Canon and Sony News for Nov 2016 (Page 4)

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Keeping yourself constantly inspired as a visual artist is essential to building a portfolio and to creating better, stronger, more interesting work. However, artistic inspiration doesn't always exactly fall from the sky.

Taking on a daily, weekly, or monthly project can really help to enhance creativity and add excitement to your photography.

Try this 30-day photo challenge with yourself or with friends. Maybe you belong to a camera club, an online photographic community, or a friend group with several other photographers. You can use this challenge as a tool to learn from one another by sharing your work for gentle critique and you’ll see how even with the same photographic subject, each person has a unique perspective.

This 30-day photo challenge is a perfect way to expand your photographic style, enhance creativity, and inspire. Play! Experiment! Follow the rules, break the rules, relax, and most importantly have fun!!

According to the Egami Blog, Canon has filed a focus peaking patent.

Focus peaking is one of the benefits I thoroughly enjoy with Magic Lantern installed on my IR-converted EOS 7D. [Sean]

Patent Details

• Published 2016.9.1
• Filing date 2015.2.24
• To get the distance information of the object
• To generate a waveform image showing the degree of focusing of the object based on the high-frequency component
• To vary the color of the waveform

From the Canon USA YouTube Channel:

Cinematographer Russell Carpenter, ASC and Canon Explorer Of Light Tyler Stableford team up for the first U.S. based EOS C700 shoot which shows off the versatility and low light capabilities of Canon’s new EOS C700. The Super35 format camera is designed to be a flexible “A” camera for various types of shooting scenarios. The EOS C700 features both internal 4K ProRes and XF-AVC recording. With the optional 4K Codex CDX-3150 recorder, the EOS C700 is capable of recording uncompressed RAW up to 120 frames per second.

B&H has the Canon EOS C700 Cinema Camera available for preorder.

From the National Geographic YouTube Channel:

Wildlife cameraman Bertie Gregory takes the stage to share stories about his adventures photographing urban-jungle wildlife in England.

B&H has just started shipping the Canon W-E1 Wi-Fi Adapter to preorder customers.

The item's status has not been changed to "In Stock" just yet, but... it probably won't be long before the W-E1 is widely available.

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

You may know Moose Peterson as the go to nature photography guru, however he has a second photo passion: Aerial photography. Moose has built up a body of work from visiting air shows, sitting in the co-pilots seat and hanging out in hangars. This presentation showcases Moose’s best work.

Originally scheduled for widespread availability in mid-October, many DJI Mavic Pro preorder customers are still anxiously awaiting their foldable quadcopters. Unfortunately, production delays and higher-than-expected demand mean that preorder customers may not get their drones until right around Christmas time.

Here's DJI's official apology:

Dear DJI Customers:

We owe you an apology for our delays in delivering the new Mavic Pro. We want to thank you for your patience and also advise that we are looking into improving our order process and systems, based largely on your feedback.

When we announced Mavic Pro and began accepting pre-orders, we expected to deliver the first units in mid-October. However, ramping up production to full speed at top quality took longer than planned. Prior to our scheduled shipping target, we encountered an issue integrating a part into the Mavic Pro. We resolved that within a week. On top of that, the excitement for the Mavic Pro beat our expectations. As a result, we are working diligently to ramp up production to meet the higher-than-anticipated demand for the Mavic Pro.

We have been shipping for nearly two weeks, but even with round-the-clock production, we unfortunately cannot give specific delivery estimates for many orders moving through various global sales channels because of this demand. For Mavic Pro orders received before November 3, 2016, we will do our best to clear them all within the next seven to eight weeks.

Some of you waiting for your Mavic Pro also expressed concern about our immediate billing of pre-orders. We’ve heard you and are examining potential alternatives with our payment provider.

DJI exists to put amazing technology and innovation into your hands, and we’re sorry it’s taking so long with Mavic Pro. Our internal systems haven’t kept up with the enormous demand for our products, and your enthusiasm for our newest offering is spurring us to improve. We appreciate your understanding and are doing everything we can to get Mavic Pro to you as quickly as possible.

