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Canon all but abandoned optical viewfinders on its PowerShot cameras; the high-end G12 was the only one. That changed at CES 2011, though, with the announcement of the Canon PowerShot A1200, an entry-level point-and-shoot with a real-image zoom viewfinder.

Along with the viewfinder, this budget-friendly 12-megapixel compact is powered by AA-size batteries, has a large selection of shooting options, uses an f2.8 28mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with a 4x zoom, and captures 720p HD-resolution movie clips. About the only thing missing is optical image stabilization, but you can counteract hand shake by using the viewfinder.

Like most cameras in its … Read more

LONDON--iStockphoto, a leader in the market for photos and other stock art, is expanding into premium-quality video under its Vetta brand.

The company announced the move at its weeklong iStockalypse event here, at which contributors take photos to sell, meet with peers, and learn tricks of the trade.

But this is not the only high-end video move under way at iStock. The company also expects to eventually offer high-end "2K" and "4K" video, which has roughly quadruple the resolution of mainstream 1080p video, iStock Chief Operating Officer Kelly Thompson said in an interview.

The video expansion … Read more

In my more cynical moments, I'm convinced that camera and camcorder manufacturers conspire to make buying decisions confusing by overwhelming us with unnecessary choice. Example: Canon currently lists 20 HD camcorders on its site, eight of which are 2011 models, 11 from 2010, and one is older. All are still available, and the overlap in prices--not to mention the $50 price increments--is enough to make your head spin.

Today's befuddling trio of camcorders in the $650 to $800 (list) range are the Canon Vixia HF M400, M40, and M41. They're pretty much the same, except the M400 … Read more

Adobe Systems released Lightroom 3.4 last night, formalizing support for the cameras listed in the beta version but also slipping in the ability to decode raw photos from Nikon's new D5100.

Lightroom, along with the related Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop CS5, is geared for handling the unprocessed raw images from higher-end cameras. This is an option that offers better quality but more hassle than JPEG. For Adobe and others such as Apple in the same position, it means adding support for a constant parade of new cameras, each with its own proprietary format.

Lightroom 3.4 and … Read more

In advance of next week's NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show, Canon announced the intent to ship a summer firmware update for its XF300 and XF305 pro camcorders, thus bringing them into parity with the cheaper XF100 series.

The update will deliver the same 3D Shooting Assist features: the ability to use the image stabilizer to shift the optics for alignment across camcorders and a Focal Length Guide for calibrated zooming. It also adds up/down/left/right image inversion to the Scan Reverse function. Even if you don't shoot 3D there's reason to update: the firmware … Read more

Adobe Systems published a release candidate for Lightroom 3.4 that can process raw images from Canon's latest entry-level SLRs and several other cameras.

The software, along with the accompanying Camera Raw 6.4 plug-in for Photoshop CS5, brings support for Canon's Rebel T3i (aka 600D) and Rebel T3 (aka 1100D), two models likely to be very popular among photography enthusiasts.

Higher-end cameras can record images in proprietary raw formats that capture more information than JPEG but that require processing with software such as Lightroom, Phase One's Capture One, Apple's Aperture, or several other packages. Software … Read more

Camera and copier maker Canon chimed in with support today for Intel's Thunderbolt technology, the first major consumer electronics company after Apple to back the new standard.

Thunderbolt, formerly known by its codename Light Peak, is a new connection technology that combines high-speed data transfer and high-definition video on a single cable. Running at 10Gbps, Thunderbolt can transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds.

Apple has already adopted the technology--its newest MacBook Pros come with Thunderbolt ports--and is a technical collaborator with Intel. The announcement by Canon--which references "video creation"--marks the second major … Read more

Canon vs. Nikon is an age-old rivalry that well predates digital photography. And the battle in the midrange is one of the closest yet.

The Canon EOS 60D is fast, feature-packed, and has excellent photo and video quality; the Nikon D7000 can't match on the video quality, but it sports the company's best shooting design to date. So which system is worth the commitment?

We put the cameras head-to-head to see which comes out on top.

Editors' note: The Prizefight scoring system is as follows: Each judge rates on a 0-to-5-point scale. At the end of each round, … Read more

Canon today disclosed prices for previously announced overhauls of its 500mm and 600mm supertelephoto lenses, but more unusually, announced a new 200-400mm model that will join the company's already large lens family.

Nikon and Canon, locked in fierce competition for professional photographers, often have similar lens models, but Nikon for years has offered a highly regarded and newly refurbished 200-400mm supertele zoom while Canon stuck with its increasingly elderly 100-400mm design. Now Canon is countering with the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender l.4x.

Some of the nomenclature should look familiar: f/4L means a continuous maximum … Read more