A Canon Lens Is Never Too Old To Be Useful: Soldering Magnifier Hack

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Got an old Canon lens catching dust and are you into DIY hacks? Then this is for you. This is some serious hardware hacking.

A guy going by [Ad_w00000] on Instructables made a soldering magnifier using a Canon SLR zoom lens, the FD 70-210mm f/4, and the Canon Extender FD 2X-B.

[Ad_w00000] says:

Soldering was becoming more difficult for me and magnifying glasses weren’t much help. I saw on the net that someone used a zoom lens from cctv camera and attached it to a webcam. I didn’t have a cctv zoom lens. But I did have an SLR zoom lens! I liked the idea that there is alot of space between the lens and object. Space to work on. So I started this project. Besides I have lots of goodies lying around in my office and its getting more cluttered and now I got to use them up!

The whole thing is pretty complex and involves for sure some skills. For the Canon part of things, [Ad_w00000] took the lens out of the FD 2X-B extender. This allows to take off or change the lens without hassle. A recycled laptop webcam was fitted into a hole drilled into a Canon rear lens cap. Lens cap and lens mounted on the adapter.

The Canon FD 70-210mm f/4, with extender and mounted webcam (image courtesy of [Ad_w00000])

Curious? See everything explained step by step by [Ad_w00000] at Instructables. The story was spotted by hackaday. More Canon hacks are listed here.

If you want to learn more about this Canon vintage lens, check the video below by Mark Holtze.

Sigma Interview: Canon RF Mount is “discussed and researched”

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Mr. Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, is one of the more interesting personalities in the photo camera industry. Here is an interview he gave to DPReview.

DPReview interviewed Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki. A lot is about the Sigma fp and the L-mount. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

Q: What do you think are Sigma’s unique selling points right now as a camera manufacturer?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: I hope that customers try the fp and fp L and discover how much fun they are to use. They’re really small, really easy to take anywhere, and easy and intuitive to use. A small camera makes a big difference when it comes to real photographic experience. I’ve personally learned that using the fp for two years, and it’s what our fp customers are experiencing.

[…]

Q: Can we expect faster autofocus technologies such as linear motors in future Sigma lenses?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: Yes. That’s probably one of the most challenging technical issues facing all manufacturers. In general, if the motor has higher torque, and more power, it’s slower. Motors with less torque can move faster. So it’s a trade off between power and speed. We already use linear motors in some lenses, but finding the ideal motor for the mirrorless camera lenses are still challenging.

[…]

Q: Do you think the era of the DSLR is over?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: I personally like DSLRs, but I haven’t used one for probably around two years. I hope they stay in the market for a while longer because a lot of customers love optical viewfinders. But I expect they will be largely replaced in the near future.

[…]

Q: Can you update our readers on Sigma support for Canon RF mount and Nikon Z mount support?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: I am aware that there’s a very strong demand from customers for Canon RF and Nikon Z. We believe, too, as a lens manufacturer, that it’s our mission to support as many mounts as possible. We would like to support those mounts, and we’re discussing and researching.

Read the interview at DPReview…

Canon Is Field And Studio Lenses Provider For NBC Olympics

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Canon is very active at Olympics, providing gear for professionals. NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Olympic Games.

Canon press release:

NBC Olympics Selects Its Field And Studio Lenses Provider For Its Production Of Olympic Games In Tokyo

Canon to Assist NBC Olympics in Providing Viewers with Outstanding 4K UHD and HD Picture Quality During Its Coverage of Tokyo Olympics

STAMFORD, CT, June 7, 2021– NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, has selected Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, to provide a wide variety of 4K UHD and HD Field, Portable and Studio lenses for its production of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, which take place in Tokyo, Japan, from July 23 – August 8. The announcement was made today by Chip Adams, VP of Venue Engineering, NBC Olympics, and Kazuto Ogawa, President and CEO of Canon U.S.A., Inc.

