This was an image that won me a Bronze Bar from The Guild of Photographers recently.

The building in the background is the historic Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, in the center of my hometown, York, which dates from 1357 and is a popular location for wedding ceremonies in the city. York is a very photogenic city generally, with many wonderful locations to photograph bride and grooms!

I positioned the couple on the left-hand third of the frame and then did a test shot for the ambient light, which at this point was fast disappearing. The ironic thing about shooting at dusk, is that if you want to capture the lighting that you see in front of you, you need to underexpose. This is because the sensor does its best to render everything it sees in front of it as if it was shot at two in the afternoon. I then used the pop up flash on my Canon 60D to trigger the Speedlite that Barry was holding, pointing into the umbrella at camera left. The pop up flash was used as a trigger only, and did not throw any light onto the scene. The Speedlite did a fantastic job of rendering Katy’s dress and didn’t need any compensation.

The image looked good straight out of the camera, but I took it a little further in Lightroom. I decided to darken down the background some more, so used the adjustment brush to reduce the exposure of pretty much everything except the couple and a patch of  lawn in front of them. Then there was just a trip into Photoshop to clone out an intrusive sign that was sticking out of the lawn to their right, and that was job done.

Vital statistics: Camera: Canon 60D with 17-55mm F2.8 lens, Canon 580EX Speedlite, manual exposure, F3.5, 1/100 sec, 1250 ISO, evaluative metering.

David Bellis is a professional portrait and wedding photographer in York, UK, a historic and photogenic city.

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Website: http://www.bellisweddingphoto.com/

Here are the basics: 15.1MP, HD video capture (full 1080p HD video recording at 20fps), a DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor, 3.4 fps for up to 170 large/fine JPEG images or up to nine RAW images in a single burst, ISO speeds up to 3200 in whole stop increments (plus H1: 6400 and H2: 12800), a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA). The camera comes with Canon’s Auto Lighting Optimizer, Creative Auto Mode and Live View.

The T1i is scheduled for delivery by early May and will be sold in a body-only configuration for $799.99 and in a kit version with Canon’s EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $899.99.

Initial Reactions to Canon Digital Rebel T1i / 500D

Joe Decker, a Photocrati contributor, talks about implications of the 500D / Digital Rebel T1i the “narrowing” of the market for digital slr cameras, and how the increased power and resolution of “entry” level cameras may soon reduce the size of the market for flagship pro models.

Digital Photography Preview says “this is most of a 50D stuffed into the familiar 450D body.”

Camera Labs says: “if the Beta unit’s quality holds up, … the Canon Rebel T1i’s image quality is at least as good as the Canon 50D, delivering more detail than most of the 12-megapixel cameras on the market for less money.”

Both the DPreview and Camera Labs comments above are based on preliminary use of beta models, so it’s a bit early to tell what the verdict will be. But it’s clear this is intended to be Canon’s new flagship model at the lower end of the market, and that it will be popular camera.

Details at Canon UK

Canon today launches the portable devices, designed with EOS and other digital photographers in mind. The Canon Media Storage M30 and Canon Media Storage M80 devices feature a large ultra-bright 3.7” TFT screen with 160º viewing angle for image and video review, and a 30Gb/80Gb hard disk to store digital images, movie and sound files of various file formats. Both units feature a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface and slots for CF and SD cards.The Media Storage M30 and M80 feature:

• 30/80 Gb hard disk
• 3.7” ultra-bright TFT screen with 160º viewing angle
  CF and SD card reader
• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connection
• Support for multiple image, video and sound file formats, including Canon RAW, MPEG, MP3 and WAV.
• Extended PictBridge functionality
• 4 – 8 digit image file password protection
• 1/8” audio-out headphone jack

Technorati Tags: canon, m30, m80, storage, cf, portable, gadgets, photography, news

Please be aware that there has been a fraudulent online promotional offer suggesting that Canon digital camera products can be purchased for unreasonably low prices directly from Canon. This may include the Canon logo, company name and/or product images. This is in no way associated with Canon Inc. or any Canon Group companies

They don’t offer any other details so just be wary folks!

Technorati Tags: canon, camera, offers, photography, news

Some of Canon’s competitors have chosen to use in-body image stabilization. The technique involves moving the image sensor in a controlled fashion, based on signals from movement detecting sensors in the camera body. The obvious advantage of this system is that users have some sort of stabilization available with almost any lens they connect to the body. Short focal length lenses require smaller sensor deflections; 24 or 28 mm lenses might need only 1 mm or so. Longer lenses necessitate much greater movement; 300 mm lenses would have to move the sensor about 5.5 mm (nearly 1/4”) to achieve the correction Canon gets with its IS system at the same focal length. This degree of sensor movement is beyond the range of current technology. Short and “normal” focal length lenses need stabilization much less often than long lenses, so the lenses that need the most help get the least.

There is probably equal amounts of truth and spin going on here, I imagine Sony’s system for some scenarios works better and for others Canons provides the best results. It seems though Canon and Nikon are going to provide the greater quality where it counts for me. I see no great need for image stabilisation for normal shots outside of long focal lengths. Perhaps macro photography would benefit, I don’t do much of that. Low light/long exposure photographs suffer as much from motion blur than camera shake in my experience.

I actually believe in future we will see software playing a much greater part with algorithms able to remove camera shake and perhaps even motion blur if required.

Technorati Tags: canon, nikon, sony, dslr, image, stabilization, lenses, camera, news, photography

Canon still holds on to the top spot but only barely beating Nikon into second place. Should be real interesting to see these giants jostle for position once all three consumer-level cameras are out in the marketplace.

