This article will be dedicated to professional cameras. We will mention only five of them, and if you think that this is a very narrow selection, then we dare to assure: all the most iconic market models for 2017 will be covered. After all, there are really not so many professional cameras today.
Hu from hu, or Not everyone is given
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF11-24mm f / 4L USM Settings: ISO 25600, F4, 1/40 s
Novice photographers, sellers in stores, and even some journalists in their reviews easily rank this or that camera as professional. At the same time, the manufacturers themselves are much more modest in their assessments. They consider professional only top cameras. As a rule, these are SLR cameras created for photojournalists. And we agree with this distribution of roles. Nevertheless, in order not to limit our review to just a couple of models, we added cameras to it, which, although they do not occupy a top position in the lineup, have a narrowly defined specialization and are designed specifically for professional use. This is the pinnacle of the modern photoworld. It is with these cameras that the most interesting and expensive photographs are created today, which you will see everywhere tomorrow. Do you want yourself the same? ..
Unkillable
The class of professional reporting DSLRs has existed for more than a dozen years. At first it was a film model, then it was replaced by a "figure". But the main features of this class remained unchanged from year to year. We are talking about the highest shutter resource at the time the camera was created, reliability, as well as high speed and perfect matrices for shooting in difficult lighting conditions. It is with these cameras that the World Cup and Hockey Championships and the Olympic Games are filmed (they even have an Ethernet connector for quick photo transfer from the sports arena, which is a mandatory technical requirement). It is with such unkillable “tanks” that reporters travel to the world's hot spots. Dust and moisture protection, a metal case, a battery life of thousands of frames - it is impossible to do otherwise in complex professional work. Particular attention in these models is paid to image quality. The resolution should be sufficient for printing on a relatively large scale (A2 format is not a problem!), And at the same time, the camera must have high working sensitivity values ??to enable photography under any lighting conditions. As a rule, the sensors of these cameras are unique and are not installed in other models. Their resolution is small by modern standards - about 20 megapixels. Frame format 24x36 mm.Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
In recent years and even decades, Canon has been tapping the palm with Nikon in the professional photography segment. One can argue endlessly which of the cameras is better, there will still not be a definite solution. Therefore, we arranged the cameras alphabetically. Buy Canon EOS 1D X Mark II The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II looks brutal and weighs like a small dumbbell: there are a lot of smart electronics and precision mechanics inside, as well as a capacious battery that can easily take more than a thousand shots.Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / Canon EF 100-400 f / 4.5-5.6L IS II USM Settings: ISO 800, F5, 1/4000 s
Speed ??is the second most important parameter. Shutter lag - the delay between pressing the shutter button and the start of frame exposure - is almost imperceptible. Serial shooting is possible at speeds up to 16 frames per second at full resolution, and the volume of a continuous series can be up to 170 frames! A machine gun, not a camera. Only on the "cartridges" you can go broke. CFast 2.0 special format memory cards are expensive, and this camera does not support cheaper and slower formats.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF100-400mm f / 4.5-5.6L IS II USM Settings: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/1000 s
Such cameras have one very interesting feature of work. Their automation has been brought to such perfection that the photographer can always rely on it. If the shooting lasts longer than eight hours, there’s no strength left to think about the settings. And here the advantages of top-end DSLRs come to the fore. Autofocus is fast and accurate both when working through the viewfinder and when shooting through the screen. Often you can turn off the brain and shoot just offhand: the camera can recognize scenes and gives priority to really important objects in the frame.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / EF24mm f / 1.4L II USM Settings: ISO 4000, F2, 1/30 s
Finally, shooting opportunities in difficult lighting conditions are brought to the limit. Shooting by candlelight is a mere trifle. Such cameras can easily cope with their task, even if there is only one dim lamp in a huge room, but there is no tripod with you.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / Canon EF 11-24 f / 4L USM Settings: ISO 51200, F4, 1/40 s
And in the latest generation of professional Canon DSLRs, a touchscreen display and built-in GPS have appeared. The camera can shoot video in up to 4K resolution with a huge bitrate (up to 800 Mbps). High technology reaches the pro-segment last, when they are run-in and brought to the ideal.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II / Canon EF 24-70mm f / 2.8L II USM Settings: ISO 2000, F5, 1/500 s
Nikon D5
Direct competitor and "classmate" of the previous model - Nikon D5 . How is it different? First of all, the name, as well as a fleet of compatible optics. Other differences are not so critical. Nikon is no less reliable and no worse protected from the difficulties of everyday life of a photojournalist. Its battery also allows you to shoot day and night. Even externally, the cameras look like two drops of water. But all inveterate competitors have their own characteristics. For example, lenses unscrew in different directions. Buy Nikon D5 Formally, the Nikon D5 is a bit slower. The maximum speed is “only” 14 frames per second. But in practice, this difference is not felt.NIKON D5 / Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f / 2.8G ED VR II Settings: ISO 400, F6.3, 1/1250 s, 200.0 mm equiv.
A jet plane flying overhead? Not a problem: the camera will have time to take more than a dozen shots, of which you still have to choose the most successful one for a long time, because all of them will be correctly focused and exposed.
NIKON D5 / Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f / 2.8G ED VR II Settings: ISO 400, F8, 1/1250 s, 180.0 mm equiv.
This camera is literally created for shooting in any conditions. The night presents no difficulties for him. Traditionally, there is no built-in flash in such models, but it is often not needed. After sunset, with meager urban lighting, you can get the same quality shots as during the day. And without any tripod.
NIKON D5 / Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f / 2.8G ED Settings: ISO 25600, F8, 1/320 s, 24.0 mm equiv.
