Despite 20 years in Photoshop (I started when i was like, 7-8 using v2.5 when it first came to Windows in 1992, making banners and graphics for websites — it shouldn’t really count, I guess, but I like to think it does), I’m always learning new things. While I normally use Imagenomic’s portraiture for quick skin smoothing/edits as part of my workflow, I tried going with a quick manual retouch this time and I think it came out alright. Total process took about 20-30 minutes, which is a lot more than I normally spend on my images (yeah, sometimes I’m lazy :/). It’s not the greatest, but I’m never really satisfied with my work. I really like the process, and since i’m working on doing more composites and photomanipulation, I have a feeling i’ll be doing plenty more of this soon.

You cna find the resulting image on my 500px @ 500px.com/bgateb

Enjoy! (click to enlarge)

Ever since Sekonic announced the RT-32CTL ControlTL module for the L358 Flashmaster (and other compatible light meters) I was very interested in what they might have coming up next, and I’m glad I waited. As soon as they announced them, the L-478D and L-478DR looked to be awesome devices.

Originally, My plan was to upgrade the pocketwizard module in my L-358 light meter so that it would work with my AC3/TT1/TT5/AC9/Power MC2 setup for my hotshoe flashes and strobes, but I tend to buy (most) of my photo stuff on an impulse so I waited until they showed up at my local camera stores. Unfortunately, they never did show up in-store for the time that I was looking to upgrade.

After a few months had passed, I just dealt with using my lightmeter in it’s normal “flash” mode and triggered my flashes with the “test” button and controlling power remotely via the AC3 that sat atop my TT1′s. This was fine for most things but it started to become a chore, so I looked at upgrading my module again.

Around this time Sekonic had just announced the L-478D and L-478DR Lightmaster Pro lightmeters ($389 and $469, respectively). The biggest change here would be the addition of a touch screen (a sign of the times, no doubt). Personally, I favor the jog-dial and soft-touch buttons of most other light meters, as the control scheme lends itself better to quick adjustments, but we’ll get to that later. Sekonic’s new 400-series lightmeters looked like they would be an awesome addition to their lineup, if not set the tone for upcoming revisions to their other meters. Since the higher-end L-478DR had features that would be relevant to my use, I started considering that one for purchase. The features  that I was most interested in were that it had a ControlTL-compatible transmitter already built in, remote power control of my flashes/strobes, and the 478DR does cine, which is starting to be increasingly relevant for my work.

The RT-32CTL module by itself is $149.99 – i knew i’d be able to sell my old L-358 with the standard pocketwizard RT-32 module for about $275-300, and Considering the added cost of having to purchase the RT-32CTL to trigger my ControlTL PocketWizards, the cost to upgrade to the new lightmeter would be minimal, so I decided to just get the new meter.

Now, onto the review. Most of it will be comparative in nature, comparing it to my “old” meter. This may not be the best or most-in-depth review, but I hope you’ll be able to glean some useful information from my short experience with this device.

If anyone cares, here’s the box. The L-478DR runs about $469 just about anywhere, while the L-478D runs about $389, and the box looks almost identical, save the model designation and the Pocketwizard logo(s). All of the contents are neatly packed inside, and here’s what you get:

• Sekonic L478DR Light Meter
• Leatherette Pouch
• Lanyard
• Anti-Glare Screen Protector
• 2 AAA Batteries
• Quick Start Instruction Manual
• Software CD

Both the 478D and 478DR come with 3-year warranties.

The pouch is nice, but lacks the velcro flap of the other meters. It does, however, have the belt loop, if you don’t use the lanyard. Everything else is pretty self-explanatory.

Build Quality

The build quality of the L-478DR isn’t quite on par with that of the 358 and 758DR. It by no means feels flimsy, but maybe that’s more a testament to the build quality of those meters. The overall build of the L-478DR feels  solid and dense. Quality plastic and rubber give it a good feel in your hand. Overall, the physical “feel” of the meter is good.

