Press Release: Venus Optics, the manufacturer that specializes in making unique camera lenses, is proud to introduce a new Full-Frame member for the Argus series – Laowa Argus 45mm f/0.95 FF. This exceptional standard lens offers a field of view that is more appealing & natural to human eyes. With the super shallow depth of field at f/0.95, it easily creates a dreamy and romantic rendering. The lens consisting of 1 Aspherical Lens,1 ED glass, and 3 UHR glass offers remarkable sharpness while wide-open. It gets your subject to stand out from the background of creamy bokeh. Truly turns an ordinary image into an extraordinary one. Photographers can also benefit from the flexibility for shooting in low-light situations.
Laowa Argus 45mm f/0.95 FF Key Features:

Maximum aperture f/0.95
Close to Human Eyes Perspective
Outstanding Optical Performance at f/0.95
Aperture Ring Click Switch Mechanism
Internal Focusing
Low Focus Breathing...

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See the paper. After more than 3 years no new developed EF lenses launch, there maybe no Canon EOS 5D Mark V.

Canon continues to patent optical formulas for fast RF mount prime lenses. This patent deals with limiting aberration fluctuation when focusing.
Canon is currently missing RF L prime lenses wider than 50mm (I’m not counting the RF 5.2mm f/2.8 Dual Lens Fisheye), and I expect that to change relatively soon.
Canon RF 18mm f/1.8

Focal length: 18.54mm
F-number: 1.85
Half angle of view (°): 49.41°
Image height: 21.64mm
Lens total length: 107.66mm
BF: 14.09mm

Canon RF 24mm f/1.8

Focal length: 23.83mm
F-number: 1.85
Half angle of view (°): 42.24°
Image height: 21.64mm
Lens total length: 104.66mm
BF: 15.90mm

Canon RF 20mm f/1.8

Focal length: 20.48mm
F-number: 1.44
Half angle of view (°): 46.56°
Image height: 21.64mm
Lens total length: 124.66mm
BF: 13.16mm

Canon RF 28mm f/1.8

Focal length: 28.08mm
F-number: 1.85
Half angle of view (°): 37.61°
Image height: 21.64mm
Lens total length: 92.66mm
BF: 12.16mm

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Canon has registered two new lenses with Russian certification authorities. Back in October within their third-quarter financials, Canon did mention two more RF mount lenses coming this year. With 2021 ending in a week or so, these two lenses may be coming in January instead.
The registered lenses have the following model numbers

5055C005
5056C005

In the past, similar lenses have had near the same model number in these registrations, but not always.
What lenses can we expect? I haven’t been told yet, but you can check out our RF mount lens roadmap here. Keep in mind that there may be some missing lenses on our roadmap.

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Darktable, the open-source RAW processing software now supports the Canon EOS R5, Canon EOS R6 and more cameras that use the .CR3 RAW format.
You can download Darktable 3.8.0 now for Windows, MacOS and Linux.
The Big Ones

The keyboard shortcut system has been entirely reworked and extended to allow you to control darktable with other devices, for example, MIDI devices and game controllers. Standard keyboard/mouse shortcuts can now make use of mouse movements (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) as well as multiple button/key presses and short or long presses/clicks.
Please note that any shortcuts you have previously created are not transferred to the new functionality and will need to be redefined in darktable 3.8.
New diffuse or sharpen module, allowing you to...

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I have been told a couple of times now that 2022 is still scheduled to be “The Year of the Camera Body” from Canon. This means we should expect many new camera bodies announced this year. For the moment, it sounds like most major releases will happen in the 2nd half of 2022.
While I haven’t been told specific models, I do have a good idea about what to expect from Canon.
The first camera announced will be the Canon EOS R5c that I have been reporting about for quite some time. The EOS R5c is expected to be announced in mid-January of 2022.
I also expect replacements for both the Canon EOS R and Canon EOS RP. I don’t believe either camera will get a direct replacement and instead we’ll get two new affordable full-frame cameras to fit below the Canon EOS R6.
I also expect at least one APS-C RF mount camera to be...

