Canon and Sony News for Jan 2019 (Page 3)

In addition to the Image quality test results shared recently, image quality results from the 7D Mark II, vignetting, flare and distortion test results along with specs and measurements are now available on the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens page.

The specs and measurements comparison between the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens and the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens reveals the big deal for this upgrade. The weight difference is huge. Even more impressive is the comparison between the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens and the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS I USM Lens.

The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens is in stock at B&H and available for preorder at Amazon | Adorama | WEX.

Rent the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens from Lensrentals.

For as long as I can remember, Canon's super telephoto lenses came in a rigid lens trunk. These shaped, lockable trunks were very protective and were good for storage, stacking and shipping purposes. However, these trunks were expensive, often far oversized, could not hold a camera body, were not especially comfortable to shoulder carry and rarely left my studio.

Upon opening the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens box, I found a surprise. New with the version III telephoto lenses is a sling-style (single strap) shoulder case, the Canon LS400 Soft Lens Case, replacing the trunk.

This nylon case looks great, is relatively compact and light, is well-padded, is easy to use with smooth-functioning zippers and large pulls, and has a round molded-plastic bottom that keeps it upright on a flat surface. A thin 7" (178mm) tall by 5" (127mm) wide zippered pocket and two strap attachment points are provided on both sides of the case. The shoulder strap is padded and strong, and breathable padding is provided on the case side of the strap, adding to the shoulder-carrying comfort. The convenient hand strap on top is also strong with breathable-padding. Four hook-and-loop-adjustable pads are provided for interior use.

My first impressions were good and upon first looking into the case, I got a little extra excited – it was over-sized at the top and it appeared that a mounted DSLR might fit. Unfortunately, that excitement was short lived – the case is not quite big enough at the top to hold even a non-gripped DSLR.

Leaving the extra 2" (50mm) of vertical space at the top of the case for an extender to be mounted makes some sense, but for that purpose, the case could have been made less broad at the top for more compact design, though perhaps not as aesthetically pleasing. Making the case shorter seems more logical to me. Of course, the extra 2" on top would make this case accommodate larger lenses. The Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens was announced at the same time as the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens, but it is too long to fit in this case. Perhaps an upcoming Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS III Lens will share this case?

Making the case large enough for a mounted DSLR to fit would have been my preference. The additional cost would have been very little (especially relative to the cost of the lens) and the utility of the case would have been greatly increased.

For those who love the trunk style case, Canon has you covered. The Canon 400E Lens Case is available. Brace yourself before looking at the price. And, take good care of your LS400, because it also has a very big price tag.

On the evening of January 20 (Sunday night), North/South America, Greenland and Iceland will be treated to a total lunar eclipse – or blood moon – with the full moon at perigee (supermoon).

At this point, the full moon will appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it is at its farthest distance from earth (full moon at apogee, a.k.a. micromoon). Want more information and tips for photographing a lunar eclipse? B&H has you covered.

Here are the details for a couple of cities on the east coast and west coast (from timeanddate.com):

B&H has the Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens available for preorder in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E and Sigma SA mounts.

Product Highlights

• Full-Frame Format
• Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
• Two FLD Elements, Three SLD Elements
• Three Aspherical Elements
• Super Multi-Layer Coating
• Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
• Weather-Sealed, Protective Front Coating
• Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
• Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

The Sony Alpha a6400 is available for preorder at B&H, Adorama and Amazon US.

Product Highlights

• 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS Sensor
• BIONZ X Image Processor
• Real-Time Eye AF & Real-Time Tracking
• XGA Tru-Finder 2.36m-Dot OLED EVF
• 3.0" 921.6k-Dot 180° Tilting Touchscreen
• Internal UHD 4K Video, S-Log3, and HLG
• S&Q Motion in Full HD from 1-120 fps
• Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC
• 425 Phase- & Contrast-Detect AF Points
• Up to 11 fps Shooting and ISO 102,400

From the PHLEARN YouTube channel:

Today Aaron breaks down how to help any set of eyes look their absolute best in Photoshop. Learn to sculpt the highlights and shadows using Curves, enhance and change colors with Solid Color Fill Layers, and apply professional sharpening with Unsharp Mask.

