Q&A with Canon’s Chuck Westfall

#1 Klemen

Hi Chuck. Can we expect a more consumer oriented FF DSLR with all the bells and whistles anytime soon? Let's say around 1500 $ price point. What are your expectations? Thanks for the answer.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks very much for this suggestion. I cannot answer your first question directly, but cameras like the EOS 5D Mark II demonstrate an ongoing trend of providing more and better features at lower prices than previous models in the same category. I would expect this trend to continue in the Digital SLR market for the foreseeable future.

11:40 am - Monday, October 20, 2008

#2 Jeff Donnelly

Hi Chuck-

Was wondering if there ever be a full-frame DSLR from Canon w/ a high quality electronic viewfinder AND a tiltable LCD screen?

Seeing what the lens is seeing is important, but now that the capability is available, seeing what the sensor "THINKS" it's seeing through the lens makes a lot more sense...plus, no more swinging mirrors and mechanical parts or prisms...

The bridge digicams have had this for quite awhile (Sony's 707/717/828 series, for example), and while maybe the EVF wasn't the top of the line....the difference it made in shooting was astounding. You got to see what the sensor saw, and get real time feedback visually when changes were made to shutter speed/aperture...BEFORE you took the shot. A real timesaver....video cameras have had this capability for a very long time.

I'm aware that the pros have always said they MUST HAVE an optical viewfinder....but how many of them actually are aware of just what they have been missing?

Thanks for listening.

Jeff Donnelly

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for these suggestions. While the benefits of an electronic eye-level viewfinder and a folding external monitor are clear, there are a number of technical obstacles to overcome in order to provide a camera that offers these features without taking a step back in terms of power consumption, viewfinder clarity and AF performance. It will be interesting to see how fast these obstacles can be eliminated.

12:15 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#3 Are Thunes Samsonsen

Hi!

I'll ask the same as I ask Brian Worley every time we meet:

When can we expect a digital SLR from Canon which incorporates eye-controlled AF? At the end of the film-days this worked pretty well, and it would be a godsend on some of the more advanced dSLRs like the 50D and up.

Thanks,

Are Thunes Samsonsen
Journalist, Akam.no

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for making this request, because it gives me a chance to dispel a false rumor: Personally, I am categorically unopposed to the idea of incorporating Eye Controlled Focus in an EOS Digital SLR. I’ve made the statement several times over the years that there hasn’t been a strong level of customer demand for this feature, and that is true. However, it doesn’t mean that I don’t like ECF. And for that matter, customer demand is more important than any individual opinion. The fact is, the more often Canon receives requests for ECF, the better the chances that ECF may appear in a future DSLR.

1:33 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#4 bb

When can we expect an SLR that records video with full manual controls of exposure adio & frame rates?

Chuck's Answer: I can’t comment on this question, but thanks for the request!

1:43 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#5 Rob B

Chuck,

I have two questions:

1) Why is there no CMOS sensor digital point and shoot available for the North American market? Why create the SX1 and SX10 and offer different sensors?


2) Right now, available ISO is treated by Canon as a way to differentiate product lines. With the advancements in sensor design (aka. the 50D) allowing cameras to shoot at higher ISO values, will any increase in ISO be made available in the consumer-level (Rebel series) cameras?

Thank you.

Chuck's Answer: 1. The decision to hold off on distributing the CMOS-based PowerShot SX1 IS this year in North America was based on product delivery schedules and available quantities. On the other hand, the CCD-based PowerShot SX10 IS is widely available in most markets, and it is priced very aggressively.
2. I can’t comment on this question, but thanks for the request!

1:58 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#6 Vaughn Parker

will the Canon Powershot SX 1 IS be released in the US this year. and what price range will it fall in.

Chuck's Answer: The PowerShot SX1 IS will not be released in North America this year. I cannot comment on next year’s plans.

2:01 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#7 Gordon Yang

1) Will Canon ever produce a DSLR that will have a sensor with a built in sensor image stabilization?

2) Why do all the Canon high pixel count DSLR's have such slow frame rates? Why not just add more Ram into the cameras for a larger memory buffer? Ram is cheap these days. Cameras such as the 5D II and the 1 D's?

Chuck's Answer: 1. There’s no point in ruling out the possibility of in-body stabilization, but Canon’s opinion that image stabilization belongs in lenses is very clear. In-lens stabilization allows for optimum performance according to the optical characteristics of the lens, and in addition it makes composition through the viewfinder much more comfortable and accurate visually. For more information, please review the following web site: http://web.canon.jp/imaging/lens/index.html
2. Canon’s policy on camera design is to offer a good balance of features and price. As it stands right now, no other manufacturer offers higher framing rates than the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS 5D Mark II at equal or superior resolution.

2:56 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#8 David V.

- Is there any hope to get one-button access to mirror lock-up in the near future (two years or so)?

- The 40D-to-50D cycle was just 12 months as opposed to the 18+ months that we'd gotten accustomed to for earlier iterations of the xxD and Rebel/xxxD line. Do you anticipate the shorter cycle will be more common in the future?

Chuck's Answer: 1. Live View already provides one-button mirror lock, and it is available on all current EOS Digital SLRs.
2. Sorry, I can’t comment on future plans.

3:21 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#9 Joe Allebaugh

Chuck,

Would Canon consider a few requests and comments for possible future small body FF bodies and for EOS system components generally?

+ add greater exposure comp range (+/- 3 or more stops)

+ add a built-in viewfinder shutter

+ would it be possible to add an on-demand underexposure blinking indicator to the recorded image display (keeping the overexposure blinking indicator)

+ add the ability for an audio tag file for all image recording modes

+ extend the current center AF sensor's high-sensitivity to the outboard AF sensor points, and widen/highten the AF field across the frame

+ design the SLR's LCD to be articulating (as on the Canon A630 an other PS models)

+ it would be extremely convenient to be able to trigger remote EX Speedlites without a Speedlite or an ST-E2 or an OC cord in the hot shoe

Thank you for reading, and for advocating our opinions to Canon's developers.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks very much for these suggestions!

3:30 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#10 Mark Brown

Hi Chuck,

First, thanks for taking the time to do this.

I'd like to ask if there will ever be image stabilisation in Canon's SLR bodies?

I realise the lens based technology is superior but I primarly shoot in poor, available light situtations with fast primes and IS of any kind would make things that little bit easier. Or at least allow me to stop down to f2.8 once in a while. Sony and Pentax offerings look very tempting to me due to this one feature. Canon's large range of IS lenses just aren't able to replace a 50mm 1.4 for me.

If not sensor based IS I'll compromise on a new 50mm f1.4 USM IS? Though I imagine that could be quite a big lens.

Chuck's Answer: There’s no point in ruling out the possibility of body-based image stabilization in future EOS DSLRs. Thanks very much for the request!

3:56 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#11 Luc Asbury

Hello Chuck,
This opportunity that you are presenting here, has me convinced that going with Canon was the right choice.


Why does it seem that Canon has a lesser technical advantage than Nikon? My meaning... Geo tagging, wifi, more AF points, and many other customizable features...
I must say that when shooting around a Nikon User, I can appreciate the benefits of the features, but the Nikon user will then appreciate the richness of the image quality produced by a Canon.

Thank you for your time

Luc

Chuck's Answer: Sometimes it seems that the grass is greener on the other side of the street, but the fact is that Canon has been the innovator on a great number of technological fronts that other companies have been forced to emulate over the years to remain competitive. The next time you find yourself doubting this, consider the following:

1) Canon was first with USM lens motors (1987)
2) Canon was first with Cross-type AF sensors (1989)
3) Canon was first with built-in Custom Functions (1989)
4) Canon was first with mass-production USM lens motors (1990)
5) Canon was first to integrate full-time mechanical manual focus with an Autofocus lens (1990)
6) Canon was first with Eye Controlled Focus (1992)
7) Canon was first to offer an SLR telephoto zoom lens with built-in IS (1995)
8) Canon was first with CMOS image sensors (2000)
9) Canon was first with 8 fps DSLR (2001)
10) Canon was first with DIGIC image processors (2002)
11) Canon was first with full-frame CMOS (2002)
12) Canon was first with sub-$1K DSLR (2003)
13) Canon was first with 10 fps DSLR (2007)
14) Canon was first with Full HD movie capture in a DSLR (2008)
15) Canon was first with many popular professional lenses such as 14/2.8, 24/1.4, 85/1.2, 400/2.8, 17-35/2.8, 24-70/2.8, 28-70/2.8, 70-200/2.8, TS-E series, MP-E 65mm, etc.

