August 2004 Archives

Lots of rumors floating around about a new range of Canon cameras, it is looking likely to be an update to the 10D, called the 20D, plus at least two new EF-S lenses (EF-s 10-22mm /f 3.5-4.5
EF-s 17-85mm /f 4-5.6 IS) and maybe a third. Two new digital cameras, an A95 and a G6, plus a new E-TTL2 flashgun, maybe two of these as well, 580EX and an un-named replacement for the 420EX. Available from Jessops, late September is rumored release date.
Bod Atkins gives a measured reflection on the rumors. Photographyblog mentioned them earlier in the week. They have posted pictures now on photographyblog. First mention was I think on the Photo.net site this post mentions the 580EX flash gun, though in late July most people initially doubted the new cameras. More information on fredmiranda and older information. More on this including the Paul Pope initial post. Photos are available on canon.com and more images including lens pictures, plus the new digital compacts.

Rough spec for the new SLR is
- model name : EOS 20D
- 8 megapixel with DIGIC II (like 1D mkII)
- CMOS sensor , 1.6X crop factor
- 9 focus point
- 5fps (not sure abt the frame buffer)
- 25 frame buffer
- EF-s support
- E-TTL II support
- 0.2sec startup time
- 1/8000 max shutter speed

The rumored new flashgun is named the 580EX - ettl2, higher guide number. My estimation would be more compatialble with 10D / 20D, metering pattern matching the 7 or 9 sensor of 30/33 and 20D as well as the 45 of the 3/1V and 1DS etc. Better construction, faster cycle time.

UPDATE:
Previews and reviews of the new 20D, lenses and the flash are appearing.
Bob Atkins 20D preview
Luminous Landscape 20D review
Rob Galbraith review of 20D
Imaging Resource review of 20D
Photo.net reactions
Digital Photography Review of 20D
Digital Photography Review lenses and flashgun
DCRP review of the EOS 20D

I think that the new camera is interesting, people seem to be impressed with the 5fps for 25 frames, but it is still a 1.6 crop. However the new lenses are interesting the 10-22 gives 16-35 equivalent and the 17-85 is the digital equivalent of the 28-135 IS lens that I own and like, as it is the equivalent of 27-136. The filter size of the 17-85 is also 67mm, which would allow it to share filters with the 70-200 f4, which is a popular digital lens, offering 110-320 equivalent. If the new flashgun is true then that might what I'll be most likely to get soon, especially if it supports the top and bottom sensor on my EOS 30. UPDATE - it does.
It looks as if Canon are going to run with three sensor sizes for the next few years, offering the 18-55 cheapie with the 300D was a foot in the water. Offering a range of general photography lenses from wide and ultrawide up to 135 is a good plan as there is a body upgrade from existing 300D and 10D users to the 20D, who can then sell camera and lenses should they jump up to the semi pro 1D mkII. It seems that the 3D is never to happen, in fact it is probably the 1D mkII.
I can now get my favoured 24mm viewpoint in a digital kit from Canon, but yet, I'm still not tempted, 1500 quid is a lot of slide film.

Unfinished project idea. Take a 6x6 medium format camera and shoot slide film with it. Take pictures of brightly coloured objects and scenes. Then arrange the slides in a pleasing order and hang the resulting display in a high up sunny window.
Get the 120 film processed unmounted, usually this will be cut into strips of 3. Then buy clearfile pockets to hold the cut frames. You'll need a steel ruler and a sharp knife (scalpel) to cut the film into single frames.
I think this is a fun project to capture memories of summer and makes you use something that you'd normally not think of using. A manual medium format camera and slide film is radically different from most peoples' experience of 35mm point and shoot, or a SLR, or the digital equivalent. You'll probably also need to buy or borrow an ambient light meter too, so that you can set the camera to take properly exposed pictures. Slide film is much less forgiving of under or expecially over exposure.
For the camera and film, costs do not need to be high, you'll not need a hasselbald to make pretty coloured pictures, even a holga will do the job. I'd recommend velvia 100 for intense colours and a bright, but not too sunny day. Velvia 100 costs about 3 pounds a roll mail order and processing is about the same. Buy 5-6 rolls and the costs will be less than fifty quid. For the camera, buy a holga, or borrow a friends medium format camera, personally I think 6x6 is the right shape for this project. Failing that, you could buy a second hand rolliflex or a yashica 124 or a mamiya 330 for 150-200 pounds, or a seagull on ebay for 50-80 pounds.
If you are serious about medium format after this, then a Bronica SQAi or a Hasselblad are the cameras to choose, but the lenses are expensive beyond the normal 75 or 80 standard lens, which is roughly equivalent to the 40-50mm prime on a 35mm camera.

Yesterday, I heard an interesting programme about who owns space. Clive Andersen talked to the various people who have claims on bits of space, from the moon to the immense diamond star, nicknamed Lucy. The programme had a curious balance, at one take mocking these people and how they are selling paper worth nothing, but at the other taking them seriously and analysing the business model at face value.

A while ago I wrote about battery recycling, I drew the sad conclusion that although batteries are a dense source of heavy metals, the industry in the UK does not regard this as an issue. There are no or minimal battery recycling facilities in the UK, the majority end up in domestic waste, the bulk of which is incinerated or buried.
So on a recent trip to France, I was surprised to see containers marked "piles" (french for batteries) on the SeaFrance boats and in the supermarkets we visited. The French seem to see it as a much greater issue, than we do in this country. So the next trip I make to France I'll be bring the bag of used batteries sitting in the kitchen and leaving them in France. It is little effort and means that now I can recycle paper, card, some plastic, glass, aluminum and tin cans. Organic matter goes in the compost bin and the only waste we create is dairy products, meat scraps, stale bread and other starches (they do not compost well) and various plastic wrappings.

This posting is a community experiment that tests how a meme, represented by this blog posting, spreads across blogspace, physical space and time. It will help to show how ideas travel across blogs in space and time and how blogs are connected. It may also help to show which blogs are most influential in the propagation of memes. The dataset from this experiment will be public, and can be located via Google (or Technorati) by doing a search for the GUID for this meme (below).

The original posting for this experiment is located at: Minding the Planet (Permalink: http://novaspivack.typepad.com/nova_spivacks_weblog/2004/08/a_sonar_ping_of.html)