Canon and Sony News for Dec 2014 (Page 3)

From Profoto:

Get a perfect exposure at any aperture or shutter speed with Profoto's new solution for high-speed sync

December 15, 2014 – Up until now, HSS solutions have been either consistent but lacking in speed and power, or fast and powerful but inconsistent. On December 15, Profoto releases a new solution that has all of the benefits and none of the limitations.

High-Speed Sync (HSS) is the technical term for syncing flash with shutter speeds shorter than the so-called x-sync, typically 1/250 of a second. It is a useful tool for controlling ambient light and for freezing action. But there used to be limitations.

Current solutions for speedlights give you a fairly even exposure. But it does so at the expense of speed and power. Previous solutions for larger flashes were faster and more powerful. But the exposure could differ as much as 2 f-stops in a single shot.

Profoto’s new HSS solution for the B1 Off-Camera Flash has all of the benefits and none of the limitations. The B1 itself is about ten times as powerful as the average speedlight and fast enough to keep up with your camera. With the new HSS upgrade installed, you switch to HSS Mode with a simple button-press. You will then be able to shoot at shutter as fast as 1/8000 of a second.

But it does not stop there. Profoto HSS is a unique, patent-pending technology, providing an extremely fast series of flash pulses. What this means in practice is that you get an extremely consistent exposure with no measurable variation over the image.

In other words, Profoto HSS is fast, powerful and consistent. This opens up completely new light shaping possibilities for Profoto customers. For instance, you can now shoot with a large aperture in bright conditions to get a shallow depth of field and get that perfect deep blue sky. Or capture super crisp action in mixed light conditions without getting motion blur from ambient light.

Profoto HSS works for both Canon and Nikon and has been tested for all common camera models.

Profoto HSS is available through a firmware upgrade. Go to www.profoto.com and download it for free. Once installed, HSS Mode is activated with a simple button-press. It is very easy, and there is no need to change the flash bulb. Also note that you can use Profoto HSS with TTL, making it fast and easy to do fast paced action shots or daylight backlit portraits with large apertures.

B&H carries the Profoto B1 Off-Camera Flash and Air Remote TTL Trigger.

B&H has started shipping preorders for the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. If you preordered early, you may be getting a shipment notice soon (if you haven't already).

From Photoshelter:

Make 2015 count with tips from 50 photo influencers!

In The Inspiration Handbook: 50 Tips from 50 Photography Trailblazers, award-winning photographers, recognized photo editors, and leading industry experts share their best advice to make 2015 a knockout year.

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• Growing your photo business
• Marketing your photography
• Mastering social media
• Embracing personal projects
• Understanding your finances
• Getting hired

You’ll hear from some of the most influential names in the business including David Burnett, Ami Vitale, Joe McNally, Zack Arias, Brad Smith, Alison Zavos, Jodi Cobb, David duChemin, Jeremy Cowart, and more.

Get the Free Guide

From Adobe:

Acquisition to Deliver Vibrant Image and Video Marketplace for Creatives Worldwide

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Dec. 11, 2014 — Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Fotolia, a leading marketplace for royalty-free photos, images, graphics and HD video, for approximately $800 million in cash. Fotolia will be integrated into Adobe Creative Cloud, providing current and future Creative Cloud members with the ability to access and purchase over 34 million images and videos, significantly simplifying and accelerating the design process. The acquisition of Fotolia cements Creative Cloud’s role as a vibrant marketplace for creatives to buy and sell assets and services as well as showcase their talent to a worldwide audience. Adobe also plans to continue to operate Fotolia as a standalone stock service, accessible to anyone.

“The acquisition of Fotolia will reinforce Creative Cloud’s role as the preeminent destination for creatives,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media, Adobe. “Creative Cloud is becoming the go-to marketplace for the creative community to access images, videos, fonts and creative talent, through critical creative services like Fotolia and our new Creative Talent Search capabilities.”

With over 3.4 million members, Adobe Creative Cloud features the world’s leading desktop tools, an array of complementary mobile apps, training content, creative assets and services and ready access to a dynamic community. Creative Cloud is transforming how creatives find inspiration and deliver their best work -- and the value of Creative Cloud is increasing all the time through product updates and new capabilities like Creative Talent Search. Following the completion of the acquisition, Adobe expects to integrate the delivery and purchase of stock assets into Creative Cloud.

