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Canon mirrorless in the works?

Skeptical when Canon indicated that they didn't think they needed to bring a mirrorless camera to the market? Yeah, so was I. Now Canon Rumors is saying there may be an August announcement.

Unofficial Canon mirrorless concept camera

Tired of waiting for Canon to release it's mirrorless camera system, David Riesenberg has gone ahead and released a concept version of his own. Here are the main features he advocates: full-frame, 1Dx sensor, "CM-D mount" (similar to FD in size), 50mm f/1.0 kit lens, detachable viewfinder with another hotshoe attached on top. This latter possibility is intriguing- if you look at the photos, you can see that it offers the possibility of a detachable viewfinder that still looks melded into the camera when its used, unlike the ugly appendages on some of the micro four thirds cameras.

Oh, it's nice to dream! My hunch is Canon will play it conservative and will release a mirrorless camera using the G1x sensor.

Pentax K-z?

Photo Rumors has been abuzz with rumors that a Pentax K-z entry-level SLR may be on the horizon.

The Pentax K-r, Pentax's previous rendition, was a brilliant camera for the money, as was the Pentax K-x before it. Pentax is one of those companies that does a combination of excellent work (the 645D budget medium format camera, the K-5 form factor, those Limited lenses, quality weather sealing) and astoundingly stupid stuff (the Pentax Q system, the Marc Newson design for the K-01, those cranky SMC zoom lenses).

For most people who do photography as a profession, I would not recommend Pentax. But for the casual user looking to get a reasonably-prized reasonably-sized camera body capable of producing nice colors, I think Pentax has a lot to offer.

Samyang to release autofocus lenses in 2013: report

In recent years, Samyang has released a stellar series of affordable fast prime and fisheye lenses under a variety of brand names (I've been eyeing that Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 for a long time). There has been only one catch- they are all manual focus only. Now Techradar is reporting that the Korean lens company is planning to release its first autofocus lens for the Sony Nex E-mount in 2013. No further details were provided by the website, which said it spoke with a Samyang spokesperson.

Looks like Panasonic is trying to get yet another camera out of that 12-megapixel sensor. Behold, the GF5.

Official specs and images: Canon 5D Mark III

Photography Bay has posted what it says are official specs and images of the Canon 5D Mark III.

Update: the Canon 5D Mark III has been announced and can be pre-ordered here.

Reported specs below:

22.3 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor

Delight in images of extraordinary beauty and clarity which only a full-frame sensor can provide.

 New DIGIC 5+ Imaging Processor

Expect fast processing, superb tonal gradation and color reproduction from Canon’s most advanced processor to date.

Class-leading ISO Performance

Seize creative opportunities in any light with extended ISO coverage from 100 to 25,600 (expandable to 102,400).

High Precision 61-point Autofocus

Stay focused with the high-speed, high-precision 61-point AF system that also excels in low light.

Quick-fire 6 fps Shooting

Capture split-second action at 22.3 megapixels with continuous shooting speeds of up to 6 frames per second.

iFCL 63-zone Metering Sensor

Get perfect exposure with the iFCL 63-zone dual layer metering sensor that analyses focus, colour and luminance.

Enhanced Full HD Movie Recording

Expand your creativity with improved quality Full HD (1080p) movie recording and finer image control.

Weather-resistant Construction

Enjoy reliability in any environment with a rugged dust-proof and water-resistant construction.

Intelligent Viewfinder

Shoot more accurately with a refined viewfinder that offers 100% coverage and a 0.71x magnification ratio.

3.2″ Clear View LCD II

See your photos in detail on the large 3.2″ Clear View LCD II with 1.04 million dot resolution.

Dual Memory Card Slots

Enjoy versatile use with dual CompactFlash and SD Card slots.

New Lenses & Accessories

Broaden the capabilities of your EOS 5D Mark III with a wide array of the latest accessories to complete your DSLR experience.

Final Canon 5D Mark III rumor roundup

Supposedly, the Canon 5D Mark III is being announced on the other side of the world as we speak. If you are too anxious to wait to get the real information, here is a rumor roundup. Some concrete information has already been posted in the form of a French review.

Steve Huff says the Canon 5D Mark III will be $3,499

Steve Huff reports on his blog that the price of the new Canon 5D Mark III will be $3,499. Don't hold your breath on that price just yet- that's a price that has been circulating back and forth but I have a feeling its coming out of a common source. I hope that it's not any more than that. We will know soon enough- the camera is expected to be announced sometime in the next 12 hours (drop back for details).

While it appears that Canon and Nikon will be switching places (with the 5DIII following on the Nikon D700's sports capabilities and the Nikon D800 following on the 5DII's megapixel emphasis), I would be suprised if that's the end of the story. I suspect that sometime in the next year or two Canon will drop a high megapixel camera and Nikon will drop a true D700 replacement (they are keeping the D700 alive on the factory lines as a placeholder for the time being). Prices on the 5D Mark II will be dropping substantially- check back as I expect we will be posting some great deals. The price on the D700 has already fallen $500 to $2,199 (see below).

Nikon D700 SLR Digital Camera (Body Only)

Nikon D700 SLR Digital Camera Kit with 24-120mm VR Lens