Magic Lantern Increases Canon EOS 5D Mark III Dynamic Range By 1/2 Stop (up to 15 stops)

Magic Lantern

Another breakthrough by the Magic Lantern team. 1/2 stop more dynamic range on the [shoplink 2431]Canon EOS 5D Mark III[/shoplink] – 15 stops of DR are now possible on the 5D3! The image above, posted by a1ex on Twitter shows the increase at different ISO settings.

The EOS 5D Mark III will soon get what ML calls a “sensor update”. Not much is known so far, everything is in a very early development stage, but a sensor update via firmware sounds very cool. The trick was to figured out the digic registers that have to do with ISO.

User Marsu42 of Canon Rumors‘ forum did some tests and writes:

This means that for example on 5d3, iso 800 with ML has more dynamic range than iso 100 with Canon :-> … and at high iso you’re getting 7% more dr which is nothing to sneeze at, esp. since it builds upon Canon’s advantage vs. Nikon: d800@6400 = ~8.3 & 5d3@6400 = ~9.4 ev making good ol’ Canon the superior sensor for low light high contrast shooting, esp. the newer 6d.

This new feature will soon show up as nightly build. Caution is advised: this is software at an early development stage, use the necessary attention and do not try it if you are not sure what you are doing.

[via CR and P5D]

 

Canon Announces 5 New PIXMA Printers (up to A3 format)

pix2 pix1

 

Today Canon announced 5 new PIXMA printers, the most interesting (imo) being the WiFi-enabled PIXMA ip8750 photo printer, which handles formats up to A3, uses a six-ink system and produces an A3 print in approximately two minutes.

Enjoy stunning quality photos up to A3+ with this premium 6 single ink printer. Print wirelessly around the home including from smartphones, tablets and Wi-Fi cameras. Ideal for photo enthusiasts.

  • Premium A3+ printer with wireless connectivity for photo enthusiasts
  • 6-colour system includes grey ink for exceptional colour and mono prints
  • Efficient individually replaceable single ink tanks and optional XL inks
  • Printing from smartphones and tablets with PIXMA Printing Solutions app
  • Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Wireless PictBridge support

Canon UK press release:

Canon enhances home and office PIXMA ranges with five new models
United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 21 January 2014 – Canon today bolsters its range of PIXMA single and multifunction printers with the launch of five new models – PIXMA iP8750, iX6850, MX475, MX535, and iP2850. The devices update Canon’s home and office line-up, as well as introduce two new A3+ single-function printers for those with more advanced printing needs. Stylish and easy-to-use, Canon’s range of PIXMA printers has been designed to support users seeking a range of printing options, including photolab quality prints and business documents.
PIXMA iP8750.jpg PIXMA iX6850.jpg
PIXMA iP8750 PIXMA iX6850
PIXMA MX475.jpg PIXMA MX535.jpg PIXMA iP2850.jpg
PIXMA MX475 PIXMA MX535 PIXMA iP2850
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Why Did Scott Kelby Switch From Nikon to Canon (video)?

Long-time Nikon user Scott Kelby explains why he switched from Nikon to Canon 6 months ago.

Since lots of people asked Scott Kelby about the reasons for the switch, he decided to give an interview to Canon Explorer of Light Rick Sammon, addressing the questions he was asked.

The Canon DSLRs Scott Kelby switched to are the [shoplink 2431]EOS 5D Mark III[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 4119]EOS-1D X[/shoplink]. The video gives all the answers, but let me give you a spoiler: ergonomics, menu system, and skin tones are among the main reasons.

[via PB] [shoplink 2431]Scott Kelby[/shoplink][shoplink 4119]Scott Kelby[/shoplink]

Canon Sponsors 2014 Sundance Film Festival

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Canon USA press release:

Canon U.S.A. Supports the Craft of Filmmaking as a Sponsor of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival

PARK CITY, UT, January 17, 2014 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today the company will return as a Sustaining Sponsor to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival-which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, marking three decades of fostering a vibrant independent film community-will be held in Park City, Salt Lake City, Sundance, and Ogden, Utah from January 16-26, 2014.

The Festival’s diverse roster includes nearly 200 films, of which approximately 20 percent were shot using Canon equipment. Blue Ruin, Song One, Memphis, This May Be The Last Time, Cesar’s Last Fast, Happy Valley, Last Days in Vietnam, Life Itself,WHITEY: United States of America v. James J. Bulger, Mitt, Alive Inside, and Ivory Tower are just a few of the Canon-shot films screening in 2014.

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Canon PIXMA Pro-100 Is Printer of the Year (Photography Blog)

PIXMA Pro-100

Canon PIXMA Pro-100 [shopcountry 18336]

Specs:

  • 4800 x 2400 dpi
  • Print 8 x 10″ in 51 Seconds
  • Wi-Fi, Ethernet, AirPrint, PictBridge
  • Print Sizes up to 13 x 19″
  • 8 Ink Cartridges Including 3 Monochrome
  • CD, DVD, Blu-ray Printing
  • Print Studio Pro for Photoshop, DPP

The Canon [shoplink 18336]PIXMA Pro-100[/shoplink] Photo Printer got the “printer of the year” award by Photography Blog, with a rating of 4.5/5.

In all cases, prints on luster and gloss papers looked beautiful. Colors just pop off the paper, with cleaner color in saturated areas than I was able to get from the Pro-1.

If you do most of your printing on photo papers, particularly luster and gloss, and you shoot a lot of landscape/flower type photos, the Pro-100 is a clear winner.

The PIXMA Pro-100 [shoplink 18336]retails for $398[/shoplink], but often comes bundled with Canon gear, as in this EOS 5D Mark III bundle where you get the 5D3 and the PIXMA Pro-100 for $2999 after a $400 mail-in rebate.

Sigma Aims At Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 With Their 50mm f/1.4

 

Sigma

Imaging-Resource had a chance to have a talk about the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens with Sigma at CES 2014.

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is more than a simple refresh of the previous version of the lens. It is a completely new designed lens, with a performance that Sigma claims is on the same level as the [shoplink 16664]Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4[/shoplink]. A bold claim, but given Sigma’s recently released, awesome lenses, this is a claim we should take seriously.

Quoting Imaging-Resource:

[…] the most impressive information we gleaned? When discussing their goals of image quality and sharpness for the lens, Sigma mentioned they’re confident they’ll surpass competitive products from Canon and Nikon and are instead gunning for Zeiss’s new 55mm Otus lens. It’s a serious claim. The Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus lens — with its $4000 price tag — is squarely aimed at high-end professional shooting such as fashion, advertising and editorial work.

We have to wait for the first reviews to see if the Sigma can hold up to the Zeiss. For the time being neither the price nor the release date of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art are known. The Zeiss’ optical performance is outstanding, it won’t be easy for the Sigma.
[shoplink 16664]Sigma[/shoplink]