Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
In case you missed the prior post where we suspected that Canon had extended its Spring/Summer Instant Rebate Program, it has now been confirmed directly from Canon that the rebates are extended through August 8, 2009.
The full list of qualifying products is listed below, along with a link to the product page at Amazon, B&H Photo and Adorama. [Read more…]
Canon has introduced their Semi-Annual Step-Up Program that is exclusively targeted toward Canon PowerShot owners. The upgrade applies to Canon EOS DSLRs, specifically the Rebel XS, XSi and T1i, and the 50D and 5D Mark II.
PowerShot users stepping up to the Rebel XSi, XS or T1i are eligible for a $50 rebate. For the PowerShot users looking at the 50D or 5D Mark II, you get a $100 rebate.
The devil is in the details though. This is a mail-in rebate. You must have registered your Canon PowerShot camera prior to July 20, 2009 and the purchase of the qualifying Canon EOS DSLR must occur between July 20, 2009 and October 5, 2009. The rebate form must be postmarked no later than November 2, 2009 and received no later than November 16, 2009.
You can see all of the details and get the rebate form from Canon here.
In Chuck Westfall’s July 2009 Tech Tips, he answers a Canon user’s question about the amount of megapixels and overall image quality concerns in cameras today. One specific point the user makes is that the number of megapixels in point and shoot cameras results in poor noise control at higher ISOs. So why can Canon just use fewer megapixels to clean up the noise?
Chuck Westfall responds to the concern basically saying that the 5D Mark II does just fine with noise and the increased megapixels is a great addition. As for the notion that maybe Canon should make a point and shoot camera with fewer megapixels, Chuck semi-dismisses this suggestion and foreshadows the future of image quality concerns:
In the realm of compact digital cameras, there is no question that the high end of the market is looking for better image quality than current cameras provide, especially at high ISOs. But I’ll bet that the eventual solution to that request is going to be larger image sensors with high resolution rather than small sensors with reduced resolution. Time will tell!
Not that such a development is unexpected; however, I suppose the question is just how close in time is such a Canon point and shoot camera from realization?
I just finished an online survey for Canon owners, which they send out via email every so often. This was a “Camera Feature Survey” and it shows that Canon is thinking hard about a Vari-Angle LCD, which is listed as the 4th item in the screen capture above.
I have included a couple of screenshots as evidence of this possible feature. Personally, I think this is something that Canon must do – at the very least on the Rebel line. Sony’s been there for a while and Nikon is knocking socks off with the D5000‘s tilt/swivel screen, particularly for shooting video.
While I have seen no official word from Canon on the matter, B&H Photo still has the rebates listed on the Canon Spring / Summer 2009 Lens Rebate offerings. When you click on the link for rebate details, you see the above message pop up, which certainly seems to indicate that Canon has extended the rebate period until August 8, 2009.
If true, this is good news for all. For those of you who thought they were going to miss out, you’ve got another month to hoard your pennies for a new Canon lens or flash. Here’s the full list of rebate gear from an earlier post.
Canon has announced two new PIXMA all-in-one printers and a compact SELPHY photo printer model today. The PIXMA MP560, priced at $149.95, is a wireless and compact inkjet printer, also allows you to print directly from USB flash drives. The MP490 is a bargain-priced photo printer at $99.95 and features a 1.8-inch LCD screen.
The SELPHY CP790 is a $179.99 compact printer, which offers a 3.0-inch LCD panel that allows you to crop images directly from your memory card – no computer required. Additionally, it is capable of being powered by batteries to use a portable device.
More details on these new printers in the press release below. [Read more…]
Rumors of a Canon EOS 3D have been around since the original Canon 5D was released (maybe before it was released). The film-based EOS 3 was a very popular camera, and still brings a decent penny in good, used condition. Canon Rumors received a tip from a confidential source yesterday that brings a bit of a resurgence to the fabled EOS 3D.
I’ve been told, that the EOS 3D is coming. My source sad to me it will be announced after the replacement from the Nikon D300. It is going to be something between the 1D MarkIII and the 50D/60D. The Body is similar to the 5D MarkII. He won´t me to tell something about the specs but said that the D300/D400 will be blown away.
Aside from the totally bogus image above (that’s been floating around the blogosphere and forum world for a couple of years), there’s really no support for such a rumor over the past couple of years that Canon gear heads have been pining for this camera.
Frankly, it seems a bit of an ill fit in Canon’s current lineup. The camera would presumably be situated between the Canon 5D Mark II and 1D/1Ds models. That’s really just spreading the top end of cameras a little too thin.
Enough of my commentary . . . What do you think? Is there a place for a Canon 3D? What’s the price point need to be for you to buy one?
The Canon Rebel T1i (also known as the 500D and Kiss X3 outside of the US) is the follow-up to the Rebel XSi, which was (and still is) a very appealing entry-level DSLR. With the Rebel T1i, however, Canon steps into a new feature set for entry-level DSLRs. This camera is leaps and bounds above what we saw in the original Rebel. The T1i also pushes the entry-level boundary beyond what we previously expected Canon to offer in a camera at this price point.
While you may not consider the Rebel T1i cheap (a retail price of $800 for the camera body and make it $900 if you want an 18-55mm lens in your kit), it offers considerable value as compared to other cameras at or above its price range. Over the past couple of years, Nikon and Sony have pushed Canon out of its comfort zone at the top of the digital camera world. Competition has forced Canon to really push its camera development (particularly in DSLRs) to new levels. The Rebel T1i is demonstrable evidence of this renewed competitive environment among what can fairly be characterized as the “big three” camera manufacturers.
Over the past couple months, I have shot with the Rebel T1i on a regular basis in my ordinary photographic endeavors. Everything from backyard snap shots, fast moving cars and motorcycles, and the occasional indoor play or event. I have tried to make use of this camera in the way that I expect most purchasers of entry-level cameras would use it. Additionally, I have taken a bit of time out of my normal shooting to pit it against its most direct competitor, the Nikon D5000. Anyone shopping for the Rebel T1i is likely considering the similarly equipped Nikon D5000. It was useful shooting with these cameras side-by-side, and below I will direct you to some more specific image and video comparisons for these two cameras. [Read more…]
Canon Rumors is claiming to have word on the final specs for the upcoming Canon Rebel T1 / 2000D, which will succeed the Canon Rebel XS / 1000D and be situated at the bottom of Canon’s DSLR lineup just below the Canon Rebel T1i / 500D. [Read more…]
Engadget has posted a review of the Canon Powershot D10, along with some sample images and underwater video.
All told, Canon’s PowerShot D10 is a stellar adventure camera. It’s more than just a waterproof camera that’s only marginally larger than a standard P&S, it’s a rugged, lightweight shooter that should suit most everyone but the professionals in attendance.