Download the Sample Image here.

From Nikon:

Nikon COOLPIX B600

A versatile camera that covers wide-angle to super-telephoto shooting for imaging experiences simply not possible with a smartphone

January 17, 2019, TOKYO – Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of the COOLPIX B600, a compact digital camera equipped with a high-performance 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens.

The COOLPIX B600 employs a 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers a range of equivalent focal lengths beginning at wide-angle 24 mm*1 and ending at super-telephoto 1440 mm*1 (Dynamic Fine Zoom further expands the zoom ratio to 120x*2), making it possible for users to enjoy super-telephoto photography without compromising sharp and clear resolution.

The camera has an effective pixel count of 16.0 megapixels and supports a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400. Its combination of backside illumination CMOS sensor and EXPEED high-performance image-processing engine captures superior still and video quality, even at high sensitivities. The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with a variety of functions that enable a diverse power of expression, including 19 scene modes, as well as a Creative mode that offers a total of 36 different effects.

The camera also features functions that make it easier to use as a high-power zoom model and ensure increased operability, such as a Snap-back zoom button and Side zoom control, as well as a shooting mode dial that enables immediate switching between frequently used shooting modes. It is also SnapBridge compatible, so high-quality images can be automatically downloaded to a smart device*3 for easy sharing.

*1 Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
*2 At the maximum image size.
The maximum zoom ratio varies by image size. Dynamic Fine Zoom refers to the area in which the camera can zoom while maintaining resolution from the maximum zoom position, and is the combined ratio of optical zoom from the maximum wide-angle position and digital zoom. *3 iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android devices to which the SnapBridge app has been installed can be used. The SnapBridge app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store and Google Play. See Nikon's website for further information.

Primary features

• A compact body equipped with a 60x optical zoom lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths from wide-angle to super-telephoto
• Superior image quality that enables recording of beautiful stills and movies
• Diverse power of expression that is easy to achieve
• Superior operability that pursues user friendliness as a high-power zoom model
• SnapBridge support for automatic transfer of photos captured with the camera to a smart device
• Additional features
• A mode dial that allows users to easily apply one of the ten most frequently used shooting modes by simply rotating the dial to the appropriate icon
• A Pre-focus function that is effective with zooming and shooting in dark or dimly lit surroundings due to the camera always focusing automatically
• Target finding AF, where the user simply points the camera at the intended subject and the camera automatically predicts and focuses on it
• Recording of 1080/60i (50i) and 1080/30p Full HD movies with stereo sound
• Short movie show that allows users to easily create a movie up to 30 seconds in length from multiple movie clips
• Support for the ML-L7 Remote Control, which is capable of a variety of operations over a Bluetooth connection to the camera
• Adoption of the EN-EL12 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, which can be charged while inserted in the camera, over a USB connection

A stylish and compact high-power zoom model with a built-in electronic viewfinder providing superior image quality and operability

January 17, 2019, TOKYO – Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of the COOLPIX A1000, a stylish compact digital camera equipped with an electronic viewfinder that supports 35x optical zoom.

The COOLPIX A1000 boasts a compact size for ease of portability, and comes equipped with a 35x optical zoom lens that covers a range of equivalent focal lengths — from the wide-angle 24 mm*1 to the super-telephoto 840 mm*1 (Dynamic Fine Zoom further expands the zoom ratio to 70x*2). This allows users to easily enjoy super-telephoto photography that delivers images with sharp and clear resolution.

The COOLPIX A1000 supports a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400. The camera is also equipped with a lens-shift vibration reduction (VR) function for still-image shooting, and hybrid vibration reduction (VR) for movie recording that is effective even when recording 4K UHD movies. The camera's Active D-Lighting function reduces the loss of details in highlights and shadows in high-contrast situations such as backlit scenes. The function can be applied to both still images and movies. Additionally, photos can be captured in RAW (NRW) format, which allows users to process and edit images according to their own artistic preferences and intent without compromising image quality.

