This is how image stabilisation works on the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS

Canon EF 85mm F/1.4L IS
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Pre-orders are available at $1,599 at Adorama | B&H Photo | Amazon

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/32
  • One GMo Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere and Fluorine Coatings
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

Canon did good with the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS lens. Not only it is a lens many photographers were waiting for, it also comes to a pretty reasonable price ($1,599) for what it delivers.

The video below gives a 1 minute overview on how image stabilisation woks on the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS.

History and Science of lenses in a 25 minutes video

What’s behind the technology we put in front of our cameras, optical technology and engineering, and how did it evolve? If you have 25 minutes to spare then have a look at this educational video by Filmmaker IQ.

Learn the history of the lens and its optical design and science from the early beginning as a tool to light up a fire to the multitude and advanced technology of modern lens designs.

[via Mirrorless Rumors]

Canon EOS 6D Mark II seems to have less dynamic range than EOS 80D and EOS 6D

Canon Eos 6d Mark Ii Deal
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This might stir more disappointment than the ridicolous and boring discussion abut the lack of 4K in the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

A user of the Fred Miranda forum posted some test results he did on raw files shot with the EOS 6D Mark II. According to this figures the EOS 6D Mark II has less dynamic range than the EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 1D X Mark II and even less than the APS-C sized EOS 80D and the EOS 6D.

User cgarcia writes:

At the pixel level, the ISO 100 […] image (IMG_9106.CR2) reaches 11.04 EV at 26MP (11.89 normalized to 8MP) compared with my 6D which reached 11.53 EV at 20MP (12.19 EV normalized to 8MP). The measured read noise is 7.53556 DN (compared to about 4.68699 DN in my 6D). The new sensor uses a 512 blackpoint at ISO 100 instead of 2048 (just like the new crowd of sensors). But unfortunately doesn’t achieves their dynamic range performance. The measured white point is 16383, which could point to a preproduction camera (my 6D doesn’t seem to top there at ISO 100) so the real dynamic range could be even half a bit less.

Instruction to replicate the tests are provided in the discussion thread.

Pre-orders USA:

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Canon Batteries and all you may want to know about explained in this CPN article

canon rumorsCanon Professional Network published an article where they explain all you may want to know about Canon batteries. There are 4 main types:

  • NP series large, high capacity for the professional series cameras
  • BP series for the consumer and semi-professional range
  • NB series smaller and lighter than the BP series, for the lightweight consumer cameras
  • LP series the new professional range – lighter and higher capacity than the previous NP range

Read the rest at Canon Professional Network.

All that glitters is not gold: Sony A9 not ISO-invariant and sacrifices dynamic range for speed

Sony A9
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Sony a9 at a glance:

  • 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS Sensor
  • BIONZ X Image Processor & Front-End LSI
  • 693-Point AF System & 20 fps Shooting
  • Blackout-Free Quad-VGA 3.7m-Dot OLED EVF
  • Internal UHD 4K Video Recording
  • 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
  • 3.0″ 1.44m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
  • ISO 204,800, Silent Electronic Shutter
  • Built-In Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, Dual SD Slots
  • Integrated LAN and PC Sync Terminals

There is no free lunch and anything comes at a price. This appears to be true especially for Sony gear, always hyped and most of the time only because of the specifications sheets.

DPReview wanted to know better. They put the Sony a9 on their test bench, and found some interesting things. So, how does the powerhouse a9 perform when it comes to ISO-invariance (what is it?) and dynamic range.

DPReview found out that the Sony a9 is not ISO-invariant, and that “the camera is adding a fair amount of read noise that results in noisy shadows, limiting dynamic range at base ISO“. They also found that the Sony A9 sensor “was likely optimized for speed at the expense of low ISO dynamic range“.

What does all this mean? According to DPReview “this limits the exposure latitude of a9 Raws, so you’ll have some limited ability to expose high contrast scenes for the highlights, then tonemap (raise) shadows in post“.

All that glitters is not gold. Read DPReview’s in-depth analysis.

Canon Dual Pixel Auto-Focus Technology explained


The Canon Digital Learning Center posted a new article about the company’s proprietary Dual Pixel Auto-Focus (DPAF) technology.

Dual Pixel AF was first introduced with the Canon EOS 70D, and has since then found its way to high end Canon Cine products and pro and semi-pro DSLRs, as well as into a mirrorless camera (well, eventually). Dual Pixel AF is a game changer and an industry’s exclusive you get only with Canon cameras.

Put simply, Dual Pixel AF takes autofocus to the next level. It provides both smooth and consistent focus for a wide range of photo and video applications. Each pixel on the CMOS imaging sensor has two separate, light-sensitive photodiodes, which convert light into an electronic signal. Independently, each half of a pixel detects light through separate micro lenses, atop each pixel. During AF detection, the two halves of each pixel — the two photodiodes — send separate signals, which are analyzed for focus information. Then, an instant later when an actual image or video frame is recorded, the two separate signals from each pixel are combined into one single one, for image capturing purposes. This greatly improves AF speed over the majority of the area on which you’re focusing. The result is phase-detection autofocus, which surveys the scene and recognizes not only whether a subject is in focus or not, but in which direction (near or far), and by how much.

If you want to learn more about Dual Pixel AF, head over to the Canon Digital Learning Center. Some educational videos about Dual Pixel AF can be found here.