Messages

136

Lenses / Re: I guess there won't be any new lenses at CES?

« on: January 10, 2012, 04:12:55 PM »

I guess I feel on this "Christmas Morning" CES Opening I got a piece of coal from dear old Santa Canon.

The movie kids and the point-n-shoot kids are all happy, and I guess thats all good and well.  I could have used one glimmer of hope.  Maybe a mock-up 5D Mark III behind glass - dont even have to talk specs - just some sort of promise.  And new glass of course.  A 24-70 II on the end of it would have sent the Canon DSLR world spinning.  It did not even have to work; the mystery would have been enough.

Note to Canon - I am not beyond the point-of-no-return with my lens investment.  So while this life-long Canon guy (from the 1970's film days of F1's) finds the idea of Nikon repulsive, I am also no stranger to change and lost opportunity.  Floods and Tsunami's aside, waiting 9 months to Photokina for a maybe holiday release... that is quite concerning.  Is Canon losing the battle?  Are they the next Kodak?  (of course not).    But I am watchful if Nikon delivers a D800 in the next month as speculated with no response.

Well, I know now I got open budget for essential lenses and maybe I can pick up a new body when my bonus check comes in October.

137

Lenses / Re: I guess there won't be any new lenses at CES?

« on: January 10, 2012, 12:01:50 PM »

CES opens in an hour - 10 AM Pacific. 

We should know for certain soon.

138

Lenses / Re: Lens Announcement at CES? [CR1]

« on: January 06, 2012, 07:00:12 PM »

Just bought 2 other Ls in the last 40 days so I've blown my photo money for now and could not take advantage of the 35's rebate (1 day left) if I wanted to. 

Note the $150 Instant Savings on the 35mm 1.4L appears to be extended to Feb 4 (see BH site and other threads here in the forum which indicates Canon extended it, though not very visible yet).

139

Lenses / Re: Winter 2012 Rebate Extended?

« on: January 05, 2012, 02:26:56 PM »

The 50 1.8 is still showing Jan 7.

The ones I checked were the EF 16-35, EF 70-200 2.8 (IS and non-IS), and the EF 135 - and there are likely many others - with Instant Savings on the Feb 4, 2012 date.  Maybe a smaller or different lineup?

140

Lenses / Winter 2012 Rebate Extended?

« on: January 05, 2012, 12:48:51 PM »

I noticed that "Instant Savings" on several Canon Lenses on the BH Photo site has been bumped to Feb 4, 2012.

The main Canon site still shows January 7.

141

EOS Bodies / Re: Whortwhile to go for 5D Mark II?

« on: December 19, 2011, 05:32:42 PM »

Here are my thoughts on getting a 5DMarkII now....

I am using a 7D primarily for Adventure/Sport/Event photography.  The lightning fast AF is just demanded in this work - plus crop gets me that longer effective lens length.   I cant see slow AF working.  Yet in the past year I have gotten much more interested in landscapes - and my work there is almost always in Manual Focus.   A full-frame body is next on my shopping list for this work and a 5DMII would definitely complement the 7D.  Really, I dont think I even care about AF for landscape work.

So for those reasons, I really should just go for 5DMarkII now.  But I can probably wait a bit - at least to the summer - to get a 5DMIII with likely better IQ and maybe higher MP for landscape.  The working plan is to acquire FF-type lenses (get a 17-40 or 16-35 to replace the EF-S 10-22 for example) and then see where we are in March after the release of the "London" 1DX.

Without the 7D, I dunno, $1999 for a 5DMII + goodies (at least the CF Card) would be mighty tempting to jump on now.

142

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D2, 5D3 and Megapixel Insights

« on: December 16, 2011, 11:46:16 PM »

Yeah I am in the 18 MP-likely 5DMarkIII camp with earlier announce; but

I have been mulling over an evil thought that the 1DX is the "London" camera, timed more to happen when key sports photographers / publications are in buying mode for the 2012 Olympics.  And that the 5DMarkIII would come later in the year at a to-be-disclosed moderately higher MP.

I dunno.... Canon - give us a clue!  Even a 'careless' comment to help guide us in this windless ocean.

143

Canon General / Re: Canon Files a Patent for a Bunch of Lenses.

« on: December 16, 2011, 11:31:50 PM »

I have not reviewed the patents or compared them to the existing lens, but,

I have to wonder if several of these recent patents are simply efforts to refresh patent IP coming up on 17-year expirations?   Yeah, I checked and EF has been around since 1987; but I dont know the timeline on each lens or if the "new" inventions are actually new or just updates.

144

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D2, 5D3 and Megapixel Insights

« on: December 14, 2011, 06:36:01 PM »

Nice catch.  I am expecting a "hard bundle" for the first shipments and a new 24-70L would make a bunch of sense.

If a 24-70 f/2.8L replacement is announced next year, then it will probably initially be made available to 1D X buyers only, but I can't see it bundled with a 5D Mk.II replacement -it would be too expensive. 

You may be right about that.  But what a way to introduce in a two-for-one; and really, it is one of major workhorse lenses 5D owners will likely have.

Personally I still want a 17-40 bundle (or 16-35 if that made bundling sense) to replace my 10-22 when I finally go FF.   I got the 24-105 already, like I need another one just to buy the camera.
 

Canon needs a major announcement at CES.  Its the biggest spotlight of the year and the one that attracts gobs of press. 

