Canon and Sony News for Nov 2014 (Page 2)

From Nikon USA:

“I AM Generation Image” Will Include Inspiring Content and Encourage Others to Share Their Own Passions Through Authentic Imagery

MELVILLE, NY (November 20, 2014) Today, Nikon Inc. has announced its new “I AM Generation Image” integrated campaign, which is the imaging leader’s new platform to amplify the voices of individuals who want to stand out in a world of visual noise. The brand campaign aims to reinforce confidence in the entry-level and enthusiast DSLR markets, and inspire people to create images far beyond just “good enough,” to have their stories heard. “I AM Generation Image” will officially start today, with the launch of an immersive website featuring the content of a select group of creative individuals representing some of the eyes and voices of this generation.

“Each day we upload tens of thousands of images, making us the first generation to truly embrace pervasive visual communication. Whether it’s love, laughter or a call to act for the greater good, the feeling you get when you look at a photo or watch a video should reflect the intent and emotions of the person behind the lens,” said Lisa Baxt, Associate General Manager of Communications, Nikon Inc. “Generation Image was created to answer this need, and celebrates the stories of our lives and the important role that imagery plays in telling them, while inspiring users to capture more, and capture better using Nikon.”

Defining “I AM Generation Image”

The concept of “Generation Image” was born from a desire to understand people’s relationships with their images. After extensive research, it became clear that the number of images captured and shared every day is significantly increasing, and that quality is critical to celebrate and purposefully represent the motivations of this new generation of image makers. Across the country, people are using their cameras as a tool to share what is important to them and each have the potential for significant impact. From families or hobbies, personal causes to accomplishments, this new segment of creative individuals enjoys expressing and sharing what they are passionate about through photos and videos. On social media channels, the hashtag #IAMGenerationImage is a rallying cry. It echoes the desire to deliver the best images possible, in order to convey emotions and passions that rise above the noise.

“I AM Generation Image” reminds us that we are all part of this generation, and Nikon will enable our stories to ring loud, true and authentic. The campaign will help to define this generation as the first to overwhelmingly express themselves through images en masse and on a global scale. The successful “I AM” international campaign has acted as a worldwide catalyst for millions of fans to self-identify with the Nikon brand. The new campaign builds upon the “I AM” architecture to make imaging a personal experience for North America.

Campaign Elements

In North America, the campaign begins today in the United States with an experience site that features content from a select group of extraordinary individuals who document their own passions through imagery. This group of visual storytellers will capture content that will be seen through an immersive experiential website that acts as a portal, offering a glimpse into their fascinating worlds. These individuals are a diverse group of personalities who are not professional photographers; they represent a wide range of stories from entrepreneurs, philanthropists, comedians and more. The online portal will also act as a hub for the campaign, offering followers a chance to become personally invested with the lives of this imaginative group as they share content in real-time. Formal participants in the campaign will share imagery under the hashtag “#IAMGenerationImage” and Nikon will encourage widespread consumer participation through its social channels.

The “I AM Generation Image” Campaign will be driven by non-traditional media, including video advertisements, digital media on relevant websites, rich media and social paid promotion. Additionally, a series of videos defining the campaign will drive to the branded microsite. Consumers will see an immersive experience through rich media advertisements, and both mobile and desktop users will enjoy an interactive experience with high production values for video and sound. Users will also be encouraged to interact with the campaign by tagging their own visual stories with #IAmGenerationImage for the chance to be incorporated into the campaign. Advertisements will run through the end of 2014 and the Spring of 2015 to support the various aspects of the campaign. The integrated campaign was created and will be executed by Nikon’s agency partners, McCann Erickson, ID Media, MRM / McCann, Initiative Media and MWW.

B&H carries Nikon DSLR cameras and lenses.

From the Profoto YouTube Channel:

On November 19, Profoto and Jared Platt did a live webinar on how to mix ambient light with strobes. Did you miss it? Don't worry.The webinar was recorded and is now available as a video.

In this webinar, Jared Platt show you how to mix ambient light with strobes in different situations on a trip to Barcelona. You will also get to see what tools Jared is using.

