Storm chasing photographer captures “the most beautiful weather phenomenon”

Storm chaser and photographer Nicolaus Wegner made “Art of the Storm”, a jaw-dropping time-lapse movie about what Wegner calls “one of the most beautiful weather phenomenon” he has ever seen. Wegner’s description:

An amazing stationary supercell was produced over the Black Hills of South Dakota near Rapid City on June 1, 2015. I was fortunate enough to have the entire event unfold right in front of me over the course of several hours. Truly one of the most beautiful natural weather phenomenon I have ever witnessed.

The time-lapse was shot with 1 second intervals using a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a wide angle lens.

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Screenshot from the video

Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R news and reviews round-up

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5ds

Canon EOS 5DS: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA | Canon EOS 5DS R: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Tokina AT-X 24-70mm F/2.8 PRO FX lens announced and available for preorder ($999, ships in August)

Tokina AT-X 24-70mm f/2.8 PRO FX

The Tokina AT-X 24-70mm f/2.8 PRO FX lens has been announced and is available for pre-order at B&H Photo | Adorama. Price is $999 and availability is expected in August 2015.

Specifications:

Focal Length 24-70mm
Full Frame Sensor Compatible Yes
Maximum Aperture f/2.8
Minimum Aperture f/22
Optical Construction 15 Elements / 11 Groups
Coatings Multi-layer coatings
Angle of View 84.20° – 34.49°
Minimum Focus Distance 14.96 in. (0.38m)
Reproduction Ratio 1
Zooming System Rotary Zoom
Number of Diaphragm Blades 9
Filter Size 82mm
Maximum Outer Diameter 3.52 in. (89.6mm)
Dimensions 4.23 in. (107.5mm L) x 3.52 in. (89.6mm W)
Weight 35.63 oz. (1,010g)
Lens Hood BH-822 Included with lens (pictured)

Press release:

Kenko Tokina USA, Inc. is excited to announce the new Tokina AT-X 24-70mm F/2.8 PRO FX lens designed for use with Canon and Nikon full-frame sensor DSLR cameras.

Tokina’s latest addition to its family gives full-frame photographers a 24mm wide-angle to 70mm moderate telephoto lens with a fast F/2.8 aperture at an affordable price.

The new groundbreaking proprietary optical design uses three precision molded all-glass aspherical lens elements to achieve excellent contrast, sharpness, and corrects for spherical aberrations. One of these elements is very special and difficult to manufacture. G09, is made from Super-Low Dispersion (SD) glass and is a large sized aspherical element.

These lens elements also yield even illumination across the whole image sensor.

The Tokina 24-70MM lens also uses three SD (super-low Dispersion, “FK01” and FK03”) glass elements in the rear groups to control chromatic aberrations.

All these specialized lens elements work in consort to yield maximum resolution to match the 50-megapixel DSLR cameras entering the market.

The fast constant F/2.8 aperture makes viewing and auto focusing possible in very low light situations while keeping some flexibility for setting the shutter speed.

In addition to excellent optics, the lens incorporates a fast moving SDM (Silent Drive-Module) motor to greatly reduce AF noise making it one of Tokina’s quickest and quietest auto-focusing lenses to date.

Tokina’s exclusive One-touch Focus Clutch Mechanism allows the photographer to switch between AF and MF simply by snapping the focus ring forward for AF and back toward the lens mount for manual focusing. The lens is also designed to stand up to the rigors of daily use by photographers in a wide variety of shooting conditions and environments.

Canon USA Sponsors The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Canon U.S.A. Soars To New Heights As It Sponsors The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®

Colorful Balloons Create Vivid Imagery in Bright New Mexico Sky that Inspire Visitors to Capture Dreamlike Moments with Canon See Impossible

MELVILLE, N.Y., JUNE 23, 2015 – Filling Albuquerque’s skies for a picture perfect moment, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce that it is the Presenting Sponsor for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, a world-renowned attraction and destination from Oct. 3-11, 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As part of the sponsorship, Canon will present the Opening Day Mass Ascension that highlights the launch of 550 colorful hot air and gas balloons. The Company will also present the spectacular Night Magic™ Glow, where balloons light up the night sky on the second Saturday of the Balloon Fiesta. To mark the beginning of this significant three-year sponsorship, a Canon See Impossible balloon will fly through the sky.

“We are thrilled to have Canon come onboard as the Presenting Sponsor. We look forward to this partnership creating exciting opportunities for our guests and community,” said Balloon Fiesta board president, Mike Rice.

