Since February 2009 (just six months ago) this blog has been visited by people from no less than 112 different countries – WOW, how awesome is that?!?

From Barbados to the Sudan, from The Islamic Republic of Iran to Senegal, from isolated nations such as Mauritius, Mongolia, Iceland and the Maldives, to populous places like the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia and Russia.  All that and only 6 months since starting the count. I am humbled and proud all at the same time.

In the map below, each red dot represents a country of origin. The larger the dot, the more people from there visited this site. This cool map is maintained by Clustermaps, who monitor the visits. Have no fear, it cannot track who you are, but it does know where in the world you came from.

Please do not stop coming, I will increase my work on the site, provide more presets and new content.

Thank you all, whoever you are!

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Several different preventative methods and corrective procedures have been introduced to compensate for errors caused by camera shake, which occurs when a camera moves while its shutter is open and its image sensor is exposed to light.

Canon began researching methods to compensate for camera shake in the 1980s, and in 1995 launched the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world’s first interchangeable SLR camera lens to feature a mechanism that compensates for optical camera shake. Since then, the company has continued to produce a variety of interchangeable lenses with image stabilization capabilities, and boasts a total of 21 such lenses in its current product lineup.

Canon’s newly developed Hybrid IS technology optimally compensates for angle and shift camera shake. Sudden changes in camera angle can significantly affect images taken during standard shooting, whereas shift-based shaking, which occurs when a camera moves parallel to the imaging scene, is more pronounced in macro photography and other close-range shooting.

The new Hybrid IS technology incorporates an angular velocity sensor that detects the extent of angle-based shaking and is found in all previous Canon optical image stabilizer mechanisms, as well as a new acceleration sensor that determines the amount of shift-based camera shake. Hybrid IS also employs a newly developed algorithm that synthesizes information from the two sensors to make optimal adjustments, thereby dramatically enhancing the effects of image stabilization during shooting, including macro shooting, which had proven difficult for conventional image stabilization technologies.

Canon is actively engaged in ongoing research and development of interchangeable SLR camera lenses incorporating Hybrid IS technology, and is aiming for the early commercialization and inclusion of the lenses in a wide range of products.

What does this mean – Our Interpretation

In camera stabilization has become very popular thanks to brands like Sony, Pentax and Olympus. In these systems, it is the sensor that moves to compensate for minor movements due to handheld shaking. The benefit of this is, of course, is that ANY lens can be used and you still get the advantage of stabilization.

Canon (and Nikon too) put stabilization in their lenses and charge a premium for them. For example, Canon’s 70-200mm L f/2.8 lens lists at $1249 while version with image stabilization (IS) lists at $1699, a $450 premium.

The forums are full of people asking (demanding) that Canon and Nikon introduce in camera stabilization.

It would appear that Canon is listening to this (to a degree), but obviously is resisting to go that way. Most likely they are concerned it would erode the premium they can charge for image stabilized lenses. So, Canon is obviously trying to raise the bar by introducing newer generation stabilization techniques into their lens systems, thus trying to differentiate from the in camera stabilization techniques.

So which is better? Time will tell, but in the mean time, this type of one-up-man-ship is good for consumers as it drives technology to become better and better, and that benefits us all.

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Canon first announced plans to expand in Virginia on May 1, 2008. Exactly one year later, building construction is complete and the new facility, which will produce cartridges for the North American market, will be operational by the end of the year. With assistance from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Canon’s investment will exceed $640 million in major expansion projects in the Hampton Roads area that are expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs.

“Today’s announcement symbolizes Canon’s commitment to continue U.S.-based manufacturing operations in the Virginia area,” said Joe Adachi, president and chief executive officer, Canon U.S.A. “By producing, selling, collecting and recycling cartridges locally, we reduce the need to transport products around the world, which allows us to have a positive environmental impact by helping to reduce CO2 emissions, reduce energy consumption and help preserve environmental resources.”

An important component of the expansion project’s success has been the ability to quickly hire and develop a highly skilled and technical workforce. With the announcement of the expansion in 2008, partnerships were established between Canon Virginia and a network of workforce development resources throughout Southeastern Virginia. This alliance included the Virginia Community College System, local schools and the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, among others, who assisted with the development of a Technical Training Academy, designed to equip Canon Virginia’s and the IRT’s growing workforce with the skills necessary to support advanced manufacturing and product repair operations. More than 300 current and new employees have been trained at Canon’s Workforce Development Center. The training center is located within a mile of the Canon Virginia campus.

