1 – Wired networking capabilities…seeing that LAN port on the body was pretty cool! I do wonder what kind of battery drain will result from usage but we shall see!

2 – In camera HDR processing…cal it what you want but the folks at Canon seem to have sensed that the masses like HDR processing, and have added a 9 image built in processing engine to meet those needs.

3 – Bigger pixels! – The Canon 1Dx seems to also have embraced the pixel principle – the one that recognizes more isn’t necessarily better.  Instead, they’ve increased the pixel size on sensors.  What this results in (most likely) is less noise and smoother gradations between colors and tones in print results.

When you factor these new features in with the almost expected advances in processing, like new sensors, video, faster burst rates, more AF points, etc, this is going to be a serious consideration for professional photographers looking to make their work flow more efficient.  Likewise, enthusiast gear heads will also find plenty to salivate over with all the upgrades and additions.  For me though, the nearly $7000 price tag ($6800 MSRP) makes this probably out of reach to justify for my own needs.  After all, it’s not the gear that takes the photos, it’s you!

Of course, this is all just my own first take on the gear as announced from Canon.  What do you think?   Game changer?  Incremental upgrade?  Is this the way of your own future needs, or is this something you can pass on?  Sound off in the comments with your own thoughts!  The full details are here:

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e024803b812e#

You see, it’s a given that there are limitations to the “point and shoot” grade of cameras.  You simply don’t have the same degree of flexibility – no changing out lenses, a smaller sensor, more inherent noise, etc., etc. etc.  Yet, when you take an SLR, there’s a lot more gear involved, even if you “go light”.  At a minimum, you’re likely to have a camera body, a lens, a flash, and a tripod.  So, which do you do?  Thankfully, with the advancement of the “P&S” grade cameras, the differences between SLR’s and the “P&S” category has narrowed substantially.

So, the question becomes:  which P&S is a good alternative for the SLR when you just want to take something and go, yet still have the malleability to capture the kind of images you want?  Now, if you ask ten different photographers this same question, you will likely get ten different sets of cameras in varying degrees of priorities.  That being said, a short list of high-end P&S cameras is always helpful to consider.  Here’s the short list I picked:

There were some others I considered including a few from Panasonic, Sony, and Olympus, but in looking at the specs of those, all had an interchangeable lens feature, which makes them more SLR-like than most P&S counterparts, so I removed them from consideration.  Here’s the criteria I am using to consider cameras for inclusion in a P&S review section:

1.  True point and shoot design (no interchangeable lenses)

2.  Cost should be less than the entry level SLR for that vendor

3.  Raw or sRaw capacity is probably going to be a requirement…most high end P&S cameras I’ve seen have this feature.

These are of course, just subjective takes on which P&S cameras stand head and shoulders above the rest, and the criteria to classify ones for inclusion as “true P&S cameras”.  As they come through the doors, I’ll share thoughts and feedback with you, but for the time being, I’d also like to hear what others think of these selections.

Can a P&S really stand toe to toe with an SLR?  Is it even worth looking at?  What about the cameras themselves?  Are there others that you wish were included?  Do you own any of these?  What have your own thoughts and experiences been?  Sound off in the comments, and I’ll see what I can to do add others to this roster for upcoming review!  In the meantime, happy shooting, and we’ll be back tomorrow!

My coffee never had a better container!  Yup, it’s kind of hoax here, but it is a legitimate product.  This coffee mug has an exterior that is made to resemble the Canon EF 24-105 f4L lens.  It clearly isn’t, but truth be told, when I received mine in the mail, I was pretty excited.  It does serve its purpose admirably – keeping my coffee hot and in good sipping condition well enough for the duration of the morning caffeine intake.

I was a little disappointed that the focusing rings didn’t rotate, nor did the AF/MF toggle or the IS toggle – in fact, the former was simply painted on.  It did have the cap that looked like a real lens cap, but that didn’t pinch on like a normal lenscap would.  To an uneducated eye, I can easily see this as passing muster for a real lens…until you picked it up!

Nevertheless, it was the talk of the office when I poured my first cup of coffee into it.  It retails higher than I would have expected for nearly $40, but you can get your own here.  And for the Nikonians out there, don’t worry, Nikon versions are available too!

However, until then a few nuggets here and there will have to do.  (I am trying to coordinate with friend-of-the-blog Kevin Mullins to have a go at a podcast and this would be a great subject for him as he’s an accomplished wedding, event, and photographer from across the pond.  Kevin, I promise we’ll find a date here soon!)

So, the nuggets for this week are facial features – because at the heart of the portrait photographer is bringing out the beauty in your subjects’ face!  Here’s a great set of tips for bringing out the best in your subjects!  When shooting subjects it helps to keep in mind the three basic facial positions:  full front, 3/4 pose, and profile positions:

For subjects with round or wide faces, it helps to raise the camera angle slightly so as to look down to them just a little bit.  This elongates things a little more and minimizes the width perception.  It also helps to approach them with a pose that has a 3/4 look rather than a full frontal look.

For subjects with a thin face, just the opposite holds true – have their full face looking toward you with the camera and try to keep the camera at eye level with your subject.  Going up or down below their eye level will only serve to elongate a thin face even more.

For subjects with a large nose, it can often help to have them also face the camera directly.  By doing this, their nose will point straight into the camera to help minimize its size, and lets viewers see the rest of their pretty face!

For subjects with a smaller nose, it’s time to shift back to the 3/4 look…this will bring more depth to their face and “enhance” things a little…

Other tips I’ve picked up that are not specifically related to facial positioning include things like:

• People Deep-Set Eyes – Point light into their eyes. Light coming too far from the sides will accentuate the depth.
• Glasses – Bounce the light off the ceiling where possible. If not, position the subject so that glasses are pointed away from the lights.
• Dark Hair – Make sure that the background provides enough contrast so hair doesn’t just blend into it. Hair lights or a light on the backdrop are extremely helpful. Also make sure the background doesn’t show through hair.
• Double Chin – A slightly higher camera angle will be more flattering than straight on. It also helps to have the subject leaning forward.
• Large ears – Use a ¾ face pose or a profile.

There you have it!  Great ways to capture portraiture, specifically when working with facial angles.  Special thanks go out to my good friend Evan Ashenhurst for sharing some of his portfolio for this article.  You can see more of his work on his website at:  Ashenhurst Photography

A final footnote – since I will undoubtedly get a few questions about which lenses are best to shoot portraiture with, my favorite is the nifty fifty actually.  Amazingly sharp and the 1.8 depth of field is to be envied among all glass.  If you’re in the market for a portrait lens, you’ll definitely want to check this bad boy out.  Here’s the Canon-mount, a steal for less than $150 retail!

