with 1.3x lens conversion factor) as its predecessor, the new 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor boasts significant design improvements that further reduce digital noise and expand the useful ISO range. Specifically, the 1D Mark III exhibits 50% less shadow noise at all comparable ISO speed settings than the previous 1D Mark II N. The newly designed sensor also features high-speed signal reading (approx. 10 fps), low power consumption, and Live View shooting.

The heart of the Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR is its extraordinary new, Canon-designed and manufactured, full-frame, single-plate 12.8 megapixel sensor. This is enough resolution for a double page spread in a magazine, a large print of the bride and groom, facial detail in group shots or a landscape of impressive dimensions. The sensor's 35.8mm x 23.9mm size means that each pixel can be a generous 8.2µm, resulting in exceptionally low shadow noise. The sensor's low power consumption extends battery life and also lowers noise. A finer CMOS production process and optimized photodiode construction increase the light-sensitive area of each pixel and improve dynamic range as well.

The EOS 30D digital SLR's 8.2-megapixel effective CMOS features high-speed 4-channel data reading, brilliant new microlens technology, a second generation, on-chip noise-reduction circuit, and low-noise, high-speed amp, which produces accurate color, extremely low noise and fast recording even at ISO's of 400 and above. Canon's all-new large area CMOS Sensor captures images with exceptional clarity and tonal range, and offers the most pixels in its class. This second generation APS-C size sensor (22.5 x 15.0mm) has the same 3:2 ratio as film cameras, enabling an effective angle of view that is 1.6x the normal EF Lens focal length.

The all-new Canon CMOS sensor in the EOS Digital Rebel XTi gives this camera the highest overall performance in its class. Like all other Canon CMOS sensors, this unit is designed and manufactured by Canon using semiconductor manufacturing equipment which was also designed and manufactured by Canon. This fully-integrated design and manufacturing system makes Canon unique in the photo industry. Canon has now produced over 5 million CMOS sensors, all for use exclusively in Canon DSLR cameras. The experience this achievement represents, in addition to constant R&D efforts, has enabled Canon to refine and improve its image sensors to their current remarkable level.

2 - CompactFlash Type I and II/SD Card Image Storage

These Canon Digital SLRs accept both CompactFlash type I and II cards, giving you plenty of flexibility in recording media size. The camera automatically formats the CF card for either FAT16 or FAT32 according to the maximum storage capacity, choosing FAT32 for capacities higher than 2GB.

Adding to their speed and flexibility, the EOS-1D Mark III and EOS-1Ds Mark II are compatible with CompactFlash (Type I or II as well as MicroDrives) memory cards and feature a second card slot for SD cards, allowing for successive or simultaneous recording on both types of media. Separate CF and SD card slots immeasurably enhance the camera's versatility. The EOS-1D Mark III's SD card slot is fully compatible with high-capacity SDHC cards. These two card slots can be used in combination in a variety of ways to improve, performance, capacity, convenience, and data security.

3 - High-Speed USB Connection

Part of being digital is about communication. Specifically, it's about the ability of your camera to communicate with your computer. EOS cameras bring your communications into the digital universe with their cross-platform USB connection. By connecting your PowerShot to your computer (PC or Macintosh) via the included USB cable you can download your photographs at 20 times the rate of the older serial connections. With today's high-capacity storage devices, a quicker download is essential, and with the USB connection, you can now communicate at digital speed.

The EOS-1Ds Mark II also comes equipped with an IEEE1394 ("FireWire®") interface, allowing speedy plug-and-play data communication with computers.

4 - Canon EF Series Lens Compatibility

Compatibility with over 50 lenses in Canon's celebrated EF lens lineup, from ultra-wide-angle to super-telephoto, is a major advantage of owning these EOS Digital SLRs. Canon's professional L-series lenses have received worldwide acclaim from professionals.

5 - LCD Monitor

At 3.0 inches diagonal, the EOS-1D Mark III's LCD monitor is the largest of any digital SLR in the world (as of February 2007). Moreover, the 1D Mark III features a sophisticated Live View shooting mode, which enables the photographer to use the 3-inch LCD monitor as a real-time viewfinder. When the Live View mode is enabled, the reflex mirror is locked up and the shutter opens (manual focusing only). The image output from the CMOS sensor will be displayed in real time on the LCD monitor at 100% coverage.

