The EOS 5D Mark II or 7D or even 3D :-)

Rumours about Canon's replacement for the EOS 5D (current 5D2 info)

Archived rumours before the official release in September 2008

2008 September

16th No camera until the 22nd? In a counter to the widely expected announcement tomorrow, DPI suggest why it will be next week.

However, I've seen peoples' comments on the structure of the animation, that suggest it won't run that long. Guess we can all check back tomorrow morning :-)

Photovideo in Norway are saying that they will have a new Canon camera for people to see on the 18th, since their new store opens tomorrow.

Moon shot now shows a bit more of the camera, but still blanked in the same places.

I've also heard of a Danish reseller (Kamerashop) removing the 5D from their web listings.

6:30 am here, and in a rare event (for me ;-) I'm off to do some work at this time in the morning. Delays on updates due to patchy net access... but nothing's been announced yet :-)

15th We've moved content around a bit to make space for 'real' camera info in the next few days (see above). We've still got the 5D specs at the bottom of the page though.

I was also just sent (thanks) a link to a Canon USA publication [PDF] that has an excellent article covering some of the history of the 1D3 AF problems (p4-9).

As an ex electronics engineer and writer of real-time control software, I can well appreciate some of the sentiments expressed. As expected, the article is not being universally well received on forums, but I do personally wonder what proportion of those complaining (especially those not prepared to use their real names ;-) ) have actually used the camera (and yes, I do know several people who've not had the best of experiences in dealing with Canon wrt the 1D3) Not that I have the time to set up (or more accurately run/moderate) any forums here, but one rule would be real names only ;-)

A slight change in the Canon moon again and several German sites jump the gun on Zeiss lens availability for EF mount.

21, 50, 85 - info on Lenses pages

We've now got the official Zeiss info released, which only mentions the 50 and 85mm lenses.

There is a PDF you can download which includes info on the lenses.

It also includes two of the most anodyne 'marketing' interviews I've ever read, with two German photographers.

Of more interest to the rumour chasers is the photo of one of the new lenses being used on a 5D+grip... or is it? ;-)

I'd say it's an existing 5D, with 'paranoia' tape over the logo. :-)

Compare it with a rendition of the new 5D MkII that is our current best bet as the real thing.

Note that the camera in our image seems more tilted back than the 'Moon' one.

The 'Moon' version is showing a bit more detail in the lens, looking distinctly wide.

The prevailing view seems to be that it's a 24/1.4L II and from some measurements a filter size of 77mm was estimated (same as current 24/1.4).

The blocked out area at the bottom of the camera, has been taken by some to indicate a new grip design.

Some time ago we heard that Canon was looking at incorporating more functionality in the grips, so expect the current wireless technology (and maybe GPS) to be available.

Given the advances in battery technology since the 5D was designed, expect to see changes here too (we're not expecting fuel cell technology until next year at the earliest though).

This ties in with the French comments recently which include the phrase "Nouvelle batterie avec reconnaissance de l'autonomie"

2008 September 14th We've had quite a few comments regarding the moon flash animation. There was a discussion about its structure and why the final image wouldn't appear until the 17th on [PF]

We've also had confirmation (thanks) that the Calumet info is correct.

The latest moon pic... and those buttons look even more like our 5D Mk2 picture from the 11th

You might also be amused by the fake Chuck Westfall [FCW]

CR also has an American politician holding a camera...

13th (travelling again this weekend - so intermittent updates - thanks for all the mail)

Thanks for all the mail and comments. High ISO performance seems to be a common feature (25600 ISO tops), while the MP count seems more variable (21 and 24 seem most popular). If we do get a 21MP camera, then I'd not be surprised to see a 24MP camera before too long. The 5D replacement specs will certainly encourage a lot of discussion on just what the 1D4 will pack in, and how soon (PMA next year is later - from the 3rd to the 5th of March).

I've been asked by quite a few people what I think the camera will be... OK I hate predictions, but today after a pleasant meal and lots of drinks at my parents 50th Wedding aniversary, I'm going to say that I think the camera will be the one we showed on the 11th, it will be called the 5D Mark II, and will have 21MP and a maximum ISO sensitivity of 25600. It will of course have sensor cleaning, live view, the new higher definition screen and 1080 HD video.

The name is quite possibly the 5D MkII since if you look at an advert for Japan Camera magazine you can see that the October issue features the 50D and 5D2.
"Itirou Huzishiro long-awaited long-awaited guest appearance Canon EOS 5D successor EOS 5D MARK II"

One other point to remember is that Canon annoyed a lot of 1D3 owners with their handling of the various AF issues - do they want to repeat this (albeit to a lesser degree) with 1Ds3 owners, by surpassing the camera much quicker than would have been expected. I did have one interesting mail that suggested that Canon will be mounting an agressive marketing campaign directed at Pro users, both to keep them from Nikon's advances (this has been more successful than Canon had expected) and to offer generous upgrade discounts. Given Canon's previous history, I'd have been sceptical about this (I still am) but that was before the AF 'issues' and Nikon's pro marketing campaign (not to mention their big potential threat - Sony) The new prime lenses coming and other 'Pro' oriented releases may give a clue to this.

Calumet are saying that they will have the new camera in their stores for events on the 4th October [Pic from FM]

General feeling is that the pic is an 'old' 5D just as a placeholder

12th

I was sent a link to a 7D image (taken with) on Flkr - oh, and exif details can't lie, can they ;-) ;-)

A new image has appeared on DPR

Despite the artistic lack of focus you can see the four buttons and tape over the name.

However look more carefully at the lens

'1.4 L II'

Is this the all new 35/1.4L? (I'm told though, by someone who has both 24 and 35, that it looks more like a 24mm?)

I've also had it suggested that the fuzzy picture is a 5D and that the Destined Evolution stuff suggests a 3D. Not long to wait for sure ;-) 05:00 GMT we've seen confirmed... It's also been suggested that the flash shoe on our picture isn't the new weather sealed type - compare it with the 'moon' versions of the camera?

The moon changed again (I'm told it did so at 6am GMT)

In Japan the text includes "The one that goes beyond innovation" ... so there, that explains everything :-)

Have a look at the stretched screen shot we've produced from a screen grab.

See if you think it looks more like the one we received yesterday?

In particular note the raised areas around the buttons.

The lens is obviously different and the camera is tilted slightly differently in the two pics.

Meanwhile EN in France is saying (updated)

Canon 5D MarkII
CMOS 24x36 24MP
25600 ISO
New batterie with autonomy recognition
New grip BG-E 6
Digic IV
magnesium body
Live view
Video
Dust removing system
Compatible EF Lenses and EX speedlite
2600 Euros

2008 September 11th Looks as if the leaks are starting

We've now got a photo we think is a pretty good one ;-)

In a side issue - we mentioned the concept of variable ISO for sensors a while ago - we were just sent a link to a PDF describing the process (not a Canon one)

On the Canon Spain site the text in the teaser image now has something like:

"Discover the future of photography ...
Stay tuned ...
The history of the EOS sensor continues ..."

On the Swedish Canon site it's along the lines of "EOS Story continues - Experience the future of photography - Stay tuned"

Quite a few other sites are now reporting early on the 17th (European time) as the release time.

It's also been noticed that the 15th coincides with the Japanese Tsukimi holiday ('moon viewing') and a full moon.

As to the lens size, I see at DPR people have done some measurements. The small dot in the lens also suggests a wide lens. The 16-35II possibly fits the bill, but the lens info is currently blacked out so maybe something new (a 24-70 that doesn't extend out so much ?)

There is also a report [POTN] of another FF camera

14th We've had quite a few comments regarding the moon flash animation. There was a discussion about its structure and why the final image wouldn't appear until the 17th on [PF]

We've also had confirmation (thanks) that the Calumet info is correct.

The latest moon pic... and those buttons look even more like our 5D Mk2 picture from the 11th

You might also be amused by the fake Chuck Westfall [FCW]

CR also has an American politician holding a camera...

13th (travelling again this weekend - so intermittent updates - thanks for all the mail)

Thanks for all the mail and comments. High ISO performance seems to be a common feature (25600 ISO tops), while the MP count seems more variable (21 and 24 seem most popular). If we do get a 21MP camera, then I'd not be surprised to see a 24MP camera before too long. The 5D replacement specs will certainly encourage a lot of discussion on just what the 1D4 will pack in, and how soon (PMA next year is later - from the 3rd to the 5th of March).

I've been asked by quite a few people what I think the camera will be... OK I hate predictions, but today after a pleasant meal and lots of drinks at my parents 50th Wedding aniversary, I'm going to say that I think the camera will be the one we showed on the 11th, it will be called the 5D Mark II, and will have 21MP and a maximum ISO sensitivity of 25600. It will of course have sensor cleaning, live view, the new higher definition screen and 1080 HD video.

