New Lowepro Camera Bags

Inspired by the classic Magnum AW camera bag, Lowepro unveils its new pro video series, designed for the videographer who needs to work right out of the bag: the Magnum DV AW series.

 

(Sebastopol, CA, November 4, 2009) – Lowepro, a product design company that builds protective gear for photography equipment and portable electronics, announces the launch of the Magnum DV AW series. Designed for video, super-accessible, ultra-portable and protective, the Magnum DV AW series offers the videographer a practical, hardworking solution.

"This series is designed to address the tasks and needs of today's videographers," said Tim Grimmer, Lowepro product manager. "Inside and out you'll find design elements that speed their work, fit the unique shapes of their gear, make traveling hassle free and provide security for their equipment investments," he added.

The Magnum DV AW bag is quick and easy to work out of. The wide, dual-winged lid opens from the center, providing fast access to gear plus extra security with double zippers, a quick-release buckle and a hook/loop closure. Two roomy side pockets and a fast-access front pocket provide plenty of space for accessories, props and personal items.

The internal dividing system of Magnum DV AW is designed to accommodate different sizes and shapes of gear. Adjustable padded dividers and spacers allow the videographer to easily arrange spaces to fit a variety of video kits. An extra-thick interior base offers protection from the sharp metal baseplate found on most video cameras. And the Magnum DV 6500 AW includes side cut-out padding to cradle and protect an eyepiece.

Magnum DV AW is purpose-built for hassle-free portability. A wrapped and padded center grab handle, trolley sleeve and handcart straps offer multiple ways to transport a heavy load. Each bag comes with Lowepro's patent-pending Vertebral Tech™ Shoulder Strap. This inventive design features a spine-like structure imbedded in a double layer of EVA foam padding. The strap bends to conform to the shape of a shoulder, and no matter how it's worn—left, right, facing up or down—provides long-lasting support and comfort.

The sturdy, premium-quality molded base of a Magnum DV AW bag is stackable and water resistant. Lowepro's patented All Weather AW Cover™ serves as a raincoat for the entire bag, then zips away when not in use.

The Magnum DV 6500 AW offers a padded laptop compartment with adjustable dividers, allowing the professional to download video and edit on the spot.

Additional features include: 8 SlipLock™ attachment loops on the exterior; durable metal hardware and YKK zippers for strong and secure connections; and sturdy side grab handles (Magnum DV 6500 AW only).

The Magnum DV AW series includes the Magnum DV 4000 AW and the Magnum DV 6500 AW, both in Black.

All colors & sizes may not be available in all countries. Check with your local distributor for availability.

Design Highlights

• Internal dividing system features a long main compartment with a flexible structure to fit a variety of uniquely shaped video gear.
• Interior base crafted of durable, extra-thick padding to support and protect the metal baseplate of a video camera.
• Trolley sleeves and straps attach to luggage and most handcart systems for easy and secure transport.
• Includes Lowepro's patent-pending Vertebral Tech™ Shoulder Strap, providing comfort and support no matter which way it's worn.
• Magnum DV 4000 AW and Magnum DV 6500 AW bags meet most airline carry-on size requirements.

Dimensions

MAGNUM DV 4000 AW
INTERIOR:
15.9W x 11.8D x 11H in.
40.5 x 30 x 28 cm
EXTERIOR:
18.1W x 13.6D x 12.6H in.
46 x 34.5 x 32 cm
FITS:
Semi-professional, compact pro, hand-held HD camcorder (such as Sony EX-1 or Canon XH G1S); microphones; batteries; additional memory; external storage drives; lighting devices; charging devices; personal items.
Note: This bag meets most airline carry-on size requirements.
MAGNUM DV 6500 AW
INTERIOR:
20.1W x 9.8D x 10.6H in.
51 x 25 x 27 cm
EXTERIOR:
22.8W x 15D x 12H in.
58 x 38 x 30.5 cm
FITS:
Professional HD camcorders (such as Sony EX-3 or Canon XL H1); microphones; batteries; additional memory; external storage drives; lighting devices; charging devices; personal items; up to a 15.4" laptop in a padded laptop compartment with adjustable dividers
Note: This bag meets most airline carry-on size requirements.

View more information about the Magnum DV AW series

About Lowepro
It started with inventive spirit in a small Colorado garage over 40 years ago. Since then, Lowepro's camera bags have been traveling the world, earning the loyalty and admiration of the best photographers, and setting the industry standard for inventive, purpose-built products. Our collections include professional-grade designs for cameras, notebooks, imaging accessories and portable consumer electronics. It is our passion and privilege to provide accessible, comfortable and protective designs for our customers. Lowepro products are available around the globe, for every climate, for every condition. Wherever you go, chances are you'll find us there. To learn more about our inventive spirit, please visit www.lowepro.com.