Physical Overview

The meter measures 2.2 x 5.5 x 1″ / 57 x 140 x 26 mm (W x L x D) and weighs 4.9oz (140g) without batteries. As you can see, it’s quite a bit smaller than the L-358 (but every bit as powerful.)

The rubber around the perimeter of the meter is nice and grippy, so there’s little chance it’ll slip out of your hands. The buttons have a nice feel and tactile “click” to them.

Coming to the left side, we have a “Memory” button, which will store readings and all associated data into memory, which can be recalled later via a menu. This is useful for averaging readings or checking your contrast/lighting ratios. Below the “memory” button, behind a rubberized flap is a mini-USB port which is used for firmware updates or for uploading camera calibration information to the meter. This can be especially useful for those that need a precise handle on their photography. Firmware updates also mean that the device is relatively future-proof, bringing new features and functionality to the L-478DR…provided Sekonic continues to  develop for it.

On the bottom of the device, behind another rubber flap is the PC Sync terminal for using the meter in Corded (PC) mode.

On the right side, we have the “Measure” button, which of course, will initiate the meter to take a reading. It should be noted that through the menus, the “Memory” button on the left and the “Measure” button on the right can swap functions, if that feels more natural to you.

Up top you have the lumisphere which can be retracted for flat surface readings or for shielding the lumisphere when taking contrast/lighting ratio readings. The lumisphere of the 478D and 478DR are a good bit smaller than the other meters, however, I’m sure this doesn’t affect accuracy or functionality negatively.

The front panel is very clean and iPhone-esque with only one button, the “Menu” button, located where the home button would be on an iPhone. The “menu” button can be pressed and held to lock the screen when in use — most of the physical buttons will still work (to take readings, etc) but the touch screen will be locked. The touch screen uses older technology (resistive? infrared? whatever..), not the new capacitive touch-screen technology used in modern cellphones and cameras, so that was unexpected. On the upside, it can be used with gloves in colder climates because of this, so perhaps it was intended, and not just a cost-saving measure.

The back panel houses the AAA batteries which power the unit — this is great because most of the time you will have spare AAA’s on hand, as opposed to the odd CR123A battery used in the L-358 (although you should always have spare batteries for everything, just in case!) Another thing to note here in the battery compartment is that there is no place to plug in a radio module, so if you need wireless trigerring from the device, DO NOT get the L-478D, as you will not be able to add a module later, unlike the L-358.

The L-478DR In Use

Earlier I mentioned that I thought the touch-screen interface would take some getting used to, especially being used to the jog-wheel style controls used on most other light meters. After a few days of fiddling with this thing, I can say that they’ve achieved their goal in making the meter much more intuitive and easier to use. Everything is laid out nicely and is more or less self-explanatory. I only had to dip into the manual to get a handle on some of the more advanced features (of which I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.) If you want to check out all of the features or an in-depth view of all the menus, you can peek at the L-478D/DR Manual on Sekonic’s website here. I’ll only be covering general use in this overview/review.

Let’s work our way around the “Home” screen, starting from the top left. The top of the screen is a sort of “notification center”, much like the top bar of the iPhone — it’ll tell you battery power, and any additional modes or relevant information.

Below that (the sun in the photo) is used to adjust the mode of the meter. The meter has a number of different modes, but the most important being T-priority, F-Priority, Flash, Corded flash and Cordless flash. To the right of the mode adjustment you have the shutter-speed adjustment  (or aperture adjustment if you’re in T-priority mode) and the ISO adjustment “dials”. You can make these adjustments before or after you take your meter reading and the reading will adjust accordingly. Pretty simple.

Below those is the “main” area of the screen which will show the reading (the 3rd part of the triangle, as it were). Below the reading is an EV scale and below that are a few more buttons (from left to right): EV/AVG, which will average 2 readings to give you an averaged exposure. Info, which displays current display mode, input exposure compensation, and exposure profile in use. Setup/Tool Box, where you can set various options such as filter compensation, set the Pocketwizard channel/zone, recall previous readings (memory), and set/clear/recall midtone,.

