2015 wishlist

Dear Canon.
Here is one happy guy in your camp.
I am on my second year with the 6D, with which I am still very pleased. It is used much for a wide variety of stills-phtography, together with various Canon-glass: 16-35 mm (v.I), 50mm 1.4, 24-105L, 100 mm L IS macro, 70-200 f/4 L IS.
This year I moved a bit outside my Canon-only strategy, as I bought Tamron's long tele-zoom (150-600). I now appreciate, that Canon's new 100-400 II would have been a good solution for the long end, however I could not wait any longer, and I do like the extra reach up to 600mm, so I enjoy that addition to my tool-box.
Overall I find the 6D just my type of camera with very good IQ and great useability and functionality. Not very oriented towards fast action, BIF and the like, which are not my key interests at the moment.
My thoughts on my way forward currently looks like this:
- Stay on f/4 type zooms - primarily for portability and IQ, so likely first upgrade is the 16-35 f/4.
- May want to add one more prime - probably 135mm 2.0.
- No plan to exchange body for the next 2-3 years. I am confident, that at that time, there will be a viable upgrade-path for me. Hope to stay in a form-factor like the 6D. Look forward to significantly improved AF-system, hope you do not compromise on stills-IQ in favor of video, please keep WiFi. Would like to see radio flash-control built in.

I do follow with much interest the technological developments - wrt. sensors, mirrorless etc. and expect the game to continue. It does not spoil in any way my current pleasure in photography to know that the game may even shift much sometime in the future.
And much of the reading here in CR is interesting and entertaining at the same time.

Back to the 2015 wishlist:
1. More personal time available to dedicate to Photography
2. Growing skills through additional practice
3. Canon to invest wisely in R&D and new products
4. The new 16-35 mm f/4 added to my kit
 
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1. A 22Mpixel 5DMkIV with

a. Much improved DR, Low ISO noise and High ISO noise.
b. 8fps
c. The new AF system.
d. A fast SD slot (keeping the fast CF one of course!)
e. The rest of 5DMkIII features.

2. An EF16-35mm f/2.8L III with 16-35 f/4L IS quality features (sharp with no coma)
 
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pedro said:
I could think of a 22 MP 5DIV with 3200ish ISO 6400 and 12800ish ISO 25600, this would make some very usable ISO 51200. But I also know, this might remain wishful thinking.
It's a reasonable wish (if they update their manufacturing process...)
I wish it too :) (or at least for 5DMkV ;D )
 
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Here's an idea. Not super-useful but interesting.

Especially on wifi-equipped bodies (and cell if they add one):

-Camera keeps track of the lens serial numbers it is using. And minimum once every few month it would connect to an online database (run by Canon) to check if the lenses (or bodies) are on stolen-list. If yes, it would blacklist that body/lens and you cannot use it anymore. If you don't connect to the database, it would eventually blacklist (locally) everything you have, until you connect again.

Benefits:
-If gear is stolen, you could blacklist them and they would be next to worthless for the thief. -> less stolen cameras

Drawback:
-You need to connect camera every so often. This could be done also over the USB, so when you connect to download images, it'd also check the database. With wifi or cell models, it could be automatic in the background so user doesn't even know about it. Same for USB too.

Of course it cannot just suddenly shut down your camera, if you've had it in storage for a while and suddenly need to take pictures. There should be timer, e.g. if you turn it on for the first time since it's already past due the check, it'd blink on the screen that you have 5 extra days to do the connection.

Also there needs to be good way to implement how you send in the data. Only registered buyer or something, so you cannot blacklist you're ugly neighbors new 200-400 just because you hate him. But it needs to be easy/fast enough that if your gear gets stolen, you have it up at the list soon enough that the thief cannot sell the gear.

So if anyone is buying gear, they'd meet up at Starbucks, connect the camera to wifi or laptop and run the check. Then if it clears, you go ahead to buy the stuff.

I can't really see anything that would be bad on that system, and if it would reduce stolen cameras, that'd be awesome.

Canon, please implement, ok?
 
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tpatana said:
Here's an idea. Not super-useful but interesting.

Especially on wifi-equipped bodies (and cell if they add one):

-Camera keeps track of the lens serial numbers it is using. And minimum once every few month it would connect to an online database (run by Canon) to check if the lenses (or bodies) are on stolen-list. If yes, it would blacklist that body/lens and you cannot use it anymore. If you don't connect to the database, it would eventually blacklist (locally) everything you have, until you connect again.

Benefits:
-If gear is stolen, you could blacklist them and they would be next to worthless for the thief. -> less stolen cameras

Drawback:
-You need to connect camera every so often. This could be done also over the USB, so when you connect to download images, it'd also check the database. With wifi or cell models, it could be automatic in the background so user doesn't even know about it. Same for USB too.

Of course it cannot just suddenly shut down your camera, if you've had it in storage for a while and suddenly need to take pictures. There should be timer, e.g. if you turn it on for the first time since it's already past due the check, it'd blink on the screen that you have 5 extra days to do the connection.

Also there needs to be good way to implement how you send in the data. Only registered buyer or something, so you cannot blacklist you're ugly neighbors new 200-400 just because you hate him. But it needs to be easy/fast enough that if your gear gets stolen, you have it up at the list soon enough that the thief cannot sell the gear.

