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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Wildlife Photography - Photo Safari in the high Arctic



* * *  I have returned from my photo shoot in the high Arctic  * * *


I am off to the high Arctic on a photo shoot in Svalbard, an archipelago deep inside the Arctic Circle, in the Land of the Midnight Sun. In the summer months, there is 24 hour daylight and the weather and seas are unpredictable. It can range from a blustery, snowy day with 40+ knots winds to sunny, T-shirt weather the next. 



The wildlife in Svalbard is diverse. There is a population of about 3,000 Polar bears on the islands, together with indigenous herds of Reindeer. Arctic foxes, Atlantic Walruses, many species of whales, dolphins, seals and pelagic birds can be found among the ice floes, cliffs and numerous islands and coves.





The erratic pattern of ice floes and weather conditions will be a challenge for the ship's captain and my equipment but the Arctic scenery, replete with glaciers and ice cliffs are so spectacular, I will be too engrossed to worry about the rough seas and temperatures, as long as I am properly dressed. 



There are no Internet access on the expedition ship so have to wait till my return to reconnect. In the meantime, visit my website MichaelDanielHo.com and browse this Blog to see photos and read stories from my previous trips. Wish me luck on my sightings and encounters. My last photo shoot to India was just average. I need a break to get some spectacular images.   

Canon EOS-5D Mk III Product Advisory - LCD Illumination




UPDATE :

Please see the changes to the “Identification Procedure” section below regarding criteria for affected serial numbers. The identification method has been enhanced to include the first digit in the identification procedure in order to more precisely identify affected products.

Thank you for using Canon products.

Concerning the EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR camera, when the LCD panel illuminates in extremely dark environments, the displayed exposure value may change. Canon has concluded the investigation of this phenomenon, and this announcement informs you of our findings as described below.

Phenomenon

In extremely dark environments, if the LCD panel illuminates, the displayed exposure value may change. However, based on the results of extensive testing this change in exposure value will not noticeably affect the captured image.

Affected Product

The phenomenon described above may occur in Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR Cameras whose first and sixth digits of the serial number are as set forth below.

Identification Procedure :

Serial Number: [XnnnnNnnnnnn]
"X"="0" and "N"="1" or "2"
"n" represents any digit.
Examples of affected serial numbers are: "0nnnn1nnnnnn" or"0nnnn2nnnnnn"

Support

Under almost all shooting conditions (including dark environments) this phenomenon will not affect your captured images. However, if you would like Canon to inspect your camera, we will provide this service free of charge upon request beginning in mid-May. Please contact Canon using the information below to request service.

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.

Please register the EOS-5D Mk III. By registering, we will be able to notify you via email when service updates are available. If you already registered, please ensure you are opted-in to receive the notification.

Thank you,
Customer Support Operations
Canon U.S.A., Inc

Contact Information for Inquiries
Canon Customer Support Center
Phone: 1-800-OK-CANON, 1-800-652-2666
TDD: 1-866-251-3752
Email : carecenter@cits.canon.com
For additional support options : www.usa.canon.com/support

Monday, June 23, 2014

Canon EOS-6D Auto Exposure Bracketing Tutorial


Canon USA has put out a tutorial video on how to use Auto Exposure Bracketing on the full frame EOS-6D camera. I am not a big fan of this camera although it can be a good value for those who are limited in their equipment budget. See the other videos on multiple exposures and in camera HDR as well.

Read my post on the EOS-5D vs. EOS-6D comparison and my guide to the best Canon DSLR cameras. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com 


Saturday, June 21, 2014

Canon EOS-7D Mk II, EOS-1D X Mk II, EOS-5D Mk IV Coming





* * *  For a nostalgic look, read this post on the EOS-1 camera  * * *

* * *  Read the latest post on EOS-5D Mk IV camera  * * *


The EOS-7D has been out for almost 5 years and is one of Canon's most successful cameras. The Mk II should be announced on September 15. Read my latest post on this highly anticipated DSLR body, including yours truly.

The Canon EOS-1D X has been available for about two years now. I have picked this camera as the best DSLR body on the market two years in a row. Since its announcement, there has been many improvements in the world of high tech camera equipment - the DIGIC 6 processor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF system and newer sensor technology, just to name a few.

My sources informed me the upcoming EOS-7D Mk II will be the first camera to feature a new, ground breaking sensor technology but even more advanced version will be introduced on the EOS-5D Mk IV and EOS-1D X Mk II cameras in early 2015.

Nikon recently released their D4S camera. Canon, in anticipation of the move, released Firmware 2.0.3 to enhance the capabilities and features of the EOS-1D X back in January. In my opinion, the camera is holding its own against the newer Nikon and Canon engineers are busy working on the Mk II version. You can see photos taken with the current camera on worldwide shoots on MichaelDanielHo.com

With major emphasis placed on the Canon Cinema EOS camera line, there was a secret test last month in some New York City film studios. The camera in question was a prototype Canon EOS-1D X Mk II, with a new type of sensor, creating files that are larger than the present EOS-1D X and similar in size to the EOS-5D Mk III but with superior colors and details.

The EOS-1D X is a favorite body for sports and wildlife photographers. I believe Canon wants to maintain the burst rate of the Mk II to at least equal the current EOS-1D X's 12 to 14 fps. If they can increase the size of the output file without having to increase the mega pixel of the sensor too much, this would be ideal for them.

If everything goes well, the EOS-1D X Mk II model may have a product development announcement some time late 2014, with an early to mid 2015 official launch date and a Q1 to Q2 shipping schedule for the camera. That would put the EOS-1D X's replacement cycle about three years after its first introduction. The EOS-5D Mk IV may be announced before or after the EOS-1D X Mk II. Right now the timetable is very fluid for both cameras. Canon needs to pull out all the stops and complete the official EOS-7D Mk II launch first and then they can turn their full attention to the other two cameras. Keep checking back for the latest information and development.

Canon Quick Tips - Photographing Fireworks




4th of July is just around the corner. Canon Digital Learning Center has put out an article on how to photograph fireworks. Keep experimenting and happy shooting. Below is the article in its entirety.

Fireworks are one of the most inspiring and photogenic, yet challenging subjects, to capture. And unfortunately, this is one of those shooting situations where fully automatic exposure and focusing may not help. However, with these tricks up your sleeve, a few accessories and a willingness to experiment, you'll capture amazing fireworks photos this Fourth of July!
Setting up for fireworks

Try to arrive early enough to scout out a good location to take pictures from. You don’t necessarily need to be close to where the fireworks will be launched from, but you want to be sure you’ll have a clear, unobstructed view of open sky where you expect them to explode. The closer you are to the fireworks, the more you’ll have to aim the camera upward to capture them, and the wider a lens you’ll generally need to get them into the frame without cutting part of the fireworks out of the picture.

Be aware of factors like wind. Fireworks produce smoke and if you’re downwind from where they’re launched from, you’ll be shooting through a veil of smoke that’ll interfere with your color, sharpness and exposure after the first few bursts.

