The Beginning of the Photography Movement: Photography, both as a multifaceted art and a profession, has a long history in countries that developed before and during World War II. Similarly, in Vietnam, photography started gaining attention as an art form and profession. Recognizing the limitations of traditional painting and the unique ability of photography to serve societal needs and reflect reality, photography began to integrate into Vietnamese society from abroad and from contemporary ruling classes. However, the art of photography didn't truly captivate attention until Võ An Ninh published the photo series 'Famine 1945,' laying the groundwork for the future development of artistic photography in Vietnam with its freshness and profound reflection of reality.
The First Step of DSLRs: From 1975 to post-1975 liberation, Vietnam experienced a golden age of professional photography. In 1999, Nikon Corporation introduced the Nikon D1, the world's first DSLR camera, ushering in a new era for modern photography. The camera boasted a resolution of 2.74MP and used lenses following the Nikon F-mount standard. Despite its recognition, the D1 didn't gain significant traction in Vietnam due to its high price tag of $6000 (approximately 96 million VND in 1999, a substantial sum). Consequently, photographers favored film SLR cameras for their affordability and widespread availability.
Nikon D1 - the First DSLR CameraTHE FIRST FULL FRAME SENSOR: Introduced in mid-2002, Canon once again revolutionized the photography world by unveiling the first DSLR camera with a sacred full-frame sensor, establishing a new standard for 21st-century imaging technology. A
full-frame camera utilizes a sensor size identical to the standard 35 mm film frame (36×24 mm), contrasting with cameras employing smaller sensors, notably those equivalent to the APS-C film frame – considerably smaller than the full 35 mm frame. Presently, the majority of digital cameras, both compact and DSLR, utilize sensors smaller than 35 mm as they are easier and cheaper to manufacture.
THE SUCCESSOR OF POWER: As the era of film cameras showed signs of decline, Canon pioneered the introduction of the professional digital camera model named
EOS-1D in 2001, followed by the
EOS-1Ds in 2002, equipped with a full-frame 35 mm sensor (equivalent to film size). Inheriting much of the appearance and potential strength of the 1D series, the 1Ds was hailed by Canon as a lever, propelling significant subsequent success with dozens of models in this high-end product series.
CANON EOS 1Ds: (
according to Wikipedia US)
- The world's first digital SLR camera capable of proving its image is unaltered, the original files
- Accepts Canon EF lenses; 3 frames/second for a maximum of 10 continuous frames
- Compatible with CompactFlash Type I and II cards and IBM Microdrives
- Connects to Mac and PC computers via Firewire (IEEE 1394) port
- Battery life improved by reducing energy consumption; powered by NiMH battery
Canon EOS 1Ds - the First Full Frame Sensor CameraFORERUNNER OF HIGH-SPEED CAMERA LINE: Astonished by Nikon's tremendous success, Canon began focusing on technological development and aimed to create something more innovative and groundbreaking. Building upon the foundation of the Canon EOS 20D, the
Canon EOS 30D was born in 2000, marking a new milestone for the first high-speed camera line, paving the way for various styles of photography.
THE POTENTIAL STRENGTH OF CANON EOS 30D: With the technological breakthrough of the 30D, users could now shoot continuously at two speed levels instead of one (high-speed shooting at 5 frames/second or slow at 3 frames/second). Being based on the 20D platform, the 30D retained some similarities and only had a few enhancements such as:
- A larger 2.5-inch LCD screen
- Relatively sharp resolution with 230,000 pixels
- Capability to capture up to 30 JPEG images in large high-quality format and 11 consecutive RAW images
- Picture Styles shooting mode where users could proactively preset image parameters like sharpness, contrast, saturation, and color tone based on shooting conditions.
SHORTCOMINGS: Although developed in many aspects, what made this camera unable to stand the test of time was the lack of an anti-glare layer for the screen, which largely hindered users in some photography environments. Hence, Nikon is still preferred by many photographers nowadays.
