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 Wednesday, January 11, 2023

From DJI:

DJI Treats Mirrorless Camera Owners to New Travel Stabilizer DJI RS 3 Mini

DJI’s Industry-Leading Ronin Stabilizer Portfolio Broadened with New Mini Version

January 10, 2023 – DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, today introduces DJI RS 3 Mini, a lightweight handheld travel stabilizer developed specifically to support today’s mainstream brands of mirrorless cameras and lenses. With a smaller and lighter body, the DJI RS 3 Mini continues the excellent stabilization performance of the RS 3 series, allowing users to create professional-grade content while traveling around landscapes or in urban locations. Furthermore, weighing less than 800 g (1.8 lbs), the gimbal can carry a weight of up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs), features Bluetooth shutter control, a 3rd generation stabilization algorithm, native horizontal and vertical switching, and a 1.4-inch color touchscreen.

“Since the introduction of DJI’s Ronin series for cinematography in professional environments, DJI has been working on bringing professional-grade technology to an increasing number of content creators,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Line Manager at DJI. “The DJI RS 3 Mini is testament to DJI’s core value of bringing innovative stabilization technology to everyone with a love of capturing their moments in a photo or on video. Now, anyone with a mirrorless camera can experience the same industry-leading technology used on film sets and studios across the globe.”

With Just One Hand

The RS 3 Mini adopts an all-in-one design which is both compact and portable. At only 795 g (1.7 lbs) in vertical shooting mode, the RS 3 Mini is around 50% lighter than the RS 3 Pro and 40% lighter than the RS 3. This makes the device much easier to carry, and allows it to achieve great results with just one hand. It can be stored easily in a shoulder bag, and its weight makes it much more suited to traveling during longer outdoor shooting.

A Tool for Every Mirrorless Owner

With the ability to carry a weight of up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs), the RS 3 Mini supports a range of mainstream mirrorless camera and lens combinations, such as the Sony A7S3 + 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens, Canon EOS R5 + RF24-70mm F2.8 STM lens or Fuji X-H2S + XF 18-55 mm F2.8-4 lens, to name a few (see the full compatibility list here). A powerful motor ensures that even when the zoom reaches the maximum focal length, the footage captured remains stable, and there is no need to repeat balancing.

Native Vertical Shooting

In order to meet the needs of today’s vertical video creation, the RS 3 Mini features a freshly designed dual-layered quick-release plate. By attaching the quick-release plate to the vertical arm, vertical shooting can be achieved without the need for additional accessories, and the gimbal rotation angle is not limited, compared to traditional vertical mode. Short video social media content can be shot with ease. RS 3 Mini also features an upper plate with a new curved placement guide, which prevents the camera from rotating and loosening.

3rd Generation Stabilization

Lightweight and powerful, RS 3 Mini is a professional stabilizer that will bring an unprecedented, easy, and flexible landscape or street shooting experience to users of all levels, achieving portability and professionalism at the same time. DJI’s 3rd generation stabilization algorithm as found in the RS 3 Pro, has been utilized in the RS 3 Mini to provide outstanding performance, whether the user is running, shooting at a low angle or in flashlight mode. Content stability is ensured throughout shooting and professional-level image stabilization can be achieved regardless of the user’s experience. When users are shooting around human subjects, the RS 3 Mini achieves smooth camera movements effortlessly. Users don't need to pay too much attention to footwork and pace, as the RS 3 Mini can follow people steadily and switch between high and low angles for a more diverse range of shots. Dynamic 360°-rotation imaging delivers a strong visual impact and eye-catching shots.

Effortless Connection

The Wireless Bluetooth Shutter function supports linking with the majority of today’s mainstream mirrorless cameras. After the initial linking, the camera will be ready automatically for action as soon as it is turned on, and users can directly control the video recording and photo capture functions via the record button on the gimbal, enabling them to concentrate on shooting straightaway. When using a Sony camera with a supported digital lens, users can also directly control the lens's optical or digital zoom via the front dial, eliminating the need for a camera control cable.

Control at Your Fingertips

For convenient control, a 1.4-inch full-color touchscreen, M-mode button to switch between the gimbal’s three custom modes and front dial for focusing, can all be found within easy one-handed reach.