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I've got a RF 24-240 that has trouble in freezing temperatures. When the temp is below 0C/32F, the image stabilizer squeals and doesn't engage. In fact I think it is being counterproductive to stabilization. The problem gets worse the colder it gets. I had it out at -20C/-5F and the squeal was LOUD.

Today I brought it in to the camera shop where I bought it. The sales guy said non-L lenses are not designed to be operated at temps below freezing, and that I should have gotten an L lens instead. Is this true? None of the inserts that came with the box indicated operating temperature, and a google search turned up very little.

I have several other lenses with IS/VR and I'm familiar with the normal operating sound, They work fine at -20C/5F and I'm pretty sure I've had them out in -30C/-20F and lower (I live in Canada) and everything worked fine.

I have been waiting and hoping for a full frame camera from Canon with an electronic view finder whose refresh rate and resolution/size compete with my 5D mark 4.

At present, based on the reviews I've read it seems that the only cameras in the frame are the R5 and R3.

However, those are simply out of my price range.

For me, an R6/R is out of the question as it is a retrograde step as far as what I see through the viewfinder is concerned.

Does anyone have a view on how long its likely to be until we see such a body which can match the current 5D4 price ?

In truth I don't really care about any of the latest fancy features like eye-detect.

Any full frame mirrorless which can match my 5Div specs but allows me to view and review images through the viewfinder with equal clarify would be a great upgrade for me.

Somehow I feel its going to be many years from now ...

Any thoughts ?

Hello CR, long time reader/lurker first time poster.

I have an issue regarding registering canon lenses and was wondering if anyone else ran into the same issue. I have about 5 canon lenses and have registered all of them with canon. In each case the serial number I used was printed on the lens, printed on the paper work in the box, and reported in EXIF data. All of these 5 lenses were registered with canon. However, I recently bought a new TS-E 50mm lens directly from B&H photo and the serial number (on lens, paper, and exif) will not allow registration. I got on the phone with canon and confirmed it's not a canon SN. I got on the phone with B&H who provided me with a much longer SN which does contain the SN printed on the lens, papers, and EXIF. Using the much longer number in its entirety also does not work for registration.

Any ideas what is going on here? Of course, I'm suspicious of a fake but everything looks legit. It has been years since I bought my last lens from canon so things may have changed. Has anyone else ran into this?

thanks

Many a true word spoken in jest! I joked that maybe the information from Canon about low availability of RF 14-35 etc was a ploy to boost flagging sales. Well, it and the RF 100-400mm etc have had 10% price reductions in the UK, the latter just a month or two after its release. It could be that Canon is reducing its UK prices because they were 10% or so more than in the EU?

I finally received my RF 100-500 after a long wait and I'm having mixed feelings about the lens and considering returnign. I'm wondering if I'm overthinking and hope some others who own the lens might share their insights?

Aperture: Before buying, I assumed the 7.1 aperture at 5000mm was something that could be overcome with stabilization - but forgot to take into consideration movement of my subject. I also noticed my landscape images were a little soft at 500mm when focusing at a distance (30-40 meters) unless I shot above 1/800 or stopped down. I realize I can't defy physics - but I hoped to overcome the aperture enough to get shots of wildlife in a modestly overcast day. I recently shot a bird without cranking my ISO to 20000. Just how practical is this lens at 400-500mm? Is the lens capable of more than I am giving it credit for and I should give it some time to master?

Noise: Related to aperture above. I'm learning to embrace some noise but given some of the high ISOs I've needed at 500mm - I'm wondering if there is a technique that I could exploit. I noticed that some images shot at ISO 10000 were less noisy than shots taken at ISO 4000 because they had been exposed to the right. Is ETTR a good way to combat the aperture restrictions of the lens and are others doing the same?

Range: I own an EF 70-200 L but this RF lens is my first 'real' telephoto and I naively expected more range or distance from my subject (depending on size). I expected I could fill the frame from farther away when shooting a smaller bird. I didn't expect I would still have to be only a few meters away unless I plan to crop into the image. I'm shooting with an R6 and prefer to crop only slightly as required due to fewer megapixels. It would seem my shooting range extends proportionately to the size of my subject? I'm seeing great example images of ducks etc from others - were they much closer to the subject than I realized or of the lens or are they cropping to get the results?