“Becoming part of the Adobe family is a dream come true for the Fotolia team and will accelerate our vision to become the best place for artists to build a business and the ultimate destination for designers to find stunning creative work,” said Oleg Tscheltzoff, founder and CEO of Fotolia.

Founded in 2004, with offices in New York, Paris and Berlin, privately-held Fotolia is owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., TA Associates and management. Fotolia currently operates in 23 countries and has websites in 14 languages.

The transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of Adobe’s fiscal Q1 2015, is subject to certain regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The potential financial impact to Adobe of this transaction is not reflected in financial targets Adobe has previously provided, or new targets disclosed as part of Adobe's financial results, released on December 11, 2014. Until the transaction closes, each company will continue to operate independently. Upon close Fotolia CEO, Oleg Tscheltzoff, will continue to lead the Fotolia team as part of Adobe’s Digital Media business.

From the Adobe Lightroom Journal:

Camera Raw 8.7.1 is now available as a final release for Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop CC. This release includes support for the Sony ILCE-A7M2 and also includes a bug fix related to support for the Samsung NX1 camera. DNG Converter 8.7.1 is provided for customers using versions of Photoshop older than Photoshop CS6.

As mentioned here, updates to Camera Raw 8 for Photoshop CS6 only include new camera support, lens profile support, and bug fixes. The new features listed in the release notes are only available in Photoshop CC.

New Lens Profile Support in Camera Raw 8.7

• Fixed issues with chromatic aberration specific to the Samsung NX1.

Please note – If you have trouble updating to the latest ACR update via the Creative Cloud application, please refer to the following plugin installation:
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/camera-raw-plug-in-installer.html

Download Links
DNG Converter 8.7 for Windows
DNG Converter 8.7 for Macintosh

If I had to limit my Canon full frame DSLR kit to only five lenses, they would be:

1. Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens

This lens has many uses, but I do a lot of landscape photography and regard this as the ultimate wide angle landscape lens. The angle of view this lens makes available ranges from ultra-wide through only modestly wide and it delivers very sharp (corner-to-corner) images that make me smile every time I view them.

2. Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens

The 24-70mm focal length range is my most-used and having a general purpose lens in my kit is important to me. There are some other good choices for this lens, including the 24-70 f/2.8L II and the 24-105 f/4L. If I had only 5 lenses in my kit, I would want my general purpose lens to have IS and the 24-70 f/4L IS has the most-recent/most advanced IS system at this time. This lens has a much higher maximum magnification spec (for macro capabilities) and less distortion at 24mm than the 24-105 L IS (which has a longer focal length range to its advantage). I can't do justice to a list of uses for this lens.

3. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens

The 70-200 f/2.8L IS II gets my easy choice for a medium telephoto zoom lens. It delivers very impressive image quality even at a wide open f/2.8 aperture with the capability to create a strong background blur. This lens excels at sports action and portrait photography. It is highly popular with photojournalists and wedding photographers. Landscape photography is another great use for this lens.

4. Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens

I love wildlife photography and there is no better general purpose wildlife lens than this one. This focal length range, moderately wide aperture and fast AF qualifies this lens for professional-grade sports photography. This is not a small, light or inexpensive lens, but ... I didn't set a budget limit for my "5 Lens Kit". :)

5. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

I also love macro photography, for which interesting and colorful subjects abound. Macro subjects are readily available around the house, at the flower shop, outside ... there is never a lack of something to photograph with a macro lens in the kit. The Canon 100 L has very impressive image quality and the hybrid IS feature makes this lens easier to use and especially easier to frame at high magnification subject distances.

And then I would start saving to add the lenses I'd still feel lost without. :)

The above-listed lenses are my choices for use on a full-frame DSLR. For an APS-C DSLR model, I would swap #1 for the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens and #2 for the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens.

What are your most important "5"?

B&H is expecting to ship Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens preorders beginning this Friday, December 12. We have received reports that the lens is already showing up in the European market (Netherlands). (thanks Rob)

What is a Custom Mode?

