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Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Canon 7D Firmware Update Will Provide Better Max RAW Burst, Manual Audio Levels and Lots More

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Canon 7D

The Canon 7D will be getting a new firmware upgrade soon according to news posted on the CPN website and nabbed by Canon Rumors before it was removed.

There are lots of improvements on the still image capture side, including bumping the max RAW burst to 26 images (up from 15 consecutive images).  That’s a pretty big bump in write speed, so I’m curious to know what Canon’s doing with the 7D since it received an upgrade for UDMA Mode 7 CF card support last year.

One biggie for all the HDSLR shooters out there is the addition of manual audio level controls.  It seems a little late in the 7D’s game to add this and all the other goodies to the camera, given that it is almost 3 years old (it was announced on September 1, 2009).  So maybe Canon is pushing for a final surge in 7D sales before the camera is replaced, or maybe Canon is looking to extend the life of the camera well beyond the typical 3-year mark for pro-level cameras?

Other additions include: [Read more…]

 

Canon Rebel T4i Officially Unveiled Along with New Lenses

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Canon Rebel T4i

The much-rumored Canon Rebel T4i has been officially announced.

The new entry-level DSLR sports an 18MP image sensor and captures full HD video with continuous autofocus, which is a first for Canon DSLRs.  Also new is a 3-inch touchscreen LCD – another Canon DSLR first.  The sensitivity range covers ISO 100-12800 with an expansion option up to ISO 25600.

The Rebel T4i gets an upgraded AF system, now offering 9 cross-type AF points, and will capture full-res images at 5 frames per second.

Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens

The Rebel T4i was introduced alongside two new video-optimized lenses – the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake and the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.

The Canon Rebel T4i retails for $849.99 for the body only; $949.99 with an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens kit and a “Movie Kit” bundle for $1199.00 with the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.  The Rebel T4i should be available by the end of the month.  Check availability at B&H Photo.

The EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens retails for $199.99, while the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM retails for $549.99.

More details and images below. [Read more…]

Mac Pro Refresh Due Next Week w/ Thunderbolt & USB 3.0

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Mac Pro

Mac users have been waiting nearly two years for a refresh of the Mac Pro.  Many have speculated over the last several months that Apple had quietly decided to axe the Mac Pro line altogether.

Recent leaks of product numbers and specifications all but confirm that Apple will, in fact, unveil a refreshed Mac Pro lineup next week at WWDC.

The new Mac Pros are rumored to feature 8-core Xeon E5 CPUs, Thunderbolt & USB 3.0.  According to Apple Insider, the new Mac Pros are also rumored to “feature 1600MHz memory with 8 channels, SATA III/SAS 6-gigabyte-per-second drive connectivity, and PCI-Express 3 native support for video cards.”

I’ll have more info next week when/if the new Mac Pros are officially unveiled.

Olympus LS-100 Firmware Update to Fix Delay Problem

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Olympus LS100

Back in March, I published a comparison of the Olympus LS-100, Zoom H4n and Tascam DR-100 Mk II portable XLR audio recorders.  In the review, I noted that the LS-100 had the best overall audio quality when using the XLR inputs combined with an external shotgun mic like the Rode NTG-3.

One of the complaints about the LS-100 noted in the comment section was that there is a 0.2-second delay when monitoring the recording via the headphone jack.  This is a flaw that I missed since I’m not tracking anything with it and just used the monitor to get levels before rolling video; however, it’s a very critical flaw for some uses.

Olympus Audio posted in the comment thread that a fix for this delay problem is in the works and should be available via a firmware update in July. [Read more…]

Canon Rebel T4i Full Specs & Touchscreen Details

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Rebel T4i

The full specifications for the Canon Rebel T4i appear to have leaked out to Canon Rumors ahead of tonight’s official unveiling.  As the Rebel T3i successor, the new T4i is shaping up to be closer to the level of a 60D clone with a touchscreen, and shaking off a couple of the entry-level features that have been tied to the Rebel series for a few generations.

Canon Rebel T4i Key Specifications

  • 18 MP APS-C
  • SDHC slot, USH-1 complaint
  • Current xxD’s AF system (9 cross-type points, found in 40D, 50D, 60D)
  • T3i metering system (63 zones like 7D and 5DIII)
  • ~5 fps
  • Standard Rebel viewfinder
  • ISO 100-12,800 expandable to 25,600
  • Articulated touchscreen LCD
  • Hybrid AF during video shooting

Additional feature screenshots reveal some of what we’ll be able to do with the new Rebel T4i’s LCD screen. [Read more…]

Canon Rebel T4i and EF 40mm f/2.8 Pancake Lens Inbound

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Canon Rebel T4i

It looks like images of the Canon Rebel T4i and new 40mm f/2.8 lens have leaked a day ahead of schedule.

Again, the Canon Rebel T4i is expected to feature an 18MP CMOS sensor, along with 9 cross-type AF points, full-time AF during video capture and a touchscreen LCD.

Canon EF 40mm f/2.8

The new 40mm f/2.8 pancake is believed to be an EF-mount lens (i.e., will work on full-frame cameras), which seems to be confirmed via the above image that shows the red lens mount alignment dot.  The 52mm filter thread shows us just how compact this lens will be. [Read more…]

Sony RX100 Compact Camera With a Big Sensor

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Sony RX100 Front

The Sony RX100 official details have dropped, revealing the new 20.2MP compact camera with a much larger sensor than other compact zoom cameras around.

The 1-inch CMOS image sensor is the same size as the Nikon 1 Series interchangeable lens models.  The fixed zoom lens provides 28-100mm equivalent zoom range with a max f/1.8 aperture.

The RX100 sports AVCHD 2.0 video capture at full 1080/60p at 28Mbps data rates.  The sensitivity ranges up to ISO 6400 for low light capture, or up to ISO 25600 using a multiframe capture feature.

The Sony RX100 retails for $650 and should be available in July 2012.  Check availability at B&H Photo.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 is a New Compact Camera Using the Nikon 1 Series Sensor Format

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

The Sony Cybershot RX100 has leaked on the Japanese website Digicame-info.  The camera looks very much like a compact point and shoot camera; however, one key difference (based on rumored specifications) is the presence of a much larger image sensor in the RX100.

The CMOS imager is rumored to be 13.2mm x 8.8mm, which is the same size as the Nikon 1 Series cameras (or CX format sensor / 2.7x crop).  Of course, this makes a lot of sense – given that Nikon has sourced larger image sensors from Sony for years now.  It looks like Sony will be making use of its own manufacturing efficiencies for this format.

Check out the chart below for a comparison of how the Sony RX100 sensor stacks up against other mirrorless and DSLR cameras. [Read more…]