Canon U.S.A. Inc. on Tuesday introduced the US$7,999 EOS-1Ds Mark II, its new flagship Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera, with 16.7-megapixel resolution and a full-sized 24x36mm CMOS sensor that eliminates focal length conversion issues. The company is hoping the new camera will appeal to professional and commercial medium-format film photographers. Canon also introduced new point-and-shoot models and a new photo printer.
The EOS-1Ds Mark II also features five preset color matrix settings, improved support for the Adobe RGB color space, new white balance correction feature, a 45-point autofocus system and other enhancements. The camera also features five image quality sections ranging from RAW (16.6 megapixels) to Small JPEG (4.2 megapixels). Users can configure the camera with 20 built-in Custom Functions with 65 settings and 27 personal function settings that are uploaded to the camera with dedicated software; those settings can be transfered to other EOS-1Ds Mark II bodies using a memory card as well.
The EOS-1DS Mark II features a fast start-up mode that readies the camera to take pictures within 0.3 seconds of being powered on. It can capture four frames per second at full resolution for up to 32 JPEG or 11 RAW images. ISO options range from 100 to 1600 in 1/3-stop increments. Shutter lag time is measured at 55ms. It uses an EF lens mount and also supports TS-E and MP-E lenses. The camera also includes support for Canon’s E-TTL II Flash control system, and is compatible with EX-series Speedlites. It has a 230,000 pixel LCD display and an estimated battery life of 1200 shots per charge, according to Canon.
Two card slots accommodate Compact Flash Type I or II and SD memory cards, and it features a FireWire interface to connect to a Mac or PC. Wireless connectivity is also an option — Canon has introduced the WFT-EA1 Wireless File Transmitter, a WiFi adapter that connects to the camera’s FireWire interface. No pricing for the WFT-EA1 has been announced.
Point and Shoot
Also new to Canon’s line are the PowerShot SD200 and SD300 Digital ELPH, two new point-and-shoot digital cameras featuring 2.0-inch LCD screens, 3x optical zoom and Canon’s DIGIC II image processing technology. The 3.2-megapixel SD200 costs $299.99 and is expected in October; the 4.0-megapixel SD300 costs $399.99 and is coming in November. They come with USB cables, 16MB SD memory cards and other accessories and software.
Canon also introduced new PowerShot SD20 Digital ELPH point-and-shoot models. The 5-megapixel SD20 will bow in October for $349.99 and comes in four designer colors: Midnight Blue, Garnet, Zen Grey and Silver. Measuring 3.6 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches, the cameras come equipped with 1.5-inch LCD screens, 9-point AiAF autofocus, six white balance modes and shutter speeds from 15 seconds to 1/1500th of a second. The cameras also sport built-in flash. The SD20 ships with 32MB SD memory card and USB.
Canon’s Selphy DS700 is a compact 4800×1200 dot per inch (DPI) inkjet photo printer for US$199 that is designed to enable users to view digital photos on a TV before outputting them. The Selphy DS700 sports media card slots compatible with Compact Flash, Smart Media, Memory Stick, SD Card and MultiMedia Card. It’s also PictBridge-compatible. Users can navigate the contents of their data cards on the TV and perform basic editing functions before printing out the photo. The printer also includes a remote control. It is USB-equipped and can be connected to a computer as well. Canon expects the Selphy DS700 to hit stores this fall. Information on the new cameras and the new printer were not posted to Canon’s Web site as MacCentral posted this article.