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Posts Tagged ‘Canon’

Canon EOS M6 Review

16 May

The Canon EOS M6 is a compact 24MP APS-C mirrorless digital camera with twin dial controls and a touch screen interface. Starting at $ 779 for the body, it takes the guts of the EVF-equipped EOS M5 and puts them in an updated version of the M3 body. It sits in Canon’s M lineup between the M3 and M5, and is sold with the 15-45 and 18-150mm lenses as kit options for $ 899 and $ 1,279 respectively.

Key Features:

  • 24MP APS-C sensor with max ISO of 25600
  • Dual Pixel on sensor PDAF
  • Electronic video stabilization combines with in-lens IS to give 5-axis IS
  • 7 fps continuous shooting (9 fps with focus and exposure locked)
  • Wi-Fi with always-connected Bluetooth

As usual, Canon has a different view of the market from everybody else, leaving the M6 as either an expensive, better-built alternative to entry-level mirrorless rivals or as a mid-level/enthusiast model shorn of a viewfinder. Either way, it looks a bit pricey. Its level of build and controls puts it up against the throwback style of the Olympus PEN F, Panasonic’s 4K-capable GX85/80, Sony’s value-tastic a6000 and Fujifilm’s rather aged X-E2s.

It’s also interesting to compare it with Canon’s own Rebel series. With its twin control dials and very similar underlying hardware, the M6 is essentially an EOS 77D but without the bulk/utility of an optical viewfinder and with a smaller choice of lenses (unless you forfeit some of the size benefit and use an adapter). The difference in list price is $ 120 or you can get an M6 kit for the price of a body-only 77D.

  Canon EOS M6 Sony a6000 Panasonic GX85 Canon EOS 77D
MSRP
(base kit lens)		 $ 899 $ 599 $ 799 $ 1049
Sensor 24MP APS-C 24MP APS-C 16MP Four Thirds 24MP APS-C
Image stabilization Lens-based Lens-based In-body Lens-based
AF system Dual Pixel AF On-sensor phase-detect Contrast-detect with DFD Dual Pixel AF + phase-detect
LCD type Tilting Tilting Fully articulating Fully articulating
Touchscreen Yes No Yes Yes
Viewfinder No 1.44M dot EVF 2.76M dot equiv. EVF* OVF
Burst rate
(with AF)		 7 fps 11 fps 6 fps 6 fps
Mic/headphone
jacks		 Yes / No Yes / No Yes / No Yes / No
Video 1080/60p 1080/60p UHD 4K @ 30p 1080/60p
Wireless Wi-Fi w/NFC Wi-Fi w/NFC Wi-Fi Wi-Fi w/NFC
Battery life 295 shots 360 shots 290 shots 600 shots (OVF)
Weight (body) 343 g 344 g 426 g 540 g
*Uses field sequential update to give resolution equivalent to 2.76M dots

Years ago, I assisted a fashion and editorial photographer who had preordered the EOS M plus an EF adapter the moment the cyber gates opened. They were excited to have a point and shoot sized APS-C second camera that took up less space than a lens in a camera bag.

In their imagination was a camera with AF capabilities, controls, and image quality similar to a midrange APS-C DSLR, but with the size advantages of a mirrorless system. It was returned immediately after adapting it to one of their existing EF lenses. The slow CDAF system meant it couldn’t come close to being a second body that could be counted on in a pinch.

The EOS M6 comes with great autofocus performance, even in macro mode.
Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro | ISO 100 | 1/400 sec | F5
Photo by Samuel Spencer

I’m happy to say the camera they were originally hoping for has been released. The $ 780 (body only) Canon M6 may be a bit larger and more upmarket than the original M, but it has the controls, image quality, and AF performance that can keep up with DSLRs in many situations. It is also currently the smallest package in which you can find Canon’s Dual Pixel Autofocus.

In this review we’ll look at the camera through the eyes of a series of potential buyers. To begin, let’s see how the EOS M6 really stacks up as an addition to an established Canon shooter’s larger kit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon 6D II rumors and a B&W medium format back: ‘Fro rounds up the week’s news

14 May

In this his most recent photo news ‘fix’, Jared Polin, AKA ‘Fro Knows Photo’ tackles rumors of a forthcoming replacement for the Canon EOS 6D, and the announcement of Phase One’s pricey new 100MP black and white back. What would you buy with $ 50,000? Fro wants to know.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Wider than wide: A landscape photographer’s thoughts on the Canon 11-24mm

06 May
The Canon EF 11-24mm F4L USM is a super wideangle zoom lens for Canon’s full-frame DSLRs, which can also be adapted for use on Sony Alpha a7 and a9-series full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Even though I’ve been writing for DPReview for over 4 years, I’ve never written any equipment reviews. And why should I? There are far better equipment experts, technical fanatics, pixel-peepers (I mean that in a good way!) and gear enthusiasts out there than me. My fields of expertise are different, and my writing consists mostly of photographic vision, composition, the philosophical aspects of photography and so on. I intend to stick to this line of writing, and for the most part, I’m happy to leave the equipment reviews to the experts.

