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Camera deals of the week: 4.18.14
Snatching up a new camera can be a considerable investment, especially if you're after a unit that combines stellar images with a host of features. Fret not friends: We're here to help. Just beyond the break, you'll find a handful of photo gadgets that are all available at attractive discounts for the time being. If there are other cameras, lenses and the like you have your eye on that we haven't included here -- join us and add them to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut in the future, you'll get an email alert!
Canon EOS 7D v2 firmware tested: increases burst capacity, gives manual audio control
You don't get to unbox anything or have that new-camera smell, so how much does the Canon 7D v2 firmware really transform the now three year-old model? The answer depends a bit on what you do with it, but for most users the Japanese maker deserves kudos from bringing new functionality to the model. Two changes stand out in particular, the first being a bump in the number of burst RAW images from 15 to 25, a boon for action shooters. The other biggie is manual audio level adjustment, saving videographers from the whims of automatic audio levels. Other tweaks include in-camera rating, resizing and editing of images; a max auto ISO setting; GPS compatibility; file name customization; time zone settings; and faster magnification scrolling and control screen adjustment during playback. To test the burst and audio functions, we got our own mitts on the firmware. Prior to updating, we put the rapid-fire 8 fps camera it through the wringer and grabbed about 16-18 RAW frames in a burst. With the v2 firmware we caught exactly 25 frames before it halted, and did it again numerous times with only an occasional stutter. As for audio, the new manual setting is still a far cry from dedicated sound level dials -- on the 7D you'll need to preset the audio before filming, and are stuck with that level until you hit 'stop' again. Still, it beats the previous automatic way, which was so unusable that it forced many pros into buying external audio recorders to get anything decent. A quick test confirmed the new adjustment worked well, giving usable audio in most conditions with both internal and external mics while requiring just a little fiddling beforehand to set levels. While hardly turning your 2009-era beast into an all-new DSLR, the new functionality brings the software in line with newer models, and still keeps the 7D near the top of the APS-C heap in many categories. Swapping out the sensor would be the only way to bump the one area where it now lags, low-light performance -- but you can't expect everything from a $1,500 shooter.
IRL: Canon EOS 7D, Snapseed for iOS and Panasonic's Lumix DMC-TS4 rugged camera
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. And we're back! Most of us Engadgeteers are freshly returned from a staff retreat to the countryside, and for whatever reason, we're in the mood to gab about cameras. This week, Steve explains his love for Canon's 7D, Darren makes a case for Snapseed and Dana takes Panasonic's rugged TS4 shooter into the Puerto Rican rain forest.
Canon's EOS 7D 'Studio Version' features parental controls, barcode mode
Loaning out your precious DSLR to a friend who doesn't know shutter from aperture? Got a classroom full of trainee photographers whose lesson requires they be set to a particular mode? Canon's hoping you'll drop an extra $129 on a version of the critically-acclaimed EOS 7D that lets you control how your lackeys fire off shots. The $1,829 EOS 7D Studio Version adds four tiers of password-protected locking controls, plus an optional barcode and data transfer kit (to organize and commit large photo sessions to databases) using a custom version of the company's WFT-E5A wireless transmitter for just $770 more. We can't say we know anyone who'd use these features, but hey -- if enough corporations spring for the advanced model, perhaps the original will drop in price. PR after the break.
Phantom camera captures flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher in ultra slo-mo (video)
Korn's "Freak on a Leash," Smashing Pumpkin's "Tonight, Tonight" and Michael / Janet Jackson's "Scream" come to mind when thinking of stunning music videos of the past score, but we're guessing that a 3:19 clip from the good people in Dancing Pigeons will be joining that fray. The music video for "Ritalin" was shot entirely on a Vision Research Phantom and Canon EOS 7D, with the former handling the slow motion work. Which, of course, is the star of the show. You may not think 199 seconds of flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher would be entertaining, but you'd be wrong. Hop on past the break and mash play, but be sure to position a drip rag beneath your chin beforehand.
Canon EOS 7D joins fleet in receiving firmware update to fix manual exposure movie bug
"Fixes a phenomenon in which the set aperture moves when shooting movies in manual exposure mode using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses)." If you've got a 5D Mark II, 1D Mark IV, or Rebel T2i handy and have been keeping its firmware fresh, that phrase should be all too familiar; all three of those shooters have received updates in the past two months to fix such an issue, and now it's time for the EOS 7D to get a fix all its own. Our darling budding filmmakers' tool is also getting a few tweaks with AF point display and selection, and the multilingual copy editors of this world can breathe a deep sigh of relief as typos in the Spanish and Thai menus have been corrected. Well, what are you waiting for? Focus your lens on Canon's website and download away.
