Canon and Sony News for Jan 2017 (Page 2)

From Canon USA:

MELVILLE, N.Y., January 23, 2017 – Demonstrating the high quality of its capture-to-print solution, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced that it will be in attendance for the 18th Annual West Coast Art and Frame Expo and National Conference, held at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada from Monday, January 23rd to Wednesday, January 25th. Attendees visiting the Canon booth (#625) will have the opportunity to interact with the Company’s input-to-output solution, including the imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 and imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 printers, as well as an array of Canon cameras and lenses, with technical representatives available to provide a hands-on experience. In the booth, Canon representatives will be on-hand to educate photographers on how to get the most out of their camera and printer. Finished framed photography will be exhibited in the booth, demonstrating the quality of Canon’s capture-to-print solution.

Guests are invited to attend the “Fine Art Success with Canon” class, at no additional charge, on Monday, January 23rd from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, hosted by Canon U.S.A. Attendees will be walked through the process of digitizing artwork and printing captured images to both help improve their own skills and possibly expand their business offerings. The class will review technical aspects integral to the workflow of camera set-up to image capture and then techniques for color correction. In addition to the class, Canon representatives will be on-site in the booth to help provide hands-on assistance to booth visitors on the process of capture-to-print.

B&H carries the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 and imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 printers.

Resolution results from the Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM Lens have been added to the Canon EOS M5 Review page.

With this lens tested in front of most Canon DSLRs and MILCs, many direct comparisons can be made. The first comparison I wanted to see was the EOS M5 vs. EOS 80D. As I mentioned before, I initially expected these two cameras to be equals in the image quality department. While they may indeed be equals, Canon's RAW conversion algorithm generates a less-sharp M5 image with lower noise being the benefit. Prefer sharper? Simple: increase the sharpness setting by 1.

Here is the EOS M5 vs. EOS Rebel T6i/T6s comparison.

BTW, I'm really liking this little camera!

B&H has the Canon EOS M5 in stock.

From Canon:

TOKYO, January 23, 2017—Canon Inc. announced today that the Company has ranked first for the third time among manufacturing companies in Nikkei Inc.'s 20th Environmental Management Survey, receiving high ratings for each criterion, including perfect scores for promotion of environmental management structure, resource recycling and measures against global warming.

Started in 1997 by Nikkei Inc., the Environmental Management Survey is an annual survey that assesses businesses' endeavors to improve environmental measures and management efficiency. This year's survey was based on a questionnaire sent to 1,733 companies that was answered by 396 companies.

In the manufacturing category, each company's level of environmental management was assessed based on five criteria: promotion of environmental management structure, pollution and biodiversity-related measures, resource recycling, environmental product policy and measures against global warming, and ranked based on their total score.

In this year's survey, Canon achieved perfect scores for promotion of environmental management structure, resource recycling and measures against global warming for such highly rated activities as the Company's carbon offset program that reduces CO₂ emissions equivalent to those produced by such products as office multifunction devices and some production printers to zero and the establishment of an automatic toner and ink cartridge recycling system. Additionally, the Company also scored highly for other criteria, achieving a total score of 496 (out of a possible 500), placing first in the manufacturing category.

Under its Action for Green environmental vision, introduced in 2008, Canon set a goal of annually reducing lifecycle CO₂ emissions for each product by 3%, and is proactively making efforts through such initiatives as energy-saving activities at manufacturing bases, a modal shift in distribution, reduced energy consumption during product use, product remanufacturing, reusing parts and recycling consumable goods. As a result, in 2015, lifecycle CO₂ emissions per product were approximately 30% of those in 2008—successfully achieving an average reduction of approximately 5% a year.

Canon's Action for Green environmental vision aims to realize a society that promotes both enriched lifestyles and the global environment through technological innovation and improved management efficiency. Throughout the entire product lifecycle—Produce, Use, Recycle—Canon continues to expand activities with its customers and business partners to reduce environmental burden in pursuit of this environmental vision.

From Adorama Learning Center:

Orlit, a new flash and strobe manfuacturer, has burst onto the market with a 600ws wireless TTL monolight, a powerful new Canon-compatible TTL shoe-mounted flash, and TTL wireless recievers and transcievers. The new products are priced to compete with name-brand models while offering a full set of features.

Orlit Rovelight RT 610

A TTL wireless monolight with 600ws of power, the Orlit Rovelight RT 610 is compatible with Canon’s RT/ETTL and Nikon’s iTTL wireless flash control systems. With a guide number of 201 (ft at ISO 100), and manual levels from 1/256 to full power in 1/10-stop increments, the flash is poised to rival its top competitors. A stop-action “Freeze Mode” reduces flash duration to 1/19000th of a second. And to eliminate wires, the unit is powered by a 6000mAh Li-ion interchangeable battery rated to 450 full-power pops.

