Canon and Sony News for May 2013 (Page 2)

From Sigma:

The Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM for Nikon is scheduled to start the shipment towards the end of this month.

B&H has the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Lens for Nikon available for preorder.

Necessitating change is that the site's Canon serial number to manufacturing date conversion chart has been falling apart in 2013.

First, I'd like to say "Thanks" to all of you who let me know that your new lens was manufactured at some future date. :) While I jest, I seriously appreciate those of you who did provide that information.

We've been researching the necessary corrections. With your help and with the help of Lensrentals.com, I have updated the Canon Lens Date Code Chart

While I'm not positive that the new numbers are 100% accurate, they are definitely better than before. And with your help, we will continue to dial them in to perfection (if perfection is indeed possible).

From Canon:

New Facebook Application Showcases Full HD Movie Print Technology to Turn Videos and Stills into High-Quality, Personalized Comic Strips

MELVILLE, N.Y., May 23, 2013 Starring in a comic strip isn't just for superheroes anymore. Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the launch of Canon PIXMA Comix, an interactive new application found on the Canon U.S.A. Facebook page, that empowers fans to create fun, personalized photo comic strips to print and share with friends or share socially. Highlighting the Full HD Movie Print technology found in My Image Garden software, this application brings users' adventures to life.

Whether it's video of a friend surfing a giant wave, photos of a baby's first steps, or photos and video from the annual summer barbeque, Canon PIXMA Comix allows users to utilize up to six images to create a personalized comic strip. The images can be uploaded from photo albums or as stills pulled from an uploaded video stored on your computer or Facebook page. With creative options including comic strip templates, photo filters including fish-eye, toy camera and poster effects, various font styles, and the ability to select comic-style speech and sound effect bubbles where text can be added, the application provides the platform to create unique, personalized comics. After creating a comic, users will have the opportunity to print the final product to display and enjoy, or post and share within their social network.

"The Canon PIXMA Comix application enables photo and video enthusiasts to easily apply comic book styling to their images, and share their story," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. "We always strive to enhance the Canon consumer experience, and with this application, it's easy to get creative with a home printer by printing personalized comic strips to enjoy for years to come."

Canon's Full HD Movie Print technology allows users to select and print individual frames of a video, so every special moment - captured via camcorder or digital camera - can be enjoyed as an individual image.

For those who opt to print their comic through the application, Canon is offering a special promotion, which will be available through the Canon Direct Store.*

To create a personalized comic strip, visit Canon PIXMA Comix at www.PIXMAComix.com. To learn more about the full line of Canon PIXMA printers, please visit www.usa.canon.com/PIXMA.

The usual color block noise and ISO 12233 resolution chart image quality samples have been added to the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 / 100D Review page (scan down below the first chart on the page).

Compare the tiny SL1's noise results with the T4i (=T5i), 60D and 5D Mark III (which is of course in a different class). Compare resolution with a large number of other Canon DSLR cameras.

05/22/2013

123 new lens / camera combinations have been added to the DxO Optics Modules library, providing support for Carl Zeiss, Pentax, Sony, Sigma and Tamron lenses for Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Pentax, Samsung and Sony cameras.

To see supported and planned combinations, click on the link below then select the second tab.

Supported or planned combinations

New DxO Optics Modules:

Canon | Fujifilm | Nikon | Pentax | Samsung | Sony

B&H carries DxO Optics Pro.

B&H has the Tascam DR-07 Mark II Digital Audio Recorder available for $116.37 with free shipping. Compare at $149.99.

Amazon also has the Tascam DR-07 Mark II Digital Audio Recorder available for the same price.

Thoughts from a long-time Flickr user:

I [Sean] have been a Flickr user since December 2007. For most of that time I have had a Pro membership. I believed the Pro membership was a valuable tool for backing up my best images. If I wanted to keep an image safe, as well as show it off to the world, I uploaded it to Flickr. It's been great for that purpose.

I was on Flickr a couple of times yesterday. I uploaded several images from recent photography sessions in the morning. At that time, Flickr was normal. When I went back to the site to check for recent activity later that day, the "new and improved" Flickr hit me over the head like an iron skillet. The changes were anything but subtle.

Instead of the clean-looking interface of the past, my Flickr photostream page had a larger profile picture, a banner, and a new photostream layout. At first glance, it's actually kind of eye-pleasing. But now a lot of the information I wanted to be presented to people visiting my page has been buried.

