New bags from ThinkTank

Hey gang, Our buddies at ThinkTank have introduced two new bags that are going to be shipping soon.

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e6z6eaj5hchye2kj/start

First up is version two of the Change Up which is a nice compact bag

Its essential features include:

• Can be worn either as a shoulder camera bag, belt pack, or chest pack
• Tall design accommodates DSLR equipment easily
• Soft, lightweight materials contour to the body
• Compression straps to adjust fit
• Attachment rail for modular components (6” width)
• One-handed zipper opens wide and provides quick access to gear
• Easily accessible front organizer pocket
• Stretchable side mesh pockets for water bottle or strobe
• Durability that you’ve come to expect from the Think Tank brand
• Highest quality YKK zippers
• Seam-sealed rain cover included

Change-Up V2.0 enhancements include:

• Increased height to fit all 70-200 2.8 lenses
• Increased depth of top of bag to fit standard-size bodies
• Added compression straps
• Increased padding of back panel for added comfort
• Belt strap tuck-away function improved by creating two separate pockets
• Decreased weight and increased flexibility
• Removed rear zippered pocket to allow fit for body while keeping bag slim
• Change zipper application to “clam-shell” one handed application (one slider)
• Rain cover moved to new zippered pocket on the bottom edge of the front panel

The second offering is the new Sub Urban

Gear Profiles

• The Sub Urban™ Disguise 5 holds a regular size DSLRs with one to two small telephotos or primes, or a D700 with a 18-200 attached.  It also accommodates Micro 4/3rds, Leica and Sony NEX systems. Great for Strobists as it fits two to three pro-size flashes.
• The Sub Urban™ Disguise 10 holds a regular size DSLRs with two to three small telephotos or primes, or a D700 with a 18-200 at­tached.  It also fits three pro-size flashes.
• The Sub Urban™ Disguise 20 holds regular size DSLRs with three to four small telephotos or primes or a D700 with a 18-200 at­tached.  It fits four to five pro-size flashes.
• The Sub Urban™ Disguise 30 fits a regular size DSLR and two to four standard telephoto lenses, or a D700 with a 24-70 2.8 attached.  It can also hold an iPad or similarly-sized tablet.

Key features include:

• Flip top lid opens away from your body, providing easy access to gear
• Cleanly styled design, does not look like a traditional camera bag
• Highest quality materials

• Designed to easily fit DSLR equipment
• Large padded front pocket
• Easily accessible front organizer pocket
• Stretchable side pockets fit a water bottle
• Padded zippered pocket to accommodate an iPad or similarly-sized tablet (Suburban 30 only)
• Padded non-slip flexible shoulder strap
• Poly-ballistic fabric ensures durability
• High quality YKK zippers
• Seam-sealed rain cover included in front pocket
• Business card slot

Please support the Photo Video Guy by using our links when purchasing your Think Tank bag.  http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e6z6eaj5hchye2kj/start

Tips to Make Better Images : What Tripod Head Should I Get?

By the tone of the question, you might conclude that I dont recommend the idea of a tripod without the ability to remove the head.  You would be right.  Dont do it.  Youll only regret it later.

There are three major types of tripod heads.  They are:

• The Pan Tilt Head
• The Gimbal Head
• The Ball Head

The Pan Tilt Head

Youve seen these heads.  They come as the fixed on every cheap-ass unsteady tripod youve ever seen.  They have three independent adjustments.  One for horizontal pan, one for forward / backward tilt and one for orientation for portrait or landscape.  Even though they have been sold for years as perfect for stills, they are actually a lift from the cinema industry which required very precise 3 axis orientation.  They didnt flip from portrait to landscape but used the third access for levelling out.  This head is perfect for video work.  Its precise and the good ones are all damped, mostly fluid damped to make movements extremely smooth because no cinematographer wants a bunch of jitter during a pan or tilt. In fact the really good pan / tilt heads dont flip for vertical orientation at all, they use a levelling system at the attachment point to the leg set.  If you are using a pan / tilt head for stills, you probably dont use the tripod a lot because all the levers turn out to be a real pain, really fast.

Manfrotto is well respected for their higher end pan tilt heads.

The Gimbal Head

You have a very heavy, very long lens.  If you mount the camera to the tripod head you end  up with a very out of balance condition.  If you use the foot on the lens to the tripod head you are in better shape but pans and tilts become exercises in muscular strength and lots of back and forth.  In this case, you want a Gimbal head.  The Gimbal is often L shaped and uses adjustable plates so you can balance the camera lens combination to be level when the Gimbal lock for tilt is released.  This makes smooth tilts very easy and makes it easier to hold a position to make a shot without locking everything up tight.  The pan is a separate locking control and is more often used as a friction control than a lock so you can pan quickly and smoothly.  If you are shooting wildlife or birds with a big lens, you deserve a gimbal head.

Really Right Stuff has a great selection of Gimbal heads and the Wimberley line is really well respected.  Canadas Jobu is also doing a really nice gimbal and is a great value.

The Ball Head

The ball head is the simplest head.  Its a ball with a post that you attach the camera to.  The ball in the better heads is coated to move smoothly without catching and in practice one knob locks and unlocks all movement in all three axes.  Its incredibly fast to use and perfect for stills.  If you shoot mostly stills, your default head should be a ball head, without question.  The bigger your camera lens combination the larger the ball you want to have.  A larger radius ball gives you better fine movement.  Some ball heads have separate friction controls so you can regulate how fast the ball moves with different camera - lens weight combinations.  Some ball heads also include a separate release for pans, so you can keep the ball orientation tight and still pan the head.  Your choice here, but there is real advantage to a single locking mechanism.  Youll find good ball heads cost more than decent pan tilt heads and they should be.  With only one major locking control, they are dependent on high quality.

For ball heads, go with Manfrotto at the low end, Gitzo or Really Right Stuff at the high end.

Using the right head for the kind of shooting you do will make your photography more fun, youll get better use from your tripod, and you might even start making better images.  Enjoy!

REVIEW : Olympus OM-D E-M5

A number of photographers have been asking me to take a closer look at the latest Olympus M4/3 camera, the OM-D E-M5 so with the support of Nathan Reeder at my local Henry's Camera store, here goes. What Is It?

Olympus along with Lumix really started the entire mirrorless marketplace a few years ago and while many vendors have entered the space and done well (Sony, Fuji) and others have entered the space with underwhelming offerings (Canon, Nikon) the bellwether vendors remain the originators.  The PEN series from Olympus look pretty much like everyone else's entry but the OM-D E-M5 (hereafter referred to as the OM-D) is a very different cat.

It really defines the whole idea of Digital Single Lens Mirrorless.  It looks like a DSLR even including the pentaprism housing (sans pentaprism) but is a mirrorless using the now standard micro 4/3s sensor.  When you first look at the OM-D and first pick it up, it's like a DSLR that is malnourished or forgot to eat its Wheaties for those readers old enough to remember those ads.

So M4/3 sensor, interchangeable lens, electronic viewfinder, touch screen OLED, battery grip, good lens assortment, HD video, TTL flash, full Auto to full Manual in a very small package.

Basic specs are as follows, detailed specs at the bottom of the post.

• M4/3 16MP Sesnor
• 5 Axis image Stabilization
• Full HD Video 1080/60i
• 4:3, 3:2,16:9 Aspect Ratios
• EVF with previews for exposure compensation, white balance adjustment
• 3.0 inch 610K dot articulating OLED display with touch capability
• 1/4000-60s plus B Shutter speed range
• 200-25600 ISO Range
• Metering range from EV0 to EV20
• Single Shot, Continuous, Manual, Manual +AF focusing
• TTL Flash including GN 7 flash in kit
• Exposure compensation and up to 7 shot bracketing

So at a glance, it looks like a decent mid level DSLR from a feature / function perspective.  And that's really what it is but more on that later.

Unboxing and First Impressions

Olympus still hasn't figured out the Apple boxing principle, but the kit that includes the 12-50mm power zoom is easy to unpack and thoughtfully laid out.  The battery came with about 60% charge in it and is good sized Lithium Ion cell.  Olympus doesn't provide an average shot count, but in my own tests it takes about four hours to charge and while I surely didn't drive the shutter count up super high, mathematically it looks to me like the battery might last to 300 shots.  Others are experiencing a bit less.  So a potential downside will be the need for more batteries if you will use the camera heavily.  Upside is that the battery charges in an external charger, so you can use the camera with a second battery while the first one is recharging.  I wish Sony would learn that lesson.

The camera is light, under 1lb with a memory card and a battery in it.  The upper left deck has the mode selector dial with PASM, plus SCN, Movie, ART and iAUTO settings.  Top deck right has two unmarked wheels, the rear one adjusts the aperture or shutter speed depending on mode and the front one provides for exposure compensation.  You can program the dials as you like, but the defaults are pretty usable.  Far right is the programmable Fn2 button and the separate video start/stop button.  The shutter release sits atop the front adjustment dial.  Middle top deck has the hot shoe and a removeable section cover to allow mounting the including tiny flash or Olympus shoe mount accessories that also need access to the camera electronics.  Layout is simple and easy to follow.

Looking at the rear, the OLED is big and bright,  Although the fonts are very small, it's still very legible. Left of the eyepiece is the diopter adjustment and to the right is a push button that controls Live View.  Further to the right are the Playback button and the programmable Fn1 button.  Immediately below them is the needed thumb rest but it does make hitting the buttons a dexterity test as they are tiny and recessed.  Below the thumb rest are the usual suspects of Menu and Info buttons then a multi-axis controller with selector in the centre and below that a trash button and the on-off switch.  The switch is flush to the back and recessed so you won't be turning the camera on and off by accident.  As noted the screen is articulating for overhead or low shots, but it does not swing away from the camera to face front as found on some DSLRs.

The left side of the camera has a USB port and micro-HDMI connector hidden under a rubber cover.  You have to move the rear display to be able to free the rubber cover.  There are three tiny holes for the built-in speaker in front of the cover.

The right side has the door for the SD card slot.  A push rearward releases a very positive catch.

Looking at the bottom we find the metal tripod screw socket threaded for 1/4-20, a removable rubber plate for when you are connecting the accessory battery grip and the hinged door to the battery compartment.

From the front, there's a decent grip built into the right side, and the lens release button occupies the left side.  There's a tiny self-timer lamp / focus assist lamp on the top front panel.  Otherwise the front face is very clean and clutter free.

Of course the camera has strap lugs on either side and the first thing I noticed holding the camera is that the right side lug is in a position where it's ALWAYS poking me in the hand.  This placement makes the camera unpleasant to hold and if it were mine, that three sided strap holder would be gone and I'd be using a Black Rapid strap right away.  It's too bad because the strap lug placement really farks up the whole feel for me.

The Kit Glass

The kit lens in the unit I looked at is the new Olympus 12-50/3.5-6.3 Digital Zuiko.  It takes a standard 52mm filter, something the Fuji gits could learn to emulated.  The lens is plainly not optically fast, but is small and lightweight and provides a full frame equivalency to 24-100, a very nice working range.  Particularly attractive about the lens is that it has three modes of operation.  Keep the zoom ring to the rear and it's a smooth manual zoom. Push it forward and the zoom ring no longer rotates but engages a smoothly operating power zoom function.  It's a bit easy to knock it from mode to mode, but I think that's an acclimatization thing.  The macro mode is quite brilliant.  Press in the Macro button and move the zoom ring forward and the lens locks into macro mode and I must say it works pretty darn well.  There's also a window that advises you which mode the lens is in.  The only downside to me is the slow lens speed.  If I were buying, I'd likely opt for the 17/1.8 and the 45/1.8 in addition so I had some nice high speed glass.  I did borrow the 45mm and will discuss it further on.

The FL-LM2 flash that's included is not built-in, you remove an access cover and slide it on.  Like the popup flash on your DSLR, use it only under protest.  With an ISO100 Guide Number of 7, you won't be bouncing this light anywhere.  The best thing that can be said for it is that it comes in the box.  If you want proper flash, you'll be buying one.  Just like with any other decent DSLM.

Now that we've had a quick look at the unit, let's move on to its usability, starting with the menu system

The Menus

Olympus deserves credit for not making the menu system so convoluted you want to stick a fork in your eye.  The pages are mostly a single screen long and it's fairly intuitive with the more common functions nearer the top.  It took me a long time to find the Format card function because unlike most other cameras, it's at the top of the list not buried in some deep layer.  Gold star for that.  All the menu items have integrated help panels which are very useful as you are getting comfortable with the camera.  I expect you can turn this off at some point but did not look to find out if this is possible.  I was able to use the menus without referring to the docs.  Speaking of docs, the printed doc is a VERY short quick start guide, the real documentation is provided on the CD.  I would have looked at it, but my MacBook doesn't have a CD drive.  Fortunately the manual is also available for electronic download and is searchable as it is a PDF.  The version I looked at was in English and I found it easy to read and search.  Loading it into iBooks on the iPad and iPhone keeps it handy, although a bit hard to read on the small screen.

