EOS magazine news

Lightroom 3.2 and Camera Raw 6.2 are available as final releases. The updates include bug fixes, new camera support (including the EOS 60D) and new features for Lightroom. The updates can be downloaded at: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

Canon has developed the world's largest CMOS image sensor, with a chip size measuring 202 x 205 mm. Because its expanded size enables greater light-gathering capability, the sensor is capable of capturing images in one one-hundredth the amount of light required by a professional-model digital SLR camera. At 202 x 205 mm, the sensor is among the largest chips that can be produced from a 12-inch (300 mm) wafer and is approximately 40 times the size of Canon's largest commercial CMOS sensor. In the past, enlarging the size of the sensor resulted in an increase in the amount of time required between the receiving and transmission of data signals, which posed a challenge to achieving high-speed readout. Canon has solved this problem through an innovative circuit design, making possible the realization of a massive video-compatible CMOS sensor. Additionally, by ensuring the cleanest of cleanroom environments during the production process, the sensor minimizes image imperfections ...

Canon has announced a range of new EOS products for autumn 2010. The latest EOS camera is the 60D, which replaces the 50D. The new camera is the first EOS with a vari-angle LCD monitor. You can fold the screen out and adjust it for viewing from above and below, to the side and at the back of the camera. This is especially useful with Live View shooting, but makes it easier to see menus and images in any shooting mode with the camera in almost any position. The EOS 60D features a host of new functions. The powerful DIGIC 4 processor supports in-camera RAW image processing, allowing photographers to edit settings such as brightness, contrast, white balance or correct distortion or chromatic aberration. The edited image can then be re-saved as a JPEG, ready to be printed or uploaded to a PC or the web. For photographers who want to add post-production effects to their images without the need for expensive software, the EOS 60D also features a range of new creative filters that can b...

Canon has announced a new plug-in for quicker and easier editing of EOS MOVIE footage in Apple’s software suite, Final Cut Pro. The update will be available to download for free from mid-September. EOS Movie Plug-in-E1 for Final Cut Pro version 1.1 will add to the recently released Plug-in-E1 by providing support for the Canon EOS 60D, the latest addition to the EOS range. The plug-in will allow users to view metadata and EXIF data for movie files. It will also provide support for multi-core processing, allowing even faster conversations with the latest generation of Macs. The original plug-in was designed to convert EOS MOVIE footage from Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D and EOS-1D Mark IV Digital SLR cameras to Apple’s high-quality ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Users will still have the benefits of being able to add timecode and reel names to footage quickly and easily.

Canon has successfully developed an APS-H-size CMOS image sensor that delivers an image resolution of approximately 120 megapixels (13,280 x 9,184 pixels), the world's highest level of resolution for its size (as of 20 August 2010, based on Canon study). The imaging area of the sensor measures approx. 29.2 x 20.2mm.   Compared with Canon's highest-resolution commercial CMOS sensor of the same size, comprising approximately 16.1 million pixels (in the EOS 1d Mark IV), the newly developed sensor features a pixel count that, at approximately 120 million pixels, is nearly 7.5 times larger and offers a 2.4-fold improvement in resolution. With CMOS sensors, while high-speed readout for high pixel counts is achieved through parallel processing, an increase in parallel-processing signal counts can result in such problems as signal delays and minor deviations in timing. By modifying the method employed to control the readout circuit timing, Canon successfully achieved t...

Canon USA has launched a studio version of the EOS 7D. It features a Canon Barcode Solution that writes customer information to the image file metadata so that the data can be maintained throughout the entire workflow process – ideal for school photographers, forensic and medical photo workflows. The EOS 7D Studio Version allows administrators to disable unwanted features and settings. The camera has four different ‘lock’ levels, allowing administrators to set the appropriate level of camera functionality for any studio operation. Password access stops the user changing the camera settings and disrupting the overall project and workflow. The EOS 7D Studio Version kit includes Canon’s WFT-E5A unit, which along with an optional barcode reader can scan and seamlessly manage image and customer data through a “wired connection”. A wireless system configuration is also possible through Canon’s BU-30 Bluetooth adapter further adding to the system’s convenience and functionality. Existing ...

Canon has been given three awards by the European Imaging and Sounds Association (EISA). The EISA awards are voted by an expert panel, comprising editors from more than 50 prominent magazines across 20 countries. The awards recognise the products that combine the most advanced technology, features and design with genuine values. European Camera 2010-2011: EOS 550D The EISA judging panel said: “Canon’s EOS 550D makes an excellent entry-level camera, as it offers a wide range of features in a well-designed and easy to use body. Full HD video recording is available with full manual control of exposure and of focusing, as well as still image modes for photographers of all skill levels. The camera has the same 18-million-pixel resolution as the high-end EOS 7D and offers very similar image quality, but in a camera that is much more affordable. This is a well-specified camera packed with features that will help all types of photographer enjoy their hobby more.” European Advanced SLR Cam...

Wireless controlled flash is not new – the current Speedlite system uses a system based on infrared and visible light pulses. However, a new patent suggests that Canon is looking at remote operation using WiFi control. A receiver/transmitter in the camera and the Speedlite promises a lot more options for flash photography. There is no information on if or when the system will see the light of day.