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.

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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.

VIDEO : Introduction to Macro Photography

In this video, I introduce viewers to macro photography, discussing concepts, equipment, lighting, exposure techniques and supplemental tips.  I close with some ideas to encourage viewers to make macro photographs quickly and with plenty of learning opportunities. [iframe]<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2fyHsoHbHlA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/iframe]

WWPW - Newmarket Ontario

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 32

A new lens for the Nikon 1,  Sony builds the sensor for the D800.  Canon issues fw update for the 1Dx.  New 24-70 arriving soon.  Canon issues new patents.  Canon dives deeper into video with two new cameras and four new lenses.  Sony releases the NEX-5R.  DP Review likes the RX-100. Pentax K30 hits retailers.  Adobe has LR 4.2RC and ACR 7.2 RC.  Specs for the Fuji X-E1.  The Lenskirt.  SmugMug price explosion

Quick Tip : Eyedropper colour selector in Lightroom 4

If you use Lightroom, it's possible at some time that you wanted to use a brush to adjust colours. It's easy enough to do, or appears so.

1. Click the brush tool
2. In the drop down select Color
3. The Color Picker box shows up and you click on the colour you want

But that's not really what you want.  What you want, is to be able to select a colour from the image you are working on, not some arbitrary picker from a box or worse trying to find a place in the box that matches the colour you want to work with.

Despite lots of great UI work, I think Adobe has dropped the usability ball on this one because while it is simple, it's not obvious or well documented.  I give full credit to Rob Sylvan for teaching me how to do this.

When the colour picker box appears, click in it anywhere and hold the left mouse button down.  Without releasing the mouse, drag the eyedropper into the image.  You'll see the swatch box in the upper left of the Color Picker change to match wherever the eyedropper is stationed at any given time.  When you find the colour you want in the image, release the mouse button and the colour is loaded into the swatch and the brush is loaded with that colour.

It really is simple, but the implementation could stand to be more intuitive.  I tried to grab a screenshot but neither Skitch nor Grab would capture the image of the eyedropper, so you'll have to experiment yourself.

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.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 31

Bye bye to Kodak film.  Nikon drops the D700 and maybe the D7000, adds an Android powered point and shoot.  Canon files a patent for the 2nd gen 300/4L.  Canon announces new large format printers.  A fix for the 40/2.8 sticking problem and rumours of new bodies.  I close with a quick look at Sigma's 300/2.8

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.

REVIEW : The Photographer's Go Bag that doesn't scream "CAMERA"

I like camera bags. Family has said I am with camera bags like some people are with shoes. Based on the closet, and the shelves and beside the chair, they're right. I am a huge fan of the bags from Think Tank. There are many fine manufacturers, but when I add up all the kit I have spent hard earned buckolas on, most of it is Think Tank gear. From belt kits, to airport sized backpacks, to little bags to big bags, I tend to use my Think Tank bags as "go bags" - pack what I need for the gig / assignment / event and go.

After being robbed of my gear in Barcelona in 2011, I am VERY SENSITIVE regarding camera bags that look like camera bags. Enter the Retrospective series from Think Tank. Recently I had a project / assignment to shoot a Polo match. I knew I was going to be moving around a lot, that I would be using mostly long lenses and a monopod. So I went out and invested in the Retrospective 20.

It looks like a messenger style bag. It has no visible logos. It has a great strap that is comfortable all day and that is long enough that I can sling it across my body or hang it from a shoulder. It's quick to get into, has good padding and its size belies just how much kit you can get in it. The giant bellows pocket on the front is really deceiving. For my Polo work I carried in this relatively small and highly innocuous bag the following gear;

Canon 1D Mk IV with Canon 100-400L mounted Canon 7D Body Canon 2x Converter III Metz 58 AF-2 flash with off camera cord RRS Flash bracket Think Tank Memory Card holder Lenspen Microfibre cloth

The bag was comfortable all day and held my gear safely and securely. The front flap velcros closed with good sized velcro patches and they have silencers sewn on so you can open the bag with no noise at all.

Think Tank has a graphic that is reminiscent of an X-ray to give you an idea of how the bag could load up.

The point is that it can be accessed quickly, holds a camera with a long zoom or prime attached and carries well.

