Canon EOS 6D Mark II seems to have less dynamic range than EOS 80D and EOS 6D

Canon Eos 6d Mark Ii Deal
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This might stir more disappointment than the ridicolous and boring discussion abut the lack of 4K in the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

A user of the Fred Miranda forum posted some test results he did on raw files shot with the EOS 6D Mark II. According to this figures the EOS 6D Mark II has less dynamic range than the EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 1D X Mark II and even less than the APS-C sized EOS 80D and the EOS 6D.

User cgarcia writes:

At the pixel level, the ISO 100 […] image (IMG_9106.CR2) reaches 11.04 EV at 26MP (11.89 normalized to 8MP) compared with my 6D which reached 11.53 EV at 20MP (12.19 EV normalized to 8MP). The measured read noise is 7.53556 DN (compared to about 4.68699 DN in my 6D). The new sensor uses a 512 blackpoint at ISO 100 instead of 2048 (just like the new crowd of sensors). But unfortunately doesn’t achieves their dynamic range performance. The measured white point is 16383, which could point to a preproduction camera (my 6D doesn’t seem to top there at ISO 100) so the real dynamic range could be even half a bit less.

Instruction to replicate the tests are provided in the discussion thread.

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Canon EOS 6D Mark II user manual available

Canon Eos 6d Mark Ii Deal
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EOS 6D Mark II at a glance:

  • 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 45-Point All-Cross Type AF System
  • Full HD Video at 60 fps; Electronic IS
  • 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF
  • Native ISO 40000, Expanded to ISO 102400
  • 6.5 fps Shooting; Time-Lapse & HDR Movie
  • Built-In GPS, Bluetooth, & Wi-Fi w/ NFC
  • Dust and Water Resistant; SD Card Slot

You can download the user manual for the new Canon EOS 6D Mark II. Good to learn more about the features of Canon’s new entry-level fullframe DSLR.

Sample pictures shot by DPPreview with a pre-production EOS 6D Mark II are here. An introduction to the EOS 6D Mark II is here. Canon Japan’s sample photos and videos are here.

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Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM in stock & ready to ship

35mm F/2.8 Macro
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At a glance:

  • Standard macro prime designed for APS-C-format Canon DSLRs, this lens offers a 56mm equivalent focal length.
  • One glass-molded aspherical element is featured in the optical design to control spherical aberrations and deliver a high degree of sharpness and clarity.
  • Maximum 1:1 magnification and a minimum focusing distance of 5.1″ permits making life-size imagery of close-up subjects.
  • Built-in front-facing Macro Lite LED can be used to produce additional illumination to subjects when working at close distances. The light can be configured to illuminate only the right or left side, or both sides, and the brightness can be adjusted in order to produce greater visual depth and reduce shadows caused by the close proximity of the lens to the subject.
  • Hybrid IS image stabilization minimizes the appearance of camera shake for sharper imagery when shooting handheld.
  • Lead-screw-type STM stepping motor offers fast, quiet, smooth, and accurate autofocus performance that is ideal for video recording as well as still shooting.
  • Full-time manual focus mode (AF+MF) lets you instantly switch to manual focus control in AF mode for making fine-tuned adjustments.
  • Rounded seven-blade diaphragm and bright f/2.8 maximum aperture help to render smooth and pleasing bokeh to benefit shallow depth of field imagery.

The Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM is in stock at various retailers for $349: Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon

DPReview posted a set of 68 sample pictures shot with the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM.

Canon’s satellite CE-SAT 1 is building a high-resolution Earth-imaging system using EOS 5D Mark III

CE-SAT 1
CE-SAT 1 (© Canon)

We wrote about Canon’s foray into space before. On June 23, 2017, the CE-SAT 1 (Canon Electric Satellite 1) was launched into orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, southeastern India. It’s since 2014 that Canon puts efforts into space technology, with some unlucky events like the first rocket exploding.

Spaceflight 101 reports, the CE-SAT 1 is

[…] an experiment satellite developed at Canon Electronics Space Technology Laboratory to create a high-resolution Earth-imaging system by combining a Cassegrain telescope with a conventional Canon image sensor found in the firm’s EOS product line.

CE-SAT 1
CE-SAT 1 (© Canon)

The “conventional Canon image sensor” most likely refers to Canon EOS 5D Mark III cameras:

CE-SAT 1 hosts a slightly modified EOS 5D camera detector with 5760 x 3840 pixels, capable of imaging a ground area of 6 by 4 Kilometers at a resolution of around one meter.

The 5760 x 3840 resolution computes to 22MP, the resolution of the EOS 5D Mark III sensor. However, the cameras used to build the high-resolution Earth-imaging system are not stock EOS 5D Mark III. I guess the “slightly modified” means (at least) the sensor has no low-pass filter.

The satellite

[…] has a launch mass around 60 Kilograms and is 50 x 50 x 85 centimeters in size to facilitate the sizeable telescope. The craft uses body-mounted solar cells and a three-axis stabilization system with accurate pointing capability as required by the imaging payload.

CE-SAT 1
CE-SAT 1 (© Canon)

You can read more about the Canon’s satellite at Spaceflight 101. There is also a short technical paper in Japanese.

I’m truly surprised and amazed they can do this uaimg a camera with no 4k ;-)

[via albedomedia.com]

Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Announced

Tamron sp 24-70mm f/2.8

Eventually the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 got oficially announced. The Canon mount version will be available from  September 2, 2017. Pre-order it ($1,199) at Adorama or B&H Photo.

Tamron press release:

Tamron introduces next-generation high-speed 24-70mm F/2.8 zoom lens with advanced features

Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A032)

Versatile new lens delivers ultra-high image quality, image stabilization of 5 stopd and superb performance even in backlit scenes

June 30, 2017, Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Shiro Ajisaka), a leading manufacturer of optics for diverse applications, announces the launch of a new high-speed zoom lens, SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A032), for full-frame DSLR cameras. Model A032 is a fast F/2.8 zoom that achieves top-level image quality. The new Dual MPU (Micro Processing Units) provide rapid autofocusing with improved accuracy and the highest vibration compensation performance of any lens in its class*2 (CIPA level of 5 stops*1). The use of specialized, high quality glass materials (offering greater optical transmittance) for the lens element assures superior color reproduction and greater sharpness, while the application of Tamron’s exclusive nanotechnology-based eBAND Coating substantially curbs the ghosting and flare that are prone to occur in backlit photography, successfully improving the overall optical performance of the lens. Additionally, model A032 provides the added conveniences of protective Fluorine Coating, Moisture-Resistant Construction and a locking lens hood. Photographers can use this new high-speed zoom lens for wide-ranging purposes, including landscape, portrait, news, travel and many others.

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