Fujifilm WCL-X100 adds extra versatility to the Fujifilm X100

15 May 2012 – Fujifilm are proud to announce the launch of the WCL-X100, a wide conversion lens designed specifically for the award-winning Fujifilm X100. The lens attaches directly on to the camera and increases picture taking versatility by multiplying the fixed focal length by 0.8x, converting it from 23mm (35mm in 35mm equivalent) fixed focal length to a 19mm wide angle  (28mm in 35mm equivalent)

Superb optical quality maximises versatility

The WCL-X100 has been engineered to ensure the Fujifilm X100’s supreme optical quality remains intact. Created by the same experts who designed the X100’s lens, the WCL-X100 delivers comparable image quality even at the f/2 wide aperture setting, retaining all the original optical characteristics, including the attractive bokeh effect.

This optical excellence is underlined by the fact that the WCL-X100 is manufactured in Japan, allowing Fujifilm engineers to guarantee precision and quality in every component. The optical construction uses four premium glass elements in three groups to keep aberrations to a minimum and also employs Fujinon’s unique Super EBC coating for outstanding results.

Image processing optimises picture quality

Achieving the very best results from the WCL-X100 is simple; just select the ‘Wide Conversion Lens’ option in the Fujifilm X100’s shooting menu. To enable this extra functionality, the camera must  be updated to Firmware version 1.3.0 or later, which also allows the option to be selected via the Function (Fn) or RAW buttons. The Fujifilm X100 has the option to apply image processing to shots taken using the WCL-X100 to reduce image distortion, ensure balanced illumination across the frame and reduce chromatic aberration, commonly found in wide conversion lenses.

In practice, the WCL-X100 maintains the functionality of the Fujifilm X100. The autofocussing speed remains the same, the 10cm macro distance still applies and it is also compatible with the Fujifilm X100’s hybrid viewfinder. With the optical viewfinder (OVF) selected, icons showing the edge of the frame are displayed instead of the frame rim (equivalent to 80% of the frame field of view), while selecting the electronic viewfinder (EVF) gives users a 100% field of view.

The perfect match for the Fujifilm X100

The design of the WCL-X100 has been carefully considered to ensure a seamless blend with the camera. It uses the same materials, textures and colours as the existing X100, plus the optional LH-X100 lens hood and PRF-49S protective filter can be used on the conversion lens. Furthermore, the clip-on lens cap for the WCL-X100 can be attached with both the lens hood and filter in place.

WCL-X100 key features

• 0.8x magnification factor to convert X100 lens to 28mm wide angle (35mm equivalent)
• All glass optical construction using four elements in three groups
• Fujinon Super EBC coating
• Made in Japan for optimum quality
• Available in black and silver

Price to be confirmed

Adobe Creative Cloud Now Available

Two New Touch Apps for iOS and Adobe Muse Also Shipping

London, UK. — May 11, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Creative Cloud™, a radical new way of providing tools and services* for creatives. A subscription-based offering, Adobe Creative Cloud is a hub for making, sharing and delivering creative work and it is centred around a powerful release of Adobe Creative Suite® 6 software, packed with innovation across its industry-defining design, Web, video and digital imaging tools. The CS6 product line includes new releases of Photoshop®, InDesign®, Illustrator®, Dreamweaver®, Adobe Premiere® Pro, After Effects®, Flash® Professional and other products.

In addition, two new Touch Apps† – Adobe Proto and Adobe Collage – are now available for iOS devices, as are new features and additional language support in both Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas. Emerging from a successful beta program, that saw over 700,000 downloads, Adobe Muse software also became available today to Creative Cloud members and individual subscribers.  Muse is a stunning new tool that enables designers to create HTML5-based websites without writing code (see separate release).

“Adobe Creative Cloud members receive full access to the entire portfolio of Creative Suite 6 tools, integration with our touch tools, file storage and sharing services and Web hosting – everything they need to go from idea to finished work, at a breakthrough monthly subscription price,“ said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. “Creative Cloud will allow our product teams to unleash a constant stream of innovation, releasing new features, apps and services as they are developed.”

Adobe Creative Cloud Membership Delivers:

• Access to download and install all CS6 applications, new HTML5 desktop products – Adobe Muse and Adobe Edge preview – and integration with Adobe Touch Apps
• Easy storage and sharing of content across desktop, mobile devices and the cloud
• Integrated website publishing and hosting
• Ongoing innovation that provides members with the most up-to-date products and services

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Creative Cloud membership is available today to customers in 36 countries and in multiple languages. Pricing for Creative Cloud membership for individuals is £38.11 (ex VAT) per month based on annual membership and £57.17 (ex VAT) per month for month-to-month membership. A special introductory offer of £22.23 (ex VAT) per month for CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 individual customers is also available. Student and Teacher Edition of Adobe Creative Cloud is available for £18.26 (ex VAT) per month based on annual membership. To learn more, please visit www.adobe.com/uk/products/creativecloud.html.

Adobe Touch Apps are available separately for purchase from the iTunes App Store‡ or Google Play for £6.99 each. Special offers for Adobe Touch Apps are available for customers who sign up for annual membership of Adobe Creative Cloud. For more details, visit http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/touchapps.html.

Adobe Muse Available Today

New Software Enables Designers to Publish Professional HTML5 Websites without Writing Code

London, UK. — May 11, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Muse™ software that enables designers to create websites without writing code. Previously available as a public beta, Adobe Muse makes planning, designing and publishing original HTML pages as easy as creating layouts for print. With master pages, built-in tools for interactivity, and access to more than 400 Web fonts served by the Adobe Typekit™ service, Adobe Muse makes it easy to produce distinctive, professional websites.

