Canon has launched a new site which allows you to shoot photographs with Canon’s $9mil CE-SAT 1 microsatellite, which was launched in 2017 in India.

The CE-SAT 1 satellite is equipped with a modified Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a PowerShot camera for wide-angle lenses. The CE SAT-1 isn’t the smallest microsatellite the Canon has built, there is also the CE SAT-3 which can fit in the palm of your hand.

Canon is spending a lot of R&D on space imaging, and it looks like they’re in it for the long run.

About the Canon CE-SAT-1

CE-SAT-IB is a 67 kilogram microsatellite which can resolve 90 centimeter objects on the ground from space. Additionally, Spaceflight is coordinating the launch of another Canon satellite, CE-SAT-IIB, which is slated to lift off after the CE-SAT-IB mission later in 2020, also aboard an Electron. It will carry three cameras with different resolutions and sensitivities.

Canon has launched a new site that lets you emulate operating the satellite overlooking various parts of the planet.

Check out the Canon REDEFINE LIMITS site here.

It looks like Canon USA has restocked their refurbished inventory, and it includes a few RF lenses as well as popular EF lenses.

RF Lenses

• Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM $879
• Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro STM $399
• Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM $2429

EF Lenses

• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM $1709
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM $2159

EOS M

• Canon EOS M50 Body $459
• Canon EOS M50 w/15-45 $519

You can check out all of the available refurbished gear at the Canon USA store here.

Canon has Now Ranked in the Top Five for Number of Patents Granted for 35 Consecutive Years

MELVILLE, NY, January 13, 2021 – Continuing its mission of empowering innovation, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce that its parent company, Canon Inc., ranked third for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2020 with 3,226 patents.¹ With this year’s ranking, Canon has now ranked in the top five for number of patents granted for 35 consecutive years, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Additionally, Canon once again ranked first in patents among Japanese companies for the 16^th consecutive year.

Read more…

Costco announced today that they are closing all of their in-store photo centers on February 14, 2021. You will still be able to order photo services via the CostcoPhotoCenter web site.

The following was sent to Costco members today.

We are writing to inform you about the upcoming closure of the photo department at all Costco locations on Sunday, February 14, 2021.

Since the introduction of camera phones and social media, the need for printing photos has steeply declined, even though the number of pictures taken continues to grow. After careful consideration, we have determined the continued decline of prints no longer requires on-site photo printing.

Digital technologies allow consumers to do more with their photos, including the ability to personalize canvas, metal & acrylic prints, or create photo books, stationery, calendars and other gifts. We will continue to ship these high-quality products and prints to your home or business through the Costco Photo Center website, CostcoPhotoCenter.com.

Costco’s home movie video transfer, passport photo, photo restoration and ink cartridge refill services will no longer be available after February 14, 2021.

Please pick up any remaining orders you have at your local Costco location by March 28th, 2021. We thank you for your business, and look forward to providing our innovative, high quality, personalized photo products to you in the future via the CostcoPhotoCenter.com.

Venus Optics looks like they’re going to have a busy 2021 with new lenses, yesterday we reported that the company would launch a new Laowa Argus line of f/0.95 prime lenses for various mirrorless mounts, but it appears they aren’t done there.

According to Sony Addict, Venus Optics will also announce a 12-24mm f/5.6 lens for various full-frame mirrorless mounts, including Canon’s RF mount.

Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6 Specifications:

• Supported formats: Full size
• Focal length: 12-24mm
• Aperture: F5.6-F22
• Angle of view: 121.9 ° -84 °
• Lens configuration: 15 elements in 11 groups (2 aspherical elements, 3 ED lenses)
• Aperture blade: 5 pieces
• Shortest shooting distance: 15cm
• Maximum shooting magnification: 0.4x
• Size: φ69.4 × 74mm
• Weight: 497g
• Mount: Leica M, Nikon Z, Sony E, Canon RF

Gordon from camera labs has completed his review of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM. The “nifty-fifty” for the RF mount. In this review, Gordon directly compared the RF version to its EF brother and found the RF version to be better, but it should be, it costs twice as much.

From Gordon:

It may cost roughly double that of the EF 50mm f1.8 STM, but at around 200 dollars or pounds it becomes by far the cheapest native lens in the RF system to date, making it tempting for anyone looking for a second lens to complement an existing kit-zoom. It’s smaller than the EF version when you take a mirrorless adapter into account, and while the overall style and rendering is similar, the newer RF version is noticeably sharper across more of the frame when wide-open.

You can watch the full video review above, or you can head on over to CamerLabs for a written review with full resolution samples here.