As the Official Imaging Company of the Balloon Fiesta, Canon will host hands-on activities to allow attendees to experience the wide array of its photographic and printing products, and will provide educational experiences to help attendees see impossible and capture photos and videos like never before. Additionally, Canon is collaborating with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta to present the Cindy Petrehn Memorial Photo Contest, where attendees can share and submit their favorite photographs of the luminous event.

“As one of the most photographed events in the world, being the presenting sponsor of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a natural fit for us,” said Eliott Peck, senior vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Our sponsorship is a testament to our commitment to the local Albuquerque community and our customers. Through this initiative, we want to inspire hundreds of thousands of attendees to showcase their creativity and learn how the right tools can help preserve memorable moments for years to come.”

For more information about how consumers are inspired with Canon See Impossible, visit: seeimpossible.usa.canon.com.

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Venus Optics announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro lens, world’s widest 1:1 macro lens

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Venus Optics announced the world’s widest 1:1 macro lens, the Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angle 1:1 Macro. The Laowa 15mm f/4 wide-angle macro lens is currently available at authorized resellers and at the English official website (http://www.venuslens.net). The recommended retail price is at USD 479. Free shipping will be provided during the promotion period. Pre-order starts from today and shipping will start from late July. Sample photos are here.

Specs:

  • 110 degrees of view angle
  • 1:1 macro ability with infinity focus
  • +/- 6mm Shift ability
  •  12 elements in 9 groups with 3 pieces of High Refractive elements and 1 piece of Extra-low dispension lens
  • Multi-layer low-reflective coatings to avoid unnecessary flare
  • Carefully control on the sharpness both in the centre and the edge.
  • Limited barrel distortion
  • 14 pieces of aperture blades form a close-to-circular aperture
  • Flat Front element surface for filter installation.
  • The enclosure of the lens is made of metal to strengthen its durability.
  • Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony Alpha A, Sony FE & Pentax K mounts are available.
  • Full Frame Sensor Supported

The first 1:1 Macro lens with a 110° angle of view. It offers an impactful and unprecendented macro photography experience.

Anhui China, Jun 12, 2015 – Venus Optics, the Chinese camera lenses manufacturer who had launched the world’s first 2:1 Macro Lens in last Sept, has just released the world’s widest Macro lens for full frame cameras, Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide-Angled 1:1 Macro Lens.

The new Laowa 15mm f/4 1:1 Macro lens is the first lens in the market which posseses a ultra wide angle of view and 1:1 Macro ability. This allows photographers from around the world to start experiencing the rather undeveloped field of ‘Wide Angle Macro Photography’ without using an extension tube. Macro Lenses currently in the market tends to have a mid to long focal length and it limits users to take very close-up shots on the insect or flowers, without showing much of the background details like its habitat or environment.

The new Laowa 15mm f/4 1:1 Macro lens features an ultra wide angle of view of 110 degrees with 1:1 maximum magnification. Photographers can focus very close to the subject and let the foreground dominates in the photo but at the same time, have the background telling viewers about where and how the subject lives. You picture will immdiately become very informative and intriguing.

The lens can also serve as an excellent ultra-wide angle lenses with infinity focus for cameras with full frame sensors. A shift mechanism is added at the rear end of the lens with a maximum adjustment of +/- 6mm, which is extremely useful for landscape/architecture photography for distortion correction.

The lens houses with 12 elements in 9 groups with 3 pieces of High Refractive elements and 1 piece of Extra-low dispersion elements to deliver crystal sharpness both in the center and the edge. Barrel Distortion was also carefully controlled. 14 pieces of aperture blades form a close-to-circular aperture, capable of creating creamy shallow depth of view. The enclosure of the lens is made of metal to strengthen its durability. Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony Alpha, Sony FE and Pentax K mounts are available.

Sample photos and videos can be found in our English website (http://www.venuslens.net)

Pricing and Availability
The Laowa 15mm f/4 wide-angle macro lens is currently available at authorized resellers and at the English official website (http://www.venuslens.net). The recommended retail price is at USD 479. Free shipping will be provided during the promotion period. Pre-order starts from today and shipping will start from late July.

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Laowa 15mm

Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R shipping in Europe next week

 EOS 5DS

It appears the Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R are starting to ship in Europe. I got word from readers that resellers in Italy and Germany are going to ship pre-orders next week. Never the less, both cameras are still not available for pre-order on Amazon Germany or Amazon UK, and other Amazon EU sites.

Canon EOS 5DS: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA | Canon EOS 5DS R: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA