Canon and Sony News for Jan 2018 (Page 4)

Do you ever use Lightroom to preview images with clients? Here's an easy way to subtly promote your brand.

In this video, Benjamin Warde demonstrates various ways to customize the look of the identity plate in Adobe Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic CC.

Want to customize Lightroom even more? Our tip for creating a customized Splash Screen for Lightroom 5 still works in current versions of Lightroom.

From PocketWizard:

MultiMAX II Beta Firmware v.8.117 Notes: Firmware Version 8.117 has been developed primarily for Sony cameras used in remote camera situations. This firmware adds a new set of functions to the Contact Menu under Basic Settings.

The path to the setting is: Menu button press -> B button press -> A button press -> B button press to toggle between the default All Time 1/2 press to Manual 1/2 Press.

All Time 1/2 Press: This function allows you to enable a constant half press on a remote camera. You can engage the half press by selecting the zone set for the receiving MultiMAX II on your transmitting MultiMAX II. Deselecting the zone with also disengage the half press on the receiving radio. Most photographers use this setting so that their remote camera stays in autofocus mode.

This is the default setting.

Manual 1/2 Press: This function allows you an activate half press on the remote camera with radio attached by a remote triggering cable with either a MultiMAX II or Plus III as the receiver when your on-camera radio is also half pressed.

Manual 1/2 Press is recommended for use when using a Sony camera as your remote camera.

IMPORTANT: This firmware upgrade requires the PocketWizard Utility. Upgrade to the latest Utility first, then upgrade your radios’ firmware. When updating firmware, be sure to update all of your radios to the latest version. Your radios will only operate as expected when all units are using the latest firmware.

Note: Previously used settings may not be automatically reloaded after installing new firmware. Make sure to record any important settings before upgrading.

Download: PocketWizard Utility

B&H carries the PocketWizard MultiMAX II Transceiver.

One of Adorama's in-house brands, Slinger, is now producing electronic dry cabinets, with the 30-liter and 80-liter versions presently in stock at the photo gear retailer.

Slinger Dry Cabinet Highlights

• Protects and Preserves Valuable and Delicate Objects
• Advanced Thermoelectric Desiccation Cooling Wafer Technology
• Sealed Air Tight to keep a Pure Environment
• Adjustable Sliding Shelf with Padded Liner
• Key Locks for Privacy, Safety and Guards Levels
• Lowers Relative Humidity from 60 to 25%
• Interior LED Lighting does not Influence Cabin Climate
• Worldwide Multi-Voltage AC/DC Power Supply

Slinger's dry cabinets seems to be very competitively priced, especially compared to the dry cabinet brand leader at B&H, Ruggard.

Patent applications have been uncovered that may shed light on Canon imaging products in the works.

1) Optical design patents for the following lenses:

• 85mm f/1.8
• 50mm f/1.8
• 85mm f/1.4*
• 100mm f/1.8

* Note: this optical design did not include built-in stabilization.

2) Stacked sensor patent and organic sensor patent

3) EF 15mm f/4 and EF-M 9.5mm f/4 fisheye optical design patents

4) Optical viewfinder patent for mirrorless cameras

Source: CanonNews

From Canon USA:

MELVILLE, N.Y., January 11, 2018 – Beginning the New Year with a celebration of teamwork and an appreciation for those who have contributed to the company’s continued success, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce new senior executive appointments and promotions, effective January 1, 2018. These personnel moves represent Canon’s commitment to elevating its own leaders and putting them in a position to succeed, both personally and professionally.

“Every year, it is a great honor of mine to announce the well-deserved promotions of some of our cherished Canon team members,” said Joe Adachi, chairman and chief executive officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “These individuals are truly representative of the valuable leadership and dedication that is prevalent in so many of our esteemed employees. Having shown a strong commitment to helping cement our company’s standing as an industry leader, I thank them for their continued service and wish them much success with their new responsibilities.”

Executive promotions for the New Year include:

• Ross Held has been promoted from vice president and general manager to senior vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
• Richard Antaya has been promoted from senior director and general manager to vice president, Imaging Technologies Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
• Robert Poseno has been promoted from senior director and general manager to vice president, Imaging Technologies Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
• Peter Kowalczuk has been promoted from executive vice president and general manager to president of Canon Solutions America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A.

