After testing Canon's newest professional SLR, professional sports photographer Brad Mangin offers praise for the camera's autofocus system that's as lavish as the scorn he heaped upon the model's predecessor.
Mangin tested the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV at a football game, and his overall assessment published on his blog doubtless was music to the ears of designers at the Japanese camera maker: "This camera performed flawlessly...Canon should be able to keep long-time (and heavily invested) users like me happy with the new Mark IV."
The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
(Credit: Canon USA)Perhaps not so pleasant to hear was his excoriation of the earlier model. "To be brutally honest, I found the Canon EOS-1D Mark III to be a complete disaster. I consider it to be the biggest lemon professional 35mm camera in modern photographic history. I have a considerable investment in Canon cameras and lenses, and was reluctant to jump ship to Nikon," said Mangin, whose customers include Sports Illustrated. "With the Mark IV, it was do or die for Canon."
He shot with Canon's 400mm f2.8 lens, sometimes with a 1.4x teleconverter, in bright sunlight. "Using a Canon Mark III with a 400mm lens and a 1.4x converter in this exact same situation was not an option. The results were embarrassing and upsetting. However, the new Mark IV seemed to like working with the 400mm lens and 1.4x combination and delivered some very nice, tack-sharp images," Mangin said.
His assessment of the 1D Mark III jibes with that of Rob Galbraith, a photographer who extensively chronicled his gripes with the SLR's autofocus system in 2007. Mangin said two others photographing the game using the earlier EOS-1D Mark IIN were relieved that the Mark IV performed well.
Another photographer to get an early model of the 1D Mark IV to test is Jens Dresling, a Danish photojournalist. He also praised the autofocus, judging by a translation of his views that indicates the camera focused well both with wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
The $5,000 EOS-1D Mark IV is Canon's first full-on professional SLR that can shoot video, but it also shoots 10 still frames per second for conventional photography. The 16.1-megapixel sensor can shoot up to ISO 12,800 at a regular setting and up to 102,400 in its extended range setting.
Its sensor is an unusual intermediate "APS-H" size that measures 27.9 by 18.6mm. That's about halfway between the full-frame sensors of most high-end SLRs and the APS-C sensors on Canon's mainstream SLRs. Larger sensors are more expensive but enable better low-light performance and a wider dynamic range.
Bibble Labs has released the long-awaited version 5 of its software for editing and managing the raw photos higher-end cameras can take.
Bibble 5 adds a number of new features for editing, cataloging, and performance. The company had hoped to release Bibble 5 in 2008 but ran into delays.
Also new is the price. The Pro version of Bibble 5 costs $199.95, up from $129.95 for Bibble 4 Pro; those who bought Bibble 4 Pro after September 1, 2006, however, get a free upgrade. Bibble 5 Lite hasn't been released yet, but the company said Bibble 4 Lite customers may use Bibble 5 Pro until it is.
One feature of Bibble 5 is selective editing, which lets photographers change only a portion of an image. The editing is nondestructive, which means the changes don't alter the underlying raw file. Another is cataloging features to more easily manage files and sift through libraries.
Performance is a major issue for raw processing, a computationally demanding chore, and Bibble appears particularly pleased with its performance improvements. The software is able to take advantage of all the processing cores on a 32-core system, according to the company. Although the incremental benefits of more cores diminish, Bibble boasts that its software can scale even as unnamed competitors' performance doesn't get any better beyond eight cores.
Bibble's main competitors include Adobe Systems' Photoshop Lightroom, Apple's Aperture, Phase One's Capture One, DxO Labs' DxO Optics Pro, several smaller rivals, and utilities that often ship with SLRs and other cameras that can shoot raw. Raw photographs offer more flexibility and quality but take time and effort to process.
Update 2:12 p.m. PST: Bibble 5 Pro was released via the company's forums Tuesday, but the formal announcement of the software will come Monday, the company said in a statement.