That said, after shooting with the Canon 11-24mm F4L for a few months, it has proven to be such a game-changer that it has altered how I think about composition. And in a more general sense, it has changed my ability to take control over what is included in an image, and how these elements are arranged.

Goðafoss, Iceland at 13mm. The extra width allowed me to get closer to the edge and get a wider view while keeping all the elements I needed in the image, framing the waterfall, with enough space around them to avoid a crowded feel.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Nisi Filters 180mm ND + GND
F14, 13sec, ISO100

This will not be your regular gear review. I won’t be discussing sharpness (although trust me that this lens is very sharp), chromatic aberrations or barrel distortion. I will only be talking about composition, which is, in my opinion, the single most important ingredient to a successful photograph. I will present some images and explain what about the 11-24mm made them possible. I’ll also talk a bit about the downsides of this lens and the solutions to the problems it presents. 

So why? Why does a landscape photographer need an 11-24mm? Isn’t it just too darn wide? Is 11mm worth the size and the monstrous weight? Is it worth the hefty price tag? I have to admit that before shooting with it, I was in serious doubt. I was sure I’d leave it in the bag most of the time, taking it only on rare occasions when 16mm wasn’t wide enough. I thought that 16mm would be wide enough for 90% of my images, after all, I’ve been producing satisfactory shots until now – what good could a wider lens be?

I knew that when going wider, background subjects shrink significantly in size, which can hurt the composition. Moreover, in cases where 16mm wasn’t enough, I had a 14mm F2.8 which was excellent for night photography and for shooting in confined spaces. 

It turns out that I was wrong. The extra width proved to be extremely useful, much more than I had imagined. It allowed me to have much more control, to include more sky when I wanted to, to get closer to the foreground, to reveal more detail and create a greater sense of depth and more dramatic imagery. Let’s look at some examples.

An ice cave in Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, Iceland. Getting this composition in one shot with a narrower lens would have been impossible.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Focus stacked from 3 images at 11mm, F13, 15sec, ISO800.

The ice cave pictured above was magnificent, but it was also very cramped. I couldn’t walk upright in most of the spots I shot, and this stream was very small. The ice-crusted rock in the middle was tiny, and its details were so beautiful, I needed to get close in order to expose their intricacies. On the other hand, I needed to frame the different elements well, and in a balanced way that makes visual sense.

The cave’s ceiling is extremely important, since it’s the only subject of the frame which is part of the glacier, which basically IS the ice cave. It also contains wonderful melting patterns, and black, volcanic earth which gives extra texture and detail. 
On the bottom of the frame, there are two important elements: the ice-crusted rock in the middle of the stream, which is most definitely the centerpiece, but equally importantly the ice crusted banks on the bottom right. These serve to create the frame to the blurred water and to compositionally counterbalance the rock and the left-running stream.

In addition to the compositional aspect, I strongly feel that including all these elements serves to give the viewer a better sense of being in this incredible cave. This might be the strongest advantage of utilizing such a wide angle of view.

Without a super wide lens, I could still have included all of these elements. I could have achieved this in one of several ways.

Firstly, I could have moved back a little. This would indeed allow me to include all the different desired elements in the frame, but going backward would change the perspective significantly, shrinking the most important elements in the process, namely the ice crusted rock and the stream itself. That would hurt the composition a great deal.

Alternatively, I could have shot a panorama, using a tilt/shift lens or by moving the camera and lens. This would make the job much, much harder, since (a) it would require multiple stitching in addition to the already-challenging focus stacking and (b) shooting so close to the stream meant I constantly needed to wipe the lens dry, and the extra shooting time would mean much more wiping, Photoshop work and general headache.

The 11-24mm allowed me to shoot this as close to the rock as I needed to, in order to include all the detail I wanted to show while still framing the shot as I desired, all with only three shots to focus stack. I simply wouldn’t have been able to do that before I bought this lens. 

Let’s see another example from my Arctic trip earlier this year.

The amazing black and white sand patterns of Skagsanden Beach, Lofoten, Arctic Norway.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Nisi Filters 180mm ND + GND
Stacked from 4 images at 11mm, 0.8 sec, F13, ISO100

Again, this image would’ve been almost impossible without the 11-24mm, which allowed me to get very close and personal with the tree-like sand patterns, while being wide enough to shrink the background and include the whole mountain range in the frame. 

The Lofoten Islands are full of fjords with towering mountains rising out of them. Some mountains are so close to a water body, it’s extremely hard to include the entire thing in the frame without a truly wide lens. This is even more so when trying to include reflections.

Mount Stortinden reflecting in the calm Flakstad Fjord, Lofoten. I was standing about 1 km from this 850m tall mountain. Being so close, I couldn’t have included both the mountain and the reflection with a 16mm. It was easily done, however, with the 11-24mm.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm F4L
Nisi Filters 180mm ND + GND
11mm, F11, 0.5 sec, ISO100

Last but not least, the 11-24 is an almost perfect tool for night photography. The maximum aperture of F4 is a limit, but then again, it’s easier having the foreground in focus at F4, plus the monstrous angle of view allows one to expose marginally longer without getting the stars or Northern Lights blurred.