Key Features

• 600Ws
• 201GN (ISO 100 ft)
• No AC power cords
• 20W LED modeling light
• 2.4Ghz RT Radio System with full Canon RT Wireless Control
• Canon ETTL, Nikon iTTL radio slave modes
• EV TTL override adjustment to +/-3EV
• Bowens S-Type accessory mount
• Max. 2.5-sec recycle time
• Flash duration 1/800-1/19000 second
• Wireless range to 980 feet

For Canon RT TTL users, this is the only 600ws option available with full compatibility, and can be used in concert with both Canon and Nikon TTL flashes with full remote TTL operation via the Orlit TR-C11C or 612-N remote. It has 5 Groups in 15 Channels, and a special GR Mode where each member of the group can be independently set to mix of Manual or TTL automation. The use of the Orlit TR-611C or 612-N remote adds 980ft/300m remote freedom without a speedlight to provide full TTL / Remote Manual / HSS, in 3 individual groups, with backward compatibility to legacy Flashpoint Rovelight and the above mentioned HSS link to Canon and Nikon cameras.

The Orlit Rovelight RT 610’s features a large, clear, full-color LCD display, a simplified menu system, and a generous power and function control dial with soft menu touch control buttons for all options. Future technologies and camera sync are firmware can be updated through the USB port. The radio modes are 4: C-Canon, N-Nikon, TRS-Flashpoint Rovelight (in Manual), and A6-HSS function for Nikon or Canon.

HSS Mode allows shutter speeds up to 1/8000 by pulsing its light between the quickest focal plane shutter gate. The monolight can regulate flash duration (t0.5), by means of the manual output, from a rich 1/800s to an action arresting 1/8000s. To really capture a split-second event, the Freeze Mode achieves an additional reach to just 1/19000s while still at a color-balanced 5500 degree Kelvin.

Other features include a 20-watt LED modeling lamp (100-watt equivalent) with a 3200k color temperature.

The Orlit Rovelight RT 610 is available for $699.95 from Adorama.

Orlit RT-600C TTL Speedlite for Canon

Designed to compete with top-line shoe-mount flashes for Canon’s TTL system, the Orlit RT-600C is a powerful flash designed for professional Canon photographers who need portable wirless flash. It is fully compatible with the Canon RT radio and optical systems. It can act as a master or slave unite for remote power control, and blasts a guide-number of 160 (ft at ISO 100, 200mm). It can work in concert with the Orlit Rovelight 610 RT as a powerful mobile lighting combination.

Key Features

• GN 182 ft @ ISO 100 at 200mm
• High shutter speed 1/8000
• 1st/2nd Curtain sync
• Manual flash from 1/128-1/1 output
• 2.4GHz RT radio master/slave
• Custom functions
• LCD back light
• 15 Radio channels
• Tilt/swivel head
• Bounce card, w/a diffuser
• uilt-in color sensor for gel balance

The Orlit 600RT provides full ETTL-RT / Remote Manual / HSS, just like a Canon flash, with 5 Groups in 15 Channels, and a special GR Mode where each member of the group can be independently set to mix of Manual or TTL automation. The wireless modes are Canon RT radio and Canon ETTL IR for master or slave use. An Auto Exposure sensor located on the front of the flash, provides a non TTL option for “Ext.A” and “Ext.M” flash metering mode, preferred by many professionals.

The flash provides both ETTL and manual control as well as 2 optical slave modes and a stroboscopic mode. The metal shoe has a locking pin to prevent falls and breakage, and the control layout will be instantly familiar to Canon Speedlite users. The flash head rotates 180 degrees and tilts over 90 degrees for bounce flash. The head zooms automatically or manually from 20-200mm, and a built-in diffuser expands that range to 14mm. There’s a built-in holder for color gels and gel color temperature sensors that automatically adjust white-balance in camera.

The Orlit RT-600C TTL Speedlite for Canon is available for $169.95 from Adorama.

Orlit TR-611C and 611N TTL Transceiver

Orlit also announced its TR-611 transceiver in Nikon and Canon-compatible versions. The TTL transceivers are designed to add 980 feet of remote operation without a speedlight to provide full TTL to Nikon and Canon’s respective systems. The TR-611C is backward compatible with the Flashpoint Rovelight. The TR-611N is compatible with Nikon’s CLS wireless system.

