Canon & Nikon News and What's New (Excluding Deals) (Page 20) Report News & Deals

When the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM Lens was announced, we understood that the lens hood and pouch were not included. As usual for a non-L lens.
 
On November 21, we published a news announcement noting the apparent inclusion of a lens hood and case with the purchase of this lens. The accessories were (and still are) listed in the "What's in the Box" section of the product page at both B&H and Adorama. A B&H rep informed us that this information was sourced directly from Canon.
 
Yesterday, via PetaPixel, Chuck Westfall, Technical Advisor for Canon USA advised otherwise:

"EF35mm f/2 IS USM lenses imported by Canon USA will not be supplied with lens hood or pouch, as confirmed by our sales group. If the dealers in question are offering the lens with these accessories in the box, it would most likely be a gray market item."

Robert P. Luckett, a Canon Public Relations Specialist, has confirmed this news for us:

"We have double checked and confirmed that Canon U.S.A. is not providing a soft carrying case, or lens hood with the 35mm F/2 IS lens."

While everyone is still not on the same page, we are going to go with Chuck and Rob on this one. Oh well...at least we are still getting center-pinch lens caps!

The Nikon 1 V2 Mirrorless Camera Instruction Manual is now available for download.

From Datacolor:
 
Datacolor Helps to Make the Season Bright with 25 Days of December Giveaways
 
Celebrate the Joy of Giving with Datacolor’s Holiday Stocking Stuffer Webinar and Daily Prizes Awarded at Datacolor.com
 
Lawrenceville, NJ – Nov. 27, 2012 –– Datacolor® (www.datacolor.com), a global leader in color management solutions, today announced 25 days of giveaways during the month of December. Beginning December 1, Datacolor will be awarding daily prizes through its website at http://spyder.datacolor.com/holidaygiveaway. The holiday celebration will be preceded by a free webinar, “Holiday Stocking Stuffer List by Datacolor,” on November 28 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST. This presentation in the series of free webinars will focus on ideal gifts for photography lovers chosen by Datacolor experts.
 
The 25 Days of December Giveaways will include prizes from the Datacolor Spyder line such as Spyder4PRO and SpyderCAPTURE PRO, as well as products from partnering brands like Wacom, DxO, SLR Lounge, Joby, Lowepro, B&H, Zenfolio and many more. Enter to win each day by visiting http://spyder.datacolor.com/holidaygiveaway.
 
“With 25 days of giveaways, Datacolor is celebrating the joy of giving photographers the tools they need to help make their photos merry and bright – with correct color calibration,” said David Tobie, global product technology manager for Datacolor.
 
Prior to the start of its December celebration, Datacolor will present a webinar November 28th, focusing on gift ideas for the special photographer in your life. Datacolor experts David Saffir and C. David Tobie will provide suggestions on Spyder products, lenses, tripods, lens filters, camera bags, memory cards and more. Throughout the presentation, there will be an interactive Q&A to address participant questions. One lucky webinar guest will win a free Spyder4PRO. To register, visit http://spyder.datacolor.com/en/webinars/.
 
B&H carries Datacolor products.

From Nikon:
 
Modifications enabled with this upgrade of firmware, release date November, 27, 2012 (A:1.03 / B:1.02)

• Focus accuracy when a lens and teleconverter with a combined maximum aperture of f/8 is used has been increased

Download the firmware udpate: Windows | Macintosh
 
Firmware update instructions: Windows | Macintosh

Just posted: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens Review.

The 1 Nikkor 18.5mm f/1.8 Lens is now in stock at B&H, Adorama, and Amazon.

About CPN Tips and Tricks:
 
Canon photographers, filmmakers and technical experts bring you invaluable weekly tips to ensure you maximise your use of Canon cameras, camcorders, and their range of accompanying accessories.
 