A Custom mode is a camera setting that allows the photographer to instantly recall a saved camera setup configuration by simply turning the top dial (or via a button press and dial turn on the 1-Series models) to one of the designated "C" modes. Most of us have go-to, most-used camera settings for at least one photography scenario and spending a few minutes to program a custom mode for this use can be a great time-saver and a move that can even save the day if those settings are needed immediately.

Canon's mid and high-end EOS DSLR cameras have between one and three Custom ("C") modes available. For example, some EOS **D models (the EOS 70D and EOS 60D) have one Custom mode and the EOS 6D Mark II and EOS 80D have two. Canon's high-end models, including the EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 5Ds, EOS 5Ds R, EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 1D X, have three "C" modes. This feature has typically been omitted from the lower-end Rebel (***D and ****D) series cameras.

How to Configure a Custom Shooting Mode

Configuring a "C" mode is very easy. Simply adjust all of your camera settings as desired for the "C" mode being programmed and then find and select the "Custom shooting mode" menu option located in the "Tools" tab. Next, select "Register settings". If more than one "C" mode is available on your camera, the mode number desired must then be selected. Done. That's it. That "C" mode is programmed.

Two other "Custom shooting mode" menu options are available. The first is "Clear settings". I don't recall ever using this one. I simply program over the top of an already configured "C" mode if I want to make a change and haven't felt a need to clean up any no-longer-needed "C" mode.

The other available option is "Change Auto update set". While a "C" mode is being used, camera settings can be changed. When "Change Auto update set" is set to "Enabled", any camera setting changes made while in a "C" mode are saved to the respective "C" mode. The camera will retain the new settings even after being powered off. When this option is set to "Disabled", the camera will revert back to the originally programmed settings when the camera powers off. My cameras all have this feature set to "Enabled". "Enabled" requires a little more attention to the as-last-configured settings when beginning to shoot, but ... I found "Disabled" to be somewhat maddening and requiring even more constant attention.

Bryan's Custom Mode Settings

I am generally using camera models with three Custom modes and I have a standard configuration that I use on all of my cameras. Being configured identically means that it doesn't matter which camera I am using, I know which Custom mode to use when the configured-for situation presents itself. That configuration and the thought process behind it as follows:

Custom Mode 1: Landscape and Still Life Photography

I am very frequently shooting landscape and still life subjects from a tripod and my typical settings for such photography are programmed into "C1". My selected exposure mode is "M". I generally leave the aperture set to f/8-f/11 (full frame) or f/8 (APS-C) to plan for as much depth of field as I can get without compromising sharpness (due to diffraction). The shutter speed I need varies widely when I'm in "C1" mode. It is usually set to whatever shutter speed I last used and usually needs to be set for the current situation, accomplished by simply rolling the top dial. My "C1" ISO is set to 100 for the least noise possible.

In "C1", I have One Shot AF mode selected along with a single AF point. Key for ultimate image sharpness is that mirror lockup and the 2-sec self-timer are selected (I often use the mirror lockup and 1-sec timer combination made available in the 5Ds R). With the mirror automatically raising a second or two before the shutter release, all vibrations, including those caused by my shutter release button press, subside before image capture begins.

I usually have Long Exposure Noise Reduction enabled in "C1".

While "C" modes are great for setup speed, my "C1" needs are not usually happening fast. Still, having this configuration readily available saves me a lot of setup time. Convenience has a lot of value.

Custom Mode 2: Action Photography

The action photography I do, especially including sports action, has general overarching camera setting requirements that lend themselves perfectly to a "C" mode.

My most-used standard camera mode is "M" (Manual), and this mode is also what I have "C2" programmed for. I use "M" mode for about 97% of my photography with "Av" (Aperture Priority) mode picking up most of the remaining mode use (most often when shooting under rapidly changing light levels when I have little concern for shutter speed). My "C2" is programmed for manual exposure settings that include a wide-open aperture, an action-stopping 1/1600 shutter speed and Auto ISO. If light levels are constant, I usually change the ISO to a specific setting at the venue.

My "C2" is configured for AI Servo AF with a single AF point selected along with the surrounding points assisting and the camera's highest speed burst drive mode selected. With AI Servo selected, the higher end cameras have a set of focus performance parameters that can be adjusted and I typically leave the default, Case 1, selected for these. If shooting under very low light (such as an indoor gym), I select a slower/longer shutter speed, accepting some modest motion blur in some situations for a lower/cleaner ISO settings to be used.

