Canon and Sony News for Nov 2018 (Page 4)
by Sean Setters
Very soon after we learned that we'd be having a baby, Alexis asked me to create a series of images showing her progression over the next 9 months. She doesn't ask me to take pictures of her often, so I took her request very seriously. After she showed me some examples of pregnancy progression photos she liked from Pinterest (no doubt the inspiration for this request), we decided a plain white background and strong rim lighting combined with a dark outfit would work well for the concept.
For this particular series of images, I used 3 studio lights and 1 shoe-mount flash for the lighting. One monolight was in a 4 x 6' (1.2 x 1.8m) softbox that served as the background and the other two were camera left/camera right slightly behind the subject, diffused by gridded strip boxes. The fill light was provided by a Canon Speedlite 580EX flash that was reflected into a white umbrella and boomed above my Canon 5D Mark III & Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens which was mounted on a tripod.
Unfortunately, I was not terribly organized at the beginning of this endeavor. I remember thinking, "This is a pretty simple setup. I can recreate it without any problems." That thought proved to be quite inaccurate. As my mind was quickly bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information on raising a newborn, it apparently left little room for the details of the lighting setup I was certain I'd remember. As such, I found myself analyzing the first month's image on the second month and taking test shots to ensure consistency. After that, I decided to document the entire setup to streamline future sessions in the series.
So, here are a few things to keep in mind when creating a similar pregnancy progression photo:
- Choose a stretchy outfit that can grow with the subject, or choose plain clothing that can be duplicated in larger sizes as time progresses.
- Take time creating the first image to ensure it's exactly what you want. Choose a pose/hand placement that can remain consistent as your subject's belly begins to fill out.
- Choose a background that's plain and evenly lit so that compositing the final image is easier.
- Use a tripod and lighting equipment that you'll have continuous access to over the next 10 months (use studio lights or flashes; do not rely on window light which can vary).
- Record the following details after the first shoot:
- Camera/lens used and camera settings
- What your subject was looking at/exact direction of the subject's gaze
- Distance between the camera to the subject and height of the camera on the tripod
- Distance between the subject and the background
- Position/types of lights and modifiers in relation to your subject
- Power level of all lights utilized for the session (use manual power settings, not TTL)
- Use your records to recreate the photo setup each month.
If recording all the measurements above seems a bit too tedious, you maybe be able to simply mark subject/lighting/camera placement with gaffer tape on the floor (assuming the tape won't need to be removed within the required time period) and/or taking pictures of the setup from several angles with your smartphone for referring back to.
From a business standpoint, a series like this would require 10 separate sessions, generating constant revenue for the photographer over the gestational period. With the all the details well documented after the first session, future sessions could be relatively quick and easy to set up and capture.
My wife loved the final image so much that we had a matted 12x36" version of it printed. It now hangs over the changing table in the nursery.
Of course, a pregnancy progression series requires a long term commitment to achieve optimal results, but I think you'll find the final image created well worth the effort.
A larger version of Alexis's Pregnancy Progression image can be seen on Flickr.
From the Adobe Creative Cloud YouTube Channel:
In this fast-paced, information-packed session for advanced Photoshop users, join Adobe Digital Imaging Evangelist Julieanne Kost as she showcases her favorite Photoshop techniques, little-known features, and hidden gems to empower you to create your best work faster than ever. If you’re a photographer, an illustrator, or a designer looking for serious insights and solid skills that you can put to use immediately, then this is a session you can’t afford to miss!
Julieanne will cover topics that include:
- Tips for customizing Photoshop for the work you create
- Layers, masking, and compositing secrets
- Using Smart Objects, Smart Filters, and libraries to edit nondestructively
- Vector shapes, layer styles, paths, and type shortcuts
- Content-Aware, Camera Raw, adjustment layers, and more timesaving features
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.
From Tokina:
Thank you for Your constant support to Tokina brand.
We found functional issue with Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 FF (Canon EF mount) and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II combination, that results in exposure problem.
We are asking for your cooperation in contacting the camera shop where the lens was purchased, or your local Tokina official distributor for further firmware upgrade procedure.
Should you have any other questions, contact us via contact form.
B&H has the IRIX 150mm f/2.8 Macro Lens available for preorder with free expedited shipping.
Product Highlights
- Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/32
- Neutrino Coating
- 1:1 Magnification, 1.1' Minimum Focus
- Manual Focus Design with Focus Lock
- Depth of Field and Focus Distance Scales
- Dragonfly Weather-Sealed Constructio
Photographing in the fog brings both positive and negative factors into play.
Starting out with the positive: Fog can reduce contrast, making it easy to layer near and far subjects. When fog reduces contrast enough, it completely eliminates the view of objects beyond some distance. That can make a close subject stand out strongly, as illustrated with this image. Fog also provides a very even light on a subject.
Perhaps the biggest fog downside I regularly encounter is the difficulty of locating subjects. If they are not able to be seen, they are not able to be photographed. Also, fog blocks a lot of light, often making the scene very dark.
The black bear cub in this image was coming around stalks of corn, following its mother. The glance upward toward the mother bear was nicely timed with a paw in the air. You know that bonus points are awarded for each paw/hoof/foot captured in the air, right? All four off the ground is usually the ultimate capture.
Depending on the distance to the subject, the density of the fog and your desired look for the final image, contrast, clarity and/or dehaze post processing adjustments will likely be found welcomed for your in-the-fog captures. Also note that circular polarizer filters act as fog erasers and can be a huge advantage for cutting the effects of fog during capture.
Fog or not, it is hard to go wrong with the cuteness of a little black bear cub in the frame.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 2800
5014 x 7545px
Just posted: Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens Review.
Great lens.
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX.
Rent the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens from Lensrentals.
The Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is available for preorder at B&H and Adorama.
Product Highlights
- Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
- Three FLD Elements, Three SLD Elements
- One Aspherical Element
- Super Multi-Layer Coating
- Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
- Weather-Sealed, Protective Front Coating
- Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
- Compatible with Sigma USB Dock
From the Adorama YouTube Channel:
In Ep 140 David Bergman shows you how to use an 18% gray card to get perfect exposures every single time.
Related Products at Adorama:
Want more information on how a gray card can be used for white balancing? Check out our Gray Card Review.
From Canon USA:
Canon EOS C200 / EOS C200B
Firmware Version 1.0.5.1.00 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:
- A Continuous Recording function has been added allowing for nonstop recording.*1
- Peripheral illumination / chromatic aberration correction has been added for the following lenses:
- EF Cinema Lens: CN-E20mm T1.5 L F
- EF Lens: EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM
- For LUTs that can be applied to output footage, official support for the ITU-R BT.2100 standard and ITU-R BT.2408 report have been added for the following terminals:
- SDI terminal
- HDMI OUT terminal
Changes have been made so that the [HDR: PQ] and [HDR: HLG] base luminance corresponds to Diffuse White (100%) being 203nits*2. - Support for the [Reset] function that resets the clip number when the reel number is set, has been added.
- When using an assignable button, the White Balance setting will be maintained after the power has been turned off.
- Fixes a phenomenon that occurs on cameras with firmware versions 1.0.3.1.00 to 1.0.4.1.00 in which resolution appears to be reduced in SD card recordings and in external outputs when shooting with specific menu settings*3.
*1 When using the continuous recording function, only MP4 format / 1920x1080 resolution is possible.
*2 The HLG output is the brightness in the case of displaying on a 1000nits monitor.
*3 Specific menu settings:
- When [Resolution/Color Sampling] is set to [3840x2160 YCC420 8 bit].
- When [Resolution/Color Sampling] is set to [1920x1080 YCC420 8 bit], and [Slow Motion Recording] is activated.
- When [Resolution/Color Sampling] is set to [1920x1080 YCC420 8 bit], and the digital tele-converter and EF-S lens correction are activated.
Download: Canon EOS C200 / EOS C200B Firmware v.1.0.5.1.00
B&H carries the Canon EOS C200 / EOS C200B Cinema Cameras.
