Magic Lantern Increases Canon EOS 5D Mark III Dynamic Range By 1/2 Stop (up to 15 stops)

Magic Lantern

Another breakthrough by the Magic Lantern team. 1/2 stop more dynamic range on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III – 15 stops of DR are now possible on the 5D3! The image above, posted by a1ex on Twitter shows the increase at different ISO settings.

The EOS 5D Mark III will soon get what ML calls a “sensor update”. Not much is known so far, everything is in a very early development stage, but a sensor update via firmware sounds very cool. The trick was to figured out the digic registers that have to do with ISO.

User Marsu42 of Canon Rumors‘ forum did some tests and writes:

This means that for example on 5d3, iso 800 with ML has more dynamic range than iso 100 with Canon :-> … and at high iso you’re getting 7% more dr which is nothing to sneeze at, esp. since it builds upon Canon’s advantage vs. Nikon: d800@6400 = ~8.3 & 5d3@6400 = ~9.4 ev making good ol’ Canon the superior sensor for low light high contrast shooting, esp. the newer 6d.

This new feature will soon show up as nightly build. Caution is advised: this is software at an early development stage, use the necessary attention and do not try it if you are not sure what you are doing.

[via CR and P5D]

 

Canon Patent for Image Stabilized 85mm, 100mm, and 135mm Lenses

Egami (translated) spotted more patents filed by Canon. This time for image stabilized 85mm f/1.8, 100mm f/2, and 135mm f/2.8 lenses.

  • Patent Publication No. 2014-10283
    • Publication date 2014.1.20
    • Filing date 2012.6.29
  • Example 1
    • Focal length f = 85.56mm
    • Fno. 1.86
    • Angle of view 2ω = 28.4 °
    • Image height Y = 21.635mm
  • Example 2
    • Focal length f = 102.06mm
    • Fno. 2.00
    • Angle of view 2ω = 23.9 °
    • Image height Y = 21.635mm
  • Example 3
    • Focal length f = 131.00mm
    • Fno. 2.80
    • Angle of view 2ω = 18.8 °
    • Image height Y = 21.635mm
  • Canon patents
    • Positive and negative positive
    • Inner Focus (group 2)
    • (Part of the third group) anti vibration

Canon Announces 5 New PIXMA Printers (up to A3 format)

pix2 pix1

 

Today Canon announced 5 new PIXMA printers, the most interesting (imo) being the WiFi-enabled PIXMA ip8750 photo printer, which handles formats up to A3, uses a six-ink system and produces an A3 print in approximately two minutes.

Enjoy stunning quality photos up to A3+ with this premium 6 single ink printer. Print wirelessly around the home including from smartphones, tablets and Wi-Fi cameras. Ideal for photo enthusiasts.

  • Premium A3+ printer with wireless connectivity for photo enthusiasts
  • 6-colour system includes grey ink for exceptional colour and mono prints
  • Efficient individually replaceable single ink tanks and optional XL inks
  • Printing from smartphones and tablets with PIXMA Printing Solutions app
  • Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Wireless PictBridge support

Canon UK press release:

Canon enhances home and office PIXMA ranges with five new models
United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 21 January 2014 – Canon today bolsters its range of PIXMA single and multifunction printers with the launch of five new models – PIXMA iP8750, iX6850, MX475, MX535, and iP2850. The devices update Canon’s home and office line-up, as well as introduce two new A3+ single-function printers for those with more advanced printing needs. Stylish and easy-to-use, Canon’s range of PIXMA printers has been designed to support users seeking a range of printing options, including photolab quality prints and business documents.
PIXMA iP8750.jpg PIXMA iX6850.jpg
PIXMA iP8750 PIXMA iX6850
PIXMA MX475.jpg PIXMA MX535.jpg PIXMA iP2850.jpg
PIXMA MX475 PIXMA MX535 PIXMA iP2850
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How To Fix An Annoying Design Flaw (Canon Powershot S120)

This happens to all of us, sooner or later: we bought new gear and there is something that’s totally wrong placed, or doesn’t really make sense, or can’t be used as supposed.

In this case the camera is the Canon Powershot S120, a well-performing, WiFi-enabled compact camera with good video capabilities. But there is a problem Casey Neistat couldn’t live with, and for a good reason: the microphones of the S120 are placed on top of the camera, where you spontaneously and normally place your fingers when holding the camera (see pic below). Result: bad sound quality since the mics are covered.

Watch Casey Neistat‘s ingenious solution to tackle the issue in the video above.

[via gizmodo]

Tamron 150-600mm Shootout (and comparison with other telezooms)

Tamron 150-600mm
Left to right: Canon 100-400mm IS, Tamron 200-500mm, Sigma 50-500 OS, Tamron 150-600mm VC (image courtesy: lensrentals.com)

Lensental’s Roger Cicala and Aaron Closz felt the pulse of the new Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD super zoom ($1069, Adorama | B&H Photo), and compared it to the  Tamron 200-500mm f/5-6.3 Di, the Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 APO DG OS, and to the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS lenses. A super-zoom shootout, and the Tamron 150-600 is “the best bang for the buck”.

The shootout comes with lots of technical data and measurement charts, in the conclusion they write:

My summary would be that the selection between a Tamron 150-600, Canon 100-400 IS, and Sigma 50-500 OS should be made on criteria other than MTF 50. There are some minor differences in resolution, but nothing that makes one clearly better than another. Price, weight, autofocus accuracy, effectiveness of vibration control, and a number of other factors (did I mention price?) are more important considerations when choosing among these lenses.

It’s pretty obvious that the Tamron has both 600mm range and the lowest price. These tests, and everything I see from photographers using the lens in the field, support that it’s of at least equal image quality. Some people will prefer the extra wide range of the Sigma, others the lighter weight of the Canon. But for a lot of people, the Tamron is going to be the best bang for the buck.

[via lensrentals]

Tamron SP 150-600mm