Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

This month of August 2010 is definitely rich in news of importance for the expert photographer. After Nikon and Sony, Canon is ready to present its new offering. Where Sony had 4 new DSLR cameras, Canon has one new Canon EOS 60D and 4 high-quality new lenses.

Canon EOS 60D

This is a very coveted market segment where Canon places its new Digital SLR photo camera, the EOS 60D. It comes right after the Canon EOS 50D and brings a nice set of improvements that will be welcomed by all Canon lovers.

More pixels (as usual) with an 18 mega-pixel APS-C CMOS sensor (borrowed to the Rebel T2i or EOS 550D), continuous shooting at 5.3 frames/s, a sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400 (extendable to ISO 12800) and the Canon EOS 7D metering system. These are systematic improvements to the existing EOS 50D. Canon is used to small increments in this camera range, but they decided to be more consistent than usual.

On the other side, to avoid direct competition with the EOS 7D, the new EOS 60D is actually a smaller, lighter body than the 50D, and it sports a new articulated tilt-and-swivel LCD screen.

In the same direction, we can no longer be surprised to see than the EOS 60D uses SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards.

Canon EOS 60D

Main features:

• 18 MP CMOS sensor (APS-C)
• Digic 4
• Sensitivity: 100-6400 ISO (Hi: 12800 ISO)
• Exposure Metering: iFCL system (already used in the EOS 7D)
• Continuous shooting: 5.3 frames/s
• Viewfinder: 98% with 0,95x (interchangeable focusing glass)
• Full HD Video mode (from 1080p @ 30 fps) with manual control
• 9-point AF system (new system all Cross-type Sensors, all f/5.6 except for f/2.8 center)
• Improved Autofocus for Video capture and supporting LiveView mode
• LiveView mode
• In-camera RAW image processing: brightness, contrast, white balance or correct distortion or chromatic aberration
• Tilt-and-swivel 3″ LCD screen (1040k pixels)
• Integrated flash GN13 (able to control distant flashes)
• SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot
• 800g

This is nice to see Canon able to reposition the elements of its DSLR camera offering after the introduction of the EOS 7D which was temporarily reducing the readability of the whole range. Now, the EOS x0D (with 60D now) is clearly positioned between the 550D and the 7D. And it is a damn-good camera, too.

New lenses

EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

“Lightweight, compact and versatile”, this is a good description of a zoom lens that is covering an important product range.

A little more than 1000g and a price that should be accessible (let’s see when Canon gives a precise figure).

EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM

Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM

Simultaneously a zoom lens and a fisheye! And it is opening at f/4!

This lens will probably be expensive (the L marking and the red ring is a sure sign), but there is not much competition here.

EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM

Even more expensive, here comes a prime lenses that needed a little refreshing:

EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM

Many a wildlife photographer will be interested by what is often considered as the last reasonable prime lens (wide opening and long focal length). AF speed and price will be a deciding factor (we have to already assume exceptionally good optics, in part due to the 2000 g of glass and metal).

EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM

You still have money and pro needs, here comes the heavy-weight:

EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM

I would even be frightened to ask for the price. The quality will probably be superlative and the weight is not for everybody: 3850 g.

That’s not all!

If you still don’t have enough (I know that the YLovePhoto readers are exceptionally demanding, but I hoped you would already be satisfied…), Canon has other ideas to appeal to you. They announced new focal extenders (EF 1.4x III & EF 2x III).

And they have been showing the first pictures of what will be the new 500mm and 600mm pro L tele-lenses (500mm F/4L IS II USM & 600mm F/4L IS II USM).

Did you notice? Canon will soon have fully renewed its range of white tele-lenses with the same high-level quality of optics, improved AF, and improved image stabilization. It’s time to go and attack a bank (your account will certainly not be enough).

An enormous overhaul of the Canon offering for pro and expert photographers.

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It seems that the announcement of the Canon EOS 60D will be done on September 26th. Until then, the feature list of the Canon ESO 60D is still a bunch of rumours.

In parallel, we have to wait for what will probably be a set of two new high-end tele-photo lenses. Maybe two white pro ones. Canon Rumors says: 300 f/2.8L IS & 600 f/4L IS.

Old pictures

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Next Canon announcement, of September 22nd, should be used to present the newest Canon EOS 60D.

The Short-term DxO Optics Modules Roadmap is very clear: Canon EOS 60D available at most in December 2010.

There, it’s no longer a leak, but a confirmation.

But, nothing about the feature list, of course…

Thanks Liaud.

Canon 60D mockup (source: www.fetdigitaal.nl)

Even for Canon, next September will see the Photokina show in Koln (Germany). It is often the occasion when brands of photo manufacturers launch the photo cameras they expect will be doing the big sales of the end of the year (a period that is really good for the amateur photography market). This year should not be any kind of exception and Canon has several cards to draw. So, I will not fail to try my hand at a few previsions from the information I got (sometimes they are incoherent, but they are often consistent when they reach my mailbox). The real difficulty for Canon predictions comes from the lack of precision of the current rumours.

