Canon and Sony News for Nov 2014 (Page 4)

The rumored-for-about-a-decade-replacement for a 16-year-old, very popular lens is certain to be in very high demand. While I do not yet have insight into the initial inventory levels for this lens, I highly recommend that you preorder immediately if you want one of these highly anticipated lenses anytime soon. I expect long lines to form for this one.

B&H is accepting Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens preorders. Adorama and Amazon are also accepting preorders.

Canon U.S.A. Introduces New Super-Telephoto Zoom Lens, The Compact And Highly Mobile Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

New Super-Telephoto Zoom Lens Delivers an Enhanced IS System Providing Four Shutter Speed Steps of Correction, a Rotation-Type Zoom Ring, and New Optical Element Formula to Help Maximize Image Quality

MELVILLE, N.Y., November 10, 2014 - Canon U.S.A., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the highly anticipated Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM lens, a second generation compact super-telephoto zoom lens featuring significant advancements in optical quality, image stabilization performance up-to-four steps, and rotating-zoom-ring design. This new L-series super- telephoto zoom lens features Canon L-series weather resistance and rugged magnesium housing to meet the needs of wildlife and sports photographers or photojournalists working out in the elements. Fully compatible with all EOS cameras, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM features a completely redesigned optical formula containing one Fluorite and one Super UD lens element - a combination unique to lenses in this focal range - to help deliver sharp images with high resolution and contrast. This combination of elements helps thoroughly suppress chromatic aberration throughout the entire zoom range.

"The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM is the logical evolution of the very popular EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM introduced 16 years ago," said Yuichi Ishizuka, President and COO of Canon U.S.A., Inc., "This long awaited, next generation lens was developed to be a highly portable and adaptable telephoto zoom lens for today's modern professional and advanced amateur photographers."

For photographers who want to work as closely as possible to their subjects, the minimum focusing distance of the lens has been reduced to just 3.2 ft. (0.98m), resulting in maximum magnification of 0.31x. The original EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM was well known for its push-pull zoom adjustment, but the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM uses a rotation-type zoom ring similar to the one found on the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens that allows for more precise adjustments, easier handling, and consistently excellent weight balance during handheld photography. In addition, the lens features an improved zoom torque adjustment ring that allows for the easy setting of zoom tension based on personal shooting preferences. The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM also features an inner focusing system, a powerful yet quiet Ring USM, a high-speed CPU and optimized auto focus (AF) algorithms for fast and accurate autofocusing in various shooting situations.

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM features three Image Stabilization (IS) modes - standard, panning, and during exposure only. Each IS mode is individually engineered to help provide outstanding results in a wide variety of shooting situations, and all serve to satisfy the personal preferences of photographers based on the type of IS they desire. The optical IS provides up to four shutter speed steps of correction, increased from 1.5 steps in the previous model*. In addition, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM features Canon's newly developed Air Sphere Coating (ASC) which helps to reduce backlit flaring and ghosting significantly, as well as a 9-bladed circular aperture Electro-Magnetic Diaphragm that helps to enhance beautiful, softly blurred backgrounds.

As with all L-series lenses, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM is highly resistant to dust and water, with excellent durability in even harsh conditions, ideal for wildlife photographers even in rainforest environments, or sports photographers on the sideline grabbing action shots of the big game. Fluorine coating on the front and rear surfaces of the lens can repel dust particles and water droplets. It also makes smears and fingerprints easy to remove without the use of lens cleaning fluid. Included with the lens is the new ET-83D lens hood, that features a cleverly placed and convenient side window allowing the user to easily adjust specialty filters while the lens hood remains in place. In addition, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM is equipped with a newly designed detachable tripod mount which can be removed to reduce weight during handheld operation.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM Super-Telephoto Zoom Lens is scheduled to be available in December 2014 for an estimated retail price of $2,199.00.

So what happens when you give a film camera to a bunch of kids? Almost 7 full minutes of entertainment, that's what!

On a personal note, I consider myself fortunate to have grown up during the period of time when we were transitioning from film-based photography to digital. I have a lot of fond memories of film, like my mother teaching me how to load film as a kid and the many rolls of film I shot while visiting Europe as a teenager.

But even though I have fond memories of those magic rolls, I'd never go back. I've grown much too fond of the benefits of shooting with DSLRs to relive my childhood. :-) [Sean]

If you have ever photographed under flickering lights, such as the sodium vapor lamps especially common at sporting venues, you know what a problem that type of lighting can cause. One image is bright and the next is significantly underexposed with a completely different color cast. The bigger problem occurs when using fast/short action-stopping shutter speeds under these lights.

In the top half of the included image are 8 consecutive frames captured from the Canon EOS 7D Mark II in 10 fps burst with a 1/1000 second shutter speed. The subject is a white wall and the lights are fluorescent tubes (I had to go all the way to my basement to find these). All images were identically custom white balanced from the center of an optimally-timed image. What you see is the frame capture frequency synching with the light flicker's frequency to cause a different result in almost every frame.

The killer problem for post processing is that the entire frame is not evenly affected. Correcting this issue is a post processing nightmare. The cause of this problem is that, at fast/short shutter speeds, the flicker happens while the shutter curtain is not fully open.

Because the shutter opens and closes only in the up and down directions (with camera horizontally oriented), the area affected runs through the frame in the long direction regardless of the camera's orientation during capture. When the flicker-effected area is fully contained within the frame, the amount of area affected is narrower at faster shutter speeds and wider with longer shutter speeds.

At significantly longer shutter speeds, the effect from the flickering lights is better averaged in the exposures. At 1/25 second, a reference image I captured during the same test looks very nice.

In this 7D II light flicker test, I shot at 1/500, 1/1000 (shown in the example) and 1/2000 seconds. The 1/500 second test showed approximately 2/3 of the frame severely affected at most, but the 10 frames captured around the most-effected frame had various amounts of one frame edge strongly affected. As you would expect, the 1/2000 second test showed an even narrower band of the flicker's effect running through the image (a smaller slit of fast-moving shutter opening being used), but ... I'm guessing that there are not many venues with flickering-type lighting strong enough to allow use of this shutter speed at a reasonable ISO setting. The 1/500 and 1/1000 settings are more real world settings.

The bottom set of results show off the Canon EOS 7D Mark II's awesome new Anti-flicker mode. The only difference in the capture of the second set of images was that Anti-flicker mode was enabled. These were a random selection of 8 consecutive frames, but the results from all Anti-flicker mode enabled frames were identical regardless of shutter speed tested. I'm not going to say that these results are perfectly-evenly lit, but ... they are dramatically better than the normal captures and you will not see the less-than-perfectly-even lighting in most real world photos without a solid, light-colored background running through the frame.

When enabled (the default is disabled), Flicker Mode adjusts the shutter release timing very slightly so that the dim cycle of the lighting is avoided. In single shot mode, the shutter release lag time is matched to the light flicker cycle's maximum output. In continuous shooting mode, the shutter lag and the frame rate are both altered for peak light output capture. In my tests above, the frame rate was reduced by 1-2 fps and shutter lag can be affected, making the camera feel slightly less responsive.

The 7D II is able to work with light flicker occurring at 100Hz and 120Hz frequencies. When such flicker is detected but flicker mode is not enabled, a flashing FLICKER warning shows in the viewfinder. The FLICKER warning shows solid when a flicker is detected and the camera’s setting is enabled. Flicker detection has been working very well for me. From my own basement to an indoor sports venue to a trade show floor, I've seen the flashing "FLICKER" warning.

Since the viewfinder's metering system is required for flicker detection, this feature is not available in Live View mode (due to the mirror being locked up). The mirror lockup feature is also disabled when Anti-flicker mode is enabled. The owner's manual indicates that Flicker mode is not going to work perfectly in all environments.

In the test I shared in this post, flicker avoidance was perfect 100% of the time. I shot a soccer match at an indoor sporting venue with a complicated economy lighting system. In that shoot, the Anti-flicker mode was successful about 98% of the time in the about-350 images I captured. The post processing work required for this shoot was exponentially lighter than any of my many prior shoots at this venue. Sean's experience shooting an NCAA Division 1 football game under the lights was very good, but perhaps not as good as my 98% experience.

Canon's new Anti-flicker mode is a game changer – it is going to save the day for some events. This feature alone is going to be worth the price of the camera for some photographers.

Want a Canon EOS 7D Mark II? Get it at B&H.

Note: Be sure to read Bryan's Breakthrough Photography X3 Filter mini review following the press release.

