Dan Carr

Canon Drops Price For C300 And Opens Pre-Orders For Jan 30th Shipping

Jan 172012

We thought they might, we hoped they might…… and they did. Canon have just announced that their new flagship digital cinema camera, the EOS C300, will launch at a price of $15,999. This is $4000 less than they originally told people, due largely in part to the backlash of the film making community. Only 18 stores will be stoking the C300 and you can bet that there will be a HUGE rush to get these in the early stages. If your company is considering purchasing one then I would urge you to place a pre-order with B&H Photo HERE. You can cancel anytime prior to it’s shipping, which is listed as after January 30th.

If you want to look at more details about the C300 I have written several articles about the camera, including being able to interview one of it’s technical developers:

10 Things You May Not Know About The EOS C300

Canon Launches The EOS C300

Pre-Order NOW

I will update this list as more stores open their ordering. B&H lists shipping as Jan 30th.

B&H Photo – Canon EOS C300 with canon mount.

B&H Photo – Canon EOS C300 with PL mount.

Hands On With The Canon G1 X

Canon, Industry News 5 Responses »

Jan 152012

Canon surprised many people with the introduction of this camera last week. A large (1.5′) sensor camera with a fixed zoom lens is a unique product in the marketplace and I can see it being a popular solution with their target audience being people who already have a pro DSLR. At CES this week in Las Vegas I was able to get my hands on a G1 X and also to have a quick chat with Canon representative Ben Thomas about the camera.

For full press release info and all the official photos head on over here. For my first impressions please read on.

CES Report - JVC's New 4K Camera + Upcoming Large Sensor Version

Industry News No Responses »

Jan 152012

At CES this week I was able to catch up with Craig Yanagi, Marketing Manager for JVC’s professional video division and he went through the features of the new 4k GY-HMQ10 camera as well as showing me a prototype version of a previously unseen interchangeable lens, large sensor 4k camera which they are developing.

Please head on over to my post on ProPhoto Coalition for the full article.

http://prophotocoalition.com/index.php/dcarr/story/a_look_at_jvcs_new_4k_camera_and_the_future_larger_sensor_interchangeable_l/

Adobe Launches Lightroom 4 Beta

Adobe Lightroom Tips & Tutorials, Industry News, Software No Responses »

Jan 102012

Adobe has opened up a free public beta for Lightroom 4. Once downloaded, users will be able to use LR4 for free until March 31st. For users of Lightroom 3 it looks to be a fairly gentle upgrade so far, though Adobe have been known to keep back some killer features until launch time. The biggest feature, that I guess we were all expecting, is the ability to make simple adjustments to videos. Exposure, tone, contrast and white balance can all be adjusted and the files can be trimmed.

You can download the free beta HERE on the Adobe website. In the coming weeks we will feature some more detailed information on the new elements of the software.

Main update points

Robust Video Support
Manage images by location with the Map Module
Simplified Basic Adjustments
Powerful new Shadow & Highlight controls
Additional local adjustments including Noise Reduction and White Balance
Soft Proofing Reinvented
Elegant Photo Book creation
Email from directly within Lightroom
Publish videos directly to Facebook or Flickr
Enhanced DNG workflows
Adobe Revel export workflow

Fuji Announces Their New X-Pro 1

Fujifilm, Industry News 2 Responses »

Jan 092012

We’ve already seen some leaks about this camera but now it’s all out in the open. Fuji, welcome to the interchangeable lens market. With a classic styling, similar to the ever popular X100 this is sure to be an instant hit. A unique 16MP sensor manufactured by Fuji themselves requires no anti-aliasing filter due to it’s possibly revolutionary capturing system. Throw in three super fast prime lenses with an improved hybrid viewfinder and this looks to be the camera that many people have longed for since first seeing the X100. Confirmation that Fuji will be making a Leica M-Mount lens adapter sweetens the deal even further.

