Canon Rumors

Odds & Ends

Canon X-Ray Camera
I didn’t know such a thing existed, I’d like to add it to the collection. I’ll wait for a cheaper auction.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?….

Thanks Cape

Camera Raw 5.3 & Lightroom 2.3 Betas
You can download the beta’s of Camera Raw 5.3 and Lightroom 2.3.

http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/

Thanks Ed

Olympus Rumors
It’s being said Olympus may be releasing 2 Micro 4/3 cameras at PMA. I only write about this because I want the rangefinder shaped orange one Olympus displayed at Photokina. The Panasonic G1 is far too busy and “techie” for what I desire. I think a lot of other Canon users will be interested in such a camera.

The coming M4/3 20mm f/1.7 would go fantastic with it.

Read more about it at 1001 Noisy Cameras.

If enough of us buy them, maybe Canon will make one for us. Doesn’t hurt to wish.

cr

Video with any Liveview EOS Camera

Looks to be working
This was emailed to me by a reader

Writing video from EOS cameras with liveview

Original post in russian http://forum.ixbt.com/topic.cgi?id=20:26019

Program here http://valexvir.narod.ru/

Connect camera to computer with USB, run program, press “write” button. Check out.avi in program folder

Samples
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fgRhritWog
http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=SqTIaiU4GVE
http://perm.odevaem.com/40D.avi

I don’t have the time to try this out. If anyone else gets this going, please post the video to youtube and send me the link.

thanks for the links viv

cr

Ad Post – EF 24mm f/1.4L II in Stock

This will be rare
A few people wanted to be notified when I saw this lens in stock.

When I get back to Canada I will be ordering this lens for sure. If one of you buy one of these, let us all know how it performs.

cr

EOS & Lenses at PMA [CR3]

500D?
Just had another source saying there will be no 500D as originally planned at PMA. I still don’t have any [CR4] level information on this topic.

Lenses
A good source says to still expect 2 lens announcements at PMA. Nothing definite on which lenses. Actual launch of new lenses could still be a few months off.

Flashes
The only flash I think is realistic for PMA would be the 300 EX style flash.

cr

PMA PowerShots [CR3]

More than the A480 coming?
In a word, yes.

You can still expect a few more cameras to be announced by Canon in the next week or so. I’m being told to realistically expect 3 cameras.

SD1200 is definate, as well as 2 other ELPH/IXUS models.

*UPDATE* North American CMOS
I was told a few months ago that the SX1 IS could make its way to North America for PMA, that has now been quashed by a few sources. There is still an outside chance of an ELPH CMOS model for worldwide consumption.

cr

500D Release Delayed? [CR2]

From a new source
A new source is saying Canon will be delaying the release of the 500D until the fall. This is due to the economic landscape.

That would mean no SLR at PMA? I just can’t get fully behind that notion.

cr

EF 24-105 f/4L IS II

Currently being tested?
“We’re told that at the SWPP convention in the UK, Steve Allen during his presentation stated that he is currently testing the pre-production version of the Canon EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM Mk II lens. He had the 5D Mk II camera pre-production model since November 08.”

From [NL]

Keith makes the obvious point… NDA?

I’ve heard nothing about this lens outside of this in a long while.

cr

Canon PowerShot A480

It´s finally here
Well, we were right about them not continuing with the current A470 type of camera, wrong about the model number.

Specs
10mp
3.3x Zoom
2.5″ LCD
DIGIC III
Simplified Layout
Various Colors (Silver, Red, Blue, Black)
Motion Detection Technology
30fps VGA Movies with long play mode
15 Shooting Modes
AA Batteries

This looks like an intelligent $100 camera for our cheap grandparents and for our hapless teenage children. Good upgrade.

Image from DPReview

Press Release and more images from DPReview
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0901/09011504canonpowershota480.asp

cr

EF 17-40 f/4L II [CR3]

Update
From a usually solid source. I´m told to expect an update to the 17-40 sometime in 2009. The current lens a cash cow for Canon and any replacement is sure to be a hot seller. The main purpose for the upgrade is to improve full frame performance. The replacement will not have IS.

cr 

Barack Obama Official Portrait by Canon

GJ Canon
The first presidential portrait ever taken with a digital camera. That camera was the 5D Mark II.

From Engadget…

 

cr

Speedlite 300EX [CR2]

From an email
“Canon will definately launch a small flash for PMA, it will be called the 300 EX.”

CR2 rating on this one, I don’t recognize the source. I have heard other rumblings about it over the last few months.

cr

Canon “G”MOS [CR3]

Follow-up to the GX Rumor
A good source that is right most of the time wrote me a pretty lengthy email about the “G”MOS type compact a lot of people are looking forward to seeing.

He said such a camera will not see the light of day in 2009. There is folks at Canon paying close attention to how successful Olympus and Panasonic are with their Micro 4/3 system.

In my opinion, if Panasonic had put more marketing muscle behind the G1 for the holiday season, they would have sold a ton of them. I do know the local store here did move a half dozen or so since its release.

cr

2009 To Be Canon’s “worst year”

From Reuters
Canon’s Mitarai Calls Holiday Sales, Outlook Weak, Reuters Says

By Patrick Rial
Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) — Canon Inc.’s 2008 holiday sales were “disappointing” and the world’s largest maker of digital cameras expects 2009 to be its “worst year,” Chairman Fujio Mitarai said, according to a Reuters report.

“This year must be the worst” for camera sales and the economy, Mitarai said, speaking in Seoul, South Korea, according to the report. Mitarai is also chairman of Keidanren, Japan’s largest business lobby.

Assessment
Well this is great news! Seriously though, I think a lot of Chairman’s are saying the same thing.

I don’t expect this outlook to alter product launches all that much. The new Rebel and compacts are a given.

What about the pro stuff? There will definately be a new pro body and pro lenses introduced in 2009. We have the winter Olympics and World Cup in 2010. You can’t be going into these events with sparse stock levels. It all needs to be out the door before the end of the year.

cr

EF 300 f/2.8L IS II [CR2]

From an email
“The already classic 300 f/2.8 IS is going to be replaced in the first quarter of 2009. Canon has upped the already great optical quality and improved the IS.”

I heard this a few months ago from a pro North American sports photographer, but he wouldn’t go too indepth about it. NDA’s and whatnot. I do expect all of Canon’s big white lenses to get updated over the next 24 months.

Barcelona
I’ll be in Barcelona, Spain for the week. Leaving tomorrow. There might be a little lag in posting, we’ll see what the internet access is like.

cr