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Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera announcement coming before CP+ in February 2020




Canon announced their last, top-of-the-line DSLR - EOS-1D X Mark III on January 6, 2020. I have placed my order and will put this camera to my usual real world tests around the globe and write a complete review soon. My current EOS-1D X Mark II has been with me for almost 4 years and will be a trusted backup camera once I take delivery of the Mark III.

It is no secret that DSLR bodies are on their way out. The phase out period is still years away though. Canon will not update their EOS-5D DSLR line any more and is expected to announce a mirrorless version of this venerable camera next month. I bought the first EOS-5D in 2005 for almost $4,000 (a full frame bargain at the time).

The new camera may be called EOS-5R. It will be positioned below the EOS-1D X Mark III and may have the following specifications :

  • 40+ MP full frame CMOS sensor
  • IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization)
  • About 5 stops with IBIS, 8 stops with IS in lens
  • 12 fps with Viewfinder, 20 fps with Live View
  • Signature scroll wheel in back of camera (finally)
  • On / Off switch for Video and Live View
  • 8K @ 30 fps RAW, 4K @ 120 fps and 60 fps
  • Built-in 5GHz WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS
  • Improved LP-E6N battery with longer life
  • Magnesium alloy body
  • Announcement in February. Delivery in the summer 2020

The 8K video feature is designed to grab attention and will require some cropping. The 40+ MP is also appealing to the megapixel chasing crowd. This will not be the mirrorless camera I buy from Canon. You can read my earlier post on the reason why.

2020 will be a very busy year for Canon and their engineers are working overtime to finally get serious about their place in the post DSLR, future mirrorless camera world. I expect the next top-of-the-line EOS-1D camera to be a mirrorless body but retain almost all the present ergonomics and features of the EOS-1D line and may include the EF/RF mount capability without an adapter. 2021 may be the year, with a late 2020 development announcement. That will be my next camera from Canon, when it happens.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Latest BCN sales numbers make Canon the undisputed leading camera company in Japan




Latest BCN sales data for 2019 in Japan confirm that Canon is once again the market leader in Japan.

Mirrorless cameras market share :

Canon 30.9%
Sony 25.9%
Olympus 23.4%

Interchangeable Lenses market share :

Canon 19.9%
Sony 16.9%
Nikon 14.4%

Compact cameras market share :

Canon 39.3%
Nikon 22.9%
Sony 15.2%

Canon Inc. places 3rd in the U.S. for Patents granted in 2019




MELVILLE, NY, January 15, 2020 – Aligning with its mission of empowering innovations, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce that its parent company, Canon Inc., was granted 3,548 patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office and maintained its third place ranking for patents granted in 2019 according to IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, a leading producer of global patent databases. With this year’s ranking, Canon has become the only company in the world to have ranked in the top five for number of patents granted for 34 consecutive years. Additionally, Canon has once again ranked first in patents among Japanese companies for the 15th consecutive year.

These patents continue to demonstrate Canon’s contribution to science and technology which are used to develop fundamental technologies designed to drive innovation and support customer and business needs.

“As technology continues to evolve, we too will continue exploring new areas and future innovation opportunities,” said Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Canon U.S.A. Inc. “Canon is proud to be in the top three patent holders as it reflects our dedication and commitment to delivering innovative ideas and solutions to meet market and customer demands.”

Monday, January 6, 2020

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III camera announced


MELVILLE, N.Y., January 6, 2020 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the highly anticipated Canon EOS-1D X Mark III camera – the successor to the world-renowned and award-winning EOS-1D X Mark II. The Company’s new flagship DSLR has been engineered and designed using extensive feedback from the professional sports, photojournalist, wildlife and wedding photographers.

