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Well, we can all rest easy now as our beloved Canon has officially announced the EOS 50D. And with the official specs and features, I’m sure our fellow Gadgetell writer Jodie would be glad to know that the 50D will definitely not disappoint her again.

Most of the specs we mentioned to you yesterday are pretty much accurate as far as the official Canon announcement goes. The EOS 50D would have a 15.1-megapixel sensor, DIGIC 4 image processor, ISO range between 100-12800, multiple level noise reduction during high-speed shooting, peripheral illumination correction, 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion, 6.3 frames per second (fps) shooting, auto lighting optimizer, a viewfinder with 0.95x magnification, and an autofocus system which is similar to the EOS 40D’s AF system.

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Supposedly confirmed as of a few days ago, however we are still awaiting official word from Canon on their newest baby, due any day now. Complete specs, (translated from Chinese) are here for the time being. Apparently there had been a big bru-ha-ha when a photo hit the internet apparently taken by the new Canon according to it’s metadata (and the info right on the web page itself), on what many believe to be a Media Temple client page. This being a big oops, since they are a web dev for high profile clients such as Sony, Adobe, ABC and others. The others, in some people’s mind’s, could include Canon. Thus, a page that had Canon photos which was leaked onto the net before it was discovered and subsequently password protected.

The Canon 50D is pictured here with what’s sure to be a kit lens option, the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. A short list of what is most likely going to be key features is as follows:

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Canon has added two new PIXMA models to its line-up of photo all-in-one printers and these are the MP480 and MP190. Utilizing Canon’s two-cartridge, four-color Full-photolitography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering, both printers yield lab-quality photo prints of up to 4800x1200 dpi color resolution which according to Canon would last for up to 300 years when stored in archival-quality photo album. Here’s a quick rundown of the two printers’ individual specs and features.

The PIXMA MP480 features a 1.8-inch TFT color LCD display with navigation panel and features Auto Photo Fix and Auto Scan Mode. Auto Photo Fix can detect whether the photo being printed is a portrait or scenery, automatically corrects red eye, facial tones, brightness, contrast and color saturation. In addition, the MP480 also features Auto Scan Mode which automatically detects whether the document being scanned is a photo, business card, magazine or newspaper type. It will then automatically crops the document and saves it in PDF or JPEG format. The MP480 gives a printing speed of up to 20 pages-per-minute (ppm) for black prints and 16 ppm for color prints. It delivers 4x6 inch borderless lab-quality prints in 45-seconds and comes with a Bluetooth wireless connectivity feature.

And the other new printer introduced by Canon is the PIXMA MP190 featuring a maximum 4800x1200 dpi color resolution, 19 ppm black and 15 ppm color printing speed. It can also deliver 4x6 inch borderless photo quality prints in 70 seconds and also features an Advanced Z-Lid expansion top for scanning books or small 3-D objects.

Both the PIXMA MP480 and MP190 are available now for $99.99 and $69.99 respectively.

Read [Canon Press Release]

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Canon is adding three new camcorders into its VIXIA high-definition line-up, the VIXIA HF11 with dual flash memory, and the HG20 and HG21 with hard drive storage. All three camcorders brag of 24Mbps bit rate recording which is the highest possible bit rate that can be achieved in the AVCHD format.

And since high-definition video recording would require lots of storage, Canon has put in 32GB of internal flash drive into the HF1 plus an SDHC card slot for even more, while the HG21 and HG20 got 120GB and 60GB hard disk drives respectively. Other features of these camcorders include an HD Video Lens, HD CMOS Image Sensor that allows full HD (1920 x 1080) image capture, DIGIC DV II Image Processor, Instant Auto Focus and SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization feature.

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Canon will soon be releasing two new AVCHD camcorders, the iVIS HF11 and iVIS HG21. Touting 3.31-megapixel CCD sensors, both cameras allow video recording in 5 different modes; MXP at 24Mbps, FXP at 17Mbps, XP+ at 12Mbps, SP at 7Mbps and LP at 5Mpbs. In addition, both cameras also come with a 2.7-inch LCD screen, SDHC media card support, DIGIC DV II technology, 12x optical zoom lens and a 1920x1080 full HD resolution.

