Canon and Nikon News for 2012/03 Report News & Deals

These will not last long: eBay (via Beach Camera) has the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens featured as a Daily Deal for only $2,449.00 shipped - about $550.00 off (compare at $2,999.00)!

CPN has posted a new article by Syl Arena, talking a closer look at Canon’s New Radio Speedlite Flash System.

From Sigma Corporation of America:
 
Newly designed telephoto zoom lens with Sigma’s own Optical Stabilizer system at street price of $1099
 
Ronkonkoma, NY, March 30, 2012 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, is pleased to announce that its newly upgraded 50-150mm F2.8 APO EX DC OS HSM telephoto lens is now available for the street price of $1,099.
 
The 50-150mm F2.8 APO EX DC OS HSM telephoto lens is the successor to the 50-150mm F2.8 APO EX DC II HSM. The updated lens now features Sigma’s own proprietary Optical Stabilizer (OS) technology, which offers the use of shutter speeds approximately four stops slower than would otherwise be possible. The lens design utilizes an inner-focusing and inner-zooming system that provides convenient handling and this, along with the OS feature, makes it favorable for high-performance, handheld, close-up photography. Additionally, the Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures quiet and high-speed auto focusing, while allowing full-time manual focus capability.
 
The Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 APO EX DC OS HSM Canon mounts will be available next week, while the Nikon and Sigma mounts are expected to be available by the end of April.
 
“This lens is a great addition to our lineup of telephoto lenses, and will be a fantastic tool for portrait, landscape and nature photography,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “This is our tenth telephoto lens with Optical Stabilizer technology and provides another option for photographers looking to produce high-quality images.”
 
Six SLD glass elements provide exceptional corrections for all types of aberrations and provide high-quality imagery throughout the zoom range. It also has a rounded, nine-blade diaphragm that creates an attractive blur to the out-of-focus areas of the image.
 
The lens’ Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting and ensures sharp and high contrast images even at the maximum apertures. The addition of Sigma’s 1.4x EX DG APO and 2x EX DG APO teleconverters produce a 70-210mm F4 autofocus telephoto zoom lens and a 100-300mm F5.6 autofocus telephoto lens, respectively.
 
B&H just started accepting Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 APO EX DC OS HSM Lens preorders.

Are Your Canon PowerShot G1 X RAW images soft? If so, I may know why.
 
G1 X RAW files, when processed by Canon Digital Photo Pro v3.11.10.0 with the "Viewing and savings RAW images" preference to "High quality" (the default), are rendered very soft.
 
This is the same problem I currently have outlined on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review page. The G1 X RAW images are being affected by the same software flaw the 5D III images are affected by.
 
Canon has been notified. The workaround is to set the "Viewing and savings RAW images" preference to "High speed". Or use another RAW converter.

Through Apr 4, get 30% off of orders over $30 at KodakGallery.com when using this specific link.

In a forum post, Kirk Baker, Senior Software Engineer, has released Photo Mechanic 4.6.9 Beta 1.
 
Version 4.6.9 Features

• Added support for the Exif 2.3 Serial Number tag for newer cameras that actually write this field (i.e. not guaranteed to be there even if camera is writing Exif 2.3).
• Improved support for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III.
• Added support for RAW ORF files from the Olympus E-PL3 and E-PM1.
• Fixed various memory leaks that could eventually cause a memory allocation failure for users editing or ingesting a very large number of photos.
• Fixed an issue when sequentially ingesting cards with filenames that overlap. This can happen when the user sets their camera preference to start filer numbering at 0001 for each card.
• Fixed a problem updating XMP in LZW-compress TIFF files saved by Capture NX2.
• Added a workaround for viewing NEF files processed by Nikon Image Transfer that are not written properly.
• Fixed a problem with adding GPS coordinates to Canon 30D JPEG files.
• The Exif Digitized Date/Time tag is now updated when using the Adjust Capture Times command.
• Ingest now ignores Fuji FFDB.DAT files, Canon Comstate files, and EYEFI folders.
• Lossless JPEG rotation now uses default DPI setting instead of Save As DPI setting.
• Fixed a problem with PM SlideShow playback becoming unresponsive with a large number of files.

Amazon.com has the Pocket Wizard FlexTT5 Transceiver For Nikon and PocketWizard MiniTT1 Radio Transmitter for Nikon as Lightning Deals (these go fast) - only $159.99 and $149.99 respectively.
 
The Manfrotto MB SSC3-1BB AGILE I Sling Bag (Black) is also a Lightning Deal at $39.99.

Canon has posted EOS 1D Mark IV Firmware v1.1.1. Note: you must select your OS to get the firmware download option.
 
Firmware Version 1.1.1 incorporates the following change.
 
Optimizes the camera’s exposure accuracy when using EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM and EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM lenses, which are scheduled for release in June 2012.
 
If these lenses are used with an EOS-1D Mark IV camera that has not been updated with the new firmware, the image may be overexposed depending on the subject and shooting scene.

The refurbished Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens, arguably the sharpest Canon zoom lens ever, has just been added to the Canon Store inventory - only $1,999.20.

As I mentioned recently, I used the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens with the Canon EF 2x III Extender as a lightweight, handheld bird photography lens in Florida in early March and found the results to be quite impressive.
 
The Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM Lens served as my primary tripod-mounted birding lens for this trip (the perfect full frame choice), but the 300 L II, along with a 1.4x III and a 2x III filled the handheld and wider focal lengths needs. And did so remarkably well.
 
My initial comment stirred many inquiries about the 300 II + 2x III combination. I'm not a big extender user, but the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens is so amazingly sharp that the with-extender results are still remarkable. And I had no problems handholding the with-2x-resulting 600mm f/5.6 L IS USM Lens.
 
I have uploaded a sample picture from this combination for your review. The Brown Pelican image was captured near sunset at f/8 (f/5.6 results are not as sharp), 1/250 with a handheld Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III in RAW format using the Neutral Picture Style (lower contrast for better histogram). The JPG sample was processed in DPP using the Standard Picture Style, sharpness set to "2" (low) and saturation set to "1".
 
Here is the sample: JPG (11.0 MB) | RAW (26.4 MB)
 
License granted for personal gear-evaluation purposes only.
 
I will add this full size sample picture to the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens Review for more-permanent reference.
 
B&H has the still-elusive Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens (and Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens) in stock at this moment.

The T3i sold out fast, but the Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR w/ EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens is now an eBay Daily Deal - for $459.95 shipped. I don't recognize this seller, so use your judgment.

The Canon Speedlite 600EX Flash, without the "-RT", is showing along with the -RT model on Canon UK website (compare).
 
Apparently the 600EX will also be available without the RF feature in some regions. Check your local region to see if you will have access to this model. (thanks Ben)

The Nikon D800 is, amazingly, in stock at Amazon.de.

Update: $30.00 price drop: eBay (via Beach Camera) has the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF-S 18-55mm, EF-S 55-250mm, EF 50mm f/1.8, 16GB SDHC Memory Card and case for only $869.00 shipped.

Canon USA has issued an official response to the 5D III IS noise issue:
 
“We have acknowledged that when using the camera with specific lenses, there is an abnormal noise during IS operation when the shutter button is pressed halfway (or remains pressed halfway), and we are now considering the countermeasures. We will let you know about the countermeasures as soon as they are finalized”
 
The two affected lenses are the Canon EF 200mm f/2.0 L IS USM Lens and the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM Lens.
 
Note that image quality is not affected by the abnormality. Also note that this noise does not occur during Live View including during video capture.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.1 Release Candidate is now available for download.
 
New Camera Support

• Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Fixed Issues

• Lightroom 4 did not properly open external applications when using the “Edit In” functionality.
• Point Curve adjustments made in Lightroom 3 have been restored.
• Addressed performance issues in Lightroom 4, particularly when loading GPS track logs, using a secondary monitor, and the controls within the Develop module.
• Ability to update DNG previews and metadata for more than 100 photos has been restored.
• This update allows for improved viewing of subfolders and stacks in folders with a large number of photos.
• It was possible that a layout of a saved book could be lost after quitting Lightroom 4.

The last two posts at Lightroom Journal are worth reading.

The Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT Flash is in stock at Adorama and Amazon.com. (thanks Jacob)

B&H has a pair of used Canon EOS 1D Mark IV bodies in stock for $4,399.95/$4,599.95 for 9/9+ ratings respectively.

Confirmed: The Canon EF 200mm f/2.0 L IS USM Lens' image stabilization system makes a modestly-disturbing churning sound when used on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III in AI Servo AF mode. The same sound is made briefly when the shutter release button is released in One Shot AF mode.
 
I do not know if this is a problem or not. IS appears to be working properly and the images created during the strange sound are quite sharp. I'll let Canon know (others may have already done so).

If any of these lenses are on your want list, order before the instant rebates expire on Mar 31st.
 
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM Lens  ($100 IR)
 
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens  ($75 IR)
 
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens  (I'm not certain about end date on this $200 IR)

Nikon UK has cashback offers covering the Nikon D3100, D5100, D7000 and the Nikon 1.
 
Get you Nikon in the UK at Amazon.co.uk or Jessops.

Amazon.com has the refurbished Kindle Fire as their Gold Box Deal of the Day for $139.00 shipped (regularly $169.00).

Tom Hogarty, Lightroom Product Manager, has announced in a blog post that an update to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is expected to be released as early as this week.
 
Especially good news is that, along with many bug fixes, this update will add support for Canon EOS 5D Mark III RAW files.

B&H has the new Canon PowerShot G1 X Digital Camera in stock.

HandlePod Hand-Supported Camera Stabilizer - Regularly $39.95, on special for $29.95 shipped. Expires 4/15/12.
 
