Canon and Sony News for Jul 2022

Canon EOS R3 firmware update version 1.2.1 is available for download.

Firmware Version 1.2.1 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

1. Adds the ability to set "Custom high speed continuous" to the Drive mode. It is possible to shoot from 2 to 50 images continuously at a speed of approximately 30 to 195 fps.
2. Adds the ability to select "FHD 239.76 fps/200.00 fps" in "High frame rate."
3. Adds the ability for in camera "Depth compositing" during "Focus bracketing."
4. Adds Focus bracketing and depth compositing with a flash (Speedlite EL-1).
5. Adds the ability of time-lapse movie recording. Note that the time-lapse movie setting is retained even if the camera enters the Auto Power Off state before starting time-lapse movie recording.
6. Adds the ability of Cloud RAW processing functionality. RAW processing with the latest image processing technology is possible. This is a paid service that requires the purchase of a Canon Imaging App Service Plan, which will be available starting July 25, 2022.
7. Adds the ability to convert multiple HEIF images into multiple JPEG images.
8. Adds the ability to set [Still Image Crop/Aspect] to [Custom Controls]. The assigned button can be used to switch between crop and aspect ratio.
9. Adds the ability to crop and resize images during transfer to an FTP server.
10. 802.1X authentication/WPA2-Enterprise now supports the PKCS#12 certificate format.
11. Adds an electronic shutter sound to be played when the mechanical shutter or electronic 1st-curtain is set.
12. Enhances the performance of "Movie Digital IS". It stabilizes the image when taking selfies or walking shots using a wide-angle lens.
13. Adds [Auto Power Off Temp.: Standard/High] to the menu for still shooting.
14. Fixes an issue, which displays Error Code 70 on the camera, that may occur, in rare instances, when the [Disp. performance] setting is set to [Smooth].
15. Fixes minor issues.
16. Fixes an issue, in which, after having updated the camera to firmware Version 1.2.0, when performing the [Factory reset] operation, some shooting settings are not retained.

Get the Canon EOS R3 at B&H.

From Rokinon:

85mm F1.4 AF Series II Full Frame Telephoto (Sony E)

The Rokinon AF SERIES II 85mm F1.4 for Sony E is the smallest (99.5mm/3.92in length) and lightest (509g/17.95oz weight) among all the large-aperture standard 85mm focal length lenses compatible with the Sony E mount.

The AF 85mm F1.4 E II (Large-Aperture Standard) lens delivers a 28.9° angle of view for full-frame & 19.1° for APS-C, as well as a bright maximum aperture of F1.4, as preferred by full-frame camera users. In particular, optimum resolution is achieved through the optical design of 11 elements in 8 groups (4 HR and 1 ED). Combined with Sony's full-frame image sensor, this lens delivers superior sharpness and contrast in all areas of the image.

Fast and Quiet AF Performance

Tracking the subject accurately and quickly, the AF also operates quietly and smoothly when shooting video. Rokinon’s Linear STM (Stepping Motor) satisfies both photographers and videographers with quieter and more accurate control of the focusing lens groups.

Impressive Background Blur and Bokeh with Bright F1.4 Aperture

The AF 85mm F1.4 E II uses a large-diameter aperture to provide smooth background blur. It effectively separates the subject from the background, using a shallow depth of field and adding drama to the scene. The 9 diaphragm blades create smooth and natural bokeh with light splitting.

Less Breathing for Shooting Video

The AF 85mm F1.4 E II has minimized focus breathing, so there is almost no change in the angle of view when focusing and therefore less screen shake. This is effective when shooting movies with the subject moving forward or backward, or focusing from the front or back.

Enhanced Usability with Custom Switch and Focus Hold Button

There is a custom switch, which can be set allow adjustment of the aperture by rotating the focus ring. Using the optional Lens Station, you can setup the mode to suit your own preference*.

