Canon and Sony News for Sep 2017 (Page 4)
The team over at LensRentals recently disassembled a Sigma 85mm T1.5 FF High-Speed Prime to see how its construction compared with other prime cinema lenses.
From the LensRentals Blog:
We’ve been impressed with the Sigma Cine lenses. We weren’t surprised that they’re generally sharper than classic Cine primes; that’s what we’ve come to expect from Sigma. We were pleasantly surprised by the smoothness of focusing and aperture and the apparent build quality. Since we’d previously done teardowns of the Zeiss 85mm T1.5 CP.2 and Rokinon Xeen 85mm T1.5 lenses, and recently done a teardown of the Zeiss 85mm T1.5 CP.3 lens, we thought taking apart the Sigma Cine 85mm T1.5 would provide a nice comparison.Read the entire fully illustrated article on the LensRentals Blog.
B&H carries the Sigma 85mm T1.5 FF High-Speed Prime.
MELVILLE, N.Y., September 12, 2017 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced three new additions to the company’s video camcorder lineup: the XF405 4K UHD Video Camcorder, the XF400 4K UHD Video Camcorder and the VIXIA HF GX10 4K UHD Video Camcorder, three lightweight and compact video camcorders that feature 4K/60p video recording.
Canon XF405, XF400 and VIXIA HF GX10 4K UHD Video Camcorders
The Canon XF405 and XF400 4K UHD Video Camcorders are both ideal for applications like broadcast interviews, documentaries and weddings. Designed with advanced amateurs and hobbyists in mind, the VIXIA HF GX10 4K UHD Video Camcorder provides the same high- image quality as the Canon XF405 and XF400.
All three models feature a newly developed 15x optical zoom lens (35 mm film equivalent: 25.5mm–382.5mm), to support 4K recording, alongside a 1.0-inch CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC DV 6 image-processing platform, to produce stunning 4K/60p recording across the entire zoom range. In addition, the compact and lightweight body designs measure approximately 5.3in (l) x 3.8in(h) x 8.4in(d) and weigh approximately 40.5oz, 40.3oz and 40.2oz for the XF405, XF400 and VIXIA HF GX10, respectively. The compact and lightweight nature of all three 4K UHD models provide great mobility when shooting such scenes as news reports and events.
All three camcorders provide users with fast, highly accurate focusing through intuitive touch-panel operations and feature Dual Pixel CMOS AF—a technology that offers smooth Auto Focus(AF) operation with high-tracking capabilities, making it ideal for shooting video.
Pricing and Availability
The Canon XF405 4K UHD video camcorder, the XF400 4K UHD video camcorder and the VIXIA HF GX10 4K UHD video camcorder are scheduled to be available in November 2017 for estimated retail prices of $3,499.00, $2,999.00 and $2,499.00 respectively.
B&H has the following available for preorder:
From Canon USA:
MELVILLE, N.Y., September 12, 2017 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the Canon DP-V2411 4K HDR Reference Display, a 24-inch display that features stable high luminance and 12G-SDI terminals, ideal for use on-set in broadcasting vans, and in-studio needs.
Highlighting Canon’s proprietary display image processor, LED direct backlight system design and an In-Plane Switching (IPS) LCD screen, the DP-V2411 display provides users with detailed and precise color reproduction as well as high resolution, high contrast and high luminance, allowing for accurate review and confirmation of 4K and HDR video content.
The DP-V2411 Display reaches peak luminance and full-screen white luminance of 600 cd/m, helping to prevent changes in luminance that can occur depending on the video images being viewed. These video images feature stable high-luminance performance for even more precise luminance and color review confirmation of 4K HDR video when shooting on location or in a studio.
Compared to a 4K reference display equipped with 3G-SDI that would require four cables to transmit 4K 60p footage, the Canon DP-V2411 Display features 12G-SDI terminals requiring a user to only use a single cable. By reducing the number of necessary cables, the display supports more cost-efficient, less time-consuming installation, while reducing weight and saving space.
Alongside the current lineup of Canon 4K HDR reference display, the Canon DP-V2411 supports Electro-Optical Transfer Functions (EOTF) such as Hybrid Log-Gamma, a broadcasting HDR standard; Perceptual Quantizer (PQ), a HDR standard for film production and transfer; and Canon’s proprietary log gammas—Canon Log, Canon Log 2 and Canon Log 3. In addition, the new display features convenient shooting assist functions for all HDR standards as a waveform monitor. This displays the luminance level of input signals and a false color function, which overlays different areas of input images with colors depending on their luminance allowing for convenient review and confirmation of HDR images.