Canon EOS 30D - Pioneer of High-Speed Camera Line'SPEED MASTER' NIKON D3: Around early 2007, Nikon made a strong impression on the global camera market by introducing the 'speed warrior' Nikon D3, once again affirming its reputation in the world of photography. Within 1 second, the camera can capture 9 photos in full-frame mode or 11 photos in normal mode. Thus, on average, the Nikon D3 captures more photos per second than the Canon 1D Mark III sports camera, despite the varying resolutions of the photos.NIKON'S FIRST FULL-FRAME CAMERA: While being Nikon's first full-frame camera, the D3 did not truly stand out with its sensor. The Nikon D3 is equipped with a 12.1-megapixel resolution sensor. However, due to the larger size of the D3's sensor, the distance between pixels is wider, resulting in wider dynamic range photos, while also handling light noise issues better. SPECIFICALLY FOR SPORTS STYLE: The Japanese camera manufacturer abandoned the race to increase sensor resolution, instead focusing more on increasing shooting speed and improving photo quality. The result is that the D3 has just enough resolution, but its operating speed and photo quality can satisfy even the most demanding photographers, especially sports photographers, who can achieve beautiful photos even when using the camera at ISO 6,400.
Nikon D3 - The Speed KingDSLR EVOLUTION: When talking about the success of DSLR cameras, one cannot overlook the Canon 300D or EOS Digital Rebel. In 2003, with the release of this classic camera, it immediately garnered widespread support from users, as countless photographers transitioned from film to digital, officially retiring famous film camera brands like Kodak, Pentax, Minolta, etc.'CANON 300D WARRIOR': It was hailed as one of the best at the time, boasting numerous advantages that previous generation cameras lacked. Featuring an APS-C sensor (22.7 x 15.1 mm), 6.3MP resolution, a 1.8-inch LCD screen, and various creative shooting modes, it offered users a fresh perspective on artistic photography, delivering sharper, more realistic images than expected.CANON 300D IN VIETNAM: Though not a truly professional line, after its introduction, the Canon 300D soon made its way to Vietnam, garnering even more attention from amateur photographers. One of the reasons that propelled the DSLR photography movement in Vietnam was the affordability of the Canon 300D, priced at just under 1000$ (around 18 million VND, a reasonable investment). Consequently, Canon's reputation began to soar, and the 'king' 300D stirred up the photography scene in the early days of modern DSLR photography in Vietnam.
Canon EOS 300 - the most popular camera6. Panasonic Lumix G1 (2008)
FIRST MICRO FOUR THIRDS DSLR: Also introduced in 2008, Micro Four Thirds is an ultra-compact interchangeable lens digital camera format developed by Panasonic and Olympus. Unlike conventional DSLR systems, the Panasonic Lumix G1 does not use an internal mirror, so it's not a true DSLR, although it embodies many characteristics of this high-end camera category. In fact, the Panasonic G1 is also a Digital Interchangeable Lens System Camera (according to Vnexpress).THE SMALLEST INTERCHANGEABLE LENS CAMERA IN THE WORLD: The Panasonic G1 is still seen by professionals as a heavyweight competitor to the smallest DSLRs available today. Sporting a compact and desirable form factor unlike any DSLR before it, this 12-megapixel camera measures 124 x 83.6 x 45.2 mm. Panasonic has packed the G1 with plenty of promise, at least in terms of resolution (1,440,000 dots) and refresh rate (60 frames per second), far surpassing the 920,000-pixel LCD screens found on the Nikon D700 and Canon EOS 50D.
Panasonic Lumix G1 - the lightest DSLR cameraFIRST HD STANDARD DSLR VIDEO: Following the great success with the D3, Nikon continued to stir the camera market in late August 2008 with the introduction of the
Nikon D90, the world's first DSLR capable of shooting video, marking a new milestone in the digital DSLR photography industry. Before the Nikon D90, capturing short videos was limited to compact travel cameras with extremely low resolutions due to technical constraints, so no interchangeable lens digital camera could shoot video, even at low resolutions.
