Canon and Sony News for Feb 2018 (Page 4)

San Luis Obispo, CA, 16 February 2018 – Really Right Stuff, LLC (RRS) is pleased to announce it is moving its manufacturing operations and headquarters to Lehi, Utah by the end of summer 2018. The move to a new, 2 ½ times larger building enables continued growth and allows RRS to better serve its customers.

CEO Joseph M. Johnson, Sr. commented, “Continually rising costs in California make it tough for a small business to compete in the global economy. We love beautiful San Luis Obispo, but our employees can’t afford to buy a home. The business-friendly environment and low cost of living in Lehi, Utah made it a clear choice for us to best serve our customers and employees long-term. I’m happy to see most of our employees coming with us, keeping our RRS family largely intact.”

Located 35 minutes south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front of the Rocky Mountains, Lehi is an ideal location for Really Right Stuff. It is the fifth fastest growing city in the country at the center of the high tech “Silicon Slopes.” Lehi’s beautiful natural surroundings provide easy access to hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping, skiing, hunting, and, of course, excellent outdoor photography that spurred the birth of RRS. Six national parks are within a 4-5 hour drive from Lehi, including Yellowstone and Zion.

B&H carries Really Right Stuff Gear.

Are you an accomplished photojournalist who is good at writing, very interested in politics and can work nights and weekends? If so, this is the job for you.

The New York Times has posted a job opening for a White House and Capitol Hill photographer.

Here are the details:

The New York Times is seeking a staff photographer who will primarily cover the White House and Capitol Hill. The ideal candidate is an experienced photojournalist committed to visual storytelling of all kinds, and must possess a deep interest in and understanding of American politics and government.

The position will be based in Washington, D.C., but will entail national and international travel.

The ideal candidate is a versatile visual journalist who is technically adept and open to working in a wide array of visual approaches and formats. This position requires diplomacy, ingenuity, and the ability to convey the world of Washington to our readers with images that go beyond press briefings and photo sprays. The ideal candidate will excel under deadline pressure and will also possess excellent reporting and writing skills, as he or she will be expected to provide not only imagery, but accurate and thorough captions and accompanying reporting.

The candidate should be an excellent collaborator and should be able to generate and execute story ideas and project proposals.

This Guild job is based in Washington, D.C., and may include night and weekend work.

The New York Times Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics.

From Sony:

Tokyo, Japan — Sony Corporation today announced that it has developed a 1.46 effective megapixel back-illuminated CMOS image sensor equipped with a Global Shutter function*1. The newly developed pixel-parallel analog-to-digital converters provide the function to instantly convert the analog signal from all pixels, simultaneously exposed, to a digital signal in parallel. This new technology was announced at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) on February 11, 2018 in San Francisco in the United States.

CMOS image sensors using the conventional column A/D conversion method*2 read out the photoelectrically converted analog signals from pixels row by row, which results in image distortion (focal plane distortion) caused by the time shift due to the row-by-row readout.

The new Sony sensor comes with newly developed low-current, compact A/D converters positioned beneath each pixel. These A/D converters instantly convert the analog signal from all the simultaneously exposed pixels in parallel to a digital signal to temporarily store it in digital memory. This architecture eliminates focal plane distortion due to readout time shift, making it possible to provide a Global Shutter function*1, an industry-first for a high-sensitivity back-illuminated CMOS sensor with pixel-parallel A/D Converter with more than one megapixel*3.

The inclusion of nearly 1,000 times as many A/D converters compared to the traditional column A/D conversion method*2 means an increased demand for current. Sony addressed this issue by developing a compact 14-bit A/D converter which boasts the industry's best performance*4 in low-current operation.

Both the A/D converter and digital memory spaces are secured in a stacked configuration with these elements integrated into the bottom chip. The connection between each pixel on the top chip uses Cu-Cu (copper-copper) connection*5, a technology that Sony put into mass production as a world-first in January 2016.

In addition, a newly developed data transfer mechanism is implemented into the sensor to enable the high-speed massively parallel readout data required for the A/D conversion process.

