Canon Russia Says There Will Be More DSLRs. Only EOS-1D X Series Gets Discontinued

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Review
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A followup to the a recent report about Canon discontinuing the flagship EOS-1D X Mark III in favour of a mirrorless camera.

The statement about discontinuing the flagship came no less than from Canon’s Chairman and CEO, Fujio Mitarai. This led to speculations that Canon might discontinue all DSLR lineups. Fear not, they won’t.

Russian site PhotoWebExpo contacted Canon Russia for a clarification, and got this response (machine translated, emphasis mine):

Mr. Mitarai commented that the EOS-1DX Mark III will be the last of Canon’s flagship DSLRs as the company focuses on developing mirrorless cameras. This comment is correct. At the same time, some publications interpreted Mitarai’s words as meaning that Canon had officially announced the end of all of its SLR camera lines, however, Mitarai’s words were only about the flagship line of SLR cameras.

In an interview, Mr. Mitarai said, “Market needs are shifting towards mirrorless cameras at an ever-increasing pace. We are recruiting more and more people to follow this trend.” We will continue to bring both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras to the market – a discontinuation date for this model ( EOS-1D X Mark III ) has yet to be determined and will reflect customer needs and market prospects.

Glad to know there will be more Canon DSLRs. But what about the much beloved xxD lineup? Will there be a replacement for the EOS 90D?

[via PR]

Here Is How To Downgrade Firmware On A Canon Camera (if you have to)

Canon Eos R6 Review
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There might be some rare cases forcing you to rollback to an older firmware version on your Canon camera. Here is a quick and dirty trick to do it.

This is not a method endorsed by Canon. It just works and might well not work in the future. You have been warned, proceed at your own discretion.

The video below by KH CAMS shows the procedure. He uses a Canon EOS R6 (with firmware 1.5.0 and 1.4.0) but it should do the trick on many Canon cameras. At a glance it works as follows:

  1. Copy firmware 1.5.0 on one card, copy firmware 1.4.0 on a second card
  2. Insert the card with firmware 1.5.0 into the card slot
  3. Navigate to the firmware update setting in the camera menu
  4. Press “okay”, and as quick as you can open the battery door of the camera
  5. Pull the card with firmware 1.5.0 and insert the card containing firmware 1.4.0
  6. Close the battery door and turn the camera back on
  7. The camera should now automagically do the update by downgrading from firmware 1.5.0 to 1.4.0

And here is the video.

Be aware that hacks like this one always come with an intrinsic risk of damaging your camera. If you feel you have an issue after a firmware update, in most cases it might be more appropriate to wait for the next firmware version instead of rolling back. In the past, when there have been issues with a firmware release, Canon has always been very swift in releasing a fix.

Canon Set To Announce New Cinema Gear On January 19 (is it the EOS R5c?)

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Canon will announce a new Cinema camera on Wednesday, January 19, 2022. We think it might be the rumored Canon EOS R5c.

Rumored Canon EOS R5c specifications:

  • 45mp full-frame sensor (same as EOS R5)
  • DIGIC X
  • IBIS
  • Canon Log 3
  • Canon Log 2 is still being discussed
  • No Internal NDs
  • Unlimited 8K30P recording in Cinema RAW Light. XF-AVC and MP4
  • Timecode in/out
  • The same multipurpose hot shoe as the EOS R3. Which will work with accessories such as the Tascam XLR module.
  • Active cooling
  • 3/8″ or 1/4″ mounting point on the EVF for a top handle that won’t interfere with the hot shoe.
  • Full-size HDMI Port
  • The LCD has been moved further back to accommodate the cooling fan. So this likely means that it won’t recess into the body like the Canon EOS R5.

Canon itself teased the announcement of the Canon EOS R5c with the description “ready for anything”. On Canon Europe’s YouTube channel the announcement is already teased. The announcement is scheduled for Wednesday, 19 January, at 07:00 EST / 12:00 GMT / 23:00 AEST.

The latest Canon Cinema EOS System release is coming and it will be “Ready for Anything.” Prepare yourself and stay tuned for more information on January 19, 2022 at 7 AM EST.

Hosted by Ram Sarup, Pro Video Product Specialist at Canon Europe, attendees will get a first look at this innovative new camera and the opportunity to hear about its ground-breaking new features.

You can subscribe Canon Europe’s YouTube channel here.

