DPreview released a video today sponsored by Amazon and Canon from Alex T. Thomas and Kathryn Bingham two photographers residing in Tokyo.
They have been in Toyko for the last 4 years studying the language and exploring Japan.  On a recent trip from Tokyo they went to a small riverside town of Gujo Hachiman, they each brought an M50 to document the trip.
Watch the video for what they discovered.
It seems that the EOS-M50, widely panned when it first came out is certainly sounding better as time goes on.  Reviews and commentary are now coming in as it being one of the best entry level cameras you can buy right now.  It seems to be a common narrative with Canon where  initial reports are disappointing, and then it gets into people’s actual hands, and it’s well regarded.
I think the M50 is an interesting indicator of future EOS-M products from Canon and where they can take the line to.  It will be interesting to follow in the months, and perhaps year ahead.

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PhotographyBlog has released some of their sample images from their upcoming review of the Powershot SX740 HS.
Features of the new SX740 HS;

20.3MP CMOS Sensor
DIGIC 8 Image Processor
24-960mm (35mm Equivalent)
40x Optical Zoom with OIS
3″ Tilting LCD Display
ISO 100-3200 (Extended)
4K Video and 4K Time-Lapse Recording
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connectivity
10-fps Continuous Shooting

Check out the images here

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Two bigger scoops just surfaced at NR.

First, a firm one -- more trademarking:


Second, just a rumor but a detailed one:


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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-super-fast-cameras-are-winning-over-the-pros

1 sentence makes me cringe almost as much as it will make Neuro cringe

The Alpha’s mirrorless design lets image sensors grab light faster and stay in focus using sophisticated software.

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Charts for last 5 years show Sony has been doing something right. No matter whether "Canon sells the most mirrorslappers" or not

https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/6758:JP
https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/7751:JP
https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/7731:JP

OpticalLimits, formerly known as photozone.de has completed their testing of the Canon 70-200 F4L IS II.
Their conclusion? I think they like it .. and give it their highly recommended seal of approval.
From their conclusions;
The king is dead and, yes, long live the new king. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 USM L IS II is everything that the mk I was plus some. It is the perfect playmate for ultra-resolution Canon cameras. It is mostly tack sharp at mainstream settings with no real weakness across the focal length range. Lateral CAs are low and not really an issue. Image distortions can be visible specifically at the long end though and you can spot some moderate vignetting at f/4. If you use digital auto-correction that will be a lesser concern, of course. The quality of the bokeh is Okay for a zoom lens but it has its shortcomings.
Read the entire review here
Also if you are...

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A few days ago I received an e-mail from Canon CPS Germany, that they are changing their membership qualification system to a system of points.
I suppose this is regarding to CPS Europe, too.

Until now you needed at least two semi/professional bodies and at least three L lenses to sign up.
Right now they have changed this to a system of points where even consumer bodies, EF-S lenses and speedlites get points.
For example: a 5D3 is worth 235 points and a EF 40 STM 15 points.

Depending on your overall number of points you can achieve different levels of membership with different advantages.
Here are some of these advantages in Germany (other countries might have a different system)

• red (starting from 0 points)
  • priority support helpdesk (only)
• silver (500 points)
  • priority support helpdesk
  • 5 days repair
  • discount on maintenance services
• gold (1000 points)
  • priority support helpdesk
  • 3 days repair
  • free loan unit if repair takes longer
  • 1 free sensor cleaning per year and body
  • discount on maintenance services
• platin (1600 points)
  • priority support helpdesk
  • 2 days repair
  • free loan unit if repair takes longer
  • 1 free sensor cleaning per year and body
  • discount on maintenance services

And the best of it: this service stays free of charge.

For further details please refer to your local CPS homepage.
For Germany this is http://www.canon.de/canon_cps/

Correction: The new link is https://www.canon.de/pro/canon-professional-services/

We have seen a lot of DSLRs being used for video production. But how would you rate Canon Powershot cameras for video production. They have the capability so was wondering if anyone has used them for professional video product. If possible please add some of the samples of your work that you may have done using Canon Powershot.

Hi.
I'm thinking of getting one of these for this lens to protect against bumps. Opinions of anyone who has experience with this combo will be appreciated. One question: Does it allow the hood to be retracted?
Jay in Toronto

Canon has applied for a patent for EVF optics that will provide a longer eye  relief.  This of course is necessary for anyone that wears glasses as a short eye relief can cause vignetting and problems in seeing the entire EVF field of view. To be honest, I find the current M5 EVF’s eye relief to be a bit too short for my liking, and most EVFs I find are like this, at least for me.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ocular optical system having long eye relief, wide viewing angle, and high optical performance. A first lens having a positive refractive power, a second lens having a negative refractive power, a third lens having a positive refractive power, a third lens having a positive refractive power, and a third lens having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in this order from the object side to the observation side. And the fourth lens L 4, the focal length and shape of each lens are appropriately set.
Canon Patent Application 2018-124349

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It looks like we’re finally going to see the highly anticipated DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Mavic 2 Zoom announced in New York City on August 23, 2018 at 10AM EST.
Both of these drones were scheduled to be announced on July 18, 2018, but were delayed.
Key Specifications:

1″ CMOS Image Sensor
Hasselblad branded camera
1080p video transmission
8km (4.9 miles) transmission range
Max speed 20 m/s (44 mph)
31 minute battery life
APAS
ActiveTrack 2.0
Omnidirectional obstacle avoidance.
24-48mm 2x Zoom (Mavic 2 Zoom only)
Dolly Zoom (Mavic 2 Zoom only)

We’ve been waiting a long time for the Mavic 2 Pro, and we think it’ll be worth the wait.