Sincerely, DJI

From the Adobe Photoshop YouTube Channel:

Quickly discover all of the little known feature enhancements in Photoshop CC 2017 that can make a big difference in your workflow, including improvements to Artboards, the Properties panel, Copy As SVG, SVG font support, Export As, and more!

Note: Some of the more interesting features (for us photographers, at least) are mentioned at the very end. For more in-depth information, check out this CC 2017 feature summary. One tidbit I found – Adobe Camera RAW now supports pressure-sensitive devices. [Sean]

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

From SKB:

Orange, California — Industry leaders SKB Cases and Think Tank Photo have teamed up to develop a high-quality line of Photo and Video hardshell cases that provide the ultimate in protection, versatility, and convenience for today’s globetrotting photographers and videographers.

The co-branded line of Flyer Series Cases are designed around SKB’s virtually indestructible waterproof iSeries hardshell cases, and feature premium interiors designed by Think Tank Photo, the world’s premier manufacturer of photo and video soft cases and backpacks. These exclusive interiors boast durable, fully customizable divider options for camera/video equipment and accessories, and also include new innovations like robust lid organizers, a wrap- around hard case cover with shoulder strap, a unique zippered pull-out divider case, and a backpack specifically designed to fit the SKB rolling carry-on case (3i-2011-7B). Flyer Series Cases will be available in four popular sizes, including two carry-on sized options ideal for DSLR or Mirrorless cameras, a rolling carry-on size, and a checkable case for larger video gear.

“To design the best interiors for photographers and videographers, we turned to the best: Think Tank Photo designs components that are second to none,” explains Jerry Andreas, Sr. Vice President at SKB Corporation. “Together with their industry-leading expertise and our proven, travel-tough iSeries cases, we’ve developed an unparalleled solution; I’m confident that our new Flyer Series will be extremely popular.”

SKB’s Flyer Series Cases will start shipping in December 2016, and will be available exclusively from SKB Cases through SKB dealers worldwide.

B&H has the SKB cases with Think Tank Photo interiors available for preorder.

Just posted: Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Lens Review

The G2 is a more substantial upgrade than I expected to see in a lens updating an only-3-year-old lens.

B&H has the Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Lens in stock.

From Adobe:

SAN DIEGO–The power of 10,000 creative people is in full force today at Adobe MAX 2016, the world’s leading creativity conference. Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) will showcase next-generation Creative Cloud innovation, including a new breed of applications in experience design, photography and 3D compositing, as well as exciting developments brewing in the company’s research labs. Adobe is also announcing Adobe Sensei, a new framework and set of intelligent services spanning the entire Adobe Cloud Platform, aimed at dramatically improving how customers design and deliver digital experiences. Adobe MAX will feature keynotes from inspirational creative leaders, including filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, fashion designer Zac Posen and photographer Lynsey Addario. To view the keynotes on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 9:30 a.m. PDT and Thursday, Nov. 3 at 10:00 a.m. PDT via a live stream, visit: http://www.adobe.com/go/maxkeynote.

“Adobe MAX is where the creative community comes together to see the latest in Creative Cloud innovation and be inspired by the world’s best creative minds,” said Bryan Lamkin, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Media at Adobe. “This year, we’ll be showcasing amazing breakthroughs in experience design, photography, virtual reality, character animation and 3D compositing.”

