Archive for the 'Canon' category

Thanks to Image et Nature magazine who says so on its next cover page.

Image et Nature

So, no Canon EOS 5D Mark II or similar. It will be Canon EOS 7D.

I told you that the press was currently held by the Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). Here is one which failed to cover it completely…

The DPreview forums are currently providing the latest bit of information about the Canon EOS 5D succession. The EOS 5D is dead, long live the… EOS 7D and EOS 5D MkII. The first would be for a low cost option (around $2000 - I told you that this low price point would be critical in the battle of the Full Frame cameras in 2008-09), the second would be staying up against the Nikon D700 and replace honorably the original Canon EOS 5D. Or it would be a set of Canon EOS 3D and Canon EOS 7D…

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 7D

Anyway, do not expect to get any reliable information now. Canon has put under NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) all press representative and has provided the pre-production cameras for the initial hands-on reviews to pop up everywhere when the embargo is lifted.

This is exactly the reason why  we no longer have any information about the upcoming Sony Alpha 900 which will be fighting in exactly the same market. Possibly with exactly the same weapons (two cameras to simultaneously cover both the $2000 and $3000 ranges).

Canon IFA 2008

Everybody expects it to happen, but here is a noticia (in Spanish) where the writer informs us that the Canon people at the IFA2008 exhibition confirmed that the Canon EOS 5D will be renewed with the arrival of a new D-SLR camera with a Full Frame sensor within the scope of the next Koln Photokina fair.

In parallel, it has been observed that a Flicker user published an image that appeared to be marked as coming from a Canon EOS 6D (in the EXIF part of the file). But the author quickly confirmed that this was only a quick an dirty modification of the JPG file while testing some unrelated part of the Flicker operation.

So, we are still left without precise information about which name will be held by this new camera from Canon. But the latest descriptive rumour says that the EOS 6D or Canon EOS 7D (or whatever) will have the following features:

• 21.1 M-pixel Full Frame
• DIGIC IV
• ISO 100-6400 (extension: 50 ISO & 12800 ISO)
• 5 fps
• 3.2″ High Resolution Screen (LCD)
• 19-point AF
• HDMI Out
• Liveview
• HD Movie Mode
• Viewfinder: 100% Coverage
• Full weather sealing
• EF Lenses only

Anyway, this 2008 edition of the Photokina will be very interesting. You’ll see plenty of people running in the alleys from the first day to have a look at all the new cameras and photo products to be presented there.

According to Chasseur d’Images news-bit announcing the Canon EOS 50D, we could have some information about the replacement of the “5D” at the Photokina fair.

Il faudra attendre la Photokina pour en savoir davantage sur le prochain “5D” à capteur 24×36. (we will have to wait for Photokina to know more about the next “5D” with a 35mm sensor).

Only a few days to wait now until we know more about Canon EOS 5D-MkII, Canon EOS 6D or Canon EOS 7D.

We have been talking a lot about it lately. Now, the Canon EOS 50D is out in the open, announced by Canon itself. If you followed here, nothing will surprise you. Even the body-only price of $1,399/£1,199.99/1499€ is expected (we’ll wait for a little step down when the camera is really available, in October 2008).

Here is a list of articles on the Internet describing the  new camera (to replace the Canon EOS 40D):

• PopPhoto
• DPreview
• DPreview preview
• Chasseur d’Images (French)
• dPhoto Expert
• PopPhoto
• Photography Bay (only a copy of the Press Release)
• PhotographyBlog

The Canon EOS 50D looks like a very good camera. As usual in this part of the camera range at Canon, this is an improvement, but having 15MP, more than 6 frames per second bursts, and a good image quality (up to 12800 ISO) is going to make it definitely interesting for people coming from either the EOS 40D or the EOS 30D. I’d say, the Canon EOS 50D is going to be loved.

From the same Japanese test web site for Canon, here are the high-resolution photos of the Canon EOS 50D (click on the thumbnails to enlarge them).

Canon EOS 50D - front

Canon EOS 50D - front

Canon EOS 50D - back

The Canon Japanese web site did it again. Now we get a neary full description of the new Canon EOS 50D. With all nice photos of the replacement for the Canon EOS 40D.

Canon EOS 50D

Seeing that this also presents a 15MP camera, I start to wonder whether Canon has really a replacement ready for the EOS 5D Full Frame SLR camera. Several of the features attributed (by the rumour) to the EOS 5D MkII seem to be appearing on the Canon EOS 50D. It could mean that the leaks were actually coming from the EOS 50D and not the EOS 7D (or whatever name it will have).

Of course, we will have to wait a little more to know if Canon is really ready to announce two major cameras at the Photokina fair (one Canon EOS 50D in mid-range and one Canon EOS 7D at the high-end). But it looks more and more like Nikon and Sony will have an empty field to compete with the aging Canon EOS 5D.

The Canon web site in China just made a big error probably very revealing since it has been leaking the detailled cahracteristics of the a new Digital SLR camera named Canon EOS 50D (so, this is the long-awaited successor to the beautiful Canon EOS 40D).

