I have added a focal length and aperture comparison to the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens Review. You will find it near the end of this review.
I have added an aperture comparison to the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens Review. You will find it near the beginning of this review.
From CP+:
We are pleased to announce that CP+ 2012 (Camera & Photo Imaging Show in Yokohama) will be held at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan during the period from February 9th (Thu) to 12th (Sun), 2012.
CP+ is the premiere source of photo imaging information from Japan, the epicenter of the camera and photo imaging industries, for consumers and businesses all over the world, featuring following events and seminars with English translator.
1. Keynote speech by the president of CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association based in Japan) representing camera manufacturing industry
2. Technological panel discussion for future trend by senior engineers
3. Latest technology seminar by 9 manufacturers, technology academy, etc
4. Delivery forecast of digital camera for 2012 essential for the digital camera industry
There will be executives from Overseas Friendship Partners, photokina, PMA and Salon de la photo.
For professional users, there will be symposiums to discuss about the capability of HD movies by single lens cameras as well as seminars to learn how to take movies with the latest information.
Last year CP+ 2011 was quite successful with approx. 50,000 visitors which was 20% increase against previous year. Journalists from various countries reported the world premiere information from among 45 World Premier Products from Yokohama to the world via a wide variety of media. CP+ is now taking its important role to transmit the latest information from Japan to the world.
Please come to join us at CP+ 2012 and meet the World Premiere Products waiting for you there. For details, please visit our web site below.
Think Tank photo has announced updates to their Modular Rotation System and Modular Rotation System Skin Components:
Think Tank Photo Releases Completely Redesigned Modular Rotation System
Santa Rosa, Calif. -- In response to customer feedback, Think Tank Photo’s has completely redesigned its Modular Rotation System to provide additional features and benefits, including easier photography gear retrieval, better equipment fit, and an updated/inclusive style. The Modular Rotation System consists of three product groupings: Lens Cases, Gear Pouches, and the Modular Component Set V2.0. The new items will be available for sale in December at www.thinktankphoto.com.
The Modular Rotation System is part of Think Tank Photo’s integrated modular belt carrying solution, which also includes its Skin™ components. The Lens Cases and Gear Pouches feature padded components and the Skin components features unpadded pouches.
The new Modular Component Set V2.0 includes the Lens Changer 50 V2.0, LC 75 Pop Down V2.0, Strobe Stuff, Speed Changer V2.0. All can be transported in the breathable Large Travel Pouch. All of the elements can be carried as a set or as individual items on Think Tank Photo’s Pro Speed Belt V2.0, Steroid Speed Belt V2.0, or Skin Belt V2.0. The new Keep It Up™ Shoulder Strap provides vertical support to any Think Tank Photo belt and includes a memory card holder.
The Lens Cases’ new features are:
• Wide mouth opening allows for smoother lens retrieval and replacement.
• One-hand drawstring closure with the auto-locking mechanism: only one hand is needed to securely close the pouch.
• Zippered bottom pocket includes seam-sealed rain cover.
• Top handle allows for easy gathering of multiple pouches.
• Smooth back reduces wear on clothing and helps components slide easily around the belt.
• Padding under lens cover protects lenses from bumps and bruises.
• Improved front pocket material for increased durability and elasticity.
The Lens Cases consist of the Lens Changer™ 15 V2.0 (accommodates tele-converters and small primes with hood in shooting position), Lens Changer™ 25 V2.0 (small telephotos with hood in shooting position), Lens Changer™ 35 V2.0 (24-70 2.8 with hood in shooting position), Lens Changer™ 50 V2.0 (wide angle lens—16-35, 17-40—with hood in shooting position), LC 75 Pop Down™ V2.0 (70-200 with hood reversed or in position), and the Lens Drop™ (standard telephoto zoom lens).
The Gear Pouches include the same new features as the Lens Cases, as well as:
• Secure front pocket with increased hook and loop.
• Improved rip-stop nylon for increased durability and discrete styling.
The Gear Pouches consist of the Strobe Stuff™ (pro-size flash with some lens modifiers attached), Slim Changer™ (standard-size body, lens not attached), Speed Changer™ V2.0 (pro-sized body, lens not attached, and small telephotos and pro-size batteries), Stuff It !™ (accessory pouch for all your stuff: CF cards, batteries, filters or pocket wizards), Little Stuff It !™ (accommodates most point and shoot cameras, including Canon G12 & Nikon P7000), Hubba Hubba Hiney™ (70-200 2.8 lying down or two to three smaller telephotos; includes shoulder strap), and the R U Hot ?™ (for water bottle, hat, gloves).
