Canon and Sony News for Nov 2015 (Page 2)

 Thursday, November 19, 2015

From Triggertrap:

  • Dozens of photographers gathered in five cities across the globe to capture a single day in their city
  • The resulting timelapse video is an incredible look at the hustle and bustle of life in a 21st century city
  • Over 65,000 individual frames were captured across the five events

This autumn, Triggertrap–creators of the world’s most intuitive timelapse tools–brought together photographers from all backgrounds in London, New York, San Francisco, Milan, and Cape Town for a series of one day timelapse events, to create an ambitious crowdsourced timelapse study of these five cities.

LapseWorld invited photographers to capture a series of timelapse clips from their own unique perspective on the cities they call their own. The photographers captured over 65,000 frames between them, amounting to almost an hour of video footage. These clips were assembled to form LapseWorld - a three-minute film highlighting the hustle and bustle, atmosphere, diversity, and pace of the five featured cities. Each city is also featured in its own separate timelapse movie, highlighting what makes that city unique within its country and continent.

Working alongside EyeEm in San Francisco, Apromastore in Milan, OmegaBrandess in New York, and Sunshine Co in Cape Town, LapseWorld provided a unique opportunity for Triggertrap to host five individual events almost simultaneously, bringing together photographers of all skill levels and backgrounds to create a collaborative timelapse project.

With guidance from Triggertrap’s tutorial videos, inspiration from Triggertrap Spotlight photographers, and Triggertrap’s affordable and intuitive kit, anyone can learn to create beautiful videos charting change across minutes, hours, days, and even months. Anyone who feels inspired by LapseWorld and would like to get involved with timelapsing–and maybe event feature on Triggertrap’s future crowdsourced international timelapse videos–should follow Triggertrap on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and, of course, take a look at triggertrap.com!

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Triggertrap News
Post Date: 11/19/2015 5:26:19 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Wednesday, November 18, 2015

From the Canon Professional Network:

"What makes a good food photo?

Showcasing the dish’s best traits is essential to any successful food image. Its colors and textures are the key details that make you want to take a bite, so you want to have them all clearly in focus.

Food photography trends change as often as fashion trends and the more you can familiarize yourself with what industry leaders are doing, the more successful your images will be. Take a look at the websites and feeds from companies like Williams-Sonoma, Martha Stewart, Food & Wine, Donna Hay (Australia), Bon Appetite, Sur La Table, etc. and see what color schemes are of the moment. Is it the light bright or is it moody and based in shadow? Is the food messy and broken up, strewn about the plate, or is it tidy, tight and neat? Does the food have a homemade appeal or does it look highly constructed by a professional chef? Is the look attainable or aspirational? Are the props simple or highly stylized? Is the food the focus or is the scene and story that the props create more significant? As you continue to pour though these publications and ask yourself these questions, your eye will become stronger and your own imagery will improve."

Read the entire article on the Canon Professional Network.

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Posted to: Canon News   Category: Canon Professional Network
Post Date: 11/18/2015 8:25:46 AM ET   Posted By: Sean

Nikon has announced that it is working on the next iteration of its top-of-the-line DSLR. No details – including specs, a release date or MSRP – were provided in the release.

Wouldn't everyone assume Nikon is working on the next version of its highest-end DSLR? I'm still trying to figure out why they thought this information was ripe for dissemination. :-/ [Sean]

From Nikon:

TOKYO - Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce that it is developing the Nikon D5 digital SLR camera, which represents the next generation of professional Nikon FX-format models.

The new Wireless Transmitter WT-6 and Speedlight SB-5000, which will be positioned at the top of Nikon's Speedlight lineup, are also being developed.

Through the combination of this next-generation professional camera offering an even higher level of performance, these advanced accessories and the rich lineup of existing NIKKOR lenses, Nikon is pursuing further possibilities for imaging expression.

* Details including release date and suggested retail price for this product have not yet been determined.

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Post Date: 11/18/2015 7:18:40 AM ET   Posted By: Sean

From Canon:

TOKYO, November 18, 2015—Canon Inc. announced today the achievement of a new camera-manufacturing milestone as combined production of the Company's film and digital EOS-series interchangeable-lens cameras surpassed the 80-million mark on November 10, 2015. The 80-millionth EOS camera produced was an EOS 5DS R, which boasts the world's highest pixel count in its class.

