Canon and Sony News for Sep 2014 (Page 7)
From the Profoto YouTube Channel:
On August 27, Profoto and photographer Jared Platt did a live webinar on how to create a complex lighting setup indoors.
Products Used
From Canon:
Free Canon firmware upgrades for Cinema EOS System cameras deliver improved basic performance, including support for ITU-R BT.2020 color space
Tokyo, September 4, 2014 - Canon Inc. and Canon Marketing Japan Inc. announced today in Japan that the company will make available in November 2014 free firmware upgrades for four Cinema EOS System cameras, as well as Cinema RAW Development 1.3, an updated version of Canon’s Cinema RAW Development software, for the EOS C500 and EOS C500 PL digital cinema cameras.
Canon’s Cinema EOS System lineup of digital cinematography cameras and lenses has earned the praises of a wide range of professionals working in Hollywood and elsewhere within the motion picture production industry. The new firmware upgrades, which will deliver enhanced basic performance to effectively respond to the advanced needs of various users, are being offered for the EOS C500, EOS C500 PL, EOS C300 and EOS C300 PL cameras while the updated development software for 4K Cinema RAW footage targets the EOS C500 and EOS C500 PL models.©
Support for ITU-R BT.2020 next-generation broadcast standard color space (For EOS C500 and EOS C500 PL)
Offering compliance with the ITU-R BT.2020 color space employed in the 4K TV broadcasting tests carried out earlier this year in Japan, the firmware upgrade for the EOS C500 and EOS C500 PL facilitates the capture of high-resolution video supporting the color space employed in the next-generation broadcast standard. When used in combination2 with Canon’s DP-V3010 professional-use 4K display (released in January 2014), the system effectively responds to input and output needs within the realms of next-generation motion-picture production and broadcasting.
Enhanced Cinema RAW Development functionality (For EOS C500 and EOS C500 PL)
The upgraded Cinema RAW Development software features the addition of 3D-LUT for converting from Cinema Gamut/DCI-P3+ to such highly versatile color space standards as ITU-R BT.709 and DCI-P3, enabling efficient video editing while maintaining low-chroma color reproduction and high-chroma color gradation. Additionally, support for EDLs (edit decision lists)3 enables only necessary time code-designated segments to be converted to the DPX and ProRes formats suitable for editing, effectively doing away with the need to process unnecessary files. Also, when using a PC equipped with Intel Iris Pro graphics, Cinema RAW Development 1.3 makes possible faster development of 4K Cinema RAW data.4
Improved operability when setting color temperature of white balance (For EOS C500, EOS C500 PL, EOS C300 and EOS C300 PL)
The new firmware upgrades contribute to improved operability by allowing users to easily set color temperature values using the camera’s FUNC button.
Canon plans to exhibit products supporting the ITU-R BT.2020 color space at the company’s booth during the IBC2014 broadcast technology tradeshow, to be held in the Netherlands from September 12 to 16.
B&H carries Canon Cinema Cameras.
From Western Digital:
My Passport Wireless External Hard Drive Expands Storage for all Devices With No Need for Wires or Internet
RVINE, Calif. – Sept. 3, 2014 – WD, a Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) company and a world leader in connected storage solutions, today unveiled My Passport Wireless, an easy to use Wi-Fi enabled storage drive that allows consumers to save, access and share stored content wirelessly with any smartphone, tablet, computer or other device. For the frequent business traveler to the family on a road trip or creative professional working in the field, the My Passport Wireless drive is a simple way to connect all computing and mobile devices to content without any wires or Internet connection. Additionally, when users need to transfer large amounts of data, the My Passport Wireless drive provides the option of using a high speed USB 3.0 connection.
"As we celebrate its 10th anniversary, the success of WD's My Passport line of portable hard drives is unprecedented," explains Jim Welsh, executive vice president, WD Content Solutions Business and worldwide sales. "Our new My Passport Wireless drive continues the evolution, resolving a common problem for today's mobile consumer; too many devices with limited storage and no way to offload their content and free up space on-the-go. Now, consumers will have one drive to easily store content from all their devices and enjoy that content anywhere they go."
