Canon and Sony News for Mar 2014 (Page 2)

From Custom SLR:

Featuring breathable vents, moisture-wicking fabric and a quick-adjust slider, the Air Strap packs the most comfort and versatility into a lightweight, portable design.

San Francisco, CA – March 25, 2014 – After exceeding its funding goal on Kickstarter, Custom SLR today announced the immediate availability of the all-new Air Strap, a camera strap that does more with less. With breathable vents, moisture-wicking fabric, a quick-adjust slider and universal compatibility, the Air Strap packs all the comfort and features photographers want into a sleek, lightweight design. Today’s announcement follows the completion of Custom SLR’s fifth consecutive successful Kickstarter campaign, in which the Air Strap reached 880% of its funding goal.

"The tremendous interest and support for the Air Strap on Kickstarter shows there is a high demand for a simple yet functional camera strap,” said Ivan Wong, chief operating officer of Custom SLR. “Photographers are looking to upgrade from traditional straps, and want something well-made, feature-rich and comfortable. We are thrilled to offer a premium camera strap at an affordable price."

Following the success of Custom SLR’s award-winning Split Strap, the Air Strap is the lightest and most versatile strap in the company’s growing line of innovative photography products. It is carefully engineered with breathable vents throughout the strap that keep it lightweight and channel heat and moisture away from the shoulder. Perfect for the photographer on the move, the strap introduces a convenient quick-adjust slider that makes it easy to keep your camera secure at your side while maneuvering through crowds and tight spaces, and provides easy access to extend the strap when you need to take a photo.

Unlike other camera straps, the Air Strap has a wider, more ergonomic design that distributes weight evenly on the shoulder to prevent fatigue. It also features a unique swivel buckle that adjusts with your body’s movements, and cushy neoprene padding that absorbs shock. The strap is compatible with most cameras and bags, and adjusts to fit most users. With an optional attachment, it can easily transition to laptop or gym bags for an instant upgrade. Use it with the Custom SLR C-Loop strap mount for a tangle-free camera strap system.

The Air Strap Kickstarter campaign was launched on Nov. 14, and hit its funding goal of $15,000 by the next day. By Jan. 9, it had exceeded its funding goal by more than $100,000, making it the most successful Kickstarter campaign Custom SLR has launched.

The Air Strap is now available at a retail price of $19.95.

Amazon carries the Custom SLR Air Strap

Want to know the history and evolution of Canon's cross-type and high precision AF points? Canon pro Rudy Winston has written a great article for the Digital Learning Center that covers the subject quite thoroughly.

From Canon Digital Learning Center:

"One of the important design goals for Canon’s engineers in developing the new 61-point High Density Reticular AF system in the EOS 5D Mark III and EOS-1D X was to truly optimize the performance of each point on the autofocus sensor. It’s easy to toss around terms, but if a photographer is not clear on what they mean, they may miss out on a lot more than a marketing pitch. Knowing the characteristics of the AF array in these cameras puts the photographer in the position to get the most out of the AF system.

Cross-type AF points: what are they?

Certainly a fair question. And all the more so, because it's not something the photographer can see just looking through the viewfinder. Perhaps the easiest way to answer it is to take a trip down memory lane in AF SLR design..."

Read the information-packed article on the Canon Digital Learning Center. (thanks Stuart)

Canon Australia has published a very cool promo for its #WhatDoYouSee campaign.

From Canon Australia YouTube Channel:

There are over 7 billion of us on our planet, all looking at the world in our own way. But no one sees it like you. #Whatdoyousee?

In the latest tips article to be added to the site, I explain How to Calculate Lens Working Distance.

While this distance is easy to calculate with a tape measure or other distance measurement tool, you can also use the site's Lens Specifications and Measurements tool to obtain this information without leaving your seat.

Those having read the yesterday-posted Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens Review will recognize the discussed formula.

From JOBY:

New flash accessory lets photographers use a stop sign, a fence or a door to dramatically improve photo lighting

SAN FRANCISCO, March 25, 2014 – To create more dramatic lighting effects, photographers use off-camera flashes to avoid the flat images that often result from built-in camera flashes. In order to create more interesting lighting angles, a photographer often requires bulky tools or an assistant to hold the flash in place. With the JOBY Flash Clamp & Locking ArmTM photographers can now quickly place off-camera flashes at unique angles for a more professional look.

"We often see awkward setups with off-camera flashes, such as people holding their flash in one hand while holding their camera with the other, or people wrestling with a light stand or pole. We think that JOBY’s tools, with their ability to adapt to their environment, make for a much more fun and imaginative way of positioning your flashes." said Michael Jue, director of product design at JOBY.

The JOBY Flash Clamp & Locking Arm innovates with a clamp that lets users quickly secure their Canon Speedlite 430 EX II Flash, Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight i-TTL Flash, PocketWizard Plus III, or any other wireless flash to any surface less than two inches (5.08 centimeters) in width. Now, a stop sign can hold the primary key light. To bring more details to shadows, a fence can mount a fill light. To separate the subject from its background, the top of a door can be a backlight platform. The locking arm also has two fully articulating ball joints that position the flash at any angle needed while providing a long-lasting hold. The Flash Clamp & Locking Arm comes with a removable Universal Flash Shoe that can be used on any tripod with a 1/4"-20 screw.

"To achieve good lighting, it’s critical to create the best angles," said Noah Balmer, lead designer at JOBY. "Some people see everyday objects at the shoot as nuisances and obstacles. At JOBY, we see them as photography platforms. Combine a few Flash Clamp & Locking Arm with our GorillaPod Hybrid or SLR-Zoom, and now, the whole world becomes your flash mount."

The JOBY Flash Clamp & Locking Arm retails for $39.95 (US MSRP) and is available for purchase at popular photospecialty retailers and consumer electronics stores. The Universal Flash Shoe can also be bought separately for $4.95 (US MSRP).

B&H carries the JOBY Flash Clamp and Locking Arm and the Universal Flash Shoe.

From the Vocative YouTube Channel:

Kirill Oreshkin likes taking photographs. Selfies, landscapes, the usual stuff—except his shots are captured atop some of the world's tallest buildings.

Once Oreshkin gets as high as the stairs or elevator will take him, he often scales up scaffolding or other parts of the structure. The tallest building he has climbed to date is the Mercury City Tower in Moscow. At 338 meters (about 1,109 feet), it's the tallest in Europe. Oreshkin is one of Russia's extreme urban climbers, known to hang off the edge of buildings by only his fingers. He does all this unsupervised and without any safety gear.

"Using safety measures changes something—no one is going to recognize that you really risked your life," Oreshkin says, adding that he knows what he's doing is dangerous.

Oreshkin's hobby started in 2008, when he began climbing to the roofs of homes and buildings in his neighborhood. He still doesn't do any particular physical training, since he says it's all about having the right mentality. He claims he was nervous about heights at first, and had trouble standing on the edge, which he now does with ease.

"It's no longer about overcoming myself," he says. "I just really like doing it. I like to look and study the city from different viewpoints."

Climbing has become second nature to him. "What's going through my head when I'm up there? Nothing special," he says. "I just try to think about hanging tight and staying alive."

Want to see more of Kirill Oreshkin's work? Check out his his 500px page for more photography from atop Russia's highest buildings.

B&H is hosting "The Wedding Event of the Season" featuring a live broadcast of wedding photography specialists nearly all day.

MORNING SESSION

AFTERNOON SESSION

Just posted: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens Review

This is a nice lens with great image quality. And it has a huge $300.00 instant rebate available right now, making it a bargain.

B&H has the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens in stock.

From the Profoto YouTube Channel:

On March 19, Profoto and Mark Wallace did a live webinar on high-key and low-key lighting. Did you miss it? No worries. The webinar was recorded and is now available as a video.

Profoto hosts free webinars once a month. Click the link to sign up, and we'll send you a friendly reminder when the next one is about to start: http://www.profoto.com/webinar

Note: Be sure to check out Mark's uses of a gobo around the 32 minute mark. It's pretty amazing to see what a few holes in Rosco Cinefoil can do for you.

B&H carries the Profoto B1 500 AirTTL Battery Powered Flash and other Profoto products.

Canon USA has the PowerShot G1 X Mark II User Manual (10.4 MB, PDF - English) available for download. (thanks Niklas)

B&H has the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II Digital Camera available for preorder.

From Photoshelter:

Today, allotting time to your online marketing efforts is essential, so don’t waste the precious time you do carve out for it. Rather than taking guesses about what you should post, implementing a well thought-out strategy and solid plan will help yield a larger online audience, and ultimately drive more business.

