PIXMA MX492 Wireless printer deal – $50 (reg. $100, Canon Store)

PIXMA MX492

The Canon Direct Store has an early access holidays deal. The PIXMA MX492 Wireless printer (black) is on sale at $49.99. You have to use code JINGLE1-GK3MEKC at checkout. Regular price is $99.99.

Do not miss to check the Canon Store’s refurbished gear listings for hot deals:

PIXMA MX492 overview after the break.

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Canon’s 250MP APS-H sensor is based on column parallel ADC technology

canon 250mp sensor

Do you remember the 250MP sensor Canon showed off last year? I am pretty sure the sensor is based on column parallel ADC technology.

There is an interesting paper presented at ISSCC 2016 (2016 IEEE international Solid-State Circuits Conference) by a team of Canon researchers, with title (thanks Richard)

“An APS-H-Size 250Mpixel CMOS Image Sensor Using Column Single-Slope ADCs with Dual-Gain Amplifiers” (H. Totsuka, T. Tsuboi, T. Muto, D. Yoshida, Y. Matsuno, M. Ohmura, H. Takahashi, K. Sakurai, T. Ichikawa, H. Yuzurihara, S. Inoue -Canon, Kawasaki, Japan)

Unfortunately the paper will be presented in January, when the conference takes place, and is not yet available to the public.

I posted a few days ago that Canon filed a slew of patents regarding column parallel ADC technology, and that I got a hint this technology may be implemented in future Canon pro bodies (which in the meantime has been reposted by some sites). I am currently studying more Canon patents that all refer to column parallel ADC technology. Given the sheer amount of such patent, I think it is safe to assume that Canon has some plans with this technology.

2016 will be an exciting year for Canon, with new pro bodies coming (EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS-1D X Mark II) along with the EOS 6D Mark II and possibly a full-frame mirrorless camera. It’s too early to speculate on which cameras Canon will feature a sensor with column parallel ADC technology, but they will. I believe we may see this technology first on the EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS-1D X Mark II.

The video below (by Fotografiapuntoit) gives an overview on Canon’s 250MP sensor. Stay tuned for more…

[via Image Sensors World]

Hot Canon EOS 7D Mark II bundle deal – $1,049 (PIXMA Pro-100, 16GB card, bag, paper)

EOS 7D Mark II
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Another hot deal today. B&H Photo has a Canon EOS 7D Mark II bundle on sale for just $1,049 after $350 mail-in rebate (info), you get:

  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • PIXMA PRO-100 Wireless Inkjet Printer
  • 50 Sheets of 13 x 19″ Photo Paper
  • Sands 16GB memory card
  • Shoulder bag

If you are comfortable with mail-in rebates, then this is likely the lowest price for this kit by an authorised Canon retailer.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II key features:

  • 20.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • Dual DIGIC 6 Image Processors
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Clear View II LCD Monitor
  • Full HD 1080p/60 Video & Movie Servo AF
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Live View
  • 65-Point All Cross-Type Phase-Detect AF
  • Expandable ISO 51200 and 10 fps Shooting

Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM deal – $399 (reg. $669, and more deals)

Sigma 17-50mm F/2.8 EX DC OS HSM
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Excellent deal by B&H Photo. The Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM zoom lens is on sale at $399. Compare at $669. Expires Dec 5 ’15 at 11:59 PM.

Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM key features:

  • For Canon DSLRs with APS-C Size Sensors
  • 4 Stops of Anti-Shake (OS) Compensation
  • Aperture of f/2.8 throughout Zoom Range
  • Accepts 77mm Filters
  • Ultra Compact (Only 3.6″, 91.8mm Long)
  • Multi-Layered Lens Coating
  • Excellent Correction for Aberrations
  • Hyper-Sonic Motor for Quiet/Fast AF
  • Close Focusing Distance of 11″ (28cm)
  • Weighs Only 19.9 oz (565 g)

B&H Photo also Lenses and flash deals online, and these too:

Black Friday Canon bundle deals put online again (SL1 + 2 lenses $399, G16 $249, T5i $399)

Rebel SL1
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Adorama put online again some of the best Black Friday Canon bundle deals. All Canon kits listed below are bundled with Canon PIXMA PRO-100 Professional Photo Inkjet Printer and Canon SG-201 Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss, 13×19″, 50 Sheets

  • Canon PowerShot G16 on sale for $249 after $350 mail-in rebate (info)
  • Canon Rebel T5i with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens on sale for $399 after $150 instant rebate and $350 mail-in rebate (info)
  • Canon EOS Rebel T5i DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens on sale for $599 after $150 instant rebate and $350 mail-in rebate (info)
  • Canon EOS Rebel SL1 DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens and EF 75-300mm lens on sale for $399 after $150 instant rebate and $350 mail-in rebate (info)

New sensor technology coming to future Canon pro bodies (EOS-1D X Mark II)?

canon patent
Column parallel sensor (taken from Canon patent)

I got some hints that Canon may implement a new sensor technology in their future pro-level DSLRs. The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II was also mentioned to possibly get a new sensor tech.

Thanks to reader Richard, we know that there is a slew of patents referring to column parallel sensors, a technology Sony is using on their EXMOR sensors. Quoting one of Canon’s patent applications, a column-parallel A/D converter is…:

a method for improving precision in analog-digital conversion […] of pixel signals. The A/D converter includes a first A/D converter (first processing unit) and a second A/D converter (second processing unit), and the first processing unit performs A/D conversion to generate higher-order bits of digital signals and then the second processing unit performs A/D conversion to generate lower-order bits. The first processing unit performs the first A/D conversion by comparing an analog signal to be converted and a reference voltage. The second processing unit starts charging a capacitor by a constant current source according to the result of the comparison performed by the first processing unit, and ends the charging in response to an edge of a clock signal (a rising edge) supplied immediately thereafter. Then, the second processing unit maintains the voltage for the capacitor and performs the second A/D conversion.

According to information passed over to me, Canon filed not less than seven (7) patents referring to column parallel sensor technology. A bit too much to believe Canon does not have some (big?) plans with such a sensor technology. Therefore, suggestions stating the Canon EOS-1D X may feature a new technology sensor may point in the right direction.

One of the patents is US2015/0341577. It refers to a column parallel sensor, and it seems to describe a method to get more dynamic range from shadows.

I am currently studying the other patents and will disclose them soon. Stay tuned…

Canon patent
Drawing from patent US2015/0341577