Adobe Muse is available as a standalone subscription or as part of Adobe Creative Cloud™ membership, a new offering also available today that provides creatives access to innovative storage services, publishing services and essential creative applications, including the entire award-winning Adobe Creative Suite® 6 product line (see separate release).

Adobe Muse will feel immediately familiar as it has some of the same features and keyboard shortcuts found in other software, like Adobe InDesign®. Adobe Muse allows designers to easily add engaging, interactive elements such as slide shows and embed content from sources such as Google Maps and Facebook**. Users can preview and test functionality of a website within Adobe Muse or create a temporary site and share the URL with clients for review. When the site is ready to go live, designers can either host it using a third-party solution or use Adobe’s flexible all-in-one hosting service. An Adobe Muse one-year subscription or Creative Cloud membership also includes some site hosting.

“There have been more than 700,000 beta downloads of Adobe Muse to date. We have incorporated feedback from our beta users into the first release of Muse and the response has been very positive,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. “Adobe Muse gives designers the freedom to build sites without having to learn code, which will help them expand their businesses and offer their clients more cost effective, professional websites.”

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Muse is available for individuals at £11.11 (ex VAT) per month with an annual subscription and £15.08 (ex VAT) per month for month-to-month subscription. For more information, visitwww.adobe.com/uk/products/muse.html. Adobe Muse is also available as part of Adobe Creative Cloud membership*, which for individuals membership for individuals is £38.11 (ex VAT) per month based on annual membership and £57.17 (ex VAT) per month for month-to-month membership. A special introductory offer of £22.23 (ex VAT) per month for CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 individual customers is also available. Learn more at www.adobe.com/uk/products/creativecloud.html.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com/uk .

Adobe CS6 Release
Delivers Major Innovations
for Design, Web and Video Pros

CS6 Products Anchor New Adobe Creative Cloud Offering

London, UK. — April 23, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the ultimate toolkit for design, Web and video professionals with the unveiling of the Adobe® Creative Suite® 6 product line and Adobe Creative Cloud™ (see separate release). Powerful new releases of 14 CS6 applications and four Creative Suites – Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium, Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard, Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium, and Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection– drive home Adobe’s continued innovation across creative markets. A new subscription-based offering, Adobe Creative Cloud, will provide users with the ability to download and install every Adobe CS6 application* announced today.  Creative Cloud also integrates Adobe Touch Apps† into everyday work, introduces cloud-based sync and store capabilities, and powers the publishing of apps and high-impact Web experiences.

“Creatives get a tonne of innovation across CS6, with milestone releases of all our flagship products,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. “With CS6 and Creative Cloud, we’re also introducing new products, new mobile workflows and advanced publishing capabilities that show we are laser-focused on ensuring design, Web and video pros have everything they need for the delivery of high-impact content and apps.”

Major CS Upgrades and All-New Muse Anchor Landmark Launch for Designers
The performance and workflow enhancements in Adobe Photoshop® CS6 (see separate release), Adobe Illustrator® CS6 and Adobe InDesign® CS6 will result in significant time savings for print, Web and mobile projects.

• ·In Photoshop CS6, designers will experience incredible performance, powered by the Adobe Mercury Graphics Engine, enabling near instant results from essential editing tools, including Liquify, Puppet Warp, Transform and Lighting Effects.
• ·Adobe has built on Photoshop’s breakthrough Content-Aware capabilities with advanced new Content-Aware Patch and Content-Aware Move features.
• ·Illustrator CS6 debuts a revamped modern interface, and features include a new image tracing engine, easy pattern creation and ability to apply gradients to strokes. The Mercury Performance System delivers speed and stability, including 64-bit support for Mac OS and Windows.
• ·InDesign CS6 continues to blaze a trail in publishing, streamlining the creation of multiple layouts from a single set of content with new Adaptive Design Tools – Alternate Layout, Liquid Layout, Content Collector Tools and Linked Content.
• ·A brand new application, Adobe Muse™, a radical tool that enables designers to create and publish HTML5 web sites without writing code, was also announced today.

Adobe Doubles-Down on HTML5 Tooling for Web Professionals

Innovative new workflows and capabilities across Adobe tools simplify the creative process for today’s Web designers, developers and interactive professionals.

• ·Web pros can conveniently integrate HTML5 animations, created with Adobe Edge preview, into their Dreamweaver projects, driving home Adobe’s leadership in tooling for the HTML5 Web standard.
• ·Adobe Dreamweaver® CS6 addresses the challenge of responsive Web designs with the ability to build fluid grid layouts replacing the tedious manual process of creating and configuring separate CSS-based interfaces for phone, tablet and desktop.
• ·Through direct integration with Adobe’s recently announced PhoneGap Build service, Dreamweaver CS6 helps round out Web professionals’ skillsets and enables them to produce native mobile applications for multiple platforms.
• ·Adobe Flash® Professional CS6 users can easily translate and transition their skills to HTML5 using the Flash Professional Toolkit for CreateJS. Flash Professional CS6 also helps designers create exciting and impactful gaming experiences and advancements include the ability to generate sprite sheets that improve workflows and performance.
• ·Pre-built native extensions and new packaging options, leveraging the latest Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtimes, help expand and ease app delivery to Android and iOS devices.

Production Premium CS6 Pushes Boundaries of Video Creativity
Redesigned by and for video editors, with major performance enhancements, the tools included in Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium set a new standard in professional video.

