Canon and Sony News for Aug 2020
Just posted: Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens Review.
Why is this a bestselling lens? Read this review to find out.
The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens from Lensrentals.
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From Google:
Photos often represent our most important memories—from everyday moments to the biggest events in our lives—and it should be easy for you to access them in Google Photos and beyond. Since launching our Google Photos partner program two years ago, we’ve worked with hundreds of partners to build high-quality and secure integrations so that you can enjoy your photos and videos in more of the products and services you use. With Google Photos you can create prints and photo books with Popsa, digitize your memories with YesVideo, display your photos on a Nixplay Smart Photo Frame and more.
If you own a DSLR or point-and-shoot camera, you know that getting your photos backed up can be a process. You often need cables or adapters to take them off of your camera or SD card and save them, and it might take a number of steps to get it all done. We’ve worked with Canon so you can easily upload the moments captured on your Canon devices directly to Google Photos over Wi-Fi—no plugging in your camera or taking out your SD card.
With the latest version of the image.canon app (available on Android or iOS) and a compatible Canon camera, you can choose to automatically transfer original quality photos to Google Photos, eliminating the hassle of using your computer or phone to back them up.
In addition to a compatible Canon camera and the image.canon app, you’ll also need a Google One membership to use this feature. To help get started, Canon users will get one month of Google One free, providing access to up to 100 GB of cloud storage, as well as other member benefits, such as premium support from Google experts and family sharing.
So whether you’re backing up your photos from your Canon camera, printing with Popsa or digitizing your memories with YesVideo, Google Photos can help. Head over to our Works with Google Photos site to learn about the hundreds of apps and services you can use to get the most out of your photos.
Just posted:
Canon RF 1.4x Extender Review.
I plan to update these reviews when higher-performing compatible RF lens models become available.
The Canon RF 1.4x Extender is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
The Canon RF 2x Extender is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Canon RF 1.4x Extender and Canon RF 2x Extender from Lensrentals.
From Canon USA:
Future Firmware plan to support advanced video recording functions for EOS-1D X Mark III and EOS R5.
In response to feedback from our customers about the EOS-1D X Mark III and the EOS R5, Canon U.S.A., Inc. plans to introduce the following video recording functions via a series of future firmware updates.
EOS-1D X Mark III
- Canon Log 3 option will be added.
- A low bit rate option for 5.5K RAW video recording will be added.
- A low bit rate option for all the IPB video recording modes will be added.
EOS R5
- Canon Log 3 option will be added.
- A low bit rate option for 8K RAW video recording will be added.
- A low bit rate option for all the IPB video recording modes will be added.
- A 119.88 fps option for Full HD (1080p) recording will be added.
Canon USA has Canon EOS-1D X Mark III firmware update version 1.2.0 available for download.
Firmware Version 1.2.0 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:
- Enhancements when using Browser Remote:
- The image list displayed will be refreshed automatically on the browser.
- On the shooting screen of the browser, you can set the movie resolution and a high frame rate.
- On the shooting screen of the browser, you can change the movie shooting mode.
- On the shooting screen of the browser, Live View will be displayed as soon as you select the movie shooting button.
- Enhances Auto Focus (AF) for improved face and eye recognition at greater distances.
- Fixes a phenomenon that may occur during viewfinder shooting, in which the shutter may not be released or the camera may not operate in the following settings:
- In One-Shot AF mode, when the AF Area Selection Mode is set as Zone AF, Large Zone AF or Automatic Selection AF.
- In AI Servo AF, when direct AF point selection is made using the smart controller.
- When the Register/Recall Shooting Function is assigned to the AE Lock button, in the Custom Controls.
- Connectivity during FTP transmission, has been improved.
- Improves Wi-Fi connectivity when using the Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E9.
- Fixes a phenomenon, in which the card access time may take longer, when using certain CFexpress cards.
Canon UK has made Canon EOS R5 firmware update version 1.1.0 available for download.
Update: The firmware is now also available at Canon USA.
Firmware Version 1.1.0 incorporates the following fixes and enhancements:
- Useful messaging is now displayed when [HDMI display: Camera+External monitor] and [Overheat control: on] settings are enabled.
- When using certain RF lenses for movie shooting, the in-lens image stabilization mechanism has been improved.
- Fixes a phenomenon in which the "Slow Synchro" setting screen is not accurately displayed, when the language is set to English.
