Canon and Sony News for Oct 2014 (Page 5)
From the Nikon Asia YouTube Channel:
Take a look into the innovative technology that goes into NIKKOR lenses and see why professionals around the world settle for nothing less than NIKKOR lenses.
B&H carries Nikon lenses.
In the same way it has teased us about upcoming DSLR announcements, Canon Netherlands has posted a video that hints at an upcoming PowerShot zoom announcement ("grote" means "large" in Dutch). You can find the page that contains the video here (scroll down near the bottom of the page).
In my opinion, this type of marketing was certainly appropriate for big-time DSLR announcements – but teasing a PowerShot zoom seems to be a little over-the-top for me.
From Think Tank Photo:
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA – With the Airport Accelerator Phantom 2 Quadcopter Divider Kit, photographers can easily convert a Think Tank Photo Airport Accelerator backpack (sold separately) into a customized quadcopter transportation backpack. On point with the new era of photographic possibilities and needs, the adjustable dividers offer multi-compartment convenience to hold every key component and accessories of a quadcopter plus supplies for the day’s outing. With its durable and changeable storage dividers, all of their gear and personal items are safe, organized, and at the ready.
The base Airport Accelerator backpack integrates quick access pockets for both laptops and iPad, a top pocket for boarding passes, and three robust handles to ensure easy placement and retrieval from overhead bins. It meets international carry on size requirements. Its light, adjustable, contoured harness provides comfort along with lumbar support. The air mesh paneling keeps backs cool. The height-adjustable sternum strap allows for the perfect fit. A removable waist belt, side water bottle pocket, tripod/ monopod mounting system and seam sealed rain cover extend its versatility.
The Airport Accelerator Phantom 2 Quadcopter Divider Kit enables not only new backpack divider configurations, but opens the door to a whole new breed of packing strategies.
KEY FEATURES
- Custom divider set to fit the DJI Phantom 2, including accessories
- Adjustable dividers allow you to customize the fit of accessories and gear
- Accommodates 7” HDMI LCD Monitor on Devlcam Camera-Top
- Rotor mount thread protectors
- Polyurethane underside coating
- Fits WiFi range extender, charger, spare rotors, extra batteries
- Superior water resistance with water repellant coating
- High density closed cell foam dividers for added protection
MATERIALS
210D silver-toned nylon, polyurethane backed velex, closed cell foam and polyethylene reinforcement, 3–ply bonded nylon thread.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Exterior Dimensions: 6.7” W x 13.4” H x 2.8” D (17 x 34 x 7 cm)
Weight: 0.7 (0.34 kg)
Don't forget: Use the links from this site to get a free gift with your purchase of $50.00 or more at Think Tank Photo!
B&H carries the DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter.
Larry Becker of B&H got his hands on a 7D Mark II for two whole weeks. While most of the information in this video has been covered before, Larry does a good job of enumerating the high points in a reasonable amount of time (a little over 11 minutes).
B&H has the Canon EOS 7D Mark II available for preorder.
Devin Graham has posted a beautiful look at several popular destinations in Italy. While the handheld shots were filmed with a RED Epic Dragon, the timelapse portions of the video (by Parker Walbeck) were captured with the following gear:
From the Adobe Photoshop Channel:
The Photoshop CC 2014.2 update has arrived. Check out features like New Doc Presets, New Guide Layouts, Layouts based on a shape, Smarter smart guides, Overscrolling preference, Creative Cloud libraries, and Extract.
Adobe's Photoshop Photography Program is only $9.99 per month (Photoshop CC + Lightroom).
To users of the Nikon Semi-Soft Case CF-DC7 – this Service advisory to be applied in the United States only.
Thank you for choosing Nikon for your imaging needs.
In Semi-Soft Case CF-DC7, we have found possible cracking or stickiness of the flap of the case may occur after several years.
