Canon Digital Learning Center (Page 2)

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Liza Gershman

When you observe the world from a macro perspective, there is more to see than one that many photographers initially imagine. Even simple things that we see in regular life can appear more interesting, like the fine detail of lashes on an open eye as they transform into single, long black strands of mascaraed hair; the dots on a ladybug become the size of a tack, and the red cover looks more like a candy than an insect; water droplets look like diamonds, and more. Macro forces your view to shift from the large to the very very small, and in that you open yourself up to an entirely new perspective.

Don'thave a macro lens just yet? Check out our Macro Lens Recommendations to find one that's right for you!

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Andrea Barbier

We shoot pictures with the best intentions of printing and distributing them, making art or books, or even just updating family photos… I’m certainly guilty of filing folder after folder away on external hard drives to be revisited ‘when I have more time.’ Even diligently doing all of the aforementioned things, there are still mountains of images that never see the light of day. A fresh approach to printing can inspire you to output more images, different types of images, and provide a perfect jump-start for your creativity. Here are some simple and delightful alternative photographic processes that will inspire you to get your images on paper.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Jennifer Borget

Keeping up with the coolest new camera gear is almost as challenging as keeping up with kids. As a mom who loves to take pictures of her children I am always excited about new camera gear and eager to see how it can make photographing children easier, or help me take better pictures. If you’re a child photographer looking to take your photography to the next level, the new EOS 6D Mark II is definitely a camera you’ll want to consider.

I’ve had my fair share of cameras and I could see this one becoming a new favorite for a variety of reasons. In this article I’ll break down six reasons why the EOS 6D Mark II is great for family and childhood photography.

B&H carries the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Gone are the days when engaged couples would sit for a professional studio photo to use in newspaper wedding announcements. Engagement photography is on the rise in the United States, as couples use social media to promote their upcoming weddings in a creative way. Couples use the photos in "save the date" cards, slideshows and even animated GIFs. Learn how you can give the future bride and groom the second happiest day of their lives with a fun engagement photo shoot.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

As a wedding photographer in New Jersey and New York City, having shot hundreds and hundreds of weddings throughout my 18-year photography career, I've tried out quite a few camera systems in my time. Don't get me wrong; I've always been a Canon baby. Even to the point of learning on and owning my own Canon A1 film camera that my mom passed down to me. I worked my way up from the EOS 10D, and then the EOS 40D, the EOS 5D, and then going to the EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS-1D X, and now EOS-1D X Mark II that I currently shoot with. There are some needs as a wedding and event photographer that are mandatory in a camera body, and other wants that are crucial, but really make your life a whole lot easier.

I recently had the chance to review the EOS 6D Mark II on a real wedding at Mallard Island in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. The location is a beautiful Jersey Shore wedding venue, and the wedding day went just as you would expect a typical wedding day to go. It really allowed me the opportunity to see how the 6D Mark II handled different parts of the wedding day. After getting a feel for the camera, I evaluated it into the top six categories that I consider when choosing a camera to shoot with on a wedding day.

B&H carries the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

The Canon Digital Learning Center has posted several articles covering the new gear announced early this morning.

CDLC Articles

• What's New: EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM
• A Quick Intro to Tilt-Shift Lenses
• Tilt-Shift Lenses - Focal Lengths, and Applications
• Adventures in Close-Up Lighting with the Canon MT-26 Macro Twin Lite
• What's New: Canon EOS M100

Update: Canon Japan also has an interesting interview with the team that created the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM.

For preordering options, click here.

From the Canon Digital Learnin Center:

By Rudy Winston

Bringing full-frame imagery to event photography — whether you’re a serious photo enthusiast, a budding professional, or even a full-fledged pro wedding shooter — is a great way to raise the quality of your images. And while the original EOS 6D certainly acquitted itself well in terms of its picture quality, the new focus and performance features in the new EOS 6D Mark II make it a very appealing step-up for these fast-paced situations. We’ll look at the Mark II’s new-found features, and see how they might apply to users who shoot events regularly.

Suggested Retailers: B&H | Amazon | Adorama | Canon USA Store | Wex Photographic

The Canon Digital Learning Center has posted what seems to be its final solar eclipse article installments, one entitled "The Big Day" and the other featuring a pocket field guide designed to be a handy reference for the aforementioned "big day."