Shooting the Camera

When in shooting mode, the OLED display has three basic configurations.  Off, meaning black, meaning battery efficient, Full Info meaning ALL the information, much of it not specifically relevant to a given shot and intermediate giving you exposure info along with an  innovative level system.  Pressing Live View, does what you expect, with the similarly expected battery suckage.  The EVF is bright and easy to use and I like the layout very much.  I'm really enthused by the live presentation of how the exposure will look at different compensation settings or in manual mode.  This one function alone is killer in my book and it's so simple that you'll want it on all your cameras.

The shutter release is smooth to the half press where the autofocus kicks in.  Hold the button for auto-focus lock, and there's Fn1 whose default programming is Auto Exposure Lock.  Press it again to release the lock.  Pressing all the way through the shutter button captures the image.  Initially I found the shutter button throw to be very long, but after shooting the camera for a while, I got used to it.

in my first test shots, which were literally snapped at random, I was quite pleased with the automatic white balance correction, specifically how nice a job it did making the whites white.  I had a large Elinchrom softbox off to one side of the frame and with a proper exposure, it was white, not grey, blue or orange, despite horrible mixed lighting.  In my initial shots I left the ISO in Auto mode and set the upper threshold to 3200.  The ISO traversal is transparent but you always know where you are because of the information in the display.

i know that users don't read manuals.  I have spent over three decades in the computer industry and work part time in a photography store and this fact is reinforced for me every day.  So I tried to use the camera at first without reading the manual.  It worked fine but until I figured out how the touch display does and doesn't work changing the ISO was a pain in the butt.  Put the camera Info selection into full mode and tap the area of interest on the rear monitor.  It turns green.  Press the OK button at the centre of the multi-axis controller to drill down.  Now use the MA controller to move around and click OK to lock a setting.  If I'm supposed to be able to drill down with the touchscreen, I could not get that to work for me at all.

Frankly I gave up on the whole touchscreen idea pretty quickly.  I find the all info screen cluttered and having it turn off and on as I move my eye to and from the eyepiece got old really quick.  Instead I set the display to the basic exposure mode where a quick tap of the OK button in the MA controller brings up the full info screen and you can navigate around and drill down without hassle.  I'm still not convinced that touchscreens have a place on a camera rear display.

Practical Use

It was a beautiful morning so after the home chores, I took the camera and lenses out into the -10 celsius bright winter day.  I have large hands and shooting the camera wearing gloves was a non-starter for me, so I had to work with my right hand uncovered.  The first thing I noticed is that walking around with the camera is easy because it's so light.  I didn't connect the neck strap because the unit was borrowed for testing only, and just carried it in my left hand.  I would not care to walk around for ninety minutes holding my 1Dx or Hasselblad in my hand but the OM-D was hardly noticeable.  Serious points for light weight!

The camera focuses very fast and very accurately.  I was glad of the diopter adjustment and I was able to get to very usable images very quickly.  I shot in both aperture preferred and manual mode.  I did try to use the power zoom but for stills I found the manual setting preferable for me.  The macro configuration is super easy to use and makes the lens much more versatile.

Because the light was full sun with heavy shadows and not soft in any way, I made shots using exposure compensation most of the time.  White balance was excellent even in the highly reflective snow conditions.  I found that the usual guidelines for compensation in snow worked well with this sensor.

While I am not a big fan of the over the top implementations of HDR, there is a Lightroom / Photoshop trick that creates a 32 bit TIFF with incredible dynamic range.  Basically you select your images, choose Merge to HDR Pro in Photoshop and when the ACR window displays the image, select 32 bit, remove ghosts and then File Save.  You don't do an HDR tuning in Photoshop, and when you go back to Lightroom you have a TIFF file with up to 11 stops of dynamic range.  To make these images simply, I used the excellent bracketing capability in the OM-D.  The camera can automatically do a 3, 5 or 7 stop bracket with separations at 1, 0.7 and 0.3 stop intervals.  (Note that the 1 stop intervals are limited to 5 stop brackets).  Putting the camera into high speed burst, capturing 7 stop brackets is a breeze and handheld brackets are no problem at all in daylight.  In fact, I think that if I owned the camera and was shooting landscapes with it, this configuration could become my default practice, it's that simple and that effective.

Processing

Once I got home, I put the card in a reader and copied the Olympus RAW files to their own  dated subdirectory on a drive.  Once they were copied, I ejected the card and then opened Lightroom and imported the files to my library using my customary Copy as DNG mode.  Olympus' RAW has some minor level of compression but there was no discernable loss of image quality.  There is a converter in Lightroom so the files were read without issue.  Each file is around 15mb in size at full RAW in 4:3 aspect ratio.  I was a bit disappointed that there are no Olympus lens profiles in Lightroom.

Processing the images is the same as any other digital file.  I was very pleased with the results whether working on a single image or on a round-tripped 32 bit HDR.  The level of image quality produced by the OM-D is excellent and there is lots of good data to work with when editing the images.  I did not test JPEGs out of the camera.  I subscribe to the Sammonism that "Raw Rules" and in my work I don't use JPEGs, so they weren't part of my tests.  Neither were any of the Art modes built into the camera.  So I have no idea of whether they're any good or not.  The RAW images are excellent.  I have found that the EVF is a bit warm but I also discovered adjustments can be made for the display.

Despite being outside in the cold for over 90 minutes and shooting about 130 images, the battery indicator still showed a full charge.  After I'd been inside for a couple of hours, I fired it up to do some flash tests and the battery showed two-thirds and since then has fallen off slowly.  There is a battery guide calibration capability but I have not done it.

I also made time to shoot the 45mm f/1.8 prime lens.  With a 35mm full frame equivalence of 90mm, it's ideal for portraiture and of course short telephoto.  The lens is physically very small, about the same size as a Leica M series 35mm.  Filter size on the lens is 37mm.  While the 12-50 really needs a hood to manage flare, the 45mm was not so prone to flareout.  I did not get a chance to try the 17mm f/1.8 lens this time but other tests show it to be really nice and I would definitely have it in my kit.

Who's This Camera For?

All other notes aside, all cameras have a logical user fit, with some better suited to beginners than to pros.  The OM-D is not a beginner's camera.  That's not to say you cannot get great images out of the camera without knowing much about photography, but it's serious overkill for the person who really only wants an interchangeable lens point and shoot.  Get an NEX-F3 for that purpose, you'll be happier.  In my opinion, the OM-D is for the advanced amateur or professional.  It's not about being that good, but about being that capable.  Indeed, most recently, I have seen noted professional photographer Scott Bourne sell all his pro Canon gear and move entirely to the OM-D family.  I won't be doing the same but after shooting the camera for a few days, I have become more and more impressed with the usability and image quality.

There are still minor annoyances, as I still have not figured out where to set the post capture rear display duration, and that right side strap lug is infuriating me.  I suspect that if I bought the unit, I'd order the battery grip just to give me more to hang on to.  I'd also pass on the 12-50 lens.  Despite a nice range, it's slow and the macro feature while cool is not enough to warrant the purchase.  Since I don't shoot a lot of video, the power zoom is of no value to me.

I did not test the 4/3 adapter to use other Olympus AF lenses.  However, my friend Khalil has, and his kindest adjective was "slow".

My Kit If I Were To Buy One

• OM-D E-M5 Body
• HLD-6 Battery Grip
• FL-600R Flash
• BLN-1 Spare Battery (2)
• ED 14-150/4.0-5.6 Zoom and Hood (28-300mm equivalent)
• 17/1.8 and Hood (35mm equivalent)
• 45/1.8 and Hood (90mm equivalent)
• ED 60/2.8 Macro and Hood (120mm equivalent)

Sample Images

Detailed Specifications

Full credit for these specs goes to the very excellent http://www.omd-em5.com/

TYPE	Type	Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens system camera
	a Media	SD Memory Card (SDHC, SDXC, UHS-I compatible, Eye-Fi Card compatible)
	Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds mount
IMAGE SENSOR	Type	4/3 Live MOS Sensor
	Image Sensor Size	17.3mm x 13.0mm (in 4:3 aspect ratio)
	Total Pixels	16.9 Megapixels
	Camera Effective Pixels	16.1 Megapixels
	Processor	TruePic VI
	Color Filter	Primary color filter (RGB)
	Dust Reduction System	Supersonic Wave Filter (dust reduction system for image sensor)
RECORDING SYSTEM	Aspect Ratio	4:3(Default) / 3:2 / 16:9 / 1:1 / 3:4
	Still Image Size	Max resolution : 4608 x 3456 Other : 4608 x 3072, 4608 x 2592, 3456 x 3456, 2592 x 3456, 3200 x 2400, 3200 x 1800, 3216 x 2144, 2400 x 2400, 1824 x 2432, 2560 x 1920, 2560 x 1440, 2544 x 1696, 1920 x 1920, 1440 x 1920, 1920 x 1440, 1920 x 1080, 1920 x 1280, 1440 x 1440, 1104 x 1472, 1600 x 1200, 1536 x 864, 1584 x 1056, 1216 x 1216, 864 x 1152, 1280 x 960, 1280 x 720, 1296 x 864, 960 x 960, 720 x 960, 1024 x 768, 1024 x 576, 1008 x 672, 768 x 768, 576 x 768, 640 x 480, 640 x 360, 624 x 416, 480 x 480, 384 x 512
	Motion Image	[MOV] Full HD : 1920 x 1080, 59.94i Recording HD : 1280 x 720, 59.94i Recording [AVI Motion JPEG] HD : 1280 x 720, 30fps VGA : 640 x 480, 30fps
IS System	Type	Built-in (5-axis Image Stabilization)
	Modes	3 modes (IS1, IS2, IS3), OFF
Electronic Viewfinder	Eye Level Finder Type	approx. 1.44M
	Eye point / Diopter adjustment range	Approx. 100% / Approx. 0.92×1 – 1.15×2 (-1m-1, 50mm lens, Infinity)
	Live view	100% field of view, Exposure compensation preview, WB adjustment preview, Gradation auto preview, Face detection preview
	Monitor Specs	3.0-inch tilting OLED monitor, Approx. 610k dots, Touch control
	Tilting angle	Upward tilting angle : up to 80 degrees Downward tilting angle : up to 50 degrees
FOCUS	Type	Contrast Detect
	Focus Mode	Single AF (S-AF) / Continuous AF (C-AF) / Manual Focus (MF) / S-AF + MF / AF tracking (C-AF + TR)
	AF Mode	Face detection / Eye detection / AF Tracking / 35-area multiple AFAll target, Group target area (9-area), Single target
	AF Detective Range	EV 0 – 20 (at normal temperature, 17mm f2.8, ISO 100)
	AF illuminator	YES
Metering System	TTL Image sensor metering	Digital ESP metering (324-area multi pattern metering), Center weighted average metering, Spot metering, Spot metering with highlight control, Spot metering with shadow control
	Metering range	EV 0 – 20 (at normal temperature, 17mm f2.8, ISO 100)
	Exposure modes	i Auto, P: Program AE, A: Aperture priority AE, S: Shutter priority AE, M: Manual, Bulb, Time, Scene select AE, Art Filter, Underwater wide / macro
	ISO Sensitivity	AUTO: ISO 200 – 25600 (customizable, Default 200-1600) / Manual ISO 200 – 25600, 1/3 or 1 EV steps selectable
	Exposure compensation	3 EV in 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV steps selectable
	AE Lock	Locked at 1st release of shutter button (can be set to Fn1/Rec button)
Shutter System	Type	Computerized focal-plane shutter
	Shutter speed	1/4000 – 60 sec. (1/3, 1/2, or 1EV steps selectable.) Bulb: default setting 8min.
	Self Timer	Operation time: 12 sec., 2 sec.
Bracketing	Exposure bracketing	2, 3 or 5 frames in 0.3/0.7/1.0EV steps selectable, 7 frames in 0.3/0.7EV steps selectable
	White balance bracketing	3 frames in 2, 4, 6 steps selectable in each A-B/G-M axis.
	Flash bracketing	3 frames in 0.3/0.7/1.0EV step selectable
Flash System	Flash intensity control method	TTL Auto, Auto*, Manual, FP-TTL AUTO*, FP-MANUAL* (* Available on the external flash)
	Built-in flash	No
	Bundled flash (FL-LM2)	TTL flash, GN=10 (ISO200) / GN=7(ISO100)
	Compatible external flash	FL-50/FL-50R, FL-36/FL-36R, FL-20, FL-14, FL-300R, FL-600R
Art Filter	Mode	Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Cross Proscess, Gentle Sepia, Dramatic Tone, Key Line
	Art Effect	Soft Focus Effect, Pin-Hole Effect, White Edge Effect, Frame Effect, Star Light Effect
Level Gauge	Detection	2-axis
Digital Zoom	Magnification	x2
Playback Functions	Playback mode	Single-frame, Information display, Index display, Calendar, Enlargement), Movie, Picture rotation, Slideshow
	Information display	Histogram, Highlight/Shadow point warning, AF frame, Photographic information, OFF
Input / Output	USB/AV/Remote controller connector	USB: USB2.0 High Speed, Video: NTSC/PAL selectable, Optional Remote cable RM-UC1 can be used.
	HDMI connector	Micro HDMI (Type-D)
	Flash attachment	Hot shoe
	Accessory Port 2	Available for VF-2/VF-3, SEMA-1, MAL-1 and PP-1
	Micophone/Speaker	Stereo/Mono
Power Requirements	Battery	BLN-1 Li-ion battery (included)
	Power battery holder	(Option) Power Battery Holder HLD-6
	AC adaptor	(Option) AC adapter AC-3
Dimensions / Weights	Dimensions	4.8 x 3.5 x 1.7 inch (W x H x D)
	Weight	Approx. 15 ounces (with battery, Memory card) Approx. 13 ounces (body only)

Nikon D600 D800 rebates coming to Canada

Rumour is that the amazing deals on the D600 and D800 seen last week in the US will hit Canada this week. The rebates are substantial and don't last long. Keep eyes open.