Today though, I thought I’d share a little-known (or at least not-often-discussed) tip about the Canon EOS camera line.  Did you know that there is a silent shooting mode?  To enable this mode of shooting, simply switch your camera to the live shooting mode (where you compose your image using the LCD instead of the viewfinder), and when pressing the shutter, it’s much quieter than when normally pressed!  I knew about this, but honestly had not used it in quite a while.  It’s one of those “Oh yeah…..!” moments and when reviewing some material, I came across this from the owner’s manual.  Here’s the page directly from the 40D guide:

This is a very handy feature to have if you don’t want to interrupt an emotional moment during an event (say a bride and groom kissing, a baby sleeping, or some other such occasion).Got your own unknown or not-often-mentioned feature to share about your own gear?  Sound off in the comments!  Have a great weekend all and we’ll see you back here next week!

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For the inquisitive, this was shot with off-camera flash, using Radiopoppers.  The EXIF data:

Since EXIF data doesn’t record flash settings, I want to say that this was at 1/4 power, bare bulb (no diffuser, umbrella, bounce or anything like that).  The hint of yellow reflection off the background of the stove is likely due to bounce off the yellow color of the teapot itself onto the black metal on the stove.  It was an unintentional but cool side effect, so I left it in!

As the old saying goes: “Keep on shooting!”

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

The G12 is a compelling camera.  The features I am liking are the LCD resolution, the f2.8 on the lens, and the manual controls over the exposure triangle (shutter, aperture and ISO).  It helps that I can also shoot in RAW which would fit my existing work flow.  The biggest cons for me are the proprietary battery, the MP count (I’d rather have 8 than 10 for this size sensor – makes for better noise handling in my opinion), and the price tag.  (Really?  $500 for a P&S Canon?  I can get an entry level SLR for that price…take it down $100 and you’d have a lot more buyers!)

The Powershot SX130 IS  is equally compelling.  With the larger 3″  LCD, acceptance of regular AA batteries, and manual controls, it’s tempting to go with this option.  The problem is that the Megapixel count is so high.  I wasn’t thrilled with the 10MP count above, so 12 here makes me very nervous.  After all, let’s face it that Canon’s handling of noise is not at the standard of the Nikonian crowd.  Here it’s also not the budget-buster that the G12 is either – a very enticing element to consider.

The Powershot SX 120 IS is no slouch either.  Saving a little more coin is always a good thing (it retails $20 cheaper), and is back down to 10MP for the sensor.  The problem here?  Saving $20 also compromises the ability to control things manually.  Frame rate is also noticeably slower too.  That’s a lot to lose to save a few pennies.  I likely will not go this route as it’s just too much being sacrificed for a minimal short term savings.

So, it’s really between the G12 and the PowerShot SX130 IS.  I think I am leaning toward the latter simply because I am not going to sacrifice as much in functionality.  Still have to check out some reviews and DXOMark ratings though.  A final answer should be forthcoming soon, but that is the upshot of where the Christmas Cash is gonna ching!  Of course, new gear is always coming out and Spring time is no exception.  That will lower the cost of entry on these current generations considerably, so I might hold off for a month – see what happens in the market to these three!

Some, of course, will ask why I didn’t consider the new SX30 or the A12000.  Truth be told, in Canon’s line-up, the A series is a notch below the SX series for a reason…it’s just as beefy!  As for the SX30, I read several reviews on it and the noise level at even ISO 400 seems high to what people were expecting.  I’m just not willing to throw money at a P&S for no reason other than “because it’s new”.

Let’s turn the perspective outward…anyone out there get any Yuletide Yen they’ll be using for new gear items?  What are you getting and why?

The first – from the Sigma 70mm Macro f2.8 – while this lens excels in the macro range, the f2.8 also nicely defines bokeh with smooth blur on the points of light:

Sigma 70mm Macro f2.8

The second comes from the kit Canon lens, the 18-55.  This was the non-IS version and I captured it at f5, which was the lowest f-stop I could drop to at 50mm:

Canon 18-55mm f5.0

Next up, my trusty, but not rusty 70-200L f4.0 from Canon:

Canon 70-200L f4.0

And, last but not least, the Sigma 50-500 f4.5:

Sigma 50-500 f4.5

The images are easily identifiable as a holiday symbol we are likely all familiar with, but the nature of the bokeh and blur tell quite different stories.  Some have more light bokeh spots than others.  There are others that have a smoother gradation of circles for their bokeh (due in large part to the number of blades that build the aperture).  Others still, have brighter spots of light.  Which one is the most successful in telling the story?  That depends on what the story is that you want to tell, what image speaks to you the most, and then, what the viewer takes away from your chosen image.  My theme here (if you didn’t guess it yet), is that Christmas is coming!  Our tree is up, and some primo subject matter is now present again for the photo-inclined.  So, what are the answers to these questions…only you can tell, because so much of it is subjective.  Which one works best for you?  Which do you find most compelling?  Sound off in the comments, and share your own thoughts on the “beauty of bokeh”.  Does it work?  Can it work?  Some have thought bokeh is a cop-out for blurry shots that should otherwise be in focus, while others have developed entire portfolios of imagery on the concept.  My suspicion is that bokeh as a subject matter is one of those things where you either love it or you hate it…so, which is it?

Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens – Touted as the worlds widest fisheye zoom, it’s an impressive feat, but not many shooters really need such a lens.  At $1400 price point, the price point will likely be too high for many to justify.  Cool factor – high, Use factor -  low.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens – I believe this is the first L lens in this zoom range, and for that reason, the optical quality will likely see a market improvement.  At a price point of $1500, the reach will appeal to many, but the price compared to the 70-200L f2.8 IS will deter more.  You may lose a little reach, but you gain a stop of light.  Not a lot of reach loss for IS gain!

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens – The 6th in the continuing series indicates that this is the go-to lens for the serious shooters…i.e. the pros of the sports circuit. The appeal? Drop in overall weight will reduce arm fatigue. The burden? $7 large! (Call your boss to see if accounting will approve it and best of luck!)

Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM lensThe best of the best – a fixed focal length prime and the bees knees of the profession, SI shooters, NFL, MBL, NHL, etc – if you are looking here for advice on whether to drop the $11,000 on this lens, I want to know why! Buyers of this grade of optics are the companies with budgets larger than my annual salary my many multipliers!

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III & Canon Extender EF 2x III At $500 a piece it’s really just improved optics. For each it also represents light loss – one stop versus two. if optics are important and light isn’t, the 2X is your choice. Add reach and minimize light loss – the 1.4X. A more cost effective approach – neither at this price!

*****

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The Vari-Angle Clear View LCD Screen

Just the other day over on Camera Dojo, I was lamenting with Kerry Garrison about how the LCD’s in Canon EOS bodies didn’t have the resolution.  In addition to having the tilting LCD for a variable angle of view (great for low angle shots when you just can’t get down that low), the LCD is a whopping 1,040,000 dot/VGA resolution!  To me that’s huge, and a long time overdue!

