Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS Review (the lens is a winner, D. Abbott)

RF 70-200mm F/4L IS Review

Here is a new Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review. The Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS is getting quite popular with people on budget, or simply trying to safe some bucks.

At a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/4 to f/32
  • Four Ultra-Low Dispersion Elements
  • Air Sphere and Fluorine Coatings
  • Dual Nano USM AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Weather-Sealed Construction

Dustin Abbott posted his exhaustive Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review. From his conclusion:

The Canon RF 70-200mm F4L IS USM is a winner.  It is incredibly compact, which opens up a whole new way to use the lens and a whole new market of those who wouldn’t mind the premium optics, build, and autofocus of an L series telephoto, but who were unwilling to deal with the bulk and weight of such a lens.  But Canon also has not compromised on the autofocus or image quality performance of this lens […]

The only area to criticize in this new design is that you have to give up the use of teleconverters, which is unfortunate when one considers that the amazing focus systems of the EOS R bodies (particularly the R5 and R6 at the moment) theoretically should make using TCs more seamless than ever before. This is a lens that must be used solely as the bare lens, though one could enable the 1.6x crop on a camera like the EOS R5 if you wanted more crop in camera.

[…] Autofocus performance is excellent. I really like Canon’s Nano USM tech, as it delivers fast, quiet, smooth, and accurate autofocus results. The image stabilizer is also effective even with a higher megapixel body like my EOS R5. I appreciate the solid image quality as well. But what really sets the RF 70-200 F4L apart is the incredibly compact, lightweight nature of the lens that will allow you to treat it like a 24-105mm F4 lens for transport and storage.

Read Dustin Abbott’s review here…

As usual Dustin’s reviews come with a huge set of sample pictures, comparison charts, and all the information you might want to know. Dustin’s reviews are what I look for when I am about to purchase new gear. And for those who prefer to watch their reviews, Dustin Abbott provides a comprehensive video-review.

For those in a hurry there is also a shorter version of the video review:

More Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review stuff is listed here.

Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS description after the break.

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Industry News: Nikon Announces Development Of Nikon Z 9 Full Frame Flagship MILC

Eos R3 Vs Nikon Z9

Nikon announced the development of their flagship full frame mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z 9.

Nikon press release:

Nikon is developing the Nikon Z 9 full-frame flagship mirrorless camera

TOKYO – Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the development of the first flagship model for which the Nikon Z mount has been adopted: The Nikon Z 9. The full-frame (Nikon FX-format) mirrorless camera is scheduled for release in 2021, and represents a significant leap in technology and performance.

The Z 9 brings together Nikon’s groundbreaking technologies to deliver the best still and video performance in Nikon history, meeting the advanced needs of professionals across a wide range of genres. It utilizes a newly developed FX-format stacked CMOS sensor and new image-processing engine. In response to the growing needs of professionals, advanced enthusiasts and cinematographers, it includes support for 8K video recording as well as various other video specifications that fulfill diverse needs and workflows. The Z 9 embodies ultimate usability as a tool offering users an unprecedented imaging experience, from capture to workflow, exceeding that of previous digital-SLR and mirrorless cameras.

  • *Information regarding the release of this product will be announced at a later date.

Canon Kills Its “Imaging Division”, Creates “Optical Industry” With Additional Products Instead

Canon

Some radical changes undergoing Canon as a whole have been reported at the latest Company Strategy Conference. Thanks to EdinaMN for the tip.

Mr. Fujio Mitarai’s speech at the conference highlights the difficulties Canon has to face as a global company. What Mr. Mitarai outlines is a corporate reorganization plan which defines four new business domains where Canon is going to be active: printing, industrial equipment, medical, and optical industry. Canon calls this process changing from a product group to a industry group business structure (see image on top). In Mr. Mitarai’s words:

The newborn “Optical Industry” involves three main areas, the existing camera business, network cameras, and other optical devices like Canon’s specialized cameras for scientific applications or mixed reality technology.

It’s the third business area in the image above that seems to hold most of Canon’s hopes for the future:

Canon clearly states that the “camera market has contracted significantly due to advances made in smartphone image capture functions” and that the “broader optical industry is a promising growth area for imaging devices that comprise mainly lenses and sensors“. The image below gives ore insights.

canon

All in all, Canon seems to be optimistic about the future. All material related to Canon’s Company Strategic Conference, including Mr. Fujio Mitarai’s speech, can be found here and are available for download.

Industry News: Sony Set To Release a 128MP Imaging Sensor With Global Shutter

Global Shutter

Sony is set to release another innovative imaging sensor, with 128MP resolution and global shutter.

Canon is also rumored to work on an entirely new sensor. Sony, so it seems, will release its imaging sensor before Canon..

