Deal: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Kit For $2200 (EF 24-105mm, Pro9000 Mark II And More Stuff)

Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm, Pro9000 Mark II And More Stuff For $2.200

There is a very interesting sale going on at B&H: Get the Canon EOS 5D Mark II kit for $2.200 with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II printer and more stuff (after additional mail-in rebate of $400). The kit includes:

  • Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera
  • Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AF Lens
  • Lowepro Rezo 170 AW Camera Shoulder Bag
  • Vello FreeWave Plus Wireless Remote Shutter Release – 2.4GHz (for Canon)
  • Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II Inkjet Printer
  • Canon Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss 13 x 19″ (50 Sheets)

The kit is listed with a price tag of $2,599 but there are additional rebates to top on. After the mail-in rebate of $400 the kit comes for $2,199 (click here). The offer lasts until December 31st, but it will probably be over much earlier (limited quantity).

In order to start you off right with professional level equipment, B&H Photo has created this EOS 5D Mark II DSLR with 24-105mm f/4L IS Lens and Pro9000 Mark II Printer Kit which also includes a wireless remote, semi-gloss photo paper, and camera bag to store and carry your gear. The EOS 5D Mark II DSLR camera improves upon the previous EOS 5D model with an increased resolution of 21.1MP and the addition of Live View to preview your shots on the 3.0″ 920K-dot LCD display, or shoot Full HD 1080p video with stereo sound. You can also use the included remote to shoot hands-free for self-portraits or vibration sensitive images.

Chris Gampat over at The Phoblographer wrote an interesting post about why he is still sticking with the Mk II.

Photographer Hacks An EOS 5D Mark II To Mount Leica Lenses

Image credit: Robert Benson

Robert Benson, a photographer based in S. Diego, wanted to use his Leica Noctilux 50mm f/1 (around $6,500, ) lens. But he didn’t have a Leica for that purpose, so he decided to modify a Canon EOS 5D Mark III to mount Leica Lenses.

I modify 5dmk2 cameras and turn them into Leicas. But why? Here’s a little background: I have this $6500 exotic Noctilux 50mm f1 Leica lens, and didn’t have a camera to put it on. Couldn’t afford the M9 at the time, and wasn’t sure I wanted to afford it, so I decided to cut into a Canon 5dmk2 and modify it to accept Leica M lenses; all of them. I can do this modification for you.

He describes the procedure (isn’t that easy). R. Benson is doing this modification on your EOS 5D Mark II bodies if you want. He does everything (including getting an EOS 5D Mark II) for $2950

The modification isn’t easy; nearly impossible for the average person to do it. For modifications, the camera is completely dissasembled and the mirrorbox is stripped of its components and removed. The mirrorbox is then machined by a precision machinist – 30 years experience with hyper-minute detail – to the correct flange distance for Leica, 27.8mm.

The mirrorbox is reinforced with a two-part plexiglass frame. It is further reinforced with a 3mm thick piece of steel which serves as the lens mount. As a result, the mirrorbox is more durable than when it came out of the camera, and strong enough to hold even the weirdest, heaviest rangefinder lenses out there, from which there are hundreds. Everything is put back together by a factory trained camera technician.

Are you wondering which Leica lenses you can mount on the hacked EOS 5D Mark II?

It is custom modified to accept Leica rangefinder lenses and their equivalents. The camera has a 42mm or 39mm threaded mount – lenses – like all leica screwmount lenses, mount to the camera. If you want to use a bayonet M mount, you just use a screwmount flange, which I send with the modified camera. This goes in place of the bayonet mount on your lens(s).

There are sample images for you to check.