Zacuto Z-Find-Jr Optical Viewfinder - Regularly $251.75, on special for $176.75 shipped using coupon code S9876543. Expires 4/30/12. This deal will be live at approximately at 2:00 PM EDT today.
 
The product pages on the Adorama.com site have a nice, new, clean look.

Taking a new approach to padded dividers in backpacks is TrekPak. (thanks Jeffrey)
 
Taking a new approach to camera body plates is Custom SLR with their M-Plate.
 
Clarification: the M-Plate Kickstarter project is funded and he M-Plate is now available from Custom SLR.

Please note that we are rapidly approaching B&H's passover closing - plan your purchases accordingly:
 
B&H will be closed Friday April 6th in observance of Passover and will reopen on Sunday April 15th at 10:00AM EDT. Orders must be placed by 4:00PM EDT on Thursday April 5th in order to ship before the Holiday. Orders placed after this time will ship when we reopen.

March 31, 2012 is the end date for the current Canon DSLR, lens and flash rebates. Now is the time to make your final gear acquisition decisions - there are some great deals available. Here are the available rebates:
 

Model	Rebate Amount
Canon EOS 7D	$100.00 - $350.00
Canon EOS 60D	$100.00 - $350.00
Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D	$50.00 - $300.00
Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D	$50.00 - $300.00
Canon EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D	$50.00 - $300.00
Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM Fisheye Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens	$110.00 - $220.00
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM Lens	$60.00 - $120.00
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens	$200.00 - $400.00
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens	$90.00 - $180.00
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens	$110.00 - $220.00
Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens	$160.00 - $320.00
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Lens	$120.00 - $240.00
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens	$120.00 - $240.00
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM Lens	$150.00 - $300.00
Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro Lens	$70.00 - $140.00
Canon EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM Lens	$75.00 - $150.00
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Macro Lens	$110.00 - $220.00
Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens	$90.00 - $180.00
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens	$90.00 - $180.00
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens	$60.00 - $120.00
Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens	$65.00 - $130.00
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens	$80.00 - $160.00
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens	$40.00 - $80.00
Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash	$30.00 - $60.00
Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash	$20.00 - $40.00
Canon Speedlite 320EX Flash	$25.00 - $50.00
Canon Speedlite 270EX II Flash	$10.00 - $20.00
Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX Flash	$30.00 - $60.00

Abe's of Maine has the Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 4 Memory Card for only $4.99 shipped.

Nikon ViewNX 2.3.1 is now available for download: USA | Europe
 
Modifications enabled with version 2.3.1:
 
• Support for the Coolpix S30 has been added.
 
• When images to which voice messages recorded using the Leave a message and Leave a reply options built into the COOLPIX S30, have been attached are transferred with Nikon Transfer 2 Ver. 2.3.1, the two voice messages are transferred as a single audio file. The audio file will be created with the same file name as the image, but with the extension “.wav”.

Adorama has the refurbished Canon TS-E 17mm f/4 L Tilt-Shift Lens on special for $2,079.00 (reg $2,199.00, new/gray $2,429.00)

From Canon U.S.A.:
 
CANON U.S.A. ANNOUNCES GOOGLE CLOUD PRINT™ SUPPORT FOR SELECT PIXMA PRINTERS
 
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 27, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that the PIXMA MG8220 and MG6220 Wireless1 Photo All-In-One (AIO) inkjet photo printers now support Google Cloud Print™ 2 allowing users to print from Gmail™ and Google Docs™ on a mobile device and from the Google Chrome™ browser for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chrome devices. With Google Cloud Print, you can print from wherever you are, from applications you use every day. You can even share your home and work printers with anyone you choose. The PIXMA MX892 Wireless Office AIO inkjet printer is also scheduled to provide the same support in May.
 
“We are excited to work with Google on the addition of this connectivity feature on our PIXMA printers,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. “In today’s world, we understand that consumers are always interested in additional connectivity options to print their important photos and documents and we are more than happy to be able to deliver this new feature to our users today.”
 
"We designed the Google Cloud Print service to make it easy to print to a home or work printer directly from any app or device that you use every day," said Mike Jazayeri, Product Management Director at Google. "It's exciting to see that the latest range of Canon printers are Google Cloud Print ready, offering people a seamless printing experience."
 
For further details on Google Cloud Print™ and the compatible PIXMA printers, please visit
 
www.usa.canon.com/cloudprint
 
B&H carries Canon PIXMA Printers.

Still waiting for your 5D III to arrive? Wait no longer:
 
B&H has the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens in stock.
 
If you don't need the lens, consider reselling it.
 
This kit is also in stock at Adorama and BuyDig.com.

Use coupon code S4101277 to get the GigaPan Epic Pro Robotic Panohead bundled with a GigaPan Epic Pro Backpack on special for only $779.95 shipped (reg $1,004.95) at Adorama.

Use coupon code SAVESPRING80 at Buydig.com to get the Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR with 18-55mm & 55-250mm Lenses plus a camera case, 8GB memory card and PIXMA PRO9000 Mark II Printer for only $898 shipped after rebate.

Sans press release, the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR Nikkor Lens has shown up on Nikon UK's website. Here are the details:
 

 
High-powered DX-format zoom lens with wide-angle to super-telephoto reach. Built to handle diverse situations, this all-round lens offers an ultra-high 16.7x zoom ratio with an incredibly wide 18-300mm focal range.
 
Nikon’s second-generation Vibration Reduction system delivers sharp results, even when shooting handheld at the super-telephoto end of the range, and enables a steady image in the camera’s viewfinder. The high quality optical design boasts three ED glass elements for outstanding sharpness and contrast. A practical zoom-lock switch keeps the lens secure when not in use.
 
Incredibly versatile, this lens is perfect for travel, or for days when you only want to take one lens out with you.
 
Key Features

• DX format 16.7x zoom lens with versatile 18-300mm focal range (FX/35mm equivalent:27 to 450mm)
• Vibration Reduction II (VR II) stabilization system enables more flexible hand-held shooting and lets you use shutter speeds that are up to 4 stops slower.
• Maximum aperture of f/5.6 at the telephoto end of the range.
• Zoom-lock switch keeps the lens secure when not in use.
• 9-blade rounded diaphragm opening makes out-of-focus elements blend together smoothly.
• Three ED glass and three aspherical lens elements ensure high resolution and superior contrast.
• SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for fast, whisper-quiet autofocus.
• Compact and lightweight design for a lens with this range.

Specifications
 
Focal length: 18-300 mm
Maximum aperture: f/3.5-5.6
Minimum aperture: f/22-32
Lens construction: 19 elements in 14 groups (including 3 aspherical lens elements and 3 ED lens elements)
Angle of view: 76°-5°20'
Focusing: Nikon Internal Focusing (IF) System with autofocus controlled by Silent Wave Motor and separate focus ring for manual focus
Minimum focus distance: 300 mm focal length: 0.45 m (1.48 ft) from focal plane
Maximum reproduction ratio: 1/3.2x
No. of diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded diaphragm opening)
Filter-attachment size: 77 mm (P=0.75 mm)
Dimensions: Approx. 83 mm diameter x 120 mm (distance from camera lens mount flange)
Weight: Approx. 830 g (29.3 oz)

Adorama has the SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra microSDHC Memory Card (up to 30 MB/s, Enabled Class 6 with SD Adapter) on special for only $79.95 (reg price is $139.95). This deal expires 4/7/12.

As expected, much of the higher-grade Canon refurbished inventory sold out fast.
 
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been in great demand. It sold out last night, but has been showing up intermittently this morning.
 
More great refurbished DSLR deals utilizing coupon code SLRF15 include:
 
Canon EOS 7D - $1,155.15 AC
Canon EOS 60D - $679.99 AC
Canon EOS 60D with EF-S 18-135mm IS Lens - $883.32 AC
Canon EOS Rebel T3i - $509.99 AC
Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens - $577.99 AC
Canon EOS Rebel T2i with EF-S 18-55mm IS Lens - $475.99 AC
Canon EOS Rebel T1i with EF-S 18-55mm IS Lens - $407.99 AC
Canon EOS Rebel T3 with EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens - $373.99 AC
 
The good lens inventory has been ravaged, but keep checking for inventory replenishment.
 
Use coupon code SLRF15 to save 15% on refurbished Canon EOS DSLR Cameras
Use coupon code LNSF15 to save 15% on refurbished Canon Lenses
Use coupon code PSF20 to save 20% on refurbished Canon PowerShot Cameras
Use coupon code CAMF15 to save 15% on refurbished Canon VIXIA Camcorders
Use coupon code LCF20 to save 20% on refurbished ImageCLASS Laser Copiers
Use coupon code PRJF20 to save 20% on refurbished REALiS Projectors

I am getting a lot of email asking about the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the image softness issue. Let me clarify what I'm seeing:
 
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is Delivering Very Sharp Images
 
There is a softness issue, but it appears to be completely isolated to the Canon Digital Photo Pro software's "High quality" RAW conversion algorithm.
 
You can see the sharp 5D III images in DPP's quick viewer and in the Edit window with preferences set to High speed. The issue appears to be completely in DPP's High quality processing algorithm.
 
Canon has been in touch with me again this morning and appears very eager to resolve the problem. My personal expectation is that the problem resolution will be in the form of a DPP update. The 5D III appears to be fine from my perspective. I have no intentions of returning my camera - I'm having far too much fun with it.

From Nikon UK:
 
Nikon UK can confirm a correction to the originally published recommended retail prices (RRP) on the D800, D800E and D4 products.
 
