Nikon Announces Retro Looking Nikon Z fc Mirrorless Camera

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No Canon EOS R3 today, but Nikon released a new mirrorless camera with APS-C sensor, the Nikon Z fc.

At a glance:

  • 20.9MP DX-Format CMOS Sensor
  • EXPEED 6 Image Processor
  • UHD 4K and Full HD Video Recording
  • Eye Autofocus
  • Built-In Wi-Fi
  • USB Type-C Connectivity

Preorder are available starting at $965.95: [shoplist 66579]

Nikon press release:

Nikon releases the Z fc DX-format mirrorless camera

A heritage-design model that further enhances the joy of shooting and ownership

TOKYO – Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of the APS-C size (Nikon DX-format) Nikon Z fc mirrorless camera, as well as two lenses: a silver-color variation of the standard zoom NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, and the prime NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 (SE) special edition lens for which a heritage design that matches the Z fc body has been adopted.
Details regarding the NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 (SE) can be found in the following press release, issued today: https://www.nikon.com/news/2021/0629_lens_02.htm

The Z fc is the first Z-series camera to adopt a heritage design, while simultaneously supporting various advanced features. In addition to the enjoyment of shooting great stills and videos, it is designed with particular attention paid to delivering the pride and joy of ownership. Its compact, lightweight body is highly portable but packs superb operability and rendering capability, making it easy to handle even for first-time mirrorless camera users.

The Z fc’s exterior adopts a heritage design inspired by the iconic Nikon FM2 SLR film camera released in 1982. It features a Nikon logo from the 1970-80s as well as a body size and dial positions that are similar to the FM2. It also incorporates a circular eyepiece, and three dials and a display panel on the top body: the passion of this heritage design is present everywhere. Furthermore, two lenses that match the Z fc’s heritage style will also be released.

The letter “f” in the Z fc’s name is a reference to models with symbolic importance in Nikon’s history, while also being inspired by the word “fusion,” representing the coming together of tactile precision mechanics and high image quality. The letter “c”, meanwhile, conveys Nikon’s wish for this camera, with all its inherited tradition, to be used by anyone, anywhere, “casually”.

Nikon will continue to pursue a new dimension in optical performance while meeting users’ needs, contributing to the development of imaging culture, with the hope of expanding possibilities for imaging expression.

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Canon Announces The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS Lens, Sells At $1699

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As anticipated yesterday, no Canon EOS R3 announcement today. However, the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS is finally here and it sells at a bit more than I thought ($1,699).

Preorders are live at major resellers, the lens will ship in August 2021: [shoplist 66574]

Canon press release:

Canon Introduces New RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens Broadening Imaginative Possibilities For Still And Video

MELVILLE, NY, June 29, 2021– Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM lens. This dramatic new lens brings 14mm, ultra wide-angle coverage to full-frame EOS R-series users. On top of the ultra-wide capabilities, the 14-35mm zoom range is the broadest ever in a Canon wide-angle zoom for full-frame AF cameras. For many Canon users, one single lens can potentially handle all wide-angle needs, from vivid, creative ultra-wide imagery to traditional street photography.

The new wide-angle lens is designed for use within the expanding family of EOS R full-frame mirrorless cameras, including the upcoming EOS R3, currently in development. Whether you capture stills, video, or like many creatives today – both – this new wide-angle lens from Canon can help elevate users’ content game when capturing images or video in a wide variety of situations, such as landscape, architecture, and travel.

A compact overall design, and extremely modest overall weight of just 1.2 lbs. — along with excellent balance, during hand-held or even gimbal-mounted operation — add to RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM inviting character. A key feature, sure to appeal to many landscape and nature photographers, is this lens’s ability to accept conventional, 77mm screw-in filters. This is especially noteworthy on a lens for full-frame cameras with 14mm ultra-wide coverage. Additionally, the lens’s close-focusing capability is exceptional for an ultra-wide zoom of its type.

Image Stabilization further enhances the RF14-35mm’s appeal for low-light still imagery, and for steady yet striking wide video footage. Up to 5.5 stopsiof optical Image Stabilization is built-in, and Coordinated IS with cameras such as the EOS R6 and EOS R5 delivers up to 7 stopsiiof shake-correction. This can mean sharper hand-held images in low light, even at extremely slow shutter speeds.

The Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM lens features a bright, constant f/4 maximum aperture, L-Series optical construction — highlighted by three UD-glass elements, and three Aspherical elements — and many of the company’s most advanced proprietary lens coatings, including Sub-wavelength Structure Coating (SWC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC). These superb lens coatings help minimize ghosting and flaring. Lens placement and coatings are also optimized to help users get clear, high-contrast images, even when there is a bright light source either in, or immediately outside, the frame. Additional features of the Canon RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM include:

  • Compact design — Approximately 1.2 lbs. in weight.
  • Minimum focusing of 7.9 inches at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 0.38x at 35mm zoom setting.
  • Optical Image Stabilizer with up to 5.5 stopsi of shake correction.
  • Up to 7 stopsii of shake correction when paired with Canon EOS R series cameras that feature In-Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS).
  • High speed, smooth and quiet autofocus with Canon’s Nano USM.
  • Control Ring for direct setting changes of aperture, shutter speed, ISO speed and exposure compensation.
  • Superb dust and weather-resistance on par with other Canon L-series lenses.

Pricing and Availability
The Canon RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM lens is scheduled to be available in August 2021 for an estimated retail price of $1,699.00*. For additional information, please visit usa.canon.com.

While Waiting For The Canon EOS R3 Get Your Mouth Watering With These Images

Canon EOS R3
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We expect the Canon EOS R3 to get announced tomorrow, June 29, 2021. While it seems safe to assume that it will be the real thing, it might also be just another development announcement. Let’s hope not.