Production of Canon EOS SLR cameras began in 1987 at Canon Inc.'s Fukushima Plant (now Fukushima Canon Inc.), later moving to such production bases as Oita Canon Inc. and Canon Inc., Taiwan. Production rapidly increased following the spread of digital SLR cameras in the early 2000s and the Company is now commemorating a new milestone: the production of its 80-millionth EOS camera.

EOS, which stands for “Electro Optical System,” is also the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn. Introduced in March 1987 as a new generation of AF SLR cameras, EOS cameras were the world's first to incorporate an electronic mount system enabling complete electronic control not only between the lens and body, but throughout the entire camera system.

Canon manufactures all key components employed in the EOS series, enabling the Company to achieve an even more robust product lineup by selecting the optimal sensor for each model. Drawing from this strength, Canon has helped to pioneer a new age for cameras by launching such innovative products as the compact, lightweight EOS Kiss (EOS Rebel XS or EOS 500 in other regions), which succeeded in expanding its user base, and the EOS 5D series, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year.

As a result, the Company has successfully maintained the No. 1 share worldwide within the interchangeable-lens digital camera market for the 12-year period from 2003 to 2014. Furthermore, thanks to the strong backing of users over the years, Canon's EF interchangeable lenses, launched alongside the EOS SLR camera system, celebrated a new manufacturing milestone in June 2015 with the production of the 110-millionth EF-series interchangeable lens for EOS cameras, setting a new world record for the most interchangeable lenses produced.

Canon will continue to refine its diverse imaging technologies based on its core optical technologies, striving to produce exceptional and reliable lenses and cameras that cater to the varying needs of photographers—from first-time users to advanced amateurs and professionals—while contributing to expanding the culture of photographic and video imaging.

B&H carries Canon EOS cameras including the EOS 5Ds R.

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Posted to: Canon News   
Post Date: 11/18/2015 5:17:08 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Tuesday, November 17, 2015

From Adobe:

Camera Raw 9.3 is now available through the update mechanism in Photoshop CC and the Creative Cloud application.

As mentioned in an update to our camera support policy here, Camera Raw 9.3 is only available in Photoshop CC or later. Customers using older versions of Photoshop can utilize the DNG Converter for continued camera support.

New Camera Support in Camera Raw 9.3

  • Canon EOS M10
  • Canon PowerShot G5 X
  • Canon PowerShot G9 X
  • Fujifilm X-T1 IR
  • Leica SL (Typ 601)
  • Sony RX1R II (DSC-RX1RM2)

New Lens Profile Support in Camera Raw 9.3

MountName
Canon EFCanon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo
Canon EFSIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A015
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 1.4/50 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2/35 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2/50M ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2/100M ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2.8/21 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Otus 1.4/28 ZE
Canon EF-MCanon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
Nikon FNikon AF NIKKOR 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF
Nikon FSIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A015
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 1.4/50 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2/35 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2/50M ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2/100M ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2.8/21 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Otus 1.4/28 ZF.2

*Only Canon and Nikon mount lenses are displayed here. For the full list, check out the post on the Adobe Blog.

Fixed Bugs:

  • Improved quality of spot healing. Specifically, the improvement in image quality occurs in how the patched content is blended into its surroundings.
  • Fixed bug with panorama merge that could cause blend artifacts. This bug usually manifested as a highly darkened area and highly brightened area separated by a straight line (not necessarily associated with image content).
  • Fixed bug that caused variable-exposure panorama merges to appear over exposed.
  • Fixed bug that caused panorama and HDR merges shot with some Leica cameras to appear black.
  • Fixed a crash in the Merge preview dialog when switching from Perspective to another projection mode.
  • Fixed option/alt-key visualization for Basic panel sliders in GPU mode.
  • Fixed lens profile automatic matching logic for SIGMA 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC HSM (Pentax K mount).
  • Improved distortion and vignette corrections for Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM.
  • Improved speed of Dehaze feature. Specifically, minimize the delay that occurs when turning on Dehaze for the first time on a given image.

Download Links

Camera Raw 9 – Please select Help>Updates to use the update mechanism in the Creative Cloud app.

