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.

Photokina is just around the corner and like always, the rumor mill is a churning. Although nothing has been officially confirmed yet it seems likely that Canon will be making some announcements at the expo. As to what exactly? Well it seems most probable that there will be an announcement regarding the new 60D. No specs have been leaked yet but one thing is certain, Canon must do a better job with the 60D than they did with the 50D. Although the 50D featured a 15 megapixel sensor it also featured a higher noise ratio than its predecessor the 40D and resulting downturn in image quality soured a lot of consumers on the 50D. I don’t expect that to happen with the 60D but I also find it hard to imagine that the 60D will use anything other than the popular 18 megapixel sensor featured in the 7D and the Rebel t2i (550D). To be honest I’m not quite sure that there is enough room between the 7D and the 550D to warrant an in between model. Presumably the 60D will sit between the high end 7D and the lower (yet still quite impressive) 550D. The price spread is workable with the 7D retailing at $1799 and the 550D down at $799 there’s room for a $1200-1300 model but I don’t see there being enough room spec wise, especially if the 60D contains the same sensor as the 7D and 550D. Either spend more for the 7D or spend less for the 550D, I don’t get the compromise. Nevertheless it will be interesting to see what Canon trots out in the form of the 60D.

Its also a virtual lock that Canon will be introducing a new 1Ds model (MKIV) this year. Whether it will be during or after Photokina is still up in the air. Rumors have swirled for months now regarding Canon’s new flagship model and most of the whispers have been pretty fantastical. I do expect to see an increase in resolution but only a moderate jump (28-32 megapixels). My strongest hopes are for an improvement in both high ISO performance and a significant boost to dynamic range. Anything else  would just be a bonus.

I also expect two new (or revised) lenses to be announced from Canon. The most notable would be an updated 24-70mm F/2.8 L USM that features IS. This has been a requested updated for a while and its time Canon got around to answering it.

What will not be Announced

Don’t look for a 5D MKIII at Photokina or anytime shortly thereafter. Canon has followed a consistent model of announcing a 5d only 6 months to a year after their flagship model (the 1Ds). Until the 1Ds MKIV been announced and given a chance to sell the 5D MKIII won’t be released. I’d look for a 5D MKIII around this time of the year in 2011 (third quarter).

Photopurity has been down for a long period of time due to a database crash. It took a while to realize that the loss of data was permanent and eventually recovery efforts were suspended. Although greatly disappointing, we recognize that sometimes there are failures that cannot be helped or fixed the best course of action is to simply move on. Unfortunately, all information from 2010 was lost and even some data from 2009. This included several lens reviews, equipment reviews and numerous editorials on upcoming cameras/equipment and trends in technology.

We will not, at this time anyway, attempt to rewrite these lost articles. We will instead move forward with our continuing coverage. With Photokina only a short time away expectations are high for new announcements from Canon, Nikon and Sony. Photopurity will have more coverage on this shortly.