Canon and Sony News for Jan 2014 (Page 4)

Check out this short video created by a three man crew using a 5D Mark III, Magic Lantern, an awesome bike and a little creative film work.

From marc&R YouTube Channel:

"One of us bought a Ducati Monster and we all thought the bike looked amazing, so we decided to make a video about it. We shot this Ducati Spec in 2 days with the Canon 5d Mark III and a crew of 3 people including myself. Also I wanted to try out Magic Lantern RAW for quite a while and this was the perfect opportunity. The raw video really looks amazing. Thanks a lot to the developers of Magic Lantern. This is truly great! And of course: awesome bike!"

Gear Used:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark III
• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
• Old Nikon 50mm lens for the "whacking" shots

Graded in DaVinci Resolve 10.

From Profoto:

Join Profoto and Mark Wallace as we take the new B1 off-camera flash out on location. The webinar will cover topics such as balancing strobes with ambient light, fill-in flash on location, light shaping techniques and other useful stuff for photographers who prefer having mother nature as their backdrop.

The webinar will take place on January 22 at 7PM CET (10AM Los Angeles, 1PM New York, 6PM London, 7PM Paris, +2AM Beijing, +3AM Tokyo, +5AM Sydney).

Sign up below, and we'll send you a friendly reminder when the webinar is about to start!

Sign Up Now!

A new page has been added to the site's Photography Tips section:

Using White Balance for Artistic Purposes

Along with (hopefully) inspiring your creativity, I share a favorite winter photography subject: Condensation.

Canon USA has just published a video highlighting Canon Professional Services. If you're not already a member, it might be well worth signing up.

CPS Membership Plans*

*Must meet product ownership eligibility requirements.

Adding to the photography gear comparison tools available on the site is the new Flash Product Images page.

Here you will find images of many recent Canon flashes and flash transmitters along with the ability to visibly compare them with any other included model (similar to the Lens Product Images page). Access to this tool is, as usual, found on the main tools page and from within individual flash reviews.

Please note that some of the older images in this tool were not captured to the precision of my current standards, so there may be a very slight size difference in size and/or alignment accuracy shown in some comparisons. The feature differences are quite clear.

Samyang has published a video that details the benefits of using tilt-shift lenses – and specifically their own 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC Tilt-Shift lens (review).

B&H carries the Samyang 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC Tilt-Shift lens.

From Photoshelter:

Ready to hit the ground running in 2014?

The 2014 Photo Business Plan Workbook is a step-by-step guide to help you focus your business strategy, target the photography clients you want, and rev up your income this year.

Get strategies and concrete examples to help you:

1. Define your products & services
2. Determine your audience and addressable market
3. Create a marketing plan
4. Fix your finances
5. Tune-up your website
6. Build your Search Engine Optimization
7. Get social
8. Create an advisory group
9. Follow up with old clients

Build your photo business plan and stick to it. Get started with these smart business tips packed into an easy-to-read workbook.

Download your copy today!

From Canon Professional Network:

In CPN’s in-depth digital encyclopaedia – Infobank – find out more about how the autofocus systems in Canon EOS DSLRs work and exactly what the AF modes and settings offer to photographers.

B&H has a placeholder page live for the newly showcased Nikon D4s. Unfortunately, there's not much to sink your teeth into just yet.

I was wondering what the 10 oldest Canon lenses were (lenses still in the Canon lineup and still available new), so I queried the database. Since I wanted to know, I thought that you might also be interested in seeing the list. Here they are along with their introduction year:

1.  Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro Lens – 1987
2.  Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens – 1990
3.  Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Lens – 1991
4.  Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens – 1991
5.  Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens – 1991
6.  Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens – 1992
7.  Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM Lens – 1992
8.  Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens – 1993
9.  Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens – 1993
10. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Lens – 1995

While I listed the lenses in descending age sequence, the fact is that most of these lenses share a birth year with one or more other lenses in the list. So, many ties are shown above – including a 3-way tie in 1991.

Note that the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens and Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 With Softfocus Lens remain in the Canon USA lineup, but these lenses do not meet my second requirement – they are not available new at the major retailers. Lenses very frequently become discontinued with no fanfare. This appears to be the case with these two lenses.

Despite their age (or in the case of pricing, perhaps because of their age), many of the above lenses continue to be very good sellers and very good performers.

What are the next 10 oldest Canon lenses?

11. Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Lens – 1995
12. Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens – 1996
13. Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens – 1996
14. Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens – 1996
15. Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens – 1997
16. Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens – 1998
17. Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens – 1998
18. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM Lens – 1998
19. Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens – 1999
20. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Lens – 1999

As you may have guessed, the primary reason that I wanted to see the above lists was to help determine which Canon lenses might be most-ripe for replacement. While predicting which lenses Canon is going to introduce/replace this year amounts to essentially a wild guess (and not a good idea for affecting purchase decisions), it is safe to say that every year increases the likelihood of a lens being discontinued or replaced. The odds are that a couple of lenses on this list will be replaced this year and I can pick out a couple of models especially ripe for updating.

Canon always makes a replacement lens better in some way(s) – physically or optically. But, the updated lens typically carries a higher price tag. And at a higher price, I have to wonder if the popularity of the listed-above lenses would be significantly impacted.

Can the 50 f/1.8 be improved without increasing its cost? The 100 f/2 and 85 f/1.8 are great values, but could use modernization – but at what cost? The 70-200mm f/4L remains one of the most popular lenses on the site. Would it remain so with a price increase?

While already a good performer, the 16-year-old 100-400 L has been rumored for replacement for 10 (?) years (I hope you didn't wait to buy it). This model could withstand a higher street price in return for higher performance. Adding IS to the 400 f/5.6L would be worth a price premium to most.

Interesting is that three of Canon's four 50mm lenses make the top 10 list. Those three 50mm lenses are very good candidates for minimally a physical upgrade. However, while the 50 f/1.8 and 50 f/1.4 are very popular models, the 50 f/2.8 macro is near the bottom of the popularity list. Would an update change this?

Two of the TS-E lenses also make the top 10. While I'm certain that Canon could give these two TS-Es a serious upgrade, they are currently among Canon's least popular lenses from a sales perspective.

Which Canon lenses do you think are most-ready for replacement? Share your thoughts using the site's new commenting feature!

Stan Horaczek of Popular Photography filmed some of the Canon demos at CES this year. Check out the electromagnetic mechanism for changing apertures – it's my favorite!

From Canon USA:

Canon has released a firmware update for the EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera.

Details

1. Auto focusing performance under low-light conditions has been enhanced when performing focusing before shooting in AI Servo AF mode. The enhancement comes from the improvement in tracking capability for the first image in the low-light conditions.
2. The number of release parameters settings for the “AI Servo AF 2nd image priority” AF function has been increased to enable improved AF tracking in low light or maintain consistent high frames rates during continuous shooting.
3. The number of parameters for acceleration/deceleration tracking in the AF Configuration Tool will has been increased.
4. Exposure compensation can be performed when using manual exposure and ISO Auto.
5. The minimum shutter speed limit for ISO Auto has been increased with shutter speeds up to 1/8000.
6. A new function to keep the exposure constant by altering the ISO or shutter speed in manual exposure, when the aperture value changes when zooming or changing lenses has been added.
7. A new option has been added to orientation linked AF point to enable only the AF point to switch as you change orientation rather than both AF point/ AF area settings
8. A new option to continue to use the previously manually selected AF point as the initial starting AF point when switching to 61-point automatic selection has been added.
9. New customization of the Exposure metering and AF controls has been added for more flexibility.
10. The number of possibilities for controls to switch between one-shot AF and AI Servo AF using custom controls has been increased.
11. A function has been added to allow the playback and review of protected images only.
12. A phenomenon has been fixed in which the white balance may be disturbed by the timing of the shutter release when the drive mode is single shooting and a flash (E-TTL)is used.

Firmware Version 2.0.3 is for cameras with firmware Version 1.2.4 or earlier. If the camera's firmware is already Version 2.0.3, it is not necessary to update the firmware. When updating the firmware of your camera, please first review the instructions thoroughly before you download the firmware.

Notes:

• Once the EOS-1D X camera is updated to Version 2.0.3, it cannot be restored to a previous firmware version (Version 1.0.2 through 1.2.4).
• It is recommended that the latest application software be used, once the EOS-1D X is updated to the new Firmware Version 2.0.3 from older firmware (Versions 1.0.2 through 1.2.4). Certain previous versions of these applications do not support functions which are added by the new firmware. You can download the latest application software from our Web site.
• Accompanying the enhancements to the functions, the instruction manual has also been revised. Users are asked to download both the latest firmware and the instruction manual. You can download the latest instruction manual from our Web site.