*1: A function that alleviates the image distortion (focal plane distortion) specific to CMOS image sensors that read pixel signals row by row.
*2: Method where the A/D converter is provided for each vertical row of pixels in a parallel configuration.
*3: As of announcement on February 13, 2018.
*4: As of announcement on February 13, 2018. FoM (Figure of Merit): 0.24e-·nJ/step. (power consumption x noise) / {no. of pixels x frame speed x 2^(ADC resolution)}.
*5: Technology that provides electrical continuity via connected Cu (copper) pads when stacking the back-illuminated CMOS image sensor section (top chip) and logic circuits (bottom chip). Compared with through-silicon via (TSV) wiring, where the connection is achieved by penetrating electrodes around the circumference of the pixel area, this method gives more freedom in design, improves productivity, allows for a more compact size, and increases performance. Sony announced this technology in December 2016 at the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco.

For more information, click here.

The Canon USA recently uploaded an EOS C200 and C200B Video Training Series to its YouTube channel.

Canon EOS C200 and C200B Video Training Series

• Overview (embedded above)
• Setting Up for Shooting - Part 1
• Setting Up for Shooting - Part 2
• Shooting with the Camera
• Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus Features
• Audio Setup
• Special Recording Modes & Browser
• Cinema RAW Light & Post Production

B&H carries the Canon EOS C200 and C200B Cinema Cameras.

From ProGrade:

Former Lexar Executives Start New Company: Pledge to Focus on Developing and Marketing Products of Superior Performance, Quality and Reliability

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Feb 15, 2018 8:00 am EST — ProGrade Digital, a new company founded on a mission to provide the highest quality, professional grade memory cards and workflow solutions available, today announced a new line of products designed to uniquely fill the needs of today’s high-end DLSRs, camcorders and digital cinema cameras. Memory cards will be offered in a variety of formats and industry-leading capacities. The company will also design and market a selection of card readers, starting with a CFast & SD Dual Slot Workflow Reader that boasts a USB 3.1, Gen. 2 transfer protocol. ProGrade Digital’s new memory cards and card readers will become available in the month of February Amazon.com and B&H Photo and Video.

ProGrade Digital was founded by former executives from Lexar who held management or technical leadership positions at the company recognized as the pioneer in memory card development for digital photography. The team has more than 60 years of combined experience in the design, development and manufacture of memory cards gained while working for Lexar, SanDisk and other firms. Leveraging its experience and industry relationships, the team will focus exclusively on developing and marketing memory cards, card readers and software optimized for use within professional cinema and photography markets.

“Our goal is to be the professional’s source for top performing, professional grade memory cards and workflow solutions,” says Wes Brewer, founder and CEO of ProGrade Digital. “We will be committed to focusing our efforts on the digital imaging pro who is meticulous about his equipment and workflow—delivering the best service, plus best product quality and reliability.”

Key Features of ProGrade Digital Memory Products

Imaging experts who shoot RAW, RAW HD video, 4K, 8K, 3D and 360-degree video may rely on ProGrade Digital’s high-performance storage cards and workflow accessories.

Memory Card Key Features

• Professional-level capacities for CFast 2.0 and SDXC UHS-II memory cards
• Optimized controllers specifically designed for use in professional-grade cameras
• Rigorous full-card testing with serialized tracking of key components and manufacturing
• ta for the highest quality control
• Component-level testing down to individual memory chips for optimal quality
• 3-year warranty

Card Reader Key Features

• Dual slot reader for CFast 2.0 and SDXC UHS-II card formats
• USB 3.1 Gen. 2 transfer speed of up to 10Gb/second
• Supports concurrent full-speed flow of data from cards in each slot
• Portable and compact
• Includes two 18” connection cables: one for Type A to Type C and one for Type C to
• pe C
• Magnetized reader bottom firmly connects reader to laptop (using included metal
• unting plate)
• 2-year warranty

ProGrade Digital cards and card readers are available online at Amazon.com and B&H Photo and Video.

In October 2017, Macphun announced that it would be changing its name to Skylum. Four months later, the name change is officially complete.

To celebrate the finalization of its name change, Skylum is offering special discounts on Luminar 2018 and Aurora HDR 2018 through February 26 when you use our special promo code, THEDIGITALPICTURE.