Accessories a Plenty

Featuring a NATO port on the side of the body, the RS 3 Mini opens up more shooting options by connecting various accessories such as DJI’s Briefcase Handle, external fill lights or microphones.

Fantastic Power for a Day’s Shoot

The integrated battery handle of the RS 3 Mini provides up to 10 hours charge, meeting the needs of a day’s shoot. It supports charging during use and can be fully charged in as little as 2.5 hours.1

Make the Most with the Ronin App

The Ronin app has a wealth of smart shooting functions to help users get the most from their creations.

  • Time-lapse: Add a timelapse to any video for an engaging opening or breathtaking transition.
  • Track recording: Set the gimbal to move along up to 10 pre-set points for a dynamic video of any scene or environment.
  • Panorama: Enhance the camera’s field of vision with a panoramic photo showing the whole scene in front of you.

Price and Availability

DJI RS 3 Mini will be available for purchase today from authorized retailers and at www.store.dji.com with a price of USD $369. Full details can be found at www.dji.com/rs-3-mini

DJI Care Refresh

DJI Care Refresh is a comprehensive protection plan for DJI products and is now available for RS 3 Mini. Accidental damage is covered by the replacement service, including natural wear, collisions, and water damage. For a small additional charge, you can have your damaged product replaced if an accident occurs.

DJI Care Refresh (1-Year Plan) includes up to 2 replacements in 1 year. DJI Care Refresh (2-Year Plan) includes up to 3 replacements in 2 years. Other services of DJI Care Refresh include rewards for safe use, international warranty service, and free shipping. For a full list of details, please visit www.dji.com/support/service/djicare-refresh

Camera and lens compatibility can be found here: www.dji.com/support/compatibility

Orders

Learn more, and order the DJI RS 3 Mini from B&H.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: DJI News
Post Date: 1/11/2023 4:20:17 PM ET   Posted By: Bryan

From DxO:

DxO releases 1,693 new Optics Modules, providing unrivaled corrections for Canon EOS R6 Mark II, Fujifilm X-T5, Sony A7R V, and a selection of Sigma lenses

DxO’s Optics Modules offer unparalleled corrections, including unique lens softness improvements and distortion corrections that maximize field of view. DxO’s software now corrects more than 80,000 lens and camera combinations.

Paris (France): DxO, the company that has pioneered calibration-based optical corrections for 20 years, today announces its latest batch of Optics Modules. The release of 1,693 DxO Optics Modules includes support for the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, the Fujifilm X-T5, the Sony A7R V, five lenses from Sigma, and more.

For quality-conscious photographers, DxO Optics Modules are a wealth of individually tailored, laboratory-grade corrections, which present the most accurate and powerful route to improving image quality on the market. Superior to other optical correction software, DxO’s adjustments vastly improve results, whether they are applied to entry-level lenses or professional-grade glass.

Essentially, the performance of any lens can be boosted by processing RAW files with DxO software: PhotoLab, PureRAW, FilmPack, and ViewPoint.

A unique approach to defeating lens softness

All correction software offers digital sharpening to combat lens softness, but DxO’s approach is unique and superior, taking into account the varying levels of sharpness across a lens’s entire field of view. Rather than applying general sharpening across the entire image (as with lesser software), DxO Optics Modules target sharpening as required, such as when a lens gets progressively softer towards its edges.

As seen with the Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN, the boost in image quality by DxO Optics Modules makes it perform better in terms of sharpness and distortion (while also eliminating vignetting and aberrations). As illustrated below, nowhere is this clearer than in combating lens softness.

DxO Optics Lens Correction Example 1

1. The uncorrected lens displays a significant difference in sharpness between the center of the frame and the corners.

DxO Optics Lens Correction Example 2

2. Typically, photo editing software uses a generic profile to make a global correction across the entire image based on the sharpening required at the center.

DxO Optics Lens Correction Example 3

3. Edge of frame sharpening from Adobe Lightroom® (left) and DxO Optics Modules (right). Unlike Adobe Lightroom, DxO Optics Modules are able to progressively increase corrections away from the frame’s center, allowing for a sharper overall image.

