By site editor Dan Chung:

Canon have finally given users of the 7D what many have asked for – manual audio level control. This brings the 7D into line with the rest of the Canon DSLR pro lineup which already feature this. The version 2.0.X firmware upgrade also improves the 7D’s still capabilities and especially burst shooting in RAW. It will be a free downloadable firmware upgrade that will be available in early August.

This upgrade will be very welcome by owners of the 7D. That said, quite why it has taken Canon so long to offer this to users is a mystery to me – as it the lack of manual audio level control to users of its previous flagship model the 1D mkIV.

Here is the full release from Canon:

New Firmware Enhances Functionality Of EOS 7D Digital SLR
Free Update Increases Buffer Capacity to 25 RAW Images, Adds In-Camera RAW Processing and Many Other New Features

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., June 28, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced a firmware update for the EOS 7D Digital SLR camera that adds new functionality to improve its performance for serious photographers and semi-professional users. The update, free to all EOS 7D owners, gives the camera more advanced shooting options, including an increase in the maximum number of burst images taken in the RAW file format (from 15i frames to 25ii frames) as well as the ability to process RAW image files directly in the camera and the option to set a maximum ISO setting in ISO Auto mode. The firmware also adds the ability to adjust up to 64 audio levels manually prior to recording video, supports custom file naming, and allows for compatibility with Canon’s newly introduced, optional GPS Receiver GP-E2.

The new firmware upgrade for the EOS 7D Digital SLR camera together with installation instructions will be available in early August at no charge through Canon U.S.A.’s website. For more information please visit the following link to view an online video about the new EOS 7D firmware features, www.usa.canon.com/eos7dfirmwareupgrade

There is also a video from Canon explaining the upgraded features:

By Ed Jones:

Hong Kong Taxi from Ed Jones on Vimeo.

In December 2011 I was posted to Beijing after several years in Hong Kong. Before leaving Hong Kong I wanted to produce a timelapse video that would make use of the city’s fast-paced lifestyle and its brightly lit streets.

It occurred to me that to show it from the perspective of one of the city’s familiar red taxis would be something that viewers could enjoy and easily relate to. I hoped that it would evoke the feelings of seeing any city for the first time, which for many is often from the windows of a cab.

Over a year earlier I had taken a taxi while returning from an assignment and had a good conversation with the driver about photography. We had kept in touch since then and so I pitched my idea to him. He agreed and we arranged to shoot some footage with a Canon 5D mkII mounted in various positions on the outside of his cab with a suction mount.

Sadly the resulting footage was shaky; it could have been improved using bigger and better mounts, but the rig I set up was already too cumbersome to leave on the cab while the driver undertook his shift. Shooting the timelapse with the 5D mkII necessitated using a separate interval timer which also added to the equipment that had to be fastened to the exterior of the car.

The results from the 5DmkII and a single suction mount were ultimately too shaky

I wanted the rig to stay on the taxi for a whole shift because I needed to show the cab stopping and starting as it picked up customers and delivered them around the territory, the light on its roof flickering on and off.

As an alternative I tried out a GoPro with a suction mount, set to its shortest timelapse interval of two seconds. The unit was small enough not to attract attention, and – should the mount fail at high speed – accidentally losing it would be favourable to losing the 5D mkII. The images were noisier than from the 5D, but the dimensions of the camera’s five megapixels stills meant that once downsized to HD video frame size that was less noticeable. To improve the image further I de-noised the frames from the GoPro in Adobe Photoshop before using Quicktime to compile them into a timelapse. In any case, I’m not particularly fussy about noise levels in my photos and will happily resort to sky-high ISOs if that allows me to take a picture that I couldn’t otherwise.