Identifying affected products:
If you own a CF-DC7 semi-soft case, please check the tag inside this case shown in the photo below. If there is a white dot on the back of this tag (also shown below), your case is not affected and you are able to use it with confidence.
Nikon will extend a free replacement CF-DC7 case to those customers who have purchased units that are affected.
To have your affected CF-DC7 case replaced free of charge, please follow the below steps:
- For more information regarding this matter, contact Nikon Customer Relations by phone at 1-800-Nikon US (1-800-645-6687), 9AM–8PM EST, Monday to Friday (closed certain holidays) or online here.
- Work with a Nikon customer service representative to confirm you have an affected CF-DC7, and you will be sent a pre-paid UPS return shipping label to send your case to Nikon for replacement
- Nikon will replace the affected CF-DC7 cases free of charge and return it to the customer. The entire process, including shipping time, should take between 7-10 business days
From Photoshelter:
Light plays a huge role in creating the mood in environmental portraiture, and with your subject in the right light, you can nail the shot. In this webinar, co-sponsored by Manfrotto, award-winning NYC based photographer Tony Gale will deliver lighting techniques and tips you can take with you to your next shoot.
From this webinar you'll walk away with advice about how to enhance the mood in your images by using strobes, softboxes, and Tony's favorite: the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra. He'll touch on metering, why using a color checker is an important tool for a better shot, and how to scout for the best locations for telling your subject's story.
This hour will cover:
- Choosing the right location for your shoot
- Using a meter for a more enhanced shot
- Indoor and outdoor lighting tips and set ups
- Using a color checker for a more accurate image
Photographer/developer Adriano let us know that his Cook Picture Styles are now available free for download.
From the developer:
"Cook Picture Styles were the result of more than one year of developing to get the best possible dynamic range from a Canon DSLR and to create the best real-world colors without introducing a flat look. The picture styles reduce the need of post production grading, without hurting the textures in the image or introducing gradient banding. Cook Picture Styes are now free for use and distribution."Basically, there are 14 picture styles intended to be used in-camera (denoted by the "_cam" suffix) and 14 picture styles which can be applied in Digital Photo Professional (denoted by the "_dpp" suffix).
I tried out the profiles and they do seem to help the overall balance of contrast in certain situations. They could prove useful – so go ahead and pick them up while you can. [Sean]
From Canon USA:
From Hollywood Films to Publishing and Medical Technologies, New Inspirational Brand Ethos Spotlights the Breadth of the Company’s Capabilities and Contributions to Developing Imaging Technologies that Showcase the Impossible for Customers
MELVILLE, N.Y., October 7, 2014 — Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce “Canon See Impossible”—a branding effort aimed to inspire customers to see impossible with Canon products. As part of the companywide marketing initiative, the iconic brand will roll out a new logo visual to include the addition of the “Canon See Impossible” tagline, accompanied by a 3-D visual of an expanding box, symbolizing the Company’s desire to break the boundaries of what is possible and shift the focus from Canon as being solely a manufacturer of quality digital imaging products to a Company that empowers the creative spirit within its people and customers.
Central to the new marketing initiative, the light within the borderless box represents the dedication the Company has to building new collaboration paths with both consumers and commercial clients to constantly innovate and to challenge convention. As the next chapter in the Company’s long history unfolds, Canon is working to listen, adapt, and build a prescient understanding of the changing market forces it faces today and the opportunities they present.
Creative is featured on seeimpossible.usa.canon.com, a digital hub housing consumer, professional, and commercial stories of inspiration, imagination, and innovative end-user applications of Canon imaging technology.
“As a technology-based brand, Canon is constantly challenged to empower its customers in today’s high-tech and fast-paced world in which new apps and innovations are launching every single day,” said Joe Adachi, Chairman and CEO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “With imagination and customer focus at the core of the Canon business model, ‘Canon See Impossible’ will highlight the combined technological innovation and human ingenuity that makes the impossible possible. Our new rallying cry will extract creative thinking from a place of isolation, encourage exploration of the unknown, and showcase our creativity as it impacts the real world with limitless possibilities.”