Sony press release:

Sony to Release Large Format CMOS Image Sensor with Global Shutter Function and Industry’s Highest Effective Pixel Count of 127.68 Megapixels

Delivering Increased Pixel Count, High-Speed Imaging Performance, and Contributing to Solutions in the Field of Advanced, Diversified Industrial Equipment

Tokyo, Japan — Sony Corporation announced today the upcoming release of a large format 56.73mm diagonal CMOS image sensor “IMX661” for industrial equipment with a global shutter function and the industry’s highest*1 effective pixel count of 127.68 megapixels.*2

This product features an increased pixel count that yields an optical size nearly 10 times larger than the common 1.1-type image sensor corresponded to the C mount*3 for industrial equipment. It also features Sony’s original global shutter pixel technology “Pregius™”, which enables capture of motion distortion-free images. Furthermore, the Sony’s original device configuration and interface technology employed enable high-speed image readout at a data rate nearly four times faster*4 than conventional products.

Sony expects that the new sensor, when used in industrial equipment cameras for a wide variety of applications, will help to solve a variety of complex challenges, thereby contributing to the development of industry.

  • *1Among CMOS image sensors equipped with a global shutter. According to Sony research (as of announcement on March 9, 2021).
  • *2Based on image sensor effective pixel specification method.
  • *3The joining mechanism between lens and the camera body.
  • *4Compared to Sony’s “IMX253” 1.1 type, 12.37 effective megapixels CMOS image sensor equipped with a global shutter function.

Model name Sample: IMX661 3.6 type (56.73 mm diagonal) 127.68-effective-megapixel CMOS image sensor
Shipment date (planned)*5: April 2021(*5 The dates given for sample shipment date (planned) are for the color model. Black and white model samples will be available for shipment approximately one month later.

Needs for automation, labor-saving and other benefits of digital transformation continue to grow in recent years in various fields of industrial equipment. This has accelerated the adoption of cameras for a wide variety of applications, driving demand for CMOS image sensors with higher imaging performance.

The new product couples Sony’s Pregius technology with the 3.6-type (56.73mm diagonal) large optical size, delivering an increased pixel count and motion distortion-free imaging. The original device configuration, which employs a chip-on-wafer process, together with Sony’s original interface technology, enables high-speed readout nearly four times faster than conventional products*4 in full-pixel readout mode. This design delivers highly efficient imaging that captures a wide viewing angle with no motion distortion in a single imaging operation. It also improves recognition precision thanks to the high-resolution imaging and delivers a high level of processing performance. It can contribute to solutions for a variety of industrial equipment applications, for example, inspection processes for production of displays and electronic substrates, wide-area monitoring, and aerial photography, where its improved precision and quicker readout will help meet the need for a high level of productivity.

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Deal: Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art – $949 (reg. $1399, plus SanDisk 1TB, more specials)

Sigma 40mm F/1.4

Today only (03/08/21) B&H Photo DealZone has some rather solid discounts on the Sigma 40mm f/1.4, memory cards, and more stuff.

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 ART at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
  • Three FLD Elements, Three SLD Elements
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Weather-Sealed, Protective Front Coating
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Get the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art on sale at $949. That’s 32% off from $1,399.

Get the SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC Memory Card on sale at $249.99. Compare at $399.99. The $150 discount is applied in cart.

There is much more. Check out B&H Photo Depth of Field specials here.


Hand-picked deals are listed here.

Deal pages:

Refurbished lenses and DSLRs at Canon Store (best deals to be found here)

Save $10 on Luminar 4 and/or Aurora HDR 2019 and/or Luminar AI using our code “WATCH” at checkout.

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Canon EOS R6 Review For Wedding Photography

Canon Eos R6 Review

A new Canon EOS R6 review with focus on wedding photography. Can the EOS R5’s little sibling deliver?

Alex Barrera posted a 13 minutes Canon EOS R6 review where he looks at hoe well the EOS R6 works for wedding photographers. Short yet informative video review. Enjoy.

The EOS R6 sports many features shared with the EOS R5, a class leading autofocus system for instance, and the R6 has an imaging sensor derived not less than from the flagship EOS-1D X Mark III. For more Canon EOS R6 review stuff see here. User manuals are available for download for the EOS R5 and the EOS R6.

EOS R6 at a glance:

  • 20mp Full-frame CMOS sensor
  • Sensor-based image stabilisation (IBIS) – works with any lens
  • 3.69m dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), 0.76x magnification
  • 3.0inch vari-angle touch-screen, 1.62m dots
  • 12 / 20fps continuous shooting (mechanical / electronic)
  • ISO100 to ISO102400, Low ISO50, High ISO204800
  • 6072 autofocus points/positions
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • Face and Eye-AF tracking
  • Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • Dual SD card slots
  • 4K UHD 60/30/25/24fps
  • FullHD High-speed 120/100fps
  • HDR FullHD Video

Canon EOS R6:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

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