The Canon Professional Network has a wide range of tips and tricks available for Canon imaging products. It just added two new items:

• Clearing Custom Functions on Speedlite 600EX-RT
• Linked Shooting with Speedlite 600EX-RT

You can easily search the archive by category or product allowing you to find the information that is most relevant to you.

For a short break from holiday shopping, check out the new Rebel T4i commercial from Canon:
 

Here in the USA, the fourth Thursday in November is set aside as the "Thanksgiving" holiday. It is a day for us to celebrate and give thanks.
 
While most of us will spend the day visiting with family and friends (and over-eating), I encourage you to reflect on how incredibly blessed we are - and to reflect on the sacrifices made by our forefathers to give us the country we have today.
 
I also extend great thanks to you - for sharing our passion and for your support.
 
Serving you is definitely a blessing to us. And without you, this site would not exist - It's really as fundamental as that. The site's support comes soley through your purchases made using the links on this site and through your referrals of others to the site who do the same.
 
As you do your Christmas and other bargain shopping, we would be grateful if you kept this site in mind. Most or all of the retailers below here have a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal page(s) that will list all of their deals. Experience no lines, no traffic and no parking hassles.
 
(Using the following links to make your purchase supports this site)
 

  

      

       

    


 



 
   

B&H has the new Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM (EF-Mount) Lens in stock.

From Adorama:
 
It's all about you!
 
We have served the photographic, video, digital imaging and telescope fields for over thirty-five years. Yet the years add up to more than numbers; they create a family of loyal customers and friends that we care about. That's why we have launched our new VIP program focused on you, our loyal customers.
 
VIP Benefits Include

• Extended warranties on your purchases*
• Invitation to purchase products that are only available to VIPs
• Special VIP pricing on must-have products online
• Unique bundles of products curated for VIP members
• Exclusive email offers, saving you time while finding your favorite products!
• Free eBooks with photographic tips & tricks
• Member-only contests
• Savings throughout Adorama's online store

ADORAMA VIP PERKS
 
As an Adorama VIP member, your loyalty will be rewarded. This program was created to give you access to products and services that honor your smart decision making and cunning shopping skills by continuing to shop with the #1 Photo, Imaging & Electronics Retailer in the world ... Adorama
 
Enjoy elite membership — you've earned it!
 
* Warranty benefit requires purchase of Adorama VIP Member Extended Protection Plan which is an annual fee of only $7.95
 
There is More
 
Adorama will give you a lifetime 20GB of cloud storage (note that this feature is not showing on Adorama's site yet).
 
What You Should Do Right Now
 
Protect your gear for another year. Go to Adorama and click on the VIP link at the top-center of the page.
 
On the VIP page, log into your Adorama account or join if you do not yet have an Adorama account. You are now a VIP member. That was easy.
 
You will then be taken to a VIP special page. On this page, you want to purchase the Adorama VIP Extended Protection Plan for $7.95 (annually).
 
Then You Are Covered
 
The VIP Extended Protection Plan is a great deal. For far less than a typical extended warranty plan for even one low-priced item, this plan will cover all of your purchases made at Adorama while your annually-renewable plan is in effect.
 
As Adorama has informed me: Purchase 100 TVs - you're covered. Purchase a Refurbished Canon Lens - you get a 1yr warranty added to the base refurbished warranty. Automatically.
 
What You Should Do Later
 
When you want to purchase something at Adorama, always start your shopping by clicking on an Adorama link on this site (keeps us going). Then log into your account to be recognized as a VIP customer. You will, in some cases, see better pricing - and less "add to cart for better price". And you will of course automatically receive extended warranty coverage if you purchased the very inexpensive plan.

From Think Tank Photo:
 
Most professional and serious photographers will admit that they have “too much stuff.” To aid them in organizing their cables, accessories, and odds-and-ends, Think Tank has released the Cable Management 10 V2.0, Cable Management 20 V2.0, and the Cable Management 30 V2.0.
 