Video Improvements:

This is just insane.  Video HD used to be defined by the 1280×760 standard.  No Longer.  The 60D has a whopping 1920 x 1080 resolution for its video, as well as the ability to adjust it from frame rates of 24p, 25p or 30p!  the fact that the camera retains EF-S compatibility for lenses tells me it’s still  a crop sensor format, so to capture that kind of HD video is just plain HUGE!  For those that want to go after high speed footage, a downgrade to Standard Definition will result in frame rates upwards of 50p or 60p.  Not to the 1000′s yet, but this is an SLR after all, so significant nonetheless!

Bye Bye Compact Flash

With the 60D, Canon seems to be embracing the SD format media cards, because CF is no longer an option.  SD, SDHC and SDXC are all natively compatible to capture the 18 MP images.  It makes sense because the SD format is producing higher memory cards than their CF counterparts, and the extra capacity is really going to be needed for all this HD video!

Canon Commander Mode

To quote the Press Release: “The EOS 60D’s pop-up flash features a built-in Integrated Speedlite Transmitter for control of up to two groups of off-camera EOS Speedlites without the need for an external transmitter, providing an economical solution for multi-flash shoots.”  If you listened to the podcast two days ago, this was my only other lament.  Built in flash control similar to Nikon’s “Commander Mode”.   Finally!

Price

Yeah, it’s only $1099 – basically, making it affordable for most folks, myself included!

*****

Upshot – yeah, I need to get one (but not until the end of Sept it seems).  And of course, here’s the requisite images:

Whaddya think?  Do you want the 60D?  Is it worth it?  My say is YAY, but let’s hear from the reading audience.  What say y’all?

*****

Oh yeah, and here’s the full press release…

One last thing before you go though, I know you want to subscribe to the newsletter, so hit the sidebar and let me know you want a monthly dosage of free premium content including early bird announcements, discounts on workshops, webinars, and ebooks, with user featured photos and much more!  (It’s only available via subscription to sign up today before the Sept one goes out!)

• Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM

I owned the “nifty fifty” for about two months a few years ago and sold it pretty quickly because I was not happy without the USM there…it was very noisy and slow to focus…slower than I would have expected for a Canon 50mm lens on a Canon body. For me, if I get a first party lens, it should be better, all the time.  The first generation was disappointing me so this second generation with USM has a certain appeal.  We’ll see…

• EF 100mm f2.8 Macro IS USM

Don’t get me wrong, I love my Sigma 70mm Macro (f2.8), but I’ve heard really great things about this lens, and the fact that it goes a full 30mm longer (48mm on a crop sensor), and has the IS that is so legendary, just makes me salivate a little more.

Since I am on the subject of Image Stabilization, what’s noticeably absent from their rebate listing is the 70-200f2.8 with IS.  They have the f4 with IS, but not the f2.8 – it’s probably one of the priciest lenses in their line-up without going into things like super zooms, and is also one of the most popular, so I am wondering why.  Of course it’s popularity could also be the reason – with the logic that people will buy it regardless and that the rebates are advertising to promote products that don’t see the sales rates other lenses do.

Other than those three lenses, not much else motivating me to buy right now.  What about you?  Do you have any lenses on the list that you want?  How much can you save?  Is it worth it?  What’s next on your lens lust list?  Sound off in the comments – I really like hearing what others are looking at!

I’d like to also let everyone know that the next podcast will be up soon too – some technical difficulties prevented it going live yesterday actually, so after mitigating those, I expect it to go live tomorrow at some point.  Thanks for the patience as I scale things and adjust to ensure that you are always getting top quality shows!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

An interva-what?  You heard me – an intervalometer!  It’s just a fancy name for a remote  control timer.  I like the former though as it’s cool sounding word!  Sounds kind of like the little ray gun that the martian was going to use to destroy planet earth in the classic Bugs Bunny Cartoon.  Or was that a modulator?  Well, anyway, much closer to reality, I have found myself recently considering adding another gadget to my toolkit!  Regardless of what you call it, these devices are considered  the tool to have when creating time lapse videos!  Some vendors include a timer setting on certain models, so be sure you check your owners manual before running out and buying one.  (More point-and-shoots have them than SLR’s – go figure!)  Nevertheless, it’s something I am looking at.  Here’s a few models that I am thinking about:

The Canon Specific Branded TC-80N3 (at B&H)

Opteka Timer Remote Control (on Amazon)

If anyone has other suggestions for remote timers, I am all ears! Of course with the time lapse, there is also the post production concern – although I am using Camtasia for video on my Windows box and iMovie or Quicktime on my Macbook Pro, so am pretty sure one if not more can handle time lapse.  Nevertheless, that is always a concern too, so feel free t sound off in the comments with your suggestions there too.   Interested in seeing time lapse photography in action?  Check out these cool links I’ve found:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDfqCFFvfag
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ifTCa97G6Q
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxCUlvEkQDg

Audio aside, there are some really creative approaches out there to time lapse.  Most I’ve seen are sunrise/sunset, moonrise, etc.  But the above three really captured my eye.  So, there you have it, something to inspire some creative juices going into the weekend!  Got your own ideas or links to time lapse?  Sound off in the comments!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

For those that need a refresher, here’s what’s included so far (click the title to go the blog post where each item is explained in detail):

• Part 1
  1. Full Frame Sensor
  2. EF-S support
  3. Low Light Performance
  4. ISO handling
  5. Multi-card compatibility
• Part 2
  1. Megapixels
  2. Video
  3. Frame Rate
  4. HDMI support
  5. Internal wireless/Bluetooth
• Part 3
  1. Bracketing
  2. Shutter rating
  3. Re-designed pop-up
  4. Flash Focus points
  5. In-camera IS

Here you go, the grand finale…rounding out my top twenty requests for features to include in a dream camera are:

1.  Inter-vendor lens compatibility

So many times I’ve seen a Nikon lens or a Pentax lens where I’ve thought it would be so cool to use that on a Canon body (imagine the Nikon 8-400f4.5 on a 1Ds Mark III!), and with the Red Camera and its interoperability (you basically built it to spec) the idea is not too far-fetched.

2.  Firmware Add-ons

Just like with Photoshop and Lightroom, when you open up the firmware for your cameras to 3rd parties for additional feature development – the long run result is that cameras just become more adept.  Using the Chkdk “hack” on Canon is ok, but imagine if Canon (and others) just opened it up and said – “Buy it from us if you want support but here’s the firmware if you want to develop your own apps and features”  How awesome would that be?

3.  An upgrade Program

Some vendors have it, others don’t, and others do, but don’t tell you about it.  Imagine you are starting out and you pick up an economical 70-300 f4 lens.  It’s nice, but it doesn’t have IS, nor fast optics, and after a while, you notice that the optics aren’t as sharp as the 70-300L lens (or whatever).  Wouldn’t it be cool if the vendor then had a trade-up program for you where you send in your lens in exchange for a lower price on the new lens?  Then the vendor could refurbish the lens, and let the next newcomer in at a lower price?  There’s money to be made there and I don’t think vendors have really seized the day on this one yet.  And it’s a shame because with the economy grade glass, I fear too much is just getting thrown out and is not recycled.  The same goes for flashes, bodies, etc.! (Think the 430EX to the 550, to the 580…)  Computer vendors have upgrade cycles, why not camera vendors?