Things I'm not fond of:

• Titles and captions of your images do not show up on your photostream; the title only presents itself if you hover over an image in the new layout. One you click on an image, the title is placed at the far left underneath the image, and only a line or two of the captions visible. I spent a significant amount of time on the captions of many of my images - I want the caption (and title) to have a more prominent position on the image page.
• Sets are no longer visible on your photostream page unless the viewer clicks "Sets." In order for a viewer to see a subset of my photostream (Portraits, Bridal, Senior, etc.), they have to know to click on "Sets." Before, the sets were displayed on the right-hand side allowing the categories to be much more obvious to the user.
• You have to change your profile picture because the previous version was saved at a lower resolution. As the image I used for my profile picture is still in my photostream, why didn't Flickr simply use the same area of the image I had already chosen to automate the process of updating the profile picture? Instead, I had to wade through my images and create the profile picture all over again.
• The process for creating a banner is less than ideal.

1. First, you either have to use an existing image from your photostream or you have to upload an image to your stream if you want to use it for the banner (or be stuck with whatever default banner Flickr gives you). But what if I don't want my custom-made banner to be on my photostream? To do that, I'd have to upload an image and change its property to "Private." At that point, I can still make it my banner, but it won't show up to other people viewing my profile. That said, the image is still viewable to me and it clutters up my own personal view of the photostream.
2. Second, if I did want to create an image specifically for my banner, where is the information on sizing requirements?
3. Third, apparently, you can only select one of your "Recent" photos to serve as your banner. I originally tried to create a banner using an image I had uploaded in 2009 – no can do. In order for me to use that image, I would have to upload the image to Flickr again (placing it in my photostream), set it as the banner, and then delete the duplicate image. Why can I not navigate to an image in my stream and set it as the profile or banner picture from within the image's page?

• If you were logged into Flickr, the home page used to display recent activity. Now, the homepage shows you huge images uploaded by your contacts. To get to the recent activities page, you have to go to different link (http://www.flickr.com/activity). Can Flickr give me the option to bring up the "Recent Activities" page when I go to flickr.com?
• Flickr has changed its pricing structure and the benefits of each level. I liked the older, simpler structure better - Free or Pro.

Things I like:

• Flickr released an updated Android app at the same time it rolled out major changes to the website. The app as long been neglected by Flickr, so I'm glad to see resources devoted to its development. In my opinion, the app has improved greatly. It's significantly faster, and the viewing experience is certainly better. However, it's still not perfect. Navigation isn't as intuitive as I think it needs to be.
• Giving 1 terabyte of storage to free users is a step in the right direction.

Those are my thoughts having spent a couple of hours with the new Flickr. It seems that Flickr decided to copy the look and feel of Google+; so far, I can't say that I'm a fan of the changes. After I get more familiar with the interface, I may enjoy it more. But for now, a lot of the changes are hard to swallow. I didn't cover the details of the new membership plans, but you can read about them here.

Let us know what you think on our Facebook Page.

Nikon has published firmware updates for the D700, D300 & D300s DSLR cameras. The updates add support for the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens.

From Nikon:

Modifications enabled with this upgrade of firmware, release date May 21, 2013

• Support for the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR has been added.

Installation Instructions

Nikon D700 - Windows | Macintosh
Nikon D300* - Windows | Macintosh
Nikon D300s - Windows | Macintosh

* NOTE: Installation instructions for the D300 are identical to the instructions for the D300s.

Firmware Downloads

Nikon D700 Firmware A:1.04 / B:1.03 - Windows | Macintosh
Nikon D300 Firmware: A/B 1.11* - Windows | Macintosh
Nikon D300s Firmware: A/B 1.02** - Windows | Macintosh

* NOTE: This update is for the D300 model only, and not the D300s. Do not attempt to upgrade the D300 with this firmware.
** NOTE: This update is for the D300S model only, and not the D300. Do not attempt to upgrade the D300 with this firmware.

B&H carries the Nikon D300s DSLR camera.

From Nikon:

Nikon COOLPIX P7700 firmware v1.2 is now available for download.

Modifications enabled with this firmware upgrade

• When shooting with shooting mode set to M (manual) with Flash, and the ISO sensitivity set to Auto, ISO 80-200, ISO 80-400, or ISO 80-800, ISO sensitivity was sometimes not locked at ISO 80 and a different ISO sensitivity was sometimes applied. This issue has been resolved.

Download

Nikon COOLPIX P7700 Firmware 1.2 - Windows | Macintosh
Installation Instructions (PDF) - Windows | Macintosh

B&H carries the Nikon COOLPIX P7700.

