Canon announce 30D.

[stepheno]

Details are here (http://www.thephotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5665). After a quick chuftee at the specs I'm now glad I bought my 20d last summer and didn't wait for it. Nothing really startling - I thought they might have pushed the boat out a bit more, although the in-viewer ISO change would have been nice.

regards

[Jonny]

http://robgalbraith.com/data/1/rec_imgs/992_canon_30d_front01.jpg

* A new 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel rear LCD monitor with wide viewing angle
* Canon's more flexible Picture Style menu, which replaces the Parameters menu of the 20D
* Sharpening of in-camera JPEGs can be turned off, which is a first for a Canon entry-level or midrange digital SLR
* ISO 100-1600 is now selectable in 1/3 stop increments
* ISO can be set without taking one's eye away from the viewfinder
* Increased burst depth: 11 frames for RAW CR2 shooting, 30 for Large Fine JPEG and 9 for RAW+JPEG
* A more-durable shutter that's rated for 100,000 cycles
* A slightly-shortened mirror blackout time of 110ms; Canon's specification for shutter lag remains the same as the 20D at 65ms
* Viewfinder information now includes a dedicated Flash Exposure Lock (FEL) indicator
* Switchable High-Speed Continuous (5 fps) and Low-Speed Continuous (3 fps) frame rate settings are now included
* An Auto setting in the Long Exposure Noise Reduction Custom Function
* The ability, like several more-pricey Canon digital SLRs, to simultaneously apply long exposure noise processing to one picture while capturing another
* The addition of a 3.5% spot metering mode
* 0.15 second camera startup time
* A more-precise 4-increment battery charge indicator
* Reduced energy compensation, for a promised improvement of 10% more frames per charge
* No more new folders created every 100 photos; in the 30D, a folder can hold 9999 photos
* A new automatic rotation option that enables verticals to not be rotated on the rear display but appear rotated in compatible browser software on the computer
* The ability to zoom in on a photo in Quick Review mode
* During playback, the image+shooting data screen will display either an RGB or Brightness histogram, file size and will optionally display AF markings
* Improved Jump function
* Refined multicontroller operation
* More-detailed error code information, which now appears on the rear LCD monitor (in addition to the top LCD panel); the camera settings information screen will also display Images Failed to Transfer when the WFT-E1/E1A is in use and a transmit error occurs
* More ways to wake the camera up from an Auto Power Off snooze
* Direct image transfer from the camera to a computer using the PTP protocol
* A revamped software package that includes Digital Photo Professional (DPP) 2.1, EOS Utility 1.0 (a new image transfer, camera settings and camera control application), Image Browser 5.6 (Mac) and ZoomBrowser EX 5.6 (Windows); DPP adds user-settable noise reduction and support for RAW files from the Canon EOS D2000 and D6000
* New and potentially useful direct printing capabilities (plus a dedicated direct print/image transfer button)



They've also announced two new lenses :)



EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

The new version of this popular lens among portrait shooters is the same design optically as its predecessor, though with enhanced lens coatings for reduced ghosting and flare. It features autofocus speeds up to 1.8X quicker (a preproduction unit of this lens popped into focus noticeably faster in our brief handling of it than the original 85mm f/1.2L), improved manual focus operation and a new diaphragm for more-circular out-of-focus highlights at large apertures. It also now communicates distance information for use in calculating flash exposure.

The EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM is to ship in March 2006 at an estimated selling price of US$2099 in the U.S.

EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

This is the first lens aimed at Canon's 1.6X-size sensor cameras to feature a fast maximum aperture that stays constant throughout the zoom range. Compatible with the EOS 30D, EOS 20D, EOS Digital Rebel XT/350D and EOS Digital Rebel/300D, it should also offer image quality on par with Canon's L-series, says Chuck Westfall, Director/Media & Customer Relationship at Canon USA. (It lacks the mount sealing and other environmental protection features unique to newer L-series lenses, however.)

As an IS lens, it's spec'd to be handholdable to at least three full shutter speed steps below what would be possible without IS.

The EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is slated to ship in May 2006 at an estimated selling price of US$1149 in the U.S.



http://www.robgalbraith.com/data/1/rec_imgs/1001_canon_ef_85mm.jpg http://www.robgalbraith.com/data/1/rec_imgs/1002_canon_ef-s_17-55mm.jpg

[SammyC]

Look at that frikin' lens!!!!! 85mm at f1.2, eek!

[milou]

http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/eos30d/

http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/eos30d/sample/index.html

[Steep]

Spot metering woot! and I like the idea of iso selectable in 1/3 increments.

[neos]

Nice, I think i'll have one of these.

[matty]

you cant turn sharpening off already? bummer

[Sean_Mcr]

Would have taken a hell of a lot for me to upgrade and the above is not it.

[stevegreen]

Which is why i'm annoyed as had they made it more attractive there would have been more 2nd hand 20d's for me to consider :(

[Steve]

Would have taken a hell of a lot for me to upgrade and the above is not it.

I am just curious, so humour me please ;)

Were you looking to the 30D to be an upgrade and if so what specs would you have needed to make you switch? Also, in all honesty, what doesn't the 20D do that you require?

[shiato storm]

wasn't/isn't the 20D shutter rated at 100,000 or has everyone forgotten about that?

[Steve]

wasn't/isn't the 20D shutter rated at 100,000 or has everyone forgotten about that?

Yes it was and its already been commented on in the news thread :)

[SammyC]

Is it possible to merge the two threads Steve? Or maybe just close this one or t'other one so I can keep up. getting slow in my old age!

:)

[busterboy]

This lens looks like I may be having one..:shock:

85mm f/1.2 MkII (http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=152&modelid=12926)

[Steve]

Is it possible to merge the two threads Steve? Or maybe just close this one or t'other one so I can keep up. getting slow in my old age!

:)

Need to grab some food but I'll look into it afterwards :thumb:

[stepheno]

My fault - I thought I was first up this morning but Steve beat me to it by a couple of minutes in the news section. One minute nothing, next minute it was there :suspect1:

regards

[SDK^]

This lens looks like I may be having one..:shock:

85mm f/1.2 MkII (http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=152&modelid=12926)
Indeed, the best Portrait lens available. I love the description :

With the lens aperture at f/1.2, photographers can create dramatic effects such as keeping a model’s eye sharp while blurring the eye lash ends

Nice :)

[SammyC]

photographers can create dramatic effects such as keeping a model’s eye sharp while blurring the eye lash ends

Rather niche the need for I would have thought! :shock:

[SDK^]

Rather niche the need for I would have thought! :shock:
Sharp eyes and soft skin are generally required for portraits.
In practice using the 85mm F1.2 at F1.2 must require a serious learning curve.

[shiato storm]

and a death like stillness of hand...!

[SammyC]

:laugh1:

[fingerz]

The original 85mm F1.2L was the only lens I've ever seen the guy who runs Photozone.de get excited about.

His full review is here:
http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/canon_85_12/index.htm

The important bit is the summary, where he wrote:
I was quite sceptical regarding this lens. Not so much because I expected a bad performance but what to do with this lens. I've to admit that after a week of testing I'm in love and it'll be very hard to part with it again. Isolating objects via ultra-large aperture settings is more fun than I ever imagined. Besides the performance of this lens is exceptional with sometimes scaringly sharp results and a super-smooth bokeh. The build quality is, naturally, up to pro standards.
Regarding its price tag it is certainly not a mainstream lens but if you belong to the financially gifted you may consider to take a long, deep look at this lens.

And on the resolution/sharpness test, he commented:
The lens performed OUTSTANDING in the lab and that's at ALL tested aperture settings and surprisingly that even includes the extreme f/1.2. The performance peaks at f/4.

He hasn't yet reviewed the current 35mm L-series lens, which I'm keen to see as it's meant to be similarly sharp across the range. He said he'd be testing it in late February when I emailed him.