4.  Universal plugs for accessories

Proprietary adaptors for things like flashes, batteries, and other peripherals are right now the bread and butter of camera vendors in my estimation, because many people believe that only the camera vendor parts are able to perform adequately.  This is no longer true, and vendors perpetuating this myth only is a disservice to the advancement of photography as a field.  Third party vendors have figured it out, so surely getting Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and the others to agree on a format is worthwhile isn’t it?  We’re halfway there, just look at media compatibility (CF and SD are pretty much the industry standards, and it’s rapidly moving to only SD…)!

5.  Keep prices reasonable

Now I realize that I’ve just run off a list of 19 features that are pretty pricey – but odds are, if I want all these, I am willing to pay a price for it.  If you look at the math, the average price for a decent SLR these days is in the $1200-$1500 range.  When you figure that the average enthusiast will upgrade every 18-24 months – I’d rather spent $5000 once rather than $1500 three times in that same cycle.  Fewer upgrade hassles, more focus on the work less on the gear – and the vendor could make more!

Customer retention should be coming from your service and support, not from leap-frogging others in the industry every 18 months.  It distracts from the larger purpose of actually taking great photos.  The gear is only a tool…and forcing these upgrades every 18 months is just silly.

There you have it – 20 features of a dream camera!  That’s not too much to ask, is it?  What about everyone else?  Any must have features you’d rather see?  Anything I missed?  Sound off in the comments, I’d love to hear others thoughts!  I’ll be back tomorrow with more from the White Pocket trip!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you then!

But, this does not mean you have to spend money unnecessarily.  When there are savings out there to be had, I am all for taking advantage of such opportunities.  Many savings can come from DIY projects.  Here on the blog I’ve done a few DIY projects, not only to save money, but also to experiment.  This kind of experimentation and money saving is almost always a source of creative inspiration, and usually some decent images come out of them!

Then, there are other more obvious ways to save money.  Here I am talking about coupons and rebates.  Most vendors will offer savings periodically in the form of instant rebates, two-fers (buy one get one half off) and other gimmicks to try and get consumers to let go of a little money.  Here is where you can actually get some really good deals if you plan accordingly.  If you know that you will be upgrading your camera body every 18-24 months – then buy during rebate cycles.  The same goes for lenses, accessories, and computer equipment – although with the computer items, there are sales and rebates going on pretty much all the time, so it’s to a lesser extent there.

So, if you are planning on upgrading any photo gear in the near future – take advantage of the Canon rebates.  They are going on now and you can save a few bucks (nothing stellar, $25 on flashes, $100 on the 7D, and some savings on the 5D Mark II) on your purchases.  You might want to move soon because the deals end in early April (the 3rd I think).  After all, saving money is always a good thing!

• Need the links for the rebates?  Go here to get all the details.
• Got your own money savings ideas?  Share them in the comments!
• Or tell me on Twitter!
• Finally, today is the final day for the March Giveaway so be sure you get your images in before midnight!

Have a great weekend all, happy shooting, and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

Drobo – Yup, those proprietary RAID storage containers get firmware updates too – it’s version 1.6.8 for the Dashboard:

The Canon 1D Mark IV has a movie plugin available for Final Cut Pro available on the Canon website:

And last but not least, the Digital Photo Professional 3.8 came out a few weeks ago – also released from the Canon website.  Make sure you have the original installation CD’s for this as it’s an updater file and not the full version:

That’s it for this “Update Thursday” – just in time for the weekend’s “Backup Friday” reminder that I give out periodically – hint hint hint!    Happy shooting, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

To me, the idea screamed “blog post”!  So, I decided to go for it.  I went through every major SLR on the market today and cherry-picked my favorite features from each camera.  It took a while (there’s a lot out there), but I kept on plugging at it for a few days.  Finally, I’ve completed the list, and here’s my “perfect camera” wish list:

1. Full Frame Sensor – It seems the market is trending this way, and while the added zoom on a crop sensor can be nice, I’d love to see my 10-22 on a full frame body!
2. EF-S support – This is Canon-specific, but because of my 10-22 and 18-55, I would really love to get that super wide angle on a full frame without vignetting or fisheye distortion…I know, the impossible dream, but hey, it’s not like such a camera will ever really exist, so I may as well dream, right?
3. Low Light Performance – Think Nikon here – they’re beating the pants off pretty much everyone in the market with their low light sensitivity and handling.
4. ISO handling – the fact that you can shoot at ISO 102400 is pretty amazing, but the noise is crazy.  Sure, I’ll take the high ISO, but at least let me make decent prints from it.  This kind of ties into the low light performance, but since it’s a separate spec, why not…
5. Multi-card compatibility – Lately more cameras are supporting the CF and the SD format cards, but mine currently does not support the latter, so, it’s on my list!

That’s it?  Of course not, but do you really want me to list ALL the features I want to see in my dream camera in ONE SUPER LONG POST?  Of course not!  I wouldn’t want to read that either, no matter who wrote it!  So, I’m saving the other segments for another day soon (hint, hint, hint)!  I’m not even sure this is my “Top Five”, but it could be close.  I dunno, is it worth it doing a “top five” features list?  Would you?  Also consider this:  what is your dream camera?  What are the must have features for you?  How much would you pay to have them all under one hood?  I know it’d be a pretty penny, but think about how useful and how long it would last you…!  Sound off in the comments with your favorite features!

Don’t forget, the March Flickr Giveaway is underway where you can win a Cheetah Stand, so make sure you enter your favorite WILD pic today!

Yes, that’s right, I am looking at the T2i, but like everyone else, my look is virtual rather than real, so for those expecting a hands-on review, you’ll have to wait until it ships.  For what it’s worth though, here’s some initial thoughts on looking through the specs that Canon released.  First off, their PR description from the landing page on their website:

“The new flagship of the EOS Rebel line, Canon EOS Rebel T2i brings professional EOS features into an easy to use, lightweight digital SLR that’s a joy to use. Featuring a class-leading 18.0 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor and increased light sensitivity for low light photography, the EOS Rebel T2i also has an advanced HD Movie mode for gorgeous Full HD movies. Able to capture up to 3.7 frames per second, it’s ready to go the minute it’s picked up. Advanced Live View, a new wide-area screen, plus features like Canon’s brilliant Auto Lighting Optimizer and Highlight Tone features ensure brilliant photos and movies, easily. With some of the most advanced features of any digital SLR, it’s simply the best Rebel Canon has ever created.”

So, wow, right off the bat, they are calling it the new “flagship”.  Impressive words, but I am a little surprised by this as flagship is usually used in reference to the top-of-the-line in a product, which in Canon’s case is the 1Ds Mark III. Well, it’s a Japanese company though, so a minor nit…now, on to the nitty gritty details.

