Edit: I was referring to the wrong lens, it is a 18-135mm IS STM.

Update: Check sample pics shot with a Rebel T4i/650D and the 18-135 IS STM lens – click here

Great news if you live in the States and can’t wait to get your hands on Canon’s new Rebel, the T4i/650D. B&H has the T4i as a kit with the 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens available for (free) shipping ($1,199.99 click here). Limited quantity, so be quick before others are. Core specs of the T4i/650D:

• STM Lens Support for Quiet AF in Movies
• 18.0MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 5 Image Processor
• 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touch Screen LCD
• ISO 100-12800, Expandable to 25600
• Full HD Movie Mode with Continuous AF
• 5.0 FPS Continuous Shooting
• 9-Point All Cross-Type AF System
• Multi Shot Noise Reduction
• EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

Read the rest of this entry →

I was somewhat wondering that you couldn’t find such bundles out there. Adorama has a kit bundling the Rebel T4i/650D and a New iPad (3th gen) with 32GB and the Apple Camera Connection Kit  for $1,375.95 (click here), that’s $100 off the price you normally would pay for the two items. The New iPad (3) does amazing well for photographers. Beside the awesome Retina display, there are some very cool apps for photographers out there. My favorite for post processing is Snapseed ($4.99), with RAW support and its powerful yet intuitive to use U-point technology. Since I am using Snapseed I fire up Lightroom 4 much less: most of the needed corrections etc can comfortably be made on the iPad. Files are not crunched, nor are there other limiting factors (well, I wouldn’t use the iPad with file sizes over 20MB). Other great apps are Photogene ($2.99) and Photoforge 2 ($2.99). Together with the new Rebel T4i/650D this kit makes a perfect starter for (new) photographers that want to stay light. It’s perfect for traveling, at least it was for me during the three months I spent in SE-Asia last year. And then I had a first gen iPad.

Rebel T4i/650D price check: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay, rent it at Borrow Lenses

Apple iPad 3 price check: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay, rent it at Borrow Lenses

I have to say that I feel I am neglecting the Rebel T4i (EOS 650D in EU, Kiss X6i in JP). I am not part of the “just another Rebel” party, nor do I have an elitist approach to photographic gear. Nevertheless, I didn’t dedicate too much time to the latest Rebel (so far). That’s a shame, because Canon’s last iteration of the Rebel series (the xxxD series in EU) has a lot of advanced and cue-giving tech inside. So much that it should make us curios what it is about. I reported time ago that Canon may sandboxing and testing the technology (i.e. the touchscreen) that could possibly be used for its upcoming mirrorless system camera (expected for July 23). Now, there are more hints that the Rebel T4i/650D sports features and functionalities that would be more than just useful on a mirrorless camera.

Le me start saying that the T4i/650D is Canon’s first DSLR having full-time auto-focus in video mode. To accomplish this, you can use different focusing approaches, such as the contrast-detect method (used in previous Canon DSLR, slow and imprecise) or phase detection sensors in the camera (causes a blackout during live view, when the mirror flips down). But there is a third way to get auto-focus through phase detection: mixing phase detection sensors with pixels on the sensor itself. That’s what the folks at chipworks discovered when they tore down a T4i/650D. The cool thing is that such a technical solution would make up for a fast and reliable AF on a mirrorless camera. The technology is not new and was seen on Nikon’s Aptina sensor sported on the V1 and on the Fuji F300EXR. Differently from Nikon, which uses regular lines to implement the phase detection sensors, Canon uses an irregular pixel pattern. This is not totally new, as Canon two years ago published a patent for such a technology.

What are your thoughts?

Canon patent for phase detection AF

[via photographybay, chipworks]

Big starter kit around a Rebel T4i/EOS 650D/Kiss X6i body.  A huge, 10 items bundle that comes at the price the T4i/650D/X6i body usually comes alone. For $850 by Adorama (click here) you get all of the following items:

• Canon EOS Rebel T4i Body
• 32 GB SD Memory Card
• Camera Bag
• Spare LP-E8 Lithium-Ion Rehargeable Battery
• Cleaning Kit
• Screen Protector
• USB 2.0 Card Reader
• 8GB USB Flash Drive
• Microfiber Cloth
• Memory Wallet Card Holder
• Red Giant Adorama Production Bundle

Want to know more about the Rebel T4i/EOS 650D? Have a look here.

Have a nice weekend.

Right, two product advisories for the Rebel T4i/650D. First advisory concerns a phenomenon where the front rubber grips of some EOS REBEL T4i units produced in certain lots during the sixteen-day period between May 31st through June 15th, 2012 may turn white after a short period of time.

You can use the serial number to check whether your camera is affected by this phenomenon. If the sixth digit of the serial number is “1″ please follow the procedure below. If the sixth digit of the serial number is “2″ or higher, your camera is not affected.

Procedure:
1) Click on the link below to enter your serial number. 
2) Enter the 12-digit serial number (reference the image below) from your camera then click the Submit button
3) One of the following messages will appear.
            ·  “Your camera is NOT affected”   →  No further action is required 
            ·  “Your camera is affected”   →  Please see the Support section below

Click here to enter your serial number

Next, the second advisory: your Rebel T4i might be a little confused sometimes, believing it is a Kiss X6i.

[via CR, IR]

Still unsure if Canon’s new Rebel T4i (EOS 650D in EU, Kiss X6i in JP) is the right camera for you? Maybe some sample pictures might help. DPreview updated its preview of the T4i/650D with studio and real world sample images (click here). The camera’s core specifications:

• 18MP APS-C ‘Hybrid CMOS’ sensor
• Phase detection AF from imaging sensor for Live View and Video
• Continuous autofocus in movie mode with subject tracking
• 14-bit DIGIC 5 processor
• ISO 100-12800 standard, 25600 expanded
• 5 fps continuous shooting
• 9 point AF system, all sensors cross type, central sensor F2.8 (from 60D)
• 63 zone iFCL metering
• 1080p30 video recording, stereo sound with internal or external mics
• 1.04m dot 3:2 touch-sensitive vari-angle ClearView II LCD (capacitative type, multi-touch support)

Btw, Adorama has various Rebel T4i/650D bundles in offer, click here to see them all.

EOS 650D/Rebel T4i/Kiss X6i price check: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, Canon USA, J&R, Digitalrev, eBay, rent it at Borrow Lenses