Tag Archives: 50D

Commentary

Canon 7D Rumors

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Speculation about a new DSLR and several new lenses is running wild on photography discussion boards this week. The current rumors, at least as of Friday evening, involve a new Canon “7D” that is supposedly a cropped sensor body with a 18MP sensor. Other features reputedly include HD video and a rather fast frame rate of 8fps. Judging from the “7D” designation it would be positioned between the 50D (or 60D?) and the 5D2 and below the current cost of the older 5D.

While I have little to offer – nothing, actually – in terms of real information about the rumors that are currently floating around about a new Canon DSLR. But, heck, if everyone else can speculate, why can’t I? Continue reading Canon 7D Rumors →

Commentary

Canon Spring 2009 Rebates

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Canon is running its annual spring rebate program between now and July 11, 2009. A number of DSLR bodies (with lens kits), lenses, and flash units are included. Canon has wisely switched from the old mail-in rebate system (which created a lot of problems when buyers encountered problems obtaining their rebate checks) to a much better “instant rebate” system under which the price reduction is given at the time of sale. Since most of these products are rarely if ever offered at sale prices, if you are ready to make a purchase and can time it for the “rebate season,” some good discounts are available.

The following list of rebate items links to B&H Photo|Video. If you choose to purchase through these links to B&H your purchase helps support this web site. (You get the same regular B&H prices.) Thanks in advance!

Be sure to download and read the rebate terms. Not all Canon products are eligible and there are specific conditions and dates that you must observe. (Note that I could not find B&H links to a few of the items listed on the rebate forms.)

Camera Bodies

EOS 50D Kit + EF-S 18–200mm f/3.5–5.6 IS – $300″>EOS 50D EF-S 18–200mm IS Kit – $300
EOS 50D EF 28–135mm IS Kit + EF-S 18–200mm f/3.5–5.6 IS – $300
EOS 50D Kit + EF 70–300mm f/4–5.6 IS USM – $150
EOS 50D EF 28–135mm IS Kit + EF 70–300mm f/4–5.6 IS USM – $150
EOS Rebel XSi EF-S 18–55mm IS Kit (B) + EF-S 55–250mm f/4–5.6 IS – $200
EOS Rebel XS EF-S 18–55mm IS Kit (B) + EF 75–300mm f/4.5–5.6 III – $100

(Canon Rebate Form for DSLR Bodies)

Lenses

EF 200mm f/2L IS USM – $500
EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM – $130
EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM – $200
EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS USM – $100
EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM – $100
EF 50mm f/1.2L USM – $100
EF 24–70mm f/2.8L USM – $80
EF 70–200mm f/4L IS USM – $75
EF 17–40mm f/4L USM – $50
EF 70–200mm f/4L USM – $40
EF 100mm f/2.8 MACRO USM – $35
EF 28–200mm f/3.5–5.6 USM – $30
EF 28–105mm f/3.5–4.5 II USM – $20

EF-S 17–55mm f/2.8 IS USM – $70
EF-S 10–22mm f/3.5–4.5 USM – $50
EF-S 17–85mm f/4–5.6 IS USM – $50
EF-S 60mm f/2.8 MACRO USM – $30
EF-S 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS – $15

(Canon Rebate Form for Lenses)

Flash Units

SPEEDLITE 580EX II – $50
SPEEDLITE 430EX II – $30
SPEEDLITE 220EX – $30
MACRO TWIN LITE MT-24EX – $70
MACRO RING LITE MR-14EX – $50

(Canon Rebate Form for Flash Units)

Equipment, Tests

Using Prints to Test Four Canon DSLRs

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Miles Hecker has posted interesting test results in his Canon EOS big guns image quality shootout:

As some of you know, I am a landscape photographer. I migrated to full frame digital SLR’s from medium format film. I used to shoot 6×4.5, 6×7 and 6×9 film with the end product being prints of 20″x30″ and larger. As such, I chose to investigate only one area of the 5Dmk2 in this exercise, overall image quality or IQ for short. For this test, I decided to construct a still life with a wide range of color, lots of detail and very controlled lighting to obtain what for me are valid results.The test would produce 100% crops for pixel peeping. The final analysis of IQ however would be made using real life obsevers and detailed sections of 16″x24″ and 20″x30″ photographic prints.

What I like about his test methodology is that it eliminates the very difficult issue of normalizing on-screen tests of cameras with different sensor sizes and photosite densities but doing something that I have felt would make the most sense, comparing large prints from the different test cameras. In this case he tested the Canon EOS 1DsM3, 5D2, 5D, and 50D. 

I won’t spoil the fun by telling you the results here, but let’s just say I’m not at all surprised at the results.

Commentary, Equipment

Canon 50D Announced: Competition is a Good Thing

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News of Canon’s announcement of the new EOS 5D cropped sensor mid-range DSLR is all over the web today – well, at least all over the photographic portion of the web. The new body updates the X0D line from the recent 40D, primarily by updating the 1.6x cropped sensor to 15 megapixels. According to Canon this was done while increasing the performance at high ISOs, keeping the burst rate almost the same as that of the 40D, and maintaining image quality by the use of “gapless microlenses” that can capture more light than would have been the case with older designs. There are other feature updates as well, and it looks like the price will be roughly but not precisely in the same ballpark as that of the 50D… at least once the prices drop a few months after the introduction of the new camera.

What does this mean for the DSLR buyer? The answer is, “It depends.” Continue reading Canon 50D Announced: Competition is a Good Thing →