Canon and Sony News for May 2019

 Friday, May 31, 2019

The Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens has a rattle?

A couple of months ago, I helped a friend source a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens. Oddly, a day or two later he found that his order had been canceled. Another day later, the retailer contacted him with an explaination for canceling his order. While packing the lens for shipping, they heard a rattle inside the box, determined that the lens was damaged, and instead of risking a damaged lens being sent to a customer, they returned the lens to Canon.

After a brief conversation with my contacts at Canon USA, it was expected that the image stabilization unit not being parked was the source of the rattle sound. It was not thought that the unparked state was a damage risk to the lens and it was thought that mounting the lens on a camera would resolve the problem.

I just took delivery of a new 600mm f/4L IS III lens and upon removing the lens from the packaging, an obvious rattle could be heard. It sounded like this:

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens Rattle Sound

After the lens was mounted to a camera, the power cycled (parking the IS unit), and the lens removed, the sound was dramatically diminished.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens with Less Rattle Sound

So, the expected cause of the rattle proved to be correct and you probably need not worry about the rattle your new super telephoto lens makes.

The hard-to-get Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens is available for order at B&H ("More on the Way" — coming soon) (save the tax, use the B&H Payboo card), on backorder at Adorama, "Temporarily out of stock" at Amazon, and available for preorder at WEX.

Lensrentals has the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens available for rental.

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Posted to: Canon News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 5/31/2019 7:51:15 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

From Canon USA:

Hands-on Demonstrations of Canon’s Latest Digital Imaging Products Including the EOS C700 FF, EOS C200 and EOS R

MELVILLE, NY, May 30, 2019 – At the 2019 Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, will showcase its latest cinema offerings in Booth #12. Visitors to the Canon booth will have the opportunity to experience the recently announced Sumire Prime Lenses, Canon’s first PL-Mount cinema prime lenses. Additional cinema solutions in the booth will include the EOS C700 FF and EOS C200 cinema cameras, CINE-SERVO lenses and 4K Reference Displays. Also on display in the booth will be Canon’s groundbreaking EOS R series of full-frame mirrorless cameras and complementary RF series of lenses.

“Each year, Cine Gear Expo provides Canon with a unique opportunity to interact with one of our most vital customer bases – working cinema professionals, right in their backyard of Hollywood,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Similar to past Cine Gear shows, we are not only excited to showcase our latest products, but also to listen and engage with this audience in order to best serve them not just today, but in the future.”

In addition to showcasing professional products and service offerings, Canon will host a series of educational seminars and panel discussions. On Friday, May 31st from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. in Screening Room 5, Canon Senior Trainer Charles Zablan will provide attendees with a technical overview and in-depth, hands-on opportunities with the Sumire Prime Cinema Lensesi. Canon will also host two panels during the expo as follows:

Friday, May 31st

Opening Up About Canon’s New Sumire Prime Lenses

Paramount Theater

5:30-6:30 p.m.

Announced earlier this year, Canon’s new Sumire Prime lenses are full frame, PL-mount cinema lenses that offer a unique, artistically pleasing look with gentle and beautiful skin tones and smooth bokeh. In this panel discussion, cinematographers discuss their first impressions after their recent experiences shooting with the lenses.

Saturday, June 1st
Canon Conversations

Paramount Theater

Canon’s cinema cameras and lenses have had a substantial impact throughout TV and film since the company first entered the market in 2011. In this panel, leading cinematographers will discuss the Canon gear that they’ve used on their recent projects, and how it has helped them capture their vision.

Cine Gear attendees will also be able to learn more about Canon’s CarePAK PRO Accidental Damage Protection Plan, which covers professional cinema and video products. Canon CarePAK PRO offers coverage from accidental damage such as drops, spills and power surges, protecting customer investments from unforeseen repair costs and excessive downtime.

Follow Canon’s Cine Gear activities on Twitter at @CanonUSApro or on Instagram at @CanonUSAprovideo.

B&H carries Canon Sumire lenses.

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Posted to: Canon News   
Post Date: 5/31/2019 5:41:35 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Thursday, May 30, 2019

5DayDeal has just launched a $10,000 prize giveaway. Signing up is simple — just do it now!

5DayDeal's next video education bundle, Complete Video Creators Bundle 2019, launches on June 6th. Stay tuned for the details!

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   
Post Date: 5/30/2019 2:00:00 PM ET   Posted By: Bryan

Image quality, vignetting, and distortion test results along with specs, measurements, and standard product images Image quality test results have been added to the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens page.

