The Canon XF305 and XF300 (pictured) Full HD camcorders have now been added to the BBC list of approved HD cameras.
Showing posts with label Canon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canon. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
BBC Approves Canon XF305 & XF300 for HD Production
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Canon DSLR System [Book Review]
This is the first of this type of book I’ve come across: a guide to a thoroughbred strain of cameras, the models in the lineup, a feature list of each as well as a rundown on the lenses and accessories to suit.
For Canon the release of the first EOS, the D30 in May 2000, represented a significant step forward as the “first all-Canon digital SLR… ”
When this camera was released it was helpfully bundled with a 16MB memory card, sufficient to store three full res RAW files. Wow!
The listing for this camera is an indication of the styles to follow: eight pages of descriptive and detailed text, plus two pages of specs and some images.
They’re all there: EOS-1D, D60; 1Ds; 10D; 300D/Digital Rebel; 1Ds Mk II; 20D; 350D/Rebel XT; 5D; 1D Mk II N; 30D; 400D/Rebel XTi; 1D Mk III; 40D; 1DS Mk III; 450D/Rebel XSi; 1000D/Rebel XS; 5D Mk II; 500D/Rebel T1i; 7D; 1D Mk IV; 550D/Rebel T2i.
Useful chapters include a full list of EF, EF-L land IS Lenses, tilt and shift lenses, spelling out the construction data (elements/groups), aperture, filter size, size etc. Accessories such as wireless flash, controllers, battery grips etc are also described.
But it’s not all techy: tucked away between the camera outlines are helpful chapters on the art of photography itself: composition, white balance, spot metering and so on.
Thankfully, the model numbers given are in dual form, as Canon seems to have an enormous problem with grey marketting of its product in the US, demanding, for example, that such cameras as the EOS 550D be labeled as the Rebel T2i for that market.
A useful book if you are a Canon follower. My only caution is of course that, with the continuing cascade of new models, the list will be out of date in six months’ time. Perhaps the book would be better published as a subscription PDF on the Net.
Author: A Stansfield.
Publisher: Ammonite Press.
Distributor: Capricorn Link.
Length: 272 pages.
ISBN 978 1 906672 70 6.
Price: Get a price on the Canon DSLR System at Amazon where it is presently 22% off.
Barrie Smith is an experienced writer/photographer currently published in Australian Macworld, Auscam and other magazines in Australia and overseas.
Nikon Coolpix P7000 Real Canon G-Type Competitor
I’ve been a Nikon SLR/DSRL shooter for my entire professional career (25+years), but I’ve also been a fan of the Canon G series digital cameras, having owned a G2, G5, G9 and most recently a G11. Nikon just didn’t make a compact camera that appealed to me until the Nikon P7000. Nikon P7000 is a great effort for first attempt to make a Canon G-type competitor.
The Good:
The color is spot-on under very challenging conditions. The images are rich, detailed and the noise levels are very good for a compact camera. The ergonomics are fantastic, I used to accidentally press buttons on the back of the Canon G11 with my right thumb, the P7000 has a rubber thumb rest and finger grip on the body, making it very comfortable to use. The multi-function dial allows for easy access to settings like ISO, WB, Image Quality, Bracketing and other settings.
I like the pop up/push down flash, rather than having to navigate a menu to turn flash on and off. The camera works great with Nikon SB800 and SB900 strobes as well as the SU800 remote commander and of course Nikon TTL cords. I’ve successfully synced a SB900 strobe via Pocket Wizards at manual shutter speeds up to 1/1000, I like the semi-automatic ISO which can be set to use 100-200, 100-200-400. Very handy feature. In program mode, the camera will drop the shutter speed all the way down to 1/30 with flash without having to go into night portrait mode …. Nikon Coolpix P7000 Real Canon G-Type Competitor full article.
Canon PowerShot S95 - Premium Compact for Everyday Snaps
Though I just have my Canon PowerShot S95 for a few days, it is a premium compact digital camera that can fit in my pocket and most carrying case. S95 is the best digital camera I ever have at its class for everyday snaps and it would be probably with me everyday in the next few years.
S95 has rather in a classic and flat package, it looks lightly tweaked version of the S90’s basic body design (I was disappointed that Canon did not incorporate grip design, I have to acquire a customized grip separately for my S95). S95’s well-finish body and vividly bright display immediately make me realize that it is a serious camera, in fact, Canon did good job to pack rich set features and impressive image quality into such a small and powerful digital camera. S95 can not replace my DSLR system, but I definitely prefer the S95 for snaps in casual meeting and during a travel.