The name is quite possibly the 5D MkII since if you look at an advert for Japan Camera magazine you can see that the October issue features the 50D and 5D2.
"Itirou Huzishiro long-awaited long-awaited guest appearance Canon EOS 5D successor EOS 5D MARK II"

One other point to remember is that Canon annoyed a lot of 1D3 owners with their handling of the various AF issues - do they want to repeat this (albeit to a lesser degree) with 1Ds3 owners, by surpassing the camera much quicker than would have been expected. I did have one interesting mail that suggested that Canon will be mounting an agressive marketing campaign directed at Pro users, both to keep them from Nikon's advances (this has been more successful than Canon had expected) and to offer generous upgrade discounts. Given Canon's previous history, I'd have been sceptical about this (I still am) but that was before the AF 'issues' and Nikon's pro marketing campaign (not to mention their big potential threat - Sony) The new prime lenses coming and other 'Pro' oriented releases may give a clue to this.

Calumet are saying that they will have the new camera in their stores for events on the 4th October [Pic from FM]

General feeling is that the pic is an 'old' 5D just as a placeholder

12th

I was sent a link to a 7D image (taken with) on Flkr - oh, and exif details can't lie, can they ;-) ;-)

A new image has appeared on DPR

Despite the artistic lack of focus you can see the four buttons and tape over the name.

However look more carefully at the lens

'1.4 L II'

Is this the all new 35/1.4L? (I'm told though, by someone who has both 24 and 35, that it looks more like a 24mm?)

I've also had it suggested that the fuzzy picture is a 5D and that the Destined Evolution stuff suggests a 3D. Not long to wait for sure ;-) 05:00 GMT we've seen confirmed... It's also been suggested that the flash shoe on our picture isn't the new weather sealed type - compare it with the 'moon' versions of the camera?

The moon changed again (I'm told it did so at 6am GMT)

In Japan the text includes "The one that goes beyond innovation" ... so there, that explains everything :-)

Have a look at the stretched screen shot we've produced from a screen grab.

See if you think it looks more like the one we received yesterday?

In particular note the raised areas around the buttons.

The lens is obviously different and the camera is tilted slightly differently in the two pics.

Meanwhile EN in France is saying (updated)

Canon 5D MarkII
CMOS 24x36 24MP
25600 ISO
New batterie with autonomy recognition
New grip BG-E 6
Digic IV
magnesium body
Live view
Video
Dust removing system
Compatible EF Lenses and EX speedlite
2600 Euros

2008 September 11th Looks as if the leaks are starting

We've now got a photo we think is a pretty good one ;-)

In a side issue - we mentioned the concept of variable ISO for sensors a while ago - we were just sent a link to a PDF describing the process (not a Canon one)

On the Canon Spain site the text in the teaser image now has something like:

"Discover the future of photography ...
Stay tuned ...
The history of the EOS sensor continues ..."

On the Swedish Canon site it's along the lines of "EOS Story continues - Experience the future of photography - Stay tuned"

Quite a few other sites are now reporting early on the 17th (European time) as the release time.

It's also been noticed that the 15th coincides with the Japanese Tsukimi holiday ('moon viewing') and a full moon.

As to the lens size, I see at DPR people have done some measurements. The small dot in the lens also suggests a wide lens. The 16-35II possibly fits the bill, but the lens info is currently blacked out so maybe something new (a 24-70 that doesn't extend out so much ?)

There is also a report [POTN] of another FF camera

10th Lots of changes picked up (thanks for all the mail waiting when I got back home!)

In an update to the Swedish comment below, there is now a confirmation of a press conference at 9am on the 17th, with the camera being officially announced on 6am that day (Swedish time)

At a French site [EN] we get the following specs

Canon EOS 5D-MARKII
24 million pixels
New battery, new grip
DIGIC IV
Video
2600 Euros

There is a slight problem for Canon in that some original NDAs expired on the 12th Sept (original release date) so Canon is furiously trying to impose new ones for next week ;-)

Meanwhile in a DPR thread we get:

New AF design: improved version will be used in next 1D series.
100% viewfinder coverage
2 (or more) speeds (fps) with different size handling.
Body: a sexy one :)

We are led to believe that whilst the AF is improved, it is not what will appear in the 1D series next year.

The Slogan on the Japanese Canon site has changed. It roughly translates as "The thing being hidden deeply" while the original is "the upcoming evolution"

It's been suggested that the low light performance of the camera will be a key part of the advertising campaign "Photography by candlelight"

An enquiry in Sweden (thanks) however, suggested that the next press event for Canon was on the 23rd at Photokina??

Processing of the image shows more detail including that the lens is most likely an 82mm filter size, while the small size of the reflected spot suggests a wide angle (such as the 16-35 II or perhaps a new wide zoom?)

Could just be the 50/1.2 being used to emphasise the low light performance of the camera?

I'm told that the lens is not big enough for this though I'm expecting people to pull out more detail over the next few days.

The size of the hot shoe does allow quite accurate measurement of the dimensions of the camera since they all have to fit the same size flash units.

There has been quite a bit of comment and discussion about all this, including the fact that the EOS letters seem to be part of the body rather than on a 'name plate'.

A slight change in the Canon moon.(06:30GMT)

9th No changes in the moon (07:30 GMT) and it's a $3000 A900

At 'Red' they are after making a 'DSLR Killer'...

"We believe, and are developing for late 2009, a replacement for DSLRs. Currently, we call it a DSMC (Digital Still & Motion Camera)."

However, in a forum post, this is mentioned:
"As Nikon and Canon release their 720P and 1080P, respectively, DSLRs with video capture...”

So it looks as if not only will you get video in the new camera, it will be 1080 as well.

According to comments heard at a dealers, people are off to a Canon event next week to see it (and at around $3k too)

Oh and I'm told (thanks) that Buy.com still have the 5D2 field guide listed (the one from months ago)

8th A Chinese site says it's a 7D and has a retail price of 19,000 Yuan (~$2700) or 16k 'street')

A total of 3 DSLRs 'in the next week' we're told (i.e. one each from Sony Panasonic and Canon)

Even so, B&H is aparently buying up advertising keywords for 7D, 6D and 3D [CR]

The Canon moon pic hasn't changed since last week (07:50 GMT)

A 'mystery camera' captured from an Olympics video feed features on DPR. Is it what we're waiting for, or is it just an old 5D with a 50/1.2 lens. (thanks to everyone who sent this one in)

7th I'm told (thanks) that DC magazine in the UK is suggesting that September the 17th is time for a Canon announcement.

As we saw suggested:

'Destined Evolution' = EOS 5De

Ah yes, the EOS 5De, so we can (like the some cars) in future years get the Evo 6, 7 etc ;-)

There is also another picture of the 7D (pics on 7D page) below but with similar problems in photoshopping to the other (but not at all bad though ;-)

6th 2 FF cameras from Canon? No... DigitalRev ups it to 3 with thoughts of a 4D, 7D and 9D. With 12/16/16MP and assorted features. (Am I being cynical or is this one of the more blatant attempts by a reseller to get people to visit their site ;-) )

I was also sent a slightly differently edited version of the 'Moon' picture below (thanks) It doesn't show much more but suggests that both images below are from the same sequence of shots.

There is also a supposed 7D picture doing the rounds - it's about 2/3 the way down this Xitec thread

There is a DPR thread that mentions the elementary Photoshop errors that yell 'fake' :-)

Look at the uneven placing of the buttons for example.

2008 September 5th On the German Canon site we get this thing floating by ;-)

The contrast has been stretched a bit to make it clearer.

Comparison with the images below shows where buttons and the like have been erased.

On numerous Canon sites a 'teaser' ad campaign has started.

The faint image of a camera is starting to appear

Roll over to see what a steep curves adjustment shows (a standard trick to use when looking at all the 'fakes' I've been sent over the years)

Currently best of all is on the Canon Japan site [img from DPR]

No pop up flash :-)

It has been pointed out that this looks very similar to the current model in outline, and that mybe it will 'evolve' into the new version over the next few days ;-) However, look here for a shot showing that the buttons have moved from the 5D.

A new EF Lens manufacturing plant has been announced too.

September 4th Way to go Canon! - in a display of corporate podicide (shooting self in foot) Canon US lean on canonrumors.com to stop them using the domain name to ...publicise 'things Canon'. Whilst I'd have been more careful in using a big company's logo on my site, I'll keep my thoughts about the corporate mentality that comes up with this approach (and the lawyers enforcing it) to myself. ;-) Seems Nikon are quite happy to have Nikonrumours waving their flag?

The 7D? A French magazine suggests that it's got a 7D article.

[Update - it seems that their cover story is based on the state of rumours as of 10th August - or ancient history as it's known ;-) ]

This from what it says is in its next issue.

On POTN we get a different name for the new camera... It's the 'EOS Digital'... guess I'd best set up an EOS Digital Mk2 page then ;-)

A suggested date is the 23rd [Xitec]

There are quite a few 2000D mentions on forums - this is probably the D2000 from 10 years ago (2MP and Canon's 3rd digital)

Looking at the on/off/on Canon MF project, we wondered if it was back on again?

