Canon and Sony News for Dec 2015 (Page 5)

From the Canon Professional Network:

The launch of the PowerShot G5 X – with its electronic viewfinder (EVF) plus classic DSLR handling in a compact body – was a significant moment for Canon. In an in-depth interview, CPN discovers the technical challenges faced by the PowerShot development team – Takashi Yoshida, Ryuji Fukute, Kenji Ito, Koki Kitaya, Atsushi Fujita and Yoshikazu Sakagami from the Image Communication Products Operations Department and Yoshihiro Miyazawa from the Design Centre. Together they discuss the technical and design challenges they faced when turning concept into reality...

B&H carries the Canon PowerShot G5 X.

We originally posted about Canon USA's Website Refresh back in early November. At the time, site visitors experienced several issues with the new site including missing account information and the inability to register for Canon's CarePAK Plus.

We're hoping that this official announcement means that Canon USA has worked out most of the bugs.

From Canon USA:

Dec 3, 2015 – MELVILLE, N.Y. — A company's website is an important tool customers utilize to research products and services in order to make educated purchasing decisions. Canon U.S.A., Inc., has recently launched a new design for its company website, www.usa.canon.com, with a responsive design that offers an inviting and enjoyable experience for its customers. This new design features beautiful, vivid imagery befitting of Canon’s position as a leader in the imaging industry. The website homepage provides an attractive, easy-to-navigate interface with featured content focused on the company’s mission to provide customers with up-to-date product information and knowledgeable insights in the area of digital imaging solutions.

“One of the main goals we wanted to achieve when designing the new website was to help our customers and business partners get to know us better and get a feel for who we are as a company,” states Ellen Pitchford, vice president and general manager, Digital Marketing Services Division of Canon U.S.A., Inc. “This new website enhances the power of the Canon brand and further demonstrates our commitment to our customers and business partners.”

Seamlessly viewable from any compatible device, customers will have access to engaging stories, informative video content and in-depth product details. The new website is optimized to be viewed across a variety of platforms – desktop, tablet or mobile – and makes it easier for visitors to get the information they need no matter what type of compatible device they are using to connect to the Internet.

Built with bringing a fun, intuitive, user-friendly customer experience in mind, features include:

• The ‘Product Showcase’ section shows visitors the full breadth of product offerings.
• The ‘Explore’ section demonstrates how Canon products can be used in daily life, workplace and industry settings.
• The ‘Learning Center’ features tips, tricks and tutorials on how to make the most of Canon’s products.

Visitors also have the option of creating a ‘My Canon’ account, in order to manage their product library, expedite product registration and quickly gain access to order status.

Visit the new website at www.usa.canon.com.

The balance of the standard test results, including flare, distortion, vignetting and 7D II image quality, along with specs and measurements are now available on the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens page.

Go make some comparisons. I'll get you started with one that I find interesting.

B&H has the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens in stock.

Around this time of the year, I often make a What I Want from Canon for Christmas post. Canon still has some work to do on my 2014 list, so this year, I'm turning the 2015 request list creation over to you.

Use the comment functionality below this post (click through to the site if using a feed reader or a social media site) to share the non-existing or improved product(s) you want Canon to bring us next. If you are a Nikon, Sony or other camera system user, feel free to make those requests also.

Adding to the Fun: The Perfect Christmas Present

Since Christmas is a time for giving, I'm going to seed that mood by giving away what I consider the perfect Christmas present for photographers (and everyone really), a B&H eGift Card (and the physical gift cards are just as good).

This giveaway is very simple. To sign up, within the next week, add your Christmas wish list below for a chance to win a $50 eGift Card. Don't rush – create a good list, legitimate or humorous. One item or many.

Christmas wish list prize drawing entry comments should be left for the primary post, not as replies to other comments. Simply edit your original comment to add new items you think of later. Feel free to reply to other comments, but these will not be considered as entries for the prize drawing.

The fine print: This giveaway is void where prohibited. One entry per person. Entries considered valid completely at our discretion. Sorry Sean, you are disqualified. :) One week from today, the winner will be randomly selected via a computer-generated random number. Obviously the winner will need to be contacted, so a comment posted below indicates permission granted for us to contact you via email regarding the prize award. The winner will have 5 days to respond before another winner will be selected under the same guidelines. After verification, a $50 B&H eGift card will be emailed to the winner.

So, let's see your Canon/Nikon/Sony/Sigma/Tamron/Zeiss/etc. Christmas list!

Just posted: Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 Lens Review.

How did this completely new Zeiss lens perform? No secrets revealed here – you'll have to read the review to find out.

With 6 lenses released in one announcement and most arriving within a short timeframe, Zeiss has provided a very heavy workload. Much of the testing of these lenses is completed with the review creation remaining. I hope to have the rest of these reviews completed in relatively rapid succession.