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Let's see if this thing is worth it.

My oh my have our digital tools changed in the past 15 years or so.

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Eight years ago my wife and I visited our oldest daughter while she studied abroad, and for that trip my new Canon S95 served us very, very well. I committed to using it, and it alone, and the images the S95 produced still hold up--I did not for a minute regret leaving the 40D and a couple of lenses at home (USA).

For years, the S95 was also my stealthy concert camera--with good seats (or standing/general admission near the stage), here again images acquired via the S95 (with all of its limitations) are amazing in their quality.

Within the past month or so, I tried using my iPhone 6s in place of the S95 for near-the-stage concert pictures--and the obtained images are, again, remarkable (significantly, the iPhone 5c's camera, years prior, had failed at the same task). In certain ways, using the 6s is a superior experience (compared to the S95, which still works well).

I forget exactly when it was that I bought into the M system.

But I quickly realized that the M/22mm f2 combination was, in a way, a non-zoomable supercharged S95. Even with the slow-focusing 'qualities' of the original M, the images that the M/22 produces are sublime--one is reminded of the (slightly modified) Clint Eastwood line: "A man's got to know the limitations, of his camera."

I didn't (and still don't) use the M 18-55 zoom much at all (the 22/f2 generally worked well in its place)...but when I was able to buy (from Canada, no less) the 11-22 M mount lens (with image stabilization!), the M family really began to shine...and the wide-angle 11mm (crop sensor) images really really work for family and family vacation pix.

As I've noted several times on this forum, the 11-22 native M lens is the killer app for the Canon's M system...enabling the acquisition of quality wide-angle images from a very small package.

So, from Japan, I purchased an M2...and for a couple of years the 11-22 lens never left my M2 (which is a bit smaller than the M, and feels much snappier as well).

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On two different occasions, I've come close to picking up a Canon EF 11-24 lens...but have resisted, in part due to mount-related questions surrounding Canon's soon-to-be-released large-sensor mirrorless camera.

I'm sure I'll eventually buy the 11-24...but in the process of making the decision...I wondered:

Would Canon ever manufacture the EF-M equivalent of the full-frame 11-24...something like an EF-M 7-15?

And for this lens (an EF-M 7-15), how much would it weigh? How long would it be? And what would it cost?

I think I would buy a Canon EF-M 7-15 if it worked as well as the EF-M 11-22, and I suspect it would work well with my newest M, the M6.

There are some conflicting reports out there about Canon’s announcement plans ahead of Photokina. We were told back in July that we’d be seeing some announcements the first week of September, and there have also been reports of announcements the second week of the month as well. It’s possible two rounds of announcements are coming.
We’ve been told by a few people around the globe that Canon subsidiaries have training planned for select employees before Photokina. The trade show begins September 26, 2018. Training sessions are usually held for new cameras and not lenses.

Two of the sources seem to be assuming that a new Canon mirrorless is going to be announced ahead of the trade show.
We still don’t have much confidence that this will be the case.
We have confirmed the following announcements ahead of Photokina, and we’re waiting to hear if anything else is planned.

Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4...

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The latest latest:

https://nikonrumors.com/2018/08/08/...-a-mockup-or-a-real-picture.aspx/#more-124443

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This is a question that is asked constantly on forums around the web, what gear do I bring with me on an African safari?
I’m heading back to Kenya tomorrow for the great migration across the Masai Mara, which is the type of safari most people seem to do their first time to Africa. Shooting conditions are very similar between Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana.
If you’re going to Rwanda or Uganda for gorillas and chimpanzees, you’ll definitely be taking different gear than you would be on the Serengeti.
So what gear do I bring?
I’m finding that I’m taking less and less gear with me each time I return to Africa. Part of this is likely due to the fact that I’m now going for specific images and I’m not trying to capture everything.
A good thing that has come out of multiple safaris, is I’ve used pretty much every big white lens from Canon and I know the strengths, weaknesses, and trade-offs for each.

Gear I’m bringing to Kenya this time and why:...

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Reliable Sigma rumors have always been hard to come by over the years, but we’re starting to  hear more and more from people about Sigma’s future plans, and this week we were given some insight into their Photokina plans.
For the moment, we’re told that Sigma will announce at least two lenses that will come in EF mount ahead of Photokina next month.
While the source that told us this didn’t know what the lenses would be, we have heard about coming Sigma lenses in the past.

