Messages

946

Lenses / Re: What lens to buy?

« on: October 24, 2011, 11:42:51 AM »

What ever lens you need.

Best advice yet.

Buy equipment as you need it. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable shooting anything for pay without a second body in the wings. One failure in the middle of a wedding could lead to a very short career.

947

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS 7D mrk. II

« on: October 24, 2011, 11:31:08 AM »

I'll bet that the 7DII gets a 21-24 MP sensor...and that's about all except for relatively minor changes (like the updated sensor cleaning system).  The 7D already has the best AF system outside of the 1-series, there is no need at all for Canon to update it.

Two weeks ago, I would have agreed with that. Now, with the 1D X, I'm not so sure.

Some thoughts:

Canon learned the dangers of incremental upgrades with the 50D. Great camera, but most 40D users didn't see enough of an improvement to upgrade and the DSLR market had matured sufficiently that there weren't enough new buyers for the 50D. They decided to push the envelope with the 7D and it worked.

Rather than go for incremental upgrades every two years, I see Canon lengthening the refresh cycle and making significant changes in order to convince existing owners to upgrade. For the sake of my checking account, I'd like to skip the 7D Mark II and wait for the Mark III.  But that's not in Canon's best interests. I see them making changes in the Mark II to entice current 7D owners to upgrade.

At the same time, with the end of the APS-H format, and with the reduction in megapixels with the 1D X, Canon may be waiting to see what kind of blow back they get from sports and wildlife photographers. They may decide to position the next 7D as a second-body camera for pros who need longer reach in the field. Or, they could even offer a 7D X (one-piece body and grip with full weather-sealing, slightly faster frame-rate, but otherwise functionally the same as the 7D Mark II).

So, I ask myself, what features would entice me to upgrade to the Mark II?

My wish list is short, but similar to others on this forum:

• Sensor improvements that emphasize reduced noise, higher ISO and more dynamic range; and
  
  
• An even better auto-focus system (Granted the autofocus system on the 7D is the most sophisticated outside of the 1D series, but it could be improved. It is tricky to learn and not always intuitive. As this forum and others have shown, it can be very frustrating for users and simply chalking it up to "user error" doesn't really address the problem. A "baby 1D X" system would be a welcome addition.

Almost everything else is just gravy, including more megapixels.

Customer satisfaction with the 7D is very high. I think Canon will take their time before releasing a Mark II version and make it a significant upgrade that becomes a "must have" for current 7D owners.

948

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon 5D X

« on: October 22, 2011, 11:26:19 AM »

I'm equally confident it will be called 5D Mk III and that it will be the big megapixel FF body in Canon's lineup, aimed at users for whom the 1DS MkIII was the natural choice.

I've no idea why anyone would think the 7D MkII will be anything other than APS-C. Another high speed FF body would eat into 1DX sales: why would Canon do that? As for APS-H, it's dead. If Canon wanted to keep APS-H alive, they would have kept the 1D and 1DS series separate. Why would Canon pass APS-H down the line to a cheaper body when they could have produced a 1D MkV? APS-H is dead, never to return.

Completely agree. The APS-H format has been an orphan for years. It was clearly a transitional format, squeezed out as the image quality between APS-C and Full Frame has narrowed.

949

EOS Bodies / Re: 1D x which new features will be carried to lesser cameras?

« on: October 21, 2011, 11:30:16 PM »

I don't think it's any real surprise that there aren't a bunch of "new" features on the 1D X. This is clearly aimed at the professional market.

It isn't unusual or uncommon in any market for the professional-level tools to be fairly conservative in implementing new features. In any industry, professionals put a premium on the reliability, durability and quality of the tools. Added features don't sell products at this level.

The Ethernet connection is a good example of how Canon has targeted this to professionals. I read many comments disparaging the Ethernet connection, but it is clear Canon did their research and determined that this was important for the market they are targeting. From their descriptions it appears they found that sports photographers need a fast, hard-wired connection to transfer images from the playing field to the photo editor in the stands. Most of us might find this unimportant, but I imagine for photographers shooting the Olympics or major league sports, the ability to instantly transfer files to an editor in the field will be a real benefit.

That's just one example, but I think the main point is that this camera was designed for a very specific audience.