The My Passport Wireless drive broadcasts its own wireless network that allows up to eight devices to connect at the same time and access any content stored on the drive. Available in 500GB, 1TB or 2TB models, users now have the ability to store and access up to hundreds of hours of movies and music, as well photos and other digital files, from their smartphones and tablets that are typically limited by minimal storage capacity.
The portable wireless drive features Wireless N with MIMO technology for enhanced wireless performance so that users can access and transfer files quickly, as well as stream up to four HD videos simultaneously. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to six hours of continuous streaming and up to 20 hours of standby power making the drive a perfect travel companion.
With the My Passport Wireless drive users have anywhere, anytime access to their favorite digital content by using WD's award winning WD My Cloud mobile app for iOS or Android mobile devices. The WD My Cloud mobile app easily connects to a My Passport Wireless drive for simple product setup, and once setup the mobile app provides intuitive navigation, sharing and playback of the drive's content. The WD My Cloud app also helps unify all of a users' content under a single app and user interface, by allowing access to content on the My Passport Wireless drive, the WD My Cloud family of personal cloud storage, and on major public cloud services such as Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive from just one app.
In additional to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, the portable wireless storage drive is an ideal companion for cameras with its integrated SD card slot. Whether shooting large commercial photography and video production or just taking photos and videos of the family while on vacation, the My Passport Wireless drive will never let you miss a moment because your memory cards are full. The built-in SD card slot lets users copy their content from the SD card to the My Passport Wireless drive to make room for more memorable moments. Additionally, with integrated FTP, the drive connects to compatible wireless cameras so that users can automatically transfer photos from their cameras to the drive as they are taking them.
Price and Availability
The My Passport Wireless drive is currently available for advance order online at the wdstore.com and will be available at select U.S. retailers later in September. MSRP is $129.99 USD for 500GB, $179.99 USD for 1 TB and $219.99 for 2 TB. The WD My Cloud mobile app currently is available for download for free from the App Store and Google Play.
B&H has the WD My Passport Wireless External Hard Drives available for preorder.
From Photoshelter:
In follow up to our recent guide, Breaking into Fashion Photography, we're delighted to partner up with BREED once again for our next webinar with esteemed fashion photographer Melissa Rodwell, and a newcomer to the scene, the talented Dana Pennington. Tune in as they dish out advice for veterans and those looking to break into the fashion photo industry alike.
In this webinar you’ll learn about:
- Marketing tactics fashion photogs can take to attract the attention of photo editors
- The social media platforms that are worth your time
- Whether you should still have a printed portfolio
- What job opportunities exist outside of major fashion publications
- The best way to approach modeling agencies for test shoots
- And much more!
BREED will also be giving away a special free 1-year subscription to their premium content to a lucky listener, as well as a special offer to those who tune into the webinar.
From the Adobe Photoshop YouTube Channel:
Photoshop Principal Product Manager Bryan O'Neil Hughes explains the different file formats in Photoshop and when to save your image as what.
Keep in mind, the Adobe Photoshop Photography Suite (Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5) is only $9.99 per month. For photographers, it's $10.00 well spent. [Sean]
We asked Canon USA what precipitated the recent lens price drops. In response, we were provided the following information:
"Thank you for helping us achieve our production of 100 million EF lenses worldwide*! In recognition of your continued support and the creativity you bring to the captured image, we are offering some of our best EF lenses at new prices. Long Live Imagination."While Canon states that the price drops are in celebration of 100 million EF lenses, we suspect that the increasing US dollar to Yen exchange rate may have been a contributing factor to making lower prices possible from a business perspective. One USD increased in value from 96.59 Yen in Oct 2013 to roughly 105 Yen today. [Sean]* Refers to EF Lenses, EF-S Lenses and Cinema Lenses produced worldwide from 1987 to First Half of 2014.
Check out yesterday's post for full details on the price drops.
Seeing a mother black bear with 4 cubs is a rare opportunity. To get a photo opportunity of the same is even rarer, and to get a decent photo of the same is ... priceless.
