T4ifront-224x172The Canon 5D Mark III was arguably one of the most anticipated cameras in Canon's existence, and while much of that excitement has died down as people go back to their working lives, there are still plenty of new cameras just around the bend. The first, which will be announced tomorrow, is the Canon T4i, or 650D, as it will be known outside of the United States. Canon stuck to its guns on the Mark III so that it wouldn't upset professionals, but with the T4i, they are introducing a touchscreen, as well as a feature many have asked about - real autofocus during video recording. The full specs and photos are below.

Here is a quick list of the important specs people really care about, with the full specs below:


  • 18 MP APS-C
  • SDHC slot, UHS-1 complaint
  • Current xxD’s AF system (9 cross-type points, found in 40D, 50D, 60D)
  • T3i metering system (63 zones like 7D and 5DIII)
  • ~5 fps
  • Pentaprism Viewfinder
  • ISO 100-12,800 expandable to 25,600
  • Articulated touchscreen LCD
  • Hybrid AF during video shooting

A partial spec list is below, but for a full list, check out Canon Rumors (they could still change slightly by tomorrow):

Canon EOS Rebel T4i Specs

  • Image sensor size 22.3 x 14.9 mm approx.
  • Approximately 18 million pixels Effective Pixels
  • Can simultaneously record RAW (14-bit) + JPEG Large
  • RAW: Approximately 17.90 megapixels (5184 x 3456)

Autofocus

  • Type of image-registration, phase detection TTL 2
  • Nine cross-type AF points AF points (f/2.8 at the center AF point detects cross-type AF)
  • Focusing brightness range EV-0.5-18 (23 ° C in, ISO 100)
  • AF operates One-Shot AF, AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF

LCD Monitor

  • Monitor size and dots wide, 7.7cm (3.0 inch) (3:2), approximately 1.04 million dots
  • Angle can be adjusted
  • Adjust the brightness manually (step 7)
  • Capacitive sensing touch screen technology

Live View shooting

  • Set Aspect Ratio 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 1:1
  • Hybrid CMOS AF focusing system * (+ tracking, FlexiZone-Multi, FlexiZone-Single), phase difference detection method (quick mode)
  • Manual focus (approximately 5x / 10x magnification possible)

Video recording

  • Variable bitrate MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video compression
  • MOV video recording format, Linear PCM audio recording format
  • 1920×1080 (Full HD): 30p/25p/24p
  • 1280×720 (HD): 60p/50p
  • 640×480 (SD): 30p/25p
  • * 30p: 29.97 fps, 25p: 25.00 fps, 24p: 23.976 fps, 60p: 59.94 fps, 50p: 50.00 fps
  • File size 1920×1080 (30p/25p/24p): approximately 330 MB / minute
  • 1280×720 (60p/50p): approximately 330 MB / minute
  • 640×480 (30p/25p): Approximately 82.5 MB / minute
  • Manual focus (approximately 5x / 10x magnification possible)

Interface

  • Audio / Video output
  • Digital terminal analog video (NTSC / PAL selectable) / stereo audio output
  • HDMI mini OUT terminal C-type (resolution, auto-switching), CEC-compatible
  • External microphone input terminal - 3.5mm diameter stereo mini-jack
  • Remote Switch RS-60E3 Remote Control for Terminals
  • Remote Controller RC-6 Wireless Remote Control compatible

Battery Life

  • Video recording time approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes at 23 ℃
  • About 1 hour and 20 minutes at 0 ℃
  • (Fully charged Battery Pack LP-E8 is used)

Many have been asking for autofocus in video mode, but up to this point, the technology just hasn't been there to do it reliably. It seems like Canon has finally worked out a passable autofocus in liveview mode -- so for those who really need it -- it should be somewhat usable. The touchscreen is an interesting option, and it will be interesting to see how responsive it will be compared to a smart phone with a touch screen. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, many monitors and companies are moving to touch screens to make the screens bigger without adding more buttons. It also seems like Canon has kept the megapixel count the same, and they are doing what they did with the Mark III -- lower noise for better image quality. I would expect at least a 1-stop improvement for low-light as compared to the cameras that currently use an 18mp sensor: T3i/T2i/60D/7D.

It also seems like there is a headphone jack in addition to the microphone port, but it's tough to tell with the small photos. If there is anything else to be learned, it will happen very late tonight or early tomorrow when the camera is announced.

[via Canon Rumors]

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