Canon and Sony News for Jul 2016 (Page 6)

I mentioned a couple of lens' TDP rank recently and by request, I'm sharing the full list. Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that can influence a lens' popularity (including search engine referrals) and popularity can be measured in a variety of ways. But, here is a rough look at the popularity of Canon's current (on retailer shelves) lenses:

1. Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens
2. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens
3. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
4. Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
5. Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens
6. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens
7. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
8. Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens
9. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Lens
10. Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens
11. Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens
12. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens
13. Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens
14. Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens
15. Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
16. Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
17. Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens
18. Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens
19. Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens
20. Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
21. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens
22. Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens
23. Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens
24. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM Lens
25. Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
26. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM Lens
27. Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens
28. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens
29. Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
30. Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM Lens
31. Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM Lens
32. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
33. Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens
34. Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM Lens
35. Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens
36. Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM Lens
37. Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
38. Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens
39. Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens
40. Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Lens
41. Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens
42. Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
43. Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens
44. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Lens
45. Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
46. Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
47. Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens
48. Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
49. Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens
50. Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
51. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens
52. Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Lens
53. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM Lens
54. Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM Lens
55. Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens
56. Canon MP-E 65mm Macro Lens
57. Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM Fisheye Lens
58. Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Lens
59. Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
60. Canon EF 2x III Extender
61. Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens
62. Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
63. Canon EF 1.4x III Extender
64. Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens
65. Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
66. Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens
67. Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Lens
68. Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
69. Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens
70. Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens
71. Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II Tilt-Shift Lens
72. Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L Tilt-Shift Lens
73. Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens
74. Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II Lens
75. Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM Lens
76. Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Lens
77. Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift Lens

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

Canon “Explorer of Light “ Chas Glatzer will share the thought process behind the making of an image, and the techniques used to produce consistently successful images in the field. Learn how to see and understand light, its quality, physical properties, etc., and how they relate to your subject and capture medium will allow you to take control of your imagery.

Link to Full Version: https://youtu.be/TT9IAusMs_c

From National Geographic:

National Geographic’s top editors explain how to keep photography honest in the era of Photoshop—and why they’ll never move the pyramids again.

In the digital age, when it’s easy to manipulate a photo, it’s harder than ever to ensure that the images we publish, whether on paper or on a screen, reflect the reality of what a photographer saw through his or her viewfinder. At National Geographic, where visual storytelling is part of our DNA, making sure you see real images is just as important as making sure you read true words.

I’ll explain how we strive to keep covertly manipulated images out of our publications—but first an admission about a time when we didn’t. Longtime readers may remember.

From the Phlearn YouTube Channel:

Scale Pattern into Place
Start by scaling and rotating the pattern into place. In this example, we also invert the pattern to change colors by pressing CTRL/CMD + I. Make sure to make the pattern a bit larger than the piece of clothing so it can be warped into place.

Use the Pen Tool to Cut Out Clothing
It is important to have an accurate cut out of the clothing, so the pattern looks seamless. In this example, we use the Pen Tool to cut out the original shirt. Create a pen path around the clothing by clicking and dragging to create curves.

After completing the pen path, right-click and turn it into a selection and feather the edge by 0.5 pixels. Next, load the selection as a layer mask for the pattern, making it only visible where the original piece of clothing is.

Liquify the Pattern to Fit the Clothing
To make the pattern look like it flows with the fabric, it must be warped into place. Use the liquify tool to bring in the edges of the pattern, making it look like the pattern wraps around the piece of clothing.

To re-create folds of fabric, use the freeze mask tool to paint over one-half of the fold. Then use the forward warp tool to push the pattern under the freeze mask. If done correctly, it will look like the original pattern curves around the folds of fabric.

Add Highlights and Shadows from Original Photo
The last step is to blend the pattern into the original image. In this example, we change the blend mode to ‘Multiply’ and lower the opacity to 90%.

Next, add shadows and highlights from the original piece of clothing. Duplicate the background layer and place it on top of the fabric layer. Right-click on the layer and select “create clipping mask”, then change the blend mode to ‘Multiply’.

To add highlights, duplicate the background layer and clip it to the fabric, just like the previous layer. This time set the blend mode to ‘Screen’. If needed, adjust the brightness of this layer by using a Levels adjustment - CTRL/CMD + L. Drag the black point slider to the right until the layer only appears over the highlights.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

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.

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

During this video Bob Davis goes through the evolution of light using Speedlites, direct flash, bounce flash, multiple wireless remote flashes, and creating studio quality light anywhere, anytime.

Full Version: http://bit.ly/WhatTheFlashFull

In late February of this year, SanDisk proclaimed they had the "World's Fastest Transfer Speed" in their newly announced Extreme Pro 128GB microSD memory card. It now seems the transfer technology has migrated up the card capacity ladder.

