Canon 50D ships in UK

The first 50D units are being brought in the UK so sometime we will hopefully be seeing ‘real world’ shots from the Camera. So far there have been shots but mainly aimed at high ISO performance. It’s all about IQ so I’m looking forward to seeing how good the 15megapixels perform and particularly from the RAW files, there has not been RAW converters available so far so all we have seen is jpg’s. I’ve seen some posts on dpreview from people who have the camera but images yet. Below are comments from two new owners

the 50D produces razor sharp pictures that are perfectly exposed - even with flash.

Picture quality appears good so far and noise acceptable at high ISO (I used a 24-70mm L lens). Not perfect though. Menu selection is actually quite user friendly and better than the 20D. I recommend the camera if you have canon lenses.

I wonder about the ‘not perfect though’? What does this mean?

There are reports of sub £1000 prices (Recommended retail in UK is £1200) which is getting more like equivalent pricing from other countries (taking into account taxes), Play.com certainly has it just below the £1k mark.

Hopefully we will also see some reviews from the big sites soon.

Wedding shots, even more 5d mk2 high ISO shots

More Canon 5d mk2 high ISO shots. This time they are from a pro on the launch day with a model at the Canon HQ. They are nice looking shots showing good tones at the high ISO settings. Many have commented on the lack of sharpness on many photos, so far only jpgs have been shown as there is no Raw converter for the files generally available yet. Canon jpgs appear soft and these are from a pre-production camera so still we await the real tests, both ‘lab’ type and in the real world.

http://www.prophotonut.com/2008/09/20/canon-5d-mk2-high-iso-pictures/#more-724

more Canon 5d mk2 images @ high ISO

Canon 5d Mk2 photos taken in the real world and not the Canon launch release images are in great demand now the cat is out of the bag (of course a full review is what everyone wants). On Flickr there are 5d mk2 high ISO photos which appear to have been taken on a Canon stand (is it the set up for Photokina?, previous post) and now there’s more appearing. High ISO is one of the talking points, see what you think

http://ulrikft.smugmug.com/gallery/6001915_WxHQA#375171811_9zaVF

There is also a hands on video from DSLR TV on youtube. It’s not a review but the guy has the camera in hand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns1TYN4mPF0

Canon 5d mk2 high ISO photos

So far there has been little real world information or indeed photos from the 5D mk2, surely the area that starts to tell us what we want to know. There are many people theorising and talking specifications of the camera from the spec sheet but photos are the test. One of the most talked about subjects is the ‘catching up’ of Canon with high ISO settings and their capabilities. Following the 80:20 rule, 80% of photos will not be affected by these settings but for other photos such as indoor it may be a big bonus.

On flickr there are new photos comparing the 5D mk2 ISO to that of the Nikon D700. These are not from Canon and they make interesting viewing. There is some banding on the highest setting but also remember the higher Megapixel count of the Canon which makes life harder for the electronics. Quite impressive.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikfive/page2/

Canon 5D mkii is released

The Canon 5D mk2 is here as anticiapted, the non disclosure agreements held up with few leaks and the name game with guesses of the new camera called 6D, 7D etc all being wrong and it is the mkii.

There’s no integral grip, plenty of Megapixels but surprisingly there is 1080 HD movie capabilities. I say surprisingly but Canon is pushing this facility for photojournalists. A maximum of 4GB size file or just under 30mins of video would satisfy many assignments and no doubt provide pictures for news websites

press release -

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., September 17, 2008 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, the long-awaited successor to Canon’s highly popular EOS 5D, introduced in 2005. Building upon the qualities that made the EOS 5D camera so successful, Canon has coupled the creative power of a full-frame CMOS sensor in a relatively compact and affordable camera body, together with groundbreaking HD video capture that opens the door to a much wider range of imaging possibilities for photographers. Along with the ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920 x 1080 resolution, Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera features a 21.1-megapixel full frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 imaging processor and significantly lower noise, with an expanded sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600.

