The flood of reviews for the brand new Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L continue to roll in, I don’t think I’ve ever read so many reviews for a single lens in my life. This time, we’re sharing Tim Dodd’s review, who has provided some real world, working photographer points of view on this lens.</p>
<p>Tim is also probably the first to drop and break the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1116125-REG/canon_9534b001_lens_cap_for_11_24mm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">big front lens cap</a> on the EF 11-24mm f/4L, that has to count for something!</p>
<blockquote><p>So to sum up: Canon has produced a lens that’s as sharp or sharper than its prime counterparts. Although slower (F stop wise). It has chromatic aberration and distortion well under control. Vignetting is probably its biggest fault. But, that’s probably the easiest thing to have fixed in post, so I’m not shaken by that.</p>
<p>It’s a heavy, big lens that might be intimidating to some. It’s very front heavy–so heavy in fact it fell out of my shoulder bag already…</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://timdoddphotography.com/blog/canon-11-24-f4l" target="_blank">Read the full review</a> | Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM $2999: <a href="http://adorama.evyy.net/c/60085/51926/1036?u=http://www.adorama.com/CA11244.html" target="_blank">Adorama</a> | <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1119028-REG/canon_9520b002_ef_11_24mm_f_4l_usm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T3ERXKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00T3ERXKE&linkCode=as2&tag=canorumo-20&linkId=SKIW33AKPAGADHBN" target="_blank">Amazon</a></p>

While at CP+ last month in Japan, DPReview had the privilege of touring a Sigma lens factory in Aizu, Japan. We’ve all seen lens factories before, but I never get bored of looking at them.</p>
<blockquote><p>Mr Yamaki’s philosophy for Sigma is inherited from his father, Michihiro Yamaki, who died in 2012. It can be summed up in four words: ‘small office, big factory’. The great majority of Sigma’s employees in Japan are involved directly in creating its products, and the company maintains a relatively small administrative staff.</p></blockquote>
<p>Sigma has their next Art series lens, the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1120085-REG/sigma_24mm_f_1_4_dg_hsm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">24mm f/1.4 DG Art</a> hitting stores by the end of March for the Canon mount.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.dpreview.com/articles/0773575852/making-art-inside-sigma-s-lens-factory" target="_blank">See the tour at DPReview</a></strong></p>
<p> </p>

Before the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS hit the market last fall, there had been rumblings that it would have a 100x zoom, but it *only* came with 65x zoom which worked out to a focal length of 24-1365mm. <a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/2013/12/whos-ready-for-a-100x-zoom-powershot/">There was a patent for a 100x zoom optical formula</a> at that time, but I guess it wasn’t ready for market. Now, another 100x zoom patent has come to light, this time with a 24-2400mm focal length when factoring in the 1/2.3″ sensor.</p>
<p><strong>Patent Publication No. 2014-174524 (Machine Translated)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Published 2014.9.22</li>
<li>Filing date 2013.3.13</li>
<li>Zoom ratio 98.52</li>
<li>The focal length f = 3.07 53.41 302.40mm</li>
<li>Fno. 1.85 8.14 9.00</li>
<li>Half angle ω = 36.2 2.40 0.50 °</li>
<li>Overall length of the lens 110.05mm</li>
<li>BF 12.67 27.40 5.19mm</li>
<li>4-group zoom of positive and negative, positive</li>
<li>Inner zoom (the second group, the third group)</li>
<li>Rear focus (fourth group)</li>
<li>Anti-vibration (third group)</li>
</ul>
<p>Could the PowerShot SX70 HS get a 100x zoom? Nikon has brought us the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1127274-REG/nikon_26499_coolpix_p900_digital_camera.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">83x zoom Coolpix P900</a>, so it only makes sense that Canon will try to outdo the P900 when the next iteration of the popular megazoom PowerShot gets unveiled, which isn’t going to be for a while yet.</p>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2015-03-09">Egami</a>]</p>

Keith at Northlight has completed his initial review of the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L. In case you’re wondering, ours won’t be done until early April. Keith’s review has lots of sample images and a great mix of technical goodies and real world thoughts.</p>
<p><strong>From Northlight</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>“The lens is impressive on so many levels – not least of which is the solidity when you pick it up.</p>
<p>I was initially expecting to see rather more basic distortion (barrel/pincushion) in the image at different focal lengths, I mean, this is what you often get with wider zooms?</p>
<p>Well no, the performance is what I’d expect from a decent prime lens right across the focal length range. We’ll have to wait for the detailed optical analysis to come in to see for sure, but from my initial week of using the lens, it’s performed excellently.”</p></blockquote>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews/lenses/canon_ef11-24f4l.html" target="_blank">Read the full review</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

