Canon and Sony News for Jul 2016 (Page 5)

by Sean Setters

Before I go any further, I must make one thing very clear:

• The image above [closely] resembles the image I had intended to capture. It does not represent the reality of the event.

Backstory

Having never attended an Independence Day celebration on Savannah's River Street before, I asked several people where exactly the fireworks were launched from. I was told the fireworks launched from behind the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa on the other side of the Savannah River. Therefore, my plan was to position myself on the east end of River Street near Belles Ferry, where I hoped I could include the Westin hotel and possibly a small portion of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in my fireworks image.

The fireworks were scheduled for 9:30pm. Expecting a sizable crowd on River Street, my goal was to pack my gear so that it was minimally cumbersome and as light as possible. I knew that shooting fireworks would require some type of support, but the idea of carrying a full tripod downtown (even if affixed to the outside of my backpack) did not appeal to me. In this particular case, I didn't think my very-travel-friendly Feisol TT-15 Mini Carbon Fiber would be a feasible option as I would likely have to utilize one of the concrete supports positioned by the river as the base, and having my camera atop a tiny tripod next to a river did not sound like a good idea. I wondered if I could cobble together a few odds and ends from around the house that could do the job.

So here's the solution I came up with:

This setup can be broken down into two pieces (at the clamp) for compact backpack storage and, when assembled, affixed to just about any fence which borders the Savannah River along River Street.

Not knowing exactly which focal length might provide the optimal framing for the event, I packed a Lowepro Flipside 400AW with my mobile support setup and the following gear:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark III
• Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Tilt-Shift (predecessor to version II)
• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
• Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
• Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC
• Canon Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3

Independence Day

Amanda and I planned to meet up with a few friends downtown before the scheduled fireworks. Unfortunately, we ended up getting to River Street later than I had intended (8:45pm). As we descended onto River Street, I realized the crowd was much larger than I had anticipated. Almost every square inch of the fence bordering the river was accounted for. It took me about 20 minutes to find a gap along the fence where I could position my camera, after which I attached my support rig, 5D III, TS-E 24mm f/3.5L and TC-80N3 remote timer. With only 10 minutes left before the show, I hurriedly composed the scene and took a few pictures at 10x Live View to obtain proper focus on the hotel building (in this case, anything beyond 14 feet would be in focus because of the hyperfocal distance). My camera settings were f/4.5, 5 seconds and ISO 200.

Unfortunately, my tardiness in getting to the location combined with the hot/humid Savannah night meant that condensation was inevitable. While I did wipe off the end of the lens before shooting my test images used for focusing, condensation immediately reappeared and caused halos around all the bright lights in the image. I decided to wait for the condensation to clear up in hopes that it did so before the fireworks show began.

At almost precisely 9:30pm, the fireworks started. However, instead of being launched from directly behind the hotel as I had been led to believe, they were actually set off several hundred yards to the east. I quickly rotated the ball head, re-leveled the camera and began shooting the fireworks (using the remote). Unfortunately, this framing led to a very uninteresting backdrop for the colorful display.

With my original plan out the window, I decided to try something I had used on a previous fireworks image – compositing. I changed my camera settings to isolate the explosions from the surrounding background: f/5-6.3, 8 seconds, ISO 100. These settings allowed me to capture 1-4 bursts in each frame, depending on how fast they were launched. In post processing, I would overlay my favorite fireworks images with the original framing I had imagined.

At the end of the night, I was left with about 150 images of fireworks that looked like this:

Unfortunately, I only captured a few test shots of the hotel scene before the fireworks started. As such, even my best image showed very noticeable halos around the lights.

I selected my favorite fireworks images in post processing and composited them with my hotel image using a "Lighten" blending mode in Photoshop CC. Note that this blending mode also allowed the fireworks' reflections in the water to be seen which was key to making the image look somewhat realistic. I also added a slight Gaussian Blur to the fireworks to simulate the type of halos/lack of sharpness visible in the base image.

Final Thoughts

Things don't always go as planned. As photographers, we sometimes have to roll with the punches and do the best with the cards we're dealt. In this case, the fireworks launching location meant that I couldn't capture the scene I had in mind in-camera. And the lateness of my arrival, combined with the hot/humid weather meant that my base image in the composite didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. However, my mobile support rig worked very well and I'm not completely dissatisfied with the final image. The halos seem in the base image actually add a dreamlike quality to it; maybe it's a fitting look as the image never actually happened in real life, but only in my dreams.