• ·With dozens of new features, Adobe Premiere® Pro CS6 is the hub of any professional video workflow, featuring a sleek new editing environment.  The powerful Adobe Mercury Playback Engine now supports OpenCL on MacBook Pros.
• ·The most significant After Effects release in a decade, Adobe After Effects® CS6 is faster and more responsive than ever. With Global Performance Cache, previews are saved and ready to go – cutting the time spent bouncing between projects.
• ·New to Production Premium are Adobe Prelude™ CS6, which streamlines logging and ingest workflows in post-production, and Adobe SpeedGrade, which contains powerful finishing tools for film finishing and colour grading.
• ·Adobe Audition® CS6 accelerates audio post-production: real-time clip stretching makes it simple to stretch clips to fit an edit; and Automatic Speech Alignment introduces a powerful new engine for automated dialogue analysis.
• ·A new third party API for hardware integration – Adobe Mercury Transmit – allows broadcast video monitoring to connect directly into the Mercury Playback Engine via third-party cards from AJA, Blackmagic Design and Matrox.

Live Streamed Webcast

The launch event for Adobe Creative Cloud and CS6 will be streamed live beginning at 6pm GMT, April 23 at www.adobe.com/special/cs6/launch-event.html and will be available there as a continuous rebroadcast from 7pm – midnight GMT on April 23. An on-demand version will be available at http://tv.adobe.com beginning April 24.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Creative Suite 6 products and Adobe Creative Cloud are scheduled to be available within 30 days and can be pre-ordered now. Adobe continues to offer 14 CS6 point-products as well as Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium (£1,509 ex VAT), Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard (£1,032 ex VAT), Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium (£1,509 ex VAT) and Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection (£2,223 ex VAT) for purchase. Upgrade pricing is also available to eligible customers. Customers can purchase CS6 products via Adobe.com/uk and through select retail, resellers and online stores. More information on product pricing is available atwww.adobe.com/uk/products/creativesuite.html.

Adobe Creative Cloud membership for individuals is £38.11 (ex VAT) per month based on annual membership and £57.17 (ex VAT) per month based on month-to-month membership. A special introductory offer of £22.23 (ex VAT) per month for CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 individual customers is also available. Learn more atwww.adobe.com/go/creativecloud.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com/uk.

The new Nikon D3200, beautiful photography for everyone

London, UK, 19^th April 2012 Nikon introduces the D3200, a new easy-to-use entry-level D-SLR, boasting latest-generation Guide Mode with full HD video to deliver beautiful, high-quality pictures and cinematic quality movies.

Simon Iddon, Product Manager for Enthusiast Products at Nikon UK says: “The D3200 follows the success of Europe’s best selling D-SLR camera, the D3100[1]. Newcomers to D-SLR photography will benefit from the camera’s intuitive features, such as the Guide Mode that takes you step by step through the photography process to capture high quality images to be proud of.

He adds: “This high powered camera offers superior image quality, with an incredibly high megapixel count, as well as Full HD video for creative photographers”.

D-SLR photography made easy

The D3200 is perfect for those looking to capture quality photos and videos. Whether you are starting a family or about to embark on a big trip, the D3200’s easy to understand functions mean you can take beautiful pictures even if you have never used a D-SLR camera before.

Guide Mode, previously seen on the popular D3000 and D3100 D-SLRs, is now in its third generation with significant improvements to help you grasp the more creative options, taking you through the entire process step-by-step. Running in parallel, Assist Images uses visual examples to help you to identify the shot that you are imagining. Capturing that beautiful background blur in portraits or sharp pictures of your children playing has never been easier. New items have been added to the Advanced operation menu, for example, to help you to enhance the red in sunsets or reduce blur.

Nikon’s automatic Scene Recognition System will meticulously analyse the scene you are shooting and adjust the focus, exposure and white balance for optimum results. And, if you want your camera to do the work for you there is still a range of automatic functions such as Scene Auto Selector in Live View and Scene Modes that will apply the most relevant setting.

Superior image quality

The D3200’s incredibly high 24.2 megapixels delivers rich detail, meaning you can crop or print large images, keeping memories alive without a loss of sharpness. Nikon’s latest image processor, the fast and powerful EXPEED 3, provides high-speed operation, producing remarkably clear images with excellent colour reproduction; and enhanced movie recording. ISO 100-6400 (extendable to 12800 equivalent) helps you take sharp images, even in low light. The razor-sharp 11-point autofocus system will make sure everything is in focus, delivering sharp results even if your subject is off centre, or completely unpredictable, like your baby smiling or laughing. By shooting action at four frames per second, the D3200 helps capture fast moving objects, like children playing on their skateboards, at exactly the right moment.

Should you find yourself taking shots in high-contrast conditions, such as backlit scenes, Nikon’s Active D-Lighting automatically adjusts the lighting while retaining detail in both dark and bright areas for stunning images with natural contrast.

Enhanced HD movies

If you are looking to capture a milestone moment, such as your child’s first steps or their role in a school play, a picture is not always enough.

Record your own stunning full HD (1080p) movies to play back on your high definition TV using the D3200’s easy-access movie record button. The camera’s large sensor and high ISO offer exceptional image quality. There is a high quality microphone built in to the camera, but if you want to take a further step in sound recording, you can utilise the optional external microphone input. You can easily edit your movies on the camera by selecting the start and end point as well as saving selected frames so that you never miss a moment. When coupled with a wide variety of NIKKOR lenses, you can create fantastic cinematic effects to bring your home HD movies to life.

Connect the camera

Wirelessly transmitting images from your camera to an Android smart device is now possible by using the optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter. This means it is easy to share them with your friends and family instantly via social networks and e-mail or save and back them up when you are on the move. Because you don’t need a Wi-Fi connection to transfer images from the camera to your smart device, the WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter is an ideal accessory when you’re travelling. The WU-1a also allows you to remotely preview the live view screen and trigger the shutter from your android device, so you can be part of group photos. The WU-1a is compatible with Android smart devices.

In-camera editing

There are a variety of editing functions available to help draw out your artistic flare. Adding creative effects such as Miniature, Selective Colour, Colour Sketch and Filter Effects – to add a warm or soft filter – will bring a personal touch to the finished image. It also lets you resize your images, give them a quick retouch, or even straighten them if necessary, directly on the camera to quickly and easily improve the quality of your photos.

