(CW4) Canon set to release a Panasonic GH4 Competitor (EOS-1D X Mark II with 4k)?


Panasonix Lumix GH4

In the interview with Canon’s Mr. Masaya Maeda I featured yesterday, everyone but EOSHD overlooked a statement that could point to a soon-to-come announcement for a Canon 4k-enabled camera with interchangeable lenses. A camera to compete with the Sony a7S and Panasonic GH4.

First the answer we are talking about. When asked “How are you addressing the demand for compact, 4K-capable cameras like Sony’s a7S and Panasonic’s GH4?“, Mr. Maeda said:

Naturally I can’t give you details of our future plans but we are fully aware that such requirements exist in the market. We’re currently in the process of investigating, mainly to satisfy the needs of news media, and we have every intention of addressing this need in future products.

4k is rumoured to be on a new Canon DSLR since some time. Having every intention to address the needs of those in the news media business could mean two things: i) Canon is working hard and will deliver something that addresses the needs some time in the future, or ii) Canon has something under the wrap that will address these needs and is ready to announce it to the world.

EOSHD says that Mr. Maeda’s statement almost certainly means the 1D X Mark II will have 4K. A replacement for the EOS-1D X is indeed expected during 2015. EOSHD points to a new EOS-1D X since Mr. Maeda refers to the needs of news media, and the EOS-1D X definitely is the DSLR for news media. CanonRumors suggests a Canon 4k camera announcement for NAB 2015. However, since Mr. Maeda said Canon is in the process of investigating these needs, it is also possible that there will not be any 4k-related announcement by Canon any time soon.

What do you think? If you want, let me know in the comment section. If you never heard of the incredibly popular Panasonic GH4, these are the core specs (from B&H’s product page):

  • 16.05 MP Digital Live MOS Sensor
  • DCI 4K 4096×2160 at 24p
  • UHD 4K 3840×2160 at 30p/24p
  • Full HD up to 60p
  • 3.0″ 1,036k-Dot OLED Touchscreen Monitor
  • 2,359K-Dot OLED Live View Finder
  • Support for 59.94p, 23.98p, 50p, & 24p
  • 4:2:2 8-Bit or 10-Bit HDMI Output
  • High-Speed 49-Point Autofocus
  • Magnesium Alloy, Weather-Sealed Body

For Sony a7S specs click here.

About our rumor rating:

  • CW1 – probably fake rumor, not reliable
  • CW2 – rumor from an unknown/new source, but otherwise at least a plausible rumor
  • CW3 – a 50% chance to be real, coming from a known source, or from new source with good insight in Canon’s business
  • CW4 – rumor from a known source that was right in the past, high probability to be true
  • CW5 – as good as certain to be true

Canon IXUS 160/PowerShot ELPH 160 Review (Photography Blog)

160

Photography Blog reviewed the recently announced Canon IXUS 160/PowerShot ELPH 160 compact camera, and it isn’t a particularly positive review. They write:

Budget compact cameras rarely set the world alight with exceptional performance or innovative features, but the IXUS 160 is even more lacklustre than the norm. Aside from including a respectable amount of manual shooting options and a few nifty features, it’s an unremarkable camera.

Image quality is average at best, with reasonable performance in good light, but disappointing indoor and low light results. The lack of proper image stabilisation only compounds the problem, and focussing can be a pain when shooting close-ups.

The IXUS 160 isn’t especially enjoyable to use either. It’s got some good-sized buttons and a logical menu structure, but you’ll have to put up with slippery ergonomics and a thoroughly average LCD screen.

Read the review at Photography Blog –>

Canon IXUS 160 price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

(CW3) New Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L Lens Coming?

50mm f/1.2L

A new rumor surfaced, suggesting Canon may work on the replacement for the highly regarded EF 50mm f/1.2L (introduced in 2001).

The rumor says the new 50mm f/1.2 will feature a floating element like the EF 85mm f 1.2L II USM , which should solve the focus shift problem some users experience. The new 50mm is expected to be announced after a another rumored lens, a new 35mm f/1.4L lens, i.e. not before end 2015 or early 2016.

[via CR]

Canon Project Imagination is back – Listen Ron Howard tell about when he first picked up a camera

Canon’s Project Imagination is still live, and got a new boost in the last days. In the video above you see R. Howard talk about his first experience with a camera. More Project Imagination videos:

Learn more about Canon Project Imagination.

[via TDP]

‘Speed it up’ says Canon’s Masaya Maeda (CP+ interview)

The folks at DPReview posted an interview with Canon, taken at the last CP+ show in Yokohama. They interviewed Mr. Masaya Maeda, Managing Director and Chief Executive, Image Communication Products Operations at Canon. An excerpt (emphasis mine):

Question: Canon offered a maximum pixel count of ~22MP for seven years before the launch of the EOS 5DS and 5DS R. Why did it take that long to increase resolution?

Answer: I wasn’t actually aware that it had been seven years! The biggest reason it took this long to get to 50MP is the targets we set for pixel-level quality. Every year we sit down with photojournalists, and listen to their demands – what they need to do their job – and the biggest demand was that even if pixel count increased, actual pixel-level image quality would not decrease.

Obviously at the same time as we were seeing demand for increased pixel-level quality we were also being asked for increased pixel-count. The reason the time finally came for us to release the EOS 5DS and 5DS R this year was that we found a means of satisfying the demand for increased pixel count without sacrificing quality. It took us that long to reach this level.

I like this part of the interview. When pointed to the criticism that Canon is somewhat slow when it comes to innovation, Mr Maeda answered:

Personally, I think we’re slow as well. Every day I’m saying ‘speed up, make it faster!’. One of our themes now as a company is upon developing a new technology, to shorten the time between development and when that technology is introduced into a product. We need to shorten that time. That’s our goal.

Keep it rolling Canon! Read the interview at DPReview –>

How To Make a Cinemagraph (aka animated GIF, Canon DLC article)

canonlogo

Thanks Niklas

The Canon Digital Learning Center posted an article about how to make a “Cinemagraph”, which is a fancy term for what the rest of us knows as animated GIFs. You know those pics where something is moving, looping thru the same animation all the time?

Have you ever looked at an image online and thought it to be a still photo, but then suddenly, a little part of it comes to life? Not the whole image, but maybe a smirk of the mouth, a blink of an eye or a wag of a tail while all else remains static? Call them a “Cinemagraph,” a GIF or a picture where something in it moves; these hybrid motion/stills have become ubiquitous. They have an element of the unexpected and further explores how to tell a story in a single frame. And when executed well, they allow the visual story to expand and become infinitely richer and more engaging.

They have a very nice Cinemagraph on their site, where you can read the article.