The Company’s heritage in imaging technology advancement and migration into new, applicable business domains has been going on since the 1930’s. The foundation of success was initially built with film cameras, which led to the evolution of high-quality digital cameras for families and professionals, and eventually led to groundbreaking imaging platforms for Hollywood productions that use Canon Cinema EOS Camera technology. Remarkable technologies that have empowered end-users to see the infinite possibilities of the image and to make the impossible come alive go beyond photography applications. Advances in optics development, imaging sensors and powerful image processing technology have been harnessed to deliver a wide range of cutting-edge solutions today. One of the latest developments has been with eye-care technology, allowing ophthalmologists to see deep into the eye, helping to enable early detection, treatment and prevention of eye disease.
Canon has introduced groundbreaking developments in digital imaging reproduction hardware and software solutions. Canon has created new business models, in conjunction with key partners, such as on-demand book printing, empowering aspiring authors to publish and bring their literary visions forward. Central to the “Canon See Impossible” campaign is cultivating storylines that illustrate how Canon technology, combined with end-user ingenuity, breaks new ground daily and how, together, the sharing of ideas and opportunities will help provide a picture of future imaging technology and service development direction.
Elements of “Canon See Impossible” will be launched in print, digital media, and live events and will run on various video media platforms during the fourth quarter of 2014, extending into 2015 and beyond as part of a multiyear effort by Canon.
Note: The See Impossible website just got a little more interesting.
Canon USA has posted a couple of videos pertaining to its "See Impossible" campaign. From a photography standpoint, the videos don't seem terribly exciting...
Canon See Impossible: Beyond Photography, Director
Canon See Impossible: Beyond Photography, Author
Whatever it is, we won't have to wait long – the countdown timer will run out in about two hours.
Note: AdWeek has an illuminating article on Canon's new ad campaign.
From Adobe:
Latest Creative Cloud Release Drives Deep Connections Between New Family of Mobile Apps and Enhanced CC Desktop Tools Via All-New Creative Profile
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Oct. 6, 2014 — At Adobe MAX 2014, the world’s leading creativity conference, Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced it is shipping a milestone release of Creative Cloud that transforms how creatives work across desktops and devices. This major release includes significant feature updates to 13 essential CC desktop tools that link to a new family of integrated mobile apps. In addition, the latest versions of Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC include breakthroughs in Touch support for Microsoft Windows 8 and Surface Pro 3. Central to this release is an all-new Creative Profile that drives deep connections between CC desktop tools and nine new mobile apps that extend the power of the Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and Premiere franchises onto mobile devices.
Adobe also launched a public beta of a Creative SDK that enables the delivery of mobile apps that connect to Creative Cloud, kick-starting a new era of third party app innovation for creative developers. The company also introduced Creative Talent Search, connecting creatives around the world with job opportunities from top brands and companies. These innovations and more will be demonstrated in today’s keynote session at Adobe MAX, beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT. To view the event via a live stream, visit: www.adobe.com/go/maxkeynote.
"The pace of innovation continues to accelerate with Creative Cloud and today we are introducing a new family of mobile apps that are deeply integrated with flagship CC desktop tools like Photoshop and Illustrator, and taking mobile devices into the creative mainstream,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media, Adobe. “Also, new capabilities such as Creative Talent Search show that Creative Cloud is evolving into an increasingly powerful resource for our millions of members.”
All-New Creative Profile is Member’s Creative Identity Within Creative Cloud
This Creative Cloud release includes a new Creative Profile that connects creatives to their work, to the assets they use to create, and the communities that matter to them – no matter where they are. Files, photos, colors, brushes, shapes, fonts, textstyles, graphics and any other assets are always at their fingertips. This new Creative Profile moves with creatives from app-to-app and device-to-device, so assets automatically appear when they need them, in the right context.