B&H has the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 Lens in Canon mount in stock with the Nikon mount version available for preorder.

From Canon USA:

Profiling Modern Day Rebels Including Daredevil Nik Wallenda and Music Producer Swizz Beatz, “Rebel With A Cause” Campaign Filmed Entirely with Canon EOS Rebel T6i DSLR Cameras

MELVILLE, N.Y. — Celebrating 25 years since the introduction of Canon’s first EOS Rebel SLR camera, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is pleased to honor this milestone by introducing its new “Rebel With A Cause” campaign. In 1990, the iconic “Image is Everything” campaign introduced the Canon EOS Rebel, an SLR camera born with a cause — to put the power of pro photography into the hands of the public and level the playing field forever. 25 years later, Canon launches “Rebel With A Cause,” embarking on a journey to follow modern day rebels who challenge convention in their own unique way, capturing their causes through the eye of a Canon EOS Rebel DSLR. “Rebel With A Cause” will invite people into their worlds, celebrating the imagery that makes their causes shine and motivating others to join their movements.

The campaign kicks off today featuring American daredevil Nik Wallenda followed by GRAMMY Award winning record producer Swizz Beatz.

For the first video from the campaign, Nik Wallenda, best known as a member of The Flying Wallenda Family, and the first and only person to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, encourages an unexpected group of people, senior citizens, to check items off of their personal bucket lists. After visiting a senior center in Sarasota, FL, the man who’s conquered every feat he’s ever dreamed of, sent one senior citizen into the sky and one to the racetrack to inspire them to finally conquer theirs. The campaign, shot entirely on Canon EOS Rebel T6i DSLR cameras, can now be viewed here: http://canon.us/bkQln .

“I’m honored to be selected as a Rebel with a Cause as part of Canon’s campaign, as I’ve spent my entire life pushing boundaries and encouraging others to do the same,” said Nik Wallenda. “Partnering with Canon to tell my story and continuing to pursue my mission to never give up, has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I hope this inspires others to live their lives to the fullest.”

“Canon has always made it a priority to make what was once thought to be impossible possible, and it’s one of the reasons we created the EOS Rebel cameras,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The heart of this campaign is about showcasing modern day rebels entirely through the eyes of a Canon EOS Rebel camera, encouraging people to take their creativity to the next level and to tell their own unique stories.”

“Rebel With A Cause” will continue with hip-hop artist and multi-platinum record producer Swizz Beatz, who has recently become a major force in the art world. However, instead of focusing on his own art, he’s focused on finding the next great, unknown artist – and into 2016 with a range of high profile individuals each embracing their own cause. Every rebel has their own unique story, and the campaign will encourage everyone to find the rebels within themselves.

The Evolution of the Canon EOS Rebel Camera
Canon announced the first ever EOS Rebel SLR camera 25 years ago in August 1990, changing the game in the SLR camera category. At the time it was Canon’s smallest and lightest 35mm autofocus single-lens reflex (SLR) camera in the EOS line of autofocus SLRs. The EOS Rebel line has been continuously known to pack advanced features and imaging technologies into affordable high-quality consumer-level camera bodies. Through its first 14 years, Canon introduced 13 EOS Rebel film SLR models and in 2003, the Canon EOS Rebel DSLR was born, marking the beginning of the modern-day EOS Rebel DSLR camera. From 2003 to 2015, there have been 15 models in the EOS Rebel DSLR camera line including the latest models introduced this year featuring built-in Wi-Fi and NFC capability -- the EOS Rebel T6i and T6s DSLR cameras. The EOS Rebel camera line has been used by creative consumers to express themselves through still images for decades as well as Full HD video since the introduction of the EOS Rebel T1i in 2009. Also known for their compact size and superb feature set these cameras have enticed many consumers to make this their first entry into Canon’s EOS interchangeable lens camera family. All Canon EOS Rebel cameras are compatible with Canon’s entire line of EF and EF-S lenses. The sales success and longevity of the EOS Rebel camera line is why the cameras are a household name across generations making it one of the most popular lines in SLR cameras.

B&H carries Canon EOS Rebel DSLRs.

Full Disclosure: I've been guilty of it. I've conducted a couple of portrait sessions over the years on rarely used tracks. But that's no excuse. Doing so is illegal and it is never safe.

As the Today Show demonstrates, trains are much quieter than most people realize. And if distracted and looking the other way, a train could easily be on top of you before you realize it. So please, let's all stop doing portrait sessions on or near train tracks. If you want to photograph a train from a safe distance, that's one thing. But putting people's lives in danger – including your own – is simply unncessary. [Sean]

From Nikon:

Nikon D750 Firmware

Changes from “C” Firmware Version 1.02 to 1.10An External recording control option has been added to the HDMI item in the SETUP MENU. If the camera is connected via HDMI to a third-party recorder that supports the Atomos Open Protocol (the Atomos SHOGUN, NINJA2, or NINJA BLADE), selecting On allows camera controls to be used to start and stop recording. More information is available in a supplementary manual.Note:Choose an option other than 576p (progressive) or 480p (progressive) for HDMI > Output resolution in the SETUP MENU.

