The Canon 5D Mark II's illustrious career is coming to an end. The DSLR, which Canon Rumors calls "Quite possibly the most popular and influential DSLR in history," has been added to Canon's official list of discontinued EOS products over in Japan.
We've seen quite a few wired and wireless DSLR controller options in our day -- ranging from the creative DIY variety to the cool but expensive type -- but we've never seen one that looks quite like this. The newly announced K-Circle from LockCircle looks like something Iron Man would use if he were into photography -- assuming he shot Canon, that is.
Newer weatherproof compact and high-end cameras often feature "freeze-proofing" as one of their attributes, but unless you live in an extremely cold environment (or enjoy sticking your camera inside a freezer), you probably haven't experienced temperatures low enough for even an ordinary camera to break down.
Swiss photographer Alessandro Della Bella has. The photographer above shows what one of his cameras recently looked like during a shoot in extremely low temperatures.
Wireless adapters for digital cameras can be very pricey accessories, especially when you're dealing with high-end DSLRs. Manufacturers can squeeze more money out of those who pay thousands for a camera by charging hundreds for an adapter, even though a cheaper one could work just fine. What's more, the adapters are often designed specifically for certain cameras, making them useless if you change models or makes.
Lytro's groundbreaking consumer light-field camera made a splash in the camera industry this year by making it possible to refocus photographs after they're shot. However, the cheapest model for the boxy device has a price tag of $399, and the reviews have been mixed so far.
If you'd like to play around with your own refocus-able photographs without having to buy an actual Lytro device, you can actually fake it using a standard DSLR camera (or any camera with manual focusing and a large-aperture lens).
About this time last year, a startup named Satarii released the original Swivl: a nifty little motion tracking dock for your smartphone. Meant for shooting video and video conferencing, the dock would follow your every move by keeping a remote tracking marker in frame.
At the time we speculated that if the Swivl was successful, Satarii would probably go on to manufacture something compatible with larger cameras. We also mentioned that, paired with a remote shutter release, the Swivl could become a useful tool for still photographers. Not that we're taking credit or anything, but it seems Satarii were listening; this week the company announced two new, beefier, tablet- and DSLR-compatible Swivls.
This isn't a biggie as far as camera issues go, but there are a few photographers reporting some strange discoloration on sections of their Canon 5D Mark III that makes the camera look like it's a lot older and more beat up than it actually is.
If you were watching the Thanksgiving Day NFL football games on TV today, you may have seen the above commercial promoting the Canon Rebel T4i entry-level DSLR. It's a humorous ad that asks "When was the last time something inspired you to be creative?" and shows a number of photographers putting themselves in uncomfortable (and unsafe) situations in order to capture the photograph they have in their minds eye.
Many of Canon's announcements as of late have been for its full frame DSLRs, but the company hasn't forgotten about all its APS-C customers. It will reportedly be refocusing on its EF-S crop sensor gear at the beginning of next year, with announcements of new lenses and a DSLR.
Back in October, we wrote that the Nikon D600 suffers from excessive sensor dust in the upper left hand corner of the frame -- something many owners have been reporting and a flaw confirmed by review sites such as DPReview. Toronto-based artist Kyle Clements wanted to test this himself, so he bought a new D600, pointed it at a white piece of paper, shot 1000 frames, and created the time-lapse video above.
Sony is continuing its campaign against the mindless use of DSLRs. After releasing a series of viral videos poking fun at inept DSLR users, Sony is now turning to facts and hard evidence (in addition to humor). The company recently did a survey of 1012 non-professional DSLR users, and the results are pretty interesting.
Sony Australia is trying its hand at some viral marketing for its mirrorless cameras. The company has created a YouTube account called DSLR Gear No Idea, which contains a number of very short videos that poke fun at clueless DSLR users. The description of the channel reads:
These are the DSLR clueless - all the gear and no idea. Remind you of someone? Share it with them using the 'share' button. To find out more visit http://www.sony.com.au/productcategory/nex-camera
Each of the videos (apart from the lengthier compilation above) runs about 15 seconds and features a different stereotype. "F-Stop Fusspot" mocks the portrait photographer who's constantly changing settings on a camera he doesn't understand. "The Flasher" pokes fun at those who insist on using their flash in any and every situation.
Hardware security guru Joe Fitz has successfully hacked the WU-1a wireless mobile adapter to be compatible with the Nikon D800. "Why would anyone want to do this?" you might ask. Well, to get the same features, you could also buy a Nikon UT-1 Communication Unit for $470 and Nikon WT-5A Wireless Transmitter for $580 -- a combined total of $1050. The Nikon WU-1a, designed for the entry-level D3200, costs just $58!