Pricing and Availability
The DP-V2411 is scheduled to be available in early December 2017 for an estimated retail price of $20,000.00 . For more information please visit, usa.canon.com.
Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is now available for pre-orderThe ultimate HDR solution, Aurora HDR 2018, offers major updates to create the most realistic and natural images possible.
San Diego, CA - September 12, 2017 — Macphun, the California-based software developer known for making complex photo editing tasks simple and fun, today announced the start of their pre-order for Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows. New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2018 for $89 and current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade at a special price of $49 at aurorahdr.com .
Co-developed with renowned HDR photographer Trey Ratcliff, new Aurora HDR 2018 is available for the first time ever for both Mac and Windows users. It introduces a completely new user interface and exciting new tools , plus brings speed improvements.
“The original Aurora HDR quickly became the industry standard for HDR photo editing on Mac and the new version is even more innovative and powerful than its predecessors,” said Kevin La Rue, Vice President at Macphun. “With Aurora HDR 2018, we’ve introduced the next-generation of tone mapping for superior natural results, plus long-awaited lens correction and transform tools that allow users to create perfect HDR images,” La Rue concluded.
Aurora HDR 2018 has a completely new and smarter algorithm for tone mapping single or multiple exposures that results in the most realistic starting image possible. When merging brackets, the algorithm analyzes each image separately, automatically detecting dark and light zones and adjusting the level of detail which will produce a very natural looking HDR image.
With single image processing, the tone mapping algorithm brings out colours and enhances dark and light zones. Either way, this initial starting point is a great foundation for advanced image editing.
Another major improvement to Aurora HDR 2018 is the new HDR Enhance Filter . A single slider adds details and clarity to an image, adjusting colors, details and contrast without creating artificial halos or other problems. Moving the slider also adjusts the intensity of changes, making the picture look more natural or revealing a more dramatic look, depending on the desired effect.
FULL LIST OF NEW FEATURES OF AURORA HDR 2018:
- NEW: Next-generation Tone Mapping – A new smart Tone Mapping algorithm automatically reduces noise, and produces more realistic and natural initial results.
- NEW: Mac and Windows versions – Aurora HDR 2018 is available both for Mac and PC users, enabling mixed-computer households to share the same product key.
- NEW: Lens Correction Tool * – The new Lens Correction filter easily fixes all kinds of lens distortion, from barrel and pincushion to chromatic aberration and vignetting.
- NEW: Transform Tool* – Easily scale, rotate and shift your image to better fit your vision.
- NEW: Dodge & Burn Filter – Selectively lighten or darken specific areas of an image to artfully direct your viewer’s eye towards the key subject of your image, similar to a traditional darkroom technique.
- NEW: HDR Enhance Filter - Adds details and clarity to an image, adjusting colors, details and contrast without creating artificial halos or other problems.
- NEW: User Interface – A new, modern and responsive user interface brings a powerful, yet joyful experience to HDR photo editing.
- NEW: History Panel – An easy-to-reference list of edits made to your image, the History panel allows you to click on any editing step to revert the photo to an earlier stage of editing.
- NEW: Touch Bar support for Mac – Aurora HDR 2018 adds Touch Bar support to give new MacBook Pro users fast access to key editing features and speed up their workflow.
- NEW: Image Flip and Rotate* – Perfect for correcting photos with incorrect horizons or making creative compositions or other stylistic changes to an image.
- IMPROVED: New Structure Algorithm – The re-developed Structure tool allows you to adjust detail and clarity of an image to get a classic HDR effect with great detail or a smoother effect with less details.
- IMPROVED: RAW handling – An improved RAW conversion brings out more details in shadows/highlights, displays colors more accurately and reduces noise in RAW files.
- IMPROVED: Crop tool update – Now specify custom crop sizes for even more versatility.
- IMPROVED: Speed – Faster merging and masking performance, improvement in RAW image processing.
New Aurora HDR 2018 also brings more blend modes, improved color temperature, image radiance, and an improvement whereby custom textures can now include RAW files. Aurora HDR 2018 can work as a standalone app, as well as a plugin to Lightroom and Photoshop both on Mac and PC versions, and with Adobe Elements and Aperture on Macs.
* Lens Correction and Transform tools, as well as image flip and rotate will be available in the Mac version at launch, and arrive in the PC version with the first free update in the beginning of October. Other tools and features that are currently available for Mac only would be added to PC version by the end of the year.
Availability
Pre-order will run from September 12 until September 27 at aurorahdr.com/2018 . Pre-order customers will receive a bonus pack:
- BONUS: Trey Ratcliff Deep Dive video
- BONUS: Travel Photography Tutorial by Matt Granger
- BONUS: Source Brackets
- BONUS: 3-month Zenfolio Pro website, including a complementary design consultation. $60 value.
Pricing:
Mixed-computer households can share the same product key for Mac and PC which can be activated on 5 devices.
- Pre-order:
- Current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade at a special pre -order price of $49
- New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2018 at a special pre order price of $89
- Retail Price
- $59 for current Aurora HDR users
- $99 for new users
From Canon Europe:
Martin-Chico’s winning project proposal focuses on female former-members of FARC, a left-wing Colombian militant group that officially disarmed in June this year following a historic ceasefire agreement with the country’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, in 2016.Read more on the Canon Europe website.It’s ninth time lucky for the French-Spanish photographer, who predominantly shoots in the Middle East for titles including Le Monde, Le Figaro and The New York Times.
The annual award, supported by Elle magazine, is given to “an outstanding female photographer in recognition of her contribution to photojournalism”. It comes with an €8,000 grant to support the development of a new series to go on show at next year’s Visa pour l’Image festival of photojournalism.
From Canon USA:
Thank you for using Canon products.
We have determined that some EF50mm f/1.4 USM lenses exhibit a focus operation-related malfunction. The details of the phenomenon and Canon’s service policy are described below.
We would like to offer our sincere apologies to users who have been inconvenienced by this issue. Going forward, we will spare no effort in our quality management to make sure our customers can use our products with confidence.
Phenomenon
While in AF or MF mode, when the focus position is moved from the infinity end to the close-up end, the focus operation stops near the area shown in the dotted circle below.
Possibly Affected Products
If the first four digits (from the left) in the serial number on the lens body (see image below) are “4918”, “5018”, “5118”, “5119”, “5218”, “5219”, “5318”, “5319”, “5418”, or “5419" then your lens may possibly be affected.
Note: September 11, 2017: "5119", "5219", "5319", "5419" "was added to the target serial number.
Support
Potentially affected products will be inspected and if necessary repaired free of charge. If you own one of the potentially affected products please contact our Customer Support Center.
When preparing your lens for inspection please be sure to attach the lens cap and the dust cap to the lens.
If you have not already done so, please register your Canon Product. By registering, we will be able to notify you via email about future announcements.
This information is for residents of the United States and its five territories only. If you do not reside in the USA or its five territories, please contact the Canon Customer Support Center in your region.
Thank you,
Customer Support Operations
Canon U.S.A., Inc
Contact Information for Inquiries
Canon Customer Support Center
Phone: 1-800-OK-CANON
The Chapel of the Transfiguration is a little chapel with big character. And, the view out the window of this Grand Teton National Park place of worship is surely distracting to anyone attending a service here.
After waiting for a clear moment in the (relatively light) crowds, I squarely-positioned (or nearly so in a questionably-square old building) the Canon EOS 5Ds R-mounted Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens in front of the window and captured an exposure-bracketed set of images ready for manual HDR processing.
With the mildly-complicated post-processing work completed, the dark building still seems like a dark space but the easily-visible log lines lead the viewer's eyes to the centerpiece, the window-framed Grand Teton mountain range fronted by fall-color glory and a silhouetted cross.
This camera and lens have been one of my most-used combinations since they were released. The image quality they deliver is simply impressive and the range of angles of view provided by 16-35mm are extremely useful, especially for landscape photography (or perhaps interior architecture photography in this case?).
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 100
8721 x 5814px
One of my goals for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse was to bracket exposures ranging from no-blown-color-channels to as bright as I could create. Using three custom modes set for AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing), I was able to capture 21 images with exposures ranging from 1/8000, f/8 ISO 100 to 1 sec, f/4 ISO 800, covering over 18 stops of exposure difference.
You may have noted that I was using an f/2.8 lens and could have opened up one stop wider. I decided that vignetting at f/2.8 took away most of the wider aperture advantage in the periphery and, with the sun creating the most light in the center of the frame, the periphery brightness was what I needed most from this frame. So, I opted to stay with f/4.
A number of the darkest images in the set proved too dark to be useful. In the brightest image, all three channels were blown in nearly half of the image. Thus, I felt successful in meeting that goal.
There was of course a purpose to that goal and that purpose was to create an HDR image that made as much of corona visible as possible. While I also had a 200mm lens deployed with the same purpose, the 400mm angle of view fully contained the maximum corona able to be captured under the slightly hazy Tennessee skies.
To create this image, I stacked 14 exposures using (essentially) the solar eclipse bracketing procedure I recently shared. I think that I could continue tweaking this result indefinitely, but ... it is time to label it "finished" and move on to all of the others.
In this case, you could say that I got a "star" for effort.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 100
6066 x 4044px
From the Adobe Creative Cloud YouTube Channel:
We’re excited to give you a sneak peek of a new tool we’ve been working on for an upcoming release of Photoshop CC. The new Curvature Pen Tool makes path creation easier and more intuitive in Photoshop CC by enabling you to create paths more quickly and precisely. This is just one of many new features coming to Photoshop CC later this year.
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.
From Nikon:
Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 v.2.26.0
Changes from Version 2.25.1 to 2.26.0
- Added support for the D850.
- The principal features added with the D850 are as follows:
- With the exception of some features, the controls on the D850 can now be used during live view.
- When recording movies to HDMI devices, users can now start and end recording via the Control HDMI External Recording option in the Camera menu.
- Custom Setting g2 (Highlight brightness) in the D850 Custom Settings menu can also now be accessed via the Custom Settings option in the Camera menu.
- The direction of the shading in the live view highlight display can now be changed using the Highlight display option.
- Added a Live View item to Options.
Download: Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 v.2.26.0
It looks like Sigma has been diligently working to fix bugs and ensure their Global Vision lenses work properly with recently announced gear.
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | Art & Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary for Sigma / Canon / Nikon
Benefit of this firmware update
- It has corrected the phenomenon that the Manual Override (MO) function will be disabled after adjusting the settings of focus mode switch on SIGMA Optimization Pro (Macintosh ver.).
Sigma Mount Converter MC-11 SA-E / EF-E
Benefit of this firmware update
- It has corrected the phenomenon which may occur with the combination of SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 and some of SIGMA’s interchangeable zoom lenses on Sony a9 (ILCE-9) that when using AF-S mode and shooting in telephoto range, it could occasionally display the shot as in focus, although it may not be correctly locked on the subject.
- It has become compatible with the SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art for SIGMA (Firmware Ver.1.02), CANON (Firmware Ver.1.02), as well as the SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary for SIGMA (Firmware Ver.1.02) and CANON (Firmware Ver1.03).
The above firmware updates are available for installation in Sigma Optimization Pro via the Sigma USB Dock.
In addition to firmware updates detailed above, Sigma announced today that they are now offering a rear filter holder installation service for the otherwise incompatibile-with-front-filters 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art lens.
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | Art
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce a chargeable service for installing the Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 on the SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art for Canon.
From September onwards, the dedicated service staff for Sigma products will be able to install the Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 on SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art for Canon.
The Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 is an accessory exclusively designed for the SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art for Canon, and it enables photographers to use a filter sheet with the lens.By attaching it to the rear of the lens, it will allow more freedom of expression.
For details of cost and the commencement of the service, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary / distributor.
In case it is not convenient for your environment to use the installation service and you prefer to do it by your own effort, the necessary parts can be sold.Please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary / distributor for further information. Customers who do not own the appropriate tools or who do not feel confident in attaching the filter holder themselves may take advantage of the chargeable installation service.
B&H carries the following:
Image quality results have been added to the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens page.
Let's get right into some comparisons:
Sigma vs. Canon f/2.8L II
Sigma vs. Canon f/4L IS
Sigma vs. Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS II
Sigma vs. Sony
Sigma vs. Tamron
Sigma vs. Tokina
Many other comparisons are available and we'll have some additional 24-70mm comparisons available when the 1Ds III image quality results are posted (soon).
The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens is available for preorder at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX.
Brian from Archaius Creative talks about three essential tips for recording good audio on location.
3 more Tips on our blog: http://bit.ly/2wt73qX
B&H carries microphones and audio recorders.