I could go on, but hopefully the point is clear. Think about it: With these innovations and others, Canon has helped to shape the Digital SLR market as we know it today. And with our ongoing investments in R&D, Canon will continue to be first with many significant product innovations in the years to come.

4:10 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#12 Gary Toro

With so much plastic and battery and lcd
materials flooding the markets DAILY,
What effect will this have for my grandchildren ?
With film, I dont use as many of the
above.
So is film better for the enviornment
or not ?
I think of the I-pod and cell phone craze along side of the cameras.
Thank you.

Chuck's Answer: Canon shares your concerns, perhaps more than you know. Our company has a strong track record of environmental initiatives, which are spelled out in an annual Sustainability Report that can be downloaded here:

http://www.canon.com/environment/report/sustainability.html

I’d encourage all Canon customers to read this report, but here are a few highlights specific to our camera and lens products:

1) All Canon lenses introduced since the early 1990s have used environmentally-friendly lead-free glass.
2) All Canon camera products have been fully compliant with the European ROHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) mandate since 2004.
3) Canon is on target to cut its Carbon Dioxide emissions in half from 2000 to 2010.

4:21 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#13 Tom Weis

Hi Chuck,
Recently the 24mm f1.4 L lens was updated. This was a real head scratcher. I am confused why an already excellent wide angle prime was given such attention when the 28mm f1.8 really needs work (not so great wide open), and the 24-70mm f2.8 L could use an update (like the 16-35mm got back in 2/07). Comments?

Chuck's Answer: It should be clear by now that Canon has targeted L-series lenses as a top priority for continued development and expansion, with a secondary emphasis on expanding the range of EF-S lenses for Rebel series and xxD bodies. The L-series lenses strengthen Canon’s reputation as the world’s leading professional lens manufacturer, while the EF-S series offers a good selection of high-quality wide-angle zooms and other specialty lenses at affordable prices. This doesn’t mean that other Canon lenses will never be upgraded, but even with a company as big as Canon, engineering resources are limited and priorities must be set.

4:25 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#14 Edouard Boily

I second and expand the question from bb: When can we expect an SLR that records video with full manual and programmatic control (via the Canon SDK for the programmatic part) of exposure, aperture, ISO, audio, and frame rate?

When can we expect an embedded GPS for automatic geo-tagging?

Thank you for taking the time to listen to us.

Chuck's Answer: I cannot comment on Canon’s future plans or products, but thanks for these requests!

4:39 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#15 Mike Ziegler

Hi Chuck,
Can we expect to see a 24-70 with IS in the near future? How about the 16-35?

Chuck's Answer: Please see the previous answer.

4:41 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#16 Eric Kellerman

Rumours abound of a Nikon medium-formattish camera (MX), and of course Leica has announced the S2. Might we expect Canon to head in this direction too?

Chuck's Answer: Please see the previous answer.

4:48 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#17 Sarah Fox

Dear Mr. Westfall,

Thank you for addressing our questions. I have three:

1. With the recent advent of HDR, we are able to combine multiple frames of differing exposure; however, to get more than three frames for this process, we must make adjustments manually. Are there any plans to augment exposure bracketing to more than three levels (perhaps 5)?

2. With related software technologies, we can combine frames of different focus to expand depth of field. Are there any plans to introduce focus bracketing, whereby minimum and maximum focus are set (similar to DEP mode shooting) and then multiple shots are taken at focal distances spanning that range?

3. My dream metering method would be one in which I could spot meter the darkest and lightest areas of the scene in which I want detail and to have both the exposure and the contrast adjust to accommodate that range, so that high contrast scenes would end up compressed and low contrast scenes augmented. Is there any chance of that happening?

Thank you for your time.

Chuck's Answer: 1. The EOS-1 class cameras already offer the ability to select bracketing sequences of 2, 3, 5 or 7 exposures. Canon will evaluate the requests to add this feature to other EOS Digital SLRs.
2. Thanks for this suggestion! For what it’s worth, there is already a focus bracketing function in the PowerShot G-series digital cameras.
3. Have you tried multi-spot metering on the EOS-1 class cameras?

5:32 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#18 Marc Lawrence

As with other comments; it would be useful to have a LCD screen at the back which can be rotated / twisted out to allow quick review of the picture.

Continuous live view of full CMOS frame would probably kill the battery; so a the ability to display a sub-sampled region of interest would be good.

Alternatively, a low cost, small screen adapter which could plug into the video-out port would also be very interesting, especially for the awkward position / creative shots.

Probably cheapest option would be to enable flexible optical viewfinder.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the suggestions!

5:57 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#19 Andrwe Milbourn

Any chance of the following features please?:
1. Mirror lockup button.
2. Reset to defaults or custom settings button.
3. P Mode does not revert to previous shutter and ap settings after each shot.
4. Af points not all in the centre.
5. Far better flash exposure system, like Nikon's.Please please please.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the suggestions! By the way, please don’t overlook the use of Live View for one-touch mirror lock.

6:02 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#20 C. Daniel Dawson

Dear Chuck:
I have always liked Canon's eye focus option. Will that ever be offered on a new Canon DSLR? Thanks for your time and interest.

Chuck's Answer: As I mentioned in answer to Question #3, the more often Canon receives requests for Eye Controlled Focus, the better the chances that ECF may appear in a future DSLR. Thanks for your comment!

6:26 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#21 Vern Ogren

Dear Chuck

Thanks for listening to us.

The most valuable quality of a camera to me is it's immediate availability. I carry a point and shoot digital in a belt pouch so that I am able to record events as they unfold around me. The small sensor point and shoot cameras can sometimes disappoint as far as speed and image quality in low light.

I (and many others I'm sure), would like to see Canon design a camera with the largest sensor possible in a camera that could be belt pouch carried. In otherwords the ideal fast street camera with the best possible IQ.

Features I feel would be important in such a camera are:
Live histogram, quality EVF, fast control for exposure compensation F stop, shutter speed etc. In otherwords, a fast agile camera that won't be left at home because it is too big.

My question is: Is Canon working on such a camera?

Chuck's Answer: That’s a good question that I cannot answer, but thanks for the request!

7:06 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#22 Olivier_G

Dear Mr. Westfall,
1) How are you ?
2) That's all...

Chuck's Answer: I’m fine, thanks! <g> It’s very thoughtful of you to ask.

8:09 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#23 Carlos Lenza

What is going on with the 50D firmware? Mine is FW1.01 and gives err01 and err99 constantly. It is going back to dealer. Others have FW1.02 and one man sent his to Canon for repair and it came back with FW1.03. Yet there are no firmware updates on any Canon world wide site.

Do I need to wait for this to be sorted out before I get a new 50D?

Chuck's Answer: As you may know by now, Canon posted Version 1.0.3 firmware for the EOS 50D a few days ago:
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos50d/firmware.html

This firmware update resolves the Err99 issue with early-production EOS 50D cameras.

8:33 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#24 Stephen Elliott

Love the Canon 1D III - ultra fast with low noise in low light situations.

But could we have a fullframe version with 2 compact flash slots - not 1 compact flash and 1 SD Card and a 12-16 megapixel sensor with even better performance in low light?

Low noise, even at high ISO I feel is a major requirement for professional use - certainly in the wedding business.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks, I appreciate your concerns and this request.

9:04 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#25 Stewart Randall

Hi Chuck,

Can you comment on whether Canon will focus on image quality and low noise at high ISO and less on mega pixel count.

Chuck's Answer: I believe that Canon’s recently announced DIGIC 4 cameras (EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 50D, PowerShot G10, and others) demonstrate that image quality and noise levels can be improved while at the same time increasing resolution and maintaining or reducing prices.

9:09 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#26 Andrew

1. When will Canon compete with the Nikon in as far as AF points in the xxD and xD cameras?

2. Please tell me Canon won't crap up the semipro models with consumer features.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for your comments!

9:47 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#27 Ken Papai

Thanks for taking the time Chuck!

