Canon and WWF Share Arctic Climate Change Research Results

Arctic Climate Change

Canon press release:

Canon and WWF share results of research into the impact of climate change in the Arctic
LONDON, 3rd September 2014 – Canon Europe, world leader in imaging solutions, and WWF International have released findings from two of their research programmes recording the state of the environment and climate change in the Arctic. As part of its role as Conservation Imaging Partner, Canon sponsored WWF International’s recent scientific expeditions to the islands of Svalbard (April 2014), near Norway, and Laptev Sea in Russia (August 2013).
The WWF-Canon & Norwegian Polar Institute’s expedition to Svalbard this year aimed to collect critical data about Europe’s most westerly polar bear population and how the locations of their dens for giving birth are changing. Just three of the 29 adult females encountered by the research team had a cub born that year. Although the researchers cautioned against reading too much into that fact, it is known that in other parts of the Arctic, disappearing sea ice is affecting the bears’ reproductive success.
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Will The Canon EOS 7D Mark II Feature A Full-Frame Sensor? (GPS seems confirmed, UPDATE: FF was typo))

EOS 7D Mark II
The glorious Canon EOS 7D – to be replaced soon

Update: Mr. Klostermann, the author of the cited book, contacted me and explained it was just a placeholder text. The text has now been corrected and there is no longer any mention of “full-frame”.

Original post:
Thanks to readers, I learned about 2 more EOS 7D Mark II books (after this book) that showed up at retailers. There is the “Canon 7D Mk II Experience” and a French book about the 7D Mark II. The latter looking more like a placeholder, the former having a curious description.

The description of “Canon 7D Mk II Experience” (by D.J. Klostermann) starts with the following sentence: “Take control of your Canon 7D Mark II full frame dSLR and the images you create“. Just a typo of the editor/author or a serious hint that the Canon EOS 7D Mark II will sport a full-frame sensor??

Moreover, the author explicitly points to an “introduction to the set-up and use of the camera’s built-in GPS, to geotag and map your photos“. GPS appears to be definitely on board of the EOS 7D Mark II, since it was already rumored previously.

Freebie: Corel AfterShot Pro 2 for Mac OS X (and discounted for Win/Linux)

Corel AfterShot Pro 2

Corel’s RAW processing and workflow software AfterShot Pro 2.0 is currently free for Mac OS X. Usual price is $80/€70. The versions for Windows and Linux are discounted to $60/€50.

AfterShot Pro 2 is a RAW converter, non-destructive photo editor and complete high-speed photo manager in one. Whether you’re batch processing thousands of RAW images, or making detailed adjustments to your latest prize-winning shot, AfterShot Pro 2 gives you the tools to quickly take complete control over every aspect of your photo workflow.

Main Features:

  • Updated RAW camera profiles
  • Complete High Dynamic Range (HDR) tools
  • Workspace enhancements
  • Easier batch processing
  • Noise reduction by Athentech
  • Powerful adjustments
  • Multi-version editing
  • Precise control with Selective Editing
  • Powerful photo-editing plugins
[via photoscala]

Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Officially Announced

Zeiss 85mm f/1.4

Zeiss officially announced their new 85mm f/1.4 Otus lens (pre-order at B&H for $4,490). Sample pics shot with the new Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 can be seen in Zeiss’ Flickr album.

Press release:

With the Otus 1.4/85 ZEISS is expanding its high-end lens family. The Otus 1.4/55, an SLR standard lens, already set new global standards in what is means to achieve perfection. The expectations for the 85-mm focal length are just as high. This new member of the Otus family is an outstanding and fast all-around lens that accepts no compromises.  ZEISS will present this new world-class lens for the first time to the public at Photokina in Cologne from September 16 to 21.

Close-up of the Otus 1.4/85

Close-up of the Otus 1.4/85

The Otus 1.4/85 offers peerless image quality, even with an open aperture. As a short telephoto lens with an 85-millimeter focal length, this new member of the Otus family shows its strengths especially when people are center stage. Thanks to the longer focal length of this lens, photographers can keep a decent distance from the subject. At the same time, the lens is highly versatile: it excels in general studio work, as well as for fashion, advertising, product and architectural photography. Even photographers who are looking for a powerful companion for nature photography will find it in the Otus 1.4/85 – the edges of the picture can be used for compositional purposes at all f-stops. Photographers who had a chance to test exclusively this new flagship from Germany’s leading optics specialist were enthusiastic. Using the Otus 1.4/85 in combination with a full-frame SLR lets a photographer master all shooting situations and achieve effects that until now have only been known from the medium-format range: unusually high contrast, unusually high depth of field, impressive three-dimensional effects and sensational quality.

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