While these image quality results may appear simple, they have a background. Keeping the story short, my first copy of this lens took forever to arrive and when it did, the performance was not as expected with damage sustained in transit being strongly suspected. The second lens also took a long time to acquire and the results being shared here are from this lens.

Before announcing these results, I did some sanity checking including with my Canon USA technical rep. My concern (always) is ensuring that this lens' performance is representative of what buyers should expect from their own lens. The MTF charts suggest that the version III lens should perform nearly equally to the version II lens. While I'm not absolutely 100% confident that a better copy of this lens is not available (and will likely test at least one more copy of this lens to be sure), I have enough confidence that this lens is representative of the model, showing what we should expect, to share these results.

That said, let's jump right into the comparison that most will be interested in, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III vs. II Lens image quality comparison. The version III lens produces very impressive image quality wide open. My only cause for concern about this lens copy was that the version II lens is very slightly sharper in the center of the frame with the difference primarily noticeable when extenders are being used. With less lateral CA, the version III lens produces better peripheral image quality, even with the 2x extender in place.

Unmistakably better is the version III's weight. As I was creating this post, I grabbed the lens from my desk and ran to attempt to catch a pileated woodpecker on a tree just outside the studio. That effort reminded me how amazingly light this lens is for its specs.

Here is another relevant comparison: Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III vs. Nikon 600mm f/4E AF-S FL ED VR Lens.

The hard-to-get Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens is available for order at B&H ("More on the Way" — coming soon) (save the tax, use the B&H Payboo card), on backorder at Adorama, "Temporarily out of stock" at Amazon, and available for preorder at WEX.

Want this lens in your hands tomorrow? Lensrentals has the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens available for rental.

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Posted to: Canon News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 5/30/2019 8:49:01 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

Meredith Stotzner dives into the Layers Panel and shares her tips for making layer thumbnails easier to see in Photoshop.

B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

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Post Date: 5/30/2019 5:35:08 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Credentialed access to a 4 hour concert in a 15,000-seat indoor stadium seemed like the perfect opportunity to give the Canon EOS R and Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM Lens a workout while the mostly high-energy performers also got a workout.

When photographing low light action, one historically had to choose between a moderately wide aperture (f/2.8) in a zoom lens and an ultra-wide aperture (f/1.4 for example) in a prime lens. With the RF 28-70, you can have both a wide aperture and a zoom focal length range. While some prime lenses still have the wide aperture advantage, the RF 28-70 f/2 L lens bridges the divide and, especially from an image quality perspective, is an outstanding option for low light needs including concert photography.

The spot lights happened to be on the singer (Ledger) in this image, allowing a very clean ISO 800 with a shutter speed adequate to stop most of the motion at f/2. Other images were captured at ISO settings as high as 6400 where the 1-stop advantage this zoom lens has over most other zooms makes a considerably bigger difference in image quality.

At concerts, the location of the action is often unpredictable and changing fast and that means focal length changes are required, ideally fitting for a zoom lens. Yes, some prime lenses could have given me another 1-stop lower ISO setting, but I would have minimally needed multiple cameras to cover the same range and often the performers were moving so fast that the shot would have been long gone by the time the cameras were swapped. Shooting wider and cropping later is an option, but lower resolution images are the result.

Also great for fast moving subjects was the R's touch and drag AF. With the left hand adjusting the focal length and the right thumb moving the focus point as needed for ideal framing, the EOS R was an ideal choice.

Every shoot teaches new lessons and here are a few concert photography tips from that night.

First, if photographing with a media pass, know without a doubt which gate you are supposed to enter through and be ready to politely ask for a additional opinions when the first person(s) thinks they know the different gate you are required to enter through. This saves walking half way around a stadium to the shipping and receiving area and waiting for a security guard to make a series of phone calls to figure out what you already knew and send you back to the other side of the stadium. If opting to ignore this advice, strongly consider arriving at least 1 hour early.

Also if photographing with a media pass, make sure that you have a signed copy of that pass (minimally on your phone) with you because the media reps for some reason may not have your name on the list. If offered a label with your name handwritten on it, request a lanyard because your camera strap is going to peel the label off within 10 minutes of your arrival, leaving you without the pass. Minimally attach the label to something that avoids the peel-off risk.

While your media pass may specify where you are supposed to photograph from, the media pass may not have been updated since the 360° stage was implemented. The specified locations may not exist and those working the show may have no clue about the topic or even how to get to the floor from the entrance level. Arrive early enough that if the instructions do not align with reality there is time to figure out where you are permitted to go without negatively impacting the show (it is probably not being performed for you).