1. MLU button for a new body? Sure would be handy to instantly lock-up the mirror for a shot without fiddling thru menus. The DirectPrint button is dumb.

2. Release a 'real' EF 50mm 1.4 with Ring USM anytime soon?

Everything else is perfect and I look forward to shooting with the new 5D2.

Chuck's Answer: 1. Please don’t overlook Live View for one-touch mirror lock.
2. Thanks for the request!

10:30 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#28 Hagen

Hi Chuck, thanks for your web site: lots of laughs and interesting to figure out what is real and what is not. Corporate culture: same everywhere - sad really.

Anyhoo:

I am enjoying my 50D and wonder if the following will occur:
1. public release of FW1.02 or 1.03 and when
2. faster focus point decisions by AF
3. focus bracketing like AEB
4. hinged LCD (not fully articulated) for those low down shots where I don't wont to lie down
5. updated 24-70 F2.8 and preferably with IS for the ultimate walk abut camera.

thanks and keep up the good fight.

Chuck's Answer: If you’re referring to the “Fake Chuck Westfall” blog, it’s not mine. I have nothing to do with it. In the meantime, your first request has already been granted.
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos50d/firmware.html

Thanks for the additional requests!

11:16 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#29 Derek

Hi, Chuck. Are there any plans to add image stabilization to the EF 400mm f/5.6L lens?

Chuck's Answer: I can’t comment, but thanks for the request!

11:17 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#30 Michael

I'd like to know the future of CMOS in compact cameras and how they'll evolve.

Are HD video and zoom during video in the pipeline for compacts?

Also what about a really wide aperture compact camera- with a small-medium sensor (<=2/3)?

Are there any plans for a large sensor compact, but with a more moderate trade off.

Honestly, I prefer more light through the lens than more ISO. A really fast 24-70 on a 2/3 sensor would be killer- and with the good canon ergonomics it'd be almost perfect.

Chuck's Answer: The PowerShot SX1 IS, recently announced at the Photokina show in Germany and slated for 2008 delivery in Europe and Japan, is Canon’s first CMOS sensor PowerShot camera. It already supports Full HD video capture and optical zoom while recording movies.
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/dcp/pssx1is/index.html

Thanks for the additional suggestions!

11:41 pm - Monday, October 20, 2008

#31 Maurice FitzGerald

Is there a specific point at which the resolution and gamut capability of a device will surpass that of the unaided human eye. What might be the eventual medium of display for these super high res images

Chuck's Answer: Those are great questions, but frankly they’re outside my area of expertise. I’m aware of the research that’s going on with Quad Full HD (QFHD) and Ultra High Definition (UHD) displays as well as 3D, but haven’t seen any of them yet. Based on the preliminary info, new devices based on this technology should be fascinating!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad_HD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_High_Definition_Video

12:20 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#32 Frank Page

Dear Chuck,

Three questions - first, will Canon make an aps version of the G10 with a good optical viewfinder and good IQ at high ISOs - something ideal for street shooting.

Second, and this is probably way down on your list of priorities, but could you put an aperture ring back on your lenses. The control wheel is a bit of a pain if you are left eyed, like I am.

Finally, are you all ever going to make a digital ff version of the Eos 3 ?!!

Thanks

Chuck's Answer: I can’t comment on future plans or products, but thanks for these requests!

12:44 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#33 Fazal Majid

1) Any plans to reintroduce the Magnifier S? It sells used for ridiculous amounts on eBay. The Angle finder C is not a proper substitute, for instance for fine focusing of the TS-E manual-focus lenses.

2) Canon lags badly behind Nikon in support for GPS geotagging. Any plans to rectify this?

3) Any plans to introduce a compact camera with an APS-C size sensor, similar to the Sigma DP-1/DP-2?

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for these suggestions! On point #1, you may find that the movable focusing frame with 5X and 10X magnification in Live View provides a superior method for critical manual focusing compared to any optical eyepiece magnifier.

1:03 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#34 John Liste

1) Is there an IP issue which prevents Canon from implementing a proper auto-ISO like that found in Nikon and other brands? (No, 50D auto-ISO is not it).

2)One-shot AF is fantastic on xxD series. Predictive AF, on the other hand is positively medieval. Can we expect an improved AI servo on 60D?

3) 500/5.6 IS please!

Chuck's Answer: I can’t comment on IP issues, but thanks for your comments and requests!

1:35 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#35 Harry M Kachline

Sure like to see a 400 f5.6 with IS

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the suggestion!

1:59 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#36 Nathan Yan

As a college student, how would you suggest going about getting a job in the camera or digital imaging industry? What sort of background, types of college courses (presumably EE - anything more specific?) does a company like Canon look for in prospective hires?

Chuck's Answer: I answered a similar question in my “Tech Tips” column a few years back. Please allow me to repeat part of the answer here:

“If you're serious about a career in photography, my best suggestion would be to realize that no matter where you fit in, it's ultimately a business environment of one kind or another. Therefore, it is important to understand at least the basics of business together with the basics of photography. Colleges and universities are great environments for academic learning, but you'll also find that you can learn a lot about the business of photography by working for others during your summer vacations and/or on weekends. Some colleges offer programs for "summer interns" with various corporations around the USA, and you may be able to come up with other contacts on your own. Once you are able to combine some practical on-the-job experience with your academic background, I'm sure you will be able to find a career that you can be proud of. It may turn out to be different than what you expected before you began, but life has a habit of working out like that. <g> Good Luck to you!”

For more information on currently available job openings and desired qualifications, please check the Canon web site for your country. Here’s a link for Canon U.S.A., Inc.:

http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedata/Careers/ciwcrcareer.html

2:13 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#37 Bill Fouche

Mr. Westfall,

It is great of you to make yourself available in this way. Thank you!

1) Does Canon plan to offer a point-and-shoot type camera with FEWER pixels (perhaps 5 to 6 megapixels or so), so as to enhance low-light capability and reduce image noise. I'd pay a bundle for a good camera like this, if body and ergonomics were as good as G9.

2) Why is it so often said among pros and photographic enthusiasts that Canon's wide-angle prime lenses need improving? Any new wide-angle EFs in the works?

3) The optics of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 are superb. The autofocus mechanism, not so much. It breaks. It's expensive to fix. And it's a really important focal length for virtually everyone. Any plans to address this?

Thanks!

Chuck's Answer: 1. I cannot comment on future plans or products, but I will say that each new generation of Canon point-and-shoot digital cameras has either maintained or advanced its digital image quality compared to its predecessor. You owe it to yourself to see how much better the images from the PowerShot G10 are in comparison to the PowerShot G9 at equivalent ISO settings, for example. You can expect this trend to continue.
2. I would suggest that you take a serious look at the image quality produced by recent Canon wide-angle lenses like the EF14/2.8L II, EF16-35/2.8L II, EF24/1.4L II, and EF35/1.4L. They’re all either at or near the top of the class in terms of image quality at their respective focal lengths. Canon has made a concerted effort to improve the optical quality of its L-series wide-angle lenses, and I would expect that trend to continue as well.
3. Thanks for the comments on the EF50/1.4 USM. Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to answer questions on future products.

2:41 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#38 Greg West

Mr Westfall,

thanks for taking the time to read this.

My question is: Will Canon offer Eye Control Focus in a mid to high end DSLR in the near future?

This feature is missed by many who experienced it in their Canon film cameras and it would be an excellent point of differentiation from other brands.

Chuck's Answer: As I mentioned in Answers #3 and #20, the more requests Canon receives for Eye Controlled Focus, the better the chances of seeing this feature in a future EOS Digital SLR.

3:15 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#39 Mike

Mr. Westfall,

I own a Canon Elan 7n (purchased 4 years ago) and still shoot film. For my needs, I find this to be a great camera. I do not yet own a digital SLR as I still like using film and see no reason to change currently. My question is: what is the shutter lag specification of my camera?

This is something I can not find anywhere – I even contacted Canon Canada and they didn’t know. I am interested because I would like to compare my camera to a new Canon DSLR under consideration. If it is possible to answer this, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

As an example: shutter response (Lag Time Prefocused: time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button) of the Canon 40D is reported to be 0.061 seconds.

Chuck's Answer: When the shutter button is pressed halfway first, the shutter release time lag for the EOS Elan 7N is approximately 100 milliseconds (0.100 seconds) or less, excluding autofocus.