• Fixed the following issues:
• The brightness of the live view photography display would not change when a command dial was rotated to adjust exposure compensation with On (Auto reset) selected for b Metering/exposure > b3 Easy exposure compensation > Easy exposure compensation in the CUSTOM SETTING MENU.
• Although the preview button would stop the lens down to maximum aperture when assigned the Preview role, the maximum aperture indicator would not appear in the monitor.
• In rare cases, the shutter would not be released when the user attempted to take photographs in movie live view.
• About 4 seconds of static could be heard on audio recorded with external HDMI recorders during movie live view.
• The shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity displayed in the monitor during movie live view would differ from values in the final movie file.
• Part of the focus point would disappear if the user zoomed in while the framing grid was displayed.
• Volume could sometimes not be adjusted if movies were played with indicators hidden during full-frame playback (None (image only)).
• Exposure compensation would fail to produce the desired results if a negative value was selected when NEF (RAW) images were processed using the NEF (RAW) processing option in the RETOUCH MENU.
• Images would in rare cases fail to record correctly with HDR (high dynamic range) selected in the PHOTO SHOOTING MENU.
• If On was selected for Exposure smoothing during interval timer photography, every frame after the first would be overexposed.
• File numbers were not assigned in the proper sequence.
• The focus point would not be displayed in the correct location in the monitor.
• In some languages, characters or parts of characters would be missing from the SETUP MENU > Location data > Position display.
• In some languages, characters or parts of characters would be missing from the SETUP MENU > AF fine-tune > List saved values display.
• In some regions, nothing would be displayed when Conformity marking was selected in the SETUP MENU.
• Some help text has been changed.
• Optimal vibration reduction is now available with vibration reduction lenses.

Download Nikon D750 “C” Firmware Version 1.10

Changes from “C” Firmware Version 1.20 to 1.30

• An External recording control option has been added to the HDMI item in the SETUP MENU. If the camera is connected via HDMI to a third-party recorder that supports the Atomos Open Protocol (the Atomos SHOGUN, NINJA2, or NINJA BLADE), selecting On allows camera controls to be used to start and stop recording. More information is available in a supplementary manual.
  Note:
• Choose an option other than 576p (progressive) or 480p (progressive) for HDMI > Output resolution in the SETUP MENU.
• Choose an option other than Auto for HDMI > Output resolution in the SETUP MENU when 640x 424; 30p or 640x 424; 25p is selected for Movie settings > Frame size/frame rate in the SHOOTING MENU.
• Fixed the following issues:
• In rare cases, the shutter would not be released when the user attempted to take photographs in movie live view.
• About 4 seconds of static could be heard on audio recorded with external HDMI recorders during movie live view.
• Exposure compensation would fail to produce the desired results if a negative value was selected when NEF (RAW) images were processed using the NEF (RAW) processing option in the RETOUCH MENU.
• Images would in rare cases fail to record correctly with HDR (high dynamic range) selected in the SHOOTING MENU.
• In portrait orientation, the monitor would not show the focus point in the correct location if 5:4 (30x24) was selected for Choose image area.

Download Nikon D4S “C” Firmware Version 1.30

B&H carries the Nikon D750 and D4s DSLR cameras.

by Sean Setters

The formula of "1/ (effective [full-frame] focal length)" is likely ingrained in your head and can be recalled and calculated on the fly as you place a camera's viewfinder to your eye. It's a simple formula which has allowed photographers to determine a shutter speed that will negate the effects of camera shake and that formula has served us all very well for many years.

Here's how the traditional formula worked: Let's imagine that you are using a Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR paired with an EF 135mm f/2L USM lens. With a full-frame camera and a lens featuring a 135mm focal length, the shutter speed needed to prevent camera shake would be 1/(effective focal length, 1*135), or 1/135 second. As our cameras cannot be set to 1/135, we would typically round that figure to the next fastest 1/3rd stop shutter speed for a final calculation of 1/160 second (though 1/125 second would technically be closer to the calculated result).

If using a crop-sensor camera like the EOS 60D with the same 135mm lens, we would traditionally calculate the full-frame equivalent focal length value. In this scenario, the focal length would need to be multiplied by 1.6 (the crop factor) to obtain our effective focal length. The formula would change to 1/(1.6*135), or 1/216 which would then be rounded to 1/250 second.

