Canon and Sony News for Jan 2019 (Page 2)
In his video, photographers Jay P. Morgan and Ed Rudolph discuss several of the clamps Rudolph uses for professional food photography. Note that all of the products discussed also work well for general product photography and the beefier items work well for all types of studio and on-location photography, including portraiture.
Gear Discussed in the Video
- Spring Clamp
- Wimberly The Plamp II
- Bar Clamp
- MAG-MATE 990FLXCLP
- Wood Blocks
- Mafer Clamp
- L or Corner Bracket
- Cardellini Clamp
- Matthews Quacker Clamp
Also relevant:
The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III Lens is all about speed and fast-moving subjects ideal for the 400mm focal length are scarce in my location right now. The race cars are all being re-built in preparation for the next season. With a layer of snow on the ground, outdoors sports are in the off-season. The ski slopes benefit from the snow, but the closest is hours away. The horses, however, are always ready for some galloping and provide a convenient subject for an AF performance testing session.
This American quarter horse's name is "Nugget", as in "gold nugget", referencing the coat color. "Gold" also reflects the parent's perspective of what it costs to keep a horse. The positive in this investment is that the kid's have had to do most of the horse maintenance work, teaching them responsibility and how to work hard. The horses are of course fast and fast makes them good focus performance test subjects. An added benefit of such testing is some nice pics of the kid(s), as long as the camera and lens perform well of course.
And to that matter, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III Lens combo performed stellarly. They performed so well that they created a bit of a problem. It took forever to go through the well-over-2,000 images captured in this session as most were keeper-grade. With a great camera and lens, one's brain needs to be retrained to be OK with deleting really nice images. I keep telling myself that.
With steady lighting conditions (solid clouds), the setup for this shot was easy. Using manual mode, the shutter was set to 1/1600, a setting that I know works well for freezing galloping/cantering horse and similar action. The aperture was set to f/2.8 to let in as much light as possible and to create the strongest background blur possible. Having the shallowest depth of field possible also emphasizes the AF precision. The ISO was then adjusted until the snow was slightly overexposed, causing the brightest areas to blink while reviewing test images on the LCD. With the exposure locked in, I could concentrate on composition.
The AF mode was of course set to AI Servo (continuous) and the top-center AF point was selected with the surrounding points assisting (the horse bounces a lot, making it difficult to keep a single point on the rider's head).
While this camera and lens combination is handholdable, shooting it from a monopod is still more comfortable (especially for long shooting sessions) and doing so made tracking the subject easier.
Nugget was not moving very fast in this frame, but I liked the heavily-clouded sky in the background, making the subject pop with a bit of a high-key look. Note that snow is a great reflector and gives images a different look, usually in a positive way. I'll share other images of this horse in fast motion in the review. Some of these images will show another way this lens can make the subject pop – by strongly blurring the background.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 400
3648 x 5472px
The Canon USA YouTube Channel has posted tons of Quick Tips videos covering various features of their EOS R mirrorless camera.
EOS R Quick Tips Videos
- Electronic Viewfinder—The Basics
- Electronic Viewfinder—Displays
- Magnifying the Viewfinder
- Quick Control Menu
- Understanding the Control Ring Choices
- Setting the Control Ring
- Multi-function button
- AF Method — Choices and Selection
- AF Method — Face Detect + Tracking and Eye Detect AF
- Understanding Zone AF
- Moving AF Points
- Managing ISO
- Flexible-priority Exposure Mode
- Switching Between Video Recording and Still Shooting
- Video Autofocus Settings
- Manual Focus Aids
- Battery Charging
- Saving Battery Power
From Canon USA:
Agility and Ability to Adapt in Disruptive Times Help Company to Thrive
MELVILLE, NY, January 24, 2019 – In challenging times, it is a company’s ability to lean in to transformation, to rely on innovation as more than an ideology but a practice, that breeds success. Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that Canon Inc., its parent company, received the #4 Industry Ranking in the computers category on FORTUNE Magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” 2019 list.
“It is a gift to witness a company so steadily transform and, in doing so, evolve as Canon does on a continual basis through hard work, innovation, dedication to its customers, and the employment of a team of talented professionals,” says Christine Sedlacek, senior director and general manager, corporate communications, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “This listing is a true testament to our company’s futuristic approach. We pride ourselves on developing next-generation technology, while staying committed to our strong philosophy of corporate social responsibility, to empower today’s generation of visionaries.”
To determine the list ranking, executive directors and analysts rate companies according to nine criteria: financial soundness, long-term investment value, people management, social responsibility, use of corporate assets, quality of management, quality of products/services, innovation, and global competitiveness.
by Sean Setters
Before I delve into my new appreciation for the 35mm focal length, let me first explain why I've never really savored using the 35mm focal length (until now). Typically speaking, I'm either shooting portraiture in a studio with a small, carefully selected backdrop or outdoors where my goal is to minimize any background distractions. In these situations, longer telephoto primes (or a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom) are helpful in capturing a frame filling subject while blurring the background to oblivion. But there are times when a larger scene needs to be documented, such as when the subject's environment provides a desired context.
This past December my wife and I spent a weekend in Atlanta celebrating Christmas with my extended family before heading off to New Orleans for two weeks to celebrate Christmas with her family. For both trips, I packed the following camera and lenses (as well as a few accessories) in a Lowepro shoulder bag:
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art
- Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art
- Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
- Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
You probably noticed a pattern in my selected lenses – they're all primes. While packing, I reasoned that most of my photographic opportunities over the holidays would be indoors, often in relatively low light situations. The wide apertures available in these primes meant that I wouldn't have to rely on a shoe-mount flash to obtain my desired image brightness level while employing action stopping shutter speeds at low-to-moderate ISOs (for optimal image quality).
In theory, having a wide range of focal lengths covered sounded reasonable. In practice, however, I used one lens about 95% of the time – the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM. And that got me wondering, "Why does a 35mm prime lens work so well for holiday family photography?"
A 35mm prime lens provides an angle of view that can highlight a subject while providing vital environmental clues that give the photos context. The background blur a 35mm lens prime lens is capable of helps to isolate the subject, yet the background is still more or less recognizable enough to place the subject firmly in that particular scene. And when it comes to family holiday photography, background details such as the decorated tree, food and other family and friends in the room help to document the holiday spirit that resonated at the time.
The 35mm lens distorts subjects less (with the same framing) than a 24mm lens, especially when your subject is placed near the edge of the frame. And while a 50mm lens can be used for holiday photography, the relatively small rooms I was photographing in and the close proximity of my subjects meant that a 35mm lens simply worked better for capturing the bigger picture. The highlight of the trip was Alexis' family's decorating of the Christmas tree. For them, the tree decorating event is bigger and celebrated more fervently than Christmas Day, and my 35mm prime lens helped me capture it all.
Besides holiday photos, a 35mm prime lens can be extremely useful for wedding, indoor event, documentary and street photography, predominately for the same reasons as listed above. The birth of my daughter was another instance where a 35mm prime was one of my most-used lenses over a several day period. While I may not have been a huge fan of 35mm prime lenses in the past, a 35mm prime has quickly become one of the most important – and most used – lenses in my kit.
If you don't already have a 35mm prime lens in your kit, now would be a great time to investigate the options found below.
Relevant Information
From Sigma:
Thank you for purchasing and using our products.
We would like to announce that a new firmware update for SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses for CANON EF mount listed below is now available.
This firmware allows compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function to enable correction matching the optical characteristics of each lens. It also corrects the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when the function is enabled. In addition, it improves the functionality. Furthermore, phenomena particular to some lenses when they are used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R” or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R” that we announced on January 16th, 2019 are also improved on by this firmware.
For customers who own the SIGMA USB DOCK and applicable products listed below, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro.*
* Before updating the firmware using the SIGMA USB DOCK, please ensure to update SIGMA Optimization Pro to Ver. 1.5.0. or later.
SIGMA 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art for CANON EF mount
Benefits of the update:
- It has ensured compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function, which enables correction matching the optical characteristics of the attached lens.*
- It has corrected the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is enabled.
SIGMA 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF mount
Benefits of the update:
- It has ensured compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function, which enables correction matching the optical characteristics of the attached lens.*
- It has corrected the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is enabled.
- It has improved the AF speed when the lens is used in combination with some cameras.
SIGMA 18-300 mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for CANON EF mount
Benefits of the update:
- It has ensured compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function, which enables correction matching the optical characteristics of the attached lens.*
- It has corrected the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is enabled.
- It has become compatible with EOS R’s “1.6x (Crop)” to be set automatically as well as with “Scene Intelligent Auto Mode”.
* Compatible Canon camera models:EOS R1, EOS-1D X mark II, EOS 5Ds, EOS 5Ds R, EOS 5D mark IV, EOS 6D mark II, EOS 80D, EOS 8000D(EOS Rebel T6s, EOS 760D), EOS 9000D(EOS 77D) , EOS Kiss x8i(EOS Rebel T6i, EOS 750D), EOS Kiss x9i(EOS Rebel T7i, EOS 800D), EOS Kiss x9(EOS Rebel SL2, EOS 200D)
1 When the Digital Lens Optimizer is switched [OFF], but “Peripheral illumination correction”, “Chromatic aberration correction” and “Distortion correction”, located within the in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is switched [ON], the appropriate corrections can be achieved in accordance with the optical characteristics of each lens.
Download: Sigma Optimization Pro
We would like to announce that a new firmware update for SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses for NIKON F mount listed below is now available.
Phenomena particular to some lenses when they are used in combination with the Nikon “Z 7” and their “Mount Adapter FTZ” that we announced on October 26th, 2018 are improved on by this firmware.
For customers who own the SIGMA USB DOCK and applicable product listed below, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro*
* Before updating the firmware using the SIGMA USB DOCK, please ensure to update SIGMA Optimization Pro to Ver. 1.5.0. or later.
SIGMA 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art for NIKON F mount
Benefit of the update:
- When the lens is used in combination with the Nikon “Z 7” and their “Mount Adapter FTZ”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby it may occasionally stop recording while shooting video.
SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art for NIKON F mount
Benefit of the update:
- When the lens is used in combination with the Nikon “Z 7” and their “Mount Adapter FTZ”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby the response to the AF operation is intermittent when starting to shoot with the subject completely out of focus.
SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art & SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art for NIKON F mount
Benefit of the update:
- When the lens is used in combination with the Nikon “Z 7” and their “Mount Adapter FTZ”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby it may occasionally show overexposure when narrowing down the aperture from F5.6 while shooting.
Download: Sigma Optimization Pro
We are pleased to announce that a firmware update for the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 SA-E and EF-E is now available. This firmware makes the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 compatible with the latest firmware of SIGMA interchangeable lenses. For customers who own the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro* by connecting it to a computer using the supplied USB Cable.
* Before updating the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 firmware, please ensure SIGMA Optimization Pro has been updated to ver. 1.5.0 or later.
SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 SA-E
Benefit of the update:
- It has become compatible with the SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art for SIGMA.
SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 EF-E
Benefits of the update:
- It has become compatible with the SIGMA 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.00.
- It has become compatible with the SIGMA 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.00.
- It has become compatible with the SIGMA 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.00.
- It has become compatible with the SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art for CANON EF mount.
- It has become compatible with the SIGMA CINE LENS FF High Speed Prime Line 28mm T1.5 FF for CANON EF mount and 40mm T1.5 FF for CANON EF mount.
Download: Sigma Optimization Pro
My apologies if I missed an important keyword in that title.
Regardless of what the event was named, the show was spectacular. I hope that you were able to take it in and, even better yet, photograph it.
The sky visibility forecast for everywhere within a long drive provided little hope of this eclipse being viewable. Unexpectantly, the problem, remnants of a significant winter storm, began to move out just in time and the sky started to clear about an hour before the eclipse began. With the full moon peeking out of breaks in the clouds, the hope became strong enough to warrant the effort to photograph the event and I scrambled to put a plan into place.
Also seeming to meet the definition of spectacular were the near-zero-degree (-18° C) temperatures accompanied by very strong winds those of us in much of the east/northeast US were required to endure for 5 hours (some short indoor warm-up breaks were taken). Admittedly, the temperature made shooting through skylights from inside the house a very attractive option, but donning many layers and going outdoors became the plan. While the skies cleared beautifully for the full eclipse, the wind remained an issue and wind is an especially big stability problem when photographing with a large, long focal length lens. Setting up next to a solid fence significantly aided with this issue and also took some of the bite out of the wind chill.
The composition plan was easy. The moon was going to be high overhead and that meant incorporating foreground elements in the frame was going to be very challenging, so making the moon as large in the frame as possible was the choice. That meant 1200mm, a combination of a 600mm f/4 lens and a 2x teleconverter.
For a solid base, the UniqBall IQuick3Pod 40.4 Carbon Fiber Tripod with spiked feet installed (for use in snow) was perfect. Simply stick the spikes into the ground and use the IQuick3Pod's leveling base feature to quickly level the tripod head platform. A gimbal head makes using big, long lenses easy and the Really Right Stuff FG-02 Fluid-Gimbal Head is awesome (the RRS PG-02 is also excellent). With a level base, the gimbal-mounted lens will always be level with only tilt and pan adjustments, both very simple to make, requiring attention while tracking the moon. It is much easier to keep a tightly-framed moon centered in the frame with a gimbal head than with a ball head. Shooting at a strong upward angle can be a challenge with a gimbal mount as the camera body can impact the tripod before a high-enough angle is reached. I'll talk more about that issue soon.
Looking through a viewfinder with the camera directed at such a hard-upward angle is tough, but the D850's tilt LCD made subject framing easy in this situation. An angle finder is another great option for shooting upward.
What is the best exposure for photographing a lunar eclipse? That depends mostly on the varying brightness of the moon and that changes by season and it also changes during the eclipse. When the moon had direct sunlight reaching it, f/8 (my max aperture with this setup), 1/200 and ISO 200 with a -1 EV adjustment in post worked well. During this time, I opted to capture brackets of up to 9-stops to use for adding as much detail as desired to the dark portion of the moon during post processing. A Vello ShutterBoss II Timer Remote Switch made vibration-free capture easy.
Once the moon was completely in the earth's shadow, it became very dark and 1200mm exposures became very challenging. The blood moon image in the center of this frame was captured at f/8, .6 seconds and ISO 6400. Getting tack sharp details from a subject that is over 221,000 mi (356,000 km) away does not happen and these settings do not help.
Photographing the lunar eclipse brought back great memories of the 2017 solar eclipse (a bit ironic is that event occurred in extreme heat for many of us). A similar post-eclipse scenario now faces those of us who photographed it. We have a large number of images capturing the entire eclipse progression and want do something with them. While each individual eclipse image may be great, likely none of your friends want to see all 300 (OK, 800) of them. The friends will be interested in a partial eclipse image or two and perhaps one from totality, but then eyes glaze over and they start checking their Instagram account. Creating a lunar eclipse progression composite is a very logical way to tell the full eclipse story in a single, interesting image.
The method for creating the lunar eclipse progression composite is the same as that shared in the How to Create a Solar Eclipse Phase Composite Image article (skip the HDR part). The arrangement options for such a composite vary greatly. The left-to-right option shared here works well, but this unique ultra-wide aspect ratio is a bit awkward to share online and will not typically be as easily viewable/displayable as closer-to-square arrangements.
Also ultra is the resolution able to be created from such a composite. This one measures 52000 x 5500 pixels for a 286 MP (over SmugMug's max file dimensions limit I learned) final image (the .PSD weighs in at 3.19 GB) looking for a long hallway wall to be displayed on. Those not able to frame the moon tightly in-camera can crop heavily and still have a high resolution result from the composite technique.
