Rumor: New Canon Lenses Around The Corner?

New Canon lenses rumor tidbits. Canon Rumors got another confirmation that a Canon EF 800 f/5.6L IS II lens is out there getting tested. It is not ready for the market and it is suggested that Canon will not announce it before Nikon announced its own 800mm lens. Another lens was mentioned, the EF 200 f/2L IS, also said to be far from being announced. Finally, one of CR’s sources says that he or she tested an ultra-wide zoom on an EOS-1D Xs (which, supposedly, is the big megapixel DSLR rumors say Canon is working on).

But the Canon lens rumor-mill is also yielding some tidbits about an EF 135mm f/2L replacement. The talk is about an EF 135mm f/2L prototype with image stabilization. Replacement of the current EF 135mm may be around the corner.

It appears as if there are definitely coming new lenses before the end of 2012, some NDAs (non disclosure agreement) should be over by the end of the month.

[via CR]

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New Firmware For Canon EOS 5D Mark III Announced

Uh, this is funny. I reported earlier about the new Magic Lantern firmware releases (for EOS 5D Mark III [cool deal here] and EOS 7D), which bring amenities like uncompressed HDMI output to your beloved EOS DSLR. And now Canon announces a firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark III (to be released in April 2013) that brings, among other things, uncompressed HDMI output. What a coincidence! ‘:-) I guess Canon got a little under pressure by the fine work of the Magic Lantern hackers. The other big new feature that will be made available with the firmware upgrade is Auto-Focus using the highly sensitive central cross-type points with a maximum aperture of f/8  (actually it works with max f/5.6). This was implemented in a recently published firmware update for the Canon EOS-1D X.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Canon press release:

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 23, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced a new firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera that significantly improves the camera’s performance and usability. In response to requests from professionals working in the fields of cinema and television production, the firmware update enables the use of uncompressed HDMI Output support, making possible more efficient video editing and monitoring procedures. Additionally, the upgrade supports the advanced needs of photographers through improved AF performance when capturing still images.

Uncompressed HDMI Output Support
When shooting video, HDMI Output makes possible the recording of high-definition uncompressed video data (YCbCr 4:2:2, 8 bit) from the EOS 5D Mark III to an external recorder via the camera’s HDMI terminal. This, in turn, facilitates the editing of video data with minimal image degradation for greater on-site workflow efficiency during motion picture and video productions. Additionally, video being captured can be displayed on an external monitor, enabling real-time, on-site monitoring of high-definition video during shooting.

Improved AF Functionality
Even when the EOS 5D Mark III is equipped with an extender and lens making possible a maximum aperture of f/8, the firmware update supports AF employing the camera’s central cross-type points (currently compatible with maximum apertures up to f/5.6). Accordingly, the update will allow users to take advantage of AF when shooting distant subjects, benefitting sports and nature photographers, particularly when using telephoto lenses.

The new firmware update will be available, at no charge, in April 2013 from the Canon U.S.A. website and can be downloaded by end users or through Canon Factory Service Centers.

[via The Digital Picture]

Deal and Deal: Canon EOS 5D Mark III For $3100 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II For $1673

EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 5D Mark II deals

Top rated eBay seller GetDigital has two cool EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 5D Mark II deals going on (limited quantity). Both DSLRs are offered at a price that’s around $100 less than the best price I found in other shops.

First, there is a . Great price for this full-frame DSLR.

Next, the , which is also a great bargain for a full-frame DSLR that is still a top performer.

EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 5D Mark II deals

Magic Lantern News And New Releases (Canon EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 7D)

Most of you probably know about Magic Lantern, a cool firmware hack that extends the feature set of your Canon EOS DSLR.

A new release of the firmware hack Magic Lantern for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III was released. It is still an “alpha-release”, i.e. a piece of software in its very early stage of development. Nevertheless, the release works fine on the EOS 5D Mark III. The video above shows the (new) features you get with this release of Magic Lantern. Among others you get: smooth exposure transitions (ISO, shutter or aperture), HDR Video, focus assistants, display enhancements like clean HDMI out and all sorts of display tweaks. To see all implemented features have a look on the EOS 5D Mark III Magic Lantern’s site, where you can download the firmware and will find the installation instructions.

But there is also a new release of Magic Lantern for the Canon EOS 7D that’s heavily in work (not yet released). Just recently an alpha release of ML for the EOS 7D was released. Now, in this new alpha-release, first attempts to implement clean HDMI are done. This feature is already available for other Canon DSLR Magic Lantern releases. It would be great if we could have it on the 7D. I am sure the skilled hackers working on Magic Lantern will not disappoint us. Check the video below to see what’s coming. Magic Lantern developer g3ggode, referring to the video, says [via nofilmschool]:

This is a test video where i filmed my Samsung LCD showing Canon EOS 7D HDMI output while recording. Test subject is the “Clear overlays” feature, that disables all paintings on HDMI output.

Check Magic Lantern’s EOS 7D page for more information

Canon EOS 5D Mark III price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA Canon EOS 7D price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

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