<p>A patent for a new EF 300mm f/4L IS has appeared. Other optical formulas appearing in the patent are 24mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.3 with variable diffractive index elements which help correct some aberrations <em>(thanks Keith)</em>.</p>
<p><strong>Patent Publication No. 2015-28551</strong> (Google Translated)</p>
<ul>
<li>Published 2015.2.12</li>
<li>Filing date 2013.7.30</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Example</strong></p>
<table summary="embodiment" frame="box" rules="all">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Example</th>
<th>Focal distance</th>
<th>Fno.</th>
<th>Half angle</th>
<th>Image height</th>
<th>Overall length of the lens</th>
<th>BF</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>One</td>
<td>294.00</td>
<td>4.14</td>
<td>4.21</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>239.07</td>
<td>83.42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Two</td>
<td>24.48</td>
<td>2.86</td>
<td>41.47</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>92.00</td>
<td>38.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Three</td>
<td>51.70</td>
<td>1.30</td>
<td>22.71</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>94.01</td>
<td>37.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Four</td>
<td>294.00</td>
<td>4.14</td>
<td>4.21</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>240.00</td>
<td>82.95</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Five</td>
<td>6.15 20.45 71.28</td>
<td>2.88 3.71 3.69</td>
<td>30.34 9.98 2.89</td>
<td>3.60</td>
<td>84.11 86.12 90.41</td>
<td>11.74 15.68 8.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Six</td>
<td>293.97</td>
<td>4.14</td>
<td>4.21</td>
<td>21.64</td>
<td>239.98</td>
<td>85.34</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2015-02-18" target="_blank">Egami</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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<em>Canon to sponsor the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games as an official Tokyo 2020 Gold Partner (Still Cameras and Desktop Reprographic Hardware)</em></p>
<p><strong>TOKYO, February 18, 2015</strong> – Canon Inc. and Canon Marketing Japan Inc. announced today that the Company will support the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) as a Tokyo 2020 Gold Partner in the category of Still Cameras and Desktop Reprographic Hardware which include desktop printers.</p>
<p>Canon has entered an agreement with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, making the Company a Tokyo 2020 Gold Partner. In this capacity, Canon will contribute to the delivery of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which will be held in 2020 in Tokyo, and in addition, will provide support to the Japanese national Olympic and Paralympic teams competing from 2016 to 2020.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p>Tokyo 2020 Gold Partners are positioned as the highest tier of the Tokyo 2020 domestic Sponsorship Programme. As a sponsor of Tokyo 2020, Canon products and services in the still cameras and desktop reprographic hardware categories, which include desktop printers, will be designated as Official Products of the Games.</p>
<p>Canon will provide behind-the-scenes support to members of the press covering the Games, including camera and lens maintenance services and product loans. Drawing from the Company’s experience and know-how cultivated to date, Canon will improve on-site media support for cameras during Tokyo 2020, including on-site camera service and support centers to assist the numerous journalists and sports photographers from various countries and regions across the world.</p>
<p>Canon will continue contributing to the advancement of sports through the use of Canon still cameras and desktop reprographic hardware which include desktop printers.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

<strong>London, UK, 18 February 2015</strong> – Canon today unveils a new addition to its HD broadcast lens range – the HJ24ex7.5B. A successor to the hugely popular HJ22ex7.6B, the lens has been updated using customer feedback and includes a number of new features, including a wider and longer focal range with enhanced image quality, as well as an improved design and user handling. A truly versatile lens, the HJ24ex7.5B is perfect for a diverse range of broadcast environments, including studio sets, live production and news gathering, thanks to the unique combination of a high quality 24x zoom – the longest zoom in this class available today¹ – an impressive 7.5-180mm wide-angle view and a lightweight, portable design.</p>
<p><!--more--></p>
<p><strong>Advanced optical performance, both wide and far</strong>

