The Phottix Journal » Camera News

Canon EVIL and new 7D firmware

Phottix Journal — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:06:47 +0000

Where’s the Canon EVIL? Everyone is asking. There have been rumors about the Nikon EVIL, but little in the way of scuttlebutt from the Canon camp. Until now.

Masaya Maeda, head of Canon’s Image Communication Products division, has confirmed Canon is working on a small version of its DSLRs to compete with recent Olympus, Sony and Panasonic offerings. Maeda did not elaborate – but the new “mirrorless” Canon EVIL camera may in fact contain a mirror.

Competitors have made high-quality cameras more compact by removing the mirror that enables the user to look at the actual scene through a viewfinder, creating a new market segment that is popular in Japan and which analysts say may grow rapidly.

“It’s not a question of whether or not you have a mirror. There is a consumer need for good-quality cameras to be made smaller,” Maeda said. “We will meet this need.”

He denied this would be difficult without removing the internal mirror, adding that Canon had produced very small SLR cameras in the past.

from: Reuters.com

What does this mean? The Canon EVIL will have a mirror? Only time will tell….

Canon 7D firmware version 1.2.2

Canon has released fresh firmware for the EOS 7D. What does it fix? Among other things, some typos:

Problems regarding the set aperture moving when shooting movies in manual mode when using some Canon lenses.
Fixes the AF point-selection behavior when certain custom functions are set.
Fixes the AF point display for the viewfinder electronic level when shooting vertical.
Corrects misspellings in the Spanish and Thai menus.

Download the firmware from Canon.

Canon 60D to be announced July 21? A Nikon D3100?

Phottix Journal — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:33:28 +0000

Canon Rumors

Will the Canon 50mm f/1.4 be replaced?

The Canon 60D has left to Canon enthusiasts reading every available rumor and enduring untold suffering while waiting for an official announcement. The rumor-mills were swirling earlier this month with an July 13 expected announcement by Canon on the mythical EOS 60D. The latest scuttlebutt – The Canon 60D will be announced July 21. (editor’s note: Don’t hold your breath.)

What features will the 60D have? A photographer’s cornucopia of tools that shooters have been asking for. What are the latest specs? Canon Rumors speculates:

18mp
Articulating Screen
New 9AF point system.
5 Cross-type Sensors, all f/5.6 except for the f/2.8 Center
6 frames per second
DIGIC IV processor
Full HD Recording Mode
Wireless Flash Transmitter
New Battery and Grip
50D-like Weather Seals
A possible change to the frame – smaller than previous XXD cameras. and possible “an exciting new feature never seen on EOS cameras before”

Wow. Still expected are the Canon 2000D and Canon 1Ds Mark Iv – if these cameras can make the jump from Imaginationland to reality sometime in 2010.

In other Canon news:

There are rumors of a new 50 mm f/1.4L – a good thing since Canon’s EF 50 mm f/1.4 has been plagued by problems.

Firmware to correct a video problem on the Canon 550D / Canon Rebel 2Ti has been released. Download.

Still no info on a Canon EVIL. Some pundits believe the Nikon EVIL will be ready and available first – perhaps in time for Photokina.

Nikon Rumors

Nikonians are speculating about the Nikon D700 replacement. There have been reports that Nikon will phase out the venerable D700 – no one is sure what will replace it.

A Nikon patent application on Continuous AF in video mode/live view shows promise for future Nikon models – and the rumored Nikon EVIL.

Nikon Rumors has an interesting post on the Nikon D90 and Nikon D5000 replacements – conjecture about new DSLRs to replace these two Nikon models.

The Nikon D3100 is discussed – a rumored entry-level DSLR between the D3000 and D5000. Original rumors labeled the mystery camera the D4000 – that rumor is apparently incorrect. An announcement is expected in “a few weeks” Possible features include:

10 MP CMOS sensor
3 frames per second (same as D3000)
Continuous AF in video mode/live view
Total of 11 or 12 AF points with new new AF points configuration.
HD video: 1080p/24 and 720p 30/24!
In camera video editing capabilities
no swivel display
will be sold in a kit with the 18-55mm lens

Nikon DSLR Map July 2010

cameron — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:00:06 +0000

Interested in when new Nikon DSLRs will arrive? I know I get asked often, so I sat down and had a look to see if I can extrapolate what will arrive when based on the design trends and release patterns that Nikon have used.

In short the soonest we should get:

D4 – Q311
D3Xs – Q410
D4X – Q412
D700X or D700s or both – Q310
D800 – Q312
D400 – Q111
D90s or D90 replacement – Q310 or Q112
D5000 replacement – Q410 but this troubles me
D3000 replacement – Q111

Want to see why? Have a read of the full article to find out.