The Orlit TR-611C TTL and Orlit TR-611N are available from Adorama for $69.95.

by Sean Setters

Photography gear, typically speaking, is expensive. As such, we as photographers often entertain the idea of purchasing inexpensive camera accessories in lieu of adding the brand name equivalent to our kits.

But should we? Is it safe/reliable to buy cheap camera accessories? In some cases, the answer is "yes." When considering the purchase of a cheap camera accessory, here are the questions I ask myself:

1. How substantial is the savings opportunity?
Of course the biggest allure in purchasing cheap accessories is the cost savings realized over purchasing the brand name item. But just how much are you saving? Can you replace the inexpensive alternative more than once while still saving money in the long run compared to the brand name product? If so, the cheaper alternative may prove to be a good investment.

2. How complex is the item?
You're more likely to have issues with inexpensive accessories that contain electronics (especially those that must communicate with your camera) or lens elements (which require tight manufacturing and assembly tolerances). Lens hoods, for instance, are relatively simple to create. In most cases, they're simply a molded piece of plastic. However, that doesn't stop name brand camera manufacturers from charging an arm and a leg for them. A cheap knock-off hood may not have internal flocking or a fancy filter access window, but they'll typically do the job. I say "typically" because there is a moderately wide range of qualities of design and production for the manufacturers filling this low-cost market space. And that brings me to my next question...

3. Is the item made by a relatively well known brand? In-house brands, like Vello (from B&H) and Flashpoint (Adorama) offer budget-priced accessories that a major retailer will stand behind. This means that if you are dissatisfied with your purchase, you can likely return the item without financial consequence. These brands are usually slightly more expensive than unheard of brands, but often provide the best value-per-dollar from a security/reliability perspective.

4. How important are the item's benefits to your kit?
If you are going to rely on your accessory day in and day out, or you have clients whom depend on you to deliver images without fail, then the reliability of a name brand accessory may outweigh the benefit in cost savings realized by going with a cheaper alternative. Of course, brand name accessories can fail too, but... the brand name manufacturer has a reputation and [very valuable] brand to protect, so they will typically produce the highest quality products.

A Prime Example

Recently the eyecup on my now 8 year-old Canon EOS 7D broke (seen above). The item isn't necessarily vital to the operation of my camera, but I wanted to replace it.

In this case, I had three plausible options:

1. Canon Eyecup Eg (direct replacement) for $16.95 + shipping
2. Vello EPC-EG Eyepiece (B&H's in-house brand) for $14.95 with free shipping
3. (2) Eggsnow Eyepiece Eyecups EG (completely unknown brand from Amazon) for $8.99 with free prime shipping

• The cost savings was substantial, especially since I received two items instead of one.
• The eyecup is a simple product to make and therefore quality differences should be minimal.
• If the eyecup fails, it won't have a big impact on my photography until I can find another replacement (in this case, an identical item shipped).

Upon receipt of the Amazon acquired eyecups, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they seem to be identical to the Canon eyecup aside from the model branding.

A few additional cheap accessory options I've had pleasant results with from B&H, Amazon or Adorama include:

• Lens Hoods
• Lens Caps (front and rear)
• Body Caps
• Extension Tubes
• Tripod Rings
• Arca-style Quick Release Plates and Clamps
• Intervalometers, Wireless & Wired Camera Triggers

The Bottom Line

Sometimes the bottom line on your financial statement is more important than any potential risks a third party (especially non-vital) accessory presents. Other times, the potential risks simply aren't worth chancing. Of course, the differentiation will largely depend on one's particular priorities and preferences.

What do you think? Are there other cheap accessory items that you consider relatively safe investments? Let us know in the comments.

From Phase One:

Capture One 10.0.1 released: new lenses support + bug fixes

New Lenses Support

• Schneider Kreuznach RS 110mm (Aerial)
• Schneider Kreuznach RS 150mm (Aerial)
• Rodenstock RS 32mm (Aerial)
• Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro Lens profile
• Sony 28–75mm F2.8 SAM Lens profile
• Sony 135mm F2.8 [T4.5] STF Lens profile
• Sony Ultra Wide Converter Lens profile
• Sony Fisheye Converter Lens profile
• Sony 300mm F2.8 G SSM II Lens profile
• Sony 70–300mm F4.5–5.6 G SSM II Lens profile
• Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS Lens profile

