Black Diamond Productions

This will be a great solution for many of us none full time “professional” photographers. Matching this with the Cyber Commander Light control system will more than likely be my perfect lighting setup for single and dual light work in the very near future. These are available for pre-order now with about a 3000 light waiting period as of this month.

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Link to their website: http://www.paulcbuff.com/pcb2009/einstein.html

THE NEW PAUL C. BUFF EINSTEIN

EINSTEIN 640 – PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS

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PLM SYSTEM™ PRINCIPLES

Parabolic reflectors are often misunderstood by photographers. A common response to the PLM™ system is: "That looks like an umbrella – it can’t possibly perform the function of those gigantic deep parabolic reflectors offered by other manufacturers." In a conventional deep parabolic reflector (see fig. 1) only a portion of the available light is directed to the parabola and is directed as a focused beam toward the subject. The remainder (shown in red) escapes as unfocused spill light. In the PLM™ system (see fig. 2) the special 7" reflector directs all of the light onto the 16 segment parabolic surface in an exact 180° field. 100% of the light is focused by the parabola and none escapes as direct spill light. The result is higher output than a deep parabolic system, virtually no spill light, extremely even coverage and a lightweight, portable system that can be mounted on standard light stands and easily transported and set up.

By positioning the light unit at the exact focal point, the silver PLM™ light modifiers produce an extremely high-output narrow shaft of light with smooth coverage and feathered edges. This results in very large, virtually round light sources that produce intense yet soft lighting due to the vast f-stop increase in subject illumination over softboxes or conventional umbrellas. Moving the light unit into the parabola slightly defocuses the beam to produce a wider pattern at slightly lower output. The optional front diffuser converts the Silver PLM™ into an exceedingly efficient softbox with exceptional evenness across the face and moderately wide illumination patterns. PLM™ umbrellas with white satin fabric form virtually round bounce or shoot-through light sources with extremely even surface brightness and wide smooth lighting patterns. Optional black covers and front diffuser panels offer a wide array of lighting styles.

The PLM Umbrella Reflector should be used in all configurations with Paul C. Buff, Inc.™ lights for optimal performance

• Silver 16 Rib Parabolic Umbrella: Silver inside, black outside. Projects a soft but narrow beam of light with a pattern and high output similar to a 40° reflector. Two to three f-stops more output than a typical softbox. Available in 86”, 64” and 42” sizes.
• White 16 Rib Parabolic Umbrella: White satin diffusion/bounce fabric. Projects a wide, soft beam for soft studio lighting with uncontrolled spill. Available in 86”, 64” and 42” sizes.

Optional:

Black Outer Cover Fabric: Eliminates unwanted back spill-light when used with the white umbrella, further maximizing the output in bounce mode.  Also ideal for use with White Front Diffusion Fabric.  (note: this cover is not needed with the silver umbrella).

Link for more information: http://www.alienbees.com/plm.html

The best part of this release is the pricing – most large umbrellas are much more expensive – I will probably have to give one of these a try in the white with black outer cover setup.

Here is a video from Outdoorphotogear.com for your viewing of the biggest piece of glass Canon Makes.

Well done over there on getting this segment for all of us big lens lovers…..

Sadly they will not allow embedding of their video so just check it out at their site

R16 – Recorder | Interface | Controller
Samson Site Link – Click Here

Zoom has revolutionized digital recording yet again with the first digital recorder with 16-track playback and 8-track simultaneous recording that utilizes Secure Digital (SD) memory. The new R16 recorder is three production tools in one incredibly versatile device. It’s a digital multi-track recorder, an audio interface and a control surface, providing you with all the tools necessary to create studio-quality recordings anywhere you need to.

The R16 combines a remarkable level of functionality with exceptionally intuitive design. For recording purposes, the unit supports up to 32GB SD cards, allowing more than six hours of recording using all 16 tracks. Additionally, the flexibility of SD recording not only makes the R16 lighter and more portable, it also ensures increased reliability with no concern for a crashing hard drive. You can even have respective SD cards dedicated to specific recording sessions.

With the ability to record up to 8 tracks simultaneously, it’s easy to capture a live band or even a complete drum kit. The R16 features built-in stereo condenser microphones for field recording or quick, convenient "sketch-pad" capturing of ideas and rehearsals. It also provides 8 balanced combination XLR-1/4-inch inputs along with one Hi-Z input for direct connection of guitar or bass.

USB operation means you can control each function of your favorite DAW software from the R16 for easy mixing with fine-tuned control. Incorporate any of the 100+ built-in studio effects to enhance your recording and use the pro-quality mastering effects to complete that studio sound. You can even connect two R16s via USB for synchronized operation and 16 tracks of simultaneous recording.

With the new Zoom R16, versatility, control and comprehensive features come together in a single device that puts the power to produce professional recordings right at your fingertips.

• Digital recorder with 16-track playback and 8-track simultaneous recording utilizing Secure Digital (SD) memory
• 24-bit/48kHz linear PCM recording in WAV format
• Built-in stereo condenser microphones
• Includes 1GB SD card and supports cards up to 32GB SDHC
• Allows simultaneous recording on up to 8 tracks
• Battery operation for remote recording
• USB power for studio operation
• 8 mic inputs / 2 outputs (8 x 2)
• 8 balanced combination XLR-1/4-inch inputs
• High-definition 24-bit/96kHz recording capability using digital audio software
• Built-in effects can be used as outboard effects as well
• Hi-Z input for direct connection of guitar or bass
• Includes preamp with phantom power on two channels
• Mackie control emulation via USB for popular DAW software including Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer and more
• Over 100 built-in studio effects coming from advanced DSP
• Amazing guitar amp and effects models
• Professional quality mastering effects, multi-band compressor, normalizer and more
• Operates as USB storage device for quick data transfer
• Connect two R16s via USB for synchronized operation and 16 tracks of simultaneous recording
• Undo/Redo functions
• Comes with Steinberg Cubase LE 4
• Supports Windows XP/Vista, Mac OS X operating systems

Are you looking for a new camera strap system?

I would take a look at the R-Strap before you just get another old camera strap…

Hey at least they have videos:

Also a good real world review here on Chase Jarvis’s Blog – Click here