Breakthrough Photography announces a new line of professional ND and UV filters with ‘Traction’ frame designs

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – Nov. 10, 2014 – Breakthrough Photography announced Neutral Density and UV filters called the X-Series filters which are available for pre-order on Kickstarter.

HIGHEST QUALITY OPTICS
The X-Series ND and UV filters incorporate SCHOTT B270 and AGC glass made in Germany and Japan and feature an independently developed state-of-the-art 16-Layer Multi-Resistant Coating to increase light transmission, nanotec nano coating layers to repel dirt, water and other elements and weather-sealing.

TRACTION FRAME DESIGN
“We really tried to take the legacy standard flat black filter design back to the drawing board to really understand what it was that photographers needed in order for a filter to be most effective. Of all the various prototypes and frame materials, the ones with texture in the metal were the clear winners among photographers” said founder and photographer Graham Clark.

The X2 and X3 filters feature a new filter design which incorporates texture in the metal achieved by CNC machining brass and environmentally friendly aluminum.

“When I first felt these traction filters I thought ‘Why don’t all filters have this?’ It makes getting filters on and off a whole lot easier” said acclaimed outdoor and nature photographer Art Wolfe in the startups Kickstarter video.

DESIGNED FOR WIDE-ANGLE FULL-FRAME SETUPS
“In our extensive field tests, we found that 4mm filters on 16mm lenses produced +1 stop of light falloff. At 3.7mm the vignetting was entirely eliminated on our full-frame setups. Our standard flat black X1 and X2 traction filters have 3.5mm, whereas our X3 traction filters are machined down to 3.2mm.”

Worldwide Pricing and Availability
The X-Series filters will be available for pre-order on Kickstarter on November 6th, 2014.

“We’re really excited to bring our new line of unique and innovative filters to the photography community on Kickstarter first” says founder and photographer Graham Clark. “We’ll be offering a one-time launch sale price of up to 50% off, just in time for the holiday season. the Kickstarter is successful, the X-Series filters will be available on B&H, Adorama and Amazon starting in January, 2015.”

The X-Series Kickstarter can be found by visiting: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/breakthrough/x-series-traction-filters

• $109 X3 Traction ND in 3-stop or 6-stop (Available in January 2015)
• $79 X3 Traction UV (Available in December 2014)
• $59 X2 Traction ND in 3-stop or 6-stop (Available in January 2015)
• $39 X2 Traction UV (Available in December 2014)
• $25 X1 UV Standard Flat Black (Available in December 2014)

X3 key features:

• Available in either Neutral Density or UV
• SCHOTT B270 optical glass made in Germany
• State-of-the-art 16-Layer Multi-Resistant Coating
• nanotec Nano Coating Layers to repel dirt and water
• 3.2mm Traction frame CNC Machined from brass
• Weather-sealed construction
• Available in small, medium and large sizes: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 57mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm

X2 key features:

• Available in either Neutral Density or UV
• AGC glass made in Japan
• State-of-the-art 8-Layer Multi-Resistant Coating
• nanotec Nano Coating Layers to repel dirt and water
• 3.5mm Traction frame CNC Machined from aluminum
• Weather-sealed construction
• Available in small, medium and large sizes: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 57mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm

X1 key features:

• Available in UV
• State-of-the-art 4-Layer Multi-Resistant Coating
• 3.5mm Traction frame CNC Machined from aluminum
• Weather-sealed construction
• Available in small, medium and large sizes: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 57mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm

Bryan's Breakthrough Photography X3 Filter Mini Review

Breakthrough Photography provided me an early sample of their new filter line – an X3 UV filter. The X3 experience starts with great packaging that includes a nice box that is sufficiently rigid to prevent the plastic filter case from cracking in normal shipping. A lens cloth and, as mentioned, the typical plastic filter case are found inside the box. The plastic case has bottom padding as well as side padding that provides a pair of finger openings for easy access to the filter from the sides.

The X3 filter itself is very well constructed including the brass "Traction" ring. I'm still determining the amount of benefit provided by the Traction feature, but it seems nice. This filter is extremely light (very noticeably lighter than a standard-framed brass filter) and extremely thin, or "slim". When I originally saw the 3.2mm thickness spec, my mind immediately questioned the lens cap fit issue. No worries there. A standard lens cap attaches normally.

An important aspect of a filter commonly used for protection is how easily it cleans. I pressed a full fingerprint onto the X3 glass and easily wiped it off with a microfiber cloth.

How image quality is affected is the most important filter selection consideration for me. I conducted a couple of with and without filter comparison tests including a flare comparison with the sun in the corner of the frame. The good news is that I can see no image quality difference with the X3 filter installed compared to the bare lens. No sharpness degradation. No increased flare. No contrast change.

I have no concerns with using the Breakthrough Photography X3 for my important work. I'm anxious to try the circular polarizer slated for future production (dependent on funding).

The Canon Experience Center in Costa Mesa, California and Canon Information Technology Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico Celebrate Grand Openings

From Canon USA:

MELVILLE, N.Y., November 7, 2014 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the grand openings of two new Customer Service and Support Operation Centers – the Canon Experience Center in Costa Mesa, California and the Western expansion of Canon Information Technologies Services, Inc. (CITS), a customer call center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The openings of these centers symbolize Canon’s commitment to providing customers with top-quality service, support and education from coast to coast.

The Canon Experience Center, a new branch of the Canon Americas Marketing Engineering Technology Center (METC), opened its doors on November 5 to celebrate the grand opening of the facility and the customer-focused features and offerings within the space. Following the opening of the Canon Experience Center, the Company celebrated the grand opening of the CITS customer call center on November 6. Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry marked the occasion, along with Canon executives and staff.

“The grand openings of the new Canon Experience Center and the additional CITS call center are a testament to Canon’s commitment to our customers,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “These facilities will allow us to connect with our customers on the west coast and further support the needs of all our customers, no matter where they are located in the U.S.”

The opening of the 38,000 square-foot Canon Experience Center in Costa Mesa signifies the completion of a renovation of an existing Canon owned facility, which now offers innovative, meaningful face-to-face service and support experiences to customers, clients and partners. The new facility features comprehensive and high-quality customer experiences, including an education center and 35-seat theater where Canon Live Learning, Explorers of Light (EOL) and Canon Professional Services (CPS) events will be held throughout the year. The Canon Experience Center also has a nearly 5,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art showroom that displays Canon products ranging from the Canon PowerShot family to the Cinema EOS lineup to large format imagePROGRAF printers. A CPS members-only lounge where members can relax while their equipment is being cleaned or repaired, as well as a photo studio providing even more onsite convenience to Canon customers are housed within the building.

Throughout the facility there are a number of image galleries that feature images taken by Canon EOLs, along with several images that were captured by Canon customers, including two Canon CPS members and four participants of a Canon Live Learning Destination Workshop.

“I feel honored to have my work recognized by Canon and showcased in the gallery at the Canon Experience Center,” said Chris Martin, photographer and Canon Live Learning participant. “The resources Canon provides to me as a photographer run the full spectrum, from video tutorials to instruction manuals, covering not only the nuts and bolts of the cameras, but also how to use these features to produce optimal results. Even more invaluable, though, was the hands-on instruction during the Live Learning event that brought out a creative side of me that I never knew I had.”

The Canon Experience Center will be home to approximately 75 experienced employees when fully staffed, and will host ongoing Canon employee training. In addition, the Canon Experience Center features repair and maintenance operations for Canon’s extensive lineup of consumer and professional products, including Cinema EOS and EOS Digital SLR cameras, PowerShot Cameras, high-definition camcorders, 4K reference displays and all of Canon’s lenses, including EF series photography lenses, Cinema lenses and broadcast lenses. Repair operations at the facility include 10 state-of-the-art camera body and lens adjustment rooms, Canon’s most advanced adjustment and calibration equipment, and a spare parts inventory.

The new 33,682 square-foot CITS call center in Albuquerque, which officially began operations in June 2014, provides support to Canon's growing professional photographic, cinema, printing and office solutions customers. By spring 2015, the center will also support customers using small office and consumer imaging products, including digital cameras, camcorders, large format printers and copiers. Canon’s customer focused investment in the new call center includes state-of-the-art data center technology that help ensure the Albuquerque, New Mexico and Chesapeake, Virginia locations are able to conduct uninterrupted operations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The expansion of the CITS service and support footprint to the west coast demonstrates Canon’s dedication to providing high-quality customer service with 100 percent U.S.-based Canon employees. The Albuquerque location was specifically chosen because it will help better serve customers from coast to coast. The area has a stable climate, the ability to service multiple time zones and a well-educated largely bilingual workforce. It is anticipated that the support center will create at least 150 customer service, direct sales and technical support positions over a three-year period.

“We are thrilled to have Canon ITS here in Albuquerque,” said Mayor Richard J. Berry. “By selecting Albuquerque, Canon capitalized on a qualified and culturally diverse workforce and a location with a stable climate for business operations. They have made a strong commitment to our community and have proven to be a great fit in our growing business sector. We thank them for their many contributions to our community.”

Canon’s commitment to providing award-winning, 100 percent U.S.-based support will be highlighted in a new advertising campaign launching mid-November. This entertaining campaign, titled “Rigorous Training,” features real employees at the east coast call center in Chesapeake, Virginia. For a sneak peak at this campaign please visit Canon Service & Support: Rigorous Training.

Additional camera and lens service facilities for both professional and consumer clients are located in Jamesburg, New Jersey, Itasca, Illinois, and Newport News, Virginia.

For more information about Canon’s Customer Service and Support offerings visit usa.canon.com/satisfaction.

For additional information about the Canon Experience Center visit usa.canon.com/cec.

I completed the frame rate testing for the Canon EOS 7D Mark II review and thought I'd share a little of what I learned, and perhaps bring a smile to your face.

To test the Canon EOS 7D Mark II's 10 fps drive mode and 31 RAW file buffer specs, I configured the camera to use ISO 100, a 1/8000 shutter speed (no waiting for the shutter operation), a wide open aperture (no time lost due to aperture blades closing) and manual focus was selected. The lens cap remained on (insuring a black file) and a freshly-formatted fast memory card was loaded.

Using a Sony 32GB Class 10 UHS-I (SF32UX) SDHC Card (Max. Read/Write Speed: 94/45 MB/s), the 7D II captured 30 frames in 2.9 seconds to match the rated drive speed and come within 1 frame of the rated buffer depth. After .3 seconds, two additional frames were captured .27 seconds apart and then a repeating pattern of two similarly spaced frames were captured every .5 seconds.

Put a Lexar 64GB Professional 1066x UDMA 7 Compact Flash Card (Max. Read/Write Speed: 160/155 MB/s) in the slot and the 7D II captured between 46 and 49 frames in 4.7 seconds (or less) to again match the rated speed but far exceed the rated buffer depth. With this Lexar card installed, two additional frames were captured .1 second apart every .2 seconds for a post-buffer-filled performance of 14 frames in 2.27 seconds or about 5.7 fps. This rate is faster than some cameras shoot with an empty buffer and I'm guessing that this rate continues until the card is filled.

A fast memory card definitely makes a difference with this camera. Note that there are faster SD cards available than the Sony I tested with and that I'm not saying that CF cards are faster than SD cards in general, but the speed of the card does matter.

For your listening pleasure (should make you smile):

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Burst Mode

Get your 7D II at B&H.

Note that, by request, I have added results from the Canon EOS-1D IV to the 7D Mark II noise comparison that was posted yesterday.

From the Canon Professional Network:

"Canon Ambassador Thorsten Milse may be renowned for his bold expeditions to photograph endangered animals in the wild, but a recent trip to his local zoo tested him to his limits. Fortunately he had the new EOS 7D Mark II APS-C DSLR around his neck, as CPN writer Mark Alexander finds out..."

B&H has the Canon EOS 7D Mark II available for preorder.

From Canon:

Changes for Digital Photo Professional 3.14.45 / 4.1.1 and EOS Utility 2.14.10a / 3.1.0a Updater:

• Supports EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM.

Note: All of these have also been updated with 7D Mark II support.

Download the software updates here.

Turn off all of the settings that hide a camera's base image quality (and potentially destroy image details) and you get a better idea of the image quality a camera is natively capable of. Direct comparisons between DSLR models are also better made under these conditions.

I have added an in-depth look at high ISO noise and related image quality to the Canon EOS 7D Mark II Review. Scroll down and click on the color block image to see the complete set of test results – or go directly comparison page:

Canon EOS 7D Mark II ISO Noise and Image Quality Comparisons

I don't know if I can stake the claim that these comparisons are exhaustive, but I can definitely say that they have been exhausting to create and analyze. The good news is that the 7D Mark II's image quality is exceeding my expectations. I don't think that anyone will argue with me if I declare the 7D Mark II to have the best Canon APS-C image quality ever seen. And that of course says a lot.

