Canon DSLR Announcement For NAB 2014 (7D replacement on its way)?

Canon DSLR Announcement

Rumor has it that Canon may announce new DSLR gear for NAB 2014. The NAB show is usually the stage where  Cinema EOS and other videography gear is presented. So the question is: can we expect the EOS 7D replacement to be announced for NAB 2014?

The successor of the Canon EOS 7D [shoplink 337](price & specs)[/shoplink] is said to have outstanding video features, and it is rumored to be announced before end of Q2 2014. While it is true that NAB is mainly for the professional videographers out there, I wouldn’t exclude Canon could use the show to present their new APS-C flagship to the world. If the rumors about the EOS 7D replacement’s innovative video features are true, then NAB 2014 could be a great stage to introduce such a DSLR.

What else to expect from Canon this year? The usual suspects: new Cinema EOS lenses, the Powershot SX60 (replacement for the SX50) along with other Powershots. It will be interesting to see what exactly Canon will do following their statement that they will abandon the low-priced compact camera segment.

Stay tuned, there will be plenty of leaks in the next months.

[via CR]

New Rebates On Selected Canon “L” Lenses (and DSLR bundles discounts extended)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/promotion/10322/canon-dslr-cameras-lens-rebates.html/BI/19190/KBID/10987

Canon started a new discount program on selected Canon “L” lenses and Speedlites. Savings go up to $200 via mail-in rebates. See below the eligible lenses and the offered discount:

Moreover, the discounts on selected Canon DSLR and lens bundles has been extended to 3/15/14.

Canon Patent For 600mm f/4 Lens

Canon Patent

Egami (translated) spotted a patent filed by Canon for a new 600mm f/4 lens. Egami suggests the lens will be ready for Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 and the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016.

  • Patent Publication No. 2014-26210
    • Publication date 2014.2.6
    • Filing date 2012.7.30
  • Example 1
    • Focal length f = 588mm
    • Fno. 4.12
    • Angle of view 2ω = 4.22 °
    • BF 56.0mm
    • Total lens length 374.7mm
    • Inner focus
  • Example 5
    • Focal length f = 588mm
    • Fno. 4.12
    • Angle of view 2ω = 4.22 °
    • BF 55.0mm
    • Total lens length 343.5mm
    • Inner focus
    • Diffraction optical element
  • Effect of the glass material
    • Fluorite (Fluorite)
      • In the long lens fluorite + total length, correction of chromatic aberration is easy
      • In short lens fluorite + total length, correction of chromatic aberration is difficult
    • Diffractive optical element (DOE)
      • Diffractive optical element can be corrected if the chromatic aberration
      • Flare caused by light diffraction

Rumor Suggests Implausible Hardware Hack For Canon EOS DSLRs

[shoplink 2431]Canon EOS[/shoplink]

I am reporting this since it is making the rounds, but there is more than a high amount of salt needed here.

Rumor has it that there is a “certain company […] getting ready to announce a hardware hack for Canon EOS cameras”. The EOS 5D Mark III [shoplink 2431](price & specs)[/shoplink] is named, but other EOS DSLRs could also be part of the game. In other words, the rumored hardware hack is presented to be the next step beyond Magic Lantern‘s amazing firmware hacks.

I don’t believe this will ever happen. The rumor suggests that you may soon be able to replace the integrated main-board of your 5D Mark III with a custom board. If you follow the intrinsic logic of this rumor, you realise it means disassembling your Canon DSLR, removing the main-board (with integrated CPU), and replacing it with another, third-party made integrated circuitry that is supposed to deliver “greatly improve dynamic range, video sharpness and performance” compared to the EOS 5D Mark III. The hack is said to cost $1000.

Tinkering with camera hardware is not new, people modified their Canon DSLRs to remove anti-aliasing filters. But it is another thing to swap the logic circuitry.

The rumor is wishful thinking, in my opinion. With Magic Lantern already delivering all sort of improvements, who would ever want to let someone disassemble a 5D Mark III to get the main circuitry replaced with custom made electronics?  Not to mention the easiness of the straightforward installation of Magic Lantern. Not to mention all the precision and the engineering skills required to make a high tech sensor work smoothly with all the involved electronics and firmware snippets. Consider that Canon is very secretive about their technologies, and that to replace a DSLR’s main-board you need to have a very deep understanding of the whole design (from all points of view).

Finally, the EOS 5D Mark III is not the new kid on the block. It was announced March 2nd 2012. That’s two years ago. Would you start a company just to mess around with the internals of a $3000 DSLR that’s 2 years old?

[via CR]