Monthly Archives: August 2012

Canon U.S.A., Inc., continues its commitment to the advancement of tools for visual expression and expand its contribution to cinematic culture with the introduction of the new EOS C500 4K Digital Cinema Camera* and the EOS C100 Digital Video Camera*. The C500 will take its place as the flagship camera model in Canon’s Cinema EOS System while the C100 provides another option for beginning filmmakers working on a budget.

EOS C100 cinema camera

The C500 is Canon’s high-end professional 4K (4096 x 2160-pixel) cinema camera capable of originating uncompressed RAW output for external recording to meet the demands of premium cinematic productions and other top-quality production markets. The C100 digital video camera is a compact, affordable entry-level model delivering full 1920×1080 HD video and integrating the popular AVCHD codec for universal compatibility with laptop and desktop editing systems. The C500 will be available in both EF- and PL-mount versions; while the C100 will be offered in EF mount only and will be compatible with the more than 70 zoom and prime lenses in Canon’s EF, EF-S and EF Cinema lens lineups. All products in the Canon Cinema EOS line are engineered to provide exceptional image creation capabilities for professionals in the motion picture, television, and other diverse high-resolution digital production industries.

“We developed the Cinema EOS C500 digital cinema camera to deliver the benefits of full 4K motion capture to Hollywood’s premier filmmakers, while the C100 is designed for economical productions that need sophisticated HD capabilities and optical lens diversity. As we said in November of 2011, the C300 was just the beginning to our Cinema EOS system and we now offer a more complete system of imaging solutions with a range of cameras for every level of production,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc.

The EOS C500 4K digital cinema camera and EOS C100 digital video camera join Canon’s Cinema EOS System which includes two other camera models, the EOS C300 digital cinema camera for mainstream HD production and the EOS-1D C 4K Digital SLR cinema camera for 4K and HD filmmakers favoring the SLR form factor. The Cinema EOS System also offers filmmakers optical diversity with seven EF Cinema lens models: the compact and lightweight CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L wide-angle cinema zoom and the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L telephoto cinema zoom (available in EF and PL versions); the CN-E14.5-60mm T2.6 L wide-angle zoom and CN-E30-300mm T2.95-3.7 L telephoto zoom (also available in EF and PL versions); and the CN-E24mm T1.5 L, CN-E50mm T1.3 L, and CN-E85mm T1.3 L prime lenses for EF-mount cameras, in addition to the more than 60 lenses in Canon’s EF and EF-S lens lines (which include macro, fisheye, telephoto, and tilt-shift models).

4K, 2K, and Full HD Image Quality

The Canon EOS C500 and C500 PL digital cinema cameras are designed to provide a versatile high-quality 4K imaging solution to high-end productions. High-quality 4K resolution imaging has become the new standard for advanced effects and is particularly important for big-budget motion pictures that include scenes compositing live-action cinematography with high-resolution computer-generated imagery. The C500 and C500 PL cameras output 4K resolution to external recorders as a 10-bit uncompressed RAW data stream, as well as offering the additional versatility of being able to output quad full-HD (3840 x 2160), 2K (2048 x 1080), full HD (1920 x 1080), and other imaging options. All of these digital image source formats fully conform to established SMPTE production standards. All 4K formats can be selected to operate from one to 60 frames per second. When shooting in 2K, the C500 and C500 PL cameras employ a 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 signal format from one to 60 frames-per-second (fps) as well. For high-speed shooting and slow motion capture the cameras can be set to a 10-bit YCrCb 4:2:2 mode, and can output 4K or 2K video up to 120 fps.

While outputting 4K or 2K video to an external recorder, the Canon EOS C500 and C500 PL digital cinema cameras simultaneously record a 50 Mbps Full HD video file in-camera to the user’s choice of one or two CF cards. The 8-bit 4:2:2 in-camera recordings can be used as a proxy for offline editing of 4K projects, and they are also suitable for various projects that do not require 4K resolution. Equipped with Canon’s exceptional Super 35mm 8.85-megapixel CMOS sensor, both C500 camera models are compatible with a wide range of interchangeable Canon lenses – the C500 is compatible with EF, EF-S and EF Cinema lenses for Canon SLR cameras, while the C500 PL is compatible with PL-mount EF Cinema lenses and other PL-mount lenses. Highly mobile and compact, the C500 digital cinema camera provides the same ergonomic features as the C300 model, with the exception of a fixed hand grip that incorporates a pair of 3G-SDI ports for 4K video output and another pair of video ports for monitoring purposes. Canon is working with several independent manufacturers of external video recorders to support smooth workflow options, and these recorders are expected to be available by the time the EOS C500 and C500 PL 4K digital cinema cameras ship to authorized dealers later this year.