To start with something really obvious, it is no longer possible to sort out rumour and fact about the Canon EOS 60D. At the beating heart of the EOS range of D-SLR cameras, the Canon EOS 50D has long been waiting its replacement (The 50D was launched at the end of 2008!). However, the launch of the Canon EOS 7D let think that this xxD series was at its end. But with time, rumours about an upcoming EOS 60D did not stop. Since the EOS 7D is also reaching a 5 quarters availability, it is possible to imagine that time has come to see either one or both replaced. And, consequently, most of the rumours are only that: Rumours… only based upon the wishes of their authors.

To give you a hint at what this new camera could be, here are possible features:

• 18 MP digital sensor
• Sensitivity: ISO 100-6400
• Continuous shooting at 7 fps
• 9-point AF system
• Fixed LCD (maybe tiltable)
• New user interface
• (Minor) improvements to the EOS 7D video capture mode, already in 1080p (FullHD)

But this is still to be confirmed and stays quite imprecise.

Curiously, since the Canon EOS 60D is still a very active hypothesis despite the lack of serious confirmation from the manufacturer, the replacement of the Canon EOS 1000D is not attracting a lot of credible leaks (despite some isolated DIY rumours, here and there). However, there is a very good chance that Canon will offer a new solution in the lower price range (Canon EOS 2000D) to counter-act the ever-more-present competition in the “less than 500€” market which is starting to be very active (Just look at the launch of the Sony Alpha 290 or the price reductions of the Pentax K-x, not even counting the strong offers from Olympus or Samsung). The photo sensor will have to leave the dusty floor of 10 MP, probably to re-use some of the already existing technology of its bigger brothers, but without reaching the expensive 18 MP level (15 MP would be perfect). The only really important issue will be to ensure very low manufacturing costs while staying in the race and it is difficult to precisely forecast the corners that the engineers will have to cut short; However, the higher the resolution, the more expensive the components (and not only the sensor itself).

Additionally, CR speaks more about new lenses for the end of August (in preparation of the Photokina show): EF 60 f/2.8 IS Macro, and EF 24-70 f/2.8L IS.

So, not many fixed certainties, but it is very probable that Canon will make the landscape clear at the end of August to prepare the Photokina 2010 Fair, either with a Canon EOS 60D, or a Canon EOS 2000D, or both.

The PMA in Las Vegas is now arriving fast. After a long time of little rumors, here comes the moment for big rumors, but not the actual revelations yet.

• Nikon has been telling the world that they intended to have a great year 2010. It seems that they will bring a new DSLR (it could be the Nikon D700x, Nikon D700s, or Nikon D800 according to the rumor mill). It would be confirmed according to the banner visible on LetsGoDigital. But this is apparently a fake built from press material from the older Nikon D3 (via NR).
• Yesterday’s press conference did not bring a single SLR though (Coolpix S8000, Coolpix S6000, Coolpix S4000, Coolpix S3000, Coolpix P100, Coolpix L110, Coolpix L22, Coolpix L21, nothing less!)
• Plenty of people expect to see the Canon EOS 60D arriving now, but it’s still uncertain. NL/DPR predicts a set of features: CMOS 18MPs, 6.3fps, HD 24 and 36fps, Digic IV.
• According to CR, Canon is preparing a new Rebel/EOS camera whose name should be Rebel T2i (the European name could be 550D or EOS 600D), with video, fixed LCD of improved resolution.
• At last, Canon would present the very pro Canon EOS 1Ds Mk IV
• Samsung should extend its new NX line, possibly with some lenses (waiting a little more for a new NX camera body).
• Olympus and Fuji should bring only P&S cameras.
• The Sony rumour line is totally silent, which could be indicator that either they are efficient at keeping a lid on the new Alpha 750 or there is nothing in preparation.

So, let’s wait a little more.

And finally, here it is! The new canon is born. Some were expecting the Canon EOS 60D, but this is a Canon EOS 7D which is rising. But read more…

• 18 MP sensor, in APS-C size
• Dual DIGIC 4 processor
• 14-bit Analog-to-digital conversion
• Continuous shooting: 8 frames/s
• Sensitivity: 100 – 6400 ISO (ext. 12800 ISO)
• Improved 19-area Autofocus system
• 3″ LCD screen with 920,000 pixels
• Viewfinder: 100% coverage and 1.0x magnification (22 mm eye point) through a glass pentaprism
• 7 image styles
• Horizontal level
• HD video capture (1920 x 1080 @ 24/25/30 fps + 640 x 480 @ 50/60 fps) & stereo sound
• Magnesium alloy chassis
• Weather- and dust-protected body
• Shutter designed for 150,000 snapshots

And the price will be right too: 1699$. Starting in September 2009 (nearly immediately)

Even the press release from Canon is referring to the Canon EOS 50D, and this is really more a successor to the Canon EOS 50D (APS-C for the expert) than a little brother to the Canon EOS 5D or the 5D MkII (Semi-pro Full Frame).