Tethering your Nikon to your computer

Canon owners are probably aware of the EOS Utility that simply allows tethering of your Canon DSLR to your computer whether running Windows or OS X.  It comes in the box with the camera,  Nikon users have to look further afield and a couple of club members were asking me for a tethered solution for their Nikons if they don't already own Lightroom or Aperture. If you use a Macintosh, the tethering app you want is called Sofortbild.  It's done by a fellow from Germany and he does a great job of keeping it up to date.  You can get it on the Mac App Store or download it directly from here.  It's a simple app that does what it promises giving you simple and efficient tethering from your Nikon to your Mac using a simple USB cable.

If you use Windows, check out Camera Control from www.diyphotobits.com  They have a compatibility listing posted on their site.

Both tools are free.  Be aware that there are a slew of chargeable apps for tethering but I wanted to focus on tools that work and don't hit your wallet.

REVIEW : Hahnel Giga T Pro II Wired / Wireless Release

The truth is that I have had this critter for nearly a year.  I bought it for its intervalometer and long exposure capability to use with my Canon DSLRs, particularly for night shooting and to shoot multiple images for stacking. It's not Infrared, it's radio and works in the 2.4GHz band.  Hahnel claims a range of 100m, I've tried it at distances of over 30m but then I get nervous about my gear and move in closer.

I had initially considered using Pocket Wizards as remote triggers, but discovered that the retail price of the PW cable is as much as the Hahnel full kit.  Have I mentioned how much the arrogance of the PW people bugs me?

Now I also wanted to be able to wirelessly trigger my Hasselblad H4D-40 and another member at the AWESOME Hasselblad Digital Forums had mentioned that he found that Canon Rebel appropriate wired remotes worked with the Hassy.  Since the Hahnel kit can be used wired or wireless I thought I'd give it a shot.

The Hahnel kit comes with cables for both the Canon pro bodies and the consumer bodies.  How convenient that the Hasselblad connection is the same configuration of the 3/32" (2.5mm) jack as the Canon Rebel.  So I connected the Rebel cable to the Hassy and to the transmitter.  Push the button and the shutter fires.  Cool!

Unplug the transmitter, plug in the receiver and walk across the room and press the button.  The shutter fires.  So I set up an interval sequence and yes that worked too.

Hahnel doesn't say anything about Hasselblad. Hasselblad doesn't say anything about Canon remotes.  All I know is that I now have a solution for the Hasselblad that cost nothing because I already owned the solution.  I got mine at Henry's, but I expect that they are widely available.

For more information on the Hahnel, go to http://www.hahnel.ie/index.cfm/action/productSearch/pid/80

The Best Tripod I Have Ever Owned

And boy, have I owned tripods.... Like many of us who have been photographers for years/decades, I've accumulated a number of tripods over time, some I still have, many are long gone and others are "in process".  This week I received the tripod that is the best I've ever owned.

Following a series of conversations with the very helpful folks at Really Right Stuff, I ordered a leg set to go with my existing head.   My kit today consists of:

• TVC-34L legs
• TA-3-QC Quick Column
• BH-55 Ball Head
• TA-2-LC Leveling Base
• TH-DVTL-55 Dovetail adapter for the Ball Head
• B-150B Package Macro Rail Set
• PCL-1 Panoramic Clamp
• PCL-DVTL Dovetail Adapter for Panorama
• 192 Precision Plus Package Rail Set for Panoramas
• TQB-89 Tripod Case

I love the construction quality of the RRS equipment.  While the legs and pano gear are new, I have used the other gear for some time on Gitzo GT3541 legs and loved it.  What I needed was a taller tripod that gave me stability without necessarily having to extend the centre column fully.  The 34L legs do that.  They are slightly larger in diameter than the legs of the Gitzo and have a refined construction method to their carbon fiber tubing.  The leg set is only nominally heavier than what it replaces and delivers the stability I want.  I like the wider domed rubber feet and that I can easily exchange the feet for rock feet or spikes should the need arise.

I added the quick column not because I really wanted a taller height but to give me flexibility on slopes.  I rarely find that the ground where I shoot is level or flat.  The wider diameter legs feel more stable, especially with the weight of the Hasselblad H4D-40 and 300mm lens mounted up.

On top of the column I mounted the TA-2-LC leveling base.  Mine was actually a universal base that I converted from a 3/8-16 screw on top to a Really Right Stuff lever clamp.  This way I can level out whatever head assembly I choose to use before adjusting the head.  It adds a bit of length to the unit and some weight but the fast levelling capability more than overshadows the additional size.

I added the TH-DVTL-55 dovetail plate to the bottom of my existing BH-55 ball head.  The BH-55 is without a doubt the best ball head I have ever used.  It handles everything, is easy to deploy and never creeps.  By putting the dovetail plate on it, it makes it easy to change heads or insert accessories such as the Panoramic clamp.  At some point I might want to get one of the Omni Pivot Packages and the ability to change heads quickly is appealing to me.

The PCL-1 Panoramic Clamp also has the PCL-DVTL plate on it so I can quickly mount it on top of the BH-55 or between the BH-55 and Levelling Base depending on my needs.  I find that the RRS Lever clamps are superb, fast to lock and unlock and take up less space than the knob style clamps.  Don't get me wrong, the knob style clamps are extremely secure, I just like the speed of the levers.  I also got the 192 Precision Plus rail kit to make it simple to find the nodal point and to be able to use either camera body or lens mount orientation on the rail, because the mini-clamp is rotatable.

The macro rail kit is extremely precise and very smooth.  I had been using the simpler Manfrotto macro rail before and it worked fine for lighter cameras but it was a bit awkward with the Hasselblad and macro lens.  I added the adapter in the package as my Canon 180mm macro is a collared lens, so I can mount either body or lens orientation quickly.

I do have other RRS gear purchased over time and have never been disappointed.  I am always impressed by their team's knowledge and customer first attitude.  I've never had a quality issue and the one time I thought I had an issue, it was actually my fault for using a clamp wrong.

The main reason that took me to Really Right Stuff was the ability via L-Plates on my camera bodies to switch from landscape to portrait orientation without altering the lens plane.  To some this sounds like an expensive solution to a simple issue, but for me, I took a chance and have been proven right.  All my Canons, my Hasselblad and the Leica have L plates.  Nothing to lose, fast and secure mounting and no hassle makes this system hard to beat.

I don't sell Really Right Stuff gear.  I'm just a customer.  But I have to say I think it's the best gear out there and well worth the investment.

Holiday Shopping Ideas

A lot of new stuff has come out this year, some still to come but I wanted to give readers a head's up on what I think is pretty cool and what's less so. Please understand that these are my own opinions and may not be congruent with others. The Entry DSLR

If ever there was a year to be able to get into the DSLR game with incredible quality at unprecedented prices this would be it. Nikon's D3200 is a 24MP powerhouse that is a terrific first step into the DSLR world. It does stills and 1080P video and can use most all Nikon lenses (they have to have an AF motor inside as the body does not). It is fast to use, quick to focus and a great launch point. You will see D3000 and D3100 models at low prices this season but given the light year step forward that the D3200 brings, my opinion is stay away from end of life stuff.

BTW, the Nikon D5100 has been replaced by the D5200 everywhere EXCEPT North America. If you want a current D5X00 buy a gift card and wait. The D5100 is a fine camera but is End of Life.

Canon is now six months in on the Rebel T4i. Rebels have always been a great value, but this Rebel knocks it out of the park. It is an 18MP sensor but in a move never seen before it uses 14 bit processing instead of the 8 bit processing usually found in consumer DSLRs. That means that the tonal range and the overall amount of information is the same as what you would find in a 7D, for a lot less money. The Rebel T4i is also one of very few DSLR cameras that can autofocus in video mode with Canon's STM lenses. Pair this with the 18-135 lens for a truly rocking kit.

The Serious DSLR

In my mind there is a killer choice this season and it's particularly grand if you are a Nikon user, or want to be one. The D600 is stunningly good. Many pros are using the D600 to back up their D3 and D4 bodies instead of the D800. It has a brand new 24MP sensor, speedy autofocus, great handling and when bought as a kit with the brand new Nikkor 24-85 zoom lens you have a good to go offering. The D600 is a full frame sensor so you are maximizing the use of the sensor and the image quality that the camera can deliver.

Canon should have the 6D out before the buying season really starts, although if I were spending coin on a new Canon body in this niche, I'd also look at the clearance pricing on 5D Mk II bodies. The 5D Mk II set the stage for DSLR video and while its autofocus is a bit slower than newer models and has fewer focus points, it is proven worldwide and well over $1,000 cheaper than the 5D Mk III. The 6D will also be full frame and have nominally better autofocus and a slightly higher burst mode fps as well as built in WiFi. The 6D will likely be a few hundred more expensive than the 5D Mk II body when it shows up

The Digital Single Lens Mirrorless

Kudos to Lumix for picking an acronym that finally makes sense. We've seen the Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Format, the Compact Systems Camera and a variety of others.

In this space despite new versions of the Nikon 1 series replacing the unsuccessful J1 and the nominally more successful V1, Sony rules the space. The NEX-5R and the NEX-6 are unstoppable when it comes to image quality, performance and ease of use. The NEX-6 brings most of the functionality of the market leading NEX-7 to a much more attractive price point and the Sony glass in the space is as good as any other player. The NEX-6 is also a full APS-C sensor instead of the smaller 1" sensors and M4/3 sensors in some of the alternatives.

The Canon EOS-M has finally arrived and I'm sad to say it's not on my hot list. The construction is great, the fit and feel are good but the autofocus is glacial in performance. So long as those mountains in the distance don't move you'll be fine but forget any kind of action. Plus the NEX-6 also offers an eyepiece viewfinder in addition to the rear LCD.

The Lens Quest

Well the lens quest is always a big deal during the holidays. And there are always plenty of options out there so I'm going to try to synthesize the list down for you.

For the person looking for a very fast 50mm that is tough and tack driving sharp, go with the Sigma 50/1.4 It's optically better than the Canon or Nikon options, costs a bit more and uses larger filters. It's better glass and fits both full frame and APS-C sensor cameras.

Want an all in one walkaround lens? Nikon's 28-300 is hard to beat and while Canon's 28-300 variant is both expensive and heavy, it's also great. I cannot say the same for the Nikon 18-300 or the Canon 18-200 as neither fares well in independent testing. Sigma's 18-250 (not the old one, the new one) is a strong player in the space and reasonably priced for what it delivers.

If you have that super-telephoto wanter on your list, or you are that person, allow me to recommend a lens that is expensive, heavy and absolutely brilliant. It's Sigma's 120-300/2.8 zoom. It's actually less expensive than their fixed 300/2.8 and is a joy to shoot with. If 300mm is longer than you want to carry and you don't want to spend as much but want amazing image quality consider the Canon 70-200/4 L IS or the forthcoming Nikon 70-200/4 ED VR. Today's cameras do well at higher ISO so the one stop down from the more expensive and more massive f/2.8 variants will save you money and weight and give you amazing images. You can also consider the Sigma 70-200/2.8 as it will be in a similar price point to the Canon or Nikon f/4 lenses. Many of my TV co-host Bryan's students on Daytripper events have shot amazing images with the Sigma. It's great value for the money.

Tripods

This is the number one time of year for tripod sales. We all know the value of a good tripod but let me share a thought that both Bryan and I have shared on the TV show.