Luminar 2018

• Current users of Luminar may upgrade for $39 with coupon code
• New users can purchase Luminar 2018 for $59 with coupon code
• A collection of bonuses will also be included with every purchase

Bonuses:

• 2 E-books from Andrew Gibson: "The Creative Photographer" and "Mastering Exposure"
• Ultra Violet LUTs by Richard Harrington
• Ultra Violet Preset Pack by Richard Harrington
• Futuristic Preset Pack

Aurora HDR 2018

• Current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade for $49 with coupon code
• New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2018 for $89 with coupon code
• A collection of bonuses will also be included with every purchase

Bonuses:

• "Accelerate Your Photography" Ebook by Anne McKinnell
• Deep dive Video Tutorial from Trey Ratcliff
• Warm & Beautiful Preset Pack

Download Trials:

Skylum Luminar 2018
Skylum Aurora HDR 2018

From Lensbaby:

Portland, OR (February 15, 2018) - Lensbaby—makers of award-winning creative effects lenses, optics and accessories—announces the launch of an entirely new kind of creative effects lens, the Burnside 35.

The first ever wide angle adaptation of the Petzval lens design, this 35mm f/2.8 lens creates images with a large, bright central area of sharp focus and striking color rendition surrounded by variable, swirling bokeh and vignette. It also features an effect slider that operates as a second internal iris that changes the shape and amount of swirl in the bokeh; all while adding or removing vignette and center brightness.

“The Burnside 35 is one of the most versatile Lensbabies we’ve made,” said Lensbaby Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder Craig Strong. “It gives you the ability to have a strong or subtle creative effect in a single lens, a lens you might just keep on your camera all day long.”

Adding to the Burnside 35’s versatility is the radical, new effect slider that can be used to add center brightness, in-camera vignette and adjust bokeh detail. You can toggle the gold-anodized effect slider on the barrel of the lens to create variable balance and harmony between center brightness, bokeh and vignette. The effect slider features a four-stop range of vignette and bokeh enhancement so you can dial in the exact look that appeals to you.

Burnside 35 joins Lensbaby’s lens lineup as an all-metal, non-tilting lens similar to their bestselling Velvet series. Made specifically for full frame and crop sensor cameras, this lens is compatible with Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Pentax K, Micro 4/3, Sony E, Fuji X and Samsung NX.

Burnside 35 Product Specs:

• Focal Length: 35mm
• Aperture Range: f/2.8-16
• 6 blade internal aperture
• 8 blade secondary internal aperture for the effect slider
• Minimum Focus Distance: 6 inches
• Maximum Focus Distance: Infinity
• 62mm filter threads
• Focus type: Manual
• Size/ Weight: 13.2 oz (374.21g)
• 6 multi-coated glass elements, in 4 groups

The Burnside 35 is now available for purchase on lensbaby.com and select Lensbaby-authorized retailers for $499.95.

B&H has the Lensbaby Burnside 35 available for preorder.

From ZEISS:

With this compact wide-angle lens, ZEISS is adding a new focal length of modest proportions to its ZEISS Loxia lens family.

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 2018-02-14. – With the ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 compact wide-angle lens, ZEISS is adding a new focal length to its lens family that will benefit both landscape and architectural photographers: "High resolution across the entire image as well as low distortion ensure the perfect result," says Product Manager Christophe Casenave. "The compact lens delivers great images thanks to the new optical design." The ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 also features high-quality mechanical parts, and the durable metal housing makes this a reliable lens for photographers on the road.

The right companion for years to come
Small, robust and versatile: the lenses in the ZEISS Loxia family for mirrorless cameras in the Sony Alpha series are particularly well-suited for street and travel photographers who love being inconspicuous as they capture special moments in cities and in nature without carrying around a lot of equipment. The compact design of the ZEISS Loxia lenses has been specially developed for the mirrorless full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. Used in tandem, the lens and camera enable filmmakers and photographers to achieve a high-quality result, while the equipment's modest dimensions ensure users always have whatever they need with them. "This is a significant advantage for anyone who wants to blend into the background and is also on the road a lot," says Product Manager Casenave. The all-round talent from the ZEISS Loxia family is also great for filming.