One important menu to note — below the mode adjustment soft-button, (but not pictured in the above photo) is the Flash Adjustment/ControlTL setup menu (the button looks like a little gear with a flash icon in it.) It brings you to the following menu:

This is where the L-478DR offers some really cool functionality. I previously used the AC3 ZoneController to control my flashes wirelessly, but it had always been a bit iffy when it came to its reliability when used with my Einsteins to adjust power, and even sometimes when controlling the output of my 580EXII’s off camera. So far, I haven’t really had any issues with the L-478DR doing this. In this menu, you can toggle the zones indivually on the fly (for taking readings of each zone when measuring contrast ratios, etc.) and it lets you control power output +- 3-stops in up to 3 zones with 3 flashes per zone. On standard channels, you can track up to 4 zones (up to 4 flashes per zone), but you cannot wirelessly control power output over standard channels. At the bottom of each adjustment slider, you can see the lightmeter’s reading for that particular zone.

Another awesome feature in this menu: If you notice, there’s a small icon in the bottom right that looks like a flashlight — this controls the modeling lamp of the connected flash(es). This makes it easier to set up and position your lights without ever having to bring them down if they’re up high, or if you’re otherwise physically away from the light you’re working with. It can control the modeling lamp of each zone independently — a VERY useful feature when setting up your more elaborate lighting setups and you don’t have an assistant. This was something that was an issue when I used my Einsteins on portable power because every time the TT1/AC3 initiated a change in power, it would bring up the modeling lamp unless modeling lamp control was completely turned off through the PocketWizard Utility — so I had C1 on my TT1/TT5′s set to have the modeling lamp on, while C2 had the modeling lamp control completely off/manual for when I was using it with a Vagabond Mini. Being able to control the modeling lamp remotely is really nice.

I currently have an AC3, but when I work with my strobes i’ll probably be using the L-478DR because having a visual representation with the sliders is better than the dials atop the AC3 – and the modeling lamp control is a nice bonus.

I think that about covers it for the general/basic use and physical overview of the L-478DR in the short week I’ve had it. Bottom line, it’s an awesome meter and would definitely recommend you pick one up if you don’t already have one. If you already do have a meter,  unless you have ControlTL triggers, it may not be worth the upgrade, as you won’t be able to make use of too many of the advanced features that the 478D and 478DR offer.

Maybe In the future I can write up a more detailed “in-use” review as I use this thing more in my work and learn more about it.

Gallery:

Purchase:

read the preliminary report over at canonrumors: http://www.canonrumors.com/2012/09/hacked-the-magic-lantern-team-cracks-the-eos-7d/

Here’s a list of updates in 1.1.3:

Firmware Version 1.1.3 incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. Supports the single focal length EF40mm f/2.8 STM lens that is to be released at the end of June, 2012.
2. Fixes a phenomenon in which an image may become underexposed when using the Auto Lighting Optimizer for continuous Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) shooting.
3. Fixes a phenomenon in which the backlight of the LCD monitor may not turn off depending on the camera settings and timing.
4. Fixes a phenomenon in which the camera’s power may not turn on when a super-telephoto lens*1) is mounted to the camera with an extender*2).
5. - EF 300mm F2.8L IS II USM / EF 400mm F2.8L IS II USM
6. - Extender EF 1.4X III / Extender EF 2X III
7. Corrects mistakes in the Dutch, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, and Swedish menu screens

Download Canon 5D Mark III Firmware 1.1.3 @ Canon USA.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 for Windows & Mac – Student & Teacher Ed. – $64.00 (Regularly $79)

Use Promo Code: EMCYTZT1600

Wireless transfer is nothing new, really, with things like wireless file transmitter grips for cameras having been around for a while (they’re expensive, and usually used in-studio for tethered shooting) — aside from the price, the thing that attracted me to the eye-fi was its integration with social media and all of the major hosting services. Twitter, Facebook and Flickr are a big part of our social media strategy. In this day and age, with social media and photojournalism, expedited shipping (amazon prime, anyone?), people have become accustomed to instant gratification, and so, time-to-market is a huge factor. Uploading photos weeks after an event is often not acceptable and sometimes irrelevant, or not of interest to the viewers anymore.

