CanonWatch

48 Led Ring Flash for Macro-Photography for just $30 (€22)

Frank — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:30:35 +0000

Want a cool accessory for your macro-photography adventures? Then this may be for you. The Neewer LED Macro Ring Light with 48 leds to enlighten your creativity. A ring flash that can be mounted directly on the lens, with three lighting options: full, left side only, right side only, powered by two AA batteries. Output is around 15GN, enough for good macros. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? The flash can also be used for normal shots and comes with different adapters: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, and 67mm. At this price you can’t expect to get a piece of photo-tech that is unbreakable, but for $30 this might be your next übercool accessory, and a bargain too.

I found it in stock and ready to ship in the following shops:

Amazon US (click here)
Amazon Germany, and Austria & Switzerland (click here, this one is a little different: 32 leds)
Amazon France (click here)
Amazon UK (click here)
Amazon Canada (click here)

Specifications:

Weight of Ring Flash Body: 125g
Weight of Control Unit: 60g
Weight of Electricity Charger: 115g
Weight of Step Ring: 100g
Size of Step Rings: 49mm/52mm/55mm/58mm/62mm/67mm
LED Index: Approx. 15GN (all light on)
Coiled Cord Length: Approx. 100cm
Voltage Range: 100-240V/50-60Hz
Electric Power Consumption: Approx. 5w (all light on)
Power Source: AA batteries×2, or DC3V
Working Hours: 1.5 hours with 1.5V alkaline batteries , 1.0 hour with 1.2V rechargeable batteries

[via thedigitalstory]

112 MP B&W Sensor that Captures the Sun and the Stars in one Shot

Frank — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:28:37 +0000

You thought the Leica M Monochrom was the hippest camera you can get? Change your mind. Tucson, Arizona based Spectral Instruments gets the crown for the most amazing camera you can get (better you’re not on a budget). The sensor (part of their 1100 series) showcased in the video above is an 112 megapixel black and white CCD, no Bayer mask nor filter of any type. The sensor has a 95x95mm surface (APC-S: 25.1×16.7mm, 35mm film: 36×24 mm, medium format: 46×36mm). Do you have an idea about how much light such a sensor might capture? A whola lot! The dynamic range is so huge that this sensor can capture the sun and the stars in broad daylight. Spectral Instruments usually makes sensors for camera systems used in laboratory instrumentation or mounted on satellites. Now they want to make a camera for “normal” users. So, if you have some >$100,000 to spend (the cost of the sensor alone), then this is the camera for you. What ever are the $8,000 of the Leica M Monochrom? Nothing but a bargain… Indeed, Spectral Instruments will not build such a camera if they do not get a response strong enough to motivate them. So, it’s up to all of us to make this happen. Spread the voice.

[via gizmodo via fstoppers]

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM Review

Frank — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:24:54 +0000

This is a lens that will probably not appeal to professionals, and I guess a lot of people thinks a lens like the Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM is not good enough for their last generation DSRL bodies (not true indeed, and we all know that it’s the photographer who makes the picture, not the gear). Nevertheless, this is a perfect travel lens. Light weighted (490g/17.3oz), with an 11.1x zoom range (18-200mm, on an APC-S sensor equivalent to 28-320mm), image stabilization, decent build quality, and fair performance. It has an HSM motor driving the zoom. Consider that this lens has a street price of $399 and you have the perfect travel lens. More after the break.

It’s direct competitor from Canon, the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, basically has two features more than the Sigma: larger aperture at 200mm (5.6 vs 6.3 of the Sigma) and full time manual focus override. But it has a price tag of $699, and that’s $300 more than the Sigma. Manual focus override is a good thing, and having one more stop at 200mm isn’t bad either. If you can live without it, then the Sigma might be your choice.

ephotozine published a quick yet comprehensive review of the Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM. The figures of the optical performance are rather good for such a super-zoom lens:

Falloff of illumination towards the corners is reasonably well controlled. At 18mm the corners are 1.49 stops darker than the image centre and at 200mm the corners are 1.3 stops darker. Visually uniform illumination is achieved with the lens stopped down by just over a stop from maximum aperture throughout the zoom range.

Distortion is often a weakness of high ratio zooms like this. Although the 3.45% barrel distortion at 18mm is quite strong, it isn’t all that bad when compared to some similar lenses. Pincushion distortion of 1.61% is present at the telephoto end, which shouldn’t pose too many issues for most. If you require completely straight lines, you’ll be glad to know that the distortion pattern is uniform across the frame throughout the zoom range, which should make correction in image editing software relatively easy to apply.