To introduce the time-lapse sequence I shot a basic narrative to illustrate the start of the taxi driver’s shift, up to the moment that he picks up the first passenger. The intro also features a few timelapse segments of the Hong Kong skyline at dusk, as rush-hour approaches and the city’s lights start to illuminate the territory. These skyline time-lapses were shot with the 5D mkII, and the camera’s resolution meant that I was able to create virtual tracking shots by cropping and panning over the frame sequences in Final Cut Pro. I’m sure some consider this cheating, but if it means carrying less equipment then I’m in favour. For the tracking time-lapse shot of tourists at the waterfront the camera was balanced on top of a bin/trash can. For the low angle shot of the driver walking to the taxi my mobile phone was perfect to prop up the lens at just the right angle.

Ambient sound audio from the streets was sufficient for the video segments, but for the main timelapse I was going to need music. I looked into finding a soundtrack online but licensing would have been a problem, given that the video would be committed to the AFP archives which are available to its many clients. In the end I recorded the music myself using my guitar and some sampling software.

My friend the taxi driver

There is undoubtedly much room for improvement in the finished video. With better planning the result could have appeared more polished. I felt that the two-second interval on the GoPro was too long and that half-a-second would have been smoother and provided a better pace to the time-lapse. That said, the approach to this piece was to do it quickly and as cost-effectively as possible, without the need for any significant increase in equipment over my regular kit. It’s very different from the sort of videos that AFP usually produces – it’s great to have the occasional outlet for more conceptual work.

Most of all I was lucky to have the patience and understanding of a very kind and generous taxi driver.

Ed Jones is a staff photographer with AFP.Formerly based in Hong Kong he now works in the company’s Beijing bureau

By site editor Dan Chung:

In this last blog post from Broadcast Asia I just wanted to cover a few bits of gear that fascinated me. In fact I liked the first two gadgets so much I actually bought them to try out.

Matthews made the trip to Singapore to show all their latest grip kit which included a very cool Iphone clamp holder which I picked up. They also showed an Ipad holder and some heavy duty sliders.

Broadcast Asia Matthews from Dan Chung on Vimeo.


The second gadget I fell for was a diminutive Bridge M HDMI to SDI convertor box from Korean firm Digital Forecast. I already have a Blackmagic Design HDMI to SDI convertor box that allows me to use SDI monitors and recorders with my DSLRs. I’m planning to use this with a 5D mkIII and my Steadicam which has an SDI monitor. The Bridge M is much smaller and easier to rig onto a camera, has a wider range of dc power input (it can run on USB or DC) and has a HDMI loop through as well.

The Bridge M HDMI to SDI convertor

The last gadget that I would love to own is this new underwater housing for the Nikon D800 from Nauticam. Sadly I could never justify it and can only imagine that the beautiful underwater imagery you could get from this setup.

Nauticam's Nikon D800 underwater housing

Look at the size of that dome port!

By site editor Dan Chung:

It seems like every trade show I go to there is a new wave of LED lights available. Broadcast Asia in Singapore was no exception. There were LED fixtures in all different shapes and sizes from established firms and no-name brands. However the one LED light that I chose to focus on was launched a while ago but I didn’t get a chance to see it properly until now. The Rotolight Anova has the unique ability to control its colour temperature using an Iphone via Wifi. David Toh of Cathay Photo explains more:

Dslrnewsshooter at Broadcast Asia 2012: Rotolight Anova at the Cathay Photo booth from Dan Chung on Vimeo.

On the Tiffen stand was a nice portable light kit from Lowel that was there as a reminder that LED is not the only lighting technology in town. Hotlights can still be a better solution for many news and documentary shooters thanks to their power, portability and light control options.

Dslrnewsshooter at Broadcast Asia 2012: Tiffen Lowel lights from Dan Chung on Vimeo.

Other lights that caught my eye included the new Litepanels Inca series of tungsten fresnel type LEDs and the rather interesting Zebralite which allows individual strips of LEDs to be aimed separately.

Litepanels Inca LED light

The multi bar Zebralite

The boldest exhibitor of the show award surely goes to Korean LED manufacturer DMlight who made this claim for their Lumos range:

A bold statement from Korean firm DMlight

This is one of their LED lights