Canon Set To Announce A New DSLR Between the EOS 750D and 70D? (CW3)

Canon RumorCanon Rumor

I have been told (thanks) that Canon will announce a new APS-C DSLR that will be positioned between the upcoming EOS 750D/Rebel T6i and the existing EOS 70D. The source told me that this will be a 2-digit DSLR, i.e. a DSLR in the xxD line-up. Could this be the mysterious DSLR that we saw in some Canon promo video and pics?

Moreover, I got also word that the EOS 750D should be announced soon, possibly at CP+ next month. I got no candidate announcement date for the new APS-C DSLR that will be positioned between the 750D and the 70D.

Canon’s new (and then latest) APS-C line-up would hence consist of the following cameras:

  • EOS 700D
  • EOS 750D
  • EOS ??D
  • EOS 70D
  • EOS 7D II

I am a bit puzzled because of the naming scheme. If this new APS-C DSLR will be, feature-wise, between the EOS 750D/T6i and the EOS 70D I can hardly figure out the moniker it will have. If it is going to be named 80D it would suggest it is the replacement for the 70D, which is not only far too early (the replacement) but also suggests a camera with new features compared to the 70D. So maybe it will be a specced down version of the 70D. But would that make sense?

What do you think?

About our rumour ratings:

  • 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
  • CW5 – as good as certain to be true

Samyang/Rokinon Announce Two New 135mm Lenses (f/2 and T2.2)

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Samyang announced two new 135mm lens versions. One f/2.0 and one Cine T/2.2 lens (found via DicaHub)

Samyang 135mm f/2.0
– Telephoto lens and Extra low dispersion lens(ED)
– Bright F2.0 aperture
– Circular aperture with 9 blades
– Floating type design
– Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) technology of Samyang Optics

Samyang 135mm Cine lens T2.2
– Telephoto cine lens and Extra low dispersion lens (ED)
– Bright T2.2 aperture
– Uncoupled aperture and focus gear ring
– Circular aperture with 9 blades
– Floating type design
– Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) technology of Samyang Optics
– Samyang Optics VDSLR II Cine Lens Line Up

The full press text of the 135mm f/2.0 can be read here, for the Cine lens version the press release is here.

[via DicaHub]

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Review by Richard Bernabe

7d2

Richard Bernabe reviewed the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. And it is a critic review, more critic than other reviews we featured here.

About the high ISO performance:

[…] I am comfortable with results up to 2000 ISO under most conditions. ISO 2500 – 3200 is passable if I expose properly […] and use minimal noise reduction in post processing. Anything above 4000 is nearly unusable, at least with regard to my standards.

About the auto-focus:

[…] the autofocus in the 7D Mark II is a vast improvement over the 7D which was pretty good already. […] I nailed some shots that I would not have gotten with either the 7D or the 5D Mark III.

Conclusion:

[…] this is a serious upgrade from the original 7D in terms of ISO performance, auto focus capabilities, shooting frame rate, and ruggedness. These upgrades are all important to me so short of buying the 1DX, this is the best Canon DSLR for wildlife photography that has been manufactured to date.

Richard Bernabe’s review comes with sample images and a lot of more information about the 7D Mark II, don’t miss it for a critical point of view.

[via Richard Bernabe]

Canon EOS 7D Mark II price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Weak Yen Brings Canon Production Back to Japan (Reuters)

Canon Rumor

Thanks Martina

Reuters reports:

Jan 9 (Reuters) – Canon Inc and other Japanese electronics companies want to bring production of some goods back home, reversing a years-old trend of overseas manufacturing as a rapid decline in the value of the yen makes local goods more competitive.

The yen has tumbled some 8 percent since the Bank of Japan last eased monetary policy in October and is now trading near seven-year lows. Since late 2012, it has lost a third of its value due to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s reflationary economic policies.

The steep slide has raised costs for firms highly dependent on raw material imports as well as those that manufacture abroad.

Now, Canon says it wants domestic production to return to 60 percent of overall output in three years, up from around 40 percent. “From now on, new copier, camera and printer products will be built at domestic factories and as they replace older products, the volume of goods made overseas will fall,” said company spokesman Hirotomo Fujimori.

[…]

No companies, however, have yet to go so far as saying that yen weakness is a big enough factor to justify the large investment needed for new domestic plants or assembly lines.

All the Canon gear I have is “made in Japan”, so I guess this refers to entry level gear or other stuff. It has also to be said that Canon usually produces the first batch of a new product in Japan, and moves production afterwards to other locations (Thailand, etc). I have always been an early adopter, trying to get the first batches of Canon gear exactly for this reason: they are made in Japan.

[via Reuters]