What started out as a magnificent accident with the amazing Canon 5D Mark II is developing into two types of movie cameras.  The first is the EOS C300 series.  One will have a Canon EF mount and the other will have a PL mount.  This will give the RED cameras a run for the money.  This 4K capable camera will be completely modular in design, so you can customize it to whatever your needs require.  It will boast a Super 35 equivalent 8.3 MP CMOS sensor with an active image size of 24.6 x 13.8mm.  It uses the XF codec that Canon pro camcorders have been using for the last few years, with 50MB/sec files, so editing won’t be a hassle.  Pretty cool!

C300 side view

The other big announcement was a little vague right now, but more suited to our customers here at Roberts.  It is a Canon 4K DSLR.  Basically it’s a 5DMK II on a massive dose of steroids!  It will have the familiar DSLR feel with the new Cinema engine.  Here is what Canon says about it exactly:

Equipped with a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor and supporting the recording of 4K video^* (at a frame rate of 24P, with Motion-JPEG compression), the next-generation digital SLR camera currently under development will enable exceptional image quality for the creation of innovative and expressive images. Additional details, including the product name, specifications and scheduled launch date, have yet to be decided.  Here is a picture of it:

Canon 4K DSLR

So now, the waiting game begins.  At least we know something is coming.  I guess like the announcement of the 1D X, they let you know what’s coming with enough time to save those pennies!

Of course, these new cameras wouldn’t be complete without some new glass to go along with all of it.  Here is a listing of what is coming in PL and EF mount:

Not just Nikonians are feeling the love right now, Canon is also taking caring of it’s 7D-shaped business with its own extensive firmware update. What’s in this one, you ask? Well…

Q: What are the changes in Firmware Version 1.2.5?
A: The following improvements and fixes have been incorporated.
1. Fixed a phenomenon in which there were rare cases where movie files taken could not be opened when repeatedly shooting movies with specific CF cards.
2. Fixed a phenomenon in which there were cases where “Err 02″ appeared when repeatedly shooting still images with specific CF cards.
3. Fixed a phenomenon that occurred when using high-capacity (32 GB or greater) CF cards: If either a CF card with only a little available space remaining or the battery was removed and then reinserted into the camera, and then the user attempted to start shooting movies immediately, shooting would stop.
4. Improved the writing/reading speeds when using UDMA 7-compatible CF cards.
The reading/writing speeds are the same as those for UDMA 6 CF cards.
5. Fixed a phenomenon that occurred when custom function C.Fn 4-1 was set to assign IS start to the AF stop button on the lens: When used with lenses that do not have an AF stop button, the IS function would not work.
6. Corrected some mistakes in the menu screens displayed in Arabic and Portuguese.
(Only for products that come with Arabic or Portuguese menus)

There you go. Straight from the horse’s mouth. If this is your cuppa tea (mine’s keemun, personally, but yours can be 7D, I won’t judge), hit the external link to download for Mac or Windows.

More after the break. And pictures!

Both of these f/4 lenses will incorporate the new, 3rd IS mode which will not engage until the shutter is fully depressed, and only begin to detect motion when the shutter is depressed halfway.

If you go reading the press release you’ll learn they’ve lost weight – the 500mm is down to 112.5 ounces from 136.5 and the 600 is down to 138.3 ounces from 189.1 (!!) – they’re weathersealed, and one gets treated to constructions like “rolling-ball-friction system” in the description of the lighter-weight IS system. They’ve got the same new anti-smear flourine coating as their smaller, faster brothers and so should exhibit greater oil and moisture resistance and require only soft-cloth cleaning.

Canon also says these new lenses are equipped with a new secuirty slot so you can wire-lock it next to your laptop to the coffee-shop table leg.

Enough of my blather, check the photos.

So, if you’re a Canonista, today’s the day to go to your bag, take out your Canon lenses, stroke them lovingly and try to guess what production number they were. They’ll appreciate the attention.

You’ll have three purchasing options with the T3i: body only, body with 18-55mm IS Mk II, or body with 18-135mm. The prices will be around $800, $900, or $1100 respectively.

The Rebel T3 will sport it a 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with a DIGIC IV processor and the ability to mount EF and EF-S lenses. It’ll have a 2.7″ LCD with 230,000 pixels, which was good when I bought my camera a few years ago but looks pretty budget-oriented on paper these days. It’ll shoot 720 video, have 9 auto-focus points, and a 63-zone metering system.

It’ll ship in a kit with the 18-55mm IS Mk II lens for around $600.

The Studio Versions will be functionally identical to the regular models except that they will have the capability to embed a 1 or 2 dimensional barcode (up to 255 characters) into the public field of an image’s metadata.

The Studio Version 7D will also have a manager mode built into the firmware which will allow a locking of the controls -forcing the unit to operate only according to the parameters it has been programmed.

Some things to keep in mind: Current EOS 7D bodies and current WFT-E5A units cannot be upgraded by Canon factory service. The barcode-embedding technology will only be available in a Studio Version Eos 7D used with a Studio Version WFT-E5a and a USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner. The USB cable (or dongle) will plug into the E5a’s USB port -this is important because it allows for 2 way data transfer.

So far Canon has tested some Honeywell barcode scanners:

• Honeywell 3800g – General Purpose Linear Image Scanner (scans 1D, traditional barcodes) and operates via USB.
• Honeywell 4600g – General Purpose Area Image Scanner (reads both 1D, traditional and the newer, 2D barcodes -newer Indiana Driver’s licenses have 2D bar codes.) and operates via USB

We’ll be selling the Studio Version 7D and WFT-E5A in two kits at Roberts – one with the Honeywell 3800g and one with the Honeywell 4600g.

These Studio Versions are going to be sold at a premium compared to the regular versions and are targeted at a pretty specific need, as it seems there are no other solutions for in-camera barcode embedding. If you’re still curious (like I was) about why you’d want this functionality think school portraits, corporate head-shots, product/catalog photography -any time where you have numerous subjects, each requiring a unique identifier. With the Studio Versions of the 7D and WFT-E5A, you’ll be able to embed those unique IDs with a scanner and a bar code.

If you’re looking to buy an Epson Stylus R1900 or an Epson Stylus R2880 and a current Canon D-SLR* you can get $450 back from Epson -so long as you purchase them together between August 1st, 2010 and August 31st, 2010.

For full terms and conditions, give us a ring at 1-800-726-5544 or check out the .pdf on in our Rebate Center.

*EOS 50 D, EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D, EOS Rebel T1i, EOS Rebel T2i, EOS Rebel XSi, EOS Rebel XS