Industry News

Pocketwizard Launches the Plus III

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LPA Designs have today announced the third iteration of the Pocketwizard Plus lineup.  It integrates several of the features of the Multimax into a smaller, cheaper package that will actually sell for $30 less than the previous version!  Great news!  There has been considerable physical design changes too including a built in antenna and a sideways profile so as not to get in the way of the photographers view when mounted to the camera.  There is a new long range mode designed for remote camera usage, a repeater function (which was previously confined to the Multimax), 32 channels and a …

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Canon’s Super Tele Shipping Dates Slip Again

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Last month we heard the planned ship date had slipped back to April for the new 500mm and 60mm f2 L IS II lenses.  Now, again via The Digital Picture, we are hearing that things have now slipped to May.  This is getting a bit frustrating for those of us who are waiting for one of these lenses!  I really need to have my new 500mm for a trip in June and this is looking increasingly unlikely. From Canon: “We appreciate your understanding and continued support.”

Canon 24-70 f2.8 L II

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10mm shorter and 150g lighter than the previous version, the Canon 24-70 f2.8 L II will be available in April for approximately $2300. Pre-Orders B&H are taking pre-orders for the lens now!!  You will not be charged until it is shipped. Key features   High-speed USM AF Fluorine lens coating front and rear 9-blade circular aperture Three Aspheric lens elements One Super Ultra-low Dispersion lens element Two Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) lens elements Minimum focusing distance: 0.38m at all focal lengths Improved dust and weather resistance Improved durability for daily use Front of lens doesn’t rotate during focusing Manual focus possible …

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Canon Launches Three New Lenses : 24-70 F2.8 L II , 28mm IS and 24mm IS

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Canon’s revamp of the staple 24-70 f2.8 L has been in the pipeline for years if the rumors are to believed.  Today it was unveiled and whilst it doesn’t have the IS that many people wanted, it does come in at 10mm shorter and 150g lighter than it’s predecessor which will be welcomed by the pros who use this lens on a daily basis.  On top of this Canon have also unveiled the worlds first wide angle prime lenses to feature IS.  A 24mm f2.8 IS and a 28mm f2.8 IS.

 

UPDATE:   The 24-70 will be available in April for approx. $2300.  The 24mm and 8mm will be available in June for approx $850 and $800 respectively.

Press Release

London, UK, 7th February 2012 – Canon today adds to its world-famous EF lens series with the launch of three new lenses for photography professionals and enthusiasts. The new EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM professional zoom lens is an update to the popular EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, while the new EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM and EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM are the world’s first1 wide-angle prime lenses to feature optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology. All three provide the highest levels of performance for modern digital photographers, combining premium image quality with durable, user friendly designs.

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM: the ultra-high performance standard zoom

The new EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM features completely redesigned optics to provide outstanding clarity, image quality and durability. A compact design makes it ideal for carrying on every shoot, and a range of optical enhancements provide improved performance – capturing greater detail across the frame while reducing distortion throughout the entire zoom range, particularly at the maximum 70mm focal length.

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Nikon Launches the 36MP D800

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Nikon has unveiled the new D800 today which features a 36MP full frame sensor along with all of the video function improvements we saw on the previously announced D4.  In an interesting twist, Nikon will also be offering a D800E which is identical except for the omission of the anti-aliasing filter.  This should provide increased sharpness in that variation, but at the expense of possible aliasing on patterned subjects.  With the enormous processing power needed to deal with a 36MP image it comes as no surprise that the D800 is capable of a lower fps burst than it’s predecessor. 4fps …

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Canon 24-70 f2.8 II Leaked

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This one has been a long time coming!  Reports of an updated 24-70 have been going around for two or three years.  Initially it seemed like it was going to have IS but this photo leaked today (via Canon Rumors) shows that in fact it does not have IS. 82mm Filter Thread Lighter than the original version (which is a bit of a beast!) approx $1799

Canon 5d MKIII Seen In The Wild

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Well well well, what do we have here ?  It seems that Canon is testing the new 600mm lens alongside the new 200-400mm lens on safari in Africa.  And look at the body in the image below…. It looks to be a combination of a 7D and a 1D X in terms of screen size, button placements and most importantly it doesn’t have a pop up flash which means it’s unlikely to be a 7dMKII.  Also looks like a new grip with more controls on it. Via CanonRumors and Aperture Academy.

Rode Microphones Announces New Stereo Videomic Pro and Videomic HD

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Rode Microphones has just announced details of two new DSLR friendly microphones.  The Stereo Videomic Pro continues their form factor and feature redesign that we saw last year in the Videomic Pro but implements it on the old Stero Videomic.  The second microphone is even more interesting though as it is the first microphone in the world to combine a shotgun mic with a built in recorder and basic mixing capabilities as well as audio monitoring.  Read on for more details…. Rode Stereo Videomic Pro The bulk old Stereo Videomic is gone and replaced with this MUCH smaller version.  Like …

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Videos From CES

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I took some time at CES to chat to people about my favorite cameras there.  You might find out something you don’t know so take a look below.

Canon’s New EF Cine Lenses Up For Order

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As well as Canon’s new EOS C300 camera being made available for order today, B&H also have new Cinema EOS lenses that will be a perfect compliment for this camera. Last week at CES I had some hands on time with the new zooms and they are meticulously constructed, a joy to use. Canon CN-E 14.5-60mm T2.6 L S Cinema Zoom Lens with EF Mount Canon CN-E 14.5-60mm T2.6 L SP Cinema Zoom Lens with PL Mount Canon CN-E 30-300mm T2.95-3.7 L S EF Mount Cinema Zoom Lens Canon CN-E 30-300mm T2.95-3.7 L SP PL Mount Cinema Zoom Lens

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

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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 …

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Hands On With The Canon G1 X

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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 …

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