“The anticipation surrounding the launch of this camera model has exceeded our greatest expectations, and we believe our loyal customers will be awed by the level of innovation and features built into the new EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR. Once they have the chance to experience the camera, we believe they will agree that it was worth the wait,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

Among the many advancements in Canon’s new EOS 5D Mark II camera is the Company’s proprietary DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor that powers the camera’s fast 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion for smooth color tones and exceptional gradation. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR offers a full-frame 24 x 36mm, 21.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and continuous shooting at 3.9 frames per second (fps) for an unlimited number of full-resolution JPEGs to the capacity of the memory card or up to 14 RAW images in a single burst when using a UDMA CF card. The camera includes a 15-point Autofocus (AF) sensor with nine selectable AF points plus six additional Assist AF points (three center AF points sensitive to f/2.8 lenses) with enhanced light source detection and AF microadjustment for greater autofocus performance. The EOS 5D Mark II camera also features a large, clear 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen with 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, four times the pixel count of the EOS 5D camera’s 2.5-inch screen, for enhanced clarity and color when viewing images. The new camera is equipped with a high-performance, high-magnification optical viewfinder providing 98 percent coverage, giving a new dimension to the saying, “what you see is what you get.” Professional photographers will also appreciate the enhanced 150,000-cycle shutter durability of the EOS 5D Mark II camera.

Canon, the first company to introduce a full-frame digital camera, has improved the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera’s newly developed full-frame CMOS image sensor. Utilizing proprietary Canon technology, the Company has reduced noise and expanded the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor up to ISO 25600, which is three full stops higher than the ISO 3200 limit of the original EOS 5D camera. Although the individual pixel dimensions of the EOS 5D Mark II camera are the same as the 21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor used in the EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR, the new sensor incorporates an improved output amplifier and a more advanced color filter that improves light transmission while retaining excellent color reproduction. By applying the same kind of advancements in sensor design and image processing technology as the recently introduced EOS 50D camera, but at higher resolution and with larger pixels, the EOS 5D Mark II achieves the highest level of image quality of any EOS Digital SLR released to date.

With the combination of its improved CMOS image sensor and the powerful new DIGIC 4 image processor, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera provides ISO speeds from ISO 100 up to ISO 6400 in 1/3-stop increments, along with two high-speed settings - H1 and H2 - of ISO 12800 and ISO 25600, respectively, as well as a low-speed setting of ISO 50. The full-frame sensor maximizes the performance of Canon EF lenses, the world’s largest selection of autofocus lenses.

HD and SD Video Capture
Canon has taken its expertise in imaging, photography and video capture technology to a new level with the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR. Answering the question of where SLR technology is going next, the EOS 5D Mark II features 16:9 Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps as well as 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 fps, both capabilities appearing for the first time in a Canon SLR camera. Video capture is part of the camera’s Live View function, using the Picture Style that has been set for Live View still image shooting. This allows skilled photographers and cinematographers to adjust image sharpness, contrast, color saturation and white balance, and have those settings apply to the movie image. When recording video, the camera’s rear LCD screen can be letter-boxed by a semi-transparent border to match the aspect ratio of the movie recording size. Moreover, the EOS 5D Mark II camera’s HD video capability enables new levels of creative expression through its unfettered access to the complete line of more than 60 Canon EF lenses, which provide an incredible variety of visual effects including everything from ultra-wide-angle and fish-eye to macro and super-telephoto, including many large-aperture L-series professional lenses that can keep the main subject in razor-sharp focus while blurring the background beyond recognition.

The EOS 5D Mark II will record video up to 4GB per clip or a maximum continuous movie capture time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds, whichever comes first. Depending on the level of detail in the scene, a 4GB memory card can record approximately 12 minutes of video at full HD resolution or approximately 24 minutes in standard definition.i Video clips are recorded in .MOV format using an MPEG-4 video compression and sound is recorded using linear PCMii without compression. The new camera features an input terminal for external stereo microphones as well as a built-in monaural microphone for convenience. To help show off those fantastic movies as well as still photos, the EOS 5D Mark II camera includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp, clear images on a High-Definition TV.