Bug fixes: Mac

• Lagging while quickly browsing through images by holding the arrow key down
• The Mac crash reporter does not nd a crash report when Capture One is force quit
• Crash if no collection selected and we select next collection
• The Mac crash reporter often fails to nd the correct crash report for Capture One
• Decreasing Target Highlight Value via keyboard shortcut does not work
• Wrong naming for custom ICC profiles that are not in library in catalogs
• Crash when entering “/” in the Format field in the Next Capture Naming tool
• Cannot apply preset/style with custom ICC if the ICC is not in the library
• The “Applied Styles and Presets” section is missing in the “Styles and Presets” tool
• Changing library in full screen mode causes CO to crash
• Crash when closing the Import Window while it is populating with images
• Crash when moving smart albums in a catalog
• Magenta color cast before style applying
• Loupe will not work on thumbnails
• Iris GPU on new MBP causing artifact in fit-view
• Crash when exporting variants with Open CL enabled on MBP2015
• Crash when selecting an image in the browser on Mac Pro with non-OEM Nvidia card
• CMYK readouts give wildly different values in Capture One 10

Bug fixes: Win

• Changing brush size with Tangent Knobs does not work
• Large TIFF crashes
• Crash when .NET installation is older than 4.6.2
• The readouts won’t show when the window is small
• Cannot Click Between Thumbnails when Loupe Is Selected
• Express and DB version can not check for software updates
• Deactivating DB version thinks it is Express For Sony
• Localization Issue: German. There is no Capture One 10 Engine, There are two Capture One 9 Engines.
• “Show Mask Always” doesn’t show adjustments when changing exposure
• Delete file from session does not refocus browser window on next selection • Brush tool does not display right physical size in brush settings
• Multiple Card readers not displayed in CO import window
• Lens EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is not recognized automatically

Download: Download Capture One 10.0.1

B&H carries Phase One Capture One 10.

From Canon:

TOKYO, January 19, 2017—Canon Inc. announced today that the Company has renewed its contract and become the first company to serve as an official sponsor for Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which will take place in twelve cities and prefectures across the country from September 20 to November 2, 2019.

Hosted every four years, Rugby World Cup is one of the world's most prestigious sporting events with the world's top 20 national teams competing across 48 matches to win the ultimate prize in the sport, the Webb Ellis Cup.

Japan 2019 will be the event's ninth edition and the first in Asia. The 2015 Tournament, which was hosted in England, was the best attended with 2.48 million fans, the most viewed with record broadcast, digital and social coverage in more than 207 nations.

As with other sporting competitions in the past, both in Japan and overseas, Canon will provide behind-the-scenes support to members of the press covering the Rugby World Cup 2019 Tournament, including camera and lens maintenance services and product loans, to enable the best possible capture of the top-class athletes competing at the zenith of their sport. The Canon Group will also provide print and copying solutions used by the Tournament Organizing Committee, supporting the event by facilitating the printout of handout materials and the streamlining of document workflows.

As a Rugby World Cup 2019 official sponsor, Canon offers the full support of its diverse businesses, ranging from input and output products—including cameras, lenses, video camcorders, network cameras, copiers, multifunction devices, printers and projectors—to medical equipment.

Canon Inc. Chairman & CEO Fujio Mitarai said, "Following on from Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, Canon is delighted to continue backing the tournament, which will take place in Asia for the first time, as an official sponsor of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan. In addition to supporting professional photographers and news media from Japan and overseas as they capture the intense action of the world's top teams facing off in peak condition; Canon, working together with World Rugby, the organizing committee, relevant authorities, local government and other corporate sponsors, will do the utmost to support Rugby World Cup 2019 throughout Japan."

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said, "We are delighted to be extending our relationship with Canon as a Rugby World Cup 2019 official sponsor. Canon is an important supporter of rugby in Japan, an innovator in its field and a perfect match for our premier event."

"This exciting relationship underscores the significant global appeal of the first Rugby World Cup in Asia and we look forward to working in partnership with Canon to extend the reach and impact of the sport in Japan, across Asia and around the globe."

The Canon Group will continue contributing to the advancement of sports through the use of Canon products and technologies.

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

We are checking out the Tascam DR-10L pocket-sized audio recorder with lavalier microphone. We also try it out with lavs from Sanken and Countryman.

Note from Sean: The Tascam DR-10L is very similar to the juicedLink Little Darling Distributed Audio Recorder, a product I was very happy to see hit the market. However, a lav microphone is included with the Tascam DR-10L for the same price as the Little Darling on its own. By the looks of it, the Tascam's interface seems simpler to use.

B&H carries the Tascam DR-10L Digital Audio Recorder.

I have a Canon EOS M5 in my hands and it is time to set up the camera for use. Following are the 31 steps I took to make an out-of-the-box Canon EOS M5 ready to use (please note that these steps may change slightly as I continue to dial in this camera for my uses).