6 - DIGIC Image Processor

These EOS cameras utilize Canon's highly advanced DIGIC Imaging Engine fine-tuned to realize unrivaled image quality required for a digital EOS camera. The imaging engine processes the CMOS sensor's output, working in tandem with the sensor to ensure you of images that are vividly, precisely defined, with superb gradation of highlight areas and lush, extraordinarily natural color reproduction. Photographers can feel free to enlarge, crop and retouch with exceptional results. In addition, the imaging engine's faster processing power enhances the performance and agility of many of the camera's systems.

Compatible with DDR-SDRAM, Canon's DIGIC II imaging engine provides high-precision and high speed, natural color reproduction including high-saturation, bright subjects, improved auto white balance, along with increased white balance correction control and white balance bracketing. The DIGIC II's algorithm yields improve color reproduction, especially with high-saturation, bright subjects, improved auto white balance precision for a wide range of scenes and light sources, and wider dynamic range in highlight areas.

Canon's DIGIC III Image Processor sets new standards for picture detail, natural color reproduction, and processing speed. The 1D Mark III employs Canon's latest DIGIC III Image Processor, which maintains the extremely high image quality standard of its predecessor but, amazingly, attains even high processing speed. Moreover, the 1D Mark III uses not one, but Dual DIGIC III Image Processors operating in parallel to provide even greater data bandwidth.

By having 2 processors handle the workload, image processing is now approximately 1.5x faster; Compact Flash™ access speed is now 1.3x faster, and SD card access is now 2x faster compared to the EOS-1D Mark II N. The extra power of Dual DIGIC III Image Processors has also allowed analog-to-digital conversion to improve from 12 to 14 bits per channel, meaning that tonal gradation for RAW images is now divided into 16,384 separate levels per channel rather than 4,096. When saved as a 16-bit TIFF image, the image retains the full range of tones obtained with 14 bits. Also, JPEG images, at 8 bits per color, are generated from the 14-bit data. Tonal skipping is thereby reduced substantially, improving gradation and overall image quality.

7 - iSAPS Technology

Over the past 68 years, Canon has accumulated a vast amount of photographic data and know-how and used it to create some of the most innovative camera products in the marketplace. Now, using that same data and know-how, Canon has developed an exclusive technology called iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) that can predict certain camera settings such as focusing distance, exposure and optimum white balance based on zoom focal length, overall light level and tonal distribution data. Canon refers to this collective data as "Photographic Space." By incorporating iSAPS technology into its digital line, the cameras can analyze a scene just before the image is made and in doing so, increase the speed and precision of the camera's autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance.

8 - E-TTL II Flash Compatability

Compatibility with the E-TTL system is a major advantage for advanced amateurs, because it opens a world of creative options. E-TTL stands for Evaluative Through-The-Lens flash exposure control, and requires the use of an EX-series dedicated Speedlite. E-TTL uses a pre-flash fired in the instant between the depression of the shutter button and the raising of the reflex mirror. The system uses the camera's own evaluative metering sensor to analyze and compare ambient light exposure values with illumination reflected from the subject by the pre-flash. With this data, it calculates and stores the flash output required for optimum exposure of the main subject (according to the AF-point that has been selected), while maintaining a subtle balance between the foreground and background. Flash photography is consistently natural and properly exposed, despite less-than-perfect lighting situations.

Though still compatible with all EX-series Speedlites, the smarter E-TTL II captures the subject as a plane and ensures that images containing various colors and levels of reflection are captured accurately and optimally. The system compares the ambient light with the reflected pre-flash off the subject reported in all metering zones and selects the areas with a small difference to be weighted for flash exposure calculation.

This system also eliminates or under weights areas with large difference recognizing them as an extremely reflective object in the background or as a highly reflective subject, smartly ensuring it by considering the distance information data provided from compatible EF lenses. The system similarly prevents over-exposure when photographers lock focus and recompose the shot by considering the flash output level calculated according to the broader distance. The camera also allows users to select an average metering pattern by using its customs function settings.