Well we've just been told (via the same sources that provided the info yesterday) that:

With the worldwide digital MF market under 10,000 per year and falling, Canon changed its strategy a year or so ago... They are instead going for the 50-65MP FF sensors (mostly likely 65MP) and upgrade existing lenses to deal with it. At 65MP you are at the diffraction limit for lenses at more than f/2.8 or so. [this might be a little harsh... perhaps f/5? - KC]
Canon reckon that by the time Phase One etc. do 120-130MP backs to take advantage of their greater sensor area (double FF or so), there will be so few needing the resolution that it doesn't matter. The Digital MF market will then be a few thousand a year.

The Sony FF is 24.6MP and there is even a National Geographic ad at Xitec

This has been picked up a lot and is the source for most of the Sony info you'll see:

Specs (from Ad)

The new a900 has arrived. A new height in the “a” revolution is now within reach. Engineered with the exclusive 24.6 Mega Pixel Full Frame Exmor CMOS sensor, an industry breakthrough from Sony, this powerhouse integrates only the best imaging technologies from the world’s leading image sensor manufacturer. A work of art for the truly discerning individual.
24.6 Mega Pixel Full Frame Exmor CMOS Sensor – Dual BIONZ Image Processing Engine – Intelligent Preview – 100% Viewfinder, 0.74x Magnification – 3.0”, 921K-out Hybrid LCD – 9-point Centre Dual-cross AF (with f2.8 sensor and wide-area 10-point assist) – 5 fps Continuous Shooting – SteadyShot INSIDE

3rd Back from photographing bits of Scotland, I've been sent another collection of Canon technical info...
(now updated with lots more info just received)

60D features, 70D prospects, lenses, feature migration from the 'pro' range and the wholesale redesign of what a 'professional' camera is. (warning - mentions EVF - I know this scares some people ;-)

Info on the 60D page - if true, then bodes well for '5D2' features.

Meanwhile in the 'debate' that just won't go away, there's a hefty new film vs. digital thread at DPR :-)

2nd I'm told that that much of that Spanish article is 'very similar' to our info from last week, however they do claim to have independant confirmation for the 21MP, and I'm told the author is a respected source of info. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with info!

How about a 7D at 18MP - sounds ok, but for the dual Digic 3 in the 'specs' ... should we not expect Digic IV in everything new?

On a firmer footing, I've heard (thanks) of someone who is awaiting an insurance replacement of their 5D - their dealer says a new version is out probably within a couple of weeks, and definitely by the end of month. They don't stock the 5D anymore and got the update info from Canon Canada

2008 September 1st September 18th is getting widely quoted as the next 'release date' for the follow up to the 5D

DS also reckons 21MP - however if you read Spanish, or the translation, just compare it with our story of 27th Aug. The similarities are quite noticeable - we know where we got our info from ;-)

But seriously, I'd value a comment from someone who can read the original article and say just how similar (aka 'inspired by') it is to our comments from the 27th Aug

2008 August 31st The 5D replacement and new Sony FF are in the hands of reviewers, but no D3'x' [DPR] also a Sept 17th meeting for Canon UK dealers.

Also there is again the prospect of two FF Canon bodies a la 3D/6D and another mention of the 'end' of the '1D' line.

Looking back at various posts and predictions made earlier this month, several of the posters who suggested a 15MP 50D and 18-200 lens, also pointed to a 21MP 5D replacement.

If so then expect some more serious leaks before long ;-)

30th 5D followup at PK - or so we believe this Spanish site says [GooTrans]

A comment [fkr] about someone trying the 6D (with 6D in EXIF [pic] )

Moving in from the outside, we have potential FF DSLR noises coming from Red, the video people [EG] However I'm not sure if the 35mm film format mentioned is 'photography 35mm' at 36x24mm or one of the frame sizes used on 35mm film (for example 'Academy' at 22x16 [WP] )

If you're curious about previous Canon numbering history, there is this info about film numbering (table from WP)

Canon EOS Film SLR Timeline

	1987				1988				1989				1990				1991				1992				1993				1994				1995				1996				1997				1998				1999				2000				2001				2002				2003				2004				05-08
Professional												1																				1N																						1V
Prosumer													10/10S											5/A2/A2E																								3
Advanced Amateur	650/620/630																		100 Elan																50/50E Elan II/IIE 55																					30/33 Elan 7/7E 7															30V/33V Elan 7N/7NE 7s
Consumer								750QD 850								1000F Rebel S						1000FN Rebel S II							500 Rebel XS Kiss												500N Rebel G New Kiss											300 Rebel 2000 Kiss III													300V Rebel Ti Kiss 5							300X Rebel T2 Kiss 7
Entry Level																																	5000 888																3000 88												3000N Rebel XS N 66						3000V Rebel K2 Kiss Lite

29th Seemingly it's a new HD AVI format that's getting announced [DPR] at Photokina.

Possibly one that's supported by the next Canon DSLR or one of the slew of cameras that PopPhoto seemingly accidentally announced a few days ago.

You may have noticed lots of similar sets of specs associated with the replacement for the 5D. We've been trying to track down some of the original sources (no easy task given the frequent internet habit of not attibuting something lest it takes a visitor to your page somewhere else ;-) A good forum thread to keep an eye on is the FM 5D replacement one.

The name for the new camera is one current area that no real news has come out. I called this page the '5D2 page' long ago, since it was a convenient designation for the 5D successor. It could be anything, although I suspect the number based system is likely to stick, other than for the US and Japanese markets where the concept of names is well established - no doubt for solid 'local' marketing purposes. ;-) [DPR]

Are you in London on Tuesday September the 9th

Fancy a look at the new Sony FF camera?

We were just forwarded this flyer...

...book early, limited space available :-)

28th How about that new camera next week? A comment we've had suggests an announcement by the end of next week...
20+MP and video do sound interesting though.

The consensus is definitely only -one- new DSLR from Canon at Photokina. We also hear of a joint press conference at Photokina from Adobe, Apple, Canon, Microsoft, Nokia and Sony (note no Nikon) - are we about to have a new standard for something photographic? DNG from more cameras? Another better version of JPEG?

If you're curious, you might like to look at our info on Canon future developments published before the 40D last August - it's on the archive page We're told that a potential 5D replacement was ready to go, but pulled for lack of real competition (5D was selling well) and desire to make it a bigger jump in performance.

The Nikon D90 video feature is getting some attention (useful links at RG)

Video has also reappeared in some 5D2 specs [CR] although our other info doesn't expect this to debut until early next year in the 500D.

BTW Best of luck to Canonrumors.com who it seems have fallen foul of the Canon legal department in the US. 'Non Illegitimus Carborundum' (school motto of St Trinians) ;-) or (I believe) in more accurate Latin "Noli nothis permittere te terere." [WP]

August 27th At several Canon press conferences around the world yesterday, the party line was obviously to hint at there being another SLR announcement this year. However, at the Norwegian event I'm told that someone (from Canon) clearly said there were two to come.

"Canon announces 50D Updated topic/news: Canon has today announced 50D. This is just the start of an autumn where they are promising another two new cameras in the EOS-series. Read Per Inge Østmoens comments and the press release here."

This from foto.no Thanks for pointing this out, however I've had another comment from Norway that it now reads to imply a total of two EOS cameras (as reported elsewhere)

However the official party line (at least in Hong Kong) is to say:

"We have just annouced a 50D, which is the 40D's sucessor, we have one more SLR coming this year, which is being highly anticipated but not yet as high grade as 1D series, please stay tuned for further annoucement "
Note- This was overheard from Canon staff...

And what will get announced for PK...?

