Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II deal – $1439 (reg. $1699, refurbished from Canon)

Canon EF 35mm F/1.4L II Review
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Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II at a glance:

  • L-series wide-angle single focus lens introduces Canon’s newly-developed optical element, BR Optics, which helps produce impressively high quality images by helping to maximize performance and reduce chromatic aberration.
  • Two aspheric lenses and one UD lens help provide a high level of image quality.
  • Improved durability for use in harsh environments helps ensure reliability and dependability.
  • Subwavelength Coating (SWC) helps significantly reduce lens ghosting and flare.
  • Shortest minimum focusing distance in its class (0.28m) and increased maximum magnification (0.21x) help expand the range of expression, especially when capturing close-up subjects.
  • Fluorine coating on front and rear lens surfaces helps reduce smears and fingerprints.
  • High-grade design for optimum operability with a luxurious feel.

The Canon Direct Store has refurbished Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II on sale at $1439. Compare at $1699. Free shipping and 1 year Canon USA warranty.

More listings at Canon Store:

Photography Industry Health Check – Things are bad and going worse

Click the image above to get a bigger view (courtesy lensvid.com)

Our friends at LensVid posted their annual analysis about the photography industry. They put an extensive look into what happened in the photography market in 2016. And things do not look good, definetly not.

To sum up the figures immediately: LensVid computed there was 81% less volume in 2016 than in 2010. This seems to be a pretty drammatic figure, which makes me wonder for how long the industry can cope with it. And it is not just about compact cameras, but DSLRs, MILCs, and lenses too.

Some points that are worth to spend a thought or two about.

  • Smartphones killed the compact camera market
  • Mirrorless are not fulfilling their promise
  • The DSLR market is shrinking
  • Cameras are for older people

I do not know if what is listed above explains what is going on. For sure always less people believes the “mirrorless-is-for-pros” fairy tale, and the whole mirrorless hype is going to slow down. That smartphones cut a significant market share was already known. And likely the young and very young would never think to start shooting with a DSLR instead of their smartphone.

LensVid also made some (cautious) predictions:

  • In 2017 we can safely predict that the entire global market for cameras will drop below 20 million cameras (or 1/6 of what it was in 2010).
  • Over the next couple of years camera manufacturers will continue to cut jobs – just like Nikon recently did after their announcement on major financial loses.
  • We will also see less innovation as less and less free money will be available for R&D.
  • The professional segment will get much more attention and camera and gear prices will increase (as production costs will rise due to the decreased production levels).
  • Can all the existing camera manufacturers survive this change in the market? so far most of them did, barely. However given the fact that this market will likely never return to the levels that we have seen in the beginning or even in the middle of the decade – we will not find it surprising at all if one or more of the main manufacturers will not be with us before the end of this decade.

If this story catches your interest, the video above takes you further, or you can head over to LensVid for the whole story.

Canon EOS M3 with 18-55mm IS STM deal – $419 (reg. $549, import model)

Canon EOS M3
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Canon EOS M3 at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 6 Image Processor
  • 3.0″ 1,040k-Dot Touchscreen Tilting LCD
  • Full HD 1080p Video at 24/25/30 fps
  • Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC
  • Hybrid CMOS AF System with 49 AF Points
  • ISO 100-12800, Expandable to 25600
  • Hot Shoe and Built-In Flash
  • 3.5mm Stereo Mic Input
  • Full Manual Control

Good deal by Top Rated Plus seller 6ave on eBay (99.2% positive ratings). Get the Canon EOS M3 with EF-M 18-55mm IS STM lens on sale at $419. Compare at $549. Free shipping. Please note: this is an import model, seller warranty applies.

Today’s Gold Box and one day only deals at Amazon US, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, B&H Photo, eBay and Adorama

Another mention of Canon’s 2/3″ global shutter sensor with wide dynamic range

canon rumors

I reported previously about a global shutter sensor Canon is researching and developing. This sensor made it into the news again. Nikkei Technology reports about the Canon 2/3″ sensor with global shutter and wide dynamic range, which was first presented at ISSCC 2017.

From the ISSCC 2017 lecture, Nikkei reports:

The size, pixel count, pixel pitch and power consumption of the sensor are 2/3 inches, 2,592 x 2,054, 3.4μm and 450mW, respectively. In a demonstration after the lecture, the company used the sensor to take a picture of an electric fan whose blades are turning […]

Through […] improvements, Canon doubled the saturated amount of electric charge and widened dynamic range. Specifically, it increased the saturated amount of electric charge from 8,100 electrons with a frame rate of 120fps to 16,200 electrons with a frame rate of 60fps.

The dark temporal noise of the new sensor is 1.8 electronsrms. As a result, its dynamic range is 79dB with a frame rate of 60fps and reaches 111dB when HDR is applied.

Well let’s hope we see such a sensor in a Canon DSLR soon. Besides this utopian wishes, this is another report that shows Canon’s commitment to develop innovative sensor technology.

The slides below are from the ISSCC 2017 presentation.

[via Nikkei Technology]

Canon EOS M5 sensor is made for mirrorless, DxOMark says

Canon Eos M5 Mark Ii
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Canon EOS M5: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

EOS M5 at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 2.36m-Dot EVF, Touch and Drag AF Control
  • 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth Smart
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • Up to 9 fps Shooting and ISO 25600
  • Digital IS 5-Axis Image Stabilization

DxOMark published test results for the Canon EOS M5 sensor. It seems, at least according to DxOMark’s findings, that Canon suited the EOS M5 with a sensor designed for mirrorless systems (mainly because of Dual Pixel AF). The Canon EOS M5 got a score of 77.

On paper, the M5 looks like a mini-EOS 80D; however, that’s not quite the case. The built-in electronic viewfinder, the additional controls, and 7 fps burst with continuous AF (9 fps with AF locked) are all welcome additions. Taken together with the 24.2-MP Dual Pixel AF CMOS sensor and Digital IS, it all signals Canon’s intention to compete more seriously with rivals in the mirrorless segment. With hindsight, it seems like the Dual Pixel AF CMOS was designed with mirrorless in mind. Image quality is similar to that of the sensor found on the EOS 80D.

eos m5The Canon EOS M5 got a score very close to the Canon EOS 80D.

[via DxOMark]