New Camera, Lenses and Printer from Canon

Every year towards the end of February photo enthusiasts from around the world descend on Orlando, Florida to attend the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show. Much like never buying a product from Apple right before MacWorld in January, it’s probably best to wait for the announcements various companies will make at PMA before buying anything photo related near the beginning of the year.

This year PMA runs from February 26-March 1, but that hasn’t stopped my favorite photo company from making some pre-show announcements. Canon has announced a new camera, two new lenses and a new printer. And if you can afford to drop the cash for any of these, you might not be in the low end of the market. But it’s nice to dream…

I’ll start with the printer. Compatible with Macs and PCs, the imagePROGRAF iPF5000 is a 12-color printer (red, blue, green, gray, photo gray, cyan, photo cyan, magenta, photo magenta, yellow, regular black and matte black). It switches automatically between regular and matte black, which is a boon to those who favor black and white prints. Plug-ins are included for both Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software and Photoshop. Printing at 1200x1200 dpi (2400x1200 is the maximum resolution), a 16.5 x 23.4 inch print will take about 3 minutes.

All this will set you back $1,945. Yep, not in the low end.

New Lenses

When Canon introduced the Digital Rebel (300D), they also introduced a new lens format called EF-S. This new configuration took advantage of the smaller CDD to allow for a shorter lens that sits closer to the image sensor. This is where the “S” comes from as it stands for Short Back Focus. The original 18-55mm 300D kit lens was the first, and for awhile the only, EF-S lens.

Shortly after the 300D was introduced, Canon came out with the 20D. This camera also accepts EF-S lenses, and ships with the same kit lens as the 300D. Both cameras can also use the full range of EF lenses, including Canon’s “L” glass, most of which cost more than the camera bodies on which they are mounted.

The introduction of the 20D cemented Canon’s commitment to the new lens mount format. They further solidified that commitment with the introduction of more EF-S lenses in August, 2004—the 17-85 mm F4-F5.6 IS USM, and the 10-22 mm F3.5-F4.5 USM. Today’s announcement makes that commitment even stronger.

Canon has announced an update to the popular 85mm lens, the EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM. The new version has a faster autofocus speed (1.8x) and more coatings to reduce ghosting and flare, as well as a circular aperture diaphragm for even smoother bokeh. Available in March for $2,099. Yep, it’s not low end either.

The second lens is a new EF-S lens, the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. It features a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom, and an Image stabilizer for increased control in low light situations. This one will set you back $1,149, but you have longer to save up for it, as it is available in May.

The New Camera

Today Canon also announced the EOS 30D. Highlights include

• 8.2 Megapixels
• 2.5 inch LCD
• Faster startup and wake from sleep
• new spot metering technology
• ISO settings from 100-1600 in 1/3 stop increments
• bursts of 30 frames in JPEG large format mode and up to 11 frames RAW
• selectable 5 or 3 fps continuous shooting
• 9,999 images per folder (instead of 100)
• USB 2.0 for transferring to Mac or PC
• Compatible with all Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses
• $1,399, or $1,499 with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II zoom lens
• Available in April

The addition of this camera to Canon’s line means the 20D’s price has dropped to $1,299, bringing it just into the realm of the Low End DSLR.

Read more at Digital Photography Review.

Posted by Mark in: Canon | Equipment | Lenses | Comments (3)