One-Person Full HD With Automatic Functions

A cost-effective camera solution for a wide range of everyday users, the EOS C100 digital video camera is ideal for many full HD applications such as:

Low-budget television production and independent moviemaking
Museums, galleries, and film schools that utilize Full HD video
Wedding, corporate and event videography

The EOS C100 digital video camera is approximately 85% of the size of the EOS C300 model, for maximum mobility. Designed for professional operability, the C100 includes a push auto iris function, one-shot auto focus (or full manual focus and exposure control), a multi-angle 3.5-inch LCD control panel, a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF), built-in ND filters, dual XLR inputs, and a locking HDMI output. These features combine with such advanced technologies as reduced rolling shutter artifacts in 60i mode, enhanced gamma modes (including Wide Dynamic Range (DR) Gamma and Canon Log Gamma), cinematic depth of field characteristics, and excellent low-light performance. The C100 records to dual SD cards contributing to the camera’s reduced size and convenience.

Like its C300 sibling, the EOS C100 employs Canon’s uniquely designed Super 35mm 16:9 CMOS sensor that captures individual R, G, and B channels for each full HD 1920 x 1080 frame. This high-sensitivity CMOS sensor provides creative depth of field capabilities for an excellent “bokeh” effect, and provides an ISO range of from 320 to 20,000, enabling the capture of images in low light with minimal picture noise. The Canon DIGIC DV III image processor in the C100 helps ensure high color fidelity and smooth color gradations. The camera’s AVCHD codec utilizes MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression similar to the codec used in Canon’s XA10 professional HD camcorder. AVCHD features a maximum recording bit rate of 24Mbps in full HD 1920 x 1080 and 4:2:0 color space for sharp, vivid images. Multiple recording modes, resolutions, and frame rates (including 24p) make the C100 creatively flexible for many production environments. The C100 also offers enhanced gamma modes (including Wide DR Gamma and Canon Log Gamma) for a peak dynamic range of 800% and the wide exposure latitude needed for creative post-production image processing, color correction, and contrast manipulation.

Designed for extensive operational versatility, the Canon EOS C100 digital video camera features a mobile core configuration that allows users to flexibly add accessory parts to the main camera body according to their production needs. A removable side-mounted rotating grip with start/stop button and miniature “joystick” menu control provides traditional SLR camera-style operation. A detachable handle unit connects to the top of the C100 and includes dual XLR connectors, a built-in stereo microphone, a bracket for an external microphone, audio-input level adjustments, and a tally light. The C100 records linear PCM two-channel audio or Dolby digital two-channel audio.

In addition to its ability to record to both SD cards simultaneously, or relay-record from one card to the other, the Canon C100 Cinema EOS camera can also output uncompressed digital HD to an external recording device via its locking HDMI connector. This HDMI output includes superimposed time code and 2:3 pull-down marker information. Additional outputs include a USB connector and stereo headphone jack.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon EOS C500 and C500 PL 4K Digital Cinema Cameras are scheduled to be available in October for an estimated list price of $30,000. The Canon EOS C100 Digital Video Camera is scheduled to be available in November 2012 for an estimated list price of $7,999.

Storage Options, the UK-based technology brand, has announced two new additions to its 2012 tablet line up and new generation of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) devices.

The Scroll Elite and Engage have joined the popular and award-winning Scroll tablet portfolio providing a greater variety of features and sizes from which to choose.

As Storage Options’ latest tablets to run on the new Android 4.0 platform, the Scroll Engage and Scroll Elite offer a wide array of new and improved Android OS features. Users of the lightweight and slender aluminium devices will benefit from faster performance and response times across multiple applications.

The Scroll Elite, which is the same size as the hugely popular Scroll Extreme (one of the first Android 4.0 devices available on the UK and Ireland market), boasts a 9.7″ capacitive screen and 16GB of inbuilt memory, expandable to 32GB through a micro SD card. It also boasts the latest IPS (in-plane switching) LCD screen technology which enables the user to enjoy vivid and natural images.

The smaller Scroll Engage has been packed with features and offers a much more portable solution with its 8″ capacitive XGA screen and Cortex A8 1.2GHz, Mali-400 dual core graphics processor. This highly intuitive device supports rich, flash-based content, all major video and eBook formats and even 3D gaming.

Paul Evison, head of brand for Storage Options commented: “We have been busy working to enhance and extend our tablet offering since the launch of the first Scroll around 18 months ago. We wanted to be able to offer our customers a range of devices of varying sizes, features and pricing options on the latest Android operating system and I think our offering is one of the strongest on the market in this respect. We now have four really great tablet models, the 7″ Scroll Excel (which was rated as the Gadget Show’s best budget tablet in November 2011), the new 8″ Scroll Engage, the 9.7″ Scroll Extreme and the new 9.7″ Scroll Elite. The key for us has always been to provide good quality and powerful tablets at affordable prices, backed by an established, responsive UK-based support team and judging by our success it’s a model that our customers seem to like.”