After few hundreds of photo shots and some movie recordings, I am not regret my choice. I am not intended to go through any technical details in this article (there are dozen of reviews with a google search on the web) but my expectations and story about customizing S95 to get most out of it … Canon PowerShot S95 full article.
Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 60D
I first saw the Nikon D7000 I was thinking like everybody else was, this camera has a lot of good stuff. But when I really looked closely, well I did not see much different than the 60D at all. Could somebody shine some light on this for me to show me what are the real huge differences?
Now when I look down this list comparing. I really do not see a huge difference. They both have different strong points which do not directly compete with each other. It seems the Nikon is a hair better for maybe sports shooting (though Canon never focused on having as many AF points as Nikon, though in this case they have the same number of cross type AF points) and the Canon is a slight bit better for movie shooting.
The Nikon is strutting a magnesium body which is know is like flashing a gold bracelet to a silver one, but in all practical purposes, they weigh about the same with the Nikon being like a 0.1 lbs more and the Canon being slightly bigger in the hand (by its dimensions) … Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 60D full article.
Canon PowerShot G12 Worth Upgrade?
If you don’t own a G-series camera already, then the G12 is a great camera to start with due to its functionality which is hard to beat. However, as someone that owns a G11, I see no need to upgrade at this time due to the limited improvements between the two. I am still looking for a 1080P video mode that is actually usable and not just an add on feature that doesn’t work very well regarding zoom, etc. I do like some of the added features of the G12.
But if Canon wants to keep up with the competition, the next G-series camera better take a larger leap in improvements and not just a few tweaks. They’re recycling the lens and they shouldn’t have. The G12 should have had a higher quality (optically) F2.0 lens to better compete and be a real “upgrade” from the previous model. The swivel LCD and added video mode are fine, but they’ve fallen into the same habit most makers do these days where each incarnation of a camera is just a slight upgrade of a feature or two instead of a truly updated model ….. Canon PowerShot G12 Worth Upgrade? full article.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Canon EOS 60D Firmware Update Version 1.0.8
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Canon have released a firmware update for the EOS 60D DSLR camera. Firmware version 1.0.8 incorporates the following fix:
1. Fixes a phenomenon in which captured images may become overexposed when using the camera’s built-in flash or an external Speedlite in combination with the lenses listed below:*
a) EF300/4 L IS USM
b) EF28-135/3.5-5.6 IS USM
c) EF75-300/4-5.6 IS USM
d) EF100-400/4.5-5.6 L IS USM
Website: Download Canon EOS 60D Firmware Update Version 1.0.8
Friday, December 17, 2010
Stopping down a Canon EF lens
If you’re used to manual lenses, you know how easy it is to stop them down. If you are a little bit more advanced than that, and have ‘graduated’ to more advanced lenses, stopping down a lens (i.e making the aperture smaller) while it is not attached to a camera body can get a little problematic. There is a way to do it, however…
All of Canon’s newer lenses (the whole EF and EF-S series) have electronically controlled aperture. Normally, that’s great, because you can select what aperture you want with the thumb wheel or via the camera’s menu system, instead of having to do it with a wheel on the lens itself.
There is a trick you can use to stop down lenses, however. Mind you, this is probably a bad, bad thing to do, and it may break stuff. Having said that, I have been doing this for years, and it seems to work fine, without any adverse effect.
A stopped down lens should look a little bit like this. Or a lot like this, in fact. The size of the hole depends on how far you've stopped down your lens. Stopping down a lens is done by putting the lens on the camera, and setting the camera to either manual aperture (A or Av) or fully manual (M). Select the aperture you want. Then, press and hold the aperture preview button. If you don’t know where that button is, it is probably the one near the bottom of your lens, on the side. The one that you never use. Yes, that one. Press it, hold it, and then take the lens off the camera exactly like you would do normally.
If you have done it right, you are now holding the lens, which should still be stopped down. It should look approximately like in the picture with the red circle.
Finally, this trick for setting the aperture is not a “recommended” method (not that there really is one), but at worst the “ERR 99? or “ERR 01? it may produce on the camera can be cleared up by turning the camera off and back on.