Takayoshi Hanagata, president and chief executive officer, Canon Virginia and IRT, added, “Our relationships with the state, local officials and the community have been invaluable. Their support and involvement with our company has enabled us to grow and continually meet changing market demand.”

“Canon was one of the first Japanese companies to locate in Virginia and has been a Virginia business partner for more than two decades,” said Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine. “This company is not only a major employer in Virginia. It is a team player, an important ambassador for the Commonwealth, and a valued philanthropist in the community. I congratulate Canon on its continued success. We’re proud this company calls Virginia its home.”

Canon also plans to establish a center for the research and development of automated and robotic manufacturing technologies for the Americas region in Newport News to expand both cartridge production and recycling and reclaiming of toner cartridges. CVI and the Commonwealth are currently exploring strategies for collaboration on this project with Virginia’s higher education institutions.

In addition to the new Automated Cartridge Manufacturing building and the IRT expansion, Canon Virginia has also expanded its repair and refurbishing facilities for digital consumer products. Most of the growth has come from the camera and camcorder market. CVI has hired more than 250 camera repair technicians for the refurbishing and the end-user repair areas.

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With digital SLRs, the lens data and all exposure data can also be accessed via the camera’s EXIF file. Even E-TTL flash metering is supported.

The first lenses to be available will be the Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE and the Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE in the last quarter of this year.Further focal lengths will be added to the line within the next few months.

Recommended retail price of both lenses:

• Planar T 1.4/50 ZE €579.
• Planar T 1.4/85 ZE €999.

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With an incredible focal length range equivalent to 29-320mm in the 35mm format, the new EF-S 18-200mm lens will make an excellent addition to any camera bag, and it gives shooters a great lens to capture both standard as well as telephoto images.

The new lens features Canon’s built in Optical Image Stabilization system which gives the equivalent effect of a shutter speed roughly 4 steps faster, for better image clarity, even in shaky shooting conditions. With a minimum focusing distance of 0.45m/1.5 ft. at all zoom settings, this new lens should prove to be ideal for those situations where swapping lenses isn’t an option.

An ideal complement to the EOS 50D SLR camera and all other EF-S compatible EOS SLR cameras, the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens is scheduled to be in stores this October at an estimated selling price of $699.00.

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Canon has built upon the success of the popular EOS 40D model – which will remain in Canon’s line – with the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera. Expected to be the camera body of choice for advanced amateur photographers this holiday season, the Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera carries over the EOS 40D’s 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion process for smooth tones, and also includes enhanced noise reduction, especially at higher ISO ranges which will help bring those romantic nighttime shots into greater focus and clarity. Capable of shooting 6.3 frames per second (fps), the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera is ideal for shooting everything from beautiful night landscapes to fast-action sports.

Canon has built upon the success of the popular EOS 40D model – which will remain in Canon’s line – with the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera. Expected to be the camera body of choice for advanced amateur photographers this holiday season, the Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera carries over the EOS 40D’s 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion process for smooth tones, and also includes enhanced noise reduction, especially at higher ISO ranges which will help bring those romantic nighttime shots into greater focus and clarity. Capable of shooting 6.3 frames per second (fps), the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera is ideal for shooting everything from beautiful night landscapes to fast-action sports.

Improved Image Quality The EOS 50D Digital SLR camera’s 15.1-megapixel CMOS APS-C size image sensor has been improved thanks to the use of newly designed gapless microlenses over each pixel to reduce noise and expand sensitivity up to ISO 12800. The faster processing speed of the camera’s DIGIC 4 image processor contributes to the fast 6.3 frame-per-second (fps) continuous shooting capability (for bursts of up to 90 Large/Fine JPEGs or 16 RAW images on a UDMA CF card), to give shooters the tools they need to capture that perfect moment in perfect clarity.

The Canon EOS 50D camera provides ISO speeds from ISO 100 up to ISO 3200 in 1/3-stop increments, along with two high-speed settings – H1 and H2 – of ISO 6400 and ISO 12800, respectively. Along with a wide ISO range, Canon gives shooters more tools to help maximize clarity and color. The EOS 50D Digital SLR camera offers multiple levels of noise reduction during high-speed shooting. Users can choose from one of four settings- Standard/Weak/Strong/None – to help reduce digital noise that can result from poor lighting conditions.

