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PhotoTips & CanonRumors Live Cast

2012-03-01T22:00:00.000-06:00

OK Gear Heads, fans of PhotoTips, and Canonistas, we have something you are going to enjoy. Craig Blair and I are teaming up to do a "Live Cast" to usher the new 5D3 into the world of eager photographers. This is the competitor to the Nikon D800 camera, and it will be interesting to see what Canon did to answer Nikon on their new release.

I believe their will be a special feature of this camera that has the potential to change our industry and certainly what we come to expect from our pro level bodies. Of course I could be dead wrong on that...

Join Craig and I live as we discuss what we believe to be on the new 5D3, give you all the details as it is released, and then discuss those details and what they may mean afterwards.

March 1
11PM Eastern
Look up at the top in the navbar. Click on "EVENTS", and then choose "LIVE CAST". It will take you right there. But here is a direct link.

5D3 Secret Prediction - SPOILER ALERT!

2012-03-01T21:00:00.000-06:00

The Canon 5D2 was a game changer when it came out. The D700 had better high ISO performance (marginally), more AF points, more accurate AF in low light, etc. Yet the the 5D2 was what everyone was talking about for one reason only. Incredible video. It shot an episode of House on Fox, provided incredible footage on top of a Formula 1 race car in Iron Man, and filled up the archives of Vimeo with sweet looking high quality short movies produced by indie movie makers. I even shoot most of my podcast with it.

Well the 5D3 is set to do the same thing to our industry. But not with Video. With flash photography.

We know that a few years ago, a handful of patents were filed by Canon concerning building radio triggering into future versions of their flash units. The reason they had not done so up to this point, was because different countries have different regulations on radio frequencies. Making different flashes for every one of these regions is just not cost effective.

This left the door open for third party manufacturers like Radio Popper and Pocket Wizard to make add on accessories that could trigger flashes along with carrying TTL information AND high speed sync compatibility. These guys could make add on accessories for the different countries for far cheaper because they were not building flashes along with the radio trigger.

This will be a thing of the past when Canon unveils it's 5D3 on Friday. At least that is my prediction.

The 5D3 will have built in flash control and triggering that will include TTL and high speed sync, but they will not do it via a pop up flash like Nikon does. They will do it with a radio transmitter built into the camera body. The 590EX flash (the replacement for the 580), will be the first flash that is compatible. But we will shortly see a host of accessories for older flashes, and probably an updated 480EX flash that includes built in radio as well. They will do it using a specific radio bandwidth that is largely accepted around the world with little regulation, fees, or licensing.

And that, my friends, will be a huge leap forward for our industry. It will be a game changer. A big one. One that will leave Nikon and the others playing catch up. But not for long, I am guessing. Nikon knows about the patent filing a few years back just like I do. I am sure they have been hard at work trying to come up with an answer long before I ever wrote this article. They will have an answer of their own to meet the competition, but not for at least the next year.

Now I could be totally wrong here and be eating crow on Friday if this prediction ends up being false. And I will gladly do so. But there has to be a logical reason for the 5D3 to be $500 more than a D800. Canon has always been more affordable than Nikon. In bodies and lenses. So what would make them break that trend? Adding a secret ingredient into the body. A game changer.

That's my prediction...

More 5D3 images - Official

2012-03-01T07:19:00.001-06:00

5D3 Full Spec List?

2012-03-01T06:51:00.003-06:00

That was the same title used on CanonRumors.com. The question mark at the end, however, implies that he may not be entirely sure.

There is no word on where that came from, or how official and inclusive that list is.

Here is a short excerpt of that list. To see the full list, head to CanonRumors.com

Unsurpassed Image Quality

22.3 Megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor
DiG!C 5+ Image Processor
ISO 100-25600 (expandable to L:50 H1:51200, H2: 102400
Full HD Movie (ISO 100-12800 (H:25600)

High Performance Operation61-point high-density reticular AF (up to 41 crosstype points)
6.0 fps for high continuous shooting
Intelligent viewfinder with approx. 100% coverage
3.2-type, approx.1.04m dot (3:2 wide) Clear View LCD II
iFCL metering with 63-zone dual-layer sensor
Shutter durability of 150,000 cycles

High end featuresSilent & low vibration modes
Dual card slots (CF & SD)
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mode
Multiple Exposures
Comparative Playback function
Improved durability & water and dust resistance

SmugMug Awesomizes iPhone

2012-03-01T04:29:00.000-06:00

With about 40 bazillion camera apps for the iPhone already, making one that is somehow different from all the others is really tough to do. Especially for free. Yet SmugMug decided to try anyways. And low and behold, I think that have a real winner on their hands. It has just about everything you could ask for. Literally everything. And since it is free, you for sure want to download and try it out for yourself.

Not only does it have all the cool effects that we have come to expect in a camera app, and sharing to all of your social media outlets, but it also includes a ton of great "camera" features that make you say, "Why didn't Apple put that in there to begin with?" Like the ability to focus on one area, but exposure lock on another. That is unbelievably cool. Download it here. And watch the video below for more info.

D4 Test Images Wow!

2012-03-01T03:24:00.000-06:00

With all of the hoopla I am trying to generate over the Canon 5D3 release show and Canonista fest I have scheduled tonight in a "Live Cast", I thought you Nikonians would like this. Gizmodo did some test shots with a D4 and a 50mm F/1.8 lens. The high ISO images are astounding. Now before you go drool over your screen, please note that Gizmodo has no "real" photographers to test with. So they did not know that you never shoot a F1.8 lens -at- F/1.8. If you do, you will not get sharp images. You have to stop down to F/2.5 in order get some sharpness back in the lens. So these crazy heads did these test shots wide open and the resulting images are a bit soft when looking at the full size - unshrinkified - images.

But you really must check out the low light shot at F1.8, ISO 3200, and 1/40th image. Very clean in the noise area.The ISO 6400 one is pretty good too. Head there now.

Photoshop CS6 - Sneak Peak #6

2012-02-29T17:34:00.002-06:00

The sneak peaks keep coming. This latest release shows and easy way to add fake DOF with a new fast filter tool that simplifies how we do it now.

Lightroom 3 at $89

2012-02-29T11:23:00.002-06:00

Lightroom 4 is getting really close to a release date, and because of that, Lightroom 3 is not found at huge discounts. Not everyone will be able to afford the LR4 price of $300 when it releases, so a great deal of LR3 is perfect for them. So for all you on a budget, this may be a good solution for you.

Tilt Shift Time Lapse Carnival

2012-02-29T11:17:00.000-06:00

First spotted on PetaPixel, this video will entertain you for sure. It is a time lapse video shot entirely on a tilt shift lens of the recently concluded Carnival festival. Cool...

BayPhoto 40% discount

2012-02-29T07:40:00.004-06:00

If you have been thinking about redecorating the living room, here is a coupon code you might be interested in...

40% Off Large Size Prints When You Buy 2 or More - ONLY 1 WEEK LEFT!

Our 40% off photographic prints 16x16 and larger sale ends March 7, 2012! To redeem this offer: Order a minimum of 2 photographic prints 16x16 or larger from the "Standard Sizes" tab in any version of Bay ROES, and enter LPS40 in the "Promo Code" field in the Order Review area of Bay ROES before submitting your order. Prints do not have to be of the same image, or the same size, but they both must be 16x16 or larger and ordered on Lustre, Glossy, Metallic, or Fuji Pearl photo paper. Click for full offer details »

Adobe Messed Up...

2012-02-28T13:43:00.001-06:00

About a week ago, I ran this add, showing how Adobe had an additional 80% off their educationally discounted Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3. A bunch of you jumped in, used the coupon code, were given an insanely low price, and you giggled as you put your card number in.

Well someone at Adobe screwed up. So now they are cancelling all of those orders and sending out the following email...

Hi Steve

Thank You for contacting Adobe

The order number xxxxxxxxx that you placed on Feb 22 2012 has been declined as it was placed using the 80% discount which no longer exists and it was a false advertisement so all the orders which were placed using that coupon have been canceled.

It was a false advertisement as the team accidentally activated an 80% off discount instead of understanding that EDU was 80% off the commercial price. But there is nothing to be worried about as Adobe website is absolutely secured and can not be hacked.

Sorry for the trouble caused to you.

Please call us back if you face any issues.

Regards
Adobe Customer Support
Shikha Sharma

If you were one of those people, I apologize. All I did was carry the story. Adobe is the one that messed up their adds and are not following through on their orders. One would think that by advertising it, accepting it in the online shopping art, and charging your card the discounted price, they would be required to honor their add despite the mistake. But they sure aren't doing it...

5D3 Pics Reveal "Oddity"

2012-02-28T09:02:00.001-06:00

This is one of the pics that was released on the internet showing the soon to be released Canon 5D3. We posted more here.

Now I don't want to draw too much conclusion from this, but don't you notice anything missing in this pic? How about a DOF preview button??? That puppy is on every single DSLR camera out there. It usually sits on the same side of the body as the lens release.

Is it an absolute requirement to have one? No... I guess not. But it will sure hack off a lot of macro shooters. You can bet on that.

Is it possible they have moved that button to another location on the body? I guess... But why would they? Unless they needed the room in the body for the wireless antennae I was talking about here. (Most people think I am crazy about this judging from comments around the internet I am reading.) Of course the 1 series bodies have them on the other side as well, so maybe nothing to see here at all....

Is it possible they made it a bit more electrical in nature and added it as a button the back? That is a distinct possibility. Maybe they thought it a better ergonomic design option to move it to the back.

Could they add it as a menu accessible option to view screen. Sure. I guess. But that seems unlikely as I cannot see a good reason.

Could it be because they have an EVIL viewfinder and all of that can be done differently now? Well that would certainly be cool, and we know they are working on that, but this sounds unlikely at this stage as well.

I just know it is odd that it is not where it is supposed to be and maybe missing entirely. Just an observation. Do with it as you will.

41 MegaPixel Camera - in a smart phone...

2012-02-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

(UPDATE - THIS TIME WITH PICTURES THAT WILL IMPRESS)

So check this out. Nokia puts a 41MP camera sensor in a smart phone. OK not a really great 41MP sensor. But a 41MP sensor non the less. It then uses internal software to combine several pixels into one, oversampling it. The resulting image is now reduced to 5-8 megapixels. But the image quality is greatly improved. But don't take my word for it. Watch the video below. THEN, check out the attached full res images below. They are VERY good considering they came from a phone, for the love of Pete...

5D3 Photos

2012-02-27T07:47:00.001-06:00

It appears someone released a few shots of the new camera on the CannonRumors.com forums. Are these legit? I don't know for sure, but I would bet they are. Either that or they have some the best photoshopping I have ever seen.

Caption The PSG Winner

2012-02-27T07:11:00.000-06:00

If you are not on the Facebook group, well you should be. (Click on "Community" at the top of the page). We have all kinds of fun there and it is pretty active with roughly 6,800 members. This past weekend we took a screen grab from the recent podcast (located here) and asked members to caption it. The funniest one - chosen by me - gets a free download.

We had some pretty funny comments and you can read through them all on the Group page. Here are some the standouts...

And the winner is....

That's cold, dude. But email me and I will send you your download.

By the way...

Please buy my stuff....

Photoshop "Touch"

2012-02-27T05:12:00.000-06:00

Adobe Photoshop
"Touch"

Adobe has a bunch of new stuff hitting the shelf soon. A bunch. The most exciting, I think, is Creative Cloud. In it, you will be able to access several programs for one low flat rate monthly fee, and colaborate - in the cloud - with multiple computers. One of the programs you can have access to is a new Photoshop Touch program for the iOS.

You can purchase it now on the app store, however.

The app brings familiar functionality to the iPad. Including things like working in layers, selection tools, fill effects, and filters. The app sells for $9.99.

Thanks Norman and Brett for bringing this to my attention.

5D Replacement Pushed Back

2012-02-26T08:05:00.000-06:00

Just got word from Craig's late last night that the Feb. 27 announcement date got pushed back to Mar. 2. Not exactly sure what happened. Either Craig crazy powers of prognostication are not perfect and he got his date wrong, or Canon needed a few extra days to make their presentation jaw dropping. Either way, this push back has made the over all podcast for next week push back as well. I try to get it out on Thursday at midnight. But in this case, Craig and I will meet on the day of the release to talk about it, and then I will release the podcast shortly after. So tune in on Friday....

2012-02-25T15:06:00.000-06:00

On the 28th, expect to see a major overhaul of the Flickr website. Some changes include a grid like view similar to 500px and the "dynamic" views found on blogger. There will also be a touch screen interface to upload photos for the newer computers and the new Windows interface that is due out soon. They have also updated site security as well. You can no longer "pin" photos to your pinterest account.

D700 at much reduced prices...

2012-02-24T18:11:00.001-06:00

The D700 has just been replaced by the D800, but that does not mean it should be discarded to the wayside. At least that is the thinking of Nikon Execs.

And I agree...

Nikon has made a commitment to continue manufacturing and selling the D700 over the next few months and maybe even to the end of 2012.

The best part? Starting next month, the price will drop by $500.

"Better than Carbonite. By a long shot." - James Beltz

Episode 124 - Cotton Carrier Review

2012-02-24T11:02:00.000-06:00

We review the cotton carrier and do so with a set of scientifically calculated scenarios to test the limits of the system... Well... Sort of....

Make sure to choose HD for the best quality.

We have this product listed in the recommended gear bag section in the navbar up top in the Amazon section. But here is a direct link. Using this link -will- support the show...

New SmugMug Template: Bookmark

2012-02-23T17:40:00.001-06:00

MyProFoto.com just released a new SmugMug Template. This one is affectionately called "Bookmark". the front page features a full screen slideshow (an easy choice) and a sideways "hiding" navbar.

Notice how it looks like a bookmark?

At the bottom of the navbar is an arrow that points up. Clicking it makes the navigation slide up and hide at the top of the page. Click the down arrow and it slides back into place. This allows your customers to move it out of the way to enjoy the full screen awesomeness of your slideshow.

The content boxes and the navigation are all done in classic black, but the main background color can be any color you tell us to make it. Test drive it now to see if you like it.

Crazy Price On A SB900!

2012-02-23T11:07:00.001-06:00

Craig Pegephoff, a listener to the show, just passed on this information. He reports that he went into a Best Buy store locally, and they had marked all of their Nikon SB900 flashes, brand new in the box, down to a crazy $299.00. I cannot find out if this is a nation wide directive, or a local store decision, b ut if I were you, I would call my local Best Buy and find out. NOW!

$300 Off All Sony Vaio

2012-02-23T06:50:00.001-06:00

Our partners at Amazon.com have announced a sale with $300 off of all Sony Vaio laptops. In the world of laptops, you either have PC or MAC. If you are a PC user and want a laptop that sits at the cool laptop table, then a Vaio is certainly one of those laptops. Check out these discounts now....

How To Shoot Dogs - By Kodak 1956

2012-02-22T15:32:00.001-06:00

Stan G found these great old Kodak commercials in the public domain. Here is one giving advice for shooting pets.

5D Being Replaced In 5 Days

2012-02-22T15:22:00.000-06:00

Well Craig over at Canon rumors now has what he believes to be confirmed data on the new 5D. We do not know what it going to be called just yet, and there is no mention of the rumored split in the line up. But the new one will be announced on the 27th or the 28th depending on what part of the globe you are standing one.

Here are the confirmed stats:

22mp
61pt AF
100% VF
3.2″ LCD
Dual CF/SD Card Slots
$3500 USD

I think this is good news. By keeping the MPs the same at 22 MP but using the new sensor design found in the 1Dx, we can expect improved high ISO performance that should be amazing. Perfect for wedding photogs. The 61pt AF means Nikon can no longer crow about how many they have in the D800. The dual card slots with one being an SD means 5D shooters can now get themselves an eyefi card and transmit to their iPads.

So Canonistas, get ready, I think you are in for a treat.