Crutchfield Staff Reviews : Canon

Canon takes it up a notch with the 7D

ZakB — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:01:00 GMT

With the 7D, Canon has taken the crop-sensor camera to new heights. Photographers using Canon's "prosumer" xxD line of cameras are trained to expect sequential upgrades with each new model. In some cases, photographers were passing on the...(read more)

The Canon EOS 7D: First Impressions

Elijah — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:39:00 GMT

Wow! That was my reaction after checking out the new Canon EOS 7D . At a recent Canon product training session I had an opportunity to get my hands on a 7D. I had been patiently waiting this day for quite some time after hearing about this new DSLR, and...(read more)

Video: Canon VIXIA HF S100 & HFS10

Crutchfield Video — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:28:00 GMT

Our Canon VIXIA HF S00 and HF S10 video has Tara and Zak discussing some of the key elements of these two high-definition camcorders. Zak points out that the cameras can shoot in 1080i, comparable to high-def cable TV. The cameras can shoot up to 24 frames...(read more)

Video: Samsung LED HDTVs

Crutchfield Video — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:57:00 GMT

Our Samsung LED HDTV video features Julie and Steve discussing the major points of these LCD HDTVs. They cover the details common the 6000, 7000, and 8000 line of Samsung sets. The 6000 line includes the 40" UN40B6000 , the 46" UN46B6000 ,and...(read more)

An in-depth look at the Canon HF S10

Kristen S — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:03:00 GMT

Here at Crutchfield, we like to test out the gear that we sell whenever possible. So when my contact at Canon offered to send me the new HF S10 camcorder , I jumped at the chance. The HF S10 is Canon's top-of-the-line model this year, and offers a 32GB...(read more)

Video: Canon PowerShot G10

Crutchfield Video — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:05:00 GMT

Zak and Chris star in our Crutchfield camera video review , discussing the Canon Powershot G10 digital camera. They point out several of the features of the G10, such as a large 3" LCD screen, and optional viewfinder. They also talk about the camera's...(read more)

Travel light with Canon's 18-200mm lens

ZakB — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:55:00 GMT

Canon shooters have been clamoring for an 18-200mm lens for years now. Nikon's 18-200mm VR lens is one of the most popular choices among Nikon shooters, and it's in the nature of every Canonite to want what the other guy's got. Canon jockeys, your wait...(read more)

Photos made easy -- the Canon Selphy CP740 printer

KenSpike — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:39:00 GMT

I love digital photography. But it has its limits.

I can take hundreds of digital photos, store them on discs or hard drives, and have an exhaustive photo collection of the places I've been and the things I've done. But until recently, sharing "hard copies" of my photos involved walking up the stairs to the home office, loading the printer up with photo paper, downloading the pictures from my camera, and sitting around while they printed out. The Canon Selphy™ CP740 has changed that routine.

This compact printer turns out sharp and colorful 4"x6" pictures on demand with a minimum of fuss and set up. While it comes with software that allows you to connect it to your computer, I've had the most fun using the Selphy as a stand-alone printer. I simply pop the SD card from my camera into the CP740, find the picture I want, and hit "print." In a minute or so I've got a picture in my hands, ready to give to friends or relatives or just to stick on the refrigerator. And since you buy the paper and ink cartridge in a package, you've always got the right amount of ink for the photos you're printing, at a price that's very competitive with regular ink-jet printers or online photo printing services.

At a recent graduation dinner dance at my son's school, I was able to take individual pictures of all of the students, print them out on the CP740, and give each of them a photographic memento at the end of the evening. No waiting around, no emailed JPGs. It was one of the highlights of the event for kids and their parents. A few weeks later I was able to sit down at the dining room table with my son's grandparents and pick out and print the graduation photos they wanted right there and then.

Does the CP740 have limitations? Sure. It only prints 4x6 and wallet-sized pictures and has no editing capabilities. But for a reasonable price, the CP740 delivers great-looking pictures with a minimum of effort. And thanks to its small size, it's portable enough to take along to parties, reunions, or other events. Without a doubt, the Selphy CP740 puts the "snap" back into "snapshots."

Image-stabilized lenses stop the shake

ZakB — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:14:00 GMT

I shot a wedding recently with my Canon 40D and the Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. I was hoping to be able to use the zoom lens rather than my faster prime lens (meaning a fixed focal length with a wider max aperture) for versatility's sake, but I was worried because it's a pretty slow (smaller max aperture, so less light gets to the sensor) for indoor work.

But while it is slow indoors, the 28-135mm zoom has an ace up its sleeve — image stabilization. The concept is hardly new, and this particular lens is one of the oldest in Canon's IS line, but it's the first time I've used image stabilization extensively. Let's just say I was "cautiously optimistic" how it would perform. Seemed almost too good to be true.

