Fun Stuff - Canon EOS Technoclopedia


 
Canon Canada created a set of thermal Lens Coffee Mugs as giveaways to promote Canon at the Olympic Games in Vancouver in early 2010.
 
Available were:
 
  • the Canon EF 24-105mm F4.0L IS USM (350ml, silver plastic interior) and
  • the Canon EF 70-200mm F4.0L USM (79.4 x 187.6mm, 220g, 440ml, stainless steel interior, compatible with Canon Tripod Mount Ring A II).

It's reported that copies from Ebay or other places in the interweb are just China produced unlicensed cheapos. However, The-Digital-Picture claims they were all produced in China.
 
Versions found:
 
The chinese counterfeits started selling almost immediately in 2010. As of 2012 there are various Ebay sellers offering an amazing range of versions impossible and useless to list here (one of the current sellers states to sell 6th generation model mugs ...). There are models with switchable and fixed position switches (for AF and IS). Some come with a front lens element (transparent plastic imitation) integrated into the lid, some with lens hood integrated into the lid, others just include a more standard type coffee-to-go-lid or just the normal lens cap. There are versions with stainless steel or plastic interiors for every model, some versions even include accessories like a pouch.
 
And finally, there also are some totally new models available:
 
  • a Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L USM (as labeled on the lens - the package says 24-70mm F4.0L IS USM, feat. barrel (focus) extension like a real lens, albeit its fixed size stainless steel interior)
  • a Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM Macro (available in black or white (the white one comes with white bayonet cap), feat. stainless steel interior and comes with a pouch)


 
For those who don't want to deal with plasticizers in their coffee or are worried about what will happen to the prints on the mugs after treatment with dishwater for a few times there is a company called Nuop Design making ceramic lens mugs under the Bitten brand. The lenses do not carry any Canon or model specific labelings, but actually look like Canon lenses. The main imprint around the 'front ring' reads Into Focus 310ml (that's what the cup takes). There is a windowed focus scale (starting at 0.5m/1.5ft), an aperture scale (ranging from 8 to 16), a toothed focus ring, an AF/MF switch with another lens label to its right reading 310ml in bigger letters, the stylized bayonet metal ring (white paint) and the red dot for bayonet alignment. The bottom of the cap is styled like a mounted lens cap. The cups come in black with white imprints (except for the feet distance scale, which is red) and are delivered with a rubber cap (Bitten embossed). Size is 108 x 70mm plus handle.

Canon Japan regularly releases fan gimmicks. Just some examples:
 
  • a Canon EF 50mm F1.2L USM coffee cup in black (#MC-MG002, 250ml)
  • a Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM coffee mug in white (#MC-MG001, 300ml)
  • These two where sold together in a set with rubber coasters showing the schemes of a Canon DSLR and an EF 35mm F1.4L II US.
  • a themal bottle in black depicting the history of Canon SLRs showing models from 1930 until ~2010 (#MC-TB001, 400ml)
  • camera and lunch bags
  • several USB sticks
  • card games

Canon Hong Kong is the originator of various collectible gadgets. The most famous would be the Canon EOS USB miniatures. To find evidence seems like a mission impossible though. Here are the facts:
 
The EOS 7D miniature was given to all participants of the Canon Photo Marathon 2011 (hosted by Canon Hong Kong at the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre). It came with an EF-S 15-85mm IS USM 'lens' housing the stick, removable lens and body caps and a neck strap. The 'camera' served as cap.
 
End of facts.
 
The above is documented in a press release published by Canon and a related picture. The rest of the story is more or less based on rumor.
 
Canon EOS USB miniature edition cardboard box
photo © 2009 by fruit-trees
 
EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm F4.0L IS USM: The first occurrence made the 5D Mark II miniature in 2009 on Ebay (via Koh Kho King (2009-04-05) and Eclectic Electronics (2009-04-22)). It was sold by 2 Hong Kong based sellers (worldseller2 and fruit-trees), who claimed the USB drive to be a genuine Canon Hong Kong limited edition exclusively intended for Club Canon (King reports a MSRP of 15 USD, while the units sold on Ebay for 100 USD and more, and most of the information found on the net is based on the claims of those 2 ebay sellers). It was a 4GB stick delivered with neck strap, packed in a black cardboard box. The 'lens' housed the stick, the 'camera' functioned as cap. The units were sold out until end of June 2009. First ever 5D model with hot shoe!
 
Another claimed to be genuine version of the 5D Mark II with 2GB only was reported via lowyat.net (2009-06-05). The stick was housed in the camera and the lens was used as cap. Its box came in a slightly different design.
 