But before we plow ahead, we need to clear something up. The "effective focal length multiplier" formula is, by all accounts, an arbitrary value in the camera shake negating formula. In the above scenario, we multiplied the lens' focal length by 1.6 (the crop factor arrived at by comparing the 60D's sensor size to that of a full-frame camera). However, the original problem regarding the need to increase shutter speeds when using a crop-sensor camera had nothing to do with effective focal length of those cameras, but instead was the result crop-camera's higher pixel density sensor.

The "effective focal length multiplier" makes perfect sense when discussing relative field of view. A 50mm lens on a crop-sensor camera gives you the field of view as an 80mm lens on a full-frame camera. But as field of view has nothing to do with motion blur, the 1.6x value shouldn't necessarily be tied to the shutter speed formula.

Why did I say "necessarily?" Because at some point in the past, the higher pixel density of crop-sensor cameras meant that a roughly 50% faster shutter speed (compared to the shutter speed required with the same lens used on a full-frame camera) could help a photographer negate the effects of camera shake. I suppose it was around that time that the focal length multiplier became incorrectly associated with the camera shake negation formula. But since that time sensors have become even more dense meaning we're well past the days where the values coincidentally coincided.

Considering the pixel-dense sensors found in a large portion of recently introduced DSLR cameras, the formula we've been using for so long simply doesn't work for calculating a "safe" shutter speed that will eliminate camera shake with these cameras. The formula must be re-evaluated and revised if you are currently using one of Canon's (or Nikon's or Sony's) cameras featuring a pixel-dense sensor.

Notice I used the term "pixel-dense sensor" and not "high-resolution sensor." The terminology is very important here. The term "pixel-dense sensor" is being used to describe any DSLR whose sensor has individual pixels that are similar in size to the high-resolution 5Ds / 5Ds R. With this in mind and for our purposes, let's consider the following Canon DSLRs featuring sensors with pixel sizes less than 4.2µm to fall under the "pixel-dense" umbrella:

After spending a significant amount of time evaluating the EOS 7D II and 5Ds/5Ds R specifically, we think the camera-shake stopping shutter speed formula for these cameras should be:

1/(focal length * 2)

I realize the formula doesn't look terribly different, but that " * 2 " portion makes a huge impact when using pixel-dense sensors. Keep in mind, this isn't the first time we've suggested this exact formula for arriving at a preferred shutter speed for such sensors. Bryan specifically mentions this formula in his EOS 5Ds Review, but I thought it was important enough to highlight on its own.

So if using a 5Ds / 5Ds R with the same EF 135mm f/2L USM mentioned above, our new formula for negating camera shake becomes 1/(1*135*2), or 1/270 which is then rounded to 1/320 second. You might even go so far as to use a shutter speed that's 1/3 stop faster when using the most pixel dense sensor in Canon's lineup, the one found in the Rebel T6s/T6i just to be safe.

And on that note, with ever evolving sensor technology (producing even more pixel packed sensors), and the fact that everyone's a little different in how stable they are when holding a camera, the sad fact of the matter is that even the 1/(focal length * 2) formula is only a guide that seems to work well for this particular period of camera technology, and every person – no matter what camera they are using – should perform their own standardized tests to see what shutter speeds produce acceptable sharp images when shooting at various focal lengths with their camera(s).

Of course, an image stabilized lens will allow you to use significantly longer shutter speeds while avoiding the consequences of camera shake, but you'd still need to use a revised shutter speed formula (either ours or one developed using your own tests) to use as your starting point before considering the benefit of image stabilization. And when it comes to stabilization, a tool that's been around for a hundred years may be your best bet for making camera shake irrelevant – the humble tripod.

Going forward, as sensors become more densely packed with pixels, we must constantly re-evaluate the shutter speeds necessary to stop the effects of camera shake to achieve the sharpest images.

From the Adobe Photoshop YouTube Channel:

See some of the exciting new features and enhancements in the latest update to Photoshop CC 2015. See improvements to Creative Cloud Libraries, Artboards, Design Space (Preview), Adobe Camera Raw and more along with new capabilities like being able to add 3D characters to your compositions with Adobe Fuse CC (Preview).

Adobe's Creative Cloud Photography Plan is only USD$9.99 per month and includes Lightroom CC across desktop, web and mobile, Photoshop CC and Photoshop Mix (for iPhone and iPad).

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

"What story are you trying to tell? When you begin to make decisions about your photograph, it is important to consider the story in your image. Are you photographing the food alone, specific ingredients, the chef, the staff or the season? Each decision you make about what to include or not include in your image will help with the story."

Joe McNally shows how to blend light with existing light in this behind the scenes video. Join him as he demonstrates Nikon's CLS system at Ralph's Donut shop in Cookeville, TN.

Note from Sean: I can't shake the feeling that this donut shop looks really familiar to me. :-)

B&H carries the Nikon D810 and Nikon Speedlights.