Canon EOS mag

World of EOS photography

Reproduced from EOS magazine January-March 2013

Paul Nicklen won the Veolia Environnement Wildlife

Photographer of the Year 2012 competition with his

underwater shot of bubble-jetting emperor penguins (right).

You can see the winning entries on display at the Natural

History Museum, London, until 3 March 2013. To book

tickets to see the exhibition, find out when it is on tour near

you, view the winning images online, or for information

about how to enter this year’s competition (closing date 22

February 2013) visit

www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto.

Each of the 100 spectacular prize-winning photographs

are presented in a new book, Wildlife Photographer of the

Year Portfolio 22, priced £25, which is also available from the

website. The Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer

of the Year competition is owned by the Natural History

Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 competition

Heinrich van den Berg (South Africa) was Commended in

The Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Species (below)

Verreaux’s sifakas are found only in southern and south-

western Madagascar. They are not as endangered as many of

the island’s lemurs, but when Heinrich found a group feeding

in trees in the Nahampoana Reserve what impressed him was

the extraordinary way they leap from one tree to another.

“They spring off their back legs, then twist in the air to land

perfectly on the next trunk,” says Heinrich. The photographic

conditions were ideal – the sifakas in shadow and a bright

background behind – enabling him to use a slow shutter

speed for the background effect of movement and a flash to

freeze the leap.

EOS 5D Mark II with an EF 16-35mm f1.4L USM lens at 27mm,

1/12 second at f9, ISO 100; two Quantum flashes.

Jordi Chias (Spain) was Commended in the Underwater

Worlds category (right).

Armeñime, a small cove off the south coast of Tenerife, is

a hotspot for green sea turtles. They forage there on the

plentiful seagrass and are accustomed to divers. Jordi cruised

in the company of this one in the shallow, gin-clear water

over black volcanic sand. “The dazzling colours, symmetry

and textured patterns were mesmerising,” says Jordi, “and I

was able to compose a picture to show just how beautiful this

marine treasure is.” Like the other seven species of sea turtles,

the green sea turtle is endangered, with populations declining

worldwide. The many threats include habitat degradation,

building development on their breeding beaches, ingestion of

rubbish such as plastics and entanglement in fishing gear.

EOS 7D with a Tokina 10-17mm lens at 10mm, 1/80 second at

f11; ISO 160; custom-made housing; two Inon flashe

Paul Nicklen (Canada) was judged overall 2012 Veolia

Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year (above).

This was the image Paul had been hoping to get: a sunlit mass

of emperor penguins, leaving bubble trails in their wake. The

location was near the emperor colony on the frozen area of

the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Paul lowered himself into the only

likely exit hole, then waited for the return of the penguins,

with crops full of icefish for their chicks. Then it came: a blast

of birds from the depths. They were so fast that, with frozen

fingers, framing and focus had to be instinctive. “It was a

fantastic sight,” says Paul, “as hundreds launched themselves

out of the water and onto the ice above me – a moment that I

felt fortunate to witness and one I’ll never forget.”

EOS-1D Mark IV with an EF 8-15mm f4L USM lens, 1/1000

second at f7.1, ISO 500, Seacam housing.

The latest updates for EOS digital cameras are available by

following the ‘Firmware Updates’ link on the EOS magazine

home page at

www.eos-magazine.com

For further information on updating your firmware, see

“Firmware update” on page 46.

EOS-1D X

Firmware version 1.1.1 offers new functionality and improved

performance. Developed in response to photographer

feedback, Firmware version 1.1.1 improves the scope and

performance of the AF function and introduces minor fixes

to offer professional photographers the ability to capture

stunning images more easily in all conditions.

During AI Servo AF shooting in low light, viewfinder

information is now illuminated, with the AF points blinking

intermittently in red, allowing them to be easily confirmed

while shooting, without affecting the metering.

