From Canon UK:
The software items that are experiencing compatibility issues with macOS 10.12 (Sierra) are listed below:
Software | Version | Issue | Estimated Release of Updated Software |
Map Utility | 1.7.2 | The USB connection with the GP-E2 is not functioning | End of December 2016 |
Camera Window DC | 8.10.5a, 8.10.5b, 8.10.7 | Connection via USB or Wi-Fi is not functioning | End of December 2016 |
EOS Utility 2 | 2.14.20a | Connection via USB is not functioning | End of January 2017 |
EOS Utility 3 | 3.5.0 | Connection via USB is not functioning | End of December 2016 |
by Sean Setters
While the Canon W-E1 Wi-Fi Adapter sounded intriguing upon its announcement, its apparent limitations left us a bit bewildered.
However, what if I told you that the Canon W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter (with a little help) is capable of a lot more? From my experience, the following features can be unlocked with the adapter:
In fact, I created the image seen below using the W-E1 to capture 28 incrementally focused images (compiled in Helicon Focus Lite and processed in Photoshop CC).
"The Canon Camera Connect app doesn't allow you to CHANGE THE WHITE BALANCE?!"
After spending roughly 15 minutes trying to figure out how to change the white balance within the Canon Camera Connect app without any luck, I was more than a little annoyed. This morning I called Canon's Technical Support to see if I was missing something. The technician I spoke to confirmed that adjusting this seemingly basic setting is not a feature of the app. And with the W-E1 card installed in the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, the camera does not allow local adjustments (meaning the buttons and LCD are unusable), so the white balance cannot be set from the camera when the Wi-Fi adapter is in use.
So how do you get the most out of the Canon W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter? For Android users, it's actually pretty easy – get the DSLR Controller app.
The reason why DSLR Controller works with the W-E1 is because the developer designed the app to work with Canon DSLRs featuring built-in Wi-Fi (once they became available). And since the W-E1 is using the same communication protocols, the app works just as it would if it were connected to a DSLR featuring built-in Wi-Fi.
I can't say for certain that the app will work for everyone, but I can tell you I was easily able to connect to the W-E1 installed in my EOS 7D Mark II in direct connection mode (smartphone or EOS Utility mode, both worked for me). Below is a screenshot of the app in action.
There may be a similar iOS camera control app that allows for the same funcationality, but as I don't own an iOS device I'm unaware of those options.
B&H has the Canon W-E1 Wi-Fi Adapter available for preorder. The Google Play Store has DSLR Controller ($7.99) available for download.
Wildlife photographers can spend many days or weeks working with the same subject at the same location and, due to ever-changing behaviors of their subjects, they can continuously capture unique images. Sports photographers have unique action at every game/meet/match/race/etc. at the same field/track/event location. Street photographer are always finding new entertainment at the same locations. Wedding, event and portrait photographers have a steady stream of new subjects coming through the same locations. But you, landscape (and cityscape) photographer, usually find the same subjects in the same positions each time you go back. However, you still have reasons for going back.
Basically, you most often go back in hopes that something might be different this time.
Perhaps you didn't get it right the first time. You didn't provide adequate depth of field or didn't focus to the right distance to keep everything in the image sharp. Or, perhaps you want to use a wider aperture lens to better define the primary subject. Perhaps the focal choice was not ideal and part of the scene was cropped too tightly. Maybe you were too close or too far away and didn't get the ideal perspective. You want to move up/down, left/right or closer/farther to get it right the next time.
You now have better skills. Closely aligned with getting it right this time are your improved photography skills. You are now better at reading a scene and better able to select the composition, perhaps including a foreground element or better aligning the background within the foreground framing.
You go back to work on your creativity. The more bored you become with photographing a scene, the more likely you are going to find a creative new way to photograph it.
You go back because you have better gear. While we sometimes think that camera and lens technology is not moving forward fast enough, what is available today is far better than what was available not long ago. Taking your new camera(s) and lens(es) to a past-visited favorite location is an easy recipe for bettering your portfolio. Your higher resolution, lower noise camera and sharper lens will create results that look better, especially at high resolution. Taking a circular polarizer filter, a neutral density filter, etc. that you did not originally have can make a huge difference in your repeat visit results.