ISO 12233 chart image quality samples and vignetting test results are now available on the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens review page.

Compare this modestly upgraded lens to its predecessor, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens.

Update: 18-55mm STM Lens Distortion test results are also now available.

From Yahoo:

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) and Tumblr announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement for Yahoo! to acquire Tumblr.

Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business. David Karp will remain CEO. The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators.

With more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day, Tumblr is one of the fastest-growing media networks in the world. Tumblr sees 900 posts per second (!) and 24 billion minutes spent on site each month. On mobile, more than half of Tumblr's users are using the mobile app and do an average of 7 sessions per day. Its tremendous popularity and engagement among creators, curators and audiences of all ages brings a significant new community of users to the Yahoo! network. The combination of Tumblr+Yahoo! is expected to grow Yahoo!'s audience by 50 percent to more than a billion monthly visitors, and to grow traffic by approximately 20 percent.

The deal offers unique opportunities for both companies. Tumblr can deploy Yahoo!'s personalization technology and search infrastructure to help its users discover creators, bloggers, and content they'll love. In turn, Tumblr brings 50 billion blog posts (and 75 million more arriving each day) to Yahoo!'s media network and search experiences. The two companies will also work together to create advertising opportunities that are seamless and enhance the user experience.

Total consideration is approximately $1.1 billion, substantially all of which is payable in cash.

"Tumblr is redefining creative expression online," said Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer. "On many levels, Tumblr and Yahoo! couldn't be more different, but, at the same time, they couldn't be more complementary. Yahoo is the Internet's original media network. Tumblr is the Internet's fastest-growing media frenzy. Both companies are homes for brands - established and emerging. And, fundamentally, Tumblr and Yahoo! are both all about users, design, and finding surprise and inspiration amidst the everyday."

"I've long held the view that in all things art and design, you can feel the spirit and demeanor of the creator. That's why it was no surprise to me that David Karp is one of the nicest, most empathetic people I've ever met. He's also one of the most perceptive, capable entrepreneurs I've ever worked with," continued Mayer. "David's respect for Tumblr's community of creators is awesome. I'm absolutely delighted to have him join our team."

David Karp, CEO of Tumblr, addressed the Tumblr community, "Our team isn't changing. Our roadmap isn't changing. And our mission — to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve — certainly isn't changing. But we're elated to have the support of Yahoo! and their team who share our dream to make the Internet the ultimate creative canvas. Tumblr gets better faster with more resources to draw from."

The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the second half of the year.

"This is The-Digital-Picture.com's Weekend Recap for the week ending May 18th, 2013

In the news...

On Tuesday, Nikon announced their fastest mirrorless lens yet – the 1 Nikkor 32mm f/1.2. The new lens features a silent wave motor (SWM) and a manual focus ring, a first for 1-series mirrorless lens. The lens is scheduled to be available in June.

Also on Tuesday, Canon announced the development of a new picture style called “Video Camera X-series Look.” The new picture style is aimed at video shooters and captures video with lower contrast for easier color grading in post.

And to wrap up Tuesday’s news, Canon officially announced the long-awaited Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with built-in 1.4x Extender. When the lens hits the shelves later this month, it will carry an MSRP of $11,799.00. We have one on pre-order and are anxious to see how it performs.

On Thursday, Think Tank Photo announced the Logistics Manager 30 rolling camera bag. The Logistics Manager 30 features over 3,500 cubic inches of storage, robust carry handles, and lockable security zippers. And, if you’re interested in one of Think Tank Photo’s high-quality camera bags (including the Logistics Manager 30), use the links on our site to receive a free gift with your purchase of $50.00 or more.

In site news and reviews...

On Monday, Bryan posted his review of the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Lens. The publication of this review was significantly delayed because of the difficulties involved in obtaining an optimal copy of the lens. However, once a good copy was obtained, the lens produced results with impressive image quality. As the Tamron 24-70mm VC is unique in this focal range with built-in stabilization, it will certainly prove useful to those who are successful in obtaining the best of what Tamron has to offer.

Also this week, we’ve added drop-down menus to the site’s menu bar to allow for faster access to the site’s most popular content. We hope you enjoy the small change.

And, for our deal of the week…

On Saturday, we posted a deal from DigitalRev where you could get a Canon EF 70-300mm IS USM Lens for $379.00. That’s more than a 40% savings off the normal retail price.

This has been the The-Digital-Picture.com’s Weekend Recap. Thanks for listening, and as always, happy shooting!"

Roger Cicala from Lens Rentals has published a how-to guide for removing dust from the following lenses:

1. Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 AF-S (Many Nikon “D” primes)
2. Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS (Canon 24-105, 24-70 f/4 IS, 24-70 f/2.8 II)
3. Canon 85mm f/1.2 L
4. Canon 85mm f/1.8 (Canon 100m f/2)
5. Canon 70-200 f/2.8 NON IS (Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS I and II)
6. Canon 100-400 IS L (Canon 28-300 IS L)

From LensRentals Blog:

"I [Roger] get asked about 15 times a week, 'How can I get the dust out of my lens?' The right answer is you don’t. All lenses have dust in them and it doesn’t affect the images at all 99% of the time. Even if you clean it all out, it will be back after you use the lens a few times.

There are occasionally times that large dust specs very near the rear element are visible in an image, though. There also is the very real issue of resale value; a dusty lens tends to bring a lower price than one without much dust. The right answer in these cases is “send it in for factory service, they’ll disassemble it and clean it.” Doing it yourself is risky.

After I give all of those answers, a lot of people tell me they have an old lens no longer under warranty, not worth the cost of sending it in for factory cleaning, and they are really handy and want to do it themselves. For those people, we’ve put up this post showing how to get dust out of some fairly easy to reach locations."

See Roger's full guide for cleaning your lens. Be sure to read all the warnings carefully before trying this yourself.

From Adobe:

Camera Raw 8.1 and DNG Converter 8.1 Release Candidates are now available. This release includes support for HiDPI capable displays, bug fixes, new camera support, and new lens profiles.

Photoshop CS6 customers traditionally have received camera updates through Camera Raw 7.x releases. This is the first time that we are providing camera support through a version of the camera raw plug-in that is a whole version number greater than the version of Camera Raw that shipped with a specific version of Photoshop. (Photoshop CS6 shipped with ACR7 and now we’re providing support to CS6 with ACR8.) As mentioned here, this change allows us to be consistent with our past policy of providing raw support for currently shipping products. However, when ACR8 is hosted by Photoshop CS6, it will not offer any of the new features described in Photoshop CC marketing materials for ACR8.

New Camera Support in the Camera Raw 8.1 Release Candidate

• Hasselblad H5D-60
• Olympus PEN E-P5
• Olympus PEN E-PL6
• Phase One IQ260*
• Pentax Ricoh GR
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G6
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LF1

* denotes preliminary support

New Lens Profile Support in the Camera Raw 8.1 Release Candidate

Release Notes

Camera Raw 8.1 RC includes support for HiDPI capable displays.

Getting Started

1. Download the Camera Raw 8.1 and/or DNG Converter 8.1 release candidates
2. Quit out of Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Bridge.
3. Open the download file and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Ask questions or share your feedback in the Camera Raw forum

Download

Camera Raw 8.1 Release Candidate - Windows | Macintosh
DNG Converter 8.1 Release Candidate - Windows | Macintosh

B&H carries Adobe Photoshop CS6.

From Think Tank Photo:

We just released a new version of our popular large capacity rolling camera bag, the Logistics Manager 30. The rolling case’s endless interior layout options adapt to numerous equipment combinations and help manage all of the logistics of transporting and using a lot of gear while on location.

Its roomy internal dimensions of 13.75”W x 27.5”H x 8.25 – 10”D (35 x 70 x 21 – 25.5cm) allow it to hold multiple combinations of cameras and lenses, lighting gear such as strobes and reflectors, and accessories of all kinds.

Key Features

• Holds and transports all types of gear on location.
• Organizer side pocket for various equipment.
• Interior pockets for extra organization.
• Two clear accessory bags included for miscellaneous items.
• Quickly deployable roller handle.
• Large front organizer pocket.
• Expandable front pocket for large items.
• TSA-approved main zipper lock for added security.
• Tripod cup, strap, and rain cover included.

The Logistics Manager 30 answers a question often asked by working photographers: ‘How can I transport all of my gear into the field, have quick access to it, and secure it from loss or theft? We took the design and engineering principles we pioneered in our line-up of award-winning rolling camera bags and applied them to this very roomy pro photographer logistics solution.

Specifications

• Internal Dimensions: 13.75”W x 27.5”H x 8.25 – 10”D (35 x 70 x 21 – 25.5cm)
• External Dimensions: 15.75”W x 30”H x 11.5”D (40 x 76 x 29cm)
• Weight: 16 – 20 lbs (7.3 – 9.1 kg) (depending on accessories used)

Note: Use the links from this site to get a free gift with your purchase of $50.00 or more at Think Tank Photo!