And of course, try to find a location where you won’t be partially blocked by other people viewing the fireworks and, likewise, where you won’t be an obstruction to others in attendance. You won’t be able to avoid crowds completely — but by arriving early, you hopefully can find a location that combines a clear view and is a bit offset from crowds of people.

Bring a few things to keep you comfortable: a portable lawn chair, mosquito repellent and perhaps a lightweight long-sleeve shirt to minimize problems with biting insects on summer nights. Since you may be waiting around for a while for the show to start, don’t forget things like water. A small, clean hand towel can be helpful on hot nights to prevent sweat from getting onto the camera or your lens. And while it’s not a comfort item, a small flashlight can be invaluable for changing camera settings after dark.

Camera Settings: Exposure modes

Get out of AUTO! With near-black nighttime skies and the illumination from bright, thin streaks of fireworks, this is one instance where your camera’s automatic exposure system simply can’t be expected to deliver proper results. In all likelihood, Evaluative Metering and auto exposure in an EOS camera will try to render the dark skies to a middle shade of gray and, in doing so, grossly wash-out your fireworks. There’s a better answer:

Turn your camera’s mode dial to “M” for Manual and manually select a shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Or, set the camera to its “Bulb” setting — more on that in a moment.

Even though we speak at length about dialing-in your own specific shutter speeds, this is one instance where (usually) shutter-priority (the Tv mode) on your camera won’t be an ideal choice. Like any form of automatic exposure, the Tv mode can be fooled by broad expanses of dark sky and end up over-exposing the fireworks you’re hoping to capture.
Camera Settings: Shutter speeds

Long exposures at slow shutter speeds are the norm for photographing fireworks. Most shooters experiment with long shutter speeds anywhere from one full second to 30 seconds or longer for fireworks. These relatively long exposures will allow the burst from the fireworks to produce moving streaks, which can be stunning against a dark sky. There’s no “right” shutter speed here, so many users will try different speeds to get a feel for the sorts of fireworks pictures that result. With the camera set to Manual exposure mode, simply turn the Main Dial on top of the camera to set the speed you want to use.

Since many digital SLR shooters rarely venture into the range of slow shutter speeds, it’s helpful to remember that with all Canon EOS cameras, any shutter speed of one full second or longer is indicated by two “quote marks” after the number displayed in the viewfinder and on the body’s information panel. In other words :

    5" = five full seconds shutter speed
    0' '5 = one half-second shutter speed
    5 = one fifth-second (1/5) shutter speed

When manually dialing-in shutter speeds for fireworks, most users will want to see speeds with the two digital quote marks displayed after the number. Remember, the longer the shutter speed, the longer the trails of light for each fireworks burst will be in your images.
Multiple fireworks bursts in one image:

At longer shutter speeds, such as 10 seconds or more, it’s sometimes possible for two or more fireworks to be captured in one single exposure. How multiple bursts of fireworks will line up in a picture is unpredictable, but it’s definitely something to experiment with. You can dial-in timed shutter speeds as long as 30 seconds with all Canon EOS cameras. But for shutter speeds longer than 30 seconds, you’ll need to switch to the BULB setting, where you can hold the shutter open for as long as the shutter button is kept in its fully depressed position.

BULB with EOS Rebel models :

Set camera to Manual (M) mode; turn top Main Dial to progressively slower shutter speeds, until “BULB” is displayed

Most other EOS models :

Turn Mode Dial to “B” setting. With EOS-1D and 1Ds series models, press MODE button and turn top Main Dial until “bulb” appears on top LCD info panel

Camera settings : Lens apertures

Manual exposure mode requires you to set an appropriate lens aperture, as well as shutter speed. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

There is no “correct” aperture for fireworks shooting! In general, especially at longer shutter speeds (such as eight seconds or longer), you’ll want to stop the lens down to smaller apertures, such as f/11 or thereabouts, to ensure the fireworks aren’t over-exposed and washed-out.
Smaller lens openings (higher f-numbers, such as f/16) will tend to give you thinner fireworks streaks with richer color saturation and less tendency to wash-out (especially if more than one burst of fireworks appears in the same image). 

If you do use shorter shutter speeds (such as 1 second), this is an instance where you should start out at wider lens apertures, such as f/4 or f/2.8. Adjust as needed after shooting and viewing the first few fireworks shots you take.

Don’t pay attention to the metering scale in your viewfinder! Normally a reliable tool when setting exposure in Manual mode, this scale will read the dark sky and try to guide you into a middle-gray rendering of this dark expanse — exactly what you don’t want in fireworks pictures. Set an initial shutter speed and lens aperture in Manual mode, shoot a picture or two and look at them on your LCD monitor. Adjust shutter speed and/or lens aperture as needed but, again, fireworks are an unusual type of photographic subject, so ignore that metering scale!

Be sure you know how to set lens apertures in Manual or Bulb mode with your camera. With EOS Rebel models, press the Av/± button (hold it in) and turn the top Main Dial. For other EOS models, turn the large Quick Control Dial on the back of the camera to adjust aperture when in Manual and Bulb mode.
Camera settings: ISOs

Even though you’re shooting the nighttime sky, fireworks are generally a situation where you want low ISO settings. Unless you’re trying to use shutter speeds faster than perhaps 1/8 or 1/4 of a second, we normally would suggest manually dialing-in low ISOs such as 100 or 200.

Once again, we usually suggest that you bypass the Auto ISO settings in your camera. They are a potentially valuable asset in “normal” daylight shooting conditions, but fireworks represent an unusual type of lighting that doesn’t lend itself well to most types of automatic exposure control.
Image Controls in EOS cameras

Aside from the exposure control settings we recommend above as good starting points for fireworks, there are a couple of other settings you may want to consider which can impact the image quality of your fireworks pictures:

Highlight Tone Priority

This can be a big benefit in fireworks pictures — helping to add color and vitality to streaks of fireworks, and minimizing that washed-out look to bright highlight areas. It can be set with nearly any recent EOS camera, and works at any shutter speed. About its only limitation is that when it’s active, the lowest available ISO speed is now 200, rather than ISO 100. Regardless, this is a setting that should be strongly considered.

Neutral Picture Style

This will similarly tend to reduce contrast, expand your dynamic range, and give you color in bright fireworks streaks that might have been rendered as a washed-out, bordering-on-white tone at factory-default settings. Fireworks pictures are rarely about increasing detail in dark sky tones — we usually want them to be dark in the finished pictures — but anything that can enhance bright highlights in your fireworks is helpful.  These two features are worth trying the next time you shoot fireworks images.

Supporting and firing your camera

There’s no getting around it: a firm support (ideally, a tripod) is mandatory for satisfactory results when shooting fireworks. Even if you’re using an image stabilized lens, the likelihood that you can hand-hold that and the camera completely steadily at slow shutter speeds, like one second or longer, is pretty slim.

Once the camera is mounted on the tripod, you’re still faced with firing it without the risk of having the camera shake from your finger pressing the shutter button. Anything you can do to minimize the impact from physically pressing the shutter button is helpful. Here are some of your options:

Use the self-timer

Activating the camera’s self-timer still requires you to press the shutter, but gives either a 2-10 second delay before the shutter actually fires — giving the camera a few moments to “settle down” from any shaking after the camera was touched. The problem is that you no longer can precisely time your shots to match when a fireworks rocket is launched upward. But at longer speeds, when you expect to have the shutter open to capture multiple bursts, the self-timer may be a viable option.

