<strong>The ten compact prime lenses provide metadata and enable the correction of distortion and shading. For the first time, even low-budget productions can employ visual effects.</strong></p>
<p>OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 24/04/2017.</p>
<p>No matter if it is Star Wars, Harry Potter or Avatar: these days, just about every film features special effects. For many small film productions, having visual effects in their movie would be a dream come true. Unfortunately, making the image fit the look of the footage has required expensive tools – until now. At the NAB Show in Las Vegas, ZEISS presented new metadata technology that makes this possible: the company has equipped its new ZEISS CP.3 XD compact lens family with ZEISS eXtended Data.</p>
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<p><strong>ZEISS eXtended Data supports and enhances /i-Technology</strong></p>
<p>What exactly is this? “ZEISS eXtended Data is the first metadata technology which stores the lens distortion and shading – for every single frame,” explains Christophe Casenave, Product Manager at ZEISS. “Moreover, all /i-Technology metadata are recorded, including the focus distance, aperture value and depth of field, which is supported by most cameras.” This makes the technology ideal for working with visual effects: by using the metadata, it just takes a few clicks to modify the image generated on the computer to fit the lens characteristics, and to then splice it together with the footage to create a realistic image. Distortion and shading can be corrected or even amplified in post-production.</p>
<p>“It used to be that only big blockbusters could take this approach,” says Casenave. “Cine lenses that provide metadata are relatively expensive and, up until now, distortion and shading had to be manually measured – a time-consuming and expensive process.” However, since ZEISS has incorporated the technology into its compact CP.3 XD cine lens family, low-budget productions can now take the same approach to creating their own special effects. “With ZEISS eXtended Data, we are offering Hollywood technology for everyone, providing small film teams with new creative opportunities.”</p>
<p><strong>An end-to-end solution: cooperation with Ambient and Pomfort</strong></p>
<p>With the ZEISS CP.3 XD, ZEISS not only offers the lenses with metadata, but has also given thought to storage and processing. It has teamed up with partners in the industry: the company Ambient has developed the MasterLockit Plus system together with ZEISS. It records all metadata along with a time code in case the technology is not supported by the camera. “This way truly everyone can work with ZEISS eXtended Data, no matter what equipment they use,” says Casenave.</p>
<p>Thanks to the cooperation with the software developer Pomfort, distortion and shading can be modified on the set in real-time using the Pomfort tool LiveGrade Pro. The film crew already gets a sense of what the final look will be during the shoot. The film clips and lens data can be consolidated and organized with Silverstack, Pomfort’s file manager.</p>
<p>ZEISS plans to further expand the new metadata technology in the future. “Our customers will then be able to upgrade to the new version, making the CP.3 XD a long-term investment,” says Casenave.</p>
<p><strong>Compact and light-weight</strong></p>
<p>In addition to the metadata, filmmakers have even more reasons to get excited about the new lens family: the ten prime lenses between 15 and 135 millimeters cover full-frame. As is typical for ZEISS, the image has a clean, crisp look, and ZEISS says the image quality is excellent. “These lenses deliver outstanding results, even in light situations with a large dynamic range, i.e. highlights and shadows within the same scene,” says Casenave. The maximum speed of the seven focal lengths between 25 and 135 millimeters is T2.1, the 15, 18 and 21 millimeter lenses have a speed of T2.9. With a front diameter of 95 millimeters, the lenses are light-weight and compact. They are particularly well-suited for hand-held filming or shooting with gimbals, Steadicam or drones. ZEISS has also improved focusing: the manual focus is now noticeably smoother. According to ZEISS, it is comparable with the ZEISS Master Primes and can also be operated with a small motor. The focus rotation angle is 300°. The lenses are equipped with an interchangeable mount so that they can be used on almost any camera. In addition to the ZEISS CP.3 XD, there is also a version available without metadata: the ZEISS CP.3.</p>
<p><strong>Price and availability</strong></p>
<p>Initially, a limited number of ZEISS CP.3 XD and CP.3 lenses will be available at dealers.</p>
<p><strong>ZEISS CP.3 XD</strong></p>
<div class="contentTable">
<table class="contentTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">Focal length</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">Recommended retail price (EUR/USD)</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">Available from</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">15mm/T2.9 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">6,400 Euro / 7,490 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">18mm/T2.9 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,800 Euro / 6,690 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">21mm/T2.9 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,000 Euro / 5,790 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">25mm/T2.1 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,000 Euro / 5,790 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">28mm/T2.1 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,000 Euro / 5,790 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">October</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">35mm/T2.1 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,000 Euro / 5,790 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">50mm/T2.1 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,000 Euro / 5,790 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">85mm/T2.1 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,000 Euro / 5,790 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">100mm/T2.1 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">5,800 Euro / 6,690 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">135mm/T2.1 XD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">6,400 Euro / 7,490 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p><strong>ZEISS CP.3</strong></p>
<div class="contentTable">
<table class="contentTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">Focal length</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">Recommended retail price (EUR/USD)</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">Available from</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">15mm/T2.9</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">4,900 Euro / 6,090 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">18mm/T2.9</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">4,300 Euro / 5,290 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">July</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">21mm/T2.9</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">3,500 Euro / 4,390 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">June</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">25mm/T2,1</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">3,500 Euro / 4,390 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">June</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">28mm/T2.1</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">3,500 Euro / 4,390 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">October</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">35mm/T2.1</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">3,500 Euro / 4,390 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">June</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">50mm/T2.1</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">3,500 Euro / 4,390 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">June</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">85mm/T2.1</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">3.500 Euro / 4.390 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">June</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">100mm/T2.1</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">4,300 Euro / 5,290 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">135mm/T2.1</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">4,900 Euro / 6,090 USD</td>
