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February
27th
Canon
Announces
EOS
10D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA
Also new EF 'L" 17-40mm F4 Zoom Lens
To
view an interactive Flash Presentation on the Canon EOS 10D
and sample images click
here
Canon
press release:
New Camera
Incorporates Canon-manufactured 6.3 MP CMOS Image Sensor, DIGIC
Image Processor and EF Lenses. Magnesium Alloy Body, 7-Point Autofocus,
Direct Print With Canon Printers, and Manual White Balance.
Canon Inc. continues
to provide professional photographers and enthusiasts with the
highest-quality digital SLR cameras available by taking the most
advanced camera features and combining them with the latest innovations
in digital imaging technology. In addition, Canon is the only
company in the industry to offer a camera with the 3 primary components:
an Image Sensor, Image Processor and Optics designed and produced
by the camera manufacturer*.
The new EOS
10D is the first digital SLR to offer Canon’s exclusive DIGIC
Image Processor for maximum camera performance as well as direct
connectivity to several Canon Bubble Jet Direct printers and the
CP-100 Card Photo Printer.
The camera’s
body, constructed with rigid magnesium alloy covers, houses and
protects a number of advanced camera features which are distinctively
Canon including a very fast, wide area 7-point autofocus system
for precise focusing; 3 frames per second drive speed in 9-frame
bursts in either JPEG or simultaneous RAW + JPEG capture settings;
an extended ISO range of 100-3200; manual white balance mode;
selectable colour space options including Adobe RGB and sRGB;
a scrollable 10x zoom playback mode; and a Plug and Play USB interface.
*As of 2/27/03
The EOS 10D
also supports EXIF 2.2, DPOF 1.1, FAT32, and Compact Flash Type
I and II, and is completely compatible with all EF-series lenses,
including the new EF 17-40mm f/4L USM.
Elements
of Image Quality
The image quality
of any digital camera is not based solely on its resolution. While
resolution is clearly a key component of image quality, two additional
factors must be taken into consideration. First is the quality
of the camera’s optics. The second is the quality of the
camera’s image processor. Collectively these three units,
working together, ultimately determine the image quality of any
digital camera. Today, Canon is the only manufacturer of digital
cameras that combines its own extensive EF-series line of high-quality
lenses, its own Image Sensor (CMOS), and its own dedicated Image
Processor (DIGIC), to help users achieve maximum image quality.
Canon
EF Lenses
Canon’s
heritage as an imaging company dates back almost 70 years to the
company’s founding in 1935. Since then, Canon has worked
hard to perfect the process of creating extremely high-quality
optics for its line of 35mm cameras and other imaging products
and is now the world’s largest manufacturer of cameras and
lenses. Canon is a global leader in optical design, with many
advanced and original technologies such as aspherical and fluorite
lenses, optical image stabilizers, ultrasonic motors, and more.
Canon currently markets over 50 EF lenses for the EOS 10D, representing
one of the largest selections of interchangeable autofocus lenses
from any manufacturer.
Canon’s
CMOS Image Sensor
The EOS 10D
incorporates a large-area 6.3 megapixel CMOS sensor designed,
developed and manufactured entirely within Canon. This sensor
has the same picture area (15.1 x 22.7mm) and aspect ratio (2:3)
as the EOS D60, but features superior image quality thanks to
peripheral circuitry improvements and a refined manufacturing
process. A new amplifier circuit boosts the S/N (signal to-noise)
ratio to provide an extended sensitivity range from ISO 100 to
3200 and superior noise reduction at all ISO speed settings.
Canon’s
DIGIC Image Processor
Every digital
camera uses a CPU of some kind to "process" images recorded
by the camera and also to control overall camera functions. In
most cases, this is the same type of general-purpose CPU typically
used for video games, word processors and computer spreadsheets.
However, when such CPUs are applied to image processing in digital
cameras they tend to be very slow.
Canon’s
proprietary image processor, called DIGIC, was developed specifically
for use with its line of digital cameras and combines the jobs
of image processing and camera function control into one chip.
Canon’s DIGIC (short for Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit)
is much faster at image processing than a general purpose CPU
because it employs parallel processing rather than the sequential,
one pixel at a time processing methods used by "conventional"
digital cameras. The extra speed of DIGIC makes it possible to
incorporate higher quality signal processing algorithms than conventional
digital cameras, while at the same time improving buffer performance
and consuming less battery power because signal processing is
completed more quickly on a per-image basis.