 

Technorati Tags: Lowepro,Camera Bag,Accessories

The Complete Minolta SLR Camera & Accessory Guide

Think Tank Photo Releases the Cavernous Urban Disguise ® 70 Pro Shoulder Bag

For the photographer carrying two regular or pro size DSLRs with lenses attached to each camera body - or even a 70-200 f2.8 lens attached to any camera body - Think Tank Photo announces the release of the cavernous Urban Disguise ® 70 Pro.

Press Release

Santa Rosa, CA (PRWEB) November 3, 2009 -- For the photographer carrying two regular or pro size DSLRs with lenses attached to each camera body - or even a 70-200 f2.8 lens attached to any camera body - Think Tank Photo announces the release of the cavernous Urban Disguise ® 70 Pro. This is a briefcase style gear bag for traveling in style and protecting camera equipment without attracting attention as an obvious camera bag. The interior accommodates a host of camera configurations that enable photographers to keep all their gear secure in one bag.

The new Urban Disguise 70 holds even a 70-200 f2.8 lens attached to any camera body

This design concept is the culmination of years of observation of photojournalists and other photographers

It features:

• Secret pocket -- On the inside of the front pocket is a "secret" zipped pocket. It is designed to hold airline tickets, passports, and other irreplaceable items.
• Attaches to Rolling Bags -- The Urban Disguise 70 features a slot that allows it to be secured to a roller. A tab on the bottom prevents it from accidentally unzipping.
• Stretch pockets -- The pockets on either side of the bag stretch to hold items like cell phones, strobes, and even smaller water bottles.
• Business card slot -- The back of the bag has a slot big enough to hold many business cards so you can give them away to clients and friends.
• Rear zippered pocket - Ready access to magazines, notebooks, plane tickets, and other essential items.
• Shoulder Harness -- With Think Tank's Shoulder Harness (sold separately) the shoulder bag converts into a backpack.

Like all of the Urban Disguise shoulder bags, this new model is designed to allow photographers to travel in style while protecting their valuable equipment from prying eyes. They are intentionally designed not to look like camera bags, thus allowing photographers to carry even their larger lenses into potentially perilous settings.

"This design concept is the culmination of years of observation of photojournalists and other photographers who have jury-rigged their bags to decrease their public exposure," said Think Tank Photo founder and lead designer Doug Murdoch. "Whether it is a professional who wishes to maintain a subtle presence in potentially dangerous situations or a serious amateur who wishes to lessen the risk of having their gear ripped off, the Urban Disguise's design allows the right gear to be carried with less fear."

Specifications:
Internal Dimensions: 14.5" W x 12.25" H x 6.5" D (37 x 31 x 16.5 cm)
External Dimensions: 15" W x 12.5" H x 7.5" D (38 x 32 x 19 cm)
Weight: 2.2 - 3.8 lbs (1.0 - 1.7 kg) depending on accessories used
MSRP: $189.00

About Think Tank Photo

Think Tank Photo is a group of designers and professional photographers focused on studying how photographers work, and developing inventive new carrying solutions to meet their needs. By focusing on "speed" and "accessibility," we prepare photographers to Be Ready "Before The Moment," allowing them to document those historic moments that reflect their personal visions and artistic talents. We design products that help photographers travel easier, take pictures faster, and organize their gear more efficiently.

 

Technorati Tags: ThinkTank,Camera Bag

Digital SLR Cameras and Photography For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera

CANON U.S.A. ANNOUNCES TWO NEW REALiS MULTIMEDIA LCOS PROJECTORS WITH NEW "PHOTO IMAGE MODE" FOR ADVANCED COLOR MANAGEMENT

Press Release

 

New Mode Allows Users To Have Greater Control Over The Look Of Projected Images.

CANON U.S.A. ANNOUNCES TWO NEW REALiS MULTIMEDIA LCOS PROJECTORS WITH NEW "PHOTO IMAGE MODE" FOR ADVANCED COLOR MANAGEMENT

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 6, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the addition of two new projectors to its acclaimed line of REALiS Multimedia LCOS Projectors, the WUX10 Mark II and SX80 Mark II. These projectors include a new Photo Image Mode allowing for advanced color management and adjustments for ambient lighting conditions. This new mode is ideal for professionals with the most discerning image quality needs, including those in the fields of photography, education, engineering and the arts and sciences.