Due to a local internal systems error, the incorrect RRPs on the D800, D800E and D4 products were communicated in the UK and Irish markets at the time of announcement. The correct RRPs for the products should have been D4: £5289.99, D800: £2,599.99 and D800E: £2,899.99. We would like to apologise sincerely to our customers for this unfortunate mistake, which has been corrected with immediate effect. We know that there has been strong consumer interest in these products and a high level of pre-orders placed with retailers; Nikon will be honouring the original prices to retailers on all customer pre-orders placed before March 24th 2012.

From Adobe: Beginning today, "customers who purchase Creative Suite 5.5 (CS5.5) software will receive a complimentary upgrade to CS6 when it becomes available. No coupon code necessary, offer valid in North America and the European country stores listed below."
 
North America Store: Buy CS5.5 now and get CS6 at no additional cost. Offer ends May 6, 2012.
 
European Store: Buy CS5.5 now and get CS6 at no additional cost. Offer ends 6 May, 2012.
 
(Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, North America, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and The UK.)

Use coupon code SLRF15 at the Canon Store to get 15% off of refurbished Canon DSLR Cameras.
 
After 15% off, the refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark II is only $1,495.32!
 
Also hot: Use coupon code LNSF15 to save 15% on refurbished Canon Lenses.
 
Act fast - These are HOT DEALS - I doubt inventory will last until the offers expire on Mar 27th, 2012. Expect like-new gear - at amazing prices.
 
If you want to use coupons from multiple categories, simply check out separately for each.
 
Here are 4 more great discount coupons to use at the Canon Store (use this link and navigate to the category of your choice):
 
Use coupon code PSF20 to save 20% on refurbished Canon PowerShot Cameras
Use coupon code CAMF15 to save 15% on refurbished Canon VIXIA Camcorders
Use coupon code LCF20 to save 20% on refurbished ImageCLASS Laser Copiers
Use coupon code PRJF20 to save 20% on refurbished REALiS Projectors
 
(thanks Scott)

The second 5D Mark III deal: eBay (via Beach Camera) has the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS Lens bundled with the following for $4,299.00
 
Sandisk - 32 GB Extreme CompactFlash Memory Card 60MB/S SDCFX-032G-A61
Canon - Digital Gadget Bag 200DG
Zeikos - 77mm UV, Polarizer & FLD Deluxe Filter kit (set of 3 + carrying case)
Zeikos - LP-E6 Battery for Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 5D Mark II, 7D and 60D
Sakar - 3pc. Lens Cleaning Kit

Save up to $45.00 on select Sigma lenses at Abe's of Maine. Combine promotion codes Loyalty10, Loyalty15, or Abesaves5 for additional savings.

I've received lots of emails and have had more communication with Canon about the problem with Digital Photo Professional generating soft images from Canon EOS 5D Mark III RAW files.
 
There are currently two workarounds to this problem.
 
The first workaround involves changing the DPP "Viewing and saving RAW images" preference (in the "General settings" tab of the "Preferences" menu selection) from "High quality (recommended)" to "High speed". In High Speed mode, the noise reduction palette cannot be used and moiré correction is not performed, but 5D III images are rendered sharp. DPP's Quick Viewer (which displays 5D III images properly) displays images at high speed, so that this solution works is not surprising.
 
The second solution is to use a third party RAW converter - namely Adobe Camera Raw 6.7 RC. You can use ACR 6.7 RC to output DNG files for use in Lightroom 4 - which will not support the 5D III natively until a point release.
 
I do not plan to update the color block noise comparison on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review page until Canon corrects the problem because I can see a difference between High Speed and High Quality in my 5D II images. You can too - look for the false color in the "5D II Quick View" example that is not present in the "5D II Edit Window" example currently on the 5D III review page.
 
My case with Canon remains open and has been escalated. I'll let you know when I learn anything new about the 5D III DPP softness problem. Thanks to everyone that contributed to this post.

I've been pouring many hours into adding a set of noise comparisons to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review page, but the road has been a rough one.
 
My first take is that the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is an awesome camera, but Canon's Digital Photo Pro software has made the road to showing you this a difficult one. Let me explain this further on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review page itself.

The Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT Flash and Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter are now shipping in Japan. (thanks John)

I have lowered the pricing on my currently-available used gear for sale - including a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III.

Apple Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.11 is now available for download.
 
Support for the Nikon D800 is the added functionality. The complete list of supported RAW formats can be found here.

Nikon Wireless Transmitter Utility 1.3.1 (Full Version) is now available for download.
 
Support for the Nikon D800 is the added functionality.

B&H now has the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm L IS Lens in stock.

The new Apple iPad 3rd Generation, with a greatly enhanced display, is now available on eBay. Otherwise, the "New iPad" remains unavailable online.

Canon ImageBrowser EX 1.0.1 is now available for download.
 
I introduced Canon's new ImageBrowser EX software back on Mar 11, but the download function was not working. The new software is now able to be downloaded.
 
CameraWindow DC 8.8 and ZoomBrowser EX 6.9.0 Updater are also available for both Mac and Windows users. Mac users will also find PhotoStitch 3.2.6 Updater available.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens is in stock at:
 
Adorama, Beach Camera, BuyDig and OneCall.com.
 
The 5D Mark III DSLRs are also starting to show up on eBay.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Beta is now available for download.
 
From Adobe:
 
First Major Release since April 2010 Packed with New Features and Huge Performance Enhancements
 
SAN JOSE, Calif. — March 22, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® CS6 beta, a preview of what’s to come in the next release of the industry standard in digital imaging, is available as a free download from Adobe Labs. Customers can download the beta, try out the experience and provide feedback to the product team. Packed with groundbreaking new innovations,featuresand incredible performance enhancements, Photoshop CS6 beta is available for the Mac OS and Microsoft® Windows® platforms. The final release is expected in the first half of 2012.
 
“Photoshop CS6 will be a milestone release that pushes the boundaries of imaging innovation with incredible speed and performance,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “We couldn’t wait to share this beta of Photoshop CS6 with our customers and are looking forward to hearing from them and seeing the ways they are incorporating the beta into their daily creative workflows.”
 
New Features in Photoshop CS6 Beta
 
Photoshop CS6 beta demonstrates Adobe’s focus on huge performance enhancements, imaging magic and creativity tools that offer customers a new experience in digital imaging. Key features include new additions to the Content-Aware tools: Content-Aware Patch allows greater control by letting users select and duplicate an area of an image to fill in or “patch” another, and Content-Aware Move lets users select and magically move an object to a new place in the image.
 
In addition, the Photoshop CS6 beta offers all the features of Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended, such as new 3D editing features and quantitative imaging analysis capabilities. These features will be included in the shipping version of Photoshop CS6 Extended when it becomes available.
 
Pricing and Availability
 
The Photoshop CS6 beta is available immediately as a free download in English and Japanese. At installation, users will be required to provide an Adobe ID to complete a one-time login and online product activation. For information on how to install Photoshop CS6 beta, visit www.adobe.com/go/photoshopcs6. Customers can submit feedback via the Photoshop CS6 beta forum. Users can also connect with the Photoshop team via the community-powered site; on Facebook; YouTube; Photoshop.com blog; or via Twitter.
 
More information and resources are available on Adobe's site.
 
B&H carries Adobe products.

B&H has the Lexar 32GB Professional SDHC Class 10 Memory Card for only $24.95 shipped ($10.00 off). Deal ends Friday, 3/23/2012.
 
I have a pile of these cards - they have been working great for me.

The US Army has issued a warning about the hazards of posting geotagged images online.
 
While the warning is primarily targeted at military personnel and their families and friends, the lesson is good for all of us to understand.

Use coupon code S1299330 to get the Manfrotto 7322YB M-Y Carbon Basalt Tripod Legs with Ball Head for only $129.95 shipped at Adorama (regular price is $229.89).

I just received notice from Adorama that they are shipping Canon EOS 5D Mark III preorders today!
 
I suspect that many calendars will be cleared this weekend.

Use coupon code MRN318 to save 10% and get free shipping on refurbished Canon Lenses and Flashes at the Canon Store.
 
Act fast! I don't know when this coupon code expires, and - the refurbished gear at the Canon Store is a good deal normally - the inventory is not going to last with the extra 10% discount and free shipping.
 
Expect like-new gear. Shop here.

The following review-placeholder pages are now loaded with product images, preorder opportunities and links to other information:
 
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review
Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT Flash Review
Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT Review
Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip Review
 
Note that the Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT is only $319.00 at B&H but is priced at $470.00 at Amazon.com. It is unusual for two major retailers to be asking such disparate prices for a new Canon item, so I suspect an Amazon.com price mistake.
 
In the USA, BuyDig.com has started charging credit cards for 5D III preorders. (thanks Laszlo)
 
Check out the CPN site for WFT-E7 Wireless File Transmitter information.
 
Also check out the CPN site for GP-E2 GPS information.

Canon Digital Photo Pro v3.11.10, supporting the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III is not yet available on Canon's site, but the instruction manual is now available for download.
 
Key new features in DPP v3.11.10, aside from 5D III support, HDR (High Dynamic Range), are DLO (Digital Lens Optimizer), Composite Images images and the Map Utility.

B&H has the Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE/ZF.2 Lens available for preorder.
 
Adorama is also accepting preorders.

I have posted some used gear for sale - including a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, Speedlites, Lowepro backpacks, Gitzo ...

From Canon USA:
 
Canon Marks The 26th Consecutive Year Placing In The Top Five Among U.S. Patent Holders
 
Canon Achieved A New Record in 2011 with 2,813 Patents, Ranking Third Overall
 
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 20, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced its parent company, Canon Inc., was granted 2,813 new U.S. patents during the 2011 calendar year, surpassing the company record of 2,543 new patents in 2010. Based on weekly patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for 2011, Canon Inc. placed third overall marking a new milestone in the company's history as one of the top five patent holders worldwide for more than a quarter of a century.
 