Oh, if the tour is promoting a 360° stage, just get a ticket and leave the camera at home. Within seconds, the performer can be a basketball court distance away and even two cameras with complementing zoom lenses are not adequate. Compounding the problem is that you will have backs toward you for at least 270° of the stage.

I'll add these notes to the concert photography tips page.


A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.

 
Camera and Lens Settings
28mm  f/2.0  1/500s
ISO 800
4480 x 6720px
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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 5/29/2019 7:00:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan
 Tuesday, May 28, 2019

The Canon USA Store has the refurbished Canon EOS Rebel T7i with 18-55mm IS STM Lens on sale for $558.99 with free shipping. Compare at $699.00 new after $100 instant rebate.

Still need a graduation gift? This camera would make a great one.

Canon USA refurbished gear is like new and comes with an as-new warranty.

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Posted to: Canon News   Categories: Photography Deals , Canon Deals
Post Date: 5/28/2019 12:29:19 PM ET   Posted By: Bryan

In addition to the image quality test results, vignetting, flare, and distortion test results along with specs, measurements, and standard product images have been added to the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens page.

Again, more information about this lens is coming.

The Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens from Lensrentals.

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Posted to: Sony News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 5/28/2019 9:05:24 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

AB from B&H introduces a new series on recording audio for video, which is designed to give you all the tools you’ll need to properly record audio for your video projects. This intro gives a basic overview of topics that will be covered in detail in subsequent videos, from choosing the right mic and location to setting recording levels and fixing things in post. If you want a good, basic intro to gear, tips, and techniques, this first video is a great place to start.

B&H has everything you need to record great audio.

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Post Date: 5/28/2019 7:23:12 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Friday, May 24, 2019

This bull had just lost a fight over a harem of cows and headed for the hills. His rack was larger than that of the opponent, but the opponent's body was larger and that is where the battle strength comes from.

Capturing this image was primarily a matter of repeatedly getting out in front of the bull and properly predicting where it would enter a clearing at the right distance for the big prime lens I was using. As you will notice from the camera settings for this image, it was quite dark when this image was captured. The pursuit started under cloudy weather that deteriorated into light rain.

I still have one opening remaining for the September elk in rut photo tour in Rocky Mountain National Park (or get on the 2020 waiting list). Consider joining a small group of photographers (all skill levels welcome) pursuing these awesome animals and other wildlife and landscape opportunities in this great park!


A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Photo Tips and Stories
Post Date: 5/24/2019 11:00:00 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

From the Adorama YouTube channel:

We often see beams of light created my nature but being at the right place at the right time when you're shooting portraits is tricky. So in this video Gavin Hoey will show you how to use flash to create rays of light on a location shoot, whenever you want them.

Using a single flash fired through a small window, Gavin adds smoke to the scene in order to see the real rays of light. He then adds a second flash to light his model and create a dark and moody urbex style portrait in a disused building.

Related Products

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Post Date: 5/24/2019 6:58:34 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Thursday, May 23, 2019

B&H has the Godox X2 2.4G Flash Triggers available for preorder.

The value of a good set of flash triggers is immense. These are very well priced for the features they offer.

Product Highlights

  • Supports TTL, High-Speed Sync, Multiflash
  • User Friendly Design
  • Bluetooth Support
  • Quick Lock Hotshoe
  • Full to 1/256 power levels in 1/10 step adjustments
  • Backlit Buttons
  • Works with Canon E-TTL II, Nikon i-TTL, Sony TTL, Fujifilm Autoflash, Olympus TTL, Petax TTL

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Categories: Preorders, Godox News
Post Date: 5/23/2019 7:59:14 AM ET   Posted By: Sean

From Sigma:

SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF

This firmware corrects the phenomenon whereby it does not reflect the changes set by custom mode on SIGMA Optimization Pro.

For customers who own the SIGMA USB DOCK and applicable product listed below, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro. Before updating the firmware using the SIGMA USB DOCK, please ensure to update SIGMA Optimization Pro to Ver.1.5.0 or later.

Benefit of the update

  • It has corrected the phenomenon whereby it does not reflect the changes set by custom mode on SIGMA Optimization Pro.

SIGMA Optimization Pro Download page



SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 SA-E / EF-E

This firmware makes the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 compatible with the latest firmware of SIGMA interchangeable lenses, and improves the AF speed when it is used in combination with the SONY a9 or SONY a7 III and the SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art.