With the introduction of the Photo Image Mode, users can take advantage of added flexibility to improve the look and feel of images being projected. The new Ambient Light function allows users to adjust for lighting conditions by selecting from easy-to-use presets for both the type of lighting (Tungsten, Fluorescent and Fluorescent H) and intensity (Low, Medium or High). When selected, these options will automatically adjust the settings to ensure optimum color reproduction and image quality. In additon to adjusting for ambient lighting, the Photo Image Mode allows for fine-tuning of both color levels (intensity of colors) and color temperature. Similar to the ambient lighting, both of these adjustments can be made with easy-to-use presets. These new functions are ideal for users who are displaying content and cannot control the lighting conditions – such as educators speaking in classrooms or photographers showing their work in an art museum/gallery or at a seminar.
"The emergence of projectors used in the education and photography fields has grown considerably in the past few years," said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. "With the inclusion of the Photo Image Mode on these new products, users have added flexibility to fine-tune their projected images so they closely reflect how they were initially captured."
The new Canon REALiS WUX10 Mark II Multimedia Projector features an impressive WUXGA 1920 x 1200 native resolution (2.30 megapixels), 3200 lumens of brightness and 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio. This projector is the perfect solution for the increasing number of professional users displaying widescreen content as it supports 1080p full high-definition video (uncompressed) and offers a significantly larger display area than traditional XGA projectors. Similar to all other REALiS models, the WUX10 Mark II features advanced LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) technology, best known for producing smooth and grid-free images with fine details and exceptional color reproduction.
The new Canon REALiS SX80 Mark II Multimedia Projector is a high-resolution SXGA+ 1400 x 1050 (1.47 megapixels) model combining multiple user-friendly features, such as PictBridge connectivity, with easy installation and overall affordability. The SX80 Mark II also delivers 3000 lumens of brightness, a wide selection of video and audio inputs/outputs (HDMI and DVI included) and advanced LCOS technology. Whether in the corporate or education fields, this new projector provides the amazing quality and reliability users have come to expect from Canon's REALiS Multimedia Projector models.
Additional key features found on both new Multimedia Projectors include:

Genuine Canon 1.5x Powered Zoom/Focus Lens for increased resolution and suppression of lens aberrations

10:0 lens offset to reduce the need for tilting and/or keystone correction

RJ-45 Network Port and built-in network interface for centralized control and monitoring of multiple projector units (both projectors are also compatible with industry-standard controllers)
LCOS Technology
Realizing high levels of imaging performance, LCOS technology has garnered considerable attention within the industry. Compared with devices utilized in projectors employing different types of projection systems, LCOS panels facilitate the reproduction of exceptionally high-resolution images free of the "screen door effect," a visual distraction common to LCD projectors, in which a faint grid pattern appears over the projected image. In addition, Canon's proprietary AISYS (Aspectual Illumination System) Optical Engine further enhances the image quality by maximizing the performance of the LCOS panels and equalizing light from the projection lamp, delivering high brightness and deep contrast.
Availability and Warranty Information
The REALiS WUX10 Mark II Multimedia Projector has a suggested list price of $12,999 while the REALiS SX80 Mark II Multimedia has a suggested list price of $3,999. Both projectors are scheduled to be available in October, and are backed by Canon USA's Three-Year Limited Warranty and its exclusive Projector Protection Program ("Triple P"). Triple P is a FREE service program that provides a loaner projector of equal or greater value in the event that a qualifying unit is in need of repair. Triple P is available on all Canon projector models during the Three-Year Canon USA Limited Warranty period.^*
Free Lamp Offer
In conjunction with this announcement, Canon U.S.A. is also launching a Free Lamp Promotion which will run from October 1 – December 31, 2009. During this time, any qualifying end-user who purchases a new REALiS WUX10 Mark II, REALiS SX80 Mark II, REALiS SX80 or REALiS SX800 Multimedia Projector will receive a FREE lamp by mail – a $579 retail value. For more information about this promotion, including complete terms and conditions, please visit www.usa.canon.com/promotions.
For more information about our full-line of REALiS Multimedia LCOS Projectors, visit www.usa.canon.com/projectors.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked third overall in the U.S. in 2008†, with global revenues of US $45 billion, is listed as number four in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2009 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of "100 Best Global Brands." Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

# # #

† Based on weekly patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Availability, specifications and prices subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by the individual dealer and may vary.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Technorati Tags: Projectors,Canon

X-Rite Introduces ColorChecker Passport Into Digital Photography Raw Workflows – from Capture to Edit

All-new Hardware/Software Solution Also Offers Adobe® Imaging Solutions Users Even More Power With Seamless Integration of DNG Profiling & Many Other Passport Features.

