Patent For New Canon 14mm f/2.8 With Improved Surface Coating

Canon 14mm f/2.8

Canon 14mm f/2.8

Egami (translated) found a patent filed by Canon for a 14mm f/2.8 lens with a new anti-reflective coating, Subwavelength Structure Coating. This method optimizes the refractive index and allows for a thinner anti-reflective film.

Appears as if Canon is working on a successor of the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens [shoplink 252](price & specs)[/shoplink].

Patent specification (machine translated):

  • Patent Publication No. 2013-47780
    • 2013.3.7 Release Date
    • Filing date 2011.7.26
  • Example
    • F = 14.3mm focal length
    • Half angle ω = 56.6 °
    • Fno. 2.89
    • 14 images in 10 groups lens configuration
  • Canon patent
    • Antireflection film which is excellent in productivity and reflectance characteristics
    • The refractive index of the substrate (original surface of the lens) is 1.65 to 2.20
    • Consists of three layers, the ratio of the refractive index change with a three-layer
    • The third layer
      • Average roughness of less than 400nm pitch structure
      • By continuously varying the ratio of the space-filling structure uneven, changing the refractive index
      • After drying, the film is immersed in hot water and applied to the second layer solution (containing aluminum oxide) by spin coating, plate-like crystals deposited on the surface
    • If spin coating of the wet process, excellent in productivity can be realized a uniform thickness
    • Little change in the characteristics even if there is variation in thickness
[shoplink 252][/shoplink]

 

Good Times To Buy An EOS 6D, and other Canon Gear

EOS 6D

If you are not willing to wait to see how much up-market the upcoming EOS 70D will be, or to wait Fall for the EOS 7D Mark II, if you need or simply want a full-frame sensor DSLR, then these are good times for you price-conscious folks. The Canon EOS 6D got cheaper, and there are good kits around. The well performing EOS M with the EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens or the Ef-M 22mm f/2 STM is also available with discounts. Then we have a 7D and a T4i deal. Be aware that most of the prices in the list below show up after having added the item to the cart.

  • The EOS 6D body only option is now down to $1789 (Adorama | B&H| Amazon)
  • The EOS 6D with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens is $2329 (Adorama | B&H| Amazon) – B&H bundles the kit with these additional bonus items:  Lexar 16GB SDHC Professional 400x Class 10 UHS-I Memory Card and a Lowepro Adventura 170 Shoulder Bag
  • The EOS M with the EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM is $733.36 at Amazon and $749 at B&H and Adorama
  • The EOS M with the Ef-M 22mm f/2 STM is $675 at Amazon and B&H and Adorama
  • The EF-M 22mm f/2 STM pancake lens is sold for $245 at B&H
  • Adorama has refurbished EOS 7Ds for $979 (click here)
  • Canon Rebel T4i (EOS 650D) kit with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens and a 16 GB memory card for $799 at B&H
[shoplink 6091]EOS 6D [/shoplink]

More Canon Rumors: EOS 6D Firmware Update And Some EOS 7D Mark II Specs

EOS 7D Mark II

It’s rumors day today. After the rumor about a next to come announcement of the EOS 70D, more is coming out of the rumor mill.

First rumor: Canon will release a firmware update for the EOS 6D [shoplink 7139](price & specs)[/shoplink]. Besides tweaks and fixes, the firmware update should deliver f/8 autofocus at the center point, and the AI servo indicator could also be added. The expected release date for the firmware is May/June 2013.

Second rumor: apparently there are some prototypes of the EOS 7D Mark II out in the wild. One of the prototypes of the successor of the EOS 7D [shoplink 337](price & specs)[/shoplink] has an internal grip, making the body look a little like a mini EOS-1D X [shoplink 4119](price & specs)[/shoplink]. It looks like a bigger battery allows for better auto-focus on bigger lenses. The EOS 7D Mark II is expected to be announced end of summer or in fall. This was anticipated by Nippon Magazine some weeks ago.

There is a good EOS 7D deal at Adorama: refurbished EOS 7Ds for $979 (click here).

Canon EOS 6D price check: [shopcountry 7139] Canon EOS 7D price check: [shopcountry 337] [via CR]

 

Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L II USM Review (DPreview)

[shoplink 2160]EF 24-70 f/2.8L II[/shoplink]

DPreview reviewed the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L II USM lens [shoplink 2160](price & specs)[/shoplink], one of Canon’s top level pro lenses.

In the conclusion they write:

Conclusion – Pros

  • Superb, almost flawless optics
  • Impressive flare resistance
  • Fast, silent, and accurate autofocus
  • Excellent build quality including weathersealing

Conclusion – Cons

  • Unpleasant vignetting in the 50-70mm region at F2.8 on full frame
  • Noticeably lower image quality at close focus distances
  • No image stabilisation
  • Very expensive

In fact, the 24-70mm II follows its big brother, the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM [shoplink 8658](price & specs)[/shoplink], in being a lens that’s so good we’ve found it difficult to pick out any significant flaws. It’s superbly sharp, even wide open, but manages to combine this with lovely bokeh. Distortion is pretty well under control (and of course easily corrected in post processing), and chromatic aberration extremely low. Vignetting can be a problem towards the long end on full frame cameras, with a very abrupt falloff in brightness in the corners at F2.8. But again that’s easy to correct, either in post-processing, or in-camera with recent EOS models.

The 24-70mm deals well with difficult lighting too, and handles shooting directly into the sun without much image degradation due to flare. Autofocus is fast and decisive, and we’ve found it to be impressively accurate on higher-end cameras such as the EOS 6D [shoplink 7139](price & specs)[/shoplink]. The entry-level EOS 650D [shoplink 5623](price & specs)[/shoplink] can struggle to hit perfect focus every time at F2.8, but that probably reflects more on the camera than the lens. The build quality is difficult to fault too, combining weathersealing with a welcome wieght reduction compared to its predecessor.

Nothing surprising, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II was called a peerless performer by the DXOMark’s people.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM price check: [shopcountry 2160] The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM can be rented at borrowlenses (click here)

[via dpreview]

Update #2 – Canon EOS 70D May Be Announced On March 22

EOS 70D
The Canon EOS 60D

UPDATE 2: another invitation showed up (CR), for March 22nd:

UPDATE: CR reports that product announcement invites have been sent out for March 21, 2013 in the Czech Republic, see below:

There is something going on, no doubt about that.

I previously reported that one of the prediction made by Nippon Magazine we reported first here at Canon Watch got a confirmation. Possible, rumored announcement dates for the EOS 70D were the 19th or 26th of March 2013. Nippon Magazine predicted an EOS 70D announcement for March.

Now there is a new rumor stating that the EOS 70D could be announced on March 22nd. A possible product announcement by Canon could happen that day. Let’s wait and see. However, it is definitely time for  Canon to announce the Canon EOS 70D.

There are no specifications for the upcoming successor of the Canon EOS 60D (refurbished with the EF-S 18-135mm IS lens for $829 at B&H and Adorama), except that it should bring the xxD line-up to a more pro level, as the EOS 50D still was. In other words: compared to the EOS 60D the EOS 70D will push specification to a higher level.

Canon EOS 60D price check: [shopcountry 335] [via PR]