"Maintaining a solid dedication to research and development enables us to maximize efficiency, increase precision and ensure a diversified lineup of future products that will continue to solidify our brand," said Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Canon U.S.A. "2011 was a year we overcame numerous challenges; yet our commitment to research and development enabled us to set new records."
 
Patents granted in 2011 continue to drive innovation for Canon Inc. well into the future. To date, Canon Inc. has created core product technologies in fields such as image capture, electrophotography, inkjet printing, lithography, and display as well as common platform technologies including digital processing, production engineering, quality management and environmental technologies.
 
In addition to strengthening and expanding existing businesses, Canon Inc. is committed to the future with a focus on promoting research and development in areas such as medical imaging, intelligent manufacturing and mixed reality. Achieving new advancements throughout a variety of technologies helps to produce a wide range of synergies between products, delivering new value and solutions to customers.

eBay has the refurbished "Motorola XOOM Tablet 3G 32GB Black WiFi Verizon LTE Rdy Honeycomb Android 10.1" featured as a Daily Deal for only $289.99 shipped. "4G LTE upgradeable" - Be sure to read the listing.

From Corel:
 
New CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 Powers Total Creativity and Design
 
Latest Release Features Advanced OpenType Support, Custom Built Color Harmonies, New Page Layout Capabilities, Native 64-bit and Enhanced Multi-Core Support
 
Ottawa, ON - March 20, 2012
 
Corel Corel today announced the launch of CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X6, the newest version of its flagship graphics suite. Featuring a completely revamped typography engine, inspiring new color styles and harmonies, and powerful shaping tools, the new suite offers graphics professionals its most creative and powerful tools to date. With a focus on opening up new creative possibilities for the design community, this major upgrade delivers improved workflow and performance making it even easier for both aspiring and experienced designers to connect with assets, work with leading edge tools and technology, and output their design projects with confidence.
 
"Our CorelDRAW community consistently inspires us with their creativity and versatility. Our members play a central role in helping us determine the essential features and enhancements that will help to accelerate the design process while enabling them to showcase their true design style, ," said John Falsetto, Senior Product Manager for CorelDRAW. "We want to provide our users with all of the tools and options they need to be as creative and productive as possible so that they can share their vision and inspire others through their work."
 
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 Delivers Power and Versatility; Expands Creative Capabilities
 
The following new features, along with numerous time-saving enhancements, are designed to address the needs of CorelDRAW users in a wide variety of industries including sign making, graphic design, fashion/apparel design, wide format printing, marketing, print production, screen printing, awards and engraving, vehicle wrap design, and other businesses of all sizes.
 
New Feature Highlights

• Advanced OpenType® Support: Create beautiful text with advanced OpenType® typography features, such as contextual and stylistic alternates, ligatures, ornaments, swash variants, and more.
• New Custom-built Color Harmonies: Modify colors collectively in a harmony and analyze colors and hues to deliver complementary color schemes.
• New Native 64-bit and Enhanced Multi-Core Support: Quickly process files and images up to 50% faster than before.
• New Creative Vector Shaping tools: Creatively add effects using four new vector shaping tools - Smear, Twirl, Attract and Repel.
• New Styles Engine and Docker: Format with speed and simplify the creation, application, and management of styles for consistent formatting across multiple objects.
• New Website Creator™ X6: Build and manage websites with ease using the Site Wizard, templates, drag-and-drop functionality and seamless integration with XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML.
• New Smart Carver™: Remove unwanted areas from an image while simultaneously maintaining the photo's aspect ratio.
• Improved Page Layout Capabilities: Create design layouts with ease using new and improved Master Layer functionality, Alignment Guides, Interactive frames and much more.
• Redesigned Object Properties Docker: Save time, fine-tune designs and get access to the object settings in one centralized location.

"People are looking for software that produces professional results without the complexity. This is especially important for those who rely on graphic software for their business," said Kathleen Maher, Senior Analyst at Jon Peddie Research. "This is what CorelDRAW Graphics Suite was designed to do, and we see that legacy continuing strong in the new version. Corel has balanced new features that keep the software competitive for experienced designers, but new users can still get up and working quickly."
 
Added Maher: "The latest version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite keeps pace with today's hardware with support for 64-bit memory and multi-core processing. Corel has added significant new features into every module making it a very well-rounded suite of products. Most intriguing, we like the way CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 offers features that straddle traditional boundaries between illustration, design, drafting, and imaging. We are finding more and more people are doing more in their every day jobs and products like CorelDRAW Graphics Suite let them work with one package they can easily learn and grow with."
 
What's Included in CorelDRAW Graphics X6
 
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 includes CorelDRAW® X6, an intuitive vector-illustration and page-layout application; Corel® PHOTO-PAINT™X6, a professional image-editing application; Corel® PowerTRACE™ X6, a utility to quickly and accurately convert bitmaps into editable vector graphics; Corel® CONNECT™ X6, a full-screen browser to search the suite's digital content on a computer, local network, or disc and stock imagery from iStockPhoto® and Fotolia; Corel CAPTURE™ X6, a one-click screen capture utility; and new to the suite is Corel® Website Creator™ X6 for designing and building websites.
 
Users also receive 10,000 high-quality clipart and images; 1,000 new professional high-resolution digital photos; 1,000 OpenType fonts, including premium fonts, such as Helvetica®; 2,000 vehicle templates; 350 professionally designed templates; and 800 frames and patterns. Corel will continue to enhance the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 experience by making more content and functionality available throughout the lifecycle for X6 users.
 
For a full list of everything included in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 and to download a free 30-day fully-functional trial version, please visit www.corel.com/coreldraw.
 
Availability and Pricing
 
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 is now available in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Brazilian-Portuguese and Dutch and can be downloaded from Corel's website at www.corel.com/coreldraw. In North America, the full version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 is $499 (US and CDN) and the upgrade is available for $199 (US and CDN). Commercial and education volume licenses are also available.
 
B&H carries Corel products.

Update: Sold out:
 
Yes, this is the first Canon EOS 5D Mark "III" deal:
 
Adorama has the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS Lens bundled with "SanDisk 32GB ExtremePRO SDHC Memory Card, Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG - Red Giant Adorama Production Bundle for PC/Mac a $599.00 Retail Value" for $4,299.00

From Canon USA:
 
Canon Hollywood Professional Technology And Support Center Now Fully Operational
 
First Canon Facility in the U.S.A. with the Capability to Service All Canon Lens Types Supporting Canon's Cinema, Television and Professional Photography Customers
 
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y./HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 20, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that the Canon Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Center is fully operational, offering comprehensive product repair and support services for Canon's professional products. This is the first Canon facility in the United States with the precision equipment, staff and expertise to repair all Canon professional lens types, including the Company's award-winning EF series photography lenses, brand new EF Cinema lenses, and broadcast and studio lenses. Full repair services for Canon's extensive lineup of cameras, including the new Cinema EOS C300 camera, XF/XA Series high definition camcorders, and professional-grade EOS Digital SLR cameras are also available at the facility.
 
"This is an amazing time for Canon, as just a few weeks ago we started shipping the new Cinema EOS C300 cameras and EF Cinema lenses. As we enter these new and exciting markets, we are proud to offer Canon's convenient, timely and high quality service and support to professionals working in and around Hollywood," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.
 
The Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Center brings Canon's award-winning service and support to Hollywood, serving the growing number of professional cinema, broadcast and television production customers. The facility, located on the historic Sunset Gower Studios lot at 6060 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, provides a local site to foster support, research, service and training for Hollywood's entertainment industry. In addition to product service, the facility acts as a base for Canon's regional operations and provides training and support to industry partners, including dealers and rental houses. The new facility and highly trained Canon staff also offer hands-on Canon Live Learning seminars to current and potential clients on the latest Canon professional products. To learn more about these comprehensive educational offerings, please visit: www.usa.canon.com/proworkshops
 
On-site repair operations include two state-of-the-art camera body and lens adjustment rooms, Canon's most advanced adjustment and calibration equipment, local spare parts inventory, and an experienced repair staff that will return Canon's professional products to their original factory condition and operation.
 
An advance reservation is required for all service and support requests handled by the Hollywood facility. Customers requesting support should call 1 (855) CINE EOS to schedule an appointment. Additionally, as an added benefit for Canon Professional Services (CPS) Platinum and Gold level members, a reservation for support can be made via the CPS hotline 24 hours a day at 1 (888) CPS-4540.

From WD:
 
WD® Ships First 2 TB Portable Hard Drive With Next-Gen My Passport®
 
World's Top-Selling External Storage Solution Gets Capacity Boost, Premium New Design, Improved Signature Features of Security and Automatic Backup
 
IRVINE, Calif., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC) today announced the next generation of its top-selling My Passport® line of portable hard drives, offering consumers a fresh new enclosure design and the first-ever 2 TB capacity in a portable drive. Now available in five popular colors: white, black, silver, blue, and red, with a range of capacities beginning from 500 GB, the new sleeker My Passport portable drives offer digital consumers an appealing array of storage options that reflect their personal style. Additionally, the new My Passport drives offer WD SmartWare™ automatic backup software and WD Security™ for password protection and hardware encryption.
 
With the addition of premium finishes, specially-engineered to make the outer shell more resistant to scratches and fingerprints, the new My Passport external drives feature ultra-fast USB 3.0 connectivity; USB 2.0 compatibility; continuous, automatic backup software; and password protection with hardware encryption. The included software offers the flexibility to customize the drive to a user's storage preferences: installing all features, just the components needed, or using the drive without the software. The new 2 TB model offers massive capacity in an amazing pocket-sized enclosure, affording plenty of secure storage for all of one's photos, video, music and other important files.
 
Given the small form factor and easy portability of My Passport drives, the built-in security features of password protection and hardware encryption help protect files from unauthorized use, making the drives safe data repositories for data while offering peace of mind to busy consumers on the go.
 
"More than money, jewelry and other valuables, the item most missed if ever lost or stolen is one's computer – and everything on it – so our goal in launching the next-generation of the popular My Passport drives is to encourage more consumers to protect their data before something happens," said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. "The new My Passport makes backing up and preserving one's digital life easier, reliable and more secure than ever – it's the perfect blend of monstrous capacity, reliability and user-friendly technology in a sleek form factor, now in five colors."
 
Pricing and Availability
 
My Passport drives come with a 2-year limited warranty and are available online at the WD store at www.wdstore.com and at select retailers and distributors. MSRP is $129.99 USD for 500 GB, $149.99 USD for 750 GB, $179.99 USD for 1 TB, $199.99 for 1.5 TB and $249.99 USD for the new 2 TB edition. Additional information on the My Passport family of hard drives can be found at http://www.wdc.com/en/products/external/portable/.

Update (lens name correction):
 
Adorama has the Tokina 16-28MM F/2.8 ATX Pro FX Zoom Lens and Nikon mount for only $699.00 after $50.00 rebate and $100.00 instant Adorama discount.
 
This deal expires on 3/30/12.

In a post today, Nikon Japan has revealed that the initial inventory is not expected to satisfy initial demand for the D800 DSLR.

Amazon.com has the Transcend 32GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card for only $27 shipped.

James just sent me the first Canon EOS 5D Mark III on-the-street sighting notice:
 
"The 5D3 is in stock and for sale at The Digital Centre, 38 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 1BZ, UK"
 
In stock is the with-24-105 L Lens kit. I'm sure that we will see the 5D Mark III showing up everywhere very soon.

Firmware update v0554 for Mac has been released for the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader.
 
The new firmware adds support for UDMA 7. Again, this is the card reader I use.

Amazon.com has the Transcend 32GB 400X UDMA CompactFlash Card featured as today's Gold Box Deal - only $51.99 shipped (compare at $64.95).

J&R just started accepting Canon EOS 1D X preorders.

Beach Camera has the Sandisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I Card 30MB/s (Class 10) for only $59.95 shipped.
 
The Sandisk 32GB Ultra SDHC UHS-I Card 30MB/s (Class 10) is $32.99 shipped and the Sandisk 16GB Ultra SDHC UHS-I Card 30MB/s (Class 10) is $19.99 shipped.

The Canon Store has the refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR back in stock for only $1,759.20.
 
This camera delivers very impressive image quality for that price.

If you purchased Adobe Lightroom 3 recently (many of you took advantage of the great Lightroom 3 deals), you may qualify for a free upgrade to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.
 
I went in circles with Adobe customer support a few times to find out what the cutoff date was - and Feb 5th, 2012 was the answer. I'm not 100% confident in this date, but it is likely correct.
 
To get your free upgrade, follow the steps outlined on Adobe's Upgrade policy after product announcement page.

The Nikon D800 / D800E owner's manual is now available for download.

Tokina has announced that the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II Lens release has been slightly delayed.
 
The Nikon digital (APS-C) mount version will be released April 6, 2012 and the Canon digital (APS-C) mount version will be released in late July 2012 .

Amazon.com just started accepting Canon EOS 1D X preorders!

The Nikon D4 Owner's Manual is now available for download.

Adorama is accepting Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE Lens (Canon mount) and Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZF.2 Lens (Nikon mount) preorders.

Zeiss has shared a video of the new Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE/ZF.2 Lens:
 

The Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE/ZF.2 Lens has been announced.
 
Zeiss has provided me a production lens for evaluation. Standardized test results along with charts and many product images are available on the Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon T* ZE Lens Review placeholder page.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III Owner's Manual is now available for download. (thanks Sean & Neuro)
 
Preorder your 5D III at B&H, Adorama or Amazon.com.

From Datacolor:
 
Join us for an Introduction to Spyder4 Webinar!
 
Join us for an introduction to the new Spyder4 family of monitor calibrators. Topics covered will include new hardware and software features, expanded functionality, and increased accuracy and precision. We'll discuss new ways to use the Spyder4, including facilitating screen to print match, and using it to calibrate iPads and iPhones with the new SpyderGallery app.
 
Wednesday, March 21th from 3 pm - 4 pm EDT
 
Join us as Datacolor Color Management Experts, David Tobie and David Saffir explain the ins and outs of the NEW Spyder4 technology and software and how it can help you get the most out of your images. No matter how you view them, from monitor, to print, to iPhone getting color managed images is easier than you think with Spyder4.
 
Title: Spyder4: Introduction to New Features and How to Use Them
Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
 
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now!
 
Get your Spyder4 at B&H.

Update: The new Canon ImageBrowser EX software and other updaters are no longer listed on Canon's site. I'll watch for their return.

B&H is now accepting orders for the excellent new Kirk MPA-2 Monopod Head.
 
Product images are available on Kirk's site.

Apple Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.10 is now available.
 
This update adds RAW image compatibility for the following cameras to Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11:
 
Canon PowerShot G1 X
Nikon D4
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX1
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ35
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ38
Samsung NX200
Sony Alpha NEX-7
Sony NEX-VG20
 
For more information on supported RAW formats, see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4757.

B&H has just received more Canon EOS 1D Mark IV bodies into stock. I'm not sure how many times we will see this happen again.

At 3:17 into Canon, Inc.'s Mario Nette video, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens is credited for some of the scenes.
 

 
While the thought of a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens is very fun, it is surely just a typo. We have not even seen a version I Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens yet. (thanks Fredrik)

Standardized test results have been added to the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G AF-S Lens Review placeholder page.

On their blog, Carl Zeiss has posted a teaser about their soon-to-be-announced (and available in May) super-wide angle SLR lens.

Here is another Canon EOS 5D Mark III sample video - this one is from Canon, Inc.: Mario Nette.

From Canon Europe:
 
Canon has announced that Canon Log look up tables (LUTs) for its EOS C300 and EOS C300 PL Digital Cinema Cameras are now available for download to allow for converting Canon Log Gamma footage.
 
The EOS C300 (EF lens mount) and EOS C300 PL (PL lens mount) cameras are part of Canon’s Cinema EOS System and amongst their specifications they offer Canon Log Gamma, which enables neutral image quality with subdued contrast and sharpness for a wider dynamic range (up to 800% or 12 stops of latitude). This allows for more image information to be retained for colour correction and visual effects, hence greater freedom in post-production and colour grading.
 
The EOS C300 and EOS C300 PL Canon Log LUTs are available in three different versions: one for converting from Canon Log Gamma to Video gamma, one for converting from Canon Log Gamma to Cineon gamma, and one for converting from Canon Log Gamma to Rec.709 gamma.
 
To download the Canon EOS C300 Log LUTs just click here and for the EOS C300 PL Log LUTs just click here and select the 'Software (drivers and applications)' option from the menu.

Updated: B&H has posted a nice page for selecting the latest Nikon D3100 & D5100 DSLR and Nikon 1 rebate offers including the combo options.

Adorama is also now accepting Canon EOS 1D X preorders.
 
Initial supplies of the EOS 1D X are expected to be limited. Shipments are expected to begin around the end of April (2012).

Finally! B&H is accepting Canon EOS 1D X preorders! (thanks Kaz)

Apple Aperture 3.2.3 can now be downloaded.
 
What's New in Aperture 3.2.3

• Photos can now be deleted from Photo Stream
• Addresses minor issues related to performance and stability

Included in Aperture 3.2

• Addresses compatibility with iCloud and iOS 5
• Resolves an issue that could cause the "Loading" indicator to reappear in the Viewer when cropping a photo
• Aperture now automatically relaunches into Full Screen mode if the application was in Full Screen mode when last quit
• Pinch-to-zoom gesture now automatically activates Zoom mode in the Viewer
• Left and right swipe gestures can now be used to navigate between photos in the Viewer
• Microsoft Outlook can now be chosen in Preferences as the application used by Aperture for emailing photos
• Fixes a problem that could cause Aperture, running on OS X Lion, to quit unexpectedly when using brushes to apply adjustments
• Loupe now correctly displays magnification levels between 50-100%
• Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture, running on OS X Lion, to display the incorrect color profile on externally edited images
• Import window now includes an option to delete photos from iPhone and iPad after they have been imported into Aperture
• The Lift & Stamp tool now displays the correct cursor icons when being used in Split View and Viewer only modes

The update is recommended for all users of Aperture 3.

From Toshiba:
 
Toshiba to Launch the World-Fastest Class SDHC Memory Cards
 
Starting new brand of SDXC and SDHC memory cards compliant with UHS-I
 
14 Mar, 2012
 
TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it will launch a new line of high performance SDXC and SDHC memory cards under a new brand name, EXCERIA™[1], that will bring to market SD memory cards offering the highest performance levels available.
 
EXCERIA, a combination of "excellent" and "experience" offers cards compliant with the SD Memory Card Standard Ver.3.0 UHS-I[2], and includes versions offering the world-fastest class[3] data transfer speed[4]. The new products will be launched from April in Japan, with distinctive labeling.
 
The SD memory card has emerged as the data storage card of choice in all kinds of personal digital equipment. As the performance of digital equipment has advanced, SD memory cards offering faster data transfer speeds are necessary to support such functions as recording HD movies, continuous image shooting with digital camera and short transfer times when copying data to other devices.
 
