Off Brand: Sony no longer a “junk company”, Moody’s says

sony

Nikkei Asian Review reports:

TOKYO — Moody’s Japan has put Sony’s credit rating back up to investment grade, it announced on Tuesday.

The Japanese electronics maker’s credit rating was upgraded to Baa3, up one notch from the “junk” status of Ba1. Moody’s has also changed the ratings outlook to stable from positive.

“The positive rating action which reverts Sony’s rating to investment grade, reflects principally that the company’s financial profile has been dramatically repaired,” Masako Kuwahara, Moody’s vice president and senior analyst said in a press release. Read the article…

Moody’s also expects more good news from Sony as the company is “setting aside one-off factors — such as [the] Kumamoto earthquake“.

For few hours only: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with PIXMA Pro-100 at $3,149 (reg. $3,849, DEAL OVER)

Eos 5d Mark Iv

Update: the deal is no longer live.

Authorised Canon retailer BuyDig has a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV bundle that may be worth your attention.

Get the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV bundled with PIXMA Pro-100 photo printer and 50 sheets of Canon photo paper at $3,149 after $350 mail-in rebate (instructions) and by applying coupon code AFTMAF11611142053 at checkout.

Mitakon Speedmaster 135mm f/1.4 lens shipping soon (world’s fastest 135mm lens)

Mitakon 135mm F/1.4

At a glance:

  • Focal Length: 135mm
  • Max. Aperture: f/1.4
  • Min. focusing distance: 1.6m
  • Optical Structure: 11 elements in 5 groups (with 3pcs large ED elements)
  • Aperture blades: 11pcs
  • Clickless aperture ring
  • Filter thread: 105mm
  • Net Weight: 3kg (6.6lb)
  • Camera mounts: Canon / Nikon / Sony FE

The Mitakon Speedmaster 135mm f/1.4, made by Chinese manufacturer ZY Optics and announced in October 2015, seems to be close to ship and hit the shelves. ZY Optics’ Facebook page has a clear statement:

We are shipping this beast soon.

The price isn’t on a budget level, the Mitakon Speedmaster 135mm f/1.4 sells for $2,999, and you can pre-order it with a $500 deposit at ZY Optics. Not bad for a beast weighting 3kg (6.6lb) that’s also the fastest 135mm lens you can get. Please note that according to ZY Optics’ site there will be a first batch with just 100 pieces, and that the deposit is not refundable (except if the lens cannot be delivered).

Mitakon Speedmaster 135mm
Picture from ZY Optics’ Facebook page

A sample gallery shot with a pre-production model can be viewed at DPReview.

Rokinon 12mm f/2 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens for Canon EOS M – $279 (reg. $399)

Rokinon 12mm F/2

At a glance:

  • Specifically for use with APS-C sized image sensors
  • Lens for Canon EF-M Mount Compact System Cameras
  • Prime wide-angle lens provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 18mm
  • Fast f/2.0 maximum aperture benefits working in low-light conditions.
  • Three extra-low dispersion elements and two aspherical elements reduce chromatic aberrations and distortions
  • Lens not Zoomable

Amazon US has the Rokinon 12mm f/2 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens for Canon EOS M mount on sale at $279. Pretty good price for a lens usually selling at $399.

We are close to the festivities. I recommend you check the following links since there are many very good deals that last just 24 hours. Today’s Gold Box and one day only deals at Amazon USAmazon DEAmazon UKB&H Photo, eBay and Adorama

rokinon 12mm f/2

A Bit of Everything (EOS 5D4, Milvus 18mm, Rokinon 50mm, Canon 16-35mm, tutorials)

Above: 50mm vs 35mm vs 28mm – Best Street Photography Lens – Kaiman Wong


Tutorial: How to Use Canon’s Camera Connect App to Transfer Photos from Your 5D Mark IV to Your Cellphone – Fstoppers

Tutorial: Photographing Holiday Lights – Canon Digital Learning Center

Review: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III – The Phoblographer

Camera of the Year 2016: Best Professional and High-End Cameras – Imaging Resource – IR names the EOS 5D Mark IV as “best professional DSLR” of the year:

In short, while it looks like a 5D Mark III, the design is refined, well thought-out, and most of all familiar, which to a professional is exactly what he or she wants and needs. They need a tool, and the 5D Mark IV is an exceptional one, for photography as well as for video

Review: Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 Distagon T* Lens – ePHOTOzine

Teardown: An Inside Look at the Rokinon 50mm AF FE Autofocus Lens – LensRentals

This lens was a pleasant surprise. No, it’s not built like a tank. But it is built like a small, efficient, well-constructed lens. With some of the previous Samyang / Rokinon lenses we disassemble them going “Oh, that’s going to break. This could be a problem.” We didn’t see any obvious weak points like that with this lens. It’s a clear step up in construction quality.

The Top 10 Photos, Cameras, and Tags on Flickr in 2016 – PetaPixel

Tutorial: Create a Faded 60s Effect in Photoshop – Lumoid Blog

Top 100 Photography Blogs Every Photographer Must Read – Feedspot

The Winners Of The 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer Of The Year Contest – Bored Panda


Below: Tilt Shift Tutorial – CanonUSA


Below, tutorial: How to Turn a Boring Photo Into an Awesome Image With Lightroom! – Lightroom Photo Editing – YuriFineart

Save $100 on select Sigma ART lenses (B&H Photo)

Sigma

Authorised Sigma retailer B&H Photo has a $100 discount promotion on select Sigma ART lenses using coupon code SHOPBH16GM. Free shipping and 4% B&H rewards.

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8
After discount, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 is yours for $699!

We are close to the festivities. I recommend you check the following links since there are many very good deals that last just 24 hours. Today’s Gold Box and one day only deals at Amazon USAmazon DEAmazon UKB&H Photo, eBay and Adorama