New Canon Glass and Cameras
It has been awhile since I have announced any of the new cameras and lenses coming from Canon outside of their C-EOS line. But Canon has been incredibly busy developing new products that they have rolled out over the past few months so it’s time to play a bit of catch up on my end!
LENSES:
1. 35mm f/2 IS USM – This is a new Standard lens from Canon. It is not L series glass, so it will not be as sharp (or as fast) as the 35mm f/1.4L. However, it should work great for video, especially with the added Internal Stabilization feature. This is a great lens for videographers that want one extra stop of light and IS on the wide angle range. At this price the 35mm and 24mm should be serious considerations for filmmakers on a budget… that extra stop of light is a big plus.
2. 24mm f/2.8 IS USM – This is another release to the Standard line of EF glass from Canon. Like the 35mm above, it is also not going to be as sharp as its L series counterpart, but the Internal Stabilization is hard to pass up. I have been taking this particular lens on the road with me in my EPIC kit, as I’ve found that the IS is great for shooting handheld with the EPIC when using my Canon EF mount – it absolutely makes a difference. But don’t expect to get results you might get with… say a Steadicam 😉
3. 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM – This is the Series II version of the 24-70mm f/2.8. The body is slightly redesigned and the lens has redesigned glass elements that reduce distortion at the wide angle, and chromatic aberration throughout the focal length. Autofocus has also been improved. The prior version of this lens has always been one of my favorites for documentary and photojournalism, especially when used with the 70-200mm as its companion. The only thing this lens does not update is its telescopic nature, which makes it difficult to use with matte boxes when shooting video. That being said my early tests (and other documented tests) show that this lens is quite a bit sharper than its predecessor. If there is ONE lens I would travel the world with (if given the choice to pick only one!) this is the lens I’d go with for both stills and video.
4. 24-70mm f/4L IS USM – This is a slightly less expensive version of the lens above that has been redesigned in a smaller housing and is meant to be a kit lens with the 6D (see below). It is still an L series lens, so the optics are sharp, but it is a stop slower than the f/2.8L II. This lens does however contain a Macro setting, unlike the f/2.8 version. It also offers Image Stabilization which is hard to ignore.
5. 40mm f/2.8 Pancake Lens – This is interesting as Canon does not typically make pancake lenses. Previously we have seen this style of lens come from Panasonic and Sony. I haven’t tested the lens first hand – but if you want an extremely compact lens to travel with – it’s one to consider.
CAMERAS:
1. Canon 6D – A smaller, lighter version of Canon’s full frame DSLR’s. This camera also boasts GPS and Wi-Fi, but has less professional controls than say a 5D MKIII : slightly narrower range of shutter speed and ISO’s, and 11pt autofocus (as compared to the 63pt autofuocus on the new 5D MkIII). I suspect this will be a popular camera for DSLR filmmakers, as it updates some of the 5D MkII video features, with the ability to run almost 30min of continuous footage, and 720p 60fps.
2. Canon Rebel T4i – An update to the Rebel T3i.
3. Canon Powershot G15 – The latest in Canon’s Powershot line now has the ability to shoot 1080p video unlike its predecessor, the G12, which could only shoot 720p.
4. Canon EOS-M Mirrorless Digital Camera w/ 22mm f/2 lens – This is Canon’s first entry into the interchangeable lens, mirror less camera market. It uses the same 18MP sensor as the T4i, but instead uses the smaller EF-M lens mount, coming equipped with a brand new 22mm f/2.0 lens. It has a 3" screen, full 1080p video capability, and auto focus tracking.
So there’s a quick recap of the latest releases from Canon. Now if I only had enough time to keep up with all of them… let alone test of all them!
As a video shooter, I am very excited to see if the advertised “hybrid” IS on the new 24-70mm f4 L works just as good as the IS on macro 100mm L. Do you have any ideas if the IS on these lenses are the same?
Vincent Laforet Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 12:25 am
I doubt it – the 100mm version II was an exception to the rule. That amazing IS was built for the macro world -and unintentionally gives incredible results w/ video. I wish ALL lenses has that IS…
Very interested in the 40mm. Thats a gorgeous lens on S35/APS-C.
My brother have Canon SLR camera.I like to buy other camera from Canon for my own.Can you provide the price details for the above cameras.
Hey there Vincent- I purchased the 100mm L IS USM II on your recommendation for it’s excellent IS system a couple years ago after watching your Creative Live bit- could you clarify the difference of its IS system verses the other Canon IS on their other lenses? My only other experience with IS on thier lenses was the 24-105 which works a treat- I had previously been thinking that the only IS that would work properly for vid was the 100 II but they all seem just fine-? Right then- first time caller, long time listener! -Nate.
Enjoyed the article. Realize this is about the New Canon Glass and Cameras but I see possibilities using the camera I am now using.
Awesome post and Very interested in the 40mm. Thats a gorgeous lens on S35/APS-C.