Canon’s firmware update for the
EOS 1D Mark IV is available for download from Canon immediately.
What’s the update do you ask?
This firmware update (Version 1.0.6) incorporates the
following enhancement:
Firmware Version 1.0.6 enhances the AF tracking performance.*
*AF performance has been enhances[sic] for receding subjects and for subjects that are approaching at a low speed.
Right on, Canon.
From the press release, because it’s so dry and to the point as to not be worth rephrasing:
Lake Success, N.Y., January 7, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, is announcing a step forward in the digital integration of professional photography workflows with the introduction of three new Wireless File Transmitter units to accompany each of the Company’s three professional Digital SLR Camera models. The new WFT-E2 II A Wireless File Transmitter, WFT-E4 II A Wireless File Transmitter and WFT-E5A Wireless File Transmitter for the EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D, respectively, provide professional photographers with a range of innovative wireless connectivity options for all photographic disciplines.
For example, by coupling each compatible camera with one of the new WFT units, professionals can fire up to 10 cameras simultaneously with Canon’s new Camera Linking function, which is perfect for getting that split-second shot from multiple angles. The new WFT units also enable the roaming photojournalist or back-country nature photographer to geotag images easily through hard-wired or Bluetooth-connected GPS devices and append coordinates to the image’s EXIF data. Additionally, reliable file transfer options such as FTP Mode provide wedding and event photographers with the ability to send images in real-time to a computer for instant prints or projection onto event screens while allowing the photographer to operate wirelessly.
Hit the link below to read the full thing.
The DSC-TX7 lacks a snappy nick-name like the bloggie, any suggestions?
Sony trots out the 3.5″ (diagonal) touch-screen driven DSC-TX7, arrival on shelves TBA. It sports the backlit Exmor R sensor, which should allow for better low-light imaging than competitors’ sensors. They’re hi-lighting the new hardened glass cover over the touch-screen, purportedly twice as strong as the T90’s screen, the 10 frames in one second function, an HDR solution to back lit subjects, and a 243 degree panoramic function. All of it sounds pretty classy to me.
Just call it the bloggie (TM) -it's a lot friendlier to your mouth than "MHS-PM5"
Just call it the bloggie (TM) -it’s a lot friendlier to your mouth than “MHS-PM5,” which sounds a little like something just waiting to close down schools and introduce an aporkalyptic prophecy logo on national news networks. Derek, by the way, was near trilling with excitement over a product called “bloggie” from a big-name manufacturer.
The bloggie (TM) records 1920×1080 HD video to a 1/2.5″ CMOS sensor -it’s small being 3/4 inch thick, 4 3/8 long, and 2 1/4 wide, and yet they’ve crammed Face Detection, SteadyShot optical image stabilization, a fold out USB 2.0 adapter, and a 2.4″ LCD monitor which slips between portrait and landscape playback with the angle of the device.
I hear a number of people deride the tiny-cam market, but I love ‘em. Sure hours of vacuous inanity gets recorded, uploaded, and repeated in the vast, practically infinite space of the internet but hey, that seems to describe most television programming too.
The bloggie (TM) has only 26MB onboard memory, but takes Sony’s proprietary MemoryStick technology and the 8GB size should render about 80 minutes of full HD recording. It appears in teal, eggplant, and white.
SDXC, which was announced at last year’s CES and has theoretical maximums of 2 TB capacity and 300mb/s speed (currently limited to 104mb/s, but the engineers remain confident they can break the barrier), is finally seeing some real-world love as Panasonic announces at this year’s CES that it’ll be dropping this on the market next month. The prices being batted around right now are jaw-dropping but not unexpected, at $499.95 for 48GB or $599.95 for 64GB. But, it’s good to see it cross the line to reality at all.
Olympus took some time out at CES to announce several new models of point-and-shoots, in the forms of the new Stylus Tough 3000, the Stylus-5010, Stylus-7030, Stylus-7040, FE-47, and FE-4020. Presumably they also have specifications, which so far I haven’t yet had time to parse. They all appear to have 14 megapixel sensors, which is unexpected since they cover three product ranges (entry-level, stylish, and all-weather), but hey, go consistency.
Oh, and did I mention they take SD/SDHC? For those of you who own Canon’s or Nikon’s, you may wonder what the deal is, but for anyone who’s had to suffer through the amazingly slow write times of Olympus’ legacy xD cards, this’ll be the biggest thing Olympus has done for you in years. We mean it.
Oh, and they are all very pretty, as always. Imaging-Resource has some early hands-ons for them all, so hit the link to go there.