- Fixes a typo displayed on the communication setting screen, when the language is set to Korean.
- Connectivity during FTP transmission has been improved.
- Fixes a phenomenon, in which the card access time may take longer, when using certain CFexpress cards.
- Temperature detection and shooting time control in video shooting have been improved. In addition, the total shooting time when the short-time recording and power-on/off are performed repeatedly at room temperature is improved.
- The phenomenon in which the movie recording time available is not correctly displayed when the Date/Time/Zone is not set has been corrected.
* The firmware scheduled for release in early September will incorporate the following improvements for the RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM.
- Supports 6-stop image stabilization. (CIPA-compliant)
- Improves IS capabilities when performing continuous shooting under specific conditions.
Just posted: Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens Review.
The RF 800 is very similar to the Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens and the reviews, completed simultaneously, will also read similarly, each tuned to the specific lens. I plan to circle back with some comparisons, but choose between these two lenses based on the focal length that works best for you.
The Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens from Lensrentals.
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Just posted: Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens Review.
I plan to have the Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens Review completed later this week.
The Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens from Lensrentals.
Please share!
Disclaimer: Use of this information is at your own risk, and "All" is more likelihood than fact as I have only tested a small percentage of the available lenses.
In a recent article, I answered the question, "Can Canon RF Extenders be used with the EF-EOS R Mount Adapter?"
That answer was "No."
The Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R (basic and control ring versions) has no optics. It simply moves the EF mount forward, offsetting the short back focus design of the RF mount, and provides the communication connections required for the lens to function as native. Hoped for was that the open space in the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R would permit an RF extender to fit into the back of it, ideally making all EF and EF-S lenses extender compatible. Unfortunately, the Canon RF extenders do not fit into the Canon mount adapter.
However, the baffle physically preventing this installation appears to be plastic, and plastic is easily modifiable. I couldn't spare a Canon adapter for this mod (they are unavailable as I write this), but after studying the Vello Auto Lens Adapter for Canon EF/EF-S Lens to Canon RF-Mount Camera product images, I suspected the relatively large inside diameter of this adapter could more easily be modified to permit fitting of the Canon RF 1.4x Extender and Canon RF 2x Extender. B&H was up for this challenge and sent me an adapter to potentially destroy.
Not surprising was that the RF extenders do not fit into the back of the Vello adapter out of the box. Thus, some modification was necessary. Basically, the plastic on the raised interior section housing the communication pins needed to be removed down almost to the wires. To protect the adapter and to keep it clean, I gaffer taped everything I didn't want to remove — most of the adapter. Next, a rotary tool (I substituted a drill) with a small abrasive sanding cylinder was used to remove the plastic. A rounded file could also be used.
After removal of enough plastic for the extenders to fit (this took two tries for my first attempt), the adapter was cleaned and mounted. Being able to mount the extender behind the adapter was the first test to pass. Having the extender function properly in conjunction with EF lenses was the bigger question in my mind. Fortunately, the modified adapter passed that test also.
How good is the image quality? We haven't lab tested the modified adapter and more testing needs to be done, but this combo seems to deliver very good quality images with a high quality lens in front of it. The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens seemed to perform especially well with the image periphery perhaps becoming slightly softer. Here is a 100% crop from a Canon EOS R5 image processed from RAW in Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) using the Standard Picture Style with sharpness set to "1" (0-10 scale).
Note that this setup does not report the reduced aperture and increased focal length to the camera, but the camera continues to work normally.
The adapter modification was not hard to make. Buy a Vello Auto Lens Adapter for Canon EF/EF-S Lens to Canon RF-Mount Camera and follow the steps shared above. I suspect that the greater good of this project was testing the concept. Watch for commercially available adapters designed to fit on a Canon RF extender in your favorite store soon.
Image quality test results have been added to the Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens Review page.
Here is the Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens compared to the Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens.
We have not tested the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Lens on the Canon EOS 5Ds R, so some discernment is required in the Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens vs. the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Lens comparison.
Keep in mind that results from a lower resolution camera such as the Canon EOS R6 will show less sharpness degradation from diffraction.
The Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX
Rent the Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens from Lensrentals.
Please share!
Photoshop & Lightroom along with Camera RAW have been updated with support for the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6 as well as the new RF lenses. (thanks Morris & Doug)
From Adobe:
"Expect the Unexpected"
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Register now to build your schedule and get sponsor giveaways.
