Canon and Sony News for Jan 2017 (Page 2)

From the Canon Professional Network:

Canon Europe has announced two significant specification options for its flagship EOS C700 digital cinema cameras, offering users the option of changing the camera’s original lens mount to either an EF mount with Cinema Lock or to a PL mount (with Cook/i support) and back again, and – for the first time – an option to have the standard sensor replaced with a Global Shutter sensor. Read on to find out more...

B&H carries the Canon EOS C700 Cinema Camera.

From Adobe:

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced its Board of Directors has approved a new stock repurchase program granting the company authority to repurchase up to $2.5 billion in common stock through the end of fiscal year 2019. Under the new stock repurchase program, which is designed to return value to Adobe’s stockholders and minimize dilution from stock issuances, the company may repurchase shares in the open market and also enter into structured repurchase agreements with third parties. The new stock repurchase program, approved by Adobe’s Board of Directors, is substantially similar to the company’s previous program authorizing the repurchase of up to $2.0 billion in common stock through fiscal year 2017, which authority will soon be exhausted.

“We’re coming off a year of record cash flow generation and our balance sheet continues to be strong. Adobe’s new share repurchase program underscores our commitment to returning value to our stockholders, as we execute on our long-term growth strategy,” said Mark Garrett, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Adobe.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those related to Adobe’s stock repurchases and business momentum, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties described in Adobe’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year 2015 ended Nov. 27, 2015, and Adobe's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q issued in fiscal year 2016. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, individuals should refer to Adobe’s SEC filings.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

From the Canon DIgital Learning Center:

Welcome back to our “Introduction to Shooting Stars.” In Part I we covered the essentials of getting you ready to shoot. In the second part we are going to cover what to do when you are on location and ready to shoot.

Since we are talking about shooting at night, pulling focus is a little harder than during the day, so this will take a little more time and explanation to cover.

B&H has the Rokinon XP 85mm f/1.2 Lens for Canon EF available for preorder with free expedited shipping.

Product Highlights

• Canon EF Mount/Full-Frame Format
• Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
• One Aspherical Element
• Two High Refractive Index Elements
• Ultra Multi-Coating
• Manual Focus Design
• Aluminum Lens Housing
• Nine-Blade Diaphragm

B&H has the Rokinon Xeen 16mm T2.6 Lens available for preorder with free expedited shipping

Available Mounts

• Canon EF
• Nikon F
• Sony E
• PL
• MFT

From Profoto:

Good news, Nikon users! We can now offer TTL and HSS support for Nikon D5 and Nikon D500. Both cameras are fully compatible with this upgrade installed in the Air Remote TTL-N.

How to download the new TTL-N and Pro-10 firmware

All Registered users can download the new Air Remote TTL-N firmware from the My Profoto webpage.

B&H carries the Profoto Air Remote.

Harvard has published their Digital Photography course on Alison, a free certified learning website.

Here's the course description:

Digital photography technology is continually changing, however, the principles behind good photography don't. ALISON's free online photo course gives you the opportunity to gain extensive knowledge and understanding of digital photography including topics such as exposure settings, how to read and use the histogram, how light affects a photograph, how the camera sensor and lenses work, and how to process a photograph using computer software. You will also learn tips and techniques on what not to do when taking a photograph.

ALISON's free online course is ideal for those who wish to increase their understanding of digital photography and want to know how to process and produce photographs digitally.

From the CBS Sunday Morning YouTube Channel:

President Obama is leaving behind a huge photo album of his time in the White House - about two million images - all thanks to the man our Bill Plante has been talking to: Chief White House Photographer Pete Souza.

From the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom YouTube Channel:

Lightroom tips and tricks in 60 seconds or less from longtime Lightroom team member Benjamin Warde.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

Ever since I became enthralled with photography, I've enjoyed sifting through inspirational images and breaking them down so that I could understand how just the photographer created that specific look.

Earlier this week I ran across a profile image where the subject was wearing sunglasses. The portrait had a strong rim light but there was very little fill light on the face, yet there was a strong reflection that encompassed nearly the entire area of the sunglasses' lens.

Typically speaking, the eye is the most important element in a portrait. However, the prominence of the sunglasses (along with an eye which was deeply shadowed) replaced the importance of the eye in the image. I thought it would be a fun exercise to try and recreate the lighting used for the profile portrait. Note: If I could remember where I saw the image, I would link to it here. Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I found it. Hopefully the image's description and my attempts to recreate it will be sufficiently illustrative.

My approach to dissecting an image usually mirrors the scientific method:

1. Ask a question.
2. Do background research.
3. Construct a hypothesis.
4. Test with an experiment.
5. Does the procedure work?