Media: First off, Canon has changed from the venerable CF format card to the SD format card for their entry level lines…which I think is a first (I am sure someone will sound off in the comments if I am wrong though).  This includes support for the traditional SD, as well as the high capacity, and the extended capacity cards (SDHC and SDXC respectively).  This is kind of cool as my P&S uses those card types, so this means buying fewer types of media for newcomers to the SLR world.  One point for Canon.

Megapixels: Weighing in at a whopping 18MP count – this is kind of surprising, given that the sensor is is the crop format – that’s an awful lot of pixels to be cramming onto a sensor that size.  With Nikon holding the edge in noise handling, I am afraid of what kind of noise this MP count will produce at anything above 400.  I remember my Canon XT (which had less than half the MP count at was pretty rough above the 400 ISO setting.  We’ll see, but for now I am afraid this is one point against Canon.

ISO/Shutter Speed: Well, they went and did it…not only did they jack up the MP count, but they also brought the super high ISO settings to the entry level cameras.  You can now shoot in High ISO mode (12800), so the amount of noise that is going to appear here will likely be screamingly high which is not a good thing.  Sure, it enables more low light shooting, but at what expense?  Give me better noise handling and I’ll be impressed, but with the 18 MP count, I am not holding my breath.  On the shutter speed side, also a little disappointed.  They’ve upped the ISO, and MP count, why did they leave such a cheesy shutter in there?  Only 1/4000ths of a second?  This is the same that the Rebel XT had some 4 years ago – you can’t improve shutter quality in 4 years?  How depressing….another 1/2 point off for a total of more more gig against the body in this category.

Video: Not a big shocker here as most cameras are moving to add the video recording capability in SLR’s.  The big advantage of having video in an SLR is that you can change lenses where formerly you needed super-expensive video equipment to do this.  The fact that Canon has extended the HD recording capacity to its entry level line of DSLR’s is impressive with a full 1080p.  It seems the format is also in the popular .MOV style which is probably one of the most portable ones available.  Kudos to Canon here, so one point for them on the video.

Frames per Second: No surprises here, the entry level is still not very fast with only 3.7 fps.  One of the reasons I upgraded to the 40D and am now looking beyond that is the burst of 6 fps that comes in mid range models, so am happy to leave that behind.  The fact that they were able to eke that much out with the new MP count is impressive, but stil,l very much “entry-grade” in the shutter fps count.  One point against ‘em (sorry guys).

LCD Monitor: I am glad to see that Canon has adapted in this regard and is now providing higher resolution screens for the entire lineup, with the entry level “flagship” weighing in at 1,010,000 dpi – something that my 40D doesn’t have!  The large 3″ size should be a notable nod as well so one point for you in this element.

Focusing Points: Only 9?  Really?  Disappointing, as this is available in many of the P&S line-up.  Pony up a little here Canon and give ‘em a few more to choose from.  A little surprising that they haven’t raised the bar here – given the advances in technology.  Sorry guys, but gotta dock another point here for not bringing up the count.

Price: Ah yes, the final point to consider when buying an SLR – how many sawbones are leaving your bank account.  The MSRP for this is not surprising given the market point as an entry-level DSLR:  $899  This does include the kit lens of an 18-55 IS lens…so if we take that price from B&H of $170 off, that means the body only will weigh in at roughly  $729.  Once you stock up on a spare battery, media, and swapping out what I am sure is the cheap-o strap (which is still the one provided in their high end 1Ds Mark III camera which boggles my mind) for one with decent padding, your price is right back up into the $800 range for the body and required accessories.  This really starts getting into the subjective element here, but for me, when I see entry level SLR’s in Target, Wal-mart, Costco, and the like for $600, and high end P&S cameras in the same category, shelling out an extra $200 for the feature set doesn’t really seem worth it to me.  I’d rather save the $200 for the accessories, with a lower end SLR from the big box stores, or get a high end P&S from B&H that pretty much does everything this does except the interchangeable lenses.  That, combined with the economy being what it is, and this seems a tad over-priced.  Sorry guys, but another notch against you here…you gotta adjust to market conditions and given the rest of your product line, it’s just not worth it!

So, what’s the final tally?  let’s take a look and see:

Points For: 3

• +1 – Media
• +1 – HD Video
• +1 – LCD Quality

Points Against:  5

• -1  – Price
• -1 – Focusing Points
• -1 – Frame Rate
• -1 – ISO/Shutter
• -1 – Megapixel count

The final tally has more cons than pros, which means I can’t in good conscience say that this body is worth jumping into the DSLR range for beginners.  Save some moolah and go with the XS – it’s got roughly the same frame rate with an MP count that is more appropriate for a crop sensor camera.  Granted, you don’t have the HD video and are dealing with a slightly smaller screen (2.5″ versus 3″), but how much are you really planning on using that screen for checking image sharpness anyway…probably not much – that kind of evaluation comes in during post.  And you save $320 in the process.  Start off with this and some nice glass and you can upgrade to the mid-range down the road which will give much better features in terms of IQ, response time, and the like.

So, there you have it- my first look/thoughts on Canon’s latest release.  Have you looked at the details yet yourself?  What do you think?  Is it worth it or a waste?  Am I off in my estimation?  Sound off in the comments, as your feedback and input is really what matters… enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you back here on Monday!  Until then, happy shooting!

(Clicking on the Cover Image will take you to the Publisher site: Peachpit Press)

I did pull out the 40D and run through the settings with the book in hand because while I do not own the 50D, I figured that the 40D had enough similarities to use it in conjunction with the read.  This was helpful not only because I fond myself saying “I didn’t know I could do that!”, but also because I got a better handle on the differences between the two bodies.  For instance, on the 50D there is a dedicated button for Live View, whereas the 40D uses the button on the center of the rear dial.  The 50D also has a “Creative Auto” mode which is not present on the 40D…

One eureka moment I had was the sensor cleaning feature – while I knew that the camera will auto-clean the sensor on start-up and shut down, I did not know that there is an option to “clean now”.  Jeff’s advice to run this feature after swapping lenses is a good idea, and one I will definitely be adding to my work flow when out shooting (assuming of course that I am swapping lenses without turning the camera off and back on – which is my usual practice).

Another was the discovery of the “Flash Off mode”.  Because I usually shoot in one of three creative modes (manual, aperture priority or shutter priority), the basic zones have rarely been used.  The discovery of the “Flash Off” mode sounds interesting and I may have to give it a whirl.

As the title of the book suggests though, this is not really a text to explain each of the features (although he does a good job of that), it’s more about leveraging your camera on how to take better pictures.  Jeff does do a quick run through of the “Top Ten Things to Know” in Chapter One, and this is a great starting point.  As Jeff himself says, the book is not meant to replace the Owner’s Manual, rather to complement it.  Instead of telling you what the button does, Jeff tells you how you can use it to take better pictures, which is the key difference between this book and an Owner’s Manual.  It’s kind of like a blend between an Owner’s Manual and a primer on photography.

