A new update expands the range of cameras supported by a program that can ease the pains photography buffs often have when viewing images stored in hard-to-decode raw image formats.
Michael Tapes released Instant JPEG from Raw 1.1 on Wednesday, a month after the IJFR debut. The software extends file-browser software to show thumbnail views of raw images, doing so by extracting the JPEG that's typically stored within the raw image.
Photo enthusiasts and pros like raw files for their flexibility, but because each camera has its own format, handling them can be a pain. IJFR extends Mac OS X and Windows file browsers so it can show a rough-and-ready JPEG preview version of a raw file, which often is enough to sort or identify images.
The new version supports Sony raw files and a number of new cameras, Tapes said: Canon's 50D, the Panasonic LX3, the Sigma DP-1, and Leica's M8.
Titillating stuff from Canon.
(Credit: Canon)Rumors of a successor to the Canon 5D have been circulating for a while and now the digital-imaging blogsphere is churning again--this time with a brooding ad Canon has posted on some of its Web sites featuring the murky outline of mysterious dSLR and the phrase "Destined Evolution." Everybody thinks its the Canon 5D Mark II because it appears to lack a pop-up mount and has some design features that harken to Canon's other high-end EOS dSLRs.
A next-gen 5D--the current model retails for about $2,300 (body only)--has been a long time coming, and advanced amateur shutterbugs (and some professionals) have been waiting not so patiently for the rumored 5D Mark II to arrive--so much so that they barely batted an eye at the just-announced $1,400 EOS 50D.
Anybody waiting to pull the trigger on buying a 50D until you see the 5D Mark II?
My coworker Lori Grunin already covered Canon's announcement of its $1,400 mid-range EOS 50D SLR, but as somebody who's in the market for a new SLR, I thought I'd weigh in with some thoughts of my own. I'm glad Canon is investing where perhaps it counts most: the sensor. If the reviews look good, this will be the first time I've really been tempted to upgrade from my well-used Canon Rebel XT.
Canon's EOS 50D will ship in October for $1,399, not including a lens. Also shown here is the new EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens.
(Credit: Canon)When it ships in October, the 50D will sport a 15.1 megapixel sensor, up from 10.1 megapixels in the current 40D. The increase in megapixels is nice for the poster-print and microstock-sales crowds, but what's most notable is the increase of the top ISO from 3,200 to 12,800.
That means Canon has done some serious work to cut down on the noise levels inside the sensor, which bodes well for image quality not just at the new extremes but also at more ordinary sensitivity settings. ISO 3,200, for example, is now part of the ordinary range, not the extended range that must be manually enabled before it's available. Canon hit some sweet spots in sensor design, for example with its earlier 20D and the full-frame 5D, and the 50D holds the potential of being another model that balances megapixels with low noise and accurate color.
Canon attributes the advance to "newly designed gapless microlenses over each pixel to reduce noise." Microlenses gather light for the light-sensitive part of the image sensor, compensating for surface area occupied by other electronics. Gapless microlenses presumably stretch across the entire pixel width. Perhaps this technology will also help out whatever model will succeed Canon's 5D, my other obvious upgrade path but one that likely would require spending twice the price for the camera body and that would require me to shell out another few hundred dollars for a new wide-angle lens to support the full-frame sensor size.
Fending off Nikon
Higher sensitivity is important for Canon. It's been losing market share to Nikon, which has pushed high sensitivity as an advantage, though with lower megapixel counts. The full-frame sensors on Nikon's D3 and D700 can reach ISO 25,600, though reaching that level was made easier through a sensor design that emphasizes a smaller number of larger pixels.
Will the Canon 40D soon have a brother?
(Credit: CNET)Whoops. It looks like Canon's China site accidentally posted specs for the company's upcoming Canon 50D dSLR, which seems all but confirmed. The Web page that the specs were on has been taken down, but the Photography Bay grabbed them before it disappeared. The biggest highlights include a 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor (yes, you heard right, 15), ISO 100-12,800, and a 920,000 points VGA 3.0-inch LCD monitor.
No word on price, when the 50D will actually be available, or whether it will replace the 40D--but stay tuned.
Find the full leaked specs at Photography Bay.
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