German web site d-pixx has posted a lot of full resolution sample images from the brand new and yet-to-be-released Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art series lens.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.d-pixx.de/2015/03/sigma-24-mm-f14-dg-hsm-art-im-ersten-test/" target="_blank">View Samples Images</a> | Preorder Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art: <a href="http://adorama.evyy.net/c/60085/51926/1036?u=http://www.adorama.com/SG2414CA.html%20" target="_blank">Adorama</a> | <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1120085-REG/sigma_24mm_f_1_4_dg_hsm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | Amazon</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

<b>MELVILLE, N.Y., March 4, 2015</b> – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today two free firmware upgrades<sup>1</sup> that the company will make available for the Canon XF205 and XF200 Professional Full HD camcorders (released in July 2014), one of which adds a new image-quality setting to the camcorder and another that enables the streaming of video over an IP network.</p>
<p>Since their launch in July 2014, the Canon XF205 and XF200 camcorders have proven popular in a wide variety of fields, from the production of news and other broadcasting content to the recording of weddings and other events. In response to the needs of a wide range of users, the new firmware upgrades will add such features as a new image-quality setting that facilitates video recording with reduced noise even in low-light conditions<sup>2</sup>, as well as numerous functions that deliver enhanced basic performance, such as the ability to stream live video over an IP network.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<div><b>New image-quality setting (upgrade to be released in mid-April 2015)</b></div>
<p>One of the new upgrades, to be released in mid-April 2015, will add an image-quality setting to the XF205 and XF200 camcorders that facilitates the recording of video with noise reduction even in low-light conditions. This feature will enable users to choose the optimal image quality based on their shooting requirements, providing a choice between a setting that prioritizes the high-resolution capabilities of the camcorder – the camcorders’ default setting – and a new image-quality setting that gives priority to video with noise reduction.</p>
<div><b>Support for IP streaming (upgrade to be released in late-June 2015)</b></div>
<p>The firmware upgrade to be released in late-June 2015 will enable the XF205 and XF200 camcorders to support video streaming over an IP network, a method that is widely used in the broadcasting industry to send and receive video signals. By sending video over the internet while it is being captured, users will be able to provide live transfers of footage to news programs and video-sharing sites. In addition, the upgrade will enable the camcorders to be used with Fujitsu’s video transmission equipment, the Fujitsu Network IP-900IID and IP-920D HD/SD Compact Video Decoders<sup>3</sup> as well as software supporting IP streaming. Thanks to these new capabilities, users will be able to stream video over an IP network without having to alter existing video-capture and editing workflows, such as those employed at broadcasting stations.</p>
<p>Canon will exhibit prototype-versions of the firmware upgrades at the Canon booth during the 2015 NAB Show from April 13 to 16 in Las Vegas.</p>
<div><b>Additional information</b></div>
<p>The firmware upgrade enabling IP streaming will support the following video data formats:</p>
<table border="1" width="540" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" height="69">XF205/XF200 video output</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="76">Resolution</td>
<td width="69">Frame rate</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td width="205">Fujitsu Network IP-900IID/IP-920D HD/SD Compact Video Decoder</td>
<td width="126">Software supporting IP streaming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1280 x 720 pixels</td>
<td>29.97P(9 Mbps / 4 Mbps)</td>
<td>To be supported from April 2015</td>
<td>Supported</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1280 x 720 pixels</td>
<td>25P(9 Mbps / 4 Mbps)</td>
<td>To be supported from April 2015</td>
<td>Supported</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>640 x 360 pixels</td>
<td>29.97P(1.5 Mbps)</td>
<td>-</td>
<td>Supported</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>640 x 360 pixels</td>
<td>25P(1.5 Mbps)</td>
<td>-</td>
<td>Supported</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div><b>Additional functions delivering further enhancements</b></div>
<p>In addition to newly supporting IP video streaming, the firmware upgrade – available in late-June 2015 – will allow XF205 and XF200 camcorder users to take advantage of various new functions, including those outlined below:</p>
<ol>
<li><b>Slow- and fast-motion video capture in MP4 format</b>When recording in the MP4 format, users will be able to slow down the action up to 40 percent or speed up video up to 250 percent, facilitating the creation of high-impact and expressive footage.</li>
<li><b>Improved Wi-Fi setting display</b>When choosing Wi-Fi<sup>®</sup> settings on the XF205 and XF200, the camcorders’ selection menu screen will feature an improved user interface delivering intuitive, easy-to-understand operability.</li>
</ol>

<p>We have received our Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L and we’re over the moon about it.</p>
<p>I’m heading out this weekend for some winter landscapes to try the lens out. I’ll also be using it at the end of March for 10 days shooting the Isles of Skye, Lewis & Harris in Scotland. After I’ve completed that photo tour, I should have a good amount of images and field work for a review.</p>
<p>I’ve shot 12mm on Leica before, but I’m hoping this goes a lot better than that experiment did.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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