Are you waiting for the Solar Eclipse? Canon Digital Learning Center has plenty of resources

The Canon Digital Learning Center silently provided a lot of resources for you, going from events and workshops to a rich set of articles (see the list below). Photojournalist Dave Henry and commercial/landscape photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Ken Sklute share articles and photos to help plan and photograph the eclipse event, which occurs on August 21, 2017.

It’s the first tome since almost 100 years that a total solar eclipse will traverse North America. Get ready for the big event by learning all there is to know. Click here to see what CDLC provided to get you ready for the solar eclipse.

  • Tracking the Eclipse
  • Planning Ahead for a Successful Solar Eclipse Shoot
  • Photographic Exposure of a Solar Eclipse
  • Spectacular Totality
  • Location Set-up
  • Choosing Lenses for Eclipse Photography
  • Choosing a Camera for Eclipse Photography
  • Multiple Camera Eclipse Coverage
  • Being Safe Using Solar Filters
  • Supporting Your Camera with a Tripod
  • Planning Multiple Exposure Sequences
  • Keeping It All In Focus

Then there is Google’s “Eclipse Megamovie” project (see here, and be sure to watch the 1min video on top).

Led by the University of California at Berkeley, scientists from multiple universities are turning to citizen scientists for help gathering images of the sun and its atmosphere, the corona. Volunteers armed with standard photography equipment—a camera, telephoto lens, and tripod—will capture photos of the eclipse as the moon’s shadow passes over their part of the country. Once this huge dataset is collected, it’s Google’s turn. We’ll use our technology to algorithmically align and process the images submitted by citizen scientists to create a continuous view of the eclipse: the Eclipse Megamovie.

In addition to the movie, the full dataset of images will be made available to the public and the scientific community. Time will only tell what insights and projects may come from this rich collection.

If you’ll be on the path of totality and plan on taking pictures, the project needs your help. Head to https://eclipsemega.movie/ to learn more about how to join and take the best eclipse photographs possible.

 

Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye Lens deal – $189.95 (reg. $269.95)

Rokinon 8mm
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Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye Lens at a glance:

  • Ultra Wide-Angle 8mm Fisheye Lens
  • 167º Angle of View
  • High Definition, Aspherical Elements
  • For Use with APS-C Format DSLRs
  • Circular, Vignetted Image on Full Frame
  • Multi-Layer Coating to Reduce Flare
  • Minimum Focusing Distance of 12″
  • Removable Petal-Type Lens Hood

Another very good deal by B&H Photo. Get the Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye Lens for $189.95. That’s $80 off the regular price of $269.95.

B&H Photo also has the Canon PIXMA PRO-100 professional photo printer for just $79 after $50 instant discount and $250 MIR.

Canon PIXMA PRO-100 Wireless Professional Inkjet Photo Printer deal – $79 (reg. $379)

Canon PIXMA PRO-100
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Canon PIXMA PRO-100 at a glance:

  • 4800 x 2400 dpi
  • Print 8 x 10″ in 51 Seconds
  • Wi-Fi, Ethernet, AirPrint, PictBridge
  • Print Sizes up to 13 x 19″
  • 8 Ink Cartridges Including 3 Monochrome
  • CD, DVD, Blu-ray Printing
  • Print Studio Pro for Photoshop, DPP

Looking for a quality photo printer? B&H Photo has the Canon PIXMA PRO-100 Wireless Professional Inkjet Photo Printer on sale at $79 after $50 instant rebate and $250 mail-in rebate (instructions). Please note: the $50 instant discount shows up only after having added the printer to the shopping cart. Finally, you get $50 worth of Canon semi-gloss photo paper. This deal will not last long.

Today’s Gold Box and one day only deals at Amazon US, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, B&H Photo, eBay, Adorama, and refurbished lenses and DSLRs at Canon Store.

New Canon TS-E 45mm, 90mm and 135mm tilt-shift lenses coming August 2017? [CW3]

Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8
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Rumor has it Canon may announce three new tilt-shift lenses at the end of August 2017. One of the new lenses might also have macro capabilities.

The rumored lenses are:

  • Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8L
  • Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L
  • Canon TS-E 135mm f/2.8L Macro

Another lens is rumored since a while and said to be also announed at the end of August 2017, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS.

So far no specs nor pictures of the new lenses have leaked. If the rumored August announcement is to be taken seriously then specification and product pictures will soon leak on Japanese sites.

Stay tuned.

Canon-led team working on next low-cost rocket to carry small satellites into space

Canon's Imaging Satellite CE-SAT
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We reported Canon’s efforts for conquering space before. Latest news was on June 23, 2017, the CE-SAT 1 (Canon Electric Satellite 1) was launched into orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, southeastern India. It’s since 2014 that Canon puts efforts into space technology, with some unlucky events like the first rocket exploding.

Canon appears to still believe and work for the (commercial) race into space. Nikkei Asian Review reports:

Canon is joining IHI Aerospace, construction company Shimizu and the government-backed Development Bank of Japan in the venture.

The new company will be founded on Wednesday with capital of 200 million yen ($1.8 million). Canon Electronics will take a 70% stake. The three other parties will have stakes of 10%.

The business is not expected to get underway until at least the end of fiscal 2017. When it does begin operating, it will try to meet some of the surging demand to carry small satellites into space with a small, low-cost rocket.

Canon and its partners are going to develop rocket technology based on the tech found in the SS-520 minirocket, build by Japanese space agency JAXA. Canon will supply the control equipment for the rocket.

The CE-SAT 1, launched in June 2017, is

[…] an experiment satellite developed at Canon Electronics Space Technology Laboratory to create a high-resolution Earth-imaging system by combining a Cassegrain telescope with a conventional Canon image sensor found in the firm’s EOS product line.

There are several slightly modified Canon [shoplink 2431]EOS 5D Mark III[/shoplink] cameras on board of the CE-SAT 1. The cameras are used to build a high-resolution Earth-imaging system (more here).

According to my sources, Canon’s low-cost rocket will not have 4K ;-)