Some of the sections I liked Jeff’s in Jeff’s book include:

• Raw versus JPG (I didn’t know what JPG stood for before reading this…do you?) (Chapter 2)
• Different lenses (wide angles vs. telephotos vs. zooms) and their uses (Chapter 2)
• The Exposure Triangle (Chapter 1)
• Tips for Shooting Action (Chapter 5)
• All of Chapter 8 – Mood Lighting – lots of tips and tricks here to achieving certain results with various techniques

My favorite part of the book – the assignments at the end of each chapter – here it’s basically a recap of what was covered in the chapter, but also gives you bullet points of things you should be familiar with both as a result of reading, but also from your own experimentation.  While many books will finalize things with the idea of getting out and practicing, the fact that Jeff encourages the reader to get out and practice with each element and does so frequently elevates this book over many others in the same category.

One disagreement: There is one thing where I actually kind of shuddered when I read it – in the book, Jeff describes the procedure for firmware updates and goes through the procedure of doing so by tethering the camera to the computer. While I know that Canon does have this as an acceptable approach for firmware updates, they also have the set of instructions for using just the memory card, which is preferable for me.  I wish Jeff would have covered both of these methods, and then let the reader decide for themselves which method they prefer.  Instead, he simply covers how to update firmware using the computer, and I do not recommend this approach! While I am sure there are many that have used this method successfully, and it’s an acceptable practice according to Canon, for me this is not the best way to complete firmware updates.  I don’t like this method for three reasons:

1. It requires installing software on your computer so it can “detect” the camera and I like keeping my computer free of unnecessary software if I can…
2. Data transfer rates are slower, which means more time for things to go wrong (and I would think your battery is discharged more too)…
3. It goes counter to the instructions I’ve read from Canon for the 40D.  Even though Canon lets you do it through the computer now, it still needs a blank memory card to complete the process, so it’s like you are using the computer, and the memory card.  For me, I’d rather just keep the process simple.

Keep in mind though, this is a subjective topic, and it’s not necessarily wrong – I just wish he would have offered both options for updates rather than just covering the one approach.  This is not a reflection on the book as a whole, rather on one specific talking point.  Overall, the book is a great resource, not only as a reference for the 50D specifically, but it also is great for its coverage of some of the basic principles and practices in photography.  I like how Jeff takes the features of the camera and then transcends the camera-specific details to cover the ideas of how to take/make better pictures.  This just goes to show you that it really isn’t about the camera – it’s who’s behind it!

Jeff has taken this topic of “Snap Shots to Great Shots” and applied it to several books, so if you don’t own the 50D, check out his other titles as well on the Canon 500D and the Nikon D5000.  Jeff’s site, Photowalk Pro, is one of my daily reads too – it’s listed in the sidebar, and I also get email updates too.  To get your own feed or email subscription, check him out here.  If you are interested in any of his books, visit Peachpit (the publisher) or Amazon for more info.  I’ve included links here to the purchase points from Amazon:

• Canon 50D: From Snap Shots to Great Shots
• Canon 500D: From Snap Shots to Great Shots
• Nikon D5000: From Snap Shots to Great Shots

If you want to become a better photographer, this book would be a great starting point, not just if you own a 50D (but it is particularly suited to 50D owners).  Jeff’s writing style is easy to follow and he covers a great amount without overwhelming the reader.  I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Canon 50D, or just how to take better pictures in general…

That’s probably enough material for today.  Thanks go out to Jeff for sending me a review copy of his book to read – it was quite enjoyable!  (Readers – stop over at Jeff’s blog and thank him there too if you liked it!)  If you’d like me to review some more books, share your thoughts  here in the comments or with me via email and I’ll see what I can do.  Until tomorrow then, happy shooting!

CES News

• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V
• Casio EX-FH100
• Samsung CL80
• Sony and Olympus announced adoption of the SD format
• Samsung TL210

Canon Camera Announcements

• A3100
• A3000
• A495
• A490

We also had been noticing a lot of the newer SLR cameras have been announcing firmware updates, so if you have a relatively new SLR, check your vendor website for details.

Sharing Your Photos

• Flickr
• Forums
• DeviantArt
• Photography Corner

Hosting Services

• WordPress
• Smugmug
• Squarespace
• Livebooks
• Self-hosting
• Paying a Design Professional

Picks of the Week

• Erik’s Pick: Nicolesy Blog
• Jason’s Pick:  Joe McNally’s Blog

Listener Questions

Print Resolution versus Screen Resolution (Jason)

SEO for Websites and Flash (Erik)

Listen to the Podcast

Catch up with me and Erik on our respective websites – you know my info, but if you want to learn more about Erik and his work, here’s his web presence links:

• Flickr
• Twitter
• Photography
• Web Design

A long show for sure – but tons of content.  Thanks to Erik for taking the time to sit down and talk again – we’re going to try to make this a regular occurrence, as well as get some others involved in the conversation! Thanks also go out to the folks at Audible for their sponsorship of the blog!  Happy shooting, and share your feedback, here, on Erik’s site, on iTunes or even with the folks at PLM (thanks to them for their sponsorship as well!)  Happy shooting and we’ll see you here again tomorrow!

I can’t guarantee I will have a post ready for tomorrow, so this could also be the last post for 2009 as well.  It’s always fun to look back and review the year this close to the end.  I’ll have some more details trickling out once we’re into 2010, including the always popular “Best Blogs”.  There does seem to be a trend as in 2007 I posted my “Top 7 of ’07″, followed by the Top 8 of ’08, and most recently, the “Top 9 of ’09″.  Can you guess what is coming soon in January?

Here though, it seemed appropriate given that the podcast was released today, to note that it is episode 37 of the show.  That means 37 episodes in 52 weeks – that’s more than one every other week.  I am not sure what the average show length is, but am guessing it is in the 30-45 minute realm, which means some people out there have spent at least 26 hours (over a day!) listening to me talk about photography!  Got another day available for 2010?

I hope so because we’re going to have a lot more fun and cool stuff coming up in the podcast, and on the new radio show for newcomers over at WebtalkRadio!  More guests, more articles, more tips and tricks, and yes…more contests!  These shows and articles and contests though really are here for you, the listener and reader though, so if you want me to cover anything specific, please feel free to let me know in the comments of the blog or via email!

Anyway, enough of the “back story”.  Here’s the show notes:

Photo News:

• National Geographic Available on Hard Drives
• Autostitch for iPhone
• iPhone gets a camera upgrade

Listener Q&A

Which Lens?