Use an accessory Canon Remote Controller

An electronic remote control switch (sometimes generically referred to as an “electronic cable release”) is a short cable that connects to the camera and has its own shutter button. By pressing this button, you can trigger the shutter without directly transferring shake to the camera and lens. One huge benefit of the Remote Controllers is that their shutter button can be physically locked in its fully depressed position with a sliding lock switch, allowing the camera’s shutter to remain open steadily for long Bulb exposures.

Here is a list of which Canon Remote Controllers work on which EOS cameras :

Canon Remote

EOS Digital Rebels (all); EOS 60D; EOS 70D :  Remote Controller RS60-E3

EOS 5D series (all); EOS 6D; EOS 7D; EOS 10D - 50D : Remote Controller RS80-N3, Timer Remote Controller TC80-N3

EOS-1D, EOS-1Ds (all versions) : Remote Controller RS80-N3, Timer Remote Controller TC80-N3

Use an accessory wireless infrared remote control

Canon also makes cordless remote controllers, which fire an infrared beam to trigger the shutter on compatible EOS cameras. The compact and affordable RC-1, RC-5 and RC-6 remote controllers work with specific EOS models, allowing them to be fired up to about 15 feet from the camera. The professional-grade LC-5 remote controller is a set with a separate transmitter and receiver for cameras compatible with the “N3” type remotes listed above. The shooter can be up to about 300 feet (100m) from the camera with the LC-5.

Unlike the cord-type remote controllers, the infrared cordless ones cannot hold the shutter open in Bulb mode. They can, however, be used when you manually set a shutter speed, down to 30 seconds.
    
Use your Android or iOS mobile device to remotely fire select EOS cameras

The EOS 6D is the first Canon EOS model to have built-in Wi-Fi capability. One option with this system is to download Canon’s free “EOS Remote” app to your phone, connect the camera and phone, then remotely fire the camera from the phone. You can even see a live view of the scene through the lens of the camera on the phone before you fire it, then see the finished image after it’s taken. The phone can be up to about 100 feet (30m) from the camera. Bulb mode can be used with EOS Remote and your mobile device, with the camera’s shutter remaining open as long as you keep the button on the phone’s LCD screen depressed (there is no separate locking switch for long bulb exposures). To check out other features the EOS 6D is capable of, check out our on-camera tutorials.

Techniques for taking fireworks pictures

Option 1: Bulb mode for one fireworks burst

With the camera pre-positioned and set to Bulb mode, watch for a fireworks shell to be launched upward. Press the shutter button to open the shutter and keep it open for the burst to occur. Wait a few moments after the initial burst to record the streaks and any secondary bursts that may occur. Then remove your finger from the button to end the Bulb exposure.

Option 2: Bulb mode for multiple bursts

Same as above, but after the first burst, keep the shutter open for another burst or two. Don’t go overboard, because as multiple bursts on one image build-up, you can easily run into over-exposure. Depending upon where each appears on the image, the beauty of individual bursts can become more of a jumble of random streaks. Two or three bursts can be effective, but don’t feel like you have to keep the shutter open for a minute or longer — you’ll likely just over-expose the scene.

Option 3: Bulb mode for long exposures — the “Baseball hat technique”

Leaving the camera’s shutter open for long periods in Bulb mode to capture multiple bursts can be effective when they occur in quick succession, but (especially early on in a fireworks show), some time may occur between each shell launch. If you’re looking to get multiple bursts in this situation, bring an opaque baseball cap to cover the lens in between each burst while the shutter remains open in Bulb mode. This is especially easy if you’re using an accessory electronic remote switch with a locking shutter button.

Let the camera capture the first explosion, then immediately (and gently) drape the baseball hat over the lens, to cover it. Leave the shutter open, with the remote’s button still in its locked position. When the next bursts go skyward, remove the hat to expose the imaging sensor and after it’s completed, “cover” the lens with the hat again. Don’t mix too many fireworks bursts this way, but experiment with different numbers of them. When you’ve got enough for one picture, slide the locking switch to unlock the remote’s shutter button and the exposure ends. You’re ready for the next bulb-timed picture. If you don't have a baseball hat, any solid object large enough to fully cover the front of the lens should work fine (such as a piece of cardboard).

Option 4: Use faster shutter speeds to “freeze” a fireworks burst

Unlike many shooters who use long shutter exposures, Canon Product Educator Jim Dicecco has had great success using shorter speeds.

Jim explains: “Fireworks are much easier to shoot than most people expect. However, you do need to plan ahead. Here is my usual equipment: a digital camera, a wide-angle zoom lens (my favorite focal length for shooting fireworks with a full-frame camera is about 24mm, or a 15mm lens on cameras like an EOS Rebel or 70D), a remote shutter release and a small tripod.

“My camera settings are usually:  ISO 100, Bulb mode (generally held open for about half a second to two seconds) and the aperture all the way open (usually around f/2.8, f/3.5 or f/4 depending on the lens). Focus is usually set to infinity but the first few fireworks can help establish focus. I prefer using cameras with Live View so I can watch while I'm shooting. When the shot is taken, it is all about timing. I look for the rockets to take off and try to time the explosion. I use the remote release so not to move the camera and hold down the button watching as the fireworks expand to the point where I want to stop the exposure. It’s all about timing the expansion of the display in the air. Post-production consists mostly of cropping since composition was difficult to control under these circumstances (one reason for the wide angle lens).

“Finally, don’t even think of trying to use flash! It won’t help capture distant fireworks though it will help illuminate objects or people in the foreground if you want to take portraits with fireworks in the background.”

Focusing the lens

Now, turn the focus ring until you’re set at infinity focus. Some Canon lenses have a distance scale printed on them for this purpose, but others (like the popular EF-S 18-55mm kit lens) do not. If you don’t have a distance scale, with the lens set to “MF” and the front of the lens facing you (as if you’re staring into the lens), turn the focus ring with your fingers clockwise until it stops. Now leave it there and do not set it back to “AF” until you’re done shooting fireworks.
Digital “noise” in long exposures

Any time a digital camera’s shutter is held open for longer than a few seconds, for technical reasons, it’s possible to see an increase in visible digital “noise” in the picture. This is sort of like film grain or the “snow” you might see on a TV screen with weak reception. As shutter speeds get progressively longer (10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute and so on), this noise can build up and become increasingly apparent. Most Canon EOS digital SLRs have an available feature called “Long Exposure Noise Reduction,” which can be activated by either a Custom Function or menu setting.

Some users wonder why this noise reduction feature isn’t always on at all times. The answer is that using it can slow down your shooting of one picture after another. To do its job, Long Exposure Noise Reduction has to re-energize your imaging sensor and take a “blank” exposure, after your actual picture is taken, for the same length of time. During this time, you cannot shoot another picture — the red card “busy light” on the back of the camera stays on until the process is completed. If you shoot a 30 second exposure, the camera has to be tied-up for an additional 30 full seconds to process before your next picture can be taken. This can be a problem during rapid repeating bursts of fireworks.