From Samsung:

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today unveiled the industry’s first removable memory cards based on the JEDEC Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 1.0 Card Extension Standard, for use in high-resolution mobile shooting devices such as DSLRs, 3D VR cameras, action cams and drones. Coming in a wide range of storage capacities including 256, 128, 64 and 32 gigabyte (GB), Samsung’s UFS cards are expected to bring a significant performance boost to the external memory storage market, allowing much more satisfying multimedia experiences.

“Our new 256GB UFS card will provide an ideal user experience for digitally-minded consumers and lead the industry in establishing the most competitive memory card solution,” said Jung-bae Lee, senior vice president, Memory Product Planning & Application Engineering, Samsung Electronics “By launching our new high-capacity, high-performance UFS card line-up, we are changing the growth paradigm of the memory card market to prioritize performance and user convenience above all.”

Samsung’s new 256GB UFS removable memory card - simply referred to as the UFS card will provide greatly improved user experiences, especially in high-resolution 3D gaming and high-resolution movie playback. It provides more than five times faster sequential read performance compared to that of a typical microSD card, reading sequentially at 530 megabytes per second (MB/s) which is similar to the sequential read speed of the most widely used SATA SSDs. With this UFS card, consumers have the ability to read a 5GB, Full-HD movie in approximately 10 seconds, compared to a typical UHS-1 microSD card, which would take over 50 seconds with 95MB/s of sequential reading speed. Also, at a random read rate of 40,000 IOPS, the 256GB card delivers more than 20 times higher random read performance compared to a typical microSD, which offers approximately 1,800 IOPS.

When it comes to writing, the new 256GB UFS card processes 35,000 random IOPS, which is 350 times higher than the 100 IOPs of a typical microSD card, and attains a 170MB/s sequential write speed, almost doubling the top-end microSD card speed. With these substantial performance improvements, the new 256GB UFS card significantly reduces multimedia data downloading time, photo thumbnail loading time and buffer clearing time in burst shooting mode, which, collectively, can be particularly beneficial to DSLR camera users. To shoot 24 large/extra fine JPEG photographs (1,120 megabyte (MB)-equivalent) continuously with a high-end DSLR camera, the 256GB UFS card takes less than seven seconds, compared to a UHS-1 microSD card which typically takes about 32 seconds, at 35MB/s.

To achieve the highest performance and most power-efficient data transport, the UFS card supports multiple commands with command queuing features and enables simultaneous reading and writing through the use of separately dedicated paths, doubling throughput.

As the leading memory storage provider, Samsung has been aggressive in preparing UFS solutions for the marketplace, while contributing to JEDEC standardization of the Universal Flash Storage 2.0 specification in September 2013 and the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 1.0 Card Extension standard in March 2016. Following its introduction of the industry-first 128GB embedded UFS chip in January 2015, the company successfully launched a 256GB embedded UFS memory for high-end mobile devices in February of this year. As of earlier this month, Samsung also completed the Universal Flash Storage Association (UFSA)’s certification program that evaluates electrical and functional specifications for compatibility of a UFS card, and Samsung’s new UFS card products were approved as UFSA-certified UFS cards with the right to use the official UFS logo for the first time in the industry.

From Canon USA:

Changes:
Firmware Version 1.0.2 incorporates the following functional improvements and fixes.

1. Incorporates countermeasures for a phenomenon in which the bottom part of still images recorded to SanDisk CFast cards become corrupted.
2. Enhances communication reliability between the camera and CFast cards.

The Version 1.0.2 firmware being released at this time is for cameras with Firmware Version 1.0.0. If the camera's firmware is already Version 1.0.2, it is not necessary to update the firmware. When updating the firmware of your camera, please first go over the instructions thoroughly before you download the firmware. The firmware update takes approximately six minutes.