Grand Rapids, MI –September 15, 2009– (NASDAQ: XRIT) X-Rite, Incorporated – the world leader in color management and measurement technologies today introduced ColorChecker Passport, an all-new solution for digital photographers working in a Raw workflow to quickly and easily capture accurate color, instantly enhance portraits and landscapes, and maintain color control from capture to edit. The powerful color control and creativity possible with the all-new X-Rite ColorChecker Passport are designed to be adopted into any Raw workflow – a solution made even more powerful when combined with Adobe® Imaging Solutions for those who want to benefit from DNG profile creation and the many other seamlessly integrated features of Passport. JPEG shooters benefit, as well.
“We developed ColorChecker Passport primarily for photographers working in a Raw workflow. It’s a powerful capture to edit solution for color control and creativity that becomes even more powerful for DNG profile creation when combined with Adobe Imaging Solutions. Users will benefit from the included Camera Calibration Application and Lightroom® Plug-In software to create Custom DNG Profiles that accommodate different lighting sources, even unusual artificial lighting. The extended functionality from the all-new camera calibration software also ensures an accurate color foundation, image to image and camera to camera,” states X-Rite Senior VP of Sales and Marketing Iris Mangelschots.
Introducing Raw Color Power From Capture To Edit
Based on X-Rite’s renowned ColorChecker product line, ColorChecker Passport allows those working in Raw to quickly and easily capture accurate color, instantly enhance portraits and landscapes and maintain color control from capture to edit  – significantly reducing image processing time and improving quality control. In addition, ColorChecker Passport delivers valuable color control benefits to JPEG shooters.
This all-new hardware/software color solution comes in a durable, protective “passport” sized case for the ultimate in functionality and portability, and combines camera calibration software and three photographic targets.
The Total Package Comes With:

White Balance Target

Classic Target

Creative Enhancement Target

Camera Calibration Software

Protective Case & Lanyard
All-new Creative Enhancement Capabilities: The Look You Desire In A Few Clicks
Whether it’s a studio shot, a colorful landscape or a multiple scene photo event, ColorChecker Passport extends the power of photo editing software with one-click enhancements that articulate your inspiration in a fraction of the time.
The Enhancement Target also provides a visual reference for judging, controlling and editing images for shadow details, highlight clipping or color shifts. This includes multiple levels of warming and cooling patches for portraits and landscapes to help create pleasing and repeatable edits with a single click. When it comes to clipping, the all-new Passport Creative Enhancement target offers the ability to quickly verify any clipping and ensure that the image has optimal shadow and highlight detail as well as ensure color fidelity across all hues.  
Extending An Industry Classic: Color Referencing For Specific Color Evaluation – PLUS DNG Profile Creation
The customary functionality of the Passport Classic Target is now extended with the included camera calibration software that produces DNG profiles of your camera’s response to the individual scene’s lighting. As a result, you get consistent, predictable and repeatable results from image to image and camera to camera. You can quickly establish an accurate color foundation, minimize color differences between cameras and lenses, and easily adapt for mixed lighting.
The Passport Classic Target still provides a built-in point of visual color reference. Photograph the Classic target in the same lighting as your images; then open it in your photo processing software as a reference to help with color correction.
The Classic Target also includes the 24 color reference patches, a long-time industry standard, with each patch representing the colors of natural objects, such as sky blue, skin tones and leaf green; and each patch reflecting light just like its real world counterpart. Each square is individually colored using a solid tone to produce pure, flat, rich color without dots or mixed tints.
The Classic target can help photographers make global corrections based on accurate information, saving hours of time by giving them a point of reference to see exactly how changes will affect the rest of the colors in an image before application.
White Balance Target:  Capture True Colors from the Start
The ColorChecker Passport White Balance Target is a newly formulated spectrally flat target that provides a neutral reference point that reflects light equally across the visible spectrum, compensating for varying lighting conditions. With the Passport White Balance Target, you’ll be able to eliminate problems that can arise from inaccurate white balancing such as color casts, and improve camera display previews for more reliable histograms as well as speed up post-production editing by eliminating the need to neutralize each image individually.
All-new Camera Calibration Software: Custom DNG Profiles with Adobe Imaging Solutions for an Accurate Color Foundation
With the included ColorChecker Passport Camera Calibration Application and Lightroom® Plug-In, shooters can quickly and easily build DNG profiles for Adobe® Imaging solutions including Lightroom®, Photoshop®, Photoshop® Elements, Camera Raw (ACR) and Bridge.
This new advanced profiling technology provides excellent results with just the small 24-patch ColorChecker Classic target, producing DNG profiles that work exceptionally well, even in unusual artificial light sources. Whether shooting with just one camera, or multiple cameras, photographers can easily establish an accurate color foundation and maintain control of their colors.
Passport Camera Calibration advantages include:

Camera calibration for Raw shooters for greater capability to calibrate and correct color

