eos

Canon this week has released a firmware update to its 12MP digital SLR, the EOS Rebel XSi, which became available in April 2008. The firmware update, version 1.0.9, corrects several issues with the camera. It fixes an issue where the Auto Exposure Bracketing does not operate normally under certain conditions. It also fixes an issue with the Live View exposure simulation warning indicator and an issue with the playback of images after continuous shooting when a printer is attached. More details and information here.

We generally recommend installing the latest firmware updates for your camera, so you can … Read more

updated 7/8:  Today, Canon USA announced pricing and availability for the U.S. it looks like the company's only selling a kit version, with the EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens, for $699.99, and it's slated to ship next month.

(June 9) Say what you will about the rumor mill, it frequently comes through. In this case, except for the small detail of when it would be available, rumors about the Canon EOS Rebel XS turned out to be true. However, instead of waiting until Photokina to announce it, Canon debuted the new entry-level dSLR today.

The new Rebel, which replaces the XTi as the baby of its dSLR line, retains the 10-megapixel CMOS and 2.5-inch LCD, while moving up to the body of the more recent XSi. However, it also uses the newer Digic III processing chip--albeit with 12-bit processing rather than the XSi's 14-bit--so we expect to see some differences in photo quality, especially at higher ISO sensitivities, compared with the XTi. And the XS will ship with the image stabilized version of the EF-S 18-55mm lens; the XTi currently ships with the non-IS lens. The camera also adds Live View mode and, according to Canon, will have improved battery life.

Check out our preview video and comparative specs after the jump.… Read more

In today's episode of "I'm going to post a Canon EOS 5D Mark II rumor," Photography Bay says that Canon's German Web site displayed some information about the possible follow-up to the company's EOS 5D. The short blurb that purportedly appeared on the German site says that the camera will have a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, be able to shoot 6.5 frames per second, and will be available this June. For those keeping track, that's up from 15.3MP and 6 frames per second the last time Photography Bay predicted the imminence of … Read more

Canon has released a new firmware update to its EOS 40D 10.1MP DSLR. The firmware update, v1.0.8, fixes a phenomenon in which Image Stabilization operation emits a sound when certain buttons are pressed, with the EF-S 55mm-250mm f/4-f/5.6 IS lens attached to the camera. It also fixes a phenomenon in which the Image Stabilization operation emits a sound from the lens when IS lenses are attached to the camera, as well as remedying another in which a part of the image looks unnatural when reviewed on the LCD. Finally, tt also corrects errors in … Read more

According to a post on Gizmodo last week, which came to them via a posting to DPReview's forums, which apparently may have originated at PhotographyBay, and has nothing to do with the fact that Ferris Bueller was seen passed out at 31 Flavors last night, Canon may be announcing a follow-up to the EOS 5D in April. I always find these rumors to be very silly, since it's really easy to come up with a wish list of what you want to see in the camera and then hide behind an anonymous source while your heart fills with … Read more

I was in a pinch a few weeks ago, and Google's Picasa software saved my skin. But now my warm glow of gratitude has begun wearing off, replaced by a simmering annoyance with camera makers for their profusion of proprietary raw formats.

Let me explain. I was covering the Photo Marketing Association trade show in Las Vegas, toting my Canon EOS Rebel XT camera to photograph products and people. For my personal photography I usually shoot in raw format to maximize the detail and flexibility, but for work purposes I use JPEG because it's faster to process and … Read more

It looks like Canon's intermediate-size APS-H sensor line, found in the 1D Mark III SLRs used by photojournalists, may be at the end of its life span.

The sensor is larger than the APS-C sensors used in mainstream Canon SLRs such as the EOS-40D or the new Canon EOS Rebel XSi, but it's smaller than those in a 1Ds Mark III or 5D, which is the size of a full frame of 35mm film. With Nikon now selling its first full-frame model, the D3, and Sony planning to launch its own full-frame competitor by the end of 2008, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Two's company, three's a crowd, and Canon's Chuck Westfall is a lot less lonely these days.

Canon once was the sole camera company offering a digital SLR whose sensor is the size of a full frame of 35mm film, a technology that can increase the performance advantage and price penalty that SLR cameras already have compared with compact cameras. In November, though, Nikon began selling its full-frame rival, the D3, and last week Sony said it will launch its own full-frame competitor by the end of 2008.

Westfall is a camera tech guru and the technical … Read more

Canon faced some modest compatibility risks when it chose to design its new EOS Rebel XSi camera with SD flash-memory cards rather than the CompactFlash cards it's used for all its SLR cameras until this point, but I think the move is smart overall.

It's a drag for consumers that there's such a profusion of flash card formats. Customers often must pay extra when moving from one camera maker to another just to replace flash cards. And indeed, owners of Canon's existing Rebel, Rebel XT, or XTi cameras will find their CompactFlash cards useless if they … Read more