The new Cable Management pouches feature a clear window, a wide opening, and a large capacity. The Cable Management 10 is designed for power adapters and cables; the Cable Management 20 fits external hard drives and cables; and the Cable Management 30 holds two pro-size flashes.
 
Additional features include:

• Elastic cable ties included
• Grab handle (Cable Management 20 and 30 only)
• YKK zippers
• Lightweight and durable materials
• Business card holder

Their all fabric exterior is treated with a Durable Water Resistant (DWR) coating while the fabric underside is coated with PU for superior water resistance. They are made with 210D silver-toned nylon, 210D black nylon, clear Polyurethane (PU), nylon webbing, nylon cord, and 3-ply bonded nylon thread.
 
Specifications:
 
Cable Management 10 V2.0

• ED: 7.3” W x 4” H x 1.8” D (18.5 x 10.2 x 4.6 cm)
• Weight: 0.1 lbs (0.1 kg)

Cable Management 20 V2.0

• ED: 7.3” W x 6.9” W x 1.4” D (18.5 x 17.5 x 3.6 cm)
• Weight: 0.2 lbs (0.1 kg))

Cable Management 30 V2.0

• ED: 7.8” W x 7.8” H x 2.7” D (19.8 x 19.8 x 6.9 cm)
• Weight: 0.2 lbs (0.1 kg)

From Canon Global:
 
TOKYO, November 21, 2012 — Canon Inc. announced today that the company will sponsor four of the International Skating Union's most prestigious figure skating competitions, spanning the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons.
 
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2012 logo
 
Canon will sponsor a total of four International Figure Skating Championships: the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. As part of this sponsorship, Canon will provide products, technologies and services to contribute to the success of each event.
 
At numerous sporting competitions both in Japan and overseas, Canon has provided behind-the-scenes support to members of the press covering these events, including camera and lens maintenance services and product loans. To further improve on-site media support at all eight Canon-sponsored competitions spanning the two seasons, the company is planning to establish a camera service center at each event to assist the numerous journalists and sports photographers from various countries and regions across the world.
 
Through the use of Canon products and technologies, the company will continue contributing to the advancement of sports.
 
Event Schedule:
 
2012 - 2013 Schedule

Events	Dates	Location
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2012	Dec. 6-9, 2012	Sochi, Russia
ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2013	Feb. 6-11, 2013	Osaka, Japan
ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2013	Feb. 25-Mar. 3, 2013	Milan, Italy
ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2013	Mar. 10-17, 2013	London, Canada

2013 - 2014 Schedule

Events	Dates	Location
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2013	Dec. 5-8, 2013	Fukuoka, Japan
ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2014	Jan. 20-26, 2014	Taipei, Taiwan
ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2014	Mar. 10-16, 2014	Sofia, Bulgaria
ISU World Figure Skating Championships 20142013	Mar. 24-30, 2014	Saitama, Japan

Historically speaking, Canon has provided a lens hood and case (or carrying pouch) with the purchase of L-series lenses. However, Canon has generally not included the accessories with non L-series lenses.
 
However, according to B&H's "What's In the Box," a lens hood and case will be included with the new Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM Lens. The included accessories are also confirmed on Adorama's site.
 
With the announcement of center-pinch lens caps from Canon, that may be two items we can cross off Bryan's "What I Want From Canon for Christmas” list from 2010!
 
Preorder the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM Lens at B&H, Adorama, and Amazon.

Eye-Fi just released a firmware update for their popular X2 Wi-Fi enabled memory cards that fixes the previously reported incompatability with Nikon D800 DSLR cameras.
 
Firmware v5.0018 notes:

• Direct Mode bug fix implemented for the Nikon D800

Check the firmware update procedure for updating your Eye-Fi card.

Canon has released firmware version 1.1 for their new PIXMA PRO-10 and PIXMA PRO-100 printers.
 