As a practical matter, the noise build-up at shutter speeds of 30 seconds or shorter (10 seconds, 1 second and so on) is so minimal that you’re usually better off leaving this noise reduction off for fireworks shooting. But if you do anticipate using the “baseball hat” technique and utilizing longer bulb exposure times, you may find a noticeable quality boost if this feature is set to on. Long Exposure Noise Reduction only applies to images taken at shutter speeds of one second or longer and is ignored at shorter speeds like 1/2 second, 1/60th and so on. Finally, don’t confuse this with “High ISO Noise Reduction” on your camera’s menu. They’re two separate and independent things.
Your camera’s battery life during long exposures

Generally, the battery in an EOS digital SLR can power the camera for hundreds of pictures in ordinary daylight conditions. But longer shutter speeds require more battery power to hold the shutter open and build-up exposure on the imaging sensor. If you shoot a series of long exposures, you definitely need to be aware that batteries won’t last as long. For long exposures, camera makers rate the battery power in terms of total length of time a freshly charged battery can hold the shutter open. Here are a few examples supplied by Canon’s engineers at 73°F/23°C — keep in mind that these don’t factor-in use of the LCD monitor, such as Live View shooting, or playing-back images during shooting:

    EOS Rebel series: Approx. 2 ~ 2.5 hours
    EOS 60D: Approx. 6 hours
    EOS 70D: Approx. 4 hours
    EOS 7D, EOS 50D: Approx. 2.5 hours
    EOS 5D Mark II and Mark III: Approx. 4 hours

Most Canon EOS digital SLRs accept an optional Battery Grip, which does allow the photographer to install one or two rechargeable batteries. With two batteries installed, any of the above figures would be doubled. Battery grips with an extra battery pack can be a great accessory for extensive shooting of fireworks displays.

Composition in fireworks shots

No matter what kind of subjects or photography we’re speaking of, great pictures begin with great composition — that is, the placement and arrangement of subjects in the image.

Fireworks pictures are no different, but they present a challenge since you can’t see your final subject until it explodes in the night sky and you’re actually capturing it.

You don’t always want to be among the spectators closest to the fireworks themselves. By backing off and occasionally using a telephoto lens, it’s sometimes easier to get good, sharp images of a burst of fireworks, compared to looking upward with a wider-angle lens.

Look at the first burst or two to judge how much of the sky they take up, how high they go and what lens(es) will be appropriate for the types of shots you’re looking for. Remember, you can back-off with a wide-angle lens and incorporate more of the surrounding area (possibly a powerful technique near a city skyline) or you can zoom in with more of a telephoto lens to emphasize the colors from the fireworks themselves with less emphasis on the surrounding sky.

Just as when you’re shooting pictures of people, consider whether to use horizontal or vertical composition. Try to look through the viewfinder during the first burst or two to judge what will most effectively fill the frame and the amount of background information you want. Also, don’t let your eyes play tricks on you when you look through your viewfinder or use the Live View feature on your camera: it’s easy to concentrate visually on the fireworks’ burst as it happens and lose sight of the fact that there may be large black areas of surrounding sky that you’re not taking into account. Always try to judge the position and size of the subject in the context of the entire picture area, from corner to corner. The Live View feature of many recent EOS models can be useful to get an idea from the first burst or two of how the frame will be filled.

Try mixing things up as you shoot the show. Change lens apertures, alter the number of bursts you capture on a single frame, vary your zoom setting, shoot some pictures with foreground details and others where you’re zoomed in more on the sky. The more you shoot, the better the chances of some really exciting pictures.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Canon EOS-1D X Camera For $5,099


Canon EOS-1D X with EF 200-400mm f/4L IS 1.4x Extender lens

There is a top-rated merchant on eBay selling the Canon EOS-1D X camera for $5,099 including shipping. Hurry, it won't last. This is an excellent price and my pick as the best full frame DSLR camera two years in a row.

You will not find a link to this eBay item because I do not accept any ad or commissioned link on my Blog. I am completely unbiased in my recommendation and have no conflict of interest. You can see travel and wildlife photos taken with this camera on my worldwide photo shoots on MichaelDanielHo.com

Canon Patent - EF 400mm f/4 DO IS


Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS lens

* * *  Read the latest post on EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II lens  * * * 

A new patent for the Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS has been uncovered by Egami of Japan. The current EF 400mm f/4 DO IS is my favorite prime Super Telephoto lens but its design and technology is 'aging' after the initial introduction in late 2001. The current lens is in my equipment bag on all my photo shoots. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com




 Patent Publication No. 2014-109700
  •         Publication date 2014.6.12
  •         Filing date 2012.12.3

 Example 1
  •         Focal length f = 392.00-381.59-332.99mm
  •         Fno.
  •         Half angle ? = 3.16-3.10-2.81 °
  •         Image height Y = 21.64mm
  •         The overall length of the lens 292.02mm
  •         BF 105.64mm

Canon EOS-6D In-Camera HDR Tutorial


Canon USA has put out a tutorial video on how to take High Dynamic Range photos on the full frame EOS-6D camera. I am not a big fan of this camera although it can be a good value for those who are limited in their equipment budget. See the other videos on multiple exposures and Auto Exposure Bracketing as well.

Read my post on the EOS-5D vs. EOS-6D comparison and my guide to the best Canon DSLR cameras. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com 


Apple iOS 8 Camera App Feature Demo


Apple recently announced their latest operating system for smartphones - iOS 8. Rumor has it three new features that come with the new software's stock Camera App are : time-lapse, exposure adjustment and a timer. 

For those who can't wait for iOS 8 to go live, check out the video below to see how the new features actually work on the phone. I like the convenience of the camera on some smartphones but to take a quality photo for keeps, there is no substitute for a real camera. Check out these useful iPhone tips as well. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com


Multiple Exposures With Canon EOS-6D Camera


Canon USA has put out a tutorial video on how to use multiple exposures on the full frame EOS-6D camera. I am not a big fan of this camera although it can be a good value for those who are limited in their equipment budget. See the other video on taking High Dynamic Range photos as well.

Read my post on the EOS-5D vs. EOS-6D comparison and my guide to the best Canon DSLR cameras. You can see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com 


Canon Mobile Printing App For iOS/Android




Thursday, June 19, 2014

Tamron 18-200mm VC Lens For Canon EOS-M


Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III VC lens


* * *  Canon also announced the EF-M 55-200mm lens  * * *


June 19, 2014, Commack, New York 
- Tamron USA, Inc. announced the price and delivery of the 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III[2] VC for Canon mount (Model B011). This lightweight, compact high-power zoom lens, originally released for Sony mount in 2011, is designed for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras with APS-C sized sensors and sports a stylish design and is available in two color options. It will be available in the U.S. starting June 26, 2014 at $499.


