No Viewfinder For Canon’s EOS M, Nor Any Lens Roadmap

What about a viewfinder for the EOS M, or for the more pro-oriented model we are expecting Canon to announce (and we are sure Canon is working on)? Responding to an Amateur Photographer (AP) reader who asked for it, Richard Shepherd, senior product specialist for Consumer EOS at Canon Europe said that (emphasis mine):

Customers are used to using smartphones and compacts. We are not seeing a requirement for EVFs in that area.

That’s not something that makes me happy! Myself and others were strongly hoping that the more pro-oriented mirrorless system camera that Canon is said to be working on would have some sort of viewfinder. Nope! About dedicated lenses for the EOS M system, Mr. Shepherd said:

Asked why Canon has not published a roadmap to give EOS M consumers confidence that future lenses will become available to develop their system, Shepherd replied that Canon’s extensive lens history suggests the company will bring out further lenses. But, he explained that the type of lenses launched will be determined by consumer demand.

So, I hope consumers will claim for good lenses! :-)

EOS M pre-order links:

USA & world-wide:
EOS M page on Amazon (click here), Adorama (click here), B&H (click here)
EOS M Black at Amazon (click here), Amazon UK (click here), Adorama (click here) and BHphoto (click here).
EOS M White at BHphoto (click here).
EOS M 22mm pancake at Amazon (click here), Adorama (click here) and BHphoto (click here).
EOS M 18-55mm kit lens at Amazon (click here), Adorama (click here) and BHphoto (click here).
EOS M adapter at Amazon (click here) and BHphoto (click here).
EOS M Flash at Amazon (click here), Adorama (click here) and BHphoto (click here).

Germany (Amazon DE):
EOS M black with EF-M 18-55mm 1:3,5-5,6 IS STM lens and Speedlite 90EX for €849 (click here)
EOS M white with EF-M 18-55mm 1:3,5-5,6 IS STM lens and Speedlite 90EX for €849 (click here)
EOS M red with EF-M 18-55mm 1:3,5-5,6 IS STM lens and Speedlite 90EX for €849 (click here)
EF-M 22mm 1:2 STM Pancake lens for €249 (click here)
EF-EOS M Adapter for €129 (click here)
wexcameras.de (click here)

Italy: Amazon IT (click here)

UK: Amazon UK (click here)

More pre-order options here.

Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM Field Review And Test

EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM settings. Image courtesy of Digital Photography School

This is a good and instructive review of the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM ($11,500, click here) by Digital Photography School. Let me first list the specifications of the lens:

  • L-Series Optics
  • Optical Image Stabilization – 3 Modes
  • Fast Ultra-Sonic Motor (USM) Autofocus
  • Full-time Manual Focusing Functionality
  • High-speed CPU
  • Autofocus Stop Feature
  • Dust and Water Resistant
  • Fluorite Glass for Improved Quality
  • Protective Fluorine Lens Coating
  • Security Slot for Wire-Type Locks

The review comes with lots of samples (wildlife shots in Alaska). From the conclusion:

The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM is a treat to use but not a treat to carry around. It is best used when a base of operations can be established, like a boat or near a campsite. The sharpness from side to side is impressive but needs to be balanced with the general aspect of it being a fixed focal length lens. This is fairly easily overcome with cropping final images, especially as the pixel count on future cameras climbs.

EF EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

[via DPS]

[Rumor] Is Canon’s High Resolution (46MP) DSLR Around The Corner? (and three new lenses too?)

CR has more hints that Canon will soon announce a new, high resolution DSLR. The talk is about a 46MP sensor.

I’m told that the coming big megapixel camera is a very new sensor design/overhaul. The emphasis is in the dynamic range of the sensor. Performance is said to be on the level of medium format, even better than the impressive D800.

The high res cam is said to get a new naming scheme (no 3D nor something with “D”). Canon should announce it at PhotoPlus in New York City in October.

There are also new lenses that are said to show up soon. The EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x is expected to be announced by Canon at PhotoPlus. Finally, two f/4 telephoto lenses are rumored to be announced in January 2013: the EF 300 f/4L IS II and the EF 400 f/4L IS.

Click here to open the rest of the article

[Review] EOS 6D First Thoughts Review (and comparison with Nikon D600)

Image credits: Digitalcamerainfo

Let’s start with a Digitalcamerinfo’s first impressions review of the EOS 6D.