Mobile Apps Deliver New Creative Cloud Connections
This release includes radical new connections between essential CC desktop tools and a new family of mobile apps that extend the power of Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and Lightroom onto mobile devices. The line-up includes:This release includes radical new connections between essential CC desktop tools and a new family of mobile apps that extend the power of Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and Lightroom onto mobile devices. The line-up includes:
- In the Photoshop family, Photoshop Sketch lets creatives draw with new built-in expressive brushes and enables an integrated workflow with Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC. Updates to Photoshop Mix extend precise mobile compositing capabilities and now includes enhanced integration with Photoshop CC, as well as a new iPhone version. A new Lightroom Mobile app builds on integrated desktop and mobile workflows and includes features to allow clients, friends or family to select favorites and leave comments for photos shared online; and GPS information from iPhone photos now syncs with Lightroom desktop.
- In the Illustrator family, Illustrator Draw (formerly Adobe Ideas) gives users access to their favorite vector drawing tools and features in a modern, streamlined interface, high-fidelity integration with Illustrator CC and enhanced support for Adobe Ink and Slide. Illustrator Line, a precision drawing app, gives creatives new features for perfectly distributing shapes as they draw, plus the ability to send sketches to Illustrator CC where they have full access to their original vector paths for editing.
- In the Premiere family, the brand new Adobe Premiere Clip app easily transforms the video shot on iPhone or iPad into edited videos that are simple to share. Aspiring videographers can then send their compositions to Adobe Premiere Pro CC for advanced editing and finishing.
Adobe also introduced a new category of “capture” apps to create designs and bring them into creative workflows:
- Adobe Brush CC lets designers craft unique brushes, on iPad or iPhone, to use in Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC or Adobe Illustrator Sketch. Any photograph can be made into a brush, so creatives can quickly and playfully design beautiful, high-quality brushes that can range from photorealistic, to organic, painterly or graphic.
- Adobe Shape CC is a simple, unique and fun way to capture and create shapes on iPhone or iPad, wherever inspiration strikes. A high-contrast photo of anything - a chair, a pet, or a hand-drawn font - is converted into vector art that can be used immediately in Illustrator CC and Adobe Illustrator Line via Creative Cloud Libraries.
- Adobe Color CC (formerly Adobe Kuler) allows creatives to capture colors and save them as themes that are immediately available in other Adobe applications, including Illustrator CC and Photoshop CC.
These mobile apps work with all Creative Cloud plans, giving everyone – from freelancers to creatives in large organizations – access to all the benefits of a deeply integrated mobile and desktop workflow, connected via their Creative Profile. Adobe also launched the public beta of a Creative SDK that powers the delivery of new third party mobile apps that connect to Creative Cloud. Adobe Creative SDK is available at: www.creativesdk.adobe.com.
New Features for Essential CC Desktop Tools
This Creative Cloud release includes powerful new features for Adobe’s flagship creative desktop tools. Highlights include: Touch support on Windows 8 devices for key design applications; new 3D print features and enhanced Mercury Graphics Engine performance for Photoshop CC; a new Curvature tool in Illustrator CC; interactive EPUB support in InDesign CC; SVG and Synchronized Text support in Muse CC; GPU-optimized playback for viewing high resolution 4K and UltraHD footage in Premiere Pro CC; and HiDPI and new 3D support in After Effects CC. Through a member’s Creative Profile Adobe is driving frictionless creative workflows, with CC desktop tools able to access powerful new mobile apps and services. Building on the success of Creative Cloud capabilities such as file sharing, Behance and TypeKit, new services available today, include:
- Creative Cloud Market is a collection of high-quality, curated content that’s freely accessible to Creative Cloud members. Access and use thousands of professionally crafted files, including user interfaces, patterns, icons, brushes and vector shapes, to speed through desktop and mobile projects.
- Creative Cloud Libraries is a powerful asset management service that lets creatives easily access and create with colors, brushes, text styles and vector images through Creative Cloud desktop, mobile apps and services. Creative Cloud Libraries connects desktop tools like Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC to each other – and to companion mobile apps.
