Discounts On Refurbished Canon Gear (Up To 30%, Canon Store)

Refurbished Canon Gear

Until tomorrow, February 27th, the Canon Direct Store has a 20-30% discounts program on refurbished Canon gear, DSLRs and lenses, going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canon Marketing Boss Resigns After Seven Years

Darren Ryan, the mastermind behind Canon’s acclaimed ‘World of EOS‘ campaigns (the campaign took out the Cannes Grand Prix for Media in 2010), has resigned his job after seven years. He will finish on April, 26th. According to Canon a replacement is already “well underway”. Click here to read an interview with Darren Ryan (8/3/2012),

Ryan will finish on 26 April as general manager of marketing – Canon Consumer Imaging. A search for a replacement is already “well underway” according to Canon.

Jason McLean, Canon director – Canon Consumer Imaging, says:

“After nearly seven years with Canon, Darren feels the time is right for a change and is comfortable to take some time out to consider the future. Darren’s characteristic focus, dedication and passion have left an indelible mark on Canon and he will leave us with a great legacy for future growth and achievement.

[via adnews]

Adobe Lightroom Release Candidate 4.4 Available For Download

Adobe released version 4.4 of Lightroom as a release candidate (click here to download). The ‘release candidate’ label indicates that the update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically.

The new release adds support for the Canon EOS 1D C (B&H and Adorama), and delivers the following tweaks and fixes:

The following bugs that were part of the Lightroom 4 releases have been corrected. The team appreciates the very detailed feedback the community has provided on Lightroom 4 and we’re excited to correct a number of issues experienced by our customers. These issues have been FIXED:

  • The crop overlay tool resized incorrectly when used in conjunction with the “Constrain to Crop” checkbox in the Lens Correction panel
  • Background graphics were not correctly rendered within the Book Module
  • The supplied lens profile for the Sony RX-1 did not contain vignette information
  • Previews of photos in portrait orientation were blurry when viewed in the filmstrip in the Develop module. (Mac only)
  • Stack badges displayed the wrong count when creating new stack that included a preexisting stack.
  • The Filter scrollbar within the Library module was not rendering properly.
  • Auto-tone was not working properly when used in conjunction with the Exposure adjustment slider. (Win only)
  • The Black&White button was not creating a History state within the Develop module. (Win only)
  • RGB color readouts were specified in the Adobe RGB colorspace rather than the ProPhoto linear colorspace. This occurred when working in Soft Proofing within the Develop module.
  • Adding a page behaved inconsistently in the Book module depending on the method used to add a page.
  • The state of the “Remove Chromatic Aberrations” checkbox within the Lens Correction was not persistent between sessions of Lightroom.

Adobe Lightroom price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Remains of the Day

 

  • Canon Celebrates the Power of Image in Fashion. Core facts:

    • Canon Europe, world leader in imaging solutions and Imaging Partner of the British Fashion Council, is participating in 12 exciting initiatives underway as part of its official sponsorship of London Fashion Week and London Fashion Weekend.
    • Aimed at celebrating the Power of Image and sharing Canon’s imaging expertise with the fashion industry, the projects include collaboration with outstanding photographers, designers and bloggers.
    • Highlights of the Canon initiatives are captured in behind-the-scene insights revealed in a series of Canon video interviews by seasoned fashion blogger Andy Torres from StyleScrapbook.com.
    • Leading professional photographer Clive Booth also explains what it means to be a fashion photographer and the creation story behind British designer Henry Holland’s look book; the iconic image portfolio that defines a designer’s collection.
    • Canon Europe also worked with three other designers – David Koma, Michael van der Ham and Holly Fulton – to create their own images and look books, which have also been published on Canon printers, allowing designers to start using them immediately after the event.
    • New collection look books are also used at other European Fashion Weeks by the designers in marketing their collections.
    • As Official Imaging Partner for the British Fashion Council and Official Sponsor of London Fashion Week for eight years, Canon has offered support to photographers throughout the week via its Canon Professional Services (CPS) photographers’ centre with a team of technicians handing questions, and providing camera repair services and loan facilities.
    • Canon has also been providing a free bus for all accredited photographers to travel between London Fashion Week venues.
    • As the Digital Showcasing Partner, Canon Europe has also screened fashion show content for visitors in the Canon Cinema and the Canon Screening Room in Somerset House.
    • Further initiatives are planned for London Fashion Weekend, during which the Canon Studio will allow visitors to take part in a personalised photo shoot, while working with Elizabeth Arden to provide a truly memorable makeover experience.
    • Canon will also provide a range of photography opportunities and experiences to student photographers and the 2012 winners of the Canon Professional Services’ ‘Best Shot’ competition.
    • London Fashion Week (15-19 February) is the biggest event on the British fashion calendar, with over 5,000 visitors at this year’s event.