The level of details is extraordinary (for leaked data), which certainly means that the camera is fully ready and will be announced at the next Photokina fair (in less than a month) or on August 26th, 2008 (as I was told previously).

• 15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 4
• 1.6x crop
• Dust Reduction
• Automatic correction of brightness/vignetting
• 95% viewfinder, 0.97 magnification
• 9 point AF(All Cross Type)
• 35 meter area equipped with high-precision sensors
• AF Fine Tuning
• ISO 100-12800
• 6.3 fps (high speed) 3fps (low speed)
• Buffer: 16 RAW - 60 JPG - 10 RAW+JPG
• 920,000 points VGA 3.0-inch LCD monitor
• 100,000 cycle shutter
• Rugged magnesium alloy body

Full Specification for Canon EOS 50D (in English partly translated from Chinese)

(more…)

Impressive as the Nikon D700 arrival was, it seems that this is not the end of the great launches for the yellow brand. Several people have been playing with the notion of seeing more SLR cameras coming soon, but Thom Hogan is usually quite knowledgeable about Nikon. So, when it says that things are moving fast, it should be quite right.

Essentially, Thom is saying “3 new SLR cameras before the end of 2008“. And, this would mean that all the probable/expected cameras are coming to fruition in the coming months:

• Nikon D800/D900: A big image version of the Nikon D700 (based upon the Sony 24MP Full Frame sensor).
• Nikon D3x or Nikon D4: the high-end replacement for the Nikon D3 (but the name seems not to be confirmed at all, right now).
• Nikon D90: The camera aimed at the low end of the SLR market. Since Nikon is still resisting to the Canon lower-end (the Canon EOS 1000D is still a little expensive compared to the Nikon D60).

Amateurs of sports photography and wildlife photography are generally well aware that the Holy Grail of lenses seems to be a (relatively) light tele-zoom lens of 100-400mm range and an aperture under f/5.6. This set of features allows a lot of versatility (tele range with the ability to quickly and easily change the frame) and a good behaviour in terms of AF (most modern AF behave correctly up to f/5.6 but no further than this).

This is the reason why the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS UM and Nikon AF 80-400mm VR f/4.5-5.6 D ED has been so successful despite their obviously high prices (around $2000). When I’m on photo safari, I’d say that about half the people around me have one of the Canons as their main lens (somtimes, it’s even their only lens).

Some time ago, Sigma added its own version of this lens (see this high-end zoom lens comparison). And it was a winner in terms of price-performance.

Now, we can expect several significant news in this range of products coming from different manufacturers.

• Sony presented about a year ago a mockup of a zoom lens corresponding well to this range. The word is out that it will be a 70-400mm f/5.6 zoom presented to the European press on August 14th (for an official launch in the beginning of September, probably at the same time Sony launches the Sony Alpha 800 and/or Sony Alpha 900 Full Frame camera(s)).
• According to some rumors (mainly originating from an unsubstantiated initial post at NikonRumours), there will soon be a Nikon AF80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR update. And this should be explaining the reduced availability of the original version.

I would even be tempted to read between the lines of a recent test article of Chasseur d’Image and say that Canon will also be hard pressed to provide an update to its aging 100-400mm. After all, it’s a real cash cow and a sure sale for owners of top- and mid-range cameras like the Canon EOS 40D (and possibly its successor EOS 50D - next year?).

The current rumour is that top hats from Canon Japan are currently travelling to China to support the imminent launch of one or two new SLR cameras for the brand. It would be the replacement for the Canon EOS 5D (the most repeated name is now Canon EOS 7D, but who knows) and the successor to the Canon EOS 40D (obviously named EOS 50D).

Since the EOS 5D MkII is expected around this time and no later than September PMA fair, this is quite a possibility and having a handful of these cameras in the hands of pro photographers for all to see would be a very nice promotional opportunity for Canon. This is much needed after the thunderous launch of the Nikon D700 and just before the arrival of the Sony Alpha 800/900 (direct competitors in the Full Frame SLR camera market).

I’m still sceptical about an EOS 50D that would be arriving a little too early according to Canon habits in terms of launches, except if it was a low-cost version of the previous Full Frame camera. And, there, it would be a great event. Think about it! Simultaneous launch of two war machines hitting right into the center of the preoccupations of the most enthusiast photographers.

Some people expect the announcement to happen on Monday.

You loved the Canon EOS 30D, then the EOS 40D. But since you’re hooked to buying always the best technology that money can buy, you are already looking for the next digital SLR camera from Canon. And you’re right. If something can be learned from history, the regular schedule of launches for the mid-range line of SLR cameras from cameras will bring us the Canon EOS 50D around the beginning of 2009.

Can you recognize the pattern?

But it does not tell us the features list of the future camera, unfortunately.

Some people have been speaking about seeing Canon moving into a much faster cycle of replacement for its D-SLR cameras. However, it seems that this is the case for entry level only. You can expect that competition is so hot there that the Canon EOS 1000D will need to receive a replacement in Spring 2009 already. But the Canon EOS 50D is aimed at a higher price point and more stable population of photographers. But it won’t be true forever (what about the Canon EOS 60D and then the EOS 70D?)