However, DIGIC
does much more than image processing. Because it was specifically
designed for use in a digital camera, it is also capable of handling
nearly every digital camera function including JPEG compression/expansion;
memory card control; Auto Exposure; Auto White Balance control
and most other camera functions. In the case of the EOS 10D, for
example, the number of consecutive frames is 9, compared to 8
in the EOS D60 and the battery life lasts approximately 30 percent
longer. These improvements were made possible by the DIGIC Image
Processor, not by any improvements in the camera or batteries
themselves.
7-Point
Wide-Area Autofocus
The EOS 10D’s
advanced 7-point AF system is a major upgrade from the D60’s
3-point system, and its speed is as fast or faster than the EOS
Elan 7/7E’s. The 7 focusing points are conveniently and unobtrusively
superimposed on the viewfinder, cover a wide area for superb precision,
and are manually selectable for a high degree of control. Ideal
focus is achieved whether camera orientation is vertical or horizontal,
with moving, still or off-center subjects, and even in low light/low
contrast situations.
Intelligent
Orientation Sensor
This new function
detects whether the camera is positioned horizontally or vertically
and uses that information in a variety of helpful ways. In addition
to improving autofocus and exposure metering accuracy, the Intelligent
Orientation Sensor enables the EOS 10D to automatically rotate
vertical format images during playback on the built-in LCD monitor,
and add rotation data to the image file header. Compatible software
applications such as Canon’s File Viewer Utility, ZoomBrowser
EX and ImageBrowser read this data and automatically rotate thumbnail
images during downloads to accelerate workflow.
Expanded
RAW + Jpeg Settings
When a RAW image
is captured, the EOS 10D simultaneously records and stores a JPEG
image in the RAW image file. Unlike the EOS D60 where this mode
was only possible for the Middle/Fine setting, the JPEG image
can be set to any of the six JPEG quality settings on the EOS
10D.
White
Balance and Colour Temperature
In addition
to the five preset White Balance modes featured on the EOS D60,
the shade setting (approximately 7000K) has been added for a total
of nine white balance modes. The EOS 10D also features a Manual
colour temperature setting allowing for greater colour precision
and creative control over any scene. Users are now able to manually
set the colour temperature directly from the camera’s menu
from 2800 to 10,000 degrees Kelvin values in 100–degree increments.
In the White
Balance Bracketing mode, a set of three images is made at the
same exposure level while shifting the white balance up to +/-
3 steps in 1-step increments, to render a cooler or warmer colour
temperature. Each step is equivalent to 5 Mireds (Micro-reciprocal
degrees).
Bundled
Software
The EOS 10D
is bundled with an upgraded software package featuring powerful
drivers which are compatible with Windows XP and Mac OS X. Additional
Canon utilities such as ZoomBrowser EX, PhotoRecord, RAW Image
Converter, PhotoStitch and RemoteCapture are also supplied, together
with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0.
The EOS 10D
measures 14.98 x 10.66. x 7.62 cm and weighs 790.9 grams (body
only). It will be available at authorized retailers arond mid-March
with a retail price of $2499 Ca (For
US price see below)
Availability
Info:
RitzCamera.com
has today announced that they are now accepting pre-orders for
the Canon EOS 10D Digital SLR! The pre-order price is $1,499 US
Message
from RitzCamera:
"The
Canon EOS D10 is expected to be available in the 2nd quarter of
2003. By placing your Canon EOS D10 Digital Camera order today,
you can firmly establish your place in line for this exciting
new product.
- Our
orders are always filled in the order that they are placed,
and your credit card will not be charged until your order has
shipped.
- Order
today and assure yourself of being one of the first to get this
exciting new item!
- We
ship all our orders to our valued customers on a first in, first
out basis."
PLUS: FREE Ground Shipping*
New
Lens Announcement
EF
17-40mm f/4L USM Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
The EF 17-40mm
f/4L USM is an ultra wide-angle zoom lens that is being announced
simultaneously with the EOS 10D, but is compatible with all Canon
cameras that use the company’s proprietary EF lens mount.
The new lens was developed as a more affordable alternative to
the renowned EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens that has become a mainstay
for professional photographers around the world.
Featuring 3
aspherical surfaces and 1 UD glass element in a 13-element optical
formula, the new 17-40mm lens delivers image quality equal to
the 16-35mm lens. Like other current L-series models, the new
17-40mm lens is also built to professional standards in terms
of build quality, with a metallic lens barrel and extensive gasketing
for superb weather resistance. It will be available at authorized
retailers in June with a suggested list price of $1,900 CND.
Update
March 4th
We
have just completed a side by side specs overview of the Canon
EOS 10D with the Nikon D100 SLR.
Click
here to see how they compare
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