Adobe Showcases Innovation Coming to Creative Cloud

• A new Mac release of Adobe Experience Design CC (XD), the first all-in-one tool for designing, prototyping and sharing user experiences for website and mobile apps, is now available with two highly anticipated features - Layers and Symbols support. First made popular in Adobe’s flagship design tools Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC, XD reimagines Layers and Symbols to address the specific needs of user experience (UX) designers. Designers using XD can now easily share prototypes and get feedback in real-time. At MAX, Adobe will give a sneak peek at new capabilities that enable real-time collaboration including co-editing of documents, visual versioning and Creative Cloud Libraries enhancements. This innovation helps individuals and enterprises keep pace with the surging demand for high-quality content.
• Project Felix is an industry-first design tool that enables graphic designers to easily create high-quality, photo-realistic images by combining 2D and 3D assets for projects such as product shot comps, scene visualization and abstract design. Users have in-app access to 3D models, materials and lights from Adobe Stock as well as the ability to customize specific properties like materials, perfect lighting and adjust camera angles. Real-time rendering allows users to preview work while editing and before exporting to Photoshop to complete their design.
• For filmmakers, advancements in virtual reality, character animation and 3D across Adobe’s video tools set the stage for the future of video. The next release of Adobe Premiere Pro CC includes auto-aware virtual reality (VR) that seamlessly detects and applies the correct setting to stereoscopic and monoscopic media. First introduced at IBC, updates to Premiere Pro, After Effects CC and Prelude CC will also include a Beta of Team Projects that allows teams and enterprise customers to co-edit and collaborate on Creative Cloud projects. Adobe is also releasing a new Cinema 4D renderer in After Effects that will speed up efficiency and quality of 3D content generation. In addition, a new Social Publishing Panel (Beta) in Premiere Pro is powered by Adobe Marketing Cloud technology and enables quick exporting of videos to social channels, as well as data analysis of video content.
• Adobe Sensei is a framework and set of intelligent services built into the Adobe Cloud Platform that leverages Adobe’s massive volume of content and data assets to enable customers to work faster and smarter. For creatives, Adobe Sensei automates mundane tasks, allowing them to spend more time on inspiration and design. Adobe has leveraged machine learning and AI for many years within its creative applications enabling capabilities like Facial Recognition, Content-Aware technologies and Camera Shake Reduction. New Creative Cloud features that leverage Adobe Sensei include Adobe Stock Visual Search, and Match Font and Face-Aware Liquify in Photoshop. For more information on Adobe Sensei see separate press release.

Advances in Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is evolving the way people market and sell their work to peers. At MAX, Adobe announced a partnership with Reuters, the world’s largest international multimedia news provider, to bring Reuters video and photography to Adobe Stock’s new editorial collection. Available through Adobe Creative Cloud, creatives will be able to access Reuters editorial content including:

• Reuters photos covering news, sports and entertainment events with thousands of images added every day and over twelve million images in the archive
• Reuters video footage covering all major events across the globe, including the unique Reuters archive library of historical news footage featuring over a million news clips

Released as a beta in September 2016, the Adobe Stock Contributor site is now available at MAX and allows users to sell their creative work to the world’s largest creative community from within Creative Cloud. The expanded Adobe Stock service now offers more than 60 million royalty-free, high-quality photos, videos, illustrations, graphics and 3D models, as well as the addition of templates, a new asset type designed to help users kick-start new projects. Adobe Stock also leverages machine learning to dramatically improve search and contributor workflows, including a new auto-keyword feature (Beta), that save time by automatically generating the first five keywords of each image based on keywords from successful similar images.

Adobe is also introducing a new way to find, purchase and manage individual fonts from premier foundries including Frere-Jones Type, Type Network/Font Bureau and Émigré with the new Adobe Typekit marketplace. Complementing the Typekit subscription included in the Creative Cloud membership, Typekit marketplace will integrate across Creative Cloud tools to nearly double the number of individual fonts available for use. Businesses and consumers can use Typekit marketplace to more easily find and purchase fonts for professional or personal design projects, including websites, marketing materials, invitations and more.

Creative Cloud Applications Receive Major Updates

Updates to Creative Cloud include new offerings and functionality that enhance collaboration, learning and discoverability to help users deliver their best work faster. Key updates include a modern new interface and fast, flexible coding engine in Dreamweaver CC and a new Photoshop universal search bar that allows users to quickly search tools, panels, menus, Adobe Stock assets, help content and tutorials. Adobe Spark allows anyone to easily create and share stunning content and Creative Cloud paid members now have access to exclusive features in Adobe Spark. Adobe is also bringing its popular mobile applications Photoshop Sketch, Adobe Comp CC and Photoshop Fix to Android with this release.

