New Apple iPod Touch kills new Sony Bloggie Touch

Sony has just recently announced an update to their Bloggie line-up with a Bloggie Touch. To cut to the chase, it’s basically the same formula as before but with a 3″ touchscreen. It comes with software for “easy” uploading to your social networking accounts like YouTube, Facebook etc.

But Apple dropped a bomb last night with the introduction of a revamped iPod Touch that features two cameras (one front facing, one rear facing) with the main one having 720p HD movie recording capability. The camera that faces you will let you have Face Time chats with your buddies. What’s more, you will be able to edit the movies on the new iPod Touch and use apps such as the Facebook app to upload your edited movie directly. It can also take 940 x 720px still images, which is not ground-breaking, but at US $229 compared to the US $199 of the Sony Bloggie Touch…I know where my money would go.

This is what I thought of the last Bloggie:

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Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 bokeh sample shot

Zeiss have published a rather lovely sample from their new 35mm f/1.4 lens, which will be available for the Nikon F-mount and Canon EOS mount in the early part of 2011.

Technical specifications

Focal length: 35 mm
Aperture range: f/1.4 – f/16
Number of elements/groups: 11/9
Focusing range: 0.3 m – infinity
Angular field**
(diag./horiz./vert.):
63/54/37 °
Coverage at close range: 18 x 12 cm (close-up)
Image ratio at close range: 1:5 (close-up)
Filter thread: M 72 x 0.75
Weight: 830-850g
Length with caps: 120-122mm
Mounts: ZF.2 (F bayonet)
ZE (EF bayonet)

Full size sample available on the Zeiss website.

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On the left: World's largest CMOS sensor. On the right: A "full-frame" 35mm sensor

So, you’re probably feeling good with your “full-frame” 5D Mark II sensor, with it’s 35mm film-sized sensor. Perhaps you’re even lucky enough to have a digital “medium format” camera that has a larger sensor than a 5D Mark II. Well, why don’t you feast your eyes on what is currently the world’s largest CMOS sensor, developed by Canon. The sensor measure 202 x 205mm, compared to 24 x 36mm of the 5D Mark II and 33.1 x 44.2mm of the H4D 40. It’s approximately 40 times the size of a 5D Mark II sensor.

“Because the increased size of the new CMOS sensor allows more light to be gathered, it enables shooting in low-light environments. The sensor makes possible the image capture in one one-hundredth the amount of light required by a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor, facilitating the shooting of 60 frame-per-second video with a mere 0.3 lux of illumination.

Potential applications for the new high-sensitivity CMOS sensor include the video recording of stars in the night sky and nocturnal animal behavior.”

Just last week, Canon announced that they had developed a 120mp APS-H sensor, now they drop this bombshell. Impressive? Yes. Does it mean anything for us normal consumers? Not really.

Source: Canon.com

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Over 1,000 Australian photographers gathered outside the Sydney Opera House yesterday to protest against a rather bizarre law that requires them to have a permit before they are allowed to take photos of famous landmarks.

Although, photographers have become accustomed to certain rules that prevent us from taking photos in certain places or at certain times, especially with the whole terrorism thing, it doesn’t make these rules any more fathomable. Even more so when one considers the slight inconsistency of it all. There are different rules for different landmarks, such as Sydney Harbour, Bondi Beach and Ayer’s Rock.

For individual commercial photographers to take photos of Sydney Harbour, it doesn’t cost a thing, although the Sydney Foreshore Authority asks for a permit. If it involves a crew of 10 or more, you will need to pay a minimum of $150 AUD (86 pounds) per session and an additional $65 (37 pounds) an hour for a site co-ordinator, $65 (37 pounds)  an hour for security and an additional $65 (37 pounds)  an hour for cleaning. Each of those services must be paid a minimum four hours. Total cost of the shoot would be $930AU (537 pounds).

Taking photos for a commercial purpose on Bondi Beach? That’s $255AU please (147 pounds). The money goes towards keeping the beach clean apparently.

It’s free to get an annual permit from NSW National Parks if you’re a “low impact” commercial photographer, and if you’re a on a larger scale shoot then you’ll need a license along with public liability insurance. Basically, the difficulty and cost of getting a permit depends largely on the place and the authority governing that place.

What do you think of this? We’d like to hear your opinions, especially from Australian photographers!

Do you think it's a good idea to require permits to take (commercial) photos of Australian landmarks?