Latest Solar Eclipse Articles

• The Big Day - Final Thoughts
• Solar Eclipse Pocket Field Guide

For a full list of CDLC solar eclipse articles, see here.

With free expedited shipping at B&H, you can still likely get a new telephoto lens in time to capture the event! And if you can't find a solar filter to fit your lens, you may want to try the DIY approach.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

The new full-frame Canon EOS 6D Mark II is really a great platform for single-person video operation — whether video is a big part of what you do, or something you’d like to add to your still-image shooting. Many of the virtues this camera delivers to the still-image shooter are equally appealing for recording HD video, as we’ll discuss in a few moments.

As we get into the EOS 6D Mark II and its particular video features, keep the following points in mind:

• This camera records Full HD video (1080p, or 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution). The only 4K capability is an option to generate in-camera Time Lapse Movies, which it can render as 4K files.
• Full HD and HD (720p) video is recorded using the entire horizontal width of the full-frame sensor. While 16:9 aspect ratio for Full HD or HD defines that some of the top and bottom of the traditional 3:2 sensor be cropped, you do get the full width of the full-frame sensor.
• Exposure modes available for video recording are full manual exposure (M on the Mode Dial), or totally automatic Program exposure if the dial is set anywhere else. Unlike some higher-end EOS models, there is no true Shutter or Aperture Priority operation during video recording.

B&H has the Canon EOS 6D Mark II in stock.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Written by Dave Henry and Ken Sklute

When preparing to shoot the upcoming solar eclipse, the most important consideration is safety for you, your eyes and your camera equipment. Part of the planning involves not only where will you cover the eclipse from, but also how will you stage it. For most of the country, the eclipse will happen midday, during the hottest month of the year.

The Canon Digital Learning Center has been busy compiling a great set of articles on solar eclipse photography, with two more articles – "Keeping It All In Focus" and "Spectacular Totality" – added recently. See below for the full list of solar eclipse articles available on the CDLC and also check out our review of the Meade Glass White Light Solar Filter.

CDLC Solar Eclipse Photography Articles

• Planning Ahead for a Successful Solar Eclipse Shoot
• Tracking the Eclipse
• Choosing a Camera for Eclipse Photography
• Multiple Camera Eclipse Coverage
• Choosing Lenses for Eclipse Photography
• Being Safe Using Solar Filters
• Supporting Your Camera with a Tripod
• Photographic Exposure of a Solar Eclipse
• Planning Multiple Exposure Sequences
• Keeping It All In Focus
• Spectacular Totality
• Location Set-up
• The Big Day - Final Thoughts
• Solar Eclipse Pocket Field Guide

The Canon Digital Learning Center has posted some interesting articles on the newly announced Canon EOS 6D Mark II and Rebel SL2 DSLRs.

New CDLC Articles

• EOS 6D Mark II for Landscape Photography
• EOS 6D Mark II for Nature and Wildlife Photography
• Canon EOS Rebel SL2: A Great Beginner Camera
• Ten Reasons the EOS Rebel SL2 Should Be Your Next Vlogging Camera

Preorders: You can find the latest preorder retailers here.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Written by Dave Henry and Ken Sklute A total solar eclipse is truly amazing and is absolutely the most majestic natural phenomenon for earth! That’s right… for earth! It’s nature’s gift to earth. Nothing beats it. Nothing! The thrill, however, began months ago when you decided that you weren’t going to let this eclipse pass you by. After all, it’s the kind of challenge all photographers live for. The challenge that expands our photography skill sets and allows us to photograph something new.

Afterwards you’ll sit back and reflect on what it was exactly that enabled you to get such great images and you’ll soon come to the realization that it was all in the planning.

That’s usually the case in almost everything we do.

It was over a hundred years ago that Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” What he meant is that a prepared person, with the right skills at the right place at the right time, can take advantage of an opportunity and create something.

B&H carries solar eclipse photography gear.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Written by Ken Sklute and Dave Henry

Since the earliest days of photography, scientists worked at making a successful image of the corona during a total solar eclipse. The first correctly exposed photograph of the corona during a total solar eclipse was made on July 28, 1851 by daguerreotypist Johann Berkowski at the Royal Prussian Observatory at Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, in Russia). The exposure was 84 seconds during maximum eclipse. Numerous attempts were made earlier, but Berkowski’s image was the first correctly exposed image.