Canon’s covering their bases in HD camcorders this year. Three each in three ranges: There’s the flagship line of HF S with the HF S21, HF S20, and HF S200, the Compact line of HF M featuring the HF M31, HF M30, and HF M300, and the budget conscious HD user’s line of HF R wherein we find the HF R11, HF R10, and HF R100. The two digit lines (HF S21, HF M30) record to internal memory and external media, and the three digit lines record to removable (SD/SDHC) media only.
All of them record full 1080p HD video, the HF S and HF M series have the touch screen and Touch-Track tech (3.5″ screen on the S series and 2.7″ on the M series)
The HF S series starts with the HF S21, owning a 64gb internal drive with two slots for SD/SDHC cards, the 3.5″ touch screen LCD, an HD to SD downsampling function to ease your uploading (and presumably your use of the EyeFi wireless SD cards). The S21 has a 24p cinema mode, native 24p mode, and a 30p mode. Canon’s also included their Video Snapshot mode, which allows 2, 4, and 8 second clips for the guys and gals who don’t know when to quit taking footage. On top of that it takes 8MP stills. The HF S20 has all the same features but records to a 32GB internal drive -the HF S200 skips the internal drive and goes right to the dual SD slots.
The HF M series top model is the M31 and drops to a 32GB internal drive with one SD slot, 3.3 megapixel stills, a 2.7″ touch LCD, and records 60i with 24p and 30p progressive modes which record at 60i. The M30 has an 8GB internal drive with the same specs as the 31, and the M300 again skips the internal and goes right to the SD slot.
The budget conscious HF R series kicks off with the R11 with an internal 32GB drive, one SD/SDHC slot, a 20x Canon genuine HD video lens, keeps the video snapshot function, but lacks the touch screen of the above models. The R10 has the 8GB internal drive, three color options, and the same digs as the R11 otherwise. The R100, following the trend records directly to SD/SDHC cards.
For the full press release, read here.
Lotsa announcements today, so occasionally we’re going to just give you the corporate press release until we’ve had time to look it all over and parse out the useful bits in our usual helpful, Roberts fashion. Such it will be for now with Canon’s 4 new entries to it’s popular A-Series of PowerShots, famous of course for using AA power still. They’re also considered the entry market, but these days they’re becoming so highly specced that they’ll work for most people out there just looking to record some memories and do it well. Anyway, press release and gallery below. They are gorgeous this year, so take a look.
CANON U.S.A. ANNOUNCES FOUR NEW A-SERIES CAMERAS WITH CREATIVE EFFECTS FOR PERSONALIZING A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY Lake Success, N.Y., January 5, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today unveiled four new PowerShot A-Series digital cameras offering entry-level consumers the opportunity to step-up their shooting experience with exciting new creative effects. In addition, for the first time, Canon offers a new rechargeable lithium-ion battery in two A-Series models, extending the battery lives of the cameras. The A-Series lineup, comprised of the PowerShot A3100 IS, A3000 IS, A495 and A490 Digital cameras, offer consumers enhanced photo-taking capabilities through an array of creative modes to help shape one’s personal photographic style. “With the introduction of the new PowerShot A-Series cameras, Canon brings a new aesthetic design to our entry-level line and new features that enhance the camera’s overall performance and functionality,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “The new creative modes are designed to offer consumers the ability to customize their captured images and add personalization to the time-honored art of photography.”
While I think it sounds like an advanced model of Sean Young’s role in Blade Runner, it’s really a new mirrorless interchangeable lens compact from Samsung. Competing with Olympus and Panasonic for small size and a narrow profile it sports a 14.6MP APS-C sized CMOS sensor (not the 4/3 size of the Oly or Panny), an electric viewfinder, and a 3″ OLED monitor.
They’ve also launched their own mount, the NX-Mount with three lenses out of the gate -a 30mm f/2 pancake, an 18-55 OIS, and 50-200 OIS. According to the specs sheet on DPReview (who have their hot little hands on a pre-production copy) there’s an adapter for Pentax K-mount lenses in the works.
I wonder if Olympus’ E-P1 commercial with Kevin Spacey was the harbinger of a mirrorless compact invasion.
Anybody who knows me knows that I’m not a professional sports photographer and that putting a 1D Mark IV in my hands would be about as useful as putting me behind the wheel of any car that’s won a NASCAR race in the last decade. Can I figure things on the exposure triangle? Sure. Much past that, things get iffy.
Fortunately, Canon puts samples in the hands of guys like Brad Mangin, who is a professional sports photographer. You can see his first hand use of the EOS 1D Mark IV with the 400 f/2.8 (on and off the 1.4x tele-converter) in the Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers game here, complete with a RAW file downloadable from his server.
