Canon and Sony News for Aug 2015 (Page 2)

The-Digital-Picture.com's servers have been exhibiting performance issues with a dramatic decrease in performance seen on Sunday. I have spent a large amount of time (12 hours straight ending at 3:00 AM Monday prior to a 12 hour outdoor commercial photo shoot starting Monday morning) trying to track down the cause of the problem (rogue traffic, site code or server issues).

I assure you that the problem will be resolved, but ask for your patience as the complete fix appears likely to be more than a few hours away. If you find the site performing slowly or receive an error page (over the next few days), please try loading the page a short time later.

Thanks for your continued support!

Bryan

MTF charts have been added to the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens Review.

The 100-400 L II is, in many ways, an impressive zoom lens. The MTF charts (especially the variance charts) highlight its optical impressiveness.

B&H has the Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II Lens in stock.

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

In this class, Sal talks about the basics of speedlites, how and when to use them, and setting up for on-location work. He shows before and after images and talks about how to incorporate dramatic shots into your portfolio.

Today only, Amazon is featuring Adobe Photoshop Elements 13 (Disc/Download) as a Gold Box Deal and the software is available for only $44.95. Compare at $79.95.

From Canon UK:

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 25 August 2015 – Canon today unveils the CJ12ex4.3B, a new 2/3” portable 4K zoom lens with the world’s widest focal length – an incredible 4.3mm, designed for professionals shooting interviews or live broadcast, including sport and news. Canon also today announces that it is developing a new compact 2/3” 4K all-purpose-zoom lens. Further bolstering Canon’s 4K broadcast lens range for cameras employing 2/3” sensors, the versatile new lens will be optimised for both indoor and outdoor shooting, across a variety of applications including, sporting events, live broadcasts, as well as television dramas and commercials.

Outstanding 4K optical performance
Leveraging Canon’s renowned heritage in optical design and advanced technologies, the CJ12ex4.3B delivers outstanding 4K image quality throughout the entire 12x optical zoom range. Providing the freedom to quickly adapt to different shooting environments, the new lens enables shooters to swiftly move from an ultra-wide 4.3mm angle shot to close ups, whilst ensuring first-class image quality from the very centre to the edge. A built-in 2x extender also helps provides even greater focal reach, whilst still maintaining 4K optical performance.

To further provide sharp, high contrast images, the CJ12ex4.3B includes an increased use of fluorite and UD glass combined with Canon’s expert coatings, resulting in exceptional control over ghosting and flare. A new three group internal focus system also reduces focus breathing.

Exceptional portability and flexible operation
Boasting a brand new design, the CJ12ex4.3B is compact and lightweight, weighing just 2.1kg, making it similar in size and weight to a comparable 2/3” HD lens. Ideal for on-shoulder shooting traditionally adopted by news gatherers, the lens can easily be used on-the-go, and with an ergonomic design and grip, it is comfortable to hold for longer periods of time. The lens also incorporates three 20-pin connectors for easy integration with existing HD zoom/focus controllers and can be directly connected to an external virtual operation system at the same time.

Featuring a Digital Drive Unit, the CJ12ex4.3B offers advanced operability giving users the freedom to select repeatable zoom positions and speeds, in addition to focus and iris settings. A 16-bit absolute value encoder integrated into the Digital Drive Unit allows operators to start shooting with the camera’s aberration compensation function in an instant, without the need for any initialization. This is perfect for news and wildlife environments where action can disappear as quickly as it started. A digital display, built into the Digital Drive Unit, also makes it easy to set, review and adjust vital functions in a way similar to 2/3” HD lenses.

Key features CJ12ex4.3B:

• 4K resolution 2/3” portable wide angle lens with 12x zoom
• Exceptional 4.3mm focal length at the wide end extends to 52mm (104mm using the built-in 2x extender)
• Stunning optical performance right to the edge of the image when paired with a 2/3” 4K compatible camera
• Combines 4K quality with lightweight design and compact size comparable to HD lenses for comfortable on-shoulder shooting
• Sustained 4K performance even when using the built-in 2x extender
• Proven, high-quality 16-bit encoder captures precise information on zoom, focus and iris and allows support for aberration correction immediately on start-up
• 3 20-pin connectors make for effortless use with existing Canon HD lens accessories and virtual systems

From the Canon Professional Network:

Canon today announces its annual programme of activities for Visa pour l’Image 2015, the international festival of photojournalism held in Perpignan, France, taking place from 31 August until 6 September (pro week) with the exhibitions continuing until 13 September...

In its 26th year of partnership, Canon will run an inspiring and interactive series of events throughout the seven-day festival that champions the very best in photojournalism and reflects Canon’s passion for powerful images. This year the Canon programme will include:

CANON EXPERIENCE ZONE

For the very first time the Canon experience zone, located in the Palais des Congrès, will be open to the general public. Visitors will be able to get hands-on with Canon’s latest range of products and solutions; from image capture through to printing. Accredited photographers will be able to book in for a free portfolio review with Getty Images Creative Director, Anthony Holland Parkin, on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th September, and can also visit the CPS desk where they will have the opportunity to get their equipment checked, cleaned and have small repairs carried out, free of charge.

CREATIVE INSPIRATION

A Canon experience bus will be stationed by the Couvent des Minimes, where members of the public will be able to come on board and speak with Canon experts to gain advice on everything from how to take better holiday pictures, to capturing the perfect portrait of your child.