The first preview I noticed (thanks to Bernd) is coming from Rob Galbraith, but DPReview is right on his tail.

Check availability of the Canon EOS 7D with these preferred web sites:

• Carrefour online
• Amazon
• B&H (The Professional’s Source)

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We are told that this Fall is a great time for news on the SLR market. I let you judge by yourself:

• Canon: one announcement would be a definite possibility to replace the Canon 1D Mk III with a Canon 1D Mk IV and maybe also a Canon EOS 7D whose top cover and a detail are visible below (August 25?)
• Nikon: D700x (or D800) to offer a 24 MP full frame sensor.
• Sony: Alpha 500, Alpha 550, Alpha 850 (probably on August 28)
• Pentax: an entry-level SLR

We only have to wait (impatiently) for a few days (maybe a few hours) in order to know all about .

Canon 7D ? top

Canon EOS 7D detail

There is a bizarre rush for visibility in the online shops all around the web. I start to feel that most of them are actual fakes. Let’s check this:

• Several (accidental?) leaks from Sony web sites, showing Sony Alpha 500, 550, 850 (and possibly Alpha 750, but this one may be a counter-fire).
• A German site showing the Alpha 850, with price.
• An Andorra web site showing a supposed Alpha 800, no price.
• The Canon EOS 7D spotted in Best Buy internal catalog system.

I will not fully judge their credibility, but I feel that the order I used goes from most possible to mere rumor.

According to Canon Rumors, we can expect an announcement on the 1st September in the Canon EOS line of digital photo cameras.

According to Canon Rumors and a Danish web site, the next round of Canon annoucements (Point’n Shoots and EOS) will be done on August 19.

For me, it would probably be the launch of the long-expected Canon EOS 60D due to replace the existing Canon EOS 50D. Normally, in this part of the Canon line, this should be a fairly incremental step. Neither the 40D nor the 50D was a revolution, but Canon keeps pumping good reliable SLR cameras around this price point.

The only big question is: “Will Canon bring Full Frame down from the EOS 5D Mk II to the xxD line?”

Stay tuned.

Canon is rather discreet in these times. But 2009 will not end without several important news. What can we expect? Two reflex cameras are about to arrive.

• A successor to the 50D, the Canon EOS 60D, probably at the end of the year (will it be ready for Christmas? I doubt it). Again, it will only be a small evolution of existing products but not the technological evolution that the Canon enthusiasts keep dreaming about. A new battery, 15+MP, 7 fps, 1080p video, SD memory cards (no longer CF).
• As always, Canon is preparing its best and most shocking news for higher up in the camera range. Even without rushing to another Full Frame camera, the successor to the 1D should arrive to bring ground-breaking progress in the field of light sensitivity (in private, it has been nick-named “The lord of darkness“). Still in APS-H size, it would have two Digic V processors, 16+MP, perfectly usable 6400 ISO (maybe more), 19-zone AF, video, LiveView, all-weather protection, 100% viewfinder, more than 3 inches of LCD screen (maybe 3.2″). Clearly, this will be the best technology Canon has, but the price will be definitely pro.

After that, a Canon EOS 2000D could arrive in Fall with a tilt-and-swivel LCD screen. But nothing more in terms of informations/specs.

Canon Rumours proposes a feature list for the next mid-range/high-end amateur reflex Canon camera: Canon EOS 60D. It is expected for next Fall only.

• Sensor upgraded slightly, but still 15.1 MP.
• 1080p HD video at 30fps.
• External mic jack.
• A newer AF system introduced.
• Continuous shooting at 8fps.

According to Canon Rumours, the future Canon EOS 60D will probably be a new autofocus system: Based upon the 1D autofocus, it would be more AF points/zones.

Not much more, but it could be significant if Canon is actually creating a new stepping stone for incremental improvements in the mid-range SLR Autofocus system, getting the best AF from the 1D system and making it slightly better while bringing it to the 50D/60D level of SLR cameras.

Photography Bay is showing a list of features for the upcoming replacement of the Canon EOS 50D. Already??? Sure, it seems a bit early to start talking about this one. Did I say rumour?

Anyway, here are the (rumoured) features:

• 15.1MP sensor (no resolution changes, improved IQ?)
• New 13 Point AF
• 1080p Movie Mode
• Continuous shooting: 8 fps
• 3″ VGA LCD
• Viewfinder: 98% coverage
• New battery model
• Weather-sealing (this one would be really nice)
• Ergonomic Upgrades
• Memory slots: 1x Compact Flash & 1x Secure Digital

The more important “information” may be a forecast of the launch date: Fall 2009.

And there is also an intersting tidbit: This camera may be breaking the naming conventions of the Canon EOS line. For sure, this is more rumour than fact: No marketing department would bet on a name as early as that…

Canon EOS 60D?