3:19 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#40 Ricky

Dear Mr. Westfall,

Thank you for answer my question, 1 have 2 question want to know.
1)when will be EF 100-400mm II release?i hope it can be upgrade the IS version as IS really helpful on tele lens.
2)will canon made a zoom lens tele than 100-400mm? eg. 200-500mm.

Chuck's Answer: I cannot comment on future products, but thanks for these requests!

3:33 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#41 S. B. D.

Hi Mr Westfall,

Can you share with us the initial reaction of the Canon Japan brass when they first heard about the Nikon D300's pro AF at a USD1800 price point? Was there any one word or phrase that you recall more vividly than the others?

Chuck's Answer: I wasn’t there, so I wouldn’t know. My speculation is that it was not a major concern.

3:45 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#42 chrisj

Thanks for listening,

My question is how much notice does Canon take into account from internet forums. Many Q&A;are brought forward daily. Many problems, (tho a few operator errors) are genuine and some questions not answered by canon phone services.

Is there a chance that a canon person could work within forums and provide an answering service. Are there any particular forums that canon could take notice.

eg I approached canon several times to find an answer to an AWB question as to where the camera body assessed its value, (20/30/40d etc), and presumed the inner circle of the VF, no one has answered this yet. Keep up the good work

Chuck's Answer: Web forums are great sources of information that let Canon and other camera manufacturers know what’s on the minds of their customers. I wouldn’t say that Canon either overemphasizes or underemphasizes the input they receive from web forums, but they do consider it along with the input they receive from many sources such as Factory Service Centers, dealers, marketing reps, sales reps, sales managers, and others. Although some users might find it ideal to have Canon representatives participating actively in individual web forums, this would be extremely difficult to implement in practice for a number of reasons. Instead, Canon has invested a tremendous amount of money and manpower into their Call Centers, which provide maximum synergy between the Factory Service Centers and the Technical Support staff in an effort to maximize customer satisfaction. In that respect, it’s particularly gratifying that Canon USA’s Call Center has been ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among digital camera manufacturers for the past 4 years by the readers of PC Magazine in annual surveys. Staff training is an ongoing issue for any Call Center operation, and Canon is very conscientious about keeping its Call Center representatives up to date with all new products as they’re introduced. With an average of 15 to 20 new cameras every year, including PowerShots and EOS models, that’s a tall order, but Canon is getting it done.

In answer to your specific question on AWB, Canon does not publish a specification on the percentage of the image area that’s evaluated, but according to our R&D staff, the EOS xxD models limit the AWB reading approximately to the area covered by the spot metering circle in the center of the viewfinder.

4:27 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#43 Mendel Leisk

1. Too late now for the Canon 5DII, but: I really find the focus points too tightly clustered, on the original 5D, and I believe the Mark II hasn't changed. Please consider moving them further apart on a future version?

2. Again, too late for 5DII: built-in flash, I really miss this on the 5D. Please consider in future?

3. Per other responders, I think upgrading more lens to have IS would be worthwhile: say on the 400 f5.6 L prime and the 24-70 L?

4. Again per other responders, please update some long neglected primes, say the 50mm f1.4, and the 35mm f2.0, for build quality and focus mechanism?

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the suggestions!

4:43 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#44 Flaviu

Hi !
I buy the new EOS 50D, amazing camera , big step forward compared to 40D.
In only one week 50D sop working 3 times, and always in different modes.
1- During a foto session , camera freeze , and nothing work (solution : take out batery)
2- Camera won't start at all (same solution)
3- Camera start but display BUSY and freeze forever. (same solution)
Since then, I shot aprox. 200 pictures and work fine (so far...).
I presume it's something about soft, 1.0.1 firmware... or not ?
Thanks ! Hope a get a reply...

Chuck's Answer: Please try EOS 50D firmware version 1.0.3:
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos50d/firmware.html

7:12 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#45 Bernard Wheeler

We are on to Canon G10 , when you have run out of idea's, what to do with this camera, would you consider giving it compact inter changeable lens, as I feel there is a need for this type camera.
Thamking You Kindly

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the suggestion!

9:39 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#46 Michael

Why do your compact cameras lack wide-angle field of view. Family group-shots, interiors etc all benefit from wideangle whereas you can always boost magnification with digital zoom or photoshop.
Is the megapixel race over? Will you start to boast about your dynamic range or signal to noise rather than a few more pixels.

Chuck's Answer: As of 2nd Half 2008, Canon offers 4 compact digital models with wide-angle zoom lenses: the PowerShot G10, PowerShot SX1 IS, PowerShot SX10 IS, and PowerShot SD880 IS Digital ELPH (Digital IXUS 870 IS in European markets).
Higher resolution is a benefit to all digital camera users, as long as overall image quality continues to improve. Canon considers the ongoing improvement of image quality a top priority in all of its new digital cameras.

10:17 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#47 Tamas Koncz

Dear Mr. Westfall!

I'd like to ask what is the tolerance of the current AF lineup? Long time ago there was an article in the Canon Pro site, but it has removed (I can only find a translation about it). What means the AF point is normal or high sensitivity?

Thank you for your reply, br,
Tamas Koncz

Chuck's Answer: The standard tolerance for AF precision with EOS cameras is within the depth of focus according to the maximum aperture of the lens in use. We don’t state a specific numerical value, but it varies slightly according to the size of the image sensor. Most current EOS digital SLRs are equipped with a combination of standard precision and high precision focusing points; the high precision sensors are used with lenses featuring maximum apertures of f/2.8 and larger (or f/4 and larger for the center AF point on EOS-1 series cameras). The high precision sensors have a wider baselength for AF measurement than the standard precision sensors, which improves focusing precision, but the trade-off is that the high-precision sensors require the use of high speed lenses as outlined above.

10:51 am - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#48 J.I.K.

What is your personal wish list for the EOS cameras and EF lenses for the coming two years?

Chuck's Answer: Nice try! But that one falls into the general category of topics I cannot discuss.

1:32 pm - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#49 Lesna Smada

Canon sold millions of FD manual focus cameras. The lenses are now orphans. Do you see the possibility of modifying one of your current digital lineup with an FD mount instead of EOS? Unfortunately, the flange to film/sensor distance has prevented use of anything but optically degrading converters. Alternatively, is the FD mount under any patent restriction preventing another manufacturer to offer such a camera? Or perhaps a compact EVF camera with an FD mount (or multiple user changeable mounts)?

Chuck's Answer: I’ll make an exception to the rule of not discussing future plans or products to declare unequivocally that I don’t foresee any possibility of Canon restoring compatibility for FD lenses to future digital cameras.

1:59 pm - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#50 Raymond E. McKinley

Hi Chuck

My question is about dynamic range, currently all manufacturers are offering more resolution with each new generation of dslrs, although it is now almost impossible to see any difference in image quality offered by the extra megapixels. Improvements in dynamic range however would be quite visible,even without pixel peeping.
How far away are dynamic range improvements in dslr chips?
Thanks in advance

Raymond

Chuck's Answer: In my opinion, any fair comparison will show noticeable improvements in image quality with current EOS cameras compared to their lower resolution predecessors, as long as the camera’s image processing is properly utilized and the output size is equalized in order to realize the benefits of the added resolution. Dynamic range is a related but separate issue. In this area, it is difficult to predict how fast the technology will advance, but the most important goal is for overall image quality to improve in each new generation of EOS cameras.

2:31 pm - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#51 Stephen Dokoupil

Hi Chuck,

Thank you for this wonderful chance to ask you directly about Canon's DSLR product line. First, I'd like to let you know that I am a Canon Fan, especially Canon's lenses. That's why I choose Canon in the first place. I currently own a 40D and was all set to buy the 5D Mark II when it came out. However, the new camera is not what I expected. My main focus is night photography, and the 40D does a fine job, however, I really want to move up to a FF camera. My question is this:

Dose Canon plan to come out with a FF camera that has a focus on true night capability? I my mind that would be a camera with, at most, 12 megapixels, maximum light sensitivity, and a very fast and sensitive focus system. I would be happy if I could shoot at ISO 6400 with NO NOISE. I am sure you have heard similar comments from Canon customers.

I look forward to your reply.