1. Open the box, find the battery, place it in the charger and plug it in.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box.
3. Download and install the Canon Solution Disk software on your computer to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap.
5. Insert the battery (after charging completes) and power the camera on.
6. The date, time and time zone setup screen will show at the first startup. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information.
7. Insert a memory card (don't forget to format the card via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
8. Set the camera's mode to Av, Tv or M (some modes provide only a small subset of available menu options).
9. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the camera as follows:
10. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "-"
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Shooting information display: Screen info/toggle settings: Update #1 to select only Grid display and Electronic level (all options selected for #2), uncheck #3 and #4 (I may alter these settings later)
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Shooting information display: VF info/toggle settings: Uncheck #1, update #2 to select only Grid display and Electronic level, check all options for #3 (again, I may alter these settings later)
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Shooting information display: Histogram dispay: RGB
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Image review: 4 sec.
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Continuous AF: Off
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 4: MF Peaking Settings: Peaking: On
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 4: Lens aberration correction: disable all (I correct lens aberrations during post processing if warranted)
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 5: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 6: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness = 1 (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 6: Long exp. noise reduction: Auto
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 6: High speed NR: Off (or Low) (noise reduction is destructive to images details - I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
22. Tools Menu, Tab 3: Beep: Off
23. Tools Menu, Tab 3: Hints & Tips: Off
24. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Custom shooting mode (C1, C2): Auto update set: Enable (see also: Configuring Custom Shooting Modes)
25. Custom Functions Menu, Tab 1: C.Fn II: Others: Set M.Fn button to ISO (I may make more changes here after acclimating to this camera)
26. My Menu: Add the first tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Long exposure noise reduction, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for monitoring what time it is), Expo.comp./AEB (found back up near the top of the list)
27. To get to the Playback Menu, take a picture, playback the picture and while it is displayed, press the Menu button.
28. Playback Menu, Tab 4: Highlight Alert: Enable
29. Playback Menu, Tab 4: Auto Rotate: Off
30. Playback Menu, Tab 5: * resize: Enable
31. Playback Menu, Tab 5: Magnify (approx.): Actual size

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot - including shooting in RAW-only format. While this setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

Unless you are certain that you can remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state (unless you request otherwise). Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting when putting the camera back into service.

More Information: Canon EOS M5

From the Canon Professional Network:

Canon Europe has announced two significant specification options for its flagship EOS C700 digital cinema cameras, offering users the option of changing the camera’s original lens mount to either an EF mount with Cinema Lock or to a PL mount (with Cook/i support) and back again, and – for the first time – an option to have the standard sensor replaced with a Global Shutter sensor. Read on to find out more...

B&H carries the Canon EOS C700 Cinema Camera.

From Adobe:

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced its Board of Directors has approved a new stock repurchase program granting the company authority to repurchase up to $2.5 billion in common stock through the end of fiscal year 2019. Under the new stock repurchase program, which is designed to return value to Adobe’s stockholders and minimize dilution from stock issuances, the company may repurchase shares in the open market and also enter into structured repurchase agreements with third parties. The new stock repurchase program, approved by Adobe’s Board of Directors, is substantially similar to the company’s previous program authorizing the repurchase of up to $2.0 billion in common stock through fiscal year 2017, which authority will soon be exhausted.

“We’re coming off a year of record cash flow generation and our balance sheet continues to be strong. Adobe’s new share repurchase program underscores our commitment to returning value to our stockholders, as we execute on our long-term growth strategy,” said Mark Garrett, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Adobe.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those related to Adobe’s stock repurchases and business momentum, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties described in Adobe’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year 2015 ended Nov. 27, 2015, and Adobe's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q issued in fiscal year 2016. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, individuals should refer to Adobe’s SEC filings.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

From the Canon DIgital Learning Center:

Welcome back to our “Introduction to Shooting Stars.” In Part I we covered the essentials of getting you ready to shoot. In the second part we are going to cover what to do when you are on location and ready to shoot.

Since we are talking about shooting at night, pulling focus is a little harder than during the day, so this will take a little more time and explanation to cover.

B&H has the Rokinon XP 85mm f/1.2 Lens for Canon EF available for preorder with free expedited shipping.

Product Highlights

• Canon EF Mount/Full-Frame Format
• Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
• One Aspherical Element
• Two High Refractive Index Elements
• Ultra Multi-Coating
• Manual Focus Design
• Aluminum Lens Housing
• Nine-Blade Diaphragm

B&H has the Rokinon Xeen 16mm T2.6 Lens available for preorder with free expedited shipping

Available Mounts

• Canon EF
• Nikon F
• Sony E
• PL
• MFT