Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* First Impression (it’s “scharf”)

Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 OtusZeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus

Scharf is a German word that can mean “sharp” or “hot”, depending by the context. That’s the notion Roger Cicala starts his review of the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* lens – Zeiss’ latest $4000 optical marvel:

After testing our first copies of the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus lens I felt the term scharf was just perfect to describe this lens.

It’s a pity they tested the lens on a Nikon instead of a Canon. However, I think the test is interesting anyway. About building and handling:

I can’t say what you’ll think of the appearance, but I love it. Very sleek and minimalist. The focus ring has the typical smooth Zeiss throw with a cinema-like 248-degree rotation. I found it extremely accurate.

In the conclusion Roger writes:

I won’t try to say whether the Otus is worth $4,000 to you. But I can certainly say that Zeiss did what they said they had done: gave it exceptional performance even in the corners at widest aperture. From a resolution standpoint, it is, as Zeiss said it would be, “the absolute best SLR lens in the world today.”

As written before, this is a $4000 lens – not everyone’s toy. Check the price and availability of the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus
Shot with a Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* – Image courtesy: lensrentals.com

[via lensrentals]

Refurbished Canon DSLRs and Lenses Deals, and Canon Store Discounts

Refurbished Canon DSLRs

Adorama has refurbished Canon EOS 7D bodies for $959 (click here). This is Canon refurbished gear, and it gets 1 year USA warranty. There is more refurbished Canon gear on offer at Adorama.

More great deals on refurbished Canon gear are life at the Canon Direct Store (click here). A selection of the offered DSLRs:

There are also plenty of refurbished lenses on offer (click here).

Canon is offering a special discounts program: get $10 off $100, $25 off $250 and $50 off $500 of your purchase – have a look here to see what is on offer.

Refurbished Canon DSLRs

Interview With Canon Cinema EOS Global Product Manager (and EOS C100 Dual Pixel AF Test Video)

The interview was taken at Inter BEE 2013 by newsshooter’s site editor Dan Chung. The video above is a 25 minutes interview with Mr. Yoshinari Onda, Canon Cinema EOS global product manager. Mr. Onda is in charge of the Canon Cinema EOS line since the beginning, in the video he gives some insights about the development of the EOS C100, EOS C300, EOS C500, and EOS-1D C cameras.

The video below shows how the Dual Pixel CMOS AF works on the EOS C100. As you most probably know, Canon is going to offer a paid upgrade for the EOS C100 in order to have the ground-breaking Dual Pixel AF on board. The video below shows how the Dual Pixel AF performs on the C100. It’s the first I have seen so far. If you want the Dual Pixel AF but can’t afford a C100, there is always the Canon EOS 70D, the DSLR where Canon introduced their innovative auto-focus technology.

[via newsshooter]

First ISO 80000 Tests on Canon EOS C100 and C300 (new firmware)

Italian film maker Aldo Ricci made the little video above to test the new firmware updates for the Canon EOS C100 and EOS C300. Among other things the firmware pushes max ISO up to 80000, and that’s what tested in the video. A Canon EOS 5D Mark III with an EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS lens were used. Settings: k4400, C LOG, no colour grade.

Unfortunately the firmware for the EOS C300 has been temporarily put offline because of a bug they found.

The firmware update has yet to be released for the EOS C500. However, the guys over at cinema5d could test a pre-release version of the firmware during IBC in September.

Canon USA earns 2013 Center of Excellence Certification for Customer Support Center

Canon USA press release:

Canon U.S.A. Earns Prestigious 2013 Center Of Excellence Certification By BenchmarkPortal For Customer Support Center

MELVILLE, N.Y., November 14, 2013 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce that for the fifth consecutive year it has earned the Center of Excellence certification by BenchmarkPortal, placing its customer support center in the top 10 percent for efficiency and effectiveness. The Center of Excellence distinction is based on objective comparison to key performance indicators from the world’s largest database of contact center metrics that is audited and validated by researchers from BenchmarkPortal.

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