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Mini-review: Lensbaby LM-10, a fun if pricey accessory for iPhonography fans

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lm-10

It took a while for Lensbaby’s Kickstarter-funded selective focus lens for the iPhone to make it into production, but the LM-10 is now here and I took it out for a play.

For those not familiar with Lensbaby, the company makes lenses for DSLRs with a bellows lens that provides a small in-focus area, with the rest of the image out of focus. It’s not the same effect as the shallow depth-of-field achieved with a wide-aperture lens, but a less-controllable effect designed to provide fun and unusual images … 
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Toys: Audyssey desktop speakers $80, more

Some pretty impressive deals from 9to5Toys.com today as we enter into the weekend:

Woot! has the amazing Audyssey Desktop speakers for $79.99 with $5 shipping on everything you order. I have these speakers (and happily paid $200 for them) and they are quite simply the best desktop speakers I’ve used.

We are in love with the standalone LES powered speakers (right).  Very simple I/Os and almost perfect desktop-level sound makes these incredibly good for the small room or workspace.  Sure, they won’t fill up a large-sized room, but you will find much larger/expensive setups for that.  $199 Amazon. Bonus: If you want Airplay functionality, throw in a $95 Apple TV and an Optical cable.

You don’t need a subwoofer and with an optical cable, I don’t think you’ll find better sound at double the price.

Tiger Direct has a monster Centon waterproof 128GB USB stick for $69.99 with free shipping. That’s as big as many of Apple’s internal SSDs.

If you are looking at entry level DSLRs, Woot! offers the Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18MP Digital SLR
for $599.99 (add to speakers above for free shipping). Fry’s Electronics offers the Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens, model no. 6558B003, for $699.99 plus around$11 for shipping.

Update: Amazon ended the deal on SSDs… hope you got in early.

Many more at 9to5Toys.com
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Canon unveils EOS M 18MP mirrorless camera, $800 in October with 22mm pancake lens

For those who love Canon DSLRs but wish they would build a pocketable mirrorless…your wait is over (well it will be in October). Announced early this morning in Japan, the EOS M is a Sony NEX-like form factor EOS camera with compatibility for Canon lenses through an adapter.

Professionals will cringe at the lack of options on the back. However, Canon enabled a remarkable amount of functionality with its touch-screen display.

The camera will come with a Canon EF-M 22mm F/2 STM “Pancake” Lens and will retail at $799 when it debuts in October with optional zoom lens and flash accessories. My wife’s holiday shopping is already over.

Product Highlights

  • 18.0 MP CMOS (APS-C) Sensor
  • DIGIC 5 Image Processor
  • Full HD Movie with Focus Tracking
  • 3.0″ Touch Screen LCD with 1040K-dots
  • Touch AF and Multi-touch Operation
  • Hybrid CMOS Auto-focus for Photo & Video
  • Compatible with Canon EF and EF-S Lenses
  • ISO 100-12800, Expandable to 25600 (H)
  • Canon’s First Mirrorless Camera
  • Includes Canon EF-M 22mm F/2 STM Lens

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zom-jb6aJB0]

Source: The Verge

The press release follows:

Put Your Creativity Into Motion With The New EOS M Digital Camera

The Newest Camera in Canon’s Lineup Delivers Exceptional EOS Full HD Video Quality with Continuous Autofocus and an Expansive Selection of Lenses

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., July 23, 2012 – Combining the perfect blend of advanced video features and excellent still image quality in a convenient size, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the EOS M Digital Camera. Canon has made significant advancements in the realm of professional-quality HD video capture, from advanced CMOS sensor technology to smooth, quiet continuous autofocus. Inspired by EOS technology, the EOS M leverages these core technologies and distills them down to provide outstanding video capture capabilities while retaining high-quality still image capture. When shooting still images, the EOS M camera’s 18-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor provides a shallow depth of field, incredible low-light image quality and a wide dynamic range to capture rich gradation and detail. This new addition to the EOS family offers a great solution to videographers and photographers of all levels, with two new lenses designed specifically for Canon’s new camera format – the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens and the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens- and the ability to use the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses through the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M.

