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Canon EOS 70D: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Photographic authority dpreview posted the results of their annual “best gear” reader poll. Five categories had to be voted: best lens, best DSLR/SLT, best fixed-lens compact camera, best mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and best enthusiast zoom compact.

The awesome Canon EOS 70D was voted as runner-up in the category “best DSLR / SLT”. Winner is the Pentax K-3. While I am personally convinced that the EOS 70D is the better and more advanced DSLR, the 70D didn’t make it on the first place. However, keep in mind that the 70D was announced last summer. About the 70D dpreview writes:

Canon’s EOS 70D was one of the most technologically interesting DSLRs that we saw last year, thanks to its Dual Pixel AF system, where almost all of the pixels on its APS-C CMOS sensor are used for phase-detection autofocus in live view and movie modes. The results is swift, highly accurate focus in situations where most DSLRs fail to deliver good performance. You clearly have a lot of time for the 70D too, giving it 16.3% of the final vote, just edging ahead of the Nikon D7100 and Df.

The undisputed winner in the category “best lens” is the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM, an amazing lens with a constant f/1.8 over the zoom range:

Garnering more than a quarter of the total votes cast, the Sigma 18-35mm is a convincing winner in this category, and one that attracted a lot of praise in your comments on the poll. A technical tour-de-force, the 18-35mm F1.8 is fast, sharp and affordable, offering APS-C photographers a viable alternative to the kind of bright-aperture standard zooms that have been available to full-frame shooters for a while.

The other results:

• Best fixed-lens compact camera: Fujifilm X100S
• Best enthusiast zoom compact: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II
• Best mirrorless interchangeable lens camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1

See all results here.

Reuters reports an analysis by Credit Suisse imaging analyst Yu Yoshida saying that only Canon, Nikon and Sony will survive the smartphone revolution. The brands that build heavily on mirrorless cameras (Olympus, Fujifilm, Panasonic), on the other hand, will face hard times since smartphones, i.e. devices able to shot high quality photos, are eating into their market. In other words: customers prefer the latest generation of high-end smartphones over mirrorless cameras, and connectivity appears to play a big role. Says Yu Yoshida: “Only those who have a strong brand and are competitive on price will last – and only Canon, Nikon and Sony fulfil that criteria“.

The analysis states that “Canon and Nikon dominate the SLR camera market, while Sony could survive any shakeout thanks to its strength in making sensors for a number of camera manufacturers as well as collaboration with its smartphone division“. Yu Yoshida: “If you look mid-to-long term, digital camera makers are slipping and the market is becoming an oligopoly“.

Some statistics:

• World-wide sales of compact cameras will fall for 40 percent this year (down to 59 million units)
• Panasonic camera sales dropped 40 percent from April to September 2013
• Mirrorless cameras have had a real break-through only in Japan, where they make up 36% of sales. On the other hand, MILC market share are 10.5% and 11.2% in the USA and Europe
• Mirrorless camera sales in the USA dropped 20% during the holiday shopping season

It’s known that mirrorless sales are good in Asia, not so exciting in Europe, and even less in the USA, where professional looking DSLRs are still king. I think it’s a pity that many people does not realize how amazing mirrorless cameras are.

[Chicago Tribune/Reuters via PetaPixel]

 

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon that appears to refer to new lenses for the EOS M system: 16-120mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. All lenses are image stabilised and have stepping motors.

• Patent Publication No. 2013-257507
  • Publication date 2013.12.26
  • Filing date 2012.6.14
• Example 1
  • Zoom ratio 2.87
  • Focal length f = 18.58 – 27.82 – 53.36mm
  • Fno 3.60 -. 4.27 – 5.69
  • Half angle ω = 36.33 – 26.15 – 14.36 °
  • Image height Y = 13.66mm
  • 86.23 – – 104.79mm 78.22 overall length of the lens
  • BF 0.50mm
  • 13 pieces of 11-group lens configuration
  • Three four-sided aspherical
• Example 3
  • Zoom ratio 10.39
  • Focal length f = 18.60 – 60.12 – 193.23mm
  • Fno 3.55 -. 5.59 – 6.60
  • Half angle ω = 36.29 – 12.80 – 4.04 °
  • Image height Y = 13.66mm
  • 151.48 – – 184.39mm 118.58 overall length of the lens
  • BF 0.50mm
  • 18 pieces of 14-group lens configuration
  • Three three-sided aspherical
  • One UD glass
• Example 4
  • Zoom ratio 7.14
  • 51.87 – – 117.70mm 16.48 focal length
  • Fno 3.60 -. 5.30 – 5.88
  • Half angle ω = 39.65 – 14.75 – 6.62 °
  • Image height Y = 13.66mm
  • 138.55 – – 162.35mm 114.75 overall length of the lens
  • BF 0.50mm
  • 17 pieces of 13-group lens configuration
  • Two two-sided aspherical
  • One UD glass
• Canon patents
  • Vibration control
  • Inner focus