Canon announces updated version of their popular Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM lens

Canon has announced an updated version of their full-frame Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM lens.

This high-quality full-frame EF mount lens was released quite a few years ago and an update is very welcomed. Having owned this lens myself (sadly, now sold) I can certainly vouch for it's quality and I'm confident the updated lens will not disappoint.

You can read the full Canon press release here.

Canon EF 24-70 mm F/2.8 L USM lens for sale

I'm selling my wonderful Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM lens on eBay - check it out!
The lens is in MINT condition, no marks or scratches. It comes with a UV filter in place, for extra protection, a Canon carry case, and lens caps. I've looked after this lens, so it is like new.

Click here to view my lens on eBay

Canon EF 70-200mm f 2.8L IS USM lens for sale

I'm selling my wonderful Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM lens on eBay - check it out!
The lens is in MINT condition, no marks or scratches. It comes with a UV filter in place, for extra protection, a leather Canon carry case, and lens caps. I've looked after this lens, so it is like new.

Click here to view my lens on eBay

Canon - Back-button autofocus explained

Here's a very useful article by Canon on how using another button to achieve focus, other than the shutter button, is useful.

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2286

Canon EOS 40D firmware update released

Canon has released firmware v1.0.8 for the excellent Canon EOS 40D DSLR.

"This firmware update (Version 1.0.8) incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. Fixes a phenomenon in which Image Stabilization operation emits a sound when certain buttons are pressed, with the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens attached to the camera.
2. Fixes a phenomenon in which the Image Stabilization operation emits a sound from the lens when IS lenses are attached to the camera.
3. Fixes a phenomenon in which a part of the image looks unnatural when reviewed on the LCD.
4. Corrects errors in the Spanish and Norwegian menu screens."

[Get the firmware here]

Iryna Stevens photo shoot

Update: some of the photos from the shoot are now on iStockphoto. Click here to view my portfolio on iStockphoto.com.

In an earlier post I mentioned that I had planned my first photo shoot and I am pleased to say that it took place over the weekend. It was a fantastic experience; I learnt a lot in those two hours, made some mistakes, and took 479 photos! Sure I was nervous, I didn't have any experience of using studio lighting equipment, but it wasn't like the model was a wannabe model either - it was Ukraine model Iryna Stevens! I mean, this girl has done it all, and here's me with the opportunity to photograph her.

It will take some time to go through all the photos, so check back soon, but for now here's a sneak peak at one of the photos from the session.



I think the shoot went well considering it was my first time (darn, was trying so hard not to say that!); I'm not sure yet, but I reckon I got some cool photos and hopefully a few that I can add to my iStockphoto portfolio.

So what did I learn from my experience?

Being a little nervous I completely forgot some of the things I should have been checking as the shoot progressed. For starters, check and double check the lighting - without a properly lit model all that effort is for nothing. I temporarily messed up the lighting, where they were pretty much pointed in all the wrong angles - I can't believe I did that, but that will teach me not to rush next time.

Secondly, and without my realising, I must have turned a dial by mistake and the shutter speed was lowered from 250 to 160! I hadn't noticed until about 100 photos later. :(
To be fair, most of the photos are sharp anyway, so it was mostly the exposure that suffered a little. Messing up the overall lighting was much worse.

And finally, I took along some gray cards to use as my benchmark for proper white balance later - and did I use one? No! It completely slipped my mind and I only realised once I was packing up. Note: it was used before the session though...when I arrived at the studio I heard Iryna behind a set of doors and curtain give out a little scream when a wasp found it's way into the studio. I offered the gray card pack I took along as a means to remove the little beast!

So what about the camera and lens?

The Canon EOS 40D and the 24-70mm f2.8 L USM lens were perfect. Nuff said.

Nikon D300

As an avid digital SLR photographer, I've had my eye on the new Nikon D300 for a while now. If the specifications are anything to go by, it may convince some photographers to jump ship from Canon altogether (unlikely I know, but stranger things have happened) or new users will be buying Nikons (not Canon, or other make) from the outset.

I started with the Canon 350D, and then upgraded to the newer Canon 400D DSLR last year. You don't need me to tell you it's a fantastic camera and I am very happy with the camera and results, especially if you invest in quality glass.

With the D300 I feel that Nikon have struck a big blow to Canon in the semi-professional photographer market. The D300s feature list alone surpasses those on Canon's top of the range models, the 1D, which can cost as much as 5-6 times more, let alone the mid-range cameras Canon offers. I mean, 51 AF points are better than 9 as found on the Canon equivalent! 51! But in the back of my mind, I always felt there was something lacking with the D300, almost as though it is trying too hard to impress with it's shiny new features, if such a thing is possible for a camera! Looking beyond the features, and based on the many reviews I've seen, I feel that the D300's image quality is not up to the same quality as a Canon DSLR equipped with a quality lens. Canon still beats it on noise control and produces sharper images.

So, I'll be keeping my Canon 400D for a while longer yet and invest in my first L series lens in the near future. In the meantime, I eagerly await news from Canon on their next line up of digital SLRs. Game on.

Updates to Apaxvn website

I've been making some changes on my website: Apaxvn. Granted, it's not a major overhaul by any stretch of the imagination but it's a start isn't it?

So what are the changes? Well, in an effort to retire to somewhere hot and chilled (yeh right), I added a widget from Amazon, and Google Adsense to present related, relevant ads to visitors.

The Amazon widget is pretty cool if a little unsightly - basically it's a horizontal Flash product scroller. For now I added a few cool products, like the lovely new hi-fi from Sony called the *Giga Juke, the very nice *Canon 40D DSLR camera, and the awesome *Call of Duty 4 for the Sony Playstation3 console.

Further reading:
* Sony Giga Juke
* Canon 40D DSLR
* Call of Duty 4