Wildlife Photography in the Southern Oceans - Day 11

Still on my photo shoot down in the Southern Oceans. Weather and sea conditions are quite nice but wildlife sightings are so so. Saw quite a few whale blows and even a breach about one hundred feet from the bow of the ship but not able to photograph any cetaceans so far.

The bird sightings are a bit better with decent Albatross, Arctic terns and Penguin action. The Canon EOS-7D Mk II, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II and EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II gear I brought along to test are working just fine but I have little time to really go through the photos. Here's a few just to give you an idea of the trip so far.  Visit MichaelDanielHo.com to see more photos.

The King and I

The wandering Albatross

Magellanic penguin chick begging for food

Rockhopper penguin on a mission

Adventures in babysitting

Two heads are better than one. You reckon?

Canon EF 100-400mm II, EF 400mm DO IS II Shipping This Week

Two of my favorite Canon Series II lenses are finally shipping this week. The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II and EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II, both 16 and 13 years in the making, respectively, since their original year of introduction. In the last decade and more, many technological advancement have taken place in the field of optics, coatings, image stabilization and material.

I expect these two lenses to be much better than their Series I counterparts. After the new year, I will be taking the Canon EOS-7D Mk II camera and these two lenses on a few overseas wildlife photo shoots to put them through some vigorous, real world tests and write a review on them. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Super Telephoto USM lens

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Lens Shipping Late December?

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Super Telephoto lens

* * *  Read my review of this lens  * * *

The EF 400mm f/4 DO IS should start shipping in late December of this year. Those who have pre-ordered this lens immediately after the announcement may get it before the new year, hopefully. This is my favorite Canon Super Telephoto lens when I want to travel light and handhold my shots. I own the Series I lens and have taken it on many worldwide trips. I will be taking this lens on many of my upcoming wildlife photo shoots. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com and read the latest development in Canon's Diffractive Optics line of lenses.

The Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens delivers brilliant high-speed performance for professionals with minimal glare and superb image quality. Taking advantage of the best in lens technology, it features gapless dual-layer diffractive optical elements for improved diffraction efficiency with reduced flare. These elements are arranged with a large-diameter ground aspheric lens and a UD lens for a new level of sharpness and clarity. New coatings help to reduce ghosting, ensure excellent color balance and reduce fingerprints on the front and rear of the lens.

Professional L-series dust- and water-resistant construction is complemented by impressive performance: a 3 mode Image Stabilization system offers up to four stops of compensation and can even prevent operational errors when the camera is mounted on a tripod. AF stop buttons placed on the front of the lens can automatically stop focusing at any time; full time manual focus ensures complete control no matter the AF mode, and a Power Focus (PF) mode makes for smooth focus transitions when shooting movies. The EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM focuses down to 10.8 ft. (3.3 meters), has a 9-blade aperture for pleasing, soft, out-of-focus areas, and is constructed with environmentally friendly lead-free glass.

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Specifications

List price - $6,899

Compact, lightweight super telephoto lens that is ideal for sports and wildlife photography.

Newly-developed gapless dual-layer diffractive optical elements deliver improved image quality with reduced flare.

Large diameter ground aspherical lens and UD lens for even greater optical performance.

Optical Image Stabilizer provides up to four shutter speed stops of correction*.

Three image stabilization modes (standard, panning, and during exposure only) provide exceptional results for a wide range of shooting situations.

For greater convenience, Image Stabilizer does not have to be disabled when shooting with a tripod.

AF stop buttons on the front of the lens allow you to stop autofocusing at any point.

Optimized lens placement and coatings deliver exceptional color balance, while minimizing ghosting and flare.

Highly resistant to dust and water, enabling shooting even in harsh conditions.

Circular aperture (9 blades) delivers beautiful, soft backgrounds.

Full-time manual focus allows manual focus adjustment while in AF Mode.

Power Focus mode enables smooth focus shifts essential for filmmaking.

Fluorine coating on front and rear lens surfaces reduces smears and fingerprints.

Minimum focusing distance of 10.8 ft./3.3 m.

Canon Details Future Telephoto Lens Plans

Canon EOS-7D Mk II camera with EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Super Telephoto lens

I have just returned from a photo shoot in South Africa. It was an exhausting trip and I have to take a rest to recover. Photokina 2014 took place while I was away so I had little time to keep up with the news or this blog.

The announcement of the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Super Telephoto lens is very exciting to me. I have been a wildlife photographer using Canon equipment for 25 years. Last September 2013, I made a few observations and suggestions in a blog post to my friends at Canon Inc. concerning their strategy and the Diffractive Optics lens line and now Canon USA's Chuck Westfall indicated the company is moving in that direction in an interview given to CNET during Photokina 2014. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com

The next important wave of Canon announcement should come in the first half of 2015. It may include the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens and the EOS-5D Mk IV and EOS-1D X Mk II cameras. In addition, Canon may also make a product development announcement on their mega-pixel camera project some time in early 2015

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Lens Announced

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Super Telephoto lens

Canon also announced the EOS-7D Mk II camera,

PowerShot SX60 HS and G7 X cameras for Photokina 2014

This is my favorite Canon Super Telephoto lens when I want to travel light and handhold my shots. I own the Series I lens and have taken it on worldwide trips. Currently, I am in South Africa on a wildlife photo shoot. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com and read the latest development in Canon's Diffractive Optics line of lenses.

The Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens delivers brilliant high-speed performance for professionals with minimal glare and superb image quality. Taking advantage of the best in lens technology, it features gapless dual-layer diffractive optical elements for improved diffraction efficiency with reduced flare. These elements are arranged with a large-diameter ground aspheric lens and a UD lens for a new level of sharpness and clarity. New coatings help to reduce ghosting, ensure excellent color balance and reduce fingerprints on the front and rear of the lens.

Professional L-series dust- and water-resistant construction is complemented by impressive performance: a 3 mode Image Stabilization system offers up to four stops of compensation and can even prevent operational errors when the camera is mounted on a tripod. AF stop buttons placed on the front of the lens can automatically stop focusing at any time; full time manual focus ensures complete control no matter the AF mode, and a Power Focus (PF) mode makes for smooth focus transitions when shooting movies. The EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM focuses down to 10.8 ft. (3.3 meters), has a 9-blade aperture for pleasing, soft, out-of-focus areas, and is constructed with environmentally friendly lead-free glass.

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Specifications

List price - $6,899

Compact, lightweight super telephoto lens that is ideal for sports and wildlife photography.

Newly-developed gapless dual-layer diffractive optical elements deliver improved image quality with reduced flare.

Large diameter ground aspherical lens and UD lens for even greater optical performance.

Optical Image Stabilizer provides up to four shutter speed stops of correction*.

Three image stabilization modes (standard, panning, and during exposure only) provide exceptional results for a wide range of shooting situations.

For greater convenience, Image Stabilizer does not have to be disabled when shooting with a tripod.

AF stop buttons on the front of the lens allow you to stop autofocusing at any point.

Optimized lens placement and coatings deliver exceptional color balance, while minimizing ghosting and flare.

Highly resistant to dust and water, enabling shooting even in harsh conditions.

Circular aperture (9 blades) delivers beautiful, soft backgrounds.

Full-time manual focus allows manual focus adjustment while in AF Mode.

Power Focus mode enables smooth focus shifts essential for filmmaking.

Fluorine coating on front and rear lens surfaces reduces smears and fingerprints.

Minimum focusing distance of 10.8 ft./3.3 m.

What To Expect From Canon At Photokina 2014

Canon EOS-7D Mk II camera ?

* * *  Canon EOS-7D Mk II camera specifications finalized and images revealed * * *

The big Photokina Show commences on September 16 in Cologne, Germany. Many companies have already started to announce their new products. It seems Canon's announcements will be pushed back late into the second week of this month. They are doing an extremely good job this time in shutting down many leaks and holding their cards very close to the chest. However, there is a EOS-7D Mk II book scheduled to come out on September 27. The publisher has indicated a list price of 1,650 Yen.

I have been a wildlife photographer using and following Canon equipment and trends for 25 years. Unless there is a complete breakdown in my analysis and sources, I am quite comfortable in the expectation of my recent post and the anticipated EOS-7D Mk II camera specs below. However, there are two big surprise and disappointment, if my information is correct.

First, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens may not be announced for Photokina. The best one can hope for is perhaps an official development news. Second, the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II may be announced. The current version of these lenses are two of my favorite wildlife glass and they desperately need an upgrade. You can see my works taken with both lenses over the years on worldwide photo shoots on MichaelDanielHo.com. Check back often to get the latest development and news.

Most likely specifications for the EOS-7D Mk II camera :

• 20 MP APS-C 'Multi Layer' Sensor ( With new, breakthrough technology )
• Advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology
• Dual DIGIC 6 processors ( Excellent for speed processing )
• 10 fps ( Most welcomed by me ) 
• Dual Memory Card Slots ( One CF and one SD. I prefer 2 CF slots )
• 45 - 65 AF points, many cross type ( Perhaps similar to EOS-1D Mk IV and X )
• AF down to f/8, just like the EOS-1D X and EOS-5D Mk III
• 3.2″ LCD monitor with no touch screen capability ( Excellent for reviewing images )
• 100% coverage viewfinder. Magnification 1.15
• Similar build quality as the EOS-5D Mk III with improved weather proofing
• With GPS but no WiFi
• Built-in flash
• Mic and headphone connectors
• ISO 100 - 16000, Boost Mode 25600 - 51200 ( Most welcomed by me )
• Latest video features similar but more advanced than EOS-70D 
• 1080p / 720p at 60 fps
• New battery ( LP-E6N ) , new charger ( LC-E6N ) , new grip ( BG-E16 )
• Selling price between $2,000 and $2,500. Not finalized yet
• Available with EF 18-135mm and EF 15-85mm lens kit
• Shipping date - late October

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Lens Coming?

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS lens

* * *  Canon has reduced prices on many L lens, including Super Telephoto  * * *

* * *  What to expect from Canon at Photokina 2014  * * * 

                            * * *  Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II lens revealed * * *

                    * * *  Canon EOS-7D Mk II camera specifications finalized  * * *



According to Digicame of Japan, Canon will be announcing the following lens at Photokina 2014 :

•     EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
•     EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
•     EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM

The EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM was previously rumored to be an EF lens, instead it will be an EF-S lens. It may come in the form of a pancake lens.

Not an 'L' lens but the EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM is aimed at full-frame shooters, who will soon enjoy the benefits of the STM technology for their video shooting.

EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II - This is the biggest surprise of them all, if true. The current EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM lens is one of my favorite Super Telephoto lens in Canon's line up. I bring this lens on almost all my wildlife photo shoots.

No mention of the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens any more. This will be a great disappointment to me if Canon is not announcing its replacement. Keep checking back for the latest developments. Things are moving very fast.