Sophisticated distortion corrections deliver greater image area

DxO’s Optics Modules frequently deliver a greater image area thanks to more refined assessments when correcting distortions. When needed, DxO Optics Modules give photographers the option to gain extra image area when compared with the crop applied as the result of Lightroom’s corrections.

DxO Optics Lens Correction Example 4

Intelligent control of chromatic aberration

In addition, DxO’s Optics Modules remove chromatic aberrations — both longitudinal, and lateral. Chromatic aberrations vary depending on the focal length and distance, and DxO’s algorithms take these into account in order to perform more accurate corrections. Colored outlines are removed without degrading the image’s color or detail.

Vignetting accurately removed

Finally, vignetting is resolved, correcting the darker edges of the frame that can occur in certain lenses and at specific focal lengths.

The most exacting science, the highest quality

Each DxO Optics Module is created using individual camera and lens combinations. This means that any minor differences in the performance of a sensor can be measured across all the examples of it in a manufacturer’s lens mount range.

For instance, with the new Optics Modules for the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS S, measurements were not made using just a single full-frame Alpha camera, but with almost every Sony camera on the market.

Latest DxO Optics Modules

The latest DxO Optics Modules update — available now — includes the following cameras and lenses, each optimized for specific camera and lens combinations:

  • Canon EOS R6 Mark II
  • Fujifilm X-T5
  • OM System OM-5
  • Sony A7R V
  • Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C (L-mount)
  • Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | C (Sony FE)
  • Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN | C (Sony FE)
  • Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN | C (L-mount)
  • Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS S (Sony FE)
  • Tokina ATX-M 11-18mm F2.8 (Sony E)

Orders

Order your DxO Software direct from DxO.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: DxO News
Post Date: 1/11/2023 3:22:22 PM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Sunday, January 8, 2023

I took a little time out to finish off another moose photo waiting in the to-process queue.

The Canon EOS R5 and RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM Lens are a fantastic wildlife combination and take credit for this picture.


A larger version of this image is available here.

 
Camera and Lens Settings
300mm  f/5.6  1/400s
ISO 1600
8192 x 5464px
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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 1/8/2023 12:00:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Friday, January 6, 2023

Resolution test results are now available on the Sony Alpha 7R V Review page.

These results are outstanding, as expected.

Here is the Sony Alpha 7R V vs. Alpha 1 resolution comparison.

Order the Sony Alpha 7R V at B&H | Adorama | Amazon | WEX.

Rent the Sony Alpha 7R V from Lensrentals.

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Posted to: Sony News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 1/6/2023 9:04:19 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Thursday, January 5, 2023

Noise test results are now available on the Sony Alpha 7R V Review page.

The results are very good, as expected for the resolution.

Order the Sony Alpha 7R V at B&H | Adorama | Amazon | WEX.

Rent the Sony Alpha 7R V from Lensrentals.

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Posted to: Sony News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 1/5/2023 9:56:37 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Tuesday, January 3, 2023

During last year's Rocky Mountain National Park instructional photo tour, we spotted this bull elk from about a mile away. The size of the antlers was an easy reason to go after this animal, but there was another good reason.

While a great subject is paramount for a great image, a primary wildlife or portrait subject often fills a relatively small percentage of the frame. Elk are large animals, and this one fills the composition enough to leave just-comfortable breathing room at the top and bottom. Still, most of the frame is background.

The full Sony Alpha 1 image measures 8,640 x 5,760 pixels, yielding 49,766,400 total pixels. Cropping the image to fit only the elk results in 3,499 x 4,729 pixels and 16,546,771 total pixels. Dividing the smaller total pixels number by the larger one indicates that the elk consumes only 33% of the frame.

Therefore, the background is a vital part of the image. Blurring the background is a great option for emphasizing the subject and removing distractions. While a 600mm f/4 lens can blur the background stronger than most others, the size of the elk pushes the focus distance long enough that the background details remain discernable. Thus, the background still needs to be supportive.

A reason for pursuing this opportunity was the evenly vegetated meadow background. The meadow provides a complementary color and a sense of the location without competing for attention.

