Leave No Story Untold: Canon Launches Program To Benefit Independent Filmmakers

Canon U.S.A. today launched the new Canon Filmmaker Award Program in partnership with Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival. Open to eligible Film Independent Fellows, Los Angeles Film Festival alumni, and Spirit Awards Nominees and Winners, the program is designed to help emerging filmmakers ‘leave no story untold.’ Canon’s Press Release:

Canon U.S.A. Launches New Program To Benefit Film Independent Filmmakers At The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival

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EOS 5D Mark III Firmware 1.1.3 Released

Canon released a new firmware (version 1.1.3) for the EOS 5D Mark III. To download it click here (you have first to select your operating system). This upgrade introduces the following:

Firmware Version 1.1.3 incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. Supports the single focal length EF40mm f/2.8 STM lens that is to be released at the end of June, 2012.

2. Fixes a phenomenon in which an image may become underexposed when using the Auto Lighting Optimizer for continuous Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) shooting.

3. Fixes a phenomenon in which the backlight of the LCD monitor may not turn off depending on the camera settings and timing.

4. Fixes a phenomenon in which the camera’s power may not turn on when a super-telephoto lens*1) is mounted to the camera with an extender*2). *1) EF 300mm F2.8L IS II USM / EF 400mm F2.8L IS II USM *2) Extender EF 1.4X III / Extender EF 2X III

5. Corrects mistakes in the Dutch, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, and Swedish menu screens. Firmware Version 1.1.3 is for cameras with firmware up to Version 1.1.2. If the camera’s firmware is already Version 1.1.3, it is not necessary to download this firmware.

EOS 5D Mark III price check (should be in stock everywhere, at least in the US): B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

[Rumor] EF 14-24mm f/2.8L To Be Released Next Year?

Rumours about a possible EF 14-24mm f/2.8L lens by Canon are strolling around since Nikon released its 14-24mm f/2.8. Now the rumour got a fresh-up, suggesting that Canon may release (or at least announce) such a lens within the next 12 months (as reported on canonrumors). I can’t say anything, no rumour about a supposed EF 14-24mmf/2.8L lens reached me, but, hey!, I would love to see (and have) a 14-24mm f/2.8L lens. What about you?

[Review] EF 40mm f/2.8 STM

The cute little pancake by Canon is starting to get reviews. It got f/2.8, it’s light (both in your pocket and on your wallet) and it has very good performance – all for $199. ephotozine got its hands on the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake for a review. Results are pretty good. “Autofocus is very swift and precise“, or “At maximum aperture, sharpness in the centre of the frame is already excellent” and “chromatic aberrations are virtually non-existent, remaining under half a pixel width in size at all apertures” are some of the comments you can read in the review. From the final verdict:

Pros

  • Excellent sharpness
  • Low distortion
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Fast focusing

Cons

  • No full time manual focus override
  • Strong vignetting
  • More than double the price of the 50mm f/1.8 (although performance and build probably justify this)

EF 40mm f/2.8 STM availability and price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA. If these do not have the 40mm pancake, you may be able to pre-order it at Adorama (click here) and  B&H (click here).

[Review] Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Telephoto Lens

Let me first state that I really like Scott Bourne’s posts. They are always concise and synthetic, yet informative and pleasant to read. The same applies to his mini-review of the EF 500mm f/4L IS Telephoto Lens. Announced more than a year ago, and delayed because of the Japan earthquake, the lens started to appear in limited quantity at some sellers. Scott Bourne is raving about this lens:

What a lens! There is a new IS mode that offers four stops of speed and three modes. New redesigned optics perform with almost no chromatic aberration. But the BIG difference is the lens is significantly lighter. The lens weighs a pound and a half less than its predecessor and it feels like a feather by comparison.

Canon says the lens has redesigned fluorite optics and less chromatic aberration, and it is made out of magnesium and titanium. There are 3 IS modes, you should get 4 stops using image stabilization. This isn’t really a budget lens, having a price tag of $10,499. Pre-orders can be filed at the following shops:

Core specifications:

Construction 16 elements in 12 groups (Including drop-in rear filter, Fluorite: G2 and G4, UD Lens: None)
Angle of view 5°
Focus Adjustment Inner focusing system, with focusing cam
F stop range 4-32
Closest Focusing Distance 3.7m / 12.14 ft.
Filter Size 52mm Drop-In
Dimensions (Diameter x Length) 5.7″ x 15.1″ / 146 x 383mm
Weight Approx. 112.5 oz. / 3190g

Worthy successor to the lauded Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, the new EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM super telephoto lens features completely redesigned Fluorite optics that deliver sharper images with less chromatic aberration and has a lighter weight thanks to magnesium and titanium construction elements.

Because image stabilization technology in super telephoto lenses may inadvertently over-compensate and interfere with composing and framing distant or moving subjects, the EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM includes an advanced third Image Stabilization mode (Mode 3) that activates IS only when the shutter button is fully pressed. This allows users to pan fast-moving subjects and then activate IS only when it is precisely required.

Additionally, all three IS modes give the equivalent effect of a shutter speed four stops faster, ideally positioning the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM for professional action photography, from sports to nature. The addition of the Power Focus mode enables smooth focus change when shooting video. Buttons and switches are redesigned for intuitive, deliberate operation, and dust and water sealing keeps the EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM functioning flawlessly in even the most challenging environments.