Sony rumored to be so scared by Canon to work on 50MP camera [CW4]

Eos 5ds R

Our friends at Sony Alpha Rumors got a tip that Sony is actively developing a DSLR with over 50MP. This is clearly an answer to Canon’s recent and impressing technical advancement with the EOS 5Ds and EOS 5Ds R DSLRs. The EOS 5Ds and EOS 5Ds R are competing in the domain of medium format cameras, and they are of outstanding technical quality and deliver industry leading image quality. Something Sony is likely deeply disliking.

Sony fans are obviously hoping this 50MP Sony DSLR will produce the same outstanding image quality as the EOS 5Ds and EOS 5Ds R (and any Canon DSLR for that matter). I doubt this is something Sony is able to achieve in an easy way. The Sony Alpha a7RII and Alpha a7SII are innovative products, packed with advanced tech and all sort of gimmicks, but are by no way the professional tools Sony want us to believe they are.

[via Sony Alpha Rumors]

Canon Rebel SL2 to be announced January 2016? [CW3]

Rebel SL2

I got a hint (thanks) that the Canon Rebel SL2 may be announced in January 2016. CES 2016 is happening in January 2016, so it makes some sense.

Most of us were expecting the Rebel SL2 to be announced in Fall 2015, But it didn’t happen. The replacement for the Rebel SL1 is long overdue, a January 2016 announcement is likely.

No specs so far, at least not from sources I can really trust. However, sorting out all the hints, I put together a list of specs that are at least plausible.

  • 24MP, same sensor as T6i/T6s
  • Smaller than SL1
  • Wireless battery charging, old charger still supplied and works as before
  • 19 point AF system
  • Hybrid CMOS AF III
  • Digic 6
  • New battery type

There will be more soon, stay tuned…

[UPDATE] Canon EOS 80D gets another mention, still rumored to have 28MP, beta units undergoing tests? [CW3]

Canon EOS 70D Deals

Update (11/16/15): Some rumor sites are claiming the Canon EOS 80D may be announced in January 2016. This is bs, a fake rumor! There will be no EOS 80D announcement in January. The EOS 80D will most likely be announced in Summer 2016.

I got a new hint for the upcoming EOS 80D (expected Summer 2016). The EOS 80D’s shape will be barely indistinguishable from the EOS 70D. The previously rumored 28MP sensor was mentioned again. Needless to say, Dual Pixel AF will be on board. I also got hints about new video modes. I am investigating (no 4K to expect).

The source also stated that early beta units of the EOS 80D are undergoing first tests. If the the supposed announcement date of Summer 2016 is to believe, then it’s plausible Canon may start beta-testing the EOS 80D now.

I am trying to get a picture of the EOS 80D AF system but will retain the suggestions I got until I get a better picture. The 80D’s AF  will likely be more evolved than the AF on the 70D but for sure not the  same as on the upcoming EOS-1D X Mark II. I am working to sort out rumors sent by people trying to give a hint from those coming from people trying to spam my inbox.

Stay tuned.

Yet another pro-level EOS M rumor (new APS-C sensor, and anything else you may wish) [CW3]

Eos M3

We had many rumors about a pro-level EOS M camera. Here is another one, surfacing at the right time.

I’ve had a hard time to assign a credibility rating to this rumor. In some ways it looks too good to be true, and it could also be seen as a sum-up of all the earlier pro-level EOS M rumors. On the other hand, it could also be real. I decided for a CW3, since anything stated in the rumor has a fair chance to be true. Given the many fake rumors that are sent around to a lot of people, I strongly recommend you take it with a big grain of salt. Let’s see what the key features of the rumored pro-level EOS M camera are:

  1. Expanding the EF-M system
  2. First ConnectedCamera device
  3. New technology sensor (APS-C)
  4. Built in EEVF viewfinder
  5. Pro level AF performance
  6. Best in class video capability
  7. Pro build quality with enhanced ergonomics
  8. Wider support for the EF lens family