Let’s see an example from an incredible night of Aurora in Lofoten. The super wide angle allowed me to include a huge chunk of the sky, showing the wonderful patterns and lines in addition to the mountains and the moving waves. I could also expose for 8 seconds, which is considered a bit long for this kind of strong Auroral activity. To be honest, the lights blew up a few seconds before I took this shot, and I should’ve exposed for less time, but the amount of blur is not a big issue and the Aurora is still well defined.

Beautiful Aurora in Skagsanden Beach, Lofoten, Arctic Norway.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Canon 11-24mm F4L
11mm, F4, 8sec, ISO1600

Here are a few more examples of Aurora shot with the 11-24mm.

Stacked from 2 images at 11mm, F4, 8sec, ISO3200 Stacked from 2 images at 11mm, F4, 13sec, ISO3200
11mm, F4, 5sec, ISO1600 11mm, F4, 8sec, ISO3200

I hope you’re convinced of this lens’ advantages. What about the downsides?
For me, the greatest disadvantage is the inability to fit regular filters in front of the huge front element. I’m used to popping my 100mm system out of the bag and putting it in front of any lens. Not this one.

The only solution I currently know of which covers the whole width of this monster is the Nisi Filters 180mm system (proper disclosure: Nisi gave me the holder and some filters to try out). These filters are not cheap, but they are well made and have superb optical quality. The problem is that together with the mounting system, they are big and heavy, and don’t allow a photographer to be as spontaneous as with a 100mm system. I still like the system very much and I’ve achieved good images with it. If you’re into using filters with the 11-24, I highly recommend it.

As to the size, weight and price – simply put, it is what it is. If you need this type of lens, or if you can extract any type of value out of it, there is not much choice, is there? You need to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages and make up your own mind. You can also leave the lens at home if it’s not really necessary or if the weight is too much for a specific project (for example, on my recent Patagonia hiking trip, I chose not to lug it around due to the weight, and opted for the lighter 16-35mm). In my opinion, the answer is clear: if you’re an avid landscape photographer, don’t wait – get this lens, you won’t regret it.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez’s work on Instagram, Facebook and 500px, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates.

If you’d like to experience and shoot some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth with Erez as your guide, you’re welcome to take a look at his unique photography workshops around the world:

Land of Ice – Southern Iceland
Winter Paradise – Northern Iceland
Northern Spirits – The Lofoten Islands
Giants of the Andes and Fitz Roy Hiking Annex – Patagonia
Tales of Arctic Nights – Greenland
Saga of the Seas and The Far Reaches Annex – The Faroe Islands
Desert Storm – Namibia

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

  • Parallelism in Landscape Photography
  • Behind the Shot: Dark Matter
  • Mountain Magic: Shooting in the Lofoten Islands
  • Behind the Shot: Nautilus
  • Behind the Shot: Lost in Space
  • Behind the Shot: Spot the Shark
  • Quick Look: The Art of the Unforeground
  • Whatever it Doesn’t Take
  • Winds of Change: Shooting changing landscapes
  • On the Importance of Naming Images
  • On Causality in Landscape Photography

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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‘The only camera that ever got me a date’ – Remembering the Canon EOS-1D Mark II

04 May

I dropped it because I was drunk. It was a brand new Canon EOS-1D Mark II, and I was drunk because I hadn’t eaten any dinner. It fell from hip-height onto the sand-covered floor of a shipping container, which had been converted into a tiki bar at an outdoor music festival. It was 2005 – tiki bars were a thing back then. 

The camera survived the fall, but the attached 24-70mm F2.8 did not. The lens took most of the impact, and jammed badly and permanently at around 50mm. A sobering (literally) lesson was learned, and in the subsequent weeks I shot quite a few jobs at 50mm before I could afford to send it in for repair. 

Another lesson from what I came to remember as ‘The Tiki Bar Incident of 20051‘ was that no matter how carelessly it was treated, the Canon EOS-1D Mark II was a very hard camera to kill. Based on the chassis of the original EOS-1D, the Mark II seemed to have been hewn from a solid lump of magnesium alloy. Like a Henry Moore sculpture, there wasn’t a straight line or hard corner anywhere. Also like a Henry Moore sculpture, it was large, expensive and heavy as hell.

Compared to the EOS 10D, the 1D Mark II was actually capable of proper flash metering – quite a novelty for me, back in 2005. That said, with the benefit of hindsight there’s no excuse at all for this slow sync zoom effect. 

For me, upgrading from an EOS 10D to the 1D Mark II was like entering an entirely different world. The 10D wasn’t cheaply built by any means, but the 1D series has always been in a league of its own. I got talking to a sports photographer a few years ago who still used an original EOS-1D, and over years of hard use, he’d worn the paint off virtually every part of the camera until it looked like a lump of roofing lead. Despite appearances it still worked perfectly, regularly getting smacked by soccer balls in its retirement role as a static goalpost camera. 

I owned my EOS-1D Mark II for about four years. I don’t remember any close encounters with soccer balls but it certainly absorbed its fair share of abuse.

It also absorbed a lot of beer. Shooting live music in major venues isn’t glamorous. During my (short) career I was pelted by bottles, kicked in the head, stolen from, and on one memorable occasion, almost swallowed by a collapsing floor2. And almost every night, someone would throw beer3 at the stage, which would inevitably fall short and drench the photographers instead. Back then, one of the most useful items I carried in my camera bag was a towel. Come to think of it, that’s still true.

Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 2004-8

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At the time of its launch in 2004, the EOS-1D Mark II was unmatched. Nikon’s game-changing D3 was still three years off, and Olympus and Pentax had quietly retreated from the professional SLR market, leaving Canon at the top of the tree. The EOS-1D Mark II had the best sensor and the best autofocus system of any professional DSLR and (arguably) benefited from the best lens lineup, too. Its modest APS-H crop factor of 1.3X provided a welcome focal length boost for telephoto work, without hobbling wideangle lenses too much (the 17-40mm F4L, for example, became a still very usable 22-50mm equivalent).

Shot from a prone position, on the stage side of the very skinny security barrier at Newcastle’s Carling Academy (stage 2). Compared to the 10D, the 1.3X crop of the EOS-1D Mark II wasn’t too severe, meaning that wide lenses were still reasonably wide.

It was from a similar position on the same stage that I was accidentally kicked in the head by a crowd-surfing metal fan a few months later. He was very nice about it, and most apologetic.

Compared to my 10D, the 1D Mark II was a racehorse. Suddenly I could shoot at ISO 1600 and upwards without worrying too much about noise, and take more than a handful of Raw files in a sequence (at 8 fps, no less) without the camera locking up. One battery lasted for thousands of exposures. I could use off-center autofocus points without fear. The EOS-1D Mark II even got me a date.4 It was the first camera I ever really loved, is the point.

So when I found a used 1D Mark II in my local camera store last year for a couple of hundred dollars (Glazers Camera in Seattle – be sure to visit if you’re ever in town) I couldn’t resist.

Can we all just agree that this is a good-looking camera? The EOS-1D Mark II is nothing but compound curves. In keeping with a lot of late-2000s reboots, the Mark III ditched the friendly curves for sharper, more aggressively-sculpted edges. Shame.  

Inevitably, after more than a decade my ardor has cooled a little. I’ve used a lot of cameras in the interim. I’m older, more jaded perhaps. More… experienced. And with experience comes perspective. The EOS-1D Mark II is still beautiful, but it’s not the forever camera I thought it was when I was just starting out.

The smile of a man who can barely afford to pay rent, but who’s having a good time anyway. This is a selfie taken on the balcony of the Newcastle Carling Academy in 2005, before ‘selfie’ was even a word. The EOS-1D Mark II is on the right.

By today’s standards, its most obvious deficiency is the small rear LCD screen, which isn’t sharp enough to judge critical focus with any degree of confidence. And then there’s the user interface. I’d forgotten how obsessed Canon used to be with preventing accidental button input in its professional cameras.

Even something as simple as scrolling through images or navigating the menu requires a cramp-inducing combination of ‘press, hold, scroll, press again’ actions that take a while to learn. I used to be able to operate the Mark II entirely by muscle memory, but shooting with it again recently I was struck by how complicated it seems compared to more modern cameras.

A youth theatre production of ‘Les Miserables’ in Durham, in 2005. The EOS-1D Mark II was my main camera for theatre and music photography for several years. 

Fussy user interface aside, when the EOS-1D Mark II is placed alongside the current EOS-1D X Mark II it’s amazing how little some things have changed. Canon got a lot right with the control layout of the EOS-1 back in 1989, and the continuity of design over almost 30 years of development is impressive. If you’ve shot with just a single one of the EOS-1 series, the chances are you’ll be able to pick up and use any of the rest without too much of a learning curve.

In 2005 the EOS-1D Mark II was replaced, sort of, by the torturously-named Canon EOS-1D Mark II N. Essentially the same camera with a larger LCD screen, the ‘N’ stuck around until early 2007, when Canon unveiled a more substantial update in the form of the EOS-1D Mark III.

For low light photographers like me, the Mark III was a better camera in all respects. It brought serious improvements to image quality and low light autofocus performance, it was faster, and it introduced a more modern user interface. It also marked the switch from Canon’s older, heavy NiMH battery packs to the lithium-ion batteries we still use today. Unfortunately, its AF system was bafflingly complicated compared to the Mark II, and turned out to be plagued with unpredictable accuracy issues when tracking moving subjects in daylight.

Aside from the small LCD, the EOS-1D Mark II’s rear control layout is extremely similar to today’s EOS-1D X Mark II. The essentials of the 1D II’s design were actually laid down in the original EOS-1, way back in 1989.

For whatever reason, the Internet responded to these problems with pure fury5, and Canon, caught on the back foot, struggled with damage limitation. A series of firmware fixes didn’t convincingly ‘fix’ the issues, and adding to the company’s woes was the fact that unlike the Mark II, the Mark III had some serious competition. A few months after the Mark III was introduced, Nikon upped its game considerably with the full-frame D3 – a colossally capable next-generation camera that eventually persuaded me (and a lot of the photographers I knew) to switch systems.

