Lots of news came out of the recent 2010 Photokina convention in Cologne, Germany. Unfortunately, there were few really exciting announcements of new products. Sure, the various vendors had this or that they were parading but for the average photographer enthusiasts or professional the news was fairly pedestrian. Nikon trumpeted their new lenses (including the very intriguing 24-120mm F/4 VR), Canon bellowed about their new 60D which is very ho-hum when you consider where it sits price wise between the T2i and the 7D (all three models share the same 18 megapixel sensor). The only really interesting news was the announcement of the new Sigma SD1 dSLR which features a 15 megapixel Foveon sensor. Unfortunately the details around the SD1 were sketchy at best and it could be some time before we hear more about this intriguing offering.
No, what people were really interested in hearing about was the next flagship model from Canon. Where is the 1Ds MKIV??? Its getting time for a replacement isn’t it? Well, yes, it is. According to the past history of model development from Canon, the 1DS MKIV is getting very close to due for announcement. Rumors have spread all over the web for years on the rumored specs and release dates but all that really has been put to flight by the persistent silence from Canon. However there is still the slim possibility that Canon makes an announcement in October of 2010. After all, last year in October they announced their new 1D MKIV (using the APS-H sensor). It could still happen this year. However, if Canon doesn’t announce a new 1Ds MKIV by early November then it will most likely be late 1st quarter of 2011 before the new flagship model is announced.
Canon isn’t the only manufacturer whose flagship model is looking a little long in the tooth. Sony’s own A900 is well overdue for an overall and the rumor mill there has been silent. Even Nikon who announced a D3s model in October of 2009 is long overdue for a new flagship to replace its D3x and/or D3 (limited by its comparatively low 12 megapixel resolution).
Let’s hope that October brings big news from all three of the major DSLR manufacturers.
