The-Digital-Picture has completed their review of the Sigma 12-24mm f/4L DG HSM Art.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Image Quality</strong></p>
<p>From the always-important image sharpness perspective, this lens is a very good performer with a caveat that I will of course explain. At f/4, this lens is quite sharp in the center of the frame over the full focal length range aside from performance becoming modestly softer from 20mm through 24mm. Stopping down to f/5.6 brings sharp center of the frame results to the entire focal length range……….</p>
<p>……… I mentioned the caveat. What I didn’t notice during this shoot was focus shift. As this lens is stopped down, the plane of sharp focus shifts farther away. Because Canon cameras focus with a wide open aperture, this change is not accounted for during either viewfinder or Live View-based focusing (AF or MF). Stopped down manual focusing in Live View will account for the change, but … this is not how we typically focus. <a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-12-24mm-f-4-DG-HSM-Art-Lens.aspx">Read the full review</a></p></blockquote>
<p>It looks like Sigma has another winner on their hands with the 12-24mm f/4 DG HSM Art series lens, especially when you factor in the fact it costs about $1000 less than the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L.</p>
<p>Sigma 12-24mm f/4 Art $1599: <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1282159-REG/sigma_205955_12_24mm_f_4_dg_hsm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2gkZVGC">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/SG1224AEOS.html?KBID=64393">Adorama</a> | <a href="https://mpex.com/sigma-12-24mm-f4-dg-hsm-art-lens-canon.html?acc=3">Midwest Photo</a></p>
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A patent for the Canon EF 600mm f/4 DO IS has finally appeared. A <a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/canon-ef-600mm-f4-do-br-at-canon-expo/">prototype of this lens was shown in September of 2015</a> at the Canon EXPO. We <a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/canon-ef-600mm-f4-do-is-to-arrive-in-late-2017-cr2/">were also told a few months ago</a> that the retail version of this lens could be coming near the end of 2017, though we haven’t received confirmation.</p>
<p>Patent publication number 2016-200685 (Google Translated)</p>
<ul>
<li>Release date 2016.12.1</li>
<li>Application date 2015.4.9</li>
<li>Focal length 585.00</li>
<li>F number 4.12</li>
<li>Half angle of view (degree) 2.12</li>
<li>Image height 21.64</li>
<li>Lens total length 335.32</li>
<li>BF 66.92</li>
</ul>
<p>We hope to hear confirmation of a release date in the coming months. We’d also like to see a price tag, but that’s far less likely this far out from an announcement.</p>
<p><em>image credit // <a href="http://www.popphoto.com/canon-is-working-on-600mm-do-br-telephoto-lens-with-its-latest-optical-tech">popphoto</a></em></p>
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<strong>MELVILLE, N.Y., December 5, 2016</strong> – Canon U.S.A., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today the findings from a nationwide third-party blind survey that compared customer perceptions concerning the speed of service and quality of tech support offered by Canon and Nikon. The survey was conducted among photographers (primarily professional, semi-professional, and advanced amateur) in November 2016 and found that customers perceive Canon’s service times to be faster than Nikon’s and that customer satisfaction with tech support is higher for Canon than it is for Nikon.</p>
<p>“Our customers need service they can count on,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, President and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “We are very proud of our achievements in delivering world-class service and support. By making customer service an integral part of our business model, we are positioned to meet and exceed the changing needs and expectations of our customers.”</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p><strong>Key Survey Findings</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Ultra-Fast Service:</strong> 76.9 percent of Canon customers who have had a service experience in the last 18 months indicated that the speed of their service was either ultra-fast or fast compared to 64.7 percent for Nikon.</li>
<li><strong>Support Matters:</strong> 90.4 percent of Canon customers indicated that they were completely satisfied or satisfied with the technical support they received, as compared to 73.7 percent of Nikon’s customers.</li>
</ul>
<p>Canon has made significant investments in service and support programs and operations, starting with the opening of their first call center in Chesapeake, VA in 1995. The Company prides itself on providing 100 percent in-house U.S. technical support. When it comes to call center operations, keeping all tech support calls in-house allows the Company to tightly control the quality and depth of the tech support provided. Canon maintains full control of its customers’ repair transactions, unlike other industry players that may rely on local third-party service providers to augment their service processing. This is a key differentiator for Canon and is one of the factors that allows the brand to control quick turn-around times and quality service.</p>