The obvious and likely most sought after lens from Sigma, would be a new 70-200mm f/2.8 OS Sport, this lens has been long rumored and we’ve seen patents for the optical formula over the last year or so. I imagine the engineering required to  make sure it has reliable autofocus could be the biggest challenge for Sigma engineers.
We’ve also heard that a new 70-200mm f/4 OS from Sigma was also in the cards and could possibly be announced at the same time as an f/2.8 verison, just as Canon recently did.
We’ve also...

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Nikon numbers here:
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=27344

"While the DSLR market shrinks significantly due to expansion of ML cameras, the D850 is still highly evaluated even after a year from its launch: exceeding the sales forecast in all regions and the product mix has been improved."

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I was looking at which lenses would fit the Canon FD to EOS converter (the 1.26x version) and noticed that it would fit the "FD 200mm f/2.8RF". Anyone know what that lens is? See attached compatibility table.

A tool to inspire. A tool to be bold. A tool to build memories.
Portland, OR (August 7th) – Lensbaby—makers of award-winning creative effects lenses, optics and accessories—announces the launch of their most playful and accessible lens yet, the Sol 45.
Preorder the Lensbaby Sol Lenses at Adorama
“Sol 45 opens up a new creative experience for those who want to dip their toes in the Lensbaby pool,” said Craig Strong Lensbaby Co-Founder and CCO. “Sol inspires visual artists to find new and fun ways to see their world by creating unique images in camera – no filters needed.”

The Sol 45 responds to those curious and insightful individuals who desire intention, imagination, and passion within each experience they live. This fixed aperture lens features an ease-of-use that injects the classic Lensbaby energy into images while creating a fun photography...

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Everyone says 4K "not important." TV only 1080p. No need for 4K. Too much data. Too hard to process. And nobody makes video, everyone just make photos.

For every birthday party for my children, I video the whole "happy birthday" song and cake thing. I do it with my phone and my phone does 4K. You can say that the most important videos I make are all done in 4K and using a camera - not expensive Canon equipment (good argument why have it if it is never used for important things!) If Canon make DSLR do 4K and have good IS lens, then I do 4K video of birthday with Canon camera. But not now. สมัครufabet

In 15-20 years time, as my kids get older and we have parties where "remember when", I'll have videos to share of those moments. "Oh but my photos are 1893MP!" The difference between photos and videos of parties is "Oh, that's a nice photo" and "listen to them laughing!" / "look at what they're doing!". Back to those future parties. At that point in time, TVs are either going to be 4K "standard" ("Gee dad, why didn't you have good video back then?") or maybe even 6K/8K ("Wow, dad, when I was a baby that was the best video available?!") 1080p might be "ok" now but it will age and it will not age well. Just look at the recent promo's for the upcoming re-release of Terminator 2. Cinemas will be 3D but a 4K UHD edition is being done and it looks sweeet.

Nobody buys a 24MP camera so that they can keep 2MP images (ok, maybe 4MP if you've got a UHD screen), everyone buys 24MP cameras to keep 24MP pictures. Even if they only ever get downres'd for monitors, by keeping the original raw/jpeg, you can re-render it for bigger screens in the future. Same with video.

I'd love to see the 70-300 4-5.6L get a facelift. Even an incremental one like the 70-200 f/4L IS got. What are the odds?

Canon M50's eyeAF is pretty intriguing to me. It's one of many reason why I'm excited for a Canon FF mirrorless.

Can anyone give some insight on what we can expect in FF mirrorless?

A sophisticated balance of outstanding optics and matchless mobility
August 6, 2018, Commack, New York— Tamron announces the launch of a new ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, the 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037), for 35mm full-frame DSLR cameras. The vision behind the Model A037 is that of an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that has a separate concept from SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD (Model A012), with superb image quality and easy portability. At just 3.5 in in length and 16.2 oz. in weight, it is the smallest and lightest in its class. The focal length ranges from an ultra-wide 17mm that is suitable for professional landscape photography to a standard 35mm perfect for snapshot photography. As for F-stops, the wide-angle end is a large aperture F/2.8, and at the telephoto end is a fast F/4. The Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating help to enhance the user’s photographic experience. For those looking to try out an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for the first time, as well as...

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Dustin Abbott has completed his extensive review of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II.  You can check the video above, or read the entire review here.
It seems like most reviewers, Dustin discovered that the updates are for the most part incremental, and not a revolutionary step forward. However, the sum of the incremental updates make the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II a worthy upgrade for most shooters if you’re using the non-IS or first IS version of this lens.
Some have questioned whether this lens is a worthy upgrade, if enough has changed. If you are looking for a revolutionary improvement over the previous generation lens (perhaps considering updating), that might be a hard choice, but there is no doubt that this is a significantly improved lens on a number of levels. The build is improved, the autofocus is improved, and the image quality is improved. There is no single thing that jumps out at you, but the sum total of the improvements add up to what I believe is the best f/4 lens...

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