Vendor	July	June
Canon	33.3%	51.6%
Nikon	27.4%	32.6%
Sony	21.6%	2.3%
Pentax	14.0%	7.6%
Olympus	2.8%	4.8%
Matsushita	0.8%	0.1%

Data from Bloomberg.com.

Technorati Tags: sony, canon, nikon, dslr, sales, camera, news

A thread over on Fred Miranda appears to contain convincingly genuine details regarding a “Canon EOS 3D”, said to be launched in around three weeks. The timing seems right, and photographers are drooling in anticipation with their wallets in hand, ready to buy. Rumored Canon 3D features:

• High performance AF system with 27 AF points, 11 of which are cross–type sensors up to f/4, with the center point cross–type up to f/5.6 and capable of AF up to f11. This performance is comparable or even better than the 1D series.
• ECF: Eye–controlled focus. A unique feature carried over from the Elan 7NE.
• 13.3 megapixel APS-H (1.3x) sensor with DIGIC III, capable of ISO 50 and 3200 plus ISO 25 and 6400 as expanded options.
• 6 frames per second continuous shooting speed, up to 40 JPGs or 18 RAW files.

Personally I was expecting an update to the 5D or a new DSLR in the 1D line. We will see …

Technorati Tags: canon, rumours, 3d, 1d, 5d, dslr, camera, news

The headlines are really going to focus on the 10mp sensor, which seems to be the standard nowadays after Sony and Nikon have moved to the Sony 10mp sensor for consumer cameras. What grabbed my attention though was the self-cleaning – something I would like to have and is unusual in the Canon DSLR line.

Autofocus is taken from the 30D and the LCD is 2.5″. Another interesting gimmick is the LCD shuts off when it detects you are using the eyepiece. Despite the pixel size actually being smaller than the 350D, improvements in Canons sensor design mean this model is rumoured to have the best noise control of any 10mp DSLR – something I am sure will be tested in reviews over coming months.

It is expected to come in under $1000 US with a kit lens after the unveiling at Photokina with a cashback offer no doubt in the works.

Check out the full specs here. UK Microsite.

So, will I upgrade? Probably not. Looks a very cool camera but only an incremental upgrade to my current and much loved 350D, I think my next camera will be whatever replaces the 5D … this will be the camera I recommend to beginner people who want to know which camera to buy though!

Technorati Tags: canon, 400d, dslr, news

Anyone not interested in gadgets can stop reading now, but for those of you who asked, this is the kit I use to cover a World Cup match. Like the vast majority of photographers at the tournament I’m using Canon digital cameras. You only have to look at the number of big white lenses at the pitch side to realise how dominant the brand is in professional sports photography. I use up to five Canon Eos digital camera bodies at the average match, my main cameras are two Eos1D mk2 cameras on my 500mm f4L and 200mm f1.8L long lenses. I also have my Eos1Ds mk2 attached to a fixed 35mm f1.4L wide angle and a 580ex flashgun which I keep by me in case the players celebrate right in front of me. I then place an Eos20D with a 14mm f2.8 and a borrowed Eos1D mk2n with a 16-35mm on remote controls placed at either side behind the goal on Manfrotto mini tripods. I also have a 135mm f2L and 70-200 f2.8L lenses with me in case I can’t get to sit where I want to use my preferred lenses.

professional, photographer, canon, sports, photography

There are a couple of features that would be great but I can’t see
happening, resolution increase and full size sensor. Full sensor would
make it ridiculously expensive even if the engineers could sneak it
past marketing. On the resolution side I think they could feasibly
manage a consumer camera now with 10mp for same price as the current
8mp but I don’t think they would want to eat into the rest of their
lineup. Having said that the 300 to 350 did bring with it an increase
of 2mp …

One thing I would love them to do is match the Nikons and have digital
overlays for the focus screen, I find them so nice to line up horizons
and for rule of thirds shots (so shoot me, I am an amateur, why do you
think I own a 350d in the first place!).

All the features I can think of them adding would eat into the 20D/30D
market in some way. My wishlist makes it basically a smaller, lighter
20D.

So what do you think the 350D replacement will be like and what will they call it? The 400D?

FWGroove suggested a list of features that I completely agree with apart from number 3, I think the 350D starts up just fine and it is actually one of the faster DSLRs on the market for boot time:

1. Put focus points in “rule of thirds” locations. After all, that’s where you’re supposed to put your subjects right?
2. Flash exposure compensation. We shouldn’t have to hack our firmware to get this feature.
3. Faster startup.
4. Stop making the grey ones…They tarnish the image of the 300D/350D.
   I just feel they look like cheap point and shoots and they look funny
   with black or white lenses.
5. Larger viewfinder for better manual focus.

We all seem to be agreed that Sony is going to have a big influence on the final design, they are aggressively entering the market with a decent machine with a good heritage. There is some discussion about in-body vibration reduction, probably to early to draw conclusions about what impact that feature will have and there is some doubt that Nikon and Canon will follow suit. Sensor cleaning, another Sony feature, would be a welcome addition. As Fenster says though, perhaps too late to change the design of this coming model he also speculates if the successor will not be an upgrade but a dumbed-down model like the D50 was to the D70s.

Back when we were rumour-mongering about what turned out to be the Canon 30D there was talk of a budget DSLR, the 3000D. Perhaps that will be it?

My guess is while we might know by autumn in time for Christmas,
probably some big photo show like Photokina, it might well be Feb 2007
(PMA?) like the 30D ..

dslr, canon, cameras, 350d, rumours, photography