Cost: I bought the lens because I thought it would be a better option than replacing the EF 70-200L with the RF version. Having a fixed aperture is ideal - but I thought 4.5 at the 100-200 focal range was a reasonable compromise to get additional focal range (200-500). I wanted to have the option of shooting birds and other wildlife and the 70-200 didn't have enough range to make it satisfying. Given the low light/aperture restrictions and the modest increase in range from smaller subjects I'm second guessing my purchase. The RF 100-500 is a pricey lens and I could have invested in a 24-70 2.8 or even a 10-24 f4 AND a 24-105 F4 for the same price.

I know the RF 100-500 is a good lens and I expect it comes with a learning curve. I only have 2 weeks from my purchase date to change my mind and I wouldn't even consider it If the price had only been slightly lower. Did I make a good investment? I'm hoping that someone might be able to talk me off the ledge.

Hey!

Does anyone have an explanation on why I can’t make Color Checker profiles when I use gels on my on camera flash?

I have no issues with any lens or body and all other profiles comes out perfect, including flash without gels.

I shoot a gray card to get the correct wb with gels (full+half CTO). I get a nice correct wb and then I shoot a properly exposed ColorChecker shot, but the profile created and loaded on to a shot looks terrible in every way. Neon purple lips and a very greenish in my daughters brown hair. Her skin also looks like she should be in a hospital

Holy smokes the quality of the photos coming of this thing are incredible. Especially for portraits, I feel the quality is not that much worse than my r5 + 24-70

This is not trying to be pro Apple phones, I’m sure the equivalent android is great too.

Its great having such a capable camera in your pocket and certainly kills off compact cameras well and truly.

How are others finding it / similar phone?

Thought I would share contents of an email I just rec'd from B&H this morning, explaining that current bank supporting PayBoo card will change in Jan 2022. Here's the content of B&H's email.

Dear Valued Customer,

In May 2019, B&H introduced our Payboo® loyalty program credit card that offers the unique and unparalleled “Save the Tax” instant benefit on every eligible purchase made with the card. Two and a half years later, we are grateful that the Payboo® program has grown tremendously, benefitting so many of our customers, and continues to offer the most valuable loyalty benefit in our industry.

To ensure B&H’s ability to maintain this great loyalty benefit for our customers for the long-term, we are switching our card-issuing bank partner. While this change will require some action by our customers, the good news is that our unique offer of an instant reward equivalent to the sales tax customers pay will remain unchanged in eligible states.

We will be launching a new and improved Payboo® Card in mid-January 2022. The ‘new’ Payboo® Card will provide the same “Save the Tax” instant benefit you currently receive plus, based on customer feedback, we are adding the option to choose promotional financing for most transactions (cardholders will be able to choose either the “Save the Tax” benefit or the promotional financing, but not both).

What does this mean for your current Payboo® Card?

• Your current Payboo® Card, issued by Synchrony Bank, will be valid for use with the “Save the Tax” instant benefit until January 17, 2022
• You will receive a notice from Synchrony Bank soon stating that your current Payboo® Card will no longer be usable for new B&H purchases after January 17, 2022. (Please continue to manage your current account and pay off any outstanding balances in accordance with the terms and conditions)
• When we launch our new Payboo® Card in mid-January, we will email you sharing the terms of the new program, including the same “Save the Tax” benefit plus the promotional financing options. This information will also be available on our website, in the B&H NYC SuperStore, and by phone
• While we regret the inconvenience, customers will have to complete a credit application to apply for the new Payboo® Card. Once approved, customers will be able to use the new account right away and continue to enjoy the Payboo® benefits

The Payboo® loyalty program has become a key ingredient of the B&H shopping experience and has earned tremendous acceptance among our customers. We are pleased that with the introduction of the new Payboo® Card, we will continue to offer the same “Save the Tax” benefit into the future, though programs like this are always subject to change.

