Daily Digital Camera News

I can say this is the right time to buy a new Canon lens. B&H Photo has started selling the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens for only US$659. The original price was US$759, so you can save $100! We have posted a new about this lens in August 2011. As a reminder, the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens comprises of 17 elements (including a UD-glass element) in 12 groups. This standard zoom lens offers a focal length range, which is equivalent to 24-136mm in 35mm format. [Product Page]

Here’s the good news for all Canon EOS 5D Mark II owners. Canon has rolled out the new firmware update for this full-frame digital SLR camera. The new firmware update version 2.1.1 includes the following fixes and improvements:

1. Fixes a phenomenon where shooting stops after capturing one image when in continuous shooting or the Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) continuous shooting setting.
2. Corrects wording in the Dutch language menu screen.

You can download the firmware update version 2.1.1 for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II right here for free. [Canon]

Canon has announced the availability of its new flagship PIXMA Pro series model, the PIXMA PRO-1. Designed for professional and serious amateur photographers, the photo printer produces the highest possible print quality in colour and monochrome thanks to the unique 12-ink system and a new Chroma Optimizer ink. The 12-ink system expands colour gamut in most areas, while a new Chroma Optimizer ink produces professional quality black and white prints with excellent detail in shadow and highlight areas.

The PIXMA PRO-1 also supports 1200ppi input resolution to produce smoother prints with high resolutions up to 4800x2400dpi. What’s more, this high-quality photo printer also offers three color modes such as the Photo Colour print mode, the Linear Tone mode and the ICC Profiles mode. The Photo Colour print mode reproduces fresh blues and greens to match people’s memory of colours, while the Linear Tone mode reproduces colours with linear tone curve. And finally, the ICC Profiles mode enables users to utilize paper-specific colour profiles or create their own colour profiles.

If you are interested, you can purchase the Canon Pixma PRO-1 in November 2011 for £799(US$1,277). Read more…

The Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS (Optical Stabilizer) lens is an all-in-one telephoto zoom lens that offers the equivalent focal range of approx. 29-320mm when used with a Canon digital SLR camera. The lens is perfect for low light photography, since it adopts the OS (Optical Stabilizer) system that minimizes image blur caused by camera shake. This super-zoom lens also has the equivalent of shooting at a shutter speed 2-3 stops faster. The Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS lens for Canon and Nikon DSLRs is priced at $399 each. Read more…

The Canon IXUS 230 HS is a premium compact digital camera with an 8x optical zoom lens. Measuring at just 22.1mm thick, the camera packs a 12.1-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, a powerful DIGIC 4 image processor, a precision 28mm 8x optical zoom lens, Full HD (1080p) video recording capabilities, and a large 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II G display with a 460k-dot resolution that offers fine detail, high contrast and excellent color reproduction. Additionally, the Canon IXUS 230HS camera is also compatible with the Canon HF-DC2 external flash unit. Available in Silver, Blue, Green, Purple, and Pink, the Canon IXUS 230 HS will be available from October 2011 for £229 or around US$376. More pictures after the jump. Read more…

Canon has updated its budget SX compact superzoom with the launch of the PowerShot SX150 IS. Available in black and red, the camera features a 14.1-megapixel CCD sensor with Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image processor, a discreet-shooting mode to help ensure a low disturbance when capturing photos, a 12x (28-336mm equivalent) image stabilized lens, a 3-inch LCD screen for easy viewing, and 720p30 HD video recording capabilities. This new camera includes manual-shooting capabilities, such as aperture priority and shutter priority for optimal artistic control that any photography aficionado will appreciate. The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS will be released in the US market in September 2011 for US$249.99. See more pictures after the jump. Read more…