Photographer Platon Reveals Power Through Portrait from WIRED on FORA.tv

Highlights in this release include the following:

Phocus 2.7.4 Improvements & Fixes

• Support for H5D-50MS and H5D-200MS
• Fixes a problem that could lead to artifacts when using lens corrections on HTS Multi Shot captures
• Live video support for CFV cameras has been re-enabled
• A potential Phocus Mobile crash issue when using a camera without viewfinder has been fixed
• Fixes an issue with zooming in captured 6-shot (Windows only)

Click here to download from the Hasselblad site

Phocus 2.7.4 Mac

Improvements & Fixes

• Support for H5D-50MS and H5D-200MS
• Fixes a problem that could lead to artifacts when using lens corrections on HTS Multi Shot captures
• Live video support for CFV cameras has been re-enabled
• A potential Phocus Mobile crash issue when using a camera without viewfinder has been fixed

For full information about added features and included fixes, please consult the Phocus read-me file.

Phocus is currently available in 9 various languages including English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Korean, Japanese and Chinese.

System Requirements
Mac OS X 10.6, or later is required and at least 2GB of memory where 4GB or more is recommended. If working with the H4D-60 or any multi-shot cameras we recommend 8GB of RAM. Phocus is optimized for Intel processors, G4 or G5 PPC is not supported. 512MB of graphics card memory is recommended as a minimum. For further information about system requirements, please consult the read-me file.
If you are running 10.5.x or using an older 32bit based machine you are required to use Phocus 2.6.6 which can be found in the software archive section.

Compatibility
All Hasselblad FireWire based digital camera products are supported by Phocus. 3F files generated by Phocus are not backward compatible with FlexColor. Flextight scanner 3F files are not compatible with Phocus.

Phocus 2.7.4 Windows

     

Following the launch of its new flagship H5D System cameras Hasselblad has introduced two new angled FireWire cable accessories, a new and more powerful battery grip and a new battery charger.

Announcing the move Ove Bengtson, Hasselblad's Product Manager said: "The H5D System is the next step in the evolution of our medium format cameras and these three latest upgrades ensure our capture device accessories continue to evolve at the same pace."

"The new angled FireWire cables are shipped in two colours. The black connectors, complete with new 'click-lock' features have been developed exclusively for the H5D. The upgraded cables with grey connectors are primarily for HxD/CFV ranges."

"The new connectors are designed to completely eliminate any problems caused by loose fitting cables and possible consequential damage to the internal connection."

He added: "We have also introduced a new, more powerful battery grip which now boasts 50% extra capacity. The new battery product features a more durable surface to provide better grip. It is also a few millimetres longer than its predecessor, enabling greater stability on the tripod shoe. A new charger is also available."

The new FireWire cables will have the same recommended selling price as the older versions but the launch of the new products means the older FireWire cable (1006025) and the old battery grip (3043348) are obsolete and no longer available.

The older battery charger product (3053568) 7.2V will remain available while stocks last.

Please note that the new battery will also work on the following cameras: H2D, H3D, H3D-II, H4D and H4X, provided that the latest firmware for these models has been installed.

CSI Brooklyn - Opening Monday

Live in Brooklyn and have to truck all the way to Manhattan just to rent out high-end equipment from CSI Rentals? Well, truck no more: CSI is coming to Brooklyn. On June 3, they will open their new shop at 1138 Flushing Ave. in the East Williamsburg/Bushwick area. The store will have ground level loading, parking spaces and truck drive in—all that just a block away from the L train. They will also offer delivery and pickup in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. Ease and everything a professional photographer or videographer needs.

Visit CSI online for more information: csirentals.com

The CZ.2 28-80/T2.9 as seen at the NAB Show in Las Vegas

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, April 5, 2013
Carl Zeiss presents its new zoom lenses from the Compact Family at the NAB Show 2013 (8-11 April) in Las Vegas at its booth C9043.Versatile, flexible and yet small and manageable – these are the characteristics that describe the Compact Zoom CZ.2 lenses. For the first time, the new CZ.2 28-80/T2.9 will be presented in the US. The Compact Zoom Family currently comprises the CZ.2 28-80/T2.9 and the CZ.2 70-200/T2.9; the latter won the prestigious iF product design award in February 2013.

The ZEISS Compact Zoom lenses weigh just 2.5 to 2.8 kilograms (5.5 to 6.2 pounds). “For cinema zoom lenses, that is very little. The light and compact design is ideal for hand-held and steadicam shooting,” explains Helmut Lenhof, Product Manager for the Compact Family in the Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division. The lenses are suited for owner operators as well as episodic television series, documentary films, features and big-screen productions. Especially for shooting projects on a tight budget and time schedule, a ZEISS Compact Zoom lens is an extremely flexible solution. The zoom lens enables faster work and minimizes long set-up times.

