Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Canon EOS 100D Specs Leak Out

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Canon EOS-b EOS 100D

It appears that the upcoming EOS-b, Canon EOS 100D (or whatever it will be called) specs have leaked out via Best Buy’s website. These appear to be legit – although the official camera name may not be listed yet and you can expect this to be pulled soon…

Previous indications of a “smaller DSLR” appear to be legit with the camer weighing a full 5 ounces less than the Canon Rebel T4i and measures 3.6″ (height) x 4.6″ (width) x 2.7″ (depth).

Best Buy EOS 100D or EOS-b

The new EOS model should carry a retail price of $799 with a EF-S 18-55mm IS kit lens, which further confirms the EF-S mount and that this is NOT the follow-up to the EOS M. [Read more…]

 

Upcoming Sony NEX-5R to Use Phase Detect AF at Pixel Level

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Sony NEX-5R Rumors

The Sony NEX line is already knocking it out of the park, so this news comes as icing on the cake.  SonyAlphaRumors.com has good word that the upcoming Sony NEX-5R (which will replace the NEX-5N) will sport a new 16MP CMOS sensor with phase detection AF sensors built as pixels directly on the sensor.

For those unfamiliar with the tech, phase detection AF is what’s used in all DSLRs; however, most mirrorless cameras to date have featured a contrast detection AF method.  The contrast AF system has gotten better in recent years – with Sony, Panasonic and Olympus doing a bang-up job of making it much faster in the latest models.  However, if you’ve used both a DSLR and a mirrorless camera, then you know that DSLRs just focus faster . . . and that’s due to phase detection AF.

The recently announced Canon EOS M features a phase detection AF method at the pixel level as well.  And, Canon even introduced the feature into the Canon Rebel T4i.  While the Rebel T4i certainly does a better job at AF than other traditional DSLRs, it still has a ways to go based on my early testing with the camera for full time AF during video.  Hopefully, the EOS M performs much better than the Rebel T4i’s AF.

But Sony is really sneaking up on Canon and Nikon.  Frankly, I think Sony is the manufacturer to beat at this point in the mirrorless market.  If the new NEX-5R steps up the game with an even better AF system than exists in current NEX models, then it’s going to be hard for others to really push past.

Canon Rebel T4i Recalled for Defective Grips

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Canon Rebel T4i

As an update to the Canon Rebel T4i service notice last month, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall for certain serial numbers of the Canon Rebel T4i.  Also note that Canon has just issued an update to its previous service notice for additional serial numbers that were not initially reported as affected units. [Read more…]

Canon’s Rebel T4i Pixel-Level AF Sensors; Mirrorless Next?

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Rebel T4i

The Rebel T4i is the first Canon DSLR to feature full-time AF in video mode.  The past Canon DSLRs have featured the ability to force an AF confirmation using a slow and clunky contrast-detect method, which was simply unusable during video capture.  Another AF confirmation option has been to use the cameras’ phase detection sensors; however, this caused a blackout during live view thanks to the mirror flipping down in front of the image sensor.

The folks over at Chipworks [via Image Sensors World] tore down a Rebel T4i to get a look at the image sensor and reveal phase detection sensors mixed among the pixels.  This is something that Canon has been cooking on for a while. (Note this patent application that I discussed back in 2010.)

Chipworks Cano Rebel 4i pixel-array-ir

And while we’ve seen this concept implemented in prior cameras (notably the Fuji F300EXR point and shoot camera and Nikon 1 Series), Canon has gone about it in a technically different way to make it effective for DSLRs. [Read more…]

Canon Digital Photo Professional 3.11.31 Now Available

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Canon Digital Photo Professional version 3.11.31 is now available.  The new version includes the following updates:

  • Supports images taken with EOS Kiss X6i / EOS REBEL T4i / EOS 650D, EOS 60Da.
  • Supports new lens (EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM).
  • Fixed a phenomenon where the camera’s serial number that is displayed in the shooting information of the image is not displayed correctly for some of the EOS 60D.
  • Fixed a phenomenon where the buttons for HDR tool cannot be displayed under specific settings of the display.
  • Fixed a phenomenon where check mark or rating that is set using Quick Check Tool may not be displayed correctly.

Download the new version from Canon USA’s website.

Canon Rebel T4i Hands-On Video

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRS1RhXpAmM&w=640&h=360]

This video from Imaging Resource shows off some of the new features on the Rebel T4i.  The smooth video autofocus you see at the end of the video comes courtesy of the new STM lenses.  Right now, there are only 2 STM lenses available – the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM and the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, both of which were announced alongside the T4i.