Well, this trick will come in most useful when you’re using your lens detached from the camera, obviously. This would come in particularly useful in macro photography, such as if you are using non-electronically connected spacers between your lens, so your camera can’t send the right signals to the lens to make the aperture change.
If you are reversing your lens with a set of reversing rings (or using my nifty homemade lens extender), it would also be useful, if you want to use the lens at anything other than fully open.
And hey, it’s a nifty trick. Sometimes, that ‘s all you need, right?
Finally, if you like this post and want to learn more about macro photography, check out my book on macro photography (in the sidebar over there ?).
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Canon IXUS 1000 HS Review
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The new Canon IXUS 1000 HS introduces a long zoom lens to the style-conscious IXUS range of compact cameras. Also known as the SD4500 IS, the Canon IXUS 1000 HS boasts a 10x zoom, 10 megapixel back-illuminated sensor, 3 inch LCD screen and full 1080p HD movies. Is this the right travel-zoom camera for you? Find out in our in-depth Canon IXUS 1000 HS review, complete with full-size sample images and video.
The new Canon IXUS 1000 HS introduces a long zoom lens to the style-conscious IXUS range of compact cameras. Also known as the SD4500 IS, the Canon IXUS 1000 HS boasts a 10x zoom, 10 megapixel back-illuminated sensor, 3 inch LCD screen and full 1080p HD movies. Is this the right travel-zoom camera for you? Find out in our in-depth Canon IXUS 1000 HS review, complete with full-size sample images and video.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Canon IXUS 1000 HS Review
The Canon IXUS 1000 HS (also known as the SD4500 IS) is the first superzoom camera in the IXUS range, featuring a 10x optical zoom lens with a focal range of 36-360mm. The 10 megapixel Canon 1000 HS offers a high-sensitivity back-illuminated CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 image processing engine, Full HD video capture with stereo sound and a HDMI port, 240fps slow-motion movies, optical image stabilisation, 3.7fps burst shooting, a 3 inch LCD screen, and a new Handheld Night Scene mode. The Canon IXUS 1000 HS / SD4500 IS) is available in in silver, brown and pink priced at £349 / €419 / $350.
The Canon IXUS 1000 HS is stylishly designed with appealing sculpted edges, an elongated width and a smooth-to-the-touch finish. The IXUS 1000's faceplate is an exercise in cool minimalism, its smooth surface broken only by the mirrored circular detailing of the lens surround, a small round window for the AF assist/self timer lamp above the lens, and to the right of this a narrow sliver of a window for the on-board flash. As this is positioned at the far right edge of the faceplate, it does tend to fall prey to being obscured by your fingertips when gripping the camera with both hands to take a shot. Two tiny holes to the right of the lens house the built in stereo microphone, with the speaker on top of the camera.
Weighing 190g with the new slim battery and memory card fitted, the IXUS 1000 HS's curved edges mean that it slots comfortably into the palm of your hand. As its lens is internally stacked, it only protrudes from the body when the camera is in use, thus it can be easily stored in a trouser pocket between shots. Build quality is good, with the usual mix of mainly metal body and plastic buttons, controls and port covers. Like its other IXUS siblings, there's very little on the 1000 HS to get a firm grip on, except a slightly raised vertical lip on the right of the camera back that provides a small degree of purchase for your thumb.
Like the G12 and S95 cameras, the IXUS 1000 HS' equally 'modest' back-illuminated 10-megapixel sensor indicates that Canon is continuing to call a halt to the race for more megapixels in preference to improving said sensor's ability to perform better at higher ISO settings. The 10x lens is a real highlight on such a small and relatively slim camera, providing enough reach to take close-up sport and action shots, although the 36mm wide-angle setting is more restrictive and crucially not as wide as some rivals. The optically stabilized zoom provides a four stop advantage, very welcome given the 360mm maximum zoom setting.
The IXUS 1000 HS only has four rear controls in addition to the large 3 inch LCD screen. This is in the widescreen format, meaning that regular 4:3 format still images appear with bands left and right, as when watching an analogue-era TV programme on a new digital HD set. The resolution of the LCD is only 230k dots, a somewhat disappointing decision by Canon that results in a rather grainy display, although it was thankfully perfectly visible in all but the brightest sunlight. It's perhaps no surprise that if you turn the IXUS 1000 through 90° to shoot portrait fashion, the backplate recalls the look of a camera phone, with images automatically orientating themselves when played back.
