canon sets a new dslr bar with the d90 crushing 5d mark ii - full frame hd video!!!

just days after nikon rocked the photo and video world with the first dslr to shoot hd video, canon responds in kind, majorly. the new canon 5d mark ii - successor to what is a kick ass piece of photo gear - has a crazy set of specs that look to match or exceed those of the d700 (although a little slower at 3.9fps vs 5fps for the d700, and with an inferior autofocus system). features 21 megapixels, iso that ranges from 50-25.6k, 3" lcd, and more...

the big buzz is the video mode. canon's offering increases the resolution over nikon's to a full 1080, at 30fps, using a full frame sensor for increased detail. and in a nod to moviemakers wishes, it has an stereo mic input option. the possibilities of this camera have the forum users eager to start filming with it.

canon's inclusion of such a high quality video mode is an interesting move, as they are also a leader in digital video cameras, and specs like these put a lot of pressure on their video division (in addition, of course, to those of all the other manufacturers). with this and the nikon (plus the work that red has been doing - thanks red, for forcing these two giants to start giving us more of what we want), major revisions with be coming quickly. we're at a stage where a huge shift in video capture has begun - expect everything to be completely different in one to two years.

check out the full specs on dpreview and gizmodo, and watch some sample videos here or here - they're small but crispy clear (even in japanese).

price: $2700 body / $3500 with 24-105 lens (and it better be nice for $800 more). expected to be available in november 2008.

(thanks travis)