• EF-S 15-85 f3.5-5.6 IS USM          (=24-136)
• EF-S 18-135 f3.5-5.6 IS                 (=28-216)
• EF-S 18-200 f3.5-5.6 IS                 (=29-320)
• EF-S 17-85 f4-5.6 IS USM             (=27-136)

Scripting Resources:

• http://www.kirupa.com/motiongraphics/ps_scripting.htm
• http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/jennifer/photoshop-scripts.html
• http://www.ps-scripts.com/bb/

There you have it!  Enjoy!

Last but not least…don’t forget the contest deadline is rapidly approaching – tomorrow midnight is your last chance to get your favorite Giving photo into the Flickr thread to be eligible for the prize bonanza!  Lots of stuff is going to go to some lucky participant, so get it up there and good luck!  Happy New Year one and all, and we’ll see you next year here on the blog/podcast/etc.!  Happy Shooting!

In all things technology-related, there is a principle called Moore’s Law which states that technology will advance at a rate of re-doubling roughly every two years.  While this principle was developed primarily for computers, we can draw similar analogies for digital photography too, with the sensor being analogous to the transistor.  The rate of increase has not quite been on par with re-doubling every 2 years, but the increases can be noted pretty impressively going from a mere 4 in 2001 to a current rate of  21 MP per frame for DSLR cameras (I am only looking at the Canon line-up here:

• Canon 1Ds Mark III = 21MP (2007), Retail
• Canon 1Ds Mark II = 16 MP (2004)
• Canon 1Ds = 11MP (2002)
• Canon 1D = 4 (2001)

Lenses aren’t like that though – focal lengths don’t change that much.  Instead, technology has allowed lenses to become faster at the longer end of the given focal lengths.  We’ve also seen the introduction of image-stabilization technologies.  The addition of new technologies in lenses does not necessarily deprecate previous generations – it merely antiquates them!  This means your lens may not have the bells and whistles of future generations, but it should work indefinitely if treated properly.

Keep in mind though that there is a distinction between full frame and crop sensor cameras here though, because Canon has two lens lines, the EF line and the EF-S line.  The EF-S line is intended for the crop sensor cameras and cannot be used on the full frame mounts – if you try to use an EF-S lens on a full frame body, the mirror could slap down and shatter the back element of the glass, so avoid this scenario if at all possible!  (There are some converters on the market that will extend the gap between the mirror and the element to avoid this, but I’ve not used them.)

Lenses are also different from camera bodies because there are no moving parts that can fail.  Well, that’s not entirely true because zooms do have moving parts when you rotate the lens, and these can fail. * However, because the lens is always a closed item, the susceptibility of a lens to parts failure is not as high as it is for camera components.  Shutters, for instance, have a certain lifespan for which they are rated, (usually somewhere between 50,000-150,000 actuations).  Lenses don’t fail after a certain number of focal adjustments (assuming you are handling the lens correctly), and in the case of fixed focal length lenses (primes), this is even less the case.

So, a lens can literally last for as long as the vendor makes a body that will accept the mounting mechanism, and in the case of most vendors, I don’t see that changing any time soon.  I’ve had my kit lens from Canon when I got my first Rebel XT back in 2004 and it still works great on my 40D – it may not be in the lineup anymore (neither is my 40D either, but I digress…), but any EOS body will accept this lens and the image quality has not deteriorated at all over time!  Lenses can last forever!

How long have you kept your lenses?  Do you have any “go-to” lenses in your bag that you anticipate will always be there?  Let me know your favorites!

On a blog administrative note, don’t forget that there’s still a little time left in the Flickr Giveaway thread for December, so if you have any shots (the holidays are good times to capture those “Giving” themed photos), make sure to get one in for a chance to win that $400= prize package!  Happy Shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

*ETA:  Special thanks to Marco for pointing out in the comments that there are quite a few moving parts in even fixed focal length lenses.  In addition to the focusing ring, there is also the diaphragm that moves which closes down the aperture to the correct setting for every actuation of the shutter, so there are moving parts in any lens, including fixed focal lengths.)

See, it installed and worked perfectly well with Windows XP, but when I went to load it on my trustworthy Mac running OSX 10.4 (Tiger), got an odd error:

Lightroom 3.0 Beta Error

As those of us in IT say when we see cryptic errors like this:  “That’s not so good…”

But here, it just serves as a reminder to those of you early adopters out there – keep your existing workflow as you experiment with Lightroom 3, because after all, that’s why they call it a “Beta”!  So, any thoughts on why this would happen?  Feel free to sound off in the comments or with me via email or Twitter.  I’m not too worried about it as I’ve got my LR2 and iPhoto to work with, so am happy just acting as a tester in the Windows world.

Last but not least, I know I promised to have a winner for the October contest announced today, but time just ran away from me with several projects coming to a culmination over the past few days. (Good news for the blog and podcast though as tons of content is about to pour through the siphon here!)  That announcement will come tomorrow…and until then, keep on shooting!

ETA:  Based on the initial comments and my actually taking the time to read the docmentation, it does appear my version of OSX (Tiger, or 10.4) is not supported with Lightroom 3.0 Beta, so until I upgrade the OS, my Beta experience will be restricted to Windows XP.

You knew it was gonna happen.  A new camera body has hit the market from Canon.  It was only a matter of  time.  The latest?  The Canon 1D Mark IV!  (That’s four in Roman numerals…)  What’s it got going for it?  Lots of features and functions.  Everything is being discussed ad infinitum from Megapixels to frame rates, to video, to shutter speeds to ISO’s, and everything in between.  In the end, I’ve come to one conclusion:  the camera market is always changing, always advancing, and new gear is coming out all the time – from all the vendors.  Want some proof?  The Canon line-up of Digital SLR’s in its entirety is little more than 2 years old – with the oldest being the 1D Mark III which was introduced in early 2007.  Take a look at the current active line-up of Canon DSLR’s and their dates of introduction (from Wikipedia):

• EOS 1Ds mark III – Mid 2007
• EOS 1D Mark IV – Two days ago
• EOS 1D Mark III – Early 2007
• EOS 5D Mark II – Mid 2008
• EOS 7D – 2009
• EOS 50D – Mid 2008
• EOS Rebel T1i – 2009
• EOS Rebel XSi – 2008
• EOS Rebel XS – 2008

That’s a lot of cameras!  And that’s only their active lineup!  Others that have been “deprecated” (taken out of production) include the 40D, 30D, 20D, 10D, Rebel XT and probably more.  It’s funny actually that the two SLR’s I have owned are the XT and the 40D – neither of which is in production anymore.  And both of these cameras were absolute cutting edge on their release roughly 2 years ago and 5 years ago respectively.  The XT marked a new era of consumer grade SLR’s and the 40D marked a significant advancement to the 20D which was the most popular camera for serious enthusiast shooters for many years.  (Apparently, the 30D was only an incremental upgrade…)

A lot of people have been asking me:  “Are you going to upgrade?” What does the new MP count mean?  What about the video?  Do we need to be concerned about this?  Is it priced fairly?  What about this?  What about that?”  Lots of techno-babble is going around, and to be honest, I can’t keep up anymore.  For me it’s about one thing and one thing only:  Does it take good pictures?  In both the active and the deprecated line-up, the answer is a solid yes!