As I mentioned the other day, I had quite a few more questions about the Canon technical info posted. Well, we had some more info sent to us... (Thanks again ;-) )

"The 50D sensor and image processing are a major step forward in what has been a multi-year strategy for Canon to take sensor technology to the limits of physics, simultaneously achieving higher ISOs, lower noise and higher dynamic range.  Note Chuck Westall’s announcement that the 50D sensor has 1 to 1 and a half stops better noise than the 40D sensor despite the smaller pixels.  Several core strategies have been pursued simultaneously for this:

Reducing the micro lens gap to capture all the light hitting the sensor.  This has been highlighted in the 40D, 1D III and 1Ds III sensors and the new 50D sensor now achieves effective 100% coverage.  Only very minor improvements are expected from this point on (e.g. shaping the lenses towards the corners of the frame to capture angled light.
Reducing the noise level of each pixel.  Canon have made changes over several generations of sensors to achieve this, bringing the amplifiers closer to each pixel, changing micro-circuit configuration and lowering voltages so the sensor runs colder.  Again the design of the 50D is a big step forward here from the 40D and 1D III etc.  Canon have one more big jump lined up, with low voltage cold running CMOS designs to gain at least an additional stop in lower noise at higher ISOs or long exposures.
Better digital noise reduction. These are the changes in DIGIC noise processing.  First with the Chroma Noise reduction in DIGIC III and now with more advanced multi-level noise reduction options in DIGIC IV.  Canon believe they have made most of the gains possible via processing algorithms but do still have some areas to develop.  The next focus will be faster noise reduction processing so that it does not come at an impact on frame burst rates (look to the 1D3 replacement for example)
Pixel binning for high ISOs.  A new technology enabled by the complexity and processing power of DIGIC IV where they can bin 2, 4 or 8 pixels together at the raw level and average out the noise between them.  This is seen by Canon as a key technology in balancing very high resolution sensors (in the 50mp range) with low noise at very high ISOs.  Right now they are not pushing this too much with the 50D so as to not create confusion in the market (they see more potential for the technology as sensors get larger and in the pro-market).
Increased image resolution – This is a newer strategy (most evident on the 450D where they have changed the anti-aliasing filter (thinner and closer etc) so as to achieve a crisper image per pixel without loosing the benefits of anti-aliasing filter on diagonal edges etc..  The 50D has the same technology.  One further option for the future is for Canon to drop the anti aliasing physical filter and do it in a future DIGIC generation where there can be smarter allocation of colour values than the blurring achieved by a light based filter.
Increased raw bit depth for improved dynamic range. Here Canon have made the jump to 14 bit and will move to 16 bit in their future sensor technology generations.  Canon see the main usage of extra bit depth as providing the dynamic range to translate the sensor image into a printable or viewable image with a higher dynamic range.  In other words mapping the 14 or 16 bits into an 8 bit viewable or printable image that mimics the dynamic range in the scene.
Dynamic range preservation options – Canon are putting a lot of focus into how to provide the photographer with the best options for preserving the dynamic range of the original image in both a RAW file and the 8 bit JPEG.  The highlight tone preservation option on the 40D, 1D III etc was the first step.  The new 'automatic brightness' options  in the 50D are another, where they try and optimise the brightness of various parts of the image to reduce the dullness from shadows.  Canon are planning much more in this area, down to the equivalent of varying the ISO level across the different parts of the sensor when the image is taken (easier in live view mode of course).

So what does this mean?

The 50D DIGIC IV sensor and image processing technology is felt to be Canon’s biggest jump in many years.

The same technology will allow a 21-25mp FF sensor to have 1 to 1.5 stops better noise performance than the 3 year old 12mp sensor in the 5D.

Canon are not going to watch market share be lost in the 1D range to Nikon and are actively planning to incorporate this technology in the 1 series as well, sooner than many might expect.

Canon have hit the limits on light gathering but believe there is a good 1 to 1.5 stops lower noise still to be achieved at the physical electrical level before they reach the limits of physics (background noise due to heat etc) and are working on the circuit design for this (native 12800 being one goal)

The other technologies in the image processing, pixel binning, dynamic range preservation space are seen as all offering room for significant further improvement in the image delivered to the photographer.  Canon have a vision where the imagine processing is so good that it is capable of transparently capturing the dynamic range of a scene and converting it into a JPEG in a way that for most consumers cuts out blown highlights and detail lost in shadow without further processing."

Once again thanks to the sources that contributed the info. Expect a Digic IV powered 500D in the spring, although I'd also rate the chances of the mythical 3D appearing as higher than they've been for some time ;-)

August 26th 2008 - just a 50D... ;-)

However, at a press conference, Canon did say (at a press conference in Sweden) that another DSLR will be announced this year, just not what it would be. (Other press conference comments DPR)

One interesting pointer for the 5D replacement (amongst many) was in an interview [PDN] with Chuck Westfield, where he says:

Westfall said one of the keys about the 50D is its enhanced noise reduction which is "a stop to a stop and half better than the 40D."
"Despite the fact that the pixels are smaller and one camera has a 10.1MP sensor and the other has a 15.1MP sensor, you'd think you'd have more noise but you have less," he said. "The end result is better image quality all around which allows us to extend the ISO range to 12800.
The 50D is able to achieve this because of new "gapless microlenses" on the image sensor which capture more light and generate less noise.
"It's the further evolution of a concept we've already explored. It's gotten to the point where the microlenses are totally gapless and larger which produces the best efficency on a per pixel basis. Consequently the light senstiviy portion of the pixel has increased while the non-light sensitive protion of the pixel has been shrunk down," he said. "Another part of the reason you have a cleaner signal coming out is DIGIC 4 is considerable more powerful than the DIGIC 3 and offers better noise reduction."

I also noticed this Sony press release from June, that discussed using back-lit cmos sensors. Widely used in astronomical CCD detectors, the fabrication difficulties and costs have up until now kept it out of the consumer market. (note that our eyes work in the back illuminated mode, hence things like a blind spot. Other versions of eyes have evolved with different designs including back illumination (Octopus))

In our version of the info we had a few days ago (22/8), it seem that we slightly missed some of the nuances we were being given ;-) After some 'clarification' it might be better to say:

"Canon obviously takes all those surveys it commissions seriously. Despite what you may see on various gear related forums, the mythical 'prosumer' customer bases a lot of their decisions on ISO range, frames per second, image stabilisation and, you've guessed it, megapixels.
The 10MP 40D was Canons attempt at addressing the Frame Rate (hence the optimistic 6.5fps that turned out to be really 6.3fps) and Image Stabilisation by adding IS to the low cost kit lens.
However the 12mp D300 and Sony and 14mp Pentax left a challenge, as well as the 6400 ISO of the D300.
Thus the big increase in MP and ISO for the 50D to cover all the major bases.
The 50D (and future Canon marketing materials) will push more directly the benefits of the IS kit lens to counter the active IS campaigns of Sony and Pentax.  Canon feels that this leaves Sony and Pentax still basically bettered at the retail counter.
However, they know that the new D90 due very very shortly (which is more of a price competitor at a retail level for the 50D) has add-on GPS and Movie Mode with Sound. Not to mention an improved 'feel' to make it more like the D300 range in appearance.  Hence the ‘early’ release of the 50D"

The long awaited G10 has also appeared on PopPhoto [PP]

True 5x zoom wide angle lens (28-140mm equivalent.)
Face Detection can recognize profiles.
14.7 megapixel capture
RAW format files editable in Canon Digital Photo Pro (instead of ZoomBrowser/Imagebrowser like the G9)
ISO up to 1600 with binned pixels lo-rez 3200 scene setting
ISO dial now wraps around mode dial.
Exposure Comp has own dial to left of the hotshoe (where the ISO dial was on the G9.)

Anyway here is the rest of the info - unfortunately the press release never did appear on the page ;-)

"Canon’s newest flagship compact packs 14.7 megapixels, a 28-140mm 5x zoom, a 3 inch 460K pixel LCD and DPP-supported RAW into a familiar, but not identical body as its predecessor.
Canon has today announced the Canon Powershot G10 (SRP: $499), a 14.7 megapixel luxe-class compact digital camera as the replacement to the popular G9. The G10, along with the other compact cameras announced today, is powered by the Digic 4 processor. "

It seems PopPhoto also announced the 990 IS and 880 IS, the former being a 14.7MP, the latter a 10MP camera, as well as the SX1S, a 20x P&S with articulated screen and hotshoe.

"Canon announces SD990IS, SD880IS, A2000IS, A1000IS, SX1IS, SX110IS
The six new digicams may have their differences, but be it an Elph or a 20X EVF, they’ve all optical image stabilization and Digic 4 processors on the inside.
Canon has announced several new cameras today, including the high end 14.7 megapixel Powershot SD990IS (SRP: $399) and 10 megapixel SD880IS (SRP: $349) Elphs, the 10 megapixel A2000IS (SRP: $249), the 4.5x zoom A1000IS (SRP: $199) and E1 (a ‘tween-oriented variant of the A1000IS), the 9 megapixel SX110 (SRP: $299) with a 36-360mm 10x zoom, and the SX1S ($449), a 10 megapixel 20x 28-560mm EVF with an articulated LCD and EX-compatible hotshoe."

25th August The 50D site is no longer accessible - on the offchance it was an accidental leak, then someone is having an unpleasant Monday somewhere ;-)

24th What looks like a test site for a new Japanese Canon site has been found.(in Chinese though)

More details and pics of the 15.1MP 50D on our 50D page.

However look at the model layout... No 5D replacement yet

Since we can expect to see Digic IV in a 5D replacement, here's the Google translation of what the '50D site' says (from Chinese)

23rd All the current Canon news we're getting is 50D related, however a new Nikon MF round of rumours is underway, with an interesting DPR posting by Thom Hogan - More on the Canon MF page.

Although the Leica/Canon link up rumours still seem to be going, we've not seen any real follow up [DPR] . The DPR Leica forum being a much more polite and refined place than the Canon ones ;-)

After some comments from PC using visitors we've changed type sizes and link format on the site - hopefully this makes the pages a bit easier to read for some people?