This will never be the lens that a professional photographer would use for his of hers assignment (but then: who knows), but, as I stated before, I think this is a perfect all-round and travel lens. Good performance, image stabilization, wide zoom range, and more all for $399. ephotozine’s final verdict:

With the price being around £100 less than comparable competition, this lens represents very good value. For a lens of its type, it produces images with decent sharpness throughout the zoom range, plus it is lightweight and well built.

If you’re on the hunt for a convenient super-zoom, this lens may well be worth consideration due to its good performance for the price.

The lens should be available at all major shops (it was released 2011): Amazon, Adorama, B&H, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay

Check also the live-ticker below to see if there are some cool Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM deals out there

New Rebel T4i/EOS 650D Specs Leaked

Frank — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:17:36 +0000

canonrumors reports the latest Rebel T4i/EOS 650D rumor. The specifications that may have leaked are:

18mp (no word on whether or not its a new or modified 18mp sensor)
9 AF Points, all cross-type
Touchscreen LCD
Continuous AF in LiveView & Video Recording
June Announcement

Well, two weeks to June! I am less excited for the new Rebel than for the hopefully great mirrorless interchangeable lenses camera that Canon is said to announce in June.

Sigma Lenses & Lexar Card Deals, and WFT-E7A Wireless File Transmitter in stock at B&H

Frank — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:00:03 +0000

B&H has a cool Sigma lenses deal with savings up to $200. Click here, then choose the mount type you need (Canon, of course!), and get your lens. On the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS Macro Lens (click here) the saving is $200. But: the deal expires 5/31, so hurry up.

Next, there is a memory card deal. The Lexar 8GB SDHC Platinum II Class 6 for just $6.99 (click here), but there is a very limited supply at this price. This deal may last just a few hours.

Finally, B&H has the new Canon WFT-E7A Wireless File Transmitter as new arrival in stock for $849 (click here).

CCD technology explained (video)

Frank — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:58:08 +0000

Have you ever wondered how those CCD sensors work? What’s behind the science that captures light and outputs all these nice pics you are shooting? We all know that having a larger sensor is usually a pretty good thing, but how exactly is a sensor working? Well, there is one thing you can take for granted: there’s a lot of sophisticated work to do. And Bill Hammack (The Engineer Guy) is here to help us understand. Enjoy the video!

[via engadget]

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD Review

Frank — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:23:09 +0000

Update: the following shops have the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 VC USD in stock and ready to ship (world-wide availability check at the end of the post):

B&H ($1,299, click here)
Adorama ($1,299, click here)
Amazon US ($1,299, click here)
Amazon Germany (€1,102,00 click here)
Amazon France (€1,134.88, click here)

ephotozine just reviewed the eagerly awaited Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 VC USD lens. It’s an interesting lens: it covers a popular zoom range and has a constant 2.8 aperture. It weights 825g (29.1 ox) and has an 82mm filter mount. Closest focusing distance is 0.38m (15.0 in). Having a price tag of $1,299 it’s cheaper than Canon’s equivalent EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, which sells at $1,599 and does not have image stabilization (called vibration compensation in the Tamron galaxy). Build quality is rather good: High quality plastics have been used for much of the lens barrel’s construction and the wide rubberised zoom ring is well enough damped to prevent lens creep. Generally speaking, the performance of this lens is very good. Some excerpts from the review:

focusing is reasonably quick and very accurate
with care, sharp images are possible hand-held at shutter speeds as low as 1/10sec at 70mm
at maximum aperture and 24mm, sharpness in the center is [...] approaching excellent levels and the clarity towards the edges of the frame is good
distortion is very well controlled throughout the zoom range
there were very few issues with flare and ghosting, even when shooting into the light
effective Vibration Compensation system
good value & build quality
moisture resistant construction
low distortion

High resolution test files can be downloaded here. See here for a comparison between the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 VC USD and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. Specifications:

Construction	12 Groups/ 17 Elements
Angle of view	84°04′ -34°21′ (for full frame 35mm format cameras) 60°20′ -22°33′ (for APS-C format cameras)
Maximum Aperture	F/2.8
Minimum Aperture	F/22
Closest Focusing Distance	0.38m (15.0 in)
Maximum Magnification	1:5 (at f=70mm: MFD 0.38m)
No. of Diaphragm Blades	9 (rounded diaphragm)
Filter Size	82mm
Dimensions (Length x Diameter)	4.3″ x 3.5″ (108.5 x 88.2mm)
Weight	29.1 ox / 825g

World-wide availability and price check for the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD:

