Canon and Sony News for May 2018 (Page 4)
The ideal height to photograph wildlife, especially birds not flying (perched, standing, walking, swimming, etc.) is most often when the camera is level (pitch) and the bird is properly framed.
Basically, this is the same level as the subject.
If the bird is on the ground and the ground is flat and void of visual obstructions, getting flat on the ground is a great option and a ground pod is a great support for this position.
If the bird is in or on the water, getting to their level immediately becomes more complicated.
The embankments of most water bodies are raised at least somewhat over the water and that makes it hard to get down to bird-level from outside of the water.
If possible, and you are OK with the risks involved, getting in the water can be a great way to get down to close to the ideal level.
Still, the comfortable/safe height of the camera (and likely the tripod head) above the water usually leaves the bird at a still-lower elevation.
The next option is to get farther away.
If the bird is near you, the camera will be angled downward more than if the bird is farther away.
Of course, moving farther away means the bird is smaller in the frame.
That is, unless a longer focal length is used.
Very long focal lengths are ideal for bird photography for a couple of reasons.
The obvious reason is that they make the bird appear large in the frame from a less-frightening (mattering only to the bird usually) distance.
The other reason coincides with one of the reasons for shooting from a level: to strongly blur the background.
Long focal lengths magnify the background blur, giving images a more-strongly blurred background that makes the subject stand out.
Aside from the perspective making the bird look good, shooting from a lower position pushes background farther into the distance, farther outside of the depth of field and making your long focal length lens blur powers even more magical.
For this image capture, I was wearing chest waders and a Gore-Tex coat and sitting in the water up to my elbows (where the Gore-Tex jacket became an important part of the wardrobe).
The temperature was in the 40s F (single digits C) on this day, so I had many layers on in addition.
The tripod was positioned so that the apex was just above the water line and I was bent over to reach the viewfinder.
Note that I'm not saying that a low shooting position is comfortable, especially after over 4 hours of not moving.
But, what is comfort when making a good image is at stake?!
Being as low as I could go and using a long focal length (840mm) on a full frame body provided a great background blur right out of the camera.
Of course, it is hard to take a bad picture of a subject as beautiful as a wood duck.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
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From Sigma:
Responding to popular demand, the SIGMA Corporation is pleased to announce that another lens is compatible with the Rear Filter Holder FHR-11.
The chargeable installation service of the Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 for the SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art for Canon starts from May, 2018.
The Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 is an accessory exclusively designed for the SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art (for Canon) and the SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art (for Canon). It enables photographers to use a sheet filter on the lens. By attaching the Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 to the rear of the lens, it allows more freedom for photographic expression.
For details of the price and the commencement date of the service, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary/distributor.
PACKAGE CONTENTS (UPC Code: 0085126 934866)
- Rear Filter Holder FHR-11
- Guide template
- Fixing screws (3 pieces)
Please Note:
- Any damage or faults caused by attaching the filter holder on your own will not be covered by the warranty.
- This product is exclusive to the SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art 018 for Canon and the SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art 017 for Canon. Please do not attempt to attach it to any other lenses or mounts. There is a risk that it may cause damage to the lenses and cameras.
- Please be careful to avoid scratches to the lens or the electrical contacts when attaching the filter holder.
- Please ensure not to drop the small fixing screws inside the lens.
- Please ensure you remove the filter after shooting as it could scratch the rear element of the lens.
If you would prefer to install the accessory yourself, the Sigma Rear Filter Holder FHR-11 is available at B&H and Adorama.
From Sigma:
Ronkonkoma, NY – May 11, 2018 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced that its 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO Art, the first prime macro lens to be adorned with the Art badge, will be available in Canon mount in the end of May for $569.00 USD through authorized US retailers. The Sigma mount model is expected to ship in June. The release of the Sony E-Mount version will be announced later.
The First Macro Lens in the Sigma Global Vision Art Line
Elevating the legendary Sigma 70mm F2.8 EX DG to the Art line, the brand new Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO Art prioritizes optical performance that defines the Sigma Art line, delivering stunning resolution and incredible clarity, while at the same time offering extremely smooth autofocus performance for a weightier, high-performance lens.
To achieve optimal results at every shooting distance, the lens features an extending, floating, two-group focus mechanism, which minimizes aberration at all focal lengths. In addition, the lens’ optical elements design increases resolution at close shooting distances, allowing for a razor-sharp in-focus area contrasted with a bokeh area free of color streaking.
Other feature highlights include focus-by-wire system featuring newly developed coreless DC motor for comfortable and precise focusing typically required for macro photography; compatibility of the Canon mount lens with the Canon Lens Aberration Correction function; and compatibility with Sigma Electronic Flash Macro EM-140 DG and Sigma Teleconverters.
