Six Canon product designs were recognized with prestigious 2017 iF Design Awards

iF Design

These Canon products won an IF design award:

  • Canon [shoplink 37157]EOS-1D X Mark II[/shoplink]
  • Canon [shoplink 35613]PowerShot G5 X[/shoplink]
  • Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000
  • 3rd generation1 Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE
    Multifunction office systems
  • Canon -SENSYS LBP350/LBP710 Series
    Laser printers
  • Canon XEED 4K500ST/4K501ST
    Projector

Canon press release:

Canon designs recognized with internationally renowned iF Design Awards for 23rd consecutive year

TOKYO, February 9, 2017—Canon Inc. announced today that six Canon product designs were recognized by iF International Forum Design GmbH with prestigious 2017 iF Design Awards.

Established in 1953, the iF Design Awards are recognized internationally as one of the most prestigious awards within the field of design, with outstanding industrial designs chosen from all over the world each year. This year 5,575 entries from 59 countries and regions were judged by internationally active design experts across seven disciplines: product, packaging, communication, service design, architecture, interior architecture, and professional concept.

This year marks Canon’s 23rd consecutive year of winning iF Design Awards. Encouraged by the recognition of the Company’s design excellence, Canon will continue striving to realize products that combine the highest levels of performance and design.

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Canon research and develop a 2/3″ sensor with global shutter

canon rumors

Interesting Canon research paper spotted by Image Sensors World. Canon is working on a 2/3″ sensor with a global shutter.

The paper is named

A 1.8e-rms Temporal Noise Over 110dB Dynamic Range 3.4μm Pixel Pitch Global Shutter CMOS Image Sensor with Dual-Gain Amplifiers, SS-ADC and Multiple-Accumulation Shutter, by Masahiro Kobayashi, Yusuke Onuki, Kazunari Kawabata, Hiroshi Sekine,Toshiki Tsuboi, Yasushi Matsuno, Hidekazu Takahashi, Toru Koizumi, Katsuhito Sakurai, Hiroshi Yuzurihara, Shunsuke Inoue, Takeshi Ichikawa at ISSCC 2017 on Feb. 6, 2017.

A more in-depth analysis of the technology discussed in the paper can be read at Harvest Imaging:

[…] the presented sensor has a funnel-shaped light guide structure above the pixels, an optimized light shield to keep the PLS low.  To enhance the dynamic range of the sensor, the columns are provided with a gain stage that automatically choses between a gain of 1x or 4x.  With some clever timing of the transfer of the PPD and with an increased readout speed of the sensor, extra new option can be added, such as wider dynamic range and in-pixel coded exposure.

Below are some slides from the paper presentation.

[via Image Sensors World]

Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 fisheye lens review

rokinon 12mm f/2.8
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Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC Fisheye [shopcountry 43549]

Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 at a glance:

  • EF Mount/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • Three Extra Low Dispersion Elements
  • Two Aspherical Elements
  • Nano Crystal and UMC Lens Coating
  • Manual Focus & Manual Aperture Lens
  • 180º Angle of View
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 7.9″
  • Included Petal-Shaped Lens Hood

Nortlight Images posted an interesting review about the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC Fisheye Lens for Canon, a pretty interesting manual focus lens at an affordable price.

In the conclusion the reviewer writes:

From an image quality point of view I’ve very little to quibble about. The lens is robustly constructed and the addition of the padded bag for it most welcome.

The f/2.8 lens gives a nice bright image in my viewfinder, although manually stopping the lens down and not having any aperture information (Canon EF) may cause some difficulties if you are not used to manual lenses.

Going to f/5.6 was enough to sharpen up the edges of the frame a bit, and gives me so much depth of field that the only reason to check the focus settings was to make sure I’d not nudged the focus when changing aperture or vice versa. Read the review…

The review comes with a huge set of sample pictures.

The Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 ED AS IF NCS UMC Fisheye Lens for Canon is on sale at $399.95: [shopcountry 43549].