“The EOS M includes a unique feature set making it an ideal movie-making tool, while also offering incredible still image quality on its APS-C-sized CMOS sensor. The camera’s size, image quality, advanced video capabilities and the versatility of Canon’s full lineup of lenses make the EOS M another great option to help our customers record and capture their creative vision,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

Product Specifications and Features:

    • EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects also includes:
  • Manual exposure control
  • Multiple resolution frame rates
  • Built-in stereo microphone
  • Manual audio level adjustment
  • Video Snapshot mode with touch-screen editing
  • 18.0-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
  • ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12800 in H mode) for video recording, ISO 100-12800 (expandable to 25600 in H mode) for still image shooting from bright to dim light and high performance Powerful DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality video and photos
  • Hybrid CMOS AF delivers fast autofocus speed for video and photos
  • Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II (approximately 1,040,000 dots) with smudge-resistant coating features multi-touch operation allowing photographers to use familiar gestures such as “pinch-to-zoom” and “swiping” to scroll between pictures and Touch AF for an easy and intuitive video capture experience
  • Scene Intelligent Auto mode delivers expertly optimized photos and scene detection for amazing results even when shooting at night
  • Advanced imaging features like Handheld Night Scene mode, HDR Backlight Control mode, and seven Creative Filters provide added versatility
  • Multi-shot Noise Reduction helps preserve precious detail in photos at high ISO speeds
  • Compatible with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, including new Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) cards
  • Compatible with all Canon Speedlite accessories including the new Speedlite 600EX and Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT
  • Compatible with Canon’s GPS Receiver GP-E2
An Advanced Video Capture Device

The EOS M utilizes Canon’s Hybrid CMOS AF system to deliver fast autofocus speed for both video and photos. The Hybrid CMOS AF system truly shines when shooting video with EOS Full HD Movie mode including Movie Servo AF for continuous autofocus and tracking of moving subjects. The Hybrid CMOS AF system is located on the CMOS sensor itself and combines phase-difference AF and contrast AF to achieve operational stability, speed and precision. The Movie Servo AF function on the EOS M is enabled by default which keeps images on the rear screen in constant focus, even before the shutter is pressed. This continual focus makes for sharp video capture in a snap or to help reduce shutter lag due to focusing when still images want to be shot. The camera employs three AF methods for video and photos, Face Detection & Tracking AF, Multi-Point AF for automatic selection and Single-Point AF, where users select one of 31 AF points. Through the camera’s touch-panel operation, subject recognition and tracking is engaged at the touch of a finger, allowing users to track subjects accurately and focus on intended subjects with ease. In addition to subject tracking, the touch-panel LCD allows for simple, intuitive operation, menu navigation and touch features making it easy to shoot video and photos.

Thanks to Canon’s new Stepping Motor (STM) technology, when using either of the newly announced M-series lenses – the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens or the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens – the AF system remains silent, helping ensure users only capture the sound of the scene being recorded. The EOS M also features manual audio level control to 64 levels, a built-in stereo microphone, which includes a wind filter and an attenuator function to reduce audio distortion in extra loud situations. The EOS M records MPEG-4 AVC H.264 video as an .MOV file in a range of NTSC and PAL professional frame rates, including 1080p Full HD video at 30p (29.97), 24p (23.976) and 25p, 720p HD video at 60p (59.94) or 50p and Standard Definition video at 30p (29.97) or 25p.

In addition to the creativity afforded by over 70 compatible lenses, the EOS M also includes Picture Style settings – including custom Picture Styles – when shooting video, allowing users to adjust color settings the same as when shooting still images. The camera also includes Canon’s Video Snapshot mode for an easy way to record and create a fun highlight reel that can be easily shared. Video Snapshot mode combines a series of short video clips into a single file, all in-camera. Through the camera’s touch-screen controls users can delete, cut or re-order the clips in-camera for quick and easy editing.

