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Check out Rob’s DIY 555-based remote timer for Canon SLRs! He says:

Canon makes a SLR camera remote timer that sells for a couple hundred dollars. Using inspiration from various web sites I built one for myself using about $15 worth of parts from RadioShack.

First, it is a simple wired camera remote control. Just plug the cable into the remote jack on the Canon SLR camera and the black button on top will trigger the camera auto focus, while the red button will focus then take a picture.

Second, it is a timer than can be used for time lapse photography…

Continue reading the plans at his blog, My Name Is Rob.

Via MAKE Blog

Also check out Canon’s lens manufacturing video. It’s worth watching both as they use different processes.

Now the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens enters the market. Being a prime Canon L Series Lens, the Canon 50 f/1.2 far exceeds all existing Canon 50mm lenses in nearly all aspects - including three negative ones: size, weight and price. Since Canon already has a 50mm f/1.4 lens, they would not release a slightly wider aperture version at a far higher price, size and weight without offering significantly better features and image quality. Otherwise, people simply would not buy the lens. The question is - are the actual differences enough?

Continue reading at The Digital Picture

Via PhotographyBLOG

The ever-awesome holgamods.com now offer a pinhole body cap for Canon EOS cameras. This is a pinhole set into a standard body cap, which allows you to use it just like any other lens. At $19.95 US, it’s quite reasonably priced, especially as compared to Finnney’s $49.95!

More info and buy at holgamods.com

Jessica Bussert writes:

I came up with this idea after reading a previous Make post about another Canon project… I went out and bought a photoresistor and a relay, and after a few minutes with the soldiering iron, I had built myself a light activated shutter release. I then rigged up the following "studio", and proceeded to take a few hundred photos of milk splashing in a pan filled with lots more milk.

Read plans and sample photos at Ms. Bussert’s site

Via MAKE Blog

The lens performed well across its range, particularly in terms of corner sharpness at wide angle, while essentially matching our EF 85mm f1.8 prime in terms of resolving power. We were also impressed with the Image Stabilisation which allowed us to handhold at much slower shutter speeds than normal. Compared to lenses designed for bodies with smaller sensors though, it suffered from a worse degree of light fall-off, but this is par for the course for wide-angle lenses designed for full-frame bodies.

There’s an effective demonstration of Canon’s IS (Image Stabilisation) handheld at 1/13 second, too. (The shit works!)

Read review at Camera Labs

Via PhotographyBLOG

See also: Bill Caulfeild-Browne’s A Comparison of the new Canon 24-105 mm f4 L IS lens with the Canon 24-70 mm f2.8 L and Mark D. Segal’s How I Decided to Up-Grade From a Canon 28~135 IS to a Canon 24~105 F/4L IS at Luminous Landscape

"How to make an (electrical) cable release for the Canon Digital Rebel and how to trip the camera’s shutter with your computer’s serial port. Applicable also to some other Canons (e.g., Digital Rebel XT)."

Read instructions at Covington Innovations

Via MAKE Blog

Randy from Holgamods continues to kick ass: he’s now selling a Holga lens mounted on a body cap for use on Canon EOS cameras (Rebel XT, 20D, 30D, etc.). US $34.95, order here.

I’ve ordered cameras from Holgamods before and recommend him strongly. If you want a Holga and don’t want to modify it yourself, this is the place to go. (I have no relationship with Randy other than being a satisfied customer.)

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s Canon Inc. said on Thursday that it would halt development of new film cameras to focus resources on digital models, the latest sign of the rapidly fading role of film in photography.

A spokesman at Canon, the world’s largest maker of digital cameras, said it made the decision to freeze development of both compact and single lens reflex (SLR) film models because the markets for both are shrinking.

Canon said it would continue to produce and sell existing models and make a final judgment on the business in the future while monitoring market demand.

Continue reading at Reuters

This is becoming a familiar story. It sucks, but I can’t say I’m surprised. At least they’re keeping the current models around, which IMO is a very good thing. If you’ve already got money in Canon EOS glass for digital, US $300 for an Elan 7N body is one hell of a value if you want to shoot film.

Via Plaid Jello

I have to admit, I am tired of using Photoshop to create a pseudo Holga shot using javascripts found in flickr.com so I decided to just go ahead and hack my Holga CFN and give it a second life since all it has been doing is gathering dust. My plan—to hack the hell out of my holga and turn it into an EOS lens for my Canon 20D.

Read instructions at Litratista

Via MAKE Blog