With the Eye-Fi, I could shoot the event photos directly to our Facebook or Flickr page. I wouldn’t be able to process them, but I often don’t do much to my event photos, anyhow. So, straight from the camera to the viewer. Nice.

The setup was fairly easy; requiring just some software installation on my MacBook Air. Once I plugged the card in and started up the software and updated the firmware, I just added the wireless network, configured and authorized the card to send my photos to flickr, threw the card in the camera, and off I went. Pretty simple. There _are_ some advanced options, but I have not explored those yet, since I literally purchased the card right before the event. I understand that there are “selective” modes where you can selectively send photos to your sharing services, instead of having _all_ of the photos uploaded. This could be good for longer events, or volume shooters. You can also send the photos directly to your phone (iPhone, Android) or tablet (iPad) in the absence of a wifi network using “Direct Mode” — essentially an ad-hoc wifi network.

Since the event I was shooting was being live-streamed, I had to take into consideration bandwidth, so i shot “S2″ JPEGs (2.5MP image dimensions) to the eye-fi, to save bandwidth and speed up transfer/upload. This worked pretty well, but the network and photo transfers were still pretty slow. I’ve been reading that people get very fast transfers even when shooting small JEPGs (5.5MP image dimensions) so I’m not sure if this was a result of the network, or the card itself (my laptop and the camera both had a strong wifi signal). I havent done any additional testing yet, so I hope to have an update regarding transfer speed soon.

Overall, the eye-fi card is a pretty cool gadget, and worth the purchase price if it’s something you think you might use, or even play with on occasion. At worst, it’s an expensive 4GB or 8GB SD card. It’s a little slow, rated as a “Class 6″ (6MB/s)  card, so don’t expect to be shooting video, large files or long sequences with it.

The Basic “4GB X2 Connect” model goes for about $39-49, and the “8GB X2 Pro” model goes for about $99 and adds geotagging and RAW support (though personally, I wouldnt try to shoot RAW files over wifi). The lower-end models are upgradeable to use wifi Geotagging (the same way it works with the “X2 Pro” — Not that it’s not true GPS geotagging. It uses registered Wi-Fi access points to triangulate/guesstimate the location for the photos) for $29 on their website.

Now, on to some photos!

If you’re unfamiliar with the differences between the TT1 and their other products (MultiMax, PlusII, PlusIII), I suggest you read up on it, but i’ll summarize the major points of interest from their site below:

• ControlTL. The new PocketWizard ControlTL™ System interprets the complex E-TTL II data being sent through the camera’s hot shoe and digitally transmits it in a reliable radio signal. Change the flash compensation dial on the camera, and those commands pass seamlessly through the system to your remote flash.  Adjust your aperture or ISO and the system corrects for those changes. Add the PocketWizard AC3 ZoneController to easily adjust up to three zones of light independently, in both E-TTL II or manual, with six stops of power adjustment.
• HyperSync. HyperSync Automation Technology that allows camera sync well above your standard x-sync limitation with full power flash.   HyperSync Automation automatically adjust the timing of your flash trigger so that faster than X-sync speeds can be achieved.  With certain Canon camera and flash combinations you can achieve sync all the way to 1/8000th of a second.  Just imagine what you can do using flash in bright sun with wide open apertures and fast shutter speeds.  Since HyperSync is a trigger function you can use any PocketWizard Receiver including the FlexTT5, PlusII, PlusIII or MultiMAX.
•  FP/High-Speed Sync. Shoot at any shutter speed with compatible E-TTLII flashes.  With radio wireless, how you can use this amazing feature in bright daylight automatically.  No buttons to press or settings to change other than your shutter speed will give you flash sync all the way to 1/8000th.