This new groundbreaking workhorse EOS-1D X Mark III DLSR Camera features :

  • New 20.1 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor combined with newly designed High Detail Low-Pass Filter
  • New DIGIC X Image Processor with an ISO range of 100-102400; Expandable to 50-819200
  • New 191-point optical viewfinder AF system capable of tracking the subject’s head, and face using Deep Learning Technology
  • New Smart Controller built into the AF-On button for fast control of the AF Point selection
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF for fast and accurate autofocus in Live View covering 90 X 100% of the image area at an EV of -6 ~ 18
  • The lightning-fast camera features the ability to shoot up to 16 fps in optical viewfinder shooting and up to 20 fps while in Live View shooting with mechanical or silent shutter
  • Maximum buffer in continuous shooting (RAW+JPEG) of 1000 images or more with dual CFexpress card slots
  • 12-bit 5.5K RAW video internal recording and oversampling 4K 60p video recording using the full width of the sensor in Canon Log with 10-bit 4:2:2

“When engineering and designing the new flagship camera, Canon’s top priority was collecting and implementing extensive user-feedback from a variety of professionals,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “In the end, the outcome is at first glance a familiar tool, but in reality, so much more; a camera unlike anything the company has introduced before. Canon is eagerly waiting to see what timeless memories professional image makers capture with this new camera.”

At the camera’s core is Canon’s newly developed 20.1 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, a High Detail Low-Pass Filter and the DIGIC X image processor. These features will help to provide professional photographers with a fast and powerful tool to capture images with a greater level of resolution, higher sensitivity, reduced moirĂ© and improved image quality in higher ISO ranges with reduced noise. Utilizing a single DIGIC X image processor and a DIGIC 8 dedicated for AF/AE the camera's image processing performance far exceeds and surpasses that of its predecessor, all while reducing power consumption. The DIGIC X is capable of up to approximately 3.1 times the image processing and 380 times Dual CMOS AF processing performance compared to the dual DIGIC 6+ found in the EOS-1D X Mark II.

The new powerful image processor also allows for an ISO range of 100-102,400 (expandable up to 50-819,200), providing users with higher clarity images and quality in various shooting situations. The EOS-1D X Mark III camera also provides users with equally impressive video features, with the ability to internally record 5.5K RAW video and uncropped 4K 60p derived from the original 5.5K readout in Canon Log with 10-bit 4:2:2. Canon Log allows users to record 4K and 1080p video files with up to 12 stops of High Dynamic Range and wide exposure latitude, making it simple to coordinate color settings with other Canon cameras in multi-camera set-ups. It’s ideally suited to help streamline and provide greater creative freedom during the extensive post-production processing. In addition, the camera’s HDMI terminal can be used to transmit 4K 60p data to another device for display or external recording.

When developing the EOS-1D X Mark III, Canon put a heavy emphasis on designing and installing a completely overhauled and comprehensive Auto Focus system for the user with the need for speed. The new 191-point AF system with 155-point all cross-type points helps users to quickly and smoothly track a subject and maintain a level of focusing accuracy during a variety of shooting situations such as tracking a motorcar circling around the race track or a leopard bolting across the plains. Canon has redesigned the AF sensor incorporating a new square pixel design based on an image sensor, essentially making the AF sensor 28x higher resolution at the center area.

Canon’s revolutionary Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology provides users with fast and accurate AF using 3869 manually selectable AF positions and 525 automatic areasii. In Live View shooting, the EOS-1D X Mark III’s AF system supports face, head and, most noteworthy, eye detection AF tracking. Eye detection AF provides high-precision tracking by locking in on and following the eye of a moving subject. When in Live View AF/AE tracking is supported during high-speed burst shooting with the ability to capture up to 20 fps in both RAW and RAW + JPEG file format.

Using the traditional optical viewfinder, the camera has the ability to capture up to an extraordinary 16 fps with reduced time lag and image blackout. Reducing lag and image blackout greatly increases a photographer's ability to track moving subjects and never miss a shot. Regardless of the method of shooting through the OVF or LCD, the EOS-1D X Mark III can shoot over 1000 images in a burst using the dual CFexpress cards.

To support the needs of top professionals, the camera’s communications functions have been greatly enhanced. Incorporating a dedicated Network tab in the menu, the photographer can much more easily set up network functions such as connections via built-in gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi® connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity and destinations such as FTP servers, EOS Utility, or Browser Remoteiii functions. It will even support encrypted network authentication for advanced network users.

Thoughts from the First Users

“I can't say enough good things about how well the EOS-1D X Mark III camera performed on so many levels. The new AF system is a game-changer for me, I was totally blown away by how well it performed in various situations, including very low-light levels,” said wildlife photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Adam Jones. “The ability to move the AF point quickly with the new sensor-based AF button was simply amazing; the focus followed the subject like nothing before. As a wildlife photographer, I never dreamed we would have a camera that could follow focus on fast-flying snow geese using a super-telephoto lens with 1.4x and 2x converters - but with the new camera here we are!”