Buy your last tripod first

Sounds simple? It actually is. Most serious photographers find that they end up with multiple tripods or are trying to sell older tripods to fund newer ones. Save time and money and buy the best you can up front. My personal choice is ALWAYS the gear from Really Right Stuff, but as most people like to see before they buy, allow me to use two words. Gitzo and Manfrotto. It's hard to go wrong with either brand, although in keeping with the last first sentiment, also think carbon fiber or basalt. Manfrotto does carbon, Gitzo does both. Lighter is better than heavier if you are the person carrying the tripod and either material transmits less vibration than the less expensive aluminum versions. Your choice of tripod head will make a difference as well so sometimes a new head for an existing tripod is a good move. In this case, if still photography is what the photographer will do most, get a ball head. Those multi-arm heads are awesome for video but take more time to get aligned than a simple ball head. Again, if you go Gitzo or Manfrotto you won't be disappointed.

Looking for more ideas?

Send me an email with your query and I will try to help you out.

The New Apple Drinking Game

Many folks know that I prefer Macintosh computer systems to alternatives. However, I am exhausted by recent Apple "nonovations" and propose a new drinking game. Here's how to play.

1. Sit down in a safe place with access to any recent Apple event keynote. You will not be driving ANYWHERE after this
2. Equip yourself with a shot glass and bottle of your favourite intoxicant
3. Pour a shot
4. Start the event keynote and every time any Apple executive uses either of "beautiful" or "thin" to describe any Apple product, drink the shot.
5. Refill quickly because this is an easy game to win and very fast paced
6. Prepare to be hammered in the first few minutes, first minute if you are watching Phil Schiller.

Both sad and pathetic.

I still prefer Macintosh computers, although I do wish that Apple would get their thumbs out and update the Mac Pro, and not f*ck it up in the process.

Announcing the Hasselblad Lunar

You'd think that the Hasselblad company had gone out and run over the family dog based on the vituperance about the announced Lunar. Hasselblad hasn't lied about the Lunar at all.  They say it is a style oriented camera and benefits from special materials including carbon fibre, wood, leather, titanium and precious metals including gold.  They have made no claims at all about making the electronics or the sensor or even the glass.

Internally the Lunar is a Sony NEX-7.  In my opinion, at time of writing, the NEX-7 is the best Compact System Camera, Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Format, fill in your own name here camera on the market.

The NEX-7 is easy to use and well suited to committed photographers with dual control dials, a built-in viewfinder, blazing autofocus and superb exposure control.  Sony E lenses are pretty darn good and we've recently learned that they are full frame capable.

So Hasselblad isn't making the guts.  They are doing the physical casement.  It will cost around $5,000 more than an NEX-7.  If all you need is delivered by the NEX-7, then go out and buy one.  If you have the coin, and the desire, as well as the willingness to drop $5K on what is, imho, basically bling, then go rock your world.  It's not going to make better images than an NEX-7, but you might feel that your image is enhanced.

There are folks out there who like this sort of thing.  They put gold emblems and giant spinner rims on their cars.  They self-adorn with jewelry.  Those "into photography" have been buying Hermes limited editions of Leicas.  So don't really hammer Hasselblad.  You and I may not buy a Lunar, but if this product generates revenue to help Hasselblad to keep doing amazing "real" (my word) cameras, good for them.  And to their credit, when they went outboard for the guts, they picked the best choice out there.

Specifications courtesy Victor Hasselblad AG

Recording system (still image)
Image quality modes.	RAW, RAW & JPEG, JPEG Fine, JPEG Standard
Media
Media	Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO HG Duo, SD memory card, SDHC memory card, SDXC memory card
Slot	Multi slot for Memory Stick Duo/SD memory card
Exposure control
Exposure modes	IAUTO, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed (S), Manual (M), Sweep Panorama, 3D
Exposure Compensation	Sweep Panorama, Anti Motion Blur, Scene Selection
Bracketing	3 continuous exposure in 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps
LCD monitor
Brightness control	Auto, Manual (5 steps between -2 and +2), Sunny Weather mode
Display contents	Graphic Display, Display All Info., Big Font Size Disp, Info., Live View Priority, Level, Histogram, For viewfinder
Flash
Type	Built-in flash
Flash compensation	+/- 3.0 EV
Flash modes	Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync
Shutter
Type	Electronically controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type
Shutter speed	1/4000 to 30 sec., Bulb
Flash sync. speed	1/160 sec.
Electronic front curtain shutter	Yes, On/Off
Drive
Modes	Single-shot, Continuous, Speed Priority Continuous, Self-timer (10/2 sec. delay), Self-timer (Cont.) (with 10 sec. delay: 3/5 exposures), Bracketing, Remote Cdr
Interface
Pc Interface	Hi-speed USB (USB 2.0): Mass-storage, MTP
HD output	HDMI® mini connector (type-C), PhotoTV HD
Others	Auto-lock Accessory Shoe, Microphone jack, Remote sensor
Weight
Body only	Approx. 420 g
Dimension
W x H x D (including protrusion)	Approx. 140 x 83 x 67 mm

VIDEO : Introducing Canon's Radio Remote Flash System

I've just made available this new video that introduces Canon's 600 EX-RT flash and ST-E3-RT flash controller. The new radio system is a significant departure so I explain the infrared history of Canon remote flash, where the new system is compatible and where it is not, and offer a comparison to the well known Pocket Wizard radio controllers for eTTL flash. [iframe][/iframe]

Announcing new Leicas

I guess it's no surprise that Leica (Germany) would hold it's big release party at Photokina (Germany).  There has been a ton of speculation about new cameras to be announced and Leica has not failed to deliver on the promise of announcements. The M

Most anticipated by the serious rangefinder crowd was the M10.  Which didn't appear.  Instead, Leica takes a page from Apple and has ceased numbering it's cameras so the camera we've been expecting as the M10 is just the M (Typ 240)

It is very much what has been rumoured.  About the same money as an M9 was before the discounting started about a month ago, with many of the expected changes being delivered.  I've posted links to the specs but here are the salient points.

• 24MP CMOS sensor by CMOSIS of Belgium
• 1/4000s - 60s plus Bulb
• 3fps
• SD card slot
• ISO 200-6400 with one stop pull
• 3" 920k dot LCD display covered in Corning Gorilla Glass
• Spot or centre weighted metering
• 1080p video at 25/24/30 fps

Going CMOS allows for Live View and video but means that the old style of no Anti-Aliasing filter is now gone.  Some Leica fans were near apoplectic to see this.  The higher ISO range is a nice change from the 2500 cap on the M9.  The new camera is made of magnesium with brass top and bottom plates and comes in black or chrome.

The M-E

If you've always wanted a Leica digital rangefinder but found the cost of entry a bit extreme, Leica has a new option for you called the M-E.

As best I can tell, it's a stripped (not by much) M9.  Specs are as follows

• 18MP CCD without AA filter
• ISO 160-2500 one stop pull
• 1/4000s - 240s plus bulb
• SD card slot
• Centre weighted metering
• 2.5" 230K TFT display

So with the exception of the USB port, for all intents and purposes it's an M9, only in anthracite grey with the same Kodak sensor.  It will take all accessories offered on the M9 and M9-P.  Price looks to be about $1000 below the pre-discount price of the M9.

The S

Leica is less known for their medium format camera the S2.  The new camera, called the S, is the latest iteration in the S System.

Medium format cameras tend to be heavy and bulky and look boxy.  The S looks like a DSLR that is a bit overgrown.  Control layout is simple and easy to use and the glass is amazing.  About $20k for a body only so not for those of us of average incomes.  This is a very targeted buyer.

• Weighs 1.2 kg
• ISO 100-1600
• 1/4000s - 4s plus bulb
• No spec on the sensor although the S2 sensor was a 37.5MP CCD
• 1.5fps

Nothing light or trivial here.  Leica reminds me of Rolls Royce when it comes to specs.  I remember that when Rolls used to be queried on the horsepower of their cars, their answer was "enough".  Leica is sort of that way with the S.  I don't see a lot of pros using Leica S family products, there is a lot more Hasselblad, Mamiya, Phase One and even Pentax out there in pro-land, but if money was no object this would be cool.

Leica also announced two new point and shoot style cameras, the D-Lux 6 and V-Lux 4 super zoom.  They are both very pricey models with features comparable (sometimes identical - wink) to existing point and shoot cameras from folks such as Lumix.  I don't really cover point and shoots on this site, so I will leave them to others to cover.

Announcing new Sigma lenses and organizational structure

At Photokina this week, Sigma has announced a revamping of their lens business and three new lenses. From the release, Sigma will be grouping their lenses into Contemporary, Art and Sports.  Reasons for the distinctions are not completely clear and as at this writing even the websites for Sigma country sites and distributors were not yet updated.

All the lenses have a new cosmetic look and ostensibly have improved weather sealing.

Contemporary

I think Contemporary is set to cover all-around use lenses, including multi-purpose zooms. Sigma has updated a number of lenses this year including their popular 18-250 walk around zoom, but cosmetically the lenses did not change much and optically the changes were nominal.  This week they have announced a new 17-70 f2.8-4 lens.  It's on their DC construction line so targeted at crop sensor bodies.  There are lots of those out there, but I am disappointed that the lens is not a DG given the industry trend to full frame sensors.

Construction comprises aspherical, FLD (fluorite) and SLD (super low dispersion) elements in addition to traditional optical glass.  It will weigh about 1 pound and take 72mm filters.  A 7 blade rounded diaphragm should provide pleasing bokeh when shot wide open.  Pricing was not available in the announcement.

Credit to Sigma for including performance charts with their announcement.  The chart shows mild barrel distortion at the wide end and minuscule pincushion distortion at the telephoto end.  Given that this lens is for crop sensors of varying mounts, probability is that an oversize image circle will make the distortion invisible in real world applications.

Art

Sigma says that this line is targeted for artists.  I think that this means fast primes.  The lens announced in this group is a 35mm f/1.4  Sigma has successfully proven their ability to make superb fast primes already with the industry choice 50mm f/1.4 and their 85mm f/1.4.  I've shot the 50mm and think it is better than Canon's less expensive 50/1.4.  Fashion professional Lindsay Adler is a spokesperson for the 85/1.4.  Thus I am optimistic about the image performance of the new 35mm.  This lens is a DG mount so suitable for full frame use.

Construction comprises aspherical, FLD (fluorite) and SLD (super low dispersion) elements in addition to traditional optical glass.  It's pretty large and take 67mm filters, weight was not included in the specs.  A 9 blade rounded diaphragm should provide pleasing bokeh when shot wide open.  Pricing was not available in the announcement.

Sigma's performance charts show negligible distortion, which is expected given the longevity of 35mm construction and the simple design it requires.  Vignetting is not insignificant wide open but it will take real world tests to see how much of a difference it really makes.

Sports

Many photographers have loved the second generation of Sigma's 120-300/2.8 fast telephoto zoom.  The 2nd gen model added optical image stabilization enhancing the value proposition substantially even over Sigma's really excellent 300/2.8.  We see the third generation of the 120-300/2.8 in this announcement and it has changed both cosmetically and physically.  The new lens is much sleeker that it's predecessor and now includes focus control buttons near the front element as we would find on Nikon and Canon super telephotos.  This allows the photographer direct control of focus tracking and motor speed.

The lens is built with FLD and SLD elements as well as regular optical glass as was the predecessor.  Distortion charts are available and show negligible distortions.  Since the lens is an all telephoto zoom, this makes for simpler and more robust construction.  No weight is given, but if the 2nd gen is an indicator, hand-holding will be a tiring proposition.  A tripod foot and carry case are to be included with the lens.  Filter size remains an enormous 105mm so you'll be doing a special order on that from Sigma as well.

While I am impressed with what was announced, I am looking forward to more detail and seeing the real things in stores.

Announcing the Canon 6D - an initial review

After weeks/months of speculation, Canon has announced the 6D.  It's a brand new full frame camera and in my estimation just fired a full nail gun into the coffin of the 5D Mark II.  For specification junkies, the full specs are at the bottom of the post. The time is right for the 6D.  The 5D Mk III is a terrific product but as the entry level for full frame has been priced out of the general marketplace, hence the keeping of the aged but still functional 5D Mark II.  The 6D changes things for the Canon shooter wanting full frame but without over $3000 for a body only purchase.

When it debuted, the 5D Mark II was the way to go.  It's a great camera but is showing its age in areas such as AF and burst mode.  And that's where the 6D fits in.

