Is a “Mirrorless War” coming? Someone thinks so

Full Frame Mirrorless
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Kevin Raber of Luminous Landscape introduces us to a possible upcoming “mirrorless war”. Is it going to be Canon and Nikon against the rest of the world?

In his own words:

The Mirrorless War is here. In the coming months, things will get real interesting in the mirrorless camera market as Nikon and Canon throw their hats into the ring. Now every major manufacturer will have a mirrorless offering. It’s the camera of the future.

In his video, Kevin Raber discusses today’s situation of the market, and gives some predictions for the future.

Exciting times are ahead. Nikon already officially stated they are developing a full frame mirrorless camera, and that they will announce it to the world on August 23, 2018 (all Nikon full frame mirrorless rumors).

And Canon? Hard to say since Canon started to be very secretive about their agendas. All Canon full frame mirrorless rumors are listed here.

Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art and 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art get Hot One Awards from Professional Photographer

Sigma 105mm F1.4
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Sigma press release:

Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art and 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lenses Honored with Hot One Awards from Professional Photographer

Two of Sigma’s Art lenses join this year’s buyers’ guide showcasing the year’s best and most innovative technology products for professional photographers

Ronkonkoma, New York — August 1, 2018 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading camera, DSLR lens, flash and accessories manufacturer, today announced that two of its newest Art lenses, the 70mm F2.8 DG Macro ($569; available in Canon, Sigma and Sony E mounts) and 105mm F1.4 DG HSM, the “Bokeh Master” ($1599; available in Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Sony E mounts), have been honored with Professional Photographer 2018 Hot One Awards. The annual Hot One Awards are given to innovative, exciting and inspiring technology products for photographers. Winners will appear in the August issue of Professional Photographer and also in a featured gallery beginning August 1st on the Professional Photographer website.

Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art: B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art: B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

Professional Photographer is the official magazine of Professional Photographers of America, the largest international non-profit association for professional photographers. For more than 100 years, it has worked to help the pros advance their businesses and careers through editorial content that addresses the artistic, technological and business aspects of their work. This year marks the 19th Hot One Awards, and award recipients are more exciting and groundbreaking than ever before.

To see the full list of Hot One Award winners, please visit www.PPmag.com.

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Laowa 24mm f/14 Macro lens Kickstarter Campaign started, pre-orders available

Laowa 24mm F/14
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Venus Optics’ “weirdest but the most genius lens ever for creative shooting”, the Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Macro lens is now on Kickstarter (where you’ll find a huge set of sample images and videos).

The short videos below give you a good idea of what you can do with the Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Macro lens.

Kai already tested the Laowa 24mm f/14 lens:

Press release and more videos after the break.

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Here is the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS with 4K video and 40x zoom, officially announced

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
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Canon PowerShot SX740 HS at a glance:

  • 20.3MP CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 8 Image Processor
  • 24-960mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • 40x Optical Zoom with OIS
  • 3″ Tilting LCD Display
  • ISO 100-3200 (Extended)
  • 4K Video and 4K Time-Lapse Recording
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connectivity
  • 10-fps Continuous Shooting

Canon announced the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, a neat little powerhouse with 4K video, 10fps, a 40x optical zoom, and more bells and whistles. Price is $399.99, availability starting August 2018.

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS can be pre-ordered in two color options:

Long Zoom In A Small Package: Canon Introduces PowerShot SX740 HS Digital Camera

Latest Addition to PowerShot Family Provides a Multitude of Features for Entry-Level Photographers

MELVILLE, N.Y., July 31, 2018 – Whether your family is always on the go, you are an up-and-coming vlogger or you enjoy posting photos to social media, a compact digital camera capable of producing high quality images is a necessity. Today, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, introduced the new PowerShot SX740 HS digital camera boasting a 40x Optical Zoom Lens (equivalent to 24-960mm), a 20.3 Megapixel* CMOS imaging sensor and 4K video capabilities, which is a first in the PowerShot series.

“We remain committed to incorporating the latest technologies and innovations into Canon products that help meet the needs of our customers,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “As we continue to grow the popular PowerShot SX-series, we are excited to offer more imaging solutions that encourage visual storytelling.”

Featuring a DIGIC 8 Image Processor, dual-sensing image stabilization, automatic image transfer, feature assistant and a 3.0-inch LCD screen that rotates 180 degrees, the PowerShot SX740 HS helps make transitioning away from smartphone photography fun and easy. With high-speed continuous shooting up to 7.4fps, an ergonomic design and built-in Wi-Fi®** and Bluetooth®*** technology, you can easily capture life’s greatest moments with the PowerShot SX740 HS.

Availability and Pricing

The PowerShot SX740 HS will be available for purchase in late August for $399.99. To purchase this product or for more information about Canon U.S.A products, visit http://shop.usa.canon.com/.

Laowa 24mm f/14 macro lens will launch on August 1st, images and specifications (updated)

Laowa 24mm F/14
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Venus Optics will soon launch the “weirdest and most genius macro lens ever“. The Laowa 24mm f/14 macro lens will launch on Kickstarter on August 1, 2018 (8am Pacific Time). The first lens will sell for $1 (one dollar). More information on Venus Optics’ homepage, or on their Facebook page.

In the meantime here are some images and specifications for the Laowa 24mm f/14 2x macro lens.

laowa 24mm f/14

Update: we added the two videos below.


Canon releases Q2 2018 Financial Results, getting more mirrorless marketshare

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Canon released the financial results for the second quarter 2018.

The company appears to be pretty confident about their role in the mirrorless market, claiming that the EOS M50 “enjoyed strong demand”. In the Speech Summary (see below) they say:

In the second quarter, sales were driven by the EOS M50, a strategically positioned mirrorless camera. Despite being an entry-class model, it incorporates features found in more advanced cameras while delivering easy operation for beginners. Through this, we are bringing new users into our ILC ecosystem.

In general, within the Imaging System Business Unit…

[…] unit sales volume of interchangeable-lens digital cameras decreased compared with the same period of the previous year, due to the gradually shrinking market. However, Canon maintained the top share in the overall interchangeable-lens digital camera market, mainly in the United States, Europe and Japan. Within this, as for mirrorless cameras, the newly launched EOS Kiss M, an entry-level model with shooting functions matching those of higher-level models, enjoyed strong demand. As for digital compact cameras, although unit sales decreased compared with the same period of the previous year amid the shrinking market, sales of such high-value-added models as the PowerShot G-series enjoyed solid demand. For inkjet printers, although demand was strong for refillable ink tank models and large format inkjet printers, overall unit sales decreased compared with the same period of the previous year due to a review of distribution channels. As a result, sales for the business unit decreased by 7.8% to ¥260.5 billion year on year, while operating profit totaled ¥34.8 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 28.3%. Sales for the combined first six months of the year totaled ¥482.3 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 8.1%, while operating profit totaled ¥59.5 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 23.5%.

You can download the following documents:

 

[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.canonwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/conf2018q2e-all.pdf”]