Canon 1D MarkIV Unboxing

Just want to wish everyone a Good New 2010.

I've received the 1D MarkIV and want to share with you something that I have never done in the past and never ever think of doing it.

Video unboxing..., this is a new concept for me as well as having video here on Lighting Mods. I'm pretty sure that video will become part of us photographers and one way or the other video would be came also a photographer standard for online portfolios and photo presentations.

We are assisting a lot of changes in the photography business and video is coming a part of it as Canon and Nikon, and also other brands, are making efforts to release their cameras with video and calling it the great thing.

Anyway, today I want to share with you the unboxing of a new 1D MarkIV that is becoming available through stores around the world. Since the "flop" of the 1D MarkIII many of us photojournalist were waiting for Canon to throw us a line and I think this is just the beginning...

I was hoping that Canon would introduce some kind of a return policy for the 1D MarkIII owners but I guess that was me asking too much of a Marketing company as Canon.

Well just take a look at the video below and hope you enjoy it.

I also made some two more videos with a side by side between the older model 1D MarkIII and the new 1D MarkIV so stay tune for them on the next post, soon.

Go easy on me on this one has this is my first one ;)

Enjoy and post your comments if you like.



I have the 1D MarkIII available for sale, in case anyone is interested in, please visit my flick page for some photos and mail me for more information. Will ship to any place in Europe free of charge.

Online Store Supplier: Achatzi.de

If you like this video also check the Side By Side article Side By Side: Canon 1D MarkIV Vs 1D MarkIII.

Canon firmware updated for 5d MarkII & 1D MarkIII

Canon released new firmware updates... but hold on to your horses 'cause none of them is video related :(

That is due to be out in the Spring has you may be aware of.

We still have to wait a little bit longer for the new 1D MarkIV (no dates, yet, for the availability nor to when it will be available, although it has been already shown to the public).

I came across to the 1D MarkIV, beta models available here in Portugal, but no images were to be taken nor Canon Portugal would lend me it for some field tests, anyway it feels just like and ordinary 1D body with some tweaks here and there and with awesome screen... just hope it will not bring the focus problems anymore or Canon will be doomed.

Meanwhile this firmware updates seams to be related with the 800,00 euro WFT-E2/E2A and on the 5D MarkII also corrects a phenomenon in which visible noise may appear in images taken by continuous Bulb shooting.

You can get the direct download links clicking more to continue reading.

Here are direct the links (the 1D series need the camera serial number) for Win and Mac:

* 1Ds Mark III
* 1D Mark III
* 5D Mark II

The 5D MarkII also corrects a phenomenon in which visible noise may appear in images taken by continuous Bulb shooting.

You will also need to update your WFT-E2/E2A (if you have one):

* WFT-E2/E2A

Tip: Shutter Count Utility

MAN!!!! It's been a long time since my last post.

For me it seems yesterday but when I looked at the last post date it seems ages.

Time runs fast, sometimes, and troubled waters and other non photographic businesses have been consuming my time and energy, unfortunately, not letting me too much to write anything here on the blog or even bring some creative ideas into here as much I would like to :(

Would like to thank you all for the warm mails that have arrived to the box and to say that it's always a pleasure to help out a fellow photographer.

On today's tip I bring you another great software to found out shutter actuations from your camera. I wish Canon and other manufacturers could release this to the public so we can know when it's time to have that service center call and even when we buy some second hand stuff.

Oh well marketing business... just hope Canon will release something very strong until the end of the year or they may be doomed ;)

Anyway...

Last year I had a Tip article "Tip: How to Find Shutter Count Actuation's" that mentioned this for the Canon 1D series and how to figure them out on Photoshop, but with the update on new cameras new software have arise.

Today I bring you a software to make actuation's count easier called EOSInfo.

What is EOSInfo and to what cameras does it apply to?

EOSInfo is a AstroJargon software and the successor to the 40DShutterCount utility. It's called EOSInfo since it provides more information than just the shutter counter, and works on a wider variety of cameras than just the Canon 40D.

FAQ:

0) I have a 1D*/5D/10D/20D/30D/50D/300D/350D/400D/450D/1000D. Will the software work with it?

This works on any of the Canon DIGIC III/IV DSLRs except the 1D* series. This means it will work for the 40D, the 50D, the 450D, the 500D, and the 1000D. Thanks to all the 5DMkII users who reported success. As it turns out, you have to power-cycle the 5DMkII before the shutter count value updates itself. It will not work on the 1D*, 5D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 300D, 350D, and 400D. It's not that I have anything against the owners of those cameras, but simply that the Canon SDK does not support retrieving the shutter count for them.

1) The software reports that I've taken 1234 pictures, but the last image on my CF card is numbered 1111 (i.e., the number reported is higher than the last image number number on the CF card). Why?
If you've ever taken images while tethered to a PC with the EOS utility or other software, or with no CF card in your camera, those increment the shutter actuation counter, but not the numbering system for your card. If you've reset the image numbering on you camera or "rolled over" 9999 images, this may also occur.

2) Does using LiveView affect the shutter count reported?
Taking pictures while in LiveView increments the shutter count. Entering and exiting live view mode does not.

3) Is there a Mac version?
Yes. Note how lazy I am, I don't want to renumber my FAQs.
4) How does it work? Is it majick?
Yes.

4a) Seriously. Are you looking in the EXIF data?
No. It doesn't matter if there are any images on the camera or not, or even if there's a CF card inserted - the camera just needs to be connected.

5) I've heard that only Canon can extract this number, so you must be lying. Are you lying?
No, I'm not lying. I've heard the "Canon service center" mantra too - but there are thousands - well, hundreds - okay, at least *3* people I know of who believe this number to be a relatively accurate count of shutter actuations.

5a) Why only "relatively" accurate?
See FAQ #2.

6) I'm using Windows Vista 64-bit, and I get the error "BadImageFormatException."
Download the latest version, it fixes that issue.

7) The software reports that I've taken 1234 pictures, but the last image on my CF card is numbered 4999 (i.e., the number reported is lower than the last image on the CF card). Why?
You may have used the CF card on more than one camera, and the other camera's images were numbered higher. DSLRs typically name image files by grabbing the highest image number on the card and incrementing by one.

8) Do you mean the C:\Program Files\Canon\EOS Utility folder, or the C:\Program Files\Canon\EOS Utility\EOS Utility folder?
What? That's brilliant, Canon. I mean the first (higher) one.

Direct Downloads:

40DShutterCount MAC
EOSInfo Windows

If you have any of the mentioned camera hope you enjoy this software and send me back some feedback about it. Also if you have any software that you have built to retrieve this kind of information from any camera would be gladly welcome. 