Foll info on the PocketWizard page here.

$150. Less than a year old, I’m the original owner, and it’s in great shape. However, I do not have the box, CDs, or manual for it. The manual and software can easily be downloaded and printed off of the PocketWizard site, which I will do for the buyer.

16GB – $87.95

32GB – $154.95

64GB – $349.95

128GB – $649.95

UPDATE: it looks like they’ve updated,changed their prices since this morning! they’re EVEN LOWER now! new prices below:

16GB - $74.95

32GB - $139.95

64GB - $329.95

128GB - $599.95

 Note that the top-of-the-line 128GB model goes up to 100MB/s write speed!

As a registered owner of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, we would like to inform you of two recently posted service announcements regarding your camera. Please review the information below regarding improvements to the camera’s firmware and to Canon’s Digital Photo Professional imaging software. Your continued satisfaction is very important to us, and we appreciate you putting your trust in Canon by using our products for your imaging needs.

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Service Notice: EOS 5D Mark III: Firmware Update Version 1.1.2
Camera Firmware Version 1.1.2 incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

• Supports a new accessory, GPS receiver GP-E2.
• Fixes a phenomenon where a pink cast may develop over the image when the shutter is completely pressed with the camera’s power turned off (by the auto power off setting).
• Fixes a phenomenon where the camera operation stops after one shot when shooting in High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode.
• Fixes a phenomenon where the Shooting Date/Time in the EXIF data of the image shows a later time than the actual shooting time.
• Fixes the time zone for the Samoa Islands.
• Corrects errors in the Finnish menu screen.

The new Firmware Version 1.1.2 can be downloaded from the EOS 5D Mark III page. If the camera’s firmware is already Version 1.1.2, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

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Service Notice: EOS 5D Mark III RAW File Processing with DPP Version 3.11.10
We have identified an issue that prevents users of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III from processing their RAW format images when using Digital Photo Professional Version 3.11.10, the RAW image development software that is bundled with the EOS 5D Mark III.An updated version, Digital Photo Professional 3.11.26, fixes the phenomenon listed above. This software can be downloaded from the EOS 5D Mark III page.

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NOTE: Once on the “Drivers & Software” tab please choose operating system and version. Then expand the Firmware or Software section and click on the file name to access the details page. Choose “I Agree – Begin Download” button to start the download. Support:This information is for residents of the United States and Puerto Rico only. If you do not reside in the USA or Puerto Rico, please contact the Canon Customer Support Center in your region.

Thank you,
Customer Support Operations
Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Contact Information for Inquiries:
Canon Customer Support Center
Phone:
1-800-OK-CANON (toll free)
1-800-652-2666
TTD: 1-866-251-3752 (toll free)
E-mail: carecenter@cits.canon.com
For additional support options: www.pro.usa.canon.com/support

I guess the next thing to do is wait for an e-mail regarding how they’re going to address the “light leak” issue, if at all (previously they’d noted that the issue “does not adversely affect the images taken”, so it’s up in the air as to if they’ll even issue a fix at all.)

If you’re interested in purchasing any of this stuff, shoot me an e-mail at bryan [at] bgateb.com. Thanks!

For those interested in local pickup, I’m located in Riverside, CA. Now, on to the items!

Crumpler 8MDH “8 Million Dollar Home” Shoulder Bag – Brown/Orange, Blue insides, comes with all velcro dividers. No stains, tears or rips. Bought around Feb/March last year at the Crumpler store in San Francisco. I have all inserts, bag, dust bag and receipt!