Making the long backstory short, my wife gave my father-in-law a Jack-in-the-pulpit seed for Christmas.
My in-laws planted it in the spring and it grew, only to be dug out by an animal.
It was replanted and the next year it was crushed by a bear.
After installing three different types of fencing around the vulnerable plant, their Jack bloomed splendidly this year.
That led to the phone call from my mother-in-law, suggesting that I might have interest in photographing the plant.
I was nearing the completion of a review and really wanted stay heads-down until it was finished.
But, I felt the strong encouraging and started asking questions and for location pics via text.
Flowers do not often stay at their peak appearance very long (and who knew what might try to destroy this plant overnight).
With the initial assessment leaning favorably to decent image potential, I went over with a MindShift Gear BackLight 26L full of gear, including a multi-off-camera flash setup and reflectors.
One of the challenges I faced was the background.
Winter seemed to hang on forever this year and only a few days earlier a warm spell finally and very quickly accelerated leaf growth.
Still, the available leaves, able to add a green color, were minimal and mostly brown was the surrounding forest and ground color, with dead leaves on the ground and bare tree trunks primarily visible.
My tongue-in-cheek suggestion that we cut the flower was not found humorous.
Another challenge was the lighting.
Good lighting is always key to a good picture.
As the forest canopy had barely started growing leaves, I expected mottled direct sunlight to be a problem.
The flashes and reflectors (able to provide shade as well as reflected light) were my insurance, ensuring that I could create my own lighting if necessary.
Also, waiting until the sun set would give me full shade and completely even lighting.
As the background did not compare in attractiveness to the plant, blurring the background away was going to be a high priority and that meant long focal lengths and wide apertures.
I contemplated taking the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens with a 25mm extension tube, but the sloping ground was not going to give me optimal positioning from the subject distance that focal length would have required.
I needed a shorter telephoto lens and opted to take the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro
and the Canon TS-E 135mm f/4L Tilt-Shift Macro lenses with me.
While the macro lens may be an obvious good choice, the tilt-shift lens has a 0.5x maximum magnification and with a narrow aperture desired, I thought the movements feature could be useful.
That turned out to be a good choice as in the end, I only used the tilt-shift lens option.
Upon arriving on the scene, I found the sunlight to be mostly diffused on the plant with some of the background being touched by direct sunlight.
Shade is typically cool in color temperature and late day sunlight is usually warm.
That means a properly white balanced subject in the shade results in the sunlit background turning especially warm and that scenario often works well.
The composition was a bit of a challenge.
I wanted to see the full flower without obstruction and the large leaves growing on two sides immediately limited the available angles.
I also wanted to see the curved top of the jack in the frame and from the side or front of course.
Upon working the scene, I saw that, with a low/level camera position, a pair of background trees were framing the Jack and keeping some border around those trunks framed the trees.
The inside of the pulpit (the spathe) and the Jack (spadix) of this particular Jack-in-the-pulpit are very bright in relation to everything else in the frame.
Thus, my exposure goal was to make just a tiny part of the Jack blinking overexposed in the image review.
I wanted the background to be as blurred as possible, emphasizing the Jack-in-the-pulpit in the image and that meant using the wide open f/4 aperture for this lens.
I was using a tripod and wind was not an issue, so ISO 100 was selected for the lowest noise levels with the camera's mirror lockup and the self-timer mode being used.
The shutter speed was adjusted until that small portion of the Jack was blinking during review on the camera's LCD.
As I worked the scene, adjusting/refining the camera position, I captured some bracketed exposures in case I wanted to the background to be brighter in the final image.
In the end, I opted to use the original exposure for most of the image and dropped the Jack and pulpit by 1/3 stop to bring the brightest details down on the tone curve, slightly increasing contrast and bring a small amount of detail out on the nearly detail-void Jack.
Notice the tiny fly with red eyes sitting on the Jack?
It is difficult to see at this resolution (I'll share a larger version on my Flickr account).
Fortunately, I think he was only parking and not eating.
Flies are attracted to Jacks by smell and in turn do the pollinating.
He was an incidental subject that I didn't notice while photographing and he was only in a few frames.
I liked the additional point of interest and opted to not stamp him out during post processing.
For this image, I used the tilt-shift lens as a normal lens with the movements in their zero position.
But I did use movements for some images including this Jack-in-the-pulpit image.
As I was leaving, my mother-in-law mentioned "If they turn out well, I want to have a metal print made."
Phew, going to take the pics was definitely the right decision.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
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In this video, Benjamin Warde gives a quick overview of the recently updated profile browser in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC.
