Category Archives: Equipment

More B&H Holiday Deals

I’m occasionally torn about these posts, but then I see that folks are using the posts and their links to order at these seasonally-reduced prices… so I hope that some of you will find the information useful.

Some new holiday deals from site-sponsor B&H follow. You may have to add some of them to your cart to see the lower pricing:

Note that some of these expire very soon – as soon as tomorrow.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Canon 6D Body In Stock at B&H

A brief update: For those who have been waiting for the new Canon EOS 6D full frame DSLR, I just was notified that the body-only version of the 6D is now in stock at site-sponsor B&H Photo. The price includes a Lowepre Rezo 170 shoulder bag, a 32GB memory card, and is eligible for a B&H “2% reward” program.

(During the first days when new bodies become available, stock frequently runs out, only to be replenished later on, so act quickly or be comfortable with a possible wait.)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | FacebookGoogle+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Canon 6D is Arriving – With Price Reductions

Shortly after releasing the Canon EOS 5D Mark III (and the Canon EOS-1DX and assorted other goodies), Canon announced a forthcoming less-expensive full-frame DSLR, the EOS 6D, a 20+ MP with a range of attractive features and a price barely above $2000. Right now site-sponsor B&H is offering a $200 “instant savings” on the Canon EOS 6D Digital Camera with Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L IS Lens bundle that lowers the cost of the lens and camera to only $2,699. The product is also eligible for the B&H “2% reward” – read more about that at the link.

Where does the 6D fit into the Canon eco-system? I think that for many people looking for a first full-frame body, and for many whose primary consideration is purely image quality, the 6D is going to hit the sweet spot. A 20 MP full frame image, assuming you shoot with skill and understand how to post-process, can produce an outstanding print in sizes much larger than the typical user will ever produce. There is every reason to think that the image quality produced by this camera will be essentially indistinguishable from that produced by the fine Canon EOS 5D Mark III. I have not used the camera, but from many reports I have read from those who have had their hands on a copy, it sounds like it will be a fine performer.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | FacebookGoogle+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Questions from Readers (11/28/12)

(Note: I made a major mistake in one spot in this post, suggesting precisely the opposite of what I meant. I have added a single WORD in bold upper case to correct the error. )

Blog readers occasionally email questions (and comments) to me. I can’t always reply personally to all messages, but occasionally I like to share some answers here, both for those who asked and for others who might have similar questions. Here is the latest edition – including a question about monitor calibration and printing, one about an older Epson 2200, and a request for more information about photographing in Death Valley.

Kent wrote:

“I am hoping you might be able to advise me on a problem. I have been having some difficulty getting my prints to match my computer screen. I have a Canon 5D Mark II, shoot in RAW and use Lightroom to process my photos. I have a IMac LCD screen, about 4 years old. I send my converted JPeg files to Aspen Creek for printing. I have contacted the experts at Aspen
Creek and they suggested monitor calibration software. So I regularly use Eye One monitor calibration but that doesn’t seem to help. I also work in a darkened room to minimize the ambient light.

Have you had similar problems? Have any ideas? I wonder if a higher end calibrated monitor wouldn’t help.”

This can be a complicated issue, but let me at least offer a few ideas.

I don’t know if this is the issue in your case, but it is important to realize that even a well-calibrated monitor will NOT present an image that looks “the same” as the image that gets printed on paper. There are some fundamental issues that differentiate images that are formed by projecting light from behind (they “glow!”) and images that are formed from ink/pigments, etc. that are illuminated from light that falls onto them. In general, I find that prints will seem to have less contrast and less intense colors, and will usually need to be brighter overall than the monitor might lead you to believe. In my view, a calibrated monitor gives you a consistent point of comparison, but you still need to learn to understand how to predict what your print will look like by comparison to what is on the monitor.

Continue reading Questions from Readers (11/28/12)