The story behind the PowerShot G5 X, by the men who made it (CPN interview)

Powershot G5 X
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The Canon Professional Network posted an interview with the engineers who developed the Canon Powershot G5 X.

The launch of the PowerShot G5 X – with its electronic viewfinder (EVF) plus classic DSLR handling in a compact body – was a significant moment for Canon. In an in-depth interview, CPN discovers the technical challenges faced by the PowerShot development team (below) – Takashi Yoshida, Ryuji Fukute, Kenji Ito, Koki Kitaya, Atsushi Fujita and Yoshikazu Sakagami from the Image Communication Products Operations Department and Yoshihiro Miyazawa from the Design Centre. Together they discuss the technical and design challenges they faced when turning concept into reality. Read the review…

The Canon Powershot G5 X sells for $749 (it”s actually $50 off regular price): B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA. Key features:

  • 20.2MP 1″ High-Sensitivity CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 6 Image Processor
  • 4.2x Optical Zoom f/1.8-2.8 Lens
  • 24-100mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • 2.36m-Dot Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Multi-Angle Touchscreen
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC
  • ISO 12800 & 5.9 fps Continuous Shooting
  • Manual Control Dials, Star Shooting Mode

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L Mark II review (not a new world wonder, photozone)

EF 35mm F/1.4L II
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Renowned lens testing site photozone.de felt the pulse of Canon’s new and highly acclaimed EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens. In the conclusion they write (emphasis mine):

The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L II is certainly an improvement over its predecessor but it’s not a new world wonder either. Resolution-wise it is tack sharp in the image center. At f/2-f/2.8 it is pushing the 50mp sensor of Canon EOS 5Ds R to its limits. However, the borders aren’t quite so hot especially at large apertures. To be fair though – at large aperture you don’t tend to require sharp corners anyway and unless you super-size your posters, it’s not that significant. Most users are also using full format cameras with a much lesser resolution. Still, we are seeing the limits of what’s possible today. Read the review…

The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II features Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics, a technology developed by Canon.

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA. Key features:

  • EF Mount L-Series Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4-22
  • Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics
  • Two Aspherical Elements, One UD Element
  • Subwavelength and Fluorine Coatings
  • Ultrasonic Autofocus Motor
  • Full-Time Manual Focus Override
  • Weather-Sealed Design
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM DxOMarked (a tempting lens)

Sigma 20mm F/1.4
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DxOMark posted the lab results of their Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM tests. Needless to say, the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM performance is stellar, and the lens easily beats the Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE as well as the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM. Oh, and the Sigma costs much less than the lenses it beats.

From the conclusion:

Sigma continues to raise the bar with this new addition to their Art series primes. The new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM compares very favorably with the Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/21, even outperforming it when stopped down, and it looks very promising against the relatively new Nikon Nikkor 20mm f1.8G ED.

Canon has yet to upgrade its old EF 20mm f2.8 from the film days, but it offers some excellent zooms that cover 20mm; however, even when stopped down, they lack the edge-to-edge sharpness of the Sigma. Of course, the Sigma is an ultra-high-speed model that’s suited to a variety of subjects, including indoor scenes with low ambient light levels, as well as landscapes, and even architecture […]. At around $899, the Sigma is competitively priced and difficult to ignore. If you’re in the market for a 20mm, this model is definitely worth a closer look.

Sigma 20mm f/1.4

Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM  B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

[via DxOMark]

Cyber Monday Deal: Canon DSLR bundles with 3TB HDD and 32GB card (6D, 7D2, 5D3)

Eos 7d Mark Ii
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B&H Photo has a special deal for Cyber Monday. Three Canon DSLRs bundled with a 3TB hard disk and a Sandisk 32GB memory card. These are not items that you need to add to the purchase, they are already bundled with the cameras. Canon EOS 6D, EOS 7D Mark II and EOS 5D Mark III bundles are on offer.

Click here to get access to all Canon DSLRs bundled with the storage options.

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Cyber Monday deals round-up (EOS 70D with 2 lenses for $700, and more)

eos 70d

New deals for Cyber Monday:

Never miss to check the Canon Direct Store refurbished gear listings, the best steals are hidden there:

Be sure to check out our continously updated Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals page.

Links to retailer’s Black Friday & Cyber Monday pages:

Europe:

Last day to win a Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 lens with Canon Watch and Lockerdome

Canon EF 40mm Canon Rf Lens Rumor
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Canon Watch teamed up with LockerDome to offer you the opportunity to win a brand new Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens. The giveaway ends tomorrow, 12/01/2015.

To join the giveaway you can do one or all of the following: follow Canon Watch on LockerDome, like and follow Canon Watch on Facebook/Twitter, and share Canon Watch on Facebook/Twitter. The giveaway will end in a bit less than a month.

If you are interested, check out the Giveaway here.

LockerDome is an interest based social media platform that allows users to personalize the web. Over 100 million monthly users are interacting on LockerDome and participating in their widgets (contests, quizzes, polls). LockerDome believes the future of digital media is smart, hence effortless customization and content adaption based on users tastes are offered.