Accurate color that provides a consistent foundation for creative interpretation

Minimized color differences between cameras and lenses

Automatic adaption for mixed lighting

Color balance matches across different scenes

Dual-illuminant profiles that take into account two different light sources in a single profile
Create Dual-Illuminant Profiles
A very powerful feature of the software is the ability to create dual-illuminant DNG profiles. This type of profile takes into account two different light sources to create a single profile, which can be applied to an even wider variety of lighting conditions. Dual-Illuminant profiles can be made with any two of twenty-one supported illuminants, allowing you to create a profile for just about any kind of lighting condition you may encounter. Dual-illuminant profiles allow you the freedom to move between the represented lighting conditions without switching profiles.
Great for JPEG Shooters, Too
From the start, ColorChecker Passport has great benefits for those who shoot in a JPEG workflow.  You can ensure your JPEG files are captured correctly from the onset, giving you greater freedom to evaluate and optimize shadow details or highlight clippings as well as an excellent visual reference for color spectrum and color adjustments.
A Portable Protective Case: A Passport For Any Shoot
Rugged enough to take anywhere, small enough to fit into a camera bag or pocket, the protective casing adjusts to multiple positions to self-stand, providing the flexibility to place the targets exactly where needed and includes a lanyard for additional convenience for scene placement.
“With ColorChecker Passport, you can expect much faster image processing time, improved quality control, all in a cool little package that you can take anywhere,” Mangelschots confirms.
See For Yourself: Passport Featured On All-new Website
To view ColorChecker Passport’s features and benefits in action, visit xritephoto.com and click on the product page to view a ColorChecker Passport video. Featuring pro photographer and X-Rite Coloratti Seth Resnick, the video is one of the many informative tools available on the all-new website. xritephoto.com is both an online resource center and virtual community for anyone interested in digital photography to learn, explore, and exchange ideas about color.
Availability
Now Shipping. ColorChecker Passport is available exclusively through the MAC Group in the US and through participating dealers around the globe.
About X-Rite
(NASDAQ: XRIT) X-Rite is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes color industry leader PANTONE Inc., develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite’s expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com.

 

Color Management for Photographers: Hands on Techniques for Photoshop Users

 

Technorati Tags: xRite,Color Managment,Color Correction

Product Review: Composer From Lensbaby, Inc.

Technorati Tags: Lensbaby,Lenses,Photography,Bellows Lens

Written by T. Michael Testi

In my prior review of the Lensbaby 3G I said, "Every once and a while a product comes along and you really misjudge it. It may be that you are too hasty, or that you just don't understand the potential that it really brings. Or it just may be that it, over time, has matured into a really great product." Well, the Lensbaby line continues to mature and grow. They have released a number of new lenses and accessories that I am planning on looking at. This first one is called Composer.

The 3G was a bellows style of lens. That is, it is focused by moving the lens to the sweet spot and manipulating the bellows device to gain focus. The Composer is a completely new style of lens that is based on a ball and socket configuration. This provides a much smoother selective focus and affords much more ease in movement. With the 3G you had to use two hands, one to manipulate the bellows, and one to focus the sweet spot, in the Composer, you simply tilt the lens to a desired angle and focus with a traditional barrel ring.

The Composer stays in the proper angle without having to use the screw locks to hold it in place. It also is capable of using the new Lensbaby Optic Swap System which is a series of add-on lenses that can give you additional looks for your Composer. I will cover some of these in a separate review.

While I loved the 3G, the Composer is so much easier to use because of the ball joint architecture. You just push the front element of the lens one way or the other to focus your frame. There is a black ring on the mount that will allow you to adjust how tight the ball joint is and therefore how much wiggle room it has. This one you basically set it and forget it.

 

Once you have your frame set, you then twist on the focusing ring on the front of the lens to sharpen your focus. This is truly simple. It appears to me that the precision quality has improved since you are not trying a balancing act with two hands, but it also seems to have a sharper focus as well.

To change aperture, which will change the effect of the blur, you have these small magnetic disks that you place into the lens. The openings on the disks range from f/2 to f/22. You have a magnetic tool that is supplied which helps you remove the disk.

Because there are no electronic contacts on the Lensbaby, you have to set your camera to aperture priority mode and then let the camera set the shutter speed to get the correct exposure. You can also shoot in manual mode and handle it all yourself as well.

The lens that I worked with is for the Canon line of cameras, but they make mounts for Nikon, Sony Alpha, Minolta Maxxum, Pentax K, Samsung GX, Sigma SD Mount, and Olympus 4/3. The focal length is 50mm with a minimum focus around 18" and maximum focus at infinity. The lens itself weighs 5.5 oz (155.9 g).

