Here Is The Canon PowerShot Zoom, Company’s First-Ever, Compact Telephoto Monocular

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Canon released the PowerShot Zoom, a compact telephoto monocular (camera). Looks like a cool gadget.

Preorders for the Canon PowerShot Zoom are live and start at $299 at B&H Photo | Adorama

[shoplist 64122]

Press release:

Canon Deputs The Company’s First-Ever, Compact Telephoto Monocular, The PowerShot ZOOM

MELVILLE, NY, October 14, 2020 – Hiking, birdwatching and nature gazing, consumers are embracing the beauty of the outdoors this season and beyond. With this in mind, it is important to have a convenient and intuitive imaging tool to explore the world. Developed to showcase an impressive telephoto reach in a user friendly, compact design, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today launches the PowerShot ZOOM, the company’s first telephoto monocular.

The lightweight telephoto monocular sports 100mm, 400mm and 800mm telephoto viewing capability1 with a one-touch switch, and is equipped with impressive instant zoom capability to help users view distant subjects. Additionally, the monocular can capture images and videos to a micro SD card, and by pairing it with a compatible smart device2 and the Canon Camera Connect app3, these files can easily be downloaded. This pairing feature transforms the PowerShot ZOOM monocular into a friendly companion to compatible smartphones for viewing and capturing super-telephoto scenes.

“In today’s ever-changing world, consumers are looking for intuitive and portable imaging tools to view telephoto scenes up close and with ease,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of the Imaging Technologies & Communications Group of Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Built for those users who enjoy outdoor activities, the PowerShot ZOOM monocular delivers a small, compact viewer with a long focal length. We are eager to see how consumers use this tool and the convenience it will add to their daily lives.”

In addition to its zoom capability, compact size and ability to pair with compatible smartphones, the PowerShot ZOOM telephoto monocular also features:

  • Auto focus when viewing through the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and recording images and video with face tracking
  • Optical Image Stabilization for shake correction
  • 0.39 inches, 2.36 million dots EVF
  • 12-megapixel still-image capture
  • Full HD video capture up to 30p (29.97)
  • Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® connection with the Canon Camera Connect app and use of compatible mobile devices2
  • Live view and download of photos and videos with the use of the Canon Camera Connect app3
  • USB C terminal for charging and supplying power
  • Micro SD memory card slot

​​​Price & Availability
​​​​​​​Available in white, the Canon PowerShot ZOOM compact telephoto monocular is scheduled to be available in late November 2020 for an estimated retail price of $299.99*. For more information, please visit usa.canon.com.

Canon Engineers Explain Why They Made The RF 800mm & 600mm Lenses (inspired by 1960’s 1000mm f/11)

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In an interview, Canon engineers tell how it came Canon made the RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 lenses. And what inspired them.

In an interview with DC Watch, Canon engineers tell the reasons and challenges in designing the RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 lenses. It seems, a boyhood experience of one of the engineers was one of the reasons (machine translated):

Iezuka: I’m sorry about my boyhood story. At that time, I wanted to take a picture of a wild bird, Little Egret, but I couldn’t buy a super-telephoto lens because it was too expensive. I tried to make a telephoto lens with a close-up lens with a focal length of 400 mm, but it didn’t look good, and I wondered why it didn’t look so good.

I knew that there were many people who gave up what they wanted to shoot and the expressions they wanted to shoot because they couldn’t buy a super-telephoto lens and couldn’t carry it because it was big and heavy.

Canon already made a similar lens in 1960, the R 1000mm f/11:

Looking back, Canon’s first SLR camera system, the R mount (1959-), also had a “slender” super-telephoto lens like the 600mm / 800mm F11. The optical system is as simple as a telescope, the focusing is bellows, and the weight is as light as 2 kg.

The Canon R 1000 f/11

Why f/11?

Iezuka: Since the EOS R system can measure distances up to the maximum aperture of F22, I thought that the F value of the lens alone would be F11, considering the installation of a 2x extender. With F8, the lens becomes thicker, and with F16, it exceeds F22 when the 2x extender is attached. Around this time, the idea of ​​”Why don’t you eliminate the aperture unit for F11?”