Created specifically for the world of TV production, the HJ24ex7.5B’s enhanced optical design allows broadcasters and producers to go both wider and closer on their shoots, with the new 24x zoom giving added freedom whilst on set or on location. Demonstrating Canon’s expertise in optical design, the lens’ 7.5-180mm focal range surpasses that of its predecessor and removes the hassle of mounting different lenses, enabling users to switch seamlessly between long distance, fast action shots, to close ups. The HJ24ex7.5B’s revised optics also produce a sharper, more refined image throughout the entire zoom range, with the quality and clarity that’s required for HD productions.</p>
<p><strong>Exceptional portability and professional performance in one</strong>

An enhanced ergonomic design and revised optical structure ensures operators can quickly and comfortably shoot on the go. The weight of the lens has been reduced down to just 1.78kg, allowing shooters to freely move around sets and locations, as well as easily keep pace with subjects. The lens has been engineered to be both lighter and better balanced than its predecessor, with an improved centre of gravity – thanks to the weight reduction and optimisation of the optical layout and body structure. The lens can also be easily handled when shoulder mounted, with access to settings easily accessible in the palm of the hand, ensuring operators don’t have to move away from the camera’s viewfinder.</p>
<p>Designed to provide the best possible performance for broadcasters, the HJ24ex7.5B features the same Digital Drive Unit found in the latest HD High-end ENG lens line-up, which enables camera operators to select repeatable zoom positions and speeds, as well as focus and iris settings as they wish. An absolute value encoder, built into the Digital Drive unit, also allows operators to quickly commence shooting without any initialisation, ideal in news gathering and sports environments. Also suited to virtual applications, the absolute value encoder improves the lens’s power consumption, helping operators to shoot for longer, as well as enabling the lens to automatically detect lens positions so the chromatic aberration compensation function on cameras works instantly.</p>
<p>The HJ24ex7.5B will be available from May 2015.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

<em>The Contest Opens February 25, Inviting Consumers of All Skill Levels to Submit Trailers of Their Everyday Life Moments</em></p>
<p><b>NEW YORK, N.Y., February 17, 2015</b> – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced that actor, Josh Hutcherson, star of The Hunger Games franchise, has partnered with Canon U.S.A. Inc. and Ron Howard for Project Imagination: The Trailer, and for the first time ever, anyone’s life moments can become a movie trailer and inspire a Hollywood film. The user-generated experiment invites consumers of all skill levels to create and submit trailers of their everyday life moments, resulting in one winning trailer selected by Ron Howard and Josh Hutcherson, which will ultimately inspire a short film in which Hutcherson will star and produce.</p>
<p><!--more-->

“Josh Hutcherson is going to be a great addition, empowering a whole new generation to pick up a camera and realize they are far more creative than they give themselves credit for in their everyday life moments,” said Ron Howard. “I encourage people to really have fun with their storytelling; who knows, the kid’s birthday party might end up looking like a horror film or a trailer for a fantastic thriller that could truly captivate us.”</p>
<p>“I’m fascinated by filmmaking and recently sat down with Ron Howard to hear about the history of Project Imagination,” said Josh Hutcherson. “The creative process truly excites me, as does officially joining the cast of Canon’s Project Imagination: The Trailer. I’m really looking forward to starring in a film inspired by user-generated trailer submissions.”</p>
<p>Submissions will open on February 25 at <a href="http://imagination.usa.canon.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">imagination.usa.canon.com</a>. Until then, consumers can visit the website and get inspired by watching “The Trailer of Your Life” – a 45-second trailer about the project, leveraging everyday footage from everyday consumers. The site also includes Ron Howard’s tips for creating trailers.</p>
<p>Project Imagination: The Trailer marks Ron Howard’s third time partnering with Canon, a brand that aligns with his conviction that people’s everyday lives are visually and cinematically worth recording.</p>
<p>“We’re delighted to continue our great partnership with Ron Howard and welcome Josh Hutcherson to the project,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO Canon U.S.A.</p>
<p>via [<a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=14526" target="_blank">TDP</a>] & [<a href="http://usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e02480e6578f" target="_blank">CUSA</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