Because the EOS-1D Mark III had developed such a toxic reputation (unfairly, I would argue, but please let’s not get into all that again…) the Mark II/N enjoyed quite a long ‘life after death’, holding its value on the used market for a couple of years after it was officially discontinued. Ironically, that worked out well for me in 2008, when I sold mine to pay for a Nikon D3 – but that’s a whole other article…

Original Canon EOS-1D Mark II review samples (2004)

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1 Overshadowed in my memory only by ‘The Royal Festival Hall Cloakroom Disaster of 2009’, which I still can’t talk about.

2 I’m pretty confident that most of it wasn’t personal. Except perhaps for the floor.

3 At outdoor festivals, on the other hand, one of the first lessons you learn is that it isn’t always beer…

4 On the same day as the Tiki Bar Incident, actually. How’s that for karma? (It never happened again).

5 I got caught up the backlash myself, having published a largely positive review of the Mark III in the spring of 2007 for my previous employer, based largely on analysis of low-light shooting (like I said, it was spring in England). Since joining DPReview in 2009 I’ve been regularly subjected to violent threats by anonymous Americans over something I wrote on the Internet, but back in 2007 it was still a novelty.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon releases firmware version 1.1.1 for EOS 7D Mark II

29 Apr

Canon has released new firmware for the Mark II generation of its EOS 7D APS-C DSLR. Version 1.1.1 includes all the improvements and fixes of previous updates and in addition addresses the following issues:  

  1. Enhanced reliability of communications when transferring images using Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7 (A/B/C/D/E).
  2. Corrects the phenomenon of Err70 which occurs with certain combinations of settings.
  3. Corrects the phenomenon in which in very rare cases the shutter can no longer be released.
  4. Enhances reliability of operations for specific custom function settings.

Please note that if you are using a W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter the camera nickname will be reset to default when the new firmware is installed. You should therefore change the nickname before using the camera again. Firmware version 1.1.1 is now available for download from the Canon website. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon boosts 2017 profit forecast following strong Q1 financial results

27 Apr

Canon’s recent acquisition of Toshiba’s medical equipment unit has helped spur strong first fiscal quarterly financial results for the camera company, and as a result it has increased its full 2017 operating profit forecast. In January, Canon estimated that it would see a yearly profit of 255 billion Yen; following the favorable Q1 2017 results, the company now estimates the profits will be higher at 270 billion Yen. However, the company’s outlook on 2017 camera unit sales are gloomier, with ILC unit sales dropping 7% and compacts down 13%, working out to -9% overall.

Overall, the company saw a year-on-year Q1 operating profit increase of nearly 89%, rising from 40.09 billion Yen in Q1 2016 to 76.67 billion Yen this past first quarter. According to Reuters, Canon Executive VP and CFO Toshiz Tanaka stated during the company’s earnings conference that mirrorless cameras are helping drive the company’s camera sales. The company’s financial report notes that ‘healthy demand’ for Canon’s EOS 5D Mark IV has helped drive the company’s interchangeable lens camera sales. First quarter revenue from camera sales were up over 7%, though unit sales were unchanged since Q1 2016.

Canon likewise saw its compact-system cameras’ sales increase in Europe and Asia (6% globally), and though overall digital compact camera sales volume dropped in the last quarter, Canon says the PowerShot G-Series and other ‘high-value-added models’ experienced ‘solid demand.’ Things aren’t looking great for the digital compact camera market overall, where Canon sees sustained market contraction for its budget-tier models (-6% globally). However, developed countries’ decreased demand for interchangeable lens digital cameras is ‘decelerating steadily,’ the company says. 

Canon also touched on the topic of last year’s Kumamoto earthquake damage, saying that the resolution of the shortages caused by the earthquake have resulted in ‘temporary moderate growth’ for interchange lens digital cameras. 

Via: Reuters, Canon 1, 2

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Here’s how much it would actually cost a pro to switch from Canon to Sony

25 Apr
Read on for a non-scientific look at the cost of switching from Canon to Sony. Note: you’ll need a lot more cash than shown here.

The Sony a9 is here and with the ability to shoot 20 fps with AF-C, it’s likely to make a lot of sports photographers curious about switching to the Sony mirrorless system. We’re already impressed as heck. After all, it is meant to face off directly with the Canon 1DX II and Nikon D5. 

We’ve talked about the structural considerations that may prevent some working pros from switching systems. But let’s imagine that those logistical concerns aren’t a problem, or you’re a freelance photographer who isn’t working with an employer’s supply of lenses. What would it actually cost in dollars and cents to switch systems?

We surveyed four Seattle photojournalists and found out what equipment they consider essential on assignments. Interestingly, their kits all consisted of a lot of the same gear and all four shoot Canon. Once we got a sense of what goes into a pro’s bag, we estimated what kind of money that kit might fetch if it were to be flipped. Finally, using our grand total, we looked at how much kit they could replace if they went Sony.

Before diving in, it is worth noting that switching brands is never a cost-effective move. And someone truly considering making the move from Canon to Sony, or Nikon to Canon, or Nikon to Sony, can assume a loss going in. Also all pricing estimates are current as of publishing, but are subject to change with time.

In the bag: the ideal kit

Below we’ve listed out a sports photography kit based on our feedback from working photojournalists. All four photographers shoot with two bodies minimum, and occasionally use a third. Interestingly, none have upgraded to the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II or 5D Mark IV, though for the ‘Value if purchased new,’ column we used the price of the latest version of each camera, since that’s what they’d likely buy, if anything needed replacing.