As with all of the Lensbaby line, the Composer lens is geared for the creative mind. It is not something that you will use all of the time, but it certainly has created a place for itself within the professional photographer's tool kit. Sure, you could mimic some of this in Photoshop or another graphic application, but kind of like mom's pot roast and the kind you get at a diner, they are just not the same. If you want to get that home cooked creative shot, then I very highly recommend the Lensbaby Composer.

Product Review: ColorMunki From X-Rite

Written by T. Michael Testi

To paraphrase an old Beatles song, "Everyone has something to hide except me and my ColorMunki!" What do I mean? It is the hidden colors that exist in your photo, and because of any number of reasons, don't show up either on your monitor and/or on your printer, because they are not calibrated correctly and together. That is what the ColorMunki can do.

ColorMunki is the latest offering in the profiling and calibration market from X-Rite corporation and it brings some exciting capabilities to the prosumer photographic market as well as to the graphic design community. There are three models of ColorMunki, the ColorMunki Create, the ColorMunki Design, and the ColorMunki Photo.

Just what is a ColorMunki? In the case of the latter two, it is a full circle calibration and profiling product that makes round tripping from your monitor to your printer affordable to non-professional photographer and designer. It runs on Windows 2000, XP Vista with a Pentium IV/Athlon XP or better, or Mac OS X (10.4 or higher) G4 or higher processor, you need a powered USB port, a color monitor with 1024x768 or greater resolution, 16-bit video card (24-bit recommended), 512 MB RAM, and 300 MB of hard-drive space.

There are really two types of ColorMunki. One is geared for Photographers and the other two are targeted to graphic designers and illustrators. The version that I am reviewing is for photographers and is called the ColorMunki Photo.

The ColorMunki functions in two main areas. One is for monitor calibration and the other is for printer profiling and calibration. Anyone who has worked with photographs for any length of time is familiar with the problem with getting the image from the camera, through the computer and on to the printer and having it come out reasonably close to looking like what like what you shot.

One thing to note is that because of the fact that my screen and printer are calibrated differently than yours, there is no way for me to display my results and guarantee that you will see anything close, so all that I can do is explain the process. The company who makes ColorMunki has been making profiling devices for many years and is well established in the professional market and so they bring a lot of respect and reliability to this new device.

When you get the ColorMunki, you get a USB spectrophotometer; that is based on the much more expensive i1 Pro product from X-Rite. It is zipped in a pouch with a sandbag handle. It looks about the size of a construction grade tape measure. You also get a small manual and the installation software. The CD only contains a downloader so you will need an internet connection to get the latest version of the software; and since this is a new product you will definitely want to keep up with updates. The product license also allows you to install and activate ColorMunki on 3 separate computers.

After installing the software, to use the ColorMunki as a monitor profiler you select ColorMunki icon and you are presented with three options. The first is for round tripping between the monitor and the printer; which is probably what you will want to do when you first set up the system. The second option is for monitor calibration; which you will want to do on a regular basis, and the third is for printer calibration. Because the first option encompasses the latter two, I will focus on the second two as individual steps.

The beauty of the ColorMunki system is that it walks you through everything that you need to create a color calibrated monitor. Once you make a couple selections you are requested to hang the product over a spot on the monitor and the system takes over. Basically what happens is that the software displays specific colors on your monitor and the ColorMunki uses its spectrophotometer to measure the colors displayed for correctness. After it completes its process it then gives you the opportunity view the before and after results. You are then asked to save the profile.

Part two is the profiling of your printer. This consists of printing a test chart that contains 50 sample colors in five strips of ten. Once the test chart is printed, you are asked to wait for 10 minutes for the sample to dry; the system puts a timer on the screen which can be overridden if need be. This is where you will need to use some judgment because the longer you wait for the image to dry the better your representation will be, but that could lengthen your workflow because that will also be how long you will need to wait for your actual images to dry to see if your colors are matching.

When profiling you are given the option to create a new profile or optimize an existing profile. One thing to note, you will need to create a new profile for each printer/paper/ink combination. For most people this will really be one printer, one type of ink, and multiple papers. In this case, you will need to create one for each type of paper. Again the ColorMunki gives you options.

Once you select your printer, you will give your profile a name. This will usually identify the type of paper; possibly ink if you are using multiple ink systems. You are then asked to print the 1st test chart. One thing to pay attention to is that you will need to turn off any kind of printer color management that your printer supports. You will need to look to your printer documentation or online support to find out how to accomplish this. If your printer software allows you to, you should save this as a profile within your printer setup because you will need to do this for every test strip you print as well as when you print from your application. One thing to note here is that at this point, the ColorMunki profiles are geared toward printing in Photoshop and QuarkExpress.