A broad array of Canon broadcast lenses will be used, including the UHD-DIGISUPER 90 long-zoom field lens, which provides outstanding 4K UHD imagery. Canon’s 4K and HD lenses will be at every venue and studio in Tokyo, allowing viewers to see NBC Olympics’ presentation of all the action. In addition, Canon service technicians will be on-site in Tokyo to ensure that every piece of equipment is in peak operating condition at all times.

“We are honored to once again be able to showcase our finest broadcast digital imaging solutions and to be chosen as the broadcast lens provider for NBC Olympics,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and CEO, Canon U.S.A., Inc.

“With today’s multi-format camera systems, Canon has shown that it is on the forefront of providing advanced optics for today’s UHD and HDR capable cameras, which we are utilizing at the Olympic Games,” said Adams. “The images, equipment and the support we receive from Canon are always exceptional and we look forward to partnering with them again for the Tokyo Olympics.”

About NBC Olympics
A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Olympic Games. NBC Olympics is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympic Games through 2032. NBC Olympics also produces thousands of hours of Olympic sports programming throughout the year, which is presented on NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, Peacock and NBC Sports digital platforms.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Firmware 1.3.2 Has Been Removed From Downloads

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Thanks to the reader who tipped us with this.

The latest Canon EOS 5D Mark IV firmware version 1.3.2 has been removed from Canon sites. For the time being I have no idea what the reason might be. This is what Canon support says:

Thank you for contacting Canon. My name is ***** and I am happy to discuss firmware version 1.3.2 for the EOS 5D Mark IV.

We are aware of issues with firmware version 1.3.2 and that firmware update has currently been removed from our website. Once the firmware update is corrected it will be posed to the product page HERE. We are working to release the update as soon as possible. There is not a way to revert the camera to a previous firmware version, so it will need to be updated once the new version is released.

Anyone knows what the issue is?

Industry News: Fujifilm Suffers Cyber-attack, Shuts Down Servers

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Hackers hit Canon last year, now it’s Fujifilm that has been hacked. Again it’s a ransomware attack.

Fuji Rumors reports that Fujifilm disclosed a ransomware attack on their network and that there has been an unauthorized access to their servers. Apparently their servers have been infected by the Qbot trojan malware.

Fujifilm’s statement:

Notification of communication failure to customers

2021 12:00 Update June 2, 2021 20:00

FUJIFILM Corporation is currently carrying out an investigation into possible unauthorized access to its server from outside of the company. As part of this investigation, the network is partially shut down and disconnected from external correspondence.

We want to state what we understand as of now and the measures that the company has taken. In the late evening of June 1, 2021, we became aware of the possibility of a ransomware attack. As a result, we have taken measures to suspend all affected systems in coordination with our various global entities.

We are currently working to determine the extent and the scale of the issue. We sincerely apologize to our customers and business partners for the inconvenience this has caused.

More Talk About The New Canon EOS R3 Specifications

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Canon revealed a new (small) set of Canon EOS R3 specifications. Let’s see what they are about with the help of renowned camera reviewer.

Gordon Laing posted his impression about the newly revealed Canon EOS R3 specifications. Even better: he had the unique chance to have close look at the EOS R3. However, he was not allowed to turn the camera on or have a turned on camera in his hands. So most likely the EOS R3 was at least a preproduction model if not a prototype. Still, seeing the EOS R3 in person is still a good thing. In the video below he shares his impression.

New bits about the Canon EOS R3 came yesterday directly from Canon. We now know more about the specifications of the EOS R3. Here is what we learned yesterday from Canon:

  • Autofocus working down to -7.0 EV
  • Image stabilisation in lens + In Body Image Stabilisation deliver up to 8 EV
  • Head and eye detection have been improved
  • Autofocus detects eye, head and body
  • Autofous recognizes and tracks cars and motorcycles
  • Enhanced tracking for portrait and sports photography
  • CFExpress and SD cards
  • 4K Log 3 and 4K oversampling
  • RAW video internal recording
  • Video autofocus follows people, eyes, animals, and motorsports
  • Magnesium alloy body with weather sealing comparable to EOS-1D X series
  • 5Ghz WiFi
  • LP-E19 battery
  • New accessories for communication and power
  • File transfer supported via LAN and wireless

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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