The Canon EOS 6D is designed to be a lighter, cheaper alternative to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. To that end, it accomplishes its goals, squeezing a 20.2-megapixel full-frame sensor and updated autofocus into a relatively small body. […]

The EOS 6D does, however, seem much simpler to use at first blush than either the EOS 5D Mark III or its predecessor, the venerable EOS 5D Mark II. The 6D’s inclusion of Canon’s now-ubiquitous “Q” quick control menu and a physical mode dial chock full of automatic shooting modes should make novice shooters feel right at home. The “Q” menu, in particular, makes adjusting settings much easier, taking full advantage of the large 3-inch, 1.040 million-pixel display.

Next, lets have a look at a comparison by Digitalcamerainfo between the EOS 6D and Nikon’s D600. Both cams have a price tag of $2100, have similar specs and aim at the same target (customers). Are they so much different (beside the fact that the EOS 6D has built-in GPS and WiFi)?

On the Nikon side, the D600’s top plate is pulled almost directly from their top APS-C model, the D7000; the back control scheme, on the other hand, is largely based on their recently released full-frame body, the Nikon D800. On the Canon EOS 6D you can see bits and pieces that are clearly culled from the high-end APS-C EOS 7D, while the body’s silhouette is reminiscent of a smaller Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

Won’t anticipate more, since it is a well made article you should read. So if you want to learn about the little details that differentiate one camera from the other you where to go.

Canon’s EOS 6D can be preordered at the following shops:

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The After Photokina Canon Rumors Round-Up (7DII, 70D, 700D and the high res cam)

EOS 3D mock-up, image credits: petapixel.com

After all the expectations and the heat of Photokina, it’s time to go back to business as usual. That means rumors, and there is a bunch of new ones to discuss.

NL has been told that you can expect to see a high megapixel DSLR that will showcased at the PhotoPlus exhibition in NY, from October 24th to 27th. Seems like the price and the performance of Nikon’s D800 is somewhat worrying Canon. The rumor suggests the following specs for the high res DSLR (which may be named EOS 3D, and may be available later next year):

  • 46.1MP
  • 5fps
  • 16bit
  • ISO: 100-12800

This is not the first time a rumor about a Canon high res DSLR shows up. We reported about time ago.

There is more, still coming from NL. And this one is no less than about a new sensor design, supposed to appear during next year. It comes bigger: this new sensor design is said to show up not just in the high res camera we discussed above, but also in the EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 70D and EOS 700D. Delays in the development of this sensors may have pushed the massive firmware upgrade for the EOS 7D.

Take rumors with a grain of salt, as usual. But be also aware that they happen to be true. When we reported the rumor about an entry level DSLR by Canon, it seemed to be rather implausible to lot of people. And then, last week, Canon announced the EOS 6D. What I want to say: a high megapixel DSLR by Canon is plausible, not just because Nikon has one. It is plausible because lots of professionals need high resolution sensors.

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[Review] EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II Latest Reviews Round-Up

Lighter and smaller than the original, yet solid and sturdy, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II is causing lots of discussion, mainly because of the price tag of $2200. Let’s start with some first impressions by fstoppers. More detailed is the lens test performed by lensrentals.com (comparison with other similar lenses). The EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II has an outstanding sharpness and resolution:

The resolution absolutely, positively kicks butt and takes names. It is way better than the lens it replaces. It’s better at 70mm than the best Canon zoom I know of, the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II. It’s even better at 24mm than the sharpest 24mm prime we have, the Canon 24 TS-E. In the center, in the corners, it doesn’t care. We only had 5 copies to test, but they were all very similar with little copy-to-copy variation.

Another test comes from borrowlenses.com, with comparisons with other lenses and interactive test charts.

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II specifications:

  • Large f/2.8 Aperture Through Zoom Range
  • UD Lenses Minimize Chromatic Aberrations
  • Reduced Spherical Aberrations
  • Highly Resistant to Dust and Water
  • 9-Blade Diaphragm For Beautiful Bokeh
  • Lens Coatings Minimizes Ghosting
  • Fluorine Coating Reduces Fingerprints
  • Zoom Lock Lever For Safe Transporting

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA EF 24-70mm f/2.8 price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA