The Canon Powershot Pro1 is the only PowerShot with an L-grade lens

powershot pro1
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Canon PowerShot Pro1 at a glance:

  • 8MP sensor
  • 7x optical zoom (28-200mm equivalent)
  • f/2.4-3.6
  • Auto, Scene Program, Program, and Manual exposure modes
  • tilt/swivel LCD panel
  • EVF/LCD works down to very low light levels

Before you get excited: The Canon PowerShot Pro1 was released 13 years ago. However, it’s the only PowerShot camera Canon ever released featuring a L-grade lens (see the red ring?).

The folks over at The Camera Store TV posted a 11 minutes video review of the PowerShot Pro1. Chris Niccolls got a PowerShot Pro1 in his hands and wants to see what features are still compelling, and which are hopelessly out of date. Enjoy.

Some more bits about the Canon PowerShot Pro1 (source: Wikipedia):

[the PowerShot Pro1] was the most expensive fixed-lens camera sold by Canon at the time, and thus the top of the PowerShot range. It was the first fixed lens designated a Canon L series lens, a designation normally reserved for expensive EF-series SLR lenses.

It has a variable-angle two-inch, polycrystalline silicon, thin-film transistor, color liquid crystal display with approximately 235,000 pixels and a colour electronic viewfinder (EVF) with the same resolution. The lens has a 35 mm equivalent zoom range of 28 to 200 mm. The shutter has a maximum speed of 1/4,000 second. The camera’s dimensions are 117.5 mm in width, 72 mm in height, and 90.3 mm in depth. Its mass is 545 g.

The PowerShot Pro1 was announced in August 2004, and then sold for $999. I found Canon’s press release for the PowerShot Pro1, you can read it after the break.

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Here is the Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 for Canon mount

samyang 14mm
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Samyang 14mm f/2.8 EF at a glance:

  • Image Sensor size: Full frame 35mm
  • Focal length: 14mm
  • Maximum aperture: F/2.8
  • Filter Diameter: N/A
  • Angle of view: 116.6 degrees (full frame sensor)
  • Minimum focus distance: 0.2m
  • Focus type: Auto-Focus (with Manual Focus switch)
  • Number of diaphragm blades: 7 (rounded)
  • Lens construction: 15 elements in 10 groups (2 Aspherical, 1 Extra Low Dispersion, 4 High Refractive
  • Dimensions (max): 90.5mm Dia x 95.6mm L

It’s official. Samyang announced the Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 lens for Canon EF mount. The first Samyang lens with auto-focus for Canon DSLRs. The Samyang brand is also known as Rokinon or Walimex or Bower. The Samyang 14mm f/2.8 will sell for $799. Pre-order at B&H Photo | Amazon |  Adorama

Ideal Autofocus Lens with High Usability

This first EF mount autofocus lens from Samyang encapsulates the brand’s universally respected optical technology, especially in the wide angle lens category. From a total of 15 lenses in 10 groups, 7 special optic lenses have been chosen in the production of this lens, to maximise the image quality. The use of 2 aspherical lenses, 4 high-refractive lenses, and 1 extra-low dispersion lens minimises distortion and various aberrations while producing crystal clear resolution. The remarkably even image quality from centre to corner of the wide 116.6 degree angle of view appears distinctly on its MTF chart.

The minimised weight and movement of the focusing lens group enables quiet and pleasant autofocusing with high accuracy. This compact Samyang AF 14mm F2.8 EF weighs only 485g without lens caps and hood and is the best travel partner to capture unforgettable moments on your journey. Weather-sealing and a built-in AF/MF switch increase usability.

Product description:

The AF 14mm F2.8 EF is Samyang’s first autofocus lens designed for Canon full frame DSLR cameras. This light weight wide-angle lens inherits the renowned image quality of Samyang’s wide angle series and importantly, the minimised weight and motion of the focusing lens group enables fast, quiet and precise autofocus.

With a total of 15 lens elements in 10 groups, this lens uses 7 special optical elements to maximise image quality. The use of 2 aspherical lenses, 4 high-refractive lenses, and 1 extra-low dispersion lens minimises distortion and aberrations while producing crystal clear resolution. Ultra Multi Coating effectively eliminates flare and ghosting to improve resolution even further. The remarkably even image quality from centre to edge of the wide 116.6 degree angle of view is very apparent on the MTF chart.

This compact Samyang AF 14mm F2.8 EF weighhs only 485g (without lens caps and hood) and is the ideal travel partner to capture unforgettable moments along your journey. Weather-sealing and a built-in AF/MF switch increase usability. Beautiful bokeh and star effects can be achieved thanks to the wide aperture and 7 rounded diaphragm blades 

 

samyang 14mm

samyang 14mmsamyang 14mm

“NYC Textures” is a hypnotic stop motion video of patterns you see in New York City

ynon lan

I’m happy to feature a new work by NYC based artist Ynon Lan.

Ynon Lan is a director and animator living in New York City. In his work he enjoys combining photography, videography and different animation techniques in inventive ways. His latest stop motion video, the one we are featuring here, was shot over a period of two weeks. Ynon walked around different areas of Manhattan and shot thousands of photos of the most interesting textures. In his own words:

Once you start walking around a big city like [NYC] looking for unique textures, you can’t help but noticing this endless variety.