Download Firmware Version 2.0.3 for the EOS 1DX

B&H carries the Canon EOS-1D X DSLR Camera.

Commenting capabilities powered by the very popular Disqus platform are now included in news posts. The Disqus commenting system is very easy to use and allows you to sign on using your already existing Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Alternatively, create a Disqus account using your preferred credentials and join in discussions. While it would have been great to utilize the same platform/user profiles that our forums use, the commenting capability was simply not there to enable this use.

We love your comments and feedback, so we encourage you to now use this new feature. To read or post comments, navigate to the individual news post pages as commenting is not directly available on the main news page (to conserve space). Those following our posts from other resources including RSS news readers should click on the "visit website" (or your reader's equivalent) link to read/post comments.

You can of course continue to post comments on Facebook and Google+.

Attention Facebook Followers

While we still encourage you to follow us on Facebook, you need to be aware that Facebook now shows our posts to roughly 2.7% of our followers. This problem is not unique to our site. In case you haven't noticed, following a page on Facebook has become practically worthless to everyone.

Facebook is trying to force page owners to pay to promote their posts. A short test proved that paying for this promotion does not reach the right audience and was a big waste of resources. With Facebook not showing most of the site's posts to followers, commenting on the posts was also greatly reduced. Thus, we are now hosting commenting directly on the site.

Stay Up to Date

We want to keep you up to date on what is happening in the DSLR photography world. Unless you are visiting our Facebook page regularly, I encourage you to follow the site using an alternative method. Google+ is one good way and using an RSS feed reader such as Feedly is another great way. Or just visit the site's news page.

Feel free to use this post to log into Disqus and leave a comment to get familiar with doing so. Then share your insights, ask questions and offer suggestions!

B&H has the newly announced Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM Contemporary Lens available for preorder.

From Tiffen:

Inventive 10-stop ND filter along with the highly popular Variable ND filter give image-makers maximum control

Las Vegas, NV – January 7, 2014 – The Tiffen Company, a leading manufacturer of award-winning digital imaging accessories, is showcasing at CES 2014 in booth C9143 its latest innovative 10-stop filter labeled Tiffen ND 3.0. At the same time, the company will feature its enormously popular Variable Neutral Density filter. “When it comes to optical development, Tiffen is at the helm of the industry. The development of the new ND 3.0 filter is part of our planned program of ongoing innovation, which enables us to remain firmly ‘ahead of the curve’ in the field of optical accessories,” states Steve Tiffen, President and CEO. “We work closely with image-makers, listening to their needs and responding with forward-thinking products that help them create the world’s greatest images. At CES, we are showcasing several filter innovations rolling out this year.”

About the Tiffen ND 3.0
The Tiffen ND 3.0 is a Neutral Density filter that offers an incredible 10-stop exposure absorption. This high-density block allows photographers add an additional layer of creativity to their work through the use of much slower shutter speeds or a wider aperture than would normally be required without the use of a filter. In this way, the photographer can employ a long exposure time to blur any movement within the scene or use a smaller depth of field for more selective focus through the choice of a wider lens aperture.

Although the amount of light passing through the lens is significantly reduced, Tiffen’s tried-and-tested technology means that no color change occurs. This makes it easier for the photographer to balance exposure in order to eliminate washed-out images where bright light conditions prevail.

Tiffen’s ND 3.0 is available in sizes 52mm to 82mm.

About the Tiffen Variable ND Filter
Incorporating seven ND filters into one, the popular and universally accepted Tiffen Variable ND Filter is all about versatility and convenience. Designed for use by photographers and videographers, this all-in-one ND filter means more space in the camera bag and less time changing filters when shooting.

With the Tiffen Variable ND, photographers can use slow shutter speeds to record movement/image blur, have full control over depth of field, shoot high-speed film (above ISO 400) in bright outdoor situations by reducing the effective ISO, and effectively use cine and video cameras (which have fixed shutter speeds) to film bright scenes that could otherwise cause overexposure.

The Tiffen Variable ND Filter comes in 52MM, 58MM, 62MM, 67MM, 72MM, 77MM and 82MM sizes and is available today through Tiffen’s domestic and international dealer network.

B&H carries the Tiffen 77mm 3.0 10-Stop ND Filter and Tiffen Variable Neutral Density Filters.