New lens manufacturer Irix teases “Swiss precision and Korean innovation”

Irix Lens

I got a mail from a lens manufacturer I didn’t here about before, Irix Lens. No hints were given, just the teaser image you can see above. Since they wrote to Canon Watch’s email address, I guess there will be a lens with Canon mount. They also have a Facebook page, but there isn’t much to find.

The teaser suggests an interesting aspect: Swiss precision and Korean innovation. What does it mean? Sounds like an engineering idea born in Korea and realised in Switzerland. Irix will announce and showcase their product(s) at The Photography Show in Birmingham, UK, on March 19. Any ideas?

Adobe Lightroom CC 2015.5 and Lightroom 6.5 updates available

lightroom

Adobe published updates for Lightroom CC and standalone version. Please select Help > Updates to use the update mechanism in the Creative Cloud app. Direct download links:  Win | Mac

Lightroom CC 2015.5 now available

Lightroom CC 2015.5 and Lightroom 6.5 are now available on Adobe.com.  Our focus with this release was to add support for new cameras and lenses, and also fix many bugs that existed in previous versions of Lightroom.

Thank you for all your feedback and passion for Lightroom.

Bugs Fixed in Lightroom CC 2015.5 / 6.5

  • Bug fixes related to Panorama Merge
    • Scared that pesky sensor dust spots will ruin your perfect pano? No problem, remove spots in 1 image and then merge to pano. Lightroom takes care of the rest.
    • Boundary Warp gets better as we fixed a bunch of bugs
    • Removed the ‘auto’ projection option. Turns out, it always picked the same projection mode.
  • Other Bug Fixes
    • Rename failed if raw+jpeg pairs were copied to a second location
    • Shooting tethered, shutter button will not move to top of the screen
    • The video cache was not correctly limited to the size set in Preferences
    • Photomerge fails with virtual copies
    • Droplets no longer work with Export Actions
    • Impromptu slideshow gave error message “video support is disabled”
    • Import didn’t work if you weren’t signed in
    • Certain dates couldn’t be entered in Edit Capture Time dialog (1966, 1969, 1999, etc.)
    • Videos wouldn’t play on some systems
    • Slideshow module wouldn’t work on some systems
    • Fixed a ton of sync errors. Faster sync to the Lightroom iOS and Android apps
    • Scrolling through images in Loupe view with your mouse is back! (sorry that it went away in the first place)
    • Slideshows are back in high-resolution. Fixed a bug that caused them to appear much lower res than expected
    • Books are made for browsing. We’ve reinstated scroll bars so that you can browse faster in the Book module
    • Incorrect value for EXIF:ColorSpace in exported TIFFs
    • After export shortcut CTRL+ALT+S not working in Develop
    • Crashes when tethered to Canon cameras (5dm3, 5ds, 1dsm3)
    • SDK broken edit_field’s validate function, disabling existing plugins
    • Months in non-English configurations show in English
    • Secondary Window blocks mouse clicks even when closed after switching desktop spaces
    • Can’t import DNG files from Parrot Bebop drone

New Camera Support in Lightroom CC 2015.5 / 6.5

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EOS 80D
  • Canon EOS 1300D (Rebel T6, Kiss X80)
  • […]

New Lens Profile Support in Lightroom CC 2015.5 / 6.5

Mount Name
Canon EF SIGMA 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM A016
Canon EF-M Bower 16mm f2 ED AS UMC CS
Canon EF-M Rokinon 16mm f2 ED AS UMC CS
Canon EF-M Rokinon 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS
Canon EF-M Rokinon 300mm f/6.3 ED UMC CS
Canon EF-M Samyang 16mm f2 ED AS UMC CS
Canon EF-M Samyang 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS
Canon EF-M Samyang 24mm f1.4 ED AS IF UMC
Canon EF-M Samyang 85mm f1.4 AS IF UMC
Canon EF-M Samyang 300mm f/6.3 ED UMC CS

Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II can be pre-ordered now

Powershot G7x II

Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II at a glance:

  • 1.0-inch, 20.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor with Canon’s new DIGIC 7 Image Processor helps deliver exceptional image quality even in low light
  • Features a bright f/1.8 (W) – f/2.8 (T), 4.2x (24-100mm), 9-blade iris diaphragm and IS-equipped lens.
  • Capture impressively high resolution images with high-speed continuous shooting up to 8 fps in both RAW mode / JPEG mode.
  • Multi-angle capacitive 3.0″ touch panel LCD with a screen resolution of 1.04 million dots and tilt option of 180 degree up and 45 degree down.
  • Capture stunning 1080p Full HD video in MP4 format with stereo sound.
  • Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC allows for easy sharing and transferring of images and videos.
  • Picture Style function allows superior command of in-camera color, contrast and sharpness.
  • In-camera RAW conversion makes it possible to preview modified conditions of images on the camera, without the use of a computer.
  • Control ring features a convenient selection lever enabling you to quickly switch between step ring and continuous ring movement.
  • Time-Lapse Movie helps capture images at set intervals and combines them to create a short movie clip of the footage.
  • Panning allows the camera to lock onto the main subject using IS and automatically adjust the shutter speed for beautiful background blur.

Canon’s new Powershot G7 X Mark II can now be pre-ordered in the US: Adorama | Amazon | B&H Photo

powershot g7 x mark ii

World-wide Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II links:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Here is why the pros ditch (or avoid) Sony gear

In the 16 minutes video above, photographer Matt Granger explains why he decided to ditch Sony and to switch back to Nikon. It’s not about the quality of the gear, it is about the lack of quality when it comes to service and assistance – two factors that are critical to pros. And at least Sony’s service in Australia isn’t what a pro might expect.

It all comes down to SERVICE. For many types of my work the gear itself is suitable for me – The sensors are quality. The images and video are outstanding. For other work I have never used them (rough conditions, tricky focus). But with service like this – I just can’t use them at all.

As I said, this is my personal experience in Australia and is based on MY needs. The details of all the ‘pro support’ programs shown are the Australian offerings.

Stick with Canon if you want to avoid nasty experiences ;-) Canon’s CPS (Canon Professional Services) will not let you in the rain. See also my article about the Sony a7RII.

[via PetaPixel]

New firmware for Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM makes Auto-Focus up to 50% faster

Canon 200-600mm

Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM (B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA) at a glance:

  • Canon EF Lens/Full Frame
  • Aperture Range: f/5-6.3 to 22
  • Two FLD and Three SLD Elements
  • Hyper Sonic Motor AF System
  • Optical Stabilizer with Accelerometer
  • Zoom Lock & Manual Override Switches
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 102.4″
  • Splash and Dust Proof Mount
  • Lens Hood & Rotatable Tripod Collar
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Sigma released a new firmware for their Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens (both Sports and Contemporary versions). Sigma claims the new firmware makes AF on the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM up to 50% faster. The firmware can be downloaded here.

Sigma press release (via DPReview):

SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports / Contemporary
Firmware update for Canon and Nikon mount

We would like to announce the availability of a new firmware update for the SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports in Canon and Nikon mount, and the SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary in Canon and Nikon mount. This firmware update can be installed using SIGMA Optimization Pro, the dedicated software for the SIGMA USB DOCK.

Benefit of this firmware update
The latest firmware update improves the AF algorithm of 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lenses and further enhances AF speed by optimizing HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) drive control. Depending on shooting conditions, it is expected to increase autofocus speed by approximately 20%, to a maximum of 50%, during normal shooting as well as when using “Speed Priority” set through SIGMA Optimization Pro.

For customers who own the SIGMA USB DOCK and applicable products listed below, please update the firmware using SIGMA Optimization Pro. Please ensure SIGMA Optimization Pro is updated to Version 1.2 before updating the lens firmware.

For customers who do not own a SIGMA USB DOCK, please contact Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd for details about updating the firmware free of charge.

SIGMA Optimization Pro Download page
http://www.sigma-global.com/download/en

We appreciate your continued support for our company and products.