--//-- Update 2012-05-20 --//--


There is a webpage where you can check your shutter actuation called EOSCount and it's a must for you to control your clicks.


This page only works under Internet Explorer and over Windows system because it uses an ActiveX controller to pull out the information from the camera.


Here is what the page looks like after pulling the info from my 1D MarkIV.

Enjoy

Tip: Canon 5D MarkII - Video Locks Up/Freezing (Solution)

Did it ever happened to you?

Lately I've been having some issues with the 5D MarkII video recording mode and would like to share with you what I have figure out to solve, at least for now, these kind of problems.

If you're having the same problems read my story and maybe it could bring you some sort of a relieve.

This has been an issue that I tried to replicate before bringing it to the blog but it seems that is very unpredictable when video recording will Freeze or Locks Up that I cannot tell exactly what is going on.

What I can say is that it happens and I have already lost 3 pieces of important film recording that are lost forever. I did some interviews during the weekend for our brandy new HardHeavy TV and while doing a small cut intro the video recording stopped at 40s and a blinking info "Busy" on the Top LCD.

I've waited more than 5 minutes for it to process since a buffer bar was showing at the back LCD but nothing happened. The shutter was still open but nothing happened. The only way to stop it was to remove both batteries from the grip and the shutter will close. Of course that the video was lost and so the recording :(

Well I formatted the card since this was the beginning of the session and I thought maybe there is something with the card, by the way I was using a 8Gb Sandisk UltraIII 30MB/s, I then started to record the interviews and everything seemed OK by that time.

The first interview went sweet with a 3m40s piece over 640x480 resolution. we did not need more resolution so all things were done on 640 format to keep the video files small.

I went around the place and did some photos of the ambiance, arena, group shots, headbangers shots and some small video pieces to fill in cuts and other stuff for post production.

I returned to the backstage for another interview and that when all the problems started. The card was maybe at half full when I started to record another interview. Everything was going smoothly then suddenly at the middle of the interview the same screen appeared and the video stopped recording... man, there was a chill on my bones and I went from red to white in a sec.

I run a simulation at home and obtained the same results. Although the Lock Up/Freeze did not occur as frequently but sometimes it happened and I think this could be disastrous if you are with a client and the camera acts weird and you loose all those important video recordings :(

Here are some of those Lock Up/Freeze photos.



The picture of the Frozen/Lock on the back LCD screen. You can still see the buffer on the right but I've waited so long and it never went down :(



And the top LCD screen.



You can see that the camera is switched off ;) and the screen is still available but frozen :(



It only unlocks if you remove the battery, in my case, both batteries from the grip.



I run this test several times and in the end I came to the conclusion that the problem is with the Sandisk Extreme III 8GB/30s card.

I also did a quick Google search and found this thread talking about the same problem and with the same conclusions.

I run a couple of tests with some older cards like the Sandisk Ultra II 2.0GB, Sandisk Extreme III 2.0GB, Sandisk Extreme III 4.0GB and with Transcend 4GB 120x, so far, with no errors, Lock Ups or Freezes and I've continuously recorded 30 minutes with each one.

WARNING SOLUTION: If you are using your 5D MarkII for video pay attention to the Sandisk Extreme III 8GB/30s as they can bring you some ours with no sleep.

So until Canon releases another firmware to correct this for these cards I will keep my eyes on those older cards.

...and YES it has happened with older firmware and now with version 1.1.0.

If you are having these kind of problems report them on comments so people could also share your experiences.

5D MarkII Firmware update 1.1.0 with Video Manual Controls

Well It's here!!!!

And right on the date they have announced it June the 2nd 2009.

While I'm writing this I'm making the update and will post some more new tomorrow but for now here goes what consists this update and what problems it addresses.

First you can get the Firmware update here at Canon web page.

And direct link to the PDF Manual file for the Manual Exposure on the movie mode.


Firmware changes

Firmware Version 1.1.0 incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. Includes a function to enable the manual exposure setting when shooting movies.

*When shooting movies in manual (M) mode, the shutter speed *1, the lens aperture value *2, and the ISO speed *3 can be freely set to allow a greater flexibility.

Notes:
*1 Shutter speed range: 1/30 sec. to 1/4000 sec.
*2 Lens aperture range: Maximum to minimum aperture value of the lens used
*3 ISO speed range:
Auto: ISO 100 to 6400 set automatically
Manual: ISO 100 to 6400, H1

2. *For details on how to use this function, please download the PDF files from the bottom of this page. Disables the function of the depth-of-field preview button when images are played back or when the menu screen is displayed on the LCD panel.

*There are indications that images being reviewed or the menu screen may suddenly disappear from the LCD panel. As this phenomenon may be caused by accidentally pressing the depth-of-field preview button, this firmware update disables the function of the depth of field preview to address this issue.

3. Fixes a phenomenon where the peripheral illumination of images cannot be properly corrected, even if the images were captured with the lens peripheral illumination correction function set to Enable.

*Firmware Version 1.1.0 fixes a phenomenon where peripheral illumination may not be properly corrected due the type of lens used and shooting conditions.

4. Fixes the algorithms of the Auto Lighting Optimizer function when Custom Function C.Fn II-3 Highlight tone priority is enabled.

*Digital Photo Professional software version 3.6.1 or later (for Windows and Macintosh) can be used to automatically correct the peripheral illumination of RAW and JPEG images that were captured in the Peripheral illumination correction setting with cameras that have Firmware Version 1.0.7 or earlier.

5. Fixes incorrect indications on the Arabic, Romanian, Spanish, and Ukrainian menu screens.

6. Changes the battery information displayed on the camera when using the optional Battery Grip BG-E6.

*If only one LP-E6 battery pack is installed in the Battery Grip BG-E6, the battery information for the empty battery slot shows the error message, Cannot communicate with battery. However, with this firmware update, this error message no longer appears, even if only one LP-E6 battery pack is installed.

First impression after install is that when you change the aperture you will hear the shutter opening and closing and that interferes with sound recording. So if you are trying to record something with sound I suggest an external microphone. Also for the speed you can ear the cracking of the dial.

It looks, at first impression, that the sound on the shutter is the same you ear on the G10 movie mode but amplified a couple of times.

I think people would still prefer to buy Nikon lenses with manual aperture values and use it here instead of this NOISY crack sound but time will tell.

My first opinion is that this feature is great but it's not a killer if you are going to use the camera to record sound from the built in microphone unless of course you are on loudly external events ;)

I also noticed that when you take a photo while shooting a movie the exposure settings (ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed) set for the movie will be applied to the still photo instead of the previous firmware where you would have to take a photo with the settings the camera was using for video and sometimes they were not the ones you would like.

