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BeetleCam's back with armor on board, and it brought a friend packing a Canon EOS 1Ds MK III
Having braved the wilds of Tanzania and emerged with some brilliant photos, but a camera destroyed by a lion, the remote control BeetleCam is back at it. This time around, the buggy's got a Canon 550D, is sporting an armored shroud and it brought a buddy with some serious imaging chops to help it get up close and personal with a pride of lions in Kenya's Masai Mara. The new BeetleCam, dubbed the Mark II, has six wheels, two flashes, a Canon EOS 1Ds MK III for stunning stills and GoPro camera capable of streaming HD video. How did round two in Africa turn out? Pretty darn well, but as they say, the proof is in the pudding, so check out the amazing shots taken by the twin BeetleCams at the source below.
World's largest indoor photograph shows off fancy old Czech library
If you think Google's seven-gigapixel renderings of world famous art museums are impressive, get a load of this: a guy named Jeffrey Martin just produced a record breaking panoramic photo of a reading room in Prague's Strahov monastery library, and it's got the internet giant's Art Project beat by more than 30,000 megapixels. Not that Google's pictures are anything to scoff at, but the 40-gigapixel, 360 degree, 283GB image is something of a digital masterwork. According to Wired, the photograph, taken in February on a GigaPanBot-mounted Canon 550D, is comprised of 2,947 unique images that took a computer program more than four days to stitch together. If you're a fan of 18th century European literature, Franz Anton Maulbertsch's trompe l'oeil paintings, or just ridiculously detailed digital photography, you can peep the image in its entirety at the source link.
Is this Canon's 60D DSLR, articulating display and all?
If you'll recall, we first heard a notion that Canon was considering a 60D and 550D with articulating displays way back in January; PMA came and went, and no such camera emerged. But now we're back in familiar territory, and this go 'round we've got IFA and Photokina happening next month in Germany. The image above is bruited to be the 60D we've all been waiting for, and while it's usually easy to brush these off as possible fan renders (or worse, Photoshops), that display hinge looks mighty legitimate. Nikon hasn't seen fit to take the articulating LCD on its entry-level D5000 to any higher-end units just yet, but if Canon goes ahead with this one... well, we all know how competition works, now don't we? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Canon brings out Jackie Chan-branded Rebel T2i / 550D for Chinese market
"Eye of Dragon" must be Chinese for "better kit lens, fancier neck strap, a branded photo album, and a leather case." Because that's the totality of substantive changes you'll be getting if you opt for the upgraded Jackie Chan variety of Canon's Rebel T2i. Of course, there's also the knowledge that you'll be one of only 2,010 owners of this exclusive kit, which will set buyers back an unenviable 10,000 Yuan ($1,467). If you ask us, we'd rather just buy the body and add on the EF-S 18-135mm lens ourselves, but then we were always more partial to Bruce Lee anyway.
Canon Rebel T2i / 550D receives plaudit-heavy reviews
We've seen plenty of the headline 1080p / 30fps video mode on the Rebel T2i, but what's been missing till now are the equally comprehensive reviews of this new 18 megapixel shooter's other talents. Starting off with image quality -- still the bread and butter of any DSLR -- Camera Labs informs us that "the EOS 550D / T2i delivered images which were essentially the same as those from the EOS 7D," describing them as highly detailed and exhibiting no greater noise than can be found on Nikon's 12 megapixel competitors. An impressive feat, you will agree. Further appreciation is meted out for the newly improved LCD screen on the back, whose 3:2 ratio matches the sensor's dimensions, but there's also warning that the 7D retains a significant advantage in terms of ergonomics, weatherproofing, continuous burst mode, and autofocus. Even so, both reviews were happy to pin their "highly recommended" badges on the T2i, and you can discover the more nuanced reasons for doing so at the source links below.
Canon Rebel T2i / 550D squares off with EOS 7D in video performance test
We should all be pretty familiar with the specs of Canon's latest mainstream DSLR, so let's skip past the new 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, SDXC memory card compatibility and high-res 3-inch LCD screen, and just focus on the one area where the Rebel T2i has a shot at matching the EOS 7D: 1080p video. Ron Risman of Cameratown has perched the two black-clad champs atop a tripod, installed identical (for the purposes of the test) lenses on them, and gone to town with testing the ISO performance of the two bodies. As he sees it, there's no perceptible difference between the two up to ISO 1600, though looking at his video test we're also hard pressed to distinguish any notable discrepancies at the maximum 6400 setting. Needless to say, the conclusion is that if you're just after the 7D's video performance with a smaller price tag, the Rebel T2i / 550D is the shooter for you. To make that decision as informed as possible, there's also a feature comparison list, so skip along to the source link to get informed.
Canon Rebel T2i / 550D demonstrates 1080p video mode, collects glowing early preview
We seriously need to open up an Austrian branch of Engadget. After treating us to a titanium iPhone, the Governator's homeland is now playing host to the first professionally shot 1080p video with the new T2i / 550D from Canon. Nino Leitner has shot a moody short film with a pre-production unit and his conclusion has been that the video you can obtain from the latest prosumer shooter is indistinguishable from the output of the mighty Canon 7D. High praise indeed, but not altogether unexpected considering the T2i sports an all-new 18 megapixel sensor (that is "very similar" to the 7D's) and has had its 1080p recording upgraded to the requisite 30fps to make it a viable shooting mode. Skip past the break to have a look at his results or visit the source for Nino's in-depth preview. Nikon, you've been put on notice.
Canon prepping 60D and 550D / 600D with articulating displays?
Camera aficionados, looks like it's time for the pre-PMA rumor mill to start churning. Our inaugural whisper this season comes care of a forum poster at d-spot.co.il, who according to Canon Rumors' tipster has been accurate in the past (at this point we've been unable to corroborate). Here's the deal: a Canon 60D and Canon 550D / 600D (i.e. Rebel series). Both apparently feature a 15.1 megapixel APS-C sensor, articulating screens, and 720p video at 30 frames per second. The 60D, however, can also claim 1080p footage -- odd that the Rebel doesn't, since the current T1i has 1080p -- an electronic level, and a new battery and grip compared to its 50D successor. That one's apparently priced at around $1,190 and due out in May, while the other is $799 with no connection to a release date given. Make no mistake, between this and those waterproof Sony point-and-shoots, this is only the beginning.