Thanks.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the request! Be sure to take a look at the image quality of the EOS 5D Mark II at ISO 6400 to see how far image quality has improved in terms of low noise compared to previous Canon cameras. You can expect this trend to continue as new models are introduced.

3:41 pm - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#52 a freak

@ Gordon heh,I know I'm not chuck, and I'll let him answer too, but it's _SD_RAM is cheap not as much for static ram cache (check how much L1 cache your current cpu has), and I don't think RAM is the (only) bottleneck for the framerates.

Chuck's Answer: The main requirement for a fast DSLR framing rate is a mirror box, shutter mechanism and motor drive that’s strong enough to handle it. Once that requirement has been satisfied, other top priorities include increasing the number of channels for data to be read out from the image sensor; increasing the power of the camera’s image processor; increasing the speed and capacity of the camera’s buffer memory; and increasing the speed of data transfer from the camera to the memory card.

8:23 pm - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#53 Gregory Ferdinandsen

I love the Canon products and really don't have a wish list. I have just two questions

1) It's understandable why Canon has discontinued the EOS-7 and EOS-3, but, as a hug fan of film, does Canon have any plans to either replace or discontinue the 1V? I would really hate to see such a beautiful camera discontinued...

2) In my current stable of lenses I have the TS-E 24 and 45. Is it true that Canon makes not profit or actually loses money on these lenses. If it's true, it's wonderful that Canon still produces such low margin lenses just to satisify the small demand of your loyal customer base.

Chuck's Answer: 1. Canon is no longer developing or manufacturing film cameras. However, based on current inventories and sales activity, the EOS-1V is in no imminent danger of being discontinued.
2. I can’t discuss Canon’s profit or loss on individual products, but the development of the TS-E series of lenses was realized primarily to expand the capabilities of the EOS system. These lenses were never intended to be high volume sellers.

10:59 pm - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

#54 Juan dela Cruz

Chuck,

Would you recommend the use of EF 75-300mm lens by a newbie? What are its disadvantages?

Chuck's Answer: The EF75-300mm series has historically been Canon’s top selling line of telephoto zoom lenses ever since the first versions were introduced back in the early 1990s. The main advantage of these lenses is exceptional cost-performance ratio, i.e., value for the money. They’re lightweight, compact, reasonably sharp, and very affordable. For novices or casual photographers, it’s tough to find a better bargain than an EF75-300mm zoom lens. Disadvantages are in the eye of the beholder, but some photographers might find that they prefer a larger or constant maximum aperture lens, or possibly one with better weather resistance or L-series optical performance. That’s why Canon offers a broad selection of telephoto zooms at various focal length ranges, maximum apertures and price points.

12:56 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#55 R Rivera

Does Canon have plans to incorporate eye controlled focus as in the old Elan and A1 film cameras in future digital cameras?
Also, does Canon have plans to introduce DSLR cameras with image stabilization built into the camera body instead of having to purchase expensive IS lenses?

Chuck's Answer: These questions have been asked and answered previously, but to reiterate, there is no point in ruling out the possibility of either Eye Controlled Focus or body-based Image Stabilization in future EOS SLRs. On the other hand, I cannot comment on Canon’s future plans or products.

3:27 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#56 chrisj

Mr Westfall

I notice my comment #42 hijacked with links to Vodaphone, as the request for no spam asked for, I`d like to express disapointment with this act and state, I am not responsible for the links attached to my comment

Thankyou

Chuck's Answer: I’ll leave this comment for Mark Goldstein to address.

4:18 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#57 Robert H

Two questions, first, eye controlled AF. When will we see that on a digital body. Secondly, When will we see a digital rebel series camera which is closer to the size of the original instead of the ones with tiny cramped grips we're getting now.

Chuck's Answer: I cannot comment on future plans or products, but thanks for your suggestions!

5:46 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#58 frederic belge

HI.
I just been dumped by a canon answer to a question i asked to Canon European headquarter. I got an eos 1D mark II since 4 years.
2 years ago i replace the shutter who was dead. Then after less than 40 000 shots (1/5 of the normal shutter life told on all the brochures and specs) the new shutter went down too and i was replied that the spare part warranty is only 3 months valid. I'm not lucky but i have to pay all the repairment on my own.
How the hell profesionnal photographer who pay more than 3500 euros (i'm french) have to heard that a shutter sell to be able to stand 200 000 clicks and who dies at 40 000 is just not luck. Canon never too responsability about that problem and simply sent me this incredible answers : quote ,

The 200,000 cycles life time announced in advertising is a marketing message, and it’s not part of the terms and conditions of the warranty for this spare part.
alerie Roth-Bousquet
European Photo Industry Specialist
Canon Europa NV
Professional Imaging Department
Products Management Camera Division – CCI
59-61 Bovenkerkerweg
1185 XB Amstelveen
The Netherlands
W +31 20 545 8346
M +31 645 658 147
F +31 20 545 8212
http://www.canon-europe.com/cpn

I want to that every new canon customer read this. And that some journalist write about this issue.
Because shutter's life mean something for professional and we put trust in pro body because they should last longer than prosumer body. But no.. not at all. Canon european headoffice officialy it's just an marketing mojo and they are not responsible for any problem that can occur after the warranty expires. That's really a professional behaviour.
Since now i understand and wont spend more money in 1D serie. The 5 D serie is much better and cheaper. So stop loosing money in 1D serie would be my advice, it doesnt give enough for the money and you are treated like a basic consumer customer once you have a problem with. CPS mean nothing in fact.
I wish Canon change their policies about shutter life and extend their warranty and explain clearly they are just bullshitting us putting numbers that they cannot even guaranty.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for presenting your opinions, but I suspect that anyone who reads your account will realize that they’re not being presented with all of the details of the case. Let me know if you need any help in contacting Canon France’s CPS program for further assistance.

7:19 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#59 Steve Peterson

Mr Westfall,

1) I see a number of people have already asked about the lens that I am waiting for - 400 f5.6 L IS, so I will ask a more general question: Could you explain how Canon decides what lenses are chosen for a redesign or the addition of IS?

2) Has Canon ever considered letting its customers customise camera functions by being able to add to the firmware with Javascript or similar? If done well this would eliminate most of frustration with simple things that are not part of the standard firmware like a mirror lock up button, limits on exposure compensation, etc. It might even give Canon a more loyal user community and let innovations develop that would never otherwise happen.

Thanks for your interest.

Chuck's Answer: 1. This is a very good question, but it’s also very complex. I suppose the best answer is to say that the decision to incorporate image stabilization in any given Canon lens is based on a thorough analysis of the marketing objectives for that lens. This includes issues relating to size, weight and cost.
2. Canon has been a leader in offering custom functions that are intended to tailor the features and operations of its cameras according to specific needs and preferences, but in my opinion, opening up the programming interface for firmware would place a crushing burden on Canon’s engineers for little if any significant increase in sales.

9:04 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#60 Adam

Hi Chuck

1. Does Canon recognise that the DSLR market is shifting towards bringing more features from the pro cameras into consumer bodies? If so, are there any current plans to produce cameras with high-end features in the consumer and prosumer market?

2. What are the real-world benefits in Raw capture between the 1Ds III and 5D II. I understand jpegs will be cleaner with the 5D II, but since Raw shouldn't run a NR filter, is there any appreciable difference? And does this therefore also ring true of dynamic range? Is there a difference in Raw?

Chuck's Answer: 1. Many of the improvements (including AF Microadjustment, folder creation and selection, and menu designs) that have been added to the EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 50D are clear evidence that Canon is adapting features from the 1D series to the lower-priced cameras.
2. You’ll be able to see the difference in RAW image quality between the EOS 5D Mark II and the EOS-1Ds Mark III for yourself within the next month or so, but most of the differences in this comparison will derive from the improvements that Canon made to the CMOS image sensor of the 5D Mark II. These include a more transmissive color filter array to improve S/N ratios, a more advanced output amplifier design, and a new method of on-chip noise reduction that occurs before the signal is output to the DIGIC 4 processor.

11:30 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#61 fablee

Hi Chuck. I have always been a fan of Canon having used the S1IS, A710IS and now the Rebel Xsi.I prfer Canon image quality over other brands. Does Canon have any intention of producing a traveller's compact like the Panasonic TZ5? Its light (most important), has a wonderful zoom range 28-280mm, its optical zoom works when filming video and it boasts of HD video. Thank you for reading.

