CanonWatchLog in

DPreview wanted to have a closer look at Canon’s recently introduced Hybrid Auto-Focus system. This AF-system is featured on the Rebel T4i/650D and the EOS M. Does the AF-system improve AF in live view? How well is this technology suited for mirrorless cameras? The videos show how Hybrid AF works (video above), and compares this AF-system both to the conventional phase-detection AF and to the Panasonic DMC-G5 (video below). If you live in Europe you can pre-order the DMC-G5 at Jessops, or find it on ebay. If you live in the US you can pre-order pre-order at B&H and Adorama). Whereveer you are located, you may pre-order at DigitalRev. An EF-S 18-135mm STM was used for the test, this lens has been designed specifically for Canon’s hybrid AF-system.

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.

[via dpreview]

Good deals laying around on eBay. I list only reputable, top rated seller. However, when on eBay use your gut instinct.

eBay Seller Big Value Inc has the EOS 5D Mark III body down to $3,057.54 (click here)!!. The 5D3 with an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AF is sold for $3,903.31 (click here).
Moreover, the EOS 5D Mark II is down to $1,896.71 (click here). The EOS 7D is yours for $1,240.71 (click here). Shipping is free for the US.

B&H has a cool camera bundles deal going on (until September 1st!). The involved cameras are the EOS 60D, the Rebel T3i/600D and the Rebel T3/1100D. You get an instant rebate on the camera (usually $100) and are eligible for more rebates if you bundle the camera with accessories. Look for the “Rebates Available” link under the price.

• All EOS 60D kits (click here) – Possible savings up to $350
• All Rebel T3i/600D kits (click here) – Possible savings up to $250
• All Rebel T3/110D kits (click here) – Possible savings up to $150

Looks like the EOS 1D-X is slowly being stocked at the major shops. Amazon US (click here) has it in stock, and DigitalRev (click here) too. The usual list price is $6,799. The EOS 1D-X can be pre-ordered at Adorama (click here) and B&H (click here). However, I’ve been told by various sources that both Adorama and B&H should have the EOS 1D-X in stock very soon.

Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria – Image credit: Wikipedia Commons

Canon’s Press Release:

Canon U.S.A. And Ron Howard Announce Partnerships With Five Inspirational Directors: Eva Longoria, Jamie Foxx, Biz Stone, Georgina Chapman And James Murphy

Inspired By Consumer Photos, the Five Celebrities Will Go Behind the Camera and Unveil their Films at the “Project Imaginat10n” Film Festival
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 14, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today the first photography-inspired film festival in history, aligning with five influential celebrities from five diverse disciplines who will direct short films under the tutelage of two-time Academy Award^® winner Ron Howard. Eva Longoria, Jamie Foxx, Biz Stone, Georgina Chapman and James Murphy have signed on for year two of Canon’s “Long Live Imagination” campaign and the next endeavor, “Project Imaginat10n,” where consumer photographs will inspire Hollywood films.

In 2011, Ron Howard and Canon U.S.A. invited photographers of all levels to submit their most imaginative photographs based on eight elements of storytelling for an unprecedented user-generated contest, “Project Imagin8ion.” The project set out to prove that photography could be used as a creative vehicle, even inspiring a Ron Howard production. Nearly 100,000 photos later, eight photos were selected and influenced an award-winning short film, “when you find me,” directed by Bryce Dallas Howard.

A new exploration of the creative exercise, “Project Imaginat10n,” kicks off today at imagination.usa.canon.com, where consumers will have the chance to submit photos to be narrowed down by Canon, Ron Howard and community voting. The “10″ in “Imaginat10n,” represents ten storytelling elements and ten films that will ultimately be produced, five of which will be directed by our creative icons to be showcased at a special Canon “Project Imaginat10n” Film Festival in 2013. The other five film directors will be announced at a later date.

Read the rest of this entry →

Conventional approach (left) and patented approach (right)

Egami (machine translated) spotted another patent filed by Canon and related to methods that aim to improve the performance and accuracy of the phase-detection AF. This is the second patent in a few days – the first one can be seen here. Such an AF method is featured on the Rebel T4i/650D and on Canon’s recently announced mirrorless camera, the EOS M. Note that such an AF method is particularly useful on a mirrorless camera, given that such cameras, since they are missing the mirror, can not focus in the “traditional way”.

As far as I can tell, the patent details methods to increase AF performance by eliminating problems caused by the angle of incidence of the light: “[...] reduce the diffraction limit by a high refractive index layer“. Another discussed issue is the reduction of the pixel size (higher resolution??). I am more and more confident that both patents are related to an upcoming sensor which, I guess, will be at the heart of the more pro-oriented mirrorless camera most of us are expecting to be announced in September at Photokina.

• Patent Publication No. 2012-151367
  • 2012.8.9 Release Date
  • 2011.1.20 filing date
• The diameter of the spot light focusing of the micro lens
  • Determined by the numerical aperture and λ the wavelength of the incident light
  • By the wave nature of light, not smaller than the diffraction limit
  • When the pixel size below the diffraction limit, pupil division is impossible
  • ⊿ = 1.22 * (λ / n * sinθ) diffraction limit
  • ※ This angle θ is half the chance of lens optical system was synthesized in the micro-lenses and layers
• Related art
  • There is a light flux can not reach into the openings of the light-shielding layer of the phase difference AF pixel for the image plane, the light-receiving efficiency is reduced
  • Although the distance can be shortened and the photoelectric conversion unit if microlens back-illuminated (BSI), if the pixel consists of a low refractive index layer in the layer lens +, for total internal reflection occurs, can not be expected to increase the angle
• Canon’s patented
  • To reduce the diffraction limit by a high refractive index layer
  • Structure of the pixel
    • Within a layer lens, and light shielding layer formed between the microlens
    • The high refractive index layer, filled between the lens and the light-shielding layer in the layer
    • The low refractive index layer, a light shielding layer filled between the microlens and
    • Optical system consisting of micro-lens and lens in the layer, connecting the focal point in the PD
    • A case
      • Λ = 540nm wavelength of the incident light
      • 1.6 refractive index of the microlens
      • 1.45 refractive index of the low refractive index layer
      • Layer of high refractive index lens and in the layer refractive index n = 2.3 (silica Sio ₂ of the prior art is n = 1.46)

[via egami]