The COOLPIX A1000 is also equipped with a number of features designed to make this high-power zoom model easier to use. These include an approximately 1166k-dot equivalent electronic viewfinder with an eye sensor, a 3-inch, approximately 1036k-dot, tilting TFT LCD monitor with a touch screen, Snap-back zoom button and Side zoom control, as well as four exposure modes (P/S/A/M). The camera is also compatible with SnapBridge, an application that provides support for the automatic download and sharing of high-quality images using smart devices*3.

*1Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
*2At the maximum image size. The maximum zoom ratio varies by image size. Dynamic Fine Zoom refers to the area in which the camera can zoom while maintaining resolution from the maximum zoom position, and is the combined ratio of optical zoom from the maximum wide-angle position and digital zoom.
*3iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices to which the SnapBridge app has been installed can be used. The SnapBridge app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store and Google Play. See Nikon's website for further information.

Primary features

• A stylish body equipped with a 35x optical zoom lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths - from wide-angle to super-telephoto
• Superior image quality that is sharp and clear, even when shooting at high sensitivities, and support for RAW (NRW) recording
• 4K UHD movie recording that supports vibration reduction (VR), and Active D-Lighting which prevents loss of detail in highlights and shadow
• Superior operability with enhanced user friendliness as a high-power zoom model
• SnapBridge support for automatic transfer of photos captured to a smart device
• Additional features
• An MF peaking function that highlights areas in focus to make manual focusing easier (for still-image photography)
• 20 creative modes support the application of preferred effects to photos (for still-image photography)

B&H carries Nikon COOLPIX cameras.

From Tamron:

Dear users and potential purchasers of Tamron interchangeable lenses.

Thank you for using Tamron products and for your continuous support.

We would like to announce that we have clarified compatibility for general operations (*1) of the following Tamron Di & Di II lenses with the latest version of lens firmware (*2) when used with the Nikon Z6 and Nikon mount adapter FTZ.

*1 Defined to work on existing DSLR cameras
*2 Firmware for Nikon Z7 (announced on November 16th and 22nd, 2018)

Compatible models for general operations

• SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A041) for Nikon
• SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A032) for Nikon
• 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD (Model B028) for Nikon
• SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A025) for Nikon
• SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (Model A022) for Nikon
• 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037) for Nikon

The lens firmware can be updated with the separately sold TAP-in Console.

From Sigma:

Thank you for purchasing and using our products.

We would like to share the results of our further investigations regarding the operating conditions of the Canon "EOS R" and SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses for Canon mount.

When SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses in the current product lineup, listed below, are used in combination with the Canon "EOS R" and their "Mount Adapter EF-EOS R" or "Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R", both AF and AE operate without any issues. Furthermore, lenses which incorporate Optical Stabilizer (OS) will work with the OS function properly in effect.

In addition, 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. This is applicable to DG and DC lenses from Contemporary, Art and Sports line listed below which were released after March, 2018, or those of which firmware has been updated to Ver.2.0 or later. For other lenses, the Digital Lens Optimizer as well as the in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function cannot be used. Therefore, please set all to [OFF] before shooting.

Applicable products

DG Lens

• SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art
• SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art
• SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
• SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
• SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
• SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
• SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
• SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
• SIGMA APO 200-500mm F2.8/400-1000mm5.6 EX DG
• SIGMA APO 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM
• SIGMA 8mm F3.5 EX DG CIRCULAR FISHEYE
• SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 15mm F2.8 EX DG DIAGONAL FISHEYE
• SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 24mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
• SIGMA 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports
• SIGMA 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO | Art
• SIGMA MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM *
• SIGMA APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM *
• SIGMA APO MACRO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM *

DC Lens

• SIGMA 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM *
• SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM *
• SIGMA 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM *
• SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary *
• SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art *
• SIGMA 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary *
• SIGMA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM *
• SIGMA 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary *
• SIGMA 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art *
• SIGMA 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM *
• SIGMA 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM *
• SIGMA 30mm F1.4 DC HSM | Art *

* Camera’s "Scene Intelligent Auto mode" cannot be used.