With an MSRP of $2099 body only, as well as to be available with the proven 24-105/4 lens, the 6D makes full frame with modern performance affordable for Canonistas.  It has some interesting shifts from the xD lineup though, where x represents a single digit.  Most telling is the switch from CF cards to SD cards as the primary storage.  Manufacturing is probably cheaper, but this change I cannot applaud if you already have any of the xD family.  It makes sense if the 6D is an upgrade target for the 60D or the legion of Rebels out there, but SD is simply not as fast as CF, even at the UHS-1 level.  The camera uses Canon's latest CPU, the Digic 5+.

As one would expect with ANY Canon full frame, this is an EF mount only.  EF-S lenses will not mount up, and Canon makes the point that EOS-M lenses won't mount either, even though none exist at present.  Image circle matters in full frame.

The 6D does both RAW and JPEG as expected and I am pleased to see that Canon continues to deliver 14 bit depth on the new camera in keeping with the 5D, 7D and 1D line as well as with the exception created by the T4i.  When thinking about image quality and large prints, bit depth makes a substantial difference.  The sensor is a new design 20MP sensor, slightly down from the 22MP sensor in the 5D but the gap is going to be negligible in most all cases and the then necessary larger pixels should give better low light performance.  This will be a step up over the crop sensor 7D whose low light performance leaves room for improvement.  The published ISO range is 100-25600 with a one stop pull (to 50) and two stop push (to 51200 and 102400).  This is in keeping with other modern full frame sensors and focuses attention on Canon's increased commitment to better low light imaging.

Shutter speed range is 1/4000s to 30s plus bulb mode.  Flash sync is 1/180s which is in my opinion a step backwards as the growth of flash is being driven by increasing use to mix fill flash and to be able to sync at higher, not lower speeds.  Strobist David Hobby will have nothing good to say about the low sync speed but will at least be able to be less frustrated because unlike Nikon's D600, the 6D does have a PC sync port to connect to studio flash.  Maximum burst mode is 4.5 fps with a RAW capture capacity in full burst of 14 frames, before letting the camera catch up.  The 6D incorporates in camera HDR (meh) and in camera multiple exposure (Yay!).

The camera brings new tech into the body that formerly has been only found in outboard devices, sold in low volume because of insanely high cost given what they do.  There is built-in GPS (about time given its prevalence in P/S cameras for some time) and built in WiFi.  Canon, for one, has this in some of their low end P/S cameras and charging hundreds of dollars for an outboard connection on other bodies is a kick in the jewels to Canon buyers.  In addition to having built-in WiFi, Canon is delivering tethering applications for iDevices.  This is also a really good thing as other wireless tethering solutions really still required a laptop and a wire connected to the camera.  Perhaps Canon will reduce their crack intake and drop the price substantially on their outboard wireless connection systems.

Metering is delivered by the new 63 zone metering system and is rated from 1 EV to 20 EV.  That's not as good as we are seeing from other vendors (down to -3 EV).  Canon has increased the exposure compensation range to 5 stops up or down in gaps of 1/3, and 1/2 stops but AEB is still limited to +/- 3 stops.  With the growing interest in HDR, they could have extended this out a la Nikon and others.  The meter patterns are centre-weighted average, partial 8%, spot 3% and Evaluative (default).  There are the usual assortment of predefined exposure modes for different scene types and our expected grouping of PASM.

Autofocus is of the 11pt type, which compared to other full frame cameras in the price range is quite lame.  That said, many serious photographers tend to use the centre spot and then recompose, so this may be less of an issue than it could.  AF purported works down to -3 EV so three stops better performance than the metering system.   AF will fall off the tracks at maximum apertures below f/5.6 so slow lenses or big lenses with teleconverters may push the user into manual focus.  It won't kill you.  Really.

Multiple white balance presets are available as is Canon's Automatic White Balance setting which does a pretty decent job in most shooting situations.

Of course the 6D does video.  It shoots 1080p HD video at 30/25/24 fps and incporates both IPB and ALL-I in camera compression.  The camera has a mini HDMI connector but Canon makes no notices about whether you can stream uncompressed HDMI through the port as you can on the Nikon D600.  It's not clear if full time AF is available if you use the new EF STM lenses.

The camera is powered by the existing LP-E6 battery (good decision Canon) and supplemental power is made available with the accessory BG-13 grip.  Expect about 1,000 shots on a single battery charge without using the Live View too much.  Live view is delivered via a 1m dot 3 inch LCD panel that does not swivel or flip around.

Conclusions

The 6D is a viable replacement for the 5D Mark II.  There is still a lot more in the 5D Mark III and there had better be for the significant cost increase.  I expect the body price of 5D Mk II units to drop until cleared out and then the device will be officially discontinued.  I have believed that the continuance of the 5D Mk II was only a stop gap since the release of the Mark III really a holding pattern for the 6D.  There's a lot to like in the new camera.  There's also in my opinion, a fair bit left out.  I'm disappointed by the flash sync speed, the low count of AF points, and the backward thinking on AEB.  I could not find ANY indicators one way or the other if you can fully control the 600-EX-RT flash from inside the camera, although my guess is that you can.  I like the battery decision and the subtle improvements on the 5D Mark II and would suggest that readers who have been thinking about a 5D Mark II rethink that with the release of the 6D.

Specifications (courtesy Canon USA)

Type Digital AF/AE single-lens reflex camera

Recording Media SD card, SDHC card, SDXC memory card

* Compatible with Ultra High-Speed (UHS-I) memory cards.

Image Format 35.8mm x 23.9mm (Full-Frame)

Compatible Lenses Canon EF lenses (except EF-S and EF-M lenses)

Lens Mount Canon EF mount

Image Sensor

Type CMOS Sensor

Pixels Effective: Approx. 20.2 megapixels

Pixel Unit 6.55 µm square

Total Pixels Approx. 20.6 megapixels

Aspect Ratio 3:2 (Horizontal: Vertical)

Color Filter System RGB primary color filters

Low Pass Filter Fixed position in front of the CMOS sensor

Dust Deletion Feature (1) Self Cleaning Sensor Unit

• Removes dust adhering to the low-pass filter.
• Self-cleaning executed automatically (taking 2 sec.) when power is turned on or off. Manual execution also possible (taking 8.0 sec.).

(2) Dust Delete Data acquisition and appending

• The coordinates of the dust adhering to the low-pass filter are detected by a test shot and appended to subsequent images.
• The dust coordinate data appended to the image is used by the provided software to automatically erase the dust spots.

(3) Manual cleaning of sensor

Recording System

Recording Format Complies with Design rule for Camera File system 2.0 and EXIF 2.30

Image Format Still: JPEG, RAW (14-bit, Canon original), RAW+JPEG

Video: MOV (Image data: H.264, Audio: Linear PCM)

File Size (1) Large: Approx. 20.0 megapixels (5,472 x 3,648)

(2) Medium: Approx. 8.9 megapixels (3,648 x 2,432)

(3) Small 1: Approx. 5.0 megapixels (2,736 x 1,824)

(4) Small 2: Approx. 2.5 megapixels (1920 x 1280)

(5) Small 3: Approx. 350,000 pixels (720 x 480)

(6) RAW: Approx. 20.0 megapixels (5,472 x 3,648)

M RAW: Approx. 11.0 megapixels (4,104 x 2,736)

S RAW: Approx. 5.0 megapixels (2,736 x 1,824)

Backup Recording N/A

File Numbering The following three types of file numbering methods can be set:

(1) Continuous numbering

* The numbering of captured images will continue even after you replace the camera's card.

(2) Auto reset

* When you replace the camera's card, the numbering will be reset to start from 0001. If the new card already contains images, the numbering will continue from the last recorded image in the card.

(3) Manual reset

* Resets the file number to 0001, and creates a new folder automatically.

RAW + JPEG Simultaneous Recording Large RAW and JPEG images are recorded simultaneously

Color Space sRGB, Adobe RGB

Picture Style Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined 1-3

White Balance

Settings Auto, Preset (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash), Custom (Approx. 2,000° - 10,000°K), Color Temperature (Approx. 2,500° - 10,000°K), White Balance Correction, and White Balance Bracketing

Auto White Balance Auto white balance with the image sensor

Color Temperature Compensation Blue/amber bias: ±9 levels

- Magenta/green bias: ±9 levels

* Correction based on the current WB mode's color temperature.

Color Temperature Information Transmission Provided

Viewfinder

Type Eye-level SLR (with fixed pentaprism)

Coverage Vertical/Horizontal approx. 97%

Magnification Approx. 0.71x / 33.3°

Eye Point Approx. 21mm (At -1m^-1 from the eyepiece lens center)

Dioptric Adjustment Correction -3.0 to +1.0m^-1 (diopter)

Focusing Screen Eg-A II provided. Interchangeable with Eg-D and Eg-S. Incompatible with Eg-A.

Mirror Quick-return half mirror (transmission: reflection ratio of 40:60)

Viewfinder Information - AF information

AF points and focus confirmation

- Exposure information

Shutter speed, aperture, ISO speed (always displayed), AE lock, exposure level, exposure warning

- Flash information

Flash ready, flash exposure compensation, high-speed sync, FE lock

- Image information

Highlight tone priority (D+), maximum burst (2-digit display), card information

- Battery check

- Composition information

Electronic level

- Warning Symbol

Displayed if any of the following is set: Monochrome, white balance correction, expanded ISO speed, or spot metering.

Depth Of Field Preview Enabled with depth-of-field preview button

Autofocus

Type TTL secondary image-forming phase-difference detection system with AF-dedicated CMOS sensor

AF Points 11 points

Center: cross-type at f/5.6; vertical line-sensitive at f/2.8.

Upper and lower AF points: vertical line-sensitive AF at f/5.6.

Other AF points: Horizontal line-sensitive AF at f/5.6.

AF Working Range Center AF Point: EV -3 to 18 (at 73°F/23°C, ISO 100)

Other AF points: EV +0.5 to 18 (at 73°F/23°C, ISO 100)

Focusing Modes 1) Autofocus

- One-Shot AF

- AI Servo AF

- AI Focus AF

*Switches between One-Shot AF and AI Servo AF automatically.

2) Manual focus

AF Point Selection (1) Automatic selection

(2) Manual selection

Selected AF Point Display Displayed or indicated by superimposed display in the viewfinder and on the LCD monitor.

AF Assist Beam 1) Enable

* With an EOS-dedicated Speedlite attached, AF-assist beam is emitted automatically when necessary.

2) Disable

3) IR AF-assist beam only

* No AF-assist beam with flash bursts.

Exposure Control

Metering Modes Max. aperture TTL metering with 63-zone SPC with the following selectable modes:

1) Evaluative metering

2) Partial metering (center: approx. 8% of viewfinder)

3) Spot metering (center: approx. 3.5% of viewfinder)

4) Center-weighted average metering

Metering Range EV 1-20 (at 73°F/23°C with EF50mm f/1.8 II lens, ISO 100)

Exposure Control Systems Creative Zone

(1) Program AE (shiftable)

(2) Shutter-priority AE

(3) Aperture-priority AE

(4) Manual exposure

(5) Bulb

(6) Custom shooting mode

Basic zone

(1) Scene Intelligent Auto (Program AE / non-shiftable)

(2) Creative Auto

(3) Special Scene

- Portrait

- Landscape

- Close-up

- Sports

- Night Portrait

- Handheld Night Scene

- HDR Backlight Control mode

ISO Speed Range For Stills: Manual setting range of ISO 100-25600 (expansion possible to ISO 50, ISO 51200 and 102400) in 1/3-stop or whole-stop increments)

Shooting Mode	ISO Settings
Auto (Scene Intelligent Auto, Creative Auto, Close-up, Macro, Sports, Night Portrait, HDR Backlight Control mode)	ISO 100–12800
Handheld Night Scene mode	ISO 100–25600
Landscape	ISO 100–1600
P, TV, Av, M	ISO–25600*1
B	ISO 400 fixed*1
With flash	ISO 400 fixed*1,2,3,4

*1: It depends on [Minimum] and [Maximum] of auto ISO setting. *2: If overexposure would occur with fill flash, the minimum ISO speed is ISO 100. *3: Scene Intelligent Auto, Night Portrait and Handheld Night Scene modes are excluded. *4: For bounced external flash when Creative Auto, Close-up, Landscape, Macro, Sports / P is set, automatically set between ISO 400–1600.

Exposure Compensation (1) Manual : ±5 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments

(2) AEB : ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments

* Manual exposure compensation and AEB can be combined.

* The AEB shooting sequence will be standard exposure, underexposure and overexposure. With the self-timer, three continuous shots will be taken regardless of the current drive mode.

* The number of bracketed shots: 2, 3, 5, or 7 settable with a Custom Function.

AE Lock Possible

* During movie shooting, press the <*> button for AE lock and press the button to cancel AE lock (not automatically cancelled).

* AE lock (cancelled automatically when metering timer is turned off) possible before movie shooting. Movie shooting can start while AE lock is set.

Shutter

Type Vertical-travel, mechanical, focal-plane shutter with all speeds electronically-controlled

Shutter Speeds 1/4000 to 30 sec., X-sync at 1/180 sec. (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode.)

Shutter Release Soft-touch electromagnetic release

Self Timer 10-sec. or 2-sec. delay

Shutter Lag Time (1) During SW-1 ON, time lag between SW-2 ON and start of exposure: approx. 0.060 sec.

(2) Time lag between simultaneous SW-1/SW-2 ON and start of exposure: Approx. 0.144 sec.

* Time lag with the aperture stopped down by 3.5 stops or less (Excludes AF operation time).

External Speedlite

Flash Metering E-TTL II autoflash (evaluative flash metering and average flash metering)

Flash Exposure Compensation ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments

FE Lock Provided

PC Terminal Provided

Drive System

Drive Modes (1) Single shooting

(2) Continuous shooting

(3) Silent single shooting

(4) Silent continuous shooting

(5) 10-sec. self-timer/Remote control

(6) 2-sec. self-timer

Continuous Shooting Speed Continuous shooting: Max. approx. 4.5 fps

Silent continuous shooting: Max. approx. 3.0 fps

Maximum Burst Based on 8GB memory Card:

JPEG Large/Fine: Approx. 73 Shots

RAW: Approx. 14 Shots

RAW+JPEG Large/Fine: 7 Shots

Based on 8GB UHS-I memory card:

JPEG Large/Fine: Approx. 1250 Shots

RAW: Approx. 17 Shots

RAW + JPEG Large/Fine: 8 Shots

* Figures are based on Canon's testing standards (ISO 100 and Standard Picture Style).

Live View Functions

Shooting Modes Still photo shooting and video shooting

Focusing (1) Autofocus

- FlexiZone - Single

* One-point, contrast AF. Switching to another AF point is possible.

- Face Detection Live mode

* Face detection, contrast AF. Face is selectable.

- Quick Mode AF

* Phase-difference AF with 11 AF points.

(2) Manual Focus

- Magnify the image by 5x or 10x and focus manually.

Metering Modes Real-time evaluative metering with image sensor.

(1) Evaluative metering (315 zones)

(2) Partial metering (approx. 11% of Live View screen)

(3) Spot metering (approx. 3% of Live View screen)

(4) Center-weighted average metering

Metering Range EV 0-20 (at 73°F/23°C with EF 50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100)

Grid Display Provided (three grid displays)

Exposure Simulation Provided

Silent Shooting Provided (Mode 1 and 2)

Video Shooting

File Format MOV (Image data: MPEG-4 AVC / H.264)

Audio: Linear PCM (Stereo)

File Size Recording Size:

[Full HD]

1920 x 1080 (30 fps/25fps/24fps):

235 MB/min. with IPB compression

685 MB/min. with All-I compression

[HD]

1280 x 720 (60 fps/50fps):

205 MB/min. with IPB compression

610 MB/min. with All-I compression

[SD]

640 x 480 (30 fps/25fps):

78 MB/min. with IPB compression

Frame Rates 1920 x 1080 (Full HD): 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p

1280 x 720 (HD): 60p (59.94) / 50p

640 x 480 (SD): 30p (29.97) / 25p

Continuous Shooting Time Based on 8GB Memory card

[1920 x 1080]

30 fps/25 fps/24 fps:

32 min. with IPB compression

11 min. with All-I compression

[1280 x 720]

60 fps/50 fps:

37 min. with IPB compression

12 min. with All-I compression

[640 x 480]

30 fps/25 fps:

97 min. with IPB or All-I compression

* The maximum recording time is limited to 29 min. 59 sec.

Focusing (1) Autofocus

- FlexiZone - Single

* One-point, contrast AF. Switching to another AF point is possible.

- Face Detection Live mode

* Face detection, contrast AF. Face is selectable.

- Quick Mode AF

* Phase-difference AF with 11 AF points.

- Manual Focus

1. Magnified view is not possible during video shooting.

Range Full Range (0?255)

Exposure Control (1) Program AE for movie shooting

* For shooting modes other than manual exposure and bulb.

* Shutter speed 1/30 - 1/4000 sec. (Signal accumulation time), aperture, and ISO speed automatically set.

(2) Manual exposure

* For manual exposure.

* Shutter speed (signal accumulation time), aperture, and ISO speed (auto/manual) manually set. The shutter speed (signal accumulation time) is limited to 1/4000 sec. at the maximum and to 1/30 sec. at the minimum for 24/25/30 fps or 1/60 sec. or higher for 50/60 fps depending on the frame rate.

Exposure Compensation Provided (±3 stops in 1/3-stop increments)

* For movies, even if exposure compensation has been set beyond ±3 stops, exposure compensation up to only ±3 stops will be applied.

LCD Monitor

Type TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor

Monitor Size 3.0-inches (Screen aspect ratio of 3:2)

7.7cm diagonal (6.37cm wide, 4.25cm high)

Pixels Approx: 1,040,000 dots

Coverage Approx. 100%

Brightness Control Manually adjustable to one of 7 levels

Coating Resin cover and anti-reflection AR coating

Interface Languages 25 (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukraine, Turkish, Arabic, Thai, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese)

Playback

Display Format Single image display

- Two types of single-image full display, two types of shooting information

- Index display

4-image index and 9-image index

- Jump display

Jump 1/10/100 images, Shooting Date, Folder, Movies, Stills, or Rating

* Two-image comparative display is not provided.

Highlight Alert With single-image display (Info.) and single-image display, overexposed highlight areas will blink.

Histogram Brightness and RGB can be displayed.

Quick Control Function

Items When you press the Quick Control function button under the following conditions, you can set the functions below:

*The settable functions depend on the shooting mode

(1) With viewfinder shooting:

Shutter speed, aperture, ISO speed, exposure compensation, AEB, flash exposure compensation, Wi-Fi®, Picture Style, white balance, white balance correction, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Custom Controls, AF operation, AF point selection, Drive mode, metering mode, and image recording quality.

(2) During playback:

Image protect, image rotate, rating, RAW image processing, resize, highlight alert, AF point, and image jump with mode dial.

Image Protection and Erase

Protection Erase protection can be applied/canceled for a single image, all images in a folder, or all images in the card.

Erase Erase single image, erase selected images, erase all images on folder, erase all images in a card, or erase only unprotected images.

Direct Printing

Compatible Printers PictBridge-compatible printers

Printable Images RAW and JPEG images complying to Design rule for Camera File System

* Movies cannot be printed.

DPOF: Digital Print Order Format

DPOF Complies to DPOF Version 1.1

Direct Image Transfer

Compatible Images Not Provided

Customization

Custom Functions 20 Custom Functions

Custom Controls The following camera controls can be customized by assigning the desired function: Shutter button halfway pressing, AF-ON button, AE lock button, Depth-of-field preview button, Lens AF Stop button, SET button, Main Dial, Quick Control Dial, and Multi-controller

My Menu Registration Up to six top-tier menu options and Custom Function settings can be registered

Interface

USB Terminal For personal computer communication and direct printing (USB 2.0 Hi-Speed)

Video Out Terminal (1) AV stereo OUT terminal: NTSC/PAL selectable

(2) mini-HDMI OUT terminal (Type C)

Battery One Battery Pack LP-E6

- With the AC Adapter Kit ACK-E6, AC power is possible.

- With Battery Grip BG-E13, two battery packs (LP-E6) can be used. Or six AA-sized/LR6 batteries can be used

Battery Life 1) Camera Body Only:

Shooting Method	Temperature	Possible Shots
Viewfinder Shooting	At 73°F / 23°C	Approx. 1090 shots
	At 32°F / 0°C	Approx. 980 shots
Live View Shooting	At 73°F / 23°C	Approx. 220 shots
	At 32°F / 0°C	Approx. 190 shots

∗With a fully charged battery pack LP-E6. Based on CIPA testing standards.

2) With Battery Grip BG-E13:

Shooting Method	Battery	Temperature	Possible Shots
Viewfinder Shooting	LP-E6 x 1	Same as (1)
	LP-E6 x 2	At 73°F / 23°C	Approx. 2130 shots
		At 32°F / 0°C	Approx. 1900 shots
	Size AA/LR6 Alkaline Batteries	At 73°F / 23°C	Approx. 480 shots
		At 32°F / 0°C	Approx. 140 shots
Live View Shooting	LP-E6 x 1	Same as (1)
	LP-E6 x 2	At 73°F / 23°C	Approx. 420 shots
		At 32°F / 0°C	Approx. 360 shots
	Size AA/LR6 Alkaline Batteries	At 73°F / 23°C	Approx. 110 shots
		At 32°F / 0°C	Approx. 24 shots

∗With a fully charged battery. Based on CIPA testing standards.

Battery Check Automatic battery level check when power is turned ON

Battery level indicated in six levels.*¹,²,³

*¹ Battery level displayed on LCD panel and in viewfinder.

*² Battery information can be checked with the [Battery info.] menu.

*³ If Battery Grip BG-E13 is used with size-AA/LR6 batteries, the battery level is displayed in four levels instead.

Power Saving Power turns off after the set time of non-operation elapses

* [Auto power off] settable to 1 min., 2 min., 4 min., 8 min., 15 min., 30 min., or disable

Date/Time Battery Built-in secondary battery

When battery is fully charged, the date/time can be maintained for 3 months. Requires about 8 hours to fully recharge the backup battery.

Start-up Time Approx. 0.1 sec. (Based on CIPA testing standards)

Dimensions (W x H x D) 

Approx. 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.8 in./ 144.5 x 110.5 x 71.2mm

Weight Approx. 26.7 oz. / 755g (CIPA standard)

Approx. 24.0 oz. / 680g (Body only)

Working Temperature Range

32-104°F/0-40°C

Working Humidity Range 85% or less

# One-time registration is required on CANON iMAGE GATEWAY.

1. * Compatible with iOS version 5.0 or later and Android devices version 2.3/4.0 or later. Data charges may apply.
2. ** The EOS Remote app will be available soon. This software enables you to upload images to social network services. Before uploading images, please be aware that image files may contain privacy related information such as people and places. If necessary, please delete such information. Canon does not obtain, collect or use such images or any information included in such images through this software.
3. ^ DPS over IP certified printer is required.
4. ## In certain countries and regions, the use of GPS may be restricted. Therefore be sure to use GPS in accordance with the laws and regulations of your country or region. Be particularly careful when traveling outside your home country. As a signal is received from GPS satellites, take sufficient measures when using in locations where the use of electronics is regulated.

† Prices and specifications subject to change without notice. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.

Announcing the Hasselblad H5D

I love Photokina week. Our friends at Hasselblad have announced the follow-on to the proven (and IMHO wonderful) H4D series with the H5D. Don't get too excited because it won't be available until December 2012 at the earliest but it looks freaking beautiful. The new camera looks at this point as more evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Setting aside the new lens and macro converter, the camera will have more focus performance and an upgrade to the existing True Focus function. The ergonomics are improved with a new display style and larger buttons. Weather sealing is improved. You'll be able to get JPEGs right out of the camera and will have the option of compressed RAW files for increased shooting performance.

I confess I don't have a use case for these last two features as I don't shoot sports with my H4D, and actually prefer the current uncompressed RAW to the compressed RAW that some other vendors push out. Fast processors are a given and always nice to have. Physically the camera looks more compact with a lower profile to the viewfinder. More information will come as we get closer to the release date.

The camera will be available with a variety of back configurations in 40MP, 50MP, 60MP as well as multi-shot versions of 50MP and 200MP.

Specifications courtesy Hasselblad USA

New HCD 4.8/24mm lens New Macro Converter More accurate focusing with True Focus II New Immediate Focus Confirm New print ready Jpeg files New compressed multi-shot RAW files for faster and smoother workflow New Camera Configurator Larger and more ergonomic buttons Larger, easier to read display style Updated Graphics User Interface More programmable buttons New and improved weather sealing New and faster processors implementing Hasselblad Image Processing Architecture

Announcing the Nikon D600

After literally months of speculation and a near endless list of anticipated specifications, Nikon has announced the D600. It is Nikon's physically smallest FX format DSLR delivering a 24.3MP CMOS sensor in a new body format that weighs only 760g (body only).  As one would expect it shoots both uncompressed RAW in Nikon's NEF format as well as a variety of JPEG compression levels.  The camera supports all Nikon F mount lenses and current Nikon FX and DX format lenses.  Internal storage is via SD, SDHC or SDXC cards with two slots provided.  Because of the high pixel density, don't cheapen out on your choice of card, go with something of at least 60mb/s read/write performance.

Shutter speed range is from 1/4000 to 30s with maximum burst mode of 5.5fps, shutter speed permitting.  ISO range is 100-6400 with a 1 stop pull (50) and 2 stop push (12800, 25,600) option set available.  Exposure metering uses a 2016 pixel array.  Modes are the usual PASM suspects and exposure compensation follows the ±5 EV trend in 1/3, 1/2 and full stop increments.  This wide range that can be leveraged in auto-exposure bracketing modes makes HDR captures simple and fast.

Autofocus is user selectable between single point, 9 point, 21 point, 39 point and 3D 39 point AF.

The D600 is fully video ready capable of recording at 1080P at up to 30fps in H.264/MPEG-4 formats.

The D600 fully participates in Nikon's Creative Lighting System (CLS) for flash photography and offers automatic flash bracketing and flash exposure compensation over a 3 stop range.  Native flash sync speed is 1/200s.

The camera uses Nikon's standard EN-EL15 battery and MH-25 charger.  Kudos to Nikon for not introducing yet another battery and charger combination.  Nikon estimates 900 frames per charge.  There are numerous in camera image processing options available and of course proper RAW formats for more creative post processing alternatives.  Capture NX is renamed NikonView and a CD is provided with NikonView NX2.

Pricing is advertised at $2179.95 (body only) according to Nikon Canada.

[iframe]<href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892428-REG/Nikon_D600_Digital_Camera_with.html?BI=8977&KW=&KBID=10426&img=12245-NikonD600-728x90.jpg"> [/iframe]

Full specs are found at the bottom of the post and are provided courtesy of Nikon.

• Type
  Single-lens reflex digital camera
• Lens Mount
  Nikon F bayonet mount
• Picture Angle
  Nikon FX format
• Effective Pixels
  24.3 million
• Sensor Size
  35.9mm x 24.0mm
• Image Sensor Format
  FX
• Image Sensor Type
  CMOS
• Total Pixels
  24.7 million
• Dust-reduction system
  Image sensor cleaning
• Dust-Off Reference Photo
  Yes
• Image Area (pixels)
  FX-format (L) 6,016 x 4,016 (M) 4,512 x 3,008 (S) 3,008 x 2,008 DX-format (L) 3,936 x 2,624 (M) 2,944 x 1,968 (S) 1,968 x 1,312
• File Format Still Images
  JPEG: JPEG-baseline-compliant; can be selected from Size Priority and Optimal Quality JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx 1:4), normal (approx 1:8), or basic (approx 1:16) compression NEF (RAW): lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed 12 or 14 bit TIFF (RGB)
• Picture Control
  Landscape Monochrome Neutral Portrait Standard User-customizable Settings Vivid
• Storage Media
  SD SDHC SDXC
• Card Slot
  2 Secure Digital (SD)
• File System
  Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0 DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) EXIF 2.3 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras PictBridge
• Viewfinder
  Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder
• Viewfinder Frame Coverage
  FX (36x24): 100% Horizontal and 100% Vertical Approx. DX (24x16): 97% Horizontal and 97% Vertical Approx.
• Viewfinder Magnification
  0.70x Approx.
• Viewfinder Eyepoint
  20.6mm (-1.0m¯¹)
• Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment
  Built-in diopter adjustment (-3 to +1 m⁻¹)
• Focusing Screen
  Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII with AF area brackets (grid lines can be displayed)
• Reflex Mirror
  Quick-return type
• Lens Aperture
  Instant-return type
• Depth-of-field Control
  Yes
• Lens Compatibility at a Glance***
  AF-S or AF lenses fully compatible Metering with AI lenses
• Compatible Lenses
  AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses) and DX lenses (using DX 24 × 16 1.5x image area), AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (A and M modes only). IX NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used.
• Shutter type
  Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane
• Shutter Speed
  1/4000 to 30 sec. Bulb
• Fastest Shutter Speed
  1/4000 sec.
• Slowest Shutter Speed
  30 sec.
• Flash Sync Speed
  Up to 1/200 sec. Synchronizes with shutter at 1/250s or slower
• Bulb Shutter Setting
  Yes
• Shutter Release Modes
  Continuous low-speed [CL] mode; 1-5 frames per second Continuous high-speed [CH] mode; 5.5 frames per second Mirror-up [Mup] mode Quiet Shutter Release Self-timer mode Single-frame [S] mode
• Continuous Shooting Options
  FX-format CH: Up to 5.5 frames per second CL: Up to 1-5 frames per second
• Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution
  5.5 frames per second
• Self-timer
  2, 5, 10, 20 sec. Timer duration electronically controlled
• Exposure Metering System
  TTL exposure metering using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor
• Metering Method
  Centre-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8mm circle in centre of frame Matrix: 3D colour matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); colour matrix metering II (other CPU lenses) Spot: Meters 4mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
• Metering Range
  0 to 20 EV (3D colour matrix or centre-weighted metering) 0 to 20 EV (spot metering)
• Exposure Meter Coupling
  CPU AI
• Exposure Modes
  Aperture-Priority (A) Manual (M) Programmed auto with flexible program (P) Shutter-Priority (S)
• Exposure Compensation
  ±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
• Exposure Bracketing
  2 or 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
• Exposure Lock
  Yes
• Mirror Lock Up
  Yes
• ISO Sensitivity
  ISO 100 - 6400 Lo-1 (ISO 50) Hi-1 (ISO 12,800) Hi-2 (ISO 25,600)
• Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity
  100
• Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity
  6400
• Lowest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
  Lo-1 (ISO 50 equivalent)
• Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
  HI-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent)
• Expanded ISO Sensitivity Options
  Hi-1 (ISO-12,800 equivalent) in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV Hi-2, (ISO-25,600 equivalent) 1 EV
• Long Exposure Noise Reduction
  Yes
• High ISO Noise Reduction
  Low Normal High Off
• Active D-Lighting
  Auto Extra High High Normal Low Off
• D-Lighting Bracketing
  2 frames using selected value for one frame 3–5 frames using preset values for all frames
• Single-point AF Mode
  Yes
• Dynamic AF Mode
  Number of AF points: 9, 21, 39 and 39 (3D-tracking)
• Auto-area AF Mode
  Yes
• Autofocus System
  Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection
• Detection Range
  -1 to 19 EV (ISO 100, 68°F/20°C)
• Lens Servo
  Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus trackinga ctivated automatically according to subject status Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
• AF-area mode
  9, 21 or 39 point Dynamic-area AF Auto-area AF Single-point AF 3D-tracking (39 points)
• Focus Lock
  Focus can be locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF)
• Focus Modes
  Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A) Continuous-servo (AF-C) Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only Manual (M) with electronic rangefinder Normal area Single-servo AF (AF-S) Wide area
• Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points
  39
• Autofocus Sensitivity
  -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
• Autofocus Fine Tune
  Yes
• Built-in Flash
  Yes
• Flash Bracketing
  2 to 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
• Built-in Flash Distance
  12m (ISO 100)
• X-Sync Speed
  1/200
• Top FP High Speed Sync
  Up to 1/4000
• Flash Control
  TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor are available with built-in flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-700, or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and centre-weighting metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
• Flash Sync Modes
  Front-curtain sync (normal) Rear-curtain sync Red-Eye reduction Red-Eye reduction with slow sync Slow sync
• Flash Compensation
  -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
• Flash-ready indicator
  Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit such as SB-910, SB-900, SB-400, SB-80DX, SB-28DX or SB-50DX is fully charged
• Accessory Shoe
  Yes
• Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)
  CLS Supported
• White Balance
  Auto Choose colour temperature (2500K–10000K) Cloudy Direct Sunlight Flash Fluorescent (7 types) Incandescent Preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored) Shade
• White Balance Bracketing
  2 or 3 exposures
• Live View Shooting
  Photography Live View Mode Movie Live View Mode
• Live View Lens servo
  Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F) Manual focus (MF)
• Live View AF-area mode
  Face-priority AF Wide-area AF Normal-area AF Subject-tracking AF
• Live View Autofocus
  Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected
• Live View Scene Auto Selector
  Aut mode Auto (flash off) mode
• Movie Metering
  TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
• Movie Maximum recording time
  20 minutes at highest quality 29 minutes 59 seconds at normal quality
• Movie File Format
  MOV
• Movie Video Compression
  H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
• Movie Audio recording format
  Linear PCM
• Movie
  HD 1,920x1,080 / 30 fps HD 1,920x1,080 / 25 fps HD 1,920x1,080 / 24 fps HD 1,280x720 / 60 fps HD 1,280x720 / 50 fps HD 1,280x720 / 30 fps HD 1,280x720 / 25 fps
• Movie Audio
  Built-in microphone, monaural External stereo microphone (optional)
• Monitor Size
  3.2 in. diagonal
• Monitor Resolution
  921,000 Dots
• Monitor Type
  Wide Viewing Angle TFT-LCD
• Monitor Angle of View
  170-degree wide-viewing angle
• Monitor Adjustments
  Brightness, 5 levels Brightness control using ambient brightness sensor
• Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator
  Yes
• Playback Functions
  Auto Iimage Rotation Full-Frame and Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar) Highlights Histogram Display Image Comment Movie Playback Movie Slideshow playback with Zoom Slideshow
• In-Camera Image Editing
  Colour Balance Colour Outline Colour Sketch D-Lighting Distortion Control Edit Movie Filter Effects Fisheye Image Overlay Miniature Effect Monochrome NEF (RAW) Processing Perspective Control Quick retouch Red-Eye Correction Resize Selective Colour Side-by-Side Comparison Straighten Trim
• Image Comment
  Yes
• Interface
  Accessory Terminal: Remote Cord: MC-DC2 (available separately); GPS unit: GP-1 (available separately) HDMI Output: Type C mini-pin HDMI connector Headphone Connector Hi-speed USB Stereo Microphone Input
• Wi-Fi Functionality
  Eye-Fi Compatible WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter
• GPS
  GP-1 GPS unit GP-1A GPS unit
• Save/Load Camera settings
  Yes
• Total custom Settings
  50
• My Menu
  Yes with customization
• Recent Settings
  Yes
• Supported Languages
  Arabic Brazilian Portuguese Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) Czech Danish Dutch English Finnish French German Greek Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Norweigan Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Spanish Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian
• Date, Time and Daylight Savings Time Settings
  Yes
• World Time Setting
  Yes
• Battery / Batteries
  EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery
• Battery Life (shots per charge)
  900 Battery Life (shots per charge) (CIPA)
• AC Adapter
  EH-5b AC Adapter Requires EP-5B Power Supply Connector
• Battery Charger
  MH-25 Quick Charger
• Tripod Socket
  1/4 in.
• Approx. Dimensions
  Width: 5.6 in. (141mm) Height: 4.4 in. (113mm) Depth: 3.2 in. (82mm)
• Approx. Weight

  42 oz. (760g)

  camera body only
• Operating Environment
  0–40 °C (+32–104 °F)
• Supplied Accessories
  • EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
  • MH-25 Quick Charger
  • EG-D2 Audio Video Cable
  • UC-E15 USB Cable
  • BM-14 LCD Monitor Cover
  • DK-21 Rubber Eyecup
  • AN-DC8 Strap
  • DK-5 Eyepiece Cap
  • BF-1B Body Cap
  • BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cap
  • NikonView NX2 CD ROM

Sony announces new cameras for still and video

Sony has announced three new cameras today.  The next podcast will have more detail, but here's the gist.

Sony A99 DSLR - 24MP full frame, dual autofocus system, OLED viewfinder, HD video and 14 bit RAW, internal stabilization, 6fps $2798 USD available for pre-order now

Sony RX1 - Full frame compact with 35/2.0 fixed Zeiss lens. 24MP, 14 bit RAW, 5fps $2798 USD available for pre-order now

Sony NEX-6 - 16MP APS-C sensor, 10fps, OLED EVF $848 USD available for pre-order

Sony VG-30 Interchangeable Lens Video Camera - with 18-200 E series zoom lens, OLED EVF, 16MP APS-C sensor including 16MP still capability, quad capsule spatial array microphone, external mic in with level controls $2698 USD available for pre-order

The prices listed are MSRP, so we'll have to wait for shipping to see what street looks like.  Initial thoughts are that the pricing is quite a bit higher than prior releases and with the exception of the RX1, everything else is an incremental upgrade over an existing offering.

You can stop hating your Canon printer

You may remember a screed from me about Canon's Pixma Pro printers and how they made me see red by printing things too red.  I discovered SO MANY people had this issue, that even after going through the time consuming process to build custom ICC profiles for a few papers, I invested my hard earned dollars in an Epson 4900 and never looked back. I recently was requested to generate a stack of small prints, generic 4x6s on glossy paper. The kind of thing that people carry around and hand out to friends and family.  Running these on the Epson would be easy enough, but I have the 9000 Mk II and 9500 Mk II just sitting there, so I thought since no custom ICC profiles were required, I'd give them a shot again.  This is a downside of being a printer.  You become the target for everyone in your family to come to instead taking the card over to the local Walmart.

One of the good things about Canon Pixma Pro printheads is that they have tons of holes and so jams are rare.  They do happen, and the printer utility offers a cleaning option and a deep cleaning option.  Use with care because although the software warns you that ink is used in the cleaning process, two passes of deep cleaning will eat up about 1/8 of each ink tank.  At about $20 retail per, that's frakking expensive for waste.  Not having been born yesterday, I understand that the manufacturers treat printers as loss leaders and make all their money on the ink.  (Can you hear me HP?)

The rule I've used for Canon printers is that so long as you let the printer make the decisions and print only on Canon paper, you'll get decent results.  However, using ICC profiles and custom printing from Lightroom or Photoshop is a good way to raise your blood pressure because frankly the output sucks.  This is common to Canon printers.  Canon used to have a plug-in for Photoshop called Canon Easy-Photoprint Pro, that allegedly allowed the use of proper ICC profiles and different papers and that would give you good prints.  Unfortunately, it was crap.  Fortunately this sad state of affairs is changing.

After printing a run of 4x6s on Canon Glossy paper with Lightroom set to let the printer manage output, that turned out just fine for the project, I decided to see what updates Canon may have made and not told anyone about.  Amongst the many I found was a new version of the plug-in.  I said what the heck, I'll give it a shot.

Running the installer it detected Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS6 and offered to install itself.  The downside is that these are plugins that bypass the native print engine in the application.  The upside is that it doesn't fark up the native print engine.  Canon makes fine cameras and lenses.  Contrary to their own opinion, they are not a software company as evidenced by the lack of continuity checking and execrable user interface.

Kvetching aside, the new plug in actually does a decent job.  It's slow to launch and not particularly intuitive, but when you use it, you can actually use third party paper and ICC profiles and get a decent quality print.  It's still not up to the IQ of the Epson, but it is definitely not as likely to make you pop a blood vessel.

At many tradeshows I take the time to ask the Canon printer specialists why their printers print red from every app but the Canon printing apps.  Only once was I told by a young guy, who was friendly and helpful, that Canon "knows" people like warm looking prints and that's the way they come.  I pointed out the if you print on Canon paper from Canon's Digital Photo Professional that you actually get fairly lifelike colour.  He smiled and noted that very few people use DPP.  Fair enough, although I know many pros who have sunk $$$ into Canon printers who use DPP for all their printing because it has been the only way to not get cat-yack out of the printer.  Every other Canon representative replied that if I use only Canon paper and just let the printer manage everything all will be well and that using third party papers would not give optimal results.  No wonder that everyone who makes great papers does the ICC profiles for Epson seemingly first.

I do find that the Canon printers are ink pigs.  If you are doing lots of Black and White, or want to, stay away from the 9000, only the 9500 Mk II is really good enough for serious black and white.  It's a lot slower though.

Were I starting fresh with my own photographic printing, or more usefully, if you are, I would still suggest going with an Epson photograph printer.  All in ones are pretty consistent (crap) from all vendors.  Go dedicated if you are or think you might be, serious about making prints.  However if you already have one of Canon's Pixma Pro series of printers, use the Easy-Photoprint Pro plugin with Lightroom or Photoshop, don't print through the native engine, and you will get better prints and waste less ink and paper.

There's really nothing like a print to get a viewer excited.  It's tactile and it's so much more telling than an image on a screen.  If you only need prints once in a while, use one of those Kodak kiosks in retail stores, or if you have a Costco nearby, use their lab.  A lot of the Costco folks are Certified Photographic Counsellors, they do know their stuff.  But if you are taking the time to edit, tune and enhance your images, making photographs instead of just taking pictures, you probably owe it to yourself to learn to print.  If you're going to go that far, you're going to want good looking prints and this tip will help you if your printer is a Canon Pixma Pro.

REVIEW : Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG HSM

Lens reviews are tough to write.  Some readers want the really deep detail spec review and while I can understand that, I dont have the resources of a DP Review and the idea of shooting photos of focus charts makes me somnolent.  I value that information, I just dont have it in me to create it. I prefer to review a lens as I would use it, and with the kind support of the people at Gentec Canada, obtained short access to Sigmas 300mm f/2.8 super telephoto.   After humping the thing around for seven hours on day one and using it exclusively, I am very impressed thus far.  All images were shot with the lens mounted to a Canon 1Dx.

What All The Acronyms Mean

I think that the focal length and maximum aperture are pretty clear.  The others, perhaps not.

• EX - refers to the finish of the lens body, both in terms of tactile structure as well as look.  For me not slippery matters and EX delivers
• APO - refers to apochromatic elements which allow for very large elements without visible distortion, and in this lens the elements are ELD glass (see below)
• DG - means works on digital and film cameras, hence compatible with full frame bodies
• HSM - means ultrasonic focusing motor

The Build

• Construction - 11 elements in 9 groups
• Angle of View - 8.2 degrees
• Blades - 9
• Aperture Range - f/2.8 - f/32
• Closest Focus - 250 cm / 98.4 in
• Filter Size - 46mm Rear drop in
• Dimensions - 119 x 214 mm / 4.7 x 8.4 in
• Weight - 2400g / 84.7 oz

First Impressions

If youve never handled a lens that is nearly 2.5 kilograms (just over five pounds) this is a new feeling.  While some reviews refer to the lens as lightweight, I cannot agree.  Its not light, but it is compact given what you are carrying.  A giant front element gathers lots of light and that could mean internal flare, but Sigma incorporates a pair of ELD (Extraordinarily Low Dispersion in their nomenclature) elements that make this a non-issue.  The lens can be used with teleconverters and Sigma understandably recommends the use solely of their own converters.   I did have either of Sigmas converters as part of the shoot and so cannot comment.

Forcing myself to work with one lens only, (I did carry my Canon 100-400L in my ThinkTank bag just in case) was fruitful.  The days shoot involved getting into the pens with lynx, wolves, badger and owl plus close work with a mountain lion (although not in the pen with it).  Depth of field at f/2.8 is what you would expect it to be, ultra-shallow.  Focusing on the closest eye, the images are tack sharp when I did my job.  The falloff into out of focus is soft and not jarring.  I can see why wildlife pros like long and very fast glass.  Stopping down as far as f/6.3 increases the depth of field as you would expect, but at that point, frame elements even off in the distance can become distracting and even net mesh in front of the subject (in the case of a bald eagle) still were apparent as bands of softness and low contrast.

Autofocus on the 1Dx is often referred to as screaming fast, and with the 300/2.8 mounted it snapped pretty quickly but I would not call it fast.  The system is moving a lot of glass there, and while the HSM motor is very quiet, its not blazingly fast.  I missed a couple of shots with a moving animal because focus couldnt catch up but it wasnt a serious problem.  What was impressive is how much contrast the lens passes so the AF would work even on low contrast subjects.

Handling

The lens comes with a reversible bayonet mount lens hood with a lockdown screw.  Mounting and unmounting is fast and easy.  The lens cap is enclosed in a nylon tube thing that fastens over the hood but only when it is reversed.  It does collapse mostly flat for stowing in a vest pocket but I would prefer the ability to use it securely when the hood is mounted for photography.

The lens also has (as it should) a tripod collar.  This is a requirement and it works but if it were up to me, I would make a couple of changes.  First is that it rotates freely and thats good but I would prefer to have landscape and portrait orientation notches or at least markings milled into the mount area.  When the grub screw is backed off, the lens can rotate but it isnt smooth.  Sigma uses a sort of grippy finish on the lens barrel which is I think a very good thing but I would have preferred that the area under the ring enable smooth rotation with a couple of milled stops as noted.  The collar foot is very short, to accommodate the hood when reversed.  Thats ok, but I would have preferred that the stand-off between the foot and the lens barrel be greater so I could mount a Really Right Stuff or other Arca Swiss style lens plate on more securely than I could.  WIth a lens like this getting it on and off the head should be very fast and it could be better oriented to be quicker.

A taller foot would offer you more grip options as Sigma does on their 120-300/2.8 or 150-500/6.3 lenses and I would hope that they will consider this change.

Other reviewers have suggested that the lens should have strap lugs built on, and I agree.  Some have sad you can get them after the fact but Sigma did not list them on the accessory page for the lens.  You could of course screw a Black Rapid strap into the tripod hole or if using a plate as I do, connect it to your strap with a Really Right Stuff FAB-2.

Shooting handheld with the tripod collar on is absolutely possible although less than comfortable.  If you want a more forward grip you are on the focus ring and with the short foot and short leg the hand tires more quickly.

Internal Filters

Internal filters only make sense on a lens like this.  I like that Sigma went the route of being able to use standard 46mm filters in the drop in tray (some vendors require custom filters or gels only).  The tray is a positive lock type.  There is also a filter rotation ring (and as the lens came without documentation there was guessing as to what it was for) that allows the use of a polarizing filter in the filter drawer.  Seems like a small detail but it is well executed.

The Shooting

Light conditions varied from specular to harsh sun, to full shade.  In every case the lens performed very well.  I was able to have the 1Dx in AI-Servo (continuous tracking focus) when photographing the wolves and it was keeping up even at 5fps.  Balance was decent handheld and when mounted on the Gitzo monopod with RRS MH-02 monopod head, it was plainly a joy to shoot.  I was spoiled by the bright image and the razor thin depth of field quickly and I had a higher than average keeper ratio than I am accustomed to with moving wildlife.  I used the 600EX-RT for fill flash in many cases with Flash Exposure dialled to -1EV so as not to fully balance the daylight and only fill in eye sockets and the eTTL II flash metering worked as it should.  I did not expect otherwise although I have read that sometimes fill flash exposure gets wonky when using very long lenses with very fast apertures.

There are a few sample images at the end of the post so you can see how sharp the lens is.  All are converted to DNG on import to Lightroom and have basic processing applied before exporting as web ready JPEGs at lower resolution and 72dpi.  When bringing the images in to Lightroom I was very pleased to discover that Lightroom had a lens profile defined for this lens and that is was recognized by the profile engine automatically.  Lens profiles provide basic correction for vignetting and distortions and while I can see the differences with the profiles on or off, the adjustments are subtle, unlike some other lenses I have tested.

When you look at other options in this space, the glaring difference is that the Sigma 300/2.8 lacks optical image stabilization.  While one can argue about whether OIS matters on wide angles, it is a boon on long telephotos, especially for sports or wildlife where you subject isnt sitting on a posing stool waiting for you to get on with it.  For me, thats the single biggest gap the lens has.

Next Steps

The next step is to do a shoot comparison with Sigmas 120-300 f/2.8 zoom.  Through the courtesy of Gentec and their relationship with Daytripper Photos Bryan Weiss, whom I teach for,  I will get a chance to shoot the lenses side by side.  The zoom is less expensive than the prime in retail environments and has optical stabilization where the prime does not.  Where the prime has ELD elements, the zoom has FLD elements, and fluorite was first introduced in glass back in the 70s to combat chromatic aberration.

Pros

• Sharp
• Great bokeh
• Handles quickly
• Terrific contrast
• Rear drop in filter

Cons

• Tripod foot design
• Lens cap design
• No image stabilization

Thanks for reading.  If youd like to purchase this lens, please use my link to B&H to support The Photo Video Guy.

For Canon

For Nikon

REVIEW : The Upstrap - really non-slip camera strap

Looking through the storage drawers for gear I had to pull out a veritable octopus of camera straps.  I don't use the manufacturer's straps because I don't want to advertise the type and model of camera I carry.  I've tried leather, neoprene, nylon, and canvas.  They are all in the drawer.  Up until recently I either used the Domke strap from Jim Domke or the Black Rapid sling system. The Domke's are comfortable but I like to sling the camera off my shoulder and they just don't grip enough for me.  The Black Rapid dual sling is terrific but the single sling rubs my neck and over the course of time creates an unpleasant state of "man-boob".  Neither comfortable or a good look.

I was watching a video cast a while back and Matt Kloskowski and RC Concepcion both were advocating the Upstrap.  RC is barrel chested like I am and so I thought I would take a chance on the recommendation and order one.

The strap worked out so well, I ordered two more.  The Upstrap is really non-slip.  You cannot even make it slide around if you want it to.  It holds your camera firmly on your shoulder even as you move and bend, and is also comfortable if you have the camera around your neck.  I have both the traditional camera attachments for the Canons and the Vectran attachments for the Leica.  All have proper quick release buckles if you don't need the strap and the Kevlar material is incredibly durable.

Best strap ever, may sound like hyperbole, but for me, it is.  I'll be ordering a couple more today as I am extremely happy with the product, one for the Hasselblad and one for the remaining Canon.  We spend a lot of money on gear.  There's absolutely no reason to worry about it slipping off your shoulder or being uncomfortable.

Highly recommended.