Speedlite 600EX-RT hands-on review and tech explained

While everyone is talking (and probably dreaming) about the EOS 5D Mark III, it is not the only new gear announced by Canon. Pro photographers are looking with interest at the Speedlite 600EX-RT. pixsylated.com tested the 600EX-RT and the new ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter and posted a review about:

Canonistas, hold your heads high. Again, we are on the cutting edge of technology. Welcome to the future of Speedliting!

Other highlighted features of the 600EX-RT are
  • 5 Groups / Individual Control
  • Larger, Brighter LCD
  • Interactive Menu System
  • Dedicated Wireless Button
  • 15 Channels, 10,000 Wireless IDs, and a Channel Scanner
  • Wider & Longer Zoom
Read the hands-on review clicking here.
Moreover, I found a noteworthy post about the new Speedlite 600EX-RT by Canon Digital Learning Center. This is a more technical introduction to the features of the 600EX-RT (click here).
The  Speedlite 600EX-RT is available for pre-orders:

 

Jeff Ascough’s hands-on Review of the #EOS5DMarkIII

«So are there any negatives to owning this camera? Maybe just one. You will lose the ability to blame the camera for any shortcomings in your own photographic ability. The camera is what every Canon user has been waiting for and then some.»

That’s what you call a clear statement! :-)

More points of Mr. Ascough’s hands-on review of a pre-production Canon EOS 5D Mark III…

  • The body is much more solid than the 5D Mark II
  • There is no perceptible shutter lag
  • The viewfinder is a world away from the 5D Mark II
  • Chimpers will love the new LCD (as will the video guys)
  • [AF] is on a completely different planet to the 5D Mark
  • [Canon] addressed every issue that we had with the 5D Mark II

The article can be read clicking here. There are also some sample pics. More 5D3 sample pics by Jeff Ascough can be seen on the CPN website clicking here (look for “Canon ambassador Jeff Ascough” on the right, in the “showcase” section).

Don’t miss the continuously updated EOS 5D Mark III page (click here) with lot’s of sample pics and movies, hands-on reviews, video, pre-order options and all the information you may want about Canon’s new FF cam.

[via JA]

Another roundup of G1 X sample pics & SD card write speed

As I wrote in a previous post, I like to see sample pics taken by non professionals. It is helpful to judge a camera’s performance. Let’s say it is a way to see what a cam can do in a “real world” setting.

So, let’s start with a series of pics shot during a concert in low light conditions, all with ISO 6400 (click here). The camera setting are Tv mode @ 1/100 shutter speed, all pics are RAW.

Next, have a look at these ISO 3200 pics (click here).

Finally, some curios user measured the write performance on SD memory cards:

SanDisk Extreme Pro (95MB/s): 21 seconds.
SanDisk Extreme III (30MB/s): 21 seconds.
SanDisk: Ultra II (15MB/s): 22 seconds.

Click here to see the forum post.

For pre-ordering in the USA check the following links: Amazon US (click here) free shipping, Adorama (click here) free shipping, B&H (click here) free shipping, J&R (click here). Readers from outside the US can start to check the following links to see if pre-ordering is possible: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA. The G1 X is now too (check these offers with the necessary awareness).

[via dpreview Canon forum]

Noise comparison: G1 X vs G12

The guys at cameralabs.com made a ISO noise comparison using a studio shot. Results are interesting while not really surprising: it is known that Canon’s new toy performs rather well at high ISO settings (yes, I know: you all are aware the G1 X sports a sensor near the size of an APS-C). But we are all curios to see high ISO shots of the G1 X, aren’t we? ;-)
The basic settings for the test is described as follows:

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions I shot this scene with the Canon PowerShot G1 X and its ‘predecessor’, the PowerShot G12 within a few moments of each other using their best quality JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings.

Both cameras were set to f4 in Aperture Priority and the lenses adjusted to deliver the same field of view. The ISO sensitivity was set manually, apart from in the final row of crops where the G1 X was set to Handheld Night Scene and the G12 to Low Light mode. Note in the crops below, the G1 X was using its default Standard Noise Reduction setting.

Check the review clicking here

For pre-ordering in the USA check the following links: Amazon US (click here) free shipping, Adorama (click here) free shipping, B&H (click here) free shipping, J&R (click here). Readers from outside the US can start to check the following links to see if pre-ordering is possible: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA. The G1 X is now too. Check these offers with the necessary awareness.

More G1 X Sample Pics and Review

You may wonder why I am posting so much sample pics posted in forums. I will tell you. While sample pics shot by professionals (studio samples etc) are a valuable resource to judge a camera’s performance, I am very often curious to see what normal people (i.e. people like you and me) can do with a camera. It often gives me some good hints about what you can obtain from camera in everyday’s use, how well the build-in software performs, and so on.

That’s why I have three more forum posts with G1 X sample pics (at different ISO settings): click here and click here and click here to see them.

There are also a new review for you to check. It is in German (click here), and they have also a fairly large amount of pics, both of the cam itself and sample pics (click here).

Enjoy watching and reading!

For pre-ordering in the USA check the following links: Amazon US (click here) free shipping, Adorama (click here) free shipping, B&H (click here) free shipping, J&R (click here). Readers from outside the US can start to check the following links to see if pre-ordering is possible: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA. The G1 X is now too. Check these offers with the necessary awareness.