Live View Shooting
For both still images and video, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera features Live View, one of the most sought after features in digital SLRs today. The 5D Mark II features three Live View AF modes - Quick, Live and Face Detection Live mode - for capturing either still photos or video, each with its own attributes. Quick mode automatically sets One-Shot AF using the camera’s phase detection AF system. It also allows users to select the AF point, even while the Live View image is displayed. Although the camera’s reflex mirror must be lowered briefly to take an AF measurement in Quick mode, it is the fastest way to set focus automatically when the 5D Mark II camera is set for Live View.

Live mode uses contrast-detection AF with the image sensor and here, as with Quick mode, users can change the AF point using the Multi-controller. Face Detection Live mode uses contrast AF to recognize human faces. When multiple faces are detected, the largest face closest to the center of the frame is targeted as the AF point. While Live View is engaged users can still change settings including the AF mode (Quick, Live, Face Detection Live mode), drive mode, ISO speed, Picture style, White Balance, and more.

Peripheral Illumination Correction
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera automatically conducts peripheral illumination correction when shooting JPEG images, a function that previously could only be accomplished through post-image processing using software such as Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, which Canon supplies at no extra charge. Peripheral illumination correction evens brightness across the image field, making an image of a blue sky even toned throughout and reducing light fall-off at image edges. This new feature essentially eliminates one of the limitations of previous full-frame digital SLRs.

Auto Lighting Optimizer
Canon’s enhanced Auto Lighting Optimizer technology helps ensure each picture’s subject is clearly visible by analyzing image brightness and automatically adjusting dark areas in images so that they appear brighter. This function is ideal in high-contrast situations such as urban landscapes captured on sunny days, where the tops of buildings are brightly lit while street level details are obscured by heavy shadows. In this type of scene, the 5D Mark II camera’s Auto Lighting Optimizer technology preserves accurate exposure of the highlights while opening up the shadow areas for a more pleasing tonal rendition.

Canon’s New Creative Auto Mode
Recently introduced with the new EOS 50D, Canon’s “CA” Creative Full Auto setting can also be found on the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera’s mode dial. This setting allows users to make image adjustments such as aperture or shutter speed through an easy-to-understand navigation screen on the camera’s LCD menu, allowing them to “blur the background” or “lighten or darken the image.” These easy-to-understand image options allow photographers to experiment with image options while still shooting in an automatic mode.

Two Small RAW Formats
For photographers seeking the flexibility and creative possibilities of shooting RAW format images, without the large file size, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera offers two more manageable file size options with sRAW1 and sRAW2 recording formats. At the sRAW1 setting, resolution is 10.0-megapixels with a file size that is approximately 25 percent smaller than a standard 21.1-megapixel RAW image. With the sRAW2 setting, resolution is 5.2 megapixels at less than half the file size of a standard RAW image, retaining all of the flexibility and creative possibilities associated with full-size, conventional RAW images. Wedding and portrait photographers, in particular, will appreciate the options of variable resolution and file size which allow them to fine-tune the 5D Mark II’s operation for their specific needs.

Silent Shooting in Live View
Canon has equipped the EOS 5D Mark II with two Silent Shooting modes in Live View which will prove particularly helpful to law enforcement officials, and for behind-the-scenes shooting on movie sets. In Mode 1, the camera will shoot with the mechanical shutter open at the beginning of the exposure, using the electronic 1st-curtain function of the CMOS sensor and a reduced shutter-cocking noise, allowing multiple shots to be taken with minimal noise. In Mode 2, to minimize shutter noise during single frame photography, shutter cocking does not occur until the shutter button returns to the half-way position after shooting.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
With the introduction of the EOS 5D Mark II camera, the entire Canon EOS system is now equipped with the highly acclaimed EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been upgraded with a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance.

Pricing and Availability
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera is compatible with Canon EF lenses and is scheduled for delivery by the end of November. The EOS 5D Mark II will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $2,699iii. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $3,499iv.

