This ultra-telephoto zoom lens covers a telephoto range up to 500mm and allows photographers to bring the subject close and short perspective. This lens has an equivalent field of view of a 225-750mm when used on digital SLR cameras with an APS-C size image sensor. Sigma’s original OS (Optical Stabilizer) function offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower. As compensation for camera shake is visible in the view finder, the photographer can easily check for accurate focus and ensure there is no subject movement.It is ideal for sports, wildlife and landscape photography with handheld shooting. Three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements provide excellent correction for chromatic aberration. This lens is equipped with a rear focus system that minimizes fluctuation of aberration caused by focusing. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focusing capability. The addition of the (optional) 1.4x EX DG APO or 2x EX DG APO Tele Converters produce a 210-700mm F7-9 MF ultra-telephoto zoom lens or a 300-1000mm F10-13 MF ultra-telephoto zoom lens respectively (For Sony fitting only). A removable tripod socket (TS-31) is included as a standard component.

Original of their press release.

Read the full review here

It is successor to the G1, with a touch screen interface that can be used to select the focus point, adjust camera settings and fire the shutter. However it’s not a love it or hate it affair since the traditional control buttons are still [thankfully!] present. Feature-wise, the G2 is similar to the G1 but adds HD Movie in AVCHD Lite with monaural sound (stereo with optional adapter). The Control Dial has also moved from the front of the handgrip to the back at the thumbrest area. Read the Hands-on Preview of the Panasonic G2 at: DPReview

Northlight compared 550D vs 500D

Pro points

18MP CMOS sensor with gapless micro lenses
ISO 6400 in default ISO range (12,800 is extra)
Customisable auto ISO ranges
Expanded bracketing range (+/- 5 stops)
Dedicated button for video/live shooting
63 zone iFCL metering
3:2 LCD screen with more pixels
1080 HD at 30, 24 or 24fps
Stereo microphone input
Manual controls in video mode
Slightly higher burst shooting rate (3.7 fps vs. 3.4 fps)
SDXC compatible

Con points

Reduced buffer size (JPEG 34 vs. 170, RAW 6 vs. 9)
Price – higher

Firmware changes

In the Version 2.0.4 firmware, the following phenomena that occurred with the Version 2.0.3 firmware (which was to enhance the movie functions) have been corrected.

• There was a phenomenon in which the manual recording settings made in C1/C2/C3 were changed and sound could not be recorded if manual sound recording was used in the C1/C2/C3 settings and the camera was subsequently turned off (or if Auto Power Off was activated). This does not occur in modes other than C1/C2/C3.

The Version 2.0.4 firmware includes the movie function enhancements listed in items 1 through 5 below, and also incorporates the correction listed in item 6.

1. Adds or changes the following movie frame rates.
   • 1920×1080 : 30 fps (changed – actual 29.97 fps)
   • 1920×1080 : 24 fps (added – actual 23.976 fps)
   • 640×480 : 30 fps (changed – actual 29.97 fps)
   • 1920×1080 : 25 fps (added – actual 25.0 fps)
   • 1920×1080 : 24 fps (added – actual 23.976 fps)
   • 640×480 : 25 fps (added – actual 25.0 fps)

NTSC: PAL:

2. Adds a function for manually adjusting the sound recording level (64 levels).
3. Adds a histogram display (brightness or RGB) for shooting movies in manual exposure.
4. Adds shutter-priority AE mode (Tv) and aperture-priority AE (Av) mode to the exposure modes for shooting movies.
5. Changes the audio sampling frequency from 44.1 KHz to 48 KHz.
6. Fixes a phenomenon where communication between the camera and the attached lens is sometimes interrupted after manual sensor cleaning. (This phenomenon only affects units with Firmware Version 1.2.4.)

Caution:

• Firmware Version 2.0.4 is for cameras with firmware up to version 2.0.3. If the camera’s firmware is already version 2.0.4, it is not necessary to update the firmware.
• Movies captured using EOS 5D Mark II cameras with Firmware Version 1.1.0 to 1.2.4 can be played back on cameras updated with Firmware Version 2.0.4. However, if you try to play back movies captured with a camera with the new firmare on a camera with a previous firmare version, a message, Cannot play back image, appears on the camera’s LCD monitor.
• It is recommended that you use the latest Canon applications*1 to edit movies captured with EOS 5D Mark II cameras that have the latest firmare because some previous versions do not support movie-editing functions and the frame rates that are added or changed by the latest firmware. You can download the latest Canon applications from our Web site.
  *1 ZoomBrowser EX Version 6.5.0 or later (compatible operating systems : Windows XP/Vista/7)
  ImageBrowser Version 6.5.0 or later (compatible operating systems : Mac OS X v10.4/10.5/10.6)
• In addition to the enhancements to the movie function, the accompanying instruction manual has also been revised. Users are asked to download both the latest firmware and the latest instruction manual. You can proceed to download the instruction manual by clicking the [I Agree] button from the bottom of this page.

Read the whole story and instructions on canon’s official firmware page.

Improvements compared to original EOS 5D

• 21.1 megapixel (5,616 x 3,744 pixels), compared to 12.8 megapixels (4,368 x 2,912 pixels)
• DIGIC 4 image processor, compared to DIGIC II
• 100-6400 ISO (expandable to L (50), H1 (12800), H2 (25600)), compared to 100-1600 (expandable to L (50), H (3200))
• 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting (78 JPEG or 13 Raw in a single burst), compared to 3 fps (60 JPEG or 17 Raw)
• Small Raw modes: sRAW1 mode (10 megapixel/3861 x 2574 pixels), sRAW2 mode (5.2 megapixel/2784 x 1856 pixels)
• 98% viewfinder coverage with 0.71x magnification, compared to 96% coverage
• Larger 3.0-inch (76 mm) LCD display with 640 x 480 VGA resolution (307,200 pixels/921,600 dots), compared to 2.5-inch (64 mm)
• 1800mAh LP-E6 battery, compared to 1390mAh BP-511A

New features

• Movie recording with 12 minutes of full HD at 1920×1080, or 30 minutes of SDTV at 640×480 resolution, up to 4 GB, 30 frames/s (due to FAT32‘s limitations)
• Monaural microphone for audio during video recording, speaker for playback and microphone jack for external stereo microphone
• Live preview with contrast-detect autofocus
• HDMI video output for live preview or playing clips and images on an external monitor via Type C MiniHDMI port
• Dust reduction system to perform automatic sensor cleaning
• Battery management software

The 5D Mark II is the first camera in the EOS line to provide video recording functions. Still photography during video recording is possible, but the camera suspends recording video until the final still frame is captured.

The Li-Ion battery for the 5D Mark II (LP-E6) has a 1800mAh capacity. Each battery contains a microchip with a unique identifier for reporting charge status and battery health for display on the camera. The 5D Mark II’s ‘Battery Info’ screen can track battery health and shooting history for up to six LP-E6 batteries.

Source: Wikipedia

12 megapixel CMOS sensor; Nikon EXPEED image processing; D-Movie mode, 720p resolution, 24 frames per second; 3-inch Live View LCD display; SD/SDHC memory storage