Again, we regret the inconvenience of having to apply for a new credit card, but we believe the new Payboo® Card will result in greater payment flexibility, ease of account management, and excellent service, while allowing us to continue offering the “Save the Tax” benefit. If you have questions, please email us at [email protected].

If you also have a B&H Financing Card, you will receive a separate letter advising that your account will remain available for new B&H orders until January 17, 2022, and will no longer be accepted for new purchases thereafter.

And YES, the name will still be Payboo®!

Thank you,

Jeffrey Gerstel,
Chief Marketing Officer

Smallrig has launched some new accessories for the Canon EOS R3, Canon EOS R5, and Canon EOS R6. All of these new items are available now for preorder.

SmallRig L-Bracket for Canon EOS R3 3628 $59

Arca-compatible side plate and base plate enable quick switch between horizontal and vertical orientation shooting.
Secured via a 1/4 screw and an anti-twist screw at the bottom.
Replace the battery without removing the L-Bracket.
Extendable side plate leaves room for cables.
Built-in...

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A google search did not answer my question and the manuals did not mention this either as far as I could search for it. So that is why I am posting this here.
When I detach (any) RF lens from my turned off R5, there is a rattling sound happening all the time. It is like the sensor cleaning is activated but it sounds louder and vibrates more intense. But when the sensor cleaning is engaged while the lens is attached, there is almost no sound at all.
Some troubleshooting steps I performed:
-Turned off sensor cleaning, the rattling does not happen when lens is removed
-Turned on sensor cleaning, the rattling is back.
-Turned off shutter at shutdown and removed the lens. I could still here the rattling sound a little muted BUT I did not see the sensor move.

I don't really recall if this happened before of if it is normal behavior, since I rarely change lenses in silent environments.
Can someone please clarify?

I'm starting this thread in hopes of sharing information and recommendations from other R3 users.

I am not one who learns in linear fashion, reading the manuals thoroughly and going from step A to step B to step C. I prefer to jump right in and start fiddling with things learning as I go. It's inefficient and extremely frustrating to organized left brain types, I know. But that's just the way my brain functions. It's one reason why I stick with a single brand of camera. I've learned where the cheese is and I don't want it moved.

I'm hoping that we can share some tips, voice some frustrations and enable everyone to learn a bit.

I've set up my R3 almost identically to the R5 (back button autofocus with "autofocus on" button selecting the beginning focus point using whatever selection method I've chosen (single point, expanded point, etc.) and then using the * (star) button to switch to all-points face or eye recognition.

I set the smart controller to -2 as I found with the 1dxIII it was too easy for me to inadvertently change the autofocus point when pressing autofocus on.

I found myself accidentally switching from stills to movies because I could not always tell the smart controller/AF-On from the movie record button by feel, so for now I just switched that button to reset the AF point to the center. What do others suggest?

How do you have your R3 configured? What do you like and more importantly, what areas are you finding frustrating?

I haven't done anything yet with eye-control autofocus. I'm interested in how others might be setting that up.

I have two basketball games and a wrestling match coming up in the next week. I'm anxious to test the R3 out in the field under pressure of needing to deliver. I'll try to offer a few observations after those events, especially in comparison to the 1Dx III.

My requests: Keep to the topic. Keep it humble. Be helpful. Don't lecture others.

Nikon Also Announces Development of the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S Super Telephoto Prime Lens
MELVILLE, NY (December 13, 2021) – Today, Nikon Inc. announced the NIKKOR Z 28-75mm f/2.8, the latest lens to expand the impressive NIKKOR Z portfolio, putting the potential for boundless creativity and maximum versatility into the hands of enthusiasts. The NIKKOR Z 28-75mm f/2.8 is an affordable and appealing choice for those ready to step up to a full-frame medium zoom lens with the benefits of a constant f/2.8 aperture including gorgeous, softly blurred backgrounds and excellent low light capability.
“Since the beginning of this year, we have announced numerous NIKKOR Z lenses for all levels of creators, which have been commended for their unrivaled quality and edge-to-edge sharpness,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “Now we are continuing this winning streak by adding an extremely enticing option for enthusiasts in the rapidly growing full-frame market.”...