In this webinar, professional photographer and digital marketing expert Rosh Sillars will join Allen Murabayashi to discuss tips, tricks, and secrets on how you can create a killer social marketing strategy, reaching new audiences and engaging your followers.

Rosh will answer your questions such as:

• How do I develop a proper workflow for my social media channels?
• Is Facebook still worthwhile?
• Why use Twitter vs. Instagram vs. Facebook?
• Is spending on Facebook ads worth it?
• What kind of content should I share with my online audience?
• What tools can I use to optimize my online workflow?

Date: Wednesday, March 26th
Time: 4:00pm Eastern

Register Now for the free webinar.

Last month B&H posted a great video by the Chicago-based Bob & Dawn Davis Photography called "Speedlites: The Power and Possibilities." Somehow this video initially slipped under my radar – so I'm really glad I found it today.

The video is about 2 hours long but is certainly worth watching if you've got a pair of Canon Speedlites and you're looking for inspiration.

Standard product images for the Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens have been added to the comparison tool.

The link will show the big Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens beside the medium-sized Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens and the smaller Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens.

The Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens review page has addition on-camera product images.

From the Profoto YouTube Channel:

On February 19, Profoto and Mark Wallace did a live webinar on the many different portrait looks you can achieve with just a single light source. Did you miss it? No worries. The webinar was recorded and is now available as a video.

Profoto hosts free webinars once a month. Click the link to sign up, and we'll send you a friendly reminder when the next one is about to start: http://www.profoto.com/webinar

B&H carries the Profoto B1 Battery Powered Flash and other Profoto products.

From Transcend:

March 21, 2014 – Transcend Information, Inc., a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, is proud to announce its launch of SDXC/SDHC UHS-I cards featuring full support for the Ultra High Speed Class 3 (U3) specification. Capable of reaching incredible read and write speeds of up to 95MB/s and 85MB/s, Transcend’s SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 cards provide the performance necessary to harness the full power of UHS U3-compliant digital recording equipment.

Cinema-Quality 4K Video Recording
Recently released by the SD Association, the Ultra High Speed Class 3 specification guarantees a minimum constant write speed of 30MB/s to facilitate cinema-quality video recording. Transcend’s SDXC UHS-I U3 and SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3X “Extreme” cards, however, can achieve at least double this performance with blazing-fast write speeds of up to 60MB/s and 85MB/s respectively. When used with today’s advanced camcorders, such as the Sony 4K Handycam FDR-AX100, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4, and Canon EOS C500 Cinema Camera, these cards ensure smooth 4K video capture in stunning color and clarity.

Quick and Seamless File Transfers
In devices that do not support the UHS-I specification, Transcend’s SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 cards offer constant write speeds of at least 10MB/s (SD Speed Class 10 performance), which makes them perfect for Full HD video recording as well as fast-action consecutive shooting. Pairing the new UHS-I U3 cards with Transcend’s RDF8 USB 3.0 multi-card reader or the handy RDF5 USB 3.0 card reader with built-in USB port significantly reduces the time it takes to transfer data from card to computer with read speeds of up to 95MB/s.

Enormous Storage Space Up to 128GB
Featuring capacities ranging from 32GB to an enormous 128GB, Transcend's UHS-I U3 memory cards are fully equipped to handle the increased capacity requirements of professional photography and filmmaking. For instance, the 128GB SDXC UHS-I U3 card can store more than 20,000 high-resolution JPEG images (12 megapixel camera, 6MB file size), over 8,500 RAW images (based on 14MB file size), or a full 8 hours of 4K Ultra High-Definition footage (4096x2160 35Mb/s H.264 AVC compression). Moreover, Transcend’s SDXC UHS-I U3 cards make extended video recording sessions possible thanks to the use of the exFAT file system that allows users to exceed the 4GB size per file limit of FAT32.

Free Photo Recovery Software
For added value, each Transcend memory card includes a free download of Transcend’s exclusive RecoveRx photo recovery software – an extraordinarily effective tool for bringing back accidentally deleted or lost files. All Transcend memory cards are fully tested for compatibility and reliability, and carry Transcend’s renowned Lifetime Warranty. The SDXC UHS-I U3 cards (R95MB/s, W60MB/s) are available in 64GB (US$49) and 128GB (US$109) capacities, while the SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3X cards (R95MB/s, W85MB/s) are available in 32GB (US$59) and 64GB (US$119) capacities.

B&H carries Transcend memory products.