Press Release: Canon’s new EOS 20Da – the sky’s the
limit
Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging
technology, today announces the launch of the EOS 20Da – a digital SLR
optimised for astrophotography. Based on the popular EOS 20D camera and joining
it as a companion model in Canon’s product line, the new EOS 20Da digital
SLR specifically addresses the needs of astrophotography with features such as a
live preview on the LCD monitor and a modified low-pass filter optimised for
photographing the night sky in brilliant detail .
The low-pass filter positioned in front of the EOS
20Da’s 8.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor has been modified to yield sharper and
higher contrast images of various astronomical phenomena such as diffuse reddish
nebulae. The modification increases the transmission of light at the wavelength
of 656nm, known as the Hydrogen Alpha line, or Hα wavelength, by a factor
of 2.5x compared to the standard EOS 20D digital
SLR.
“The EOS 20Da digital SLR is a
direct result of Canon addressing the specialised needs of the astrophotography
market,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe.
“As an affordable digital alternative to their familiar film bodies, the
EOS 20D offered semi-professional and serious amateur photographers digital
photographic freedom. Now with the
EOS 20Da,
we also offer astronomy enthusiasts a new photographic freedom, by providing an
easier and more cost effective way to photograph the
heavens.”
Enhanced
features
While traditional digital SLRs
lack a live preview on the LCD monitor due to the reflex mirror and shutter, the
EOS 20Da digital SLR resolves this issue by locking up the mirror and opening
the shutter to display a magnified live view of the subject on the 1.8”
LCD monitor. (This feature is effective for night viewing conditions only. It
cannot be used in bright light.) To ensure a sharp focus, the central portion of
the image can be magnified on the LCD by 5x (4% of the picture area) or 10x (1%
of the picture area). The live view mode can also be viewed through a TV monitor
while connected to the EOS 20Da camera’s video OUT
terminal.
The EOS 20Da is compatible
with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses – the world’s largest selection of
interchangeable autofocus lenses – including select image stabilised
telephoto lenses. Photographers can also attach the EOS 20Da digital SLR to a
telescope through the use of widely available
T-mounts.
The EOS 20Da digital SLR
features enhanced noise reduction for long exposures; achieved by incorporating
an optimised CMOS control system. A custom function is also available for noise
reduction, so users can enjoy the wide array of ISO settings ranging from
100-3200.
The EOS 20Da retains the same
features that have made the EOS 20D a favourite among discerning photographers,
such as Canon’s DIGIC II processor for low noise, high speed operation,
and excellent image quality. Other features include an intelligent nine point
autofocus system, full manual controls, five frames per second burst mode, and
RAW, JPEG, and RAW+JPEG image recording capabilities. To reduce vibration at the
start of the exposure, self-timer and mirror lock-up functions are integrated
into the camera. The camera also features a backlit LCD display on top for easy
setting adjustments in the dark.
Software
EOS 20Da is supplied with Canon
EOS Solution Disk 9.1, containing EOS Viewer Utility 1.2, EOS Capture v1.2 and
PhotoStitch 3.1. Canon Digital Photo Professional v1.6 and Adobe Photoshop
Elements 2.0 is included to allow comprehensive image manipulation when
needed.
EOS Capture v1.2 is a remote
capture and control application for when the camera is tethered to a computer.
It provides automated sequential control of the shutter release and download of
images to the computer. The EOS 20Da is supplied with the AC adapter kit ACK-E2
as standard to allow the camera to be operated for long periods on AC
power.
Digital Photo Professional v1.6
provides high-speed processing of lossless RAW images, and allows real-time
display and immediate application of adjustments to images. The software
includes a wide array of RAW, TIFF or JPEG image editing functions, which give
control over variables such as white balance, dynamic range, exposure
compensation and colour tone. The camera JPEG images can be recorded in sRGB or
Adobe RGB colour space, and the Digital Photo Professional application supports
sRGB, Adobe RGB and Wide Gamut RGB colour spaces. An ICC (International Colour
Consortium) profile attaches automatically to RAW images converted to TIFF or
JPEG images. This allows faithful reproduction of colours in software
applications that support ICC profiles, such as Adobe Photoshop. Image
processing of various parameter changes can now be batched rather than carried
out sequentially, vastly increasing the efficiency when applying a number of
changes to the same images.
The EOS 20Da
includes membership of Canon’s online photo album, CANON iMAGE GATEWAY
with 100MB of space for image uploads and photo
sharing.
Astrophotography
accessories
To support the needs of
astrophotography, Canon provides a full line of EOS system accessories
compatible with the EOS 20Da digital SLR. For control over shutter release
timing and to reduce vibration, Canon offers remote control solutions such as
the Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3, and Remote Switch RS-80N3. When the camera
is attached to a telescope, low angles can make composing shots through the
viewfinder difficult – Canon’s Angle Finder C attaches to the
camera’s eyepiece allowing adjustment of the viewing angle while providing
a 2.5x magnification. To increase battery life for even longer exposures, the
optional Battery Grip BG-E2 uses two powerful Lithium-Ion battery packs. It can
also be used with six AA batteries in the supplied
BM-E2 battery
magazine.
Availability
As a specialised product,
the EOS 20Da is only available to order from selected dealers; each country has
a number of specialist dealers that can take orders for this camera. These
dealers will have the opportunity to place orders for a limited time only. Local
Canon sales companies can be contacted for the country dealer list.
Posted: Wed - June 1, 2005 at 11:06 AM