Posted by Constantin Chirila on Apr 1, 2010 in Camera Gear, Rumor
A rumor is around that Canon is testing a new lens, which is a 50mm lens with an aperture of 1.4. This is an improvement of the actual 50mm f/1.4 lens. It seams that will make it a bit more reliable buy upgrading the build of the lens (this lens is famous to be a bit unreliable, so this improvement is a good news). Also it will have an optical upgrade and will have an USM (Ultra Sonic Motor).
Since all the improvements we will have to expect at a high price.
Also there is no specification in the release date.
There are certain pretty true reports around that Canon UK is letting the release of a new 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS II slide to the public. It seams that this will be available somewhere in September. Maybe this will have the new Hybrid Image Stabilizer, that Canon is bragging about.
Canon UK is having a show on October 27th and 28th to show all the new stuff.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Jul 23, 2009 in Camera Gear, News
Recently I read a press release in which Canon announced an improved and newly-developed image stabilization technology called Hybrid Image Stabilizer. Canon company claims the technology is the world’s first to compensate for both angle and shift movement during the exposure, resulting improved stability in macro photography in particular.
And here’s the press release:
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., July 22, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, announced today the development of Hybrid Image Stabilizer (IS), the world’s first* optical image stabilization technology that compensates for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake. The technology will be featured in interchangeable single lens reflex (SLR) camera lens planned for commercial release before the end of 2009.
Several different preventative methods and corrective procedures have been introduced to compensate for errors caused by camera shake, which occurs when a camera moves while its shutter is open and its image sensor is exposed to light.
Canon began researching methods to compensate for camera shake in the 1980s, and in 1995 launched the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world’s first interchangeable SLR camera lens to feature a mechanism that compensates for optical camera shake. Since then, the company has continued to produce a variety of interchangeable lenses with image stabilization capabilities, and boasts a total of 21 such lenses in its current product lineup.
Canon’s newly developed Hybrid IS technology optimally compensates for angle and shift camera shake. Sudden changes in camera angle can significantly affect images taken during standard shooting, whereas shift-based shaking, which occurs when a camera moves parallel to the imaging scene, is more pronounced in macro photography and other close-range shooting.
The new Hybrid IS technology incorporates an angular velocity sensor that detects the extent of angle-based shaking and is found in all previous Canon optical image stabilizer mechanisms, as well as a new acceleration sensor that determines the amount of shift-based camera shake. Hybrid IS also employs a newly developed algorithm that synthesizes information from the two sensors to make optimal adjustments, thereby dramatically enhancing the effects of image stabilization during shooting, including macro shooting, which had proven difficult for conventional image stabilization technologies.
Canon is actively engaged in ongoing research and development of interchangeable SLR camera lenses incorporating Hybrid IS technology, and is aiming for the early commercialization and inclusion of the lenses in a wide range of products.
Canon Digital Learning Center
Online visitors and Web surfers are encouraged to browse the Canon Digital Learning Center and take advantage of the various educational resources that Canon has to offer for novices and advanced photographers alike. The Canon Digital Learning Center provides a schedule for a wide variety of Live Learning classes across the country with renowned photographers as well as online resources and tips. The site also features online tutorials for beginners and professionals to learn their way around a digital SLR camera and inkjet printer and unlock the full creative control of digital photography. To learn more about each program and register please visit: www.usa.canon.com/canonlivelearning
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked third overall in the U.S. in 2008†, with global revenues of US $45 billion, is listed as number seven in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2008 list, and is on the 2008 BusinessWeek list of “Top 100 Brands.” At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – - “all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future” – - Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/RSS.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Apr 4, 2009 in Camera Gear, News
Hi, guys. I haven’t wrote anything for more than a month, and I apologize for that. I had some personal things to take care of. Now hopefully I will continue writing new posts.
I would like to let you know that Canon has just announced a line of some amazing new lenses with optics that intensify the light as it passes through. This technology has been in development for many years, and because of a new revolutionary manufacturing process, the production of this high quality optics it possible at affordable prices.
Canon can’t release details of exactly how they make the lenses (for obvious reasons) but, they have said that the process of manufacturing has to take place in complete darkness until the new Starlight Spectra Coating, which is the key to the intensifying of light, has time to develop its light gathering ability.
So Canon has started the line of new lenses with this 20-400mm f/2.8 IO (Intensifying Optics) IS USM, and from what I understand they will release more lenses with this special ability.
As a side note, I have read somewhere, forgot where, a rumor that Canon stops producing the famous 70-200mm f/2.8. Now i can understand why, maybe because they are going to release a new version of 70-200mm with IO.
So the estimated price is somewhere around 4100$ (3100€) and the release date it’s sometime in autumn 2009. Also here’s a list of key features:
Aspherical optics used on all elements except for front SSC coated element
Pro quality optics on a par with L series lens quality
Robust design with build quality equivalent to L series lenses
Image intensifying optics used in front element of lens
Lens feature full time mechanical manual focusing
Fully flocked throughout to prevent internal reflections
One touch design for speed of zooming
Optical image stabiliser with 6 stop correction for handshake
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Mar 4, 2009 in Camera Gear
A couple of days ago, at PMA show, Sigma presented 2 entry level lenses both with OS (optical stabilization) and one ultra-wide lens.
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
It seams that Sigma improved the popular ultra-wide lens 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM made for APS-C/DX sensors (Non Full Frame), making the new version with fixed a aperture of f/3.5 through the focal range. It also has two Super-Low Dispersion and two Extraordinary-Low Dispersion glass elements for the correction of chromatic aberrations. It will be available with mounts for Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony and Pentax DSLRs. Hopefully this will at leas as good as it predecessor, we will see some future reviews, I would like an ultra wide lens for my cropped sensor 40D.