X-Rite ColorMunki Accurate Monitor Display Calibration Tool deal – $99.99 (reg. $179, Adorama)

X-Rite

X-Rite ColorMunki at a glance:

  • ColorMunki makes sure your design goes from inspiration to screen to print without ever sacrificing quality with the new powerful, self-guided software interface
  • ColorMunki can calibrate multiple displays with ease and provides before and after visualization, as well as calibration reminder prompts
  • Complete color control and optimized printer profiling makes sure that the color you see on your display is the color that you get
  • ColorMunki provides you with essential communication functions such as: automatically synchronize palettes to Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and QuarkXpress or export to your favorite design and photo applications

Adorama has the X-Rite ColorMunki Accurate Monitor Display Calibration Tool on sale at $99.99. Compare at $179. This is a limited edition Pink for the Cure. X-rite will donate 20% of your purchase to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Today’s Gold Box and one day only deals at Amazon US, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, B&H Photo, eBay and Adorama

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM video-review

EF 24-105mm f/4L IS
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Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II: [shopcountry 40057]

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM at a glance:

  • EF-Mount L-Series Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/4 to 22
  • Four GMo Aspherical Elements
  • Air Sphere Coating
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • Internal Focus; Full-Time MF Override
  • Zoom Lock Switch; Fluorine Coating
  • Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction
  • Rounded 10-Blade Diaphragm

Kai W review the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM, a lens that didn’t really get love from reviewers so far. Enjoy.

Canon EOS DSLR Cameras and EF Lenses Touch Down on the Sidelines of the Big Game in Houston

Canon EOS
Canon EOS DSLR Cameras and EF Lenses Touch Down on the Sidelines of the Big Game in Houston (© Canon)

Canon press release:

Canon EOS DSLR Cameras and EF Lenses Touch Down on the Sidelines of the Big Game in Houston

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 7, 2017 – On February 5th, top sports photographers from across the country gathered in Houston to cover the Big Game between the teams from New England and Atlanta. With an estimated 75 percent* of the photographers in the Houston stadium using Canon EOS DSLR cameras and EF lenses, Canon’s iconic white lenses filled the sidelines from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. In addition to the EOS DSLR cameras and EF lenses on the sidelines, Canon’s line of HD broadcast lenses were also used extensively to help deliver the game to more than 110 million television viewers.

“It’s an honor to see yet another major sporting event where the country’s most talented and acclaimed sports photographers captured exciting moments with Canon equipment. These images will be seen by millions of people around the world and will forever be etched in sports history. We understand there are many equipment options for professional photographers and Canon is honored to serve these professionals and provide assurances that both our products and support live up to the requirements and expectations of our devoted customers,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc.

A full complement of friendly and knowledgeable staff from the Canon Professional Services (CPS) team, a fixture at major sporting events throughout the year, were on site at the stadium for most of the week leading up to game day providing comprehensive equipment maintenance, extensive equipment loans and expert technical support to the major photo agencies and individual professional (or media) photographers covering the game.

For veteran sports photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Damian Strohmeyer, this was his 30th time covering the big game as a professional, and he was well stocked with Canon cameras and lenses. “Leading up to the game, I always make sure to meet with the Canon Professional Services team to run through my settings and firmware, and ensure that my gear is as ready for the big game as the players are,” Strohmeyer said. “During the game, there’s so much action that you can’t be worried about how your equipment will perform. Depending on where the play is, I need to stay prepared for anything that may happen, with no time to switch lenses. For this reason, I used three EOS-1D X Mark II cameras, equipped with EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, and EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lenses. After the game, I switched to an EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM wide angle lens for post-game reaction shots. Everything performed fabulously, and my images came out looking great!”

Canon Professional Services will be proudly attending to professional photographers at over 30 events this year including major sporting, auto racing, Hollywood, and political events throughout the year.

For more information about CPS: http://www.cps.usa.canon.com/

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