Chuck's Answer: Take a look at the PowerShot SX1 IS. It is relatively lightweight with a 28-560mm equivalent zoom lens and Full HD video recording with optical zoom.

11:46 am - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#62 fxk

Mr. Westfall - first, thank you for this unique opportunity. My question involves what must be your favorite subject: autofocus and warranty issues.

In 2004, I bought a Canon 10d - a wonderful camera, even to this day. From the very first picture I took, I was disappointed with the clarity. Many "experts" said the softness was "normal" for digital cameras, especially DSLRs. "Expert" reviews always stated that Canon produced softer images than other brands. I accepted this as gospel. I believed that massive amounts of post processing was normal and necessary, and yes, I was to blame on some shots. I've never been able to use photos "straight from the camera". Not with the three lenses I owned: 17-40L, 28-135IS, and the 70-300 DO IS. I've been shooting film from the 70's with rangefinder and SLR cameras - I'd like to think my technique is a bit better than fair.

When I looked at my friends shots with a D70, a 10d contemporary, the shots were much clearer - and usable JPEGs came right out of the camera. Even a friend shooting the original Digital Rebel was not doing the work I was doing in post processing - ah, but that was a consumer camera geared to look more like what the point and shopot crowd would expect. I was a bit jealous. But the "experts" told me to expect soft shots from the Canon pro-sumer line - one can't undo in-camera oversharpening.

It wasn't until I bought a used 1dm2n that had just returned from Canon NJ for "cleaning and autofocus adjustment" that I realized how good digital DSLR output could be. My 10d obviously was not up to snuff. Granted, the 10d is not a 1dm2n - not by a long shot. But the pixel pitch and pixel density are pretty close - a 1.6 sensor of 6mp vs a 1.3 sensor of 8mp.

So let's assume for a moment, that the 10d autofocus is off. Can we assume that in normal, gentle, non-pro use that there is nothing the user can do to negatively affect autofocus calibration?

So given all the "expert" opinions, and the basic assumption that the camera was "perfect" from the factory new, and being a "brand-new-user to large-sensor digital", how could one not believe the experts - that digital is inherently soft - and Canon more so than others - and digital always requires PP. And the warranty period slips away...

Obviously, the camera is out of warranty. The used value of the camera is in the low $300 range. It is not cost effective to repair any longer - the repair estimated at over $200 US. But the problem was from day one from a full-price brick-and-morter retailer.

So, of course I'm asking for myself - but also for others in a similar situation; Is there anything that can be done to correct what appears to be a pre-purchase defect in the camera under an extended warranty? How about at the CPS top tier of 60% discount on service - to the original owner. I'd still love to use the 10d and in good concience cannot sell it. Any options?

frank

Chuck's Answer: The EOS 10D was introduced in the 1st Half of 2003 and discontinued in the 1st Half of 2004, when it was replaced by the EOS 20D. I haven’t seen your camera and therefore I’m not in a position to diagnose its condition. Assuming hypothetically that either it or your lenses were in need of focusing calibration at the time of purchase, I don’t think there’s much you can do at this late date (2nd Half of 2008) to make a case for warranty coverage. But it would only cost you inbound shipping charges to get a free estimate from Canon Factory Service. At that point, you could decide the best course of action depending on the cost, or lack thereof, for any necessary repairs.

12:36 pm - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#63 Neil

Considering the amount of features CHDK unlocks inside many Canon compacts, how do you justify the limitation of features (such as RAW output) on all but the G series cameras?

On the same subject, compact cameras, why have canon gone for more pixels in the G10 rather than larger sensor or increased IQ at higher ISO?

Just one more, why did the 5D mkII not get an upadated AF system (and no the old one is not that good!)?

Please help me understand.

Neil

Chuck's Answer: Sounds like you’ve been reading too much Web “wisdom” when it comes to evaluating the performance level of the EOS 5D’s AF system and the image quality of the PowerShot G10. The level of customer satisfaction on both of these issues is (or is going to be) a lot higher than you make it seem. Regarding Canon’s incorporation of RAW images or lack thereof on PowerShot cameras, that’s a marketing decision that’s made at a much higher level of management than mine. My only comment would be that the availability of the CHDK firmware at no charge makes the incorporation of RAW mode in cameras that otherwise don’t have it a moot point for interested users.

4:14 pm - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#64 Paul

Please, please update the wide to normal non-L primes. In the past, primes were great because they were small, light, cheap and still had the best image quality. This could still be true, but it's not. I think it's kind of sad that a mid range zoom can outperform many of the primes. I'm tired of big lenses with slow apertures. The 28mm f/1.8 seems like a great lens until you read all the test reports about how terrible the corner sharpness is. And the 20, 24, and 28 f/2.8 lenses have similar issues and they suffer from bad CA. Please don't neglect these lenses. I don't care about fancy bells and whistles and do-everything features. I just want simple basic performance.

Thanks,
Paul

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the comments and suggestions!

4:53 pm - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#65 Mayank Bhatnagar

Sir,

Thank you for sparing time to answer questions from Canon fans. I am a huge Canon PowerShot fan and use a G9 currently. IMHO, Serious Compacts is one of the most ignored camera categories by manufacturers, top rated /popular camera lists on any camera review website / shopping site would prove how much demand there is for such products. Just wanted to know if Canon is considering building compacts with larger sensors and therefore better IQ? Your answer may be helpful to many Serious Compact users who are currently (and at last) eagerly awaiting the launch of Micro 4/3 compact cameras.

Warm regards,
Mayank

Chuck's Answer: I cannot discuss Canon’s future plans or products, but thanks very much for this request!

8:20 pm - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#66 Jonas

Hi.

1. Have you seen this? http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/produce-a-new-canon-ef-400mm-f-5-6l-is-usm--lens.html

2. Don't you think you could have sold way more of the EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS if it were cheaper and still managed get profit from it? I mean, there is just just a question of time until Sigma or Tamron relases their 17/18-50/2.8 VC/OS.

3. In-camera IS. I want it.

Chuck's Answer: 1. Thanks, I had not seen this web page until now.
2. The EF-S17-55/2.8 IS USM prioritized image quality over price.
3. Thanks for the request!

9:57 pm - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#67 frank cangialosi

mr. westfall, thanks for listening!
years ago i purchased a canon a2e film camera just for the depth program on that camera. it was a three step process of using the central focusing point. half depressing the shutter button on the closest object, then the furthest and then taking the shot. the camera would set the hyperfocal distance. it was fast and accurate.i currently use a rebel xsi
(the best rebel yet, very nice!) but the one touch depth program is not good as it is very hard to set selective focus without having at least one of the focusing points fall outside the area of preferred focus.please please please return to the system on the a2e.
thanking you in advance.......frank

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the request!

10:53 pm - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#68 Ian

Mr Westfall,
If you could look into the future, say 10 or 20 years hence, what new features do you think we may realistically see on our DSLRs?
Thank you,
Ian

Chuck's Answer: It’s hard enough to predict new features that may appear within 5 years, much less 10 or 20. But I’ve already tackled that subject in a magazine article that appeared in the June, 2006 edition of PC Photo:

http://www.pcphotomag.com/features/featured-articles/where-are-digital-slrs-going.html

The purpose of the interview was to discuss future digital imaging technologies in a general sense, not relating to actual Canon cameras. I mentioned many different items, including improvements in image sensors, power supplies, optics, and storage devices. Please review the article for further details.

11:18 pm - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

#69 Bob King

Hi Chuck

Thanks for listening to Canon customers. I'm generally happy with my Canon gear but have a couple of concerns:
Firstly - I'm a little worried by the megapixel race - resolution is great but I'm looking for a camera with low noise at high ISO's and higher dynamic range. It would seem to me that this is best addressed by larger pixels. It would seem that Canon is increasing resolution while maintaining noise control and DR without making significant improvements. This is particularly evident in the compact camera market (I'm also dismayed to see the G10 losing Av and Tv off its dial). So my question is - what is Canon's priority - upping megapixels while trying to maintain per pixel noise and DR or the other way around?

The second question is - are we ever likely to see an image stabilized sensor in Canon DSLRs? It is of some significance that the newly released full frame Sony A900 has a stabilized sensor.

