Canon floods pro-DSLR market with EOS 4D, 7D & 9D?
5 September 2008

The hype continues ever since the release of the Nikon D3 on how Canon will strike back with a much more competitive and superior 5D Mark II or 7D. While we were fixated with the rumors, reality moved on with Canon giving us the EOS 1000D and EOS 50D.

Our fixation with a 5D replacement is no wishful thinking when you consider the legacy technology that is in the 5D. With the release of the 50D, Canon gave us the DIGIC 4. A brand new image processor. Consider the fact that the 5D is still kicking about with its DIGIC II processor and you have to agree a replacement is overdue.

Maybe it was the successful launch of the Nikon D3 with its incredibly high ISO sensitivity and fantastic noise handling that sent the unreleased 7D prototype back to the drawing board. One thing we're betting on, when Photokina arrives, we can say our farewells to this proud friend and welcome a new partner that's more sensitive to our needs. How sensitive? Try ISO 12800 as Canon is not likely to match the 25600 of the D3 or D700. However, we could expect better IQ and noise handling with the DIGIC 4 processor helping out.

Megapixels wise, with the 50D offering 15.1 megapixels, it would be reasonable to assume the new release to be at least 16.7 megapixels - the same number as the 1Ds Mark II. It might even go as high as 18 megapixels. The LCD will no doubt be the PRO "standard" 3.0 inch LCD with 920k dots resolution to give you improved clarity when reviewing your shots. Live View is a given but we aren't expecting Face Detection mode like the one found on the 50D.

With all this said, we come to the crunch... are we talking ONE model or THREE? The UPC database has seen some recent updates where records of Canon EOS 4D, EOS 7D and EOS 9D have been added or modified recently. It doesn't make sense for Canon to come up with 3 Full Frame Cameras for this level when the single digits EOS cameras are meant to be kept on the shelf for at least a year and half to two years. Perhaps the reason for this is down to competition. With Sony's Alpha 900 and Nikon's D3x in the pipelines, these may have triggered Canon to come up with 3 models, slightly different, to cover a wider range of price points.

Conceivably, we could see the EOS 7D with the specs similar to the 5D. The EOS 9D might have more watered down specs with a lower megapixels count but a faster continuous burst speed. This may make for a travelling full frame camera that is compact and light. The EOS 4D on the other hand will have more premium features and maybe housed in a larger pro body like the EOS 1-series and Nikon D3. Megapixels count may also be higher but unlikely.

What they may look like in terms of specifications: