Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS Against the Competition (LensRentals)

Canon EF 85mm F/1.4L IS
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Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22
  • One GMo Aspherical Element
  • Air Sphere and Fluorine Coatings
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

LensRentals reviewed the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS. They appear pretty fond of it.

From the conclusion:

The Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II is the standard and is really middle of the road in this comparison. It’s a great lens with that dreamy bokeh but is the most expensive and is slow to focus. The Canon EF 85mm f1.4L IS performed amazingly with everything I threw at it. It’s sharper than the 1.2, faster, and has image stabilization but is still pretty expensive. The budget Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art lens is sharp and quick but is really heavy. My new choice to keep in my camera bag for a wedding is definitely going to be the new Canon EF 85mm f1.4L IS for the image stabilization alone. That adds a whole new layer to the focal length and is a great addition. Read the review…

More Ef 85mm f/1.4L IS coverage here. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS is in stock and sells for $1,599 at Amazon US,  Adorama, Canon Store, and B&H Photo.

More Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS order/pre-order links (if available in the respective countries):

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon EOS 6D Mark II review (Imaging Resource)

EOS 6D Mark II
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Canon EOS 6D Mark II: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

EOS 6D Mark II at a glance:

  • 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 45-Point All-Cross Type AF System
  • Full HD Video at 60 fps; Electronic IS
  • 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF
  • Native ISO 40000, Expanded to ISO 102400
  • 6.5 fps Shooting; Time-Lapse & HDR Movie
  • Built-In GPS, Bluetooth, & Wi-Fi w/ NFC
  • Dust and Water Resistant; SD Card Slot

Imaging Resource tested the new Canon EOS 6D Mark II. While they confirm that dynamic range is not up to its peers, they also underline the many positive aspects of the EOS 6D Mark II. The EOS 6D Mark II might be bested by competitors when it comes to DR, still the 6D II proves to be a reliable and powerful tool for photographers.

From the conclusion, regarding image quality and prints:

When looking at print quality, the Canon EOS 6D Mark II delivers excellent 30 x 40 inch prints at ISO 50 through 200. At ISO 400 and 800, you can still make a nice 30 x 40 inch print, although there is a bit less fine detail. This is still an impressive result. At ISO 1600 and 3200, the maximum print for a good print drops to 24 x 36 and 20 x 30 inches respectively. If you want to shoot at ISO 6400, the maximum print size that still passes our test is 13 x 19 inches. Impressively, you can still make a good 11 x 14 inch print with ISO 12,800 images, which is quite the feat for any camera. Overall, print quality analysis results for the Canon EOS 6D Mark II are exceptional, especially when considering the camera’s reasonable price tag.

Dynamic range is a weak spot in the imaging performance of the EOS 6D Mark II . While the 6D II does not have bad dynamic range in absolute terms, it is disappointing that it cannot match its predecessor in terms of dynamic range performance despite being a much newer camera with an all-new image sensor. Not only can the 6D II not match the 6D in terms of dynamic range, it trails its competition quite considerably, being bested by the Nikon D750 and Nikon D610 cameras […] Read the review…

It’s somewhat weird that Canon exposed itself to all this blame because of the sensor in the EOS 6D Mark II. I mean, we are talking about a company that has sensor manufacturing know how and which still builds the sensors for their cameras in their own factories (Nikon uses Sony sensors, for instance). Did they not anticipate the sh**storm they were going to get?

Do you own an EOS 6D Mark II? What is your experience? Feel free to sound off in the comment section.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon Rebel SL2 review (DPReview)

Rebel SL2 SL3 Minecraft Server
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Canon Rebel SL2: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Rebel SL2 at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 3″ 1.04m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • 9-Point AF System; Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • Native ISO 25600, Extended to ISO 51200
  • Up to 5 fps Continuous Shooting
  • Feature Assistant; Microphone Input
  • Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC and Bluetooth

DPReview reviewed  the world’s smallest DSLR, the new Canon Rebel SL2 (EOS 200D in Europe)

From the conclusion:

Despite the SL2’s small body, Canon hasn’t compromised usability. The grip is comfortable given the size of the camera, though those with large hands might wish for something more substantial. The camera’s sole control dial is exactly where it needs to be. The body is made of composite materials, though it doesn’t feel cheap. The SL2 has a small but usable optical viewfinder as well as a very nice fully articulating touch-enabled LCD. Naturally there’s a Selfie mode, which can blur the background for you by adjusting the aperture.

[…] the photos produced by the SL2 are what we expect to see from a Canon camera. That means pleasing color and good (but not great) detail capture and high ISO noise performance. Looking at Raw images tells us that the SL2 would retain more fine detail if its JPEG sharpening and noise reduction systems were a bit smarter. While the SL2’s Raw files don’t have as much dynamic range as the best APS-C cameras, it’s competitive with the models in its class, as are noise levels.

