Canon is offering $100 discount on the Rebel t3i in time for the holidays.
Just in time for the holidays Canon is offering $100 off the Canon t3i kit. B&H Photo and Amazon are showing the adjusted price as $719.00 with the 18-55mm kit lens. That’s not bad.
It appears the pricing only applies to the package with the kit lens. If the discount was available on the body only, it would be tempting to pick one up as a spare body.
The Canon T3i is a good camera for beginners and advanced hobbyists with an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor coupled with the Digic 4 image processor.
The Rebel T3i also features full 1080 HD video at 24 or 30 fps, so shooters using their Canon DSLRs for video will find their lenses will work with the T3i. That would let video shooters clamp a t3i on a boom for a high, wide shot or as a B camera. The T3i also has the “video snapshot” feature which records either a two, four or eight second video clip and the digital zoom works while shooting video.
One of the features I personally like about the Canon T3i is the pivoting LCD screen. That’s great to have when working outdoors and especially when shooting video.
Normally, a Rebel t3i isn’t that tempting, but with a $100 off it seems oddly compelling.
A little while ago we talked about the Joys of Plastic Cameras, part of the fun being wild vignetting, halos, smeary soft focus, and light leaks.
If you think you can get by without the light leaks, there’s now another option for enjoying the joys of plastic camera photography while using the same camera you have now.
Holga is selling a package of plastic lenses they call the Digital Holga Kitchen Sink Kit. All the fun of plastic lenses without the need to wait on the film to come back from the lab.
What used to be a Canon 5D MKII precision photographic instrument manufactured to insanely high tolerances will be transported back to the days when Reader’s Digest used to give away plastic cameras when you signed up for a subscription. Or, what they call the “Digital Holga”.
No, you won’t get any sophisticated focusing motors, either. In fact, the whole concept of “focus” when applied to Holga products should be implemented with a bit of latitude.
The kit comes with the Holga 60mm, the Fisheye, a 2.5x telephoto lens, a 93 degree wide angle lens and a set of close-up lenses.
Not surprisingly, you can also use this kit with your Holga plastic camera, in case you already have one. Come on, you know you’re going to miss the light leaks.
Compatible with most SLRs, except for the Olympus PEN and Lumix G series. Priced around $109 and available from Holga Direct.
The Canon 1D X is jammed with new features - by Canon
For Canon a big X marks the spot for the new king of the EOS line, the Canon EOS 1D X, which merges the 1D and 1Ds lines into one model. Offering a new combination of speed, resolution and image quality, Canon claims the 1D X is the most advanced EOS model it has ever produced and, from the specs, it’s hard to argue with that assessment.
The 1D X features a newly-developed 18.1-megapixel full frame sensor with 16-channel read-out and a sensitivity rating of ISO 100-51200, expandable to an eye-popping ISO 204,800. With ISO numbers like that you have to be approaching the ability to take pictures in the dark.
Backing up new sensor will be not one, but two Digic 5+ image processors. Canon claims speeds up to three times faster than the standard Digic 5 processor. The dual processors allow for full-resolution continuous shooting at up to 12 fps with 14-bit A/D conversion, which can be pushed to 14 fps in JPEG only mode.
It’s clear that Canon is aiming the 1D X at filmmakers, who have been generally opting for the Canon 5D MKII instead of the 1D or 1Ds. Canon claims the new Digic 5+ will reduce artifacts from moire and provide longer continuous shooting times by automatically creating a new file once it reaches the 4 GB file limit. Canon claims the continuous shooting time can be extended to nearly 30 minutes, up from 12 minutes in the 5D and 7D.
The 1D X also features twin CF cards which can be set to either write from one card to the next or duplicate photos on both cards.
In another nod to professionals using their Canon cameras primarily for video, the 1D X includes the ability to manually adjust the sound levels which are displayed on the LCD screen. You can almost hear millions of video shooters saying, “Finally!” at the same time.
Integrated into the camera is a gigabit ethernet port, but no word yet on whether video shooters will be able to get a raw data feed out of the data port. Right now that seems unlikely, but stay tuned.
The 1D X has added a second joystick on the back for controlling camera functions along with a 3.2 inch Clear View II LCD screen with 1040k dot resolution and anti-reflective coating. If you’ve ever noticed your pictures seem to look better in the LCD screen than on your computer, expect that to be even more noticeable with the 1D X.
On the back the 1D X sports another joystick controller - by Canon
As you would expect from any top of the line camera, the 1D X sports a high-grade magnesium alloy, advanced weather seals, and a new sensor cleaning system that uses wave-based vibrations to shake dust and dirt from the sensor.
Canon has some add-on features available that include the GP-E1 GPS receiver and the new WFT-E6 wifi transmitter.
In an unusual move Canon has announced the availability of the 1D X in March 2012, apparently trying to get some of their customers to postpone holiday purchases. U.S. pricing is expected to be in the range of $6,800 for the body only.
Canon SX40 HS Super Zoom will tempt even pro video shooters - by Canon
The Canon SX40 HS is an interesting blend of features that could be compelling for both the consumer and video professionals looking for a fixed position camera to set up for wide shots.
The showcase feature is a 35x super-zoom with a range that starts at 24mm on the wide end of the scale and runs out to an amazing 840mm on the zoom, all riding on a combination of Ultrasonic and Voice Coil Motors for fast, silent zooming.
Behind the amazing zoom technology is a 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS sensor with a stated ISO range of 100 to 3,200. Backing that up is Canon’s new Digic 5 image processor which promises more advanced noise reduction.
The only minor niggle is the burst mode is limited to 8 full-resolution shots which it clicks off at a respectable 10.3 shots per second.
Canon bumped the video features to support full 1080p HD at 24 fps (see this story for a discussion on video frame rates). For those using their Canon DSLRs primarily for video, this is an interesting feature. It would allow them to consider putting an SX40 on a high boom or jib and using it for covering wide angle shots. Video shooters will also appreciate the fully articulated 2.7 inch LCD on the back and full manual controls.
SX40 HS back - By Canon
The only concern for video shooters will be the chip size, which may look a little soft next to footage from a Canon 5D or Canon 7D. But if the video sample below is any indication, that won’t be a problem. I could use that footage for a cut-away without any serious issues.
Overall, at a sub-$450 price point, Canon should have a winner in the SX40.
Nikon announces Unilateral Pricing Policy aka Get Set To Pay More
According to NikonRumors and now other sources as well, it appears Nikon is gearing up to implement a new uniform pricing policy on all DSLR gear among retailers. It’s a move that will surely annoy larger retailers, like B&H and Adorama, and cheer local brick and mortar stores that will no longer have to compete against the greater pricing power of big box retail stores and online stores like Amazon.
According to company communiques obtained by NikonRumors, the pricing is being put into effect so consumers won’t be tempted to shop around for a better deal. What it may do instead is give Canon a competitive edge on pricing.
Any company caught selling cameras below the nationally advertised prices may find themselves unable to buy certain products from Nikon. The Unilateral Pricing Policy, as it’s being called, will take effect on October 16th.
There’s another word in some circles for this kind of behavior, it’s called “price fixing”. How Nikon is getting around the law in the U.S. appears to be a loophole that differentiates between forcing a retailer to sell at a specific price and not selling to them if they do not adhere to pricing guidelines. The end result is the same and the difference seems largely semantic.
The bottom line for photographers in the U.S. it means that it soon won’t matter where you shop for Nikon gear as there won’t be any real price competition. It will be interesting to see whether this move works for Nikon, or drives more customers into the arms of Canon.