Product Highlights

  • This high-power, 18-200mm, lightweight and compact zoom lens weighing 16.2 ounces with a 62mm filter is designed for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Equipped with Tamron’s acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation), the lens enables easy handheld shooting from 18mm wide angle to 200mm full telephoto.
  • Employing two (Low Dispersion) elements, three Molded-Glass Aspherical elements, one XR (high refractive index) element, and one Hybrid Aspherical element, the lens delivers astounding image quality by reducing aberrations to a bare minimum.
  • The lens boasts a striking appearance worthy of mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera designs. The metallic lens barrel exterior is available in two colors: black and silver.
  • The lens also has a stepping motor adopted for the AF drive, a construction that accommodates Contrast-detection AF and shooting video. This feature also supports Direct Manual Focus (DMF) function, which allows the user to make fine manual adjustments after initially focusing by AF.

Adobe Lightroom 5.5 Available For Download




Adobe released the latest version of Lightroom 5.5 (Mac download | Windows download)

The update supports Canon G1 X Mark II and the following lenses for the Canon EF mounts :

  • Sigma 50m F1.4 DG HSM
  • Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM
  • Tamron 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 Dill VC PZD Macro

The new software fixes the following Bugs :

  • Improved responsiveness in Develop module while Lightroom mobile sync is occurring.
  • Custom Develop module default settings were not syncing correctly to Lightroom mobile.
  • Initial rendition in Develop would sometimes appear posterized.
  • Undo function failed and applied a preset instead.
  • Scaling looked inaccurate when scaling to 200% in Windows.
  • Manual slideshows sometimes did not advance to the next slide as expected.
  • Aspect ratio changed when modifying the crop rectangle and when rotating the crop
  • Image flips between portrait and landscape after switching orientation while shooting tethered with Leica S cameras.
  • Fixed issue with Fujifilm X-T1 raw images appearing too bright at high ISO settings when using Dynamic Range 200% and 400%. Unfortunately, this fix may affect the appearance of existing images captured with this combination of settings. It is recommended that you (1) purge the Camera Raw cache via the Preferences dialog, and (2) review images shot at ISO settings higher than 1600 for unexpected brightness changes.
  • Fixed image quality issue (noisy result) when applying spot healing to floating-point (HDR) images.
  • Fixed issue with reading lossless compressed Nikon raw files (NEF files) from the camera models listed below. Previously, some images could be read but would appear as random noise, whereas attempting to open others would result in an error dialog. You will need to purge your Camera Raw cache via the Preferences dialog.

Canon Patent - EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM



The Japanese blog, Egami has uncovered a new Canon patent for an EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 STM lens. The same patent covers the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens as well. The highly anticipated announcement of the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens, with the Ultrasonic motor instead of STM, may come in the first week of September.

 
Patent Publication No. 2014-102462

  •         Publication date 2014.6.5
  •         Filing date 2012.11.22

   Example 1

  •         Zoom ratio 4.24
  •         Focal length f = 56.90-133.00-241.28mm
  •         Fno. 4.12-5.04-5.83
  •         Half angle ? = 13.50-5.86-3.24 °
  •         Image height 13.66mm
  •         154.33-176.38-191.20mm overall length of the lens
  •         BF 41.21mm

 Example 5

  •         Zoom ratio 3.73
  •         Focal length f = 104.59-199.99-389.99mm
  •         Fno. 4.58-5.03-5.87
  •         Half angle ? = 11.69-6.17-3.18 °
  •         Image height 21.64mm
  •         245.09-285.06-308.91mm overall length of the lens
  •         BF 68.73mm

Adobe Announces All New Creative Cloud




SAN JOSE, Calif. – Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE), the leader in creative software, today made the $9.99 Photo Plan permanent and continued to drive Creative Cloud innovation by announcing 14 new versions of CC desktop applications, including essential tools such as Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe Dreamweaver CC and Adobe Premiere Pro CC. The biggest Adobe software release since CS6, it also includes four new mobile apps, the immediate availability of creative hardware, updates to Creative Cloud services and new offerings for enterprise, education and photography customers. Yesterday, Adobe announced that there are now over 2.3 million Creative Cloud subscriptions, far exceeding original projections when it was unveiled two years ago.

“Our shift to Creative Cloud has given us a broad canvas on which to innovate like never before,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media, Adobe. “We’ve taken bold steps with this milestone release, fast-tracking new features to industry-defining tools like Photoshop and InDesign, while introducing mobile apps that turn tablets into indispensable creative tools.”

The release serves a creative industry that is changing at a staggering pace: three in four creatives believe the industry has changed more in the past five years than the previous 50 and about two thirds believe their role will significantly change in the next 3 years (see The New Creatives Report, surveying 1,000 U.S. creatives, issued June 16). Creatives cited new technologies as the top driving force behind the rapid change.

Join Creative Cloud Photography Plan $9.99mth

Mobile Apps Extend CC Desktop Workflows

Delivering on mobile innovation, Adobe launched three new mobile apps for iPad – Adobe Sketch, Adobe Line, and Adobe Photoshop Mix; and began shipping new creative hardware called Adobe Ink, a new digital pen, and Adobe Slide, a new digital ruler (see separate release). The mobile apps were developed using a new Adobe Creative SDK that unlocks over 30 years of Adobe innovation and makes it available on mobile devices for the first time. These new apps are professional-grade quality but easy enough for anyone to use, similar to the recently launched Lightroom mobile for photographers and Adobe’s new animated video app for storytelling, Adobe Voice, which were also updated with this release. These powerful, yet easy-to-use apps add significant mobile capabilities to Creative Cloud, integrate workflows with the CC desktop apps and bring tablets into serious creative workflows for the first time.

New Versions of CC Desktop Apps

Beyond mobile innovation, the 2014 release of Creative Cloud delivers more Adobe magic, makes everyday tasks easier and faster, while delivering new support for cutting-edge hardware and standards. Highlights of top features in the 14 new desktop apps include :

  • New capabilities in Photoshop CC for photographers such as, Blur Gallery motion effects for creating a sense of motion; Focus Mask that makes portrait shots with shallow depth of field stand out; new Content-Aware capabilities; and the recently introduced Perspective Warp for fluidly adjusting the perspective of a specific part of your image without affecting the surrounding area. Designers using Photoshop CC will enjoy enhanced Mercury Graphics Engine performance as well as the ability to link Smart Objects and share them across multiple documents. With improved Layer Comps, users save time by changing the visibility, position, or appearance of one layer and simply syncing to see the change reflected in all other Layers. Photoshop CC also has ability to pinch and zoom images, create smoother strokes, and deliver a more responsive experience on Windows 8 Touch devices, such as Microsoft Surface Pro 3.
  • Also for designers, new capabilities in Illustrator CC include Live Shapes to quickly transform rectangles into complex shapes and then return to the original rectangle with just a few clicks, as well as faster rendering of vector graphics with GPU acceleration on Windows with an Adobe-certified NVIDIA graphics card. In InDesign CC, layout artists can now select table rows and columns and use EPUB Fixed Layout to easily create digital books. Adobe Muse CC now includes 64-bit support, HiDPI display support for sharper-looking images, objects, and text, and the ability to preview and optimize desktop, smartphone and tablet versions of your sites before going live.
  • New features in the video apps include, Live Text Templates and Masking and Tracking, new integrations that leverage the power of Adobe After Effects CC inside Adobe Premiere Pro CC. Race through projects thanks to enhanced graphics performance in Premiere Pro; precise new keying effects in After Effects; a more flexible Direct Link color pipeline in Adobe SpeedGrade CC; and enhanced multi-track tools for audio work in Adobe Audition CC. Integration between apps has also been further improved to save time when working between Premiere Pro and After Effects or SpeedGrade.
  • Web tools now include the ability to look at the markup in a document using the new Element Quick View in Dreamweaver CC, which allows Web developers to easily see, navigate, and modify the HTML structure of pages. CSS Designer improvements help apply CSS properties like gradients, box shadows and borders and then easily undo. SVG export in Flash Pro CC lets developers export any frame in Flash projects as an SVG file, while native HTML video support in Edge Animate CC allows the direct import of HTML5-friendly video clips.