Both the Scroll Elite and Scroll Engage are available now at a number of retailers including Amazon.co.uk, Dabs.com, Hughes Electrical and Scan.co.uk. The Elite has a suggested retail price of £199.99 and The Engage only £129.99.

As with all Storage Options products, these devices are supplied with clearly-written and annotated manuals and are backed by a local-rate technical support phone line serviced by experts based in the UK.

About Storage Options

Storage Options is a UK-based technology brand created with a vision of offering great value, high-performance products without compromising on quality or service.

Since Storage Options arrived in the UK in 2010, the brand has gone from strength to strength successfully growing its customer base and expanding its product portfolio into many new areas. The brand’s aim is to deliver great products that meet expectations, offer exceptional value for money and provide the good service and support expected by UK and Irish customers.

Further information is available on their website http://www.storageoptions.com

Nikon Inc. introduced its new flagship COOLPIX camera, the P7700. This powerful and versatile point-and-shoot camera features a sharp 7.1x zoom NIKKOR ED glass lens with a maximum aperture of f/2 and a 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor. Conveniently compact and loaded with innovative features and manual controls, the COOLPIX P7700 will capture still images and Full HD 1080p video with stunning sharpness and vivid color, whether used as the ultimate go-to travel camera or D-SLR companion.

Nikon Coolpix P7700

The COOLPIX P7700 is ideal for those looking for a compact camera with high performance and a complete feature set which will allow them to capture high quality still photos and Full HD video. For photographers looking to step up from traditional point-and-shoot cameras to professionals who crave complete creative control, the P7700 offers one of the most comprehensive feature sets available in its class. Featuring a new 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, a high-performance NIKKOR lens and full manual control settings, Nikon’s new flagship COOLPIX camera can unleash a photographer’s inner creativity and inspire truly magnificent images.

“Nikon’s new COOLPIX P7700 pushes the boundaries of traditional point-and-shoot cameras, offering stunning image quality and fast performance along with the freedom to customize every shot,” said Bo Kajiwara, Vice President of Marketing, Planning and Customer Experience, Nikon Inc. “Nikon’s flagship COOLPIX P7700 is a powerful and versatile companion that consistently delivers incredible results in various shooting scenarios.”

Exceptional Clarity, Powerful Performance
The COOLPIX P7700 sports a large 1/1.7-in 12.2-megapixel backside illumination (BSI) CMOS sensor that offers excellent tonal range and vivid color reproduction. Additionally, high-speed image processing helps achieve fast continuous shooting at approximately eight frames-per-second (up to six continuous shots) affording the ability to freeze a fleeting moment with exacting precision. The P7700 delivers extremely rapid performance from a quick startup time to lightning-fast autofocus recognition to help ensure the moment is captured.
The P7700’s high-performance 7.1x zoom f/2 NIKKOR glass lens is equally as essential in providing the very best clarity and sharpness that professional photographers have come to expect from Nikon. With a large maximum aperture of f/2, the optics cover an equivalent range from 28 to 200mm, allowing for tack-sharp images and HD video throughout the entire focal range. An evolved Lens-Shift Vibration Reduction (VR) function minimizes camera shake for shooting blur-free photos while handheld or in challenging light. Combined with the COOLPIX P7700’s powerful CMOS sensor, this bright, large-aperture NIKKOR lens provides reduced noise, beautiful background blurring, fast performance and high image quality whether shooting stills or Full HD video.

Uncompromising Creative Control
Every photo and HD video is truly in the hands of the photographer, as the P7700 offers unprecedented creative control for its class, from easy automatic options to full manual controls. For even more control in users’ images, the COOLPIX P7700 supports RAW shooting, providing the ability to capture and edit uncompressed images without losing image quality. Customizing every shot has never been easier as Nikon’s flagship COOLPIX camera features full manual control (PSAM) and 19 unique and versatile Scene Modes and Scene Auto Selector, ready for any shooting scenario. In-camera special effects and filter effects such as Nostalgic Sepia, Vivid and Painting help satisfy amateurs and enthusiasts alike. With the P7700, features like a noise reduction filter, tone level information, COOLPIX Picture Control and versatile bracketing functions open the door for even more creative control and freedom when capturing still images. To capture the most amount of available light, users can also activate consecutive shot combining technology, or use the HDR effect for a wide dynamic range image.

Full HD Video Unleashed
Creativity continues beyond still images with stunning Full HD 1080p video capability combined with unprecedented movie customization options for its class. Capture HD video using Auto, Manual, Aperture-priority or Custom Movie Mode and enjoy several creative options also available for still shooting, including COOLPIX Picture Control and noise reduction while flexibly adjusting ISO sensitivity, shutter speed and white balance.