Godox is planning to release an update to the V1, their round-head lithium powered Speedlite. The new “V1 Pro” looks like it will have an active cooling fan to keep the temperature down during intense shooting conditions.

Lighting Rumors writes:

The successor, called the Godox V1pro (or V1 Pro), will have a similar circular zoom head, designed to give a more pleasing light pattern compared to rectangular flashguns, and able to mount colour filters and accessories magnetically. The key change will be an active cooling fan, built into the head, to mitigate overheating during long or intense photoshoots. The original V1, which is not actively cooled, faced criticism for its overheating protection, which originally caused the flash to cut out after a rapid series of shots, forcing photographers to wait for the unit to cool down before resuming operation. A firmware update changed this behaviour so that it just slowed down the recycle time as the device warmed up.

…. and for the “if they can put a cooling fan in a flash, they can put one in a camera!”. Yeah Yeah. :)

An interview with Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of SIGMA is always a worthwhile read, this interview is no different. They touch on everything from the history of SIGMA, corporate culture, how they’re handling the pandemic as well as his outlook for the future.

However, what you really came here for is in bold below.

It’s true that the photography market has been systematically shrinking for years – in keeping with more and more people simply using smartphones to make photos and videos. Less cameras sold also means less potential customers interested in buying a lens, which is why our short‑term strategy indeed involves a possibility of introducing lenses with new mounts – to such photography systems as Nikon Z or Canon EOS R. So far, however, the number of orders for our lenses is still above our manufacturing capacities, and especially the capabilities of our R&D department.

You can read the full interview in English here.

By Fueling Collective Inspiration, The Company’s Incredible Interactive Virtual Experience Helps Inspire a Collaborative Future

MELVILLE, NY, January 6, 2021 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has thrived by creating innovative consumer electronics and solutions that bring mutual benefits to consumers, businesses and industries. 2021 presents a year of hope and opportunity, following a year of unprecedented limitations. At CES 2021, Canon is premiering an interactive digital experience through five unexpected experiences and innovation cornerstones to celebrate how people can use Canon products and solutions to help redefine the limits they face. Attendees can be inspired to transcend limits by capturing the marvels of space, the splendor of wildlife, and the nostalgia of a lost iconic sports setting.

“2020 was a year filled with limits. We were all faced with looking at our daily lives and figuring out the best paths to complete our professional work and responsibilities to our families,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and CEO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “As we catapult into 2021, we are presented with a unique opportunity to redefine our limits. At CES, Canon is excited to share how our technologies, solutions and products can inspire and offer a chance to collaborate on a better future.”

Read more…

According to Photo Rumors, Venus Optics is going to announce a trio of f/0.95 prime lenses for mirrorless mounts, including EF-M and RF.

Venus Optics Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 mirrorless lens (full-frame):

• Focal length: 35mm
• Format: full frame
• Aperture: f/0.95 – f/16
• Viewing angle: 63.4 °
• Optical design: 14 lenses in 9 groups, including 1 aspherical, 1 ED, and 4 high refractive elements
• Aperture: 15 blades
• Minimum focusing distance: 50 cm
• Maximum magnification: 0.1x
• Filter thread diameter: 72 mm
• Size: 76.8 x 103mm
• Weight: 755g
• Mounts: Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF
• Price: RMB 6,000 (approx. $910)

Specifications for the Venus Optics Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 mirrorless lens (APS-C)

• Focal length: 33mm
• Format: APS-C
• Aperture range: f/0.95 – f/16
• Viewing angle: 46.2°
• Optical design: 14 elements in 9 groups, including 1 aspherical, 1 ED, and 3 high refractive elements
• Aperture: 9 blades
• Minimum focusing distance: 35 cm
• Maximum magnification: 0.125x
• Filter thread diameter: 62 mm
• Size: 71.5 x 83mm
• Weight: 590g
• Mounts: Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon EF-M
• Price: RMB 3,500 (approx. $530).

Specifications for the Venus Optics Laowa Argus 25mm f/0.95 mirrorless lens (MFT):

• Focal length: 25mm
• Format: Micro Four Thirds
• Aperture range: f / 0.95 … f / 16
• Viewing angle: 46.7 °
• Optical design: 14 elements in 8 groups including 1 aspherical, 1 ED and 3 high refractive index
• Aperture: 9 blades
• Minimum focusing distance: 25cm
• Maximum magnification: 0.17x
• Filter thread diameter: Ø62 mm
• Size: Ø71 x 86mm
• Weight: 570g
• Price – 3500 RMB (approx. $ 530)