Upon locating these intriguingly-curved aspen trees in the San Juan Mountains near Ophir, CO (south of Telluride), I had hours of entertainment before me. Aspen tree trunks are beautiful and their fall leaf color is amazing. With the numerous curving trunk shapes (likely caused by an avalanche when the trees were younger), there were seemingly endless angles and perspectives to use for images here. Helping was that the lighting/weather was constantly changing, ranging from snowing to sun shining bright enough to create shadows with subsequent images appearing different without even moving the camera. It was perfect.
I have many hundreds of images to choose from (I'll likely share more). Many of them were captured with a wide angle zoom lens, but this particular perspective seemed ideal for 50mm and I happened to have the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens in the MindShift Gear FirstLight 30L backpack I was carrying. I originally thought this image was captured with that lens, but ... this happened to be the last image taken with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens prior to mounting the RF 50.
Using a "standard" or "normal" focal length makes keeping both very close and very distant subjects in sharp focus a challenge, even at f/16. For this image, I focused on the foreground trees for one frame and on the background trees for a second frame. For a simple focus stacking technique, I loaded the two images as layers in Photoshop and used a layer mask to determine which image the foreground trees were showing from.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 100
6720 x 4480px
From Sigma:
Firmware update for the SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for Canon & SIGMA 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for Canon
Thank you for purchasing and using our products.
We would like to announce that a new firmware update for the SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for Canon and SIGMA 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for Canon is now available.
This firmware allows compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function to enable correction matching the optical characteristics of each lens. It also corrects the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when the function is enabled.
For customers who own the SIGMA USB DOCK and applicable product listed below, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro*.
* Before updating the firmware using the SIGMA USB DOCK, please ensure to update SIGMA Optimization Pro to Ver. 1.4.1 or later for Windows, and Ver. 1.4.0 or later for Macintosh.
For customers who do not own the SIGMA USB DOCK, SIGMA performs lens firmware updates free of charge. For further information, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary/distributor.
Applicable product
- SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for Canon
- SIGMA 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for Canon
Benefits of the update
- It has ensured compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function, which enables correction matching the optical characteristics of the attached lens. **
- It has corrected the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is enabled.
** EOS-1DX mark II, EOS 5Ds, EOS 5DsR, EOS 5D mark IV, EOS 6D mark II, EOS 80D, EOS 8000D (EOS Rebel T6s, EOS 760D), EOS 9000D (EOS 77D), EOS Kiss X8i (EOS Rebel T6i, EOS 750D), EOS Kiss X9i (EOS Rebel T7i, EOS 800D), EOS Kiss X9 (EOS Rebel SL2, EOS 200D)
B&H carries the following:
Need to fund more gear to review. Check out my used gear for sale list again. Prices on remaining items have been nicely dropped and some great gear, including a Canon 200-400 f/4L IS and Really Rright Stuff TVC-34 Carbon Fiber Tripod, is available.
From Flickr:
Let’s be candid. Flickr at its best is a place to connect, to discover, and to evolve as photographers and lovers of photography. This is the world’s largest photographer-focused community. Here, together, this newly-independent community can shape the future of photography itself.
Today we are announcing updates to Flickr’s Pro and Free account offerings.
Flickr Pro is better than ever. For only $49.99 per year, get unlimited storage, ad-free browsing, advanced stats, an unmatched community, and more.
- Unlimited Storage. The only limit is your imagination. Upload as many photos as you can take, always at true full resolution.
- Ad-free Browsing. Focus on what matters. A fully ad-free Flickr experience for you and your visitors.
- Advanced Stats. See which of your photos are trending now, and which have performed the best over the life of your Flickr Pro account.
Plus all these great new Pro-only features.
- Premier Support - Skip the line. Flickr Pros now receive priority assistance from our new world-class support team. Available now.
- More Partner Discounts - Save on photography essentials. Discounts on Creative Cloud from Adobe, 50% off a custom portfolio site on SmugMug, gear from Peak Design, and many more. Coming November.
- Advanced Stats on Mobile - Stats in your pocket. All the photo stats you know and love, available in-app. Coming November.