Thanks for your time, Bob

Chuck's Answer: I understand your concerns about image quality, but I would encourage you to actually use our current cameras like the PowerShot G10 before you make up your mind. As tempting as it must be to listen to the opinions of others, there’s simply no substitute for personal experience when it comes to product evaluation. Once you try the G10, I am confident you’ll find that its image quality is superior to the G9 at every equivalent ISO speed setting despite the increased resolution, especially with in-camera JPEGs. Moreover, you’ll see for yourself that all of the G9’s shooting modes were retained in the G10, including Aperture-Priority and Shutter-Priority (Av and Tv). Your last question has been asked several times before, and my answer is the same: There’s no point in ruling out the possibility of body-based image stabilization in a future Canon digital camera, but I can only discuss the products we’ve already announced.

1:15 am - Thursday, October 23, 2008

#70 Ron Upchurch

Mr. Westfall,

Thanks for making yourself available for this.

Can you tell us how many stops of high ISO (1600-3200) noise improvement there is with the 50D versus the 40D? For RAW given equal NR settings? For JPG?

Chuck's Answer: At default camera settings for in-camera JPEGs, and assuming equalized output sizes in order to gain the benefit of the EOS 50D’s increased resolution, there is approximately a 1 stop improvement in noise reduction for the 50D compared to the 40D. Run the comparisons and see for yourself. For RAW images, the difference in image quality between the two cameras is almost entirely dependent on the user’s choice of processing techniques.

4:37 am - Thursday, October 23, 2008

#71 j.m. chapman

The 5D Mark II. When is the actual shipping date to dealers? I have one held on reservation. It would certainly be nice they're released in sooner rather than later.

There's nothing wrong with the current 5D that the Mark II can't fix from I see and I'm pretty happy with the Mark I.

I have a problem of some sort with a 70-300 DO. It is definitely not as sharp as it seemed to be when I purchased it for the (then) new 20D. But it's never seemed to measure up to a 300 Nikkor I've owned for 48 years. No Damage. DO looks as sharp in the finder, but it just doesn't get there on sharpness in the zone. It's obviously out of warranty, I left it behind in favor of a $225 70-300 Sigma on a long European stint.. While it has quirks I have a higher confidence level, not expected with $1000 less lens. The Maco compensates for not feeling Canon. I'd prefer to have the DO sharp.

Either I got a rare Sigma or it's just good.

I really like most of the Canon lenses, the 16-35 and 24-70 L lenses are great. The 15mm Fisheye is one of those rare lenses that as far as I'm concerned deserves an L colored ring on it. The 100mm macro, excellent. As with the other cite on primes, apart from the 15mm, I have a 35mm f/2 and a 50 F/1.4. The 35mm was a compromise. I couldn't justify the money for the higher end. I owned the 50mm for a couple of years before the f/1.2 came along. It's as good as it gets, but it's not enough so given the gap in price. We've got the SD550, a G6. And all of it goes obsolete too quickly. On the other hand, I have three Canon lenses that I use on my LTM bodies. There are times, I wish I could carry one body, one full fram zoom w-to-tele, not too different from Tamron or other 10x zoons 18mm to 250mm or 300mm -- I

The trouble with hauling around this much gear is not just weight, matched with a Laptop, It's won't go overhead in a 757 (pull the laptop out, it's okay).

Can Canon consider make a compact, not backbreakingly expensive on Camera flash that will match up and comm with 430 or 580.. I sometimes carry 2 or 3 430EX with one 580EX. There are times something like updated Oly T20 or T32 from the dark ages or the Leitz SF-24, in effect a pocket lite that can fit in a larger setup. Most of the time, that small light would do what I want. Maybe elevated shoe connector for red eye.

I'm a fossil, but as a shooter who collects, I keep wishing after something with the Jewel-like feel of IIIf-IIIg, decent digital. (or early Canon 1950s).

Chuck's Answer: As we announced in the press release, initial USA dealer shipments of the EOS 5D Mark II are scheduled to begin by the end of November. I can’t be more specific than that at the moment. Thanks for the comments and feedback!

4:38 am - Thursday, October 23, 2008

#72 Randolph Mitchell

Navigating menus on a three inch LCD is inconvenient.

How about software enabling users to designate camera settings from our laptops? Link with USB or WiFi and control everything in a single window?

Thanks,

Randolph

Chuck's Answer: All current EOS Digital SLRs support remote control through compatible personal computers via USB and the supplied EOS Utility software. And all current EOS bodies above the Rebel series support remote control via WiFi using an optional Wireless File Transmitter. Software instruction manuals are supplied on a CD packaged with the camera, and they can also be downloaded from the Canon web site.

9:33 pm - Thursday, October 23, 2008

#73 Mike

Mr. Westfall,

Is there any chance that Canon could come out with a new digital rangefinder camera with new lenses?

Or, could it be possible Canon would develop a full frame sensor for a camera such as Voigtländer or Zeiss Ikon?

There are still a number of us out there that would love to see this happen. Or is this just a dream we should let go of?

Thank you for the opportunity to ask questions.

Chuck's Answer: I cannot discuss Canon’s future plans or products, but thanks for your request!

2:14 am - Friday, October 24, 2008

#74 John R. Spurr

I have been using Canon equipment since my Mamiya Secor 1000 DTL was stolen. I then purchased an original F-1, thru a T-90 now I have 3 Canon Digital Slr. One complaint is the need for a flash mode, using canon external shoe mounted flashes that can produce good mixed flash with available lighting. Think wedding photography with mixed low-level lighting. I usually manually set everything as I can trust me but not electronics to control the results as they are usually extremely underexposed. I need consistant accuracy with minimal fuss. Things happen quickly. When will a totally accurate auto flash unveil?

Thank you for your response.

Chuck's Answer: Wedding photography is one of the toughest challenges for any automatic flash exposure system due to the high contrast levels and general absence of mid-tones, but there are several things you can do to improve your results:

The E-TTL II flash metering system used in current and recent EOS Digital SLRs works very well at its default settings with most subjects, but it has overrides that are intended to help it overcome unusually bright or dark subject matter. One of the overrides that I've found most helpful for wedding photography on these particular models is Custom Function 14-1. (CF number may vary according to camera model, but this one is correct for the EOS 5D and 30D.) This C.Fn changes the flash metering pattern from Evaluative to Average. The reason I like it is that Averaged flash metering looks at the entire scene and reduces the possibility that any single element will be overemphasized.

Another technique that I find helpful for flash photography at weddings is bounce flash rather than direct illumination, because it softens the light for a more pleasing effect. There are plenty of commercially made diffusers around, but my favorite is the Ultimate Bounce Card by Peter Gregg. It's easy to use, and the quality of the illumination is outstanding, in my opinion. For more information, visit Peter's web site at:

http://www.abetterbouncecard.com

If you're going to do a lot of bounce flash photography at a wedding and you're using either the Speedlite 580EX or 580EX II, I would strongly suggest using an external battery pack such as the Compact Battery Pack CP-E4. Not only will this accessory speed up recycling times and increase the number of flashes per set of batteries, it can also minimize the possibility of overheating the flash unit. In order to make the most of that feature, set Custom Function 12 on the flash itself. This C.Fn reduces the drain on the batteries in the flash itself by recycling from the external pack only.

Generally speaking, it doesn't make much difference what metering pattern you set on the camera for ambient light when using flash, but in the case of the 5D and 30D cameras, I would stick with Evaluative or Center-Weighted Average for the most consistent results.

Last but not least, you might want to consider shooting your wedding photography in RAW mode on the camera. This setting requires post-processing in your computer, but the advantage is that you can adjust your highlight and shadow detail to a far greater degree than is possible with in-camera JPEGs. Most of the professional wedding photographers I know use a RAW workflow for this reason, and it's also helpful for tweaking white balance for better color accuracy when desired.

These are just brief comments on a subject that could be explored in much greater depth, but I think your results will improve if you try some of these techniques.

Hope this helps!

2:28 pm - Friday, October 24, 2008

#75 Dustin Ames

Is Canon's position changing on supporting Adobe's DNG RAW format? Given the rise of RAW software processing from third party software vendors, you aren't you supressing camera sales (such as the G10 that can't be processed in RAW format within Lightroom yet) and lengthening photgraphers workflows, by not offering DNG in-camera? Please consider supporting it.

