More than a month ago Canon announced a major firmware update for the Canon EOS 7D camera, and finally today it is available for download and install. The new firmware version 2.0.0 features:

• Improved maximum burst for RAW images (up to 25)
• In-camera RAW image editing
• In-camera Image Rating
• In-camera JPEG resizing
• Maximum Auto ISO setting (ISO 400-6400)
• Manual audio level adjustment in movie recording
• GPS compatibility
• File name customization
• Time zone settings
• Faster scrolling of magnified images
• Quick control screen during playback

You can find the update at Canon sites, including Canon Europe and Canon USA. Canon USA also has a page with more information about firmware 2.0.x.

PS. I still consider this site to be pretty much "on hold", but thought I would keep it up-to-date with at least the most important/essential news directly related to the Canon EOS 7D.

Yes, Planet 7D is officially on hold, but I thought I would sneak in a little bit of propaganda for Google+. I've been on G+ for a month(+), and I don't think I've enjoyed a community of photographers so much ever before. So if you are a photographer - pro or amateur - who would like to network with or simply follow other photographers, I highly recommend you to join Google+ and start building a photographers circle...

If you need an invitation for G+, simply follow this link (limited number of invites, but still a lot left when posting this):

https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/ngemlink?path=%2F%3Fgpinv%3DMIRTBJ9mnOg%3AZzmvETL_pjA

And if of interest, you can find me on Google+ right here:

Stig Nygaard on Google+.

But be warned, it is very addictive (I mean G+ in general, not necessary following me;-))

I bought this domain in summer 2009 when the first rumors emerged about an upcoming new Canon APS-C camera line above the xxD series to be named EOS 7D, and I opened the site in October 2009 shortly after the introduction of the camera. I thought making a "planet-site" about what sounded to be my next/dream camera could be fun.

The irony is that I don't (yet?) have the camera myself. I originally hoped to be able to give it to myself as a Christmas present in 2009, and if I couldn't afford that, then at least buy it in spring 2010. But I couldn't find the money in 2010... Now it is spring 2011 and I do have the money, but now I'm not sure about my priorities anymore...

Without having the camera to motivate my work, updates to this site has been sparingly and probably not very exiting. Not being able to draw on personal experiences with the camera, the few updates on the site has been restricted to simple product news you can read on most other photography sites. So it feels like a natural decision to put this Planet 7D site on hold for now. Actually it is a decision I should probably have taken long time ago.

The ultimate goal for this site was to make a place for 7D users to hangout, read news, discuss, learn, share photos and get tips. And if I had found the time and motivation to at least implement a forum, the site could maybe live without regularly news/blog-updates by me. But I never found the time or motivation to implement a forum (and some minor but needed layout updates to solve some quirks on the site).

I would like to thank people who have commented on the site and sent my news and videos. And also thanks for the sponsoring offers I have received (but all turned down because I never really was sure about the future of this site). I'm sorry I couldn't keep it up:-)

But the Planet 7D group on Flickr (with latest posted photos featured on top of this site) will continue to live and I hope you will keep posting your best 7D shots in the Flickr group.

I will end this post with a nice retro look video titled "If I Was The Sun" and made by Ryan Hargrave. The video is NOT made using 7D's video mode, but using the cameras "ordinary" 8 frames-per-second burst shooting speed using "stop-motion technique". Adding some retro-effects in post-production, gave this nice "old 8mm movie look":

Watch the movie in HD on Vimeo.

For DSLR users, Canon today announced two new cameras, two new flashes, three new (two previously pre-announced) lenses and a new lens in development:

• Canon EOS 600D (T3i) and new kit zoom EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
• Canon EOS 1100D (T3)
• Canon Speedlite 320EX and 270EX II
• Canon 500mm and 600mm F/4 IS II USM
• Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x in development

Precisely how the "built-in extender" works in the 200-400mm zoom is a bit of a mystery to me. I mean, if it's really built-in, how does it technically "disappear" when turned off? Update: Okay, looking at above photo it seems there's room for a set of lenses to "flip out" on the side of the lens close to the rear. So the extender really physically seems to be taken out of the effective line of light when not in use. Sounds like a dream lens, but probably big, heavy and extremely expensive :-)

I addition to above, a number of new Canon compact cameras was also announced today.

From Jason Mongue, a nice film from this years Burning Man festival. Of course shot with a Canon 7D. Watch it in HD on Vimeo.

Canon recently updated their camera software Digital Photo Professional, EOS Utility, Picture Style Editor, ZoomBrowser and ImageBrowser.

Changes with Digital Photo Professional 3.9.2

• Added camera Support: EOS 60D,PowerShot G12,PowerShot S95,PowerShot G9 support now added.
• Unsharp Mask function added.
• Improved Image classification functions (check-mark function expanded and new rating function added.)
• Changes made to the screen layout accompanied by an improvement in the image classification function.
• EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM supported added in lens aberration correction.
• Lens aberration correction function adds support for Extender EF1.4 x III and Extender EF2 x III when mounted on a supported lens.

Download Canon software for your camera at http://software.canon-europe.com/.

Adobe has also released updates to their RAW-software, though so far only as release candidates of Adobe Camera Raw 6.3 and Adobe Lightroom 3.3. Adobe release candidates can be downloaded from Adobe Labs and besides bugfixes changes includes support for Powershot S95 and G12 and a number of added or updated lens profiles. More details can be found on the Lightroom Journal.