Both the Lens Cases and Gear Pouches come with Think Tank Photo’s unique Rotate and Lock design feature so that components slide along the belt or fasten in a specific position on the belt.
Think Tank Photo to Release Completely Upgraded Modular Rotation System Skin™ Components
Santa Rosa, Calif. – For those photographers who want no padding separating them from the gear on their belt system, Think Tank Photo has completely redesigned its Modular Rotation System Skin™ Components to provide additional features and benefits. These include easier photography gear retrieval, better equipment fit, and an updated/inclusive style. The new items will be available for sale in December at www.thinktankphoto.com.
The Skin components are part of Think Tank Photo’s integrated Modular Rotation System belt carrying solution. The Skin Components feature unpadded pouches and the Lens Changers and Gear Pouches feature padded components.
The new Modular Skin Set V2.0 includes the Skin 50 V2.0, Skin 75 Pop Down V2.0, Skin Strobe V2.0, and the Skin Body Bag. All can be transported in the breathable Large Travel Pouch. All of the elements can be carried as a set or as individual items on Think Tank Photo’s Skin Belt V2.0, Pro Speedbelt V2.0, and Steroid Speed Belt V2.0. The new Keep It Up™ Shoulder Strap provides vertical support to any Think Tank Photo belt and includes a memory card holder.
The new features are:
• Wide mouth opening allows for smoother lens retrieval and replacement.
• One-hand drawstring closure with the auto-locking mechanism: only one hand is needed to securely close the pouch.
• Zippered bottom pocket includes seam-sealed rain cover.
• Top handle allows for easy gathering of multiple pouches.
• Smooth back reduces wear on clothing and helps components slide easily around the belt.
• Secure front pocket with increased hook and loop.
• Improved rip-stop nylon for increased durability and discrete styling.
All Skin components come with Think Tank Photo’s unique Rotate and Lock design feature that allows components to slide along the belt or fasten in a specific position on the belt. They also feature the Skin system’s “sound silencer” functionality that silences hook and loop noise.
Learn more about these new cases at Think Tank Photo's web site.
Here are a couple of X-Rite press releases:
X-Rite Announces Eizo Monitor Support for its i1Display Pro
X-Rite and NEC Announce Partnership to offer i1Display technology to SpectraView Customers
Kenko Tokina has introduced the PRO ND100000 Filter (Google translation).
No, I didn't hold the "0" key too long. These filters are made for solar observation and solar eclipse photography.
Canon's PhotoPlus 2011 Press Release for your review.
Canon Europe has posted a new article: Inside the PIXMA PRO-1 printer.
The Zeiss 25mm f/2.0 Distagon T* ZE and ZF.2 Lenses were announced yesterday.
I had the pleasure of using the Zeiss 25mm f/2.0 Distagon T* ZE Lens at PhotoPlus Expo in New York City yesterday.
The build quality of this lens is on par with the other Zeiss ZE lenses - which is to say that this is an incredibly-well built lens. Zeiss ZF.2 Nikon mount lenses are built similarly to the ZE Canon mount counterparts. This lens is rather small (does not take up much space in a bag), but solid feeling (if you fill all the space in your bag with similar Zeiss lenses, your back may regret you having done so).
Image quality from this lens is expected to be on the level of the great Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 ZE Distagon Lens' image quality.
Apple Aperture 3.2.1 has been released.
This update addresses the following issues in Aperture 3.2:
Resolves an issue that could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly at launch on Macs with Core Solo or Core Duo processors.
Addresses issues that could cause the Crop tool to switch to the incorrect orientation or resize incorrectly.
Resolves rendering issues when cropping images with Onscreen Proofing enabled.
Location menus are now displayed correctly on the map in the Places view when Photos is selected in the Library Inspector.
iPhoto 9.2.1 has been released.
What's New in iPhoto 9.2.1:
Addresses an issue that could cause iPhoto to quit unexpectedly on Macs with the 3ivxVideoCodec plug-in installed
Tamron has released Q3 2011 Financial Results (PDF).
Just announced: Lowepro Pro Messenger AW Series (press release)
Just announced: Lowepro Pro Roller Lite AW Series (press release)
Lens flare test results have been added to the following review pages:
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens Review
Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro Lens Review
Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens Review
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di Lens Review
Tokina 17-35mm f/4 AT-X Pro FX Lens Review
Just posted: Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens Review
Note that I'm looking for your hands-on experience feedback regarding this lens' AI Servo AF accuracy.