- Increased Exposure - All Pro members as of January 1, 2019 are eligible for priority exposure in the next iteration of Explore. Coming early 2019.
- New 5K Photo Display Option - Look your best. Your images are beautifully optimized for any screen, from smartphone to jumbotron. Pro images display at resolutions up to 5K. Coming early 2019.
- 10 Minute Videos - More time to tell your story. Play back videos for up to 10 minutes, increased from 3. Coming early 2019.
Hands down the best deal in photos.
Unlimited storage, ad-free browsing, and a global community of over 100 million photographers for less than half the cost of Apple, Amazon, or Google. Sign up today and get 30% off the first year. Discount available through November 30.
Free accounts will soon be limited to 1,000 photos or videos. Flickr isn’t Flickr without the contributions and participation of our free members, and we remain committed to a vibrant free offering.
If you are a free member with more than 1,000 photos or videos, you will have ample time to upgrade to Pro (for 30% off your first year) or download your photos and videos. Read more about this decision.
New simple login! Coming in January, there will be no need for a Yahoo account to use Flickr.
From Skylum:
Skylum releases the free update to Luminar and brings the AI Sky Enhancer designed to add detail and drama to the sky with just one slider.
Bellevue, WA – November 1, 2018 — Skylum Software today released the new free update to its award-winning photo editor Luminar and presented the AI Sky Enhancer filter. Developed in the company’s AI Lab, the AI Sky Enhancer adds depth, definition, and detail to the sky almost instantly, with only a swipe of a slider.
AI Sky Enhancer is a revolutionary new tool for automatically enhancing skies and making them beautiful without the need for creating masks and layers. This will save photographers an enormous amount of time in post processing while expanding the benefit of achieving dramatic skies to photographers who may lack the skillset needed to create these results.
Hundreds of thousands of photos incorporating varying degrees of tonal skies were used to “train” a deep neural network that powers the AI Sky Enhancer filter and allow Luminar to analyze the image and detect (and adjust) only the sky. The result is complete, automated control of the sky, from sunsets, blue skies, partly sunny, storm clouds, or virtually any other sky scene imaginable.
“Skylum continues to build Luminar into the most comprehensive photo imaging software available in the marketplace,” explains Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum Software . “Our goal is to create a software solution that is effective, innovative and fun while incorporating a value proposition that never requires an annual subscription fee. Our addition of Luminar 3 with Libraries will reset the standard for end-to-end imaging software solutions.”
The new AI-powered filter comes ahead of Luminar 3 with Libraries, which will begin its roll-out to Luminar owners on December 18 . Skylum made the unprecedented decision to include every new feature of Luminar – big or small – at no additional cost to customers through 2019. This includes Luminar 3 with Libraries, which will allow photographers to organize, browse, and edit images on-the-fly. And, Luminar customers will never pay an annual subscription fee.
New and current users of Luminar will also receive a value-add promotional package including a three-month Pro Membership to ViewBug ($42), two-month Pro Membership to KelbyOne ($40); a choice of any e-book from Rocky Nook ($40), Awesome Landscapes Tutorial from Daniel Kordan ($80), and a $20 gift card toward the purchase of any Manfrotto / Gitzo product valued at $125 or more.
Luminar is available to new customers for $59. Current users of other Skylum software titles including Aurora HDR , Photolemur and Skylum legacy products can purchase Luminar for a special price of $49.
Note: Use coupon code THEDIGITALPICTURE to save $10.00 on your Skylum Luminar purchase.
AI Sky Enhancer joins Accent AI and Foliage Enhancer currently available in Luminar, to create a fast and extremely powerful trilogy of single slider solutions for automatic image correction.
Other key features and functions available in Luminar include (for Mac and Windows):
- NEW Faster opening of RAW-files. You can now open raw files much faster thanks to improvements in our RAW engine.
- NEW DNG Camera Profiles (DCP). Are you looking for truly professional control over your RAW files? Then give DNG Camera Profiles a try. Luminar recognizes the industry standard DCP files that you may already have on your computer (or have bought from third parties).