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM
Sigma also has released a standard zoom lens featuring an optical stabilizer and a wide aperture at it’s shortest focal length. This is also having twoSuper-Low Dispersion glass elements for the correction of chromatic aberrations. As the previous lens it has a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for fast and silent focusing. Sigma also states that its OS it would work on Sony and Pentax bodies with in-body stabilization systems. This also will be available with mounts for Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony and Pentax DSLRs. Bottom line this is a good lens to replace the kit lenses, because this is faster.
Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM
Sigma also talked about it’s telephoto zoom lens. This lens has the same image stabilization as the 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 and also has the Hyper Sonic Motor. Something to note, due to fact that is a low-budget lens, is the fact that it has internal focusing with a non-rotating front element. Also the lens is treated for correction of chromatic aberrations.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Mar 3, 2009 in Camera Gear
At this years PMA show there was announced the Ricoh CX1 camera. Lately Ricoh have done some innovative things. I am usually not impressed by a point&shoot camera (being a DSLR user), but this one drown my attention having a few rarely seen in a camera and innovative features. Beside the four photos braketing (and my DSLR have 3 braketing) and the 9MP resolution, it has a CMOS sesnsor which can only be met at DSLR cameras, which might mean lower noise than other Point&Shoots.
But the cherry on top of the cake is the fact that it can record a photograph that contains a high range of brightness, which a normal camera cand record. This is doing by take 2 consecutive shots at different exposure and automaticaly combines them in a photograph with a High Dynamic Range to up to 12 EV closer to the dynamic range of the human eye. Now this being developed I think it’s only a matter of time until othe camera manufacturers follow the trail. And I hope we will see this feature especially in future DSLRs which greatly need this function.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Feb 27, 2009 in Camera Gear
We often find ourselves wishing and talking about DSLR cameras, we compare them and adopt a geek language babbling about shutter speeds, ISO, camera features, image processing and other technicalities. This makes us forget about the most important piece of gear that helps us take the photograph we want, and that is the LENS.
The lens is the eye of the camera, and every photograph is recorded after the light come through the lens. Taking your DSLR without putting your lens on, and start taking photos, your see that the image processor records and extremely blurry photographs.
Lenses allows us to:
get more light ( lenses with big aperture), even if your camera have high iso numbers, you’ll still need a fast lens to get fast shutter speeds.
get close-up of your subject without actually being close ( telephoto lenses )
get incredibly sharp photographs
get sharp images of a mosquito’s eye ( macro lenses )
isolate our subject with small depth of field
capture sharp images of huge mountains and big fields of flowers ( wide lenses )
make creative photographs with lens-baby
As you can see lenses are way more important that the camera.
In creating the ultimate lens is involved a lot of precision mechanics and optics science. Also there is use a high amount of very expensive glass materials, so you will need a lot of glass elements in building a zoom lens with fast aperture. Also every piece of glass is treated with other substances for durability, minimize chromatic aberrations, reduce flare, etc. Also raw optical glass costs around 1000$ per kilogram, as Discovery Channel points out in their “How it’s made” show.
All of this being said, you can easily explain why a good lens costs hundreds and even thousand of dollars.
Also please check this video created by Discovery Channel on how lenses are made.
For a few days there are the news of the improvement of Pocket Wizards. These are the brand new PocketWizard FlexTT5 and MiniTT1. It seams that all the time that Pocket Wizard stood quietly without any release news or anything, they secretly were developing an improved version.
So to get out of the confusion the MiniTT1 it’s a transmitter and the FlexTT5 is a transceiver (meaning that it can act as transmitter and receiver).
Here’s what new PocketWizards can do:
You can control your strobes in TTL mode. You can use 20 channels in TTL photography or 32 standard channels in manual flash photography.
When using multiple strobes you can use HyperSync™ Technology to push your shutter speed up to 1/500th.
You can even push your ControlTL system to get flash sync with shutter speeds beyond 1/500 and and even up to 1/8000. To do this you will automatically get into FP/High-Speed sync mode.
You can connect your PocketWizars to your PC via USB and configure it or update it’s firmware.
FlexTT5 has an Auto-Sensing Transceiver Technology that enables it to switch back and forth between Transmitter and Receiver modes as needed for greater flexibility on the job.
The new system of PocketWizards can still be used with older ones like PlusII or MultiMAX but you will need a FlexTT5 as transmitter.
If you want to know more you can go to their website and watch the video below:
And some last info, the PocketWizards will be available by 1st of March for Canon and Q2 2009 for Nikon.
I cant’ wait to test them to see if it worths the money.
Hi, guys. I haven’t wrote anything for more than a month, and I apologize for that. I had some personal things to take care of. Now hopefully I will continue writing new posts.
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM
Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM
impressed by a point&shoot camera (being a DSLR user), but this one drown my attention having a few rarely seen in a camera and innovative features. Beside the four photos braketing (and my DSLR have 3 braketing) and the 9MP resolution, it has a CMOS sesnsor which can only be met at DSLR cameras, which might mean lower noise than other Point&Shoots.
We often find ourselves wishing and talking about DSLR cameras, we compare them and adopt a geek language babbling about shutter speeds, ISO, camera features, image processing and other technicalities. This makes us forget about the most important piece of gear that helps us take the photograph we want, and that is the LENS.
For a few days there are the news of the improvement of 