<p><strong>About the Ultra-Fast Canon Service & Support Team</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Support Across the Country:</strong> Canon’s Service & Support Network spans from the East to the West Coast (reaching as far as Honolulu, HI) with 10 locations totaling more than 300,000 square feet of space devoted to serving customers. Canon has two call center locations – in Virginia and New Mexico – which boast an average wait time of only 78 seconds to talk to a live tech support representative. There are also three locations in key metropolitan areas that specifically cater to professional customers, in addition to four factory service locations that serve all customers. Canon also has a Customer Care Center, which offers a service drop-off point at its corporate headquarters located in Melville, NY. In the spring of 2017, the Canon Hollywood Professional Technology & Support Center will relocate to Burbank, CA. In this new location, Canon service and support will be enhanced even further to assist the growing number of professional filmmakers and broadcast production clients in Southern California.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>It’s More Than Just Support: </strong>The Canon Experience Center located in Costa Mesa, CA, not only offers service, but is also home to Live Learning workshops and seminars that provide opportunities to learn the latest photography, video, and printing techniques. Additionally, both the Costa Mesa and Lyndhurst, NJ, locations house product showrooms where customers can explore the latest Canon products.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>100 Percent U.S.-Based Team: </strong>Canon provides 100 percent U.S.-based tech support that is completely in-house staffed with over 600 “all Canon” employees. Canon’s combined nationwide service and support network is comprised of over 1,100 expert service and support team members who maintain full control of service quality and speed of repair transactions.</li>
</ul>
<p>In addition to announcing the results of this survey, Canon has also launched a new digital advertising campaign that highlights the Company’s knowledgeable tech support staff and efficient service times that average 2.82 days (1.59 days for Canon Professional Services (CPS) Platinum members)<sup>1</sup>.</p>
<p><strong>About the Survey</strong></p>
<p>A blind survey was conducted between the dates of November 17-22, 2016, resulting in over 2,300 responses from photographers, primarily professional, semi-professional and advanced amateurs. The methodology and results were validated by a third-party expert, Dr. William Bleuel, Ph.D.</p>
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The rumormill has gone quiet for the moment, though we expect it to pick up ahead of CPS next month. Below is what we believe we know is coming in 2017, and we expect there are going to be other products as well.</p>
<p><strong>DSLR</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Canon EOS 77D
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date: Either for CES in January or CP+ in February</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Canon EOS Rebel T7i
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date:Either for CES in January or CP+ in February</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Canon EOS 6D Mark II
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date: Late spring or early summer 2017.</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>PowerShot</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Canon PowerShot SX70 HS
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date: Unknown</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date: Ahead of CES in January</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Lenses</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Canon EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM II
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date: Either for CES in January or CP+ in February</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date: Unknown</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A second lens released alongside the Rebels
<ul>
<li><em>We’re told there may be an “interesting lens” coming around the same time as the Rebels.</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cinema EOS</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Canon Cinema EOS C100 Mark III
<ul>
<li><em>Release Date: Unknown, but NAB would be a logical guess.</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Canon Cinema EOS anamorphic lens
<ul>
<li><em>We think at least one is coming for NAB in April.</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>EOS M</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>EOS M3 replacement
<ul>
<li>Release Date: Likely coming in February ahead of CP+</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>We’ll update the roadmap on a regular basis as we learn more about Canon plans.</p>
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CIPA has released their latest camera sales numbers, and it appears the decline in sales continues. It looks like compact point & shoot cameras continue the biggest decline year over year.</p>
<p>You can see shipment comparisons between 2014, 2015 and 2016 in the images below.</p>

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