Download: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Firmware v.1.02

From the Canon Professional Network:

Photographer John Dibbs has a passion for classic aircraft and turned a boyhood dream of flying with iconic warbirds into an incredible career. He reveals to CPN Editor David Corfield the challenges involved in capturing those mighty legends of the skies and how his Canon DSLR system gives him that all-important creative and technical edge...

“I never take this job for granted. Never.” John Dibbs is at pains to point out that while his day job is up there on most people’s bucket lists, it’s a job he takes extremely seriously. “It’s because of the amount of preparation, paperwork and co-ordination that goes into every flight of a classic aircraft,” he says. “People might say that I have the easy part, just taking the picture; but let me tell you, the pressure to photograph these aircraft from another aircraft, just a wingtip away, is immense because you know you’re not just facing your own set of technical challenges, but you’re also representing everybody else on the ground who worked so hard to make these shoots happen.”

Gear Used by Dibbs

• Canon EOS-1D X
• Canon EOS 5D Mark III
• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

From the Feast Films Vimeo channel:

The Foley Artist sees a master of sound at work on a fashion film. If you’ve ever wanted to see the chasm between the finished product and the extraordinary lengths taken to produce it, this short is for you.

B&H carries tools for sound recording.

From the Joe McNally YouTube channel:

A quick, lighthearted video describing our adventures in the beautiful environs of Peru. From the desert of Paracas, to the bustling, colorful nexus of Peruvian life that is Lima, we spent two weeks on location with hair, makeup, styling, RV's, motorcycles, and, of course, gorgeous models!

Want lighting descriptions? See here.

Nikon Gear Used

• D810
• AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR
• AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm F2.8G ED
• AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED
• AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED
• AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G
• AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G
• AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VRAF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
• AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
• SB-910

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Author: Jim Rose

Normally I would write this blog in the winter months when it is cold and rainy outside. However, since I like shooting in the rain and it’s going to be 102 degrees outside today there is no better time to set up my home macro studio and create some great pictures.

First, what do you need to set up a home macro studio? Let’s start with the lighting equipment. I used two table lamps purchased at a local department store. The best ones to get are the ones with adjustable necks so you can get the light where it needs to be. Also, make sure you get lamps with LED lights. LED lights are smaller and lighter than regular bulbs, and they produce very little heat.

Any Canon EOS DSLR will give you great results. For this project, I chose the Canon EOS 80D. One of the reasons for choosing the 80D is the articulated LCD screen. Since I use Live View for most of these images, the articulated screen can be very handy when the camera is in low or high positions. You can rotate the screen so it is easy to view without having to kneel down or get on a stool to see the screen. An EF-S 60mm macro lens was used for most of the shots because it allows you to get in really close. If you don’t have a macro lens, a standard kit lens like the EF-S 18-55mm or a similar lens will do the job although you won’t be able to get in as close as you would with a macro lens. You can add a close up lens or an extension tube to your standard lens to allow you to get in close if you don’t want to invest in a macro lens at this time.

If you don't already own a macro lens but are interested in picking one up, check out Bryan's Macro Lens Recommendations.

Roger Cicala over at LensRentals has posted an open letter thanking rental customers for making the rental company he founded the great success it is today.

If you've ever rented from LensRentals, you've likely appreciated their excellent customer service. They are an excellent company and, as such, an easy recommendation when rental services are needed.

From the LensRentals Blog:

To Our Customers:

Ten years ago, if you wanted to try out some photography equipment, if you lived in a large market, your local camera store would have a few beat up copies of popular lenses for rent (with a 100% deposit). For the rest of us, we didn’t even have that option. I had this great idea to start an online rental offering, no deposits necessary and shared my idea with people I knew. Almost everyone said I would get robbed blind and lose every dime I had. Almost everyone said you’d get junky, beat-up rental equipment and were wasting your money renting online. Almost everyone said that my idea would be a massive failure.

I say ‘almost everyone’ because a few other people thought it was a good idea, too. You guys, our customers, thought it was a good idea. We’d never met each other unless emails count as a meeting. But we trusted each other because we all wanted this to work. Because we few thought that getting to use equipment for a few days or weeks at a reasonable price just made sense.

Almost everyone turned out to be dead wrong and we few turned out to be right. Lensrentals thrived beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Sure, I took risks, and the people who joined me here worked their butts off. But you guys, our customers, were our partners in proving ‘almost everyone’ wrong. Without you, it never would have happened.