In an event that flew under our radar when it occurred, Canon hosted a hackathon this past December called "Code Canon" where it invited developers to compete to create commercial solutions for its product lineup.

There's no word on whether or not this will become an ongoing annual or biennial event.

From Sony:

Benefits and improvements from the latest update

• Enhance Continuous AF
• Enhances continuous auto focus on moving subjects
• Enhances AF-C stability while zooming
• Adds new or enhanced functions for sports/news media photography professionals
• New function: assign protecting images to custom key
• New function: FTP transfer protected files at once *1
• Displays wired LAN MAC address
• Inputs IPTC metadata to files *2
• Inputs camera serial number to metadata
• Others
• Improves all-round operational stability
• Improves the accuracy of the overheating warning

*1: Only the images protected on Ver.2.00.
*2: Need to create IPTC information beforehand by using the "IPTC Metadata Preset" software.

Download: Sony a9 Firmware v.2.00

B&H carries the Sony a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera.

As expected, I am able to bring you another ball head review today: Gitzo GH1382TQD Series 1 Traveler Center Ball Head Review.

Minimally, you will learn what that model name means. Quite possibly, you will learn about a ball head that might be right at home in your kit. The tiny premium-grade Gitzo GH1382TQ looks great and performs at least as well.

The Gitzo GH1382TQD Series 1 Traveler Center Ball Head is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX.

Deal: Amazon, via well-rated seller DBROTH, has a couple of GH1382TQD heads in stock for only $249.95 (regular price is $319.88). Act fast!

From Canon USA:

Company claims third most U.S. Patents, placing it ahead of fellow tech giants globally.

MELVILLE, N.Y., January 10, 2018 – As part of its mission to redefine the boundaries of innovation and expand the possibilities of imaging technology, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced that its parent company, Canon Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan, ranks third among U.S. patent holders in 2017.

According to patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, a leading producer of global patent databases, Canon was granted a total of 3,285 patents in 2017. This is the 32nd consecutive year that Canon Inc., has been ranked among the top five U.S. patent holders and for the 13th consecutive year, ranked first among Japanese companies for the number of U.S. patents granted. The patents granted demonstrate the company’s commitment to using a robust set of intellectual property rights to develop visionary consumer, business and medical solutions.

“Having landed once again among the top three patent holders, Canon’s longstanding and continued commitment to strategic research and development through continued innovation is evident,” said Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Canon U.S.A. Inc. “With 3,285 patents to our name, Canon is immensely proud of our strong standing among fellow tech giants as we continue to cement our role as a worldwide leader in imaging solutions in 2018 and beyond.”

In 2017, Canon U.S.A. imaging IP and technology innovation has earned Emmy recognition for its 4K cameras and lenses and opened up new research opportunities for wildlife habitats in the dark with its low light camera, the ME20. Ripples of Canon’s technological advancements were also felt in the production printing industry, where the company unveiled breakthrough new technology such as the Océ Colorado 1640 wide format printer, powered by Canon’s UVgel technology, which is the world’s first 64-inch roll-to-roll printer.

The patent news also comes on the heels of Canon’s innovation showcase at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where its “Visionaries Welcome” themed-booth featured previously-patented technologies integrations in manufacturing, retail, sports and entertainment and experiential marketing solutions.

Product Highlights

• X/Y Stereo Mic
• New Layout of Integral Controls
• Record WAVs & MP3s up to 24-Bit / 96 kHz
• Records to microSD/SDHC
• 3.5mm I/O
• Built-In Limiter and Low-Cut Filter
• High-Speed USB 2.0 Connectivity
• Works as a USB Audio Interface
• Uses 2 AAA Batteries

B&H has the Zoom H1n Digital Handy Recorder in stock with free expedited shipping.

Let's call this "Ball Head Week". The Really Right Stuff BH-30 Ball Head Review is now available and if all goes as planned, I'll post a non-RRS ball head review tomorrow.

Need a tiny, lightweight ball head that is well-design, excellently constructed, handles significant capacities and performs stellarly? This might be the one for you. The BH-30 is, in many ways, a compact and lightweight version of the BH-40.

The Really Right Stuff BH-30 Ball Head is in stock at B&H.