Direct download links: Mac | Win

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

DNG Converter 9.3: Mac | Win

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Categories: Adobe News, Adobe Camera Raw
Post Date: 11/17/2015 3:17:53 PM ET   Posted By: Sean

From the Adobe Blog:

Lightroom CC 2015.3 / 6.3 now available

Lightroom CC 2015.3 and Lightroom 6.3 are now available on Adobe.com. The goal of this release is to provide additional camera raw support, lens profile support and address bugs that were introduced in previous releases of Lightroom. This release also restores the Import experience available prior to Lightroom 6.2.

Thank you for all your feedback and passion for Lightroom.

New Camera Support in Lightroom CC 2015.3 / 6.3

  • Canon EOS M10
  • Canon PowerShot G5 X
  • Canon PowerShot G9 X
  • Fujifilm X-T1 IR
  • Leica SL (Typ 601)
  • Sony RX1R II (DSC-RX1RM2)

New Tethered Camera Support in Lightroom CC 2015.3 / 6.3

  • Canon EOS 5DS
  • Canon EOS 5DS R
  • Canon EOS T6i / 750D
  • Canon EOS T6s / 760D

New Lens Profile Support in Lightroom CC 2015.3 / 6.3*

MountName
Canon EFCanon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM
Canon EFCanon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x
Canon EFCanon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM +2.0x
Canon EFCanon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo
Canon EFSIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A015
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 1.4/50 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2/35 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2/50M ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2/100M ZE
Canon EFZeiss Milvus 2.8/21 ZE
Canon EFZeiss Otus 1.4/28 ZE
Canon EF-MCanon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
Nikon FNikon AF NIKKOR 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF
Nikon FSIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM A015
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 1.4/50 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 1.4/85 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2/35 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2/50M ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2/100M ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Milvus 2.8/21 ZF.2
Nikon FZeiss Otus 1.4/28 ZF.2

*Only Canon and Nikon mount lenses are displayed here. For the full list, check out the post on the Adobe Blog.

Fixed Bugs:

  • Fixed several instability, functionality and performance issues introduced in Lightroom CC 2015.2.x/6.2.x.
  • Fixed a bug that caused edits made and saved in Photoshop or 3rd party plug-ins to not appear in the Develop module.
  • Fixed a bug related to user default for Chromatic Aberration Correction no longer honored after new Import option was removed.
  • Fixed several bugs related to Panorama Merge.
  • Fixed a bug so that Rotated photos will correctly show as rotated when in Full Screen view.
  • Fixed a bug that caused a performance slowdown when creating Standard sized previews on high resolution monitors.
  • Fixed a bug that caused image previews to be incorrectly displayed as completely black after import if “Auto Tone” is on in preferences.
  • Fixed a bug that caused crash when using the Radial or Graduated Filter.
  • Fixed a bug that caused Palette, a 3rd party hardware device, to stop working with Lightroom.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the Map module to appear pixelated and photos to be dropped in the wrong place when using hi-dpi monitors on Windows.
  • Fixed a bug related to Full Screen that prevented you from exiting Full Screen view while using the Spot Healing Tool.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the Flickr Publish Service to improperly publish multi-word keywords.

Installation Instructions

Please select Help > Updates to use the update mechanism in the Creative Cloud app.

For customers that started using Lightroom in 6.2, please click here for an orientation to Import.

Direct Download: Windows | Mac

The Creative Cloud Photography Plan (Photoshop CC & Lightroom CC) is an excellent value at only $9.99/mo.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Adobe News
Post Date: 11/17/2015 3:09:16 PM ET   Posted By: Sean

From Photoshelter:

An in-depth look at over 35 photo contests worldwide!

For the third year running, we’re excited to release The 2016 Photographer’s Guide to Photo Contests.

We’ve partnered up with the World Photography Organisation to give you a fresh look at more than 35 photo contests worldwide. Get insights on which contests we recommend, a rundown of fees, promised exposure and prizes, plus feedback from past winners.

Get details on photo contests, including:

  • Red Bull Illume Image Quest
  • World Press Photo Contest
  • PDN Photo Annual
  • Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Awards
  • National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
  • Astronomy Photographer of the Year
  • Aperture Portfolio Prize
  • Plus many more!