In addition, the large 7.5cm (3 inch) high-resolution (921k-dot) LCD monitor makes it a pleasure to review and edit your movies and photos.

Easy operation

Its lightweight, small body makes the D3200 easy to pack and carry around so you never miss those important moments. When you come to use the camera, the controls have been intuitively laid out to ensure you have a secure grip that it is comfortable to handle. The most common functions, such as Live View and Release mode, have dedicated buttons. If you want to take a picture of yourself using the optional ML-3 remote control, the D3200 has a receiver which has been positioned on the front and back to make it easier to do so. The Info button is also close to hand, should you need any further help.

Other key features:

• Smart autofocus for movies: enjoy continuous autofocus (AF) when you shoot D-movies. Full-time servo AF (AF-F) and subject-tracking AF maintain the focus when you shoot moving subjects. Face-priority AF is ideal for filming events where you want to relax and let the camera focus on faces.
• Extensive movie options: you can record Full HD (1080p) and the camera supports use of Nikon’s ME-1 stereo microphone. In-camera edit functions let you perform tasks such as setting the start and end point of your movie. A mini HDMI output enables playback on an HDTV.
• NIKKOR lenses: take advantage of Nikon’s legendary NIKKOR lenses to capture images with vivid colour, striking contrast and crisp detail, or to experiment with cinematic effects. Use fast prime lenses for stunning portraits, micro lenses for life-size close-ups or telephoto lenses for distant subjects.
• Nikon system options: offer endless creative opportunities with a wide range of optional accessories. These include the GP-1 GPS unit that geo tags every image you capture so that you will always remember the place that it was taken. The D3200 comes equipped with a convenient built-in pop-up flash, but with optional Speedlights, inspired flash photography becomes even easier and more creative. The compact and lightweight SB-400 delivers intelligent through-the-lens (i-TTL) flash control and bounce flash capability for a more natural lighting effect without strong shadows. The multifunctional SB-700 offers the exciting potential of wireless multiple-flash operation via the Nikon Creative Lighting System

RRP

D3200 body only: £559.99 / €667.00

D3200 with 18-55mm VR: £649.99 / €775.00

Sales start date: mid May 2012

Color Confidence announce availability of new X-Rite i1 Pro 2

Birmingham UK, 17^th April 2012 – Color Confidence, Europe’s leading value added distributor into the digital imaging markets, and X-Rite’s premier European distributor, has today announced the availability of the new X-Rite i1 Pro 2 range. For more information visit www.colorconfidence.com

The i1Pro 2 is a brand new spectrophotometer, replacing the industry standard i1Pro. It comes combined with the latest release of the i1Profiler software, includes redesigned hardware and accessories and has been awarded a Red Dot award for industrial design.

X-Rite’s i1Pro spectrophotometer has been respected as the industry standard for more than a decade. The newly enhanced i1Pro 2 device is redesigned to provide an even higher level of accuracy, versatility, ergonomics, functionality and value. Combined with the i1Profiler software v1.3, the new i1Pro 2 portfolio of different products is specifically targeted to meet the unique needs of photo, pre-press, digital print and publishing professionals at an exceptional value.

Geoffrey Clements, Managing Director at Color Confidence commented “The launch of the i1Pro 2, continues X-Rite’s drive to produce the best colour management solutions available for photographers, designs and anyone for whom colour is critical. We have recently seen their launch of the i1Display Pro and ColorMunki Display products, which has driven forward standards of accuracy in monitor calibration, and this update to the professional level solution continues this process.”

As X-Rite’s leading distributor in the UK Color Confidence have stock of the new product immediately.

The new products

i1Basic Pro 2
For users looking for an affordable professional level device, the i1Basic Pro 2 is ideal. Offering display and projector profiling, monitor and print quality assurance and spot colour measurement.

Simon Prais, Technical Director at Color Confidence says:

“If you already have colour management software, are only interested in quality assurance or own a RIP, this is the ideal solution.  i1 Basic Pro 2 will give you the high quality device to go with your chosen colour management package or process”.

i1Photo Pro 2
i1Photo Pro 2 quickly and easily creates custom camera, monitor, projector and RGB printer profiles, ensuring the colours you capture, view and print are true.

Simon Prais, Technical Director at Color Confidence says:

“For photographers this is the ultimate colour management package. i1Photo Pro 2 provides a complete suite of tools to profile all of your key applications and allows you to control your complete workflow, from capture, all the way through to final print. Combining the new device with the already impressive i1 Profiler software provides a level of colour control that previously hasn’t been accessible to photographers”.

i1Publish Pro 2

Professional Color Management for Prepress, Photo and Imaging Pros
Imaging pros looking for the ultimate, professional-level ICC-profiling solution to organise and manage their complete RGB, CMYK and CMYK+ (CMYK plus any 4) color workflows, complete with quality assurance and control validation and verification functions.

Simon Prais, Technical Director at Color Confidence says:

“If you require complete colour control, this is the product for you. The i1Publish Pro 2 allows you to profile all your devices, and in any environment. The benchmark in colour accuracy”.