Your Creative Assets and Your Creative Profile Anywhere

The new CC desktop apps, mobile apps, and hardware are tightly integrated through Creative Cloud services. This integration helps liberate the creative process by enabling users to access and manage everything that makes up their creative profile – their files, photos, fonts, colors, community and more – from wherever they work. Also introduced today is the new Creative Cloud app for iPhone and iPad that allows users to access and manage their files, assets, and more from their mobile device.

New Creative Cloud Offerings For Enterprises, Educational Institutions and Photographers

Adobe Creative Cloud for enterprise is an offering designed specifically for large-scale software deployments that works with other Adobe enterprise offerings such as Adobe Marketing Cloud, Acrobat, Adobe Anywhere, and Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. Updates include more services with collaboration and file storage, expanded options for deployment, and a new dashboard for managing users and entitlements. For education, Adobe now has a device-based licensing offer for classrooms and labs, which allows multiple users to access software on a single device rather than tying it to an individual with an Adobe ID, critical in an environment where students come and go. And for photography customers, Adobe has introduced a new Creative Cloud Photography Plan for $9.99 per month.

Pricing and Availability

Today’s updates to CC desktop tools are immediately available for download by Creative Cloud members as part of their membership at no additional cost. The new mobile apps are free to everyone. To join Creative Cloud, special promotional pricing is available to existing customers who own Adobe Creative Suite 3 or later. Membership plans are available for individuals, students, teams, educational institutions, government agencies and enterprises. To download free trials of any of the new Creative Cloud desktop apps, go to: Explore the desktop apps. For pricing details, visit: How to Buy.

Adobe $9.99/month Photography Plan Made Permanent




SAN JOSE, Calif. — June 18, 2014 — Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the availability of the new Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan and an All New Creative Cloud. Designed for anyone interested in photography, the new plan brings together — for USD$9.99 per month — Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5, two tools that have fundamentally impacted how photographs and imagery shape our visual culture, as well as Lightroom’s breakthrough mobile apps on iPad and now iPhone. Also introduced today is the all-new Photoshop Mix, a new iPad app that provides access to powerful Photoshop features normally confined to the desktop, enabling compositing and transformative edits while on the go. Built using the new Adobe Creative SDK (see separate release), Photoshop Mix delivers new levels of Adobe imaging precision and magic to mobile users.

“With our Lightroom products alone managing over 100 billion images, we know there’s a huge appetite from photography enthusiasts to have powerful, world-class software available on their mobile devices as well as their computers,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president, digital imaging, Adobe. “With Photoshop, Lightroom and new mobile photo apps, we’ve created the most complete photography solution on the planet, ensuring that anyone interested in photography can be creative with their images, no matter where they are.”

Join Creative Cloud Photography Plan $9.99mth

Create and Manage Beautiful Images in Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5
Photoshop CC, part of the Creative Cloud Photography Plan, was updated, with stunning new features — as part of a milestone release of Adobe Creative Cloud. Features for photographers, include :

  • Perspective Warp – The recently introduced capability for fluidly adjusting the perspective of a specific part of your image without affecting the surrounding area.
  • Blur Gallery motion effects – Two new additions, Path Blur and Spin Blur create a sense of motion, even if not originally captured with a camera, enabling photographers to tell their story or express just the right feeling in an image. There’s also faster performance when creating blur effects with the Mercury Graphics Engine delivering a performance boost with OpenCL.
  • Focus Mask – Lets Photoshop CC create the first step of a mask by automatically selecting the in-focus areas of an image. The Focus Mask feature works great with headshots and other images that have shallow depth of field.
  • Content-Aware color adaptation improvements – Previously when using Content-Aware features, if a selected area contained smooth gradients, it didn’t necessarily appear in the final image. Now retouched images using Content-Aware Fill, Move, and Patch gets more seamless and realistic. Additionally, new technology blends areas containing gradients, like skies, to give exceptional results.
  • Improved stylus support and experimental features for Windows 8.1 – Enjoy smoother brush strokes and a simple out-of-the-box experience with expanded stylus support for Windows 8.1. Turn on experimental features for touch and gesture controls and bigger touch targets on devices like Surface Pro 3.

The Creative Cloud Photography plan includes Lightroom 5 desktop software, a staple for all photographers, making digital photography easier, faster, and more amazing. Photographers can experiment without limits in a nondestructive editing environment and perfect shots with advanced controls for tone, contrast, color, and more. Efficient organizing tools help sort thousands of photos and make it simple to share them almost anywhere.

Mobile Solutions Takes Serious Photography Work Anywhere

Following its April 2014 release on iPad, Lightroom mobile is now available for iPhone. Lightroom mobile for iPhone and iPad provide the most efficient way to manage and edit images across desktops, mobile devices and the Web. The apps can automatically import images from the iPhone camera roll and sync back to a Lightroom catalog on the desktop. Lightroom mobile provides photography essentials, including non-destructive processing of files using Smart Preview technologies to enable professional class photo editing from the confines of the desktop. Quickly apply star ratings, flag or reject images and edit them on iPhone and iPad. Edits and metadata changes automatically sync back to the Lightroom catalog on the desktop and are also viewable from any Web browser at lightroom.adobe.com. Lightroom mobile photo collections are also accessible for users of Adobe Voice, the recently introduced free animated video storytelling app.

Photoshop Mix, provides a connected mobile workflow to Creative Cloud, aimed at anyone who wants access to powerful editing tools on their mobile device. Open Adobe Photoshop documents, individual layers from PSDs, and images from Lightroom mobile. Easily apply looks, create advanced selections and masks, and access advanced Photoshop features like Upright, Content-Aware Fill, and Camera Shake Reduction to take creativity on the go. Then export your layered and masked composition to Photoshop CC for further refinement on the desktop. Share work, or even save it to a Photoshop document for a mobile workflow that works seamlessly with Photoshop CC.

Technology Optimized for Mobile Photography

The Creative Cloud Photography plan’s desktop and mobile apps are connected by a powerful technology designed to enable users to edit and sync photos non-destructively from anywhere. By combining the same non-destructive editing pipeline found in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw, with Adobe’s renowned Smart Preview technologies, the amount of information being moved between apps is minimized, without compromising the end result. This gives users confidence that edits will be saved while being able to access their images with unprecedented speed, no matter what device.