Precautions for when DC lenses are used When SIGMA’s DC lenses where the image circle is designed to match APS-C sized sensors are used, "1.6x (Crop)" will not be set automatically. Please select "1.6x (Crop)" manually. There are future plans for a firmware update to be announced at a later date that will make the DC lenses from Contemporary and Art line compatible with the "1.6x (Crop)", to be set automatically, as well as Camera’s "Scene Intelligent Auto mode".

Phenomena particular to 3 lenses were confirmed

After careful investigation, we confirmed some phenomena particular to 3 products listed below. Regarding firmware updates for these lenses, we are going to announce them at a later date.

SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art

• It may require the battery to be taken out once, if restarting the camera does not work when the lens is taken off the camera while the lens’s OS function is in operation.
• It may stop the focus driving from infinity to closer focus distance while shooting video with AF.

SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports

• It may require the battery to be taken out once, if restarting the camera does not work when the lens is taken off the camera while the lens’s OS function is in operation.

SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary

• It may require the battery to be taken out once, if restarting the camera does not work when the lens is taken off the camera while the lens’s OS function is in operation.
• It may stop the focus driving from infinity to closer focus distance while shooting video with AF.

Other precautions

• AF can be used within the area of approximately 80% of the height and width of the sensor surface.
• For interchangeable lenses which are not from Contemporary, Art or Sports line, please focus using MF, since it may be difficult to achieve sufficient focusing speed and accuracy.
• Tele Converters cannot be used together.
• Having the focus mode switch set to MF does not let the lens stored automatically when the camera is turned off.
• Discontinued products have different operating conditions depending on each product and their shipping period. For details, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary / distributor.

For further information, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary / distributor.
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/about/world-network/

We appreciate your continued support for our company and products.

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 15, 2019 -- Sony Electronics Inc. today announced a major upgrade to its a9 mirrorless camera that will be available via a firmware update.

Sony's revolutionary a9 camera will receive several major enhancements to its award-winning autofocus (AF) performance and image quality, as well as receive a variety of new features that are designed to improve the overall workflow for professional photographers. In addition, new firmware updates for a7R III and a7 III will be available that update these cameras with the latest enhancements including Real-time Eye AF performance and add interval recording capacities.

"These new firmware upgrades demonstrate the strong commitment that Sony has to our customers," said Neal Manowitz, vice president of Imaging Solutions at Sony Electronics. "Their voice is critical to everything we do, and being able to provide our customers with new capabilities is a source of great pride for Sony."

Firmware Ver. 5.0 and Ver. 6.0 for a9

The upcoming firmware version 5.0 for a9 adds Sony's newly developed Real-time Tracking mode for object tracking. This mode utilizes Sony's latest algorithm—including Artificial Intelligence-based object recognition—and processes color, subject distance (depth), pattern (brightness) as well as spatial (distance) information to ensure that all subjects can be captured with extreme accuracy and precision. When photographing or videographing humans or animals, face and eye position information is recognized by AI and the subject's eyei is monitored in real time with extremely high tracking precision. In addition, "Tracking On" helps initiate real-time tracking at any time by simply pressing a custom-assigned buttonii and "Touch Tracking," which quickly activates through the touch screenii.

With this new firmware version 5.0, Sony's acclaimed a9 camera will receive advanced "Real-time Eye AF," the latest version of Sony's acclaimed Eye AF technology. This exciting new capability employs AI-based object recognition to detect and process eye location data in real time, resulting in improved accuracy, speed and tracking performance of Eye AF. In all autofocus modes, the camera can automatically detect the eyes of the subject and activate Eye AF with a half press of the shutter button, and the camera will seamlessly track the eyes at all times when in AF-C mode. The new firmware will also enable photographers to select the preferred eye (left or right) of their subject as the focus point.

Other focusing capabilities that will be available with the new firmware include Touch Pad, Touch Tracking, an extended phase-detection AF aperture range that has been increased from F11 to F16, and Fast Hybrid AF for movie shooting that provides smooth, automated focusing for movies.

Image quality will also be enhanced with the new a9 firmware version 5.0, specifically in the areas of color reproduction. The camera will more accurately account for subtle changes in light for smoother, more natural tonal gradations in elements like the sky. There is a new auto white balance algorithm that gets added as well, which produces more consistently balanced images while burst shooting. Other new functions for efficient controls and data management include My Dial and Dual Slot media menu improvement, rating and protect functions.

