Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
When the COVID-19 pandemic took over the world, we all switched to living our lives online. And during this switch, Canon introduced its EOS Webcam Utility Software – a free tool that lets you use your Canon camera as a webcam.
Two years later, the free software gets some new features in the Canon EOS Webcam Utility Pro. But there’s a catch – if you want to use them, you’re going to have to pay.
Canon announced three brand new products last week: the EOS R6 mark II, the RF 135mm 1.8 L lens, and the EL-5 speedlight designed for the mirrorless range of camera bodies. However, an announcement on Canon’s Japanese site was posted just two days later, apologizing already for delays to these products.
Of course, delays on camera equipment and indeed on many products since the start of the pandemic in 2020 is nothing new. This is basically just a part of the ongoing logistical delays and chip shortage.
It’s been a big day for Canon announcements with the launch of the EOS R6 mark II, a new EL-5 speedlight, and a brand new updated 135mm telephoto lens. The RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM lens (try saying that in a hurry!) is part of Canon’s RF range of lenses designed specifically for their mirrorless camera line-up.
According to the specs, the lens “offers an engaging mixture of high sharpness and shallow depth of field, making it an ideal choice for portrait subjects.”
Canon has announced its Precision Alignment Service to fix autofocus misalignment issues that may arise in both camera bodies and lenses. The service will restore optimal focussing to your camera gear if the point of focus seems to not quite be hitting the mark.
Over time, heavy use of lenses and cameras can result in very fractional changes in where the autofocus hits, leaving the photographer frustrated that they are always missing their chosen point of focus. This can be especially obvious when shooting with wide apertures and trying to get the eye of a subject in focus, for example.
Will Canon be releasing another mirrorless camera body sometime soon? Well, according to the site Canon Rumours they certainly seem to think so. The site apparently has good sources that have said that there will be a Canon R6 Mark II coming out “sooner rather than later” and they even have the specs.
Now it must be noted that the specifications are extremely early and not reliable information. They are in fact, just rumours. However, the site also believes that it’s “highly probable” that the sensor will be a version of that found in the EOS R3.
This is something I’ve been thinking about ever since word broke that Canon essentially ordered Viltrox to stop making autofocus RF mount lenses. In response, Viltrox didn’t just stop making autofocus RF mount lenses, but all RF mount products altogether. Samyang/Rokinon also seems to have faced a similar challenge from Canon last year when they pulled all of their autofocus RF mount lenses.
Is Canon potentially stifling their own growth amongst camera users by doing so, though? I think they probably are and I’m not the only one who thinks so. In a recent and rare opinion video, Christopher Frost made a number of good points about Canon’s potential place in the future mirrorless landscape and they align quite well with some of my own thoughts over the last few weeks.
Canon has filed yet another interesting patent: a gadget of the past and the future at the same time. Yes, it’s a selfie stick – but on the next level.
While the selfie stick is so 2014, Canon’s new patent adds an interesting twist to the gadget I thought we all forgot. It comes with a built-in camera and it automatically controls the focal length, as well as the length and angle of the stick itself.
Canon has issued a slightly odd service notice. Well, it’s not that odd for Canon XF605 owners, as it relates to a problem specifically targeting that camera. What’s a little odd is that they’ve also included the Canon EOS C70 and Canon EOS R5c in the service notice, too. Canon says they’ve confirmed the “possibility” of them being prone to the same issue although there are no actual reports of it happening in the real world (yet).
Still, if you’re shooting an FX605, an EOS C70 or an EOS R5c, there are certain situations in which various settings and actions performed on your camera may cause it to lock up and become inoperable. There’s no word on whether or not simply powering the camera down and back up again (or pulling the battery) resets the function, but a new firmware is available already for the XF605 and they’re working on updates for the other two.
VR has become huge recently. At IBC 2022, DIYP got to take a look at the latest developments in this cutting edge technology. It’s not just used in the entertainment sphere either. Fully immersive VR has serious uses from the medical world to fighter pilot training. Basically, this technology can be used to speed up training and save lives.
Ram Sarup from Canon Europe showed us the RF 5.2mm f/2.8 dual fisheye lens for the Canon EOS R mirrorless system which lets you shoot 3D 180° VR video and photos.
As one of the giants of the camera manufacturing world, Canon needs little introduction. But having a major bite of the pie doesn’t stop them from being innovative. In the past couple of months, we have seen two brand new mirrorless cameras launched, plus at least four new lenses.
Canon introduced their two mirrorless APS-C mirrorless cameras in July 2022, and they haven’t disappointed. DIYP spoke to Justin Botha from Canon to discover more about the EOS R7 and EOS R10 cameras, and to see what the rest of 2022 has in store for Canon.
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