Also read two exclusive interviews with photographers who won the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards.

Get the Free Guide

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photoshelter News
Post Date: 11/17/2015 11:47:04 AM ET   Posted By: Sean

B&H has Microsoft Office Home & Student 2016 for Windows available for $114.95. Regularly $149.95.

Product Highlights

  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft OneNote
  • OneDrive Cloud Storage
  • Windows Compatible
  • 1-User License, Product Key Code

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Microsoft Deals
Post Date: 11/17/2015 11:37:24 AM ET   Posted By: Sean

Did I ever find the 600mm angle of view too narrow when photographing bears in Coastal Katmai National Park? Sure, that's why I had the 100-400mm L IS II lens mounted on a second body and ready for immediate use. When I saw action moving closer, I would quickly switch cameras and continue shooting. The gap between 600mm and 400mm usually meant that I could begin using the 100-400 maxed at the 400mm end with plenty of time before I needed to begin zooming out.
 
But, I didn't always make the right choice. Sometimes, something unexpected happened. When the 600mm choice was wrong, sudden movement taking the bear out of ideal framing was usually the reason. Or, something happened at the border of the frame, such as another bear coming into view. The result was that I have some frames that are cropped too tightly in camera and this was one.
 
Really, I would never have guessed that a salmon was going to leap out of the water this high while in such a small stream (quite a feat actually) and that the leap would be this far ahead of the bear, but ... the unexpected is certain to happen on occasion.
 
The too-long focal length problem is not limited to the 600mm focal length. Even full-frame-mounted 100mm was slightly too long for some enormous brown bears that approached very closely (well under 20').
 
The big question is: "What do you do when your focal length is too long?"
 
It is far more common to be focal length limited on the long end and recovery in that situation is simple: crop. Though cropping reduces overall image resolution, it is usually better than having an important part of the scene missing.
 
The solution to being focal length limited on the wide end: shoot a panorama. If you ever find your lens framing a photo framed too tightly, shoot multiple images and merge them into a panorama later.
 
Planned or Unplanned
 
Here is the key for wildlife and other action photography: the panorama technique is not limited to very intentionally captured still life/landscape images. Even if you have a subject in motion and can't recreate the original subject pose, a panorama can sometimes be created. A frame with a cut-off in motion subject can be hard to recover, but adding border space to a fully contained subject is often easy.
 
As immediately as possible after the capture of a frame needing more border, switch the lens to manual focus and the camera to the last-used exposure settings while retaining the selected focal length (easy with a prime lens). If the focus distance and/or focal length changed after the primary photo was captured, do your best to reset them. Then photograph enough additional images to cover the framing that was missing in the original image. Back at the computer, merge the images together in Photoshop or your favorite image editor.
 
Fortunately in the case of my Katmai National Park brown bear and leaping salmon, I was able to take another frame from the burst and merge the two together. While Brooks Falls is known for salmon leaping toward bears standing at the top of a falls, capturing salmon leaping away from pursuing brown bears was one of my biggest goals in coastal Katmai National Park. When I saw this capture meeting my goal, I knew that the extra time required to piece a panorama together was going to be worth taking.
 
Apply this technique to your own photo subjects. Did you photograph your kid kicking the winning goal in the soccer match but not leave enough border on one or more sides of the frame? Another frame in the capture sequence may hold that missing border. If not or if you are not sure, capture a couple of additional identical-settings frames to work with later. It may even be possible to go back at a later time or date to recreate the missing portion of the frame (with similar lighting strongly desired).


A larger version of this image is available on Flickr, Google+ and Facebook. Also, if reading from a news feed reader, click through to see the framed image. If you find these tips useful, please share them in your circle of friends!

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 11/17/2015 10:28:32 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

From Canon:

We’ve had lots of feedback about irista, and later this month we’ll bring some big improvements:

Faster
Adding new photos to irista will be much quicker.

Easier
Zooming through time will be more fun, with our simpler design.

Better organised
Duplicate photos you add will be automatically removed and your photos will always be displayed by the date taken.

Mobile
Free up space on your phone by automatically saving all your phone’s photos to irista with our iOS and Android apps.

Shared
Easily create and share collections with friends, whether they use irista or not.