In addition to the several new capabilities, the firmware also adds compatibility with Sony's new Imaging Edge Mobileiii application - the successor to the PlayMemories Mobile application. The new Imaging Edge Mobile application features a 'Transfer & Tagging add-on'iv function to assist professional workflow. This allows photographers to transfer images from their camera to their smartphone during capture using the FTP transfer functionalityv, and adds support for including IPTC metadatavi on transferred images.

Version 6.0 firmware for the a9 camera will add Eye AF for animal eyesi, an exciting new feature for wildlife photographers that will enable interval shooting functionality for creating time-lapse moviesvii.

The new system firmware update version 5.0 is scheduled for launch in March 2019, and version 6.0 is scheduled for Summer 2019.

Firmware Ver. 3.0 for a7R III and a7 III

Sony's popular a7R III and a7 III full-frame cameras will both receive enhanced Real-time Eye AF performance with the upcoming firmware version 3.0. This will be available in AF-C mode with a simple half-press of the shutter button. Real-Time Eye AF for animalsi will also be available.

The cameras will also receive interval recording functionality that will allow for simple creation of time-lapse moviesvii. The new feature can be set for anywhere between 1 and 60 seconds, with a total number of shots from 1 to 9999. AE tracking sensitivity can also be adjusted to "High", "Mid" or "Low" during interval recording, allowing for reduced changes in exposure over the shooting interval.

The new system firmware update version 3.0 is scheduled in April 2019.

i Accurate focus may not be achieved with certain subjects in certain situations
ii Function must be set via the menu beforehand
iii A successor application of PlayMemories Mobile. Existing PlayMemories Mobile users can use this by updating PlayMemories Mobile
iv Add-on mobile application for 'Imaging Edge Mobile'. Available countries: US/Canada/UK/France/Germany/Hong Kong/China/Australia/Japan. User registration is required to use this application.
v Compatible with ILCE-9 with firmware update Ver.5.0 or later, ILCE-7RM3, ILCE-7M3
vi IPTC metadata for digital image metadata is a standard created by the IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council)
vii The latest version of "Imaging Edge" 'Viewer' and PlayMemories Home desktop applications is required

Additional Information

• Sony a9 Review
• Sony a7R III Review
• Sony a7 III Review

From Nikon:

Changes from Firmware Version 1.2 to 1.3

• Fixed an issue that prevented the camera charging if it was off when connected to the computer via USB.
• Fixed an issue that caused photos shot with a lens for selfies (camera 2) being flipped vertically when taken with the camera in landscape orientation.

Download: Nikon KeyMission 80 Firmware v.1.3

Manfrotto US (a Vitec Group company) has posted the following warning to its site:

Buy only from US AUTHORIZED DEALERS and get the benefits of our WARRANTY program.

If you buy from an unauthorized dealer you will not receive any US warranty or technical support. View full list of NON-AUTHORIZED DEALERS.

Additionally, if you purchase any Manfrotto product from an unauthorized dealer via Fulfilled By Amazon you will not receive any U.S. warranty or technical support.

While the authorized retailer warning isn't necessarily included on their other brands' websites, a Vitec Group representative I spoke with clarified the policy. I was told that the authorized retailer requirement for warranty claims / technical support applies to all the Vitec Group brands, including:

• Avenger
• Bowens
• FeiyuTech
• Gitzo
• Gossen
• Joby
• Lastolite
• Lowepro
• Manfrotto
• Metz
• National Geographic

So, if you want warranty protection, make sure you only purchase from authorized retailers.

Vitec Group US Authorized Retailers: B&H | Adorama | Amazon US (3rd party sales excluded)

Markins products are now available for special order at B&H. Available products include:

• Markins Ball Heads
• Markins Plates & L-Brackets (Arca-type)
• Markins Quickshoe Clamps (Arca-type)
• Markins Accessories for Gitzo Tripods

From the Profoto YouTube Channel:

Chinese photographer Alexvi creates a Dystopian vision of the future at an abandoned steel plant.

B&H carries the Profoto B10.