Optical Diversity: New M-Series Lenses and Accessories

Along with the EOS M, Canon is also introducing two new M-series lenses – with new EOS M mounts -that include STM technology allowing for smooth and silent focusing when paired with Hybrid CMOS AF.

The EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens is ideal for shooting video and still images. The fixed focal length lens has a great capacity for gathering light with an incredible aperture of f/2 and when combined with the camera’s APS-C image sensor, provides beautiful bright images and background blur for both video and stills. For more focal range versatility, Canon is also introducing the new EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, which provides videographers and photographers with a variable zoom range for general use with video recording or photographing. Both lenses are designed specifically for use with the EOS M digital camera.

In addition to the two lenses, any of Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses can be used with the EOS M with the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M. The EOS M camera’s strong magnesium and stainless steel frame provide the durability and rigidity to support the full line of EF and EF-S Lenses in a lightweight convenient design. Using the adapter allows the camera to be fully integrated into the EOS ecosystem of lenses, adding creative options and versatility to this powerful camera.

Ideal for use with the EOS Mi, Canon is also announcing a new compact and lightweight flash unit, the Speedlite 90EX, designed for the photographer on the go. The Speedlite 90EX is capable of coverage for 24mm wide angle lenses (35mm equivalent) with maximum guide numbers of 30 feet (9 meters) at ISO 100. The flash unit can be controlled wirelessly for creative multiple flash shoots and uses the standard Canon EOS hot shoe mount for compatibility with all EOS DSLR cameras and PowerShot digital cameras that include a hot shoe.

Availability

The EOS M Digital Camera bundled with the new EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens will be available in October for an estimated retail price of $799.99. A white version of the EOS M Digital Camera bundled with the new EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens will be exclusively available through the Canon Online store, shop.usa.canon.com.

The new EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, Mount Adapter EF-EOS M and Speedlite 90EX will all be available in October at an estimated retail price of $299.99, $199.99 and $149.99 respectively.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $45.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2011† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2012. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

###

† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Availability, prices, and specifications of all products are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

i A Speedlite is required for flash photography with the EOS M digital camera; this camera does not include a built-in flash.

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Canon unveils EOS Rebel T4i with better video focus, silent lenses

The EOS T4i is a new entry-level DSLR just announced by Canon for its popular Rebel line.

The T4i notably boasts a revamped 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and advanced autofocus functions when coupled with one of two new STM lens. Its cross-type AF with two-dimensional phase- and contrast-detection, with one of the STM lenses, provides a highly accurate focus despite frame composition. This tech is useful for both video and still shooting.

The first new lens is the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM for $550, while the second is the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM for $200. The latter is more commonly known as a “pancake lens” that offers a silent zoom with better focusing for video. With these options, the camera should take a second to focus during video recording, but autofocus performance in low light should amaze for stills.

A few of the camera’s specs include a swing-arm 3-inch Clear View LCD display with “fingertip” controls, which means users can touch navigate through controls and menus, while physical options are still available. Video modes include 1080 with 30p, 25p and 24p, 1080/60i and 50i, but VGA shoots at 30 and 25 fps. This little DSLR can even capture up to five consecutive fps. The T4i also packs a built-in stereo microphone, mic input jack, and the familiar LP-E8 battery pack with an 1120mAh capacity.

The EOS Rebel T4i is set to roll out at the end of June at $849.99 for the body alone; $949.99 bundled with an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens kit, or a “Movie Kit bundle” for $1199.00 with the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.

The press-release with pre-order links are below.


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iPhone PRO concept features 4.5-inch edge-to-edge screen and DSLR lens mount

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[slideshow]

This “iPhone PRO” concept from designer Choi Jinyoung (via Plusmood) takes the 4.5-inch edge-to-edge rumors to another level with the addition of “Pro” features including a 1.2-megapixel 3D camera, mount for DSLR lenses, a removable hard disk, and a built-in projector system. Go past the break for a full gallery.

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