The very first thing I did when I got to the wedding site was go straight into the sanctuary for some test shots. Luckily for me, I was able to shoot at 1/30 to 1/80 second at ISO 800 — plenty fast enough for the image stabilizer, and at ISO 800 the 40D shows very little noise. Normally, shutter speeds as slow as 1/30 second are tough when you're shooting handheld; I have a very steady hand, but I only get well-focused shots about 50% of the time at 1/30 second. I was excited because I would now be able to shoot the ceremony, without a flash, using my zoom lens.

Now, one thing to remember here is that even though the image stabilization does its job and lets you get crisp shots at slow shutter speeds, it doesn't freeze time. The lens is still — but the world is still moving. It was something I kept in my mind as I snapped away. And later, I noticed I got some lucky "motion blur" shots of bodies moving around, thanks to the slow shutter speeds I was able to use. And the critical shots all came out the way I wanted.

Here's an example of what image stabilization can do for you — this is a shot that would require a tripod with a non-image-stabilized lens due to the slow shutter speed. With the stabilizer engaged, however, I was able to hold just still enough at 1/6 of a second.

Normally you'd need a tripod to take a "silky water" shot like this — but I was able to hold the camera still enough to hand-hold this shot at a slow 1/6 of a second, thanks to the image stabilizer on my lens.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 gets you up close and personal with your subject

ZakB — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:10:00 GMT

I got in a little time recently with the Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 super-wide zoom lens. The "EF-S" in its name tells you that it's designed for Canon's 1.6x crop factor cameras (also called "APS-C" in yet another nod to the film days). Therefore, it works on the Rebels and my 40D, but not on a full-frame camera like the 5D or one of Canon's 1.3x cameras they make for journalists and serious hobbyists. On those cameras, the image would look like a circle in the middle of a black frame. On the Rebels and the 40D, the lens is meant to behave like a 16-35mm lens would on a full-frame camera.

The Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 super-wide zoom lens.

With a lens this wide, you can expect some distortion at the edges. It's particularly noticeable with vertical elements; they'll look like they're being drawn to the center by an unseen force. The picture below illustrates this — just look at the buildings on the sides.

Taken at 10mm, f/8, 1/60 at ISO 200. The buildings look almost
like they're coming toward us.

What's fun about a lens like this is that you can be right smack in front of your subject and get the entire scene in frame. I'm lucky my toes weren't showing!

This lens worked like a dream. It uses Canon's Ultrasonic (USM) focusing, so it's silent and lightning-fast. Movement while zooming is internal, and the front element does not rotate while focusing or zooming, helpful when you're using a polarizer. It's a fun lens, and it'll help you get some unique shots.

The Bellevue arch in Richmond, VA. 10mm at f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 400.

The Canon 40D - cool under fire

ZakB — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:55:00 GMT

The Canon 40D (shown with the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 image-
stabilized lens) is the latest in Canon's mid-level line of DSLRs.

I shot a wedding recently using my new Canon 40D digital SLR. Working in tandem with a friend of mine, I snapped away for 8 straight hours, amassing almost 9GB of RAW files (probably 850-900 pictures). It proved to be a true test of the camera's performance. The 40D was almost constantly in use, in varying conditions ranging from a well-lit church sanctuary, through bright outdoor sunlight and shade, to a dimly-lit reception hall.

Indoor lighting varies — good thing the 40D let me save settings
right on the dial, so I can just give it a twist when I change locations.

Working quickly was mandatory. The 40D's dial had three programmable settings that allowed me to program my camera for the three different areas. For example, outside I used ISO 200 and f/8 in aperture-priority mode (meaning I choose the aperture, and the camera chooses a shutter speed appropriate to my choice of ISO and aperture). In the sanctuary, I was at ISO 800, f/3.5-5.6 (a limitation of my lens) with a custom white balance. In the reception hall, I had to fine-tune even further because I was using a flash. Without the programmable settings on the dial, I'd have been fumbling around with the settings constantly. Instead, I simply turned the dial each time I switched locations.

The camera's 3" LCD screen was easily viewable in the sunlight. I primarily use the LCD screen to confirm I have the exposure right, and it did this very well. I left on the "highlight alert" (I call 'em "blinkies," because when the highlights are blown out, the white areas will blink to warn you) to help with this.

I always set my cameras to turn themselves off after a minute of idle time, so I don't have to think about flipping the on/off switch. When the moment arises, I can tap the shutter button, wake it up, and be ready to shoot. In a wedding, this is important. The moments you anticipate, and those you don't, happen in an instant.

The 40D was fast and smooth. It went from "sleep mode" to "ready to shoot" almost instantly. Navigating from screen to screen, flipping through shots I'd taken, and general operation of the camera was pretty quick, too. Critical controls were generally accessible with one hand, and I could easily find them — without looking at the camera, another feature that comes in handy when a unique photo opportunity arises. After all, they weren't about to pause the wedding to wait for me to get my camera settings right.

Shooting in available light is usually preferable. Your shots will
benefit from the shallow depth of field of the wide aperture.

At the wedding, the 40D did for me what any good camera would do — it stayed out of my way, did what I told it to, and never let me down. It's a real workhorse that is plenty capable in a tough setting, like a wedding day, that can push your equipment to the brink.