For photographers in the vicinity of Johannesburg, the annual Photo & Film Expo may be of interest.
Like last year, Canon‘s lack of presence is apparent. Nikon shooters will be happy to see that company’s branding prominently displayed.
The Photo & Film Expo is scheduled to run from 14 to 17 October at the Northgate Dome. More details should appear here soon.
One of the highlights of the Canadian Winter Olympics had little to do with figure skating, slalom skiing or snowball fighting. A special edition Canon give-away to photographers covering the event was a special coffee mug in the shape of the popular 70-200mm EF lens.
The official name of the coffee mug is Canon EF Lens Collector Cup. Apparently, Canon had so many requests from eager buyers that they have now made the mug available for purchase. Still produced in very limited quantities, some photo retailers may soon stock this rather cool addition to your camera bag. Even if you don’t like coffee, there’s little argument that an extra ‘lens’ in your backpack can’t make you look more professional…
Firmware 2.0.3 was scarcely available for half a day when Canon posted an update to its latest firmware release. 2.0.4 corrects an issue that can occur with audio recordings for which levels have been set manually. The easiest workaround is to leave the audio level metering on automatic, but the best fix is to visit the for the Canon website and download firmware 2.0.4.
Quite possibly the fastest set of firmware updates we’ve seen for the Canon 5D Mark II...
Firmware 2.0.3 for the Canon 5D Mark II is available for download from the Canon website.
The firmware update includes the following five enhancements to the movie function and a fix to the manual sensor cleaning function:
modes for shooting movies.
attached lens is sometimes interrupted after manual sensor cleaning.
(This phenomenon only affects units with Firmware Version 1.2.4.)
Download from this link. While you’re there, be sure to download the latest, updated user manual. It includes additional information regarding the new features:
Canon delivered a pre-announcement of the anticipated firmware for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II last week. The new firmware release is to be available sometime in the next week or so and focuses primarily on extending the camera’s video shooting capabilities.
The update add will add 24fps and 25fps recording to the EOS 5D Mark II, as well as some improvements and modifications to the Live View shooting function and the histogram display.
Whilst these improvements are certainly welcome, I’m sometimes surprised by the fact that very simple, marginal additions to the existing firmware could provide a huge amount of functionality to standard shooting options. As an example, Canon DSLR cameras do not provide a built-in time lapse feature. That’s a fairly standard and simple addition, probably already existing in some shape or form inside the code of the firmware all the EOS cameras rely on. Yet, Canon seems to be unwilling to provide marginal firmware updates to add such useful features. Possibly, it’s their ability to charge for additional accessories that provide the features most photographers eventually want to utilize…
In any case, the free update to the EOS 5D Mark II firmware will be available on the Canon website soon.
I’ve been watching a number of DVD‘s related to photography and the EOS 5D Mark II. Most of the titles I have purchased so far are published by Blue Crane and are of a very high quality with regard to content and instruction. As the 5D Mark II is suited to high definition video capture, I recently ordered the title Learn 5D Mark II Cinematography with Philip Bloom. Bloom is an accomplished cinematographer who has recently switched to the EOS 5D Mark II for commercial work. Like Vincent Laforet, he is trying the camera out quite extensively to determine how best to capture the content he is after.
The title is rather interesting and worth a look if any kind of digital video capture using a DSLR is of interest to you.
That said, the Canon 5D Mark II seems to be an almost incidental actor in the multi-chapter DVD Bloom presents. My assumption that the presentation would focus at least in part on some of the mechanical aspects of how to capture video using the camera was wrong: other than showing the most basic technique of how to enable video capture on the 5D Mark II, Bloom spends very little further time discussing the actual mechanics of how to interact with the camera. Important topics that include how to focus are almost completely left out and never discussed in any great detail. Though one could argue that these topics can easily be found in the camera’s manual, the title of the DVD suggests that these aspects would be covered. As a comparison, the free-to-view video by Tyler Ginter goes into a lot more depth with regard to the technical aspects of how to use the camera to capture video, including what to look out for when focussing and re-composing.
The main title runs for about one hour and comprises 24 chapters. An extra 17 minutes of workflow-related content is also provided on the DVD.
That’s not to say that Bloom‘s DVD is of no use. There are plenty of tips and tricks provided that are highly useful. A great explanation and practical example of the rolling shutter issue plaguing CMOS sensors and how to avoid issues with banding caused by electrical lighting are included. Audio synchronization and capture using external audio devices instead of the camera’s inadequate microphone is another example of valuable content. The extra section on workflow regarding the editing of video on a computer is somewhat confusing, consisting of screenshots with too much clicking without sufficient information on why certain selections are being made. Probably a no-brainer for video-savvy users, but not so for the novice.
One last comment: the inclusion of Bloom‘s company logo on every frame and every free space surrounding him is unnecessary. Having purchased the DVD and being an avid reader of his blog, I’m aware of his company and accomplishments.
That’s something one would never see on a Blue Crane title, for example.
In many ways, the DVD misses its mark, specifically because it seems to promise more than it delivers. There is no way anyone will learn cinematography with the 5D Mark II after watching this DVD. Instead, certain concepts may make more sense and certain explanations will assist with further understanding and self-study. The omission of actual camera handling techniques is serious, though plenty of other information is provided that is useful to the aspiring 5D Mark II cinematographer. I suggest the DVD to anyone who has an interest in DLSR video capture. The content is specific to the 5D Mark II only in the sense that Bloom uses that camera as a capturing device.
As with all technology, a recent purchase of a modern DSLR is likely to result in quick disappointment as a newer model is announced, in increasingly shorter timeframes. To update the 350D, I bought a Canon EOS 500D in December. It’s an excellent camera with some fantastic features for the price. Yesterday, Canon announced the imminent arrival of the 500D‘s successor, the Canon EOS 550D. That camera is also known by its other moniker, the T2i.
The obvious focus of the new 550D is video capture, something the 500D already handled with aplomb. The camera is capable of 3.7 fps and an ISO range of 100-6400, expandable to an unusable 12800. Borrowing from its bigger EOS brothers, there’s a 63-zone metering system and 18MP image sensor backed by the DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor. Full 1080p HD video capture is possible, backed up by an interesting new feature for standard definition video recording: Movie Crop is capable of providing an almost 7x zoom into the field of view without any loss in image quality. Movie Crop is similar to the older digital zoom function found on cameras, though the difference is in the way the image is processed, being cropped and captured directly from the imaging sensor instead of a magnification of individual picture elements.
The Canon EOS 550D should be in stores in the USA within the next two months or so, costing about the same as the EOS 500D. More information can be found here.
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.
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.
I’m paranoid about my gadgets, often trying to be more careful about not marring a shiny surface than putting them to their intended use in their very short technological lifespan. No gadget is more mollycoddled than my camera, and that includes, without exception, an absolute avoidance of moisture.
Most cameras should be kept out of the wet at all times, but higher end cameras have been built to withstand far more abuse than I would ever wish to see. For a great example of this see Canon Field Reviews. The description of the Canon 7D‘s weather sealing capabilities by Ole Jørgen Liodden is absolutely fascinating.
The fact that his 1DS Mark III fell into the water twice and continued to function without incident is a good indication of what these cameras are capable of, even if a story like that can bring tears to one’s eyes… In the end, it’s about using a tool for an intended purpose.