Nikon DSLR Map July 2010

This post was originally posted at Scout Images and the full article is located here.

Hands on: Sony NEX5

cameron — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:20:37 +0000

For all of you that were waiting eagerly for more news on Sony’s E-mount based NEX3 and NEX5 I was lucky enough to attend the launch roadshow here in Australia. This event was held at Luna Park and enabled the attendee’s a proper play with these cameras. There were plenty of NEX5’s to go around, each equipped with the 18-55mm lens. There wasn’t a single 16mm pancake in sight though.

What did I think? My first impression was that this thing is pretty well built. It feels solid and reassuring with its generous grip and metal lens body. However as you started to dig deeper and try to use the camera it’s flaws really start to show.

Main Menu of the NEX5

As someone what uses DSLR I naturally was interested to see how Sony had delivered the promise of control. Quite simply they didn’t. The external controls were not ideally positioned with the rear real estated dominated by the nice 920K dot 3″ LCD, leaving the main controls to sit on the far right, right where your thumb rests. This meant that whenever you went for a secure grip (especially in portrait orientation) you inadvertently pressed some buttons. As for actual manual controls….they were frustrating. Using the CyberShot style D-pad to control aperture and shutter speed is neither comfortable, nor easy as unlike most systems scrolling up does not do the opposite of scrolling down when you are trying to switch between shutter and aperture. I definitely prefer the implementation on the Lumix LX-3 and similar compact cameras, or better still, the SLR-like controls found on the EP1/EP2, NX10 and G1/GH1/GF1.

The NEX5 screen when shooting in P mode

The accessory flash is a nice touch, being small enough to be attached permanently, but at the same time it is incredibly fiddly to mount and remove, and there is no option to mount a larger flash unlike the NEX3/NEX5’s competition. The availability of a dedicated microphone (for video) is a nice touch, as are the lens converters for the 16mm pancake.

Unfortunately we didn’t get the chance to take home any photos taken with the NEX5 so I cannot comment on image quality. However, with it’s 14.2MP Exmor CMOS sensor it should be close to that of the Alpha A550 (which is the most likely source of this sensor).

Nikon D4, Canon 60D, new Olympus: Camera Rumors Round-up

cameron — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:05:03 +0000

A Nikon D4? The Canon 60D? There’s a lot of scuttlebutt in the world of digital camera rumors. How much is true? How much is myth? Only the Shadow knows…. FYI and enlightenment – the Phottix Photography Rumors Round-up

The Nikon D4??

NikonRumors.com

Lots of noise here:

Nikon D4 images – some nice camera shots here, but I am not sure about the dial or the labeled buttons
No D700 replacement in 2010? – apparently a Canon Pro who was switching was told this
FINALLY a Nikon Lens Cup – Now let the debate begin!!! Who has the better mug?
Spotted: AF-S 80-400mm

CanonRumors.com

It seems a bit quite, but they did have an update on all the tidbits that are flowing through

60D – various reports of an imminent arrival, 50D is reported to be hard to reorder
100-400 replacement – not happening as stock is still available, but if Nikon are to update their 80-400 maybe
500mm f/5.6 or 600mm f/5.6 – people are asking for these, and a 500mm f /5.6L IS would be logical to replace the 400mm f/5.6L (I’m not too sure about this personally)
G12 – will have a CMOS sensor and shoot HD Video, which we have already seen in the high end PowerShot and IXUS (SD) cameras

4/3Rumours.com

A modular camera from Olympus on the way? Two separate sightings of a strange Olympus camera at an Atlanta festival seem to indicate this.

One

I saw what looked like a removable square module for the lens mount that would slide in and out from the top. There was a definite groove around the bottom and sides of the lens mount. The only markings were OLYMPUS above the lens mount.

Two

It looked like the whole lens mount would slide in from the top. There was a distinct line below and to the sides of the lens mount, but not on top, so I would guess they slide in from the top. Perhaps that would allow a choice between EVF and Optical? The camera itself looked like a combination of an E1 and E 300 with a battery grip. It looked like he was using a 12-60 on it. The finish didn’t look great either, like it was cobbled together

PhotoRumours.com

Sony A290

Sony Alpha A290 and Alpha A390 appeared in a Swedish magazine:

The much criticized grip of the A230/A330/A380 series is gone, and replaced with a more conventional and apparently with much better ergonomic.