GigaPan Epic Pro helps create 44,880 megapixel panorama of Dubai skyline, world's largest digital photo
How did the world's foremost manufacturer of robotic camera mounts advertise its flagship product? Simple: it grabbed it, a Canon EOS 7D and some round-trip tickets to Dubai, and set about shooting the largest billboard in the world. Local photographer Gerald Donovan shot a nearly 45 gigapixel panorama of towering spires, desert and sky with his new GigaPan Epic Pro and a couple of the company's engineers for logistical support. You'll find the zoom-in-practically-forever image at our source link, a PR and making-of video after the break, and the cash to buy yourself a similar rig in your offshore bank account. Update: Gerald Donovan writes in to let us know that while GigaPan did help him sort out technical issues in uploading the approximately 1,000,000 images that make up the finely-detailed panorama, the company did not sponsor or commission his work. Incidentally, he's been shooting panoramas of Dubai for some time now. GigPan did revel in the aftermath, however, as a PR after the break shows.
Canon EOS 7D firmware kills the magenta phenomenon
We thought the vast majority of our EOS 7D's image problems were over, fixed in November's firmware, but just to nip any final nuances in the bud, Canon's released another update for the DSLR that fixes, among other things, "a phenomenon in which vertical magenta-colored banding appears in still images taken in movie-shooting mode." And here you thought your MGMT concert footage was just naturally that stylish. Download via the source link. [Thanks, Daniel]
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 announces new Wireless File Transmitter units for latest pro models, enables DSLR hive-minding
Canon's 5D Mark II, 7D, and 1D Mark IV have all been released within the past year, more or less, and now they're finally getting the WFT treatment. Canon's Wireless File Transmitter units naturally enable the wireless beaming of pictures from camera to computer, but this latest generation adds some new functionality. 802.11a joins the b and g modes found on earlier models, and once connected the camera can act as an FTP site (available over the internet, if you wish), can beam a realtime preview image to a connected computer, act as a DLNA server, and can even synchronize itself with up to 10 "slave" cameras that all fire at the same time. Naturally this kind of tech won't come cheap, with the 5D's WFT-E4 II A and 7D's WFT-E5A costing $699 (no price yet for the 1D Mark IV's WFT-E2 II A) and yes, rather sadly none are compatible with each other. Did you really think it'd be any other way?
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Whether you want them to or not, there's a good chance you've got a family member or two (or more) that feel compelled to capture every single moment on video, including those times when all you're doing is sitting around watching previously recorded memories. That's just an inevitably we face each and every family gathering, and if you must endure, might as well get them the best possible fidelity, right? Then again, maybe you are that memory-capturing individual -- in either case, we think we've got a few suggestions to maximize your holiday enjoyment. %Gallery-80100%
Canon EOS 7D impressions for filmmaker wannabes
Chad Mumm is our video producer at Engadget, doing work on The Engadget Show and filming shorter-form stuff when we need it. He recently acquired the 7D for personal and work use, and we asked him to put together some thoughts on the camera in terms of using it primarily for video. You can check out our traditional review roundup for the 7D here. These times are strange. Five years ago if you walked onto the set of a movie, TV show, or music video -- before you got kicked out by a strung out production assistant -- you'd have probably seen a bustling group of workers huddled around a giant camera changing out huge spools with Kodak or Fujifilm logos on them. The RED ONE camera shook up the industry when it was released two years ago and those cans of film were replaced with hard-drives and digital technicians. Now, we're in the midst of another monumental camera shift, and it's not the 3D revolution that everyone predicted. Nope, in 2009 we make our movies on DSLRs. Just how good are they? Well, the recently released Canon EOS 7D may just be the new Engadget workhorse. Read on for the inside scoop on our ridiculously cinematic new rig.
Canon EOS 7D gets high marks all around
Canon's EOS 7D is a pretty grandiose piece of image-recording equipment, whether you're talking about its size, features or price. You're probably aware of the 18 megapixel APS-C sensor and dual DIGIC 4 processors already, but we've all had to be a bit more patient than usual in waiting for the pro reviews to come out. Dpreview doesn't disappoint though, with a thoughtful 31-page tome awaiting the keen reader, and we've also got more digestible video reviews from DPhoto Journal for the less patient among you. If you're after direct comparisons against competing models, such as the Nikon D300s, you'll find those sprinkled in among the reviews as well, with Cameratown throwing in a direct head-to-head with Canon's own 5D Mark II. The 7D was found to produce "virtually no visible noise" all the way up to ISO 1600, and scored further points for its gorgeous 100 percent frame-covering viewfinder and fast 19-point AF. With a weather-sealed, highly ergonomic body design, ridiculously fast processing and a sensor so good that "in most situations the lens, rather than the camera, is likely to be the limiting factor," the only thing reviewers could criticize was the somewhat uncompetitive pricing, but that's likely to soften with time anyway. Read on... if you dare. Read - dpreview review Read - Photography Blog review Read - Tech Radar review Read - DPhoto Journal video roundup Read - Cameratown comparison with 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 7D firmware update cures 'residual image' phenomenon
Say what you will, but Canon's customer service / engineering department definitely looks out for consumers willing to spend just under two large on a new body. Merely days after the outfit made public that a "residual image phenomenon" was negatively impacting EOS 7D images under certain conditions, it has now published a firmware update to wipe all of those woes away. Firmware v1.1.0 specifically "corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible." Hit the read link if you're looking to put said phenomenon to bed. Or don't. We don't care.