Unlike zoom lenses for still photography, the Compact Zoom cinema lenses each have three independently moveable zoom groups. This complex design prevents undesired focus shift and ensures optimal image quality. The lenses have a continuous high aperture of T2.9 over the entire zoom range.

Moreover, the interchangeable mount system makes it possible to use the lenses of the Compact Family on various camera models. The mounts currently available are for PL, EF, F, MFT and E. “Investing in this lens family is especially attractive for cinematographers and rental companies because the interchangeable mount also ensures the lenses’ long-term compatibility in the rapidly changing camera market. For all relevant future camera models, mounts will be available which the user can exchange very easily,” adds Lenhof.

Cinematographers can also rely on the quality features that ZEISS is known for:

The T* anti-reflective coating and the internal stray light reduction eliminate bothersome light reflections.

All Compact Zoom CZ.2 lenses have the same front diameter of 95 mm and the gears of the cine-style housing are always located exactly in the same position. This makes it possible to change lenses fast – without any adjustments to the rig or other accessories. The large focus rotation angle of almost 300 degrees and the calibrated focus scales ensure comfortable handling. All lenses in the Compact Zoom Family correspond to 4K production standards and cover a resolution of 4096 x 2160 with no distortion.

Australian cinematographer Warwick Brown has already used the Compact Zoom CZ.2 70-200/T2.9 for shooting a television production. “I have just finished shooting a dramatic short film using this lens and the Compact Prime CP.2 Super Speed lenses together. They are a real winning combination. The lens is sharp and handles highlights beautifully.”

The delivery of the Compact Zoom CZ.2 70-200/T2.9 began in early 2013. The Compact Zoom 28-80/T2.9 will be available starting June. Carl Zeiss authorized dealers are now accepting orders on both zoom lenses. The suggested list price of each Compact Zoom CZ.2 lens will be €14,900 or US$19,900 (excluding VAT). 

The lead time for the Compact Zoom CZ.2 70-200/T2.9 is currently six to seven months. A higher demand as expected led to these lead times. Carl Zeiss will increase its production capacities in order to reduce the lead time to three to four months.

Near the Egress from antonio martinez on Vimeo.

Over 800 modern dryplate tintypes were made from b&w film to produce this experimental stop-motion video of a circus.

Antonio Martinez created this video to serve as a desired childhood memory of the circus, but through the mind of an adult.

The project began in 2005 and was fully completed in early 2010 with the help of sound designer, Ramah (Malebranche) Jihan, and assistant, Sarah (Lathrop) Midkiff. The video has been successfully exhibited in over 23 video art and film festivals.

Carl Zeiss Lenses - High-end SLR lens Distagon T* 1,4/55

For those looking to step away from the now generic and ubiquitous aluminum cases that dominate our desktops LaCie offers a new external drive that could very easily find itself aboard the Prometheus or on Deckers desk. If you're interested in having four very unusual terabytes sitting on your desktop, check out the new LaCie Blade Runner drive, designed by Philippe Starck.

The custom-biult 4 TB USB 3.0 drives are being produced in a limited edition of 9,999. The design resembles nothing so much as a metal blob suspended inside a heat sink — which the designer says is, more or less, the point.

Imagined by Philippe Starck

The LaCie Blade Runner is more than just a beautifully designed hard drive – it's a creation by world famous designer Philippe Starck that represents the combination of human and machine. The LaCie Blade Runner's sharp, cage-like enclosure surrounds an almost anthropomorphic, liquid metal interior. Inspired by the mysterious, incredible power of information technology, the LaCie Blade Runner combines an anthropomorphic metal interior with an angular cage-like shell. It begs the question; can we truly confine technology to a cage?

"The warm interior electronics are encased in a mystifying shell, and the blades are the radiator that cools it down," Starck said in a prepared statement. "The suspension gives space for air to circulate around the hard drive, and the metal material increases the temperature conduction."

LaCie tells us the limited edition units are still available, albeit with a wait-list that means it'll be a couple of weeks before you get the drive in hand. For more information, visit the LaCie website.

SPECIFICATIONS

A few years ago I posted a video about the proper way to coil cords to ensure their long life and more importantly ease in packing and storage. I thought that it was time to bring it back to the front of the play list since there seems to be a great many people that are missing this very simple skill.

Now before those people that work on film shoots chime in and tell me that their method of coiling cords and cables which includes a twisting motion during the coiling of the cables, it needs to be pointed out that THERE IS NO ONE RIGHT WAY OF DOING ANYTHING; there are just some methods that are better than others. And the method demonstrated here is the one that I and hundreds of my peers in the commercial photo industry have been using for more than 20+ years.

Below you'll see a selection of my extension cords and that are all 15 years old or more. They have always been coiled using my method so I know that it works.

Go behind the scenes at the lens factory in this video made by Nikon on the 80th anniversary of its Nikkor brand.