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Source: Sydney Morning Herald

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Canon to show prototype 500mm & 600mm f/4 L lenses

TOKYO, August 26, 2010—Canon Inc. announced today that it is developing two new telephoto lenses for use with its EOS lineup of single-lens reflex cameras—the EF500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF600mm f/4L IS II USM—and will display prototypes at the photokina 2010 photography and imaging industry trade fair between September 21 and 26 in Cologne, Germany.
The EF500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF600mm f/4L IS II USM are being developed as L (Luxury)-series lenses equipped with a high-performance image stabilization system. Employing fluorite and other special optical materials to correct for a variety of aberrations, the lenses aim to realize high-resolution, high-contrast imaging performance in a lighter-weight body design.
The EF500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF600mm f/4L IS II USM are under development as successors to the EF500mm f/4L IS USM (introduced in July 1999) and EF600mm f/4L IS USM (introduced in September 1999), respectively, models which earned strong praise from professionals in the field. The new lenses target improved dust-proof and moisture-proof performance in the face of harsh shooting conditions to satisfy the demands of sports, news and nature photographers, as well as high-contrast, high-resolution imaging from the maximum aperture setting.
Canon will continue to actively and flexibly respond to the diverse needs of professional and advanced-amateur users, expanding and improving the performance of its EF lens lineup to contribute to expanding the realm of photographic possibilities for SLR cameras.
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Canon 60D officially announced! Plus Pre-Order!!

Available for PRE-ORDER at DigitalRev.com now!

We all knew it was coming, but it has now been officially announced!

Interestingly, it will fit in between the 550D and the 7D as expected. It is the successor to the 50D, but will have a plastic body. It has an 18mp sensor with that articulated screen we saw in those peep shots before. Interestingly, it still has the same AF system as the 50D. It gains a movie feature and will use SD cards. Here’s the official word from Canon UK:

Canon today announces the latest addition to its world-famous EOS series of Digital SLR (DSLR) cameras – the new EOS 60D. Replacing the EOS 50D, the EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics – empowering photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results.

High speed, high resolution
With an 18 Megapixel APS-C sensor, the EOS 60D offers high levels of detail and a magnification of 1.6x the focal length of the lens to capture poster-size images in a variety of aspect ratios*1. Canon’s powerful DIGIC 4 technology rapidly processes image information captured from the CMOS sensor’s four-channel output, providing outstanding colour reproduction, as well as high-speed shooting at 5.3fps in bursts of 58 full-resolution JPEGs.

A standard ISO range of 100-6400 is extendable to 12800, providing smooth images with minimal noise in low light conditions. A 9-point, all cross-type autofocus (AF) system also provides swift and accurate focusing, with an extra-sensitive centre point for lenses faster than f/2.8, allowing photographers to artistically employ a shallow depth of field during portraiture or for more atmospheric shooting.

The EOS 60D features Canon’s iFCL metering system, first introduced with the acclaimed EOS 7D, with a 63-zone Dual-Layer sensor.  Information on subject location is gathered from the Auto Focus system, and is combined with colour and luminance readings for consistent accurate exposures whatever the situation. The Integrated Speedlite transmitter also provides in-camera control of multiple EX flash units for more creative lighting.

Shoot from all angles
A new 7.7cm (3.0”) Vari-angle wide LCD monitor features a 3:2 aspect ratio and a 1,040k dot resolution, providing added flexibility and allowing photographers to view their images in incredible detail. The Vari-angle wide LCD helps frame shots from difficult angles, and can be positioned with Live View enabled to achieve the desired composition if shooting isn’t possible using the viewfinder. The ability to capture wildlife portraits, overhead shots or ground-level photography is instantly enhanced, and the surface of the screen features an anti-reflective, water-repellent coating to protect the screen allows easy viewing in bright light and from a variety of angles.

Empowering creativity
A new Basic + function makes it easy for photographers to add their own creative touch to images without worrying about changing settings. Photographers can add ambiance to a scene by shooting according to lighting and scene type, with Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sport, Night Snapshot or Creative AUTO modes all available. Different effects can be achieved by shooting with Basic + enhancements such as Daylight, Cloudy or Sunset or pre-set Picture Styles including Vivid, Soft, Warm or Monochrome.

Designed to provide power for those who wish to extend their creative vision, the EOS 60D features a host of new functions that help capture better images and in-camera effects to add an extra dimension. The powerful DIGIC 4 processor supports in-camera RAW image processing, allowing photographers to edit settings such as brightness, contrast, white balance or correct distortion or chromatic aberration. The edited image can then be resaved as a JPEG, ready to be printed or uploaded to a PC or the web.

For photographers who want to add post-production effects to their images without the need for expensive software, the EOS 60D also features a range of new creative filters that can be applied in-camera. Filters including Grainy B/W, Soft Focus, Toy Camera Effect and Miniature Effect provide images with a different feel, allowing photographers to create a themed collection – using Grainy B/W to give images a reportage style, for example – or easily smooth skin tone in portraits with Soft Focus.

EOS Movies: Full HD video with complete control
Offering photographers the freedom to go beyond stills, the EOS 60D captures 1920×1080p HD video with a variety of user-selectable frame rates, including 30, 25 and 24fps, as well as 720p video at 60 and 50fps. Movie Crop mode is also available, recording with the central 640×480 pixel area of the sensor to create an effective magnification of approximately seven times the focal length of the lens.

Full manual control in Movie mode allows photographers to employ their own exposure and focus settings and take advantage of the effects achieved from Canon’s wide range of EF lenses. An external stereo microphone terminal and the ability to adjust sound recording level ensures the audio track recorded matches the visual quality of the video, capturing broadcast-quality sound.

For those who want to share images with friends and family, an integrated HDMI port is compatible with Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC), allowing video and images to be viewed on any compatible HD-ready TV and controlled via the TV remote.

Designed for flexibility
The EOS 60D features a completely redesigned body, combining an ergonomically enhanced, curved shape with a new button layout to make it quick and comfortable for photographers to change settings. Frequently used camera controls are grouped together for easy access, while the Quick Control Dial, Multi-controller and SET button have all been merged into one Multi Control Dial, enabling photographers to operate menus and enter settings quickly using their thumb. The mode dial also features a lock button, preventing unintentional changes to settings mid-shoot.

A dedicated Quick Control access button allows photographers to instantly reach the most common shooting settings and playback controls. Customising the functions of a number of buttons is also possible, allowing photographers to tailor the camera to suit their individual needs. To help achieve landscapes with perfectly level horizons, a horizontal Electronic Level can be displayed in the viewfinder or in Live View to assist composition and remove any potential need for post-production correction.

The EOS 60D is one of the latest Canon models to support high-capacity SDXC memory cards, providing up to 2TB of available space, allowing photographers to keep shooting HD video and full resolution RAW and JPEG stills without changing cards. For better management of larger image libraries on the camera, EOS 60D photographers can add a rating of 1 to 5 to their favourite images, allowing them to be easily located and viewed on-screen. Once transferred from the camera to a PC, the tags can also be viewed using a number of image editing and management programs, including Canon’s DPP software.

Share the moment
For photographers who want to transfer content wirelessly, the EOS 60D includes Eye-Fi connected functions*2. The EOS 60D features a dedicated Eye-Fi section in the User Interface allowing WiFi functionality to be turned off when not required to save battery life
EOS 60D features at a glance:

  • 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor
  • Advanced creative features with Basic +
  • Vari-angle 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 ratio LCD
  • Full HD movies with manual control
  • DIGIC 4
  • ISO 100-6400, H:12800
  • 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs
  • 9-point cross type AF System
  • iFCL metering with 63-zone Dual-layer Sensor
  • Integrated Speedlite transmitter
  • In-camera RAW processing

*1 1:1, 16:9, 4:3 in addition to the standard 3:2 dimension
*2 This product is not guaranteed to support Eye-Fi card functions (including wireless transfer). In case of an issue with an Eye-Fi card, please check with the card manufacturer. Also note that approval is required to use Eye-Fi cards in many countries or regions. Without approval, use of the card is not permitted. If it is unclear whether the card has been approved for use in the area, please check with the card manufacturer

Available for PRE-ORDER at DigitalRev.com now!

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Voigtlander to release 25mm f/0.95 for M4/3

There are reports that Cosina Voigtlander is about to let loose the news of their 25mm f/0.95 that they will make for Micro Four-Thirds cameras. The lens will be manual focus and fits to the Micro Four-Thirds cameras without any adaptors. This will make a very nice fast “standard” lens for the M4/3 users…if you don’t mind manual focus that is. Yours for $1000!

Source (specs available here): 43rumors

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Sample shots from the 4 new Nikkors

Lindasay Silverman, Sr. Manager Product Lifecycle Marketing: NIKKOR lenses, has posted some sample shots taken with all four of Nikon’s new lenses – click the links below to check out the samples:

AF-S 85mm f/1.4G

AF-S DX 55-300mm VR II

AF-S 28-300mm VR II

AF-S 24-120mm f/4 VR II

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