Once everything is set, you print your test chart and wait 10 minutes for your sheet to dry. Once it is dry, you take the ColorMunki out of its pouch and place it at the bottom of the first of the five test strips. You can see the example. There are also videos available that show you how as well. On the screen you see a yellow box around the first test strip. You hold the button on the side and slide the unit somewhat slowly over the strip. When you reach the end, you release the button and on the screen you will see either a green or red box around the strip. If it is green, the box moves to the next strip. If it is red, then you will need to rescan the strip. When the color turns back to yellow, you can then rescan.

Once you successfully scanned all of your strips you will be asked to do this again to a second test strip. You will need to select the same setup profile to your printer that you used before. You then print the new strips, dry them, and repeat the scanning. The other option that you can use is to optimize a print profile. What this does is lets you choose an image to further enhance your profile. If you do a lot of portraits, you might choose an image with skin tones, or landscapes, one with outdoor colors. You then print an additional test strip with colors based on this image and scan it for greater accuracy of print rendering.

In most cases, no additional scanning is necessary, or perhaps round one of the image-based optimization will be enough for most people. Without going into too much detail, what this additional scanning does is allows the ColorMunki to target a specific color area in the printer's gamut. If your device is "well behaved" and the colors are linearly spaced when color management is turned off, then the initial profile should perform very well. If not, you may want to experiment for better precision of your color space.

One of the benefits that I really liked in using the ColorMunki is that you have the choice to spend as much or as little time to get much better prints. The optimization allows the ColorMunki to figure out what is going on inside the printer gamut and more accurately characterize the color presented in your photos. It is important to note that you must be consistent with your printer setups or your profile will take a left turn and your output will look nothing like what you intended when you use the profile. While the ColorMunki is a complex device, once you catch on to making sure that a few things are correct, your output will be so much better and reflect more accurately what you see on the screen.

Some other capabilities of the ColorMunki Photo include what is called a "DigitalPouch" program that will let you send images and photos to a client, friend, coworker in a digital package and this package will alert them when they are viewing the content in an environment were the color management is not setup correctly and the colors may not appear correctly. The ColorMunki also has the ability to do 'spot' color measurements that in turn let you use those measurements to build up palettes and color schemes. The ColorMunki also calibrates projectors as well.

There are three models of ColorMunki. I have described the Photo version which was designed with the emphasis on screen-to-print color matching. The other two are more geared toward a color selection, palette creation, and a palette management tool. When you launch the ColorMunki Photo you are presented with a profiling tool, and you have the option to use a color picker tool. With ColorMunki Design however, you first are directed to the powerful tool for color selection and palette creation, and the profiling is just a small button away.

The third product is ColorMunki Create and while it, too, is aimed at the design community, it comes with a colorimeter as opposed to the spectrophotometer. The display profiling option has been simplified quite a bit by removing many of the options, and there is no printer calibration as well.

My personal view is that the ColorMunki is a very welcomed and much needed product in this price range; $499.00 USD for the ColorMunki Photo and ColorMunki Design, since there is not a lot out there under $1000 that does full circle calibration and profiling. The ColorMunki Create is $149.00 USD.

It took a little bit of experimentation to learn how to use the product, but once I spent the time, I have been generating some of the best images from my system to date. From my understanding this learning curve will get smaller as X-Rite adds videos and additional training information to their site along with more in-depth customer support.

I guess at this point, if you have spent hundreds to thousands of dollars on your camera, more on your lenses, another $500 or more on your printer, why would you not own a ColorMunki to get the best output possible? Don't let the most accurate colors of your image hide in your printer; bring them out with ColorMunki. I very highly recommend the ColorMunki.

 

Technorati Tags: X-Rite,Photography,Color Correction,Printer,Camera,Monitor

Product Review: ExpoAperture2: Depth Of Field Guide from ExpoImaging

Written by T. Michael Testi

While taking pictures is easy, especially in this digital world, mastering the art of photography is not always clear and straightforward. There are a lot of variables to factor in and one of them is Depth of Field (DOF). The first barrier that usually makes people's eyes glaze over is that it is a mathematical calculation. It combines a number of different factors including the distance of the camera to the object being photographed, the focal length of the lens, as well as the aperture that is being used.

The ExpoAperture2: Depth Of Field Guide was developed to make this process much easier and much more accessible to the average user. While there are several versions, the one that I am reviewing is the combo pack which contains two ExpoAperture disks. The first covers standard focal lengths (15-135mm), and the second is for telephoto lens lengths (70-600mm).

ExpoAperture is a tool that will allow you to take control over depth of field and let you apply selective focus within your images. This guide will show you the relationship between focal length, focal distance, aperture, and the resulting depth of field and let you make the calculations you need quickly and easily.

Just what is an ExpoAperture disk? It was invented by George A. Wallace as a companion product to the ExpoDisk. Essentially, it is a small hand calculator made of durable plastic that can fit easily into your camera bag or shirt pocket so you can always have it with you.