Canon Japan has instituted a flat rate repair service fee for consumer grade DSLRs (Rebel-series), EOS M cameras and EF-S / EF-M lenses.
We can't help but wonder if some of the other regional Canon branches will offer a similar repair program in the near future.
From Canon Japan (Google Translated):
Thank you very much for your patronage of Canon products.
From September 20, 2017 (Wednesday), we will introduce a uniform repair fee for some products of single lens reflex camera, mirrorless camera and interchangeable lens.
Equal repair fee includes technical fee for repair and part cost (excluding expendable items / accessories) necessary for repairing the defective part, and repair is carried out at a fixed fee provided for each model regardless of the content of the failure I will.
Products
- Digital single lens reflex camera entry model EOS Kiss series / EOS xxxxD series
- Mirrorless camera EOS M series
- Interchangeable lens for single lens reflex camera EF-S series
- Interchangeable lens for mirrorless camera EF-M series
Application Start Date
- From Wednesday 20th September 2017 (Wed)
* Only when we apply for repair directly to our company.
** For uniform repair fee, please refer to "Repair service agreement subject to carry-in repair".
*** In case of breakdown due to severe drop · shock · flood · sand damage, the uniform repair fee will not be applied and will be quoted separately at the estimated price.
Uniform Repair Price List
| EOS Kiss / xxxxD / EOS M Camera | 23,760 yen |
| EF-S / EF-M Lens | 19,440 or 23,760 yen, depending on model |
Note: At the current exchange rate, 23,760 yen = 218.66 USD. [Sean]
From Rotolight:
Rotolight Products to Integrate Skyport Wireless Protocol
Pinewood Studios, UK—Rotolight, an LED lighting manufacturer, teamed up with Elinchrom, one of the best-known photographic lighting systems manufacturers. Elinchrom’s Skyport protocol will now be integrated across Rotolight’s product range. This will begin with the Rotolight NEO 2 continuous LED light and HSS flash in September.
Elinchrom’s Skyport 2.4Ghz, high-speed sync (HSS) wireless flash receiver will be built into the NEO 2. This will eliminate the need to purchase a stand-alone flash receiver. The integration is also designed to provide range, flexibility and control for multiple off-camera lighting setups.
“Elinchrom Skyport represents the best-in-class wireless, HSS triggering technology. Its combination with Rotolight’s pioneering LED product range will provide creative image makers with a unique, innovative feature set and unrivaled consistency and reliability,” said Rod Aaron Gammons, managing director of Rotolight.
Elinchrom Skyport
Skyport enables users to wirelessly control up to 10 lights, in four groups, at a distance of up to 656 feet with the new Rotolight HSS transmitter. Capable of 1/8,000th, the transmitter has been optimized for Rotolight by Elinchrom. It is available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic camera systems. It is also compatible with all other Elinchrom Skyport devices. Moreover, a version for Fujifilm cameras will follow next year.
In addition, Rotolight recently announced the first continuous LED lights with HSS flash capability, “providing a game-changing product to photographers and filmmakers who want an all in one solution,” the company reported. Unlike traditional strobe/flash, AEOS and the NEO 2 have no recycle time, to help ensure users won’t miss a shot. This feature makes them a lighting option for today’s high-frame-rate cameras.
“Rotolight is a highly innovative company, with a unique set of industry first products. We were very excited to work with them when they approached us to integrate the Skyport technology into their product range. The integration is great for both companies, and for Rotolight’s customers, they gain a rock-solid, ultra-reliable, state-of-the-art, high-speed sync wireless triggering technology,” said Simon Whittle, CEO of Elinchrom.
Benefits for Filmmakers
Filmmakers will also enjoy the benefits of the Skyport integration. It will provide them with wireless remote control of color temperature, brightness and also triggering of Rotolight’s CineSFX. Rotolight’s CineSFX is a suite of customizable cinematic lighting effects. It can produce such effects as lightning, fire, gunshot, paparazzi and TV flicker to enhance video productions.
“Our ambition is for Skyport to become an industry standard technology, eliminating the need for expensive, proprietary trigger systems that prevents photographers from working with their lights of choice,” added Whittle. “We are extremely excited to be working with Rotolight. It is a disruptive innovator in the lighting industry with a unique set of industry first features. This collaboration between both companies will provide creative image makers with a state-of-the-art solution that is uniquely versatile, whilst also being rock solid and consistent.”
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