Crucial Specs

16MP APS-C sensor
Second generation Hybrid Viewfinder
Three different lenses (18mm f2.0 , 35mm f1.4 , 60mm f2.4 macro) at launch. More in development, including zooms, for release in 2013 plus two more lenses in 2012 including a 14mm.
Around $1700 for the camera.
Other lenses are $499 or $599 (macro)
Mount is all new X-Mount with a flange distance of 17,7mm
The optical viewfinder will adapt its enlargement to the lens focal length
Lenses are all metal construction
Leica M mount lens adapter is coming from Fuji
Video – 1920X1080P at 24 FPS

New Canon G1 X

Canon, Industry News 2 Responses »

Jan 092012

Critical Specs

Large 14.3 MP CMOS, DIGIC 5, HS System
Compact 4x zoom; Intelligent IS
7.5 cm (3.0?) vari-angle LCD; OVF
Full Manual, RAW, DPP
Full HD, HDMI
High-speed Burst HQ
Smart Auto
Extensive accessories
HDR mode and ND filter
Optional 40m waterproof case

Pre-Order

Several stores are already taking pre-orders for the camera.

Pre-order from B&H Photo

Pre-order from Adorama

Nikon D4 Video Feature Improvements

Site news No Responses »

Jan 062012

Over on ProPhotoCoalition I have written an article specifically concentrating on the video feature improvements of the new camera.

Please check it out HERE !

Nikon D4 Is Official

Industry News, Nikon No Responses »

Jan 052012

This time it is officially official ! No big surprises here due to all the previous leaks. For some further commentary and a comparison to the Canon 1D X, you might want to take a look at yesterdays post. One interesting addition is a complete timelapse mode that allows you to select the shooting interval and number of exposures and even combine the images into a movie for a completed output.

Pre Order A D4

Amazon has the D4 up for order already!

Critical Specs

16.2 MP full-frame sensor
10fps / 11fps with focus and exposure locked
91,000 pixel sensor for metering
ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
MultiCAM 3500FX Autofocus sensor works in lower light and with smaller apertures
Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
New EN-EL18 battery (21.6Wh capacity, CIPA-rated at 2600 shots)
Twin card slots – one Compact Flash and one XQD

Press Release

NEW Canon Powershot G1X Revealed

Canon, Industry News 2 Responses »

Jan 052012

Canon skipped their usual yearly update of the G-Series in the Autumn so we knew they were up to something. Canon Rumors is reporting that a URL briefly displayed a report on this new camera sometime today. Aimed at being the P&S for the professional , the camera features 14-Bit Raw shooting of a 14MP image processed by a Digic 5 processor with full 1080p video as well. No images of the camera have yet emerged though. Shipping in February at a $799 suggested retail. That’s a steep price for a point and shoot camera in today’s market so it’s going to have to be pretty stellar !

Critical Specs

14.3mp CMOS (1.5inch) Sensor (1/1.5? probably)
4x Zoom (28-112)
f/2.5-16
14bit RAW
DIGIC 5
6fps/4.5fps
Multiarea White Balance
HDR Mode
FullHD 1080p Video
720P Movie Digest Mode

Fuji's Interchangeable Lens Camera - The X-Pro 1

Fujifilm, Industry News 4 Responses »

Jan 052012

Yesterday we had a small leak that confirmed the name and lenses and the day before we had a dodgy photo. Now we have a solid leak of photos and specs for the new Fuji X-Pro1.

Critical specs

16MP APS-C sensor
Second generation Hybrid Viewfinder
Three different lenses (18mm f2.0 , 35mm f1.4 , 60mm f2.4 macro)
around 1300€ including the 35mm lens
Other lenses approx. 600€
Mount is all new X-Mount with a flange distance of 17,7mm
The optical viewfinder will adapt its enlargement to the lens focal length
Lenses are all metal construction

First thoughts ? Well as we’ve come to expect from Fuji recently it’s a gorgeous looking camera. The lenses are quite a bit larger that I was expecting, and probably weight quite a lot with a metal construction and lots of fast glass.