Canon 5d mk2 released tomorrow

Well that’s according to may posts over the last few weeks. Even today on the eve of the release (if that’s when it is) there are some differing specs being posted. Right or wrong about the date, Photokina is around the corner so not long for sure.

Today’s latest posted specs below. Tomorrow we will see whether there is any truth in them.

16.3 MP FF sensor
15 cross point AF, with 6 extra assist points (total = 21)
AF micro adjustment
Anti-dust system
Pop-up flash with tilt head
100% viewfinder coverage
Twin Digic IV
Dual CF card slots
Sensor-gain boost at high ISOs
3.0″ 920,000 pixel LCD
Live View
590g
$1600 US

I can’t believe that price, I’d like to though !!!

Name: [EOS 5D Mark II]

expected price: 328,000 Yen – about US $3100

This price is more like it, I’m not sure if Canon would push HD video though and fps is low (keeps some distance from the 1D though?)

See you tomorrow.

Canon 50d shipping dates

USA: October 6
Canada: Sept 30
Japan: Sept 27 - http://cweb.canon.jp/camera/eosd/50d/
Australia: Oct 1 - http://www.canon.com.au/about/press_roo … _1952.html
UK is still announced as October, no date yet

Sony A900 UK launch

Sony certainly went to town in Edinburgh, Scotland in their launch of the new flagship A900 with a range of Japanese and European executives present. Before they announce their camera they showed that they now had 17% share of the European market from zero in 2006, a figure that I’m sure they will build on. They may not turn long turn Canon and Nikon users but in a growing market they are aiming at new users.

Back to the camera. The specification has been out and now widely seen, it is of course dominated by the 24mpixel sensor but alongside the image quality  the emphasis from Sony was it is a lightweight body , easy to carry around, along with a growing range of lenses of which they announced two new types. One is the 70-400mm ƒ4-5.6 G SSM, an addition to the G lens line, along with a new Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T-Star 16-35mm ƒ2.8 SSM, an addition to the Carl Zeiss lens line.

Read it all at Photoalphaclub

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/2008/09/10/alpha-900-launch-press-conference-part-1/

New moon rising

More of the 5d mk2 (3D, 4D, 7D or whatever it’s called) is showing..

http://www.canon.com/moon/en/index.html

You still can’t tell whether there is an integrated hand grip.

Canon 5D mk2 = Canon 4D?

The Canon 5d mk2 name game is still being guessed at but from Swedish site Kamerabild  there is news that now a confirmation of a local press conference at 9am on the 17th, with the camera being officially announced on 6am that day (Swedish time). They are saying 4D for the new name but it won’t matter in the end, everyone is waiting for the camera performance & price.

Northlight Images reports;

There is a slight problem for Canon in that some original NDAs expired on the 12th Sept (original release date) so Canon is furiously trying to impose new ones for next week

That should be interesting if true! Certainly more rumors have just appeared, let’s see what happens at the weekend.

On French site eos-numerique.com there are the following specs

* Canon EOS 5D-MARKII
* 24 million pixels
* New battery, new grip
* DIGIC IV
* Video
* 2600 Euros

Other currency conversions gives US$3616, £2067 (time to sell the family silver….)

Meanwhile……

Canon rumors is reporting that the mk2 will be at a price of  $2999 CAD for the body only. In the Canadian market that is $300 under the D700,

Again in local currency £1381, US $2418

There’s some big mismatches in the rumoured prices, I would see the UK recommended retail (RRP) as being higher than the Canon rumors price based on the 50D’s RRP, and more like the EN site rumor.

Officially from Canon…..

More is appearing of the new body as the moon phase is changing.

http://www.canon.com/moon/en/index.html

Apparently the slogan on the Japanese Canon site has changed. It roughly translates as “The thing being hidden deeply” while the original is “the upcoming evolution” . It has been suggested that the low light performance of the camera will be a key part of the advertising campaign “Photography by candlelight”, that would be aiming straight for Nikon’s superior low light performance and making a big statement if they’ve the performance to back it up.