• For the latest updates to Photoshop CC, Photoshop Sketch, Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix, and an introduction to Project Felix, click here.
• For graphic designers, updates to Illustrator CC and InDesign CC can be found here.
• For web designers, updates to Dreamweaver CC and Animate CC.
• For filmmakers, a comprehensive view of the latest video and audio tools news can be found here. In addition, updates to Character Animator (Beta) and Audition CC.
• For more information on the Adobe Photoshop Sketch update introducing Photoshop brushes from designer Kyle Webster, click here.
• For more information on State of Create: 2016, a global survey from Adobe that found investing in creativity pays off with tangible benefits – from higher income to greater national competitiveness and productivity.

Pricing and Availability

Updates to Creative Cloud desktop software will ship to Creative Cloud members before the end of the year. Membership plans are available for individuals, students, teams, educational institutions, government agencies and enterprises. Adobe’s new and updated mobile apps are available for free download from Apple App Store and Google Play now. When adding Adobe Stock to any paid yearly Creative Cloud membership plan, creatives can save up to 40 percent over purchasing stock content separately.

B&H carries the Adobe Photography Plan.

From the Freely Vimeo Channel:

A little over 3 years ago Freefly released the original MoVI. It was the first digital handheld stabilizer, and changed the way films are created.

3 years and thousands of shots later, the team at Freefly is unleashing the MoVI Pro. We believe its the most versatile, adaptable, and high performance camera movement system ever created.

We’ve stripped everything down to basics, analyzed the problem statement from first principles, and then tried to solve it with the fewest number of parts.

We can't wait to see what you will create with MoVI Pro.

B&H carries MoVI products but does not have the MoVI Pro product page available just yet.

From Canon:

TOKYO, November 2, 2016 — Canon Inc. announced today that the Company’s Powershot G5 X premium digital compact camera was recognized for design excellence by the Hong Kong Design Centre,* winning a DFA Design for Asia Awards Bronze Award.

The Powershot G5 X is equipped with a 1.0 inch large-format CMOS sensor and a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF). The award-winning compact camera offers intuitive controls afforded by such design features as multiple dials enabling the selection of a range of shooting settings and an electronic dial on the front of the camera.

Canon has submitted entries to the DFA Design for Asia Awards since 2013 and, since that time, has been awarded one Silver Award, three Bronze Awards, and one Merit Award for such products as Cinema EOS System professional cinematography equipment, video camcorders, cameras and interchangeable lenses. Encouraged by this latest industry recognition, Canon will continue striving to create products that combine the highest levels of performance and design excellence.

B&H carries the Canon Powershot G5 X.

According to the Egami Blog, Canon has filed a patent for a variable optical low-pass filter (OLPF) which uses the auto exposure (AE) sensor for determining the strength of the effect.

Patent Details

• Published 2016.9.29
• Submitted 2015.3.17
• Performing object recognition using an image sensor AE sensor
• Using a variable OLPF for false color reduction
• Image quality decreases when focus deviation occurs is generated by the temperature, is detected object recognition is erroneous
• It suppresses the effect of the variable OLPF according to the temperature, suppressing the influence of the deterioration in image quality

Erik Valind demonstrates how to easily and simply capture bridal details on the wedding day for albums with one speedlight, a FlashBender 2 Large Reflector and a Rogue Collapsible Reflector. Flash photography lighting video tutorial, techniques and tips.

B&H carries Rogue Flashbender products and the Rogue collapsible reflector.

From Canon USA:

Firmware Version 1.1.0 incorporates the following enhancement:

• Support for the Wi-Fi Adapter W-E1 has been added.