Chuck's Answer: There has been no change in Canon’s position on RAW image data. Thanks for your comment!

3:42 pm - Friday, October 24, 2008

#76 Jason Kuffer

Chuck,

For the SRAW file format on the Canon 5D Mark II, are the noise levels lower than the traditional RAW format. In other words, how is that format processed in the camera internally? Does it sample ever other pixel from the sensor when a photo is taken? Or does the camera downsample the image as it is saving the file? It would be great to find that additional quality might be obtained by using this particular format.

Chuck's Answer: Canon is not disclosing the details of the sRAW image data structure, but observation of the images shows that noise levels are about the same for sRAW and RAW. The main advantages of sRAW are smaller file sizes to improve the management of storage capacity on memory cards.

10:33 pm - Friday, October 24, 2008

#77 Nico Burns

Hi,
why on earth does your marketing team have precedence over your tech team???

cant you work out that a good product will sell, canon already has a reputation for high image quality, but it has competition.

LESS Megapixels for christs sake!!!

a compact camera with aps-c sized sensor would be good

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for your comments!

12:21 am - Saturday, October 25, 2008

#78 Gary Sutto

An on-demand Grid screen would be fine and the DNG format, why are those features taking so long?

Chuck's Answer: Thanks for the requests!

2:56 pm - Saturday, October 25, 2008

#79 Eric Hutton

Hi Chuck,

When can we expect Canon software to have full support for 64bit Windows?

Chuck's Answer: Both EOS Utility and Digital Photo Professional already support 64-bit versions of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.

4:22 pm - Saturday, October 25, 2008

#80 tetsu

Hi Chuck, im a big fan of canon and im worried about the current market trend with Canon products, offering more megapixels instead of being more conservative in the megapixel wars and being more focused on what really photographers need. This is a trend that is extending to the DSLR side to, not only compacts are getting absurd resolutions, but also cameras like Canon 50D are pushing the optics difraction limits with its 15mp sensor.

Nikon is quite more conservative in this matters thats why im worried, ive owned several cameras and lenses from canon now but when its time to replace my DSLR ill be considering this facts carefully, what i want from a photographer perspective is better quality and just a modest upgrade of the megapixel count, so i will be really nice to have that choice, for example, an upgraded 40D with 12mp and all the best technology that canon has now in the 50D, better AF, better LCD screen without pushing lenses too much with 15mp.

Thanks in advance and congratulations for a superb product like the Canon 5D MKII.

Chuck's Answer: Thanks very much for your feedback! As I’ve mentioned previously to another customer, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to evaluate the image quality of the EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 50D yourself rather than relying on the opinions of others. I think you’ll be favorably impressed.

6:16 pm - Saturday, October 25, 2008

#81 Scotch

Hi Chuck,

I see many requests for a 500/5.6 IS but how about a new 200-400 F4/5.6 IS to replace the fairly ancient 100-400?

A 200-400 would combine great with a 70-200 for wildlife and there'd be no overlap like one gets now with the 100-400.

Thanks for giving us the chance to express our views.

Scotch

Chuck's Answer: You’re welcome, and thanks very much for your requests!

10:43 pm - Sunday, October 26, 2008

#82 neil

Two Comments:

1.) Ditto on easy access to mirror lock-up. I have this on my Kodak SLR/c, and like my tripod, I use it about 99% of the time. I can't imagine having to go through multiple steps for each exposure.

2.) Canon has a complete selection of zoom options for super-wide, but an incomplete selection of fixed super-wides. They have the 24mm, a 20mm, but leave a gap after jumping down to 14mm. Are there plans to introduce, say a 17mm fixed lens?

Chuck's Answer: 1. Thanks for the MLU request, but please be sure to try one-touch MLU via Live View.
2. I cannot discuss Canon’s future plans or products, but thanks for the lens request!

5:59 am - Monday, October 27, 2008

#83 ricky

to chuck, canon engineers and designers.

when can we see a big leap of innovation/improvement in canon flash system? we, canon users(enthusiasts) would be happy to have a canon dslr with an option for "commander mode" for simple wireless flash set-up.

i wish canon flash system will be at par with nikon CLS. sadly, canon is miles behind in this aspect. WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN?

Chuck's Answer: I can’t discuss Canon’s future plans or products, but thanks for this request!

6:49 am - Monday, October 27, 2008

#84 jim

chuck, can we expect an xsi/450d successor by early next year?


my forecast/wishlist for 450d-successor:

15mp (hoping for Sraw feature too)
video-recording
3" lcd with 420k (like panasonic LX3)
or better yet, 920k (like 5d mk2)


can we expect 18-105 3.5-4.5 IS-USM soon?

( i have no doubt that canon marketing department will also agree with me on this...it will become a highly popular starter lens should it come out with good quality optics for a reasonable, consumer-friendly price;-)

it will surely blast our envy for current nikon-d90 starter lens.

----

pls expand your Sraw with more options, 6mp, 8mp, 10mp. more choices means greater flexibility.

what do you think, chuck?

Chuck's Answer: I’ll be happy to forward your requests to our product developers. Thanks for your interest!

7:13 am - Monday, October 27, 2008

#85 Jay

Hi Chuck,

Thank you so much for taking your time out for this Q/A.

I don't mean to be rude with this question but I hope you do get a chance to answer this.

1. Would you share any light on what happened with the 50D release? and High ISO noise levels compared to 40D? There has been much discussion and evidence showing that the 50D is worse.

Canon has directly stated a 1.5 stop noise advantage over 40D.....This is hardly true...

I myself am a proud 40D and 50D owner, I too notice this difference, done many tests etc with it. Having spent so much money and blindly upgrading by Trusting Canon, I kind of do feel hurt a little. As Image Quality is the most important than ANY OTHER FEATURE.

No doubt, I still support Canon fully and have invested so much money but knowing this trust I was hoping for better support and trust back from canon.

Again thanks and sorry if this comes across the wrong way....

Jay

10:49 pm - Monday, November 3, 2008

#86 Chuck Westfall

Hi, Jay:

Thanks for your message. I agree with you that the improvement of image quality is a top priority for any new EOS Digital SLR. My statement of an approximate 1 to 1.5 stop improvement in noise levels for EOS 50D vs. 40D was made on the basis of the default settings for image quality with both cameras, in other words Large/Fine JPEGs. As I stated in my answer to question 70 above:

"At default camera settings for in-camera JPEGs, and assuming equalized output sizes in order to gain the benefit of the EOS 50D’s increased resolution, there is approximately a 1 stop improvement in noise reduction for the 50D compared to the 40D. Run the comparisons and see for yourself. For RAW images, the difference in image quality between the two cameras is almost entirely dependent on the user’s choice of processing techniques."

Independent tests of the EOS 50D's image quality are starting to appear on many different web sites, including the Imaging Resource. Shawn Barnett says: "Judging from our test images, Canon has indeed managed to improve image quality while raising ISO and increasing resolution at the same time."

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/E50D/E50DA.HTM

The same web page also displays a direct comparison of EOS 50D vs. EOS 40D set to Large/Fine JPEG at ISO 3200, with 100% pixel magnification crops, as well as a comparison of each of the 50D's High ISO noise reduction settings when used at ISO 3200. Both of these comparisons do a good job of showing users real-world examples of the image quality from the EOS 50D, at least to the extent that's it's possible to do so on the Web. The 50D vs. 40D comparison in particular shows that both the accuracy of color reproduction and the level of detail are similar for bothe cameras, while noise is noticeably reduced with the 50D. The only area where the comparison falls short is that it does not equalize the output size to realize the benefits of the 50D's increased resolution. However, printing the files to an equal size would accomplish that objective and make the comparison as fair as possible.

To summarize, the EOS 50D's improvement in image quality compared to the EOS 40D at ISO 3200 is clear and demonstrable at each camera's default settings for in-camera JPEGs when output size is equalized. That was the basis of my original statement when the 50D was announced, and I believe the results speak for themselves.

Best Regards,

Chuck Westfall
Technical Advisor/Professional Products Marketing Division
Consumer Imaging Group/Canon U.S.A., Inc.

5:13 pm - Tuesday, November 4, 2008