Canon is said to be working on a new
smaller DSLR called the EOS-b (or Kiss X7 in Asia), according to a series of
recent reports, including one today from Japanese blog Digicame-info (via Canon Rumours). The new much smaller entry-level body will
also come with a new kit lens, a version of the EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 complete
with STM, Canon’s new AF motor that’s designed to reduce
or eliminate AF noise when shooting video, as well as produce
smoother incremental zoom.
The camera will
have an 18 million pixel APS-C sensor with a Digic 5 processor, as well as a
fixed 1.04 million dot 3-inch LCD display. The camera overall seems to borrow a
lot from the recently released Canon T4i, but it has a much
smaller physical footprint, as you can see from the side-by-side
comparison pic below.
Some advantages the camera
will have include what looks like a new hybrid CMOS AF system with a wider
range than the one introduced on the T4i, and it also looks to use the LP-E12
battery pack Canon introduced for the EOS-M mirrorless interchangeable lens
camera system it introduced last year.
The big advantages are the extremely
small body size, which also weighs around 30 percent less than the T4i in
addition to taking up less space. At only 370g body-only, the so-called EOS-b
would be a small carry-anywhere camera without the compromises of a mirrorless
compact (slower AF, manual focus-by-wire, lack of a true optical viewfinder,
etc.).
Canon Rumors
says this new DSLR will retail for around $799 for the kit when it debuts in
the U.S., which could happen sometime in May. If true, it might be a very
attractive option for anyone looking for a cheap and portable entry point into
DSLR photography, though Canon’s decision to keep introducing new products into
its lineup without really removing any does seem a bit perplexing. Lackluster
performance of the too-compromised EOS M might be behind the development of
the EOS-b, but it’ll be interesting to see if a super-small DSLR entices them
more than a strong ILC competitor. [Source]
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