The cubs were very fun to watch. They were in non-stop motion, running around, climbing on things (including mom) and playing with each other (rolling over each other). This activity level meant that things happened fast. Getting all four cubs in a single frame was very challenging (an image with less-than-four cubs would be far less remarkable) and a decent composition of the same was nearly impossible. Having the 200-560mm (with built-in extender) zoom focal length range was extremely helpful in this situation.
In this specific scenario (my only 4-cub image worth posting from this encounter), I decided to center the primary subject – the apparently-not-happy momma bear. I generally like to compose animals (and people) with more space on one side frame – so that they are looking into the frame. But, the large bear was positioned straight forward and looking (more like glaring) in the same direction with cubs on either side adding balance. I moved the camera just slightly to the right of perfectly centering the large bear to give the cub on the right a little more room to look into the frame because it was a "stand"-out.
Selecting the ideal aperture was another challenge for this encounter. At f/4, I needed and an ISO setting of 800 to get a barely-adequate-for-the-activity 1/320 shutter speed. At 300mm, at this distance, the under-1' (.3m) depth of field provided by f/4 does not keep more than the primary bear's eyes in focus. Using a narrower aperture of course provides more depth of field, but it also requires raising the ISO setting.
Raising the ISO to 1600 would have been acceptable to me, but ... I didn't want to go to ISO 3200 and the resulting f/8 aperture would have provided a still-not-nearly-deep-enough DOF of about 1.5' (.5m). Yes, the cubs would be less out of focus with the narrower apertures, but the background would also be more-focused, creating less separation from the big bear. As is often the case, there were multiple setting combinations that would have worked for this example and a compromise was required. I'd probably make the same decision the next time.
ISO 800
5760 x 3840px
From Canon:
TOKYO, September 2, 2014—Canon Inc. commemorated today the 80th anniversary of the birth of Japan’s first 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera, dubbed the Kwanon, which was produced in prototype form in 1934.
The engineers who created the camera decided to name it after Kwannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, hoping the deity would share her benevolence as they pursued their dream to produce the world’s finest camera. The camera’s lens, called Kasyapa—after Mahakasyapa, a disciple of Buddha—also took its name from Buddhism. Additionally, the top portion of the camera body featured an engraving depicting the thousand-armed Kwannon.
In 1936, two years after the birth of the Kwanon and following much trial and error, Canon launched the Hansa Canon,* its first commercial 35mm focal-plane-shutter camera, thus embarking on the Company’s history as a camera manufacturer.
In 1959, Canon introduced its first single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, the Canonflex, followed in 1961 by the Canonet, an immensely popular rangefinder camera that took the market by storm, selling out an entire week’s worth of inventory in a mere two hours. Following these successes, the Company continued to lead the industry with a range of popular camera models, such as the F-1, a top-of-the-line 35mm SLR camera introduced in 1971, and the AE-1, introduced in 1976, which was the world’s first SLR camera equipped with a built-in microcomputer.
In 1987, following continued technological innovation, Canon launched EOS, the world’s first AF (autofocus) SLR camera to employ a fully electronic mount system. In 1995, EOS marked its entry into the digital era and the lineup continues evolving today. In 2012, the Company released the Cinema EOS System, a lineup of professional digital cinematography cameras and lenses realized through the culmination of various technological innovations centered on optical technologies developed since the Company’s founding. Since its introduction, the Cinema EOS System has contributed to expanding the horizons of visual expression.
Over the 80 years since the birth of the Kwanon camera prototype, Canon, supported by its wide user base, has continuously striven to realize camera and lens technologies to fulfill the Company’s never-ending ambition to create the world’s finest cameras. Leveraging the technologies and know-how it has acquired over its history, Canon will continue contributing to the development of the photographic and video imaging culture through its technologies and products designed to satisfy the expectations of a wide range of users.
* Made possible through the cooperation of Nippon Kogaku K.K. (present day Nikon Corporation). “Hansa” was the trademark of Omiya Photo Supply, a wholesaler of cameras and photo products. In accordance with a contractual obligation, it was engraved on the top of the camera.
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