Taking HD video to the next level, the COOLPIX P7700 is capable of intelligent autofocus while recording in any mode as well as optical zoom when shooting in Auto mode. For pristine stereo sound, the P7700 incorporates a built-in stereo microphone, an external microphone input, a HDMI mini connector and HDMI-CEC support.

Intuitive Operability
The P7700’s 3-inch vari-angle LCD monitor, with a wide-viewing-angle and 921,000-dot resolution, offers comfortable shooting from any angle, giving the freedom and flexibility needed to capture every spontaneous moment. Whether shooting videos overhead at a concert or inverting the screen to capture a creative self-portrait, the vari-angle LCD of the P7700 provides users the ability to rotate the screen to adapt to any shooting scenario. The LCD screen can also be flipped closed for protection when not in use.

Furthermore, the COOLPIX P7700’s intuitive ergonomics and control system allows the user to easily access menus and manual controls, ensuring fluid operation. This lightweight point-and-shoot features quick menu, mode, exposure compensation and sub-command dials, all arranged to achieve natural and smooth shooting adjustments on the go. Additionally, the COOLPIX P7700 has a camera body composed of durable yet lightweight magnesium alloy.

Optional Accessories Expand Creative Control
The COOLPIX P7700 offers compatibility with several optional Nikon accessories for enthusiasts who demand versatility and first-class performance. Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) supports advanced wireless lighting and creative flash shooting by controlling flash output independently for a master unit and a remote unit group. The P7700’s hot shoe allows for compatibility with Nikon Speedlights (SB-910 and SB-700) as well as the GP-1 GPS unit and ME-1 external stereo microphone.

Price and Availability
The COOLPIX P7700 will be available in September 2012 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $499.95*. For more information about this COOLPIX camera and other Nikon products, please visit www.nikonusa.com

Vaultize announced the availability of cloud-to-cloud backup of Google Apps in its enterprise-grade backup, sync and sharing platform. This will facilitate independent backup copies of Google Apps – thus protecting this critical corporate asset from potential data loss due to instances like accidental deletions, malicious destructions and hacking

With this announcement, Vaultize becomes the first backup and sharing vendor in the world to provide a single platform to securely backup and share business critical data on endpoints as well as Google Apps.

“With the increasing number of instances of hacking and malicious destructions, a secure second copy of Google Apps data physically and logically isolated from the primary cloud would give a peace of mind to businesses and enterprises. Additionally, it will also give protection from the potential data loss that can happen because of user errors or improper use of features,” said Anand Kekre, CEO and Co-founder of Vaultize. “Vaultize now provides a single platform to protect business critical data on endpoints as well as on Google Apps – making life of IT folks easier. Customers can choose to keep backup of their Google Apps data in Vaultize cloud or use other deployment options including our private cloud option or Cloud-in-a-box appliance to keep the backup in their own data center.”

Vaultize is also the first data protection vendor in the world to offer backup, sync and sharing through an enterprise-grade appliance called Cloud-in-a-box. Now, in addition to backing up endpoints on Cloud-in-a-box appliance, customers can also backup their Google Apps data without any additional license. This will allow customers to keep a copy of their mails and documents under their control in their own premise – something many businesses will find important for internal compliance.

Google Apps support will also allow IT admin to move data from one user account to another within the same domain or across domains. This will be very useful for businesses undergoing migrations.

Google Apps support is currently in beta and will be available free to enterprise customers.

imo.im, the instant messaging client that connects users to 11 of the top third-party messaging services, announced today the availability of free voice calling for iOS users. Currently available on Android devices, iOS device owners can now make voice calls to contacts using the app through Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G Internet connections. imo.im’s free voice calling eliminates the cost of mobile minutes without any loss in the quality of the connection and, when connected to Wi-Fi, requires no data usage.

iPhone users running iOS version 3.1 or higher can make voice calls in addition to connecting to top instant messaging services such as Facebook, AIM and Skype by downloading the update through the Apple App Store.

imo.im has emerged as a top instant messaging client, with more than 4 million mobile downloads and 700,000 daily users delivering an average of 50 million messages per day. imo supports private chat conversations and group chats and provides the ability to share multimedia files, send voice IMs and conduct quick chat history searches. Concurrent sessions allow users to continue conversations even while switching devices, such as from desktop to mobile and even between mobile platforms.

“At imo, our mission has always been to provide one place for family and friends to stay connected and maintain their close relationships no matter where they are located,” said Ralph Harik, CEO of imo. “The availability of free voice calling for iPhone users is a critical development for users looking to keep those valuable lines of communication open while saving on their mobile costs.”