- IMPROVED Filter Performance. You can now add or subtract filters more quickly to an image.
- IMPROVED LUT Mapping. You can now easily scroll through your LUTs in the LUT Mapping filter.
- IMPROVED Batch Processing. Windows users gain the useful Batch Processing improvements. These include the ability to “Replace or Skip Files” when saving the file with the same name when Batch Processing. Additional options include the ability to create JPEG and TIFF files as well as improved reliability when renaming and numbering files on export.
- NEW Plugin Support. The following third-party plugins can now be used via the Plugins menu: Imagenomic Noiseware 5, Imagenomic Portraiture 3, Imagenomic Realgrain 2, and DxO FilmPack 5.
- IMPROVED Image History. It is now possible to use the “Save History” option when saving a file with the “Windows Compatible” option. Additionally, White Balance presets are now displayed in an image’s history with the preset name when using the RAW Develop and Develop filters.
- IMPROVED Blending Modes. When you choose a blending mode for an Adjustment or Image Layer, the experience is even easier. Just hover your mouse over a blending mode and it updates in real-time. This is an easy way to simply mouse-over the list to find the perfect blending mode.
From Canon USA:
Patented Sensor Technology Now Available for Industrial Vision Applications
MELVILLE, N.Y., November 1, 2018 – Image sensors are an important driving force behind many of today’s successful brands, ranging from consumer products to industrial solutions. Today, Canon U.S.A, a leader in digital imaging solutions, announces that it is now offering select CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductors) sensor products for sale to the industrial marketplace. Manufacturers, solutions providers and integrators who are searching for advanced components to create their own unique products and solutions can now utilize Canon’s patented technology to help them create these products and solutions and expand their business potential.
“For several decades, Canon has been a leader in developing and manufacturing advanced CMOS sensors with state-of-the-art technologies, which until now, were for exclusive use in Canon products,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “It was a natural evolution to expand into a new business platform that leverages our expertise in sensor manufacturing to target the growing market demands for high-quality industrial imaging solutions.”
Launching this new business, Canon will be showcasing its CMOS sensors at VISION, the world’s leading trade fair for machine vision, on Tuesday, November 6 through Thursday, November 8, 2018, in Stuttgart, Germany. Attendees are invited to visit Hall 1 - Stand 1G74 to explore Canon’s CMOS sensor products and the variety of applications that can potentially be enhanced, including machine vision, inspection, surveillance, drones, traffic-monitoring systems and other industrial applications.
Canon sensors on display include:
- 3U5MGXS CMOS Sensor - with an electronic global shutter, and an all pixel progressive reading at 120fps, the Canon 3U5MGXS CMOS 5MP sensor offers fast image capture with low power consumption. This helps to accurately capture images of subjects moving at high speeds without distortion to meet such industrial needs as medical imaging and inspecting parts during the manufacturing process. The Canon 3U5MGXS is now available.
- 35MMFHDXSCA CMOS Sensor - featuring an enormous 19um pixel pitch, the 35MMFHDXSCA CMOS sensor is capable of capturing color images in exceptionally low-light environments where the naked eye struggles to distinguish objects. Using new pixel and readout circuitry technologies that deliver a 2.76 megapixel resolution, these sensors can support a wide range of applications which require ultra-high sensitivity image capture, including defense, astronomy, surveillance and industrial operations. The Canon 35MMFHDXSCA is now available.
- 120MXS CMOS Sensor - by incorporating close to the same number of pixels as photoreceptors in the human eye, the Canon 120MXS CMOS sensor delivers ultra-high 120 MP resolution at 9.4fps in a compact APS-H format. This sensor targets the needs of the inspection, aerial mapping, life sciences, digital archiving and transportation industries. The Canon 120MXS is now available.
- 2U250MRXS CMOS Sensor – with a readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, the prototype 2U250MRXS CMOS sensor, delivers ultra-high 250MP resolution in a compact APS-H format. Through advancements in circuit miniaturization and enhanced signal processing, this sensor delivers high resolution with incredible sensitivity and low noise.
For more information on Canon sensors, please visit canon-cmos-sensors.com.
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