Ten years later, saying thank you just isn’t adequate. There are no words that would possibly express my gratitude for all of you who supported Lensrentals and created our success; you folks who shared in proving ‘almost everyone’ wrong.

There are no words, but I believe actions are more important than words. Everyone who works here tries to show our gratitude in our actions. Whether it’s making all of our testing data public, making sure your rental arrives in better condition than you expected, drawing a dinosaur on your shipping box because you requested it, or just talking you through a difficult set-up on the phone, we want to show you our gratitude with every rental. We want you to know it’s more than just business. It’s a partnership between you and us. You’ve helped us achieve our goals; we want to make certain we help you achieve yours.

We wouldn’t be doing what we love to do every day without you. We want our actions, our attitude, and our service let you know, every time you rent from us, that we are grateful that you have partnered with us along this journey.

Roger Cicala
Founder

The code allows you to save $15.00 on orders of $100.00 - $249.00, $50.00 on orders of $250.00 - $999.00 and $250.00 on orders of $1000.00 or more.

To support this site, navigate to the appropriate product review and click the button.

David Segal of the Financial Review has written a very interesting article on the success of fine art photographer Peter Lik and the market on which he thrives. [Sean]

From the Financial Review:

He's the creator of the world's most expensive photograph – it sold for $US6.5 million – but the success of Australian fine art photographer Peter Lik raises questions about his empire, and his art.

Peter Lik is in awe of himself. When he describes his career as a fine art photographer, he speaks with the satisfaction of a guy who has performed miracles, at the pace of a bystander who has just caught a glimpse of Superman.

The words tumble forth in self-exalting, run-on sentences, most of them laced with profanity, all of them in his sunny, chummy Australian accent.

"I'm the world's most famous photographer, most sought-after photographer, most awarded photographer," he said one recent afternoon, sipping a can of Red Bull in a conference room at Peter Lik USA, a 100,000-square-foot headquarters in Las Vegas devoted solely to the production and sale of Peter Lik photography.

"So I said" – and what Lik said next is an unprintable version of "the heck with it," and then – "I want to make something special, special, special, special."

That something special was a photograph called Phantom, an image of an eerily human-shaped swirl of dust in Antelope Canyon in Arizona. In December, his company announced in a news release that an anonymous collector had spent $US6.5 million ($8.4 million) for Phantom. That crushed the previous record, held by Andreas Gursky, whose Rhein II fetched $US4.3 million at an auction in 2011, and Cindy Sherman, whose Untitled #96 brought $US3.9 million at another auction the same year.

But Gursky and Sherman are titans, with solo shows in pre-eminent museums.

Who is Peter Lik?

Wondering what the new Pelican AIR hard cases are like? Check out the just posted Pelican 1535 AIR Hard Case Review.

B&H has the Pelican 1535 AIR Hard Case in stock.

From the COOPH YouTube Channel:

Watch photographer Markus Berger demonstrate how to get your glow on under blacklight with these UV photography tips & tricks!

UV Tools and Products:

• UV Flashlight
• UV Makeup
• UV Wool
• UV Holi Powder
• UV Bubble Liquid
• Fluorescein

According to the Egami Blog, Canon has submitted a patent for an EF-M 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.

Patent Details

• Patent Publication No. 2016-118658
• Published 2016.6.30
• Submission date 2014.12.22
• Zoom ratio 2.88
• Focus distance 16.51 21.00 47.49
• F-number 3.49 3.77 5.80
• Field of view (degrees) 39.61 33.04 16.05
• Width 13.66 13.66 13.66
• Overall length of the lens 82.00 77.35 84.14
• BF 10.70 10.70 13.31

Canon Collective Ambassador Colin Baker shows us how to shoot abstract frames using Multiple Exposures mode built in to your camera.

Learn more about Canon Australia at #VividSydney and how you can make the most of your time there: https://www.canon.com.au/vivid

In addition to image quality results, vignetting, flare and distortion test results along with specs and measurements have been added to the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 Lens and Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC Lens pages. As mentioned before, both of these lenses are scheduled to have full reviews completed in the near future.

B&H has the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 Lens and Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC Lens in stock.