10 Questions For Canon (by EOSHD)

Canon
Canon’s new and very conservatively specced EOS 7D Mark II

EOSHD’s Andrew Reid posted an educated list of 10 questions he’ll ask Canon (and Nikon) at Photokina 2014.

For the Canon part, it’s about Canon’s strategy, technological plans, marketing etc. Most of the questions are sort of “why do you not get it?” questions :-)

All 10 questions make sense, but I like this one (nr. 3):

The 7D line has been a bestseller in the enthusiast market for the past 5 years but the new model barely moves an inch forwards from the cheaper 70D. After such a long period of time was it Canon’s intention to position the [shoplink 7139]6D[/shoplink] as the real 7D replacement and if so, how do you excuse such poor video quality on the 6D considering the enthusiasts it is aimed at? For video it is not a low end product but it performs like one.

Worth to have a look.

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II is going to be announced tomorrow (so stay tuned), and it will be a typical Canon upgrade: a conservatively specced yet solid workhorse that will most probably sell better than most people expect (sport and wildlife photogs on the APS-C train will love it). That’s where Canon is good: to build reliable cameras that do their job well – without any truly exciting new features. I was expecting more from Canon for the 7D Mark II. These are the specs that leaked so far:

  • Magnesium alloy body
  • Dust and water resistant
  • 20.2MP CMOS sensor
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • A new 65-point AF. All points cross type
  • EOS iTR AF (EOS iTR AF is “intelligent tracking and recognition” AF, a feature that was first seen on the EOS-1D X)
  • 10 fps
  • Dual DIGIC6
  • Max ISO 16000
  • RGB + IR photometry sensor 150000 pixels
  • Full HD 60p video
  • GPS
  • Interval Timer
  • Bulb Timer

In my opinion there is very little (as far as we know for the time being) that positions the 7D Mark II clearly above the [shoplink 14246]Canon EOS 70D[/shoplink]. 10fps vs 7fps of the 70D and a more powerful AF system. I am curious to see what the Dual DIGIC6 CPUs can pull out of Canon’s Dual Pixel AF technology.

Tomorrow we will know the full specs. And then let’s discuss.

The Time’s Photographer Marc Aspland And The Art Of Sports Photography

Sports Photography

Canon Professional Network Europe published an interview with Marc Aspland, Chief Sports Photographer at The Times newspaper in London, and the subtle art of sports photography.

During a career spanning over a quarter of a century thus far Marc Aspland has gained an international reputation as one of the world’s finest sports photographers, with a style all of his own. He has been Chief Sports Photographer of The Times newspaper in London since the late 1990s but it is only now that many of his most famous images have been brought together in his new, and first-ever, book ‘The Art of Sports Photography’. CPN writer Mark Alexander spoke to Marc Aspland about what it took to create the magical images in the book and his unique approach to shooting sports.

Read the interview at CPN –>

Tamron Announces Development Of Image-Stabilized SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Lens

SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD

Tamron press release:

Tamron announces development of F/2.8 fast ultra-wideangle zoom lens with VC (Vibration Compensation), world’s first in its category

SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD

XGM (eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical) element and LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements deployed in the front group ensures outstanding image depicting performance.
Proprietary eBAND coating coupled with improved BBAR coating efficiently reduces ghosting and flare inherent to wideangle focal lengths to an absolute minimum.

Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Morio Ono), a leading manufacturer of precision optics, announces development of a new ultra-wideangle zoom lens for full-frame D-SLR cameras with a fast F/2.8 aperture and VC (Vibration Compensation), the world’s first in its category.

Since 2012, Tamron has been expanding its lineup of interchangeable lenses for 35mm full-frame D-SLR cameras. SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD (Model A007) was the first in the series, being integrated with VC, followed by the SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD (Model A009), SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD (Model F004), and SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD (Model A011). The array of those new lenses have been highly acclaimed among the photo enthusiasts and working pros around the globe. To address the needs for more towards the wider angular field, Tamron spearheaded the development of SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD, a fast ultra-wideangle zoom lens with the image stabilization feature, setting itself apart from the rest of zooms in this category.

The lens will be showcased at the Tamron booth at Photokina 2014, September 16- 21, 2014 in Cologne, Germany. (Photokina Booth Number: Hall 4.2 D10 – E19).

Product highlights and specs after the break.

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Sigma Announces 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary Lens (and more products)

18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM

After the 2 different 150-600mm lenses, Sigma announced the 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary lens for APS-C DSLRs, and other products: 2 weather-sealed teleconverter and various filters. All new Sigma products can be pre-ordered at B&H Photo.

Sigma press release:

Sigma Corporation Announces New 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary

New range in Sigma’s lineup offers optimized optics and stabilization with optional, add-on close-up lens for macro-zoom capability

RONKONKOMA, N.Y — September 12, 2014 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world’s most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, is adding a new lens to its Global Vision Contemporary category with today’s announcement of the 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM.  The lens will become available in October for the street price of $579.

Designed exclusively for APS-C camera sensors, the new 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM features a 16.6x high-ratio zoom lens which equates to a 27-450mm zoom range.  It incorporates four “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass elements, which have performance equal to flourite, in addition to one Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass element. This enables the lens to minimize the chromatic aberration, especially toward the telephoto-end, and provide clear image quality with high color fidelity. Also, this lens comes with a newly developed optical stabilization (OS) system, ensuring better compensation.

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Sigma Announces 2 New 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lenses (Sport and Contemporary)

150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM

Sigma announced 2 new and different 150-600mm lenses for Photokina 2014, the 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports and 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary. All new Sigma products can be pre-ordered at B&H Photo.

  • 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports – $1.999 – Adorama | B&H Photo
  • 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary – B&H Photo

Sigma press release:

Sigma Corporation announces a pair of 150-600mms with advanced features and optics

Hyper-telephoto zoom lenses added to both Sports and Contemporary Global Vision lines

RONKONKOMA, N.Y — September 12, 2014 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world’s most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, has announced two new 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM high-performance, hyper-telephoto zoom lenses that celebrate significant optical and build advancements. The two lens designs vary in size and use, and add to the company’s impressive roster of Contemporary and Sports lenses in the Global Vision lineup.

The 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports delivers enhanced, professional-grade optics and greater durability for challenging, high-action photographic situations. The 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary is a versatile lens that offers similar performance in a more compact and portable design. Pricing and availability of these lenses are not yet available.

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