2008 August 22nd I've seen the sudden burst of info just lately and last week contacted one of our sources, who's been of great help in the past with info on the direction Canon's taking. The following is based on our discussion (i.e. me asking for more details ;-)

• Canon obviously takes all those surveys it commisions seriously. Despite what you may see on various gear related forums, the mythical 'prosumer' customer bases a lot of their decisions on ISO range, frames per second and, you've guessed it, megapixels. The 10MP 40D was seen as markedly inferior to the D300, despite the hefty price difference. Thus the big increase in MP and ISO for the 50D. (note 'corrections' to this paragraph above on 26th)
• Canon expect Sony to massively undercut the 1Ds Mk3 with their 25MP model(s?) which would put pressure on Canon if they stuck to 12 or 16MP FF for the 5D replacement. Nikon will also have two more before long, one well above the D3 in price, one between the D700 and D3. One in a D3 like body, the other in a D700 like body. The effective strategy is thus
• - 5D replacement - emphasise low noise
• - High MP FF pro camera, lower cost than 1Ds Mk3 [Yay, the 3D at last! -KC]
• - 1Ds Mk3 upgrade (sooner than the 2010 '3 year' cycle) ~38MP with 50D pixels - meantime, expect significant 1Ds Mk3 price cuts.
• The new sensor design for the 50D has elements of the '50MP Demo' chip that everyone keeps mentioning, as will the 5D replacement. These two sensors are regarded as more of a step in performance than many previous changes. In particular, with the new 50D sensor, many of Canons primes (and some L zooms) will show the benefit of the high pixel density (38MP FF equiv).
• Equally well, a FF sensor at this density will show up a lot of their lenses, so they have put a lot of resources into making sure that when the next 'flagship' camera debuts at ~35MP it will have more improved glass. The Nikon 12-24 was a bit more of a wake-up call and with the 24-70 was enough of a reason to switch for some of Canon's pro customers. New aspheric designs and exotic glasses take a lot of computer power and very specialised software.
• For press use, expect HD video, since Digic IV has the processing power to handle this and the bigger sensor pixel counts. Expect it to debut in some form in the next consumer DSLR (500D). Part of the big AF redesign is addressing the problem of how to provide responsive tracking AF at a performance level suitable for sports use.
• The 1D3 AF saga has deeply embarassed Canon, who are in the midst of a complete AF redesign from the 1 series down - this design team has been given considerable authority and resources. AF based on the new designs was specifically left out until next year's models (early 2009)
• Sony are making no secret of their desire to go to 45-50MP within a few years. Sony's ability to compete price wise anywhere they choose worries Canon more than a revitalised Nikon. Despite their Zeiss lens pedigree, the threat is seen more in the prosumer range where the Sony brand is known. Despite their feeling that lens based IS is superior, Canon know that the in body IS of Sony is being used as an effective marketing tool.
• Nikon have been agressively marketing towards pro photographers of late and their perceived weakness in prime lenses will not last.

Well, interesting, although we had -many- more questions that we didn't get answers to ;-)

How about a new name for the 5d2? Some more would be specs... [DPR]

21st Internally in Canon, I hear that the 5D is officially marked as 'discontinued'. Although there is no corresponding specs for the replacement yet. Given these are usually available a while (couple of weeks I'm told) before the release, a later (Photokina) release date is expected. Best guess specs were 14-15MP ;-)

In the US, I hear of a BestBuy store sending their demo 5D back. In Norway most in shops seem to have been sold. With one store saying their back order "Canon Digital EOS 5D m/24-105mm F4 L IS" for late September had an 'unconfirmed' status.

The one month 40D rebate scheme is announced (£60) Details from Canon.

Some of you may remember the viewfinder tilt problem I had with my 1Ds3. It's now been fixed under warranty by Canon - Full story

20th From Xitek [via Sweden]

• "Sony a900 body. There the posted price is 2490 Eur which is a very little cheaper than the Nikon D700 (2499 Eur) and much cheaper than the Canon 7d (2990 Eur).
• In stock on Sept. 30."

Also linked from DPR with a September 10th announcement date.

The Dutch Canon site has announced a new series of workshops for buyers of the 450D, 40D and 5D. Runs until Jan 1st 2009. Note this is via a third party supplier and probably has no real indication of model changes.

Also in an update to the forthcoming UK 40D rebate, we hear that at the end of the months scheme, it may turn into a price cut or be continued.

19th Canon gave an interesting interview in China this week (PCP)

We were kindly sent this English version (and notes)

A rough estimation via the press centre for the Beijing olympics showed that about 70% of news photographers are Canon users [Quite the same as the number reported by Canon Professional Network for Euro 08]
Canon has no plans to join the Micro 4/3 industry at the moment. Canon has different sized sensors already, and users have different systems. Most of them don't want to invest for another new system.
Canon thinks different sensors have their own characteristics, whether or not APS-C will be replaced completely depends on market demand, but Canon takes the upcoming decrease of Full Frame camera cost due to sensor cost dropping as a good sign, which makes FF more affordable.
The 50 Megapixels sensor is not ready to be used in cameras because other components are to be improved to fit it, for instance, larger sensor demands a larger body. The reason why Canon annouced this news is to prove her technological leadership is 10 years ahead of others. [that's an APS-H sensor in the original announcement BTW]
On the 1D merging issue, with today's CMOS technology, it is not easy to get "Good quality, high speed" at the same time. Yet Canon tech has been developing rapidly, once the cost is reasonable, we can solve this problem.
No words on 5D sucessor, saying that no such information available. But they have received feedbacks from Chinese dealers saying that people are waiting for a new 5D and 12MP will be enough already.
About Canon's lack of passion about things like HDMI.... These technologies are not Canon's core ones but developed by others instead, we will buy them and put them in our camera if we found it necessary. We often need to make decisions between different features, for example, there is a company which uses vari-angle LCD on its monitor, this sacrifies the size of the monitor, some may thing it is good, vice versa, and Canon has to pick the choice which most will appreciate, but not everyone will be satisfied.[this echoes what Chuck Westfall said during CES, with OLED, the display of SLRs will be a part of Canon's core technology, then we will see better monitors on them] Eye-controlled focus, we are not using it because of feedback from the market, but we haven't stop developing it,.
Canon has noticed market demand of a product with small body but large sensor size, but no development has been carried out yet, Canon focuses on how to combine convenience and quality.[With that said, it may imply that "a product with small body but large sensor size" can not provide a versatile enough focal length range]

As ever, don't expect anything too definite ever to come out of an interview with senior Canon Execs ;-) I'm sure that others can find more nuances in the translation, but remember there are many things that don't easiliy translate.

In one of the more odd rumours (this is rumours 'silly season') there's a report of Leica and Canon getting together (II) - time for a 1Ds3 sensor in a Leica rangefinder body? (cheap -NOT)

A similar 50D/'5D2' thread [at DPR] to the one below also suggests the 15MP 50D soon and the 5D replacement for Photokina (interestingly a one month 40D rebate is due to start (UK) later this week)

18th More 50D info, but not 5D2 yet. From the same thread... Digic IV will be used in upcoming IXUS but not on 50D.

If the 15MP estimate for the 50D is correct, that equates to ~38MP for a FF 1DsIV late next year ;-)

I've just got back from a trip to the Canon UK service centre at Elstree, where I've finally had a long enough gap in work to drop off my 1Ds3 to have it's viewfinder mis-alignment sorted. Full report on its return, but in the mean time my trusty 1Ds has been called back up from the subs bench...

From the Xitek forum I'm also sent reports that the new 5D will come in at $2500 and that there will be an FF 'Digital Elan' next Spring (think 7D). New lenses would include an IS 100mm macro and a 35-70 F2.

I'm also told that at Bestbuy in the States, the 40D/28-135 kit is backordered at stores and 'soldout online', the 5D is marked backordered for all combinations.

17th if you're looking for another camera to put in your pocket, I hear that B&H in the US are showing the G9 as 'discontinued'. Time for a G10.

Let's hope that Canon don't follow Nikon's dismal example of the P6000 which has a new raw format that isn't supported by any standard converters and doesn't even have software that will run on a Mac - I follow quite a few Nikon sites too, and many have greeted Nikon's latest offering with disbelief. I could do with a new small camera, and at a stroke Nikon have effectively told me to go away...

15th Several reports of a Canon sales meeting in Hawaii [DPR] and the 50D (15MP) out later this month, but 5D follow up not out until just before Photokina - 23rd Sept to 28th Sept. Last year the 1Ds3 and 40D were both announced on the same date (20th August)

Tha Sony A900 (name still not certain) is expected to be shown to the world on September 9th/10th [PA] but maybe delayed until PK.