I also own the Retrospective 5 in the Pinestone finish and the Retrospective 30 when I feel the need to carry a lot of stuff into the field.

As kind of a useful aside, Think Tank's material that lines their bags is 18% grey so it's also your portable grey card.  We all know that when you really need a grey card, you don't have one, but with Think Tank you do.

If you are in the US, support the Photo Video Guy by buying your bag online through these links.  Black. Pinestone, Blue Slate.  I am not sponsored by Think Tank and pay for my own gear.

REVIEW : Canon 180/3.5L Macro Lens

Introduction I enjoy macro photography and have worked hard to try to build a bit of skill on the subject.  While many lens claim to be "macro", to be true macro lenses they need to deliver 1x life-size on the sensor.  This means that if you have a full frame sensor of 24mm x 36mm, then the lens must be able to produce an image of the subject that is 24mm x 36mm in real life.

Macro photography can be challenging because depth of field diminishes as the image plane gets closer to the subject.  This is just optics math in action, so consequently, small apertures are used for the closest shots to avoid having only a pinpoint deep focus depth. At the same time, macro lenses need to be optically fast to aid focusing in poor lighting conditions.

Macros are best done from a stable platform, such as a tripod because you might find yourself with slower shutter speeds to accomodate the small aperture, and you want to avoid pushing the ISO too high to maintain the highest possible resolution and low noise.

When we shoot close, we also often need to manage the light as proximity might create shadows or block out the light entirely.  The sample images included here were done with multiple flashes because the ambient light just would not work.  Flash is very useful in macro work because our subjects may be moving, and when very close, even subtle movement can blur the photograph.

I have owned the Canon 100/2.8L macro for some time and like it very much.  I do not advocate macros shorter than 100mm because with a shorter lens you must be physically very close to the subject.  This distance between the front element and the subject is referred to as "stand-off distance".  By the same token, we also know that as focal length increases at a given aperture and camera to subject distance, depth of field is reduced so to go too long will result in depth of field compromise.

After listening to noted photographer Bill Fortney advocate Nikon's 180mm macro lens, I arranged to borrow a Canon 180mm f/3.5 L series macro for testing purposes.  Even the 100mm when shooting life-size requires you to be very close and as I wanted to use softboxes and octas as my sources, I knew I would benefit from the increased stand-off distance the longer lens affords.

Lens Specifications

• Focal Length : 180mm
• Maximum Aperture : f/3.5
• Construction : 14 elements in 12 groups
• Angle of View : 13 degrees 30 minutes
• Closest Focus Distance : 0.48m / 1.6ft
• Filter Size : 72mm
• Size and Weight : 3.2" x 7.3", 2.4 lbs. / 82.5 x 186.6mm, 1,090g
• Includes : Reversible Lens Hood, Tripod Collar

Thoughts

The lens is very sharp and focus is quick because of the Ultrasonic motor.  Focus is internal and of the floating type.  This method is more costly to make but the value returned is minimized aberration as focus distance changes.  It's one of the distinctions between a proper macro lens and a generic one.

The tripod collar increases size and weight but I wish I had one on the 100mm that I own.  Changing camera orientation does not change the image centre, allowing for creative positioning without massive amounts of reset work from a focus and cropping perspective.

In very low light, I found that autofocus with the 1D Mk IV was not effective.  This isn't surprising as the flower petals were not particularly contrasty and even when manually selecting focus points, there just wasn't enough light to make AF accurate.  Switching the lens to manual focus completely decouples AF and the manual is fast and light.  Subjects snap in so I am quite impressed.  I also use an old Minolta angle finder to avoid neck strain and on the rare occasions where I just need more magnification, use Live View and a Hoodman loupe.  The net of it is that obtaining critical focus is simple and consistent.

I was using a set of Metz 58 AF-2 flashes in Westcott Apollo striplights and octas as the primary source and a third Metz with Rogue gels firing at the background paper.  I was using Pocket Wizard radios and their AC3 zone controller and as documented earlier was underwhelmed with the zone control performance.  As the shots were being captured between f/29 and f/32 I was pushing the Metz flashes in the softboxes very hard.  Moving the flashes to manual output from eTTL gave me more control.  This is a Pocket Wizard Zone controller issue, not a flash problem and I've documented it elsewhere.  Once past a number of false starts with the lighting, I was able to get to where I wanted to be.