An operational feature shared with most recent IXUS offerings is Smart Auto with Scene Detection technology. This is Canon's version of other manufacturer's intelligent auto mode, whereby the user points the camera at a scene or subject and the IXUS 1000 HS recognizes it and adjusts its settings accordingly to deliver optimal results with minimum user input. For example, if you point the lens at a close object the camera will switch to macro mode automatically, detecting up to 28 scene 'types' and choosing the most appropriate one, which is a lot more intuitive and reliable than trying to choose the correct mode yourself.
Further hand-holding features include face detection, auto red eye removal, blink detection - flagging up the fact that your subject has their eyes closed so you can take a replacement shot at the time - and the Smart Shutter mode. This lets you take a picture simply by either winking or smiling at the camera, or when another person enters the frame. The Face Self-Timer option sets the camera to shoot automatically when it detects a new face appearing in the frame, useful for including the photographer in a group shot. The Smart Flash Exposure mode intelligently adjusts the built-in flash so that it doesn't overpower the main subject.
Photos are recorded to removable SD, SDHC or SDHX media - there's no internal memory to fall back on and no cards are supplied in the box. Canon was one of the last manufacturers to do this, but now seems to have dropped the practice of supplying media at the time of purchase entirely. The IXUS 1000 offers an intuitive menu system for beginners thanks to the 'hints and tips' text that pops up when the user alights on a particular setting. More experienced users can also deactivate this feature via the menus should it start to prove tiresome. ISO 125 through 3200 is selectable in Program mode, and among the 20 scenes modes is a Low Light mode that boosts the ISO to 6400 equivalent, albeit with a reduction in image size to 2.5 megapixels. The new Handheld Night Scene mode combines several shots into one sharp and optimally-exposed image.
The IXUS 1000 features a Digic 4 processor 'under the hood' to keep things zipping along, with continuous shooting offered at a snappy 3.7 frames per second at full resolution. If that isn't fast enough for you, the High Speed scene mode increases the burst speed to an impressive 8.8fps, albeit with a reduction in image size to just 2.5 megapixels.
There's also the ability to record high definition 16:9 widescreen ratio movie clips at Full 1080p 1920 x 1280 pixels resolution at 24 frames per second with stereo sound in the Mov format (H.264 compression level). There are also 1280 x 720, 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 modes, all at 30 fps. A side mounted HDMI port is provided for hooking the camera up directly to a compatible device. You can also use the 10x optical zoom complete with image stabilizer when shooting movies, and thanks to the lens’ quiet drive system there's less audio interference when zooming than on other compacts. Unfortunately the zoom moves much more slowly during movies than when shooting a still image, seemingly the price you have to pay for the reduction in noise levels.
The Dynamic Image Stabilizer helps to reduce camera shake when recording your movies. A novel feature is the ability to capture movie footage at 240fps and then play it back at a much slower 30fps via the Super Slow Motion Movie mode, although only at a rather meagre 320x240 pixel size. Smart Auto with Scene Detection technology is also available in the Movie mode, identifying the scene from 21 different options and adjusting its settings accordingly. There's also a creative Miniature Mode for still images and movies too, shooting footage at a slower frame rate and blurring parts of the image to make the subject look like small-scale models.
The top plate of the IXUS 1000 HS features a narrow band into which the operational buttons are recessed. There's a three setting slider switch for alternating between Smart Auto capture, Program and Video recording modes, and an On/Off button. The main shutter release button is round, large, springy and obvious, encircled by a responsive zoom control lever with just the merest suggestion of a lip at the front for catching the forefinger.
Press down on the On/Off button and the IXUS 1000 HS powers-up quickly in just over a second, rear LCD bursting into life with a brief flash of the Canon logo before reproducing the scene before the lens, which extends to the 36mm wide-angle setting ready for the first image capture. A twist of the zoom lever and the lens powers through its focal range to maximum telephoto in just over three seconds, the transition smooth and steady. Take a shot in the regular single capture mode and the camera commits a full resolution JPEG to memory in around one second.
In the absence of an optical viewfinder the IXUS 1000 HS's backplate is dominated by the previously mentioned widescreen ratio LCD, with just four other controls positioned to the right. A large Movie Record button is logically located where your right thumb naturally grips the camera.
