Some notes: This is great news but there's no word on whether the Rebel T1i, with the same sensor similar video capability, will get the upgrade. This upgrade doesn't up the "full HD" 1080p to 60 frames per second—it stays at 30fps as far as I know. The auto-focus issue that we encounter in all DSLRs that shoot video is still present in this one, although Canon's solution is currently better than others. And finally, the Nikon D90 lets you do some of this stuff now, as we saw, but as Canon alludes in its statement, the D90 isn't full frame, and it's just 720p.

The upgrade hits in early June, it's just being announced today. [Canon]

Shot just after launch, the image shows the faraway scene as viewed through a Takahashi TOA-130 refractor telescope (focal length 2200mm) and a Baader solar prism, which gives the Sun its muted look. Strapped to the back of the telescope, the 5D was set to ISO 100 and a 1/8000 shutter speed, the camera's extreme low and high settings, respectively [Edit: woops, the Mk II actually does ISO 50]. Legault used the free online Celestial Observer tool to calculate the best time to shoot from his location. Meanwhile, that little silhouette is the scene of an incredibly complex and dangerous Hubble rescue mission, which will repair a number of the craft's instruments, install a new camera and ensure that NASA's flagship orbital telescope keeps sending us amazing images for years to come.

Check out the unbelievable uncropped photos at Legault's site. —Note: It should be obvious, but don't try anything like this unless you know exactly what you're doing. Your eyes, they will burn. [Thierry Legault via Daily Mail]

It was taken by Pete Souza, the official White House photographer, with a Canon 5D Mark II. According to the EXIF data, it was shot last night at 5:38pm. The settings: 1/125 exposure, F/10.0, 105mm focal length, ISO 100, no flash. You can download the full-sized photo here.

Making gadget history, he really is shaping up to be the first truly geekworthy president. [Change.gov via Daring Fireball]

The image quality, thankfully, is as good as we'd been led to believe, delivering the huge megapixel count of Sony's A900 and matches the clean images of Nikon's D700, both scoring 2.0 in Pop Photo's noise test at ISO 6400. In other words, "Such high resolution and ISOs will change your photography." Video footage is "beautiful" (though we already knew that).

The bad? The most crippling issue is that its autofocus system is sloooow, lagging way behind the D700 and A900, and it's even worse in low light. Pop Photo also encountered the notorious black botches plaguing some of the camera's shots with blown-out highlights, but they suspect it'll be fixed with a firmware update.

Their bottom line is that "it's a wow" and "low-light image quality is almost life-changing." Even if you already own a 5D, you gain on almost every front, so it's a "perhaps irresistible" upgrade. Be sure to check out the full review: [Pop Photo]

The results are spectacular, and really drive home the point that with this $2700 camera, anyone with an eye for shooting and a laptop can create a cinematographic masterpiece. There is a discernible and annoying shake in some shots, but nothing that couldn't be remedied with a little jury rigging.

Make sure to enable the HD and smoothing options in the embed, and check out the second half of the video for more evidence that the 5D's low-light capabilities are completely unreal. Another lesson learned from this video: even the most amazing shots can be ruined by unsettling facial hair. Deal with it, Monsieur Akihabara. [Akihabara News]

The technology isn't extremely complicated, just clever. Each LP-E6 battery pack contains a microchip with an 8-character serial number. In the camera menu, the battery/chip can be registered to be tracked by the camera.

From there, the Mark II tracks the battery's charge by single percentages along with how many shots the battery has already captured. Put a photographer in a dark room and multiply his battery load by six, and it becomes obvious why many pros and consumers alike will take advantage of this feature. [Canon via Engadget]

It's designed to bolt around the camera and adds some serious mounting hardware, proper zoom and focus fine controls and lens hoods to the cameras. It certainly looks like an option to consider if you can't spring for a high-end Sony or RED cam. And though there's not much more info out there yet, the kit's supposed to be revealed today at the PhotoPlus event in New York, and the shipping date is rumored as November 1. [Prolost via OhGizmo]

ALL IMAGES©Vincent Laforet
It's not the camera's still photography performance that Laforet says is a game-changer, as duly impressive as it is—he says it matches what your "natural eye in can see the worst light" which is "a big deal." It's the video, which he says—only half-jokingly—makes him "never want to shoot another still photo."

You're only getting a diluted taste of it here. Laforet noted that this DSLR obliterates the video quality of Canon's dedicated HD XH-A1, especially in low-light. Laforet says that for the first time ever, using a DSLR or any other camera was "not a struggle at all," even "at night, outside, in a city" which can be the among the most challenging lighting situations of all. (Compare these stillframes screencapped from his site to Nikon's first D700 shots here.)