Toshiba's EXCERIA SDXC and SDHC memory cards will offer fast data read and write speeds and full compliance with the SD Memory Card Standard Ver.3.0 UHS-I. The minimum recording speed is compliant with UHS speed class 1[5] and SD speed class 10[6]. Products will be launched in three series, EXCERIA Type 1, Type 2 and Type HD, each offering three versions with different capacities.
 
The Type 1 series products integrate new controllers that realize the world-fastest class of data transfers, with a maximum read speed of 95MB per sec and a write speed of 90MB per sec. Type 2 series products offer a maximum read speed of 95MB per sec and a write speed of 60MB per sec, while Type HD products have a maximum read speed of 90 MB per sec and a write speed of 30 MB per sec.
 
Toshiba, a world leader in the NAND flash memory business, will continue to meet market demands by enhancing its line-up of high performance SD memory cards.
 
Get more product information at Toshiba's website.

B&H has the still-elusive Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens and Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens in stock at this moment.
 
They are not cheap, but they are razor sharp. I used the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens with the Canon EF 2x III Extender as a lightweight bird photography lens in Florida last week. The results are quite impressive.

Reuters is reporting that:
 
"Canon Inc aims to cut at least 400 billion yen ($4.84 billion) in costs over four years to soften the likely impact of a strong yen and an economic slowdown in Europe, the Nikkei reported.
 
Canon estimates that the yen's firmness will depress its operating profit by a little more than 100 billion yen from a year earlier, the business daily said.
 
The company plans to use industrial robots to achieve these goals. In addition to increasing the use of industrial robots in toner production, Canon will consider introducing them in the production of interchangeable lenses for single-lens-reflex cameras, the daily reported.
 
In fiscal 2015, Canon hopes to lift its sales to 5 trillion yen or higher, up 41 percent from the year-ended December 2011, Nikkei said.
 
($1 = 82.6700 Japanese yen)"

Very refreshing news in light of Canon's recent DSLR and lens introductions:
 
A reliable source tells me that the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR (both bodies and kits) are in the Canon warehouse waiting to be shipped to retailers perhaps on Friday (3/16). Also, it sounds like the day-1 volume is going to be strong.

eBay has the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook 64GB Tablet featured as a Daily Deal for only $199.00 shipped (Compare at $295.99).

LensRentals.com is now accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III rental reservations. Roger expects April 22nd to be the availability date and that meshes with the date I am hearing from others. Hit the Canon EOS 5D Mark III review placeholder page for preorder opportunities.
 
The Canon PowerShot G1 X is now available for rent. Though it will never replace my DSLRs, I'm really liking this camera.

Firmware update v0554 for Windows has been released for the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader.
 
The new firmware adds support for UDMA 7. This is a great card reader - it is the one I use.

From Corel:
 
Corel Breaks New Ground in Video Editing with Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X5
 
HTML5 Capabilities, Screen Capture, Advanced Performance & Effects Make X5 the Most Comprehensive Version Yet
 
Ottawa, ON - March 7, 2012
 
Today Corel announced the release of Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X5, the most comprehensive version of the company’s award-winning video editing software. VideoStudio Pro X5 breaks new ground with the introduction of screen recording and HTML5 authoring capabilities, multi-core acceleration, and advanced video compositing while still maintaining the key elements that users have come to know and love. With outstanding speed, a robust collection of creative tools, and its user-friendly approach, Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 continues to break down the barriers to video editing, opening the door to truly inspired and diverse productions.
 
“Consumers have come to appreciate VideoStudio Pro for its uncomplicated approach to movie making, speed and impressive creative effects,” said Jan Piros, Senior Product Manager, Digital Media at Corel. “With VideoStudio Pro X5, we’ve furthered our commitment to overall performance and innovation by offering powerful new features and category-crossing tools like screen recording and HTML5. From YouTubers and home video editors, to small business owners and educators, VideoStudio Pro X5 enables a wide range of possibilities in video.”
 
VideoStudio Pro X5 is the first video editor to support HTML5, the innovative web technology that’s revolutionizing online video distribution and consumption. Users can generate hyperlinked on-screen cue and chapter points, graphics and titles, perfect for anyone looking to create a complete interactive on-line video experience.
 
“HTML5 offers a lot of possibilities for consumers who aspire to see their videos integrated onto web sites. Since HTML5 video can be played natively within any browser, it offers a much more robust, flexible solution for developers who have been constrained by funneling content through plug-ins,” said Rob Enderle, President and Principal Analyst of the Enderle Group. “VideoStudio Pro X5 is a pioneer in its category because it marks the first time we’re seeing HTML5 video creation placed in the hands of consumers. This vastly broadens the number of people capable of generating low cost interactive HTML5 multimedia content. This in turn should increase dramatically the rich user generated content integrated into cutting edge web sites.”
 
Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 Offers New Tools for More Dynamic and Interactive Video

• New! HTML5 authoring: Users can now easily create HTML5 videos, complete with hyperlinked on-screen cue and chapter points. As VideoStudio Pro X5 outputs HTML5 videos in both WebM and MPEG-4 (H.264), videos can be displayed in any compatible browser. In addition, users can open and edit their HTML5 videos in other HTML5 authoring applications.
• New! Screen recording: With the new screen recording tools, users can create polished screencasts complete with animations, effects, music, titles and voice-overs. Produce professional training DVDs or export them directly to YouTube™, Facebook®, Flickr®, or formats including MPEG-2, MPEG-4 (H.264) and WebM.
• New! Multimedia tracks: VideoStudio Pro X5 supports up to 21 video or graphic tracks, two title or subtitle tracks, and four audio tracks.
• New! Advanced multi-core acceleration: VideoStudio Pro X5 employs multi-threading to fully harness the processing power of today’s multi-core PCs. By assigning different software procedures to different cores, X5 generates speed gains that are significantly more pronounced than simply enabling the additional memory addressing capabilities of 64-bit systems.
• New! Import multi-layer graphics: Users can now add multi-layered Corel® PaintShop™ Pro graphics to their movies by simply dragging a graphic to the Timeline. VideoStudio Pro X5 automatically adds each layer of the graphic as a separate track in the timeline allowing users to apply effects and filters to individual layers to create unique animation effects.
• New! Canon DSLR support for Stop Motion: VideoStudio Pro X5 provides new support for Canon DSLR cameras for creating stop-motion animations. Users can connect their DSLR to their PC or laptop with a USB cable.
• New! 3D video import: VideoStudio Pro X5 now supports 3D webcam capture; enabling users to easily import and edit 3D video formats, such as Multiview Video Coding (MVC) and Multiple Picture Object (MPO).
• New! Template organization: VideoStudio Pro X5 lets users make movies quickly from templates. The Library now includes an Instant Project tab, which makes templates easier than ever to browse, preview, and select.
• New & Enhanced! Corel® Guide: This web-connected in-product resource delivers 24-7 access to online training videos, templates, help, product updates, additional paid content, training videos and much more.

Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X5 Ultimate
 
Also today, Corel announced the release of VideoStudio Pro X5 Ultimate. For editors looking to take their productions to the next level, this premium version offers a range of high-end plug-ins from proDAD, Boris and NewBlue®, providing users with over $500 in additional value. Thanks to these additions users can add broadcast-quality effects, 2D and 3D titling, apply animated pen effects, and fix even the shakiest video with image correction and video stabilization. VideoStudio Pro X5 Ultimate gives users even more ways to create content-rich and professional looking movies.
 
Availability and Pricing
 
Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 is available immediately as an electronic download (ESD) from www.corel.com in English, Japanese, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. Box versions will be available from Corel's global resellers after March 21, 2012. North American suggested retail pricing (SRP) is $79.99 (US and CDN). Users of VideoStudio Pro X3 or higher are eligible for upgrade pricing of $59.99. Commercial and education volume licenses are also available.
 
VideoStudio Pro X5 Ultimate is also available at www.corel.com and at resellers including Best Buy for SRP $99.99 or $79.99 (US and CDN) for an upgrade. Resellers may sell for less.
 
To download a free fully-functional trial version or for more information about Corel VideoStudio Pro X5, please visit www.corel.com/videostudio.
 
B&H carries Corel products.

Canon has sent an invitation to an event to be held during the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show in Las Vegas. Will the promised new Canon Cinema EOS camera be announced?
 

Canon France has released a Canon EOS 5D Mark III demo video entitled "Eye of the Mind":
 

The Canon Store has a very nicely increased inventory of refurbished Canon Lenses and Flashes right now.
 
Lots of great lenses are available. Expect like-new condition lenses at nicely-reduced prices (thanks Sean).

Lightroom Journal has posted a list of Lightroom 4 Hot Issues.
 
B&H has Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 in stock ($149.00 shipped) and is taking preorders for the upgrade version (only $79.00 shipped).

eBay has the Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR Body featured as a Daily Deal - for only $539.00 shipped (compare at $624.95). Act fast as these deals do not last long.

The Canon Professional Network has posted a new Canon EOS 1D X article: Frits van Eldik on shooting an F1 weekend with the EOS-1D X (thanks Scott).

From Reddit's gynoceros:
 
"FYI- if you attempt to fly with a Giottos Rocket Blower (you know, rubber bulb you squeeze to force air down a nozzle to blow dust off your sensor- no metal, no moving parts), TSA may confiscate it because it "looks like a bomb", no questions asked."
 
Gynoceros' Giottos Rocket Air Blower was confiscated by Newark's TSA. I'm feeling safer already.
 
The good news is that I made it through Orlando, FL and Washington/Dulles TSA with my blower, so this may be a regional issue. (thanks Chris)

Somewhat OT, but still Canon:
 
Through 3/17, use Priority Code 30CALC312 to save $30 on the Canon X Mark I Mouse Slim Wireless (Bluetooth) Calculator and the Canon X Mark I Wireless (Bluetooth) Keypad Calculator.
 