Read the review at DPReview

Canon Rebel SL2 world-wide order:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II sensor has great color and ISO performance, DxOMark says

Canon Eos 6d Mark Ii Deal
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Canon EOS 6D Mark II: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

EOS 6D Mark II at a glance:

  • 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 45-Point All-Cross Type AF System
  • Full HD Video at 60 fps; Electronic IS
  • 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF
  • Native ISO 40000, Expanded to ISO 102400
  • 6.5 fps Shooting; Time-Lapse & HDR Movie
  • Built-In GPS, Bluetooth, & Wi-Fi w/ NFC
  • Dust and Water Resistant; SD Card Slot

Image sensor authority DxOMark benchmarked the much discussed Canon EOS 6D Mark II. Canon seems to not have hit the mark with the 6D Mark II. There is a lot of discussion about dynamic range and ISO performance.

DxOMark has some good words for the EOS 6D Mark II, though the 6D2 can’t really hold up to competition or to what people was expecting:

Its sensor performance continues the upward trend for Canon chips too, although it doesn’t quite hit the dizzy heights of Canon’s best sensor to date in the 5D Mark IV. This is a result of notably lower dynamic range recorded by the 6D Mark II at base ISO, which is a concern for photographers after the best image quality in good light. From ISO 800, dynamic range is much closer to the performance of semi pro rivals such as the Nikon D750 and Sony A7 II however, and with good color sensitivity at all settings and well-controlled noise the 6D Mark II lends itself better to low light photography. Read the review at DxOMark.

From an engineering, sensor-wise point of view there is measurable data that suggests ISO noise and low light performance are ok, at least.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II review by Photography Blog

Canon Eos 6d Mark Ii Deal
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Canon EOS 6D Mark II: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

EOS 6D Mark II at a glance:

  • 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 45-Point All-Cross Type AF System
  • Full HD Video at 60 fps; Electronic IS
  • 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF
  • Native ISO 40000, Expanded to ISO 102400
  • 6.5 fps Shooting; Time-Lapse & HDR Movie
  • Built-In GPS, Bluetooth, & Wi-Fi w/ NFC
  • Dust and Water Resistant; SD Card Slot

Photography Blog reviewed the new Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

From the conclusion:

The positive points of the Canon EOS 6D Mark II include its improved AF system, the fantastic articulating touch-screen and a new processor which facilitates a better high noise performance. However, there are sadly a few downsides too. Having a single SD card slot is disappointing at this price point, while 4K video is starting to become so standard that to see it left out of a £2,000 camera is definitely a let-down (though that’s less of a concern to people not interested in video). A viewfinder which only offers 98% coverage is also something which you usually find in cheaper models.

Read the review at Photography Blog…

Canon EOS 6D Mark II high ISO performance appears worse than original EOS 6D

EOS 6D Mark II
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EOS 6D Mark II at a glance:

  • 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 45-Point All-Cross Type AF System
  • Full HD Video at 60 fps; Electronic IS
  • 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF
  • Native ISO 40000, Expanded to ISO 102400
  • 6.5 fps Shooting; Time-Lapse & HDR Movie
  • Built-In GPS, Bluetooth, & Wi-Fi w/ NFC
  • Dust and Water Resistant; SD Card Slot

More bad news for Canon’s new EOS 6D Mark II.

Alan Dyer posted an EOS 6D Mark II review on his site of The Amazing Sky, with an eye on the performance for night photography, i.e. “nightscapes” shot with long exposure and high ISO settings. What he found out is pretty disappointing.

According to Dyer’s tests, you are better done with the original EOS 6D when it comes to high ISO settings. Dyer photographed the same scene with both cameras in RAW at ISO 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, and 25600. He used the same lens and same aperture, and applied no noise reduction. As you can see in the pictures below, results are not exciting (picures shared by PetaPixel on Flickr, where you can dowload the original files).

Canon EOS 6D

Canon 6D Noise Comparison at 5 ISOs

Canon EOS 6D Mark II

Canon 6D Mk II Noise Comparison at 5 ISOs

Writes Dyer:

Comparing the sets, the 6D MkII shows a much greater tendency to exhibit a magenta cast in the shadows at very high ISOs, plus a lower contrast in the shadows at increasing ISOs, and slightly more luminance noise than the 6D.

While this is not a scientific tests, the results are never the less worrying. After the debacle caused by the lack of 4K video and a slightly reduced dynamic range (both exaggerated in my opinion), this report will add new passion to the already heated discussion about the EOS 6D Mark II.

Dyer also made some tests on the ISO invariance and the noise reduction, Unfortunately, the EOS 6D Mark II didn’t perform very well here either. Read the full article to learn more.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II is now available everywhere: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

 

[The Amazing Sky via PetaPixel]