“My job is to travel the world to photograph automobile racing and car culture in the harshest conditions imaginable. Racetracks, salt flats, sand dunes, frozen lakes, you name it, I photograph all things four wheels. That is why I need a camera that works as hard as we do,” said automotive photographer Larry Chen. “I started my professional career on the EOS-1D series of bodies, and I’ve had several over the years with over one million images captured. The EOS-1D X Mark III really is the next generation of professional cameras in a familiar package, the first words out of my mouth after shooting with it were ‘There are no more excuses, to miss a shot!’ I can't wait to use it for the 2020 racing season!”

Additional Features of the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR Camera Include :

  • Enhanced operational controls including button illumination, Touch AF and a multi-controller allowing users to select the desired AF point more easily
  • Face-Priority E-TTL II metering enables the camera to automatically adjust to provide the appropriate output of an external flash when it detects a face
  • Digital Lens Optimizer helps to correct against any potential lens diffraction or aberration based on the design of each individual lens. DLO also improves the overall resolution of an image.
  • Ability to capture stills in 10-bit using the HEIF (High-Efficiency Image File) file format. HEIF produces a wider dynamic range and greater color representation compared to 8-bit JPEG
  • Built-in Wi-Fi®iv, Bluetooth®v, and GPSvi Technology
  • Faster speed and improved user interface for networking with optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E9 or with the built-in gigabit ethernet port
  • Canon EOS-1D series level of durability including dust-and-weather- resistance

Price and Availability

The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR camera body and WFT-E9 wireless file transmitter are both scheduled to be available in mid-February 2020 for an estimated retail price of $6,499.00 and $649.99, respectively.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III camera specs leaked. Announcement week of January 6, 2020


* * * See the official Canon EOS-1D X Mark III camera announcement  * * *

* * *  Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera announcement in February 2020  * * *


This will be Canon's last top-of-the-line DSLR camera. The EOS-1D X Mark III is basically indistinguishable from the Mark II model. The dimensions are identical but the overall weight is less by about 3.5 ounces (110 grams). 

I like the Mark II model a lot and will keep it as a backup body. The real question is will the new camera be powered by dual DIGIC 9+ processors. 2020 will be a busy touring year for me. I hope the camera can be delivered in between trips. Waiting for the Canon invitation to preview the Mark III and place my order as soon as possible. 

  • All new 20.1 MP sensor
  • Powered by new DIGIC processors
  • Deep Learning AF system through viewfinder and Live View 
  • Dual card slots - 2 CFexpress
  • 10-bit HEIF file capture (in addition to JPEG and Raw)
  • Shoots Super 4K 60p 10 bit video without cropping
  • RAW video approaching 6K
  • 2.1 million-dot touch screen
  • Optical viewfinder with more information than the Mk II model
  • ISO Auto (automatic setting in the range of ISO 100 – 102400),
  • Manual setting in ISO 100 – 102400 
  • Sensitivity extended to H1 (ISO 204800), H2 (ISO 409600), and H3 (ISO 819200)
  • 191 AF points (up to 155 cross-type points)
  • 525 AF points in Live View 
  • Camera shutter rated for 500,000 actuations
  • Improved LCD display on top of camera 
  • Illuminated back buttons
  • GPS plus built-in WiFi and Bluetooth
  • Burst rate 16 fps in AF, 20 fps with LiveView
  • Improved silent shooting mode. Completely 'silent'.
  • Improved LP-E19 battery with extended life
  • About 3.5 ounces (110 grams) lighter than Mark II model
  • Everything else (buttons placement, etc.) indistinguishable from Mk II
  • MSRP $6,499 in the US
  • Announcement date - Week of January 6, 2020
  • Delivery date - Q1, 2020

Need for Speed

The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III will be blisteringly fast – offering exceptional precision, reliability, high-performance autofocus, and subject tracking – providing photographers with a tool that will help to capture the shot they are chasing. The camera’s new autofocus algorithm will improve stability and tracking when using both the Optical Viewfinder and in Live View shooting mode, using Deep Learning Technology and adapting to help facilitate accurate focus tracking for every shot. When using the optical viewfinder the camera will use a new autofocus sensor, with approximately 28 times the resolution in the center of the EOS-1D X Mark II. Offering the ability to autofocus in even brighter and darker situations than before and with greater precision, the camera will have a range of autofocus capabilities, which will enable the photographer to get their shot. In Live View mode, users will be able to make use of 525 AF areas using the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system will cover approximately 90×100 percent of the image sensor. The camera will support significantly faster frame rates with full AF and AE, using either the optical viewfinder (up to approximately 16 fps mechanical shutter) or Live View (up to approximately 20 fps mechanical or electronic shutter). Additionally, the camera’s dual CFexpress card slots will enable more than five times the RAW burst depth of its predecessor.