Because of that, there may not be many features that trickle down exactly as implemented in the 1D X. But, I would agree with much of tt's list. I also would not be surprised to see more features trickle down to a 7D II than a 5D III, as Canon focuses on the 7D (or some other 1.6 crop sensor model) as an alternative for professionals needing the extra reach that they formerly had with the 1.3 crop sensor.

950

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS Body options for second camera/present

« on: October 20, 2011, 02:02:59 PM »

Hmmmm...  I can see why you would want to get her the camera; it would be fun, practical, and something you could do together.  But for a wedding gift?  I think you're right, she would probably love some jewelry from you.  The camera would be great for Christmas or a birthday...  25 years from now, do you want her to say that you bought her a lovely pair of earrings on your wedding day, or a camera?  Just trying to keep you off the couch, buddy! 

+1. Learn from the mistakes of a guy who's been married three times. Get her jewelry.

951

EOS Bodies / Re: Up-sampling: Your thoughts?

« on: October 20, 2011, 01:59:01 PM »

Thank you, Afrank99 for taking the time to think about my post. Perhaps I wasn't clear in the original post, because I think some people are missing the point. I'm certainly aware of software programs that perform up-sampling. Even Photoshop up-samples.

Rather, my interest is in Canon's decision to emphasize up-sampling in conjunction with their flagship camera.

Is this just a marketing after-thought to rationalize less resolution, or are they consciously moving the industry in a new direction that incorporates up-sampling as an integrated component of the final image?

After I wrote the original post, a thought similar to Afrank99's occurred to me. In the film days, almost everyone up-sampled. It was called enlarging. And, unless you shot 8x10 glass plates, you up-sampled. No one working in medium format or 35mm ever thought their job was complete until they had enlarged that original image. Perhaps Canon foresees a future in which up-sampling is treated a little like enlarging: an integral part of the creative process for many photographers.

952

EOS Bodies / Up-sampling: Your thoughts?

« on: October 20, 2011, 12:07:51 PM »

I mentioned this under another topic, but I thought it might be interesting to explore a little more directly.

Canon's announcement of the 1D X emphasized that the images could by enlarged through up-sampling. Maybe this is just hype to cover up for the reduced resolution. Or maybe not.

I'm neither an engineer nor a software specialist, so I confess that I don't know anything about the technology. But I do wonder if Canon engineers have concluded that rather than cram ever more megapixels onto a sensor, it is more efficient and produces better image quality to interpolate additional information through software.

Amazing things are already being done with software (content aware fill, for example). Some of the stuff on the horizon is also mind-boggling (Adobe's sneak peak of a proposed Photoshop feature that corrects out of focus images and the "light field camera" are just two examples)

Granted, up-sampling cannot add detail where none exists, but why should it be difficult to take a studio portrait shot at 18 mp and increase the effective resolution by two or three times, interpolating the data from existing pixels?

Perhaps we are entering an era where sensors are used for dynamic range and light sensitivity and software is used to expand the resolution.

Your thoughts?

953

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS 7D mrk. II

« on: October 20, 2011, 11:50:23 AM »

However, that obviously sits just after the London Olympics and Euro 2012.

Don't forget Photokina. Canon will want something to release then.

954

EOS Bodies / Re: What's Next?

« on: October 19, 2011, 07:02:47 PM »

Canon can do a $2000 FF DSLR if they want to. Just look at the price of 7D. The difference in FF sensor and APS-C is about $200.

That's the first time I've seen that figure. Can you document it?

955

EOS Bodies / Re: What's Next?

« on: October 19, 2011, 04:42:04 PM »

For the future I don't see many change in the higher end cameras

- The 5DIII or 3D will be a high mp monster but don't expect speed. It might get the 45 point AF. Should be priced in the 4k range
- If the 3D happens, the 5DIII will remain at its current price and be the entry FF model. With the 7D AF. 2800$
- The 7DII will continue as is. APS-C, high speed, for wildlife and sport.

I expect all of these camera to get better weather resistance, especially the 7DII since it would be used outside by sport, wildlife or birder...

There you have it for the XD familly. 3 or 4 cameras, but only one flagship, the 1Dx

Not a bad series of predictions. I also expect that the 5D successor will have a different, higher mp sensor. It seems as though the sensor is the real differentiating factor in the 1DX and I don't see Canon devaluing the line by using the sensor in other bodies – at least not in the near term.

Makes more sense to me to offer a model with a high mp sensor for those who need the resolution.