Underneath is the command/dial scroll wheel, which, unusually, is free from external markings. Yet give it a press and a virtual dial appears on screen with the formerly hidden settings now revealed. It's here alterations can be made to flash settings (auto, on, slow synchro, off, with the additional ability to implement automatic red eye reduction via the on-board menu folders), as well as those for the self timer, turning the display info on or off, which includes - in playback mode - bringing up capture details including, date, time, resolution and a histogram, and setting the auto-focus mode including normal, close up (to 3cm from a subject) or infinity.
Unusually there's no manual focus mode, which will disappoint those looking for finer control than the AF system offers. Any changes to the status quo are naturally effected with a press of the central Function/Set button. While this simplifies the camera's external controls and provides room for the larger LCD screen, it does make the IXUS 1000 HS a touch more difficult to operate, particularly if you're in a hurry. For example, we'd have liked Canon to have found room for a dedicated delete button somewhere on the camera back. As it is, no less than six button presses are required before a duff shot can be deleted.
Pressing the Function button brings up Canon's now familiar toolbar onto the screen, running from top to bottom of the left hand side of the screen rather than in the L-shape of previous generations of IXUS. If Smart Auto capture mode has been selected, here we get the chance to influence the self-timer, image size and resolution and that's it. Flick the top plate slider switch across a notch to the Program shooting mode, however, and many more user selectable options present themselves. Here you can tab down from the first option, Light Metering, and select one of the camera's additional built-in scene modes. Each time one of the options - from portraits to kids and pets, fireworks, aquarium and ISO 6400 equivalent low light mode - is highlighted, a small 'hints and tips' box of text appears instructing the user as to the benefits of and uses for the proposed settings.
Additionally manually selectable in Program mode are the usual suspects: exposure compensation, ISO settings (ISO 125-3200), white balance, drive mode (single shot or continuous shooting), metering (evaluative, centre weighted or spot), image size, self-timer, compression, plus Canon's regular 'My Colors' modes that allow the user to switch to optimal settings for more vivid colour, neutral, sepia, black and white, positive film, lighter skin tone, darker skin tone, vivid blue, vivid green or vivid red and finally a custom colour setting that can be adjusted to the user's preference.
A small activity LED below the command/dial scroll wheel indicates if the camera is busy performing an operation like saving an image to memory. A press of the Menu button alongside brings up two folders on-screen - the first containing the shooting menu, the second the more general purpose set up menu. Folder number one provides the ability to activate the digital zoom, call up grid lines or a 3:2 format ratio guide on screen, activate Canon's exposure adjusting i-Contrast, image stabilisation modes (continuous, shoot only, active when panning, or off), plus face and blink detection. The second menu folder contains the Set Up menu, offering the chance to tweak various sound and start up options, plus format the optional but essential SD or SDHC card in use. The more experienced user can also turn off the aforementioned 'hints and tips' speech bubbles if they prove too much as well as manually adjust the LCD brightness or reset all settings if someone else has been playing around with the camera. Completing the rear controls is a self-explanatory Playback button.
Leaving the back plate, the right hand flank of the IXUS 1000 HS - if viewing it from the rear - features one covered ports, housing the mini-HDMI connection and a dual purpose AV out/USB connection. The base of the camera meanwhile features a standard plastic screw thread for attaching it to a tripod, plus a sliding door protecting the SD/SDHC/SDHX card port (with no internal memory to fall back on) and another for the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Battery life is only around 150 shots from a full charge, which is below par rather than class leading.
ShareThis If you enjoyed this review, please spread the word by bookmarking or promoting it on social sites, post it on Facebook, or email it to a friend!Canon IXUS 1000 HS Review, canon 1000, ixus 1000, sd4500, canon sd4500, 10 megapixel, 10x zoom, 1080p, full hd, hd video, hdmi, hd, 3 inch LCD, compact, beginner
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Canon Pixma MG8150 Printer Review
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I have a long office bench, crammed to the edges with an A3 printer, 35mm film scanner and a flatbed film and document scanner. All of these I?ve bought over a number of years and well before the era of the single unit, multi purpose devices that can scan, print, copy and fax their little heads off.
The PIXMA MG8150 is a printer, a flatbed scanner and stand-alone copier. It does it all.
Canon Pixma MG8150 Features
It can connect with a computer by USB link, or via a wireless link, infra red or via a Bluetooth connection with an iPhone, iPod or similar. The front slot also accepts a range of memory cards (Memory Stick; Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo/PRO/Micro; SD/SDHC/miniSD/miniSDHC/microSD/microSDHC; MMC/MMC Plus/RS-MMC/MMCmobile; CF; Microdrive; xD-Picture Card).There?s even a slot for a USB stick, to read from or write to (in the case of a scan).