The Smart Teleconverter button is moved out of the way a little, up onto the camera top.
Resolution of the low end model is increased with 40%, so now both are equipped with 14 Mp image sensors. Couldn’t find any mention of it being CCD or CMOS, but have made a quick browse only so far.

And A390 has Quick LiveView, while A290 has not (thanks Sony, for not confuse us unnecessarily!).
Still no video.

Introductory prices in Sweden (approximately converted to Euro)
A290 + 18-55 mm 600 Euro
A390 + 18-55 mm 800 Euro
There will also be dual kits with the 55-200 mm too.

Common specs for both A290 and A390:
9 AF points
ISO up to 3200
In-camera SteadyShot
2,7″ Screen
Either Memory Stick or SD memory cards (no dual slot, but a single combo slot).
New Help Guide + Tip Function (very clever, says the magazine writer).
HDMI Output

I’m glad that the hideous grip from the A230/330/380 is gone!!

Rumors: Contax G3…a M9 Competitor??

cameron — Sun, 30 May 2010 22:00:37 +0000

Source PhotoRumors.com

In line for a Leica M9? Been hoping for a redux on the Epson R-D1? Just wanting a digital rangefinder?

Contax G3?

As all good things are, this is simply a rumor, but at the same time the thought of a good, well designed and high quality rangefinder would make many of us salivate. Who better to make one than Contax (sure Sony have the rights to Konica’s Hexar but will they realize what they have?).

If this picture really is that of a Digital Contax Rangefinder (AKA G3) then all of a sudden we will no longer have to worry about that volcano, Leica’s inability to meet demand, or even the immense cost that stops us from buying that rangefinder we really want.

Rumors: Canon 30mm f/1.8, EVIL camera video quality?

cameron — Mon, 24 May 2010 22:00:56 +0000

Image courtesy of ThinkTankPhoto - see below

4/3Rumors.com

Worried about video quality on your EVIL camera? 4/3Rumors.com has found a nice set of YouTube videos that show you the rolling shutter effect and just how well the offerings from Sony, Panasonic and Samsung stack up. It looks like the Sony Nex5 and the Panasonic GF-1 are on par, whereas the Samsung NX10 falls behind a bit.

ThinkTank

Is ThinkTankPhoto paying all of these rumor sites? Both NikonRumors and LeicaRumors are reporting on the availability of the new ThinkTankPhoto Retrospective bags. A nice stealthy bag that would be at home on anyones shoulder.

NikonRumors.com

It has been a rather quite week, with more reports of a D3Xs and the release of a set of specs (which are listed as 1% probability):

24 MP ISO-100 to 3200 with Lo-1, Lo-2, Hi-1, Hi-2
5 fps. (12-bit), 3 fps. (14-bit), 9 fps (High-speed crop), 1 fps (16-bit)
New NEF Metering mode and JPEG Metering mode
Full HD with RAW mode
Available in June 2010 after Canon 1Ds Mark IV

There is another report of the D700 being unavailable, with someone in Germany reporting that the camera has been listed as “Auslaufmodell” which is German for something like “out of date” . It looks like the Nikon front is a bit quite at the moment

CanonRumors.com

Expect another 5D Mk II firmware update, once again video orientated, to further reduce shake (in the form of “iris jitter”). More interesting is the sounds being made about a 30mm f/1.8 designed to be affordable and taking on the ever popular Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G, if Canon is to bring a lens like this to the market then they will be addressing the needs of the many Canon users that want a 50mm f/1.8 equivalent that suits APS-C. Unfortunately there is little more than a whisper on this lens, sorry guys!

Rumors: 60D with GPS? Sony EVIL?

Phottix Journal — Mon, 10 May 2010 23:06:46 +0000

Is this the mythical Canon 60D? Only time will tell.

Much like death and taxes: DSLR rumors are a constant. What are the newest? What’s the skinny? Read on…

Canon Rumors

There’s a plethora of Canon rumors.

A new processor is rumored – the DIGIC V which could appear on the mythical 60D and the 1Ds Mark IV.
Speaking of the Canon 60D, if the rumors are correct the new DSLR will have GPS functionality. Maybe Canon users will no longer have to purchase an expensive WiFi grip to enjoy GeoTagging as easily as Nikon users. (see the “leaked” photo above from http://www.northlight-images.co.uk)
The 5D Mark III could be released next year, or so says Vincent Laforet.
dpreview has posted a review of the new Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II
A new Canon flash is rumored. There may be some “new technology” built into the flash. Maybe this new technology will make Canon flashes as good as Nikon and its CLS system.