It's the cost that makes it a revolution, and a boon for indie filmmakers. With $25,000 worth of SLR lenses, Laforet and his small crew were able to perform comparably to what would take at least several hundred thousand dollars worth of motion picture camera lenses (and some of those you can't even buy). He even said some of the most expensive ones were unnecessary. Here's a rundown of the lens they used (with rough price estimates):

• 7.5mm lens (custom)
• 15mm fisheye ($650)
• 16-35mm f/2.8 ($1600)
• 50mm f/1.2 ($1100)
• 85mm f/1.2 ($2000)
• 135mm f/2 ($1000)
• 200mm f/1.8 ($4500)
• 400mm f/2.8 ($7000)
• 500mm f/4 ($7000)

That and a $2700 DSLR body. A testament to its ease of use is that Laforet is a photographer; he has no professional film experience and had never used the 5D Mark II before, yet was able to storyboard, cast, shoot and edit the clip in just two days, with less than 12 hours notice. In particular he noted that dumping the MPEG-4 video takes way less time than it would with an actual HD camera. The only issue that would stop a person from shooting a TV pilot solely with this camera is sound matching, he says. If that's covered, you're gold.

The video he shot, "Reverie" will be available soon, though not soon enough. [Vincent Laforet - Thanks so much, Vincent!]

Update: Here's a leaked YouTube version of the video, which does not do it the justice it deserves, but still looks good:

As you know, AF during live view and HD video recording is tricky business. But the 5D adds three distinct modes for AF during live view—color contrast and facial recognition, an "quick" mode which quickly drops the mirror. You won't be able to track a fast moving object, but all are serviceable. Here you see the 5D correctly IDing Canon tech guru Chuck's mug. Live view definitely takes a few seconds to pop to live, but it's worth the wait for what you get in the end. As you'll soon see here on Giz.

It's been a good few weeks for DSLRs. Just after Nikon's D90 became the first ever to jump into the sweet, sweet waters of the HD video pool, Canon did a gigantic cannonball today with the EOS 5D Mk II, upping the game to full 1080p captures at 30fps. The question that all of this good news brings up is: Why now? Why haven't the DSLRs we've been using for years ever been able to grab video clips like their cheaper pocket-cam brethren? Let's take a look at the roadblocks that have stood in the way of the DSLR video revolution, and why Canon, Nikon and others are only just now starting to Bigfoot right over them.

Processing: The biggest challenge to overcome is also the most vague and nebulous, and is the one part of digital cameras most of us never think about. Processing is each manufacturer's secret sauce (that's why we never hear a MHz number or any other specs). It's where a huge portion of the engineering dollars go to—and where most of the patents come from.

The data dumped out by a DSLR's large sensor is a lot to swallow—orders of magnitude more than what even the baddest compact digicam can process into video. So for instance, according to Canon's long-time camera tech guru Chuck Westfall, the 5D Mk II's Digic IV processor must take the 21MP, full-frame sensor data and downsample it by 10x to 1920 x 1080 and compress it into MPEG4 encoding—and it has to do that 30 times each second. That's a lot of CPU power, and Canon and Nikon both only just got there, with Digic IV and Expeed, respectively.

Auto Focus: If you've used live view on a Nikon or Canon DSLR, you know that auto focus happens differently. That's because with the mirror flipped up and the shutter open, the channel is cleared to allow light from the lens to stream onto the main image sensor, bypassing the separate AF sensor used for still images.

It's the same for a DSLR in video mode—on the 5D Mk II, the camera uses a separate contrast-based system to assign focus points (or it can also attempt facial recognition using contrast, both of which put even more strain on our good friend the processor), and it takes several seconds for focus to shift if it needs to (in some modes you must assign the new focus point manually using the camera's jog dial).

While you may not notice or care about shifting auto focus during videos on a compact camera, when a DSLR's more responsive and sensitive depth-of-field is factored in, focus is more important. The majors are just now locking all of this down enough to the point of usability—and they still have a ways to go. Of course, you can always focus manually, but try getting a major manufacturer to put that dusty sentence in a PR brochure.

Sony and Olympus have used an innovative two-sensor setup to provide live view without the AF problems. However, Olympus has gone away from that model and now only uses one sensor, presumably to cut down on cost and complexity. Nobody has used the second image sensor to dump the live view feed to video, probably because the output would not be of usable quality.