The Canon EOS R5 arrived just in time to capture the spectacular night show Comet NEOWISE was providing. Sorry that the noise test results for this camera were delayed by a day, but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up (at least I waited until after the R5 review was finished to process this image).
The first challenging comet photography decision to make was the desired composition. Including landscape or filling the frame with the comet were the options, and the latter option was chosen. After determining that NEOWISE would nearly fill a 200mm frame, the Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM Lens was the chosen lens. The wide f/2 aperture is excellent for use in the dark, and the impressive sharpness of this lens at f/2 means that stars (over 7,000 software-recognized in this frame) remain pin sharp.
The next decision was whether or not to utilize an equatorial tracking mount. A 200mm lens directed at the comet's location in the sky with an ultra-high-resolution imaging sensor behind the lens meant that relatively short images, about 2 seconds, were the limit before star trails became noticeable. On the equatorial mount, 13-second images showed no motion, and this was the option taken. Though the 200 f/2L is rather heavy for the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Astro Package, this affordable mount along with the Star Adventurer Mini Latitude (EQ) Base and Counterweight Kit were up to this task. With that much weight riding on it, this mount works best on a solid tripod, and the Robus RC-8860 Vantage Carbon Fiber Tripod was a perfect choice. B&H had just sent me a Robus RTH-1050 Ball Head. It works great, so that option was mounted on the Sky-Watcher.
The R5 was set to manual exposure with 13 seconds, f/2, and ISO 1250 selected. High-speed continuous shooting in 1st curtain shutter mode (this is where I learned that the full electronic shutter does not allow exposures longer than 0.5-seconds). A Canon Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3 was plugged in, and its shutter release was locked on. With the Star-Watcher Star Adventurer polar aligned, the lens framing the comet, including the extensive tail that was not readily seen in the viewfinder, and the camera continuously capturing images, I walked away, watching the comet through binoculars and enjoying a bowl of ice cream.
Despite the night having a clear forecast, clouds showed up in the frame a significant amount of the time prior to the comet setting (while the rest of the sky remained clear). Fortunately, 45 images captured contiguously were able to be made cloud-free with slight cropping. 45 x 13 seconds = 9.75 minutes of exposure, long enough to produce a nearly noise-free image and long enough to capture the color in the ion tail.
While the air traffic is not currently as strong as usual, more satellites than ever are in the sky. Nearly every image had at least one satellite, and some photos had as many as three satellites streaking through. I opted to crop out the clouds before processing the RAW image into 16-bit TIFF files and then removed the streaks using the healing brush tool in Photoshop.
The next task was to stack the images. Stacking comet images is a level of challenge higher than stacking star images due to the comet moving at a slightly different rate than the stars. I know, it is the earth that moves the most, but from an earth-bound perspective, the stars and comet are moving. Stack the comet, and the stars become streaked. Stack the stars, and the comet is stretched. Fortunately, some very smart people created DeepSkyStacker software with an option to align both the comet and the stars.
DeepSkyStacker does a superb job, but you would not know that when looking at the default image created. The low-contrast 32-bit image requires "stretching", contrast significantly increased with colors pulled out. The only adjustments made to this image were contrast (levels and curves to stretch the low contrast 32-bit stacked image), saturation (+10 and -60 in PS), and a white balance adjustment (cooled the image slightly).
I love NEOWISE's colored ion tail, pushed away from the sun by solar winds and separated from the dust tail. BTW, the name NEOWISE uses all capital letters because it is an acronym, named after the device that discovered it.
Now, NEOSWISE is gone, effectively, forever. Comet NEOWISE was awesome but will not be seen again for another 6,800 years. Hopefully, another comet will entertain us in the night sky long before that.
The larger version of this image available on Flickr looks considerably better.
ISO 1250
4664 x 6941px
I was recently asked which EF lenses should be replaced first in the DSLR to MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera) migration. Fortunately, Canon has made the Mount Adapter EF-EOS R available to significantly ease that transition. With this adapter, EF lenses continue to perform at least as well on an RF mount as they do on an EF mount. Still, many of us will be upgrading our kits to RF lens models.
Here is a list of the available (or announced) RF lenses in priority* order.
- Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens
- Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM Lens
- Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS Lens
- Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM Lens
- Canon RF 35mm f/1.8mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro Lens
- Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM Lens
- Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM Lens
- Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM Lens
- Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens
- Canon RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM Lens
- Canon RF 1.4x Extender
- Canon RF 2x Extender
* Disclaimer: photographers have greatly varying needs, and therefore, the priority number for each of us may vary greatly, and my numbers may have little meaning for you.
