A Bit Of Everything (EOS R5/R6 memory card speed tests, EOS C70, Luminar AI, color grading)

Above: Canon Explorer of Light Challenge: Zak Noyle vs. Onne van der Wal

Best memory cards for the Canon EOS R5 – Alik Griffin

Best memory cards for the Canon EOS R6 – Alik Griffin

B&H Photo has a huge list of Canon cameras and lenses and other gear with discounts.

Why Canon is Winning Full-Frame Mirrorless – PetaPixel

The Canon EOS C70, a ‘Fantastic Cinema Camera’ With a Few Downsides – Fstoppers

Fstoppers reviews the Canon EOS R5 – Fstoppers

Hand-picked Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals are listed here (some still live).

Our favorite gear, rewarded: DPReview Awards 2020 – DPReview

Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS lens review – Nightscape Photographer

Below: First look at Skylum Luminar AI by Anthony Morganti

Below: The Evolution Of Camera Shutter Sounds by Ace Noguera

Below: Secrets of color-grading in photography by Joanna Kustra

This Seriously Skilled Guy Watercooled A Canon EOS R5, And Then Found A Better Solution

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Here is a incredibly cool Canon EOS R5 hack, performed by a very talented guy with solid engineering skills (take this as a warning: don’t do it at home).

The guys behind DIY Perks have disassembled a Canon EOS R5 and applied a water-cooling system to the camera’s motherboard. Unlimited 8K recording time is achieved, no more overheating. However, the water-cooling hack as neat as it is, is a gimmick. These guys did far better.

Since a water cooled EOS R5 would be rather impractically out in the field, DIY Perks came up with a better idea and did some serious thermal engineering. They custom-made a copper heat sink and applied it with thermal paste (not thermal tape) to the CPU and DRAM chips on the camera’s motherboard. In environments that are not too hot this allows for continuous video recording without impairing the handling of the EOS R5. A small fan can be applied to the back of the R5 when it is used in warmer places. A professional looking solution that works.

  • canon eos r5
    Carefully crafted, this is the copper plate
  • canon eos r5
    The copper plate does the magic

The video below shows all steps and is very interesting. Kudos to the guys at DIY Perks.

Canon EOS R5 reviews are listed here, for EOS R6 reviews 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. User manual are available for download for the EOS R5 and the EOS R6.

Canon EOS R5: [shoplist 62744]

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Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II Lens Released

Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II
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Born again Meyer-Optik Gorlitz released a new lens for various mount types, the Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II.

The Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II is available for the Canon EF mount (among others).

Mounts:Canon EF, Fuji X, Leica M, M42, MFT, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony E
Aperture:f1.9 – f16
Focal length:75mm
Filter diameter:52mm
Minimum object distance:0,75 m
Rangefinder Coupling for Leica:no (focusing must be done via LiveView)

The Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II sells at $999: B&H Photo.

Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II Overview

Characterized by its speed and portrait-length field of view, the Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II from Meyer-Optik Gorlitz is a sophisticated, yet simple prime for Canon EF-mount cameras. The bright f/1.9 maximum aperture pairs well with the short telephoto focal length to allow working with shallow depth of field and selective focusing techniques, and the fast aperture also benefits working in difficult lighting conditions. Its manual focus design further offers control when focusing down to 2.5′, and a 14-blade diaphragm contributes to a smooth bokeh quality. The five elements, four groups optical design makes use of Schott glass for a high degree of clarity, and an O’Hara Anti Reflex Coating has also been applied to limit flare and surface reflections for improved contrast and color accuracy. Additionally, the lens features an anodized aluminum housing that is durable, lightweight, and contributes to smooth, silent focusing performance.

  • Portrait-length prime is designed for full-frame Canon EF-mount cameras, however it can also be used on APS-C models where it will provide a 120mm equivalent focal length.
  • Fast f/1.9 maximum aperture allows for extensive control over depth of field, for working with selective focus techniques, and also benefits working in low-light conditions.
  • Inspired by the original Cooke triplet optical design, this lens uses a five elements, four groups layout in which the central dispersion element is surrounded by two groups of converging elements, and the rear element has a biconvex converging design to produce notable smoothness and clarity.
  • Schott glass is used for high clarity and contrast, and each of the elements feature an O’Hara Anti Reflex Coating to suppress lens flare and ghosting for color neutrality.
  • Manual focus design permits working with subjects as close as 2.5′ away.
  • Fourteen diaphragm blades contribute to a smooth bokeh quality.
  • Front 52mm filter thread is consistent throughout the Meyer-Optik Gorlitz version II lens series.