We look to used camera retailer KEH for pricing estimates. Note: selling used gear is not an exact science – you might be able to get more or less depending where you sell – but KEH tends to be a good industry standard. And for the sake of simplicity, we assumed all gear is in well-used but working condition (KEH calls this category ‘Excellent,’ just below ‘Excellent Plus’ and ‘Like new minus’). Below we’ve broken down the payout for the whole haul of gear, plus the cost if purchased new for comparison.

  Estimated value on KEH (w/ accessories) Value if purchased new
Canon 1DX (x2)  $ 2000 x2 $ 6000* x2 (1DX II)
Canon 5D Mark III   $ 1200 $ 3500* (5D IV)
Canon 35mm F2 IS  $ 275 $ 550 
Canon 85mm F1.8  $ 200 $ 350
Canon 135mm F2  $ 500 $ 1000
Canon 16-35mm F2.8 III  $ 1030 $ 2000
Canon 24-70mm F2.8  $ 435 $ 1700* (version II)
Canon 70-200 L IS II $ 1030 $ 1900
Canon 300mm F2.8 IS II  $ 2950 $ 6100
Canon 580 EX II  $ 140 $ 480* (600EX)
Canon LP-E6N battery (3)  $ 0 $ 65 x3
Canon LP-E4N (2)  $ 30 x2 $ 165 x2
Grand total:  $ 11,820 $ 30,105

*This number reflects the price of upgrading to the latest version of each piece of gear 

Wowza that’s a lot of kit. For the most part we’re looking recouping less than half the new value for each lens sold used (ouch!). So with $ 11,820 in pocket, how much kit could be bought back in Sony gear? Read on…

Making the switch

It isn’t completely fair to price it out what previously was used equipment against brand new Sony gear. So to make things more even, we’ve included new and used prices where applicable.

“There is no exact replacement for each
piece of kit.”

Also important: the Sony FE system is nowhere near as vast as the Canon EF lens family and as such, there are not exact replacements for each piece of kit, something you can read more about in our recent article Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough.

One example of this: all four photographers mentioned using a prime tele – either a 300mm F2.8 or 400mm F2.8 (we used the former in our example). Sony does not yet have a 300mm F2.8 – the closest lens they make is the new 100-40mm F4.5-5.6, which is far from a perfect substitute. We’ve included it in our chart below, but this lack of long primes is certainly something that may keep sports shooters from switching.

 Equivalent Sony gear  Estimated price new Estimated price used if applicable
Sony a9 (x2)  $ 4500 x2  n/a
Sony a7II  $ 1550 $ 1200 (Ebay)
Sony 35mm F2.8  $ 800 $ 620 (KEH)
Sony 85mm F1.8  $ 600  n/a
Sony Zeiss Batis 135mm F2.8 $ 2000  n/a
Sony 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS $ 1350  $ 790
Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM  $ 2200  $ 2000 (KEH)
Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM  $ 2600 n/a
Sony 100-400mm GM  $ 2500  n/a
Sony HVL-F60M flash  $ 550  n/a
Sony a9 vertical grip  $ 350 x2  n/a
Sony NPFW50 battery (3)  $ 50 x3  n/a
Sony a9 battery (2)  $ 80 x2  n/a
Grand total:  $ 24,160  $ 22,870

Full system switch

Using our example, the cheapest one could go full-on Sony, with most of the same kit is $ 22,870. After applying the $ 11,820 discount from having sold off all the Canon equipment, a photojournalist would still have to cough up about $ 11,050 to make the switch. Or they could simply take that $ 11,820 and buy a couple of a9 bodies and maybe a lens.

“A photojournalist would still have to cough up about $ 11,050 to make the switch.”

But wait…

Although there’s a drop in performance and features when using Canon glass on a Sony a9 with adapter, for some photographers this lower performance level may still be sufficient (at least in the short term). In that case our photojournalists would only need to switch their cameras, batteries and flashguns.

Just swap the bodies

Two Sony a9 bodies with grips, and a used a7 II with batteries and flash would cost about $ 11,760 plus another $ 800 for two metabones adapters bringing the grand total to: $ 12,560. If our photojournalists were to sell their Canon bodies and accessories to KEH, it would put $ 5,400 in their pocket, meaning they’d have to shell out about $ 7,160 to make the switch. This doesn’t sound quite so bad. Another option would be to simply switch one body for the Sony a9 to get the fast burst rate, and hang onto the rest of the gear.

“Another option would be to simply switch one body for the Sony a9 to get the fast burst rate, and hang onto the rest of the gear.”

On the other hand, if or when our photojournalist upgrades to the latest versions of their camera bodies – having sold their current models and used the cash to step up – it would cost $ 10,300 to make the upgrade to two 1DX II and a 5D IV, so that cost is probably waiting for them at some point down the line.

Notably, if they were starting fresh with a new system, the cost of entry is somewhat similar: $ 30,105 for the full kit in Canon and $ 24,160 for the kit in Sony. However, these numbers are skewed by the fact that we are comparing a $ 6100 Canon tele prime to a $ 2500 Sony tele zoom. If we ignore those two, the price difference is even closer: $ 24,005 for the Canon sports kit and $ 21,660 for the Sony.