The easy answer to the "Which RF lenses should I upgrade to first?" question is "Replace your most-used lens." All of the RF lenses have advantages over their EF counterparts, and replacing the most-used lens makes a lot of sense, providing the most value.
Also making sense is upgrading to an RF lens that has a desired capability, such as the image stabilization feature in the RF 24-70, much better image quality such as found in the RF 50 L or RF 85 L, or a super-telephoto length at an affordable price.
Why The Above Order?
The trinity of professional-grade f/2.8 L lenses are listed first, and they are listed in order of use frequency for many photographers. These are the lenses this site's audience considers most important overall.
I dropped the RF 100-500 into the 4th slot on this list. This focal length range is extremely useful, includes very long focal lengths, and has professional-grade build and optics without reaching an extreme price level.
For some, the RF 24-105 f/4 L could have a top position on this list. This lens is great for travel and has great general purpose utility. The professional-grade 24-105 L is less expensive and lighter than the RF 24-70 f/2.8 L.
Bring in the primes. The RF 50 L is the 50mm full-frame lens that many of us have long awaited. It is the first Canon 50mm lens I've personally purchased in (probably) over a decade. Both RF 85 f/1.2 models are phenomenal portrait lenses, and people are the most important photo subject. With stock photos unavailable for most people, portrait photography remains a revenue-generating pursuit. The RF 85 f/2 IS promises solid performance at a lower price, and this lens's close-focusing capabilities will be very welcomed in a kit.
The RF 35 is small, light, bright, close-focusing, inexpensive, and fun. Just get one.
An f/11 fixed aperture lens? Sounds like a crazy idea to many of us. However, getting these extreme focal lengths into the size, weight, and price point Canon achieved is remarkable. The image quality is not bad, especially from the lower resolution imaging sensors.
Having an f/2 aperture available over an entire general-purpose focal length range is awesome. The RF 28-70 is large, heavy, and expensive, but for the niche that needs this lens' advantages (think wedding and event photographers), this lens is priceless.
There are times when only a single lens can be chosen for multi-purpose needs. The RF 24-240mm lens's 10x zoom range covers those needs much of the time.
When small, light, and inexpensive are critical lens attributes, the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 raises its hand to fill the need.
I listed the RF extenders last. At this time, only the RF 100-500, RF 600, and RF 800 are compatible with the RF extenders. The cost of the extenders is approaching the cost of these two low-priced prime lenses that already have very long focal lengths, and the narrow max apertures of these lenses reduces the benefits an extender can provide. Using the 1.4x on the not-yet-available RF 100-500 is going to make a lot of sense, but I'm less sure about the 2x. I expect the extenders to have significantly greater value when high-end RF telephoto prime L lenses become available.
I plan to migrate all of my Canon lenses from EF to RF where similar models exist (except for those required for testing purposes). If your budget enables upgrading, I recommend doing so.
What is your RF lens plan?
From Sony:
Sony "Kando Everywhere" Registration Opens
Free Online Event For Content Creators To Be Held August 15-16 Now Open For Registration
Registration Opens for Sony’s Digital “Kando Everywhere,” a Free Online Event for Content Creators
SAN DIEGO – August 11, 2020 – Sony Electronics Inc. will continue their annual “Kando Trip” event tradition with “KandoEverywhere” — a two-day online event taking place this weekend, August 15th – 16th. The digital event is open to all guests, at no cost for attendance, and will feature a variety of educational workshops, keynotes presentations and panel discussions led by Sony ambassadors, community leaders, partner sponsors and others.
Highlights of the weekend include:
- 45+ exclusive classes, workshops and live Q&A sessions
- A chance to learn from industry-leading instructors
- Portfolio review sessions
- Interactive trivia with iJustine and Jenna Ezarik
- Keynote speakers from SeaLegacy and Art of Visuals
- Networking opportunities with Sony Alpha ambassadors and members of the creative community
Several giveaways will be made available for attendees as well, including one-year memberships to Pro Support and Adobe Creative Cloud, limited edition signed prints from Epson and a variety of Sony Alpha cameras and lenses — including the highly anticipated new Alpha 7S III camera. To register for this event, please visit AlphaUniverse.com/kando-everywhere.
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