A bull elk standing in bright sunlight is an easy scenario to produce a sharp image in, and a fast framerate is unnecessary, right? Not so fast.

That bright sunlight creates heatwaves, and telephoto-focal-length-magnified heatwaves blur the image. The background is already blurred, but the eye must be sharp. Heatwaves move fast, and high-speed continuous shooting often results in some eye-sharp images among the blurred ones.


A larger version of this image is available here.

 
Camera and Lens Settings
600mm  f/4.0  1/800s
ISO 125
8640 x 5760px
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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 1/3/2023 1:38:29 PM ET   Posted By: Bryan

From Tamron Americas:

Tamron Announces Distribution Change for Canada:

Tamron Americas Now Serving Canadian Retailers and Consumers Directly

January 3, 2023, Commack, NY – Tamron Americas (formerly Tamron USA), based in Commack, NY, announces it is responsible for direct sales, marketing, and repair service for the Canadian market effective January 1, 2023. Tamron Americas (“Tamron” hereafter) is the direct subsidiary of Tamron Co., Ltd., and is now handling Tamron Photo Lens and Industrial Optics business for all North and South America. The move will allow pricing parity of Tamron products and Instant Savings for Canadian and U.S. customers (when converted to Canadian dollars) and many other benefits. Customers will enjoy their same retailer network throughout the Canadian provinces and can locate their local retailer here.

Canadians will also benefit from robust marketing throughout Canada that will include sales and educational events. Tamron will bring educational events to authorized retailers in the form of in-person workshops and seminars with Tamron’s top-notch team of professional photographers and technical representatives. Events are listed on the Tamron Americas website here.

Instant Savings on select Tamron lenses is available when purchased through an authorized Tamron Americas Canada dealer. Current Instant Savings are published on the Tamron Americas website here.

Tamron’s 6-year limited warranty will be available for all new purchases made in Canada from an authorized retailer starting January 1, 2023. Repair service for Canadian customers will be handled through Tamron’s authorized repair service center in Toronto. Users in need of repair can contact Tamron Americas at 1-800-827-8880 or email Customer Service at custserv@tamron.com for repair request information. Those Tamron owners with products purchased prior to this date will maintain their existing warranty. See website for details here.

Tamron publishes Tamron Magazine three times per year, and the digital version of the magazine will be available in English, French and Spanish. The current issue 14 is available in French now here. Photographers can also enjoy their choice of four eNewsletter subscriptions available in English, French and Spanish, starting in February 2023. Photo enthusiasts and pros can subscribe to the eNewsletters subscriptions—General (New Product, Promos, and News); Everything Travel and Landscape Photography; Portrait, Sports and Event Photography; and World of Close-Up and Art Photography—here. On Tamron’s website, information found at each lens product page will be available in English, French and Spanish. In addition, Tamron’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube) will incorporate informational and inspirational content for Canadian and American customers.

Canadian customers will register their Tamron lenses purchased on or after January 1, 2023, at the Tamron Americas website here. Qualifying Canadian customers will be admitted to the Tamron VIP Club in 2024. Find details for the VIP Club here.

Support this site by getting your Tamron Lens at B&H.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Tamron News
Post Date: 1/3/2023 12:28:09 PM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Thursday, December 29, 2022

Their day job primarily involves harassing the herd bulls, but the satellite bulls will also fight each other. These two young Rocky Mountain National Park bulls seemed to be sparing vs. having an all-out battle.

To keep the eyes of both bulls in the sharp plane of focus, a side-on position was taken. A low shooting position gives the elk a larger apparent stature and increases the background distance, letting it go strongly blurred.

This fight took place early in the day. With limited light, an all-action-stopping shutter speed required a very high ISO setting. I opted to shoot with a slow shutter speed to avoid the high noise levels. This decision reduced the keeper rate, but often a small number of great images is better than many mediocre ones, and I had a nice quantity of sharp images from the fight.

That said, the ISO 4000 setting yields a noticeable amount of noise. Subject detail, such as hair, hides noise better than evenly colored areas, such as the smoothly blurred background. Strong noise reduction destroys details, but it is especially helpful for removing noise from a blurred background.

