Canon EOS R3 To Be Released On September 14, 2021?

canon eos r3 press release
View Post

Brace for impact: the Canon EOS R3 might be released soon. In a few weeks, indeed.

Nokishita reports that the Canon EOS R3 and accessories (ST-E10, AD-E1, DM-E1D, ER-L1, ER-HE, ER-H)  have been added to Canon’s latest product lists. Some information about upcoming lenses also leaked:

According to the corresponding accessory table, the RF 16mm has a hood of EW-65C, a cap of E-43, and a lens pouch of LP1014. The RF100-400mm has an E-67II cap and an LP1224 pouch.

The resolution of the upcoming Canon EOS R3 is no longer a mystery. It’s 24MP, and it got more than one confirmation. Oh, and have a look how impressing the 30fps of the R3 are. We expect the announcement in Fall 2021, likely in September. Here is what we know about the EOS R3 so far:

  • 24MP backside illuminated image sensor
  • Multi-Controller & Smart Controller
  • Vari-Angle Touch Screen
  • NEW accessory shoe
  • Wifi 5GHz
  • High speed 30fps electronic shutter with AF/AE tracking + RAW shooting at this speed
  • AF down to -7.0 EV
  • 8 Stops Coordinated Control IS with Optical IS and In-Body IS
  • 4K Canon Log3​
  • Oversampling 4K
  • Internal RAW video
  • Inclusion of cars and motorbikes in AF tracking technology
  • RAW internal movie recording
  • Speedlite shooting with electronic shutter
  • The same weather sealing as the EOS-1D series
  • LP-E19 Battery
  • Dual card slot SD & CFExpress

All our EOS R3 coverage is listed here, product images are here and here. There has been some discussion about who makes the imaging sensor of the EOS R3. You can get notified when the Canon EOS R3 will be available for preorder.

Canon Got Autofocus Right Already 40 Years Ago (with the FD 35-70mm ƒ/4 AF)

FD 35-70mm
View Post

Nowadays for most photographers it is not imaginable to have a lens without autofocus. Hasn’t always been that way. See how Canon managed to make an awesome AF lens not less than 40 years ago: the FD 35-70mm ƒ/4 AF.

The Canon FD 35-70mm ƒ/4 AF was released in May 1981. Here are the specifications:

Lens Construction (group)8
Lens Construction (element)8
No. of Diaphragm Blades6
Minimum Aperture22
Closest Focusing Distance (m)0.5
Maximum Magnification (x)0.15
Filter Diameter (mm)52
Maximum Diameter x Length (mm)85 x 99.5
Weight (g)604
FD 35-70mm

That’s how Canon described the lens in 1981:

This is the world’s first autofocus zoom lens with an autofocus function using Canon’s own SST (Solid State Triangulation) method. The incorporation of this function into the best-selling FD35-70mm f/4 (June 1979) interchangeable lens brought about automation of focusing for SLR cameras.

The SST method is a system in which information on the photographed object that enters the sensor through two fixed mirrors is converted into an electric signal and distance is measured by a microcomputer, with focusing performed by moving a distance ring with a motor. The latest fixed imaging device CCD (charge-coupled device) technology is adopted to provide high resolution and a broad dynamic range able to detect low to high luminance, making it less susceptible to the contrast and pattern size of the photographed object and enabling highly precise autofocusing. Also, as the SST method does not have a movable section in the distance measuring mechanism, no vibration or electric noise is caused, which provides high reliability fitting of a high-end SLR camera.

Kai W has a look at and introduces the Canon FD 35-70mm ƒ/4 AF lens in the video below.

More information about the Canon FD 35-70mm ƒ/4 AF may be found here.

Image courtesy photo.net

[via DPReview]

Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS Review (physically awesome, optically impeccable)

Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L'
View Post

So, we are talking about a $12,000 lens here. Welcome to a new Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS review. How doesn’t have a spare kidney?

At a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/32
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Super UD and Fluorite Elements
  • Super Spectra and Air Sphere Coatings
  • Customizable Electronic Focusing Ring
  • Two Focus Presets
  • Circular 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Weather-Sealed Design, Fluorine Coating
  • Rotatable Tripod Collar

Christopher Frost posted his Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS review. He says:

This is literally the highest quality camera lens I have ever handled – physically awesome, optically impeccable…and incredibly expensive. Canon have been honing the craft of designing and producing these lenses for years, now: what can this latest version achieve to make it worth its asking price?

Watch the video below to learn what makes this lens so awesome, and so expensive.

Another rather interesting Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS review can be seen here.

Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS: [shoplist 65936]

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon RF 600mm f/11 vs RF 800mm f/11Comparison Review

rf 800mm f/11
View Post

More review stuff about the “quirky” Canon RF 600 f/11 and RF 800 f/11 lenses for the EOS R mount.

Mirrorless Comparison posted their Canon RF 600 f/11 and RF 800 f/11review. From Mat’s conclusion:

I enjoyed using the RF 600mm F11 and RF 800mm F11 more than I had originally anticipated. I thought the F11 aperture and limited focus area would be too much of a trade-off, but I was wrong.

Surely if the clouds are too dark or you’re in the shade of a woodland in rainy conditions, you will struggle to compensate for that slow aperture. The converters (1.4x and 2x) will raise the challenge further because the aperture becomes f/16 and f/22 respectively.

But there are also many situations where f/11 will be enough, and you’ll be able to walk around a nature reserve or hike in the mountains with a lightweight solution, something you can’t say every day about full frame lenses for wildlife photography.

You’ll be glad to hear that the 600mm and 800mm are very sharp, the optical stabilisation is excellent and the autofocus delivers very good performance, despite the limited area available. For the price you pay, you can get a lot out of these two lenses.

My strongest criticism is the lack of weather sealing. I understand that these are non-L lenses designed for amateurs, but they’re also two lenses that photographers will use outdoors 99% of the time. It would be great to be able to walk around without worrying about light rain or a bit of dust. It is also annoying to have to buy the lens hood separately.

Read the review at Mirrorless Comparison…

Mirrorless Comparison’s review comes with plenty of test shots and talks about all the important things. Definitely worth a read. More comparison reviews are listed here.

Also interesting: an interview with the engineers who developed these lens. Also, Canon already said there will be more such lenses. For more Canon RF 800mm f/11 and RF 600mm f/11 review stuff have a look here.

Canon RF 600mm f/11 [shoplist 62748]

Canon RF 800mm f/11 [shoplist 62749]

Image © mirrorlesscomparison.com. used with permission
Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon RF 70-200mm F/4L IS Review (finely crafted and performs extremely well)

Canon RF 70-200mm
View Post

Here is a new Canon RF 70-200mm F/4L IS review. This is a rather interesting lens and it is getting many positive reviews.

At a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/4 to f/32
  • Four Ultra-Low Dispersion Elements
  • Air Sphere and Fluorine Coatings
  • Dual Nano USM AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Weather-Sealed Construction

ePhotozine posted their Canon RF 70-200mm F/4L IS review. From their conclusion:

The new lens is very finely crafted and performs extremely well in the field, the wider apertures being especially crisp, which is great because such lenses are often used at wide apertures. That way higher shutter speeds can be employed and the ISO kept within reasonable bounds. Focusing is spot on, very fast and virtually silent. The lower weight and compact size mean less fatigue from carrying the lens all day. All these things add up to a really useful optic that produces some fine results.

[…]

Definitely Highly Recommended.  

Read the review at ePhotozine…

More Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS review stuff is listed here.

Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS: [shoplist 64340]

Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS description after the break.

Click here to open the rest of the article