A photograph of a Canon 7D with firmware version 1.2.0 has appeared before any official word of the update from Canon. It was posted to POTN by forum member garycoleman, who says,

My 7D came from the Canon headquarters in NY because it was a replacement for my defective one. The serial starts with 077xxxxxxxx and has firmware 1.2.0 which I find interesting because the Canon only goes up the 1.1.0 on their webpage. Maybe 1.2.0 is going to be released any day now?

Canon Rumors reports that the firmware update will fix problems related to third party batteries, and adds support for future remotes, accessories, and lenses.

It doesn’t look like the firmware update will be a big deal, but it’s interesting that it appeared in the wild from Canon before any official announcement was made.

Last week Olympus began running a teaser for what appears to be a new camera that will shortly be announced. The teaser featured a mysterious image of a camera hidden behind a hand, and a form for collecting emails to be contacted immediately at launch.

From what can be seen of the camera in the teaser, it’s pretty clear the new camera will be part of the new Micro Four Thirds system of cameras, which features DSLR-quality imaging in more compact bodies due to the omission of a mirror and optical viewfinder system.

A few hours ago 43rumors reported that a leaked image (shown at the top of this post) of the new Olympus camera had appeared on an Asian forum. Though the image was removed within minutes, a reader had already saved the photo and emailed it into 43rumors.

Comparing the leaked image and the teaser, it appears the cameras are the same. The leaked image shows a 14-42mm lens, while the lens appears to be different in the teaser (43rumors states it’s a 17mm). We’ll probably learn more about this camera at PMA 2010 next month.

(via engadget)

Canon doesn’t seem to want Nikon to have all the fun with articulating LCD screens. After Nikon included such a screen on D5000 back in April of 2009, Canon seems to be ready to embrace the feature in its own DSLRs.

According to a member of Israeli forum d-spot.co.il, Canon’s next prosumer and entry level DSLRs, the 60D and 550D/600D, will both have articulating screens and begin shipping in May. If you’re not sure what an articulating screen is, here’s what it looks like on the Nikon D5000:

Here’s a full list of specs that were posted:

60D Specs
- Articulating screen
- Metal body, similar To 50D
- Upgraded 15.1mp APS-C Sensor
- 720p/1080p Video at 30fps
- Electronic Level
- New battery & battery grip
- Price about $1190

550D/600D Specs
- Articulating screen
- Body smaller than 500D
- Upgraded 15.1mp APS-C Sensor
- 720p Video at 30fps
- Price about $799

Do the specs seem realistic? What are your thoughts on the possibility of articulating screens being introduced into the Canon line?

(via Canon Rumors)