Changelog:
 
[Ver.1.1]
[Manuals]
- The following supported languages have been added:
French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Simplified Chinese
 
[Ver.1.0]
- The problem in which the ink level is not indicated properly in some instances has been rectified.
 
Download the PIXMA PRO-10 firmware update here.
Download the PIXMA PRO-100 firmware update here.
 
B&H carries Canon PIXMA PRO printers.

The Canon Camera Museum has just published a very informative technical report on the Canon PowerShot G15 Digital Camera.
 
B&H carries the Canon Powershot G15.

When considering the purchase of a new lens, it is often helpful to look at your previous images and find out which cameras, focal lengths, apertures and ISO settings have been utilized most often when capturing your images.
 
PixStics is an online EXIF analyzer that utilizes HTML5 (available in Mozilla Firefox / Google Chrome browsers) to gather information about your images and display the results in a statistical based graph. It can be a valuable tool in spotting trends in your own shooting style and providing valuable information when determining how useful a new lens will be.
 
From the PixStics website:

PixStics is designed to answer most of the commons questions you may have about what camera settings and equipment you use the most and how that relates to buying new gear or improving your technique. It does this by providing a statistical based graph comparing any combination of one or two properties from the list provided.
 
PixStics pulls its data from the EXIF data stored in your JPEG image files. Simply drag and drop your pictures onto the drop zone above. Results are cumulative so if you drag one set of pictures and then add some others then it will show you the statistics based off of all the selected images. If you want to start over you can refresh the page or click the "Empty EXIF Data" button. At no time is any data uploaded to the server (unless you decide to download a pdf,png,svg or jpeg representation of the chart). Everything runs on your computer using Javascript. In fact, you can even bookmark this page and access it even when you don't have an Internet connection (great for those long flights where you have nothing better to do than think about what gear you want to buy next).
 
PixStics makes use of HTML5 methods that are not available in all browsers. Both Chrome and Firefox support these methods and IE 10 will work once it's released as well. If the JPEG you select doesn't contain any EXIF data it will be skipped. If none of the files contain valid data then you won't get any valid results.

Just posted: Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D Review

From Nikon Europe:
 
We plan to test Windows versions of the following software applications for compatibility with Windows 8. We will announce our plans regarding full compatibility once testing is complete.

• - ViewNX 2
• - Capture NX 2
• - Camera Control Pro 2
• - Short Movie Creator
• - Nikon Message Center 2
• - Wireless Transmitter Utility
• - Thumbnail Selector
• - NEF codec
• - NRW codec
• - PC-PJ Transfer
• - nik Color Efex Pro 3.0
• - IPTC Preset Manager
• - GP-N100 Utility

We do not intend to provide compatibility with the following applications.

• Capture NX Ver. 1.x
• Camera Control Pro Ver. 1.x
• Nikon Capture series
• ViewNX Ver. 1.x
• Nikon Transfer Ver. 1.x
• PictureProject
• Nikon View series
• Nikon Scan series
• PictureProject COOLPIX Remote Control
• WT-3 Setup Utility
• Wireless Camera Setup Utility
• Wireless Connecting Utility
• nik Color Efex Pro 2.0
• my Picturetown Utility
• USB driver for GP-1
• Image Authentication Software

We also do not plan to provide compatibility for other software, or for products utilizing a SCSI or serial connection.

Canon UK has posted sample images from the EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS USM and EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lenses.
 
Preorder opportunities:
Canon EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS USM Lens: B&H | Adorama
Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM Lens: B&H | Adorama

Canon has released a notice announcement regarding projected dividends for the year ending December 31, 2012.

From Canon USA:
 
Company Receives Numerous Awards in 2012 Including a Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award
 
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., November 15, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to mark 2012 as another award-winning year. Customers and publications are praising Canon across various product segments for quality, innovation and customer support. The business world has taken note of Canon's dedication to environmental issues and industry-leading practices. This year, Canon was selected as one of Interbrand's 50 Best Global Green Brands 2012 (ranking number 29) while also placing among the top five companies in the computer industry on Fortune magazine's 2012 World's Most Admired Companies list.
 