9 - Burst Mode Shooting

The EOS-1Ds's accelerated image processing of DIGIC II combines with high-speed data reading from the imaging sensor to achieve the fastest continuous shooting speed in this class of camera (15 megapixels and above). Whether recording in the One-Shot AF or AI Servo AF mode, a continuous shooting speed of approx. 4 frames per second is achieved for maximum bursts of 32 shots in the Large JPEG setting or 11 shots in the RAW setting.

With its astounding 10 fps maximum continuous shooting speed, the EOS-1D Mark III is the fastest digital SLR in the world (as of February 2007). This achievement is even more remarkable when you consider the sheer amount of data movement associated with a 10.1 million pixel sensor. It is also incredibly responsive. The EOS-1D Mark III has the least lag time of any EOS Digital SLR (55ms, reducible to as low as 40ms via Custom Function IV-13-1). At shutter speeds of 1/60 second and higher, the viewfinder blackout time is an ultra-short 80ms.

The EOS 30D has been designed to capture images with speeds that had been reserved for professional level cameras. Whether it's the 0.2 second start-up time, the high speed mirror drive, the class-leading 65 msec. shutter release lag time, or the predictive AF focusing at speeds up to 5 frames-per-second, the EOS 30D will amaze and delight photographers who don't want to wait for their camera when they're ready to shoot. The 30D's CMOS Sensor allows 4-channel high-speed data readout, and the DIGIC II Image Processor processes the data quickly, writing files to the CompactFlash card faster, and allowing continuous shooting for up to 23 frames (JPEG Large/Fine) with significant reductions in buffer clearing times.

10 - Selectable Light Metering

Each of the EOS-1Ds Mark II's 45 focusing points are linked directly to Canon's exclusive 21-zone Evaluative Metering system. In addition, the metering system also allows photographers to choose from Center-Weighted, Central Partial, Central Spot, Focusing-Point Linked Spot, or Multi-Spot metering. In the Multi-Spot metering mode, the camera can automatically average up to eight different spot meter readings, for precise exposures in even the most difficult lighting conditions.

The EOS-1D Mark III incorporates a newly-developed, 63-zone metering sensor linked to the 19 AF points. The metering sensor is located at the rear of the pentaprism. The 19 AF points in the Area AF are a highly favorable match for the metering sensor's zones. The metering range is EV 0 to EV 20 (at 23°C/73°F, EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens, ISO 100).

The Canon EOS 30D offers 35-Zone Evaluative Metering, Partial Metering and Center-weighted Average Metering.

11 - Focus Control

The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Area AF system offers 45-point Automatic, 45-point Manual, 11-point Manual, and 9-point Manual settings. Points are spread over an 8 x 15mm AF ellipse that covers a large part of the image.

The EOS-1D Mark III incorporates new Canon autofocus (AF) technologies that bring about improvement in key performance areas for most professional users. The area-type AF system has 19 selectable high-precision cross-type points plus 26 assist points for a total of 45 AF points. The cross-type sensors offer added precision when shooting with f/2.8 and faster lenses. The superior speed, precision, and low-light sensitivity of this new system will be especially noticeable when shooting with f/2.8 zoom lenses.

The EOS 30D has a newly developed 9-point AF system for speedy and accurate focusing in any situation. This sophisticated autofocus system has a high-precision cross-type sensor in the center position. This new design, seen for the first time in the Canon EOS 30D, provides full cross-type performance with maximum apertures as small as f/5.6, yet it achieves up to 3 times the standard focusing precision when used with EF lenses featuring maximum apertures larger than or equal to f/2.8.

The EOS Digital Rebel XT incorporates three distinct AF modes: One-Shot AF, AI Servo AF and AI Focus AF, leaving you ready to cover any shooting situation. The 7 focusing points are conveniently and unobtrusively superimposed on the viewfinder, cover a wide area for superb precision, and are manually selectable for a high degree of control.