Image credit: Robert Benson
[Robert Benson via PetaPixel]

Canon EOS 6D DSLR Reviews And Comparisons Round-Up (and videos)

Canon EOS 6D DSLR

The upcoming Canon EOS 6D DSLR (click here for specs) is the company’s first DSLR to have built-in WiFi and GPS. It is also the lightest (680g) full-frame DSLR in its category. It has a 20 MP sensor, an 11-point AF system, offers High Dynamic Range processing in the camera, the silent shutter mode of the [shoplink 7373 ebay]EOS 5D Mark III (on sale for $3,093.33, click here)[/shoplink], DIGIC 5+ image processor, ISO up to 102400, and more. And it is an “entry-level” full-frame DSLR. With a price tag of $2100 it’s the cheapest full-frame DSLR you can buy new in 2012. Update: It turned out the the Nikon D600 is $3 cheaper (at least here) than the EOS 6D (thanks to reader EL for the information).

Canon EOS 6D DSLR specs:

  • 20.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • 3.0″ Clear View High Resolution LCD
  • DIGIC 5+ Image Processor
  • Built-In Wi-Fi and GPS Connectivity
  • Full HD 1080p with Manual Controls
  • 11-Point AF with Center Cross-Type Point
  • 63-Zone Dual Layer Metering Sensor
  • Extended ISO Range of 50-102400
  • Up to 4.5 Full Resolution FPS
  • Built-In HDR and Multiple Exposure Modes

The Canon EOS 6D DSLR can be preordered at the following shops:

Canon clearly had a precise category in mind when designing the Canon EOS 6D DSLR: photographers who need a professional tool with high image quality and want (or have) to share their pictures in a fast and easy way (e.g. bloggers, social sharing, photojournalists who need to upload pics). The WiFi and GPS (adds geographic and UTC time information to EXIF data) options of the Canon EOS 6D DSLR come handy for users who need connectivity to transfer pictures, either on the Internet or on another device, and are a welcome feature in a DSLR made by a company known for its conservative approach. The direct competitor, Nikon’s D600 (click here for specs), doesn’t have built-in WiFi and GPS. The Wi-Fi feature of the Canon EOS 6D DSLR can be used in combination with a smartphone (or tablet) that operates as a wireless remote control. Canon’s EOS free remote app can take control of live view and exposure , and is available both for the iOS and Android platform. Another thing is worth to be mentioned: the Canon 5D Mark II saw a concrete price drop since the announcement of the Canon EOS 6D DSLR.

So, the question raises: how does the Canon EOS 6D DSLR compare to other full-frame DSLRs? While we are waiting for a production model of the Canon EOS 6D DSLR, comparisons can only be made on the basis of specifications and analysis. The most comprehensive comparison (thanks to the reader who posted the link in a comment) between the Canon EOS 6D DSLR and the Nikon D600 DSLR I saw so far comes from digitalreviewcanada. Their exhaustive comparison goes into every detail (and I mean every). About the Canon EOS 6D DSLR they say:

It is interesting to see that Canon has chosen to take a different approach and rather than delivering higher end features, speed and performance, has designed the full frame Canon EOS 6D to excel as a low light / high ISO performer, and to cater to bloggers and the active social networking type by incorporating practical features like built-in Wi-Fi transfer and GPS tagging functionality.

photographytalk previews the Canon EOS 6D DSLR, discusses its features, and compares the camera with other Canon DSLRs and Nikon’s D600. About the EOS 6D they write:

Engineering a smaller and lighter full-frame DSLR to appeal to a wider market does limit the configuration of the points in the AF system. The 6D has 11 points and only the central point is cross-type. On the EOS 6D, they must be placed within a smaller area at the center of the frame. Nonetheless, the 6D will shoot in low-light conditions better than the 5D Mark III, -3EV compared to -2EV, respectively. This greater low-light capability compensates quite a bit for the AF points limitations. Another nice AF functionality is precise adjustment of the AF, as found in the 5D Mark III.

More about the Canon EOS 6D DSLR and the Nikon D600 in the following video (13min).

A lot of people is questioning which Canon full-frame DSLR to get. The next video tries to give an answer.

Jeff Lynch made a quick specifications-based comparison with the EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 5D Mark II. Useful if you want to have an overview on how these DSLRs compare.


