Canon’s EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

ef1755mm-big.jpgAmstelveen, The Netherlands, 21 February, 2006: Canon today strengthens its EF-S lens series with the Image Stabilized wide angle EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. With image quality and construction approaching that of Canon™s renowned professional lenses, the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM becomes the fastest standard focal length zoom for EF“S mount cameras such as the new EOS 30D. Combining constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range with Canon™s latest 3-stop Image Stabilizer, it delivers outstanding wide angle performance and framing flexibility in low light conditions. Specialist optics such as UD glass and aspherical elements help deliver exceptional clarity, sharpness, contrast and colour accuracy. more »


Canon EF 85 mm F1.2 L II lens (Mark II)

13_27047.gifAmstelveen, The Netherlands, 21 February, 2006: Canon today releases its latest professional L-series prime lens: the exceptionally fast EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM. With the widest aperture of any lens in the current EF range, the new model becomes Canon™s definitive portraiture lens, offering extremely fine control over depth of field and consummate low light performance. With vastly improved auto focus speed, the lens replaces the popular EF 85mm f/1.2L USM. As with all L-series lenses, the EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM incorporates the very finest standards of precision optics.

EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM – ‚¬2,049

The EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM features: more »


Canon upgrades best selling EOS 20D to EOS 30D

Canon EOS 30DAmstelveen, The Netherlands, 21 February, 2006: Canon today announces the EOS 30D, replacing the award winning EOS 20D. Retaining the 5fps, 8.2 Megapixel performance of its predecessor, the upgraded camera enjoys a larger, wider viewing angle 2.5 LCD, extended 100,000 shutter cycle durability, spot metering, and a variety of refinements designed to enhance the photographic experience. Targeted at an increasingly discerning population of serious creative photographers, the EOS 30D replaces a camera that already claims a significant share of the Western Europe D-SLR market, which grew by 120% in the last 12 months*1.

EOS 30D body only ‚¬1,399
EOS 30D and EF-S 18-55mm lens ‚¬1,499

The EOS 30D features more »


Canon EOS 5D

canon_eos5d.gifCanon’s press material for the EOS 5D states that it ‘defines (a) new D-SLR category’, while not typically too concerned with marketing talk this particular statement is clearly pretty accurate. The EOS 5D is unlike any previous digital SLR in that it combines a full-frame (35 mm sized) high resolution sensor (12.8 megapixels) with a relatively compact body (slightly larger than the EOS 20D, although in your hand it feels noticeably ‘chunkier’). The EOS 5D is aimed to slot in between the EOS 20D and the EOS-1D professional digital SLR’s, an important difference when compared to the latter is that the EOS 5D doesn’t have any environmental seals. While Canon don’t specifically refer to the EOS 5D as a ‘professional’ digital SLR it will have obvious appeal to professionals who want a high quality digital SLR in a body lighter than the EOS-1D. It will also no doubt appeal to current EOS 20D owners (although lets hope they’ve not bought too many EF-S lenses…) more »


Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

canon_eos1dmkii.gifThe EOS-1Ds Mark II is the sixteen (point seven) megapixel successor to the EOS-1Ds which was announced almost exactly two years earlier. Carrying on from the EOS-1Ds the Mark II has a full size 35 mm (36 x 24 mm) sensor which means it introduces no field-of-view crop, an 18 mm lens on this camera will provide exactly the same field-of-view as it would on a 35 mm film camera. At first glance it’s clear to see that Canon has stuck (as they did with the EOS-1D Mark II) with the same body and control layout. The timing of the EOS-1Ds Mark II’s announcement was interesting if not totally surprising coming just five days after Nikon announced the twelve (point four) megapixel D2X, the megapixel one-up-man-ship continues. Despite the significant jump in resolution from the EOS-1Ds (11 mp) to the EOS-1Ds Mark II (16.7 mp) the camera maintains an impressive four frames per second shooting rate and a buffer large enough for 32 JPEG or 11 RAW images. The EOS-1Ds Mark II’s internal bus throughput of approximately 67 megapixel/sec is virtually identical to the eight megapixel EOS-1D Mark II. more »


Canon EOS-1Ds

Introduction

canon_eos1ds.gifThe EOS-1Ds is Canon’s newest professional SLR. Based on the EOS-1D body the EOS-1Ds raises resolution to 11 megapixels, uses a CMOS sensor (just like the EOS-D30 and D60) and is the first Canon digital SLR with a sensor which captures a full 35 mm frame.
Last year Canon introduced the EOS-1D, it was the first professional digital SLR since the EOS-D2000 which was a collaboration with Kodak. The EOS-1D has a 4 megapixel sensor and can capture at an amazing 8 frames per second, clearly targeted at the sports photographer. The EOS-1Ds covers almost every other type of photography, from landscape to portrait, photo journalism to weddings. The ability to use 35 mm lenses at their designed focal length (field of view) combined with the high pixel count will be strong points for those film photographers who have hesitated on going the digital route because of these two issues. The 1Ds is capable of shooting at wider angle than any other digital SLR (at least until the actual release of Kodak’s DCS-14n). more »