(Credit:
Art Lebedev Studio)
The Fleximus is a twisty concept camera from Art Lebedev Studio, generator of such innovative ideas as transparent trucks and the Optimus Maximus keyboard.
(Credit:
Art Lebedev Studio)
The Fleximus is a tubular, flexible photo and video camera with a lens at one end and viewfinder or a 3-inch display at the other.
The device is designed to be as simple as possible, with few controls. Natch, since the motto of Art Lebedev Studio is "No bullsh--."
The Fleximus is also meant to get those photo angles you never could before, though it seems less practical than, say, a more compact camera you can simply aim at anything.
But it may be perfect for plumbers angling through pipes, nooks, and crannies--rovided, that is, it ever becomes a product and gets a much longer tube.
There is a neat page of designs showing how the Fleximus was created here.
(Credit:
Montage by Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)
NASA has placed an order with Nikon for 11 units of its highest-end dSLR, the D3S, and 7 AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8G ED lenses to bring to space for documentation efforts. Interestingly, none of these cameras or optics will require any modifications, which attests to the ruggedness and versatility of the company's shooters.
The dSLRs will be brought to the International Space Station, where they will join a host of other Nikon products such as the D2X, lenses, and other Speedlight external flash units.
This is the second consumer camera brand we know of this year to enter the vast expanse of space, with Olympus sending the E-3 beyond the stratosphere earlier this year with Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.
(Source: Crave Asia via 1001 Noisy Cameras)
DSLR67
(Credit: Sunpak)One of the more recent additions to Sunpak's lineup of flashes is the DSLR67 LED ring light, a low-cost, easy-to-use LED ring light for macro work with an SLR. It's simple to use: just turn it on and shoot. Although it won't put out as much light as a traditional strobe ring light, it only costs about $50, less than a strobe ring light. It's meant for when you need to add a little light to small subjects.
The DSLR67 fits most lenses with a filter size up to 67mm. The ring light mount slides into the hot shoe, then you adjust the flexible arm so the ring light aligns at the front of the lens. Its flexible arm allows for almost unlimited movement, even off to the side of center of the lens. It has an effective light coverage distance of 2 inches to 20 inches. The ring light takes three AAA batteries and weighs 4.2 ounces without them.
There are 12 LED lights spaced out around the front of the ring light. The LED lights have a natural, daylight color, with a color temperature of 5500 to 6500 degrees Kelvin for properly balanced photos.
Since the LED lights are on continuously when the ring light is turned on (unlike a strobe flash that only lights when the shutter is pressed), its constant light output allows you to see the effects of the light from the LED ring light before the shot is taken.
This is me being stoked for the holidays.
(Credit: Matt Hickey)As is the tendency at year's end, this week Crave has seen several "best of" lists, including the 10 best cell phones of the year. Not to be single-minded, we also put out the 10 worst cell phones of the year. But it's not just phones, we listed the 20 most notable tech products of the year, period.
We also shared a collection of last-minute gifts you can print. If you have a printer, you now have stocking stuffers. Getting a new HDTV for Christmas? We're here to help.
Did you hear about the wicked giant new airplane that flew for the first time here in my city? It was pretty awesome.
But it's not all gifts and end-of-year fun. We learned that Apple is trying to patent reality. No, really.
Speaking of ballsy moves, we sort of have to mention Google's Nexus One phone here, don't we?
And feel free to gift us, your humble bloggers, with something from our wish lists. I'll take the MacBook Pro repair service, thanks.
Raw photo files from Canon's new 1D Mark IV now can be seen in Mac OS X.
(Credit: Canon USA)Apple released one of its routine Mac OS X updates on Wednesday to let its computers handle raw images from a handful of new Nikon and Canon SLRs as well as from Canon's newer high-end PowerShot G11 compact camera.
The update lets Mac OS X 10.6 as well as Apple's iPhoto and Aperture software handle the raw image files taken directly from the camera's sensors without in-camera processing. Raw photo formats offer more quality and flexibility at the cost of convenience and file size.
The update supports Canon's new professional EOS-1D Mark IV and high-end EOS 7D SLRs. Among Nikons, the support ranges from the entry-level D3000, the higher-end D300S, and the professional D3S.
Windows relies on camera makers to supply software to decode the raw images. Adobe Systems and Apple write their own modules to decode the proprietary raw formats.
Updated 7:31 a.m. PST December 18 to clarify that the update expanded existing raw support.
Not every noteworthy product was made by Apple in 2009.
We've been doing a lot of end-of-the year lists here at CNET as our editors round up the most popular and best products in their categories. That's all great, but then someone said, "Hey, why don't we do a list that's a best-of-the-best list of all the lists combined?"
Well, that's what I was tasked with, but instead of calling it the "Best products of 2009" or the "Most popular products of 2009," I've come up with "The most notable products of 2009," which I like to think of as a kind of a hybrid between popular, best, and most hyped.
Once again, I've enlisted the help of my fellow editors, so while my name may appear at the top of this list, it's really a collective effort. That said, you can blame me if you don't like the picks (a few may surprise you).
As always, feel free to suggest your own picks. If you make a good case, we'll update the list and make some changes.
Click on any image to start the slideshow and see the picks (they are listed in alphabetical order).
A little pouch can go a long way toward protecting your investment.
(Credit: Kata)Most consumer electronics require at least a couple of extra purchases for improving performance or extending their usefulness. Point-and-shoot cameras are no different, as manufacturers tend to cut out accessories to keep product costs as low as possible. Fortunately, most accessories for compact cameras are reasonably inexpensive, making post-purchase costs pretty small.
That said, here's a quick list of five essential items you'll want to consider picking up to get the most from your new digital camera.
- Batteries
I admit that while I've told several people over the years to be safe and buy the camera manufacturer's rechargeable batteries, I've always bought cheap aftermarket batteries off of eBay for myself. Though I've never had a problem, I can't say you won't. Plus, there is a chance that using a third-party battery will void the camera warranty, so be sure to check the terms for your model.Regardless of what you go with, you'll want to get at least one backup battery pack. If you're using a camera running on AA-size batteries, buy good ones designed for power-demanding electronics. Even better, buy some NiMH rechargeables and only use alkaline or lithium ion batteries when you need them.
- Case
Point-and-shoot cameras don't come with cases anymore. That's a real shame considering that the large LCDs and shiny finishes used on current models are particularly scratch-prone. A nice simple slip case such as the M-Rock Milan is enough to keep a camera protected from scuffs while bouncing around in a handbag or backpack. If you want something with more protection and storage though, look for bags like the Kata DF-404 or Lowepro Apex 30 AW
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This woman is clearly thrilled with her decision to use a kiosk instead of a tiny photo printer.
(Credit: Kodak)If you look at our 2009 holiday gift guide, neither the camera nor the printers sections have recommendations for little, standalone photo printers. This probably wasn't intentional, but the fact is, they've become sort of niche products that I'd be hard-pressed to recommend these days. With so many other ways to get prints and enjoy and consume digital photos, it seems like these single-function printers, regardless of size, are just more tech clutter. I say this because I own two that have done nothing but collect dust this year.
This doesn't mean I don't make individual prints (though lately I've been making more photo books) or regularly view my pictures, because I do. There's just much better ways of freeing the photos trapped online or on a hard drive.
- Online printing
The Web has roughly a gazillion ways to view and share digital photos as well as order prints or various other products. So, the first step is to find one you like and will use, and sign up. It's been, um, awhile since CNET examined the topic of online printing services, but DigitalPhotos101 and TopTenReviews have current reviews on the subject. According to both sites, HP-owned Snapfish comes out on top. Snapfish does mail-order, but its retail partnerships allow you to do in-store pickup. It, too, is where you can get my favorite photo gift, the giant $50 wall clock (there's a smaller $20 version as well). Also, while it's going to seem like I'm a rep for Kodak by the end of this post, I've been a longtime user of its printing services. Its new professional print options yield particularly nice results.
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