Canon and Sony News for Apr 2016 (Page 3)
From Canon Australia:
Sydney, Australia, 20 April 2016 – Canon Australia is today announcing its return as an official Supporter of Vivid Sydney for a third consecutive year. Encouraging Australians to “Be Light Curious” by interacting, capturing and sharing the unique experiences surrounding the immersive program of light, music and ideas, Canon is thrilled to support one of Sydney’s landmark events.
Canon is announcing a range of experiences designed to inspire thousands of visitors to capture what they see, provide opportunities to develop their skills and celebrate their unique stories of Vivid Sydney.
“We’re excited to return as a Vivid Sydney supporter for the third year,” said Jason McLean, Director – Canon Consumer Imaging, Canon Australia. “This year we will continue to build on what we have done in the last two years, with some old favourites and amazing new experiences.”
Visitors can immerse themselves in an atmosphere of imaging inspiration and celebration at Canon HQ. Canon will once again transform the Foundation Hall at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia into the ultimate hub for anyone who is curious to explore new ways to capture and tell visual stories of their Vivid Sydney experience.
Families, individuals, beginner photographers and seasoned professionals alike will encounter a range of free and ticketed experiences designed to help visitors capture better photos and videos of the spectacular installations. Experiences range from Low-Light Studio Workshops hosted by Canon Master photographers to guided photo walking tours and Helicopter Night Flights with the Canon Collective photography ambassadors. To capture these experiences, Vivid Sydney attendees will have the opportunity to try or rent the latest Canon gear. This year Canon will extend into Vivid Ideas, showcasing Canon’s popular Lab series as a creative workshop.
Experiences at Canon HQ:
- Studio 8 – Always wanted to learn how to shoot in low-light conditions? Studio 8, an extension of iconic SUNSTUDIOS, will feature studio workshops hosted by Canon Masters Ryan Schembri, Daniel Linnet and Graham Monro. Workshops will be created around a range of live performances designed to stretch your imagination as well as your photography skills. (free)
- Try or rent the latest Canon gear – Attendees who fancy a new camera or simply want to test out new photography tech are in luck. Some of the latest Canon cameras and lenses will be available for hire and Canon staff will be on hand to answer any questions or work out which camera is the best for you.
- Free Photo Printing at Canon HQ – Visit the Canon Memory Frame positioned opposite Bennelong Point at the end of the overseas passenger Terminal or have your picture taken at a roaming Canon Pop-up Light Portrait station and enjoy free photo printing back at Canon HQ. And for those who’ve taken some great photos of Vivid Sydney on their own camera, just bring along your SD card and get your photos printed up to A3 size. (free)
Make the most of all Vivid has to offer:
- Canon Collective Walking Tours – While enjoying the use of the new Canon EOS 80D DSLR camera, visitors will discover some of the best Vivid Sydney photo opportunities. The Canon Collective will provide visitors with photography tips and advice as they walk through Circular Quay and The Rocks. Finishing at Canon HQ, attendees can select their best shots and receive a free A3-sized print. (ticketed)
- The Canon Memory Frame will be positioned opposite Bennelong Point at the end of the overseas passenger Terminal, offering visitors a stunning portrait of their Vivid Sydney 2016 experience. The photo will be free to print at Canon HQ. (free)
- Canon Collective Helicopter Tours – For those looking to capture Sydney from a unique perspective, the Canon Collective in collaboration with Sydney HeliTours, is offering Vivid Sydney helicopter photography tours. During the 20-minute helicopter ride, visitors will be armed with Canon’s new EOS 1D- X Mark II professional DSLR camera and high-performance lens, all pre-set to ensure that you capture incredible images of the Sydney Harbour and light festival. To recap your experience, you will also receive two A3-sized professional prints of your choice. (ticketed)
- Pop-up Light portraits – Be a part of this year’s Vivid Sydney light instillation by choosing your own light portrait to project over your face, print the image or share it across your social media. Travelling on purpose-built bicycles, these amazing light portraits will pop-up all over Sydney CBD and other Vivid Sydney precincts. (free)
- Vivid Ideas – Unfocussed: Looking Past Your Assumptions to Find New Creative Possibilities. Part of Canon’s popular content series The Lab, this is a special workshop featuring an expert panel of photographers and image makers. Join in the exploration and discuss what happens when we challenge the assumption that a 'good' image is pin sharp and perfect, and explore how we can find and face these unwritten rules in own creative lives. (ticketed)
Vivid Sydney runs from 27 May – 18 June and is owned and managed by Destination NSW.
More details regarding how you can be more Light Curious at Vivid Sydney 2016 are available here: https://www.canon.com.au/vivid/
Hashtags
Tag your images with #VividCanon and they could appear on the Canon Vivid website, Canon social channels or at Canon HQ.
Canon HQ
Canon HQ is located in the Foundation Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Open every evening from 6pm - 11pm.
From Western Digital:
New Color Designated Line Features up to 8TB Capacity with Optimal Performance, High Capacity and Enhanced Reliability for Datacenter Applications
IRVINE, Calif. – Apr. 19, 2016 – Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), a world leader in storage solutions, today announced the expansion of its award-winning color portfolio with a new line; WD Gold datacenter hard drives. WD Gold datacenter hard drives are designed for a broad range of applications – including small- to medium-scale enterprise servers and storage, and rack-mount datacenter servers and storage enclosures. WD Gold drives are currently available at select U.S. distributors, resellers and through the WD Store.
With purpose-driven designs for the datacenter, WD Gold datacenter hard drives are launching with a new, high-capacity configuration of up to 8TB that offers HelioSeal helium-technology for performance, ideal capacity per square foot, power efficiency and low power consumption for datacenter environments. WD Gold datacenter hard drives feature an optimized design with an 8TB option that helps reduce the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) of servers and storage systems, benefiting IT administrators challenged with growing storage capacity needs on limited budgets. WD Gold hard drives will also include a premium dedicated support line for customers worldwide.
"Western Digital has a proven history of providing award-winning purpose-driven products for unique requirements of each application environment, like WD Red, WD Purple and WD Blue drives," said Brendan Collins vice president of product marketing, Western Digital Corporation. "WD Gold is a pinnacle part of the color portfolio strategy and another step in creating optimized drives for the markets we serve. Our continued goal is to deliver the most competitive and reliable solutions on the market."
WD Gold datacenter hard drives include:
- Improved power efficiency – New electronics enhance power efficiency up to 15 percent. HelioSeal technology enables up to 26 percent lower power consumption
- Better performance – Up to 18 percent sequential performance improvement over previous generation WD Re 4TB datacenter drives, and up to 30 percent improvement in random write performance over previous generation WD Re 6TB datacenter drives through media-based cache, and up to 3x improvement over competitive offerings
- High reliability – WD Gold incorporates best-of-breed design, manufacturing and test processes to achieve one of the highest reliability ratings in the industry – 2.5 million hours MTBF (8TB offering)
- Dedicated Premium Support Line and WD Gold Model Numbers – Western Digital offers a 24/7 premium support line for WD Gold customers and can be reached at U.S.: (855) 559-3733; International: +80055593733. WD Gold model numbers:
- 8TB: WD8002FRYZ
- 6TB: WD6002FRYZ
- 4TB: WD4002FYYZ
B&H has the WD Gold Series Hard Drives available for preorder.
While the Canon EOS 5Ds R is not marketed as the ideal sports camera, it is what I've been using for my spring sports photography so far this year. The reason? I sold my Canon EOS-1D X to fund the purchase of a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. At the time of the sale, the 1D X Mark II was " ... scheduled to begin shipping to authorized Canon USA dealers in April 2016." [Canon Press Release] My spring sports photography starts in mid-April, so I thought the odds were good that I would have a 1D X II in time or just into this season.
B&H currently lists the expected 1D X II availability as May 1st. While this is only 1 day past "April", it is also 1 day past worst case from the press release's expectation.
So, I have been using a 5Ds R with a BG-E11 Battery Grip for spring sports photography. For this purpose, the 5Ds R has only one limitation. As we know, this camera has a great AF system and it has no problem tracking fast action. The image quality this camera delivers is likewise excellent and, with extreme resolution, high resolution images remain even after heavy cropping. This means that a focal length or focal length range can effectively be used to cover a much greater percentage of the field than the 1D X II will be able to.
That one limitation I referred to is the frame rate. Capturing frames at 5 fps is not fast enough to catch the ideal moments happening during a play, including providing the ideal capture of stride position for a running athlete. The workaround is to time the shutter press with what is expected to be the ideal point of the play. Using this tactic, anything happening prior to the initial shutter press will of course be missed. The first shot timing takes more skill than simply holding the shutter release down, but can be effectively used and once practiced, can be used very effectively.
I still hold the 5Ds R shutter release down after the initially timed press as additional good shots are often captured subsequently, but capturing at 10, 12 or 14 fps makes a huge difference in getting the ideal shot while reducing the skill needed to do so. While the 5Ds R is delivering great sports images for me, I anxiously await the 1D X II.
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Just posted: MindShift Gear FirstLight 40L Camera Backpack Review.
