Canon Announced Development Of Free Viewpoint Virtual Camera System

Massive iceberg in fjord, Geenland

Musk oxen with calf in Greenland

I am back from my High Arctic Wildlife Photo Tour. It was an enjoyable trip, albeit a bit light on the wildlife but I knew that in advance due to the late summer schedule of the tour. Nevertheless, I came across Polar bears, herds of Musk Oxen and Walruses, Arctic hares and foxes, a pod of Fin whales, seals, stunning sea ice and massive icebergs and glaciers as far as the eye can see.

You can follow my travels on Facebook and Twitter and see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com.

MELVILLE, N.Y., September 21, 2017 – Canon Inc. announced today the development of the Free Viewpoint Video System, a new visual solution that incorporates the optical and sensor technologies cultivated by the Company over many years. Using this technology, Canon aims to provide a high-value-added imaging solution for a wide range of applications including sporting events.

Various types of video production are employed at sporting events to convey a passion for sports and the thrill of competition. With the development of its Free Viewpoint Video System—which creates a realistic, immersive experience that gives the user a sense that they are really there—Canon has achieved a video experience that can be viewed from various angles and viewpoints, expanding the boundaries of visual expression and contributing to the development of video culture.

The system comprises several high-resolution cameras set up around the stadium, which are connected to a network and controlled via software to simultaneously capture the game from multiple viewpoints. Afterward, image processing technology renders the videos as high-resolution 3-D spatial data where users can freely move a virtual camera around the 3-D space, resulting in video that can be viewed from various different angles and viewpoints.

The Free Viewpoint Video System offers a completely new, totally immersive visual experience that enables viewers to operate a virtual camera in 3-D space to move freely around the stadium and even experience the simulated physical sensation of being among players on the field during a game. Along with providing a new way to enjoy sporting events, Canon plans to explore such potential applications for this system as training teams and athletes.

Canon will showcase the Free Viewpoint Video System at the Canon booth during Inter BEE 2017, held from November 15 to 17 at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS 1.4x Extender USM Lens for $9,200 Including Free Shipping

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS 1.4x Extender USM lens

There is a top-rated merchant on eBay selling the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS 1.4x Extender USM lens camera for $9,200 including free shipping. Hurry, it won't last. This is a very good deal. Read my extensive review of this lens from my numerous wildlife photography tours with this versatile glass on MichaelDanielHo.com and keep up with my travels on Facebook and Twitter.

You will not find a link to this item because I do not accept any ad or commissioned link on my blog or website. You can easily find it on eBay yourself. I am completely unbiased in my recommendation and have no conflict of interest.

I am still on my High Arctic Wildlife Photo Tour. Currently in Iceland and will be heading home later this week. It was an enjoyable trip, albeit a bit light on the wildlife but I knew that in advance due to the late summer schedule of the tour. Nevertheless, I came across Polar bears, herds of Musk Oxen and Walruses, Arctic hares and foxes, a pod of Fin whales, seals, stunning sea ice and massive icebergs and glaciers as far as the eye can see.

Polar bear leaping among ice floes in the high Arctic

Had a few nights of Northern Lights activity around Greenland but I was too tired to stay up for any photography. Met and photographed some really cute Inuit children in Ittoqqortoormiit, a very remote village in East Greenland. Unfortunately, I have a new laptop and am having trouble processing the photos. So I will have to wait till I get home to post the photos.

Wildlife Photography - High Arctic Photo Tour

The high Arctic beckons

I am off on my high Arctic Wildlife Photo Tour. My journey starts in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Fly north and cross the Arctic Circle with a stopover at Tromso for passport check. Then fly on to Longyearbyen, deep inside the high Arctic. At latitude 78.50 degrees North, it is the most northern 'city' in the world served by regular jet service.

I am on Top Of The World (almost)

The Arctic is the northernmost part of our planet. The area lies above the Arctic Circle (66 degrees, 33 minutes North),  an imaginary line that rings the top of the globe. The Circle is about 1,400 nautical miles south of the North Pole but the High Arctic refers to islands and land mass much higher than 66 degrees, like the archipelago of Svalbard, Ellesmere Island in Canada, Franz Josef land in Russia and the most northern part of Greenland.

