canonical

Canon takes you to school with four new social printers

Convenience and versatility are the focus of the four new printers Canon announced today. Taking advantage of all the ways that consumers connect to a printer (cloud, Wi-Fi, smartphones), the Pixma MG4220 Wireless, Pixma MG3220 Wireless, Pixma MG2220, and the Selphy CP900 compact photo printer all entertain new features that encourage creative projects and photo sharing.… Read more

Dirt-cheap dSLRs (roundup)

If you're looking for a cheap dSLR, about $500 or less including the usual 18-55mm kit lens, you don't have a lot of choice. If you're really vigilant and are willing to leave your comfort zone you can find a few more options.

What does leaving your comfort zone entail? First, ensure that the price you're looking at is for a new, not used or refurbished model. Second, if the seller insists that you have to speak to a salesperson in order to complete the order, that's a red flag -- they usually do that to deliver a high-pressure sales pitch for accessories. While you may be able to resist the pitch, outlets like that have a habit of messing up the order or delivering gray-market merchandise. (Note that gray-market products aren't bad as long as you're aware of what to expect, such as no warranty.)

I selected the products below because they are fairly widely available for less than $500, but with some work you can also find older recommended models like the Pentax K-x, Canon EOS Rebel T2i, and Rebel T1i for under $600 or with the occasional discount for less than $500.… Read more

Canon announces EOS-1D X release date

When Crave last checked up on the $6,799 Canon EOS-1D X dSLR in February, the company suggested a "late April" release date for the powerhouse camera. The EOS-1D X still shows as unavailable to consumers at major retailers, so it appears Canon made quite a misjudgment with that original claim.

Fortunately, the Japanese imaging giant announced today that June 20 stands as the official release date for the 18-megapixel EOS-1D X. That doesn't mean that everyone who wants the latest and greatest Canon can get one, though. … Read more

Ultracompact megazoom cameras compared

Zoom lenses sell cameras these days, so it's no surprise that manufacturers are doing everything they can to get longer lenses into increasingly smaller bodies.

A 3x or 5x zoom lens used to be the standard for ultracompact cameras -- those measuring 1 inch thick or slimmer -- but in 2012, you can easily find a skinny point-and-shoot with a 10x optical zoom.

The frontrunner here is the sub-$250 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 thanks to its excellent features, fast autofocus, and the quality of its pictures and video (though its color accuracy could be better). Most of the category consists of sub-$200 cameras, though, so there are several options if you're just looking for a simple pocket camera with a long lens.… Read more

Which Canon dSLR? (roundup)

Editors' note: This was originally published in May 2012. The latest update reflects the addition of the EOS Rebel T4i and a discussion of the EOS 6D.

Even once you've narrowed a choice down to a specific manufacturer, the decision as to which model to buy can still be complicated and overwhelming; in fact, I'd say it's probably harder to pick the right camera from a particular lineup than it is to decide which manufacturer's wares you like best. Here's my take on Canon's current dSLR offerings and when and whether I think it'… Read more

Android's new ally against the iPhone: Ubuntu

Last year was a long time ago for Android.

That was when Google's mobile platform was stealing market share from all the other smartphone platforms -- winning even against the iPhone -- and beating a path toward market dominance.

But Android is now facing a renewed challenge from its archrival. Android's vulnerability against the iPhone can be summed up by looking at the two biggest wireless carriers in the U.S. -- AT&T and Verizon. At AT&T, the iPhone represented 78% of all smartphone sales in the first three months of 2012. … Read more

How DxO Labs tests hot cameras like Canon's latest SLR

BOULOGNE BILLANCOURT, France -- So you think you're a camera expert? Well, when was the last time you evaluated a camera by spending days analyzing hundreds of test photos?

That's what DxO Labs does, over and over, publishing results so far for 185 cameras on its DxOMark Web site. To see what lies behind those performance scores, CNET visited the company as it put one hotly anticipated camera through its paces: Canon's hot new video-capable SLR, the EOS 5D Mark III.

The results might not surprise close watchers of the camera business: Canon's score of 81 … Read more

Canon 5D Mark III underwhelms on sensor test

Canon's EOS 5D Mark III is a hot item in the camera world. It's the successor to the vaunted 5D Mark II, which ignited the video SLR revolution, but with better autofocus, shooting speed, and low-light performance.

Alas for Canon shooters, though, the 22-megapixel image sensor doesn't rate much better than the 21-megapixel one in the 5D Mark II that arrived more than three years earlier, according to tests by imaging technology DxO Labs.

DxO gave the 5D Mark III sensor a score of 81 on the DxOMark test of image sensor performance when shooting raw photos. … Read more

Canon hits 4K at NAB 2012

Canon's big news for this year's NAB show are the announcements of a $15,000 4K-capable version of the EOS-1D X, dubbed the EOS-1D C, and a prototype preview of the C500, a 4K- and 2K-capable new model in its Cinema EOS line. And while the prototype sounds quite interesting, I suspect the 1D C will trigger more irritation than jubilation for Canon video shooters.… Read more