14th Back to 21MP for a 7D? [CR]

21.1 MP FF,Dual Digic III Processor, ISO 100-6400 L:50 & H:12800, 5 FPS, 3" High Resolution Screen (LCD), 19 point AF, Liveview, Viewfinder: 100% Coverage,No pop-up flash,Full weather sealing, EF Lenses only

Ah yes the cut price 1Ds3 ;-)

13th Thanks to all who queried the specs below - yes that is an 'optimistic' throughput for a single DigicIII processor. I'd previously not expected to see DigicIV until next year, possibly in the FF 1D4.

Oh and the UPC barcode database now contains a 9D (BTW my friend's cat is a more reliable source of new product info than this database.)

12th Not having been watching the Olympics, I'd not noticed the less than solid 'wall of white lenses' at some events - this is a matter of concern in some quarters... ;-)

And how about 21MP for the 5D followup?... In a thread [FM] suggesting that an 18-200 EF-s lens (f3.5 to 5.6 IS USM) is to be announced for Photokina.

Meanwhile on DPR we get a 5D II spec...

16.7 MP FF sensor
Single Digic III Processor
ISO 100-3200 (Low: 50 + High 6400)
6-8 fps - depending on grip
3" High Resolution OLED LCD
will accept EF Lenses, not EF-S
11 point AF
AF Microadjustment
Liveview (as per 1000D)
35 Zone Metering
Viewfinder: 96 percent coverage .72 magnification
Pop up flash
New Lithium Ion Battery
Weather Sealing slightly better than 40D

Canon have just announced a couple of printers and maybe we'll see a load of small cameras at IFA in Berlin (Aug 28 - Sep 3) I've also seen suggestions that we should expect a D3X (and maybe D300s and probably a D90) on the 27th.

A 24MP D3X might certainly take some of the shine off the 5D replacement, although I've heard that Canon have gone for 'Image Quality' rather than just big ISO numbers

11th You might have been watching the sport at the Olympics...

Others have been busy grabbing shots of the photographers and 'mystery' cameras [DPR] :-)

10th Although I'd be surprised to see any changes in the 1 series so soon, I was just told of price cuts in a Cophenhagen camera store (10-12%) which has apparently of had clearences of stock before previous model changes. However, I've seen no price movement here in the UK for some time, and I'm not expecting any change in the 'big guns' until next year at the earliest (of course there are still regular mutterings about the 3D on plenty of lists ;-)

Meanwhile, in a worrying sign, it seems that the famous tsiphoto (aka 'DPReview Magic Eightball') has taken to posting on a Nikon forum. ;-) :-)

8th It seems that, whatever gets mentioned on the 26th is only a private press preview, with a launch in September...

So suggests this Danish site (Google translation)

"Therefore, Canon invited to a narrow circle of "roundtable" 26. august. As Canon writes in the invitation, so will the rest of the press be invited to the press in september. This suggests anything on that, though news 26. august, but all the indications are that it will be so secret that we can not write about it.
But I believe - and this is purely personal - that Canon will launch an upgraded version of the 5D. Fullframe and 16 megapixels. In addition, I believe that launching another fullframe camera and not an EOS 1D Mark III."

There's that second full frame body again...

7th Get your 5DMkII book...

Yes, it's back again, the 5D2 field guide, but with this time with a November 10th release guide and you can pre-order it

While the 5D price in the UK has fallen a bit, I'm told that at B&H it has jumped upwards. Are we seeing a rise in demand coupled with a shortage of supply in the US?

6th NDA breaking?

From someone posting in POTN about a presentation today.

"Some new P&S from Canon, G10/11/12 something....new FS lens, then "5D replacement" they talk about features, which basically boils down to "more of everything" but not quite what say the 40D has in burst rates. Better ISO, more pixels (more than 12 less than 16), then moves onto another lens and some crap about flashes."

later they added

"The new lenses that were talked about don't really interest me as they were some EF-S lenses that would mimic some of the L lenses I have already. It seemed to me that the focus was on "pro-sumer" middle ground stuff. They started talking about market penetration in sub $1000 bodies and sub $1500 kits and gaining market share in the sub $250 P&S market. I never even owned the G series stuff so I don't really know anything about that. They also seemed to imply that the "5D replacement" was not a pro body, and maybe that was always true but I sort of thought of it as an entry level pro body. They did go over a list of features and how they would compare to Nikon, the D3 and D700. The way they made it seem, the "5D replacement" would be better than a D700 and not quite the D3 but have a much better sensor than the D3. Something to the effect that the "5D replacement" would be more technologically advanced then any other pro-sumer camera on the market. Incorporating technology from the flagship 1D2 Mk III."

Follow this lengthy POTN thread and see what you make of it... (thanks for sending this ;-)

All the other stuff I've found so far are various re-hashes of stuff from the last few days :-)

For more discussion of just what was in those Swedish pages see FM

5th The 26th of August is the date the Swedish Mag K&B has been invited to a Canon press event.

Originally via Canon Canada (we're told) we were sent the following specs for 'the new camera'

12MP
5fps, Up to 21 RAW files
Dust removing system
15-point TTL CMOS sensor
Center point additionally sensitive with lenses of F2.8 or faster
96% frame coverage
Magnification: 0.71x
3.0" 640x480 TFT LCD (920,000 pixels)
ISO 50-3200 extended to 12800 and 25600
DIGIC III, 14-bit
Canon EF lens mount (not EF-S)
Live View Mode
The body is very similar to the 5D, similar handgrip
Surprisingly cheap, US$ 1,899

This is the lowest MP suggestion I've seen for a while, and leaves room for a $3k 16-18MP FF as well (dare we say 3D anyone :-)

**Just a reminder - this is a rumours page, so keep that pinch of salt at hand!

A supposed box picture for the 7D appears at EG

Not one of the more convincing ones we've seen ;-)

Apply a steep curves layer to a zoomed in (300%) view of the writing and that 7 does not look well ;-)

UPDATE - a fake from last year [flkr]

That UPC barcode has been edited again... I note that there are now 10 pending updates, and 12 on the 4D code :-)

Where is the next big camera battleground? Well, it seems that Olympus and Panasonic have decided to give the slightly moribund four thirds format a shot in the arm.

A new mirrorless 'Micro Four Thirds' specification is going to allow for a range of cameras with smaller interchangeable lenses (and exising ones with an adapter tube).

Think four thirds rangefinder cameras (think the four thirds Leica :-)

Some key features

Same 4/3 sensor size (18 x 13.5 mm)
Flange back distance half that of 4/3 (20 versus 40 mm)
Lens mount diameter 6 mm smaller (44 versus 50 mm)
Lens to body electrical contact points up to 11 from 9

There is more info and comment at DPR and DCR How about a Canon version using a cut down EF lens mount and the APS-C sensor. Use all your EF and EF-S lenses with an adapter tube?

Also there is a forum comment from someone who took a faulty 5D back and was told that would discontinue it shortly, so had their money back

4th Whenever Canon decide to kick things off, it may well follow a big Sony announcement that is scheduled for the 14th [PCA]

Most likely the FF A900 - pricing and features will make for some interesting discussions once the next Canon FF camera(s?) gets announced ;-)

3rd How about the 18th of August for a $3k 16MP FF camera? [DPR]

2nd In what may not be entirely welcome news for some at Canon, Rob Galbraith has at last published a mammoth study of AF issues with the 1D3 and 1Ds3.

It's a long article, so I'd suggest a good read ;-) I note that he nicely 'dismisses' the AF qualities of the 40D - I think this says more about how good the 1D3 is rather than the 40D being bad. I've added a few of my own 1Ds3 thoughts, but don't expect much, since my work is hardly taxing the AF system most of the time, and it works a treat ;-)

It was pointed out to me that in the Swedish blog mentioned yesterday, one of the more interesting observations was that for higher end 'amateur' camera buyers, there seems to be less price sensitivity than perhaps Canon had considered, and that 'more features' would win out over slightly higher prices.

1st According to the editor of a Swedish photo magazine,there will be a launch the day before photokina (22nd September)

A translation at POTN doesn't actually have much of substance, although it suggests that 40D sales have been disappointing for canon and that a 50D may be here in the Autumn rather than early next year.

July 31st In a collection of info via a reader watching some of the Chinese forums (thanks) It seems that a lot of senior Canon people are going to China for the Olympics -and- to announce the next Canon cameras before the olympics (either tomorrow or Monday were suggested dates). The other info suggested two cameras - one single digit, and one double digit... FF 50D anyone?

Oh, and in the 'are they still doing this' category, we have updates to the 7D barcode and one for the 4D - the 7D is listed as 'requires lens' too :-)

Is the 5D replacement collecting in the warehouses? We had this comment (thanks) from a visitor to a Jessops store in the UK

"The Canon rep has told them the 5D replacement has started shipping and is in the UK already (insufficient quantities to release as yet though), unfortunately they weren't able to give me any specs or details as the Canon guy 'didn't know anything' "

No more 5Ds shipping from Canon, along with a similar drying up of the G9 and S5IS according to an FM post. That and a 'Canon sales meeting' in a week or so suggest an earlier announcement than having to wait for Photokina.