From the Greg Benz YouTube Channel:

Lightroom and Adobe Camera RAW have an amazing secret. A tool that very few photographers know about... Camera Calibration. While it may be meant to calibrate a camera, it's also the BEST tool for boosting color in your RAW images. It creates rich color, and avoids many of the pitfalls of the other color tools. If you shoot sunrises or sunsets, you need to learn how to use Camera Calibration.

Key segments:
0:55 Vibrance and Saturation
1:53 HSL
2:55 Adjusting saturation with Camera Calibration
5:05 Comparison of results for boosting color
7:07 Profiles
8:58 Process version
10:25 Shadow tint
10:52 Hue

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

From Kodak:

KODAKOne platform and KODAKCoin cryptocurrency give photographers a new revenue stream and a secure platform for protecting their work

Rochester, NY, Tuesday, January 09, 2018 – Today Kodak and WENN Digital, in a licensing partnership, announced the launch of the KODAKOne image rights management platform and KODAKCoin, a photo-centric cryptocurrency to empower photographers and agencies to take greater control in image rights management.

Utilizing blockchain technology, the KODAKOne platform will create an encrypted, digital ledger of rights ownership for photographers to register both new and archive work that they can then license within the platform. With KODAKCoin, participating photographers are invited to take part in a new economy for photography, receive payment for licensing their work immediately upon sale, and for both professional and amateur photographers, sell their work confidently on a secure blockchain platform. KODAKOne platform provides continual web crawling in order to monitor and protect the IP of the images registered in the KODAKOne system. Where unlicensed usage of images is detected, the KODAKOne platform can efficiently manage the post-licensing process in order to reward photographers.

“For many in the tech industry, ‘blockchain’ and ‘cryptocurrency’ are hot buzzwords, but for photographers who’ve long struggled to assert control over their work and how it’s used, these buzzwords are the keys to solving what felt like an unsolvable problem,” said Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke. “Kodak has always sought to democratize photography and make licensing fair to artists. These technologies give the photography community an innovative and easy way to do just that.”

“Engaging with a new platform, it is critical photographers know their work and their income is handled securely and with trust, which is exactly what we did with KODAKCoin,” said WENN Digital CEO Jan Denecke. “Subject to the highest standards of compliance, KODAKCoin is all about paying photographers fairly and giving them an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new economy tailored for them, with secure asset rights management built right in.”

The initial coin offering will open on January 31, 2018 and is open to accredited investors from the U.S., UK, Canada and other select countries. For more information visit www.kodakcoin.com. This initial Coin Offering is issued under SEC guidelines as a security token under Regulation 506 (c) as an exempt offering.

CES, Las Vegas, NV, January 8, 2018 — Roland (LVCC Central Hall, Booth# 17544) announces the R-07 High-Resolution Audio Recorder, a convenient handheld recording device for musicians, journalists, students, and anyone who needs to capture sound on the go. The R-07 features multiple high-quality recording modes, plus unique dual recording and hybrid limiting functions that ensure perfect audio capture every time. It also includes Bluetooth for remote operation and features Bluetooth-capable audio streaming enhanced with Qualcomm aptX audio technology.

While today’s smartphones have the capability to record audio, achieving high-quality results requires using external peripherals that are fussy and inconvenient. Stylish and easy to carry in a pocket, the all-in-one R-07 makes it simple to capture high-resolution audio wherever the user travels.

The R-07 supports mono and stereo WAV recording at rates up to 24-bit/96 kHz and MP3 recording at rates up to 320 kbps. Top-quality onboard stereo mics are always at the ready, while handy scene setups configure all the critical recorder settings with one touch. The R-07 is powered via two AA batteries or USB bus power, and comes in a choice of black, white, and red colors.

Using the free R-07 remote control app on an iOS or Android mobile device, users can wirelessly manage various R-07 functions and also monitor status and levels while the R-07 is placed in a prime recording location that’s out of reach.

For added protection during storage and travel, Roland is also offering an optional soft zippered pouch (CB-BPR07) and a sturdy bag with a shoulder strap and pockets (CB-BR07).

B&H has the Roland R-07 High-Resolution Audio Recorder available for preorder.

Just posted: Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ball Head Review.

Need a compact, relatively light ball head that is well-design, well constructed, handles significant capacities and performs stellarly? This might be the one for you. The BH-40 is, in many ways, a compact and lightweight version of the BH-55.

The Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ball Head is in stock at B&H.