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.
From Sony:
This update (version 1.10) provides the following benefits:
- Adds the menu option to select Pixel Shift Multi Shooting (On: Shooting Interval 0.5 sec)
- When using an A-mount lens via an adaptor (LA-EA1/ LA-EA2/ LA-EA3/ LA-EA4), the interval might be slightly longer
- When the camera is connected to PC, please use the latest version of the Imaging Edge software
- Adds support for bracketing during silent shooting with uncompressed RAW
- Adds support for tuning of the peaking display level for S-Log shooting
- Makes improvements for a condition where the Eye AF does not work with certain camera settings
- Makes improvements for a condition where Viewfinder Brightness is not reflected correctly in the Manual setting
- Improves overall stability of camera
Download: Sony a7R III Firmware v.1.10
From Tamron Japan:
We appreciate your continuous patronage for supporting Tamron products.
Regarding our new product, 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A036), which is scheduled to be released on Thursday, May 24, 2018, we are receiving more orders than anticipated. We regret to inform that products prepared for the launch date will not be enough to fulfill the demand. We will not be able to produce the necessary quantity of products to satisfy all customer requests.
Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience that this may cause to you. And apologize to all people concerned including other stakeholders.
Deliveries to some of the customers who have already ordered the product might be made after the release date. In addition, for those who will place an order in the future, because we deliver sequentially, it may take time for the product to be delivered.
We will make every effort to deliver the products at the earliest possible stage. Your understanding and patience will be greatly appreciated.
B&H has the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Lens for Sony E available for preorder.
Just posted: Rokinon AF 14mm f/2.8 Lens Review.
This is a good value lens.
The Rokinon AF 14mm f/2.8 Lens is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX.
Nikon has posted its FY 2018 (Year ended March 2018 [May 10, 2018]) financial statements. See below for more information.
- Financial Results (PDF:462KB)
- Financial and Business Data (PDF:150KB)
- Presentation Material (PDF:1.18MB)
- Announcement of Cash Dividends (PDF:63KB)
Relevant Info
* Note: this article was published before the final financial statements were officially released.
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From the Will Burrard-Lucas YouTube Channel:
I was challenged to recreate my African wildlife at night images on home soil. This is the resulting film in which I use a Camtraptions PIR Camera Trap Sensor to photograph barn owls in infrared.
Learn more about infrared camera conversions in our Infrared Camera Conversion by LifePixel Review.
by Sean Setters
Before I get into the five tips for hood-mounted camera photography, it's important to note that having a reliable method for attaching your camera to the hood of an automobile is a requirement for this type of photography. The best tool I have found for the job is the RigWheels RigMount X4 Camera Platform with one of the magnetic mounts replaced with an RMH1 RigMount with Ball Head. The duo allows you to securely mount the X4 platform supported with 3 RML1 Long Magnetic Mounts on one side and the Ball Head Magnetic Mount on the other side, which can be adjusted to provide a secure magnetic connection on the side of the car.
With the absolutely required gear out of the way, let's get rolling (pun intended) with the tips.
1. Wash the parts of the car that will be visible in your image, including the hood.
I'm leading off with this tip because a) you'll want to complete this step ahead of time because washing a car with a camera attached is not advisable and b) it's something I forgot to do before taking the shot above. I did wipe down the hood with a cloth to get most of the loose dirt off the hood, but I completely forgot about the windshield. Dirt on the windshield will really stand out when light is reflected at certain angles and can cause a less clear/hazy view into the car's interior. Do yourself a favor and wash [minimally] the parts of the car that will be within the lens' field of view. Doing so will ensure you can easily see your subject/the car's interior and will reduce the amount of time needed for spot removal in post-processing.
2. Use a fisheye lens.
So why is a fisheye lens important? First, a fisheye lens gives you a very wide angle of view which makes the hood of the car look bigger/more prominent while also allowing any details on the hood (like a hood scoop) to be fully framed. And second, the fisheye lens' distortion makes the lines of the hood curved, leading to a much more intriguing, almost futuristic-looking image.
Note that one downside to using a fisheye lens is that such lenses do not accept front filters. Therefore, in order to obtain a slow enough shutter speed for optimal motion-blurred surroundings, shooting when the ambient light is minimal (in other words, at night) will be necessary.
