Still Live: Canon EOS M w/ 18-55 IS STM – $250

This super hot deal is still live!

6ave on eBay (99.3% positive ratings) has the Canon EOS M with EF-M 18-55mm IS STM lens . Black, red and white color options available. A not-to-miss opportunity.

Don’t believe to all the bad press the EOS M got (often written by reviewers who didn’t barely test it). If you want to know what a powerhouse the EOS M is, then have a look at this review (to which I totally agree).

Free Adobe Lightroom 5 Book “Develop Great Images in Lightroom”

Adobe Lightroom 5 Book

The folks at Photofocus made a new book about Adobe Lightroom 5 (published 24 Jun, 2014), and are giving it away for free until August, 1st.

The new book is called “Develop Great Images in Lightroom”. It is 236 pages long and you’ll find practical advice and expert tips. The book has interactive slideshows, resizable photos, and embedded video (only the iBook version).

Are you looking to make your photos great?  Join the gurus from Photofocus as they share practical advice on how to develop fantastic images with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.  This comprehensive guide is written by five top experts (with more than 75 books between them).  They’ll help you explore the full features of Lightroom’s Develop module and show you hidden secrets and time-saving techniques.

You can download the book via iTunes store (650MB), or read it on Scribd. Head over to Photofocus for download and instructions.

Adobe Lightroom 5 price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Canon EOS 7D Replacement Will Push Dual Pixel AF To New Levels

EOS 7D ReplacementEOS 7D Replacement 

Whatever Canon is going to announce on September 5th (the most likely announcement date) it will be something groundbreaking. Most rumor sites, CW included, think there will be an entirely new sensor technology that is coming. Recent patents filed by Canon point to Foveon-like sensors (3 patents in a row), one patent refers to a 5-layer sensor.

Details about the sensor technology Canon is supposed to announce are by now in the realm of pure speculation, no serious specs have leaked so far. However, I have been told (thanks) that the EOS 7D replacement will not just feature Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS Auto-Focus, it will push its capabilities to new boundaries. We had a patent that points in this direction, i.e. to the next evolutive step of the Dual Pixel AF technology. It is also pretty plausible that Dual Pixel AF will show all its power with a new generation of CPUs. This fits with the rumors stating that the EOS 7D replacement will feature very advanced functionalities for videography, since Dual Pixel AF delivers a lot for videographers.

This rumor sounds very credible to me. Dual Pixel AF is a major milestone in Canon’s technological sensor evolution. And Dual Pixel AF is for sure not relegated to the more affordable Canon DSLRs (as the EOS 70D, where it was first implemented): Canon didn’t waste time in offering it also on the professional-graded EOS C100 and C300 (where it was already implemented on the sensor but had to be unlocked via firmware). Dual Pixel AF is a technology we will see in many future Canon cameras, and hopefully eventually also on a serious mirrorless camera.

Note that I prefer to use the definition “EOS 7D replacement” instead of “EOS 7D Mark II”. For the time being there are no hints it will be the next iteration of the 7D, pertinent rumors surfaced in the past.

Stay tuned, there will be more and more leaks in the next weeks.

 

Canon Patent For Foveon Sensor With Anti-Reflection Film

Foveon Sensor

Egami (translated) spotted another highly interesting patent filed by Canon. The patent refers to a 3 layer, Foveon-like sensor with an insulator film applied. The film helps reduce reflection and flares.Very interesting patent, and not the first of this kind we report about, similar patents showed up in the past (here and here).

This is the third Canon patent about a Foveon-like sensor I am featuring here on CW. I think to start that such a sensor technology is definitely on Canon’s plans.

  • Patent Publication No. 2014-130890
    • Publication date 2014.7.10
    • Filing date 2012.12.28
  • Multilayer sensor drawback of
    • G is light, the image quality is degraded and reflected by the surface of the layer between the G and B layer, re-enters the B layer
  • Canon patents
    • The provision of the dielectric film and the insulating film as an anti-reflection film
    • First insulating layer, B layer, a dielectric film, insulating film, dielectric film, G layer, a dielectric film, insulating film, insulating film, dielectric film, the R layer
    • By increasing the thickness of the dielectric film, to suppress the multiple reflection
    • The dielectric film is between the G layer and B layer, the reflectance with respect to G is lower than B

All New Canon Rebates In One Place

Canon Rebates

All new Canon rebates (expiring 8/2) are listed at B&H. You can easily put together your bundle for the best possible final price. The discounts consist in instant rebates and mail-in rebates.

Savings are particularly massive for the EOS 7D and 7D kits (up to $600 instant discount):