Yongnuo EF 35mm f/2 (Canon clone) available for purchase at $116 (and Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 at $69)

The Yongnuo EF 35mm f/2, a clone of Canon’s EF 35mm f/2 lens, is . The Yongnuo 35mm was also available on Amazon but is currently out of stock.

Product description:

Yongnuo fast EF 35mm wide-angle lens with it’s fast aperture of F/2 is sure to capture any moment even in the lowest lighting conditions. It has a minimum focusing distance of only 0.8 ft. (25cm), so even if you’re close-up, you can still obtain that natural wide-angle effect. It is affordable and ideal for anything that calls for excellent optical performance and moderate wide focal length.

Features: 1, Support auto focus (AF) and manual focus (MF) mode. 2,The aperture blades up to 7 pieces,which allows you able to shoot the near-circular diffuse plaques,appropriately narrow the apertures can shoot the 14 astral effect. 3,Adopts chrome high precision metal bayonet,which effectively improve the goodness to fit the camera body and the bayonet strength, wear and corrosion resistance for durable use. 4,Full line of the products are glass lenses. 5,Supports full-frame and APS-C format cameras,supports M/AV/TV/P and other camera shooting modes,and can be displayed the aperture data in the EXIF Information. 6,Multi-coated lenses,effectively improve the transmittance and suppress the ghosting and flare when in backlit shooting . 7,Adopts gold plating for the metal contacts,effectively improve the signal conductivity and corrosion resistance.

Youngnuo products are available also at B&H Photo. They also have the Yongnuo 50mm f/1,8 for $69, a clone of Canon’s Nifty-Fifty, the EF 50mm f/1.8.

Canon Europe acquires Lifecake to accelerate growth in digital consumer services

For a Lifecake demo video, and other company information, visit www.lifecake.com. To download the app visit the App Store or Google Play.

Canon press release:

LONDON, 23 APRIL 2015 – Canon Europe today announces that it is acquiring London-based digital start-up Lifecake, marking a major step in the development of Canon’s digital consumer services business. This brings Canon closer to its ambition to play a part in every image taken no matter what device is being used, and enables the business to establish a presence within London’s ‘Tech City’.

Lifecake is the company behind the Lifecake photo-sharing app for families, which allows parents to store, organise, share and relive key moments of their children’s lives. With Lifecake, parents can create photo and video timelines that the whole family can experience on smartphones, tablets, computers and in printed photobooks.

Alberto Spinelli, Director of Digital Services at Canon Europe, says: “Today, we are all taking more photos on more devices than ever before but often become overwhelmed and even disconnected from them. We would all like to be able to quickly find our photo as we remember a moment – at the swipe of a finger – and relive it on any screen, or print it to hold. At Canon, we are building digital services to help people do just that with tailored experiences.

“Lifecake is an extremely exciting addition to the Canon Group providing a digital service that makes it easy for families to take control of their ever-increasing number of photos. This acquisition fits perfectly with our vision to give everyone taking photos the tools to bring their stories and experiences to life – and engage with them whenever and wherever they choose.”

CEO and co-founder of Lifecake, Nicholas Babaian comments: “With the reach and technology of Canon, we’ll strap booster rockets onto our service. At the same time, our team will accelerate the growth of Canon’s digital services ecosystem. But we’re most delighted that our existing and potential customers will know their precious memories are safe with one of the most trusted brands in photography – a company that’s helped families capture and relive moments for nearly 80 years and will continue to do so for generations to come.”

Lifecake is currently available in English language worldwide. Today sees the launch of additional language versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

More after the break…

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Interview with Chuck Westfall about Canon XC10 (no raw and EVF to keep costs down)

xc10

Canon´s Chuck Westfall, Technical Advisor for Canon U.S.A.’s Professional Engineering and Solutions Division, gave an interview to DPReview during NAB 2015. The main topic being Canon´s new XC10. Some excerpts:

Q: Some of our readers were disappointed that the XC10 was a fixed lens camera. What drove that particular design choice?

A: It’s important to remember that part of the story of this camera is to reduce the size, weight, and cost. With those goals in mind, the idea of having a fixed lens is really quite complimentary to the goals of the camera, while at the same time providing the most versatile focal length range possible. A fixed lens solution really makes that possible. Also, other factors such as keeping the sensor clean in the field were important as well.

[…]

Q: Why did Canon choose to use a 12MP sensor? Was there a specific reason for that choice?

A: Yes, absolutely. One of the things that we looked at when developing this camera was how to achieve the best balance between still and video image quality by reducing the resolution somewhat compared to a conventional still camera. What we’re able to do is increase the performance of this camera in low light. The noise levels are quite good right up to its limit, and with a 1” sensor that can become an issue. Also, for most of the users of this camera 12MP is a good range in terms of resolution. It can be used to make a large print, and is more than adequate for anything that will be shown online.

Mr. Westfall also said that the XC10 doesn’t have raw video and a built-in EVF “for cost reasons“.

Head over to DPReview to read the full interview –>

Canon’s new, 4k and WiFi enabled, XC10 camera (announcement) sells for $2,499 and is available for pre-order at B&H Photo | Adorama. Canon XC10 specs:

  • 4K Wide-Angle 10x Zoom Lens with Image
  • 12 Megapixel One-Inch 4K-Compatible CMOS Image Sensor
  • DiG!C DV 5 Image Processor
  • XF-AVC Codec for 4K 30p and Full HD 60p
  • Multiple Recording Modes and Frame Rates
  • Slow and Fast Motion Recording
  • Exceptional Still Capture Capability
  • High Speed Dual Pixel AF with Face Detection
  • CFast 4K Recording Technology
  • Canon Log and Wide Dynamic Range Gamma
  • Image Settings Compatible with Cinema EOS Cameras
  • Compact and Ergonomic Design
  • Wireless Operation
  • Workflow Versatility
  • Compatible with Multiple Canon Accessories