So, this image was processed once with weak noise reduction and once with strong noise reduction. The two images were loaded into photoshop layers, with the subject-selected mask hiding the strong noise reduction layer. The subjects retain details (and noise) and the background appears similar to a low ISO setting. A similar tactic can be used in Lightroom.


A larger version of this image is available here.

 
Camera and Lens Settings
600mm  f/4.0  1/200s
ISO 4000
8640 x 5760px
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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 12/29/2022 8:00:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Wednesday, December 28, 2022

A wind storm hit Death Valley National Park the previous day, leaving Mesquite Flat Dunes filled with untracked ripples. It was the kid-in-the-candy-store scenario.

The Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens on a Canon EOS R5 was an optimal choice for the dunes. While focal lengths outside this range had compositional opportunities, the 24-70mm angles of view enabled emphasis on the close subjects while keeping the background details relatively large in the frame.

Of course, the 52mm focal length selected for this composition is not optimal for keeping near-to-far details in focus. The R5's focus bracketing feature was the solution to that problem.

With focus bracketing enabled, the smallest increment specified, and the number of shots set far above what was needed (the camera automatically stops at infinity), the R5 proved itself foolproof, automatically delivering the complete required range of sharp focus bracketed images at nearly a 100% rate (except when I impatiently picked up the tripod before the stack was finished to hurry on to the next composition).

With that strategy implemented, my task was easy. Walk up to a scene, select the composition, position the focus point on the closest subject (the closest sand), and press the shutter release with the 2-second self-timer enabled.

My first focus stacking pass for this image was in Photoshop. This process is easy. Here is how to focus stack using Photoshop:

  1. Open the set of images with sharp details covering the entire depth of field as layers in Photoshop. To do this using Bridge, select the images (click on the first image, and shift-click on the last image), then menu > Tools > Photoshop > Load file into Photoshop layers.
  2. Select all layers in the Layers panel (click on the top layer, and shift-click on the bottom layer).
  3. Menu > Edit > Auto-Align Layers, select Auto in the dialog, then click OK.
  4. Menu > Edit > Auto-Blend Layers, select Stack Images in the dialog, then click OK.
  5. If the result looks good, select all layers in the Layers panel, and press control-E to consolidate the result into a single layer.

That mindless process usually works great. However, I wasn't satisfied with the result in this case, so I manually stacked the images using layers masks.


A larger version of this image is available here.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 12/28/2022 10:49:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Saturday, December 24, 2022

My family and I wish you a very Merry Christmas! As always, we hope that your Christmas season is filled with great meaning, great memories, and of course, great images.

The Christmas tree is a core of our family's traditions, and it seems that our Christmas tree adventure always has a story.

After putting the tree up, I always vowel to get a smaller tree the next year. By the next year, the tall tree issues are forgotten, but the space available for the tree is remember, and the girls pressure to go big. After getting away from carrying the tree behind the SUV, moving it to the roof, hitting things alongside of the road are no longer an issue.

However, hitting the garage door when returning home is a concern. That risk didn't materialize, but making the tree stay upright was a real concern.

This year, the girls picked a tree with about 4 or 5' of the bottom branches trimmed off (likely sold for greens, such as for wreaths). That meant I couldn't clearly discern the tree's height above the bare trunk. And, it seemed to grow a couple of feet on the ground.

When trees get that tall, the trunk becomes thick, which equates with heavy. With help, I managed to get the tree upright and moved into position.

Hours later, my daughter said "Oh!" "Oh!!!" OOOh!!!!! The extra exclamation points reference the decibel level of her exclamations.

Yep, the tree fell over. Fortunately, no decorations were yet attached. Unfortunately, about 2 gallons of water dumped onto the floor. Fortunately, a large piece of plastic caught a lot of that water.

The tree you see here is tied to the wall with fishing line. It is 20lb test line for those of you who are fishermen. It is also about 20 years old, probably the same age as the tree.

Our Christmas tree represents a huge amount of work (mostly for my girls), and the results of their effort deserve preservation in a high-quality image. After photographing the annual Christmas tree in the same location for over 25 years (I unsuccessfully lobbied for a new location this year), I have a few go-to shots dialed in.