CES is not the only big show next year, there's Photokina at the end of September; traditionally, this has been the more important show (compared to the old, pre-CES integrated PMA) for announcing higher-end cameras.

That Canon is co-op marketing flyers in regional markets with the 7D and 5DMarkII suggests that Canon sees them partially as a consumer (or at very least semi-pro) offering.  Both shows arguably make sense - but CES is the bigger bang for the wider press coverage imo - you can get a Canon 5DMarkIII on CNET, CNBC, Today Show etc - and they can then may sneak a mention new lenses and the 1DX into that (though arguably the point-n-shoots will still attract the most attention).      At the same time, I can not see the 1DX or C300 making any sort of press dent at CES, other than as a "what you can aspire to" trophy - much more of a Photokina / hard industry-only item.

Personally, I would not bother with a Sony full-frame even if it's priced at $2000. I have invested in Canon's gears and I have no intention of switching unless my disposable income just shoots off the roof so that I can buy Sony stuff on the side. Just like the CPU racing between AMD and Intel, AMD came up strong at one point but seems to have dialed down a bit these days. Nevertheless, the end result is that competition has created a whole bunch of happy consumers .

Agreed.  Sony has a mountain to climb; so they need to be competitive.  And they have lots of convincing to get me to part with a lens investment.

145

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D2, 5D3 and Megapixel Insights

« on: December 14, 2011, 06:10:00 PM »

And I concur with you that you will be wrong

And I'll have a 1DX in my bag.

(if the 5DMark III is 2013 release)

So we both win!  

146

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D2, 5D3 and Megapixel Insights

« on: December 14, 2011, 05:27:58 PM »

It would also be great if the offered the supposed new 24-70L as a kit lens.

Nice catch.  I am expecting a "hard bundle" for the first shipments and a new 24-70L would make a bunch of sense.

And yes, I do expect the CES timeframe.... 

I disagree. CES January 2012 announcements are very unrealistic... read my reasons above and at an earlier thread here:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,2399.msg51182.html#msg51182

I read the article.  But I just dont see the empathy argument to not stomp on 1DX buyers.   Two different markets. 

Canon needs a major announcement at CES.  Its the biggest spotlight of the year and the one that attracts gobs of press.  The 1DX and C300 are pro offerings.  A 5DMarkIII gets them news and allows them opportunity to talk more about the new lenses and 1DX as its big brother (a big plus). 

If there is a delay, I think it would be rooted in production yield concerns about the new sensor that early in release, of course after the initial 1DX ships.  BTW, I do put a ton of creds into it being the same sensor for the obvious R&D and production efficiencies.  Higher MP probably in R&D, but not ready this cycle.

So I'll throw - Hard Bundle $4000 (body eventually $2500-3000) shipping in mid-summer, announce CES, as the sibling to the 1DX - into the pool.   

And of course I will probably be wrong

147

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D2, 5D3 and Megapixel Insights

« on: December 14, 2011, 02:22:55 PM »

so that gives us a logical place to begin guessing:

18mp
4 FPS
25600 ISO
similar UI to 1Dx
19 pt AF

I tend to agree, but maybe a slightly higher FPS, say 6.

Feels like a "7D" features upgrade on a higher ISO/lower noise FF body.

And yes, I do expect the CES timeframe.  I have to speculate that recent price downgrades are because of "a stall" in the 5DII market - I dont have any numbers/evidence to back that up - but it stands to reason that serious buyers may be going into a wait-and-see mode until they know specs and timing of the Mark III 

I dont think retailers are trying to dump inventory because of any known information - as I am sure the 21 MP Mark II should continue to see good sales for a good while, no matter how it is positioned.  Canon may already be positioning the 5DMII at a lower price point between the 7D and 5DMIII ($1499, 1999, 2499+?)

And I dont think the Mark III will canabolize the 1DX.  If you have $6800 to spend on a camera, you are way beyond the Mark III announcement; unless you are in the High MP camp and then maybe you are shopping MF's.

Just my 200 pixels.

148

EOS Bodies / Re: 5D Mark III - which lens will Canon put into the kit?

« on: November 28, 2011, 03:05:37 PM »

I expect it will be whatever latest 24-105 or 24-70...  but I find that an uninspired choice...

It seems the first buyers/early adopters of the 5D M3 will be those upgrading from a 5D M2.  And there may be some like me who decided to wait on a full-body due to the rumors and go for the 7D for its albeit crop excellent action shoot credentials.

For those with 5D M2's, I suspect most already have one or perhaps both of those workhorse lens.  Why do they need to buy the kit?

I am in the 7D camp.  I fully plan to buy a full body, but the expectations of a M3 convinced me to go the other direction - and with the $200 rebate last spring, the 7D was a good interim step for building up a full system.    If there are any retailers out there doing their own kits - I hope that look at offering kits that replace EF-S situations of the crop body world. 

My own personal wish kit would be a 5D M3 with 16-35mm f2.8 lens.  I need to match or replace my current 10-22mm EF-S and a 16-35mm EF would be perfect.    I already got the 24-105mm, so like the current 5D crowd a 5D M3 with that kit lens would be a big yawn.  Hell, stuff a 50mm f1.4 as someone suggested!  or maybe the 135mm f2.0 (test driving this coming weekend at an event). 

Of course if this waiting game goes on too long, a 1Dx may become part of my budget.

Get creative Canon! - or at least take the cue big retailers.  The 24-70 and 24-105 seems like a loser for the early adopters.