<td width="33.333333333333336%">September</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
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Newsshooter has done a short piece at NAB 2017 about the C-Log update for the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. Canon says they have added C-Log to the camera so you can have a smaller tool on set that will match up well with the other Canon cameras you may be using for your project.</p>
<p>Canon claims 12 stops of dynamic range at ISO 400.</p>
<p>This update should be available some time in July for $99 USD.</p>
<p><strong>Canon EOS 5D Mark IV</strong><strong>:</strong> <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1274705-REG/canon_eos_5d_mark_iv.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2bk6MtW">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/2bkM0ze">Canon Store</a> | <a href="http://mpex.com/canon-5d-mark-iv-dslr-camera-body-only.html?acc=3">Midwest Photo</a></p>
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<strong>From Reuters:</strong></p>
<p>Japan’s Canon Inc on Wednesday lifted its full-year operating profit forecast after reporting strong first-quarter results on the back of earnings from a medical equipment unit it bought from Toshiba Corp last year.</p>
<p>The camera and printer maker forecast profit of 270 billion yen ($2.43 billion), up from 255 billion yen estimated in January. It reported profit of 228.9 billion in the previous twelve months.</p>
<p>The upbeat outlook suggests Canon’s strategy to diversify has begun to reward the company after the $5.8 billion acquisition of the Toshiba unit and the $2.8 billion takeover of Swedish video-surveillance firm Axis AB.</p>
<p><em><strong>Canon also said the two existing businesses that have long dragged its earnings – laser printers and cameras – are also showing signs of bottoming out</strong></em>.</p>
<p>A recovery in the Chinese and other emerging economies is pushing up demand for laser printers, while continued popularity of so-called mirrorless cameras is driving camera sales, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Toshizo Tanaka said at an earnings briefing.</p>
<p>For the January-March quarter, Canon said operating profit jumped 88.8 percent to 75.67 billion yen from 40.09 billion yen a year earlier. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-canon-results-idUSKBN17S0II?type=companyNews">Read the full story</a></p>
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<strong>TOKYO, April 26, 2017</strong>—Canon Inc. (“Canon”) announced today that Canon and Miyazaki Daishin Canon Inc. (“Miyazaki Daishin Canon”) at their respective Board of Directors’ meetings held on April 26, 2017, adopted resolutions to conduct a share exchange under which Miyazaki Daishin Canon will be made a wholly-owned subsidiary resulting from a share exchange of Canon, which will become the wholly-owning parent company resulting from a share exchange (the “Share Exchange”), and concluded a share exchange agreement, as described below.</p>
<p>Canon, to be able to swiftly respond to changes in demand due to market fluctuations, is bringing manufacturing capabilities back to Japan as a way to strengthen mutual cooperation between development and manufacturing. At the same time, by vigorously driving forward automation Canon is also furthering its capabilities in camera production engineering.</p>
<p>To accelerate this effort, we decided to take this opportunity to make Miyazaki Daishin Canon, an affiliated company accounted for by the equity-method since 1980 that has contributed to the development of the Group as a manufacturer of mainly interchangeable-lens digital cameras, a wholly-owned subsidiary. In doing so, we will promote a synergistic combination of Canon Group business and management resources and construct a system that allows agile decision-making and prompt execution of important strategies. Going forward, the Group will work in a concerted effort to further speed up the management process and enhance its position in the camera market.</p>
<p>The Share Exchange will become effective on June 1, 2017, after approval is granted at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of Miyazaki Daishin Canon to be held on May 11, 2017. By contrast, Canon will adopt a simplified share exchange without approval at the general meeting of shareholders pursuant to Article 796, Paragraph 2 of the Companies Act. <a href="http://global.canon/en/news/2017/20170426.html">Read the full release</a>.</p>
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Bryan at The-Digital-Picture has completed his review of the Canon EOS 77D. In true Canon fashion, it’s not a segment leader on the spec sheet, but it’s definitely a DSLR you should consider if your budget for a body is around $900.</p>
<p><strong>From The-Digital-Picture</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>The 77D is positioned mid-level, as step up from the Rebel series cameras, yet remaining decidedly below the 80D in Canon’s lineup, targeting moderately serious non-professional photographers. While I’m sure that Canon is trying to better differentiate this model from the Rebels, it is still primarily a Rebel in my mind. It has the same size and shape along with nearly identical features as the announced-at-the-same-time Rebel T7i. However, the few feature differentiators are valuable, making it a better choice for most photographers – as long as the higher price tag does not trip up this decision.</p>
<p>From an upgrade perspective, the pair of new AF systems (45 pt traditional phase detection system and Dual Pixel AF system) alone make the 77D a great upgrade from the Rebel T6s. A faster frame rate and greatly increased RAW image buffer depth are also very-welcomed improvements. <a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-77D.aspx">Read the full review</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Buy the Canon EOS 77D:</strong> <a href="https://bhpho.to/2q3tPos">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2pi5xGj">Amazon</a> // <strong>Rent the Canon EOS 77D:</strong> <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=nQhWgvN5bco&subid=&offerid=493986.1&type=10&tmpid=24415&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lensrentals.com%2Frent%2Fcanon-77d">Lensrentals.com</a></p>
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<p>The Canon EOS system was introduced in March of 1987, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTECduYfWnI">Digital Camera Warehouse</a> and compiled a visual history of all EOS SLR/DSLRs since the first EOS 650 35mm SLR all the way to the latest EOS 77D from Canon.</p>
<p>Over 70 EOS cameras have been released, how many have you owned?</p>
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