Canon Contributes to Production of Primary Mirror for TMT Extremely Large Telescope

TMT Extremely Large Telescope
Conceptual image of the completed TMT (courtesy of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)

Canon press release:

Canon technologies contribute to production of primary mirror used in TMT extremely large telescope

TOKYO, November 13, 2014—Canon Inc. announced today that the Company has been entrusted with the responsibility of processing the 30-meter-diameter multi-segment primary mirror to be incorporated in the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) currently under construction near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

The creation of the TMT, a next-generation extremely large telescope, is being made possible through the cooperative efforts of Japan and four other countries. Construction of the telescope began in 2014 with completion scheduled for the early 2020s. Japan will handle the processing of approximately 30% of the 492 segments (574 when including replacement segments) that make up the TMT’s primary mirror. Of the processing being handled by the team from Japan, Canon is currently responsible for grinding 26 segments and has already begun work.

The TMT’s primary mirror will comprise an array of 492 hexagonal segments, each of which measures 1.44 meters diagonally with a thickness of 45 millimeters. The segments will be closely arranged, separated by gaps measuring only 2.5 millimeters wide, to create the 30-meter-diameter primary mirror. The primary mirror’s construction requires the production of six each (seven when including replacement segments) of the 82 uniquely shaped segments used to create the mirror.

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Canon EOS 7D Mark II Review (Digital Camera World)

Digital Camera World posted their review about Canon’s new APS-C flagship, the EOS 7D Mark II. Excerpt:

AF system [is] very fast and accurate even in low light. And, with the right AF point selection mode set it does a great job of keeping up with moving subjects and tracking them around the frame.

They were “really impressed” by the EOS 7D Mark II, and think “it’s Canon’s best APS-C format camera to date and it is capable of producing superb images“.

The [shoplink 22664]EOS 7D Mark II[/shoplink] is a champion when it comes to stuff like weather sealing, a highly advanced AF, and industry leading high ISO performance. More about the EOS 7D Mark II can be seen here.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II is shipping in the US:

EOS 7D Mark II price check for your country: [shopcountry 22664] [Digital Camera World]

Canon Powershot G7 X Review (excellent IQ and a lot of cons, DPreview)

G7 X Review

Digital Photography Review published the full review of Canon’s new Powershot G7 X, and it isn’t a favourable review.

The only noteworthy “pros” are the “excellent image quality” and “sensor/lens combination [that] allows for very shallow depth-of-field“. They start and finish the conclusion…

[…] Canon hasn’t taken a lot of risks with the G7 X: its body is essentially a mash-up of the PowerShot S120 and G1 X Mark II, and its sensor is the same that’s found in Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II and III. Canon has tried to separate itself from the very small crowd by giving the G7 X a longer lens, selfie-friendly LCD, and dedicated exposure compensation dial. On paper, the G7 X sounds like the camera to beat. In practice, that wasn’t the case.

[…] Canon went with the excellent Sony 20MP BSI-CMOS sensor and added a longer (yet still fast) lens that is great for portraiture. Sadly, where the G7 X falls apart is performance, usability, and battery life

Now think that one of the two pros quoted above refers to a Sony sensor and there isn’t much left. The WiFi enabled G7 X isn’t inexpensive either, drawing you back for [shoplink 22665]$699[/shoplink]. Given that the G7 X competes with Sony’s RX100 III, with both cameras featuring the same sensor, it comes a bit to a surprise learning that the G7 X gets a better DxOMark score than the RX100 III.

Not all G7 X reviews featured here at CW have such a critic point of view.

Canon Powershot G7 X price check: [shopcountry 22665] [via dpreview] [shoplink 22665]G7 X Review[/shoplink]

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Hot Deal: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 – $83

 [shoplink 24337 ebay]EF 50mm f/1.8[/shoplink] Top Rated Plus seller redtagcamera (99.9% positive ratings) on eBay has the Canon 50mm f/1.8 (the Nifty-Fifty) [shoplink 24337 ebay]on sale for $82.99[/shoplink].Free shipping in US and limited quantity.

That’s the lens every Canon shooter should have in his or hers bag

Off Brand: Sony On the Way to Kill Bayer Sensor Technology?

Bayer Sensors

A Bayer pattern over a sensor

It appears Sony is going to make another big innovative step. According to news emerged at Sony Alpha Rumors, 2015 will be the year when Sony might announce a totally new sensor technology, named Active Pixel Color Sampling (APCS). A leaked specs sheet refers to a 1.5 inch sensor with 4.8 million pixels. What, less than 5MP? Read on. 

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