For customers who own the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro by connecting it to a computer using the supplied USB Cable. Before updating the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 firmware, please ensure SIGMA Optimization Pro has been updated to Ver.1.5.0 or later.

Before attaching the updated SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 to the camera body, please remove the battery pack from the camera and put it back in again.

SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 SA-E

Benefit of the update

  • It has improved the AF speed when it is used in combination with the SONY a9 or SONY a7 III and the SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art for SIGMA.

* For customers who own the SONY a9, please update the firmware of the camera to Ver.5.00 or later.

SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 EF-E

Benefits of the update

  • It has become compatible with the SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.01.
  • It has improved the AF speed when it is used in combination with the SONY a9 or SONY a7 III and the SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art for CANON EF mount.

* For customers who own the SONY a9, please update the firmware of the camera to Ver.5.00 or later.

SIGMA Optimization Pro Download page



SIGMA ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-630 for CANON and NIKON

This firmware makes the SIGMA ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-630 compatible with the full-frame mirrorless cameras released by Canon Inc. and Nikon Inc..

For customers who own the SIGMA FLASH USB DOCK FD-11 for CANON and NIKON and applicable products listed below, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro.

SIGMA ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-630 for CANON

Benefits of the update

  • It has become compatible with the EOS R and EOS RP mirrorless cameras.

* To update the firmware, the SIGMA FLASH USB DOCK FD-11 for CANON mount which is updated to Ver.1.01 is required.

SIGMA ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-630 for NIKON

Benefits of the update

  • It has become compatible with the Z7 and Z6 mirrorless cameras.
  • It has corrected the phenomenon whereby it shows overexposure on the slave side when it is used for wireless shooting.

* To update the firmware, the SIGMA FLASH USB DOCK FD-11 for NIKON mount which is updated to Ver.1.01 is required.

Before updating the SIGMA ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-630 firmware, please ensure SIGMA Optimization Pro has been updated to Ver.1.5.0 or later from the download page below. The firmware update will take approximately 3 minutes to complete.

SIGMA Optimization Pro Download page

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Sigma Firmware Updates
Post Date: 5/23/2019 6:33:16 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
 Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Image quality test results have been added to the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens page.

You are going to be impressed with these results.

This is a unique lens. The product images show that this lens has a manual aperture ring denoted "T", for T-stops, showing the actual amount of light transmission. While this is technically an f/2.8 lens, the T-stop ring stops at f/5.6 and f/5.6 is the widest aperture selectable in-camera. The reason has to do with the STF (Smooth Trans Focus) feature including an optical apodization lens element. More information coming.

The Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens from Lensrentals.

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Posted to: Sony News   Category: Camera Gear Review News
Post Date: 5/22/2019 7:30:03 AM ET   Posted By: Bryan

From Lastolite:

Upper Saddle River, NJ - MAY 21, 2019 - The Lastolite Panoramic Background is a collapsible 13’ (4m) wide, 7’5” (2.3m) high background that folds down neatly into its own carry case and fits easily into a car. Weighing only 19.8lb (9kg), it’s ideal for busy image-makers on the move. The background is completely self-supporting and can be set up in minutes. The structure comprises three individual aluminum framed sections, connected together with a hinge clip to allow the background to be set up flat to lean against a wall or with the side frames folded in to create a wraparound effect. The Chroma Key Blue cover simply clips to the aluminum frame and creates a taught, seamless surface.

The background is ideal for live stream and post-production keying projects. Its impressive 13' width creates enough working area for multiple camera angles and subjects. Although the brushed fabric is incredibly non-reflective, the height and width combined is enough to place the subject(s) at a good working distance from the background eliminating risk of any color spill from the Chroma Key Blue surface.

Whether you are shooting a single person, a larger group or even products, the Lastolite Panoramic Background offers ultimate versatility. The wider format allows the image-maker to introduce props and accommodate animated poses from the likes of dancers or athletes. The Chroma Key Blue now sits alongside the highly successful Chroma Key Green, Black, White, Granite and Limestone versions.

All models are available at select Authorized Lastolite Dealers.

B&H has the Panoramic Background 13' Chroma Key Blue available for preorder and the other Lastolite Panoramic Backgrounds in stock.

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Posted to: Canon News, Sony News   Category: Lastolite News
Post Date: 5/22/2019 7:13:26 AM ET   Posted By: Sean
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