Canon Instructs Users How To Overwrite “not genuine” Warning For Own Printer Cartridges

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Remember when we found out that Canon multifunction printers refused to scan when the printer cartridge run out? Pretty lame it was.

Now it seems that the global chip shortage led Canon to produce printer cartridges without the chip which usually identifies them as genuine. What does that mean? Cartridges without the chip are seen as “not genuine”, i.e. as counterfeit, by the printer, and hence Canon now instructs customers on how to override the warnings for using “counterfeit” cartridges. Pretty funny it is.

Canon also made a dedicated site with all the instructions you need to use “counterfeit” cartridges on your multifunction printer (instructions in German are here).

Due to the ongoing global shortage of semiconductor components, Canon is currently experiencing challenges in procuring specific electronic components that are used in our consumable products for our multifunction printers (MFP). These components perform such functions as detecting remaining toner levels.

To ensure you enjoy a continuous and reliable supply of consumables, we have chosen to supply consumable products without the semiconductor component until normal supply resumes.

While there is no negative impact on print quality when using consumables without electronic components, certain ancillary functions, such as the ability to detect toner levels, may be affected.

The video below by Louis Rossmann sums it up neatly.

Well, it seems a bit irony of the destiny that hit Canon here ;-)

canon

Canon Reimagines The Future Of Work With AMLOS (Activate My Line Of Sight)

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More people working from home and Canon wants to make their experience better with AMLOS.

Canon press release:

Canon Reimagines The Future Of Work – Introduces New Single, Simple And Seamless Gesture-Intuitive Hybrid Work Solution, AMLOS (Activate My Line Of Sight)

Being Designed to Work with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Azure, Canon is looking to elevate the future of remote work experience by designing an interactive video software

MELVILLE, NY, January 4, 2022 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today introduces an amazing collaborative work tool that is in development, AMLOS (Activate My Line of Sight)1 a hybrid meeting software solution that can harness the power of Canon’s image processing technology that is being designed to help create an immersive hybrid work experience.

The development of the AMLOS solution stemmed from the challenges faced over the past two years with remote working. Several months into the pandemic, teams at Canon USA began to personally feel some challenges of remote work, like the majority of those in the American office culture. While the convenience factor of working from home benefited people in many ways, after a few months, many Canon USA employees found some hurdles to conducting productive meetings with high engagement over video.

To keep colleagues connected on a deeper level, the solution of AMLOS (Activate My Line of Sight) was born, with the goal of being single, simple and seamless while creating inclusion among members of a hybrid team, uniting them on a virtual and emotional level. The software uses a single camera enabling multiple lines of sight, is simple to operate through intuitive gesture control (for in office members), and provides seamless connectivity with others through Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Azure.2

“We have come to know remote working well over the past two years, and we recognize that hybrid teams need a great way to collaborate. With AMLOS and the use of a single camera, we’re aiming to alleviate the pain points that come with group interaction and are pleased to be working with Microsoft on this endeavor,” said Kazuto “Kevin” Ogawa, president and CEO, Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Experiences like serendipitous interactions, which were lost with remote working, can be restored by the AMLOS solution. A person in an office can launch a meeting with AMLOS using a hand gesture and then send invites to remote colleagues to join them.

Further, instead of remote participants struggling to participate in group conference room meetings virtually, they will be able to drag and drop on their device screen to zoom in on areas that the in room participant focuses on, like text on whiteboards, presenters in the room, and objects on a table, giving them control over what they want to interact with during a meeting. In-office participants can use hand gestures to identify what they want to share with remote users.

The AMLOS software is compatible with Canon’s CR-N300 and CR-N500 PTZ cameras3, which produce incredible 4K and HD image quality, with image-processing power and speed that enables 4K UHD video acquisition, image stabilization and precise Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus. These features can clearly capture detailed visuals, such as writing on a whiteboard.

By utilizing both digital and optical zoom capabilities, the camera can keep the presenter in the room in-focus and onscreen, while the software reacts to gestures given by participants in the room. The software and camera can target an area designated by the in-office user and capture snap shots, bringing a specific point of reference into focus.

The software works with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Azure. Businesses who already use Teams to instant message, video conference and store files, and those who use Azure for cloud services, will have the opportunity to increase productivity by taking advantage of the AMLOS solution’s intuitive, collaborative software.

Canon U.S.A. is currently scheduled to make the AMLOS software available in the first half of 2022. For additional information, please visit usa.canon.com.