You go back in hopes for better weather conditions. You hope for better skies, a better sunrise, a better sunset, better clouds, more/less fog, less (or possibly more) wind, warmer light, etc. Everyone loves a fiery sunrise or sunset and those don't happen every day – you might need to go back repeatedly to find these. Fog? Some locations have it with some regularity, but many others have it only occasionally.
You go back because the timing is different or better. You may have better water flow, creating better waterfalls that give images a completely different look, one well worth the effort of a revisit. The seasons of the year provide a very different look to many locations. Spring brings bright green foliage and (usually) good water flow. Summer brings darker foliage and warmer weather (required for the snow to melt enough to access some areas). Late summer and fall brings amazing color to the trees in many areas. Winter brings snow, completely redecorating the landscape.
The timing of the visit also dictates the position of the celestial bodies. Go back when the sun, moon and/or stars (the milky way) are better aligned. Perhaps the sun shines between two mountain peaks at a certain time of the year. Perhaps you want to go back when the milky way is best aligned over a scene. The same applies to the moon with a specific desired phase and position.
Perhaps the scene has indeed changed and is no longer physically the same. While there are not usually macro changes occurring to landscape without a significant environmental disaster (such as a tornado, hurricane, fire, etc.), micro changes frequently happen. Trees fall, erosion occurs, sediment moves in streams during strong flows and fields have a different crop in rotation. If the scene is significantly altered, new images will be more current than those taken before the alteration. Before and after photos may be valued in this case.
Sometimes, you go back just because things can happen. Wildlife showing up can add a prize-winning element to any image.
If you are considering going back, the location is probably amazing and somewhere you love to be. That alone is a great reason to go back as just being there is awesome. There is no reason why the same location cannot be enjoyed time and time again. If you like the location that much, perhaps you want to share it with a friend or friends.
You go back because the location is a known entity. You know that it is repeatedly good for a quality image – an image worth sharing is sure to come out of the effort.
You go back for practice. If the location is relatively close to home, visiting the location to practice skills and technique prior to a big photo trip is a great idea. Unlike riding a bike, more like distance running, photography requires practice to stay in top shape. It also affords the opportunity to test the camera gear that will accompany you on the trip.
Again, a primary reason to go back is that something might be different this time and the reason that different is desirable is for, minimally, variation and, ideally, for bettering. Photographers are constantly striving to better what we have already done, to raise the bar, to take another step forward in our passion/profession.
The previous time I visited Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park, was convenient, but not so well-timed for photography. It was mid-summer (not bad in itself). The sun was high and the leaves were green. The sky was forest fire-hazy. While my cameras and lenses were the best-available at the time, they were not as good as those I'm using today. I was happy with my results at the time, but they do not hold nearly as much value to me from a photographical perspective now.
Recently, I was blessed with a revisit to this very photogenic location. And, the results from my revisit were much higher grade in many accounts. Though I'm missing the moose that was in my first set of images (it was so small in the frame that I didn't know it was even there until reviewing the images back at home), but my late summer (photographer's fall in this location), early morning timing for the second visit to Oxbow Bend combined with my now-current camera gear and 9-year-upgraded skillset turned in much better results this time around. I'm sharing one of my favorites with you today.
A larger version of this image is available on SmugMug, Flickr, Google+, Facebook and 500px. If reading from a news feed reader, click through to see the framed image.
Image quality, vignetting, flare and distortion test results along with specs and measurements have been added to the Nikon 105mm f/1.4E ED AF-S Lens page.
Nice Lens.
B&H has the Nikon 105mm f/1.4E ED AF-S Lens in stock.
Nikon has posted their second quarter financial results for the financial year ending March 2017. As we've already mentioned, Nikon will be restructuring their semiconductor and digital camera businesses and intends on cutting 1,000 jobs in the process.
Yesterday we published a quote from the Nikkei Asian Review which stated that Nikon planned to cut 1,000 jobs from its shrinking semiconductor and digital camera businesses, choosing instead to focus on growing markets. Other articles I found seemed to support Nikon's financial troubles.
