Photography News Issue 38

Photography News | Issue 38 | absolutephoto.com

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Gear options Canon is unique in the imaging world in having products that cover everything from the original image capture through to output, with exhibition quality printers and media. In this section we take a closer look at some of its latest gear Newarrivals

Canon has been busy over the past fewmonths and the focus has very much been on high-quality capture. The EOS 5DS and 5DS R have been available for a while now and those 50-megapixel DSLRs certainly set a new standard for 35mm full-frame capture, also proving immensely popular among quality conscious photographers. The famous EOS 5 family has recently gained a brand-newmember in the shape of the EOS 5DMark IV. This model uses a new 30.4 megapixel sensor and boasts a great all-round

specification including 4K video shooting and the innovation Dual Pixel RAW function. It is sure to be a success with both professional photographers and enthusiasts. Finally, we have seen two new versions of two very succesful Canon lenses, the EF 16- 35mm f/2.8L III USM and the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM. Bristling with the latest optical technologies, both are sure to be great performers and be very popular, too. canon.co.uk

The latest generation of this popular ultra wide-angle zoom is the best yet. It features a new optical system to make the most of the very latest high resolution DSLRs giving images of exceptional depth and clarity. Among its 16 elements in 11 groups, state-of-the-art construction is a large diameter GMO (glass moulded) dual surface aspheric lens and a ground aspheric lens, both to minimise distortion, field curvature and astigmatism. Outstanding colours, edge-to-edge sharpness and high contrast are achieved with two Ultra Low Dispersion elements. To ensure optimum performance, the advanced optical construction is aided by high-tech Canon lens coatings with Subwavelength Coating (SWC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) employed to stop reflections, flare and ghosting. Fluorine coating on the front and rear lens elements helps reduce fingerprints and smears. Build quality is very high and this lens has a robust construction which includes water- and dust-resistant seals on key areas of the lens such as the zoom and focus rings and around the lens mount. Fit a Canon protection filter on the front and you have a top- quality lens capable of withstanding the most arduous conditions. Autofocus performance is fast, responsive and accurate with the lens’s USM motor and optimized AF algorithms, and there is the back up of full-time manual focus override. The Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM is an outstanding ultra-wide lens with the credentials to please the most demanding of photographers. Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM

This wide-ranging zoom is a great standard lens with its constant f/4 maximum aperture across the zoom range and focal length coverage. It is also packed with the very latest in optical technology including a 17 element, 12 group construction with four GMO (glass moulded) aspheric lenses to produce excellent resolving power, even edge-to-edge coverage and minimum distortion. Canon Air Sphere (ASC) coating is used here to defeat flare, ghosting and reflections in challenging lighting. ASC coating includes an ultra-low refractive index layer on the lens element to help deliver a clean image with reduced lens aberrations to the sensor. Another featured coating is fluorine on the front and rear lens elements to reduce smears from fingerprints. A high performance USM motor, an inner focusing mechanism and optimised algorithms all combine to give this lens very fast and accurate focusing, and in addition there is the option of full-time manual focus override without needing to switch out of AF mode. This lens also features Canon’s improved IS (Image Stabilizer) feature which has a benefit of up to 4EV for sharp handheld pictures in low light. Another innovation is the lens’s 10-bladed diaphragm, giving a near circular aperture to deliver lovely background bokeh. If your need is for a first-class standard zoom that can cope with a whole range of subjects as diverse as landscapes, portraits and travel, the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM is definitely one for the shortlist. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM exciting new

Canon’s newest addition to its renowned EOS 5D dynasty features a feast of the latest camera technology that is sure to appeal to enthusiast and professional photographers. The camera is centred on a 30.4-megapixel CMOS sensor that uses the DIGIC 6+ processor. The native ISO range is 100 to 32,000, expandable to ISO 50 and 102,400. The new sensor features Dual Pixel AF and has the option of shooting Dual Pixel RAW files. Standard Raw files are in the order of 30MB while shooting Dual Pixel RAW doubles the file size. All this extra data, recorded from both photo diodes in each pixel of the sensor means that images can be modified post-capture using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software. Three aspects of image can be adjusted: image micro-adjustment (focusing), bokeh shift and ghosting reduction. The EOS 5D Mark IV is the first DSLR to offer this facility that will undoubtedly prove extremely useful. Autofocus is handled by a system taken from Canon’s flagship DSLR, the EOS 1D X Mark II, featuring 61 AF points, 41 of which are cross-type sensors, covering an area larger than its predecessor. Sensitivity in low light is impressive and works down to -4EV. Autofocusing is also very fast with excellent tracking ability. The EOS 5D Mark IV has the option of six AF case studies for copingwith different types of moving subject and these have three parameters that can be user-adjusted. It can shoot at 7fps, too. The EOS 5D Mark IV can shoot 4K video at both 24p and 30p using the DCI standard rather than 16:9 giving a slightly wider resolution of 4096x2160 pixels. Motion JPEG lets you shoot at 30fps with full autofocus and you can take 8.8-megapixel stills from the footage. Whether you want to shoot brilliant quality stills or video, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV will more than live up to your expectations. Canon EOS 5DMark IV

Canon EOS 5DS

Canon’s EOS 5DS is a full-frame DSLR that can deliver medium-format image quality with its 50.2-megapixel CMOS sensor. The camera is available in two variants; the 5DS and the 5DS R. They are almost identical, the only difference being that the 5DS has an optical low pass filter (OLPF) while the 5DS R has an OLPF cancelling feature to record even finer detail. The 50.2-megapixel CMOS sensor works with the DIGIC 6 processor and the native ISO range is 100 to 6400. Expansion to ISO 50 and up to 12,800 is possible. Continuous shooting speed is five frames- per-second which is still impressive given the amount of data and large file sizes that the camera has to handle, but fast-moving action is probably not going to be the subject of choice with this camera. With its high resolution, the EOS 5DS is the ideal camera for detail-packed scenes whether that is a landscape or a beautifully lit studio portrait. To get the most from the sensor, the tripod socket has been strengthened to ensure maximum stability and the reflex mirror features a motorized mirror mechanism to lessen mirror slap. For tripodmounted shots, youmay prefer to lock the reflex mirror up to minimise vibration and the EOS 5DS has a reworked mirror up mechanism so you can now use a pre-set delay from when the mirror locks up and before the shutter fires, ensuring vibration has gone when the exposure is made. Autofocus is handled by a 61 AF point system, 41 of which are cross-type and five dual cross type. The dual cross type sensors are the five central AF points and with f/2.8 or faster lenses these sensors give diagonal sensitivity for even greater accuracy. If ultimate image quality is your goal, the Canon EOS 5DS or EOS 5DS R are DSLRs that simply can’t be ignored. They are not one-trick ponies and both are extremely capable and talented cameras.