I'm told (thanks) 'B&H and BestBuy.com showed 5D on back order last week and both are showing body only and 24-105 kit in stock as of yesterday'. Meanwhile, after chatting with a UK dealer, it seems that the 5D is still selling very well at its current price.

For an even bigger sensor I note that Leaf is going to produce the AFi-10 at 56x36mm and 56MP - more info on the Canon MF page

30th No solid '5D2' rumours to speak of, although the main muttering I'm seeing has moved on to the 40D price drops (not in the UK) and renewed speculation about two new FF cameras.

With the 1000D listed at £400, the 450D at £415, the 40D at £600, 5D at £1200, 1D3 at £2400 and 1Ds3 at £4700 there seems to be a fair bit of bunching at the bottom end (I suspect the 1000D will be at £350 before too long)

Can we expect to see FF at £1000 and £2000? ($2k, $4k) - introduction prices a bit more (think £1500, £2300 to milk pent up Canon FF demand)

26th Somehow I just knew people would try... Thanks for all the mail and explanations for the 'nonexistent' URL behaviour. Most likely something like Apache's mod_speling ?

25th A few years ago I managed to get pictures of an entire range of products before their announcement, by playing around with URLs and making up plausible new ones to see what was there. Most companies are a lot more careful now, but with lots of subsidiaries it can be difficult to keep track of the web empire for a big multinational.

For example http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eos5d/index.html With 5d2 you get the same page, but 5dm2 goes to a 1dmk2 page. As the person who sent me this said (thanks) "probably means nothing" :-)

BTW I'm glad to see a thread on DPR already as to what to do if the 5D2 is a disappointment :-)

24th Announcement on the 25th? reported [DPR] from a Taiwanese forum (also A900 for the 4th Sept and an A800 for next January)

22nd Seemingly [POTN], Photography Monthly magazine is in the rumour market and is pointing to a 16MP 5D2

If you're bored at work and want to read something, I'm told that the D700 manual is available for download from Nikon. :-)

21st In the US, I'm told (thanks) of a Best Buy that was selling 5D display models at minor discount, and no longer has any stock. They were also telling customers that the camera is discontinued and will be replaced.

In Germany, the official price list from Canon seems to have lost the 5D...

20th Another suggestion (DPR) that the 5D follow-up will be announced for late August, although perhaps not available so soon...

16th I've had several mails pointing out that the French 7D info is probably entirely made up ;-)

Somewhat more information rich is the DPR comment about:

Much more predictable, but what are the 'new' features that Canon might want to trumpet?

15th A French store seems to have a placeholder page for the 7D - the 3000 euro price point won't cheer many. Note... no pic, no specs, no information at all really ;-) ...but out for Photokina

14th In the land of things that probably don't mean much, but I'll mention them anyway...

In Norway I'm told that the 30D is no longer available and in the UK, Warehouse Express have changed the arrangement of Canon cameras on their web site...

Meanwhile in expensive camera world, Phase One have announced the P65 a 60MP 'full frame' (645) MF back (more info on the Canon MF page)

11th A good circular rumour - with a post on DPR pointing to somewhere else, which did at least point it back to DPR :-)

FWIW the original says 16MP, 6FPS, 25600 ISO, on 8th Sept - however the lack of liveview would be unlikely - until you read the follow-up post [DPR] which suggests that this is because of the revolutionary low noise... etc etc...

Announced Monday, September 8, 2008 MSRP: $2,399.95 (SSP: $2,199.95), body only 16MP FF sensor 6 FPS Max ISO 25,600 Full weather sealing VGA-resolution display (from same supplier Sony uses for their new Handycams, except in 4:3 aspect ratio here) Pop-up flash

Anti-dust features NO Live View NO pro AF from 1D (although all points are cross-type) NO video mode whatsoever NO compatibility with EF-S lenses NO electronic crop mode for faster shot rate NO HDMI-out NO UDMA CF support

July 9th A somewhat tenuous POTN thread once again says there will be 2 cameras announced after the Olympics - the 3D and 6D

8th Camera testing - what to look out for at sports events and airports ;-) [DPR]

Oh, and there was a Canon announcement today - they announced the Rebel XS in the US (that's the 1000D announced in the rest of the world on June 10th :-)

7th More hints at 3 cameras in a DPR post. Two 5D successors and a new '1' series - this being extremely low noise (look for very high ISO) but 'only' 10MP - more pointers to new CMOS too.

Back to real events... It would seem that Canon are holding a seminar just before Photokina on September the third. All about:
"The lastest development of CMOS and Canon's development examples".[Japanese site]

Google translates it as:

Just how big is that 'large CMOS sensor'? Nothing like a Canon digital MF demo camera to really put the frighteners on a lot of companies :-)

5th Did I say 3D and 7D? well someone has just upped the ante [DPR] to 3 Canon bodies by the autumn ;-) How about an FF 1D3 replacement on the cards... or even a 3D, 5D2, and 7D all FF at 21, 16 and 12MP. Anyone care to raise that? :-)

4th Next week for the 5D follow up? [POTN]

I believe that thread comes from AVF ?

Also, Canon has announced a new camera manufacturing plant is to be built in Japan

And 'Happy 4th' to visitors from the US :-)

3rd After all the years of FF vs. crop arguments on Canon forums, it's amusing to see them start up in earnest on some of the Nikon ones too ;-)

We also had a dealer comment that they had been told to expect an announcement from Canon during the Olympics - unfortunately that's all they said, has anyone else heard of this?

2nd As the 700D clamour dies down a bit there are renewed thoughts about what Canon will come up with next.

Will it be a 'updated' 5D or will Canon make a serious effort at breaking a few moulds?

There is a good short piece about this over at LR - whilst I doubt that Canon will have the will to bring out a 21MP 3D and a 14MP 7D, there are many saying that this is what is needed to give them back some impetus. The Sony A900 (or whatever the FF 'A' series is called) yet alone a high MP D3X may the be the push needed. That new CMOS I've been hearing about for last year or so had better be worth the hint's I've been fed... ;-)

1st D700 is announced (£1999), along with (as expected) two new T/S lenses [45mm and 85mm]

We're also told that B&H is back in stock with the 5D/24-105 combination.

June 30th Is there a Canon announcement later this week? See this DPR post for suggestions about possible announcements

There's more D700 stuff about too, although D3X talk seems to have subsided.

29th There are a lot of D700 pictures and rumours about, so much, that we've put it all on a page of its own - D700 page

27th The 40D price in the UK drops to £470 [quick check shows it wasn't for long though]

We did hear of a potential move to a 12 month release cycle last year, but this was only for 'entry level' DSLRs (so expect a 1000D update next year) The 40D will have been out for a year at Photokina, and most people would be expecting an update for PMA next year.

Is the 40D about to be 'supplemented' with a low end FF camera that will take EF-s lenses?

There's also news of some quite steep falls in price for the Nikon D3 in Japan

26th In a report from Finland (thanks) we hear that a major retailer can no longer get stocks of the 5D + 24-105L kit (bodies and 24-70 kit still available) [Info - Finnish] - seems B&H are also out of this combination too.

Has 5D production stopped? A DPR thread suggests that the Canon (Hungary) site has moved the 5D to the also ran category. I couldn't see anything myself so either it's been changed or a figment of someone's imagination :-)

We also had a comment sent in that Canon are still looking at incorporating EF-S lens support in their 'low end' FF camera. Now while this goes along with some info we had last year, we've had no follow up info suggesting how it might be done (or why for that matter ;-) ... OK, it's another 'feature' and an extra bit of upwards 'pull' for people with xxxD and xxD cameras

Note - the 52MP sensor PDFs mentioned on the archive page link yesterday are not there any more - There is a new link to the more detailed PDF file and we have a copy of the Q&A PDF as well. --Thanks to everyone who sent us info

Abstract
"We have developed a new CMOS image sensor having pixels of more than 52M in APS-H size. The CMOS image sensor has the most number of pixels known to date without stitching. The sensitivity of the monochromatic image sensor is 39000e-/lx･s. The sensitivity of the color image sensor (green pixel) is 16600e-/lx･s. Pixel size is 3.2um x 3.2um. Random noise is 5.5e- with a saturation level of 24000e-. The CMOS image sensor has 5 x 5 random block readout mode and 4(2x2) adjacent pixels averaging mode. The reproduced image shows splendid high resolution."

Non-rumour note ;-) On a photography business related issue that might be of interest to other professional photographers... I use the Ecademy business/social networking site, and have just set up a Photography Business club - aimed at promoting the work of pro photographers to the many thousands of business members of the Ecademy worldwide. If photography is part of your business it might be of use - Ecademy can be useful, even at the free level of membership. If you try it out, then please do send me a link via my profile page.