Pricing and Availability

Creative Cloud Photography plan is available at $USD9.99 per month. For additional details, please visit: Creative Cloud Photography Plan $9.99mth.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Canon Professional Network On DPP 4.0 Software




Canon has launched Digital Photo Professional (DPP) 4.0, the first sweeping overhaul of Canon’s RAW processing software since its launch. The latest version of DPP - available for download at the end of June - has been updated with a raft of key changes to satisfy the most demanding of digital photographers. For those who can't wait, you can download the software now from Canon's Australia website.

Canon software engineers – having the unique advantage of being able to directly harness the power of the Canon sensors, DIGIC processors and lenses – have made the all-new Digital Photo Professional 4.0 a much faster, more dynamic, linear and feature-packed image editing software solution, thanks to the ability to fully utilise 64-bit architecture. The latest version of DPP has been designed and developed from the ground up, tailored to the workflows of professional and high-end amateurs to help them realise the key EOS System concepts of speed, ease of use and high image quality.

New, improved Canon algorithms have been optimised to make the most of the wealth of information delivered by the camera sensors, while productivity has been increased thanks to improved speed of RAW image display and developing that makes real-time image adjustment a reality.

DPP 4.0 ALL-NEW KEY FEATURES

  •     Faster, real-time adjustments.
  •     Improved RAW file workflow.
  •     Better, more approachable user interfaces.
  •     Compatible with 64-bit native environments.
  •     Colour adjustments for specific colour gamuts.
  •     Improved highlight recovery provides expanded tonality.
  •     Improved shadow recovery function.
  •     Support for movie playback.
  •     Auto Lighting Optimizer can be applied to JPEG images.
  •     Better integration with EOS Utility.

The all-new Digital Photo Professional has been re-engineered to give the most discerning photographers a far more comprehensive set of tools and functionalities to get the most from their images.

NEW COLOUR ADJUSTMENT PALETTE

A new colour adjustment palette allows hue, saturation and luminance adjustment for eight individual colour gamuts, enabling the user to adjust one specific colour in isolation without affecting the image as a whole. This is particularly useful when adjusting background tones in portraits, where there might previously have been a risk of giving a colour cast to skin tones, for example.
enlarge image

The all-new DPP 4.0 features faster real-time processing and offers a secondary image window, which can be used as a magnifier for detailed inspection of chosen areas of an image.

ENHANCED HIGHLIGHT FUNCTION

Canon software developers have re-engineered the processing algorithms to increase the freedom in tonal rendering. By adjusting highlights, it is now possible to reproduce tones such as those in clouds and peoples’ faces that would previously have appeared washed out.

DUAL DISPLAY SUPPORT

For those photographers with dual monitors, DPP 4.0 allows a secondary monitor to be used as the preview window on the primary display. While the main monitor can be used to perform delicate adjustments, a secondary image window for images can be used as a magnifier for closer inspection of part of an image.

BETTER EOS UTILITY INTEGRATION

With the launch of DDP 4.0 comes an updated EOS Utility 3 and the two pieces of software now offer better integration. The introduction of EOS Utility 3 makes it is possible to trigger the camera direct from the DPP tool palette as well as access to all the rest of the EOS Utility remote shooting functions without the need to start a separate application, thus enabling a more streamlined and integrated workflow.

CAMERA COMPATIBILITY AND OS SUPPORT

At launch, DPP 4.0 is compatible with Canon’s current range of full-frame DSLRs, including the EOS-1D X, EOS-1D C, EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 6D. For other models, an update of DPP 3.14 will be released.

Please note: DPP 4.0 will be compatible only with 64-bit OS, such as Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, plus Mac OS X 10.8 and 10.9.

Further Information on Canon EOS-7D Mk II Camera




* * *  Read the latest post on the EOS-7D Mk II camera  * * *


The announcement of the Canon EOS-7D Mk II is fast approaching, perhaps not fast enough for some, after almost 5 years of waiting and I am getting more 'leads.' My sources informed me they were 'briefed' on the features by a photographer who is using the camera at the World's Cup right now and he is not disagreeing too much with the specs I have speculated on my previous posts.

Possible specifications of the EOS-7D Mk II camera :

  • 20+ MP APS-C Sensor ( With new, breakthrough technology. Stay tuned )
  • Advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology
  • Dual DIGIC 5+ processors ( Excellent for speed processing )
  • 8 - 10 fps ( Most welcomed by me ) 
  • Dual Memory Card Slots ( One CF and one SD. I prefer 2 CF slots )
  • 45 -61 AF Points ( Perhaps similar to EOS-1D Mk IV and X )
  • 3.2″ LCD monitor ( Excellent for reviewing images )
  • 100% coverage viewfinder. Magnification 1.15
  • Similar build quality as the EOS-5D Mk III with improved weather proofing
  • Comes with GPS and WiFi ( Not necessary, in my opinion ) 
  • ISO Performance may equal EOS-5D Mk III ( Most welcomed by me )
  • Latest video features similar but more advanced than EOS-70D 
  • Selling price between $2,000 to $2,199. Not finalized yet
  • May be announced with EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens

As reported in my earlier posts, the new camera may look a 'baby' EOS-1. The mode dial found on all non EOS-1 DSLR bodies may be gone, replaced by a top plate, with a bigger bump than the current EOS-7D and similar to the EOS-1D X.

The current EOS-7D is an excellent piece of equipment and my pick, four years in a row as the best value in APS-C camera. I am most interested in the Mk II's new sensor and AF system plus high ISO capability. The EOS-7D Mk II will be Canon's most important camera announcement this year and they are pulling out all the stops. The best guess of the expected release date of the camera will be mid August, possibly together with another highly anticipated announcement, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens.

You can see my works with the camera from worldwide photo shoots on MichaelDanielHo.com. Keep checking back for the latest info and development.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Canon EOS-5D Mk III Camera For $2,574


Canon EOS-5D Mk III camera

There is a top-rated merchant on eBay selling the Canon EOS-5D Mk III camera for $2,574 including shipping. Hurry, it won't last. This is an excellent choice and my pick as the best value in full frame DSLR camera three years in a row.

You will not find a link to this eBay item because I do not accept any ad or commissioned link on my Blog. I am completely unbiased in my recommendation and have no conflict of interest. You can see travel and wildlife photos taken with this camera on my worldwide photo shoots on MichaelDanielHo.com

25 Photo Cliches To Avoid And Stand Apart


The guy at DigitalRev is at it again. This time he lampoons the 'mundane' photos many photographers think it is de rigueur to take. There is some truth to his arguments. To each his own, I always say. You can see my works at MichaelDanielHo.com


Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Announced


Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens


* * *  Tamron also announced the 18-200mm lens for EOS-M mount  * * *


United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 17 June 2014 – Canon today announces a new addition to its EF-M lens range with the introduction of its first dedicated telephoto zoom lens – the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM. Designed for Canon’s Compact System Camera, the EOS M, the new EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM features Canon's signature optical performance, advanced Stepping Motor Technology (STM), a 3.5-stop optical Image Stabilizer, and provides a versatile 55-200mm focal range to help users get closer to the subjects they love

Taking you closer

The EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM joins three existing lenses in the EF-M range, which together offer a diverse variety of focal lengths from 11-200mm. The perfect addition to any EOS M kit bag, the new lens opens additional creative possibilities for EOS M shooters through its suitability to capture a wide selection of scenes – from eye-catching portraits at 55mm, to wildlife at 200mm.