From Metz:

The extensive range of Metz accessories has just been expanded with the addition of new extremely useful components. Both amateur and professional photographers alike can benefit from the versatile soft boxes which are now available in stores. The Metz soft boxes are perfect for product, portrait and passport photographs. They swathe the subject in soft and even mood lighting. The practical soft boxes can be folded up and stowed in a carry bag which is included as standard – making transportation easy. The following models are available: Easy soft boxes ESB 60-60 and ESB 40-40, Mini soft boxes SB 30-20, SB 22-16 and SB 18-15 as well as Mini Octagon soft boxes SB 34-34, SB 20-20 and SB 15-15. The flash unit holder FGH 40-60 is perfect for attach-ing Easy soft boxes to flash units and for achieving the optimal positioning of the air-cushioned lighting tripods LS-247 and LS-200.

Soft mood lighting with Easy soft boxes and accessories

Easy soft boxes ESB 60-60 and ESB 40-40, which can rotate by 360°, are perfect for smaller product and portrait photographs. They ensure soft, even mood lighting and can easily be attached to a compact flash unit using the flash unit holder FGH 40-60. The flash unit holder can in turn be attached to the air-cushioned lighting tripods LS-247 and LS-200 for optimal positioning with respect to the photo subject. For even more precise lighting control, a front and rear diffuser is also included with the Easy soft boxes as standard. Thanks to the supplied adapter, both Easy soft boxes can also easily be connected to all studio flash units with a Bowens-compatible bayonet. After the photo shoot the Easy soft boxes can be folded up conveniently by the user and stowed in the supplied carry bag.

Mini and Mini Octagon soft boxes for soft light

The Mini soft boxes SB 30-20, SB 22-16 and SB 18-15 as well as the Mini Octagon soft boxes SB 34-34, SB 20-20 and SB 15-15 are all ideal for smaller product, passport and portrait photographs. Photographers can use the folding Mini and Mini Octagon soft boxes to swathe their subjects in soft and harmonic lighting. The Mini and Mini Octagon soft boxes can very easily be attached to any compact flash unit using a Velcro strap. The integrated rear diffusers within the Mini and Mini Octagon soft boxes allow for even more creative light diffusion. After the photo session, the Mini and Mini Octagon soft boxes can be stowed and transported in their practical accompanying bags.

Quality by Metz

Metz develops products which satisfy the standards of tomorrow, today. The use of advanced technology in conjunction with innovative functions ensures that Metz products can always be relied upon. Our know-how and experience also guarantee technical perfection for the future.

Technical specifications for Easy soft boxes with accessories

Easy soft box ESB 60-60

• Dimensions: 60 × 60 cm
• Includes front and rear diffuser and carry bag

Easy soft box ESB 40-40

• Dimensions: 40 × 40 cm
• Includes front and rear diffuser and carry bag

Flash unit holder FGH 40-60

• Adapter between compact flash units and Easy soft boxes
• Adjustable flash shoe height
• Can be attached to Metz lighting tripods LS-247 and LS-200

Lighting tripod LS-247

• Maximum height: 247 cm / load: 3 kg
• With air cushioning

Lighting tripod LS-200

• Maximum height: 200 cm / load: 2.5 kg
• With air cushioning

Technical specifications for Mini soft boxes

Mini soft box SB 30-20

• Colour: white
• Dimensions: 30 × 20 cm
• Includes rear diffuser and carry bag

Mini soft box SB 22-16

• Colour: white
• Dimensions: 22 × 16 cm
• Includes rear diffuser and carry bag

Mini soft box SB 18-15

• Colour: white
• Dimensions: 18 × 15 cm
• Includes rear diffuser and carry bag

Technical specifications for Mini Octagon soft boxes

Mini Octagon soft box SB 34-34

• Colour: white
• Dimensions: Ø 34 cm
• Includes rear diffuser and carry bag

Mini Octagon soft box SB 20-20

• Colour: white
• Dimensions: Ø 20 cm
• Includes rear diffuser and carry bag

Mini Octagon soft box SB 15-15

• Colour: white
• Dimensions: Ø 15 cm
• Includes rear diffuser and carry bag

B&H carries Metz products.

The Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x Lens Review page has been updated to incorporate the newly-available information about this lens.

Links to the USA and UK press releases, the development announcements and also to some early user reports are provided.

I am very optimistic about the image quality that this lens is going to deliver and excited about what this lens will do for me.