At this moment, B&H has the Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-135mm IS STM Lens available in stock and I expect the body-only version to be available soon though it is under solid demand (preorder for earliest delivery).

Ok, technically it wasn't a "brand new" Canon 7D Mark II – a pre-production loaner was used for this skydiving adventure. But still, who would have thought?!

From Christian Anderl's YouTube Channel:

"I had the 7DmkII (pre production sample) for some days before it will be delivered in November and wanted to really put it through its paces. So i visited fellow photographer Wolfang Lienbacher (lienbacher.com) who is jumping with the Red Bull Skydive Team and already tried a lot of different cameras on his helmet. Read the full post on my blog: http://andrl.co/1zQGZoe"

London, UK, 4 November 2014 – Canon is proud to announce that it can include Walt Disney Studios Park among the prestigious users of its Cinema EOS system products. A series of videos for the new Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy attraction have been shot in 4K, using the combination of five EOS C500s and EOS-1D C SLR cameras, as well as a wide range of Canon lenses, including over 20 EF L-series and EOS Cine lenses. The videos were shot by acclaimed French director, Sébastien Devaud, who was among those to pioneer the use of SLR cameras to shoot video.

The attraction, Ratatouille: l’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy, is based on the most French of all Disney-Pixar animated films (released in 2007) and opened on July 10th 2014, after five years of construction work. Considering the challenge, Disneyland Paris immediately decided to shoot in 4K. Ultra High Definition has a resolution of at least 8 megapixels, four times higher than current High Definition (HD), providing total immersion in the action. In 2014, sales in market increased significantly and in May 2014 more Ultra High Definition TVs were sold than throughout 2013 combined.

Canon pioneered the development of 4K cameras with the release of the EOS C500 and the EOS-1D C SLR in 2012, which rapidly became popular in the broadcast market. After testing the different brands and products available, Disney finally chose both Cinema EOS cameras for the project, as they were best placed to produce a professional quality result and tackle the challenging filming environment (light, 3D projection, etc.). Thanks to its compact size, the EOS-1D C was attached to the attraction’s ratmobiles, bespoke vehicles shaped as rats, with on-board devices specially designed for this work.

Stéphane Dery, Canon France Professional Imaging Group Director comments: “We are very honoured to count Disneyland Paris as one of the brands that has decided to rely on the Canon Cinema EOS system for its new attraction. This partnership once again demonstrates the unquestioned know how of Canon in the imaging and optical industry, and particularly in 4K.”

B&H carries the Canon EOS C500 and EOS 1D C Cinema cameras.

From Canon:

Thank you for using Canon products.

Firmware Version 2.1.3.1.00 incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

1. Supports exFAT file system of CF cards over 128 GB, which decreases the waiting time required for accessing the card before being able to record footage.
2. Simplifies the process when fine-tuning the preset White Balance values.

Firmware Version 2.1.3.1.00 is for EOS C300 cameras with Firmware Version 2.1.2.1.00. If your camera’s firmware is already version 2.1.3.1.00, it is not necessary to update the firmware. Once the camera is updated to the latest firmware version, it cannot be restored to a previous version.

Support
Download Firmware Version 2.1.3.1.00 for the EOS C300.

For further details, please refer to the latest version of the instruction manual for this product, which will be released at the same time as this firmware update.
Download the new version of the Instruction Manual for the EOS C300 Cinema EOS Camera.

This information is for residents of the United States and Puerto Rico only. If you do not reside in the USA or Puerto Rico, please contact the Canon Customer Support Center in your region.

If you have not already done so, please register your Canon EOS C300 Cinema EOS camera. By registering, we will be able to notify you via email about future service upgrades.

B&H carries the Canon EOS C300 Cinema camera.

From Nikon Europe:

Integrated marketing campaign to inspire a new generation of photographers

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 3rd November 2014 – Nikon today announces the launch of I AM DIFFERENT, a major new integrated marketing campaign designed to inspire photographers to explore the world of photography through their own individual perspective.

Understanding that photographers strive to be different through the images that they capture, Nikon will inspire and enable those at every level to achieve their ambitions and develop their skills using featured photographers.