Gear Used

• Profoto B1 500 AirTTL Battery Powered Flash
• Profoto Air Remote for B-1
• Profoto Deep Medium Umbrella (41", Silver)
• Profoto Deep Silver Umbrella (Extra Large, 65")
• Profoto Deep Translucent Umbrella (Extra Large, 65")
• Profoto RFi Octa Softbox (4')
• Profoto Zoom Reflector 2

Budget Alternatives

• Westcott Parabolic Umbrella
• Impact Luxbanx Medium Octagonal Softbox (60")

From Photoshelter:

What are your plans for 2015?

It’s hard to believe 2014 is coming to a close. As PhotoShelter gears up for next year, we’d like to invite you to participate in our third annual survey, The Photographer’s Outlook on 2015.

This survey will help us better understand your goals as a photographer, how you plan to spread the word about your work in 2015, plus any challenges you anticipate in the coming year.

Take the Survey

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

"Blood Brother is one of those films that lingers with you for a long time after the credits roll. In part, of course, this is due to the truly heart-wrenching, soul-searching and thought-provoking content. But also present in the mind’s eye are the images – truthful, sad, scary, and yet uplifting and enlightening.

“The artistry in Blood Brother is one of the things I'm most proud of,” says Blood Brother’s cinematographer John Pope. 'It might not be the most classically beautiful film. From a cinematography standpoint, it’s sloppy at times, it has such a raw edge to it, but I like that. Those moments of rawness are beautiful. They lend themselves perfectly to the character and human element of the film.'"

Image quality results have been added to the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens Review page.

My expectation was for this lens to be a great bargain – similar to the nearly-identical Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens. If I directly compare these two lenses on the same camera body (with a very low sharpness setting), my initial impressions are that my expectations have been realized. You will see more distortion in the 24 (the barrel variety), but these two lenses are otherwise more similar than different in this comparison. That is a lot of image quality for a nicely-built pocket lens costing only $149.00.

Order your Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens now at B&H.

From Adobe:

Adobe Lightroom 5.7

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.7 update includes these enhancements:

1. Support for the ability to add or read feedback provided on Lightroom web.
2. Ability to import images from Apple Aperture and Apple iPhoto libraries into Lightroom.
3. Fixes for bugs introduced in earlier versions of Lightroom 5.
4. Camera support for additional new lenses and cameras.

• The crop overlay displayed an intermediate step when progressing through images in the filmstrip with overlay displayed.
• The lens profile for the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 would not auto-select when using Lens Profile Corrections.
• ICC profiles resulted in incorrectly clipped shadows and blacks in Lightroom. Note that this is related to the issue identified here and only occurs on Mac OSX 10.9 and later
• Fixed crash when rapidly adding corrections with the Spot Removal tool.
• Improved quality of Camera Matching color profiles for the Nikon D810. Fixes visible banding issues with the Camera Standard, Camera Vivid, Camera Landscape, and Camera Monochrome profiles.
• Context menu (right click on PC or control+click on Mac) was disabled for images contained in Lightroom mobile collections.
• Fixed issue that prevented Lightroom 5 from reading Photoshop Elements 13 libraries.
• Cover images set by Lightroom mobile were sometimes incorrectly reset by Lightroom desktop.
• Sync with Lightroom mobile sometimes stalled when asset is added to same album on both LrM and LrD and later deleted
• Resolved issue that caused Lightroom to crash when creating a Print and saving it to a mounted DVD directly inside Lightroom.
• Publishing images to Behance using the Behance Publish Service has been restored.

Download
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.7 - Windows | Macintosh

Support for the following cameras has been added. Visit the Camera Raw page for a complete list of supported cameras.

1. Canon EOS 7D Mark II
2. Canon PowerShot G7 X
3. Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
4. Nikon D750
5. Casio EX-100PRO
6. Fujifilm X30
7. Fujifilm X100T
8. Fujifilm X-T1 Graphite Silver
9. Leaf Credo 50
10. Leica D-Lux (Typ 109)
11. Leica M-P
12. Leica V-Lux (Typ 114)
13. Leica X (Typ 113)
14. Olympus PEN E-PL7
15. Olympus STYLUS 1s
16. Panasonic DMC-CM1
17. Panasonic DMC-GM1S
18. Panasonic DMC-GM5
19. Panasonic DMC-LX100
20. Pentax K-S1
21. Pentax QS-1
22. Samsung NX1
23. Sony ILCE-5100
24. Sony ILCE-QX1

Download
DNG Converter 8.7 - Windows | Macintosh

Adobe's Photoshop Photography Program is a great deal at only $9.99 per month (Photoshop CC + Lightroom).

Image quality, vignetting and distortion test results along with specs, measurements and standard product images have been added to the Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary Lens Review page. More (on-camera) product images will be added within the next day or so).

B&H has the new Sigma 18-300mm DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary Lens in stock.

Looking for a great deal on a superzoom lens? There is a $200.00 instant rebate available on the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM Lens. Regularly $549.00, this lens is currently only $349.00 at B&H.

From DxO:

DxO is proud to announce the immediate availability of the standalone version of DxO FilmPack 5, which will also work in plug-in mode for workflows containing Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Elements and Aperture. This program, dedicated to the authentic rendering of over 80 legendary black + white & color films, has added 16 new films to this version and is now supporting the RAW format – among many other features.

B&H carries DxO Optics Pro 5.

From Canon:

To help photographers better understand the features of the new EOS 7D Mark II, the Canon Digital Learning Center has posted several educational resources including articles, videos, and a downloadable guidebook that help provide insight and teach how a cutting-edge camera can bring new possibilities into your photography.

EOS 7D Mark II Tutorial Series

This video series provides EOS 7D Mark II users with a behind the scenes exclusive with Canon Education Technical Advisor Rudy Winston. Rudy explains how to use new features and functions of the camera such as AF settings, video features, custom functions, and more.

To learn more please visit:

http://learn.usa.canon.com/galleries/galleries/tutorials/eos7dmarkii_tutorials.shtml

EOS 7D Mark II AF-Setting Guidebook

To provide more detailed insight on the outstanding AF features of the new EOS 7D Mark II camera, the Canon Digital Learning Center has released a guidebook for setting up the 65-point all cross type AF system. This document includes detailed explanations of how to master the AF features, as well as going into considerable detail about using additional features, such as the extensive Custom Controls, and even describes totally new features like the camera’s Anti-flicker shooting function.

To learn more please visit:

http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2014/eos7dmk2_afGuidebook.shtml

Helpful EOS 7D Mark II articles

Read our series of helpful articles made exclusively for the EOS 7D Mark II Digital camera. Each piece offers an in-depth explanation of features or functions of the camera, including the new Intelligent Viewfinder, Auto ISO operation, HD video features, and more. These articles provide the material needed to educate users on the exciting possibilities the EOS 7D Mark II can bring to your photography.

To learn more please visit: http://learn.usa.canon.com/dlc/tags/eos_7d_markii_tag/tagItemsListing.spr

From Canon USA:

Affected Product
Speedlite 600EX-RT

Phenomenon
When the flash is powered on with the bundled Color Filter Holder SCH-E1 already attached, there are instances where the low battery icon appears and the flash does not power on, even if the batteries have sufficient power.

Support
Workaround
When the phenomenon described above occurs, follow the procedure below:

1. Detach the Color Filter Holder SCH-E1
2. Power on the flash
3. Re-attach the Color Filter Holder SCH-E1. If the phenomenon still occurs after the above workaround has been performed, please contact your nearest Canon service center.

When I think about portraiture, I think of Gregory Heisler. When I think about photojournalism, Joe McNally is who I think of first.

I've been a big fan of Joe McNally's work for several years now. To me, Joe's work perfectly blends creative storytelling with technical skill. Watching this video simply confirmed what I already knew – that Joe's a master of his craft. [Sean]

From the Joe McNally YouTube Channel:

Joe McNally Photojournalist Exhibition at the Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A 30 year retrospective of Joe McNally's diverse and dynamic images. Joe reflects on the passage of time. Sidney Monroe discusses collector's rising interest in photojournalism as a fine art.

Ever since the 7D Mark II was announced, the big question on my mind has been "How does the 7D Mark II AF system compare to the best-ever-prior AF system found in the 1D X and 5D Mark III?"

The 1D X and 5D Mark III AF systems are easily the best I've ever used and my in-focus hit rate when using these cameras, especially with subjects in motion, has never been higher. Then the 7D Mark II was announced with even more focus points (including a higher number of cross-type AF points) and many of the same or even improved AF features found in the 1D X/5D Mark III.

