Photofocus

I’ve conducted some polls on a variety of social media sites and here on Photofocus.com.

I’ve taken into account all the answers and based this post on those results, plus my own experience and observation.

So without further ado, here are my picks for Cameras of the Year – 2009.

DSLR Less Than $2000
Canon EOS 7D

The Canon won by a mile. The second place pick was the Nikon D300s, but it garnered less than half as many votes in various polls. Canon’s superb video and still image quality at a $1699 price point will be tough to beat for a long time. If you’re a Nikon shooter and don’t care about video, the D300s is a very solid choice.

DSLR More Than $2000
TIE: Canon 1DMKIV and Nikon D3s

This was a close one. So in the “You get to kiss your sister” category I rule this one a tie between the Canon 1DMKIV and the Nikon D3s.

The Canon 1DMKIV is a big deal because it delivers a new Canon autofocus that really works, stunning video, better low-light performance than any other Canon, fast frame rates,  and a pro-build. If it were a full-frame camera I’d give it the nod. It’s $4999, almost 10% cheaper than the D3s which also nearly pushed it over the top for me.

But the new D3s offers the best low-light performance of any camera I’ve ever tested. I mean EVER. I shot this camera at ISO 6400 like it was ROUTINE. It’s crazy. I can’t believe how well this camera works in low light. Much better than the Canon in my opinion. While the video it offers isn’t as valuable as that offered by the Canon, it does have a few nifty cool features such as a self-cleaning sensor, bigger buffer and faster frame rates. At $5400, the D3s offers an expensive, full-frame solution that will satisfy the most serious Nikon shooter.

The good news is that you can’t go wrong with either of these cameras. And it’s a good thing since they are both expensive.

Compact / Point & Shoot
Canon G11

Canon wins again. The G11 won by a landslide. And although it came in on the OTHER answer, the Canon S90 was runner up.

Canon’s decision to reduce the number of pixels on the G11 was the biggest single factor in my decision to purchase and use this camera.

Honorable Mention
Panasonic GH-1

There was another camera that came out this year which deserves a mention. The Panasonic GH-1 is the first four-thirds camera I’ve ever used that didn’t seem gimmicky and which could be used to make serious photographs. It has great video and had Panasonic used a better video codec and/or used a RAW still format that played nicely with the rest of us, this camera could very well find itself on top of all these lists.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store