RF 800mm & 600mm F/11 First Of Their Kind, RF 400mm f/8 Might Follow Soon, Canon Exec

canon rf 600mm f/11 review
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The Canon RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 are the first of their kind, more lenses will follow, and the first one might the RF 400mm f/8.

Mynavi.jp posted an interview with Canon developers. The discussed topic include the reasons for the RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 lenses, and some interesting things can be found.

Canon wanted to release lenses similar to the RF 800mm and 600mm f/11 also for the EF mount, but auto-focus was an issue:

In the days of manual focus film SLR cameras, there were many lenses such as the 500mm F8 reflex (mirror lens). However, when the viewfinder screen for focusing is split, it is difficult to see because the open value is as dark as F8, and in reality it was difficult to focus. This lens has a darker F11 opening value, but it can be said that it was born because of the EOS R, which can use high-speed and high-precision AF even at such an opening value.

Even more interesting is a statement by one of the developers clearly that the RF 800mm and RF 600mm f/11 are just the first of a series. The first lens to follow appears to be a RF 400mm f/8:

[…] Of course, 400mm is included when it comes to super-telephoto lenses, but first of all, 600mm and 800mm have a greater impact, and I think it’s a great pleasure to shoot things that I couldn’t shoot before, so the first one is in this lineup. Did. The 400mm will be as small as the 600mm and 800mm, and I think it will be an attractive lens. I would like to think positively whether it is better to make a series depending on how much the 600mm and 800mm echoes are.

The interview (machine translated) also discusses the RF 85mm f/2 Macro, and the EOS R5 and R6 from a general point of view.

[via Digicame-Info]

Canon Officially Confirms Ransomware Attack, Says Employee Data Was Stolen

ibis canon rumors canon full frame mirrorless canon PowerShot G7 X canon eos 90d coronavirus
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Some months ago Canon USA was victim of a ransomware hacking attack. We reported about this incident.

Canon has finally released an official statement about the hacking attack. It turns out that information concerning past and current employees was stolen by the hackers, as employees’ names, social security number, date of birth, driver’s license number, government-issued ID, bank account number, and their electronic signature.

Canon statement about the ransomware attack:

Notice of Data Security Incident

Canon understands the importance of protecting information. We are informing current and former employees who were employed by Canon U.S.A., Inc. and certain subsidiaries, predecessors, and affiliates1 from 2005 to 2020 and those employees’ beneficiaries and dependents of an incident that involved some of their information. This notice explains the incident, measures we have taken, and steps you can take in response.

We identified a security incident involving ransomware on August 4, 2020. We immediately began to investigate, a cybersecurity firm was engaged, and measures were taken to address the incident and restore operations.  We notified law enforcement and worked to support the investigation.  We also implemented additional security measures to further enhance the security of our network.

We determined that there was unauthorized activity on our network between July 20, 2020 and August 6, 2020.  During that time, there was unauthorized access to files on our file servers. We completed a careful review of the file servers on November 2, 2020 and determined that there were files that contained information about current and former employees from 2005 to 2020 and their beneficiaries and dependents. The information in the files included the individuals’ names and one or more of the following data elements: Social Security number, driver’s license number or government-issued identification number, financial account number provided to Canon for direct deposit, electronic signature, and date of birth. 

We wanted to notify our current and former employees and their beneficiaries and dependents of this incident and to assure them that we take it seriously.  As a precaution, we have arranged for them to receive a complimentary membership to Experian’s® IdentityWorksSM credit monitoring service. This product helps detect possible misuse of an individual’s information and provides the individual with identity protection services.  IdentityWorksSM is completely free to the individual, and enrolling in this program will not hurt the individual’s credit score. If you are a current or former employee, or the beneficiary or dependent of a current or former employee, and would like more information on IdentityWorksSM, including instructions on how to activate your complimentary membership, please call our dedicated call center for this incident at 1-833-960-3574.  For information on additional steps you can take in response, please see the additional information provided below.