Australia: Amazon, Adorama, B&H, Digitalrev, eBay.au
Austria: Amazon.at, DigitalRev, Pixmania.at, eBay.at
Belgium: Amazon UK, Pixmania.be, DigitalRev, eBay.be
Canada: Amazon.ca, pixmania canada, DigitalRev, Adorama, B&H, eBay.ca
China: Amazon.cn, Digitalrev, eBay
Denmark: Pixmania.dk, DigitalRev, eBay
Finland: Pixmania.fi, DigitalRev, eBay
France: Amazon.fr, DigitalRev, Pixmania.fr, eBay.fr
Germany: Amazon.de, DigitalRev, Pixmania.de, eBay.de
Hong Kong: Amazon, Adorama, Digitalrev, B&H, eBay
Ireland: Amazon.uk, DigitalRev, eBay.ie
Italy: Amazon.it, Pixmania.it, DigitalRev, eBay.it
Japan: Amazon.jp, Rakuten, DigitalRev, eBay
Netherlands: Pixmania.nl, DigitalRev, eBay.nl
Norway: DigitalRev, Pixmania.no, eBay
Poland: Pixmania.pl, DigitalRev, Redcoon.pl, eBay
Singapore: Digitalrev, B&H, eBay
Spain: Amazon.es, DigitalRev, Redcoon.es, Pixmania.es, eBay.es
Suisse: Amazon.de, DigitalRev, Pixmania.ch, eBay.ch
Sweden: Pixmania.se, DigitalRev, eBay
United Kingdom: Amazon.uk, Jessops, Warehouseexpress, DigitalRev, Pixmania.uk, eBay.uk
USA: Amazon, Adorama, B&H, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay

Fashion Shots – Mused by EOS 5D Mark III

Frank — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:51:10 +0000

Just a quick post to point you to the work of my friend Mike Kobal. These are summer fashion shots done using a EOS 5D Mark III with the kit lens. If you want to see more pics taken with a 5D Mark III (and uploaded to Flickr) have a look here.

EOS 5D Mark III availability and price check for your country: Amazon, Adorama, B&H, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay.

World-wide EOS 5D Mark III availability and price check:

Rumor: Two new Canon Cameras in June? (T4i/650D & mirrorless)

Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:24:35 +0000

www.davidriesenberg.com

The rumors I reported about in the last weeks are getting more consistent. A few days ago CanonWatch broke the news about a possible announcement at the end of May or beginning of June of a mirrorless system camera. Now more information about such an announcement seem to have leaked. What can we expect Canon to announce in June? The Rebel T4i/EOS 650D and a mirrorless system camera. Both were expected for Photokina in September. Now it looks like they are around the corner. In September we will probably see a new EOS 7D and a second mirrorless camera. Stay tuned!

Update: these are the rumored specs of the next EOS 7D:

26MP
Advanced AF system like the 5D Mark III
Digic V
10-12 fps
3.2 inch OLED screen
Wireless flash control E-TTL III

For the time being, the PowerShot G1 X is Canon’s only attempt to jump on the mirrorless bandwagon. It’s a wonderful camera with an outstanding lens, but it’s a fixed lens. And that’s not what most of us were expecting. So, let’s wait what will happen in June!

In the meantime, check the latest PowerShot G1 X pictures upload to Flickr.

[via CR]

Samyang Lenses for Canon In Stock at B&H

Frank — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:23:40 +0000

B&H has four Samyang lenses with Canon mount in stock and ready to ship. These are mechanical things: no AF nor camera controlled aperture, but very good build quality at a decent price. All listed lenses are compatible with the APC-S format. The following lenses are available:

Samyang 14mm Ultra Wide-Angle f/2.8 IF ED UMC for $399.00 (click here). Core specs (review):
- Ultra Wide-Angle 14mm Lens
- Compatible With Full Frame Cameras
- Compatible With APS-C Cameras
- Hybrid Aspherical Lenses — Sharp Images
- Multi-Layer Coating to Reduce Flare
- Manual Focus Lens
- Built-In Petal-Type Lens Hood

Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical Lens at $299.00 (click here). Core specifications (review):
- Telephoto Portrait Lens
- Designed For Full-Frame Cameras
- Manual Focus
- Minimum Focusing Distance of 3.3′
- Hybrid Aspherical Lense — Sharp Images
- Multi-Layer Coating to Reduce Flare

Samyang 8mm Ultra Wide Angle f/3.5 Fisheye Lens at $299.00 (click here). Core specifications (review):
- Ultra Wide-Angle 8mm Fisheye Lens
- For APS-C Size Image Formats
- Hybrid Aspherical Lenses — Sharp Images
- Multi-Layer Coating to Reduce Flare
- Minimum Focusing Distance of 12″
- Built-In Petal-Type Lens Hood

Samyang 35mm f/1.4 WIDE ANGLE UMC lens at $499.00 (click here). Core specifications (review):
- 12 elements in 10 groups inc. 1x aspherical & 2 HR elements
- 8 blades
- 0.3m min. focus distance
- 111x83mm
- 77mm filter size
- petal-shaped lens hood, bayonet mount