Having an action mode ready for immediately use has great benefits that include being able to properly photograph a suddenly-fast-moving subject that was near motionless just moments before.

Custom Mode 3: Wildlife Photography

I formerly used "C3" to store situationally-dependent camera settings, programming this mode as-needed at each event venue with this strategy working well. Also, I formerly used "C2" for photographing wildlife along with sports action and this strategy also worked well. But, I eventually decided that I wanted slightly different AI Servo focus parameters for wildlife photography and decided that using "C3" to store my most-often-used wildlife settings made sense. I usually have enough to think about in the field and this preset reduced the need to remember one more setting change.

Basically, my "C3" is programmed identically to my "C2" with the exception that Case 4 is selected as my set of AI Servo AF Parameters. AF Case 4 better accommodates erratically moving subjects and has for me produced a better AI Servo AF experience for this type of photography than Case 1, optimized for more-general-purpose needs. I should note that, because I am most often using a single AF point with the surrounding AF points in assist mode (not using the AF point auto switching feature), AF Case 6 should produce identical results to AF Case 4. And, AF Case 3, with an even slightly higher tracking sensitivity, stands to be another good AF Case option for wildlife photography.

Basically, I program the camera for "C2" and "C3" at the same time. Then, with "C3" selected on the mode dial and "Change Auto update set" enabled, change the AF case to 4. Done.

You are using your camera's custom modes, right?

The variation of camera setup needs between photographers can be dramatic and your setting needs are likely not the same as mine. But, you likely have some most-encountered scenarios that could be covered by custom modes. Determine what those needs are and program your custom modes to best cover them. They will be available for instant recall and you will be less-likely to forget a setting change needed in those situations.

If your camera's "C" modes are not your most-frequently-used camera mode settings, give some thought to making ones that suit your needs.

From the SmugMug Films YouTube Channel:

You've never seen space like this. This short film gives an inside look at how NASA Astronaut Don Pettit captures breathtaking images of Earth's most famous phenomena - aurora, star trails, city lights, and more - from the inside the International Space Station.

Read our interview with Don on our blog. See his photos up close.

From Outdoor Photographer:

Award-Winning Photographer Now Holds Four of the Top 20 Most Expensive Photographs Ever Sold

"LAS VEGAS – Today, LIK USA announced the sale of the most expensive photograph in history by world-renowned fine art photographer, Peter Lik. 'Phantom' sold to a private collector for an unprecedented $6.5 million. The purchase also included Lik’s masterworks 'Illusion' for $2.4 million and 'Eternal Moods' for $1.1 million. With this $10 million sale, Lik now holds four of the top 20 spots for most expensive photographs ever sold. He already has a position in the ranking with a previous $1 million sale of famed image, 'One.'"

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

Running a financially sound business can often feel like a fine balancing act between pursuing passion vs. profits. Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned photographer, owning and running a full-time photography business requires that know how to make money and be profitable. Binita Patel shares her insights on how to MAKE MONEY as a full-time photographer.

The presentation will cover the following topics:

• Defining the Value of Your Work
• Selling: Pitching vs. Catching
• Pricing and Packages
• Understanding Your Finances
• Achieving Profitability

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

"Since its introduction in the original EOS 7D back in 2009, most high-end Canon EOS DSLRs have offered the ability to reduce the size of an AF point. Spot AF, as it’s called, reduces the size of the AF sampling area at the AF sensor and means that AF can be performed on a more isolated part of a subject or scene. Examples of this might include being able to focus right on the eye that’s closest to the camera in a tight portrait, or on a small drop of water or dew on a flower in a macro shot.

We’ll explore this useful focus option in this article, highlighting strong points like those listed above, as well as its limits and when it may not be the optimal choice."

Cameras Featuring Spot AF

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Canon EOS 5D Mark III
• EOS-1D Mark IV (note: possible only via Custom Function, when AF Stop button on a compatible EF super-tele lens was depressed)
• Canon EOS-1D X

Just posted: Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens Review

If you have an APS-C/1.6x body, you are probably going to want to add this lens to your kit. The 24 STM is the excellent bargain we expected it to be.

B&H is accepting Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens preorders.

This lens is in stock at Adorama and the Canon Store.