We regret that this occurred and apologize for any inconvenience.  If you have additional questions, please call 1-833-960-3574, Monday through Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Eastern Time.

1This notice is being provided by or on behalf of Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the following subsidiaries, predecessors, and affiliates: Canon BioMedical, Inc., Canon Business Solutions-Central, Inc., Canon Business Solutions-Mountain West, Inc., Canon Business Solutions-NewCal, Inc., Canon Business Solutions-Tereck, Inc., Canon Business Solutions-West, Inc., Canon Development Americas, Inc., Canon Financial Services, Inc., Canon Information and Imaging Solutions, Inc., Canon Information Technology Systems, Inc., Canon Latin America, Inc., Canon Medical Components U.S.A., Inc., Canon Software America, Inc., Canon Solutions America, Inc., Canon Technology Solutions, Inc., Canon U.S. Life Sciences, Inc., NT-ware USA, Inc., Océ Imaging Supplies, Inc., Océ Imagistics Inc., Océ North America, Inc., Océ Reprographic Technologies Corporation, and Virtual Imaging, Inc.

ADDITIONAL STEPS YOU CAN TAKE

We remind you it is always advisable to be vigilant for incidents of fraud or identity theft by reviewing your account statements and free credit reports for any unauthorized activity. You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. To order your annual free credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting companies is as follows:

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to believe your personal information has been misused, you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Attorney General’s office in your state. You can obtain information from these sources about steps an individual can take to avoid identity theft as well as information about fraud alerts and security freezes. You should also contact your local law enforcement authorities and file a police report. Obtain a copy of the police report in case you are asked to provide copies to creditors to correct your records. Contact information for the Federal Trade Commission is as follows: 

  • Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), www.ftc.gov/idtheft 

photokina Photographic Show Suspended For Indefinite Time

Photokina 2020 coronavirus
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Well that comes unexpected, despite the global pandemic. Koelnmesse, the organizer of the show, announced that “photokina at Cologne location [is] suspended for the time being”.

Press release:

photokina will be suspended until further notice

After 70 years, decreases in the imaging market force a hard cut

In view of the further massive decline in markets for imaging products, Koelnmesse has decided to discontinue organising photokina at its Cologne location for the time being. “Unfortunately, at present the framework conditions in the industry do not provide a viable basis for the leading international trade fair for photography, video and imaging,” according to Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. “This hard cut after a 70-year shared history was very difficult for us. The trend in this industry, with which we have always had a close and trusting partnership, is very painful for us to witness. But we are facing the situation with a clear, honest decision against continuing this event, a decision to which, unfortunately, we have no alternative.”

Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, the imaging market was already subject to strong upheaval, with annual declines in the double digits. The momentum in this direction intensified massively in 2020, most recently reporting a decline in the 50-percent range. Recently, these developments have had a profound effect on photokina, which – in Cologne since 1950 – for generations has been the top address for the imaging industry and ranks among the most favourably and emotionally charged brands in the trade fair world.

Since 2014, Koelnmesse, together with the German Photo Industry Association, has taken its cue from downward market trends, responding with adjustments to the underlying concept of the trade fair as well as considerable investment in new exhibitor and visitor segments. “These changes in conceptual design, along with a shift in intervals and a change of dates, did not fundamentally improve the situation of the event,” says Oliver Frese, Management Board member and Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse. “While there are more photographs taken today than ever before, the integration of smartphone photography and videography, together with image-based communication, e.g. via social media, was not able to cushion the elimination of large segments of the classic market. As a result, the overall situation is not compatible with the quality standards of photokina as a globally renowned brand representing the highest quality and professionalism in the international imaging market.”

Koelnmesse has made its decision in close coordination with the German Photo Industry Association. Kai Hillebrandt, Chairman of that association, remarked: “Our partners in Cologne have done everything in their power to maintain photokina as the leading global trade fair. Nonetheless, an event held in 2022 could not have met the expectations of the entire imaging community that those efforts were intended to serve. That is why we, on behalf of our association, are joining them in taking this regrettably unavoidable step. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the team in Cologne for a tremendous 70 years together!”