For what it’s worth, for me, I will continue to use my current camera until one of two things happens:

1. It breaks
2. My needs exceed its ability

Having said that, I am always interested in hearing what others think about the latest developments in the camera and photography industry.  It’s always fun to talk gear talk, and prognosticate, and “oooh” and “ahhh” over the latest gagedtry.  If I had a million bucks, then sure, I might look at all the stuff and buy every time a new one comes out, but until then…the above criteria fit the bill for me just fine.  What about everyone else though?  Does this make sense?  Am I being curmudgeonly?  Am I burying my head in the sand?  Is there something I am missing?  What are your thoughts on the “latest and greatest” in the camera world?  I’d love to hear, so sound off in the comments and via email – who knows, you may get your name featured on a podcast!  LOL

In the meantime, as always, Happy Shooting!   (We’ll see you back here on Friday with hopefully the latest podcast and some weekend nuggets (like a winner for the Flickr Monthly Giveaway!)

Instead, here I will simply share some of the interface, and a few before and after shots here so you can get an idea of how well this software handles noise in your images.  So, enjoy!

First up (after entering your license code), you’ll have a screen that looks like this:

Noise Ninja

You can see the yellow squares in the image on the right that shows the sections scanned to determine the noise profile for the image selected.  On the right, a closer view of what the image will look like (or at least a close approximation) after the noise reduction is run.  You see how you can make certain adjustments on one of several tabs.  On this main tab, you can see the options for Image Profile, Profile Chart and radio buttons for luminance and color values, along with the reset option.  I actually leave these alone most of the time.

On the second tab is where I vary my noise reduction adjustments (and I would venture to guess most people make their valuation adjustments based on the image used).  Here’s the options available to you:

Noise Ninja

You can see here that many more detailed adjustments can be made to the strength, smoothness, contrast, USM amount, radius, color noise, and then checking whether you want the processing done quickly (turbo) and applying the settings to coarse noise situations.  I made my adjustments to 12 for the strength, smoothness and contrast (and typically use these ones for most images with noise).

In the next tab, as shown below, you can see the noise brush, where you can apply the noise on a paint mask or an erase mask, specify the channel (luminance, chroma, or all) ad the quality of the brush trail by not only the type of edge, but also by radius and strength.  (This is very handy if you want the noise reduction faded across the image so as to leave some noise behind for artistic effect!  Normally I don’t make adjustments here either – but it is fun to play!)  Take a look at the interface:

Noise Brush

The Actions tab, as shown next, defines how Noise Ninja operates when it’s loaded.  Specifically, here is where you can tell NN wither the profile is by default configured based on EXIF data or to create a profile from the image, or to use a specific profile. This can be very handy as well if you are batch processing a lot of photos that were shot under the same or similar circumstances so that a profile doesn’t have to be loaded each and every time.  The fallback, and filter policies can also be defined here as well.  Here typically I leave the default settings alone as I prefer not to batch profess since my type of work is more geared toward fine art and individual edits rather than massive quantities.  To each their own I guess – take a look at the interface:

Noise Ninja Actions

The next tab is the annotations tab.  I almost never use this, as this is a place where you can add additional EXIF and metadata.  Since I prefer to take the values from camera rather than adding my own specific notations, this tab doesn’t get any use from me – but it can be handy if you want to vary settings based on things like manufacturer, Model, FIlm type Megapixel count, ISO level, etc.  A second tab lets you add even more…see the interface captures below for reference.   Noise Ninja to me is isn’t about editing exif data though – it’s about noise reduction, so I skip these tabs.  Take your pick:

Noise Ninja Annotations Tab

Noise Ninja Annotations Tab 2

I do occasionally reference the Image Info tab though, because some useful information can be obtained there as well.  Things like the manufacturer, model, and more specifically, the ISO setting at which the image was taken.  ISO settings can be an indication on the amount of noise that was introduced due to camera settings and thus, how much can be reasonably applied.

Noise Ninja Image Info

You can see that my first image, shot at ISO 3200, was subject to some pretty intense noise on the 40D.  So, I ran the process, and take a look at the before and after results:

Before

Before Noise Ninja processing

Some pretty heavy noise, as expected, so let’s just look at the image after processing:

After

After Noise Ninja processing

See the difference in grain?  Yeah, I was impressed too.  But is it always the case?  I ran another couple images through NN and got the same or similar results on other objects in my print box.  (Which, by the way, is a great resource for test shots when looking into lens and gear performance on a wide variety of things like noise, white balance, macro, depth of field, and much more.)  Here’s another sample crop just to show you for comparison sake:

Before NN Processing 2

and after…

After NN Processing 2

Again, some impressive results.  When push comes to shove, results is where it counts in my book and PictureCode delivers at a superb value.

Now granted, there are other noise handling programs out there, and if you ask a dozen people what they use, 5 will say one, 5 will say another, and 2 will offer up another alternative.  When push comes to shove, it really is up to personal preference on which one “works best”.  For me, it doesn’t really matter as long as you are aware of what noise is, what it can do to an image, and how to fix it.  The tool you use is up to you.  I think Noise Ninja is probably recognized well enough for a reason, and the results here seem to suggest why.

The rest I’ll leave up to personal preferences, and if you would like to contribute your own thoughts, by all means, share them here in the comments or with me via email.  If you want to try it – you can download a free copy from the folks at PictureCode here -  or simply participate in the October Contest over at Flickr and win a copy from them for free!

That’s it for today – happy shooting all, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

Here’s a few shots from the Press Room:

Canon 7D front View

Canon 7D Side View

Canon 7D Back

Lots of specs, but most impressive to me:

• Spot AF mode reduces the size of a single AF point to focus on small subjects like an animal in a cage.
• AF Point Expansion mode uses a cluster of AF points adjacent to the selected AF point to automatically assist focusing on moving subjects, such as an athlete on the run.
• Zone AF divides the 19 AF points into five selectable focusing zones and makes it easier to achieve focus with subjects that are difficult to track with Single Point AF or AF point expansion, such as birds in flight.
• Fully manual exposure control on the video
• The built in flash has a speedlight transmitter for controlling EOS flashes like the 580 EX II that I just bought!
• Live view for both video and still frame work (per request in comments)
• AND THE PRICE:  $1700 RETAIL!  OH MY GOD!  Definitely counting pennies now!
• You can also get it with a kit lens (the 28-135 is hardly “kit”) for only $200 more at $1900

CONS:

• Retains the full frame sensor of its predecessor 5D series (per request in comments)
• Correction:  This has TWO crop sensors:  THIS IS NOT FULL FRAME

So, what do you think?  Lots of pros, but is it a real step forward when the sensors are the APS-C sized ones?  What do you think?  Would you pay this price for another crop sensor camera?  Sound off in the comments…