Canon EF 50mm f/1L – A Rare Lens With An Amazing Bokeh

Canon’s EF 50mm f/1L

Before Canon made the EF 50mm f 1.2L, the Canon EF 50mm f/1L, now a discontinued lens, was the fastest in the company’s line-up. It might be difficult to find one nowadays, and if you do expect to pay it up to three times the price it had. Citing from Wikipedia:

The discontinued Canon EF 50mm f/1L USM is a professional L series autofocus lens. On the used market sells for as much as double the original retail value. It was the fastest SLR lens in production during its lifetime. This lens has a metal body and mount, and plastic extremities. It also features a wide rubber focus ring that is damped, a distance window with infrared index, and the ability to set the focus range from 0.6m to infinity, or 1m to infinity. In common with the EF 85mm f/1.2L USM it uses an electronic “focus by wire” system and requires power from the camera in order to manual focus. The 8-blade diaphragm and maximum aperture of f/1.0 give this lens the ability to create extremely shallow depth of field effects and to support low light situations. The optical construction of this lens contains 11 lens elements, including two ground and polished aspherical lens elements. This lens uses a floating front extension focusing system, powered by a ring-type USM motor. The front of the lens does not rotate, but does extend when focusing.

Despite its price and large maximum aperture, the 1.0L was not a particularly sharp lens at any aperture, and the two cheaper 50mm options offered far better sharpness when stopped down beyond about f/2.8. This, combined with the high production cost and low sales volume, led to it being discontinued in 2000 and eventually superseded by the f/1.2 edition.

Bryan Soderlind has a Canon EF 50mm f/1L (he payed more than $3000) and shares images and thoughts with us.

In an attempt to really get excited about switching to digital, I went “all the way” on my 50mm lens purchase. I bought the most expensive and rare 50mm Canon lens, the Canon EF 50mm f/1L. Previously I had used the 50mm 1.4 and 1.2 and couldn’t really differentiate between the two, they both were really amazing lenses.

Interviewed by PetaPixel, he said:

The Canon EF 50mm f/1L lens is a rare, discontinued, and expensive lens Canon only made for a few years. The lens is made to shine at lower apertures and the look you get at 1.0 is like no other lens made. There is somewhat of a frustrating learning curve when using the lens at 1.0, getting anything in focus takes practice.

Strong backlighting tends to give a very wild unique flare and certain light sources produce a rainbow effect I haven’t seen produced by any other lenses. The lens really isn’t any better than other 50mm Canon lenses I’ve used once you stop down past 2.8, this lens was made for the wider apertures.

There is also a heavy vignette at wide open apertures, this could be seen as a positive or negative depending on your preference. The price and the ability to find the lens is a definite deterrent, but for me it was well worth it.

On Bryan’s page there are lots of sample pics shot using an EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 5D Mark III with the Canon EF 50mm f/1L.

Available Canon 50mm lenses:

EF 50mm f 1.2L USM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA EF 50mm f 1.4 USM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA EF 50mm f/1.8 price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

[Bryan Soderling via PetaPixel]

[Deal] Canon EOS 5D Mark II Down To $1799 On Major Shops, Down To $2499 With 24-105L

After yesterdays rumor about an imminent price drop for the EOS 5D Mark II and tomorrows news that Canon will extend the special rebates on DSLRs and lenses, things are getting a little confusing. However, the 5D Mark II is down to $1799 on Amazon (click here), Adorama (click here) and B&H (click here). The same instant rebates are available for the 5D2 kit with the 24-105L lens which is $2499 $2599 on Adorama (click here) and Amazon (click here), and even lower  $2499 at B&H (click here).

While not being a last generation full-frame DSLR, the EOS 5D Mark II is still an excellent professional photographic tool.

  • 21.1 Megapixel Full-Frame Sensor
  • 3.0″ High Resolution LCD Display
  • Live View Mode
  • 1080p Movie Mode
  • Dust & Weather-Resistant
  • Self Cleaning Sensor
  • Broad ISO Range (50-25600)
  • 3.9 fps Burst Mode
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