There are two ways to use ExpoAperture. First is to determine the aperture that will produce your desired depth of field, or to figure your depth of field by your chosen aperture.

For example, say you are using a Nikon D200 camera. The first thing is to determine the sensor size; they give you a chart to look up the sensor size, and in this case it is 1.5x. You set your sensor size on the disk (the green #1 in the image). You then rotate focus zone dial to your lens focal length, in this case 200mm (yellow #2).

You next flip the dial over to find your subjects distance, say 13 meters (red #3). Then you choose your desired depth of field, in this case, 12 to 14 meters (red #4). You count the number of alternating gray and white zones covering this depth of field (gray #5). In this case it covers about one zone. You flip the dial back over and look for that zone number on the gray ring (gray #6), in this case it is one and shows f11 (brown #7). So that is your aperture. Determining the depth of field is handled in much the same way.

I found the ExpoAperture incredibly easy to use and understand. Once you get the steps down, it makes figuring out depth of field simple and much more accurate than ever before. ExpoAperture would be a great tool for the classroom, and in fact they make a large size that can be used in the classroom setting.

If you want to have better control of your depth of field, if you want to have a tool small enough to fit in your shirt pocket, if you just want to get it right, then you need ExpoAperture. At $39.95 USD, the ExpoAperture is incredibly affordable, and is usually available for much less if you shop around. I highly recommend the ExpoAperture.

 

Technorati Tags: ExpoImaging,ExpoAperture,Depth of Field,Photograpy

Product Review - Ray Flash: The Ring Flash Adapter from ExpoImaging

Technorati Tags: Photography,Ray Flash,Ring Flash,ExpoImaging

Written by T. Michael Testi

 

The new Ray Flash from ExpoImaging is a unique adapter for your hot-shoe flash unit that is designed to replicate the lighting effect that produced by traditional and much more expensive studio ring flash units. The Ray Flash was built to be lightweight and to be powered by your existing hot-shoe unit, it contains no heavy electronics.

What is a ring flash? First invented in 1952 by Lester A. Dine, it was originally used in dental photography to pinpoint light into a patient's mouth so that a clear picture of patents teeth could be made. In the 1970's, it was found to have other photographic benefits and took off in other genres.

The device itself is a circular photographic flash that fits around the lens of a camera. It is meant to provide even illumination on the subject, and is effective in reducing the number of shadows that can be produced by traditional flashes. In many ways, it works like a soft box in that it spreads the light from many angles and softens the shadows. It is now used in many different areas of photography, especially portrait and fashion photography.

The way the Ray Flash works is through little channels that direct the light from the flash around the ring. Closer to the top of the ring, the spot where your native flash is, there are no little reflectors, and as it channels to the bottom, more channels spread the light around the ring. One thing to note is that you will lose a little lighting power from your flash. It's about a full stop, so you will have to run your flash with a bit more power which in turn will affect your battery life, but that is one of the trade-offs for having a lighter unit.

Installation is really easy as well. As you can see in the image below you just slide the Ray Flash over the head of your flash unit and turn the lock on the top of the unit. Each Ray Flash is made for certain flash/camera combinations so you will need to make sure that you get the correct combinations. There is a list on the ExpoImaging site to make sure that you get the right one for your system.

The unit itself seems to be pretty well made. Its lightness is because it is made of a plastic material.  While I think that if it were used roughly, it could show some adverse effects and probably be irreparably damaged if mistreated, when treated with a little common sense and care, it should have no problems. My first thought was that it would be easy for this to fall off when using, but I had no problems with it.  Despite flinging and flipping my camera, it all felt snug.

Once you have it attached, shooting with it is as easy as ever. There is a little weight noticed, especially when shooting freehand and flipping the camera back and forth, but nowhere like a full mechanical ring flash attachment, or some of the do-it-yourself configurations I have seen.

In the sample below, the image on the left was shot with a Canon 20D and a Canon Speedlight 580EX II. You can see the harsh shadows that were produced behind the subject. The image on the right was done using the Ray Flash. No harsh shadows. I did no editing to either picture other than cropping and sizing.

As with all ring flash units, there is a certain amount of fall off. If you want the background to be illuminated by the Ray Flash, then what you are shooting needs to be close to background or use additional fill lights. Keep in mind that this is not isolated to the Ray Flash, but to ring flashes in general and I only mention it if you have not worked with a ring flash before.

At $299.00 USD, the Ray Flash may be a little pricey for the average hobbyist, but for someone who is doing portraits, fashion work, commercial, or wedding photography, this will make for a nice addition to your bag of tricks and will pay for itself many times over. If you are looking for a lightweight, easy to use ring flash, then you really need to check out Ray Flash.