To answer this question, Chuck Westfall (Advisor, Technical Information, Canon USA) was gracious enough to prepare a detailed technical comparison for us. Chuck's information is a must-read for anyone choosing between these three DSLRs:

Chuck Westfall Compares the 7D Mark II AF System to the 1D X and 5D III AF System

Get your Canon EOS 7D Mark II at B&H.

From Apple:

This update adds RAW image compatibility for the following cameras to Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11:

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II
• Fujifilm X30
• Nikon D750
• Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

For more information on supported RAW formats, see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6476.

Download
Apple Digital Camera RAW 6.01

MELVILLE, N.Y., November 14, 2014 - Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce that Academy Award-Nominated director Sebastian Junger (Restrepo, Korengal) and cinematographer Rudy Valdez chose Canon EOS Digital Cinema cameras and lenses for their new documentary The Last Patrol, the third installment of Junger's trilogy of war documentaries. The pair of filmmakers relied on the Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema camera to capture The Last Patrol, which premiered on HBO on November 10, 2014 and is currently airing on HBO.

The Last Patrol follows Junger, photojournalist Guillermo Cervera, and combat veterans Brendan O'Byrne and Dave Roels as they hike the 300-mile stretch of railroad lines from Washington, D.C. to New York City - a trek Junger originally planned with his close friend and acclaimed war photographer Tim Hetherington before Hetherington was killed in 2011 while covering the Libyan civil war. The goal of the journey was to get to know America again after a decade of war and discuss why combat is so incredibly hard to give up. Because hiking along the tracks is illegal, they moved with a purposeful invisibility designed to echo the isolation felt by many who return from war.

"The Last Patrol is a compelling example of the kind of storytelling that the Cinema EOS system was designed to support," said Yuichi Ishizuka, President and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "We are honored that the filmmakers selected Canon professional cameras and lenses for their epic project."

The men lived outdoors and carried all of their own supplies, which presented an unusual challenge for the filmmakers.

"What I needed was, basically, the ultimate camera," said Junger. "Not too heavy, easy to use with numb fingers, good in low light, rugged if you throw yourself in a ditch, and something that delivers absolutely gorgeous cinematography."

After searching for a camera that would produce a consistent, top-of-the-line image under rough conditions, Junger and Valdez determined the Cinema EOS C300 digital cinema camera was the best camera for the job.

"The EOS C300 camera seemed like it was designed specifically for this project," said Valdez. "It's a lightweight camera with a large sensor that works really well in low light. With the added bonus of being able to shoot in Canon Log, it ended up being a pretty easy decision."

Carrying the EOS C300 digital cinema camera on his back during the entire trek, Valdez shot using only natural light while the former soldiers and combat journalists dodged rail security and hiked terrain as varied as dense wilderness and urban streets.

The images Valdez captured exceeded Junger's expectations: "When we watched the material, I was absolutely speechless. It all absolutely glowed with a kind of meaning. That glow came from the machine we were shooting on."

Valdez rounded out his kit with a set of Canon Cinema prime lenses, including the CN-E24mm T1.5 L F, CN-E50mm T1.3 L F and CN-E85mm T1.3 L F.

"After some days on the trek, I started looking at the camera with a kind of reverence," said Junger. "It was incredible. I can't imagine making this film with any camera that lacked the power and capability of the EOS C300 camera."

For more information about Canon Cinema EOS cameras and lenses, please visit the Canon U.S.A. website at http://cinemaeos.usa.canon.com/

B&H carries Canon EOS Cinema equipment.

From Sigma:

SIGMA WR PROTECTOR, SIGMA PROTECTOR, SIGMA WR UV FILTER and SIGMA WR CIRCULAR PL FILTER are scheduled to start the shipment towards the end of this month.

SIGMA WR* FILTER

• SIGMA WR PROTECTOR (Water-repellent, Antistatic type)
• SIGMA WR UV FILTER (UV Water-repellent, Antistatic type)
• SIGMA WR CIRCULAR PL FILTER (PL Water-repellent, Antistatic type)

SIGMA FILTER

• SIGMA PROTECTOR (Normal type)

*WR=Water Repellent

B&H has the Sigma WR Protector and Sigma Protector filters available for preorder.