All of which makes it an ideal, central machine for office or home.
The print resolution is 9600×2400dpi combined with a dot minimum size of 1picolitre. There are six individual ink tanks: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, grey and pigmented black.
The MG8150 makes borderless prints up to A4, and is ideally suited also to making snapshot 10×15cm prints. It will also print CD/DVDs. There are two paper loading trays, one at the rear and the other under the printer.
The scanner: useful for scanning documents, artwork and photographs up to A4 in size, it can also handle 35mm film ? six frames in a strip or four mounted 35mm slides. Resolution: 4800 x 9600 dpi.
It?s a big, black beast, eating up a fair amount of desk space and weighing ten kilos. The user interface is unusual and somewhat radical. It?s only when you power up that you see how the operational access points light up as you move through each task ? it?s a little alarming at first, but you soon get used to it. On top of the printer is a large 9cm vari-angle LCD screen that helps with task selection and image correction before printing.
And a nice add-on: you can print individual frames from a High Definition video.
Then you can join an exclusive club with Canon?s Creative Park. Log on as a Canon printer owner gives you access to a whole pile of projects you can produce with your MG8150: like 3D paper craft projects, scrapbooking templates, greeting cards, etc.
Printing Times
A4 print: 1m 40 seconds.
Copy and print an A4 page in B&W: three seconds.
10×15cm photo at full quality on gloss paper: 45 seconds.
Comment
The whole experience with the MG8150 was revolutionary: I liked the backlit touch screen operation and found it easy to get around and do the tasks I needed to perform. Oh and it?s quiet.
However, I figure Canon has made a major mistake with the instruction book. It totals 84 pages but they?re laid out in the most confusing way: the top of each page has a series of illustrations but beneath these are page-wide strips of descriptive text in each of the four languages, so you find yourself thumbing through four times as many pages as you need to for each task.
Quality: I made my usual test prints and found that the printer performed as well, if not better, as any I have seen over the last few years. Gradations were smooth, colours accurate, with small text very clean and sharp. Colours were natural, not ?popped?.
An excellent multi device, with some useful functions. One note: if you run out of an ink cartridge, the printer locks down, so all scan functions are inaccessible.
Canon Pixma MG8150 Specifications
Resolution: 9600×2400 dpi.
Ink Droplet (picolitres): 1/2/5 (C/M/GY); 5 (DyeBK/Y); 30 (PgBK).
Print Speed: Colour 9.3 inches/minute. B&W 12.5 ipm. Photo (4×6) 20 seconds.
Paper Weight: 64-300 gsm.
Scanner Type: Flatbed CCD.
Film Scan: Six 35mm frames; four 35mm slides.
Maximum Document Size: 216×297mm.
Display: 8.8cm LCD.
Wired LAN: IEEE 802.3u (100BASE-TX); EEE 802.310 (BASE-T).
Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11n/IEEE 802.11g/IEEE 802.11b.
Interface: USB 2.0; Bluetooth v2.0; IrDA IR; Direct Print Port (PictBridge).
Operating Systems: Windows XP SP2 or later; Vista/Windows 7. Mac OSX 10.4.11 or later.
Dimensions: 470×199x392 WHDmm.
Weight: 10.7kg.
Price:
Post from: Digital Photography School
Canon Pixma MG8150 Printer Review
I have a long office bench, crammed to the edges with an A3 printer, 35mm film scanner and a flatbed film and document scanner. All of these I’ve bought over a number of years and well before the era of the single unit, multi purpose devices that can scan, print, copy and fax their little heads off.
The PIXMA MG8150 is a printer, a flatbed scanner and stand-alone copier. It does it all.
It can connect with a computer by USB link, or via a wireless link, infra red or via a Bluetooth connection with an iPhone, iPod or similar. The front slot also accepts a range of memory cards (Memory Stick; Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo/PRO/Micro; SD/SDHC/miniSD/miniSDHC/microSD/microSDHC; MMC/MMC Plus/RS-MMC/MMCmobile; CF; Microdrive; xD-Picture Card).There’s even a slot for a USB stick, to read from or write to (in the case of a scan).
All of which makes it an ideal, central machine for office or home.
The print resolution is 9600×2400dpi combined with a dot minimum size of 1picolitre. There are six individual ink tanks: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, grey and pigmented black.