24th We were sent (thanks!) a translation of the relevant bit of that Chinese article:

It's worth noting the announcements of the 50MP sensor just over a year ago which was at APS-H size, so maybe the 1.3 crop of the 1D3 is not dead ;-) There is all the info we had about this at the time, on one of our (1Ds3) rumour archive pages (June 4th and 17th)

50MP in x1.3 is ~80MP in 35mm FF format (or ~30MP for 1.6 crop), so it's an 81.2 MP 1Ds mk5 (what was I saying about lenses?) For all the naysayers that immediately pounce on high MPs as being 'too much' resolution I'd seriously suggest watching (and understanding ;-) the excellent videos at Panavision about MTF and camera systems - if the site is busy you'll just get a big Q - call back later, it is seriously worth it. Don't be put off by the fact that it oriented towards video either.

June 23rd A 50MP CMOS sensor from Canon gets a mention in a Chinese report from the P&E show. Machine translations don't say much ;-) - but I believe it's from a senior Canon Exec. This follows on from our information of last September which discussed aspects of potential 40-50MP sensors and their eventual introduction in the 1 series.

I suspect that 50MP would seriously tax many of my lenses :-)

Lots of info on the forthcoming Sony A900 at a Chines site [163]

It includes loads of good photos from the current P&E show in China.

There is a good translation of the above page in this DPR post

"On the eve of the opening of the Exhibition, tech163 surveyed the exhibition hall and found Sony's top-of-the line FF A900 (tentative name). This flagship model felt solid (firece) when fitted with the CZ24-70.
According to the caption beside the camera, A900 utilizes the latest 24.6MP Exmar CMOS sensor, with built-in SSS and like the A700, it can be fitted with a vertical grip. The new flagship flash is displayed alongside the A900."

Still no firm date for a release, but expect it to be popular at Photokina in September

20th In Japan, the 40D rebate has been extended to the 3rd of August. The July 1st date for a Nikon announcement is backed up by a UK dealer (Jacobs) announcing on their site "on the 1st July 2008, a major supplier will be announcing a brand new SLR"

Other comments we've had (thanks) support comments [DPR] about another UK dealer (Jessops]
'Sony FF for September (available too), Canon '5D2' in time for Photokina and two models from Nikon between now and September'

19th There are supposedly five items from Nikon due to appear on July the first [DPR] with two bodies and at least a couple of lenses. The question is, will it be a D3X or D700 type of FF camera to go with a D80 replacement?

Elsewhere however [DPR], someone claims to have seen a D700. If it is as per the specs floating around it looks as if the 1Ds3 keeps it DSLR MP crown for a while longer ;-)

18th There are supposed pictures of some D700 promotional printed materials on FM (original on Xitec)

There is a lengthy thread discussing this and many more pictures on FM.

The price is supposed to be ~$3000

Sensor: 12.1MP CMOS (as per D3) 14-bit linear ADC, 16-bit data pipelines
Resolution: 12.1MP in FX, 5MP in DX
Format: FX and DX
Frame Rate: 5 FPS; up to 6.5 FPS in cropped DX mode.
Rear LCD: 3"
Storage: Single CF card
Grip: MB-D10

Further down the thread there are more images, including info on new lenses - suggesting that Nikon will have 3 T/S lenses (24 and 45mm shown)

If this lot's been faked, I take my hat off to the creators... photographing printed documents just looks so much more authentic ;-)

Current rumours would then have 3 Nikon FF cameras (D3, D3x, D700), several from Canon (1Ds, 1Ds2, 1Ds3, 3D, 5D, 6/7D) and at least one from Sony (A900) ;-)

June 17th In a comment via a dealer, we were told that the dealers were planning for a 'wider range' of 'more expensive' cameras, since the SLR market was growing faster than predicted, and more people were prepared to 'move up'

The UK price for the 450D is around £400, the 40D is now about £600 mark with the 5D at £1200, 1D3 at £2400 and 1Ds3 at £4600. Two cameras at £1800 and £1000 were what they'd like.

Given the small margins on the smaller cameras, I can see why they would like this :-) Only problem is that when I pushed them on the details they admitted that it wasn't actually based on firm Canon info (so it might as well be a circular rumour based on materials here or elsewhere on the net :-)

The CR story is updated to have the '3D' powered by Digic IV.

If you're interested in some of the background for this, see the large amount of info we were sent last September.

"DIGIC IV uses less power, and is faster than the dual DIGIC 3 found in the 1D3 and 1Ds3. In particular it can support 16bit raw and the larger 40-50MP sensors under development. With the larger sensors, it also supports pixel-binning where pixels are aggregated to deliver low noise and higher ISO performance at lower resolutions."

14th Is the on again/off again split back on for the 5D successor?

At CR there is a report of a '3D' and '6D', although if previous numbering conventions are anything to go by I'd suspect the model number guestimates are the wrong way around.

"Canon EOS 3D (unknown model name)
Resolution: 14mp Full Frame
FPS: 5fps
LCD:3"
AF: 9 point
ISO: 100-3200
Memory Card: CF & SD
Proc: DIGIC III
Sealing: Some (40D)
Feature: Live View w/AF
Price: $1999 USD
Canon EOS 6D(unknown model name)
Resolution: 20mp Full Frame(Sounds unbelievable, but true)
FPS: 5fps
LCD: 3" VGA
AF: 19 point
ISO: 50-6400
Memory Card: CF & SD
Proc: DIGIC III
Sealing: Yes, Full.
Feature: Live View w/AF
Price: $2999 USD"

June 13th A 3D sighting? We were sent comments by someone who is sure they've seen on being tested in Germany [3D page].

Meanwhile the word is that Nikon have a press conference set for the end of this month in the UK.

12th A 3D picture and specs are sent to us - I've put the details on the 3D page, but don't get too excited. (15MP 25600 ISO etc)

Also, I'm told (thanks) that the 5D2 book is still listed on Amazon (.co.uk)

11th I should have noticed that a new flash (430EX II) was also announced - guess that's the 2 things... [DPR]

10th ...1000D is announced as expected 10.1MP

9th More suggestions that any pending announcement is for a 1000D although it was pointed out to us that a French Canon 'teaser' for the 10th (see 1000D page) mentioned "the -two- Canon stars of the Summer"

At POTN there is the suggestion that the 5D replacement camera name may not be the long expected 5D Mk2 "internally in the company is coded as 'Cobra', but it will be released to the public under the name of 6D"

June 8th Cheap publicity or just plain ineptitude - we've been sent a copy of the ad [full size posted on DPR]

It looks like one of the fakes doing the rounds last year.

In fact it's on our archive page for the 2nd of July 2007

In a nice touch the ad also includes an EF-S 24-105, lending more credence to ineptitude in the graphics department ;-)

...and in other news ;-)

We keep hearing more on the purported D3X FF DSLR and will put any specific info we find on the D3X page (Not much yet, but then we don't actually have any Nikon kit here)

In a related DPR thread I noticed Thom Hogan's comment about the changing directions of the bigger players in the market:

Fujifilm out of DSLRs but a new push in compacts.
Pentax mostly out of compacts, emphasizing DSLRs.
Sony with so many low-end DSLR models, only one high.
Canon rumored going lower in DSLR models.
Sigma producing multiple APS compacts, no new DSLR.
Nikon with potentially 4 DSLRs that would be labeled "pro" (D300, small FX, D3, D3x).

An interesting thread to look through even for dyed in the wool Canon users ;-)

There is also a bit of noise [DPR] about Panasonic dropping the four thirds format (I personally much prefer 3:2, such as 35mm format. I've tried square, and for the majority of my work I end up preferring a rectangular crop)

7th In the latest Warehouse Express ad in Practical Photographer (UK) the picture shows a 5DMk2 alongside the 5D [DPR]

• If anyone can send a quick scan, we'd appreciate it ;-) I believe it looks very similar to one of the known 'fakes' [...Thanks for all the responses!]

We were just sent a comment (thanks) originating at a major UK dealer, saying that Canon had a press conference in two weeks time (20th?) and that we would hear of a 'significant new product'.

There is also similar talk from Italy [FM]

Of course it could be a 1000D or something entirely different from the hoped for 5D2 (a 3D at last :-) Anyone else hear of this? Don't forget that US 5D rebates run until July 19th. Meanwhile the French page mentioned on the 23rd of May has been pulled (it said to watch the 10th - next Tuesday)

In the 'other FF camera' arena, there is the long trailed Sony FF DSLR - a DPR thread hopes for a June release along with a CZ 50mm f/1.2 and 14-24 f/2.8

5th Another low price we were sent was $1900 from Adorama in the US... or even $1840 as was suggested in a recent mail (thanks). Do remember though that there are a lot of scam sites out there, so do your research before buying at the cheaper end of the market.

June 4th 2008 We've had a report that the 5D in Canada is down to $1969 at Vistek (after a load of rebates) In the UK the price seems stuck at about £1200 (£1050 after cash back) for UK stocks. I've not been following prices in detail, but £1050 (or about £870, if you get the VAT back as Northlight does) is pretty cheap for the 5D...

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