Now with Manual control mode you loose the possibility of AE Lock and Exposure Compensation.

Take a look at this small example video of the Shutter, Speed and ISO dial buttons sound I did this movie right after the firmware update so no bother comment on quality or content issues. It's just first test.

I will upload the video tomorrow since Vimeo is too slow and YouTube is updating it's database :(

Here is the Video watch it in HQ for better quality. Had to put it on YouTube since Vimeo still did not have it available by this time.



--- Updated ---

Just want to mention that I got a good external microphone that I used on my old Sony MD player and that it fits perfectly to the camera and can help you dealing with all those noise button cracks and clicks. I'm using the Sony ECM717 with great results.

Share your experiences with external microphones on comments.

--- End of Update ---

5D MarkII Video: Manual Controls Coming Soon

FINALLY!!!!
It looks like Canon will get it BIG,this time, let's hope so.

As soon as I got more news will let you guys know but for now here is today's official announcement.

Canon has announced a firmware update for its EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR enabling manual exposure when shooting videos. With the updated version, users will be able to manually adjust the shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings in the video mode. The new firmware will be available for download on 2 June 2009 from Canon's website.

Press Release:
Canon Enable Manual Exposure in Video on EOS 5D Mark II

LONDON, UK, 27th May 2009: Canon announced today it will release a firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II allowing users to manually control exposure when shooting video. The new firmware will be available for download from 2 June 2009 on Canon Europe’s support web site.
Following the launch of the EOS 5D Mark II in September 2008, Canon’s Research and Development team has listened closely to customer feedback to develop additions to the camera’s movie recording functionality.

Allowing EOS 5D Mark II owners to achieve even more stunning video results with the camera, the firmware update will include the following manual controls when shooting video:

* Full aperture selection
* ISO speed: Auto, 100 – 6400 and H1
* Shutter speed: 1/30th – 1/4000th second

The EOS 5D Mark II integrates full HD movie capability into a high-end 21.1 Megapixel camera; opening a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists and news photographers.
Since its launch the camera has proved its appeal to professionals working in diverse fields, from studio and wedding to nature and travel.

Now, following customer feedback, Canon has improved functionality for professional video users, further unleashing the potential of the EOS 5D Mark II for cinematographers and photographers alike.

Canon Powershot G10 Firmware Updated

Canon has updated the Powershot G10 firmware to a newer version 1.0.2.0.

This addresses the Phenomenon:

If RAW images are captured by continuous shooting under the ISO 1600 setting, abnormal data is recorded and a magenta cast appears in the second and subsequent RAW images. This phenomenon also occurs in the second and subsequent recorded RAW images captured by single shooting, but only if the LCD monitor display mode is set to the OFF position.

This phenomenon cannot be confirmed when images are played back on the camera's LCD monitor. It can only be confirmed if image processing software (such as the Digital Photo Professional software bundled with the product) is used to develop RAW images on a PC.

Read the full article for more about this, what cameras are affected and where to download it from.

The following content is to help you update the firmware by yourself. If errors occur when performing the firmware update, there are instances where the camera cannot be started; therefore, please read the precautionary notes carefully before starting the firmware update.

In addition, this firmware update can also be performed at our service centers. If you wish to have us perform the firmware updates, please contact our service centers.

Firmware Update (Version 1.0.2.0)

This firmware update corrects the following phenomenon.

Phenomenon:

If RAW images are captured by continuous shooting under the ISO 1600 setting, abnormal data is recorded and a magenta cast appears in the second and subsequent RAW images. This phenomenon also occurs in the second and subsequent recorded RAW images captured by single shooting, but only if the LCD monitor display mode is set to the OFF position.

This phenomenon cannot be confirmed when images are played back on the camera's LCD monitor. It can only be confirmed if image processing software (such as the Digital Photo Professional software bundled with the product) is used to develop RAW images on a PC.

Note

* Images that have the magenta cast phenomenon cannot be fixed.
* The phenomenon only appears in RAW images, and does not appear in JPEG images or images appearing on the LCD monitor display.
* The phenomenon only occurs if the ISO Speed Dial is set to ISO 1600 manually, and does not occur if the ISO speed is set to other values (such as ISO AUTO or ISO HI).

Identifying Affected Cameras for the Update

Please check the serial number on the bottom of the camera.

Serial numbers

Products whose fifth digit from the left is 0 or 1 are affected.

****0*****
****1*****


Among products with the serial numbers described above, if there is a marking inside the battery cover like the one in the image below, the issue has already been corrected by correction firmware, and you may continue to use your camera as is with no further action required.

Marking Position

In addition, products whose fifth digit from the left is 2 or above are already equipped with correction firmware; therefore, this phenomenon does not apply.


Items Required for Firmware Update

The following items are required for this firmware update.


1 - PowerShot G10 Camera
2 - Computer* (USB interface required)
3 - Battery (Bundled with the camera)
4 - USB Interface Cable (Bundled with the camera)
5 - Memory Card (Commercially available SD memory card with a capacity of at least 8 MB)
6 - Firmware Update Data (Can be downloaded if the camera is determined as affected after the serial number is entered).
7 - Firmware Update Procedure (PDF) (Can be Downloaded)

* OS installed on the computer: Windows® XP/ Windows VistaTM, Mac OS X (v10.4-10.5)

Customers who do not have any of the items 2 to 5 are asked to contact Canon service centers.

Outline of the Firmware Update Procedures

To update the firmware, the following procedures are required.

1. Downloading and extracting the firmware update data
2. Preparing the memory card for the firmware update
3. Updating the firmware
4. Confirming the completion of firmware update

In addition, details of the procedures above are covered by the Firmware Update Procedure (PDF). Read the Firmware Update Procedure (PDF) carefully before updating the firmware.

GO TO DOWNLOAD PAGE
(You will need to enter your serial)

Final notes:

You have to pay attention to the way the firmware is uploaded to the camera. Canon with the Powershot G10 model decided to change the way firmware were updated.
So now instead of copying the file directly to the card you will have to connect the computer (PC or MAC) and the camera with the supplied USB cable and use the software to copy the firmware update file to the card on the camera (make sure you formatted the card first).

Then you will have to start the camera on preview mode and choose the firmware update menu item (you cannot have the lens extended or this menu item will not show up).

Just made mine today with no problems and my camera was one of the affected but I've never saw or identified this Phenomenon. But if Canon says it's to update then it's time.

I was hopping to see some improvements on video (GIVES US BACK the 1024 of the G9!!!) or maybe the reappearance of time lapse feature but nothing... this simply corrects what it's mentioned here.

Maybe we will all have better luck next time who knows...

Tip: Record Video with "almost" any Liveview EOS Camera

This is the kind of feature I would love to see implemented on the Canon software.
Although Canon has the ability to preview and record directly to card from the Remote Camera software provided it will not allow recording to the computer disk

This could be a good feature to implement and I'm pretty sure it will not be difficult to make.

Would no only allow us to remote control video but recorded it directly to a hard drive without having to buy those expensive cards and due to the 4Gb limit this would not be a violation of the video rules but a neat feature to have.

Did I mentioned any?? Well not direct Hard Drive recording for the moment but...

Anyway take a look at this Beta Beta Beta version of this cool piece of software unfortunately it is not available for Mac users nor for the recently released Canon cameras the 5D MarkII and the 50D giving a connection error :( hope this would be fix soon.

Enjoy...

Recording video from EOS cameras with liveview was never this easy ;)

Connect camera to computer with USB, run program, press “write” button and check out the .avi file in program folder.

Sample Videos:



and this one



You can Download the software program (Windows only) Here.

Original post in russian Here.

And here is the Google translation for the article ;), just in case you could not understand Russian :)

--- Beginning of Translation ---

This theme is dedicated to the possibility of the record of short videotapes directly to the computer with the aid of the digital specular cameras Of canon EOS with the support Of liveView.

For this we used the program, located here, with a brief description there.

Video is written without the sound, codec - MJPEG, frame frequency of approximately 25 fps (it depends on computer), permission depends on camera, to 450D - 848x560, to 40D - 1024x680.
The resulting file - this is simple the collection of personnel Of liveView without [obraboki] (and/or recoding) in the container of avi; therefore files are obtained such enormous.

If suddenly someone wants to be joined to the development, write here, truth can it is necessary to pass into the programmer branch of forum.

For many this is deprived of sense, of " [zerkalka] must remove [foto]" , strictly, probably I will agree, program was created for the indulgence, however, since users appeared, first it means to whom that it is necessary (i.e. also they frolic) By the author it was tested only to Canon EOS 450D, but it was explained that it works, also with 40D and 1000D. The 5D Mark II and 50D do not work for the moment.

I Already saw the opinion of some people, the fact that the matrix can burn about, I think this is not so bad, indeed in the program of canon EOS utility (in the regime Of liveView) we see also video, only without the possibility of record. In any event program is supplied as a test version without any guarantees, use it at your own risk.

--- End of Translation ---

Comparing Video Cameras

I found this Incredible video where Scott Lynch, Steve Weiss,Jens Bogehegn and Joseph Stunzi exchange some impressions and test out some of the video cameras on the market and make a great video review about them.

You can see the resulting videos from cameras like the Canon 5D MarkII, Nikon D90, Red One, Film camera, HPX3000 and others.

This is a 10 minute video you shouldn't miss if you are a video fan or a photographer looking for the best field video device.


Zacuto's Great Camera Shootout '08 from Steve Weiss, Zacuto USA on Vimeo.

Canon 5D MarkII Video Mode, This is Not a Review!!

Well hello readers and Happy Season to all,

I know I have been a pain in the a... for not updating the blog more frequently but due to some personal problems things kind a turn out not so pink after all.

Well... we leave that for some other time and let's get to business.

I was sent one of the final production and sale models of the Canon 5D MarkII for a video and functionality review, during last weekend. I decided not to post the regular review with full specs and pics of the camera and the regular bla, bla, bla that almost all great review websites have but instead I decided to make a more non professional approach to it, tell you what my first impressions are for this piece of Camera/video equipment that's coming available to the stores during December 2008 and that maybe some of you lucky one's have it already.

for a full and great review of the camera you can take a look at dpreview.com or a more detailed one at Ken Rockwell.

Anyway, I think you can always google about it and there will be a million websites about the camera.


When I first saw and heard about Canon 5D MarkII video capabilities was through the impressive video "Riverie" by Vincent Laforet that we all know.

A couple of weeks ago I saw another video from Tokyo subway also very cool.


Tokyo Reality (Canon 5D MarkII) from utsuru on Vimeo.

This video was recorded directly from the Canon 5D MarkII and edited later with some post processing software.

Now let's give it a try...

What I'm using to capture the next videos are:

- Canon 5D MarkII
- 8GB Sandisk Extreme III 30MB/s
- Canon EF 15mm FishEye
- Canon EF 24-70mm L USM
- Canon EF 70-200mm L USM IS
- Manfrotto Tripod
- Me :)

All videos were recorded directly from the Canon 5D MarkII with no editing nor post processing. The sound is recoded mono from the camera on a built in microphone, you can use a stereo microphone but you have to connect it to the camera and I had none available by the time I recorded these videos.

Sorry if the final quality here is not as good as the original but I had to compress it to fit on YouTube (Try to see them on YouTube in Full HD mode for a better quality). I think you will have a pretty good idea of what you can accomplish with the Canon 5D MarkII.

The Canon 5D MarkII features 16:9 Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps as well as 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 fps.

If you are, like me, not yet into video mode, here goes some good tips for converting your big movies to HQ small size to fit YouTube, Vimeo or others. I use Apple Quick Time Pro for exporting these videos.

TIPS: VIDEO CODEC EXPORT COMPRESSION

Okay, I'm going to be honest with you: there’s no way I can make exporting/compression guides for every kind of video software on the market. It’s just overwhelming! However, I do want to give you some guidelines for compressing your videos for YouTube, Vimeo or other with great High Quality so look over these tips, find the corresponding settings in your software, and you should be able to make it work for you.

Note: Sometimes these settings are in ‘Advanced’ or ‘Options’ when exporting.

* Codec
Choose H.264 for the video codec. Choose AAC for the audio codec.

* Frame rate
This is usually 30, in Europe it's usually 25. If there is an option that says “current” just go with that. Please note that Vimeo converts all HD videos up to 24 frames per second for optimum playback performance.

* Keyframes
Every 30 frames. This is basically how often the compressor references your uncompressed video.

* Data rate
1800 kbits/sec (for regular video) or 5000 kbits/sec (for high definition). Making this number higher will increase both quality and size.

* Size
640x480 (for regular video) or 1280x720 (for high definition). Please note, 1440x1080 videos will not be widescreen on Vimeo, you must compress them as 1280x720.

* Deinterlace
Yes. If you do not deinterlace, you will often get weird-looking horizontal lines in your video.

* Sound sample rate
44.100 kHz

*Audio quality
You want audio with a bit rate of 128 kbps. You can set your audio to really good quality without increasing file size too much.

Those are the basic principles that will apply to almost all of the video programs out there. Enjoy and if you feel like I'm missing something here please leave it in the comment section for others to follow, thanks.

First video recorded on the Lisbon subway (Original file 467,5MB after conversion 54MB). This was the first straight forward movie with no great deals about it, snap the lens on the camera and push the record button.



When I played the video on Full HD I noticed that it was a little jumpy on my Intel MacBook Pro with 4GB as moving people looked a little funny ;( and I can tell you that you will need a much faster card for recording in HD quality on the Canon 5D MarkII so that the recording will come out steady enough. I was not able to repeat this with a new ultra fast card because I lack one but I will do my homework and will update this later on.

On the second video (Original file 1,08GB after conversion 122,7MB) I decided to move into the interior of the subway train and capture some moving interiors as well as some shooting while recording. You can actually see the camera stopping and also ear the shutter taking the picture. I did 2 stills while recording, at about 2 minutes of video time I use the focus button to see what happened and we can ear the sound of the lens mechanism searching for focus, so no focus while recording ambient sound or you will get it on your home recordings.



I also found focusing a little clumsy (on button mode) as the camera search for the right focus for quite sometime when in a not so well balanced ambient light, hey this is not a VIDEO RECORDING CAMERA!!!

I found amazing that when people are moving in front of the camera, if you have the face detection focus switch on, it creates a rectangular around people faces and track them down like rabbits :) The tracking system is really fast I wish the focus was too, but this is me asking too much from such a new camera.



On the third video (Original file 1,37GB after conversion 147,4MB) I brought the camera, around the neck strap and start walking out of the subway and into the streets up into my front door. I wanted to capture different light scenes from the street with no so much caring about movement or focus, since I do not have a way to change the ISO on the camera and the aperture while recording, I wanted to check if the camera was responsive enough to the abrupt light changes and different color temperatures.

I can tell you that no one, on the street, noticed that the camera was recording while on neck strap and was all done with a 15mm FishEye lens so I pass like "Invisible Man" hey you can see my shadow sometimes ;).

On this matter the camera reacts well to lighting exposures, as you can see on the above video, but I do feel that it would be more flexible if you could control ISO and aperture. Unfortunately my L lens do not have an aperture ring :(

On the fourth video (Original file 1,02GB after conversion 134,2MB) I took the camera out and put it on a tripod to capture some movie of the Tallest Christmas tree in Europe that is laying here in Portugal. As the tree changes colors you can see the camera adapting to it kin of neat effect. The sound is ambiance nothing was changed. I also try playing a little with zoom on my Canon EF 24-70 L USM, took some shots while recording and also panned the camera while on tripod.



On the fifth and last video (Original file 364MB after conversion 43MB) I decided to start with a fade and the focus on fade. This was recorded on a Canon EF 70-200 L USM IS and I wanted to check the IS for stability purposes and also on tripod. when you use IS the camera does not stop it it's always on working even if you do not press the button. I felt that this is a good option but with too much battery consumption. I also use the zoom in and out so you can get a grip of the out of focus.



Final thoughts... although I did not have time to completely explore the video mode but I can tell you that if you are planning on buying the Canon 5D MarkII to record your kids at home please take in consideration to buy a VIDEO CAMERA instead since this one will not suite you because the lack of quick focus and aperture control.

But if you want to experiment with video I think this is a great camera to start with, although a lot of improvements could be made on direct video menu access, aperture control and pause mode just to name a few.

I felt that if you try this one you will not be disappointed with it and with the full frame 21MP this will be a major feature for quality purpose and also for portability as a second body.

Hope you have enjoyed the videos as I'm the first Portuguese to have test it on video mode ;)

ShutterVoice - Be a Jean Luc Picard to Your Camera

Just how many of you would wanna be like Jean Luc Picard or James T. Kirk for having the "power" to control your camera just by enable it's functions with voice commands?

Command phrases like "Computer... On Screen", "Command Computer" or "Computer... Energize" were common sentences for the well known Star Trek series. From the old Captain James T. Kirk to the Jean Luc Picard and now for the upcoming Star Trek movie (take a look at the trailer here) voice commands were always impressive on screen but not so on computers.

Imagine a world where you could control your camera actions by the sound of your voice just by using simple commands like "Computer Focus", "Computer Shoot", "Computer Live View" or even "Computer Rotate". I'm sure this would improve your shootings and would leave your hands free to make something else.

Well I can tell you that I'm not Jean Luc Picard but with this new software that I'm going to show you today you can look like Jean Luc and control your Canon cameras remotely just by the sound of your pretty voice and you do not need to wait for the upcoming release of the new Star Trek movie to have it, trust me on this ;)

So let's take a look at this great piece of software called ShutterVoice made by Scott Forman.


Development Details:
ShutterVoice has been tested using a 20D, 50D, 30D, XSi and is compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista. I plan on having the software released in December 2008. The software will cost $30 and I will take payments through PayPal. The software will be downloadable as a 30-day fully featured trial with no nag screens so the users can use it just as they will when they register it.


Short Description:
ShutterVoice allows full control over Shutter, Aperture, White Balance, Output, EV, Temperature, ISO, etc.

On the Live View screen you can turn the AF Points display on or off, Rotate Left, Rotate Right, show/hide the Grid, Focus all the way in with one command, Focus all the way out with one command, Focus in/out 1-15 (which is fine control), Focus More In, More Out 1-15 (which is more movement), Focus On.

On the Zoom View screen you have most all the same control as Live View in addition you have a Move Up/Down/Left/Right command in order to move the position that you are zoomed in on.


In Depth Description:
ShutterVoice uses two of my business grade components for error notification and for updates.

When errors occur a window will pop up allowing the user to send me details and their email. This goes a long way to eliminate bugs quickly during the beta period. In addition there is a Send Debug Info option that allows a person to send me additional data from within the software if they are having issues.

Every time the software first opens it checks my server for updates. If it finds one it will display a balloon pop up. The user only needs to click this popup in order to be automatically updated to the latest version.

Click on picture for bigger view.

Settings Screen
The Settings screen allows a person to set the Pre-Command word. This is the word that must be said prior to issuing voice commands. If a person would like, this can be cleared out so that no pre-command word is necessary. The Audible Command Verification allows you to turn on and off the text-to-speech voice responses. The Window Titles are configuration options that should not need to be changed from their default. The List of Loaded Commands are all of the commands that the voice recognition engine will listen for. For debug purposes this list can be double-clicked to send a command to EOS-U. This will be helpful for people who may have microphone or sound card issues but who would still like to test out the software's integration with EOS-U.

On Command: ShutterVoice's Commands &
Responses configuration screen.
Click on picture for bigger view.

Voice Commands/Voice Responses
The Commands screen will likely be most interesting to your visitors. This lists every command that can be given. The text in gray are command modifiers. For example, you can say: Camera Aperture Faster 3 which would move the Aperture faster 1 full stop (if you are using 1/3 stop settings). The Voice Command list loads with the default commands that I have setup. The user can change these to any command they would like to totally customize the software. For example a user could configure their software so they can say Canon Shoot! for a shutter release. The Voice Response list allows a person to configure what the text-to-speech engine says after a command is issued. If you would like certain commands to have no response you can simply clear out that command response while keeping other commands as they are. This screen allows full customization of the voice recognition and text-to-speech experience.

Click on picture for bigger view.

Voice Recognition Status
The Voice Recognition Status screen shows you the details coming from the actual voice recognition engine. A Hypothesis is something it has heard but hasn't certified as a command. A Recognition is something it has sent to the EOS-U to be performed.

For the most part recognition works very well but is heavily dependent on your sound card and microphone. My laptop worked great for voice recognition whereas my studio PC needed an updated Sound Blaster Audigy SE card as the onboard sound did not have a high enough microphone gain. The speech component installed in the Control Panel also allows you to train it to better work with your voice.

Feedback
It is important that you provide as much feedback as possible, especially during the beta testing phase. If you experience any problems or have any questions feel free to email the developer directly at scott@shuttervoice.com. If you have suggestions for additional features or changes please send them as well. ShutterVoice's goal is to make photography easier in situations where the photographer cannot be behind the camera. We are always looking for ideas to improve ShutterVoice to help photographers be more productive.

Here is a video for the demo version.



ShutterVoice is compatible with EOS Utility 2.4 and above.

He intends to begin making ShutterVoice more widely available starting in December 2008, these details are still being sorted out. You can sign up to be notified when ShutterVoice is ready to go.

And if you are winning because you are on MAC I can tell you that not all has been lost. I've been using it with great success over XP installed on VmWare Fusion, Parallels or BootCamp.

I can tell this software is a piece of work and glad Scott Forman had the time to make it up and also hope Canon would buy it and start releasing the future Solution disks with it embedded.

For now there won't be a MAC compatibility but maybe in the near future we could see this on MAC software. If you are a developer, have the skills and would like to help Scott Forman make it available for the MAC platform send him an email and maybe we could see this for MAC platform sooner than we think.

(All pictures and text on this page are copyrighted and were used with Scott Forman permission.)

Take a moment to know the man behind all this.

Scott Forman is 30, have been married for 8 years. My daughter Leigh is 7. My son Ethan is 4. We have two rat terrier chihuahua's. I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska (a city of 500,000).

He started programming at a very young age with a Radio Shack TRS-80. It had to hook up to a TV and used an audio cassette for data storage. In High School he wrote and sold software to interface with the then popular America Online. His most popular software then was an auto-redialer to get past AOL's busy signals and the second was an automatic idle window dismisser to keep people online if they stepped away from the computer. He sold around 500 copies.

During college he worked as a computer tech at Best Buy and wrote a piece of software to manage the work-orders. After college he had an internship at Joslyn Art Museum and rewrote their kiosk software to create an easy-to-use touch screen administration interface.

Through that work he was offered a job at the company who wrote it despite normally only hiring people with 10 years+ professional experience. He declined that offer and instead took one at a small company that was originally founded by one of his past Taekwondo instructors, although he had since sold his stake and moved on. After working there for several years he resigned and became self-employed.

He has been on his own now for over 4 years and his primary focus is information management systems which he develops from the ground up. His primary development intent is to create custom platforms for information storage that yields higher productivity and better work flow. His largest piece of software is a case management system for Behavioral Health and the second is a CRM for Nurse and Technologist Staffing.

You can also find more information about Him here.

Evolution... ??

Will this means a 1D MarkIV or 1DMarkIIIn camera without any bugs?

A lot of friends been changing their gear to Nikon and their new Nikon D3 with a lot of new features and the high ISO that we all love but would this mean that the war between Canon and Nikon will rise fro the ashes after so many years Canon leading the way?

I hope, for the sake of all photographers, that this war will rise again. This could only mean one think... the consumers, and I mean all of us, will get improvements on our gear faster. On the other hand photography business is turning into an update virtual world like computers... as soon as you got a new model a couple of months later a new with a lot of improvements will rise up.

This will lead us more into the indecision to buy the current model or wait a couple of months for an update to a better one.

Hey!!!... but wait a minute...

Aren't we photographers? why are we always taking advantage of the new technologies and not concentrate on what is really important that is taking photographs?

There are fellow photographers that still use film cameras with great results and people still read lighting books written for film.

Manufacturers lead us into this digital/pixel madness war and instead of improving their systems they lead the consumer into buy a camera for the increase number of Pixels they have. They did not care if the sensor had more noise just as long as it has more pixel people will buy it thinking that they will benefit from the larger pixels.

The cleaning sensor was one of the most wanted on Canon system but after the release of their 1D MarkII they came to the press and claim that their system would not collect dust bunnies and Blah! Blah! Blah! Well I do not know you but mine are a magnet bunnies collector :)

What happen a couple cameras later?... well you know the story.

Over the years one think manufacturers didn't seem to care about was the flash system and their firing, they did not care if the camera would produce great shots with flash nor they care if you could mount it off camera for different uses.

On the flash part I can say that Nikon has several advantages over the Canon system but they have never corrected them, go guess why... we just live in a commercial world, if it has a great feeling and looks and sells then we are happy with it.

Canon over the years, and I an say this because Nikon seemed not too much interested on the digital race, been playing with all of us for the commercial side. They never really got an improvement on their flash system. The ST-E2 trigger is has old has my first digital and the batteries too expensive for what it can really do in broad day light. Canon had plenty of time and sure have the money and means to create a integrated wireless system to implement internally on the body via radio frequency and a receiver on the flash.

But then you could come and say... hey but that would cost a lot of money for approval of the FCC for all the countries and blah, blah, blah. Well my friend that is what Canon lead us to... you have the example of a small group who created some great trigger for the Canon system called RadioPopper and they lived :)



Why not make a joint venture with Pocket Wizard or some others like Gadget Infinity to improve their systems, Nikon had PW on some of their bodies but abandon it?





Well just because it wasn't in their plans and because photographer demands aren't their priority :(

So we just have to see what Canon will be bringing to the world. We now know that the 5D MarkII will be coming out and since they are using the new DigicIV processor so probably the 1D would be called 1DMarkIV with integrated video recording.

AHHH!!! AHHHH!!! LIVE VIDEO RECORDING, now it's the Video race that we will all have to face since the Mega Pixel race is almost on their limit. I'm sure this will be the EVOLUTION Canon states on their commercial ADD.

This will affect the way bands will approach the 3 limit song on concerts and all the rest of the limits they have implemented. I'm sure with all this EVOLUTION photojournalism has we know it may be having an end sooner that we thought.

