Nikon and Canon Flagship Digital Cameras
Poverty Sucks
Years ago, before digital cameras ruled the photography landscape, we shot with some pretty good gear. The high-end, professional model SLRs cost over $1000. Only the most serious of photographers shot with these metal-clad cameras. The advent of the digital SLR in the past 6 or 7 years has changed that landscape.
Digital SLRs with so-called professional specs used to cost upward of over $20,000 U.S. Of course, the prices have come down just as fast as capabilities of these models have increased. For most digital SLR users, we’ve paid much more for our gear than we did in the film days, primarily because of the obsolescence factor. Digital camera users are often gadget-addicted, and have hence upgraded their gear often, even among consecutive models.
If you’re wondering whats the point of this article, its to point out where the high-end is these days. The gear that the most geeky of digital photographers drool over. Keep drooling, the price point may not be over $20,000 U.S. any longer for a state-of-the-art 3MP digital SLR, but its still at a high price for a full-frame, professional grade and blast-hardened digital SLR . This all brings us to the Rolls Royce ’s of digital cameras. The flagship models of both Canon and Nikon.
Listed in the Top 100, we have two models that stretch the imagination. The Nikon D3X, and the Canon EOS-1 Mark IV. Both are the state-of-the-art full frame digital SLR’s, and both are worth drooling over. Of course, both are out of most of our price ranges, more than I paid for my first new Pontiac Firebird Formula.
Still out of reach form many, the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV is coming in at around $7,000 without a lens, while the Nikon flagship D3X is coming in at a $7,500 without a lens. About the same price for my 1980 Firebird Formula (350 V8, automatic, loaded with goodies).
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 16.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and 1080p HD Video 
The new, undisputed king of DSLRs where price isn’t an object, this is Canon’s new flagship full frame DSLR.Canon took its best professional practices, and integrated them into the new leader. This is a professional tool, built for the professional. Its where silly arguments like megapixel count is left for the amateurs. This is the best quality and most durable camera available. About twice the cost of Canon’s more affortable full frame EOS 5-D, this full frame DSLR is in another class.
This is a camera NASA would put into space on its own. Nothing but an ‘L’ lens will do on this camera, but in that price range, really isn’t an issue anyway for the buyer. Image noise isn’t even in the manual, its going to be non-existent. Image quality is going to surpass anything we’ve seen. Can’t wait to start seeing some images from this camera. This camera, in the hands of the the photographer that knows how to use it, is a very dangerous thing!
Click Here to download the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV white paper.
- 16.1-megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC 4 imaging processors
- 45-point Area AF sensor including 39 cross-type AF points with f/2.8 support
- ISO 100-12,800 for shooting from bright to dim light with low noise levels
- EOS HD movie with manual exposure control and multiple frame rates; 3.0-inch Clear View II LCD monitor
- Magnesium alloy body with shutter durability up to 300,000 cycles and exclusive dust-and-weather resistance
- Body only, lenses sold separately; capture images to CF Card Type I and II, SD/SDHC
Nikon D3x 24.5MP FX Digital SLR 
Can’t list the Canon flagship without listing the Nikon flagship. This is the Nikon “mother of all digital cameras”. At this level, you can’t say which one is better, the Canon or the Nikon. At this level, it all depends on what you shoot, and whether you can afford the price for the best.
There are going to be arguments to which is better, and we really don’t think there is ever going to be a relevant answer. If the Canon EOS 1-D Mark IV is going into space, so is this one.
- Extreme resolution 24.5-megapixel FX-format (35.9 x 24.0mm) CMOS sensor
- Nikon EXPEED image processing technologies; 138 MB processed NEF (RAW) 12 or 14-bit image files
- 3-inch super-density 920,000-dot VGA LCD monitor; 100 percent viewfinder coverage
- Two Live View shooting modes; continuous shooting at up to 5 fps at full FX-format resolution
- Dual CF card slots with overflow, backup and copy options
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