The MG8150 makes borderless prints up to A4, and is ideally suited also to making snapshot 10×15cm prints. It will also print CD/DVDs. There are two paper loading trays, one at the rear and the other under the printer.
The scanner: useful for scanning documents, artwork and photographs up to A4 in size, it can also handle 35mm film — six frames in a strip or four mounted 35mm slides. Resolution: 4800 x 9600 dpi.
It’s a big, black beast, eating up a fair amount of desk space and weighing ten kilos. The user interface is unusual and somewhat radical. It’s only when you power up that you see how the operational access points light up as you move through each task … it’s a little alarming at first, but you soon get used to it. On top of the printer is a large 9cm vari-angle LCD screen that helps with task selection and image correction before printing.
And a nice add-on: you can print individual frames from a High Definition video.
Then you can join an exclusive club with Canon’s Creative Park. Log on as a Canon printer owner gives you access to a whole pile of projects you can produce with your MG8150: like 3D paper craft projects, scrapbooking templates, greeting cards, etc.
A4 print: 1m 40 seconds.
Copy and print an A4 page in B&W: three seconds.
10×15cm photo at full quality on gloss paper: 45 seconds.
The whole experience with the MG8150 was revolutionary: I liked the backlit touch screen operation and found it easy to get around and do the tasks I needed to perform. Oh and it’s quiet.
However, I figure Canon has made a major mistake with the instruction book. It totals 84 pages but they’re laid out in the most confusing way: the top of each page has a series of illustrations but beneath these are page-wide strips of descriptive text in each of the four languages, so you find yourself thumbing through four times as many pages as you need to for each task.
Quality: I made my usual test prints and found that the printer performed as well, if not better, as any I have seen over the last few years. Gradations were smooth, colours accurate, with small text very clean and sharp. Colours were natural, not ‘popped’.
An excellent multi device, with some useful functions. One note: if you run out of an ink cartridge, the printer locks down, so all scan functions are inaccessible.
Resolution: 9600×2400 dpi.
Ink Droplet (picolitres): 1/2/5 (C/M/GY); 5 (DyeBK/Y); 30 (PgBK).
Print Speed: Colour 9.3 inches/minute. B&W 12.5 ipm. Photo (4×6) 20 seconds.
Paper Weight: 64-300 gsm.
Scanner Type: Flatbed CCD.
Film Scan: Six 35mm frames; four 35mm slides.
Maximum Document Size: 216×297mm.
Display: 8.8cm LCD.
Wired LAN: IEEE 802.3u (100BASE-TX); EEE 802.310 (BASE-T).
Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11n/IEEE 802.11g/IEEE 802.11b.
Interface: USB 2.0; Bluetooth v2.0; IrDA IR; Direct Print Port (PictBridge).
Operating Systems: Windows XP SP2 or later; Vista/Windows 7. Mac OSX 10.4.11 or later.
Dimensions: 470×199x392 WHDmm.
Weight: 10.7kg.
Price:
Barrie Smith is an experienced writer/photographer currently published in Australian Macworld, Auscam and other magazines in Australia and overseas.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Canon EOS 5D Mark II and 7D Locking Mode Dial
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A locking mode dial modification for the Canon EOS 5D MarkII and EOS 7D DSLR cameras is now available in the USA. This modification is available for $100 per body to owners of these cameras who would prefer a Mode Dial which locks in place and can’t be accidentally moved during normal camera operation.
Canon USA Press Release
Effective December 6, 2010, Canon will start to provide as a chargeable service, a locking mode dial modification for the “EOS 5D MarkII” and “EOS 7D” digital single-lens reflex cameras.
This modification is available, for a fee, to owners of these cameras who would prefer a Mode Dial which locks in place and can’t be accidentally moved during normal camera operation.
For USA residents, the pricing of the locking mode dial modification service for EOS 5D Mark II and 7D cameras has been set at $100 per camera as of December, 2010. (Pricing and availability subject to change without notice.) For further details, see contact information for inquiries below.
Once modified, users must first press and hold down the central lock-release button in order to turn the Mode Dial. The modification is intended to prevent the Mode Dial from accidentally moving, once set to a particular exposure mode by the user.
Applicable Products
EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR Cameras
EOS 7D Digital SLR Cameras
Friday, November 26, 2010
Canon Powershot SX30 IS Review
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They?ve got to be kidding!
