EISA Awards 2011-2012
So far three photographic products have been announced for EISA Awards – as announcements continue to come in, we’ll update this post.
European Advanced SLR Camera of the Year 2011-2012
Nikon’s D7000 has fought off some extremely stiff competition, including the Pentax K-5 and Sony 16.2Mp models for this prestigious award. The judges’ statement hints at an emphasis on the overall product quality as well as the technical capabilities.
The EISA judges said: “At the head of Nikon’s semi-professional line of cameras, the D7000 is packed with the high-end features it inherited from the company’s D300 and D300S models. The solid body offers high-speed autofocus, a bright 3-inch LCD, dust control, dual SDXC card slots and Full HD Video. An exceptionally good noise-control system means the 16.2-million-pixel-sensor can be used at ISO 3200 and still produce high quality, clean images – even at ISO 12800 noise is not much of an issue. This is a camera that can give amateur photographers professional-looking images.”
EUROPEAN PROFESSIONAL CAMERA OF THE YEAR 2011-2012
This award has gone to Pentax’s already award-winning 645D; a thoroughly pioneering product in the field, though the judges’ statement suggests that context isn’t a major factor for what must be one of the lightest medium-format digital solutions on the market!
“The 645D is a joy to use in the field, and although it is big and somewhat heavy, its ergonomic grip, large viewfinder, fast and accurate autofocus, and well-made controls make it perfectly usable without a tripod. With its 33x44mm, 40-million-pixel, Kodak CCD-sensor it is a landscape photographer’s dream, creating absolutely stunningly sharp and detailed pictures with very attractive colours and a huge dynamic range. As a serious photographer’s tool, the Pentax 645D is second to none.”
EISA 2011-2012 European Lens
Sigma’s catalogue of EISA awards is getting pretty impressive – the 70-200mm F2.8EX DG HSM OS is one of their premium models, and performs incredibly well. The judges agree: “In the 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM, Sigma has produced a telephoto zoom lens that offers professional features and exceptionally good image quality at a very reasonable price. Even at the maximum aperture of F2.8 the lens delivers excellent sharpness and, combined with an effective image stabilizer (OS) and fast, silent autofocus (HSM), it is well suited to demanding photographic subjects such as nature, sports and documentary. Available with fittings for most camera brands, and covering APS-C and full-frame sensors, this lens is a perfect choice for both demanding amateurs and professional photographers.”
Finally, for now, Epson’s R3000 printer receives the accolade of European Printer 2011-2012
“This is an ideal printer for both professional photographers and advanced amateurs.”