Leading optical technologies for incredible images

Developed using the company’s unparalleled optical expertise, the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM features Canon’s powerful optical Image Stabilizer and STM technology to deliver outstanding levels of detail when shooting stills and movies. When shooting movies specifically, STM technology ensures smooth focus transitions, as focus shifts from one subject to another. The STM mechanism also provides near-silent focusing, giving videographers the ability to shoot movie soundtracks which capture the natural ambience of the scene in front of them. Additionally, thanks to a highly-effective 3.5-stop optical Image Stabilizer, which reduces visible camera shake, users can also shoot sharp stills while using the zoom, and steady movies while capturing action.

Designed to make great photography easy

Constructed of a high quality metal exterior – a trademark of the EF-M lens range – the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is also compact, lightweight and portable, making it ideal for everyday use. Inside the lens, an Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) element delivers outstanding image quality throughout the zoom range. Furthermore, its non-rotating front element makes it easy to maintain a consistent effect when using filters, and the full-time manual focus ring offers greater creative freedom to adjust focus during shooting.

Key Features

  •     Get closer to the action with your EOS-M camera
  •     Image Stabilizer keeps images sharp
  •     Compact enough to go anywhere
  •     Smooth, near-silent STM focusing
  •     Make quick adjustments with a manual focus ring
  •     Shoot great quality images – full of sharp details and rich colour

Pricing and availability

The EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is available from July with a SRP £329.99/€389.99.

MichaelDanielHo.com


Monday, June 16, 2014

Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS Lens Coming Soon


Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens


* * * Canon announced the EF-M 55-200mm lens  * * *


Canon will be announcing a new addition to their EF-M lens line up. The new lens is for the EOS-M2 camera and called the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM. Recently, others reported the EOS-M camera disappeared from Canon's USA website, suggesting the line may be dropped completely outside of Asia. I cautioned against jumping to any conclusion like that. My judgement is Canon will stick to the EOS-M2 line and introduce more STM prime and zoom lenses in the future.

  • Adopted one glass molded aspherical lens and one UD lens.
  • 22% shortening the overall length compared to the EF 55-250 IS STM.
  • EF-250 mm in 1980-IS 31% weight reduction compared with STM equipped with a camera shake correction of the effect of 3.5 stops.
  • Fast AF algorithm.
  • Full-time manual focus.
  • ET-54B Lens Hood.

More Info On Canon EOS-7D Mk II Camera




* * *  Read the latest post on the EOS-7D Mk II  * * *


As the announcement of the Canon EOS-7D Mk II approaches, a bit more 'information' is coming out. As reported in my earlier posts, the new camera may look a 'baby' EOS-1. The mode dial found on all non EOS-1 DSLR bodies may be gone, replaced by a top plate, with a bigger bump than the current EOS-7D and similar to the EOS-1D X.

The viewfinder will have 100% coverage and a 1.15 magnification. The pop up flash apparently will still be there. Some argue that a professional camera does not require a built-in flash but I disagree. The versatility of a built-in flash outweighs any disadvantage for my needs. The current EOS-7D is an excellent piece of equipment and my pick, four years in a row as the best value in APS-C camera.

I am most interested in the Mk II's new AF system and high ISO capability. With the successful launch of the EOS-70D, Canon is planning to use a more advanced version of the Dual Pixel CMOS AF of the 70D in the new camera. The best guess of the expected release date of the camera will be mid August, possibly together with another highly anticipated announcement, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens.

This will give Canon plenty of time to mount a vigorous marketing campaign, leading up to the big Photokina Show in Cologne, Germany on September 16, with delivery commencing last quarter of 2014. The current EOS-7D has the most advanced AF system of all the Canon APS-C bodies. The Achilles heel of the camera is its mediocre high ISO performance and the camera is showing its age. It will be almost 5 years old when the Mk II is finally available this Autumn.

Possible specifications of the EOS-7D Mk II camera :

  • 20 MP APS-C Sensor ( more advanced than the EOS-70D )
  • Advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology
  • Dual DIGIC 5+ processors ( Excellent for speed processing )
  • 8 - 10 fps ( Most welcomed by me ) 
  • Dual Memory Card Slots ( One CF and one SD. I prefer 2 CF slots )
  • 45 -61 AF Points ( Perhaps similar to EOS-1D Mk IV and X )
  • 3.2″ LCD monitor ( Excellent for reviewing images )
  • 100% coverage viewfinder. Magnification 1.15
  • Similar build quality as the EOS-5D Mk III with improved weather proofing
  • Comes with GPS and WiFi ( Not necessary, in my opinion ) 
  • ISO Performance may equal EOS-5D Mk III ( Most welcomed by me )
  • Latest video features similar but more advanced than EOS-70D 
  • Selling price between $2,000 to $2,199. Not finalized yet

My contacts informed me the features of the new camera are firmed up by now and the feedback from the World's Cup will be crucial in determining the final tweaks, mostly likely refinement in the software before entering production.

I am very fond of my EOS-7D but the camera is entering its twilight years. Distributors around the world are entering this model into their inventory systems as 'end of model life.' You probably have noticed some very good deals on the EOS-7D and lens kits. Dealers are clearing out remaining inventories and getting ready for the new model. They are also receiving invitations to attend launch events in August.

You can see my works with the camera from worldwide photo shoots on MichaelDanielHo.com. Keep checking back for the latest info and development.

Canon DPP 4.0 And EOS Utility 3.0 Coming




* * * Canon DPP 4.0 available for download now  * * *


Canon is expected to announce a major upgrade to their Digital Photo Professional software. The latest version will be 4.0 and the EOS Utility 3.0 will be a companion release as well.

Canon’s new upgraded EU 3.0 will support connecting a camera to a computer via a USB port or Wireless File Transmitter in order to remotely perform camera settings, transfer images and capture images. Delivering increase workflow efficiency, EU 3.0 seamlessly integrates with DPP 4.0 to allow users to select and compare images, enabling them to more easily choose the best shot, as well as make slight adjustments to camera settings.

The new software's improvement will have enhanced functions like expanded adjustment range for highlights and shadows. Providing users with more freedom when adjusting images, DPP 4.0 includes such new features as 8-axis color gamut adjustment and an Auto function that automatically analyses the brightness and darkness balance of a histogram and adjusts the tones, or luminescence, of an image accordingly.

The new version of Canon’s DPP software delivers greatly enhanced functionality and convenience during the image editing process. In addition to featuring an updated graphical user interface (GUI), the software is capable of displaying as many as 10,000 image thumbnails at one time. In addition, users can view selected images for comparison even in the preview window and also assign ratings to images. Both software upgrade are free of charge from Canon and they will be available for download on June 26. Check back here for the latest information and the download links.

MichaelDanielHo.com