* More functions will be added through firmware updates in the future

Customizable Focus-Hold Button Pressing and holding this button will keep the lens locked at the auto-focused distance. The user can also assign to the focus hold button other desired functions through the Custom Key Settings menu of the camera.

Short Minimum Focal Distance

The minimum focal distance is just 0.85m (2.79ft), so it is versatile and possible to produce a unique perspective close to the subject. This makes it easier to take close-up and dramatic shots of food, portraits and nature.

Weather-Sealing Design

The usability of the AF 85mm F1.4 E II lens has been developed and enhanced, taking into consideration not only the design but also the user's shooting environment. It has a micro-patterned rubber focus ring, so feels great to operate and weather-sealing also protects the lens from light rain, snow and dust.

Order the Rokinon AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II Lens for Sony E from B&H.

From Tamron:

Development Announcement

Game-Changing Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Starting at 50mm

New 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A067)

July 27, 2022, Commack, NY - Tamron announces the development of the versatile 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A067), a next level ultra-telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. The lens is expected to be available Fall 2022. However, due to the current global health crisis, the release date or product supply schedule could change.

The 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A067) creates an entirely new category for high-performance ultra-telephoto mirrorless zoom lenses. With an 8x zoom ratio that begins at an unprecedented 50mm (commonly called the “standard” focal length for full-frame cameras), this new ultra-telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras is the same size as conventional 100-400mm zoom lenses yet offers a wider angle of view on the wide end for exceptional versatility.

The 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 is remarkably compact with a length of just 7.2” and a light weight of 40.7oz. yet provides unparalleled high performance at all focal lengths. Despite the high magnification ratio, high image quality is delivered across the entire 50-400mm range through the effective arrangement of special lens elements. Equipped with TAMRON’s VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism that offers excellent quietness and responsiveness, plus TAMRON's proprietary image stabilization mechanism VC (Vibration Compensation), the lens delivers versatile capability for all shooting scenarios.

Since the 50-400mm provides up to one-half life-size magnification during close focus, users can enjoy the world of half-macro photography with excellent close-up shooting capabilities, with an MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 9.8” at the 50mm end.

The filter size is Ø67mm, the same as most other TAMRON lenses for mirrorless cameras, providing greater convenience when using multiple lenses together. The lens also features ergonomic features that support comfortable shooting, such as the adoption of a new lens design with improved texture and operability, and a Connector Port for the dedicated TAMRON Lens UtilityTM originally and uniquely developed by TAMRON. In addition, for this 50-400mm F4.5-6.3, TAMRON Lens Utility newly offers a "Focus Limiter” function. An optional Arca-Swiss compatible accessory tripod mount is available for convenience when using a tripod.

The 50-400mm is a highly portable, versatile zoom lens that ensures users never miss a shooting opportunity, from the 50mm standard focal length up to the 400mm ultra-telephoto. This is a breakthrough product that creates an entirely new category of ultra-telephoto-mirrorless zoom lenses, another first for TAMRON.

Main Features

1. Expansive 8x zoom ratio starts at 50mm and extends to 400mm ultra-telephoto with a single lens
2. Unfaltering high image quality across the entire zoom range
3. VXD produces high-speed and high-precision AF
4. Equipped with TAMRON’s proprietary VC image stabilization
5. Super-compact with a length of only 7.2” and a weight of 40.7oz
6. Half-macro photography with magnification ratio of 1:2 at the 50mm setting
7. New design with improved texture and scratch resistance
8. Ø67mm filter size, same as most other TAMRON lenses for mirrorless cameras
9. User-friendly features (Moisture-Resistant Construction, Fluorine Coating, Zoom Lock switch, etc.)
10. Compatibility with many camera-specific features and functions, including Fast Hybrid AF and Eye AF
11. Enhanced operational and versatile features
    • Connector Port for the TAMRON Lens Utility
    • New “Focus Limiter” function added to the TAMRON Lens Utility
    • Rapid zooming (Zoom ring rotation arc is just 75°)
    • Optional tripod mount (Arca-Swiss compatible)

Based on the release date, this is some slightly old-dated info from Tokina that is now hitting the news:

About price revision and renewing of Tokina brand lenses

Jun 17, 2022

Dear Customers,

We sincerely thank you for your continued support of Tokina lenses.