No…. It?s true. The Canon PowerShot SX30 IS has a 35x zoom lens! Stabilised and with a reasonably fast f2.7 maximum aperture.
I had an early preview of this gem a few months before its official release and was stunned at the range of the hyper zoom. Then, more recently, spent a day with one, chasing cars, boats and choppers. At one stage I was sitting in the back of a limo, shooting another 20 metres behind and was surprised not only at the tele stretch but at the way the auto focus and stabiliser managed things, even though both cars were doing a bit of bumping around.
This latest fixed lens digicam from Canon shows how far the game has come. The 35x zoom would be almost useless but for the improvements Canon has made to the auto focus, equivalent to approximately 4.5 f stops in terms of shutter speed. As I found out!
Canon Powershot SX30 Features
But back to the show.
I?m a bit sad that the CCD is only 11cm in size but welcome the 14.1 megapixels of shooting power. Maximum image size is 4320×3240 pixels, leading to a 37×27cm print.
Movies? Not so hot, with a maximum res of only 1280×720 pixels at 30 fps. It?s a shame Canon didn?t make the leap to 1920×1080 in this model. The good news is that auto focus, exposure and the stabiliser are fully in play while shooting video.
Aerial shot made at ISO 1600 setting: noise is visible but at least I could use a fast shutter speed for shooting out of the chopper. Lens: f7.1. Shutter: 1/1250 second.
You get the usual array of exposure options: auto, Program AE, aperture and shutter priority as well as manual plus a group of scene modes directly accessible from the mode dial. Enter the viewfinder menu and you can find more: fish-eye effect, miniature effect, fireworks etc.
The rear LCD screen is highly mobile: laterally 175 degrees; vertically 270 degrees.
A nice trick is a framing assistant which is handy when you are out at full zoom: touch the button and the scene momentarily widens out so you can find where you are! Unfortunately, I found my right gripping thumb kept firing the framing assistant, when I didn?t need it.
Full wider and full tele: this is how a 35x zoom performs. Even I had to admit I was surprised at the amazing stretch of the camera?s zoom. Both of these very sharp shots were made with the camera tripod-mounted.
Handling: thanks to the hunky speed grip you can hold the camera steadily with one hand for stills and movie shooting. There is a slight penalty with the camera?s 600 grams weight, so you find you won?t be able to hold it up for extended periods.
ISO Tests
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS ISO 80 f4 1/15 sec
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS ISO 400 f4 1/100 sec
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS ISO 800 f4 1/160 sec
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS ISO 1600 f4 1/320 sec
For me, all settings up to ISO 800 could be used for general photography: clean image, low noise, excellent definition.
The top ISO ? 1600 ? was the first to show any signs of noise: but it is a useable setting when you need it.
Startup Time
A little on the slow side, the camera took three seconds after power up to shoot the first shot; follow-ons came in at about two seconds each.
Distortion
Aside from its amazing zoom stretch, this lens is quite a performer, with no sign of any distortion at the wide or the tele end of the zoom. Terrific!
Comment
Quality: the camera showed it could handle wide contrast ranges, with excellent colour and very good resolution.
Why you?d buy the G11: love that 35x zoom; great stabiliser.
Why you wouldn?t: a little heavy, thanks to the big glass out front; not Full HD video.
A rare, powerful piece of kit. I could find little fault, except that the power button could have been picked out in white to make it more visible.
And… the card/battery compartment is super hard to open.
Canon Powershot SX30 IS Specifications
Image Sensor: 14.1 million effective pixels.
Metering: Evaluative, centre-weighted average; spot.
Sensor Size: 11mm CCD.
Lens: f2.7-5.8/4.3-150.5mm (28-840mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
Shutter Speed: 1 to 1/3200 second.
Continuous Shooting: 0.6 to 1.3 fps.
Memory: SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus, HC MMCplus cards.
Image Sizes (pixels): 4320×3240 to 640×480. Movies: 1280×720, 640×480, 320×240 at 30 fps.
File Formats: JPEG, RAW, Motion JPEG.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 80 to 1600.
Turret viewfinder and rear 6.9cm LCD screen (230,000 pixels).
Interface: USB 2.0, AV, HDMI mini, DC input.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
Dimensions: 122.9×107.7×92.4 WHDmm.
Weight: Approx. 552 g (body only).
Price: Get a price on the Canon SX30IS at Amazon where it is currently 14% off.
Post from: Digital Photography School
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