Deal: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS Lens – $699

eBay Daily Deals feature: seller bigvalueinc (98.2% positive feedbacks) has the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens on sale for just . Free shipping. Regarding the item, the seller writes:

  • This lens is 100% brand new.
  • These are lenses that were originally packaged with Canon Camera Kits. We sold the Canon Kits in a quantity order, and we had simply removed the Lenses and placed them in their own box with all original foam packaging.These Lenses are limited quantity only.
Filter Size 77mm
f/Stop Range 4-22
Minimum Focus Distance 1.48′ (0.45 m)
Magnification 1:4.3
Zoom/Focus Control Two touch
Angle of View 84-23° (with full-frame cameras)
Groups/Elements 13/18
Length 4.2″ (107mm)
Maximum Diameter 3.3″ (83.5mm)
Weight 1.5 lb (670g)
[via dealsrunner]

Rokinon 24mm Tilt-Shift Lens Reviewed (The Phoblographer)

Rokinon 24mm

Rokinon Tilt-Shift 24mm f3.5 ED AS UMC
B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

  • Fast Wide-Angle Lens
  • Full-Frame Coverage
  • Geared Focus and Aperture Rings
  • “Declicked” Aperture Ring
  • Aspherical Lens Elements
  • UMC Multi-Coating
  • Detachable Petal Shaped Lens Hood

The Phoblographer reviewed the Rokinon/Samyang/Bower Tilt-Shift 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC lens. This inexpensive, manual-focus tilt-shift lens is a good alternative to the brand-products. Optical quality is good, and if you can live with a manual focus lens (not really a problem on a TS lens), then the Rokinon is a valid alternative for those on a budget. They tested the Nikon-mount version, but did it using an EOS 5D Mark II through an adapter.

In the conclusion they write:

What this Rokinon has done is open the floodgates to the world of Perspective Control imagery for photographers that have otherwise avoided these magnificent lenses due to to the sheer cost of them. For instance, Canon’s mkII version of the 24mm f3.5L TS-E costs a whopping $2200, a full $1200 MORE than the Rokinon. When you consider what they have accomplished with their lens and delivered it for under $1k, I find that to be pretty astonishing personally. […]  I have to say though, I am slightly conflicted over this lens. I think that it is a great opportunity for photographers who are new to tilt-shift photography to get into it, and for those of us on a budget it allows us to have a pretty decent lens for the price of entry.

The review comes with lots of sample pictures.

[via The Phoblographer]

Two New EOS M Cameras Before End Of Year?

 

EOS M

After the recent fire sales of the Canon EOS M, things look like as if Canon is trying to empty stocks. Adorama has the EOS M listed as discontinued, same for other online shops. Hence, the latest EOS M rumour fits with what happened last week.

Canon may announce two new EOS M models later this year, a basic upgrade with an 18MP sensor (same of the EOS 100D), and a more sophisticated model with the new 20MP, dual pixel CMOS AF sensor of the Canon EOS 70D. The EOS M with the 20MP sensor is said to ship not before the EOS 70D (i.e. not before September 2013), the more basic variant should be released earlier. The 20MP model of the the new EOS M is said be aimed at more pro-oriented, full-frame EOS shooters and will have a viewfinder. Finally, Canon may be working on a focal length reducer for EF lenses that should be announced along with the the 20MP, dual pixel AF version of the the EOS M.

The new EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens should be released in a few days.

[via NL]

Zeiss Drops the Carl From Their Brand

Zeiss

Zeiss officially announced they will no longer have the “Carl” on their lenses. To some degree, this is a historical development for a company that used the “Carl Zeiss” mark for a century. On Zeiss Blog they write:

“ZEISS is now taking this development into account in its decision to create consistency across its brand communications.”

All future lenses will be branded just “Zeiss”. For a listing of Zeiss lenses for Canon DSLRs click here.

[via Sonyalpharumors]

A Bit Of Everything (EOS M, Lightroom 5, Canon DSLRs, Various)

Canon EOS M new firmware. from Banff Photography on Vimeo.

Canon EOS M kits available at incredible prices: EOS M with the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens for $299 (Amazon |B&H). Canon EOS M with EF-M 18-55mm IS STM lens for $349 (B&H | Amazon)

Adobe Lightroom 5
  • Review: Adobe Lightroom 5 (Mac version) – Read it here
  • Master These Five Lightroom Sliders and Your Photos Will Pop – Read it here 
  • Working With The New Radial Filter Tool In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 – Read it here
  • Quick Tip For Lightroom 5 Users – Smart Previews – Read it here
  • Lightroom Video – LR5′s New Radial Filter – Read it here
  • Lightroom Presets for Radial Filter | Lightroom Killer Tips – Read it here
  • 5 Lightroom Organizing Mistakes and How To Avoid Them – Read it here

Canon DSLR

  • Best Canon DSLR: 8 reviewed and rated – Read it here
  • Best lenses for you Canon EOS 700D (price & specs): Part III – Super zooms wide-angles and telephoto lenses – Read it here
  • Best lenses for your Canon EOS 700D: Standard zooms, primes, and moderate telephoto lenses – Read it here
  • Canon T5i First Shots: Does this mid-level DSLR produce the same image quality as the Rebel T4i? – Read it here
  • Best lenses for your Canon EOS 100D (price & specs): Wide Angles, Standards and Telephotos – Read it here
  • Canon EOS 5D Mark III (price & specs) raw video crop mode performance – Read it here
  • Canon C500 Slow Motion Test – Read it here

Various

  • Canon EOS-M Firmware Update 2.0.2 Autofocus Speed – Read it here
  • Canon EF 50mm f1.2L USM review – Read it here
  • The Phoblographer’s 5 Recommended Lenses for DSLR Street Photography – read it here
  • 10 common wildlife photography mistakes we’re all guilty of (and how to fix them) – Read it here
  • Camera sales history from 2011 till today. Mirrorless hype is over. DSLR rules. – Read it here
  • Tim Smith From Canon at Cine Gear 2013 – Read it here
  • Review: Eye-Fi Mobi SDHC Card (16 GB) – Read it here
  • Building A “Dry Ice Light” With eBay Parts For $36 – Read it here
  • A Complete HDR Workflow – Read it here