I thought I had a good guess as to how the image was lit, but upon testing my hypothesis, I realized I was very likely incorrect. After quickly going back to the drawing board, I came up with a result that achieved exactly the look I was going for:

However, after it was all said and done I wasn't entirely happy with the image. For my next attempt I used a looser framing, a different pair of sunglasses and a sweater to remove the emphasis from my Adam's apple. Although all the lighting tools were the same, the positions of the light modifiers were not identical (although they were very close), different camera settings were used and (as is likely obvious) the images were also post-processed in slightly different ways. The second image also has more fill light than what I was originally going for, but I liked the result anyway.

So here's the challenge:

1. Analyze the image atop this post and try to figure out exactly how it was lit.
2. Try to recreate the lighting in the image as closely as possible.
3. Share your image, gear and camera settings and describe how it was lit.

Update: It looks like I forgot to update this on Monday, but... better late than never! The setup was as follows:

• (1) Canon 580EX diffused by a 16x16" foldable softbox behind me
• (1) 20x30" white foam core board handheld in front of my face and angled to catch the light from the softbox

With the softbox positioned behind me (camera left), it produced a clearly defined rim light without wrapping around my face with its relatively high output. The white reflective board positioned just out of the frame produced a large reflection in the sunglasses while also creating a small amount of fill light on the front of my face.

I liked seeing the guesses and attempts. I hope the exercise proved beneficial.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Author: Rick Sammon

Photography is more than just taking, or as I say, making, a picture. It’s about the entire photographic process (image capture and image processing) and the personal experience.

In this article I’ll share with you some of my favorite photographs and experiences from my recent trip to Sri Lanka – a magical destination – documented with my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.

B&H carries the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.

Have you ever wondered how this site's product images are created? If so, you'll want to check out our most recent addition to the Photography Tips page:

The Ideal, Simple, General Purpose Product Photography Setup (How this Site's Product Images are Captured)

From Canon:

TOKYO, January 12, 2017—Canon Inc. again ranked first among Japanese companies and third overall for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2016, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services.

Canon actively promotes the globalization of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas, carefully adhering to a patent-filing strategy that pursues patents in essential countries and regions while taking into consideration the business strategies and technology and product trends unique to each location. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.

Canon U.S. patent rankings among Japanese companies 2005–2016

From the Great Big Story YouTube Channel:

During the dark winter months in Finland, one man fills the night with light. Hannu Huhtamo is a light painter. The artist takes long exposure photographs and uses flashlights and other simple tools to transform dark and sometimes forgotten places into magical new worlds—no Photoshop required.

MotoCrane is scheduled to launch a universal automotive camera crane system this year with the following specifications:

Max Speed: 80 MPH
Max Acceleration: 1g lateral, longitudinal
Lens Height from Roof: 3' above, 3' below
Boom Length: 6' from center, 9' total
Max Controlled Speeds: ARMA: 4 sec 360º Swing | ACRO: 1 sec 360º Pan
Operating Temp: MIN: -30ºF, MAX: 120ºF *Over-heat protection
Weather: Water resistant

Unfortunately, there's no word yet on pricing or expected availability, but it's bound to be less expensive than the widely used Russian Arms.

From the Canon Professional Network:

Canon has released a new update to its popular Digital Photo Professional 4 (DPP4) software. Version 4.5.20 adds support for older cameras including EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1D Mark II N, EOS-1D Mark II, EOS 5D, EOS 40D, EOS 30D, EOS 20Da, EOS 20D, EOS 400D DIGITAL (EOS Kiss Digital X / EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi), EOS 350D DIGITAL (EOS Kiss Digital N / EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT), PowerShot G15, PowerShot S110, PowerShot S100, and PowerShot S100V along with support for the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM lens

Since its launch in 2014, Digital Photo Professional 4 has grown to support over 50 DSLR and PowerShot cameras. As well as supporting all the current professional full-frame DSLRs in the Canon range, this latest update now supports a wider range of older models and addresses a few other issues such as:

• Improved accuracy of the lens data of Digital Lens Optimizer for EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lenses.
• Fixed the problem where it takes time to display a preview image on the high resolution display.
• Fixed the phenomenon on the Mac OS in which RAW images imported via remote shooting are not displayed for preview in some cases.

Commenting on this latest DPP4 update, Mike Burnhill, Canon Europe’s Professional Imaging Technical Support Programme manager, told CPN: “DPP continues to prove itself as a popular workflow tool for those photographers dedicated to maintaining an all-Canon workflow from capture to print. Canon developed DPP to work seamlessly with Canon cameras and we are delighted more and more users are discovering its workflow benefits. We have been listening to customers and expanding support for new and existing models within DPP.”

Download: Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.5.20

Changes for Picture Style Editor 1.17.20:

• Supports PowerShot G9 X Mark II

Download: Canon Picture Style Editor 1.17.20

ISO noise test results have been added to the Canon EOS M5 Review.

The word was that the M5 would have identical image quality to the Canon EOS 80D. Looking at the EOS M5 vs. 80D comparison, I see some slight differences. When I first loaded and compared the M5 results, I thought that I miss-focused the lens. Five tests later, I concluded that the M5 was turning in very slightly softer results than the 80D. However, it is likely the RAW processing is what is different. In DPP's Quick Check window, the M5 results are slightly sharper than the 80D results. In DPP's Edit window and in the processed TIFF files, it is the 80D that appears sharper.

What I think I like better is the EOS M5's reduced high ISO noise grain.

B&H has the Canon EOS M5 in stock.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Richard Curtis, Adobe Systems UK Principal Solution Consultant in Digital Imaging, writes exclusively for CPN on how to get the best from Adobe’s Lightroom for mobile app.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

The Canon Par Excellence Award recognizes imaging excellence through cooperation between Canon USA, Inc, and the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Announced in 2008 at Imaging USA in Tampa, FL, this award represents the pinnacle of achievement at the PPA regional level.

Canon USA is committed to recognizing and supporting the photographic efforts of the Professional Photographers of America. The criterion for this award set it well above awards initiated by other corporate sponsors, and make it highly sought after. It serves as both an inspiration and an honor to participating members of the PPA.

The following cameras have been added to the site's Camera Comparison Images:

• Canon EOS M5
• Canon EOS M3
• Canon EOS M10
• Sony a7R II

B&H carries the Canon EOS M3 / M5 / M10 and Sony a7R II mirrorless cameras.

From Nikon:

January 9, 2017 — Melville, NY — Nikon began celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2017 with its return to CES. Its latest digital imaging technologies were demonstrated at Nikon’s booth and at areas throughout the show floor.

Visitors to the Nikon booth had the opportunity for hands-on time with the newest Nikon products. These included the connected, compact D5600 DSLR and the KeyMission action camera line.

They also heard from Nikon professional photographers at the Nikon School Theater. Other experiences on the show floor included the return of Project HeliX powered by Nikon and an interactive VR (virtual reality) area featuring content captured with the KeyMission 360.

Nikon showcased several new products. They were headlined by the lightweight D5600 DSLR. The D5600 features easy sharing using Nikon SnapBridge technology, a 24.2MP sensor and an intuitive touch-screen, vari-angle LCD monitor.

Also announced were two additions to Nikon’s Coolpix compact, point-and-shoot camera line. The everything-proof W100 adventure camera exhibited along with the A300. The Coolpix A300 has a 20.1MP sensor, 8x optical zoom lens, vibration reduction (VR) image stabilization and also SnapBridge connectivity.

Since the company was established in 1917, Nikon has cultivated its status as a pioneer of optical technologies. Guided by a corporate philosophy of “Trustworthiness and Creativity,” Nikon provides a range of products and services globally by harnessing advanced opto-electronics and precision technologies.

Nikon 100-Year Anniversary Book

As part of the anniversary celebration, with the cooperation of Uli Koch, one of the most prominent Nikon collectors, the company released the Nikon – 100 Anniversary hardcover book.

Beside cameras, lenses and matching accessories, the book also contains binoculars, microscopes, industrial lenses and other technical instruments going back to 1917. With many never-seen-before details, the 416-page book has nearly 2,200 color photos. nikonusa.com

Just letting you know that the Determining the Age of a Canon Lens Using Serial Numbers and Date Codes page has been updated with serial numbers and date codes for 2017.

The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM Lens was the latest Canon lens I've checked. It bears a serial number starting with "47", indicating that this lens was likely manufactured in the November 2016 timeframe, which is very likely the case. Note: The image above does not show the serial number for the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM lens.

Also note that I continue to get the occassional report of a recently-produced lens having the older-style date code. This table remains available with the new year included in it.

GoPro's Karma drone was recalled in November of last year because several of the drones were dropping from the sky like stones after the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) lost power in flight. To say GoPro's first venture into the UAV market was "a little bit bumpy" would be un understatement for sure.

However, a GoPro CES 2017 press release indicates that the Karma will once again be hitting store shelves later this year, though GoPro is [understandably] a little vague on the re-release details.

From the press release:

Karma will re-launch in 2017. GoPro withdrew Karma from the market in November 2016 after a small number of instances of power loss due to a mechanical issue related to securing the drone's battery. GoPro is completing its testing, and in early February, will provide more detail for the global relaunch of Karma in 2017.

The Canon Digital Learning Center has posted an EOS 5D Mark IV Tutorial video series narrorated by Rudy Winston.

Topics Covered

• AF Area Select Button
• AF Area Options
• Built-in GPS
• Custom Quick Control Menu
• Basics of 4K Video
• Video AF: Operation and Features
• New Auto White Balance Otions
• Lens Aberration Correction
• Adding and Using IPTC Information
• AF with EOS iTR
• Live View AF

B&H carries the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera.

From Photoshelter:

Use this workbook to lock down your 2017 game plan

It’s time to swing into action and get planning! That means taking a hard look at your photo business, including what’s working and what’s not. How can you market yourself better? Can your finances be more organized? What's the best way to get more work from old clients?

Thankfully, The 2017 Photo Business Plan Workbook is a step-by-step guide to help you answer these questions and create a killer plan.

Get the free guide!