Hello from Amazon.com.

We are pleased to report that the following item will ship sooner than expected:

"Canon EOS 1D Mark III 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)" [Electronics]

For more details, please visit the Your Account section of our web site
(http://www.amazon.com/your-account). You can also reach Your Account
by clicking on the link in the top right corner of any page on our web
site.

That is wonderful news. I checked my account and found the following: Delivery estimate: April 27, 2007 - May 4, 2007.

So if your planning on ordering one of the hottest Canon cameras to hit the market, please be sure to use this link. [ Canon EOS 1D Mark III ]

The camera has been available for pre-order at B&H and Adorama for a couple of weeks. Well it just became available at Amazon.com. Yes I just ordered mine. I'm crazy that way.

If you are going to order the camera. Do me a favor and click on the link above. I will get credit for it.

This firmware update (Version 1.0.5) incorporates the following fixes and improvement.:

1. Fixes the printing of lens names when using PictBridge.
2. [Redeye 1] can now be selected when connecting with specific printers.
3. Improves the reliability of communication with the Speedlite 380EX.

This firmware update applies to cameras with firmware versions up to 1.0.4 installed. If your camera's firmware is already version 1.0.5, it is not necessary to perform this update.

Additional details can be found on the following page. [ more ]

Canon is offering bulk discounts on their Fine Art paper packs. As I mentioned previously, I'm giving up on the iPF5000 printer for now. It is far more than I need.

However, the new Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Photo Printer is shipping in May and is now at the top of my list.

I have been looking at my paper options for this printer and stumbled onto this special promotion. The Hahnlemuhle brand paper looks good for most of my needs. [ more ]

Canon RAW Codec 1.0 for Windows Vista
ZoomBrowser EX 5.8b Updater for Windows
ImageBrowser 5.8b Updater for Mac OS X
Digital Photo Professional 3.0 Updater for Windows and Mac OSX
EOS Utility 2.0 Updater for Windows and Mac OSX
PhotoStitch 3.1.19 Updater for Windows

Visit the Canon download library to get updated software for you camera model [ more ]

Remarkably, Lovejoy made the discovery not with a telescope but using an off-the-shelf digital camera! In fact, it appears to be the very first case of the discovery of a comet discovered in this manner.

Lovejoy was using a Canon 350D with a zoom lens set to 200-mm focal length at f/2.8. Lovejoy spotted the object near the frame edge in 16 exposures of 90 seconds each. The images were obtained during a comet-hunting survey that Lovejoy has been conducting for more than two years. [ more ]

Canon has had a long history of providing equipment for astrophotography and even had a model of the 20D specifically for astronomers using a infrared filter that was very sensitive to hydrogen-alpha light. This was also the first DSLR made by Canon to have the Live View technology that is being released in the new EOS 1D Mark IIII. Once again proof that space research eventually makes it into consumers hands.

... we talk to Rudy Winston from Canon about the crazy sexy cool EOS-1D Mark III, a camera whose full name I find impossible to remember. It sounds like ship from Star Trek. “Time to board the EOS-ID, Scotty. Take it out at Mark III….” Rudy tells us all about this super-powerful and fast camera, including how it’s like a car.

One of the best things I love about this podcast is that Scott really knows how to ask the questions everyone is thinking about but don't ask. In this most recent interview he asked "So what happened to the 40D announcement?" Rudy replies that despite all the rumors that are floating out there, "there will be no more new camera announcements for the first half of this year." So if you are waiting for the 40D, you will be waiting longer. If you need to buy now the 30D and 400D are still great choices.

Head on over to the Digital Photography show website and give it a listen. [ more ]

But I started hearing little comments such as, "Well, you know that the XTi is a lot noisier than the XT, right?" Actually, no I didn't. I ignored the first few remarks, but then had to do a little research to get to the bottom of this. Why? Well the images I was shooting looked pretty good, and I would have been hard-pressed to tell the difference between RAW files shot with the XT and the XTi. (Now compared to the 5D is another matter...)

Visit Derrick's site to read the rest of this article. If you are a recent buyer of the XTi then there is nothing to fear. [ more ]

During my research I stumbled onto The Unofficial Canon iPF5000 Printer Wiki website. It is a great information resource about this printer. One of the biggest complaints of the first buyers of the printer was the lack of documentation. This was the biggest motivators for the creation of this website. This has also become a gathering place for all current owners of the iPF5000 printer to share ideas and questions about the printer.

Well due to several concerns about build quality and the business practices of USA Canon, the website is now telling all visitors not to buy the printer.

Recommend AGAINST USA customers buying this printer in the USA Due to Warranty & Service Problems

Editorial Comment 3/13/07: The Wiki now recommends against buying the iPF5000 in the United States until Canon USA changes their warranty and improves their on-site service:

The full details of why they make this recommendation can be found on the home page of the Wiki website. [ more ]

Here is a direct link to the Canon based lenses. [ more ]

"Viewing natural wolf behavior in the field has been nearly impossible in the history of wolf research," Doug Smith, director of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, told the Yellowstone Park Foundation, which coordinated the donation. "Flying high above wolves in an airplane does not disturb their natural behavior, but, formerly, it was too high for us to collect data.

"Now, with digital photography and Canon cameras, we can see everything wolves are doing and learn more about their natural behavior in the wild."

Canon provide the camera equipment and also helped pay the cost of the flights. [ more ]

The article mentions that Canon donated a 200-400mm lens. I suspect it was actually the 100-400mm.

Canon is also the largest corporate sponsor at Yellowstone and also sponsors Windows Into Wonderland, a website to raise awareness about the importance of conservation.

There are tons of reviews on the internet, so here are some links if your interested in this exciting new offering.

Theonlinephotographer.com

Robgalbraith.com

Imaging-resource.com with a hands on preview of a test model.

The preferred wet cleaning method for most digital camera users has been the Copperhill method. Well there is recent information that says the Copperhill method should not be used on the Canon 5D. There is some disturbing information about how this method removes the UV filter coating and is causing some serious problems for a couple 5D owners.

After lots of google searching and troubleshooting, he found it was a simple problem that he was able to repair on his own without having to send off to the Canon service center. He described the process to the group and it seemed like an easy process to perform at home.

Well today in my feed reader I found the following link. How to Repair Canon 20D Flash Hot Shoe.

So it seems like this problem is hitting more Canon 20D users and Conrad has created a great tutorial on the entire process.

On a side note, I love the note that Orrin said he has used up over "8% of the shutter lifespan that Canon says one should expect from my camera."

I think the results are well worth the effort.