I've been looking for a great long lens backpack for a long time. This is the one I was waiting for. It works great for holding large amounts of smaller gear as well.
B&H has the MindShift Gear FirstLight 40L in stock. Or, buy directly from MindShift Gear.
From Lexar:
Reader Designed for Management of Video and Photo Content from Sports and Aerial Cameras to the Latest iOS Devices
Milpitas, CA – Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory products, today announced the Lexar microSD Reader, allowing users to easily offload content from their sports camcorder or aerial camera to an iPhone or iPad. The small, portable reader features a Lightning connector for quick transfer of files on the go, allowing users to view and playback photos and videos on their Apple device*. It also works with an easy-to-use and free file management app on the App Store.**
“Users who are looking to capture more content in real time while on the move can find it challenging to manage that content, especially in an iOS device,” said Steffi Ho, product marketing manager, Lexar. “Shooters can now take advantage of the large screens and connectivity of their iOS devices by editing and uploading content captured on their action sports and aerial cameras wirelessly. Users no longer need to wait until they’re back in front of their main computer at home or in the office to upload content captured on-the-go.”
The new microSD Reader also allows users to offload files and store more on the card, creating more device space to capture content on the go. It also provides an easy way to move files from Android or other microSD-based device to an iPhone or iPad, and swap content between iOS devices. It has a small, portable design that makes it easy to take on the go, and its Lightning connector fits with most iOS cases, providing simple plug-and-play functionality. Furthermore, the microSD reader works with a free file management app on the App Store, allowing users to back up files when connected.
All Lexar product designs undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with more than 1,100 digital devices, to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability. The new microSD Reader is available for purchase in April 18, 2016 with an MSRP of $41.99, and includes a one-year limited warranty.
B&H carries the Lexar microSD Memory Card Reader with Lightning Connector.
From Sigma:
Thank you for purchasing and using our products.
Today, we are pleased to announce the availability of “SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.3 for Windows” and “SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.3 for Macintosh”, the dedicated software for the SIGMA USB DOCK and SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11.
This download service is for SIGMA USB DOCK users and/or SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 users who are using our interchangeable lenses from our Art, Contemporary and Sports product lines.Please be sure to download SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.3 to use the SIGMA USB DOCK and SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 effectively.
Benefit of SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.3:
SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.3 for Windows
- It has enabled compatibility with SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11.
- It has enabled compatibility with Windows 10.
- It has corrected the phenomenon where click-and-drag operation for the Focus Limiter adjustment slider is not possible when the check box to switch the primary mouse button from the left to the right is ticked in Mouse Preferences within the Windows Control Panel.
SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.3 for Macintosh
- It has enabled compatibility with SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11.
- It has enabled compatibility with OS X El Capitan 10.11, and Condition of Operation has changed to Mac OS X 10.8, 10.9, 10.10 and 10.11.
- When adjusting the timing of the MF switch function, it has corrected the icon which shows the amount of the focus ring rotation.
SIGMA Optimization Pro Download page
http://www.sigma-global.com/download/en/
Please ensure the SIGMA USB DOCK has the latest firmware installed.
B&H has the Sigma USB Dock in stock and the Mount Converter MC-11 available for preorder.
As close to vertically level as possible is often the ideal camera position for photographing a bird, especially one swimming. Of course, when a bird is swimming, perfectly level would mean a nearly or partially submerged camera. I don't recall seeing an underwater housing for a birding lens and I therefore prefer to be high enough above-water to keep the lens dry.
On this day, I was sitting on the ground at the edge of the creek with two tripod legs and one of my own legs in the water. Though I was bending over uncomfortably hard to get to a low-positioned camera, all was good with the setup. That is, good until I heard two Canada geese getting into a squabble. Two very loud geese were taking flight from mid-stream and headed directly toward me. While that shouldn't be a problem, they were watching each other instead of where they were going.
It didn't take long to realize that I was directly in their trajectory. I raised a foot to block the rapidly incoming fowl and held the camera and lens tightly with both hands. Minimally, the first goose crashed hard into my boot. I say minimally because I turned my head just prior to impact and I'm not sure if the second goose crashed also or was able to correct itself in time (wish I had video of that). There was lots of flapping and ... lots of water covering both me and the gear.
I quickly sacrificed the remaining dry areas of my shirt to dry the camera and lens. Fortunately, both were weather sealed and fine, but ... I still don't like to take chances and like to keep the gear clean – much more than I cared about my shirt.
Capturing interesting behavior is always a goal of photographing wildlife, but this behavior was a bit over the top and ... I was unprepared to capture it. The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L Lens would have been ideal for this accident scene. The best I could do was photograph the rude goose after the incident.
While photography is often used to tell a story, very often photographing creates stories. This day gave me a story that I'll long remember. Go photograph frequently and you will likely have many interesting stories to tell.
Disclaimer: No geese were harmed in the making of this image.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr, Google+, Facebook and 500px.
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From the Canon Digital Learning Center:
If you’re an automotive enthusiast, chances are you’ve always wondered how photographers add a sense of motion to their images. There are many different ways to accomplish this, but today we will focus on what is often called a rolling shot or a roller.See the entire article on the Canon Digital Learning Center.Rolling shots are usually captured by photographers from the passenger seat of a moving car. Below I listed a few things that will help you capture better images before heading out to your shoot.
From Nikon:
MELVILLE, NY – Nikon has released the Android version of the SnapBridge app, which enables constant connection of a compatible Nikon digital camera to a smart device*(1) using Bluetooth low energy technology.
SnapBridge Microsite: http://snapbridge.nikon.com/
SnapBridge is an app that offers users a number of convenient services by utilizing Bluetooth low energy technology to enable seamless connection of a Nikon digital camera to a smart device, all while consuming very little power.
SnapBridge can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store and Google Play. The iOS version of the app is scheduled to be available from the App Store later this summer.
The Nikon D500 User's Manual is now available for download.
B&H has the Nikon D500 available for preorder.
From Nikon:
TOKYO - Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce that two Nikon digital SLR cameras, the D5 and D500, have been awarded the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016, sponsored by Germany's Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen.
The Red Dot Award: Product Design is a world-class award presented to products released over the past two years that exhibit superiority in terms of a total of nine aspects, including innovation, functionality, ergonomics, ecology, and durability.
2016 is the 61st time the Red Dot Award: Product Design has been held. Winners selected from roughly 5,200 entries from 57 countries around the world will be on display at a special exhibition to be held from July 5 to July 31, 2016 at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen Germany.
From Apple:
CUPERTINO, California – April 19, 2016 – Apple today updated MacBook with the latest Intel processors, improved graphics performance, faster flash storage and an additional hour of battery life, making the thinnest and lightest Mac better than ever. Featuring an all-metal unibody enclosure, MacBook is now available in four aluminum finishes — gold, silver, space gray, and for the first time on a Mac, a gorgeous rose gold. With a stunning 12-inch Retina display, highly responsive full-size keyboard, Force Touch trackpad, versatile USB-C port and all-day battery life in a design that is just 2 pounds and 13.1 mm thin, MacBook is the future of the notebook.
“MacBook is the thinnest and lightest Mac we have ever made and it’s our vision for the future of the notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers are going to love this update to MacBook, with the latest processors, faster graphics, faster flash storage, longer battery life and a beautiful rose gold finish.”
The updated MacBook features sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors up to 1.3 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, and faster 1866 MHz memory. New Intel HD Graphics 515 deliver up to 25 percent faster graphics performance, and faster PCIe-based flash storage makes everyday tasks feel snappier — from launching apps to opening files.* And now with up to 10 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 11 hours of iTunes movie playback, MacBook is the perfect notebook for all day, on-the-go computing.**
MacBook comes with the incredibly small and versatile USB-C port for charging, data transfer and video output in a single connector that is one-third the size of a traditional USB port. Following the introduction of USB-C on MacBook, the ecosystem of Apple and third-party USB-C accessories has continued to grow, giving users added flexibility and capability.
With no moving parts or vents, MacBook is entirely fanless for silent, efficient performance. Designed for the wireless world, MacBook is equipped with the latest wireless technologies, including built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 for fast wireless connectivity. It is perfect for tasks like streaming content from your MacBook to your Apple TV using AirPlay, exchanging files quickly using AirDrop or using wireless headphones.
Apple also today made 8GB of memory standard across all configurations of the 13-inch MacBook Air.
Every new Mac comes with OS X El Capitan, the latest version of OS X that refines the Mac experience and improves system performance. El Capitan builds on the groundbreaking features and beautiful design of OS X Yosemite, with updates to window management, built-in apps and Spotlight search, and performance improvements to make everyday activities — like launching and switching apps, opening PDFs and accessing email — faster and more responsive.
iMovie, GarageBand and the suite of iWork apps come free with every new Mac. iMovie lets you easily create beautiful movies and you can use GarageBand to make music, or learn to play piano and guitar. The iWork suite of Pages, Numbers and Keynote makes it easy to create, edit and share stunning documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Pages, Numbers and Keynote for iCloud let you create a document on iPhone or iPad, edit it on your Mac and collaborate with friends, even if they are on a PC.
Pricing & Availability
MacBook is available in select Apple Authorized Resellers starting tomorrow. MacBook comes with a 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.2 GHz, 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage for $1,299 (US), and with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7 GHz, 8GB of memory and 512GB of flash storage for $1,599 (US). Configure-to-order options include a 1.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core m7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz.
B&H has the new Apple Macbooks available for preorder.
From Canon USA:
MELVILLE, N.Y., April 19, 2016 – Canon U.S.A., a leader in digital imaging, announced today that its parent company, Canon Inc., will begin accepting entries for its New Cosmos of Photography photo competition on April 20. The New Cosmos of Photography is Canon’s cultural support project to discover, nurture, and support new photographers who pursue new possibilities in creative photographic expression. Aiming to incorporate diverse perspectives, the number of judges for this year’s competition will be increased to seven to allow for an even more open photo competition.
Entries for New Cosmos of Photography 2016 will be accepted between April 20 and June 15, while the Excellence Award selection committee will meet in July to choose seven Excellence Award winners and fourteen Honorable Mention Award winners. In November, the Grand Prize selection committee is scheduled to meet to select one Grand Prize winner from among the seven Excellence Award-winning entries.
The Grand Prize winner of this year’s competition will receive not only prize money (converted from ¥ 1,000,000 JPY) and a Canon product, but as an added bonus will be granted the right to hold a solo exhibit at the showcase of winning entries for next year’s New Cosmos of Photography. Additionally, to encourage the continued pursuit of their creative activities, 2016 Excellence Award and Honorable Mention Award winners will each receive prize money and the right to display their works at this year’s exhibition of winning entries.
For additional information about this year’s New Cosmos of Photography competition, visit the New Cosmos of Photography homepage at http://www.canon.com/scsa/newcosmos/
This mother great horned owl may be the most popular and most photographed of its species in the Mid-Atlantic states at this time. Being able to photograph a primarily-nocturnal bird, very visibly sitting in its nest throughout the day, is an unusual situation and MANY photographers took advantage of this opportunity. I made this opportunity a priority and carved most of a day out of my schedule to get my great horned owl photo.
The viewing area of this nest is in a public park with a significant bank and stream separating viewers and the owl family (two owlets are deeper in the cavity). This meant as much focal length as possible was needed in front of a full frame camera (and a significant amount in front of an APS-C model). For me, this meant the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in front of an EF 2x III Extender along with the ultra-high resolution Canon EOS 5Ds R.
While this uncropped image indicates a clear view on the nest cavity, that was not completely the case. Getting the right position for a semi-clear view of this owl was challenging and I spent much of this day leaning to the side so that I could use a tripod position immediately next to another cooperative photographer for the best-available view. My primary concern was getting a clear view through the tree branches on my side of the creek as these branches became very defocused and lowered contrast over a significant portion of the image if in the frame. The branches on the nest tree were of a lower concern as the healing brush in Photoshop made branch removal a trivial task.
While the owl spent most of the day sitting nearly motionless, it occasionally changed positions. When a loud motorcycle came into the park, the mother great horned owl showed her personOWLity, making for one of my favorite shots of the day.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr, Google+, Facebook and 500px. If reading from a news feed reader, click through to see the framed image.
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From Sigma:
The Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art Lens, 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art Lens, and 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens were chosen as this year’s best DSLR telephoto zoom lens, best DSLR wide angle zoom lens, and best professional DSLR lens, respectively
RONKONKOMA, NY – April 19, 2016 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced it has received three awards from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). Sigma was awarded with the honors of Best DSLR Telephoto Zoom Lens for the Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art Lens, Best DSLR Wide Angle Zoom Lens for the Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art Lens, and Best Professional DSLR Lens for the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens.
The annual TIPA Awards honor the best photo and imaging products introduced during 2015 through 2016. Renowned in professional photo markets across the world, TIPA awards are among the highest accolades photo and imaging products can receive. The TIPA organization has a worldwide membership of 27 photo and imaging magazines from 16 countries across five continents.
“We are once again honored to have the Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art Lens, the 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art Lens and the 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens selected by TIPA for their outstanding quality and impact on the industry. The thorough judging criteria take into account not only the innovation, but also the use of leading-edge technology, design and ergonomics, ease of use as well as the price/performance ratio. We are incredibly proud to have Sigma lenses meet these high standards,” comments Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “We pride ourselves on designing and manufacturing the very best lenses using today’s most cutting-edge optical technology. I want to thank the Sigma design and manufacturing team for their commitment to engineering excellence and look forward to seeing the inspiring images Sigma fans will create using our lenses.”
B&H carries the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art, 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art and 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lenses.
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