Sure, getting images requires some effort. Getting to bed well after 2:00 AM means being tired the next day and it took about an hour under the covers to get my core temperature back up. But, at least a day or two later, only the rewards remain. The memories of this lunar eclipse, with the images to buoy them, will remain a lifetime.
What is the subject calling you right now? Get motivated and go for it!
A larger version of this image (it needs to be seen much larger) is available on Flickr or my SmugMug site.
Did you photograph the recent lunar eclipse? We invite you to share your images and tips below.
ISO 6400
52000 x 5504px
According to several sources (Nikkei Asian Review, BBC, Fortune), Sony's European headquarters in Weybridge, UK (greater London area) will be merging with a newly created subsidiary in Amsterdam, Netherlands to avoid complications brought about by Britain's exit from the European Union (Brexit). Sony's Amsterdam subsidiary is scheduled to be up and running in April.
In this video, Adobe Product Manager Meredith Stotzner demonstrates how to set the Targeted Adjustment Tool as the default selection method when using relevant adjustment layers.
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.
During CES, Christopher Schodt (Video Producer at engadget) sat down with Canon Senior Technical Specialist Drew MacCallum and Nikon Senior Technical Manager Steve Heiner to discuss the recently released EOS R and Z 7 / Z 6, the impact of mirrorless technologies on camera and lens design and their respective benefits to consumers.
This is one of the first times I've seen two higher-ups from Canon and Nikon sitting side-by-side and discussing newly released products. I found the respect the two technical specialists show toward each other and their opposing brands quite refreshing. [Sean]
B&H carries the following:
- Canon EOS R
- Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
- Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
- Canon Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
- Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM Lens
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM Lens
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens
- Nikon Z 7
- Nikon Z 6
- Nikon FTZ Mount Adapter
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S Lens
In a recently posted video, Nikon Asia highlights some of the technologies found in the company's new Z-mount lenses. Be sure to check out the lack of focus breathing exhibited by (at least some) Z-mount lenses (1:27 mark).
B&H carries Nikon Z lenses.
In this video, photographer Daniel Norton demonstrates how to create a high-key look with only two lights.
Related Products
From Kenko:
Kenko is proud to announce details and availabiliy of their TELEPLUS HD pro series of teleconverters.
The TELEPLUS HD pro series replaces the previous TELEPLUS PRO300 series, with redesigned optics and multi-layer coatings, to match contemporary high-resolution DSLR cameras and lenses. The HD pro series joins the existing, new-generation TELEPLUS HD line up (1.4x and 2x types) as a superior series in terms of optical design and coating quality.
* available in Nikon F and Canon EF mounts
Optical Improvements
Optical construction has been redesigned by implementing additional optical elements and improved multi- layer, anti-reflection coatings to maintain the original performance of new-generation DSLR cameras and lenses.
Communication with the Camera
HD pro teleconverters are equipped with all electrical contacts to support communication between the camera and the lens. The focal length and aperture values are recorded in EXIF data and converted to the actual shooting values with the teleconverter attached.
High-end External Finish
The external design has been re-finished in a black leather tone to perfectly match with the latest lenses and DSLR cameras.
Compact Size
With approx. 0.79" (2 cm) in height for the 1.4x type and 1.57" (4 cm) for the 2x type these small, compact and convenient to carry tele converters will extend the focal length of the lens providing the photographer a great chance to shoot even more impressive images.
Kenko's new TELEPLUS HD Pro Teleconverters are available now at Kenko-Tokina authorized retailers.
B&H has the Kenko TELEPLUS HD pro DGX Teleconverters in stock with free expedited shipping.
In this episode, David Bergman provides tips for using the hot shoe stand that comes with most external flashes. Have you lost your original Speedlite Foot? Don't worry – you can buy a replacement.
Just posted: Nikon D850 Review.
Is this the best DSLR ever?
The Nikon D850 is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX.
Save 10%: B&H currently has a 10-rated used Nikon D850 in stock.
Rent the Nikon D850 from Lensrentals.
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