However, Nikon later published a press release which seemed to discredit the Nikkei Asian Review story (thanks AKH). Here's the full text of that release:
November 8, 2016 – There were media reports such as in The Nikkei this morning regarding Nikon's restructuring plan centering on headcount reduction during several years. Nikon has made no announcement in this regards.If that's where the story had ended, we would all simply assume that The Nikkei Asian Review had been incorrect because of a grievous miscommunication. But in a bewildering move, Nikon then published a Notice of Restructuring (thanks Alaska) which confirmed the cutting of 1,000 jobs. Here's the relevant quote from that notice:Although Nikon is constantly studying various management options including headcount rationalization for strengthening company’s profitability mainly of Semiconductor Lithography and Imaging Products Businesses, nothing has been decided at this time.
Should any facts pertaining to this matter are decided, Nikon will immediately make an announcement.
November 8, 2016With contradictory official documents being published within hours on the very same day, we are left scratching our heads. What is going on with Nikon's public relations and communications divisions?
...
Based on the above initiatives to rationalize headcount, Nikon will be announcing a voluntary retirement program of approximately 1,000 employees. Eligible applicants and detailed conditions will be announced once officially finalized.
You have 20 minutes to capture a complete set of homecoming pictures. And, there is a complication. Actually, three of them. A palomino horse, a blue roan (black) horse and a dog are to be included in most of the photos. And, one of the horses "needs" to be bridal-less for a segment of the shoot.
It was a crazy day (I know, that is not unusual), but high on one daughter's priority list was getting pictures of herself dressed up for homecoming. Having been through this scenario before, I knew what to expect. Primarily, there would be no time remaining for those pictures. I also knew about the desire to include the animals, but the specifics had not yet been communicated to me (even though I had asked).
Oh, I forgot to mention – it was lightly raining and with horses involved, the shoot was of course outdoors. Looking on the bright side, the heavy cloud cover made lighting easy with no harsh shadows and a reasonable level of dynamic range in the scene which included a black dress along with the black horse. Also positive is that with animals in the picture, the subject always seems to find it easier to smile naturally.
None of the subjects remained completely still at any point, meaning that my timing, framing, focus distance, etc. was always being challenged. In the end, I "borrowed" 10 minutes from the next-scheduled homecoming event and came away with an adequate number of keeper-grade photos. And, I thought that I would share one of them with you today.
For low light outdoor portraits with a variety of subject framing required, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens was my choice. It was a rather easy choice for me to make. It has only good portrait focal lengths in it and a nice range of them. The wide max aperture was ready for the low light levels and that this wide aperture was available over the entire focal length range, meant that I could lock in an exposure and, as long as the light levels did not change, all images would have identical brightness. While a right-on exposure was my intent, any adjustments needed could be globally applied for very fast post processing. The wide aperture combined with the telephoto focal length range created a nice background blur, making the subjects stand out in the scene. Being weather sealed made the light rain a non-issue. The Canon EOS 5Ds R behind this lens allowed me to shoot with framing slightly loose if I needed to, with cropped images still having very high resolution remaining.
As the animals were not overly cooperative, I tried to work with the positions that were available at any given time. Of course, the handler's position was partially dictated by the animal's position and ... there was a constant challenge to keep the subjects in attractive and complementary positions while keeping the background aligned in a pleasing manner. We didn't quite get the left hand position right, but all things considered, it was good enough.
Notice the low-to-the-ground camera position? There had been a long drought and the grass was thin with lots of brown spots showing. By shooting from low to the ground, the grass appeared thicker with a better-colored foreground being the result. As I was shooting downhill slightly, the low camera position was also complementary to the subjects.
After we finished, Brittany's hair was flat (due to the light rain), over two inches of her heels were covered in mud (shoes sunk into the grass) and the dress was dirty (the horse gets the blame for this one), but ... she made it to the big event and the photos I sent her later that evening made her day. So, all was good in the end.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr, Google+, Facebook and 500px. If reading from a news feed reader, click through to see the framed image.
From Nikon:
Changes from “C” Firmware Version 1.10 to 1.11
Download: Nikon D500 Firmware v.1.11
B&H carries the Nikon D500.