What’s in the box

i1Photo Pro 2 and i1Publish Pro 2 include i1Profiler software, an i1Pro 2 spectrophotometer, PANTONE Color Manager software, ColorChecker Proof target (for direct viewing analysis of ColorChecker target compared to customer’s printed target and for Optical Brightener Compensation (OBC) evaluation), mini ColorChecker Classic target, and ColorChecker camera calibration software.

i1Publish (a standalone software package) includes all of the above except for the spectrophotometer

Availability

All four i1Pro 2 products are available immediately from www.colorconfidence.com

Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium
to be Previewed at the 2012 NAB Show

Company Showcases Upcoming Video Suite; Celebrates Storytelling and Film at Post|Production World Keynote with Academy-Award Winner Rob Legato and Steve Wozniak

London, UK.— April 12, 2012 — At the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) will showcase new software and innovations that improve how broadcasters, filmmakers and video professionals create, deliver and monetise high-quality productions across multiple screens. Highlights of the show will include the first public demonstrations of Adobe® Creative Suite® 6 Production Premium – including major updates for Adobe Premiere® Pro CS6 and Adobe After Effects® CS6 – before its official release, showcasing the software’s blazingly fast performance and tight integration that enables video professionals to work efficiently and streamline workflows. Adobe will demonstrate its new solutions along with key customer and partner-focused initiatives during the 2012 NAB Show at its booth #SL2624 in the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 16 – 19. Creative Suite 6 Production Premium will also be presented in more than 60 partner booths throughout the NAB exhibition.

“With the upcoming release of Creative Suite 6 Production Premium, which we are revealing at NAB, Adobe is redefining the content creation workflow,” said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager, Video Solutions, Adobe. ”This is a perfect opportunity to show off the new and breakthrough performance innovations in Creative Suite 6 Production Premium and demonstrate how it’s possible to work at the speed of your imagination, making workflows more efficient and audience experiences more compelling. From planning to playback, Adobe and its broadcast and media customers are leading the industry and reshaping how the digital video industry creates and consumes rich media.”

Creative Suite 6 Production Premium Takes the Stage
Creative Suite 6 Production Premium, the complete solution at the heart of any production workflow for video professionals, is packed with major updates to help bring high-quality productions to any screen. The suite features significant updates to familiar tools including powerful new versions of Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Audition®, Adobe Story, Adobe Media Encoder and Adobe Photoshop®, along with two new tools, Adobe SpeedGrade™ CS6 for professional color grading, and Adobe Prelude™ CS6, an elegant solution for the process of ingest, logging and transcoding, essential tasks in a modern file-based workflow. For advanced video editing, Premiere Pro CS6 incorporates a new user interface, trimming and OpenCL support in the new turbo-charged Mercury Playback Engine. After Effects CS6 is the biggest release in a decade, with huge performance gains and powerful 3D features.

Throughout the show, Adobe will be providing attendees with an exclusive first look at Creative Suite 6 Production Premium. This upcoming release, expected in the first half of 2012, will feature across-the-board performance and workflow enhancements that broadcasters, filmmakers and corporate video professionals worldwide need to stay at the forefront of the explosion of multiple screens, file-based workflows and new distribution models.

Changing Today’s Broadcast Landscape
Adobe is dedicated to boosting video professionals’ productivity, giving them a dependable and seamless solution to plan, produce and deliver engaging content despite shrinking timelines and budgets. Broadcasters are completely redesigning and streamlining their workflows to meet today’s demands for delivering content to multiple screens. Top global broadcasters including BBC, CBS Sports Network, CNN, Hearst, Media General and NRK are turning to Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium for a  more complete plan-to-playback, file-based solution.

“Our video editors need to work with a large variety of digital assets and the Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium, including Adobe Premiere Pro, allows them to handle instant turnaround news edits as well as long-form feature edits without compromising speed or creativity,” said Moritz Gimbel, head of production at Bloomberg TV International. “Its latest software release, the Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium, helps make our workflow more efficient with support for more video formats and codecs, accelerating content delivery with the ability to export sequences into two different formats at the same time.”

Discussing the Future of Film and Video

On Sunday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m. PT in room N249, Adobe will participate in the Post|Production World keynote titled, “How Creativity and Technology Merge to Influence Storytelling and Film.” Steve Wozniak, Fusion-io chief scientist, along with Vincent Brisebois, visual computing industry manager at Fusion-io, and Rob Legato, two-time Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor, will join Steve Forde, Adobe After Effects product manager, on stage to discuss how creativity and advances in digital technology can work together to develop engaging storytelling.

On Tuesday, April 17 at 9 a.m. PT in room N249, Jeremy Helfand, vice president of monetisation from Adobe will join Joe Alicata of ESPN Digital Media, Bismarck Lepe of Ooyala and Steve Raymond of Big Frame to discuss the changing landscape for delivering online media and the various ways media companies can monetise their content across multiple platforms. The session, “Monetising Viewership in a Multiplatform Environment,” will address social media, games and Web video and the impact they’ve had on how advertising dollars are spent.

Availability

Adobe CS6 Production Premium is expected in the first half of 2012. For more detailed information about the suite, please visit http://success.adobe.com/en/na/programs/events/1203_16108_nab.html.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those related to Adobes future product plans, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, individuals should refer to Adobe’s SEC filings. Adobe does not undertake an obligation to update forward-looking statements.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com/uk.

Canon Cinema EOS System with new EOS-1D C

digital SLR supporting 4K video capture

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 12th April 2012 – Canon today announces the introduction of the new EOS-1D C, a digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera targeting the motion picture, television and high-resolution production industries. Delivering outstanding video quality, advanced low light performance and film-like dynamic range, the compact and lightweight EOS-1D C supports in-camera 4K (4,096 x 2,160) video recording with 4:2:2 colour sampling, offering greater creative freedom for video professionals.

The first SLR camera of its kind, the EOS-1D C offers a unique and highly portable package optimised for high-quality video recording. Advanced creative flexibility is provided with support for a range of resolutions and variable frame rates. 4K video is recorded using 8-bit Motion JPEG compression at 24p, and Full HD (1920 x 1080) video capture is available at frame rates up to 1080/60p. The camera supports internal recording to CF cards at all resolutions up to and including 4K, offering enhanced mobility. Video can also be output to external recorders (excluding 4K video) via an integrated HDMI terminal using an uncompressed YCbCr 4:2:2 signal.