Getting closer to the action is also even easier, with the

firmware update allowing photographers to use Extenders to

increase the focal length of their super-telephoto lenses, while

maintaining the use of AF to capture a crisp, clear shot. The

centre AF point (one cross-type with four supporting points)

can now be used to autofocus at a maximum aperture of f8.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x increases the effective focal length

by 1.4x, so a 400mm lens becomes equivalent to a 560mm

lens. There is loss of light equivalent to 1 stop, so a lens with

a maximum aperture of f5.6 becomes the equivalent of an

f8 lens – and will still offer autofocus with the EOS-1D X with

firmware version 1.1.1 installed.

Canon Extender EF 2x increases the effective focal length

by 2x, so a 400mm lens becomes equivalent to a 800mm

lens. There is loss of light equivalent to 2 stops, so a lens with

a maximum aperture of f4 becomes the equivalent of an f8

lens – and will still offer autofocus with the EOS-1D X with

firmware version 1.1.1 installed.

New features

• Autofocus at f8

• Illuminated AF points and viewfinder information in AI

Servo AF mode.

Fixes

• Corrects a phenomenon where the metering value of the AE

sensor becomes abnormal, affecting the final image

• Corrects a phenomenon where Error 70 may occur during

AEB shooting

• Corrects a phenomenon where the firmware of the lenses

cannot be updated normally

• Minor corrections to Arabic menu

EOS-1D X and the f8 issue

Autofocusing may not function at f8 on some EOS-1D X

cameras with firmware version 1.1.1. This version enabled

the centre AF point to autofocus when the camera is used

with lens/Extender combinations whose combined maximum

aperture is f8 or wider.

On some of the cameras with firmware version 1.1.1, auto-

focusing does not function at f8. This is not an issue with the

firmware itself, but with its installation at the factory. The

problem can be overcome by overwriting the firmware. This

phenomenon does not occur with a camera whose firmware

has been updated by a user or by a Canon service centre.

Firmware updates

Reproduced from EOS magazine January-March 2013

Cameras with 4 or 5 as the

sixth digit from the left in the

serial number are affected. Even if

the sixth digit from the left in the

serial number is 4 or 5, cameras

with a white dot in the battery

compartment are not affected

(right).

To overwrite the installed

firmware and activate the auto-

focusing at f8, simply re-install

firmware version 1.1.1. There is no

change to the firmware version,

as this is not an issue with the

firmware itself.

Firmware update resolves EOS 6D video issue

Firmware Version 1.1.2 for the EOS 6D fixes a phenomenon

which prevents movie files shot using EOS 6D cameras from

being played back on YouTube.

However, firmware version 1.1.2 may present some Video

Snapshot limitations, as follows:

EOS 6D running Firmware Version 1.0.9

If a video

snapshot captured when the camera was running firmware

1.0.9 is combined with a video snapshot created by a camera

which was running firmware 1.1.2, the resulting video

snapshot album will be corrupted.

EOS 6D running Firmware Version 1.1.2

If you try to add a

video snapshot from a camera running firmware 1.1.2 to the

video snapshot album created when the camera was running

firmware 1.0.9, a warning message ‘Cannot select this movie’

will appear and the video snapshot cannot be added.

The following workaround addresses the two scenarios

described above:

Shoot a video snapshot and create a video snapshot

album.

Import the captured video snapshot album to your

computer.

Start ImageBrowser EX (bundled with the EOS 6D).

Select the video snapshot album,and select [Edit Movie] in

the [Edit] tab.

MovieEdit Task will start.

Select [Add Image] and select video snapshot album to add

the movie snapshot.

Select [Save] and [Save image type] and then click [Save].

April 2013 update for EOS 5D Mark III

A firmware upgrade for the EOS 5D Mark III in April 2013

will add features for both still and video shooting. The new

firmware offers improved AF performance and enhanced

HDMI output.

When the camera is fitted with a lens and Extender

resulting in a maximum f8 aperture, the new firmware

enables the camera to use the central dual cross-type focal

points, currently only available up to an f5.6 aperture. The

new firmware includes ‘clean’ HDMI output, enhancing

overall video editing and monitoring procedures.