From Nikkei Asian Review:
TOKYO -- Nikon plans to eliminate about 1,000 jobs in Japan, or 10% of its domestic workforce, as the company shifts resources away from once core businesses to medical devices and other growth areas.Read the entire article on the Nikkei Asian Review.The cuts over the next two to three years will mostly affect Nikon's money-losing semiconductor equipment operations and its shrinking digital camera business.
Nikon likely will offer early retirement to workers at facilities including its Kumagaya plant in Saitama Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, which makes semiconductor lithography systems. Severance payments and other restructuring costs are expected to total hundreds of millions of dollars over two to three years.
Nikon is seen missing its forecast of a 64% jump in net profit to 30 billion yen ($287 million) for the fiscal year ending in March. Its net profit has fallen from a peak of 75.4 billion yen in fiscal 2007 to 18.2 billion yen last year.
Other Resources
via Nikon Rumors
Image quality results from the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III have been added to the Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Lens Review.
Here is the Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G1 vs. G2 Lens image quality comparison. I'll get you started at 600mm.
B&H has the Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Lens in stock.
From the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom YouTube Channel:
Lightroom tips and tricks in 60 seconds or less from longtime Lightroom team member Benjamin Warde.
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.
The Sigma 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2 Cine lenses, designed for the exacting standards of 6K and 8K cinematographers, are scheduled for availability next month. The lenses will be produced in EF, E and PL mounts, but only the EF and E mounts will be available initially.
Unfortunately, pricing information has yet to be released.
Originally announced and available to iOS users on October 5, 2015, Adobe's Android version of Photoshop Fix has finally been released.
Here's a quick rundown of the app:
Image Retouching & Restoration
Adobe Photoshop Fix enables powerful, yet easy image retouching and restoration on your Android phone. Heal, smooth, liquify, lighten and make other edits and adjustments that give you the precise look you’re after. Access edited photos within other Adobe mobile and desktop apps by signing in to Adobe Creative Cloud to further refine them or use them in other creative projects – it’s all powered by Adobe CreativeSync.
Photoshop Fix Features
You can download Photoshop Fix for Android from the Google Play store. The iOS version can be downloaded from the iTunes App store.
There are few churches with a view comparable to that from The Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park. I'm thinking that this view would be a strong distraction from the sermon.
The next time you visit Grand Teton National Park, make sure that The Chapel of the Transfiguration is on your to-photograph list. It is as attractive outside as it is inside. Morning is the best time of the day to photograph at this location as the tall mountains go dark when the sun sets behind them. A visit timed for the right week (late September) results in brilliantly colored aspen trees for the mid-ground layer of interest (though the aspens are only barely visible in this image).
Obviously, I went inside to capture this photo. My goal was to see the mountains through the window while capturing most of the interior of this little log-constructed church. My preference was to see the mountain peaks in the window and this meant a low shooting position at the back of the sanctuary was required. That position seemed to work well for the rest of the scene, so I went with it.
Though a steady stream of people were coming through the little church, there were enough breaks that patiently waiting was all that was needed to capture a wide range of exposures. Because the dynamic range was extreme, the wide range of exposures were required. I later used a manual HDR technique to composite several of those images into a balanced final result.
The Canon EOS 5Ds R and EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens were the perfect combination for this photo.
A larger version of this image is available on SmugMug, Flickr, Google+, Facebook and 500px. If reading from a news feed reader, click through to see the framed image.
From the Canon Digital Learning Center:
Keeping yourself constantly inspired as a visual artist is essential to building a portfolio and to creating better, stronger, more interesting work. However, artistic inspiration doesn't always exactly fall from the sky.Read the entire article on the Canon Digital Learning Center.Taking on a daily, weekly, or monthly project can really help to enhance creativity and add excitement to your photography.
Try this 30-day photo challenge with yourself or with friends. Maybe you belong to a camera club, an online photographic community, or a friend group with several other photographers. You can use this challenge as a tool to learn from one another by sharing your work for gentle critique and you’ll see how even with the same photographic subject, each person has a unique perspective.
This 30-day photo challenge is a perfect way to expand your photographic style, enhance creativity, and inspire. Play! Experiment! Follow the rules, break the rules, relax, and most importantly have fun!!