This camera also can shoot 4K video (although using only the central part of the sensor for this), it has a touch interface along with a huge number of separate convenient buttons. And all in order to be able to change all the parameters even in complete darkness to the touch. In short, a tank in the world of photography.
NIKON D5 / Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f / 2.8G ED VR II Settings: ISO 800, F11, 1/400 s, 200.0 mm equiv.
Sony ILCE-9
Being on top together in a modern market is an inadmissible luxury. Therefore, in 2017, Sony decided to squeeze the top segment of DSLRs with the new mirrorless model Sony ILCE-9 . The event is significant in itself. Firstly, Sony has never done cameras in this segment of cameras. Secondly, we have never seen mirrorless mirrors of such a high professional level either. And, finally, the characteristics of the new items are so high that according to formal indicators they plug the representatives of the mirror segment into the belt. Sony Alpha 9 has only just been announced and has not visited our Prophotos for in-depth testing, so making final conclusions about its superiority is premature. But let’s talk about outstanding features. Buy Sony Alpha ILCE-9 At the heart of the image is a brand new full-frame sensor with a resolution of 24 megapixels. It is made using technology with backlighting, which expands the possibilities when shooting in poor lighting conditions. But even this is not the main thing in him. The sensor has a so-called stack memory built into the same chip. We saw a similar solution in Sony Xperia XZs and XZ Premium smartphones and cameras in the Sony DSC RX family. The secret is that such a solution significantly (up to 20 times) increases the speed of reading data from the matrix. So, it becomes possible to work with the electronic shutter and shoot at high speed. The rate of fire here is up to 20 frames per second! The buffer volume is up to 200 frames in RAW. The characteristics are quite reportable. Buy Sony Alpha ILCE-9 Kit Stabilized matrix: an optical stabilizer compensates for the displacement of the camera along five axes and keeps working even with third-party optics installed through adapters. But that's not all: the Sony Alpha 9 uses a lot of high technology. This is a high-quality 4K video shooting, and a touch screen, and smart 4D autofocus. The novelty turned out to be at least interesting. Top photographers using the technique of photo agencies won't massively and quickly switch to A9 - the habit cannot be changed. Someone will miss the optical viewfinder (although a unique electronic one with a resolution of almost 4 megapixels has been used instead), someone will have an optics park. But the A9 will surely find its buyer in other genres: from wedding to professional travel. Perhaps a significant gain in weight will play a role. Mirrorless is much easier!When quality comes first
In professional digital photography, there have always been two different approaches to assessing the quality of pictures. Traditionally, there were genres that required taking pictures in medium or even low resolution, but in extreme conditions. For them, cameras are created, which we wrote about above. But there is a segment where high resolution and accurate color reproduction are the main element. They can be sacrificed for speed and convenience, and weight, and the size of photographic equipment. Such cameras are used for landscape, advertising, fashion shooting. Moreover, if earlier it was a question of bulky studio "monsters", then recently models have become really compact and even sometimes mirrorless.Hasselblad X1D-50c
Hasselblad X1D-50c is a professional medium format camera of a mirrorless class. Its main feature is a large sensor with a resolution of 50 megapixels. Big is not just abstract words. The linear dimensions of the sensor are almost one and a half times larger than that of full-frame cameras: 43.8 x 32.9 mm. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to work with a very shallow depth of field, to obtain truly voluminous images. Buy Hasselblad X1D-50c At the same time, each individual pixel also turns out to be relatively large, and this is the key to the correct color rendition, wide dynamic range, lack of noise even at relatively high ISO. We remember that high quality is a priority here!
Photo: Alexander Khokhlov
Hasselblad X1D Installation: ISO 100, F6.8, 1/125 s
Photo: Alexander Khokhlov
Hasselblad X1D Installation: ISO 100, F9, 1/125 s
Hasselblad X1D Installation: ISO 100, F9, 1/125 s
Canon EOS 5DS
Canon EOS 5DS, although not a novelty, still remains in its own way a unique professional camera. Like the Hasselblad X1D-50c, it has a resolution of 50 megapixels. Yes, its purpose is the same advertising, beauty, fashion photography ... And also travel, landscape and much, much more, up to the report! The whole secret is that the 50-megapixel full-frame sensor is located inside the classic DSLR. Buy Canon EOS 5DS No, this is not a top-notch Canon EOS-1D X Mark II SLR, its characteristics are more modest. But she is able to shoot in almost any conditions, with fast autofocus, rate of fire and even relatively high sensitivity.Canon EOS 5DS / Canon EF 16-35mm f / 4L IS USM Settings: ISO 3200, F4, 1/10 s
Of course, in the RAW editing capabilities, the camera will yield to medium format solutions. However, the loss in real resolution will not be so great. But the speed of autofocus, serial shooting (up to 5 frames / s) and a number of other parameters, the advantage is obvious. Camera and optics are significantly cheaper than the medium format. Moisture protection, though not the same as that of the top models, is also implemented here. And the battery life easily passes through five hundred frames.
Canon EOS 5DS / Canon EF 16-35mm f / 4L IS USM Settings: ISO 100, F4, 1/800 s
The systematic nature of this camera will also be an important plus: Canon EF lenses on the market - hundreds of models! Not all of them work ideally with a 50-megapixel matrix; saving on optics will not always succeed. But still her choice, including specific and rare models, is simply huge.
Canon EOS 5DS / Canon EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM Settings: ISO 100, F5, 1/640 s
This solution is for those photographers who want to engage in commercial photography and sell their pictures in the highest quality, but are forced to work in completely different shooting conditions (up to extreme ones) and without reference to a specific genre.