The first phase of the campaign will launch on 3rd November 2014 across Europe with a TV commercial featuring Clark Little, the Hawaii-based photographer whose images captured from the middle of breaking waves are already causing a stir across the world. A second phase will roll out later in the year with up-and-coming photographer, Andrius Alexsandravicius.

For those motivated by the stories of Clark and Andrius, the campaign will be supported by a digital hub - www.europe-nikon.com/iamdifferent - on Nikon websites, where consumers can discover the photographers’ journey and the inspiration behind the emblematic images used in the advertising. In Clark’s case, visitors will find also find a mini documentary, behind the scenes footage and an interactive interview with the man himself.

The campaign is fully integrated, with a 20 and 30 second TV commercial, print, out of home, cinema and online advertising. Its core creative was devised by advertising agency Jung von Matt, with digital support provided by strategic digital agency, Blast Radius, and PR and social media from London-based integrated communications agency, Brands2Life.

“From teenagers getting to grips with Instagram right through to professional D-SLR users, photographers of all levels have aspirations of standing out from the crowd with their unique work. With this new campaign, we are guiding these individuals into quality photography by helping them take that next step and discovering their unique photography niche. This integrated marketing campaign will achieve this by tapping into the huge cross-media following that distinct and inspirational photographers have gathered across the world,” said Yasmin Hartson, Advertising and Media Manager, Nikon Europe. “This is an incredibly exciting time for photographers. We love the fact that so many people are enjoying taking so many pictures – whether on their smartphone or on a camera – and we’re there for them when they are ready to take the next step into quality photography. Our vision is to keep Nikon imaging technology at the heart of the image, and that means engaging more photographers at all levels more effectively and with more passion than ever before.”

My Canon EOS 7D Mark II arrived this week – WOO HOO! I will have lots of information to share about this camera in the very near future, but I kept notes as I unpacked and configured the "Baby 1D X" to the perfect (for me) setup. Following are the 30 (OK, there were initially 30, but I've tweaked the list slightly) steps I take to make an out-of-the-box 7D II ready for use.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. If you have another charged battery available, you can continue to the battery-required steps without a wait.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. For me, this is primarily the camera, the neck strap and the Canon Solution Disk.
3. Install Canon Solution Disk software to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Attach the neck strap.
5. Insert the battery (after charging completes).
6. Power the camera on.
7. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information. The GPS feature, if enabled, should take care of precise date/time maintenance going forward.
8. Insert one (or two) memory card(s) (format them via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
9. Set the camera's mode to one other than fully auto (the GreenSquare+ mode only provides a small subset of available menu options), C1, C2 or C3 (Custom modes do not retain settings for use in other modes).
10. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the cameras as follows:
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "–"
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: 4 sec.
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Beep: Disable
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Release without card: Disable/off
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: All disabled (though I suggest leaving CA correction enabled for most uses – all can be applied in DPP)
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: ISO Speed range: 100-H2(51200)
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Picture Style: Neutral with sharpness set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Long exposure noise reduction: I usually have this option set to "Auto", but my choice varies for the situation.
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off (noise reduction is destructive to images details – I prefer to add NR sparingly in post)
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 4: Anti-flicker shoot: Enable
22. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 1st image priority: Focus (I want the images in focus more than I want the time-priority capture)
23. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 2nd image priority: Focus (same reason)
24. AF Menu, Tab 4: Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Area + pt
25. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Highlight alert: Enable (flash portions of images that are overexposed)
26. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Playback grid: 3x3
27. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked pixels)
28. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Magnification (apx): 1X
29. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
30. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Enable
31. Custom Functions, Tab 3: Custom Controls: Set: Playback; Multicontroller: Direct AF point selection; AF area select lever: Direct AF area selection
32. Custom Functions, Tab 4: Default erase option: [Erase] selected
33. My Menu: Add tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Long exposure noise reduction, Mirror lockup, Format card, Date/Time/Zone (great for determining what time it is), Sensor cleaning

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot – including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me (and Sean's setup is nearly identical), your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an update-to-date list such as this is a good idea. Anytime your camera goes in for a service visit, the camera will be returned in a reset-to-factory state. Your list will ensure that you do not miss an important setting while putting the camera back into service.

B&H has the Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-135mm IS STM Lens in stock and I expect the body-only version to be available soon (preorder for earliest delivery).