In the meantime check the large set of hands-on pictures posted by Photography Blog.

canon eos r3
The Canon EOS R3 (image © photographyblog.com, used with permission)

Here are are the known and rumored EOS R3 specification in one list:

  • 30.1mp backside illuminated image sensor (resolution is not confirmed yet)
  • Multi-Controller & Smart Controller
  • Vari-Angle Touch Screen
  • NEW accessory shoe
  • Wifi 5GHz
  • High speed 30fps electronic shutter with AF/AE tracking + RAW shooting at this speed
  • AF down to -7.0 EV
  • 8 Stops Coordinated Control IS with Optical IS and In-Body IS
  • 4K Canon Log3​
  • Oversampling 4K
  • Internal RAW video
  • Inclusion of cars and motorbikes in AF tracking technology
  • RAW internal movie recording
  • Speedlite shooting with electronic shutter
  • The same weather sealing as the EOS-1D series
  • LP-E19 Battery
  • Dual card slot SD & CFExpress

All our Canon EOS R3 coverage is listed here, product images are here and here. There has been some discussion about who makes the imaging sensor of the EOS R3. You can get notified when the Canon EOS R3 will be available for preorder.

More about the EOS R3 after the break.

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Canon EOS R3 To Get Announced On June 29th, 2021?

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It seems the Canon EOS R3 is very close to get announced. Next week, indeed.

Canon Rumors reports that the Canon EOS R3 will be announced on June 29, 2021. Along with the R3 the RF 14-35mm f/4L IS lens will also get announced. These are the known and rumored EOS R3 specification in one list:

  • 30.1mp backside illuminated image sensor (A Canon first)
  • Multi-Controller & Smart Controller
  • Vari-Angle Touch Screen
  • NEW accessory shoe
  • Wifi 5GHz
  • High speed 30fps electronic shutter with AF/AE tracking + RAW shooting at this speed
  • AF down to -7.0 EV
  • 8 Stops Coordinated Control IS with Optical IS and In-Body IS
  • 4K Canon Log3​
  • Oversampling 4K
  • Internal RAW video
  • Inclusion of cars and motorbikes in AF tracking technology
  • RAW internal movie recording
  • Speedlite shooting with electronic shutter
  • The same weather sealing as the EOS-1D series
  • LP-E19 Battery
  • Dual card slot SD & CFExpress

It’s still unknown what the image sensor resolution will be. So far 45MP have been rumored but I wouldn’t bet on it. All our Canon EOS R3 coverage is listed here, product images are here and here. There has been some discussion about who makes the imaging sensor of the EOS R3. You can get notified when the Canon EOS R3 will be available for preorder.

More about the EOS R3 after the break.

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Here Is The First Commercial Canon EOS R5 Cooling Mod, Doubles 8K Times

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It had to come sooner or later, now here it is. The first commercial Canon EOS R5 cooling modification.

Kolari Vision known for filters and camera mods, announced their Canon EOS R5 cooling mod. Kolari claims that their mod doubles 8K video recording times and cuts recovery time by 66% at normal environment temperatures. Sounds impressing. Have a look at the table below. Kolari claims that with an environment temperature of 15°C (59 Fahrenheit) you’ll no longer get a time limit when recording 8K. At 20°C (69 Fahrenheit) you get 44 minutes and 25 minutes after recovery. Not bad, eh? However, as PetaPixel underlines, the mod will likely void your warranty.

Says Kolari Vision:

When the R5 was released, we also learned that it overheats quickly in 8K shooting and in some 4K modes. Initially this was handled through a timer chip in the camera independent of actual temperature.  After public backlash, Canon quickly released a new firmware that patched the timer issue and started actually using the camera temperature data instead, but even with this upgrade the performance boost was minor, for example at 20C instead of overheating after around 19 minutes, the new firmware allowed you to shoot around 25 minutes, and the recovery after overheating.

In several thermal analyses of the camera, the processor on the motherboard seemed to generate most of the heat. In the stock design, Canon places two thermal pads partially over the processor and pumps the heat into a small heatsink. That heatsink however sits under another board and does not vent heat anywhere further.

To remedy this problem, we took an R5 apart and designed a new heatsink to vent the heat from the processor to the camera case where it could dissipate faster. We tested aluminum initially, but eventually settled on a thick copper heatsink to transfer heat more efficiently.

This design draws heat out of the processor and brings it around the motherboard and out to the rear case where it transfers heat through a high efficiency thermal pad. This design is fully internal to the camera and maintains the weather sealing of the camera.

We tested the modified camera at 8K-D IPB 30FPS at 59F (15C) and 69F (20C). At 15C, the R5 never overheated in our hands. At 20C, where the stock camera last around 25 minutes, after our mod the camera lasts 44 minutes, almost two times the initial shooting duration. What’s even more important, is that the camera recovered a lot faster after it did overheat, giving more shooting time after a short recovery. With the stock camera, we could only get about 8 minutes of additional shooting after a 5 minute recovery, where the mod was able to shoot 25 minutes after the same 5 minute recovery, a 3 times faster overheating recovery.

Head over to Kolari Vision for the whole story…

Kolari offers a modification service for your Canon EOS R5 at the price of $400. You can also buy an already modified EOS R5 at $4,440. Instructions for DIY aficionados will follow later this year.

More Canon EOS R5 review stuff is listed here (many reviews), for EOS R6 review stuff see here. The EOS R5 is highly regarded as a stills camera. In particular, the EOS R5 autofocus system seems to be huge leap forwards. The official Canon EOS R5 user guide and manual are available for download: EOS R5, and for the EOS R6 too.

Canon EOS R5: [shoplist 62744]