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I know a good few members here like Dustin's reviews and he has just posted a long R3 video.

I am still questioning myself, which EOS camera would be best for me and my purposes. I tend to say the EOS R5, but the price holds me back (smile). However, I am a friend of serious tests, but here in the USA I could not find any test of the EOS R, R3, R5, R6 that is really unbiased and trustworthy. And when I went through the Internet or/and YouTube all "testers" praised actually any EOS camera. Especially the R6 got almost best notes, even it only has 20mb. But according to them, mega pixel seems not to be important nowadays anymore. Due to long years - actually decades - of very positive experiences with the German market, and the German tests, some of them are even done by federal run institutes, I found several test results and was really surprised. According to them, the best EOS is the R5, second one R3 and only number three was the R6 very close with the R! Wow!!! Here is a link to one of the highest trusted photo magazines in Germany, that publishes annually a "high score list". Since there were not only EOS cameras tested, but all cameras of all brands, number one was the R5 and the R6 only number eight. But please have a look at the list yourself and let me know, what you think. It is in German, but you can for sure read the names and results which are given in percentages.


Oh, the table headers you need to know: Picture Quality (Bildqualitaet), Speed (Gechwindigkeit), Equipment and Handling (Ausstattung und Bedienung), Overall (Gesamt), Test Result (Testurteil).

Edit: wow oops I didn't realise what a gigantic essay I'd written here! Anyway tl;dr don't hesitate to move on from your DSLR and embrace mirrorless, you'll be delighted you did. Read on if you want to see me say the same thing at much greater length...

I've been shooting crop Canon DSLRs for ~10 years as an amateur, done some local competitions, shot the odd thing to commission, etc. Lots of casual family / social documentary type stuff too as kids have been growing up. The last few months, most of my shooting has been basically albums of young kids' birthday parties for a parents' WhatsApp group, there isn't a lot else going on right now.

I've been using a 7D2 for years. I've been considering full frame bodies for a while, have several times almost got either an R or a 5DS to sit alongside the 7D2 as a complement. Eventually decided to go the other way and take the plunge with an R6, ostensibly as a full replacement for the 7D2 if it works out (spoiler: it is, bigtime). I've been using it a week and I thought I'd write a few impressions in case it helps any other waverers.

I'm using exclusively EF lenses right now. Collection currently is as follows: EF-S 10-22 / 18-55 / 55-250; EF 50/1.8 II, 85/1.2 II, 85/1.8, 135/2; Sigma 30/1.4 EX, 50/1.4 Art, 70-200/2.8 OS (the 2011 pre-Sport version), 150/2.8 macro (old, non-stabilised, nice lens though); Tamron 150-600 G2. A bunch of flashguns and whatnot. So I'm equipped to at least try my hand at most things. Obviously I don't currently have any full-frame lenses shorter than 50mm, I'm still considering what to do about that.

The main thing I was looking for in a mirrorless body was precise autofocus with the fast lenses. On my 7D2 I always find the 135/2 gives glorious images but is twitchy and prone to misfocus, which I suspect is related to it being fairly long for crop, and unstabilised. It's better on moving subjects than on static ones IME. Still thinking about performance on the 7D2, the 85/1.2 is fairly reliable as long as I don't get too ambitious about how far off-centre I want to focus, but wider than f2 I'll still shoot a bunch of frames if I want to make sure I have one in focus - and famously it's useless for anything moving faster than walking speed. The Sigma 50/1.4 Art is pretty good for AF in general in my hands, but I do still get misses.

I also find the Tamron 150-600 G2 is quite prone to misfocus on the DSLR, especially at the long end (not surprising for max f6.3 of course). And yes like all my other lenses I've AFMA'd it but even with spot focusing it just doesn't always acquire the subject I'm aiming at. So again I tend to shoot bursts and hope for the best.

I do frequently lean quite hard on the AF system, eg shooting wide open at kids whizzing around on bikes, that sort of thing. (The 85/1.8 has always been my reference go-to if I need to track fast action.)