What sets these two camcorders apart is the the inclusion of a 120GB HDD in the HG21, while only 32GB of built-in flash memory is loaded in the HF11. The HF11 is a follow-up to the Canon HF10 camcorder released earlier this year.

The iVIS HF11 and HG21 will be released in Japan sometime in August for an expected price of around $1,600.

Product [Canon] Product [Canon] Via [Akihabara News]

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Just about anyone who has ever shot a wedding or a sporting event and tried desperately to get that almost unattainable shot loved their Canon 200mm f/1.8L lens. It offered up a great combination of focal length and aperture speed which made those otherwise unattainable shots possible. So, back in 2003 when Canon went and announced they were actually discontinuing that lens, you could practically hear the tears and shocked gasps of photographers around the globe. Now, finally, five years later, Canon announced the replacement for this legendary lens: the Canon 200mm f/2L IS.  Can you almost hear the crowds clapping in glee?

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Canon USA has officially announced its next generation entry level digital SLR camera, the EOS Rebel XS which officially replaces the EOS Rebel XT. Like we told you not so long ago, the Rebel XS offers up a cheaper alternative to the previously announced Rebel XSi.

Aside from features that we mentioned before such as a 10.1-megapixel image sensor, 2.5-inch LCD, 7-point autofocus system, 81% viewfinder coverage, 12-bit image processing, spot metering and remote control functionality, the Rebel XS also boasts of a 3.0 frames per second continuous JPEG burst rate which will only be limited by the capacity of the flash memory card in the camera. Weighing only 450 grams, the Rebel XS is by far the lightest EOS digital camera that will come out in the market.

And now for the most important information, Canon has announced that the EOS Rebel XS will have a retail price of $699.99. The Rebel XS camera body would come with the standard EF-S18-55m kit lens and is expected to hit the US market sometime in August.

Read [Business Wire]

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Canon has finally decided to update its popular entry-level digital single lens reflex camera, the Rebel XTI with a newer model donning the name Canon EOS Rebel XS. The new Rebel XS comes on the heels of the more advanced Rebel XSi which Canon announced a couple of months ago. And possibly due to the growing demand for a lower cost entry-level DSLR, Canon decided to come up with another model that would cater to the entry-level photo enthusiasts who are not yet willing to pay the price of the the XSi.

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Canon has added two new compact photo printers to its Selphy product line - the CP770 and CP760. Touting a fresh and unique design, both printers aim to give users an easier time when printing their precious photos even without using a computer.

Although both printers sport a small design, both are nonetheless rich in individual features. The CP770 is an ultra compact photo printer that answers your need for printing photos as quickly and as easy as possible, whether you’re at home or on the move. Touting an unusual new design, the CP770 comes with a basket-like storage bucket which can also accommodate several printer accessories such as paper, ink cartridge and power cord. The CP770 is also equipped with a 2.5-inch high definition LCD monitor. Retailing for $79.99, the CP770 will be available in apricot and crisp white color.

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Canon has not been that active with its printer product line lately. Either users find that Canon’s printers got nothing much to offer, or they just don’t find the need for photo printers anymore. Anyway, Canon takes on the photo printer market anew with the release of its latest PIXMA iP100 photo printer.

Priced at $249, the Canon PIXMA iP100 is a compact mobile printer that lets users print borderless color photos from practically anywhere that they want to. The iP100’s patented print head technology and 5-color ink system allows for the creation of photos up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi resolution. This printer also promises fast printing speed that it is said to be capable of printing a 4 x 6-inch photo in color lab quality in just 50 seconds.

Other notable features of the iP100 are; auto-image fix, irDa compatibility, optional BU-30 Bluetooth interface, and standard PictBridge interface. The iP100 is also equipped with Inkjet Nozzle Engineering printheads with 1,856 precision nozzles. In other words, the printer should be capable of producing great quality photo prints.

If you’re on the look out for a nifty photo inkjet printer, you may want to check the iP100, but if you are like me who is so used to viewing my photos in digital format instead of the printed ones, you may want to pass off on this one.

Product [Canon]

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