Your editor, soon or later, will be saying - "Hey man, send me the written story, get me a couple of good shots and while you are there do me a clip interview of the subject". ;) A one man show...

Well, we will have to wait for Photokina in Cologne to find out :(

Tip: Canon Lens Aging - How Old Is This Lens?

A surprising element when buying anew lens is always old are they.

When you buy them through Canon distributors or even when you get a great second hand bargain.

But would it be really a bargain?

Find out more by knowing how old your lens are by just following my tips.

Beside the rear lens element of many (but not all) Canon lenses is a date code (as seen above) in the form of "UV0913". This code is also present on many other Canon products including camera bodies.

The first letter, "U", indicates that the lens was made in Canon's Utsunomiya, Japan factory. Prior to 1986, this letter is moved to the last position of the date code.

U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan

The second letter, "V", is a year code that indicates the year of manufacture. Canon increments this letter each year starting with A in 1986 and prior to that, A in 1960 without the leading factory code.

Here is a table to make things simple:

A = 1986, 1960
B = 1987, 1961
C = 1988, 1962
D = 1989, 1963
E = 1990, 1964
F = 1991, 1965
G = 1992, 1966
H = 1993, 1967
I = 1994, 1968
J = 1995, 1969
K = 1996, 1970
L = 1997, 1971
M = 1998, 1972
N = 1999, 1973
O = 2000, 1974
P = 2001, 1975
Q = 2002, 1976
R = 2003, 1977
S = 2004, 1978
T = 2005, 1979
U = 2006, 1980
V = 2007, 1981
W = 2008, 1982
X = *2009, 1983
Y = *2010, 1984
Z = *2011, 1985

* assumption of continuation being made for future years.

The first two numbers, "09", is the month number the lens was manufactured in. Month 02 is February, month 11 = November. The leading zero of the month code is sometimes omitted.

The next two numbers, "13", are meaningless in determining how old a Canon lens is because this is a Canon internal code (that is occasionally omitted).

You now know the manufacture date for your lens - But - You cannot know how long the lens was in inventory, in shipping transit and on a shelf until it was originally purchased (without having the original receipt or a reputable person accurately informing you which in most cases you will never get access to it).

The Canon lens date code in the sample picture indicates that this Canon EF 400mm f/4.0 DO Lens was made in Utsunomiya, Japan in September 2007.

So as you can see I bought it this month June 2008 but the lens was manufactured last year in September. Now you just have to check this on your lenses and see how old are they.

This is also very helpful when buying items on second hand at dealer shops or even over Ebay transactions.

Last but not least this is a good way of telling if the lens came out on a period that people complain about focus issues and canon replace them for new ones, etc, etc, etc.

Tip: How to Find Shutter Actuations

A Lot of you been asking me if there is anyway we could get the count of the effective number of shutter actuations.

This is an issue many people been debating over the web and it seems that is a request that the camera manufacturers forgot to mention on their software.

Some people have looked for photography classes on online-colleges.org in an effort to learn more about this.

In order for us to get this number we needed, up until now, to send the camera to the manufacturers or representative support system in order for them to run a software to count the effective number of shutter actuations that your camera has.

This number is very useful so you could know if your shutter has reached it's limits or if it's time to make an expensive exchange of the shutter curtains .

Fear not today you will get a way of seeing this numbers :)


The first program I got in contact with was CanCount, written by German photographer Wolfram Söns, mostly displays information that can already be seen in Canon's own applications, including the camera model, firmware version, camera body serial number, image comment and Custom Function settings. But it has three tricks up its sleeve that make CanCount a useful way to view shooting data inside EOS-1D, EOS-1Ds, EOS-1D Mark II, EOS-1D Mark II N and EOS-1Ds Mark II photos:


* The program displays a body's total shutter actuations at the time the analysed RAW or JPEG picture was taken. This information is not shown in ImageBrowser, ZoomBrowser EX or any other software from Canon we've tried.

* CanCount will assemble into a single page all the metadata it can display. This is a handy way to see almost all camera settings, plus an image thumbnail and histogram, and store that information if desired as a PDF (using either the built-in PDF support of Mac OS X or an add-in to the printing architecture within Windows) or hard copy printout. We've used this feature to share with other photographers our settings, and similarly to grab the settings used by other photographers too.

* Generally speaking, it's quicker to use than Canon's own software when the goal is to view the complete metadata within a handful of pictures. Launch the program, drag and drop a picture file and the picture's metadata populates the program's various screens.

You can find the Trial version here for Win and Mac but you will have to pay 11,52 euros for a register version.

The older free version in DOS format you can get it here. Is not as fancy as the payed one but you'll get the job done.

Here are the counts for my cameras with the German free DOS version:

Did you know that you can get the same information if you have Adobe Photoshop CS2 or CS3?

Yes that's right just take a look in the above photos.

How to get there, you may ask?

Well, If you have a MKII with an updated firmware you should be able to get the count in Photoshop CS2 or CS3.

In Photoshop open the photo file and go to File > File Info and then click on Advanced (last item in the list) and select http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/aux and look for an item called Aux: ImageNumber. That should be the shutter count.
It works with RAW and JPG images.

Canon 1D MarkII

Canon 1D MarkIIN

Well if you have a Canon 1D series then you are off the hook :)

I tried the same thing with my Canon Powershot G9 but with no luck :(

Since Canon 1D are the only ones I've got I did not tried this with some others. If you have find some great results with other cameras just drop me a line on the comments so that others could share this good Tip.

After I wrote this article I get in contact with Canon to know if this numbers that were showing would be the effective ones of your camera. Canon replied that they have a special software for this matter and you cannot trust this counters. The best way was to put the camera through custom service in order to know what are the real actuation of the shutter.

Well at least they are not the real ones but you can make an estimate on how many shots you have made with your camera.

I also noticed that if you upload a saved preset custom function the camera will assume that count as if it was the real actuation, well it's strange but it's the deal.

Unless Canon and the other camera manufacturers would not include this function on their software were do not have any real way of knowing what is the count for the shutter actuation.



--//-- Update 2012-05-20 --//--


There is a webpage where you can check your shutter actuation called EOSCount and it's a must for you to control your clicks.

This page only works under Internet Explorer and over Windows system because it uses an ActiveX controller to pull out the information from the camera.

Here is what the page looks like after pulling the info from my 1D MarkIV.

Tip: 580EX & 580 EXII Auto-shutoff Function For Remotes

If you are an owner of a Canon 580EX, like me, or upgraded to the 580EXII and plan to use it remotely, make sure you take this quick step to avoid having the flash auto-shutdown after each one minute period of inactivity and avoiding you some not so good mentioned comments like... what the fxxx happen to the flash?... or why this sxxx doesn't work anymore, it was working a couple of minutes ago?.