Yesterday we featured a photographer's DIY teardown of the Nikon D700, offering a peek at the camera's guts. It was interesting, but a bit outdated since the camera was released back in July 2008. iFixit and Chipworks have just finish their own teardowns of a camera that's much more recent: the Nikon D600 "entry-level" full-frame DSLR.
If you've ever wondered what a Nikon D700 looks like when completely disassembled, today's your lucky day. Czech photographer Martin Kozák recently did a complete teardown with a ruined D700, and then snapped the still life photo seen above.
Mobile operating systems have begun making their way into digital cameras, but so far their foray has been limited to compact and mirrorless cameras. However, DSLRs are starting to have built-in Wi-Fi, but it seems to be only a matter of time before a full-fledged mobile OS appears in one.
Apparently some photographers (and Photoshoppers) over in China can't wait for that day to arrive. There's a series of viral images floating around showing Canon and Nikon DSLRs running various operating systems and programs.
Nikon has released a set of sample photographs to give pixel-peepers a first look at the new D5200's image quality. The photographs, captured by photographer Douglas Menuez, were all shot using "non-professional" DX lenses that cost less than $500. The photograph above was shot using the $200 Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens at ISO 200.
Nikon has just officially announced its new D5200, a mid-range DSLR geared towards consumers. The successor of the D5100, the D5200 shares a lot of guts in common with its sibling the D7000. It's difference is that it's geared towards less advanced photographers and has a body that reflects that.
It's mind-blowing what can be created these days using ordinary DSLRs, a small team of people, and a whole lotta skill with visual effects. The short film above, titled "Grounded", was emailed in to us by its creator Kevin Margo, who works as the visual effects supervisor at Blur Studios. He says that it was inspired by his father, who passed away from cancer. Here's the synopsis:
One astronaut's journey through space and life ends on a hostile exosolar planet. Grounded is a metaphorical account of the experience, inviting unique interpretation and reflection by the viewer. Themes of aging, inheritance, paternal approval, cyclic trajectories, and behaviors passed on through generations are explored against an ethereal backdrop.
It was shot using a Canon 5D Mark II for 24fps footage, a Canon 7D for 60fps footage, and the Canon 24mm, 50mm, and 135mm prime lenses. The software used in post include Vegas, PFtrack, Zbrush/Vray/Max, Fusion, and AE/MagicBullet.
Nikon has done quite a refresh of its DSLR lineup so far in 2012. It released the D4 as a flagship camera and the D800/D800E as a high-megapixel camera for pros, the D3200 as an entry-level camera for consumers, and the D600 as a more-affordable full-frame DSLR. The company isn't done yet: Nikon Rumors reports that within the next few weeks, Nikon will be announcing a fifth DSLR: the D5200.
I’ve always been asked how I keep my equipment dry while shooting storms, and I figure with Hurricane Sandy on the way, now would be a good time to share! This is a very simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and effective solution to shooting in the rain! It costs less than 5 dollars, but I have never felt the need to purchase anything to replace it.
Underwater housings for DSLR cameras usually aren't the cheapest accessory. Professional ones often cost as much as the cameras they house. If you'd like to add a simple layer of waterproofing to your DSLR without shelling out big bucks, check out this camera case dry bag. It's a thick, durable, and watertight plastic case that comes with transparent sections on both sides for your lens and LCD screen.
In addition to analyzing the use of Sony sensors in Nikon DSLRs, Chipworks has also published …
PhotoPlus is going down over in New York City in the second half of this week, and that's when we might be hearing a peep out of Canon regarding its rumored high-resolution DSLR. If there's any mention of the camera at all, it will probably at most be an "in development" announcement that confirms rumors but doesn't reveal too much else.
There was once a time when you could more easily spot a professional photographer simply by glancing at the camera equipment in a person's hands. Was it a beast of a camera with a gigantic lens attached to it? You're looking at a serious shooter. Is it a dinky pea shooter that is used with arms outstretched? The person is a tourist, newbie, or both.
When Sony unveiled its "One Sony" game plan back in March after posting billions in losses, the company highlighted digital photography as one of its three main pillars going forward. It was a bit of a surprise, then, when Sony announced today that it will soon be closing a large lens manufacturing factory in Japan as part of the restructuring efforts.
