Save $50 on Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT

Speedlite 600EX-RT

B&H is selling the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT with a $50 discount for $499 (click here).

  • Wireless Radio Multiple Flash System
  • TTL, E-TTL II & A-TTL Compatible
  • GN 197′ (60 m) @ ISO100
  • Exceptionally Dust- and Water-Resistant
  • Zoom Flash Head: 20-200mm Range
  • Dot Matrix LCD Panel and Backlit Button
  • Color Filter Holder for Gelatin Filters
  • 18 Custom Functions
  • Full 180-Degree Swivel in Each Direction
  • AF Assist Beam

Canon Rebel SL1/EOS 100D First Look Video

Adorama TV made a first look video of the Canon Rebel SL1/EOS 100D (price & specs).

Canon Rebel SL1/EOS 100D features:

  • 18MP CMOS Sensor and DIGIC 5 Image Processor: High resolution, low-noise imaging and fast performance speed, including 4 fps continuous shooting, is provided by the combination of the Canon DIGIC 5 Image Processor and 18MP CMOS sensor
  • 3.0″ Clear View II Touchscreen LCD Monitor: A 3.0″ Clear View II Touchscreen LCD monitor with 1,040k-dot resolution provides clear composition and playback viewing even in bright light. Its smudge-resistant coating keeps the monitor clear
  • Full HD 1080 Video Capture: Full HD Movie mode supports Movie Servo for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects during recording. When shooting video with one of Canon’s STM lenses, Movie Servo AF takes advantage of the lens’ stepping motor (STM) for smooth and quiet continuous autofocus
  • Compact Form Factor: The Rebel SL1 is a particularly compact and lightweight DSLR, weighing approximately 13 oz
  • 9-point Autofocus System: A 9-point AF system (including a high-precision dual-cross center point) provides fast and accurate autofocus performance when shooting with the viewfinder. The Center AF point is AF cross-type at f/5.6, Center AF point is vertical line-sensitive at f/2.8
  • Hybrid CMOS AF II: The Hybrid CMOS AF System is utilized when shooting photos and video in Live View. Combining two different kinds of AF-phase and contrast detection-continuous focus tracking becomes faster and more accurate than ever before in Live View
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Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS Review (photozone)

EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS

ephotozine.de posted a review about Canon’s new kit zoom lens, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS (price & specs). The lens was introduced with the Canon Rebel Sl1/EOS 100D and is the new kit zoom that Canon will deliver with their entry-level DSLR. ephotozine writes:

[…] the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS – is a little different since Canon came up with a completely new lens offering not only an updated optical design but also an improved construction as well as a new AF motor […]

Excerpts from the conclusion:

[Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS] the is a pretty darn sharp lens with only a minimal decrease in contrast fully open. However, it is not a lens without flaws. There is a bit of field curvature so expect a slight corner softness when shooting flat objects at max. aperture. The CAs are generally quite low but they are easily visible in the image corners at 18mm. The 18mm setting is also a weak spot both in terms of distortion and vignetting although this is actually nothing out of the ordinary for a lens in this class.

and:

Canon improved the mechanical quality of the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS compared to its predecessors. It remains, of course, a “plastic” lens but we can celebrate the comeback of a dedicated focus ring and the implementation of a non-rotating front element as well as a generally higher build quality. The new STM AF is really silent and pretty speedy. Canon’s IS (image stabilizer) is a proven technology by now and it’s a welcome feature to help out in low light situations.

Sample images are also provided.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM IS price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA [via ephotozine]

Samyang/Rokinon Tilt-Shift 24mm To Be Released In Mid-May (and sample images)

Tilt-Shift 24mm

(source: dicahub, slrclub)

Samyang Poland posted a press release with some sample images taken with the Samyang/Rokinon Tilt-Shift 24mm. More sample images can be seen at pophoto.

The Samyang/Rokinon Tilt-Shift 24mm should be available in Europe mid-May 2013, price tag: Eur 979. The lens is already available in Korea (1,060,000 Won). It will first be available for Canon EF and other mounts (F, A). Other mount types will follow later.

The lens is available for pre-order for $999 (click on shop name): Adorama, B&H and Amazon.

  • Wide-Angle Tilt-Shift Prime Lens
  • Full Frame/35mm Format
  • Aperture Range: f/3.5-22
  • Maximum Tilt: +/- 8.5º
  • Maximum Shift: +/- 12mm
  • Mount Rotation: 90º Left and Right

Samyang Poland press release:

Samyang Tilt-Shift 24mm to be released in mid-May

T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC, the new Samyang lens featuring the perspective control function, will be soon released on the European market. The lens was first presented at last year’s Photokina fairs in Cologne. Thanks to the advanced optics and sophisticated mechanical construction, this new Korean lens comes as a highly competitive tool which may outdistance other products in this category.

Source of inspiration

Samyang T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC is a wide-angle prime lens designed for full frame cameras. Its optics and mechanic features enable independent shift of the optical axis and lens plane tilt. This feature, combined with the Tilt-Shift section rotation function, gives unlimited range of image creation options with the use of perspective and depth of field. New Samyang lens is an ideal tool for landscape and architecture photography, but it’s also a limitless source of inspiration for ambitious photographers who express their emotions in new ways, through unique perspectives, precise placed focal planes, corrected convergence of lines within the frame and high-resolution panoramas.

Broad potential

Tilt-Shift function of the lens allow for smooth adjustment of the focal plane angle (from -8.5 to +8.5 degrees) and parallel shift of the lens optical axis by ±12 millimetres. Given sections responsible for tilt-shift function may be rotated to the left by 30, 60 or 90 degrees against each other. Since the bayonet mount may be also independently rotated to the right by ± 90 degrees, also at 30 degrees increments.

Technical precision

The wide range of functionalities of this Tilt-Shift lens required designing sophisticated optics based on highest quality elements had to be designed. For this reason Samyang T-S 24mm comes with sixteen lenses divided into eleven groups. The optics includes two aspherical lenses (ASP) to prevent spherical aberration effect and two lenses made of low dispersion glass to reduce chromatic aberration to the minimum. Such construction allows to obtain great details reproduction and slight bokeh typical of the highest quality lenses. Each lens is covered with multi-layer anti-reflective UMC coatings which provide perfect light transmission, high contrast and faithful colour reproduction.

Samyang T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC will be initially available with mounts for Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony A. Versions with Canon M, Fujifilm X, Samsung NX and Sony will also be released.

Suggested retail price of the product in Poland is 3975 PLN, in Europe is 979 EUR.

The first batch of the lenses will be released in mid-May 2013.