Possible Supply Shortage For Canon (and others) After Fire Hits Circuit Manufacturer

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The global pandemic already affected the supply chains of camera manufacturers (the EOS R5 announcement was delayed many times). Now a massive fire at a Japanese chip manufacturers might have made things worse.

A three-day fire broke out on October 20 at the AKM Semiconductor factory in Japan. AKM supplies most Japanese camera manufacturers. Inside Imaging reports that

AKM is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), including digital-to-analog converters (DACs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), as well as other components used in the manufacture of  consumer and professional products in the audio and appliance industries.

While it’s not clear at time of writing exactly which components camera manufacturers are sourcing from AKM, the factory made ADC chips which take analog audio from a microphone and converts it to the digital signal that a camera records when shooting video. Just as smartphones are now cameras, cameras are increasingly becoming sophisticated, broadcast-quality audio recording devices, and the connection with a supplier like AKM is by no means peripheral.

The fire destroyed the factory, which won’t be back in production for at least six months and perhaps as long as one year, according to reports.

The fire affects Nikon and Sony too, apparently. Insider Imaging’s article, which is dated 11/24, ends stating that they have been told:

that Canon, Nikon and Sony have already pulled back support for Black Friday promotions ‘as there will be a shortage of stock due to fire in (the) Japan factory,’ according to the source.

So, I didn’t notice or hear of any pulled back support for Black Friday. More information about the fire at AKM can be found here.

[via SiteThatOftenTakesAndNeverCites]

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

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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

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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

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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