Just announced is the new 18 megapixel Canon EOS 650D SLR. With a frame rate of 5 frames per second, and ISO range of 100-12,800 expandable to 25,600 it all seems pretty standard. However, the interesting part is the new “7.7cm (3.0”) Vari-angle Clear View LCD II Touch screen” – a swivelly touch screen! Canon have this to say on it:
Featuring capacitive technology, the screen is highly responsive and supports a variety of multi-touch gestures, such as pinching and swiping – making it easy to access shooting modes, alter settings and even capture a shot using the screen alone. Touch control adds a different dimension to Live View shooting. You can select AF points, track faces and objects, and fine-tune image settings via the camera’s Quick Control screen. Navigation is instant and intuitive, while pinch-zooming in playback provides a great way to check the finer details of a shot.
There is also a “Hybrid AF System” which means that you get continuous autofocusing when shooting films:
The EOS 650D makes it easy for anyone to shoot Full HD (1920x1080p) videos. Thanks to Hybrid AF, users can focus exclusively on story-telling while the camera continuously tracks the subject.
A pair of new lenses have been announced: the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lenses. These are supposed to beo ideal for shooting videos as they have a “virtually-silent stepper motor to ensure movies are smoother and clearer than ever”.
The Canon 650D also features a couple of new shooting modes, most notably “HDR Backlight Control” – this “tackles tricky, brightly-backlit scenes by capturing three different exposures – under, correctly, and over-exposed – and combining them into one HDR image displaying both highlight and shadow detail”. If it works well this could be excellent. Handheld Night Scene, meanwhile, makes it easier to capture beautiful low-light evening shots with no tripod, rapidly shooting four different images before combining them into one detailed, blur-free picture.
The EOS 650D body is available from 15th June 2012, with an RRP of £699.99.
A couple of 650D lens kits are also announced:
The EOS 650D + EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II priced at £799.99.
The EOS 650D + EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM priced at £1019.99.
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