I do think we will see a 7D or similar moving up the scale into the pro-level with weathersealing, etc. Perhaps even a one-piece model with a built in battery pack like the 1D series. They may end up splitting the 7D into two lines, an enthusiast model and a pro model for sports and wildlife photographers who want the extra reach they are losing with the end of the APS-H sensor.  I really hope that the next generation 7D sensor also follows the philosophy of maintaining similar megapixel count and concentrates on improving dynamic range and ISO sensitivity (I can dream can't I?)

Contrary to what many on this forum wish for, I don't think we will see an under $2,000 full frame model. I'm not even sure it's possible to produce a full frame body at that price point.

Finally, I found Canon's comments about up-sampling very interesting. Is this just hype to rationalize the reduction in resolution or have they really done something that will make up-sampling a realistic alternative? We'll have to wait and see, but it's entirely possible that their software engineers (or possibly in conjunction with Adobe) are working on or have developed new algorithms to make up-sampling a more viable alternative.

I know next to nothing about software, but it sure seems to me that features like "content aware fill" and focus sharpening (as teased at Adobe Max) are a lot more complex and difficult than up-sampling an image.   

956

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS-1D X Canon USA Press Release

« on: October 18, 2011, 04:15:01 PM »

A few weeks ago, someone posted here about how Canon ought to be more like Apple. They referenced an article that said Apple was willing to cannibalize it's own business at times in order to grow their business.

It seems that is exactly what Canon is doing and I'm actually quite impressed with their courage. They are taking some risks here and I wish people would acknowledge that, since Canon is often criticized on this forum for being too conservative and too formulaic.

Although I don't ever expect to be in the target market for this camera, I find it very exciting because of what it means for the future of DSLRs. Frankly, I don't think we can predict what direction Canon will go next. Will they use the 1D X sensor in the 5D? (somehow I doubt it.) Will they release a 1D S (studio) that emphasizes resolution over ISO? (very possible in my opinion).

What features of the 1D X will show up in the next generation of 5D and 7D? Will they produce a pro-level APS-C body aimed at wildlife and sports shooters to replace the 1.3 crop and add more reach from their lenses? (also very possible in my opinion).

All in all, I think this opens up all sorts of interesting possibilities and I'm anxious to see what materializes over the next few years.

In the meantime, thanks Canon for making things interesting. I honestly didn't expect it.

957

EOS Bodies / Re: EOS-1D X Canon USA Press Release

« on: October 18, 2011, 03:59:36 PM »

Why on earth would you need 30+ MP for a studio shoot? So you can print stuff on the sides of buildings?

As a matter of fact yes. Go to Macfly's website and you'll see that he does shoot images (movie promos, mainly) that do indeed go on the sides of buildings.

Seriously folks, it's bad enough to flame people, but flaming people without having a clue what their history and needs are is just ignorant.

958

Lenses / Re: 70 Million EOS Lenses

« on: October 18, 2011, 10:52:49 AM »

I was also struck by the numbers. Presuming that those 50 million cameras have at least one lens, that only leaves 20 million spread out over all users. Granted that's an oversimplification and doesn't factor in third-party lenses, but when you start to drill down a little, it does get interesting.

I wonder what the numbers would look like once you took out the "nifty-fifty" 50mm f1.8 and 55-250mm efs zoom. Those two lenses along have got to account for a huge percentage of the 20 million, especially since the 55-250 mm is often sold as part of a bundle.

Bottom line for me is the realization of how few people actually own more than one or two lenses. Start dividing that universe by the number of lenses available and it creates a real reality check about the popularity (or rather, lack of popularity) of lenses.

If new lenses and lens updates seem to come at a painfully slow pace, this helps explain why. Only a small fraction of EOS owners actually buy lenses.

959

Canon General / Re: Canon EOS 1D X Press Release

« on: October 17, 2011, 11:12:12 PM »

Well, I was certainly wrong. I never imagined they would reduce the MP count on their flagship camera.

I give Canon credit for thinking outside the box. It will be interesting to see what kind of image quality this produces at high ISO. Makes me anxious to see what they do with the 5D and the 7D in the next go round.

960

EOS Bodies / Re: The New EOS [CR3]

« on: October 17, 2011, 02:35:10 PM »

i'm going to laugh (and cry)    when the announcement is for a new elph that does automatic HDRs.

I'm still holding out for a new Canon Calculator Mouse.