The takeaway

Switching systems is a headache and sports photography gear is crazy expensive. Like cars, cameras lose a lot of value as soon as they go from ‘new’ to ‘used’ condition – essentially, as soon as you take them home from the store. Not for nothing are most pro photographers familiar with the concept of depreciation from their tax returns.

It’s hard to say whether sports photographers or publications out there are considering making a switch to the Sony system with the introduction of the a9. The four photojournalists we spoke with all seemed intrigued by what it offers, though. Whether they’d actually considering switching is another story.

“Switching systems is a headache and sports photography gear is crazy expensive.”

One thing is for certain: Sony is pushing deep into territory previously only inhabited by Canon and Nikon and it is only a matter of time before making the switch to mirrorless doesn’t seem so crazy – even for pro sports shooters. Then again, the camera is only one part of the equation. A 20 fps bursts with continuous AF and no black out seems nice, but if you don’t have the right glass for the job, that spec won’t get you far.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon introduces Compact-Servo 70-200mm T4.4 lens for aspiring filmmakers

22 Apr

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Canon has announced the Compact-Servo 70-200mm T4.4 L IS KAS S, a lens designed for small-scale filmmakers. Targeted at a similar ’emerging production’ market to Fujifilm’s recently announced MK-series cine lenses, it will offer a middle ground between the company’s photographic lenses and its high-end CN-E cinema lenses.

Unlike traditional cinema lenses it offers autofocus, auto iris and image stabilization (when used with certain Cinema EOS models), but is designed to Canon’s standards for 4K video capture. It comes with a servo unit for driving focus, iris and zoom.

The lens is scheduled for availability later in 2017; no price was given at the time of announcement.

Press Release

CANON ADDS VERSATILITY TO FAMILY OF HIGH-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE COMPACT-SERVO LENSES WITH NEW 70-200mm TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS

New Lens Features 4K Optical Performance, Servo Drive Unit, Image Stabilization, Autofocus and Auto Iris Functions*, Ideal for ENG, Documentary, and Budding Filmmakers

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 20, 2017 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce today the new COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom Lens (model name CN-E 70-200mm T4.4 L IS KAS S), a compact and lightweight 4K lens constructed for users that demand versatility and portability. A bridge between traditional Canon EF lenses and CN-E cinema lenses, the COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm can be ideal for filmmakers and documentary shooters who want the control and quality of cinema optics with the lightweight, compact design and features of Canon’s EF lenses.

The second in a new class of Canon lenses, the COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom Lens is a cinema-style lens that includes a servo drive unit as a standard feature. Additionally, the lens incorporates Image Stabilization, Autofocus, and Auto Iris functionality*, three extremely useful features not commonly found in cinema lenses, but are popular in EF lenses. The lens also provides high image quality that supports 4K image productions and was designed to be utilized in a variety of shooting styles including, hand-held, shoulder mounted, and tripod mounted.

“Canon prides itself on turning the ideas and thoughts from filmmakers about equipment into reality,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “We are very excited to expand our line of COMPACT-SERVO lenses, providing a variety of creators with an extremely versatile and affordable lens that features the outstanding build-quality and excellent optical performance that professionals have come to expect from Canon. We are excited to continue to build the COMPACT-SERVO line of lenses, and can’t wait to see what the imaging community creates.”

The new COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom Lens is a 4K lens and features autofocus and optical image stabilization (with compatible camera models*), resulting in high-resolution imagery, with the ability to assist filmmakers in capturing the shot they envisioned. Compatible with EF-mount Super 35mm large-format cameras, the lens maintains brightness across the entire focal range at T4.4 (equal to f/4.0). The lens is also compatible with both the Canon EF 1.4x III (expanded focal range of 98-280mm) and EF 2x III (expanded focal range of 140mm-400mm) external extenders, expanding the focal range of the lens for additional versatility when the shooting situation calls for it.

For added convenience, cinematographers can control many of the features of the lens in a variety of ways through the EF-mount communication, including Dual Pixel CMOS AF, push auto iris, record start and stop and remote lens control via the camera with an optional remote control, compensation for chromatic aberration** and peripheral illumination, metadata acquisition, and selection of T-number display**.

The COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom Lens features a nine-blade iris aperture diaphragm to help give footage a truly artistic and beautiful look and feel, providing the much desired “bokeh” effect in the out-of-focus areas.

The lens comes equipped with a Servo Drive Unit, which provides seamless switching between servo and manual modes, allowing videographers motorized control of focus, zoom, and iris settings. The Servo Drive Unit is compatible with broadcast style industry-standard lens controllers including Canon’s ZSD-300D zoom demand and FPD-400D focus demand. Like the Canon COMPACT-SERVO 18-80mm Zoom Lens, the ZSG-C10 accessory grip will be compatible with the new COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom lens, further enhancing ease-of-use for ENG and “run-and-gun” style shooters. The grip connects to the lens through a 20-pin cable, allowing a variety of lens functions to be controlled from the grip, including zooming via a rocker switch, one-shot AF and the starting and stopping of a recording. When the lens and grip are being used with the EOS C100 Mark II, EOS C300 Mark II and EOS C700 Cinema Cameras, users will also have the ability to control the zoom and iris from the camera’s grip unit.