As for 1), we already know that Canon will announce new EF-M lenses. Masaya Maeda himself stated it. The most liley candidate is a 35mm f/1.8 STM lens. I have no idea what 2) means. The EOS M3 has WiFi and NFC on board. No idea what a “ConnectedCamera device” means, if not WiFi and NFC. Point 3) suggests Canon may introduce a new APS-C sensor. This is not only plausible, but entirely likely. It has to be seen what we can expect by the suggested “new technology”. A higher resolution sensor with Dual Pixel AF would fit into “new technology”, so do not expect miracles on the sensor front. 4) is rumored since Canon released their first mirrorless camera. Generally speaking, points 4) to 7) seem to be informed wishful thinking. It’s what we all hope Canon will deliver with their pro-level MILC. Point 8) is interesting, since it could point to a new EF/EF-S to EF-M adapter. We spotted a pertinent patent for such an adapter, with improved AF speed.

It’s claimed the above bits come from an internal presentation. I can’t help but to me this sounds pretty much like wishful thinking. Don’t get me wrong, anything listed above may find its way into a professional Canon mirrorless camera. It’s just that it is exactly what we all were asking for, and what we are reading on the web since years, rumor after rumor. Let’s just hope it’s true and Canon will soon back it up. Another interesting point: the rumor says the alleged pro-level EOS M will be seen after the EOS M3 got an update. If I got it right, it means we will see this pro-level EOS M after Canon released the successor of the EOS M3. So, we may see two new APS-C EOS M models next year (both above the EOS M10), and one full-frame model too. It’s getting crowded.

Along with the same rumor came also a mention that the Canon EOS 6D Mark II may be announced at Photokina 2016 (in September, the 6D2 has always been rumored to be announced Q1-Q2 2016), and that Canon will extend 4K video to more devices (EOS 5D Mark IV?).

Our latest rumor concerning the EOS M system suggests Canon’s full-frame mirrorless camera is delayed because of mount-related issues.

Do you think this is a reliable rumor? Your thoughts are welcome…

Canon FF mirrorless camera mock-up by David Riesenberg
Canon mirrorless camera concept by David Riesenberg
[via NI]

Canon EF-M 15mm f/2 STM lens for EOS M coming in 2016? [CW1]

EF-M 15-45mm F/3.5-6.3 IS STM

I have been told (thanks) that Canon may announce an EF-M 15mm f/2 STM lens for the EOS M system, somewhen in Q1-Q2 2016.

While 15mm on an APS-C sensor are equivalent to 24mm on full-frame sensor, and hence resolve to a “classic” focal lenght, I do not think this rumor is reliable. However, I am pretty sure Canon will announce an EF-M 35mm f/1.8 STM lens in 2016. We were first to report this rumor, and it appears there is a lot of people who likes it, at least according to the many sites that picked up the rumor after it was posted on CW.

Enjoy live!

Steve

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II will not be announced in 2015, has dual DIGIC7 and dual cFast [CW2]

EOS-1D X

After a long row of rumors suggesting the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II will be announced in Q4 2015, the rumors mill is now stating the EOS-1D X Mark II will come in 2016, before NAB (which happens in April 2016).

The announcement date is one thing, the specs another. There are still very few specs that leaked, and even less of these are reliable. However, the latest has it as follows. The EOS-1D X Mark II is said to feature dual DIGIC7 processors and dual cFast memory slots. That’s all.

Take it with a grain of salt. An EOS-1D X Mark II announcement in 2016 is an almost safe bet (CW4), the specs are plausible speculations (CW2). But after all those rumors suggesting an imminent announcement of the EOS-1D X Mark II, I would add some extra amount of salt to the usual doses.

For the time being the EOS-1D X Mark II is rumored to have the following specs:

  • 24MP
  • 14 fps in RAW mode
  • 4K video
  • Dual DIGIC7
  • Dual cFast memory slots

Keep in mind that the EOS-1D X Mark II is Canon’s full-frame flagship, the top of the line. Whatever specs it will have, it will be another killer DSLR made for the most demanding pros. Given how secretive Canon has become, do not expect to see some reliable specs until the last weeks before the announcement.

Enjoy life!

[via CR]