Canon is the world’s first company to apply for a generic top-level domain: .canon.  It is acquiring the rights from ICANN.  The evaluation fee for a new gTLD is at about $185,000.  Good thing that Canon has tons of money. [CrunchGear]

Canon will be buying Océ, the biggest European printer company for $1.09 billion according to an announcement that the two companies made on Monday. Canon will be buying the company based on $12.88 per share. This is a 70% premium than Océ’s stock price on Friday.

“The printing industry currently is in a period of consolidation,” stated the two companies, “driven by the undeniable fact that scale is increasingly important, especially in R&D and manufacturing.”

The Canon 7D is an 18 megapixel DSLR camera that can shoot at 1080p with 24-30fps.  The price of the camera is $1,899.  This is quite steep for the average consumer, but not a bad price for professional photographers.

The 7D is more rugged than the 5D, but the body is more weatherproof.  The camera has a button dedicated for switching to RAW+JPEG modes.  There is also an electronic axis level with dual DIGIC IV image processors.

The dual DIGIC image processors allow the cameraman to far burst shoot images at 94-shot JPEG bursts or 15 RAW shots at full resolution with 14-bit A/D conversion.  There are 19 cross-type points for focusing and default focus points can be locked into horizontally or vertically.  All 19 cross-type points are f/5.6 sensitive.  ISO speed settings range from 100-6400, but can be expanded to 12,800.  Full HD video can be captured at a resolution of 1920 x 1080.

Full press release about the camera’s release after the jump:

(more…)

Specs about the Canon G11 has been revealed.  There won’t be a CMOS sensor and the camera won’t have HD video, but the camera has 10 megapixel quality and mini-HDMI support.  The LCD screen can tilt too.

Below are the full specs:
Effective: 10.4MP, Recorded: 10.0MP
1/1.7″ CCD
RAW, JPEG, QuickTime
Image Stabilization
6.1-30.5mm f/2.8-4.5 (35mm film equivalent: 28-140mm)
Optical: 5x, Digital: 5x
Normal: 1.6″ (50cm) – infinity
Macro: 0.4? (1cm) – 1.6″ (50cm)
Integrated Mount for the LA-DC58K Lens Adapter
ISO 80-3200
Evaluative, Center Weighted, Spot
Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Custom 1, Custom 2
Effective Flash Range: 1.6″ (50cm) – 23? (7m)
SD/SDHC
Still Images per GB: RAW: 67
JPEG: High Res: 374 – Low Res: 7,684
Video: 640 x 480 @ 30fps, 320 x 240 @ 30fps
Viewfinder Coverage: 77%
2.8? LCD Vari-Angle
USB 2.0, Dedicated A/V Out, mini-HDMI (Type C)
Windows XP, Vista
Mac OS X (10.4 or later)
12.5 oz (355g)
NB-7L Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery

[via Canon Rumors, Gizmodo]

Canon Inc. announced that they are planning to build a $180 million camera manufacturing factory in southern Japan.  Demand for Canon digital cameras have been fairly consistent and growing, especially high-end single-lens reflex cameras.

Canon postponed the construction of the facility back in January due to a weak economy.  Construction will begin in July.  The plant will have the ability to build about 4 million cameras per year.  Shipments of digital SLR cameras gained 8% in April from the same time last year.

[via Reuters]

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i is looking like a solid competitor to the Nikon D90.  The T1i has 15.1 megapixels built-in with 1080p HD video recording.  It won’t come cheap as the prices starts around $799.  With an IS zoom lens it is about $899.

The T1i also features a 3″ Live View screen, Digic IV processor, auto lighting optimizer, Creative Auto mode, and the EOS integrated cleaning system.

“We are witnessing the emergence of a new phase in digital imaging history, as high-resolution still images and HD video can now both be produced in a hand-held device, for under $1,000. This is truly a great time to be involved in digital imaging as the advent of online communities are helping usher in this next great era in imaging,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, SVP and GM for the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A.

[via Canon PR]

The Canon PowerShot D10 will be available at the end of April for around $329.  The D10 is painted in “camouflage” and it is waterproof.  The camera specs are: 12.1 megapixels, DIGIC 4 processor, 3x zoom, image stabilization, 2.5″ PureColor LCD II.  The camera is waterproof for up to 10 meters and is shock resistant.

[via Pocket Lint]

Canon has introduced a new line of portable photo printers in three different colors.  The Selphy CP780 features fast print speeds, high image quality, Face Detection brightness, color correction, an SD card reader, a Canon BU-30 Bluetooth Adaptor, and a USB cord reader.

“Canon SELPHY printers have consistently provided consumers with high-quality images at a reasonable price,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, SVP and GM of Canon’s Consumer Imaging Group. “Now with the three different color variations, users will not only be able to share their memorable moments but also their own unique style.”

A 4×6 photo print can be completed within 47 seconds and the device comes equipped with a 2.5″ LCD screen to display the thumbnails.  The device will retail at $99.99.  Additional battery packs are about $79.99.

[via Canon press release]