 

EOS 7D with an EF-S 15-85mm IS USM: E.g. Gadgets Hunter is still offering these. It's a 4GB drive and claimed to be the genuine one. It does not come in the black box, but in one similar looking to the usual Canon camera packages. Includes neck strap.
 
EOS 450D with EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM: Reported by 2dayBlog (2009-04-21) and later on with a few more details by A World Through Lenses. The stick is housed in the 'camera' this time with a capacity of 2GB, the lens serves as cap. It's told to be a Canon Hong Kong genuine product, but no sources are named at all (neither a seller nor source of information). The 450D came in a black cardboard box identical to the 5D Mark II 4GB miniature. No neck strap.
 
A World Through Lenses provides some more images I'd like to share here (all © 2010).
 
Canon EOS 450D USB miniature:
 
 
Canon EOS 5D Mark II USB miniature:
 
 
Well, I believe the AWTL pictured versions are genuine. I can't find official sources, but the details are very high here. There are indeed counterfeits and duplicate cheapos available, but they usually show much less detail. However, if you are into collecting miniatures, there is much more available without integrated USB storage. Just not sure either whether original or not.
 
Another nice gadget released by Canon Hong Kong is a set of EOS System Playing Cards (poker deck for Club Canon, as of 2012). The set comes in black. The colors and numbers in the corners are printed white, same for the back side which reads For Expert - By Expert. Instead of the pictures for king, queen etc. and center numbers there is a camera or lens pictured on every card. Seems like it's not the only Canon deck around. There was a white one selling used on Ebay lately. Though I can't tell much about it, since the pictures only showed the back side (white with the red Canon branding).


Canon USA is selling the OIS Lens Flashlight Keychains (2012).
 
Here we have a small gimmick for your car keys. These are ~1:8 replicas of the 300mm or 400mm F2.8 IS lenses (besides "Canon Image Stabilzer" there isn't much labeling actually). The LEDs are spec'ed at 40lum and the flashlight is 51 x 25.5mm in size. It is powered by 3x LR44 cells.
 

images © 2012 by CheesyCam


Koolertron Canon 135mm F2L USM Lens Stereo Speakers are selling on Amazon since 2011.
 
They feature a 3.5mm phone jack input to connect any type of external player. The distance scale houses a small LED screen displaying the current status. The unit is powered over USB (5V/500mA USB) or by its built-in 3.7V 800mA rechargeable lithium cell and is 435 x 330 x 230mm in size. The product description further mentions support for Micro SD/TF cards. Sounds like the speakers have a card reader built-in as well.

IPP Fujin Sensor Vacuum Cleaners (2015).
 
IPP is a daughter company of Nissin founded in 2015 to develop innovations. The first thing they came up with were the Fujin vacuum cleaners - shaped like a lens, mounting like a lens - a tool designed to hoover your camera sensors. Are they serious about it? Considering its price I guess they are. But I doubt it will work with that usually quite sticky grime found on sensors. So until I read different things, this entry will get categorized amongst fun gems.
 
The units look a bit like a Canon 1.2/50 and feature an AF switch, which is used to toggle on/off. Mark II was released in the same year as the original, equipped with a fan 2.7 times stronger than the first's. Some more math: Company was established in May 2015, Mark II was announced in June and delivered end of September.
 
Mark I Specifications:
 
  • Prod. ID: #EF-L001
  • Mount: Canon EF
  • Power: 4x AAA
  • Size: Ø84.5mm x 72mm
  • Weight: 165g (incl. batteries)
  • Package includes caps, 3 dust filters and a pouch

Mark II Specifications:
 
  • Prod. ID: #EF-L002
  • Mount: Canon EF
  • Power: 4x AAA (will run for approx. 80 minutes)
  • Size: Ø84.5mm x 72mm
  • Weight: 180g
  • Package includes caps and 3 dust filters

Common:
 
  • Made in Japan

Videos:
 

 
How to use Fujin - Mark I
 

 
Mark II - It works! ... With styrofoam balls.

Facebook, man. I joined and just a couple days later I learned about the most amazing camera thing ever, which definitely changed my life. Haha, this one is going to be my favorite. The perfect compagnon for your coffee mugs actually. Buttom of the page, you can just sit back and prepare yourself for weird magic coming along. Well, it's not about something genuine by Canon. Not at all. Actually, it's all counterfeits!!
 
It's time for the Camera Cakes!! I'll start with the pictures and post the specs below.
 

 
photo © 2012 by StudioCake
 

 
photo © 2012 by A Touch Of Cake

Ah well, the specs. Everytime I try to go for the specs I look at those pictures for too long. I'll just get hungry and can't think about specs anymore. All those delicious layers and cream and chocolat and ... you kinda guess it. All I managed was to find you a howto about how to make a cake like this. It's here, together with one more amazing model (tele cake ... about 3 feet long).

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