Powered to Dominate

The development of EOS-1D X Mark III is a clear example of Canon’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovative imaging products featuring optically excellent technology. The camera will support an all-new, Canon-developed, CMOS sensor and DIGIC processor, that will deliver greater image quality, at even higher ISOs, with the ability to capture stills in 10-bit using the HEIF (High-Efficiency Image File) file format. HEIF produces wider dynamic range and greater color representation compared to JPEG. The power of 4K resolution brings stories to life – shoot 4K videos including 4K 60p with 10-bit 4:2:2 Canon Log internal recording.

Conveniently Connected

For professionals, content delivery is just as important as image capture – the EOS-1D X Mark III will make it easy, featuring built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth low-energy connectivity in addition to GPS technology. To keep pace with ever-shortening deadlines, the camera will transfer data at more than twice the speed of the EOS-1D X Mark II when using the built-in Ethernet connection, or the new optional wireless file transmitter – the WFT-E9, which is also compatible with Canon’s recently launched Cinema EOS C500 Mark II camera. Coupled with simpler network set-up the camera will greatly enhance the professional workflow

A Familiar Feel with Improved Attributes

Existing EOS-1D series users will be familiar and comfortable handling the EOS-1D X Mark III allowing seamless navigation with trusted ergonomics – whilst the magnesium alloy body will offer the durability expected from Canon’s EOS-1D cameras. Professional photographers can trust the same impressive build-quality as the EOS-1D X Mark II – with phenomenal weather-sealing, standing up to harsh conditions, including wind, rain, and humidity. With incredible low-light shooting capabilities, the camera will now feature select illuminated buttons that allow for precision operation in challenging, dark and dimly lit conditions. The camera will also offer a new additional control for selecting AF points, built into the AF-ON button, allowing photographers to change AF points on-the-fly for the best composition – further helping to simplify their work. In addition, dramatically improved battery life – with the same LP-E19 – will allow professionals to shoot for longer periods of time, without having to change batteries, helping reduce the chance of missing a shot.

A new era in autofocus speed and accuracy

The EOS-1D X Mark III will feature a brand-new AF sensor with 28x more resolution than its predecessor, using advanced AF algorithms with deep learning technology for incredible focus tracking in any situation. And in Live View and video, there will be the added advantage of Dual Pixel CMOS AF across approximately 90×100 percent of the sensor with 525 AF areas. With AF over a wider EV range focusing with an EOS DSLR truly will never have been more accurate and versatile.

Outstanding stills and video

With a new Canon CMOS sensor and powerful new DIGIC processing, image quality even at high ISO will be taken to even greater levels along with 4K video at 60p, plus the options of capturing RAW video or 10-bit 4:2:2 video with Canon Log, both recorded internally to CFexpress cards. A new bright viewfinder will help connect you to your subject in real time.

High-speed camera communications

Delivering captured content quickly is the vital next step for a professional. This is why the EOS-1D X Mark III will feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth low energy connectivity and GPS capability for seamless communication. With double the transfer speeds of the EOS-1D X Mark II, via the built-in Ethernet port or through the optional WFT-E9, and with a revised user interface for simpler and more intuitive operation, the new EOS-1D X Mark III will be designed to get the job done faster than any EOS ever before.

Always ready to perform, whatever the situation

The EOS-1D X Mark III will be radically upgraded for superb performance. Not only will it offer a blistering frame rate with the optical viewfinder including AE and focus tracking, but also dramatic improvements in Live View mode with the same level of accuracy, plus the ability to shoot using an electronic shutter. The camera will be engineered to excel in all areas, with dramatically improved battery life using the LP-E19 battery, new illuminating buttons and an all-new AF point selection control within the AF-ON button in addition to the multi-controller. All in a magnesium alloy weather-sealed body.