The EOS-1D C also features Canon Log Gamma, which facilitates the capture of high-quality video rich in exposure latitude and dynamic range. Ideal for video professionals who want to retain the maximum amount of information without huge file sizes, Canon Log Gamma offers a dynamic range uniquely comparable to film, minimising shadow-detail loss and highlight-detail loss to provide greater grading freedom for colourists in post-production.

“The EOS-1D C is a fantastic addition to the Cinema EOS System,” said Kieran Magee, Marketing Director, Professional Imaging, Canon Europe. “Since the introduction of Cinema EOS we’ve had an excellent response from professionals who are hugely excited by the image quality and creative freedom the system offers. The new EOS-1D C will expand those creative options further – it’s a unique camera, supporting 4K video recording in a highly compact body that can be used in a number of different ways. We’re very excited to see what the professional community can achieve with it.”

Advanced performance meets creative flexibility
Based on the core specifications of the EOS-1D X, the EOS-1D C provides exceptional image quality and versatility, with an 18.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. Optimised for high quality video capture, the sensor provides video professionals with the freedom to adjust image resolution to suit a subject or desired output.  During 4K shooting pixels are cropped to an area equivalent to an APS-H sensor, preventing the need to resize or scale the image, ensuring maximum image quality. Additionally, a Super 35mm crop in Full HD recording caters for cinematographers who typically work in the Super 35mm field of view.

The sensor provides high quality performance in all conditions, delivering advanced creative blurring and light capturing abilities when used in combination with Canon’s EF Cinema prime lenses. Its size enables professionals to achieve an extremely shallow depth of field with beautiful background blur, and sensitivity up to ISO 25,600 provides excellent quality and reduced noise in low-light situations.

In addition, support for 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60p frame rates in Full HD resolution shooting provides additional flexibility, satisfying the shooting needs of professionals across the industry. Industry-standard timecode and codec support and a choice of compression methods provides compatibility with established workflow processes, facilitating easy editing and grading immediately after shooting.

The EOS-1D C ships with an exclusive software package, including a suite that allows 4K/Motion JPEG and Full HD/60p video shot on the camera to be output on an external monitor (Requires the use of a PC equipped with an SDI port) with no loss of image quality. It also enables video shot with Canon Log Gamma to be output on a monitor with standard video gamma applied.

Additional advanced applications, including Picture Style Editor and EOS Utility, also enable adjustments to various camera settings to be conducted from a PC. Real-time procedures, such as the editing and registration of picture styles or checking results on a monitor, can be conveniently performed on-set using a PC or Mac – allowing users to promptly carry out adjustments, and ensuring efficient shooting and post-production procedures.

EF lenses and EF Cinema Lenses – freedom to explore
As part of the EOS system, the EOS-1D C is compatible with more than 60 EF lenses, all of which offer high resolutions to support 4K image capture. The EF lens series offers exceptional creative freedom, with focal length options ranging from 8mm to 800mm. Over 70 million EF lenses have been manufactured since the EOS system launched in 1987 – a measure of its unparalleled quality and popularity. As part of the Cinema EOS System, Canon has also introduced a range of 4K EF Cinema Lenses, utilising the company’s unique optical heritage to produce leading-quality lenses optimised for high-quality video capture.

Canon EOS-1D C – key features:
4k movies
1080p at 50/60fps; Canon Log Gamma
Uncompressed HDMI output
18 MP Full Frame CMOS
Up to 12fps stills; 14fps mode
61 point AF system
ISO range 100-25600
Dual DIGIC 5+ processors
Clear View II 8.1cm (3.2”) LCD
EF lens compatible

Pricing & availability:
The EOS-1D C will be available from October 2012, priced at £10,000 / €12,300 RRP inc VAT.

Canon announces development of digital cinema camera supporting 4K video capture

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 12th April 2012 – Canon today announces the development of a new digital cinema camera capable of recording 4K-resolution (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) video. Targeting both the motion picture and high resolution digital production industries, the EOS C500 will offer 4K RAW output and will be available with Canon’s EF mount and the industry-standard PL mount.

In November 2011 Canon announced the EOS C300 – the first camera in the Cinema EOS System, marking the company’s entry into the motion-picture and digital production market. Highly acclaimed by video professionals since launch, the EOS C300 offers exceptional video quality performance, outstanding mobility, durability and expandability, thanks to its modular design and its compatibility with Canon’s range of EF and EF Cinema Lenses. The EOS C500/EOS C500 PL will be based on the same advanced platform, adding support for 4K RAW video capture, and 4:4:4 sampling during 2K capture.

Supporting next-generation 4K-resolution video capture and RAW data output, the EOS C500/EOS C500 PL will achieve exceptional video results without any loss in quality. The camera’s uncompressed 4K output will unleash the full potential of Canon’s premium range of EF Cinema Lenses, combining with Canon Log Gamma, which delivers the high-quality video and wide exposure latitude required by digital cinematographers.

Furthermore, 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 signal during 2K (2,048 x 1,080 pixels) video output will deliver rich colour and high compatibility with image processes such as chroma key compositing. Support for frame rates up to 120p in both 4K and 2K resolution will provide enhanced creative flexibility, enabling high-speed (slow motion) video capture in high resolution.

A development prototype of the EOS C500 digital cinema camera will be on display at NAB 2012, one of the world’s largest events for the video, broadcasting equipment and digital media industries. NAB 2012 will take place from April 16-19 in Las Vegas, USA.

Pricing & availability:
The EOS C500 will be available from Q4 2012, priced at £20,000 / €24,600 RRP inc VAT.