$120 (+ shipping, if you aren’t local)

Canon 5D (AKA “5D Mark I” or “5D Classic”) 12.8MP Full-Frame DSLR – Comes with 4 batteries, original charger, Canon Original BG-E4 Battery grip, strap, cables (AV and USB) and manuals. I am the second owner. I purchased it from its original owner in May 2011, and had the Mirror box fix and sensor cleaning done by Canon Irvine in July 2011.  The 5D is still a very capable camera; in fact it fares favorably against the much younger (2 generations newer) 7D in High ISO situations (as you’ll see in my tests here.) There is some dust or something stuck on the prism (I haven’t attempted to clean it yet) — it has NO effect whatsoever on the photos the camera takes. 5D Tech specs are here: Canon 5D Tech Specs.

The only minor blemish is the small crack on the BG-E4 battery grip (highlighted in the photos below), but this does not at all affect functionality.

WILL TRADE FOR: PCB Einstein640 + cash on your end.

$800 (+ shipping, if you aren’t local)

UPDATE, 6/18/2012: Canon 5D SOLD!

more images in a small gallery here: http://imgur.com/a/HTMEs#0

2x Calumet/Bowens Travelite 750 (750 w/s strobe) – I’m selling my old studio strobes since I’m moving to the PCB Einsteins for location work. I highly recommend these strobes for studio, or even some location work. These things are tanks! The body and housing are completely metal and the swivel bracket/tilt arm are also metal and VERY strong — it holds up my 80″ octabank up without a hitch (You will need to use a C-stand, though!) The strobes are great outdoors and can overpower the sun when needed, but go down low enough to use indoors in your studio. I have only used them on-location 3 times that I can remember. The rest of their use has been in my home studio for portraiture. For those interested in portraiture and worried about color temp shift throughout the power range, you’ll be happy to know that the color shift over its 6 f-stop range from 1/32 power all the way up to full power is only ±300K. Also, If you plan on using these on-location, I have used them for the last year or so without issue on a Paul C. Buff Vagabond II.

I just replaced the modeling lamps on all of them (powerful 250w modeling lamps – $30 each from calumet), and the flash tubes were all replaced ($140 each) when I bought these used from their original owner just about 18 months ago, so they’re like new and well taken care of. Each unit includes modeling light, flash tube, protective dome for transport, and 3-prong power cord.

These lights use the bowens-mount for accessories/modifiers. Tech specs/manual for these are here: Calumet Travelite 750 Manual.

$260 each (+ shipping, if you aren’t local) 

UPDATE, 5/10/2012: I’ve sold one of the lights. Still have two more available!

UPDATE, 5/24/2012: All 3 Lights, softbox and reflector are SOLD!

More photos in a gallery here: http://imgur.com/a/vZFaX

 Interfit EXD200 400 w/s 2-head strobe kit - These were my first strobes; the kit is just about 2 years old — These monolights are powerful and light enough for fill flash on-location when your speedlights just aren’t enough (though you will need a power pack such as a Paul C. Buff Vagabond or Vagabond Mini Lithium), and they still have plenty of power for use in indoor studio work (easily achieves f/11-f/16 for indoor portraits). Interfits use the elinchrom bayonet-style mount (they’re essentially re-branded elinchrom units.) As a result, the performance with regard to color shift across it’s 4 f-stop range (adjustable in 1/10th of an f-stop) is only ±200K ! These are a great way to get started with studio lighting. My set comes with 2 light stands, 2 200 w/s Interfit heads, modeling lamps, plastic transport covers, 2 24″ softboxes, 1 silver umbrella, and a carrying case. Interfit EXD200 specs here: Interfit EXD200 Tech Specs.

$350 for the whole shebang – local preferred.

More images, in a gallery here: http://imgur.com/a/UY7wz

SOLD! Bowens/Calumet 6″ Umbrella Reflector – Because the travelites do not have umbrella holders/mounts on the body itself, if you plan on using an umbrella or something like a Paul C Buff PLM on a Travelite, you’ll need one of these! I barely use umbrellas anymore so this actually has never been used.

$25 (+ shipping, if you aren’t local)

I think that’s about it for now, stay tuned for more stuff!