An ultra-wide-angle focal length usually gets the selection. In addition to fitting the tree and surrounding space in the frame, this angle of view makes the room appear big, creating a more dramatic look.

There seems to be an outstanding ultra-wide-angle lens choice introduced each year, and I seldom capture the tree photo with a lens previously used for that task. The Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Lens got the call in 2021. Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Lens captured the Christmas 2020 tree, the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens captured the 2019 tree, and, going a bit narrower for a different look, the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM Lens took in the 2018 tree.

I didn't look at my lens choice from prior years before choosing this year's lens, had the new Sony Alpha 7R V to work with, and the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Lens was the perfect match for this year's job.

At this time of the year, I know that I need to take pictures between 5:15 and 5:25 PM to have a touch of dark blue sky color showing through the windows with the exposure balanced for the Christmas lights inside. No, I can't remember this time from year to year, but a calendar item reminds me (and EXIF information from the prior year's photos can be referenced).

F/16 images from any current digital camera, and especially from cameras with ultra-high pixel density, show a slight softness due to diffraction. However, I like the starburst effect that narrow apertures, such as f/16, create from point light sources, such as the candles in the windows. Because the a7R V pixel density is so high, I opted to open up to f/11 this year. The FE 14 still creates nice diffraction spikes from the point light sources at this aperture, and the a7R V produces noticeably sharper details at f/11 than at f/16.

With only the tree and other decorative lights on, the exposure needs to be long — 25 seconds at f/11 and ISO 100. The exposure duration means that only a few images can be captured during the perfect deep blue sky time.

Long exposures also mean that the tree ornaments must be still to avoid motion blur, and the floor vibrates when walked on, making the ornaments swing. One person walking across the room at the wrong time could eliminate one or two exposures from that short period. Thus, the photo day is (usually) selected for when I am home alone at the right time.

The vertical lines in the windows (or sometimes a wall unit) on the right side of the frame look best when running parallel to the edge of the frame. Thus, a camera position leveled for both tilt and roll is usually selected. In this case, the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Lens especially impresses with its lack of geometric distortion (no correction was applied to this image), rendering the vertical lines straight.

I am fortunate to have a range of tripods to work with, and holding the Sony Alpha 7R V and FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Lens combination steady indoors is not a support challenge. However, when shooting on carpet, I prefer a tripod with some weight (or spikes) to press into the carpet fibers, decreasing movement. The Really Right Stuff TVC-34L Mk2 Tripod and BH-55 Ball Head handled this job nicely.

With that, another Christmas tree photo is in the archives.


A larger version of this image is available here.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 12/24/2022 8:56:23 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Friday, December 23, 2022

Just completed: Canon EOS R6 Mark II Review

At some point, I have to call this review finished. Still, I'll likely continue to update it.

Please share!

Support this site buy getting the Canon EOS R6 Mark II at B&H | Adorama | Canon USA | Amazon (all available countries) | WEX

Rent the Canon EOS R6 Mark II from Lensrentals.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 12/23/2022 8:52:17 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Thursday, December 22, 2022

Lensrentals has shared their always-interesting annual top rented cameras and lenses list.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photography Deals
Post Date: 12/22/2022 11:23:45 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Let me introduce you to your new favorite event, portrait, and indoor sports lens, the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens.

There are several reasons for this prediction.

The first is the focal length. The 135mm angle of view is narrow enough to encourage subject distances that create pleasing portrait perspectives, even for full-frame headshots. This angle of view also keeps the lens out of their personal space, staying distant enough for subjects to remain comfortable.

The ultra-wide aperture is another reason for this lens to be a favorite. The F1.8 aperture combined with high-performing image stabilization keeps shutter speeds up and ISO settings down for sharp, low-noise results. F1.8 combined with the medium telephoto focal length can create a strong background blur that makes the subject stand out from an otherwise distracting background.

If those two reasons are not sufficient for you, the image quality delivered by this lens will be. Even the preproduction lens produced outstanding image quality.

This mariachi band member performing at a low light event was a perfect subject for this lens and the Canon EOS R6 Mark II behind it.