- Creative Cloud Extract is a cloud-based service that reinvents the Photoshop CC comp-to-code workflow for Web designers and developers, letting them share and unlock vital design information from a PSD file (such as colors, fonts and CSS) to use when coding mobile and desktop designs.
All-New Talent Search Connects Creatives with Job Opportunities
Adobe also launched Creative Talent Search today. Talent Search connects creatives across the globe with job opportunities from top brands and companies. Hiring managers using Talent Search are able to use advanced discovery tools to find the right talent for their job – for example, finding experts in Photoshop, who live in a specific city, and have worked in automotive design is easier than ever. Custom algorithms recommend candidates for roles and get smarter the more a recruiter uses the system. Also, public postings will advertise job opportunities to the millions of creatives on Behance. More information is available at: https://www.behance.net/talentsearch.
Pricing and Availability
Today’s updates to Creative Cloud are expected to be available to Creative Cloud members by the end of the day as part of their membership at no additional cost. The new and updated mobile apps are free to everyone. More information will be available later today at: http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/catalog/mobile.html.
The value of Adobe's Photoshop Photography Program grows with each new feature that is added. And it's still only $9.99 per month (Photoshop CC + Lightroom).
From Profoto:
October 6, 2014 – Profoto expands its assortment of umbrellas with six new models. The new models are unique on the market in that they are small and lightweight yet deep and parabolic.
Last year, Profoto introduced a new line of umbrellas, comprising twelve models in two shapes (deep and shallow) and three fabrics (white, silver and translucent).
Today, Profoto’s line of umbrellas is extended with six new models. The new models are unique on the market in that they are small and lightweight yet deep and parabolically shaped. This combination of size and shape creates a more focused and directed light than what you might expect from an umbrella of this size.
The smallest new Profoto umbrella is called Profoto Umbrella Deep S. It has a diameter of 85 cm (33 in) and is available in three fabrics (white, silver and translucent). The medium version is called Profoto Umbrella Deep M. It has a diameter of 105 cm (41 in) and is also available in three fabrics (white, silver and translucent).
The deeper and round shape is achieved by using as many as 16 umbrella rods. Like all other Profoto umbrellas, the fabrics have been selected to provide a superior quality of light over years of heavy-duty use, and the metallic elements have been surface treated to prevent rust and discoloration.
The silver versions create a very crisp and direct light with high light output, comparable with that of a hard reflector. The white versions create a softer yet direct light, perfect for portrait and beauty shots. The translucent versions create an even softer light and have a very wide light spread.
Optional diffusers are available for the silver and the white versions. An optional backpanel is available for the translucent version, which practically converts the umbrella into a softbox.
B&H carries Profoto Umbrellas.
From the Carl Zeiss Lenses YouTube Channel:
Watch our time-lapse video on how to change the mount of a Compact Prime CP.2 lens shot at IBC 2014 in Amsterdam at our booth. In the video you can see how easy it is to exchange the lens's mount of an EF lens to PL mount.
The-Digital-Picture.com's Take:
Sigma made headlines last year when it announced its lens conversion service that allowed users to change brands without having to buy brand new lenses. Now Zeiss is highlighting similar functionality (although it looks like this quick-change mount design was built into its Compact Lens series long before Sigma announced their service).
Considering that two brands have the ability to change mounts, it got me thinking – how easy can 3rd party lens manufacturers make it? Will either one be developing a quick release system to make mount changes as simple as installing an extender? Then a user could easily buy different mounts for their lenses and simply replace them at home with no tools required.
And if that kind of feature could be implemented, would the incremental costs of development and manufacturing make it a worthwhile marketing ploy? [Sean]
B&H carries Zeiss Compact Cinema lenses.
Amazon is featuring select Lexar SDHC/SDXC/microSD Memory Cards as its Gold Box Deal of the Day.
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