So if anyone is buying gear, they'd meet up at Starbucks, connect the camera to wifi or laptop and run the check. Then if it clears, you go ahead to buy the stuff.

I can't really see anything that would be bad on that system, and if it would reduce stolen cameras, that'd be awesome.

Canon, please implement, ok?

While you're at it, why not throw in a monthly fee per gear item? So we can keep paying every month for gear we already bought.

OK, that was sarcasm. Just get insurance if you are worried about theft. I don't want to worry about whether or not a particular camera or lens has "checked in" with Canon recently enough every time I want to take a picture. Canon can barely implement wifi on a camera to send images to your phone, let alone all of that nonsense above.
 
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tpatana said:
-Camera keeps track of the lens serial numbers it is using. And minimum once every few month it would connect to an online database (run by Canon) to check if the lenses (or bodies) are on stolen-list.

My fear would be that if Canon detected non-canon lenses that something would happen to them. Not shut them down, but how about affecting the autofocus just enough to discourage people using third party lenses.

Canon should make cameras and lenses and stay out of the stolen equipment business.
 
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mrzero said:
OK, that was sarcasm. Just get insurance if you are worried about theft. I don't want to worry about whether or not a particular camera or lens has "checked in" with Canon recently enough every time I want to take a picture. Canon can barely implement wifi on a camera to send images to your phone, let alone all of that nonsense above.

I have full insurance to cover all my gear. But still it would be pita if I lost stuff. On my FB circles I see occasionally people posting about stolen gear. Wouldn't it be nice if those would go away?

Acutance has good point about 3rd party. But I'm not sure if they would dare to do that.
 
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canon wise I do like more ef-m primes!
I do like to see some move on mirror-less line.
I also like the idea of a FF sensor in rebel or 70D body (which I read here). I do prefer to see it in a mirror-less or 70d body.
 
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tpatana said:
I have full insurance to cover all my gear. But still it would be pita if I lost stuff. On my FB circles I see occasionally people posting about stolen gear. Wouldn't it be nice if those would go away?

Acutance has good point about 3rd party. But I'm not sure if they would dare to do that.

They'd have to figure out how to accomodate the used gear market though. Seller sells gear but did not "deregister" it first. Now buyer can't use it because it's registered by someone else. And if the seller wasn't the user of the gear (i.e. estate sale) and knows the account passwords then it gets more complicated.
 
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Unlike many people here, I am not drooling for a 5DIV with more of everything.
On the other hand the picture quality from the Sony APS-C sensor makes me seriously consider the 1000-dollar full-frame Sony 7, though. Not even the version II but the old one.
My 5DIII is more than OK for everything I do. True, there is more noise than there should be in the shadows.
Probably there are Nikons there that are better cameras. There is always somebody with more money or muscle or a shinier trophy wife. Life is like that.

Having seen the magic people make with the shitty old 50mm L, I would really like to get one of those.
Let's hope Canon introduces the version II so I can get it cheap!
 
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Marsu42 said:
  • Please cure my horizontal deficiency syndrome when leveling the camera

EVF's can be great for that - it's nice to have horizon guides/spirit levels etc. in the viewfinder (Sony's variant is particularly good, but maddeningly absent from their a6000). Let's hope Canon obliges some day.
 
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sdsr said:
Marsu42 said:
  • Please cure my horizontal deficiency syndrome when leveling the camera

EVF's can be great for that - it's nice to have horizon guides/spirit levels etc. in the viewfinder (Sony's variant is particularly good, but maddeningly absent from their a6000). Let's hope Canon obliges some day.

They already have - for years now.
 
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I'd like to add an updated collar for my 70-200 that is arca-swiss compatible on the foot itself so I don't have to buy a separate plate. This is Bryan's wish too from TDP and I think it's a great idea.
 
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Lee Jay said:
sdsr said:
Marsu42 said:
  • Please cure my horizontal deficiency syndrome when leveling the camera

EVF's can be great for that - it's nice to have horizon guides/spirit levels etc. in the viewfinder (Sony's variant is particularly good, but maddeningly absent from their a6000). Let's hope Canon obliges some day.

They already have - for years now.

A spirit level in the view finder? Canon? Which one?
 
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martti said:
Lee Jay said:
sdsr said:
Marsu42 said:
  • Please cure my horizontal deficiency syndrome when leveling the camera

EVF's can be great for that - it's nice to have horizon guides/spirit levels etc. in the viewfinder (Sony's variant is particularly good, but maddeningly absent from their a6000). Let's hope Canon obliges some day.

They already have - for years now.

A spirit level in the view finder? Canon? Which one?

Trying to remember... I think the 7D was first, then 60D, 70D and 7D2. I think some of the 1D series have it too...maybe 1D4 and 1DX? Not sure. Maybe you could look it up.
 
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I have seen the spirit level on the back screen of various Canon DSLRs but never in the view finder.
Maybe I have not been looking hard enough?

OK so you have to activate the function by assigning it to the M-Fn button in the 'Custom Controls' menu.
And then the exposure spot indicators tell you which way your camera is tilted. Good to know.
Might come in handy.
 
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