Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* First Impression (it’s “scharf”)

Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 OtusZeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus

Scharf is a German word that can mean “sharp” or “hot”, depending by the context. That’s the notion Roger Cicala starts his review of the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* lens – Zeiss’ latest $4000 optical marvel:

After testing our first copies of the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus lens I felt the term scharf was just perfect to describe this lens.

It’s a pity they tested the lens on a Nikon instead of a Canon. However, I think the test is interesting anyway. About building and handling:

I can’t say what you’ll think of the appearance, but I love it. Very sleek and minimalist. The focus ring has the typical smooth Zeiss throw with a cinema-like 248-degree rotation. I found it extremely accurate.

In the conclusion Roger writes:

I won’t try to say whether the Otus is worth $4,000 to you. But I can certainly say that Zeiss did what they said they had done: gave it exceptional performance even in the corners at widest aperture. From a resolution standpoint, it is, as Zeiss said it would be, “the absolute best SLR lens in the world today.”

As written before, this is a $4000 lens – not everyone’s toy. Check the price and availability of the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus
Shot with a Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* – Image courtesy: lensrentals.com

[via lensrentals]

Interview With Canon Cinema EOS Global Product Manager (and EOS C100 Dual Pixel AF Test Video)

The interview was taken at Inter BEE 2013 by newsshooter’s site editor Dan Chung. The video above is a 25 minutes interview with Mr. Yoshinari Onda, Canon Cinema EOS global product manager. Mr. Onda is in charge of the Canon Cinema EOS line since the beginning, in the video he gives some insights about the development of the EOS C100, EOS C300, EOS C500, and EOS-1D C cameras.

The video below shows how the Dual Pixel CMOS AF works on the EOS C100. As you most probably know, Canon is going to offer a paid upgrade for the EOS C100 in order to have the ground-breaking Dual Pixel AF on board. The video below shows how the Dual Pixel AF performs on the C100. It’s the first I have seen so far. If you want the Dual Pixel AF but can’t afford a C100, there is always the Canon EOS 70D, the DSLR where Canon introduced their innovative auto-focus technology.

[via newsshooter]

First ISO 80000 Tests on Canon EOS C100 and C300 (new firmware)

Italian film maker Aldo Ricci made the little video above to test the new firmware updates for the Canon EOS C100 and EOS C300. Among other things the firmware pushes max ISO up to 80000, and that’s what tested in the video. A Canon EOS 5D Mark III with an EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS lens were used. Settings: k4400, C LOG, no colour grade.

Unfortunately the firmware for the EOS C300 has been temporarily put offline because of a bug they found.

The firmware update has yet to be released for the EOS C500. However, the guys over at cinema5d could test a pre-release version of the firmware during IBC in September.

Canon EOS 70D Review (Best of Year Award 2013)

EOS 70D Review
Image courtesy: reviewed.com

Reviewed.com (formerly DigitalCameraInfo.com) reviewed the Canon EOS 70D. The EOS 70D got two awards: the “Editor’s Choice” and “Best of Year”. I could not agree more with their conclusion:

Ultimately, this [the EOS 70D] is still the best all-around DSLR in this price segment, pending our test of the Pentax K-3. The video quality is top notch, the still image quality only suffers in extreme low light, and Dual Pixel AF offers a usability advantage that nobody else can match. For a consumer-level shooter or hobbyist that wants a durable, control-laden DSLR that can do video and stills equally well, the 70D is the choice to beat. That said, the 70D still feels like a bit of a missed opportunity; had Canon simply matched their competition and included a headphone jack and a second card slot, this would be a slam dunk selection across the board. As it stands it’s still an impressive update that improves on the 60D in many ways, but there’s certainly room for future improvement.

About the Dual Pixel AF they write:

Dual Pixel AF is a massive upgrade over previous DSLR video efforts. In the DSLR video revolution, this is the storming of the Bastille. Even cameras that offer integrated phase-detect on sensors aren’t this smooth, as they only draw from maybe 100 points at most. For the 70D, having the entire sensor feeding autofocus information results in simple, accurate AF with none of the hitches that have tripped up previous DSLRs

If you are interested in knowing more, there is an interview with the engineers behind the EOS 70D and its revolutionary AF system.

The review is divided in the following sections:

  1. Introduction
  2. Design and Features
  3. Performance
  4. The Science
  5. Comparisons
  6. Conclusion

and delivers all the information and knowledge you may need.

Canon EOS 70D: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

EOS 70D

[via reviewed.com]

Canon EOS 70D Review (Digital Camera Review)

Digital Camera Review posted their review of Canon’s latest mid-range APS-C DSLR, the Canon EOS 70D. Image quality for stills is good, as much as the other features of the 70D, but where the EOS 70D really excels is the Dual Pixel Auto-Focus, especially when it comes to video. In the conclusion they write:

Switch the 70D into video mode […] and all bets are off. While the 60D didn’t offer continuous AF for video capture, the 70D does so, and does so with a vengeance. Continuous AF shooting video with the 70D is simply the best DSLR performance I have ever had my hands on, regardless of camera brand. I don’t shoot a lot of video with my personal DSLRs, but the AF system of the 70D has the potential to make even a video novice like me look like they know what they’re doing. Canon has had good video image quality for a while now in their DSLRs, but the introduction of this AF system raises their video performance to another level.

The pros according to the reviewer:

  • Good still image quality
  • Good ISO noise performance
  • Latest generation processing engine and technology
  • Touchscreen monitor offers quick control response
  • Exceptional DSLR video performance due to continuous AF

Sample pics and test charts can be seen here, images of the camera here. Final rating 4.5/5.

Canon EOS 70D
B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

EOS 70D