Due to recent cost hikes of raw materials and components, our production costs have been greatly increased. We have been making every effort to absorb the cost hike.

However, regrettably, we are not able to bear all the cost increase any further and we need to revise the price of all Tokina lenses. In line with this revision some of our Tokina lenses will be discontinued and renewed respectively as below. The global shipment of renewed models is scheduled to start from June, 2022.

Tokina lens to be renewed

The below models will be renewed. The renewed models will be marked with the "PLUS" sticker on the package and will come with Tokina branded microfiber cleaning cloth. The technical specifications remain the same.

Package design

The renewed models will be marked with the "PLUS" sticker on the package (on all sides).

Seal design and size can be changed without prior announcement. Seal position on the box can be slightly different from real product.

Tokina branded microfiber cleaning cloth included in the box.

Following the renewing the Tokina lenses, the following products will be discontinued.

We would appreciate your kind understanding and cooperation.

From Canon AU:

For Users that Use the Continuous Recording Functions of Professional Camcorders and Digital Cinema Cameras

28th July 2022

Canon Australia and Canon New Zealand have recently become aware of an issue, as detailed below, that may occur in rare instances while using the Professional Camcorder XF605 and Digital Cinema Cameras EOS C70 and EOS R5 C.

We would like to offer our sincere apologies to any customers who have been inconvenienced as a result of this issue, and we ask for your ongoing patience as we work to resolve this issue.

Issue

If normal recording is performed repeatedly while the continuous recording function* is enabled, the camera may, in rare instances, become inoperable. While the camera is inoperable, fan error may be displayed, or the card access lamp may blink.

The continuous recording function is a setting that is enabled only when MP4 is selected as the recording format. It is a function that allows continuous footage recording to an SD card and operates independently from the REC button.

If the continuous recording function is not used, this issue will not occur.

Products

Professional Camcorder XF605: 7th digit from the left in its serial number is “2” or earlier

Digital Cinema Camera EOS C70: 7th digit from the left in its serial number is “5” or earlier

Digital Cinema Camera EOS R5 C: 7th digit from the left in its serial number is “3” or earlier

Our action

We are working to release a firmware update that incorporates fixes for the issue outlined above. For users who plan to use the continuous recording function, please contact the Canon Customer Support Centres.

Canon EOS R3 firmware update version 1.2.0 is no longer available for download.

I await the answer to the "Why was it removed?" question.

Just posted: Canon EOS R10 Review

This is an impressive-performing camera, especially at this price point.

Please share!

Order the Canon EOS R10 at B&H | Adorama | Canon | Amazon | WEX.

Rent the Canon EOS R10 from Lensrentals.

Just posted: Canon EOS R7 Review

Sometimes you need to call a long term project finished. While I'll call the R7 review that, I expect udpates to go on long into the future. Minimally, I hope to add some more complete camera comparisons.

Please share!

Order the Canon EOS R7 at B&H | Adorama | Canon | Amazon | WEX.

Rent the Canon EOS R7 from Lensrentals.

Canon has released a new version of EOS Utility.

Changes for Digital Photo Professional 4.16.0:

• Supports Firmware Version 1.2.0 or later for the EOS R3.
• Supports Firmware Version 1.6.0 or later for the EOS R5.
• Supports Firmware Version 1.6.0 or later for the EOS R6.

Download: EOS Utility 3.15.20 (thanks, Scott!)

Canon has released first quarter 2022 financial results to the Investor Relations page.

Presentation Material
Results
Supplementary Data

Imaging System Relevant Quotes from the Presentation Material

The impact from Shanghai’s COVID lockdown was larger than expected, and we were unable to produce products in the quantity we planned for in the second quarter. Though this will impact sales in the third quarter, we were able to expand sales in the second quarter by taking advantage of our inventory.

