PShizzy: The Blog

Oh man, just when I thought Canon was taking a big step forward. . .

The official announcement is HERE, and here is what it says, in case you don’t want to click:

Thank you for using Canon products.We have learned that some users of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera are experiencing issues with Firmware Update Version 2.0.3.

We are working on a new firmware update to address these phenomena, which will be available soon. If you have not registered your EOS 5D Mark II, please register so we will be able to notify you via e-mail when future firmware updates become available for download.

Canon always strives to provide the highest quality products to our customers. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience these phenomena may have caused. We appreciate your kind patronage and support.

More after the jump [Read more →]

Tags: business, equipment, photography by PShizzy
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When the 5D II first came out, it was revolutionary, offering full HD video at 30fps. While this was certainly an amazing concept, the execution itself wasn’t spectacular by any means. Why? Because while the 5D II did 1080p video, it did not follow the standard frame rates for video, nor the sampling rates for audio. In fact, it didn’t even allow manual exposure settings for video. This of course was later fixed, and led to speculation.

For the first time, Canon didn’t just tweak the settings on a camera with a firmware update, they actually enhanced the camera. But after updating the 5D II to allow manual exposure, they still had a lot to do. And today, finally, it seems they’ve done it.

So what’s the big deal with the new firmware? Hit the jump to get a simple explanation of frame rates and audio samples, as well as the complete list of firmware changes. But if that sounds all too boring, feel free to just click here (scroll down, hit “I Agree”) to get the firmware and be on your merry way! [Read more →]

Tags: business, equipment, photography by PShizzy
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Raise your hand if you were excited about Snow Leopard coming out last Friday? I admit, I was intrigued, and went ahead and picked up a copy at my local Apple Store. But before I even got to open the package, I started reading reports that people had problems with older applications not being compatible, and even newer applications needing updates and patches just to be compatible. A personal computer having problems isn’t that big a deal. Maybe you’re inconvenienced because you can’t sync the latest songs to your iPhone, or can’t use Tweetdeck or who know’s what else.

But what if this is your work computer? What if your entire business depends on this computer? What if Snow Leopard creates incompatibilities that wouldn’t just inconvenience you, it would prevent you from working? Think I’m kidding? Adobe CS3 application users have already expressed concerns, and you would think CS4 users are safer. Maybe not.

If only there was a way to test out Snow Leopard on your system, without jeopardizing your current setup. Well, there is, and it’s not very complicated. So if you’re an expert level user, I won’t be sharing anything too mind blowing. However, for the novice to intermediate user, this may just make your day. Read on for more. [Read more →]

Tags: business, equipment by PShizzy
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AdoramaPix is at it again with their big print sale. Running through March, 4.95 gets you a 16×20 Kodak Endura Matte or Lustre print, and 7.95 for a Kodak Metallic. And like last time, you can purchase prepaid prints at these prices, and use them after the sale ends. This is great for anyone who prepurchased the metallics last time, as they’re still paying 4.95 for those.

Not only that, but if you’re signing up for the first time, you get 25 4×6 prints free.  And if you happen to do that, please consider dropping my name as a referral (my email address for this is msimbron at gmail dot com). I’ve accrued a bunch of 4×6 prints and plan to do something (don’t know yet) with them.

If you read my previous article on this, “Big Print Giveth,” there are comments from users who purchased large prints from AdoramaPix and were quite happy with the quality.

Feel free to add any thoughts or queries in the comments.

Tags: business by PShizzy
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After the huge success of the Lynda.com seven day trial, which was on again off again, I received an interesting email from another e-learning source, the Virtual Training Company, or VTC for short. I was interested for two reasons.

First, VTC has been around a while. They offered training cd’s over a decade ago, when the concept was still new. So VTC definitely has a solid background in application training. But the second reason is what caught me: The email was from Mark Vernon,  the founder of VTC.

vtc.com is an online learning library similar to lynda.com, but with 80,000 tutorial videos. We started in 1994, delivering online in 1997, so we’ve been around a bit longer than most.
Check out the library using a 7 day free pass, using promo code “twitter”, at vtc.com/promo
cheers

Mark Vernon

The Virtual Training Company

So please, feel free to sign up and give it a whirl. Read on for a short review of the material as well as my overall opinion. [Read more →]

Tags: business, general, photoshop by PShizzy
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UPDATE 2/17/09: The trial is back on. I believe it will alternate on and off, so try it. if you’re in a rush, try the day pass in my other post. Remember, each one requires an email address.

The week long pass that I posted about last week expired. It was a very popular post on this blog, so I contacted Lynda.com to see if there were any other trials available or coming up. It took a few days, but they responded.

As I mentioned in my other post, Lynda.com is a good resource for training, and the monthly or yearly cost is a boon to anyone who has an interest in learning more than one application. For my review of the service, read last weeks blog post

Click more to read on about my response from Lynda.com customer service, and the link to the 24 hour pass. [Read more →]

Tags: business, general, photoshop by PShizzy
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Backing up your drives is important. I don’t have any fun stories or anecdotes to recount about dead drives. There’s nothing worst than losing data because of a drive failure. Worse yet is when it’s at the most inopportune time. For example, the night before a big event, or a trip, your laptop decides that stage a coup against Windows XP. Now what?

Let’s install Windows. Where was that disk again? Countless reboots and hours later, you have Windows. But no updates. Reboot more, like it’s going out of style. Ok SP3, here we are. But no Photoshop. No Photo Mechanic. Crap, even my email hasn’t been set up yet. Oh and if you run Vista, you may just be better off going without a computer until Windows 7 shows up.

The last time my computer went out on me, I reasoned that it was old enough to not be worth saving, so I went and got a Mac. That’s how much I hate reformatting. Also, to be honest, I was simply unprepared. So how could having software like Acronis True Image have saved me? More on that, and the link to the article and info after the jump. [Read more →]

Tags: business, general by PShizzy
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UPDATE: The trial offer has now expired. I will do my best to find a new one.

UPDATE 2/17/09: The trial is back on. I believe it will alternate on and off, so try it. if you’re in a rush, try the day pass in my other post. Remember, each one requires an email address.

Lynda.com has always been a great resource for a variety of training. In my experience using them for two years, I find that Lynda offers the best bang for the buck when it comes to training for creative tools. at 25 dollars a month, or 250 for a year, it’s hard to beat their offerings. They have training for all the Adobe apps (which do include the former Macromedia apps), as well as Apple’s own creative suites (Final Cut, Aperture, etc). I could spend another few paragraphs listing it all. Instead, just look at their online training library master list

So, is Lynda.com is a clear choice, a must have? Not necessarily. Read on for the link to the free trial (really, the best way to figure out if you want it), and my opinion on Lynda.com [Read more →]

Tags: business, general, photoshop by PShizzy
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