Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

Apple to Unveil New Final Cut Pro on April 12

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It is pretty much all but confirmed that Apple will be unveiling the new “jaw dropping” version of Final Cut Pro at next week’s Final Cut Pro User Group SuperMeet in Vegas.

Apple itself has historically had little presence at the SuperMeets; however, this year, the presentation schedule has been wiped clear just a few days before the event.  The prior-scheduled presentations looked to be a pretty big deal in and of themselves – with Avid and Canon (among others) bringing in special speakers to cater to the crowd.  According to all reports, this schedule clearing was done at the behest of Apple. [Read more…]

Canon DSLRs Get Technicolor ‘CineStyle’ Profile

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One of the big news nuggets coming out of NAB 2011 is Technicolor’s announcement that it has developed a ‘CineStyle’ profile for Canon DSLRs.  According to the press statement, “Technicolor CineStyle provides cinematographers with a look that allows for the greatest image latitude as production photography moves into editorial and ultimately digital intermediate color-grading and delivery.”

The new Technicolor CineStyle will be unveiled next week at the NAB show in Las Vegas. There’s no word on delivery method of the new CineStyle to existing cameras; however, it makes sense to expect a firmware update soon (hopefully, next week).

Canon definitely has some “major product announcements” planned for the NAB show and, chances are, this new CineStyle profile will go hand-in-hand with whatever else Canon has up its sleeve for next week.

You can read the full press release from Technicolor below. [Read more…]

HDSLR Gear That Saves the Day

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I’ve been working on a short film project recently with my church (along with our in-house video director/my very good friend Nick, and some very talented volunteers). The short film is something we plan to use as part of our Easter morning service later this month.  We’re shooting it entirely on the Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 7D. We shot most of the scenes in one day at two locations (around 25 total set ups for a 16+ hour shooting day).  Yesterday, we wrapped up with the intro scene, which calls for the lead character in a vehicle talking on a cell phone.

I thought I would share some of the random little tools that really saved the day and helped us get the shots (and audio) that were critical to this production. [Read more…]

Westcott Spiderlite TD6 and 7′ Parabolic Umbrella Hands-On

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Westcott had a regular photographer’s playground set up at Photoshop World last week.  Even though it had just announced the TD6 Spiderlite and new 7′ Parabolic umbrellas, there were plenty to be seen and put through the paces on the expo floor between the great classes at PSW.

One of the cool things that Westcott does for the attending photographers is set up several shooting stations with lights and live models to give everything a good run for your money. [Read more…]

GE Micro Four Thirds Cameras Coming Soon?

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GE Digital Cameras looks to be adding Micro Four Thirds to its growing lineup of cameras.  If a report from CNet Asia is accurate, we could see GE-branded Micro Four Thirds cameras by the end of the year.

For those unfamiliar with GE Digital Cameras, General Imaging Company is actually the company that makes and sells GE Digital Cameras subject to a brand-licensing agreement with General Electric (the company that owns the ‘GE’ trademark).  Obviously, General Electric has at least some marginal oversight of the products and the use of its brand, but the actual company that is making and selling the cameras is a camera company. [Read more…]

Scott Kelby’s Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques Available Now

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Scott Kelby’s newest book, Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques, is now available.  Scott says this book “was designed expressly for photographers who do their own retouching.”  If you are familiar with Kelby’s past books, then you know he pretty much nails the subject matter of all of his books.

Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques carries a list price of $49.99; however, it is currently available for $29.31 on Amazon.com.

Nikon D5100 Prices, Pre-Orders and Availability

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Now that the Nikon D5100 is officially out of the gate, you may be interested to know that the US price is $799.95 (body only) and $899.95 with an 18-55mm VR kit lens.

You can find it for pre-order or notification status at the following links. It’s scheduled to ship this month (April 2011).

Nikon D5100 (body only):  Amazon | B&H Photo

Nikon D5100 w/ 18-55mm VR lens:  Amazon | B&H Photo

Nikon ME-1 Stereo Mic: Amazon

The US price for the Nikon ME-1 hot shoe mic is $179.95.  However, if you’re going to spend that much on a hot shoe mic, spend a little extra and get the Rode VideoMic Pro instead.