Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Archives for 2012

 

Color Grading in Tiffen Dfx 3 with CS6 and FCP X

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_HwYReAqgk&w=640&h=360]

The above video comes from a recent webinar that Tiffen put on with Richard Harrington to show off Tiffen Dfx 3.  In the video, Harrington covers some color grading techniques in several different editors that use the Dfx 3 plugin and really shows off the capabilities of this solid plugin.

The more I use this plugin, the more I like it.  It’s so very comprehensive and powerful for video, and quick for getting stylized looks from Lightroom on the photo side as well.

Nikon 800mm f/5.6 Officially Announced

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Nikon 800mm f/5.6

Nikon has announced the upcoming 800mm f/5.6 super-telephoto lens.  The lens is the longest Nikon AF lens – ahead of the 600mm f/4G VR.

The new 800mm monster will be on display at Photokina 2012.

No price or release date has been announced yet.  My estimate is that it will be in the same $14k range as the Canon 800mm f/5.6L and maybe Nikon will get more official about availability around Photokina.

Update – Here’s a closer look at the lens:

Nikon 800mm Close Up

See the full press release below. [Read more…]

Canon Mirrorless Camera on July 23?

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Canon mirrorless camera announcement

An invite for a new Canon product announcement suggests that we may see Canon’s entry into the mirrorless camera market on July 23, 2012.

Prior rumors suggest a camera using a 1.85x crop factor sensor (i.e., same size as the G1 X) and featuring a different lens mount than the current EF and EF-S mounts found on Canon DSLRs.  Additional rumors say that the camera will launch with 3-5 lenses for the new “system” camera.

[via Photo Rumors]

How a Digital Camera is Made

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkv0Sc2MxP8&w=640&h=360]

Here’s a look inside how Canon digital cameras are made.  From clean rooms for sensor production to 3D modeling of camera design, it’s an interesting watch for those of us who have look at our cameras and wondered how these things came to be.

[via PetaPixel]

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L IS Lens Patent

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Canon-24-70mm

A recent patent publication shows Canon has been looking into adding image stabilization to a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.  Given the recent announcement of the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens (which still isn’t available), however, this doesn’t bode well for an IS version anytime soon.

Of course, there’s a Tamron lens that fills this void though…

[via Photo Rumors]

LenSkirt Kills Reflections When Shooting Through Windows

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LenSkirt

As hard as I have tried while shooting out hotel windows in Vegas, I have been unable to kill all the reflections from my room on the windows.  Turning off all of the lights in the room won’t do the trick because exterior lighting spills into the room, thus creating reflections of ambient room light…

This smart little LenSkirt tool uses suction cups to attach to the window and has an adjustable opening for various lens sizes.  It also folds down quite small for packing in your camera bag.

I haven’t tried one yet, but I may pick one up before my next trip to Vegas. Check out the examples here to see how well they kill ambient room lighting. They’re $49 and available via the LenSkirt website.

Kudos to Mitch over at Planet5D for turning me onto this one.

Canon Rebel T4i Product Advisory Warns of Defective Rubber Grips

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Rebel T4i Rubber Grip Defect

Earlier this month, Canon issued a product advisory on the Rebel T4i for an error in the firmware.  Two days after the issuance of that advisory, Canon issued another product advisory for the Rebel T4i with regard to the presence of zinc bis in the rubber grip.

In short, this substance may cause the rubber grips to turn white and could potentially lead to skin allergies or irritation.  The lot affected can be identified by looking at the serial number.  If the sixth digit is “1” then your camera could be affected.

Specific details in the full product advisory below. [Read more…]