Sensors: Everything changes when instead of the fraction of a second of exposure for a still image, a sensor has to sustain constant operation to grab a video. When it's capturing light continuously a sensor heats up, and heat = noise = shitty looking images. Today's DSLR CMOS sensors (which handle heat and noise better, generally, than CCDs) are just now getting to the levels of low power consumption and efficiency to not turn into little mini-griddles when recording a video. Canon has only produced one CCD camera in its history (the first, the 1D), and Nikon has been CMOS on the top end—but there's a reason the mid-range video-capable D90 has moved to CMOS from its D80 predeccesor's CCD, and why most manufacturers are heading in that direction. Olympus uses what they call LiveMOS (or NMOS) and may very well be implementing video recording soon on its E-series cameras.

Image Quality: When you buy a DSLR, you want everything that comes out of it to be of substantially better quality than what you could get with the compact digital it's likely replacing. That's why the first DSLR movie modes we've seen from the biggies are all touting HD quality—if they had really wanted to, someone could have found a way to squeeze video out of a DSLR before now—but for all of the reasons above, it wouldn't have looked much (if any) better than what compacts have been spewing directly to YouTube for years. And while the majors want you to love your new "prosumer" status, they're also quite happy to have you continue shopping for a compact camera to back it up.

But now, the more interesting overlap is not DSLRs vs. point and shoots, it's DSLRs and digital camcorders. We'll have a Giz Explains on "should I even consider buying a digical camcorder again" ready when that becomes an actual reality.

Special thanks to Chuck Westfall from Canon for helping us out. Something you still wanna know? Send any questions about touching, feeling or screening to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

The DS-DSLR app enables controlled bracketing, custom interval shots, timed long exposures—everything dedicated remote apps do. The DS's unique hardware even allows for a noise-activated shutter control via the built-in mic for snapping a shot the second a balloon pops. So a powerful, instant-on, 218 gram remote that also plays Mario Kart. Not bad at all. [Panocamera via BBG]

About video: It's 1920x1080 resolution at 30fps—so 1080p/30 by most definitions—for up to 12 minutes of continuous recording, or up to 24 minutes shooting SD on a 4GB memory card. Yep, you've got a mini HDMI out port to plug it directly into your HDTV. Output is MPEG-4 with CD-grade audio (16-bit PCM at 44KHz), and unlike the D90, Canon records sound in stereo. Since the SLR mirror flips up to record video (really, the live view feed), you aren't able to lock the focus, but live view has three different focus modes: quick, contrast detection (aka live), or face live detection.

Hard and fast camera specs and features
•14-bit conversion
•3.9FPS unlimited burst rate with JPEG using UDMA CF card, or 14 RAW (standard CF card is 78 JPEG, 13 RAW
•Four-channel readout that's 2.2x faster than the 5D
•Lens peripheral illumination correction, like 50D, but better supposedly
•15-point auto-focus
•Creative auto mode, also like 50D
•Auto-lighting optimizer
•Three levels of noise reduction that kicks in above ISO800
•RAW, sRAW1 (10MP), sRAW2 (5MP)
•Three-inch, 920,000 dot-screen
•New and improved battery (incompatible with old one) that delivers 850 shots or 1.5 hours of video
•150,000 cycle shutter
•Magnesium alloy body
•NO built-in flash BTW

Yeah, this is what you've been aching for, especially if it delivers the performance it promises. It'll be $2700 for the body or $3500 with the 24-105mm kit lens, out at the end of November, so you'll be hurting for a bit longer, sadly. For more absolutely camera geek detail, check out DP Review's looooong preview. The PhotographyBlog has some shots of the camera next to an old 5D.

CANON U.S.A. INTRODUCES THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED

EOS 5D MARK II DSLR CAMERA FEATURING FULL-FRAME HD VIDEO CAPTURE

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Escalates Full-Frame Digital SLR Photography to the Next Level with

HD Movie Recording Capabilities, DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor, and 21.1 Megapixel Resolution

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., September 17, 2008 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, the long-awaited successor to Canon’s highly popular EOS 5D, introduced in 2005. Building upon the qualities that made the EOS 5D camera so successful, Canon has coupled the creative power of a full-frame CMOS sensor in a relatively compact and affordable camera body, together with groundbreaking HD video capture that opens the door to a much wider range of imaging possibilities for photographers. Along with the ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920 x 1080 resolution, Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera features a 21.1-megapixel full frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 imaging processor and significantly lower noise, with an expanded sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600.