Source: Canon Rumors

Sony Rumors

The Sony EVIL NEX 3

PhotoRumors.com has leaked images of the soon to be released Sony EVIL NEX 3. The price is expected to be AUD 1000. The Sony EVIL has some nice specs:

Image Sensor: 14.2 million effective pixels.
Sensor Size: APS-C-sized CMOS (23.4×15.6mm).
Lens: Sony E Series mount.
Shutter Speed: 30 to 1/4000 second. Flash sync: 1/160 sec.
Continuous Shooting: 7 frames per second

Source: Photo Rumors

Nikon Rumors

Things are a little barren in the Nikon world. What’s the deal Nikon?

Nikon Rumors did have one interesting tidbit on a top secret waterproof Nikon that had been used the US Navy Seal Teams.

The Four Thirds Rumors

Like Nikon, a rumor wasteland.

Olympus is expected to announce the freshly overhauled Olympus E-5 at Photokina in September. Another Micro Four Thirds camera is also expected to be announced.
Samsung could announce a new NX camera soon. The new NX5 could be a less a expensive version of the NX10 .
Leica, strangely, is rumored to be announcing a full-frame Leica EVIL system at Photokina.
More news than a rumor: Firmware ver.1.3 for Panasonic GH1 is now available.

Source: 43rumors.com

Stay tuned – we’ll bring you more gossip as it surfaces.

Canon Evil in 2011: A rumors round-up

Phottix Journal — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:58:37 +0000

The new Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L II IS USM

Don’t expect a Canon EVIL this year, say one report. Amateur Photographer magazine reports an interview with a “Canon official,” that states an EVIL – electronic viewfinder, Interchangeable Lenses – is in development. The info is vague and Canon has given no official verification.

Also from the Canon world:
The upgraded Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L USM IS is on the streets. The price jump for the new “Big White” Canon flagship zoom is substantial.

An update for the Canon EF 50 f/1.4 is expected, says Canonrumors.com. The nifty-fifty has been plagued by problems (editor’s note: My 50 f/14 had to be replaced)

The when-will-it-be-announced Canon 1Ds Mark IV could be priced between: $5999-$6999.

From the Nikon world…
Nikonrumors is reporting that the much-loved SB-600 flash may be discontinued. The scuttlebutters at NR report a CSR at Staples stated Nikon asked for the venerable speedlight to be “put on hold.” The item is also unavailable from other online retailers.

Swiss officials are investigating Nikon Switzerland for possible anti-trust violations. “They are examining whether Swiss subsidiary Nikon AG was preventing other companies from importing some of its photography products.” says a Yahoo Finance report.

For the 4/3ers
4/3 Rumors is hosting a poll on what features should be included in the Panasonic GF2. Make yourself heard…

Software
Adobe will announce it’s new CS5 product line up on April 12. Get your credit card ready…

Canon 5D Mark II firmware upgrade (finally) announced.

Phottix Journal — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:31:15 +0000

Canon 5D Mark II: Firmware announced.

Canon 5D Mark II new firmware: It’s here. Canon has announced the long-awaited firmware upgrade to the 5D Mark II DSLR. The upgrade will add 24 and 25 frames-per-second (fps) video recording modes to the camera’s video functions. Photographers will be able to download the up

The firmware (version 2.0.3) will make the video functions meet broadcast standards. Filmmakers will be able to shoot 1080p Full HD files at 24 fps – the standard frame rate for cinematic videos. The new 25 fps at 1920 x 1090 and 640 x 480 will allow video buffs to record to PAL broadcast standards. The firmware will also change the existing Canon 5D Mark II 30 fps speed to the NTSC standard of 29.96 fps.

A histogram display has been added to the new firmware for recording movies in manual exposure, shutter priority (Tv) and aperture priority (Av) modes. Exposure modes, says Canon in their press release, will also be available in movie mode.

Sound, also problematic on the Canon 5D Mark II, has been upgraded in the new firmware. Photographers can now set sound levels using a sound level meter on the LCD display. More good news: the audio sampling frequency has been upgraded from 44.1 Khz to 48 Khz – the optimum signal for pro and broadcast material.

The addition of video functions to a professional DSLR has started a revolution in the filmmaking world. Extreme sports photographer Richard Walch shot a movie I Love My Friends with a Canon 5D Mark II. Many others have followed suit. A full-range of video accessories for DSLR cinematography have appeared, making the Canon 5D Mk II a video-recording force to be reckoned with.

Launched in September 2008, the camera immediately created a wide range of new possibilities for photographers and videographers, and the addition of new frame rates and manual audio levels extends those possibilities even further – allowing movie makers to shoot stunning movies to suit practically any creative purpose.