Two movies made with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II nominated for the Academy Awards

Well, what to say? Times are changing!

Digital SLR’s have developed to a level where – at least so it seems – you can make serious movies using them. At least the Canon 5D Mark II has been used to produce two documentaries that have been nominated for the Academy Awards.

Dennis Danfung’s Hell and Back Again, after having won the Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Price for documentaries, has been nominated for the Oscars. And that is not all. Another documentary, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom by Lucy Walker, has also been nominated for an Academy Award.

Check the following links for the Canon 5D Mark II: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

[via blog.planet5d.com, techradar.com]

 

Canon G1 X – First full review

PhotoReview Australia published the first full review of the Canon G1 X.

Find the summary clicking here, or the start with the in-depth analysis. The latter includes performance graphs and lots of sample images at different ISO settings. We anticipate the final verdict:

Rating (out of 10):

  • Build: 9.0
  • Ease of use: 8.8
  • Autofocusing: 8.0
  • Still image quality: JPEG – 9.0; RAW – 9.5
  • Video quality: 9.0
  • OVERALL: 9.0

They suggest to…

Buy this camera if:
– You want a compact digital camera with DSLR-like controls.
– You’re interested in shooting raw files.
– You want effective image stabilisation for stills and video clips.
– You require high resolution and low noise levels at high ISO settings.
– You’d like the ability to shoot HD video clips.

Don’t buy this camera if:
– You will only shoot JPEG files.
– You require high burst speeds and buffer capacity plus fast cycle times for processing shots.

Check this links for pre-ordering the Canon G1 X:

[via 1001noisycameras.com]

When will Canon jump on the mirror-less bandwagon?

Not yet, as it seems.
A interview recently given by Mr. M. Tian Rong Jin, Managing Director of Canon Image Communication Division, may shed some light on the reasons Canon still did not deliver a mirror-less camera. The interview is in Japanese (click here) and the Google translation is rather messy (click here), but some information can be grasped.

  • The main message is that Canon was forced to change plans and schedules because of the earthquake in Japan and the flooding in Thailand. In both cases production facilities were heavily damaged. This caused delays not only in development but also in research. Production should have been returned to normal standards at the end of December 2011
  • Priority goes to image quality first and then to smaller and more compact devices (where the mirror-less paradigm could be the right approach)
  • Miniaturization of DSLR cameras with EF mounts is a target (and is in progress)
  • The EF system is still considered strategically important by Canon
  • Canon is working on a mirror-less system, and will most probably deliver in 2012

In the meantime, have a look if you can get the brand new Canon G1 X: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA