Video above: Lightroom 5 beta: Advanced Healing Brush

Adobe just made the public beta of Lightroom 5 available to the public (click here to download). Among the new features are:

• Advanced Healing Brush – Easily remove objects and fix defects—even those with irregular shapes such as threads or lint—with a single brush stroke. Take precise control over what’s being removed as you make unwanted objects just disappear.
• Upright – Straighten tilted images with a single click. Upright analyzes images and detects skewed horizontal or vertical lines. You choose one of four correction methods, and Upright can even straighten images where the horizon is hidden.
• Radial Gradient – Lead your viewer’s eye through your images with more flexibility and control. The radial gradient tool lets you create off-center vignette effects, or multiple vignette areas within a single image.
• Offline editing with Smart Previews – Easily work with images without bringing your entire library with you. Just generate smaller stand-in files called Smart Previews. Make adjustments or metadata additions to Smart Previews and your changes will be automatically applied to the full-size originals later.
• Video slideshow sharing – Easily share your work in elegant video slideshows. Combine still images, video clips, and music in creative HD videos that can be viewed on almost any computer or device.
• Improved photo book creation – Create beautiful photo books from your images. Lightroom includes a variety of easy-to-use book templates, and now you can edit them to create a customized look. Upload your book for printing with just a few clicks.

Some videos to introduce the new features of Adobe Lightroom 5…

Discover how to automatically fix common problems such as tilted horizons as well as converging verticals in buildings using Lightroom’s new Upright controls for perspective correction:

Learn how easy it is to apply local adjustments including modifications to exposure, contrast, sharpening and more, using the new non–destructive Radial filter in Lightroom:

Discover the new enhancements to Lightroom’s advanced Healing Brush including the ability to heal and clone non-circular brush spots as well as remove easy to miss sensor dust with using the new Visualization slider:

Adobe Lightroom 4 price check: [shopcountry 2813]

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A new rumor regarding the Canon EOS 70D, the successor of the highly popular Canon EOS 60D [shoplink 335](price & specs)[/shoplink], surfaced on the web. While the announcement date of April 23th is still taken for valid, a new spec list showed up.

• 18mp Sensor (Same as SL1)
• DIGIC V
• 6.5fps
• SD Card
• Wifi
• GPS
• 3.2″ Touchscreen LCD (No mention of swivel)
• Magnesium Alloy Construction
• Weather-sealed
• Slightly larger than the EOS 60D
• $1199 USD Body Only

It is said that Canon will also announce a new lens when they announce the EOS 70D to the world. However, no mention about the kind of lens or the specs.

I have not much to add. As previously reported, and listed in the specs, the new sensor featured on the Canon Rebel SL1/EOS 100D will most probably be featured also on the Canon EOS 70D.

Canon EOS 60D price check: [shopcountry 335]

The Canon DSLR and lens bundles and lens rebates program started again at B&H. The savings for the DSLR and lens bundles go up to $500 (click here to see all offered bundles!! The Canon EOS 6D, EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 60D and EOS 7D are part of the discount program. And there are lotsa lenses with instant savings up to $300 (click here). Not bad, isn’t it? Check out all lenses in the program clicking here. Or see the pics below.

Amazon is also offering a sort of rebates program. You save up to $300 on a purchase of a EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM with either a Canon EOS 7D, EOS 6D or EOS 60D. Click here to check the details and to learn how it works. The discount will be applied at checkout.

Adorama is running a special sale of Adobe Photoshop CS6. Instead of $599.95 when using coupon code S5698745 you will pay just $449 (click here). The deal is for the Windows version only. And lasts while supply last.

B&H has the Canon Rebel T5i / EOS 700D with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens in stock and ready to ship for $899 (click here).

• STM Lens Support for Quiet AF in Movies
• 18.0MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 5 Image Processor
• 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touch Screen LCD
• ISO 100-12800, Expandable to 25600
• Full HD 1080p Video with Continuous AF
• 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
• 9-point All Cross-Type Autofocus
• Multi Shot Noise Reduction
• EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

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eBay seller bigvalueinc (>56000 ratings, 98.2% positive) has the Canon EOS 6D body only option on sale for [shoplink 11705 ebay]$1,644.77 (click here)[/shoplink]. Limited quantity and free shipping.

Looking for a starter bundle? Top rated plus seller photovideo4less (>15000 ratings, 99.6% positive) has a Canon EOS 6D bundle with the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens and more stuff for [shoplink 11707 ebay]$2099 (click here)[/shoplink]. The following items come with the bundle:

1. Canon EOS 6D 20.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)
2. Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens
3. Bower Illuminator TTL Dedicated Flash for Canon Cameras
4. Transcend 16GB Class 10 SDHC Card (TS16GSDHC10)
5. Zeikos 72mm Multi-Coated UV Filter
6. Vivitar Heavy Duty Lens Cap Holder for Nikon Canon Fuji Panasonic & Sony DSLR cameras
7. Zeikos Flexible Leg Table top Tripod ZE-TR5A
8. Zeikos ZE-CL3A 3 Piece Cleaning Kit
9. Zeikos Screen Protectors (Clear) SG26
10. Zeikos ZE-MC3A 3 Memory Card Wallet

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