As part of the camera’s internal image processing, the Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera conducts peripheral illumination correction, which automatically evens brightness across the image field, making an image of a blue sky even toned throughout, a function previously accomplished through post-processing software on a personal computer. Thanks largely to the DIGIC 4 processor, this automatic adjustment can be made in-camera during shooting with JPEG images or corrected in post-photoshoot processing with RAW images through Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software, which is supplied at no extra charge.

Helping to ensure each picture’s subject is clearly visible, Canon’s enhanced Auto Lighting Optimizer analyzes the brightness of subjects and automatically adjusts dark images so that they appear brighter, perfect for subjects in shade or in backlit situations. The Auto Lighting Optimizer on the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera has been updated not only to optimize images while they are being taken, but can also optimize images post-capture, during playback, to help ensure the subject of each image does not appear too dark. This is especially helpful when an amateur photographer uses the camera, because post-capture enhancement can help maximize image quality without the need of a computer.

A significant upgrade to the Canon EOS 50D camera is its large, clear 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen which features 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, four times the pixel count of the EOS 40D camera’s screen, for better clarity and color. To help show off those fantastic shots, the EOS 50D camera includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp, clear images on a High-Definition TV. The EOS 50D recognizes the needs of today’s photographers, and the faster processing speed of the DIGIC 4 processor helps support UDMA cards for faster writing of image files.

The camera is also equipped with a high-performance viewfinder featuring 0.95x magnification and the same high-performance Autofocus (AF) system as the EOS 40D camera with nine cross-type sensors for accurate target subject acquisition with lenses possessing maximum apertures of f/5.6 or faster and a high-precision diagonal center cross-type AF point that’s effective with f/2.8 and faster lenses, helping photographers ensure better focus of their targets. The AF Microadjustment feature, originally introduced last year with the Canon EOS-1D Mark III professional digital SLR camera, has also been added to the EOS 50D for maximum control over focusing precision.

Canon Gets Creative

For Advancing Amateurs Canon is taking steps to give advanced amateurs more flexibility with a new “CA” Creative Full Auto setting on the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera’s mode dial. This new setting goes a step beyond Full Auto, by allowing users to make adjustments before shooting while still in an Automatic mode, without needing to know the meaning of technical terms such as aperture, shutter speed, etc. In this mode, the camera menu on the back screen spells out options in common language for average photo enthusiasts, allowing them to “blur the background” or “lighten or darken the image.” These easy-to-comprehend image options will help amateur photographers improve the shots they are capable of taking, while helping them learn new techniques. When in the new CA mode, users will be able to adjust flash settings, brighten or darken images, blur the background, set the camera’s drive mode, and select a picture style directly on the camera’s LCD screen.

Better Live View

For photographers who prefer to frame their shots using the camera’s 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen, Canon has improved the Live View function of the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera to include “Quick Mode AF,” “Live Mode AF,” and “Face Detection Live Mode AF” that detects up to 35 individual forward-looking faces for better focus and clarity when taking group or portrait shots. The camera’s Quick Mode AF setting flips the mirror down and carries out regular phase-detection autofocus, while the Live Mode AF and Face Detection Live Mode AF use the camera’s CMOS image sensor for contrast detection autofocus. Two detailed grid displays have also been added to Live View shooting as optional settings for easier composition.

Two Small RAW Formats

In addition to the RAW and JPEG image capture modes that photographers are accustomed to, the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera now offers more manageable resolution settings and file sizes with two sRAW recording formats, sRAW1 and sRAW2. At the sRAW1 setting, resolution is 7.1 megapixels with a file size that is approximately 25 percent smaller than a standard 15.1 megapixel RAW image. With the sRAW2 setting, resolution is 3.8 megapixels at less than half the file size of a standard RAW image, retaining all of the flexibility and creative possibilities associated with full-size, conventional RAW images. The EOS 50D is the first Canon Digital SLR that allows the use of RAW and sRAW settings in Basic Zone as well as Creative Zone shooting modes, even further improving the camera’s flexibility.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System

The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS 50D has also been upgraded and now includes a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance. The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses ultrasonic vibrations to shake dust particles off of the low-pass filter in front of the sensor each time the camera is powered up or shut down. The second part of the system includes a software component where sensor spots are mapped and saved as Dust Delete Data that is attached to the image file for removal during post processing using Canon’s DPP software.

Pricing and Availability

The EOS 50D is compatible with the full lineup of Canon EF lenses as well as the Company’s ever-growing line of affordable EF-S lenses created specifically for Canon Digital SLRs with APS-C size image sensors. The Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera is scheduled for October delivery and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated selling price of $1,399.00*. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated selling price of $1,599.00.

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