News

Absolutely free support for emerging image makers: qualified college-level students 18 and older may now be eligible to enjoy many of the valuable member-exclusive benefits Canon previously reserved for full-time professional photographers via the new Student Canon Professional Services program — all at no cost. The generous initiative includes perks ranging from expedited repairs and discounted repair services to a dedicated hotline for assistance and mentorship.

Canon has introduced a host of new products at the annual PMA Show, including
a new DSLR, pro-quality lenses and pro printers. New products include:



EOS 30D Digital SLR: As a step-up from the EOS 20D model, Canon's new EOS 30D
Digital SLR incorporates features similar to the higher-priced EOS 5D model, at
a lower price. The EOS 30D Digital SLR incorporates a 2.5-inch LCD screen, claimed
shutter durability rated to 100,000 cycles; an increased burst rate (five frames-per-second
(fps) up to 30 consecutive frames in JPEG mode); an optional RGB histogram function;
and ISO adjustment in 1/3-stop increments.



Scheduled for mid-March delivery, the EOS 30D Digital SLR will be available at
estimated street prices of $1,399 for the body kit, and $1,499 for the EF-S 18-55mm
II zoom lens kit.



EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM: Canon has improved upon its original EF 85mm f/1.2L II
lens with a new model that has approximately 1.8X faster autofocusing than its
predecessor to meet the needs of demanding professionals. Available in mid-March,
the lens has an estimated street price of $2,099.



EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM: Professional photographers and advanced amateurs with
APS-C size digital SLRs now have access to the fastest Canon EF-S zoom lens yet.
Three-stop optical image stabilization along with three aspherical and two UD
elements combine. This lens is dedicated to the EOS 30D, EOS 20D, EOS Digital
Rebel XT and EOS Digital Rebel SLRs. Scheduled for delivery in mid-March, this
lens has an estimated selling price of $1,149.



imagePROGRAF iPF5000 Large Format Printer: This new printer provides a 12-color
pigment-based ink set and is designed to produce professional-style prints with
outstanding archival image quality, using Canon's new Lucia pigmented inks. The
iPF5000 device is ideal for professional photographers looking to have their work
stand out in a crowd. This next evolution in Canon's large format portfolio provides
one of the industry's largest color gamuts with a new 12-color inkset. Available
in April, the printer will carry a manufacturer's suggested list price of $1,945.



PIXMA Pro9500 model: This is the first PIXMA photo printer to use ten pigment
ink cartridges with Canon's new Lucia pigmented inks which provide Photo Black,
Matte Black, Gray, Photo Magenta, Magenta, Photo Cyan, Cyan, Yellow, Green, and
Red for true-to-life color and monochrome prints that are ready for the gallery
wall.
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Want to put a high quality Canon in your pocket? The company just announced two new “pocket rockets”: the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II and the PowerShot SX720 HS digital cameras.

Lenmar Enterprises, Inc. has announced a replacement battery for the Canon Digital
Rebel XT. The Lenmar DLC-2L Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 750mHa with a company-estimated
usage of 525 images. The Lenmar DLC-2L can be used as a replacement for standard
Canon NB-2L (570mHa), and also the new Canon NB-2LH (720mHa). Street price for
the battery is about $34.99.



For a complete "Fits and Replaces" chart, visit www.lenmar.com.

The classic definition of macro photography is that the image projected onto the digital sensor (or film plane) should be the same size as the subject. With a 1:1 ratio, a DSLR with a full-frame chip should be able to produce life-size magnification and focus on an area as small as 24x36mm.

Back in the day when fixed-focal-length optics reigned supreme, the 35mm lens, along with its wider cousin, the 28mm, was known as the lens a portrait or wedding photographer would use for group or full-length portraits or, especially if it had a fast aperture, the photojournalist would use to grab street candids. Today, with our wide zooms we’re often happy enough with an f/4 maximum aperture and we tend to overlook what faster fixed-focal-length lenses could do to help our photography.

The new EOS 20Da digital SLR is based on the EOS 20D camera and joins it as
a companion model in Canon's product line. The new EOS 20Da digital SLR helps
address the specific requirements of astrophotography with features such as
a live preview LCD and a modified low-pass filter optimized to help photograph
the clear night sky in brilliant detail. The EOS 20Da digital SLR will be available
in July at an estimated selling price of $2199.

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