Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Lens In Stock And Ready To Ship (and review)

Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8

The image stabilized Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM is in stock at B&H for $3,599 (click here). The lens gets good reviews, for instance at ephotozine were they write:

Although the performance of this lens isn’t of the same absolute brilliance of the Nikon and Canon fixed super-telephoto lenses, it isn’t all that far behind. Add in the flexibility afforded by the zoom and it still makes a compelling alternative to the camera manufacturer’s own fast telephoto glass.

They point out the good sharpness, low chromatic aberration, high build quality, fast AF. Excellent value for the money.

More Videos Taken With Canon EOS 50D And Magic Lantern RAW Hack (and comparison with 5D Mark II)

How cool is it to get RAW video output from a 5 year old camera that was never thought to be a video camera? Pretty much cool in my opinion. Kudos to the skilled Magic Lantern hackers for their Magic Lantern RAW hack.

There is more video footage shot with the modified 50D that showed up. Check the videos above and below. It also means that the hardware of the EOS 50D has always been able to shot video. There is a discussion going on about the Magic Lantern RAW hack in the Magic Lantern forum.

This could be the right time to get an EOS 50D on eBay, before the price will raise because of the newly discovered possibilities.

[via nofilmschool and motionvfx]

 

US Deal: Canon Rebel T5i w/ 18-55mm IS STM – $745 (coupon code)

Rebel T5i

Rakuten has the Canon Rebel T5i (EOS 700D in EU, Kiss X7i in JP) with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens for just $744.95 (click here). That’s $150 off the price of other online sellers. To get the full discount you have to use the coupon code on the product page. I found this deal via dealsrunner.com.

Product description:

  • 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion, ISO 100–12800 (expandable to H: 25600) for shooting from bright to dim light and high performance DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality and speed.
  • High speed continuous shooting up to 5.0 fps allows you to capture the action.
  • 9-point all cross-type AF system (including a high-precision cross-type f/2.8 center point) for exceptional autofocus performance when shooting with the viewfinder and Hybrid CMOS AF increases autofocus speed when shooting photos and movies in Live View.
  • EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects, manual exposure control and multiple frame rates (1080: 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 720: 60p (59.94) / 50p, 480: 30p (29.97) / 25p), built-in stereo microphone, manual audio level adjustment, and Video Snapshot with editing for expanded movie shooting options.
  • Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II (approximately 1,040,000 dots) with smudge-resistant coating features multi-touch operation and Touch AF for an easy and intuitive experience, flexible positioning, and clear viewing even when outdoors.
  • Scene Intelligent Auto Mode delivers expertly optimized photos and offers improved scene detection for amazing results when shooting at night.
  • Expand your creativity with advanced imaging features like Handheld Night Scene mode, HDR Backlight Control mode, and seven Creative Filters that can be displayed in real time during Live View shooting.
  • Multi Shot Noise Reduction provides outstanding noise reduction while preserving precious detail at high ISO speeds.
  • Compatibility with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, including Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) cards.
  • Compatible with the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses.

 

Canon Patent For Liquid Optical Elements (liquid lens)

liquid lens
Liquid optical element
liquid lens liquid lens

Figure above: When electricity is applied the optical element gets a shape.

Another Canon patent spotted by Egami (translated).

Liquid lenses have a series of advantages over traditional lenses. Beside not having moving parts (and thus less mechanical parts), they respond quicker to electrical signals, they do not have a motor (you thought that USM was the big thing? Think again) and they are naturally much more silent. The lack of a motor also means such a lens needs less electrical power, hence the battery lasts longer. Liquid lenses are most likely going to be employed in compact cameras and/or smartphones. If you want a more scientific description about what liquid lenses are and do, I recommend this article.

It is not the first time Canon files a patent for a liquid lens (and yes, I shamelessly recycled some of the text of my previous post :-) ).

Patent description (machine translated):

  • Patent Publication No. 2013-101227
    • Publication date 2013.5.23
    • Filing date 2011.11.9
  • Canon patent
    • I drive a plurality of pumps
    • Drive pump liquid optical element to hold the end of the interface
    • When applied to the electrodes, electrowetting phenomenon in which the liquid moves to the interface from the drive pump occurs
    • Optical properties are changed by the movement of the liquid
    • By discretely and independently controlled and a voltage, enabling high-speed drive
[via Egami]

Head To Head Review: Canon Powershot G15 vs. Nikon Coolpix 7700

Powershot G15

Interesting comparison by photographic authority dpreview.

A head to head comparison of the Canon PowerShot G15 and the Nikon Coolpix 7700, both very popular high end compact cameras for enthusiasts. While it obvious that each one has its strengths and weak points – the G15 has a faster lens (f/1.8) and the 7700 a longer zoom range, just to make an example – the Canon Powershot G15 comes out as the winner – even if with a very small advantage. Let’s see the core specs (taken from B&H‘s product pages)

 PowerShot G15  Coolpix 7700
 12.1MP CMOS Sensor  12.2MP CMOS Sensor
 3.0″ LCD Monitor  3″ Display With 921K Resolution
 5x Optical Zoom 6.1-30.5mm Lens  7.1x 28-200mm Zoom Lens (35mm Equiv.)
 28-140mm 35mm Equivalent Focal Length  f/2.0 Maximum Aperture
 DIGIC 5 Image Processor  High-Speed Shooting at Up to 8 FPS
 1080p HD Video Capture  Subject Tracking Auto Focus
 12800 ISO  19 Scene Modes
 Intelligent IS Image Stabilization  Full-Size Accessory Shoe for Accessories
 10fps Continuous Capture  In-Camera Creative Special Effects
 RAW & JPEG Capture  RAW & JPEG Capture

In the conclusion, different aspects are considered:

  • Design and Handling: While the P7700’s flip-out LCD is appealing, [dpreview thinks] that the G15’s smaller, more rugged body and optical viewfinder give it a slight edge.
  • Features: Canon Powershot G15 is winner
  • Performance: Canon Powershot G15 is winner
  • Movie mode: Coolpix P7700 (thanks to mic input and manual exposure control)
  • Image quality: Coolpix P7700 (by a hair)

The final word by dpreview:

The Canon PowerShot G15 narrowly beats the Nikon Coolpix P7700 in our competition here, but it’s a close-run thing. The G15 offers a fast lens, very good image quality, a compact yet solid body, snappy performance, and plenty of manual controls. And then there’s the optical viewfinder which, while not great, is better than nothing. About the only things on our wish list are an articulating LCD display (like on previous models), faster frame rates in movie mode, and a bit sharper images, though the latter is subjective.

The Canon Powershot G15 gets a Gold Award (76%), the Nikon Coolpix 7700 a Silver Award (75%).

Canon PowerShot G15 price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA Nikon Coolpix 7700 price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

[via dpreview]