These calculators are regularly $59.99 at the Canon Store. A $20.00 price drop brings them to $39.99 before the $30.00 off coupon brings them to $9.99.
 
I have the predecessor to this calculator and really like it - I ordered the new keypad calculator version at this price.

I'm back from photo-exploring southern Florida - including the Florida Keys, the Everglades, Big Cypress NWR, Corkscrew Swamp Refuge, Sanibel Island, Captiva, Ding Darling NWR, Cayo Costa, Venice Rookery, Caspersen Beach and other great locations in the area.
 
It was a great trip - but exhausting. I'm home and digging into the large email backlog. Thanks for your patience.

Canon has relased ImageBrowser EX 1.0.1 software.
 
From Canon:
 
"ImageBrowser EX is a new image management software program for Canon’s digital cameras and digital camcorders. This software makes managing and searching for images shot with cameras and camcorders very easy. Please utilize the software for editing, printing and sharing images. ImageBrowser EX can be installed simultaneously with ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser. (Even if ImageBrowser EX is installed, ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser will not be uninstalled.) It is required to connect your Canon Camera to the computer, which is connected to the Internet, using a USB cable.
 
Major Functions of ImageBrowser EX
 
(The following functions are available with ImageBrowser EX).
 
- Importing images from a camera* or a memory card. (* Using CameraWindow DC / EOS Utility)
- Displaying images by folder
- Displaying images by shooting date/month/year.
- Displaying shooting information of images
- Editing still images
- Editing movies
- Printing still images
- Uploading images to CANON iMAGE GATEWAY
- Uploading images to Facebook
- Uploading images to YouTube
- Attaching images to e-mail
 
Target images
 
- Images (still/movie) shot with Canon cameras (except for AVCHD movie files).
 
Differences from ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser
 
(Please note that the following functions available with ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser are not available with ImageBrowser EX).
 
- Displaying images in a viewer window
- Backing up images on a CD-ROM
- Exporting images (resizing, wallpaper, screen saver, etc.)
- Changing all file names at once
 
Also newly available at the same URL are:
 
ZoomBrowser EX 6.9.0 Updater
CameraWindow DC 8.8
PhotoStitch 3.2.6 Updater for Mac OS X
 
(thanks Sean & Johnny)
 
Update: As of 3/11/2012 at 12:00 PM EDT, the software links are broken. I have notified Canon USA and expect them to be corrected - but possibly not until Monday.

Use promotion code LENS20 to "Save up to $45 on select Sigma Lenses" at Abe's of Maine.
 
Note that this promotion code is stackable with codes Abesaves5, Loyalty10, & Loyalty15.

Abe's of Maine is now accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body and Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM Lens preorders.

Lightroom Journal has posted a list of additional Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 resources.

Use coupon code S2253456 to get the Flashpoint Stand-alone 4x6" Photo (Document) Scanner for $26.99 shipped (reg $34.99) - "Just feed in the document and it will scan for you."
 
The Creative Light 5' Octagonal Softbox (for Flash or Continuous Lights up to 500 watts, recessed front) is on special for $149.00 shipped (reg $206.00). Deal expires 3/31/12.

Updated: OneCall.com just started accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body and Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM Lens
 
A suggestion for those of you wanting a 5D III ASAP: Include the with-kit-lens version on your preorder list. Canon has occasionally made the with-lens version of their DSLRs available first. Also, the number of preorders for the body-only 5D Mark III FAR outnumber the with-lens version preorders.

According to Adobe, the top new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 features are:

• Highlight and shadow recovery - Bring out all the detail that your camera captures in dark shadows and bright highlights. Now you have more power than ever before to make great images under challenging lighting conditions.
• Photo book creation - Create beautiful photo books from your images with a variety of easy-to-use templates included in Lightroom, and then upload your book for printing with just a few clicks.
• Location-based photo organization - Find and group images by location, easily assign locations to images, or plot a photo journey. Automatically display location data from GPS-enabled cameras and camera phones.
• Extended video support - Organize, view, and make adjustments and edits to video clips. Play and trim clips, extract still images from them, or adjust clips with the Quick Develop tool.
• White balance brush - Get more consistent color across your image in scenes with mixed lighting sources. A flexible brush lets you refine and adjust white balance in targeted areas of your shot.
• Additional editing brushes - Expand your creative control by targeting particular areas of your images using new local editing brushes for noise reduction and moire removal.
• Video publishing - Easily share video clips in HD format on Facebook and Flickr. Or save HD clips formatted for phones, tablets, TV, and more.
• Soft proofing - Save time and ink and help ensure your prints meet your expectations. Soft proofing lets you preview how an image will look when printed with color-managed printers.
• Enhanced online sharing integration - Easily post images to more social media and photo sharing sites like Facebook and Flickr. With selected sites, online comments about your images are visible within Lightroom.
• Emailing from Lightroom - Email images directly from Lightroom using the email account of your choice.
• Importing libraries from other software - Bring the power and elegance of Lightroom to all your images, new and old. Easily import photos from other applications.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is available for immediate download from Adobe.com.

Great news - the Canon DSLR camera, lens and flash rebate programs have been extended through March 31, 2012. Here are the available rebates:
 

Model	Rebate Amount
Canon EOS 7D	$100.00 - $350.00
Canon EOS 60D	$100.00 - $350.00
Canon EOS Rebel T3i / 600D	$50.00 - $300.00
Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D	$50.00 - $300.00
Canon EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D	$50.00 - $300.00
Canon EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM Fisheye Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens	$110.00 - $220.00
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM Lens	$60.00 - $120.00
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens	$200.00 - $400.00
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens	$90.00 - $180.00
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens	$110.00 - $220.00
Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens	$160.00 - $320.00
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Lens	$120.00 - $240.00
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L USM Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens	$120.00 - $240.00
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM Lens	$150.00 - $300.00
Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens	$100.00 - $200.00
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro Lens	$70.00 - $140.00
Canon EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM Lens	$75.00 - $150.00
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Macro Lens	$110.00 - $220.00
Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens	$90.00 - $180.00
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens	$90.00 - $180.00
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens	$60.00 - $120.00
Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens	$65.00 - $130.00
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens	$80.00 - $160.00
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens	$40.00 - $80.00
Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash	$30.00 - $60.00
Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash	$20.00 - $40.00
Canon Speedlite 320EX Flash	$25.00 - $50.00
Canon Speedlite 270EX II Flash	$10.00 - $20.00
Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX Flash	$30.00 - $60.00

 
Updated rebate flyers are available for the:
Canon EOS 60D and 7D
Canon EOS Rebel T3i, T2i and T3
Canon Lenses and Flashes

Adobe has made Camera Raw 6.7 Release Candidate available for download.
 
Newly-supported are:
 
• Canon EOS 1D X
• Canon EOS 5D Mark III
• Canon PowerShot G1 X
• Canon PowerShot S100V
• Nikon D4
• Nikon D800
• Nikon D800E
• More cameras and many new lenses are supported

Order Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 today from B&H, Adorama, Amazon.com or Adobe.com.

From Adobe:
 
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Now Available
 
Innovative Shadow and Highlight Recovery and Enhanced Digital Photography Workflows Mark A Milestone Release
 
SAN JOSE, Calif. — March 6, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 4 software for Mac OS and Windows. Lightroom is the essential digital photography workflow solution helping amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, enhance and showcase their images. First released as a public beta in January 2012, the final version of Lightroom 4 is now available for US$149 for the full version and US$79 for the upgrade, providing an incredible value for photographers. Lightroom 4 introduces refined technology for superior shadow and highlight processing, ability to create photo books, additional local adjustment controls, and enhanced video support.
 
“Feedback from our customers is invaluable in developing Lightroom and the real trick to a great release is to combine these insights with Adobe’s unrivalled image processing innovation,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “Lightroom 4 is a stunning new release that will enhance photography workflows and help photographs stand out from the crowd.”
 
New Features in Lightroom 4
 
Lightroom 4 is a major release, adding significant new capabilities and innovations. New adjustment controls maximize dynamic range from cameras, recovering exceptional shadow details and highlights. The software features new and improved auto adjustments to dynamically set values for exposure and contrast, and additional local adjustment controls including Noise Reduction, Moire and White Balance.
 
Lightroom 4 provides photographers the tools to create beautiful photo books with text controls and a variety of easy-to-use templates, as well as a direct link for photo book creation from within the new Book module. A new intuitive Map module displays images already assigned a location, provides location tagging and reverse geo-tagging controls and saved locations for easy assignment of a photographer’s common locations.
 
Now, native video support gives photographers the capability to play, trim and extract frames from video clips shot on DSLRs, point-and-shoot cameras and smartphones. Video-specific presets and many standard Lightroom image adjustment controls can be applied to video clips, and adjusted videos can be exported as a H.264 file or published directly to Facebook or Flickr*.
 
In the Develop module, presets fully utilize new processing technology and the addition of soft proofing helps photographers tune images in a destination color space to ensure content looks its best. In addition, customers can now email images directly from Lightroom using an email account of their choice.
 
Pricing and Availability
 
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is now available for Mac and Windows at www.adobe.com/store. The estimated street price is US$149 for new users or US$79 for upgrades. For more detailed information about product features, upgrade policies, pricing and language versions, please visit Adobe.com.
 
Users can also connect with the Lightroom team directly on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lightroom), via Twitter (www.twitter.com/lightroom) or on the Adobe Lightroom blog (http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal). For Lightroom how-to videos, visit http://www.youtube.com/lightroom.
 