I understood that there is a need to reduce the shutter speed further from F11 when considering panning at super telephoto, but control of the depth of field is less important at super telephoto, and it is low. The aperture unit was not installed because it leads to cost reduction and weight reduction.

Be sure to read the whole interview at DC Watch. More Canon RF 800mm and RF 600mm coverage is listed here.

Canon RF 600mm f/11 [shoplist 62748]

Canon RF 800mm f/11 [shoplist 62749]

Canon Explorers of Light Program Gets Five New Photographers

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Canon’s Explorers of Light Program saw the addition of five new photographers: Lara Jade, Lynsey Weatherspoon, Kahran & Regis Bethencourt (CreativeSoul), and Atiba Jefferson.

Canon press release:

Five New Photographers Added to Famed Canon Explorers of Light Program

MELVILLE, NY, October 1, 2020 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the addition of five photographers to its famed Explorers of Light (EOL) program. Lara Jade, Lynsey Weatherspoon, Kahran & Regis Bethencourt (CreativeSoul), and Atiba Jefferson will join 33 other photographers in the program. Each photographer brings their own refreshing blend of art and creativity by capturing life and culture from perspectives that are uniquely their own.

For more than 25 years, members of Canon’s EOL program have shared their knowledge and vision with the photographic community and consumers alike. Whether it is photojournalism, fashion, outdoor and nature, sports, or portraiture, their collective visions have given us unique perspectives of the world and helped hone the skills of professional photographers and enthusiasts through a series of educational initiatives within the program. As photography has evolved over time, so too has Canon’s EOL program, embracing new talent with new perspectives while honoring the masters before them with the exclusive title of Canon Legend.

“We are pleased and proud to welcome these talented photographers to Canon’s iconic Explorers of Light program,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of the Canon U.S.A., Inc., Imaging Technologies & Communications Group. “The Canon EOL program is a platform for some of the most successful and influential photographers to showcase their vision, knowledge, and know-how through a variety of educational initiatives. As new generations of creatives use photography to explore new perspectives on the world, Canon will continue to provide the support needed to tell their stories.”

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Canon Enters Guinness World Records By Printing World’s Longest Digital Photo

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Canon entered the Guinness World Records book with the world’s longest digital photo print.

The printed photo is 109 meters (309.7 foot) long and was printed with an imagePROGRAF PRO-6100 printer. The photo was printed during the “Oberstdorfer Fotogipfel” event in Germany. Weather resistant paper from Ilford was employed, along with just 1,37 liters of ink.

Canon Germany issued a press release, here it is machine translated:

NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ RECORD 09/26/2020: CANON PRINT LONGEST DIGITAL PHOTO IN THE WORLD

September 28, 2020. It’s official: Canon is GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ record holder (09/26/2020). Canon has officially set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ record on the Schattenbergschanze, where the best ski jumpers in the world hunt for records during the Four Hills Tournament. Despite the adverse weather conditions, with temperatures close to freezing point, continuous rain and the first snowflakes this year, Canon managed to print the longest digitally printed photo in the world in front of the jury on Saturday afternoon. The printing process took almost 16 hours and reached the incredible length of 109.04 meters. Canon supported the campaign with a comprehensive donation program, with a total of 5,000 euros for “Look!” eV, a regional association for aid to children and victims.

Canon is the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ record holder

On September 26th, the historical Schattenbergschanze in Oberstdorf sees a world record of a special kind: Canon succeeded with the imagePROGRAF PRO-6100Large format photo printer to produce the longest continuous digital photo print in the world. For this purpose, the printer was placed at the highest point of the ski jump and continuously supplied with special paper from the manufacturer Ilford via a roll so that the pressure could slowly slide down towards the valley. A collage of landscape images, photos of citizens and famous personalities from Oberstdorf as well as sports and historical photos was printed. Under the watchful eye of the official record judges, media representatives and the Vice President of the German Bundestag and patron of the Oberstdorf Photo Summit Claudia Roth, Canon has achieved a total length of 109.04 meters and an ink consumption of only 1,37 liters officially received the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ record for the longest digitally printed photo in the world.

Image © Jochen Kohl – K2 Studio, Schattenbergschanze Oberstdorf: Canon prints the longest digital photo in the world

After Canon had set the world record and the longest digitally printed photo in the world covered the Schattenbergschanze in Oberstdorf, Claudia Roth, Vice President of the German Bundestag, congratulated everyone involved.