When updating the firmware of your camera, please review the instructions thoroughly before you update the firmware. The firmware update takes approximately 6 minutes. Please note that the firmware for EOS 5DS R and EOS 5DS is different. Notes:

1. The firmware cannot be updated when the Wi-Fi Adapter W-E1 is inserted into the camera.
2. Once the camera is updated to Version 1.1.0, it cannot be restored to a previous firmware version (Version 1.0.1).
3. EOS 5DS R cameras with Firmware Version 1.1.0 require the latest version of EOS Utility and Camera Connect.
• EOS Utility Version 3.5.0 or later can be downloaded from our Web site.
• Camera Connect 1.3.10 or later can be downloaded from App Store or Google Play.
• Versions of application software that support Firmware Version 1.1.0 of the camera
• EOS Utility Version 3.5.0 or later
• Camera Connect 1.3.10 or later
  * EOS Utility is supported on the following OSes:
  Windows 10 / 8.1 / 7 SP1, Mac OS X v10.9 / 10.10 / 10.11
  * Camera Connect is supported on the following OSes:
  iOS 8.4 / 9.3, Android 4.1-4.4 / 5.0-5.1 / 6.0
4. Download the latest version of the Instruction Manual which contains information regarding the enhancements provided in this firmware update.

B&H carries the Canon EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R DSLR cameras. They also have the Canon W-E1 Wi-Fi Adapter available for preorder.

From Sigma:

Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Contemporary lens, 20mm F1.4 Art lens, 24-35mm F2 Art lens, 50-100mm F1.8 Art lens and Sigma Mount Converter MC-11 garner top accolades

New York, New York – November 1, 2016 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, has been honored with 10 prestigious industry awards in 2016, including two Lucie Technical Awards presented at the recent 2016 PhotoPlus Expo. The Sigma Global Vision 20mm F1.4 Art took home a Lucie for “Best Wide Angle Prime Lens,” and the brand new Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 Art received the “Best Standard Zoom Lens” award for its outstanding technical innovation

Sigma Global Vision lenses and the brand new Mount Converter MC-11 have earned high marks throughout 2016, receiving numerous awards and accolades including:

• The world renowned TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) judging panel named Sigma’s 50-100mm F1.8 Art as “Best DSLR Telephoto Zoom Lens”; the 24-35mm F2 Art as “Best DSLR Wide Angle Zoom Lens”; and the 20mm F1.4 Art as “Best Professional DSLR Lens.”
• Madavor Media’s Digital Photo magazine put the Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 Art on its Editor’s Choice Awards list for “Best Professional APS-C Lens.”
• Professional Photographer honored the Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 Art lens and Mount Converter MC-11 with highly sought after Hot One Awards, citing the newcomers as the year’s best and most noteworthy technology products for professional photographers.
• The 50-100mm F1.8 Art proved to be the top zoom lens choice again in August, when Sigma was presented with the “European DSLR Zoom Lens 2016-2017” award from EISA (the European Imaging and Sound Association).
• Rounding out the list is the 2016 TWICE VIP Award for the Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Contemporary lens, which took honors in the “Best Camera Accessories” category.

“It’s a true honor and privilege to be recognized by these highly respected industry organizations,” states Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “Sigma is incredibly passionate about creating innovative lenses and accessories for everyone from amateur photographers to seasoned professionals. A special thank you goes to EISA, Madavor Media, Professional Photographer, The Lucie Awards, TIPA and TWICE for recognizing that innovation and passion.”

Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC HSM OS Macro Contemporary Lens
Designed for APS-C cameras (equates to a 27-450mm), the Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 lens features a 16.6x zoom ratio covering focal lengths from wide to telephoto. It also boasts a 1:3 macro ratio. An enhanced optical stabilizer compensates for camera shake, while an optimized hyper-sonic motor ensures quiet and fast autofocus. Four FLD (performance equal to fluorite) paired with one SLD glass element capture incredibly sharp and contrasted images all the way through the focal length. Top quality glass mitigates aberration to produce outstanding results.

Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens
Ideal for videography, astrophotography, landscape, low-light/indoor and event photography, the state-of-the-art 20mm F1.4 Art is a wide-angle prime lens that supports both full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras. Designed with careful attention to the lens’ edge-to-edge performance, the 20mm F1.4 is Sigma’s widest prime Art lens to date. It features premium FLD glass and five SLD glass elements in a 15-element, 11-group design. The advanced lens structure minimizes spherical aberration, axial chromatic aberration and field curvature to deliver incredible image quality. Tested using the proprietary “A1” measuring system, the 20mm F1.4 Art delivers the highest standard of operation for professionals.

Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art Lens
The 24-35mm F2 Art lens is the world’s first full-frame F2 zoom lens, marrying the versatility of a zoom with outstanding optics performance. Featuring premium FLD glass and seven SLD glass elements, the 24-35mm F2 creates sharp and beautiful images. Its large diameter, aspherical lens also provides a stunning level of brightness, which is ideal even at the widest of apertures.

Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art Lens
Building on the core capabilities of the Sigma 1
8-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens, the five-time award-winning Sigma 50-100 F1.8 Art lens covers three popular short tele prime focal lengths (85mm, 105mm and 135mm), offering a mid-range zoom that is ideal for both photographers and videographers. Key features include three FLD glass elements and one high-refractive index, high-dispersion glass element to minimize aberrations; a redesigned, enhanced Hyper Sonic Motor; a durable polycarbonate diaphragm and a versatile inner focusing and zoom design.

Sigma Mount Converter MC-11
The high-performance Sigma Mount Converter MC-11 is engineered for Sony E-mount, full frame and APS-C sensor cameras. It allows users to access 17 high-performance Sigma Canon Mount (EF) and Sigma Mount (SA) Global Vision lenses. It features an internal control data system that ensures perfect optimization of AF drive, aperture control and additional supported functions including continuous autofocus and eye detection. Utilizing the latest technology, the MC-11 supports fast and accurate autofocus and will work in conjunction with in-camera and in-lens stabilization functions. With added integrated flocking, lens performance is assured to have no internal reflections and reduction. As new compatible lenses are released, the MC-11 can be updated via a personal computer using the Sigma Optimization Pro software and Sigma USB Dock (sold separately).

B&H carries the following products:

• Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC HSM OS Macro Contemporary Lens
• Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens
• Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art Lens
• Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens
• Sigma Mount Converter MC-11

From 3 Legged Thing:

Introducing the 2016 PUNKS

The all-new tripod range, PUNKS by 3 Legged Thing are out now! Travis, the everyday use tripod, and Corey, our ultra lightweight micro travel tripod are packed full of 3LT innovation, including a detachable monopod, the patented Tri-Mount Plate for multiple accessory attachments, plus much, much more. All that is left for you to do is, choose your weapon.

Corey is a new generation of micro traveller tripods. Packed full of features, with extraordinary functionality and capability, the new Corey tripod is a culmination of 2 years of design and development.

With 5 section legs and a 2 section column, and an AirHed Neo, Corey extends to a good working height, whilst retaining the ability to fold down to an incredibly compact size for stowage. With a load capability of 14kg / 30lbs, Corey is the perfect combination of weight, size and capability for photographers of all genres and abilities.

Travis is the first Punks tripod designed for every day use. Packed full of features, with extraordinary functionality and capability, Travis will appeal to any photographer looking for a great all-round tripod.

With 4 section legs and a single column, and an AirHed Neo, Travis provides exceptional stability and rigidity, and a load capability of 18kg / 40lbs. Perfect for photographers of multiple genres, and adaptable to almost any situation, the new Punks Travis is an excellent multi-purpose tripod for general use.

B&H carries the 3 Legged Thing Travis and Corey tripods.

In a move that I'm sure doesn't involve any patent violations *cough*, Chinese photo gear manufacturer Yongnuo is planning to release a EF mount 100mm f/2 lens that looks strikingly similar to Canon's EF 100mm f/2 USM.

We're uncertain just how Yongnuo traverses this slipperly slope, but... it wouldn't be the first time. Maybe since the focus distance scale turns in the opposite direction as the focus ring, Yongnuo can claim a completely different design?

Update: Ah, it looks like the EF 100mm f/2 USM was designed and patented long enough ago that the patent has run out.

B&H has the new Apple MacBook Pros with Touch Bar available for preorder.

The Touch Bar looks to be a very interesting feature and one that photographers will likely find useful once developers introduce support for custom function bars in their software offerings.