Colour rendition from the lens is excellent.  As I always do, I used a B+W UVA filter on the lens.  B+W filters are superb and I still wanted the protection for the front lens element in case of something very bad happening.  I used a Jobu lens foot to convert the standard tripod mount to one that would fit the Really Right Stuff bracket that I use.  This is not a flaw in Canon's tripod foot, it is entirely done to suit my tripod configuration.

On the 1D Mk IV, the effective focal length is 234mm due to the 1.3x crop factor in the camera.  That's about as long as I would care to go for macro.  Mounting the lens on the 1Dx full frame makes this lens a really fine portrait lens too, although I don't think I would switch to it away from the 700-200/2.8L that is my portrait "go-to" lens.

I did not experience vignetting or sharpness falloff centre to edge and you shouldn't with a high end macro lens.  I opened the RAW files in both Lightroom and DxO Optics Professional and was pleased to see that the lens profiles in both were needed not at all to address lens issues.  This simple test is a strong indicator of where design issues exist in lenses.  Lightroom's profiles are excellent and in my opinion, those from DxO Optics are the best in the business.  When these acclaimed profiles make only miniscule corrections, this is indicative of superlative lens design.

Conclusions

I have to return the lens soon and will be sad to see it go.  If I did not already own the similarly excellent 100/2.8 L macro, I would not be returning the 180/3.5L.  Knowing what I know now, it's the one I would buy if I could have only one macro lens.  I want to thank Nathan Reeder at Henry's for assisting me in obtaining the lens for the review.

Highly recommended.

Where to for Pocket Wizard's eTTL offerings?

I made substantial investments in the Pocket Wizard TTL radios to use with my Canon cameras over the last couple of years.  I bought the Mini TT1 to use as the primary transmitter and a number Flex TT5s as receivers, and an AC3 zone controller.  I've also purchased the AC7 hard shield because the Canon 580EX II is known to be susceptible to radio interference, particularly when installed in one of Westcott's Apollo soft boxes. For the most part I've been using the Pocket Wizards in a very general manner for distance triggering of TTL flash.  And for the most part, they work quite well.  I do find the need to program them through the Pocket Wizard utility to be a nuisance and Pocket Wizard's documentation would need to improve significantly to achieve the level of suck.  So, as long as you don't need anything more than triggering, they're fine.

The real point though should be to be able to manage flash zones and output by zone for eTTL flash just as you can in the manufacturer's infrared systems.  I use the term eTTL because I have Canon cameras, but Pocket Wizard does support iTTL for Nikon with the appropriate devices.

Recently Canon replaced their optical triggering system with radio in the new 600EX-RT flashes and the ST-E3 controller.  Infrared works fine indoors with line of sight, but it doesn't go around corners and often fails outdoors.   Hence the demand for radio.  Initially I was surprised at Canon's decision because of the apparent lack of backward compatibility with the older flashes.  This has proven to be false as the new flashes can use infrared if you wish.  The ST-E3 is radio only, no infrared.

To get zone control with radio Pocket Wizards, you use the AC3 zone controller and this is where things start to fall down.  The AC3 provides for control of three zones, each zone being configurable for Off, TTL and Manual.  Manual puts the remote flash in manual mode but still allows for eTTL exposure control on other channels.  The theory is that in eTTL mode, you would have +-3 stops of exposure control for each zone, plus whatever control you apply globally on the camera.  The reality is that in a lengthy test, this was not so.  Despite multiple manipulations and test firing there was no demonstration of a six stop range.  Using the AC3 to put the flashes in manual mode actually allows you to vary the power from full to 1/64 power and it works extremely well.  But, I really wanted full eTTL control, and did not get it.

i recall Joe McNally saying at a seminar that Pocket Wizards were decent triggers but that zone control performance was inconsistent at best.  Joe is a big fan of Nikon's Creative Lighting System of course, but not a fan of Pocket Wizard.  He calls them not ready for prime time, and based on tests across several hundred exposures, I have to agree.  This brings me to the question I ask.