3. Park under a street light to figure out your framing and exposure.
The best way I've found to figure out the best exposure values and obtain focus is to park under a street light. This has several benefits. For one, as street lights will likely be the primary source of illumination for the car, it makes sense to use a street light to dial in your exposure settings. As the hood will not be constantly exposed by a single light source in any of the desired moving images, it's best to set your exposure so that the hood is slightly overexposed in testing. Doing so will help account for the time the car is less illuminated between light poles. Of course, not all of the images the camera takes will be optimally exposed, but by using the street light to dial in your desired aperture, shutter speed and ISO, those images that are well-illuminated by one (or two) street lights will likely be in the ballpark of your test exposure.
Another benefit of parking under a street light is that you can usually set manual focus on the lens by using any light that is illuminating the car's interior and 10x Live View magnification on the camera.
And last but not least, the street light will help you set your desired framing. In most photography disciplines, getting your camera level is an optimal technique. However, significantly tilting a hood mounted camera makes it look like the car is traveling on an angle, sort of like a NASCAR stock car in a banked turn. Using Live View, experiment with different angles to see which one you think looks best.
4. Use a remote flash to light your subject(s).
While the car is an integral part of any hood-mounted image, a well-lit subject will provide a necessary focal point for the viewer. However, the subject will not be well-lit from the ambient light without the car being overexposed (especially with lighter exterior car colors). What you need is a remote, radio-triggered flash inside the car to illuminate your subject(s) during the exposure. It can be tricky to position your flash so that it is flattering to your subject yet remains unseen from the camera's position, so you may have to experiment (and problem solve) to figure out a plausible flash mounting solution, especially if you want to include a modifier in the mix. Also, be sure to choose an interval setting that includes a buffer time between images so that your flash has adequate time to recharge before the next shot.
5. Compositing can help you get the "perfect shot."
One of the great things about this type of photography is that there's an unavoidable random quality to the images that are captured. The look of the images can change dramatically based on the speed of the vehicle and the types of lights affecting the scene. You could drive the same stretch of road a dozen times with the same camera settings and no two images would look the same. On the one hand, that means you'll always get something unique. On the other hand, nailing the perfect shot takes a decent amount of luck and/or a bit of Photoshop. Because much of the image is static (never changes) and with the changing parts being motion-blurred and mostly unrecognizable, you can easily combine those areas from several images using a soft edged brush to blend desired areas of each image together.
About the Shot
Not too long ago, I installed Magic Lantern on my Canon EOS 5D Mark III so that I could test out a particular feature of the firmware add-on. While I ultimately found out that the feature didn't work as I had expected (and, therefore, was useless to me), the other benefits of having Magic Latern installed on the camera led me to leave it installed on my memory cards. One such feature, an full-featured intervalometer, made me want to recreate my favorite driving self-portrait, except using the full-frame camera instead of the EOS 7D Mark II + Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye. The EOS 7D Mark II features a built-in intervalometer, making it really easy to use when mounted to the RigWheels RigMount X4 for the rolling car shot. However, the full-frame 5D Mark III was better at resolving fine details. With the intervalometer feature enabled by Magic Lantern, all I needed was a fisheye lens that would enable me to simulate the perspective of the Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 on the APS-C camera.
Considering that this would be a lens I intended to use sparingly, purchasing a used model seemed to make a lot of sense. Therefore, I started keeping an eye out for full-frame fisheye lenses in B&H's used inventory as well as eBay. After a couple of weeks, I ran across a Rokinon 12mm T3.1 Fisheye auction going for a very reasonable price and watched it carefully. For my intended use of the lens, autofocus was not necessary; a manual focus lens would work just fine. I ended up winning the auction with a bid significantly less than half the retail price, so needless to say I was very happy with the acquisition. Of course, there are some risks in buying a used lens, which is why I wanted to give it a thorough test after it arrived on my doorstep. Thankfully, it performed excellently.
The Setup
To get the shots used for the composite above, I mounted the Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Rokinon 12mm T3.1 Fisheye on the passenger side corner of my hood with the lens set to T4 and focused where the driver would be. The camera was set to Manual mode with a 2.5 sec. exposure at ISO 200. I used the Tungsten white balance setting because most of the streetlights in Savannah emit a very warm colored light. To light myself in the driver's seat, I used a background light stand situated in the floor of the passenger side with an umbrella swivel supporting a radio triggered full CTO gelled Canon Speedlite and Lumiquest Ltp softbox mounted on top. The flash and modifier were positioned as high as I could get them without the softbox being visible to the camera for more of a side light (as opposed to an under light) and the CTO gel allowed the color of the flash's output to closely match the light emitted by the streetlights, easing the color correction process.
With all the camera gear in place, I set Magic Lantern's intervalometer dialogue to take a picture every 6 seconds with a 20 second delay before the first shot. These settings gave my flash plenty of time to recharge between shots while also not wasting shots as I returned to the driver's seat after starting the sequence. After exiting the ML settings (triggering the start of the intervalometer), I hopped in the car and headed to downtown Savannah where I did a loop before returning home. In the relatively short drive, I captured 176 images.