 

  • How Canon is fighting the smartphone, Alok Bharadwaj, executive vice-president of Canon India says:
    • “Canon is launching more wi-fi enabled compact cameras – which have larger bandwidth than 3G-enabled smartphones. Besides, cameras still have better picture quality in terms of depth and size due to a better processor and optical zoom. Thus, while smartphones will continue to be multi-functional, we will continue to pack our cameras with more innovative features – like cameras for cinematographers.” –> read it here

 

  • Get lost in a stunning 320-gigapixel image of London:
    • How well do you know the landmarks of London? Get up close and personal with a stunning 320-gigapixel image of the city captured atop the BT Tower.

      Snapped by panorama experts 360Cities, the epic photography endeavor required the use of four Canon EOS 7D (price & specs) dSLR cameras outfitted with some heavy-duty equipment.
      Each camera used an EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, Extender EF 2x III teleconverter, and a Rodeon VR Head ST robotic panorama head. After shooting 48,640 individual pictures over the course of three days (shortly after the 2012 Olympics), 360Cities spent the next several months assembling and stitching together the final gargantuan image.

 

Canon Patent For Two New Fluorite Treated Lenses

Canon Patent
17-35mm f/2.8-4
Canon Patent
14mm f/2.8

Egami (translated) spotted a patent referring to two new lenses, a 14mm f/2.8 and a 17-35mm f/2.8-4, both with fluorite treatment. According to WIkipedia…:

Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon. Crystal twinning is common and adds complexity to the observed crystal habits.

[…]

Optically clear transparent fluorite lenses have low dispersion, so lenses made from it exhibit less chromatic aberration, making them valuable in microscopes and telescopes. Fluorite optics are also usable in the far-ultraviolet range where conventional glasses are too absorbent for use.

Click here to see a Canon video about fluorite and lenses.

The patent:

  • Patent Publication No. 2013-37339
    • 2013.2.21 Release Date
    • Filing date 2011.7.12
  • Example 1
    • Zoom ratio 1.00
    • Focal length f = 1.00mm
    • Fno. 2.90
    • Half angle of view ω = 56.66 °
    • Image height Y = 1.52mm
    • 9.51mm length lens
    • BF 2.82mm
    • 6 aspherical surfaces, the first surface 25
    • Punctually
  • Example 3
    • Zoom ratio 2.06
    • 2.06mm – f = 1.00 focal length
    • Fno 2.79 -. 4.00
    • Half angle of view ω = 51.27 – 32.82 °
    • 1.33mm – Y = 1.25 image height
    • 8.55mm – 8.79 length lens
    • BF 2.41 – 3.46mm
    • Aspheric first surface, the fifth surface, the first surface 26
    • Positive and negative positive negative
  • Example 6
    • Zoom ratio 1.00
    • Focal length f = 1.00mm
    • Fno. 2.90
    • Half angle of view ω = 87.35 °
    • Image height Y = 21.60mm
    • 9.51mm length lens
    • BF 2.82mm
    • 6 aspherical surfaces, the first surface 25
    • Punctually

Possible Next EOS M Specifications Leaked (24MP, Better AF, Viewfinder, $999)

Next EOS M Specifications

We know that Canon is most probably working on a successor of the not so popular Canon EOS M (price & specs). Not so very well selling because of all the bad press it got for the sluggish auto-focus system. Now we have the first possibly next EOS M specifications leaked:

  • 24mp APS-C Sensor
  • New generation AF system
  • DIGIC V
  • Removable Electronic Viewfinder (Very high resolution)
  • Optional grip attachment
  • 5fps
  • Slightly larger than the current EOS M
  • Introduced with 3 more lenses
  • $999 USD

Sounds somewhat like a wish list, but who knows. We know there will be more EF-M lenses. Finally, an entry level EOS M with a price tag of around $500 is also rumored.

Canon EOS M price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA [via Canon Rumors]