The Arctic is melting much faster than expected, and could even be ice-free in summer by the late 2030s, a report from the Arctic Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program suggests. Previous studies had forecast an ice-free North Pole in summer by mid-century.

Polar Bear traversing the ice floes in Svalbard

Board the expedition ship in Longyearbyen, sail north and explore the west coast of Spitsgergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Hope to see and photograph Whales, Polar Bears, Walruses and Seals, Arctic Foxes plus a variety of sea birds including the rare Ivory Gull.

Blue Whale (largest animal on Planet Earth, ever) in the high Arctic

Atlantic Walrus frolicking in the high Arctic waters

Cross the Greenland Sea from Spitsbergen to the east coast of Greenland and travel south along the
ice's edge with an eye peeled on the horizon for wildlife and massive icebergs and glaciers. Explore the remote landscape on foot and zodiac, including an Inuit village. Cross the Denmark Strait and end up in Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice. Stay a few days for more exploration before heading home.

Ice Floes in the high Arctic

Iceberg resembling a piece of Blue Swiss Cheese

There will be no Internet access in the high Arctic, until I arrive in Iceland. In the meantime, you can follow my travels on Facebook and Twitter. See my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Back From My High Arctic Wildlife Photo Tour

Arctic Polar bears in peril - their Last Stand

I have just returned from my High Arctic Photo Tour testing the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II camera in the cold and sometimes damp Svalbard archipelago, deep inside the Arctic circle. Once again, I am impressed by the new body but now I have to take some time to get back to the daily routine, process the photos and get ready for my next trip to further test the camera in a different part of the world and environment.

The Arctic is melting fast, at least in the summer time. Global warming is real and worrisome, especially for some Arctic wildlife, like the Polar bears, which depends almost entirely on sea ice for its survival. You can see my equipment bag and more of my works on MichaelDanielHo.com

Now a bit of catching up to the photography news while I was away in the High Arctic since there was no Internet access on the expedition ship. The United Kingdom's recent vote to leave the European Union has thrown a monkey wrench into Canon Inc.s business plans.

Canon Inc. Chief Executive Fujio Mitarai said on Friday he was "very dismayed" by Britain's shock decision to leave the European Union, saying the move hurt Japan's economic growth prospects.

"In Japan, while we can expect to see a temporary surge in the value of the yen, the U.K.'s decision could also bring a halt to the economic recovery that had been underway," Mitarai, head of the camera and printer maker, said in a statement.

"We look to the Japanese government to implement strong monetary measures." Europe accounted for 28 percent of Canon's sales in 2015, although it did not provide details by country. Canon's biggest problem is the relentless rise of the Japanese Yen into relation to other currencies like the US Dollar and Euro, even though the Japanese economy is moribund. This means when the company's earnings are translated in to Yen, they appear lower and thus affect investors' sentiment and stock price of the company.

I think Canon should look past the current turmoil because in the long run, the company's products will drive profit and growth, not what goes on in one country or region of the world, since Canon is a global, diversified conglomerate. They should pay particular attention to the burgeoning challenge of higher end mirrorless cameras coming from Sony to their very profitable EOS line of DSLRs like the EOS-1D X Mark II and soon-to-be-released EOS-5D Mark IV cameras. 

Wildlife Photography - High Arctic Photo Tour

On top of the world (Almost)

Photographing wildlife inside the Arctic Circle

* * *  Back from my High Arctic Wildlife Photo Tour  * * *

I am off to the high Arctic on a wildlife photography shoot in Svalbard, an archipelago deep inside the Arctic Circle, in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Last month, I took the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II to the Upper Amazon and Peruvian Andes for a vigorous field test. Will be performing more real world tests and you can read my review on the camera here.

Atlantic Walrus family in the high Arctic

During the summer months in the high Arctic, there is 24 hour daylight and the weather and seas are unpredictable. It can range from a blustery, snowy day with 40+ knots winds and freezing temperature to sunny, T-shirt weather the next. 

Polar bear foot prints on ice floes

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.

Polar bear leaping on ice floes

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. 

Virgin ice cliffs goes on for miles in the high Arctic

There are no Internet access on the expedition ship so I have to wait till my return to reconnect. In the meantime, you can see my equipment bag, read stories from my previous tours and see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com.