“The anticipation surrounding the launch of this camera model has exceeded our greatest expectations, and we believe our loyal customers will be awed by the level of innovation and features built into the new EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR. Once they have the chance to experience the camera, we believe they will agree that it was worth the wait,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

Among the many advancements in Canon’s new EOS 5D Mark II camera is the Company’s proprietary DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor that powers the camera’s fast 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion for smooth color tones and exceptional gradation. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR offers a full-frame 24 x 36mm, 21.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and continuous shooting at 3.9 frames per second (fps) for an unlimited number of full-resolution JPEGs to the capacity of the memory card or up to 14 RAW images in a single burst when using a UDMA CF card. The camera includes a 15-point Autofocus (AF) sensor with nine selectable AF points plus six additional Assist AF points (three center AF points sensitive to f/2.8 lenses) with enhanced light source detection and AF microadjustment for greater autofocus performance. The EOS 5D Mark II camera also features a large, clear 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen with 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, four times the pixel count of the EOS 5D camera’s 2.5-inch screen, for enhanced clarity and color when viewing images. The new camera is equipped with a high-performance, high-magnification optical viewfinder providing 98 percent coverage, giving a new dimension to the saying, “what you see is what you get.” Professional photographers will also appreciate the enhanced 150,000-cycle shutter durability of the EOS 5D Mark II camera.

Canon, the first company to introduce a full-frame digital camera, has improved the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera’s newly developed full-frame CMOS image sensor. Utilizing proprietary Canon technology, the Company has reduced noise and expanded the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor up to ISO 25600, which is three full stops higher than the ISO 3200 limit of the original EOS 5D camera. Although the individual pixel dimensions of the EOS 5D Mark II camera are the same as the 21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor used in the EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR, the new sensor incorporates an improved output amplifier and a more advanced color filter that improves light transmission while retaining excellent color reproduction. By applying the same kind of advancements in sensor design and image processing technology as the recently introduced EOS 50D camera, but at higher resolution and with larger pixels, the EOS 5D Mark II achieves the highest level of image quality of any EOS Digital SLR released to date.

With the combination of its improved CMOS image sensor and the powerful new DIGIC 4 image processor, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera provides ISO speeds from ISO 100 up to ISO 6400 in 1/3-stop increments, along with two high-speed settings – H1 and H2 – of ISO 12800 and ISO 25600, respectively, as well as a low-speed setting of ISO 50. The full-frame sensor maximizes the performance of Canon EF lenses, the world’s largest selection of autofocus lenses.

HD and SD Video Capture

Canon has taken its expertise in imaging, photography and video capture technology to a new level with the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR. Answering the question of where SLR technology is going next, the EOS 5D Mark II features 16:9 Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps as well as 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 fps, both capabilities appearing for the first time in a Canon SLR camera. Video capture is part of the camera’s Live View function, using the Picture Style that has been set for Live View still image shooting. This allows skilled photographers and cinematographers to adjust image sharpness, contrast, color saturation and white balance, and have those settings apply to the movie image. When recording video, the camera’s rear LCD screen can be letter-boxed by a semi-transparent border to match the aspect ratio of the movie recording size. Moreover, the EOS 5D Mark II camera’s HD video capability enables new levels of creative expression through its unfettered access to the complete line of more than 60 Canon EF lenses, which provide an incredible variety of visual effects including everything from ultra-wide-angle and fish-eye to macro and super-telephoto, including many large-aperture L-series professional lenses that can keep the main subject in razor-sharp focus while blurring the background beyond recognition.

The EOS 5D Mark II will record video up to 4GB per clip or a maximum continuous movie capture time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds, whichever comes first. Depending on the level of detail in the scene, a 4GB memory card can record approximately 12 minutes of video at full HD resolution or approximately 24 minutes in standard definition.[i]camera includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp, clear images on a High-Definition TV. Video clips are recorded in .MOV format using an MPEG-4 video compression and sound is recorded using linear PCM[ii] without compression. The new camera features an input terminal for external stereo microphones as well as a built-in monaural microphone for convenience. To help show off those fantastic movies as well as still photos, the EOS 5D Mark II

Live View Shooting

For both still images and video, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera features Live View, one of the most sought after features in digital SLRs today. The 5D Mark II features three Live View AF modes – Quick, Live and Face Detection Live mode – for capturing either still photos or video, each with its own attributes. Quick mode automatically sets One-Shot AF using the camera’s phase detection AF system. It also allows users to select the AF point, even while the Live View image is displayed. Although the camera’s reflex mirror must be lowered briefly to take an AF measurement in Quick mode, it is the fastest way to set focus automatically when the 5D Mark II camera is set for Live View.