Additional key awards and industry recognitions received by Canon include the PCMag.com Readers' Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the ninth consecutive year, and for camcorders for the past two years; placement in the Leaders Quadrant of the 2012 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services Worldwide1 report; and for the fourth consecutive year, BenchmarkPortal's2 Center of Excellence certification, demonstrating Canon's dedication to providing comprehensive service and support to customers.
 
"We are extremely pleased to have received so many awards and industry recognitions from various industry organizations spanning product review, customer service and corporate initiatives," said Bunji Yano, senior director and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A. "These awards and recognitions exemplify our commitment to not only providing high-quality products and services, but also our dedication to our customers and the environment as well."
 
Maintaining status as an industry leader and continuing to earn accolades from the top industry publications continued throughout 2012 across all Canon product lines. As in years past, 2012 was no different for Canon cameras and lenses as honors were earned by entry-level point-and-shoot cameras up to professional DSLR and video cameras.
 
New for this year, Canon is extremely proud to announce that the Company will receive a 2012 Technology & Engineering Emmy® award in the category "Improvements to Large Format CMOS Imagers for Use in High Definition Broadcast Video Cameras." The CMOS image sensor debuted in the Cinema EOS system line in November 2011 and has helped bring digital cinema closer to the superb aesthetics associated with 35 mm motion picture film. The Cinema EOS line took home numerous honors including the Digital Video Black Diamond award from Digital Video Magazine and the EOS C500 4K Digital Cinema Camera won the Pick Hit award from Broadcast Engineering.
 
Canon's input-to-output capabilities were highlighted with awards granted to several cameras. The PowerShot G1 X digital camera won Outside magazine's Gear of the Year award and PCMag.com named the EOS Rebel T3 and T3i to their best digital cameras list. Reviewed.com, a division of USA TODAY, named the EOS-1D X DSLR camera Best Ultra High-End and Best Overall Camera and presented the Best Value System for Video award to the EOS Rebel T4i DSLR camera. Additionally, numerous Canon printers were the recipients of awards throughout 2012 including the PIXMA PRO-1 that won the Gold Award from DP Review and the PIXMA MG6220 that CNET named to their best all-in-one printers list.
 
Canon's line of scanners, Multifunction Printers (MFP) and Large Format Printers received awards for various products. The imageFORMULA P-215 Personal Document Scanner was the PCMag.com 2012 Editors' Choice and received the title of "best scanner" along with the CanonScan LiDE110 Color Image Scanner. The 2012 Top Products Awards from My Print Resource named 17 imagePROGRAF printers to their list including the imagePROGRAF iPF760, iPF6300S, and the iPF825 MFP, and BERTL named the Canon FAXPHONE L100 to its Best Spring Awards list. Continuing to offer consumers efficient products, the Canon imageCLASS MF5950dw (as tested with its wired interface), MF5960dn, MF8380Cdw (as tested with its wired interface) and imageRUNNER 1750 MFP were all awarded the Summer 2012 Buyers Laboratory "Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency" award.

From Datacolor:
 
Join us for a webinar on Video and Color for Photographers
 
Recent DSLR cameras shoot excellent video, but there are a lot of issues to consider before jumping into the DSLR video world. This webinar outlines those considerations, to give still photographers a better idea of what is involved to enter this exciting new field. Join us, Tuesday, November 20th from 3PM-4PM EDT, as Datacolor Experts David Saffir and C. David Tobie provide an exploration of the hardware, software and knowledge involved in the move into motion, as well as some consideration of the value this can add to your work.
 
An interactive Q&A will take place throughout the webinar to answer any questions you may have.
 
One lucky webinar guest will win a free Spyder4PRO!
 
Title: Video and Color for Photographers
Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT
 
Register for the webinar here.
 
B&H carries Datacolor products.