FORMIDABLE RIVAL OF CANON EOS 50D: The 12.3-megapixel sensor, significantly larger than those in travel cameras, allows the D90 to capture videos with more detail even at high ISO levels. With the Nikon D90, users can control the depth of field (DOF), providing more cinematic effects for videos shot with this camera, a capability that travel cameras lack.
ATTRACTIVENESS OF NIKON D90:- 11-point autofocus (AF) system, with multiple modes suitable for different shooting conditions.
- Uses SD/SDHC memory cards, saving users a significant amount compared to CompactFlash or xD-Picture formats.
- The D90's screen is a spacious 3 inches with a resolution of up to 920,000 dots, displaying more details.
Nikon D90 - the first DSLR camera to shoot videoBEST DSLR BUT UNDERAPPRECIATED: 2008 was a year of great success for the global camera market, but amidst that success were silent warriors, seldom favored by photographers despite possessing the most formidable power in 2008.
Launched in late 2008, the Nikon D3x was expected to dominate the photography scene for being equipped with the best features at the time. However, surprisingly, Nikon's 'Godfather' received a disappointing outcome with the D3x, as anyone aspiring to own it had to bear a hefty price tag - $8000 (over 160 million Vietnamese dong).
KEY SPECS OF NIKON D3X:
- Manufacturer: Nikon Inc
- Product package: Body Only
- Screen size (inch): 3.0 inch
- Camera type (Body type): Large SLR
- Sensor size: Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm)
- Megapixels (Effective pixels): 24.5 Megapixels
- Largest image resolution: 6048 x 4032
- Optical Zoom: Depends on Lens
- Features: Timelapse recording, GPS (Optional)
Nikon 3Dx - the best camera of the year9. Canon EOS 5D Mark II (2008)
DSLR BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN STILL AND MOTION: Introduced in 2008, the 5D Mark II once again asserted its position in the world, with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II renowned as the best all-around camera of its time. Priced at around 50 million Vietnamese dong, it sparked dreams and desires for countless photography enthusiasts.BECOMING A TECH ICON: For years, the 5D had been known as a very good Full Frame camera, so when the 5D Mark II was released, people rushed to buy it, which was not surprising. Its versatility allows it to capture various types of photos and has the added feature of video recording, producing beautiful footage better than Canon's smaller camera lines. In fact, nowadays, with the same sophisticated setup, the 5D Mark II produces image quality comparable to any high-end camera and only slightly inferior to the 5D Mark III.TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:Sensor: 35.8mm x 23.9mm full-frame CMOS.Image sizes: 5,472 x 3,648 native, JPG or RAW (20 MP).Flash: None.Shutter: 1/8000 to 30 seconds(source: Duytom.com)
Canon EOS 5D Mark II - the most influential cameraA PREMIUM LINEUP PRESERVING ERA RECORDS: Introduced in May 2010, the Pentax 645D remains the ultimate premium camera of its time, boasting the highest technology and price tag ever seen before.
Upon arrival in Vietnam, with a price tag of nearly $10,000 for the body and lens kit, the Pentax 645D perhaps became a distant dream for photographers, unless you are truly affluent.
THE POWERFUL SPECIFICATIONS OF PENTAX 645D: The Pentax 645D features a massive 40 Megapixel CCD image sensor. The camera is also equipped with the PRIME II image processing engine developed by the company itself, an autofocus mechanism with a wide frame and 11 focus points, allowing you to capture the largest and highest-quality images. Additionally, the camera is equipped with a self-cleaning DR (Dust Removal) II sensor mechanism to extend the camera's lifespan.
In addition, the Pentax 645D is also equipped with some equally attractive features such as a 3-inch LCD screen with integrated HDR dynamic range function, HDMI port for easy TV connection for viewing images, or USB for quick image exchange.
Pentax 645D - the epitome of high-end photography
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