Canon and Sony News for Dec 2016 (Page 3)

From Canon USA:

Firmware Version 1.0.4 is incorporated with the following correction.

• Enhances the effects of image stabilization when using the EF24-105mm F4L IS II USM with the EOS 5D Mark IV at a shutter speed between 1/100 sec. and 1/160 sec.

Firmware Version 1.0.4 is for lenses with Firmware Version 1.0.3 or earlier.

Lenses whose third digit in the serial number is "0". (xx0xxxxxxx)

If the lens' firmware is already Version 1.0.4, it is not necessary to update the firmware. The lens firmware can be checked through the menu on the EOS 5D Mark IV.

Preparations for the Firmware Update:

In the folder you downloaded are the firmware (file name: EF012104.lfu / file size: 1,441,844 bytes), and instructions on the firmware update procedures (a PDF file in five languages: Japanese, English, French, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese).

Before starting the firmware update operations, please be sure to carefully confirm your understanding of these instructions.

Download: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Firmware Version 1.0.4

Canon Cinema EOS C300 (with the Dual Pixel CMOS AF Feature Upgrade applied) v.2.1.8.1.00

Firmware Version 2.1.8.1.00 incorporates the following enhancements:

1. With the CN7x17 KAS S/E1 *1, CN-E18-80mm T4.4 L IS KAS, or CN20x50 IAS H/E1 *1 attached, the following functions are available:
• Autofocus using Dual Pixel CMOS AF is possible (with the exception of CN20x50 IAS H/E1)
• Metadata, such as the model name and focal distance of the lens attached, can be acquired and displayed on the camera. *2
• Peripheral illumination correction is supported. *2
• Aperture can be adjusted manually by operating the camera's Control Dial. *2
• Settings can be made so that the zoom can be operated using the joystick on the grip unit of the camera.
• The zoom/focus*2/iris*2 can be operated using the separately-sold RC-V100 Remote Controller.
• The focus and iris can be operated via Wi-Fi Remote. *2
• The automatic aperture and Push Auto Iris functions can be used.
2. Support for the WFT-E8 has been added.
3. Support for peripheral illumination correction when the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM is attached has been added.

Download: Canon EOS C300 Firmware Version 2.1.8.1.00

Firmware Version 1.1.8.1.00 incorporates the following enhancements:

For EOS C300 EF only

1. With the CN7x17 KAS S/E1 *1, CN-E18-80mm T4.4 L IS KAS, or CN20x50 IAS H/E1 *1 attached, the following functions are available:
• Metadata, such as the model name and focal distance of the lens attached, can be acquired and displayed on the camera. *2
• Peripheral illumination correction is supported. *2
• Aperture can be adjusted manually by operating the camera's Control Dial. *2
• Settings can be made so that the zoom can be operated using the joystick on the grip unit of the camera.
• The zoom/focus*2/iris*2 can be operated using the separately-sold RC-V100 Remote Controller.
• The focus and iris can be operated via Wi-Fi Remote.*2
• The automatic aperture and Push Auto Iris functions can be used.
2. Support for peripheral illumination correction when the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM is attached has been added.

1. Support for the WFT-E8 has been added.

Download: Canon Cinema EOS C300 / EOS C300 PL Firmware v.1.1.8.1.00

Firmware Version 1.0.6.1.00 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:

1. Support for the OLED Electronic Viewfinder EVF-V70 *1 has been added.
2. Shutter Angle Priority has been added. A constant shutter angle can now be maintained, regardless of any other camera settings being changed.
3. Support for the WFT-E8 has been added.
4. Zebra Range Expanded Below 65%.
• The range of the Zebra 1 setting has been expanded to between 5% (±5%) and 95% (±5%) in steps of 5%.
• The range of the Zebra 2 setting has been expanded to between 5% and 100% in steps of 5%.
5. Built-in Mic Audio Off
• The internal microphone on the camera body can now be turned off.
6. In Browser Remote, the focus guide frame can now be displayed.
7. 2K Crop Audio Recording
• Audio can now be recorded when the camera is set in 2K crop mode.
8. Support for CFast cards (VPG130) has been added. *2
9. Support for peripheral illumination & chromatic aberration when the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens is attached, has been added.
10. Metadata related to the XF-AVC range has been corrected.
• The range of Canon Log/Log2/Log3 has been corrected to full range.
11. The quality of autofocus has been enhanced.
12. The operation reliability after changing the recording mode has been enhanced.

Download: Canon EOS C300 Mark II / EOS C300 Mark II PL Firmware Version 1.0.6.1.00

B&H carries the Canon EOS C300 and C300 Mark II.

From the ExpoImaging YouTube Channel:

Tom Bol demonstrates how to create a creative and unique portrait for a stylized shoot with two speedlights and some Rogue FlashBender 2 Gear. Flash photography lighting video tutorial, techniques and tips.

B&H carries the ExpoImaging Rogue FlashBender 2 XL Pro and Rogue Gels.

How fast do you need your memory card order? How about 30 minutes or less? No problem – Amazon's drone is headed your way.

It may be just that easy in the not-so-distant future for those customers within range of an Amazon Prime Air facility.

From the Amazon YouTube Channel:

Amazon Prime Air has begun private trials in England, and the first customer delivery by drone recently took place. Check it out!

http://amzn.to/primeair

Image quality results from a third lens have been added to the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Lens Review.

B&H has the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Lens in stock.

From Syrp:

With 5-10 stops of adjustable exposure control, the Syrp Super Dark Variable ND Filter is a must-have tool for any photographer's gear bag and is available for pre-order from today, with a planned shipping date of the 15th of December. The Super Dark is available in two sizes and includes hard stops at the minimum and maximum ends for reducing X-pattern.

Long exposures are fundamental to landscape photography as they capture the effect of time passing, giving your images an expressive and often surreal look. They also add a creative element to your time lapses making them more fluid and giving them a dreamy effect. Silky smooth waterfalls or glassy lakes can be captured in full day light with just a simple twist of the filter to allow you to slow your shutter speed and record long exposures.

Both the Small and Large Filter Kits come with a genuine leather carry case to house the filter and ensure it stays protected from dust and scratches. Our Super Dark Variable ND Filter provides exposure reduction of 5 (ND32) to 10 (ND1024) stops using a smooth, adjustable front ring. The filter also has a front thread so you can easily stack filters if needed and will fit your regular lens cap.

Included in each Filter Kit are two step up rings for maximum compatibility with the range of lenses in your kit. The Large Kit (82mm) has 77-82mm and 72-82mm rings and the Small Kit has 58-67mm and 52-67mm rings. An invaluable tool for time-lapse, the Super Dark creates a more natural and fluid transition between frames, reducing the appearance of moving elements' flickering and stuttering.

B&H has the Syrp Super Dark Variable ND Filter available for preorder.

From the National Geographic YouTube Channel:

Of the many ways Earth is polluted, light pollution may be the least talked about. It's not an illusion; astronomers measure it from one to nine on the Bortle scale, and earlier this year, one study suggested that light pollution may be causing spring to come earlier. This short film, shot mainly in California by Sriram Murali, goes through all the levels of the scale, showing how the view of the cosmos gets better in less light-polluted areas.

From the LensRentals Blog:

By Chase Reynolds

If you’re at all like me, you’re the designated photographer for your family and friends. If there’s a family photo, you take it. At some point on New Year’s Eve, you’ll have 4 or 5 random iPhone in your hands at once, taking the group shot for everyone to post on social media. Have you ever been invited to an event, or even a wedding, and it’s casually suggested that you bring a camera along? If they ever refer to you as the one with the “nice” camera, it can be a little annoying. Most of the time, though, people are asking because you know stuff and they trust you to do a good job. You are the photographer. This means that eventually you will get asked to build a photo booth.

One of the popular questions we get asked from customers that call and email us, is that they need to build a photo booth for an event they’re either working or hosting, and want our expertise on how to create an effective booth using some of the gear we have available. It’s a tough question because there is no right answer, but we wanted to give you a headstart on how to go about it, for any upcoming holiday parties you may have planned.