 
Camera and Lens Settings
135mm  f/1.8  1/125s
ISO 1250
5464 x 8192px
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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 12/21/2022 11:14:10 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Tuesday, December 20, 2022

"Lightweight and ideal for journalism, audio for video, and documentary applications, the M3 MicTrak from Zoom is a camera-mounted, combination shotgun microphone and recorder, with two internal shotgun mics that can switch between hyper-focused supercardioid (90°) or wider bidirectional (180°) modes at the press of a button. Thanks to dual AD converter circuits inherited from the pro F-Series recorders, no gain adjustment is necessary, and the M3 captures quality audio in 48 kHz / 32-bit floating point for crisp sound without clipping."

Get rest of the new Zoom M3 MicTrak Stereo Shotgun Microphone and Recorder details at B&H. The M3 is in stock and only $199.99.

The Zoom M2 and M4 MicTrak Stereo Microphone and Recorder are also just available.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Zoom News
Post Date: 12/20/2022 11:49:58 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Monday, December 19, 2022

Sharing a favorite image from my late summer and early fall elk photography here. The colors in this image are right out of the camera using Lightroom's default settings — I didn't create this 7x7 bull's unique orange antler color during post-processing.

The great lighting (and water drop streaks) is curtesy of a rainy day. When photographing wildlife, I always keep a LensCoat rain cover on my camera and lens. With a quality rain shell on me, moderate rain does not hinder the pursuit, and it often enhances the photos.


A larger version of this image is available here.

 
Camera and Lens Settings
600mm  f/4.0  1/200s
ISO 1000
9096 x 5760px
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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 12/19/2022 8:00:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Thursday, December 15, 2022

Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens firmware update version 2 is available via Tamron Lens Utility app (free) on a laptop or mobile device (using the mobile app version) connected via the lens's USB Type-C port.

Firmware Version 2 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

  1. Compatible with AF Assist function during video recording
  2. Added compatibility with TAMRON Lens Utility Mobile

Get the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens at B&H.

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Posted to: Sony News   Category: Tamron Firmware Updates
Post Date: 12/15/2022 11:34:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens firmware update version 3 is available via Tamron Lens Utility app (free) on a laptop or mobile device (using the mobile app version) connected via the lens's USB Type-C port.

Firmware Version 3 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

  1. Improved AF tracking performance when shooting moving objects
  2. Compatible with AF Assist function during video recording

Get the Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens at B&H.

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Posted to: Sony News   Category: Tamron Firmware Updates
Post Date: 12/15/2022 11:29:43 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD Lens firmware update version 3 is available for download (update lens firmware via camera body).

Firmware Version 3 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

  1. Improved AF tracking performance when shooting moving objects
  2. Compatible with AF Assist function during video recording

Get the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD Lens at B&H.

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Posted to: Sony News   Category: Tamron Firmware Updates
Post Date: 12/15/2022 11:21:03 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Think Tank Photo has launched the Speedtop Crossbody Series Shoulder Bags featuring a convenient magnetic lid closure.

Don't forget that you'll get a free gift and free shipping when using our links for your purchase ($50.00 minimum purchase required).

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Think Tank Photo News
Post Date: 12/6/2022 8:27:51 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Sunday, December 4, 2022

Usually, heavy cropping of a full-frame image is required to fill the frame with the moon. Not so when using the Canon RF 1200mm F8 L IS USM Lens with an RF 2x Extender behind it.

At the magnification provided by 2400mm, keeping the moon in the frame (without a tracking mount) is problematic. The moon must be led by the right amount to be centered in the frame after the vibrations settle out.

Fortunately, it is easy to precisely center the moon during post-processing – as long no edges are clipped. The black border is easy to extend on any side.

Is this full-sized image sharp? Not especially so. The wide-open f/16 aperture has some diffraction impact, 2x extenders magnify aberrations, and worse is the atmospheric distortion.

Would I buy a $20,000 lens to photograph the moon? While the 2400mm focal length is difficult to obtain otherwise, no, I'm not that serious about photographing the moon. But if you have the lens, the moon makes a fun subject.


A larger version of this image is available here.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 12/4/2022 7:00:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
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