From WD/SanDisk:

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS SHANGHAI, China – June 29, 2016 – Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), a global storage technology and solutions leader, today introduced a new suite of 256 gigabyte (GB) microSD cards, which includes the new 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card – the fastest microSD card in its class. The new suite of cards also includes 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, the first 256GB card optimized for mainstream consumers. The new additions deliver leading speed and capacity in a fingernail-sized card, giving smartphone, drone and action camera users the performance and capacity they need to capture professional-grade videos and photos without worrying about running out of space on their device.

“Our microSD cards are now at the center of many consumer devices, and we’re excited to not only raise the bar with the launch of the world’s fastest microSD card, but to also offer a family of 256GB microSD cards that give consumers the flexibility they need to capture life at its fullest,” said Dinesh Bahal, vice president of SanDisk product marketing, Western Digital. “As a leading global storage provider with one of the most trusted flash brands, we take pride in transforming the way consumers capture, store and share their content.”

Whether taking pictures, shooting 4K UHD or Full HD video, or storing high-fidelity music, the new 256GB cards give consumers the freedom to capture and carry a massive amount of content on their devices without concern about storage limitations.

“At DJI we focus on creating easy-to-use drone technology for consumers to capture everyday exploration and photography, and our customers need quick and reliable access to their high quality aerial footage,” said Eli Morgan Harris, strategic partnerships, DJI. “With the new 256GB SanDisk microSD UHS-I cards, they now have greater flexibility to capture their content on high-performance storage and the peace of mind knowing they can continue shooting when it matters most.”

The Ultimate Combination of Capacity and Performance

The 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card delivers unmatched transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s**, allowing users to save time transferring large files, as well as write speeds of up to 90MB/s** for rapid capture of photos. Users can record an estimated 14 hours of 4K UHD video1 on the 256GB card, making it ideal for high-performance drones, action cameras, and 4K-capable smartphones, among other devices.

The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, is ideal for Android-based smartphone and tablet users who don’t want to worry about running out of space on their devices. The new card is capable of storing more than 24 hours of Full HD video1, and also features premium transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s**. At this speed people can move files quickly – up to 1,200 photos in just one minute2.

Built to perform in harsh conditions, the new cards3 are also waterproof, temperature-proof, shock proof, and X-ray proof. Additionally, the SanDisk microSD card line up is compatible with the SanDisk Memory Zone app for Android, giving users an easy way to manage and back up content on their device. The app is available for free through the Google Play Store4.

Heritage of Memory Card Innovation

The new suite of cards is the latest breakthrough offering to join the cutting-edge SanDisk portfolio of mobile memory solutions. The first to introduce 128GB and 200GB microSDXC, and 512GB SDXC high-capacity cards, SanDisk continues to pioneer technology that keeps up with consumers’ evolving storage needs.

Pricing and Availability

The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, will be available worldwide in August 2016 with a U.S. MSRP of $149.99. The 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card will be available worldwide in calendar Q4 2016 with a U.S. MSRP of $199.99.

The complete line of SanDisk microSD cards can be purchased at more than 300,000 retailers worldwide.

B&H carries SanDisk microSD memory cards.

by Sean Setters

Back in late 2014 I purchased a Vello FreeWave Stryker from B&H (via a Daily Deal) with the intent of exploring lightning photography. After only a few times using the device, I fell in love with the endeavor. However, while the device worked well for me in very dark conditions, the device could not be correctly set to trigger the camera if the ambient light was above a certain [very low] level.

That left me wondering, "Is there a more flexible lightning triggering device that's also reasonably cost effective?"

In this case, patience paid off. In February B&H featured the Miops Camera Trigger in another Daily Deal; I decided to pick one up. Not long afterwards I also purchased the OP/TECH USA 8" Small Rain Sleeve to protect my camera during the anticipated downpours.

With storm season well underway, I can say I've been very impressed with the device. It can be set to detect lightning and trigger the camera in significantly brighter conditions compared to the Vello FreeWave. And the OP/TECH USA rain sleeve has proven to the perfect tool for protecting the camera. I even used it when photographing dirt track racing with Bryan a few weeks ago.

Miops camera trigger and camera protection in-hand, I began planning where I wanted to capture lightning. After a little bit of exploration, I settled on a view of River Street as seen from the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center just across the Savannah River. The location was optimal because it gave me a great view of downtown Savannah with City Hall (the gold domed building) being recognizable in the center of the frame. The convention center's awning also provided a decent amount of rain protection, though gusts of wind would still compromise gear if left uncovered/unprotected.