Canon will also be promoting its Rugby World Cup partnership during the festival and inviting visitors to have their photograph taken with rugby players from the local famous team, Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais. A variety of other exciting rugby-themed experiential activities will also be on offer for attendees to get involved with and the best photographs taken will be put into a prize draw where three lucky winners will be given World Cup tickets.

CELEBRATING THE POWER OF IMAGES

Canon has sponsored two exhibitions at Visa pour l’image 2015; the first showcasing photographs from the Democratic Republic of Congo by Canon Ambassador Pascal Maître, alongside last year’s Female Photojournalist of the Year Award winner, Viviane Dalles. The second celebrates a body of work from a range of internationally acclaimed photographers to mark the 10th anniversary of Canon’s iconic EOS 5D-series DSLR in collaboration with Getty Images. All of the stunning images have been printed on Canon’s professional large format printer, the imagePROGRAF iPF9100.

CANON FEMALE PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD

For the 15th consecutive year, Canon has sponsored the Female Photojournalist of the Year Award, which will be presented at Visa pour l’Image 2015. Also supported by ELLE magazine for the second year in a row, this year’s award is given to Anastasia Rudenko, for her project on mental illness in Russia. Rudenko will receive a grant at the ceremony on 5th September 2015, to support her portfolio of work. All entrants have been judged on both previous works and plans for future projects. In addition, the 2014 winner, Viviane Dalles, will be exhibiting her work on teenage mothers in the north of France at the festival.

To find out more about the latest updates and plans for the 27th Visa pour l’Image international festival of photojournalism, please visit the Visa pour l’Image website.

From the Nikon USA YouTube Channel:

Nikon Ambassador and naturalist Ron Magill shares his advice on wildlife photography from Zoo Miami.

B&H carries Nikon cameras and lenses.

If you've been renting your modem from the cable company, this Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day is just for you.

For today only, select Refurbished Arris Surfboard Cable Modems are heavily discounted over their non-refurbished counterparts. Be sure to verify that modems will be compatible with your internet provider before purchasing (they very likely will be).

An official notice has appeared on Nikon Japan stating that the release date for the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR, initially scheduled for August 27, 2015, will be pushed back to "October, 2015."

B&H has the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/ 2.8E ED VR available for preorder.

This may be a little off-topic for our target audience, but it seemed too cool not to post it.

Through September 8, NASA is offering to send your name written to a microchip bound for Mars. That's right – your name can be immortalized on the red planet, and it's absolutely free.

Simply obtain a "Boarding Pass" for the Mars InSight launch by entering your first and last name, postal code and [optionally] your email address (to track your Frequent Flyer points).

And as an added bonus, the Boarding Pass you get looks pretty nice! :-) [Sean]

From Apple:

Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 6.06

This update adds RAW image compatibility for the following cameras to OS X Yosemite:

• Canon PowerShot G3 X
• Leica Q (Typ 116)
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX8
• Sony Alpha ILCE-7R II
• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II
• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

For more information on supported RAW formats, see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203088.

Vignetting, flare and distortion test results along with specs and measurements have been added to the Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art Lens Review page.

B&H has the Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art Lens in Canon mount in stock. Nikon mount version is available for preorder (expected in stock Aug 24th).

From Sigma:

Thank you for purchasing and using our products.

We would like to announce the update in the lens firmware of the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports CANON and 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary CANON on the SIGMA Optimization Pro, the dedicated software for the SIGMA USB DOCK.

The latest firmware update enables the lens to improve the AF accuracy when attached to the TELE CONVERTER TC-1401.

For those customers who own the following products, please update the firmware of the lens via the SIGMA Optimization Pro.

Applicable products

• 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports CANON
• 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary CANON

Benefit of this firmware update
It has improved the AF accuracy when attached to the TELE CONVERTER TC-1401.

You can download the latest version of the software from the following page:
SIGMA Optimization Pro Download page

B&H carries the Sigma USB Dock.

From Lowepro:Lightweight Daypack Provides Ideal Protection and Quick Access for Compact Cameras and TabletsPetaluma, Calif. – August 19, 2015 – Lowepro, the leading maker of photography carrying solutions, today announced the latest generation of its urban daypack series, Slingshot Edge. The redesigned series caters to the urban photographer by combining protective compartments and easy access with added storage for tablets, slim design and a stylish exterior.

“Ease of use is paramount for photographers on the move,” said Tim Grimmer, vice president of brand and product at Lowepro. “There are few things more disappointing in photography than missing a great shot because you couldn’t get to your gear in time. The new Slingshot Edge series rethinks the sling design for fast, optimized access to a compact DSLR or compact system camera, while putting an added emphasis on trusted gear protection and style.”

The Slingshot Edge series is designed for urban photographers, day trippers and travelers looking for a slim and versatile camera bag to keep things light and easy. Two sizes are available, each featuring padded, dedicated compartments to keep camera gear, a tablet and other essentials organized and safe. The Slingshot Edge 150 AW is designed to hold a mirrorless/compact system camera with attached lens, a second lens, a small tablet and personal items. The larger Slingshot Edge 250 AW can accommodate a compact DSLR camera with attached lens, an extra lens, flash, full-size tablet and additional personal gear. Both bags come complete with a built-in All Weather AW CoverTM to protect from rain, snow or dust, as well as external bag straps that allow the attachment of a small tripod or other equipment.

The Slingshot Edge 150 AW (US MSRP $89.95) and 250 AW (US MSRP $109.95) are now available for purchase at a number of retail locations

B&H carries the Lowepro Slingshot Edge 150 AW and 250 AW.