Three previously annonced lenses from Canon has been delayed. The EF 300mm and 400mm F2.8L IS II lenses was originally scheduled to be released in December, and the EF 8-15mm F4L USM fisheye zoom in January. But they are now all delayed until March due to some adjustments in the manufacturing process.

Canon has released a sample movie shot with the upcoming 8-15mm fisheye zoom. A surprising and interesting new addition to the Canon lens line-up which probably will be very popular among underwater photographers and video makers. Underwater shooting is one of the themes of the Canon sample movie, but it also features footage from a remote chopper. The movie was shot with EOS 5DII and EOS 7D cameras.

Continue to Canon to watch the movie.

The expected availability of the lens is not until January. More lens info at Canon Digital Learning Center.

Camera Raw 3.2 for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom 3.2 has been released today with lots of new lens profiles for Canon users - and a surprisingly quick support for Canon EOS 60D which hasn't even reached the shops yet.

There's a list of the new lens profiles plus a few updated ones at The Lightroom Journal:

http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal/2010/08/lightroom-3-2-and-camera-raw-6-2-now-available.html

You can use the built-in update mechanisms of Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 to update.

Earlier today Canon announced the Canon EOS 60D and no less than 6 new L-lenses with a couple of surprises in the line-up. Four of the lenses was announced with "release estimates" and two just as "being under development". Also new teleconverters and an update of Canon's Final Cut Pro plug-in was announced.

The Canon EOS 60D is like the 550D/T2i and 7D equipped with an 18MPixel sensor (iso 100-6400, H:12800). It is smaller than the 50D, and as the first Canon SLR it has an "swirl" LCD. While officially a replacement of the 50D, it might not be a natural upgrade for current 40D and 50D users. Some features first introduced on the 7D have also found its way to the 60D, but other features 40D and 50D users are used to, are not included with the 60D. Some specifications that might disappoint current XXD users are a more plastic-based body with less weather sealing, lower fps, SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card, no PC flash socket, only one user-configurable custom mode, no AF microadjustment, some changes to the handling bringing it closer to the Rebel/XXXD series and generally fewer customization options. But you do get full HD movie mode like on the 7D including external stereo microphone terminal and the ability to adjust sound recording level, plus a new movie crop mode for recording with the central 640x480 pixel area of the sensor only. Also the 60D will give you iFCL metering system, in-camera control of multiple EX flash units (but no multi-group support), Horizontal Electronic Level in viewfinder and in Live View mode, Eye-Fi connected functions, in-camera RAW processing and creative filters and more. The AF is like on the 50D with 9 cross-points and like on previous XXD cameras you still get things like a nice pentaprism viewfinder with interchangeable focusing screens, and a top-LCD. You can find some in-depth previews of the camera on DPReview and on Imaging Resource. Expect availability in the end of September.

But for all those 7D users that mostly are interested in new lenses, Canon didn't disappoint. Though you might need to dig deep in your pockets, if you want to purchase any of the lenses announced today...

EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM fisheye zoom
The biggest surprise today was probably an 8-15mm L-series fisheye zoom giving both circular and fullframe/diagonal fisheye effect in one lens on 35mm cameras, plus fullframe/diagonal fisheye for both 1.3x APS-H and 1.6x APS-C cameras. The zoom also has a lock feature to stop the lens from being zoomed wider than its coverage area for 1.3x and 1.6x crop sensor formats, to prevent unintentional vignetting in the corners. More details at Canon Digital Learning Center. Expect availability in January 2011.

EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM
Also a bit of a surprise I think. Apparently meant as an affordable intro to L-lenses, and it sounds like it is meant to replace the current EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, though I haven't seen this confirmed. More details at Canon Digital Learning Center. Expect availability in October 2010.

EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Expect availability in December 2010.

EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
Expect availability in December 2010.

Extender EF 1.4x III and Extender EF 2x III
Expect availability in December 2010.

New EF 500mm F/4 L IS II USM and EF 600mm F/4 L IS II USM are in development and are coming some time in 2011.

More information about new superteles and the teleconverters at Canon Digital Learning Center.

Two weeks ago DXO posted an "Optic Modules Roadmap" mentioning several body/lens combinations to be released in Nov/Dec that included the Canon EOS 60D body. The day after the 60D modules was removed from the list again, but it was pretty much a confirmation of a very near 60D announcement. Now also pictures has emerged of a new Canon body which almost obviously must be the new 60D? It looks like an APS-C camera with pentaprism viewfinder, rotating LCD(!) and maybe a bit smaller body than the 50D? It also looks like it has fewer buttons and apparently no joystick? The mode-dial seems to have only one Custom-setting (compared with two on 50D and three on 40D and 7D), but is it a button in the middle of the dial, and if so what function does it have? And what about the center of the back-wheel, could it be that the inside of the wheel works as the new joystick?

If you already have the 7D you might not be that interested in details about the 60D, but maybe some exiting new lenses will be released together with the new APS-C body? Currently rumored release dates are 26th or 30th of August...(Update: or 24th, 27th or even 17th or 19th?... oh forget it. Just wait until it happens ;-))