Canon's EOS 7D experiencing 'residual image' phenomenon, fix is on the way
Canon's $1,900 EOS 7D DSLR just started shipping a month ago to pros and those who'd like to be, and already the thing is causing all sorts of fits when shooting continuously. In a service notice posted today on the outfit's website, we're told that images "captured by continuous shooting and under certain conditions [can exhibit] barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame." The phenomenon isn't apt to be noticeable with optimal exposure, but apparently a number of Photoshoppers have been irked by the additional (and unwelcome) elements added to their shots. Canon assures us that a firmware fix is on the way, and you can bet we'll point you to a download link as soon as it hits. [Via DPReview]
Production Canon EOS 7D video samples hit the web
We've already seen some video from a pre-production Canon EOS 7D, but it looks like it's hitting stores now, and this is the first video we've seen from a final retail unit. It's genuinely impressive, especially since filmmaker Dan Chung says most of it was shot at 1600 to 6400 ISO, but it's important to realize that he was also using some seriously expensive lenses, a specialized video viewfinder, a wide-angle mattebox to reduce lens flare, and a separate external microphone for audio. Was that enough responsible skepticism for you? Good, because we also think the 7D looks like it's going to rock, and we can't wait to try one out. Video after the break, along with a shot of Dan's video rig.[Via Planet5D]
Canon EOS 7D 24p footage tries to make indie filmmakers / chain smokers out of us all
Want a really good excuse to spend $1,700 on a DSLR? Check out the 24fps "Dublin's People" short after the break, shot with one of those fancy new 7D DSLRs from this little company named "Canon" that you may have heard of. The verdict? Filmmaker Philip Bloom loves the new hardware, and says the rolling shutter problems of the 5D Mark II have been slightly reduced (at a cursory glance, anyway). Still, he's hoping Canon also releases a firmware update for existing 30fps-limited 5D Mark II owners -- he owns two.[Via planet5D]
Canon EOS 7D video specs get detailed
Canon's seemingly imminent EOS 7D DSLR may still not be fully official just yet, but there's certainly no end to the leaks these days, with the camera's complete video specs only the latest to surface. Assuming this latest rumor is on the mark, it looks like you can expect to get your choice of 24, 25 or 30 fps video at full 1080p, or 50 or 60 fps at 720p, along with an external mic, full manual controls (though not continuous focus, it seems), some in-camera editing options and, of course, and HDMI out port for some big screen viewing. What's left to know? A price and release date, for starters -- but hopefully Canon itself will clear those details up (and confirm the rest) before too long.
Canon EOS 7D pics and specs leak out
We saw the top, we saw the poster, and now it looks like we've got more or less the whole deal: Canon's EOS 7D has been leaked in (most of) its gory detail. At the heart there's an 18 megapixel sensor and dual DIGIC 4 processors, which shoots stills at 8 FPS with ISO from 100 to 6400 and a special 12800 ISO mode. The 3-inch LCD has a 920,000 dot resolution, while the viewfinder offers 100% coverage and a built-in digital level. Naturally the camera picks up the HD movie capabilities of the 5D, but no word on how it might expand upon them just yet. All this info has been gleaned from a Chinese forum, so we're still obviously awaiting on official word from Canon -- but if the rapid leakage rate is any indication, it can't be too far off. [Thanks, Darko] Read - Spec breakdown Read - Forum source
Purported Canon EOS 7D poster, lenses turn up online
Well, it's nearly become an annual event at this point, but it looks like those patiently waiting for a Canon EOS 7D now have a bit more fodder to consider, with a purported new poster and some new lenses for the camera recently turning up online. As you can see above, however, that poster reveals only a few details and an even less complete look at the camera itself, which was most recently spotted in pieces. The rumored new lenses, on the other hand, are making themselves seen considerably more clearly and, if the pics (after the break) are to believed, include an EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens and a longer EF-S 18-135m f/3.5-5.6 IS. Still looking for a bit more? There's charts and graphs at the read link below.[Thanks, Bruno]