There’s a sneak peek of the new version here at http://preview.irista.com. And some answers to questions here.

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Posted to: Canon News   
Post Date: 11/17/2015 8:42:03 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Monday, November 16, 2015

From Nikon:

New York Tops the List with Most Number of Photographs Submitted

November 12, 2015 – MELVILLE, NY – Nikon has announced New York state as this year’s top spot for fall foliage photography. The results come after a national crowdsourced campaign on Nikon’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels, where community members submitted their photos showing off their state’s best spots to photograph the dramatic yearly experience.

From the golden aspens of the West to the blazing orange maples of the East, Nikon received more than 2,000 submissions from participants across the country. The result is a curated collection of some of the most stunning American foliage landscapes, featuring dramatic valleys in the rolling morning mist, epic winding roads and hidden waterfalls.

“Across the country, this is an exciting time of year as many people head outdoors to experience fall foliage and its incredible colors,” said Lisa Baxt, Associate General Manager of Communications, Nikon Inc. “Nikon was thrilled to be the catalyst that encouraged people to capture and share beautiful images of their autumn experiences.”

New York State (#NikonFallNY) secured the top spot this year with the most amount of photographs submitted. Through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, New Yorkers shared photos showing off the state’s gorgeous foliage and vast landscapes. Notable stunning submissions came from the Adirondack region, the Hudson Valley and the Letchworth State Park area of western New York.

Both Pennsylvania (#NikonFallPA) and North Carolina (#NikonFallNC) trailed closely for the top spot this year. Pennsylvania’s vast forests and beautiful valleys were the subject of many great foliage photos, particularly from Northeastern PA and the Pocono Region. Breaking out of the northeast, North Carolina ranked in the top three states with an impressive number of submissions. Beautiful images of both the natural features and winding portions of North Carolina’s gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway were popular subjects from community members.

For a view of all of the submissions on Instagram and Twitter, search the hashtag #NikonFall, followed by the state’s abbreviation. On Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/NIkonUSA to view the submissions.

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Posted to:    Category: Nikon USA News
Post Date: 11/16/2015 10:00:30 AM ET   Posted By: Sean

From Tamrac/Gura Gear:

Gura Gear is now Tamrac. One vision. One focus. One purpose.

At Gura Gear, we've always had one vision: to carry your photography dreams to the ends of the earth. Gura Gear developed a bit of a reputation for camera bags that are durable, beautiful, functional and capable of traveling to the ends of the earth. We are not interested in resting on our reputation.

To grow and spread our ideas to a wider audience, we bought Tamrac in 2014, a brand with a nearly 40 year heritage and a global network. Now, we've taken the best of Gura Gear and injected it into the all new Tamrac.

Introducing the new Tamrac G-Elite series. Built on Gura Gear's DNA, the all new G32 and G26 introduce tougher, lighter fabrics and new features – like that laptop sleeve you all have been clamoring for – and kept all the things you love like feather light bags that protect your equipment from the overhead compartment all the way to the land rover.

Gura Gear lives on as Tamrac G-Elite. The apex of volume efficient, lightweight camera carrying.

Where is Gura Gear going? The same place it has always gone – to the ends of the earth.

The Tamrac G-Elite bags will be available soon from authorized retailers.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Categories: Gura Gear News, Tamrac News
Post Date: 11/16/2015 9:31:50 AM ET   Posted By: Sean

Image quality results have been added to the Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 Lens page.

This lens is almost as beautiful as the Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Milvus Lens.

B&H has the Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 Lens in Canon mount in stock with the Nikon mount version available for preorder.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 11/16/2015 7:28:49 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 11/16/2015 7:23:56 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Friday, November 13, 2015

My coastal Katmai National Park brown bear photography trip was a big one for me and I wanted to take the best-available gear with me. As the camera is the foundation for a photo kit and the Canon EOS 5Ds R, with its incredible resolution, great color and very good noise performance with a handling, feature and AF package to match has proven to be, for me, the ultimate camera to build a kit around. With a pair of these bodies in my kit, it was not hard to select them as two of my bodies. The question remaining was, what was going to be the third body?
 