A decent powered eTTL flash for Canon or Nikon will run between $400 and $600.  Add another $250 for a Flex TT5 receiver and then $100 for an AC3.  Comparatively, even Canon's 600EX-RT at $729 retail is a better value, the radio is built in, the user interface is extremely elegant and it works consistently.  You will also need a transmitter on the camera and zone manager, so just under $400 for Canon's ST-E3 or about $330 for a Mini TT1 and an AC3.  Simplicity suggests that the Canon solution might be better.  Pocket Wizard says you can use Flex TT5s to control the power of studio flash in non-TTL mode but it's spurious because it works only with a special receiver add-on for a limited number of studio heads.  Since most better studio heads have their own remote system, this is less valuable than one might think out of the gate.  For example, Elinchrom's Skyport radio system comes with their head kits and allows power control from the camera in a single transmitter.

So given that Canon is down the road on radio and is anticipated to replace the 430 EX II with an RT model this fall, why would a photographer without an existing Pocket Wizard investment buy Pocket Wizards at all.  To even use the new CTL software in conjunction with your light meter, you have to replace the radio transmitter in the meter that you already have for about $140.  It's ridiculously expensive for what it is.  The latest CTL software still doesn't work with the 5D Mark III or the 1Dx and there is no date announced when the update will be available.

Based upon the state of Canon's movement into radio and the reasonable probability that Nikon will add radio in the next round of flashes, building on their excellent Creative Lighting System, where does this leave Pocket Wizard?  Unless there are significant price drops and significant usability improvements, I fear that they are on a slope to irrelevance.  Speedlite-ista Syl Arena has reached the same conclusion.

Bowens has ceased delivering PocketWizard receivers for their studio heads because of customer complaints that the Mini TT1 and Flex TT5 units when in transmitter mode won't fire the heads creating customer dissatisfaction, and even with the very nice Plus III transceivers, there are less expensive solutions out there for the studio.  Elinchrom's solution is far more elegant and robust.

I have gotten decent use out of my investment and as simple radio triggers for flash, they work consistently and well.  So long as you don't care about zones, even the eTTL remote functionality works.  But the zone controls are extremely flaky and I had lots of burned shots, despite reading the docs and watching the tutorial videos by Mark Wallace on YouTube.  At no time did I experience accurate eTTL output control with the AC-3, completely inconsistent with my experience using Canon's infrared system and now their radio control system.  If the internet is any indicator, I'm not alone, and Pocket Wizard's zone eTTL radio model is broken or at best unreliable.  i will be keeping my stuff until I can replace all my infrared controlled flashes (a very expensive proposition) and will continue to use the Plus II and Plus III triggers with my studio flashes as they all have Pocket Wizard receivers installed already.  What I won't be doing is spending any more money on anything from Pocket Wizard.  I'm disappointed and don't see them as a viable solution for  truly flexible eTTL flash configurations.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 30

Will Canon release a 40MP iteration of the 1Dx?  Canon increases the scope of the recall of the T4i/650D.  Leica announces their financial results and remains stable despite economic downturn.  M Monochrom cameras start arriving in Europe.  Buyers of the M9 or M9-P in the US can get a $1,000 gift card with purchase.  Instagram adds a mapping feature.  Nikon wins the EISA awards with the D4 and D800 named Cameras of the Year.  Sony unveils an amazing pro video camera, the NEX-EA50EH.  Rumours of an A99 at Photokina.  We close with a snapshot of my review of the Canon 40/2.8

REVIEW : Canon 40/2.8 pancake

There has been a lot of news around the first of the pancake lenses from Canon, mostly about the size, although I think it is more significant that it is the first of Canon's new STM build lenses that supports continuous autofocus for video, although at the time of this writing, only on the Rebel T4i (under it's various global names). Specifications

• Focal Length : 40mm
• Maximum Aperture : f/2.8
• Construction : 6 elements in 4 groups
• Field of View : 57 degrees, 30 minutes
• Filter Size : 52mm
• Closest Focus : 0.98ft / 0.3m
• Size and Weight : 2.7 x 0.9 inch, 4.6 oz. / 68.2 x 22.8mm, 130g

Thoughts

It is very slim, very lightweight and if you want a short wide angle on a full frame or nominal standard lens on a crop sensor, this fits the bill.  You can literally drop it in a shirt pocket.  Autofocus is quick, brightness is decent center to edge and it works like a standard lens.  But like Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation upon arriving at WallyWorld, my first impression is "and so what?"

If you want a standard focal length lens, you can get Canon's plastic fantastic (body not elements) 50/1.8 for less than half the price.  It's not STM, but the average DSLR owner has never used the video in his or her camera more than twice, so autofocus video is not exactly a killer must-have for most users.  Filling a class on DSLR video is tough, it's easier to fill a class on flash, the interest in general just isn't there.

The maximum aperture of f/2.8 is fast enough for today's digital SLRs as most of them do a decent job at higher ISOs but if I was looking for low light performance, why not go with the cheaper and just as sharp 50/1.8?  So it's not about low light...

40mm as a focal length on full frame is, well it's boring and on a crop sensor it's, yup boring here too.  It closely approximates the magnification and general field of view of the human eye, and so is not all that dynamic in the viewfinder and will tend to encourage snapshots.  That's not bad but you can get excellent snapshots from your camera phone.

At 4.6 ounces it sure is light.  But wait a second, Canon's 50/1.8 weighs in at, yes you see it coming, 4.6 ounces.

So let's stop here for a second.  The general DSLR shooter doesn't care about video, so the STM feature isn't really a benefit.  It's slimmer than the 50/1.8 but weighs the same, so the only benefit is that the camera isn't deeper front to back.  It's optically slower than the 50/1.8 by more than a full stop and more than twice the price and the focal length is not really a grabber although it is closer to 35mm than 50mm so better for street shots and casual family snaps.  So far I'm not finding anything really compelling.

Processing Images

Yes the lens is sharp.  It is a fixed focal length lens of a standard focal length with a relatively small maximum aperture.  Making a lens like this sharp for the lens wizards at Canon is something that they can do in their sleep.  If it wasn't sharp, that would be odd and seriously worrisome.

As at this writing, Lens Profiles do not exist for this lens for Lightroom.  Opening the images in the superb DxO Optics Pro v7.5 doesn't reveal a profile for the 5D Mark III and the 40/2.8 as being available, so rather than mis-apply a poor preset, I left it alone.

As consequence when looking closely at the images at higher magnification, I detect some barrel distortion and even though this lens is not an ultra-wide, I find that the perspective exaggeration is excessive.  The sample shot of Quyen is not cropped specifically to give you a sense of this.  In other shots of goods on shelves, I could detect bending of straight lines, albeit only if they were at the tight edge of the frame.  If you were shooting this lens on a crop sensor, I suspect that the smaller image circle would eliminate this from view.

Looking at the histograms and the photo in Lightroom 4.1 and in DxO Optics Pro 7.5 the images are decent.  I shot them on a 5D Mark III that I borrowed off the store shelf, and the focus and exposure were done in automatic modes as that is how this lens will often be used.  I did make an image using bracketing and constructed an HDR as well.  All images will benefit from basic post processing and those from this lens / camera combination are no different.

I've included some of the sample images herein.  They are admittedly boring as I had limited time to make the shots and could not travel far.  The outdoor shots of the motorcycle and the car were at ISO 100 while the indoor shot of my friend Quyen was at ISO 6400 and some noise is therefore visible.

Conclusion

Despite lots of hype about the lens and all the effusive enthusiasm from other reviewers, while it works well and is sharp as expected, I have to ask why you would pay more than double the price of a 50/1.8 for a smaller maximum aperture and exactly the same weight unless you need autofocus in video.

Order this lens from B&H

Portrait Retouching - The Good, The Bad and the Truly Execrable

This is not a screed against portrait retouching.  Whether you retouch portraits is entirely your business and to some extent, the business of the model. It is a screed against laziness while acknowledging truth in advertising.

Great retouching is an art.  It takes a lot of time to be consistently good at the process and while the tools have become easier to use, technology, however good still is really only a type of brush for the artist.  I am a decent retoucher on my best day, there are lots of people who have put in more time, built more skill and do a way better job.  My frustration lies in the illusion perpetrated by an increasing number of software providers that their product will give you perfect portraits or make you an expert retoucher in minutes.

As Heinlein wrote a very long time ago, TANSTAFFL - there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.  I admit that I have downloaded trials of some of these commercial packages and in every case, they are all very much like using a cannon to go after a rat.  You will get the rat, but you will also leave at least one large smoking crater behind as well.

Take a close look at the images in the ads.  To credit the vendors, the ads are accurate.  Where real people have blemishes, pores, zits, bushy eyebrows, dry lips, yellow teeth, yellowed eye whites, facial hair, ear hair, nose hair and myriad other alleged sins of existence, the retouched photos have none of these things.  Unfortunately they look like they've been retouched with driveway brush and bear little resemblance to the real person.

Every human is critical of how he or she looks in photographs to some extent and we all have some foible, however minuscule that we believe shouts from the rooftops, that we would prefer was never seen nor heard from ever again.  A great retoucher can make the adjustments to manage these things without making the model look like a reject from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

Our cameras and lenses are very good, and as a Hasselblad shooter, I have had models cringe when they see the RAW proofs because the camera does actually capture everything.  Proper lighting will always help, but dependency on retouching software should never be a given.  In a series of tests with multiple iterations of these "perfect" retouchers, the tool acts like a #4 trowel, hurling corrections measured in gallons when subtlety is all that is needed.

It's ok to remove minor flaws, it's not ok to make your model look inhuman or not like him or herself, UNLESS that's what you are being paid to do.  If that's the outcome these global retouchers will save you tons of time because they are cannons to the rat.  However, if you want to produce really exceptional portraits of people while not morphing the model into a mannequin, invest in yourself and learn to retouch with grace and subtlety.  There are numerous resources available, one example being Scott Kelby's Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It book.  It's not the only choice but if you are looking, it's an excellent place to build skills.

Support the Photo Video Guy by buying it here.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 29

Announcements from Nikon including firmware for the J1 and V1, D600, Nikon Financiails, glitches in the Canon 40/2.8, review of the 24/2.8 IS, more rumours and the 7D firmware update is delivered.  Pocket Wizard adds new firmware and a new transmitter, Fuji drops the X100, an M10 at Photokina and maybe an NEX-6.  Trey Ratcliff releases his LR presets and a happy story about another Sandisk card.

Clarifying misunderstandings on the Canon 600EX-RT Flash

When Canon announced the 600EX-RT, there was a lot of excitement about the transition from infrared remote control to radio based remote control.  There was also a lot of consternation because most all reviews created the impression that there was no real backward compatibility if you had invested in the older remote technology. Certainly Canon's focus today is on radio with a replacement for the 430EX II expected this fall to go with the 600EX-RT.  There has been little to no discussion of any option other than radio control.  Yet explained in the manual are the instructions to use a 600EX-RT as part of a larger infrared remote system.

The 600EX-RT can work as either a Master or a Slave in a Canon Creative Flash System structure.  While radio is the default, optical services do work when you select them.  You can select the optical options through the flash, although in my own testing, that mode was inconsistent in operation.  When I tried to make the settings work using the 600EX-RT on a 5D Mk III and a 430 EX II as a slave, I was unable to have the ready light display and have the flash fire more than once.  When I got home and tried this with the 600EX-RT on the 1Dx and a 580EX II as a slave.  This time I tried using the External Speedlite control menu to configure the 600EX-RT for optical remote Master mode.  It worked flawlessly and in my opinion making the settings on the camera rather than on the flash is faster and simpler than navigating Canon's menus.

As with any other decently powered hot shoe flash, don't even think about running the unit on alkaline batteries, unless you have direct access to a truck full of batteries.  You'll be happiest when using rechargeables, and my recommendation is to use batteries of at minimum 2100ma current capability, 2700ma for preference.  I also noted that the flash head is larger than the 580EX II so if you like keeping a Sto-Fen diffuser on the flash head as a matter of course, your old ones won't fit, you'll need to buy the new model.

If your Canon DSLR does not have a built-in flash, you could either use a Speedlite as the shoe mounted Master (with or without contributing flash power) or the ST-E2 optical controller.  You can use the ST-E2 as a transmitter to the 600EX-RT if you configure the flash as an optical slave and set the correct groups and channels.  So again you have some backward compatibility with the new flash.  However if you go with Canon's new ST-E3 transmitter, forget about using it with anything other than a 600EX-RT as it is wireless radio only.  Since the ST units are basically flashes without the flash head, limiting the ST-E3 to radio only at its very high price is disappointing, fortunately the 600EX-RT is not similarly crippled.

So if you've been disappointed by the disappearance of the 580EX II from shelves or been misinformed about the optical capabilities of the 600EX-RT, now you know.  The initial higher prices on the 600EX-RT are beginning to level out and as at this writing they are selling for around $600 in Canada.

The Photo Video Guy Podcast - Episode 28

A new J2 from Nikon, Canon rumoured super megapixel and a replacement for the G12, maybe.  Canon updates firmware on new series II super telephotos and a screenshot of the D600 LCD is leaked.  Dan Chung shoots the Olympics using only an iPhone 4S and a pair of Canon binoculars.  Khalil Karim's thoughts on the OM-D E-5 and my own review of Sony's RX100.

REVIEW : Sony RX100

I've been shooting photographs for over 35 years and have tried all manner of cameras.  From the days of film to today's digitals, I've enjoyed the practice of photography, be it with  a 4x5, medium format, 35mm, full and crop sensor and micro four thirds.  I've even owned point and shoots, although not many.  I had a Canon G9 for years and nothing came along that would replace it, other than perhaps my iPhone.  My point and shoot is my iPhone, but for the first time since the demise of the G9 that could change. i arranged to borrow the Sony RX 100 following reading Steve Huff's review on his site.  I respect Steve very much as his reviews are always balanced.  That he's a Leica guy, just adds to the fun.

The RX 100 is Sony's newest point and shoot.  Unlike most P&S cameras it has a 1" sensor, the same size as the Nikon 1 family.  The lens is a fixed 3.6x zoom from Carl Zeiss. It's focal length is from 10.4mm to 37.1mm which maps to about 28mm - 100mm on a full frame.  Max aperture starts at f/1.8 and drops to f/4.9 at maximum zoom.  The first thing you notice about shots through the lens regardless of exposure mode is the image quality.  I have Zeiss lenses for my M9 and they produce rich almost 3D images.  The glass in the RX100 is similar to that.  Very sharp and when shot wide open in the wide mode has a really nice bokeh.  Normally, you cannot get shallow depth of field on a P&S, mostly because the sensors are so small.  The 1" sensor coupled with the very fast maxumum aperture gives the kind of depth of field control you normally only find on a DSLR.

The sensor renders at about 20.2MP and you can shoot in RAW and/or JPEG mode.  Note that the RAW format is very new so ACR and Lightroom don't have RAW converters yet.  Sony makes software that they call Image Converter that can be downloaded at no cost.  I use Macintosh computers and the software specifies support up to OS X 10.7.  I did run it on OS X 10.8 and it worked most of the time, only crashing twice.  Once Adobe and Apple get a converter done, you won't need the software and that's probably a good thing.  For the sample images in this post, I used Image Converter to convert the RAW files to TIFF format before processing in Nik's Snapseed.

The JPEGs out of the camera (set to save RAW + Large JPEG) looked like JPEGs.  You know, decent enough but with a lot of the detail gone.  Using Apple's Preview to compare the TIFF and JPEG images, the difference is significant and visible.

In order to test the camera as a buyer might, I shot most of the photographs in automatic mode, using a variety of viewpoints and exposure situations.  Overall the images were very good, with even backlit scenarios being corrected properly.

The autofocus is very fast, and works well in low light (with focus assist) and handles low contrast well.  In addition to the Intelligent Auto mode, there is Superior Auto.  It adds blur protection and noise reduction.  It works very well indeed.  The auto modes are complemented by the usual suspects of Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual.  The lens has a ring around it that takes on different roles depending on the mode.  For example, in Av, it allows you to control the aperture selection, in Tv it controls the shutter speed.  Manual mode is particularly impressive.  The lens ring controls the aperture, and the rear selector wheel controls the shutter speed.  The camera provides direct exposure simulation as you modify the settings which is very usable.  The LCD is extremely bright and incredibly sharp so using the LCD without a proper viewfinder is still very workable.

There is of course a movie mode at 60fps in either interlaced or progressive modes.  Video is very good, although the light weight of the camera tends to introduce shake.  Sony incorporates their Steady Shot technology and it does a decent job.  A nice function is the ability to use AVCHD or MP4 as the storage modes.

Panoramas are very common in P&S cameras these days.  Sony calls their implementation sweep mode and it is very easy to use, and works really well.  It works in both horizontal and vertical shifts, so you can do panoramas in any orientation.

There are a number of of scenes in scene mode as you would expect.  Sony has done a good job of covering the bases and added a few.  Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Food, Macro, Sunset, and Night Scene are implemented.  Sony adds Pet (apparently they've seen the endless cat images on the web), Handheld Twilight (reduces blur in low light), Night Portrait, Fireworks and High Sensitivity (basically ISO push).  The auto modes will make smart decisions about which scene settings to use and is surprisingly accurate.

Minimum aperture is f/11 which gives great depth of field, similar to f/32 on a full frame.  Shutter speed range is 1/2000 to 30s plus bulb mode.  The camera has a drive mode which is selectable for single shot, burst (up to 10fps), Speed Priority Burst, 10s self timer, a Self Portrait Self timer, a 10s timer that takes three shots when it completes, a 3 shot bracket with +- 0.3 EV or 0.7 EV and a White Balance bracket mode with Low or High shift settings.

In addition to the expected Auto ISO, it is selectable between ISO 80 and ISO 6400.  In Auto mode you can select the Maximum and Minimum ISOs that the camera can select.

The default metering mode is a multi pattern mode that handles diverse lighting situations very well.  You can also choose from Center Weighted Average and Spot metering.

The Fn button is fully programmable, but in default mode cycles through selectors for Exposure Compensation, ISO, White Balance, Dynamic Range Optimizer and Picture Effect.  Usability is high and the simulation capability shows what the shifts in exposure or white balance will look like.  It's very simple and quite brilliant.

Images are stored on either Memory Sticks (boo hiss) or SDHC or SDXC cards (yea!).  The card slot is beside the Lithium Ion battery.  The battery is small and is rated for approximately 330 images on a charge.  For a camera this capable, I would have preferred a larger capacity battery.  A spare will be necessary for serious shooters.  My tests were done with a 32GB Transcend card and it worked fine although it's not my first or second choice for production.  You can pull the card to import photos or connect to your computer with the supplied micro USB cable.  Unfortunately, you'll need this cable to connect to the supplied wall wart to charge the battery as there is no external charger.  This is typical for Sony and is one of the major drawbacks of Sony products as you cannot be charging a battery while using the camera.  It's dumb and Sony should get with the program.

From a physical perspective the camera is truly shirt pocket sized with the lens closed.  The lens cover is integral so no parts to lose.  Body construction is metal and feels really well built.  In addition to the shutter release and mode dial on top is the power button and zoom rocker.  On the back is the selector wheel / 4 way rocker and four other buttons, Fn, Help, Play and Menu.  There is a dedicated recessed button to start and stop video.  In addition to the covered USB port on the right side, the bottom plate gives access to the battery / memory card slot and a micro HDMI port.  There is a tripod socket that is conspicuously made out of steel. 

There is of course a built in pop-up flash.  Power specs are a bit optimistic but it does the job.  As you'll see in the image, it looks like a Transformer arm when extended and I am worried about the durability.  When I was first using the camera, the flash would try to deploy and be blocked by my left hand.  That's acclimatization on my part.  Closing the flash feels awkward and increases my concern about durability.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with this camera.  It may end up being the camera that replaces the iPhone 4S as my point and shoot.  The quality of the automatic modes, coupled with the rich overrides make it eminently usable.  If only it had an optical viewfinder, it would be perfect.

Pros:

Great lens, terrific construction, excellent image quality

Cons:

Flash stalk seems fragile, no optical or eye level viewfinder

Highly Recommended

Here are some sample images shot with the camera and processed with Nik Snapseed from TIFF files created from RAW by Sony's Image Converter software.