As for Imaging, unit sales of camera bodies, because of product shortages, remained below those of last year. However, supported by strong sales of interchangeable lenses, we posted double-digit growth in both sales and profit, and our operating profit ratio increased to 16.1%.

As for changes in foreign exchange rates, due to significant depreciation of the yen against the U.S. dollar and euro, which was approximately 20 yen and 6 yen, respectively, the impact on operating profit was a positive 28.2 billion yen.

As for parts shortages, we have been promoting measures, which include changing the design of our products in order to use alternative parts, and expanding our supplier base. However, due to Shanghai’s COVID lockdown, we have seen a new round of parts shortages, which has led to some delay in production of mainly printing equipment and cameras. For laser printers and cameras, where a full recovery by year-end is difficult to expect, though we lowered our projection for unit sales, we will adjust prices and shift sales to higher priced products through a change in product mix, to absorb some of the impact. And coupled with the tailwind of yen depreciation we raised our full-year projection for the entire company.

As for the camera market, the launch of new mirrorless cameras and interchangeable lenses by each company is supporting continued strong demand. However, due to the global shortage of parts since last year and Shanghai’s COVID lockdown, the supply of products has been insufficient to meet demand. As a result, we expect the market to be 5.45 million units, which is around the same level as last year.

In the second quarter, while the shortage of product supply caused camera body unit sales to continue to be below those of last year, we expect to turn to increase as production recovers from the second half of the year. Even under a situation of declining unit sales, we raised the ratio of full-frame mirrorless cameras for which we prioritize production and sales, and significantly increased RF lens sales to post a double-digit increase in net sales overall.

Buy your Canon cameras, lens, and accessories at B&H.

Check out the brief Canon EOS R7 Auto Level Feature Demo on the updated review page.

This is a valuable feature.

Canon EOS R3 firmware update version 1.2.0 is available for download.

Firmware Version 1.2.0 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

1. Adds the ability to set "Custom high speed continuous" to the Drive mode. It is possible to shoot from 2 to 50 images continuously at a speed of approximately 30 to 195 fps.
2. Adds the ability to select "FHD 239.76 fps/200.00 fps" in "High frame rate."
3. Adds the ability for in camera "Depth compositing" during "Focus bracketing."
4. Adds Focus bracketing and depth compositing with a flash (Speedlite EL-1).
5. Adds the ability of time-lapse movie recording. Note that the time-lapse movie setting is retained even if the camera enters the Auto Power Off state before starting time-lapse movie recording.
6. Adds the ability of Cloud RAW processing functionality. RAW processing with the latest image processing technology is possible. This is a paid service that requires the purchase of a Canon Imaging App Service Plan, which will be available starting July 25, 2022.
7. Adds the ability to convert multiple HEIF images into multiple JPEG images.
8. Adds the ability to set [Still Image Crop/Aspect] to [Custom Controls]. The assigned button can be used to switch between crop and aspect ratio.
9. Adds the ability to crop and resize images during transfer to an FTP server.
10. 802.1X authentication/WPA2-Enterprise now supports the PKCS#12 certificate format.
11. Adds an electronic shutter sound to be played when the mechanical shutter or electronic 1st-curtain is set.
12. Enhances the performance of "Movie Digital IS". It stabilizes the image when taking selfies or walking shots using a wide-angle lens.
13. Adds [Auto Power Off Temp.: Standard/High] to the menu for still shooting.
14. Fixes an issue, which displays Error Code 70 on the camera, that may occur, in rare instances, when the [Disp. performance] setting is set to [Smooth].
15. Fixes minor issues.

Get the Canon EOS R3 at B&H.

Canon EOS R5 firmware update version 1.6.0 is available for download (thanks, Will!).