I’ll pretense, and tell you that I’ve never made the same exact photo booth twice. There are a hundred ways of doing it and I’m constantly changing my mind based on the location, type of event, gear at hand, or maybe a fleeting creative inspiration. At the core, however, all photo booths have the same basic requirements. It’s a camera, locked off on tripod or stand, taking photos of people standing in front of a backdrop. So I’d like to start by describing the different areas of setup you should think about.

From Adobe:

Just a few weeks ago, Apple revealed the all new MacBook Pro featuring a breakthrough new interface that replaces the traditional row of function keys with a Retina-quality Multi-Touch display called the Touch Bar. We’ve been working hard to build custom support for the Touch Bar, and I’m pleased to announce that, as promised, it is available in today’s update to Photoshop.

I’ve had a chance to use the Touch Bar a bit and I find it exciting for two reasons. First, the Touch Bar is useful for surfacing a contextual “next step”. This is helpful both for a beginner who might not know how to navigate Photoshop, and for an experienced user in giving them speedier access to the desired next action. Second, the Touch Bar is useful for accessing controls in a new way, especially controls that were sometimes clumsy with a keyboard and mouse.

In designing the interaction with the Touch Bar, we imagined three distinct categories of functions that would be useful to our customers: Layer Properties, Brushes, and (true to Photoshop’s ethos) your customizable Favorites.

The Brushes section gives you quick access to brush color, size, hardness, opacity and flow. Each of these commands has a movable slider to pick just the right value.

The Favorites sections allows you to configure your own set of favorite actions. This includes any combination of actions from the previous sections, or other commands like Full screen mode, Flip Horizontal/Vertical, and launching the macOS share menu.

More details on of the new Touch Bar capabilities are available here.

It’s an exciting time in computing, bringing all new ways to interact with your content and control your device. The Photoshop team is constantly evaluating new technologies and thinking of ways to make our customers more productive. As we continue to evolve our support for the Touch Bar and other alternative input methods, we would love to hear your feedback. Please let us know your feedback and suggestions here.

To install the update, choose Help > Updates… More info here.

For a complete read me including fixed customer issues, see here.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

From the tutvid YouTube Channel:

These are 30 of the tools and features in Photoshop that I think are the most important! In this Photoshop CC tutorial, we’ll cover everything from how to use the Pen Tool in Photoshop and how you can learn to use Curves to Masking, Retouching Skin, and even playing with the newer Select and Mask functionality.

There is so much that is covered in this video and I also go off script quite a bit and dabble with features that aren’t even included in the description of video guide (located in the comments section.) I created this tutorial as more of a beginner level overview of these tools and functions of Photoshop, but my hope is that there is something here for Photoshop users of all skill levels. Enjoy!

List of tools covered:
00:55 - Color Balance
01:48 - Masking
02:44 - Quick Selection Tool
04:03 - Quick Mask Tool
05:03 - Content-Aware Fill
05:31 - Clone Stamp Tool
07:05 - The Patch Tool
08:07 - How to use Levels
09:12 - The Pen Tool
10:31 - Flames Filter
15:03 - The Type Tool
15:41 - TypeKit Fonts
17:42 - Using & Working with Guides
18:38 - Smart Objects
19:35 - Field Blur
21:41 - How to use Curves
23:20 - The Eyedropper Tool
24:58 - Import Color Themes with Adobe Color
25:49 - BONUS: Gradient Maps
26:27 - How to Create an Action
28:38 - The Crop Tool
30:36 - Colorize Live Shapes
31:23 - Convert Objects to 3D/Working with 3D
34:24 - Custom Workspaces
35:57 - The Camera RAW Filter
37:18 - Exporting Images and Graphics
38:46 - BONUS: Changing the UI Background Color
39:29 - Color Range
40:55 - Select and Mask
45:38 - Liquify
47:36 - The Healing Brush
49:28 - The Rotate View Tool

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

From Sigma:

Thank you for purchasing and using our products.

Today, the SIGMA Corporation is pleased to announce the availability of “SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.4.0 for Windows” and “SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.4.0 for Macintosh”, the dedicated software for the SIGMA USB DOCK, SIGMA FLASH USB DOCK FD-11 and SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11.

This download service is for users of the SIGMA USB DOCK, SIGMA FLASH USB DOCK FD-11 and SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 who are using our interchangeable lenses from our Art, Contemporary and Sports product lines or ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-630 SA-STTL.

Please ensure you download SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.4.0 for the effective use of the SIGMA USB DOCK, SIGMA FLASH USB DOCK FD-11 and SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11.

Benefits of SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.4.0:

• It has become compatible with the SIGMA Cine Lenses in EF mount.
• It has added the new function to import/export the history of attached products.

SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.4.0 for Windows and Macintosh are available to download from the following site: http://www.sigma-global.com/download/

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

In July 2016, Canon released an important firmware update for the C300 Mark II. It turns out they were just getting started. To make things even better, this December 2016 Firmware offers improved camera functions for both the EOS C300 Mark II and, just in case you thought they had forgotten about it, the original EOS C300 as well. This is not a firmware to pass up or ignore because it represents a direct response to requests from users for new or improved camera functionality, and Canon’s overall continued support for Cinema EOS products.

So, let’s take a look at these new updates and how they just might help you on your next job.

B&H carries the Canon EOS C300 and EOS C300 Mark II cinema cameras.

Canon seems to be missing some of their availability projections lately.

Canon announced the W-E1 Wi-Fi Adapter in mid-September with an availability scheduled for "early September 2016," but September came and went without the adapter appearing at retailers. At that time we contacted two trusted sources who stated that the availability had been rescheduled for "the last week of October" (according to one source) or "the first week of November" (according to the other).

As it turned out, our sources were somewhat right. Early W-E1 preorder customers were treated to the first batch of available adapters which were shipped the first week of November. However, it's mid-December now and the item has never been "In Stock" at any of the major online retailers (B&H, Amazon, Adorama, etc.).

A third-party seller on Amazon is stating that the W-E1 is expected to be in stock "December 21, 2016," but considering that the retailer is selling the W-E1 at a price signifcantly above MSRP, I wouldn't necessarily call the retailer a "trusted source." Regardless of when the next shipment is scheduled to arrive at retailers nationwide, I think it's fair to say that Canon has missed its second "widespread availability" target even with a few Wi-Fi adapters in the hands of select consumers.

Unfortunately, the W-E1 isn't the only product which has missed its availability target recently; the EF 24-105 f/4L IS II USM shares the same designation.

The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM was originally announced alongside the EOS 5D Mark IV in late August with an availability date of "late October" stated in the press release. As October drew to a close, B&H and Amazon changed their expected availability dates for the lens to December 10 and December 6, respectively. With both of those dates now having lapsed, we're left with yet another product that has missed its revised availability date.

Of course, it is possible to get your hands on the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM; however, doing so requires buying a 5D IV + 24-105L IS II kit (which is exactly what we had to do in order to review the lens).

And finally, the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM was announced in mid-September with an expected availabilty date of "November 2016" listed in the press release, yet the lens has yet to arrive at retailers well into December. However, Amazon is listing "December 15" as the lens' expected ship date.

So when can we expect the W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter, EF 24-105 f/4L IS II & 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM to be widely available? We don't know for sure; and at this point, having missed the originally scheduled availability dates (and the rescheduled availability dates for two of the products), we're not sure that Canon knows either.

B&H has the Canon W-E1 Wi-Fi Adapter, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM and EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM available for preorder.

Still looking for a last minute gift idea for a special photographer you know? You're in luck; we have a few ideas to help you out.

Take a look at our previous post – Photography Accessory Gift Ideas for Every Budget – to provide inspiration for finding the perfect holiday gift that falls right within your budget.

And speaking of budgets, if your gift budget extends well beyond that of the accessory level, you can always draw inspiration from Bryan's Canon Lens Recommendations.