On such a trip, I seldom take less than three camera bodies. Although I sometimes use all three at once, more frequently is that the third is ready for backup use in case something unfortunate happens to one or both front line bodies. With a significant amount of wading in various depths of water (including salt water) involved on this trip, one fall and the unfortunate could easily become a reality. And, I wasn't going to be receiving a next day air shipment via UPS or FEDEX out there.
 
Back to the which camera question ... my options included taking my Canon EOS-1D X, taking my Canon EOS 7D Mark II or getting another 5Ds R (rent or buy). Great AF was paramount in this decision, but ... all three cameras are excellent in this regard.
 
The 1D X's extremely fast frame rate was an especially attractive feature for bears in action and that I already owned this camera made it a cost effective solution. That I would need to take an additional charger/batteries was a downside as was the "only" 18-megapixel resolution.
 
The 7D II's primary advantages were not dissimilar from the 1D X: the fast frame rate and the budgetary concern as I already owned one of these as well. That this camera shared the 5Ds R's battery system was a positive feature. That the smaller APS-C sensor would show more high ISO noise at the same output dimensions and would not produce the same amount of background blur as the full frame options were negatives.
 
My primary question about the 5Ds R option was the frame rate – would 5 fps was going to be fast enough for the bears in action? Not far behind the frame rate concern was the additional cost factor. In the end, the 5Ds R's ultra-high resolution full frame sensor with 7D II-matching pixel density (reach) and along with the latest-available feature set won my favor. And, I simply love this camera. While this need was ideal for the rental option, I opted for the additional purchase in this case. My camera math said that the over-two-weeks rental cost was greater than the purchase price minus resale value minus additional use value. I'll get plenty of use from this body to justify the cost of ownership.
 
Having three identical cameras meant that switching bodies required no thought (though the 7D II is essentially the same also). They all had the same controls, the same menu options and the same setup configuration.
 
Was 5 fps fast enough? It was. While I am an opportunist when it comes to subjects, my primary photography subjects were brown bears. Bears (unless sleeping) are in nearly constant erratic motion and present an AF challenge, but they were mostly moving in slow to medium speed. One exception was when they were trying to catch salmon, but even then they weren't moving close to the speed of a bird in flight, as an example. I had plenty of photo opportunities and could often time single frames with body positions I found favorable.
 
Would a faster frame rate have been better? Yes, there were probably some shots I missed due to the frame rate not being fast enough, but ... having to sort through a 2x higher image volume a faster frame rate would have generated would have completely buried me. It will take me many months to work through the daunting roughly-10,000 bear images I captured on this trip.
 
Was high ISO performance important? Definitely. The trip started out with an approximately 28 hour float plane departure delay due to rain and heavy fog and things didn't get much better with 2 of the four remaining days on the coast holding the same weather. My most-used ISO setting was 3200. The ultra-high resolution, full-frame 5Ds R has a noticeable advantage at ISO 3200 when resized to a similar resolution as the 7D Mark II.
 
Was the ultra-high 50 megapixel resolution an advantage? Definitely. While I'm still teaching myself that it is OK to frame a bit looser with the ultra-high resolution being delivered by the 5Ds/5Ds R, I have many 600mm images that will be cropped due to the distance of the subject. These images can be cropped down to a 960mm-equivalent angle of view with the 7D II-equivalent 20 megapixel image remaining. With the range of focal lengths I had along, a majority of my images will remain at or near full resolution, resulting in great detail for very large output.
 
While I titled this photo "Brown Bears Fighting" and technically they are fighting, this is a mother and her second year cub. The mother is teaching the cub to fight, but the fierceness was toned down to more like hard playing. This is an uncropped EOS 5Ds R image captured with the EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens.
 
Fortunately, the playing lasted a long time and I was able to capture a large variety of shots of the behavior. I varied the aperture during the event, but only between f/4 and f/5.6 with some additional depth of field being the narrower aperture goal. In AI Servo AF mode with the one-up-from-center focus point selected and placed on the left bear's leg, the plane of sharp focus aligned ideally over the bears' noses. This placement kept both faces sharp even at f/4 and the wide aperture removed all background distractions.
 
I have no regrets regarding my camera choice - I would make the same decision again. Hopefully my camera decision logic made sense to you. If not, ask questions!


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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 11/13/2015 10:48:40 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
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