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Canon Digital Learning Center
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
I finally got around to updating the 5D Mark II‘s firmware to the new 1.2.4 version. A simple procedure that worked without a hitch. I prefer to use the CF card method.
The update corrects a phenomenon that visible noise may appear in images taken by continuous Bulb shooting. This firmware update corrects a phenomenon that if the [C.Fn II-1 Long exposure noise reduction] setting is set to [2: On], noise may appear in images that are captured while the previous image is still being generated.
Whilst on the Canon USA site, which I consider a spectacular resource for all things EOS, I had a look at the new content that had been added to the Canon Digital Learning Center. Needless to say that I spent roughly five minutes completing the firmware update to the camera and almost four hours browsing the content available on that site. With the rest of the house asleep, I was able to read a number of articles and assimilate a significant amount of information without interruption.
If you haven’t checked out the content Canon provides, I urge you to have a look. Videos, articles, technical discussions and more. It’s all there, regardless of your level of proficiency or technical ability. In particular, there are some great resources on HDR photography and the use of flash lights. On entry point is this link, but there is tons of other content accessible from the main site.
Canon software updates
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
It’s that time again when I check various software packages and devices to determine whether the holiday season has provided any updates and improvements. In the case of Canon, it’s been quite some while since I checked for updates to the Canon digital imaging software. There are a number of updates, specifically to Digital Photo Professional, Image Browser and EOS Utility for both Windows and the Mac. The download links for these are easiest to find on the Canon USA site.
At the same time, I saw that a firmware update for the EOS 5D Mk II is also available, having been released in mid-December. Though I don’t use or own the WFT-E4 II wireless transmitter that is usable with the 5D Mk II once the update has been applied, update 1.2.4 does include a correction for the bulb mode function. It is possible that certain artifacts or noise may be visible in photos taken in continuous bulb mode. I’ve downloaded the update and will apply it later today.
UDMA 6 – 64GB CF
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
SanDisk has produced one of the fastest compact flash cards currently available, the 64GB UDMA 6 Extreme Pro. Aimed clearly at those wanting to shoot 1080p video on the latest generation of DSLR‘s, the Extreme Pro features a transfer rate of 90MB per second.
There are only two things to consider: the price and whether or not your camera will be able to support the high-capacity storage card. First, the price. At almost USD 900, the 64GB card is still extremely expensive. Currently, 32GB cards are probably a better bet from a cost-performance point of view, though it may be prudent to consider investing in 16GB models to get the best bang for one’s buck. If the transfer speed is absolutely necessary, the cost for the Extreme Pro may be justified, though the Extreme IV storage cards work quite nicely.
The support for the 64GB card is another matter entirely: for my EOS 5D Mark II, SanDisk doesn’t seem to recommend the product, though all indications are that the card will work in that camera without any trouble. Before jumping into a purchase of this rather expensive item, you should be sure that it will work with your particular gear. Better still: wait another six months or so and get this at a vastly reduced cost. By then, 128GB CF cards will probably be the order of the day…
Leica M7 Hermes
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Since I have a thing for orange I couldn’t skip mentioning this one. Leica has teamed up with Hermes to produce a very limited edition of its M7 rangefinder camera. Only 100 cameras will be manufactured, individually numbered with a distinct colour no pickpocket could miss. At the price, this is one piece of kit one would probably prefer to keep in a very, very safe place.
The M7 Hermes is likely to be priced at a cool USD 15000, making it a rather expensive point-and-shoot. It’s not a digital camera either, relying instead on the now archaic 35mm film rolls. It’s certainly a classic. And looks really cool!
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV white paper
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Canon has made a white paper available that details the new EOS-1D Mark IV camera. The Canon white papers are an interesting read and provide a lot of insight into the capabilities and operation of various digital SLR camera models.
Interestingly, the EOS-1D Mark IV does not have a full-frame sensor like the EOS-5D Mark II. Instead, the sensor has a cropping factor of 1.3. That’s an APS-H sensor, compared to the new EOS-7D‘s APS-C sensor with a nominal cropping factor of 1.6. Since the EOS-1D Mark IV features a very high burst rate, it will likely be used extensively for sports photography where a crop factor can assist in gaining some extra length out of a zoom lens.
Canon white papers are available here.
fps change promised for future 5D Mark II firmware
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Canon has announced a firmware release for the EOS 5D Mark II that will be available sometime in the first quarter of 2010.
Aimed primarily at those who enjoy the 1080 full-frame video capture functionality of the camera, the firmware update will allow the frame rate to be set at either 24fps, 25fps or the current 30fps.
30fps is aimed primarily at video produced to be viewed on a television set. 24fps is suitable for the silver screen and allows video shot with the camera to be transferred to 35mm film for projection in a cinema. 30fps is optimized for display on NTSC televisions and 25fps is suitable for PAL televisions.
Hopefully, the firmware update will include something for ordinary photography…
Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Adobe has made a beta version of its new Lightroom software available. The download works on both Mac and Windows platforms with the Windows version approximately 135MB in size and the Mac download about 65MB. There is no requirement that any previous version be installed or that you have a license – Adobe is following a growing trend that is seeding future software to as large as possible an audience to gain a far wider range of feedback. For developers, this means a greater pool of feedback on features and bug reports, for end users it’s an opportunity to try out new software. The beta expires at the end of April 2010 and as always, you are advised not to rely on the software for day-to-day work, but rather to try it out and play around with it.
I installed Lightroom on Windows 7 and was rather impressed that the ZIP file includes both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version. I chose the 64-bit version, since G2S runs a 64-bit OS. Lightroom installs quickly and, upon startup, request images to be imported. The user interface is attractive, with chunky buttons and neat rows of thumbnails.
The screen area is roughly divided into a top panel holding oft-used functions, a left side panel with a preview of the current workspace and quick-access menus for services such as Flickr. The main workspace holds the current photo being edited or a preview of all the photos in the library. Finally, the right side panel contains manipulation tools and settings that may be applied to the picture in the workspace.
One of my favourite features is the ability to sort data with having to maintain filters – these work straight out of the box. So, for example, it is easy to filter by a specific camera and see only the photographs that were taken with it. An additional filter goes so far as to permit filtering by lens. Rather neat!
Editing tools are provided, as are many different effects filters and the ability to change almost any aspect of what the photograph will look like. A handy preview allows the result of applying a specific effect to be seen in greater detail.
I’m really impressed by Lightroom. It’s the first time I’ve played around with a copy of it, and I’m seriously considering getting the final version of the software once it becomes available after April next year. If you’re into photography, you should certainly check it out, even if you have no desire to purchase it in the long run – the fact that the software is available without charge for a couple of months without restrictions should be enough motivation to get some use out of it. My guess is that you’ll like. Give it a try!
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV announced
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Less than a week ago, Nikon announced an updated camera to replace its flagship D3 line, the D3S. That camera boasts impressive ISO performance: in standard mode, ISO 12800 is achievable, whilst in Hi 3 mode, the ISO performance reaches an incredible ISO equivalent value of 102400!
Today, Canon fires back with the announcement of its new, high-end camera body, the EOS-1D Mark IV.
Canon describes the camera as a high-speed multimedia performance monster: the 16MP CMOS sensor is supported by dual DIGIC 4 imaging processors and 14-bit A/D data conversion. The camera is capable of shooting at 10 frames per second for stills and at full high definition 1080p in video mode. Similar to the Nikon, the ISO performance has shot through the roof and is likely to put a dent in flashlight sales: the maximum ISO in standard mode is 12800 (for video) and in extended mode reaches all the way to 102400 (for stills).
The back LCD panel is 3″ in size and is high in contrast with a wide viewing angle. A 45-point AF sensor with 39 high-precision cross-type AF points updates the autofocus performance considerably.
The expected cost of the camera body in the US is set at USD 5000. More information and specifications are available here.
Canon Wild Amateur Roadshow
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Here’s another Canon Roadshow event aspiring Canon shooters may be keen on attending: the Canon Wild Amateur Roadshow will be held in major centres and is set to feature well-known travel and wildlife photographers who will share some of their secrets.
The roadshow takes place at the end of October in Johannesburg and early November in Durban and Cape Town.
Seating is limited – register here.
Digital photo frame – SPF-105P
I’ve resisted the urge to buy a digital photo frame in the past because most earlier models simply didn’t live up to my aesthetic expectations of what a photo frame should look like. Shiny black or white borders look too much like electronic gadgetry, and whilst there’s nothing much wrong with that, I wanted something a bit more traditional.
I found something more in line with what I wanted in the Samsung SPF-105P, an attractive digital photo frame with a 10″ screen.
The frame is dark with a circular pattern, giving the digital photo frame an appearance of an older, non-digital photo frame. There’s no overt logo on the device (though the image above shows one) and, best of all, the touch-sensitive buttons running along the right-hand side of the display are invisible until touched. They light up for a brief period, permitting various adjustments and settings to be made. The unit is almost 30cm wide, 20cm and 5cm thick. Not really suitable for wall mounting and best supported by the included stand that snaps onto the back of the frame.
The 10″ screen is remarkable: bright and clear, providing an excellent range of viewing angles. Only when viewed from above or below do images appear washed out and colourless. When viewed from either side, there is no loss of fidelity.
The unit contains 1GB of storage, sufficient for a number of photographs. To download images, the SPF-105P is connected to a PC or Mac as a mass-storage device – for Windows systems, Samsung‘s FrameManager is also able to assist with image selection and transfer but I was unable to get that to work on Windows 7. Instead, I opted for one of two other options of providing content for the frame – I inserted an SD card containing images. That slot resides on the left-hand side of the unit, and a CF slot is conveniently placed along the bottom of the unit, providing a third option for image storage. Selecting which images are to be displayed is a rather simple selection using the efficient menu on-screen menu system.
A handy side-effect of connecting the photo frame by USB to a computer is the ability to utilize it as a smaller, auxilliary display. Whilst that may not be a feature used too often, it’s a nice feature to be included. LCD screens are rather power hungry – this one requires an AC adapter to be connected. The plug connects to the back of the unit where the stand is connected and where a small round power button can be found. After being connected to the mains for a while, the SPF-105P shows off another trick: it has an internal, rechargeable battery that is capable of powering the unit for about one hour.
Other features include a built-in speaker for playing music and landscape and portrait orientation. The one feature I’m not wild about is the display for the time and date which can be turned on or off – it’s rather garish and is plastered all over the photograph in a boring font, obscuring most of the image. A more muted, analog display along a side of the image would have been more attractive. That’s the only fault I can find with the SPF-105P. It’s one of the better digital photo frames I’ve come across and is highly recommended for its feature set and excellent display.
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