Canon published Sustainability Report 2015

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Canon posted their Sustainability Report 2015, available for download from the Canon CSR website.

Press release:

TOKYO, July 22, 2015—Canon Inc. is pleased to announce that it has published Canon Sustainability Report 2015.

The Canon Group promotes its CSR activities in line with the basic policy of contributing to the realization of a better society as a good corporate citizen, effectively leveraging the Company’s advanced technological strengths, global business deployment and diverse, specialized human resources.

This year’s Sustainability Report presents various CSR activities carried out in 2014 in an easy-to-understand manner through a combination of data and specific examples. The first half of the Report includes an overview of Canon’s CSR initiatives during the year, highlighting the following five CSR activities.

CSR Activity Highlights:

  1. The 3E’s Project in India—Contributing to local communities in the three key fields of eye care, education and the environment
  2. The TMT (Thirty Meter Telescope) Project—Utilizing Canon’s world-leading optics technologies in the field of astronomy
  3. Canon’s Toner Cartridge Recycling Program—Celebrating 25 years of success
  4. The Tsuzuri Project—Creating high-quality reproductions of cultural assets with advanced Canon technologies
  5. The Canon Segametsi Solar Light Project—Donating solar-powered LED lighting to South African communities that lack electricity
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No Canon EOS 5D Mark IV coming, but Canon EOS 5D X and EOS 5D Xs? [CW3]

EOS 5D Mark IVQuestionMark2
A Canon EOS 5D Mark IV rumor was posted to the DPReview forum. Quoting:

Just got off the phone.. Looks like Canon is to name the 5D Mark IV 5DX. 28 megapixels, Digic 6+-basically a souped up version of 6 just to name a few.

X branded bodies will be for event and sports photography. S will be for studio, landscape, etc

We were first to post a rumor suggesting a model split for the EOS 5D Mark III replacement. Not just one EOS 5D Mark IV model, but two models with different specialisations. Our rumor suggested an EOS 5D Mark IV and Mark IVc naming scheme. The “c” pointing to a more video-oriented model.

The new rumor seems to refer to EOS 5D X and EOS 5D Xs (or “X S”) monikers. There are some things that make sense here. The number “four” is seen as a sign for bad luck in Japan (and Asian culture). Avoiding it in a naming scheme wouldn’t be that strange after all. However, Canon made the EOS 1D Mark IV before releasing the EOS 1D X as its replacement. Using the number “four” in the naming doesn’t seem to be a big issue for Canon. The EOS 1D X is also considered the replacement for the EOS 1Ds Mark III. Using an “s” in a camera model naming isn’t something Canon started to do with the EOS 5Ds and EOS 5Ds R.

Following the rumor, the EOS 5D X might be considered the “straight” update to the EOS 5D Mark III, the EOS 5D Mark Xs a more studio-oriented model. The former being the replacement for the all-rounder the EOS 5D Mark III is, the latter being the specialised model. Nothing new about the few mentioned specs. 28MP sensor, new DIGIC processor. Consistent with past rumors.

How to relate all this to the persistent rumors about a Canon 18MP full-frame sensor in the works? Here things get complicated. I can’t really figure out that the EOS 5D Xs (i.e. the studio-oriented model) will have 18MP. On the other hand, I doubt that 18MP will be featured on Canon’s all-rounder model, the supposed EOS 5D X, given that the EOS 5D Mark III has 22MP. If this 18MP sensor exists and is part of some plans Canon have, then most likely such a sensor is going to be featured on a video-oriented DSLR. A new Canon DSLR that could also have 4k, one of the rumored features of the EOS 5D Mark III successor.

It’s hard to rate a rumor posted in a forum. Given some consistency with earlier rumors, I give it a CW3. All EOS 5D Mark IV rumors are listed here.

Curious to know what you think about all this. Feel free to let me know in the comment section.

[via DPReview forum]
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Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM price announced, available for pre-order ($999, coming late July)

Sigma 24-35mm f/2

  • EF Mount Lens/Full Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2 to 16
  • FLD & Special Low Dispersion Elements
  • Two Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor
  • Internal Focus; Manual Focus Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Thermally Stable Composite Material
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Sigma announced price and availability of the Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM lens, the world’s fastest full-frame zoom lens, and the first with constant f/2. The price is $999, availability expected for late July.

You can already pre-order the Sigma 24-35mm f/2: Adorama and B&H Photo.

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens and camera manufacturer, today announced that the new Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens will become available in late July for the street price of $999.

The 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens is the market’s first full-frame zoom that allows photographers to carry one fast aperture lens that can do the work of three popular fixed focal length lenses – the 24mm, 28mm and 35mm. It includes an optimized autofocus (AF) algorithm for smooth, fast, and accurate focusing, a manual focus (MF) override functionality, and is made of Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) reducing its size and weight.

Built upon the impressive versatility offered by Sigma’s 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens, the new 24-35mm continues the Art line tradition of top optical performance that’s comparable to Sigma’s 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art and 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art. It offers optimized lens power distribution, and minimizes spherical aberration, axial chromatic aberration and field curvature. The Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens also features a video-friendly, inner focusing system that eliminates front-lens rotation, enhancing the lens’ stability as well as a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) that ensures a silent, high-speed AF function.

“The combination of fast, constant aperture and zoom versatility will make this lens exceptionally popular for photographers who crave the convenience of wide angle zooms, paired with the performance of fast, wide primes,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The Art lenses have raised the bar for total imaging performance, and this lens is going to make a lot of photographers very happy.”