A cropped and enhanced version of the original Berkowski daguerreotype of 1851 clearly shows that not only did Johann Berkowski correctly expose his 84 second daguerreotype, he was the first to document the solar flares, known as prominences, emanating from the sun's surface. This daguerreotype became the benchmark for later photographic attempts.

Throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century and on to today, photography has played a significant role in science. Correct exposure though, makes the photograph useful.

B&H carries a wide range of solar eclipse related gear.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

So far in our eclipse series we’ve discussed camera bodies and lenses that can be used to photograph the upcoming total solar eclipse. This article covers solar filters, the most important consideration for solar photography and direct viewing of the solar eclipse.

Warning

It is never safe to look at the sun without proper eye protection when any part of it is visible behind the moon!

This also includes not looking through your camera’s viewfinder when photographing the eclipse – use a solar filter on the front of the lens, and look through your LCD screen instead of the viewfinder!

B&H carries solar filters and solar viewing glasses.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Rudy Winston

Today’s digital SLR cameras usually have two distinct Autofocus systems — what we now think of as traditional AF you get through the optical viewfinder; and (usually) a separate AF system for focus using the LCD monitor to view your scene, when shooting with Live View or recording video. They’re very different:

Viewfinder AF:
Usually relies on a totally separate AF sensor for focus detection, and always uses what’s called Phase Detection technology.

Live View and video AF:
Uses pixels on the actual camera imaging sensor to read focus information. Early systems simply read blurriness or sharpness off the image sensor; this is called Contrast Detection AF. (This is still used in some competitive brand interchangeable-lens cameras.) More sophisticated systems utilize individual pixels, or groups of pixels, on the image sensor and make comparisons of data to detect when a subject is focused or not…this approach is also called Phase Detection.

We’ll discuss the many advantages that traditional through-the-viewfinder AF systems offer in this series of AF articles. But before we dive in, it may be helpful to have a quick understanding of how AF has typically worked in our SLR cameras since these systems were introduced back in the mid-1980s.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Welcome to Part 2 of our series on concert photography. I hope you have had a chance to read Showtime: A Beginner’s Guide to Concert Photography. Whether or not you are a beginner, it is a good set-up for step 2 in becoming a concert photographer.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve likely gone through a few things that the majority of concert photographers have gone through. If you’ve been using an entry-level DSLR, you may have begun to feel some limits in what it allows you to do. You have come past the point of being that fan-tographer at shows, smiling and cheering for artists you love, and have learned to focus on the job at hand. When people ask you what you are doing at a show, you don’t think twice about saying you are a concert photographer. You likely have a base of settings you know to start with at every show. And you probably have some images you used to love and now look back at and wonder why you liked them in the first place.

If most of this is true for you, welcome to Phase 2 of your growth in becoming a concert photographer. We will spend some time today talking about what to focus on in order to advance your journey to the next step. From more advanced camera settings, tricks to getting even better photos, approach and strategy in the photo pit, and what I consider equipment standards.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Choosing a lens to photograph the upcoming total solar eclipse in August takes a lot more consideration than the camera body to be used because the camera is simply a light-tight box that records the image produced by the lens.
...
Choosing a lens to photograph the sun or moon depends on how large of a sun or moon disk you want. The size of the disk is controlled by two things: your DSLR’s sensor size and the focal length of your lens.

B&H carries the gear you'll need to photograph the solar eclipse safely (checkout will be available at 9:00 PM ET tonight).

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Whether you’re an amateur still photographer or a one-person video production crew, focus is critical to a successful shoot. Autofocus systems in previous generations did a passable job overall, but increased demands and more sophisticated technologies called for a more comprehensive solution.

That’s why, in 2013, Canon introduced Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus. We believe it’s a game changer for both video and still shooters. The benefits of Dual Pixel Autofocus (or DPAF) for shooters of all experience levels are vast and diverse. This article will explain the capabilities of DPAF, as well as outline several real-world examples of just how groundbreaking this new technology can be for your photographic projects.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Written by Ken Sklute and Dave Henry

Just about any camera will work to capture a solar eclipse, but some will produce a better experience depending on your expectations. You may already own a camera or are planning to buy one for not only photographing the upcoming total solar eclipse in 2017, but you’ll also want it to be your companion for years to come to document your life and travels.

This article explores features you should consider in choosing the camera you’ll be using to capture, what will be for most, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

B&H carries solar eclipse photography supplies.