I think a whole video could have been made on the different types of bricks alone.

The project started with a short experiment Ynon shot on his iPhone in a subway station and then uploaded on his Instagram profile. The results were promising and so he started the “NYC Textures” project, using the same concept and techniques. After over thousand photos shot the video was ready to be made. All ambient sounds you here in the video were recorded on location.

Last but not least: Ynon doesn’t use fancy or expensive gear to realise his ideas. He uses a Canon EOS 550D and the EF-S 18-135mm kit lens. Kudos!

You can follow Ynon Lan on Instagram, Vimeo, or you can visit his website.

We featured other works by Ynon Lan in the past:

Canon boss says it’s time to think outside the box

canon rumors

Nikkei Asian Review posted a short interview with Fuji Mitarai, Canon Chairman and CEO.

Canon appears to be pretty satisfied with their results. However, Mr. Fuji Mitarai argues the company has to move beyond photographic gear and approach new markets, like factory equipment and health care.

The interview will be published in paper form, but Nikkei posted some excerpts.  

Q: What is the biggest issue currently facing Canon?

A: Our primary management goal this year is to raise our antennas high toward cutting-edge technology. It is on this point where we lag behind other companies. We will open up a research and development center in the U.S.’s Silicon Valley, where we will actively adopt new technology.

Q: What do you believe is imperative for today’s corporation?

A: To read the trends of an era. Innovation is steadily advancing, and it has become difficult to put out products that are ahead of the competition, even if by just a little. This is now an era when latecomer manufacturers stand to gain. Compared with the past, even I feel mounting tensions. Read the report at Nikkei Asian Review.

This fits with another report coming from the same news agency, which states that Canon plans $3.5bn buying spree in medical and security ops. Security and health care seem to be definitely on Canon’s agenda:

TOKYO — Canon is putting its ample cash on hand to work by spending up to 400 billion yen ($3.53 billion) on acquisitions over the next three years to beef up its medical and security segments.

The Japanese technology group aims to take in 1.5 trillion yen in sales from new business operations by 2020, Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai told The Nikkei on Friday.

Canon’s biggest takeover so far is the 2016 acquisition of Toshiba Medical Systems from the Toshiba group. But apart from that, Canon in effect invested around 400 billion yen in new businesses over nine years. Moving forward, the company will explore the same level of expenditures in just one third of the time.

Let’s hope they do not forget how good they are in making cameras and lenses.

:-)

Canon EOS M5 greater than the sum of the parts (and better engineered than Sony A6xx), Thom Hogan states

canon eos m5 mark ii mirrorless
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Canon EOS M5 at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 2.36m-Dot EVF, Touch and Drag AF Control
  • 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth Smart
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • Up to 9 fps Shooting and ISO 25600
  • Digital IS 5-Axis Image Stabilization

Nikon shooter Thom Hogan posted his thoughts about the photo gear of 2017.

He has a positive opinion about the Canon EOS M5 (specs & price), and what he has to say about is something I second:

The Sony cameras tend to be technical wizards. That Sony packs all that they do in the little A6xxx bodies is remarkable, but that isn’t without consequences. We’ve had heat issues at times. The offset EVF makes for a strange and awkward hold on such a small body. We’ve got Sony’s Tiny Buttons to deal with again […]

Meanwhile, Canon made the smallest DSLR you’ve ever seen. It holds like a DSLR, it shoots like a DSLR (even has a DSLR sensor), and it is controlled like a DSLR. They just put the already small SL2 into a shrink ray machine, tweaked a couple of things, and ended up with what has to be the smallest APS-C camera that handles well.

No, the focus speed isn’t Sony wiz-fast. No, the frame rates aren’t Sony wiz-fast. No, the deep shadows aren’t Sony wiz-post processable. No, there isn’t 4K video. No, no, no.

And yet, the M5 is an example of where the sum of the parts is greater than the sum of the parts, while the Sony A6xxx bodies tend to be the sum of the parts coming up as  less than the sum of the parts […]

What Thom Hogan is saying is that the EOS M5 is better thought, designed and engineered than Sony’s A6xx cameras [specs & price] . He also points to the major issue Canon’s EOS M system has: the lack of quality lenses. Learn more about Thom Hogan here.

I own an EOS M3, not M5. I had a chance to play around with an EOS M5 for a few days. I was impressed by the ergonomics and had a lot of fun using it. It delivers DSLR image quality, no need to discuss that. It may have taken Canon a long time to jump on the mirrorless bandwagon, but with the EOS M5 Canon again showed that when they decide to make something they make it for good.

Canon EOS M5: [shopcountry 40697]

Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L MACRO sample photos (Photography Blog)

The Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L (for RF mount)
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Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro: [shopcountry 47501]

At a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/32
  • Two Ultra-Low Dispersion Elements
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere and Subwavelength Coatings
  • Maximum Tilt: +/- 8.5°
  • Maximum Shift: +/- 12mm
  • Minimum Focusing Distance: 10.6″
  • Maximum Magnification: 0.5x

Photography Blog posted a set of sample images shot with the Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro (on an EOS 6D Mark II). Original files (JPG and raw) are available for download and for your pixel peeping pleasure.