Canon to exhibit at NAB 2012 prototype of 30-inch 4K industrial video display currently under development

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 12th April 2012 – Canon announced today that the company is developing a new 30-inch 4K resolution industrial video display, a prototype of which will be exhibited from April 16 to 19 at NAB Show 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

With the rapid adoption of digital cinema, there has been a growing need among Hollywood professionals and others leading the vanguard of motion picture and video production for video displays capable of the faithful reproduction of high-image-quality, high-definition 4K video.

Canon is currently developing a 30-inch 4K resolution industrial display as a 4K video output device realising faithful colour reproduction and high-resolution, high-contrast performance. Canon will exhibit a prototype of the video display from April 16 to 19 at NAB Show 2012, the world’s largest international digital event for audio, video, film, broadcast and communications, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.

The prototype to be displayed will provide support for cinema and other video editing processes while also responding to film-production needs through Canon proprietary high-image-quality technology and reliability. While detailed specifications and pricing have yet to be decided, Canon aims to commercialise the display before the end of 2012.

Canon to expand EF Cinema Lens series with four compact, lighter, low-cost 4k models

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 12th April 2012 – Canon today announces the development of four new digital cinematography zoom lenses, as the company expands its EF Cinema Lens range to provide greater creative options for video professionals. Joining the seven high-end lenses announced in 2011, the new models support 4K (4,096 x 2,160) resolutions and will be smaller, lighter and more compact – offering outstanding mobility and quality. Available with both EF and PL mounts, the lenses will also be available at competitive prices, offering premium performance to a wider range of users.

The expanded EF Cinema Lens series will include two wide-angle cinema zoom lenses, the CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S (EF mount) and CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L SP (PL mount), alongside two telephoto cinema zoom lenses, theCN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S (EF) and CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L SP (PL). Ideal for use with next-generation 4K cinema cameras, the new lenses will join Canon’s existing line-up of high-end EF Cinema Lenses in forming the core of the Cinema EOS system, which spans lens, digital cinema camera and DSLR categories.

In addition to compatibility with industry-standard Super 35 mm-equivalent cameras, the four cinema zoom lenses will also offer superior flexibility. Each lens will feature a compact, lightweight body supporting a wide focal range, making them ideal for handheld shooting. Combined with the Canon’s existing high-end EF Cinema primes, the new lenses will offer a greater variety of creative possibilities for video professionals of all types.

Prototypes of the new cinema zoom lenses will be on display at NAB 2012, one of the world’s largest events for the video, broadcasting equipment and digital media industries. NAB 2012 will take place from April 16 to 19 in Las Vegas, USA.

Availability:
The CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S (EF mount), CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L SP (PL mount), CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S (EF mount) and the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L SP (PL mount) will be available from September 2012.

Welcome to the first of our new series of video tutorials where, over the next few weeks, we will be showing you how to edit video and put together a short video production. The series will cover every stage from importing  movie clips, editing, applying colour corrections, special effects (FX), adding titles and music. If you are new to video, whether you’re shooting with an HDSLR or camcorder, there will be plenty of information to help you get started. Finally we will show you how to  upload your movie to YouTube or social media sites and how to create a DVD .

Please feel free to post any problems that you may have, on the comments section at the bottom of each tutorial page.

Click on the expand video icon to view in tutorial full screen mode

Digital Film Tools – Film Stocks review

At one time photographers would match a specific film stock to create a mood for their photographs. For example a high ISO (ASA) film might have been chosen for a gritty grainy look, or Kodachrome 25 for ultra smooth colours, maybe even shoot reversal film stock and do some cross processing.  Now digital capture has taken away that choice, instead we have  an overall smooth grain less look on almost everything that is shot. There are many things that can be done in Photoshop or other imaging applications whereby we can simulate many of the traditional film stock. However, many of the film effects may require an above average  working knowledge of filters, combination of filters and blending modes.

Film Stocks plug-in

We have been sent a copy of Film Stocks by Digital Film Tools. This is a plug in suite of filters that simulates 288 different colour and black & white film stocks and old film processes. You also have the option to customise any of the predefined settings and save them as a new preset. The plug-in can be used with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture. A separate licence is required for Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro X.  So let’s take an in-depth look at Film Stocks.

Film Stocks In use with Photoshop

With an image open in Photoshop, simply go to menu Filter > Digital Film Tools > Film Stocks 1.0. This launches an impressive, yet easy to use interface. Your image occupies the main window. A series of presets are located on the left hand side, these will change depending on which film stock type is selected from the film category thumbnails located at the bottom of the screen. The image control parameters are located on the right hand side together with a histogram. For photographers who want quick results you only need to click on a film category and then select a preset setting that suits the subject, then click the Done symbol. It’s really as simple as that, you don’t even have to wade through the user guide. However, there is far more to Film Stocks than this.

Simulation of Ilford FP4

Once you have selected a setting that you like then use the parameters to fine tune the image to your liking. There is a plethora of adjustment options available, these include curves, RGB sliders, Colour Correction sliders, Colour filter overlays, Sharpen, Diffusion, Vignette and Grain. Any adjustments that you make can be saved as a new preset and applied to other images.

A low resolution version of your image is used in the preview window, this makes applying Sharpen a difficult task as the image is pixelated.  You can change the resolution by going into File Preferences and changing the Preview size from 1024  to 2048, this does improve things but it is still a low resolution preview.  Amendment - There is a Magnifier which can be turned On or Off, just press the number 1 key, this will give you a true 100% view of the image with the effect applied. The Magnifier window can be dragged away from the left column and resized to fit screen or any other size you require.”  Having a smaller preview does speed up any adjustments you make, and these appear almost instantly, however, some of the sliders do have a slight sticky feel, often you move the cursor to leave the slider behind. To the right of every slider is a Reset button, this puts the value of that slider back to its default, I liked this inclusion, most other applications the Reset button can often take everything back to a default setting. The other nice feature is that if you expand the Parameters panel then you can have finer control on the sliders, or simply type in a number.