The Canon COMPACT-SERVO 70-200mm Zoom Lens is scheduled to be available later in 2017***. In addition, the ZSG-C10 accessory grip is currently available for an estimated retail price of $ 499. For more information please visit usa.canon.com/compactservo

* Image Stabilization, Autofocus, and Auto Iris functions are enabled with the following compatible camera models only: Canon’s Cinema EOS C100 Mark II, EOS C300 Mark II and EOS C700. To enable these features, these camera models will require a firmware update that is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2017.

** These features will not be available on the EOS C100 Mark II camera.

*** Availability, prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon will add C-Log to the EOS 5D Mark IV for $99

20 Apr

Canon has announced it will make C-Log available to current EOS 5D Mark IV owners by way of a $ 99 feature upgrade. The update, which includes an unspecified hardware change, will be available at Canon’s service centers in the US starting July. C-Log will also be pre-installed in new 5D Mark IV bodies starting July, retailing for $ 3599.

The camera’s internal capture and output remain 8-bit 4:2:0, so it is unlikely to match the degree of gradability that’s possible with the 10-bit 4:2:2 footage captured cameras such as the C700. We’re told the Log curve is the same across both cameras, though, to make it easy to match footage.

Rumors that Canon was going to offer 4K video from a larger region of the sensor seem unfounded. Given how significant the 5D IV’s rolling shutter already is, this always seemed fanciful to us.

Press Release

CANON U.S.A. ANNOUNCES CANON LOG FEATURE UPGRADE FOR THE EOS 5D MARK IV CAMERA

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 20, 2017 – In a move to help meet the demands of professional filmmakers, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the availability of a feature upgrade for the EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera that will add the ability to record with Canon Log. With this upgrade, the EOS 5D Mark IV can achieve a cinematic look similar to what can be achieved using Cinema EOS cameras, allowing it to serve as a second camera on a Cinema EOS shoot or to stand alone as a cinema camera. Current EOS 5D Mark IV camera owners can have the Canon Log feature upgrade installed for $ 99 at any of the Canon service centers across the U.S. starting in July. The camera will also be available for sale (body only) with the feature upgrade pre-installed starting in July, with an estimated retail price of $ 3,599.00*.

Canon Log uses the image sensor’s characteristics in a way that allows for a wide dynamic range, minimal loss of detail in shadows and highlight areas and an increased range of choices when color grading. Color grading options available with Canon Log include optimized color saturation, accurate colors with minor color bias, visual continuity and accurate skin tones.

Canon Log also works with and complements several EOS 5D Mark IV camera features including 4K shooting, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, high speed 119.9p shooting in HD and 59.94p shooting in Full HD. Additional features include Movie Servo AF allowing the camera to focus on a subject even when the shutter button is not used, the ability to register custom shooting modes in Canon Log and movie shooting in Canon Log on a compatible iOS® or Android™ device using the free Canon Camera Connect app1.

To learn more about the feature upgrade and how to get it installed, please visit usa.canon.com/canonlog5d4.

The EOS 5D Mark IV camera with Canon Log will be shown at the NAB show in Las Vegas, NV, April 24-27, in the Canon U.S.A., Inc. Booth #C4325 in the Central Hall of the LVCC. Follow Canon throughout the show on Instagram at @CanonUSA and Twitter at @CanonUSApro.

* Availability, prices and specifications are subject to change without notice.

1 Compatible with iOS® versions 8.0/8.1/8.2/8.3/8.4/9.0/9.1/9.2/9.3, Android™ smartphone and tablet versions 4.1/4.2/4.3/4.4/5.0/5.1/6.0. Data charges may apply with the download of the free Canon Camera Connect app. This app helps enable you to upload images to social media services. Please note that image files may contain personally identifiable information that may implicate privacy laws. Canon disclaims and has no responsibility for your use of such images. Canon does not obtain, collect or use such images or any information included in such images through this app.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon wants to get you ready for this year’s total solar eclipse

19 Apr

Photographers throughout the U.S. will get a rare treat this upcoming August 21: a total solar eclipse visible throughout a significant part of the country, the first of its kind to affect the nation from coast-to-coast since 1918. Ahead of the celestial event comes a new blog from Canon titled ‘A Total Guide to Totality.’ In it, photographers will find a library of articles detailing how to prepare for and photograph the solar eclipse.

As explained by Space.com recently, the upcoming solar eclipse will be visible to the general American public across a region spanning from the coast of Oregon to the coast of South Carolina. Canon details this and more in one of its new educational articles, as well as providing info on choosing the right lenses and the right cameras to photograph the event. 

Overall, the blog is no doubt slanted toward Canon’s own array of products, but the information is applicable to all photographers regardless of which brand they use. The articles on the blog are co-authored by photographer Dave Henry and Canon Explorer of Light Ken Sklute. In addition to the blog, Canon is planning to offer eclipse photography workshops in July, though full details aren’t available at this time.

Via: Canon

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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