Post-Processing
My ideal shot would meet the following requirements:
- The subject would not be motion blurred or blocked by a street light's glare on window.
- The hood would be well-lit without the camera's shadow detracting from the image.
- The surroundings would be adequately blurred and interesting-looking.
Unfortunately, none of the 176 images captured met all of those requirements to my fullest satisfaction. However, several of the images met some of the requirements, with the net effect that all requirements could be met by combining a few of the images in post-processing.
Here was the base image:
I chose the above for the base image because the hood was well and evenly lit without an obvious shadow being cast by the camera rig, my facial expression was suitable and generally liked the background blur. However, I thought the area along the right side in the blurred area was lacking interest, so I found an image where I liked that part of the frame better.
After masking the second image and blending the desired areas of the frame, I ended up with this:
However, I still wasn't satisfied with the image. At this point, I didn't really like the dark area on the left side of the frame and I decided I wasn't completely happy with my facial expression and the direction of my gaze. Coincidentally, I had captured another image that solved both of those problems.
After blending in the desired parts of that image and a bit of spot healing, I ended up with the final result:
You can see a higher resolution version of the image on my Flickr photostream.
So who would be interestd in these types of images? Anyone who owns a car that they are proud of (or has a sentimental attachment to). You probably already know someone who spends evenings and weekends working on their pride and joy. Potential clients also abound at car meetups and race events.
Here's a recap of the gear you may need to create dynamic car shots:
- RigWheels RigMount X4 Magnetic Camera Platform
- Camera with a built-in intervalometer or intervalometer accessory
- Fisheye or ultra-wide angle lens
- Shoe-mount flash, radio trigger & small softbox
Relevant Article
It looks like Yongnuo will soon be releasing a new manual focus macro lens, the YN60mm f/2 MF. (thanks Bali)
Specifications
| Focal Length | 60mm |
| Lens Construction | 9 groups 10 blades |
| Aperture Blades | 7 blades |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Min. Focusing Distance | about 0.234 meters |
| Maximum Magnification | 1× |
| Filter Diameter | 67mm |
| Size (DxL) | about 76×115mm |
| Weight | about 586g |
Although it's not specifically stated in any documentation that I can find, it will at least be released in a Canon EF-mount version as the product pictures clearly show a Canon mount.
From the Adobe Photoshop YouTube Channel:
Explore different blend modes that can be used for creative color and tonal edits in Photoshop CC.
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro and Pro+ v2.0 Quadcopters are available for preorder at B&H with free expedited shipping.
DJI Phantom 4 Pro and Pro+ v.2.0 Highlights
- 1" 20MP CMOS Sensor
- Gimbal-Stabilized 4K60 / 20MP Imaging
- Ocusync Transmission
- FlightAutonomy with Redundant Sensors
- Four Directions of Obstacle Avoidance
- Top Speed of 45 mph in Sport Mode
- Maximum Control Range of 4.3 Miles
- Visual Tracking of Moving Subject
- Up to 30 Minutes Flying Time
- Remote Controller Included
From Canon USA:
Thank you for using Canon products.
We have determined that some units of the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Ext. 1.4x interchangeable lens for digital SLR and mirrorless cameras exhibit a phenomenon in which the focus may not be achieved during AF shooting. Firmware which addresses this phenomenon is available for download 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
When using this lens with some camera models* and performing AF shooting from approximately 3m, the subject may not be in focus in some occasions.
* Camera models: EOS-1D X Mark II, EOS-1D X, EOS-1D C, EOS 5Ds, EOS 5Ds R, EOS 5D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark III
Affected Products
- Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x lenses with Firmware Version 1.0.0
Support
Download Firmware Version 1.1.0 for the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x
Customers who own one of the affected camera models above, or one of the cameras** that can be used for the lens’ firmware update can download the latest firmware version and then perform the lens’ firmware update using the camera.
** EOS-1D X Mark II, EOS-1D X, EOS-1D C, EOS 5Ds, EOS 5DsR, EOS 5D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 6D Mark II, EOS 6D, EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 80D, EOS 70D, EOS Kiss X9i, EOS Kiss X9, EOS Kiss X8i, EOS Kiss X7i, EOS Kiss X7, EOS Kiss X6i, EOS M6, EOS M5, EOS M3, EOS M2, EOS M, EOS M100, EOS M50, EOS M10. Please note that EOS M camera models require an adapter EF-EOS M to connect to the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x 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
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