As with all new lenses under the Global Vision categories, every 24-35mm will be tested using Sigma’s own modulation transfer function (MTF) measuring system, “A1,” in the company’s factory in Japan. It is compatible with Sigma’s USB DOCK, which allows photographers to update the lens’ firmware, adjust focus points and customize full-time MF function settings by using Sigma’s Optimization Pro software. Sigma’s exclusive Mount Conversion Service, which enables users to easily convert the lens’ camera mount between supported versions, is also available for a fee. The lens will be available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts.

The Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens will also feature:

  • Large-diameter, aspherical lens elements, which require advanced technologies to produce, one “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass, and seven Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements with two aspherical lenses. The advanced optics and optimized lens power distribution minimizes spherical aberration, axial chromatic aberration and field curvature, resulting in outstanding optical performance
  • A video-friendly, inner focusing system that eliminates front-lens rotation, enhancing the lens’ stability and allowing use of circular polarizing filters
  • A Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) that ensures a silent, high-speed AF function. Smoother AF is achieved when the this AF algorithm is optimized
  • Full-time MF by rotating the focus ring of the lens while auto focusing
  • A nine-blade, rounded diaphragm creates an attractive blur to the out-of-focus areas of the image
  • Specifications: Lens construction containing 18 elements in 13 groups; a weight of 33.2 ounces; a diameter and length of 3.4 inches by 4.8 inches, respectively; a minimum aperture of F16; and angle of view (35mm) of 84.1° to 63.4°; minimum focusing distance of 11 inches; and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.4

For information about Sigma, go to www.sigmaphoto.com or follow the company on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Pre-order the Sigma 24-35mm f/2: Adorama and B&H Photo.

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Canon partners with British Red Cross for young person’s photography competition

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Canon press release:

Canon partners with British Red Cross for young person’s photography competition

Competition inspires entrants to celebrate their community

Canon, the imaging specialist, has partnered with the British Red Cross for this year’s Humanitarian Citizenship Awards photography competition. This is the second year the competition has run, and will aim to build on the outstanding range of talented entries in 2014.

This year also marks the tenth anniversary of Canon’s partnership with the British Red Cross through its official sponsorship of the Humanitarian Citizenship Awards. The awards are aimed at celebrating the extraordinary contributions that young people make in helping others across Britain.

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Canon DPP 4.3 updated, adds support for Rebel T5, EOS 60D/60Da, EOS M/M2, and Powershot G7 X and G1 X Mark II

Digital Photo Professional 4
Canon DPP 4.x

Canon has released an updated version of its popular Digital Photo Professional 4 (DPP 4) RAW processing software, which expands the support of its DSLRs to include EOS 1200D, EOS 60Da and EOS 60D as well as its PowerShot G7 X and PowerShot G1 X Mark II premium expert compacts and EOS M2 and EOS M Compact System Cameras…

The new update – version 4.3.0 – also incorporates two critical fixes, including a phenomenon in which the picture style set on the camera is not transferred to Digital Photo Professional properly and a phenomenon in which the copy and paste command using keyboard shortcuts cannot be used for the folder name.

“As part of Canon’s ongoing development of its Digital Photo Professional software, regular updates and fixes keep it up to date with our end users. Canon always listens carefully to customer feedback and this latest update is an example of that,” commented Mike Burnhill, Canon Europe’s Professional Imaging Technical Support Programme manager.

DPP 4.3.0: KEY FEATURES

  • Faster, real-time adjustments
  • Improved RAW file workflow
  • Better, more approachable user interfaces
  • Compatible with 64-bit native environments
  • Colour adjustments for specific colour gamuts
  • Improved highlight recovery provides expanded tonality
  • Improved shadow recovery function
  • Support for movie playback
  • Auto Lighting Optimizer can be applied to JPEG images
  • Better integration with EOS Utility 3 software

You can download DPP 4.3.0 now, free of charge, from Canon Europe’s support site here. Just click on your camera – EOS-1D X, EOS-1D C, EOS 5DS, EOS 5DS R, EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 6D, EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 7D, EOS 60Da, EOS 60D, EOS 70D, EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS 760D, EOS 750D, EOS 700D, EOS 100D, EOS 1200D, EOS M3, EOS M2, EOS M, PowerShot G7 X and PowerShot G1 X Mark II – and select DPP 4.3.0 from the software options to download.

Canon News Round-Up


Video above: First Impressions of the Canon XC10 – LensRentals

Video above: Field Testing the Canon 5DS R in Botswana, Africa – PetaPixel

Abraham Joffe of Untitled Film Works released this 3-minute video showing photographer Denis Glennon field testing the new Canon 5DS R by capturing wild animals in Botswana, Africa (he was likely using the first 5DS R to hit African soil).

Canon PowerShot G3 X Review – Photography Blog

The new Canon PowerShot G3 X is a solid super-zoom camera for enthusiast photographers, offering a wealth of options for shooting both stills and video, excellent image quality, speedy auto-focusing, intuitive and configurable handling, and solid construction. Unfortunately, it’s rather ham-strung by the strange omission of a built-in viewfinder – trying to hold the Canon PowerShot G3 X at arm’s length whilst using the full extent of the 25x zoom lens results in too many misses due to camerashake.

Creating Movement in Still Images – Canon Digital Learning Center

Creating Botanical Portraits: How to light subjects – Canon Digital Learning Center 

5 Things Hot & 5 Things Not on the Canon C300 Mark II – Cinema 5D

Comparing Sony A7S vs Canon EOS 6D Shutter Lag for Light Painting – DIY Photography

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Review – The Digital Picture

Canon 5DSr – First Impressions in the Field – Cole Thompson Photography