With the location decided upon, I needed to organize the right gear to tackle the job. And just in case I forgot to check the weather for a given day, I also installed Dark Sky - Hyperlocal Weather on my Android phone in order to receive alerts whenever precipitation was imminent. I also created a bookmark for LightningMaps.org which showed lightning activity around Savannah. After receiving a notice of precipitation, I would quickly check the map to see if lightning was also headed my way.

I keep a Go-Bag packed and ready for immediate use whenever storms are in the forecast. This allows me to bolt (pun intended) out the door at a moment's notice.

While the lenses have changed slightly in my Go-Bag over the last couple of months, most of the items remained constant. For the image above, my Go-Bag contained:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark III
• Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
• Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 Tilt-Shift (predecessor to version II)
• Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
• Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC
• Miops Camera Trigger
• Canon Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3
• OP/TECH USA 8" Small Rain Sleeve (Pack of 2)
• Microfiber cleaning cloths

Every time I received a Dark Sky precipitation warning and confirmed lightning was headed toward Savannah, I would grab my gear, head downtown, drive across the Talmadge Memorial Bridge and make my way to the convention center. It took me four attempts, but this past Tuesday I was finally able to capture the lightning I had envisioned.

As I crossed the Talmadge Bridge Tuesday evening, I could see a significant amount of storm activity to the west. The storm was getting very close. As I was setting up my equipment, a light sprinkle of rain began to wet the ground. Soon after, it looked like a strobe light was illuminating the sky. Most of the lightning was occurring above the clouds, but every now and then one would connect with the ground within my camera's field of view.

I chose to use the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM because its hood would be more protective against the rain compared to the EF 17-40mm f/4L IS USM's hood. I used 10x Live View and manual focus with the camera set to f/5.6, 8 seconds at ISO 100. The f/5.6 aperture was chosen because it allowed me enough depth of field at 24mm to have most everything in focus while also keeping individual lightning bolts from overexposing the sky. An 8-second shutter speed allowed for the city lights to be decently exposed. While these settings worked well under individual strikes, multiple strikes within the 8-second shutter speed would cause overexposure in the sky especially if the bolts were large and nearby.

I varied the Miops Trigger's sensitivity throughout the evening so that I could limit the camera's captures to instances when they were more likely to capture a compelling lightning strike. With the sensitivity set too high, the camera would trigger at the reflection of lightning bouncing off of the clouds with no actual bolt within view. Finding the preferred setting proved very easy, though.

The final image above is a composite of several images taken that night. In post processing, I layered all the individual images that featured interesting lightning bolts and set them to a "Lighten" blending layer to allow the brighter parts of those images to come through. A few parts of the scene required masking so as not to have duplicate ghost items in the image (especially true around the flag poles where wind blew the flags occasionally).

I wish more lightning had occurred on the right side of the frame so that the image would appear more balanced, but... I didn't like any of my shots with lightning on the right side.

In short, I captured an image that was very close to what I had in my head and the Miops Trigger helped me do it. The Miops Camera Trigger allows for many other types of triggering, including sound and laser triggering (which certainly increases its value). Personally, I wouldn't bother getting the mobile-branded kit as you can just as easily control the Miops trigger (connected to the camera) via your mobile phone rather than control your phone (connected to the camera, requiring an additional cable) via the Miops trigger. The only time the mobile kit would be beneficial is if you need the Miops device to be positioned well away from the camera for triggering purposes.

Amazon Prime Day is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, and is promised to be the "Biggest Global Amazon Event Ever." In addition to the deals occurring on July 12, Amazon will also be offering several prime-exclusive deals for the entire week leading up to Prime Day (July 5 - 11).

While the deals last year were a little lackluster (in my opinion), there are many other Prime benefits that make being a member worthwhile.

Prime Benefits Include

• FREE Two-Day Shipping
• FREE Same-Day Delivery (in eligible zip codes)
• Prime Video
• Prime Music
• Prime Photos
• Prime Pantry
• Amazon Elements
• Amazon Dash for Prime
• Prime Early Access to Lightning Deals
• Kindle Owners' Lending Library
• Kindle First
• Video Add-On Subscriptions
• Deals and Discounts, Compliments of Amazon Family
• Prime Exclusive Savings in Video Games
• Prime Now
• Restaurant Delivery
• Membership Sharing

You can read more details about the benefits here.

Of all the benefits, I enjoy free two-day shipping and Prime Video most. FYI: The last season of Downton Abbey is now free on Prime Video. Yay!

And who knows? Amazon might surprise us with some good photography equipment deals this year. We'll just have to wait and see...