We’re told the next Art series lens from Sigma will be an 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art. However, it’s not coming any time soon. There’s still a small possibility that a new 135mm Art series lens will arrive first, but Sigma feels there will be a higher sales volume likelihood with the 85mm focal length, and will do their best to get it to market first.</p>
<p>A new 24-70 f/2.8 OS DG HSM Art is also a possibility, as the chance of an f/2 version has diminished due to costs of development and production. One of Sigma’s biggest marketing strategies is a significantly lower price than the Canon or Nikon version of a lens. That just wouldn’t be possible with an f/2 wide angle zoom for a full frame camera. One example of a lens that hasn’t done well because it wasn’t cheaper than the comparative Canon has been the <a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/2015/01/sigma-24-105-f4-dg-os-discontinued/" target="_blank">possibly discontinued 24-105mm f/4 DG OS Art.</a> Yes it would be a stop faster, but would people spend more on a Sigma lens that is a stop faster than the Canon of equal focal length? A stabilized f/2.8 Art version could probably be made for far less money and would carry much less risk for Sigma.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

Contrary to my previous post, Imaging Resource has posted what is a very good interview with Yasuhiko Shiomi (Senior General Manager, ICP Development Center 2), Yoshiyuki Mizoguchi (Group Executive, ICP Group 3) and Naoya Kaneda (Senior General Manager, ICP Development Center 1), all from the Image Communication Products Operations division at Canon Inc.</p>
<p>They cover an array of topics, such as autofocus, mirrorless, the video performance of the new EOS 5Ds, & EOS 5Ds R as well as their commitment to lens development.</p>
<p><strong>This could be good news for 5D Mark IV development for videographers…

</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p class="spacer"><strong>DE: </strong>Okay. Switching to the EOS 5DS and 5DS R, the EOS 5D Mark III is the best SLR we’ve ever seen when it comes to avoiding moiré in video. Will the new full-frame 5DS and 5DS R have the same pixel re-sampling technology as the 5D III, or are there just too many pixels to cope with to do that, even with dual DIGIC 6 processors?</p>
<p><strong>YS</strong><strong>:</strong> The method is a little bit different. Essentially, as you know, the pixel count is higher in the cameras <em>[than in the video stream]</em>. So for that reason we wanted to improve the resolving performance in the videos that these cameras are capable of taking. For that reason, we went with a method that was more appropriate for those needs. So with 5D Mark III, in terms of resolving power resolution, it’s not quite where we wanted it to be, or where we thought it should be. So to kind of resolve that issue, we took steps to address that in the new cameras.</p>
<p><strong>DE:</strong> Ah, right. And so for video resolution, the 5D III is very good at anti-aliasing and no moiré, but you felt it could be sharper.</p>
<p><strong>YS</strong><strong>:</strong> Yeah. We were confident that the moiré would be suppressed. However, we felt the clarity, or the resolution maybe wasn’t where it could have been.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2015/02/16/canon-interview-cp-plus-2015-autofocus-full-frame-mirrorless-5ds-video" target="_blank">Read the full interview at Imaging Resource</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

Thom Hogan has written a nice tongue-in-cheek article about engineering and management “interviews” after significant new products have been announced. He was especially turned off by the “t<a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/2015/02/interview-with-head-of-eos-5ds-eos-5ds-r-development/" target="_blank">he key man behind the development of the revolutionary 50.6 Megapixel Canon EOS 5DS…</a>” interview by CPN.</p>
<p>Thom takes the liberty of answering the questions in the interview, but this time with the ‘<em>correct’</em> answers. It’s a fun read.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/engineermanagement-intervie.html" target="_blank">Read Thom Hogan’s Commentary</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>