Every photo for a good cause

The commitment at the eighth Oberstdorf Photo Summit consisted of expert advice at the stand, touch & try options and professional sensor cleaning for your own Canon camera and could be noticed by the visitors. In addition, the record print was divided into its individual motifs, which could be auctioned online. The income generated from this also goes to the non-profit children’s and victims’ aid association.

“The eighth Oberstdorf Photo Summit was a complete success for Canon,” said Markus Koch, European Document Solutions Group Director at Canon Germany. “We are particularly pleased to do something good with pictures and our products in accordance with our principle, to support the“ Schaut hin! ”EV association with a donation of 5,000 euros. We would therefore like to thank everyone who supported the fundraising campaign, those responsible for the eighth Oberstdorf Photo Summit, the Ilford company for the weatherproof paper, and the Oberstdorf municipality, which provided us with the impressive backdrop for our longest photo print in the world.

More information about the photo summit and the entire event program is also available at: www.fotogipfel-oberstdorf.de

Canon Bought A Fujitsu FX1000 Supercomputer To Speed Up Product Development

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Canon got themselves a Fujitsu FX1000 Supercomputer System.

Press release:

Fujitsu to Deliver New FX1000 Supercomputer System for Canon

TOKYO, Sept. 22, 2020 — Fujitsu Limited today announced that it has received an order for a new supercomputer system from Canon Inc.

The system consists of a Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000 unit, which harnesses top-class technology from the world’s fastest supercomputer, Fugaku, which was jointly developed by RIKEN and Fujitsu. The new supercomputer will achieve an expected theoretical computational performance of 648.8 teraflops.

Upon completion, the supercomputer will play a key role in contributing to Canon’s initiative of “no-prototype” product development, delivering enhanced capabilities and scope of applicability of analysis in Canon’s product development process.

This system is planned to begin operations in the first half of 2021.

Background

Canon is promoting a “no-prototype” initiative in the development of its products, such as office multifunction devices and other various types of printers, cameras, and semiconductor lithography equipment. To make this initiative a reality, Canon is leveraging 3D CAD data in analytical simulations to evaluate multiple facets of proposed products, including functionality, as well as ease of manufacturing. In the past, Canon has relied on both a Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX10 system and a Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX100 system.

Now, to take its initiative to the next level, Canon has adopted Fujitsu’s PRIMEHPC FX1000 system, which delivers reliable, high performance computing power, with world-leading energy efficiency.

Overview of the New System

Fujitsu’s new system consists of a PRIMEHPC FX1000 with 192 nodes, with an expected theoretical computational performance of 648.8 TFLOPS. Fujitsu will also deploy Fujitsu Server PRIMERGY systems and Fujitsu Storage ETERNUS systems as peripheral devices. As an important part of Canon’s product development cycle, this system will enable larger scale analyses and simulations in impact analysis experiments evaluating damage to or deformation of a potential product when dropped, including simulations with over 100 million elements, a challenge for previous systems to handle. The new system will also support airflow analysis and electromagnetic wave analysis. These benefits will ultimately help to deliver an enhanced product development flow through Canon’s “no-prototype” initiative.

Fujitsu’s technical computing solutions, particularly the PRIMEHPC FX1000, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to streamlining the performance, quality, and functionality of products while reducing product development times and costs for its customers.

Major Components of the New System

Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R 0.71x Speedbooster Explained

EF-EOS R 0.71x
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Here is a short video introducing the new Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R 0.71x, a speedbooster-like adpater to mount EF lenses on RF mount cameras. The Mount Adapter EF-EOS R 0.71x was announced along with the Canon EOS C70.

From Canon:

This adapter converts light transmission from full-frame to Super 35mm image format. It extends the angle of view and optical sensitivity, while seamlessly integrating with the camera’s optical corrections. mount adapter.

In addition to the flanges of the RF mount, four screws securely attach the adapter to the camera. Once mounted, the adapter maintains a similar angle of view of your full frame lenses on the Super 35mm sensor, while boosting the speed of the attached lens by an average of 1-stop. The adapter also carries all EF information through to the RF contacts, so on certain lenses, full DPAF and metadata will be available, working much as they do on a native EF mount.