Live mode uses contrast-detection AF with the image sensor and here, as with Quick mode, users can change the AF point using the Multi-controller. Face Detection Live mode uses contrast AF to recognize human faces. When multiple faces are detected, the largest face closest to the center of the frame is targeted as the AF point. While Live View is engaged users can still change settings including the AF mode (Quick, Live, Face Detection Live mode), drive mode, ISO speed, Picture style, White Balance, and more.

Peripheral Illumination Correction

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera automatically conducts peripheral illumination correction when shooting JPEG images, a function that previously could only be accomplished through post-image processing using software such as Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, which Canon supplies at no extra charge. Peripheral illumination correction evens brightness across the image field, making an image of a blue sky even toned throughout and reducing light fall-off at image edges. This new feature essentially eliminates one of the limitations of previous full-frame digital SLRs.

Auto Lighting Optimizer

Canon’s enhanced Auto Lighting Optimizer technology helps ensure each picture’s subject is clearly visible by analyzing image brightness and automatically adjusting dark areas in images so that they appear brighter. This function is ideal in high-contrast situations such as urban landscapes captured on sunny days, where the tops of buildings are brightly lit while street level details are obscured by heavy shadows. In this type of scene, the 5D Mark II camera’s Auto Lighting Optimizer technology preserves accurate exposure of the highlights while opening up the shadow areas for a more pleasing tonal rendition.

Canon’s New Creative Auto Mode

Recently introduced with the new EOS 50D, Canon’s “CA” Creative Full Auto setting can also be found on the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera’s mode dial. This setting allows users to make image adjustments such as aperture or shutter speed through an easy-to-understand navigation screen on the camera’s LCD menu, allowing them to “blur the background” or “lighten or darken the image.” These easy-to-understand image options allow photographers to experiment with image options while still shooting in an automatic mode.

Two Small RAW Formats

For photographers seeking the flexibility and creative possibilities of shooting RAW format images, without the large file size, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera offers two more manageable file size options with sRAW1 and sRAW2 recording formats. At the sRAW1 setting, resolution is 10.0-megapixels with a file size that is approximately 25 percent smaller than a standard 21.1-megapixel RAW image. With the sRAW2 setting, resolution is 5.2 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. Wedding and portrait photographers, in particular, will appreciate the options of variable resolution and file size which allow them to fine-tune the 5D Mark II’s operation for their specific needs.

Silent Shooting in Live View

Canon has equipped the EOS 5D Mark II with two Silent Shooting modes in Live View which will prove particularly helpful to law enforcement officials, and for behind-the-scenes shooting on movie sets. In Mode 1, the camera will shoot with the mechanical shutter open at the beginning of the exposure, using the electronic 1st-curtain function of the CMOS sensor and a reduced shutter-cocking noise, allowing multiple shots to be taken with minimal noise. In Mode 2, to minimize shutter noise during single frame photography, shutter cocking does not occur until the shutter button returns to the half-way position after shooting.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System

With the introduction of the EOS 5D Mark II camera, the entire Canon EOS system is now equipped with the highly acclaimed EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been upgraded with a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera is compatible with Canon EF lenses and is scheduled for delivery by the end of November. The EOS 5D Mark II will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $2,699[iii]. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $3,499[iv].

New EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM Lens

The new EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens is the successor to Canon’s EF 24mm f/1.4L USM professional wide-angle lens released in 1997. Targeting professional photographers, the new EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens has been introduced to address the advancements high-resolution digital SLR cameras with re-designed optics and use of a new anti-reflection lens coating called SWC (Sub-Wavelength Structure Coating) to minimize ghosting and flare. Features such as dustproof and waterproof construction that have been adopted make this a high-performance lens with specifications that respond to the demands of professional users. A welcome complement to the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, the EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens is scheduled to be in stores this December at an estimated retail price of $1,699[v].

[Canon]

Here's the full list:

This comes from a dude that seems to be right a lot lately.

* 21.1 MP 1.0x
* DIGIC IV
* ISO 100-6400 L:50 & H:12800
* 5 FPS
* 3.2" High Resolution Screen (LCD)
* 19 point AF
* HDMI Out
* Liveview
* HD Movie Mode
* Viewfinder: 100% Coverage
* Full weather sealing
* EF Lenses only

21.1 MP is considerably higher than what we've heard before, and an HD movie mode is a new one to pop up for this camera. But DIGIC IV, live view, 19 AF points and 5fps shooting make sense considering what we've seen before and the recently dropped 50D's specs. Again, could be BS, but it seems like we're getting closer. [Canon Rumors via Electronista - Image: A Nice Photochop]