Bringing creativity to life through precise, manual focusing
Traditional photography and cutting-edge technology all in one: with the ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25, photographers can let their artistic creativity run free. "A steady hand and the manual focusing means users achieve impressive results," says Casenave. The electronic interface for the ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 transfers both lens data and focus movements to the Sony camera and then activates the focus peaking or the zoom function. Demanding photographers can achieve a wide range of creative possibilities thanks to precise, manual focusing, including a retro look and feel.

Precise and sophisticated – the ZEISS Loxia lens family featuring five focal lengths between 21 and 85 millimeters gives users a large number of creative possibilities when taking photographs or filming because of its technical refinement, linking traditional photography with modern technology.

A strong all-rounder for taking photographs and filming
The ZEISS Loxia family comprises five lenses with focal lengths between 21 and 85 millimeters. The lenses with manual focusing are all compact, durable and do not draw too much attention. With these lightweight companions, photographers and filmmakers have the necessary equipment and flexibility they need while on the road. The ZEISS Loxia lenses along with all the accessories have the same diameter and enable users to quickly and easily switch between different focal lengths during a shoot. The lenses offer the optimum foundation for capturing photographs and filming, both individually and as a set. These strong all-round talents excel at a wide range of uses.

Price and availability
The ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 will be available at the ZEISS Webshop and at dealers from March 2018. The price of the new ZEISS Loxia 2.4/25 is €1,299 (incl. German VAT) or $1,299 US (excl. local taxes). The lens hood is included. Filmmakers can look forward to a special offer on a set comprising all five ZEISS Loxia focal lengths ranging from 21 to 85 millimeters.

B&H has the ZEISS Loxia 25mm f/2.4 Lens for Sony E Mount available for preorder.

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

This time around, Jake traveled upstate to explore and hike the beautiful Hudson Valley with the new DJI Mavic Air, which offers improved image quality, new high frame rates, refined flight controls and advanced quick capture modes. So bundle up, and join Jake on a cold winter drone flying adventure!

B&H has the DJI Mavic Air (Onyx) in stock.

With the Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L and 135mm f/4L Tilt-Shift Macro Lenses in house, I took a fresh look at the site's How to Determine the Age of a Canon Lens page. The answers in the serial number table lookup appear to be plausible for both lenses. So, I added the new year to the chart.

If you have acquired a new Canon lens in the last year or so, please take a moment to look up its date of manufacture. Then let us know if the answer appears to be correct for your lens. Or, at least approximately so as a few months of difference in the age of a lens is usually completely irrelevant unless there is a service notice issued and in that case, specific serial number ranges are provided.

From the PHLEARN YouTube Channel:

Like many other techniques in photography, creating effective composition is best done in-camera rather than during the editing process. That being said, there will be times where you may want to make minor adjustments or even completely change the composition in a shot. For those situations, the Crop Tool in Photoshop provides useful guides for some of the most common compositional techniques.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

Tamron USA posted the image above to its Facebook account around midnight last night. The big question is, of course – "What is it?"

Let us know in the comments below what you think the new lens will be.

Adobe has released a new version of Photoshop CC with the following reported changes:

• This update addresses several high priority issues discovered since the last release.
• Photoshop Camera RAW 10.2(CC): Update to Camera Raw plug-in that ships with Photoshop CC. Adds raw support for new camera models.

Unfortunately, we cannot elaborate more on what "high priority issues" mean because... Adobe hasn't made that information publicly available yet (as far as we can tell).

The new version of Photoshop CC can be downloaded via the Creative Cloud desktop app.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

Thank you for your interest in Sony products.

In certain shooting conditions an out of focus issue may occur with some 24-105mm F4 Full-frame E-mount G (SEL24105G) lenses.

To address this issue, subject to the terms and conditions in the Limited Warranty that accompanied the Affected Lens, we will repair your Affected Lens, free of charge, through March 31, 2020.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Symptoms

These symptoms may occur under certain shooting conditions:

• The lens may not focus when using autofocus with close aperture
• The lens may be out of focus when changing the aperture after using manual focus

Check Whether or Not Your Lens is Affected

This only applies to SEL24105G lenses with certain serial numbers.

The SEL24105G serial number is on the side of the lens near the base.

To see if your lens is affected type your serial number in the box on this website, and then click the Check Serial button.

If you have further questions, please contact Product Support for assistance.