Anyway, following a week's usage of the R6, the long and the short of it is that it has completely solved pretty much every autofocus issue I've ever had. For casual / reportage style shooting with fast lenses, I cannot emphasise enough what a total liberation it is to be able to autofocus totally precisely over the whole frame, with any lens at any aperture in any light level, and know for a fact that you can count on getting perfect focus near as dammit every time. No more finessing the composition to be able to use shallow DOF, no more going back and forth through bursts considering the tradeoff of peak action vs precise focus, no more closing down the aperture a little to give a bit more margin for error; just concentrate on getting a picture that expresses what you want to express. It's absolutely magical.

As you'd probably expect I've mostly used the Art 50, the 85L and the 135L so far. All of these lenses are totally transformed in casual use by the R6 autofocus; they never miss, whatever you're trying to do. The sheer doggedness of the R6 tracking even helps the 85L with moving subjects; it's still not the best, but it is so quick and so accurate to respond to any movement that you can push it way harder than you'd think. The IBIS is also amazing as the light goes down. I tended not to go below 1/250 with the 135L on the 7D2, for example, but have shot at 1/40 without issue on the R6 (at static-ish subjects obviously).

For my specific case of the 7D2 to R6 upgrade, the reduced pixel density also makes it feel like a lot of lenses, in particular 85L, 135L and Sigma 70-200/OS, have all received significant sharpness upgrades, at least for the central portion of the frame. (The 50 Art is so sharp anyway that it's not really any different.)

It feels to me just slightly more ponderous in use than the 7D2 did, eg the mechanical shutter cycle is slower. I prefer the larger body of the 7D2 but the control wheel EF adapter makes up for ergonomics to some extent (I'm still experimenting with setup but currently use the control ring for EC, which works fantastically well with lenses under 1 kg or so - with larger ones it's too far away from the centre of gravity to be useful. I mostly shoot in manual w/auto ISO unless I'm using fast lenses in daylight in which case Av usually.)

Coming from a mirror the finder is of course very strange to start with, but you adjust pretty quickly. Live exposure preview plus accurate bokeh make composition just so much, much easier under certain circumstances. I'm strongly considering junking RAW and switching to jpg for 70% of my shooting just because it's so easy to get exposure spot on in camera.

If you're sitting on the fence like I was, and you have use cases that in any way resemble mine, I really cannot recommend highly enough that you make the leap, it's great.

The long-rumored Cano EOS R5c is reportedly still expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2022. Original rumors placed an announcement for January 2022, but I can’t confirm that will be the case.
The source did say certain retailers are being told to expect the camera to be announced in Q1 of 2022 with availability coming soon thereafter, but likely in limited quantities.
Pricing is still unknown obviously, but I have been told that it will cost “significantly less” than the Canon Cinema EOS C70, which is currently priced at $5499 USD.
Canon EOS R5C Information

45mp full-frame sensor (Same as the EOS R5)
DIGIC X
Canon Log 3
Canon Log 2 is still being discussed
Unlimited 8K30P recording in Cinema RAW Light. XF-AVC and MP4
Timecode in/out
The same multipurpose hot shoe as...

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Hello!
I am dissatisfied by my RF 100mm macro lens. Primarily happy with the 1.4x magnification, it shows focussing problems when the aperture is changed and has to be refocussed by hand each time. like on "The digital picture" page described.
My question is, if someone has found an solution how to deal with it. It is annoying to refocus each time. I wrote to Canon, if there an existing firmware update. No answer was sent.
I do use an Novoflec macro slider to adjust the focus point.

Thought I'd try this on the R5. Reviews are actually pretty good. As per information I've seen, it is completely manual. No focus "guides" but does do focus peaking. Can see shutter and ISO in EVF but no aperture info on screen. Because the TTARtisan has an RF mount, no adapter needed. The lens is smaller than but feels heavier than the Sigma EF 15mm Fisheye with EF-RF adapter. IQ is decent. On the R5, seems only a little wider (not really 11mm?) than the Sigma Fisheye. Hope to give it a decent trial before deciding keeping it. The price and size make it attractive for something to carry for occasional use.

Anyone else try this lens?