 
Included in Lightroom 4 is support for the following cameras:
 
• Canon EOS 1D X
• Canon PowerShot G1 X
• Canon PowerShot S100V
• Nikon D4
• Nikon D800
• Nikon D800E
• More cameras and many more lenses are now supported.
 
Lightroom Journal has more information.
 
Thanks to everyone who let me know about the new release - And sorry that I'm late with the news today - I was shooting White Pelicans and Roseate Spoonbills at Ding Darling NWR.

Sorry - this post was supposed to go live at 3:00 AM Fri morning. Poor Internet service apparently prevented it from doing so:
 
I have the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR Camera Review placeholder page live on the site with comparison charts and images.
 
I'll get more information on the site as soon as I can. Thanks for your support!

Adorama is running a 24 hour Canon EOS 5D Mark II Body Kit promotion. This kit includes an "... 8GB CF Memory Card, Spare Canon LP-E6 Battery, Slinger Camera Bag, Flashpoint Professional Battery Grip - FREE: Red Giant Adorama Production Bundle for PC/Mac a $599.00 Retail Value" for $2,199 shipped.
 
The "new" price for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Body is $2,199.00 and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4 IS L USM Lens Kit is now priced at $2,999.00 shipped.

The Canon Store has the refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark II for only $1,759.20.
 
Great price for a still-great camera!

Here is another chance to get on the top of a 5D III preorder list: J&R just starting accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body and Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens Kit preorders.

From the CDLC:
 
Canon Digital Learning Center presents: 5D Mark III and Speedlite 600EX-RT resources
 
New HD video features in the EOS 5D Mark III
 
There's no one single headline feature for HD video recording that separates the EOS 5D Mark III from its legendary predecessor. But what we have is clear evidence that Canon's engineers and designers listened to the requests and suggestions of a critical group of users – HD video shooters. And they've responded, with a variety of refinements and additions that enhance the HD video shooting experience. Image quality is better than ever, control is easier, audio monitoring and adjusting is much more effective, and editing after the shooting is done is easier as well with Time Code and choices of compression method. Learn about the new and improved HD Video Features in the EOS 5D Mark III on the Canon Digital Learning Center.
 
For more information on the new EOS 5D Mark III, please review this article by CPN.
 
Speedlite 600EX-RT: Radio wireless basics
 
In one move, Canon has revolutionized the way photographers work with flash. The use of portable Speedlites has exploded over the past decade, along with the advent of digital SLRs, as photographers realize the advantages of speed, compactness, ease of set-up, travel and more that they provide. Now, the single remaining thing photographers have begged for – for years – is here. Radio-based, wireless flash triggering that's all self-contained within a portable Speedlite. Read all about Canon's new RT system in this in-depth article on the Canon Digital Learning Center -- we'll go over the fundamentals of this exciting new technology, and hopefully plant the seeds in readers' minds about some of the almost limitless potential this new system brings to creative photographers.
 
Canon Professional Services (CPS)
Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Beach Camera and BuyDig.com are now accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III preorders.

The Canon Professional Network has posted more Canon EOS 5D Mark III information.

Jessops is accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III preorders.
 
Sorry - The Amazon international URLs were not correct. I'll blame lack of sleep.

Canon Inc has made EOS 5D Mark III sample images available. (thanks Phil, Sean)

Canon USA, UK and Inc have issued press releases announcing: Canon EOS System Celebrates 25th Anniversary.

Rob Galbraith has posted lots of Chuck Westfall-provided information on the new 5D III.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Camera UK Press Release fills in more information about the new camera.

Canon USA has the complete specifications list for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR Camera live on their site.

Amazon.com is now accepting preorders for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III along with all of the other new accessories.

Adorama is accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body and Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105 L IS USM Lens preorders.
 
Again, order fast if you want one. Remember the crazy prices that the 5D Mark II DSLRs were fetching on eBay when they first hit the streets?

B&H just started accepting Canon EOS 5D Mark III preorders.
 
I expect this camera to be very hard to get for a long time (the 5D II was). I highly recommend preordering immediately if you want one.

Canon has announced the Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Camera, Speedlite 600EX-RT and Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT.

B&H has the Nikon D700 for only $2,199.95 shipped (taking backorders).
 
Adorama is also accepting D700 backorders for the same price.

From Lowepro:
 
Fast access and maximum security
 
Lowepro introduces a large-capacity backpack for sports, adventure and outdoor photographers who carry a 500mm lens.
 
Flipside 500 AW - (Petaluma, CA, March 1, 2012)
 
Lowepro, the leading brand of protective gear for photography equipment and portable electronic devices, unveils a large-capacity outdoor backpack based on the award-winning design of the Flipside series: the Flipside 500 AW.
 
This new pack offers professional sports, adventure and outdoor shooters a mix of premium features to meet their capacity, access and comfort needs as they capture images in a variety of environments.
 
"We designed the Flipside 500 AW for professional photographers who carry a large amount of equipment in crowds, in challenging conditions, and in every corner of the world," said Tim Grimmer, Lowepro director of marketing and product management. "Its low-profile shape combined with capacity for pro-sized gear make this pack an ideal carrying solution for shooting scenarios," he added.
 
As its name reveals, the Flipside 500 AW is built to protect, store and carry a 500mm f/4 lens, plus additional pro-sized equipment in a padded and spacious main compartment. An adjustable divider system makes it easy to organize gear in a variety of configurations. A Hideaway Tripod Mount™ attachment system includes a foot holder, plus sturdy buckle and strap to secure a standard-size tripod or monopod to the front of the pack.
 
A body-side access design serves the outdoor photographer in two practical ways. First, it offers easy access to gear when the waistbelt is secured and the pack is rotated to the front and unzipped. Second, it provides extra security when the pack is worn, as the back-entry compartment is placed next to the body.
 
The contoured shoulder straps and padded waistbelt provide extra comfort and help evenly distribute the weight of a heavy load.
 
Additional features of the Flipside 500 AW include: Lowepro's patented, built-in All Weather AW Cover™ to protect valuable gear and personal items from the elements; a Hideaway Tripod Mount™ system to attach a standard-size tripod or monopod to the outside of the pack; a zippered front storage pocket with plentiful space for a tablet, cables, adaptors, small accessories and personal items; built-in pockets for spare memory; and two SlipLock™ attachment loops to expand carrying capacity.
 
The Flipside 500 AW is available in Black. For more information on this product, other models in the Flipside series and the entire product collection, please contact Lowepro or visit www.lowepro.com.
 
Get your Lowepro gear at B&H.

From Lowepro:
 
Our most compact ILC backpack
 
Lowepro presents an ultra-compact ILC backpack purpose built for the enthusiast photographer who wants to take a complete kit plus tablet everywhere, without a hassle: the Photo Traveler 150.
 
Photo Traveler 150 - (Petaluma, CA, March 1, 2012)
 
Lowepro, a product design company that builds protective gear for photography equipment and portable electronic devices, introduces a modern photo backpack. Lowepro's most compact interchangeable lens camera pack to date, the Photo Traveler 150 hides the fact that it can carry, protect and store a compact DSLR, extra lenses, flash, accessories and a tablet.
 
"We wanted to provide the enthusiast photographer with a compact backpack option they can wear and use in a city, on public transportation and while traveling," said Tim Grimmer, Lowepro director of marketing and product management. "The Photo Traveler 150 fits a complete kit, plus plenty of extras," he added.
 
The roomy interior includes a fully padded and adjustable divider system, making it easy to customize a camera kit for a variety of shooting styles. The pack is built to stand upright, keeping it clean and easy to pack and use as gear storage. A dedicated and padded tablet compartment keeps an enthusiast's extra tech tool within easy reach.
 
Additional features include: stretch-mesh side pockets; SlipLock™ attachment loops to expand carrying capacity; padded shoulder straps and backpad; plus a quick-grab handle. The Photo Travler 150 is available in Mica. For more information about this backpack and other products, please visit www.lowepro.com.

From Delkin:
 
700X CompactFlash Card Built in America for HD Video & RAW Performance
 
Poway, CA. February 29th, 2012 – Today Delkin Devices announces their newest CompactFlash memory card, boasting enhanced performance features that cater to high definition video and RAW DSLR files produced in today’s high-end cameras. The “Made in the U.S.A.” 700X rated cards are unique in their impressive speed ratings, as well as their domestic origin. Unlike standard CF memory cards that are mass-built and boated in from overseas facilities, this card is engineered and built in Delkin’s Poway, CA based facility with carefully controlled components and design. These qualities guarantee seamless compatibility with today’s leading edge imaging equipment and ensure consistently superior performance.
 
The UDMA 6 enabled memory cards offer transfer rates up to 105MB/s and write speeds of 67MB/s, making them ideal for demanding digital SLR applications and video modes such as slow motion recording. “If you’ve experienced dropped frames in high-definition video, lag time while shooting in RAW, or agonizingly long downloads to your computer, this card is going to solve all of that for you,” explains Marketing Manager, Anna Lopez. “Because we build cards primarily for photography, we carefully matched this card’s qualities to the needs that are driven by the latest cameras and camcorders.”
 
The CF 700X cards begin shipping today in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities, with a 128GB shipping within the month. Delkin’s industry leading lifetime warranty & US based technical support accompany the line-up, with image and data recovery offered free of charge. The new cards are now shipping to specialty photography and videography retailers worldwide, and are also available through the Delkin Devices website at the price of $54.99, $99.99 & $224.99 respectively.
 
B&H carries Delkin Memory Cards.

Sorry for the slow email responses - I'm traveling on a photo trip right now (southern Florida). Email is backing up quickly, but I will be working my way through it as time permits. I plan to work long into the night tonight/tomorrow morning.

eBay has the Canon EOS 60D DSLR with EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens for only $899.00 shipped (a Daily Deal).