Firmware Version 1.6.0 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

1. Adds [Auto Power Off Temp.: Standard/High] to the menu for movie recording. When [High] is selected, the camera will not automatically turn off when the temperature of the camera body and card become high, which may allow for longer movie recording than before, depending on the shooting conditions. Note that the temperature of the bottom surface of the camera may increase at this time.
2. Adds the ability to convert multiple HEIF images into multiple JPEG images.
3. Enhances the performance of "Movie Digital IS". It stabilizes the image when taking selfies or walking shots using a wide-angle lens.
4. Fixes minor issues.

With Auto Power Off Temp. set to High, the auto power off recording time rises to:

Use of a wired LAN connection, the EVF, or a USB power supply increase heat build-up.

Get the Canon EOS R5 at B&H.

Canon EOS R6 firmware update version 1.6.0 is available for download.

Firmware Version 1.6.0 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

1. Adds the ability to convert multiple HEIF images into multiple JPEG images.
2. Enhances the performance of "Movie Digital IS". It stabilizes the image when taking selfies or walking shots using a wide-angle lens.
3. Fixes minor issues.

Get the Canon EOS R6 at B&H.

Working through the Canon EOS R7 and Canon EOS R10 reviews, I just crossed the buffer capacity testing line item off of the to-do list and thought I'd share the results here.

The question was: Does a fast memory card make a difference in Canon EOS R7 performance?

Let's create some datapoints.

The Canon EOS R7 15 and 30 fps continuous shooting modes were tested using manual mode (no AE time lag) using ISO 100, a 1/8000 (or 1/16000 electronic) shutter speed (no waiting for the shutter operation), a wide open aperture (no time lost due to aperture blades closing), and manual focus (no focus lock delay). The image was black for the smallest file size, the battery was near full charge, and the specified freshly-formatted fast memory card was loaded.

In the table below, the V90 and V60 indicate the minimum write speed specifications for the memory cards used in the test. You care about the minimum write speed when photographing (or during movie capture), and fast card reading is always associated with fast writing.

Specifically, these tests used the Lexar 256GB Professional 2000x V90 300 MB/s UHS-II SDXC (high performance option) and Lexar 256GB Professional 1667x V90 250 MB/s UHS-II SDXC (great value, still fast option) memory cards. The first two sets of tests were so fun that I added a reasonably fast UHS-I V30 card to the chart.

The numbers indicate the image count at buffer full — the first pause in continuous shooting.

Breaking it down — what do those numbers tell us?

First, those of us who need the camera fully ready as fast as possible or need to review the last-captured image immediately after shooting a long burst (and those of us who are impatient) will want a faster card for the considerably faster buffer clearing ability.

Photographers selecting the RAW file format will notice the performance benefit of a V90 card, but the V60 card benefit over V30 is limited to the 1st curtain RAW mode — and there is a noticeable difference.

Those shooting in CRAW format will not notice an increased continuous image capture count from the faster card.

The CRAW file format is made attractive by these numbers, and those shooting in JPG format will enjoy a considerably higher number of images captured before the buffer full condition.

A vast number of memory cards are available, and they have varying speeds, but these tests give us a look at this camera's performance.

What about the R10? Does a fast memory card make a difference in Canon EOS R10 performance? Here is the that chart:

With few exceptions, the faster card provides more images before the buffer full pause and a shorter time until the buffer is clear.

I became bored after capturing a huge number of V90 and V60 1st curtain electronic shutter CRAW format images and didn't complete those tests. The camera appeared to support that frame rate indefinitely.

Again, the CRAW file format appears attractive by these numbers, and those shooting in JPG format will enjoy a considerably higher number of images captured before the buffer full condition.

Order the Canon EOS R7 at B&H | Adorama | Canon | Amazon | WEX.

Order the Canon EOS R10 at B&H | Adorama | Canon | Amazon | WEX.

Rent the Canon EOS R7 from Lensrentals.

Rent the Canon EOS R10 from Lensrentals.