16.7 megapixel Canon 1Ds Mark II. This thing takes satellite photos: 3,328 x 4,992 pixels!! It also has everything every pro digital camera has ever had until now plus wireless transfer of images (197ft range), wireless flash strobes, and the ability to prove that an image was not modified (for courtrooms, I suppose). Very cool stuff.

http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/eos1dsm2/index.html

Four samples are up. The night shot is insanely detailed.

 

Looks like $10k MSRP and a street price of $8k. Damn. I would buy it for $1000

 

I have a 6.1MP Nikon SLR and I couldn't imagine needing more detailed pics! Wow.

 

I have the Nikon D70, and I find that one to be pimp already. I can't imagine the detail on the 16 mp one.

 

wow that night shot is simpy amazing

 

Download the night shot. It seriously looks like a photo from a military satellite!

 

Oooooh, daddy like

I can vouch for Keith's camera, though. He was kind enough to take some night pics for me, and they were simply awesome. I'll be looking for a camera in the coming months so I don't have to bug Keith anymore, but the EOS-1Ds may be out of my range

Just noticed the "non-edited image" blurb. If they're using TI chips inside for control, I wonder if that's my watermarking code being used (from my Master's thesis)...

 

Try the Canon 20D for an 8.2 megamixel benchmark-setter:
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/canoneos20d/

The samples are superb (check out the fruit still life and the last, night shot):
http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/?gallery=c...eos20d_preview/



Here's what Canon says about the authenticity kit:

The kit consists of a dedicated SM (secure mobile) card reader/writer and verification software. When the appropriate function (Personal Function 31) on the EOS-1D Mark II or EOS-1Ds is activated, a code based on the image contents is generated and appended to the image. When the image is viewed, the data verification software determines the code for the image and compares it with the attached code. If the image contents have been manipulated in any way, the codes will not match and the image cannot be verified as the original.


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0401/04...canondvke2.asp

 

That's a much more reasonable camera for someone like me. I need the high quality of a 5+ Mpixel camera, but not the added expense of 16+ Mpixel. That price is nice, less than $1,600 with lens.

 

My advice, and what I plan on doing: hold out for the new EF-S 17-85mm IS USM digital-only lens that is being introduced with the Canon 20D. It has smaller glass for better quality, weight savings, and lower price and the current generation of image stabilization, which is good for 3 shutter stops. 17-85 seems about perfect to me for an everyday lens. This is the 35mm equivalent of 27.2-136mm which is a decent medium wide angle to medium telephoto zoom. But since it's digital and 8.1mp you will probably be able to crop into whatever zoom you want, making this a pretty versatile bundled lens.

Onecall.com nearly always has the best prices (and financing):
http://ww3.onecall.com/PID_25231.htm