Well just save yourself from this and follow along :)

Most of the shooting I engage myself in that requires off-camera flash can be covered by my Canon Speedlites. The old 550EX power switch has 3 positions: Off, On, On w/Power-saving automatic idle shutdown.

With the 550EX's successor, the 580EXII (the updated 580EX), there are only two positions: Off, On. The automatic shutdown is enabled by default, and only requires an idle time of 60 seconds to shut the flash down. If you were using the flash on-camera, the flash would automatically power itself on when camera activity is detected but when the flash is detached, it doesn't wake back up.

These are the simple steps to disable automatic idle shutdown on a Canon 580EXII series flash:

1. Power the flash on (does not need to be attached to camera or PW)
2. Hold down the backlight/C.Fn button until "Fn 00 0" appears on the screen
3. Rotate the selector wheel until you see "Fn 01 0"
4. Press your selector button down so that the 0 begins flashing
5. Rotate your selector wheel to change the 0 to a 1
6. Rotate the selector to the "Fn 14 0" position and set it to 1
--- Update --- On the 580EXII is "Fn 01 0" position and set it to 1 ---//---
7. Press your selector button to save this parameter
8. Press your Mode button to return to the main screen

Pay attention that in order to disable auto-shutoff on the original 580EX series, select the "Fn 14 0" and set it to 1.

--- Update --- And for the 580EXII to disable auto-shutoff is "Fn 01 0" position and set it to 1 ---//---

Done! Now your flash will stay on as long as your power switch is in the "On" position.

Remember to switch it back on whenever you need to save some power when using the on camera flash.

--- Update --- I'm adding, bellow, 2 images taken from the Canon website with all the functions for each of the flashes, this way would be much better for you to change what best suits you on both models.

Custom functions for 580EX

Custom functions for 580EXII
---//---

Canon: Virtual Lens Plant

If you ever wanted to know how Canon make their lenses you now have a great opportunity.

Canon has created a Virtual Lens Plant with lots of information about their lenses.

You can navigate through the factory and see the several process that the lens have to pass before they reach your hands.

From Material Processing (Material Blending, Pre-Fusing, Fusing/Cooling, Quality Inspection, Press/Forming and Annealing), Lens Machining (Rough Grinding, Fine Grinding, Polishing,Inspection, Alignment and Coating) to Lens Assembly (Assembly1 - front Unit, Asembly2 - Back Unit and Comprehensive Inspection Completion) you got it all.

You can see all these stages on small videos instructional videos.

And last but not least you can also check the Lens Gallery and take a look at some of the most used types and features of the nowadays lens coatings and materials.

From the Optical Glass Lens, Ultra Low Dispersion Lens, Fluorite Lens and Spherical/Aspherical Lens and also come with small videos.

I think that after you look at all the website in the end you will know a lot more about your lenses and why they are so expensive :)

My Gear: Walking Bag

Another post of My Gear series.

This time I will bring you what I normally carry with me when I'm out walking or when going with my kids for a walk.

You never know what beautiful subjects you will find to photograph.

Normally, for regular photo assignments, I use the gear that you see on the above picture and you can see the details of all of it at My Gear - What's in the Bags? (Part 1) and My Gear - What you wanted to know but were afraid to ask (Part 2)

But today we will talk about my walking bag.

By this I mean it travels with me to wherever I go, and yes, also to restaurants and bathroom :)

As I said before you never know what you will get in those places.



Here is the Kit inside the bags.



Let's take a look inside the bags:

- Canon Powershot G9.
- Kata DP-415 camera bag.
- QuikPod and QuikPod small stand.
- 4 boxes with 4x 1,5v flash replacement batteries.
- 1 Canon Original NB-2L and 2 ioncell-plus replace for Canon NB-2L.
- Gadget Infinity Cactus PT-04 Receiver and Transmitter.
- 5x SD cards (2x Sandisk Extreme III 2Gb, 2x Transcend 2Gb and 1 Sandisk UltraII 1Gb).
- Canon 220Ex and carrying case.

All this will fit inside the Kata DP-415 bag except for the QuikPod and the Canon 220Ex flash that travels separately.


Illumination is up to the Canon 220EX and the Gadget Infinity triggers.

Well it's not a good flash since it does not have a manual control for full Strobist flashing but at least would give you some great FULL off camera blasts and you can control the rest on the camera or even use a ND flash filter to soften a little.

Well I like it because it's very small and since it was hidden on one of my bags with no use at least I turn out a good thing that I kept it.

Advise: If you have an older flash never send it away just because it's old, if it's working and don't matter about the brand, you can always make it fire with some cheap remotes and for sure you will arrange some use for it even if it's just to light some dark corner.



Well cards... I have some duper, duper, triple fast cards... but I use them on my other cameras so for the G9 you can find some inexpensive ones if you google around. Pay also attention not to buy fake ones.

I prefer using some brands that can give you a lifetime warranty even if they cost a little bit more.

I had an older Sandisks that stop working while giving me too much read errors. I contact Sandisk by email and received a quick reply saying "...send them over and we will replace them for new ones..."

What more do you need ?
Took me about a minute to pack them and send them to Sandisk USA and later on a 3 weeks period, on my returned snail mail, I got a unopened boxed with brand new ones.

Thank you Sandisk :)



Last but not least some DIY reflectors.

On the left I made one of a rectangular cardboard of an old box and glued on one side some inexpensive aluminum kitchen foil so it will cover it the round one I found it as base of one of Christmas cakes but I think this would be very easy o find since they make this as base for some round cakes.

Well the cake unfortunately is no longer with us and it was delicious :)



On the other side of the rectangular shaped one I glued 3 sheets of white paper so I can have a more flatted light and the round one is kinda white grayish look. But it also gives a soft light when needed.

Both of this sides are more soften for some macro stuff or even to reflect some sun light while taking some portrait shots.

Hope you have enjoyed this last tip and have yourself some inexpensive reflectors to carry around with you on some bag or pocket.

Today while doing some assignment shots I discovered some inexpensive reflective material that people use to warm them selfs on frozen days and I think you can get them for 1,00 euro or so, one side is silver the other is golden and they call them Thermal Sheet Covers.

Here in Luxembourg you can find them on local supermarkets.

Just grab one of these babies and carry along with you, if needed they can also keep you warm ;)

By the way, if you have one Canon Powershot G9, like me, you are a lucky guy and I'm sure you haven't dig out all the menus. There is one great feature available that most of you haven't use it for sure.

Just pay attention next Monday to the Tips article and you will find it out, unless of course you have been using it ;)

More on this next Monday, March 10th 2008.