How Does Canon’s 20 Years Old EOS-1D Image Quality Hold Up?

Canon EOS-1D
View Post

20 years ago Canon released the EOS-1D, the company’s first attempt in the professional digital camera market. How does the image quality compare nowadays?

At a glance:

  • Magnesium body, environmentally sealed, based on the Canon EOS-1V
  • 4.48 megapixel CCD sensor (primary colour filter)
  • Focal length multiplier: 1.3x
  • Maximum burst speed of 8 fps for up to 21 JPEG frames or 16 RAW frames
  • ISO 200 – 1600 in 1/3 stop steps, ISO 100 or 3200 available from a custom function ISO sensitivity bracketing
  • Evaluative, Partial, Center-weighted, Spot and Multi-spot metering
  • Shutter speed range: Bulb, 30 – 1/16,000 sec (1/500 sec flash X-sync)
  • Noise reduction can be enabled for exposures 1/15 sec or slower
  • 100 percent viewfinder coverage meeting professional needs with adjustable diopter and eyepiece shutter
  • 45-point Area AF for compositional freedom, and 21-zone metering
  • 10 white balance modes and WB bracketing functions, including setting Kelvin values
  • Voice narration recording with built-in microphone–maximum of 30 seconds
  • 21 custom functions and 25 personal functions, which can be stored into function groups

EduardoPavezGoye wanted to find out and discusses his findings about the Canon EOS-1D in the video below. I think the image quality is pretty good for a 20 years old digital camera with a 4.5MP sensor. Sure, you won’t print large formats, but still.

More about the Canon EOS-1D at Wikipedia. If you are curious, you’ll find the Canon EOS-1D press release after the break.

Click here to open the rest of the article

Did Canon Quietly Raise Prices For Their Gear Because Of The Pandemic?

canon rumors canon news eos r7 mark ii canon eos rv
View Post

It seems so, according to a recent report. Blame the pandemic, they say.

PetaPixel reports that Canon raised prices for some of their gear. The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV was selling at $2,499, now it’s $2,699. RF-mount lenses have also seen a $100 raise in price.

PetaPixel mentions a “source” who claims that the prices raised because of the coronavirus pandemic, i.e. because of “[…] its associated costs such as production delays and increased air freight expenses“. When asked for comment Canon refused to answer.

It’s true that there is more demand than available gear, and that many Canon lenses are on backorder. Still, it is hard to assess if the pandemic is the reason or nor.

Stay tuned.

Today Only: Save Up To 50% On Tiffen Variable Neutral Density Filter

Tiffen variable neutral
View Post

Only for today (9/2/21) B&H Photo offers up to 50% discount on Tiffen variable neutral density filters.

At a glance:

  • Provides 2 to 8 Stops of Light Control
  • Rotating Ring to Choose Degree of ND
  • Eliminates Buying Many ND Filters
  • Use to Create Blurs/Special Effects
  • Use with Film or Digital
  • Wide Outer Ring Reduces Vignetting
  • Black Aluminum Filter Ring
  • ColorCore Glass
  • Made in the USA

Three Tiffen filters are discounted. You can save additional $20 if you apply for the mail-in rebate:

Get the SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC memory card on sale at $149.95. Compare at $199.95. A $50 discount is applied in cart.

Hand-picked deals are listed here.

Deal pages:

Refurbished lenses and DSLRs at Canon Store (best deals might be found here)

Save $10 on Luminar 4 and/or Aurora HDR 2019 using our code “WATCH” at checkout.

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon Patent: Improved Image Plane Phase Difference AF Using IBIS Data

canon patent
View Post

Another Canon patent application spotted by asobinet.com: how to improve the detection of image plane phase difference autofocus by using data derived from IBIS (In Body Image Stabilisation).

Canon patent application 2021-128303 discusses technology and methods to improve phase difference AF on a subject represented by a horizontal line.

[Problem]

To provide an imaging device capable of detecting focus even if a subject is a horizontal line pattern.


[Means for solving]

An imaging element for picking up an image for detecting a phase difference in a predetermined direction on an image plane to detect a focus state of an image formed by an imaging lens, and an imaging element driving means for driving the imaging element in a translational direction and a rotational direction in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the imaging lens ; What it has for a focus detection means which is made to rotate the aforementioned image sensor by the aforementioned image sensor driving means according to the imaging result by the aforementioned image sensor, and carries out focus detection was considered as the composition by which it is characterized.

More from the patent literature:

Conventionally, as AF of the phase difference detection method, secondary imaging phase difference AF using a secondary imaging optical system and an AF sensor, or image plane phase difference AF using an image sensor is known. .. In the secondary imaging phase difference AF, the AF sensor is composed of a vertical eye sensor that forms a vertically separated subject image and a horizontal eye sensor that forms a horizontally separated subject image. Focus detection of vertical line patterns is possible.


However, in the image plane phase difference AF, when each pixel of the image sensor is composed of a pixel group divided in only one direction, the focus of the horizontal line pattern or vertical line pattern is detected depending on the division direction of the pixels. May not be possible . In a general image pickup device capable of image plane phase difference AF, since the pixels are divided into two in the left-right direction, it is difficult to detect the focus on the horizontal line at the normal position of the image pickup device.


The conventional technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above solves the problem that the image plane phase difference AF of the image pickup device in which each pixel is divided in only one direction cannot detect the focus of a subject having a horizontal line pattern.

Basically, the discussed technology makes it easier to detect lines that are difficult to detect with image plane phase detection AF.

More Canon patents are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

Canon Patent: Automatic Shutter Mode Switch (mechanical/electronic)

canon patent
View Post

And yet another very interesting Canon patent application spotted by asobinet.com. What about your camera switching automatically the shutter mode?

Canon patent application 2021-129230 discusses technology and methods to automatically switch from mechanical shutter to electronic shutter based on parameters. From the patent literature:

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lens device, an image pickup device, a camera system, and a program capable of taking an image with an optimum shutter method without a user manually changing a setting.
Conventionally, an imaging device that realizes imaging by using a mechanical shutter and an electronic shutter in combination has been proposed. In Patent Document 1, flicker detection is performed based on a signal output from an image sensor, and based on the result, imaging is selected to select whether to use a mechanical shutter or an electronic shutter in the second and subsequent imaging of continuous imaging. The device is disclosed. When flicker occurs, the image pickup apparatus of Patent Document 1 uses an electronic shutter to improve the efficiency of the image pickup operation, thereby improving the frame speed during continuous shooting.
However, the shooting conditions in which it is preferable to use a mechanical shutter or an electronic shutter depend on requirements other than the frame speed. For example, when imaging is performed at a shutter speed at which the effect of rolling shutter distortion is large, it is desirable to use a mechanical shutter. Further, when imaging is performed at a shutter speed in which the shutter impact is sustained during the imaging period, it is desirable to use an electronic shutter in order to suppress image blurring. On the other hand, there are some users who like the sound and shooting sensation when using the mechanical shutter.
An object of the present invention is to provide a lens device, an image pickup device, a camera system, and a program capable of taking an image with an optimum shutter method without manually changing a setting by a user.

If I got it right the shutter switch is triggered by shutter speed and also by the tracked shooting distance:

The lens device is a lens device which can be mounted on an imaging device which picks up an image of a subject and an imaging device which has a mechanical shutter. A determination unit is provided with a determination unit which determines which of the mechanical shutter and the electronic shutter is to be used for starting imaging of an imaging device using information on an imaging device and information on a current imaging condition, and notifies the imaging device of a determination result.

Interesting fact: there is another Canon patent that discusses how to automatically silence the shutter based on subject and distance.

More Canon patents are listed here. Some particularly interesting patent applications we think might get into production are these:

Today Only Deal: Tokina ATX-i 11-20mm CF f/2.8 – $415 (reg. $499)

Tokina ATX-i 11-20mm
View Post

Only for today (9/1/21) Adorama has a 17% discount on the Tokina ATX-i 11-20mm CF f/2.8 lens for Canon EF mount.

At a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/APS-C Format
  • 17.6-32mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • Three Aspherical Elements
  • Three Low Dispersion Elements
  • Anti-Reflective Multi-Layer Lens Coating
  • SD-M AF Motor, Internal Focusing
  • One-Touch Focus Clutch Mechanism
  • Water-Repellent Top Coating
  • 9-Blade Diaphragm

Get the Tokina ATX-i 11-20mm CF f/2.8 lens on sale at $419. Compare at $499.

Hand-picked deals are listed here.

Deal pages:

Refurbished lenses and DSLRs at Canon Store (best deals might be found here)

Save $10 on Luminar 4 and/or Aurora HDR 2019 using our code “WATCH” at checkout.

Click here to open the rest of the article