Last month we wrote that DSLR blog EOSHD had learned from at least one Canon rep that the upcoming 1D C cinema DSLR was essentially a 1D X with tweaked firmware. This would mean that the 1D X is also capable of 4K video with "no heat or bandwidth issues." However, that claim is now being challenged by Canon Rumors, which writes that the cameras do in fact have some important hardware differences as well.
With each new generation of popular digital camera lines, consumers generally expect that feature upgrades also be accompanied by improvements to the image sensor. According to camera testing service DxOMark, that's not the case with Canon's entry level DSLR lineup.
If you suffer from gear envy, you might want to skip over this post. Apparently children from wealthy Chinese families these days are traveling with fancy DSLR cameras while on vacation. A person named Liu Li Yang recently published a series of photos over on Chinese social networking service Renren that show a group of tourist children clutching expensive Canon and Nikon DSLRs and lenses.
There are new rumors floating around that a Canon 7D Mark II might not be too far off.
Proto-photo-blogger Ken Rockwell has interesting things to say about what he calls “Nikon’s …
Earlier this month we shared some neat photos of astronauts using DSLRs while on spacewalks outside the International Space Station. In case you're also wondering how the cameras are used inside the habitable satellite, we've carefully perused NASA's 2Explore Flickr photo stream in search of those photos as well, and have collected them here in one place for your viewing pleasure. They've got some pretty nice gear up in the ISS... lucky astronauts.
Are we past the age of entry-level DSLRs? Dan Nosowitz over at …
The frenzy of Photokina 2012 is coming to an end, but that doesn't mean crazy camera rumors are going anywhere. A big one currently floating around is that Canon is working on a DSLR with a massive number of megapixels. Northlight Images writes that we may see a preview of the camera at PhotoPlus 2012 in New York, which starts October 24.
We're told to expect to see a 'preview' of a 'high MP EOS DSLR' at the upcoming PhotoPlus show in New York (Oct 24-27). Although the current official line is that 20ish MP is a 'sweet spot' for DSLRs, D800 specs, price and performance is considered 'worrying' in some market areas.
Nikon's D800 has a highly-acclaimed 36.3MP sensor. Here are the specs that Canon will reportedly respond with: 46.1 megapixels, 5fps continuous shooting, 16-bit RAW images, and an ISO range of 100 to 12800.
If you thought the design and hardware specs of Canon's upcoming 4K-capable 1D C are strangely similar to the company's flagship 1D X, you're right: the two models feature identical hardware loaded with different firmware. At Photokina 2012, DSLR filmmaking blog EOSHD spoke to Canon representatives, who confirmed this fact to be true.
The leaked photos were authentic and the specs were spot on: Canon announced its new 6D DSLR this morning, the smallest, lightest, and cheapest full-frame camera in its lineup. At 690g, it's 20% lighter than the 5D Mark III. The camera is Canon's entry in the emerging "affordable full-frame" DSLR segment, which Nikon entered last week with its similarly named and similarly priced D600.
The Canon 6D features a 20.2 megapixel full frame sensor, an ISO range of 100-25600 (expandable to 50-102400), an 11-point AF system with a high-precision center cross-type point, 63-zone metering, 1080p HD video recording, 4.5fps continuous shooting, vibration-based dust removal, a shutter rated to 100K actuations, and a 3-inch LCD screen.
Sony has launched a beastly new full frame camera to wage war against the flagship DSLRs of rival camera manufacturers. The A99, which saw its share of leaks over the past couple of weeks, is the company's new flagship professional camera, replacing the full-frame A900 and A850. It's also the world's first pellicle mirror full-frame digital camera, combining the image quality benefits of having a large sensor with the speed benefits of having a semi-transparent mirror.
The camera features a 24.3MP sensor, an ISO range of 50-25600, 6fps continuous shooting, 14-bit RAW files, a viewfinder with 100% coverage, a 3-inch LCD that tilts in three directions, and a high-res OLED EVF (the same one found in the A77, NEX-6 and NEX-7).
Hasselblad first launched its H System of digital medium format cameras back at the 2002 Photokina. The H4D was …
After leaking onto the web late last week, the Pentax K-5 II and K-5 IIs have now been officially announced. The cameras succeed the K-5 as Pentax's flagship DSLR, and feature a 16.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, an ISO range of 100-12800 (expandable to 80-51200), an 11-point autofocus system, a 3-inch LCD screen, 1080p HD video recording, in-camera stabilization, RAW shooting, a 100% FOV viewfinder, full weather sealing, and 7fps continuous shooting.
Here’s the first leaked photograph of Sony’s upcoming high-end full-frame single-lens-translucent DSLR, the A99.