Simulation of an AutoChrome

The preview window has several options, you can zoom in or out with the magnifying glass or use the I & O keys – pity Digital Tools didn’t stay with Photoshop + & – keys. Although a numeric value is displayed, you can’t enter a value with your keyboard, I was trying to get a 200% magnification but could not achieve it. The pan tool can be accessed either by the icon or using the space bar on your keyboard,  I was able to smoothly pan around the image.. Other options include Before and After and split screen previews, fit to screen, snapshot, view snapshot etc. When viewing in split screen mode you can drag a marker to define how much of the screen you want to preview. However, if you have another tool selected then you can’t move the markers, even though the cursor is displaying a double arrow.

The predefined effects are excellent with a wide variety of options in each category. The categories include; Black & White Films, Black & White Lo Fi, Colour Films Cross processing, Colour Films Polaroid, Colour Films Print, Colour Films slides, Faded, Historical, Lo-Fi, Lo-Fi cross processing and Motion picture films. There are numerous presents under each category, for example under Colour Slide there is a preset  available for film stocks from Agfa, Fuji (Velvia, Provia), Gaf 500, Kodachromes -25, 64 & 200 and almost all Ektachromes. Under Black & White most popular film stocks from Ilford, Kodak, Polaroid and Agfa are included.

Faded photograph effect

The Historical collection includes many long forgotten processes, and some I have never heard of before “Ziatype” . Some effects are more convincing than others, certainly if you used fine art media to print out the results then you are not going to be disappointed.

Multiple effects can be applied to an image by creating a new layer and then using masks to hide portions thereby revealing an underlying layer. This can produce some unusual effects that could never be achieved by using film.

Finally when you are happy with the result, press the Done button. This button is not well located at the top left, most Photoshop filter buttons are normally positioned at the bottom right of most filter palettes.

Try a fully functional trial version of Film Stocks from www.digitalfilmtools.com once downloaded simply run the FilmStocks 1-0 installer which installs the plug in to your stills or video application. The trial version will run for 15 days, after this period you will have to purchase a licence to continue using the plug-in.

Overall verdict

A well designed plug-in that produces many outstanding effects with ease and also offers the ability to customise existing presets or for creating your own from scratch. The ideal tool for the photographer who mourns the death of film.

Price $95

Highly recommended.

Digital Film Tools for video

The video version works in exactly the same way as the image editing plug-in does, all that has been said before will apply for this version too.

So why an extra section to this review?

Digital Film Tools have a video version of the same plug, this works with Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro x, Avid and Quantel . Each of the 288 film Stock looks are on the whole excellent, even if the majority lend themselves to a stills photographer rather than a movie maker. To apply the filter just simply drag and drop the effect onto a clip on the timeline, a long list of numeric settings appear in the host applications effect controls panel. Now you have the option to work your way through each setting or you can click on the Setup button to open the Film Stocks interface, which is near identical to the one for Photo editing, albeit with a few omissions such as Masks. Take Snapshot, Layers and Magnifier. I have used the graphical interface for this review.

Premier will display effects as numbers

The full Film Stocks view is an easier interface to work with

Looking at the categories, I can see some of the Black & White film presets as being useful, although I can’t remember Ilford FP4 as being a movie film stock, or for that matter Kodachrome 25, nevertheless these film looks will work well on a video clip. The Historical presents and cross processing effects will make interesting viewing in a movie sequence and should provide the user with a good starting point for creating some unique looks. Most of the other presents are a variation on colours or curves to simulate movie stock or stills film. A skilled operator could replicate many of the looks, by using many of the excellent colour correction tools in Premiere or After Effects. However, Digital Film Tools have researched and recreated these 288 looks is a single package which would take a skilled operator many hours to create a similar look from scratch.

When you launch the plugin you are presented with the Film Stocks colourful interface and a single frame from your clip, the film looks are applied using this frame as your reference. The frame is the current frame where the playhead is parked on the timeline when you apply the filter.  From here you can apply any of the filters which will give you an instant update. I would have liked to see the effect applied to the entire selected clip as a movie preview, but you can make an accurate judgement from a single frame.  Once you have applied the filter you are taken back into the editing application and the file will have a red line above it, indicating it needs to be rendered for smooth preview playback. For an entire short movie this can be a time consuming process, I applied an overall look to a 45 minute film and it took 2 hours 48 minutes to render. However, in reality you may only want to apply a movie look to a short clip, and then the render time is more than acceptable.  I am using a computer with 16gb of RAM and a i7 2600k CPU, which is not slow by any means. Applying a similar effect using the colour correction tools in Premiere with the Mercury Playback Engine and the render was instant, but then that doesn’t take into account the amount of time it would take you to work out all the colour permutations in order to achieve a given film look.. The key advantage Film Stocks has, is that all the settings are predefined for you.

Red bar indicates clip has to be rendered

Having previously stated that some of the Historical and Faded presets produced interesting effects, I would have liked the inclusion of some old film effects, i.e. flicker, jumped frames, damaged and scratched artefacts which randomly appear during old movie clips, old TV screens, out of register colours, light leaks, glimpses of sprocket holes,  or even some crackling sound effects. I can think of plenty more effects that could be useful. However, the package is clearly labled as Flim Stocks and as such it delivers an excellent set of film looks.

Overall conclusion on the Film Stocks version for video

The Film Stocks plugin from Digital Film Tools provides some useful video/ film looks which will look great in any video production. The video version is just over double the price of the photo version and yet not offering any more features, in fact a few have been taken out. Compared to other similar products on the market it does present good value. However, I am not convinced why basically the same product  as Film Stocks for Photo should cost $100 more – I know new code has to be written to make it work with video, but the underlying colour permutations are the same.

Price $195

Recommended