Rumor: No Canon EOS 7D Replacement at CP+ (and new tidbits about high end DSLR with hybrid viewfinder)

EOS 7D Replacement EOS 7D Replacement

We are getting closer to CP+ (2/13-16), and rumors start coming in again.

We have been told (thanks) that Canon will neither announce the replacement for the [shoplink 337]EOS 7D[/shoplink], nor their new, rumored APS-C flagship at CP+.

We have also been told (thanks #2) that the new, high-end DSLR with hybrid viewfinder Canon is rumored to work on will have an APS-C sensor. When previously reporting about this I couldn’t be sure about the sensor size. So, this DSLR could be sort of a replacement for the EOS 7D. I write “sort of” because I have been told that this camera shouldn’t be seen as the successor of the 7D, instead it is a completely new entry in Canon’s APS-C line-up. The name that was suggested is EOS-A1.

The high-end DSLR is said to have a megapixel count that matches the highest resolution sensors out there (but no word about the real resolution). The DSLR is optimized for the best possible still and video performance, video is said to be the best ever seen on a DSLR. But this is the most important information: the camera is said to have a hybrid viewfinder, i.e. it combines optical viewfinder and electronic viewfinder. The electronic viewfinder would be for video (according to the sources). If the suggestion about the sensor size is reliable, then the hybrid viewfinder enabled DSLR most probably is Canon’s new APS-C flagship.

What to expect for CP+, if something at all? A replacement for the Powershot G1 X is murmured, or there could be new Rebels/EOS xxxD cameras, i.e. replacements for the [shoplink 11242]Rebel T5i/EOS 700D[/shoplink] and/or the [shoplink 11240]Rebel SL1/EOS 100D[/shoplink].

Canon Top Japanese Company in USA Patent Ranking (for the 9th year)

Canon

Canon tops among Japanese companies in U.S. patent rankings for ninth consecutive year

TOKYO, January 15, 2014—Canon Inc. again ranked first among Japanese companies and third overall for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2013, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services on January 14, 2014.

Canon actively promotes the globalization of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas, carefully adhering to a patent-filing strategy that pursues patents in essential countries and regions while taking into consideration the business strategies and technology and product trends unique to each location. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.

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Canon Releases Firmware Update For Rebel T5i/EOS 700D (ver. 1.1.3)

Firmware Update

Canon has released a firmware update for the [shoplink 11242]Rebel T5i/EOS 700D[/shoplink].

Download the new Firmware Version 1.1.3

Details
Firmware Version 1.1.3 incorporates the following fixes:

1. Fixes a phenomenon in which the camera displays Err01 or Err60, or in rare instances will lock-up when in Live View shooting mode (or Movie shooting mode) when attached to the following STM zoom lenses: EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM.

2. Corrects some Korean language misspellings displayed on the menu screen.

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Canon Powershot G1X Mark II Specification May Have Leaked

This was posted to Chinese Xitek forum (translated) back in November 2013 by a user claiming these are the specs of the successor of the Canon [shoplink 1785]PowerShot G1 X[/shoplink], the “G1 X Mark II” (unusual moniker for a compact camera):

  • Same design as the G1X, with a slightly longer lens
  • DIGIC 6 Image Processor
  • 24 – 120mm f/2.8-5.8 lens
  • 20.2MP 1.5″ CMOS sensor
  • New optical zoom viewfinder with better image quality
  • 3.0″ LCD touch screen with 922,000 dots

The camera could indeed be announced for CP+.

Take this with a big grain of salt, although it is true that in the past there have been leaks on Xitek.

The Powershot G1 X is somewhat unique in the overall Canon line-up. The G1 X features a sensor that is 20% smaller than the sensors Canon uses in APS-C DSLRs, and it is a bit larger than the 4/3  size used by Olympus and Panasonic, and it is more than 4x the size of the Fujifilm X10‘s sensor.

Canon PowerShot G1 X price check: [shopcountry 1785] [via TNC]

Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 ZE DxOMarked (ultra-high performer)

 

Sonnar T* 2/135

DxOMark reviewed the Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 ZE lens, a luxury, manual focus lens that sells for over $2000.

The lens was tested on a [shoplink 2431]Canon EOS 5D Mark III[/shoplink]. This is a “ultra-high performer”, the [shoplink 15999]Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 2/135[/shoplink]

[…] achieves an excellent DxOMark score of 38 points putting in first place in our rankings of fixed focal length telephoto lenses on the Canon EOS 5D Mk III in our database.

DxOMark’s conclusion:

The Zeiss Sonnar T* 2/135 is the best corrected and sharpest lens of its type in this focal length, and it’s also one of the best performing model we’ve seen so far on the Canon EOS 5D Mk III.

But, it’s up against tough competition from the Canon EF 135mm f2L USM. Not only is that lens close in optical performance it’s lighter, smaller and has the additional flexibility of auto-focus. It’s also more accessible in terms of pricing.

Be that as it may, the Zeiss is a superb performer optically and appears good value when compared to other models from the company.

Indeed, the Zeiss score better than equivalent or similar Canon lenses.

Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 ZE: [shopcountry 15999] [via DxOMark]